#In The Past: Eging Jr.

[pricetobepaid]

I’ve been on a really weird HP kick the past few days (and by HP I mean Bellamort) and one of the scenes which has been ruminating in my head is when Bellatrix dies and Voldemort’s rage explodes like a bomb. Beyond the obviously visceral emotional reaction, what makes this scene so interesting is that his rage is embodied in a blast of magic. The way I’ve always interpreted this is that for a brief moment he was so enraged that he lost control of his magic. This is particularly notable for several reasons.

Magic can be volatile. Hard to control. Wizards and witches specifically use wands because it always much more control over their magic. Particularly talented wizards are able to eventually use wandless magic, although the use of a wand still seems to be preferred for various reasons. 

Due to the unpredictability of magic children are often sent to a magical boarding school in order to learn and hone their power. However, as shown throughout the books because kids are kids they can be prone to magical outburst when dealing with intense emotions (eg. Harry ballooning up a relative for being a bitch). 

That said, Tom Riddle Jr was observed to be particularly proficient in controlling his magic, even at a young age. He’s shown to be one of the few (only?) wizards to use wandless magic regularly as well. My point is his magical abilities were extraordinary and his embracing of those abilities only served to perfect his skills far beyond other wizards. 

Yet

When Bellatrix dies his internal reaction is so great that his magic explodes outward. 

There’s no other point to this ramble other than to say what a powerful moment it is in the books. 

[j2zara]

we must ask. which jaceclone jace is meanest to. my vote is j3. i think he pities j2's love for porter and understands j4's rage at him. but j3's desire makes him so mad.

OH NO YOURE RIGHT N U SHOULD SAY IT. I 100% think that Jace is the nastiest to j3, n that isnt j3’s fault but I do think is egged on by the fact that j3 is so averse to taking anything seriously.

I do legit think Jace is a bit too scared of j4 to take things out on her in the same way. He would never ever ever ever admit to being scared of his own clone but. He is. He understands her rage. He’s been there. He worries it honestly might be more intense than anything he’s ever felt for Porter. It frightens him.

And pitying j2 doesn’t stop him from getting the brunt of it sometimes bc Jace does hate him and he’s so fucking jealous that he feels like he made Porter’s perfect acolyte and now j2 gets that, why would Porter want him when he could have j2. But at the same time I do just think Jace is biased in being able to recognize J2’s humanity just a bit more, like, he sees himself he sees a person. this is how I used to be this is me falling into the same trap but is a person that I let down. I did this to him. He is me, he would’ve turned out the same way regardless, which in another way is also my fault. Like I do think in his mind the way j2 got fucked over is something Jace considers to be one of his biggest failures and it breaks his heart a little and it doesn’t stop him from imposing everything onto j2! He still trusts j2 with Porter more than the others bc he knows j2 will care! He hates j2 for getting everything he’s denying himself and jr doesn’t stop him from putting everything onto j2. He’s so pitiable and yet Jace is not going to save him.

And like. I don’t think Jace understands the full scope of what it happening to j3. Like. Yes he’s furious with j2 for getting everything with Porter that he wants, but j2 gets all the turmoil and the heartbreak and the looking past him wishing it was a version of Jace always out of reach. And it’s like. J3 the little bitch gets Porter but without all the mess of attachment. All the good stuff. And there is a level of disgust of like. God j2 yearns so earnestly meanwhile j3 is so dog humping a boot. And j2 is the intermediary for everyone so Jace’s interactions w/ j3 are so limited like. On the one hand he KNOWS himself. He knows if that were him he would also be clawing at the walls desperate for enrichment. That was him. It’s why he was reeled in. But also he doesn’t want to look at how desperate j3 is. On the outside he sees j3 flirting with his soulmate right in front of him and is like. God you’re fucking shameless. Like seriously??? (Something something you knew how to twist the knife then and you do now. You were my onion. You are my onion). But it’s like. That’s all he has! It’s what he was built to do! Can you blame me for this? I’ve always been the body. And like. The thing is that j3 is of Jace, and Jace doesn’t want to look at the fact that his desires are just as dark as j3’s. J3 is hungry just like Jace. So he has to pretend that j3 sucks because he’s getting all the benefits of fucking Porter and none of the blowback. And unlike j2 who cares about Jace and has the heart to feel bad, j3 is literally reaping Porter’s resentment and want for Jace and redirecting it. But it’s all he has! It’s all he has! J3 doesn’t even care about the Plan, does he? Jace could never trust him with Porter the way he trusts J2. At least j2 loves Porter. And spitefully, maybe he knows deep down and gets some satisfaction at the thought that J2 is working himself to the bone the way he used to and is still getting looked past every single day. But J3 gets to be hot and fun and do all the things that Jace would put his foot down on and he doesn’t even have to try. Jace tried to deny porter access to himself and now J3 has made that pointless? Fuck j3 actually. J3 is fucking Porter and doesn’t know what that means. You can’t blame him tho, can you? It’s the only thing that feels right. If his brain has directions mapped onto it on how to climb his bosses soulmate like a tree, and he’s only here for so long? Why would he deny himself? They both know how obsolete he is. Jace can hate him but he’ll take that too. If he wants to live, he’s going to goddamn live.

[blowflyfag]

the Wrestler: Volume 25, 2009

WE’RE NOT LISTENING!

How DiBiase Jr. & Rhodes Were Nearly Derailed By Their Dads

Ted Dibiase SR. doesn’t trust Dusty Rhodes, and the “American Dream” Certainly doesn’t trust the “Million-Dollar Man.” So why does the bond between Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes seems unbreakable?

BY HARRY BURKETT

“CODY RHODES PROVED something that I’ve said for many, many years: Everybody’s got a price!” Ted DiBiase SR. said as he let loose with his evil laugh while watching his son, Ted Jr., and Cody Rhodes on the backstage monitor, preparing for a match against The Highlanders on Raw. “A cash transaction might not have taken place, but Teddy promised Cody fame and fortune. That’s why Cody turned on Hardcore Holly and that’s why Teddy and Cody are the World tag team champions.”

Obviously, the legendary “Million-Dollar Man” has fond memories of that fateful night in June when DiBiase Jr. and a mystery partner were slated to face WWE World tag team champions  Rhodes and Holly. It turned out that Rhodes was DiBiase’s mystery partner, as he went on to DDT Holly, enabling DiBiase to plant Holly with the Million-Dollar legsweep and win the belts for his newly formed team. In effect Rhodes remained a World tag team champion; he simply changed partners.

[The contentious history between Dusty Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Sr. goes back to when the “Million-Dollar Man” tried to bribe Rhodes (above). When the “American Dream” refused , they clashed )below). Clearly, these men do not trust each other and had some very pointed advice for their sons, the WWE World tag team champions.]

It was a profitable acquisition for “Simply Priceless” Ted DiBiase Jr., a third-generation wrestler who–along with second-generation star Cody Rhodes–was preparing to declare war on WWE’s veterans, much like Randy Orton had done a few years earlier. But isn’t the elder DiBiase, who has cleaned up his act outside the ring in recent years, ashamed of his son’s methods?

“THis is the wrestling business. Leaving partners behind and making new alliances are all part of the strategic game to move your career forward. The time had come for Cody to ditch Holly and form a partnership with Teddy,” DiBiase Sr. said. “But, with that said, Ted needs to be careful. For as much as he should trust that Rhodes boy, he should be wary.”

From the very beginning it seems, the fathers of both tag team champions were warning their sons of what could happen. DiBiase Sr. taught his son to do what is best for himself, and make sure no one gets in the way, while Dusty was teaching Cody that he needed to do the right thing and live the same way he would like to be treated. This tag team seems perfect on paper–both come from a championship lineage, have talent seeping from every pore in their bodies, and have the hunger to become better than their fathers even were in the ring–by both Dusty and Ted know how similar they were in their own fathers and how similar their own sons are to them.

[Following his father’s example, Ted DiBiase promised Cody Rhodes big things in WWE in exchange for his tag team partnership. So far, Rhodes has profited from the arrangement much to Dusty’s disappointment.]

“My only concern is that Cody’s old man will stick his nose in their business,” said DiBiase Sr. “I had a few problems with Dusty in the past, we weren’t what you would call  ‘friends’. I worry  for Teddy that some day, old Cody may decide he needs to right some great wrong he feels he’s doing by his actions now. And that old dad of his will be the one egging him on from behind. 

“But I think Dusty understands that these boys have to find their own way, for now. I still don’t think that means he hasn’t hinted at that boy of his to keep an eye open for a better opportunity. Remember, Dusty and Dick Murdoch back-stabbed and beat the heck out of a lot of guys before Dusty became the “American Dream.” In fact, I warned him that DiBiases and Rhodeses don’t really mix.”

Cody’s actions have to come as a disappointment to his father. Even when Dusty’s relationship with his oldest son, Dustin, was tumultuous, he could always depend on honest, reliable, no-nonsense Cody. While Dustin–as Goldust–was sending love notes to Razor Ramon, Cody was getting A’s on his report card. While Dustin was struggling in the dying days of WCW, Cody–as a high school junior–was going undefeated en route to winning the 189-pound amateur wrestling championship in his home state of Georgia. While Black Reign was forming a bond with his pet rat Cody was defending the WWE World tag team title with Hardcore Holly. 

Now this son has gone astray, soiling the Rhodes name as he and DiBiase Jr. take every shortcut imaginable and take every opportunity to spit on the legends that built the sport. Cody is no better than Randy Orton, who sidelined the “American Dream” with a vicious punt kick last year. 

“I don’t know how 230 pounds of blue-eyed soul could have gone so wrong,” said Dusty Rhodes in his first public comments regarding his son’s heel turn. “I see this strappin’ young man, my own flesh and blood if you will, actin’ like that no-good Randy Orton, spittin’ in the face of men like Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler and ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan, and I’m downright ashamed. 

“When Cody first did this thing, and left Hardcore Holly layin’ in that ring, I said don’t get involved with that DiBiase clan. That’s nasty business. That’s dancin’ on the dark side.”

Dusty had every right to be a little worried. In his time with the WWF, he and Ted Sr. didn’t always have the most personable of relationships. Dusty got to see firsthand just how evil the “Million-Dollar Man” could be, and even worse, turn good people his way. Doing what any good father would, Dusty tried to warn Cody of the temptations that the money, and power, of working with Ted Jr. could bring.

“You see, I don’t have a price for the ‘Million-Dollar Man.’  Never did, never will. And that son of his don’t seem no better. But I made Cody a promise, an oath, and a vow when he broke into this business: I would not second-guess his decisions and there’s nothing that he could do in that ring that would diminish the love I have for him. But, for his own sake, he needs to watch Teddy Jr. like a hawk eyein’ a rattlesnake. I don’t trust Daddy Junior DiBiase because I don’t trust Daddy DiBiase. They’re bad news, Jack.”

And what about Ted and Cody? Are they genuine friends who trust each other, or is this merely an alliance of convenience? Are they heading their famous fathers’ advice?

“I understand why Teddy and Cody’s old men are cautious about this whole thing,” commented Afa Anoa’i Jr., who recently debuted on Raw as an ally of the World tag team champions. “Everybody’s paths cross sometime in wrestling, just like Ted DiBiase’s and Dusty Rhodes’ did. Teddy and Cody know all about that, but this is 2008 and there’s no need to hold those grudges. When your family’s been in the business for two or three generations, wrestling’s in your DNA. The bond between Teddy and Cody is stronger than any bad blood between their dads. Take it from me: I’ve seen my own dad kiss guys that he was headbutting 20 or 30 years ago.” 

[To this point, ignoring their father’s advice has served DiBiase Jr. and Rhodes very well. Regardless of their fathers’ sentiments, the World tag champs have formed an efficient and impressive team.]

For now, the champions have chosen to ignore their parents. They have found that with each other, they are truly the best tag team out there. If they had listened to their fathers, the current WWE World tag team champions may have ended up languishing in mid-card singles purgatory. This doesn’t mean that someday their fathers’ words won’t creep into their heads and a struggle for power won’t ensue, it just means these two have shown that they are beyond whatever bickering their fathers once had. 

Both Ted Jr. and Cody realize there’s something about this business that–over  time–makes brothers of the bitterest adversaries and vice-versa. Ted Sr. may not trust Dusty or any of his sons, and Dusty may not trust Ted Sr. or any of his sons, but what they have taught their boys and the legacy they helped create is what binds their two sons. And that bond is simply priceless. 

[ataehone]

you have zero audience on here but you still write all this idiotic bullshit. for who? it's a performance you do for yourself. you're a fucking idiot and a tool and a hopeless loser. you're as interesting as a piece of frozen dog shit. you cant handle that truth so you come on here and post your bootlicking dogmatic propaganda bullshit in order to create a narrative about yourself. have fun continuing to be a pathetic coward and achieving nothing in your life.

Hey, you read it, didntcha? It shows up in the tags, some of these posts get notes, means it works.

Everything is propaganda, dude, but whenever the West reports anything related to Ukraine it's always a David vs Goliath hero worship story. Not a "country we sponsored a coup in twice and are now turning into an arms depot like we did Afghanistan before and egged on to go fight its own people in a meaningless civil-war-turned-ethnic-cleansing vs the country whose ethnicity they are trying to cleanse".

I mean, we're already past the point where NYT admits there's open Nazis in the Ukrainian armed forces and maybe America should stop just dumping guns and Geneva Convention-banned munitions there and do something else maybe.

It's easy to paint a narrative of Russia being the terrible big bad aggressor because Western peoples were being indoctrinated into hating us since before the Bolsheviks came into power. It's harder to admit that maybe the imperialism that tore Ukraine up is American.

But you know, triple standards, yeah? Nobody went to jail over what either Bush did to Iraq, after all, despite even Bush Jr admitting it was wrong. Afghanistan is turning into a worse version of what it was before the War on Terror murdered hundreds of thousands of its civilians as a side effect, one even the UN acknowledges (still did nothing about it though, not even a teeny tiny sanction).

Not that I should mislead myself into thinking you will go do at least the bare minimum of research about the Maidan, the Azov batallion, the Minsk Agreements, the frankly ridiculous number of ties Hunter Biden seems to have to the Ukrainian economy or any of the other times the current conflict could have been stopped or outright prevented if the West wasn't pouring lies into the minds of Ukraine.

[buttermander]

D&D Coroika Au Character Guide : Team Emporer + Gloves/Laceless

Emperor - High Elf Paladin of Ilmater

The eldest son of an influential and popular nobleman who brought about a time of peace to the area how ruled found himself deciding to go on the run when he discovered a secret about his brother that his father was intent on keeping from everyone including him. He follows Ilmater , seeing his status as a paladin as being his purpose as a ruler to protect his subjects even with his own life on the line. Most of his current motivation is to keep his brother safe at all costs, hence why he was willing to potentially give up his birthright when he decided to run away. He's incredibly protective of his brother, striking down all who would bring him harm with his pair of swords ( some question why he doesn't use a shield of any sort but he's never answered that ).

Prince - Tiefling ( Future Cleric of Ilmater)

The brother of Emporer who was unexpectedly born as a planetouched, his heritage was kept a secret by his parents out of fear that it would put his life in danger should it become public knowledge. He's rather quiet and somewhat distant from others given how he fears the often negative perception of tieflings such as himself. Given how sheltered he has been, Prince is fascinated by the tales of the Tabaxi his brother has hired of traveling lands and felling all sorts of dangerous adversaries. In the future an event will cause a fundamental change in him to strike out alongside Laceless as well as becoming a Cleric in service of Ilmater.

Eging Jr. - Dragonborn Bard ( Gold Dragonborn Subrace/ College of Swords )

Eging was probably the most humorous of the group before Gloves was hired to join them, his claws plucking the strings of his handheld harp during his performances. He is equal parts as fierce in combat ad he is charismatic, wielding his trusty rapier as well as having the capable to breath bouts of fire due to his draconic heritage. Prince has asked him a lot about what its like having blood tied back to creatures as fearsome as dragons, though Eging has had to clarify with the tiefling that metallic dragons such as gold dragons are benevolent in nature. Other than Prince, he's the one who gets along the most with Gloves since their personalities mesh well, even attempting to encourage Emperor to attempt to get closer to the tabaxi since he isn't leaving for a long while with that payment on the line.

N-Pacer - Centaur Fighter ( Battle Master Subclass )

A friend of Emperor's who agreed to travel with him, N-Pacer lends her prowess as an archer to the group of travelers on the run as well as assisting Emperor in devising tactical command for any inevitable combat. She display talent for archery at a young age and quickly mastered training, initially having plans to join the royal guard until Emperor had urgently approached her about his need to flee in order to protect Prince from harm. She isn't fully trusting of Gloves, in fact she's managed to notice that he never truly admits to anything about his past even changing his story everytime somebody asks him. She's willing to trust Gloves as long as he holds up his end of the deal but threatens that if he were to ever betray them, especially Prince, that she will not hesitate to put an arrow between his eyes. Her softer side is more noticeable around Prince, believing that an innocent child such as him shouldn't have to be forced on the run because of how much of society percieves those who are planetouched.

Gloves - Tabaxi Rogue ( Assassin subclass )

Gloves seems rather jovial for somebody who takes up work as a hired blade, he often is known around various places as a folk hero hired to eliminate particualry dangerous individuals in order to protect the people. He doesn't travel anywhere in the lands without his beloved twin daggers at his side, the tools of his trade. Recently he's been made an offer in gold the Tabaxi couldn't refuse but the job itself was quite strange, having him act as a personal bodyguard to a runaway noble heir, his younger sibling, and the company company keeps. Gloves has been bringing a bit of humor into the group, something Emperor isnt exactly keen on but tolerates since Prince has been a whole lot more cheery as a result.

Laceless - Assimar ( Future Circle of the Land Druid )

Another Planetouched individual who Prince harbors a friendship with before he left with his brother, the young Assimar was the son of the kingdoms gardener. He's a lot more open about his planetouched origins despite occasionally receiving negative attention for it, but he's found kinship with those living on the grounds of the noble family since they don't pay any heed to what sort of blood he came from. His expertise in plants will eventually be fully explored when he travels alongside Prince and begins to learn the teachings of Druids.

Hoo boy this is the longest one I've written so far ,and yes as it hints time will pass across various arcs of the au with characters undergoing changes and some choosing new paths in their lives. I wasn't sure how to write Gloves and his team in at first but I had the idea that they were some type of " band of thieves and assasins " before most if the members retired and Gloves became a solo act as a result. Give me some idea on which of the cast you want to hear about next.

[just-absolutely-super]

Pokemon Crack

Past Mayl stares at Patch's Monferno while it's being rambunctious.

Mayl: Patch, don't take this the wrong way. But why do you have such a wild pokemon on your team.

Patch: Well-

Lan: What are you talking about? It's pretty strong for a middle evolution. It even beat my Raboot.

Mayl: Come on, Lan. Even you have to admit it's a troublemaker. When it's not stuffing it's face with food, it's trying to pick fights with other pokemon. Seriously, Patch. Why do you keep it on your team?

Patch: He was a gift.

Lan: He was? Who gave him to you?

Patch: My....dad did

Lan: He sounds like an amazing guy.

Patch: He is......(even as a kid.)

Monferno tries to get Mega to fight him, jumping up and down and egging him on

Mega: Geez this guy is wild. He’s like a gremlin but worse! I know he’s a gift from Patch’s dad but why is he like this?

Remix: Uncle hatched him just for Patch!

Mega: He was an egg?

Remix: Yup! Uncle was taking care of it and decided to gift him to Patch as a birthday present!

Mega: Tell me, Remix, is Patch’s dad this wild?

Remix: Uhhh no, I don’t think…but papa sometimes calls him a…uhhh what’s the word again?

Mega: …A gremlin?

Remix: Yeah! That’s it!

Mega: Ugh this is why Lan shouldn’t hatch eggs. If Patch’s father is a gremlin and raises an egg like Monferno, I can’t imagine what’ll happen if Lan raises one!

Lan: Oi quick talking shit about me!

(I know I’m this scenario we’ve been calling Remix “Jr” but I want to retcon it)

[disappointingyet]

I Wake Up Screaming

Director Bruce Humberstone Stars Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Carole Landis, Laird Cregar, Elisha Cook Jr USA 1941 Language English 1hr 22mins Black & white

Early yet fully formed noir

Ah, the movies! Some way into this film, the two main characters are having an evening out together. They’ve dipped into immigrant New York – a trip back to his old neighbourhood. They’ve done the high life, dancing a swish nightclub. How to cap off the evening? A visit to a busy (at some time past midnight – is that/was that a thing?) public swimming pool. Why? I humbly suggest because somebody at the studio felt that if you have Victor Mature and Betty Grable in a film together and they are fully clothed the whole time, you’re neglecting your USP. 

I Wake Up Screaming feels a little ahead of its time – not decades, but four or five years. For instance, Citizen Kane often gets credit for introducing the German Expressionist-influenced cinematography (eg, extreme shadows, tilted cameras) that would be a key element in film noir. All that is also visible here. If this was influenced by Kane, it was pretty instant, because they are both 1941 releases. It also pre-dates the very great Laura as what we could call a Pygmalion noir – a story about star-makers taking up a pretty girl of humble origins and turning her into someone who can move in fancy circles. And it features noir staple Elisha Cook Jr and was released the very same month as The Maltese Falcon (and five years before The Big Sleep).

It starts with the investigation of the murder of Vicky Lynn (Carole Landis). Via flashback (of course) during interrogation, we learn how Vicky had been a waitress and one day three chums sitting at one of her tables – sports-and-showbiz promoter Frankie Christopher (Mature), gossip columnist Larry Evans (Allyn Joslyn) and actor Robin Ray (Alan Mowbray) – decided it would be a wheeze to make her famous. Meanwhile, Vicky’s sister Jill (Grable) is telling the cops how unimpressed she was with all of this. 

The NYPD is sure that Frankie is their man. In particular, the huge Inspector Cornell (Laird Cregar) is utterly determined to get him convicted… but is it more than just professional for him? Cregar’s looming presence – sinister yet haunted – is the film’s magic ingredient. 

The tone shifts constantly – from jaunty and playful to tough and grimy – without losing its way. Mature – very early in his career – gives one of his better (or least wooden) performances. Grable is sparky, and Landis* good as a woman who is ready to seize the chance thoughtlessly handed to her by these bored, privileged men.  

Honestly, the only complaint I have with this movie is the repeated swelling tones of an instrumental version of Over The Rainbow that cloyingly and distractingly fill the soundtrack. Otherwise, a fine noir. 

*Sadly, neither Landis nor Cregar would be alive by the end of the decade. There’s a Landis episode of the estimable You Must Remember This podcast.

[corotako-blog]

[Orb Egg and Octo!N-Pacer] ♟

Eging Jr. squirmed at the pain that sparked from his back again, and N-Pacer snapped, “Stay still, squirmy egg! Do you want this patched?” N-Pacer sighed, shaking her head, rubbing in a bit more of the salve and listening to Eging Jr. hiss. She really cared about him, but for the love of Sun, he was a reckless fool.

“Urgh... sorry, Pacey.”

“You call me that again, I won’t wrap this up.” N-Pacer threatened, lifting her hands from his back. 

Eging Jr. froze in spot, and he turned around to face her, their goggles’ sights meeting each other. “Wait, that was just-” The pain sparked from him turning around, and he inhaled. “Aaaaagh...”

“Exactly. Stay still, please.” She picked up the gauze, and started to wrap the papery substance around the wounded area. Seeing the wound, while usual, just made her think of how Eging got it. He was being a little bit of a funny guy in their classes, as usual, and he poked their teacher on the nose...

“Hey, Pace.” N-Pacer paused briefly at Eging. Jr’s words, but then continued to wrap. Eging Jr. winced, then continued, “Do you think I should’ve...” He stopped talking, the orb on his head drooping slightly and landing on top of N-Pacer’s head. “...should’ve listened to the teacher?”

“Hm?” N-Pacer tore off the last of the gauze, and tied it into the other pieces. While it didn’t cover all of Eging’s wound, it would be enough to make sure it healed and they got more later. “Well, you usually have to-”

“No, listen.” Eging Jr’s intense voice made N-Pacer stop. “...Do you think I really should’ve tossed myself out there, do the world a favor and-”

“No!”

The two of them paused, and Eging Jr. turned around to look at N-Pacer again. N-Pacer instantly forced her mouth into a scowl. She was... She was a soldier. Not someone who... associated with jokester soldiers who took after their father and made her laugh internally-

“You’re an asset.” N-Pacer decided to say, tilting her head. There was a slight quiver to Eging Jr’s lips. “Don’t go throwing yourself away. Understand?”

Eging Jr’s lips stopped quivering... and turned into a small smile. “Hah. I got it, I got it.” 

He went to stretch, and N-Pacer slammed her hands on his shoulders. “You’re wrapped in bandages that is covering a wound and is super tight. No. No stretching.”

[eldesperadont]

CRIMSON CRESCENT

more wrestling ocs!! a found family heel/tweener faction thats led by a joshi vet whos feared and respected in a Minoru Suzuki kinda way, more info under the cut!

Origin: Crimson Crescent was formed out of a feud between Yukiko and a faction she had beef with. FUMI-HIRO was part of the group but betrayed them for her (Yuki being an old friend and rival) and in the same night Egusa Toshiaki would make his return to the ring (which was a pretty big deal at the time) to aid them, making the three the core and founding members of CC. In the following years they‘d recruit younger talent, i hopes of aiding their quest of uplifting the wrestling business outside the rules.

the members:

Yukiko Fanucci (fka YUKIKOH) a fierce and intimidating woman ever since she stepped a foot into the business. Starting as a frustrated angry brat, picking fights with anyone and everyone, always having a point to proof. Over the years the respect she earned gave her some room to breathe and mature. One source of stability came in the form of a rival, who down the line becomes her husband - despite being married they stay in opposite corners most of the time, both leading their own factions. Nowadays Yukiko is a cheerful sadistic lass that simply enjoys the beautiful violence of wrestling, egging on the younger generation to become even better than her.

Egusa Toshiaki, a friend of Yukiko since ages now, they debuted around the same time, started off as overly competitive brats that earned each others respect through several clashes, they held tag titles together in the earlier part of their career. They consider each other as family, Egusa and his partner being uncles for Yukikos child.

Fumi-Hiro, an old angry manlet, he’s loud and proud in everything he does and absolutely not compensating for his height. Fumi’s an established jr heavyweight wrestler who’s very prevalent in the deathmatch scene. - Him and Yukiko had a heated rivalry in the past which boiled down to who has the bigger ego, nowadays they laugh about it and are a splendid duo, both have overly vicious styles, them tagging against you is the last thing you want if you value your life. - Outside of wrestling he works in his daughters restaurant, his actual pride and joy (Yuki and Fumi probably bond the most over how much they love their kids, their kids bond over having heel wrestlers as parents which are feared in the whole business but actually are big dorks)

Aatami is a tall finnish lad in his 30s, rather quiet but nevertheless threatening. They are a heavyweight wrestler and tag with Egusa a lot. His career started in the european and uk indies, and an opportunity got them to wrestle in Japan, where they are based now. — Being in the same ring as Aatami is enough to give people chills, he has an off putting cold demeanour that barely ever cracks. Don’t mistake their attitude for indifference tho, his work in the ring is his biggest passion, nothing makes them happier than freaking out their opponents and making them submit to his impressive catalogue of technical wrestling.

KOZUE, a rising joshi star from Okinawa who has a background in karate. Her interest in wrestling made her move to mainland Japan, where she ended up getting mentored by Yukiko. After her debut went on her own, wanting to make a name for herself in the scene, hoping to get her teachers attention again like that - and she didnt stay unacknowledged for long. Yukiko challenged her protege and won their violent bought, but invited Kozue to continue learning while fighting on the same side, making her the 5th CC member. — Some would describe Kozue as entitled, she calls it “knowing what im worth.” People associate her with a petty princess who looks down on others, and yeah she tends to not think highly of most lol - in matches Kozue is the personification of “fighting spirit”, she would rather pass out than give up, more often than not crosses her own limits. She avoids relying on cheating but isn’t afraid of using dirty tricks - she excuses it with simply being smart. — The guys in the group didnt give her an easy time at first, they werent convinced that she isnt just an entitled brat that’s taking advantage of Yukikos hospitality, but Kozue pretty quickly proved that she isnt taking anything for granted. They get along splendidly now - Kozue can very much hold her ground but that doesnt stop especially Toshi and Fumi from acting like defensive dads sometimes.

Nikolai. 26, swedish, bastard, queer. A loud juniorweight wrestler with mean kicks and an even meaner attitude. After establishing himself in mainland Europes wrestling scene came to Japan, working all over the place and causing chaos. Just like Kozue he got challenged by Yukiko, and also just like Kozue he couldn’t quite defeat her, but found a place in this odd lil family. It didn’t take long for him to get along with everyone, he already knew Aatami, formed a tag team with KOZUE and reminds the seniors of the group of their own eager attitude back in the day. — Nikolai’s the current jr champ of CCs home promotion, defending the title with whatever’s necessary. Nik’s a cheerful but cocky lad, with some unresolved business back at home,,, a certain former tag partner, which he’s trying to ignore, will catch up with him sooner than later 👀

special mention: Yukikos son Akio Fanucci, better known under his pseudonym AIKO, a young illustrator, not a wrestler! he's part of CC by the virtue of his mother being the leader lol - Aiko creates a lot of promotional material and merch for the wrestling company CCs based at. - He's been surrounded by wrestling since he was born, isnt unathletic, but competitive combat was never sth he wanted to get into. On first glance he seems like a quiet person, despite his alternative appearance, but when you get to know him its clear that he's the kid of two no bs taking hardasses.

So the faction basically is a mom, two dads, the queer uncle and two brats — they do whatever they want and their allegiance is only to each other :]

[theaviskullguy]

Ink and Petals

@dapple-dualies-propaganda here's the au

Tattoo artist! Rider x Florist! Goggles

hope you enjoy!

---------

When was it not busy at Squid ink?

It was one of the top Tattoo Parlors in Inkopolis. and it was also on a pretty busy street. So, it got a lot of customers. Also the fact that one of the artists was a famous turfer.

Rider hadn't formerly retired, but he had eased out of playing Turf Wars. He had found other interests outside of the sport: Theater, art, reviewing old movies online... He still did Turf from time to time, albeit the adult league. He was too old for the more popular teen division.

So, he found a job as a tattoo artist. And he rather loved it. Not only did most of his friends consult him for tattoo advice (from where the best places are to good designs), but he also knew some gossip. One of his regulars had beef with her neighbor because he has a pet raccoon who keeps stealing her trash and Rider could NOT wait to hear more about this story.

Another thing was, well, Rider had seen some shit. From people covered head to toe in tats, to people eagerly wanting their first tattoo, even to shyer folk who wanted one to defy controlling parents or to mark something important.

None of that prepared Rider for the news he got when tattooing one of the customers. More specifically, Gloves.

You see, Gloves had been coming in for the past few days. They had wanted a pretty complicated butterfly tat, so for the last 3 days Rider has been exchanging stories with the resident enby about... pretty much anything.

This is how this exchange happened;

"So you remember Goggles, right?" Gloves asked.

Rider rolled his eyes. "What, you think I'd forget the guy who kept pulling down my pants?"

"Oh ha ha. Anyways, apparently he works at that flower shop now."

"...He what?"

"You heard me!" They said. "I went there yesterday to get something for a project and there was Goggles! He misses you, 'ya know!"

Rider was just. quiet. He hadn't talked to his crush in a while, contact dwindled when Rider stopped doing Turf as much. Never once did he think Goggles would miss him, but that was probably the self hatred talking.

"...I'll think about it." Was all Rider said.

The conversation continued like nothing happen; Gloves saying multiple cursed things and Rider sharing interesting stories he heard on his job. Time flew by and soon, the tattoo was done; a butterfly with the bi colors on one wing and the nb colors on the other. Rider was quite proud of it, and Gloves seemed to like it. They waved, and left the store, humming to themselves.

Rider looked at the clock. His shift ended in just a few minutes. He knew he had no other appointments that day, so he took to watching old recorded matches in his phone.

Those were over a decade ago. Yet he still remembered everything. His favorite part was still learning he won a match by such a small margin. It was just... amazing.

He sighed. Rider missed those battles. But he has to say, he missed his crush a bit more.

He clocked out, saying goodbye to the other employee-Cherry (business relationships were easy to maintain when your coworkers were your siblings), and headed towards the flower shop for more reasons than one.

Army had a performance the next day. And yeah, Rider knew it was romantic, but platonically giving your best friend flowers was always nice. Plus, he wanted an excuse to see Goggles again.

He looked into the shop-the blue inkling was nowhere to be seen, but then again neither was the front desk. So, Rider shrugged and stepped in.

The floral scent was strong, but not overwhelming. Plenty of blossoms lined the stands, along with tags of what the flowers were and what they meant.

Rider looked around, trying to remember which flowers Army liked again, when he heard a familiar, youthful voice.

"Hi! Need any help?"

The inkling turned around. Goggles had definitely changed since Rider last saw him; his tentacles were longer and in an actual bun, for once. His blue eyes still had that clarity, and he still had that goofy smile. Though he didn't seem to recognize Rider.

"Uhh... I'll be fine. I'm just trying to remember what flower my friend likes the most." He said, hoping his accent didn't give him away; there weren't many in Inkopolis with an Australian accent.

But, Goggles didn't seem to notice or care. "Oh, okay!"

Rider internally breathed a sigh of relief. That would have been awkward if Goggles recognized him.

He looked around the shop, before spotting a bouquet of lilies. He knew Army liked lilies. If they weren't his favorite flower, it'd be close enough.

Rider took a few of the bigger ones, and a few white roses for variety, and took them to the counter.

Goggles smiled. "This a special occasion?"

"Not exactly. Just, my friend's doing a performance for a musical and I wanted to get him something for it." Rider explained.

"What musical?" Gogs asked, arranging the flowers with a sheer, white ribbon tying them together.

"Hadestown. He got Eurydice."

"Oh! I went to go see it last night! Army's amazing at that role. He's your friend, right?"

Rider internally panicked, but calmed down after remembering he wasn't Army's only friend. "Yeah. We've been friends for a while now."

"Well, tell him I said hi!" He handed the bouquet to Rider. "On me, alright? It's for a friend anyways!"

Rider nodded. "Thanks, mate."

"You're welcome!"

------

A few weeks went by. Rider occasionally stopped at the flower shop and got flowers for...well, no real reason. He'd use them to add color to his house, or give them to friends. He just wanted an excuse to see Goggles.

He'd talked to the blue inkling a bit more, too. He'd gotten into the business since, well, he really liked flowers, and he wanted a job where he could just...relax! He still did Turf, of course, but the Adult league was more serious than the teen one, and he just wanted to have fun instead of be expected to take a game seriously.

He still didn't recognize Rider. The yellow-green inkling was a bit hurt by this, to be honest.

Though, it was a bit startling when Goggles actually walked into Rider's work. And Rider was assigned to give Goggles his first tattoo: A blue jay on his shoulder, taking off from a branch.

This time, it was Goggles' turn to ask questions as Rider worked.

"Sooo.... you've been coming into my shop for a while and I still don't know your name!" The blue inkling stated. "I mean, you can probably recognize me though!"

Rider shrugged. "Well, who can forget Goggles of the Idiot Blue team?"

Goggles giggled. "You do know me! I still don't know you!!"

"...I can assure you, we've met before that day I got Army flowers." Rider said.

"Ooh! Can I try and guess who you are?"

"Ehh, why not."

"Okay! Umm..." Goggles thought for a moment. "Clams facemask?"

Rider shook his head. "Nope."

"Inkfall?"

"Wrong."

"Eging Jr?"

"Not even close there."

"Stealth Goggles?"

"Getting closer, I'll give you that."

"....Rider?" Goggles asked.

Rider chuckled. "Took you long enough, idiot."

Goggles smiled wide. "I finally found you! Hi Riri!"

"Hey, Gogs. It's been a while."

"Yeah! I'm a bit surprised I didn't recognize you, since we were pretty close!" Goggles stated.

Rider shrugged. "Well, I'm not the most memorable person anyways."

"Riderrrrr don't say that!" Goggles said. "You're still really popular!"

"To some people, maybe. Not everyone."

There was a tense silence, other than the hum of the tattoo needle as it made the drawing.

"....So." Goggles started again. "How's life?"

"It's...well, better than it was." Rider said. "Got my own place, for one. Though it gets a bit lonely.. You?"

"I'm still living in an apartment. I really want a roommate!" Goggles proclaimed. "Maybe we could move in together?"

"..I'll think about it, Gogs. Though it might be fun being your roommate."

"Really? Thanks Rider!" Goggled smiled.

The conversation grew more casual. Rider enjoyed it; turns out Goggles had his fair share of gossip. It was kinda cool.

And as the next few days passed, Rider looked forward to each of those sessions. His crush seemed to go from "this person would be fun to date i think" to "hOLY MOTHER OF THE GODS IM IN L O V E", and it didn't help that during those meetings, Goggles had to be shirtless.

The days turned into weeks and months. Goggles moved in with Rider, and the two became incredibly close friends.

And, it came to a head near valentines day. Goggles' shop was very busy, as expected. Luckily, Squid Ink wasn't as much.

So, on his day off, just before Valentines, Rider headed to the flower shop and got a bouquet of roses. Cliché to confess on Valentines day, Rider knew, but he's a pining gay cut him some slack.

And Rider came home right as Goggles was leaving for his shift. So, that left Rider with a good 3 hours to practice his confession.

"Alright, Rider. This has to be CASUAL. 'Hey, I've liked you for over a decade but just now had the confidence to confess!' No, too creepy sounding. 'Yo, Gogs. I really like you and maybe we could go out to dinner sometimes?' ...Too casual."

....Yeah, this went on for a while.

Rider groaned, collapsing his his bed. "I wish feelings were fucking easier...I should just call Army."

So, he grabbed his phone and selected the contact, Veronica Sawyer Kinnie

"C'mon, Army... pick up."

And not one ring later, "Rider, what is it?"

"...I need romantic help. Please." Rider asked.

"Look, just because I'm married to Aloha, doesn't mean I know how I ended up here."

"Yeah, I kinda know that." He stated. "Still. I really need some help."

Army sighed. "Who is it? It's totally that one person with the raccoon story-"

"Actually, no. It's, um.... It's Goggles."

The octoling on the other end of the line could be heard sighing. "Still a morosexual I see."

"OI! You're the one who married a fuckin himbo!"

".....Touché. Still, there's a difference."

Rider huffed. "Just... give me some advice. I wanna confess to him tomorrow but I've got no idea how. I'm giving him roses, but like, there's gotta be something more I could do, y'know?"

"Have you tried asking Prince?" Army suggested. "He is the one with the obsession with rom coms and romance novels."

"This is his exam period, Army. I'm not about to potentially interrupt a cram session by asking for romantic advice!"

"Fair enough. I'd say...well, just rip off the band aid. Like... 'Hey, Goggles, I really like you and was wondering if you'd like to be my boyfriend.'"

"...Thanks, Arm. I'll, uh, give it a try."

-------

Rider couldn't sleep that well. Mainly out of anticipation.

He was gonna confess to his crush of...over a decade, at least. He didn't fuckin know what was gonna happen!

Like, would Goggles reciprocate? Would he hate Rider after it? WHAT THE FUCK WOULD HAPPEN-

He sighed. He needed to get his mind off this shit.

Rider looked over to his bedside clock: 5AM. 5 hours before his shift. 5 hours to get his shit together and plan for confessing to the world's cutest but also dumbest man later that night.

C'mon, Rider. Think. Army said to rip it off like a band aid, but Goggles might find that a little sudden and out of the blue. He could write a letter and leave it for Goggles when he went to his shift (The flower shop was closed on Valentines day). That would be a safe option.

Rider sat up, and got out a piece of paper and pencil, writing a note.

"Hey, Goggles.

There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while. I really, really like you. As in, a crush.

I totally get it if you don't like me back, or think I'm weird, but hey, I was wondering if you'd wanna go out to dinner or something. Probably not tonight cause of Valentine's day but maybe tomorrow night or something.

-Rider"

Quickly, he folded it and wrote Goggles' name, putting a little heart sticker on it. It was corny, but hey, Rider had to use up those stickers somehow.

Rider attached it to the roses, and kept it on his desk.

And so, the morning went as normal. He had breakfast, got out of his pjs, put his hair up... the usual.

But as Rider left to go to work, he left the note and rose on the table, and left the house quickly.

During the day, he nearly forgotten all about it; He caught up with the gossip-Apparently the neighbor with the raccoon and the regular were now dating. So that was a nice little end to the story.

Squid Ink wasn't AS busy-probably because it was Valentines day, people were spending it with their lovers, not getting inked up (unless they made the appointment when single)

And it was near the end of Rider's shift when he heard his name mentioned. Probably someone making an appointment before he heard the familiar voice of Goggles going "Okay!!"

The blue inkling walked over to his station. "Hi Ridey!!"

"...Hey, Gogs. Getting another tat?" Rider asked, trying to keep his cool.

Goggles nodded. "Yeah!!!"

"A'ight anything specific in mind or-"

"Can I get just a simple quote one?"

Rider nodded. "Where do you want it?"

Goggles pulled down the collar of his shirt slightly. "Right here, please!"

"Okay. Just try to keep holding that down so I don't mess up.

-----

And so, tattoo conversations ensued.

The quote Goggles had wanted was a simple Pride one, that said "love is love". It was discreet, but a bit of it could be seen poking out if Goggles ever wore a v-neck.

"So, any plans for tonight?" Rider asked, trying to keep things subtle. Maybe Goggles hadn't read the note yet.

The blue inkling nodded. "Kinda! I had mental plans buuuuut nothing serious."

Rider raised an eyebrow. "Who with?"

"..I m-mean, I still have to ask him.." Goggles' face turned a shade of blue, and he averted his gaze.

"....Can I guess who he is?"

"If ya can!"

He smiled. "Does his name have an R in it?" Rider had a guess it was himself, but it wouldn't hurt to check.

Goggles nodded. "Yeah!"

"Got an accent?"

"Yep!!"

"Is he doing your tattoo?"

"....y-yeah?" Goggles sheepishly smiled. "I'm n-not that discreet, am I?"

Rider chuckled, but on the inside he was screeching. "Honestly? I had no clue myself."

"Really? I've been dropping the most obvious hints!"

"...Like what?" Rider asked, now a bit curious.

"Welllll I've been picking movies you like during movie night, I've made sure to get your drink on coffee runs, Oh! And I offered to cook dinner that one time!" Goggles stated.

"...Damn. I'm just oblivious then." The former dynamo user laughed, before turning off the needle. "There. It's all done." Rider held up a mirror for the blue boy.

Goggles' face lit up. "Whoa! It looks amazing!!! Thanks Riri!"

Rider smiled. "You're welcome. Now, uh, ...did you read my note?"

"..Y-yeah, I did. And, um...I like you too Rider!!" The blue man pressed a small, quick kiss to Rider's cheek.

Rider blushed. "S-so, you'll let me t-take you out?"

Goggles nodded. "Yeah!!!"

"I...thanks, Gogs."

"You're welcome Riri!!!"

----------

aAAAAA RUSHED END

but like. hope yall enjoy!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

* * * * LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

January 10, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson

Unbelievably, it was only a week ago—last Sunday—that we learned Trump had called Georgia’s Secretary of State and pressured him to change the results of the 2020 election. Trump demanded that Brad Raffensperger “find” the 11,780 votes Trump needed to win Georgia. The news of the attempt to get an election official to overrule the will of the people was astonishing: at the time, it was the worst domestic attack on our democracy ever, coming, as it did, from a sitting president.

At the time.

Over the past several days, the picture of what happened on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, has become clearer, and it’s bad. While Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser gave a press conference Wednesday night, there has been not a single official briefing from the White House, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, or Capitol Police.

The federal government has gone dark.

What we do know is that on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, egged on by Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Alabama Representative Mo Brooks, Don Jr., and especially Trump himself, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol just as Congress was meeting in joint session to confirm Democrat Joe Biden as our new president. They overpowered the Capitol Police—perhaps with the help of some of the officers—breached the doors, and smashed their way through the historic building, shouting for Vice President Mike Pence—whom Trump insisted was at fault for not overturning the count-- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and “traitors” who were counting the electoral votes for Biden. While many of the early pictures from inside the Capitol showed rioters gawking like tourists, ones released this weekend showed violent thugs, carrying plastic handcuffs and seeming to have information about where to find specific members of Congress. They breached the Senate chamber at 2:16, just a minute after the senators made it out.

The Capitol Police got the lawmakers to safety, but were not in control of the building. Lawmakers huddled quietly behind barricaded doors waiting for police that took hours to come. When they did arrive, they cleared the area and regained control of the Capitol. After janitors had cleaned the building, lawmakers counted the electoral votes that established Democrats Biden and Kamala Harris as the next president and vice president of the USA.

As videos have emerged and timelines been established, it has become apparent we came perilously close to seeing our elected representatives taken hostage or even executed on the makeshift gallows the rioters set up outside the building.

But here’s the thing: these were not outside insurgents; they were supporters of the Republican president. Trump enflamed the insurgents but he did not create them: years of demonizing Democrats and suggesting they must not be allowed to govern did that. As NPR reporter Kirk Siegler noted, Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, infamous for years of standoffs with the federal government, wrote on Facebook that Trump “pointed towards Congress and nodded his head… [and said] go get the job done.” Republicans are now caught in a vise of their own making. They have to stand either with their own voters or with democracy.

The night of the attack, more than 100 Republican members of the House of Representatives and several senators, led by Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), continued to endorse Trump’s lies by voting to reject the electoral votes for Biden in key states. The next day, Trump’s supporters tried to argue that the rioters were “Antifa,” despite their Trump garb and the fact Trump invited them, incited them, urged them to go to the Capitol, and after the riot told them he loved them. (An AP investigation establishes that they were right-wing agitators.) When that didn’t take, supporters tried “whataboutism,” comparing the Black Lives Matter protests of this summer to the storming of the Capitol.

They are trying to rewrite the history of this week to downplay that we have suffered an attempted coup that killed at least five people, and that the people behind it are still in the highest levels of our government.

The realization that we are in the midst of a coup, abetted by Trump’s use of social media, prompted Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to ban Trump permanently, and to take down QAnon accounts. That, not the Capitol attack and the murder of a police officer, has created outrage among Trump, who is allegedly “ballistic,” and Trump supporters. Republican lawmakers spent the weekend noting how many followers they were losing as Twitter took down QAnon, Nazi, and fake accounts. (Trump opponents noted that this was not actually a good thing to call attention to.) Parler has lost almost all of its supporting businesses and might go out of business itself.

Democrats are appalled by what Trump has wrought, and they are joined by plenty of Republicans. In the National Review, for example, Ed Whelan called the Capitol attack “an outrage that ought to have every genuinely patriotic American seething with anger.” He blamed Trump for inciting the attack, and said that “impeachment and conviction of Trump is an appropriate, and probably a necessary, response.”

In a powerful video, former Republican Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger called the Capitol attack the American equivalent to Kristallnacht, which marked the beginning of German Nazis’ systemic destruction of the Jews. To puncture the idea that the sort of behavior on display on Wednesday was manly, Schwarzenegger told the private story of his abuse at the hands of his father, who had been swept up in the Nazi movement in Austria, and celebrated the sword from his starring role in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian as a symbol not of toxic masculinity but of democracy, tempered by adversity. He called on all Americans to rally around Biden and to work to make his administration a success.

White House appointees’ resignations show which way the wind is blowing. Trump’s former Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney took to Fox News Sunday to say he had no idea that people might actually do something like attack the Capitol. “People took him literally,” Mulvaney told MSNBC. “I never thought I’d see that.”

Similarly, the rioters themselves, once found and arrested, are either apologizing and saying they were swept up in the moment, or denying they were part of the mob. One man apologized for his “indiscretion.”

Both Marriott, the world’s largest hotel chain, and health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield have suspended their donations to lawmakers who voted against the counting of Biden’s electoral votes late Wednesday or early Thursday morning. The anti-Trump Lincoln Project has promised to target companies that donate to any lawmakers who voted against the counting of the electoral votes. Hitting closer to Trump, Stripe, the vendor that handles online credit card payments for Trump’s campaign, has announced it will no longer handle his account. And tonight, the Professional Golfers Association of America Board of Directors took the 2022 PGA Championship away from Trump Bedminster, his New Jersey club.

At the end of last week, Democratic leaders set out a three-part plan to punish the president for inciting an insurrection. They gave Pence an option to begin the process of invoking the 25th Amendment, which, considering the president had tried to get him killed, was not necessarily a long shot. Pence refused. They gave McConnell the weekend to convince Trump to resign. Trump refused. They announced that, if both of those things failed, they would begin impeachment proceedings on Monday.

McConnell promptly noted that the Senate could not take up such a proceeding until the day before Biden’s inauguration at the earliest. He is bargaining. It is possible to hold an impeachment trial even after a president is out of office, but he knows that Biden does not want the beginning of his term crowded with more Trump business, especially as coronavirus is raging and Biden wants to get it under control. McConnell doesn’t want Republicans to have to vote either for or against the president because such a vote will slice the Republicans in two and make it clear that some of them stand for insurrection. In the Senate, only Republicans Mitt Romney (R-UT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Pat Toomey (R-PA) have endorsed impeachment.

McConnell is hoping Pelosi will blink and the moment will pass.

She will not, and it will not. She notes, correctly, that the president is “an imminent threat” to “our Constitution and our Democracy,” and she is trying to give the Republicans cover to do the right thing. Tonight, she announced that the House tomorrow will begin proceedings on a resolution by Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) calling on Pence to mobilize the Cabinet to activate the 25th Amendment within 24 hours. If he declines, the House will turn to impeachment. She has asked for unanimous consent for the resolution to enable the Republicans to avoid a vote. If they refuse, the measure will go forward the next day anyway.

She also fired a shot across the bow of Republican lawmakers by asking her colleagues for their views on the third section of the 14th Amendment, the one that prohibits anyone who “shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the United States, “or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof,” from serving in Congress.

As I watch Republican lawmakers try to slip away from the crisis they have made, I think of Black Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, armed only with a nightstick, luring the insurgents in the wrong direction to buy the time Senators needed to escape with their lives.

—-

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[mattzerella-sticks]

⭐2020 Fics in Review ⭐

Happy New Year’s Eve! 💫💫💫 2020 sure was a year... between everything that was happening on the macro (the pandemic, elections, etc.) and on the micro-level (shows delayed, some ending - disastrously, so much drama, etc.), the past 12 months felt like a blur. Especially since we’ve been inside and realized time is an illusion!

But, there were moments where I was able to ground myself in the present and not be swept away by the tide. Most of them were because of fanfiction. Whether writing or reading, fanworks became a soothing balm. And I’d be remiss (and breaking tradition) if I didn’t reflect on my past works of 2020! 

I’ve written 43 fics across a wide array of fandoms - the most being Supernatural, with 9-1-1, DC Comics, Marvel, Boku No Hero Academia, Stargirl, Star Wars, Hollywood, and RWBY sprinkled in. I really branched out this year, and am looking forward to what I will write in 2021. Maybe new fandoms? Maybe an original work? Who’s to say!

Thank you to all those who’ve read my works, and am grateful for both your support and continued engagement - can’t wait to see you in 2021 with me 😁

Here are my works!

9-1-1 (TV Show)

Caught (Evan ‘Buck’ Buckely/Eddie Diaz, side Athena Grant/Bobby Nash, side Maddie Buckley/Howie ‘Chimney’ Han)

Photobooths are prime for catching special moments and making them last forever, even if they are less both and more open spaces with a backdrop. When Athena, Bobby, and Michael stumble upon one such moment between Buck and Eddie, what will they do?

And how will it affect Maddie and Chimney?

Lumped Together (Evan ‘Buck’ Buckely/Eddie Diaz, side Henrietta ‘Hen’ Wilson/Karen Wilson, side Maddie Buckley/Howie ‘Chimney’ Han)

As an apology for keeping her thoughts about medical school secret from her wife and partner, Hen takes them (and Maddie) out for lunch. With the promise that it would only be them. And for the most part it was. Until Buck and Eddie strode in with every intention of eating Takoyaki.

Just not with them.

Armed with new information, what's a girl to do? Hen spends the next day fighting back the natural instinct to tease her friends about the wonderful step they've taken together in their relationship. Can she make it home without saying anything? Or will she give in?

DCU

Lonely Together (Barry Allen/Bruce Wayne, past Barry Allen/Iris West, past Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle)

Barry needs others, yet whether by his enemies or his own actions, he ends up alone. After Iris leaves him, Barry feels as if he drifts through life. Like lightning humming in the air without a rod to ground him.

Until he struck another lonely soul and entered a relationship he never thought possible. Now, months since he and Bruce began sleeping with each other, Barry feels settles. At peace in a way he hasn't felt in a long while. Since he and Iris started petering out.

But it's not love... is it?

Come Home (Jason Todd/Kyle Rayner)

Jason Todd gets a message from Bruce. He's surprised to see it. Then, he's surprised by the message itself. Hearing Bruce's final message stirs something inside of him, urging him towards a place he's avoided ever since his and Bruce's falling out. So he gathers his things, and then... waits.

He can't leave yet. Jason doesn't know why. Bruce gave him a mission, just like old times. Except it's not, because he... Jason can't move. Can't even stand.

That's how Kyle finds him.

Restless (Barry Allen/Bruce Wayne)

Returning home from a mission in outer space, the team picks up a distress signal off-course. They rush off to help, landing on a strange alient planet teeming with life. Especially within the plant kingdom.

While guarding the Javelin, Bruce and Barry encounter one such member while engaging in some familiar fight-flirting. Will its effects spell trouble for the League, or help these two relax their guards long enough to explore new possibilities?

(Hint: It's a little bit of both)

Marvel

Hot Seat (Peter Parker/Johnny Storm)

Spiderman likes Johnny. Like likes him. And he thought Johnny felt the same. He wasn't wrong, but Johnny like liked someone else, too. Someone he actually wanted to pursue, over Spiderman.

Unfortunately that someone is Peter Parker.

However, after a terrible misunderstanding, Johny isn't too keen on seeing either Peter or Spiderman; the longer this confusion left unresolved, the more Johnny's hurt would fester. Can Peter find a way to make Johnny listen?

Hollywood 

Merrily We Roll Along (Archie Coleman/Rock Hudson)

With their careers still on the rise and no peak in sight, sometimes Archie's and Roy's lives get a little too busy. Understandably so. Archie's in the midst of writing his next screenplay while the latest opens across America. Roy spend more time on set than at home working on his latest project. When their schedules allow it, all they want is to be together.

Can they enjoy a simple morning together, or will the clouds of Hollywood cast a heavy shadow over their sunny day?

RWBY

Lucky You, Huh? (Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi)

After all that happened, it's time for the dust to settle. Choices were made. Now, the consequences for certain actions need to be carried out.

Even though he fought alongside her to save Mantle, Robyn Hill couldn't help save Clover from the whims of the Council. Without a job or home, Clover needs to find a way to carry on.

If anyone understands what that feels like, it's Qrow. Never being one who can communicate his feelings well, would he be the best to comfort the other man. When he's the only one who can, what does that mean for Clover?

Star Wars

Fourth (Poe Dameron/Finn)

What's a man and his co-general to do when they're on a mission together on a planet known for frequent sandstorms?

Flirt? That is a possibility. And definitely the one they take.

Stargirl

I’m Here (Courtney Whitmore/Yolanda Montez, past Yolanda Montez/Henry King, Jr.)

Coda to 1x10 "Brainwave Jr."

Losing Henry was sad, but it's not the first person Courtney knew whose future was snatched by the Injustice Society of America. That doesn't make his death any less tragic. It does remind Courtney how screwed up and dangerous her life was. At least she was able to wake up the next day and keep moving. And so was Beth, and Rick. But Yolanda...

Where was Yolanda? Courtney needs to know.

Crusher (Lawrence Crock/Paula Crock, Pat Dugan/Barbara Whitmore, Lawrence Crock/Pat Dugan)

When Lawrence met Pat, he saw another body that could benefit from some exercise at his gym. The more they interacted, became friends, he saw that body doing other things in other places. And his wife is totally supportive of this. While in the midst of an afterhours training session, Lawrence drags his feet on telling his friend a few important things. Egged on by Paula, will he say what's on his mind? How will Pat react?

And does Pat have a secret or two of his own?

Boku No Hero Academia/My Hero Academia

Little Secrets Everywhere (Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijiro)

Mina thought letting Bakugo read whatever was in her folder wouldn't be too bad. Maybe he would snipe at her for her less than perfect English translation and sentence structure, slap her on the head with the balled up assignment. What she wasn't expecting was for him to charge with hellish fury towards her in the common room with all their friends to see.

One careless mistake leads to many things coming to light. Everyone walking away with something new to think about.

Boku No Fundanshi (Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijiro)

Bakugo Katsuki is a top student at the premier hero academy in the world. Bakugo Katsuki is a boy with the ability to use his sweat as a weapon, each droplet containing enough nitroglycerin to obliterate a phone book. Bakugo Katsuki enjoys reading manga where boys fall in love with one another. Two out of the three are commonly accepted facts. The final one is a heavily guarded secret that Bakugo protects with his life. At least until his vigilance lapses, and he loses a doujinshi.

Will he be able to recover what he lost before anyone realizes it's his? Or, by the end of this, will he have found something he didn't know he was missing?

Portmanteau (Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijiro)

Portmanteau (port·man·teau) n. a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others

Like Bakugo's chosen hero name. But was that his first choice? Kirishima doesn't think so, after finding a damning piece of evidence hidden within his notes. Except it's not what he thinks, at all...

Supernatural

 Real (Dean Winchester/Castiel, background Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester)

Coda to 15x09 "The Trap"

Morning after, and Sam spies a little something blossoming in the kitchen. Something that stokes the fires of his curiosity. When the scene ends, he walks in with an intent to investigate. Learn about the strange magic that happened before his eyes. How quickly Dean and Cas's relationship repaired. And what brilliant new shape it took on after Purgatory.

Will Sam be satisfied with the answer?

Half-Priced Chocolates (Dean Winchester/Castiel, background Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester)

The day after Valentine's Day is great for many things. Basking in the glow of a night well spent, sharing the joy of love with your family, and eating chocolate priced considerably lower than it was the day before.

Except Sam can't enjoy any of that, because Dean won't let him. Because Dean woke up in a sour mood and has picked up the banners of war against romantic love.

Albeit, the three aforementioned things might make his conflict the shortest in history.

Spill (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Dean always thought it would take more to force him into retirement. Yet here he is, locked in the Bunker until the world figures out a cure for a deadly virus. It could be worse - at least they have a home. He cannot imagine how worse it would be if this happened years earlier, where he and Sam were trapped in a tiny motel room together. Here they have options, and miles of outdoor space they can stroll through if their options become stale.

And they were beginning to. Dean could only do so much indoors. Dean knew he needed to shake things up, but couldn't begin thinking how. Luckily Castiel has an idea, and gives him a new way of looking at their kitchen.

Supernatural Crack🩹tober

Following the Supernatural Cracktober prompt list, one day at a time.

Prompts will be listed in the notes and the chapter title.

Enjoy!

Bullets Over the Bayou (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Everyone wants Castiel Novak to quit the force, including Castiel. But he stays on despite the toxic work environment he’s surrounded by. Still believing he can do some good despite the many lines of red tape impeding him. Luckily, a pair of scissors by the name of Dean Winchester drops into his hands, and he finally feels like he can do some good.

Dean Winchester thought he would be in New Orleans for a day or two. Identify the body of his deadbeat father and then move on. No one knows he’s here. His mother and brother are blissfully unaware of the danger his father roped him into. With a parting gift of a journal, delivered to him the same day he received word about his father, Dean has become the target of a group of people who want him dead. The same people who killed his father.

Racing against the clock, can Dean and Castiel figure out what is so important about John Winchester’s journal that someone would kill for it?

Kick Ball Change (Dean Winchester/Castiel, background Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester)

Coda to 15x10 "The Heroes' Journey"

Dean has the Bunker to himself at a time after he and Sam regain their supernatural abilities. With nothing needing his attention, he decides taking time for himself wouldn't hurt. But the usual fare leaves him bored and tired.

So he tries something new. Something he wanted to try, but wasn't sure he would be good at. Dean starts off strong, but doing it on your own can only be so fun. Get you so far. Luckily a partner happens by and truly allows Dean to enjoy a part of himself he knew was there, but didn't want to share.

Tempered Desires (Dean Winchester/Castiel, background Charlie Bradbury/OC, background Sam Winchester/Jessica Moore, background Sam Winchester/Ruby, background Sam Winchester/Mick Davies, past Dean Winchester/Arthur Ketch)

Dating, sex, and finding love were the farthest things on the minds of both Dean and Castiel. There were more important things to worry about - namely the pandemic that swept across the globe and changed everything. Navigating this new environment was hard enough without adding romance.

But fate never intervenes when you expect. From first meetings to first dates, we'll see how Dean and Castiel's relationship blossoms despite the circumstances.

Sunrise (Dean Winchester/Castiel, background Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester)

Dean and Sam were free. Finally, unequivocally, free.

But this wasn't the happy ending Dean had expected. Maybe in the past, having Sam in the passenger seat tearing across an open stretch of highway as the sunsets, it'd be what he wanted. But that was years ago. He's not that man anymore. Dean's tired of sunsets, of saying goodbye. He yearns for a different ending. One that's less of an ending, and more of a beginning. A sunrise instead of a sunset.

Sam has his. Dean lost his. Despite this setback, he won't stop. He'll live in memory of his sunrise.

Except, what can he do when he feels those rays on his face again?

Coda to 15x19

Fixing It (Dean Winchester/Castiel, background Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester)

Dean Winchester walked a long & difficult road. House burning down when he was 4, constantly being on the move until his father lost a fight with demons at the age of 25. Reunited with his mother only to lose her again. Have a son only to lose him, too. Of all the shadows that have crossed his path, he thought one of the main sources of light was his husband Castiel.

But he had to ruin that, too.

Can he ever have that shine again? Or are there things that are too good for him to hold? Will they mend what was broken?

Heart in My Hand (Dean Winchester/Castiel, background Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester)

He was right there.

Cas was telling Dean everything he ever wanted to hear since meeting the angel of the Lord... only each and every word of his confession stabbed at Dean's heart. Because once he finished, there's no more time for them. For him. For any chance of happiness - all that taken away by the Empty. And now he has to carry on.

He tries. Stands, gets in his car and drives where Sam tells him. When he meets with the others, though...

Coda to 15x18 "Despair"

A Dumb Idea (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

They celebrated Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, birthdays, even the Fourth of July. What about the other holidays? What about Valentine's Day?

Mrs. Butters actually had a plan for that, but she left before it could come to fruition. Sam, however, stumbles on Dean and a leftover piece from said plan. Something Dean would rather Sam not see. When he does get a peek as to what it is, well... Dean and Sam have a lot to talk about.

Coda to 15x14 "The Last Holiday"

What the Water Gave Him (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

It was over. Chuck lost, Sam and Dean can live their lives how they want them. But their victory wasn't without losses. The biggest upset nearly taking Dean out of the game, happening so close to the final battle. Now he's on the other side, alive against all odds, but Sam knows he isn't happy. Not truly happy since the Empty stole his best friend.

But there's a chance they can save him. A slim chance. A risk that Dean's willing to take despite every logical nerve in Sam's body screaming at him to look for better options. That threading a needle this small is too dangerous. That they don't have to take on another big bad, not anymore. That they don't have to risk their lives anymore. Dean is far past the point of listening. Dead set on this mission, Sam can only watch.

And pray his brother proves him wrong.

(Now with art from gabester-sketch)

Acutely (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Jack said he's sorry, after getting his soul back.

Jack said he's sorry, and he's looking at Dean. They're all looking at Dean.

Jack said he's sorry, and Dean can't take it. It's too much. Like a frog thrown into a boiling pot he hops out, jumping out from the room towards safety. Doing his best not to succumb to the pain.

He can't hide forever, let the wounds fester. It's too much to deal with on his own, though. Can someone help him through it?

Leeches (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Sharing a Netflix makes sense, in hindsight. Dean gets it. But that doesn't mean he appreciates seeing a bunch of profiles after his that weren't there last he checked.

He's gonna get to the bottom of this - of when this happened, why, and how they were able to guess his password.

Revival (Dean Winchester/Castiel, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester)

Sam and Dean stand there on the bridge, the camera panning out on them as they are finally reunited in Heaven.

But then Sam wakes up.

(Coda/Fix-It Fic to 15x20 "Carry On")

Memento (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Why did Castiel have a photo of himself in a cowboy hat? Where did he get it? Who took it, and more importantly who gave it to him?

Coda to 15x15 "Gimme Shelter"

The End (We Deserve) (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Dean Winchester dies in Sam's arms.

And then he doesn't.

(How that scene originally looked...)

Constants

Meeting with alternate versions of themselves makes Sam and Dean think about what the landscape of the former multiverse might have looked like - or, really, "If there can be multiple Deans and multiple Sams, can there be other versions of things they know. Like... Baby?"

Dean says no. There's only one Baby. She's got four wheels, black paint, and has been his from the beginning. Sam thinks otherwise.

Let's explore what the possibilities of Deans, Sams, and Babys in different universes might look like.

Enjoy the Present (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Sam had a birthday, Jack had a birthday...

It would only be fitting for Dean to have one, too. It's expected, really. Yet the one Sam and Jack throw him still catches him by surprise. Maybe because he actually agreed with Butters, about having outgrowned birthdays. Or because his thoughts were pulled elsewhere because of some disappointing news.

If it's the latter, than a birthday will definitely take his mind off of that. Especially when it comes time for his present.

Coda to 15x14 'The Last Holiday'

Swallow It Whole (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

"The older you get... the less lies make everything better"

But when you've told as many lies as Dean has, it's hard to tell what's true and what's not. How can he remove all the rotten parts of himself without bringing everything down? Which lies have ingrained themselves so firmly, that removing them would change everything about who he was?

And, scariest of them all, who would he be without those lies?

Coda to 15x16 "Drag Me (Away From You)"

Desperation, Baby! (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Death took her sweet time parsing through Chuck's book, meaning Lucifer spent longer than he'd like surrounded by his former vessel, his brother, his son, and a man whose obvious longing made him want to vomit. Instead of returning with his prize, Chuck welcoming him back, he must waste his valuable time playing 'nice; with those he can't stand.

Not that it matters. They don't trust him, each member of this ragtag group of survivors watching Lucifer in shifts. Never leaving him alone.

It's Dean's turn now, and he's driving Lucifer up a wall by doing nothing at all save for broadcasting a never-ending supply of feeling. Can he cut the signal without showing his hand, or put Dean's heart to good use?

Coda to 15x19 "Inherit the Earth"

A Healing Touch/New Experiences (Dean Winchester/Castiel, Adam/Serafina)

Maybe if Cas hadn't abandoned him, he wouldn't have agreed to Adam's offer. But with free will finally theirs, Cas made his choice, and Dean his. Now he has to live with the consequences - even if they are awkward. He won't die from it, certainly.

It's only a massage.

But what Dean doesn't know, is that it's more than a massage. It's healing.

It Feels Real Good (Claire Novak/Kaia Nieves, background Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Jody sent her to Yosemite, and she brings her back. For what reason, Claire doesn't know. But it had better be important, otherwise Claire gave the Dark Figure that stole her happiness another chance at escape. Will Jody's house hold a reason important enough for Claire to let go of the heavy burdens she's been carrying since hopping through a rift into another universe?

Coda to 15x12 "Galaxy Brain"

Through the Door (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Cas tells Sam that Chuck and Amara are here. But how does he know? Sure, he could've felt them land through his grace. But all that time Sam was gone? There was enough there that he could've investigated. They'd need to know where they were anyway, when the time came.

But Cas should've known better. Now wasn't the best moment for a little family reunion, especially when there's so much bad blood it can drown them all. Yet he came, and finally got the audience he always seeked with his father.

Coda to 15x17 "Unity"

Four of Swords (Dean Winchester/Castiel, background Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester)

The Four of Swords, in the present position, means you don't want to interact with the rest of the world. Because of stress, you need to spend some time with yourself - unhealthy always being 'on'. That the healthiest thing to do is to escape.

Dean might crave escape, but it's not something he thinks he can have. Something he deserves, even. After his and Sam's most recent hunt, this cancerous feeling has grown heavy and weighs him down. He cannot escape on his own, as best he tries.

Luckily a guardian 'former angel' angel swoops in at his lowest. Helps pick up the pieces as best he can and lovingly put them back together. But he can only do so much. The rest is up to Dean.

Can Dean take those final steps, say those final words, and finally free himself?

i’d like to teach the world to sing (Dean Winchester/Castiel, Castiel/Others, WIP, 10 out of 15 chapters posted so far)

Mar del Vista, California - 1972

The groovy counterculture that dominated conversation in the past few years still clings to the landscape, floating around like smoke off a burning joint. Changed by the fires of war, Manson, and life into something new. Less trusting, optimistic, and innocent.

Cas is just one of many disillusioned hippies, saddled with a general distrust even before the movement self-imploded. Wary of about everything. Perfect for his line of work, where what's on the surface might not match the truth underneath. It's not an easy life, but he's comfortable with how it goes. Coasting until he hears a case he has no business accepting. For one, it's about a missing teen. And another, it's personal.

Except Jack's disappearance, like every other case he's worked, isn't so cut and dry. Like a rock skipping across a then-placid lake, the ripples stretch far and wide. Those waves slamming at Cas; of cops, federal agents, hippie cultists, and a certain green-eyed detective who's a little too interested in Cas's investigation.

Will Cas find Jack? Or will he drown in the tides.

Checkmate (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Billie saves Jack from suffering a fatal end from her plan, and knowing Jack was safe gave Cas space to focus on his own troubles. Nearly losing his son again... revelations from Chuck... choices Dean made, were set on, until Sam broke through at the last minute - too close - they all were...

It was too much. Cas needed to digest these roiling experiences away from faces it hurt to look at. Except he stumbles exactly where Chuck wants him. After countless times praying for guidance, Chuck finally decides now is perfect for a long-awaited heart-to-heart.

Coda to 15x17 "Unity"

Slide (Dean Winchester/Castiel, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester)

This isn't his day. It's Sam's and Eileen's. But while out on the dance floor, Dean realizes something that forces him to act. Act boldly.

It's not his day, but he cannot push back what's been there all along, dam bursting with no hope or need of rebuilding itself. He has to say something to Cas.

Why? Because it's Electric... boogie woogie woogie

(Inspired by the Suptober Day 9 prompt - Electric)

Unwrap Me (Dean Winchester/Castiel)

Dean never thought he would make it this far. Nor would he have as many wonderful things that he has now. A home, friends, family, and most importantly love. With a former angel.

Given how normal his life is now, Dean decides he wants to go all out celebrating Christmas. Parties, feasts, and the perfect presents. He wants to get Cas something that will translate everything that resides in his heart. Dean believes he has the right gift, but decides against leading with it. Instead surprising Cas with it after showing him his Christmas best.

Although, during his entire time planning Cas's present, he never wondered what Cas got him...

Disappointment is temporary, but creativity is eternal 🥂 to more fanworks in 2021!!!

[irrealismora]

Tag Game #3

TRIGGER WARNING: abuse, self harm, negative thoughts NOTE: I didn't intend for this to turn into "Daemon's Shittiest Hits." It just kind of happened, so I'm sorry in advance. I was tagged by @zmlorenz (I really do enjoy reading your tag games, by the way!) Thank you for tagging me and including me in the searching circle! My words are: AIR, BREAK, CLEAR, DANGER, and EXCITE. I'll be getting these from The Book of Daemon (TBOD). AIR (This scene was so hard to write.)

Leave me alone leave me alone “I-I’m sorry I was born. I’m sorry, Mommy, I’m sorry.” She wrenches my head to the side. “I’m not your Mommy.” She drags me to the door. “Go to your room!” She throws me out. I stagger backwards, my arms wheeling, bare feet tripping over themselves and back pedaling further and further until one foot steps through air. I blink at my mother’s blank, shocked face. Then, I see the railing of the stairs. Stairs. Suddenly, I’m in the air. My stomach drops. For a second, there’s sheer panic, like a pressurized can of hurricane winds threatening to explode. I’m gonna die. And everything inside of me goes quiet, a raging storm sputtering into a strangled breath. I’m gonna die. And for some reason, I’m not afraid anymore. I’m gonna— My head slams into a marble step.

BREAK (It was hard to find "break" just by itself and with enough context to make some sense.)

I whirl and Rayden flinches. I can feel it, the guilt and the anger mixing like gasoline and oil, the fire growing and growing. “I am not going to stand here while you throw the blame on me for being fucked up,” I say, my voice low. “I know that this Ability is fucked up. I know that I’m fucked up, but it is not my fault for being born this way.” She reaches out to me. “Daemon, I—” I grab the doorknob and yank the door open. And I come face to face with Dante. My stomach drops, and the fire goes out like a candle. He blinks in surprise, hand raised mid knock. Bludbone waves at me from over his shoulder. “Brother,” Dante says. I drop my eyes to his feet, my hand tightening around the doorknob. Why? Why can’t I catch a fucking break? “Sup, Captain Jr!” Bludbone almost yells. “How’s the—” I shoulder past them, rubbing my eye. “Not now,” I mutter.

CLEAR (I'm sorry, all of the ones I found were pretty dark. This is one of the better ones that makes sense.)

“I didn’t mean to,” he says, hugging his legs close to his chest. “I was just trying to help. I didn’t want you to hurt.” Suddenly, the fresh air turns stale and all I can see is 16 year-old-me reflected in the blade of a kitchen knife. I feel the darkness of my room pressing in on me. I can feel the searing pain in my chest, see the blood pouring down my chest to my stomach, hear the thoughts egging me on. I hear Will yelling at me, telling me to let him in. Then he’s grabbing at the knife, trying to get me to stop. He grabs my wrists and I yank it away from him and I see the light glint against the blade as it flies towards my eye. I feel warmth on my shoulders and I’m back at the beach. The air is clear. There’s no knife, no blood. Just the waves, crashing against the shore. Will pulls me closer to him. “I’m sorry. Just don’t think about it. You’re okay. You’re okay.”

DANGER

“No,” I say, but it comes out like a guttural growl. Midnight staggers towards me, his feet scuffling the floor and his knees trembling and his arm wrapped around his torso as if he was holding in his guts. He stops in front of me and he drops to the floor, panting. I try to push myself away from him, but instead of moving anywhere, I leave deep gouges in the wood floors. I look at my hands and they’re as dark as charcoal. "Get away from me,” I choke. “I’m dangerous. I’m a—” A cold knife slides up my arm and I cry out, digging my hands into the floor. My hands crack the wood underneath me. “Monster,” I whimper.

EXCITE

I can practically see him sitting in his reading nook, another book in his lap, biting his lip, his fingers picking at the edges of the pages. I can practically hear his voice. “The first Gift is the Gift of the Clan,” he said, not looking up from this huge leather book. “The Xenyx have to hand make something from materials that already exist. It’s interesting because we Xenyx can make whatever we want, but in this instance, we aren’t allowed to. We have to use our own hands.” He looked up at me then, his dark eyes practically glowing, a lopsided smile spread across his face. Not the kiddish kind, but the kind that happens when you’re so excited that you don’t know you’re doing it. It’s a stupid kind of smile. But I remembered it made me laugh. You’ll never see that smile again.

This word search had a bunch of bummers, if you look at them out of context like this. But I promise everything ended up (mostly) okay for these characters (kind of). I'll be tagging:@pe-ersona, @gettingitwrite, @abalonetea, and anyone else who'd like to participate.

Your words are: FEELING, DRAIN, REVEAL, and LOUSY.

[cooper-blogs]

Cranky Kong of Donkey Kong series fame is heavily implied in multiple games to be Donkey Kong from the classic 1981 arcade title of the same name, yet as far as we know, Mario (known as simply Jumpman at the time) has remained the same throughout the years. However, I speculate that Jumpman was actually Mario & Luigi's father, who has most likely passed away before the now dubbed Cranky Kong, and Mario & Luigi are working hard to improve relations with the Kong family given their checkered past. Mario, bearing an uncanny resemblance to his father, tries his best to keep the family name clear of any ridicule, especially considering he's, more often than not, forced to deal with blame directed at his father for his past actions, given his appearance. You may think that Mario is still hostile towards the current generation Donkey Kong, known in the 80s as Donkey Kong Jr., however Jr. is still dealing with his emotions of a bygone era from Donkey Kong Jr., a 1982 arcade game in which Mario's father repeatedly captures a young Cranky, similar and no better to how young Cranky would kidnap Mario Senior's love interest Pauline. While Mario continues to try his best to improve relations, unfortunate circumstances mean that on the occasion, violence is the only answer, as seen in the 2004 title Mario vs. Donkey Kong, where Mario repeatedly defeats an adult Donkey Kong Jr. in response to his barbaric acts of terrorism, including stealing Mario's entire inventory of Mini-Mario figures and withholding them behind treacherous obstacles that Mario must traverse if he wants to rescue his toy-line. This was not a means to a beneficial finance for Mario exclusively, however, as the sequel game, subtitled March of the Minis, included Donkey Kong figures as well. Junior unfortunately sees this only as a taunt in his direction, as he continues to not only steal the Minis, but return to kidnapping Mario's friend Pauline as well, as if a form of poetic justice given the similar premise of the 1981 title. Mario repeatedly attempts to teach Junior that his violent acts are no means to satisfaction, and he should instead work to forgive the actions of the generation before him, as he was not the root cause, nor is in support of such actions. Despite Mario inviting him to parties, kart racing, and other sports, perhaps it is Cranky behind the scenes, still egging Junior on to get he perfect revenge against the Mario family. This is the ultimate conflict the two families must face. Mario was lucky enough to have the opportunity to raise his younger brother, Luigi, safely out of his father's image. Perhaps the color swap on Mario's shirt and overalls is indicative of his goal of turning over a new leaf for the family, and Luigi's contrast to those colors representing how Mario is hoping that Luigi will carry on the family legacy when Mario no longer can, in a brand new light, never seen before. Luigi has definitely already begun a legacy of his own, some preferring him over Mario. Perhaps this is for the best, so Luigi may walk his own path in life, free of the weight of his family's sins.

[border-spam]

Twins Prompt 9: Socialite

Thanks to @lazulizard and @nikyri-art for egging me on with this one. I thrive off comments, if you have any for this fic, absolutely throw them in the replies!

“Oh wait till you see them, it’s hilaaaarious.”

Katagawa Jr drawled, rolling his eyes for emphasis as his crowd of admirers drank in the theatrics. Basking in the attention of the audience of suits gathered around him and hanging off the young tycoon’s every word, he twirled his now empty martini glass between his fingers with a smirk.

This gala was going well so far, if he said so himself.. and he did, it was his after all, every guest carefully selected from his roster of corporate aristocracy, business glitterati, sycophants… all eyes on him, exactly as he deserved. He was the star of the show.

Every guest that was, bar the targets of his current mockery, who were more of a required invite based on their current relationship than people he actually had any interest in socialising with.

“They call themselves the -haha-, the “Twin Gods”, can you imagine.“ He wheezed, raising a dramatic hand to his chest in mock pain as his audience laughed in response, muttering amused agreement under their breath.

Snatching a new cocktail from the waiter who’d finally noticed he was running dry (and who he’d make sure wouldn’t have a job by the end of the night), he smirked into the glass as he sipped, enjoying the atmosphere. The polite tittering chatter of the social elite that filled the beautifully dressed room was sweeter music to his ears than the ambient harp being played by the marble arched entrance to the event, and infinitely more interesting.

“Shameful, honestly. Pair of filth-encrused bandits with notions of grandeur. Barely capable of dressing themselves, wouldn’t know a fitted piece of clothing if it bit them. The first time I met them -sip- good lord…”

Refined chuckles from the group around him, eager to get on the Maliwan execs good side. Playing them like that harp, in complete control and relishing it.

He was the most powerful man here, he’d made sure of that when planning the guest list, and the knowledge he was the golden calf in the room? That all eyes were on him, that everyone wanted a piece? It was worth the 8 digit price tag for this event.

It was worth every cent.

“Troy, that’s the -haha-, the “man” of the pair, scrawny freak that he is, his pants were an inch from falling off the entire meeting, didn’t know how to properly fasten them. Scum has never heard of a shirt either. Everything on display. Ufff -sips - Nothing left to the imagination, but what do you expect from Pandoran filth?“

More laughing, another wave of satisfied pride through his chest, another 4 billion in acquisitions as he won his crowd over to Maliwan’s side, one by one.

“And the woman, Tyreen… -ugh- if you could call that thing a woman, rough. Vulgar, body like a twelve year old boy. -sips- You’ve seen the type. All mouth, you know? No skill with it.. ahahah.”

Less laughter this time, odd, because he had been sure that last line was going to land well..

“ -ahem- Honestly, at least they’ll put on a show once they arrive. Good entertainment is so hard to find, I’m sure you all can agree..”

He was losing them, and he felt a quick jolt of self doubt pang through his stomach. Eyes over his shoulders and not on him, mustachioed older men shuffling to the side in their overly tight suits to look past him. They were meant to be looking at him, this was his gala, who the hell dared to distract th-

“Katagawa…” That rolling, smooth voice he loathed, and it was coming from justbehind him. 

Fantastic. They were here. Now it was time for the show to start at their expense, he smiled to himself, feeling a thrill of cruel excitement.

Letting out a long, exaggerated sigh, he grimaced. Pouted as he brushed his silken lapels with a huff, making it as clear as possible to his audience that what he was about to do was an unwanted chore, then, finally, turned to “greet” the Calypsos…

Only to choke into a wide eyed cough as his eyes landed on the stunning man standing behind him, vitriol he’d readied to spew at them catching in his throat.

That.. that was a custom Auscher suit, he’d not seen one since he was last on Dionysus for that board merger with his father. How much had this filthbag paid to get a fitted Auscher?

Black, flawless cut, hanging off Troy’s lithe frame in a way that somehow emphasised the curve of every muscle and breadth of his shoulders. Deep scarlet Athenian silk shirt ( goddamn he’d been bidding on one of those for 6 months now ), matching Auscher black tie, perfectly planned in its casual looseness to draw the eye up his formidable height, past the glinting golden points in that wide, confident grin, and up to the glowing siren markings that curved around his devilish blue eye, thick crest of inky hair swept back in a loose waxed upstyle.

Katagawa coughed into his fist again, spilling his martini with each jolt as he blushed furiously, this was not how this was meant to go, how the hell was the Calypso scum dressed better than he was.

Laughter from his audience, but at him now as he continued to choke, and more again when the bandit filth clapped a heavy black metal gauntlet down on his shoulder. Hard, knocking the wind out of his lungs and stifling the cough.

A wave of expertly selected cologne flowed off Troy as he subtly twisted the clawed hand, spiced wood, citrus notes, gun oil.

Katagawa’s cheeks were on fire, barely managing to contain how furious he was to be showed up like this. At his own gala, by Pandoran scum, smiling at him like he was the focus of the event… how dare he, who the hell does he think he is.

He awkwardly shifted with the claw as it moved him, scarlet light peeking between the mirror black joints as the glowing red talons pierced the cloth of his suit, turning him to face the crowd and resting still on his shoulder in a mock gesture of friendship as the pompous asshole towered behind him.

“…so kind of you to invite us, we’ve been looking forward to this all month.”

Razor sharp claws dragged into the shoulder of his tailored suit jacket, ruining it tear by tear as the crowd watched on and laughed at his expense, enthralled by the show he’d promised them would be enjoyable earlier. All eyes on the beautifully finished man looming behind him, and he seethed as Troy continued in that sensual, mocking voice.

“My sister and I are delighted to get closer to your, hmm… deliciously distinguished guests… she’s actually already making her introductions, so you’ll have to excuse her.” Troy purred with a sultry wink, the prosthetic fist’s pressure increasing on Katagawa’s shoulder as he leaned down on the smaller man, completely aware of the rage boiling under his skin.

“I on the other hand… couldn’t resist coming to greet my dear friend, Junior.”

-You FUCKER what did you just call me in front of these people-

Another wave of laughter and some raised glasses to Troy’s humor, his teeth were grinding so hard he was shaking. If this was anywhere else the scum’s brains would be splattered across the floor behind him by now, but he could do nothing, not in front of the socialites.

“…Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

-… Don’t react, you can do this, he’s trying to play you. He wants you to lose composure. Remember, you’re in control, not him.-

“This.. is.. -deep breath- Troy Calypso, head of COV med-”

“Title.”

Troy’s teeth were so close to his ear he could feel the minted breath on his cheek as he was so a skillfully interrupted, another wave of tittering from the crowd. Katagawa felt his stomach lurch. How the hell was this happening.

“… excuse me?” He hissed, layer of carefully curated social politeness starting to crack away.

This was.. his.. gala.. how was he being upstaged this easily, how was he losing control to this echonet celebrity.

“My title, Katagawa.”

He’d kill him. He’d kill him this smarmy asshole as soon as this event was over, he’d wipe him off the face of the shithole planet he crawled out of.

“Of course… this is God King Calypso, head of the COV media department, one of the…”

It caught in his dry mouth.

“…one of the “Twin Gods”.“

A hard slap to his shoulder jolted more of his cocktail over the lapels of his suit, and Troy’s raucous laugh filled the air as he stepped in front of him and moved to join the crowd eager to converse with the new star of the event.

“Thanks! Glad to be here, it really is an honor, but I best get to know these fine people more intimately, talk later, Junior!”

Katagawa’s hand shook so hard the glass fully emptied, too lost in fury to register the dampness down his chest. He glared murder into that beautifully fitted coat back as Troy was engulfed by the clamoring crowd, and retreated to the pillars near the buffet table to try and consider HOW this had just happened. 

- Hours later -

Scum. SCUM. Floating around the gala, dropping naturally into conversations he shouldn’t have any understanding of and leaving each with new private echonumbers, new acquisitions, new sponsors. Where did he learn this? The ease of it, like he was a damn natural.

How dare he be here like this. He was invited as a joke, he was invited to be made fun of, an idiot bandit who got lucky, someone who’d not pick up on the subtle mockery of the elite who would surround him, someone to enjoy treating like filth for the evening.

Finally, he was coming this way at last, eyeing up the gourmet feast spread across the massive tables like the disgusting scavenger he was. 

Katagawa’s knife edge focus stayed on him as he hurriedly fixed his hair, pulled at his suit front to neaten up in preparation for the encounter. He’d had enough. This asshole was going to listen to him, it was his gala. His money. HIS GUESTS that this filth had hogged most of the night, no one even glancing at Katagawa since he’d arrived. He’d pay for this.

He waited for Troy to get within reach, then grabbed his forearm with as much force as he could, hoping to bruise the solid muscle in his fist as he awkwardly pulled the much larger man out of sight of the crowd and into the shadows behind the pillar.

Troy’s calm demeanor only fueled the hatred he felt at this moment, still pushing a Hors d'oeuvre into his mouth as the Executive shook in rage in front of him, fingers digging into his flesh arm.

“Are you TRYING to show me up, you scum.” Katagawa hissed up into his face, while Troy chewed open mouthed.

“This isn’t funny, swanning around like you.. like you belong here. Do you have any idea how important half of these people are. Do you have any idea what they even do? Of the power they have, while you flounce around them like some little slut desperate for their attention?”

No response, stunning blue eyes still lazily gazing down at him as he swallowed, raising a bladed finger to idly scratch at his jawbone.

“Oh.. am I boring you?“

That enraging grin again, followed by an eager nod, the cleverly crafted warning in Katagawa’s question completely disarmed without any real effort.

He snapped, this was too much. It was all too much, he was an intensely power man, he was Katagawa Jr, Maliwan exec, this slob was nothing. Nothing. He pulled him down with all his strength, rage overflowing as Troy barely moved in response.

“You… y… y-you’re disgusting. You’re disgusting, you hideous freak!”

Spittle shot from between Katagawa’s teeth as he panted in rage, and Troy sighed, raising the taloned gauntlet to carefully pry the weakening fingers from around his arm.

“Awww, little buddy. Envy does not suit you.”

That shit eating grin, that smug, suave, beautiful face, looking down at him like he was some petulant child as he returned Katagawa’s fist to his side.

“Maybe you should have done a little foot work researching us instead of making assumptions about how tonight would go, huh?”

That fucking smile, too many teeth, the hairs raised on the back of Katagawa’s neck. He’d.. he’d misjudged this hadn’t he.

“I know who every person in this room is. I know their statistics, their roles. Their portfolios.”

“I know what they want, and I know how to give it to them. I know how to be better than you, at being you.”

Cold sweat broke out across his back, it was getting hard to breath under this looming, terrifying visage, bearing down on him, icy blue and glowing red in the shadows he’d dragged them both into.

“That, Katagawa.. is my job. And I am very, very good at my job..”

He laughed quietly, canines glinting gold in the dim light.

“You.. you know I’m a Siren, right?”

“You know what Sirens are good at? You know what we do so well?”

He reached up with those talons, dim scarlet glow lighting the underneath of his face as he carefully straightened Katagawa’s tie for him.

“We lure.”

“… We seduce, we tempt, it’s what we’re built for. We call out across the dark tides of space and we bring what we hunger for to us, and once we have what we want from you…”

A sudden biting pressure around his neck, and he was lifted as he choked. Troy’s nose nearly touching his, breath struggling in his ribs as his eyes frantically flickered in panic around the room. No one paying attention. No one seeing the monstrous thing in a stunning suit he’d been so eager to confront moments ago as it held him off the ground by the throat, talons pricking into his skin as he struggled against the clawed prosthetic holding him up so effortlessly.

Troy waited, savoring the moment. Enjoying his prey feebly clawing at the prosthetic so easily crushing its windpipe, eyes wild in terror, staring up into that wolfish, wide smile.

He lowered his head, lips brushing the terrified man’s cheekbone, and whispered:

“… we’ll dash your corpse on the fucking rocks.”

Katagawa gasped in a shaking breath as he was dropped, and stumbling backwards to the ground, holding his bloodied neck in pain as he wheezed in painful lungfuls of air and stared in terror at the man still standing so relaxed above him.

He flinched nervously as Troy suddenly clapped his hands together, shifting persona with practised ease.

“…honestly though, great party bro, su-perb shit. The food, WOW. I’ll make sure to give you a call out next stream, yeah?”

God King Calypso turned on his heel and sauntered back into the crowd, all too eager to part and welcome the real star of the show.

Job done.

And he was very, very good at his job.

[lovemesomesurveys]

1. What is something in your life that you feel hopeful about right now? Umm.

2. What was the last thing you worried about that turned out better than expected? I was worried my doctor was going to give me a hard time because I didn’t get the CT Scan done before my appointment yesterday. It totally wasn’t my fault considering it didn’t get approved by my insurance until Wednesday, but still. I’ll have it done before my next appointment. I have a new doctor and she’s strict about shit, so. Anyway, she ended up being fine about it.

3. Name somewhere you are planning on visiting in the near future? The place to get the stupid CT Scan next month.

4. How often do you go grocery shopping and how much food do you usually get in one go? I personally haven’t gone since March. I used to go with my mom twice a month for our big grocery shopping trips, but when the pandemic and quarantine hit, I really holed up at home. My mom is still the one doing all the shopping.

5. What is a meal you eat extremely often? Or do your meals & food choices vary a lot? Chicken strips and fries from Carl’s Jr, Wingstop, scrambled eggs, spaghetti and meatballs, and ramen. I eat those same few things. 

6. When was the last time you felt unable or unwilling to speak your mind to someone? I wish I spoke up more for myself. I need to be more assertive at my doctor appointments. 

7. What was the last thing you changed your mind about? Hmm.

8. Who was the last friend you saw, and what did you do together? I don’t have any friends.

9. Who tends to show up in your dreams? Do you ever wonder if you appear in anyone else’s dreams? It’s always so random. Like, I’ve had a few about a guy I went to middle school with and wasn’t even friends with. I have NO idea why he popped up in my dreams.

10. What is something you wish you could say to someone who is no longer in your life, or something you wish they could know? They didn’t do anything wrong or deserving of me ghosting them the way I did and I hope they know that. As stupid and cliche as it is, it really is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.”

11. Instead of flat earth, what do you think of the simulated earth theory, that we’re basically all just a giant computer program or virtual reality? I don’t believe in either theory.

12. What worries you most about your future? Everything.

13. What is something you do to feel better when you’re scared? I guess I try and distract myself and get my mind off it if I can. Or talk about it. Unfortunately, what I tend to do is dwell and worry.

14. Who do you feel you can count on the most in life? Is there anyone you wish you could count on more? I know I can always count on my mom.

15. What makes you trust someone? When was the last time someone broke your trust? It’s hard to explain, it’s just a feeling I have. And of course if the person isn’t known for being shady or having a big mouth, ha.

16. When was the last time you shared a secret with someone, and how did they react? I don’t recall. 

17. Are you more likely to give advice or to ask for it? I was always the one people came to for advice.

18. When was the last time you felt totally lost, figuratively speaking? How about literally? I’ve felt completely lost the past few years.

19. In what ways are you emotionally strong? In what ways are you emotionally weak? I don’t feel I am emotionally strong. :/

20. What is the strangest book you have ever read? How did you find out about it? Hmm. I’m not sure about the strangest. I can’t think of one at the moment.

21. Do you prefer to watch movies or tv alone or with other people? Is there anything you refuse to watch alone? I enjoy watching with someone else. I like having someone to talk to about it with.

22. What was the last thing you broke? How about fixed? I dropped a glass the other day. I don’t recall the last thing I fixed.

23. Is there a sign or symbol that means a lot to you for whatever reason (eg. seeing certain animals or birds, 11:11 or other repeating numbers, syncs, butterflies, hearts in nature, etc)? Hmm.

24. Do you have any personal ghost stories or paranormal experiences? No.

25. What do you get complimented on the most? When I’ve recently had my hair colored I’ll sometimes get complimented on it. Otherwise, it’s about something I’m wearing or my bag. I don’t get a lot of compliments, though.

26. What is something unusual that you find attractive? I sometimes find hands attractive on a guy.

27. What time do you tend to eat your first meal of the day? And your last? For the past month or so my first meal has been dinner around 8PM. My last meal is my ramen around 1AM.

28. What was the subject of the last video you watched? ASMR. 

29. When was the last time you traveled out of town, and where to? It was for my Disneyland trip back in February.

30. How would you describe your overall aesthetic? Hmm.