#boom sonic enjoys the attention anyway

[lhislucas]

B! Sh: "What are you staring at? Jealous now, are we, little Faker?" (1/2)

P!Sh : "Tch." (2/2)

[rainychaoloveshack]

ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☂︎ ⋆ ﾟ 𝐔𝐩 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐠.

staying up late with silver, watching a movie.

content. silver x gn!reader, reader is mentioned to be a night owl (staying up late often), tooth-rotting fluff, very light angst

☂︎ wc. 950 ☂︎ a/n. third post silver, then scourge! bing bam boom. PROBABLY VERY OOC! not proud of this one, i gotta study silver more :(

likes, reblogs, and especially comments are extremely appreciated!!!

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┊ ⋆ ┊   .   ┊   ┊

┊    ┊⋆     ┊   .

┊    ┊       ⋆˚              

✧. ┊         

⋆｡˚ 🌨 ˚｡⋆｡🌩˚☽˚｡⋆ 

☂︎

The exhaustion is hitting him, you can tell. The way his eyes are drooping, trying to focus on the movie in front of you two. You nudge him, making sure he doesn’t fall asleep yet; the movie’s just getting good.

“Huh?” Silver turns to you, tilting his head and blinking rapidly, trying to wake himself up for you. “No, I’m fine. Fine.” He mumbles, leaning back and rubbing his quills downward; a grooming motion you’ve seen before with other hedgehogs, mainly Shadow.

You ended up getting lucky today. Silver had opened a portal to this dimension to come and take a visit to Sonic and his friends, but afterwards, Silver decided to pay you a visit, right in your cozy abode. Lucky, lucky you.

… Ah. Maybe there's a sort of time dimension jet lag hitting him?

“Dimension jet-lag?” Silver giggles at your joke, right ear flicking in your direction at the sound of your laughter. “No, silly! I just don’t stay up as late as you. I wish I could,” He frowns, leaning against your shoulder. “You make it look cool. All… ‘night-owly’ every night.” Night-owly?

Both you and Silver end up cracking up like idiots at the absurdity of both your words, bodies trembling slightly with laughter as the movie tunes out between you two, all of your attention just focused on each other.

He’s not wrong. It’s so usual for you to stay up past midnight, and you almost don’t notice when you do it nowadays. It’s so ingrained in your daily schedule, even with your attempts to head to bed earlier. The sleep debt must be terrible.

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay awake; I promise.” He reassures you, leaning against your shoulder, fidgeting with his gloves briefly as you watch him with interest. His statement isn’t very convincing, since he follows it with a small yawn, squeezing his eyes shut, and as soon as he opens them, he locks eyes with you sheepishly.

“Uh…” He chuckles a bit afterwards, his ear twitching in embarrassment. “Well, I’ll try.” He pauses, parting his lips to say something else, yet nothing comes out for a few moments.

“Sorry.” Silver murmurs, still fidgeting with his gloves as he looks down at his hands, and you tilt your head curiously. What? Before you can ask, he continues.

“For not visiting you so often. I-I really want to, don’t get me wrong!” He looks back up at you in a panic. “But…” Silver lets out a small, exasperated whine, his ears tilting down. “My world; it still needs me. And the others need me too.”

You frown, reaching cover to give Silver an affectionate scratch behind his ear in an attempt to lighten the mood quickly, causing it to flick towards you, followed by small bits of chuckling from him as his body relaxes. He says nothing else but leans towards your touch happily, brushing his shoulder against you as he snuggles his ear into your hand, enjoying the little scritches you’re giving him.

“Thanks.” Silver says softly as you retract your hand, locking eyes with you again. “Uh, you don’t mind if I stay the night, right?” He pauses, almost bashful as he asks, and you nod eagerly to his question.

Duh. It’s not like you would kick him out at this hour anyway. Why would you anyway?

“Maybe we could go see the chao tomorrow.” He mutters, resting his head against your shoulder. “Or fix up my garden. Ah, we could do that! Yeah,” A small smile spreads on his face. “That’d be really nice to do with you…”

You pull him in closer, pushing him by his hip, and in response he scoots on over to you, pressing against your leg. A stupid grin spreads on your face as you yank him into a tight cuddle. He gasps softly at the sudden action, followed by laughing briefly as he pats your back.

“Ah, come on, you could’ve just said so…” 

Without saying a word, you slowly lay down on the couch, stretching your legs for a moment as Silver lays down on top of you, trying his best not to hurt you as he lays his head onto your chest, relaxing his body once he realizes none of his quills have pricked you in any way.

Damn, he’s really, really warm. It feels good as hell…

“You have a nice heartbeat.” He says softly, his ear tilting to press against your chest more, following the rhythm of your heart. “[Name]... Gosh,” Silver chuckles, placing his hand on your shoulder as he snuggles closer. “I really like your heart…”

You both lay in silence together, the only noise coming from the long-forgotten movie playing in the back, along with the soft breathing from Silver. You run your hand gently over his quills, feeling every individual one, and the small tiny pricks from the tips of each.

You say his name, expecting him to respond, but he just keeps his head down and doesn’t respond in the slightest.

Silver?

… Silver?

Oh. He’s asleep. 

You click your tongue softly, looking down at his sleeping form on your body, feeling his soft, furry chest rise and fall against your stomach as you pet his quills slowly. Despite you telling him and everything, he just falls asleep so quickly?

… No matter. You crane your neck forward, pressing a soft kiss on the top of his head, and Silver seems to react favorably, his ear twitching at the sudden foreign sensation despite his slumber, his quiet breathing flowing against your chest.

Oh, right.

It looks like you’ll be finishing the movie alone tonight.

[sequinsonic]

boom!sonic x reader coffeeshop!au hcs!

pairing: boom!sonic x gn!reader

genre: fluff! | coffee shop!au | headcanons

warning(s): none:>

word count: 854

note: lol this has been sitting in my drafts for a while now but i wasn't sure what else to add to it, so might as well put it out now:> and it's kinda all over the place, so i apologize ㅠㅠ. also, sonic's personality in this is a lot like how he acts in boom as well as the other characters, that's the only reason this is titled as such ^ enjoy!!

+ so you and amy have opening shifts everyday except for fridays and sundays

+ she only works till noon tho because for some reason she always has to attend some lesson

+ "sorry i got a yoga lesson at 1:00, then a book club at 2:00, then psychology class at 3:30, then—" girly is like barbie trying out every single thing you can think of

+ then on fridays, you get to open along with the energetic co-worker that shadow is /hj

+ BUT SONIC DOESN'T WORK ON FRIDAYS

+ which means you're stuck with shadow for the day and his very limited topics of conversations

+ unless it's a "hello" and "can you brew this order?" he says there's "no reason to talk during business hours"

+ you'd think he's just tired but homie drinks like 5 cups of americano daily so that's impossible

+ pretty sure the guy just hates everyone

+ but anyways, onto sonic already

+ where to begin ohmygod

+ y'all have the most fun together out of everyone

+ hell, even the customers know how chaotic the café gets when you're both working the same shifts

+ you guys are usually alone from 12:00am to 2:00pm before shadow and sticks clock in

+ "c'mon y/n! just one more time!"

+ "sonic we have 10 more minutes before the rest show up. would you PLEASE put away your game of trashball"

+ he always lets you play whatever music you want for the day

+ oh and doesn't like it when you're cashier

+ he says there are customers who tend to get too "friendly" with you

+ no rlly the amount of napkins he throws away with a random number written on it happens more than you'd think

+ your pure ass didn't understand what that meant, but it also saves you from another annoying task so who are you to complain eh?

+ when there's someone other than you two working, he likes to sneak into the back with you

+ "we just have some organizing to do back there" and boom you're gone for 20 minutes

+ but it's not like you guys do anything bad

+ maybe. sometimes. idk

+ 90% of the time you're just munching on leftovers or gossiping about what's been going in the village

+ the rest of the 10%? prob playing your 20th round of uno lol

+ but anyway, buckle up. shit gets real when you two become a thing

+ you two came to an agreement that you weren't going to tell anyone abt y'all just yet

+ sonic just wasn't ready for that type of teasing

+ he likes to make you a cup of vanilla latte during every shift

+ "hey, you come here often? let me set you up with this amazing, extraordinary and never done before cup of latte"

+ "sonic i work here"

+ he's trying his best to not pull you to the back every chance he gets

+ he's so obvious abt it tho

+ just wants your attention rlly

+ not that he'll ever EVER say that lol

+ "listen i know we're in the middle of a rush but i'm just so drained so can i please have some motivation—"

+ "you have the oddest way of asking for a kiss"

+ i mean it when i say that you guys can't be separated even while working

+ y'all have somehow managed to convince shadow that every task is a two person job lol

+ "really hard at work holding a cup while amy pours in the ice, aren't you sonic?"

+ "shadow— listen. you don't understand. i must do this. one cube of ice misses the cup and we're done for. we'll be short on stock and as you know it's really hard to survive in this economy and—"

+ "alright, shut up. i get it. now get back to work."

+ the thrill of your relationship is trying to hide it from everyone else ngl

+ sticks says she always catches you staring and stealing glances at sonic or vice-versa

+ and god forbid he looks at you while you're putting your quills (?) in a ponytail

+ he just loves that sm idk it makes him wanna kiss you so bad

+ this information, however, is not news for you

+ "look at him ringing up that order, his side profile is so—" "y/n you're spilling everything!"

+ it's the same the other way around lol

+ closing shifts with sonic are always the best

+ y'all usually stay together afterwards to clean everything and leave it ready for tomorrow morning

+ relaxing music is on, no one is there to bother you, only the two of you

+ we know sonic can't stay still for long, so him knowing he gets to go home with you if everything gets cleaned up asap is a good offer

+ the comfort of it all is knowing sonic is probably gonna crash at yours afterwards

+ "shouldn't you sleep at your shack tonight?" "no i like your bed it's very comfy"

+ a nice cup of tea before heading home and your day ends on such a good note

+ both of y'all are so obsessed with each other to be honest

+ sonic generally loves spending time with you, so working at the same place together? what a steal!

[sassykattery]

Dissolution of the Fire, Pt. 6

Welcome to Part 6 of this prologue chapter. We are reaching the finale of this chapter very soon. I hope you're ready.

CW: MC is afab, uses she/her pronouns. MC is human, MC is nonpoly. Warning: intense argument, signs and depictions of emotional abuse within an intimate relationship.

Themes: Relationships, hurt, angst, LuciferxMC

Characters: Lucifer, MC="you", Mammon, all brothers implied, Diavolo.

Minors and ageless blogs DNI

18+ only

Masterlist

Enjoy~

-----

Diavolo and Barbatos had bid you farewell, already extending their invitation for you to join them for dinner again tomorrow night. You happily agreed and made your way back to the House.

Chaos had ensued before you even got home. Evidently, you were sorely missed at dinner, and there was a riot in your absence. The eldest stood in front of them, the younger six still sitting at the dinner table, and he lectured them.

When you heard the commotion, you walked to the dining hall and looked at all of them, to which all seven stared back at you.

"Hello?" you said quizzically.

"Oi! Where were you?" Satan asked, annoyed.

"I had tea and played chess with Lord Diavolo. Then I stayed for dinner with him and Barbatos at the castle," you replied, being sure to avoid the gaze of the eldest, the very gaze that would've bored holes into you.

"Oh! How amazing is that!" Asmo cooed. "The royals must have really taken a shine to you MC," he said in a dreamy voice.

"Well, we missed you at dinner!" Levi whined. "We all wanted to talk to you about stuff, but you never showed up."

"I apologize, next time I'll send a text," you replied, and then you sat in your normal seat at the table. "Why don't you all tell me about it now that I'm here?" you offered sweetly. All of them chirped their approval and forgot about the lecture they were receiving, and Lucifer was too enraged by you to continue it anyway.

"So, today at Majolish, there was this totally-" Asmo started to say, when Lucifer grabbed your wrist and pulled you out of your chair.

"Let's go," Lucifer said.

"No."

You dug your heels in and grabbed the table with your other hand, causing him to stop short.

It was so silent in the room; a pin could drop and sound like a sonic boom.

"Excuse me?" Lucifer hissed.

"I said, no," you repeated.

All of the youngest brothers were watching with concerned stares, wondering how you, the human, could defy Lucifer. But Mammon, he knew how, and he was ready to come to your aide as he slowly scooted his chair back.

"Why do we need to leave, Lucifer?" you snapped, snatching your wrist back. "Your brothers wish to speak to me, so what's the problem?" you hissed.

"I need to speak with you," he said between his teeth.

"Then we can speak later, I'm busy," you retorted.

See, what was actually happening was you two were having an argument but doing so discreetly. You were defying him, yes, but the point was, he wants your attention, but you're busy, so he'll have to wait, just like what he's done to you for the past two days, or rather, the last few weeks. A taste of his own medicine, as it were.

Swiftly, you sat back down, and turned your attention back to the other brothers. It wasn't until Lucifer stormed off to lord knows where, probably his office, to sulk, that they started chatting again.

After an hour of listening to their tales, you bid them all good night and finally made your way to Lucifer's office and let yourself in without knocking. You were livid, and he was going to get it from you now.

"You wanted to speak with me?" you said neutrally, standing in front of the demon's desk as he sat with his head in his hands.

"I did," he muttered. Slowly, he stood from his chair and walked around his desk to stop in front of you. He stared at you for a while, and truthfully, he was deciding what to say. His pride wanted to demand an apology for your insolence. His heart wanted to apologize to you for making you so upset. His head wanted to pry you open to see what was going on with you.

His jealousy won out, unfortunately.

"Did you have fun at the castle?" he asked, his tone almost mocking.

"I did, what of it?" you replied simply, acting as if it's not a big deal.

"Hmm, I should rather think so since you smell heavily of Lord Diavolo," he retorted, his voice becoming more tense.

"I guess that's what happens when you spend time with someone," you snapped.

"What's this about?" he asked, his voice increasing in volume.

"It's about how you have zero time for me unless you are starting to feel needy and jealous!" you replied in equal measure.

"I'm busy, as you know," he stated.

Your blood pressure started to rise, and rage was boiling inside of you. "Right, you're too busy for someone you supposedly cherish," you seethed.

His jaw clicked in annoyance, and his voice was now in a shout, "MC, I do my best to make time for you when I can-"

"And how convenient that it's only when you think another demon is trying to fuck me!" you yelled.

Both of you snapped internally, and now his voice boomed out into the room.

"Maybe if you didn't find any opportunity possible to let them think they can, it wouldn't happen!"

"I will not be spoken to this way, Lucifer Morningstar!" you screamed.

Mammon bolted out of the hallway he was lingering in, and immediately dashed into Lucifer's office. He saw you and Lucifer face to face, looking at one another as if you could rip each other's throats out. Not even listening to the shouts of displeasure from his brother, Mammon immediately grabbed you and pulled you out of the office, dragging you to his room.

He immediately locked the door and pulled you over to his couch. You were trembling and sobbing now, and he realized you were actually hyperventilating, so he grabbed your shoulders.

"MC, you need to slow down before you pass out," he said worriedly. You looked up at him with glassy eyes, your lip trembling.

"C'm'here," he said, pulling you into his arms. "Shhh, let it out, just breathe," he cooed. You sobbed onto his shoulder without any inhibition.

It wasn't for another thirty minutes until you had calmed down. Mammon had managed to sit back and have you lay your head in his lap. He would massage your scalp or rub your arm. You stared up at the ceiling, feeling numb and not really wanting to think.

"Would you be willin' to tell me what's goin' on?" he murmured.

Your lip wobbled, and he immediately regretted asking.

"He barely pays attention to me anymore, and when he does, it's because he's jealous of you, one of your brothers, or anyone else who comes too close, and he thinks it's okay to take it out on me. But if I want his attention, he's always busy and then I'm pestering him," you replied.

It was more than what he thought you'd say, but it all checked out in his mind. He assumed as much, with the way he sees Lucifer linger when you're around anyone else, how randomly you two couldn't stand to be apart, and then suddenly it was like a frozen tundra between you two.

"You know that's not okay, right?" Mammon asked.

Yes, unfortunately, deep down you knew, and you knew you couldn't keep going like this.

"Thank you for saving me," you said, avoiding his question.

"Course, I just didn't want it to get worse," he muttered.

Silence hung in the air now, and suddenly, the events of the day began to wear on you. "I'm very tired now," you stated, eyes feeling heavy.

"Just go ahead and go to sleep, MC, I'll be here," Mammon said softly.

With a nod, you let your eyes close, trying to remember your day at the castle, looking forward to the next.

-

"MC!" Mammon said, shaking you.

Your eyes flew open, looking up to see his worried expression hovering over you as you still lied in lap.

"You were screamin', ya know? Were ya havin' a nightmare?"

You looked around and finally sat up. Sitting back into the couch, you looked back at Mammon. "I guess I was, but I don't remember it. I'm sorry-" you started to say.

"You don't need to apologize, MC, it was just a bad dream, ya can't help it," Mammon said.

Your eyes were cast down, and Mammon watched you, still concerned. You obviously weren't doing very well.

"Let's get ya to your bed, probably more comfortable there," he said, standing now with his hand stretched out to you.

You took it with a nod and followed him to your room. Once tucked in, Mammon left to see the eldest.

Mammon stood in the doorway, not bothering to knock.

"And what do you want?" Lucifer said from his desk, sitting back with his arms crossed.

"If you don't start treatin' MC better, we're gonna have a problem, that's what," Mammon snapped.

Lucifer's fiery gaze landed on Mammon. The second eldest wanted to back down, but when he thought of you sobbing on his shoulder, he stood his ground.

In a moment, Lucifer's eyes dropped as well. "Maybe so," is all the eldest said.

Mammon left his brother to his thoughts, going back to his room for the night. Though, it wasn't only the second eldest who had a problem with the behavior.

-

"Ah, come in, Lucifer," Diavolo said from his desk in his office at RAD.

Lucifer sat down in one of the chairs in front of the prince's desk and looked at Diavolo. It was the following day.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Indeed. I just have some questions that I'd like answered, if you don't mind," Diavolo stated neutrally. Lucifer nodded and Diavolo continued.

"How is MC doing?" the Demon Lord asked neutrally, getting straight to what he wanted to know.

Lucifer chose his words carefully. "She's acing all of her homework and tests, so academically I'd say she's doing well for herself," he responded.

"Very well. But you know I care about more than just academics. How is she doing emotionally? Hm?" Diavolo asked in reply.

"Is there something you wish to know, Diavolo?" Lucifer asked, remaining cool on the outside.

There it is, Diavolo thought. "There is, Lucifer. I wish to know that my exchange program isn't going to go up in flames," Diavolo said cryptically.

Lucifer was silent, calculating his next choice of words.

"Let me make it plain, then. When MC was at the castle yesterday, she seemed to be in poor spirits, and I can't help but wonder about her emotional state, you see. I've entrusted her in your care, as well as your brothers' care, and I don't want to come to regret such a decision," Diavolo stated with an edge to his voice.

"And I will make sure you don't regret it," Lucifer stated neutrally. On the inside, he was crashing and burning.

"Very well then. So, I expect to see some improvements made over time," Diavolo replied.

"Is that all?" Lucifer asked.

"Yes, that's all. Thank you," the prince replied.

Once Lucifer left, Diavolo stared down at his D.D.D. with the thread open to Mammon from earlier that day.

Mammon: MC isn't doing very well.

Diavolo: I've noticed as much. Do you know the source of her soreness?

Mammon: Ask my older brother.

That was all Diavolo needed to know, and he told himself to thank Mammon later for the information.

----

Thanks for reading <3

Post made by sassykattery. Do not repost. Reblogs and comments are appreciated.

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Tags:

@leavesandflowers @delphi-dreamin @obeymediasimp @itsmeninerz @frozengoldie

[egg-emperor]

Why is no one talking about the music video crushing 30 eggman's design is amazing

Anyways I want to hear you gush about it

I have no idea because it's fantastic, it deserves a lot more talk and attention! Fortunately it's getting there in views now at a million, but there still isn't enough people talking about the awesome stuff that the video gave us! There's a lot of great things about the song and music video but of course on my blog I'm here to gush about Eggman specifically, so of course he's what I'm going to focus on here heheh. I appreciate that you're interested in my thoughts on it!

AND I COME WITH GIFS!

I love the X vibes of the animation! Bringing back the similar style and some of Eggman's common quirks from it is a nostalgic delight to see and he looks so beautiful I wanna give him a big smooch 🥰💕💜💖 I love how he still has all of his classic mannerisms and energy because I don't think he'll ever lose it. He's still dealing with defeat after defeat from Sonic like always but he still knows how to have fun as his same handsome self and for that, he's better off than some of the other characters in this video XD

I was so overjoyed to see him enter his EGG CASINO. I always love Eggman + casinos, the look and atmosphere is wonderful and the Egg Pawn esque designs are great!!

It's cute that he got a little stuck for a moment in the door there. I noticed that cheeky monitor saying 'LOL' tsk tsk XD

That's one strong little stool to be sturdy enough not to break when he sits on it but it still wasn't enough to hold this heavy man without it sinking so much that the pole bended and got scrunched up! With these details and the way his outfit doesn't seem to be the best fitting, it appears that he too has gained a bit more weight over time, just like his arch nemesis has in this video.

You know how I feel about my Eggs in casinos as I have a whole Casino AU dedicated to a version that's main focus is all his casinos. The concept of main universe Eggman actually focusing more on casinos in the future like this video seems to imply, likely because of how much of a highly reliable source of income they are to help keep his operations going for so many years, is fantastic and right up my alley! I immediately felt total adoration for the design and this was the cherry on top, I'm absolutely obsessed now!

Honestly, it's very rare that I find myself enjoying fan or even official redesigns of Eggman, I can be very picky with them because a lot of them tend to take away things I love most about his design. But this ticks all the right boxes for me and only enhances his already existing beauty and appeal, it doesn't change too much about his physical appearance and style so he still has his true essence but it changes enough for it to feel new, which is exactly how a future Eggman should be. And he's as handsome as ever, I can't stop admiring him 😍💜💕💘💖

It surprisingly suits a bunch of my exact tastes and headcanons of mine for future Eggman! Most notably the casino stuff, sexy older Eggman, and the idea that he gains more weight with time and age and keeps it. Slimming him down in redesigns is a crime but I'm all for him plumping up a bit more instead, it would make much more sense. It appears he stopped trying to bother to zip up his jacket because of that and it looks too short now, so he can't button it down either. I love how his jacket and undershirt ride up, I always treasure a peek at the precious tum 🥰

Also can we please acknowledge the cake on this man because I'm so in love fjsbfjsndngmg

His outfit appears to take some inspiration from the Sonic Prime concept art design with the open jacket and white undershirt but in my opinion, they improved on it way more and made me realize that it could be super appealing if presented in the right way. The added shoulder pads, cape, and more royal regal look with the crowned egg on the back gives it so much more style! Reminds me of one of the Boom concept art Eggman outfits blended in a bit too, especially with the yellow gloves. That might just be intentional!

I love everything about the Eggman in this video just from the few glorious moments of screentime! It really makes me wish this was actually a small series of sorts, where we could see what a future Eggman would get up to with what would change and what would stay the same, it's super interesting stuff! And if modern Eggman had to get a permanent redesign, this is the exact kind of design that I would accept and embrace wholeheartedly! :D 💕

To anyone that hasn't seen the video- please check it out because it's brilliant!

[mahoutoons]

Sonic Dimensions: Chapter 11 - The Final Battle

at last, we're at the final battle!! with this over, i just have two chapters to go and they're kinda short i think. but anyways.... i was quite busy with college which is why i haven't been able to update as much. but i should be able to finish soon. i'm gonna try to finish before frontiers releases. its gonna be hard but i'll try. anyways hope you enjoy.

AO3 link

The skies were grey, with clouds blocking the sun. The ground shook as a giant robot with a powerful aura approached. People looked up at the foreboding mech, wondering what was going to happen. “Attention all citizens!” Eggman’s voice boomed from within the robot. “From this day forth I am your new ruler! You have two options! Surrender or die!” A couple of kids threw stones at him, to no avail. “Ha ha ha. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” Eggman’s mech began to glow. It raised its hand and punched the ground, causing a crack. The two kids fell inside, screaming all the way. But just then, a yellow and orange blur dashed towards them, catching them just in time. It was Sonic and Blaze. They got the kids to their parents. “Take them and go to a safe place,” Sonic advised. The trembling kids nodded as their parents thanked Sonic.

Sonic and Blaze then rushed back up to join the others. They were now facing Eggman’s robot. It was more powerful with the power Eris gave him. But it wasn’t impossible to defeat. Not when they were together.

"You all ready to do this?!" Sonic asked. "Yeah!" Everyone shouted unanimously. At first the fight was relatively easy. Eggman shot missiles at them. The group dodged them. Knuckles even managed to punch a missile, sending it back to Eggman. Amy summoned a hammer and willing her power into it, made it grow bigger. "EAT THIS EGGMAN!" she shouted as she hit multiple missiles with her hammer, sending them back to Eggman. He of course dodged them. "Come on, is that all you've got?" Sonic asked. "These are just the warmups, hedgehog," Eggman said. "From now on it won't be so easy!"

A green aura surrounded the robot. It disappeared in a flash. "Huh, where did it go?" Tails asked. It suddenly appeared behind Sonic. Before he could react, he was sent flying into a building. "SONIC!!" Amy shouted. "You won't get away with that!" She summoned multiple hammers and threw them at the robot. It dodged them with high speed. It then caught Amy and threw her too. Tails commanded his flickies to charge at the robot. They all did, and managed to momentarily distract it. Tails tried to attack but Eggman was quicker. He caught his tails and threw him in the sky. "Why you.." Knuckles rushed towards the robot, punching it blindly. It avoided all of Knuckles' hits. The robot raised its arm up. A green light appeared in its palm. It then fired a giant laser at Knuckles.

Blaze hurled an array of fireballs at the robot. It just summoned water from a nearby water body and put them all out. “Impossible,” Blaze whispered. A spray of water hit her and sent her flying too. “B-Blaze!” Serena stuttered. She summoned the biggest light ball she could muster. She became so overwhelmed by it that she threw it at the robot. But it just caught it in its hands and squeezed it so that it was insignificant. “Wh-What? N-No way!” Serena whispered.

"I have the power of the Master Emerald AND Eris' magic. I cannot be defeated that easily! HO HO HO" Eggman bellowed. “Now, its my turn!” The robot willed vines to come from the ground, trapping Sonic and co. “Wh-What is this?!” Sonic asked. “Since when were robots able to do that?!” “Foolish hedgehog, did you forget I also have some of Eris’ magic in me? With all this power, I am unstoppable! HO HO HO HO!” Blaze managed to summon fire and burn the vines trapping her. She did the same for the others. “He seems more powerful than usual,” Amy said. “That’s true. We have to be more careful in how we approach him,” Blaze said. “You fools, even with all your power, you still don’t stand a chance against me!” Eggman guffawed. “We’ll see about that,” Blaze said. She summoned a sword made out of fire. “Wow, since when could you do that?” asked Sonic. “Since forever,” Blaze replied. Serena stared in awe. “Give me your best shot, Eggman!” Blaze exclaimed.

Eggman’s robot fired more missiles, which Blaze cut through with her sword. “This will show you!” she exclaimed. Eggman just pulled her sword from her hand. “Wh-What?! No way!” “Don’t worry little princess. There’s plenty more where that came from,” Eggman said. He then threw Blaze away. Serena rushed to make sure she was okay.

“Everyone, I think we have a better chance if we work together,” Sonic said. “So lets stick with each other from now on!” “That’s a good idea,” said Blaze. The group turned back to the robot. “You have held up well,” Eggman commented. “But alas, this should end soon! Behold, my missiles filled with Master Emerald energy!” Eggman shot multiple missiles at them, all with a green aura. The group dodged them together. Amy threw one away with a hammer when it almost hit Knuckles. “Everyone, lets surround it!” Sonic said. They flew towards the robot, dodging all the missiles it threw towards them. Then they scattered, making it confused. It tried to tackle Sonic, but then it was distracted by Tails. Knuckles and Amy also broke its focus with their punches and weapons. Blaze and Serena also put their fire and light powers together. Both of them created swords made of fire and light. “You little pests! Don’t think you’ve bested me yet!” Eggman yelled. The robot shot blobs of water from its hand in an attempt to trap the group. Serena jumped in front of Blaze to protect her from the water. She cut away at them with her light sword. “I’m not done yet!” Eggman exclaimed. He shot vines from his hands and trapped the group in them. “Ha ha ha ha! I’ve got you all now!” he said. He then willed electricity into the vines. Serena struggled against her bonds. She summoned her light sword again and managed to cut off a bit of the vines. She then flew forward and cut off all the vines at once. “Nice job, Serena!” Sonic said.

“Just how long will this go on?” Amy asked. “Even in our super forms, we can’t even scratch this robot. What should we do?” “There has got to be a weakness somewhere….” Sonic said. “You’re right. But where could it be?” Tails asked. “You fools! I have no weakness this time!” Eggman boasted. “With Eris’ magic and the Master Emerald energy flowing in me, I am invincible even to your super forms! This time, I will crush all of you!” He raised his hand and waited…. but nothing happened. “Huh? What’s happening?” He tried again…. nothing happened again. “What is happening? I’m supposed to have Eris’ magical power in me? Why is it not working?” “Because I’ve taken away those powers.” Eris, Harmonia, and Hecate walked up to the robot. “Eris?! You’re still alive?!” Eggman asked. “You think you can use me up and throw me away while expecting me to let you keep my powers? Yeah, not happening. I’ve realized my worth, Eggman! And its more than being your servant!” “I helped her a little of course,” Hecate added. “After all, I was the one that taught her those powers.” “Now you’re significantly weakened,” Harmonia said. “Give up while you can, doctor.” “NEVER!! I will NEVER give up!! I still have the Master Emerald energy in me. I can still…” “Yeah, those were part of my powers too,” Eris said. “Remember, I gave it to you while I had the Master Emerald energy in me. So I could revoke it as well. Though… again, I had a little help.” She shared a glance at Hecate and Harmonia.

“Well…. no matter! I’m not going down without a fight! Come at me!” “As you wish Eggface!” Sonic taunted. “Everyone, he’s no longer invulnerable! Go all out!”

They did as he said. They surrounded him, attacking him at every move. The robot raised its hands, as if trying to shoo them away. “TAKE THIS!” Blaze cut off one robot’s hands with her fire powers. “AND THIS!” Serena cut off the other arm. “Why you… I’m not done!” Eggman yelled. “Everyone ready?” Sonic asked. “Yeah!” everyone replied.

They powered up, then surrounded Eggman again, shooting lasers at him unanimously. “AAAAHHHH, YOU…. I’M NOT DONE YET… I…. I STILL HAVE THE POWER….. YAAAAAAAAA!”

Eggman was able to get out of the robot just as it disintegrated.

[sonicunleash]

Outside of me gushing about cosmo though i think itd be fun to lay out all my sonic x opinions now. boom:

I think its quality verrrry much has like. a very steep rise and fall. I think season 1 is pretty consistently fun and alright-- the stakes are lower and silly but people can enjoy that kind of thing. and they also have a lot of fun with the POTENTIAL of the silliness to-- i.e. the baseball episode. also it helps that like. its a plot not based on any particular games, and its built WITH its human cast-- not around it. Like the humans are fun and enjoyable because theyre meant to be there. And i think that's why season 2 is just.... a mess.

Because while i enjoyed the sa2 arc (and i really think the new speech that chris gives hits a bit harder than the og. even if it should've been amy giving it), they rush the SHIT out of the sa1 arc (and kinda sa2), and they try to push their human characters into narratives that WEREN'T built for them. and while for some this works (mr.stewart, cause hes an agent and investigates g.u.n.), for most, it really, really doesn't.

they try to fit chris into unchanged sonic adventure plots and it just DOESNT work. because you want to include your main human character in the main plot, but you don't want to take away any characterization or fan favorite moments from the actual sonic characters. so the solution ends up being chris tagging alone for no discernable purpose, and often times being what causes things to go wrong. It definitely goes worse in the sa1 arc than 2, but the issue still stands and then there's after the adventure arcs. the sonic battle arc was GOOD but outside of that? the writing kind of.... it feels like im watching a fish dying out of water. they had to fit in sa1, sa2, and battle, but because there isn't a season-long overarching plot, when thats over, theyre at a loss on how to fill the space, and match the new tone and stakes they set with those other arcs.

and then there's the whole ending plot of season 2 that relies on chris completely redoing a revelation that he already HAD, and actually goes backwards as a character. and i think this is where chris gets the worst. because he is now just actively getting in the protagonists way of actually MOVING ON to an INTERESTING plotline and youre just watching like please man can you let sonic go.

ANYWAYS i think ive seen people make fun of or dislike season 3 for its edginess but to me it is. by far the best. They set the stakes well, get serious, and get you engaged right off the bat. chris is there still but he actually takes a backseat to whats going on. they add a new character but they give her ATTENTION and its GOOD attention and great writing and she is very deeply woven into the story. And they just keep it up throughout the whole season-- like yeah ofc some episodes are gonna be a bit of a bore but for the whole season, i was engaged.

like theres real stakes going on, villains who i find believably dangerous and a threat to sonic, with interesting goals and motives. None of the plot feels like its forcing itself to exist, like it does in season 2. It's clear the writers got the clear to write their own original plot again for the whole season and they had so much fun with it.

and the characterization... oughghggh it was good (well, with the exception of rouge. they made her so MEAN that season and shes the only one with scenes that i actually violently disagree with. Her character goes up towards the end but it never shouldve gone down that far to begin with). while unfortunately sonics character is still kinda stagnant throughout the whole anime, even HE gets a few shining character moments (moments of self-sacrifice, mostly.) and SHADOW. god it makes me miss old shadow writing so bad. he's not perfect either but he's GOOD. he's still the shadow i know and love and i miss him. okay thats enough sonic x thoughts this is so long

[silverisbestboy]

Sonic Boom x Reader

Requested by @blackace1993: Conversation was accidentally deleted but from what I remeber of it, they wanted hc for the Sonic Boom characters who has a partner who frequently gets into trouble and/or captured by Eggman. They didn't specify which character they wanted so I just did all of them minus Tails. Hope you enjoy!

Sonic:

There's no denying it

Sonic was smitten

The moment you set foot on the island Sonic was taken aback by you

To him, you were drop dead gorgeous with a great personality so I guess you could say it was love at first sight for him

This boy is a fool for you

It's actually quite funny watching him zip across the island at the slightest remark that you need something

"Man, you what? I'm feeling kind of hungry"

"Say no more!" He'll say as he zooms away and reappears seconds later with a chili dog in hand

"Uhhhh"

But, unfortunately for you, being in any sort of relationship with Sonic is not wothout complication

Eggman sees you as a new oppurtunity to best Sonic and ends up taking you hostage on a regular basis

The first time it happens, Sonic all but destroys Eggman's fortress looking for you

But after it continuously happening, it starts getting kinda old

"Greeting Sonic! I see you've come to rescue your little girlfriend"

"Yeah, yeah. Can we just we just get to the part where I clobber you?"

It gets to the point where Sonic starts teaching you how to defend yourself so you can hold your own against Eggman

Not that he doesn't mind rescuing, it's just he can't always be there to protect

With the amount of times they've had to save you, the team are already very familiar with you and consider you apart of their friend group

But as you get better is self-defence, Sonic officially announces you as part of the team and you start joining them on missions

While Sonic does tend to stick to your side more than his other teammates during battle, he's glad to have you fighting alongside them

After all, he's happy to spend as much time with you as possible, even if that means having to bash Eggman's robots to do so

Knuckles:

You're not a bad person

So what if you have anger issues

So what if you get into fights from time to time

So what if you've been in trouble with the cops before

Doesn't mean you're a bad person, it just means you've.... got some issues

One day you're not in the best mood and have already had a pretty shitty day, and you're just a ticking time bomb waiting to explode

So it's no wonder that when a big guy bumps into you and causes you to drop the tray of food you're holding, you go off on him

Unfortunately for you, this guy is huge, a tall red echidna with bulking arms that looks like he could punch you into next week

But you're not one to back down from a fight, you've beaten up guys twice your size before and you're not afraid to do it again

"Woah, hey, sorry about that, didn't see you there."

What, is he dense?! Who does this guy think he is barrelling into anyone he pleases just because he's big? You bet he was just gonna walk off without even helping you. Well, you'd show him!

Without warning, you lunged at the echidna with the intent of knocking him over the same way he almost did to you

But you underestimated his initial strength and reflexes and he caught you midair with your legs kicking and your hands clawing for his face

"Woah, dude chill! I said I was sorry!"

He just kinda holds you up in air at arms length with you kicking and screaming until you eventually tire yourself out

The echidna stares at you cautiously

"Are you good now?"

After a moment, you reluctantly nod, and he gently sets you back on your feet

He then carefully leans down without takong his eyes off you and grabs your burger which is still wrapped in foil and reaches it out to you

"How about we start over? I'm Knuckles."

You thought after that encounter, that was the last you'd see of him

But one day, you've gotten yourself into another fight, and to say you're losing would be an understatement

It's once again, a guy twice your size and he's absolutely beating the crap out of you

But by some miracle, Knuckles happens to be walking by and immediately notices you

He steps in to save you, and the guy you're fighting knows about Knuckles being part of Sonic's team and doesn't even bother attempting to fight him

Knuckles takes your half conscious body to Tails's work shop where they fix you up

After that, Knuckles refuses to leave you alone

Even if you try to leave, he always ends finding you to make sure you don't get into more trouble

He helps you find outlets for your anger by sparring and working out with him

You grow a soft spot for Knuckles that you'd never thought you'd have for anyone

He's your big goofball that somehow always manages to calm you down and get you out of whatever trouble your in

Though it's beyond you why anyone would want to put up with you, eespecially a lovable ray of sunshine like Knuckles, you're so grateful that you have someone like himin your life to keep you in check

A/N: Might make more hcs for that because I absolutely love the idea of big, strong goofball Knuckles having a little ball of pure rage as a partner.

Amy Rose:

Some would say you're a pacifist

Some would say you care too much

Some would say you're too nice

But you like to think that you're just trying to do good in the world

You're definitely the type of person that hates conflict and wants everyone to get along, and you're more often than not a bit of a pushover

You like to give people benefit of the doubt and prefer to see the good in people, although sometimes, this affects you negatively

A kindly looking (or at least in your opinion) wolf with a showman's top hat and a certain glint his eyes one day stops you in your tracks and asks you ever so politely if you would kindly lend him some money to help feed his family

Of course, you're quick to help, but little do you know that this is none other than T.W. Barker himself, and he's been watching you carefully for some time

He notices the way you jump at the oppurtunity to help someone in need, and he being a con man at heart, decides to take advantage of that

But before you can lend the man all the money you have in your pocket, a certain pink hedgehog decides to interfere

"Hey, you leave her alone Barker! Go find your own ATM machine!"

Amy Rose herself stands not far behind you, hammer in hand and ready for trouble

"N-now, now, let's not be too hasty. I was simply accepting a generous donation from this unsuspecting-- I mean self-less young lady."

"Yeah right. Beat it before I hammer you into next Tuesday, punk!"

You're in utter shock as the seeming wolf in sheep's clothing (pun intended) makes his escape

"Gotta look out for scumbags. Seems this village is getting more and more of them everyday. Anyways, I'm Amy, what's your name?"

Since then, Amy keeps a close eye on you to make sure you don't become prey to anymore scam artists

Now Amy will never admit she has anger issues, but she does get... irritated from time to time

On more than one occasion, you're there to help her calm down and have a sleepover planned or a spa day for when things get particularly rough for her

Whenever she needs help choosing which paint to redo her wall with, or which dress she should wear to a party, she calls you up, because no matter what you're interests are or how inconvenient the timing might seem, you're ready to help a friend, even with mundane things

Amy has you become a part of the Sonic family, and while you never do join them in battles, you help keep the peace between the team whenever there's an argument

And Amy always makes sure your overly caring attitude isn't being taken advantage of

No matter the time or the place, Amy knows she can always count on you, and you know she's always got your back

Sticks:

Well this is quite the predicament you've gotten yourself into

A lot of people would descibe you as clumsy, but you knew you just bad luck

And to prove just that, here you were dangling upside from a rope trap after deciding to take a liesure stroll through the forest

What are we, nomads? Who sets out traps in the middle of the woods anymore?!

After about 20 minutes, the blood is rushing to your head and you're starting to feel faint

But just as you think that your bad luck will finally be the end of you, figure bursts from the bushes with a fierce battle cry

It's a badger girl with a boomerang clutched in her paw, ready for a fight

But after a moment she realizes just who's gotten caught up in her trap

"Hey, what's the big idea?! Why're you in my snare?"

"Why am I in your snare? Why did you put out a snare you loon?!"

After about 5 minutes of arguing, Sticks reluctantly cuts you down, begrudgingly explaining that she set out a trap for any woodland monsters

You run into her again on another walk, crossing a small stream before tripping on one of the stepping stones and almost falling in before a furry arm wraps around your waist

"You outta be more careful out here. The wilderness is no place to be a klutz."

"Hey, I'm not a klutz. I just have bad luck is all."

And what more to gain the attention of a superstitious badger than the possibility of supernatural forces at play

"You could've been hexed by a witch. Or worse, there could be a vengeful spirit after you! We gotta get you an exorcist!"

"I'm fine, I'm just unlucky. Always have been always will be."

"We should still burn some sage in your home just to be sure."

You let Sticks do what she wants with you, after all, her superstitious perspective is a nice change from everyone just thinking your clumsy

You think her attempts to "cleanse" you are endearing, she tries something new everyday, and you end up learning a thing or two about survival and the corruptedness of politics from her

Weeks later, her attempts slowly dwindle down, and she just comes to accept she's just gonna have to keep an extra close eye on you, especially when she sets out booby traps

The time y'all have spent together, although it was somewhat motivated by Sticks not wanting to get whatever curse you exposed her to, lead to y'all having a close bond

Everyone has their quirks, she's paranoid and you're clumsy, but you two always manage to work things out

And that's the beauty of a relationship

A/N: Sorry I haven't been that active lately, so take this as an apology. Four hcs for the price of one!

[indianamoonshine]

chapter ii | sundaes and princes

summary: every summer you work on your father’s strawberry farm with your three sisters. it’s a way to take a break from the big city but summers in the midwest are hot and they linger. this year, your father’s old and mysterious friend shows up to stay on your land for a reason yet to be determined. din djarin seems dangerous, but kind enough, and the two of you quickly become…well, let’s fact it…smitten. rating: m (18+) for future and explicit sexual content. author's note: reader is well over eighteen for obvious reasons. i won’t ever go into physical detail about the reader’s appearance because we include everyone. this fic is pretty much a mix between pride & prejudice and call me by your name except without the und*rage crap we do not condone. warnings: drinking, a bit of blood mentioned because of a slight accident.

dinner was loud, as expected, which made it difficult for you to hear the guest sitting beside you.

you'd been zoning out ever since din's eyes met yours from across the table. he'd been kind enough to listen to a woman named dima who was known to be a bit of chatterbox. she meant well, but most of the time she spoke it was about her family or her dog which had a tendency to put anyone sucked into her trap into "rest mode". nevertheless, din listened carefully and nodded when nods were appropriate and smiled when smiles were pertinent. the man was pleasantly charming, grin faint but with affable disposition. it wasn't any wonder when those around him continued to ask questions about himself, to which he answered with vague reserve.

while dinner was entertaining enough, it lagged on more than you'd anticipated. the roast was tender and well seasoned, simmering with heat, and the company praised your culinary skills with hearty acclamation. afterwards, the guests separated into their respectable groups, jubilant conversations echoing about the yard. your sisters were busy amongst their own crowds with faces familiar since childhood, letting out a chorus of laughter whenever someone said something amusing. they were your confidants as well, but you were so distracted by the mess left behind that you couldn't help but start tidying it up.

it wasn't long until madeline set her hand atop your own while you reach for a dirtied plate. she gave you that look she bore when she felt you were doing too much, eyes heavy with exasperation at the idea you'd even considered cleaning at a time like this. you pause and smile feebly at her, a little guilty.

"we can do that later." she takes the plate from your grasp, setting it back down a little more forcibly than you'd like. "enjoy the party. grab a sundae at the bar - it was your idea to set it up."

you glance at the setup near the house. an ice cream station with dozens of toppings and syrups beckoned you temptingly.

you sigh and pat her hand. "alright," you murmur in defeat. "do you want one?"

"sure, i'll take one." she links her arm within yours and places a kiss on your cheek.

the two of you go a little crazy with the ice cream. you've piled it high with chocolate and vanilla scoops, decorating it with colorful sprinkles, and dousing it in raspberry syrup. madeline decides on plain vanilla with chocolate curls.

"you know..." she begins, voice a bit too playful in its caution. "i saw him looking at you."

you freeze, like the ice cream, but shake your head. so you hadn't imagined it. "i don't know what you're talking about."

"is it such a strange idea that a man might be interested in you?" she proposes, placing a long-handled spoon in both of your glasses.

"yes," you reply with a small, bolshie laugh.

she says your name in pest. "you're beautiful and sweet. charlie once called you enchanting.

charlie was a childhood friend - like most of them. he was also bestowed the nickname "charming charlie" and it wasn't just because he was blond, handsome, and had the reputation of a casanova. charlie complimented everybody - especially women.

you remind her of this with a scoff as the two of you sit on a log beside the river. the water laps gently against the banks, rippling slightly from the hop of a bullfrog in the distance.

"charlie may be charming but he doesn't lie." madeline takes a spoonful of her ice cream and then rolls her eyes in ecstasy at the sweetness. "this was the best decision i've made tonight."

"don't think i haven't noticed tommy giving you bedroom eyes throughout the entirety of dinner," you clap back. you also moan in rapture at the taste.

madeline blushes in the moonlight. "don't change the subject."

tommy was your favorite of madeline's many endeavors (she had a bit of reputation in town). the tall, brunette was a hockey player with freckles splattered along the bridge of his nose. you'd been interested in him first, but as soon as you saw how quickly the two of them hit it off, your attraction to him fizzled. he was a hockey player which was admittingly one of the reasons why you found him so appealing. madeline felt the same way. the two of them have been inseparable ever since his first college game.

a millisecond before a quip can escape your lips, rhea comes bounding down the beaten path, long legs skipping with ease and hair swaying behind her.

"come join us, you hermits!" she titters blissfully, obviously tipsy on wine. that's what you deduce anyway; she preferred red rather than hard liquor. you couldn't relate. "come drink with me!"

both you and madeline exchange a look but it's in good-humor.

"i see you've already started!" madeline yells across the distance.

rhea blows a playful raspberry. "it's no fun being drunk without you guys." she gesticulates with a wag of her finger. "come ooooon! they're playing elton!"

this peaks your interest. she knew the king of rock n' pop would convince you to dance badly which is exactly what the alcohol was for.

madeline pursues her lips and cocks an eyebrow at you. "i think that's a great idea," she says suspiciously.

you didn't trust her tone, but when you heard the beginning rift of saturday night's alright (for fighting) blast loudly from the distant speakers you were possessed.

"alright," you laugh as rhea grips your hand and drags you backwards.

the three of you giggle in the night. |||

you didn't drink very often, but you did it enough to know not to wear a sundress while doing so.

in your defense, you hadn't known you'd be drinking tonight - or this heavily, anyway. you wanted to be sober enough to be aware of any stupid ideas that may creep in your head in the event you oogled over din long enough. drunk you was not sober you.

drunk you was a flirt. but not just any kind of flirt - a tease. and no matter how much you may or may not have caught din djarin's attention, he didn't deserve to have debauched eyes - clouded with drink - making him feel any sense of discomfort.

but dammit, he'd been drinking too.

how much, you couldn't be sure, but he had nursed at least two glasses of whiskey at the bonfire. he sipped slowly, relishing in it, and wise enough to know it was dangerous to scarf it down. you tried to convince yourself that it was okay to be this irresponsible while throwing back your third shot of vodka. after all, you were in your twenties and could hold your alcohol better than your sisters. life was too short, youth was too fleeting...all of that bullshit your elders had lied about.

sir elton john certainly didn't help nor did freddie mercury. by the time don't stop me now began to play, you were spinning in circles with charlotte, head thrown back in whimsical laughter, and stumbling upon the ground. the two of you laid back - despite the dirt - and held your bellies in order to settle the maniacal chuckling.

your sundress might've been too short for such ruckus but you couldn't find yourself caring. no one was looking anyway, right? a breeze lifted the hem and you shrieked playfully. charlotte is startled by the sudden gasp. she lets out a throaty chortle.

"you're such a sloppy drunk," she accuses, but slurring all the same.

"am not," you protest in a faux whine, but giggles edge the corner of your voice.

the two of you continue to volley insults back and forth, all in good fun of course, before charlie and tommy hover above you with quizzled, but humored brows. they were handsome, but unfortunately not enough to distract you from the way din kept throwing swift glimpses at your pathetic display. his intense features loosened when he found you joking, albeit drunkenly, with friends.

madeline joins the group and leans her head on tommy's chest, apparently brave enough to admit something to herself. "let's play hide and seek," she suggests, words a little rushed and lazy.

tommy and charlie were both as intoxicated, but tries harder than you girls to pretend otherwise. they shrug at one another, interested in the idea, though tommy may have been catering to madeline's pleads.

"alright, bet." tommy presses a kiss to madeline's forehead. "i'll be seeker."

"rules?" you ask, attempting to get up from the ground and failing miserably. charlotte takes your hand, clumsily pulling you to your feet. you knock yourself against her. the two of you almost topple to the ground again but she steadies herself with you in her arms.

"the pond is as far as you can go," charlie interjects. he motions to the willow tree in the center of the back yard. "that's the counting place."

the five of you agree enthusiastically, separating from one another like a football team does before their play.

it might have been strange (even reckless) to someone in the east - or west - to take part in such a game in the dead of night. after all, the moon was your only source of light in the woods, its beams illuminating the thicket and branches with a faint glow. but in the midwest, such games were a right of passage. forests were to be memorized, danger to be reckoned with. hide and seek in these conditions were elementary.

by the time tommy starts counting in a sonic boom, you've already begun sprinting in the woods. you were somewhat aimless in your pursuit, eyes frantically searching for a hiding spot worthy enough to be considered. you were the master at hide and seek - always have been. it once took charlotte an hour to find you and, when she did, she caught you wedged between a rack of clothes in the basement closet. you had a reputation to uphold.

but, alas, vodka was stronger than your sense of pride. while running through the entanglement of abundant undergrowth, you lost your footing and tripped over - what you can only guess - a shrub riddled with thorns.

"jesus christ!" you scream, immediately grabbing hold of your foot to inspect the damage. it was enough to sober you up to squint through the darkness. why the fuck hadn't you worn shoes?

you can't see the thorn - the night is too thick with darkness. you curse again just as loud as the first time in attempt to gain someone's attention. you weren't terribly far from the house, so you prayed to the gods that your cries of help would be heard.

because, much to your chagrin, you couldn't walk.

you did try but it proved fruitless because of the thorn. you realized how stupid that was because it pushed in further. god damn this drunkenness you whined internally.

a rustling of leaves startles you. you decide this was the end - you'd die in the middle of the forest you once trusted with your life. you've accepted the gory fact that your father would find your body mangled by the paws of a coyote in the morning.

"i don't wanna die a virgin," you moan tearfully.

a heavy voice full of worriment slices through the darkness. "let me see," he says.

oh no. oh no. oh no, no, no.

din djarin leans down upon his knees, taking your foot in a gentle fashion, before squinting at the damage. his fingers prod carefully against the arch, wiggling something foreign from the meat of your skin. you squeak pathetically at the intrusion, shifting away from his makeshift surgery. finally, he pulls out the thorn and holds it up to the light of the moon.

"a rose thorn," he confirms. you watch as a hint of blood glistens against the lunar rays. he smiles tenderly and then presses the pad of his thumb to the wound. "you'll be alright."

you gulp, all drunkenness suddenly scrambling your thoughts like eggs. instead of thanking him like a normal human being you can only mumble, "i can't walk."

din allows a full bodied smile and your heart skips a beat. he is princely and it takes everything in your pie-eyed body to stop from saying it.

"grab a hold of my shoulders," he instructs, leaning down a bit more so you can reach. you do so, very hesitantly, because there's no way in hades he'll be able to carry you.

but din is full of surprises. he lifts you almost effortlessly as you're slung bridal style against his chest. you must be joking.

with your arms wrapped around his neck, you gaze softly into his eyes. it's hard to see them, but you're close enough to watch as his pupils dilate, mouths almost pressing against one another. gods, you want to kiss him. you really do, but the very little percentage of your brain sober enough to reason with you decides against it. you'd regret it in the morning.

"thank you," is what you meekly say.

his stare is a bit more serious now...but not in an icy way. no. he looked...just as charlie once said...enchanted. his lips part just slightly, considering his next move, but then falls short. he nods in chaste before turning towards the break of the woods.

this was bad.

||| this is just the beginning of the night, ya’ll. more fun to follow! :-) tag list: @dancingwiththeplanets​ | @t3a-bag​  |  @dodgerandevans​

[apples-r-rubbish]

John (11 x reader) Part 3

Word count:  3.1k Warnings: Violence (!!!), death mention AN: FINAL PART! Thank you so much for the support on the other parts of this. I have some stuff planned for the future (13 x reader ;) ) but if you enjoyed feel free to follow and request things! Thank you so much hope you enjoy! Anyway, geronimo!

PART 1 PART 2

A smile appeared quickly, then it vanished as soon as it arrived, he cursed low underneath his breath, running across the room to you, concern clear on his face. His hair had already slipped back to the way it was before no longer slicked back, you believed it was a timelord thing.

“(Y/N), what the hell did you do?” He scalded examining your wounds, finally sounding like himself

“Well, we needed a distraction, you weren’t opening the watch anytime soon, we needed to put as much distance as we could between them and-”

“So you decided to use yourself as bait? As a punching bag?” You paused for a second and breathed, he didn’t remember. 

“It’s fine,” you reasoned shortly, trying to diffuse the situation, “we need to go anyway, Rory and Amy are dealing with the remainder of that thing, they ran into the forest, I’ve managed to slow it down enough,” 

You went to run, adrenaline heavy in your veins, an involuntary scream ripped through you. 

“What are you like honestly? Can’t leave you humans alone for 5 minutes, nevermind 6 months,” He said pulling your arm around him so he could support your weight. 

“Doctor it’s been 2 years, didn’t you realise?”

“2 years? I thought your hair looked different or you looked older. Or maybe it could be the air,”

“Aw thanks, I missed you too, and your lovely comments about my appearance,” You said sarcastically.

“How did you get stabbed? Please tell me I didn’t-”

“No one of those things attacked me, because it wanted the chameleon thing. He also tried to strangle me,” You said, dizziness embracing you

“Woah, ok, ok, I’m going to have to carry you because you are not going to make it to them, like that,” He picked up gently, with a surprising level of ease “There we go? Comfortable?”

You mumbled a brief yes, redness clear in your face. “C’mon (L/N), we have to go save the Ponds,”

Amy and Rory were covered in the thick blue liquid and out of breath, by the time you had found them. They’d managed to fight off the older three men and had abandoned what was left of Edward Grey searching for the fake pocket watch.

“John, you’re-” Amy started, attempting to rub some of the sapphire fluid off her face and failing, as it was coated over the majority of her clothes

“Not John anymore,” You cut in, your voice weaker once again, fake confidence vanished

“And what have you been up?” Rory questioned, noticing the blood that had seeped into the doctor’s former pristine white shirt

“Got stabbed, no big deal, don’t even worry about me,” you laughed a fragile chuckle escaping your lips

“Rory, I need you to take her from me, I’ve got to find that child and the thing that caused it and get rid of it,” He stated, darkly. You felt your weight shift between the two men. Then the doctor kissed the man on the forehead followed by a small smile and then he whispered something to him that neither you couldn't hear. He hugged Amy tightly, “I’ve missed you raggedy man, it’s been a painfully dull two years.” She held him tightly for a moment, he kissed her briefly on the forehead

“Try not to get stabbed again, whilst I’m gone.” he said, his lips ghosted your forehead, “right gang, back soon, don’t follow,” He nodded before dashing into the forest.

About 3 minutes later all of you were trailing behind him, still in Rory’s arms, the bleeding becoming less frequent from your fresh cuts. You found the doctor rambling to the boy, his sonic screwdriver being thrown between his hands with increasing anxiety

“I knew you were a Valgun, something about you never seemed right, even as a human though I could never find the right words. I understand my species is a rare one, but to trap me for no reason other than as a experiment simply so you can learn some deep secret of my people is not the way to go,” He paused for breath “To trap me and my friends here for years is unacceptable, to strand them here is soulless, and to nearly mortally injure one of them is something you should’ve never done. I thought the Valgun were supposed to be clever, evidently not as you’ve realised hurting people close to me will not make me give in. You will only succeed in making me incredibly angry.”

“But we got your attention. The oncoming storm, the destroyer of worlds, the warrior,” The boy began, the low voice booming, the child’s mouth hung open like a startled fish.

“Do you want to know how I got those names? It wasn’t by being peaceful, it was from those days where I have seen destroyed planets, watched suns burn, and saved no one. Those days are long, long behind me, are you afraid? If you aren’t, I’d advise you to be. In fact, the only thing that has stopped me from ending you is that fact you inhabit that child.” 

It laughed. You felt your body shift involuntarily, pushing yourself from Rory’s grasp and standing. 

“What the hell is going on? What did you do to her?” The doctor shouted, noticing you all. The voice spoke again  “We guessed you would not follow us easily, we injected her when one of the bodies tried to kill her. Slow acting poison and Valgun DNA. If you come with us she’ll live. If you don’t the following situation will be quite, painful for her,”

“Rory, Amy, run, back to the TARDIS, I can fix this,” He said, fixing his crooked bowtie, as the married couple sprinted away, not wanting to further anger the doctor. He rushed to you, practically falling over himself

“Valgun DNA means we can control her, her final few minutes, however we want. However you want,” 

“Run you stupid old man,” was all you a managed to wheeze out before the boy snapped his pale fingers. Your face contorted instantly, a choking expression clear on your face, falling to the autumn floor, shaking violently. 

“Stop it, leave her alone,” he said kneeling next to you

“Or time lord we can make her fall in love with you. We understand John was rather fond of her” Another snap, your arms were around him, you pressed an involuntary kiss to his lips. He grabbed your arms as gently as he could and removed them from around him

“Stop that. Stop that right now. You want me, fine but do not hurt her. She’s gone through enough. She’s already injured and possibly dying. Let her go!” He snarled anger increasing with every syllable. Another snap, your body jolted back as you lay on the floor panting, desperate to inhale oxygen pressing a desperate hand to your wound. 

“So you have chosen to come with us?” The voice rumbled

“Oh I never said that,” He said, his head cocked to one side in a smug manner “Three things, you must know in this situation.  One, I don’t compromise especially in situations like this. Two, (Y/N) I swear this won’t hurt a bit,” He said pulling out his sonic screwdriver again “Three, there's one thing you never put in a trap if you're smart. If you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there's one thing you never, ever put in a trap. Me. Geronimo!” 

The screwdriver buzzed. Pain erupted in every nerve, screams tore through you

“No. Stop it! Stop it now! You will die! You will come with us! You will- You will-” The voice repeated, a desperate attempt to save itself. Edward stood there convulsing in agony, he stiffened suddenly against the shaking, his mouth closing and eyes rolling forward. A sharp breath came from his system, before, it steadily disintegrated and became one with the earth. The Doctor paused for a second examining the situation, before rushing back over you, his knees covered in mud not caring about the state of his formerly pristine suit.

“So, that was definitely a lie, about it not hurting then,” You mumbled weakly, a small cough escaping you. 

“Are you alright? Are you ok?” He soothed smoothing your back down

“I mean other than the stab wound, almost being strangled and whatever happened there, I’m fine,” a small laugh breaking the tension. The blood hadn’t stopped flowing from your wound.

“Right, we need to get you back to the TARDIS as fast as we can. Patch up that wound and get that DNA out your system.” He helped you on your your feet, the world slipped slightly and he caught you before you fell flat against your face “c’mon, fight it, stay awake for me, please,”

He clutched you in his arms, as he ran as fast as he possibly could, checking up on you every so often, assuring you were still conscious. 

“What did you say to Rory earlier?” you murmured, vision blurring as you spoke, a final attempt to make yourself look strong

“I told him to run when I said to, I knew you were going to follow me.” 

“Doctor, I-”

At that point, he had noticed you had lost your grip on reality, it had slipped away from you, “No, no, no, no, no, stay with me. I need you to stay. I’ve only just got you back. You need to live, you have to live. When you wake up, we’ll go anywhere you like, anywhere, as much running as you want. As long as you want to, anywhere, just stay, please stay. I can’t lose another. I can’t lose you,” he cried tears falling dramatically, as he speed picked up. He practically kicked the TARDIS doors in, Amy and Rory cursing when they saw you.

You woke up in the TARDIS in one of the few medical bays dotted throughout the ship. Your body ached as you pushed yourself into a sitting position. The room was medium sized, there was a chair next to bed you were in which currently held the doctor, asleep, glasses on, book practically slipping out of his hands. Your stab wound was patched up and most of your bruises seemed to be gone. You carefully got up and slipped out of the room trying to keep your noises to a minimum so you wouldn’t wake up the sleeping timelord. It seems like human habits had taken a toll on him. The console room greeted you with a quiet hum, which you assumed was a good thing. Amy and Rory stopped their conversation when they heard you, you shuffled towards them after picking up your coat from the railing

“There she is, the woman of the hour. Enjoy your three week nap?” Amy asked, giving you a tight hug when you approached

“I was out for 3 weeks? God, I’m sorry I put you through that,” You apologised

“Nah, it’s fine, we didn’t really deal with it. I mean we were concerned, but the Doctor took it particularly badly. He insisted that he stay with you as much as possible. He read to you, insisting something to do with timelord healing or culture or something. He insisted it was his fault too,” Rory said “claiming, that if he hadn’t been that reckless in the first place you wouldn’t have copied him, something like that,” 

“Nah,” You mumbled, stuffing your hands into your pockets and frowning instinctively, “where’s the fun in safety? He shouldn’t blame himself, I took on too much. I mean, I literally got stabbed, that’s quite clearly my fault,” 

You pulled an almost empty pack of cigarettes out of your jacket pocket. 

“(Y/N), please don’t fill your body with those chemicals, you’ve literally just got out of a coma,” Rory frowned

“Let me finish this pack and I’ll quit, cold turkey, I’ve had a rough few weeks and a few close calls I think I’m allowed a cig or two, considering I’ve spent at least 2 years on them,” you shot back with a small smile, in response he simply rolled his eyes. Swinging the TARDIS door open, you observed the view of a star system, a beautiful portrait of a mess of colour and light, you sat down with your legs hanging out the doors. Footsteps could be heard behind you followed by, “You could’ve have woken me up, you know”

“Absolutely not, you looked too peaceful, pretty boy. Also I wanted some fresh air and a view,” You chuckled, not turning your head to face him. “Rory, Amy, can you give us a moment please, I would like to talk to (Y/N) in private just make sure she’s alright,” the doctor said, his voice calmer than previously. The couple nodded and wandered off further into the ship saying they’d speak to you both in the morning. The doctor waited until they were out of ear shot, he flicked a few switches on the console, wandered over and sat next to you in a similar position. “I’m sorry about the forest. I’m sorry you had to get stabbed. I’m sorry they tried to control you. I’m sorry about abandoning you for two years. It wasn’t fair on you, you got reckless at the immediate sign of danger,”

“You can’t put that on yourself. I took the risks, that was my responsibility, and my decision to make. I barely remember the forest thing, I just know at one point I put my arms around you and nothing else. It is not your fault and it never will be.” There was silence after you spoke, as you took another drag from the cigarette. 

“You know those things are awful for you. I doubt your friend would approve.” You froze as he spoke like a deer caught in headlights

“I didn’t think you’d remember and in my defence, it was to get John to back off. And before you opened the watch it was to calm him. It’s better to have half dead men have hope,” You winced at that refusing to look him in the eyes. He paused for a moment, contemplating his choice of words, you took the opportunity to rest your head on his shoulder. It wasn’t the garden, instead it was the universe.

“Humans live incredibly short lives, and 2 years is a long time for most of them. I can drop you off back there if you met someone, or they can come along if you’d like. That Tom seemed nice, seemed friendly, he’d be nice to have around,” 

“He’s dead. He died. He was one of those people that were transformed. I tried meeting people, I tried dating. It didn’t work, they’d get too close and they’d ask questions that I didn’t have answers to, wanted to meet family, that didn’t exist. I had to look out for John, too. Once he even walked in one of the dates, completely ruined it, glared at the bloke the whole time. And at one point I stopped, dragging anyone into life is a potential death sentence. I only stayed with the Ponds and John.” You replied with a slight edge to your voice as you jabbed the remainder of the cigarette out.

“I’m sorry,” The apology escaped his lips before he could think about it

“Don’t be. Even then John didn’t exist. He was just a story, a shadow, a fantasy to keep you safe. He wasn’t real. All his thoughts, feelings, life, memories, they weren’t real. And I fell in love with him, that daft history who panicked at the worst times with his stupid laugh and an ability to dance,” You had started crying sobs ripping through your words, thinking about the man that had confessed his love for you and died seconds after. In an attempt to soothe you his arm wrapped around you in a comforting manner. 

“I’m sure, there’s another John Smith out there, or someone similar. I mean in theory, his feelings weren’t all fake. I can still feel bits of him, his thoughts, his feelings and his emotions, it’ll fade overtime but they’re still there. The chameleon arch, takes a scan of your emotions and implants aspects into the disguise, so it’s not a complete shock to your system. John was in love with you because I was. I was too afraid to tell you, and then I lost you for 2 years in that mundane town where nothing ever happened so close, yet so far away,” He rambled, his voice barely a whisper towards the end tears filling his eyes “and then I woke back up, and you were bleeding, half dead because of me. And then we went into the forest, trying to show off to save you. They could’ve killed you, they nearly did. In your final moments they nearly manipulated your body because they knew about what John had felt. I nearly lost you, another ghost to carry with me and I couldn’t do that.” you held him tightly in your arms, a desperate attempt to hold the pieces of him together, at least for another moment. He continued after a brief pause “Even with the stars with me and the world on my shoulders, I still care about you. And of course I feel the same way, I’m not a complete mad man,” A small laugh escaped his lips. 

“Oh god, you really do remember everything. I’m sorry about the even thing, adrenaline was high and I wasn’t thinking straight and I was trying to calm you down-” You cut abruptly short by a small peck on you lips

“Not even anymore. Anyway, before I became John, being that close to the watch meant I said those words and I meant it. I’ve loved you since I met you, you’re all of those things. Just thought it would be easier coming from John.” He smirked. Adrenaline once again kicked in you kissed again. A smile breaking out from both of you. 

“Anyway, you get to pick the next adventure, anytime, any place, anywhere, for as long or as little as you like.”

“I’ll decide in a bit, I just want this for now,” You said, breathing in deeply, focusing on him and your head returning to his shoulder, your fingers intertwined with his.You stayed that way for a while, neither of you daring to move. It was him this time, and you had the knowledge things would be different. But you had now and all of the universe at your fingertips.

[liveandlearn-kg]

Live and Learn

Prologue - Act 1/3

Read on Archive of Our Own!: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31463474/chapters/77826326

Next Act: https://liveandlearn-kg.tumblr.com/post/653986851746627584

Chapter Content Warnings: N/A

“All trust involves vulnerability and risk, and nothing would count as trust if there were no possibility of betrayal.” - Robert C. Solomon

Chapter Below Cut:

Do you ever just have something you’re really good at? Whether it be painting, a specific sport, maybe you’re the King of Games at your school and dominate at a specific card game. Well, I have one of those myself. I like to run, and I can run, faster than the speed of light you might say. They don’t call me “the blue blur” for no reason. Gotta go fast is what I always say.

I’m a track star, a talented one at that. Having beaten an Olympic record without breaking a sweat, going below times thought impossible long ago. And maybe it really is impossible for others, but me? A speedy blue hedgehog who's faster than the speed of sound? Nah. It’s just a thing I’ve been able to for literal years, ever since I was born.

Perhaps that’s why they named me Sonic, after a sonic boom. Sonic t. Hedgehog. It’s a nice name, I’ll admit that.

Have me run a mile, hundred meters, hundred-ten meter hurdles, parkour, anything, I’m game. It’s why they call me the Ultimate Trackstar. It’s not an official title or anything, just a sort of nickname they call me in the news. Along with “blue blur” and “fastest thing alive” of course.

There’s other ultimates mentioned across the news, like the Ultimate Gunman, the Ultimate Fisherman, hell there’s even an Ultimate Life Form! However, there’s a lot more than just us four, more than what I can count on both my hands.

Doesn’t matter though, so long as I have the wind blowing through my quills, and the freedom to run wherever I desire, it doesn’t matter. Nothing else matters, just me and the breeze.

Which is why suddenly everything else matters.

The most I can recall before landing in this problem of mine was simply running through fields and enjoying the light breeze and sunlight, before suddenly falling over and all going dark.

The next thing I recall is… where I am now. Everything was all black before I dared to open my eyes and absorb my surroundings.

Different shades of green striped the grass, and a checkered pattern painted the dirt of the walls next to me. This wasn’t the same grass field I was soaring through. And sure, it was an open field. But despite it being a field, it felt more confined for some reason, suffocating even.

Sure blue filled the sky and the grass beneath my feet felt genuine, but everything felt off, fake even. Like my surroundings weren’t what I thought they were, and I was being lied to. It wasn’t even the same vast, emerald field I was running through originally.

I pushed myself off the ground, despite my arms and legs both threatening to give out. I managed to at least sit up though, taking a better glance at the surrounding. Still nothing I’ve ever seen before, which included an orange and white clump of fur lying in the dirt right in front of me.

I stood myself up, finally having gained the strength in my body to do so. I stepped over towards the ball of fluff, before crouching down and shaking the fur ball gently. “Hey, you okay?” I asked, concerned for the guy’s well-being. They didn’t look very familiar at all, and it only briefly crossed my mind that this guy could have been behind my situation. Sure it might have been the safer choice to step away from this person, but I was never the kind of person to care about safety. In fact, it seemed more likely he was probably in the same boat as me. “Hellooo?” I called again, shaking him a bit rougher.

A groan sounded from the pile of fur, seeming to signify that they were awake. They looked to their side, and I was met with wincing, blue eyes. “Hello…?” he voiced, slowly pushing themselves off the ground and into a limping, sitting position.

“Glad to see you’re awake, Sleepyhead.” I remarked.

The person looked from side to side, trying to get an understanding of his surroundings, before looking back at me. “Do you.. do you know where we are?” he asked weakly, obviously just as disoriented as I was.

I shook my head, “Nah, last I remember was running through a field different from this one, before suddenly falling over and everything going black. I just woke up here myself. Don’t know a single thing about here.” I explained. My answer didn’t seem to be the one he was looking for though, causing him to sigh.

“Dang. I was hoping you knew something. The last thing I remember myself was working in my workshop. I also just suddenly fell over and blacking out, before I woke up here to you shaking me.” he explains, holding his head with a wince. “I don’t even recognize this place myself.”

I let out a disappointed sigh before I stood up, putting a hand on my hip, with my free one scratching my head, “Well if you don’t know anything, I guess we’re in a similar situation then. Do you think others might be here?” I ask as I took a quick glance at my surroundings.

The boy utters a ‘hm’ sound, before beginning to tap his chin. “Well, I don’t see why others wouldn't be here. I don’t really have enough info about our location to make an accurate guess, but there is a possibility,” he answers, removing said hand. “Although there’s just as much of a possibility we’re the only ones here. So, maybe.”

I shrug, “Well, I guess we’ll never know unless we find out for ourselves. Which means explorin’ this place.” I step to the side, “Aand there’s a lot of ground to cover too. Which I could get done in five seconds flat buuuuttt… I assume you’d want to come along too. Sooo, you comin'?" I ask, offering a hand to help him up.

The boy’s eyes widened in surprise, although I couldn’t quite pinpoint what he was surprised about. There was an awkward bit of silence between us, causing me to motion my hand a bit, expecting an answer. “O-oh, ah, yeah! I’ll come! I’ll come.” he stammered, probably flustered. He grabs my hand, allowing me to pull him up.

With him standing now, I could get a better look at the guy, and he seemed harmless enough. Nothing to be too suspicious about. He was an orange fox with round baby blue eyes, simply wearing a pair of gloves and red and white shoes. His ears were perked up, with three strands of hair propping up. But most interesting, was the existence of a second, fluffy tail. He noticed I was staring at him, causing him to become even more flustered and hide his tail by wrapping it around his other. I frowned at this action, why should he hide it? It was pretty cool! However, my displeased look caused him to be a bit more concerned, not really helping his situation.

In order to attempt what I assume was a change of conversation, he asked, “So, before we begin, what’s your name? I’d like to at least get to know your name if possible.” The fox twiddled his fingers, avoiding eye contact. This guy was too worried.

I gave him the biggest grin I could, placing my hand on my hip, using my free one to aim a finger gun at him, shooting him a wink. “I’m Sonic! Sonic the Hedgehog! They call me the Ultimate Trackstar, or alternatively, the fastest thing alive.” I then used the hand with the finger gun to wipe under my nose, pride was beaming from me.

Someone else seemed to be beaming too, as the fox was looking at me with stars in his eyes. “YOU’RE Sonic the hedgehog?!” he cried out in excitement. A single nod from me was all he needed to explode with excitement, “Oh my god it really is you! I can’t believe I didn’t recognize THE Blue Blur! You set so many olympic records, you can go faster than the speed of light! I know I’m an Ultimate too-” Ohhh he’s an Ultimate too? That’s fun! “-but I never thought I’d meet another one! Especially THE Sonic the Hedgehog!” He shook his head as he began to wave his hands. He seemed to forget hiding his extra tail too, as they both began to wag with joy.

I felt a toothy grin spread across my lips, “I see I’ve got a fan over here,” I remark. “You’re an Ultimate too, right?” I ask as I acknowledge his status as an Ultimate, “What’s your name kid?” I admittedly don’t really know the names of other Ultimates, due to not paying attention to the news that much. I know their talents I think, maybe! I at least know the sports Ultimates, just not their names, or what they look like.

The fox then composes himself, suddenly making his hands go still, leaving one to scratch his head. “O-Oh! Weelll… I am the Ultimate Mechanic!” he explains, before looking to the side and twiddling his fingers, “My name is a little embarrassing though, so I try to avoid mentioning it.”

I nod in acknowledgement, “Well what if I gave you a nickname then? To avoid saying that embarrassing name.”

He seemed to shoot up at that, “Sure! What did you have in mind though?”

I hum, as I inspected the fox’s appearance. The second tail still seemed to be unknowingly out here. As I made that observation though, it hit me. “I’ll call ya Tails!” I announce.

The fox then shrunk back, looking behind himself, his ears drooping when he saw two tails behind him. “So you saw,” he acknowledges, letting out a disappointing sigh.

I nod scratching my head, “Yeah I did. Why? What’s the matter?”

He pulled the second one in front of him, kneading the fluffy orange appendage, “It’s just... embarrassing. I guess. I don’t really want to talk about it…” he explains, trailing off as he looks to the side, avoiding eye contact.

I raise an eyebrow, before shaking my head. “Well I think it’s cool!” I remark, “But I can call you something else if you don’t like it.”

“No no! It’s fine! If you like them then Tails is fine! I’m sure I’ll grow into the nickname. It’s better than my actual name I think.” He explains, before uttering, “It’s the first time someone said my extra tail is cool anyways...”

“Yeah! It really is! I think you should proud of it.” I say, trying to encourage him.

He gives me a bashful smile, “O-okay. I’ll try… thank you Sonic,” he mutters.

I beam, motioning for him to join me, “Well then, Tails. What do you say about us going exploring for a bit now? We can tell more about each other while we’re exploring if you want.”

He gives a rapid nod in acknowledgement as he let go of his tail, “Yeah! Okay!” I notice he didn’t try to hide it this time, but seeming to keep it out for a bit. While he didn’t seem exactly too comfortable yet, judging by his lopsided, unsure grin that seemed to be a little forceful, it was a step in the right direction. He joined my side as we set foot across the grassy, wavy terrain, taking in whatever we could see.

[bunniibones]

Idk if you still wanna post eggline stuff here anymore, but I'd love to hear some of your boom!eggline au headcanons. That au is honestly making me soften up for this ship again 🥺

I’m still debating about it tbh! actually I’m just waiting for BG #4 to come out before taking the decision, it’ll be based on whatever happens in the issue. In fact, I want to post two drawings before that date kasjdhjka

But I’m completely open to share some Boom!Eggline headcanons <33

.°･ ☆ Starline is always there for him after the failures of each battle.

So whenever Eggman becomes all mopey because of it, Star encourages him to keep going and cheers him up with things that he knows that Eggman likes. If Eggman has injurieds, wounds, burns, etc. after a battle, Starline will add the encouraging words to the curing process, disinfecting the wounds and bandaging them carefully.

Mombot always insists that Starline HAS to finish it kissing it better, but Starline refused because he gets too flustered to do something like that, followed by a “Mooooom!!” from Eggman.

.°･ ☆ Starline, Cubot and Orbot take turns to give Eggman is sponge bath.

While the robots don’t like it that much, Starline is always super eager to do it, he considers it an incredible honor to be able to do something like that to his idol, so whenever it’s his turn, he does everything to make sure that Eggman feels as spoiled as possible, with candles around the bathtub, relaxing music, bubbles and aromatic salts, putting a lot of attention in his task so his boss will be pleased with his job!

.°･ ☆ Eggman doesn’t admit it, but he has grown attached to Starline.

Whenever Starline is not around, Eggman will always call for him, just for Orbot to remind him that he’s not around, making Eggman bummed about it.

If it was Starline that left on his own (Probably after a fight they had), he will say that he’s fine without him anyway, trying to keep going as usual, but soon he realizes that he’s actually lonely and that he misses him, so he becomes so mopey that he won’t even go to the battles or not have energy during them, making the heroes to look for a way to solve the issue so Eggman and Starline can be together again and Eggman won’t be so sad anymore. (And probably Starline is sad and angry around somewhere as well, he’s very attached to Eggman too, but he tends to be a bit too emotional)

In the end, they always get back together in the most cheesy and cliché way, at the best Boom Style.

.°･ ☆ Whenever something lowkey romantic/shippy happens between them, Eggman becomes a flustered mess.

He begins to stutter and act super clumsy, which depending on the context will make Starline laugh (If they are alone) or feel embarrassed (If they are in public).

Starline will get flustered at the shippy situation too, but he just tries to “play it cool” and clear his throat, avoiding eye contact and trying to keep his composure, while inside he’s just screaming like the fanboy he is.

Funnily enough, Sonic always crack a joke about them being too obvious or being a couple, which usually go over Eggman’s head, so he doesn’t catch them, but Starline does and it will make them very flustered.

.°･ ☆ They enjoy Eggman’s relaxing activities together.

At first, when Starline was new, Eggman wouldn’t share his activities with Starline, but after a while and becoming closer to his assistant, he began to invite him to his preferred activities aside from villainy, like baking muffins together, exercising together (Both get tired super quickly), taking sun by the poolside and watching movies/soap operas during the night.

The latter is one that both enjoy the most, gathering tons of snacks and using a blanket during the cold nights. It doesn’t matter what kind of movie it is or if the soap opera is super bad, they both enjoy a lot that moment they spend together.

If by chance Eggman falls asleep in the middle of it (which sometimes happen frequently) Starline will cover him with the blanket, make sure that no one is around and give him a good night kiss in the top of his head before heading to bed.

If Starline is the one falling asleep, (mostly on Eggman’s chest/arm/lap) Eggman will get very very nervous about it, as he’s not used to handle that kind of situation, so he’ll just keep Starline warm until whatever they’re watching ends and he wakes him up so they can go to sleep. 

.°･ ☆ Starline helps Eggman to calm down his anger fits.

This one is my personal favorite! Whenever Eggman is throwing a tantrum, Starline will help him to take deep breaths and count so he will calm down.

Sometimes it doesn’t work, which makes Starline sigh a bit frustrated and wait until Eggman calms down by himself. But when it works, Eggman gets all pouty with a scowl, which usually goes away with Starline’s encouraging words.

[thoughtsoftheantagonist]

A Song For You

A/N:I know its been a long while but im back. After losing my mother in march then my brother in December of last year it took alot out of me and i had to find a new way to live without them. Thank you all for sticking with me and i hope you enjoy. alot of other things to come as well. 

To catch up my A Song For You  Masterlist is right HERE

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Juan's Pov

There are many things he has learned in his life, most recently he has learned how to be a man, and how to love a woman like his wife. Strong and wild as a hurricane he remembers one of the best pieces of advice he had gotten the day of his wedding. As his best man Chibs had pulled him aside and gotten him to calm the fuck down, apparently he had been annoying the fuck out of the guys all day with his squirrely behavior and Chibs gave him a blunt and a beer. Once his nerves had released him he stood with his brother and was heading back to the set up area when Chibs stopped him. "Let me tell ya one thing to always remember when it comes to a woman like Joy." He nods and gives Chibs his full attention "Love her but keep her wild. She is a woman and we all want to protect our women but at the end of the day she is a force of nature that granted you the privilege of standing close enough to be in awe of her and live." 

When Chibs walked away he stared out across the reservation where he stood, Chibs was right, he wasn't worried about how any of this went. He was more worried about his wife coming to her senses and taking off in the other direction then he was standing but that was his old doubts about himself. But like Chibs said, Joy was a force of nature, and she chose him to pour her love, life and energy within. Why the fuck was he looking that gift horse in the mouth? He grins as he stares at his wife as she throws her leg over her Dyna in their driveway, she doesn't see him move to lean on his bike and looks back at him over the top of her ray bans. "You ok handsome?" He shakes off his nostalgia and walks over to stand at her side, his hands automatic coming up to braid one side of her mane of wild curls while she does the other. "I'm fine babe. Just a lot of thinking. Must be getting old."

He chuckles when his father in law slaps a hand down on his shoulder as he passes him, having spent the night in the guest room "Shut the fuck up you toddler." He puts the hair tie around the bottom of his wife's pig tail braid and kisses her temple as she snickers. Pinching her thigh in retaliation and jumping back as she swipes at him, climbing into his bike he shoots her a wide grin before putting his helmet and glasses on, peeling out of the driveway with her on his tail. Catch me if you can baby.

Joy POV

She heads up the stairs to the second floor with Bobby on her heel. Once again asking the age old club question…..what the fuck are you wearing kid. She speaks over her shoulder to the older man " I couldn't help it that my  good taste offends your eyes. But i refused to sacrifice that to the all black of the club colors." Apparently that had tickled bobby as they marched up the stairs to grab their hiding leader. Jax had called them all here and wasn't even down stairs. But she knew where he would be. She knocks on the door and peeks inside with a grin. " everyone is here brother." He nods and stands, she sees him pocket his small journal, walking by her he grabs the side of her head and places a kiss on the top of her head. " Hmmmmm apples. Not bad." She snorts and shoves him, then he gives her a loaded look as his blue eyes scan her face. "You ok? Sleep alright." She knew he meant the nightmares, she sighs with a nod "Yeah Juan had me smoke two blunts myself and I was knocked the fuck out." He chuckles and looks between her and Bobby "Let's get the day locked down. Gonna be a huge one. Bobby anything from Galeen?" She and Jax move to leave but Bobby's voice stops them " Meeting is at two. Something we gotta Handel first." She arches a brow "What's up?" He doesn't look at her, speaking only to Jax "Bringing Clay to the table." She feels her hand twitch at the look on Jax's face. "Excuse me?" Bobby continues "He is gonna admit what he did with the nomads. Too Joy and Tara, all of it and we vote." She is stunned, he went behind Jax's back. Knowing what it could mean he went to Clay anyway. She clenches her fists, hissing through her teeth "Bobby what are you doing?" He glances at her as he moves to go down the stairs "My job kid."

She and Jax share a loaded look, this wasn't fucking good. They practically trip over each other as they head down stairs. She doesn't get time to tell her father or Juan what is going on before they are seated, but the way her husband is gripping her thigh, and the way her dad is trying to get her to look at him and not Clay at the end of the table leads her to believe they have an idea something isn't right. She can't take her eyes off of him as he speaks "I was lying in a hospital bed, thinking about all the shit I lost. I wasn't ready to let it go. I reached out to Frankie Diamonds. He was the one that suggested the home invasions. We figured we could rattle some of the folks close to the club, make it look like the MC was gonna hurt Charming and that Jax couldn't protect his own. Frankie pulled in Gogo and Greg. I promised to split my percentages when I got the gavel back." She grind her teeth, her hand clenching hard into fists at her side she knew her nails were drawing blood as Bobby talked, his eyes on the table " And attacking Unser at your house took the focus from you?" Clay nods, she snarls, her now bloody palms slamming down onto the wood of the table, making everyone jump as she stands, her voice like a sonic boom off the black walls. "And what about me Clay? Diamonds shot me point blank in the fucking stomach. If that had been Rita, her and the life of her unborn baby would be on your fucking head that I would gladly rip off your fucking shoulders given the smallest chance! Juan get the fuck off me!" She struggles as her husband yanks her down onto his lap, his arms locking around hers to keep her from struggling to much as Clay speaks directly to her "I didn't know you were buddy buddy with Eli's old lady, when they picked up the East Dub crew, I thought that was a good way to put the attacks on to Pope. And now with Jax working with him, I figured I could use it to help sway the club my way. I never wanted anybody to get hurt." She knows the sound of her half manic cackle bouncing off the walls isn't helping the situation. But she just can't believe the horse shit coming out of his mouth, Juan grabs her bloody hands in one of his and slaps his hand over her mouth she freezes through as Tig speaks for the first time since Clay started speaking " But they did. You hurt a lot of people." Seeing the pain in Tigs eyes as he looks over at her she lets the fight drain from her body, feeling the change Juan lets go of her mouth and just holds her in his lap. His grip is tight but comforting as Clay replies.

"You know, I-I don't expect anyone to believe this, and I ain't saying it wasn't 'cause of my pride and my greed, 'cause it was, but the main reason I was trying to push out Jax was because I didn't think he was ready to lead. This cartel shit, the pressure with the Irish, I didn't think he could handle it. I was wrong. He's proving to be a better leader than I ever was. I'll be in the garage." She watches him walk out, her eyes narrowed as the door closes. Moving from her husband's lap she yanks a black bandanna from her bag by her feet. Wiping at the bloody crescent shaped marks on her hands she listens to Jax "We heard his story. Vote has to be unanimous. Does anyone else have anything they'd like to say? All in favor of Clay losing his patch?" The vote is a solid yes across the board. She looks up as Jax says his next words "As far as the mayhem goes let's hear pros and cons." She is shaking as her eyes scan the table, her eyes locking on Chibs as she speaks " He's a traitor. I ain't buying this humble, "for the good of the club" bullshit. He's done." She nods, tears welling up in her eyes and spilling over as she grabs her husband's hand on her thigh. "I want to see the life drain from his eyes Jax. I can't fucking sleep at night without doping myself up because of the shit he set in motion almost killed me. If I don't I wake up screaming for my dad and husband because I'm scared they are next. Hell my god damned husband wakes up in cold sweats and shakes me awake just to make sure I'm not dead. I want him dead so this butterfly affect he started can fucking die with him." She rests her head on Juan's shoulder, his lips pressed against her forehead as she tries to slow her breathing.

Jax stares at her for a moment and nods "All in favor of Clay Morrow meeting Mr. Mayhem." Six yea, she looks to Bobby and her whole body goes numb as he speaks "No." She stares at him for a moment as Jax's bangs the gavel, barely hearing Chibs as he goes to get Clay. She stands. Bobby turns to her, his mouth open to speak but her hand claps against his cheek, some blood she had missed on her hand now on his reddened cheek.. She shoves him out of the way. Not realizing Jax was right behind her along with her husband, she almost runs into Clay as him and Chibs come back. She feels more then sees Jax move past her and fly into Clay, watching the two men grapple she feels her blood pump, standing back she doesn't move to help Chibs as he tries to yank Jax off Clay, the dull thud of Jax fist against the side of clays face gives her a sick kind of satisfaction. But it's cut short, she curls her lip as Chibs and Tig successfully yank Jax away from Clay. She walks over to Clay as the others are preoccupied with Jax, standing over the man she sees blood dripping from his temple and arches a brow "Looks like it hurts." Before he can speak the heel of her boot comes down and the sound of his nose breaking makes her smirk before she is yanked up off her feet by her father. " Enough Mija." She nods, she got her lick in, and the way the bastard was clutching his face made her anger levels drop somewhat. She feels Jax's hand on her arm, she lets him yank her away from the others and back into the clubhouse, looking back she gives her husband a look as he tries to follow. Jax needed her, only her it seems. He releases her as he shoves the doors to church back open, he all but collapses into his chair, she watches him with narrowed eyes as she closes the double doors behind her gently. The sound of her docs on the floor almost painfully loud as she makes her way to her seat.

Sitting she stares at Jax as he twirls a gold lighter between his fingers. She doesn't speak, and neither does he for the longest, but as she feels the silence about to swallow her and him whole the door opens. But as the person enters she wishes they would have stayed out if she was honest. She feels her whole body tense as Jax's chest starts to rise and fall rapidly, his body tense as his voice sends an uncomfortable chill down her spine. "You made a deal with him behind my back." She almost jumps as Bobby tosses Clay's jacket onto the table, she watches him with a heated glare. He refuses to look her way, keeping his eyes on Jax "We couldn't prove shit. We both know that. And there's no way that you could let Clay sit at this table. Me either. The shit he's done. He needed to go away, and if I didn't make this deal, you would've killed him as soon as we were finished with Gaalan." She slams her hands down, making their gaze jump to her "Wrong Bobby. You seem to think you're the only one who is looking out for Jax. I would do it because I want to watch his insides bake on the concrete outside." Bobby sighs " But kid Do that once, next time just becomes a little easier, and before you know it, this thing that we have is pointless. I stopped jax from becoming the guy that you both wanted to kill. All your doing is being his god damned dog on a leash like Tig was for Clay." She almost leaps over the table to get at Bobby's throat, no one talked about Tig infront of her…..no one. But Jax's hand on her tattooed arm stops her. "You think this vote protects Clay?"  She moves her arm out from under Jax's hand. Bobby looks between her and Jax, and for the first time she really looks at him. He looks tired, worn down and her anger slowly drains from her body. "You want him dead. Seems like the only choice today. But I know you, Jax. The right thing settles in."  

She jerks as Jax's voice echos off the wall. Making her grind her teeth "And how is letting him walk the "right thing"?" Bobby holds Jax's gaze "I know you see it as betrayal." She feels her nose wrinkle and her eyes sting as he looks at her across the table "i know you both do. And I took that risk because I love you, both of you. And this club needs you two. We're broken." She clenches her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears, but Jax's next words rip a gut wrenching sob from her lips, " I've had a hard time feeling any love or brotherhood since Opie died." She slaps a hand over her mouth, her other hand resting on her stomach as she tries to keep it together. "You're just lost your way a bit, brother." She angrily swipes at her eyes, not caring if she looks a mess now, she sees Jax's eyes, bright and wet as he locks eyes with her and shakes his head "No, I found it, finally." She sniffs as he turns to Bobby "Opie was right. The gavel corrupts. You can't sit in this chair without being a savage." She feels like her world is crumbling as Bobby stares a Jax, tears in his eyes as he sighs "I know." She reaches across the table, her hand gripping Jax limp one as he sniffs. "You don't know shit." His grip slowly tightens on hers as he continues, the tears falling from his eyes make her heart break for him. "You counsel from fear. You want me moving in comfortable, cozy circles, and I can't do that." By the time he turns away from Bobby and releases her hand his grip was painfully tight on hers, turning the skin of her hand ashen gray from lack of blood flow. She turns her damp eyes to Bobby, staring at him hard for a moment she clears her throat, still flinching slightly at how raw her throat feels. "You should go."

She watches Bobby as he leaves, turning her eyes to Jax once the door clicks shut. His cheeks are wet and his eyes red. But he has no more tears now, she reaches into her bag, grabbing the pack of make up wipes she yanks one from the pack and scrubs at her face. Seeing Jax watching her with an odd look she glares and tosses it at his face, making him jerk a little and toss it off his chest where it fell. She couldn't help but chuckle, locking eyes with him again and she fell silent, her hand coming down to rest over his for a moment. "I'm with you brother." He nods, moving his hand out from under hers he pats it and turns to the door as it pushes open. Seeing her favorite Scott's men she gives him a weak grin, he nods to her and leans his hand on the chair in front of him. "Jackie boy. Sorry to bother you but August just called, and Pope wants a Meeting at Charming Heights." Jax turns to face Chibs. "When?" The Scott sighs "Now." He nods and turns to her "I need you to stay, chibs is going to come with me. I want you to get the guys ready for the deal later with Lin. He is closer to you than me so I want you at my side for this. Not Bobby." She nods, getting to her feet she leans down pressing a kiss to the top of his blonde head she pat Chibs on the arm as she passes. She needed to see her husband.

He wasn't far, she found him on the swing set. She leans against the gate as he stares off to the side, a blunt hanging from his lips, his hand grip the chains on either side of his head as he swings slightly, the sun gleaming off the multiple rings on his fingers, she glances at his eyes, seeing them already low lidded so she knew it wasn't his first one. He doesn't even notice when she takes the seat beside him, but when her fingers glide along his forearm to his hand he grips it tightly, letting them fall between them to swing. Turning to her he gives her a small grin. His dark brown eyes scan her from head to toe and she felt it like a warm caress. He brings her hand in his up to his lips, using his other hand he hands her the blunt while he kisses the back of her hand. " You've been crying." She nods, taking a deep pull she holds it, holding it back out to him he shakes his head, keeping her hand by his lips he presses kisses to her wrist and fingers. Making her smile. Her sweet husband, trying to heal her pain with good weed and kisses. What a man. She giggles and he smirks, his teeth biting down on her thumb playfully. Making her rip her hand back with false and over dramatic out rage, forgetting she was on a swing she shrieks as she falls back into the wood chip ground with a grunt, her calves resting where her ass used to be in the swing "Jesus Joy!" Her husband scrambles to get to her, kneeling on the ground next to her he lifts her head onto his lap. He calms when he realizes her body is shaking from laughter, he grins and picks wood chips from her hair as he tries to not wheeze as she starts to snort she was laughing so hard.

"I sometimes forget how much of a klutz you are until you do shit like this." Her giggles intensify as her free hand comes up to smack at his shoulder. The other one bringing the blunt she somehow managed to not drop to her lips with a smug grin. "Didn't drop the blunt though that's talent " his eyes locked with hers for a moment and he gave her a leering grin. "No what you do with your tongue that's talent." She stares at him gobsmacked before she is on him, forgetting about the blunt she drops it and starts smacking at her husband, cursing in rapid fire Spanish. And that's how her father found them when it was time to go. Never a dull moment for the Ortiz/Lowman bunch.

Henry Lin's Warehouse (Joys pov)

As her bike pulls to a hard stop in the Lin warehouse she grins, she remembered so many deals here. She also remembered unloading a good amount of the legal shit here as well. Everything she ever did before the club was to be ready for redwood. Every odd job, everybody she dropped had been to be here, standing full circle with Henry across from her this time. She accepts his hug and waves to the others behind me, receiving nods and grins in return. She steps to the side as Jax beings Romeo over "Henry Lin, Romeo Parada and his  associate, Luis Torres." She take her place against the far dock door, pulling a pack of cigs from her her back pocket she watches Henry work, letting out a whistle of appreciation at the hardware his men were uncovering not being able to stop herself for speaking along with Henry "Russian Kornet with articulating tripod. Thermal sight, 9M133 missiles." Everyone turns to her, she shrugged, her guys grin and turn back to the deal. She stares off to the side, her mind wandering, keeping her focus somewhat on what was going down, until she hears two words that made her want to throw shit. " Three months." She tilts her head back, tossing her cig out the open dock door. She didn't even have to look at Romeo to know that was not what he wanted to hear.

She sighs, her eyes watching Romeo's back from behind her shades as he speaks lowly to Torres for a moment before turning to Henry "Ten Kornets. Hundred missiles. Two dozen Brownings, two dozen KS-Vs with quick-release silencers." Henry nods, everyone turning to watch Torres as he speaks, a black duffle in his hand "Once you figured out the Hamas express, we'll want drops every two weeks. Mayans MC will handle the transport. 250 down payment. Just let us know the balance." Henry shakes bother their hands " Absolutely. Looking forward to doing business with you."  Romeo nods "You should. We're gonna make you rich."  She is about to get on her bike as Romeo and Torres head towards Jax, Bobby and herself but Jax's hand grabs the back of her cut, keeping her in place. Asshole. Romeo locks eyes with herself for a moment then Jax "Galindo's getting pushed on two fronts by Lobo Sonora. We just lost Tubutama; we can't wait three months for them Kornets. We're gonna need another shipment of RPGs from the Irish before we kill that tie." She sighs, her hands on her hips, she stares past the guys, plans forming in her mind, possible outcomes of how this could work. That Irish fuck head will not be happy to hear about Clay being out, and when he does he might not give them what they need. She is shaken from her thoughts when Romeo's voice shakes her "Is that a problem? " She is about to yell yes but Jax beats her "Shouldn't be. I'll ask Gaalan at the pickup." Romeo shakes his head, a hand coming down on Jax's shoulder, making her hand twitch for her glock "Don't ask him. Tell him."

As the two men walk out and away she drops her mask of indifference and curses, her head falling back as Jax combs his hands through his already slicked back hair, his eyes wide and moving around rabidly as he thinks almost as if he was seeing his own thought process before his eyes. Her husband comes to stand next to her, his hand going up the back of her shirt to rest on her lower back. His warmth was a slight comfort. Jax finally nods and turns to the rest of the group. "All of us need to head back to the shop. I want Chibs and Bobby to get this shit rolling. Joy, can you go check on Tara for me let her know what's going down." She nods, turning to her husband as the guys head for their bikes, wrapping her arms around her husband's narrow waist she sighs, her cheek resting on the warm leather of his vest. His chin rests on her head. "You ok baby girl?" She nods, leaning more into him as one of his hands brushes down the back of her head in soft swipes, over and over again. "I'm ok. Just thinking about it all. Once I get it all cleared in my head I'll give you a peek inside. Ok?" She feels his chin brush her head as he nods. His lips pressing to the top of her head before he releases her reluctantly. She gives him a half hearted wave and sighs as he and the other drive off, turning to Henry as she sees them heading out as well. She nods her head and moves towards her bike, time to check on Tara.

The Hospital

She is laid back in Taras office, her body draped across the beige couch as she scrolls through her phone waiting for Taras break. When the woman in question sees her she smiles. "Joy. I see your making yourself at home." She smirks at her phone screen. "I have the amazing power of not giving a fuck where I am. I'm always comfort." Tara chuckles and walks over, gently pushing the other woman's legs from the seat so she could sit next to her, joy shoves her phone into the inner pocket of her cut and grins at Tara "So Jax got the deal locked down with henry and the cartel." Tara nods but she see the slight pinch in joys face and sighs "I hear an invisible but in there." Leaning back into the couch she sighs, closing her eyes she blurts out everything, just ripping it off like a band-aid. "But the guns won't be here for a while so now Jax has to meet with the kings and get them to drop a load of guns out their tight freckled fists one more time. And with clay not here that means Galaan will bitch so this might not go well."

When she doesn't hear a groan or even a sigh she peeks one eye open seeing Tara looking at her blankly she opens them both. "Don't look at me like that. The past few days haven't been exactly conductive mentally for either of us so forgive me if i expected a violent reaction….ass." Tara snorts and looks off to the side. "Sorry to disappoint you with not having another mental break down. My body just doesn't have it in it right now." She snickers and nods, but stops when Tara gets a nervous look on her face. "I know that look. Talk. What's wrong." She is surprised when the normally stand offish woman grabs the hand closest to her and holds it tightly. Joy is more worried than ever, her other hand resting on top of the on gripping hers. "I have still been working on the papers for the other hospital. And through all this and talking to the club lawyer today something occurred to me. If something were to happen to me or….to jax."

The hitch in Taras voice makes her pat her hand, as much and no one ever wanted to think about their family or partner dying that sadly never helped. All it did was make you more lost when it happened. "If that happened i don't know who would have Able and Tommy and Joy that scares me. I have no other blood family and I won't let Gemma raise them i won't. And with blood Wendy could possibly take Able and I don't want that either Joy. " She nods. No Gemma might have the deepest love to give like any other mother but hers had long been tainted by something inherently Gemma….something wrong. And wendy would have to take Able from her cold dead arms. When Tara turns her face to joy she sees tears in the woman's eyes and she yanks her hands from taras, her fingers wiping at the woman's pale cheeks, not understanding how to help. Until Tara's next words make everything click into place. "So talking with the lawyer i have named you and Juan as the people who will be their guardians." She feels the hot tears as they glide down her cheeks. Her hands move from Taras face to her own as she swipes at her cheeks roughly. Looking over she sees Tara watching her closely and she realized Tara actually thought she wouldnt want them. She sniffles and shakes her head. "I already love them like they were mine without overstepping. I would open my house and heart to those boys and Juan would too Tara. They would need or want for nothing because both of us would do anything to keep them happy. So if this gives you peace, do it. I already know Juan would be overjoyed, shocked but overjoyed." The woman's smile is bright and right there She sees the woman Jax sees all the time. As stern and logical as Tara was she was warm and beautiful when happy. Leaning over joy kisses her cheek with a nod. "Yeah. I have not one objection to that. But just know. Me and Juan might never leave here hun. Your boys would grow up here. Are you ok with that honestly?"

Tara stands, turning she leans back against her desks and sighs. "I know that. And if i'm honest it was one of the reasons i hesitated, and if i'm honest the only reason. But then i remembered how you grew up. Knowing about this life, it was never hidden like a secret or something shameful. And despite what you say about yourself your not a monster. Your good to my boys and everyone in that club who deserves it. And you dont shield able from it you let him know this isn't for him right now and send him on his way like the morning after Otto. So no.....i wouldn't mind them growing up here with the right mother and father besides Jax and myself." She stares at her rings as she twirled them around her fingers. She didn't realize the others knew she struggled with her nature. Sure Juan and maybe her father but to know on some level it was plain as the nose on her face made her want to hide away. Like a piece of her armour had been knocked off in battle. She speaks to Tara, her eyes still on her rings. "I struggle everyday with what i do for this club and to survive. Im not exactly martha fucking stewert. I don't know shit about kitchen knives but i know what blade to use to flay a man…..but i swear i would always love those boys and do right by them. Not manipulate but always have my hand out for them to grip on for balance. And thank you….it means alot to me." Tara is about to continue when her burner goes off, pulling it from her cut she sees Jax's name. Opening it she speaks "Im coming." Into the phone before hanging up and standing. Walking over to Tara she presses another kiss to her cheek." I love you Tara." She doesn't give the woman time to answer as she leaves, she had to slam down the gates on her emotions. The day isn't over yet.

The Barn

She gets to the barn just as the truck pulls up, she almost falls off the bike as shs skids to a stop in front of Jax and the other. Her prez was obviously worried she wouldn't make it, He practically yanks her off the bike as he hugs her. "Cutting it close sis." She pats his side as she hooks her sunglasses in the collar of her shirt. "I know. Got caught up talking to Tara." They make their way inside, she winks at her husband as he passes behind her. Smirking when his hand pats his ass as he does. She moved to follow him but Jax grips the back of her cut, keeping her on his left with bobby on his right. She sighs. She should have just kept the god damn patch at this point. "Where's Clay?" She and Jax both turn a sharp eye to Bobby. Clay would fucking be here and useful for once of bobby hadnt done what he did this morning. Bobby tosses the duffle of money on the ground between themselves and Gaalan. "He turned in his patch.It's been coming for a while."

Gaalan arches a salt pepper brow, his eyes bouncing between her and Jax. "He's out of the club?" She sees Jax sigh before finally speaking, her hand coming to rest on his back out of sight from the group before them. But very visible to their club behind them. "Look, Gaalan. I know you blame me for Kellan's death. And you're right, events in Belfast spun out of control.I just want to say, I liked the priest. He loved my dad. He sacrificed himself for my son-- I know that." She nods. She was proud of how level jax sounded. She tilts her head, a teasing lilt to her voice as she speaks makes Gaalan zero in on her. "And after you and our dear prezs little game of grab ass and your rambo impersonation i was personally hoping it might ease some of this tension." The man chuckles, she sighs. Her hand falls from Jax's back and she speaks plainly to Gaalan.

"Look Gaalan dispite what you might think about me i fucking hate the cartel. Mexican or not they are fucking up our day to day we all hate them.Romeo wants this shipment, one more. We give him that and we're done. No more them and everyone in our shit. Just The MC and the IRA can go back to business as usual. Sound?"

She wasn't surprised at his look of surprise at the use of irish slang. Her mom might not have raised her but she did her own research about the other half of her heritage. And as much as she might dislike Gaalan as well, a part of her felt kindred to him, his and chibs heavy broug as different as they might be, made her want to watch the old videos of her mother when her father would pick at her about her strong accent. She is shaken from her melancholy as the older man nods "Aye. Tis sound lass. For a little halfling your not all bad are ye." She opens her mouth to curse him but the doors on either side of the bar open. Both glocks are aimed on either side of her before they fully open and she starts cursing internally as Jax speaks to Romeo, his hands gently pushing her arms down. She doesn't put her guns back though. "What is this?" Romeo sighs "Talked to Damon Pope. Heard all about Clay. Thought we should come by and make sure the deal was moving forward. “I told you I would handle it."  Jax’s tone was very obviously pissed but neither irish or catel cared as they glared at each other.

Luis eyes Gaalan with a curl of his lip "We know how stubborn the Irish can be." Gaalan turns to look at the other man with a wide wicked grib "And we all know how ignorant you muppets can be." Romeo practically growls as he points to the gun crates "Put the guns in the truck." Gaalans voice echoes off the wooden walls "Don't touch the bloody guns." She grunts as she elbows jax back behind her towards her father and husband. Knowing if shit got wild they would yank him behind cover. Her voice is practically a hiss as she speaks pointedly to luis and romeo “We all want the same thing here! You two pendejos aren't helping for shit. We had this under control until you put your size twelves in it pulling this macho man shit." Having not listened to shit she said Romeo instructs the man closest to Luis to grab a crate. She sees the gun in Gaalans hand just as he fires it. She doesn't think, turning to Jax she rams into his chest. Knocking them both back into her father and Juan. Her father yanks Jax down next to him. She presses tight into her husband's side as bullets fly over his head. She sees her father and Phil book it outside to safety. She sees a blur running towards bobby and jax and she roars "Bobby get down." The man hits the floor as she lays out one of Galindos men. All fire stops and she looks over to see Gaalan at gunpoint. She shoves her guns back into their holsters and watches with narrowed eyes as Romeo snatches up the duffle of money. Yelling for the man to put the crates in the truck, he grins at her and Jax who was radiating pissed off like a furnace. "This buy is on the MC. For killing my guys, and the inconvenience of our wait. We'll call it even." Jax yanks her back as she lunges for Romeo. He had no idea what he had set in motion, the kings won't let this slide.

As luis yells for Gaalan to get his pasty white out of there Gaalan passes her and Jax. Giving Jax a loaded look he stops "This is on you, boy." Jax just nods, as prez it was his mess. Didn't stop her from moving to shoulder herself between him and Gaalan. He wasn't an ally anymore. He turns his jade eyes to her, his gaze grows harder. It wasn't in her favor that she looked so much like the men currently holding him at gunpoint "Sons are gonna feel this on both continents Lass. Know that." She nods as he leaves, her body slightly shaking from the adrenaline drop as she and Jax turn, both of them coming face to face with a wary looking bobby. She cant help her angry at him, a part of her doesn't want to put it all on him. But if clay had been here. If the meeting had ended moments before the cartel showed. Maybe things would have been different. But they weren't. Like Jax she shoulders her way past bobby outside. The guys following behind closely. She and Jax glare down the men loading the truck for the next ten minutes, a cig hanging limp between her lips as she locks eyes with Romeo. Dead eyes. She inhales deeply for the last time and tosses it to the side. Turning as Jax marches back behind them to the group of men she turns to watch as he paces for a moment. Walking closer she leans against the precut logs chibs was sitting on as he too watches jax. When he sees everyone is close,he starts pushing out orders, his eyes bouncing between her and chibs. "Lock down the shop and alert families." She and chibs nod. He would take care of teller morrow, all she had to do was send a text to one person and the phone tree would set on fire. She had spent months making plans for anything. Deaths to club threats but this was the most ambitious, she made sure everyone involved in the club only had two people on speed dial. The person next on the list and her. Once each call was made she would get a text to confirm until the last person on the list confirmed the texts kept going. Opening her phone she sends a message to Lyla a simple phrase 'Start the fire.' She puts her phone away as jax turns to Tig his voice raising the more frustrated he gets "Get Tacoma down here." Tig walks off without a word and Jax steps closer to chibs and herself. "Gaalan is gonna try to hurt us." He was right. Gaalan didn't seem the kind of man to make idle threats. Jaxs puts his hand on chibs shoulder "I need you find Gemma, you have her call me. Ok everyone roll out and get packed. Be in by lock down or be locked out. She quickly heads for her bike her husband and father hot on her heels all of them stop as Jax calls Juice back. "Juicy, I need you for something. Sonshine go get his shit packed, we will all meet at the club house." She hesitates for a moment as her dad heads off with a nod. She lets her husband pull her tight to his chest as he kisses her forehead. "Go baby. You know what to pack. Get sonny ready and i'll be there before you have time to miss me." she snort, pressing a kiss to his shirt covered chest. "Too late." She pulls away from him and locks eyes with Jax. "Keep my husband safe." He grins "always darlin." She rolls her eyes and walks off as the man laughs. These guys wouldn't know safe of it gave them head.

Clays house (Juan pov)

He and Tig had decided to give Clay, Miles and Rat and escort back to the shop. Well Tig wanted to do it and Juan didn't want him alone. As they make it to the cabin Tig knocks, he hangs back his shade covered eyes watching their surroundings. The irish were sneaky bastards. Once the door is open he and Tig quickly file in and lock the door. Walking over to rat and miles he sighs "Fuck the rest of his shit. Galindo fucked up the Irish deal and no Son is safe anywhere. Get his clothes and ill pack his guns, i know what he uses. Get moving we don't have much time until lock down." He watched the guys split up and he looked around as Tig and Clay talked about what happened. Seeing Clay's gun bag he opens it up and freezes. He sees the reaper holster, the nine and he grins. He is shaken from his memories by Clay's voice "You always did like it." He nods, watching clays large hands pull the gun from the holster. Bright silver with the black reaper handle. Shit was as beautiful as he remembered.

He watches clay aim it towards the wall before putting it back in the holster. "Piney gave it to me for my five year. I always thought I would give it to opie." He nods, his throat closing up, he clears his throat to fight back the sight of opies face. Not now, stay focused. He sees the gun being held out to him. "Clay come on." He shoves it back but the man passes his hand and presses it to his chest. "I get I'm not like a dad to you no more kid. Things i did to joy and you destroyed any of that but least i can do is give someone something i cant use anymore. So take it. Hell give it to the kid. She might put it in a shadow box with the day i died on it." He smirks and shoves the gun and holster into his inner pocket. "Or kill you with it." The older man chuckles. "Looking forward to it." He snickers and grabs the gun bag, and heads for the van. Making sure everything is in he heads for the bike. Lock down was approaching fast and if he knew his wife he knew she would shoot anyone who tried to close it with him outside of it.

Teller Morrow Garage

She volunteered to watch the outside as her father, Chucky, Unser and her father got the grill hot, with the amount of people here best idea was to have a potluck and bbq. Old rap plays from her phone next to her, her head bobbing and lips moving as her eyes scan the still open gate and full parking lot keeps her hands on the table under her, both her glocks next to each hand. She hears the bikes before she sees them. She smirks as Tig and her husband pull up in front of the van holding Miles and Rat. As Tig and her husband pull their bikes into the line. She nods to the guys as they pass her and go into the club house. When her husband and tig walk up with clay not too far behind her smile drops. Her husband kisses her cheek with a chuckle, his lips brushing her skin as he whispers "Down cujo. Gaalan called him on the way here." She arches a brow over her husband's shoulder to clay as he passes them without a word. "Fine….but he breaths wrong im playing baseball with his kneecaps." She lets her laughing husband pull her inside as miles and rats come back out to take over her watch duty.  

Everyone had been here for about an hour now and despite the reason for being here it was fun and everyone laughs all around. She hugged a few of the Tacoma boys she recognized, Kozik being one of them. She had missed him when he went back but he seemed to be keeping on the straight line where drugs were involved and she was so proud of him. She was watching her father talk to Lyla with a grin, he was leaning back against the pool table as Lyla lined up a shot. When the ball hits the pocket she smirks at one of the Tacoma prospects who thought she had been an easy target, poor kid. She bumps fists with Nero before turning back to talk to Happy. She feels her husband come up behind her, his hands snaking around her waist to rest low on her stomach. She turns her head to the side, kissing the side of her husband's stubble covered cheek as he rests his chin on her shoulder. "Why are you grinning like that beautiful?" She giggles, taking her bottom lip between her teeth. She places her hand on the side of her husband's face, making his gaze line up with hers. She knows he sees them too when he hums. "Now that's different. But oddly enough would make sense." She smirks. "exactly. I doubt much will happen for now. With Opie and all which i agree with, grive fully and never rebound. But i see something….something good in that possible future." She closes her eyes as her husband presses kisses to her cheek. "Look at you. Little miss matchmaker." She snorts and turns in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck she gets on her tiptoes to press a kiss high on his cheek. Beaming up at him she says "Matched myself up with you didn't I?" He nods with a grin, his hands rubbing her ass before he surprises her and yanks her up by the thighs. She shouts as he heaves her body up his torso, her thighs clinch his sides as he carries her through the crowd of laughing sons, her protests and threats of body mutilation falling on deaf ears. When he plants her on the pool table she goes to swipe at him with her nails but he catches her wrist and holds it to his chest as he catches her lips.

All the fight leaves her body, her free hand gripping the side of his cut she yanks him closer. The world falls away as he surrounds her, his hand gripping her now limp wrist moves to the back of her neck. But their moment is short lived as one of the balls from the table hits her left thigh making her jump and look that way. Seeing a smirking Lyla with a chuckling nero and Happy over her shoulders. She nero's her eyes at her father. "Et tu, Brute?" Her father shrugs and grabs the pool cue from Lyla as Nero pats her shoulder "We're currently hiding the corner pocket Leona." She smirks at the nickname, Lioness. Well played Nero. She slides off the table Jax walks by them but she clenches her eyes as he freezes next to her, the venom in his voice makes it obvious who he is speaking too. "Why is he here." She pecks Juans lips one more time before turning to plant herself next to Jax. Clay looks even more broken than she remembers. Hunched over be tilts his head at Jax "Gaalan reached out to me. He wants the guns or the money or wendy is dead." She whips her head around to stare wide eyed at chibs, he makes a snatching motion and she sighs. She must have been at the hospital, she would grill him about it later. "Does Gaalan know wendy isn't Jax's wife?" Clay chuckles "Believe me kid i could hear wendy in the back shouting that and a lot of other stuff about Jax to prove as much. He says do it anyway or Able will be going back to Belfast." She snarls, jax holding his arm out in front of her to calm her. But her anger and frustration builds as Bobby chimes in "four hundred and seventy five thousand dollars. We pay back the Italians and Nero we ain't even close." She moves to stand behind chibs as Tig adds on "And there is no way we are getting the guns back from Romeo." She plants a hand on Chibs shoulder, his hand comes up to pat her. Chibs always knew how to center her, help her pull herself out of panic. Even without a word. Forever her mentor and guide.

She looks up as Nero clears his throat, pool cue in hand, his eyes bouncing around to lock eyes with them all before settling on Jax "I'm sorry. Couldn't help but overhear and I may have a solution." She locks eyes with Jax. She sees him tossing thoughts around and finally his eyes clear and he nods his head to the door before looking at Clay, she heads for the door as Jaxs tells Clay to get out. She sees her husband off to the side, headphones in his ears as he works on a few hard drives on the table before him. Leaning against the far wall she watches him from afar. He was deep in his tech mode and she refused to break that trance. She smiles as his lips move rapidly as he raps along to something she can't catch from how fast his lips move, but his grin is amazing. She feels someone at her side, the scent of clove and sandalwood makes her arch a brow. "Tiggy. Do you trust me?" Tigs arm lands around her shoulder as he leans on the wall next to her. A beer in his hand he takes a deep pull before replying. "Without question kid. Why?" She tilts her head to the side to look up at him. "I know none of us but Clay will be delivering that money when we get it." Tig nods, people doubted him so much but he was quicker than people gave him credit for. "Go with him. I don't trust him alone, let alone around Gaalan. So if he goes. Go with him. If not for the club or Jax. For my peace of mind?" Tig thinks on it for a moment before pressing a kiss to the side of her head and heading off into the crowd. She knew he would, she hated putting him so close to Clay so soon. But Tig was Clay's right hand for years. Clay wouldn't think twice of Tig going with him. She scrubs her face with her hand before pushing off the wall she sighs. So much to do and only so many hours.

Many hours later (Teller Morrow)

Wendy had been rescued and left twenty minutes ago in a huff, muttering to herself about fuck knows what. The last of the Sons from the lock down had hit the road and she was currently restocking the bar and her husband and father talked behind her. Something about new ink for Juan. Tara and Jax had yet to come down and that worried her. Turning to grab another bottle of turkey she sees Jax and the look on his face makes her pause. He speaks to Nero and Chibs for a moment before locking eyes with her. He shakes his head, she nods and gets back to stocking the bar as her father speaks to Jax. She feels someone at her side a moment late. She knows its jax from the scent of Marlboro and that damned hair gel he used that was a little too spicy for her nose. Once the shelf is stocked full she turns to him, he is leaned next to her and watching everyone. "You know I believed you earlier today." She arches a brow and chuckles "I said a lot of shit i meant earlier today. Refresh my memory brother."

She leans her upper body down on to the bartop. He stands next to her and copies her, their arms touching as he stares at the movement around them. "When you said you were with me. I know you are Joy. I don't doubt you on any front. I just…" She wants to look at him, but she knows it won't help. Bless these tough men they didn't understand how to communicate without showing fierce emotion. "I just don't know how to work this all out without Opie. I could say any idea or do any dumb thing and he would be there to help me realize why it was dumb in a way that would get through to my thick skull. And now that he is gone. Im worried about the gavel joy…." It took her a moment to understand what the last part meant. Then she remembers in church with Jax, Bobby and herself. The Gavel corrupts. Saying a mental fuck it to pretending this wasnt a serious conversation she turns to Jax, even as he refuses to do the same she speaks direct at him.

"The gavel will change you Jax. It's a hard and heavy weight that can crush a weaker man or woman. And you werent ready at all and didnt fucking want it. But  jax the way you're doing this. Getting it spread out among the other groups so everyone can get some food in their mouth. It's amazing Jax. Be proud of that." He nods, having enough of him not looking at her she moves around the bar to stand before him, grabbing his face between her hands to stop him from moving. Hazel meets blue as she makes sure he understands her "And trust that I will keep one of my last promises to Opie. Too keep you grounded, to be a solid wall to slam against when you cant fucking stop yourself. Always know that i have no issues stopping you." She gives him a grin "Even if i have to break a few bones. You'll live to redeem yourself in my eyes." he gives her a very weak grin and pulls her hands from his face. Grabbing the back of her head he pulls her in to kiss her forehead. "I'm sorry in advance for breaking your heart sonshine." She remembers what she said to Tig and Chibs. "But you all wouldn't be mine if you made it easy to love you." He nods, looking past her she turns to see Chibs with a phone in his hand. "Heres Tig Jackie." Jax grabs the phone from him and heads towards the doors to church. She sighs as Bobby goes to stop him, she leans back against the bar as Bobby calls to him when he refuses. "Jax we gotta talk this shit out." The way Jax halts his steps set her on edge. And the face that turns to greet bobby isn't Jax. It's their new president, a man she is only just beginning to learn was a whole other man all together. "I said no." He closes in on bobby and she shakes off chibs as he goes to stop her. She wasn't letting shit slide anymore, she was done running. As she closes in on them she hears Jax loud and clear "Im sure the right thing will settle in. But right now if i'm alone with you VP i'll tear your goddamn head off." Getting next to them she places a hand on Jax's arm holding the phone. Keeping her eyes on Bobby who is currently watching her with dark narrowed eyes "Go talk to Tiggy jax. I got this." She felt Jax's arm tense under her hand but didn't ask why. It wasn't the time. She makes sure the door is closed behind her firmly before she speaks to the older son before her.

"Did you honestly fucking think he would want to talk? Not hours after your screwball set a shit ton of butt ugly on our heads?" The man just stares hard at her, refusing to reply. "You are obviously not thinking through shit bobby. You want this club to be better, I get that but the way you did it. Behind his back out the gate fucked up any possible trust in you as his VP." She expects him to see reason, if not the main reason Jax is angry. The new prez had fought his way through the lies of his family, the people meant to never wish you harm, found a plot to kill the mother of his children and also the possibility that his father was also murdered. By the same man. He had hoped to find a new family, build from us a family that wouldn't l harm him. That would support and the first act of his new VP is a plan behind his back. Another scheme. It was the act and the person it saved that was the hardest part to swallow for Jax. She got that, maybe Bobby just couldn't. He steps into her space, his voice the angriest she heard directed at her before. "Don't presume to tell me what I should do, Joy. At the end of the day you gave this patch up willingly to me. So stand down."

Pressing her pink nailed hands to his chest she shoves him back hard, he didn't expect it and falls back into the pool table. Her husband and Chibs make their way over as she speaks directly to Bobby. "Don't speak to me like a goddamn child Elvis. I gave that patch to a man I thought would do right by not just the club but the man who stayed to keep us all out of jail at not just his expense but his wife and children's as well. Man the fuck up and speak your fucking mind next time you have opinions. Don't pull that shit again Bobby or I swear to god I'll take you back to the table for my god damn patch back and to save trouble I'll tear it from your cut while it's still on you!" Her husband, having heard enough, wraps his large arms around her middle, locking her once waving arms to her side. She wasn't done though.  "Because I'll be damned If you hurt him or this club again." She lets her husband drag her out, the cold air makes her overheated skin break out into goosebumps. She stands next to her father's ink station in the garage. Juans hands rub her upper arms as she watches her father pull on his black gloves, her body slowly losing its tension as the machine comes alive and the buzz is a soothing note in the air. She sees two guns and arches a brow, looking at her father again she sees him holding a pair of gloves out to her and she smiles. She had learned to do tattoos by watching her dad do them. Her first tattoo she did on a body was on her father. Around his collar bone area there was a phrase "I live, I die, I kill for my family." The letters were blocky and some funny looking but he let her do it without thought and she loved him more for it then he would ever know.

Pulling the pink velvet scrunch from her wrist she holds it behind her to her husband as she grabs the other low roller chair next to her dad. Pulling on a pair of gloves like her dad he points out things and asks her to name it just to make sure her knowledge on the subject hadn't slipped. Once she proved herself to her father he goes back to setting up the ink cups. Everyone looks up as the garage office door opens, she hadn't realized the guys had trickled in during the pop quiz her father gave her. The garage was filled with sons. All eyes on Clay as he makes his way to the chair between her father and herself. When he plops down he glances at her, looking down at the black kabar on her thigh before locking eyes with her again. With a roll of her eyes she slides the kabar from its sheath and flips it mid air, grabbing the blade loosely she hands it to Clay and watches as he slides the strap of his black tank, revealing the reaper on his shoulder blade, he stabs her blade roughly into the wooden table top and she arches a brow but says nothing. No one spoke as she and her father went about roughly blocking out the reapers on the older man's skin. Blood and black ink leak onto the black gloves on her hands, making the once matte latex glint in the light. Once her part in all this is done she put the gun down, her body felt as if it had been drained, any rage or possible sympathy she felt for the man before her was gone. Seeing the once proud man reduced to a black ink splattered shell soothed a lot of the pain she carried around recently. Pulling the gloves from her hands she stands, walking over to her father she kisses the top of his tattooed skull, locking eyes with Bobby she stands to her full height. Now that the rage wasn't pounding in her ears like a heartbeat she could see the conflict and lost look in Bobby's face. She walks over, knowing her husband wasn't far behind she kisses the older man's bearded cheek and walks away. As good a sorry as she could give knowing that everything she said had truth to it. She had a sinking feeling that another change was coming. How big would that change be? Only time would tell.

Next morning (Joy Pov)

Warmth, that's the first thing she feels as she wakes, and when she finally reaches full consciousness she realizes why. Looking to her side she sees Juans pillow is missing its namesake. But looking down she sees a lump where her stomach is, it makes her grin. For a moment she looked pregnant until the lump moved and she pulled the covers up slightly and could not help but feel her heart melt a little. Her husband's head was resting below her breast, his arms curled under her back as he clutched her in a tight but comfortable grip. Watching him sleep she takes in the beauty of him, his soft skin being revealed bit by bit as she pushes the covers off of them. Making her husband curl into her more to steal more of her warmth. She brushes her fingers along the tattoo on the left side of his scalp, she knows he is slowly waking because he is nuzzling his face into her stomach. A poem comes to mind and when he looks up at her with sleepy, heavy lidded eyes, a small smile is his gift to her. She smiles as the words spill from her lips. "You're next to me and I'm half asleep, wondering what I did to deserve this moment - to deserve you. And while you're here, breathing easily. All I can think about is what I can do tomorrow to be better for you then I was today."

He gifts her with open mouth kisses along her belly button and hips over her boy shorts, his hands having pushed her sleep shirt up to her chest to get access to more bed warm skin. "Fuck i love when you do shit like that." She giggles as he speaks into her skin, his hands sliding under her lower back, forcing her to arch and her legs to fall open more as his kisses move upward. His hands shove her shirt over her head. Tossing it off the side of the bed he hovers over her as she tries to get her hair out of her face. Looking up at him she sees his once sleepy eyes are watching her. The smile on his face is blissful and only for her. Reaching her hands up she holds his face between them, the way he leans into the gentle touch pulls at her heart. Her beautiful strong husband was such a gentle man, she hoped this life wouldn't rob him of that. She would give up her humanity to protect him if she had too, as long as he was always going to be here, like this. His lips on her forehead wash away her dark thoughts like rain water.

Her eyes, which she hadn't realized had closed to prevent him seeing the pain in them blink open, seeing him watching her. "Welcome back." She cant help but sigh, which quickly turns into a gasp as he rolls them, his strong grip on her hips keep her from toppling over as he now lays with her straddling his lean hips. The way he folds his hands behind his head and smirks up at her makes her bite her lip and her cheeks flushes as his eyes take in her bare chest, even after living with and being with him he still made her body heat with a look. Moving her hair over one shoulder she lays her chest flat against her husband's, her head under his chin. His hands are now combing over her head and curling her hair around his fingers. For a moment they are still except for his fingers curling into her hair and her body rising and falling as he breathes deeply. She is slowly falling back asleep when the chest under hers vibrates as her husband speaks "Jax is up to something involving clay." Curling a fist under her chin she uses her other hand to grab the discarded blanket and pulls it back over her now naked back. "What makes you think that." He isn't upset she questioned him, in fact it made him grin. "When Jax asked me to stay behind the other day after the irish he only wanted to ask me a favor. 'I need clays gun. No questions right now. I need it.” she lifts herself up enough to get more comfortable, stretching her legs out she moves to his side to rest her head on his shoulder, looking into his eyes she arches a brow. "The one currently at the shop wrapped up in a shirt." He smirks and kisses the tip of her nose. "Yes nosy shit." She snickers and smacks his chest, he laughs and rubs the sting away. "He wanted me to get it to you. I don't know why but he wants you to put it in his side saddle on his bike." She sighs, he was plotting alone again. She was getting so fucking tried of this behind closed door shit that had been going down since the cartel popped up. She can't say Jax wasn't doing good things but the way he was doing them was gonna make her go grey. "Your right. I'll see whats up but if i'm honest we won't know much until shit pops off and we all have to drag his ass out of danger." She cups her husband's cheek and pulls him in for a kiss when her phone rings from the nightstand. She growls under her breath and reaches back for it.....let the games begin

Time Jump

Once she got to the shop things had been crazy. She barely had time to do what jax asked her but she did it. And now hours later she stood beside Nero as he spoke to the shop owner "Nero they fuck up my shop, come in and take anything they want and now Dante says we have to pay triple two for protection?!' The pretty hispanic woman sighs "I mean we all know you split but what are we supposed to do now?" Nero sighs and holds up his hands “Okay. I get it, Carmella. I'm sorry I let this happen but i'm here now. I swear." He grabs her hands and holds them "We will handle Dante, Mi vida." She tosses her cig to the street as Nero walks over to them. "So what's the plan boss man." He brushes a hand down his face. "We need to cut off the goddamn head. Dante, he's running out of a rag warehouse, two blocks, at the end of Palm. Fights are in progress." She nods, Juans hands squeezing her shoulders. "Is he there now? Anyone scooping him out?" The man next to Nero shakes his head"Not sure. All of our faces are too well known around here to play double o seven" she snickers, looking over to Jax when he taps her arm as she is the main one next to him. "Ok let the white boys and slightly tan girls." She hisses at him and smacks his shoulder. "Tan!?!? I am a light sepia goddess. You redneck Tarzan." He grins but ignores her, he continues on. "let us go in, just a few fight fans. We'll see what we're dealing with."

Nero nods and she walks over to her bike, she strips off her cutte, her black lace up side high waisted jeans cover her lower stomach, but the cute pink halter crop top with the words 'brat' shows enough of her stomach to keep her cool on this hot day. bobby asks "How big is this crew?" Nero tilts his head for a second before replying "Last i knew fifteen." She is shooting off a quick text message as the man next to him shakes his head. "Nah they have been busy. More like twenty." She is pulling off her thigh and chest holster as hands her guns to her husband since her outfit wasn't loose enough to hide anything. Nero replies "If that's true with just us it's a little light." Her phone goes off and she yanks it from her back pocket with a grin. "Think again." Everyone turns to see her waving her phone with a grin "Cholo Calvary is inbound." Her husband smirks and reaches over to pat her on the ass. "That's my girl." Making the guys chuckle as she smiles brightly, her hips doing a little wiggle at the praise. Her father reaches over to yank her head close enough to kiss her temple.

Once they get to the place and on the lift of the building the sound of dog barking makes her reach out for the closest hand. Tig grips her hand back just as hard as Bobby opens the lift door. The others scatter to different corners but she and Tiggy don't release each other as they watch with Horror as the poor dogs tear each other apart. Her mind flashes to sonny. Her sweet little prince in the dog's place and seeing the raging bloodlust on the shouting mens faces makes her stomach roll. The fight is over quick and she watch a dark skin man lift the wounded white dog and walk away. She knows what happens next. Tapping tig are rapidly she whimpers "Tiggy. We can't let him." He nods and he gives her hand a reassuring squeeze and they both follow behind them man. Not realizing the others saw them. They make it to the back and her legs give out as she sees the trash cans filled with the bodies of precious dogs. All torn and slaughtered. She doesn't realize Alex has left her until she hears him say "I'll blow your goddamn head off." Her husband and father see her on the ground and rush to her. She points to the trash cans and her husband curses and helps her off the ground. Standing between her and the trash cans he holds her face in his hands "I know baby. But we can't help them now. But you saved one. Come on." She nods and lets him drag her around the corner as Tig points behind her and Juan as Jax grabs his head to make him focus "Look at this shit its so wrong." Jax nods "I know but it's not what we are here for." Walking over she grabs Tigs gun from him gently. He locks eyes with her and she nods to the beautiful dog in the kiddy pool by her feet who was licking her father's hand as he spoke softly to it. "Watch her." He nods and she walks over to the man knelt on the ground. Pressing the gun between his eyes she arches a brow "One question dickbag. Dante. Where is he?" The man points behind him "Through there. Uses the supply room as an office." She nods and hands the gun to Tig. "Piss off. And leave the dog." The man takes off as she kneels down to gently hold the dogs face in her hands. Smiling as the dog licks her cheek. "Hello love. My friend phil here is gonna carry you to your ride ok. Your not gonna fight anymore." The dog keeps licking her face and Jax taps her arm "Let's go mother pupresa. We got work to put in." She nods to phil and takes her glocks from her husband as she stands. Making her way in she sees Chibs break the lock and all hell breaks loose. Her father levels a man rushing them and she holds her guns on Dontae as Jax yells. "Put the guns down!" Dante just stares and she smirks, getting in front of him she holds one gun to his head the other to his dick. "Cough wrong. Give me a reason." He curls his lip but tells them to lower the guns she hears Jax yell and she naturally runs, smart move on her part as the room floods with Dantes crew as he yells

"I WANT THE BITCH. KILL THE OTHERS!" Making it outside she sees the gate bust open. And moves to the side as Nero and his crew take out of a few of the men following behind. The remainder of Dante's crew are quickly held down by the Mayans. She laughs and they roll through on their bikes whooping and shouting. "Fucking love you crazy bastards!" Her joy is short lived as Dante and another man run back inside and lock the door. She takes off at a full sprint as she yells over her shoulder "Dantes running. TAKE DOWN THE REST." It's quiet as nero,chibs, jax and herself move around the high stacks of boxes. All of them take different paths she is just about to turn down another way when the sound of a punch makes her take off back behind her she sees Chibs as he stabs the man who was with Dante. Using all her body weight she shoves him against one of the boxes, her fists crack against his cheek and temple. He grabs her by the hair making her shriek but the pain is short lived as he is yank off of her by Jax. She watches with glee as the man's face is shoved into a bag of nails. His screams making shudder at the agony in them, but her mind flashes back to the trash cans of dogs and she feels nothing again. They all jump into action as Nero's voice fills the warehouse "He's running!" They take off towards the sound. Shs stares at Neros back as he takes off after Dante and finally catches him at a window. She releases a short burst of laughter as Nero laughs as he pushes Dante through the window. Mother fucker was nuts. Once they all get through the window she sees a woman yanked from her van. But lucky her own dog was inside. And currently using Dante as a chew toy. Nero holds the door with his body and she leans next to him with a smirk. "That's gonna leave a mark." She leans down to watch the dog as Jax chuckles, punching her arm as she coos at the dog "Whos a good protector. You are. Good doggo." Nero heaves a sigh, his lip twitching as he tries not to laugh "We should probably let him out yeah?" Chibs smirks "That would be the good catholic thing to do." She snorts and shakes her head "I'm neither good nor Catholic so i guess he is puppy chow." All the guys around her laugh.

Back at Teller Morrow

When they got back to the club house phil, tig and herself went straight to the pool table with Dr.Chibs. She laid on her side on top of the pool table as the dog rested next to her, she gently brushed a hand over her ears and head as Chibs worked on the animal's leg wound. Her husband's hands grip and rub her thigh as he stands behind her. He knew she was shaken seeing so many dead animals. Killer his wife may be but when it came to animals. She was so sensitive to them. Thats where her and Tig bonded alot. She reaches down to grip one of her husband's hands in Silent thanks as she coos to the dog as it whimpers. "Its ok baby. Chibs is just gonna make you all better. I know it hurts." Tig pats her arm as Jax walks over "So that was one of Nero's boys. He found the breeder who is supplying the dogs. Wants us to shut it down." She nods and sits up as Tig replies "I'll gut that bitch." She grabs her bowie knife of the coffee table "i call his balls." The guys all shifted a little at that, knowing she wasn't joking. She and Tig grab their weapons of choice on the table and head for the door. Just as Chibs speaks "Lets go." Jaxs stops him "I'm gonna take Tig and Joy." Chibs shakes his head "Notta chance. You don't know what your walkin into." Jax stands firm and soon enough they are pulling. Up to a warehouse. She and tig strip off their helmets and walk ahead of Jax just as she hears a gun be cocked.

She reaches for her own but Jax's voice stops her making her turn to see the one thing she never wanted to see. One gun trained on her, another on Tig....and Jax holding both. Her face pales as Tig tries to move towards Jax and Jaxs hisses at him "Dont fucking move. Either of you." Her hands shake as she holds them up. He locks eyes with hers and nods "All weapons down. And kick yours away Joy your aim is too good to trust." She and Tig follow instructions. She keeps quiet as Tigs breathing picks up and he finally yells "What is going on Jax!?" She hears the approach of a car and her eyes narrows at the unmistakable Rolls Royce kicking up dirt and it all clicks into place. How they got out, how tig made it out with them. Jax was gonna go in but Opie some how did it first......Tig was always the chip. Because of what happened with clay. Forcing Tig to take action and kill Pope daughter. To do what he thought was right. Once again Clays lies were catching up to them.

Her rage is violent as she yanks Tig back behind her and Snarls at Jax "I'll kill you if they touch him. Ill fucking kill you all." Tigs arm wraps around her shoulder as she shakes, Gripping his arm she eyes the men getting out of the car as Tig groans. "Jax no. Come on man." Jax shakes his head "I'm sorry." She seethes "No. But you will be." Pope snaps and two men appear next to them. She and Tig are ripped apart and she shrieks, she is held back as the other man searches Tig. She is then searched herself before being tossed back at Tig. She wraps her arms around his middle. Gripping onto the man for dear life, her body shakes as Tig combs a hand over her head. Trying to calm her in a moment when she should be comforting him "Your really gonna give me to him Jax? After what he did to my Daughter. Its could have been Able, fuck it could have been sonshine here if hap had done it you bastard!" Jax yells at Pope to shut tig up and she crumbles to the ground with Tig his kidney is hit from the back. Using her legs she kicks out at the man who hurt Tig "Leave us alone you Bastard i swear to god ill bathe in your entrails for this." She is dragged away from Tig by her legs, she lands a kick and crawls back to him sobbing. He holds her on the ground with him as Jax speaks to Marks. He rocks her "Don't cry kid. Please kid don't cry." She grips a hand into his cutte. Whimpering when she and Tig are both pulled up from the ground. "Tie him up on the garage." She shrieks as he is being pulled away but Jaxs stops him "I want the Cutte." She growls and jerks in the arms holding her back. "Have you not taken enough from him Jackson for Christ Sake!?" The man approaches Tig and she struggles more "Please." The men stop, staring at the shaking and sobbing woman, for once looking her young age and her Golden eyes lock with Pope. "Let me take it off him. I'm all he has left." She was surprised when pope nods. Walking over on shaking legs she looks at the two men on either side of Alex. He reaches up and holds her face in his hands. Giving her forehead a hard kiss he whispers. "i love you kid. Best friend i ever had." She whimpers and slides the Cutte from his shoulders. He is instantly jerked away from her and into the warehouse. Her legs give out and someone catches her, apart of her knows it's Jax and she wants to struggle but she can't. Crushed under the weight of losing another brother all she can do is sob "Alex......Tiggy." Jax buries his head into the side of her hair and she hears him talking. She tries to stop sobbing and shaking to hear him "Trust me. Its hard but trust me ill fix it i promise." She pushes him away and stands. Clutching tigs cutte to her chest she watches Jax with narrow and tear swollen eyes as he walks over to his saddle bag and something clicks. Clays gun. As tumblers fall into place she watches Jaxs in slow motion as he paints the side of Popes car red with brain matter. Seeing him race into the warehouse she uses the hand not clutching the cutte to grab a silenced glock and runs after him. Seeing him take out one of Pope men she kills the other. Tig, who was thankfully alive, rams Pope as he tries to shoot them. Falling his gun lands at her feet, holding her gun on him she grins wildly "Do it. I dare you." He jerks and Jax appears at her side to grab the gun on the floor. She watches Jax as he hands Clays gun to Tig. Pope growls at Jax "You redneck bitch. Do you have any idea what will happen to who ever kills me?" A small smile ticks up Jaxs lip "Im counting on it."

She moves away as Tig blows Pope brains out the back of his skull. Walking over to Alex she wraps her arms around him. His arm not holding the gun grips her cutte. Hearing movement next to her she lifts her head, her gun held between Jaxs forth and fifth rib. "Give me one reason not to kill you prez. One."  He holds his hands up "I couldn't tell either of you. He would have picked up on it if Tig was off or if joy wasnt like she was. You know that." She did but the Image of Jaxs holding a gun on her still made her gun hand shake "He could have shot him right away Jax. Then what!?" Jax nods "But he didnt. I know that's not the best thing to say but he didnt and the plan worked. Im so fucking sorry to do that but i had to be done. We would never be free. Tig wouldn't get closure." Logic, sense, it was shooty but planned out. Pope dies at the hands of a man she and Jax want dead more than anything. And with Pope being an OG the bounty would be set and Clay would be dead before his hearing. Releasing Tig she lets him hug Jax, their eyes locked over the man's shoulder. Today something changed. Today she saw how far Jax was willing to go on his own. And she didn't know how to feel about it

The club house

Sitting across from her husband in their old room he stares in wild eyed shock as she nods, her wet hair dripping onto the sheets. She had felt so dirty when they got back that she had passed everyone and went upstairs to shower. Now dressed in some cotton shorts and a hoodie she lights up a blunt, inhaling deeply. She told him everything, her father would be next but she needed Juan right now. "Jesus baby. I didn't know he was going to…..i.....i never would have let you go with him alone if i knew." She lets him yank her onto his lap, her legs thrown over the side as She held out the blunt for him, he tilts his head and lets her hold it for him as he inhales. His hands to busy rubbing and gripping her legs, sides, her face as he tries to calm himself. Holding his inhale he replies "I love you baby. Im so fucking sorry you had to live that. Fuck i could strangle him. Was Opie not enough?" She exhales the smoke along with him. Filling the room with the smell of gas and apple wrapping paper "Apart of me knows he was right. Pope would sniff out a fake performance for a mile. But i feel so hollowed out. I know tig is alive, i know Jax didn't really betray either of us but i still feel it." She waves a hand "Maybe it's that i feel used by him. And that alone makes me feel dirty."  He nods and presses his lips to her forehead. Taking the blunt from her he takes another hit. "And your allowed to feel how ever the fuck you please. Jax knew what might happen if he did this. Trust and loyalty only go so far until the broken pieces just don't fit right anymore. So your going to heal from this. And i'll be right here if Jax has anything to say i'll handle him." She cant help but grin watching her husband blow smoke off to the side, his jaw tight and sharp she cant help but draw her tongue along its shape making him look at her with wide eyes. "You have no idea how hot you look when your angry daddy." he chuckles and shakes his head, taking in her low lids and dopey smile. "And you're cute when you're a high and horny baby." She snorts as his hands and rests her head on his shoulder as he takes the last deep hit from the blunt before tossing the roach into the ash tray to break down later. She uses her hand to turn his head as he gets ready to blow the smoke out. He smirks and fists a hand into her hair, his other hand palms her bare breast over the hoodie as he blows the smoke into her mouth.

*She couldn't hold it as she moans, her skin was sensitive and her mind was only focused on his hands. She scrambles out of his lap and crawls up the bed, but she doesn't get far as quickly grabs her ankle and yanks her back with a chuckle. "Where do you think your going?" She takes her bottom lip between her teeth as she tries not to smile. He yanks his shirt over his head and crawls over her, her fingertips ghost up his sides as he claims her mouth. She could taste the weed on his tongue, and that ever present mint. She groans as his lips leave hers but she arches as he pushes the hoodie up to expose her bare chest to his eyes. Leaning down his tongue circles one nipple before blowing on it, making her still shower warm skin break out into goosebumps. He presses his face into her sternum and drags his tongue along the anarchy A that rests there as his hand slides down onto her shorts, she feels his grin when he finds no panties in his way. She is hot and slick as he slides two thick fingers inside. "Yes touch me!"

He lays on his side, his arm propping his head up as he watches her writhe and moan as his pace picks up. Pressing his nose against her temple his lips brush her ears as he speaks lowly. "Do you have any idea how sexy you look like this?" She shakes her head, her eyes wide and glazed as she stares up at the ceiling, one hand rolling her own nipple, the other gripping his forearm, the feel of his muscles moving under his skin as his fingers fuck into her driving her higher. "Legs spread wide for me. Wet little pussy gripping my fingers like you never want me to stop." She shuddered and groans "I don't want you to stop. Please daddy. Fuck me?" He smirks and removes his fingers much to her dismay. As she turns to pout her mouth falls open as she watches him suck his cum covered fingers into his mouth. She quickly strips off her shorts and reaches for his pants and belt. He chuckles at her enthusiasm and she swats his stomach making him curl up and laugh harder. She giggles and stops trying to strip him. "Your such a dork Juan." He nods and reaches down to quickly undo his own pants, sitting up he leans his back against the headboard and shoves his pants down enough to free himself and yanks her onto his lap. Holding his cock steady he lets her slide down onto it, watching her face as her eyes fall closed at the stretch. Her hands gripping his neck and shoulders as she grinds down onto him. "Jesus you feel so good."

His hands slide up the sides of her smooth thighs to her waist, the hoodie pulls up with his hands until her lower half is exposed, her rocking hips in full view, using his hands he slowly starts to set the pace. His eyes taking in the image she made. Sun streaming through the window made her bronze skin glow, her wet curls bounced as she rode him. Lips red and kiss swollen from his lips. One of his hands leaves her waist to grab her jaw making her blink her eyes open.. "Open your eyes baby. I want to see them as you cum." Her brow is drawn and she can't control the sounds falling from her mouth, but she nods. Her hands claw at his shoulders and he gives in, needing to hold her closer, his arms wrap around her yanking her to fall into his chest. She places her hands on the wall next to his shoulders and starts to quake over him. Her lips trimble and he releases her hips and grabs her face in his hands. "Your close aren't you baby." She nods, a whine falling from her lips. She watches him watch her as she rides him as hard as she can. Her body was so close but she couldn't reach it. "Juan.....can't."

He grins and moves a hand down between them, his thumb strokes her clit and she shudders with a cry. "Come on baby. Want that pretty pussy to come. Come Joy." She groans and her bodie tenses, her thighs quivering against his hips as she arches. His thumb keeps up its circling. Making her jerk and dig her nails into his shoulder, with a growl he jerks up into her hard. Forcing a breathless cry from her.

"Do that again I'm gonna get you pregnant." He says it through clenched teeth and closed eyes but the way her fingers freeze for a second before digging harder. His head jerks up and he stares at joy. Her eyes were glazed and her lip was between her teeth as she slowly rolled her hips down onto him. Her body jerked every once in a while as his thumb pressed down hard. He watches her for a second and he smirks. "You want my baby inside you Joy?" She nods and he growls, his hands hold her waist as he pushes her back. Keeping himself inside her as he gets her on her back. His forearms hold her legs back as he pounds into her, her head is tossed back as she screams. The thought of pumping her full, watching her stomach grow. Fuck he was close. Looking down at her he he groans "Look at me." She whimpers and forces her eyes open. The hazel eyes staring up at him look so gold in the light from the sun outside and he pants. "I want my baby to have your eyes."

Her back arches violently off the bed as her whole body quakes under him, a flood of her juices soak his cock and her grip is so tight he can't hold off as it milks him. Shooting inside her he groans, laying on his side he rolls her to join him.* His lips brush her forehead as they both pant, he watches the light slowly fade from the room. His mind clear and his body lax he barely hears his wife as she whispers. "I want them to have yours Juan." He grins, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Guess we are spending the night. Good thing Tig got Sunny from the house. He will be good for Tigs dog i think." She nods, looking down at her body and his she giggles at his boot clad feet on the pillow. "No shoes in bed you street rat." He chuckles and slowly pulls away from her, his limp cock sliding from her making her hiss and narrow her eyes at him. "Don't give me that look. No shoes in bed." She rolls her eyes and reaches over the side of the bed to get her discarded shorts. Pulling them on she shoots a text to Tig to  feed Sonny for her and plugs up her phone to charge.

Curling up she drifts until Juan returns and from the smell of his skin he showered, but she doesn't have much time to think more on it as she finally slips under. She jerks what she feels isn't a moment later but when she opens her eyes she sees nothing. Pitch black and the sound of Juans snoring and her phone going off. With a groan she grabs it and rolls onto her back. "Hello?" She sits up straight at the voice on the other line, making Juans arm draped across her stomach fall off. Waking him with a grunt as he looks around. "We have a problem Joy." She feels a cold feeling settle in the pit of her stomach as she replies "Jax what's wrong?"

Jax's House

Their bikes couldn't move fast enough, she barely puts down the kick stand before running towards the house, she stops short as she hears her name being yelled. Looking over she sees Tara and she races for her, her eyes stinging as Tara looks up at her with bright wet eyes. "What do you need me to do." Tara looks past her for a moment, she was worried she might have gone into shock but when Tara looks back at her she is all there. Her lips move and Joy focuses on them to read her lips and her face hardens as she gets what she says "Protect them from her." She nods and brings her fingers to her lips to press a kiss to them before smacking them on the window and walking towards the house shouldering past officer's as she went, hearing Teddy stop them from grabbing her. She pats his arm as she passes into the house. Finding Jax sitting at the kitchen table, Able rushes to her side and she lifts him up and sits him on her hip as he presses his wet face against her soft hoodie. Juan presses a kiss to the side of Ables head before going to get Thomas who was crying in the back room.

She bounces on her feet to rock Able, the hand not holding the child up is rested on Jax's shoulder as he holds his head in his hands. "She gave me papers...naming You and Juan guardians of our kids, if something happens. I signed them as they knocked to come get her. What are we going to do Joy?" She sighs, resting her cheeks against the child's cheek. "What you are going to do is leave this to Lowen. This is her area, do what the fuck she and Tara ask of you. Tara isnt stupid, she knew what this life meant when she stayed Jax. All you can do is stand by her like me and her did for you and Juan while she is inside. Stay the course, and get the fuck out of Charming the second you can. You hear me?" He nods, his hand reaches up to grip hers. If he had looked up he would have noticed her eyes weren't on him, but the door. Locked in the gaze of another woman. Gemma glares at her and she stands her ground, she wasn't scared of Gemma. But Gemma should be scared of what she has just done, because karma is a bitch. And she was its Messenger. Gemma would answer for this if it was the last thing Joy did.

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That’s this new chapter. Im working on the next one as we speak. again thank you all for hanging with me. 

[yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy]

Keep Your Eyes On Me Part 9

Ya’ll, I went back to school. And school is kicking my ass. And so I’m treating myself. And this is the absolutely self indulgent happy ending and for all intensive purposes, Neveah= Naboo. Because when I saw Episode 1 of Star Wars I was like THAT, I WANT TO LIVE THERE, THAT’S NEVEAH in my mind anyway. because I’m weak for that architecture and it’s just SO PRETTY. And looking at pics of Charlie Hunam with kids has me feeling some kind of way because I mean LOOK AT HIM. So precious. Anywho. Thanks to @waiting4inspiration for hosting this. I’m looking forward to seeing your 3k writing challenge and if you do something like this again, TAG ME. also @the-immortal-marshal wanted to be tagged as well. Enjoy. 

Part 9

You were halfway there when you had your first contraction and you faltered and freefell a good couple hundred feet for a moment before you gained control and climbed back to altitude again. 

“Oh no.” You realized when another contraction hit and your water broke. 

“Shit, shit, shit, fuck, not yet baby, don’t come yet.” You begged as you held your belly and did your best to keep flying, flying harder and faster than you had ever flown before- before you reached a sonic boom, that was sure to gain some attention before you mentally screamed out to Bjorn who woke up from a sound sleep to go outside and search the sky but because it was pitch black, he couldn’t see much but he was ready to catch you. You did your best to slow down so you didn’t crush Bjorn but you did fly straight into his arms and he did fall backwards to the ground but he caught you. 

“I got you Baby,” Bjorn grunted as he held you tight as your wings folded back into place before half the order jumped into a circle around you. 

“Zara, we gotta go, we gotta get back, you can’t give birth here.” Muse said as she tried to help you up but all you could do was get on your hands and knees as another contraction hit. 

“I’m not leaving without Bjorn!” You cried as you reached out and grabbed a hold of him with an iron grip. 

“Ok,” they agreed before they put a marker on him and transported you, Dyre and Bjorn back to the launch pad, your family and a medical team already waiting for you before your wings receded back into your body and you hit the button on the cocoon around Dyre so that it revealed him strapped to your chest before the straps were cut off and he was handed off to Bjorn as he was told to follow you as you were put on the gurney and wheeled to the medical wing. 

“Mom!” You cried out in relief as she came and took your hand and squeezed it. 

“Hey sweetie, I’m here, we’re all here.” Your mother reassured you, having had the surprise of a lifetime when Morgan had called your family and let them know you were pregnant after Sephira ensured the pregnancy, that was months ago in the jump but for them, it was a matter of hours in the present.  

“Mom, meet my husband Bjorn.” You introduced as you gestured with a laugh. Never thinking you’d say those words in your life. 

“Hi, I’m Ziri, Zara’s mom, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Your mom chuckled as she greeted Bjorn while she kept in step with the bed before you were wheeled into a room. 

“Ok, we got to get her cleaned up and prepped.” Dr. Fabian ordered before your mom let go and kept Bjorn back. 

“Ok, she has to get washed and prepped, you need to cleaned up too, so here, I’ll tade you these for him, hey sweetie, I’m Grandma!” Your mother greeted Dyre excitedly as she traded Bjorn a bag of clothes for Dyre before a nurse took him to a bathroom where there was a tub of hot water and soap so he could get washed up and cleaned up and thankfully there were picture diagrams of how to get dressed in the clothes provided and just after he got out the room, your family was waiting for him to greet him properly yet their excitement could hardly be contained, knowing it would take someone exceedingly special for you to settle down with. They had also cleaned up and changed Dyre into some new baby clothes as your family passed him around to greet him and love on him before they brought him and Dyre back to your room where you had just gotten an epideral to help with the pain and you were dressed in a hospital gown and much calmer and much more at ease now. 

“Hey,” you greeted Bjorn with a relieved smile as you reached out to him and he came over to you. 

“Are you ok?” He asked. 

“Oh yeah, I’m fine, I got an epideral, I’m much better now.” You answered before the anestesiaologist explained to Bjorn what an epideral was. 

Your family and Bjorn waited patiently for your labor to progress and after it did, you gave birth to your son- Rowen. Who was practically perfect. 

After a few days of recovery you took your new family home to your family’s estate and Bjorn was in a constant state of awe of how magnificent everything was and how nice and welcoming your family was. The dragons were very eager to see you again and see your sons and Bjorn and Bjorn was blown away that such great magnificent creatures acted like puppies towards him and Bjorn was all too happy to learn how to fly them and was a natural and he happily gave up his old life to stay with you because once he laid the foundation back in his time, his presence was no longer needed. 

Your wedding to Bjorn was the most beautiful in the order and it seemed all of Neveah was in attendance and the sister estate next to your parents’, so that you had your own space while still remaining close- you moved into it right after and it seemed to be filled to the brim with gifts that took forever to go through and you thought your fingers were going to fall off from all the thank you cards alone and a few years after that, your daughter was born, Astrid. And life with your family was all you could ask for. You had a husband who truly loved you and was never abusive to you and treated you with loving respect and kindness always. You had two sons who were as thick as thieves and while they got into plenty of mischief, they were good boys and Bjorn was an amazing father and was completely wrapped around his daughter’s finger. 

Once all your children were in school, you prepared yourself for going back into the field. Working out and getting back in shape and rehoning your skills while Bjorn settled into fatherhood and his new life being a dragoner- better than you would have thought he would but he was especially resilient.  

But as Dyre got older, he looked more and more like Ivar. You could see it in his smile, in his eyes, also in his personality. He was too smart for his own good but it was tempered with the sweetness Freydis had. Because while he looked like Ivar, his personality was more like his mother which made him the favorite by his classmates and popular in school and good at sports while Rowan was the first of his kind since no other agent had been able to conceive while the serum was injected and active. Thankfully he didn’t have any adverse affects, he took after his father in looks and personality while Astrid was a beautiful blend of both Bjorn and you.  

And then one day, you moment you were secretly dreading happened. 

“How come I don’t look more like Dad?” Dyre asked as the two of you were preening your dragon, Bora-Bora, rubbing special oils into her scales so that air and water alike glided over her body easier and made her faster than the wind- in the stables as you paused and gauged whether or not to tell him the truth before you realised he would find out sooner or later. 

“Because Dad isn’t your biological father.” You confessed. “The more you grow the more you’ll recognize that you don’t take after me or your Dad, but you do take after your biological parents quite a bit.” You revealed. 

“Who were they?” He asked curiously, having suspected something like this for a little while now. 

“Ivar the Boneless and his first wife, Freydis. You are their firstborn son, you were born as Buldur Ivarson. Freydis is not really mentioned in the sagas if you look him up. I was on a mission to protect Dad and when your mother gave birth to you, you were deformed and because of your deformity, your biological father rejected you and abandoned you in the forest, thinking it was more merciful to let you die young than have you live in agony, there was no way for you to survive without intervention, so I intervened. I used every tool in my arsonal to save you and heal you and it was the best decision I ever made. Dad and I love you very, very much and you are just as much our son as Rowan is. That’s why Dad abandoned his old life in that time to come with me to the present, to be with us. Because I was taking you here with me one way or another, even if I had to smuggle you in.” You explained. 

“Well can I ever go with you and meet him?” Dyre asked. 

“Maybe when you’re a little older. But I would not advise you to get any closer than we are to Midnight.” You said as you nodded over across the barn to Bjorn’s dragon Midnight who was this super dark inky blue dragon with a purple shimmer to his scales as Bjorn and Rowan were doing what you were doing to him what you and Astrid was combing the long fur on a silky dragon in the middle of the barn as the other dragonlings gathered around her, like puppies. 

From then on you could tell Dyre was researching all he could about Ivar the Boneless and when he found a picture of him that you had taken with your contacts, his breath crashed from his chest, he looked just like him but soon he ran out of information and you could tell he wanted to know more. 

“Come on, you’re coming to work with me today.” You told him one Saturday morning before he got his things together and came with you into the Order’s headquarters where you took him to your bay and he looked in awe at everything. All your clothes for all the different time periods, all your armor, all your weapons and technology and even the new advancements that had been made over the last several years before you showed him the feeds you had gathered on your last mission and had built a little movie for Dyre to see when it was time for him to learn the truth about himself and you sat with him and watched for hours. Watching Dyre watch it and react to it. 

He started crying when he saw what he was born as, touching his face and realizing how it had changed, how you had changed it and him and saved him. To hear Ivar’s speech to him was both beautiful and heartbreaking. To see how Ivar was with Freydis, sweet and loving one moment and violent the next. How convoluted he was and how he had his head so far up his own ass he honestly thought he was a god. It was madness. To see the scene unfold of Ivar strangling his own wife, Dyre's birth mother enraged him. But that's where the feed ended. 

“After this moment, he disappears from the record. No one knows what happened to him. He most likely slipped away in a disguise. He probably lived for a little while longer but….we just don’t know.” You informed him. 

Dyre nodded in understanding and the ride home was quiet as he contemplated everything before you reached over and held his hand. 

"Thank you." Dyre said quietly. "For showing me, for saving me." Dyre added as he brought your hand up to his lips and kissed the back of your hand while your heart melted before you mirrored his actions. 

"You're welcome. Please know that I would do it a thousand times over, a million times, a billion times. Because I love you and you are my beloved and precious son. And I will always love you and be here for you." You vowed. 

“Ok.” Dyre nodded.

[dustedmagazine]

Dust, Volume 5, Number 12

Matthew J. Rolin 

Ned Starke was right. Winter is coming, and maybe, for our Chicago and Eastern Seaboard contingent, it’s here. That’s a good excuse to find a big comfy chair near the stereo and dig into some new music. This time we offer some hip hop, some finger picking, some music concrete, some indie pop and, just this once, a Broadway musical. Contributors include Ray Garraty, Jennifer Kelly, Justin Cober-Lake, Jonathan Shaw, Bill Meyer and Andrew Forell. Stay warm.

ALLBLACK x Offset Jim — 22nd Ways (Play Runners Association)

ALLBLACK and Offset Jim have collaborated on a few tracks before, but this is their first release together. Their differences, which are significant, make the disc enjoyable through and through. Offset Jim has a poker face delivery that can fool anybody into thinking he’s deadly serious when he’s clearly having fun. ALLBLACK, on the other hand, is known for his goofy humor, but his goofiness is a mask that obscures a poetic psycho killer. Their combination of a healthy dose of humor and true-to-the-streets seriousness—seen here— makes a case for tolerating all kinds of oddball pairings:

“Don't leave the house without your makeup kit Diss songs about your real daddy just won't stick Hey, bitch, say, bitch, I know you miss this demon dick Please comb Max hair, take off them wack outfits”

Ray Garraty

 David Byrne — American Utopia (Nonesuch)

If you live long enough, everything that seemed edgy and electrifying in your youth will turn safe and comfortable in middle age. You’ll buy festival tickets with access to couches, tents and air conditioning. Clash songs will turn up in Jaguar ads. Kids at the playground will run around sporting your Black Flag tee-shirt. You may even find yourself in a $250 seat, at a beautiful theater, with your beautiful wife, seeing “American Utopia,” David Byrne’s new jukebox musical, and, to borrow a phrase, you may ask yourself, “How did I get here?” And look, you could do worse. These are wonderful songs, still prickly and spare even now in full orchestral arrangements, still booming with cross-currented, afro-beat rhythms (Byrne got to that early on, give him credit), still buoyed with a scratchy, ironic, ebullient pulse of life. It’s hard to say what plot line stitches together “Born Under Punches,” “Every Day is a Miracle,” “Burning Down the House” and “Road to Nowhere,” or how absorbing the connective narrative may be. It’s not, obviously, as kinetic and daring as the original arrangements, stitched together with shoe-laces, stuttering with anxiety, bounced and jittered by the back line of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, clad in an absurdly oversized suit. And, yet, it’s not so bad and if I had three big bills to spend on a night at the theater, I might just want to see it re-enacted. Because I’ve gotten safe and comfortable, too, and anyway, better that than the Springsteen show.

Jennifer Kelly

 Charly Bliss — Supermoon EP (Barsuk) 

Supermoon by Charly Bliss

Charly Bliss’ latest release Supermoon, collects five tracks written during the Young Enough sessions that didn’t make the final cut. The EP showcases the band transitioning from the grungy edge of their debut Guppy to the more polished pop sound of its successor. Eva Hendricks is one of the moment’s most distinctive voices, and these songs find her grappling with the themes so tellingly addressed on Young Enough. Although the songs here deserve release, the interest is in what they don’t do. More than sketches, they are less lyrically formed than those on the album, more guitar driven and without the big pop pay offs. The band, Hendricks on guitar and vocals, her brother Sam on drums, guitarist Spencer Fox and bassist Dan Shure still produce a hooky, engaging record which will appeal to fans. Newcomers might want to start with the albums but Supermoon is not without its moments.

Andrew Forell

  Cheval Sombre — Been a Lover b/w The Calfless Cow (Market Square)

Cheval Sombre - Been a Lover b/w The Calfless Cow by Market Square Recordings

Cheval Sombre teamed with Luna/Galaxie 500’s Dean Wareham last year for a haunting batch of cowboy songs that found, as I put it in my Dusted review, “unfamiliar shadows and crevices in some very familiar material.” Now comes Cheval Sombre, otherwise known as Chris Porpora, with a brace of soft, dreamy folk-turned-psychedelic songs, one a gently sorrowful original, the other a cover of Alasdair Roberts. “Been a Lover” slow-strums through a whistling canyons of dreams, wistfully surveying the remnants of a long-standing relationship. It has the nodding, skeletal grace of Sonic Boom’s acoustic “Angel,” perhaps no coincidence since the Spaceman 3 songwriter produced the album. “The Calfless Cow” anchors a bit more in folk blues picking, though Porpora’s soft, prayerful vocals float free above the foundations. Both songs feel like spectral images leaving traceries on unexposed film—unsolid and evocative and mysteriously, inexplicably there.

Jennifer Kelly

 Cigarettes After Sex — Cry (Partisan Records)

Cry by Cigarettes After Sex

Cigarettes After Sex’s 2017 debut album was a quite lovely collection of slow-core, lust-lorn dream pop. On the follow up Cry Greg Gonzalez (vocals, guitar), Phillip Tubbs (keys), Randall Miller (bass) and Jacob Tomsky (drums) double down on their signature sound with half the effect. The melodies are still here, the delicate restraint also, Gonzalez’ voice whispers seductively sweet nothings but this time around it is largely nothings he’s working with. It’s not that this is a terrible record, it’s more that the wreaths of gossamer amount to not much. Lacking the humorous touches of the debut, Cry suffers from Gonzalez’ sometimes witless and earnest lyrics which are mirrored in the lackluster pace which makes one desperate for the sex to be over so one can get back to smoking. Cry aims for Lynch/Badalamenti atmospherics and hits them occasionally but too often lapses into Hallmark sentimentalism. For an album ostensibly about romantic and physical love Cry is dispiritingly dry. There is only ash on these sheets. Serge Gainsbourg is somewhere rolling his eyes, and a gasper, in the velvet boudoir of eternity.

Andrew Forell

  Lucy Dacus — 2019 (Matador)

Between Historian and boygenius, Lucy Dacus had a pretty memorable 2018. It makes sense that she'd want to document 2019. What she did instead was release a series of holiday-ish tracks over the course of the year and then collect them as the 2019 EP. The covers will likely get the most attention, whether her loving take on Edith Piaf's “La vie en rose” or the rocking rendition of Wham!'s “Last Christmas.” Dacus doesn't perform these songs with any sense of snark; she's both enjoying herself and invested. Counting Bruce Springsteen's birthday as a holiday might be silly, but she nails “Dancing in the Dark,” turning it to her own aesthetic. The weird one here is “In the Air Tonight,” which smacks of irony and whatever we call guilty pleasures these days, but she plays it straight, arguing for it as a spooky Halloween cut, and sort of pulls it off.  

Focusing on the covers might lead listeners to forget how good a songwriter she is. The Mother's Day “My Mother & I” feels thoroughly like a Dacus number, opening with contemplation: “My mother hates her body / We share the same outline / She swears that she loves mine.” Holidays aren't easy. “Fool's Gold” (stick this New Year's track first or last) falls like snow, laden with regret and rationalization. Dacus works through holidays with care and concern. The covers might be fun (even the Phil Collins number works as a curiosity), but when she lets the more conflicted thoughts come through, as on “Forever Half Mast,” she maintains the hot streak. The EP might be a bit of a diversion, but its secret complexity makes it more surprisingly forceful. Justin Cober-Lake 

 Kool Keith — Computer Technology (Fat Beats)

Computer Technology by Kool Keith

Naming an album Computer Technology in 2019 is like calling a 1950 disc A Light Bulb. Ironic Luddite-ness is a part of the charm of the new Kool Keith’s album, his second this year. The record has a cyberpunk-ish (circa 1984) feel, thanks to wacky, early electronics-like beats that no sane hip hop artist today would agree to rap over. But who said Kool Keith was sane? He’s like a computer virus here, infesting a modern culture he views with disdain. His kooky brags could be written off as old man rants if he been in the rap game since day one. On “Computer Technology” he says: ‘You need to sit down and slow down’, yet he himself shows no signs of slowing down.

If Kool Keith’s 1980s science rap messed around in a high school lab, he’s now a tenured professor in hip hop science blowing up the joint.

Ray Garraty

 Leech — Data Horde (Peak Oil) 

Data Horde by Leech

Brian Foote���s work has a knack for showing up in slightly unexpected and subtly crucial places, whether it’s behind the scenes at Kranky and his own Peak Oil imprint, or as a member at times of Fontanelle or Nudge, or even just helping out Stephen Malkmus with drums. On Data Horde, his debut LP of electronic music under his Leech moniker, Foote works with his customary quiet assurance and subtly radical take on things, delivering a brief but satisfying set of bespoke productions that somehow evoke acid and ambient tinges at the same time, feinting towards full-out jungle eruptions before turning the corner and somehow naturally going somewhere much more minimal. Whether it’s the skittering, pulsing “Brace” or the lush and aptly-named “Nimble”, the results are consistently satisfying and the six tracks here suggest that we could stand to hear a lot more from Leech.  

Ian Mathers

Midnight Odyssey — Biolume Part 1: In Tartarean Chains (I, Voidhanger)

Biolume Part 1 - In Tartarean Chains by MIDNIGHT ODYSSEY

 Midnight Odyssey’s massive new record sounds like what might happen if Gary Numan’s Tubeway Army smoked up a bunch of Walter White’s finest product and decided that they must cover Pink Floyd’s Live at Pompei, complete with ruins and really big gongs. It’s interstellar. It’s perversely grandiose. The synths soar and rumble, the vocals come in mournful choral arrangements, the low end thunders and occasionally explodes into blast-beat barrage. It’s almost impossible to take seriously, and it’s presented with what seems like absolute seriousness. In any case, there’s a lot of it: seven tracks, all of which exceed the eight-minute mark, and most of which moan and intone and resonate well beyond ten minutes. You’ve got to give it to Dis Pater, the only identified member of Midnight Odyssey — he really means it. But it’s often hard to tell if Biolume Part 1 (Pater threatens that there are two more parts to come) is the product of an unchecked, idiosyncratically powerful vision or just goofball cosmological schmaltz. To this reviewer, it’s undecidable. And that’s interesting.

Jonathan Shaw

 Nakhane — You Will Not Die 

South African singer Nakhane Touré has a voice that can stop you in your tracks when he unleashes it, and a willingness to tackle uncomfortable topics (homosexuality, colonialism, and the way the imported Presbyterian church interacts with both) that’s seen him both praised and threatened in his homeland. You Will Not Die marks a shift in Nakhane’s music, both in terms of how directly and intensely he engages with those places where the sacred rubs up against, not so much the profane but the disavowed, even while sonically everything is lusher and brighter, whether it’s the slinky electroglam of “Interloper” or the bell-tolling balladry of “Presbyteria.” For once it’s worth seeking the deluxe edition, for the Bowie-esque Anohni duet “New Brighton” and the defiantly melancholy cover of “Age of Consent” alone.

 Matthew J. Rolin — Matthew J. Rolin (Feeding Tube)

Matthew J. Rolin by Matthew J. Rolin

Matthew J. Rolin steps to the head of the latest class of American Primitive guitarists on this self-titled debut LP. He is currently a resident of Columbus, Ohio, but his main inspirations from within the genre are Chicagoan. Reportedly a Ryley Walker concert sent him down the solo guitar path, but the one time this reviewer caught him in concert, Rolin only made one substance-oriented statement throughout the set, and it was more of a shy assertion than an extravagant boast. His sound more than pays the toll. Bright and ringing on 12 strings, pithy and structurally sound on six, he makes sparing use of outdoor sound and keyboard drones that bring Daniel Bachman to mind. Like Bachman did on his early records, Rolin often relies upon the rush of his fingerpicking to draw the listener along, and what do you know? It works.

Bill Meyer

  Claire Rousay — Aerophobia (Astral Spirits)

Aerophobia by Claire Rousay

To watch Claire Rousay perform is to see the process of deciding made visual. You can’t put that on a tape, but you can make the tape a symbolic and communicative object. To see Rousay repeatedly, or to play her recordings in sequence, is to hear an artist who is rapidly transforming. This one was already a bit behind her development when it was released, but that can be turned into a statement, too. Perhaps the title Aerophobia, which means fear of flying, is a critique of the tape’s essentially musical content? It is a series of drum solos, unlike the more the more recent t4t, which includes self-revealing speech and household sounds. If so, that critique does not reproach the music itself, nor should it. Even when you can’t see her, you can hear her sonic resourcefulness and appreciate the movement and shape she articulates with sound.

Bill Meyer

 Colin Andrew Sheffield & James Eck Rippie — Exploded View (Elevator Bath)

exploded view by colin andrew sheffield & james eck rippie

Colin Andrew Sheffield, who is the proprietor of the Elevator Bath imprint, and James Eck Rippie, who does sound work for Hollywood movies, have this understanding in common: they know that you gotta break things to make things. The things in question don’t even have to be intact when you start; at any rate, the feedback, microphone bumps, blips and skips that make up this 19-minute long piece of musique concrete sound like the product of generations of handling. It all feels a bit like you’re hearing a scan of the shortwave bands from inside the radio, which makes for delightfully disorienting listening.

Bill Meyer

 Ubik — Next Phase (Iron Lung)

Next Phase MLP (LUNGS-148) by UBIK

 Philip K. Dick’s whacko-existentialist-corporate-satire-cum-SF-novel Ubik turns 50 this year, and serendipitously, Australian punks Ubik have released this snarling, tuneful EP into the world. There’s a whole lot of British street punk, c. 1982, in Ubik’s sound, especially if that genre tag and year make you flash on Lurkers, Abrasive Wheels and Angelic Upstarts — bands that knew how to string melodic hooks together, and bands that had pretty solid lefty politics. Ubik’s songs couple street punk’s populist (in the pre-Trump sense) fist-pumping with a spastic, elastic angularity, giving the tracks just enough of a weirdo vibe that the band’s name makes sense. The combination of elements is vividly present in “John Wayne (Is a Cowboy (and Is on Twitter)),” a hugely fun punk song that registers a fair degree of ideological venom as it bashes and speeds along. Somewhere, Horselover Fat is nodding his head and smiling. 

Jonathan Shaw

 Uranium Club — Two Things at Once (Sub Pop)

Uranium Club (sometimes Minneapolis Uranium club) made one of the best punk albums of this year in The Cosmo Cleaners. “A visionary insanity, backed by impressive musical chops,” I opined in Dusted last April, setting off a frenzy of interest and an epic major label bidding war. Just kidding. Hardly anyone noticed. Uranium Club was this year’s Patois Counselors, a band so good that it made no sense that no one knew about them. But, fast forward to now and LOOK at the heading of this review! Sub Pop noticed and included Uranium Club in its storied singles club. And why not? The bluntly named “Two Things at Once,” (Parts I and 2), is just as tightly, maniacally wound as the full-length, just as gloriously, spikily confrontational. “Part 1” scrambles madly, pulling hair out by the roots as it agitatedly considers “our children’s creativity” and whether “I’m too young to die.” It’s like Fire Engines, but faster and crazier and with big pieces of machinery working loose and flying off the sides. “Part 2” runs slower and more lyrically but with no less intensity, big flayed slashes of discord rupturing its meditative strumming. There are no words in it, and yet you sense deep, obsessive bouts of agitation driving its motor, even when the brass comes in, unexpectedly, mournfully, near the end. This is the good stuff, and no one wants you to know about it. Except me. And now Sub Pop. Don’t miss out.

Jennifer Kelly

 Various Artists— Come on up to the House: Women Sing Waits (Dualtone)

Come On Up To The House: Women Sing Waits by Dualtone Music Group, Inc.

Tom Waits’ gravelly voice is embedded deep in the fabric of how we think of Tom Waits songs. You can’t think of “Come On Up to the House” without sandpapery catch in its gospel curves, or of “Downtown Train” without his strangled desolation; he is the songs, and if you don’t like the way he sings, you’ve probably never cared much for his recordings. And yet, here, in this all-woman, star-studded, country-centric collection of covers, you can hear, maybe for the first time, how gracefully constructed these songs are, how pretty the melodies, how well the lyrics fit to them. You cannot believe how different these songs sound with women singing. It is truly revelatory. Contributors include big stars (Aimee Mann, Corinne Rae Bailey), living legends (Iris Dement, Roseanne Cash), up-and-comers (Courtney Marie Andrews, Phoebe Bridgers) and a few emerging artists (Joseph, The Wild Reeds), and all have a case to make. Phoebe Bridgers distills “Georgia Lee” into a quiet, tragic purity, while Angie McMahon finds a private, inward-looking clarity in “Take It With Me.” Courtney Marie Andrews blows up “Downtown Train,” into a swaggering country anthem, while Roseanne Cash infuses “Time” with a warm, unforced glow. These versions transform weird, twisted reveries into American songbook classics, which is what they maybe were, under all that growling, all along.

Jennifer Kelly

[cyangarden]

Sharpshooter

“Shoot when ready.”

Pidge experiences Lance’s skill firsthand.

W: Implied torture and mentions of blood

Pidge decided to go out on a solo mission to look for clues about her brother though it didn’t go as planned. The Bounty Hunter managed to track down Pidge and he has taken her captive. Pidge managed to send out a distress signal to the team, but Keith was able to get first since he’s in nearby planet.

Unfortunately, Keith was lured into a trap as the Bounty Hunter saw Pidge sending out the signal. It was a lucky day for him, two Paladins under his hand. Instead of just giving them to Zarkon, he thought he could use them as a bargaining tool to lure out the other Paladins.

After a video of the demands by the Bounty Hunter was sent to the Castle, the remaining Paladins quickly formed a plan to rescue the two. However, he was prepared. He chose a location where the surrounding area was open ground to avoid any surprises, or that was what he thought.

A ray of light casts through the window of the basement and into the face of Pidge and Keith causing them to be awake. A new day came for the two captives, they were holed up in a basement for three days, barely getting food and water.

The Bounty Hunter gave them some roughing up, but Keith insisted to go him instead rather than Pidge. The Bounty Hunter gladly obliged to offer as much as Pidge told Keith that it was a stupid idea. Keith was injured with the beating, and Pidge was only slightly.

Pidge noticed something inconsistently glinting out in the hills, it mustn’t be the sunrise. It seemed like it was a Morse code.

“They’re here, Keith. They’re here.”

“Finally.”

The sound of a creaking door and heavy footsteps entered the room.

“I feel like your friend here seems tired. How about I switch prisoners today?”

Pidge and Keith looked up to the Bounty Hunter from where they were tied to a chair.

“No, don’t do that.” Keith muttered.

The Bounty Hunter gave Keith an evil smile, “Why? You don’t have a say in this situation.”

“Lance wouldn’t like whatever you’re planning for her.”

Pidge’s eyes widened, getting the attention of the Bounty Hunter. She wondered why Keith said that specifically.

“The Red Paladin, huh? Why is that?” The Bounty Hunter faced Pidge, “There must be something interesting from how you reacted.”

“Just trust me! Don’t do it.” Keith said.

The Bounty Hunter punched him in the stomach, “Silence! I’m not interested with you today.”

Lance and Hunk were lying prone in a hill a great distance away from the target building and being aligned with the sunrise, it helped conceal their position better. They had a perfect view of the window of the basement.

“I should have insisted to go with Pidge, I felt something off before she left.” Lance told Hunk.

Lance was feeling uneasy with the entire mission to rescue Pidge and Keith and his nerves were shaken when he saw her condition. Lance hoped that their injuries wouldn’t be bad nor there would be more, though he was more concerned with Pidge.

“Why didn’t you say so?” Hunk pondered.

“I just don’t want her to think I’m being so nosy with her. I mean, when I’m in the lab, she seems annoyed by me.”

Hunk gave him a small chuckle.

“What?”

“It’s just funny that Pidge mentions you a lot whenever we’re working, talking about your visits in the lab.”

“I guess I do really annoy her,” Lance felt dejected.

“From what I can tell, not really. She seems to enjoy the time with you specially when you two are playing the game. Though I think she’s annoyed by something else.”

“What do you mean by that?” Lance got intrigued.

Hunk cut him off to avoid answering the question, “There they are, they’re in position.”

A few meters away from the building was a ditch where Shiro and Allura were positioned to swoop inside. The ditch lead to an underground waterway which the two used to sneakily approach the building.

“Status?” Shiro asked.

“Outside seems clear, there’s only one on the second floor of the building and the other one in the basement.” Hunk reported.

“Copy that, Hunk,” Shiro replied.

“We’re ready when you are,” Allura added.

The comms were cutoff leaving Lance and Hunk in silence.

Lanced noticed their assigned roles in the mission, “Hunk, why are you here up with me? Or why am I not down there to make just to make sure?”

“Because you’re using the railgun rifle Pidge and I built. Plus, you have the most important part, you’re going to protect the two from further harm."

“Couldn’t just the ballistics computer tell me about things I should need?”

“The rifle is new; the ballistics computer is still not finished. Only basic stuff like wind compensation, gravity detection and projectile drop compensation are implemented.”

“That’s a lot of things.”

“But that’s why you’re here, you’re the shot.” As Hunk tapped Lance’s shoulder.

“Why not just my Bayard anyway?”

“From what we have gathered, the Bounty Hunter has a special glass installed on the windows, it will refract the laser shot and might cause you to miss. Things might get messy if that happens even if Shiro and Allura could get in quickly.”

“But this gun will deal with that?”

“It’s currently loaded with the APDS round, it should have enough energy to punch through the glass. Though it uses a special dart to tranquilize the target for a good while rather than the usual penetrator. The dart might go through him, but he would still be injected.”

“The what now?”

Hunk explained, “Armor-piercing discarding sabot. There’s a thing holding the actual penetrator inside — well the dart — and it comes off when it exits the barrel, so the projectile can have the maximum exit velocity. Also, you might only have one shot, the capacitor might not charge fast enough for a follow-up shot.”

“Don’t worry, that’s all I need.”

“I believe you.”

Hunk suddenly saw the Bounty Hunter behind the window, “Lance, you see him?”

“Yeah, I got eyes on him.” Lanced confirmed.

Hunk instructed Lance to dial in the adjustments needed, “Range, 1856 meters. Elevation, 200 meters. Wind, temperature and humidity not changed. Atmospheric composition is same with Earth, ballistic profile is loaded in the scope. We’re higher than the target so aim an eighth of an inch lower than the compensation reticle. The Coriolis effect would be present at this distance even if the projectile travels half a second to the target but aim an eighth to the right. Got it?”

Lance adjusted his aim and the dials on the scope, “Yeah, got it.”

“Shoot when ready.”

The Bounty Hunter slapped Pidge hard, making the side of her face bleed. He was done with his patience after three days of interrogating the two Paladins, he wants answer now.

“We told you everything you need to know about us! I keep telling you that I’m the tech genius, Keith is a member of the Blades, Lance is the sharpshooter, Hunk is the engineer, Allura’s new in Blue and Shiro’s back in Black. What’s there to know more?”

“Where are they right now?!” The Bounty Hunter demanded.

“I don’t know! They could be anywhere right now!” Pidge answered back.

“You said a couple of days ago they were in Olkarion!”

Trusting her instinct and Lance, Pidge nodded her head in a silent agreement with him to give out the signal, “I did say that, but didn’t you just hear what I also said? I said Lance is the sharpshooter!”

He raised his arm, readying to slap her again, “I said where are they, you litt—”

The sound of the broken glass, then the crack from the sonic boom of the projectile which rapidly followed entered the room. The Bounty Hunter slowly lost his balance and control of his body before he fell down. Five seconds later, the sound of the gunshot was heard.

The two gave out a slight chuckled at what just happened.

Keith asked Pidge about her condition, “You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m good. I can manage.” Pidge assured him.

Keith then teased her, “I guess you’re using Sharpshooter now, huh?”

Pidge just smiled, “Since when he started to call himself one. I believed him.”

Back in the hill, Lance sent the order, “Move!”