#and for that to be true with Chris age he would have to be closer in age with Buck t

[lover-of-mine]

I refuse to believe eddie is younger than buck though because as chim said "you're not his elder". buck was 26 in s1 and 29 in s4 and so to me, eddie has to be at least a year older? but you're right about them being around the same age and yet at such different stages. buck craves that family and I wish he could have it 💔 that baby duck could cling a little harder for once (to eddie, not a stranger..)

Well, considering season 6, Eddie can't be more than a few months older than Buck. I don't think they would actually make Buck older than him, but the thing is, we know Eddie has to be born in 1992 given the date on Shannon's grave and the way they didn't imply that Eddie is older than her, but Buck can be from 1991 or 1992 considering all the times they stated his age, 26 in s1, 28 right before the tsunami, 29 before he finds out about Daniel, 30 when he gets struck by lightning, and the very confusing way the time passes on the show. I guess you could push it a little, say Eddie is from late 91, since Shannon is from October 92, he could be anywhere from November 91 to September 93 and still be the "same age" as her in between birthdays but I refuse to believe they would put him as being born in 93, so our best guess is somewhere in 92, but our best guess with Buck is also somewhere in 92. So they can't be more than a few months apart from each other. But I also think everyone latched onto the way Eddie acts older (and the way Ryan is older) to put him as older than he is when his whole thing is that he was forced to grow up too fast, by the pressure to be the "man of the house" and the way that he had to learn be a father before he got to be a kid and the way that war changes someone in ways other experience won't. Buck has a boyish energy to him because he was left alone, because he was invisible. Maddie left for college then she left because of Doug, so the only person that could've pushed him to get his shit together wasn't around, so he lived life the way he did because he didn't have anyone else to care about besides himself and he never cared about himself very much to begin with. Because the way he settles into himself is not just Abby in the way he likes to say, it's Bobby, Hen, and Chim letting him care about them too. And the way he really settles once he gets Maddie back and meets Eddie and Chris shows the way he just didn't have a reason before them. But they do balance each other off in a beautiful way because Eddie needed to loosen up a little, and Buck not only shows him a different perspective, he also gives Eddie means to care about himself while making sure Chris is also always taken care of, and Eddie gives Buck a reason to not be a reckless idiot just because he wants to feel something.

[aclowntiny]

Skz as type of dads? 🥹

CRYING YES QUEEN/KING/MONARCH 👑🥹 kept this open for the kids to be biological or adopted or perhaps some of both for all family types 🥰 plus I’m a huge supporter of adoption personally hehe

Today is US Thanksgiving but fuck that ‘holiday’ here’s a post 🤙🏻

Stray Kids as Dads

Bang Chan

♡ Such a caring and protective dad, like his kids will never get hurt on his watch or his name isn’t Christopher Bang

♡ Being an eldest brother, he’s an absolute champ caring for them, like the moment they’re born he’s rolling up his sleeves and helping out, screw gender norms or the idea of the dad not helping. Being present with his children is a joy and honor.

♡ Would probably like the idea of a mid-sized family, probably a family of three like he had! Still manageable but no one’s lonely or received unfairly high expectations. Especially if they end up being closer in age, that’s ok because they’ll get along better instead of being teens enlisted to care for a baby or something of the like.

♡ Such a multi-talented man is a wonderful mentor to any interests the kids have, easily able to foster and participate in nearly any hobby- sports, singing, dance, acting, playing instruments, you name it!

♡ I can so see him loving to run around with the kids on his shoulders, grinning at the way they laugh and coming up with all sorts of vehicles and steeds to be, whether they want a spaceship ride, a horsie, a plane, or a dragon! Absolutely soft for their pleading to indulge their play.

♡ As a boy dad, Chris views it as super important to model what it truly means to be a man- no toxic masculinity here though! He treats you like royalty so his son(s) know how to treat and provide for their partner someday. He teaches them to fight for what they believe in and be brave. Many of the same things are true for girls, too, but he treats them like absolute princess(ess) too to make sure they don't settle for any less from a man! Indulges dress-up and teaching them martial arts alike because they're his princess(es) but also they must be protected and unafraid to fight back! No one gets the better of his babies!

Lee Know

♡ Acts like he’s got everything under control, but on the inside he’s freaking out a little 🤏🏻

♡ Proud dad OMG. Every milestone and first that gets experienced, he is sharing it and telling everyone even if it’s completely normal. Like crawling for the first time? Amazing. Absolutely stellar. That’s his kid, you know.

♡ Leans more toward a smaller family like he had, maybe one or two children…and the cats, of course! He adores the idea of being able to pour all the love and care into his little family and give extra attention to you and the kid(s).

♡ Loves kitchen time with your kid(s), doing anything remotely dangerous like cutting or frying on his own but otherwise giving them near free reign! It's messy, sure, but it's also a life skill and a way they can provide for others in the future, too. Minho's kid(s) will appreciate the effort and quality that can go into meals for sure.

♡ Can be firm when he needs to be, but it's mainly in situations where they show any form of disrespect or intolerance. Beyond being happy and loved, he wants his kids to be beacons of love to everyone they meet, and that starts with teaching them that being a bully is never ok, even if it's to an annoying sibling or cousin.

♡ Boy or girl, he’s making a dancing machine out of that kid(s)! I mean, he won’t force them or anything but absolutely indulges it and becomes their biggest coach if they have any interest in dance or choreography. With a girl he’d be so soft when he twirls her and lets her stand on his feet to slow dance, a smile across his face the whole time. His son would be busting idol moves at a very young age 😎

Changbin

♡ His affection toward you increases tenfold if that's even possible once you two are starting a family! And that carries over into the kids for sure.

♡ Honestly the sappiest and goofiest dad, like he won't go a single day without telling his kids he loves them, often in a cutesy voice. Plays with them and gets down to their level so well and gets so invested in any make believe they do.

♡ The idea of having a big family is cute to him, so numbers like four or five don't scare him! But he can be talked down if you like too- Changbin mostly just wants his kid to grow up with at least one sibling like he did.

♡ Playground days are a must for him- heck, he'll be right there going down the slide with little ones in his arms and spinning on the merry-go-round with eager squeals of his own. Becomes their own personal playground, having them hang off of his arms and spin. You have so many silly pictures of them like that.

♡ Plushie theatre! Changbin will act out the most elaborate scenes with teddy bears and stuffed dogs on leashes and anything else provided to him and he will take it as seriously as if he was reciting Shakespeare. May even play music to set the scene. The kiddos laugh so hard and just eat it up every time.

♡ Has the perfect balance to be a boy and girl dad. Lets his daughters put makeup and bows on him with the biggest sappy grin and asks if he looks pretty, then turns around and plays drill sergeant with the boys. Half-jokingly, half-seriously encourages them to mix play with each other and that’s how you find Changbin in camo with blush and the boys smudging lipstick on each other’s faces while the girls try to shoot their action figures away from their dolls.

Hyunjin

♡ Really invested and emotional about the whole process, especially in the beginning. His heart just fills and overflows whenever he looks and sees the life you two are raising.

♡ The dad who’s been practicing diaper changes on dolls or others’ kids if allowed so he knows he can do it right the first time for real 🥹

♡ In his mind, a small family sounds nice, maybe spaced apart so you can spend some time with each. But when he holds his little one for the first time suddenly he looks up like ‘I want ten’. Hyperbole, don’t worry. But suddenly bigger numbers like four or five or six don’t sound so terrible if you’re game 👀

♡ Unafraid to get messy with the fam in the name of art! Hyunjin's at the table when you come home, colors splattered all over his hands and the kids' as they finger paint. Don't worry, he's covered it all up with paper and made sure at least one of the paintings is a portrait of you 😉

♡ Dresses up the kids in the most stylish outfits, like you're about to have little models on your hands! Also has a soft spot for coordinating outfits with them, whether it's family photo day or just an afternoon out with the little ones.

♡ He values all his children so much, especially the awareness that they’ll bring different beauty to the world and be perceived differently. Because of this, he encourages fortitude in all the kids, boy or girl, to be themselves and stand firmly in their interests whatever they are.

Han

♡ This man is the sweetest dad for real! Adores his kids and is always happy to show them affection 🥰

♡ Also the type of dad who tries really hard (sometimes a little too hard but that’s why you all love him 🤭) to be hip on the trends and name their generation’s memes.

♡ I can see him once he gets into the swing of things as the type to want a bigger family, maybe even more than he thought! Nothing crazy, but in his head he thought he’d feel complete after one or two, now that he has them though? Three or four doesn’t sound bad, just look at how cute they are with a sibling to play with! Kind of reminds him of the feeling of having so many brothers.

♡ You have to stop him sometimes from buying every cute toy he sees. “Do we need another playset?” “But babe, then he can run his own sushi restaurant 🥺” “Shit, that is cute, ok.”

♡ Cries when his kids cry, laughs whenever they do or at any joke they ever tell him, can hardly bring himself to scold them because he just loves them so much and doesn’t want to break their hearts!

♡ Honestly doesn’t mind if he has boys or girls, like both sound great so you’d never catch this dad sulking at a gender reveal! In the end though I can see him having one of each, and it warms your heart to see how he teaches his son(s) to respect their sister(s), value and cheer them on from a very young age. He is all of their biggest cheerleader, though, handing them mics when he’s recording or playing around in the studio, showing up to every event of theirs he physically can, and just going ‘that’s my son/daughter’ with a huge smile all the time.

Felix

♡ The type of father to describe his kids as the twinkles in his eyes! Just constantly looking at them with adoration- they’ll never wonder if they’re loved 🥹

♡ He's always wanted a family, so having little ones of his own is Felix's dream come true for sure. You'll practically have to pry them from his arms, he loves showering them in affection so much!

♡ For some reason, I see him wanting three kids, the classic 'nuclear family' size or in his words the perfect number to fill up his arms! You guys are ever-so-slightly outnumbered, but your life's also full to the brim of cuteness.

♡ A pro at bath time! Felix is the epitome of 'organized chaos' during this time, managing to get all your little ones to love the water and keep it in the tub. He knows all their favorite toys and has a voice for each one.

♡ One Mother’s/Father’s Day you awake slowly, eyes fluttering at a few clattering sounds and shushes. Your eyebrows furrow in concern, but sleep swims too quickly still beneath your eyes to pull you up. Your internal questions are answered in moments as Felix and the kids burst in with a tray of all your favorites for breakfast, all clearly handmade as the notes and drawings scattering it.

♡ Absolutely no difference in his intent with raising boys or girls… but real talk, the sweetest girl dad on the planet OMG. While he is conscious about modeling caring and providing behavior in both, curiosity and discovery regardless… he has at least one girly girl that just steals his heart and has him wrapped around her finger. Will play as whatever princess needed, incredibly active in every single tea party he can make, you name it, he does it.

Seungmin

♡ The do-it-all dad. He learns sooo much about all of their interests when they're older and reads up on everything baby/toddler before then. An absolute champ at juggling care and keeping the house afloat!

♡ All he wants in life is to do right by his family and be a man you can be proud of. No fear with jumping right in to any aspect of raising your family, even if he does crack the occasional joke.

♡ He's a bit open on number, probably leaning between two or three but more wouldn't hurt if you'd like bigger!

♡ Bedtime is one of his favorite times. Just being able to lay down with the kids and read them stories, doing funny voices and raising and lowering for suspense, fills his heart. He'll sing them lullabies until their eyes stay closed and watch for a few moments wondering how he got so lucky to have this with you of all people.

♡ Invents a whole secret language with the kids one day, so you come home and can't understand any of them. Teases the dickens out of you, grinning and bumping your shoulder and egging the kids on to say more until relenting and letting you in on the secret!

♡ He can’t decide if he’s more excited to have a son or a daughter! Practically weeps imagining playing dress up but has also always wanted a mini me??? (See what I did there?) He takes photos of the kids often, which ends up sparking an interest in photography that he’s happy to foster. Heck, maybe through that his daughter will become his mini me and he gets the best of both worlds!

I.N

♡ Playful dad! It’s not uncommon to come home and find him rolling around with the kids in a big ball of laughter!

♡ He hadn’t always thought about having a family, but when he met you and you guys began your journey, he wondered how he would have ever considered anything else.

♡ Because of this, he never had some dream number in his head and he’s happy to give you the floor on that question whether you’d like one or three or six!

♡ S-Class (see what I did there) nurse. They'll practically demand that he's the one to care for wounds and put the bandages on because he's so good at distracting from the sting of cleaning it and kissing where it hurts.

♡ They love his trot voice. Thus he hams it up plenty, bringing out his most exaggerated moves and probably bringing props too. Would not at all be adverse to them becoming his backup singers or dancers.

♡ Loves the idea of at least one mini you and one mini him- his words! Y’all definitely get a mini him though, OMG: your son wants to be JUST LIKE his dad, practically following him around all the time. He takes after his dad’s goofy smile and performances so soon you really do have two trot performances to watch! Jeongin is so honored and floored by this that he’s always saying he has to be the best man possible for his son as well as for you 🥹 he always encourages his son to say the sweetest words to you too- but don’t say it was from him, shh!!!

[artist-issues]

So if you could tell everyone about your favorite movie, what would you tell them about it?

PS I love your blog and your media deep dives

Thank you! So kind! Anything good I have to say is really just because of Jesus, not me. I'd tarnish and ruin good things, left on my own.

I keep trying to tell everyone about my favorite movie, but I get so choked with all the things I want to say—and knowing that the more deep I make it seem the less they'll like it because they're not accustomed to deep-diving into children's media and that'll skew their enjoyment of it—that I wind up falling back on the tried and true "it's so good, you have to see it, I can't believe you've never seen it before, we have to watch it!"

It's Lilo & Stitch.

Lilo & Stitch is incredible for so many reasons.

It was an underdog in the Disney Studio. One of their lowest-budget movies, in their B-Team Shabby Florida Studio, and only a handful of higher-ups really believed in it. And now it's one of their biggest, longest-lasting, farthest reaching worldwide franchises.

Disney was stuck in a rut of making only a certain handful of movies; Triumph-of-Humans Adventures, or Princess-Fantasies. And Chris Sanders, the guy who basically invented their Story Department during the "renaissance" period, came along and said, "let's break the mold. Let's just try something small, quirky, bold, and new. Let's flip the script on everything except good storytelling." Instead of Princesses, you get Normal Humans Living in a 2002 rural beach town. Instead of Magic you get Sci Fi—but only like five minutes of Sci-Fi. Instead of a Romance you get Family. And when we say "family," no, we don't mean, "Epic Lion King or Tarzan Coming-of-Age Destiny Stories—" we mean "orphans about to be split up by the foster care system, needing a friend." Instead of Lassie (pet movies, like 101 Dalmatians or Lady & the Tramp.) you get something closer to Gremlins meets E.T. Instead of an Epic Adventure, you get Smalltown Sister Tries to Find a Job. Instead of Dashing or Loveable Main Character you get Mildly Disgusting Main Character who picks his nose and pushes little orphan girls down, for fun. Instead of a Namable Famous City on Earth, like New York or London in their old movies, you get Nameless Town in Hawaii. Instead of Hero Triumphs, you get Villain Redeemed.

The style. All the alien ships look like fish, all the alien creatures look like some take on small-town animals like armadillos or pigs or bobcats, or more aquatic life. And then it matches with what? Small Town Hawaiian Imagery. So you get the idea that not only, stylistically, do the visuals of the movie blend well, but, Stitch not only doesn't belong in outer space among those aliens—he doesn't belong on Hawaii, where even the locals have something in common with the Galactic People, and he does not.

Watercolor backgrounds. Nobody was doing that. Nobody is doing that. They didn't have to do that. It's just beautiful, and soft.

Stitch. As a character. Name one other character whose arc starts with "you can never belong; there is nothing inside of you that is good." and then ends with "loved unconditionally, adopted into a family that loves him in spite of the trouble he brings them. In spite of his inability, at first, to love them back."

Lilo. Lilo is loved that same way by Nani. Nani willingly invites trouble into her already fraught life if it'll make Lilo the tiniest bit happier. Even though Lilo already makes Nani's life hard. Lilo, too, is about to go into the next phase of life with nothing—if the social worker takes her away, she'll have lost her parents, her sister, her home, and her hometown, which she's shown to know and love—and we've already seen how feeling lost and like she doesn't belong causes Lilo to act destructively, because her classmates treat her like she doesn't belong and Lilo beats the crap out of them. The directors said it like this: "Lilo is a future Stitch," if she's taken away.

All these characters have holding them together is this commitment to this definition of family: "Nobody gets left behind or forgotten." Lilo and Nani were "left behind" by their parents, because their parents died. Or they could think of it that way. But Nani doesn't. She does whatever she can to keep Lilo with her, and refuse to "leave Lilo behind." She's eighteen, nineteen—she could go on to college, live in a dorm, while her troublemaking sister goes to foster care. She has all these surf trophies on her nightstand—she could've been somebody if she'd left her family behind. But she doesn't. Whether Lilo loves her back or not, she won't leave Lilo behind. And guess what? Whether David, the surfer boy, gets Nani's love back or not, he loves her and is there for her. Whether Stitch loves Lilo back or not, she sticks with him—until she almost doesn't, but guess what, by then it's okay, because he's learned. He's been transformed by the idea "nobody gets left behind," which is just another term for "unconditional love."

The commitment to FOCUS. Chris Sanders is always good at this. But this movie could've been about, or addressed, DOZENS of social issues. It could've picked up the "government worker" flag. It could've picked up the "racism" flag, or the "classism" flag. It easily could've picked up the "feminism" flag, or the "be yourself" flag, or the "find who you truly are," or the "you're worth everything" flag. But it didn't. It CUT OUT previous scenes that would've addressed racism or classism. It JUST later-focused on one, universal, unifying theme that every human on this planet can understand, and relate to, and needs to be reminded of: "family loves unconditionally."

This movie is why I looked into being a storyteller. Just this movie; no other movie did it for me.

[bambamramfan]

What If They Win

Too much has been written about the horse race of this election, but not nearly enough analysis about how either administration will govern. There's some fearmongering about Project 2025 or courtpacking, but that's propaganda not actual predictions.

(FWIW, I think Trump has this race in the bag, but can understand people who still hope think this is a coin flip.)

If Harris Wins...

Harris has held together a remarkable coalition of people against Trump. Mainstream Democratic politicians, YIMBY pundit technocrats, far lefters holding their nose, and Republican neoconservatives. This is no criticism, it's pretty impressive how they are coming together to defeat a common enemy, and I really really would like them to win.

But what happens to a coalition defined by a common enemy, after they win? Let's assume the best case scenario and she gets a Democratic Senate who confirms her cabinet and some SCOTUS judges.

Who supports Harris in the press, or is vote-corraling for her in Congress? Not those Republicans who hope to turn a page on the Trump era. Not a far left who has decided to hate her as a centrist sell out. Not moderate dems who will run away from any hint of weakness. Maybe a few of those YIMBY pundits who hope she's actually committed to more houses and nuclear power. But that's no political hyperpower.

What would her first major bill be? Who would support it? It will be just one scandal plagued administration with little support from any quarter that makes its ground breaking "first" for subaltern identities a disappointing token. The David Dinkens of the White House.

I predict that President Harris would have the lowest approval rating in her first year of any President we have polling for. It's gonna be brutal, and an easy 2028 win for Republicans (who hopefully won't be running 82 year old Trump.)

If Trump Wins...

This is the interesting one. I've heard a lot of people say that a second Trump term will be even worse than the first because he's fully unleased now and no one can stop him from doing what he really wants. And I think this is partly true.

I just don't think what he wants is "Republican authoritarian rule." Sure, he will probably let the Fed Society still pick the judges (which he never cared about besides thinking they should be loyal to him) and there will almost certainly be a tax cut/extension. But besides that?

In the first Trump term, he had VP Pence, Jeff Sessions as AG, governors like Chris Christie, and three establishment figures at State, Defense, and Treasury making a pact that if Trump fires one they all resign. It was an actual coalition of Republicans and Trumpists who need each other. Even Jared Kushner was pretty establishment friendly (he's the one who approved Pence.)

Jared and Ivanka are gone now, replaced by Eric and Donjr. The VP is a Thiel-acolyte who isn't anti-Republican but sure is "from the blogs." And the endorsers Trump touts are RFK Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Elon Musk (while more and more mod Republicans endorse Harris.)

This isn't a Trump face over a body of Republicans - this is a Trump leader over all the fringe outsiders of American weirdo culture. I think Trump *actually does* want to appoint RFK to Secretary of Health, and indulge in every conspiracy, organic hippie, crunchy nonsense - which actually has a lot of believers across the country, but extremely little following in DC itself.

I think this will be hilarious beyond our wildest dreams of entertainment. It will not be a functional fascism - it will be closer to Jill Stein and Richard Branson and Andrew Tate. He'll try to pass laws that every kid in America needs to eat healthy and also work in a McDonalds.

[juicycoutureheaux]

Chris Redfield x Reader

“Where you are”

Hi there y’all, it’s been a while since I’ve posted a one shot but this one has been in my drafts for a while. It hasn’t been edited well so bear with me. I hope you all enjoy. This is a mature one shot, so minors do not interact. There are themes of dubious consent as well as mentions of pregnancy.

Y/N was so ready for this mission to be over. They had just discovered some valuable information and samples from this specific testing site.

For the first time in a long time, Y/N was proud of the work the team had accomplished this mission. Instead of being the clean up crew for an active outbreak site, they were able to get into an actual lab and make arrests before things escalated. Now, all they needed was to analyze the samples to see exactly what kind of testing was being conducted on the property.

Y/N started to undo the PPE she wore. Making sure to tear off the respirator first.

The respirators they wore were heavy and extremely hot, causing its wearer to sweat profusely. She couldn’t wait to get into a shower as she ripped off hers to get some air on her skin.

She looked over to see the team’s captain, Chris Redfield wiping the sweat off his face as well.

He met her gaze and gave her a wink. She made sure to return his playful gesture, the other members of hound wolf oblivious to their flirtatious behavior.

You and Chris had been quietly dating for about 6 months. The two of you had been taking it slow, considering there was a significant age gap of 16 years between the two of you.

The power dynamic was definitely an interesting part of your relationship as well.

You were the first one to bring up possibly leaving Hound Wolf if things became more serious between them. Chris was reluctant to the idea at first.

You expressed how the job started to burn you out, especially after the way things were handled in Europe with the Winters family.

You had such a soft spot for Rose; she was the reason you stayed with Hound Wolf for so long. She was starting to age rapidly and the nature of her situation was a challenge that the BSAA had trouble handling.

There was even talks of training Rose to become a member of Hound Wolf.

That's where you drew the line.

You loved Rose, you held her every chance when she was an infant and when she was abducted by Miranda you didn’t sleep until she was found.

Rose’s abduction made you rethink your decision of working such a dangerous job.

Sure, when you were younger and obsessed with the ability to help people on such a large scale, you didn’t even think about yourself. You knew that it would be impossible to have a normal life; but, as the years went on, you started to soften.

You were starting to crave normalcy.

Chris was understanding of how you felt and respected your decision. He didn’t bring up the subject again.

You also think that’s why the two of you hadn’t had sex yet.

In the time that you two had become acquainted and became “more than friends” according to Chris himself; the squad was busy with deployments to all different corners of the world.

When the team had a rare bit of down time, Chris would mostly take you out, to get your minds off of work. Recently, Chris invited you over to his place and you were hoping to get some action.

The two of you ended up watching your favorite campy movies. Chris would end up putting his arm around you and you would snuggle in closer rubbing his thigh, hoping he would get the message.

Much to your dismay his eyes were glued to the TV screen.

The night ended with you falling asleep on him. Ever the gentleman, he carried you to a spare bedroom so you could sleep peacefully.

He had woken you up, but you pretended to be asleep hoping he would carry you into his bedroom. You really wanted him to flop you on the bed and start kissing you awake so the two of you could fuck for the first time; but you knew that wasn’t Chris’ style. He was a true gentleman.

After that, you wondered if the age gap was too weird for him.

That was a couple weeks ago, and the two of you hadn’t been able to be alone since. Your sexual frustration was getting worse, and it was getting harder and harder to hide.

You started to think you had opened up to him too soon and that maybe the two of you were headed towards a split.

You couldn’t blame him, the two of you had different priorities it seemed. The thought of not being together, even though you had been seeing each other for a short time made your heart sink.

The two of you had been intimate in other ways than physically. He was so easy to talk to, he always knew how to comfort her. You hoped he felt the same way about you.

You remember the first time Chris had finally let down his walls in front of you. The two of you had been sharing a drink in a quiet bar, talking about anything and everything.

He was a couple drinks in when a group of young men in their early twenties came into the bar. They were obviously in some kind of military service, hence their cohesive appearance.

Chris’ face fell as the couple watched the men laugh and start ordering.

“They remind me of my old team.”

You looked at the way he gripped his glass and the look of sadness in his eyes.

It might have been the alcohol, but you reached out your hand to rub his arm.

“Tell me about them.” You said gently, hoping he wouldn’t push you away.

Chris let out a low sigh and punched the bridge of his nose. Chris had a reputation, especially since the 2012 global terrorist attacks.

You knew he had lost every single one of his soldiers, and it took a toll on him; that was no secret. Chris wasn’t known to talk about himself, especially his past, so you were shocked when he began to talk about his Lieutenant, Piers Nivans.

“This kid, well,I guess he wasn’t a kid.” Chris began to laugh while he told the story. “Was a total hardass, I swear, I would have hated to have this guy in charge of me when I was in the air force.”

You returned his smile. You loved to see the skin around his eyes crinkle when he was happy.

Chris continued, “One day, I guess the other guys on the team got so sick of him always being on their ass, they decided to wrap all his shit up in Christmas wrapping paper, down to his toothbrush. Nivans flipped his fucking lid, I mean really lost his fucking mind. He started threatening everyone in the barracks that if they didn’t help unwrap his shit, he would make them run suicide drills for the rest of the week.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of painstakingly wrapping all of someone’s personal belongings for a joke; that was dedication.

“Did they unwrap it?” You asked genuinely interested.

Chris laughed, “of course, I even helped. We spent 2 hours unwrapping Nivans’ things. We really bonded as a team that day. Even Nivans lightened up. He was a great kid. His dad was just a real hardass on him.” Chris said, his smile beginning to fade.

“I remember having to go tell that same father to

tell him that his son died on my watch.” Chris rubbed his stinging eyes to prevent tears from falling.

You had never seen him show so much emotion.

You got up from your bar stool and hugged him tight. To your surprise he returned it before letting go, hoping no one had seen the intimate moment between you two.

Chris quickly paid their tab and the two of you went out to

his car to talk somewhere more private.

By the time the two of you had completely sobered up it was late.

Chris drove you back to your apartment, walking you up

to the door.

When you went to put your key into the lock, Chris grabbed you by the waist and pulled you in for your first kiss. You were caught off guard, but enjoyed the intimacy. You placed your hand behind his head entangling your fingers through his cropped brown hair. You wanted to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away too soon.

You looked up at him with puppy dog eyes and he chuckled.

“Get some rest, Y/L/N. You’re gonna need it for Monday.” He started to walk back to the car while you were still standing in front of your door in shock.

Now, 6 months later, the two of you still hadn’t passed first base.

You remained in thought as you observed Chris joking around with the other team members. You loved that he always remembered their interests outside of work.

Like how Umber Eyes had a soccer team he followed religiously and how Canine was obsessed with the Marvel-verse and would argue to the death about how it was superior to D.C.

You were broken out of your thoughts when you heard Lobo called your name.

“Any progress on those samples, squint?” He asked half jokingly. “I wanna go home.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’m almost done cataloging, if we get through this next hallway, we can go home.”

The team cheered.

“Alright team, you heard Y/N, let's suit back up and get the hell out of here.”

The rest of you did as you were told and headed to the rest of the facility.

As you & Chris were scanning through the empty rooms for any remnants of biohazardous materials, a cloudy substance began to fill the room.

You thanked god for the rebreather until you looked over to see Chris clutching his.

You rushed over to him. “Alpha, are you okay?”

He responded with a rough cough.

You tried not to panic. “We’ve got to get you out of here.” You quickly grabbed onto him and led him out of the now noxious room.

When you made it into the main hallway, you buzzed comms. “I need an Evac, Alpha has been exposed to an unknown contaminant. Repeat, I need an evac.”

You heard heavy boots quickly making their way towards you, it was the rest of Hound Wolf.

Umber eyes and Lobo grabbed each one of Chris’ arms and quickly made their way out of the lab.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You thanked God Chris was okay.

The BSAA deployed another team of trained “squints” to run samples on the gas immediately after Hound Wolf was successfully evacuated.

Turns out the gas was a pheromone used to attract BOWS as a part of defense against intruders.

Luckily for Hound Wolf the pheromone didn’t have any known adverse effects on humans and that the site was cleared of all living BOWS.

When Alpha was cleared and determined healthy, the rest of the team decided to go out to a nearby bar to destress from the mission.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go out Y/N?” Tundra inquired. “You looked pale when we got to base. Alpha’s going to be okay, you should really get out and have a drink.”

Y/n contemplated going out with them to save face, but in good faith she couldn’t leave Chris here by himself. He was considered healthy, but he didn’t deserve to be alone when he woke up.

“I really appreciate the invitation. I’ll catch yall next time.” She winked at her friend.

Tundra smiled warmly back at her. “Alright, I’ll let the other boys know.”

Y/N decided to go into Chris’ room to check on him.

The decontamination process was arduous and exhausting, so she expected him to be sleeping.

When she entered the room she was surprised to find him not only awake, but in the shower.

She felt embarrassed, barging in to his quarters like this, even if they were seeing each other romantically.

You turned pale when you heard the shower turn off and Chris stepped out of the bathroom. You heard shuffling and before you could leave, Chris entered the room with a towel wrapped around his waist.

He smiled. There was something different about him.

Chris turned you around and placed you on the bed with his hips digging into yours. You felt his thick erection against your thigh. He held you down by the nape of your neck. His grasp on you didn’t hurt but you couldn't move either.

You started to struggle a bit, nervous against his grasp, you definitely hadn’t pictured your first time together to be so rough. Was Chris even in his right mind? Of course not, it had to be the effect of the pheromones.

“Chris, please. I don’t want to do this, not this way.” You pleaded half heartedly.

The rough nature of his touch excited you, but you didn’t think it was right to take advantage of Chris when something was obviously wrong. Fuck, but the way he held you down, you wanted him, this was the kind of intimacy you were looking for.

Chris responded by spanking your firm ass, hard. You yelped.

“Don’t lie to me sweetheart.” He smacked your ass again harder. He reached his hand into your shorts and felt the wet slick of your arousal.

It was undeniable that you wanted him to fuck you.

He made a “tsk” noise. “You’re being such a bad girl. Now, ass up.”

Your body betrayed you, you lifted your hips up, high enough so he had full access to you.

Chris ripped your flimsy shorts and panties down in one fluid motion.

Chris entered you without warning, his thick cock felt like he was splitting you open. Tears began to prick your eyes as the stinging sensation of his cock opening your walls wider, began to intensify.

Chris began thrusting deeper into you, worried about his own pleasure over your own.

“Your pussy is made for me baby. You’re doing so good taking my cock like this.”

You began to whimper, you didn’t realize it but you were breathing loudly through the pain.

Chris brought his hand to your neck, grasping it to hold you in place, so your back was completely to his chest. He placed his other hand on your abdomen.

“You’re going to look so beautiful with my baby inside of you y/n.” Chris said, kissing behind your ear, thrusting faster into you.

The pain finally numbed into pleasure with each thrust and you felt yourself relaxing.

Chris must have felt your body loosen up because he pulled out of you. You whined, because you were finally getting used to his cock.

Chris picked you up by the backs of your thighs and placed you on top, reentering you before you could adjust yourself.

Chris began thrusting into you at a merciless pace, your breasts bouncing violently into his face. You couldn’t help but moan loudly. No one was here, you might as well just enjoy the moment.

Chris put one of your full breasts into his mouth suckling the tender flesh.

“God, just like that baby,” he moaned. You were now synchronized, you were grinding into him as he was thrusting into you. “Gonna make you mine.” He kissed the valley between your breasts.

You entangled your fingers in his hair, playing with it. You wanted to be as physically close as possible.

Chris’ strokes became longer and slower as she felt him get close to his climax. You decided to play dirty now.

You cradled his head into the crook of your neck “Please give me your baby, I want everyone to know that I’m yours.” You whispered into his ear with a smile evident in your voice.

Chris took that as an invitation to flip you on your back and position you into a mating press. He was completely pressed against you slamming into you mercilessly.

You felt the warmth of his cum inside of your womb almost immediately.

You were gasping for air, completely engulfed by the pleasure waves spasming through your body. Chris began to pull out of you slowly, not wanting to spill any of his seed from you.

He leaned down to kiss your forehead and pulled you close.

“You okay?” He said nuzzling into your ear.

“Chris,” you said shakily. “That was amazing.”

He absentmindedly rubbed your abdomen. “I meant what I said.”

You looked at him with a smirk growing on your features. “What did you say?”

Chris sighed knowing he deserved every bit of teasing. “I want you to have my baby.”

You decided to tease him more. “I’m good enough to have your baby, but not to marry?” You chided.

Chris looked genuinely hurt. “Of course I’d marry you.”

You kissed him again, assuring him you were just joking.

“When did you know that you wanted to be with me?”

“That’s hard to say.”

You looked at him confused.

He sensed your sudden apprehension. “What I mean is, " he said, running his hand through his hair, “Is that there wasn’t just one moment.”

You smiled a goofy smile, and kissed his cheek.

“Seriously, Y/N. When you let me talk about my team, you didn’t try to talk over me or tell me how to feel. You just listened. You know for the first time that night I actually was able to sleep without seeing their faces in my dreams?”

You blushed, deeper this time. You didn’t know how big of a deal that night was to him.

He continued. “And the time you held Rosemary for the first time. You had so much joy on your face and out of nowhere, you started talking about leaving Hound Wolf once she started getting older.”

You felt flattered. He really cared about you, he listened to you. You guess the age difference didn’t scare him at all.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner Chris?”

He started drawing circles with the pad of his finger on your shoulder. “I didn’t want to push you away. I wanted you so badly but telling you that I loved you too soon? Don’t you girls consider that a *red flag*?”

You couldn’t help but giggle at his use of modern slang. You cupped his face with your hand and used your thumb to caress his cheek.

“I’m kind of glad you got gassed with those pheromones now.” You said jokingly. “I would have never known.”

Chris cracked a smile, the kind that accentuated his crow’s feet. “We would have reached that point eventually.”

You looked at him with a more serious emotion. “In all seriousness, I think it’s official that I’m off Hound Wolf.”

“Absolutely.”

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Can I get you anything, babe?” Chris said as he got up

from the table.

“I’m good for right now.” He leaned down to kiss you and put his hand on your now obvious baby bump.

“Aww that’s so sweet.” Canine chided, Tundra elbowed him in the ribs.

You blushed, you still weren’t used to the team knowing that you and Chris were officially together; and expecting a child no less.

Chris sat down next to you and placed his hand lovingly on your thigh.

You had invited your friends over to celebrate, and to catch up. You hadn’t seen them since you were officially discharged from the BSAA.

When you confirmed your pregnancy, Chris had banned you officially from being near the BSAA headquarters.

He was very protective of you and the baby, so much so, he felt that even the slightest threat was too much for you.

The group sat at the table talking about recent deployments and how they had cycled out different squints in their squad and emphasized how none of them would ever be as good as you.

“Of course Alpha had to knock up the only good field tech.” Lobo joked.

Tundra rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him Y/n. You look so happy. Motherhood looks great on you.”

You couldn’t help but smile.

“Thanks, Emily. I’m so excited.” You turned your head towards Chris and placed your hand on top of his. “This is all I’ve ever wanted.”

“That’s disgusting,” Canine joked sarcastically, “Nobody should ever be that happy.”

“ I agree, I think we should talk about the BET.” Umber Eyes spoke up, a smile growing on his usually serious face.

Your face paled and you turned to Chris who looked equally as confused.

“We took bets on when,” Night Howl motioned to you and Chris. “this happened.”

Your jaw dropped to the floor.

Chris’ face scrunched up in anger at his teammates.

“You can’t be serious, that’s disgusting.”

“Now, you know you two can’t have all the fun. You’re the ones who made the damn kid.” Lobo laughed.

“Okay, I’ll bite. What does everyone think?” You said, rolling your eyes. The adults at the table all exchanged mischievous looks before answering.

“Well?” Chris decided to pressure them into talking.

“I said it was the night we all went to the bar and y/n” Canine pointed at you, “Stayed behind.”

Your jaw dropped. You couldn’t hide your shock that he was absolutely correct.

Canine’s eyes lit up with glee. “I was RIGHT.” He gloated to the rest of the teammates.

A collective of grunts and curses were heard around the table.

“You two couldn’t even wait to get back stateside?” Night Howl asked genuinely curious.

Chris answered. “We had been dating before, the pheromones just gave me a little extra confidence and I couldn’t wait.” He winked at you and your face went red.

“This is gross, we really need to change the subject.” Canine whined. “All of you owe me 20$.”

The rest of the night was spent talking about who the favorite aunt/uncle was going to be and who the new baby would look like.

[kultavalo]

The Horizon, Jake Kiszka/Chris Turpin

Chapter 2: Dancing On The Shore

Summary: Their fingers laced together in the sand when suddenly, in the distance, they could hear the ringing of a ship’s bell. Just one at first, and then two, and three and more and more until the entire night was filled with the sounds of an armada sailing into port. 

The new fleet had finally arrived.

Tags: AU-pirates, angst, 1700's, golden age of piracy, emotional hurt/comfort, alcohol use (wine), skinny dipping, light pining, kissing, religious references, crying, love confessions, mentions of pregnancy (background character), sadness, grinding, romance, sexual references.

Word Count: 8.2k

A/N: once again a huge thanks to my besties @scarletvanfleet and @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka for the continuous support and beta reading. This is a bit of a long chapter but what can I say, it's a big story. please let me know if you'd like to be tagged in any future updates! Thanks for reading!

The candlelight, reflected on the waves, turned the rippling water into folds of molten amber. The sun had dipped low beneath the horizon, and the soft melody of the sea was the only sound that echoed through the grotto as Jake finished setting up the dinner he had prepared. 

The rocky ground was sturdy enough to support the simple wooden table and chairs he had hauled in there many moons ago. The entrance to the cave curved slightly. A narrow path on the left, flanked by a small stream on the right snaked its way into the cliffside alcove, both eventually widening out into a shallow tidepool and a larger rocky plateau.

Jake had found this location on one of his many lonely walks along the beach during his early days as an ensign. The little spot, protected from the elements and largely hidden from sight, had become a bit of a safe space for him.

Life in the navy barracks was fine and comfortable enough, but it didn’t make for much privacy. Sleeping with a dozen other young men in the same dorm meant that almost every hour of the day was spent with other people in the vicinity.

Jake needed some space for himself. A spot he could retreat to when everything became a bit too crowded. A spot where he didn’t have to worry or hide his true self.

He spent many afternoons there, slowly crafting it into a space of his own. Sweeping the plateau and creating a border between it and the water with a carefully laid row of rocks. On warmer days he’d wade into the shallow pool and clear it of the flotsam and jetsam that washed in with the tide. 

Over the years he had collected random pieces of furniture people had thrown out onto the beach. He squirreled them away into his little grotto and fixed them up using the limited skills he had picked up from watching and assisting the shipwrights. After a while he had assembled a small but sturdy collection; a small square table, two wooden chairs, a little bookcase, a chest, and an old sleeping cot.

It wasn’t much, and the cave was not completely cut off from the elements so he would still have to perform regular upkeep on the wooden furniture. But he managed to completely weatherproof the chest, which meant he could use it to keep a bedroll, some blankets, and some pillows dry and ready to use whenever the barracks became too crowded.

Chris had found him here. Like he had found him everywhere.

                                                                                𓊝

The moment they met would forever be seared into his memory. It must have been about four and a half years ago by now.

Jake had been laying on his cot, reading through some of the letters he had received from home. Most were from his twin brother, Josh, their correspondence being the most frequent as they were not used to being so far away from one another.

Josh had voiced his desire to move closer to Jake. He had just finished his training as an apprentice tailor and was ready to start his own business. But their small and quiet hometown had no need for another craftsman and Josh had no desire to make the same frock and coat over and over for the rest of his life. 

Jake’s port town might not be a major metropolis, but it was a thoroughfare for all sorts of people and trade. Jake had seen the giant rolls of fabric being hauled off of ships, met the travelers from all over the globe who would pass through port on their way elsewhere, stopping for provisions and garments for other climates. Josh would be able to make a name for himself here.

As he read over his brother’s words for what felt like the hundredth time, aching for that little piece of home as he imagined Josh’s voice reading the words to him, a sudden crack of thunder rang out over the beach.

The day had been bright when Jake had entered the cave. Warm enough for him to dare a swim in his tide pool, after which he had dressed only in his breeches, not wanting to get the rest of his clothes wet.

The storm that now raged outside had come in suddenly. Dark clouds and big, heavy raindrops combined with a barrage of hailstones pummeled the beach and the surf. Jake could spy a sliver of the outside world from his spot on the bed. He regarded the ominous weather for a moment, thinking it matched his current mood rather well, before turning onto his other side and unfolding the most recent letter he had received.

The grim weather did not bother him. His little sanctuary was warm and dry. Kept that way by the candles he had placed onto the cave’s natural shelves and alcoves. He had his blankets and his letters and his books. He had even managed to make a stop by Mrs. Oliver before heading to the beach. She had supplied him with a batch of yesterday’s cinnamon muffins which were deemed too stale to be sold, but were still some of the best baked goods Jake had ever had. He could stay here all night if he wanted, wallowing in his homesickness and stuffing himself with the overflowing box of pastries.

But destiny had something else in store for him.

With his back now turned to the entrance of the cave, and the deafening roar of the thunder outside, Jake didn’t realize he was no longer alone until a trepidatious voice rang out. An uncertain “Hello?” made him shoot up, tossing his letters to one side and grasping at the dagger he had hidden beneath his pillow. He didn’t pull the weapon out yet, not wanting to immediately escalate the situation, but still preparing himself in case the voice belonged to someone looking for trouble.

But the man who had entered his domain did not look like he was looking for trouble.

He looked like an angel.

His shoulder length blond hair clung to his face in windswept tendrils. His light linen coat and shirt were soaked through, as were his black trousers. His black leather boots were obviously more suited for walking around town, or maybe a stroll in the park, than they were for a treacherous climb down the rough end of the beach, and the walking cane the man was holding completed the look of an unprepared gentleman out on a stroll on unfamiliar terrain, finding himself in a sudden storm and heading for the nearest cliff for shelter.

Jake’s grip on his dagger eased slightly but his fingers stayed wrapped around the hilt. He didn’t know this man. Had never seen him around town, and despite his soft and gentle appearance, Jake knew better than to judge a book by its cover.

“I’m-...I’m sorry to have disturbed you, I- I don’t mean to intrude, it’s just… Well, I was caught in the downpour and I saw this opening in the rocks…I…would you mind if I waited out the storm here? I can compensate you for your hospitality! I don’t have much money on me but I have some… My name is Christopher, I arrived in port about a week ago…I-” the man rattled on until Jake lifted his free hand, a gesture for him to stop speaking. Christopher quickly complied and looked down at his own hands, a slightly embarrassed expression painting his features.

“My name is Jacob.” was all he could think to say. 

Jake was an eloquent man. Soft spoken and intelligent, he did not often find himself at a loss for words. But something about this stranger had wiped all coherent thought from his mind.

His fingers slipped out from under his pillow, leaving the dagger in its resting place. Both hands now free, he quickly grabbed the shirt he had dropped at the foot of his bed, suddenly hyper aware of his state of undress. He slipped the garment over his head and tried to make himself as presentable as possible.

“Please, take a seat, you’re welcome to wait out the storm here.” Jake awkwardly gestured to the simple wooden table with its patchwork chairs. He never knew why he had bothered to drag both chairs in from the beach. He didn’t plan on bringing anyone else here and he didn’t need two chairs for himself. But the backrests had these beautifully carved birds and it had seemed like a shame to leave them behind.

The man, Christopher, bowed his head in gratitude and quickly made his way over to the chair. The silence that followed as he sat down was slightly awkward. Jake was still somewhat unsettled by the sudden presence of another soul in his little sanctuary. He felt the need to shift his melancholic mood into something more pleasant. Christopher had obviously not expected to find him here either, he was simply seeking shelter from the sudden barrage of rain and hail.

As he gathered his thoughts Jake stole a glance at him. The other man was awkwardly shifting on his chair, his rain soaked hair dripping onto his shirt, turning the fabric slightly see through. He picked at the skin around his fingernails as his eyes flitted about the cavern. They landed on the chest and the bookcase before drifting over the rows of candles along the walls.

Jake was just about to speak up, introduce himself properly, when Christopher spoke again. His voice was quiet, almost like he was afraid Jake would actually hear him, and when the words hit Jake’s ears they seemed to be steeped in sadness.

“Do you live here?”

The question snapped Jake out of his sullen mood and he let out a giggle at the absurdity of the situation. The sudden loud noise startled Christopher, who finally dared to look up and make eye contact. The expression on his face was one of confusion tinged with fear and Jake quickly stifled his laughter. Christopher must think him insane, a half naked man in a cave who laughed at simple questions. He was making a fool of himself. He cleared his throat and lightly shook his head before he answered.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. Your question, as heartfelt as it seemed, simply caught me off guard. no, please let me properly introduce myself. My name is Jacob Kiszka, I am a lieutenant commander in the New England navy. I am stationed at the barracks near the ports. This place is simply my little hideaway, I come here when the base gets too crowded or I simply need to think. I’m not from around here you see, I can’t really go home on the weekends like the other fellows, so I made a bit of a space for myself here. But no, I don't live here full time.”

Jake wasn’t sure why he had said all that. He was usually a very private man, not sharing much about his personal life with anyone. It had even taken Mrs. Oliver a good few months for him to open up and tell her about his hometown and his family but even she didn’t know about the cave.

But Christopher was already here, had already seen the most private thing he had to offer. And there was such kindness in his eyes…

Jake’s words seemed to reassure him. A bit of his nervous energy dissipated and his expression turned from confused to intrigued. He listened attentively to Jake as he explained his job and his rank and the circumstances that led him from his tiny town in Sault Ste. Marie all the way to a New England port.

How being the youngest of a set of twins, but simultaneously older than his younger sister and brother left him essentially feeling a bit like the middle child. Left adrift between his other siblings who either required less or more care and supervision. From a young age he had been attracted to sailing. Having been the only child who had gladly accompanied his father as he went out with his sailboat on the weekends to catch fresh fish. A supplement to their otherwise quite boring diet. When the navy recruiters had flocked into town one summer, it had taken very little convincing for Jake to enlist.

“I was only sixteen, and in hindsight probably far too young to leave home. But they promised an education that my family simply couldn’t afford otherwise. My mother was heartbroken when I left but she knew it was for the best. I’ve managed to make a career for myself and she’s very proud of me. She writes often. I try to go back as frequently as I can.”

In return Jake hung from his very lips as Christopher told him about his life in England, how he had been an apprentice to his father, a master clockmaker, for as long as he could remember. How he, in turn, had also become a master of his craft. 

“It seems unkind to say but the reason I couldn’t stay in England is simply that my father trained me too well. He taught me everything I know but it’s all I know. And it’s all people know to expect from me. Everyone just knows me as young master Turpin, but for once in my life I would just like to just be Mr. Turpin. I love my father, as hard as it is for an Englishman to say, but I needed to leave before the constant comparisons to him made me turn sour.”

Jake had joined him at the table now. Their conversation flowed as smoothly as the tide washing in and out of the cave’s pool. There was no explaining it, as soon as they had opened their mouths there had been a connection. The awkwardness of their first few moments together had melted away and it seemed like they had known each other for years.

They talked for hours that night, not even noticing when the storm let up and the sun started to set. They ate from the box of pastries and drank from the bottles of fresh water and wine Jake had stored on the bottom shelf of his book case.

After the rain had passed the night turned humid. The air hung heavy around them. Oppressively warm as only an August evening can be, and aided by the heat of the candles burning in the cave. A layer of salt seemed to descend over everything, but whether it came from the sea or the two bodies providing conversation that echoed off of the cave walls no one could say.

The rain that had soaked Christopher to the bone had long dried on his skin but the sweltering heat was quickly becoming uncomfortable in a similar way. His shirt was sticking to the back of his neck despite him having removed his jacket hours ago. Etiquette prevented him from stripping any more items of clothing beside his waistcoat and cravat, which he had quickly taken off after he realized Jacob was also only in his shirtsleeves. He was simply not yet used to this new world heat.

Jake could read the discomfort plainly on Christopher’s features. He could feel the sweat starting to form on his own brow too and his shirt clung uncomfortably to his back. The humidity was becoming unbearable and it made it hard to focus on the conversation at hand. Emboldened by the half a bottle of wine flowing through his veins, Jake offered a way to cool down.

“Christopher, I don’t mean to be too forward, but the heat is starting to wear on me. And please correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe it has caught you as well. Would you be amicable to taking a short swim to cool off? I know the temperature of the water in this cave should be quite pleasant and I promise you it is completely safe, I swim here quite frequently during the warmer months.”

Jake tried to make himself sound as formal as possible. This would simply be a way for them to get out of the heat. A completely innocent swim to regulate their body temperatures and replace the salt of their sweat with the salt of the water. The fact that he had become more and more mesmerized with this fascinating man who had stumbled into his cave had absolutely nothing to do with it.

The flush on Christopher’s cheeks seemed to deepen for a moment, something Jake attributed to the heat and the wine but not his words. The man had been well spoken all night, voice clear and steady, never stumbling over any of his words, but suddenly his speech became jumbled.

“Well…I uhm, I don’t have a swimming costume you see, or well, at least not at hand at the moment. Nor do I have a towel or, or a clean shirt for that matter… and what if the tide comes in? Or washes out? Or however it works, I admit, I’m not familiar.” 

Jake stifled his laughter. He didn’t want to make Christopher any more uncomfortable than he already was by laughing at him. And truly he wouldn’t be laughing at him, simply at the situation. Living in the navy barracks had taught Jake to very quickly get over any sense of bodily shame he might have had. When you live with two dozen other men in very close quarters you see much more than you ever bargained for and it soon becomes routine. But Jake also realized that this was not a common thing and that the average civilian had a much more puritan way of seeing things, so he understood Christopher’s hesitation.

“I have some towels here for when I go swimming by myself. I must admit I also don’t have a swimming costume on hand. No one else ever comes here you see. I understand if my suggestion was out of line and I sincerely apologize, please, let us continue our conversation. I’d hate for you to leave.”

Jake wasn’t sure why he added that last part. Some hidden sense of desperation finally bubbling to the surface of his mind atop a sea of wine, and heat, and pleasant company. The need of finding a true friend and conversationalist finally fulfilled, he feared he had squandered it all by his overly familiar suggestion. But much to his surprise Christopher quickly shook his head and spoke up resolutely.

“No I- I think a swim would do me good.”

Jake lost the struggle to keep a smile off of his face at those words. He quickly stood and walked over to the weather proofed chest, retrieving two clean towels he had stolen from the Navy’s laundry room when he was on wash duty. They were slightly worn but still functioned well enough. When he turned back around he was met with the vision of Christopher pulling off his unbuttoned shirt and neatly hanging it over the back of his chair. His skin was pale and unblemished. Completely unlike Jake who, in his line of duty, had become tanned and scarred.

He could see the sinewy muscles shift underneath Christopher’s skin and for a moment Jake became enamored by the curve of his shoulder and the way his hair fell across it as he bent down to unbuckle his shoes. He realized he was staring as Christopher sat back up and he quickly averted his eyes, moving instead to place the towels on the table and move a few of the rocks that made up the border of the tide pool so they would have an easier time entering and exiting the water.

Shirt, shoes, and socks now shed, all that rested Christopher were his trousers. Jake could sense his hesitation and quickly started stripping off his own clothes in order to make the other man feel more at ease. Being naked was uncomfortable for most, but being naked while others were still dressed always seemed worse somehow. Jake undressed with the utmost nonchalance. He figured if he treated this as he would any other swim, or communal shower at the barracks, he’d have the most chance of making Christopher as comfortable as possible.

Jake had only bothered to dress in his shirt and pants after his solo swim earlier that day and thus reached the same state of undress as Christopher within seconds. Continuing in one fluid motion from shucking off his shirt, he deftly undid the row of buttons keeping his pants closed and easily stepped out of them. He neatly folded them over the back of his chair and sat down on the cleared edge of the pool, lazily dipping his legs into the water and letting out a content sigh at the coolness that enveloped them.

As he let himself submerge fully into the water he could hear the rustle of fabric behind him and the sound of one of the chairs scooting back across the rocky ground. Jake opted not to turn back around until he heard the splash of another body entering the pool, granting Christopher at least that modicum of privacy.

He could hear the other man let out a similar sigh of relief at the coolness of the water and as Jake turned, he caught just the slightest glimpse of tiny blond curls sinking into the darkness before the rest of Christopher’s abdomen and torso followed. Soon he was submerged down to his chest. The pool was shallow enough for both men to stand, and in the corner farthest from the entrance it even held a small, underwater ledge which could function as a natural bench. Jake made his way over and took a seat, planning on staying in the water for a while, or at least until they had both cooled off enough to brave the humidity of the rest of the cave once more.

As Christopher made his way over to take a seat next to him, Jake busied himself by scooping handfuls of water up over his hair and face, washing away the sweat and slicking back his already damp locks.

Before Christopher sat down he fully submerged himself for a second or two in a similar attempt to rid himself of the sticky sweat that clung to his skin.

As he reemerged Jake adjusted his previous observation. Christopher didn’t look like an angel, he looked like a siren. The way his hair clung to his face, the intense pale blue green of his eyes, amplified only by the slight redness in the whites from the sea salt, the way the candle light played across his pale skin. Jake was completely enraptured by him and in a moment of weakness, he reached out and tucked a strand of the damp hair behind one of Christopher’s ears.

Shocked at his own actions Jake quickly retracted his hand and went to apologize. But he only managed to draw his hand back a few inches before Christopher caught it, and all the words he managed to squeeze out were simply the other man’s name. 

“Christopher”

They stared at each other in silence for a singular, everlasting second, Jake’s wrist caught in Christopher’s hand and his gaze captured in those sea glass eyes.

“Please Jacob.. Call me Chris.” Chris said in a whisper, a smile playing along his lips and a glint of…something in his eyes.

“Jake… please call me Jake” was all Jake could reply before Chris placed the hand he had captured back onto his cheek and leaned into his touch.

That first meeting had been almost four and a half years ago to the day. Chris had visited the cave nearly every night after that. They would talk, and swim, and talk some more. Becoming closer and closer as the days passed. Never once had Chris thought to bring a swimming costume.

                                                                                𓊝

After nearly six months of almost daily visits, Jake had become utterly devoted to Chris. The man occupied his mind all hours of the day and night. Every waking moment he longed for the other man’s company and in his dreams their relationship blossomed into a beautiful intimacy, the likes of which he had never experienced before.

Jake kept these thoughts to himself of course.

Besides having become closer to Chris in their constant conversations, they had also grown somewhat closer physically.

After that first night where Chris had refused to let go of his hand, opting instead to nuzzle into it as Jake stroked his thumb across his cheek, their touches had become more and more frequent.

They would greet each other with an embrace during which Chris would always tangle his fingers into Jake’s hair, untying whatever ribbon he had used to keep it in a neat ponytail and making it flow loosely over his shoulders and back instead.

In turn Jake would assist Chris in taking off his coat and placing it over the back of one of the chairs. As the nights went on and they became more comfortable, more and more items of clothing would be shed, often resulting in them conversing in nothing but their pants, or even completely naked, submerged in the moonlit water of the pool.

It was during one of these nights, once again aided by a fair helping of stolen wine, that Jake had thrown caution to the wind and fully crossed the line into the unknown.

The night had once again been unbearably hot, and it had taken them no time at all to end up in the pool once more. Having become more comfortable with each other’s nudity, Jake had flung his clothes in Chris’ general direction, laughing as they hit the other man square in the face, and diving into the pool with a great big splash. Chris joined in his laughter and dove in after him, surfacing right in front of Jake’s face and splashing him with water. Jake splashed him back, starting a brief but intense water fight that ended when Jake managed to capture Chris’ hands. They were both heaving with laughter, reveling in the childish games their age didn’t often permit them.

As both men caught their breath, hands still clasped together, stray giggles forced out between pants, Jake simply couldn’t stop himself. His body moved as if possessed, lowering their entwined hands into the water, forcing their bodies closer together. The cave was quiet, save for the crashing of the waves on the shore outside and their slowly steadying breaths which now landed on the other’s face.

Chris made no moves to distance himself from Jake. His eyes were wide, not in shock, but in an effort to absorb every millimeter of Jake’s face in the dim candlelight. The fact that Chris made no attempts to flee filled Jake with the last shred of courage he needed to finally ask the question that had been stuck in his throat since the moment he laid eyes on the other man.

“Christopher…Chris. May I kiss you?”

He had barely gotten all the words out before Chris’ lips were on his. The warmth of his skin, pressed so impossibly close to his own, flooded all of Jake’s senses. He felt enveloped by him. The way his arms roamed over his back and pressed them closer together, one of his hands snaking its way into his hair and gripping it tightly. Chris kissed like a parched man finally feeling the touch of water on his tongue. His movements were hungry, desperate, but somehow also gentle, nearly reverent.

Jake felt like he was being worshiped. A ravenous kind of devotion was placed upon his body and as Chris’ lips moved from his own, across his cheek, to his ear, and down his neck, his continuously muttered stream of “you may, you may, you may” sounded oddly like a prayer.

The feeling was overwhelming. Jake had been loved before, sure. His mother loved him, as did his father, and his siblings all loved him in their own ways. But he had never been adored before. His veins felt like they were on fire as Chris’ lips made their way down his chest. A sob thundered through Jake’s rib cage as a kiss was placed right over his heart.

Chris straightened himself faster than lighting, his eyes searching for Jake’s expression through the flood of tears that rolled down his face. His hands tenderly cradled his cheeks, thumbs wiping away the torrents that flowed down his skin.

“Jake, my dearest, my love, what happened? Did I hurt you?” Chris asked, only partially successful in his attempt to hide the panic in his voice.

Jake shook his head as hard as the hands cradling him allowed. His head was flowing over with the love he was feeling and all his body could think to do was cry.

“You are so beautiful, so beautiful.” was all he managed to force out before another sob was expelled out of him and Chris pulled him into an embrace that felt like he was holding love itself.

“Oh my love, my love…” Chris muttered against the crook of Jake’s neck and the heat of his breath made it feel like the words were being seared into Jake’s skin. He was being marked as Christopher’s love, by Christopher’s love. 

“Let out all your sorrows my dearest, I am here. You have me, I am yours.” 

Chris held him for what felt like hours, letting Jake cry onto his shoulder until all his tears were gone and all that was left was the feeling of Chris’ arms around him and the steady rise and fall of his chest against Jake’s cheek.

“I’m sorry…” Jake began to apologize but Chris just held him tighter and shushed his words away as his fingers combed through Jake’s dark locks.

“Don’t apologize Jake. you have nothing to apologize for. If we are to share this love, my only condition is that we also share our pain.”

Jake pulled himself away from Chris’ chest just enough to look into his eyes.

“Love?” Do you love me?” He asked, his voice sounding smaller than he had sounded in years. And there was that kindness In Chris’ eyes again. That gentle and easy reassurance combined with whatever that glimmer was that had flitted behind his irises that first night in the water.

“I think I do. I think I have for quite some time now, I have no other way to describe this utter devotion I feel towards you.” Chris spoke, and this time it was Jake’s turn to parch his thirst on Chris’ lips. His kisses were softer, less urgent. Jake had always been of the opinion that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing well and without hurry. 

He created a map of Chris’ body in his mind as his hands roamed his skin. The crook of his neck, the ridges of his spine, the way his hips pressed against his own when he pushed against the small of Chris’ back. It all became a part of the idol he was building in his head. It would become a tiny piece of home Jake would be able to take with him whenever his ship left the harbor. The map of Chris’ body had become the new north on his compass.

They kissed and hugged and simply held each other the whole night through. When the water had become too cold for either of them to stand they had dried themselves off and slotted their bodies together on Jake’s tiny sleeping cot. They kept each other warm that night, and many nights after in the four years that would follow.

But now, as Jake lit the final candle lined up along the walls of the cave, he wondered if that time might be coming to an end.

He had received his call to duty a day or so ago. It had been nearly a full month since the conversation Chris and him had shared on that bench outside the church. They had been given more time than they could have hoped for, but it hadn’t been enough. It would never have been enough time. 

The days had warmed up since that dreary July morning where Jake had shared the truth about the severity of the pirate problem the navy was facing. They had once again slipped into the heady heat of August, but despite the humidity Jake had still decided to dress in his Sunday best.

It might have been the last opportunity he would get.

There was no need to invite Chris to the cave. He would be there, as he had been every night Jake spent on shore and off duty for the last four years. All Jake had to tell him was to dress up and bring his good wine. The smile Chris had given him at those words had been bittersweet.

Jake had gone all out, cleaning the entirety of their shared slice of home. He had picked flowers along the dunes and placed them in old jars all around the cave, he had washed the sheets of the cot and even brought a table cloth he had found to cover their old rickety table with. He floated small tealights on pieces of driftwood, spreading the amber light even further than it had ever reached before.

The meal he had prepared wasn’t much special, just a simple dinner of meat, vegetables, and potatoes, but he had managed to convince Mrs. Oliver to bake him Chris’ favorite cake; spiced blood orange.

He had just laid out the final pieces of cutlery when he could hear the telltale approach of his beloved. Heeled boots clicking across the rocks and crunching over the fine layer of sand that managed to cover the floor no matter how much Jake swept. He turned around and there he was, his siren.

Chris was dressed in the exact same suit he had worn that first night they met. The cream colored linen had softened over the years and the shirt had become slightly tighter as Chris had grown stronger and bigger from hard work and sturdy meals, but he still looked as beautiful as he had all those years ago.

Jake could feel the tears prickling behind his eyes, but he quickly swallowed them down and replaced them with the loving smile Chris deserved.

“Hello my dearest.” Jake spoke as he walked over to help Chris take off his jacket, just like he always did. Chris smiled and planted a soft kiss on his lips before turning and allowing Jake to help rid him of the garment. When Chris turned back around his eyes finally drifted over the interior of the cave, landing on every candle and flower Jake had added before finally settling on the dinner for two that was laid out on the table.

Jake could see the same swell of tears behind Chris’ eyes but his love quickly blinked and softly cleared his throat as he spoke.

“You truly are the most adoring man that has ever lived. Every day over you make me proud that you’re the keeper of my heart.” 

Jake beamed at his words. Chris’ praise was always so poetic and it made him feel seen in a way that no one else ever had.

“Come, sit down, before the food gets cold.” Jake ushered him over to the table, pulling out a chair for Chris to take a seat before sitting down himself. They talked as they ate, discussing their day and any news from around town as they did every night.

“I think Mrs. Oliver may be with child.” Jake gossipped as he sliced into the meat on his plate.

“Really?!” Chris replied, his eyes wide in amused wonderment as he listened attentively to the rumors and daily minutiae Jake had picked up since they last spoke twenty four hours ago. He reveled in the feeling of normalcy and routine. Just for one last night.

“Hmm, I doubt she knows I noticed but with the way Mr. Oliver dotes on her you’d think she was made out of the finest china available. It’s quite adorable.” a smile danced around Jake’s lips as he looked down at his plate. He was truly happy for them.

“Well I for one would not be surprised if you were to receive a request to become a godfather. Mrs. Oliver has always said you are like a brother to her. It would only be fitting.” Chris grinned at Jake who was still staring at his plate. His smile had faltered slightly. As much as he would love to be a godfather for his best friend’s child, he knew he would be shipping out within a day. And there was no promise he’d return.

He lightly shook his head, plastering the smile back in its place as he stood up from the table and extended his hand to Chris, urging him to get up as well. 

“Come, I have something to show you.” he said as Chris placed his hand in Jake’s and allowed himself to be pulled up. Jake led him over to the book case where on the middle shelf a small, worn, wooden box rested. Chris had never seen it before, despite his frequent visits to the cave, and the presence of the item confused him slightly. All questions he might have had were expelled from his mind however as, with his free hand, Jake lifted the lid off of the box and the cave was filled with the small tinny waltz as played by a music box.

“It washed up on shore about a month ago. I must admit I’m no expert when it comes to cogs and springs but I fixed it up as well as I could and she seems to work like a charm.” Jake muttered, seemingly a little flustered at having kept his tinkering a secret for so long.

Chris couldn’t help it. The tears flowed freely down his cheeks now, and when Jake looked up from the box his hands immediately flew up to cradle Chris’ face.

“Oh I’m so sorry my love, I wanted this night to be one of joy and light but it seems now like that might have been a foolish idea. I never meant to upset you my dearest but I know the entire situation itself is upsetting.” Jake spoke as silent sobs wracked Chris’ body.

“I wish you wouldn’t have to go.” Chris lamented between labored breaths “I know it’s selfish but I wish you wouldn’t have to go. Every time you deploy it feels like my heart is carved out of my chest and stored in the hull of your ship. I wish you wouldn’t have to go.”

Jake felt his own heart shatter at Chris’ words but only because he felt the exact same way. Whenever he sailed out he couldn’t shake the feeling that part of his soul remained ashore.

“I wish that too my love, I wish that too. I am bound by duty but know I am bound to you too, and know that I will do everything in my power to return to you, I promise you that.”

Chris’ breathing evened out and the flow of tears slowly subsided. The sadness he felt was far from gone but he didn’t want to spoil their last evening together with a never ending flow of tears, and so he took a deep breath and pressed his lips against Jake’s.

Their kiss was urgent in a way. Chris tried to convey every ounce of love he felt through the connection of their skin, he hoped it would be enough.

As they parted, Jake wiped at his own eyes with the back of his hand. He sniffed once before forcing the return of his smile to his lips. The music box still played softly behind them and Jake took Chris’ hands in his own once more as he asked with a deep bow “Mr. Turpin, may I have this dance?”

The three kisses Jake received translated to the reply he knew so well; “you may, you may, you may.”

They assumed the positions for a slow and gentle waltz as the music echoed off of the walls of the cave. Their steps were clumsy and Chris could tell by the tiny movements of Jake’s mouth that he was counting along with the rhythm of the song. Neither of them were skilled dancers but they reveled in the closeness of their bodies and the shared movement. 

It didn’t take long for Chris to rest his head on Jake’s chest, the sound of his breath slowly entering and leaving his lungs, and the steady drum of Jake’s heart against his cheek was all he needed to calm him down. The music faded away into the echoes of the cave and it was just the two of them once more. Their shuffling feet and Jake’s quiet counting the only sounds that filled the air. 

The sun had set outside their rocky abode but the humidity still clung to them like flypaper. Their movements became sluggish until they finally stopped altogether.

“Could we go take some air for a moment? It’s dark now so no one should be able to see us.” Chris suggested and Jake nodded his head in agreement. Leading each other by the hand they excited their cave for a moment and sat down near the surf. It wouldn’t be long until the tide would come rolling in but they didn’t plan on sitting there long. Just long enough for some of the heat from their skin to dissipate and to breathe in the cool sea breeze.

The night was clear and the stars shone brightly above them. The light of the moon cast a silvery glow over all and the sand seemed to almost sparkle as they sat down.

“Have you told your brother you’ll be shipping out?” Chris asked softly.

“I have.” Jake answered. About two years ago Josh had finally made the big step and left Sault Ste, Marie to join Jake in New England. He had opened up a small tailor shop near the harbor and he was doing quite well for himself. Chris and Josh had met a few dozen times and Josh knew that Jake and him were good friends but despite their closeness Jake hadn’t yet been able to tell Josh what exactly Chris meant to him.

“He is anxious as well but he wished me luck and a safe and speedy return. He asked if I needed anything mended before I left so I’ll be picking up the last of my clothes from his shop tomorrow morning. It’ll be good to see him one last time before I go.” As he spoke, Jake absentmindedly traced his fingers through the sand. He drew spirals and hearts and stars until, as he came to the end of his sentence, he wrote Christopher’s name on the shore.

Chris smiled as he saw the letters of his own name appear in the sand in Jake’s handwriting and with his own hand wrote ‘Jacob” underneath.

Their fingers laced together in the sand when suddenly, in the distance, they could hear the ringing of a ship’s bell. Just one at first, and then two, and three and more and more until the entire night was filled with the sounds of an armada sailing into port. 

The new fleet had finally arrived.

Jake’s imminent departure was real now. Without the new ships it had all felt so far away. There were preparations at the docs, sure, but it hadn’t felt like an army sailing out yet. There were no ships and so nothing had felt imminent. But now there they were, pure white sails floating through the darkness like ghosts on the surf. The waves of their boughs traveled to shore on the incoming tide, washing away their writing in the sand.

Chris looked down at the vague indentations of the letters left behind.

“I suppose that was bound to happen at some point. It’s not a very permanent way to record our love.”

As he spoke he untangled his fingers from Jake’s and reached into the pocket of his waistcoat and retrieved a small dark blue box.

“That’s why I made you this. So you can take me with you wherever you go.” he said, as he handed the box to Jake.

A look of surprise washed over Jake’s features as he accepted the present and took off the lid.

Inside, nestled on a piece of deep black velvet, lay a shiny golden pocket watch. The front cover was decorated with an intricately carved crescent moon, its softly smiling profile looked oddly similar to Chris’ own face and when Jake popped it open he was greeted by the beautifully painted clock face. Along the row of roman numerals, painted in tiny lettering was Chris’ brand. 

“Christopher Turpin

Master Clockmaker”

But that wasn’t what caught Jake’s eye. For on the inside of the cover, etched in Chris’ own handwriting, were two simple words, repeated thrice.

“You may, you may, you may.”

Tears welled up behind Jake’s eyes again but this time he let them flow freely as he closed the watch, placed it back into the box, closed the lid, and put the box in his pocket before crashing his lips against Chris’.

His movements were fierce, pouring all his love and hopes and wishes into the connection of skin they shared. Jake’s lips roamed across Chris’s face, covering every inch he could reach in kisses and whispered declarations of love. Chris giggled at the tickle of lips on his cheeks, and his eyelids, and his forehead. His laughter was cut off with a gasp as Jake hoisted himself onto Chris’ lap, grasping his face in both hands as he placed another kiss upon his lips. But this kiss was different from the previous ones. There was a hunger here that seemed to seep out of Jake’s bones and onto his skin. A ravenous desire that burned out of his fingertips and outward from their chests which were now pressed together.

Chris answered that hunger with his own, opening his lips to let Jake feast on him. Jake’s tongue ravaged his mouth, tasting every millimeter, deepening the lines on the map of Chris’ body that lived in his mind. Maybe if he could keep tracing those lines he’d have some sort of reassurance he would be able to make it home.

Jake’s hands slid up into Chris’ hair as his tongue flicked across his teeth. Chris in turn held onto Jake’s hips like a drowning man onto a buoy. As soon as Chris’ hands landed on him, Jake let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Their lips disconnected but their foreheads melted together instead as Jake’s hips rolled forward against Chris, seemingly on their own accord.

“I need you.” Jake breathed, his words spread an undeniable heat across Chris’ skin.

“You have me, I am yours.” Chris responded as the tide of Jake’s hips continued crashing against his own. His hands sank down and grabbed onto Jake’s backside, pulling him as close as he could, intensifying the sensation of their groins pressed together with every wave.

Jake let out a groan at the feeling of being held so tightly, his ass cradled in Chris’ strong hands while his member slid up and down the steadily growing bulge in his lover’s pants. His grip on Chris’ hair tightened, pulling his head back slightly and exposing Chris’ pale throat. Jake could almost see his panting breaths flowing through his windpipe. As his right hand held the grip on his hair, his left traveled down to feel Chris’ heartbeat pulse against the side of his throat. It fluttered against his finger so rapidly. Even through the fabric of his cravat he could feel Chris’ life beating a steady, racing, rhythm against his hands. 

The feeling was intoxicating. 

Jake tried to set the grinding of his hips in time with the beating of Chris’ heart but it proved to be an impossible task. The faster his hips moved, the faster the pulse thrummed against his fingertips. Jake was snapped out of his reverie in the end by Chris letting out a soft whine. His hands roaming across Jake’s back, grasping at the fabric of his waistcoat, fighting for any sense of purchase as the warmth of Jake’s length slid against his own.

“Jacob please,” Chris forced out as Jake finally slowed his relentless grind.

“Please, please, please, I need you too, please take me, use me, I’m yours…. I’m yours.” he babbled and as Jake looked down at his face he could see Chris’ pupils blown with lust. He released the grip on his hair and gently combed his fingers through Chris’ long locks instead.

“Tell me what you need my love, I’ll give it to you. Anything you ask for, I’ll give it to you.” Jake muttered to him as he pressed their foreheads back together. They breathed in each other’s air as Chris sorted through all the things he could possibly ask from Jake. His mind was a maelstrom of wishes but in the end he landed on a singular simple request.

“Take me to our bed Jake.”

[suvidrache]

How about a scenario where As Nodt is ordered to help Quincy reader overcome their fear of using their powers when other people are looking, including the enemy lmao - and oh no, they're cute? 😳 lol

Never Be Alone

age in bio when interacting. minors do not interact.

Word Count: 578 | Read it on AO3 | Tag List

As Nodt knew what it was like to have powers. He was used to it. You, however, weren’t. You were afraid of what could happen. You feared that you might hurt someone. You could hurt someone if you wanted to. You didn’t want to do that. You just wanted things to be peaceful. You didn’t know how to use your powers.

When you found As Nodt, you took the time to get to know him. Things progressed slowly, and you both formed a friendship. It wasn’t long before things progressed into a relationship. You were still afraid of what could happen. You were worried for As Nodt’s safety. You didn’t want to accidentally hurt him. He could sense something was off.

“Y/N, why are you afraid?”

“I’m not afraid.” You said as you looked at him confused, it was a failed attempt to downplay the situation. You knew exactly what he meant, and he knew that you were faking the situation. You couldn’t hide much from him.

“Y/N, I’m here for you if you want to talk about the situation.” He said as he stepped closer to you. He wrapped his arms around you and held you close. A smile would form under his mask, if he had a mouth. Unfortunately, he had no lips. Yet, his eyes closed, the closest he could get to a smile. He loved you with everything that he had.

You looked at the ground, avoiding his gaze, as you tried to find the words to speak. You didn’t want to talk about it. He wouldn’t judge you. You only slightly wanted to talk to him about it. Doubt crept into your mind. You could trust him. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in a relationship with him. You looked away from him, staring off at nothing in particular. Maybe you would tell him, after all, if the situation were the other way around. He would come to you in his time of need. You were both in a relationship together. If you couldn’t trust one another, then what was the point of sticking together? You looked at him. He looked at you. You breathed in slowly.

“I don’t know how to control my powers, and I’m afraid of hurting someone or you.” You said as you began to look away again.

As Nodt gently took your face in his hand and turned your head to look at him. He gently and carefully pressed his head against yours. His only way of giving you a kiss. He refused to kiss you in any other way. Not that he could exactly kiss anyway. He closed his eyes and stood there for a moment before replying.

“Do you want my help?”

“Yes, please. I don’t know what I’m doing or how to use them.”

“It’s alright. Don’t be afraid. Fearing your powers will only cause you to accidentally use your powers without your knowledge, which is more dangerous than trying out your powers.” He said as he gently rubbed your cheek.

It was true, fearing your power could only make things worse, but he was here to help you in any way that he could. You weren’t going to struggle alone.

“Thank you.” You said as you closed your eyes and leaned into his hand.

“You’re welcome. Whenever you are ready to try your powers, I’ll be here.” He said as he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you close. You hugged him back.

© SUVIDRACHE — do not copy, translate, modify, or plagiarize my work. reblogs are appreciated!

Tag List: @eli-chris, @stygianoir, @lazyboikat

[philipjohnclapp]

ahh okay awesome!! just fyi i love really really dark stuff so feel free to make it as dark as you want! could i please request a chris pontius x reader taking place in the early 00’s, maybe reader is a celebrity/actress/tv personality and their close friendship is all over the tabloids. she’s also in jackass occasionally. but the whole world and especially chris wants it to be more, but she just isn’t sure. maybe one day the jackass crew is getting really wild and they’re doing some drugs, and chris gives her something that’s laced? he takes what he wants from her and is trying to get her pregnant so she can’t leave him. feel free to change anything you’d like! and if you need to post it on Ao3 that’s ok just let me know what your username is! :) thank you so much!!!

I think that you made it up, I think that your mind is gone.

Word Count: 5715

A/N: It is not very good, to my standards anyways. It just seems rushed. The ending is bad, the smut feels rushed. And I’m sorry for that, but it’s lengthy. And I think there’s plot, and you freaky people might like it. I have plenty other fanfics as well that I think are better so don’t judge this as my best work. As always I hope you like it anyways, and feel free to leave requests. Also, this takes place in MTV era. Obviously a girl YN.

There weren't many girls in Jackass or strung to it, there were medics, and other people who were around, but that didn’t have much to do with Jackass. They were so in and out so frequently that they really didn’t matter to the Jackass image, but there was one girl. One girl who was really starting to get tied to it, she was more famous than them, probably more famous than Bam. A true celebrity, and Chris was just absolutely infatuated with her. He truly didn’t know what to do with himself.

Chris usually had no issues with getting what he wanted, well, when it came to chicks anyways. He was practically swimming in them, but lately, fuck, he only wanted one thing. One person. He was lucky enough to string on some sort of friendship with this Jackass girl, actually he’d say they were pretty close if she just wasn’t so disinterested in him most of the time. It was really getting under his skin trying to plan ways to corner her, to get closer. Because this friendship just wasn’t cutting it, he needed to have her.

Even the papers were starting to reflect this, this want, his desire. They’d make articles trying to push and shove at this relationship, “look at the way he looks at her!” And fuck, he wished she seen it too. He was determined for her to see it too. Because he wasn ’t gonna let this slip, even if she said no. There had to be a way; there was always a way to get what he wanted. Not just any girl would do.

He really has tried other fucks since this lust, this life taking fascination has started, but it just couldn’t stop it. Or at least lesson his animalistic urges. In fact it’s gotten to the point where he can’t get hard with any girl. Without the images in his mind of fucking her, the Jackass girl. And now his fantasies weren’t even cutting it, so he had to find something else. He had to get this shit on the road, have this come into fruition before he fucking dies or something. Because he’s got a huge sex drive, and a crush like a boy in kindergarten.

He thinks he might’ve found his opportunity, one of the guys was hosting a rager, or maybe it wasn’t a party and it was just them. Or maybe it was some random person he knew throwing the party, he couldn’t remember all the details, the only thing that registered him was Y/N was gonna be there, the Jackass girl. The one who caused this rut, the girl who made his heart swell, and his palms sweaty. This was his chance to finally get what he deserves, the one time he actually wants something and it plays hard to get.

So, Chris does the only logical thing, what every guy his age does when they have a crush. He calls around for dealers looking for something in specific, he even went as far to ask Steve-O, and in his squeaky gruff voice he said, “fuck no dude, I’m not into that type of shit.” And Chris just frowned, he didn’t get upset often, but that surely bothered him. This wasn’t wrong, Steve-O was nuts and strung out on every drug. He resisted so much trying not to beat him up, stay the bubbly Chris and not the blood lusting one because that’s what this girl was making him do. Luckily, Steve-O gave his details to someone who could help him, and he went on his way with his tail wagging between his legs.

Chris met with the dealer the day before the party, just in case. He’s never put so much thought into something before, he’s never been so on edge. He never even told Steve-O why. His palms were all sweaty, and he kept looking around while he got the roofies, shoving a wad of cash into that guys hands before he headed on home with a racing heart.

He cleaned his apartment, once- maybe twice. Fuck. He was just in the zone, making sure everything just looked the way it should if that made any sense at all. He even cleared his search history. He was so paranoid, but the more he thought about it the more wrong it started to feel. He shook that thought from his head, discarding it. His mind was just playing tricks on him. So, he set the pills on his nightstand and then he went to bed. Like a kid the night before Christmas, he just couldn’t wait.

He tossed and turned all night, waking up more than a handful of times. Anxious, wanting the night to go by faster, but it didn’t. Eventually he gave up and he just got out of bed, deciding he’d just get ready for the day. Call it quits. He had a rewarding day ahead of him, and his cock jumped at the thought of it, but he couldn’t be so lucky to get a hard on. He just signed and hopped on into the shower, taking a lengthy shower, a cold one. And when he was done he slipped on some cameo shorts, no boxers, and a shirt with some cheesy slogan plastered on the chest. When he was done he went back over to his dresser, grabbing his truck keys, and the pills and shoving them into the pockets of his shorts before he headed out of the door. He wouldn’t show up empty handed.

The party was starting relatively early, as some sort of hangout and then it’ll just escalate into drinking and whatnot later. But he wasn’t gonna go empty handed. The drive to the liquor store was a rather quick one, he picked up two 24 packs of beer, not even really caring for the brand as he flashed his ID, paid for the items and then he left. Putting the drinks in the passenger side before heading to the designated party house. His heart was racing. Hopefully the stars aligned for him tonight. With the help of some sweet old roofies.

To his surprise a decent amount of people were there, quite a few cars parked outside the giant house. Maybe it was Jeff’s, he couldn’t tell. It’s not like he went to his place often enough anyways. Exiting his truck as he carried both packs of beer, with a silly grin on his face as he walked up the drive in, someone running up beside him as he walked. Cocking his head to the side only to be met with good old Knoxville, who greeted him.

“Hey, party boy.. you brought drinks!”

He said enthusiastically, once they were inside, Knoxville ripped open one of the boxes Pontius was holding and he snagged himself a beer without question. It was the key to his heart. Even if the beer wasn’t exactly for him. Then again, that didn’t matter as long as his pills were safe, which they were. He hoped Y/N showed up, his whole night counted on it. If it didn’t he’d probably go home and cry. Pontius’s smile turned into a frown as he headed into the kitchen. Setting down both sets of 24 packs, fetching himself a beer too. Though, he wanted to stay as sober as possible so he could marinate in the experience.

Opening his own beer can as he stayed in the kitchen, just sipping on it for a while. He didn’t know how much time had passed until some strangers started flooding in, which he talked to for a moment until he peeled away to find someone he knew. He ended up finding a few of the guys, Tremaine, Preston, and Spike. Who he happily chatted to, until Y/N had come on over, he practically jumped when he seen you, a huge grin plastered on his face as he wrapped his arms on around you into a rather tight embrace.

“Hey Chris-“

You spoke. Being cut off by the sudden embrace, you just smiled and laughed. He probably already drank a decent amount, you liked hanging out with him though. Honestly, you weren’t even sure you were gonna go, mostly because of how big the party was gonna be and you could always drink at home. At least Chris was here, and you could always sneak off with him later.

“You’ve already had a lot to drink, haven’t you?”

You asked, purely out of curiosity as you pulled away from his embrace, eyeing the can of beer. And Chris’s brain just sorta short circuited for a moment as he quietly nodded. Even if this was his first beer, and he barely drank half of it. He was that careful. One was good enough to keep the edge off. He was playing it safe after all.

“Not enough, want me to fetch you a beer?”

He asked you, finishing off the rest that was in his own real quick. Before pulling it away from his lips and setting it down on some random countertop. He looked at you real carefully for a moment, and that focused look made your brows twist. Shaking off that random unnerving feeling that crept up your spine as you agreed.

“Yeah, okay. I might as well.”

You mumbled, even though for a moment you thought if you listened hard enough you could hear your mind screaming at you not to. But you shrugged that off too, just all that stress from the media and everything else getting to you. Just needed to relax a bit, and the beer would

Certainly do that for you. Also a bit of chatting with Chris always made your days a bit better. And you were glad that for once everyone was in the same

place, maybe you’d even go find Bam later. You’ve been wanting him to introduce you to his brother since you’ve really been starting to take a liking to CKY. The music was really good, maybe you were just delusional, though. Who knows.

Once you gave him the go ahead (he was gonna get you a drink anyways regardless) he parted ways from you briefly. Even though that was the utmost last thing that he wanted to do, he wanted to be as close as possible to you, but he’d have to wait. He couldn’t mess that up.

He smiled at you, it was sharp. Actually; everything about Chris was sharp right now, all of his features, all crooked and seemed sharp enough to stab you. It was different. That was different, his boyish shine was nowhere to be found, and you’ve never felt so terrified before. Maybe you were just being paranoid, it’s okay. Chris was always fine, now wouldn’t be any different.

Chris slipped back into the kitchen, leaving you with that uneasy feeling in your gut. He thought about the drink of choice, and he went for some sort of hard beverage, to of course enhance the experience. Pouring the strong liquid into the cup, and mixing it with some sort of soda. He left the solo cup on the counter as he felt around his pants pockets until he pulled out that baggy he had achieved earlier that day. Or maybe it was yesterday, he couldn’t exactly remember. Crushing the pills up in the bag until it was a fine powder, before he opened the baggy and shook all the powder out into the drink. Making sure he got every grain out before discarding the baggy in his back pocket. He stuck his index finger into the drink, swirling around the powder in it until it dissolved enough for him to be satisfied. Once he was done he picked back up the drink and left the kitchen, trotting back over to Y/N like an obedient dog. But he was anything but that, he was one bad dog tonight.

While he was gone you just stood there, debating leaving or not, but you decided you didn’t want to be an asshole for no reason. So you waited, defying your mind and soul. And then Chris was back before you knew it, with a solo cup of some sort of liquid. Your brows furrowed to one of confusion as you looked into his brown eyes, one’s that lacked that usual warmness. There wasn’t a sparkle in them,

“That’s not beer, is it?”

You asked. The look he had on his face was weird, as if he forgot how to control his face. Like he was making it up on the spot, and when he replied he stumbled over his words a bit. Making it all up on the spot as he held the drink forward, shaking it a bit to bring your attention to it. So you would take it.

“No,, there wasn’t any that I could see, but this stuffs better, trust me.”

Assuring you, well, pleading with you to take it. Like if you didn’t he might die. Fabricating a story and throwing in a few white lies, there was obviously beer. You knew it too, hell, you seen the beer in the kitchen when you were in there. But you ignored that sign again, of course you did. Caving in and taking that drink from him. He watched you take a long swig of the drink, it tasted bitter, but that could be because it was one of your first drinks, it was probably nothing.

“Good,, right?”

He says rather nervously as he watches you take your first sip, you weren’t so sure on how to react so you just give him a nod and a slight smile. A nervous one that was rather forced when you pull the brim of the solo cup away from your lips. You shake away that feeling again and decide fuck it, you’re at a party, your friends party. And nothing will happen to you because of that, so you start drinking more of the drink and Chris starts to loosen up a bit and converse a bit more. Before you knew it almost all of the drink was gone and your body was starting to sway.

And then you felt a rather firm hand grab onto your waist, supporting most of you as you leaned into it. Turning your head to the side to see whoever was grabbing you. Your head feeling all fuzzy, and your vision getting blurry. It was Johnny, you could tell by his shades, and you could see the concerned look on his face,

“You alright, Y/N?”

And Chris intervenes, knocking his hand against Johnny's wrist rather sharply, pushing him away. He traded Johnny's hand on your waist with his own as he interjected.

“She’s fine, don’t touch her PJ.”

You opened your mouth to say something as you turned your head to meet Chris. You were barely able to do that, moving your head was a whole lot harder than it was moments ago. No word came out of your mouth, just a glob of drool. And before you knew it your vision was fading. The last thing you heard was Johnny's muffled voice, you weren't able to make out the words as your vision faded to black.

“What the fuck did you do to her?!”

Chris caught your very limp body as you started to fall, switching from the way he held you to bridal style. Shooting Johnny sharp daggers as he growled at him in a way that could only be described as animalistic.

“You don’t understand, man, I fucking need this.”

He was no better than a dog, Johnny could hear the low guttural growl fall from his mouth. He said nothing, Johnny smiled at him through his dark shades. Putting his hands up in defense,

“Alright, alright. No need ta go all feral on me,, but, man.. She’s fuckin’ hot, ya gotta lemme fuck her”

Johnny's accent was strong, eyeing Y/Ns passed out corpse. The same way Chris did, with the utmost desire.

“Fuckkk… her tits are wonderful.”

Chris actually laughed at that, but frowned at the idea of having to share Y/N with him. Furrowing his brows as he replied, he sounded off. Not as warm as he usually was, his voice was all sharp like a cactus.

“Only if you keep your mouth shut about this, PJ. I’ll slice your neck if you tell a soul.”

Something told Johnny that he wasn’t lying, he swallowed hard and nodded his head obediently. Honestly, he wouldn’t complain. Not a soul, this would just be a fond memory to look back upon. He understood the assignment.

“Yessir, you’ve got it.”

With another firm nod from Johnny, he followed Pontius whom started to walk rather quickly. And then he went up a flight of stairs, disappearing into a bedroom that wasn’t his. PJ shut the door right behind them, making sure to lock the door real well. This is where the fun started.

Pontius threw your limp body onto the bed, it was like you were a doll. An unconscious doll, anybody would think you were dead if it wasn’t for the fact you had a pulse. You must’ve done something really bad to end up here, perhaps this was all of life’s karma adding up to conspire against you.

Chris smiled to himself, letting out a soft exhale as he watched you from the foot of the bed, Knoxville somewhere behind him already pulling down his jeans and boxers to his mid thighs.

Your “best friend” did the same. Pulling down his loved cameo shorts in one swift tug before he palmed himself through his striped boxers, something of a blue-green color. Already developing himself an erection. He rubbed his calloused palm against his clothed dick until his semi became a full on hard on. He let out a sharp groan. He decided to spoil himself, pulling his hand away and pulling down his boxers. Letting a small clothing collection build at his feet, and then pulling off his shirt. This is one of those things in life that you do completely naked.

When he was done stripping, he decided he didn’t need a condom. He needed the full experience of you, and no protection involved, because getting you pregnant was just a plus to him. He got closer to the bed before just climbing on top of it, mumbling something about Johnny waiting his turn as Chris got onto his knees. Sinking them into the bed as he watched you hard. You didn’t move, but he watched your chest rise and fall. Your clothed chest. You were wearing such a pretty dress. He’d try his best to not ruin it too much, but Chris could make no promises.

Chris had already gone far enough, and why waste an opportunity like this with a condom? This could be his only time and it would definitely just get in the way, so he didn’t bother. Of course he didn’t bother, even if he had a condom in the pockets of his shorts. Screw protection. He wanted to share liquids with you.

He could gawk at you forever, but time was limited. This wasn’t his place, and he didn’t know when his potion of “love juice” would wear off. Plus, he wanted to enjoy you as long as he could. And he feels like he would just explode if he didn’t get to touch you, so he did.

Pressing both of his hands against your thighs. Running them up and down your smoothed legs, going as far as to your skirt, and then back down again. His heart jumped every time he neared the hem of it, it was a very short skirt anyways. He wondered if you did that on purpose, so all the guys would stare at you. That thought made him jealous. It really bothered him.

And then he stopped abruptly. Johnny had stepped closer from where he was in the corner of the room. He had his hand pressed against his clothed dick in his dickies. Rubbing himself as he watched you and Chris through his dark shades, like the pervert he is.

Chris couldn’t contain himself any longer, the longer he postponed this the less time he would have with your luscious body- and he wanted to enjoy it thoroughly. And he would.

His dick was pressed into the sheets, his tip an agitated almost purplish color as he ruined the sheets with his precum. Leaving a wet stain on the almost pristine bed set. He was antsy, and eager. A dog losing its patience when waiting for a treat, he’d take his treat now thank you very much.

Finally taking his hands off your legs he had been caressing ever so sweetly, his hands ghosted the edge of your skirt. Stopping for just a moment, before he resumed and grabbed onto the small piece of fabric, flipping your skirt up. He wouldn’t take it off; at least not yet.

His breathing hitched for a moment as he gazed at your lacy underwear, the colors complimented your skin perfectly. He wondered if you wore them for him, and the idea that you might’ve made his heart flutter, he couldn’t take them off either. Not something so pretty. He could work around them too, probably.

Chris couldn’t wait much longer, well, he wasn’t gonna wait any longer. The clock was ticking. Johnny was getting rather fidgety back there, and well, he couldn’t have tonight gone wrong. He’s already waited a lifetime, how much more should he have to go through to have you? He deserved this. He deserved you, all of you. And you were gonna know that by the time he was done with you.

Inching himself closer to your smaller frame, he was between your legs and was probably barely an inch away from your groin. His right hand was pressed into your inner thigh, sliding upwards until his fingers could drag against the borders of your precious lingerie. Which definitely wasn’t what it was.

Grabbing onto your underwear, he pulled it to the side so he could reveal your pussy to himself. And for that moment he held his breath. His head hung low, and the anticipation was killing him. It felt like a dream, but it wasn’t. He knew it wasn’t. It was a dream come true. This was officially the best day of his life. He boasted to himself mentally. He wondered if Knoxville would think he was crazy if he said that out loud? Deciding he didn’t care. It didn’t matter. Knoxville should be happy that he’s allowed to even watch,, maybe even touch you if he’s good. But maybe not.. Why should Johnny be allowed to touch you when he’s barely gotten to touch you himself?

Chris knocked the thoughts of Knoxville out of his head, he wasn’t fucking Johnny. He was fucking you. The once in a lifetime opportunity that he was wasting to instead think. Yeah, he’d pass on that

His left hand wrapped firmly around his rock solid cock, as he pressed his tip against your entrance. As if your body knew, you were already wet for him. He could feel it. It sent chills down him as he wished he could bask in it longer, but he couldn’t. His manhood couldn’t take it.

Rubbing his tip up and down your folds, just testing the water works. It felt heavenly, he let out a groan and he shut his eyes. Embracing the feeling just for a moment. That is all he needed and then he was ready to go at it.

Sliding his dick down until he was pressed against your opening, he slowly pushed himself in. Using his hand as guidance since your unconscious body couldn’t.

It wasn’t easy, no, not one bit. Your body was rejecting him, and that beyond thrilled him. Feeling the tightness of your cunt only fueled him more. Getting antsy, and lacking any sort of humanity, he thrusted forward. Even though he was probably less than a quarter way in. He let go of his dick, and your underwear. Putting his hands somewhere else instead.

He reached them forward, his dick still inside of you as he instead grabbed onto your boobs. Your clothed boobs, still wearing that dress. And as he did so he pushed himself (almost) all the way inside of you. His body was all tense when he did.

“…Jeezus baby..”

He breathed out, as if you could hear him. It fell onto deaf ears as he waited a second, just staring down at you. You almost looked peaceful, except the crinkle in your brow. But peaceful to him. And he was gonna wreck it, claim your humanity, and mark you as his.

Chris slid back out almost all of the way before sliding back in rather roughly, his breathing hitching as his grip on your chest tightened.

“Fuck, you’re so tight.. so tight for me.”

His voice was husky, deep. And even Knoxville was on his heels listening. He was pretty sure by now Knoxville was so close that his knees were touching the back of the bed. He wasn’t checking, his eyes were all on you.

Slowly starting to rock himself back and forth until he got some sort of pace, and he did. Biting down on his bottom lip. His whole body was clammy. And by now he was more so gripping onto the top of your dress than he was your breasts. Just because it was easier to grab.

Pontius could only be satisfied with a slow pace for so long, and the fact he didn’t have anyone complaining to him about speed.. or his fucking gigantic dick was nice. And for once he preferred the quiet. But he’d be lying if he didn’t say that he wanted to hear your moans. He did. Maybe next time he could.

He had to work with what he got, and his time was draining quickly. So, he picked up the pace for the sake of him and his painful boner. His thrusts started to quicken into targeted thrusts. Slamming into your cervix every time. His breathing starting to get heavy with every thrust, he was like some horn dog desperate for its next climax. And he was. The excitement of being inside of you was unreal. All of his dreams were coming to fruition.

The longer strands of his short hair falling forward and into his face, but that didn’t seem to bother him. Or slow him down. He didn’t need to see to get the job down; and it didn’t dull the experience either. This has already been memorable and he wasn’t even done yet.

Grabbing fist fulls of the top of your dress, pulling you up slightly as his grip had tightened. Thrusting forward like his life depended on it, his hips staggered as he let out a groan, cumming inside of you,

“..Take it all baby.. shiiit.. take it all.”

He breathed out as he thrusted forward one final time, deep inside of you as he emptied himself completely. Painting your insides with white.

Chris squeezed his eyes shut as he stayed still. He wanted nothing more than for this to be an everyday thing. To be with you until the end of time,, and so he was a little careless. Of course he was. And the worst thing he could do right now was cum inside of you. But he never said he was smart, and he never said that this wasn’t his plan all along. He in fact wanted nothing more than to come inside of you. To make you his, to have a child with you. Even if he had to do this again, make history repeat itself. He’d do whatever he had to do.

Pontius didn’t wanna move but he knew he had to. What made that certain is he thought he felt you move. And that spooked him, as he opened his eyes he heard Johnny speak,

“Hey, party boy. Think she’s waking up, let’s go.”

And then he felt a hand on his shoulder, it was cold. It was Johnny, and he was right. Even if he didn’t want him to be. Chris slowly pulled out, with more careful consideration than he had earlier. Wiping his dick off on your dress. Before he got off the bed and turned to face Knoxville.

Johnny was completely clothed, and he had Chris’s clothes in his hands now. He couldn’t tell what Johnny was thinking either, the glasses covered his eyes. Bastard had a weird habit of wearing sunglasses inside, and his facial expression was unreadable otherwise. Johnny handed his clothes back over to Chris.

“I’m heading out, I’ll see you later Pontius.”

Johnny stated, a slight smirk noticeable on his face before he turned away from him and headed to the door they came in from initially. He had some sort of small camera in his hands that he tried his best to hide. But Chris didn’t say anything, favoring it to be nothing instead. Knoxville opened the door and headed downstairs lord knows where.

Chris nodded his head, frowning slightly as he got dressed. His eyebrows furrowed as he took one glance back at your stirring form, before he turned away and left the bedroom as well. Disappearing down stairs into the party. Becoming one with the other forms downstairs. Leaving you to your own demise. After all, it was the least he could do.

It had been terrible, truly. Your night has been terrible. You woke up with a foggy head not really remembering the night that had happened, and it took you a long moment to come to reality. Your body was sore, unbelievably sore. And your crotch had hurt even more. It was like an excruciating pain. And when you really looked around the room you realized you didn’t know where you were, but you were alone. And that you have been violated. You felt liquid inside of you, jizz dripping down your leg and you cringed. But you had to get up and get out of here, so you did.

Somehow managing to try and fix yourself and get downstairs. Most of the party was gone, still you avoided everyone you saw because you looked absolutely terrible and the last thing you needed was someone seeing this. Seeing you like this.

You exited the “party” going straight to your car and entering it. Sitting in the driver's seat. You leaned back, mumbling a bunch of profanity. This couldn’t be happening to you, could it? Trying to clear your head enough to think of what to do now. And once you had a solid plan you drove off. Driving home because thankfully you had everything you needed there. Well, not everything. But being at home now would really make you feel a whole lot better.

When you got home you went straight to the bathroom, digging around in all the cabinets until you found what you were looking for. By now you were barefoot, ditching your heels as you had walked to the bathroom. You pulled a pregnancy test out of one of the cabinets. Standing in front of the toilet as you managed to pee on the test, even though it hurt. And for the moment this was about the only thing you thought about. The only thing right now you could do. Bringing the test with you as you waited for the results, praying to god for a negative as you exited the bathroom and went to the living room.

Setting down the test on the coffee table because you couldn’t care less about the sanitation, you punched in the numbers to the only person you thought you could call, picking up the phone as it rang. Hoping to god your publicist would answer. And they did. Thank fucking god.

“Y/N?”

He said, his voice sounded funny but you chalked it up to it being early. It was the early hours of the morning.

“Hey.. I have a problem.”

You said, your voice quieter than intended. Taking a nervous glance at the test. Your eyes widening when you seen two lines on it,

“Shit… fuck! It's positive.”

“What’s a positive??? You’re pregnant, aren’t you.”

“Yeah.. fuck. Shit.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry. It’s fine.. who were you with?”

“I.. Chris..? Last night,, but..”

You froze. As all the pieces started to click in place, shit. He really did this to you? Your best friend? Of course. This couldn’t be happening to you. You hung up on him rather quickly. Sitting down on the couch, absolutely devastated. You were fucked, this was career suicide. And you didn’t even want this to happen, you didn’t even know.

You didn’t know how long it had been when your phone went off, you spent the past probably about an hour on the couch nervous brainstorming all the possibilities, and then probably another thirty pacing back and forth. And then you were on the couch again when your landline went off. You stopped what you were “doing” and you picked up the phone instantly on the second ring, and it was some person who worked at TMZ asking about your pregnancy?? And talking about details no one knew. You freaked, not even getting any words out before you hung up and called back up your publicist,

“The tabloids are already on it?? What the hell do I do???”

“Don’t even worry about it, no publicity is bad publicity, Y/N. This will be good for your career, after all the fans have been hinting at you and Chris for months. It's about time you made it official to the world.”

Your face fell as you heard a knock on your door, and a very familiar chipper voice boasting about some news article of you and him, and rambling about the fact that they were calling you a slut, and he thought otherwise. And that he couldn’t wait to be a dad, and that you would come around. Whoever said Jackass was a good idea should kill themself.

It wouldn’t be long until the footage was released, Knoxville was an excellent camera man.

[whatudowhennooneseesyou]

I've been to Korea a few times and lived there for a few months at one time. That country does have a special place in my heart and I love many aspects of it. Outside of the big cities, the nature is beautiful, people are a bit blunt but they're kind and they help you if you need it. They don't expect you as a foreigner to get there and know all their norms and their language (I had the opposite experience in Japan 👀) and they're usually excited as long as you're respectful. However. A lot of guys are extremely aggressive in their advances, they think every non Asian woman who ends up there wants to fuck and they have a hard time understanding NO. If you do go out to the bar/club, you absolutely need to be careful with men (as you would anywhere else bc the world is a nightmare but I find men in SK more aggressive than some other places). The body shaming is very real too nejdiwiw. I'm not fat nor skinny but over there I felt like a whale the whole time 💀 you do need to have thick skin over there and not expect the perfect paradise many k pop fans seem to think they're about to find. Depending on how you approach it, it can be a wonderful time or hell on earth. I wouldn't go live there permanently but I go back every couple of years and I always love my time there.

Hello @escapetheshark and thank you for providing your insights, it is expensive to travel anywhere outside of Australia so I wouldn't be going to South Korea for awhile but my high school had a 'sister school' with South Korea and 5 of our students would go over there.

This was in 2016 and it cost 10K for them to go for 9 days so Idk how much the price would be now.

You seem very worldly lived and are you European? How did you afford to go these places? I suppose airfare might be different if you live closer haha.

I have heard that A LOT online about issues of consent and I don't know if this true, I hope but but I remember reading an article about how if a guy offers to buy you a drink in Japan and you accept, then you're technically giving consent???

I see so many Tiktoks about the experiences women have in Hongdae and Gangnam and the DVD rooms and love hotels.

I've heard SO much about the body shaming and it's kinda scared me not gonna lie, I'm 5'7 and 108 kgs so I just know that none of the clothes would fit me and I'd stand out.

Sorry, I lost focused because I'm rewatching one of Channie's Room lives on Youtube and he was talking about how Aussies barely pronounce anything properly and I was like- He has a point.

I've always wondered how Chris was able to balance the EXTREME differences of South Korean and Australian cultural norms in his life.

The age thing still confuses me because in Australia, if you're a year younger than someone, you are treated the same age and people will say '1 year? That's nothing'.

Whereas in South Korea, you can't be 'friends' with anyone that's not born in the same year as you and that's such a confusing concept for me because even though I was born in '98 and Chris was born in '97, I view both of us as being the same age.

So, it's interesting. I've learnt a lot and It's nice to be expanding my knowledge on different ways of living.

Thank you for sending in your insight!

[jules-has-notes]

2019 VoicePlay summer activities — fun in and out of the sun

After a whirlwind spring full of travel and nearly nonstop video productions, the fellas took things a little easier for the summer. That's not to say that they spent those months chilling on the beach, of course. They just mostly stuck closer to home and worked at a more reasonable pace.

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Freedom!

The guys did get a bit of downtime at the beginning of July, hanging out with loved ones. Eli and Ashley took a trip to upstate New York to spend a week with her family, then popped back to Florida for a few days with his. Meanwhile, social media addict manager Geoff caused some unintended mischief during his leisure activities.

(Sadly, the instigating video does not seem to have survived.)

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J.None celebrated Independence Day not once but twice with Paradigm Party Band at Icon Park in Orlando. During at least one of their sets, the band backed J for a performance of his latest original song, "Back At Home", which he would release in both audio and video formats a few months later.

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A post shared by J.None 🧈🎶 🎙📝🎬🎹🎸📽🤣 (@itsjnone)

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From melacholy to joy

When the weekend came around, the guys rolled out two new music videos that evoked very different emotions. VoicePlay released a gentle, heartfelt ode to friendship with their cover of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors". Then PattyCake unleashed the next episode in their Villains Lair series, gleefully highlighting some of their baddies' vanity.

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A few days later, Layne and Tony headed back to the PattyCake studio to film two more Villains Lair episodes in as many days. The next installment featured a motley gang of sidekicks, and the season finale was filmed out of order so that they could include Emoni Wilkins as Ursula while she had time to come to town.

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Hallelujah

The following weekend, J.None spent his Sunday sitting in with the backing singers for Kris Williams at the House of Blues gospel brunch.

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singing "Expectation" by James Fortune during soundcheck for the HoB gospel brunch with Kris Williams

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Christmas in July

VoicePlay gave their fans plenty of time to plan for the holidays when they revealed the first location in their upcoming Warm Up tour. They would be returning to the Gaylord Palms resort in nearby Kissimmee for a holly jolly good time.

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The next day, they provided another gift in the form of the delightful "Aca Top 10 – Sitcom Themes" video that they'd recorded the previous month.

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"They really like us!"

August started with a bang as the A Cappella Music Awards winners were announced, and VoicePlay took home the title for Pop Group of the Year.

They also got to celebrate some friends, since Home Free repeated as Entertainers of the Year (once again beating out Pentatonix), Tim Foust garnered Composer of the Year (edging out both Chris Rupp and Peter Hollens), and Chris's new group 7th Ave took home Quartet of the Year. Sadly, Earl lost Male Vocalist of the Year to another worthy contender, Cody Qualls of FACE Vocal Band, a group of fellow Sing-Off alumni from the first season.

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Since it had been quite a while since their last version, the boys put together a new Patreon promo, thanking their existing patrons and giving a gentle nudge to potential new supporters.

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Music, music, music

The next weekend brought another music video double feature. VoicePlay offered up a beautiful rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Then PattyCake released their next Villains Lair episode, starring a huddle of loyal henchmen that they'd filmed the previous month.

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The week after that, the guys headed to a fun new location for their next music video, a retro-inspired update of the doo-wop classic "Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)".

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Further festivities

Saturday brought a chance to celebrate Eli with a 40th birthday party that was apparently such a rager** that the only photographic evidence on Ashley's Instagram is a couple shots of their sleepy dog and a sink full of dirty dishes in the aftermath.

** for suburban, middle-aged values of "rager"

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The next day, VoicePlay announced the earliest show in their holiday travels, this time a double-header with Cimorelli, a family of musical sisters based in Nashville. The two groups would be heading to Waukegan, IL in mid-December.

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The following weekend, J.None headed home to Virginia Beach (with his nephew in tow) to perform at the annual Kids Bash fitness event, organized by his older brother.

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September began with a surprise for a young friend. One of the guys' theme park pals had a daughter who was both a big fan of the group and a talented singer in her own right. When mama Michelle asked VoicePlay to film a brief message for Adriana's fifteenth birthday, the youngster couldn't have expected the opportunity that would come with it.

Needless to say, she was a little stunned. Stay tuned for the product of that collaboration.

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Up, up, and away

As the first weekend of the month approached, Layne and Tony headed north to Napierville, IL so that they could be on hand for the final rehearsals and opening night of Danny Gonzalez and Drew Gooden's "We Are Different People" tour. PattyCake had produced videos for the team to play during the shows, as well as creating their color-coordinated wardrobe.

While Tony headed home, Layne scooted over to Fort Wayne, IN to meet up with the rest of VoicePlay for a corporate gig.

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After a few days at home, the boys headed out again for two nights in Lincoln, Nebraska. The UNL Bathtub Dogs were their opening act on the first night, and the local paper provided a very nice recap and review of the evening.

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The day after they returned home again, J.None met up with his Paradigm pals for a fun surprise birthday party at a local venue.

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Let the good times roll

Near the end of September, VoicePlay gathered at the PattyCake studio to film their big spooky season production number for the year, "Oogie Boogie's Song" from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

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They closed out the season with a trip to the northwest for a show in Burley, Idaho, where the audience included a busload of students from a local school.

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The last few months of the year would bring even more live shows, music videos, livestreams, family time, and milestones, but all of that will get their own posts in due time.

[thesinglesjukebox]

SHAWN MENDES - "WHY WHY WHY"

First Sabrina, now Shawn... we just need one more a triple-repeated title song to get a trend piece going...

[4.40]

Iain Mew: Shawn aims soft and tries to bring out the anguish and cyclical hopelessness in small moments. The musical stomp has other ideas, stomping out subtlety without bringing anything worth replacing it with. The resultant sense of aimless momentum leaves it sounding like a festival EDM track with all of its drops missing. [3]

Jeffrey Brister: On the one hand, it is a dated stomp-clap folk single with gang vocals and a hefty dollop reverb in the chorus; with nary a strummed guitar figure or slide flourish or mandolin accent out of place. On the other hand, this sounds really REALLY good. The worst thing I could say about this song is that it’s unmemorable, and it will fade into the swirling morass of competent-if-not-incredible folk songs that sit at the bottom of my mind, and will eventually get it confused with something else years later. But in this moment? Hey, pretty good. [6]

Nortey Dowuona: Mike Sabath can apparently work magic. I mean, he can lay down some firm, surprisingly sturdy but unambitious drums that allow Chris Thile on mandolin, Kevin Barry on lap steel guitar, Eddie Barry on guitar, Shawn himself on guitar with Scott Harris on background vocals to fill up the mix with all the angst and unalloyed joy that come with finding one's footing after years of grasping around in the dark for your parents to protect you, for your lover to return to you, for the small, imaginary bundle who you're convinced is crying out for you to hold them. Then you remember they're not imaginary. You wonder why you thought that. Then you get up and hold your infant son until you fall asleep instead. Mike then has to worry about maybe lowering the bass to let the lap steel sound better but makes sure to not disturb you or the baby. [8]

Michael Hong: The comparisons to Man of the Woods have been unavoidable, but "Isn't That Enough" sounds closer to the alt-country of Waxahatchee than anything by Justin Timberlake. Pleasant enough if a bit repetitive, but as "Why Why Why" attempts to kick up the dust into something anthemic, it sounds more like a deflated version of Avicii's "Wake Me Up."  [3]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: A perfect choice for listeners who found Benson Boone and Noah Kahan to be too aggressive. [2]

Grace Robins-Somerville: Sexless Ed Sheeran-ass Zoloft-ass fake deep pop music. [2]

Ian Mathers: Is it weird that this feels post-Iron & Wine to me? Something to do with the guitar tone and how it and the vocals are layered. It's pleasant enough, and the idea of post-teen pop Sam Beam makes me smile. Congratulations, you've justified your existence for another day! [6]

Taylor Alatorre: An emulsified soup of folky signifiers, "Why Why Why" achieves pathos of a sort -- not from the feelings described within it, but from the singer's need to transmute those feelings into rustic coffeehouse wallpaper. The once and future teen idol is mandated after a certain age to reveal more of himself, his true self, but only within well-defined limits: no to Big Star's Third, yes to "Garden Party." Or "Story of My Life," if we're being realistic here. The big reveal of "Why Why Why," that of deferred fatherhood, is given its requisite four bars in the limelight, then is quickly blotted out by the oncoming rush of billowy acoustic chords and twangy guitar stabs. This may be for the better, given Mendes's earnest belief in the mind-blowing lyrical power of the father-mother juxtaposition. Best to let the sound engineers do the real talking here; that coiled spring of rapid-fire strumming that sews up the aforementioned verse has replay value of its own. [5]

Jonathan Bradley: The best thing about this fibrous Shawn Mendes strum is how it inadvertently demonstrates the talent someone like Ed Sheeran or Noah Kahan has. They could make "Why Why Why," and a lot of time they functionally do. And that would sell, and people who want earnest and modestly rousing folk songs, which are a perfectly reasonable thing to want -- 12 years later, I'm still willing to defend "Ho Hey" -- would be pleased to cue it up on their playlists. But it takes skill to create an "A Team" or a "Stick Season," the versions of this sound that involve more craft and finesse than necessary. I don't think Mendes is capable of elevating his compositions to that level but, hey, at least he's capable of not sinking them to Lewis Capaldi depths. [4]

Katherine St. Asaph: Javiera Mena isn't supposed to sound like the Lumineers, but Shawn Mendes isn't not. The sound of basking blissfully in low expectations. [5]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[starseneyes]

Chenford REWIND - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 2 Eps 15, 16 & 17

Season 2 is such a fascinating era for Chenford, especially post-DOD and with the Rachel subplot. I'll be honest, I never hated Rachel. So, forgive me if I'm a little nicer to her than I am Ashley/Chris AKA Season 4's Obstacles of Awful.

SPOILER ALERT: If you are spoiler-averse, you are Rachel Meta-averse, as well. I will spoil the entirety of these episodes, as well as anything that has come before. I do try to write these without foreknowledge, though.

I'll be honest, the first two episodes here make me super uncomfortable. See, I'm a former journalist, so that one gets under my skin. And then the other with the medical stuff is tough, too, for someone with a fun list of issues.

Everyone squared away? Huzzah! Let's dive in together.

"Hand-Off" AKA Go Back to Mayberry

"What exactly is being assessed?" "Occupational integrity. From how we maintain our equipment to the upkeep of all of our certifications."

Lucy directs her question at Grey, but I do like how Tim jumps in here. His Rookie asked a question, and he's actually answering it instead of making Lucy jump through sixteen hoops to figure it out herself.

"So, are you nervous about meeting Rachel's dad?" "Please." "It's gotta be a tick nerve-wracking. Rachel adores her dad." "And he's gonna love me. Colin was a sheriff for 30 years." "Yeah, in a town with two stoplights." "LA or Mayberry, cop's a cop."

First off, I have to say I love seeing Tim's confidence, but I'm torn because it stems from his position as a cop.

That's Tim's default. He leans into his profession, using that as a measure of his worth while completely missing his value as a human being.

And, yes, there are a lot of reasons for that (that Season 2 Rachel wouldn't know), but future Rachel wants to give Tim a big hug, take him out for a beer, and explain to him that while he is a great cop, he's also a great human.

"No, he's from Sweet Home, not Mayberry." "No, I know. It's Mayberry, like the TV show." "What TV show?" "Nevermind."

That. Hurts. Me. Look, I know I'm getting older, and I'm much closer to Tim's age than Lucy's, so this moment hurt me. Ouch. I need to go adjust my dentures and invest in prune juice.

These young folks are carting me off to the Nursing Home so I can watch TV in black-and-white with a nostalgic smile on my face.

Also, it makes sense that Tim would invest in a show like that—a cop who loves his son. Someday that'll be you, Timmy, my boy.

"Lopez and her TO were first on the scene. Officer Rowland died in her arms." "That's awful. Ten years ago, Lopez would have been a Rookie." "It was her first shift."

It wasn't Lucy's first shift when she was tugging a shot, bleeding Tim out of the line of fire, but it was close. Coming into this job, there's no guarantee that your introduction will be smooth.

But Lucy also remembers what it was like with Tim... and while she might have imagined it going the other way, Lopez lived it on Day 1.

As I've said before, there but for the grace of God go I.

"So, have you decided where you're taking Rachel's dad for dinner?"

Lucy has this knack of getting Tim to talk personal stuff in the Shop. Yes, I know they both know Rachel (since Lucy set them up), but it's still a breach in protocol for TO Tim. Love it.

Look, these two aren't anywhere near ready to shack up in a hotel all night testing the stability of the earthquake protection systems. But, I love how Lucy draws him out.

Once she talked about someone liking him and he cut her off with a reminder that he was married and saying they don't talk about that.

Now, neither of those statements is true. Tim's dating, again, and he's talking to Lucy all about it.

"Auto burglary cases have a 0.02% solve rate. How is failing to recover her Dad's suitcase my best foot forward?"

They were actually kinda cordial before that, falling into a rhythm that's closer to their Season 3 banter.

But, now Tim's worried he's going to start off on the wrong foot, so, in the words of Marlin the Clown Fish, "Good feeling gone."

"Smokehouse. I love their bread."

Is this where the world-famous Twitter Crumb-o-Meter came from? I could believe it!

"Look at you in that uniform." "It's so good to see you, again."

It's so bloody nice to have someone in Lucy's circle support her who is in the same age-range as her parents. It's a shame he lives so far away.

"Sir, why don't you climb in the Shop? We'll drive around, do some hunting. See if we get lucky."

Yikes, Rachel's dad is coming in with some bark. He does NOT like what he's seeing in Tim Bradford, for whatever reason, and he's giving him grief. And it sucks to see Tim's confidence deflate so swiftly.

Like, I'm fine with him ending up with Rachel. *ducks* I know someone just threw a shoe at their screen. I hope it didn't break!

But, hear me out. Chenford at this point is a fantasy, a hope, a wish. In the grand scheme of ships, we're only 2 seasons in, and there's plenty of time to change direction.

Would I prefer for Tim and Lucy to get together? Hell, yeah. That's the Endgame dream, right? But most of the time when shows set up a "placeholder character", I hate them. I can't wait to get them off my screen.

Rachel's a decent, kind, hard-working, heart-filled human who really does like Tim Bradford very much. At a time when he's just easing back into the dating scene (well... Tim kinda dove in head-first, if you know what I mean), she's fairly easy-going.

Also, we share a name. And I like 90% of Rachels. (Yes, there is one exception. Yes, I've given her many chances over the last two decades to change my opinion... not yet).

A far as Tim and Rachel goes, let's see how it plays out, yeah?

FAST FORWARD: YES, future Rachel knows how this plays out. But I write these as though I'm watching them for the first time! Part of the rules! ... Please stop throwing shoes at me. I can almost feel my own screen shaking from the impact.

Back in the scene, I can't keep my eyes off of Lucy, because Melissa O'Neil is crushing her reaction game in this scene. I laughed every four seconds because of her.

"I know. But try and stay positive, okay?" *arm tap*

Yes, Lucy got this into this mess. But she was trying to be helpful. And while she is very aware of the tension here, Lucy always has that can-do, positive attitude that tries to lighten Tim's grump.

And the fact that she's retained that brightness post-DOD says a lot about her as a person. Lucy is resilient, yes. But also determined not to lose that part of herself.

It'd be easy to let trauma swallow it... but she chooses each day to reclaim who she is, to never let the bastard win, even in death. What a fuckin' inspiration.

"The thing is, if he's smart, he hit as many cars as he could in 10 minutes and then jumped on the freeway. He could be in Barstow by now."

Lucy with the assist! Again, Tim and Lucy are in friend-mode, so she is trying to help him with Rachel's dad, who she knows.

But it ain't helping.

"Look, clearly you're a good cop." "I appreciate that." "Dedicated, selfless, and takes pride in his work. A little sphinctered, maybe, but that can be good, too. Just not for my daughter."

Ouch. So much ouch. And, look, my Dad was never a fan of any of the guys I dated. He even told me when we were preparing for my wedding that "Matt's the one I disliked the least".

Yes, he loves Matt. This is one of the dangers of having an ex-stand-up comedian for a Dad. Never feed him a straight line.

But, oof, Rachel's Dad's being a little tough, right? Right? Stay tuned...

"I'm so proud of you." "Thank you."

Lucy needs that more. I mean, can you imagine how much she wants to hear these words from her own father? To know that her family accepts and loves her and supports her? That's the dream, right?

And, you absolutely can lead a fulfilling, beautiful life without the approval of your parents. Tragically, too many parents cut their children off for not meeting a certain list of expectations. Lucy's parents are about a thread away from that.

But she wants them to be proud of her. It would be nice, ya know?

And, I get it. You leave that door open to them, hoping that one day they'll knock and be ready for a real relationship. But, in the meantime, you have to keep living. And that's what Lucy's doing.

"What are you talking about?" "Uh, I thought she had told you." "Told me what." "Rachel may have Huntington's Disease. It's a fatal genetic disorder. "

Oh. Suddenly it all comes together, and it all makes sense. This is why he's been so hard on Tim, so tough on him, coming at him from every angle to distance them.

"But she may not have it."

Is that hope, Tim Bradford? Or more confidence in the science knowing it might not've been passed down? Either way, I appreciate Tim taking the opposite position where Rachel's father is waiting for the perceived inevitable.

You can't live your life based on a "maybe", yes. But ignoring it entirely might not be the best answer, either. It depends on the person.

My grandmother (mi abuela) died of small cell lung cancer. She went from diagnosis to death in 2 weeks. It was fast. It was sudden. It was heartbreaking.

My employer at the time told me to take my laptop and stay at the hospital with my Dad while I worked so I could be there for him, help walk him through losing his mother. "I trust you," she said. I'll never forget that.

Mima and her last living sister (my tia) spoke on the phone one last time, about a week before she passed. Neither mentioned to the other... they both had cancer. Neither told the other. We didn't tell them, either. Not until she passed.

And, oh, what a tough decision. But that meant their last conversation was filled with joy, love, and light. And for Mima, I think that's what she needed.

So... it depends on the person, I think. I'm not really here to judge.

That said, if you're dating someone, and this is a possibility, I think it's definitely something to discuss if you're see a future together. But, that's just me.

"... if the worst comes to pass, Rachel's gonna need someone who'll put everything else aside just to care for her. And we both know that's not you."

This pissed me off. Because, we all saw Tim with Isabel, and this guy didn't. We saw what he was willing to do to save Lucy from Caleb, and this guy didn't. He's making assumptions about a man he barely knows, and that pisses me off.

Yes, I hear his point. But he's allowing perception to color perspective. If he got to know this man—Tim Bradford—instead of jumping to conclusions, he might see a different picture.

"You had no idea Rachel might have it?" "No. She never told me."

I have such mixed feelings about this. Tim should not have shared his girlfriend's medical information with his Rookie. At all.

But the fact that he did is fascinating, and yet another step toward them growing closer.

But, Tim really shouldn't have said anything.

"We should go talk." "No, we shouldn't. This is none of your business."

If it's none of his business, truly, then this relationship may not have a future.

Look, it is her call to share or not share her medical history and information. Absolutely. But blind-siding Tim ten years down the road and giving him no time to prepare mentally and emotionally is a bad look.

Again, it's just my opinion. And Tim and Rachel aren't walking down the aisle, yet, so there would be plenty of time to address it before then. But, I do think it would be better to be honest upfront.

It's the first (but not last) time that someone in a couple on this show conceals medical information pertinent to the relationship.

And, honestly I'm more understanding about this one than that one simply because these two are dating, haven't yet moved in together, or talked next steps, and there's still an easy out.

Tim and Lucy look to one another as Rachel leaves, and I feel the air of partnership between them. It's them against the world, sometimes. And their bond is only growing stronger with the passage of time.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Tim doesn't scare easily, so he's not running from this. Just like we knew. We know who Tim is, and he loves deeply and completely.

He invests in relationships with everything in him, partly from a desire to be known and loved, and partly because he wishes that's what his father did with his mother.

Yes, spoiler alert, but I'm not saying too much, I don't think.

And I totally support her not wanting to know. Because she doesn't want to live her life around something that might not come. She wants to live freely. And isn't that all any of us want? Yeah.

"The Overnight" AKA Do Android Cops Dream of Electric Sheep?

The Canadian Idol Goes American

Did she just? She... I... WHAT!?!?!

Rachel on her first viewing had no idea Melissa O'Neil was Canadian Idol's Season 3 winner. Her singing was beautiful in the barrel. But this was a powerhouse vocal performance. Gee. Freakin' Whiz!!

How did we get so lucky to have this multi-talented performer as our Lucy? Wow.

One thing that really struct me about this performance was the joy that bubbled out of Lucy as she sang.

In the barrel, she sang as a source of comfort. Of strength. Of hope. She was dreaming the dream... that someone would find her.

Today, she's singing from a place of joy. The song bursts out of her, full-voices and strong. Lucy has reclaimed the joy of singing.

And while the convention might be a little forced... I love this moment. I love listening to her, watching her, and marveling at Melissa O'Neil's performance as a very layered character reclaiming her joy in front of us.

Powerful stuff.

"What are you doing in here?"

Tim bringing her back to earth as they try to pass her a Golden Ticket. And Lucy goes to him. Because, much as Lucy is an incredible singer, police work is her heart.

And I kinda love that message. Just because you excel at something doesn't mean it has to be your profession, or even your passion. Only you know your passion... so pursue that.

"Ever given blood before?" "Every 8 weeks, like clockwork." "Good for you." "Yeah, save lives. Get a personal oil change. It's win-win."

This is so Tim Bradford at his best. He likes organization and routine. But to choose the routine of donating blood to save lives? Oh, how beautiful!

"I didn't know machines had blood."

Nyla, I cackled aloud at that one. Well-played.

"You know the media will say or do anything to get you to back up their headline."

Oh, the stories I could tell. I started as an intern in a nationally broadcasted news room as 19. My first job was to watch 9/11 and Iraq War raw footage and mark the sections that were usable for broadcast.

I worked there a few years as a freelance Associate Producer after before determining I couldn't keep up with my full-time university schedule, my voice over job, and being called in randomly at 5AM for work after finishing class at Midnight. I was also a Student Teacher, at that point, and had papers to grade, lessons to plan, and lessons to teach.

Yes, Rachel has always been an overachiever.

After uni, I went to work at a local station. I was there a year and a half before I moved on because it was one of the most toxic places I've ever worked.

So, this episode makes me super uncomfortable because a lot of hit hits close to home.

This is not to say we should automatically distrust all journalists. But, I think a bit of skepticism is always a good place to start. They don't all have our best interests at heart.

"You shouldn't let him talk to you like that." "He's my Training Officer. That's just kind of his style."

Lucy really is accustomed to Tim at this point. And while I hear miss Journalist, Tim doesn't cross the line. Okay... Season 2 Tim doesn't cross the line. We can have words about Season 1 Tim in another Meta.

And Eric Winter's wife gets to check him out in-character. Yes, that's his beautiful, talented wife, Roselyn Sánchez!

She's built her own incredible career, and is currently on a television show, herself, in addition to the podcast these two share. Plus they have kids. IRL. Power. Couple.

I didn't know it the first time through. So, in case none of y'all knew either, now you know!

"I'm telling you, reporters always have an agenda." "To get the truth? Sounds horrible."

Lucy... you should listen to your husband on this one. I'm not saying all reporters are bad, but, speaking from experience, he's not entirely wrong.

"God, you don't trust anyone." "'Cause trust has to be earned."

Tim looks to Lucy, and she doesn't talk back. Because, that's not a bad way to live. And she knows he trusts her.

Look, you might think I'm quick to trust because of what I share here. When I tell you that's barely scratching the surface of my life, I mean it.

In this space, I get to control what I share and what I don't. But, if you get to know me and become a real part of my life, I'll definitely give you more. But, I need to build that trust, first.

And a default of not trusting journalists who want something out of you isn't a bad one. Just sayin'.

"He's not gonna make it. Animal Control's 10 minutes out. EMT's won't step foot in here until that snake's been neutralized."

Tim says it so matter-of-factly. He can accept it, but Lucy can't.

"You can't kill it." "What the hell are we supposed to do with it? Snuggle?"

Oh. My. Gosh. I so hope Lucy bought him a stuffed snake and had Rachel sneak it into his bed (and took pictures when he found it) because that would be hilarious.

Seriously, I watch this scene over and over just for that line and die laughing every time.

"Boot! Don't be a hero. It's venomous."

Clever girl. As she steps into the garage, she looks back to Tim with her, "I'm gonna do this" look. He answers with his, "I don't like this but I'm not stopping you" look. And I'm sitting here marveling at Eric Winter and Melissa O'Neil communicating so much with just .25 seconds of screentime each on that.

Tim is anxious the entire time. But he knows enough to stay out of her way, sometimes. He knows she's tough, and he knows she's capable.

"What are you doing?" "I'm texting Tim. I need a senior officer here." "No you don't. He'll just steal the credit." "Look, I am out on a limb here, okay? And as a Rookie, that could get me fired. So, either we do this by the book, or I walk."

This is how Tim trained her. Valerie is jumping into this situation without knowing how anything works. She wants the glory, but she's not putting the work in in the right way.

Lucy has worked her ass off, and she's not letting anyone take this away from her.

"Hey, thanks for coming." "Mmhmm." "I'm in trouble, aren't I?" "Mmhmm."

Lucy being the one to let me in makes me happy. Yes, she's in trouble, and she knows it. But, "when it counted" she made the right call, again, right? Yeah.

Wopez Proposal

Oh, I have future things to say about all this. This is so Wesley and Angela. And that is what matters. It's them. Each couple has their own story and path. Yes, there's a formula to television, but there isn't a form you fill out.

So whenever we get to Tim and Lucy stuff (If they get their acts together), I'm not holding out for grand speeches. Tim is a "show" guy and Lucy isn't overly flowery. They're going to do their stuff their way.

That's why we gravitate toward certain characters. These characters are unique, as are their relationships. So how they get together, propose, etc, is going to be unique to that relationship and those characters.

I think that's important to keep in mind.

Control AKA

"Sorry. We're not real cops."

Welp... this just went Meta... in a Meta. Seriously, I was rolling laughing.

"Do you think Rachel's disappointed I canceled last night?" "I don't know." ... "You might find this surprising, but we don't talk about you. Ever." "Wow."

Considering how much Lucy and Tim talk about Rachel, I can see why this would be a little surprising to Lucy. But Tim drawing hard lines makes total sense.

He isn't at a point, yet, where he needs/wants to talk about Lucy in his off-time. He gets enough of her every. single. day.

"Bradford's your TO?" "Yeah." "My condolences." "That's what everyone says."

Lucy laughs it off, but Tim does have a reputation. He's good at whipping Rookies into shape or scaring them off.

"He seems nice." "Sure." "Do you know him well?" "Play a little pick-up basketball together."

Lucy is vibing with this guy. And while I'm not ecstatic for her to find "the one" and it not be Tim, Emmett seems like a decent guy, and there's definitely some chemistry there.

"No." "What?" "No, forget it." "What?!" "Your social life is not my responsibility. I learned that lesson the hard way."

That line kills me on every watch. Because Tim used to distance himself from her solely because of his hard lines between personal life and professional. Now, Lucy is quickly becoming a friend, someone he cares about. The lines have gotten a bit more blurry.

But he still has hard lines he's not willing to cross, again. He truly believes that he overstepped and she got hurt because of it. We all know that's not what happened, but Tim has a knack for blaming himself.

"Oh my God. I am the third wheel."

This is said in such a hilarious manner, but I struggle to laugh because I genuinely hurt for Lucy. I feel like pre-DOD Lucy never would have fallen into this role. It just wouldn't have happened.

But, much as she wanted to jump right back into "normal" life, she has been changed by her experiences. They're a part of her, now, and sometimes they sneak up on her when she least expects it.

Lucy has been clinging so hard to "safe" that she's forgetting how to live.

"Chen. Grey need another team on the DEA op. You wanna put in some OT?"

Awww. He's inviting her to spend the evening with him. But, seriously, Grey needed a team, and Tim asked if she would join him. He didn't demand it. Progress!

"I mean, obviously I've been using Jackson and Sterling as a crutch. Together they kind of make the perfect boyfriend."

Tim's already rolling his eyes. He looks over, like, "Are you kidding me? because he already knows she's talking to noone.

"More importantly, they're safe-"

"Safe". That thing she wants. That thing she needs. She's just not ready to take the leap, quite yet.

Nyla and Angela tried throwing her to the wolves to get her moving, but that's not how Lucy works. Lucy needs time. She just didn't realize that in taking that time, she was encroaching on someone else's.

"Who are you talking to?" "Rachel."

You're talking to me!? Damn, and I forgot to respond. I'm so sorry.

Yes, I know it's fictional. But when you were born in the 80's and had a very popular name, you hear your name everywhere. That's why I started going by an abbreviation of my last names at age 9. I became SL (Yes, that's where Esselle came from).

"Hello?"

I'm dying. I don't think I can finish the meta because I am laughing so hard, I can barely breathe. Lucy, honey, you did not just answer the call and then say hello when he's a foot away.

"Hello."

And he said it back. Nope. Definitely can't breathe. Laughing too hard.

It makes it all the funnier that they say, "Hello" since they are both more of "hi" or "hey" people. It's so formal and that makes it all the funnier.

"Rachel is in a staff meeting, which means you are talking to no one."

In a move of synchronicity, they hang up at the same time. Love those touches, even if it's purely accidental because the script reads, "They both hang up" or something similar.

"Not no one. Me."

He's watching her, but she can't look up at him. Much as she is strong and confident in who she is, she's feeling vulnerable right now. The last time she went on a date it didn't end too well, and she's unsure of her instincts.

Nyla said she needed to be confident in her intuition... and she's not quite there, yet.

"I talk things out to process them, and I knew you wouldn't do it with me, so—" "Why would you even care what I think?"

He doesn't think his opinion holds weight beyond the badge. When he holds her fate in his hand, damn straight, his opinion matters. But beyond that? Why would she care what he thinks?

"The last time I gave you romantic advice, I pushed you towards Caleb and... you almost died."

Now he can barely look at her. The shame. The pain. He thought he was helping her blow of steam, and she ended up buried alive. He still blames himself.

He can't even look at her until he gets that last word out.

"That's, that's ridiculous."

Lucy shifts so she's fully facing Tim in the seat. Tim shakes her head, not believing her, still internalizing the guilt.

"There was no reason to expect anything. What happened- What happened wasn't your fault."

He finally looks to her, again, wanting so badly to believe her. Can she absolve him of his guilt? Find a way to forgive himself for something he never even did wrong?

He looks quickly away after their eyes meet.

"It wasn't mine, either."

Hell, no, it wasn't. No victim blaming here for psychotic assholes.

"Look, I wouldn't ask your advice if I didn't value your opinion."

Tim. Has. Value. Of course he does, but he's hearing it. It's good for him to hear it, and important that it's coming from Lucy. Because, much as he isn't ready to admit it, her opinion matters to him. So, it's nice to find out that's reciprocal.

He looks away, licking his lips as he tries to fight back the tears. He switches gears, fast.

"You can do better than Emmett."

Hell, yeah, she can! There's this guy (maybe you've heard of him) named Tim Bradford. And he's just about perfect for our girl. Well... not quite yet, but I really have a good feeling about him. You should send her his way.

"What? Why, why would you say that."

Because, girl, he's gonna marry you. (shoutout to my RoomFriends on that one!

"He's a firefighter for God's sake." "I know, he's hot!" "Okay, no. No. See, if you're gonna act all contrarian, I am done with this conversation." "I'm not being a contrarian." "You know, I-I think you're threatened by his hunkiness." "Hunkiness?" "Mmhmm." "That's not even a word."

Future Rachel has so. much. to. say. But, because we're in the past, I can't really talk too much about it. But, Tim and trying to get Lucy to admit his handsomeness is gonna be a running theme... just sayin'.

"Chen."

He comes around and the first thing he says is her name? Yes, it's Season 2. Yes, they're nowhere near that, but I can have my immature moment, right!?

"You okay?"

I don't know if there are two words combined like that he says more to her. Tim constantly needs to know that Lucy is okay.

And... that wraps it up. I think it's important that Lucy dates someone before she considers Tim, just as I'm glad Tim's not jumping right from divorce to Lucy, like Nolan did.

But I also think these episodes show a lot of growth between them, and I think Rachel helps with that. She becomes this common thread between them.

FAST FORWARD: And once she's gone, that closeness don't disappear. It's lasting. Tim and Lucy are on their journey of growing closer and closer.

I'll admit, the first two were really hard for me. Personal discomfort and whatnot. But, I'm glad I got through them, and I hope you enjoy.

Now, I gotta finish up my waiting in the parent pickup, wait anxiously to hear back about the car loan (yes, we're getting a car!), and check quotes from the 2 roofers thus far.

Thank you so much for reading! Can't wait to see you on the next.

[itfitsitshipsart]

Till Death Due Us Part

Part 2

Pairing: Evelyn (s/i)/Albert Wesker

Word count: 835

Warnings: swearing, needles

Nearing the end of RE5's story, they board a tankard ship to complete their plans for the future.

--

Evelyn sat with a laptop, her back against the railing of the docking to the massive tankard behind her. Her bag slumped beside her, she tapped away at the device, and looked up only at the sound of footsteps. Even with the golden light of evening obscuring her vision, Evelyn frowned, the silhouette and saunter all too familiar.

“Where's Albert?” She asked the woman who walked up to her, who proceeded to put a hand on her hip and glare down at the blond.

“You're not worried about him, are you?” She questioned. “I figured you'd have more faith in Albert, or that he’d tell you things-”

“Don't play this game Excella.” Evelyn retorted bluntly, flashing a glare up to her. Excella sighed, muttering under her breath for a moment.

“He's having a reunion of sorts.” She finally responded. “That Chris man.”

“Ah,”

“‘Ah'? So you understand now?”

“Of course I do. Unlike you, I know their history.” Evelyn quickly typed at her keyboard, then closed the device and slid it into her bag. Standing up, she looked at the large tankard boat. “He needs to be here within a minute,”

“And here I am.” Albert quickly strode his way towards the women. “Is everything ready?”

“As far as I can tell.” Evelyn smiled sweetly at him, shifting closer as he rested a large hand on the small of her back. “There's just one. Last. Thing to tie up.”

Excella furrowed her brow, looking at Evelyn with a confused expression as she glanced back at her with cold eyes, her smile still on her face.

“That we can deal with on the ship.” Albert stated dryly, and led Evelyn onto the boat, Excella trailing closely behind. “Excella, go below deck and prepare some more serum for me, would you? Best to have enough ready for the next few days.”

“Alright.” She nodded, “I understand you need me to get it, being necessary for your well being. I'll meet you on deck 5 then, yes?”

“Yes.”

***

“That bitch is taking too long.” Evelyn muttered, sitting beside Albert, leaning comfortably against him. She flicked through the camera feeds on her laptop. “And Chris isn't too far behind.”

“My, I don't think I've ever seen you impatient to have her here,” Albert remarked.

“You know how I feel about her.” Evelyn huffed, and put away the device to stand. As she rose to her feet, Albert wrapped his arms around her, drawing her tightly against him.

“I know. And soon my dear. Soon everything will change.” He nuzzled the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her hair deeply.

Excella panted, having just run all the way up to the deck, half of the serum lost due to the meetup with Chris. She frowned, watching the tender moment between the two of them.

“And that last loose end now?” Excella questioned, sick of watching the two in front of her in silence. “Is the Uroboros project not complete?”

“It's ready, but this matter is just a small thing, a trifle, really.” Slowly, Albert pulled away from Evelyn, stepping towards her. “See, this is about… Us.”

“Us?” Her brow raised, and she flickered a triumphant grin towards Evelyn. “What about us?” He rested a gloved hand on her cheek, and she leaned into his touch. Slowly, he gripped her face and walked around behind her. And suddenly, with his other hand, he twisted her arm. Excella let out a shocked cry, the almost gentle caress turned harsh as he held her painfully still.

“About us,” he muttered, his red eyes behind his shades glowing. “It would never work out. It's true I need someone to rule with me in this new age, but it's not you. You've reached the end of your usefulness, Excella.”

Excella's eyes widened, watching Evelyn draw a vial and needle from her bag. She tried to move, to pull away from Albert, but he held her fast.

“I've been waiting for this,” Evelyn muttered, readying the injection and walking over. “Let's see how Uroboros takes to you, shall we? I have my doubts this will end well for you, though.”

“No, why do this to me?!” Excella strained to look at Albert. “I've done nothing but help you, Albert. I've shown you my loyalty. I-” her breath hitched, the needle digging into her neck. 

“And now you can show me your loyalty one last time.” Albert released her, roughly tossing her to the side as he strode back over to Evelyn. “Unless of course, Uroboros doesn't kill you, and you dispose of Chris. There may be something I could use you for then.”

“Albert…” Excella groaned, pain radiating quickly from her neck through her body. He scoffed, and put an arm gently around Evelyn once more.

“Let's observe from a safer place, shall we, my dear?”

“Of course,” Evelyn smiled, turning with him and walking off. The last Excella saw of them was Albert scooping Evelyn up into his arms, disappearing from her view.

[the-broken-truth]

Okay! This time my idea isn’t surprisingly about Mighty Bear AU. Since I am a fan of Resident Evil Village myself I decided to give you an idea I just had.

Imagine Teen Rosemary Winters meeting a boy that is able to read anyone’s thoughts if he wants to, his name is Andrej Markovic (Same age as Rose, has light peach skin, gray eyes and medium black hair that reaches his shoulders) and his from Serbia but his under the US Government’s custody. They quickly begin a new friendship and since he’s her only friend, she quickly gets attached to him and doesn’t let anyone else, even the agents, to get closer to him.

Andrej never read Rose’s thoughts because he wanted to respect her privacy since she’s his friend, but when he does he gets scared of her because of her obsessive thoughts. When Rose finds out that Andrej discovered her true nature, she pleads to him to never leave her or if he does she will chase him till the ends of the earth until she has him again.

Obviously Andrej, afraid that Rose might be a danger to anyone else that tries to do anything to him, he reluctantly agrees to be Rose’s best friend for the rest of their lives.

Broken Truth (Reads the ask): Rosemary Winters meets a mind reader named Andrej Markovic? That sounds interesting.

Mask; I think they should meet because Andrej is in Chris' Custody because of his powers and that's how he and Rosemary meet in the first place.

Broken Truth: Sounds interesting, now, let the words weave together.

Rosemary never forgot the day she met him - someone just like her with different properties. She walked down the hallway of the base, he had been called by Chris to meet in his office to meet someone who would be staying at the base for a while. She didn't know who would be stupid enough to remain in this place but she was going to find out when she opened the door, she half expected an older person around Chris' Age but when she opened her eyes, her eyes slightly widened.

Standing there talking to Chris as a boy around her own age with light peach skin, gray eyes, and medium black hair that reaches his shoulders with a smile on his face, he was dressed in an Alpha Squad Outfit before he looked in Rose's direction and smiled at her.

"There you are, Rose," Chris said as he looked at Rose but gestured at the boy who stood there with his hands behind his back, "This is Andrej Markovic of Serbia, he's in the UNsited States Custody for a moment and he will be staying here." Rose looked at him for a while before opening her mouth to speak.

"He looks normal, why is he staying here?" Rose asks but Andrej opened his mouth to speak this time.

"I have the ability to read the minds of any person I choose. I didn't read your mind because I was hoping that we would be friends." Andrej raised his hand and smiled at Rosemary, who smiled at him again and gathered his hand in her own and the two of the smiled at each other. Chris smiled at the two of them, this was the start of a beautiful friendship.

[As Time Passed]

Rosemary couldn't be happier for the longest time since she was taken away from her mother and her father was killed has he ever known happiness. Andrej was like a piece of a puzzle in her heart that was a long time missing but was now home in her heart, but she had to keep that piece safe because there were others who wanted to have him other than her. The other agents would try to request him for missions but Rose refused to let that happen and no one would go against Rose and her power over the Mold. Rose was the only one who was allowed to go on Missions with Andrej and that's the way it was supposed to be.

When they were allowed to go into public, there would be other moments where women would come up to Andrej and flirt with him, this would cause Rose to get ad and throw hands at anyone who tried to take Andrej's attention away from her but she would never do it around him; she couldn't let anything take him away from her. Andrej knew that something was up with Rose, he never wanted anyone to else around him but he just thought that she was scared of losing him as a friend.

On this day, the two friends were having a day off at the cafe when Rose decided to go to the bathroom while they were waiting for their drinks. When Rose left, a woman appeared in Rose's seat with fear in her eyes and a swollen black eye.

"That girl, you need to be careful around her, she beat the crap out of me because I asked for your phone number," The woman said before she suddenly left, leaving Andrej confused and waited for Rose to return, once he saw her he began using his ability to read her mind and all he heard made his eyes widen in shock.

Andrej is my best friend and no one will take him away from me. Never.

That bitch deserved getting hit for trying to ask for his number. He is mine.

Those damn agents think that they can make Andrej his ability, I won't let them take him away from me and use him like that.

Andrej couldn't believe what he was hearing, Rose was obsessed with him and she was hurting people to keep him all to herself. He needed to take with her about this and he did. When Rose returned to her seat, Andrej because to interrogate her about what he heard in her mind and told her that he was not alright with what he heard. Rose was scared that he would leave her and begged him to remain with her.

"Please, Andrej, I know that I can be clingy and possessive but I'm only doing this to protect you. I won't let you leave me, if you tried, I would chase you to the ends of the earth and bring you back to stay with me." Rose said with a dangerous glow in her eyes. Andrej knew that she wasn't kidding and reached over to take her hand in his own, making Rose calm down.

"I'll stay, Rose. I'm still your best friend." Andrej smiled at her.

[bowtiesnmusicals]

Here is my recap of the Rough Re-Entry (Audition) episode of the podcast.

This is the season 2 premiere episode of Glee.

After a couple months off, a tour, and a European vacation/press tour the cast went back to work. They went back to work in the middle of July or beginning of August.

This episode aired on September 21, 2010. This time the show was a hit. Fox moved them to an earlier time slot. They were moved into a prime time slot which meant more restrictions in what they could say or do.

They preface this episode by saying it did not age well. There were a lot of inappropriate jokes and statements. They don’t know how it flew back then. They want to acknowledge how far we have come and how much further we have to go.

Kevin remembers talking to some of their cast mates of color about the show in hindsight and realized his young white boyness insulated him from realizing the extent of what was being said in this episode. Watching it back it was like a checklist of things we can’t and shouldn’t say anymore. Jenna said a lot of the jokes were very Asian focused, very racist. Back then they just had to take it. It was very eye opening to her. She just took it which is kind of crazy. Kevin said it probably didn’t feel like there was another option. Jenna said she could have spoken up but she probably would have lost her job. She said we have come a long way in terms of the way things have become unacceptable. Even she felt like everyone is getting shit on. Everybody has jokes about them that were slightly personal and kind of true to what was happening to the real world. It felt like everybody was kind of doing it and it made it okay in that moment. It’s wasn’t though. Kevin said like if we are all getting made fun of then its fine. Jenna said they used racist things to make fun of her, Harry, and Jake. It’s an interesting thing to look back on and hopefully has learned a little more about the time and how we’ve grown and trying to do better. Kevin said you do see how you can do that successfully past this episode. In the first season their are crass jokes but they don’t rely on racism, sexism, or ableism or any of the things touched on in this episode.

Jenna said it’s interesting thing about Ryan’s shows are that he lifts up the unheard unsee underdogs. While we have all these things we are addressing and will learn from and move forward from their is a juxtaposition because he does uplift everybody and gives people a chance. It is an interesting contrast. Kevin said it feels outdated.

That was their long warning. They are both aware and dreading this episode. It was a hard watch.

The #1 song was Teenage Dream by Katy Perry (We will see it soon on Glee0

The #1 move was The Town with Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner (Jenna doesn’t remember it being a smash. Kevin said vaguely remembers it.)

Kevin and Jenna were on Summer break at the time. They went to Monaco, London, and Paris. It was their first time in all those places. The trip to Paris was a mess. It was Jenna, Kevin, and Kevin’s brother. They were very hung over. It was one of the best summers of their life. Kevin said he probably shaved many years off his life. One of the heads of Fox International that traveled with them could just go. She knew all the best restaurants and clubs to hit up. It felt like Summer Camp for celebrities. Kevin named dropped a bunch of celebs like Nina Dobrev and Ian Sommerhalder. They made life long friends there and it cemented their friendship in a different way. When you can travel with someone successfully and not kill each other and become even closer let me tell you. Jenna said this was before they had really moved into together. They had moved their stuff in but then left. Jenna said things started to go uphill before it went downhill. Kevin said this was the cementing of the foundation of nothing is going to break up because we are so close and tight.

In London Amber and Chris were on their own European vacation. They each had their own security guard. It was the first time they had celebrity status. They had a van and security guard. His brother was going to university in northern England. He had been watching the show from the UK and didn’t understand the gravity of the situation. Kevin told him that they would have a van and security to go with them. His brother didn’t understand. They go to walk to a pub and it’s fine. The security guard is with them and his brothers are a little freaked out. By the time they leave they start to get mobbed by fans on the street. The security guard has to get them through the crowd into the hotel. Later that night they went to dinner and people were camping outside the hotel. They went out to a club and they lost Kevin’s brother, Timmy, in the crowd. Pam Jackson from Fox reached out and grabbed Timmy and pulled him into the van. There was paparazzi following them around everywhere by this point. It was an eye opening experience to see someone who hadn’t been in the US and was very close to Kevin look at him and see him experience these new things. The world changed. Going back into season 2 they realized they were famous now.

Jenna pointed out season 2 opens on everyone looking real tan with some real good hair. Rachel Berry is got mini skirts on and a blow out. Everyone had a bit of a glow up. It’s a crazy episode but at least everyone looks good. Harry’s abs looked real good.

This episode was directed by Brad Falchuck.

Cheyenne Jackson is in this episode as Dustin Goolsby.

Dot Marie Jones joined this season as Coach Beiste.

Jake Zyrus guest stars as Sunshine.

Last but definitely not least Chord Overstreet joins the show as Sam Evans.

They met a life long friend in Chord and Dot.

This is the start of something new.

They do a quick synopsis of the episode. Basically Will teams up with Sue to try to get rid of Coach Beiste because Principal Figgins give the football team more funding. The Glee Club is trying to recruit new kids.

Sue and Will order 25 pizzas for Coach Bieste during the first practice. It backfires. They play operation mean girl in the faulty break room and won’t let Beiste sit with them. Finn and Artie find Beiste crying in the locker room and Beiste yells at them. Artie wants to join the football team to try to get Tina back. He’s been a not great boyfriend to Tina. He was a pretty shitty boyfriend to Tina. Tina falls in love with Mike at Asian camp and Jenna said we will leave that right there. Kevin said he doesn’t disagree about Artie being a bad boyfriend. He said he would like to think he doesn’t remember doing the voice over at all. He heard his voice saying these words and gasped. He has no recollection of saying those lines. It’s also very racist. Jenna said we have to talk about the fact that Tina and Mike’s last names are the same and that’s not really correct. Chang isn’t Korean. Anyway we learned.

Jenna loved working with Harry. They had the most ridiculous storylines and Harry is fun to work with but why did the Asians have to be together.

Back to the storyline but Beiste takes Artie wanting to join the wrong way. She thinks it’s another prank by Sue and Will. Dot had an awesome intro. The way she can just cry like Romy because they wear their hearts on their sleeve and love so hard and so fully. It was weird to see Dot play someone so full of rage. Dot is just the best. Little did they know what a treat it would be to work with her for so many years. The crew gets bigger and the cast gets bigger.

Schue lays off prancing and being mean to Coach Beiste. The scene with Sue getting Brittany to accuse Coach Beiste of inappropriately touching her is really bad. The doll is funny but nothing else about the scene is funny. Kevin said he was shocked and thought surely this can’t be what is happening in this scene. Jenna said she did appreciate that we finally got the voice of reason back in Mr. Schue telling Brittany you could ruin someone’s life making these accusations. Sue is absolutely out of her mind.

Will apologizes to Beiste and Sue brings them dog poop cookies. Sue says, “Are you turning on me in public? The two of you are making a very serious mistake today. The likes of which have not been seen since Mexican Indians sold Manhattan to George Washington for an up-skirt photo of Betsy Ross.” Jenna said oh god. All the things that Sue says are wildly inappropriate and how did they get way with any of it. Kevin said it’s extra crazy going into the next storyline he couldn’t say damn in Billionaire. There was a lot they couldn’t say at 8pm that they could get away with at 9pm. The censorship is very strange and has specific rules. It was just weird what they could get away with and what they couldn’t.

The next storyline is that the glee club needs a new member because they lost Matt Rutherford. JBI wrote a blog about the glee club over the Summer and gave them a bad rap so no one wants to join. The JBI interview at the beginning addresses everything that was said about the cast online over the Summer. We start to see a lot more of the mining of real life details from the casts lives added to the storylines. Kevin said he thinks someone on set was intentional stirring the pot to get stories to bring back to the writers. He has never been able to confirm that but so much of their lives ended up in Glee. The whole blog, JBI confirming or denying the rumors is the cringe of the whole episode. Jenna doesn’t even want to go into the topics because it’s all really bad. It mirrored things that were made up about the cast.

This is the first time we see the courtyard. It’s at Bernstein High School which is near the Netflix Headquarters. They also get a bigger library set and the locker room is also new.

Jenna prefers the tour version of Empire State Of Mind. She doesn’t love the performance but she loves the song. It will live in infamy for her. Kevin said it was hilarious having himself, Mark, and Cory doing Jay-z. Kevin said he shouted his part every night during the tour. He had fun.

We see Sunshine and Sam tapping their feet to the song. Finn finds Sam singing in the shower very much in the same way Mr. Schue found Finn. Rachel finds Sunshine in the bathroom. Rachel says a lot of wildly inappropriate things. A lot of it was apparently taken from a Celine Dion interview they would watch a lot. Jenna loves the moments where Sue brings things back down like when she tells Rachel and Sunshine to shut up.

Rachel just wants an extra body but Finn is so wholesome in his attempt to get Sam to join. Kevin said the scene with the guys and Sam was very accurate to how the guys wee in real life.

The scene where Beiste yelled at Artie and Finn was where he remembers talking with Mark and Cory to Chord about him possibly being Kurt’s love interest. Chord said he didn’t know and had no idea. He remembers Chord looking at them like is that the role I auditioned for. Kevin texted Ryan and asked him if Sam was supposed to be Kurt’s boyfriend and he said no. Kevin said he thinks it was just a rumor amongst the cast and maybe it wasn’t true. Jenna said she thinks they were admits the casting of Darren’s role as well. They heard their would be a new cast member that would be Kurt’s boyfriend and when hot Chord came along they just assumed it was him. (I think there was more to this because that rumor had definitely spread to fans.)

Rachel tells Sunshine that auditions were at a crackhouse but it wasn’t an active crackhouse so its fine. Sam didn’t show up to audition because he saw what Coach Beiste did to Finn and sticks with football and becomes the the quarterback. Sunshine ends up being recruited by Vocal Adrenaline and we meet Dustin Goolsby(Cheyenne Jackson). Going back Sunshine does audition and sings Listen. Kevin said he just lost it watching Jake perform. They knew who Jake was and it was a big get for them. They ere so sweet and quiet and has an insane voice. The only person who had to act in that scene was Lea.

Finn is upset with Rachel for doing what she did to Sunshine. It’s really bad. Finn gives her a come back to earth moment and Jenna loves that scene. She loves Rachel and Finn. Rachel sings What I Did For Love and gives them all the tears and feels. Eventually the glee club will come around.

The other thing happening this episode is Quinn. Quinn rise to audition for the Cheerios again. Finn shows up to audition in one of the funniest scenes ever. Will tries to convince Beiste not to kick Finn of the team. Sue demotes Santana after finding out she had a boob job and makes Quinn captain. Jenna was howling watching Finn’s audition for the Cheerios. That was all Cory. It’s exactly who Cory was and it was not acting. It brought her so much joy to watch that scene. Kevin said he wishes he had a super cut of just Cheerios auditions.

Kevin said the other thing that was great was the fist fight between Santana and Quinn. They would quote it all the time. The delivery was just so right. Who doesn’t love a cat fight? This is one of the best if not the best.

If you can get through all that then we are set up for some conflict in the next 20 something episodes. We have some exciting things coming.

Tartie Takes:

Cringe Moments/Ouchies - There are a lot of them. You don’t speak English to Sunshine. The whole scene in the bathroom. Telephone was cringe. Asian camp. Rachel says Sunshine who is a Filipino. Also the Brittany doll. Kevins aid that and the entire d of the JBI vlog.

Worst Dance Move - Finn’s Cheerios Audition

Best Dance Move - Finn’s Cheerios Audition

Best Song - Empire State Of Mind

Best Prop. - Food

Best Line - She has a family, she’s a mother. Sue’s shut up. Brittany during the girl fight saying stop the violence. It’s so good.

Shit We Found On TikTok:

Someone made Glee versions of the Barbie movie posters. It’s very good. Mercede’s is This Barbie is a lover of Tator Tots. Santana’s is This Barbie is possessed by Snixx. Rachels is This Barbie is not homophobic she has two gay dads. They are very very good. Blaine’s is This Ken is wearing too much hair gel.

Next week is Britney/Brittany.

[jargonautical]

Somewhere To Be / A chapter at a time

Security

TRUE TO HER word she has the brooch ready for his inspection just before dusk, laid out under the same magnifier as last time. It’s unrecognisable as the muddy blob from earlier. Bright metal gleams back at him as he angles the light, intricate angular patterns that cover the whole surface. It’s far more sparse than the so-called chieftain’s brooch, the only gems a trio of pale ovals at one terminal. He brings the magnifier closer, stooping to get a better look - common banded agate, and one off-white quartz with a deep crack across it.

If he’d hoped to identify his betrayer from this single clue he’s out of luck. It’s much too common a style. Earth affinity certainly, but it’s been too long - what was the name of that stoneworker, the one who used to harass the girls in town before Mainder packed him off Home? Could have been him. He can see the face as clear as anything, but the name eludes him. And what’s-his-name, Alaric? Roderic? The huntsman would remember, the lad rode with the hunt for a while before the Closing. If he can get a hold of him or the sculptor somehow …

“Any idea why there are so many artefacts in this style buried around these parts?”

He stares blankly, dragged back to the present. Does she expect him to know? Of course he does know, but how could she know that he knows?

“You must have a theory.” she presses. ‘It’s very unusual, most digs this size will only find one high-status piece like this if they’re lucky, and we have two without even a single grave site. And there’s the dolphin brooch, isn’t there, the one in the museum. Is Patterson right? Was this place actually like a Bronze Age brooch factory or something?”

Damn. Of course they’d have to make that connection eventually, he’d be a fool to have thought otherwise. He toys with the idea of supporting her line of questioning, staring at the blank wall ahead. It could work, if he can find a way to come back later and seed something else that supports it -

“Mainder.” she says softly, and there’s a note of compulsion in her voice. What is it about the girl? He finds himself wanting to give her answers, to make her happy, to maybe even see the glimmer of her smile - and compresses his lips to prevent words from tumbling out before he’s had a chance to review them.

“No.” he says with finality. “Not a production centre, just a lot of people used to have one of these, and - “ he catches himself just in time. “ - maybe something happened.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“AND WHAT ARE you doing in here so late, young lady?”

It’s probably a good thing the security guard can’t see Evie’s expression when he comes up behind her. She’s not startled, having heard his heavy footsteps coming long before he arrived, but his overbearing paternal tone could almost be calculated to irritate. She finishes returning the brooch to its numbered shelf and locks the cupboard door.

“I’ll be done soon.”

“It’s not a question of how long you’ll be.” The floorboards creak in protest as he brings his bulk further into the room, taking up a position just behind her left shoulder. It’s altogether too near for her comfort. If she turned now to look at him, judging by his cloying-sweet breath ruffling her hair, they’d be nose to nose. “You understand me, love? It’s a question of whether it’s on my schedule. I’ll need your name, and your manager’s name.” The clipboard is flourished, pen poised, ready to take names and make trouble.

Chris’s return couldn’t have been better timed, stepping through the open doorway and saying coolly “That would be me. Who left this door open, please? This is supposed to be a secure site.”

The man steps smartly back, and Evie can finally turn to review him. He doesn’t look like a predator, but then the worst of them never do. He radiates an instantly forgettable bloke-next-door vibe, with a mop of iron-grey hair combed in a swirl around his very obvious bald spot, and a fussy toothbrush moustache recently committed to. His uniform jacket and high-vis vest fit remarkably well considering he’s about twenty years older and several stones heavier than the rest of the security crew. There’s no menace in him now, on the surface at least; now there’s another male in the room he’s as affable and as harmless as a tipsy uncle at a wedding. His official security pass announces him to be T. Clegg. (Night Shift). Fixed in the glare of the camera’s flash he looks like an unrepentant Mr Toad caught joyfully speeding, florid cheeks merging into his non-existent neck and what he probably imagined was a friendly smile. Evie can still feel his breath on her neck, goading her to turn around and open herself up to assault.

He shrugs off the question of the door left open - security is on the case, no need to be alarmed - and delicately hints that, even with his mighty protection, foolish little girls shouldn’t be sitting with their backs to doors after dark. He flourishes the clipboard like a token of power and ends with “If it’s not on my schedule, it’s not happening. I don’t make the rules.”

“There’s a schedule?” Chris says blankly, glancing at Evie to see if she knows what Clegg is talking about. “Is this a new thing? It’s the first we’ve heard of it.”

“The Professor and I discussed it this afternoon. You’re supposed to let Security know if your people are going to be on site after six. Don’t want anyone getting into trouble now, do we?”

Exactly how overtime they didn’t know they needed could be submitted to a schedule they didn’t know existed isn’t specified; Chris is about to point this out when Evie intercepts.

“Of course not.” she says smoothly. “We’ll check in with the Professor’s office first thing.”

Clegg gives her a patronising nod. “You do that, sweetheart. Can’t be having your boss always running around to get you out of trouble, eh? I’m sure he has more important things to do.”

He makes a show of peering into each corner of the office, doubles back to rattle the cupboard door handles and, apparently satisfied all is secure, ticks off something on his clipboard with heavy emphasis and departs.