#I’d be fine if sark showed up again

[widestshoes]

My only question, and slight request to the universe is, now that chuckle sandwich is ending when are they gonna have jawsh on

I know they enjoy jawsh, as shown with the surprised mention of jawsh in the connereatspants episode, and though chuckle week likely ended they could have brought him on since I’m pretty sure it’s based in California, where jawsh is or so my reliable source has informed me, I know he’s has lazy as his viewers but still

It’s like the only thing I could ask for at the end of chuckle sandwich, jawsh hanging out speaking with Ted neovision and schlank, that or another episode with sark that one was fun

[tezzford-trash]

Meeting Aleksei

Chapter 2

Aleksei stared at his brother before looking away with a sigh. “What’s wrong, младший брат?”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone back home?” Aleksei mumbled. “I told you: I thought-”

“I know you thought we had forgotten about you. But we didn’t! At least I didn’t. I was too young to understand what had happened at first, but I was scared, Tezz! I had no idea where you were! You could have at least told our parents…” Tezz placed his hand on Aleksei’s shoulder, turning him so they were facing each other and looked him in the eyes. “I’m sorry. I should have told you all. I… I hadn’t thought about how hard this must have been for you all.”

“They looked for you for 3 years. There were missing posters everywhere. As far as everyone back home knows, you’re dead, and have been for years. Why did it take you this long to realize this, Tezz? We haven’t seen you in 13 years, and you’ve been here in America for 4 years! You never even thought to come back home, at least for a visit, to show everyone you were okay! Do you have any idea how hard it was to live without my older brother for that long?!”

Tezz turned away from his brother. “You’re… You’re right… I’m sorry, Aleksei. I’m sorry I hadn’t told you sooner. Or at all, for that matter…” Tezz closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists, facing away from everyone else. “Tezz, love. Are you okay?” Stanford asked, concerned for his boyfriend. “I… I need to be alone right now. I’m going back to our room,” Tezz told Stanford before walking off to their bedroom. “Wait Tezz-”

“Give him some space, Stanford. This is a lot for him to process, I’m sure.” Stanford sighed and looked at Vert with a worried look. “I know, I’m just worried. I haven’t seen him like this in ages. I’ll check on him in a bit.”

“Probably a good idea,” Vert said, turning to look at the remaining Volitov.

“Aleksei, are… you okay?” He asked. “I don’t know. I’m just upset with him. I came all the way here to see him, only to find out that he’s been here, alive, for the past four years. He really never said anything about me or the rest of our family?”

“He’s mentioned your family a couple times, but he never said anything else about it. Never mentioned having a brother. I’d never thought to ask him about it. Honestly, I know what you’re going through.” Aleksei tilted his head in confusion. “You do?” Vert nodded. “When I was a kid, my dad drove off, testing out a new car, and he drove into a portal. He found old parts of Sark, grabbed them, brought them home and used them to build another car. Then he found another Stormshock, and drove into it again. He got captured and had no way of getting back home.”

“He’s home now, right?”

“No. He won’t come back yet. Says he has some ‘unfinished business’ somewhere else in the Multiverse. He’d been trying for years to find a way back to Earth, but no luck. And he can’t come back yet, because there’s a tracker in him at a cellular level, so our enemies would use it to find us, and destroy Sage.” Aleksei thought about what he had just heard silently. “That is very similar to Tezz’s previous situation, aside from the tracker part. But that doesn’t change the fact that he chose not to tell anyone he was still alive. I’ve been looking for him for 8 years, only to find him here in America, being gay in the desert!” Spinner let out a small laugh, but quickly stopped when Vert gave him a “Don’t you dare laugh at a time like this” look.

“I’m still upset with him, and I will be for a while.”

“That’s understandable. I would be too.

After about thirty minutes of waiting, Stanford grew anxious, and made his way to the bedroom he and Tezz shared. He gently knocked on the door before opening it. “Are you okay, love?” He asked. He found Tezz laying on their bed, his face buried in one of their pillows. “Tezz?” Stanford said as he walked over to the bed and sat down next to him. “I am a horrible brother…” Tezz mumbled, but he was muffled by the pillow. “What was that?” Tezz lifted his head and looked at Stanford, his eyes red and watery, cheeks stained with tears-it was obvious that he had been crying. “I said: I am a horrible brother. I don’t deserve a brother like Aleksei after what I did.”

“No you’re not, Tezzy-”

“Yes I am! He is right-I should have told our family. But I chose not to. I stayed here and acted like my family back in Russia didn’t exist. I had never even mentioned having a brother until today!” Tears started forming in his eyes yet again as his breathing sped up. “It’s okay, Tezz. Everything will be fine. I know this is all overwhelming for you, but I’m sure you two will work things out,” Stanford said, gently wiping away Tezz’s tears. “And how do you know that?”

“Because you always find a way to fix your mistakes.” Tezz gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly, his arms shaking a bit. “Please try to calm down. At least calm your breathing, okay?” Tezz nodded, taking deep, shaky breaths to calm himself down.

“He has every right to be mad at me, Stanford. It’s been four years since you all brought me back to Earth. I should have told them immediately, instead of thinking they had all forgotten about me. I am a fool for not realizing that there was a possibility that someone could have been looking for me.” Tears fell from his eyes onto the bed the two of them were sitting on. Stanford began rubbing Tezz’s back in order to calm him down. He hated seeing the love of his life in such a state of pain. “It hurts… Knowing how upset he is with me. We haven’t seen each other in over a decade, and I upset him. He must hate me now...” Stanford thought to himself silently for a moment. “Did you two ever argue as kids?”

“Of course we did. All siblings are prone to disagreements,” Tezz replied. “Why does that matter?” Stanford grabbed one of Tezz’s hands and held it tightly. “You always worked things out in the end, right?”

“Uhh, yes? Where are you going with this?”

“Then I’m sure you two can work things again now. Sure, it may take a while, but he won’t stay angry forever. I promise he doesn’t hate you.” Stanford then kissed his boyfriend on the cheek, trying to reassure him that everything would work out in the end. “You’ll be fine, I promise. I love you, Tezzy. And Aleksei does too.” Tezz was much calmer now. “Thank you, Stanford. I love you too.” Stanford gave Tezz a small kiss on the lips, making a smile appear on the Russian’s face.

Russian translations: “младший брат” means “little brother”

[bee-kathony]

“Your Nose is Blue” - Jamie and Claire 

This is my ‘One Quote, One Shot’ fic, thank you @balfeheughlywed and @notevenjokingfic for organizing this! nswf at the end 

My quote is: “Your nose is blue,” I remarked conversationally. I glanced downward. “And so are your feet.” He grinned and wiped his nose on the back of his hand. “So are my balls. Want to warm them for me?” 

Lallybroch December 8th, 1743

Snow had been falling every day since the first of December. Jamie and I had been at Lallybroch for almost two months, and it had been the happiest two months of our entire marriage. Granted, we hadn’t been married very long, but there was a simplicity with Jamie at his childhood home that we hadn’t found anywhere else.

I relished in every story that Jamie told me about growing up here. Even the ones that didn’t favor him in a good light — him and Ian sneaking away, getting into all kinds of mischief which led them to both be disciplined by Jamie’s father. I wondered what it would be like if both of Jamie’s parents were still alive, much in the same way I wondered the same about my own.

His sister, Jenny had been wary of me at first, and I didn’t blame her. I was a stranger who had come into her home, wed to her younger brother — I’d be cautious too. But over the past few weeks, we had grown close and I began to consider her my own sister.

I was still getting used to the idea of settling down and making a life here. There were still mornings when I would wake up and forget what century I was in. When I looked over to see Jamie, his hands folded across his stomach, and a small smile on his lips, I was grateful to be here — with him.

It was another chilly morning, much like it had been the past several days. My toes were ice cold and I turned over in bed to snuggle up to Jamie. I pressed my feet against him, warming them to his hot skin. He started to squirm, his eyes fluttering open and I felt him wrap his arm around me.

“Ah, Sassenach,” he said groggily. “Yer feet are freezin!”

“Sorry,” I started to pull them away, but he pulled me closer.

“Nah, tis alright,” he grinned, placing a kiss to my forehead. “Twas just a shock this early in the mornin’.”

“Would you be able to go and get some fresh wood for the fire later?” I asked him, resting my head on his chest. The heat radiated off of him, and he knew as well as I did that the fire was for my benefit only.

“Aye,” he said. “I’ll go chop some down after breakfast.”

“Get enough for the whole house if you can,” I looked up at him, tracing my finger along his chin. “I think everyone must be out as well. The whole damn place is freezing!”

“Och,” Jamie turned me in his arms, pressing my back to his chest. “They say a quick way to warm up is to take all yer clothes off and lay yer body next to another.”

“We can’t bloody walk around naked all day,” I laughed. “That only works when we’re in bed. What about the rest of the time?”

Jamie sighed, his hand settling over my stomach. “Hmm, well then I reckon I’ll have to keep ye in my bed all day.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” I chuckled, turning my head to look at him, noticing his smug expression. “Besides, I don’t think I’ve seen you ever lay in bed all day. You’re constantly doing things around the stables or with Ian.”

“Aye, yer right about that.” His hand moved along my arm, fingers lightly tracing my skin. “There’s much to do, even wi’ the snow. Ah!” He suddenly shouted in my ear. “Ye can help Jenny wi’ the clickit. I saw her start a new scarf just yesterday.”

“Clickit?” I asked, turning back to look at him. His brows rose near his hairline and he rose to his perch himself on his elbow, staring down at me like I’d just cursed his mother’s grave.

“Claire,” he said incredulously. “Are ye tellin’ me ye canna clickit at all?”

I shook my head, twisting to lie flat on my back.

“And what did ye do for your winter stockings in yer time, then?”

“Bought them,” I said simply.

He looked from me and then out the window, “Well, I dinna see any shops about, I suppose ye’d best learn, aye?”

“I suppose so,” I eyed him dubiously.

“Tis no’ that hard, Sassenach,” Jamie shook his head. “Once we go downstairs, I’ll show ye how to get ye started.”

“You can clickit?” I asked, surprised.

“Well of course I can,” he laughed. “I’ve known how to clickit wi’ needles since I was seven years old. Do they no’ teach bairns anythin’ in your time, Sassenach?”

I thought for a moment, trying to come up with an answer. “Sometimes they teach little girls to do needlework, but not the boys.”

“Tis no’ fine needlework, Sassenach,” Jamie sat up in bed, pulling the sheet up to his waist. “Just simple knitting.”

Muttering under his breath about raising children the proper way, he climbed out of bed, stark naked in search for his sark. Once he found it, he shrugged it over his shoulders, now grabbing his kilt.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” I asked, admiring him from bed, my arms stretched above my head.

Jamie came over to me, looking down with both hands on his hips, kilt still in one hand. “There’s no time to waste, Sassenach. Ye’ve gone this long w’out learnin’ how to clickit, tis time for yer teachin’ to begin.”

“But breakfast,” I said, rolling over in bed and then I felt something land on top of me — it was my shift. He was bloody serious about me learning how to clickit, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I got dressed, watching the puzzled looks that crossed his face every now and then. There were a handful of times that I wished it were possible for Jamie to travel through the stones — if only to see what my time was really like, how things were different.

Once we were both dressed, Jamie led us downstairs where he proceeded to tell the whole household about my clickit skills — or lack thereof.

“What do ye mean she canna clickit?” Jenny asked, pausing from serving bowls of porridge on the table.

“Claire was never taught it as bairn,” Jamie shook his head, taking his seat at the table. I followed, feeling embarrassed at my lack of knitting knowledge. It just wasn’t a skill I had ever needed. When I wanted to wear something warm, I would buy it — necessity was the mother of invention and in my time, shops were invented so we didn’t have to knit.

“Well, I ken what we’re doin’ today,” Jenny said and shoveled porridge into my bowl.

++++++

It was an hour later, and I was sitting with Jenny in the living room, my fingers cold and feeling strained. Both Jenny and Jamie had explained it to me — draw the thread out of the closed fist, make a loop around your thumb, slip it into the needle and you cast a row. It looked simple enough, but every time I tried, it all came apart.

After watching me fail again and again, Jamie had shrugged, and left me in Jenny’s capable hands while he went to fetch firewood.

“Maybe by next Christmas I’ll have managed a small scarf,” I said helplessly. “I’m quite skilled with a knife or needle, but only when it comes to flesh, not knitting.”

“Och, ye’ll get the hang of it, Claire,” Jenny smiled, her fingers working quickly on her own scarf. She had no trouble at all casting a row, and I tried to watch, but my brain and hands couldn’t work together in that way.

I set aside my mess of a scarf, and picked up a bit of yarn, rolling it into a neat ball. In the winter, there wasn’t so much to do outside of the house besides tending to the animals. My hands were itching to hold a real needle in them or dig up the earth for planting. It was no wonder so many babies were made in the winter months — there wasn’t anything else that could be done!

“I think I’m going to go and lie down for awhile,” I said and stood up. “Will you tell Jamie when he comes back that I’m upstairs?”

“Aye, of course,” she smiled. “I expect he’ll be back soon wi’ the fresh wood. We could use it, looks like it’ll be a cold one again tonight.”

I left Jenny in the living room, and rubbed my hands together for warmth as I walked up the stairs. I wanted Jamie to hurry up and come back, not only for the warmth of the fire, but for the warmth of holding him next to me.

Climbing into bed, I pulled up the layers of sheets and quilts to my neck to try and get warm. My teeth were chattering, and I pulled the quilt above my head, hoping sleep would take me under.

What felt like a minute later, my eyes opened to see the sun’s shadow in a different place. It must have been an hour or more since I’d come up for a nap. The room was quiet, and the fire wasn’t lit which meant Jamie hadn’t come back yet.

Brushing my hand across my face, I rose out of the bed and walked downstairs in search of Jamie. Jenny was gone, her knitting needles stored in the basket near the couch. The fire in the main room wasn’t lit either.

“Jamie?” I called out.

Noise came from the kitchen and I followed it.

“Has Jamie come back yet?” I asked Jenny as she poured herself a cup of hot tea.

“No, I was just startin’ to grow worrit for him myself. The wee numptie should have been back by now,” Jenny shook her head. “He kens this land like the back of his own hand, so I dinna think he would be gettin’ lost.”

“Do you know where he would have gone to cut the wood?” I asked, already looking around for my wool cloak.

“Tis just back behind the house, near the tree line.” Jenny looked up from her cup of tea to find me tying my cloak on, and stepping into my shoes. “Oh, Claire, ye canna be thinkin’ about goin’ to find him. Ye’ll freeze!”

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about with Jamie,” I said. “If I can’t find him, I’ll come back. And if I’m out there too long, come and find me.”  

I heard Jenny mutter something under her breath about being stubborn and I laughed — she was one to talk, the other half of the Fraser siblings.

It must have still been early afternoon, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t freezing. My breath puffed out in front of me and I began walking in the direction of the tree line behind the house. It was a ways back, and I hoped for Jamie’s sake he had thought to take his coat and gloves.

“Foolish man,” I muttered, stepping through the snow. There were a few possibilities of his lateness running through my head and none of them good. Looking up to the sky, I could tell that it would snow soon — I could practically smell it in the air.

I crossed through the trees, trying to keep an eye out for a mop of red hair. Jenny said he wouldn’t go too deep into the woods, and so I turned to my right, stepping over a fallen branch.

“Jamie?” I called out, placing both my hands to my mouth to make the sound carry.

There was no answer, and I couldn’t help but think of all the horrible things that could have happened to him. A sound came from my left and I looked to see a small grey rabbit hopping through the brush. For some reason, I decided to follow it.

“Are you going to lead me to my husband little rabbit?” I said out loud and immediately rolled my eyes. Talking to rabbits now, Beauchamp.

I continued to follow the rabbit, pausing when it would stop to munch on a leaf of grass or scratch behind its ear. Soon, it stopped and jumped behind a bush. My eyes traveled upwards and that’s when I saw him.

“Jamie!”

He was lying on his side, the ax near his hand and pile of wood at his feet. I ran to him, picking up my skirts so I wouldn’t trip and end up in the same state as him.

“Jamie,” I crouched down to my knees, both hands flying over his body. My fingers were at his neck, checking for a pulse and I sighed whenever I felt that steady beat. His cheeks were pale and his lips blue, much like the rest of him. I glanced down and saw that he’d taken his boots off and the tips of his toes were blue.

“Oh, please wake up,” I knelt over his body, pulling my cloak to cover him. When I pushed back my hand over his forehead, I saw blood congealed on the side of his head. “Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!”

I checked him for other injuries, and determined it was only his head that had received the brunt of it. Most likely, he’d knocked himself in the head with the ax, and that thought did make me grin, but only briefly.

Trying to recall all my knowledge about hypothermia, I remembered that body heat was one of the best ways to revive someone. I sat up, pulling off my cloak and started to undress, hastily pulling at the laces of my bodice — I needed to lie with him, to save him in any way I could.

Just as I was about to lift my dress off over my head, I heard a groan from the body underneath me.

“Sassenach,” he said groggily and my hands dropped, covering his cheeks. I pressed my head to his, catching my breath for the first time since I’d found him.

“Oh thank God!”

“Claire,” he said a little louder. “What the devil are ye doin’ wi’ yer laces undone?”

I looked down at myself, feeling heat creep up my cheeks. “Well, I was going to warm you up — body heat.”

“Aye,” he smirked and then winced as he tried to sit up.

“Don’t move,” I said and forced him back to lie on the ground. “You’ve hit your head and you might have a concussion - er, a blow to your head.”

As he laid back, his brows knitted in discomfort, I began to tie up my laces again, putting myself in order. Thank goodness he had woken when he did because I was ready to take it all off and cover his body with mine.

“Your nose is blue,” I remarked conversationally. I glanced downward. “And so are your feet.”

He grinned and wiped his nose on the back of his hand. “So are my balls. Want to warm them for me?” Cold or not, he was plainly in good spirits.

“Perhaps when you aren’t lying in snow and sporting a head with blood,” I smiled and leaned down to place a kiss on the tip of his blue nose. “What we really need to do is get you inside and by a fire.”

“Christ,” he looked over at the pile of firewood. “I dinna think I can manage to make it back like this wi’ the wood.”

“Well, maybe Jenny or Ian could come and collect it,” I said. “I should have thought to bring out a horse, but who would have thought you’d hit yourself with an ax!”

“Is that what I did?” He rubbed at his head, pulling his hand back to look at the blood that covered it now. “I dinna remember it, but I do remember ’twas a bit loose sliding through my hands.”

I slid my hand under his back to help him up into a sitting position. The back of his head was wet with melted snow. Jamie groaned as he moved, placing his head into his hands.

“Are you dizzy?”

“Aye, a wee bit,” he said. “My head feels like it’s been split open.”

“You’ll need to get plenty of water and rest over the next few days,” I told him. “But first things first is getting you out of the snow.”

It took a few tries, but I managed to help him stand up. Swaying a bit on his own, he steadied himself by placing one hand on my shoulder.

“This will be a long journey back inside,” he said and looked down at me.

“It will be with that attitude,” I smirked. “And are you going to tell me what you were doing out here in the snow with your shoes off, hmm?”

As if he had just realized he was barefoot, he looked down. “Och, I guess my feet were gettin’ sweaty and I wanted to feel the cold between my toes.”

“You’re just lucky you didn’t get stuck out here for much longer or you might have caught something called hypothermia and lost both your feet!”

“Tis no’ my feet I’m worrit about losin’,” he touched his crotch, as if checking all the bits were still there.

“Come on,” I laughed, “Let’s go home.”

++++++

It had taken nearly twice as long to get back as it had taken for me to come and find him. Jamie was moving slow, and he was obviously much larger and heavier than me so I found it difficult to support his weight.

When we arrived back to Lallybroch, Jenny and Ian had been waiting.

“Ye hit yerself wi’ an ax?” Jenny asked and I could see a smile forming on her lips.

“Aye,” Jamie scowled. “I dinna want to hear a word about it either.”

“We had to leave the wood he chopped behind,” I told them. “Would someone be able to fetch it and bring it inside?”

“I’ll do it,” Ian said. “I can take Donas out. Ye’ll have left the cart to carry it, I suppose?”

“Aye,” Jamie nodded. “I was just goin’ to pull it back myself, but ye can use a horse since yer no’ as strong as me.”

Ian flashed out his hand, lightly smacking Jamie on the side and laughed, limping away to the stables outside.

“Ye best be glad yer wife was concerned for ye,” Jenny said and came around to slide her arm around Jamie’s waist. “If it were up to me, I might have let ye stay out there all night so ye could learn yer lesson.”

We started to make our way slowly up the stairs, taking them on at a time.

“And what lesson is that?” Jamie asked.

“That ye keep as firm a grip on yer ax as ye would yer cock,” she snorted and I couldn’t help but burst into a laugh. The big heavy scot between us groaned, either in embarrassment or pain — possibly both.

Jamie landed in our bed with a thud, rolling onto his side to avoid the light from the window. Sensing his discomfort, I walked over and shut the blinds until only a sliver of light was left.

“I’ll have Mrs. Crook prepare some soup,” Jenny said. “And I’ll fetch ye another couple of quilts to keep him warm.”

“Could you see if she can make willow bark tea as well?” I asked and Jenny nodded before heading out of the room.

I looked over at Jamie, still shivering under the covers. Sitting down beside him, I ran my fingers over his cheek, which now was much warmer than before.

“You already don’t look so blue,” I commented. “How are those balls of yours?”

Jamie smirked and glanced down between his legs. “They could still do wi’ a bit of warming up.”

“That part of your anatomy is taking a bit longer to to get back to it’s normal body temperature,” I grinned, moving closer to him in bed. He was now rolling over onto his back, and his hair moved aside, showing the blood once again. “But first,” I reached out to touch his head.

Jenny came back with two more quilts and laid them on top of his body, tucking him in as any mother would do. I imagined this wasn’t the first time Jenny had to take care of Jamie after he hurt himself.

I scrounged up a bit of cloth and found my comfrey salve in a small medical chest I had brought from my days at Leoch. Jamie turned his head to the side, allowing me to cleanse his wound and spread the slave over it to help heal it.

“There,” I said and discarded the bloody cloths. “You don’t need any stitches. And I expect you’ll have a bloody good headache for a couple of days, but nothing you can’t handle.”

Jamie was looking up at me, almost innocently and childlike. So often since I’d met him, I had bandaged him and healed his wounds, and every time he had the same expression on his face.

“What?” I asked, moving to sit beside him again.

“I just love havin’ such a fine healer as my wife,” he smiled. “Tis quite useful.”

“You do seem to get into a lot of painful situations,” I laughed and leaned against him, laying my head on his shoulder.

“Sassenach?” He asked a moment later.

“Hmmm?”

“I wasna lyin’ when I said that my balls were still blue,” he said almost sheepishly. “Ever since I woke to find ye half dressed and ready to throw yerself on me, I’ve had half a cock stand.”

“So it’s my fault, hmm?” I glanced over at him, finding blue eyes gazing at me. He was already in such a delicate state — I would have done anything to make him feel better.

“Aye, tis always yer fault,” he admitted and pulled one hand out from under the covers, reaching up to cup my cheek.

Leaning in, I kissed him, tender and slow. He was laying on his back, his head propped up on two pillows. I shifted onto my side, pulling the covers up and over my legs so I could join him in the warmth and hopefully give him some of mine.

My hand settled on his chest, feeling his erratic heartbeat for a moment before sliding it to rest over his belly. I didn’t have to move my hand much further before I came in contact with his greedy length. Jamie moaned into my mouth, his tongue sliding over my bottom lip as I palmed his cock.

“Sassenach,” he muttered between kisses. He was only wearing a clean sark, having shed his wet clothes before climbing into bed earlier. I pulled the material up and took him fully in my hand. Jamie groaned, his mouth hovering just against mine.

“As your healer, I think it’s only right for me to check on the precise color of those blue balls,” I said against his lips and I felt him twitch in my hand.

“Oh, aye,” he smirked and he was already pushing back the cover to expose himself to me.

I slid down the bed, easily fitting in between his legs and sat on my knees. Gripping his pulsing length in my hand, I ran my fingers up and down twice, watching as his hips flexed. He was trying not to move, his hands gripping the sheets beside him.

“C-christ,” he stuttered as I pressed my thumb over the head, collecting the bit of seed.

“Try not to move,” I said softly. “You wouldn’t want to hurt your head any further.”

“Sassenach, yer tryin’ to kill me,” he muttered between his teeth and then after grazing his blue balls with my hand, I descended on him. I took him eagerly in my mouth, swirling my tongue around him. I glanced up to see him watching me, and I felt my own belly light with a fire.

My hand worked in tandem with my mouth and I hollowed my cheeks, sucking deeply. Jamie was moaning, and his hips lifted off the bed, pushing his cock back against my throat.

“I’m sorry,” he was now panting, reaching his hand into my hair and I pulled my lips off of him, briefly licking the tip.

“Don’t apologize,” I smiled before placing a kiss to his head and swiping my tongue along his shaft. My hand slid down easily, pumping him and I twisted my grip, watching as his eyes shut tight. I knew he was close, so I kept my gaze on his face, waiting for that perfect moment.

I wrapped my lips over him, feeling swollen and needy. He tasted salty and whenever I met his gaze, Jamie jerked and came. I had no option but to drink him down, tasting him on my tongue, and lips and I released him with an audible ‘pop’.

Jamie wasted no time in pulling me up to lie on top of his body, his hands coming to grip my sides.

“I don’t want to put any pressure on you,” I said, placing my hands on his chest. “You shouldn’t be exerting yourself so soon.”

“Who said anything about me exertin’ myself?” He cocked a brow and reached one hand under my dress, finding my center and rubbing slowly. A few seconds later, I sank down on him, shifting until he was buried inside of me. I leaned over, pressing my lips to his and began to move. He felt so good and warm, filling me in a way that I would never tire of.

Jamie held me close to him, his hands roaming over my back, tugging at my dress. It was no use, my laces were still tied in the front and I began to push back harder on him, searching for a release of my own.

“Uhhh,” I moaned, placing a wet kiss to his cheek and jaw. Jamie’s hands found my arse under my dress, pressing me against him as he lifted his hips. And just so, he hit that spot inside of me and I came with a deep cry. I trembled in his arms, feeling his release inside me and I lay on top of him, knowing I should move to not hurt him.

Carefully, I rolled onto my side, sighing as my head hit the pillow and I lay one arm across his stomach.

“Did that take care of any blue balls?” I asked, biting my lip between my teeth.

Jamie looked over at me, running his finger over my cheek. “Aye, ye’ve taken good care of them, as ye always do.”

“It was my pleasure,” I smiled and leaned over to kiss him. Then I sat up in bed, tugging on my dress and climbed out. Jamie started to protest, but I shushed him, pulling the covers up around him. “Now, you really do need to rest. I’m going to go check on that willow bark tea, and when I come back, there will be no more funny business.”

“Aye, captain,” Jamie pressed his hand to his head and tried to wink. Laughing, I left him on his own to get the tea.

When I came back upstairs, his eyes were closed and his mouth was hung slightly open, a bit of drool dribbling down. I don’t know how he managed to possess all the qualities that made me want to claw at his back one minute and the next, tuck him up and sing him a lullaby.

I took a sip of the tea before sitting it on the bedside table and shed my clothes, crawling into bed naked with him. After all, body heat was the best way to warm up.

[mainly-kpop]

A Pirates Life For Me

Chapter Eight

Pirate!BTS Maid!Reader Warnings: little bit of blood warning?  Summary:  You had always wondered about pirates, about a life outside of these walls. On your 23rd birthday, you would finally find out what both were really like. Word Count: 2.8k

The next day consisted of the boys roaming the island, they had spied on a man who seemed particularly mean. He over priced his items, not budging for anyone. A small child had walked up to his stand, begging for whatever he could spare, whether it be scraps or not. The man spat on the ground in front of the child, shoving its shoulder so it would leave. He was a horrible smelly man, full of hate and greed. Taehyung was particularly horrified by him, buying the child an apple before sending the man a glare.

‘Our target is set; you think you can do this babe?’ Yoongi spoke, directing his questioning to you, the boys all looked in your direction, you pondered it for a second, wondering if you really could. He seemed different from the other man, didn’t really seem like the kind to fuss over a woman in distress…

‘I think so, but could I make a suggestion?’ You asked, looking around at everyone. Yoongi just motioned for you to take the floor. You stepped forward standing beside him, the boys smiled, happy you were as involved as you were.

‘My worry is, he doesn’t seem like the time to fuss over a damsel like the last man. We need a different approach and I think I know exactly what to do, if you don’t mind?’ You directed at Yoongi, he just smiled, knowing exactly the route you were going down.

‘You have my permission, just uh, not too much. I still want them to be able to do their jobs babe…’ The boys just frowned, still not 100% sure where this was leading just yet. You guessed they would catch on when the plan came to, for now, you nodded, stepping back into line.

‘Everyone else, the plan stays as it was. Taehyung and Jungkook, keep an eye on her. Tomorrow is the day, get plenty of rest and take it easy.’ The boys nodded, getting back to their little jobs, taking it easy for the night.

‘Want one last lesson before bed?’ Hoseok spoke, sneaking up behind you, startling slightly, you defensively threw a punch at him. He caught it quickly, laughing at how quick you were to fight.

‘I thought you didn’t want to learn to fight? Anyway, I stopped that with one hand, there was nowhere near enough power in that.’ You just rolled your eyes, ready to beat his ass at least one time.

‘You’re the one who taught me to throw a punch, I guess it’s your fault.’ You sarked back, he just laughed, letting go of your wrist. He walked to the middle of the ship, taking his stance you knew all too well at this point. It’s the way he stood every damn time he took you down, sighing, you trudged over to him, dragging your feet as you went.

‘We do this once, then I’m going to bed, I don’t feel like being thrown on the floor 8 times tonight.’ You whined, he just nodded, lunging for you. Quickly you dodged, laughing as he stumbled slightly. He frowned, but collected himself fast, grabbing your arm pulling you into his body. His hand trailed your waist for a minute, trying to distract you. You stomped on his toe, breaking free from him, using your full weight you pushed him to deck, straddling his lap.

‘You totally let me win!’ You whined, smacking his chest. A loud laugh erupted from him, as he protected the areas you were trying to smack.

‘I did not! Maybe I’m losing my touch? Jungkook might have to teach you from now on, I’m going soft!’ He whined dramatically, you sat back on his lap, huffing slightly. He gripped your arms, flipping you over, pinning you to the deck. Startled for a second, you whimpered at the sudden change.

‘You’re right, I let you win. However, it was only to show you not to let your guard down, even when you think you’ve won.’ He whispered, face inches from yours, you could smell him so clearly. The scent filling your senses. He caught you smelling the air around him, eyes rolling back in pleasure.

‘Stop sniffing me, it’s weird.’ He teased, winking at you when your eyes shot open. Huffing, you smacked his arm standing up.

‘Anyway, like I said before, I only wanted to do this once tonight. Goodnight Hoseok…’ He smiled, watching you walk back to the captain’s quarters, heading to his bed when you were finally out of sight.

‘Have fun?’ Yoongi spoke, sitting at his desk in his night clothes, you smiled, pulling your layers off, slipping the night dress over your head. He watched you dress, causing a stir in his pants. He controlled himself, pretending like he wasn’t even watching.

‘A decent amount yes. Yourself?’ You spoke, crawling onto his lap as he sat in the chair. You’ve had a taste of this man, you wanted more, oh so much more. It was so hard to resist you, to push you away from him. That’s exactly what he had to do right now though, that’s exactly what you needed.

‘Yeah, it’s time for bed now baby…’ Maybe calling you baby was giving you mixed signals, but if he stopped calling you it now, would you be hurt? Offended? You stood off his lap, swinging your hips as you made your way to the bed, to no avail apparently. He tried so hard not to watch you, god you were such a fucking tease… He climbed into bed beside you, facing away. You were clearly upset, deciding it was best to talk this out instead of letting it eat away at you.

‘Do you not want me?’ You whispered, you wanted him to know you weren’t mad, just confused, a little bit upset. If he didn’t want you though, you should probably pick somewhere else to sleep. His eyes widened, realising he probably didn’t take the best road for this.

‘God baby no, I do, I really fucking do see?’ He spoke, grabbing your hand, pressing it to himself. Under his trousers he was hard, making you bite your lip at the thought of him. You started rubbing your hand across it slowly, he allowed you for a second before he ripped your hand away. He pinned them both above your head, crawling on top of you, trying for a second, you tried to break out of his hold, having no luck.

‘You need to stop. Baby, I want you so bad, but we can’t. Not yet at least, it’s killing me trust me. I’ll explain soon okay, just be patient with me…’ You sighed, nodding. He relaxed slightly, letting go of your hands and sliding back into his space on the bed.

‘Can we still, like, kiss? I just want something…’ You whispered, fiddling with the cover, he let a little laugh slip forward, watching your timid frame avoid eye contact.

‘Fuck yes we can, come here baby.’ You smiled widely, slipping into his arms lying on your side. Your lips connected in a hungry kiss, saying and doing everything you couldn’t at the moment. Unfairly begging for everything he couldn’t give you.

The next day you slipped the dress over your frame, letting Yoongi tie the laces on the back, tightening it with every breath you took. Now you knew how the princess felt, this was suffocating… Regardless you bared it, letting your breasts rest high up your chest. You had never felt this perky in your life, and you sure as hell weren’t going to feel it again.

‘How do you feel?’ Yoongi questioned, securing the little tie, he was pretty good at this for a pirate.

‘My underwear is up my butt and my boobs are under my chin, feeling perky buddy!’ You replied sarcastically, trying to figure out the art of breathing. The dress hardly reached your ankles, showing your skin slightly, short sleeves showing your arms off. Honestly you felt pretty good about yourself in this dress, although, you could probably get hired for a brothel at this point…

‘Just remember what we discussed okay? You’re going to be fine.’ You weren’t all that worried anymore, now you knew the target and that the boys knew what they were doing. It didn’t seem as scary now.

Stepping into the little boat, you noticed the boys unable to concentrate, you having to warn them you were going to crash at least six times. Jin sat beside you, laughing at the other boys as they cleared their throats or blamed someone else.

‘Didn’t I tell you angel?’ He whispered, the boys too busy blaming Jimin for the recent crash into a bush. You just rolled your eyes, still not believing a word he said.

‘I’m dressed like I belong in a brothel; I’d be surprised if they didn’t look.’ He just sighed, completely astounded by your level of obliviousness.

‘Okay, everyone focus. I’ll be here, hurry back.’ Jin spoke, tying the boat to the beach, giving you a comforting smile.

Walking to the little shop, you felt the nerves creep up on you again, how were you supposed to act sexy? Taking a deep breath, you walk in, looking at the things inside the store. It didn’t have much, but you had to seem like you were actually interested in the products.

‘The brothel is that way.’ A voice came from behind you, making you grit your teeth and furrow your eyebrows. At this point all you wanted to do was punch him, never mind flirt. Turning around you plastered a fake smile across your face, the act of innocence shining through the outfit you wore.

‘Oh, I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t come from the brothel though. I came from a town over. I was actually looking for a particular bracelet. Someone told me I may find it here!’ You blagged, not putting out the flirts just yet. You could see the boys sneaking through the back, Jungkook hanging around the front of the shop to keep an eye on you. Not able to spot Taehyung you worried slightly, but pushed it to the back of your mind.

‘I got a lot of that; you’ll need to be more specific.’ You mentally slapped yourself, smiling outwardly. He seemed calm enough, allowing you to place a hand on his arm as you giggled at him. He smiled down at your little frame, eyes darting straight to your breasts.

‘Of course, my mistake! It was a little bit like this one, but it had pink through it? Do you know of it?’ You spoke, holding your arm out to the man in front of you. He grabbed your hand, pulling it closer and closer to his mouth, he was giving you the creeps but this is what you wanted.

‘I gave this bracelet to a girl once. The jeweller only made one.’ He whispered, pulling you into his frame. You frowned slightly, not understanding until Taehyung stepped out of the shadows.

‘Get your fucking hands off her.’ He spoke, low voice startling you. It distracted you long enough for the man holding you to pull a knife, holding the blade against your throat. Jungkook ran into the scene, giving the other boys a look. They continued as they were, exiting out the back quickly. You assumed you would meet them at the boat.

‘I told you to get your hands off her.’ He spoke clearly again, the man just chuckling behind you.

‘Why should I pirate? She was mine first, tell them baby…’ You gulped, finally putting all the pieces together, you hadn’t told anyone, only Yoongi, the boys looked confused. You took a deep breath to explain before Jungkook spoke up.

‘I don’t care if you were married or fucking. She’s not yours anymore. Listen man, we don’t have weapons on us, so just put the fucking knife down.’ You felt his grip loosen on your waist, giving you a little bit of wiggle room. You tried to remember what Hoseok had taught you, forgetting about the blade slipping down your chest. Stomping full force on his foot, he yelped, the blade slicing through the front of your dress but he went down regardless. You elbowed the back of his head, forcing him further onto the ground. Jungkook grabbed your hand dragging you out of the store, looking back for a second you saw the man waving his fist towards you.

He wasn’t the 16-year-old boy you had loved before; he was a cold bitter man who had no love in his heart. Probably not even for you. You looked down at yours and Jungkooks joined hands, the bracelet sitting on your wrist, practically mocking you. Taehyung threw his shirt over your shoulders, protecting you from prying eyes. You barely registered yourself climbing into the rowing boat, hardly registered Taehyung yelling for them to hurry. Jungkook pushed the shirt to sit on your shoulders, examining the nasty gash between your breasts.

‘Baby, hey, hey, look at me.’ He spoke, waving his hand in front of your face, you snapped back to him. Tears instantly filled your eyes, not from the burning sensation but because you had just found the man you had waited for all these years. Found him to be a pig with no love unless it glistened under the sun. He wrapped you into his arms instantly, not caring he would be covered in blood now.

As soon as you reached the ship, the boys briefed Yoongi as you and Jungkook disappeared. He ripped the rest of the dress, your breasts falling free, but at this point you didn’t care, just sat there while he cleaned you up. You felt numb, your fingers and toes tingling but not in the way Yoongi made them. You felt cold and used, but you felt no pain.

‘That’s it done, it’s not too tight is it? I can loosen it if you want?’ He rambled, he could see you spacing in and out. The want to ask you who he was burned inside of him, but he kept it in. He knew if you hadn’t told him yet, it wasn’t his business.

‘That was Lucas. He was the only boy I ever loved, my father chased him out of the palace and I never saw him again. Never, until today. It wasn’t what I expected, he’s not what I remember. I kept this stupid fucking bracelet all these years, thinking he would still be waiting for me. How stupid could I be…’ You mumbled through tears, sniffling. You must have looked a right mess, that didn’t stop him from wiping your cheeks. The tears stinging the cuts of his hands, he didn’t care, too preoccupied with soothing you.

‘It’s not stupid to wait for someone, to love someone so unconditionally. He was your first love baby, I understand.’ He spoke, pulling your face closer to his, your foreheads sitting against each other. He stroked the back of your hair, rubbing circles on your hand with his free one. ‘He changed, it’s your turn to do the same.’ He whispered, lips gently kissing your nose as he stood, holding his hand out for you. You slipped it into his. You let him unclip the bracelet, leading you onto the deck.

‘Throw it over board, say goodbye to who he was. I’ll leave you to it. See you tomorrow.’ He smiled, kissing your shoulder. You knew he was right, you needed to let go, to be free of whatever hold this had over you. Looking out at the sea, a sad smile lacing your features. You were supposed to do this together. To get a boat, sail to sea, watch all the stars in the night sky.

‘You okay babe? I heard what happened…’ Yoongi’s soft voice came behind you.

‘I’ll be okay, I think.’ You muttered, throwing the bracelet off the edge, into the water, you saw it sink further than your eyes would let you see, stepping away from the edge you smiled sadly. Yoongis eyes darted to your chest, all bandaged up blood seeping through the bandages.

‘This doesn’t hurt, don’t worry. Can you do me a favour?’ You questioned, playing with your fingers timidly.

‘Anything.’ He answered quickly, it made you smile, looking up at his face.

‘Lay and watch the stars with me?’ He smiled wide, a gummy smile you hadn’t seen all that much before, it was now your favourite, no doubt in your mind. He ran off for a second, coming back with blankets for you both to lie on. You lay wrapped in his arms until you fell asleep, feeling him shake you awake enough to pick you up. He lay you down in your shared bed, taking your ripped dress off and throwing the cover over your body.

‘Thank you.’ You whispered, feeling his body curl behind yours. He kissed your shoulder, the same place Jungkook had kissed before.

‘Always sweetheart.’

[lady-o-ren]

The Witch and The Red Man

Chapter One

Chapter Two

In those first few moments of dazed awareness Claire was all that was night, all that Jamie saw and breathed, her featherlight touch glided over his battered body in a tenderness to wounds slowly mending - blood lessening, tissue forming...

In another life this man would have thought her a most lovely thing. Surely spun from the breath of the earth, this rarity of spirit before him now. He would have marveled. Would have been struck down by her arrow like all men before him and welcomed such torment - on his knees, ribs cracked open to a heart inflamed. Where he laid with her amongst the wildflowers, crushing the bloom beneath as they caressed each other in all consuming desire.

Not a life where a witches blood mingled with his, forever bonded in covenant. The pulse of her in his veins so queer to be disturbing and Jamie fought her possession of him.

He pushed himself away from Claire, skittering on hands marred from shattered bones of man only to fall flat on his bruised face to the dirt and crackle of leaves - his body failing him in a throb that begged for rest. Jamie dug his fingers into the sodden ground lifting himself frantically to his knees.

"Why?!" Jamie's voice was a rattling wail to the cruelty of his fate as another piece of his humanity was stolen away. "Haven't I suffered enough and now to be bound to a witch!"

His eyes so diminished of life bore into her golden ones full of shame, ignoring her shed tears that still marked his face.

"You have and I grieve for what you have been through -" Claire gritted her teeth as Jamie grasped her stained wrist, squeezing the fine bones as his thumb pressed along the thin crimson seam, trickling slippery warmth.

"Speak once more of yer empty sorrow for me and I'll rip yer thrrr -" The words soured on Jamie's tongue, coming up in spittle that reached Claire's cheeks as he bit his lip deep enough to split, face contorting to a darkening ire. He released his hold on her and gripped the soil in fistfuls of clumps to steady himself,breathing with a force that commanded the mounting burn of vile within to stop before it grew out of his control.

Claire watched Jamie's strive for control in the  convulsions coursing rapid through his body, the straining heave of his chest bared from his tattered sark with her mark glaring angrily at her even in moonlight. Claire could do nothing but wait as the damp air, tinged in pungent musk and piercingly of iron, crisped around them and for the man across her to breathe without a shudder while her own only grew tighter with each passing moment.

"Why out of all the good and wicked souls did ye choose me?" His voice was a tired gasp too far gone for tears as he kept his gaze to his hands.

Every chamber in Claire's heart lurched in overwhelming guilt at the necessity of her choice. She spoke cautiously, matching his tone knowing all she said would say could do little to excuse her desperation.

"I'm like you," She began, fingers pulling her cloak closer to shield from the nights chill. "Hunted. But by a most dangerous man who means for me to suffer for a betrayal he was the deliverer of and it will be far worse then any sword or arrow could inflict with no promise of death."

Hunted

No promise of death

Jamie had lifted his eyes to her then, sympathy and forgiveness were numb to a hardened heart, but still he looked.

"I won't pretend that I haven't wronged you." She cried out." I have and will carry that sin past the veil of living but I can do little against a man like him."

Jamie's features flared in offense as he stood on muscles that shook - his healing slowing from being away from her touch - parting the remnants of cloth at his chest to show the full extent of her capabilities. "I wouldna call this scratch a wee nothing."

She rose as well to meet his stance. "I'm a healer!" Claire affirmed, even as her own actions spoke differently. "I can see what lies underneath the skin, the sick riddled organs that cry for my touch like yours, threaded in your marrow, thriving like a disease. I've heard of you, know of the curse of bloodlust, what it makes you do-"

"So damn the man who has blood on his hands, is that it?" Jamie hissed.

"That's not why I sought you out, followed rumors and gossip from the villages. Your curse protects you from magic. It riots against it when threatened."

Except now, Jamie grimly thought. Her hold was something entirely different, something that couldn't be purged with rage.

"What of yer 'healing touch' that ye've forced on me? Will it not wane like all the others? Do you not fear that I will shred the flesh from yer bones?"

She did fear him and needn't speak the truth for he felt the cold, sharp prick of her trepidation in their link that she tried so hard to suppress from her face.

"I will prevail where others have faltered." Claire glanced quickly at the glimpses of his exposed skin, the symbols that scarred his body, the deeply carved welts of a hopeless man. She wondered how many more were hidden away. "It's my will that will keep you whole, to suppress the curse even if I cannot strip you of it."

"A blessing masked in servitude and all I must do is kill for ye." Jamie gave a mirthless laugh and nodded, tapping his fist against his thigh. "Aye, I'm verra good at that."

Claire's brows shot together with a vehement shake of her head at the spoken word of kill. "You will harm no innocent as long as I live, as long as I am near. Shield me from my evil and I vow to protect you from yours."

Jamie leaned over Claire, close enough that the plumes of their breath came together in a rush of heat that slithered across each other's frosted cheeks down to their necks in a shiver.

"My evil." Jamie uttered with a bitterness that stung his tongue to speak. "And what of yours? What sort of man does even a witch cower from?"

Claire stared into his eyes with an openness of soul where he saw the terror of one who has beheld evil. A look so familiar, so like his own, stained forever with His image. Jamie knew before Claire spoke the name of the creature who lurked in every depth of his being.

"The Black Butcher." Claire haltingly whispered, covering her mouth to smother the words before they took to the wind.

Jamie felt the life within him paralyze with an inward wail, where the wounds across his body were no longer inflamed with pain, ready to flee far off into the haven of mountains.

"You know his name." It was no question Claire asked, as she could see who had given Jamie the plagues of rage that caused his figure to tremble and slump over like a child.

"I fear his name." Jamie croaked. "To whisper it, to even think it is to invoke his presence here between us." His face was crossed with the finality of dread when tilted towards Claire that dwindled any hope she may have had at seeing another sun. "He will find us and aye, as ye said, he will do far worse then give us death."

Far off in the distance a chorus of howls cried out, signaling a hunt to all who could hear. Neither of the two flinched or stirred at the impending arrival of the starved beasts upon them, both were more worried about the one who crept in the shadows silent as the night. But as the calls grew closer, more rabid with hunger now, Jamie knew they would have to leave.

"The wolves have caught the scent of death and I'd sooner throw ye to them then fight them off as I am. We must go - "

"Claire." She finished, knowing he wouldn't acknowledge her as such.

Jamie would've laughed at the name she gave him, of it's meaning in the language shared to him from his mothers heart and those before her. Instead it left him with a longing for home where voices called to him in frustration for his lack of patience and unfinished chores, in need for him to reach the shelf where he hid his sister's favorite book, and in love he hadn't felt in so long and would never feel again. To hear his name once more would have to be from the lips that owned the last shred of humanity in him, the last piece of warmth.

"Jamie." He replied gruffly, sealing his name to her with a stream of blood spat at her feet from the slash of lip. Claire expected nothing less, surprised he didn't aim for between her eyes.

They would have to take to the vale of trees where all that stalks dwell in wait for all who seek her  sheltering embrace.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael After Midnight - TRON: Legacy

TRON is a masterpiece of sci-fi and 80s cinema. It has stunning visuals, awesome villains in the MCP and Sark, memorable moments such as the lightcycle sequence, and inspired filmmakers for decades after even as it languished in obscurity until getting a big boost by appearing as one of the best worlds in Kingdom Hearts 2. And from this big boost in popularity, one of the great unsung masterpieces of the 80s got what it truly and rightfully deserved: a sequel. But this was a sequel 28 years later; surely there could never be any way this film could measure up to the original, right?

Boy did they ever.

But how? Look at the story, for starters: we start by picking up 7 years after the original film’s events, with Kevin Flynn beginning work on an ambitious new project, one that will change the world… and then he vanishes, orphaning his son Sam and jeopardizing his company, Encom. Twenty years after Kevin disappears, Sam is still not over the loss and channeling his aggression into adrenaline-fueled activities like motorcycling and base jumping. Soon enough, though, he gets info leading him to his father’s old arcade, and from there Sam ends up getting beamed intoThe Grid. Trapped in the digital world and pursued by its leader, Clu, Sam seeks to find out the truth about his father alongside a warrior program named Quorra. Can he find out the truth, or will he end up derezzed?

This is a film that ostensibly is more about the special effects than anything else… and the effects are absolutely fantastic. To go along with the darker and edgier story of the movie, a lot of the visuals in The Grid are darker and edgier, though rest assured; there’s still plenty of those flashy Tron Lines we all know and love all over the place. Even better, this film has the most skilled use of the uncanny valley I’ve ever seen, utilizing it to make Clu, whose face is that of an aged-down Jeff Bridges, even more menacing and terrifying. His face is just unsettling in all the right ways. Of course, a couple of other scenes with de-aged actors don’t fare much better, but they don’t last too long so it’s not a huge issue.

The actors here also do a fantastic job for a film that, again, is more about being an awesome spectacle than being some masterwork of storytelling. Olivia Wilde takes Quorra, who in a lesser film would be nothing but Sam’s satellite love interest, and makes her into a very skilled but also somewhat naive character who can stand her own in a fight and even invoke emotions with what character arc she is given. Jeff Bridges is, of course, giving it his all, taking what could have ended up a simple villain in the hands of a weaker actor and making him menacing and terrifying, as well as skillfully portraying the tired weariness of the older Kevin Flynn. Michael Sheen also shows up for a brief time as Castor, and I’m not sure if I should even count him as a character over a spectacle, because by god does Sheen ham it up to insane levels. I guess he realized that with what little he gets to do in the movie he needed to make sure to steal the show… he definitely succeeded.

I’d be remiss not to mention the soundtrack; it was done by Daft Punk, who as huge fans of the original film obviously wanted to make sure this movie was perfect. Really, this is a match made in heaven. There’s nothing bad I can say about this, the stars just aligned to give us this awesomely perfect combo.

I really love this movie. Maybe it’s the fact Daft Punk did the soundtrack. Maybe it’s because of the double duty being pulled by Jeff Bridges. Maybe it’s Michael Sheen’s insane, scene-stealing performance. Whatever it is, TRON: Legacy kicks as much ass as the original movie in its own way, and at the very least is a visually stunning treat. If I have any major problem, it’s that the story could have used a bit more polishing here and there, but really, for what it is, this is a damn fine film. I don’t like it quite as much as the original – the original has meant a lot to me since I was a kid – but I’d definitely say it’s on the same level. My biggest wish for this is that years down the line, this movie inspires filmmakers to create crazy and awesome works like the first TRON did.

My other wish is that this movie gets a sequel. A man can dream, right?  

[lemonlilyxx-blog]

Average -Minicat- Part Three, Tyler

It was a bloody massacre. Neither of us expected a protest to fall into a terrorist attack so quickly, and we were least prepared for this. But Evan decided to play the good guy, to go and rescue everybody and be the hero. I didn’t. I kept steadfast mind and looked around for where the camera setup would be. It was doubtful the woman was still there, but maybe there would be something to help us further our vengeance. Although when I spotted the large metal carcass glistening in the sunlight, my heart and stomach dropped. The ground was torn up around it, the camera was on fire, and there was so much blood on the ground it was surprising to not see a body. Anything that might’ve been there was long gone by now. I looked up the sidewalk for anything, anything at all, but to my avail there seemed to be nothing. It was all a battleground.

   I decided against even trying to look for something, and instead further pulled down the plastic pig mask on my head and walked towards the crowd, where Evan had disappeared to.

        “Tyler Daey! Hey! Tyler!” Someone called out behind me. While I doubted they were looking for me specifically, I still turned around and found myself staring down three guys, one palming a gun. “Long time no see buddy.” My mind was going a thousand miles a second. How did this guy know me? Who is this guy? Why does he have a gun? And how could he tell it was me if I was wearing a pig mask? So, I spat out the general gist of my thoughts.

          “What?” The gunman laughed, and his red hat bounced around on his head.

          “Okay, at the moment we’re the ones asking questions. Sound good?” I didn’t give them the satisfaction of an answer, and when they realized this, red-cap just kept blabbering on. “So it’s been awhile, a long while. I haven’t seen you since you were like, eight or something.”

           “No, I wasn’t in town until I was eleven. You’re lying. Now how do you know know my name?” I demanded

          “How do you know I was calling out to you? It could’ve been anyone I was looking for.”

          “You said my last name. How?” This time one of his buddies spoke up.

          “We just wanted to talk,” there was a flash of movement behind red-cap, and then he started shrieking. The other two spun around, one lunging and the other taking the gun and going to help. I stood there for a moment, either planning to run or help red-cap. But it seemed he had already gotten the wood away, and was trying to scramble for help. Then I realized why the two other guys had ran behind red-cap, to grab the attacker. I launched myself forward, going towards the new guy with a gun, knocking him off his feet and grabbing the weapon for my own. I ran towards the other guy, who had his arms tightly wrapped around a man in a tattered suit. One arm wrapped around his neck, he was crazy-eyed with rage.

            “Set the gun down, or I’ll snap his neck,” he yelled, squeezing his arm around tighter, causing the chestnut haired man to wheeze.

            “Fucking run you idiot!” The man being held screamed at me. “I can-” he wiggled around for a moment. “I can get out myself just, just fucking go!” It was so conflicting on what path I should take. But I did what I thought was best in my adrenaline shocked mind. I held the gun by the barrel and squeezed until it snapped. The two stopped fidgeting and squirming, and then the man in the suit tore away from the other’s grasp. He grabbed my shirt and started dragging me towards a storefront, a restaurant to be exact.

            “T’hell are you doing?” I asked him, yanking his hand from where it was tightly grasping my shirt.  

            “Getting you to safety,” he muttered in a familiar accent.

            “I think it should be the other way around.”

            “Oh yeah?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Screw off,” he muttered, basically throwing me inside the restaurant. Before he could walk back out, it was my turn to grab onto his shirt and drag him further inside. And it seemed a waiter had the same idea.

            “No no, you’re staying in here.” The waiter sighed, and the news reporter let out a groan, before slapping both our hands away. The heat inside the place was so drastic with all the bodies pressed together, huddling in fear, my face had already gotten sweaty, likely from the plastic mask. So I took it off and tucked it under my arm, where the waiter turned to me.

           “Hey Tyler,” he greeted casually.

           “Hey, long time no see.”

           “You two know each other?” Craig asked, and I nodded. Sark was a good man, he’d helped Evan and I get away from the facility and then further given us a home until we could legally buy an apartment.

          “Yeah,” I sighed simply. “You’re acting like this is the most surprising and weird thing that’s happened to you today.”

          “Tyler, he’s probably still reeling in shock.” Sark rubbed his balding head.

          “I am fucking fine mind you,” Craig snapped. “I was just.. Surprised.”

          “Yeah. Sure.” Some blood was dripping down his face, probably a reopened wound. “May we should clean you up a little-” I reached to his head, but Craig angrily slapped my hands away.

          “I’m fine, I can manage myself mind you. I don’t want just some random stranger, with likely zero practice in the medical business, touching my face with dirty hands,” Craig harrumphed.

          “You two are getting along swimmingly,” Sark laughed. “Craig, you should just trust Tyler. He knows what he’s doing.” Craig face scrunched up, as if confused about how he knew his name, and why he should trust me. Though it quickly smoothed out when he realized that he was on the TV, a lot, and that he was probably going to suffer blood loss soon.

           “Fine.” Craig cast his gaze down to the ground in defeat. “But, where’s Daithi?”

            “The guy you pulled in earlier? Probably on one of the counters, we’re using them as makeshift cots for any injured.” Sark nodded, and Craig dove straight into the crowd. Then, the older man got right into my face and started whispering something I could barely make over the crowd. “Tyler do you know how stupid you are to be anywhere near here right now?” His eyes casted an angry glint, and I felt like I was twelve years old again, Sark yelling at me for purposely trying my strength in his house. I ruined the doorknob, and he made me buy another one with the money I didn't have.

            “I saw the logo and I just didn’t think and-”

            “Did you talk to anyone? Anyone at all? Besides Craig?”

            “Yeah.” There was no use in lying. “I didn’t mean to but they just kinda were there and said my name and had a gun and-”

            “They knew your name? Goddammit.” Sark moved away, and rubbed his head again. “Tell me, what did they look like?”

            “Well, uh, one guy had kinda puffy hair, brown, and was wearing a red hat,” I began.

            “Was it like a mario hat?” Sark asked urgently. I nodded, and continued.

            “Another one was like, short brown hair and uh, a beard. Not a big one though, but the last guy was tall and he had a long beard and short hair.”

           “If it wasn’t for the mario hat one,” Sark sighed. “I’d have no clue what you’re talking about. But listen to me, okay? Listen. Do not leave this resturant, do not go anywhere without me, get Evan here now, you’re going to my house when we’re done. Okay?”

          “What’s going on?” I asked, nearly shaking.

          “Tyler, you were one of the best experiments they had, now Montoya is striving for perfection and perfection only, and I think he’s achieved it in some experiments. They want you back. They’re planning something big that need super soldiers, and I think this big show in the park today was to draw you in.”

          “And Evan?” I thought to my close friend, who was labeled as a failed experiment and the only reason I was determined to get out. Turns out the biochemical kicked in late.

         “They still think he’s a failed.  But I bet they’ll want him back too, anybody who was one in the lab they want dead so they can’t tell anybody about what they’re actually doing.”

"Right, so-”I was interrupted by Craig nearly plowing into us.

        “Where the fuck is Daithi, he’s not here.” Despite the aggressiveness and stone-cold face, there were tears gathering in his eyes behind shattered glasses, one lens so broken it would be impossible to see out of, and the other missing a glass entirely.

        “I mean, an ambulance did sweep through and grab some people, I didn’t think i saw them take Daithi but they took the most injured first, and your friend was pretty banged up.”

       “No shit,” Craig turned away, about to run, but Sark once again took hold of the feisty man’s collar.

       “Nuh-uh, Tyler is going to clean you up. The staff will take good care of, uh, Daithi. Go straight and there’s a bathroom, you can use the sink there. There is also a medical kit in the closet, which should be unlocked since someone was in there already.” Sark instructed, I gave him a look of pleading before the two of us weaved through the mess of people, it was impossible not to bump shoulders or touch somebody, which made the situation so much more awkward.

        When we finally got to the bathroom, Craig hopped up on the counter and started running the faucet, and looking in the mirror, he began to take off the cloth around his head. It was such a weird point in time, the two of us in an empty bathroom, the man I had admired from the other side of the screen now suddenly depending on me to help him get cleaned up after a terrorist attack, whether he’d like to admit it or not.