#ben 003.

[laureljacobs]

closed: @benj-hyun

location: dodgers game

Laurel heaved a sigh as they took their seat next to Ben again, handing a beer to him without looking over as they checked the score to see if anything had changed in the ten minutes they'd been gone for a drink run.

It was basically a requirement that she ended up back at Dodger Stadium for a game at least once a year. She'd dragged Ben along for this one — even bought him a cap at the team store.

"Thanks again for coming," they said, leaning over to speak loudly in his ear as the crowd cheered; one of the opposing batters had struck out. "I'll hit you back with Lakers box seats for your birthday."

[santiagodeleons]

"So what are you calling the back six months then, if tomorrow is your 2024? A practice run?"

It's not a bad idea -- it's certainly a better one than mini-golf -- but Santiago doesn't share the desire to erase the first chunk of 2024 in the same way his friend seemed to. Rather unpredictably, things had been going his way for the most part, but he refrains from saying that aloud out of suspicion that he might spook it.

He's about to gloat about his ever-widening lead on the course, when he's distracted by Ben's confession, an eyebrow arched at him as he moves out of his way so he could take his next shot.

"Not with Delilah, okay. No offence, but you know that doesn't really narrow it down for me."

There's at least half a dozen possible backslidees from over the years that come to mind, ranging at different places on a spectrum of 'fuck no' to 'I can see that for you', though he reserves vocalising which until he's given a name.

He can't be too surprised that Ric let slip something he would have hoped he understood not to start flapping his lips about, but it didn't count that in the same way when it was Benji than it would if it was anyone else. There was a certain expectation that anything he told Ricardo, he was also telling him and vice versa.

"My picture, specifically," He repeats, taking a few steps back from him, teeing up his ball on the mini tee mat that was a lighter shade green than the artificial turf. He had gone with yellow for his golf ball of choice, which matched the head of the club he was using. He adjusts his stance after he sizes up the distance, winding it back and letting the shot go.

He misjudged the force behind it, his ball rolling to a stop a few centimetres in front of the hole, any easy strike in for a two tap success. Knowing better than to assume Ben would accept vagueness like he's going for, he sinks the ball with a gentle tap of the club, shrugging lightly in his direction.

"There might be someone who was previously the whole picture that's now back in it in a capacity that I'm not even all that sure of but I'm going with until we inevitably have that conversation." It's one he's certain that needs to be had, but initiating it isn't as desirable to him as the blissful ignorance that came with having Bradley back in his life and his bed. "Because I don't know how that's going to go."

@benj-hyun

CLOSED STARTER for @santiagodeleons at putt putt paradise

"I know we're about halfway through the year already, but I'm not counting this as my actual 2024 until tomorrow. Like a fresh start, and now I'm officially in the forties club with you and Ric."

Ben lines up the shot in the putt putt course, but the few bourbon shooters he had taken prior to coming in are knocking his ability to aim off kilter. It's only the seventh hole, and he is losing terribly. "Don't think I told you, but I may or may not have done a bit of backsliding recently. One time. Not with Delilah," he quickly interjects when he swings and watches his golf ball roll right over the hole and bounce off the wooden border.

"Speaking of, Ric seems to think someone might be back in the picture. Your picture, specifically. Not sure where he's pulling that from, unless he's grasping for straws because his current love life is abysmal." Ben tries again, tapping the neon green golf ball into the hole.

Four tries.

"Don't repeat that, I don't need his feelings hurt."

[hugovance]

who @benblvckwood what: lord vance speaks with lord blackwood about some issues on the roads.

The council chamber was quiet now, save for the crackle of the hearth at the far end of the room. Most of the lords had already departed, leaving the faint scent of wine and ink in their wake. The chamber itself was simple yet dignified—a long table of polished oak stretched the length of the room, surrounded by chairs marked with the sigils of their respective houses. The stone walls were adorned with tapestries of rivers and willows, their muted colors soft in the firelight.

Hugo Vance lingered near the table’s head, his posture relaxed but his attention keen. He was dressed in a dark green tunic embroidered with intricate golden patterns at the cuffs and neckline, a subtle nod to his house’s wealth and taste. A black dragon-shaped brooch clasped his crimson mantle at the shoulder, and a thin leather belt held a small knife at his side.

He turned toward Ben with a small, wry smile, though his blue eyes carried the weight of the subject at hand. “Ah, Lord Blackwood,” he began, his words rolling with a lilt that softened the edge of his formality. “Seems th’Fairmarket road’s grown a mite too lively these days, aye? Yer lads an’ Bracken’s clashed again—this time o’er, what was it now? A cart o’ timber, if I’ve heard true. Left a merchant stone dead, three o’ mine bruised an’ bleedin’, an’ th’poor travelers skittish as hares.”

Hugo stepped closer to the table, his hands resting lightly on the smooth wood as he leaned forward, the firelight catching the gold trim on his sleeves. “Now, as ye’d expect, I’ve gone an’ issued fines t’both sides. Bracken’s lot fer their rashness, an’ yer own fer stirrin’ the pot, so t’speak. The law’s the law, my lord, an’ it makes no exceptions—not even fer the likes o’ Bracken or Blackwood.”

Straightening again, he clasped his hands loosely in front of him, his smile faint but present. Though his voice carried warmth, there was no mistaking the seriousness beneath it. The cadence of his words may have sounded effortless, but his tone made it clear that Hugo was a man who expected the law to be upheld.

[travisjackson]

Text || The Jackson 4

Travis: [picture of him and Lili smiling like fools and her holding up the ring] Travis: She said yes!!!

@drewxjackson @benjaminxjackson @callum-jackson

[ofwrxth]

+ BEN / BELCOURT CABIN VICINITY

"– so do you think he's telling the truth?" Nadia finally asks Ben as they walk towards the Belcourt cabin. Being outside has always helped Nadia think, the natural flow of air and wind around her quieting her mind as she tries to figure out the puzzle before them. "No one knows," she says quietly, stopping her pacing to look at her Wisdom. "But that doesn't mean it'll remain that way. Someone might arrive who recognizes him and then suspicions will be raised." Nadia doesn't need to say who she is speaking of, Felix becoming a bigger concern than she'd anticipated with recent events. "Bella is convinced of his innocence. Sebastian...not so much. I'm not either." Her conversation with the wolf had done little to alleviate her suspicions, but her hands are tied unless she wants others finding out about Felix's background. @secrettyrant

[jonahxrivas]

for: @readbentweenthelines time & location: present time, ben's office on campus

A feeling he couldn't quite place took hold as he walked these halls to Ben's office again, ever present nerves stilled for the moment and comfort that the campus had provided in the past remained as such - in the past. A blanket numbness had gripped him since New Years and refused to leave. Keeping himself busy with work or other things to keep his mind occupied worked for a bit, but thoughts still took over in the pockets of quiet offering no peace, no calm, just an incessant buzzing to mark yet another time where he almost died. He must've laughed a little, a hollow thing no doubt, because he received a strange look from the person he passed by, causing him to duck his head and move a little faster.

He had a lot of time to think, far too much for a decision that was made on the spot. Mind was partly made, to give himself some credit and ease on the spontaneity, but ending up in the hospital sealed that choice solidly. Ben's visiting became something of an influencing point and each visit, because there were multiple, took him by surprise, realising he took the time and cared enough to do so. Really, there was nothing he could lose with this. No longer wishing to delay this, Jonah knocked and waited. "Hi.. uh... you must be getting sick of seeing me..." he said when the door opened, "Unfortunately, the news I have likely won't change that."

[criticalfai1ure]

kees!lives au :

it’s steadfastly the aftermath of the battle. cyrus holcroft is dead. cornelius smeenk is decidedly not, with much gratitude to ingvild and her ferality for drawing holcroft’s ire.

in this calm, kees find something deeply unsettling roiling in his belly — fury. hot and overwhelming and, for the first time in their lives, directed at august. kees is alive and he is fuming. every life lost, every second of torture he and ingvi had endured in august’s stead ( and would again and again ), all of it could have been avoided years ago, if only auggie had taken holcroft’s threats to heart.

the bosun lays into the captain that night. angry and mean.

death has changed ingvi and there is a stillness and calm that had not graced her before. she stands as a statue outside of the captain's quarters, godsword on her hip, smirking faintly at kees as he stalks out. “so you'll let me kill them next time, right?” she says, dryly.

kees answers quickly, still hot from his argument, “don’t.”

she reaches out, then, softening, and catches his arm "hey. we're here. we're still here. and he has to live with the memory of what happened for the rest of his life."

kees runs a hand over his face and sighs because he knows she’s right. but he’s already woken up with the ghost of the rope around his neck and, he won’t admit it yet, not fully, but he knows deep down that he wasn’t meant to make it through that encounter. “without your gods, where would we be?” fingers tug at the neck of his shirt, “i will forgive him because i -” his lips twist and he looks away from ingvi to stare up at the sails, “- but i would be lying if i said it didn’t feel good to make him hurt a little more for a little longer, and if that makes me a terrible friend, so be it.”

"oh, if you think i am not going to use dying for him as an excuse to do literally anything, you have too high an opinion of me." she steps closer, sliding her hand down to his and squeezing it. "knowing you're going to die for your captain and actually doing it are pretty different experiences. i think we have the right to be terrible."

— • —

it’s noon the next day and august is still sequestered in his cabin but kees refuses to be the one to check on him. suyu has the shift and brief orders from the captain to retain command through the night, so when kees approaches him, he dismisses the bosun's worry.

by the dinner bell, kees' guilt has begun to eat away at him ten-fold, but every time ingvi looks at him, he pretends he doesn’t notice. by midnight, when the door hasn’t even cracked and kees doesn’t want to sleep even if he could, he wanders out of his quarters to sit outside of the cabin. his guilt has been fighting his anger all day, and he finds this little acquiescence assuages some of his inner turmoil.

atsuyuki prods kees with his foot the next morning, pointedly looking at the captain's quarters, "mister smeenk, if you wouldn't mind checking on the captain this fine morning?"

kees clambers to his feet, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he glances between suyu and ingvi. the quartermaster excuses himself for the bridge with a slight bow of his head.

ingvi gives an uncertain, "how badly did you chew him out?" as they stare at the doors only for kees to shrug. “he deserved it.” but he doesn’t sound as sure as he had the night in question.

"i don't doubt it, but this is the longest i've ever seen you two not speak."

he scoffs. he's sure there's been time they've gone without speaking. then again, he's never brought a fight to his friend, so maybe not. “he’s probably just angry at the truth being laid out,” kees knows he’s lying to himself. “d’you think pax has brought up any food?”

"... i'm sure he's tried, if anything. i'll ask." after another beat she heads off to the galley.

it feels like ages when it's barely been minutes as kees' impatience overcomes him, finally drawing him to knock. after a moment of silence he knocks louder only to have august shout for him to go away. his worry shifts, then, because he’s got a sneaking suspicion he knows what he’ll find when he opens the door. when ingvi returns, he asks her to have pax bring up a strong pot of coffee to which she just gives a sharp nod and returns belowdecks.

it's been two days but the smell of alcohol has gone stale without an open window to circulate the air. guilt clashes with the anger in his chest as kees enters the room, sharply closing the door behind him to catch august’s attention.

“did you not hear me? go away,” the captain slurs. he is sat hunched over his desk, bottle of rum drained, rolling on its side with the sway of the ship.

“auggie…”

“don't - don't auggie me, kees. just -” and here his voice breaks, “just leave me be.”

rather than listen, kees crosses the room to kneel at his captain’s side, looking up at him with a sadness in his gaze. “what have you done, mijn hart,” a whisper, “forgive me my anger.”

tears spring to august's eye and he turns to hide his shame from the bosun. “i lost you, kees. i lost you both -”

“and yet we are still here. with you. you won't be rid of us so easily.”

ingvi's knock comes quicker than expected and august looks up, brow pinching with annoyance. kees watches auggie a moment longer before pushing to his feet, bidding aug to look at him and pressing a kiss to his forehead before calling out for ingvi to enter.

as the door creaks open, kees crosses to the back of the cabin, propping open the windows for the sea breeze. ingvi enters silently and eases the door shut behind her. she carries the coffee to the desk, pours it into one of the three mugs pax had provided on the tray and sets it in front of august. instead of pouring one for herself, she glances around, wordlessly setting to put things back in order.

august grimaces at the strong smell, sliding the mug further from him until kees tuts, taking a seat opposite. “drink up, mate.”

“ik ben geen k-kind.”

“and when you can admit as much without slurring, perhaps we’ll believe you.” kees crosses his arms, expectant, and after a long moment of trying to wait it out, august finally relents and sips at the coffee, grimacing again. after another moment, kees quietly asks, “is this… because of me?”

august sips the coffee again, unwilling to meet kees’ gaze and instead watching ingvi tidy up. embarrassment colours his cheeks upon realising the mess he’d made but he shakes his head. “nee. or, not because you shouted.” he pauses, eyes falling shut as he leans back in his chair. “i was wrong, i should not have allowed my feud with cyrus to bleed into our lives as much as i had – shouldn’t have underestimated his ire.” a shrug, and his words come out choked, but he looks to kees and then ingvi, now, “i nearly lost you both, we did lose you, ingvi, brief as it was. and if your gods were not with us?” a tear slides down his cheek and he does not brush it away. “i am a disgrace of a captain. a continued lapse of judgement proves as much.”

she does not need the reminder she died; she has woken every night so far with the memory of the chill, of her blood coating her skin. it is not something she will soon move past. "why do you concern yourself so with wondering what would have happened without my gods' interference?" she doesn't mean the words to be as sharp as they come out. "they were with me. they are with me." fingers brush the gold mark still shimmering high on her forehead. "disgrace or not, you are still the captain we choose to follow. if the gods can make the mistake of letting me die in the first place, you can allow yourself mistakes as well. finish your coffee."

an anger not quite as hot as when he fought cyrus bursts through him in an instant and he stands, chucking his mug at the far wall. hands fall to his desk and he sneers at both his best friend and his surrogate daughter, “why do you insist on following a man who selfishly chose a game of cat and mouse over the people he cares for most? all because he thought so highly of himself, he could have never imagined that which has come to fall?”

kees stands then, too. albeit lazily. scorn bleeding into his tone, “our blood is on your hands - i said as much the other night. is that what you’d like to hear? sober up, kapitein van de hoek. dat is een bevel, ja?”

“an order?” august scoffs. “misschien had je moeten…” but he trails off before he can finish his sentence shame flooding him as he dared allow the thought to take shape. kees pales, more than able to hazard a guess at the unspoken word.

“fuck you, august,” he spits, turning on his heel and stalking out of the cabin. the door slams behind him and august sinks back into his chair, face in his hands.

“het spijt me,” he mutters, hands then falling into his lap. shaking, penitent, he reaches for the pot of coffee, “i am not myself, ingvi. please relay to mister nakamura that he has the command until we reach england.” as, clearly, he cannot be trusted to speak to his crew.

she doesn't leave straight away, her own anger spiking at his. but it is no longer the hot, bright flash that it used to be, instead burning through her veins like lava, like ice. she stalks up to the desk and leans over it, hands braced slightly wider than her shoulders, bringing her face very close to his. voice a low snarl, "when I joined this crew, you told me I would die on this ship, same as any other man in the crew. that was an eventuality i accepted. dying hurt, and i remember every second of it, and i would do it again for you. because you, august van de hoek, saw me. you understood me in a way no one, no one else in my life ever has. that is why i follow you. failures, mistakes, and all. and i will not have you acting like it is foolishness on my part to do so." she straightens, still viciously cold. "i am your attack dog. do not muzzle me again."

august tries to play at being himself, at being sober and unflinching. but his eyes keep darting up at ingvi and he can’t steady his hand enough to pour the bitter drink into a second mug. “you have my word,” a whisper as she stalks away.

it is only a few long strides to the door, but it is enough to calm her anger. she pauses at the door. "give him time to calm down, but you have to go to him to apologize. do not wait too long. the longer you leave his heart broken, the harder it will be to mend it."

blurry gaze trains on her at mention of kees. “his… heart?” as if he doesn’t know why she would mention it. she merely gives him a long, pointed look, then leaves in search of suyu.

— • —

they’re a day from where they will make port and a full day past his words to kees. august suspects they may not have been travelling at full sail for the majority of it, but he isn’t about to question his quartermaster’s command. he has sobered, weathered the worst headache he’s ever had, and had ingvi’s parting words repeat on him ad nauseum in every space between his breath. and yet he waffles.

the bell tolls for the shift change and, for the first time since he’d secluded himself, august opens his cabin door, hands folded behind his back until he spots kees. “master smeenk, a word, if you will.”

there is a moment - a tense one - where kees considers insubordination. august can see it in the way he rolls his shoulder, tilts his head, but the crew is watching. so he obliges.

the door snaps shut behind him but he doesn’t move further into the room, arms crossed, he is closed off. august stands in front of his desk, lips twisting with all the words he’s planned on saying but seem to refuse to spill.

a long moment of silence stretches before kees pipes up with, “if that’ll be all, kapitein van de hoek?”

“kees…”

“no.”

august propels himself several steps closer, “kees, het spijt me, alsjeblieft. i never… you’re right to hate me. that wasn’t me, that was…”

kees rolls his eyes. “a drunk mind speaks a sober heart,” his reply is quiet and he turns, as if to leave.

august finishes crossing the room, reaching for kees, his hand coming to rest on his arm. “cornelius, please. ik heb je nodig, you know i do. i… i always have and always will.”

kees scoffs, but he doesn’t pull away. “you haven’t needed me in years.”

“that is wholly untrue.” and august shifts, hand moving to brush kees’ cheek. “i am sorry - for not heeding your advice years ago, for underestimating cyrus, for failing the crew and for failing you most of all. i am sorry for my words and for my shortcomings. and i am sorry cyrus dared use you as a pawn against me. het spijt me, and if you never forgive me it will be too soon. i l- hmm…”

kees meets his eye, arms falling to his side, “say it.”

“i love you, cornelius.”

“je bent een idioot, august.”

auggie laughs softly leaning down to rest his forehead against kees’, sighing deeply. “het spijt me.”

“week ik. ik houd ook van jou.”

[amomentxofhappiness]

@troublesomemix ben x laila cont.

ben kylo took a deep, sharp breath through his nose when she spoke, wanting to spank the cheekiness out of her. It was her job to read him enough to push his buttons so to think she was accomplishing that after decades of restrain during his upbringing was a testament at just how good she was. Hopefully she'd be good at following orders as well.

Not bleeding was something he could do, he had no use for an injured partner for the evening and that wasn't a particular kink of his, quite the opposite. The hand on her throat tightened just so, enough to warn not to cut her air entirely. "Those are acceptable terms," he breathed out. His other hand let go of her hip and his fingertips caressed her leg slowly, eyes never leaving hers as he found the edge of her underwear and slipped a finger inside her. "I hope you have no problem with being used," he breathed out tightening his grip on her throat and sliding a 2nd finger inside her.

[insufferablemonsters]

@muutos [ † ]  if you break your promise, i promise to make you regret ever laying a finger on me.

the  last  thing  hayden  ever  wanted  to  do  or  be  at  or  be  with  had  everything  to  do  with  ben  harmon.  fuck  ben  harmon.  he  was  a  womanizer,  a  manipulator,  and  all  he  ever  did  was  break  the  hearts  of  those  that  loved  him.  even  if  she  did  promise  him  that  she'd  leave  his  wife  alone  and  that  emo  daughter  of  his,  it  didn't  mean  she  was  going  to  keep  it.  she'd  try  only  because  it'd  maintain  some  semblance  of  peace  within  this  murder  house.  but,  then  again  ...  she  did  get  bored  quite  often.  a  sinister  smirk  appeared  on  her  lips,  a  small  laugh  emits  as  she  tilts  her  head,  looking  up  at  him  from  the  living  chair,  ❝  oh  come  on,  benny,  you  don't  trust  me?  ❞  she  replied  then  rolled  her  eyes  playfully.  she  stands  up  from  her  seat  only  to  place  her  hands  on  his  chest  and  playfully  mess  with  the  collar  of  his  button-up.  ❝  besides,  what  are  you  going  to  do  to  me  that's  worse  than  being  in  this  fucking  house  with  you  and  your  boring  family?  ❞  she  asked  with  a  cocked  brow,  pushing  him  away.  ❝  there's  not  much  you  can  do  to  me,  but  there's  plenty  i  can  still  do  to  you.  i'd  watch  the  way  you  talk  to  me,  ben.  ❞

[amomentxofhappiness]

Ardo and Ben's eyes met when Alina set their timeline and the physician nodded to his commander and then to the lady's request, calling the few other men to follow him outside, to a separate cottage to begin planning.

Ben merely watched her, so sure of herself, same as when they were kids but a widow now, here to find the last pieces to fulfill her plan of the king's demise. She had always been good at mindgames but this he didn't quite expect. Revenge he understood, entirely too dearly but her other motives, the good of the people--he guessed he could relate to that. once upon a time that had mattered to him, it still did in his own twisted way. The greater good above the needs of the few unfeeling ones.

Taking his cup of tea between both hands he took a sip, thinking of everything she had plotted, wondering how difficult it'd be to pretend he had never met her, that he had never played with her, watched her, dreamed of a future that never came to pass. He hoped his brothers and the task would keep him focused.

"What is it that you want to share with me that my brothers can't hear then?" he asked once he was sure the others were out of reach.

"You know me, Ben. It was either my way or nothing at all." The woman teased back. She recalled their playtime when they were children, she would boss him around when they played knight and princess. She was rather a spoiled child, now that she thought of it.

Alina smiled, taking a cookie from the tray. "Thank you, Ardo." Alina turned to Ben again, nodding. "Oh yes. I intend to play the long game, as long as we can. I have the people's interest in mind, so whilst we plan this little coup, we need to help get rid of this plague." She took a bite of the cookie, and hummed. "If you don't need Ardo, I could use a personal chef." The woman said with a grin.

"You will join under pretense that you have no connection with me. I will make sure you get the position, but after that you and I will be little more than strangers." Alina liked how much Ben had changed, maturity settled into his features rather well. She was glad to see more of him now.

"I will send a raven later. The plan begins in two weeks time, when the commander of the king's guard opens the search for new members. I will inform you of it all otherwise." Alina looked to the rest of them, a glint in her eye. "Is there anyway you could give us some privacy?"

[gunchamber]

tag dump part dos smh.

[travisjackson]

closed event starter for @benjaminxjackson

With Lililana awake, all Travis really wanted to do was be at home with her and Bella May. He hadn't returned to work yet as he was helping her around the house, but he knew someone had to do the Christmas shopping and so he got Ben to go with him to look around the festival for something to get his wife and daughter. "What about this?" He asked curiously as he held up an ornament. "Think it'd be cute for Bella's first Christmas?"

[comicwaren]

“I have engineered a way out of your evolutionary obsolescence… if you wish to follow us!” – The One

Cover art for West Coast Avengers Vol. 4 #003

Art by Ben Harvey

[travisjackson]

Travis shook his head. "I get that. At this point I don't think I would know how to not feel that pain either." It was a different pain, but a big one nonetheless. "You just gotta keep doing something to make you feel better though. It may not seem like it, but things get a little easier because of it." He had been seeing someone for years and still had weekly sessions. It helped him and he just wanted his older brother to feel better as well. "Hey. Don't worry about that now. Just go tomorrow and get the help you need and when you get back, we'll look it all over, okay? We'll decide then." He touched his brother's back. "It's not urgent enough to worry about right now." @benjaminxjackson

Ben listened to his brother and nodded. Reaching and placing a hand on Travis shoulders especially when he mentioned Finn. He knew how hard it was for Travis and that pain would never go away. He wished that Travis never had to experience that loss. "Ya....I am just scared. I am so used to the pain and don't know who I will be without it and....I know it's stupid but," he sighed shaking his head.

"I might leave tomorrow because....I don't trust myself will have to call later tonight. I really can't keep pretending, can't distract myself. What if the pain never stops and I will never be happy again? I can't go back to my place and.....I recieved the blue plans of the house we were going to build. What do I do with that?" his voice breaking. Ben was finally breaking, he was at his limit and feeling so much.

"Am sorry....." he cried his hands moving away from his brother's shoulders and covering his face. Showing real emotions. @travisjackson

[betterskatethannever]

2024 best of

best parts

Joseph Campos - Shocking Moments Caught on Video / QuickStrike / Shot on Location

Tiago Lemos - City Soldier / Sure Shot / Intervals

Rowan Davis - Bin Kicker / Reckon That's Fine

Nick Matthews - QuickStrike / Turbo Island / Cross Contamination / Antihero x Nike

Ben Lawrie - HODDLE NO PLACE LIKE HOME / Real Street 2024 / Internet Birthday ep 2

Jamie Foy - BHADW2 / Honeymoon / Intervals / Charred Remains

Martino Cattaneo - Where is Tom?

Brian O'Dwyer - BHADW2 / EVERGREEN

Ville Wester - Nike

Oski Rozenberg - Red Shark

Shin Sanbongi - EVERYTHING IS NORMAL

Daan Van Der Linden - Turbo Island / Cross Contamination / QuickStrike / Nike x Antihero

Didrik Galasso - QuickStrike / Uneven / Ace / DIDRIKO

Gabriel Summers - Zero No White Flag

Nikolai Piombo - adidas XP

Antonio Durao - QuickStrike / OD

Eddie Cernicky - EVERGREEN

Tanner Burzinski - THE PROFESSIONAL

Lazer Crawford - Joslin & Lazer

Julius Rohrberg - DANCER

Fran Molina JACKER - RUSH

best full-lengths

Nike SB - QuickStrike

New Balance Numeric - Intervals

Antihero - Turbo Island / Cross Contamination x Thrasher / x Nike

GLORY: The Legend of Dime

Toy Machine - REAL LIFE SUCKS

VANS EU - Where is Tom?

BAKER HAS A DEATHWISH 2

Polar - I Don't Even Know How to F***ing Airwalk

Converse CONS - EVERGREEN

Primitive DAYDREAM / WILDFIRE

Erased GLOW

JACKER - RUSH

Polar - EVERYTHING IS NORMAL

Traffic - It's Completely Fine

Dickies - HONEYMOON

best independents

Austin Bristow - Portiions

Paul Young - Down By Law

Ben Chadourne - I THINK ONE MORE MAYBE

Tor Strom - Hygge Abroad

Fritte Soderstrom - Jante 9:19 / Jante 8:33

Davonte Jolly NECESSARY EVIL 003

Pedro Orsi TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR FISHEYE

HITTOPP "I Survived 500 Days Filming The Worst Skate Video Ever"

Grey Area - Lack of Coolness

Tomas Morrison - JUICE

best transition

Archer Braun - Doom Sayers

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[tresp4ssing]

(  hugh dancy  .  cis man  .  he/him  )  .    ⸻  bennett combe  ,  a  forty three  year  old  ,  has  survived  another  day  in  red  creek  where  they  have  lived  for  thirty years  .  the  lurker  is  known  for  being  dilligent  and  despondent  and  is  often  associated  with  fingerprinted lenses upon one's glasses , a journal whose script is clearly written in haste , accolades and praise of one's work as the ultimate high  .  in  a  small  town  where  they  work  as  the owner of the register  word  travels  fast  .  it’s  hard  to  keep  a  secret  ,  and  it  looks  like  the  boogeyman  knows  that  THIS FILE CANNOT BE FOUND .

PART : 001 — THE BASICS

full name : bennett connell combe. nickname(s) : ben is acceptable, though he doesn't like it too much. age : forty3 yrs old. hometown : baltimore, maryland, usa. gender & pronouns : cis man, he/him. orientation : bisexual, biromantic. western sun sign : taurus.

PART : 002 — THE APPEARANCE

faceclaim : hugh dancy. height : 5'10". hair color : dark brown. eye color : hazel. distinct marking(s) : ear-length, unruly waves ; a small section of raised skin under his left eye, the result of a teenage skateboarding accident ; a permanent indentation where brows meet in a furrow ; varying levels of beardedness as an indicator of his stress ; bad posture, as if he is curling in on himself in search of warmth

PART : 003 — DIG DEEPER

likes : romanticizing  other  versions  of  his  life,  the  smell  of  leather,  sinking  into  a  crowd  and  not  having  to  feel  like  you're  forced  to  be  anyone  or  anything,  the  sound  of  rain  pattering  against  glass,  solo  walks  around  a  neighborhood  park,  the  white  noise  provided  by  a  ceiling  fan,  feeding  stray  animals  outside  his  house dislikes : the  harsh  white  lighting  always  found  in  office  spaces,  dust,  objects  being  out  of  place,  staying  up  late,  snowstorms,  people  who  are  always  late,  conducting  interviews,  pickles  of  any  kind,  abrupt  noises

PART : 004 — QUICK FACTS

born  to  two  parents,  both  laywers,  with  his  father  in  corporate  law  and  his  mother  in  family  law,  the  concept  of  work  ethic  was  constantly  at  the  center  of  their  home  life

the  tale  is  one  of  many  young  boys,  born  with  a  shiny  silver  spoon  -  absent  parents,  raised  by  a  nanny,  attends  boarding  school  in  some  rural  northeast  region  just  to  get  him  out  of  their  hair  and  leave  the  care  to  overbearing  professors  and  school  staff

bennett's  detachment  from  his  home  life  easily  proved  to  have  affected  him  in  a  substantial  manner  -  it  simply  depends  on  who  you  are  to  make  the  call  as  a  net  positive  or  one  with  more  detrimental  effects

he  had  always  been  a  quiet  boy,  not  necessarily  anti-social,  but  reclusive,  in  terms  of  always  keeping  his  head  down  and  nose  out  of  everyone's  business

teachers  and  guardians  saw  him  as  an  obedient  student  -  one  who  remained  in  line  and  never  questioned  anything

fast  forward  to  age  thirteen,  where  his  father  scored  a  higher-level  position  with  a  michigan  firm,  prompting  their  move.  his  mother  also  lucked  out  with  an  adjunct  professor  position  at  the  university  of  michigan,  ann  arbor.  they  decided  on  red  creek  to  remain  out  of  the  noise  that  would  come  with  living  near  a  big  city  -  a  quaint  little  town  seemed  like  a  perfect  transition

they  opted  for  public  school  this  time,  mostly  out  of  convenience,  figuring  bennett  could  hold  his  own  as  he  started  at  the  local  school,  just  a  few  blocks  away  from  their  new  home.  it  was  mostly  his  mild  temperament  that  convinced  them,  figuring  that  he  would  keep  himself  out  of  trouble  regardless

some  time  into  his  high  school  career,  his  mother  became  pregnant  -  purely  an  accident.  initially,  they  took  a  similar  approach,  employing  a  full-time  nanny  to  deal  with  raising  bennett's  new  sibling  immediately  after  his  mother  returned  to  work.  eventually,  she  quit,  seemingly  out  of  nowhere,  leaving  bennett  to  balance  his  time  between  his  new  younger  sibling  and  school

in  order  to  continue  looking  after  them,  and  because  of  the  free  tuition  since  his  mother  was  employed  there,  he  decided  to  pursue  his  journalism  degree  at  the  university  of  michigan.  it  was  more  so  an  interest  born  out  of  practicality  than  interest.  his  dreams  of  becoming  a  writer  were  fully  compartmentalized  into  his  idea  of  a  pipe  dream

IN REDCREEK ...

the  murders  and  disappearances  of  ‘99  began  his  first  year  of  university,  though  much  of  it  was  only  brought  to  his  knowledge  via  hearsay  and  snippets  of  the  news  he’d  pick  up  on.  he  lived  on  campus  monday  through  friday,  routinely  going  home  for  weekends  and  holidays 

much  of  his  journalistic  resume  relied  on  his  participation  within  various  publications  and  the  official  student  newspapper  of  umich

following  his  university  graduation  in  '03,  he  took  up  a  part-time  job  at  the  local  pharmacy,  a  cashier,  only  to  supplement  his  life  and  cover  his  rent  while  he  was  paid  per  story  at  the  register

eventually  working  his  way  through  the  team  -  hired  on  as  a  full-time  journalist  in  ‘04,  then  a  reporter  from  ’07-'12,  to  an  editor  in  ‘13-'15,  and  assistant  editor  in  ‘15-’20.  his  main  coverage  was  local  weather,  and  eventually  civil  disputes.  he  wholeheartedly  believes  that  his  rise  was  because  of  his  compliance  and  flexibility,  rather  than  his  passion  and  ability.  tldr  ;  he  feels  like  a  sellout,  and  he  probably  is  one

since  2021,  he  has  been  the  editor-in-chief  and  owner  of  the  register.  part  of  him  believes  that  the  sensationalizing  of  the  copycat  murders  and  disappearances  may  give  a  new  flare  to  the  publication,  as  much  as  he  would  hate  to  admit  it  out  loud

he  as  a  boss  is  just  like  his  parents,  methodical,  cold,  and  only  attached  to  all  matters  work  related

PART : 005 — POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS

npcs

heather  visser  —  the  two  were  the  same  age,  though  she  was  a  grade  below  him.  they  would  have  a  few  classes  that  overlapped,  mainly  honors  and  APs,  as  she  was  ever  the  achiever.  the  two  had  been  lab  partners  his  senior  year  of  high  school  in  their  ap  chemistry  class.  he  has  nothing  but  fondness  for  heather,  having  both  shared  their  dreams  for  what  they  hoped  their  adult  lives  would  look  like

wanted connections

here.