#and as a way to set sullivan free

[simvanie]

Welcome to Hamlet's,

Hamlet's was a Jazz lounge, a speakeasy if you will, located in Willow Creek and owned by Gulshan Prasad in the 1920s. It was one of the most popular establishments in the area among local townsfolk for a night out, but as was the case with most of these businesses during the Prohibition era, not everything that happened there was legal. In order to keep his business safe, Gulshan, together with his close group of friends, tried to keep the federal law enforcers of the Bureau of Prohibition, also referred to by the locals as "Prohis" or "Dry Agents", as far away as possible. They were successful in doing this since they knew exactly who worked for the law enforcement agency or had close connections with them, until that one night when their cover was almost blown by letting someone in who would eventually end up becoming close friends with the group at Hamlet's in more ways than one.

Some background info on the characters:

Gulshan Prasad, "the bootlegger", is the owner of the lounge and is often found behind the bar (illegally) selling liquor and other alcoholic beverages. He also dabbles in making his own alcohol in his free time. Because of his job, Gulshan has learned to be quite charismatic and is always up for a good time. He loves to dance and this single man is well known among the local women for his footwork on the dancefloor.

Breanne De la Grange, "the singer", is a local Jazz and Blues singer with a flair for drama. She is a good childhood friend of Gulshan and is often found performing at Hamlet's. She is the one to look at whenever a distraction is needed and has already helped the group get out of sticky situations a couple of times.

Britney Phillips, "the supervisor", might as well be the co-owner of Hamlet's. She keeps track of all the finances and does a lot of work for the lounge behind the scenes. To her, Gulshan is like the son she never had and only wants the best for him. Britney knows a lot of people and she is often found scanning the room to see if anyone causes trouble or if she recognizes anyone who could possibly be a Dry Agent.

Sean Sullivan, "the hustler", was hired as a bouncer to keep rowdy people out of the lounge. He likes to gamble and uses this as a side hustle, putting most of the profits he makes into the lounge's funds.

Temperance, "the investigator", is just a local girl looking for a job to make some money. When a friend of a friend who worked for the law asked her if she wanted to help with an investigation to make some quick cash since she could easily get into Hamlet's without causing suspicion, she accepted the offer. The prohibition agents told her to pretend to be looking for a job as a waitress at the lounge and to give them information on anything she could find there. Everything was going according to plan when she walked into Hamlet's and took a seat at the bar, but the moment she locked eyes with Gulshan, she knew that helping the federal agents with their investigation was going to be a lost cause.

Lord Hamlet, "the lord", has the lounge named after him... He's just happy to be there.

If you're interested, I also recommend checking out my other post with the full set of screenshots for this little story featuring the Bioshock Art Deco custom content collab by @surely-sims, @lumenniveus, and @doctorsimcraft.

[thelastairsimblr]

Family Pack #4

I’m happy to share some sims with you all today! In this post, you’ll find 9 households (35 sims total), each with their own stories and biographies. All of these sims have additional Everyday outfits, skills, bonus traits, Likes and Dislikes, Turn Ons and Turn Offs, sexual orientations, pronouns, family dynamics, and Lifestyles. You can find them all on the gallery under my Origin ID: TheLastAirSimmer or in the tray files linked under the cut! As always, feel free to tag me if you end up using them.

Abreu

A respected food critic, Maria’s opinion is highly valued by all as the towns’ baked good connoisseur. Her husband Joaquin, a renowned pianist, is no exception; he worships the ground she walks on. Together, they project their creative outlooks onto their sons. Santiago, the eldest and a romantic, has the full support of his parents and wants to become a professional wedding photographer. Even though young Rémy feels he didn’t inherit his parents’ imagination, he still wants to make them proud.

Monaghan

As young parents, Stefan and Marianne sacrificed a lot. Stefan became a cop to support his family, but still gets caught up trying to relive his youth. Marianne longs for the day that she can quit her job at the local diner and become a singer. Both are worried that their burnout of a son Zack sets a bad example for the other boys. Soren just wants to play videogames all day while Tatum and Aria constantly argue. Meanwhile, poor attention seeking Hunter is at risk of falling through the cracks.

Larson

Quite the jazz singer in his day, Clive is desperate to find ways to stay relevant in the ever-changing music scene. Fiona, longing for the authentic soul who serenaded her years ago, knows she can inspire him again; she’s stood by him through a lot. But until then, you can find the melancholy art critic drinking to yesteryear at the bar. Jade dropped out of college to pursue a career in social media (much to Fiona’s discontent) while Candice is following the artistic path her parents paved.

Hollifield

As a teen, Whitney’s future looked bright. But she forfeited a lot of opportunities to pursue a whirlwind romance with a boy who had a dangerous edge. They were happy for a time, but it didn’t last and the only thing she kept from that relationship was her daughter Emma. She now works a lowly job in fast food while taking classes at Britechester, hoping to find a career in social media. Her days are busier as a working single mom, but Emma keeps herself entertained by befriending her neighbors.

Catton

Following the loss of her son to avoidable circumstances, Dottie found herself in the care of his two children. Filled with regret for not doing more for her son, the college professor watches the kids like a hawk! She’s keen on using her connections to better their lives. Temperamental Owen does well to make her proud with his grades, but he has an artsy side that he only shares with those closest to him. His little sister Bonnie would rather spend time making friends than studying though.

Qian

After founding a groundbreaking app, Shirong found a place among the company of the rich and powerful. His charming wife Meifing, quite the schmoozer at elite parties, is constantly looking for funding for her next big venture (while also being the go-to-girl for all the neighborhood gossip). Nuo chose to move home after grad school to save money, but is ready to leave and start her own law firm. Her younger brother Haoyu adds to her restlessness by barraging her with his antics.

Sullivan

Atticus’ dad Clifford, a retired veteran, supported his sons’ musical dreams fully, having raised him alone after his wife died. While roaming the world, Atticus met Elisa; a fashion guru with a fiery disposition. The pair had three children and Clifford moved in to help with the newborn. Like her dad, Lydia also wants to be an artist (whether if it’s for her love for acting or a desire to be in the spotlight remains to be seen) while Malicia, afraid of being unseen, finds relief in her friends.

Kingsley-Ramirez

Jaime and Paxton met/moved in together before they could actually get to know each other, both having been new to the city at the time with zero connections. They found themselves compatible not only as roommates, but eventually boyfriends as well! Jaime always puts others before himself; it shows in the passion he has for social justice causes he advocates for. Meanwhile, Pax works a parttime job at a small coffee shop, but is intent on putting himself through school to become a veterinarian.

Tanaka-Murdock

Nigel and Shannon met at Foxbury and developed feelings for each other during study sessions. Though Nigel was the only one to graduate, he admires Shannon for making the decision that was right for her. He enjoys being the breadwinner while Shannon follows her artistic instincts, though he wishes he had his wife’s free spirit. Shannon is quite hard on herself and works tirelessly until she makes something she’s proud of while their son Kason, while a quick learner, really just wants to play.

[beardedmrbean]

The Connecticut woman accused of locking up her stepson in a home prison for two decades was ordered Friday to wear an electronic monitor while she's free on bail.

Superior Court Judge Joseph Schwartz told defendant Kimberly Sullivan that the change in bail conditions shouldn't be viewed as a prejudicial signal in her case.

"I think putting GPS monitoring on her is appropriate to protect the public and to ensure that she comes," the judge said. 

"You are not guilty (now), you have the presumption of innocence. You will get a fair trial. The reason I put GPS monitoring on you has nothing to do with being guilty and shouldn't be interpreted that way."

Sullivan was arrested on March 12 in the wake of a Feb. 17 fire at her family’s home in Waterbury, southwest of Hartford.

The blaze was allegedly set by her stepson in a bid for freedom and when first responders arrive, they found the 5-foot-9, 68-pound captive, officials said.

The severely malnourished 32-year-old man had not received medical or dental care in years and had been subjected to “prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect and inhumane treatment,” police said.

The man used a lighter, hand sanitizer and some paper from a printer to start the fire, according to an affidavit in support of Sullivan’s arrest.

“I wanted my freedom,” the weakened man allegedly told police.

Sullivan posted bail a day after her arrest and defense attorneys have denied all allegation against their client.

The defense claims that the man was properly cared for and not prevented from leaving.

Sullivan has been charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, first-degree reckless endangerment and cruelty to persons.

[upat4amwiththemoon]

Can I get a station 19 fic that's Maya Bishop x reader but reader is Natasha's so because she's seen how reckless Maya can be she doesn't know if she likes her dating Maya. But eventually Maya proves she can be a good girlfriend.

-🤠

Sisterly protectiveness

Summary: Sisters are natural born protectors.

Pairing: Maya Bishop x Ross!reader, Natasha Ross x sister!reader

Warnings: none

Word count: 1244

a/n: wasn’t sure what relation you wanted to Natasha, so I made them sisters ! Hope that’s good

masterlists | guidelines

“You’re dating lieutenant Bishop?” Natasha stands in her place with her arms crossed over her chest, and a seemingly neutral look on her face. Although, Y/N that look is anything but neutral. “Maya Bishop of Station 19? Out of all the people in Seattle you started dating her?”

Letting out a sigh, Y/N shakes her head at her older sister’s words. “Yes, I am dating Maya. And I’m very happy with her.”

“But she’s so-“ she’s losing her resolve, steadily becoming more annoyed, “she’s reckless, Y/N. You haven’t seen her the same way I have.”

“I could say the same. I see how Maya is out of the job. She is sweet, and caring, and always treats me well.”

Natasha huffs. She knows she has no say when it comes to her sister’s relationship, but she can’t help herself, that’s her little sister after all, she basically raised her before going to army. “I’m still going to keep an eye on her. I don’t trust her with you.”

“Alright,” Y/N mumbles with a small giggle, “just please, don’t give her a hard time.” She gives Natasha a look, who just rolls her eyes and nods eventually. “Thank you.” Smiling, she makes her way out of her sister’s apartment.

Y/N walks into the station with a big box of food with her. What started out as bringing lunch or dinner to her girlfriend, ended up with basically feeding the whole Station 19 team. But she doesn’t mind, she knows they work hard and do long shifts, so cooking can sometimes be too tiring.

She makes her way upstairs, a big smile on her face when she sees most of the team hanging around the kitchen. “Dinner is here!” Y/N makes herself known.

Travis is the first one to walk over to her. “Our savior!” He takes the box and brings it to the kitchen counter so everyone can take their share of the food.

While the others are busy with the food, Maya comes over to hug and kiss Y/N. “Hi, my love.” She mumbles against her lips, a smile on her face.

“Hi.” Y/N giggles. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Maya’s hand rests on Y/N’s waist, her fingers stroking her side softly. “Chief Ross is here.” She mumbles, clearing her throat as she straightens her back, as if just speaking Chief Ross��� name would make her appear out of nowhere.

“Has she done anything?”

“No, just keeps giving me looks.”

Y/N hums, “go eat.” She mumbles, kissing Maya’s cheek while gently pushing her towards the kitchen counter.

They walk over to the others, Maya making herself a plate while Y/N starts talking to the others. She quickly grew close to the whole team after getting together Maya. The team almost became like a second family, besides Robert Sullivan, but that’s just the same sisterly protectiveness that Natasha has towards her.

Maya sits down next to her, one of her hands resting on Y/N’s thigh while she eats with her free hand. “You aren’t eating with us?” She glances at her when there’s a break in the conversations going on.

“I ate before I came, wanted my hardworking girlfriend to have more to eat.” She grins, her eyes very discreetly going over Maya’s muscles.

Maya always sees it, but she likes it.

“Chief Ross!” Victoria exclaims suddenly. “Join us for dinner? Y/N brought it for us.”

“No, thank you.” Natasha’s eyes are on Y/N and Maya, studying at the latter woman’s every single move, as she has does ever since she found out they’re dating.

As Maya notices this sharp look trained on her, she goes to move her hand away from Y/N, but Y/N sets her own on top if it, giving her a reassuring smile.

“Hi, Nat.” Y/N smiles. “I didn’t know you were here today.”

“I didn’t know you’d be here either.”

Rolling her eyes with a smile, Y/N leans against Maya. “I’m here practically every day.”

Letting out a hum, Natasha nods. “I won’t be here for long, just checking on things.” Her eyes going to the hand on her sister’s shoulder at the word things, making it very clear for the three of them what she is talking about.

There’s a small frown on her face, small enough for no one else to recognize it but Y/N. The touch looks very soft, and safe. It kind of makes her feel worse, she was hoping for something to prove that Maya is irresponsible.

When Chief Ross finally leaves, Andy turns to Maya and Y/N. “Did she know you two are together?”

“I told her some time ago.”

She raises her brows, a playful grin on her face. “How’d she take that?”

“Like any older sister would.”

Y/N paces around the entry of the station, Jack’s words going straight put of her mind as she stresses for Maya’s return.

The rest of the team, and Chief Ross, are putting out a larger than average fire, and according to the news stations, it hasn’t been going too well.

“They’ll be okay.” Jack assures, his eyes following Y/N’s movement. “We know how to handle these kind of things.”

He gets no answer, just more silent pacing.

Of course she knows that the team is very capable, but she can’t help worrying about them. She’s a doomscroller, she has read every article there is about huge fires which have taken multiple firefighters’ lives.

The garage door opens. Y/N lets out a breath, her worries aren’t completely gone, but she is out of her head enough to make her way to the garage.

Everyone looks tense as they get out of the fire trucks, but they all also look alive, that’s enough for Y/N to go straight to Maya and pull her into an embrace.

Natasha sees this. She takes a step forward, ready to intervene in case Maya snaps because of her less than ideal mood.

“Baby.” Y/N whispers, one of her hands burrowing into Maya’s hair while the other rubs her back.

Maya wraps her arms around Y/N’s waist, pushing her face into the crook of her neck. “I’m okay.”

“You’re okay.”

She gives small smiles to the others, glad that they all got away with minimal damage, but otherwise she keeps all of her attention on her girlfriend.

After a while, her eyes connect to Natasha, who is still standing on her place. “Go change. I’ll drive you home and to work tomorrow, yeah? So you can leave your car here.” She whispers, kissing Maya before the blonde makes her way upstairs where the rest of the team is.

“Are you okay?” Y/N throws her arms around Natasha’s neck, bringing her to a hug.

“Yeah,” Natasha lets out a breath, “everyone’s a little beat up, but they’ll survive.” She mumbles, pulling away. They stare at each other for a minute. “Listen, I’m sorry. For doubting Maya. She’s..good to you, and you are good to her.”

Y/N smiles. “She’s the greatest.” She whispers. “Will be able to take care of yourself if I go take care of Maya?”

“Of course. Go care for your girlfriend.”

Giving Natasha a one last hug, Y/N goes upstairs to sit beside Maya in the dressing room and waiting for her to get ready to go home.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Abby Monteil at Them:

A new Supreme Court case threatens to escalate LGBTQ+ book bans and, according to a new report in Vox, could potentially implement policies similar to Florida’s draconian “Don’t Say Gay” law in public schools across the United States. On April 22, the Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments for Mahmoud v. Taylor. The plaintiffs in the case — a group of six Christian and Muslim parents from Montgomery County, Maryland — seek to be notified if their elementary school-aged children are going to be taught LGBTQ-inclusive books, and to have the option to remove their children from classrooms where these books might be part of the curriculum, even as non-mandatory supplementary learning materials. The plaintiffs are represented by Becket, previously known as the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The Catholic legal group previously ran a full-page New York Times ad in support of California’s Proposition 8 — which outlawed same-sex marriage in the state — and represented a school that fired a 15-year veteran guidance counselor for being gay. The group is also listed on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s website as one of several “hardline groups promoting ‘religious freedom restoration acts’ to justify anti-gay discrimination.”

In 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) added six LGBTQ-inclusive books to its supplemental curriculum for pre-K through fifth grade, assigning one book for each grade level. At the time, MCPS communications director Jessica Baxter told Bethesda Magazine that these titles feature “joyful stories of folks who happen to be part of the LGBTQ+ community” and “celebrate and positively portray LGBTQ+ identities through an asset-based lens.” Parents behind Mahmoud v. Taylor initially filed a lawsuit against the school district in 2023, arguing that it had infringed upon their religious rights by not allowing them to remove their children from potentially being exposed to books featuring LGBTQ+ characters and stories. According to GLAAD, the Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Programs for MCPS responded to the plaintiffs in a court filing, noting that the books were not mandatory. Teachers were instructed to “incorporate the [books] into the curriculum the same way that other books are used, namely, to put them on a shelf for students to find on their own; to recommend a book to a student who would enjoy it; to offer the books as an option for literature circles, book clubs, or paired reading groups; or to use them as a read aloud,” per a district official.

MCPS also filed an appeal, which lists five books at issue: Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen; IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All by Carolyn Choi and Chelsea Johnson; Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack; Love, Violet by Charlotte Sullivan Wild; and Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope by Jodie Patterson. Two other books — Pride Puppy! by Robin Stevenson and My Rainbow by DeShanna Neal and Trinity Neal — were initially approved by MCPS, but later “reevaluated pursuant to standard MCPS procedures and removed from instructional use.” A district court previously denied the plaintiffs a preliminary injunction in their case, which they sought based on claims that not being able to opt their children out of classes where the books were used violated their free-exercise and substantive-due-process rights under the U.S. Constitution and Maryland law. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s decision. The Supreme Court subsequently agreed to hear their case.

The Mahmoud v. Taylor school curriculum case set to be heard at SCOTUS could very well bring Don’t Say Gay or Trans policies to schools nationwide.

[meabh-mcinness]

Anon that requested runaway!SO Narnia prompt here, and my heart squeezed when I saw you put it in your list. Thank you so much!

Saw your post, and I love the idea for it to take place before the 13th Deviculum, it changes Narnia's vitriol towards Iruma so much.

I don't believe that he doesn't think that Iruma's fame (as the Misfits are apparently a household name and in papers) DIDN'T influence his lover leaving him in a bid for freedom! Maybe he noticed that she had been paying attention to whatever news they got of Iruma's antics, like him even attending his first Deviculum.

Makes his beef with Iruma personal, if Narnia even slightly blamed the poor bean's (seemingly intentional) tendency to stand out as what put ideas in her head when she was pretty content to stay before.

(Actually, my first idea about why the SO leapt to the nuclear option of vanishing and not talking it out, prompt happening after-deviculum, was because he knocked her up. And girl got SO scared for her child, since at that point he revealed that he still hated 'dirty humans' and it fed into her pre-existing insecurities about how he kept her secret from everyone he knew, why he never married her in any kind of demonic ritual, and fed her growing misassumption that she was basically a pet that he didn't think was acceptable for demonic society.

Culminating into a major freak out when the SO found out she was going to have a half-human baby.

Like, would he want to keep her child? Would they be raised to never know that their mother was human, with the belief that her heritage made them weak compared to full-blooded demon children? Would Narnia still keep her secret and introduce their child to society as without a mother, without her?

...most of her worries aren't quite true, as imo Narnia *wasn't* trying to treat her like a mistress/guilty secret wife, it was mostly his yandere tendencies and unrestrained demonic territorial possessiveness talking and getting irrationally jealous of possible competition, of anyone else taking up her attention.

Part of it is because Narnia doesn't have many trusted allies (friends) that weren't also co-workers (and thus can recognize a human) and wouldn't set his instincts off! And he got way too comfortable with their current lifestyle, since he was probably an intensely private demon in the first place.

Truly a misundestanding of tragic proportions. Were it Kalego in his position, he could at least be alright to introduce her to Balam, and Balam Shichiro could have gotten a human to eventually open up and communicate about their discontent and gotten things addressed. Alas, this isn't a Kalego story, though it might be interesting to have one where Kalego and the Sullivan household come together over their secret humans, hehe.

But Narnia's SO hasn't been in a good place mentally and emotionally, not for a long time, and worked herself into an irrational panic that culminated into a flight into the night decision.

Sorry, this took so long to get out! I hope I've lived up to your expectations! My beta tells me this made her tear up a bit so I'm hoping it has the same effect for everyone but enjoys it anyways.

The Price of Freedom - request (Yandere!Narnia x fem!reader)Ⓐ

Narnia keeps you trapped on the property to keep you safe from the rest of the Netherworld and while his intentions are good he's doing more harm than intended. After all, humans are social pack animals meant to be able to roam about wild and free. And while there are exceptions to every rule, you are not one of them. So when you see a chance to leave, you take it. Leaving your heart behind but gaining your freedom in the process.

Also, this is a two-parter! The first part is angst but I haven't decided if our little couple here will get a happy ending or not yet. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

You took a deep breath, glancing over at the slumbering body holding yours. His long hair was fanned out behind him and his pale skin practically gleamed even in the darkness of the room. Soon enough, his alarm would go off, and those dark eyes would open blearily, and he'd grumble while trying to turn it off and pull you closer. Eventually, he'd give in, wake up more with a smile and a kiss for you and get ready for the day. It was a daily routine that had lasted for a few years now, and it was one you loved.

Your heart clenched at the fact that this would probably be the last morning it ever happened.

Your eyes travelled all the lines of his face, taking in every detail that you could, hoping to memorize them to the best of your ability. You had plenty of photos stored away, that you already knew you would take out over and over again until they faded with age and even afterwards, but no photo could ever beat seeing him in person. You were tempted to gently run your fingers over his cheeks and down his hair but knew he would wake up immediately, startled.

He was such a light sleeper due to the years of growing up under the Naberius household that you always tried hard to not make too much noise or movements so that he could sleep in when he could. And as this would be the last time you laid beside him, you wanted to enjoy this moment. To have time freeze over this peace, and not have the negative feelings swirling through your body running circles in your mind. To leave this all behind no matter how much you loved it because you couldn't stay caged in any longer.

But you couldn't. As a human, you held no magic beyond what the power of runes and already magic-infused items could give you, much less the amount of power needed to freeze time itself. So instead, here you lay, trying to absorb as much as possible because the moment that he leaves property lines, you would be getting to work. You had even purposefully made a bit of a mess last night and promptly shoved the both of you to bed so that you would have an excuse on why you were moving things about if he came back early for whatever reason.

You could only hope he didn't come home early.

Today had been forecasted to be nice and sunny until the afternoon rolled around with thunderstorms. If you timed it right, you'd be able to pack everything up, leave and make it to town right before the storms hit, with several hours to spare for the rain to wash away your trail. Otherwise, if the rain came early you would be stuck here until the next time such an opportunity presented itself, and who knew when that would be? More than likely you would have gone stir-crazy before that happened, and who knew what kind of damage you would do when that happened?

Not that this idea was much better. Had this been a more ordinary relationship, you would have easily just talked out the fact you had wanderlust and gone out to visit new places. Instead, as much as you loved Narnia, you could admit he was a bit paranoid and even straight-up territorial about your standing in this world. Always going on about the dangers of this world and wanting to keep you here in this safe bubble of a home he had made for the two of you.

Not that it was without reason. The Netherworld was indeed a harsh place and there were so many dangers just out your front door, much less the rest of this big bad world. And yet the human world was not without its dangers as well, and while you knew many threats had magic which left you at quite the disadvantage, you could at least protect yourself semi-well. Narnia had seen to that with what started as daily training sessions, which slowly moved to once every few days then to a few times a month as you proved more proficient, and he gained harder and harder cases to solve.

At first, you hadn't thought much of it. Even in the human world, it was quite often that schedules could get packed. You would have been fine with it if you had something to do other than roam this tiny amount of land. Instead, you were trapped here like a prized pet in a cage, forever waiting for your precious master to return. You couldn't live like that. Not anymore at least.

Suddenly your thoughts were broken by the sharp tones of his alarm. You couldn't help the startled movement you made, having not fully expected it to go off so soon. This in turn startled Narnia awake. His eyes snapped open and immediately focused on you before swiping the room for any danger.

You gave him a sheepish smile, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

Narnia brushed off your apology with a casual wave of his hand and leaned in to give you a soft, lingering kiss. A large pale hand caresses your face and sweeps into your hairline to pull you in closer. It was a sweet morning ritual, one that you cherished. He tasted like roses and dark chocolate with a hint of mint, a flavour unique to him. His lips were warm and inviting, and for a moment, you allowed yourself to forget the impending departure.

Breaking the kiss, Narnia slipped out of bed, his movements fluid and graceful. He grabbed a towel from the nearby rack and headed for the bathroom. You watched him as he moved, his silhouette bathed in the soft morning light filtering through the curtains.

He began his usual morning routine, the sounds of running water and the clinking of toiletries filling the air. You couldn't help but smile as you listened. It was the ordinary moments like these that you would miss the most.

While he showered, you took the opportunity to slip out of bed and start preparing for the day ahead. You retrieved a backpack from the closet and began packing it with essential items: clothes, food, a first aid kit, and a map of the Netherworld. You knew you'd have to travel light, but you wanted to be as prepared as possible for whatever lay ahead.

As you worked, you couldn't help but glance over towards where Narnia in the bathroom would be. You could hear him humming a tune over the splashing of water, likely with a contented expression on his face as he went about his routine. It was moments like these that made leaving even harder.

But you couldn't stay. Your longing for adventure, for freedom, had grown too strong to ignore. And so, you continued to pack, determined to make the most of the time you had left with him. After packing the essentials in your backpack, you carefully zipped it up and placed it under the bed, hidden from plain view. You couldn't risk Narnia stumbling upon it and asking questions before you were ready to explain your decision.

With that task completed, you moved on to the next item on your agenda: breakfast. You headed to the kitchen, quietly so as not to disturb Narnia in the bathroom. You had learned to navigate this small cottage with a gentle touch, ensuring that your movements were subtle and silent. In the kitchen, you gathered the ingredients for a simple breakfast - eggs, toast, and a few vegetables. As you cracked the eggs into a bowl and started whisking them, the aroma of cooking filled the air, a comforting and familiar scent that made your heart ache with nostalgia.

By the time Narnia emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed, you had already set the table for two. He gave you a warm smile as he approached, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind and placing a soft kiss on your cheek.

"Smells delicious," he murmured, his voice filled with genuine appreciation.

You returned his smile and turned to face him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Just a little something to start your day off right," you replied, trying to sound as normal as possible despite the turmoil in your heart. Together, you shared a quiet breakfast at the cozy table, the two of you lost in your thoughts. Narnia talked about his plans for the day, the cases he needed to solve, and the colleagues he'd be meeting with. You listened attentively, offering words of encouragement and support.

As the time for Narnia to leave for work approached, you couldn't help but feel the weight of impending separation bearing down on you. You walked him to the door, his hand in yours, and shared a lingering kiss before he stepped outside.

He gave you a weird look, seemingly studying you, causing you to pause and tilt your head at him in response with the most curious look you could muster, before he shook his head and went back to making sure he had his things for work. You felt your body relax at passing whatever test that had been. You could thank the fact that years of wearing a mask in the human world also helped you here, even if you didn't much like why you were using it now.

You gave him a smile and leaned up on your toes to give him a kiss. 'Your last kiss' your mind supplied. What a shame you had to pass it off as your regular see-you-later rather than pour everything you had into it like you wanted to. But that would be suspicious, and he would want to stay longer or it might make him think you were in the mood and stay for a completely different reason. As much as you wanted the touch of his body one more time, you couldn't have it. Not without messing up your carefully laid out plan.

"Have a good day at work!" You chirped at him before waving him off with a laugh as he grumbled under his breath about how no day at work without you was a good day. You leaned against the door frame as you admired the large leathery wings that suddenly burst from his back, the appendages giving a few small flutters to stretch themselves out before he took off into the dawning sky with another wave at you.

You gave him another small wave in return and watched until you could no longer see him on the horizon. Even then you gave it a few seconds to see if he happened to turn around. It wouldn't be the first time he'd purposely forgotten something so that he could come back and spend a few more moments with you. Once those few seconds passed you deemed it safe to carry on with your plan. With Narnia gone for the day, you had a limited window of opportunity to execute your plan. You took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of excitement and fear as you prepared to embark on the journey that would take you far away from the life you had known, and into the unknown.

You only had a few hours to tear this place apart, grab everything you could, put it back together again and be on your way to a new life. It wouldn't be easy as you first went back into the bedroom and stripped the bed of everything. Throwing the sheets into the laundry and tossing your personal pillows aside to be packed later. Next, as the blankets washed, you scoured the walls and frames for every photo of you that you could find. There was an almost surprising amount of them, considering both your and Narnia's aversion to photos, but you supposed that anyone would want to have captured moments when they were in a relationship.

Had this been a normal relationship perhaps you would be packing everything up for a completely different reason. Perhaps moving into a bigger home than this little one-bedroom cottage, or even moving things aside until renovations were done to expand this one. However, this wasn't a normal relationship, and you couldn't entertain the idea of it ever being so any longer.

With every delicate movement, you took great care to erase any trace of your existence from the cottage. You gathered any personal belongings that tied you to this place, from clothing to small trinkets, and stowed them away in your backpacks, making sure not to leave behind a single item that might raise suspicion. The cottage itself bore no signs of your occupancy; the walls were stripped of photos, the bedroom was bare other than his belongings, and even the living room was devoid of any of your personal touches.

You took a deep breath as you stood in the now almost empty cottage, a sense of finality washing over you. It really was as if you had never lived there at all. With one last glance around, you knew it was time to leave. Gathering up your bags you took a deep breath as you took in the boundary line from where the property ended and the next one began. You knew from several small tests that there were no wards that would alert Narnia to your leaving. A serious oversight on his part that you were happily taking advantage of. As you stared at the line you couldn't help but think of Samwise from Lord of the Rings and couldn't but wonder if this is how it felt for him to leave his home behind for a big adventure.

Heart pounding and veins singing you made the first step across, then another and another until you laughed at the fluttering of pleasure that coursed through you. The imaginary shackles that had bound were falling free as you walked determinedly onward towards your new life. You wanted to stop and observe every plant and animal you came across, but you had a long way to go still and you could already smell the rain on the horizon.

Yet, deep within you, a tiny spark of hope flickered, for you were on the path to a new beginning, and the possibilities of the unknown stretched out before you like an open book, waiting to be written.

________

Narnia landed more harshly than he meant to in his attempt to get inside from the torrential downpour quicker. Mud splattered as high as his thighs from his hard crouched landing before he straightened up again to move towards the door. He wasn't entirely sure why he was so anxious to get home, but something in his veins told him that something was wrong. He hadn't gotten this far in life by entirely ignoring his instincts, and yet he couldn't think of anything that could be wrong.

Well. Besides the way you had been acting lately that was.

He wasn't blind, he had known there was something off with you. You had been steadily getting more and more twitchy, almost like a caged beast in too small of a kennel. Perhaps you were entering some kind of new phase? Like when birds moulted old feathers to make new ones, perhaps you were going through something similar but a more human body version? Your skin had peeled several times over the years, so perhaps a more involved version appeared when you hit a new phase. Such a thing would certainly make him twitchy.

As he came closer to the door, forcefully coming out of his thoughts, he realized that all the lights were off. This wasn't too unusual. You had a habit of occasionally going to bed early or watching TV late and purposefully leaving the lights off for a better ambience. But after the weird way you acted this morning and the feeling he had all day, it just made him feel more anxious.

Wrenching the door open, he quickly stalked into the living room, shaking his head much like a dog to get the excess water off his hair before tilting his head to the side. He listened carefully for either the low sounds of music or the TV or even just your steady breathing.

Nothing. It was absolutely silent. Heart pounding, he raced through all the rooms, praying that he would find you simply dozing off and would berate him for waking you. You would laugh before comforting him over his silly anxiety, and everything would be perfectly fine.

Only it wasn't. As he swung the last door open into your shared bedroom, water still trailing behind him, it hit him that you really weren't here. As his eyes swept over every inch, he finally registered none of you was here. The photos on the walls were missing, and your half of the closet was empty. Hell, even your pillows were gone, the bed freshly laundered and remade to look like only one person slept in it.

With this sudden realization, he tore back through the house carefully to confirm what he already knew. Everything you owned, every craft you had made, every book he had bought you, was gone.

You were gone.

If it wasn't for the faintest scent of you still trapped in the furniture, it would have been as if you had never even existed. As if you hadn't spent literal years together here in this home, cuddling on the couch or playing board games on the table. As if you had never had mini cooking wars in the kitchen that usually ended with you both laughing and kissing the food off one another or in the large tub relaxing as the warm herb-infused waters soaked into your muscles.

Had someone taken you? Had someone noticed your existence and decided they wanted you for themselves? Taken you against your will and made it look like you didn't exist so that he couldn't go to anyone for help without looking crazy? Or perhaps, since such a thorough job was done, had Border Patrol swept in without his knowledge? Purposefully kept him out of the loop with an important enough job to ensure he couldn't stop them.

But no, Henri would have kept him from leaving and questioned him regardless. Always playing by the rules, Henri did, and that left him, for the most part, predictable. So not Border Patrol then. But who else? Perhaps Baal? He hadn't been as subtle as he could have been in trying to figure out if Narnia was willing to return to origins. Had he discovered you when trying to stake Narnia out and gotten rid of you?

At the thought, a feral growl ripped out of Narnia, and he ran out of the house and back into the rain in the hopes of catching some kind of trail. With it raining as hard and long as it had, all scents and tracks would be long gone, so the only thing he had left was to feel out any foreign magic that would have been used and try to track that. And yet, no matter how hard he tried or how much power he threw into his wards, he couldn't find any recent detection of foreign magic. None at all. Even the local mail demon flying in would have left something to follow.

It was almost as if...but no, that was impossible. There was absolutely no way you would have left on your own. You knew the dangers and never strayed further than a couple of yards from the walls of your home. Even then you didn't usually go further than your flower beds, or food gardens in the back. With a snarl, Narnia turned back and raced back through the house more closely, determined to find even the smallest clue.

As Narnia's desperate search through the house came to an agonizing conclusion, he stood in your shared bedroom, drenched in rainwater, his chest heaving with anxiety and disbelief. Your absence was undeniable, and the once-familiar space now felt alien and hollow. His racing thoughts continued to churn with questions and fears, each one more unsettling than the last. The eerie silence in the house seemed to mock his growing panic.

Unable to accept the possibility of your disappearance, he clutched at straws, desperately searching for any sign of your presence. He scanned the room, running his fingers over the empty hangers in the closet and the vacant space on your side of the bed. The absence of your cherished belongings was a stark reminder of your absence.

With trembling hands, Narnia stumbled upon something that sent a shiver down his spine. A faint but lingering scent of you still clung to the furniture, a trace of the life you had shared together in this very room. It was both a cruel reminder of what had been and a glimmer of hope that you hadn't vanished entirely.

His heart ached as he clung to that scent, unwilling to let go of the memories and the love that had defined their life together. But as the minutes passed, reality continued to gnaw at him, and he realized he needed answers, no matter how painful they might be. Turning away from the room that had once been filled with your presence, Narnia retraced his steps, still soaked from the rain. His determination to find you grew stronger with every passing moment. He couldn't bear the thought of losing you, not without knowing the truth.

Tripping in his haste he fell to his knees next to the coffee table in the living room. With shaking limbs, he started to force himself to get up when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Laying innocently on the ground, a folded-up piece of parchment, his name written in your distinctive shaky handwriting. You never did get the hang of writing the demonic characters simply because you couldn't practice properly with the spell forcing you to see the letters in your own language but writing in his.

His emotions churned as he approached the letter, a fragile piece of paper that held the key to your mysterious departure. With trembling hands, he unfolded it and began to read. The words on the page weighed heavily on his heart, each sentence cutting deeper into his soul.

His hands trembled as his eyes scanned the letter quickly, hoping for some clue about where you were, only to grow more despondent the further he read. A pained howl tore from him as he took in what exactly your letter had meant, and he hadn't even realized he had started crying until the letters started bleeding together from his tears. With a choked gasp, he immediately wiped the tears away and tried to fan the letter dry again.

This letter was the only thing he had left from you besides the flowers you had planted outside. He had to take perfect care of it all. Had to keep it well until he could find you again. Because he would find you, no matter what it took. If you wanted the freedom to explore, then you could have it, just as long as you came back home-- back to him. His voice quivered with whimpers as he clutched the letter tightly to his chest, his heart aching with love and longing for the one who had vanished from his life.

To My Beloved Narnia,

As I sit here writing this letter, I can only think of all the moments we've shared together.

From our first meeting to our last embrace this morning, our courtship has been

nothing but a source of joy in my life. Sometimes, though, love isn't enough to make

something work. And I've come to the painful decision that we need to separate, at

least for a while. I will always cherish the moments and memories we shared and I am

sorry for the pain that this may cause you, but I can no longer do this. Humans are

not meant to be caged, no matter how nice that cage is. I need to be free, to be able

to go out and about, meet others, and explore this world, even if it's at the cost

of losing you. I'm truly sorry it came to this, and I will love you always.

Forever Yours

[xatsperesso]

What do you say to the abnormal class playing matchmaker? They want eggy sensei to find love .... It's not like if he was busy dating then he'd give out less homework

Yess, them one day realizing "wait a minute, Kalego-sensei has no life outside the classroom. That's why he gives us so much hw!!!" And then proceeding to do the most elaborate plans to make him find a mate

But these are 13 demons coming together to try to find kalego a mate. There's no way they'll just agree on one person to set him up with. I can imagine kerori, elizabetta, and purson to believe in love at first sight, so they try to set him up with various demons or try to make him go to a sabbath (they may or may not use iruma's connection to sullivan to make all the drinks free, so kalego is more likely to actually go)

And then there's lied, clara and caim trying to set him up with miss momonoki cause they honestly feel bad for her as they know what it feels like to endlessly simp, so they keep making them bump in an empty corridor, keep giving kalego reasons to see momonoki, and for some reason clara had A Talk with momonoki. She came out of it more confused than before, and with a lot of different stuff, from "How To Win That Heart!!!! Exclusive Book Made By Clara!!" To a onesie? Why??

And then there's gaap who roped agares into trying to set him up with Balam-sensei, cause finding love in a close friend is the purest form of love. Poor tired agares who didnt want to have anything to do with this is very aggressive about setting them up. He straight up tried trapping them in a room (it did not go well. Do not trap two of the strongest teachers in a room, especially in a year where the school got attacked twice by terrorists. It really does not go well)

Jazz and allocer are running a betting pool. Whether some money slips into their pocket at the end of the day, no one can prove that.

Sabnock is holding what is basically an illegal fighting ring to get the strongest demons to offer them to kalego. No one even knows why anyone would want to bea part of this. Some students are horrified at finding out that miss is participating.

And poor, poor iruma is being used left and right cause everyone wants him to use his 'connection' to kalego to win. This is no longer about finding kalego a spouse, this a fight where everyone wants to prove their point.

Azz is trying and failing miserably at trying to keep iruma out of these heathens clutches

I really want that at the end of it all, kalego reveals that he's actually aroace, and is not interested at all in finding an SO. I bet their reactions will be priceless

[rom-e-o]

At some point, maybe when Connie starts her job at S&C Financials, Bess gifts Connie an antique abacus she managed to find stashed away in a store. "I know you obviously don't have a use for it nowadays, but I thought it might look nice on your desk or shelf or whatever you get to have there. Be a cool conversation piece."

AWWW BESSSS. <3

Okay, I can't resist - here we go!

Perfect Addition

"So ... where is your desk?"

"Right near the front door - I'll show you!"

Constance DoGoode beamed as she escorted Elizabeth "Bess" Sullivan from the bottom-floor lobby of S&C Financials. The business was housed in a longstanding building with large windows and historic bones that made it quite the eye-catching monument compared to the other brutalist cinderblocks that lined the street.

As she pushed in the front door to the office building, they made their way past the other offices and up to the historic staircase. There, a short jaunt up the stairs, they passed by the panoramic glass windows that reveal the inner working of three offices. The three similar, yet subtly different, offices of the business' three owners. All three were filled with large bookcases of ledgers and dossiers, as well as masculine mahogany desks that looks heft enough to each anchor a small ship. Yet, the knickknacks and personal touches within all three spaces conveyed the sentiment that three very different people occupied the offices - and yet all three of them, at this moment, were absent.

There, just a step away from the front door and affronting a small waiting area, was a smaller desk equipped with a desktop and add-on monitor for address screen space. It was a simple set-up, but all she needed for her largely secretarial tasks.

Other than a computer, monitor, mouse and keyboard, a steel placard was the only other item that decorated her desk. Engraved in the metal were the words:

Constance DoGoode Clerk and Accounts Specialist

"Fancy!" Bess said, giving her friend's shoulder an excited squeeze.

"It was very nice of them to do." She sounded humbled, yet very pleased, by the item.

"How was your first day?" Bess pressed eagerly. "All go well?"

"I think so," she said with a hopeful smile, tucking one of the unruly curly-qs that framed her face behind her ear. It immediately sprang back into place. "They're wrapping up a meeting now. I'm waiting to see them out."

"Ah, perfect," Bess said with a clap of the hands. "Well, in that case, I have something for you, while we have a moment."

Constance blinked as she watched her friend gingerly lower her shoulder bag onto the floor, as if something delicate was inside. After tugging the flap up, she reached inside and procured a rectangular option wrapped in petal-pink tissue and tied with a satin ribbon.

"Here," Bess said, shyly nudging it forward, "An, um, office-warming present."

She laughed, then shut her eyes against her own joke. "That ... makes it sound like I got you coal or something, doesn't it? It's not coal. I promise. It's better. I hope."

Taking the gift, Constance pulled the ribbon free and slowly unwrapped the tissue paper. Inside the tissue was a glorious, hand-painted abacus. It was sturdy in her hands, made from heavy wood and faceted-brass.

"I know you obviously don't have a use for it nowadays, but I thought it might look nice on your desk or shelf or whatever you get to have here," Bess explained, watching her friend's face for a reaction. "Be a cool conversation piece, you know?"

Constance stared at the antique tenderly. As she cradled the device in one hand, her other moved to skim her fingers over the wooden beads. She dared to move one, nudging it up so it made a satisfying 'clack' against the other. Her face lit up.

"Oh, Bess. This is a real antique. It's so heavy, and so finely crafted."

"I-If it's too cumbersome to display, I totally understand."

"Absolutely not!" Connie was quick to reply. "In fact, I'm beyond honored. I love it! Oh, Bess, thank you so much!"

Sincerity glittered in her blue eyes, and she surged forward to pull her best friend into a tight hug, careful to not damage the gift while doing so.

Bess returned the embrace happily, relieved to see her friend enjoyed her gift as much as she hoped she would. "Aw, you're welcome. You really like it?"

"I do! Where did you find this?"

"Thrifting, of course," she said with a laugh, "Poor thing was lodged in the back of some dusty bookcase, just begging for a better home. It's in pretty good shape."

"She is!"

"'She?'"

"In fact, she'll be the perfect inaugural decoration. Here."

She turned toward her desk and, with a ceremonial sweep of the arms, bestowed the abacus on the corner of the desk, right behind the computer monitor. It was easily visible from the front door, meaning every visitor that came in would see if when being greeted by her.

After taking a step back to examine the angle and make sure the presentation was befitting of her gift, she turned to Bess with a triumphant smile. "See? The perfect addition! I already feel more at home."

As the girls shared one last hug, the door to the office's meeting room clicked open. Out of the room filed three gentlemen, all stressed smartly in finely-cut suits. They chatted amicably as they walked, exchanging remarks and light chuckles as they went. Two of the men were practically walking shadows of the other, while the other was a redheaded gentleman about a decade younger than the other two, but just as poised.

They made their way to the front area naturally, coming across the two ladies.

"Ah, hello!" Bob Cratchit, the youngest of the three owners said with a polite tip of the head.

Ebenezar Charles Scrooge, half of London's most esteemed philanthropy duo, bore a pleased but surprised expression. He nodded to Constance first, then more keenly to Bess, hands clasped behind his back. The posture made him look even more tall and proud, which was quite the achievement. That, combined with his slightly longer hair, gave him a more roguish air than his brother. "Why, hello there. This is quite the surprise! I hope we didn't hold you ladies up."

Constance observed Bess shift on her feet at the sight of him, her hands going behind her back as well.

Ebenezer Samuel Scrooge, the other twin, clasped his hands at his waist and bowed gently to the two women. "Apologies for the delay. I hope you weren't waiting long."

"Not at all," she said, then looked to Bess with a grin, "I was just showing Bess around. Look, she was kind enough to bring me a gift for my desk as well! Isn't it marvelous - quite on theme, I think!"

"C-Connie..."

"That's quite a kind gesture," Ebenezar agreed, a softness touching his voice. "A thrifted treasure, yes?"

The raven-haired woman smirked. "How did you know?"

"I just had an inkling," he said, playfully squinting his eyes at her.

"Are you saying I'm predictable, good sir?"

"Perish the thought."

While his brother chatted amicably with Bess, Ebenezer redirected his gaze to Constance. "I'm so glad to see you're settling in. Truly. You did very well today, in case nobody mentioned it."

"Thank you, sir."

"Tell me, do you have any questions after your first day?"

"Oh, I'm sure I'll have plenty down the line," she said in good humor, "But ... none right now. I just ... I am very excited to have this opportunity, Mr. Scrooge."

"Ebenezer, please. No 'sir' either. It is not necessary."

"Very well, E-Ebenzer. I truly can't thank you enough for this chance."

The depth of her gratitude was easy to hear in her voice, and see on her lovely face. Cheeks turning a slight shade of pink, he put on his most gentlemanly smile. "Of course. Any questions, I am happy to answer at any time."

"I appreciate it. I do hope I'll be a helpful member of the team."

"I have complete faith that you'll do amazingly well," Ebenezer said fondly. "I think you'll be the perfect addition to the team."

That was fun~

[prettyfamous]

Kevin Bacon | Esquire | Florence Sullivan | April 2025

Is there anything about your career that still surprises you? Something where you walk out onto set and think, in a good way, Holy shit?

What surprises me is that there’s still so much I can learn. What surprises me is a moment in a performance where I think, Wow, I was truly free. Or when I’ve gone to another place with a character that is not a character I’ve explored before. It’s partly just getting older and having life experiences that are lined up, or not lined up, with characters I’m playing.

It surprises me that I still love it as much as I do. I mean, I really do. I just fucking love acting. I love to create, and what that does is become an antidote to what I read in the fucking paper every day and the things that I hear on the news. I’m pretty good about taking my morning routine and making that deliberate and then going on and spending at least a large part of the rest of my day thinking about what to make.

- Caira Conner

[generic-whumperz]

Waylon (Character sheet)

Picrew

Playlist | Masterlist | Character Info

Wyatt’s older brother and Eleanor’s and Waylon Sr.’s crowned golden child, Waylon Jr. (Lon), is a cunning businessman with a folksy “cowboy Don” exterior who has climbed his way to the top of Apocamerica's underworld. Masking behind a stoic demeanor lies a ruthless opportunist who will stop at nothing to maintain power and control, sight set on building an empire through tactical manipulation and calculated brutality. A master of playing all sides, he uses his charm and wit to get what he wants. Waylon's loyalty and protection are renowned but conditional, and he'll discard anyone who becomes a liability. Nevertheless, he has a deep sense of fidelity to his close circle of those he cares about, but good luck on peeling back his multi-layered façade to reveal his complex web of allegiances that crown him as leader of the remaining free world. His bond with his younger cousin Vinny is unbreakable–Vinny selflessly often acts as the mediator between Waylon and Wyatt.

Meanwhile, Waylon's circumstantial partnership with The Aid—whom he sees as a vital asset in his quest for power—has been a double-edged sword. The Aid’s insights grant him an unparalleled advantage but ensnare him in a cycle of violence, deceit, and jealousy with his business associates. His relationship with Wyatt has been fraught with tension since childhood. He struggles to reconcile their glaring differences–made all the worse by Wyatt’s persistent abuse of Waylon’s most coveted advisor–The Aid.

Full name: Waylon Hugo Weston Sullivan Jr. (Lon)

Role: tertiary antagonist, Whumper, Wyatt's foil character

Date of Birth & sign: January 18, 1972 (60), Capricorn (story takes place in the year 2032)

Gender: cis-male

Sexuality: hetero

Height: 6'4"

Weight/body type/build: 60-year-old dad bod, tall, board-shouldered, barrel-chested, built like a linebacker. Don’t make me guess weight…idk, like 280lbs-ish?

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Family Members: Sullivan family tree. Devoted husband and family man and has four children. Oldest sibling out of the Sullivan trio, the only brother with a relationship with his and Wyatt’s younger sister, Winny. Lives with his wife and two youngest kids—Emma (13) and Waylon Ⅲ (AKA Lonnie) (11). Eldest daughter, Rachel (29), is his protégé groomed to take over the business and engaged to the Governor’s son. Second eldest daughter, Taylor (24), is in and out of rehab.

Left/right handed: right

Fav genre of music & anthem: oldies, especially classic country. Doggone Cowboy by Marty Robbins

Occupation: head of the family-owned livestock farm, Oasis Farms, and the Sullivan and Bellmont fortune beneficiary. While Wyatt received The Aid after Eleanor's passing, Waylon received more responsibility and Eleanor's running business contracts. Although he runs a legitimate business, he also deals in illegal, black market slave trade and labor and business racketeering. He is part of a cabal of business associates that have taken over the resource and trade markets of Apocamerica. He's become politically and professionally advantageous despite his desire for retirement to maintain his family's standing. He attributes a fair amount of his success to The Aid's involvement and cooperation in weeding out untrustworthy and scheming (ex)partners that were out for the Sullivans’ spot as top distributors of meat and produce. He's in the trenches of organized crime and has taken on the role of something akin to a Mafia boss or Don. While he enjoys the power and status, deep down, he just wishes he was out on the ranch competing in rodeo events. Valedictorian, Harvard Alumni, business and economics major.

Ethnicity (+ American): Italian, French, Greek, North and West European, English

Hair color & length: silver fox. Was a dirty blonde when he was younger, but now he's sporting a full head of gray. Cut short, longer on the top, and brushed to the side. Facial hair: has a full, nicely groomed beard. Body hair: on the hairier side with chest hair.

Hygiene: excellent hygiene. Meticulously groomed. Skincare king who is not afraid to pamper himself. You will not catch him looking sloppy or underdressed. He lives to impress his wife and be the best-dressed and best-smelling man in every room he enters.

Eye color: deep-set, almond-shaped, sapphire blue eyes. Wears contacts and readers. Has a severe, unflinching stare that can turn into a scowl just as quickly as a smile.

Skin tone: peachy, neutral undertones. Moisturizing king, skin is glowing.

Facial features: rectangle-shaped head with a high dome. Thin, bow-shaped lips. Fleshy nose. Bushy but well-manicured and sculpted arched brows. Ears. Heavy jaw, rounded protruding chin. Regularly gets "natural looking" Botox injections to erase his face lines and fill in any sagging. Broad-lobed ears.

Mannerisms: he keeps his cards close to his chest and doesn't reveal much. He's a very still and impassive guy with minimal mannerisms and only makes calculated moves. One could argue that's a mannerism of its own right. Moves with an air of confidence. Employs slower and more fluid movements to convey that things happen on his terms when he wants them to. Steeples hands when thinking. Maintains eye contact. Holds head high. He walks with confidence and determination, his arms either fixed at his side or clasped behind his back. Maintains a stoic expression with little to no smiling; most you get is a smirk. Doesn't laugh a lot. Has a dry sense of humor that is easily missed. Figure-4 leg cross when seated. Generally unapproachable. Very hard person to read and gauge.

Nervous ticks: doesn't get nervous

Posture: relaxed and straight in a way that lets you know he's comfortable and in control.

Style: old-school gentleman vibes. Lots of dry-cleaned Dior suits, imported cashmere and vicuña wool sweaters, and diamond-encrusted cufflinks. He looks forward to events where he gets to pull out a Dolce & Gabbana 3-piece suit. He is very concerned with looks and first impressions. Lets his wife dress him. (Spent too much time picking out The Aid’s wardrobe with Eleanor and was very hands-on with The Aid’s introduction into the family…had to sus him out, as any good son would, of course).

Health: very healthy with no ailments or allergies. Eats well-balanced meals and exercises regularly (easier when you have personal chefs and a personal trainer). Doesn't drink or smoke often but will partake socially and will enjoy a cigar from time to time. Doesn't do hard drugs and is anti-junk food. Takes a shit ton of vitamins. Says living a mostly stress-free life is the secret (again, easy to say when you have a whole house staff and a whole team under you doing the leg work). Started to get arthritis but changed over to an anti-inflammatory diet and eating edibles to manage the pain.

Piercings/tattoos: nada

Birthmarks/scars: has a birthmark on his left shoulder blade but has gotten every scar lasered off with dermal regenerator treatments.

Language(s): English, some Italian, some Spanish, some Russian, some German, some French

Personality: controlling. Intelligent. Natural leader. Paternal. Subtly condescending (but obviously patronizing to Wyatt). Responsible. Prideful. Vain. Disciplined. Judgmental. Provider. Classy. Vengeful. Greedy. Possessive and protective. Organized. Narcissistic. Careful. Considerate. Calm and collected. Focused. Thoughtful. Educated. Charismatic. Confident. Honest. Efficient. Fearless. Logical. Polite, respectful, and mannered (and expects to be treated the same back). Observant. Comes across as emotionless and cold-hearted as he’s not expressive (tough shell to crack and a hard person to read). Sociable. Wise. Sincere. Decisive. Devoted. Conscientious. Independent. Perfectionist. Direct. Reserved. Rivals regard him as arrogant and smug. Well-read.

Vices: shooting practice, spending time with his horses, and taking his kids to the family ranch (he just wants to decompress with his family). Date night with his wife. Drinks occasionally. Enjoys a pipe of packed weed.

Voice: speaks with authority, voice rings modulated and smoky. Everything he says has more than one meaning. Tends to talk in riddles and rhymes but is still straight to the point. He is a man of few words when he's not ranting to Vinny or spewing aphorisms at Wyatt.

Smells like: CLEAN. Signature scent—Sauvage Dior cologne (fragrance profile below for other weirdos like me who are way too into scents). Black tourmaline and musk vibes.

Face claim(s): Bill Pullman

Character inspiration: Tywin Lannister (GOT), Detective Harry Ambrose (The Sinner), Kingpin/Wilson Fisk (Daredevil—TV series), most villain roles played by Harvey Keitel and Christoph Waltz

Other: Admittedly, Waylon is my favorite Sullivan, despite Wyatt taking center stage as The Aid's antagonist and rival. Don't let his lack of trigger warnings fool you—Lon is just as deadly, if not more so, than his younger brother. Waylon is a force to be reckoned with, making cold and calculated kills without breaking a sweat or getting a speck of blood on his suit. Cross him or his family, and he'll make you dig your own grave while confessing your sins—all while he watches emotionless with a solemn glare, executioner-style. And if you're lucky, your family might survive...but don't count on it. In typical Sullivan fashion, Waylon has a perverse relationship with The Aid, taking advantage of The Aid's desire to serve a greater purpose and gain the respect and admiration of Eleanor's favorite son in exchange for his psychic abilities.

Moodboards: where he is ~vs~ where he wants to be

[mariacallous]

If you’ve been paying even the slightest bit of attention, you know that the American Experiment took some gut punches over the last week.

Joe Biden – long considered the best hope for preventing another disastrous Donald Trump term – had a shockingly bad debate performance, looking and sounding every minute of his 81 years.

The tainted supreme court then declared, in essence, that a president is above the law, at least when acting in an official capacity. And that came on top of other high court decisions that have blasted away at the foundations of democracy in the United States.

And much of the mainstream news media continued their campaign of false equivalency – treating the president’s age as a worse problem than Trump’s criminality and authoritarian intentions.

But on this Fourth of July, I haven’t given up hope that we will right ourselves. And I’m far from alone.

There is encouraging news in every one of these troubled spheres – politics, justice and media.

I asked one of my favorite thinkers, the author and scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert in how democracies can wither under authoritarian rule, for some help. I talked to others, too, especially those who are protecting the vote, fostering good journalism and working for justice.

Here’s what Ben-Ghiat told me: “Part of the reason for so much aggression from the GOP and the courts to take away our rights, including the right to free and fair elections, is because America is becoming more progressive, and Republicans cannot win without lies, threats and election interference, including assistance in that area from foreign powers.”

She sees the US participating in “the global renaissance of mass nonviolent protest against authoritarianism” and notes that, in 2017, we saw the biggest protest in the nation’s history – the Women’s March against Trump, which was then surpassed in 2020 by the Black Lives Matter protests, which involved more than 20 million people in multigenerational and multiracial demonstrations.

“These mass protest movements had electoral consequences in the 2018 and 2022 midterm elections,” she added, as many women, non-white and LGBTQ+ people were elected to office.

Ben-Ghiat is convinced that we are ripe for another round – and the stakes are higher than ever.

On the justice front, I’m not suggesting that we somehow set aside the terrible and hugely consequential decision that gives a president – guess who in particular? – immunity for his official acts.

But at the same time, the courts, including the jury system, are often functioning admirably, if not flawlessly. Just over a month ago, Trump became the first former US president convicted of felonies. Trump allies who wanted to charge that the courts have been weaponized found it harder to make that argument less than two weeks later when Hunter Biden, too, was convicted in a jury trial.

Mainstream journalism, as noted, often disappoints. The moderators of the CNN debate clearly should have been empowered by their network bosses to challenge Trump’s barrage of lies in real time. The stunning New York Times editorial calling for Biden to set aside his campaign for the good of the nation may have been well-reasoned, but it struck me as another example of targeting the president and letting Trump off the hook. To my knowledge, only the scrappy Philadelphia Inquirer has written a similar editorial about Trump.

Too much of the politics coverage is out of whack with reality. The media is baying for Biden’s head, but – with some exceptions – seems mostly bemused by Trump or at least habituated to how dangerous he is.

But there’s good news in journalism, too. Consider ProPublica’s essential reporting on Justice Clarence Thomas’s rotten ethics. Or the way many news outlets have revealed the threats of Project 2025 – the alarming and detailed plan by Trump allies to dismantle democratic norms should their leader win a second term.

I’m also heartened by young journalists who are making their way in a difficult career field.

“No matter what problem we’re talking about, good journalism is part of the solution,” said Jelani Cobb, the dean of Columbia Journalism School (where I run a journalism ethics center). “The young journalists whom we have the privilege to work with here are some of the sharpest, most committed and talented that I’ve ever seen.”

Their work “will be a ballast for democracy”, Cobb told me, “even amid the giant challenges in front of us right now”.

Most of all, I’m moved by the valiant efforts of many ordinary citizens. One friend, active in voter protection efforts, praised “all of the grassroots volunteers working to preserve democracy who I am sure will continue in all the ways possible if Trump wins”. She mentioned the flood of small-dollar donations that followed Biden’s debate debacle, and credited “the courageous judges, court personnel, jurors et al who are working, despite the risks to themselves, to see that justice is served in the cases against Trump”.

Will any of this matter when so much is going wrong and when the threats are so great? The screenwriter and former journalist David Simon offered a dour view this week: “Our American experiment is so over.”

More aligned with Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s big-picture view and the others quoted here, I remain hopeful, if not optimistic about the future of the United States.

On 4 July, at least, let’s remember that we’ve come a long way, and the journey isn’t yet complete.

[j0eyj0rdis0n]

CONCERT/MUSIC WRAPPED 2024

So I know the new year has started, but I've been wanting to post all the concerts I've gone to in the past year. I didn't get to do one for 2023 because I was dumb and forgot, so I'm not going to forget again lol!

This will include my thoughts on the concerts or any information that I deem relevant to share. These are my opinions so take them with a grain of salt!

MARCH 15th - Avenged Sevenfold, Poppy & Sullivan King

This was the first concert I went to with my current boyfriend! Avenged Sevenfold KILLED IT!! As a bass player, when I caught Johnny's pick I was freaking the fuck out. But Poppy had unfortunate stage presence and you could tell the crowd wasn't really feeling either of the openers. Their sets were SO long!! Especially for openers... Overall 8/10.

APRIL 6th - Kaonashi, Pains, Mugshot, Cell & Exiled IA (my first and only show with Exiled as their bassist!)

I had a great time playing my first show ever!! It was unfortunate the circumstances within Exiled, but I had a great time regardless and made lots of friends! 7/10

APRIL 15th - Necrogoblikon, Dragonforce & Dethklok

AWESOME SHOW!! The goblin from Necrogoblikon gave me a setlist and the lovely bassist for Dragonforce did the same. It was an awesome feeling knowing they wanted me specifically to get them! They had great crowd interaction! And don't get me started on Dethklok!! There was a great break in the show where Brendon did all the character voices, and the show was LOUD. I also got to meet the guitarist for Dethklok, Nili Brosh, after the show!! 10/10

APRIL 23rd - SESSANTA: Pucifer, A Perfect Circle & Primus

Was seated super far away so it was hard for me to see (as someone with glasses), but there wasn't really a whole lot to see anyway from what I could tell. The lighting design was beautiful though! Also I'll always be disappointed that there was no photos or videos allowed. But it was my first concert out of state! Even though I had to sleep in the airport both ways to get there... 6/10

MAY 1st - Nothing More & Wage War

Legendary!! I threw up three times lmao. (in the trash! I would never do that on the floor!) It was worth it. Most headbanging I think I've done in my life. Also got in the pit, I fell really hard and skinned my knees, they bled through my pants. 9/10

MAY 18th - Rippin' N' Rollin' 1: Polly Mall Cops

Super fun concept!! The skating rink here hosted a local band to play for the first time ever! They played in the middle of the rink while everyone skated around. As someone who loves to skate, has their own pair of skates, plays roller derby, and loves rock music, it was a total win. And it was PACKED! So happy to see the rink making good money! Also got to chat with the band, so fun! 9/10

JUNE 1st - Released "imposter/syndrome" with Fatherwounds

I don't have much to say about this one just because it was a pretty casual project just made for fun. I always have a great time working with my friend on music and I was glad we could actually release something together!

JULY 12th - Fit For A King, Hollywood Undead & I Prevail

Not quite an out of state concert but it was a three hour drive to get there. And none of us realized that there was two separate GA pits. So we were subjected to the back pit. And the crowd was LAME!! When the bands asked for crowd participation, from raising their hands, to screaming, to opening up the pit, the crowd never responded!! I was in agony because I knew if I was up in the front pit I would get shit going!! Hollywood Undead and I Prevail had fire sets though. Fit For A King was absolutely carried by the bassist. 5/10

JULY 23rd - Return To Dust, Tigercub & Chevelle

I got a free ticket so how could I possibly say no? I got to hang out with the DJ's from the local radio station and I got my poster signed by Return To Dust. They were so sweet! But the singer from Tigercub is a total asshole!! Or at least he treated me like shit. I love their music but fuck him. He was definitely drunk. 4/10

JULY 27th - Rippin' N' Rollin' 2: Tires & Glitter Density

Another good show at the rink! This one was more vibe-y electronic music so it wasn't really my speed, but I just love skating so it wasn't too bad. It was fun skating with my boyfriend. 5/10

AUGUST 15th - Hairball

Hairball never disappoints! They always put on a fire show and their outfits are killer! I've never been in such a crowd full of assholes before. I mean... I've dealt with some shitty people, but these people were HORRIBLE. Show was a 9/10 but the people bring it down to a 6/10

AUGUST 17th - Avatar, Ice Nine Kills & In This Moment

Another great concert! Avatar was amazing!! Everything I was expecting! And it was Henrik's birthday!! In This Moment had the same setlist as last time, which was fine, but I kinda wanted something different. She's stunning though. And Ice Nine Kills blew me away! That was my second(?) time seeing them and they played all the songs I wanted to hear! I LOVE WURST VACATION!! And Meat and Greet!! 9/10

SEPTEMBER 19th - Slipknot no.9 whiskey signing

This was leading up to Knotfest Iowa. They had their whiskey signing at a local grocery store here (which was wild btw) and it was PACKED. You couldn't find a place to park! I brought my limited edition 2000's Wait and Bleed CD to be signed since I couldn't purchase a bottle of no.9. But they never told us what members would be there so I was hoping there would be an original member to sign my CD since it was decently limited. But of course, every member there was one that WASN'T on the album... Of course I still got it signed and I was very thankful for the opportunity, but it's still mildly disappointing... and it was fucking HOT out. I waited for like 2 hours... 7/10

SEPTEMBER 20th - Vended album release signing

LOVE THEM!!! They recognized me as soon as I walked in the store! "Hey you've come to a couple of our shows right?" Damn right I have!! They're always super kind and I run into their girlfriends in town all the time! Saw Simon and his girlfriend Lilly at a Spirit Halloween this past October lol! Griffin also complimented my corset! 10/10

SEPTEMBER 21st - Knotfest Iowa 2024

It was a good time even though once again it was fucking hot. I pretty much saw every band who was there! Till Lindemann was such a treat! I am so in love with Jes and Constance... My boyfriend hand painted me a Slipknot jumpsuit and mask to wear! Also got to see a lot of my friends there, including Vended and their girlfriends once again lol! But the downside was Slipknot's set was cut short due to a thunderstorm. All of the crowd was ready to keep going, but apparently it was 'too dangerous'. Sigh... I really wanted to hear them play Scissors and Spit It Out... 8/10

OCTOBER 4th - Worm, Frozen Soul TX & Gatecreeper

Another fun time! This was my first deathcore show and I was having such a blast in the pit! I also got in for free because my friend works for the owners of the venue! Got to chat with the bands and take a picture too! 9/10

OCTOBER 19th - Seether & Skillet

Lol I called out of work for this one... Don't tell my boss. I mean the tickets were super cheap and Skillet was a bucket list band to see. And fuckkkkk they didn't disappoint! They played every song I wanted to hear and I knew every word! Got to hang out with the local rock radio DJ's again and meet the new guy! I love my homies at Lazer! Seether was average for me, I like more of their b-side songs and obviously they didn't play those. We left halfway through their set lol 9/10

OCTOBER 31st - Rippin' N' Rollin' 3: Haploid & Druids

As I've said before... I LOVE SKATING!! And I got to wear my Slipknot jumpsuit again since it was a Halloween show! Also Druids played a Nine Inch Nails cover so I was rocking outttt!!! 10/10

NOVEMBER 12th - Wind Walkers, Zero 9:36, Currents & The Plot In You

It was my boyfriend's birthday and his friend bought us all tickets so it was a free show. I really wanted to go to see Wind Walkers and The Plot In You. Wind Walkers played every song I wanted to hear. It was fucking awesome!! I caught a Currents pick which I gave to my friend because he wanted it so badly. (he loves currents) He ended up catching a Zero 9:36 pick so he traded me, which worked out perfect! 8/10

NOVEMBER 27th - Scene Queen & Babymetal

Scene queen was good! I knew a majority of her songs and she was super cute! The only thing that killed it for me was these bitches behind me who told me to stop headbanging. Fuck them. But seeing Babymetal for the second time was a dream come true!! I love Momoko so much! She smiled really big when she saw I knew the dances! (specifically her parts!) 8/10

[vaporvipermedia]

Special Update!

New Years is on the way. So,I’ve been planning a few things!

I don’t know if y’all can tell, but I’m a very big project person. I love creating the concepts, drawings and rough drafts of my own projects. It fuels me with so much creativity and ideas it's not even funny. The only unfortunate part of this, is the fact that I never finish them.💀

They always get STUCK in the middle of something and there’s never an ending for them. I want to change that by doing some projects of mine I’ve been itching to get to. I’m only giving myself 3 for now.

TWST Character Resurrection:

A task where I revive my old TWST characters I abandoned by giving them new designs and backstories! Rekindling their relationships with one another while giving them a fresh new look at their personalities and how they became that way.

Also because there’s a lot of improvement that needs to be done with all of them.

The characters that are going to be resurrected are:

- Sullivan Laguna  - Kai Ramsey - Photios Diamandis - Malachi Fotea - Blaze

They can finally be free from the grave! Unfortunately, Raizel and Orval must stay inside the grave. May they rest in piece.

TWST Retro AU: 

A Twisted Wonderland alternate universe set in the 80’s where everyone can still use magic. Cable TV, the rise of different subcultures, rock bands, fun food courts and full of the bright youths of tomorrow trying to make a change in the world they live in. But, every dreamer has to have a start somewhere. And that all begins in High School. I’m still drafting some designs for the OG cast but this is definitely going to be the last project on my list of things I want to do this year. This is an AU I've been loving for quite sometime. So many clothing ideas and cliques/groups in here it's not even funny. Hopefully you guys will love it too.

The Melancholy Case of Kei Yoshihiko:

OK! This last project on the list, is the most biggest one by far. BUT! It will be so worth it. As you could probably tell from the header, I will be making something big for Kei. A birthday event that will have a few chapters and a possible new character to be added to the Ramshackle Dorm. The story will mostly focus on Kei feeling worthless, homeless and finally deciding to tell the truth about not actually being who he said he was, a detective.

I won't say too much as to not spoil what I'm trying to cook up. But as of right now, I have a very good feeling about this project. It may take a while and that's ok. <--- I'm coping.

Of course these projects will come out when they come out. I wouldn't dare give myself a schedule because I know for a fact that I would not make it. I need to pace myself and not force the creativity out. I'm really excited and passionate about this. EVEN IF IT TAKES SOME TIME THESE WILL BE FINISHED! That's all! ＼(￣▽￣)／

[emmedoesntdomath]

ANOTHER QUESTION I WAS TOO DUMB TO ASK:

WHAT ARE ALL YOUR NEWSIE SHIPS/SEXUALITY HCS/GENDER HCS?!?!

I spent like, a long time thinking about how I was going to do this one, because this will be a ridiculous list. here goes nothing

(also, most of these don’t exactly match what I put in the headcanons. I might go back and change them later)

Francis “Jack Kelly” Sullivan (bisexual, he/they)/David “Davey” Jacobs (gay, he/him) <- I once saw a video compilation of bye bye bye by nsync with jack, and it’s lived rent free in my mind ever since. also, jeremy and michael’s jacks specifically give me he/they vibes

Antonio “Racetrack” Higgins (panromantic, demisexual, he/him)/ Sean “Spot” Conlon (queer, he/him, she/they) <- I feel like spot changes depending on the version, which is definitely not how other people do it, but that’s okay. second set of pronouns are for uksies spot. 

Albert DaSilva (demiromantic, gay, he/it)/ Finch Cortez (he/they)<- don’t come @ me, ralbert shippers, please. I support and love that ship, but doing this way felt more practical. 

Michael “Bumlets” Herrera (bisexual, he/him)/ Jonathan “Skittery” Farrell (gay, he/him) <- hi these are my official headcanon names for them and no I’m not willing to change my mind thanks

Nick “Mush” Meyers (panromantic, they/he)/ Louis “Kid Blink” Ballatt (bisexual, he/him) <- honestly, they’re as canon as javey.

Sarah Jacobs (lesbian, she/her)/ Katherine “Plumber” Pulitzer (bisexual, she/they) <- your honor, I love them. 

“Jojo” De La Guerra (gay, grayromantic, they/them)/ Benjamin “Button” Davenport (gay, he/they/it, ftm) <- I actually refuse to type of jojo’s full name. sorry. 

Snitch (gay, he/him)/ Lorenzo “Itey” (queer, they/it) <- *laughs evilly* you should ask me how I feel about the name itey.

Henry (gay, asexual, he/him, ftm)/ Elmer (alloromantic, he/him) <- elmer is just made of love, and you can fight me on that. 

Dutchy (✨confused✨, he/they/she)/ Snoddy (queer, they/them) <- it feels very on brand to have dutchy being confused. 

William “Bill” Randolph Hearst, Jr. (bisexual, he/him)/ Darcy (gay, he/him) <- who exactly is darcy, anyway, historically??

Bart (biromantic, polyromantic, he/him)/ Myron (gay, he/him) <- LOUD AND CLEAR BROOKLYNS HEREEEEEEE

Hotshot (pansexual, he/him)/ Sniper (queer, they/them) <- that one’s for you @sparkedblaze <3 <3

Charlie “Crutchie” Morris (grayromantic, asexual, he/him) <- crutchie, my love

Leshem “Les” Jacobs (straight, he/him) <- ✨ally✨

Medda Larkin (aromantic, asexual, she/her) <- I love this woman so much, I swear to god

Morris Delancey (queer, asexual, he/they) <- I won’t say I’m a delancey apologist, but I want to give morris a hug.

Oscar Delancey (bisexual, in denial, he/him) <- yes, you read that right. no, I will not take it off.

Romeo (aromantic, he/him) <- pov: I’m dying on this hill

Specs (queer, they/it) <- specssssssssss

[colleenmurphy]

"I swear to God if I see you around my daughter again I'll have your balls. You understand me, boy?"

Flashing the oyster shucking knife at the impossibly pimply teenage Romeo, who not a month before had called her such vile names and pushed Sarah down a flight of stairs but not before he kicked her books away from her when she tried to get up. He was a Matsek through and through and Colleen added him to the 'hate on sight' list steadily growing to include almost the entire clan, save five that had moved away and made something of themselves. Going so far as to change the spelling if their last name to cut ties.

"Sarah...you ok?"

Studying her mother with wide blue green eyes Sarah burst into tears as Colleen pulled her close and stroked her long dark hair.

"He told me I'd better make sure I lock my doors otherwise...he'd.."

She didn't even have to hear her daughter finish her sentence, she'd remembered his body language as she'd found him backing her into a corner on their own front porch. He was still walking up the street Colleen noticed almost begging for her to come after him so he could make a spectacle. She wouldn't allow that, instead she'd give him a taste of his own medicine.

"What's his first name?"

"Eugene..."

What an unfortunately fitting name for such a little creep. It was somewhere between the set of his jaw and the color of hair that Colleen first noticed a few things. It hadn't taken long or any deep digging detective work on her end to figure out that this little thug was Dave's progeny with the Matsek bitch that had tried to make her life a living hell when they were growing up. Jealousy had gotten the best of her from the get go in kindergarten until Kelly's Dad, Paweł had popped up missing after a few unpaid debts at the OTB parlor down the alley of the bar owned by Murphy, the flower and corner grocery owned by Starling and the butcher owned by Flannery.

His mother was one of Dave's best customers when it came to back room buying and various calls for 'extensions'. It sure as hell wasn't at Colleen's salon these days, she was a Bargain Mart bottle blonde for a cool $10 for 2. Sully was currently out on business, making a contact in Columbia and then making his way to Mexico to pick up a new strain of flower. The Sullivans had made a name quietly for themselves over the years thanks in part to her own Father's dealings with the Flannery family, her first marriage into it, that one wasn't even a year and then Frank Flannery had gone missing only to turn up in a New York harbor. Colleen was the one with the connections and the brains. Dave was just the figure head while she held the power.

"You sure you don't want me to just go in for you, Colly?"

Colleen shook her head and patted Jackie on the shoulder. She fought the urge to kiss him dead on the lips but she knew that would lead to other things. She needed a clear head.

"Nah, I got this, babe."

Only she and her best friend knew Sarah's true lineage was the result of Col's free spirited youth when she hitch hiked to an artists colony down south and met a slightly older man who was home from the war. He'd come from the city but was looking for something new, he'd probably end up down further south somewhere he'd mentioned. After they traveled for a few days and made it to the tiny town of Sloughbridge he left her quietly one evening just after sunset. She'd always remember that his eyes were the same color as the sky on a cloudless day. He was a pilot, a Treetop Flyer. Jimmy had been truly pissed off but more worried than anything else but upon discovering that Colleen was pregnant with his first grandchild he hurried to marry her to finally seal a business deal and to stop the small town he virtually owned from talking about his hippie new age daughter. The eldest Flannery boy, Frank , hadn't been the brightest bulb and had a bit of an anger issue until Colleen had taken things into her own hands. By then every piece of paperwork of signed, sealed and delivered and all the business i's were dotted and the t's crossed. Mary Colleen Murphy-Flannery was a very wealthy not to mention connected woman about town as well as abroad. She fell into Sullivan's lap due to another piece of family business, this time on her dearly departed mother Minnie's side. The Sullivan family owned the McGuire's a significant amount of money due to a loan to purchase their orchards and the town dairy, Col still received a check every now and again from a far flung Sullivan relative whose turn it was to make a payment. Money and material things never mattered to her, she was trying to raise Sarah to live simply, be aware and open to others.

'You're the very best thing that's ever happened to me...do you know that?'

She'd whispered nearly every night to her daughter since she'd come into the world, probably even before. It didn't matter that her child had no true father, this little girl was hers to raise, fiercely and unafraid of the world.

It took no time for Colleen to scale the lattice to the second story and slide the window open.

"Jesus Christ this woman's fucking insane...My mother never did anything like this for me."

Jackie said as he shook his head and lit a cigarette watching as the dark haired woman slipped inside nice and easy. She must have been a cat burglar in the her past life. They'd been hot and heavy for a minute a few years ago but that had tamed. Dave did some under handed things with a dancer a county over and Colleen had put a stop to everyone's fun, her own included and he understood.

Landing quietly on the carpet below the window Colleen found Eugene slumbering deeply. She knew Kelly was down at the Murphy's Tavern trying her damnedest to turn Dave's ear with a sob story. Col had to give Dave that, he was a stand up guy when it came to Sarah and Colleen's happiness. They hadn't wanted for anything material but as far as spending actual time with either of them he was always off on business or making a sale or moving a shipment. The carrier pigeon would be in this evening he'd assured her and he'd already given her an alibi, she was home going over the books. So now was the time to deal with the threat her daughter had been under.

A swift kick to the bed and he was awakened, dazed by a punch to the face and then his head shoved into a black sack. Moving quickly he tied his hands behind his back. Grabbing him tight she nudged him to the car.

"What the fuck....oh christ my mother never did this for me..."

Jacking muttered as he yanked open the backdoor to the Toronado. The silver flash in the moonlight let him know that Colleen was certainly taking after her parents. Jimmy was the level headed one whereas Minnie McGuire had been a wild one, god rest her soul.

"Is she seriously using Minnie's pistol for this?"

A solid thus sounded as the car rocked slightly. Dingus Matsek had smacked his massive squared forehead off the top of the car because Colleen hadn't corrected him. That stopped his babbling for his mother. She motioned for Jackie to move over because she was the one driving this one.

"God help us, kid what did you do to piss her off?"

The engine roared to life as the lights came up with the flick of a switch. Thundering guitars and bells filled the car as the drum beat thrummed.

I won't take no prisoners, won't spare no lives, Nobody's putting up a fight, I got my Bell, I'm gonna take you to Hell

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"

A squeaky scream muffled only slightly by the black sack over his face. Slipping on the safety she brought her arm back and cocked the noisy little shit right in the mouth with the butt of her gun.

"You're going to be taking a neat little trip far faaaar away my dear little bastard stepson."

"What..."

Jackie had now had his interest peaked. The way she took side streets worried him for a moment. Just how Colleen learned to drive was a mystery as Jimmy hadn't allowed her to do much.

"I went fucking missing for three months. I'm a quick learner. Just hang on and shut up and if you have to throw up roll the window down."

Was what she had said the one time he'd called her to pick him up after a night of drinking years ago. Whoever had taught her had instilled a need for careful speed and tight turns. She also drove on the defensive and always drove a stick.

"I know Dave's been cutting checks for years to pay your mother for your upkeep. He's not listed on your birth certificate but there's no doubt you're his. Still sneaking around with your mother too."

Thundering down the road they turned and Eugene went sliding along the leather with a shriek.

"What's happening?! That doesn't...my mom..."

"Is a lying whore who's the town doorknob and your Dad's a piece of shit too. I know kid. Now get out of my car."

Yanking him out by the hair she walked him along the tarmac where the strip looked completely dead.

"Who are you?!"

Yanking the bag off she let him face her and stare directly into her eyes.

"The mother of a young girl who you had no right to bully. You're nearly twenty and still a junior. She's a freshman and newly fifteen. But you can call me your nightmare."

"Mrs. Sullivan?"

"Right-o. Now, here comes your absolute worst nightmare."

"She-she doesn't have a Dad..."

"It wasn't an immaculate conception, I assure you."

Holding up a slim hand she shushed him. All three of them stood there listening closely as as thunderous road fell from the sky. In an instant a hulking plane appeared on the tarmac.

"There he is, right on time."

It was Jackie's turn to be amazed into a stupor

"Oh hell no..."

He muttered as he dropped his lit cigarette from his lips. That deep rose red and cream paint job gave it away as Treetop. His weed man for damn near close to sixteen years. How the hell had he met Colleen?

Maybe the world should take her more seriously.

He thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold.

The engines cut out as a hulking figure emerged from the cabin of the plane. To Eugene he looked big enough to blot out the very sun if there had been one. A shiver went up his spine as he fought to keep his composure. This woman was insane, her bodyguard was just standing there and now this hulking dude that knew how to fly a fucking plan looked like he wanted make Eugene swallow his own teeth. He never should have targeted Sarah Murphy. But he hadn't known, his mother pushed him to find fault with her when in reality there hadn't been anything wrong with her.

"You like Thailand, boy?"

Completely unsure of what to say his brain defaulted as this man held his gaze. Something about his awake the need to run.

"N-nnoo..."

The flush in his face deepened as he heard Mrs. Sullivan cackle upwards toward the moon. A deep chortle was heard from her two cronies. A warm rush something ran down his pants and into his shoes. Eugene David Matsek was nearly legal drinking age and he'd just managed to piss himself in front of absolute strangers.

"Get in the plane, piss pants."

"What...what about my mom?"

"She'll be joining you soon enough. So will Dave. Think of it as a fresh start. You can get a start on the hut."

With a wave the long dark haired woman gave him a cold little wave.

"Don't ever fuck with my daughter ever again."

Was her final warning before she kissed the pilot dead on the lips and gave him a wave.

"I'll meet you next week. Let me know how this goes..and if he pisses you off too badly send him out the door with the parachute."

[pixies-and-poets]

Sparks of Hope NPC Lore Bits from RITPS

OK, as promised I have some little things we learned about other characters in Rayman in the Phantom Show! Not too much, but some fun surprises.

(Phantom-centric post here.)

Morning Galaxy Magazine - This appears to be a morning variety show with a lot of different segments, and is the reason most of the recognizable characters besides Phantom are at the studio. You never know who will show up here! DJ Cheep Tuna, Gerspard, Sullivan, Alkementor, and Sweetlopek and Dryad (as a couple) have all guested or had recurring segments on this "stupid thing" and "insipid tabloid" as Beep-0 calls it (while being jealous he was never invited).

DJ Cheep Tuna is rumored to be doing a collab with Allegra. (👀)

The segment of Morning Galaxy Magazine that Dryad and Sweetlopek host is called "Building a Bridge to Love" (awww). It appears to be a dating advice show where people write in. The episodes are pre-recorded but Sweetlopek wants to host a singles cruise where the episodes will be broadcast live.

Sullivan claims to be broke from buying stuff for his model train set (lmaooo Jeanie please help reign him in.... but I also may have laughed way too hard at him suddenly saying "That is why I am destitute")

Gerspard has concluded that "animatronics is the noblest artform of them all." (Hey maybe HE should date Bwahstrella, huh? No.... no he probably shouldn't.)

Speaking of which, Bwahstrella was involved in a lawsuit whereby her challenges aren't allowed to officially factor into the Space Opera Network's ratings. Don't know how that works out but there ya go.

That's all I have, feel free to add anything I forgot. But overall I'm so happy and amused by how much we continued to learn about characters we'd already met in the main game throughout these DLCs.