#bailey brought this to my attention the other day and although i do not care about these three men

[predoom]

who owns this issue of kerrang it bothers me that there’s no full page scan of whatever this was

Absolute fever dream of a blunt rotation

[calumance]

i feel like baby logan doesn’t get enough attention and maybe that’s just because he’s the middle child and middle child never get the same attention as the oldest or the youngest do but i can imagine logan actually being in a serious relationship with a girl (or a boy, we don’t judge) and they pay SO MUCH attention to him and he almost hates it cause he’s not used to it. i also imagine him getting away with a lot as a kid/teen as a result of eyes always being on aiden and bailey, lil rebel

I may have gone in a different direction than what you were originally thinking? I don’t know. I hope you like it though! (let me know if you want more 👀)

           Logan sat quietly at the breakfast table with a spoon in one hand and his phone in the other. Around him was utter chaos. His mom scrambling to get Bailey ready for school, his dad running rampant alongside Aiden who had dropped by to get help on a paper that he neglected write. Aiden had moved out almost two years ago to go to college but would drop by when he needed help with something. Which was almost every day. Logan looked down at his bowl of cereal and shook his head, it was like he never actually left. No one ever seemed to pay attention to Logan until it was time to go to school, then he was pushed into the car like a herd of cattle.

           When Logan and Bailey were dropped off at school, whichever parent that was driving would kiss Bailey goodbye and then vaguely yell towards Logan. He would turn and wave awkwardly back, but continue walking into the school, the only place he felt like he didn’t have to deal with the chaotic nightmare that was his home. The bell signaling the students had two minutes to make it to their class rang just as Logan shut his locker. As he weaved his arms through the straps of his backpack he turned. He jumped at the sight of Jack, the boy from his physics class that he struck up a friendship with and has found attractive for more than half the school year. “Hi, Logan,” Jack said with a sweet smile.

           Logan finished adjusting the straps of his backpack and swallowed, “Hi, Jack.” As the pair started walking down the hallway, Jack started to ramble on about something that happened with his family the night before. Although Logan was listening, his mind was elsewhere. Logan knew he was attracted to both girls and boys from a young age. And it wasn’t that he thought his parents would disapprove of his sexuality, it was more that he felt they didn’t care. His parents were always so busy with Bailey or other things, that Logan was always left in the background. Classic middle child syndrome.

           Jack stopped dead in his tracks and Logan lifted his head to see that they were at Logan’s classroom. “Anyway, what are you doing this weekend?” Jack asked clacking his heels together.

           Logan looked from inside the classroom to Jack and raised his eyebrows, “Uh, nothing. I think my dad is in the studio all day which means my mom will be preoccupied with my sister.” Logan cleared his throat and looked at his feet. Aiden probably wouldn’t be around either, the weekends is when he goes out to all of his college parties.

           “We should, maybe, go to dinner or something?” Jack swallowed in nervousness and suddenly Logan’s heart started to race.

           His heart was beating so fast that he had to look down to make sure it wasn’t jumping out of his chest. Logan nodded and looked back up at Jack, “Yeah, I’d like that.”

           “Great,” Jack said with a smile wider than Logan had ever seen. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven.” Jack nodded and quickly walked down the hallway, reaching his classroom just as the bell sounded. Logan let out a breath and walked into the classroom.

           Home was still a chaotic nightmare even when Aiden wasn’t there. Almost every night his parents had someone at the house, and they always brought their kids, which were either much older or much younger than he was. Bailey was playing with some of the kids they considered cousins, while the other group were swimming in the pool. Rolling his eyes, not wanting to do either thing, he walked down the hallway to his bedroom and closed the door. Which is where he stayed until the next morning.

           It was quiet in the house which meant he could walk around without having to deal with the chaos. It was his favorite time to be home, it meant he could make himself some coffee and head into the backyard and just enjoy the time alone. Once everyone started to stir, he would sneak his way back inside and into his bedroom. Hiding away from everyone until it was time to get ready for what he considered a date.

           Logan looked at himself in the mirror. He had decided to dress a casual, but not t-shirt and jeans casual. He was wearing a denim button up that he left open but rolled the sleeves to his elbows and underneath was a plain white t-shirt. He pulled on a pair of black jeans and cuffed the legs so that just an inch of his ankles was showing. He topped the outfit off with a pair of white converse that he rarely wore and accessorized with a watch and some beaded bracelets his dad got him in Japan the last time they toured. As he sighed, accepting his outfit choice, he looked at his watch, then his phone. Jack was outside wondering if he should come in. Logan furiously typed a message back, “No, it’s okay. I’ll be right out.”

           After sliding his belongings into his pockets, he left his room and tried to find his parents. His mom and dad were in the living room. His dad had big headphones on, still being in writing mode from being in the studio all day, and his mom was reading a book. Logan cleared his throat, “I’m going out, I’ll be back later tonight.” His mom barely tore her eyes off her book as she reached her hand up and waved at him. He nodded and made his way to the front door, not a single other word being said to him.

           Logan shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked out the front door. Jack was leaning against his car, something in his hand. Jack smiled and pushed himself away from the car when he noticed Logan walking towards him. Once Logan reached Jack, he wrapped his arms around Logan, pulling him in for a bear hug. Feeling a bit unsure for a moment, Logan left his hands dangling in midair, but the seconds Logan smelled the intoxicating scent of Jack’s cologne, he gave in to the hug, and wrapped his arms around Jack’s middle. “I, uh, got you something.” Jack said as he pulled away from Logan. Jack handed him a black box with a silver bow on the top. “It’s not much, but I didn’t know if you liked flowers, so I got you this instead.”

           Logan swallowed the lump in his throat and started to open the box. Once he pried it open, he saw the silver band inside. Logan looked up at Jack and chuckled, “I thought you said it wasn’t much.”

           “It’s not, I found it at that store you told me you liked. The one at the mall that no one shops in.” Jack rocked back and forth on his feet, putting his hands in his pockets.

           Again, Logan chuckled. This time it was more because of how weird this all felt. He mentioned that store to Jack once, and he mentioned it to him months ago. “Thank you, I love it.” Logan finally choked out. Jack nodded and turned to open the passenger car door. After closing the door for Logan, Jack jogged around the front of the car and plopped into the driver’s seat, a smile on his face as he turned the engine over and pulled away from the house.

           They sat across from each other at the restaurant, laughter falling off both their lips. They had known each other for a while now, but this felt different, it felt real. “Why don’t you talk about your family that much?” Jack asked, placing the glass to his lips.

           A sigh escaped Logan’s chest as he sat back and looked away from Jack, “Because you could easily look up anything you want to know about my family on the internet.” It came out crude and harsh, but it was true.

           Jack nodded and pointed the conversation in a different direction, “What was it like growing up with a famous dad?” Jack put the glass down and it clunked against the clothed table.

           “I got away with a lot.” Logan smiled and suppressed a laugh, “My older brother is the star of the family, he is a carbon copy of my dad, so everyone loves him. My sister is the only girl in the family, so everyone loves her simply for that fact.” Logan twisted his glass between his fingers and took a deep breath, “I just exist. I’m a carbon copy of my mom, who was never famous, she’s only known because she’s been with my dad so long, and my parents are always super busy, and my siblings always manage to catch their attention first.” Logan looked up at Jack and smirked, “So, I tried to push the limits and see what I could do to get noticed. When I was younger, I would put random things in the grocery cart, then as I grew older, I started sneaking out, all kinds of stupid things. My parents never noticed. I don’t do those things now because I’m more mature than I was, but it was definitely fun while it lasted.” Jack laughed at Logan and held his glass towards Logan. They clinked their glasses together and continued talking the rest of the night.

************

Tag list: @mantlereid @notinthesameguey @viiirg0@wheniminouterspace @thinkofmehlgh @another-lonely-heart @limer-encia @itsmytimetoodream @babyoria@treatallwithkindness @karajaynetoday @talkfastromance4

**If your URL has a strike through it’s because it won't let me tag you ☹️

Ko-fi

[oboevallis]

relapse

*season seventeen spoilers*

i had this idea after last nights episode, i hope it doesn’t happen tho lol

"Amelia?" Link called out, searching for his girlfriend. He had just finished putting the three oldest kids to bed, and hadn't seen his girlfriend since the meltdown at dinner. Bailey had asked when they could see their mother again, and Zola said probably never, which caused a lot of crying and yelling resulting in the baby waking up crying. He ended up having to remediate the situation while Amelia went to go take care of the baby, and he felt guilty because he didn't know if what he was saying to the kids was even true, he wanted to believe Meredith was going to be okay though. "What are you doing out here?"

"I um- I thought you were going to bed." Amelia stated flustered, sitting up on the picnic bench outside.

"Well, I will it's just you aren't in bed with me." Link laughed although he was confused, they always went to bed together.

"I'll be up soon." Amelia snapped.

"Umm okay? Hey are you okay? You seem off."

"Link I'm fine just leave me alone. I can never just get a damn minute to be alone."

"Oooooooooookay then." Link could tell his girlfriend was upset. He'd never seen her like this before, so he thought it'd be best to let her be on her own. He made his way inside, and quickly checked in on all the kids to make sure everyone was okay. He laid alone in bed for what felt like hours, until his girlfriend slowly opened the door.

"Oh your still up." Amelia slurred her s.

"Umm yeah." Link answered confused. He sat up so he was leaning against the headboard.

"We should have sex." Amelia excitedly said, jumping on the bed so she was straddling him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be a lot better when you actually have sex with me." Amelia sloppily kissed him, before he pushed her off of him.

"Are you drunk?" Link asked taken aback.

"I don't drink." Amelia giggled.

"I know, and you taste like wine."

"Maybe you taste like wine. Ever think about that?" Amelia spat, starting to get irritated with her boyfriend. "Why won't you just have sex with me?"

"Because your drunk." Link sat up, staring at his girlfriend in shock. "You realize we're responsible for four kids, we have to be present."

"Oh like you don't drink."

"I have a beer here and there. And I'm not getting intoxicated."

"Well last time I checked Im over the age of 21 and I can have a drink."

"Okay, but your a recovering addict. I'm not."

"Link, it was a small glass. It won't happen again. My problem was with drugs not booze, so I can handle a glass of wine."

"Okay, just call your sponsor first thing in the morning."

"If that'll make you feel better." Amelia smiled pulling him down so he was laying down next to her.

"Okay. I love you." Link kissed the top of his girlfriends head. One glass of wine wasn't the end of the world, or her sobriety. A glass of wine was barely anything, right?

_______________________________________

"Link! I finished my school work, do you want to go play soccer?" Bailey asked practically exploding with energy.

"Sure, little man. Only for a little bit, because you have another call in an hour."

"Another one?!" Bailey asked dramatically.

"Yep another one." Link laughed. He followed the child into the backyard, where they found Ellis on the swings. "Whatca doing out here. You know your supposed to wait for Amelia or me to be out here with you."

"Auntie Amelia was taking too long. And I wanted to swing." Ellis simply stated swinging her legs back and forth. Link shook his head, he didn't have the energy to discipline at the moment.

"We're gonna play soccer want to join?" Link asked the small girl on the swings.

"Yes!" Ellis cheered, jumping off the swings and running to the soccer ball in the grass.

"Wait no! Ellis doesn't know how to kick a soccer ball right." Bailey interfered, he really just wanted to play with Link not his little sister.

"Well how about you teach her?" Link suggested, trying to remediate the situation before it escalated. 

"I already know." Ellis said while uncoordinatedly kicking the soccer ball into the bushes. "Okay maybe I don't know."

"I'll get it." Link laughed at the small child, as stressful as his new reality was it had its amazing moments. While he kneeled down into the bushes he noticed something made of glass also in the bushes. He quickly threw the soccer ball over his shoulder and reached for the foreign piece of glass, realizing it was an empty wine bottle.

"Link come on!" Bailey called out for him, causing the older man to jump. He carefully placed the bottle back into the bushes, and rejoined the game.

______________________________________

"Bailey!" Amelia called coming into the backyard. "You've gotta get on for your next class, and Ellis you didn't finish your math work."

"Coming." Bailey answered kicking the soccer ball to Link and running into the house to log on to the computer.

"I don't want to." Ellis dramatically sighed throwing herself onto the ground.

"I know, but I'll help you okay?" Amelia said walking over to her youngest niece.

"Okay." Ellis obliged and made her way into the house with Amelia following behind her.

"Amelia, wait." Link called after her.

"Yep?" Amelia turned around before she entered the house.

"It was just one glass right?"

"Yes, I've already told you that and it won't happen again." Amelia answers rather annoyed with her boyfriend.

"Have you called your sponsor?"

"I will just get off my damn back." Amelia went back into the house, before she lost her temper any more than she already had.

________________________________________

Link walked into the living room and went to Merediths liquor cabinet. It was always usually always closed, so he opened it up to see if anything was put of place. Not to his surprise there was a bottle of wine missing. Crying brought him out of his train of thought, he quickly and quietly closed the cabinet. He followed the cries to Maggie's room, where they had their son sleeping at the moment.

"Shh its okay." Link cooed as he picked up the baby. He sat down on the bed in room, and held his son as his cries subsided. "I know. It's going to be okay. I promise."

"Is he okay?" Amelia asked as she opened the door to the room.

"Yeah, I think he just wanted a little attention." Link smiled at the baby who was smiling back at him. "Can we talk?"

"Umm, sure." Amelia wearily agreed, she closed the door behind her. She had a feeling she knew where this conversation was going.

"I know it wasn't just a glass Amelia."

"Link let it go. It's over with."

"No it's not over with Amelia!"

"You think I don't realize that? I was sober for 1,953 days and I just ruined that. I'm at day one yet again." Amelia slid down the door as she started to cry.

"Amelia." Link said softly, he wasn't quite sure what to say. He put the baby back in his crib, and engulfed his girlfriend in a hug. "I'm sorry."

"No im sorry."

"Don't be. It's going to be okay."

"You don't know that!"

"I know that whatever happens we'll have each other."

"The kids can't lose their mom. They've already lost Derek."

"Meredith is a fighter. Everyone is working really hard to make sure she recovers."

"But if she doesn't?"

"Then, the kids will have us and Maggie."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"I know." Link wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "Everything is so messed up right now."

"I'm. Gonna go call my sponsor." Amelia told her boyfriend as she stood up.

"I love you, and your gonna get through this. We're gonna get through this."

[shoutaaizawas]

Bakugou x OC Messaged Received: Chapter Twenty One

Summary:  Bakugou Katsuki wants to improve his English after enough incidents of tourists getting into trouble. Harper Bailey is hoping to learn enough Japanese to be able to take a trip to Japan one day. They find a site that sets up online pen pals to help them improve in the language they’re learning. When they’re paired together it’s the beginning of a relationship neither of them expected.

Read On AO3 | Masterlist

Previous Chapter | Chapter Twenty One | Next Chapter 

a/n: i’m sorry this chapter took forever to get done, thank you for all your patience

Harper woke up to the soft snores of Bakugou, they hadn’t moved much since they had fallen asleep. Bakugou’s arms were still wrapped around her and she was loosely curled in his arms. She hadn’t expected to learn so much about Bakugou when she asked him last night. It made her happy that he had felt comfortable enough to open up. She was constantly amazed by him. Everything about him just pulled her in more and more. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

She took the time to appreciate the peaceful look on his face as he slept. He was usually a light sleeper but this morning she could tell he was sleeping deeper than normal. It wasn’t shocking, emotions were exhausting. It made her happy that he could get everything off his chest and get a good night of sleep after. She couldn’t resist reaching her hand up and taking his blond locks between her fingers. His hair was so soft, she could play with it forever. Her hand moved from his hair down to his cheek, brushing his soft skin. It wasn’t fair that he had a nicer complexion than her, although from what she understood it had something to do with his quirk. It still wasn’t fair.

Bakugou let out a groan, nuzzling into her hand. The action made her heart flutter and a smile grace her face. He turned his head, pressing a kiss against the palm of her hand. If she thought her heart was beating fast before now it was really going. She was in too deep with him.

“Morning princess.” He said in his deep morning voice, eyes fluttering open to reveal his deep red eyes. Was it possible to die from being flustered? It felt like it was.

“Morning, ‘suki.” She replied, leaning in to press a kiss against his nose. He scrunched up his nose at the action earning a laugh from you. “Sleep good?”

“Really good.” He said, pulling her closer. “Thank you. For last night.”

“Thank you for trusting me. It really means a lot. You can talk to me about anything, I’ll never judge you.” She said and she means it. At this point she’s pretty sure there isn’t anything he could tell her that would make her look at him differently.

Bakugou, in character, doesn’t respond with words but with actions. He boldly took her face in between his hands and kissed her deeply. His kisses make her head swim. She wrapped her arms around him, grabbing at his shoulder blades trying to pull herself closer but there already is no space between them.

The chime of Bakugou’s phone makes him falter but he continues. Another chime makes him pause but he returns to his previous action. One more is what breaks him.

“What the hell do they want.” He growled letting Harper go before rolling over and grabbing his phone. Bakugou let out a deep sigh reading the message.

“What is it?” She asked, tempted to peek over his shoulder but doesn’t want to intrude.

“Suki found out your staying longer and is demanding a girl's day with you.” He groaned.

Harper laughed. She wonders how Suki found out so quickly, Bakugou must have told Kirishima about her changed plans. A part of her is excited at the prospect of hanging out with Suki one-on-one and the other part of her is terrified. No doubt Suki wants to get to know her better, understandably. Kirishima and Bakugou had been friends forever. Suki surely doesn’t want to see her fiance’s best friend hurt by some random girl. And it was clear Suki was close to Bakugou as well. It would only make sense for her to want more information.

“That sounds fun.” She said waiting for Bakugou’s reaction. He gives her a look over his shoulder. “I mean as much as I’d prefer to spend it with you I’m sure Suki wants to get to know me better and I’d like to get to know her better too.”

“Maybe I want to keep you all to myself” He replied. Harper smirks before resting her head against his shoulder and pressing a kiss against the materiel of his shirt.

“It’s just a day.” She told him.

“It doesn’t matter what I tell her, she said she’s coming over in an hour and she won’t take no for an answer.” He said. Harper laughed at that, Suki is a woman who knows what she wants and will get it and she respects her for that.

“Well, I better start getting ready,” Harper says.

Bakugou rolled back over and grabbed Harper, locking her in his arms against his chest.

“What if I don’t let you?” He said with a playful glint in his eyes.

“Then I’m gonna look really bad when she gets here,” Harper replied.

“I don’t think you're capable of looking bad,” Bakugou said before leaning in for another kiss. “Okay, I’ll let you go so you won’t be wearing your bedclothes for the day.”

Harper smiled at him, pressing another kiss against his lips as he let go before getting up to start getting ready. She wanted to look cute for the day, for some reason it almost felt like there was more pressure to look good for a girl’s day than going on a date with Bakugou. She supposed it was because she felt so comfortable around him. Impressing his friends on the other hand was far more daunting.

She made sure to do her make up more thoroughly today, going for fun eyeshadow and some eyeliner. Thankfully Harper had an outfit in mind. She put on a green corduroy skirt with a black shirt with a slight turtleneck to it. She figured she could wear some black boots with it. Walking out in the living room she spotted Bakugou in the kitchen making coffee. He turned at the sound of her entering, giving her an intense look.

“You look amazing.” He said. “I mean you always look amazing.”

Harper laughed at his flustered compliment.

“Suki said you were going to get food but I made you some coffee.” He said handing you a mug.

“Thank you,” Harper said with a smile. She took a sip of the warm coffee and enjoyed its comforting taste. “What are you going to do today?”

“I’ll probably do some chores, I’m sure Kirishima will turn up over here. He gets lonely when Suki’s not home.” He said with a scoff.

“That’s cute.” Harper laughed. “You’ll get a break from me for a while.” She joked.

“I don’t want a break from you.” He said in a serious tone. “But I’m not going to be the kind of boyfriend that won’t let his girlfriend spend time with others. Even if I do want to take all your time.”

Harper’s heart skipped a beat. Sometimes she wondered if he had a book full of lines that will make any girl flustered. It wasn’t just the words but the sincerity in his voice. Bakugou was not one to put on a front for anyone, for better or worse.

She took a page out of his book and replied to his words by grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. Harper set her mug of coffee down on the counter giving her a free hand to wrap around him. Bakugou was quick to respond and pulled her closer to him.

“Get a room.” Suki’s teasing voice made them jump, pulling away from each other.

“I’m in my own house, idiot!” Bakugou shouted at her. “I told you not to abuse the spare key I gave you guys.”

“I couldn’t resist,” Suki said with a playful smirk. “I hope you’re ready for a day of fun away from this grump, Harper.”

“I’m excited to see what you have in store.” She said.

“Well say your goodbyes and let’s get going!” Suki said turning towards the front door.

“I’ll see you later, Katsuki,” Harper said turning her attention back to the blond.

“Be safe, call me if you need anything.” He said, cupping her cheek before leaning in for a chaste kiss.

Harper followed Suki out, sparing one last look at her boyfriend. She smiled at him and took in the soft smile he gave her before she closed the door.

��I’m sorry to split you up for the day but I’ve been dying to spend some time with you and when Kirishima told me you’d be spending more time here I thought now I don’t have to feel so bad,” Suki said with a laugh as they entered into the elevator.

“I’m glad you asked, I was hoping I’d get some time to get to know you better,” Harper said.

“So I figured food first, as always. There is this amazing place that has brunch, Americans love brunch right?” Suki asked.

“I don’t know if all Americans do but I certainly love brunch.” Harper laughed.

“Okay, perfect. They have the best food and they have mimosas if you like those. There’s something about brunch that I love. It’s not super popular in Japan but I wish it was. Some of my friends don’t care about it.” She rambled on as they walked towards her car.

“What do you do for work?” Harper asked once they started driving to their destination.

“I’m a lawyer.” She answered.

“Wow, that’s awesome.” She replied. “How did you and Kirishima meet? I know it’s hard for pro heroes to meet people they’re so busy.”

“It’s a funny story. Well maybe not funny but I think it’s pretty cute.” She started with a smile on her face. “I snuck out of the office to grab a coffee and there was a villain attack. I got caught in it somehow. Bakugou and Kirishima were there and Kirishima saved me. I broke my leg but it didn’t stop me from asking him out on a date. I mean have you seen him in his hero costume. My neck could have been broken it wouldn’t have stopped me from asking him out.” She said with a laugh.

“Wow, that’s one way to meet a guy.” Harper laughed.

“He visited me in the hospital and brought me coffee and flowers and we scheduled our date.” She explained. “And the rest is history. I mean he’s nearly perfect, it’s a little unfair. He’s so patient and loving with me, there was no chance of me not falling in love with him.”

They reached the restaurant fairly quickly and most of the car ride was filled with conversation of Suki gushing about how much she loved Kirishima. It was really sweet, they seemed like a perfect match. They both were high energy people and they always seemed in sync.

The restaurant was beautiful, it reminded her of the trendy cafes back home. It was decorated with plenty of plants which was an easy way to impress Harper. They were seated on the patio outside, the weather was perfect for it.

The menu had a good selection of brunch items. They both ordered a mimosa to start before choosing what food they wanted. Harper instantly picked the french toast knowing she would love it. Suki ordered the avocado toast.

“Okay, I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m sorry if I come off as rude but when I want answers I go for it.” Suki started. Harper felt nervous, not that she was scared by Suki but she knew she was someone close to Bakugou and she didn’t want to disappoint. “Kirishima cares about Bakugou, I care about Bakugou. He’s been through a lot and we both want to see him happy. We all want to see him happy.”

“Of course.” Harper nodded.

“None of us know you very well and from what I’ve seen of you I like but I’m going to be direct. What are your intentions with Bakugou?” The question laid heavy in the air.

Harper hesitated, it was a big question and she didn’t want to fumble her words. She wanted to say something that reassured Suki that she wasn’t here to use Bakugou or play with his feelings in any way.

“I- I care about Katsuki, more than I’ve ever cared about anyone in my life. I never expected to meet him much less to get attached to him but I guess life can throw unexpected things at you. Honestly, I don’t know how we're going to make things work with the distance between us but I’m going to do whatever I can to make us work. I care about him so much, I just want to see him happy.”

Suki studied her face intently, looking for any hint of deceit.

“You don’t seem like the type to lie.” She finally said, relaxing. “Bakugou isn’t the type to do things half-way. I’ve never seen him in a relationship so the fact that he’s dating you is really big. It means he’s invested. He strives to be the best at anything he does and that includes relationships. I just don’t want to see him hurt.”

“I don’t want to see him hurt either and I’ll do anything to keep him from being hurt.” She reassured.

“Okay I trust you, you seem like a very open person. But if you hurt him it’s not gonna be pretty” Suki said.

“I’d expect nothing less from people who love their friend,” Harper said. She wasn’t offended in any way, she knew her friends would do the same for her.

“Now that we settled that we can go back to the fun,” Suki said throwing her hands in the air.

“So I don’t have a proper invitation but I wanted to personally invite you to my wedding,” Suki said. Harper’s eyebrows raised in surprise. She had seen the invitation on Bakugou’s fridge but didn’t know the date. “Since your going to be here longer the wedding is in two weeks and we would both be so happy to have you there. I mean Bakugou has his plus one and he was going to take you regardless but I wanted to invite you.”

“Thank you so much. I would love to go!” Harper said with a big smile.

“Perfect,” Suki said. “I thought we could go shopping and look for a dress for the wedding unless you already have something you'd like to wear."

"No, I don't that would be perfect." Harper replied.

"Great, I love shopping, it’s been a while since I’ve had time to do it.”

“Two weeks will go by so quick, how is the planning going?” Harper asked.

“We got a planner so that’s helped. All of the big things are done, venue, cake, flowers, decorations. We’re both so busy it was hard to find the time to pick out what we wanted.” She laughed. “I do still need to pick out my dress…”

“You don’t have your dress?!” Harper exclaimed, gaining the attention of some of the others in the cafe. She gave a bashful look before lowering her voice. “You don’t have a dress?” She repeated.

“No, like I said I’m pretty busy.” She said nonchalantly.

“You have two weeks left, you need a dress,” Harper said.

“I guess we can look around today, in fact, I think there’s a dress shop where I wanted to take us shopping.” She said.

Harper laughed, she was surprised that Suki wasn’t worried about finding a dress. For most brides that was their biggest priority.

The rest of their brunch was filled with conversation and laughter, it was nice to have time to get to know each other. Harper could tell that she and Suki would get along well.

After brunch, they headed to the mall. The set up was similar to the malls in America but of course, almost all the stores were unfamiliar.

“Let’s look for you first,” Suki said pointing at a nice dress store.

“Are you sure? Your dress is kind of important.” Harper said.

“It’s fine let’s go.” She said dismissively.

The store was pretty big and had a wide variety of dresses to choose from. It was a bit overwhelming. She didn’t quite know where to start.

“What’s the dress code?” Harper asked.

“Black tie,” Suki answered. “Anything floor-length should do. What’s your favorite color? Green would look good with your skin tone.” She said looking around at the wracks of clothing.

“I do love green,” Harper said following behind her.

Suki looked at a wrack full of green dresses thoughtfully before grabbing a few and handing them to her.

“Try these on, let’s find the dressing room.”

Harper followed Suki to the dressing room and entered one of the stalls. The dresses were all similar shades of deep green. The first one she tried on was a long sleeve dress, it was fitted and reached the ground. It was a bit of a struggle to get into, not necessarily because of the size but it was just a bit awkward.

Once it was on she walked out giving her best model on a runway walk over to Suki who was waiting by a mirror.

“Hmm, I don’t mind it but I’m not feeling it.” She said with a hand on her chin. “We want something that will make Bakugou’s jaw drop.”

Harper laughed at Suki’s comment. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t thinking something similar to that. Of course, Harper wanted a dress that she would like but she was more excited to see his reaction to it than anything else.

“I’ll try the next one.” She said returning to the dressing room. This one had a strapless sweetheart neckline and was more flowing. She returned to show Suki but got another neutral look.

“What do you think?” Suki asked.

“I’m not feeling this one either,” Harper replied.

“We’re on the same page.” Suki laughed.

Harper returned to try the last one on. This one had a halter neckline with an open back, a cinched waist, and a flowing pleated skirt. Immediately Harper felt good putting it on. The way it moved around her felt nice. She opened the door to show Suki.

“Oh, now we’re talking. Now, this is a dress.” She said.

Harper approached the large mirror, twirling in front of it to see all the angles. She had to agree with Suki. This was the perfect dress.

“I love it,” Harper said.

“I’m a bit scared you’re going to show me up in that.” She teased.

“I guess we’ll just have to find an even better dress for you now that I found one for myself,” Harper said with a laugh.

“I guess you’re right,” Suki said. “Alright, let’s get you that dress and I guess it’s my turn.”

Harper paid for the dress, carrying the dress out in a black garment bag. They moved on to a smaller dress shop, one that specialized in wedding dresses. Harper noticed that Suki looked a bit nervous.

“Hello, ladies. What can I do for you?” The woman that worked at the store asked. Suki didn’t answer so Harper stepped in.

“We’re looking for a wedding dress for my friend here.” She answered.

“Of course! Let me lead you guys to a seat and I’ll get some dresses to get a feel for what you’re looking for.” She said. They followed her to a couch in the store, sitting down while she disappeared for a moment.

“Suki, are you okay? Did you want to do this with your friends or your family? I wouldn’t be offended at all.” Harper said.

“It’s okay,” Suki said waving her hand. “It’s not that, my friends are too busy and I’m not very close with my family.”

“I’m sorry, are you sure that there’s not any time your friends could do this with you?”

“Honestly, I don’t have very many close friends.” She said, looking a bit ashamed. “I was so focused on school trying to get my law degree then once I was out I was always working. The only people I ever got close to were coworkers and well even then they weren’t that close.”

“That’s okay, it happens,” Harper said. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed by that. You have Kirishima and he cares about you so much and now you have me as your friend.” She said with a smile.

“Thank you, Harper. That means a lot.” She said. “The only girls I’m close to are Kirishima’s friends Mina and Jirou. We would hang out more but it’s so hard for our schedules to line up. I feel bad asking them to take time off for this when they’re out there saving people.”

“Suki, I’m sure they could take a few hours off for their friend.” She said. “Actually, hold on for a second.”

Harper stood up, walking out of the store for a moment to make a call. The phone rang once before it was picked up.

“Harper, are you okay?” Bakugou’s voice came over the line concerned. The sound of his voice warmed her heart, she hadn't been gone for more than three hours and she was missing him more than she'd like to admit.

“I’m okay, don’t worry.” She assured him. “I was calling because I was wondering if you could call Mina and Jirou and see if they could meet up with us at the mall for an hour or so to help Suki with some shopping.”

“Okay… I can ask them.” He said sounding confused but he didn’t question.

“Thank you so much, babe!” Harper said with a smile.

“Babe?” He repeated back.

“Oh, uh sorry. I can not use that if you do-”

“I’m not complaining.” He stopped her. “I’ll call them right now and text you in a second.” He said before hanging up.

Harper stood there staring at her phone for a moment, a light blush on her cheeks. She hadn’t meant for the pet name to slip but it felt so natural. At least he didn’t mind. She figured that she’d wait until he texts her before going back in. She watched as people walked by with their friends and family shopping bags in hand.

For the first time since her kidnapping she was alone in public, the realization hit her and she wasn’t expecting the sense of dread that washed over her. Her heartbeat picked up and her breathing shallowed. She stared at her phone hoping Bakugou would text her quickly.

Her phone chimed and she read his text.

They are free, I told them what mall you’re at they’re on their way.

The text gave her some relief but she wasn’t expecting the hand on her shoulder. Harper gasped turning to face the person who touched her, her heart racing even faster now. Suki stood there with a concerned look on her face.

“Are you okay?” Suki asked.

“Yeah, sorry. I was just calling Katsuki.” She explained. “Mina and Jirou are heading over here, you should text them what store we’re at.”

“Wait, really?” Suki asked.

“Yeah, picking out your dress should be something you can do with your friends. I’m sure they’re excited to be a part of it. I know I am.”

“Harper, thank you so much.” She said. Harper could spot the tears welling up in her eyes. “Can I hug you?”

“Yeah.” Harper smiled, reaching out for her.

Harper was glad that she had been able to help in whatever way she could. She understood how it was probably intimidating to be surrounded by a bunch of pro heroes. Harper was in the same situation but she had yet to meet all of Bakugou’s friends but she was sure she would feel the same way Suki did. She often felt like she was bothering her American friend Lily when she invited her to do stuff but Lily had once told her how much she loved getting a break from her work and getting to do normal things.

Harper and Suki headed back in the store letting the worker know that they were waiting for her friends. In the meantime, she took Suki’s measurements and they looked at some catalogs while waiting.

“If this isn’t the best two for one deal in my entire life.” A voice said. Suki and Harper turned to the door. A woman with pink skin and hair and an eccentric outfit stood there next to a woman with dark hair and a leather jacket. “Helping Suki pick out a wedding dress and meeting the woman who caught our Bakugou’s eye. You can’t beat that.”

“You’re going to scare her off before we introduce ourselves.” The woman with dark hair said.

“C’mon she’s dating Bakugou I doubt I could scare her off.” She joked. “You must be Harper, I’m Mina.” She said before approaching and offering her hand.

“It’s nice to meet more of Bakugou’s friends,” Harper said.

“He probably hiding you away cause he thinks we’ll tease him relentlessly,” Mina replied with a laugh. “Not that he’s wrong.”

“I’m Jirou, it’s nice to meet you.” She said shaking her hand.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Harper said.

“For Suki, we would have ran over here.” Mina smiled.

“Thank you guys,” Suki said giving both of them hugs.

“Alright girl, let’s see you in some dresses.” Mina cheered.

They sat down and the worker returned. Mina and Suki mentioned some dress types that they thought would look best while Harper and Jirou got to chat a little bit. The worker placed some dresses to try in the dressing room and the girls sat back and waited for Suki to get dressed.

The first couple of dresses were too frilly or too plain. Mina was the first to comment, very sure in her opinion of the dresses. Harper usually agreed with what Mina was saying and Jirou was quite but had very thoughtful input. The next few were more in the right direction but just didn’t suit Suki.

Harper was laughing at a joke Mina made when Suki stepped out. The dress had a sweetheart neckline, the top half had intricate lace that went down the chiffon of the bottom half. The chiffon was floor-length and flowing. There were straps that were almost unnoticeable but at the top of the shoulders had more chiffon that draped down elegantly.

Everyone was silent for a moment.

“That’s it!” Mina said excitedly. “I mean if you like it that’s the dress.”

“I agree, it’s beautiful,” Harper added.

“It kind of reminds me of Kirishima’s hero costume in a way,” Jirou mentioned.

“You’re not wrong,” Mina agreed.

“What do you think?” Harper asked.

“I love it, I really love it,” Suki said with a watery smile.

The girls cheered, excited for their friend. They all got up and hugged her. It didn’t take long for it to get paid for and conveniently enough the dress they had was already the perfect size for Suki.

Suki thanked the girls for coming and they told her how happy they were to be there for such an exciting moment. They said their goodbyes and headed out leaving Suki and Harper alone again.

Time had flown by and it was getting later in the day.

“I don’t want to keep you from Bakugou the whole night, I’m sure he’s dying to see you.” She teased. “I’ll get you home. But I have a request, could you keep the dress at Bakugou’s until the wedding. I don’t want Kirishima to see it yet.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind.” Harper agreed.

“I don’t think he will, but he might get a bit too excited seeing you walk in with a wedding dress.” Suki teased.

Harper nearly choked on her laugh.

They headed to the car and started heading home. Harper realized how tired she felt, shopping was always far more exhausting than it should be.

“Thank you for today,” Suki said as they drove home. “I don’t know if you understand how much that meant to me. I’ve always struggled with inviting them to things. It’s not ever because they make me think they don’t like me it’s just so easy to feel so small next to all these amazing heroes. Especially when you don’t have a quirk.”

“I’m really glad I could help, I don’t want you to miss out on anything that should be memorable for you.” Harper said.

“I think I see how you got Bakugou. There’s something about you that’s impossible not to like.”

It was hard for Harper to find the right words to express how much she appreciated her words.

“Thank you, Suki.” Harper replied wishing she had something better to say.

Once they returned home Harper hopped off the elevator with both her own dress and Suki’s wedding dress in a see-through garment bag.

“See you later, Harper.” Suki said.

“Goodnight, thank you for today.” She said before the elevator doors closed.

Harper made her way to Bakugou’s door, knocking. The door opened so quickly that she wondered if he had been standing there.

Seeing him standing there, dressed in black sweatpants and a black shirt, his hair ruffled so accidentally perfectly she realized how much she had missed him in the few hours she had been gone.

She couldn’t resist practically jumping into his arms, trying to wrap her arms around him as much as she could with the dresses in her hands. The crinkle of the bags made her pause and step back.

“I probably shouldn’t let this dress get ruined.” She said looking at it.

Bakugou’s eyes widened at the sight of the white dress.

“Don’t you think it’s a little soon for that.” He questioned.

“What?” She looked at the dress in her hand. “Oh! Wait. No, it’s Suki’s. She didn’t want Kirishima seeing it.”

“I figured.” He teased.

“Oh,” She said with an awkward laugh.

“Is the other one yours?” He asked looking at the other garment bag.

“It is, Suki, invited me to the wedding so we went shopping for dresses,” Harper explained. “But what I got is a surprise.”

“Oh really?” He said quirking an eyebrow. Bakugou opened up a closet door near the entryway it was fairly empty other than a few coats. He took the bags from you and hung them up in there. “Then I guess I’ll just have to wait.” He said with a smirk. “Are you hungry?” He asked.

“Yeah, I didn’t realize how much time had passed.” She answered.

“I’m making dinner now.” He said, at that Harper realized the delicious scent in the apartment. “Did you have fun?” He asked as he walked into the kitchen, Harper followed close behind.

“Yeah, I’m really happy I got to be a part of that and I’m glad I got to invite Mina and Jirou. Thank you for helping me with that. Suki really appreciated it. I thought her friends should be there to help her pick out her dress.” Harper said. “I like Suki, her and Kirishima really care about you.”

Bakugou turned from the stove to give you a look.

“Did she say anything weird?” He asked.

“Nothing out of the ordinary from a friend who cares.” She answered. Bakugou relaxed at that but still looked suspicious.

“Do you want to watch a movie while we eat?” He asked.

“That sounds nice.” She answered.

“It’ll be done in about thirty minutes if you want to change or take a shower.” He said.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Harper said. “I’ll be right back.”

Harper couldn’t resist giving Bakugou a peck on the cheek before retreating into the bedroom to grab her clothes and take a shower. She was quick to wash up and dry off, putting on her comfy clothes before returning to the living room.

“Do you need any help?” She asked.

“No, it’s done.” He said from the kitchen.

Harper shrugged and sat down on the couch getting comfy. It didn’t take long for Bakugou to enter with two bowls of soup in hand. He handed her the steaming bowl and she happily accepted.

“This smells amazing, thank you ‘suki.” She said smiling at him, her smile grew at the sight of his own smile. He must have missed her a lot to be smiling so big at her. The thought made her heart flutter.

The food of course was amazing. They both ate pretty quickly, once they were done Harper took both of their bowls refusing to let Bakugou clean up. He argued a bit but she refused to let him win this. It took her just a moment to wash the bowls, Bakugou was a very clean man and he cleaned as he cooked leaving few dishes.

After she was done she returned to Bakugou on the couch. The sight of him, sitting there relaxed made her heart flutter. She really did miss him so much. What was she going to do when she went home? How was she supposed to sleep without being in his arms? Waking up with him every morning. They spent almost every moment of the day together how was she supposed to be so far away from him. The thought made her heart hurt.

She walked over to Bakugou on the couch, standing there for a moment before she got the courage to sit down. The thing was she wasn’t going to sit on the couch but instead on his lap. Did she feel like a needy cat looking for attention? Yes. Would it stop her? No.

Bakugou looked slightly surprised at her action but was quick to circle his arms around her and keep her steady as she wrapped her arms around him before she pressed her head into his neck.

“I missed you.” She said her words muffled.

“I missed you too.” He admitted. “I didn’t know what to do without you.”

Bakugou keeps one hand pressed against the small of her back to keep her close to him. The other hand rests at the base of her neck, playing with the hair at the nape of her neck. The way he holds her makes her feel so secure.

Harper turned her head to rest on his shoulder, looking up at the vulnerable expression on his face. His red eyes meet hers and her heart skips a beat.

Like an ocean wave, rising from calm waters and crashing down in an instant, Harper is flooded with emotions she had been trying to hold in. The way he looks at her, the way he treats her, the way he talks to her. Everything he does with her is so soft and delicate compared to how he treats others. It’s not because he looks down on her or thinks she’s weak, no. Everything he does is loving and kind. It comes from the deep respect he has for her.

Harper has to confront the hard truth that scares her. She loves Bakugou Katsuki.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Grey's Anatomy: Tradition (17x15)

Sometimes Grey's Anatomy has something really true and good to say, but they say it in a hokey sort of way. This episode had a lot going on that kinda... jumped the shark in terms of the cheese factor for me. Let's dive in.

Cons:

First of all, Jackson's last episode was kind of a letdown. It was only in seeing it that I realized how disconnected he felt from most of the remaining leads on the show. He had a personal goodbye with Jo, which I liked, and was probably the moment I felt the most connected to Jackson leaving. But when he was talking to Meredith, it occurred to me that these two haven't had any intersecting story-lines that really mattered in years. They kept showing flashbacks to Jackson in his earlier days on the show, surrounded by people who are all no longer there. He doesn't feel woven in with any of the core cast. Then, he drives away at the end, his last conversation as a regular cast member happening with Koracick of all people? I don't know. It just felt like an anticlimax to me.

And speaking of Koracick, was this his exit from the show as well? He's moving to Boston? What a bummer. I've genuinely enjoyed his character so much, and I feel like there was so much left to explore with him. Putting him in a room with any other character really enlivened a conversation. He brought such different energy from any of the other characters. What an unceremonious end, if so. If not, I hope he's a character that pops back in here and there, maybe updates us on Jackson, April, and Harriet. That could be a nice compromise.

Say it with me: I don't like Owen and Teddy. Jesus, I just do not care. When I saw them kissing I literally said "noooo" out loud, and it's not because I feel anything about them as a couple and I'm "against" it or anything, it's more just the "noooo" of realization, that we're going to have to spend time with these characters again, and all the shittiness that they bring out in one another.

That feeds into a smaller complaint, which was that I found it very odd that Owen was telling Link that he's going to be trapped at Meredith's house, even now with Meredith going home. It was like... weird guy banter, and Winston was there too, and it was like all the men having a laugh at Link's expense... I just found it really uncomfortable that Owen was the one doing this, when Owen and Amelia have such a fraught (and annoying) history. I don't know. Maybe that's a nitpick.

So now we go to Grey's Anatomy having something good and true to say, but pouring on the cheese just a bit too much. The story about respecting native traditions and how often they have bad experiences in big hospitals was a perfectly adequate one, but it was told in a paint-by-numbers fashion. I almost wanted something a bit more nuanced, like maybe some genuine distrust from the patients instead of everyone being 100% nice and pleasant and nothing going wrong. A happy ending for this story was much appreciated, but it felt like a rote way of telling a story and exploring a theme. Still, it's good that they bring attention to issues that a lot of people (read: white people) want to ignore.

Pros:

There were lots of things I enjoyed seeing in this episode, even if the whole thing didn't come together for me.

Like, for example, Koracick's speech about being privileged and wanting to be an ally. Like, really step up and really help out. This was another moment of potentially hokey writing, but the performance sold it, and I liked that Jackson accepted it for the genuine offer that it was.

I also like seeing Jo thriving in her new specialty, with Carina as a potential mentor, although she might be leaving the show? Or at least not around as much anymore. Over on Station 19, evidently she's gotten engaged, so... good for her! And Jo talking to the baby in the NICU, the one she's totally going to adopt, made me really emotional. I want only good things for Jo!

Nico was nowhere to be seen this week, after Levi left him in the lurch after his "I love you" a few weeks back... but we do see that Helm is really struggling, and Schmitt wants to help her out. This was a small little thread, but I do like the idea of Schmitt and Helm living together. It continues on my thread of what I sort of wanted for Levi, where if they're doing a romance with Nico, Nico needs to sweat about it for a bit first.

Meredith is back! She spends the episode with people coddling her, nervous to tell her about Andrew's death, saying goodbye to Jackson, and getting to go home and reunite with her kids. All of it was perfect and wonderful. The moment when Bailey and Richard come to tell her about Andrew, Meredith seems to suddenly know, and we hear the sound of crashing waves in the background. That was just lovely. And she and Jackson's conversation was great too, although I stand by what I said about Jackson's final moments on the show not quite working for me. But it was fun, a Grey and an Avery, these two important legacy families, talking about what they learned from each other, and what they taught one another.

And then of course Meredith is home, Amelia is freaking out because the house is a mess, and Meredith says it's perfect, just the way she wants it. She eats donuts and her kids tell her everything she's missed while she was away. I'm really impressed with the way the kids have felt like more of a presence in the past season or so, and I hope that continues to be the case.

Richard is going to officiate Maggie and Winston's wedding! I felt so many warm fuzzies in my heart over that little moment. Richard worrying that he'd overstepped, and acknowledging that the relationship boundaries between himself and Maggie had always been a little uncertain. And then Maggie and Winston asking him to be the one to marry them to one another... oh gosh. This show can still really get to me sometimes. That made me happy.

I think if I had to say my overall thoughts on this episode, I'd say a lot of the things that happen have implications that I don't enjoy. But then watching some of it play out, I did like it. So the way Meredith reacted to the news of Andrew's death was really touching, but I'm still pissed that Andrew died. Jackson had a couple of solid moments, but overall his swan song didn't hit the mark. Koracick's speech was decent, but the fact that he's apparently leaving is annoying.

So yeah. Grey's still has plenty to keep my attention, but this episode wasn't one of the greats!

7/10

[vamillepudding]

I’m a sucker for the kidnapping trope and Tommy suffering (I’m terrible), here’s a thing: Tommy gets kidnapped by one of the gang’s enemies. Bad things happen to him. The rest of the family grapple to solve the situation without Tommy there. Alfie of course gets involved whether they like it or not, and they eventually manage to get Tommy back. Bonus points if Tommy is uncharacteristically clingy in the aftermath and/or at some point needs to be carried by Alfie. ps your stories are wonderful!

Alright, here’s a little secret: I’ve secretly always wanted to write a kidnapping fic, so this prompt was perfect !! 

I divided the (finally finished!) story into two parts, here’s the first one. The other one will be up on the weekend ! It is also up on my Ao3 account, if you’d prefer  to read it on there. 

**

Bad Bargains 

“We’re not paying.“

Words have power. Sometimes, the right word can silence a room more effectively than a gunshot, and Polly has just pulled the verbal trigger.

The Shelbys are sitting at the kitchen table, with one chair being noticeably empty. That spot, the space where a person should be but somehow isn’t, is the reason why they’ve gathered like this.

“What do you mean, we’re not paying? Of course we’re bloody paying, woman.” Arthur looks both angry and confused, and also like he’s about to punch someone.

“Get a grip,” Polly snaps. Slowly, she lifts up the letter that was delivered to their house an hour ago. The messy handwriting stands in stark contrast to the expensive paper. “These demands are ridiculous.”

“These demands,” Arthur says quietly, dangerously, “are for my little brother’s fucking life.” John and Ada exchange a look. It’s Ada who speaks up. “Aunt Pol’s right. If we give in now, what will stop them from doing it again next week? It might be Finn next time. Do you want that to happen?”

“It’s not Finn though, is it? I’m getting fucking sick of you people, scheming and scheming until someone breaks in the process.”

“No one is breaking.” Polly’s steady voice is betrayed by the fine tremors running through her hands as she puts down the note and picks up the ring instead. They all recognised it instantly when Polly first sliced open the envelope with a kitchen knife: It’s the signet ring Tommy wears on his pinky. Both Arthur and John wear one similar to it.

“I can assure you right now that if Thomas doesn’t leave the house each morning knowing something like this could happen, he’s a damn fool. The important thing is not to give in now.” Everyone winces at the sound of the ring hitting the wooden table top again where Polly dropped it. “We have to show the world that this family is not going to be blackmailed.”

“So you’re just going to let him get killed?”

“If he lets himself be killed, he clearly didn’t pay enough attention when I first showed him how to handle a gun.” Polly waits until Arthur has slammed the door on his way out, then fixes her gaze on the rest of the family. “Now. What we’re going to do is stall. The note was delivered at 6 pm. They won’t expect a reply until midnight, by which time I’m going to send a response asking for a proof of life.”

“And what good will that do?” John asks. “They’re gonna chop Tommy up into little pieces.”

“Ada,” Polly continues as though her nephew hadn’t spoken, “go down to the docks. See if you can’t find someone who’s heard something. John, you’ll do the same in the Garrison. One of you also has to make sure Arthur doesn’t do anything rash. If you find out anything, come to me at once.”

They’ve all already gotten up, putting on coats to follow Polly’s instructions, when John speaks up again. “What happens when we find Tommy?”

Polly’s smile is sharp enough to cut someone. “Then we’ll show them why no one messes with the Peaky Blinders.”

**

A knock on the door. Ollie comes in, pale but determined. “Alfie?”

“Spit it out, lad.”

“Tommy Shelby was snatched off the streets this morning. No one’s seen him since.”

Alfie waits until Ollie has left the room before taking his gun out of the drawer and firing it at the wall until there are no more bullets left.

**

Tommy’s first reaction upon waking up is to headbutt the man currently tying him to a chair. His hands are already restricted in movement thanks to the rope tied around them, but one of his legs is still free, so he uses it to kick and kick until the man stops moving. Only then does Tommy allow himself to assess the situation.

He’s in a strange room with no furniture except for the chair he’s in. There is a door that is closed but not necessarily locked; Tommy intends to find out. Since he can’t get his restraints off, he uses the chair to rock forward, only to crash to the ground when the door is opened right in his face. Pain explodes in his temple, but he doesn’t make a noise. It’s important not to show any weakness.

“Well,” a voice (male, English, posh accent) drawls. “They did say that you’d try to escape.” Soon, Tommy is pulled upright again and he’s able to get a good look at his captor.

No one he knows, that’s for sure. Short, a bit tacky, with fair hair and a big moustache. This can’t be revenge, it must be something else. He supposes asking can’t hurt.

“What do you want?”

His captor smiles and reaches out a hand to stroke Tommy’s cheek. Tommy tells himself not to react.

“Not much. Just a few of your race tracks and a bit of money to round the deal up. You’ll be a free man again in no time, Mr Shelby.”

Tommy almost laughs at that, but doesn’t. There is absolutely no way a ransom will be paid. Polly would never allow it. With good reason, too. Pay once, pay for the rest of your life.

Also (and he really doesn’t want to think about this, but like with all things in life one would rather not think about, it’s immediately at the forefront of his mind), even if paying were an acceptable option in terms of business, his family still wouldn’t pay. After all, the point of kidnapping is to take away something valuable and then offer it in exchange for something else. And if there is one person who doesn’t fit into that category, it’s Tommy.  

“Mr Bailey,” a second man who just entered the room says. “There’s a phone call for you.” Bailey brushes his fingers over Tommy’s face again, slower this time, caressing the skin in a way that makes him feel like throwing up.

Then he’s alone again, and able to think of different means to escape.

**

What Alfie has been able to gather so far is this: On August 15th, Tommy Shelby left his house to go to a meeting with an employee. On his way back. Between 10 and 11 am, a couple of men snuck up behind him, knocked him out, and dragged him out of sight. That afternoon, a teenaged boy was seen delivering a letter to the Shelby household, which was soon after exited by several family members.

“And how do you know all that, mate?” Alfie asks the guy he’s been questioning.

“You – you asked me. I was just passing, I only saw the boy with the letter, nothing else.”

“Nothing else? Are you sure? Because I need you to be absolutely fucking sure, don’t I?”

“I’m sure,” the man is quick to assure. Alfie nods as though in deep thought, then shoots him in the face. He doesn’t bother wiping the blood from his hands afterwards. They’ll get dirty again soon anyway.

“Alright, Ollie,” he calls out. “Bring in the next lad.”

**

He meant to stay awake, watch out for the door opening. But he’s so tired, and his head is still hurting from where the door hit him, so eventually he drifts off into a light sleep. The next time he awakens, it’s because a hand is travelling up his leg.

Tommy pretends to be asleep, and only when the hand ventures into areas usually reserved for his and Alfie’s touch alone does he say: “Enjoying yourself, Mr Bailey?”

Bailey doesn’t appear guilty in the slightest as he takes a step back. “Mr Shelby. I was wondering when you’d wake up.”

“I can see that,” Tommy says dryly. His captor takes care to adjust his cufflinks, not glancing Tommy’s way as he says: “I’m here because there was a bit of an issue.”

His shoes are very shiny, Tommy notes. Someone must have polished them recently. The owner himself? Doesn’t seem like the type. “Your family,” Bailey continues, “refuse payment before they get a proof that you’re still walking among the living. James here” – he points at an unremarkable man in a suit, who might be a bodyguard or just a regular employee, and who is now giving a small wave – “proposed to cut out one of your pretty eyes, but I don’t think the Shelbys would pay for a cripple. Let’s draw them up a nice letter instead, shall we? Something to reassure your aunt that you’re worth paying for. If I have James free one arm so you can write, I’d ask you not to attack him, please.”

Tommy waits until James has untied the rope before punching the man. It’s a bit of an awkward angle, since he’s still tied to a chair, but he does manage to give James a black eye, so he’d call it a success.

Bailey smiles nastily. “Well. I just want you  to remember that you brought the following events on yourself. Get up.” The last bit is directed at James, who shoots Tommy a dirty look. “Stick with bruises for now. Although – maybe one broken limb, just to keep Mr Shelby entertained.”

“What about-“

“For fuck’s sake, just go to the docks and find a rentboy if you want a quick fuck. We don’t want this one broken just yet.” With that rather ominous threat, Bailey leaves the room. Seeing as no one has remembered to put Tommy’s restraints back in place yet, he’s still free to move his right arm, a fact he tries not to draw attention to.

James scowls. “The boss is no fun. Can you believe that he had me working on Christmas last year? Fucking Christmas day, and I was at work.”

“Perhaps you should reconsider your employment,” Tommy suggests. If James will just get a bit closer, he’ll be near enough to grab.

“Nah,” James says, giving a small shrug. “The pay’s great, you know? Also, there are other perks.” Instead of stepping into Tommy’s reach, he is now taking off his suit jacket and vest, presumably so that no blood will ruin them. The next moment, before Tommy can react, James captures his lips in a bruising kiss that makes Tommy’s skin crawl.

This is fine, he tells himself, opening his mouth to encourage James. As soon as he feels James’ tongue, he bites down as hard as he can. The other man lets out a noise that is part scream and part whimper, tries to pull away, but Tommy grabs his collar, keeping him close even as he spits out the flesh he just bit off. His mouth tastes like blood, but it’s not his, and he feels an odd kind of satisfaction as James’ shouts increase in volume.

More men are storming in, but he couldn’t care less right now, even when Bailey returns and gives frantic orders, even when aforementioned men move to follow said orders, even when Tommy’s world is enveloped by pain. He keeps smiling.

**

Midnight has come and gone. At three in the morning, another envelope arrives. It includes nothing but a golden tooth smeared with blood and a single sheet of paper that reads Tommy sends his regards.

Arthur punches a wall. “What if it’s his hand next time? I say we give them what they want. Tommy-“

“-would agree with me on this. Shelbys don’t pay ransoms. Now if you don’t have anything useful to add, please shut up.”

“You’re not the head of this family,” Arthur snaps. “I-“ He freezes, listening like everyone else to the sharp knock coming from the front door. They’re not expecting anyone, but their enemies don’t usually tend to knock first.

It’s John who ends up answering the door, gun at the ready, and finding himself face to face with Alfie Solomons.

“Evening, John,” Alfie says amiably. “Seen your brother lately?” He doesn’t wait for an answer, just pushes past John to go into the kitchen where he finds the family gathered. “I just want to start by informing you all that I, like you, am very, very concerned about the whereabouts of Thomas. Unlike you, however, I put in an actual effort to find out what happened, so-“

“I’m sorry,” Polly says, voice dripping in sweet sarcasm, “I must have missed you getting an invitation.”

“Yeah, you must have. What I was saying, right, is that I seem to be the only one with actual fucking progress here. So the way I see it is, you either listen to what I have to say, or your nephew dies. What’s it gonna be?”

**

He hasn’t stopped hurting in a while. What worries him more right now is his thirst. They haven’t given him food or water since his capture. The food part, he’s not giving much thought to, but he’s going to need to drink something at some point.

There is a small bowl in the corner. Since they have rightly assumed that he’s in too much pain to try an escape (the door is locked anyway, he checked) they didn’t renew his restraints, excepting the ones tying his hands behind his back, so he’s perfectly able to reach it. The bowl is filled with water. Without the use of his hands, though, this would mean…

Tommy is determined not to touch it. Even if the thirst is killing him.

Hours later, when Bailey returns, the bowl is empty.

**

“Your family doesn’t want you back, it turns out.” Right – this was to be expected. He knew this, and were the situation reversed he wouldn’t act differently. But the words still sting. Especially when Bailey grabs a fistful of Tommy’s hair, forcing his head up, and continues: “I wonder what you did to piss them off. Maybe we need to give them a bit more incentive.”

“Mr Bailey,” Tommy says, struggling for control, “they wouldn’t fulfil your demands even if you sent them a whole gallon of my blood. You lost the game, do you understand? You lost. No one is paying for my safe return.” The fingers on his hair tighten, and all he can do is try not to show how much this affects him. His scalp has always been sensitive. Alfie was delighted when he found out. Now, the harshness of the grip brings tears to his eyes, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Bailey.

“Lost, eh? I wouldn’t be so sure. Word has it that while the Shelbys are pretending like they haven’t lost the head dog of their pack, Alfie Solomons is turning up every stone to find you, and leaving a trail of corpses in his wake. I’m sure he wouldn’t say no to a little clue on where you can be found.”

This new information finds Tommy speechless. He expected his relatives not to give in to the blackmail, and he also somewhat expected them not to bother looking for him much further. It’s like a game of chess. Sometimes you have to sacrifice pawns in order to win.

In all this mess, however, he never once assumed Alfie would even find out about the whole thing, let alone take action himself. Or maybe Bailey is lying? No, that can’t be it – no one knows about Alfie and him. At least no one knew until now. Bailey would have no reason not to be truthful in this.

Keeping their relationship a secret was a mutual decision and the natural result of two lifetimes of crime, where every public show of affection for someone can lead to that person being used against oneself.

Even if Alfie somehow heard about Tommy’s capture, the thought of him actually, actively searching for Tommy is so inconceivable that his mind is struggling to grasp it. Bailey must have misunderstood the situation. He must have.

The blatant surprise apparently shows on his face, because his captor smiles. “You don’t bite off everyone’s tongue then, good to know. I wonder what the criteria is? Is it the beard? I could grow one if you like.”

After the initial shock, enough time has passed now for him to have regained his composure. He does nothing but stare coolly back at Bailey, who shakes his head in mock disappointment, then abruptly backhands him hard enough for the chair to topple over, and Tommy with it. Nothing stops his cheek from hitting the floor full force.

The funny thing about life is that it’s never boring. It keeps coming up with all these little surprises – like now, when Tommy thought bruised ribs, another bruise on his temple from the door banging against it yesterday, and an ankle that’s probably broken were already bad enough, he suddenly realises that no, he was wrong.

That was nothing against the blinding agony he’s in now. Literally blinding, actually, since he blacks out for a few seconds and everything is blurry when he opens his eyes again. Rationally, he knows his cheekbone must be fractured, which is not bad as far as injuries go, and has the advantage of being able to get fixed by a doctor rather

easily.

He’s unable to think of this rationally.

Bailey makes a noise of disgust. Until then, Tommy hadn’t even realised he’s thrown up. “Jesus Christ,” his captor says, backing out of the room. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

Despite having trouble with focusing at the moment, despite having trouble with thinking of anything but the pain, Tommy still feels more mortified than he’s ever been in his life at the fact that Bailey just leaves him lying there where he can’t get up, can’t even move away from the small puddle of vomit, like he’s not even worth that much.

His last thought before blacking out again is that he really, really hopes Alfie won’t find him like this.

Won’t find him at all.

**

A crash sounds from somewhere. Several gunshots follow, as well as shouts and a general increase of noise. Something is happening, and Tommy knows he should use this distraction to his advantage, but he thinks if he gets up right now he might cry or be sick or both.

Fuck this. He might die in this room, but he’s not going to do it huddled in the corner.

Miraculously, he manages to stand without any incident. Pain is a thing anyone can get used to after a while. His ankle is still broken, which makes moving difficult, and just as Tommy contemplates what his next step might be the door bursts open, and in comes a dishevelled-looking Bailey. He’s got a gun, which he now points at Tommy. “One wrong move, and I blow your brains out. Now get over here.”

“Go to hell,” Tommy says. Whatever is going on, it can’t be good for Bailey, so if the man decides to put a bullet in Tommy’s head out of fear, or frustration, or just because he can, then there’s nothing anyone can do about it now.

“Oh, I will.” Bailey removes the safety and slowly walks over, savouring the way Tommy flinches ever so slightly. “But I’m taking you with me. What do you say?” He’s uncomfortably close now. The gun is pushed against Tommy’s temple, right on the bruise. Since his face has been numb for a while now though, this doesn’t have the effect his captor probably hoped for. “Any last words before you go out?”

This can’t be a bluff. If Bailey is ready to kill his only bargaining chip, then…maybe it’s the coppers, Tommy tells himself. It must be. It’s probably just a bunch of policemen storming the building.

But it’s too late – the beginning of hope has already started to invade his thoughts. Because maybe it’s not the coppers. Maybe it’s his family.

Maybe it’s John and Arthur, killing everyone on sight.

Maybe it’s Polly.

Then someone enters the room by kicking the door down, and it’s in that moment that Tommy doesn’t even need to take a look to know who it is – to know who it isn’t, rather. Because this has nothing to do with his family.

It’s Alfie.

Tommy hates himself for being just a little disappointed.

**

Alfie once decided not to care about anyone ever again.

It was a quiet decision, the kind you keep to yourself and never tell a soul. He made it when his mum died of a stupid fever, which not one of the doctors Alfie threatened into an examination could cure, and he made it again when he saw more lads die in the trenches than he could ever remember, and he made it a hundred times after that.

Tommy didn’t change that when they started their thing. He was interesting in a way Alfie hasn’t known for years. He turned up in Alfie’s office, looking a bit like Alfie imagines corpses would look if corpses were in the habit of getting nosebleeds, and didn’t even blink at the gun shoved in his face. Alfie can appreciate that in a man.

It had never meant to be more than a casual fuck. And it wasn’t, right up until the point where it was. All things considered, it could have gone worse. Even if that means taking a few days off every couple of months to stop Tommy from doing something incredibly stupid and self-destructive. Alfie can do that.

Even if it means killing a whole bunch of people just to save one man’s life. Alfie can do that, too.

And here’s the thing, right – Alfie has seen some terrible things over the years, a lot of them caused by his hand. But nothing prepared him for the sight of Tommy held at gunpoint.

“Not an inch, Mr Solomons,” says Jon Bailey, aged 63, divorced once, no children, no pets, but with an elderly aunt he sometimes visits on the holidays. Alfie feels a bit sorry about the aunt. She’ll have no one left after today.

He keeps his gaze fixed on the immediate threat, but once or twice, his eyes still shift to Tommy.

His partner looks, frankly, like shit. But that’s not the worst part. His face is bruised, his clothes are torn and bloody, and he’s favouring his right leg. That’s also not the worst part.

The worst part, Alfie thinks, is the slight air of surprise to Tommy’s posture, that incredulity hiding behind those razor-sharp eyes.

Somehow, during those last few days that were spent investigating and worrying and shooting people, it didn’t occur to him once that Tommy might not expect to be saved.

“If you let him go right now,” Alfie says, his hand and voice equally steady despite the gravity of the situation, “I might be convinced not to bash your head in with a pipe. Bad death, that. Messy. Not as nice as a clean bullet, that’s for sure.”

“You’re fooling no one. Let’s not pretend like we aren’t all intelligent people here.” The barrel of the gun wanders from Tommy’s temple to the cheekbone that looks like it’s been hit repeatedly with something heavy. Tommy shows no reaction except for a small flinch, barely noticeable. “You’re not going to shoot me, you’re not going to shoot anyone, because I’ve got something you want, and you can’t afford to take any risks.”

He’s right, Alfie knows he’s right. But then again… “Mr Shelby, say hello to your boyfriend over there. Go on. Be nice.” But then again, he thinks as Tommy directs his frosty gaze towards Bailey and doesn’t say anything, he has never in his entire life let a provocation like that slide.

There is one problem though.

Alright, make that two problems: One is the fact that Bailey is using Tommy as a human shield, which means that Alfie can’t get a clear shot, can’t fire without injuring Tommy, too. Also, Baily has started to use his free hand to stroke an obviously unwilling Tommy’s hair, and that’s just fucking unacceptable, isn’t it?

Across the room, their eyes meet for the first time.

The one thing that has always united them, that was perhaps the reason why this relationship could work in the first place, is that they are both men who see the bigger picture. They know what needs to be done.

Tommy nods. Alfie pulls the trigger.

The bullet hits Tommy’s shoulder and comes clean out on the other side, where it hits Bailey’s upper arm, making him drop the weapon. Both men go down. Despite his previous promise, Alfie doesn’t use a pipe to kill Bailey. A shot in the stomach and the subsequent 30 minutes of absolute agony will have to be enough.

And finally, there is nothing left to do but to lift Tommy up in his arms and leave this cursed place.

[i-write-about-anything]

Secrets

Prompt: Follow the reader as her secrets unfold.

Pairings: Theo Raeken x Reader

Warnings: A lot to come.

A/N: Okay, so. Wow, this was one of the books I was working on, the only difference is that I had to change the names so you guys could be more interested in it lol, let me know what you think maybe? Also, they don’t play lacrosse in this story, there’s no supernatural beings, as of yet. i don’t know, i wanted to get some input on this, as i will be continuing to write my other book.

Reader’s POV

High school. There’s not much to say about it other than it’s a complete hell cage. Sure a few times out of the year you get unforgettable moments, the moments you love to tell, like the homecoming or your new boyfriend that you think is your soulmate. Unfortunately not for me, the past year has been nothing but a complete nightmare. See when my best friend passed away people made up stories, stories that changed more than people’s views of me.  

Christy and I had been best friends since we were in diapers, her mom and my mom were both best friends before we were even born, both our moms planned to be pregnant at the same time and although that sounds a bit odd, I’m glad they did it. Christy was more than a friend to me; she was my sister, and something I always wanted. When she passed away I had a hard time letting her go, not even her own mother mourned as much as I did, that itself says a lot. See neither Christy nor I knew our fathers, they both bailed on us when we were both just a fetus. Our mothers put us in same classes through our lives, hoping to carry on the friendship they always had, I thank them for that. But now, now I’m alone. With no friend, no mother nor father, just alone, and that’s what makes thing worse, being alone.  

Walking down the hallways is never silent, there’s always a whisper, and they haven’t stopped since Christy left. Most of the time I don’t let it get to me, they’re stupid kids trying to make my life a living hell and I wasn’t going to let them win. I set myself out to be strong, no tears, no running, just being strong, no matter how low I feel I have to set myself durable, at least in front of all these assholes, not for me, but for Christy. Grades aren’t the easiest, I’m not an all A’s student, my grades sucked before the passing of my best friend and they continued to suck after it. I still managed to get myself to junior year though, I wasn’t going to risk staying here another year.  

Boys. Don’t even get me started on them; they’re so much worse than girls at talking shit and gossiping. Although I’ve never experienced having a boyfriend these boys make sure to tell everyone I felt them up once or twice, maybe even them feeling me up, neither of it true of course but people are naive enough to believe every rumor that gets passed around in high school. The football team had a few good looking guys, I won’t lie, but I keep that to myself. Theo Raeken, the team’s quarterback and also my ex best friend. Before high school, before people started to label everyone, Theo wouldn’t leave me and Christy’s sight. I still remember the day we met him in second grade, none of the boys wanted to play with him because they were afraid they’d break his glasses. He walked up to us and we instantly clicked, the years passed and soon enough we were on our last year of middle school, we promised we wouldn’t forget each other during the summer. Theo went to Florida while Christy went to Alabama and I stayed here, in California. Come high school Theo had changed, he wasn’t the scrawny four eyed best friend I knew. His hair was pulled up into a small fohawk, he now had contacts making his blue eyes more noticeable and he had gained some muscles. Theo never took the chance to talk to neither of us, but I guess that’s how things go, you forget your old friends to fit into a clique.  

“(Y/N)! (Y/N)! (Y/N) wait up!” I heard my favorite teacher call. I turned back and looked at the middle aged male, his name, Mister Bailey. “I read over your paper last night and I wanted to give you some advice.” He patted the chair next to the desk. I looked to the few girls that were giggling as they walked out of the room; it’s never going to change. I sat on the dusty chair not caring whether or not I’d dirty my black skirt. “I know who this is about.” He sighed and placed my well stapled essay in front of me. I stayed silent; I had done it on purpose. I purposely wrote this essay to see if anyone could figure it out, if anyone would care, if anyone would help, but when I read it in front of the class, none of them helped. “Have you talked to anyone (Y/N)?” He sighed running his hand through his black hair. I shook my head and looked down.  

“I don’t need to talk to anyone Mister Bailey. No one cares enough to listen, there’s no point.” I grabbed my paper as I stood up. Before I could walk away I felt a hand on my wrist,  

“(Y/N).” His voice was low. “I know what you’re going through and if you need anyone to talk to I’m here.” He smiled. I returned the smile before he sets my wrist free, a smile that hides more than anyone would ever know. “Have a good day (Y/N).” He nodded at me as I walked out the door only to bump into someone.  

“Shi-“ The person stopped his cursed word from finishing. I looked up to be met by the only blue eyes I’ll ever want to meet with, Theo. When he noticed it was me he stayed quiet, not a single breath of air was released from his mouth. He was sad, he was confused, and he was….sorry. For that brief moment I believed he felt some kind of remorse, maybe not for me but for Christy. His eyes shifted from mine to the floor.  

“Theo, let’s go! Coach is going to kill us!” Jackson yelled and Theo left, without a single word being said. Jackson Whittemore, team’s running back, Theo’s best friend, and school’s biggest flirt. Jackson Whittemore was the guy every girl wanted, every girl but me. Luckily for him he found himself a girlfriend. Lydia Martin, school’s biggest slut, school’s biggest bully, and my biggest enemy. She never liked me, not after Jackson tried to make a move on me which I clearly didn’t want. But she’s hard headed; she only cares of what other people think of her. I walked down the stairs making my way to my art class, a class that is filled with freshmen, but even with them, there are always whispers.  

“I heard she was with Mister Bailey last period after class.” Some girl attempted to whisper. I rolled my eyes not caring what they said.

“(Y/N), you’re needed in the principal’s office.” Mrs. Blake’s voice brought my eyes back to the front of the classroom. I took my black backpack and stepped out of the room making my way down the long halls. I can’t help but to remember when Christy and I would walk down the same hallway. The thought of her being gone still brings me to tears. I need her, I need her to come back and help me through this. I brush the tears out of my eyes with the back of my hands before entering the main office.  

“First door on the left sweetie.” The desk clerk smiled. I complied and moved my way into the big wooden door. I was met by the principal and someone’s back. When I closed the door a face appeared on the mysterious back. Mister Bailey. His eyes shot open, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“Miss (y/l/n), please take a seat.” The principal smiled politely pointing to the chair next to Mister Bailey. I gulped not knowing what to think, had Mister Bailey gone to the principal and told him about my troubles? Had he betrayed me? Is he trying to get me help? “It has come to me that you and Mister Bailey shared a moment after class, correct?” I nodded not knowing where this was heading, was it against some policy? “Did Mister Bailey do anything inappropriate?” I laughed, shaking my head. The audacity of some people, to put someone’s job on the line, for what, a simple laugh? “Miss (y/l/n), this isn’t a laughing matter.” I stood up throwing my backpack on the floor.  

“No Principal Jenkins, it isn’t.” I shook my head. “He didn’t do anything to me.” I sighed and looked at Mister Bailey. “I’m sorry for all of this, those students out there; they’ll do anything for a laugh.” He shook his head.  

“Miss (y/l/n), you do know if you’re lying not only will you be expelled but Mister Bailey would go straight to jail.” I nodded.  

“I understand the circumstances Principal Jenkins, but I’m telling you, it isn’t true.” He sighed.  

“I’ll talk to the student who made this false accusation.” I nodded and grabbed my backpack. I knew something like this would happen, I just didn’t think today would be the day. As I walked out of the office I slowly walked back to art, not wanting to go back and be faced with the entire inconsiderate freshman class. I walked to the stairs in the back of the school and sat on them. No one ever comes here; it’s my personal escape from this hell hole. I slipped on my headphones and put on my ‘Wrecked’ playlist. The fray immediately started playing. I took my sketchbook out and started drawing small doodles, small doodles that lead me to draw a broken girl. I didn’t pay much attention to it, I always drew things like this, especially while listening to this playlist. Suddenly I felt a harsh push against my back. I yanked out my headphones and stood at my feet. I turned around expecting some group of freshman skipping to be cool but who I found was the only person who knew the truth. 

“I’m sorry.” He spoke softly, not wanting to say the wrong thing. I shook my head and grabbed my backpack and began to walk away. I wasn’t going to sit around listening to someone give me a fake apology. “(Y/N), listen.” He grabbed my arm which I quickly yanked out of his grasp.  

“Listen to what? You don’t speak to me for three years and you want me to listen?” I laugh, not because it was funny, but because he actually thinks I’m going to listen to anything he has to say. “You’ve had your chance Theo, but you decided to laugh and spread the rumors like everyone else.” I shook my head. “You knew what was going on, you know exactly what happened yet you decided to continue spreading the most disgusting rumors about me, for what? So you could fit in? You’re unbelievable, I can’t believe I actually thought you were a friend.” I shoved him making him fall over the stairs.  

“I know!” His voice higher than I’ve ever heard it. “Christy was my friend too (Y/N)! I cared about her just like you did!” I laughed, he didn’t care, not one bit.  

“If you cared, you would have gone to her funeral Theo, you would have tried to help her, help me! You knew how things were, you knew yet you decided to do nothing about it.” I felt my eyes begin to sting, I’m not used to this, not during the day. “You think it’s easy for me? Do you think that it’s easy for me to come to this place and constantly get whispers and rumors thrown at me? What about my feelings Theo, what about my reputation? I lost my mom because of you and your little posy.” I rubbed off the unwanted tears that had spilt and opened my backpack and pulled out a notebook. I looked at it for a moment, debating whether I should let him read it or not. My hands made up my mind by throwing it straight to his face, I hoped that hurt him.

“What’s this?” He began to open it.  

“It’s everything me and Christy went through without you. Every detail of every bad moment we ever had, without you.” I looked out the small window. “I shouldn’t even give you it but I want you to know the struggle we went through, something you’re not aware of.” I walked away, not looking back. That was it, all my secrets, all the truth, it was time for someone to know, I was tired of keeping it all in. Theo didn’t bother to run after me, probably already reading over the secrets I held onto for years now.  

Before I knew it the last bell rang indicating it was time to leave, leave for fifteen hours before returning back here. I walked out of the school feeling the warm air, I loved being outside, gardening or just being at the park with Christy. But things changed, the outside world scares me more than it ever has, not because Christy’s gone, but because all the bad the world can do. I began to walk home, or the place I’m obligated to call home. When my mother left me she demanded my grandparents took me in. My grandparents were never fond of me, partly because they never really liked the man that fathered me. I’ll admit I do miss my mother, but I can’t understand how she was so much of a coward to leave me the way she did. I guess she thought that for a moment I’d be completely fine with her leaving me with the only people who never liked me, who never wanted me. I walked slowly down the sidewalk, I didn’t want to get home I wanted to leave this place once and for all. I passed through Christy’s house spotting her mother on her normal spot, never moving, never noticing the world pass by. I missed the way she was, but she lost something that meant the world to her, there’s no going back. I didn’t bother to wave, I know how emotional she gets when she sees me, wishing my mother would have the same reaction or any kind of reaction. I soon arrived at my temporary home, one more year and I’d be gone, out of here, out of this town.  

“(Y/N), it’s good that you’re home, I need you to wash the clothes and wash the dishes.” I sighed throwing my backpack on the couch. My grandmother never really liked the idea of cleaning, so when I came into the picture she was more than happy about putting me to work. I decided to put a pile of the dirty clothes in the washer as I started on the dishes. Since I always washed dishes there wasn’t much I needed to wash. I dried them off and put them up before emptying the washer and putting the clothes in the dryer. I didn’t wait for it to finish instead I went outside, I didn’t bother changing, I knew if I stayed inside my grandmother would tell me to clean unnecessary things like the TV cord.  

The warm fall air hitting against my exposed skin did wonders to me. It brought me back to all the good memories I’ve had. Pumpkin carving with Christy, going door to door trying to sell chocolate bars for a ridiculous amount just to get a decent Halloween costume. It’s almost as if she isn’t gone, just thinking about her makes me believe that she’s still here right beside me. But my trip to memory lane is cut short by a ruffling noise. Theo and Jackson drove past me making their truck noisier than ever. I began to walk to the nearest park near my neighborhood, luckily it wasn’t too far and it wasn’t too popular. Once in a while you see a couple kids running back and forth on the basketball court but this park is basically dead. All the technology we have really makes kids stay inside, not caring about the outside world and not caring about other people as long as they themselves are happy.  

I sat on the only swing that wasn’t broken and began to catch some speed. I thought about what would happen if I’d did exactly what Christy did. Would I be with her? Would anybody miss me? Would my mother be as miserable as Christy’s? I shook the thought out of my head as soon as I saw a figure walking towards me. I slowed down wanting to get off and walk back home but it was too late. The figure stopped next to me but I was too afraid to look up at it. “I read it all.” His voice rang through my ears. “I knew you guys weren’t okay but I never knew you guys were that bad.” His voice almost sounding as if he had been crying.  

“I don’t want your pity Theo.” I look up at him. “I just wanted you to know how it actually happened, not how you and your little friends portray it out to be.”  

“I shouldn’t have ever left you guys, I shouldn’t have joined the football team. Maybe then she would still be here.” A small giggle comes out of my mouth before I jump off the swing and step forward to him.  

“You left us because you didn’t want to be seen with us Theo. If you actually felt bad for anything you fucking did you wouldn’t have spread those rumors!” My voice getting higher than usual. “You out of all people are the one that started all this, you’re the one that made everything up! How could you? How could you be so fucking heartless to my emotions when you were once my friends? How could you be such a prick?” My words coming out with disgust and anger.

“I didn’t know what else to fucking do (Y/N)! You didn’t exactly give me a choice, maybe if you wouldn’t have been such a bitch and ran away from me I wouldn’t have said anything like that! Christy was my friend to. And even though I don’t know what the fuck happened that night I still cared about her. I tried so many times to talk to you guys but somehow I couldn’t. You know how high school is (Y/N), if you’re not popular you’re not anything, and I need that football team, it’s what’s getting me a scholarship.” I laugh and raise my hand before slapping his left cheek.  

“She was never your friend.” He tensed up and looked at me as he wanted to murder me, and for once I thought that wasn’t such a bad idea. “I don’t even know why I wasted my time and gave you the benefit of the doubt. Nothing is going to change. Tomorrow we’ll be at school and you’ll walk past me as if all of this never happened. And you know what the worst part is?” I stayed silent waiting for him to say a word but it never came. “You don’t care. That’s the worst part. How could you turn into something like this Theo? Christy and I gave you the only friendship you had when no one else wanted to befriend you.” I shook my head and took a step backwards. “I guess this is the thanks we deserve.” I begin to walk away as another figure comes to the unwanted park. And to my despite, it was Jackson.  

“What the hell are you doing here Jackson?” He chuckled and looked at Theo.  

“I came to see why you ditched me at the last minute.” He looked at me and smiled. “I see you’re with the school’s joke.” I rolled my eyes and began to walk again but his arm stopped me. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” I looked at him as he began to grip my arm with his hand.  

“Jackson, let her go.” I look at Theo and laughed.  

“I don’t need your fucking help douchebag.” I look back at Jackson and smile. “Why don’t you let me go before I hurt you?” His laugh seemed dark, evil almost.  

“As if you could do anything to me. You’ll regret it. I’ll make your life a living hell.” I laugh and before I know it, my knee went straight to his balls.

“You already do.” I look back at Theo who couldn’t help but chuckle before I ran home hearing the loud cries he makes and calling me a bitch, I can take care of myself, after what happened I had no choice. I don’t need anyone’s pity, especially not Theo’s.

[i-may-have-a-point]

Review of 14x09 “1-800-799-7233”

My thoughts on the latest episode of Grey’s.  Let me know what you think!

We have been waiting a year and a half to see Jo and Paul come face to face.  This story is why fans showed up to watch the mid-season premiere.  Stories of domestic violence often go unheard.  The victim’s integrity is questioned, the perpetrator’s actions are excused, and the stories are swept under rugs, pushed behind doors, and hushed until anyone who dares speak of them is silenced.  

Because of this, telling the story of a domestic violence victim on one of the most watched primetime dramas in history is a milestone.  This story really began in 12x24 when Jo told Deluca about Paul and the writers chose to say, “Domestic violence is happening.  It’s not okay, and we aren’t going to ignore it.”  Unfortunately, they did somewhat ignore it as this story should have happened in season 13 instead of the Alex/Deluca beating that will never be spoke of again, but I digress.  Regardless of the timeline, they are telling the story, so I will focus on that.  

Because the build up to Jo and Paul seeing each other again has taken thirty-four episodes, this story deserved to be a centric.  The focus should have been solely on Jo, Alex, and Paul.  The acting of Camilla Luddington and Matthew Morrison in this episode was up there with some of the best of Grey’s Anatomy, however, the strange juxtaposition of stories, and even acting, in this episode took away from what should have been their moment to shine.  

The episode starts with Jo, and the audience, trapped in her head.  We’re all picking up pieces of what Paul is saying, but not everything is processing. “Paul…fiancé...help you needed…” This scene reminded me of how they presented Owen’s PTSD when he found out Megan was alive.  He was going through the motions, but inside, he was frozen in trauma.  And PTSD may be what Jo is experiencing as well.  Many domestic violence victims do.

The decision to place the audience in Jo’s muffled thoughts and then transition into Arizona’s bubbly admiration of Paul was a nice choice.  It was just what Jo needed to pull her back to reality and give her time to think.  She knows this man.  She knows he is a monster, but very few other people do.  It also shows the viewers why this situation was/is so difficult for Jo to escape from. In the medical world, he seems to be a hero, and heroes don’t fall easily.

Just from the opening scene, I knew that Camilla and Matthew were going to nail this story and they did. The fear in Jo’s eyes contrasted with Paul’s charm and dominance was chilling.

Meredith and Glasses are slowly melting in the OR as the air conditioner is not working and Bailey finds out the hacker now controls the temperature.  So, she calls Jackson for the 97th time, and we cut to Jackson and Maggie, who have apparently landed at their destination.  Cue eye-rolling turned cringe at seeing them on screen and then Jackson clearly forgetting all bloodborne pathogen training and slapping his slippery glove on that woman’s shoulder.  This is the second time this season they have had a scene with obvious blood contamination.  Did the person in charge of checking for that quit?

Frankie is rushed to the OR because he should not have been given heparin.  Jo begins to explain that she sent a text, and then got held up by her abusive husband, but before she can get the words out, Alex channels season 12’s Angry Alex and snaps at her.  What was up with that?  He has been nothing but in love with her all season, so why the moment of annoyance? Why not give her the chance to tell him Paul is there and let him comfort her?  Amelia can take care of Frankie.  She has no other storyline right now so that shouldn’t be a problem.

Deluca is placed in charge of keeping Sam from telling the patients they are all going to die, and Webber gives Paul operating privileges because we just hand out scalpels here at Grey-Sloan Memorial.

Owen and April are running the ER with paper charts and post-it notes.  I appreciate that they are shown as competent, capable surgeons in a crisis.  Because they’ve done this before.  “Takes you back to Jordan, right?” “Yeah, only hotter.”  In an earlier review this season, I said that April’s journey is about finally dealing with all the decisions she has made in the past and figuring out what makes her happy.  This is another example of that happening.  Nicole Herman has been brought up, Matthew’s flash-mob proposal has been brought up, Jordan is brought up this week, and we all suspect to hear Samuel’s name next week. I like this as a journey for April, but I wish we were seeing more of it on our screen. Either way, I think the end of her journey will always lead to Jackson.

Speaking of Jackson, how did April know he was on the Medavac chopper?  We certainly didn’t see him tell her in 14x08, so are we supposed to believe he texted her from the chopper?  Things like this are incredibly frustrating.  We have this supposed love triangle happening, yet Jackson and April are purposefully kept out of scenes together.  Then, we get these little moments dangled in front of us just to keep us wondering.  One side of this triangle, Jackson and Maggie, is shoved down our throats in every episode, yet they cannot manage to gather a fan following.  Their ship name was quickly turned into a joke, and every comment section on every form of social media is full of comments praying for their scenes to end.  Jackson and April have little to no screen time.  We see them share looks across rooms, we get told that April knows where Jackson is when even the Chief has no idea, but they have not had a significant scene in seven episodes.  And yet, every poll, every comment section, and every review reflects that this side of the triangle, Jackson and April, is the only side the fans want to see together in the end.  

Jackson and Maggie operating on their patient is unrealistic.  They would have signed him over to doctors at the new hospital and showered immediately.  Any hospital that would have allowed them to scrub in (assuming they did?) and operate covered in blood, when they had other options, is one that should be shut down. I get that the show tried to use this scene to have them banter about being covered in blood, but bantering requires chemistry and the ability to play off of the other actor, neither of which they have, so the scene just came across as unsanitary and gross – in more ways than one.  

Speaking of banter, I like Sam and Deluca, but where are they going with them?  I wish they had started as colleagues who didn’t know each other and built to a relationship.  There is no build up here because as Sam says, Deluca penetrates her every five minutes.  And I have lost interest in their backstory because of it.  

Alex finally finds out that Paul’s in the hospital and starts an intern treasure hunt to make sure Jo is okay.  I love that line.  

Paul steps in for Glasses to create a classic awkward O.R. moment which brings Meredith into the story. I appreciate that the show tried to show women sticking up for each other and being strong, but I can’t help but sigh at Meredith saving the day Every. Single. Time.  Can you imagine if Edwards were still here?  She would have stepped right up to Paul’s smirking face and told him to burn in hell.  She set a rapist on fire.  That girl was fierce.

Jo’s reaction to finding out Alex sent the intern to find her was perfect.  She needed that reminder that someone loves her and cares about her. Sweet scene.

The show has to be getting paid for promoting Tinder so much at this point, right?  Carina catches Arizona swiping away, and I realize I forgot about both of them.  It seems like they are flirting, but I don’t care enough to really pay attention. Arizona is capable of more than flirting, and it’s been too long since we’ve seen it.  

Meanwhile, intern Parker electrocutes the blood bank door, and as someone on Reddit said, I see more sparks in that scene than I ever have in a Gaggie scene.  

One of my favorite scenes of the episode is when Jo runs to Meredith and Alex insisting that what Paul said about her isn’t true.  She is so desperate for them to believe her.  The only thing that could have made it better is if she would have fallen into Alex’s arms and not Meredith’s.  

April realizes their system is not failproof.  They lost a post-it and forgot a patient which leads to them opening the man’s chest in the hallway.  I have always liked Team Trauma.  Owen is a kind, older brother figure to April, and this moment was no different. We also got to see April show how talented she is under pressure.  I saw a couple people wondering if this was a chemistry test, but I hope with everything I have that it wasn’t.  It is possible for a man and woman to have a platonic relationship, although this show has a hard time showing that, and the LAST thing I want to see is Owen eating April’s face when he kisses her.  He has been divorced three times (Beth, Cristina, and Amelia assuming they actually signed papers off screen), and he needs to be single for a while.  

Jo telling Alex and Mer that the intern followed her into the stall was a great line, but again, I thought that the scene should have just been Jo and Alex discussing what to do next.  Instead, it felt like Mer took over the situation and made the decisions.  You can argue that Mer thought Alex would get violent, and she was trying to avoid that, but I think it that were going to happen it would have when Alex first saw him.  There was no one around to stop him, and he controlled himself.  Let him be Jo’s rock.

Then we get the low-budget porn locker room scene.  Scenes like this greatly take away from the seriousness of domestic violence and the powerful work that Camilla did.  The transition from feeling heartbroken for Jo to secondhand embarrassment for Jackson and Maggie threw the whole episode off.  If it weren’t for these awkward scenes, the episode could have been one of Grey’s best.  

I’m not one who has to wipe the drool from my chin when Jesse Williams takes his shirt off, so seeing him standing in a towel definitely didn’t save this scene for me. I would much rather see him share scenes with someone he has chemistry with and where he can show a range of emotions. I think this scene was supposed to show sexual tension, but it could not have been farther from that.  Whose idea was it to start the scene with Maggie saying, “Did you know that cell phones have ten times more bacteria than a public toilet seat?”  Why would she be thinking of that random bit of trivia while sitting in a towel in an unfamiliar locker room?  This is not cute or endearing.  Jackson replies, “Cool story,” and I completely understand why.  That’s what I say when I want people to stop telling me information I care nothing about.  And what hospital locks up their scrubs?  I guess the same one who lets doctors operate while covered in blood.  In their second scene, I have no idea what they said because I was trying to decide if they looked so uncomfortable because they have no chemistry or if they were trying to lean far enough back so they didn’t have that stomach roll that we all have when we slouch. Probably both.  Side note:  Scrub delivery guy is a hero.

Jo and Paul sign the divorce papers.  I love that Mer swiped the divorce papers away before Paul could take them, and that Jo got the chance to tell him what a monster he is.  It could have been over at this point, but Jo is too good of a person. She wants to help Jenny because no one helped her.  Her plan was smart.  Arizona telling Paul she needed some “man power” was just the thing someone like Paul wants to hear, and it gave Jo some time alone with Jenny.  Unfortunately, Jenny is either crazy or ignorant and not only didn’t take Jo’s advice, but she also told Paul everything Jo said and gave him her phone number. (You can change your number, Jo.)  Matthew Morrison was peak creepy in this scene, and there were moments when I thought he was going to hit both Jo and Meredith, but (predictably) Mer saved the day when she pretended to call for security.

Dr. Parker gets the hospital back online, and we, along with Bailey find out he is transgender.  Once we all googled the actor’s name, we found out he actually is transgender.  Kudos to Grey’s for casting an actual transgender actor to play a transgender character.  But, um, who was the hacker?

Amelia, Deluca, and Sam team up to enter this new surgical contest, which could be good, I hesitate to say.  

April (of course) sees Jackson and Maggie are back, and then Webber tricks her into offering to run the surgical contest instead of him.  Sigh.  I was really hoping to see April compete in the contest, but I should have known that wouldn’t happen.  My only hope is that her running what is actually Jackson’s contest and controlling his money will lead somewhere.  It’s probably better that April control his money anyway seeing as he’s obviously not thinking clearly.  No one in their right mind would ask their step-sister out.  Yet he did.  Maggie may have said no and left with another guy, but this story is far from over.  Hopefully, 14x10 should give us some of the answers we are waiting for since Jackson and April finally have scenes together again. If this is truly a triangle, like they keep insisting it is, it should be presented that way next week.  It won’t be hard.  Japril’s chemistry is undeniable.  One look at each other and social media will be on fire with renewed hope for their endgame. And I do still think they are endgame.  We just have a long road before we get there.

[rocketrole-jmzc]

-

Elton had woken up to an empty bed with a blaring head ache as he always seemed to now a days. He knew he had booked a booth at the studio for the week but it was Wednesday and he knew he could get away with missing one day out of the five that he had booked. The sun was already in the middle of the sky by now and Elton cursed whoever had left the curtains open, it was too damn bright. He blindly searched his bedside table for a pill bottle popping a few painkiller managing to swallow them dry before reluctantly reopening his eyes. Lazily Elton swung his legs over the bedside and padded down toward the kitchen passing John's office on his way down. The door was shut which was seldom the case but Elton didnt think much of it. Coffee had already been brewed and Elton poured himself a cup splashing baileys into the mug and sighing as he brought it to his lips. There was a dull thud above him and Elton sighed, with his pre existing headache and sour mood he didnt want to investigate but then he heard a similar sound but louder like something had fallen. Reluctantly Elton set down the mug and made his way back up the stairs opening the door to John's office caught him off guard "Excuse me?" He shouted his brain working to hard to process what he was seeing to say something proper.

Earlier that morning John’s secretary was over delivering some paperwork. Although it was work that could easily be mailed, the two had been casually flirting for a couple weeks now and the man was going out of his way to see John. John never thought things would go this far but now he had the man pinned down against the desk, clothes discarded long ago and going at it. John and Elton had been drifting apart for months, barely talking aside from fighting, and John thought Elton was out of the house so he wasn’t being careful. When the door to the office opens his secretary quickly pushes John off of him, looking guilty and scrambling to put on his clothes. John’s slower about it; he knows he should feel guilty or embarrassed but he’s mostly just annoyed to have been interrupted. “I thought you were out,” he supplies after putting his boxers back on, working to pull on his pants and get his belt done up.

Eltons jaw sets in place as he watches the other two scramble apart his stomach lurching at the sight of his partner being unfaithful. He scoffs at the other mans words feeling his rage boiling up inside him "That all you've got to say John? Hm? Really that's all you have to say," He says his voice high and tight as he works hard to keep himself from shouting. The secretary is still scrambling to grab his things and Elton glares daggers at the young man "and you," his tone is low and feral as he addresses the secretary "Get out!" He shouts at the secretary his breathing heavy from hurt and frustration as the man scrambles away.

John watches him go then turns to Elton, his expression the same as if Elton was just a minor annoyance, or simply a mild inconvenience needing to be dealt with. “Quite frankly it’s a miracle you’re sober enough to even process what’s going on around you,” he marvels, pulling on his undershirt and beginning to do up the buttons.

Eltons eyes narrowed his heart pounding "That's it? Youre screwing your fucking secretary in /my house/ and that's all you have to fucking say John?" Hes aware hes screaming now approaching John as he speaks "How fucking long? Huh? A week? A month? Is this all the fucking work you need to do?" Elton barely stops for a breath shoving John knowing it wont help the situation but his blind rage is too strong for him to stop himself.

The shove quickly changes John’s demeanor, his shoulders squaring and his jaw clenching. “This was the first time, actually. I’m surprised I didn’t think of it sooner, what with you always gone, high, or picking fights with me,” he shoots back, starting to get angry. “Did you seriously think you could get away with always lashing out physically, without any ill consequences? The work I’ve been needing to do is covering up black eyes you give me,” he brings attention to their more recent fights, which had been getting increasingly more violent.

Elton audibly laughs at John's words "First time? Or first time with him John and dont you dare act all high and mighty when we both know that I am not the only one causing fights," His words rose with anger knocking over one of the chairs in front of John's desk "And lucky for both of us, I had to learn how to cover up that shot of thing very quickly," he sneered in John's face now but he turns away quickly shaking from the anger he cant control.

“Don’t fucking break anything in here,” John warns when Elton knocks over the chair. He rolls his eyes at the others words. “It’s not my fault you thought I loved you enough to only ever be with you,” he practically spits. The seconds the words leave his mouth he regrets them, since they’re not true. He’s purposely lashing out at Elton where he knows it’ll hurt. He knows how sensitive the other is about these things, that deep down the other was afraid nobody really loved him. Which wasn’t true; despite everything that had happened John still loves Elton, but the love has been flattened down from weeks of fighting, Elton ignoring him and vice versa. He shows no sign of regret though, simply crossing his arms.

Elton feels the anger in his chest deflate into cold hurt as he hears the words leave John's mouth. His mothers words rose up in his mind but he quickly shoved her out of his thoughts trying to keep himself angry before heart break set in. He turns to look at John his jaw tight from anger though the hurt shown threw his eyes "Get out of my house John!" He shouts ignoring the other mans cold warning and hurling a glass paper weight into the book shelf next to the other man "Get the fuck out!"

John grits his teeth harder when Elton throws the weight; it shatters, the sound echoing throughout the room, and part of the bookshelf collapses, spilling books and a few records onto the floor. All restraint leaves him instantly and he storms up to Elton. “Don’t. Break. My fucking stuff!” He growls, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and almost raising him up off the floor. “If I come back here and you’ve messed with any of this, I won’t let you off so easy,” he threatens, harshly shoving Elton away before turning to briskly walk out of the room, heading to leave.

The breath is knocked from his chest as John pushes him against the wall fighting every instinct to fight back. But even as John is walking away Elton paces after him hardly ready to let that go "stuff you bought with the money you made from my records you twat!" He shouted slamming himself in the bedroom still seething from the fight

John doesn’t stop when he hears Elton yelling after him, storming out of the house. He calls a car to take him to his apartment in the city, and once he gets there he sits at his desk, still shaking with anger. His own words echo through his head and he tries to push away the guilt; feeling guilty won’t help anything. He knows he messed up but he’d never admit that, he’d defend himself to the death if it kept out the humiliation of apologizing. He pours himself a drink, downing it in seconds and refilling his glass. He continues like that until it’s hard to pour anymore, spilling his drink onto the carpet. He doesn’t care though.

Elton hears the door slam and kicks blindly in frustration. John's words still stung and he reached out for the only coping skill he had: substances. He stares at the bottle for a moment a few silent tears slipping down his cheeks. Elton truly didnt want to loose John but he wasnt sure how he could trust him again.

John sits at his desk with his head in his hands. He feels like he should do something; instead of just sitting at home when he knows Elton’s probably losing it miles away. The other mans known to overdose and attempt, and a brief flash of worry that maybe he’s already done it, and John would get a call saying a maid had found Elton dead in his office. He nervously chews on his bottom lip. He opens one of his drawers and pulls out a small metal tin, taking a small spoonful of the white powder and heavily snorting it. He lays his head on the cold wooden desk, his senses buzzing and his head spinning as he tries to forget his worries.

-

It had been a little less than a week since Elton and John had spoken although hed seen that secretary around more than enough. Each time was a painful reminder of what he had found that morning and he wondered why he hadnt been fired yet. He made his way down the stairs with his trunk, it was the first day of travel for his tour and the last person he expected to see sitting across from him in the car was John "No work you need to do?" He spat, his bitterness speaking for him before he could stop it.

“This is the work I need to do,” John responds dully, his tone implying he’d like to roll his eyes, though he keeps himself from actually doing it. “Besides, somebody has to make sure you don’t kill yourself before you even go onstage,” he adds, hating that their first exchange in almost a week is hateful and bitter.

"Ah," Elton responds his eyes cold as they settle on John "wed hate to have to refund tickets," He supplies pouring himself a drink from the tumbler that they kept in the car for trips such as these "Where are we starting off again?" Elton asks downing the drink hed just poured for himself looking out the window.

“You have your first show tonight in L.A, then another tomorrow night,” John answers emotionlessly. Once Elton’s poured himself a drink he takes the tumbler, pouring himself one and downing it as well. He pours another, sipping this one a bit slower, looking out the window to ignore Elton. He’s clearly shutting him out, not giving him any attention.

Elton doesnt respond he fishes the tin from his coat pocket and takes a bit on the end of his pinky inhaling and leaning back his nose beginning to drip "Fuck, lend me your handkerchief," he asks his head tipping back to try and stop the bleeding.

John nods and takes the handkerchief out of a pocket on his lapel, handing it to Elton. He notices how thin Elton’s blood is and it makes him grimace: of course his is exactly the same, but he hates knowing Elton’s just as far gone with drugs as he is. “Try holding your breath, it’ll help the blood stop quicker,” he suggests softly.

Elton holds the fabric to his nose huffing, the tip feels condescending but he tries it and it works. He wipes the excess away and glares at John the substance on his system making his heart pound "If you dont fire that secretary then I will and I'm sure I wont be as nice about it as you would be," He doesn't intend for it to sound threatening but he hears his voice distantly and knows it must have

John raises an eyebrow, glaring a bit. “He’s good at his job, he’s been making things a lot more organized and efficient. Things won’t run as smoothly with him gone. But if you want to let your personal problems get in the way of your career then I can’t stop you. I’ll call him later and tell him he’s been let off,” he tells him, not much emotion showing in his voice at all.

Hurt boiled up in him as John tried to defend the other man but he didnt let it show unsurprisingly the conversation veered back towards his career. "Well I suppose that depends on if he continues to be a personal problem," Elton replies his tone icy "and would you get off your damn high horse you cant possibly be pretending that keeping the man you're sleeping with on payroll is for my benefit,"

John’s expression quickly turns to annoyance, looking at Elton almost as if he’s tired. “It /is/ for your benefit, but I’m not going to sit here and argue with you about something you know nothing about,” he retorts. His tone is still superior, but it’s only a coverup for how lost he feels. There’s no going back from what he did, and he’s much too ashamed to apologize, so the only thing he knows to do is defend himself, and to do that he’s trying to distance himself from Elton. All of his responses are given without any real emotion behind them, like he’s giving pre-rehearsed lines to somebody who works for him. He almost seems distant, occasionally glancing out the window, doing his best to avoid eye contact.

The other mans stoney tone just fueled John's anger his uncaring attitude and Elton opened his mouth to respond instead he just filled his glass again and downed his drink leaning his head back against the car seat. The last few days had been hellish and Elton wanted nothing more than to just forget about the hurt that John had caused him. But every time he thought of the other man all he could picture what what he had found that morning and that's what made him speak again "You know I dont know the last time you cared about my benefit, so I suppose I should be thankful you're shagging this poofer, hm?"

That gets John’s attention, and he turns to glare at Elton. He hates how Elton’s always saying that John doesn’t work hard at his job, and that he doesn’t care about Elton’s well-being, because that’s the one thing he always tried hard to do; make things as smooth and seamless as possible to make Elton’s life easier. He narrows his eyes, his face turned up in a scowl. “I’ve always cared about your benefit. I can count on one hand how many times there’s been a major slip-up in concert schedules or distributing records. That’s because I’ve always put your convenience over everything, because I know what kind of person you are. Throwing tantrums like a child if your private jets temperature isn’t exactly 70 degrees,” he says almost mockingly.

Elton doesnt respond he knows John's right in some capacity but the difference is John is the one in the wrong this time and he hates that he wont admit it. He cant stand the anger that brews in his stomach and a silent frustrated tear slips down his cheek. Hes quick to wipe it away and he pours himself another glass sipping it slower this time.

John notices the tear, a sharp pang of guilt hitting him. He turns away, looking out the window and shutting Elton out again. His face is expressionless and uncaring, just to hide how upset he is. The silence is heavy and tense, and he wants more than anything to break it somehow, but he knows anything he’d say would only come across as cruel, so he stays quiet.

"Is he the only one?" Elton asks unable to help himself, he doesn't really want to know those words that he isnt enough for John makes him wonder if this is the first time or he hasnt made John happy for a long time. The thought hurts more than he cares to admit, and he takes another swig.

John nods, turning back to partially face him. He’d much rather not talk about it, but he knows Elton deserves to know the truth. “Like I said before that was the first time. I never meant for things to go that far,” he tells him, knowing it’s no excuse or even close to an apology. It’s the truth, though; it started out as harmless flirting, just a way for John to get his fights with Elton off his mind. They’d never even kissed until the morning it happened. They had been in John’s office, casually flirting, when the other man had made a sudden move and kissed him. John let things progress, even encouraging them onward, because he was so starved for affection from fighting with Elton for months. He didn’t have any real feelings for the secretary, everything the other man had done John found himself thinking how Elton could do it so much better. John wishes he’d never let the flirting continue in the first place.

Elton scoffs and shakes his head as John speaks because hearing it hurts but hes glad he's able to actually listen to the other man, part of that being the alchohol rushing through his system. Some strange part of him feels like he should be apologizing to John, for what he didnt know but hed do anything to keep the other man from doing something like that again but theres another part of him that isnt satisfied and he raised the glass to his lips. Its exhausting to have the part of him that need affection and the part of him that was anger was at war and his anger always won out.

John tries to read Elton’s expression but isn’t able to. Now that Elton’s not yelling at him it’s easier to convince himself to at least try to apologize. “I don’t... I mean...there were no feelings involved. I know that doesn’t make it any better.. and what I said last week, about not loving you.. that wasn’t true, I didn’t do what I did because you’re not enough,” he tries to reassure him. It’s the truth but he knows it’s probably unbelievable. His tone is gentle now, more emotional, like he’s taken down the walls that were keeping him so far away.

[hurr1can30m3l1a]

S-E-X

Prompt : With the girls from the Omelia group chat we were talking about the 12x21 scene where Maggie and Meredith caught Owen and Amelia at the couch naked, and given that we also know that Zola took a glimpse of them lying naked together there… the prompt is: Can someone write something related with Zola asking Amelia what they were doing there?

I’ve read @ailingnoor fic and loved it so I thought I would have a go at the prompt as well - enjoy!

After all of the pestering and jokes she had endured all morning at her own expense Amelia had silently decided she had had enough. Yes, her sisters had seen “Major Hunt reporting for duty” but after what felt like 100 jokes, even Hurricane Amelia was beginning to feel a little embarrassed. Miraculously neither she nor her sisters had run into Owen all at the same time, which was the only thing her dignity was holding onto to, al be it by a very thin thread. With her lunch break looming she decided that she would go and visit one of her favourite people in the world, and someone who she was certain would not want to talk about her and Owen and his ‘thing’. Zola. She noticed that Meredith and Maggie were both in surgeries meaning that she would have her little niece all to herself.

As she made her way up to the Day-Care she could have sworn she saw a blur of Owen in the background but as she walked into the elevator that thought was quickly pushed to the back of her mind. Leaning against the back wall of the elevator her mind flooded with memories of her night with Owen, and then her morning with Owen. Her dimple was on full display as she stood there in the elevator smiling like an idiot, passers by were left unnoticed as she drifted off into her memories of her time with Owen. Maybe Meredith was right, maybe they were a thing – how did Owen truly feel a bout their thing? What did Owen want? What did she want? The ding of the elevator brought her back to reality and she set off towards the Day-Care. After chatting with the lady who ran the Day-Care briefly, she spotted Zola. “Aunty Mia!” the little girl exclaimed as she ran into Amelia’s arms and was quickly lifted into the air; “Hey Zozo! Want to come and have lunch with me today? My treat!” she asked nuzzling her nose against her niece’s cheek. 

Once in the cafeteria they quickly picked up their food, a salad for Amelia and a sandwich for Zola, and made their way to a quiet table in the corner. Amelia loved hearing about all of the ideas that flowed freely through her 6-year-old niece’s mind, her wild and uncontrolled imagination never failed to amaze her. They had a relaxing lunch chatting about stories, princess and fairies; it was the perfect break from all the teasing that Amelia had needed. At one point they were joined by April and Arizona who within seconds were completely distracted by Zola that they never thought to ask about Owen. Then they were joined by Richard as well. Zola was recalling all the games and toys she had played with with Maggie the night before, Amelia had not felt so relaxed for a very long time.

“And then this morning me, Mommy, Aunty Maggie, Bailey and Ellis all saw Aunty Mia and Uncle Owen cuddling on the couch, and when they stood up they were both naked….” Zola carried on nonchalantly, “Have you finished your lunch Zozo, let’s get you back up to Day-Care…” Amelia attempted to interrupt and distract her niece and colleagues, “Aunty Mia, Mummy says it’s rude to interrupt people” Zola continued, stunned by the 6-year-old’s response Amelia found herself at a loss for words. Bright-red and wide-eyed Amelia’s eyes were dancing between her colleagues who had the most mischievous grins plastered all over their faces, now she definitely knew that what had happened this morning was going to spread like wild-fire. “My, my Zola, they were cuddling naked?” Arizona commented while winking at Amelia, “Yes they were, but why?” Zola asked a little perplexed, as April opened her mouth hers and Arizona’s pagers both went off, “Saved by the bell” April winked at Amelia as they excused themselves; seconds later Richard excused himself assuming Amelia wanted to be left alone with her niece. “What were you and Uncle Owen doing together?” Zola asked, looking up at her Aunty with her big brown eyes, Amelia swallowed hard knowing that whatever she said next would imprint itself in her niece’s memory forever. “Umm, well, when two people really care about each other they need to show each other how much they care, and that is how they show it” she spoke slowly knowing Zola was hooked onto her every word. “If you care about each other do you love each other” her little niece continued, “Yes it does Zozo” Amelia continued “It’s a way people show each other that they love each other”, “So do you love Uncle Owen?” the little girl pondered aloud. Amelia couldn’t help but smile, she knew she had very strong feelings for Owen but she didn’t really know how to express them and considering she didn’t know how Owen truly felt, she was terrified of confronting those feelings. “Do you want to know a secret Zo?” Amelia whispered “I love Uncle Owen a lot; but her doesn’t know yet so please don’t say anything…” “Ok!” the little girl answered seemingly happy with how Amelia had explained everything to her. “I have one more question!” she perked up “Yeah?!” “Is cuddling naked S-E-X?!”. 

Amelia almost chocked on her water; stunned by the question she had just been posed. Suddenly her saving grace dawned on her, Meredith was just walking into the cafeteria. Spotting her sister and daughter she made her way towards the two. Suddenly Amelia saw her chance to get back at Meredith a little for of the teasing. As Meredith sat down next to Zola, Amelia turned her attention to her niece once more “Yes Zozo, cuddling naked with someone you love is S-E-X” she winked at Meredith and then kissed Zola on the cheek before excusing herself. As she stepped out of the cafeteria all she could hear behind her was Meredith yelling “AMELIA SHEPHERD!”, obviously having been updated on the conversation by Zola. Although she knew Meredith would have it in for her now, Amelia couldn’t help but feel oddly satisfied by her mini revenge upon her sister.

 As she stepped back into the elevator her mid drifted back to Owen, she really did love him, she wanted more with him but she was scared. Striding out towards her office she made a mental note to get over her fears and talk to Owen about what they were; but for now she was content in letting her mind drift back to the great night and morning they had spent together, her time with Owen really was filled with great S-E-X.

[theonyxpath]

Michael Gaydos art for the Prince’s Gambit card game

TLDR:

Myself and a whole bunch of Onyx Path folks just got back from the 2017 MidWinter convention. Why you should care: We had a great time there, which helps us get recharged to tackle the many projects were working on) and had some business meetings that may pay off this year, as well as demoing upcoming games, and meeting and answering questions with a lot of attendees (both current fans and those who we hope will be).

Also among those we chatted with were possible freelance creators who will help us continue to create these great projects and might even help us drive a few projects forward faster.

And Now, On With the Show:

Thursday most of us flew in, got settled at the hotel, and before we could blink it was time for the annual Onyx Path dinner at Mader’s. This medieval decorated German restaurant was White Wolf‘s special place to eat back in the day, so I love introducing our Onyx Path crew to its bounty of boots of beer, salty bread, and genuine German cuisine.

    Neall Raemonn Price, noted Scion developer, seated next to his wife Aimee, loves his boot of beer.

  Meredith Gerber has a much smaller stein…

  …while Mike Hollywood Tomasek challenges Neall as to who can finish their boot first, and Monica Valentinelli, HtV2nd developer, looks on in amusement.

  Mighty Matt McElroy, Michelle Webb, her husband, and Rose Bailey look on in sheer awe as Mike and Neall compete.

We were also joined by freelance writer and developer Danielle Harper and friends, and writer (and the man who keeps our booth running) Bill Bodden was just to my left at our table, so was unfortunately cut from these pics. Neall left early and heroically to run a Scion 2e demo game. I should also note that The Legend Dave Martin and the Wrecking Crew were already running a variety of Onyx Path games (although I forgot to take any pics when I visited them.)

Thursday night was mostly carousing in the hotel at the Monarch Lounge as attendees showed up and were loudly greeted. There’s a very welcoming feeling as old friends are met again, and you wind up meeting new folks that somehow you missed the last few years.

    Here’s an illustration interlude by Brian LeBlanc for Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition

    Friday, we got the booth together, had great sales, and then it was time for Mighty Matt McElroy’s Pentex Retreat LARP.

    The Onyx Path booth before opening.

  And a booth action shot by Meredith Gerber

  A bird got into the vendor room and stayed there through the con. An omen of what, though?

  The Pentex Retreat LARP as Werewolf’s Pentex employees mix and mingle and do corporate team-building exercises before things heated up.

  Near the end as the many underlying plots came together. Eddy Webb was whacked by an ambitious corporate ladder climber, and the Orpheus group had record enrollments.

  This was a one-shot using very simple rules that relied on playing your role. I was there as Black Dog Game Factory CEO, Ron Thompson, and I survived the entire thing by doing an exaggerated version of myself and one-time WW CEO Mike Tinney. There have been a lot of calls from players for Matt to run it again next year, which we’re taking as a good sign that great fun was had.

Friday night, after a lovely dinner at the steak house in the hotel, Eddy Webb ran a “friends&family” playtest for Monarchies of Mau, the cat focused follow-up and connected game to Pugmire. This went very well, although we were all rolling abysmally, and ultimately my Wanderer(Monk) cat, Halo von Siberian, did succeed in a Disadvantaged leap to kick one of the White Rats off of a roof in the adventure’s climax.

At the same time Rose Bailey was running a Cavaliers of Mars demo that I hear was filled with swashbuckling fun.

We all met up again in the Monarch to share our stories and fire Neall.

    Illustration interlude by Shen Fei of the Pointer splat for Pugmire

    Saturday was our busiest day for activities, starting with an interview alongside Eddy that I hope to have a link to sometime soon, and a very productive if fast lunch with Rose and Matt as we discussed potential new projects and further ways to improve how we work with developers and writers. We would have done this by Skype anyway, but there were a few things that needed saying in person.

Then we began our day in the Oak Boardroom, a cool meeting room we were able to use for the rest of Saturday. First was the first-ever playtest of a secret card game project for Pugmire that Eddy has been working on. Even I had never seen the components and how it actually played. Here are a few uncredited, because it is secret, pics of the play with the prototypes:

      Next was our Onyx Path Q&A, which was packed. We provided some “refreshments” and the more intimate room setting was really much more enjoyable, for me at least, than the classic front table and audience format at lot of panels use. Would do again.

    We, the dark council, have brought you all here today…

    Thanks to everybody who sat in and threw your great questions at us.

Finally, I sat in on the first half of the official Monarchies of Mau playtest, and these folks really got into their Cat characters. A really great sign. I also heard that the Halo in this session also kicked a Rat off the roof. Hmm, must be something about that character.

      Finally on Saturday, a rare selfie by me of Neall, Danielle, Maria Cambone, one of our friends from By Night Studios who helped edit their very beautiful and big new Werewolf: the Apocalypse for Live Action play, and yours truly, after Maria managed to get the attention of the bartenders and got us drinks. She’s a lifesaver.

      Thought I had gotten back to my room at a reasonable hour, but then folks started dropping by, so we talked about life, the universe, and everything for a couple more hours.

Sunday, briefly, was standing in line for twenty minutes at Starbucks because also in the hotel were several HS girl’s volleyball teams and every single one of them needed whatever drink had the most tooth rotting combination of syrups, and then getting my Chai Latte in time to meet with Matt and several other folks from other companies as strategic alliances were proposed. We shall see if anything happens this year with those things, and then it was check-out and airport and buh-bye.

I also finally got to chat a bit with another long-timer, John Wick, after more than a decade of not seeing the guy. We had promised to say hi at last year’s GenCon and that never worked out because at the bigger cons we’re all just so freaking busy. Which is another great thing about MidWinter.

Overall, this was a very successful MidWinter con for us, with tons of input from playtesters to go over, game and other proposals to review, and many friendships renewed.

  BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER!

We’re��exploring card game Kickstarters, packaging, and components, for Prince’s Gambit. Justin, Eddy, a crack team of players, and our talented videographers have finished shooting the KS videos in Atlanta and are assembling edits even as you read this. Things look good, and we are all for starting the KS in late January so long as the process of pulling the KS together cooperates. If so, then Monarchies of Mau KS would be next, after Gambit.

  ON SALE!

    Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://ift.tt/1ZlTT6z

    The cards are alive! Conditionally. This Weds. the Advance PDF version of the Promethean 2nd Edition Condition Cards goes on sale at DTRPG!

    It is now the preordained time for Dawn of Heresies, the Mummy: the Curse novel written by internationally renowned author Brian Hodge to arise! Both PDF/electronic and physical book PoD versions are now available on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2iEP9dW

    Open the V20 Dark Ages: Tome of Secrets now on DTRPG! Both PDF and physical book PoD versions are now available! http://ift.tt/2i1XOXd

The Tome of Secrets is a treatment of numerous topics about Cainites and stranger things in the Dark Medieval World. It’s about peeling back the curtain, and digging a little deeper. Inside, you’ll find:

• Expanded treatment of Assamite Sorcery, Koldunic Sorcery, Necromancy, and Setite Sorcery

• A look at Cainite knightly orders, faith movements, and even human witchcraft

• Letters and diaries from all over the Dark Medieval World

      Travel with us all the way to the Red Planet for the Cavaliers of Mars Jumpstart: A Festival of Blades, available in PDF and PoD on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2biWBpR

Live, fight, and love on Mars, a world of red death and strange mystery, a world of savagery and romance.

Includes: 

A complete adventure set in one of dying Mars’ greatest remaining cities.

The innovative DEIMOS rules, for high-flying, swashbuckling adventure.

Four pre-generated player characters, ready to get into the heart of the action.

    The Advance PDF for Reap the Whirlwind, the Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition Jumpstart swirls into being on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2i1WPpD

You are a vampire, a junkie. Every night, you beg and you borrow and you steal just a little more life, just a few more sweet moments. But there’s a guy at the top. The Prince. He’s got everything. The money, the secrets, the blood.

Tonight, you’re going to take it from him. Tomorrow, there’ll be hell to pay.

This updated edition of Reap the Whirlwind features revisions to match the core rulebook for Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition. Text edits and rules clarifications have also been updated.

Reap the Whirlwind Revised includes:

Rules for creating and playing vampires in the Chronicles of Darkness

The first two levels of every clan Discipline, the dark powers of the dead

A complete adventure by noted horror author Chuck Wendig

This new revised Reap the Whirlwind Revised includes an updated booklet, 7 condition cards, and the interactive Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition character sheet.

    The Locker is open; the Chronicles of Darkness: Hurt Locker, that is! The Advance PDF is now available on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2gbM9me

Hurt Locker features:

Treatment of violence in the Chronicles of Darkness. Lasting trauma, scene framing, and other tools for making your stories hurt.

Many new player options, including Merits, supernatural knacks, and even new character types like psychic vampires and sleeper cell soldiers.

Expanded equipment and equipment rules.

Hurt Locker requires the Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook or any other standalone Chronicles of Darkness rulebook such as Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, or Beast: The Primordial to use.

    Discover the long-awaited  Secrets of the Covenants for Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition as we unearth the Advance PDF now on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2gbQjus

This book includes:

A variety of stories from each of the covenants, all told in their own words.

Never-before revealed secrets, like the fate of the Prince of New Orleans.

New blood sorcery, oaths, and other hidden powers of the covenants.

      We have now added a B&W PoD version of the Endless Ages Vampire Anthology to the existing full color PDF and PoD choices! Celebrating 25 years of personal horror, the eighteen stories in Endless Ages range in style and aesthetics from the very first edition of Vampire released in 1991, all the way to the latest books put out for the 20th Anniversary Edition. http://ift.tt/2dL7Gkt

    Seek the Cainite Conspiracies, the fiction anthology for V20 Dark Ages, in PDF and PoD physical book formats! http://ift.tt/2fMksQQ

This collection of short stories features tales by Vampire developers such as Justin Achilli, Eddy Webb, David A. Hill, Jr., and Neall Raemonn Price along with award-winning horror authors including Maurice Broaddus, Catherine Lundoff, and Richard Dansky.

      Promethean: the Created 2nd Edition comes to life in both PDF and PoD physical book versions NOW on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2aUBEnc

You are a pilgrim now, one of the Created. You rose to life from dead flesh or inert matter, under the ministrations of one of your own, or a mad scientist, or perhaps just the power of the Divine Fire. You wander the world, sometimes alone, sometimes in the blessed company of your own kind, driven by memories of events and facts you never knew, all in the service of one Great Work…

…to be human.

Humans don’t make it easy, though. The Divine Fire that animates you burns too bright, blinds people, and scorches the land if you linger too long. It masks your disfigurements and makes you appear human, but that mask slips and people see your hideous, true form. The Pilgrimage is a long, difficult road, but it is yours, and you know, somehow, that the salvation of the New Dawn waits at the end.

This book contains:

The complete guide to playing a Promethean in the Chronicles of Darkness

Reimagined Lineages and Refinements, and a redesigned system for Transmutations

A more detailed approached to the Pilgrimage that presents players with more control over their characters’ path

New challenges on the road to humanity, including deranged, greedy alchemists

      CONVENTIONS!

Discussing GenCon plans. Every chance the booth will actually be 20′ x 30′ this year.

        And now, the new project status updates!

    DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM ROLLICKING ROSE (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

V20 Dark Ages Jumpstart (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Cookbook (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

CtD C20 Jumpstart (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Pugmire Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)

Monarchies of Mau Early Access (Pugmire)

  Redlines

Scion: Origins (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)

Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)

VtR Half-Damned (Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition)

  Second Draft

The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition

BtP Beast Player’s Guide (Beast: the Primordial)

Book of Freeholds (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

  Development

W20 Changing Ways (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

SL Ring of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Ring of Spiragos (5e – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

SL Dagger of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Dagger of Spiragos (5e– Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

W20 Song of Unmaking novel (Bridges) (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)

BtP Building a Legend (Beast: the Primordial)

CtD C20 Anthology (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

  Editing:

Cavaliers of Mars

VtR A Thousand Years of Night (Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition)

V20 Beckett’s Jyhad Diary (Stretch Goal Content)

  Post-Editing Development:

CtL fiction anthology (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

Indexing:

      ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Dark Eras Companion

Beckett’s Jyhad Diary

C20 

M20 Book of Secrets – AD’d

W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook

V20 Dark Ages Companion

Mortal Remains – Beast – AD’d

EX3 Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart – Continuing to get sketches and seeing first color comps.

Dagger of Spiragos – Putting together the art buy.

Marketing Stuff

Banner and Slider Updates – Working on new stuff for Hurt Locker, Secrets of the Covenants, and Scarred Lands.

  In Layout

Necropolis Rio

Promethean 2 Condition Cards

V20 Lore of the Bloodlines

Prince’s Gambit – Kickstarter Prep.

Pugmire

Wise and the Wicked 5e – Starting on it sometime this week.

  Proofing At Press

Ex 3 Screen – Finished at the Printer.

Ex 3 core book – From RichT: manufacturing continues. Gilding finished at last, now on to binding.

Beast Condition Cards – Getting physical cards uploaded.

CofD Hurt Locker – Waiting for errata to make PoD.

Secrets of the Covenants – Waiting for errata to make PoD.

Revised Reap The Whirlwind Jumpstart – PoD proof ordered.

Beckett Screen – At Printer.

W20 Shattered Dreams – Deluxe Edition at press.

Shattered Dreams Screen – At Printer.

Dark Eras: Ends of Empire – PoD proof ordered.

Dark Eras: The Sundered World – PoD proof ordered.

Promethean 2nd Condition Cards – Advance PDF going on sale this this Wednesday.

Beast Conquering Heroes – Advance PDF now on sale at DTRPG, gathering errata.

      TODAY’S REASON TO DRINK: Pelt of the werewolf that bit ya.

[mrmichaelchadler]

Home Entertainment Consumer Guide: January 24, 2018

4 New to Netflix

"Abducted in Plain Sight" "American Gangster" "The Fighter" "Solo: A Star Wars Story"

6 New to Blu-ray/DVD

"4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days" (Criterion)

Criterion has taken some deserved flak over the last few years for its catalog's heavy focus on Western European and American filmmakers. They've endeavored to expand their vision over the last couple years with more directors from countries other than France and the United States. I'm particularly happy to see them embracing the work of Romanian Cristian Mungiu, whose "Graduation" and "Beyond the Hills" were recently inducted into the most elite Blu-ray/DVD club in the world. Now they get to his breakthrough (and still best) film, the 2007 winner of the Palme d'Or. With new interviews and a new transfer, the time is right to reappraise one of the most acclaimed works of the '00s.

Buy it here 

Special Features New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Cristian Mungiu, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray New interview with Mungiu New interview with film critic Jay Weissberg on the New Romanian Cinema The Romanian Tour, a short documentary from 2007 on the film’s reception in Romania Press conference from the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, featuring Mungiu; director of photography Oleg Mutu; and actors Laura Vasiliu, Vlad Ivanov, and Alexandru Potocean Alternate and deleted scenes Trailer New English subtitle translation PLUS: An essay by critic Ella Taylor

"First Man"

Way back in September 2018, it seemed almost certain that we would get a repeat of the 2016 race for major awards wit "La La Land" and "Moonlight." The directors of both films were returning with their anticipated follow-ups and audiences in places like Venice and Toronto were going crazy for both "If Beale Street Could Talk" and "First Man." Five months later, neither director nor picture landed Oscar nods, although it almost feels like a positive for both. Now history will fully regard "First Man" as an underrated drama, a movie that deftly conveys the true danger and heroism of the space race with amazing technical elements and tight, confident direction. The film looks incredible at home, and sounds even better. A decade or so, people will be surprised it didn't win multiple Oscars, much less get nominated. 

Buy it here 

Special Features Deleted Scenes Shooting for the Moon – Take an intimate look at the production of First Man and the collaborative relationship between Director Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling. Preparing to Launch – It's difficult to believe that First Man is the first major feature film to tell the journey to Apollo 11. Hear from Director Damien Chazelle and his cast why now is the time to tell the story of this historic event. Giant Leap in One Small Step – A heroic character study, First Man sheds light on all the hard working individuals that got us to the moon and back. Mission Gone Wrong – Watch as Ryan Gosling reenacts a test piloting sequence gone terribly wrong. Go behind the scenes to see how he trained to nail the landing, performing the majority of his own stunts. Putting You In the Seat – Through the use of innovative technology, most of First Man was shot in-camera. Take an in-depth look behind the lens of this epic film. Recreating the Moon Landing – Filmed in IMAX to show the vastness of the moon, find out all that it took to recreate the most famous moment in NASA history. Shooting at NASA – Hear from Ryan Gosling and Director Damien Chazelle on how shooting at NASA brought unparalleled authenticity to First Man. Astronaut Training – Go behind the scenes of the three day boot camp each of the actors underwent prior to filming First Man. Feature Commentary with Director Damien Chazelle, Screenwriter Josh Singer and Editor Tom Cross

"Halloween"

I'll never forget the buzz in the room at the World Premiere of "Halloween" back in September. I'll also never forget that sinking feeling in my stomach, relatively early, when I realized the film just doesn't work. Yes, I'm in the minority here, and I love that people are taking to the story of Michael Myers again (also Jamie Lee Curtis rules) but this is a case of hype and marketing leading viewers to see something that just isn't there. Actually it's more the power of nostalgia, like when you hear a new album from a band you loved when you were a kid, refusing to realize that they've lost a beat and don't write songs like they used to. Again, I'm happy "Halloween" was a hit. I just wish it was a better movie. 

Buy it here 

Special Features Deleted/Extended Scenes Back in Haddonfield: Making Halloween The Original Scream Queen The Sound of Fear Journey of the Mask The Legacy of Halloween

"The Hate U Give"

George Tillman Jr.'s adaptation of the hit novel works because of how much the director trusts his cast, particularly Amandla Stenberg and Russell Hornsby, to overcome the inherent cliches in the narrative. Tillman is careful to make his film both incredibly timely and yet also embedded with themes of inequity and protest that reflect the history of injustice and the civil rights movement. And yet, most of all, this is a story about people. Tillman recognizes that if we come to believe in and care for the characters than the messages will come from them, organically and far more powerfully. This is a movie that should have made more money and received more critical attention. It certainly will on DVD.

Buy it here 

Special Features Extended scenes: Maverick and Seven Protecting Their Home Uprising Seven's Graduation Featurettes: Starting a Conversation The Talk Code Switching The Heart of Georgia Thank U Georgia Starr: Shine Your Light Audio Commentary by George Tillman, Jr., Amandla Stenberg, Russell Hornsby, Angie Thomas and Craig Hayes

"Notorious" (Criterion)

The Criterion choices from the historic career of Alfred Hitchcock are always interesting. Probably at least in part due to ownership, Criterion hasn't been releasing the "hits" like "Vertigo," "Psycho," or "The Birds," bringing home some of what could be called the less-popular Hitch films like "The 39 Steps," "The Lady Vanishes," and this gorgeous 4K restoration of the incredible "Notorious." Don't get me wrong. "Notorious" has its diehard fans, but it's just not on cable as much as, say, "Rear Window." And so it's nice to see what could be called underrated Hitch being given the lavish, Criterion treatment. Like so much Hitchcock, "Notorious" is a film that gets better with each viewing. 

Buy it here 

Special Features New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray Audio commentaries from 1990 and 2001 featuring film historian Rudy Behlmer and Alfred Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane New interview with Hitchcock biographer Donald Spoto New program about the film’s visual style with cinematographer John Bailey New scene analysis by film scholar David Bordwell Once Upon a Time . . . “Notorious,” a 2009 documentary about the film featuring actor Isabella Rossellini; filmmakers Peter Bogdanovich, Claude Chabrol, and Stephen Frears; and others New program about Hitchcock’s storyboarding and previsualization process by filmmaker Daniel Raim Newsreel footage from 1948 of actor Ingrid Bergman and Hitchcock Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of Notorious from 1948, starring Bergman and Joseph Cotten Trailers and teasers PLUS: An essay by critic Angelica Jade Bastién

"Once Upon a Deadpool"

Well, this is a weird one. So much of the success of "Deadpool" and "Deadpool 2" has been built around the fact that it is the only major R-rated superhero franchise. So what does Fox do? Release a PG-13 version! At least you have to give them some points for creativity, as they didn't just release a censored version but shot some new footage with Fred Savage that spoofs "The Princess Bride." Still, the foul mouth and disturbing references are part of the charm of Wade Wilson, and so a PG-13 version of him feels inherently flawed. It's the kind of thing that may have made for fun special feature on a Special Edition, but you have to be a diehard Deadpool fan to add this one to your collection. 

But it here 

Special Features None...but the movie is kind of a special feature itself

from All Content http://bit.ly/2U80iFs

[gay-killua]

dog grief: i still dont know what im doing.

a close friend lost his sweet dog way to soon less then 2 weeks age, when something like this happens i dont know what to say because despite having experience i have a hard knowing what to do and tend to just tell story's hoping it could help a little bit:

ive been a dog lover my entire life, 2 years before i was born my parents adopted 2 collies from the same liter sweetest boys you would ever meet and really good around babies and kids like me and my sister.

bailey: 1995-2000

bailey was actually the second one of the 2 they got they weren't sure they wanted 2 but his brother was a very social animal and missed the others, so a mouth later they called the kenil remembering this kind of werid looking scruffy puppie that no one else really paid much attention because  his fur was uneven and weird that was bailey and they decided they wanted him too, he ended up with a beautiful coat when he was fully grown.  when they brought me home apparently dad was really hesitant to let them in my nusrey but bailey espically was a huge such and wined at the door wanting to see what was going on he appertnly just snifed between the bars of the crib and plopped down underneath it and was my protector for the rest of his life. very possibly the earliest memory i have is my mom crying on the couch in our living room because he died at 3 years old your effected the most by how your parents recact to situations and i think thats why i rember, years later as a preteen i learned full story why he died so early. they knew he was sick and it was concerning enough to take him to the vet but they of course had no way of knowing how bad it was our regular vet was on vacation and the replacement said he would keep an eye on him overnight, he died that night from kidney failure and my mom and dads the biggest regret to this day was not being there for him they where pissed the vet dint call them (middle of the night be dammed) and when he got home the regular vet personally called them and said he was so sorry. 3 angles and 2 healthy middle aged dogs later the promise of never leting that happen again hasent been broken. the photo above is the last one mom got of us (yes thats me in the giraffe costume it was fall and i was 3)

reilly: 1995-2006/7

reilly (larger dog on the left): was baileys liter mate, and after his brother passed away you could apparently tell he was scared and confused because bailey was the dominant  dog that took charge reilly wanted to fill it but dint know how, 2 years after bailey passed away we got a young sheltie (different smaller bread they just look similar) Gibson (black/white/grey dog on the right) that took over that role to the point that he was kind of a bully. larger dogs dont live as long as smaller ones do unless they get something bad thats just how it works and after outliving his brother by 6 and a 1/2 years reilly just a couple mouths shy of 12 years old was not doing well he had really bad arthritis and was just a sick old boy in general. but the final straw for my parents  was when his back legs gave out and stopped working/ supporting him, especially when their at old age you dont want to believe it until something like that happens you dont want them in pain just so you can be with you longer. at 9 years old i obviously dint know everything about what was going on but the morning after the leg, dad told me he was going to get to see and be with his brother again forever and mentioned baileys name, it took a couple of seconds to figure out what that meant and i will never forget what that realization felt like (the worst felling in the world). i had the choice and i went to school instead of staying at home, i have made the same choice 3 times over distraction even just for the tiny while is beter then siting at home doing nothing (i dont pity party). and mom and dad where with him as promised until the end.

teddy: 1994-2007

teddy was the half brother of our collies and my grandparents dog the first 12 years of his life. during that time we lived in the same city as my moms parents so we where frequent visitors and their dogs knew us well. he was a kind soul but got into trouble by doing things like running under both of my grandmothers legs neither of which are tall woman and head butting with his humgus head. im so disappointed i could find a photo of him for this post but if you want a visual go to reillys photo and its the right coloring in the fur, imagine a just bigger build and huge head. when he was almost 13 years old my grandmothers allergy's apparently had been worse then they had been in years, so when i was about 10 my mom and dad said guess what Teddy’s coming to live under the knowledge that he was 13, which is a good lifespand for a large dog and pretty sick. but he knew us well and i think he was just happy to be around people he trusted and loved, and he was with us the last 2 mouths of his life.

Gibson: 2002 - 2014:

i would probably say gibsons death has impatced me the most just on the though that i only know bailey from story's, the memories i have of reilly where when he was older and slowing down, similar to teddy except he dint live with us until he was really old. gibson day 1 was high energy and we got him when i was 5 so i rember the energy that dint seem to have a end point we lived in a house with a big backyard until he was 6 and he would run down the entire length of the fence with the nabiors dog. the one thing that was always on his mind was food and how to get it and practically made finishing decent size bowls of food in seconds a Olympic sport. like i said in reillys part he was a little bully size dint mater to him he was the doniment  dog, although he did do beter with his sister so he defiantly did beter around females. teddy was with us for such a short period of time i dont think he much bothered with him  defiantly a good thing. as a smallish dog even when he hit 10 years old (generally the point the others started showing signs of concern) yes he did slow down but more like mellowed with old age and the only thing that made it really obvious was by 11 and a 1/2- 12 he was as deaf as you could get. like i said before his brain only worked with his stomach so when he was at 12 and a 1/2 years old and seemed to be slowing down and one night not totally finishing it oh ya was that concerning to the point where we took him to the vet to make sure...... nothing short of cancer would stop that dog, probably 3 weeks -a mouth after being diagnosed it would just be cruel to keep him that way, on a very cold Canadian winter morning, just before we went on break from school, where mom and dad where of course there with him. also something came as a realization, there was over 7 years between teddy and Gibson deaths, something i learned from that large of a gap in between the 2 is you dont forget as much as it could go to the back of your mind you dont forget what it fells like.

willow: age 9

we adopted willow from a former babysitter of me and my sisters who is also a sheltie breeder. not that the picture really shows it but shes small even for a sheltie (she was the runt of her litter). her and gibson tolerated each other enough he was still the big bully but he did much beter around females then males. she was 6 when he died ad she was fine happy she dint have to be locked in a room anymore to eat her food, and very pleased to be the only dog in the house (center of attention) that being neurotic and acting like a princess pretty much sums up her personality but we love her, and after 4 dogs theres things you start worry about if they seem to come up early for 1 the extra white fur that shows up around their face came a little over a year ago (7 and a 1/2 - 8 years old) which seams early especially for a small dog, and although its not a big deal yet her sight isint as good as it was occasionally burly vision and incidents where she runs to the end of our not very wide backyard and into the hedge before she stops herself just things like that but im not afraid of it, its part of being a pet owner.

oz: age 7

takeing in oz was under a weird situation. the very short version of the story is my grandmother who lives on her own with 2 hyperactive dogs, had a really bad fall into her basement and was in the hospital for 5 weeks shes okay now but someone had to look after her dogs oz is the older/significantly more well behaved/ trained one, so we deiced to take care of him  while her very nice neighbor took the other that although is smaller is insufferable. the timming is obviously never good for something like this to happen but 3 days after he joined our house mom and dad went on a vacation  they had planned for a year. so i took care of the 2 dogs for 3 weeks and hes now really attached to me even know their now back and im not the only one looking after him, mom says its the same thing as a baby bird because i was the only one for almost the full first mouth he fallows me everywhere and dosent like closed doors at all. which i feel bad about now because when gammie first got him none of us where impressed hes a lab/poodle mix both high energy breeds that where a good idea for a people  in their 70s, i love my grandmother but she dosent plan for the future very well and her smaller and younger one is also a high energy mixed breed, oz is fine because hes been well trained, as long as he gets walked and 4 people between 18 - 50 years old can give him a lot more then a 79 year woman can. so even the day they bought him  and even told her well take him temporarily to see what hes like, a hour or 2 later it was already like “lets be honest, hes here for good, she cant handle both of them anymore”. his entire personality can be describe as a dofus with a heart of gold, and it took a little bit of time but he and willow tolerate each other and shes now the domaint dog and its really amusing to watch her boss around a dog like 4 times her size, little dog has to suck it up though hes here to stay.

to my friend again:

im so sorry about Kayla Chris she seemed like such a sweet girl. if you ever want to talk about it. i understand.