#anyway. have another macabre little guy from me

[travellingseal]

a quick sketch of erlend, my poe watcher. maybe i'll colour it... later

[gogodollie]

Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil Romance Masterpost

Saw someone the other day claim that Sister Imperator was a bitch for leading Nihil on and although I blocked them instantly, it haunts me because genuinely what are you smoking to EVER get that vibe.

These two are old people and they’re crazy. Nihil is just really into the chase and Sister still thinks that playing hard to get is sexy. Once again, they’re old.

Chapter Media

Chapter One: New Blood

Sister Imperator: “Not here… not now- not like this.”

At this point I don’t think there’s much from the prequelle livestream that would confirm the two in a current sexual/romantic relationship so that means that is the first instance where there’s an insinuation that there is in fact something sexual going on between them. Sister redirects Nihil rather than shutting him down entirely just makes it clear that this is a mutual thing and not just Nihil being a horndog. Also, the fact that this was a direct result of the sexual charisma spiel and involves a lot of heavy breathing (and several glances downward from Imperator.)

Chapter Five: The Call

Papa Nihil: “You have always had excellent critiquing of films, Sister.”

Sister Imperator: “Papa… Tell me, are you alone?” “And what are you wearing?”

Sister Imperator: “I’m just trying to- forget it.”

This is one of my favorite scenes ever but the secondhand embarrassment it gives me is so bad (my poor girl Imperator has been in that hospital for WEEKS I can’t even blame her for attempting it). Anyways, another clear example of Sister being receptive to Nihil’s flirting and even going on to (very poorly) attempt to reciprocate. She wants to get fucked sooooooo bad it makes her look stupid. If Nihil was a little smarter this could have worked but unfortunately Sister has no game and Nihil was on the toilet.

Chapter Eight: Kiss The Go-Goat

Papa Nihil: “Why can’t I have another chance?”

Sister Imperator: “Do I have to remind you what happened last time?”

This part gets quoted a lot in reference to Sister rejecting Nihil and her lack of forgiveness towards the cheating incident. However, all things given, I don’t think those lines directly are about their relationship given the context that they’re said in (but they can definitely be taken that way when considering the KTGG sequence and ending). This reads more as Imperator reminding Nihil of his failed attempt to lead the band after he criticizes Copia

Chapter Nine: Tomb It May Concern

Sister Imperator: “Ugh it’s perverse: Papa.”

Sister Imperator: “I…had his balls.”

This is the first instance that Sister brings up a sexual connotation with the title “Papa” which she clarifies in Chapter Ten: Home Coming & Special Guests when Copia asks if she won’t call him Papa because of “the old guy.” Then obviously she just straight up says she had Nihil’s balls in a metaphorical and literal sense much to Copia’s horror.

Non-Chapter Media

Prequelle Promo Sermon

Papa Nihil: “Well Sister you’ve never made a mistake in my eyes.”

Sister Imperator: “Isn’t he sweet? Very generous man, he always was.”

Dance Macabre Music Video

I take this mv with a grain of salt because nothing about it aligns with the 60s and to me it feels more like a retelling of their meeting from Copia’s memories, rumors he may have heard, and whatever misinformation Sister and Nihil had spread about the event themselves. That being said, I do know there are a lot of people that accept that this was the actual first meeting and wedding of Imperator and Papa which actually is insanely romantic. They’re like if Romeo and Juliet were cult leaders and also in their mid-twenties. Love at first sight! Also the first insight into a past relationship between the two.

SIOSP Promo Live

Papa Nihil: “Oh Sister, I wish you were here- I wish Sister was here. She’d be so proud of me.”

Just a guy missing his girlfriend nothing to see here folks.

Ghost on Ghost

Literally just look at them. The context of the scene they’re recreating is enough to sum everything up, the video being posted on Valentine’s day, those old people were getting NASTY.

Mary on a Cross Music Video

There’s a lot of things about this music video that make me crazy and I would like to begin with the confirmation that the two did in fact live together in a non-abbey setting (PLEASE peep the two empty glasses and wine bottle on their porch table). Aside from the violent aftermath of Nihil’s little on stage scandal, the two obviously were seriously together in some sort of way that would both warrant this reaction from Sister and also would involve them living together (mind you it’s still the 60s and this sort of arrangement between an unmarried couple would be uncommon but also they’re fucking satanists so. whatever). A little peak into Sister being the one to initiate intimacy even after the cheating and what their messy future will look like together (but this time around she doesn’t forget her bra).

The Future is a Foreign Land Music Video

This is mainly just about Nihil’s perspective on the breakup and the instant regret he has once realizing that Sister is gone for good. Though he may be an idiot, Papa is genuinely willing to give up everything to have her again and in his little drug induced haze is dreaming about a future where she does forgive him for all that he’s done. Also the way that dystopian Sister/Papa fucking explode and old futuristic Sister/Papa just fade away makes me think that perhaps there’s an essence of moving on in a physical sense in the future but for my sake (needs to see those old people as much as possible) I pray this is not true.

Final thoughts:

In my humble opinion, I think by the time Maralyn took over as Sister there was a shift in her relationship with Papa Nihil that made them go from strictly sexual to romantic again- the next few chapters and RHRN make them seem almost domestic as they take on more parental roles. This could be because of Nihil’s death and Imperator being able to forgive him because she is quite literally one of the few people that can see/interact with him (she was NOT risking another cheating incident, who knows what that 80 yr old was capable of when he was still alive OR she was just finally able to make peace with it because Nihil in some sense is an entirely different person than the man that cheated on her all those years ago (aka a fucking ghost without a physical form).

At the end of the day these two are STUPID and despite the assumed breakup in the Mary on a Cross music video, I don’t think they’re capable of being away from each other for long. God knows they fucked at least twice directly after watching Papa Nihil kiss three different women in front of her so I really would not doubt that they were still hooking up from the time after the moac mv and before their first older appearances.

[deliverred]

Look, Sylvain was perfectly aware that the festival’s theming was, in the end, meant to evoke and celebrate the macabre and the tales of horror that graced the night. That while the range offered for costumes has become more lax and allowed for ideas that do not necessarily step into the lines of morbid or terror, the idea of ‘being spooky’ was encouraged.

But this takes the proverbial cake. Even with that one guy running around looking like a murder victim, in Sylvain’s eyes this thing was by far what caused his brain to take a moment and evaluate what his eyes were seeing due to how primal the reaction felt. 

“Uh…I know that we’re meant to be a little scary but…that mask of yours is a bit on the verge of uncomfortable…” It was scaring the girls…and hell it would scare him too. “It’s gonna give me nightmares looking at it, I can feel it!” Yikes!

Sylvain wasn’t blind, though. He had seen this guy without the mask. And he had seen him talking to his father earlier.

“Extra points for the creepy factor I guess, you win this one for real. Want to get some candy together? I think the dog and fox duo can at least be a good match for the hunt.”

Lukas hadn't dealt with Sylvain very much, mostly during classes, so it was a little jarring to see him in such...different attire. If it were any colder, he wonders if it would be uncomfortable to wear something so...revealing in certain places. It does stand out, however; with the fox draped across his shoulders, the gold and furs, and wrapping vines.

Lukas laughs lightly at that, shifting his weight from one foot to another in what might have translated as sheepish if not for the disturbing grin plastered on the mask's face.

"Beggars can't be choosers, as they say," he responded, inclining his head slightly. "I was late in figuring out a proper costume, so I went with what was available...I must say, I didn't expect it to garner this much of a reaction, though." And most of it was -- well, effective for scares, but it did make it surprisingly difficult to interact with others without making them uncomfortable.

There wasn't the same sort of harshness in Sylvain's face as there was in his father's, but it was impossible to not see the family resemblance.

"Is your costume something original, or were you inspired by something?" Lukas asks, genuinely curious considering Matthias' costume. It seemed House Gautier took such challenges and celebrations with as much heart as they did their other endeavors. He would have accepted Sylvain's request anyways, but thinking back on the favor his father had asked and Lukas had agreed to, he couldn't help but think this was a rather silly way to carry it out.

With an overly theatrical bow, Lukas he says, "If this cursed mask can help you hunt down some candy, it would be my pleasure to trick or treat with you, Sylvain. For who could deny the combined efforts of the fox and the hound?"

[five-rivers]

Ancestral chapter 16

Written for ectoberhaunt 2023 day 20: danse macabre.

The room was silent as everyone listened intently, straining to hear Mr. Kynbaz’s (his first name was Kevin?) response.  

"An extraction? Why?  Isn't she in hospital for a medical condition?"  There was a pause, not quite long enough for Joanna to interject, but long enough to hear.  “How do you even know about that?”

“You left the team on read and the emergency system kicked it to Matthew and your second, but Matthew has it set to forward things to family members if he doesn’t answer and it’s flagged as an emergency.”

Another brief pause.  “Why do you want Princess Alicia extracted?”

“We think that–”  Joanna visibly collected herself.  “There’s evidence that Revyvtech is involved in the poisonings and responsible for Alicia’s condition.”

“Joanna–”

“My judgment was poor as a teenager, but don’t you dare hold that over me when my family is in danger!” snapped Joanna.  She closed her eyes.  “I– I’m sorry, that was inappropriate of me.”

“What kind of evidence?  Would it hold up overseas?”

Joanna’s eyes flicked over Danny, Jazz, and their other cousins.  “No.  But that doesn’t mean it isn’t valid.”

Mr. Kynbaz hissed softly, the sound barely transmitted by the phone speakers.  “I’ll get back to you.”  

“Kevin, wait, I–”

The end-call tone played.  

Joanna let her hand drop to her side.  Her eyes flicked over Danny, Jazz, and their other cousins.  “How many of you have prescription medication?”

Everyone but Jazz and Danny raised their hands.  Jazz elbowed Danny.  “You have that stuff you were prescribed for your eyes,” she said.  

“Oh, yeah.”

“Danny–  Danny.  Do you think you could tell if this… if this poison - blood blossoms? - was in something?  Like you did with the aconite?”

“Um,” said Danny.  “Maybe.  That was mostly Gw– the ghosts, though.  They saw the poison being added.  If it is blood blossoms, though, I think I should be able to.  Or- or they should be able to," he added, glancing at the ghosts.  He didn't want to ask them to, though.  Not after what had happened to Gwensyvyr’s arm.  "I should be able to." 

“Good,” said Joanna, “good.  Everyone, go get your medications, and bring them here.”

.

"Why are there so many?" asked Danny, intimidated.  The little bottles practically surrounded him.  

"We're part of the oldest royal lineages in the world," said Iris.  "It'd be weirder if we didn't have any weird genetic disorders."

"What even are all of these for?" asked Danny, knowing it was rude, but not being able to help himself.  It was his family medical history, anyway.  

"Blood disease," said Iris and George simultaneously. 

"Specifically anemia," said Iris.

"Specifically Avlynyse recurrent macrocytic anemia," said George.  

“Called that because normal macrocytic anemia is supposed to be caused by something else, like hypothyroidism or alcoholism, but we don’t have those problems and it always comes back.”

“You guys probably have it, too,” added George.  “It’s super common in the family, but it.”

“Along with Avlynyse defective melanin syndrome,” said Iris.  “Purple eyes are pretty, but they come with problems, you know?”

“I knew about that,” said Danny.  “But you don’t take medicine for that, do you?  Mom has that, and I don’t think she takes anything for it.”

“Usually you don’t,” said George, “but melanin has a lot of functions beyond just skin, hair, and eye color, and sometimes ADMS affects those things as well.  You remember how Iris and I would, ah, shake a little, all the time?  And our eyes would scan back and forth?  We couldn’t stop it.  That’s what we take medication for.”  He made a face.  “We actually first got this in a drug trial from Revyvtech a few years ago.  It’s new…”

“Oh!  Don’t forget the epilepsy,” said Iris.

“Yeah, can’t forget the epilepsy.”

“You have epilepsy?” asked Danny.  “But I’ve sent you flashing videos… Memes…”

“No, no, Lewis is the one who has epilepsy.  I’m just saying it’s relatively common.”

Lewis made a face.  “I could have told him myself.  They’re only focal seizures, anyway.”

“I don’t know what that means,” said Danny.  “I’ve sent you flashing videos, too.”

“It’s fine,” said Lewis.  “Focal seizures don’t make you lose consciousness all the way, and I’ve got a filtering program on my phone.”

“Mostly he shows them to me, first,” said Leo.  “I have the anemia and a heart condition and low blood pressure and poor circulation and also eczema, which sort of makes my skin break out in hives if anything is touching it the wrong way for too long.”  

“Still not a good reason to not wear shirts,” muttered Lewis.  “Eugene?”

Eugene blushed, then looked down at the medicine bottle in his hand.  He looked back and forth between Danny and the bottle, then the bottle and Jazz.  The bottle was a slightly different color than everyone else’s.  

“Um,” he said.  “I have bipolar disorder.  And I have auditory hallucinations.  It’s not– It’s not schizophrenia, though.  I don’t have the other symptoms.”

Joanna put her hand on Eugene’s shoulder.  “I also have bipolar depression.  And anemia.”

Now Danny just felt bad.  “Sorry.  I shouldn’t have asked.”  (Also, wow, why was he suddenly thinking about the time his parents tried to ‘spin the crazy’ out of him?)

Eugene laughed a little.  “It’s fine.  I mean, we’re showing you all our medications.”  He held out his bottle towards Danny.

“Still.”  Danny took the bottle.  “But… have you ever considered that the hallucinations could be…?”  He trailed off as Gwensyvyr and the other ghosts started shaking their heads.  

“Oh,” said Eugene.  “No, definitely not.  There are ways to check if you’re hearing ghosts, assuming they’re cooperating.  We tested it.”  He sat down on the floor across from Danny.  “So.  How are you going to do this?”

“Um,” said Danny.  “I was just going to phase my hand through each of these and see if anything happened?  That way, I’m not screwing up good medicine by taking it apart or anything.”

“Is that safe?” asked Jazz with a slight frown. 

“I– Nothing has ever happened to the stuff I’ve phased through before?”

“For you,” clarified Jazz.  

“Might give me a burn,” said Danny.  “But the blood blossom cream is already out, so…  I’ll be okay.”

“If you say so,” said Jazz.

Danny nodded and held up Eugene’s bottle with his right hand and swiped his left hand through it.  

(It was so strange to just do that in front of so many people, and in human form.)

“Nothing,” he said, handing the bottle back to Eugene.  

“That makes sense,” said Eugene.  He turned the bottle so Danny could see the logo imprinted on the bottom, a simple eye with an apple in place of a pupil.  “Avl Ayg does more psychiatric medicine than Revyvtech.”

Danny nodded, and hunted through the bottles to find Joanna’s.  It also didn’t have anything in it that Danny could detect.

Then, he started working through Leo’s medication.  The heart stuff was fine, but when he passed his hand through the anemia medication, he flinched back, hissing.  

“Blood blossoms?” asked Jazz.  

“Yeah,” said Danny.  “Ow.”  He shook out his hand.  

Jazz held out the cream to him.  

“It’s such a tiny amount,” said Danny.  He examined his hand.  It wasn’t even red.  “It was just, like, touching something too hot, rather than all-consuming agony.”

“Your standards for all consuming agony are off,” said Jazz.  “Put on the cream before you do more.”

Danny grumbled but did what Jazz said.  Then he tested the eczema medication, and…

“This feels weird, but not like blood blossoms,” he said.  There was something ectoplasmic in it, but only in trace amounts.  “Could be ectoplasm contamination?”

“Could you tell how even it is?” asked Jazz.  

“No,” said Danny.  “Do you think…  If they are getting things for their medicines from Andyr, do you think that there could be ectoplasmic stuff down there?  From the ghosts, maybe?”

He saw Gwensyvyr’s face screw up, and she opened her mouth as if to speak, but then shook her head.  

“That would make sense,” said Jazz, slowly.  “But that would be incredibly dangerous.  Ectocontamination made a cooked turkey come back to life.”

“What,” said Lewis, flatly.  

“Never mind,” said Jazz.

Danny moved on to Lewis’s.  His anti-seizure meds were fine, but he had a jar of anemia supplements, just like Leo.  Again, there was something in it.  He set it aside.  

He moved on to Iris and George’s.  They had a larger number, but theirs were largely identical, so he did them all at once.  Again, most of them were fine, one of the melanin ones was weird, and the anemia supplement had blood blossoms in it.  

“These actually have more than any of the others,” said Danny, nodding at the bottles while rubbing more cream into his hand.  “It’s still tiny, the ghosts aren’t even affected by it being near, but…”

“But we’ve been getting slowly poisoned for who knows how long,” said Joanna.  “All of us.”

“It does cast some doubt on it being what killed everyone, though,” said Iris.  “Since none of us have keeled over in anaphylactic shock any of the times we’ve taken these.  It’s possible that there’s a legitimate medical use.”

“I don’t know.  I guess there are some things… Mom and Dad wanted to use it to purge ectocontamination.”  Danny looked up.  “Did Martin have this?  Do you think any of his medication is still here?”

“Maybe,” said Joanna.  “If he did have any here, it would probably be in his room, or the master bathroom.”

Getting everyone into the master bathroom was a squeeze, but no one wanted to be left out.  Joanna opened the cabinet and moved aside a woebegone toothbrush and a few boxes of band-aids before pulling out three bottles and a weekly pill organizer.  The organizer was mostly full, with only Sunday morning empty.

“Ferromultyx, melanyorata, and escitalopram?” she read from the bottles.

“Huh,” said Iris.  “I didn’t know his melanin defect was bad enough to take melanyorata.”  She sounded a little congested. 

Danny, not quite in arms’ reach of Joanna, between all the people in the room, made grabby hands.  “Let me see.”

Joanna passed them over, and Danny phased his hands through.  The melanin deficiency drug had the same weirdness as Iris and George’s.  The anemia drug on the other hand…

“There’s nothing here,” he said.  “It’s clean.”

Iris chewed her lip.  “None of this makes sense.”

“I think it does, actually,” said Danny, turning the bottle over and over in his hand.  He wriggled his way out of the bathroom.

“How?” asked Lewis, who managed to get out before the others.  “Why poison us just a little bit, and kill everyone else?”

“I don’t know that it’s just about that,” said Danny.  He put Martin’s medication on a nearby shelf and pulled the small bottle of the medicine he’d been prescribed from his pocket and passed his hand through it.  It burned.  Badly enough to make him hiss and drop the bottle.  

“Danny?” asked Jazz, alarmed.  

“I’m fine.  I just had to check something.”  He cradled his hand near his chest.  “I don’t think they want you dead.  They want me dead.  They don’t want you ectocontaminated.”  

“You guys keep saying that,” said Leo.  “What is it?”

“Ectoplasmic contamination.  Ectoplasm.  Ghost magic.”  Danny licked his lips, then stepped sideways to get a better view of Gwensyvyr.  “That’s what’s actually in Andyr, isn’t it?  There’s a source of ectoplasm.  There’s a portal.”

Gwensyvyr gazed at Danny for a long moment, then nodded.

“There’s something that happens in the Trials that makes you… more spiritual.  Or something.  More like a syvyr.”  And Danny hoped beyond hope that ‘something’ wasn’t dying like he had in the portal.  He could almost imagine it, all of them, all his family, walking, practically dancing down into the dark, into glowing, deathly green.  A tableau.  A danse macabre.  A memento mori.  Except no one really died…

… until now.  

“That,” said Danny, “that’s what they’re trying to stop.  They’re trying to keep that from happening.  Because if it did– if it did…”  He trailed off, unsure, then looked at Gwensyvyr.  Her eyes were sharp, expectant.  “Well, what we thought before, about them using stuff down there for medical research is probably still true, but…  There are probably parts of the Trials you can’t do without having ectoplasm.  Things for the ancestors.  Things for…”

If there was a portal beneath Avlynys, the ghosts here should be as strong as in Amity Park.  They weren’t.  But they were gaining strength from Danny’s presence.  

“Things for the portal,” Danny continued.  “Like, unblocking it or something.  Fixing it.”  He shivered, remembering the last time he’d tried to fix a portal.  

“A portal?” asked Joanna.  “To where?”

“The, you know, the afterlife,” said Danny.  

There was quiet.  

“Unfortunately,” said Joanna.  “We can’t do anything about that until we take the Trials.  Except for not taking any more of these things.”  She snatched up Martin’s medication and put it back in the cabinet.  

Leo groaned.  “Fainting town, here we come.”“For now…  I think all of you need some sleep.”

[ineffableigh]

Timeline of Suspicious Events Brain Dump - PART 2

Ran out of characters. See previous post here! [linky]

We resume during Muriel's initial visit to the bookstore. They're having a nice look at a cupperty.

Crowley arrives in a bluster with all his plants - we've only seen him angrily say No about the Bentley and yet he seems to be going along with it anyway. He asks the important question: why not take the train? Why go by car? It's an eight hour drive each way! Train or even plane is WAY FASTER!

Crowley's the one that does the 'humans are weird/a few days' line for some bloody reason. Crowley what are you doin' man lol pick a better lie!

It feels Important that we see so many one on one moments with Nina, but not Maggie. Like we're building Nina as a character, but not really Maggie, y'know?

The show also really wants us to see how uncomfortable Nina is with discussing her love life at all, but everyone in the story just kind of blows past it.

"Dance Macabre" in the Bentley eh? A tone poem about Death calling the dead from their graves to dance for him? Like, I dunno, Gabriel says later in his Tempest line? A piece that quotes Dies Irae?

I love the musical conflict going on in the background once Crowley takes control of the Bentley's Vibes back lol.

Interesting that we have an entire moment to see that Beez is unhappy with the status quo in Hell, and the lack of recognition for all the work they seem to constantly have to do down there. Especially since we hear later they're very 'short staffed'.

Crowley moving seemingly random books from upstairs to downstairs, cosplaying a bookseller (ostensibly). Seems very chill about chatting gravity with Jimbriel, and we get our first Direct Fly Callout. Might be the second, not sure re: 'flyswats' when the archangels visited.

Pub imagery: Jesus raising Lazarus on one side, and the 'butcher' Dalrymple on the other side. Hmmm two sides of Heaven anyone?

It has to involve Aziraphale somehow because the Production Designer had that painting of Jesus done with the tomb opening being exactly like the 'eastern gate' of Eden in s01. Seems like a big effort to go to if not to draw parallels!

I find it interesting that Aziraphale a) seems super excited to hear about the 'Masons' b) there's a lodge next door to the pub, but c) we don't investigate that OR the person Gabriel was with. Y'know, the little shaggy haired demon with a bowler hat covered in flies? Normally would be quite conspicuous, yes? We know that Azi knows what Beez looks like from the end of S01.

Post-minisode we cut DIRECTLY to Aziraphale at the graveyard. What did he do between the pub and then? Did he walk there, drive there? Another huge gap to account for that's just swept under the rug.

Convenient that No Regerts and Friend are there, both being comically intense tough guys openly talking about Grindr lol. Just hanging out in the fog with no phone minutes left like ya do. Very convenient they were there, though I'm not sure what the advantage of that phone call even was. It's so strange a scene across the board that it feels like something is missing.

Back in town, Maggie is chasing Nina to talk about getting stuck in the cafe. I don't know what it is about their talks but to me they feel strange, or at least Maggie's side does. Might just be a by-product of us not seeing Nina 'acting like it's Maggie's fault' but it all feels very out of the blue, y'know? Always when Nina's busy working and can't really escape.

"I'm not your type." "You have no idea." Maggie SHE HAS A PARTNER AND SHE JUST SAID THE PARTNER SUSPECTS CHEATING, NOW IS NOT THE TIME LOL. See what I mean about Weird Vibes though?

Sudden Tempest Prediction from Gabriel. Very weird that he has these moments, either by forcing himself or these triggers. Do you have to be Empty to channel God?

Multitude of Shax Visions - this sequence seems odd to me. We've seen Shax impersonate a human once, yes, but this back to back thing seems unusually competent for her. I do wonder if we're getting a Crowley's Very Stressed Perspective thing going on here. Poor lad sure is stressed.

I was wondering how Shax figured out where Aziraphale was, but I bet she probably just tried to teleport to the Bentley like most demons seem to when Crowley was in it, but probably got punted outside by the Invitation Only magic. Or something.

The interaction with Shax here is really weird, though. It seems purely designed to freak Aziraphale out rather than actually get information. She says now she knows Gabriel is in the bookshop, but nothing about the discussion actually pointed to it any more than she would have known beforehand.

Shax then goes on to tell Beez that Gabriel is in the bookshop. Why she's so confident, I still don't really know, like I said above. All she knows is both the Husbands are being obfuscating dorks, but maybe that's enough.

Also like, Beez, you maybe should have just. Gone to the bookshop? Instead of attacking it? When you know Hell is short staffed? This is a Weird Plot Point too, if Beez just wants Gabriel. Why go straight to war?

As they're bringing Crowley's plants back to the car I hear glass shattering??? What's up with that??

Azi you dingle why are you hiding the Shax visit from Crowley. They really DON'T talk and for no good reason.

Next Instalment: [Linky]

[sheyri]

Happy Birthday!

“What are you doing for your birthday?”

“What do you mean?”

“Celebrate? Fun activities? Throw a huge ball?”

“Why would I celebrate?”

“It's your birthday! It's a special occasion!”

“It's just the day when I'm officially one year older. But we're ageing every day, with every experience.”

“Very philosophical, but also very boring.”

~~~

“She never had a birthday party, you know. Her parents didn't even acknowledge it.”

“I... shouldn't be surprised. But that sucks!”

“Yes. She deserves better.”

“Do you think she would enjoy a little surprise party? Just the three of us?”

“If it's nothing big.”

~~~

The next few days Ash and Callum spend plotting. They agreed that Ramsay would probably spend the day at work away up in the Downs, since it was a weekday. So they needed a convenient excuse to get her to come to Riverside.

In the end they decided to be at least somewhat honest about their intentions. “It's your birthday, at least take the day off.” Miraculously, it actually worked and Ramsay agreed.

Then there was the matter of the cake. “I was thinking a plum cake, for a personal touch”, Ash suggested. Chocolate cake was wonderful, but Ramsay had demonstrated her love for the fruit many times.

“Oh, yes! That's a great idea! I know where to get the best plums in Kensington. Just tell me how much you need, I'll take care of it.”

As for presents... “Maybe we shouldn't overdo it the first time.”

“You just don't know what to get her, admit it!”

“Guilty as charged. But I also stand by what I said. We don't want to overwhelm her, do we?”

“Yeah, okay. But we have to get her something small at least. It's not a birthday without presents.”

They brainstormed ideas for a bit until they settled on something they were sure she would appreciate.

“Also, I have an idea. But I'm not sure she would take it the right way...” Ash explained his plan. When he was done, Callum thought for a while.

“It's a bit macabre. But I don't know, it could go either way. Either she's really upset, or she'll find it hilarious.”

“Only one way to find out. Though first I'd actually have to manage it.”

“I think you should try it and then see how you like the result.”

So they set on getting everything ready. Callum arrived they day before Ramsay's birthday to help Ash with the cake. Ash showed him the present he'd made and they agreed he should just do it. They also wrapped the other present, then set them on a side table in the sitting room.

~~~

They only had a quick breakfast in the morning. Ramsay wouldn't arrive for another couple hours, but then they would have a proper meal. With plum cake.

Ash went outside and plucked some flowers for a fresh bouquet, which he then set on the table next to the presents. When they were expecting Ramsay to arrive, Callum set the table and they put out the cake.

And then the star of the day came home.

“Happy Birthday!”, Ash and Callum called out in unison. Ramsay stood in the doorway, stunned, then a grin spread on his face.

He came over and hugged them both. “You guys. You tricked me into celebrating!”, he said, still locked in the embrace. But he sounded happy, so Ash counted that as a win.

They exchanged kisses, then Callum cut in. “We got you something.” He handed Ramsay their present. He took it curiously and unwrapped it. Inside was a fairytale collection. “You probably know all of them already, but it's a new illustrated edition and the paintings are really beautiful.”

“I haven't read any fairytales in ages”, he replied, a bit of longing in his voice. “Thank you.” He kissed both of them again.

“Okay, so, I made something for you!”, Ash started, a little nervous. “I was practising my creation alchemy and... well, anyway. Just promise you won't be mad!”

Ramsay took the present from him with a raised eyebrow and carefully unwrapped it. When he saw what was inside he burst into laughter.

“So you're not mad?”, Ash asked carefully.

“No! No, this is perfect.” Ramsay grinned. He held a model of a human skull in his hands.

“His name is Gresham”, Ash began, but was interrupted by another round of laughter. “What! You need someone to discuss your research with when I'm not around. Or when I am. Because Source knows I barely understand half of what you're talking about.”

“He's certainly a good listener”, Ramsay replied, still giggling. “Though I best keep him in my private rooms. But I might take him for a walk when I have very special visitors.”

He sat the skull down gently, then hugged Ash again. After a moment he pulled Callum into the hug as well. “Thank you, guys. You're the best.” There was an odd tone to his voice, almost like he was about to cry. Ramsay pulled away and indeed rubbed his eyes. But he was smiling. “Seriously. I love you.”

“You don't even know the best part yet”, Ash teased. “There's cake. Plum cake.”

“How dare you keep that for last!”

This would truly be a great first birthday party.

Happy Birthday, Snacho!

[nagdabbit]

What season of Dimension 20 should a noob start with I want to understand what the FUCK you're talking about

oooooooo yes, welcome, come on in, were all fucking weird here!

get ready to have Extreme Feelings about one (1) loud, white man

but also, you can kinda start wherever you want? i haven't even watch every single season, anyway. here's the seasons, out of airing order, probably

fantasy high - the original, the og. teens in fantasy high school, having hijinks and saving the world. honestly, if there's like an established place to start, this is it. there's a second season, and a couple of live shows that are so fucking fun. griffin mcelroy's live ep is fucking WILD, i love ficus

pirates of leviathan - fantasy high adjacent, post fh season 2. i didn't actually finish this one. i dont remember why. i dont super have a strong attachment to fh season 2, so the setting for this one just didn't interest me, but it's pirates having hijinks on a floating pirate city

unsleeping city 1 & 2 - urban fantasy weirdness, urban fantasy fun times. the magical world that lives beneath and alongside the new york we all know. like fables, maybe, but more fantasy archetypes than folklore. really fun, really enjoyable, i have no memory of season two but i know i watched it

the seven - another fh spinoff, but a little more tied into the first season. a fantasy party of all the people they spent season one trying to save. it is SO FUCKING FUNNY, and SO FUCKING GAMEPLAY CRUNCHY, and I CRIED SO FUCKING HARD. need some emotional healing? exquisite. i miiiight suggest watching fh first, just to understand who they are, but also you don't *need* to

tiny heist - borrowers and fairies and thug bugs and living toys, trying to run a heist. so goddamn fun. highly, highly recommend. i love a fuckin heist. its the mcelroy family season, so if you like them you can look forward to that. just mcelroy is just. he's fucking batshit.

a crown of candy - game of thrones ass campaign, but the characters and kingdoms are all based on the different food groups. for real and honest, this season didn't hit me and i didn't finish it. but i do enjoy compilations of it on youtube

the ravening war - crown of candy spin off. i also didn't watch this at all, but it has cr's matt mercer as the guest gm, and im sure he's a great guy and all, but i just don't vibe with his dm style. deffo the least amount of levity of all the seasons, i think

mice & murder - a sherlock holmes, agatha christie ass murder mystery where everyone is in the house trying to solve the murder. also everyone is woodland creatures. another highly recommend if you're into murder mysteries like that

escape from the bloodkeep - what if lotr was told from the baddies pov. it's so stupid, so silly, so much fun. highly recommend

shriek week - monsters on their final week of college. despite my love of guest gm, gabe hicks, this season just Did Not Hit Me. not even ify nwadiwe could hold me

misfits and magic - hogwarts ass magic school for little wizards, but without the transphobia and racism. need some kids upsetting an unjust society based on classism? this for you. so, so good! guest gm aabria iyengar, she fucking knocks it out of the park. there's also a christmas episodes and a live show with a different cast

a starstruck odyssey - did you know that brennan lee mulligans mom elaine wrote the comic starstruck? this season is based on the comic and its very fucking fun! scifi shenanigans out the ass

neverafter - horror themed season, about macabre fairytale characters and the enduring nature of stories. it took me a bit to get into this season, but it's so good! you gotta like horror, tho. that's important to remember. it's a dark season

coffin run - draculas followers try to get an injured dracula back to the castle before his enemies catch up. sooooooo so so fucking funny, one of my favorite seasons. guest gm jasmine bhullar kills it. absolutely unfuckinghinged season

a court of fey and flowers - EASILY my favorite, second favorite season. aabria is back, the fey are having a party, someone is trying to do something terrible, they need to navigate jane austen era ass court politics to figure it out. so, so fucking stupid and fun

dungeons & drag queens - i havent finished this season, cuz i got Depressed As Shit earlier this year and just couldn't, but im about to jump back in. honestly, the plot doesn't matter, it's monet x change, alaska thunderfuck, jujubee and bob the drag queen. do you need to know anything else? no, you don't

mentopolis - the current season. a good place to start it you don't want to binge anything, as only one episode is out. it's a noir detective mystery taking place within the brain of a scientist and is already climbing the ranks of my favorite seasons

godspeed, you little nerd. go forth and have fun

[sdyuteiaok]

Finally got a different--totally different--deck today: BW. I got TWO of the 2WW Angels that get counters and draw when you gain life, plus TWO Serra Angels! I didn't have too much life gain support or payoffs, sadly, so I wasn't fully doing what BW seems to want to be doing in this set, but I had one lifelink Hawk, which I picked pretty highly, and boy did that pay off, even two of the 1/3 Vampire that drains when it attacks. I took a Goldpick with the logic that I needed that Bird to be able to plink in on demand, and if not, I needed those Vamps to be able to swing, and getting them to 4 toughness also spared them from many blockers and removal spells--you'd need to blow real removal on them, which is ultimately good for us, since we have such incredible threats that need to survive, but can wrap the game. On top of that, I also included a Macabre Waltz since I knew these bomb creatures would make or break my matches, and dealing with them twice could easily put the game out of reach--though reach, the ability, is a bit of a hurdle. So these somewhat questionable picks did work out, and I'm glad I scooped them up. I only got 5 wins, but one loss was because I seriously flooded out after a Chandra wrathed me--crucially, that pick on my Vamp ate a lot of the 8 dmg, and I never drew my Disenchant to get rid of the Legit Businessman enchant on my Serra, which woulda deal the finishing blow--he was at 1 life for the entire rest of the game, some five or so turns--and I drew five or so lands in a row. I had that game, even another Vamp woulda won just on the attack. So many outs, but never drew anything. And then those rare counter-draw Angels also were quite scarce--I only drew them a couple times. But I was always so hesitant to deploy them--they aren't huge, initially, just 3/3, so I always wanted a lifegain source available immediately, which was maybe the wrong call. I dunno. The one time I jammed one, it ate a Bake into a Pie immediately, as I had suspected. I shoulda just slowrolled--I had a good number of threats my opponent would have to contend with and blow removal on, so maybe that game I shoulda just been a little mana inefficient and deploy my slightly less frightening, but still non-negligble 3/3, the first strike guy and stuff. I dunno. I hate that whatever the correct route is, I always pick the exact opposite--should I hold back? I do; I shoulda jammed. Should I jam? I do; I shoulda held back. Annoying. This felt like a trophy deck, but I can't complain about 5 wins--that's an infinitivo, so our next draft is paid for, and that's what it's all about. Can't buy a win in constructed, anyway, so not drafting is quite torturous. But, man, that last game with the flood-out was also such a gross way to go out. I absolutely had that one--he even almost decked cuz Chandra burns through 3 cards per uptick, and he was quite liberal with her use, including playing and cloning ETB looters. I did draw one creature, and he had the counter for it. But otherwise, he was also drawing nothing relevant. Disenchant, another Angel, my Vamps, he was dead to so much, but stuck it with one life and Chandra. Yuck.

[volumehypeplay]

What I'm HYPED for

Already, it's somehow February 1st. The older I get the more I believe time is a construct with how quickly months, weeks and days go by. 2023 is full of things I'm looking forward too (and many things I'm not yet aware of) so I thought, why not give you guys a little look at the games, movies and tv shows I can't wait for in 2023.

↓

Diablo IV

Probably my favorite series in gaming, is back once again and with being in the midst of reading 'The Sin War' seeing both Lilith and Inarius being the titular villains in this sequel has me extremely hyped. I have high hopes for the story, but seeing the return to the dark and macabre style, some fantastic visuals, the additions of verticality and a refined skill system lines up Diablo IV as potentially the best in the series.

↓

Stalker 2

I still remember making a PC just to be able to run Stalker, back in like 2004; being in awe of the atmosphere the game could muster. Now with Stalker 2 finally on the horizon I really hope the team manage to capture that dread and fear of walking through the ZONE and throw some awesome creature design at us.

↓

Starfield

Sometime 2 years ago I stumbled upon No Man Sky using gamepass and actually found it so much more fun than I expected. Seeing Bethesda basically put their own RPG-heavy spin on that idea has me excited. Although I was never a fan of Skyrim its now 10+ years since that game and if they can blend a great story with some fantastic survival / world building mechanics they've got me.

↓

Nightingale

Any game that gives me an excuse to be able to play with my best friend is a great game in my eyes and Nightingale looks like a fantastic spin on survival games. The crutch of this one is being able to realm walk between worlds, which hopefully gives us a ton of diversity; from building your base to the weapons and monsters that are their to ruin our day.

I think it's meant to be out in the first-half of 2023, in Early Access anyway so this is one i'll be keeping my fingers crossed for.

↓

The Invincible

I don't know much about this one, but The Invincible looks to be in the same vain as the fantastic Firewatch. It's an alternative-scifi with you playing a Russian astrobiologist thats stuck on a planet and has to get out. Story heavy games never had me very interested as a teen, but these last few years I've found some fantastic tales spun by the likes of Prey, Dishonored, God of War etc. and I have a feeling The Invincible is going to be another one of those games.

↓

Nine Sols

This is actually the only game I have ever backed and I don't regret a penny. Imagine Sekiro, but 2D, hand drawn and a rogue like - that's exactly what Nine Sols is. You play Yi, who has to take down the Nine Sols in a asian influences cyberpunk world.

Having played the demo (and some beta) Nine Sols is shaping up incredibly; the combat is looking to be outstanding for a game of this type and I hope the guys deliver on everything I've seen so far.

↓

The Ranchers

This is one of those unicorn games that apparently and hopefully will be able to do it all. Much like Raft, Grounded or Len's Island this is sort of a farming-simulator / survival game... but multiplayer. From what we've seen from the dev's in early trailers this could potentially be fantastic, with so much detail being on show. I would normally be hesitant with a game that trying to do so much, but having found a love in these more relaxed games of late I really am rooting for The Ranchers.

↓

The Finals

The only straight up FPS on my list is The Finals by the dev's behind the Battlefield series. This looks nuts. A modern, highly-destructive team FPS where you can literally mash up everything, with some incredible physics defying fights. I've missed a great shooter in the vain of something like a Quake / COD mash up and I think this might be it.

↓

Banishers: Ghost of New Eden

Ghosts. Ghost hunters. Co-op. That's all you need to know. Or just read my other write up on this here.

↓

The Killer

The undisputed KING of macabre, serial killers stories David Finicher is back and this time he's bringing Michael Fassbender for the ride. Based on an obscure French comic book, we see Fassbender play the titular Killer, whose conscience comes into play the longer he is away from his last kill. Yup, that's enough for me. I'm in.

↓

The Flash

This movie is finally coming... who'd believe it after it initially meaning to be realesed in 2018. With Miller spending a good part of 2022 doing his best portrayal of Eobard Thawne; the rumours surrounding Flash are that it's the best DC movie since The Dark Knight. I'm not one for that kind of hype, but the ground work is there. Miller (although a mad man) is clearly a fantastic actor, Keaton is back as Batman and we have Supergirl entering the fray. This could be the best CBM of the year if it lands right, and I think it will.

↓

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning

It's another MI film... whats not to look forward too? Cruise has been trying to kill himself for entertainment for a good 20 years and I don't think Dead Reckoning is going to buck the trend. Fully expect this to be awesome.

↓

Ferrari

After Bale and Damon put on such a masterclass with Ford v Ferrari, there's a lot to live up to for any car-related movie. Yet Ferrari directed by the great Michael Mann, led by Adam Driver has every chance of shaping up deliciously. I love Driver's ability to channel this suave-rage with his characters, something I think will tie nicely into his portrayal of Enzo.

↓

Killers of the Flower Moon

It's been a while since a film starring DiCaprio had me excited - so a movie about the Osage Murders led by the afromentioned DiCaprio directed by Martin Scorcese could not have come at a better time. Im a sucker for anything with the words serial-killr so I'll be there day one hoping for another masterclass by this duo.

↓

Air Jordan

Affleck is finally back. It's been years since this man has directed a movie but now he's back with his buddy Matt Damon, telling the story of a Nike salesman trying to capture Michael Jordan for the sports juggernaut.

Say less.

↓

Argylle

Directed by Mathew Vaughn (of X-Men First Class and Kingsman fame) is a spy movie, sporting Henry Cavill with quite literally the most millitant hair cut known to man. Steve Zahn would be proud.

P.S. theres nothing else out about this movie but thats more than enough for me to be excited.

↓

True Detective: Night Country

This show is a bit of an oddball. The first season is seen as a classic, the second a huge step back and the third a slow return to form; so can this new season starring Jodie Foster finally rekindle the magic that was season one? It has just about everything going for it, especially the setting; Alaska, during the Winter - a perfect brew for death and mystery. This is one I'll be crossing my fingers for.

↓

Shogun

A series set in 17th Century Japan, based on the legendary book, led by Hiroyuki Sanada? Oooh you crazy bastard I'M IN. I'm a sucker for stories like this and knowing the ever awesome KANEDA is leading this story of samurai, deception and survival it feels like it was handmade for me - and you can bet I'll be there day one.

↓

Three Body Problem

The Three Body Problem, might just be the sleeper hit of 2023 if the men behind GoT get this story right. Having read (2 of 3 books) in the series, this is quite possibly the most wild sci-fi story I have ever red. Set in China, during the 1970s (and onwards) the way this story takes such a simply concept about alien contact and flips it on a dime is incredible. Really hope this does well.

↓

···

GIF by loveyazy

Secret Invasion

I can't believe I'm actually excited for something Marvel, but this espionage thriller led by Samuel L Jackson is it. I have loved the more serious takes Marvel have attempted (The Winter Soldier) and this looks like a straight continuation in vibe and style. Adding Ben Mendehlson, Olvia Colman and more to the cast (with it being a mini-series as well) I fully believe this will be the best thing Marvel does the whole of 2023.

[sharonisthebettercarter]

the people in denial about this genuinely worry me.

billy butcher is genocidal.

i love him (both actually) as a character, he's very intriguing and entertaining, utterly fascinating as a case study. but that sumbitch knows he's a horrifically evil person and chooses to do whatever horrible act that comes to mind anyway.

homelander was raised specifically to not be able to tell the difference/believe that he is above humanity and therefore 'exempt' from limitations/rules of morality (ironic, because he still obeys them most the time, unfortunately people taught him how to disobey and get away with it, and now with crowds of people makin' him realize they don't give a shit...)

because he doesn't even believe he is human. he's been dehumanized and preconditioned to that level.

but billy is legitimately genocidal over a group he *knows* includes innocent people and *children* over the actions of a *single* person.

"punish only he who has committed the crime"

collective punishment is a literal war crime and also billy's favorite--

he gives absolutely no shits about any other victims. his revenge boner is 100% driven by his pride 'as a man' because another man 'sullied what was his' or 'touched his property' or 'invaded his territory'. take your pick of poison phrase, but that is the play.

that is the only play for butcher...

had he really *really* cared about what becca/becky had to say?

he'd fucking *listen* to her, the actual voice of the actual victim, instead of amassing piles upon piles of dead bodies she never asked for nor wanted, and plastering her name at the top of the macabre hill he's built.

she would have felt *safe* enough to confide in *him*, instead of keeping it a secret/going to vought because she was *afraid* of his reaction.

it still disgusts me how just how fucking little fandom seems to care about what *becca/becky* actually wanted, and how billy treats her as a result. like this shit ain't hidden, it's literally outlined in *plain site*, *shown* to us in the fucking story.

he *adds* insult to injury. he makes everything *worse* for her. and that doesn't even begin to cover just how much his dependency on her was *destroying* her to begin with.

and the thing is, he fucking knows.

but fandom misogyny rears its ugly head again, guess what--to protect *the man*. nevermind kimiko or starlight. and who were those other women butcher mistreated? not important, right? or y'know? let's just blame homelander. billy does and he's the 'main character', hughie doesn't exist so butcher *must* be right--

instead, billy makes it about himself and what *he* wants. he uses what happened to becca, the actual victim, as an *excuse* to be his worst self--which she fucking hated!

world's shittiest fuckin' husband--.

and then there's the genocide. that shit actually scares me. we shouldn't have genocide apologists in the world, let alone in *this* fandom of all things, the boys fandom, the comic AND show that make the clear cut point that *GENOCIDE* is *UNJUSTIFIABLE*, in every and all circumstances--no excuses.

you throw in the fact that billy is also a fuckin' rapist in the comic and homelander isn't even *the* rapist who hurt becky, he was after the wrong guy from the start, and it just goes to show.

we could have rational, reasonable, and understanding *non-ableist* people that could get that homelander is confirmable as *clinically* criminally insane and needs *help*. not a madman purposely trying to make him explode and destroy the world.

we could have the grooming apologism with madelyn stillwell addressed instead of purposely ignored so people don't feel bad about being horny, when they can *very easily* be horny *and* address that shit respectfully. (AND tag their shit accordingly!)

we *could* have people not excuse literal fucking genocide because they are so damn media illiterate that one of the biggest, SIMPLEST, messages of the series just flies right over their heads.

THIS AIN'T HARD. GENOCIDE = BAD. WAR PROFITEERING = BAD. CAPITALISM = BAD.

we could have nuance and conversations about this shit that actually give it the time of day, spread awareness, bring that understanding, and then move on with our lives with people as free to be as horny as they want!

and i'll be fair, i'll give credit where it's due that it at least happens *sometimes* for *some* things.

but no.

we can't have nice things... for... some reason i guess.

mm is better than both these motherfuckers--

[korn-y-copia]

Popia at Disney World (feat. the ghouls, Sister Imperator, Papa Nihil, and Mr. Saltarian)

So I am at Disney this week, but the Copia brainrot is so real he has seeped into every thought and every scenario in my head, so here are some headcanons I came up with while in the parks!!!

Starting off with Epcot: on “living with the land,” the ghouls (Aether specifically) go wild.

There’s a section of the ride where produce is being grown, and there’s always a banana tree. Aether gets a little hungy, and jumps out of the boat to absolutely devour the fresh fruit. The ghouls follow behind, climbing out of the boat, eating edible (and inedible) plants alike until they are promptly escorted off of the attraction

Meanwhile, Copia remains seated pinching the bridge of his nose like a disgruntled chaperone.

Copia absolutely loses his shit on “Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.” I mean, ‘nuff said, the guy loves his rats, and the idea of sitting in a rat-shaped ride vehicle while being (literally) surrounded by rats, is just the neatest concept to him.

He would definitely be all “oh, haha!”—kind of like how he is at the beach house in Chapter 13. It would definitely be his favorite ride (because, as part of the fandom has headcanoned, I wholeheartedly believe “ratatouille” is his favorite movie, or up there in terms of his favorite movies anyway)

On that note, he probably sings the song from the movie—“Le Festin”—to his rats before bed every night, but definitely stops when he finds out the meaning of the song, and sobs.

Magic Kingdom: I think Copia would get a set of Mickey ears—like the classic ones (with “Cardi” or “Cardi C.” Embroidered on the back)

He also buys all the snacks: popcorn, Mickey ice cream, you name it—and yes, it gives him tummy aches, but it heals the inner child in him who didn’t to get to have these kind of experiences with, well, anyone 🥺

Haunted mansion: enough said, this is the ghoul’s favorite ride—Copia too enjoys it. (Ghosts dancing in the mansion? Call that “dance macabre” 🥴🥴🥴)

Hollywood Studios: While it’s no longer there, Copia would’ve loved “The Great Movie Ride.” In this ride, you got to go through recreated scenes from classic movies (I’m still not over them getting ridding of it, so maybe I’m projecting just a little bit?) and I could just see him being so excited, and epically misquoting them with not a care in the world ❤️❤️❤️

In the “alien” portion, where aliens would pop out of the ceiling and the walls, I could def see the ghouls screaming their heads off, Copia too probably.

This one is kinda mean I am so sorry, but I feel like Copia doesn’t like roller coasters and I could see the ghouls convincing him that the “Tower of Terror” is not a roller coaster, despite the screams that are coming from it as they approach.

He is totally inconsolable afterwords and refuses to talk to the ghouls so they have to buy him a Mickey ice cream or a churro to make it up to him (which it does) but now he just has another tummy ache again.

Okay, now let’s add Nihil and Imperator + Mr. Saltarian to the mix (briefly)

Even though Nihil is a “phantasm,” he’s complaining about all of the walking he has to do, so he makes Copia wheel him around instead because he wants to spite him or hate him or both idk what the fuck is up Nihil

Imperator makes Copia put on sunscreen every two hours because he has sensitive skin

She also maybe, but definitely does (albeit begrudgingly) carry around snacks for Copia and the ghouls—probably Scooby Doo fruit snacks or some shit

Copia is definitely internally screaming because he can’t just get one goddamn vacation without Nihil or Imperator inserting themselves

Saltarian is there too probably, but what is he doing? I have no idea, the man is an enigma.

I hope these are okay. If they are so absolutely ooc, please let me know! I just thought of them and wanted to share, thank you for reading!

[somnambulants]

i love your writing!! could you maybe do something with exes to lovers with nat?

word count: 3.9K notes: thanks for the request! i’m glad you like my writing! i also may...have started thinking about writing a second part because im super attached to this fic. let me know if thats something you guys would be interested in!

“Barton, you’re such a –“

Your world stops turning at the sound of that voice, everything else becoming static. It doesn’t matter that you’re standing in a room full of people that you’re supposed to be impressing.

It’s been over ten years since you’d last heard that voice.

Vaguely, you know that Captain America is speaking to you but the only thing you can pay attention to is her.

You turn slowly, and the second you lay eyes on her you know for sure.

It’s definitely her.

You see it the second she spots you too.

In all the time you’d known her, she’d always been so much more proficient at hiding things than you but you still see the way her eyes widen as she takes you in and the way her face shifts into something that resembles shock before she manages to mask it.

“Nat!”

You startle a little, having now somehow completely forgotten that Captain America was next to you and that you were in the middle of a tour of your new workplace the second you’d landed eyes on her.

Oh god.Your new workplace.

Your new workplace that was also clearly her workplace.

As she approaches, you futilely look for every possible way you can escape. “This is Y/N. Fury’s informant while Agent Emery is on reconnaissance. Y/N this is Natasha Romanoff.”

Natasha? Romanoff? Absurdly, you have the sudden urge to laugh.

She really couldn’t have come up with a better name after fleeing the country all those years ago? It’s a surprise to you that you hadn’t heard about her sooner with that alias.

Pushing that thought away and hoping that your face shows the professionalism you’re trying to convey, you straighten your spine and clear your throat. “Nice to meet you.”

Captain America’s eyes flick between the both of you. Maybe you’re not doing as good a job as you’d thought.

Natalia-Natasha takes the hand you extend to her and shakes it. “Likewise,” she says, and you hate the way your body still reacts to her voice all these years later; hate the way her touch still makes you feel.

Even more so, you hate that you don’t know what it is you’re feeling more of as you look into her eyes: fury or heartbreak.

She makes a flimsy –well flimsy to you – excuse and leaves the conversation after that. You watch her walk away, clenching the hand she’d touched into a fist as you resist the urge to put it through the wall next to you.

Somehow you think you’d have a hard time explaining it to the man still standing next to you, who is now watching you with a thoughtfully puzzled but not suspicious expression.

Not yet, anyway.

--

Your dreams that night are fitful and full of her. The first time you’d met, you’d been nothing more than children.

There are no children in red room though. Only fighters and a fighter, she definitely was.

You? Not so much. You’d never been designed to last more than a day in that place and you wouldn’t have, if not for her.

Natalia throws you back against the mat, again and then again and again. Each time you stand up with more difficulty until eventually, she throws you down so hard your vision blurs for a second.

You never had a chance against her, something you knew before you even stepped foot into the room and you know they must have known that too when they set you up against the most experienced fighter here.

It’s abundantly clear you’ve been set up to fail.

The next time she hits you, your legs give out beneath you and you can’t bring yourself to get up this time, even though you know what’s going to happen to you if you don’t.

You know how this works.

Bracing yourself for impact, you close your eyes and wait. It’s pathetic. You know.

The final blow never comes. When you finally crack open an eye, you find Natalia, arms crossed, just gazing down at you.

It might have been your imagination but her eyes don’t seem quite as hard as they had been before.

She extends a hand after a second of her just watching you and you watching her. A little part of you is convinced it’s a trick; that the second you take her hand, you’re going to fail whatever test this is.

Still, against your better judgement you take her hand and, rather than the macabre images playing out in your mind, instead she actually helps you stand, surprisingly gentle as she does so.

She gives you a second to reorient yourself and then her whole demeanour changes, turning cold and stiff as she crouches down back into a fighting position.

“Try again.”

Just as abruptly, you’re thrown into another and another. Quick flashes of the past that still haunt you.

Natalia taking you on your first mission.

Natalia holding your hand as you cried over the body of the first man you’d killed.

Natalia lying beside you on your mattress, running her hands through your hair gently when your nightmares became so bad you’d go days without sleeping.

Years and years of training. Years of bruises and broken bones. Mission after mission. Somehow, it’s all maybe not-quite worth it but it almost is – almost – because of her.

When you kiss her for the first time, you think that might be the first time either of you has had any control over what you do with your bodies. 

You can't remember a time where you'd had something you'd ever wanted and you wanted her so badly.

You can’t get enough of it. Or her.

And then, one day, you wake up and she’s just... gone. 

--

The next morning, feeling irritable and exhausted from your disturbed sleep, you walk into the avengers training room and find the one person you’d been hoping wouldn’t be there.

Of course, your mind spitefully whispers because of course it wasn’t enough for the universe to thrust her back into your life but it had to throw her in your face too.

When you enter, she has her back to you but you know she knows you’re there by the way her back stiffens slightly.

You watch as she stands up straighter at the words you throw at her back, unable to help yourself: “What is this? Babysitting duty? I think we’re passed that, aren’t we?”

She turns to you. “I usually come here early,” is all she says. She doesn’t respond to the bite in your voice.

You make a non-committal sound and then just decide to ignore her, stomping past her to make your way to the far corner of the room. You work by yourself in peace for about ten minutes before you hear the sound of footsteps and all of a sudden she’s in front of you.

“I need a partner,” she says. 

You have the urge to laugh in her face, before it strikes you how cathartic it would be to punch her right now, no matter how childish it might be, so you stand, letting the weight you’d been holding drop back to the floor with a loud thud, and follow her across the room.

You both crouch down in anticipation and you take a second to really look at her.

Her expression is unreadable. The pang you feel when you realise that surprises you.

There had been a time when you’d known her like the back of your hand and now she's nothing more than a stranger standing in front of you.

It hurts a lot more than you’d thought it would.

--

This continues for weeks. You don’t know why you let it happen but you do. You get up early; you go to the gym; you spar with her and then you fulfil the duties you’d been hired to do.

It’s almost easy to slip back into that headspace of your whole life revolving around her. Because it does. All you do is think about her when you’re not around her.

Over those weeks, you still barely speak a word to her because at least if you don’t speak, you have some kind of power.

To your surprise, she lets you ignore her, lets you pretend you don’t hear her whenever she speaks and you resent her a little more for that. You’d rather she hated you as much as you want to hate her.

It would make it all so much easier.

--

Eventually, though, you break.

You’re not strong enough to ignore your desire to know everything; to know how she’d ended up here. And why she’d clearly cared enough to stick around and try and save the entire world when you, a single person, hadn’t even been worth enough for her to stay.

“Why,” you pant, mid spar one morning. She’s kicking your ass, as usual. “Why here? Why the avengers?”

You’d sworn to yourself you’d never ask her this question but the yearning to know has been burning inside you since you’d walked into this building over a month ago now.

Equally as breathless, Natasha drops the careful façade she’d had up and looks at you with those eyes; the ones that could have made you do anything at one point in time. You’re not convinced they still couldn’t. “I wanted to do better… be better than what we were…. Isn’t that why you’re here, too?”

That answer hurts you more than any of the hits she’s landed on you this morning. And there’s been a lot. She’s still the superior fighter, even if she had left so long before you.

God, those words hurt to hear. Especially to have you lumped in with the clearly bad part of her life, whether it was her intention or not.

Maybe that’s why you say what you say next. Maybe there’s a little part of you wishes this whole situation would hurt her as much as it hurts you.

“How… uncharacteristic of you,” you ignore the last part of her sentence because honestly: you don’t know why you’re here. You feel like you’ve been lost and drifting your whole life and the only thing that had ever made sense to you was her.

You know your bitterness has bled into your voice with your words but you don’t make any effort to mask it. And if you can hear it, she definitely can too.

In the blink of an eye, she stops sparring with you, straightening up quicker than even you can catch. You let out a breathless huff of air as she grabs the front of your shirt pulling it so you’re forced forward until you’re almost nose to nose with her.

You hate that for a split second, before you can control yourself, you lean in slightly. As much as your mind can’t stand her, your body has no such feelings and it still wants her. You know you have no hope of hiding it from her so you don’t even bother.

“You don’t know me,” she says. The words come out of her mouth fiercely but the look in her eyes is soft, beseeching, like she wants you to hear her. “I'm not that person anymore.”

Like it matters.

It’s like you’re suspended in time for a second, and all you can think of as you look into her eyes is of the woman you knew.

You hate that you still miss her.

There’s a flicker of something in her eyes that you want to believe mirrors the torrent of emotions currently taking over you – the sadness, the anger, the grief – but you know better than to have hope when it comes to her.

You know all too well how it ends. And you’ve had enough of false hope.

Typically, in a fight, you know Natasha would come out on top – has every time -- but she’s never had your anger directed at her the way it is now and she isn’t expecting the way you’re practically vibrating with it as you shove her away, so hard that she stumbles backwards, only just managing to stay on her feet.

“Clearly,” you spit at her as you straighten up, and start walking towards the exit.

You know she’s still just standing there in the same spot. You can feel her eyes on you.“Yeah, run away,” she mutters under her breath.

It’s the first time she’s shown you the attitude you’d been giving her for weeks and her reaction is justified, you can admit it, but you don’t care.

You spin around, fury overtaking you as you advance on her until you’re pinning her against the wall behind her. “Sorry,” you hiss, glaring into her eyes. “I forgot you’re the only one who can do that.”

“That was different.”

You laugh. It’s not a nice one. It sounds like an injured animal trying to claw it’s way out of your throat. 

“Why? Because it was you doing it? Excuse me for not being —“

All of a sudden, she’s kissing you. Or you’re kissing her.

Either way, you’re kissing and you don’t know how exactly it happened but you know that you can’t get enough of her; can’t get her close enough even though there’s no longer even an inch of space between you.

She flips your positions, tugging you closer, and you’re abruptly bathed in cool air as she rips your shirt off you, shoving you against the wall.

Your heart picks up rapidly as she kneels in front of you, easing the rest of your clothes off in one fluid moment.

“I hate you. So much,” you tell her as you step out of your pants and it’s not convincing even to you. Still, you repeat it again and again as she kisses down your body – so tenderly and gently that your voice starts to wobble.

You hate it. You hate her.

She looks up at you from in between your legs, now on her knees. It’s such a vulnerable position that you find you can’t look at her and you have to close your eyes. Natasha digs her nails into your thighs as she forces them apart.

“Look at me,” she demands. Her grip tightens until you obey; you know you’re going have crescent shaped bruises tomorrow. Her gaze is soft and tender and just all consuming. You know there’s no coming back from it. You’d never had a chance, even back when you didn’t mind not having one. “Don’t look away.”

You don’t, not even when she finally, finally, touches you and your head falls back against the wall. 

You hold her gaze the entire time knowing how incredibly stupid this is and not caring at all about how much you’ll regret it later when you’re thinking straight.

--

And regret it, you do.

You stop working out early. You walk the other way in the halls if you see her. You know people are catching on that something is going on between the both of you; have caught multiple avengers giving you quizzical looks whenever you’re in the same room and it makes you feel even worse than before.

You channel all that regret into something more meaningful and commit to doing a damn good job at what you were actually here for. And you do. You can admit you do a fantastic job.

Every time you hand a report in or come back from a mission, you swear see a glimmer of approval in Fury’s eyes. Something you’d heard was notoriously hard to come by.

You must have done something really shitty in a past life though because after weeks of throwing yourself into your temporary duties, you walk into your temporarily office and are immediately flagged down by Fury, who debriefs you on the details of a mission he’s sending you on.

You’re thrilled for about three seconds until you see the name of the person you’re going with.

Agent Natasha Romanoff.

Fury is looking at you with a scrutinising expression when you look up from the file. Every time he looks at you it’s like he can see inside your soul. “Is that a problem?”

You grit your teeth and force yourself to smile. “Of course not, sir.”

--

It is a problem. A big problem, in fact.

You don’t speak to her on the flight there. Even though it’s only the two of you confined in the aircraft. You don’t even so much let yourself look at her. You can feel her looking at you multiple times, though, even though she’s piloting and should only be looking at the course in front of you.

There are no words exchanged between you all day beyond the times you absolutely have to speak. 

At least not until you reach the tiny hotel room you’d been given.

The second the door closes behind you both, she turns to you and opens her mouth and maybe it’s cowardly but you cut her off before she even start speaking.

“I’m going to have a shower,” you say and flee the room with your entire carry-on, worried that if you pause to sift through your things, she’ll keep talking.

Still in the same spot, the look on Natasha’s face when you emerge from the bathroom is full of clear exhaustion. You hate the way it makes you feel. Empty. Sad. It’s exhausting for you trying to convince yourself you hate her.

“I’m sorry I left,” she says and you freeze. “I wanted to come back. Find you. I just didn’t know - i didn’t know if you even wanted me to.”

You’ve wanted to hear those words for so long. Now you have you don’t know what to do. “Why did you leave?”

She hesitates. The look in her eyes tells you you’re not going to get a full answer. That as open as she’s trying to be, you still don’t get to know why she abandoned you. “It’s a long story.”

The evasion stings. “An apology means nothing if you won’t tell me why.”

It’s an unfair thing to say. You know that but you don’t really feel like being fair right now.

You chance a look up when she doesn’t respond and find her looking down at the floor. It makes you wonder what — or who — she must still be protecting by not telling you. 

It becomes apparent that she’s not going to say anything else after the silence between you drags on long enough that the tension in the air becomes almost unbearable.

You don’t want to give her the satisfaction of seeing the tears in your eyes so you flick the light off and turn the lamp on your shared nightstand off, throwing the both of you into immediate darkness. It’s definitely too early to be sleeping but you don’t care.

Eventually, after laying there rigidly for what feels like hours and listening to the sounds of Natasha tossing and turning in the other bed, you finally fall asleep and are immediately thrown into dream after dream that quickly turn into fitful nightmares.

Nightmares that may be more aptly called memories. After one particularly bad one that thrusts you back into consciousness, you bolt upwards, still half asleep. 

You only narrowly manage to avoid bumping straight into Natasha, who’s hovering above you, because of her hand on your shoulder holding you in place.

You flinch away from her instinctively and she backs up to give you a little space.

The only sound in the room is your heavy and desperate gasping for air. Natasha, now perched on the very edge of the bed, bites her lip, looking at you as if she knows exactly what you’d been dreaming about.

She probably does. It doesn’t take a genius to guess.

“Are you –"

“I’m fine,” you say flatly. You stare up at the ceiling, absently counting the tiles as you try to slow your breathing.

You’re hyperventilating, you know it, you just can’t get yourself to stop. You’re also sweating, it’s disgusting. You can feel how all of your clothes are stuck to you. Your hair flattened to your neck.

If you hadn’t been dealing with this for so long, you’re pretty sure that you’d think you were having a heart attack instead of a panic attack.

But you have. Been dealing with it. It’s just something you’ve come to expect now. You just never thought she’d be here to witness it.

All of a sudden, as you’re still trying to calm your breathing, the bed dips below you.

Your eyes fly open in shock to find Natasha sliding onto the mattress beside you, still on top of the covers.

Gingerly, she rests her head on the pillow next to your head and fixes her gaze on the ceiling.

It’s slight but her hand brushes against your own a few minutes later.

You suck in a breath between your teeth, but despite yourself, you let her move closer, until she’s so close you’re almost touching, and you can hear her quiet breathing.

Against your better judgement, you let your eyes slip closed again. Seeming to understand you’re not going to push her away, Natasha shifts closer, until you’re both shoulder to shoulder, the way she used to lay next to you when you had bad dreams when you were kids.

She grabs your hand, and slowly, hesitantly, she moves it to her chest where you can feel her heart thrumming rapidly under your fingertips. Surprisingly, it still works; you breathe in and out, in out in out, in time with her heartbeat.

You must at some point fall asleep because all of a sudden you can hear birds chirping outside the window and the sounds of people outside in the street.

When you open your eyes, you expect to find the spot next to you empty and the covers unruffled, as if she’d never been there at all but to your shock she’s still there beside you, awake and on top of the covers.

The circles under her eyes make you think she must not have slept at all.

You slide out of the bed and head towards the bathroom without saying a word, where you turn the shower on and just sit under the spray for what must be at least an hour, letting the water run over you and trying not to think.

This time when you return, she’s gone.

--

The rest of the mission goes smoothly. If nothing else, you both work well together as a team. You can still read her movements like a book, and she knows to anticipate what you’re doing before you even know yourself.

The days go fine. The nights not so much. You don’t speak about it but every night you’re woken up by the same dreams and every night you wake up to find her kneeling beside you.

If you were stronger willed, you would’ve shoved her away the first time, but you can’t bring yourself to. Maybe it’s a little selfish but you can’t find it in yourself to care. 

The last night of the mission is when you finally break, though. Something shifts in the air when you wake yourself up gasping and meet her eyes. The same eyes that had been blank and lifeless in your dream. 

You know she feels the shift as well by the way she’s looking at you, cautiously hopeful.

You don’t say anything though and neither does she. You just lay there, side by side, and watch each other carefully for what could be seconds, or it could be hours.

Her eyes are begging wordlessly: Truce?

Despite yourself, as you gaze back at her, you find yourself giving in. For tonight at least.

Truce.

[frosted-night]

Toothiana Concept Design Review

As promised, I tried to hunt down every single design of her and I think i got them all. (Or at least most.) It’s the Queen’s turn lets go, starting with her book designs!

According to Joyce, this is one of the earliest designs for Tooth. She started out as a suited human and not as a human-bird hybrid. If you squint you can see a widow’s peak/hairline on her head. She gives me more super hero-like vibes in this one and the peacock feathers are interesting! I can’t say I’m a fan of it. Below is another book design I found that is VERY similar to this one, so I grouped them together.

Rating: 4/10 Glad he made her more bird like.

As a bonus, here is the design for Tooth as a child. Her toy there looks almost like a tooth but I have no idea what it actually is. I like how u can see a tiny curl of her hair under the hat. Otherwise I don’t have a lot of thoughts on this one.

Rating: 4/10 Not a fan but this exists I guess. BUT SHE ALSO HAS A SWORD.

A tooth that appears in the Man In The Moon Picture book. (Heh it almost looks like shes hanging onto Aster’s sleeve here.) I just noticed shes got an F symbol on her bag that she has on the belt of her childhood outfit. She looks kinda angelic here ngl. Very wintery colors. Rating: 6/10 Wish she was more colorful just a little bit

THERE SHE IS. THE FINAL BOOK TOOTH. Her feathers are absolutely stunning and the feather-puffy pants combo is  A LOOK(A good one). The only things I got that bother me is how round her head is at the top. If it had longer feathers that stuck out it’d look a little less weird. And one other thing

Ear Feathers?????? Don’t know why but this AINT A VIBE. Rating: 7/10 looks like a queen and the swords are badass

I cannot stress enough how many movie Tooth designs exist so buckle up.

Starting with a mysterious human looking Tooth, this design surfaced from this post 8 years ago. The original poster claimed it wasn’t from the movie credits and I couldn’t find any other trace of this design so it’s dubious at best. However I included it just in case it was in the movies/plans at some point of production. (I’m a little skeptical but oh well.) I do like how her outfit does look similar to real life outfits of her home region and she just looks gorgeous here.

Rating: Dubiously Canon/10

This one feels more stylistic but damb I gotta appreciate how intricate her feathers look. Looks like she’s right out of a storybook and it’s very appealing.

Rating: 6/10 Not many thoughts just love her

A fascinating one I found in my search. This was one of three designs that had Tooth in a mask but if you squint you can see she has a knife/dagger. So she would have had that blade wielding quirk like her book counterpart. She looks a bit more human in this one(At least in my opinion) The little flared collar is a nice touch that I oddly like. She looks like a fairy queen here for sure. She almost reminds me of a fencer Rating: 5/10 Good but too human

The other masked Tooth! There are, a lot of thoughts I have about this one. The colors are GREAT and so are her wings. Her body however reminds me of the suited Tooth design Joyce had drawn up. It looks almost like shes wearing a shirt with holes in it over a pink one and I just don’t know how to feel about it. Something is just off about this one.

Rating: 3/10 Wings r great throw the rest away

Another rare Tooth. She looks very similar to the one above and still has that mask. Or it could just be her actual head and not a mask this whole time! What a twist. Anyway, given the lighting it’s hard to tell what her base colors were but I’ll work with what we got. She’s a little less colorful looking than the other Tooths so it’s a little disappointing. Her wings are still quite impressive in my opinion.

Rating: 5/10 It’s nice but very one note in this concept image color wise

Now this Tooth is an interesting one. She ditched the bird theming all together and is more butterfly themed. She’s more humanoid here but something about this design just hits a sweet spot for me. It’s very simple but I can’t explain it. Also I’m weak for her head covering/hood(?)

Rating: 8/10 Ignore the very blue white haired Sasuke lookin guy in her arms

Excuse the very poor image quality here. I could only find it in this resolution so we gotta squint on this one. This one.. Call me weak but its one of my favorites. Her puffy pants make a return and they look like actual clothes! Her feather-cloak is a nice touch. I *think* this Tooth has hair if you look close but it’s hard to tell. It works in this design oddly works! Rating: 8/10 No complaints! Just that its so JPEGY AAAAA

Oh man Y’all I

Her energy itself is powerful. This Tooth feels older than the final design and has a very seasoned look to her. Call me a simp I DONT CARE. She’s such a queen here and I can’t get over it

She lives in my head rent free and I will never ask her to pay rent. I’ll PAY HER. If I was forced to pick a favorite Tooth, it’s this one. She has fantasy elements and traits that remind me of an Indian Queen.

Rating: 10/10 Y’all already know i simp for this one I dont need to put anything else here.

The final Tooth having gold feathers to imitate jewelry is just as good so I have no complaints about her. Her eyes are absolutely stunning

They sort of remind me of a mosaic with light shining on it or gemstones even. That and her eyelashes are so on point. I fuckin ADORE THEM. No lash glue needed those are all natural baby. Additionally, she’s very humming bird themed(which is excellent) but her wings actually look more like dragon fly wings

Curious since they are one of(if not the) fastest flying insect. It makes sense when you see how fast Tooth can zip around. It never occurred to me until dragonflies came around this season and I watched them closely. Overall I adore this version of her all the same.

Rating: Macabre Queen of Teeth/10

[renoxvated]

Ah yes, there was that EXPRESSION he’d wanted to see so bad, swears he could have got off just watching the color, the LIFE, drain from the other man’s face. Roy wants to laugh and maybe if he wasn’t so damned angry he might have. Maybe he still does internally, at least a little. Happy to hear those three little words uttered out by Benny— what the fuck; yes what the fuck indeed.

Roy wonders just how many more people the other man had killed to climb his way to the top, ironic given the name of this place. But if Benny knew how to climb to the top, The Courier knew out to climb out from the bottom of a GRAVE. Roy didn’t know how to die, had lives in him, like a string of bad luck for anyone that pissed him off and boy had the man before him shaken up a whole hornets nest of trouble.

Then Benny says the word baby, and it may have just been an expression but Roy barks back, quickly flustered. “I ain’t your baby.” He snaps, face going red, though if it’s from the anger or the embarrassment he isn’t sure, nor has he noticed. “Cooler heads are prevailin’? or whatever— if I was any less cool my hands would be round your throat faster than your boys could finish killin’ me, so why don’t we go someplace we can TALK before I make a big scene.” He speaks the last words just a bit lower when he sees Benny wave off his guys somewhat and he lets out a hollow sort of laugh.

“Stupid? Someone fuckin’ shot ME in the head,” Roy practically chokes out, expression shifting from anger to something more like a brief flash of FEAR, but it’s fleeting. “Thankfully your aim is shittier than your fuckin’ suit…how the hell would you feel?” Six doesn’t really mean it as a question, he knows the answer anyway, because the other man would have probably already shot him, so why hadn’t The Courier yet? Maybe for the same reason Benny didn’t have his goons shoot him just yet, too many eyes, too many patrons, too many questions and Six was sure he was teetering on that line like a macabre dance with the man in a checkered suit.

“You’ll have to forgive me sometimes my anger gets the best of me…ya’ know on account of GETTING SHOT IN THE HEAD.” Roy snaps again, although there’s less of an aggressive tone and more of a fuck you smart ass tone.

“I just want the chip back.” He takes a long steady breath, he doesn’t want to reel himself in, and maybe in another life he doesn’t— maybe he EXPLODES and bashes Benny’s smug, arrogant, pretty face in , but in the only one he’s got now; he tries to calm the tides of his emotional waves even if there’s a storm that wants to brew.

“and then you can give me at least one reaallllll fuckin’ good reason why I shouldn’t punch you till you don’t remember the last six years of your goddamn life. I think I’m kinda owed an explanation considerin’ I crawled outta hell to come all this way, just for you, baby.” The last word feels like poison on his tongue and he scrunches up his nose after he says it. He didn’t want an apology, knew it would probably only be a lie at worst and wouldn’t make him any less angry at best, but Roy wanted to know what— WHAT about that chip was worth killing him and all the other couriers over and why did House want it so bad? Why was the whole situation so complicated and secretive and why did he have to be shot over it?

He could feel the anger bubbling up under his skin, it’s BLISTERING, hotter than the Mojave sun itself. He’s thought about this moment for what feels like forever, but he still had the SCAR and the staples to remind himself it wasn’t all that long ago. The Courier thought about every little thing he wanted to do once he got this far, and oh god was there more than enough CRUELTY built up in him that it was ready to overflow like the Hoover Dam BREAKING. They’d taken his guns, his other weapons too— but he’d never really needed them to begin with, didn’t want the satisfaction of killing the man in the checkered suit to be over so quickly. Roy would use his bare hands, SQUEEZING every ounce of life, every DROP of sweat out of Benny…

and there the man of the hour stood, surrounded by bodyguards no less, fucking COWARD—! Six think’s, gritting his teeth like an animal holding back a bite from it’s toothy maw. He couldn’t kill him, well atleast not now, not here with these schmuck’s around, he could try of course; is pretty sure he’s beat worse odds already and if he died? Well he’d DRAG Benny’s checkered ass down to HELL with him.

He wants Benny to know he’s there, wants to watch the look on his face contort to horror, like he’s seen a GHOST. So when he steps towards the man at the top of the stairs he walks with an intimidating presence about him, sneer plastered on his face and with the swagger of David fighting Goliath; he doesn’t hesitate to cock the biggest shit eating nasty grin on his lips.

“Hey ya’ fuckin’ FINK, miss me?” Sneering indignantly, he blows a quick kiss to the man, but it’s anything but sweet.

starter for @smoothmovesbaby

[arrowflier]

A fic prompt if you'd like: Mickey opening up to Ian about details of his childhood and the abuse he suffered. In 11x06 after Terry is brought home Mickey says he could do anything to him now like "piss on him and let him air dry" and "use his mouth as an ash tray". To me it sounds like those are examples of things that Terry has done to him.

Content warning: child abuse

the things he did

“You’re so much better than that.”

Ian’s words echoed in Mickey’s head while the cooked dinner together. They resonated as they sat side by side at the table to eat, shoulders brushing, rings glinting in the harsh lights of the kitchen. They played on loop as they retired to the living room, alone for once with everyone else out for the night who knew where, sitting close on the sofa as mindless sitcoms droned on from the television.

“What if I’m not?” Mickey asked abruptly, when it got to be too much.

Ian turned to look at him, face full of shadows in the blue light from the tv.

“What if you’re not what?” he questioned, confused, and Mickey shifted away from him, bringing a knee onto the sofa between them to face his husband.

“Not better than that,” he answered, and saw Ian realize what he was talking about. It was in the way his eyes softened in that harsh light, the way his lips turned down at the thought that Mickey might question himself.

He always took it personally when Mickey did that.

“You are, Mickey,” Ian reassured instantly, just as expected. “I know you are.”

Mickey shook his head, looking down. His fingers scratched at the label of his beer, tearing it from the condensation-wet bottle.

“You don’t,” he said quietly. “No one fucking does.” He shook his head, looked up again into Ian’s green eyes. “You don’t just come away from a life like that and turn out alright.”

Ian looked like he wanted to argue. His chin was already pushing out, his lips pressed tight and thin.

Mickey didn’t give him a chance.

“If you knew half the things he did to us, man,” Mickey laughed humorlessly, averting his gaze again. “He should be on death row right now, not sitting next door with a roof over his fuckin’ head.”

“Tell me,” Ian prompted softly, but Mickey shook his head.

“You don’t want to hear this shit, Ian.” At least, Mickey didn’t want him to hear it. Didn’t want him to think of Terry when he looked at Mickey’s face.

“I do though,” Ian countered easily. “Wanna know everything about you, Mick.”

He was always saying things like that. Always trying to challenge the barriers Mickey put up.

But Mickey always challenged his, too, so he supposed that it was a fair enough trade.

“Fuckin’ sap,” Mickey said anyway, glancing up at Ian’s face and down again. “Gonna change what you think of me,” he added more quietly, and bit his lip at how pathetic it made him sound.

“Mickey,” Ian said. That was it, just his name. But it made things better, somehow. “Nothing can change how I feel about you,” Ian went on. “Besides, I was there for some it, remember?”

Mickey snorted, and took a swig of beer.

“How could I fuckin’ forget?”

They sat in silence for a long moment, only the sound of the clock ticking behind them and the strains of an annoying jingle on the TV filling the room. Ian didn’t scoot any closer, didn’t ask Mickey again. He just sat in his presence, calming sipping his own drink, and waited Mickey out.

It was a technique that never failed him.

“It wasn’t too bad when our mom was there,” Mickey started out of nowhere. “She was strung out most of the time, but she cared, you know?” He ran a hand through his hair, scratched his neck. “At least in her own way.”

“And when she wasn’t?” Ian prompted gently. Not pushing, just providing a guiding hand.

Mickey shook his head. “When she wasn’t, things really went to hell.”

A beat. The TV had changed over to some new infomercial, an obnoxiously eager voice droning on about the ‘next best thing’, whatever that was. Mickey ignored it. They both did.

“Iggy and Colin were already used to it, I think,” Mickey expanded. “They were around more the first few times she left, when Mandy and I were still in school. They knew what was coming when she was gone for good.”

Ian made a sound, deep in his throat. He set down his glass on the coffee table, overlapping the multitude of condensation rings that already marred the surface, and grabbed up the carton of cigarettes that lay there. He lit it with a spare lighter, took a drag, and passed it over to Mickey’s waiting hand.

“What about you?” he asked casually. Too casually for the way his fingers shook when Mickey took the cigarette from him.

Mickey scoffed. “Me?” he repeated, then took a drag himself. He held it in as long as he could, breathed it out in a plume of smoke that hid the new wetness in his eyes.

“I was a naive little shit whose mamma hadn’t warned him how bad Terry could get,” Mickey said, then took another hit.

“The first time he hit me—really hit me, not just a cuff around the ears for mouthing off—he laid me out flat on the kitchen floor. I had eaten the last side of bacon, see,” he explained. “Mandy made it for me after school. And Terry’d been savin’ it for after whatever run he was out on.”

Ian stayed silent.

“Couldn’t tell him it was Mandy’s fault,” Mickey went on. “He didn’t care that she was a girl.” Mickey flicked the ashes off the end of the cigarette, watched them fall. Watched the tiny burns it made on the knee of his jeans. “Didn’t care until she was useful.”

Ian swallowed hard at the reminder of what Terry had done to his best friend. But this was about Mickey right now, not Mandy, and as much as she was entrenched in that part of his life, it wasn’t what he needed to get out.

So Ian scooted closer, brushed ashes off Mickey’s knee and rested his hand there, waiting.

Mickey stared at the point of contact, then at his cigarette again.

“You know he used to burn me with these?” Mickey asked abruptly, waving the lit stick in his hand. “Think it was an accident, the first time. Caught me suckin’ on a candy one when I was a kid, told me I needed to man up. Tried to stick a lit one in my mouth, but he was drunk. Used the wrong end.”

He tongued the corner of his lips. “Couldn’t eat for two days while it was healin’.” He chuckled, shook his head. “I was suck a fuckin’ wimp back then, man.”

“Not the worst thing he’s put in my mouth, though,” Mickey continued, on a roll now. His voice was faint, full of that absent quality it got when he wasn’t really there. When he was reliving his nightmares in real time.

“Stumbled into my room more than once looking for the toilet,” he confided. “Forgot there was a second door, I think. He usually just went in the corner, but he got me on my bed more than once.”

Mickey paused, looked up at Ian through his lashes.

“You know why I don’t breathe through my mouth anymore?”

Ian shook his head.

“Wakin’ up to the taste of piss will teach you that trick real quick.”

The cigarette was gone, now, and his beer was only dregs. Mickey stared at a space over Ian’s shoulder, breathing heavy, refusing to let his eyes spill over.

He was done crying for the kid that let his dad walk all over him. He was done crying for Terry. He was done with all of it.

And he really, really wished that were true.

“Frank locked me in the basement, once,” Ian stated suddenly, taking the empty beer bottle out of Mickey’s hand and placing it with his own glass on the table. “During one of my mom’s episodes, when she wouldn’t get out of bed.”

Mickey just looked at him. Let Ian take his hand, turn it over to hold it in his.

“He told Fiona I was at a sleepover, and she believed him—forgot I didn’t really have any friends.” Ian grinned, then, but it was empty, almost sharp.

You had friends, Mickey wanted to say. You had family. You had me.

But the first and the last were lies, and the middle wasn’t always a blessing.

“Lip found me two days later,” Ian told him. “He got suspicious when he saw Frank taking food down there; he was an asshole, but he wasn’t gonna starve a kid on purpose, at least.”

Ian laughed, and rubbed his free hand along the leg of his pants.

“He just didn’t want to look at me.”

Mickey gripped his hand tighter.

“Why are you tellin’ me this?” he asked. “It’s not a fuckin’ competition, man.”

“I’m just saying,” Ian pressed on. “We don’t have to be our dads, Mickey.”

Oh. And there it was. Ian, his husband, ever the optimist.

“What if we don’t get that choice?” Mickey questioned. He’d seen it often enough, after all. Milkoviches that tried to get out, tried to do better for themselves and their kids.

But they always ended up back where they started. They always ended up under Terry’s roof, and under his thumb, just waiting for another chance to break free.

Ian shrugged, and pulled him closer, tucking Mickey’s head into the space between his own neck and shoulder. Mickey made a grumbling sound, but went without protest, tilting his head so that his nose rested near Ian’s collarbone.

“Then I guess we have to kill each other,” Ian stated blandly.

Mickey gave a stunned, barked laugh, breath hitching and releasing in a wash of hot air over Ian’s neck.

“Ian, what the fuck?” he managed, but Ian only gripped him tighter, pressing his face into skin so that he couldn’t speak.

“It’s for the greater good, Mick,” Ian assured him. “Mutually assured destruction, and all that, right?”

He ran a hand down Mickey’s back, scratching lightly.

“I lock you in a basement, you take me out,” he declared. “You piss on me—well, without my permission at least—”

“Ew, Ian, Jesus Christ—”

“I get to murder you in your sleep.” Ian pulled back just enough to look at him, Mickey meeting his eyes without a struggle this time. For all the macabre discussions, Ian’s eyes were bright.

“Deal?” Ian asked, and Mickey finally smiled.

“Yeah, alright, tough guy,” he agreed. “It’s a fuckin’ deal.”

[danieltherowdyrufffan]

If I dissapointed you (chapter six- english)

Chapter 6: Sinister look.

Those eyes. So dark and gloomy, the look of someone who had the worst of intentions, whatever they might be. There he was, motionless as a perfect statue, with a small and mischievous smile. And the sound around me became like background music, echoing and unimportant. All the lights seemed to point at him, the one with the sinister look.

A fate was sealed here, it could no longer be changed. And seeing that boy so calm and smiling, and at the same time so macabre, one would deduce that this being was by far the most cruel creature. Define cruelty… this is nothing, yet.

A chill ran through Brick, feeling a disturbing fear, as if that sinister boy was going to attack him in some way. That horrible feeling, that this boy saw him specifically, planning something that would be his downfall.

"Brick!" He yelled so loudly that the thunderous sound of the music was overshadowed and made the redhead wake up from his trance. What are you doing here?! - demanded Princess, with great anger.

"Did you see… that?" He asked, still stunned, forgetting why he was there.

-What thing?-She ​​turned to see but didn't find anything, this irritated her.

-That… that he was…- she decided not to continue talking about it, it just caused her chills. Whatever it was, that boy was no longer there, he vanished into the shadows. Any.

-Any way at all. Why did you follow me?!-He insisted on knowing.

"Why are you in this place so…stupid?" He said, looking around with contempt.

"You've never been to an after party. Ha ha ha. Have you ever been to a party like this before?" Brick just frowned in reply. Have you at least been to some kind of party?

"Shut up!" he roared in frustration. You know what I came for.- He pointed out arrogantly-. I need you to give me that copy of Bombón's photographs!

I already told you I won't! You are just three pathetic boys, desperate for a plan to work out for you! I won't give it to you, for bothering me!

-Look, Morbucks, if you don't want it, that's fine with me, I'll force you to give me those photos.- He grabbed her arm roughly.

"I'd like to see you try," she challenged him.

"Are you challenging me, girl?" He narrowed his eyes, looking at her with contempt.

"Do you think so?" He spoke sarcastically.

-Princess- a girl spoke, one with short dark hair, approaching with another girl, with long bluish hair-. Who is that guy?" He asked curiously.

"Is he your boyfriend?" the other blue-haired girl mischievously asked.

"Of course not!" Princess exclaimed, getting as far away from Brick as she could.

"Who are these fools?" Brick asked, annoyed by the interruption.

-My friends.- the girl spoke, with a triumphant voice.

-Let me guess, they are with you for your money.- she sentenced, with a sly voice.

"Hey, you," the short-haired girl spoke. We're not with her for her money.

-Well, maybe that does influence a bit.- commented the other.

"And anyway, who are you supposed to be?" She asked, looking at the redhead carefully, judging him with her eyes.

-Do not be silly. He is Brick, the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys. - The millionaire girl spoke, not believing that her friends did not see something so obvious.

-I mean, that's not possible.- one said.

"And why not?!" Morbucks annoyed.

"Because obviously a Rowdyruff Boy wouldn't be at a party like this, ever," she answered, as if it were an obvious answer.

"I'm okay with that," Brick muttered, crossing his arms, trying to have a little patience, even though he was already wearing thin.

"That is to say," the other spoke. Those villains are so antisocial that they wouldn't even come close to a place like this. I mean, please, can't you be a little more normal?

"Wait, what?!" the redhead was offended.

"Yes, besides, that Brick guy, he's so ridiculous, always wearing that red cap." She turned to see Brick, not knowing that he was the real Brick. Just like this guy here.

-Yes, and what is that of "supervillains"? Are they characters from a superhero comic or what? They should get a life!

"Shut up, you sweet, stuck-up, superficial girls!" He yelled, enraged. Give me a reason not to pulverize them right now! -He threatened.

-Princess, control your boyfriend!

"He's not my boyfriend!" Princess yelled, indignant. You, stop already! Come on! - Now she was the one who took him by the arm and dragged him to the back door.

Leaving she could finally be quiet, without any noise to bother Brick, this calmed him down. Really, he hated parties.

-As he was telling you, don't even think that I will give you the photographs, you and your brothers deserve that for bothering me. Besides, what do you want them for? this is something they cannot win.

-Look how pathetic you are, you give up so easily.

"Stop calling me pathetic, chump!" she yelled, like she always does. I've been… no, we've been trying to beat them since we were kids. We have not achieved anything, after so many years I am tired. And you tell me I give up easy! EASY?!I spent eleven years of my life trying to be like them, trying to humiliate them! I already told you and I'll tell you again, I don't want to keep trying anymore! it's nonsense!

-None of that matters to me! just give me the fucking pictures of Bombón to embarrass her!

-Already! get on with something else! Study, work or beg in the street but if you continue like this you will only fail! - She turned around, giving the redhead her back -. It was very hard for me to understand…

"I already told you that if you don't give me those photos, I will torture you until you give them to me!" She really was serious, Princess she knew that, so she had no choice.

"Okay, whatever you want," she spoke, trying to sound as dignified as possible. I'll give them to you tomorrow, come to my mansion, I'll give them to you there. But I repeat, it is useless.

"And you were supposed to be the most insistent of the villains, always wanting to be a Powerpuff," she said, mocking her, causing the girl to grimace. It's amazing that someone so insistent would give up so pathetically.

"I, unlike you and your brothers, have a life," she sighed, as if she was tired. I can let this childishness pass and move on, but you guys don't have anything else, so I don't expect someone truly pathetic like you to understand. But whatever they do, they won't win, because what it took me so long to learn after so many years, is that good always triumphs over evil… and we are evil. We can't win, that's the law of history, it always will be.

"Just give me those stupid pictures tomorrow," she said, not knowing what else to say, because deep down she knew she was right. Evil always loses.

"I already want to get out of this disgusting and ridiculous city," she murmured thoughtfully. I want to get away from these mindless citizens, these stupid heroines, the stupid evil apes, the stupid talking dogs and the stupid conformist boys.

Of course she was no longer satisfied with that life, being a villain who always failed. She was dissatisfied, her life was meaningless, and even if she had all the money in the world, what was the point of her if those Goofballs had all the attention? She didn't want to go on like this. She was unhappy with her life, just like Brick, but unlike him, she was willing to change this.

Brick was filled with hate, but it was a hate… a lot like the one she felt for Blossom. Because Princess wanted to stop being how others saw her, just as Bombón changed, being her…

-Bad.

"What?" Princess turned to see him, confused.

"Bad!" She exclaimed, since she had discovered something, something that was true. Princess, it's not true! We can win this time!” Yes, his plans were evil, but for the first time in a long time, she came to think that she really had a chance.

"I already told you that the bad guys don't win!" She got annoyed at the foolishness of that boy in the red cap.

"That's right, Morbucks, the bad guys don't win!" He took her by the shoulders, shook her a bit, and then threw her to the ground. The bad guys don't win!

"You're crazy!" She yelled at him, getting up from the ground. I think the cap is too tight on your brain, of course, if you have one. And now it happens to you?!

"The bad guys don't win." He looked at her, smiling mischievously. Do you remember what you told us when you went to get our help? You said that Blossom is evil, you were right. What Bombón is doing with so many boys is evil, that means that…

"She's bad." That made her think a bit. And the bad guys never win…

-Yes, maybe this time we will have a chance, albeit minimally.- That hope was somewhat fanciful and didn't make much sense, but something you have to hold on to.

"You guys are really going to get on with this, aren't you?" She spoke, her voice bored.

"Until we get it, yes." It was clear the Rowdyruff Boys weren't going to stop, there was no point in reasoning with them in any way. Don't worry silly, we'll humiliate them for you too.- Maybe that was meant as an insult, but it sounded weird.

-Okay, I'll help you one more time.

-What? But who asked for your…?!

"I know what to do and I plan things better than you," she spoke, interrupting Brick's protest. Alone they would spoil it. A new plan, just this time, just because you guys make me feel sorry for you.

-We don't need your…!

"You should feel grateful that someone as busy as me helps them with something… that doesn't even interest me anymore." She walked, leaving, forgetting about her problems that night and even about the party she was at a few years ago. one moment-. I don't want any complaints, Brick, if you haven't hurt me by now I don't think you will later, I don't know why, but you don't seem in the mood to hit things today.

"Don't talk nonsense." He frowned. It's fine, if you want to help us that's fine.

No, it's not that Brick needed that hateful girl's help, it's not that he wanted her help either, it's something else, something more selfish. Blossom changed, and Princess was about to do it, she was envious of both of them, that's why she wanted revenge. I wantedto humiliate Blossom, not only for all those years in which they beat them, but also because she dared to change, to become more "evil", a change that Brick cannot make, even if he wanted to. That's why he didn't want Princess to stop being a villain, because he was envious that she did have the option to change.

"Oh, Brick, by the way," she called, he looked at her, confused. The party he was at was lousy, he just wanted you to know. - He smiled wickedly. Okay, maybe she wanted to stop being a villain, but the truth is that she would never stop being evil.

Brick got the hint. He flew all the way over to that building where this raucous and stupid party was taking place. He smiled wickedly. He aimed with both hands and unleashed a red energy attack at her, destroying the place completely. At least he did love being a villain.

Princess had already walked away, getting into her limousine. He watched the dark city from the window, noting how calm and clear of criminals it was. She looked at her reflection and wondered why she decided to try it one more time. She maybe she hadn't given up after all, maybe she still hadn't matured as she expected. Why did she want her to keep doing it? If she after all she knew that in the end she was going to lose.

There was no way, the bad guys don't win, even though Blossom is supposed to be evil because of her completely immoral acts… still, everyone believed she was the good one. In the best (or worst) case, both of them would end up losing. She really wanted to leave that city, it seemed that the mere idea of ​​wanting to humiliate them obsessed her, she hated the fact that deep down she was not going to change, that's why she wanted to leave. Perhaps to finally find something that would give true meaning to her life, not just a fanciful hope.

.

what darkness…

-Do it…

-Nope!

Spooky.

-This will not affect you.

-Nope! never!

And she doesn't shut up, she doesn't.

-It's your decision. You are selfish and you will end up accepting it.

-No, for nothing in the world! No!

The darkness invaded that place, the cold was intense… it was so empty. There was nothing, there was no one. Nothing existed, what happened disappeared. There was no end, but there was no beginning either. A nonsense. An existence without meaning.

-No!-He shouted, waking up from his nightmare, it was still night and he was very agitated.

Brick looked around her. His little brother wasn't asleep, in fact, he wasn't even there. The redhead had a nightmare, a terrible nightmare, but he didn't remember anything about it, he just didn't want to go back to sleep. The very idea made him shiver. He got up and looked for Boomer, who wasn't there. It didn't take him long to find him, he was sitting outside, looking up at the trees. For some reason, Brick calmed down. Maybe he felt uneasy not seeing his brother, which is strange because he doesn't usually worry about him.

"What are you doing here, idiot?" he asked sharply, pushing him forward.

-Nothing.- he answered, between annoyed and sleepy. He didn't want to tell her what was really wrong with him.

"Don't tell me you had a nightmare, you're a crybaby." Boomer looked down, he really had a bad dream. And that? Me too and I'm not crying like a little girl like you. Let's go to sleep, unless you're afraid of the dark.

"No, I don't want to," he replied mechanically. I'm not sleepy.- he added, but the truth is that he was very scared.

Brick continued to scoff but didn't press the issue, he was scared too. What a strange thing.

.

The next morning, the three brothers headed to Princesa's house. Of course, Boomer and Butch were very upset that they would be getting help from that hater again and they didn't understand how Brick allowed it. Sure, Brick didn't give a good answer every time he was asked. How was he going to tell them that he let her do this because he was envious that she had the option to change her life? It was a very silly reason, but it was so.

They didn't have to wait too long in front of her mansion, as the billionaire girl immediately came out to greet them. She didn't seem very animated, but she was very annoying as always. Now, they had to come up with a new plan, one better than the old one, and Princess Morbucks was already on it. There was only one small drawback.

"We don't know," the fluffy-haired girl explained. We have no idea, but Ace seems to help the girls.

"That idiot, imbecile, damn bastard, I'm going to kill him when I see him!" Butch exclaimed, enraged.

"There's something mysterious between them and him… Do they think they're allied or something?" Boomer spoke.

"Don't be silly." Butch pushed Boomer away, elbowing him.

-Maybe it's not so far-fetched.- murmured Princess, remembering that, precisely, Ace had a son and, for some reason, the little one was always in Acorn's care. But that is something that not many knew and she was not going to mention it. It's a posibility.

-If they interfered in our plans once, surely they will do it again.- the redhead spoke, cin a defiant voice. We should do something.

"Let's go," the girl said. Let's go to Ace and let's make it clear that we don't like him to interfere.- She spoke with confidence.

-Ahh.- but they weren't so sure.

"Oh stop whining like babies!" She scolded them, getting angry. You guys have powers, he doesn't! He's not supposed to be able to do anything against you! stop being so afraid of him!

"We already told you it's not fear!" the three exclaimed.

-Then?!

"That guy ruined our plan," she began to say, Brick. I don't know about you but I am very upset.

"We have to go break his face!" the green shouted enthusiastically.

"I still think that's a bad idea," Boomer muttered. We must not take it lightly. If he managed to mess up our plans last time… How do we know he's not waiting for us?

"That's true," Princess admitted. He may not look like it but he is smarter than he looks and you know it. For something he has come to where he is.

-Fine, but it doesn't matter, if he waits for us, he won't wait long.

"Then we'll go," Boomer concluded, sighing tiredly.

"And where is he now?" Butch spoke up, ready to dash off in search of that guy.

"It's in… Ah!" She was lifted into the air, moving further and further away from the ground, when she realized she was being held by Brick, who had already started to fly.

-Tell us on the way.- said the redhead.

"Next time let me know before you fly me away like that!" Idiot!" She yelled, as Butch and Boomer laughed out loud.

"Oh, I'm sorry, let me loose." She released her, but they were already at a considerable height and the girl fell until she almost touched the ground.

"Fuck you, Brick!" She screamed as she fell and the brothers couldn't stop laughing.

-LOL! Go catch her now, if she dies we won't know where Ace is! ha, ha, ha! - exclaimed Butch, between laughter.

Of course Brick went to catch her, grabbing her ankle, stopping her fall inches from crashing to the concrete.

-I hate you so much! Damn imbecile boy!-She screamed as she tried to kick and try to hit him in some way, but because of the way he was holding her, it was almost impossible.

I hate you too, girl. At least the feeling is mutual.

They reached a huge building, heavens, she could see herself in the distance. Was that where the mob was? Well, what more visible place.

"When we're done with this I'll tell my daddy to turn this place into a hotel," Morbucks muttered, annoyed.

"Well, let's go in," Butch said.

-Oh, don't even think about it.- the girl intervened-. I've seen the Super Dumb ones try to get in through a window, believe me, they collided like flies against a truck.

"Where do you get these things from?" Boomer said, stunned at how tall that building was.

"Where do you think?" He said, they looked at her with faces that they had already caught and that they were not amused at all. I will never sell you things again.

There was only one way in, and that was through the front door. Of course, the one who guarded the door was such an idiot that he let them in just like that.

-Thanks, Billy, we owe you one.- the four said as they entered the building almost as if it were their home.

They reached the top floor, it was a huge building but they got there quickly. They stood in front of an office door and stared as if waiting for a signal or something.

"We should go in, right?" Princess said with annoyance.

"Of course," Brick answered firmly. He then pushed Boomer so that he would be the first to pass.

"Why me?" He complained, somewhat scared.

"Because yes, now hurry up," the redhead ordered.

Boomer took a few steps toward the door, swallowed hard, and knocked on it a couple of times with no answer.

"It seems that there is no one, let's go." He turned around, really wanting to go.

"Let me try." Butch pushed Boomer aside and gave the door a couple of knocks himself, unintentionally so hard that he ended up knocking it down.

-Aaahhh!- the three brothers shouted, scared to see what the black-haired man had provoked.

-Stop crying like babies! Don't be afraid of Ace anymore, he's not going to eat you! - Princess scolded them.

"We're not afraid of him!" the three exclaimed angrily.

And inside that office, behind a desk, there he was, Ace, the boss of the mob, the most powerful man in the city, the one who controls absolutely everything, is said to have even more influence than the mayor himself. He equals the Morbucks family in fortune and is one of the most feared villains, being compared to the most destructive ones such as the Rowdyruff Boys, despite not having powers like these, but he has other methods… and he does that. be greatly feared and respected.

"Oh, to what do I owe the honor of his visit?" He spoke, with an ironic and slightly mocking voice, which the boys didn't like. It is rare that the Rowdyruff Boys come here and… oh, Princess Morbucks, long time no see me, how is your father?

-Better now that I tell him to go make an eParking at your house, damn bastard.- She said with hatred, frowning, furious because that man acted as if nothing had happened.

"Ah, do you really think he would do something like that?" She smiled, feeling superior.

"When I'm done with you, you won't be more than a janitor in a supermarket!" She threatened, with her bossy and arrogant voice.

-Really? And why are you so angry? Of course, if you can tell. - It is logical that she already knew, but it amused her so much to make her angry that way.

"I'll tell you what's going on," Brick intervened, pounding on the desk and looking at him sternly. You messed up our plan to humiliate the Powerpuffs and you did it on purpose! Why did you do something like that?!

"We're going to destroy this whole place if you don't answer and then we'll destroy you!" Butch threatened, much more annoyed than the others.

"I don't have to tell you my reasons, you silly little boys. What I do is my business and not yours, they just got in my way, that's all, I don't like what they were going to do. - He spoke with a serious voice and despite having his dark glasses, the boys felt that I was seeing them severely.

"And what are those issues supposed to be?" Boomer asked.

"These are personal matters and therefore, it does not concern you," he replied, turning his back on them, treating them as inferior.

She princess suspected what that personal motive was. Surely the reason why he protects the Powerpuffs is because Bellota is the babysitter of Ace's son, that would explain why it seems that they don't have many conflicts with each other, despite the fact that Ace is a criminal, that explains why Ace he doesn't want to see the Powerpuffs humiliated. She supposed that maybe if something happened to them he wouldn't have anyone to leave his child with.

"Is this your personal business?!" right! But it does concern us because you ruined our plans!-Shouted the Morbucks girl, forcing Ace to turn to see her, she hated being ignored.

"And they come here to tell me that?" She spoke arrogantly. Or is it something else?

-Well, just so you know, we're going to…!

"Silence!" Princess silenced Butch. If she finds out, she'll interfere again.

"So they plan another attack?" How interesting.- the mafia boss inquired.

"If you ruin our plans again, we'll destroy you!" Brick threatened harshly.

"I'd like to see you try it, here and now," he smiled, like someone who has nothing to fear.

The three boys thought about it for a moment. If Ace challenged them like that it's for a reason, he was surely a trap. As far as they're concerned, the entire room could be a death trap. Because Ace doesn't do things without thinking.

-What happened? Do they fear me?

"Of course not!" Butch shouted, indignant, launching himself to attack the subject.

"Stop right there." Ace pointed a gun at him and Butch stared, furious. This weapon disintegrates anything, and when I say anything I mean anything.- He smiled again, challenging him.

"I'm not afraid of a cheap weapon!" the green man yelled furiously.

-You want to try?

"Even if it was like that, I'm too fast for that lightning to hit me!" he yelled again, completely sure of himself.

"Are you sure?" but Ace seemed even more sure.

-Butch…- Brick spoke, calming down his brother.

-I guessed it, they're just some skittish kids.

"Enough already!" cried Princess, fed up with the whole thing. We want you to stop interfering with our plans! Well, you have a thing for the Powerpuffs, what about us?! Do you want to protect them?! Do it! But know very well that if you attack us, we will attack twice as many times as you, you stupid loser! Because you know what we're doing not even you can foresee! So you better step aside!

-Or what? Or will you ask your daddy to tear this building down and build a hotel? Let me tell you something, girl. she took the girl and pulled her close, spoke harshly to her and she only got more upset. I know the illegal things your father is into, because don't think he got to where he is with fair work. So, Little Princess, be careful what you do, because you can lose everything just by making me angry.- She released her and sat back in her chair.

"You will pay for this!" She shouted, indignant.

"Yeah, right." Ace pressed a button on his desk and a trapdoor opened on the floor and Princess fell into it.

-Wow, I thought those traps only existed in cartoons.- Boomer commented.

-Now, you, fall there too.- ordered the adult to the boys.

-What?! And why would we do that?! - Brick yelled at him, annoyed.

"Do you really want to mess with me in my office?" do you really want to challenge me? I, who know your weaknesses. Trust me you don't want to do that.

Brick looked at Ace in a challenging way and Ace saw it the same way. Brick wasn't afraid of him… but you had to be careful.

"Guys, retreat," he declared, feeling foolish for admitting defeat to him.

"At least it'll be like a slide," Boomer encouraged, letting himself fall into the trap like the others.

Sure, the trap led to a dump. wow broMore maddening, at least they could fly and they didn't get dirty when they fell, unlike Princess who covered all her clothes with garbage.

"And we did give him what he deserved, didn't we?" Brick said sarcastically.

"Just get me out of this stupid dump!" the girl yelled, hugely angry.

.

In the afternoon, the Rowdyruff Boys were waiting to talk to Princess about her next plan, which annoyed them. Butch and Boomer still didn't understand why they should work with her again.

Princess, who had agreed to meet them outside her mansion, was late.

"Sorry guys, she was busy," she said petulantly, not really meaning it, when she arrived.

"You're late, silly, and where are you supposed to be?" Brick spoke, frustrated.

"My servants were getting me a new boyfriend, because of you since you half killed my previous boyfriend," she spoke, annoyed.

-Don't tell me you bought another one? You're a "Forever Alone" You should know, Morbucks.- Brick mocked, pointing her out as a loser but she didn't pay any attention to him.

"That's my business, idiot," she said, her voice smug. But the choice of a new boyfriend was terrible, seriously.

"Oh, I don't care to know," she said with boredom.

"Only one showed up for the audition, which had never happened." She made a thoughtful face.

"Could it be that they prefer to stay in poverty before being with you?" Brick suggested, mocking her and actually wanting to shut her up.

-But at least he is a very attractive boy.

"We're not interested!" Brick yelled, wanting to punch him in the mouth.

-But he is an impertinent…- she continued thoughtfully.

"And who is he?" Boomer asked, curious.

"We're not interested, Boomer." This time Butch said it, and pushed his brother to the ground.

-Oh, my new boyfriend, I brought him with me, it's this one here.- Princess pointed to the boy who came with her, a boy they hadn't noticed.

The three brothers looked at him carefully.

-Hello.- greeted that boy.

"Hey, I told you not to talk without my permission!" Princess complained. I told them he was a jerk.

"You must be the Rowdyruff Boys, nice to meet you." She had a somber, creepy voice, honestly making the brothers uncomfortable.

But for Brick it was different, because there was something about that boy… that terrified him. He was that same boy! The one he had met before! He couldn't believe it. He was that boy, with dark hair and eyes, pale skin. The one with a sinister look that disturbed Brick every time he saw it.

That boy was staring at Brick, just like he had the night before. The redhead knew that this boy was not to be trusted, he had never felt anything like that. It was as if every part of his body was screaming at her to run away from him, but it was illogical, because he was just a human.

"You must be Brick." That boy with the sinister look spoke, smiling slightly.

"Yes… and who are you?" He spoke, faking his shock.

"I'm just Princess's boyfriend." He smiled mischievously again, almost evilly. But you can call me… Kare.

And you can no longer run from fate.