#adam gender stealing gone too far?!?

[one-sleepy-banana]

Sitze gerade beim Barber und hab HdS Foto von Adam als reference für meine Blondierung gezeigt hahahh

[starrynightsandsadmoons]

hä drag performance als adam schürk würde hart ballern #queercomingofage

[moved-attre]

Rewriting Cyberpunk 2077 into a bullet point list! LET’S GO!

(Disclaimer: I’m trying to be realistic. So no, “every single detail of the game changes based upon every single choice V makes” but just things I expected in an RPG from an AAA company in 2020. I take a lot of inspiration from the old trailers, and rumors of pre-2018 development.)

And this is really long, too. Sorry. 😜

Okay, so first off: Act 1 generally goes off the same as it does in canon. I’m open to other ideas, but I don’t think it’s a bad starting point. I do think V and Jackie should have had more time together, doing smaller jobs until Dex calls. Like, there should’ve been side jobs that were only available in Act 1. You have to get a minimum of 5 street cred before you get the conversation with Jackie about Dex.

The heist still goes to shit; Yorinobu kills his father, Takemura rebels against him and Arasaka factions split. V inserts the chip into their head, Jackie still dies and Dex shoots V in the head. Takemura rescues V, kills Dex, V wakes up in Vik’s and is told they have 4 months to live. (2 weeks is not enough!)

On to Act 2! The origins actually affect the game, so there’s three versions of it you can play. (Some things happen regardless of the origin, though.) For example: Corpo V has contacts in the Corpo world and pursues leads about the Relic there through their old friends. Street Kid V has contacts in the gangs, like the Valentinos or Maelstrom, who have dirty dealings with corporations and can get V in on Arasaka knowledge, Nomad V has leads out in the badlands about the corporations and gets in that way, hijacking transports to get some info. All origins can work with the corporations (like Hanako’s branch of Arasaka, Militech, Biotechnia, etc.) or against them. Like, the point is to snoop around the corporations and dig up some dirt on the Relic and Yorinobu’s Arasaka branch specifically but each origin goes about it differently?

Maelstrom vs Meredith Stout choice actually matters. It’s one point in a subplot I mentioned above, where V continually makes choices on whether they’re gonna side with the corporations or the gangs/people of NC against Arasaka in order to be rid of the Relic. Also affects V’s relationship with Johnny. You can also have a real, long term relationship with Meredith if you pick her side and get Militech support, or count on Maelstrom to help you in the main plot against Arasaka. Both sides will still attack V if they poke their nose in, meaning random encounters can still happen.

^ The subplot is like, making a deal with the devils (The corpos) or... other devils (The gangs). One person objectively could say one is better than the other, but they’re both awful. Night City is kind of rotten to the core, and V’s problems can’t be fixed by a pursuit of justice. V can still be a good person in either case, and it’s still kept kind of punk by going against the head honchos. I think this more suits the “Wake the fuck up, Samurai. We have a city to burn.” quote because V is churning up a path to the top, even if their methods are purely selfish. V themselves can be uninterested in righting wrongs, but they kind of turn NC on its head by challenging Arasaka so changes come anyway.

Point, is you fuck everything up either way. THEN, V can choose whether to trust the corporations and work with Hanako to “change the system from within” without disrupting people’s day-to-day lives (short term good choice I suppose?) or to let the gangs rise up and cause total anarchy. (long term good? since the downtrodden are rising up and maybe there shouldn’t be absolute power in the hands of a few.)

T-Bug doesn’t die. V thinks she’s dead, but sometime in Act 2 gets an anonymous call and meets up with T-Bug. She went underground after the botched heist, and isn’t eager to work with V again. Maybe you do a few missions with her, and she comes around? Or you fuck up and never hear from her again. I imagine she’d love to poke around at the Relic, if V helps her.

Giving Jackie’s body to Vik has real consequences. If you give his body to his mother, you attend the ofrenda and get his bike, his mom allows you to use his den as a place to stay... It’s basically the ‘good’ choice, if you care about the characters. If you give his body to Vik, you unlock a side mission where Arasaka steals his body to find the relic. You have to go and find it but it was destroyed(?) at some point by Arasaka. You can get his pistols (Which are, aside from Johnny’s pistol, the best weapons in the game. I don’t get why they aren’t in canon...) in this route and whole lotta angst, so his mom basically hates you because she blames you for not being able to bury her son and the bar is off limits. No getting the bike, either.

More content involving Alt Cunningham. V still witnesses the scene with her and Johnny, her kidnapping and death. But, Ghost AI Alt allows V to look into Alt’s memories for information on Mikoshi. V accidentally accesses some more personal memories. We can see Alt as more of a fleshed out actual person, not just a tragic backstory for Johnny. Some of the memories do involve Johnny, and the tone is very different from her perspective. We see that Alt has genuine affection for him, but Johnny is possessive and abusive... It’s far from the relationship Johnny recalls. Of course, Johnny can see all this too since he lives in V’s head. He and V have a heart to heart afterwards, with Johnny realising how badly he treated Alt and yeah. I wasn’t satisfied with how Alt was just used as a sob story for Johnny, but I was sent an ask by an anonymous person about how the memory was from his perspective and thus biased. It really got me thinking! If I was more creative, I’d come up with a way for Alt to live... But Johnny still needs to bomb Arasaka and Alt’s death was the reason why he did that.

You have to return one of your apartments/safe houses every few days to wash and sleep. If not, V will get a penalty that means they are less accurate when aiming and slower when breaking in a vehicle. Also some NPC’s will refuse to talk to you if you don’t bathe, because... stinky.

And you have to eat! Otherwise you get hungry, and get penalties for that too. Can’t concentrate on an empty stomach. I’d say eating once or twice a day would be enough.

Instead of fast travel points (that are supposed to be taxi services, I think...? But we never see a taxi! And why can’t we just call Del? Ugh.), V takes the metro. There are side missions that can sometimes only start once you get on or off of a train. (You meet NPC’s in the train, or waiting for one.)

Takemura and Johnny are romance options, and are available for all genders. They’re the most difficult to romance, with some (kind of obvious) dialogue choices ending the possibility. Like, for example: Takemura’s romance ends badly if you choose to go against the corporations, and Johnny’s ends badly if you go with the corporations. It’s the same with Meredith, essentially, in that going against her won’t allow you to romance her. I know a rival-mance system is possible, but I think that might be too complicated.

Takemura and V’s relationship is much, much deeper. They have more time together, and grow closer. Takemura trains V in combat, and takes over from Coach Fred in the street fights side missions. You go with Takemura to fights, he’s your coach, is very proud when you win. (He’s basically training V in the event that they have to take on Adam Smasher and Oda. Like, why did we have no training montages with Takemura?!) V is able to choose romance or stay friends with him. There’s plenty more missions with Takemura too, mainly espionage stuff against Yorinobu. Finding out his weaknesses, replacing his staff with people that are loyal to Hanako, digging for dirt on him. Lots of stake outs, hehe. 😉 Romance!™️ Also makes it that much more tragic if V doesn’t choose to trust the corporations, since Takemura will end things and leave NC.

There are garages to upgrade your cars but Panam can upgrade it further if you do her missions + befriend her, and you can find super secret parts for your cars that Panam needs all around NC by stealing them from gangs or Corpos! Like, make your car go 200 mph fast or a setting to make it hover. 😎

FOUND FAMILY TROPE... Involving the LI’s + more characters. I wanted Misty, Vik, Judy, Panam, River and Kerry to all know each other and be friends. Also, somewhere for them to hang out. Judy coming down and hanging out with Misty and Vik would’ve been so cool.

Missions involving Vik. I think he deserved his own personal missions. Also, he’s gotta be romanceable! I’ll add more to this later.

I’m still figuring out how Johnny’s romance would go. It’s a tricky one. Lots of tension, jealously if V flirts with anybody... Heart to hearts... Holding hands... Passive aggressive confessions of love...

River is introduced in the main story. Maybe you team up to hunt down somebody who knows stuff about the Relic, like Anders Hellman, or something else to do with it. River’s like “What the fuck is going on?” but V doesn’t really tell him. Then, of course, you meet him later on and recognise him in the BD given to you by Jefferson.

Meeting Kerry earlier in the story, say mid Act 2? Ideally there would have been 5 Acts, and maybe I’ll edit this to include more once I figure out how the story could have gone. AND he’s part of the main story.

Less generic, “get in, get item and get out” side missions from Fixers and more side missions like the Peralez’s and that guy who got crucified. More freaky Cyberpunk subjects like what constitutes a soul, what is “intelligence” (What makes a machine different than a human? Without shitty false racism analogies), human rights abuses (and in that: classism, racism, ableism, transphobia), pollution, more on “Cyberpsychos” and how harmful that term is, etc. Nauced and thought-provoking. Reminding us that this is a dystopia and the issues are different but not all that wildly so from today. I would’ve developed Brendan’s mission more, because it seemed like we were going to see an earnest discussion on Artificial Intelligence but instead it was just confusing and “Haha, tricked you!” 🥱 Like, what if he really was a person capable of free thought and emotion? And that company still owns him and can overwrite him? Isn’t that fucked up?! It didn’t need a happy ending, just something to unnerve me.

Adding to that, Delamain had plenty of opportunities to discuss AI and the rights of individual contructs. His “children” could be freed, but nothing really happens as a result? I wanted consequences! The emails about human staff being made redundant because of Delamain were so interesting, too. I wanted to see something about the consequences of that in a city with no basic universal income. What happened to them? What can be done to help people who are made redundant by machines? So many possibilities for truly emotional and scary side missions!

I’m gonna watch black mirror for more inspiration, but stuff like the IRL blocking feature? Freaky as hell and totally plausible. Would’ve loved if one of the side missions involved V getting involved in some dispute involving something like that. “I can’t see his face!” or the copyright stuff about people’s appearances! Imagine if there was a Johnny lookalike? Engram Johnny would either find it hilarious or get really pissed off.

I’m hoping the DLC will deliver on more Takemura, so I’ll hold my breath for critiquing the Arasaka ending.

More to come! I’ll probably edit this later, if there’s any mistakes and/or I realise I hate an idea hehe.

[marvelhead17]

The Tale of Eossimar (Original Female Character x Bofur Fic)

Chapter 7

Word Count: 5.1k Warnings to cover the whole fic: Fake relationships, half-blood children, mild violence, fight scenes, male/male relationships, Dwarf gender concepts, battle of five armies fix-it, pre-battle of five armies, near death incidents, talking to dead people, mentions of paradise/heaven.

The company froze realising they were outnumbered by the guards, “C’mon then, off with the lot of you,” their leader ordered and the dwarves climbed off begrudgingly, being forced to walk forward as people began to peak out their windows and talk amongst themselves.

“Dwarves, in Lake-Town?”

“How?”

“Impossible!”

“Must be from the Iron Hills-”

“Or the Blue Mountains.”

“They’re hairier than I expected,”

“And fatter,”

“Certainly uglier,”

The insults and confusion came from all directions as they were lead towards the centre of Lake-Town, and were now surrounded by a large crowd of Men, with their supplies abandoned in the boat they were defenceless, and by all means had no way to escape without being stopped by someone.

A large unpleasant looking man suddenly burst out from the large home before them onto his balcony, with a snivelling man sauntering in behind him, they both stared down at the encircled dwarves in disgust.

“And what is the meaning of this?” the large man asked angrily, flinging his arms in the air as he spoke.

“We caught them stealing boats, sire,” the lead guard answered.

“Ah, enemies of the state, eh?” the Master, Thorin presumed, scrunched his nose down at them.

“A desperate bunch of mercenaries, if ever there was, sire.” The sickly man, who must’ve been Alfrid, added.

Dwalin stepped forward, “Hold your tongue!” he pointed angrily up at them, “You do not know to whom you speak, this is no common criminal. This is Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór!”

Thorin stepped forward and lowered Dwalin’s arm, patting the dwarf on the shoulder, “We are the dwarves of Erebor,” he addressed the Master, the crowd murmured in shock, “And we have come to reclaim our homeland.” He turned around to address the unsettling crowds around them.

“I remember this town in the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at harbour filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake.” He clenched his fist upward, “This, was the centre of all trade in the North. I would see those days return. I would relight the great forges of the Dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from the Halls of Erebor!” He raised his fist triumphantly and the crowd seemed to lose their calm as they cheered wildly, and Thorin glanced at the Master expectedly.

“Death!” Thorin turned to see Bard had turned up, “That is what you’ll bring upon us! Dragon fire and ruin, if you waken that beast it will destroy us all.” He said bitterly.

“You can listen to this naysayer,” he gestured to Bard with a shake of his head, “But I promise you this: if we succeed, all will share in the wealth of the mountain. You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over!” He raised his fist again, causing the crowds to cheer once again.

“All of you listen to me! You must listen,” Bard spoke over the noise anxiously, “Have you forgotten what happened to Dale? Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm?!” the crowd quietened down immediately and chattered anxiously, “And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a Mountain King, so driven by greed he could not see beyond his own desire!”

“Now, now! We must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame.” Master interjected, “Let us not forget that it was Girion, Lord of Dale,” he pointed at Bard with a shaky hand, “Your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast! Mh!” making Thorin and the company stare in disbelief at Bard.

“It’s true sire, we all know the story.” Alfrid agreed with Master, stepping forward, “Arrow after arrow he shot, each one missing its mark,” he said, making the crowd chatter uncertainly again.

Bard approached Thorin furiously, leaning lower to address him more directly, “You have no right, no right to enter that mountain.”

Thorin stared him down without blinking and spoke lowly, “I have the only right.” He turned his attention back to Master, “I speak to the Master of the Men of the lake; will you see the prophecy fulfilled? Will you share, in the great wealth of our people? What say you?”

“I say unto you…” Master paused dramatically, “Welcome, welcome and thrice welcome! King under the Mountain!” he raised his arms in the air and the crowds went mad with joy once again.

Bard walked away as the crowds surrounded the company, now eager to provide the dwarves as they had promised them salvation from their current state, and they were lead off into a nearby home to celebrate.

“Well that couldn’t have gone smoother,” Bofur spoke to Bilbo, raising his drink and gulping it down.

“Yes,” Bilbo looked at all the food displayed across the long table, unable to make a decision, “Though I might think we have been very lucky,” he added and finally picked a few things to eat. “But it doesn’t ease my mind that they were eager to help after the promise of gold,”

“Why’s that?” Bofur looked up as his drink was refilled by a servant, and happily acknowledged his thanks by lifting the mug and then drinking from it.

“Because who knows what might’ve happened had they not been promised it to aid us,” Bilbo drank slowly as he watched the others eat and drink excessively and loudly, “And what might happen if we cannot uphold their promise?” he wondered.

“Ye need to relax laddie, not everything should be deemed suspicious, ye’re starting to sound like Dwalin now,” he finished his drink and ate more of the meat on his plate.

“Shouldn’t you slow down on the drinks, Bofur?” Bilbo asked in concern as he watched him start on his fourth drink.

“It’s alright,” he shook his head, “Dwarves have a strong tolerance to alcohol, and this isn’t the hard stuff,” he grinned, taking a bite from his meal and downing it with the remainder of his drink.

“Still, I do think it’s wise to pace yourself,” Bilbo frowned, “Considering that we need to be up early to travel tomorrow,”

“Loosen up lad,” Bofur leaned over, nearly knocking things from the table causing the hobbit to jump in concern, and patted Bilbo’s shoulder roughly, and they sat down again. “We’re a day away from home now, it’s time to celebrate,”

“I do believe the time to celebrate is after succeeding and not before,” Bilbo slowly finished his drink, and placed his cutlery neatly on the plate, dabbing his mouth lightly with a napkin. “But whatever pleases you,”

“Cheers,” Bofur grinned and they tapped their mugs together, “To a new home,” he chugged the drink cheerily.

“It won’t be much longer now sister,” Callon assured Nari as she clearly grew more agitated by the minute, especially in the last hour or so, she glanced at him and looked back at the mist behind her warily.

“Rest while you can,” he shook his head, and she crossed her arms, slumping further into the boat with a sigh.

As he rowed on, the mist dissipated and he could see Lake-Town not too far off and the sun peaked over the hills, casting a golden glow onto the lake.

“Dawn should be breaking soon,” she told him, he agreed, “I hope we have not missed them,”

He continued his strides in silence, and cast his attention around the land nearby the town, hoping to catch any signs of them.

He hoped that they had already left if the orcs had managed to track them down, then at least they were safe for a few more hours. He swallowed nervously as he felt his own fear beginning to bubble inside of him, despite telling Nari to calm her own fears.

The sun peered over the mountains as the dwarves gathered themselves to the large boat, the crowd excitedly waving their goodbyes, and Bilbo found himself looking around for someone.

“You do know we’re one short, where’s Bofur?” he asked.

“If he’s not here, we leave him behind,” Thorin stated, looking at Balin, and his advisor nodded.

“We’ll have to, if we’re to find the door before nightfall, we can risk no more delays.” Balin insisted.

Kíli was about to board the vessel but Thorin raised his hand to hold him back, “Not you, we must travel at speed, you will slow us down,” he shook his head at his nephew.

“What are you talking about?” Kíli cracked an awkward smile and shook his head as if he were being told a bad joke, “I’m coming with you.”

“Not now.” Thorin was adamant.

Fíli walked up next to his brother in concern, Kíli still argued, “I’m going to be there when that door is opened, when we first look upon the halls of our fathers, Thorin.”

“Kíli, stay here, rest, join us when you’re healed,” Thorin patted his shoulder carefully, his face softening slightly.

“I’ll stay with the lad. My duty lies with the wounded,” Óin insisted, climbing off the boat and onto the dock, standing himself behind Kíli as the rest of the group gathered into the boat.

“Uncle, we grew up on the tales of the mountain, tales you told us, you cannot take that away from him!” Fíli protested, staring his uncle down.

“Fíli!” Thorin was beginning to lose his patience.

“I will carry him if I must!”

“One day, you will be King and you will understand. I cannot risk the fate of this quest for the sake of one dwarf. Not even my own kin.” Thorin told him gently, Kíli seemed distressed making Fíli hop off the boat defiantly, “Fíli, don’t be a fool. You belong with the company.”

“I belong with my brother,” he spat back, his anger getting the best of him.

The sudden blaring of trumpets in the distance startled Bofur from his sleep; he raised his head slightly, examining the mess of food and drink all around from their celebrations the previous night.

“By my beard, is that the time?!” he jerked up and promptly hit his head against the underside of the table, “Ah! Oh…” he clambered out, making his way around the mess, and then decidedly taking a quick swig from a mug that was on the table to wake him up.

He ran out of the building as fast as he could, using the cheering of the crowds as a means of a guide, he hoped that he had arrived in time.

“Go now with our good will, and good wishes, and may your return bring good fortune to all!” the Master bid them farewell with a wave, as the dwarves set off onto the lake.

“Wait!” Bofur yelled out, pushing his way through the crowds as they also waved their goodbyes at the dock, “No, no!” he reached his hand out and dropped it just as quickly.

He turned to see Kíli watching him through closing eyes and Fíli frowning heavily at him, “Ha, so you missed the boat as well?” he smiled at them, his eyes creasing as he did.

“Kíli?” Fíli asked in panic as his brother suddenly collapsed under his own weight.

“We need to get him on a bed, quickly,” Óin instructed.

The four of them made quickly to reach the nearest homes, but most of them were unoccupied as the people were at the docks, and the few doors that had opened had shaken their heads and closed their doors on them. Bofur realised there was only one person who would help them, and he would not be pleased to see them.

“Come along lads,” he walked ahead of them; once they reached the door he frantically knocked on it, Bard answered to meet them with a disappointed face.

“No,” he said sternly before Bofur could even speak, “I’m done with you Dwarves. Go away.” He started closing the door when Bofur raised his hands with widened eyes.

“No, no, no!” he grabbed hold of the door desperately.

“Please!” Fíli begged, fear shaking his core.

“No one will help us, Kíli’s sick,” he turned to let Bard have a look for himself, “He’s very sick.” He sees Bard’s features become concerned at the paleness of the young dwarf and he let them inside immediately.

Callon had barely reached the dock when Nari made to climb out of the boat; they had arrived quicker than expected as the town seemed eerily deserted, and so instead of taking a longer route to avoid unwanted attention they had rowed straight ahead.

Her brother made to tie the boat to the dock when she grabbed his arm, “There’s no time for that, let’s go,” she cocked her head and he nodded, he followed as she lead the way into the town.

She ran along the familiar paths, concerned at the lack of people, she peered around every corner and down paths to see if she could catch sight of any orcs, but there were none.

“I don’t like this,” Nari grunted. “It’s far too quiet,”

“Then there’s a chance that the orcs have not arrived,” Callon said and she shrugged.

“I suppose,” she paused, “Unless the orcs slaughtered everyone in their path, which is more than likely-”

An unexpected shriek close by interrupted her and sent chills through them, and Nari quickened her pace and her brother kept close by. Soon enough they reached Bard’s home from the lower side, and she slowed down, not wanting to let any potential intruders know of their presence.

Kíli was now settled into a bed, but he was groaning in pain and only caused more concern as he became louder as time went on. Everyone in the room felt a sudden discomfort as a shift in the air unsettled them, nearby buildings creaked and moaned in the quiet night.

“Da?” Sigrid stepped closer to her father, clearly scared; her sister Tilda wrapped her arm around hers.

“It’s coming from the mountain,” Bard assured them.

“You should leave us,” Fíli told them, noticing the fear in the children, “Take your children and get out of here!”

“And go where? There is nowhere to go,” he said irritably, not meaning to be aggressive, but knowing his children might be in danger was making him uneasy.

“Bard!” Nari called in relief and he nearly fell over, “What in Mahal’s good name is going on here?” she asked in alarm as she noticed Kíli laying on the makeshift bed in the far side of the house.

“What’s happened to him?” Callon approached Kíli and Fíli moved to stand next to him.

“His wound is festering up,” Óin informed them.

“I knew he needed a healer to look at him!” she shook her head; “So much for bed rest then?” she asked Fíli sighing loudly.

“I may be to blame on that, however, your dear Bard had us moving about in the sewers just yesterday, for all we know he got infected from something else,” Fíli told her.

“Bard! Of all the things- ye could’ve gone round as I’ve done before!”

“I had my orders on this end to follow, Nari. If I appeared as if from thin air the Master would have had word of it, and the dwarves could’ve been imprisoned! And your appearances in the past have my family under constant scrutiny as is,”

“Ye know I didn’t intend for that to happen!” she argued and then stopped, realising that there were few members in sight, “Speaking of appearances, where are the others?”

“They’re off to the mountain already, we stayed behind to attend to Kíli,” Fíli told her; he brushed his brother’s sweaty hair carefully as the poor dwarf whimpered.

“Only the three of ye?” Callon asked.

“No, Bofur went to collect some King’s Foil not long ago, he should return soon.”

“We must have missed him coming from below,”

“Aye,” Nari nodded.

“Are we going to die, Da?” Tilda looked up at her father, her lip quivering slightly.

Bard smiled at her, “No, darling,” he brushed her hair carefully.

“The dragon, it’s going to kill us,” Sigrid shook her head.

“Is that what that was? I thought it might’ve been orcs,” Nari said in surprise.

“Orcs, are there orcs?!” Óin yelled in surprise and Callon quickly placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.

“No, they were following yer trail, but we’re not sure where they might be,”

“I can assure you it won’t my darling,” Bard spoke softly and held her close.

“How can you be so certain?” Sigrid asked.

“Because, I’m going to kill it first,” Bard informed them, releasing Tilda and reaching up to a cluttered net hanging from a support beam in his home, he yanked out a single black arrow and everyone stared at him in awe.

“I’ve been visiting for years, and yet I don’t know about that?” Nari’s jaw hung in amazement.

“I’m sure there’s a lot I have yet to learn about you,” he said and she shrugged with a nod, “Besides, there was never a dragon that needed slaying. Bain come with me,” he glanced at his son and they began to walk out.

“Where are you going, Da?” Tilda asked them.

“To kill a dragon,” he informed her, “You stay here with Sigrid, look after each other.” He pulled them both into a tight hug and whispered, “I love you both.”

He turned to leave when he felt a hand on his shoulder, “Bard!” he saw Nari standing behind him, “May the wind be on yer side,” they both nodded and she let go, giving his shoulder a final pat, and he left with his son.

“What can we do to help?” Callon asked Fíli.

“For starters we need to locate Bofur, I’m concerned as to why he’s taking so long-”

“Nari, we need ye to find Bofur, remember we may have orcs hiding in the shadows,”

“Aye, he can’t have strayed too far,” she agreed and moved downstairs.

“I’ll get some more water,” Callon got a bowl of water and returned quickly to Kíli’s side, “Can ye not press something onto the wound?” he asked, and Óin unravelled the injury, the skin was still black and was oozing out a thick yellow substance.

Sigrid decided to get some fresh air and stood on the balcony, letting the cool night air calm her down; a nearby creak made her lean forward and look around, “Da? Is that you, Da?”

“What’s that sound?” Óin asked, lifting his gaze from cleaning Kíli’s wound.

Callon stood to attention immediately, looking to Fíli, “Orcs!” he pulled out his sword, waiting, “Get back inside Sigrid!” he called out, she ran inside without hesitation, screaming loudly, as orcs began to enter the home behind her.

Bain had returned to chaos, moving to protect his younger sister immediately, though stiffening in fear as the orcs neared them. Callon made work of attacking the orcs with several swings of his sword, and Óin grabbed the nearest pots and chucked them at the orcs to throw them off guard momentarily, and Callon cut the throat of an orc swiftly before stabbing another through the chest.

He heard more screams and turned to see the girls surrounded by orcs, Sigrid was pushed backwards and fell onto the bench of the dining table and saw Fíli charge without hesitation to slam the creature into the nearest wall, and then he was thrown across the room himself. He ran to the kitchen, finding the girls cowering under the table together, and he swiftly kicked the bench to its side to act as a shield over them.

“Stay down!” Sigrid yelled.

Bain managed to kick the other bench into an orc, Fíli came running and lifted the bench to shove the orcs back, while his brother was scrambling in the bed attempting to sit up and see what he might be able to do to help them, and fighting against the pains.

“Fíli, stick close to Óin, they’re the most vulnerable right now!” Callon ordered. Seconds later several orcs crashed down through the ceilings, making the children scream louder, “I’ve got this!” he swiftly kicked an orc, sliced another’s throat and decapitated a third in succession.

Where are they? Surely they’d be back by now? He worried, but he had no time to think as more orcs moved in. There’s too many of them in here!

Nari caught sight of Bofur running back towards the home, with the weed clutched tightly in his hand; she stepped across a few boats and stopped a few metres behind him.

“Bofur!”

“Wha-?” he stopped so quickly he almost tripped. “Lass, what are ye doing here? I thought ye were back home-”

“There are orcs tracking ye down, we must hurry, go!” she tugged him by the arm and as if taken from a daze he shook his head and nodded, they ran on with Nari leading them.

After they rounded a corner there was a roar above them and two orcs jumped down from the rooftops with weapons drawn, Nari was forced the other way and barely had time to withdraw her sword in time to stop a blow, and Bofur stumbled backwards and fell on his backside as an orc swung at him, dropping the plant next to him accidentally.

She struggled against the orc as it was much larger than her and not relenting; she caught sight of Bofur trying to crawl away as he was without a weapon and the orc grabbed his legs.

“Ohh!” he tried to grab the walkway but could not, and was swung by his feet like he was a doll, he hit the nearby wall and slid down onto a bench. He ended up slipping comically to the side, making the bench and all its good topple over onto him, making him moan in annoyance and surprise.

She stabbed the orc in front of her and ran forward as the other orc raised its axe above its head to kill Bofur, she threw her dagger and stood in surprise as an arrow struck through its chest first, and she looked around to find Legolas not too far away chasing down other orcs.

Nari moved quickly and removed the dagger from the orc’s backside, “Are ye alright Bofur?” she asked, moving the bags and nets off of him, he sat up and adjusted his hat slightly.

“Aye I’m fine,” he nodded, she gave him a hand to stand up and he gladly took it, “Thanks for saving me,”

She shook her head, “It wasn’t me,” making Bofur frown, “Legolas.”

“There must be dozens more of these foul things,” he glanced down at the orc before he walked over and picked the King’s Foil up.

“No doubting that, we have to get a move on,” she tugged him by the arm and they ran on together, “Kíli needs us.”

Tauriel burst through the front door and started slashing some orcs off, and Callon accidentally found himself stabbing an orc at the same time as her through its chest.

“I had him!” they spoke together.

“Ah!” Kíli yelped as an orc approached him and his brother, Tauriel spun around and caught sight of them, she quickly threw a dagger to kill it and Kíli rolled off his bed with a thud.

“Callon, any eyes on Bofur?!” Fíli shouted from across the room, he shoved Bain under the open end of the table, “Get down!”

Out of nowhere, Legolas killed an orc right behind Fíli and Bain, and turned his onslaught to the rest of the orcs. Kíli somehow managed to stand on his feet, grabbing a nearby dagger that had fallen in the fight and gripping the orc by the shoulder, before stabbing it in the neck. But he quickly fell to the ground screaming in overwhelming pain.

Tauriel froze, her eyes staring at Kíli in concern; while Callon chased down an orc that jumped out through the nearby window yelling out to its companions, he threw a dagger killing it, but obviously the message had gone through as there was a roaring from the distance.

The orcs suddenly started retreating, “They’re leaving!” Legolas told Tauriel from the balcony, managing to decapitate and orc with flair and following their path with his eyes.

“You killed them all,” Bain said stunned, he looked at the rest of their home that now stood as a wreck.

“There are others,” Legolas spoke up, heading towards the front door, “Tauriel, come.” But Tauriel stood motionless as she stared at him with watery eyes.

“We’re losing him!” Óin looked up desperately, and Fíli hurried over to his brother’s side, she looked down at them.

“Tauriel.” Legolas called once more, and then exited without looking behind him.

She walked uncertainly after him, stopping just before the door, until a low grunting came from Kíli once again and she glanced at him worriedly.

Nari let Bofur in front of her and kept her sword drawn in case another orc decided to surprise them, and as they neared Bard’s home she noticed a familiar blond head running after some orcs in the distance, to her confusion they seemed to be retreating despite outnumbering the elf.

Bofur yelped as he nearly collided into Tauriel, she only looked down at him, noticing the weed and a small smile of relief spread on her face. Nari moved herself between them and used her sword to separate them.

“What are ye doing here?” Nari demanded.

“We were taking care of the orcs for you,” Tauriel said coolly, “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to take the Athelas now,”

“Nari-” Callon poked his head out the doorway, “She’s on our side.”

“Alright,” she huffed and lowered her sword.

Tauriel leaned forward to Bofur, and she carefully took the weed from his hand, whispering, “Athelas,”

“What are ye doing?” he asked in confusion and worry, looking at Callon who shrugged.

Tauriel spoke softly, “I’m going to save him,” Callon moved out the way as she entered the house, with both Nari and Bofur following closely behind.

She started rubbing the herbs in her palms and then let the broken leaves fall into the dish of water, while in the meanwhile Callon, Fíli and Bofur took hold of Kíli to raise him onto the dining room table, and Óin looked him over once more

“Hold him down,” she instructed as Kíli began to writhe about.

Callon and Óin took his legs, Bofur stood to his left and Fíli to his right and supported his brother’s head as best as he could, Nari moved over to Tauriel’s side in case she was in need of assistance.

The elf examined Kíli’s wound, touching it briefly before scooping up some of herb paste in her palms, she pressed the remedy into his wound and starting chanting, “{Look upon me with eyes of mercy, provide for me a healing hand and may your life-giving powers flow into my body and the depths of my soul, to cleanse, purify and restore this dwarf’s wholeness and strength to serve for your kingdom again},”

Fíli watched her chant words which he did not understand and wrapped his hands around Kíli’s, allowing the sickly dwarf to squeeze his hand and ease his suffering, Bofur glanced around and placed a bowl of walnuts under Kíli’s head to act as a makeshift head rest, and Óin stared in amazement at her.

After a few moments Kíli eventually started closing his eyes a bit, and his body began to relax as he let the elf do her healing, she repeated a particular line from the ritual over once more.

“{To cleanse, purify and restore this dwarf’s wholeness and strength to serve for your kingdom again},”

Nari had never seen this kind of healing before, but she wanted to help and knew that more hands would help the healing process work better, so she placed her hands over Tauriel’s and began chanting the phrase with her.

The men seemed to be holding their breaths as they watched over Kíli, while the dwarf seemed mesmerised with the two women hovering over him, he did not understand the words they were saying but they were beautiful to him nonetheless.

They finished healing him and Kíli dozed off, the memory of pain washed away with exhaustion, and the dwarves relocated themselves to give him space and allow the women to do what they needed to do.

“That was an honour to witness, Elven healing,” Óin breathed out, “Your brother is mighty lucky that she stayed,”

“Yes, it would seem so,” Fíli frowned as he watched Nari, something in the way she looked at his brother nagged him in his gut.

“We should be lucky that Nari came looking for me,” Bofur spoke up, “Those orcs nearly took me out back there.” He shook his head in disbelief, “I could’ve been dead.”

“All we can hope is that the worst may be over with,” Callon said to them, “With the orcs mucking about the place we’ll be lucky if the people don’t try to chase us out,”

“Yes,” Fíli nodded seriously, “Yes, we must remain positive, Kíli is alive and that’s more than I could ever ask for right now,” the others murmured their agreements.

Nari had just finished cleaning the dead skin from the wound and was now binding his wound carefully, while Tauriel cleaned his face with a wetted cloth and gently dabbing away the stubborn dirt and sweat.

Nari spoke quietly to Tauriel, “I hadn’t known of that treatment when I first tried to mend his wound, I knew he should’ve seen a healer before leaving,” she shook her head, looking at Kíli’s sleepy face, happier than what he had been at Eossimar.

“At least he will heal now, that’s all that matters,” she looked at her and gave her a small nod, “No one could blame you for helping him,”

“-iel,” they caught the end of Kíli’s muttering, and he stared at the two of them, clearly dazed.

“Lie still,” Tauriel carefully brushed away the hair that had fallen to his face.

“You cannot be her,” he continued, “She is far away… She is far, far away from me. She walks in starlight in another world; it was just a dream,” he shook his head; Nari leaned over and patted his twitching hand tenderly. “Do you think she could have loved me?”

They looked at each other and stared at Kíli in confusion, both uncertain if he was referring to either of them.

A sudden whirl of wind blew through the town, causing some dust from what remained of the roof to fall down into the house, making everyone look up in confusion. Nari and Tauriel looked back to Kíli and him at them.

Fíli and Óin glanced at each other, shaking their heads and looking to the sky once more; Callon noticed Fíli become stressed all over again and Bofur found himself instinctively looking to Nari.

____________________________________________________________

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[xofaddiction]

                                   𝓇𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔                                  𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝒾𝓈                                    𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝑜𝓃𝓉 𝒹𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓃𝑜 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒                                     𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉                                          𝒶 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉'𝓈 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝒹                                     𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓈𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒

full name:  tirzah mizrahi

nicknames:  zah, zahzah, bunny

age:  30

date of birth:  november 1

zodiac: scorpio

gender:  female

pronouns:  she/her

sexuality:  pan

physical

hair color:  dark brown

eye color: hazel

height: 5′3″

weight:  115 lbs

personality

morality:  chaotic neutral

positive traits: compassionate, honorable, charming, gentle, strong, lighthearted.

negative traits: distant, stubborn, callous, temperamental, suspicious, cold.

job: freelance escort

skills: adaptable, artistic, creative

family

parents: adam and rivka mizrahi (deceased)

sibling: myriam mizrahi

backstory and details - ＴＲＩＧＧＥＲ     ＷＡＲＮＩＮＧ :                                      mentions of cancer, death, alcohol, abuse & drug usage

                                                  ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴

Her upbringing was nothing short of mundane. When her sister came along, the monotony continued; A family of 4 who went about their normal lives and supped together every night lived in a quiet kind of bliss. It  remained so, until the cool autumn evening when Tirzah’s mother lost her appetite. According to doctors, by that time the cancer was already so bad she’d only have a couple of weeks. In a perfect world Tirzah would have had a million moments left with her mother: gushing over first kisses, crying over first heartbreaks, filling out college applications, prom photos, graduation, graduation, wedding, baby- whatever it be, the experiences were lined up. However, no world is perfect, especially not a rotted one like this.  Those few weeks passed too quickly for a ten year old girl who had a lifetime yet to live. Her mother died Devil’s Night, two days before Tirzah was set to turn eleven. The mundane little family was decimated, buried beneath the ash of the eruption that shook their world. The world kept turning, but not for them. It didn’t take long for their suburban complacency to change. In a matter of months, the now single father plucked his children from their cozy Winnetka home and right into some inner city 2 bedroom setup. It didn’t take long for her to become the parent her sister needed; the toddler-aged girl had no mother and their father was grief-struck and distant, more so than he’d ever been. She was a child raising a child, alone and wallowing in her grief. Tirzah hadn’t noticed anything amiss until she was almost thirteen; when her mother’s jewelry started to disappear. Beautiful gold and jeweled pieces that, with each passing day, diminished in number. She interrogated her four year old sister and reminded her of the rules of dress-up, though it made no impact. Stirring late at night from a dryness in her throat, Tirzah spotted the real thief; her own father tucking a set of diamond and white gold earrings into the breast pocket of his flannel shirt. Late into her thirteenth year, she noticed the rancid smell of liquor steeped sweat that lingered on the laundry she did. She noticed the crushed cans in the bed of her father’s truck. The newspaper with red sharpie marking sports pages from top to bottom, notes scribbled in the margins. The years passed sluggishly by; she was doing too much and could not do enough to fix what was broken. Money squandered on gambling and liquor didn’t leave much in the way of survival for the girls. Tirzah fought as hard as she could at every turn, trying to do anything to snap her father out of it, but it never had a positive outcome. Most verbal fights came to blows between herself and her father. It was in her nature to respect him, but the moment he raised a fist, she raised her own, no matter how much smaller and weaker she was in comparison. Stealing her resolve, Tirzah did what she needed to do: drop out of high school at the age of sixteen. The bottom line was- they needed to live. Eight hours spent away from home was welcome, but it was too much time wasted. Rumors spread as to why: pregnancy, elopement, illness, some strange combination of all three. The truth was: she had to support herself and her little sister. In place of school, she got a full-time job serving at a little diner in town. The pay was low, but tips were good as the food was greasy. Still not a perfect world, it was the best a high school drop out could manage. She started serving and worked her way up to manager a few years in. Co-workers came and went, times changed and presidents didn’t change shit except their rhetoric, passive patrons of Chicago became dear, protective friends she held in high regard. But the diner wasn’t enough. She picked up another job during the evening as an elderly neighbor’s caretaker. Tirzah was always gentle and kind with the woman, always interested in her stories and her life, happy to be there. Part of her felt bad that she had only begun speaking to the woman for the sake of financial gain, but she was happy to have gotten to know her at all. When the woman died, she left Tirzah the remnants of her estate: there wasn’t much, but it was a good little nest egg to set aside. Without the second job, Tirzah got hired on as a sometimes stripper at a seedy little club that misused her for all she was worth. She was still so young, still barely allowed to do much more than try to survive in a world that wouldn’t value her lack of education.  Tirzah was a child unable to ever experience a childhood, she buried herself in work and parenting. Like most people, she clung to vices that offered temporary comfort, especially during the typical young-adult party phase. She drank, she smoked, she swallowed pills like candy and snorted things that shouldn’t be snorted. Partying without abandon, sleep was few and far between. She worked all day, parented a few hours at night, then worked the rest of it, partied when she could and took uppers to keep herself going, only to repeat the cycle over and over. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different outcome. A turning point came the day she dropped of exhaustion in the middle of the diner. No one was aware of the drugs she was taking, or of the amounts she consumed, but they knew how hard she worked. Doctors at the hospital chastised her, people at work pitied her, her sister worried ceaselessly. Thankfully, it was a wake up call; she slowed her usage gradually until she grew out of it altogether; one of her biggest fears was turning into her father, growing as weak and dependent as he was. And Tirzah had managed to thwart it.

As if by some cruel trick of fate, Devil’s Night of 2016 came, and ended in another death. Her father, deeply indebted to local bookies, had been capped by someone all too eager to take the job. Tirzah was in the diner, cataloging necessities for the next restock of supplies when two police officers came in and shared the news.  She wanted to be upset, wanted to hurt, but she knew why he was dead and why she couldn’t bring herself to care. She was numb to the loss, in a way she hadn’t been when her mother had gone. Her father was a stranger, and his murder his own fault. In many ways, she lost her father the same year she lost her mother. He was gone, body turned to ash and kept in a little box in the trunk of her barely-running car. All that mattered was keeping her little sister safe. Thankfully, the kid was away at school in another state, and fate answered from a late-night interaction at the ramshackle diner.

An older woman, dressed in a designer cream-colored power suit, laced in pearls and diamonds looking for all the world like a politician took her place at a burgundy booth. She called herself Caroline, came in for a coffee, she claimed, but left TIrzah with a possibility: sell fantasy, charge thousands, live comfortably. Like any little girl, Tirzah once dreamed of grandeur; princess, rock star, mermaid. She never wagered the final would be the nearest she’d get; a siren beckoning men to her bosom. Whiskey on the rocks in a smoky bar, Tirzah drank as she gnawed over the offer, the idea masticating in the jaws of her mind. She thought it was a good idea; she needed a break after working so hard over half her life, but she didn’t want to be under anyone’s thumb. When she returned home that night, she set up a website to sell herself. Business came slowly at first, but soon her reputation spread throughout society and she made a wage that helped make living worth it. Now working out of GENESIS and the website, Tirzah makes money aplenty; enough to keep herself afloat, enough to support her sister, enough to be free for the first time in her life.

[imma-fucking-nerd]

Not So Bad

Beetlejuice x Baby!Reader x Mom!Lydia

(So this ain't really a x reader cuz y'know reader is a baby so yee. Also Lydia is like 30 in this so dw. I tried making the reader as gender neutral as possible. B**TLEB*BES DNI)

It had been a couple of months since Lydia and Wednesday had adopted you and things were going pretty great. You were a good baby, slept good, ate good, never cried. Well, you did cry of course. You're a baby. A poopy baby. A poopy stinky- Anyways, your moms just absolutely adored you, as well as just about everyone else in the household, namely your godparents the Maitlands. Lydia had introduced you to them as well as Charles and Delia the day you came home. Really the only person you hadn't met yet was Beetlejuice.

Lydia was very adamant that he was not allowed near you until you were settled. Her and Wednesday didn't need the added stress of looking after two children. Of course, the demon didn't like that one bit. He had just gotten used to Wednesday living with them and now he had to get used to another breather? It was bullshit. So there he was stuck in the Netherworld until they summoned him again. The longer it took the more antsy he became and the more his anxieties of being abandoned got to him. However the day did finally came when his bffff forever chimed his name.

It took a lot of convincing from the Maitlands that everything would be okay and that Beej wouldn't accidentally kill her baby. Or at least terrorize them. But she finally decided it was time, not before giving him a long talk about how scaring was off the table. Of course, that just went through one ear and out the other. No duh he was going to try and scare the mini breather.

Once it was time to finally bring you out Lydia tried not to be so tense but she couldn't help it. Sure, she could handle Beej's antics but you? A precious little baby? What if he scared you to death? But this would have to happen eventually so might as well get it over with. When Lydia came out with you everyone waited with baited breaths as they watched Beetlejuice like a hawk.

"Beej, this is Y/N," Lydia introduced you to the demon.

He just blinked at you for a couple of moments, not saying a word and as he stared at you, you stared right back with curious eyes. To your baby mind his bright hair and fun stripes were very visually appealing and you cooed softly, reaching out to touch the colourful man. Beej's thought, however, weren't so kind. Everyone was thinking that maybe he was melting a bit inside, but in reality he was thinking up a way to try and scare you without hurting you. When he finally thought if something he smiled innocently and reached a hand out to you.

"Aren't you an ugly thing," he chuckled, mostly at Lydia's death glare.

His innocent grin turned more mischievous when he suddenly transformed his fingers into snakes. Lydia was about to pull you away and Wednesday was about to make the demon wish he never existed moreso than he usually did but she ceased all movements when she heard you giggling. That surprised Lydia, Wednesday and Beej alike. They all just watched with wide eyes as you giggled like crazy and reached up for the wriggling creatures. That wasn't what he was expecting at all, and to be frank he was caught way off guard. Were you not scared of him?

When Beej felt Lydia's glare on him he gave her a sheepish grin, "that was- that was totally the plan."

"Uh huh. You're lucky," Lydia obviously didn't buy his bullshit, but a part of her was glad that you weren't afraid of him. It made her feel like you were really her child.

From that moment on Beej would shapeshift into many different forms, to which you found very entertaining. He told himself that he was just trying to get you to scream, but he secretly wanted to keep making you laugh. It didn't take long for you two to become practically inseparable. Everywhere you were Beej wasn't too far away. He was your sleep paralysis demon. But Beej still denied the fact that he absolutely adored you. Of course, Lydia and Wednesday, and well everyone could see right through him. He wasn't the best liar when it came to that kind of stuff.

One time Beej tried to steal you when Lydia and Wednesday decided to take a little trip. You weren't in your crib or anywhere to be seen and Lydia was in full panic mode before her eyes landed on the culprit. He was trying his best to be as nonchalant as possible while also holding you behind his back with an extra pair of arms. Lydia stormed up to him, fully prepared to pick a fight.

"Beetlejuice where is my child," she said in q stern tone, trying to hide the fact she was freaking the fuck out.

"Dunno, the Maitlands probably got the lil monster," he shrugged, but Lydia's glare was starting to crack his confidence.

"I already checked and Y/N isn't with them. Where. Is. My. Child," Lydia was about to go full momma bear before she heard a little coo from behind Beej's back.

She let out a little sigh of relief and she crossed her arms, her nerves being soothed knowing that you were alright.

"Come on Beej, Weds is waiting, give me my kid back," she held out her arms and gave him an expectant look.

"I don't know what you're-" but before he could come up with a lie you were heard gurgling and cooing softly and he looked back you you over his shoulder with a pout.

"Aw c'mon kid shhh," he looked back to Lydia then beck to you and with a heavy sigh he begrudgingly handed you over, blue pricking at his temples.

Lydia gingerly took you into her arms and you looked up at her, taking a moment or two to register her face before giggling and reaching up for her face. She smiled down at you and pressed a little kiss to your head before she smirked at Beej.

"Don't worry, we'll only be gone a couple of days. Then you and your new bfff can play again," Beej huffed in response, crossing his arms and pouting, but not objecting to the fact he was attached to you.

Like Lydia said, they were only gone a couple of days but when you arrived home Beej was on Lydia, and of course you like an excited puppy. He was delighted to find that you seemed just as excited to see him too. From then on Beej was practically your pet puppy and you had him wrapped around your tiny finger. Whenever you were happy, he was happy, whenever you cried, he cried too, much to Lydia's dismay. But all in all she was touched at how much he seemed to like you, and vice versa. She was happy that he was able to be the wacky uncle from hell.

—————————————————————

Damn my first fic in like, what? Months? Probably have to wait another couple months for another one lmaooo hahaha crying Also!!! I think this is my first full on fluff fic??

[megalony]

A big family- Part 3

This is the latest part of my new dad! Ben Hardy series which I hope you are all enjoying so far.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @luvborhap @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez @jonesyaddiction @rogahs-drowse

Summary: Ben and (Y/n) have three daughters together with their youngest not even being one year old yet. But their family is about to get bigger when they find out they’re pregnant again.

Series masterlist

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is that Joe?" (Y/n) turned her head to the left to look at Ben who was sitting on what looked like a rather uncomfy plastic chair that was a bit too small for his broad frame.

The blond looked up from his phone and nodded at his wife before he stuffed the phone back into his pocket to be forgotten about.

"Is he coping?" (Y/n)'s words brought a smile to Ben's face as he nodded, thinking about what Joe had asked him. Since the couple were at a scan today and Joe had been free they had asked if he could watch the girls for an hour or so until they got back. Joe agreed immediately, he loved watching after the girls but he hadn't looked after all three of them on his own before. They were going to run rings around him and Ben suspected they had already started but Joe insisted he was fine so it was all good.

"He'll be fine, the girls will give him a run for his money." It wasn't like they could rush back now if Joe said he wasn't sure what to do, they were already in the room now for their scan. "And when that nurse comes back, we can see girl number four."

(Y/n) rolled her eyes playfully as she drifted her eyes down to her stomach for a moment. She didn't know how Ben could be so damn sure that they were having another girl. They had three already, maybe this was the one time they had a boy for a change. (Y/n) would admit she loved having girls but a boy would be good, she could see Ben with a little double walking around after him like Charlie always did.

But Ben was adamant that they weren't having a boy, he seemed so sure and cocky that (Y/n) wanted them to have a boy just to wipe the smug look off his face and see how he would react to knowing he had gotten it wrong.

"What makes you so sure this one's a girl too? We could have a boy." (Y/n) rubbed her hand up and down her stomach, hoping the nurse would come back soon and put them out of their misery. Joe was sure that they couldn't be having four girls in a row and Ben seemed sure that they were, even Ben's siblings were betting what the gender would be. (Y/n) would be happy either way but she just wanted to know to stop all the bickering.

Leaning over in the chair, Ben pressed his hand to her stomach as he smiled. He just seemed to have something in the back of his mind that made him think that they were having a girl. He wouldn't mind a boy but he loved having daughters running around the house.

"I just know... plus I kind of told Charlie it was a girl already." Ben ducked his head down when (Y/n) tried to hit him playfully.

"Ben! I really hope it's a boy now." She muttered as she shook her head at him. He couldn't tell Charlie for definite that they were having a girl when they didn't know that for certain. He had either jinxed it now or he was going to be right and never stop gloating about this.

Ben leaned over and pressed his lips to her stomach before pulling back just as the door opened and a nurse around (Y/n)'s age entered the room with a smile. Ben took (Y/n)'s hand in his own as their attention turned to the nurse and the routine questions she started to ask.

"Okay, what are we hoping for today?" She asked when she started to put the gel onto (Y/n)'s stomach before setting up the monitor. Both (Y/n) and Ben locked eyes for a moment at the question they had already thought about quite a lot recently. They weren't hoping for a boy or a girl, they were happy either way, it was just that Ben was one hundred percent sure they were having a girl.

"A girl I think." (Y/n) responded, looking at Ben when he smiled and she could tell he was going to get very cocky if he was right.

(Y/n) always remembered when they had their scan when they were having Taylor and they found it they were having a girl. She had never seen Ben smile so much as he had done in that moment. She knew he would have been fine if they had a boy at any point, but it was very clear Ben wanted daughters. He doted on all the girls and they all had him wrapped around their fingers.

Their attentions all turned to focus on the monitor that was opposite Ben and he tightened his hand around (Y/n)'s when the heartbeat flooded the room. It didn't matter how many times they had heard that sound, it still sounded unreal and very uplifting to listen to.

"Well... you're in luck. You're having another girl."

(Y/n) tipped her head back as she closed her eyes so she didn't have to look at the smug expression on Ben's face. How on Earth did he manage to do that? How did he simply know they were having another girl, it was as if he had planned it out each time and made sure they were going to have a girl. It was good news to (Y/n) but now Ben was never going to let this go. He had predicted every time that they were having a girl and he had never been wrong.

"She looks a little small but it's nothing to worry about. I'll go print you some copies of this." The nurse wiped her hands before leaving the room to get pictures of the scan.

"Well, would you look at that..." Ben commented as (Y/n) frowned, her eyes narrowing as she pouted. He bared his teeth like a shark as he grinned wickedly. Now he could go and tell Joe that he had been right all along and was having yet another daughter and he didn't have to try and explain to Charlie that he had been wrong because he had been right.

"Smug bastard." (Y/n) muttered as she turned to look at the monitor again but Ben pressed his finger under her chin, gently turning her chin so she was looking at him.

"Oh yeah. Now smile, sweetheart, we've got four girls now." Ben wasn't going to deny that he was smug, he would be gloating about this for weeks now but it was only because he was happy. The girls were his world and now he had another girl to add into his life, he couldn't be happier.

He whispered the words as he hovered his lips over her own before stealing a kiss. Feeling (Y/n)'s frown melting away and form a small smile as Ben brushed his thumb over her chin.

Another girl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're back!" Joe couldn't seem to help the relief flooding into his voice when the front door opened to reveal (Y/n) and Ben walking inside.

"That doesn't sound good." (Y/n) joked quietly as she leaned her head on Ben's shoulder after he shut the front door behind them. She knew nothing would have happened whilst they were gone but she did wonder if Joe would be in over his head.

Joe loved the girls, he was practically an uncle to them but when all of them were home like this they were a handful and he had never had to look after all three of them before. He only had one child himself so he wasn't used to running around after the three girls who either seemed to need something or were doing something they shouldn't. He had mistakenly thought that this would be a walk in the park with how sweet each girl was but they were vastly different when they were home.

Ben rose his brows as he looked at the brunette who had Goldie's hands in his own, her feet resting on top of his own as he had been walking around the house with her. She was crawling a lot more now but she wasn't quite ready to start walking yet so Joe decided for the time being he would get her started.

Joe gently set Goldie down on the floor when she started to wriggle around, watching with a smile as she started to crawl and shuffle across the wooden floor to get to her parents.

"Joe, did you actually feed her?" Ben questioned when he bent down on his knees, holding his arms out for Goldie who he could now see had her food smeared around her cheeks, lips and chin. It seemed like Joe had rather painted her with her food than fed her.

Ben gently picked Goldie up, bouncing her in his arms as he rose to his feet as she started to bat her messy hands on his shoulder, an open-mouthed grin on her features as she started to giggle. Drifting his eyes over to Joe, Ben smiled as his friend shrugged his shoulders looking sheepish. He had tried his best but Goldie had other ideas, she hit the spoon and turned her head and all the while she giggled whilst she was being cheeky.

"I tried but she didn't eat it... Tay's been bouncing up and down on the sofa all day and running around a lot, how do you calm her down?" Joe ran a hand through his hair as he motioned to the living room.

Taylor was very energetic and Joe could have bursts of energy, but never on her scale. He thought she would tire herself out running around or jumping up and down but she didn't. He had played tag with her, watched her run around the living room and start to dance and jump on the sofa but she didn't seem tired or suddenly lose energy like he expected. He had tried to calm her down but she just carried on bouncing on the sofa or doing this and that, never settling down to draw or colour or just watch tv.

With a smile, Ben walked past Joe and headed into the kitchen to clean Goldie up as (Y/n) took off her coat and shoes before going into the living room with Joe trailing behind her.

Sure enough, Taylor was there on the sofa, her head lolling side to side with the music on the tv as she seemed to be swaying around. the moment she heard footsteps, she bounded to her feet and turned around, standing on the sofa with her body leaning against the back of the sofa to see her mum and Joe.

"Mummy! The baby, is it a girl?" There was excitement and anticipation in Taylor's voice as she kept bouncing up and down, bending her knees every so often as she waited for the answer with a bright smile on her face. Reaching over, (Y/n) ran her hands through Taylor's hair before leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Yeah, another girlie. Now you know you shouldn't be jumping on here, are you gonna sit and calm down for me?" (Y/n) wrapped her arms around Taylor when she leaned up for a hug but she gently nudged her to sit down afterwards. She had clearly been very hyperactive so she needed to sit and have a while to calm down and relax.

Rounding to the other side of the sofa, (Y/n) sat down and pulled Taylor so she was sitting next to her instead of jumping up and down. But when the eldest girl sat next to her she still kept jiggling and itching up and down. Joe watched as (Y/n) wrapped her arms around Taylor and moved her around so she was laying on her side with her head on (Y/n)'s lap. She needed Taylor to calm down because if she carried on being hyperactive she wouldn't want to go to sleep later on tonight.

(Y/n) and Ben were trying to get her to relax and chill out for an hour or so before she went to bed so she wasn't full of energy when she went to bed.

"Can we play a game?" Taylor asked as she wriggled around, trying to get comfy.

"We'll play a game later, uncle Joe says you've been running around so you have to have chill-out time." (Y/n) wanted to at least try and get Taylor to understand and to want to calm down. It was easier than threatening to give her the silent treatment which they were trying not to do but if she wouldn't listen or she purposely messed around or stayed up then they had to give her the silent treatment.

Joe watched in amusement and shock as Taylor nodded before closing her eyes, clearly trying to calm down as (Y/n) wrapped her arms around Taylor as much as she could with the eldest laying on her lap near her protruding stomach.

"Messy girl." Ben commented as he tried to clean Goldie's face and hands but she kept giggling and turning away from him like they were playing a game. Giving up when she was mostly cleaned up, Ben threw the wipes into the bin but just as he went to pick her back up, he stopped when he heard the pattering of feet. He rose his brows at seeing Charlie waddling into the room before she simply stopped and then flopped down on the floor.

Charlie smiled around the rim of her blue beaker that she brought to her lips as she stared up at Ben who looked at her with a hint of confusion.

"Joe?" The brunette appeared in the kitchen moments after Ben called him, his eyes drifting between Ben and Charlie as he already knew what Ben was going to say. "Why's she only in a pull-up?" Ben asked as he pointed to his middle girl, confused at why Charlie was simply sat wearing a pull-up and no leggings or a shirt or even a vest. He knew he had dressed her this morning before they left.

"I tried to take her to the toilet like you said but she wouldn't go and then she wouldn't let me change her. I was about to change her when you got back... I don't know where she put her top though."

Joe had tried to get Charlie to go to the bathroom but she didn't want to and he managed to get her on the toilet but she didn't do anything but sit and smile at him like a little devil. He was going to try again to change her but he heard (Y/n) and Ben pulling up in the drive and then Goldie started whimpering for attention. But when he left Charlie upstairs she had been wearing her pull-up and shirt.

"Alright missy, come on. Toilet." Ben reached down slipped his hands under her arms, setting her to her feet before motioning for her to start walking so he could take her to the bathroom. But Charlie looked at him for a moment before shaking her head with a cheeky smile. She didn't want to do that. Rolling his eyes, Ben bent down on his knees in front of her as she pulled her beaker to her lips as if trying to hide behind it but Ben gently took it from her. "Have you been to the toilet today?"

Charlie knew Ben meant had she actually tried to sit on the toilet as opposed to simply going in her pull-up. She looked at him through her lashes as she shook her head.

"No, and you've had a lot to drink so you need to be changed, but uncle Joey says you won't go. Now you're coming to get changed or you can go to bed." Ben knew Charlie didn't like having a nap during the day if she wasn't extremely tired, it was like a punishment just like Taylor didn't like being given the silent treatment. "Charlotte, upstairs now." Ben clicked his fingers and pointed as he got to his feet, his expression telling her to move and she did. Instantly turning and bypassing Joe to waddle over to the stairs that she did her best to clamber up quickly.

When she saw Ben was coming up rather quickly behind her she squealed, trying to go quicker but her little legs wouldn't go any faster. Reaching the top of the stairs, Ben leaned down and picked her up under her arms, smiling as she kicked her legs out happily as he carried her into the bathroom.

Ben took off her pull-up before he gently set her down on the baby seat on the toilet. He bent down on his knees in front of her to put a new pull-up on her feet as well as her leggings that he saw on the floor. He rested his elbow on his knee as he waited, watching as Charlie looked at him with an unamused expression as she didn't seem to be doing anything.

"Charlie, baby, big girls go to the toilet like Tay and mummy. Are you a big girl?" Ben didn't know how else to tempt Charlie to at least try and use the toilet. Of course he knew that with her wearing a pull-up she saw it was easier and didn't want to bother with the toilet but she couldn't wear them forever.

"No." She pouted as she folded her arms over her chest. "You said I'm your babygirl. Not big girl."

Ben dipped his head down as he sighed, she had got him there. That was one of the nicknames he usually referred to her as and she knew it but she wasn't ready to give up on this yet. Looking back up at her, Ben rested his hands on her sides as he tried to think how to worm his way out of this one.

"Yeah, you're my babygirl, but I thought you were going to be a big sister? You can't be a big sister if you don't go to the toilet like Tay does, can you?" Ben rose his brows as he wondered if that would work.

Charlie hadn't understood what being a big sister was when they had Goldie but she understood now and she wanted to be a big sister, even if she still wanted to be a little girl in Ben's eyes. He was just about to sigh and give up when Charlie suddenly smiled at him, watching his eyes widen as she started to pee.

"Well done baby! Such a clever girl." He gushed, kissing her cheek before helping her off the toilet. Once he'd pulled up her leggings and put on her top that he found on the changing table, he pulled her against him and peppered kisses around her face causing her to giggle. "Come on, let's go tell mummy what a big girl you are."

[devilsknotrp]

Congratulations, Rory! You have been accepted for the role of Perry Esposito (FC: Peter Gadiot). It would be too easy to write Perry as a strict black sheep, as someone without a deep hurt, who was just some tough guy. He’s really not. And you’ve brought that out in him. There were so many elements of your application that just rang so true. Perry being gently friendly to people he meets; his diligence; his quiet resolve. Perry was never going to be an in-your-face character, but he is a subtly intense one, and you’ve managed to sharpen his edges. Your writing sample was also beautifully written and so, so sad. Thank you for bringing to light how painful heartbreak can be - and how it can linger for longer than you’d expect. This was a wonderful application. Please have a look at this page prior to sending in your account.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Name: Rory Age: 22 Pronouns: They/Them or He/Him Timezone: CST Activity estimation: I’ll definitely be able to keep up with the requirements here. Depending on how strong my muse is (and how exhausted I am by the end of any given day) I’ll most likely be around most nights. If I had to give it a guess on a scale of 1 - 10, I’d put myself at about a 7!? Triggers: [Redacted]

IN CHARACTER: BASICS

Full name: Perry Esposito Age (DD/MM/YYY): 30 (09/07/1966) - Libra sun, Gemini rising, Pisces moon Gender: Cis Male Pronouns: He/Him Sexuality: Homosexual Homoromantic Occupation: Bartender Connection to Victim: Perry was aware of their existence in the way that in a small town, everyone knows everyone, but he can’t say he was even acquainted with them. The closest he’d come to having a conversation with the woman- Linda- was nodding his head at her as they’d passed by each other in Piggly Wiggly one day, but that was the extent of their relationship. He might not have even been able to tell you their names with complete certainty, before they’d been thrown into the limelight, at least. Alibi: Perry started his shift at The Bar at 4 P.M. Faceclaim: Peter Gadiot

WRITING SAMPLE

TW for (implied) child abuse.

It took a moment for things to start sinking in: the slam of the car door, the roar of the engine, the glare of the sun reflecting off the pitiful, rusted paint job and the cloud of dust that accompanied the spinning wheels. Perry just stood there for a second, his shocked brain struggling to catch up before he was stumbling after the car, running a few steps with a hand outstretched  yelling hey, yelling for Bobby to stop, wait, come back- but it was too late. A few more seconds and he was gone entirely. The car was gone and Bobby was gone and everything was gone and Perry was left standing in the motel parking lot with the California sun kissing his skin and something foreign curling up in a newly- hollowed place in his chest.

The first day, that foreign- something was made up of panic and denial and, of course, a bone- deep sort of hurt. Bobby wouldn’t… he was mad, yeah, but he’d… alright, Perry hadn’t realized he was that mad, but surely he’d… he’d come back. Perry knew he would. He’d calm down, he’d realize what he’d done and he would come back. Perry would forgive him. Hours passed, but still, he told himself- he’d forgive Bobby when he came back. Because he was coming back, even if he was taking a while- that was what he told the motel manager, when the guy came and tried to kick him off the bench he’d curled up on for the night.

As Perry’s second day alone dawned, the panic and denial heightened and started warring. He ended up stealing something from a store so he didn’t starve, but he didn’t pay much attention to what he nicked and he didn’t notice whether it tasted nice or not. It was to keep him from starving, that was all. The sun set on that second day without any sign of his dad’s shitty car, and as the world went dark so did that fizzling spark of hope he’d been harboring in the pit of his stomach.

Bobby really had left him, and he wasn’t coming back.

Perry stuck around on that third day, though. Just in case. Watching the street Bobby’d driven away on and feeling a traitorous little leap of hope whenever there was a car anywhere near the right color, but it was for nothing. Time flew by and the grief began settling in. He was an adult and he was a man and he never cried, hadn’t since he was a child, scared and hurting and hating his father, but this? Being left to his own devices for better or worse in a strange place by the only person that had ever managed to find anything valuable in him, by the only person that had ever found anything about him to actually love- yeah, he was crying. His arms wrapped around his midsection as his body shook, a hand furiously swiping at the tears trailing down his face. He bit down on the inside of his cheek so that he wouldn’t make any noise, bit it hard enough that it bled. He’d been so dumb to think this would work, to think a piece of trash like him would get away and have a fairy tale of a life.

There were better things out there than Devil’s Knot, but they weren’t for him. They weren’t within his reach.

Perry stayed there until it was sometime between late afternoon and early evening, until he was out of tears to cry, and then he forced himself to stand. He cast a glance at that motel sign, then at the space the car- his car- had been parked at. He stared for a bit, because this, right here- these moments before he gave in and let go- this was as close as he’d ever get to a real goodbye. Part of him thought that it still just felt like a really, really bad dream, but he knew he wouldn’t be waking up.

He raised both middle fingers, flipping that empty parking space the bird as he backed away, and then he made his way to the highway and began the process of sticking his thumb up at anyone that passed until someone finally stopped.

It was time to go home, now. Time to grow up.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Here’s a Pinterest board I made for him!

HEADCANONS:

Despite the fact that Perry would consider himself a friend to one (Blanca) and close to none, he’s a friendly guy. If life had given him a kinder lot, he would have been a blatant extrovert. As it is, at his core he’s a convivial guy, and despite the fact that most everyone’s still got him written off as scum- he’s amiable enough to those who extend the same courtesy to him. He’s far beyond making much of an effort. He’ll greet the customers that come in to the bar, even make small talk if someone seems interested in pursuing it, but that’s about the extent of it. He hasn’t had a boyfriend since that disaster when he was eighteen, and he doesn’t intend to ever go down that path again. When he gets lonely enough, he’ll visit a bar a few towns over where nobody knows his name or his face. There was a time when he’d wanted a future that held more than that- hell, when he’s drunk or high enough, there are times when he can still admit to himself that he wants something more- but he’s not a kid with his head in the clouds anymore, and he’s not fooling himself. Lives like that aren’t realistic for people like him. He’s learned his lesson. He won’t be burnt twice. He likes his bbartending job well enough. It pays the bills. His apartment isn’t anything fancy, but it’s decent. That’s his life. He’s going to live in this town until the day he inevitably dies alone, and he’s accepted that.

Perry is allergic to cats and dogs and pretty much anything with fur. Not horribly so, just enough to have his sinuses uncomfortable and his eyes going red. An irritation more than anything. It hasn’t stopped him from leaving a window open for the stray cat that hangs around his apartment or from blowing a portion of his paychecks on Fancy Feast for the fleabitten mongrel. He’s definitely not a fan of coming home to find dead rats or birds strewn about his apartment, but he’s joked to Blanca that it’s the cat’s way of paying rent. It is not his cat. He’s adamant about that fact, even though it’s been a couple years now since it became his roommate of sorts.

The world has been reminding Perry of the fact that he’s an outsider from the time he was old enough to understand the words coming out of the townspeople’s mouths. Maybe even before that, really. Even if he hadn’t been an outcast, though, he would have caught on to the fact that he was different. When kids his age started developing crushes, he knew there was a wide difference between what he felt towards the girls and the way his stomach would start flipping over some of the boys. It wasn’t a welcome discovery. He was hated enough as it was and even before he began to grasp the gravity of this particular difference he knew that standing out in any way would just be another strike against him. This, though… Perry wasn’t certain the fallout from it would be something he’d survive. Even now, after having so much time to adjust to the idea, he’s not quite fully at peace with being gay. Maybe the smart thing to do would be find a girl he likes well enough and pretend, but he’s never been able to bend his rebellious streak enough to do so. He’s keeping this particular disparity to himself, but that doesn’t mean he wants to just force himself fall in line with what the world would have him doing, either.

He feels freest during those rare visits he makes to the clubs out of town. He can pretend he’s someone else for a while, living a different life. It’s too easy to lose himself in the warm touch of another. It’s too easy to drown with the crisp evening air filling his lungs and the expanseless, unfamiliar sky around him, and it is far, far too easy to think about leaving then, with the possibilities of what this world could hold trying to swarm around his head. The world is so big. There’s so much out there. Objectively, he can’t say he’s never had a home. He grew up in a home with his dirtbag father and his older brother. He has a home now, too, a carefully organized and cared for apartment, a home he’s worked hard for, but privately, Perry believes that home is more than just a place. Home is a feeling, and he thinks the strongest he’s ever experienced that feeling was when he was in a car with a boy in the seat next to them as they drove into the horizon, trees and cities and lights blurring past, not knowing exactly what their future held, only that it would be good. That was a euphoria that he’s never been able to replicate, but, he reminds himself- the agony when he’d crashed and burned hadn’t been worth the exhiliration of the days that had lead up to it. It really hadn’t.

Perry can’t say he’s surprised that the present seems to be circling around to the past. This town is a fishbowl, stagnant. He’s empathetic for the kid’s friends and families, but to tell the truth- mostly, he’s just tired and cynical. There’s a sense of foreboding weighing heavy on his chest. He doesn’t know where this will go, but he doesn’t think for a moment that it’s going to end with Brian’s disappearance. Whatever’s coming isn’t going to be pretty- he just hopes he’ll get to keep on the fringes of it all.

Perry’s wardrobe isn’t any more exciting than his apartment. He sticks to muted colors, blacks and greys and whites. Nothing remotely expensive. He’s not trying to impress anyone, but he does put a surprising amount of effort into maintaining his appearance. Perhaps it has something to do with wanting to distance himself from as many similarities to his father as he can.

He drives a beat up old truck. It’s not exactly easy on the eyes, but it gets him wherever he needs to go, and that’s all that matters.

As far as general life skills go, he’s hardly a prodigy when it comes to the kitchen, but, as in most areas of his life, he’s put a decent amount of effort into being self sufficient. He’s figured out enough to get by. He’d rather cook for himself than eat at the diner. If something needs patching up, he’s handy enough with stitches. That’s not a skill he initially learned for the sake of clothing, but it’s a useful one nonetheless.