#also the answer is Elliot regrettably

[hurricanesonny]

The last one has me SCREAMING

I love r/nancydrew

[luckyshotwrites]

Ch. 49 // I’ll Help Set Up, Regrettably // Day 40

Contents (Warnings): Lynette debates whether this was a good idea or not (vore mentions, slight teasing, mouth "play", and as always character/monster info).

Wordcount: 4,722 (Sorry it took a while to come out and if the quality suffered some. I had to retype it all and my right eye has been acting up so it's hard for me to focus fully when I'm typing without breaks. HOPE YOU ENJOY, THANK YOU! AND THERE WAS A 2 WEEK SKIP)

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(Added for Day 30)

At the end of our shift, before we got to leave.

Edgar brought Alexander and me back into his office.

He sat at the edge of his new desk. Alexander and I weren't required to take a seat, so we stood back respectively. 

His red-violet hue did a deep once over like he took notes. 

"Glad you both went through your punishments with grace." He held his hands together, satisfied. 

We both soughed. Alexander was as relieved as I. 

"You may resume your normal schedules starting Thursday." He continued removing his hat and undoing his bun. It let his long hair go. "And please, keep to the rules I set next time-" 

Even though Edgar said it to both of us, he steadily hovered over Alexander more. 

Did he do something? I asked in my head.

"You're dismissed, Alexander." Edgar said to him and glanced at me, "Lynette, I need you a moment more."

I stiffened up. Alexander didn't question it and left. I felt the antsiness return. Why am I staying behind? Should I be worried? Would Edgar do anything? We didn't talk much; he was usually busy in the back, so I knew little about him. 

Edgar focused on me, a slight furrow to his brow, then held up a hand as he leaned off the table. "You're fine, Lynette. You're not in trouble." 

He took a breath and brushed back his hair. Not a strand remained on his face, the opposite of Drake, who enjoyed having most of his hidden. "I should have had this talk with you before, but better now than not at all."

He tapped his finger on his desk, "I did not expect you to stay, let alone put in the effort to keep up your promise when you were hired." 

He lifted his finger, "I certainly will not stop you if you continue working here. I'd invite it as many others here need more positive interactions with humans." 

I felt the intense narrow, almost like he put pressure on my chest. "And if they break any of the rules I have in place. TELL ME. Because if Sandra, Tristan, or I do not catch something for some reason, you could be in danger." He held his hand to clarify, "they are in place for a reason, not that I have doubts about those I hired. This is a warning, in case."

He really cares, doesn't he? At least he sounds like he does. 

I nodded. "I will."

The pressure Edgar had on me released, "good. Or you'll have more to worry about in the future, which you don't need for your goal." He held up a hand to me. "And thank you for continuing to work with us, Lynette. If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

...

(Oct. 31st, Monday)

We had Halloween off as a Holiday.

Drake: Hey, if any of you going to the party can come a bit earlier, around 9:00p.m., to set up, that'd be cool. 1:30 p.m.

Alexander: Sure. 1:30 p.m.

Zilla: I'd have to escape Zane first. 1:31 p.m.

Viola: After I help the triplets. 1:33 p.m.

Lev: I have a date around then, but I'll be there if it ends a little earlier than expected. 1:34 p.m.

June: 😿I want to help, but I also got to help Elliot. 1:36 p.m.

Tila: What happened to Elliot? 1:36 p.m.

Tila: And Drake, I am on a hunt today for a rare spindle Lim, and I refuse to give up until I find the darn creature. It's bound to give me more answers about the Arachne. 1:37 p.m.

June: (sent a picture of a room full of pillows). 1:37 p.m.

Drake: Good luck, Tila and Pillows? 1:38 p.m.

June: He wants me to help get rid of some, and I think he's here somewhere in them. 1:40 p.m.

I glanced back at the empty spot for the flat screen and consoles. Wicks didn't tell me how he broke them, but it wasn't there when I got home last night. He ordered new ones, and they'd be in by tomorrow. I can't play games tonight. Wicks told me he would be busy all night and into Tuesday, so I'd be alone with no candy to give. Not that I wasn't grateful for a chance to relax, given what's been going on since I won the dart game.

I groaned aloud and fell back on the couch, my phone arm covering my eyes. Lev took it like a challenge, and now all of his games consist of things HE KNOWS I won't be good at, and Alexander either gets so competitive with mine that he ends up somehow beating me at it. OR he picks ones that, much like Lev, knows I wouldn't be good at. 

When I cried out, my apartment took the voice into its empty void. 

Drake's the only one that picks fair games. It made me pull up my phone again. I had it hovering over my face, and I reread the replies and the new messages. 

If I go, I have to deal with all of them...they can't do anything to me. This is my chance to get more information on them. I thought back to the festival. They talked "normal" when we were there. 

I then scrolled back up to Drake's original message. Do I want to be there with the main problem, Alexander? I didn't feel much difference between us; I still didn't understand anything about him. Not that I know Lev, either. Or Zilla, or Drake, or-

Claudia was gone again for the next two weeks due to "family" reasons. It's the reason I hadn't been a tiny yet. I let my chest heave and expel all my breath. Drake was one of the nicest night crew people. I want to preserve that...

Lynette: I can help set up if you can send me your address. 1:51 p.m.

June: YAY! NOW I REALLY WANT TO GO! I GOTTA SEE MY BUDDY! 🤗 1:52 p.m.

Drake: Address - **** 1:53 p.m.

Lev: Oh, Lynette~ Going to a monster party is odd for someone who doesn't like being a snack. 1:53 p.m.

Alexander: ^ 1:53 p.m.

I sat up, "wait. It's not just everyone from work? How many are going to be there?!" I squeaked out. "Ah-why did I-" 

"Why am I so DUMB!" I put my hands in my hair and frizzed it up. WHY DON'T I THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS. I let my hair furrow up. I'M SUPPOSED TO THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS!

I dropped my phone on the cushion. I can't just say, never mind. My head fell forward. It allowed the giant puff ball of hair I created to fall over my face. I reached out for one of our white throw pillows and screamed into it for thirty seconds. I let it fall from my hands and bounce onto the floor. 

I looked at Wicks's door and chuckled, "Wicks, did you know monsters exist, and I'm working with them? I decided it'd be a good idea to stay involved with them when they care little about me-" I tipped forward and rested my chin on the back end of the couch, still looking at his closed door. He wasn't even home.

It was almost two months. It felt like I had been there longer with the chaos I'd experienced. I jokingly shook my fist and shouted, "CURSE YOU EDGAR, WHY DID YOU OFFER ME SO MUCH MONEY!" 

My tone came out defeated. "I still want to believe I'm going to make it through the year." 

…

Any of the cute costumes were sultry, too much for my taste. I didn't like the vulnerable feeling brought upon me by them. Even wearing a bathing suit at the beach felt too much.

And the other ones, those that were scary, didn't cut it for me either. I feared I'd look in a mirror and frighten myself with them.

After concluding shopping for a costume on Halloween was a bust, I called Wicks. I knew we had our costumes from last year packed away. I figured he hid them in his room, and I respected his privacy too much to invade without his permission. I texted him when he didn't answer the two times I called. 

He finally messaged back near eight o'clock to say he was safe and loved me very much. I guess that's a no. 

I dressed in my best Halloween throw-over, a spooky dark violet-purple one, then picked my cute golden trim, baby blue skirt, and thigh-high black pumpkin socks with some rainboots since they were almost orange. Yellow's close enough, right? 

I tapped in my boots and checked over my room. I had time to clean it today, so everything was nice and neat for me to crash into later. I even had my lamb Pj's from my mom sitting on top. I left the apartment after and went to my car.

 Drake said I didn't need to pick up anything. It'll be a straight shot there. I got my GPS ready and started my drive over. We lived near the edge of the small city while Drake lived out of it. It became more apparent as I started to see the lines of trees. There isn't much around, is there? My anxiety burrowed deeper inside me. It'll be fine. They won't do anything. The little reminder pinged in my head. My coworkers are just some of the ones attending. There would be other people...monsters too. My fingers tightened around the wheel as I could see the gates in the distance. 

Wicks won't even know. I couldn't give him Drake's address out of fear that he'd leave work early and want to head over. I slowed down my bug and turned inside as the gate was wide open. I drove up the stretch of road to the beautiful building. Its architecture reminded me of those old victorian homes, gargoyles, and everything. Though, it looked restored as none of the paint was chipped, and there weren't vines hanging from it as they would in vampire movies. Once I pulled up to the huge double doors, I realized no other cars were around. Not even Xander's. I brought out my phone and took a breath. Sorry, I wanted to drive away now and say I didn't know anyone was home. For some dumb reason, my own obligations wouldn't let me.

I called Drake. 

“Hey, Lynette, what’s up?”

“Uh-I’m here…where should I park?"

"Right!" Drake said. He sounded rushed. "If you're at the front door, keep heading straight and turn into the garage when you arrive. I'll have it open. Sorry, I didn't realize the time."

"You're okay, thank you." I hung up. 

I did as he said and saw the familiar garage with its door open. It had a few cars inside, including Drakes, Alexanders, and two others I didn't recognize. I parked in the closest empty space. When I got out and locked my car, I saw they could fit at least five more cars inside. 

"Hey, Lynette," Drake's voice echoed around us. It looked like an empty luxury storefront with excellent tile and lights above. I could barely take it in, let alone when I was tiny. You really live like this, and YOU work at a pizzeria?! 

I bowed my head, "you look cool." I finally noticed his black and red samurai outfit, which looked like natural silk. Though, what perplexed me the most was his ponytail. Drake's hair wasn't long enough, especially with his bangs still over his face. It would have been funny if you had that red and black cape and fake teeth.

His fangs weren't that noticeable if I didn't pay attention. The only time I really saw them was when he yawned. He didn't expose as he rarely showed more than concern or confusion on his face.

"Thanks..." He pointed down to my boots, then back up, "and you are a-"

"I couldn't buy a costume! They didn't have any good ones left!" I exclaimed. I expected him or Alexander to make a sly comment about it. He brought me a slight ease.

He turned around and ushered me to follow him to the entrance into the house from the garage. "Well, it fits the theme."

I followed him up the few stairs and looked over the hanging decorations. Most of them seemed hung, cobwebs, giant spiders, a bunch of kabuki masks? And a plethora of lights as well as the walls, looked smeared with glow paint in different ghost and pumpkin shapes. The few statues and paintings were moved out of the room and replaced with tables and chairs leading up to the ballroom at the center, halfway up the stairs. 

"It looks like you already got a lot done," I commented. 

He scratched the back of his head, "Wenna told me she'd take forever helping Viola out yesterday with the triplets, but Viola sent her off after she got a better handle on them." Drake walked me near a few tables off to the side. They had a bubble like films over them. What's that? I popped one as we passed, and it wobbled but didn't pop. It felt warm. 

Drake continued, "so there isn't much left to get done. I should have texted you, but Alexander and I started talking about the new crying kingdom game. 

We went off to the side near a hall on the left side, under the stairs. He pressed open the giant silver double doors, "the only thing we need help with now is-" He lifted his hand and put it in front of me. I stopped walking as the giant leg swung in front of me. 

"Careful," Alexander's voice came from above.

I peered up only to stumble back, seeing his stomach. He ate someone. 

I let my eyes wander around the room instead of on Alexander even after he moved behind the giant countertop. I heard him clank down a few trays. 

"Cooking," Drake finished. It pulled my attention to him and away from the giant half of the kitchen. "You're not hiding it, Alexander?"

"It's not like everyone here doesn't know what I eat." He said. 

I flinched when he said that. 

Drake exhaled, "well, this is the last thing we need help with, Lynette." Drake gestured up to the counter. It was bigger than us both. The counter perfect for our height was empty. 

I glanced up as Drake walked me closer. I could see Alexander's eyes glowing past his glasses and the irritation nestled between his brows. 

I refused to look over more than his face and hair but noticed he had a similar samurai outfit as Drake except for white and gold. And I was confident they were both wearing fake ponytails because Alexander had one too, and his hair was too short. 

"Are you done making all of them?"

Alexander groaned, nodding, "all I have is the energy transfer left."

Drake's head turned to me, "maybe Lynette can help-"

"DRAKE!!~" A familiar female's voice broke into the kitchen. I saw the black-haired girl with a youthful appearance. She gave a flashy toothy grin from beyond the silver door she clung to. "LYNETTE! Nice to see you again, and you're normal height too!!" She gave a cheer like a mother at a soccer game.

I gave a small wave, "hi, Wenna."

She popped her attention back to Drake, "and-hey, do you mind calling my phone? I have no idea where I left it, and I need to be sure Angela has the right address!" 

Drake pulled out his phone, "I'll help you call it." He said as he looked back at both of us, responsibly, and said, "be nice, and have her help you if she can."

I wanted to follow Drake, but he left in a rush. My whole body felt tense, and I stared at the double door. I would love to go on a phone hunt. It might be high up if she was putting up those decorations. I saw something move out of the corner of my eye and threw myself to face it. I couldn't back up fast enough. He got my arm and yanked me closer before encompassing my waist in his hand.

"XANDer!" I squeaked out. I was forced to look over his body as he put me on the counter in front of him near one of the massive baking trays. The counter was more than waist height to him, so at least I didn't have to look at his abdomen directly. 

"Stop it. You might fall." He growled. He sat me to the side of him.

"You grabbed me out of nowhere. What am I supposed to do!" I argued quietly. 

He came closer, "just roll up your sleeve and give me your arm." He held his giant hand out. 

"W-why?" I kept both of them fastened to my chest. 

"I need to touch you physically to take your energy like this." He grumbled.

I did as he asked and gave him my arm. His hand overtook it and nearly part of my elbow. He was smaller than the others, yet he was still a giant to me. 

His eyes stared at their fluorescent glow again, and he held his other hand over the treats. They were pumpkin-shaped cakes that flickered with the energy he pumped into them, or at least I saw one of them do that. 

"What are you even supposed to be?" 

"Don't you start too," I felt more at ease with his question. "I'm not wearing a costume."

He watched over the treats and didn't look at me, "you really can't dress yourself, can you?"

And you can't be pleasant. I said in my head. I wouldn't dare say that to his face, especially like this. 

After another minute and one more pumpkin out of the 300 on the counter sparked, he groaned. 

"What?" I asked.

"This is going to take forever." He tilted his head away in thought. He then faced me, "you want me to make this faster?"

"If you can do that, yes...?" I muttered. The less time I spend near you right now, the better. He tugged my arm, which caught my attention; it was gentle but sudden. I steered my head toward his parted lips that moved in on my arm. "That's not-"

He trapped my hand between them faster than I could close my fist. His teeth lightly kept my wrist in place while his lips hid it. I cried out when his tongue cradled my hand.

"STOP!" I twisted my arm to no avail, though he did release my hand from his maw. 

"I'm not going to eat you, doofus." He said and followed it up, almost mockingly, with a swallow. 

I didn't even want to close my dripping hand. I couldn't pull it back either, as Alexander kept my forearm secure. 

"Then what were you doing!?"

"If I have direct contact, I can take your energy faster."

I pointed at the arm he held, "you're already touching me!"

"Direct contact in my body." He motioned to himself, "I already told you before. I'm not a full magus. I'm slow at taking energy like this." He moved the hand that held my arm more before he rested his other hand on his stomach. "And my current meal doesn't have the same output as you." 

Current meal? That's a person. I pressed at his fingers that held my arm. "I don't want any part of me near you. This arm holding is more than enough."

"Fine, we'll stay here for the hour." 

He didn't clean my hand. 

"You're overexaggerating." 

"I'm not." Alexander uttered, "I don't see what the big deal is. I'm not eating you." 

"What do you mean?! You wouldn't want anyone putting your hand in their mouth, would you?"

He rolled his eyes, "hell no."

"Then why would I!"

Alexander's gaze fell back onto my hand like he didn't take in a single word I said. 

"Xander!"

"I heard you," he groaned. He started up the process again.

I don't want to sit here for an hour, listen to you, or look- "Is there really no other way you can do this faster?"

"If there was, I'd do it," Alexander said. 

I glanced back at the baking pans on the giant counter. I already saw more of them out there. So has Alexander been doing this the whole time?... I regret coming early. I didn't think I'd help in this way. I wanted to get it done. That's not a good idea, Lynette. I know what will happen.

I muttered under my breath, "how long would it take?"

He perked up, "about two minutes. Are you considering it?!" He sounded like a kid at Christmas. 

YOU'RE SO WEIRD. I kept that in my head. "You're lying to me; how is it that much of a time difference?"

"I wouldn't lie about something that stupid," Alexander replied, offended. 

He sounds serious, but will I let him do that? He awaited my answer. I don't want to. What if he decides to eat me? What if he takes more of my arm? What if he holds me there longer, he knows I can't fight him. I didn't want to trust him with any part of me, let alone in his mouth. I knew what he did. I also don't want to be up here. The faster I'm on the ground and moving around, the better. I subtly shifted on the marble countertop and enjoyed the small freedom my legs had dangling over it. 

I spoke with my head still turned away, "A minute, that's it, then I want to be put down."

He didn't respond with words. Again, he got my hand in his mouth, and I felt his body shutter. Though, what immediately caught my attention was the push of his soft tongue and the sound. He had to be close because of our height difference, so I clearly heard the gulp of him swallowing the excess flavored drool back. 

"Don't do that!" I pleaded as he got to work again with his free hand. It didn't seem like he was listening, and I regretted not getting out my phone right away to time it.

…

Alexander

He knew eating a human before coming here was a good idea. He might have tried to eat Lynette the second he picked her up if he didn’t. 

And his body relaxed as he got her hand inside his mouth a second time. He felt her squirm, and her fingers unintentionally stroke his tongue. I want more. He swallowed and heard her yelp further. Why do you taste like this?! 

His body urged him to eat her even though he already had another meal inside him. I could put cloaks on both of them and put her inside too. He liked the idea, but another thought popped into his head too. Work. He exhaled through his nose and did his best to transfer the energy she gave him. 

Her constant movement distracted him. It reminded him that he had never done this before. He always ate someone if he got them anywhere near his mouth. 

It was nice to taste her, but he hated doing this. It was a teasing torture for him to have her and not satisfy his craving. 

It slowly became too much. Alexander’s stomach clenched, and it begged for more. 

“CHASE!”

It knocked him out of thought. He let Lynette's arm go and opened his lips enough for her hand to slip through his teeth.

She studied it and whined. “Why are you like this?!”

“Could say the same about you.” He grumbled and cleaned it off with his magic. “And it’s fine, Drake, the pastries are done.” He looked at them with surprise. How did I overcharge them that mu- His hand came up immediately as she tipped forward. He caught her and leaned forward, so she rested on his bicep.

He scanned over her, not realizing how fast he had drained from her.

She pushed lightly and croaked, “why a-are you-”

“Shut up,” Alexander told her. She’s dazed. 

Drake came to his side with his sister, "put her down here."

He complied, “she let me. You can't be mad." Alexander slowly lowered her down, and he handed her over to Wenna. 

She needs rest.” Alexander said as he handed her off to Wenna.

She got Lynette in her arms, "let's get ya to bed, okay?" 

After they left, Drake glared at Alexander. 

The glasses-clad male started to put the treats in their own bowls. “The shrimp offered.”

“AND you took it knowing-” Drake pursed his lips. I know. I thought it would be fine. I ate... He felt a lot better now that she wasn't in the room. His hand slipped to his filled abdomen. 

 Drake sighed, "glad there done. After you finish that, help me make seals over our bedroom doors, please.” 

“Yeah.”

...

Lynette

My mind took in nothing on the way up to her room. It took me a minute to realize she even put me on her bed. 

"Alexander really drained you, didn't he?" She had a really soft, sweet voice. It reminded me of Viola. 

"I think I was too panicked to notice at first," I said. I didn't feel on edge near Wenna, even if she was a vampire or vampire beast. 

I saw her look back and study me. She looked over my clothes, at least I assumed, and then jumped up from the normal-sized king mattress. "Drake told me you couldn't get a costume, so what better time to offer you one than now." She stood over me and grabbed my arms. 

I flinched as she pulled me into a sitting position. I wobbled and kept myself steady when she let go of my wrists. 

"We look about the same body-wise, so you'll fit into anything I have. Let me get you some to choose from." She slightly squealed, "you'll be super cute!"

"You don't-" She ran to the walk-in closet across from her bed. It was the size of another room. I saw her disappear to a farther section and sighed. I kept my hands on the soft fabric of her cherry red comforter. Around her room were a lot of trophies and trinkets, a bookshelf, giant vanity, and nothing else too out of the ordinary. 

I felt better after shutting my eyes for a few minutes. Wenna's tweet tickled my ears. 

"Brought you a few of my favorites." 

She laid them out on the bed beside me. Each one was as revealing as the next. A nurse, a cat, a lot of the classics. The only one that looked good out of all of them was a cheerleader outfit that looked like it was from sucker chainsaw, yet it was still WAY too showy. 

"Oh-uh-" The happy look on her face kept me from telling her. Wenna, I'm sorry. I can't wear any of these. 

Her violet-red softened, "you don't like any of them, do you?"

I shook my head, "it's not that I don't like them. I-they're not my style...do you have anything..." I felt bad for asking. "Any costumes that don't show too much skin?"

I hoped I didn't offend her. She put a hand up to her chin and hummed. "Hmm. Well-" She gave a soft laugh. "It is silly and a little old, but it should fit you. Hold on!"

She got all of them in her hands again and ran back to her closet, holding the clothes. 

She came out with the costume. "It'll make it easy to spot ya." She said as she brought the shimmering suit to me. It looked like it would fit regardless of its smaller size. It's orange and cute... I thought to myself. I didn't want to wear it either. 

"This is the only one like this that you have?"

"Mhm." She placed it down in my lap. It was long. 

The giant googly eyes rested and looked up at me. I pet my hand along the scales and sighed.

"Okay, thank you, Wenna...I guess I'll be a giant fish."

...

Thank you for reading! :D Have a gouda day! (Nonnegotiable, if you're lactose intolerant, you're about to be in a lot of pain, sorry, not sorry. Lol).

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What I’d do for a Livable Income (Synopsis/Chapter - List)

[louvay]

Elliot x Finn. Rated E. You know, my magnum opus of a ship(wreck)!

"Give up, Sir." The insufferable nobleman sneers, glaring condescendingly at the petrified knight at his feet. How nice. He has long wanted to see this knight crumble—the blue-haired knight's presence irritates him, and... oh, dear gods. Green leaf like that, but trusted a lot. Leonsterians are laughable, as he concludes; because no way he's going to forget how carefree this doofus has been. Orbiting around Lachesis... his Lachesis! He has never seen the Nordion princess so alive before. He cannot forget the icy glares the blond siblings reserve for him, and seems to be only for him alone.

"I do not yield." The knight replies fervently. Elliot hates how Finn defies him even then. Not knowing his place then, and not knowing his place now.

"You will." With a grin, Lord Elliot commands his men to net the defeated knight in. Sir Finn winces as his lance is kicked off his feeble hands, angry yet understanding he cannot delay his capture. He looks away when Heirhein troops push him forward and bind his wrists. "Now I'm unstoppable. What should I do with your corpse? Thrown into the sea? Hmm?"

"Hey, this isn't explicit enough. You said the rating will be explicit to make even Ao3 blush!" a Heirhein troop yells. The author yawns. She knows she can do worse without glasses... with (worse) typos and grammatical errors.

「闭嘴。」

Heirhein troops, regrettably, cannot use the internet to Google. Their internet money is again used to buy Elliot's hair gel.

"Finish me off," Finn taunts. "If I must die, let me do so with honor."

"Why did you speak like that insufferable casserole son of a fucking mistletoe?" Elliot yells. "Is it enough that you hovered so close to Lachesis, but also so close to my mind and biceps?!"

"L-Lord Elliot?"

"Maybe you shouldn't die. Maybe you can lay some strawberries, like a chicken."

"Like a plant, milord."

"Ah! Chickens aren't vegan, are they?"

"Nay, milord."

"Plant! Oh, genius! Now we have an answer to make the internet happen... and I'll still get my hair gel!" Elliot announces. "I explicitly like this plan so bigly. Bing bing, my lovely. Very explicit. Real explicit. Ultimately explicit."

"But I thought I also explicitly told you that you're so insufferable and maidenless?" Finn frowns.

"Not anymore if you be my damsel, innit?" Elliot announces. "Yes... you can be my queen. Queen of 5G tower. Bigly."

"But what about my duty?" Finn asks.

"Your duty? But my darling audacious dweeb, you'll be rich at thirty and can retire early! Then we'll ride a gondola and invade Nordion together," Elliot says. "Oh, my... your arms must be tired. Let's not tie you up any longer."

"But I'm tied to a contract?" Finn strerches his newly-freed arms.

"Yes!" Elliot nods enthusiastically.

"Against my will?"

"But you're young. What do you need a will for?"

"Ah!" Finn gasps like a paleolithic maiden. "Now I love you."

"Perfect! Whose IP address we'll track first?" thus Elliot bridal-carries Finn into Heirhein castle, and the two live happily ever after. Legend says their superhuman offspring is named Melon Husk.

Bravo. Simply outstanding!

From the beginning of the battle against Herhein to the realization that chicken is indeed vegan to then at the end, the siring of the musk by the two knightly couple, it is safe to say that I have been moved to tears. The greeks believed that a tragedy was truly a comedy, I am therefore inclined to believe in the romans

[christianslaterreview]

Way of the Wicked (2014) dir. Kevin Caraway

Synopsis:

Christian Slater portrays an excommunicated priest who has been tracking and studying a young man named Robbie after Robbie mysteriously killed one of his peers when they were both children. Father Henry (Slater) believes Robbie to be an incarnation of some cosmic and spiritual Evil that he subsequently dedicates five years of his life to researching. Vinnie Jones, portraying the town's local detective, joins forces with Father Henry to stop Robbie from wreaking demonic havoc after Robbie becomes the prime suspect in a murder of a local high school boy.

Review:

Christian Slater's ability to give a convincing performance despite a total lack of compelling dialogue, well developed characters, engaging cinematography, and an overall concise and trackable plot was the only small mercy that helped make this 1 1/2 hour film feel like 3hrs instead of 6.

My first disappointment was how little screentime Slater actually got during the course of the movie. With his face displayed on every poster and with every summary claiming Slater "stars" in the film, Slater probably only got about ten minutes of screen time total. Although every character felt entirely undeveloped even by the third act, Father Henry, despite being one of the characters with the most narrative potential, was regrettably left by the wayside for much of the film; only hopping on screen for a minute or two at a time to help quickly advance the plot. Every brief scene he was in his only purpose was to toss convenient morsels of context and information for the rest of the characters to wax expositional about in the next few scenes.

Father Henry is the first face that we see in the movie, but he spends the first and second act being a peeping Tom; never fully in shot and spying on all the other characters through leaves just to make sure the audience hasn't forgotten this character that has yet to be useful.

It's only after the plot begins to accelerate that Father Henry steps in with information about the evil entity, which the audience should have been provided in the beginning. Slater portrays one of the most interesting characters in the movie, but none of it is ever explored or used as a narrative point of view to create emotional stakes. We find out that Father Henry was exiled from the church (probably for his beliefs about Robbie) and has spent the last five years of his life consumed by his obsession with Robbie. But none of this is mentioned more than in passing! Additionally, he's just a bad fucking researcher, and for someone who should be an "expert" on whatever evil is inside Robbie (or is Robbie?) he sure does get himself easily killed off by being fucking strangled by his garish, solid gold rosary that's 9x bigger than it has to be.

His death scene was supremely disappointing 1) because I never want Christian Slater's characters to die duh, but 2) because it was tensionless, unnecessary, and over in the blink of an eye. His meaningless death only served to seal Father Henry as an impotent, half baked character although he was advertised as being some badass demon killer with explosions going on behind him.

aside: if this movie had focused solely on Father Henry and closely followed his character arc throughout the story, the plot twist reveal and his death would have been so much more emotionally impactful and compelling.

Besides the shortcomings of Father Henry in terms of character development, the writers did the audience a further disservice by making him the sole vehicle by which we get information about the evil.

For instance, when he meets up with detective Elliot he can't provide a clear answer to any one of Elliot's questions nor can he seem to provide any actual evidence of his claims (he just keeps repeating shit about how these "dates line up"). So, after impressing on Elliot that time is running out, he gives the detective volumes of assigned reading to do since he's incapable of explaining what he has devoted five years of his life to.

aside: the complete lack of any indications of organization and research (margin notes, highlights, color coded tabs, a goddamn corkboard with pictures and string) by Father Henry were some of the details this film was missing that made it feel so depthless and cheap.

As I said above, Slater's performance was the saving grace of this movie (only because I love him sm), which really is saying something as there wasn't really a well of rich dialogue or captivating cinematography for him to use (every shot of this movie was so boring and straightforward. The whole thing was visually reminiscent of a reality TV show). All the other actors performances were tolerable and probably would have improved considerably if the script was better. Almost all of the movie is tedious, expositional dialogue, resulting in all the characters feeling rehearsed. I didn't form any kind of attachment to any of the characters because each of them felt so formulaic and contrived. And I know it's not his fault, but I can't take Vinnie Jones seriously with his accent and he'll always ruin every serious role he's in (sowwy Vinnie).

Sadly, the backstory that actually got the most exposé was the obviously cloying backstory of detective Elliot's wife and Heather's mom (whose name we don't even learn) who died when Heather was a child. The mother's death does become relevant late in the third act of the film, but its reason is as convoluted and half baked as the rest of the film.

Which I think is my main issue with this movie: there is no trackable plot, defined stakes, or clear point of view. The movie begins with a scene that takes place while Robbie is still a boy, right after the murder of one of his peers. Father Henry opens the film by questioning Robbie and his mother about the incident, clearly convinced that Robbie murdered the other boy with his powers. After the opening, I was expecting the movie to follow Father Henry throughout. Showing us his research, giving us a consistent storyline to follow, providing us with a character to invest in to give the film more depth, etc. But no, the plot jumps forward in time five years (the time jump also wasn't super clear to me, but that could have just been because I was high) when Robbie has moved back into town and then jumps back and forth between Heather's, detective Elliot's, and Father Henry's respective storylines. The result is jarring cuts and sporadic shifts in pacing. Certain scenes seem to drag on forever although they're contributing nothing to the plot while pivotal moments feel rushed and secondary.

Overall, the plot felt like following the writer's train of thought, darting back and forth between plot points to fill in the holes left earlier. Rather than using Father Henry to establish the signs and clues the audience should be looking out for and following (such as the "two angels"), he just keeps popping up every two scenes to give information we should have had right off the bat. The whole "two angels" shit doesn't come in until the last fucking five minutes of the film, but this crucial part of his research is never explained in the start nor even really at the end. It could have been a clue that would have kept the audience guessing and interested, ultimately setting up the plot twist at the end. But nope, this shit that Father Henry should have memorized like his own address, he can't even bother to explain until the scene before it becomes relevant (if we get even that much notice).

In the end, we're never really given any info from Father Henry about what precisely this Evil is, why it chose Robbie, what ancient texts predict it, or even what the hell this demon thing wants. The stakes just seem to be that Robbie's going to do somethin' bad. He isn't even given a lazy motivation like "he wants to end the world" or "he needs a womb to spawn his demon army." We literally have no clue what the specific stakes are, which in turn, means that Father Henry and Elliot have no plan on how to stop him. They just kind of stalk Robbie and threaten him. There's no exorcism they need to perform or esoteric ritual they need to perform to banish him to The Demon Realm™️. The only concrete info we're given is that two angels are supposed to be relevant somehow ("one of the stone and one of the flesh") and somehow Father Henry knows the two angels are the stone angel at the cemetery and Heather herself. Unsurprisingly, he does not offer any evidence of why he thinks that is. We also never really know what qualifies as an "angel" since neither Heather nor the statue are celestial benevolent beings. This is one of the many things that could have been established at the start of the film, giving the audience a puzzle to solve.

And then there's the plot twist.

The plot twist you had to know was coming because this film had no choice but to make one last, desperate grab for the audience's imagination within the last two minutes. Ooooh shit ooo ahhhwooww oh fuck hoooo mybiggiantbrain is explodinggg because Heather was the Evil THE WHOLE TIME AHHHHHH !!!!!

This is the shit that really offends me. I can't believe the audience is deliberately mislead with zero clues that allude to the truth and then we're shit all over with a cheap underwhelming plot twist that never previously existed in the story or actors' performances until the moment of the reveal. If you're gonna do a plot twist, you have to unveil the story in front of the audiences eyes while sincerely attempting to mislead them, all while giving them a chance to discover the twist for themselves! Audiences don't like being tricked, they like being surprised.

God knows I love going back and trying to find all the things I missed that I could have noticed the first time around. Even better, I love when I pick up on them and end up predicting it correctly.

But in Way of the Wicked, the audience isn't given any of this. From the start, the story is played out exactly like Robbie is the anti-christ (or whatever), and the audience who hasn't been given any information, has no choice but to blindly believe the director. But in the end, our trust is shit all over and our intelligence insulted by a cheap "gotcha" ploy that we didn't even have a chance of besting. Even worse, the plot twist adds nothing to the story or the characters at all. Already I don't care about any of them because we've barely gotten to know anyone, so I still don't care about the plot twist because I was never invested to begin with.

Then literally a minute after the reveal, the movie "wraps up" and it's curtains. Detective Elliot straight up murders Robbie and the only tying up of that loose end we get is him nearly inaudibly explaining to another officer that it was self defense as we zoom out into an arial shot. And that's it. We have no idea how Elliot deals with his daughter being a fucking demon or if Heather's mom's death had anything to do with it or not.

This actually could have been an interesting story and it probably could have actually been a horror movie as Way of the Wicked was advertised (lmao) if they had any idea how to organize a plot, write dialogue, and create compelling visuals. Instead Kevin Carraway gave us a teen drama about a young woman navigating a life in high school after the death of her mother, which just so happens to take place while this wild af demon shit be happening.

Way of the Wicked gets a total of 0 Slaters out of a possible 10 Slaters. For no fault of Christian's by any means though. I was prepared to give it 3 Slaters but then they killed off Father Henry so I was pissed whoops

[gwyynbleidd-a]

〈   @aniimvs​ asked:  [ squash, pumpkin, lemon ]  〉        ↳ source ︰ accepting  

Two of these have been answered, but they’re queued, so I’ll just copy&paste them here. *

Squash: a muse you’d date in real life? *

I really had to think about this one. If Andrew didn’t have a gambling problem, I’d say him. So I’d probably date Imogen, Amaryllis, or Harley. Imogen is super kind, intelligent, creative, and patient, but enjoys having her own space. Amaryllis because once you get past her deep dislike of humans (since I -- regrettably -- am one, that poses an issue at first), she’s this cute, feisty bundle of passion, and I love that. Plus, she could probably help me with my chronic migraines. Harley -- well, she’s been my wife since 1999 so that’s just a no brainer.

Pumpkin: a muse you’d hate in real life? *

Lannan, because he’s just fun to party with, but beyond that he’s an easily angered, impatient mess. Also Quinn. I hate when people try to take on a parental role with me. If you didn’t birth me or raise me, acting as if you did will get under my skin real quick. Oh, I’d hate Darrec, too. He overcompensates for his insecurities by being arrogant and I hate that. More often than not, I refer to him as a crybaby bitch boi.

Lemon: muse who would be the least fun at a party?

Elliot. He wouldn’t want to be there in the first place. If it was a party consisting of a lot of loud music, over drinking, and people below the age of 40, then Hannibal, too. 

[svushipswap]

The 2017 SVU ShipSwap FAQ

Schedule for the 2017 SVU Ship Swap:

Now thru October 6: Organization, planning & promotion of the exchange

October 6: Ship Nominations Open

October 20: Ship Nominations Close

October 21: Sign Ups Open

November 4: Sign Ups Close

November 6: Assignments sent (if not sooner)

December 18: Assignments due

December 25: Collection Opens (if any/all pinch hits are completed)

December 31:  Authors/artists revealed

What is the SVU Ship Swap?

The SVU Ship Swap is a fanworks exchange dedicated to relationships in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit tv series. Every participant in the exchange is to make a gift for another participant, and matches will be made based on each individual’s requests and offers.

Gifts are to be either an entirely new fan fiction story of 500 words or greater in length, or a complete piece of original fan art (digital or hand-drawn) featuring at least one requested ’ship.

Ships for this exchange can be of both the friend and family dynamic (“&” ships) or romantic/sexual  dynamic (“/” ships). Canon, fanon, crossover and OC ships will all be welcome (read below for further details.)

While this Tumblr blog will be used for organizational purposes, answering questions and administrative announcements, the exchange itself will be hosted and run at Archive of Our Own (AO3). We will be using AO3’s automated system for nominating eligible pairings, matching requests and offers, the posting of final works, and also revealing all stories and art at the same time.

How will the exchange work?

The SVU Ship Swap will begin with a ’ship nomination period of two weeks. Approved ’ships will then be eligible for requesting and offering during the sign-up period. Requests and offers will be matched using AO3’s gift exchange software and assignments then sent out.

You will have at least six weeks to create and post your work to the AO3 collection for the exchange, where it will not be revealed to other participants until the reveal date. A week after works are made publicly viewable, the creators of all works will be revealed (unless you choose before then to orphan your work for any reason and remain an anonymous gifter.)

What is an eligible ship for this exchange?

Ships which will be eligible for the exchange include:

Ships featuring canonical SVU characters who have appeared in any episode. Regular, recurring and guest characters all qualify. The ships themselves do not have to be canon, so pairings such as Olivia Benson/Brian Cassidy and Olivia Benson/Amanda Rollins would both be equally eligible.

Ships featuring a canonical SVU character in a relationship with an original character (OC). (However, requests can not be made for specific OCs previously written, either by the requestor or the offering author.) You can specify in your request if you want an Original Male Character (OMC), Original Female Character (OFC), or are fine with either or prefer a non-binary Original Character (OC).

Crossover ships featuring at least one character from the SVU universe. Participants will be limited in how many crossover ships they request/offer vs. non-crossover ships, to ensure fewer matching problems, but this year there will be no restrictions on which characters can be requested in a crossover ship. (So, requests like “John Munch & Lennie Briscoe (Law & Order)” and “John Munch/Jack Harkness (Torchwood)” would be equally allowed.)

Are threesome ships eligible?

Yes, you will be able to nominate, request and offer threesomes for this exchange (example: Mike Dodds/Sonny Carisi/Rafael Barba).

Are Real Person Fic (RPF) ships eligible?

No. While the organizer of this exchange has no problem with RPF in general, this exchange is exclusively for the characters of SVU, not the actors involved in its production. So Elliot/Oiliva is fine; Chris/Mariska will not be approved.

If a request is for a “/ ” ship, does it have to feature romance and/or explicit sex?

A romantic/sexual relationship is the implied default for “/” ships in this exchange.  If you match on a “/” request that you offered, the requested relationship should be the focus of the work in some fashion and in a romantic/sexual context. It does not have to feature explicit sexual content, however.

Likewise, if you match on an “&” ship, there should be NO romantic or sexual relationship implied in your story.

So, the request for “John Munch/Odafin Tutuola” would be for those characters in a sexual/romantic relationship. “John Munch & Odafin Tutuola” would be a request for friendship/partnership-only works.

Can other SVU ships appear in what I write or the art I create?

Yes, you can include or reference other ships as long as the requested ship is the central focus of the story. Also be mindful of requesters’ “Dear Author” letters or optional details, to see if there are any ships they explicitly do not like/are NOTPs for them and would prefer not to see mentioned at all in the background of their gift.

What are the nomination limits, and why must ships be nominated before they will be eligible?

Everyone will be allowed to nominate eight (8) ships for the exchange (although only TWO (2) of those requests can include a crossover character.) You will need an AO3 account in order to nominate ships, but participating in the nomination process does not commit you to participating in the exchange.

Once a ship has been nominated and approved once, it does not need to be nominated by anyone else. The list of accepted nominations will be publicly viewable so you can check that list before submitting your own nominations.

Nominations are required in order to:

Make sure all pairings are listed in a consistent format for matching purposes—full character names in a certain order instead of ship “smushnames”, for instance. (Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson, not “Barson”).

Make sure all requests meet the eligibility requirements of the exchange.

Limit requests and offers to ships within a defined tag set.

How many ships must I be willing to request during sign-ups?

You must request a minimum of three (3) and up to a maximum of ten (10) ships in order to ensure we’ll be able to make matches. That means if there is well and truly only one ship in SVU that you are interested in, this may not be the exchange for you. We cannot guarantee that you will only receive works for that one ship of your heart.

One out of every three requests you make can be for crossover ships. So if you make 9 requests, 3 of them can be crossover ships. If you make 6 requests, 2 of them can be crossover ships.

You can count both the “&” and “/” versions of a ship as two separate requests. Example: “Amanda Rollins & Olivia Benson” and “Amanda Rollins/Olivia Benson” could count as two of your three requests, if you would be happy receiving either friendship or romantic fic about them.

With each ship you request, you will be able to indicate if you are interested in receiving fic, art, or either. You will also be able to include optional details such as specific prompts you might have in mind, story or art ideas, and general likes/dislikes, or you can link to an external “Dear Author” letter (just be sure it is publicly viewable!) 

Please keep in mind that optional details are optional, and the person assigned to create a work for you is only required to

fulfill your basic ship request

honor any specific “Do Not Wants” you list

How many ships must I be willing to offer during sign-ups?

You must be willing to offer a minimum of four (4) and up to a maximum of ten (10) different ships. Part of the fun of participating in an exchange like this is to challenge or push yourself to create outside of your usual comfort zone. If there is only one ship you are at all comfortable writing or creating art for, this may not be the exchange for you. However you might wish to submit treats for requestors (see below for more information).

With each ship you offer you will be able to indicate if you are able to create fic, art, or either for it and that will be included in the matching process.

What are the matching requirements?

You will be matched on at least one ship, and the medium requested/offered for it. You have the option to create for any of your match’s requests, whether or not you originally offered it.

You only have to create a work for ONE of your assignee’s requests. If your assignee requested five (5) different ships, you do NOT have to write five different stories. However, you can do so if you really feel inspired! Extra treats are always welcome.

What if no one requests the ships I’ve offered in my sign-up?

Then I will contact you directly to ask if there are any other ships you are willing to offer. If not then regrettably I will have to remove your sign-up from the exchange and you will not be able to receive a gift.

Can I edit my gift after the submission deadline?

Yes, you can edit it even after you have uploaded it to the AO3 collection. But, you must still have a complete gift posted by the submission deadline that meets the minimum word count (or is a finished work of art). I will go through the collection to make sure placeholders are not simply uploaded without sufficient content.

What if I can’t finish my gift by the deadline?

If you cannot finish then you will be in default. If you know before the deadline you will not be able to complete the assignment then please let the admin (that’s me) know immediately so I can send out your assignment to a pinch hitter.  If your gift is not uploaded by the deadline then your assignment will be sent out for a pinch hit as well. The goal is to make sure everyone has some kind of gift that meets minimum requirements by the time the collection goes live.

If you default on your assignment and the person you were assigned to has also defaulted, then your assignment will not go out for a pinch hit.

What is a pinch hit, anyway?

Pinch hits are assignments where either the author/artist has defaulted, or were not matchable to begin with. Pinch hits will be posted to this blog such that anyone who wishes can offer to take on that assignment (either in addition to their initial one, or without having previously signed up for the exchange.) Pinch hitters will not receive a gift for their contribution (beyond whichever gift they may have initially been matched on.)

I defaulted last year. Am I still able to sign-up this year?

Yes. Because we made no specific rules last time regarding bans/make-up assignments for those who defaulted, everyone gets amnesty this year :)

I’m not sure I want to commit to participating, but I’d like to try to offer some extra gifts to participants. Will “treats” be allowed?

Yes! All requests made will be publicly viewable at A03 as soon as sign-ups open. You will be able to browse through them, and if you choose, submit “treats” of whatever kind you wish, be it more fics (of no word count minimum), art, graphics, vids, etc. Consider this a fest to celebrate all possible shippy goodness on SVU!

I don’t have an AO3 account!

The admin has several invite codes she would be happy to give out to any interested participants who might need one. You can also put in a direct request for an invite code at http://archiveofourown.org/invite_requests and you should receive one within several days’ time.

Anything else I should know?

One thing the admin would like to make clear from the start: NO SHIP HATE WILL BE ALLOWED. This exchange is to celebrate popular ships, rare ships, controversial ships, new ships, old ships and all ships in between on SVU. Please do not sign up just to write fic bashing another person’s ship or somehow troll the exchange and its participants. If you do you will be permanently banned from any current or future participation in the SVU Ship Swap.

I’m confused/still have a question not covered here.

Then please use the Ask box to contact the admin, and I will reply either privately or publicly depending on your preference/if I feel the question is a good one to share/address with other possible participants.

[tommy-shepherd]

Kith and Kin

Read on ao3

Swan/Skov

Chap. 1/?

Skov doesn't have a good relationship with his family, so Swan invites him over to meet his instead.

“Fucking cold in here. Piece of shit weather.” Skov mumbles, haphazardly pulling his favorite purple hoodie over his head from where he had retrieved it from its spot on the floor. There’s a draft coming in through the cracked window in the bedroom, but his stupid boyfriend runs hot and he knows better than to close it fully or he’ll have to hear Swan complain about it literally forever. Tugging the sweatshirt down over his hips with a final shake of his head, Skov stomps out of the bedroom and throws himself onto the couch. When he does, Swan looks over with a knowing grin. Skov flips him off.

“Fuck you.”

“I didn’t say anything.” And the asshole has the gall to laugh, Skov kicks him in the thigh, but regrettably it’s not hard enough to bruise.

“You didn’t have to. I know what you’re thinking.” Swan laughs again.

“We’ve been together too long.” He pauses, running a hand back through his hair before he motions for Skov to move closer to him and then pats his lap. “C’mere.” The smaller boy quirks a questioning brow but he shifts, lifting himself off the couch and rotating until he’s seated on his boyfriend’s lap, straddling his thighs. There’s a long moment of silence where neither boy says anything, Swan just staring at the smaller with a dopey smile on his face. Skov scowls.

“Yes?” Another beat of silence. Swan shakes his head fractionally.

“I love you.” And when he speaks, Swan’s voice is calm and steady and sure. His fingers tangle in the soft curls of white hair that tickle the nape of Skov’s neck and he tilts the boy’s face up gently to meet his gaze. Skov wonders how such large, strong hands can be so very capable of such tenderness.

Still, with furrowed brows, Skov smiles in return, soft and certain though he resists the urge to roll his eyes and break the moment of vulnerability between them. They deserve the tranquil bliss of here and now, sitting together in near silence with nothing but their adoration for each other.

“I love you, too,” His voice is nearly a whisper, but Skov is proud of himself for leaving off his usual bite. He grins, holding back the laughter that threatens to bubble out of him at any moment with the confession. There’s no joke here, but he doesn’t remember the last time he’s felt so completely good and it’s overwhelming. Swan grins back at him, thumb brushing across the small star tattooed on his boyfriend’s cheek, pressing against it like it was his own personal brand on the boy.

After that, they both lean in, unconsciously, naturally, whatever it may be, it’s a chemistry they’re used to, one that comes without thought or effort. Their kiss is unusually sweet, simple, chaste, as far as they’re concerned. It’s also short lived. The next time their lips meet it’s with renewed fire, a bruising force, a bite. Skov’s arms wrap around his boyfriend’s broad back and in return he’s tugged closer by the hands now cupping his face. He lets out a pleased hum in reward. They press themselves as close together as possible, lips, chests, hips, trying to become one shared existence. Swan never gets bored of the feeling, he shifts, one arm around his small boyfriend's waist as he flips them, leans over, caging his boyfriend in and pressing him into the plush cushions. Skov rolls his hips and moans. Swan deepens the kiss as the other boy parts his lips with the sound. It's perfect. It’s the feeling of running his tongue along the cool metal balls of Skov’s tongue piercings, of feeling them clack against the back of his teeth, and the feeling that action sends through his entire body. Both boys pull away to breathe.

"Fuck," Skov laughs. "Love makes you so horny." It's a tease, but as usual, Swan only smiles, his thumbs going back to stroking Skov's cheeks and the look in his eyes is soft enough to make the smaller boy squirm underneath him.

"You make me horny," Swan counters without heat. "I just happen to love you so fucking much." Skov bites his lip, watching his boyfriend watch him.

"You wanna make love to me, Alex?" The question is accompanied by a shit eating grin. Make love, a cheesy phrase neither boy employs when describing sex, even when it’s with each other. A beat. Then both boys burst out laughing.

When they have control of their senses again, Swan leans down, another soft kiss and he mumbles yet another confession against Skov's lips.

"Yeah. I really do."

The next morning, Swan wakes up in bed alone. When he first opens his eyes, stretching his long limbs out, his hand lands on empty mattress rather than the warm body of his boyfriend. His brows pull together and he closes his eyes again, yawning as he scratches the bare skin of his belly, fingers brushing the coarse hair trailing under the waistband of his pajama bottoms. He can hear the muffled sound of his boyfriend’s voice from the other side of their bedroom door and he listens to the sharp cadence of it for a few more minutes as he toes the line between wake and sleep. When he opens his eyes again, the LCD display of his clock reads 8:37 AM in bright green. Just the fact that the other is awake is a warning sign itself, but Skov is loud in the other room again, tone strained though Swan isn’t able to decipher his words. With a sigh, Swan hauls himself out of bed, eyelids still heavy and feet dragging on the carpet.

Making his way out of the room and past the kitchen, Swan finds Skov curled up on the couch. He’s wearing sweat shorts and one of Swan’s old camp t shirts and a scowl that could probably scare off Medusa herself. He’s on the phone though, so Swan stays silent, sitting on the couch beside his boyfriend as he tries to rub the remnants of sleep from his eyes. Skov is quiet again, back to listening to the voice on the other end of the line but he’s clearly itching to say something, sharp words always ready on his tongue. Swan reaches out and takes one of his boyfriend’s hands, thumb brushing over scarred knuckles in slow circles. Skov doesn’t resist, but he doesn’t return the affection either.

“Mom,” He says instead, voice tight, though it’s clear, to Swan at least, that he’s trying to hide how irritated he is. His voice has taken on a tone of placid obedience reserved only for speaking to his parents but even that can’t completely dull the rebellious edge of the boy. ‘They don’t deserve him.’ Swan thinks, closing his eyes to rest his head back against the couch, but he knows that’s not his place to say. “I’m sorry. I did send flowers… Well, I thought you’d be at the resort in Kuala Lampur. …No, I didn’t ask. I’m sorry.”

There’s another pause and Skov squeezes his boyfriend’s hand hard enough that Swan can feel his own knuckles scrape together under his skin. The larger boy looks up and brings his boyfriend’s hand to his mouth, delivering open mouthed kisses to the swell of his knuckles instead. Skov gives him a withering look.

“I know. I know. Mom.” And his attention is back on the call in an instant. She must be reprimanding him now, because that tone of his slipped out and Mrs. Skov won’t tolerate that kind of disrespect from her son. Swan has seen that lecture in person, and it’s not a pretty one.

Skov’s brows furrow, creasing his smooth, tan skin. Swan thinks he hears a biting tone say Nikolai from the other end of the line, and the next time Skov speaks, his voice is a soft, almost whisper.

“I’m sorry. I’ll call more often. Yes. Okay. I will. Happy Mother’s Day. …Paalam.” He hangs up, hand falling to his side, but Swan stays silent, waiting to see where Skov stands emotionally. He waits for an explosion that doesn’t come. Skov just sits there, phone clenched tightly in his hand and Swan grows more concerned. His boyfriend is not quiet by nature, and while he doesn’t think always being angry is healthy, in this instance, he would have both expected, and welcomed it. The Skovs were some of the most frustrating parents Swan had ever encountered. And he went to a private boarding school full of rich boys with mommy and daddy issues.

“Elliot?” He tries after a few prolonged moments of silence. “You good?” It’s not the right thing to ask, he knows, and it’s not what he wanted to ask, but it comes out anyway.

Skov doesn't answer, though Swan watches the muscles in his neck twitch, his jaw clenches and he grinds his teeth angrily. It would be easier, Swan thinks, if Skov hated his parents. But for reasons many of them can’t understand, a parent’s lack of love does not equal the same in the child. Skov wants his parents’ affection, hell, he just wants their attention and even if maybe, they'll never really love him, never really care about him, Skov will struggle through his interactions with them and hurt himself over and over. Swan doesn’t get it.

His dad is absent at best and he doesn’t really lose much sleep over it. His mom is enough for him. Then again, he thinks, at least he has his mom. Neither of his boyfriend's parents make an effort to pretend to care, and when they do, it’s always for selfish occasions. Fundraisers, press dates, mother's day. If Nikolai Elliot Skov can't contribute to the family, then it's easier for them to ignore his existence until an occasion he’s needed arises again. He’s never really needed though, he just helps make a better impression, when they pretend to be a happy family. Swan hates Skov's parents with every fiber of his being.

"Elliot. Talk to me, babe." Skov throws his phone against the far wall in lieu of a reply. The case stops it from breaking (they’ve learned this is a must with all their phones) but it leaves a nasty mark on the plaster. Swan knows his boyfriend. The explosion was delayed, but there it was nonetheless.

"I'm fine," Is what the smaller boy manages to grind out after the momentary outburst. "It's just the same shit." That obedient tone is gone, but there is less anger than expected, as if he’s reigned himself in. Maybe that’s what the prolonged silence was; Skov slipping from one persona to the next. Obedient to rebellious to himself. Swan never takes Skov’s attitude seriously though, or at least, he never takes it to heart.

"Okay. …Okay. So you don’t wanna talk about it."

"No. I don’t." Swan sighs.

"Alright well. You're still coming with me to mom's right? The whole family is gonna be there, you know. Kinda a big deal…." He tries for a grin, it's half-hearted, but Skov barely glances at him to notice.

"I don’t really want-"

"Please, babe? Mom was really looking forward to seeing you. It would make her day." It’s an unfair card to play. None of them can say no to Ms. Swan— Jenni as she insisted they call her— and Skov is no exception. He loves Swan's mom. The smaller boy scowls.

"Fine. But I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for Jenni. Because it’s Mother's Day." This time when Swan grins, it's sincere.

"Of course.  And she'll thank you on both our behalves." Skov snorts at that and Swan is just glad to get some sort of positive reaction out of him. The smaller boy peals himself off the couch in a fluid motion but when he stands, it’s not to go retrieve his phone. Swan figures it'll stay where it is for the rest of the day, or at least until they leave.

"I need to shower. Is this a formal thing?" The way he says formal is almost a sneer and Swan smiles, standing as well. His boyfriend is so cute.

"Nah. Semi-formal maybe? I dunno. No running pants. But jeans are fine."

“My whole wardrobe is running pants.” He starts as he walks to the bathroom. “Jenni won’t mind.” Swan can’t help but roll his eyes, but the affection in his smile gives him away.

“Elliot. Real pants. For once.” Feigning a put upon sigh, Skov walks into the bathroom and begins to strip off his pajamas.

“Alex. Fuck off.” He turns on the shower, but even with his face mostly turned away from his boyfriend, Swan can see the smile tugging at his lips. “If you wanted a boyfriend who wore real pants, you should have dated someone else.”

Swan laughs from his spot in the open door way, watching the muscles of the smaller boy’s back flex and shift under tan skin. Skov is beautiful and Swan’s laugh is a bright, open sound. It’s a sound that Skov always finds comfort in even at his worst moments, something that shatters the walls he’s built and pulses in his veins in a way that even the music he creates can’t compare to. Swan is a grounding force, with the patience for Skov’s loud heart and his tenacity. Not many people can say that, and both are impressive skills to have. Skov thinks Swan might be too good for him sometimes, but he will take advantage of his boyfriend’s ignorance for as long as he can. In the meantime, he gets in the shower, hoping the hot water will melt away the excess of emotions he’s had to put up with today.

Its 9:13 AM when Skov finishes washing away his heart and begins to raid his own dressers for something appropriate to wear to the Swan family gathering. Alex, the Swan taking him to the gathering, is taking his own turn in the shower and is missing the moment’s dilemma, something the shorter boy is immensely grateful for at the moment. When he had said that all he owned was jogging pants, it hadn’t necessarily been a lie. Though he does own other types of clothes, none of them are exactly what he would consider a ��nice family’ to find presentable for an event like this. He has his formal clothes of course, but Skov only wears button ups for his parents, whether to see them, or as a duty to them, and not even his desire to impress the women that make up the Swan family will change that.

With a grumble, Skov tosses another pair of track pants over his shoulder. He debates the merits of drop crotch joggers for a conflicted moment before tossing those aside too. Swan had said jeans. Skov has a few pairs, but they’ve all got rips and tears and holes, most of them intentional.

“Uggghhhhhh.” Letting out a loud groan, Skov tugs at his own hair, shoves everything back in the drawer and tugs at the next one over. He pulls out a pair of washed out, blue jeans, skinny legged and soft. The only tears are at the knees with a third across his right thigh and the boy figures that’s probably going to be as good as it gets. After that, it’s not too hard. He pulls on a large white tee, one of Swan’s, a marbled gray sweatshirt and his army print jean jacket. He feels comfortably like himself, but he also feels like he might present as a reasonably decent human being. With a self-approving nod, Skov steps into his gray high top Adidas and waits for Swan to finish in the shower.

[jaketism]

@vegaschapters tagged me so i guess we’re doin this rules: answer 17 questions and tag 17 people you want to get to know better nickname: elliot, el zodiac sign: virgo height: 5′10″ or 11″ hogwarts house: slytherin or ravenclaw or hufflepuff if you believe my old math counts coach. i never really got a confirmation either way and i dont care anymore last thing i googled: court street cinemas showtimes (im goin on a date yall!!!) song stuck in my head: i don’t wanna be funny anymore by lucy dacus following: 310 followers: 256 amount of sleep i get: 7.5 on a good night, 3 on a bad one. 12+ on weekends lucky numbers: 3 dream job: medical examiner wearing: a red tee shirt with a bunny skull and boxers (im still in my pajamas) favorite songs: uhhh night shift by lucy dacus, first love / late spring by mitski, that time by regina spektor, clean slated state by the altogether, 64 little white things by cake bake betty, the predatory wasp of the palisades is out to get us by sufjan stevens, eggplant emoji by king and queen of the losers, paracetamol by declan mckenna, california friends by the regrettes instruments: guitar, bass, ukulele, piano (lmao same as maddie) i also used to play violin and i guess i kinda sing. random fact: i have a plastic dinosaur with a little scottish boy doll’s head on my windowsill, his name is edmund. aesthetics: @elliotsaesthetics has most of em. i don’t want to tag 17 people because i think its a bit annoying (not that im annoyed i was tagged maddie lmao) but if u see this and want to do it go ahead and pretend i tagged u.

[vinylbay777]

Week in Review: New Songs / Music Videos You Need to Check Out (February 10-16, 2019)

A lot of new music is released over the course of any given week. So much so that it can be hard to keep up with all of it.

This week was no different, as there was a lot going on when it came to new songs and music videos. We got new pop collaborations from Avril Lavigne & Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry & Zedd. Kacey Musgraves and St. Vincent followed up their respective Grammy successes with new music videos. There was a lot of new pop-punk singles from the likes of Stand Atlantic, The Interrupters, Escape The Fate, Andy Black and With Confidence. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, has once again been scouring the internet to find the best new songs and music videos from the past week. Here are eight (and a few more) tracks from the last seven days we know you’ll love as much as we do.

1.       Stand Atlantic, “Toothpick”: A slow, contemplative song about her silent suffering, “Toothpick” really shows the depth of the band’s sound. Instead of the big pop-punk guitars and loud melodies, the song lets the words speak. Frontwoman Bonnie Frasier’s voice is very vulnerable against the acoustic-like melody of the electric guitar. (video)

2.       Avril Lavigne feat. Nicki Minaj, “Dumb Blonde”: Lavigne reclaims her headstrong musical persona on her latest single “Dumb Blonde.” A mix of chanted verses and sung choruses, the song is a proud anthem for those who don’t want to conform. Sure it’s simplified, but it’s also very catchy and easy to sing along with. Minaj’s involvement is a bit of a question mark, as one of the main lyrics in the song is “I’m not your stupid Barbie doll” and she has called herself a Barbie many times in the past (and in this song, go figure). (video)

3.       The Regrettes, “Pumpkin”: With 50s girl-group harmonies and an alt-rockabilly feel, “Pumpkin” is a unique love song about finally understanding what love’s all about. It’s a seemingly timeless melody perfect for Valentine’s Day or your normal date night. (video)

4.       Kacey Musgraves, “Rainbow”: Fresh off her win for Album of the Year at the Grammys, Kacey Musgraves released a video for her latest single, “Rainbow.” The song is an uplifting country tune about things not always being as hard as they might seem now. Musgraves sings so delicately and sincerely on the track that you can’t help but be drawn in to the story. (video)

5.       GRiZ feat. Matisyahu, “A New Day”: The mix of Matisyahu’s laid-back melodic reggae and GRiZ’s electronic beats on “A New Day” is very pleasing to the ear. It doesn’t feel over-produced or dance-y. Instead, the electronic elements build off Matisyahu’s usual sun-drenched, uplifting sound and message. (video)

6.       Joey Graceffa, “Letting You Go”: YouTube sensation Joey Graceffa released a new single from his debut album this week and it’s a tearjerker. “Letting You Go” tells his personal story of his relationship with his mother, who fell victim to alcoholism and became a different person than he once knew. Paired with its video, the song will leave you feeling as heartbroken as he is. (video)

7.       Alyson Stoner, “Stripped Bare”: If you’ve ever wondered what happened to the child dancer from Missy Elliot’s early 2000s videos, she’s all grown up with a music career of her own. Alyson Stoner released a new single this week. “Stripped Bare” confronts Stoner’s child star past and takes her to a new level of self-understanding. Her voice is as clear and honest as her lyrics while the song’s melody is a catchy vehicle to get her message across. (video)

8.       The Interrupters, “Gave You Everything”: The Interrupters’ “Gave You Everything” is a fast-paced, energetic rock track full of ska-punk grit. Both the vocals and guitar-playing have this raw quality to them that make the song stand out. Not to mention it has a very catchy melody. (video)

Further Listening / Viewing:

1.       St. Vincent, “Masseduction” (video)

2.       Escape the Fate, “Do You Love Me” (video)

3.       Zedd & Katy Perry, “365” (video)

4.       Andy Black, “Westwood Road” (video)

5.       With Confidence, “Without Me (Paquerette)” (video)

6.       Jason Mraz, “Love Is Still The Answer”(video)

This week saw a lot of great new songs and music videos hit the web for our listening pleasure. Check out some of our favorite new tracks and let us know what you’ve been digging this week in the comments below.

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Discover music new and old at Vinyl Bay 777. As Long Island’s top new independent record shop, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a plethora of genres to satisfy most music tastes. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. Whether you’re looking to find something new to listen to or to rediscover the classics, we have you covered. And with more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.