#and yet still calls dennis his best friend even after that

[dennisboobs]

a severely overlooked aspect of the gang's dynamic is that charlie and dennis were best friends long before the start of the first season. there are multiple instances of the rest of the gang calling charlie their (collective) best friend, but charlie exclusively refers to dennis as his best friend. on the other hand, dennis only ever says that charlie is his friend up until the moment charlie refers to mac as his best friend something that evidently has not been the case previously, as evidenced by mac's reaction which of course prompts him to compete against mac. stacy remembers the two of them being close, to the point where she assumes that they must be a couple, and acts disbelieving when they deny this.

mac and charlie have been friends for the longest. dennis and mac have lived together for years. but charlie and dennis have considered each other best friends since they were in their teens.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for being a ....homewrecker? (🏝 for later)

I'm not sure that's the right word, but whatever. Basically, I (FtM) met this guy (cis M, we'll call him M) over a year ago and we hit it off pretty quick. It was under extremely unusual circumstances, but for the sake of anonymity, I'll be vague and just say: it was 3 AM, Denny's, T.E Lawrence was involved. Now, I'm pretty wary of most guys who go to my school, given I'm trans and unfit to defend myself for various would-break-anonymity reasons, but M is just the best and is incredibly sweet. Days are easier when he's around, even if it's just through a Discord call playing video games. I started harboring feelings for him pretty much immediately, but didn't plan on acting on them for two reasons:

1) I've yet to be in an actual committed relationship (nobody's wanted to stick around, or we both realized quickly we weren't dating material) and I'm terrified of fucking anything up. 2) ....M has a girlfriend. A super long-term one, at that. Like, they met when they were kids, he's been romancing her for ages, they're going to get married and both openly agree they'd be shells of people without each other. Soulmate shit. She's awesome. She's the sweetest, too. Very thoughtful, and soft-spoken, and so so smart. So, no, I didn't plan on doing anything about my feelings. I'm not the type to hide who I am, so I wasn't going to hide anything, but I certainly wasn't going to DO anything either. That's not my place.

Until, one school break, M comes to me and admits he has feelings. And he's wrecked about it. Tells me I'm the only other person he's really had this for, because it's always been his girlfriend. He's a mess. I thought we communicated pretty well, and we'd both made it clear that nothing was going to happen unless Girlfriend knew about it and approved, because she comes first above all else. (I was the one to say this before him, and he was relieved that I understood.) She is priority. She will always be priority, and I totally get that. I'm just some guy, you know? But the conversation ended with me telling him he should probably let her know about this, regardless of how scary that was, because he's an incredibly touchy-feely guy and if I was her I'd like if this was on my radar. New player: M's best friend. very by the book christian guy. Not at all stuck up, but he abstains from worldly pleasures or something like that! He's cool, we're cool.

Except after break, M's best friend makes a few confusing comments, and suddenly, there's now never been a time when just me and M have hung out since. Girlfriend hasn't acted any differently and is still incredibly warm and wonderful, so I'm pretty sure she still doesn't know. I'm a very giving person and like to shower my friends in gifts, so I was undeterred in giving them both valentine's gifts I had bought them months in advance (extra hand wringing on my part.) Girlfriend was ecstatic, loved her gift, and M loved his too. But then he left to go Cry??? Because he hadn't gotten her anything (I'm the only one with a min $ job). I'm not sure where I stand with him or with either of them, and i'm just so confused. I'm 🤷‍♂️ about poly, but with the way they were raised (see M's best friend for reference), their feelings are more muddy about it. I want to talk to M, but being alone in the same room is impossible. I don't know if M has been intentionally making sure we're never alone together, I don't know if Girlfriend knows, or what M wants, what Girlfriend would want or even what I want, because I don't know what's on the table. I don't even know if we're in the same restaurant. Girlfriend is going to find out. M is way too touchy feely even with "supervision". (Granted, he is with everyone, I'm pretty sure I'm just the only person who lets him get away with it.) At this rate, somethings going to give, and i'm honestly just waiting for it to happen now. 🤷‍♂️

[sweetflanfiction]

Second Chances - Part 7

Universe: Read Dead Redemption 2

Pairing: Arthur x reader

Disclaimers and Warnings: If you want me to tag you on the chapters let me know! Also leave a comment with your thoughts :D Not finished, not proofread. English isn't my 1st language. All I know about 1899 is from google, so inacuracies will be plenty. The reader is on the older side, and identifies as a female. Header Gif by @miyku

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

• ··········· • ············ •

Arthur grabbed the brush for the horse looking at the woman walking away, followed by the pup, Mac. He let his gaze linger for a moment watching her play with the dog.

They were not keeping him here, there were no shackles, nothing held him down, there seemed to be no second intentions towards him. Both were honest: You work and stay, or you go.

He walked over to the horse, stroking the soft fur, and started on his task of brushing him.

“Darling?” He whispered under his breath. A humourless chuckle escaped him and the horse whined. “Yeah, I don’t like that one either, friend. But if I name you, you're mine and if you're mine you gotta behave. Do what I tell you and all that. ‘Cause I can get you better, I can make you stronger, but you gotta trust me alright?”

The horse snorted, raising his front hooves and kicking the dirt. The cowboy took it as a yes.

“Alright boy. Let's see. When we was at St. Dennis, I read a newspaper article about this young feller who was doing magic tricks, escaping handcuffs and all sorts of contraptions. How 'bout I name you after him, since you’re so keen on escaping huh? It’s much better than ‘Darling’ I tell you that much.” 

The horse blew air through his nose and moved his head gently while the moved through his fur.

“Alright then, boy. I name you Houdini. How about that?”

Arthur chuckled at the horse and brushed him. Thinking of St. Dennis made him think of the Brants' conversation. He had tried to keep relaxed when the word ‘job’ came up. Trying not to show his inquisitiveness. It placed some shadow of doubt on this whole ‘good and trusting’ issue. However, until this point they had done nothing to make him distrust them so he would wait.

“My dear daughter told me you was gonna be responsible for this gentleman’s well being.” Arthur looked towards the main stable door and found Albert standing there, leaning into the frame. His figure was imposing. Broad shoulders, sturdy forearms, the build of a man who did some heavy lifting around the farm. And yet, the feeling Arthur got from being around him was far from overbearing.

“Yes, sir. If that’s alright with you, I think I can help.” Arthur nodded and continued brushing the horse.

“Oh it’s fine with me. The less I have to deal with him the better. You know how many sleepless nights I’ve had because of him?"

The man walked closer, moving his hand slowly to pat the horse's nose. Arthur was expecting Houdini to buck or become stressed, but he kept still, even though the older man seemed to be angry at the beast. 

"Ain't that right boy? You gave me some frights didn't you?" Albert lowered his gaze gently to the animal and Arthur softened his gaze.

This was just a father worried that one of his own was sick and he couldn't help him. His words were not angry or hateful. Just like Dutch did at some point in his life. Arthur looked down, trying to get rid of the thoughts that threatened to burst through. It still hurt. The betrayal. The irrefutable evidence that his own father figure tossed him aside.

"I'll do my best to keep him happy and healthy." Arthur nodded.

"Good. And for the love of all that is holy in this world ... Change his god damned name...Who names a stallion Darling…And then shoots him…kids these days, swear to God."

"I will, sir."

"And don't call me sir. You ain't in the military. Albert is fine." "Now come on. I smell sausages and eggs in the kitchen. It ain't much, but it's filling." 

Arthur thought about Pearson's stew and how everyone complained about the taste. Even though he had done it at some point, everyone was thankful for the man who kept them fed. But the truth was, at some point, his stew started to tasted all the same. This was not because of the cook's lack of talent, but because the ingredients were, in fact, the same.

The smell coming from the house was different, from his memories' stew. He smelled of eggs cooked in grease and sausages. He closed his eyes for a moment, sniffing. Arthur's mouth watered, people would have thought he was heading for a feast.

The man sat down at the kitchen table while you served them a mix of eggs and sausage, before sitting down yourself. As they both exhaled a content sound, you smiled.

"I reckon I deserve an award for doing the most today." You said in an attempt to sound like a spoiled lady, looking at your father who just gave you a mocking annoyed face.

"I shall reward you with an afternoon of stocking the hay and milking the cows." Albert said, holding his fork up like a king's scepter as you groaned, rolling your eyes.

"Fine…I guess that'll do." 

Arthur kept his eyes on the plate, only peeking at the pair as they bickered. It was innocent, lighthearted fun and he missed that. The last days at camp, this type of discussion would probably have led to someone getting a punch to the nose or even shot. But there were times when this was common among the gang.

Something snapped in front of his eyes and he saw your smirking face looking at him, your fingers in front of his face. 

"I also believe Mr. Callahan should be awarded."

"I say the bed he sleeps in is reward enough." Albert said, raising an eyebrow. Once again, his tone was light and non-judgemental.

"It is. Just give me some eggs and a mattress and it'll be enough." Arthur nodded, still uncomfortable with joking around with them.

"Here I am thinking we could allow him a bath…" you got up from your seat and grabbed the plates, as his head jerked upwards at the mention of a bath. "I guess eating and sleeping is enough for the man."

"Judging by the way his neck snapped up when you mentioned a bath I'd say otherwise." Albert joked and helped with the dishes.

"Fine." You looked back at him, your eyes sparkling with mischief and your lips smiling. "I guess if it's not too troubling for you, good sir, you can take a bath."

"It ain't no trouble at all." Arthur grabbed his plate and walked to the dishwater bucket. "I...Well, I'm just grateful that you keep giving me things and asking for nothing."

"You're working for your keep. Taking care of land ain't easy. If we want to keep living the way we do, we have to put our backs into it." Albert nodded and the girl hummed.

Arthur thought back at how those words, said by someone else, say Dutch, would have sounded dishonest. Although, it may have been because the work he referenced was dishonest. 

"Oh! What did Doc Brant say about the job?" 

His eyes looked up and he felt his muscles tense. That single word had such an impact on him that he didn't even know he was holding his breath until Albert spoke again.

"Cattle convoy." The older man said, but Arthur didn't blink.

• ··········· • ············ •

@photo1030 :: @sylum :: @marislittlereadingcorner :: @rratman ::@clevergirl74

[jimmyspades]

Sad Boston Legal analysis at 9 am sorry

Season 3 Alan sees Vanessa in that pretty yellow dress and he can’t stop staring, he tells her why it affects him so deeply:

When I was a sophomore in high school I attended my very first dance. There was this girl, standing across the dance floor, wearing a yellow dress. She was so beautiful. I didn't have the courage to ask her to dance, perhaps for fear of the long lonely walk back across the gym floor after being refused. I finally willed myself to go ask, and then suddenly she was gone, in a fleeting second she must have left. I began to imagine what she must have been like. Her laugh. Certainly her kiss. I still know exactly what that feels like, though l've never felt it. She's been a figment for 29 years. An imagined standard by which all other women seem to have fallen terribly short.

He said it was a sophomore dance so he was probably 14-15, which means he had already been assaulted by his neighbor (s4 ep4: “I was 14, Denny. It was statutory rape. You’re the first person I’ve ever told that to.”) but he hadn’t yet been abused by his best friend Paul’s mom Victoria (explored in The Practice s8 eps 13-15: “Victoria, I was 16. Can a boy even be capable of love? … How many teenagers had you been with?”)

So there’s teenage Alan at the dance, at a very strange, confusing time in his life—

—his parents aren’t there for him, his father doesn’t like him, his mother never hugs him, but recently other adults have started showing him affection; grown women want him and use him sexually, and he thinks he’s flattered by the attention because he’s a stupid horny teenage boy!, of course he should want this!, he’s never been touched and suddenly everyone wants to touch him, even Denny makes a joke of it decades later when Alan finally calls it rape, but he’s still just a child. He’s 14!!!! Suddenly he’s “experienced” and treated like an adult and has a reputation—

—but tonight he’s shyly leaning up against the gymnasium wall, alone, wishing he had the confidence to ask this beautiful girl in his class, his own age, to dance. She was so pretty and safe to him—making up a harmless, idealized girl who would never hurt him at a time when he was being abused and tossed around and confused beyond belief—that for the next 30 years (and beyond) Alan used the idea of her to protect himself.

The idea of her kept his standards so high he could always walk away, he never had to be hurt—because any woman who hurt him clearly wasn’t her, so of course she’d disappoint. He expected this.

Of course Tara broke up with him. Of course Sally wouldn’t stay. Of course the women who had sex with him as a teenager lost interest. Of course he and Gloria would never work out. Of course Phoebe (and several other ex gfs) came back to use him then leave again. Of course his wife died. They weren’t the girl in the yellow dress, they were always going to let him down. “I’ve never met the girl in the yellow dress.” He’s still waiting to find her.

[sunshine-embry]

A Silly Little BMC Au :D

I got lazy and didn't do any art but I'm too excited to post this.

So it's called opposite au, and I'm gonna yap about my idea a lot so press read more if you wanna be flash banged by text :)

.・゜-: ✧☾　☽✧ :-゜・.Characters.・゜-: ✧☾　☽✧ :-゜・.

Jeremy: He is now a popular punk kid. Still friends with Michael, but hates Rich and Jake - he actually bullies them - and still has a crush on Christine. Instead of his parents divorcing, his mom died. Personality wise, he's now super super mean and that's important.

Michael: BIG EMO. Still friends with Jeremy, but is now player 2 iykwim. I have nothing else to say about him :/ Also has homophobic parents while he's gay idk :/

Christine: Anti-social math nerd. Very shy, yet somehow very popular. She doesn't actually like Jeremy all that much, mainly because he bullies Rich and Jake. Also hates Michael, but that isn't plot relevant. Also very minimalist.

Rich: Nicest kid in school. Can you see the plot so far? Anyway, just overall very very nice. That's his entire personality. Also imagine his entire closet being those types of shirts that say "in my mind I am holding a frog' and things like that.

Jake: Stereotypical anti-social nerd. That's basically it. Also his entire closet is just sweater vests . Also also still best friends with Rich.

Chloe: Second smartest girl in school. Basically hella cutecore. I don't have many ideas for the girls :/

Brooke: Smartest girl in school. Also tomboy

Jenna: Prettiest and most popular girl in school. Girly-girl

.・゜-: ✧☾　☽✧ :-゜・.Plot.・゜-: ✧☾　☽✧ :-゜・.

Act 1

Jeremy likes Christine who in the mathletes. Michael manages to convince Jeremy to join the mathletes, in which Jeremy asks Christine out. Christine obviously says no because Jeremy is a bully ect ect.

So Jeremy goes to the bathroom to take a break from the nonsense math where he sees Rich washing his hands. Rich introduces Jeremy to a SQUIP to make Jeremy more nice.

So Jeremy and Michael go to the mall and buy a SQUIP for Jeremy, which need to be taken with lemon & lime Sprite. So he takes that and goes to the mall store(?) and sees Brooke and Chloe.

Since they never really talked before, and since Brooke's impressed by how nice Jeremy is, she asks to take to him on a date to Denny's (I REFUSE TO CHANGE HER TAKING HIM TO DENNY'S)

Jeremy politely accepts, even though the SQUIP tells him not to, but then ghosts Brooke.

So the next day, Jeremy goes to the mathletes meeting again and Christine tells Jeremy that she has a crush on Jake who's also there because he's a nerd.

Christine and Jake start to date, making Jeremy big sad, so he dates Brooke to get back at Christine.

Act 2

Jake throws a Halloween party at his house because he's trying to become popular. Basically everything is the same until Rich sets a fire.

Rich goes around not so politely asking if anybody has any cherry Sprite.

Of course, nobody does, so he sets Jake's house on fire. It makes sense. So the rumors go spiral like usual, blah, blah, blah.

So Rich - after he leaves the hospital - holds a sleepover at his house, inviting Jake, Jeremy, Brooke, Chloe and Jenna

So the Squip starts being not so nice to Jeremy and tries to force him to Squip his friends, in which he does.

The Play happens but it's in a sleepover scenario, Michael breaks in through the open window once Jeremy calls him, the whole thing (I kinda wrote myself into a corner by making Christine in the mathletes instead of the play so just work with me)

And yeah. I kinda didn't know what to do with the second half. that's it :/ Might write a fic about this.

[pinkprimrose05]

ARC-V Month Day 16: Actually, He Would Say That

Look, we all like our cast with their pros and their cons, but sometimes there's just something... missing, when you look at canon portrayal. Some more depth. Some trivial details and silly nitpicks, to add to their flair... which are exactly what today is all about. Show us your headcanons and most random thoughts!

Ah yes, headcanons: my favorite way to patch up the swiss cheese holes in any story ever, and the personal cherry on top I place whwn there are no holes to patch. For someone who claims to have a lot of them, I've shared a rather small amount of my headcanons so far... but that changes today!

___________

1- In a world where the counterparts stay separate, when all is said and done, the Lancers decide to keep in contact at Sawatari's suggestion -shocker, I know- and so they make a groupchat to talk about mundane life and things that strike their fancy. Said groupchat is... actually decently normal considering its members, but you still see flashes of the weirdest shit sometimes- like Dennis' massive collection of kaomojis, Reiji's 10-page long essays on why black coffee is overrated, Shun's inability to stand back and watch this nerdy fuck slander the superior coffee blend, Serena's copious cat stickers and reaction pics, Tsukikage's concerning stash of blackmail screenshots (99% of which is enabled by Sawatari, much to banana's mortfication), and Yuuya's oddly random, unprompted threats of homicide that he never fails to end with an innocent :D

2- Shuuzou has adopted all kids in the messy Akaba/Kurosaki/Hiiragi family tree, some metaphorically, most literally. He even got Himika to sign off custody of Reira, but left Reiji to his own devices because he just- doesn't know how to go about it with the guy. He's still invited to family & friend gatherings, however, and ends up getting called "son" no less than seven times in front of the whole family and the Sakakis. Legend has it that Reiji is still looking for ways to disappear into the ground to this day. Don't get him wrong, he appreciates the sentiment, but everytime he hears the word he straight up bluescreens.

3- As little screentime as they get to actually appear and talk, the monster spirits are very much still willing to communicate with humans- with a few exceptions, of course. Some of the older spirits like the Magistus quartet and Agents have strong reservations toward making themselves known after the dimension split fiasco(s), but then there's little ones like the Wights and the Ghostricks, who just spontaneously spawn into the human world on Halloween (to the dismay of Maiami City's police department, which had to contend with 57 reports of vandalism and stolen candy and various small acts of mischief the first time it happened).

4- The reason behind the Performapals' synergy and eventual archetypal overlap with Odd-Eyes actually goes a few ways back to one of their shows as a wandering troupe. While preparing for departure, Hip Hippo stumbled upon a lone dragon roaming in the wild on their own, and told his companions about it. One hour in and lots of excitable discussion later, their troupe gained a special new member who would soon become their main attraction, and together they resolved to improve their talents, to put on the best show under their master's conduct.

___________

Admittedly... this is quite a bit shorter than I wanted it to be. There are still many headcanons I've yet to put into words, buuuut I'm afraid this submission is a tad late already, so I'll have to ever-so-subtly shove some of those into written works and post the rest on their own later (someday. sometime. eventually. for sure.)

Thanks for sticking around, anyway- here's a cookie for your trouble! 'Till next time ;D

[elshells]

🍕 ❤️ 💚 🧠 let’s dooooo Jade and Cece

AHHH love these two!! I'm always excited to see you in my inbox :D

🍕 - What is their favorite food?

For Jade, it's her grandmother's Caribbean guava tarts. It was one of the first things she learned how to bake and she requests it for every birthday dessert.

For Cece, I don't think I'll always have the same answer, but right now I have a feeling she has a real soft spot for crappy bar food. Fried chicken, onion rings, nachos, mozzarella sticks, etc. You can't deny that she's living life glamorously XD

❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories?

Jade's is going to high school prom with Harley and Max—or technically, when they didn't go. After about an hour when they realized that prom was lame, they left early to get milkshakes at a burger shack, then drove to the bay to dance and laugh in the rain. I'd like to say this was based on my personal experience, except I went to prom alone before meeting a group of friends at Denny's, and that didn't feel nearly fun or exciting enough to replicate 😅

Cece's is probably meeting her best friend Isaac. It's no spoiler to say that Cece had it rough her whole life, and by her late teens/early twenties she struggled with mental health and substance abuse. She once called an Uber while high to take her home (though she no longer remembers where she had been and is too embarrassed to ask) and in a weed-induced bout of brilliance, invited the driver to stay over at her apartment and keep her company. Isaac, who was at the end of his shift but surprisingly invested in this cute girl and her wild stories, agreed, and the two actually hit it off extremely well and decided to keep in touch. Over the years, Isaac helped Cece by supporting her as she cut back on drugs and alcohol and by offering her a place to stay at his apartment when she got evicted. By Encore's beginning, the two have grown close, but haven't taken their friendship into any further yet.

💚 - What is your OC’s gender identity and sexuality?

Jade uses she/her pronouns and is a lesbian.

Cece (also she/her) never confirms her sexuality at any point in Encore, but it's heavily implied that she's attracted to both men and women at the very least, so I'd say she's probably pan.

🧠 - What do you like most about the OC?

I wrote Jade to basically a quilt of the best qualities of some of my favorite people, so there's not much to dislike about her in my eyes. Of course, she has her flaws like everyone else (occasionally naive and absolutely fucking stubborn like no one's business, for one thing), but her loyalty towards her friends and her determination to find the good in every misfortune are both traits in her that I really admire.

Cece has little in common with Jade, but I still think she's awesome! After everything she's been through, she's understandably jaded, but she refuses to be a passive participant in her own life. No matter what other people perceive of her, she's the driving force; if she wants something, she will achieve it. Even if it kills her, at least she was always in charge.

[psychocharlie]

Charlie has uncle issues

For a month now, Dennis has been staying at the bar late into the night, locking it up himself. He took everyone's keys, leaving only Charlie's copy to open Paddy's in the morning. The Gang resented this and protested, but Dennis was adamant and took away everyone else's keys on the grounds that they were all a bunch of irresponsible shitheads who forgot to lock up the bar. The fact that someone had robbed the cash register one night was also a strong argument for Dennis' rightness (and no one suspected that Dennis was this "someone" who had robbed Paddy's to carry out his plan). So for a month, Dennis staying the longest and closing the bar. Charlie also often lingers, because the bar needed to be cleaned up before closing, which, as everyone knows, is Charlie work.

Of course, Dennis made this scheme so that he and Charlie would have time to be alone and talk about their business without looking suspicious. Especially since the Gang started noticing their odd behavior. Especially Mac. Oh, Mac has become unbearable. Suspicious, obsessive, and jealous. Reynolds should get something much better than this bar trick to distract him. And he was going to do it later.

But that night Charlie left early, while even Mac, Dee, and Frank were still at the bar. His mom called him and begged him tearfully to come over and help her with something, and he left. So it's only been about 15 minutes since everyone left, and Dennis was really getting ready to close up and go home, because Charlie wasn’t there, and Dennis hadn't been doing his «business» in a while. And neither had his friend. After that terrible nervous breakdown in his bad place he hadn't touched a single person yet. 

The man is briefly distracted by his phone before getting up from the counter and walking away. Grinning, he replies to a message from a pretty girl on a dating site he's been DENNIS'ing for a few days, anticipating the inevitable culmination of their dates – first passionate and then bloody, filling his entire being with power and strength. In those moments, he truly felt like the actual Golden God.  Only then did the gaping hole in his chest, the God Hole, cease to ring with its emptiness, and he felt whole. Then and in some other rare moments that Reynolds preferred not to think about.

Before he can even finish the message, the door swings open, causing Dennis to flinch and lift his head, and Charlie plops down behind the bar.

– I'm gonna kill him. – Charlie's voice is hoarse, and he's literally growling, looking sullenly like a beast ready to pounce on you and tear you to pieces. His eyes burn with anger, but it's not a hot flame of rage, it's something colder, even more sinister. Hatred.

Dennis quickly presses the send button, no longer caring what he texted to that sweet fool, and sets the phone aside. All his attention is on Charlie now.

– Who? – His voice is soft and cautious. He pulls a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from under the bar, deciding it is the best choice for the circumstances. «Is that the last thing his victims see?» – wonders Dennis. Charlie, meanwhile, empties a glass of whiskey under his gaze. In one gulp.

– Uncle Jack. 

Dennis sighs heavily and presses his lips together, sipping from his glass. Uncle Jack. Charlie was always out of sorts after seeing him. Usually he just got weird, twitchy or depressed. Sometimes he'd get irritable and start shouting at everyone. But this time it was the real hatred. Cold and full of contempt.

Dennis remains silent, and his buddy pours and drains another glass again. Gradually his face softens, the hatred fading from the green eyes, making way for deadly fatigue and despair and resentment. 

– I want him to die like a goddamn brute. – Voice's desperate, almost whisper. The formerly tense posture of a predator ready to pounce changes as well, Charlie's body slouches, shoulders droop. Then Dennis finally decides to speak, quietly and calmly. 

– I understand, bud, you have every reason to want him dead. He molested you.

Charlie stands up again and screams. Dennis sees the desperation in his eyes. 

– He didn't molest me!

– He did, – Dennis replies quietly yet firmly, bringing the half-empty bottle to his friend's mouth. He presses his lips together, digging his fingernails into the old wooden surface, exhales heavily and, closing his eyes, allows Dennis to get him drunk.

– He did. - His voice sounds like an echo, barely audible repeating Dennis' words as Charlie lowers his head, resting it on the counter. Reynolds flinches. This is the first time Charlie has ever admitted it. They all knew it, but Charlie had always denied it, indignantly and furiously, without admitting it. So had Dennis with his Ms. Klinsky thing. But now Charlie finally admitted it and allowed himself to be vulnerable around him. Dennis drains the rest of his whiskey and patts the bar next to Charlie's shoulder in a reassuring gesture, hesitant to touch him right away.

– Alright... – there’s a pause in the air as Dennis tries to think of what to say now, – you know... do it. You have every right to. 

– I'd like to. – His voice is muffled. – I wanna do it every time he reaches out to me with his creepy hands. He fucking hugged me today. But I can't. 

– Why not?

And Charlie lifts his head and shakes it. He looks now like an abandoned puppy who's lost all hope of finding a home. He sighs heavily and starts to talk. He talks and talks and talks. Talks about how much his mother loves that bastard Jack, how she's cared for him all her life. The stupid bitch throws a little family party of his birthdays and even bakes the cakes for him, but she can't even remember the exact age of her own son, not to mention wishing him a happy birthday. He tells how upset and hysterical she would be if her brother suddenly disappeared. She’d call the police and they would find Charlie. And after him, probably Dennis as well. And Dennis nods, nods, nods, doesn't understand why he didn't think of it himself. Like, it's so obvious and logical. He hadn't thought of it because his mind was busy thinking that Uncle Jack should die in agony like a filthy animal, which he was.

They drink another bottle of whiskey and gradually change the subject. Now they are discussing the failure of the gang's scheme this afternoon and who is to blame (It was all Dee! That bitch is totally unartistic and can't even play such a simple role in our plan!), when suddenly Charlie speaks up and changes his face again:

– But if I ever see him molest a child in person... I'll kill him. And then I won't care about the consequences. I just won't be able to bear it. I'll take a hammer and smash his ugly face in. I'll crack his head like a walnut. I'll hit and hit and hit his head until I stop recognizing him at all. He'll die in agony like an animal, he'll–

Dennis can see that Charlie is about to boil again: his hands are clenched into fists, his eyebrows are drawn together in a broad line, and his teeth are clenched tightly together, almost gritting. Dennis swears he can hear them grinding. 

– I'm staying out of his perverted business, but if I see this–

– Oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oh-oi! – he grabs Charlie by the shoulders and shakes him, repeating an old tried-and-true ritual, trying to distract and calm him. 

– Oi-oi-oi-oi, yeah, – he mumbles back and nods, closing his eyes to calm himself. Dennis pours him another whiskey.

***

At home, Reynolds is met by Mac with his stupid questions about what took him so long and where he was. 

– I was with a girl, – Dennis angrily waves him off.

– Oh, with a girl? – Mac's eyebrows rise in a familiar expression as he spreads his arms across his chest, glancing at his neighbor, – I knew you took away everyone's keys just to fuck chicks at Paddy's! Did you fuck her on the bar stand? Or on the pool table? On my favorite pool table? Spit it out, man! 

– Get yourself a goddamn boyfriend, Mac, and fuck him on the pool table or wherever you want, but get the fuck off me! – Dennis yells at him irritably and disappears into his room, slamming the door behind him. Mac is really starting to get on his nerves. Something has to be done about this.

Finally, after a long day, Dennis lies down in bed with his eyes closed. His imagination immediately pictures Uncle Jack's mutilated body on the Paddy's basement. His face is unrecognizable - smashed with a hammer, it's just a bloody mess, pools of blood spreading around. His hands, which Jack had always been so self-conscious about, which he had always tried to hide, conceal, visually enlarge, were now severed. Jack's severed hands will never be pets for Charlie. Charlie will take the smallest jar he has and chop them up in there, slicing off each finger individually like sausages. «Oh, look, Uncle Jack, your hands are so small they can only fit in this silly little jar. How pathetic is that, Uncle Jack. It sucks to have hands small like this, doesn't it?» And then he throws the jar into the scalding heat of the furnace.

Dennis clutches the sheets with his fingers, his lips drawn together in a thin line. The last thing he thinks about before he falls asleep is Uncle Jack's dreadful death, which he deserves.

[rosetyler42]

Hello I have a good question if you were going to make Hotel Transylvania 4 what would it be about

That's a good question. There was alot of wasted potential in the Transformania that we got. Mainly resolving the "what happens if the monster spouses outlive their humans" question, but also in unexplored dynamics and resolving whether or not Drericka are actually married.

As much as I like what they were trying to do with the "Don't try to change people" and "I love you for who you are" messages, Personally I quite like my friend @lovelylivelyv 's idea of making the possibility of turning the humans into monsters more about choices and who they are being what's inside that counts. (Whether that means actually turning them into vamps - which at the least would have been interesting to play with as a possibility) or the monsterization ray. Both Ericka and Johnny have found family in monsters and the ability to truly be themselves....so why not let monsterization be an extension of that? After all, if humans and monsters are basically all the same, why not? Haveing Johnny be 500% ready to become a monster while Ericka's more nervous would be a great way to play with the criminally under-utilized Jericka dynamic and would be a nice allegory for all sorts of things like being trans, religious conversion, coming out, etc. Mavis being called out on pushing humanity over monsters when it came to Dennis while chastising Drac and Vlad for doing the opposite would be good too. Include the female monsters in the human-monster switcheroo. At the LEAST, it should have been more about whether the changes would be permanent or not rather than the "Brave on steroids" we ended up getting.

Another route that woukd have been good is focusing on the Drericka wedding and bonding of Ericka and Mavis, which Mavis is also somewhat under-utilized as a character. Maybe having Mavis find out she was going to have (possibly dhampir) half-siblings would be a fun extension of her awkwardness in HT3. XD

Drericka having kids eventually would also be a fun way to play with some possibilities that didn't happen in HT2. For my Drericka shipchildren: "What if Drac had a dhampir that WASN'T monstery?" and "What if Drac had a kid that was more wild and adventurous, like Ericka and Johnny, rather than like him?" Plus give some interesting character development for Ericka, who's never had a mom and wasn't raised by the kost affectionate guy. I see her going the opposite way of Van Helsing (in contrast to Mavis, who more or less became Drac as a parent.) And being a really loving and affectionate dorky parent who would do anything for her kids BUT adding a nice contrast to Drac's neurotic overprotective control-freak tendencies (Yes, that's mellowed over the last 10 years. But he's still an anxious worrywart with a need to be ontop of everything.) Basically the fun parent without being the pushover Johnny was. And of course there'd be Vlad and Van Helsing as grandpas/great-great-grandpas, which it would also be fun to see how've THEY'VE grown over the past few years. (And perhaps the comedy of Van Helsing either claiming Van Helsings make better monsters than Draculas or Drac and him arguing about who the kid(s) are going to be like.)

Heck, even Ericka learning to fit in amongst a family of monsters, unlearning biases, and adjusting to her new life would make a fun plot. Seeing her being accepted by the pack and maybe finding a surrogate mom amd Dad in Wanda and Vlad. Her and Gryffin playing jokes. The continuation of the big Drericka shippers on deck (Frank, Murray, Griffin and Johnny) How she handles going from a strict and somewhat cold and lonely family situation (while I think Van Helsing does care in his weird way, he's not the best at showing it) where VH didn't notice her sadness (or worse, in the novelization she started to tell him about her changing views on monsters and he shut her down + intimidated her) to literally being surrounded by a crazy yet loving family. Dealing with the inevitable anxieties that woukd come up being surrounded by monsters in their space for the first time and how she would react to that. How hard she would try to fit in after having wanted a REAL family for so long and also having come from a family where you were judged by expectations. There's ALOT of possibilities there.

As much as I liked Transformania, There's ALOT of missed potential in the HT franchise that I would love to see explored.

[myimaginarywonderland]

I know people complain about the Queerbaiting done with Buddie which is completely fair but can we also talk about the horrible treatment that the openly queer characters get in 911, not only from the show but especially the fans.

Let's start with Hen. We learn from the beginning that she is married and probably has a son, so she has been in a committed relationship for at least 4 years and probably has been broken up with her ex for a minimum of 6 years. And then, in such a committed relationship where she should know how awful the consequences of cheating can be because of her son, we still see her cheat and even season later defend her ex girlfriend. Not only that but we also see her finally get an individual storyline with her med school decision and yet, there's barely any mention let alone showing of that later one and we only go back to showing the trouble in her year-long marriage.

Then we have Karen, someone who has been a side character,one of the most important ones, but is never given any scene that doesn't resolve around her marriage. We have never seen her at work, let alone learned anything about her life outside of who she is in the relationship. We don't know anything really about how she meet Karen or how they adopted Denny. We barely get hints.

Then we have Josh, my probably second favourite character. Let me just start of by saying that while he a gay stereotype, I truly do not understand how so many fans believe that people like him don't exist. I know from own experience that quiet often certain stereotypes might apply and that sometimes people truly seem like a walking stereotype until you get to know them better which is exactly what 911 did with Josh until season 5. We saw the typical gay best friend but then we not only saw him have relationships outside that, we also saw glimpses of his journey, the struggles gay man can face etc. We saw him grow, overcome his traumatic experiences, truly take on the burden of his job, we learned about a small part of his journey, we were finally getting attention to a side character again. We have always had a bigger focus on the dispatchers and I truly believed that with Maddie gone we would finally get more from him and the dispatchers because they are such an essential part! But no.

Just like with the other two characters his story just sort of stopped. Yes we still saw him being the leader of dispatch. But they regressed his character to give another character, May, a better storyline which I hate.

Let me start of by saying that no other character would receive the hate Josh did in season 5. Why? Good question. We have seen Bobby call out others of the fire fam even in rude manners and it was never talked down the way it was for Josh.

Josh rightfully called out Eddie about taking on a responsibility that wasn't his to take on. If we had seen Eddie talk to Linda or even Josh to give the information, nothing would be wrong with that. The problem was Eddie allowed himself to take over the dispatcher position which he isn't allowed. He wasn't trained. He had no qualifications or right to make that call.

What happened with May and Claudette would have been such an amazing opportunity to show how even a leader can sometimes miss something, can sometimes brush something off that is more severe. But yet, we never saw anything about that. Josh acted the way towards May he did that time because he did not see the extent. As far as we know he saw only what happened on the first day back where tension with a new worker might always be higher. Until May's outburst we never had any actual conformation that Josh witnessed the horrible treatment May received which honestly probably was the case. People forget that he had to run that center until Sue came back which probably meant he was way less on the floor that he was previously and therefore didn't see what maybe other like Linda could. And considering May never reached out to anyone after that, you can not blame Josh for taking no action when to him there wasn't a cause to.

Which brings me back to my biggest problem I have with the treatment of all the official queer character. Wasted potential.

There is so much but especially when it comes to the queer characters of 911.

We had the potential to see Hen struggle with medical school, we saw glimpse of her connecting with the fellow students and then nothing. We had the potential to see Hen and Karen actually address their problems but yet that cheating storyline was just kind of brushed off. We had the potential to see Karen struggle with a new job, during the pandemic but nothing. We had the potential to see a women struggle with the hostile engineering field eventhough she has so much experience and yet nothing. We had the potential that was teased by showing us Karen and Hen reconnect with Nias mom and yet that storyline was never followed up. We never saw any real look into their family that didn't involved relationship problems or concerned something at the 118.

With Josh this is even worse.

We know he was Maddies best friend and probably one of the most important people in here life yet we never once saw how he dealt with her just running away and essentially also leaving him behind.

We were told and shown that the Buckley-Hans were close to Josh (the poker scene and the mention of their group chat) yet we never got any scene of Buck or Chimney taking to Josh after Maddie left. Hell, we never were shown anything of their friendship after Maddie got pregnant really but especially then they all had to be close right?

We were even teased with Buck/Josh for a bit. Not only were they shown flirting but we specifically were shown that Buck was comfortable with dating a guy and that both were clearly to a degree comfortable with being matched.

Not to mention the fact that we could have had a great storyline with Eddie and Josh but nothing happened.

Or the storyline that was May's and Josh bond that only appeared every 6th episode.

There is so much wasted potential with the already queer characters that it just underlines the issue of Buddie being queerbaited even more.

[outrunningthedark]

"the friendships on this show are the things we do best." and then proceeds to separate them people can't tell if they're friends or not, makes half of Buck's convo with Hen this season pointless drabble, makes Buck and Chimney's interaction so barren some people are legitimately confused if they still hasn't gotten over the punch, etc etc. At least Hen/Chimney and Hen/Athena are still good, but when you can't even put your mouth where your money is for something she thinks the show does best...

Legit will forever be bitter at Tim for leaving her in charge.

@lovecolibri has been banging this drum since about 6x04, so I wanna make sure my friend knows there are other folks out there who agree. IT'S TRUE, NONNIE. WE SHOULD ALL BE SAYING IT. Friendship isn't just "two faves who share the screen". Friendship is two characters giving each other mutual attention, love, and respect instead of it being one-sided. Eddie and Chimney's "friendship" came about because Eddie still got to ride along as a paramedic, but while Eddie gave his perspective (again) about Chimney's feelings for Maddie...where was Chimney to listen to Eddie's struggles with Christopher beyond the quip about Eddie not being cool enough anymore? Why couldn't Chimney be the one to know about Isabel's experience with her curandera (healer) who promised to help her speak to her husband on the other side so he'd have a better understanding of why Eddie rejects jinxes and curses? And then there's the fact that Eddie said Chimney's greeting at the Madney apartment was "weirder than usual", yet we've never seen him there (because they don't write that, and even the one time Bob Goodman tried, it got cut). Hen and Buck? Important conversation after Lev's death in 6x02, but then he's seeking advice while drunk, and she's giving her POV while drunk, and it's not discussed for three more weeks until they can "laugh" about Buck stopping himself from jerking off, and there was the Hen + Buck + Denny scene which (I'm sorry) wasn't much more than an opportunity to put them in a non-work setting and have mre of that "fun" Kristen talked about. You know what culd have been useful? Buck hearing about Denny's bio dad situation and having it influence his future plans with the sperm donor situation. Maybe there's some of that in 6B, but it won't erase the choices made in 6A just so the story line could continue on for the rest of the season (because it's easier than coming up with new material). Maddie...continues talking to nobody, and it continues being weird. This is gonna piss people off even though it's not my intention, but...it's getting to the point where having someone who works so little is impacting the rest of the show. I'm not blaming JLH for that, though. Maddie can still be the #1 dispatcher while Sue or Linda or even Josh takes a call so we can see Maddie with other people, and it's not JLH's fault that Chim's screen time is tied to that relationship so often. It just...sucks that the limited hours make KR & co. feel like they shouldn't explore the character more and don't want to create a schedule that works for more than just three actors (JLH, Kenny, and Oliver, and not even at the same time). I have a lot of thoughts about the way "friendships" have been handled under Kristen's direction and it basically comes down to "Well. This could have been done better." [tagging @lovecolibri twice in one post because I would like to read more thoughts and you always expand on what I'm not saying <3]

[justmeiguess15]

KH OC Profile Part 1 : Ursus

It as been long overdue that I share the story of my OCs. While not all of them are quite finished (plot, ending, screenshots...) I owe you at least one. I'll try to complete the others but know that, one way or another, not matter how long I'll take, they all will be there.

ANYWAY !!!! Let's start with...

"I'm not sure I'll make that much of a difference, but I'll be darned if I didn't try !"

Wilhelm was 12 when he was called to the Station of Awakening and received his Keyblade. Before migrating to Daybreak Town proper, he was a quiet dreamer living with his family in the countryside, wanting to see many new things but always laking the courage to do so.

His first few mounths were a bit lonely : Wilhelm was never someone to make the first step toward others and during missions with other Ursus members, he was polite and focused. His first real friend was a seasonned weilder nammed Lyra :

The 17 year old girl was the one who helped Wilhelm come out of his shell. While this gal was also mission focused and "by the book", she was also a secret nerd. It's also her that nicknamed Wilhelm "Billy". Their friendship lasted a whole year before Lyra simply vanished. Her Keyblade was never found so Billy keept hope that she was alive somewhere.

Billy's favorite world to discover was Wonderland ! Because he was always facinated by the intricacies of the world/worlds, visiting a place where logic don't apply was a fascinating experience , even if some locals might be tiring to deal with. Wilhelm might also have a small crush on Alice.

It was during a contemplative stroll on the beach that Billy met and befriended Summer, Google, Mio, Dennis and Ethel. Having a friend group was a breath of fresh air and allowed Billy to grow more confident and snarky while still maintaining his patient and loyal demeaner. He eventually formed the Multi-Union Squad with Ethel, Théa, Fulgur and Clover. And it's 3 years after becomming a Keyblade Weilder that Player arrived in Daybreak Town and later became his friend.

When Wilhelm first met Aced, he was intimidated but also awe inspiring. And, funily enough, Wilhelm had an easier time talking to an adult than his fellow teen comrades. That's how Billy became the Ephemer to Aced's Ava. Aced knew that Willhelm was capable of great things and kept encouraging him, in turn, Billy became an attentive ear for when his master needed to vent. That's how Billy became one of the first and few to know about the "traitor". But Billy knew deep inside that something was wrong about this affair. And when THIS happened :

Wilhelm knew that something was wrong because he knew his master and Aced never acted this violent, nearly killing Player. That man who talked about power, worthyness and war was nothing like his master who wanted the Unions to bend together against darkness and prevent the war from taking place.

Despite his potential, his fighting style combining calculated strong blows with spells like Graviga, Mines and Magnet, Wilhelm was a pacifist at heart. Like Skuld, Billy did his best to defuse tensions between Unions, being diplomatic and resorting to his Keyblade as an ultimate resort. Maybe naively, Billy wanted to believe that the war could be prevented, so when he was approched to join the Dandilions, he refused.

During that fated day, Wilhelm ran through the battlefield, defending himself but never harming anyone on purpose, desperatly trying to find a way to stop everything. But he is cornered by Ira and Billy stand his ground as best he can. When Billy thought that Ira was gonna end him, Aced arrived and got Ira to battle him further away, saving Billy, who for a moment recognized the master he once knew.

Despite his best effort, the War continued and Billy ends up gravely wounded. Player was nearby and tried to help his friend. Regretful yet fulfilled for the life he lived, Wilhelm draws his last breath, his heart joining the Final World.

There you have it : the full story of Wilhelm from Ursus. But for those who wants a peak in my crazy brain...

"Crack" adition : When given the choice to move on, join the Sleeping Realm or reincarnate, Wilhelm decided to reincarnate as this guy :

Yay, yay, it is very presumptuous but it's just for the sake of a story I'm writing (mostly for myself 'cause I don't feel confident enough to post it online).

[sweetish-original-story]

Chapter 12

Dulce got home much later than he meant to, and though he made a habit not to show it on his face, his muscles ached from the huge amount of sugar he had to once again carry from the cave to his shack. He usually only needs to do this once a month at the most, but lately it feels like every couple of weeks with how things have been lately.

He tries not to curse himself for breaking boundaries with Sammy earlier, he's usually very tense around people but as Sammy was his first friend in a very long time, he had just assumed that it was okay after she pinched him so hard. He's not as good as reading signals as everyone credits him for, he just had plenty of experience when it came to work and serious situations. But not this.

Sammy had given him an odd look after what he did. He played it off well but he still feels regret over reacting at all. Back home biting your friends was just a normal thing to do, to tease and play. Children were sometimes called "guppies" or "gup" because the local Sweetish Fish, when young, were just as playful, jumping out of the water and nibbling on anything they found even the slightest bit interesting. People would keep them as pets in their handmade ponds, even their pantheon of Gods and spirits have the little cuties as one of them. "The God of hope and miracles" they call it.

If he were talking to someone like his cousin or his uncle he would have been able to recall the name but after all this time his own language is starting to fade from his lips. He made it such a point to remember everything, always, and yet every time he spends time with Sammy and makes a new, gentle memory, one of the old painful ones seems to slip his mind. Mabye a few years ago this would have pained him severely, then him into a depressive rage, but after learning what has become of his home and his people by their own doing, he's slowly begining to entertain the idea that it may be for the best.

He places the baskets down beside him making yet another indent in the dirt, and as he unlocks the rusted door and opens it, the overwhelming saccharine stench of loneliness, grief, and regret completely overtook the sweetness of the crystals sitting patiently beside him. Until Sammy showed up, only the candies brought him comfort. The only warmth he felt was in the kitchen or at his shop, and everything else felt either alien or dead.

He lifts the baskets yet again and, with a deep sigh, enters the darkness to sleep once again and wait for his sun to rise.

[artdecosupernova-writing]

Small Stories Hour: Partners

Requiem in Amethyst

↳ "Well I can't just ask Denny to book me if he's got the house full," Ben said, perching the phone receiver between his shoulder and his ear. He swiveled in his chair, facing his desk with a pen poised over a notepad to jot down important numbers. "I don't wanna overshadow the other acts there. No, I'm not gonna push anyone out of their slot, get over yourself. Get me a date when he's free, and I'll—"

A gift bag dropped onto the desk in front of his face, and he stared at it, silent. Glossy white with rich navy tissue paper sticking out in a perfect triangle over the top. The handles flopped down at the sides.

"…Mickey, I'll call you back."

"No, you won't," Mickey chuckled before hanging up.

Reagan grinned upon dropping onto the couch beside the desk. He gestured to the gift. "Open it."

"How'd you get in my office?" Ben asked.

"Well," Reagan sighed, scratching the bit of rare stubble on his jaw. "I knocked on the front door of your house, your wife answered, and I asked real nice if I could come inside. I think she said yes. Then I walked up the stairs, and here we are."

"I need to hire better security." Ben tugged a handle of the bag to pull it slightly apart. "What's the occasion?"

"I love you."

Ben cautiously tilted the bag toward himself and pried it open. "Gag me, that's all the excuse you ever need, isn't it? What…the hell, Reagan…?" He removed a small designer box from the bag, running the tip of a finger over the embossed gold lettering of the logo. His nose immediately scrunched. "Oh, god, Is this your way of asking me to produce your next film?"

"I know I spoke plain English just now." Reagan tapped the logo. "Open the goddamn box, Benny."

After a suspicious glance at Reagan, who winked conspiratorially at him, Ben opened the box. Sat on a tiny gray pillow within was a pair of amethyst and platinum cufflinks with gold embellishments, sparkling at him under the lamplight of his home office.

Reagan silenced him before he could even say anything. "It's your birthstone. You needed a bit of color—you only own neutral suits these days. And I know blue's your favorite color but, personally, I think it washes you out, and you're already getting paler by the minute."

He looked, at that moment, to think he was a complete genius for the thought he put into the gift. He watched Ben expectantly, yet Ben knew by peering into his face and possessing almost forty years of friendship under his belt that Reagan wasn't expecting a thank you or any kind of praise, but some kind of clinical confirmation that he remembered a couple of details about his best friend correctly.

And he always did.

"They're beautiful." Ben propped an elbow on the desk. "I'd pointed the diamond ones out to Faye a couple of months ago, before my birthday."

"I know. You told me about them and I waited for her to get them for you." Reagan cleared his throat and twiddled his thumbs over his crossed knees. "…She really dropped the ball on that one."

"It's not like she had the time or the opportunity, jackass," Ben admonished. "Besides, it's material, and…" He caught the light on a facet of the amethyst. "Who am I kidding; they're gorgeous."

"She can still get the diamond ones for you."

Ben closed the box again. "Yeah, yeah." He smiled at Reagan. "Quit tryin' to seduce me with shiny things and sing my fuckin' song already."

Reagan hummed his amusement. "I've recorded, at the very least, eight hundred thousand of your songs. At this point, you're my songwriter at the exclusion of all else. Let me give some other people a chance, hm?"

"Sure. I wasn't informed that you'd given up on your career, but sure."

"Well, it kinda makes it hard for our professional split to remain credible when you're constantly working with me, doesn't it?"

Ben halted in the midst of tucking the box away in the drawer of his desk. His eyes fell onto the logo of the high-end jeweler once again and he was hit with a sudden and unexpected wave of sadness. Shoulders slumped, he refrained from reminding Reagan that he never wanted Gilmore and Murray to split in the first place—a fight for twenty years ago, not today. Instead, he nodded.

"It's alright, I'll hold it for you. It's not goin' anywhere." He smiled again, genuine, and shut the drawer. "Faye and I were gonna go out to eat later, did you wanna come?"

"Yeah, actually. Maura flew out to New York last night so I'm operating alone." Reagan stretched an arm across the back of the couch. "She challenged me to take an older woman home with me this time. I said I could probably do that."

Ben lifted his eyebrows. "Older than you? So…dead."

"It's not—fuck you." Reagan laughed. "Does being friends with the head of a massive crime syndicate mean nothing to you anymore?"

"Oh, don't threaten me with a good time, you Celtic bastard," Ben grunted, standing from his chair. "Let's go. I'm paying this time."

"It's about time you paid me back for all the years I've wined and dined you, cheapskate."

Ben slapped the back of Reagan's head on his way past.

[ayrq]

DAKOTA HOME

by Debbie Macomber

2nd book of Dakota Trilogy

Summary

Revolving around Buffalo Valley are the lives and stories of its citizens who are unique in their own ways. Maddy, who’s attractive and warm, just moved to the town caught everyone’s attention and affection, yet her heart was drawn to the anti-social rancher named Jeb. Jeb has a small family who loves him; his father Joshua and sister Sarah, and his seemingly stubborn niece Calla. And Dennis, a friend he can lean on anytime. Maddy being an addition to his small circle, Jeb is still unwilling to open his heart to the world, especially since that day.

The cycle of his cold-heartedness and isolation went on until a blizzard blew the whole peaceful town away. In an inevitable circumstance, he got stuck with the beautiful Maddy, got intimate in one roof, being each other’s warmth and rescue during the calamity.

That’s when things began to change, not only for Jeb and Maddy, but also the people around the little town they call home.

Review

At first, I thought I’d be bored out of the story, but it actually turned out very well as the plot unfolds. The story is as interesting as the writing style; the words are written in magic and characters never felt unreal.

I’d like to first talk about Calla; one of the side yet remarkable characters in this novel. Namely stubborn (probably like her uncle), I learned to be fond of her and understand her attitude, also where she’s coming from. Growing up without a father figure is hard, especially when both of your parents are in no good terms. That’s when you feel like standing in the middle, having to take either or neither of the sides. Calla loved her father more than her mother. In fact, she never even liked her mom. She hated her in her entire life and would do everything to hurt and disrespect her.

I personally think the absence of her father is the reason why she longs for him. She doesn’t know him the way Sarah (and Jeb and Joshua) knew about her bastard father. Her curiosity and longing make her side him, wanting to get to know him that results to pushing the most important people in her life who actually loves her genuinely and cares for her unconditionally.

Being ignorant to something and someone would make you crave for understanding and knowledge about them. You’d want to step a foot forward and look through closer to see things clearly. If only we can see the depth of a person in one closer look. If only we can peep through their souls in one long stare. Maybe we’d know their truest intentions, and all broken hearts would be spared of the pain.

Speaking of pain, love comes with agony too. Sometimes. But for Dennis and Sarah, it hurts every time. Sarah, like Calla, is torn too. Torn between choosing the love of her life, the man who loves her right and the daughter she loves all her life but hates her. Calla’s disapproval to her mom and this man’s relationship is always evident. That’s actually the reason why the both of them are as miserable, unhappy, and broken as her. Love and mutual understanding will never be enough. It takes a heart to make up your mind and a lot of courage to stick up for what your heart has chosen.

When we talk about courage, Maddy’s got a lot. Her courage brought her to Jeb’s rusty doorstep, personally delivering the goods he ordered on the old grocery she just bought every Thursday. Every guy’s dream is to date someone like Maddy, or Maddy herself, yet here’s Jeb elusive as ever.

When I thought them having a baby (after an unprotected sex, huh) is the biggest surprise in their story, her dating his best friend (yes, the one and only Dennis Urlacher) is even an ultimate game changer. Seems like bro code (and even girl code since Maddy and Sarah happened to befriend each other with the urge of the latter to pair the former with her brother) isn’t a thing in this small town.

What I like about this story is that other characters, despite only having few glimpses and appearances, had managed to capture my heart because of their stories. Like Bob’s pining for the sadistic Merrily, who always leaves him after promising a good time, but her reasons (one of them) for leaving actually makes sense and makes you understand why she had to be that kind of woman. Even the going-through-divorce couple Brandon and Joanie had me wish for them to reconcile in the end, which what actually happened! From breakup to breakthough.

One of the things I discovered about myself after reading this book is that I can sympathize with characters, and even real people, even if I happen to dislike and be in bad terms with them. It’s not hypocrisy or negative pity, but simply empathy flowing from a doting heart. I disliked Maddy at some point for being too easy when it comes to Jeb, Calla being obnoxious towards her family particularly to her mom, Sarah always inflicting pain to Dennis by giving him false hopes and leaving after the thrill expires, and Margaret who’s so desperate for love.

I can relate to them, maybe that’s why I tend to feel disdain, because I’ve been there and I have gone through all of it.

Another thing: hurt people hurt people. Unaware or not, when we’re broken on the inside, we tend to fang people with our broken pieces. No matter how much we try to remedy them with our love and sincerity, it doesn’t change the fact that we have bruised them, like how bruised we truly are. So it is important to be whole first, so we won’t have to hurt people with the shattered pieces of us, before we let them enter into our lives and we enter theirs.

The copy of Dakota Home came with few chapters hinting the third part of the series; Always Dakota, but before proceeding, I might consider reading the first instalment first which is Dakota Born.

I look up to Debbie Macomber as a writer. This is just the first time I have read one of her many successful works, and this book led me to buying another DB masterpiece, which I will be reading and reviewing soon!

Rating: 8/10

[thunder-at-dawn]

Yearning

word count: 2,311

summary: sometimes, you don’t realize how much you miss something until it’s right in front of you.

this fic is a bit different then my usual ones! i played around with my writing style, and it’s pretty much half tickle fic, half me exploring characterization stuff. it’s a tad bit messy but whatever. anyways i haven’t written any eternalduo fics since last year, and that is too much time for me to not write about them. enjoy! :D

warning: this is a sfw tickle fic! don’t read if that makes you uncomfortable :]

extra notes: this fic takes place a couple of days after c!foolish joined the smp, in january of 2021. also, this fic is platonic. if you tag this as romantic i will fight you in a denny’s parking lot at 3am /neg

Foolish didn’t think he would ever see her again. And he still hasn’t, in a way.

When the totem of death had met Eret, she was a powerful being. She could defeat anyone in battle, yet still had the most relaxed, carefree, whimsical personality out of anyone that he had ever met. It was a perfect balance of light and darkness.

When the totem of life had met Eret, she was frantic. Uptight. Cautious. And he didn’t really blame her. She was a king, after all.

He just wondered what had made her this way.

So, here he was, in her castle, wandering and looking for the royal. Foolish wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to speak to Eret. He didn’t even know what he was going to talk about. He just… yearned for her, supposedly.

Some familiar humming could be heard around the corner, and Foolish saw the door to the castle library wide open. Taking a peek inside, he could see Eret walking amongst the bookshelves, a stack of books in her arms. It didn’t take long for her to spot him.

“Foolish?” She questioned.

“…Eret!” He said, stepping inside the room. “Uh, are you busy?”

“Not really. What’s up?”

Foolish paused, wondering what to say next. He didn’t know why, but she seemed to not really know who he was. From her perspective, they had known each other only for a few days. But from his perspective, they had known each other for a whole lifetime.

And he wasn’t sure if “We were best friends years ago and fought against monsters along with a wither cult together, except you don’t seem to remember it or me at all” was the best conversation starter.

“I just… wanted to check in.” He shrugged, walking to her. “How have ya been?”

“I’ve been alright.” She nodded, giving him a soft grin. “How about you? How have you been adjusting to your arrival here?”

Instead of answering right away, a thought crossed his mind. Why was she acting so formal? It was just the two of them…

“It’s been pretty good, yeah.” He said in response.

“Can I help you with anything?” Eret wondered aloud.

“Not particularly, but… is it okay if I stay here for a little bit?” The totem asked, hoping to not intrude.

“Oh, of course!” She nodded. “My castle is a home to all who pass by. You don’t ever have to ask, Foolish.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He smiled as Eret turned back around.

As she went back to stacking books on the bookshelves, Foolish looked around the surrounding area. The walls were sky-high, decorated with paintings and glass mosaic windows. Yet, the library felt small, but not in a bad way. It was homey, in a sense. Multiple chairs were set around a table, an ottoman couch aligned itself against the wall, and the lit fireplace emitted warmth into the library.

Foolish sat down at the table, which had various books and papers scattered about it. “So, what exactly are you doing right now?” He asked.

“Oh, just some organizing.” Eret called back to him.

“You seem like the organizer type.” Foolish thought.

“Hm, I suppose I could be described as such.” Eret said with a light chuckle.

Wait, did he say that out loud?

“It just helps me keep my mind off of things, I guess.” She continued. “I enjoy it, it keeps myself busy.”

Foolish nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes drawn to what was on the table. He could see books open to pages about historical events, and he saw a couple of photos of people he had and hadn’t met yet. Eret walked over, giving Foolish a soft, comforting smile as she placed some books onto the table, and grabbed the ones that were already there. She turned around and started walking away, and Foolish quickly stood up to follow her.

“This castle is really big… did you build it all yourself?” He asked.

“Mostly, with a bit of assistance here and there.” Eret nodded.

She had always had a passion for building. Foolish remembered times of back in the day, when Eret would always talk about large building projects she wanted to do, but didn’t have the time for.

Even with how much she’s changed, it made him happy to see that this passion of hers had stayed the same over time.

Eret hummed to herself, quickly walking amongst the bookshelves and finding the right places to put the books in. Foolish was low-key amazed with how easily she did it, even if it was relatively simple.

“You’re quite intriguing, you know.”

Foolish looked to his friend, who was looking back at him. “…I am?” He raised an eyebrow, confused.

“You are.” Eret nodded, turning back to the shelves. “I know we only met a couple of days ago, but I felt drawn to you, if I’m being honest. I’m not really sure why… it could be your personality, or that we share similar interest in building things… I don’t know. It’s just… you’re a very interesting person, Foolish.”

Foolish kept staring, unsure what to say in response. The royal turned back to see his surprised face, her lips curling into a small, awkward grin.

“Sorry, that was very sudden. I just felt like I should say it.” She apologized.

“No! No, it’s fine! I appreciate it!” Foolish reassured. “Really, I do.”

Eret nodded. “Well, it’s true. You’re very interesting, I’ll admit.”

“…I’m not really surprised that that’s what you think. I mean, they don’t call me “Foolish “Most Interesting God Alive” Gamers” for nothing.” He joked around, knowing no one had ever called him that. The joke made Eret smile, and then it made her laugh. She shook her head, laughing softly at the other’s silly behavior.

As they stood, Foolish’s emerald eyes looked out the window, seeing the dark night sky. “Oh- wow. I didn’t realize how late it was.” He pointed out.

Eret turned, noticing the darkness as well. “Oh my. It doesn’t even feel like you’ve been here for long.” She sighed, turning back to her friend. “Well, you know what they say. Time flies when you’re having fun.”

The totem grinned, happy to know that Eret enjoyed his company.

“I should probably get going.” He said, unsure if he wanted to leave, in all honesty.

“Well, you get a good night’s rest.” She nods. “And like I said earlier, my castle is home to anyone that steps inside. You’re welcome to come and visit any time.”

“I’ll be sure to, Eret.” Foolish nodded in return, leaning forward and placing his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze, as if to say, “I’ll definitely be back.”

However, Eret let out a startled noise, stepping away and placing a hand over her mouth.

Foolish stared at her, intrigued. “What was that?” He asked.

“I- Nothing. It was nothing.” Eret said, looking away and placing one final book on it’s shelf.

“Nothing?” Foolish repeated. “It didn’t seem like nothing, it-”

Oh.

Oh.

In that moment, Foolish had remembered one small, tiny detail about his friend.

And by the looks of it, it was a detail that had stayed the same about Eret, even after all these years.

“Eret?” Foolish questioned, this time, with mischievous intent that was obvious to the other.

“Foolish, I thought you said you had to get going.” Eret said with a nervous grin.

The god huffed out a breath. “You know what? You’re right. It’s getting dark. I had fun spending time with you, though.” He exclaimed, holding his hand out to Eret. She looked a bit confused at first, but slowly reached towards his hand to give him a handshake. And then…

BZZZT!

As a small spark united between them, Eret burst into giggles, pulling her hand away. “Whahat the hell?!” She asked Foolish, who held a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Gotcha!” He giggled along with her.

“That… that felt weird.” She said, looking at her own hand.

“Weird how?” Foolish smirked, knowing the answer. Eret looked up, giggling with a nervous smile on her face.

“Oh, come on, pal! You were all chatty with me earlier, and now you’re not answering my question! Kind of rude, don’t you think?” He poked at her side a couple of times, watching her flinch and squirm away.

“Fohoolihish-” She snickered, returning to covering her mouth with her hand. She felt the other’s hands wrap around her torso and squeeze at her sides, and she didn’t have time to properly think before her body went limp like jello.

“Oh goHOD!” Eret melted in his hold, uncovering her mouth and letting her laughter flow free.

“Awww, there’s that smile!” Foolish cooed, squeezing up and down and up and down again. He noticed that Eret was losing balance, so he slowly lowered her to the ground, following her down and continuing his playful attack.

“You’re not even fighting back!” Foolish noted out loud, to which his friend let out an embarrassed, giggly whine into his chest. While keeping one hand squeezing away at her side, he surprised her by using her other hand to scribble at her stomach. Eret let out a sudden squeal, her squirming increasing almost instantly. She continued to laugh until she grabbed onto Foolish’s wrists.

“O-Ohokahay! Thahat’s eHEnohough!” She giggled as Foolish’s hands came to a stop. They were looking right at each other, and he could see her smile.

Now, for the past few days of knowing each other, Eret had smiled at Foolish. She had given him small, welcoming, smiles and warm grins. This, however, right now? It was a smile. A large, goofy, genuine smile.

It was the smile that Foolish had recognized from seeing it years ago. It was the smile that would be on Eret’s face whenever exploring a hidden temple. It was the smile that would be on Eret’s face when she was laughing too hard to be able to get out a full sentence. It was the smile that was Eret’s face when she and Foolish had realized that they had defeated the wither cult for good.

And right now, it was the genuine smile that Foolish had longed to see. He didn’t realize how much he wanted to see it. How much he needed to see it. All of those years of memories were flooding back to him, and it made him feel warm inside.

However, his thoughts were interrupted by a shriek of his own laughter.

“EHERET-! Wahait! WaHAhait!” He squealed out, feeling fingers start to dance along his sides. “Thihis ihisn’t faHAIHIR!”

“Oh come on, I’m just doing what you did to me! And I, for one, think that’s completely fair!” Eret grinned, swiping her nails across his belly and making him giggle like mad. “Wow, it looks like you’re a lot more ticklish than myself.” She teased.

“NohOHOhoho!” Foolish whined. “Ihi’m nohot!”

“Really?” Eret smirked evilly, more than willing to test that theory. She increased the speed of her fingers, wiggling themselves all around his side and stomach.

“And you’re not even fighting back, either! How adorable…” She smiled, giggling as she watched Foolish’s face become pink with embarrassment. In this moment, her hands trailed down to his hips, lightly scratching along them. Foolish’s laughter went up a whole octave, and he covered his face with his hands.

“Is this a bad spot?” Eret teased, her movements light and taunting. Foolish shook his head no, and the two of them knew that was a lie. She squeezed at his hips and used the tips of her nails to add light scratching to the sensation. The shark hybrid let out a loud snort, laughing and grabbing onto her wrists as she had done with him earlier.

“OKAHAY! Okayokayohokahay! Tihime ohout!!” He insisted, watching as Eret laughed and pulled her hand away. The two of them sat together on the floor, looking into each other’s eyes and letting leftover giggles fill the air.

“I should prohobably go, it’s pretty dark out.” Foolish stated, standing up and helping Eret stand up as well.

“Alright.” Eret sighed, grinning as she held onto Foolish’s hand. “…Foolish, I know we’ve known each other only for a couple of days, but… I have a feeling this friendship will last for a long time.”

We’ve known each other only for a couple of days.

Those words rung painfully in Foolish’s ears. They had a lifetime of memories together as best friends, and she didn’t remember a single one of them.

And before he realized he had done so, Foolish had pulled Eret into a tight hug.

The library that was filled with the joyous sounds of laughter just a few minutes ago was now filled with a cold silence.

Eret paused, surprised, but she hugged him back after a moment. Her warmth made Foolish feel a familiar feeling that he had not felt in a while.

He felt at home.

Eret pulled away, smiling. “I suppose I’ll see you soon?” She asked.

“Yeah… yeah.” Foolish nodded, giving her one last look before walking towards the door. “Night, Eret!”

“Goodnight, Foolish.” She said, following him until he had left the room, and then gently closing the door behind him.

Foolish walked down the halls of her castle, heading towards the entrance to leave. As he walked along the wooden floor, he couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit upset. He didn’t know what had caused Eret to lose her memories, and he wanted to know. However, the sadness was quickly replaced with a feeling of hope. Hope for a bright future with his friend.

It was just as she said. Even though Eret had only known him for a couple of days, they were already very close.

Maybe one day, they would become as close as they used to be.