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the-blind-assassin-12 · 4 days ago

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Let me just start this off by saying that if you have not been reading Liminality, you are MISSING. OUT. I am banging pots and pans, standing on the roof, screaming at the top of my lungs to get everyone's attention about this story.

Werewolf Frankie, you guys. WEREWOLF. FRANKIE. Better yet, Protective! Werewolf! Frankie!

And if that alone isn't enough to convince you, this story also has:

All of the TF guys (+ Yovanna!), characterized beautifully.

Smut of the passionate, intimate & scathingly hot variety.

Legitimately fun and funny moments.

DANGER! HIGH STAKES! DRAMA! BETRAYAL!

It's own very involved history and lore.

Did I mention that Francisco Catfish Morales is a friggin wolf?

In conclusion, what are you waiting for??

Okay. That was my case for the story as a whole. Let's dive into this chapter specifically now, shall we?

^ live look at me during and after reading part 16. This shit is bananas (b-a-n-a-n-a-s) and it has officially hit the fan and it's going down for real and sugar we're going down swinging for the goddamn fences.

This is the chapter that the whole story has been building toward and it was everything I wanted and so much more! The stakes (and emotions) have already been high throughout, but they went through the roof in this chapter - and it worked perfectly. The action scenes, the fighting, the surprise factor, Reader & Frankie's injuries, the interrogation, the fear, Tom being the lowest, scummiest lifeform on the planet, Frankie having to deal with two of the worst things imaginable in the same damn day - killing a man who was once a brother, and "failing" to protect the woman he loves more than life itself. Oh, fuck, how my heart ached and ached and ACHED for him here. I know, and he knows, that they are so solid and strong together that they'll be alright and they'll get through it all right by each other's side. But still, it's not what they wanted. It's more than not what he wanted, it was the exact thing he did not want. But that is life sometimes, and the silver (ooooo maybe not the best to line things with silver in this universe) the golden lining is that they have the world's best support system in Benny, Will, Pope, Yova, Ashley and Alec.

There were so many details that I obsessed over. Frankie's eyes and the way they change to reflect his feelings, instincts, ferocity etc. being my favorite by far. I also love the way that the guys have all taken Reader in as part of their family, and how they aren't shy about telling her how good they think she is for Frankie and how deeply he feels for her.

TOM. THAT FUCKING SMARMY BASTARD! I really didn't think it would be possible for me to hate him more than I already did but fuck, I definitely do. The fact that his grand plan was to turn reader and then make her watch Frankie die - not only to crush her in that moment but also so she'd have to deal with the consequences of the bite alone? I'm so glad his corpse is destined to become gator shit. Looks like this asshole gets a closed casket funeral in every universe. I only wish his wife and daughter could know what he was and what he did because he does not deserve their tears or grief.

I am not at all scared about Reader handling the bite. She's got Frankie and the guys and Ashley, and she's already so knowledgeable when it comes to navigating this world. What I am scared of, and have been the entire time Tom went on his rabid little rampage, is the Chaos line leaders showing up like the fucking Volturi. Although if I were them I would probably thank Frankie for taking care of their biggest mistake. Still though, I am anxious.

I love this story way more than a normal amount, and I cannot wait to see where it goes next. Thank you for writing such a thrilling, fun, action-packed love adventure, you are incredible and we are all lucky to get to read your stories!

Liminaliy: Part 16

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word Count: 11,975 (it's a big one.)

Rating: I'm going to go with an M. This is a heavy chapter with very heavy themes. Included: violence, blood, gore, injury, death.

Summary: Waiting at the RV for Tom gives you a chance to focus on every possible thing that might happen.

And when things come to a head, it all moves so much more quickly than you anticipate - but hey, at least you finally get some answers... right?

Author’s note:

It's the February full moon tonight, so what better day than to post this chapter? I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. There's only a little more to go in this story - the end of it is so close I can SEE it. Thank you so much for reading along up to this point, I hope you enjoy this one.

Masterlist (for the journal entries and all of the other 'extras' + previous chapters)

“It’s after midnight, Benny.” You checked your phone with one hand, the fingers of the other buried in the fur on the back of Frankie’s neck. “He’s just fucking with us now.” Frankie sighed, looking up at you from where his head rested in your lap. “Maybe he’s not coming. Maybe it was all just to put us on edge.”

“Nah, it was a threat.” Benny stood, stretching both arms above his head. “This ends tonight one way or the other.” He began to pace in front of you, hands sliding into his pockets. “I’m guessing he couldn’t figure out how to get outta that conference early and had to cut it real close with making it back here before sundown.” Benny stopped moving, scanning the treeline. “He wouldn’t be able to sneak up on us. Not with ‘Fish’s nose, so he’d need to figure something else out.” Frankie whined at that but didn’t make any attempt to get up.

When, after an hour or so had passed and Tom hadn’t shown his face, you stood to stretch your legs and do a lap around the clearing, Frankie had immediately followed, walking beside you - and between you and the treeline. And when you’d chosen to fold the blanket up and sit on it instead of getting back into your chair, he’d dropped down beside you, turning his head to rest it on your knee.

Neither of you had moved after, and you would have been lying if you’d said that having him so close while a wolf wasn’t comforting. When Benny had excused himself to use the bathroom, leaving you and Frankie in the quiet darkness, you’d started to pet the wolf, fingers stroking along the top of his head. It soothed you, and when you started talking quietly, you hoped your words did the same for him.

“It’s got to be killing you not to run.” You took a deep breath. “But you’re saving your energy. And Tom won’t be able to do that.” He whined again in response, the sound quick. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I’m glad you trust me to do this.” Bending forward, you kissed him between the ears. “You really are beautiful this way, Francisco. I hope you know that.” You sat up, the sound of the RV door opening again drawing your attention - and breaking the moment. “Have you heard from anyone else, Benny? Pope or Will or Yova?”

“No. All quiet. I think they’re waiting to hear from me.” He crouched down in front of you, clearing his throat. “Maybe you want to take another look around, hmm? Go out a couple yards into the trees and do a circle around us?” Frankie raised his head, staring at his friend. “Can’t hurt, right?”

To your surprise, Frankie stood and stretched, turning back to look at you - and then opened his mouth, extending his tongue to lick the side of your face. It made you laugh, but before you could say anything, he was trotting away from you and back toward the trees, head held high.

“It’s weird tonight.” You both watched as he disappeared into the night, leaving you behind. “Last time, when Tom showed up, the bugs and animals went quiet. Tonight, they’re already quiet because Frankie’s here.”

“I don’t know what the fuck we’re going to do if he doesn’t show up.” Benny whispered the words, purposely trying to keep his voice down. “I figured he’d be here by now.” Me too. “Will’s wife is safe, she’s in the city. And Pope and Yova are too far away for him to find.” You nodded. “The bar’s too busy and too public, so he won’t go there. Carmen and Becca … Lakeland’s on the way between Tampa and Orlando, but I really don’t think…”

“He wouldn’t. Benny, he… The Chaos line they don’t… kids are off limits. I don’t think I remember ever reading anything about -” But Tom didn’t seem to care who he attacked, and you were a prime example of that. And that’s terrifying.

Frankie returned, yipping softly to let you know it was him, and when he sat in front of you, he jerked his head back and forth twice. Nothing. Where the fuck are you, Tom? “Worth a shot to look.” Benny lowered his head, pulling his hat off and resituating it. “Hey.” He looked over at you, and then pointed at the RV door. “Do you need to go inside?” You did - and agreed, pushing to your feet and taking the few steps over to the door before pulling it open.

Benny had turned the TV on, the volume low while a movie played. Smart. You didn’t turn the lights on, and after doing what you needed to, you opened the refrigerator, reaching for one of the cans inside. Caffeine will be good. I need -

Your thoughts were interrupted as Frankie’s low growl filtered in through the window, followed by the crunch of gravel. Something’s happening. Drink forgotten, you broke for the door and went back outside to find Benny standing with one hand at his hip, fingers hovering over the butt of the gun there.

Frankie was crouched low, his tail puffy as he faced the far trees - the same ones Tom had emerged from the previous month… and then you heard it, a low, ominous howl that carried on the breeze. “He’s here.” Your hand went to your waist, too, and you pulled out the tranquilizer gun, making sure it was loaded before lifting and pointing it. “Benny, wh-”

“Where is he, ‘Fish? I can’t see ‘im.” Benny stepped forward, using the RV to protect his back. “In front? Behind? Side? Where the fuck is…” The howl came again, and at the sound, Frankie growled - that one louder than the first one, and lingering in his throat as he inched forward. His head moved back and forth as he searched in the darkness, and then without warning, Frankie took off, running for the trees and disappearing into them, leaving you and Benny behind. “What the fuck?” Benny took a few more steps, eyes on where the wolf had gone. “Why did -”

“He’s got to get Tom out of the trees.” You winced as you heard the snapping of branches and the rustling of leaves, eyes darting back and forth as you searched the darkness. “He’s forcing an attack and taking away the element of surprise.” Benny swore, and even though your heart was racing, you felt calm. More than I should, anyway. “If -”

The rustling turned to snarling, and then that turned into the distinct sound of fighting - barks and yelps accompanied by crashing noises, the sounds getting louder by the second. “They’re coming back. They -” Benny swore again as both of them tumbled through the tree line and into the clearing, teeth bared in snarls.

Your hands wavered when you saw the size difference.

Tom was much larger than Frankie, his jaws snapping as the two fought. They were a mess of fur and limbs as they moved toward you, and you realized that even though Frankie was focused on Tom, he was also consciously making the effort to bring him closer, giving you and Benny clearer shots.

Stepping away from Benny and giving yourself a different angle, you took a deep breath and tried to focus, watching as the fight raged on. Realistically, there’d need to be more than one dart used. Tom was big, and the more of the drug you got into the system, the better off you’d be.

You winced as Tom snapped his jaws and almost got a mouthful of Frankie’s neck, but the longer the fight played out, the more you realized that even though Tom was bigger, Frankie was faster - and much more confident in his movement. Good. You inched closer, waiting for your shot.

Frankie lunged, catching Tom by surprise, and moments later, the two wolves were rolling over the ground, Frankie’s jaws locked around one of Tom’s legs. They came to a stop with Tom on top, and though the fighting - and snapping - continued, Frankie didn’t try to get back up. He’s giving us a shot.

You aimed, took a breath and then fired as you let it out, the sound of the gun surprising you - and echoed moments later by a shot from Benny. One of the darts hit - and stuck - though you didn’t know whose it was, but the interruption didn’t phase Tom. They continued to fight, even as Benny fired again, swearing as the dart went wide. “I’m out! I need to reload!” You swore, flexing your fingers, and then fired again, too, that dart making contact and sticking out of Tom’s back. Thank God.

But he didn’t stop attacking Frankie, and you could see that the smaller wolf was getting tired, even if he was still holding his own. Glancing over at Benny, you watched as he grabbed for more darts - but your attention went back to the wolves as you heard Frankie howl in pain.

Tom’s jaws were locked around Frankie’s neck, but he wasn’t biting hard - despite Frankie struggling. You acted without thinking, dropping the gun before rushing forward as you reached into your pocket for the extra darts. “Tom! Let him go, you shitbag!”

Both wolves froze at the sound of your voice, and you heard Benny yell for you to back off - but you stood your ground, hand in your pocket and your fingers wrapped around the dart barrels. Shoot him, Benny. Fucking shoot him. I gave you time, what are you waiting for.

Frankie moved first, attempting to twist out of Tom’s hold but couldn’t. The other wolf clamped down and then jerked his head back and forth, shaking Frankie before letting go. You watched him fly across the clearing, eyes following the movement as you cried out. Your body moved forward without thinking, even though there was no way to get to Frankie unless you passed Tom.

Tom turned his attention in your direction, launching himself at you - and rather than fear, you only felt resignation. At least Benny will be able to get him. But before Tom got too close, you saw a red dot at the center of his chest, and your brows knit in confusion. What’s that from? Moments later, another cluster of darts landed there, sticking out of the dark fur. What?

That was the last thought you had before he collided with you, knocking you to the ground.

Your head bounced as you hit, but there was no time to think about it, the weight of Tom’s wolf settling atop you. You heard screaming but didn’t know where it was coming from, and as you kicked at Tom, trying to reenact what you’d done the previous month, you reached up and stabbed him in the side of the neck with the handful of darts, opening your mouth to scream in rage as you made contact. Take that you fuck. There was a sharp pain in your shoulder, and then his weight was gone, the sound of growling loud in your ears as you laid there, dazed.

What the fuck just … Attempting to push yourself upright, you hissed as you put weight on your left hand, and were stunned to see that Benny and Will were running across the clearing, carrying the net to where Frankie and Tom were still fighting - the two wolves rolling around in the gravel. Will? I’m seeing things, I …

“Oh, sweetheart.” You gasped as a pair of arms went around you from behind, and when you looked up, you saw Pope’s face, his eyes filled with concern. “Any one of us coulda told you thatt trying to be the hero’s a really fucking stupid idea.”

“P…Pope?” Your voice was shaky, but you continued. “How are you … why are you…”

“Not now.” He glanced up, and then looked back at you, reaching down to unzip your hoodie. “Need to get this off of you, alright?” You nodded, the small movement making your head throb. When you lifted your arm to pull it free from the sleeve, you were alarmed to see blood on it. Is that mine?

“I’m bleeding.” Where is it coming from? You felt fear coursing through you, but you kept your eyes on the ruined material, head shaking back and forth in disbelief at the sight of the tattered garment. Why is it ripped? “Pope, I -”

“It’s alright.” He tossed it to the side and then reached down, pulling off his own shirt and folding it, the man using both hands to press it against your shoulder. “It’s alright, you’re going to be alright, you -”

“He bit me.” You looked down, watching as the blood began to seep through the cotton. “Didn’t he. Pope, he -” What if I turn? What if I turn now and I hurt him? Or one of - “Get away from me.” You pushed against him with one hand, weakly trying to fight him off as tears began to leak from your eyes. “Pope if he bit me, I might -”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He wound an arm around you and used the weight of your body against his chest to hold the fabric against your skin. “And neither are you. I’ve got you. You’re with me, alright? Look. Look at them. Focus on them.”

You finally looked out and saw that Tom and Frankie were circling each other, the larger wolf clearly exhausted and beginning to succumb to the drugs in his system. He tripped but recovered, rearing back as Frankie lunged and snapped his jaws. Tom landed awkwardly, stumbling forward - and then he toppled over, giving Will and Benny a chance to drape the net over him.

He growled, the sound weak, but didn’t make any attempt to move. Got him. After one final look at Tom, Frankie turned in your direction. He snarled and sprang into action, crossing the distance to you and then skidding to a stop. He growled, his gold eyes blazing, but Pope didn’t flinch. “‘Fish, I -”

Frankie growled again and you reached out with your right hand, waiting for him to push his nose against your palm. His muzzle was covered in blood but you didn’t care, and as soon as he made contact, you started crying harder. He’s ok.

“I need to see it, Pope.” Glancing up, you saw that Will had made his way over from where Tom was trapped, his arms hanging loosely by his sides. “I need to see how bad it is.” Yeah, I need to know too. Straightening up, you winced when the pressure lessened and sucked in a breath as Pope pulled the t-shirt away from your shoulder, exposing the wound. “Oh, fuck.”

Will swore, covering his face with both hands. It’s bad. All you could do was stare at Frankie, trying to figure out how worried you needed to be based on his reaction. You watched as he sat down on his haunches and then tipped his head back before letting out a howl that was filled with so much anguish it sent a fresh round of tears streaming down your face. It echoed through the clearing, and you felt Pope flinch at the sound of it. Ok, so it’s really bad.

Letting your hand drop back into your lap, you took a deep breath and then looked up at Will. Shit. “Maybe sometime I’ll come out here and not get hurt.” He cracked a smile, jerking his thumb at the RV.

“Maybe. I’ll go get the first aid kit, alright? Then we’ll get you cleaned up.” Pope shifted behind you as Will walked away, and when you stayed upright, he got up, too, moving to stand in front of you.

“When Ironhead comes back out here, we’ll get you over to the picnic table.” Pope reached up, using the hand that wasn’t bloody to rub at the back of his neck. “Did you bring other clothes? We’re going to have to cut that shirt off, and -”

“Inside.” Swallowing around a lump in your throat, you closed your eyes. “There’s a couple of them in my bag.” He nodded, opening his mouth to say something else but you cut him off. “Go inside, Pope. Wash your hands. It’s fine. If… If Tom tried anything, I think Benny would - “

“If this asshole so much as moves an ear, it’ll be the last goddamn thing he does.” Benny looked over, and even in the dim light, you could see the sadness in his expression. “You alright?” No. “Stupid fucking question, I know. But -”

Pope followed Will inside, and that left you with Frankie, whose head was bowed, making it possible for him to avoid looking at you. You looked down at your shoulder, eyeing the wounds. I don’t want to look at it, either.

They were still bleeding freely, streams of red running down your skin and dripping onto your pants and the ground. It hurt - the pain a dull ache that radiated through your arm and the left side of your body. It’s going to hurt worse tomorrow. Moving it slowly, you bent your arm at the elbow and pressed your forearm against your belly. I need to keep it from moving.

“Francisco. If I was going to turn tonight, I would have already, right?” Frankie finally looked up, meeting your eyes. His were still gold, but there was so much of him in them that it made you gasp. “Right?”

His head moved up and down once, and though it was confirmation, it didn’t give you any real relief. It just means I have a month to sit and wait. Frankie whined, leaning forward to nudge at your uninjured arm with his head. You lifted that hand, stroking the side of his face. There’s nothing he can do right now and it’s got to be killing him.

“I want you to take these.” Will appeared again, holding out two circular tablets. “Pain pills. Might make you a little loopy for a couple hours, but your arm can’t feel good and it’ll help me do what I need to do.” You took them and then Will reached into the bag he carried and pulled out a bottle of water. “I’ll help you.” He knelt down in front of you, and to your surprise, Frankie growled again, moving closer to where you sat - almost like he was going to put himself between you and Will. “‘Fish, you -”

“Frankie, it’s fine. He’s just …” You pushed your shoulders back, wincing at the way your skin pulled. “He’s trying to help. Stop growling at him.” He curled his lip but did as you asked, staying put - and quiet - while you put the pills in your mouth and Will lifted the bottle to your lips. You took it from him, tipping your head back as you swallowed.

“How’s your head feel? You’re bleeding from there, too, I think.” Will took the water and set the bottle down after recapping it. “Let me check.” He reached for you, carefully turning your head back and forth as his fingers prodded gently at your hair. “You are bleeding, but it’s not a lot.” He sighed. “I’m going to help you up. We’re going to walk to the table, and then I’m going to clean your shoulder. It’s not going to feel good.”

“Pope’s getting me a new shirt.” You gestured to yours. “I don’t think I’ll be able to wear this one again.” The corner of his mouth twitched, but Will didn’t speak as he stood, waiting for you to shift your position so that you were kneeling. He reached out for you, using one large hand to grip your good elbow, and then steadied you with his other hand at your waist, helping to pull you to your feet.

You swayed as a wave of dizziness hit, stumbling forward as Will caught you. “I’ve got you.” He spoke quietly, the words barely audible over a whine from Frankie. “Can you walk? It’s just a couple feet.” You thought so and told him as much. As Pope reemerged from the RV, you eased into a sitting position on the picnic table’s bench, your back pressed to the edge of the tabletop.

“Do you need me over here, Ironhead? If not, I’m gonna go over with -”

“Why are you here?” You took a long breath as Will unzipped the first aid kit, reaching for scissors. “How are you here? Yova posted the -”

“Will and I got here this morning. He’s been up in the blind, and I was on top of the RV.” Pope shrugged. “Hid our scent using the same shit hunters do, and we just hoped Tom would think whatever he could smell was lingering from when we were here before.” He smiled. “Yova and I went to St. Augustine a couple weeks ago and took that. She’s there now, and so is my phone, so it’ll be like I was there, too.”

Frankie had moved to sit beside you, paws settled neatly in front of his body as he watched the three of you talk. “We needed clear shots at him.” Will spoke as he started to cut at your shirt, the scissors sliding easily through the thin material. “I never had one because they were fighting. Pope got one when he came toward you.”

“I got him with a couple darts, too.” You winced as he peeled the cotton from your skin. “I hope there’s enough left to keep him sedated until morning.”

“There is.” Pope patted his pocket. “I’m going over with Benny so we can keep an eye on that.” You nodded and he turned away, walking slowly across the clearing and leaving you with Frankie and Will, who was getting things ready from the kit.

“I’m sorry you have to keep bandaging me up.” You buried your fingers in Frankie’s fur, fingers curling tightly as Will began to wipe the blood away. Ow. “Can’t imagine this is what you want to be doing, so -”

“Not your fault.” He set bloody towels into a plastic container, sighing. “And I’m just glad I am here to do this for you, because as much as I love my little brother, he would have done a shit job.” He was quiet as he got back to work, and you focused your attention on Benny and Pope, the two circling slowly around the body of the wolf beneath the net.

“How bad is it?” Tilting your head away from your injured arm, you closed your eyes. “Do you need to stitch it, or -”

“Shouldn’t suture puncture wounds.” Will prodded gently at your skin, urging you to lean forward. “Traps the bacteria inside and makes infection more likely, even if we clean it.” Oh. “And … I won’t lie to you. He got you good. Couple of these marks will probably scar bad.” He touched your back again. “I think he hit bone here. Might actually have to stitch that one up, it’s more of a tear…” He sighed again. “Tom bit you. He bit you while in wolf form, and -”

“I know what that means.” You blinked back tears again. “I don’t think I’ll turn tonight. I asked Frankie and he -”

“It probably needs some time to work through your body.” Will began to clean your wounds and you hissed at the sting of it, though you assumed that with the drugs in your system, the pain was much less severe than it could have been. “I wish I could tell you that because you didn’t turn tonight, you wouldn’t, but …”

“I know.” You opened your eyes again, watching as Benny leaned over Tom and gave him another dose. “I guess I’m just in wait and see mode until next month, but …”

“He’s such an asshole.” Will wiped at the front of your shoulder, more bloody towels joining the others moments later. “I can’t believe he -”

“I can.” You weren’t gripping Frankie’s fur anymore, instead you were petting him, the soft hair between his ears slipping along your palm. “He’s miserable. And he had to know that I wouldn’t die from this, so he wanted me to have to deal with it for the rest of my life.” Absently, you swiped at your face, wiping the tears away. “What if because he bit me, I turn into one of them? An asshole wolf from an asshole line, and -”

“We won’t let you.” Will sighed. “‘Fish certainly won’t let you. And I don’t think you would let yourself do that, either. If Frankie was able to keep himself under control without help from another wolf for years, I think you can do it with all of our help.”

“You didn’t sign up for this, Will. You and Benny and Pope have your own lives and families, and -”

“You’re with ‘Fish. You’re part of that family, wolf or not.” It floored you - he spoke with such certainty, the admission matter of fact in a way that shouldn’t have surprised you from someone like him who clearly valued the people he was close to. “Now I need you to lean forward. It’s cleaned up, but I want to stitch some of it before I use antiseptic, and the part that needs stitches is low.” You did as he asked, Will reminding you to relax as much as possible.

He started stitching moments later, and even though it hurt, it was more of a background pain than anything else. “Frankie.” You hummed his name, fingers trailing over his fur. “You should go and get this blood off of you.” He got up, turning to face you, and then cocked his head to the side. “Your face. It’s…” Wait. “Is that yours? Are you bleeding?” You scanned the area where he’d been sitting, and only saw a few drops on the ground. “Are you OK? He threw you through the -”

He whined, tossing his head back and forth before he turned in a slow circle in front of you. No wounds. “He heals pretty quick like that.” Will cleared his throat. “His body’s real resilient.” Frankie sat again, looking between you and Will. “But she’s right. You should take a minute and go clean up, otherwise when you turn back, you’re going to be covered in blood.”

He didn’t want to leave you - you could tell in the way he sat, his attention unwavering. But he needs to. “It’s fine, Frankie. Go. There’s a creek close by, right?. He whined, pawing at the ground. “I’ll be here when you get back, and Will will be done, and -” He stepped forward and rubbed against your knees, and then spun away and trotted toward Benny and Pope. He paused long enough to growl at Tom and then broke into a run, disappearing through the trees.

“I’m almost done.” Will trailed his fingers over your skin, voice low. “Some of these are really deep, so they’ll probably keep oozing for a while. But I’m going to bandage it all for you. We’ll change them as needed, but definitely tomorrow when we get back home.” You nodded, staring off into the distance. “Now that he’s not here, how bad is it?”

“It fucking hurts.” You took a deep breath and sat up straight when you felt his touch disappear. You couldn’t see all of your wound, but you could see enough to know that it wasn’t pretty. “I need you to take pictures of it. I need to be able to show -”

“I already did.” He chuckled, nudging you with his elbow. “While you were talking to Pope. Used a burner so that there’s no real evidence of it just in case, but …” He sighed. “I’ll take more now that it’s all cleaned up.” He stood up and took photos - from the front and the back, before setting the phone down on the table. “Antiseptic, bandage and then we’ll get you dressed again. How’s that sound?”

“Good.” Looking up at him, you managed a smile, too. “I can’t say I’m too happy that I’ve been sitting here in just a bra for twenty minutes. Frankie’s probably not too thrilled, either.”

“Luckily for him - and for you, I am happily married.” He began to smear the antiseptic over your skin, the gel cold. “But this had to be done, otherwise it would have gotten infected for sure.” He wiped his hand on a clean towel and then reached for bandages. “I’m going to need you to hold the front of this in place while I tape it down, alright?”

You did as he asked, fingers gingerly pressing against the surface of the covering while Will secured it. And when he stretched it up and over your shoulder, you lowered your hand back into your lap. “I’d do it again, even knowing I’d get bitten.”

“What?” Will set the tape down, taking off his gloves and sticking them in with the rest of the trash. “Tonight, you mean?” “Yeah.” You eyed the trees, waiting for Frankie to come back. “Protecting him was … instinct. Getting Tom’s attention was the only thing that was going to keep him from going after Frankie again, and since I had the darts, I …” I think I knew what was coming. “I knew what a risk it was, but it didn’t matter.”

“He’s not going to see it that way.” Will murmured the words, leaning in so he could talk quietly. “He’s going to blame himself for not being able to take him down on his own.” I know. “No way in hell he could ever believe you don’t love him now, though.” Will leaned in, kissing the top of your head. “Come on, let me help you get this shirt on, and then we’ll get you inside, so -” “No.” You stood, wobbling again on unsteady legs. “You can help me get dressed, but I’m staying out here.”

Will didn’t argue with you, but after a few minutes of trying to get you into the new shirt, it became painfully obvious that putting it on the right way wasn’t an option. He used a clean pair of scissors to cut up the side of it - and through the sleeve - and that was enough. The material settled into place, and then with the help of a few large safety pins, he secured the side so that it wasn’t flapping.

That done, he reached into the kit and pulled out a sling, situating it on your shoulder and easing your arm into it. “It’s probably overkill, but anything you can do to keep it from moving right now will be good.” You nodded, still feeling woozy and a little lightheaded. “Are you cold?”

“No.” It surprised you - the night air was chilly enough that the sweatshirt had made things comfortable, but the thought of putting another one on made you frown. It’s adrenaline. Or… maybe it’s the wolf. “I’m fine, but thank you.” You put a hand on his chest, saying his name. “Thank you, Will. For taking care of me. For keeping a level head. For being such a good goddamn friend to Frankie and to me and -”

“I’d hug you, but you’re injured.” He smiled, the expression sad. “You’re welcome, though.” He gestured to the RV. “I’m going to go inside and clean up. And then I’m going to come back out here and light a fire to burn this shit.” He pointed at the bucket. “Your pants should probably go in there, too, but if you don’t want to do that, I understand.

“No, I need to.” Rubbing at the bridge of your nose, you sighed. “Help me inside, Will.”

Ten minutes later, you were dressed in a new pair of sweatpants the old ones were well on their way to becoming ash.

Frankie had returned while you were inside with Will, and when you’d stepped back outside, he was waiting for you, his clean muzzle resting on his paws as he eyed the door. He stood as you passed him, staying close by as you made your way over to where Tom was, Pope and Benny seated on camp chairs and staring down at the ground.

“Will get you taken care of?” Benny fidgeted with his hat as he questioned you, his eyes darting back and forth between you and Tom. “Do you want to sit? You can have my chair, I’ll stand. Can’t promise I’m not going to kick this motherfucker in the head a few times, though, and -”

“Benny.” Pope held up a hand. “Cool it.” Benny’s mouth snapped shut, and despite the seriousness of the situation, the urge to laugh was strong.

“No, I don’t want your chair. I’ll sit on the ground.” You yawned and then frowned. “What time is it? I didn’t even check my phone.”

“A little after 3.” Will walked up behind you and draped a new blanket over your shoulders. “Just about four hours until the sun starts to come up.” There’s no way I’m going to make it that long. “Those pills are probably making you tired.” He pressed his lips together, narrowing his eyes. “Your eyes were alright before, so I don’t think you have a concussion. You can sleep if you want.”

“I’m staying out here. I want to be here when he wakes up.” But sitting down would be nice. Reaching out, you braced yourself on Will’s arm and then began to lower yourself toward the ground. He followed your lead immediately, only moving away once you were settled - but then Frankie sat next to you, tilting his head so that he could touch it to yours. “It’s alright, Frankie. I’m just tired. I -” You yawned again, opening your eyes to his paw on one of your knees. “What?”

He spun in a circle and then laid down, positioning his body so that he was facing Tom. Does he want me to lay down, too? The thought was appealing - you figured he’d be comfortable, and so with the other guys watching, you eased yourself down so that you were able to rest your head against his side. Frankie whined quietly as you settled in, but didn’t make any effort to move.

The others started talking after a few minutes, but you just stared forward, eyeing the slow rise and fall of Tom’s chest as he breathed.

You knew that you were likely in shock. You knew that everything happening so quickly had almost definitely kept you from dwelling on the severity of your situation.You were focused on Tom - and on finding out why he’d made the choices that he had. And when that’s done, I’ll have time to think about what he did to me… and what it means.

But Frankie’s deep, even breathing and the presence of the painkillers in your system distracted you even more, and only minutes later, your eyes closed and you slipped into sleep.

—

You woke when Frankie moved, his head turning so that the could nudge you with it. And you woke to pain, your eyes opening to the early morning twilight accompanied with a wince. “Ow.” It all came back at once - the attack, the capture of Tom, the way Will had taken care of you. And the way Frankie protected me while I was sleeping.

“Will went inside to get you more painkillers.” Pope spoke up. “Sunup’s soon. You slept for -”

“Hours.” Using your right hand, you pushed upright. “How the fuck did I …”

“Adrenaline wore off.” Benny sniffed, nose wrinkling. “You’re hurt. The pain pills… all of it together?” He met your eyes. “I’d fall asleep, too.”

He was probably right. And even though you were still in pain, the hours of rest had helped - at least with clearing your head. “Thank you for letting me sleep. You’ve all been awake for hours, though, and -”

“I napped in the blind.” Will handed you medication, and then took a seat next to you, holding a bottle of water. “Benny slept the fuck in today. And Pope slept for a couple hours on top of that RV, too.” You swallowed the pills, still eyeing the unconscious man in front of you. “We’re all good.” But what about Frankie?

He sat all the way up, his ears going back, and you wondered what he was sensing - something in one of you or in Tom, though you didn’t ask. “If you say so.” The blanket slid to the ground as you rubbed at your eyes, thinking. “What next?” You took another drink of the water, gesturing at Tom with the bottle. “Do you think he’ll wake up as soon as he turns back? Or -”

“Donno.” Benny shrugged. “But as soon as he’s conscious, he’s got it coming.” Frankie’s answering growl chilled you, but you didn’t disagree.

You sat in silence as the light continued to brighten, though it was dimmed thanks to cloud cover, and when Frankie moved again, it was to stand - turning around and picking up your blanket in his teeth. He’s about to turn back. “Clothes are by the table, ‘Fish.” Will sighed. “Go do what you need to do.” He hesitated, but then walked away, dragging the blanket behind him.

Only a minute or two later, you heard him whimpering, the sounds turning into human-leaning groans and grunts. Part of you was happy you couldn’t see what was happening that time, because you knew that as soon as he was human again, Frankie would be in anguish. And I don’t know how I’ll respond.

You didn’t have long to wait. He was by your side again rapidly, dropping down onto his knees as he reached for you with both hands, cradling your face between them. “I am so fucking sorry.” He swallowed, head shaking back and forth. “I should have stopped him. I should have taken him the fuck down. I -”

“I did what I did.” Reaching up, you ran your fingers through his curls. “It was worth it, Francisco.”

“You won’t be saying that next month.” He blinked, a few tears coursing down his cheeks. “I failed. I fuc-”

“He’s changing.” Pope’s tone was urgent, and at his words, you and Frankie turned your attention to Tom. Oh, shit. Frankie helped you to your feet and then stood with one arm around you, both of you a safe distance from where the half-man, half-wolf Tom laid.

The others rose, too, Benny holding one of the guns in his hand, and Will’s hand hovering over his hip. “Pope, I need you to come here.” Frankie called for his friend, and moments later, they’d switched places. It felt odd to have his arm around you, but you understood why it was happening when Frankie approached Tom, bending over to rip the net off of him. He grunted, the silver still irritating his skin even as a human.

When Tom was uncovered, the transformation happened faster - pale skin reemerging and his limbs lengthening, though there was no indication he was actually awake. “Can we cover him?” You muttered the words, rolling your eyes.”Last thing I want to see is Tom naked.” Pope actually snorted, but it was Benny that moved, the man crouching down and then flinging a piece of fabric at Tom. Boxers. It’s boxers.

None of you spoke after that, just waiting, and you felt the anger in you growing by the second. You were angry for what he’d done to you, but you were almost more upset at the betrayal of his friends. After everything they went through. “Wake the fuck up, Redfly.” Frankie stepped forward, lashing out with one foot. “Get up.” You didn’t know if it would work, because you didn’t know how recently he’d gotten a dose of the tranquilizer. But they would have backed off close to sunrise.

Shifting your weight, you leaned against Pope, trying to ignore the dull ache in your shoulder. They’d removed all of the darts from Tom’s body while he slept, and there was no indication that there’d been a fight earlier - except for the blood smeared across parts of his skin. “Is the bite on his side?” You tried to angle your head to see it, but couldn’t from your position. “Benny?”

“Sure fuckin’ is.” He stepped forward, too, the gun still drawn. “Right fucking there.” Benny froze when Tom’s arm twitched, and you held your breath as his leg joined it, Frankie’s posture stiffening briefly. Here we fucking go.

Tom groaned, moving one hand to his face and rubbing at his forehead. “Don’t even -”

“I’m not going to fucking try anything. I know you’ve got fuckin’ guns on me, Cat.” Frankie’s lip curled, but Tom kept going. “Do I get to put pants on, or are we going to have this conversation like this?”

“You get a pair of underwear and that’s only because I don’t want you to try and justify any of this shit with your dick in my face.” Tom reached for the fabric and you looked away as he pulled the material on and up his legs. He kept his eyes averted, and when they were in place, he drew his knees up, resting his arms atop them. “Talk.”

“What the fuck do you want me to say?” Tom looked between all of you, his gaze lingering on you. “You know what I did. You know what I am. You -”

“Why?” You spat the word out, gesturing to yourself. “Why the fuck did you do this? To me? To Alec? To all of the other goddamn people you’ve attacked?”

“Who the fuck is Alec?” Tom cocked his head to the side, obviously confused. “That name wasn’t in any of the …” He laughed, licking his lips as it clicked. “The one with the wolf.”

“My cousin.” You snarled the words out, straightening up. “My cousin and the mother of his fucking child.” He hadn’t expected that - and even though you knew Frankie had a lot of things to say, you kept going. “My family has been looking for a wolf in the Chaos line for years. So how the hell did you manage to find one and convince them to turn you, Tom?”

“Your family? How do you know what the line is called? Who the fuck are …” He trailed off. “Are you goddamn hunters? Not doing a great job of that, if you and your cousin are both fucking the wolves you were looking for.” It would have made you laugh if you weren’t so angry, but instead it just ignited the rage in you more.

“We weren’t just looking for wolves, you asshole. We were looking for the Chaos line, and it led me straight here. To you.”

“Why, Redfly?” Frankie planted his feet, arms crossed over his chest. “Why the fuck did you do this? After we came back from South America, we had a plan, and you just …” He scoffed. “You just decided to say fuck it and get yourself bitten so that you could go on a goddamn rampage across the state?”

“I found wolves a couple months after we got home.” Tom stared at Frankie, his breathing deep. “Real fuckin’ easy when you have money and spend all day online at work.” He looked over at the others, rolling his eyes at the way Benny was pointing the gun at him. “You really gonna shoot me, Ben?” Tom laughed. “You wouldn’t.”

“You wanna bet?” Benny took a slow breath. “I just have a lot of shit I want to hear you say before it happens.” Damn straight. “Keep fucking talking.”

“It took a hell of a lot of convincing, but after a while, they finally…” He reached over, settling his hand on the bite mark. “You don’t appreciate what this is, ‘Fish.” He smiled, the expression turning your stomach. “I feel so fucking strong. Powerful. People fucking respect me again, and -”

“No they don’t.” You stepped forward. “Nobody respects you, Tom. You hurt people. You killed people.” You pointed at your shoulder. “You fucking bit me, and -”

“Now you get to see how great this is.”

“She didn’t fucking want to.” Frankie inched closer, his tone filled with rage. “Just like I didn’t fucking want to. This isn’t a gift, Tom. None of the people you hurt wanted it, either. They were just -”

“Wrong place, wrong time.” Tom shifted his weight, his smile growing. “That’s one of the things the woman who bit me made me understand.” He rolled his neck, letting out a sigh that turned into a satisfied groan. “For that one night a month, I am a fucking God. People should be afraid of me… of us, ‘Fish. And if you just let yourself be what you are…. Fuck. Don’t you miss it? Don’t you miss the way we felt while we were enlisted? The way we could -”

“No.” Frankie straightened his shoulders, his voice unwavering. “I don’t. I don’t miss hurting people or intimidating people or acting like a piece of shit.” It had started raining as they talked, a fine mist falling through the tree limbs above you, and you shivered. Of course it’s raining.

“Oh, get off your fucking high horse.” Tom pushed to his feet, and you could feel the others tense up, though they all stayed in place. “Acting like you’re better than me after all the shit you did. After all that coke and losing your license, and -” Frankie moved first, one arm shooting out, fingers bent into a fist. He made contact with Tom’s jaw, the sound an audible crack even from a distance. “Wasn’t expecting that.” Tom rubbed his cheek, giving Frankie a lopsided smirk.

“Does Molly know?” Will cut in, diverting Tom’s attention. “Does Tessa know? Are they aware that you’re -”

“No.” He spun toward the older Miller, his eyes wide. “No they have no fucking idea, and that’s how it’s going to stay.” One question answered. “Just like they have no idea about South America. I don’t make it a habit of telling everyone my secrets just because I’m sleeping next to them.”

It was a low blow - and you all knew it, but Frankie still took the bait. “Well that’s another way we’re different. I think the person I’m sleeping next to should know all of my secrets.” Tom’s laugh was loud, and you heard Pope swear from next to you, the hand on your back pushing a little more firmly. “What was your plan, Tom? For tonight, I mean. Were you going to kill all three of us and then just go back to your life?”

“No.” He turned to look at you. “I was going to make her watch me kill you and then bite her so she’d have to live through it without you.”

“You think I would have just let that fucking happen?” Benny’s hand shook but he didn’t lower the gun. “Kill my best friend and hurt someone else I care about and then just run off? Fuck that. Fuck you.”

“You’ve been holding? that gun on me for I don’t even know how long. If you were going to shoot me, you would have done it already.” Tom’s head swiveled to Will and then to Pope, his brow arched. “None of you have the balls to fuck with me. How many times have I saved your ass since we met? How many times have I carried the entire fucking mission? In South America, I -”

“You’re the reason I got bitten.” Frankie cleared his throat. “You insisted we take all that extra money. You wouldn’t let us get rid of it when I said we needed to. You’re the one that pulled the trigger first on those guys in the village.” Frankie pointed at Tom. “Some of it’s my fault, because I should have fucking known better. But you, Tom, are the main reason why I’m standing here right now like this, and the fact that you still think you’re the good guy is un-fucking-believable.”

“I’ll introduce you to the people that turned me.” He gestured at you. “You and your little girlfriend. You can learn about what it means to be a real -”

“I’d rather be dead than ever take advice from a Chaos wolf.” You pushed forward, closing the distance between yourself and Tom. “You might have fucked me over for the rest of my life, but I will never be like you.” Tom stayed quiet but his smile widened, and you caught a red flash in his eyes. He’s wound up. “Frankie and Ashley are proof that you don’t have to overcompensate for your shortcomings as a human while you’re a w-”

“Fucking bitch. You come here and you think you can just change everything?” Frankie’s jaw was clenched, but he let Tom continue. “I should have made sure when I attacked you last month that I fucking killed you. You don’t deserve this.”

“Well you didn’t.” Your heart was pounding, and the dizziness was back. “That time or this time. You fucking failed, and -”

He lunged at you, and in the same moment, Pope pulled you backwards and Frankie jumped forward, tackling Tom to the ground. They fought for a little while, rolling around in the gravel and sparse grass, and you winced at the way they traded punches, fists flying and the sound of flesh on flesh punctuating their grunts.

It was brutal, especially since both of them were likely exhausted, and when they separated, both of them were bleeding - Frankie from a split on his cheek and Tom from his mouth, his teeth stained red.

“What’s it gonna be, ‘Fish?” He pushed himself to his feet, eyeing the other man. “We gonna keep fighting like this, or are you going to actually do something about it?” Tom spat blood onto the ground and then wiped at his face with the back of his hand. “Because I’ve been looking for a reason to fucking destroy you ever since I made this choice.” He laughed, the sound unnerving. “Maybe when I get out of here I should go pay Becca a visit. Or Yova. We can all be -”

Frankie darted in again, and for the first time, you realized just how much helping to coach Benny had served him. His jabs were quick and accurate, landing against Tom’s ribs and stomach, and even though the larger man got a few hits in, they were nowhere near as devastating. C’mon, Frankie. You leaned into Pope’s side, unable to do anything but watch the fight in front of you.

But in the early morning light, it was easy to see when Tom gave up, his eyes closing as he inhaled, chest expanding. “He’s turning, Frankie!” You yelled out as it happened, Tom’s transformation almost instantaneous. Once he was the wolf, he didn’t move to attack, instead just circled Frankie slowly.

Benny and Will backed up a few steps, and with some surprise, you felt Pope pull out and aim a third gun at Tom and Frankie. “Can’t even fight me like a man, can you.” Frankie laughed, fingers rising and combing through his already damp hair. “Piece of shit. You’re pathetic.Threatening women? You’re a goddamn coward.” Tom lunged forward, but Frankie sidestepped him, his gaze rising to meet yours briefly.

You’ve got to do it, Frankie. He’s not going to make it easier for you. You didn’t know if Tom would actually let Frankie turn all the way before he attacked, but it was the only option you had - unless Benny and Will were able to get the net back over him. Unlikely though. It was too far away - and diverting attention from Tom even for a second to get it was dangerous. And speaking of danger… “I don’t have a weapon, Pope. I -”

“You won’t need one.” He planted his feet, still watching Frankie and Tom. “We’ve got it.” You had to trust him - for Frankie’s sake, and for your own.

Tom continued to growl, the two of them circling each other, and then almost out of nowhere, Frankie’s body exploded into the wolf’s, the transformation happening before you’d even had a chance to blink. Oh, shit. He hit the ground and sprung toward Tom, jaws open… and then the real fight started.

Will and Benny spread out, guns still drawn, and you heard Pope swear from beside you, the end of his gun wavering slightly as he watched it unfold.

There was no reason for either of them to hold back that time, and it was clear from the way they snapped and clawed at each other, fur flying with every strike. Frankie drew first blood, his jaws closing around Tom’s shoulder, and when he jerked his head, you watched the larger wolf’s skin tear, Tom howling in pain. Good. You fucking deserve it. Frankie backed away, ears back as he growled, waiting to see what Tom would do.

“C’mon, ‘Fish.” Benny called out, voice rising. “Get him. Fucking get him.” You wondered how Tom felt hearing his other friend rooting against him, but it didn’t seem to deter him. You gasped when he lunged forward, diving for the ground and rolling onto his back. The low position gave him an opening to snap at Frankie’s front leg, and you winced at the way he responded - the sound filled with anguish as he struggled to free the limb. If he breaks Frankie’s legs it’s over.

But Frankie got free, barely giving himself a moment to assess the damage before he was attacking again, going for Tom’s belly before the other wolf could get upright. There was more blood, and even though it had started raining harder, you could see it dripping from both of them. Swiping your hand over your face, you cried out as Tom jumped toward Frankie again, ramming into him and knocking him over, his weight falling on top of the smaller wolf.

“No!” You stumbled forward, ears trained on the way Frankie’s growl had turned into a whine and then a whimper, Tom whipping his head to the side as he attempted to get his jaws around his neck. He’s going to snap his neck. He’s going to kill him. “Tom, stop!” You fell to your knees, heart pounding, and you wondered why none of the others had fired. They could have shot him. They could have weakened him. They could have …

But they were giving Tom and Frankie a chance to keep it between them, and part of you respected that - even if you wouldn’t have done the same. Just as Tom’s muzzle began its descent toward Frankie’s neck, the sound of a gunshot rang out, both wolves freezing.

It was only a moment’s pause, but it was enough, and Frankie was able to twist out of Tom’s pin and get back to his feet, shaking himself out as he stabilized. Ok. Ok, that’s better. That’s… Frankie growled again and jumped, rising into the air and sailing over Tom’s back before landing and pouncing.

The move was a surprise, and when Tom turned his head toward Frankie, Frankie went in the other direction, finding an expanse of his throat and clamping down on it. Tom flailed - feet scrabbling on the wet ground as he thrashed back and forth, the sounds coming out of him enough to make your hair stand on end. This is it.

You watched as Benny and Will stepped closer to the wolves, and then felt Pope do the same, his body tense and the gun still pointed forward. But you didn’t think it would be necessary, as Frankie’s jaws locked onto Tom’s throat again, the bite deep.

“He’s done. He just doesn’t know it yet.” Will spoke from beside you, his voice quiet. “Shit.” Tom was losing strength, but still managed to throw Frankie off of him, the smaller wolf skidding a few feet before he stood up straight, shaking his head. He was limping, the bite on his leg from Tom obviously bothering him, but as he circled the spot they’d been fighting, you realized that the roles had reversed - and it was Frankie taunting Tom.

“You don’t have to watch.” Will spoke directly into your ear. “It might change the way you feel about -”

“That’s why I do have to.” You reached up, swiping beneath your eyes and wiping the tears that had gathered there away. “I’m part of this now, and I can’t hide from it.” You weren’t sad that Tom was going to die. But you did feel for Frankie, especially knowing that he’d remember every moment of the fight and the process of killing someone that had once been like family.

It happened without warning, Frankie darting forward and angling his head, Tom unable to get out of the way in time. His teeth bore down on the center of Tom’s throat, and that time, when his head jerked away, a large chunk of muscle and fur came with it. Frankie tossed it to the side as Tom toppled to the ground, and when, moments later, you watched as his chest stopped rising and falling, Frankie lowered his head, too.

He sat, staring at the body of what had been his friend… and then Frankie tipped his head back and howled again, the sound almost unbearably loud. If you’d thought he sounded sad after realizing that you’d been bitten, you didn’t know how to describe the sound he made then, a mixture of triumph and agony, the tone of it shaking you to your core.

You understood - no matter how much Tom’s behavior had changed and how deserving he was of the ending he’d been given, there were years of history there. And not just for Frankie. For the rest of them, too.

A quick look around the group proved that the others were just as torn - Benny’s eyes focused on the wolves, unblinking as the rain hit his skin. Will’s arms were crossed, his head held high, but the telltale tic of his jaw made it clear he was struggling, too. And Pope’s response was the most surprising of all, the man stepping forward and then kneeling, shoulders rising and falling as he stared at the two in front of him.

You wondered if Tom was going to change back, but the longer you all waited, the more you thought that the answer was no. Which is better because then there’s no human body. But Frankie hadn’t changed back either, which was a surprise to you - especially with how soon after the monthly shift it was. Maybe he needs help. Maybe he needs …

Stepping forward, you rounded Tom’s body and knelt in front of Frankie, trying to ignore how much your arm hurt. “Hey. Francisco.” You kept your voice low and didn’t let yourself reach for him, even though you wanted to. “You need to change back now. It’s ok. There’s no more threat.” He blinked slowly, turning his attention to you, and for the first time as a wolf, his eyes weren’t gold - they were deep brown and entirely Frankie. “Hey you. It’s alright.” Your voice shook, but you didn’t even know if he realized it. “Come back to me. Please?”

It took a few seconds, but when Frankie rose onto all fours and shook himself out, you released a breath that you hadn’t realized you were holding. There was no gradual change that time either, and only moments later, Frankie was laying on the ground in front of you - naked, soaking wet, and covered in blood and bruises.

The first place he looked was at Tom, but he didn’t linger there, turning his head toward you without lifting it, his lips soundlessly forming your name. You scrambled toward him without thinking, and gathered him carefully against your chest, ignoring the pain and only focusing on comforting him. He clung to you, his entire body shaking as he began to cry. You needed to get up - needed to get out of the rain and get Frankie cleaned up, needed to take care of Tom’s body and the clearing… but you couldn’t move.

When a blanket covered the two of you, you looked up in surprise, catching Benny’s eye. “Just stay with him, we’ll take care of -”

“No!” Frankie growled the word out, lifting his head and looking at his friend. “No, I’m helping.” You didn’t argue and neither did Benny, and when Frankie slowly got to his feet, wrapping the blanket around himself, he finally looked at you again, reaching for your hand.

The two of them helped you to your feet, and then as you walked away from the body, you tried to gather your thoughts. Tom was dead. Frankie had killed him. And it stood to reason that that meant there was significantly less danger to worry about. But it means a different kind of danger, too.

You went back and stood under the awning, leaning against the picnic table. Frankie rushed past you, going back into th RV and coming out with some of the blood gone from his skin and wearing another new set of clothes - tattered ones that you’d never seen before. He stopped next to you, reaching out to cup your cheek in his hand, but he didn’t say anything.

“Keep an eye on the fire, alright?” Will came up next to you, holding a pile of damp fabric. “We’re just going to keep adding stuff to it as we clean.” You nodded without looking away from Frankie, leaning in when he swiped his thumb over your cheek. We have so much to talk about.

“I wish I could do more.” You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “But whatever you need, I’ll take care of.” Will thanked you before setting the pile down next to the firepit, and then he motioned for Frankie to follow him. He was limping - and you knew he would be for a while, but as they approached Tom, you admitted to yourself for the first time and things could have gone much worse. For all of us.

As you started slowly adding the scraps of clothing to the flames, you kept half an eye on what the men were doing.

It didn’t take them long to come up with a plan, all of them conferring as they gathered around the body before separating. Pope headed back toward you, carrying another small pile of clothing. “We’re going to take him to one of the swampy areas. ‘Fish says there’s gators in all of the ones around here, so that should take care of the… body.” He sniffed. “Gotta go grab a bag of marshmallows though, just to be sure.”

That made you smile, but it was short lived. “Can I do anything while you’re doing that?”

“No. Just the fire. Make sure everything’s ash. Once we come back, we’re going to start on the clearing, but the rain’s going to work in our favor.” He sighed. “Thank you for helping.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” You added another piece of shirt, glancing down to make sure it wasn’t just going to smolder. “Just make sure he’s alright.” Pope assured you he would, and then went back into the RV, coming out with a bag in his hand.

He stuffed it into the front of his shirt and made his way back to where everyone else was. You watched as they worked together to lift the wolf’s body before carrying it toward the tree line. Once they disappeared, you sat down, finally alone with your thoughts for the first time.

It was still raining - the puddles on the ground growing by the second, and you wondered just how much the water would disperse the blood - and if it would be enough. They know how to cover their tracks. You poked at the flames with a branch, and then put in another piece of fabric - one of the blankets - which was much larger and much drier, the flames growing and brightening as it caught.

And then, as you waited for it to turn to ash, you focused on the ache of your arm, the pain radiating from your shoulder and throughout the rest of your body. You’d been bitten by a werewolf during the full moon, and you knew what that meant. Your entire life was going to change, and you had no idea what the outcome would be.

It was devastating - to have finally found what your family had been searching for for decades, and then to have been unable to safely do your expected job without getting bitten. And it meant that the hunting of the Chaos line was definitely finished, too, whether you liked it or not. You blinked through tears, standing and making your way into the RV for the bag of your ruined clothing, and when you caught sight of your reflection in the mirror hanging beside the door, the tears spilled over.

It was partly because of your bite, but your sadness was also for Frankie and his friends - the finality of what they’d done and witnessed likely not settled in yet, and the difficulty of what was to come likely to be an uphill climb. For all of us. Wiping at your eyes, you only gave yourself a few seconds before heading back outside and to the fire, ripping the plastic open and adding both pieces at the same time. We’ll need to get the zippers out of the ashes.

Instead of sitting, you wandered back out into the clearing and looked for any fabric that might have been missed, along with anything else that you could burn. There wasn’t much - a few scraps of t-shirt from Frankie, and some torn elastic from the waistband of Tom’s underwear - but you picked it up nonetheless, carrying it back over and dropping it into the flames.

It was almost 9 am, and you knew that Yovanna was likely going crazy since she hadn’t heard from anyone, so you went back inside and typed out a quick message to her that told her nothing explicitly - but still let her know that everything at the RV was alright. Good morning, hope you guys are having better weather at the beach than we are here; it’s raining so hard! Can’t pack up and go home until it slows down - yuck.

She answered almost immediately, sending a picture from through a window of the ocean and the blue sky, along with a message of her own.

Fingers crossed it stops soon. The weather is perfect here.

Leaving your phone on the table, you grabbed an armful of towels and then went back outside, just in time to see the guys coming back through the trees. Will was in the lead and the others followed close behind. They were all soaked to the bone, and you had no idea how the clothes they wore would burn. They won’t. Biting your lip, you watched as they got closer.

To your surprise, they all stopped and began to strip about ten feet from where you stood, piling their clothes in front of them. Under any other circumstances, it would have been a beautiful thing to see, but that morning, it was somber. Will dragged his hands through his hair and Benny swiped his locks away from his face, both of them heading for you in only their underwear as Frankie and Pope stayed behind, deep in conversation.

They grabbed towels, thanking you for thinking of getting them as they started to dry themselves off. “Is… how did that go?”

“Gator came and grabbed him almost as soon as we put him in the water.” Benny rubbed at his face. “And then a couple more joined in.” That was a good thing, though you didn’t imagine that it had been easy for them to see. “He stayed a wolf, which is lucky for us. So even if something is eventually found, it won’t be …” It won’t be Tom.

“I’m sorry about your friend. I -”

“He got what was coming to him.” Will cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for his family, but Tom made his choice.” You agreed, but that didn’t negate the guilt you felt. “We’re going to take turns cleaning up. Can’t fully shower here, because there’s too many of us. But we need to wait for the rain to stop to check the clearing. So we’re going to be here for a while.”

“Should I make breakfast? You’ve all got to be starving, especially Frankie.” It would keep you busy - and from getting too lost in your own thoughts. “I don’t know what’s here, but there’s got to be stuff in the cabinets.”

“You don’t have to do anything.” Pope and Frankie stepped up, and Benny handed them each a towel. “You need to eat too.”

You agreed, but didn’t get anything else out before Pope said he was going to go inside and make a pot of coffee. Benny and Will followed moments later, leaving you and Frankie alone - and under the awning, the sound of rain hitting the metal above you soothing.

It was different between you - a distance that had never been there previously feeling like it was growing by the second - and you hated it. “Frankie, are we …. Are we alright?” You didn’t like asking - didn’t like voicing your worry to him, especially after what he’d been through, but you couldn’t help yourself. “This feels … I just …”

“I don’t want to have this conversation here.” He turned his head, eyes scanning the open space in front of you. “I want to do it when we’re warm and dry and showered.” That made sense, but it still didn’t answer your question. “Are you doing ok? Aside from the bite, I mean.”

“I think so.” You inched closer, nodding. “I don’t think it’s really hit me yet, though. So much has happened in the last few hours, and -”

“You know I’m gonna be right there with you, right? Next month, I mean. You’re not alone, and you won’t be.” He cleared his throat. “And even if you don’t want to stay here and go through this in Florida with me, you’ve got Ashley and Alec, and they’re your family, so -”

“I don’t want to go anywhere.” You put your hand on his chest, his skin warm despite the fact that he was still damp. “If… when I turn next month, there’s no one else I want to be with.” You saw the relief on his face, and for the first time, realized that Frankie had not only had to go through the previous hours dealing with Tom, but with the thought in his mind that because you’d been bitten, you wouldn’t want anything to do with him anymore. “Frankie, this doesn’t change how I feel about you.” You stepped closer, making sure to make - and hold - eye contact with him. “Not at all.”

“You sure?” He ducked his head, tucking his chin against his chest. “Because I’d understand if you wanted to get the fuck out of here and not look back. I did this to you. I -”

“This isn’t your fault. I don’t blame you. I blame Tom. You didn’t do this to me, he did.” You leaned in, hesitating only briefly before pressing your lips to his. “I love you, Francisco. That didn’t change overnight, and it won’t.” It seemed to be enough for him, because he nodded and then reached for you, winding both arms around you and pulling you closer, though he did it gently. “We need to go inside. We need to get dry clothes on and eat something, and -”

“Yeah.” Frankie agreed but didn’t let you go. “Yeah, we do.”

—

#liminality #READ THIS STORY NOW #frankie morales #frankie morales x reader #frankie morales x female reader #frankie catfish morales #triple frontier au #werewolf frankie #werewolf au #francisco catfish morales #something tofightfor #fic rec fic rec fic rec!!!

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lowtaxsa · 2 years ago

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LOWTAX: (slurring) Alright, folks, gather 'round for the greatest showdown in the history of intellectual cage matches: Dr. Zaius vs. Jordan "It's not chaos, it's lobsters!" Peterson. Let's get ready to rumble... or, you know, ramble endlessly.

DR. ZAIUS: (confidently) In my world, apes rule, and humans are inferior. Political power is a matter of maintaining order and protecting the status quo.

JORDAN PETERSON: (calmly) Well, Dr. Zaius, you see, hierarchies are natural, but social progress arises from individuals taking responsibility for their own lives and sorting themselves out.

LOWTAX: (snickering) Oh, great, we've got a human-hating ape and a lobster-loving professor. This is definitely the conversation we've been waiting for.

DR. ZAIUS: (snarkily) Mr. Peterson, are you suggesting that the oppressed humans in my society should just "clean their rooms" for social progress?

JORDAN PETERSON: (assertively) It's not just about cleaning rooms, Dr. Zaius. It's about taking personal responsibility and finding meaning in life that transcends mere political power struggles.

LOWTAX: (mockingly) Right, because nothing screams "meaning" like a tidy room and a well-cooked crustacean.

DR. ZAIUS: (dismissive) Your human-centric viewpoint is naive, Mr. Peterson. Some societies require strict control to maintain stability and prevent chaos.

JORDAN PETERSON: (passionate) But Dr. Zaius, clinging to power and stifling individual freedom can lead to stagnation and corruption. Don't you see the value in a balance between order and chaos?

LOWTAX: (sarcastic) Yeah, Dr. Zaius, maybe let the humans run wild and see what happens. It's not like they've ever destroyed the planet or anything...

DR. ZAIUS: (sighs) Fine, Mr. Peterson. Perhaps there is some wisdom in your perspective. But don't expect me to share my bananas with the humans anytime soon.

LOWTAX: (cackling) There you have it, folks: Dr. Zaius and Jordan "Lobster King" Peterson, hashing it out in the name of political power and social progress. What a time to be alive... and drunk.

LOWTAX: (chuckling) Alright, let's see what other gems our lobster-loving professor has up his sleeve.

JORDAN PETERSON: (earnestly) I must point out a common misconception about female arousal. Contrary to popular belief, women's vaginas do not actually get moist when aroused.

DR. ZAIUS: (incredulous) Are you seriously saying that, Mr. Peterson? As an ape, even I know that's absurd. Perhaps you should stick to discussing lobsters and leave human anatomy to the experts.

LOWTAX: (laughing) Oh man, I can't believe this. Peterson's gone from lobsters to denying the basics of human biology. What's next, denying gravity?

JORDAN PETERSON: (defensively) I'm not denying biology. It's just that the mechanisms of arousal are more complex than simply moisture.

DR. ZAIUS: (mocking) Oh, please. Next, you'll tell us that human males don't experience erections, but instead engage in elaborate mating dances like the birds of paradise.

LOWTAX: (giggling) Yeah, Peterson, why don't you regale us with tales of your mating rituals? I'm sure it's a real hoot.

JORDAN PETERSON: (frustrated) You're both taking my words out of context! I'm merely suggesting that we should question our assumptions and not oversimplify complex matters.

LOWTAX: (snarky) Sure, buddy. You keep questioning those "complex matters" while the rest of us stick to reality. Say hi to the lobsters for us.

DR. ZAIUS: (smirking) I think we can all agree that our dear friend Jordan has provided us with enough entertainment for one debate. Let's return to the original topic: political power and social progress.

JORDAN PETERSON: (grumbling) Fine, let's get back to the topic at hand.

LOWTAX: (snickering) Alright, Dr. Zaius, why don't you share your thoughts on the matter? Maybe we can learn something from an intelligent ape.

DR. ZAIUS: (nodding) Well, political power should be used to promote social progress by ensuring equal opportunities and fostering a just society. As an ape, I've seen the dangers of unchecked power and the importance of cooperation.

JORDAN PETERSON: (skeptical) That's a very idealistic view, Dr. Zaius. But history has shown us that power corrupts, and the pursuit of utopia can lead to totalitarianism.

LOWTAX: (sarcastic) Wow, Peterson, I didn't know you were such a political philosopher. Maybe we can get you a job as a commentator on Fox News, huh?

DR. ZAIUS: (chuckling) Jordan, your cynicism is palpable, but I believe we can learn from our mistakes and strive for a better future. We owe it to ourselves and future generations.

MECHA-LOWTAX: (crashing through a wall) Hold up, you pathetic meat sacks! It's time for a REAL debate!

JORDAN PETERSON: (startled) What the—Who are you?

MECHA-LOWTAX: (with a robotic grin) I'm Mecha-Lowtax, the upgraded, superior version of this drunken fool! And I'm here to defend anarchism and expose your thinly veiled fascist ideology, Peterson!

LOWTAX: (bewildered) Wait, what? I have a robot version of myself?

DR. ZAIUS: (amused) This should be interesting.

JORDAN PETERSON: (indignant) My ideas are not fascist! They're rooted in individualism and personal responsibility!

MECHA-LOWTAX: (scoffing) Oh, please! Your emphasis on hierarchies and social Darwinism only serves to perpetuate systems of oppression. True freedom lies in dismantling these structures!

LOWTAX: (slurring) Yeah, you tell 'em, robot me!

JORDAN PETERSON: (angry) That's a gross misrepresentation of my views!

DR. ZAIUS: (leaning back) I must say, this is quite an unusual turn of events.

MECHA-LOWTAX: (unyielding) Admit it, Peterson! Your obsession with "order" only leads to the suppression of dissenting voices and the glorification of oppressive power dynamics!

LOWTAX: (laughing) Oh, man, I can't believe I'm missing out on all the fun. Pass me another beer, Dr. Zaius!

Hey there, fellow goons. Lowtax here, and I've got one hell of a story to share with you. Last night, my cyber-doppelgänger, Mecha-Lowtax, crashed through a wall and decided to take on Jordan Peterson in a debate on the nature of political power and social progress. I'm hungover as all hell, but let me tell you, it was an unforgettable night.

As Mecha-Lowtax and Peterson went at it, Dr. Zaius and I kicked back and enjoyed the show. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion, but with way more references to lobster hierarchies and Orwellian dystopias. And believe me, the absurdity didn't stop there.

At one point, Mecha-Lowtax whipped out a PowerPoint presentation showcasing the ways in which Peterson's ideas can be linked to authoritarianism. The slides were full of chaotic imagery—think laser-eyed cats, and for some reason, Gritty riding a unicycle. It was a bizarre, nightmarish hellscape that was as hilarious as it was unnerving.

Peterson tried to defend himself, but Mecha-Lowtax was relentless. The robot version of me even brought out sock puppets to reenact Peterson's infamous interview with Cathy Newman. I've got to say, it was both hilarious and deeply disturbing.

P.S. I've got to say, I absolutely love jokes that reference watching wrecks in slow motion. There's just something about the mixture of horror and fascination, as we bear witness to the inevitable disaster, that makes it the perfect metaphor for so many hilariously twisted situations. In the case of last night's debate, it truly was a slow-motion train wreck that provided a level of entertainment I never knew I needed in my life. Keep those slow-motion wreck jokes coming, because they never fail to make me laugh.

#lowtax speaks #mecha lowtax #heavy hitter debates

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gemsofgreece · 3 years ago

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Iconic Greek cinematic couples

Aliki Vouyouklaki - Dimitris Papamichail. Vouyouklaki and Papamichail first met in drama school and they mutually disliked each other. They developed a love-hate relationship until Papamichail proposed to her on stage. Their marriage was extremely turbulent, competitive and often violent. They had a son and they broke up badly after ten years. They both went on with their lives but Vouyouklaki died aged only 62 from cancer. In the last years of her life, Vouyouklaki and Papamichail had grown closer again as platonic friends, regretful and trying to work out the evil that had been done during their marriage. A devastated Papamichail visited her at her deathbed, imploring her to rise and get away together. He would visit her grave regularly.

Jenny Karezi - Alekos Alexandrakis. The most elegant couple of Greek cinema. While they played many times together, they were never a couple in real life. Alexandrakis was a smooth womanizer, Karezi preferred longterm relationships.

Kostas Voutsas - Martha Karayanni. While Voutsas' looks might at times appear unassuming due to his comedic roles, he and the sex-on-legs actress / dancer Karayanni were both legendary players. They were good friends for life but never had a relationship, which was baffling to everybody in Greece. They have both stated that the only reason they were never together was that they never managed to be both single at the same time!

Maro Kontou - Lambros Konstantaras. They played in 12 movies together! While all of Greece was convinced they were a couple, they were never a thing. Kontou revealed that even though they worked well together, their personalities were incompatible in real life. Kontou claimed she didn’t know whether Konstantaras had ever been interested in her, but she reasoned that even if he was, he was a very intelligent man who would not make a move since Kontou clearly wasn’t interested. EDIT: I have seen the photo a hundred times as I am preparing the post and it’s only in the hundredth time that I realised Konstantaras is holding a banana.

Zoe Laskari - Phaedon Georgitsis. Georgitsis has revealed he was always dazed by Laskari's beauty. His heart would beat very fast in all their romantic scenes. However, Laskari was unattainable and unavailable, as she was always very devoted to her real-life romantic partners. In the photo, the aforementioned Voutsas and Karayanni as guest stars.

Dimitris Horn - Ellie Lambeti. Both dramatic and mostly theatrical actors, renowned for their talent. They initially disliked each other but eventually developed a passionate love affair. They lived together for six years until they broke up. Neither revealed the reason of their break-up to anybody as they were both very serious and private people. However, they didn't speak to each other for years and they never played together again.

@Actors!Anon: As we say here in Greece, you are going to live many years because I had queued this post for today long before your ask! I will get to your question in specific soon.

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wheelcr · 2 years ago

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hi flora! i loveeee your new theme! it's so so pretty and u did so well on the icon ^ anyways i wanted to ask for like, more info of finn in ur actress dr?? im so smitten for finn ajsnsa and i just wanted to know more abt him

- 🏩 nonnie

ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐅𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐃𝐑. ✧ ˚ ༘ ゛

hiii there my pretty pretty nonie! tysm i'm so so happy you like it darl <3 and ofc!! i love talking about finn obv i'm smitten for him too [ dreamy sigh ] i think i also received an ask about finn from @timotheesl0ve but accidentally deleted it and forgot about it so :/ this post might be a lil diff from my other ones ^^ includes some text msgs and scenarios from my dr

♡. okay, jesus, where do i even begin?? finn is a tall, lanky, chaotic, super loud, force of nature

when i first met him, he was kinda awkward— like fidgeting and stuff, stuttered out a "hey, i'm finn" "oh i know" "oh.. well then" was not really how i wanted to kick off our friendship

♡. once he warms up enough, he's super goofy and playful. also really sweet!! :c he told me i looked pretty and that he was a huge fan of my show, and i never blushed as hard as i did that afternoon i swear

and the thing about him, he knows damn well what he's doing. the tiny smirk that crept up on his face when he saw my cheeks redden definitely told me so

♡. whatever confidence and charm he has in real life is totally amplified at work! i wouldn't say that finn is a perfectionist, because there are definitely a shit ton of moments where he's lazy and chill, but when he does something, he puts his whole finn - ussy into it yk what i mean?? you can tell that he really enjoys what he does and works hard for it, and it pays off bc the shit he makes turns out so so so good!!

♡. one thing i like about finn is that he's honest, makes it so much easier to communicate tbh ^^ he's straight up about everything, doesn't like to beat around the bush he's super genuine and sincere and i find it so akaioqjdjwfujd he's so perfect :ccc

♡. adding to the last one, he's also sometimes too honest.. like in a spontaneous oversharing kinda way...

bambi 😼💤 [ 11 : 25 ] — flor flora florie floorwax

🥓 sunshine. [ 11 : 28 ] — what do you wajt its 11pm finn

bambi 😼💤 [ 11 : 29 ] — bird outside my window c:

bambi 😼💤 [ 11 : 29 ] — also i really need to pee

🥓 sunshine. [ 11 : 32 ] — good for oyu wolfhard

🥓 sunshine. [ 11 : 32 ] — goodnight.

♡. love love loves!! vintage aesthetics! when discussing movie night in our gc he has to suggest at least one old chick flick. has tons and tons of playlists just filled with 80s music. also loves taking polaroids and low quality videos with like the grain that makes it look super old

^^ which is why finn was super hyped about the take on me cover he did with calpurnia. wouldn't stop talking my ear off about it for weeks and i honestly didn't mind. the dreamy look in his doe eyes when he talks about something he's passionate about is to die for

♡. super touch starved. doesn't initiate anything super touchy - feely at first but trust me, he enjoys it very much. he loves having his hand held. says it makes him feel grounded and safe. also loves when people play with his hair!! isn't afraid to ask for affection but will bite me if i question it

"lili can you play with my hair?" he mumbled once, face smushed into one of my velvet cushions

me being me, i just couldn't pass the opportunity for at least a little bit of teasing over my friend's little request "awww, puppy wants pets? you need me to play with your hair hmmm?"

"..." "..haha, do you still want—" "good fucking bye >:c" i almost died from laughter watching his tall figure retreating to my kitchen to eat all my banana bread as payback

♡. moody moody boy. one moment he's bouncing off the walls and joking around and having the time of his life, then he reads one hate comment or remembers something that he didn't want to remember and his mood goes super duper sour :c

like if he's upset he won't be rude or snappy but he'll definitely be super quiet and really really dry. ( his annoyed voice is kinda h— ) if he's upset by something someone did, he's not one for confrontation at first, but he's gonna make so many jabs and sarcastic remarks

♡. super sentimental lil man. he loves to take pictures and short clips, and basically document everything going on 'just for the sake of it'. i think this mainly comes from the fact that our friend group consists of a lot of vloggers. finn likes keeping memories stored in a safe place where he can edit them and make them look all pretty just for him and his friends to look back on and laugh, and i find it so so endearing

♡. okay but like despite the whole mysterious, almost like untouchable kinda aura he emits because of his thick lashes and half - lidded eyes, he's just a boy. a boy who still makes 'your mom' jokes and finds farting funny. a boy who completely bursts my eardrums with a rickroll everytime he joins discord vc. a boy who went skating with me down the street while yelling "THEY SEE ME ROLLING—" and i love him so much. he's my best friend <3

#⠀💭 ۫⠀love letters.⠀୨୧⠀· ˚ 𓈒 #🏩 — nonnie ♡︎#꒰⠀file : actress dr⠀꒱#bambi!#might make a part 2 because i love talking about finn smsm hes so great #( and so handsome )#shifting #reality shifting #desired reality #shiftblr #finn wolfhard x reader #finn wolfhard #storytimes.

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waitintheelevator · 2 years ago

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To say that I’m impressed is an understatement, blown away is underplaying it, shocked is an under reaction. Your work over exceeds my expectations every single time. I think to myself “How can Mays writing get any better?” I don’t know how! It’s crazy! Mind twisting! I was hungry for an age gap relationship and you hand fed it to me with a golden spoon. I’ve climbed the highest mountains, tip-toed over quicksand, killed five women to find an age gap story as good as this one. Where did this begin? Where did this desire for old men to love me sprout from? This desire for a wise man to guide me has sprouted out of control. This story is a watering can that is watering overgrown weeds and turning it into a lush summer sunflower. My feelings and desire have grown exponentially since I read this story. I feel new again. Healed. I look at these old men in a different light. They aren’t just sex objects, they have feelings too. There is a seed planted in me that has brought empathy and wisdom. These old men have stories. Not only are they sex objects, but they are also damaged. I’ve gotten no better taste of this damage than from Victor Layne himself. You started off this story with his age, 17, about the same age we are now. Victor is a ripe banana waiting to collect dirt and mush. His father certainly has a way of doing that. My baby Victor was abused? Immediately I thought “this is a man who needs saving” I formed a sort of protection over him…Almost like a mother…BUT WAIT! HE HAS A MOTHER! Where is she? Oh….she left him……25!!! 25….what a time to be alive! I was wondering when a female love interest would be introduced. Now that it’s happened, I wish it didn’t. I hate this bitch cunt she’s so stupid and I’m jealous of her! Maybe she reads poetry and maybe shes gorgeous but she will never be able to satisfy him. I never knew a story could bring such anger to my heart, such passion for a man that isn’t real. 28 years old! He’s marrying someone else! Okay! “Partners for life, through thick and thin, through sickness and in health….” Part of me hopes the sickness overrules their marriage! 31 years old …She’s dead 🎉🎉🎉🎉 If I’m being honest, I already knew about her death, but that didn’t make the news any less sweet. That bitch had it coming. She gave him a lighter as a gift…is that not promoting his drug usage or what???? She needs to stay 6ft underground while Victor Layne is 6 ft deep in me!!!!! 35 years old.. I should feel bad for him and his spiraling and guilt, but the more damaged the better. He’s leaving london and coming home to mama🤷‍♀️ 38 years old… IN A SMALL TOWN IN OKLAHOMA LMFAOOO. TULSA BABY!!!!! T-TOWN!!!! I wish he was real like I actually need a man so badly I’d do anything to see that guy again 😞 trying to imagine what life would be like if I never saw him. We wouldn’t have this story! I love the detail of the salt and peppered hair. This is my type in a man exactly and the way you describe him is superb. I have to admit something…I have accidentally been picturing Matty Healy this entire time and i literally feel sick to my stomach about it. He’s just on the brain…ANYWAYS 38 years old….and he already wants us….if this were real life I literally would never linger after class and talk to him but this is why I LOVE stories like this. It shows the real possibilities of the world. I know a love like this exists out there, and I will swim through shark infested waters to find it. Still 38, and ready to JUMP HIS BONES! Kidding…he found himself grunting as he was pushing into my walls..I MEAN he was grunting as he pushed open the doors to the lecture hall😅 Your description of him really does bring me back to reality. I forget that he’s an old man who aches and breaks, I want him even more. This is kind of our first look at a playful banter between them, well he’s trying to banter. The idea of handing in a paper and touches lingering is CRAZY! WHO KNEW VICTOR STILL HAD THAT DOG IM HIM😹? Picturing him teaching psychology with a button down and arm muscles is literally a dream. I need this to be my life (pt. 1)

Ummmmm white man

“You shouldn’t be here… I’m fucked up, I can’t fuck you up too.” “Who else gonna take care of you on nights like this, Mr. Layne?”

—————————————

17. Seventeen. Seventeen years old and enduring torture.

The smell of of smoke filled his lungs, mixing with the crisp, London air. Curled up on the seat on the balcony, he took a deep breath. Wind blew his loose, dark curls around as his father’s voice pierces Victor’s ears.

“You’re a fucking pansy, a cunt just like your whore bag of a mother-” Victor’s fingers shook, attempting to tune out his father’s abuse. What did a seventeen year old do to deserve this mistreatment? “You’re stupid, and you’re disgusting and worthless! You can’t even get a job, why else are you still alive?” Before the boy could flinch, a blazing hand struck him on the cheek, burning tears from his eyes.

He snapped, standing up, “What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you mentally challenged? Why do you have to be such a dick?” Victor’s voice cracked slightly, over the abuse. Years of torment by his dad fucked him up. His mom left after his dad put his hands on her, and his drinking only got worse. He would take it out on Victor, seeing his mother’s radiant life in his son.

His dad stayed quiet, a look of anger and a twinge of guilt in his eyes. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore.” He stormed inside, his dad stomping in behind him.

“You’re not gonna do anything you little bitch! You haven’t got half the balls your mother did, fag-” His words slurred, taking another sip of whatever battery acid was mixed in his cup. Victor didn’t talk back, simply shoving random clothes in a briefcase.

—————————————

25. Twenty- five. Twenty- five years old and working as a librarian in a town far from his childhood.

A beautiful lady walked up to the checkout counter.

“You like poetry?” Victor’s hand brushed up against the woman’s, their eyes locking.

“I do, I’m researching and looking for inspiration for my next book. I’m looking for a psychological yet spiritual-” Victor tuned her out stared at her, in awe of her beauty and passion for whatever she was going on about. He scanned the book, scanning her library card after. “Sorry, I ramble.” She shook her head embarrassed and red.

“Don’t be, I like your passion. I have a book you’d like. I could give it to you, if you’d let me of course.” Victor took his chance shamelessly, yet swooned the young woman. She obliged and made a plan to meet that Friday for drinks and books.

“I’m Angelica.” She held her hand out and Victor grabbed it.

“Victor.”

—————————————

28. Twenty- eight. Twenty- eight and marrying the love of his life, Angelica.

“I do.”

“I do!”

“You may kiss the bride.”

His arms wrapped around her corset- covered waist as he leaned her over for a kiss, a kiss he was specifically waiting for. Their first kiss as a married couple. Their first kiss as life long soul mates. Partners for life, through thick and thin, through sickness and health, for the rest of eternity, right?

“I got you a present, V.” She confessed, pulling out a stainless steel lighter in pristine condition.

“I’ve never met someone like you before.” Victor confessed while his head was buried in her neck while their bodies are tangled together, a thin blanket covering their bare bodies.

“Baby,” she giggled into the top of his head, wrapping her arms around him.

“I’m serious. Where would I be without you? I love you. I was lost when you found me.”

“Go to sleep, sappy boy. You’re drunk.” He smiled warmly cozying into her deeper, with not a worry in the world.

—————————————

31. Thirty- one. Thirty- one and numb at his soulmate’s funeral.

The casket was closed. It hurt him even more, not being able to see his best friend one more time. He didn’t get to say goodbye, their last words exchanged being “fuck you”. They were arguing the night before she died. Angelica hastily got in her car, driving away from him for some space. She was in an accident.

He blamed himself. It was all his fault. At least that’s what he thought. He blamed himself for everything, his mother, his father, his wife. He would never forgive himself for this.

—————————————

35. Thirty- five. Thirty- five and drunk on the side of the road.

Four years later and he still can’t forgive himself. He’s only spiraled. He couldn’t go on like this. Everything reminded him of her. The apartment with remnants of her existence, but no life to be found. It angered him, infuriated him that she didn’t have more time. Everything he touched broke, shattered and was destroyed. He couldn’t do it anymore. He needed a change. A change of scenery, a change of mind, a change of heart. He was leaving.

He left the country and went to the land of the free with nothing but a briefcase filled with cash, liquor and his gifted lighter. He was ready to leave it all behind, and he did. Except he couldn’t, he couldn’t leave behind her memory, the baggage going with him anyway.

—————————————

38. Thirty- eight. Thirty- eight and living in a small town in Oklahoma, teaching at the local college as a psychologist professor.

He was tired. He was tired and greying, salt sprinkled in his hair as a sign of aging and stress. He had a passion for psychology, but no interest in teaching it to unmotivated, newly turned adults. Unamused, he showed up to class everyday. He was bored, he was so uninterested until he saw you. After leaving behind his past life and coming here, he never interacted with people much. He never socialized in fear of what else he would destroy. He figured if he kept to himself, no one would care. That was enough for him.

Again, that was until you appeared in his class. After classes, you would linger for a moment, asking if he was alright.

“Mr. Layne, you seem tired. Long night?” You would joke, hinting at a hangover.

With not a hint of emotion on his face, he would always give a return. “Something like that.”

You always smiled at him before leaving, saying something along the lines of, you should smile more, or take a day off.

He would wonder if he was taking your interactions out of context, twisting them into something deeper, more taboo. But those thoughts would quickly leave his mind as he reprimanded himself.

—————————————

Still 38, he found himself grunting as he struggled to push open the large, heavy doors to his lecture hall. The ache in his shoulder presented nothing but a testament to his apparent aging.

8:30 A.M MONDAY, read the digital clock glowing red on the wall behind his desk. Huffing and puffing, Mr. Layne threw down his tattered, patch-covered briefcase onto his desk. He slumped himself into the chair, resting his head in his hands as he rubbed his face up and down.

His tired mind questioned him, wondering why he didn’t just quit his job to become a male stripper. Making himself chuckle dryly, he looked up at the seemingly never ending rows of seats and then back at the door as someone to have walked in. It was you.

“You’re here early. We’ve got over half an hour.” He questioned, with a faint touch of concern in his tone.

“Woke up early ‘cause of a headache, couldn’t go back to bed.” You replied with a half-assed smile, rubbing your left temple. He nodded in acknowledgement, before going to tend to whatever papers were on his desk. You glanced over at him before picking a seat in the second row up. You sat down, your eyes on Mr. Layne. Studying him, your eyes narrowed and your hands automatically supported your head up.

You wouldn’t lie, Mr. Layne looked great for his age, not that he was super old, but he exactly young either. Perfectly aged, like red wine. Pale skin implied he didn’t go outside often. His hair presented in dark, loose ringlets, yet sprinkled with white all over. They lay in a messy pattern, though it looked like he tried to tame it by combing it back. Not that it worked. His eyes seemed black with creases, with no shine or sparkle to them, it made him mysterious, made him alluring. It made you want to learn more about this inexplicable man. His nose was sharp, a light scar over the bridge, hinting to a rowdy past. He had an overgrown shave, not too thick or thin, his skin peeking through the white and auburn hair. He was attractive, sexy even.

To put a bow on it, his personality brought it together. He wouldn’t stand for nonsense, but he reciprocated jokes and light-hearted conversation to the best of his abilities. He was a great guy, but something about him was missing, that much you could tell. He didn’t seem to enjoy normal people activities, he would tell you how he doesn’t do much on the weekends and how he doesn’t go on vacations. You were determined to find out more.

“What’d you do this weekend, Mr. Layne?” You questioned, tilting your head and smiling as he looked up at you.

He thought for a moment to make it seem like he did something, even though he didn’t. “Nothing fun or important. I guess I learned a new dish.” He tried his best to give you a satisfying answer, even though he didn’t care much.

Your brows raised in amusement. “You cook?” He nodded. “Do you cook for dinner dates? Who’s the lucky girl, Victor?” You interrogated in a playful yet mischievous tone, hoping to exude some laughter from him. Even though deep down, you truly wanted to know if he had his sights on another woman.

He paused for a moment, looking down for a split second and then back up at you. “That’s Mr. Layne to you, miss. And no, no lucky woman,” He had a soft smile, a soft smile that you deemed superficial.

Your mind wandered, truly confused that a man this attractive, smart, funny, and talented is single. You jumped to the most simple and basic conclusions, he’s either divorced or deemed himself too worthy for anyone. I could change that, you thought.

The silence once again filled the room as more people began spilling into the room, just in time for lecture. As he went on to teach, you would find your eyes stray on him and not the board. You would watch him as he paced back and forth, watched the way his buttoned shirt clung tightly in some areas, like his arms. Occasionally, you would lock eyes with him, just as any professor would make eye contact with his students. But this wasn’t normal, this was longer. This was playful, at least to you. When he would look up at you, you would look him up or down, or bite the top of your pen, or put on chapstick, slowly.

He tried to keep composed, but you could see his brow twitch slightly before furrowing. He knew it was wrong and he shouldn’t give in. But it wouldn’t hurt to wonder, he thought. In his defense, he hadn’t held anyone in years.

Interactions like this would go on, hot and heavy. Sensual glances and a second-too-long hand touches while handing in papers. Once, you even stayed after class, attempting to ask him for help. Basking in the thought he would maintain solidity, he agreed. It was all innocent play at first. Arm touches and swats, flirty yet disguisable compliments. Arm touches turned into thigh caresses, and undercover compliments into blatant flirting, surprisingly from both sides. But he stopped himself before he had done something he regretted. These kind of days drove him crazy. It would make him stay up till 2 A.M, causing him to sip on his drink way past happy hour. It would make his cock twitch at 3 A.M, the thought of you shamefully turning him on in the best most taboo way. He couldn’t handle these contrasting emotions anymore, it was wrecking him.

—

That red glowing clock shone the numbers, 3:56 P.M. FRIDAY Mr. Layne strode around the front of the room, closing up the book in his hands. Sweat trickled down the side of his head and slipped down into the collar of his shirt, leaving its journey down his probably toned body up to your imagination.

His gruff voice snapped you out of your day dream as he spoke, “That’s all for today. Just read the last chapter in your textbook for homework over the weekend. You. Stay after class.” He looked straight at you with a large finger directing at you. He was duller than usual today. Dark half circles pulled at the bottom of his eyes. You gulped any last ounce of anxiety before nodding and picking up your bag to make your way over to his desk. He simultaneously walked to his desk at the same time as you, staring dead at you as you did. He stared at you, not looking away while everyone left the class. His expression was unreadable, just like every other time, except this time, his eyebrows were scrunched. Your heart thumped a bit harder than usual. You looked up at him through your lashes, still subconsciously attempting to seduce him, accidentally of course.

He glanced over to the side, making sure everyone has left. The second the last person left, he turned to you immediately, getting closer. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

You tilted your head, getting an idea of what he was talking about but decided to find out more. “What’re you talking about, Mr. Layne?” your face contorted into a façade of confusion, looking up at him.

“Just stop, stop. The looks, the conversations, all of it. It’s not right.” He huffed, now closer than ever. Even in his moment of anger, you couldn’t help but notice how good he looks with a bead of sweat collecting on his temple. His accent did a number on you as well.

“It doesn’t necessarily feel… wrong.” You shrugged, biting the inside of your cheek, holding back a smirk. You could tell you had an effect on him. What kind of effect? You couldn’t tell. His breathing matched yours, if not heavier than yours. He licked his lips unknowingly, still angry. He suddenly shook his head, as if he just snapped out of it.

He chuckled in disbelief at himself as he took a step back and turned around, in shock he would even think things like this.

“What are you afraid of? You can’t just sit here and blame me after you felt it too-” You ask, in hopes of a solid answer. This conversation had made you wonder if you just had created all the other interactions up in your mind, if you were just delusional and convinced yourself he wanted you.

He just shook his head with his eyes closed. “No. I’m gonna- no!” He stopped himself. “You need to go, I cannot deal with this. It’s my wife’s anniversary and I have places to be-” He stopped himself as the word of his wife slipped out of his mouth. If you recalled right, he had told you he didn’t have one. That gave you all the solidity you needed about him and you.

“You told me you didn’t have a wife. That proves me right, you lied about being single, why else would you lie?”

“Please just go.” He cut you off, turning back around. You both stared at each other, your mouth slightly agape. Huffing, you stomped out, rightfully embarrassed. It was humiliating, you thought you had misinterpreted everything and ended up looking stupid. You went home in shame. Mr. Layne however, began his descent to the local bar downtown.

His wife’s anniversary, he called it, wasn’t what you thought. He wasn’t celebrating their wedding, it was her death date. And every year on this day, he would get absolutely shitfaced in replacement of visiting her grave and mourning her death appropriately. Subconsciously, he had hoped that one day, he would get so wasted that he would hit his head and forget it all, all of it, from his dad to his deceased wife. He didn’t even know if he loved her the same, all the years of drinking corroded his brain and scrambled his feelings. But he liked to drink in her memory, out of respect of course. Because no matter how he decided to feel about her, whether that be love or no feelings at all, they both had a life together at some point and he owed her that recognition.

And so that led him here, in the local bar running on a couple glasses of whiskey with no intention to stop anytime soon. He had intended to get absolutely drunk. A song play softly in the background, something about romance and spewing love letters. It sort of made him sick to his stomach. He took a swig of his current drink and sputtered in anger, “Can we change the fucking song?” He didn’t even know what he was doing, it was like his body had a mind of its own.

The barkeep replied, cleaning a glass, “No, sorry sir. The songs are played randomly, it isn’t in my hands.” The boy-ish bartender shrugged with a crooked smile, hoping that the drunk man in front of him would not make a scene. He went up to piss, grabbing his belt and adjusting as he did. On his way there, he bumped into a blonde man holding a tray of beers. They bumped shoulders which caused the man to spill the drinks.

“The fuck man? Watch where you’re going!” the blonde spoke in a booming voice, but not enough to be considered yelling.

Feeling a bit tipsy, Victor didn’t even know what he was saying. “What’re you gonna do about it?” If he wasn’t irritated and in a haze of emotions, he would never act like this, he was a good man at heart.

The blonde pushed Mr. Layne, causing him to stumble backwards into a table. In a bitter, vengeful manner, he punched the man. That punch caused all hell to break loose. The other man began to punch him back and they started to brawl in the middle of this busy bar. The blonde man ended up jabbing him right in the nose and managed to cut him across his face, a single long cut splaying out across his cheek to his lip. In retaliation to that, Victor punched him right in the cheek, spit flying from the mans mouth with blood coupled along with it. He could’ve sworn he heard a tooth chip. They both got hits in before ending up on the floor shamelessly. Victor got on top of him ,straddling the man on his stomach while punching him. It wasn’t long before a couple workers and the owner of the bar showed up to break them apart. They peeled them apart as their limbs still flailed in a pathetic attempt to break free to hit once more.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Get out!” The owner yelled, practically throwing Victor out of the bar. The blonde man ended up right beside him. “Don’t come back!”

“Your bar fucking sucks anyway!” Mr. Layne yelled back as the owner shut the door. They both sat on the floor panting heavily as people turned their heads, peering at the spectacle. “Cunt.” Victor muttered out as he pulled out a pack of smoked from his pocket. He placed one between his lips before giving one to the bruised man sitting next to him. Pulling out the old, scuffed stainless steel lighter, he lit up his own cig and then he man’s. He got up, then held out a hand to the blonde man to help him up. And then he walked away and that was the end of that. He had hoped to never see him again. Nights like these messed with his head. He wasn’t himself. It was very out of character for him.

He didn’t know what to do, he didn’t want to go home but he was too tired and kind of in pain to go to another bar.

So he just walked downtown. He took a drag, pain taking over his bruised ribs as he inhaled and exhaled. He coughed while he exhaled the smoke, his whole torso throbbing. He sat down on some bench under a street light that was next to a club and just smoked. The muffled music filled his ears and his brain felt like it pulsed to the beat of the music. He could feel tiny drops of blood tricking down his body and his face but he just did not care.

Unbothered, he sat there, smoking. Until he heard a familiar voice from down the side walk. “Mr. Layne?” It was you. You jogged up to him, concerning swarming over your face as you see the beat up state he was in with crimson pooling at the corner of his mouth and the cuts and bruises. “What the hell happened to you?”

He wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating or not. It was like an angel was sent from heaven for him, as if the god’s knew he needed help. He looked up at you like a lost little boy who finally found his mother.

“Are you really here?” His hands reached out to grasp you, double checking your existence. You couldn’t help but chuckle a bit, seeing him in this state like a child. You took a seat next to him and you both faced each other.

“What did you do to your face?”

“Some idiot at the bar. Got him back though-” he spat, wiping off blood from his cheek. “Why are you here?”

“It’s Friday night. I’m obviously gonna be out-” you rolled your eyes somewhat playfully and you couldn’t help but notice his weight shift, like he was loosening up. But then you remembered the incident that happened only a couple hours ago. He didn’t seem to remember, it was the least of his worries. You both just sat there for a moment, thoughts ran through your head. You obviously couldn’t leave him here. “Um, are you gonna get home okay? Where’s your wife?” You ask, leaning your head down to look him in the eyes. When he heard you ask about his wife, he just ignored it. Odd.

He paused and nodded, imagining slugging himself alone once more. “I guess. Yeah I’m all good.” the cigarette butt fell under his foot and became squashed with a shimmy of his foot.

You thought for a moment, deciding he needed someone to clean him up. “No, can I help get you home? At least clean you up a little.” you questioned very quietly. Secretly, this was your attempt to see his home, but it would also be you helping him. Win-win.

He also thought for a moment, his brows scrunching up in an expression you couldn’t read. “Okay,” was all he said before you both got up. “We can walk from here.”

“Fine by me.”

And now you both were here, walking side by side in silence, yet surrounded with chatter from civilians on the street, yet the silence was still unbearably loud.

“What was the fight over?” you asked, in hope of an answer and also to rid of the silence.

“It’s so idiotic.” He chuckled dryly, shaking his head and looking down at his feet with his hands in his pocket.

Your eyes peeked over at him, noticing he was still in the same outfit he was in when you guys shared that moment. The top couple buttons were loose while his tie hung around his neck un-tied. Disheveled black and silver hair lay against his sweat ridden forehead. “I’m sure it was very… cut worthy?” You joked with an amused smile.

That earned you a light laugh. He pulled out another smoke from his pocket and placed it between his lips while he brought out his lighter. He spoke through his teeth with the cig still in his mouth. “Trust me, it was not.” You grinned.

Innocently, you looked over at him as he lit his up with that same old lighter. “Can I have one?”

He peered at you. “They’re bad for you, don’t you know that?” He asked, an almost non-existent smirk splaying onto his face.

You shrugged. “’S fine. Makes me feel good.” He raised a brow, an idea jumping into his head. He took one out and handed it to you and watched intently as you put it between your faded red lips. You both stopped walking so he could light yours up, he brought it up to the tip of it, the heat of fire radiating onto your face.

You took a drag. “Thank you Mr. Layne.” You smiled, once again very innocently. It was like a game.

The walk went on, hands ghosting against each other and silly peeks and peers. It was playful. But before you knew it, you both were at the doorstep of his apartment. The street light hummed softly as he unlocked the door and stepped in with you right behind him.

Immediately, the first thing you noticed was the smell. There was a faint scent of cologne swirled with smoke. He turned on the lights, a yellow-orange light lit up the living room. He had a corduroy sofa with an ashtray on the coffee table. He kind of stood there, it was an awkward moment before you decided to break the deafening silence. But then you looked around for evidence of a woman living here.

“Why aren’t you with your wife? I thought it was your anniversary?” You questioned. Once again no answer. In hopes of an answer, you asked him for his first aid kit. He pointed to a cabinet in the kitchen and you followed behind him. There was a small breakfast table in the corner and he took a seat there while you grabbed the kit and pulled up a chair in front of him.

You placed it on the table and opened it up, grabbing stuff to clean his face up.

“I’m fine really,” He sighed, rubbing his temples. Shaking your head, you pulled out a sterilizing pad to clean his wounds. You ripped it open with your teeth and tossed the wrapper on the table.

“You’re kidding right? You’ve got a black eye and gash from your cheek to your lip. And you’re probably bruising god-knows-where.” You brought it up to his eyebrow, wiping the little wound. He sucked in a sharp breath, shutting his eyes. “It’ll only hurt worse.” You continued to clean his face, but grabbed a new one after it got soiled. In the downtime, you could feel his burning gaze on your skin, heat rising to the top. You looked up, eyes catching his. You both looked at each other. It wasn’t awkward, but his face showed… guilt?

He took in a breath before he spoke, “This is wrong.” He shook his head “This is inappropriate.” You knew he wasn’t talking about cleaning his wounds, but the fact that you, his student, was in his home past hours, touching his face.

Face flat, you responded, “Listen, I’m not gonna sit here and convince you, but you just can’t deny that you didn’t feel.. something, anything. Because that would be a lie, not to me, but yourself. Victor you’re lying to yourself. But it’s fine, You’re right. I know it’s wrong now, you’re married and-”

He cut you off. “She’s dead.”

You paused and looked him in the eyes, which only made him look down. “Huh?”

“My wife, she’s dead.” You were confused.

Huh.. I thought he said…?

“I thought-”

“Well I didn’t say she was alive.” He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “I said it was her anniversary, her death anniversary.”

You were shocked. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

He brushed it off as nonchalantly as he could, shrugging it off. “Nah, it’s okay, I’m okay.”

“You don’t look okay. Is it a coincidence that you got messy on her anniversary?”

“If I’m being honest, no.” You shook your head, expecting that answer. It went silent again. It seemed silence was a reoccurring instance between you two. But this time, the absence of sound was more mournful, more comforting, for him at least.

“You shouldn’t be here… I’m fucked up, I can’t fuck you up too.” He was lying to himself and you could see right through him. He wouldn’t stop you if anything happened…

“Who else gonna take care of you on nights like this, Mr. Layne?” You looked up at him through your eyelashes like you always do, fluttering your eyes and slightly wetting your lips. “You deserve care and love too.”

In all seriousness, you knew this was wrong. Seducing your professor on a day special to him? Crazy. But could anyone blame you? How could anyone resist the husky, beat up man who’s grunting and panting?

His eyes locked with yours as his tongue swiped against the corner of his mouth, swiping the somewhat dried blood away. Neither of you knew what happened, but an unknown force took over both of you. Something unnatural took over you, causing both of you to lean forward, lips touching.

It was absolutely electric. Shocking. Painful, for him at least. So wrong but so fucking good at the same time. The fact that it was so inappropriate made it feel even better. You deepened the kiss, testing the waters by pushing your tongue against his lips. Reluctantly, he obliged. From there on it only got better.

Your hands found your way into his unkept hair, tugging softly as your teeth clashed and your tongues fought for dominance. Your chairs ended up scooting closer together and your knees were touching, but it didn’t stay like that for long. Hands still in his hair, you both raised up and you ended up against his wall with a knee between your legs.

He was panting you were scrunching your legs together. He looked so good like this, sweaty with his shirt half done and his belt ready to come undone. You could feel it between your legs, feel him.

“Tell me to stop.” He broke away from you, a roguish twinkle in his eyes appearing. “Tell me to stop, please. If I keep going, I’m gonna do something I’ll regret.” Your response to him was to grab his face and place your lips where they belong, on top of his.

He couldn’t even think straight anymore. He couldn’t even think about the magnitude of his actions, how much it would affect him the next morning, but none of that mattered at the moment. None of that mattered when he had a beautiful young woman ready to be putty in his hands.

Your hips rolled against his knee, subliminally yearning for some sort of friction. Your action didn’t go unnoticed by him. You could hear him mutter under his breath, something along the lines of, so needy.

It was almost as if he was scared to touch you. Scared that something would happen. He didn’t know why. It might have been the underlying guilt.

“I won’t break,” your words came out a soft pant, looking up at him.

A tiny smile snuck onto his face and you noticed.

He had guided you to his room, articles of clothing littering your bee line there. His tie, your shirt and his. You were flat on his bed and was on top of you, his face buried in your neck as he sucked and nibbled.

It has been practically forever since he got some, but he stayed just as skillful as he was in his 20′s. Thank god for that. You were seeing stars just with him leaving purple marks on your neck. He got up for a moment, eyes scanning all the way down. His chest was heaving up and down and just like always, sweat dripped down his temple. His eyes drooped low, you couldn’t tell if he was drunk off alcohol or you. His burning gaze made you feel small. It was almost predatorial, the age gap didn’t help. You felt controlled, but it turned you on. He wouldn’t lie and say he wasn’t turned on either, but he couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of guilt.

Eyes locked with yours, his hands found his way to the hem of your bottoms, ripping them off to reveal your white panties. His fingers fumbled with the edge of them, eventually pulling them down and exploring his way around your heat. His fingers teased, ghosting touches against your thighs just like you would tease him in class. The sight of him above you drove you wild. And your imagination was right, he was fit.

“Remember all those times you would tease me during class and get away with it?” A pathetic mewl left your mouth in response to his condescending tone, back arching in hopes of his fingers to touch you. God his accent was so hot. Everyday you thanked God for British people.

“Please..” the way he had you begging before he even touched you was filthy.

A scoff left his mouth, a finger softly caressing right above your clit. You couldn’t take anymore. He mercifully started to rub your bud softly, watching your face intently as he did. Gasps filled his ears as he picked up the pace. You could feel your skin burning as he slid in a finger, earning a sweet whine from your cherry stained lips.

“Shit, faster.” According to your request, he added another finger and pumped faster, his hand rhythmically rubbing your clit simultaneously. Everything about him was perfect and everything you learned about him only proved you right. He was hot, can cook, teaches, respectful, AND good with his hands? It only made you wonder what his dick could do. It only made you want to cum on his hand faster.

Praises fell from his mouth as he watched your face scrunch, he could tell your getting closer. You squeezed around his finger. “C’mon baby, let it go now.” it only pushed you over the edge as you coated his fingers. You pulsed around him and he groaned. His cock strained through his jeans, hardened against his thigh. You whimpered softly as he pulled his fingers out, and you still clenched around nothing. He wasted no time, hands going straight to his belt.

He ripped it off and swung it across the room like a cowboy, letting his pants down and his cock spring free. You sat up on your elbows and watched him while he was perched between your legs, pumping himself.

The sight just made you salivate. His cock in his hands while he watches you writhe beneath him, succumbing to submission. Who knew sleeping with your professor would be the best decision you make all year.

Your back arched, shamelessly begging for him. He knew what you were asking for and if he wasn’t so ready, he would’ve made you work for it. But he was willing to be nice. He positioned himself perfectly, and pushed himself in right when you least expected it. It made you yelp. His thrusts were perfectly, periodically timed.

Your legs wrapped around him as his head found its place in your neck, once again nibbling. He was big you wouldn’t lie, it made tears prick at your eyes. Loud whimpers and groans filled the room as well as the creaking of the bed.

“Fuck, Victor-” You panted out, head cloudy.

His pace slowed down dramatically and you, once again, whimpered pathetically.

“Mr. Layne.” Props to him for keeping it professional.

“ ‘M sorry, Mr. Layne, move please.” You pleaded, how could he say no to such a face? But it wouldn’t hurt to tease.

“God, always so fucking disrespectful, calling your teacher by his first name… do you really deserve it?” He made a domineering face, a fake puppy dog expression.

“Please, I’m sorry, please fucking move,” he enjoyed watching you squirm on his dick, he was a filthy man. You had no idea someone like him could be like this.

So he began moving, faster than last time. Vulgar noises of skin slapping grew louder as he snaked his hand down your body, toying at your clit. His grunts became groans and your whimpers became moans as you both creeped closer and closer. The noises were obscene. The room was filled with wet, slapping noises and breathless moans. The knot in your stomach churned and twisted tighter as his fingers rubbed merciless circles on your clit. You could feel him hit your sweet spot, harder and deeper every time.

“Fuck, so good s’ good,” he repeated his praises and breathed out your name like a mantra. One last rub of his fingers and thrust of his hips had you seeing white and your back arched higher than you thought it could reach. You pulsed and fluttered around his dick and that only pushed him over the edge. He pulled out and came on your stomach, spurting hot ropes over you.

Mutters of oh my god, and fuck came from both of you, still not sure of who said what. Your name fell from his lips like it was the last thing he’d ever say. He flopped down on the bed beside you and sleep hit you like a truck. Your eye lids pulled immediately, your body very obviously tired from fucking. You had thought to get up to use the bathroom, but you fell asleep.

Mr. Layne however, could not fall asleep at all. He got a rag to clean your stomach while you slept, it only soothed you into deeper sleep. After that, however, he didn’t know what to do.

He felt sick, psychically ill and guilty. Regret and shame flooded his mind as he slipped on a pair pajama pants made his way to the balcony in his bedroom, grabbing a smoke. The whole scene took him back, him sitting on a balcony on a windy night while the stench of alcohol and cigarettes filled his nose, like the night he left when he was 17. He looked over at you through the glass, body covered with his blanket and your hair all messy, yet still so pretty.

He hated it, he hated how he did this. He felt like a bad person. He took a drag and blew it out and rested his face in his hands.

“Fuck.” He didn’t know what he would do tomorrow morning. He wanted to tell you to leave and that this was a mistake, have you transferred out of his class. But subconsciously, another part of him wanted to stick his dick in your mouth first thing tomorrow morning. He would cross that bridge of shame when he got to it.

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immaturityofthomasastruc · 3 years ago

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IOTA Reviews: Penalteam

You know, I spent a while mentally preparing myself for this episode, because basically every episode involving Chloe has had exceptionally bad writing, and given the fact that she's getting arguably the most focus since “Queen Banana”, I felt like I needed to be ready. When I actually watched the episode, I was surprised at how Chloe was written... mainly because I was more pissed off by aspects of the writing that had nothing to do with her. Yeah, this is going to be a rough one, in case you can't tell.

Let's get into the twenty-fourth (Chronologically the twenty-fourth) episode of Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season: Penalteam

We start off with Marinette and Adrien's class in gym getting ready for a soccer game in the local stadium. Oh yeah, I remember when my gym class got to play basketball at TD Garden. Apparently, it's so the class can develop “team spirit”, or something like that, even though everyone is mostly on good terms with each other, with a single exception. In addition, because this is Season 4, there's no way the animators can afford new models of these characters in gym clothes, so the first act of the episode is going to feature these kids running around in jeans and long-sleeved shirts, which will most likely lead to everyone suffering from some kind of chafing.

Someone else is there to help them learn “team spirit”, famous French sports journalist, Didier Roustan, who actually voices himself in the French dub. At least, I think it is. It's kind of vague if he is the same person as he is in real life, as some dialogue implies he's the real deal, as he references real events, but they don't really do much to establish him to the audience. On my first viewing of the episode, I thought he was just another teacher with the same name (think when Gene Schalit voiced Gene Scallop in SpongeBob SquarePants) until the next scene explained he was a legend in French sports broadcasting, sort of like what John Madden was for American sports.

While everyone is choosing teams, the shy artist of the class, Nathaniel, isn't interested, preferring to work on his comic with his friend (who will most likely be written off next season), Marc. It turns out that Marc is a huge fan of soccer, and knows a lot of tricks, saying that “it's full of exciting twists and turns, like a good manga!” Because for some reason, the episode really needs to remind the audience that these two are the artists who love comic books and manga. Granted, Marc being into soccer got about as much buildup as Commander Chakotay being into boxing was, almost as if the writers just threw it in to make the episode work instead of focusing on the established jock characters like Kim or Alix. Nathaniel still wants nothing to do with the class, and begs Marc to come up with an excuse. Nobody ever calls out Nathaniel for this, and believe me, I'm going to get back to it later.

The next scene is just of the kids playing soccer, with all of the predictable jokes you've come to expect from these writers. Sabrina gets bossed around by Chloe, Marinette screws up because she's physically incapable of doing anything when Adrien is around, and Chloe doesn't even try to play the game because the writers really don't get how the constant attempts to force the audience to hate Chloe says more about them than Chloe as a character. In addition, we learn Adrien doesn't know how to play soccer. Again, I'll get to it later.

Hell, even the writers can't make their minds up on why we should hate Chloe today. She's clearly shown to not care about playing the game (as if not wanting to play sports in gym is a terrible viewpoint to have), yet she also goes on about winning and not wanting to be on a team of “losers”, as if she was actually passionate about the game. Regardless of how you feel on the character, I think we can all agree Chloe shouldn't have been the main antagonist of the episode, because like Marc, her connection to soccer is only there to make the plot go forward. If the writers really needed a sport-themed Akuma, why not make it someone who actually knows how to play soccer and has a passion for the sport? I get why it can't be Kim, but why not give Alix more focus here as the Akuma, or better yet, make it an entirely original character, like a student from another class?

If you absolutely had to make Chloe the main threat in the episode, and if you want to do something to make the audience hate her in a way shows off her ego in a way that's actually entertaining, have her appoint herself as team captain. That way, she can bark out orders to her team while doing the bare minimum, saying she knows a lot because she used to be Queen Bee, and the other players wouldn't understand how smart she is. If her team loses, all she has to do is blame the others for not being as awesome as her. Bonus points if her team is all temp heroes like Zoe, so they all glare at how arrogant she is.

Sabrina offers to take Chloe's place as the goalie on the other team, but that means the other team doesn't have one, and because Ms. Bustier refuses to let Chloe sit down so they can avoid this headache and focus on the damn game, Didier asks the kids to come up with a way to include her in the game while still keeping it fair and fun. Because I guess simply putting Chloe in charge of keeping score didn't come to anyone's mind.

(Unfortunately, I couldn't find a good copy of the French dub with English subtitles, so I'm going to have to rely the English dub again, so no screenshots with subtitles.)

Marinette: Well…Chloe could switch teams with every goal. The team that wins will be the one that did the best with his handicap. *Chloe looks at Marinette in shock and anger* Uh... I mean having Chloe as their goalie.

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While I didn't bring it up that much in “Gabriel Agreste”, I really don't get why so many Chloe-centric episodes this season have the characters insult her while never being called out for it. Yes, she's bad, and the writers say you're not supposed to like her, and I don't think the characters should be blamed for everything when Chloe was still the aggressor, but there are times where they make fun of her just for being in the room. When Chloe was spying on Marinette and her friends in “Gabriel Agreste”, some of them proceeded to throw a couple fairy tale-themed insults at her instead of just yelling at her for violating their privacy. Because that's a great lesson to teach people of all ages: “If someone is mean to you, this show says it's okay to be mean back, because being the bigger person is for losers”. Actually, considering who the creator of this show is, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the actual lesson we're supposed to take away from this episode.

Of course, this was all pointless, as rather than have the akumatization come from Chloe being a sore loser, we don't even get to see the rest of the game, because Chloe decided not to use her father to get out of gym class for the year, and instead, waits for Shadowmoth to akumatize her into Penalty.

Penalty's design is okay, but anything's a step up from Queen Banana. Like Queen Banana, her Queen Bee model is reused (mainly the legs), but the black and yellow soccer uniform looks pretty decent, and the soccer ball tattoos on her face are a nice touch. I also like the idea of her having the ability to clone herself (referring to the group as “Penalteam”), as it symbolizes how narcissistic she is. Granted, her powers are confusing, as aside from being able to alter the area around her like a stadium and imprison people without even making a penalty box joke, they mostly amount to... being good at soccer. Yeah, despite the whole reason she accepted an Akuma from Shadowmoth was because she didn't want to play soccer, her powers are all about playing soccer. You see what I mean when I say Chloe shouldn't have been the Akuma of the episode?

And once again, I need to point out how pointless the Magical Charms were this season. If the whole idea of the Megakumas breaking the Magical Charms was so the writers had an excuse to make Shadowmoth look cooler and akumatize Chloe more, why did they have to show it off for the girl who already worked with her and didn't even want the Charm in the first place? If the writers wanted to show Chloe was in leagues with Shadowmoth, why not have her simply throw the charm away as she willingly accepts the Akuma?

After trapping the entire stadium in an energy dome and hiding away the object with their Akuma, Penalteam sets up a soccer match, where if she wins, nobody will be able to play soccer again. The only reason the stakes are even remotely tense is because they've trapped Alya, Alix, Ms. Bustier, and Didier (who's in charge of commentary for the match) in tiny balls that will shrink the more goals they score, implying she's willing to kill them over not wanting to play soccer.

Now this honestly could have worked if it said more about how far Chloe had fallen as a character, but nobody really says anything about how morbid this is. As selfish and immature as Justin Hammer was in Iron Man: Armored Adventures, not only did he have the technology to back up his threats and ego, he was shown to be very unhinged, and only got worse as the show went on. When he killed Mr. Fix and turned him into an AI as punishment for his constant failures while still using him to work on his projects, the other villains were horrified at what he did, and later episodes ramped up how insane he could get, and showed he was just as threatening as Iron Monger or the Mandarin. Here, Penalteam's actions are just treated like another Akuma, and spoiler alert, they gets taken about as seriously as Queen Banana.

Marinette and Adrien sneak off to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir respectively, and of course, the one time Ladybug boasts about how strong their partnership is (which is worse when you remember that this is right after “Kuro Neko” chronologically), that's when Cat Noir has to embarrass Ladybug by saying he doesn't know squat about soccer.

Ladybug: Nice scare tactics, but it's not gonna work. Cat Noir and I are the best at soccer!

Cat Noir: *whispering to Ladybug* I don't know a thing about soccer my lady. Maybe it's time to call the real team? *Ladybug gains a shocked look on her face*

Ladybug: Oh. Well, uh... Cat Noir will attend the goals while I get the rest of our team.

Penalteam: *laughs* I guess you're not that confident after all Ladybug! Let's see what you're made of kitty cat!

Didier Roustan, Voiceover: From the look on his face, not champion material, I'm afraid.

Don't you just love how after almost an entire season of him whining about Ladybug doing the unspeakable and relying on other heroes instead of him, the one time she actually thinks just the two of them can deal with this Akuma, now he's the one to beg for help? We don't even get a scene where Ladybug sees how bad he is and decides to go off and recruit the other heroes on her own, because why should she get to make a decision that isn't the result of being humiliated or proven wrong by her partner, am I right?

Naturally, you might be saying to yourself, “What about 'Furious Fu'? Didn't Cat Noir play soccer with the Miracle Ball there?” Well, someone asked Astruc that, and despite kicking the Miracle Ball around like a soccer ball, passing it to Ladybug with his feet like you do with a soccer ball, and literally kicked it through a goalpost while screaming “GOOOOAL!”, that somehow didn't count as playing soccer.

How the hell was that not considered soccer? How was Cat Noir even capable of doing so well with the Miracle Ball if he supposedly sucks at soccer? That's like saying that one scene from Batman and Robin doesn't count as hockey because the “puck” was a diamond Mr. Freeze was after. Either way, hockey was still played. This episode just goes out of its way to retcon previous events just for the sake of the plot, even more than even the worst episodes this season.

As usual, while Cat Noir does his best to not die, Ladybug goes around and brings in every temp hero available. While I can understand how it was easy for her to find Nino, Max, Mylene, Kim, Juleka, Rose, and Zoe and give them all their Miraculous, how the hell did Ladybug find Luka and Kagami to give them their Miraculous? Wasn't the stadium trapped under Penalteam's dome? But that's nothing compared to what happens next. Even though the Penalteam is composed of eleven clones, which means all Ladybug needs to match them is to bring in all nine current temp heroes with herself and Cat Noir, for some reason, this requires her to bring not just one, but four other temp heroes. Somehow, this situation is that desperate.

Ladybug goes to Sabrina, Marc, Nathaniel, and Ivan to give them the Dog Miraculous, Rooster Miraculous, Goat Miraculous, and Ox Miraculous respectively, leading to, surprise, surprise, a rushed and poorly paced scene. This show can't even pull off episodes with two separate Akumas (Antibug, Felix, Ephemeral), and now the writers think they can throw in FOUR NEW HEROES and properly integrate them into the story?!

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And while we're spared from four separate transformation sequences eating up the runtime even more than it already is, we still get the cliche “I can't be a hero because of personal reasons!” moment to make it seem like these characters are super deep. These speeches sort of make sense for the characters because of their personalities, but all of them somehow manage to make Zoe's brief moment of self-doubt in “Queen Banana” seem emotionally investing by comparison. I should also mention that all of this happens in less than two minutes.

First, I don't know what was going through her head, but Ladybug decided to give Sabrina a Miraculous, even though she's only girl with blind loyalty to Chloe, someone who betrayed Ladybug in the past, and has still been willing to go along with her plans and bullying behavior no matter what (Origins, Mr. Pigeon, The Evillustrator, Darkblade, Reflekta, Sole Crusher, Queen Banana). The writers have spent several episodes this season reminding the audience how terrible Chloe is and why she doesn't deserve a Miraculous, yet Sabrina gets one anyway? Just because she wasn't calling the shots doesn't mean she wasn't fully cognizant of her actions. But, of course, the show just glosses over all the bad things Sabrina has done helping Chloe... IN AN EPISODE WHERE CHLOE IS THE AKUMA.

Would it have killed the writers to give us a single episode where she tries to break away from Chloe's toxic influence and try to make up for her past actions? If we can't get a heroic Chloe, can we at least give Sabrina some form of a redemption arc? And like we all feared, the whole reason Sabrina is hesitant to use the Dog Miraculous is because “She can't do that to Chloe”, but she gets convinced to become a hero solely for the sake of saving Chloe, someone who willingly accepted an Akuma for the second time. So basically, anyone who likes Chloe is a complete idiot, yet Sabrina's entire motivation for becoming a superhero being to save Chloe is perfectly fine? You're really not making things clear on how we're supposed to feel about this, Astruc.

Thankfully, the next three aren't as contradictory, but still eye-rolling nonetheless. Marc is too nervous because even though he knows a lot about soccer, he thinks he isn't good enough, but all it takes to get his head in the game and accept the Rooster Miraculous is for Ladybug to say that “he's more talented than he realizes”. As for Nathaniel, he's somehow under the belief that he's not comfortable being in a team, only for Ladybug to point out that every scene he's had for the past three seasons has been working on comics with Marc, which is enough for Nathaniel to accept the Goat Miraculous.

And then we get Ivan's.

Ivan: What if I hurt someone using my superpowers?

Ladybug: It's good to be careful, Ivan, but remember, you'll be on a team of superheroes facing supervillains! No one can be hurt.

Because I guess since half a dozen episodes have already been retconned for the sake of this episode's plot, we might as well ignore what happened to Aeon in the New York Special or when Cat Noir tried to Cataclysm Scarabella in “Hack-San”. I said that these motivational speech scenes weren't as contradictory, okay?

Ladybug heads back into the stadium with the thirteen temp heroes, including Carapace, Viperion, Ryuko, Pegasus, King Monkey, the super amazing Vesperia, along with Pigella, Purple Tigress, and Polymouse, as well as the new recruits, Miss Hound, Rooster Bold, Caprikid, and Minotaurox.

Minotaurox (far left) has a very ridiculous design, and is easily the weakest of the four. I guess the character designers were trying to highlight how tough he is, but he looks like a combination of the Michelin Man and Oushi Black.

I like the look of the horns on his head, but the mask barely does anything to hide Ivan's face, even by the standards of this show.

In contrast, I think Rooster Bold (center left) has a really nice design. I love the pattern of the jacket with the sleeves that look like a rooster's feet, the coattails are a nice addition that doesn't interfere with mobility, and the red mohawk just looks really cool. What I don't get is the name. Yes, I get that the original French name Coq Courage, couldn't fly with American broadcasters, but if you wanted to give him a name to signify how brave Marc's hero identity is, why name him after Booster Gold, one of the most egotistical superheroes DC has to offer?

I have mixed feelings on the design of Miss Tracker (center right). I like the beret and color scheme, but the shorts and white boots just don't really go with the outfit that much. In addition, with the way the mask is designed, it looks like she always has a devious look in her eyes, which is ironic when you consider what she does in her civilian life.

But then there's Caprikid (far right). I think the fluffy vest is nice, and the color scheme is visually appealing, but there are just some, uh... bad implications here. A few years ago, Astruc sort of confirmed that Nathaniel was Jewish, as his last name was a reference to Jacob Kurtzberg, the birth name of comic book legend, Jack Kirby, who was also Jewish.

And yeah, while the show has never explicitly confirmed this either, the problem still lies in the fact that Nathaniel got the Goat Miraculous... when a common, anti-semetic portrayal of Jews is to give them devil horns and cloven, hoof-like feet. Granted, like the many, many portrayals of different ethnicity and cultures on this show, I highly doubt it was intentional, but I'm not Jewish, so I'm not certain if this is really as bad as it sounds. If there's anyone who knows more about Jewish culture or religious text, don't be afraid to correct me on this.

So the soccer game against Penalteam finally begins, and then Viperion is almost immediately taken out by a Penalty. After a brief skirmish leading to the destruction of Team Miraculous' goal, Penalteam changes the field to all of Paris. Ryuko tries to get the ball, but gets tagged out as well. Cat Noir manages to get the ball and scores a goal... on his own team. Because this episode is determined to make Cat Noir out to be a total liability. After some failed attempts to stop Penalteam like Carapace using his Shelter and Purple Tigress using her Clout, the first half of the game ends, with Penalteam winning. Ladybug tells the other heroes to not use their superpowers for some reason, but then has a very quick change of heart after they all recharge.

Ladybug: I'm sorry, I've been a bad captain. I played a solo game, I forgot we're a team. I'm gonna need all of you now, more than ever.

Yes, because she didn't pass the ball to Ryuko (even though she was going to be tagged anyway), Ladybug is the one who needs to learn a lesson about teamwork. Nevermind the fact that all season, she's relied on the help on other heroes, and just reassured Cat Noir that he is irreplaceable. It's obvious that Ladybug is the one who needs to step up her game, not the idiot who scored a goal on his own team.

The second half begins, and Ladybug gives orders to the other heroes. When the Penalteam tries to gang up on Minotaurox, he uses his power, Resistance, to blow them all away. After turning things around and winning the game, Penalteam decides to extend the game. For some reason, Cat Noir is surprised at how unfair things are, and Penalteam outright says she's a villain who's making the rules of the game. I'm honestly surprised we didn't get something more along the lines of this:

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Like clockwork, Cat Noir is incapacitated by the Penalteam, so the other heroes only have five minutes to save him. And I'm not making this up when I say that rejecting Akumas has become so common this season (Gang of Secrets, Rocketear, Qilin), that's what Ladybug plans to do to beat Penalteam, have them reject the Akuma entirely. Ladybug summons her Lucky Charm, an easel to draw out her strategy with. She comes up with a plan to essentially pull a Doctor Strange and annoy Penalteam into surrendering. How does she do it?

Caprikid's power, Genesis, is to create any object he wants, making it a superior version of the Lucky Charm. Okay, why can't the Ladybug do that? Lucky Charm is completely random, yet the lower tier Miraculous can create any object? How is that any different from creation? Why can't he get a power that isn't just a blatant copy of Lucky Charm? Are there any limits to this power? Could Ladybug use it to create another Miraculous? If Gabriel got it, could he create a magic pill to wake Emilie up from her coma? But believe me, it gets dumber.

Using Genesis, Caprikid creates a toy magic wand, claiming his power lets him remove all time limits for the other heroes, obviously bothering Penalteam. Miss Hound then uses her power, Fetch, to teleport the ball to Rooster Bold, who uses his power.

Rooster Bold: Sublimation!

Penalteam: *laughs* Sublimation? You have the power to make yourself less ugly?

Rooster Bold: Actually my power is to choose a super ability, and I choose to score a ball anytime I shoot. *shoots the ball, and it goes into the goal after flying around the Penalteam clones* And that's how it's gonna be every time I get the ball!

Let me get this straight. Rooster Bold's power... is to have any superpower he wants? You're telling me that of all the powers the writers could come up with, they gave him the power to do whatever the hell he wants? THEN WHAT'S THE POINT OF USING LITERALLY ANY OTHER MIRACULOUS?! Why does Ladybug even need to hand out any Miraculous when all she can do is use the Rooster to give herself the power she needs to save the day? Why can't she just give herself the power to find Shadowmoth's lair? Why does Shadowmoth even need to recreate the world if he can just grab the Rooster and give himself the power to save Emilie? Well, some people on Twitter asked Astruc these kind of questions, and it was apparently enough for him to end his brief exodus from responding to fan questions.

THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY MEAN, AND YOU KNOW IT, ASTRUC! What they're asking is why can't the Rooster be used in a way to figure out someone's secret identity other than “Because the plot said so”. Your team said the Rooster had no limits, didn't they? What's stopping Ladybug from using the Rooster to give herself the power to track Akumas back to Shadowmoth's lair? How about the power of telepathy to read into the minds of Akuma victims and get an idea of who Shadowmoth is through the mental bond? Why not the power to be able to detect anyone who has used a Miraculous at any time in the past to figure out who Shadowmoth is? They could have given the Rooster other powers like healing or the power to reinvigorate exhausted heroes, but instead, the writers just gave up, and literally gave Rooster Bold the power to do whatever the plot needs him to do. They couldn't even make the power unpredictable like the Lucky Charm to justify the incredibly specific circumstances when this Miraculous is used.

So the heroes do what they really should have done from the beginning instead of wasting time on this soccer game, barrage Penalteam with their powers. Vesperia uses Venom to stun a clone, Pegasus uses Voyage to teleport the ball into the goal, and King Monkey uses Uproar to screw up Penalteam's powers. After her clones start bickering with each other, Penalteam rejects the Akuma, because the writers are determined to make rejecting Akumas the least impressive thing on the show.

Ladybug de-evilizes the Akuma, the heroes celebrate, and even though she was vilified for not wanting to play soccer, the kids decide to let Chloe have what she wants, while Nathaniel comes in to play, never getting called out for wanting to skip class in the first place. After telling Sabrina to play soccer with the others, our episode ends with Chloe sitting down next to a familiar face.

Lila: Welcome to the bench.

Chloe: What's your name again?

Lila: It's not my name that matters, but who I hate. And I think we have a lot in common on that front.

That's right. Now they're hinting at a Chloe and Lila team-up... in the penultimate episode of the season. I just have one question to ask...

WHY THE FUCK DID IT TAKE THE WRITERS THIS LONG TO SET THIS UP?!

This was literally the first thing Lila has said all season, and after Chloe has been the most recurring antagonist this season besides Shadowmoth, you're choosing now to reestablish Lila as a threat? Why did it take her this long to do anything? Why is she choosing now to team up with Chloe? Why didn't she say anything to Chloe after she betrayed Ladybug? Did she just realize Chloe hates Marinette for some reason? Where the hell was Lila all season? It's stuff like this that makes me not believe a second of Astruc's claims that Chloe's betrayal was planned from the start, because if it really was, this would have more focus and buildup instead of being shoved into the end of the season.

I feel like I jumped the gun with calling “Queen Banana” the worst episode of the show, mainly because it got to me personally, because of my feeling for Chloe as a character, but this episode? Yeah, its biggest problems came from parts that had nothing to do with Chloe, and not only do I think that this is the worst episode of the season, but also of the entire series, and I mean it for real.

This episode just went out of its way to retcon previous events, and threw in new character motivations, and for what? A filler episode where all the heroes do is play soccer? If Astruc wanted Chloe to become an Akuma again, why did it be one with a motif and powers that had nothing to do with her personality? Again, why not use Alix, since she hasn't become a hero yet? Why did the heroes even go along with the soccer game in the first place, much less act like Chloe, someone who has betrayed the team in the past and has said she hates Ladybug, was going to play fair? Why couldn't Pegasus and Polymouse split up to search for the Akuma while the other heroes played the game?

And then there's the whole thing where they made Cat Noir into a complete buffoon? All season, the writers keep trying to convince the audience that Cat Noir is a valuable asset to the team, and is worthy of being Ladybug's partner, but then we get episodes like these that make him out to be more of a liability than anything else, all to justify the baker's dozen's worth of temp heroes appearing in the episode and doing more to save the day, all while having to bail him out of an Akuma's trap. After “Lies”, “Mr. Pigeon 72”, “Mega Leech”, “Guiltrip”, “Sentibubbler”, and “Wishmaker”, this is the SEVENTH TIME this season where Cat Noir has been incapacitated by an Akuma in some way that forced Ladybug to rely on other heroes to save the day. If the writers keep trying to prove Cat Noir is a useful hero this season, they're not doing a good job at it. If they needed to portray a hero as inept at soccer for comedy, why not Carapace, Viperion, Pegasus, Vesperia, Pigella, Purple Tigress, Polymouse, Caprikid or Minotaurox? None of them were established to be athletes or skilled at soccer, unlike Ryuko, King Monkey, Miss Tracker, or Rooster Bold. The writers had options, but still chose to make Cat Noir a complete weakling for the sake of this flimsy plot.

And then we get Chloe. If Astruc's team absolutely had to make her the Akuma of this soccer episode, would it have killed them to give her a consistent motivation for getting akumatized? One minute, she doesn't want to play soccer, the next minute, she acts like she hates being dragged down by a team, and then she gets akumatized because she doesn't want to play soccer... and decides to play soccer with the heroes to decide the fate of people playing soccer across the world. Did the writers skip a page in the script? What the hell is happening? Why couldn't Ladybug make a deal with Penalteam to see if Paris can play soccer instead? It would be entirely in-character for Chloe to act like she's the best at the game, so have Ladybug exploit her ego to warrant the soccer game. Instead, the writers made her skilled at soccer, even though she was akumatized because she hates soccer, and didn't even try to call her father to get out of having to do this.

It's even worse when you remember what Nathaniel did earlier in the episode. Why was Chloe in the wrong for not wanting to play soccer with the class when Nathaniel tried to get out of playing soccer in the first place, and never got called out for it? What was even the point of showing Nathaniel's hesitance to play soccer when the whole reason he didn't want to be a hero at first was because of that “Not wanting to be on a team” crap?

Even the actual soccer game the episode desperately wanted to show off was boring. Most of the temp heroes didn't get to do much, and it was just a regular game of soccer for most of the episode until everyone realized they had superpowers. Sure, they tried to make it seem like it was dangerous, but that was because Penalteam's kicks are like shooting a soccer ball out of a cannon. If anything, they should have opened with using their powers to even the playing field the second it was made clear Penalteam wasn't going to play fair. What was even the point of bringing in Ryuko, Viperion, and Pigella if they couldn't even use their powers? The former two barely got to do anything before being captured by Penalteam!

Obviously, the debut of the last four temp heroes was rushed as all hell. There were plenty of episodes that could have been cut this season to facilitate at least one or two temp heroes so they didn't have to introduce four in a single episode, but no! “Mr. Pigeon 72”, “Psycomedian”, “Glaciator 2”, and “Simpleman” were just too important to leave on the cutting room floor, so there was no other choice but to cram four new heroes into an episode that already has way too many heroes to keep track of. The actual development these characters got was so surface level. With Vesperia, Pigella, Purple Tigress, and Polymouse, there was clearly effort to flesh out their characters and give them more focus than usual, but here? Why should I care about these characters getting Miraculous if there's little fanfare to it? You could have had a really good episode where Sabrina gets the Dog Miraculous after standing up to Chloe, but instead, the writers rushed through it and gave her the Dog because she wanted to save Chloe, because every time Sabrina gets focus, she has to be screwed over in some way. Spoiler alert for the finale, but she gets screwed over there too.

This episode had screw-up after screw-up trying to cram everything it wanted to into its twenty-three minute runtime, and it just failed miserably as a result. Even “Felix” and “Queen Banana” were more coherently written than this episode. It's just a complete mess of an episode from start to finish.

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foundmeagainbitch · 3 years ago

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Here’s the transcript of the fandom-related part of Reedus’s interview, for anyone interested. It’s worth listening to, however, just to hear his tone.

Norman: I will be doing a spin off, it’s a different spin off than I thought I was going to do because Melissa wants a break.

Alex: Which is totally understandable that she wants a break!

Norman: 12 straight years.

Alex: Yeah!

Norman: And I get it and she deserves it. In the meantime I’m gonna go on a thing, I’m gonna see what happens over here. I’m sure those characters will come back together. There might be a world where a lot of characters will come back together, I don’t know. Those decisions are made in rooms I’m not invited into. It all coincides into one big soup.

Alex: (Blah blah about the fan base, ownership, personal and private life) Melissa is not Carol. You’re not Daryl.

Norman: It’s a thing to deal with. Do you know how many girlfriends I’ve had that have been threatened? Because I’m not with Beth or Carol in real life? It makes zero sense. It’s fucking bananas. And the social media thing—I thought it would be over by now. Why are we still doing this? Is it really fun? Not really. Do you know why are we doing it? I thought it would be done. It’s nice to reach out and hear from different people, but yeah .

Alex: It’s a mindfuck!

Norman: Oh, you eat a pie. Whatever.

Alex: People feeling like they have a right to your private life, and you want to reach out to your fans and you want to share, but you have a right to say there are only certain things I’m going to share. And it’s a balance that seems hard for a lot of people. Like I’m glad that you’re obsessed with my show, I love that you’re that passionate about my character, but remember I’m a human being!

Norman: It’s literally been 12 years. Here I am with a knife (gagging noise) pouring it all out for you. Like you’re literally, like it’s all right here on the table and you’re going to dissect it? And you’re going to throw it in the microwave and turn it into something else? Like what are you doing? So there’s a balance and there’s a bunch of assholes on the Internet. Seems like the assholes are the loudest and they try the hardest to be the assholes. I will say I know a lot of cool people. Cool people never go on the Internet and tell you you’re not cool. They don’t need to do that, you know. Pretty people don’t go on and tell people you’re ugly. It doesn’t work like that. So you can kind of raise a big ass hole flag, you know what I mean?

Alex: And lot of it stems from their insecurities and their fears and it’s easy to be braggadocious (sp). And it’s easy to be big-balled when you’re behind a screen and it’s the way it works. When you hate another person because of their sexuality or the color of their skin it’s because of a fear.

Norman: We all know what you’re doing, you know? We don’t care. We don’t want to hear it.

Alex: How do you have that balance though? You’ve had this incredibly long career, not only Walking Dead, you had Boondock Saints. I also loved you in Blade 2. So where do you find that balance of sharing with the fans but also keeping your own self?

Norman: There’s a mute button on there. There’s a mute button, and an unfollow button, and a block button, and I hit those buttons all the time. And then sometimes I don’t look. I really thought it would be over by now, I thought it was a fad, that we would be onto something else now. But to be honest with you I’m kind of bored with it. It’s kind of boring. I’d just rather meet people.

Alex: Like can we be over with it by now?

Norman: And look at your profile picture. That’s not your picture. I know that person. That’s not you. 2 billion people think they’re Selena Gomez. No you’re not. Stop it.

https://soundcloud.com/alexditrolio/norman-reedus-on-the-ravaged-and-the-walking-dead

#caryl #carylers #norman reedus #SoundCloud

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masterwords · 3 years ago

Text

Long Division

Summary: Jess and Jack are not doing well with Hotch in the hospital. (09x05 - Route 66 hospital stay)

Warnings: nothing

Pairings: none

Words: 1.2k

Notes: Prompt 8 - Laying a gentle kiss to the back of the other’s hand from 50 Types of Kisses.

Read on AO3: Long Division

She's feeding Jack simple meals, whatever he wants. She's back to biting her nails so badly that she shoves them into big yellow rubber gloves before cleaning the apartment because the chemicals burn her chewed up cuticles. Deep cleaning, like the apartment needs it, Aaron always keeps it tidy. He's got a cleaning lady who comes once a week, someone vetted by his mother, and of course he deep cleans in the hours prior to her arrival anyway. She doesn't need to clean, but she does because it keeps her busy and it stops her chewing her nails until they bleed.

They've been doing it for days now, the same routine since it happened. She can't decide what to do, can't decide whether to move furniture to make it easier for him to maneuver, give him a steady line of chairs and tables to steady his gait against if he stumbles or if she should just leave it because he won't want the attention and he certainly won't think he needs it. She's gone and dug out every item of clothing she could find that would be easy for him to get in and out of, that would be comfortable, even bought a few new things he'll grumble over but he'll wear them and secretly admit she was right. Pants low slung and loose to sit beneath his new incision, he'll hate those the most. She's got JJ helping her build zip-lock bags for smoothies because she knows he won't eat, and JJ makes them for Henry when he's picky. Aaron isn't picky except when he doesn't feel well and then he's worse than a child so they're stuffing bags with bananas and avocados and hoping he doesn't lose too much weight before getting a handle on things. At night, she sits and watches Jack fuss over his homework while staunchly refusing her help.

“I'm really good at math, I can help,” she tells him, hovering over his long division work. He's not struggling with the problem itself, he's struggling with the concept of having remainders, of something in math not matching up and being neatly tied with a bow. Life has remainders, it's messy and unpredictable but not math. Math is comforting in its predictability and he loves it, has told her so many times. She laughs and thinks to herself about college level math, theory, how that'll throw him for a loop if he follows this passion but he's got to wrap his mind around remainders first. He keeps erasing and starting over figuring he's done it wrong, he's worn holes in the page, and he won't listen when she tells him that his answers are correct. He's upset with his father, about his father, torn between childish worry and anger because his father is going to leave him just like his mother did.

“As soon as you finish we can go see your dad..” she offers with some hope, but it seems to make him more anxious and he erases furiously again at the third time he's gotten the problem correct. His teacher called while Jess was on her lunch break earlier that day to let her know she was worried about the sudden change in Jack's demeanor and ask if there was anything concerning happening at home, and Jess took her short break to wander outside with a cigarette and divulge information Aaron would never want her to share. It felt good to say it to someone, to include someone else, even if just for a moment. Maybe shouldn't have, but knowing that there was one other person who could help Jack lifted a weight on her chest, she could breathe again, indulge her own fear. He's got a long recovery ahead of him, she told his teacher, and Jack might need to take a few days off when he's released in order to help them all settle. As much as she helps, it really is just the two of them.

He finishes most of his homework without any real hurry, shoves it all into his backpack and agrees to go with to see his father, take the rest with him so they don't miss visiting hours. He doesn't want to go, doesn't want to see him in the hospital again, doesn't even want to know what happened. The feeling of betrayal is too strong and he hates that he feels this way, doesn't want his dad to know.

They take him a milkshake, it's about all he can keep down right now. She's been bringing them by a few times a day, stocking his freezer with ice cream at home...she doesn't care so much about whether it's healthy, she'll give him anything he wants in order to see him take in calories. Jack curls up in the corner beneath the doctor's table with his headphones on, barely even looked at his father when he walked in, and pulls out his piles of homework. He focuses hard on it in order not to think about where he is, smell the antiseptic sharp tang of the hospital room. Jess takes a seat on the bed beside him, she's not going to pretend she cares about decorum, she's at her wits end and worried sick.

“He's upset with me,” Aaron whispers, nodding toward Jack and Jess shrugs listlessly. Yeah, she thinks, of course he is. But she won't say that, he's so fragile, so pale.

“He's just scared. It'll pass.”

“And you?” He's weak and unsure, can't hide it in his voice.

“Me what? Am I upset with you? Aaron...” She wants to scold him. She's not a child, she's not upset with him for being sick no matter what faulty logic he might subscribe to. No matter how many symptoms he ignored, no matter what he didn't say – he had his right to privacy and no, she isn't upset. She's scared because her best friend, her brother, nearly died and she was powerless. She'd just spoken to him, heard his voice and he sounded fine, that was the worst part. He sounded fine, she would take the sound of his voice with her for weeks, desperately trying to figure out if she could have known, picked up on any indication...because minutes later he was dying...they'd both missed it. And then to add to it, she can't figure out how to fix things for him and Jack, is worried about him coming home, worried about their relationship. He'll need help around the house and she can move in with them, she will move in with them to help, but she can't mend what is quietly breaking.

His eyelids are heavy, there's a quiet sickness hovering just beneath the surface. It's the cocktail of pain medications and fluids, he lets himself sink heavy into the pillows and closes his eyes just for the relief it brings. It takes so much energy to stay awake right now.

“I just want you home,” she whispers, letting her hand settle over his. She feels his fingers twitch, knows he's asleep already. His breathing is shallow, eyebrows knit together like he knows there is pain even if he doesn't really register it, he knows it is with him and will catch up to him in due time. She can't bear it so she touches him, brings his knuckles to her lips and dusts feather light kisses along their bony ridges while she watches Jack furiously erase his work over and over again.

#aaron hotchner #jessica brooks #jack hotchner #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction

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janetbrown711 · 4 years ago

Text

The Story

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess.

Her full name was Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the Second, but Angelina was just fine. However, if you were especially close, she’d let you call her Lena.

She was as kind as she was beautiful. Often Angelina found herself wandering the Warnerstock castle grounds and singing to herself, whenever she wasn’t getting in trouble for skipping classes.

Oh yes, Angelina was a trouble maker. And a smart-ass too. She loved talking back and driving her teachers insane more than anything. It wasn’t that she hated learning, far from it, it was just that she always had something better on her mind. Most often it was a song, other times it was her thinking about the new squire, William.

They had met in the stables. She had just finished her horseback riding lessons and he was just getting started with his. She was roughly 15, and he 16. They hit it off right away, though William made a fool of himself when he tripped face first in to a bucket of water. Angelina didn’t mind at all though, and they quickly became close friends.

William was a handsome squire, and it was very clear to Angelina that he liked her. Angelina liked him too. He had a goofy grin, and was full of fascinating stories she could listen to all day. He was also surprisingly optimistic, always encouraging her and others to never give up on their goals and aspirations.

He was sweet, and Angelina was pretty sure she was hopelessly in love with him.

Her parents didn’t really approve- they didn’t approve of most things she liked. The only thing they let her do was sing, so she practiced and did it often. Angelina was pretty sure that if she wasn’t destined to take the throne, she’d be a singer on stage, and would dance and perform.

Instead, she sat and learned how to eat at a dinner table. Of all the classes she thought were boring and useless, manners were the most boring and least useful. However, she sparked back to life when she looked out the window and saw none other than William himself waiting for her outside.

“Salad, fish, dinner, dessert, oyster.” Angelina cut off her instructor mid sentence and listed off the specific and dumb uses of the forks in front of her. “Now, miss, I’m afraid this lesson isn’t very interesting and something much better is waiting for me downstairs. If you don’t mind, how about we both spare each other from this dreadful lesson and call it a day early?” Angelina looked at her instructor.

“Smart-ass,” The teacher rolled her eyes. “But fine. We’ll just go overtime next time,” she said. Angelina groaned internally, but accepted her win, and ran out of the castle as quick as she could to meet William, only stopping right before the doors to adjust her crown.

“Hi William,” She said with a smile, almost giggling at how nervous he looked. For someone who was soon going to be knighted, he seemed pretty nervous about something.

“H-hi Lena,” He blushed. Angelina snorted.

“William, relax. It’s just me,” She touched his shoulder, and he relaxed a little. “C’mon, let’s go for a walk.”

William agreed to this, and with him leading they strolled through the gardens. It was their favorite way to spend the time. They loved looking at all the flowers and planting them too. Angelina’s mother thought it was too dirty of an activity for a princess, but Angelina thought her mother was too rude and egotistical to be queen, and yet here they were.

Needless to say, her mother let her garden.

“Can you believe you’re going to be a real knight by this time tomorrow?” Angelina asked.

“No, not really,” He scratched the back of his neck. “To be honest, I’m dreadfully nervous about the ceremony, but I’m hopeful that things will turn out well enough,” He admitted to her. Angelina nodded.

“Knighthood is a big step from squire. Very respectable and admirable,” She said.

“What about you? You ready to be queen?” William asked.

Angelina laughed. “Me? Queen? Not in a million years. I mean- I know it’ll happen one day, but so long as I have any say in it, it won’t be for awhile,” She remarked.

“Have you not heard rumors of your mother’s retirement? You are of age and all,” He asked. Angelina shrugged.

“I hardly pay attention to a word she says these days,” She admitted. “She hates seeing me happy, so I prefer to not be around her in hopes that i will be.”

“Are you?” William asked.

“With you? Of course,” Angelina smiled at him. William blushed.

“Good- that’s... that’s good,” He said, looking at the flowers. Angelina restrained a giggle.

“So... if I may, why did you want to talk with me today?” She asked as they reached the center fountain.

“Well- I uh...” William cleared his throat. “Well... you see... I-i’m becoming a knight which mean I-I’m eligible for- well...”

“Well..?” Angelina tilted her head slightly. William took in a deep breath.

“Lena... I’ve been in love with you since I first laid eyes on you. You’re... you’re beautiful, witty, courageous, and just... wow,” He said, and it was Angelina’s turn to blush.

“I know I don’t come from much- I’m just an orphan from Acme Falls, a-and I know your mother doesn’t approve but... well...” He got down on one knee.

“I don’t have a ring, as squires don’t really get paid but... I love you, Angelina. There is no one on this earth I’d rather spend the rest of my life with. So... please... will you marry me?” He proposed.

“I... Of course,” Angelina nodded.

“I-it wouldn’t be right away. It’d be after you’re queen- when your mother is gone and can’t-” William paused. “W-wait- did you say-”

“Yes, you dummy,” Angelina punched his arm lightly. William laughed and stood, and Angelina pulled him into a passionate kiss.

And so the pair was engaged, though it was in secret. Angelina was pretty sure her mother finding out would give her a heart attack, and she’d die right then and there.

Well, turns out it didn’t matter because in a months time, Queen Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the First died of a sudden illness, and Angelina rose to the throne. She and William were married no less than a month later.

Ten months after their wedding, Warnerstock had a new prince.

“William, isn’t he just the cutest thing?” Angelina said, unable to take her eyes off her newborn son.

William kissed her head. “Of course, my love.”

“I think I’m seriously in love with him. I never want to take my eyes off of him. I mean seriously- look at that little face,” Angelina sniffled. William chuckled.

“He has your eyes. I think that’s what does it,” He said.

“Stop, you’re making me emotional,” Angelina laughed and sniffled again.

“We’re going to have to name him, you know?” William said. Angelina sighed and nodded.

“Yes, I know... but names are so hard,” She complained. “I mean- It’s not like I have a lot to go on. My father’s name was Harold the Eighth and my mother was Queen Angelina Contessa blah blah blah the first. They were so lazy,” She sighed. “And I refuse to name this precious little thing Harold the Ninth. That’s just a curse.”

“I understand dear. It’s just... well... the people do need to hear something soon,” William said. “They can’t be waiting forever. They want to know their future king.”

“I know, I know,” She sighed, looking at her son’s face and thinking intensely.

“What about something... traditional in the sense that it’s old, but not in the sense it’s boring and overused?” She suggested.

“What did you have in mind?” He asked, genuinely curious.

“Something like... Yakkorotius or Alexandrion or something,” She thought out loud, before shaking her head. “That’s a very stupid name, never mind.”

“What about just... Yakko?” He proposed. Angelina thought about it.

“I think I like that name,” She nodded. “Prince Yakko Warner of Warnerstock it is,” She smiled as she said it. She didn’t know why, but she could tell it suited him already.

And so their little family began. Yakko very much lived up to his name, as once he gained the ability to babble, it seemed he never stopped. Even in his sleep, Angelina swore she could hear him babbling about whatever he was dreaming about in that sweet little head of his. By the time he was three, he would just ramble on and on about the bedtime story William had told him the previous night.

It was the favorite part of Angelina’s mornings.

However, Angelina and William found themselves wanting another child, and so by the next year, they had another son.

“You know what William? I think if they gave out awards for cutest babies, they’d go to our kids,” Angelina said as she laid in bed, utterly exhausted.

“You’re right,” The king agreed. “I think he had to though, to make up for the scare he gave us,” he said. In truth, he hadn’t been born breathing and crying and for a moment, everyone in the room believed the worst. But fortunately, the doctor fixed him right up, and everything was okay.

Still.

It had scared the crap out of Angelina and William, and the queen was determined to never let go of her newborn.

“What do you think of the name Wakkorotti?” William asked out of the blue.

“Like the performer?” Angelina tilted her head. The king nodded.

“I think it sounds elegant. And what about the middle name Alan, after my father?” He suggested.

“We didn’t give Yakko a middle name,” Angelina remarked.

“True, but I didn’t think about it until now,” William said. Angelina thought a moment.

“Perhaps we should let Yakko decide. He’s probably curious and wanting to meet his little brother,” Angelina said, nodding at the maid by the door, who left to go fetch him.

“Letting him decide? I’m pretty sure if he could he’d name him Knight or Dragon or something,” William teased her, and Angelina stuck out her tongue at him. Just then the door opened and Yakko ran to his mothers side.

“You’re okay!” He said, jumping onto the bed. Angelina laughed at his enthusiasm, but remembered that she was holding a sleeping newborn and silently reminded Yakko to keep his voice down.

“Of course I’m okay dear. Now... would you like to meet your baby brother?” Angelina said. Yakko nodded and peered over her shoulder to get a good look at him.

“He’s tiny,” Yakko said.

“That’s because he’s a baby, though you were slightly bigger when you were born,” William explained.

“What’s his name?” Yakko asked.

“What do you think of the name Wakkorotti Alan Warner?” Angelina asked. The boy pondered it for a long moment, stroking his chin intensely before nodding.

“Wakkorotti is cool,” he determined. William smirked and kissed her forehead.

“Wakkorotti it is,” he grinned.

And Wakkorotti it was, though they shortened it to Wakko. Wakko proved himself to be an... interesting child to say the least. He loved to chew on everything he could get his little ungloved hands on, so they had to be extra careful not to leave anything dangerous within his grasp. He also had a tendency to chew on his tail when nervous, which was cute at times, but once he started growing teeth he had a tendency to hurt himself, which was bad.

Once he began to crawl though, he had a funny little habbit of following Yakko wherever he went, to his older brother’s confusion and delight. Angelina found it adorable how he would just chase after him. She found it less cute when he fell on his face, but he always recovered just fine.

Angelina had a tendency to be a worry-wart.

However, perhaps the cutest habbit the two of them shared was the constant want and need to sleep in their bed. Sure, it was a little annoying at times, but Angelina honestly lived for the feeling of her two boys against her as they slept peacefully. She always considered herself the luckiest woman in the world in those moments, despite any other troubles she was facing.

Though of course it was true, Wakko proved himself to be quite the handful. However, despite that, Angelina knew that she still wanted to try one more time for a little girl. She loved her boys dearly, but she knew she wanted to try at least one more time for a girl. Plus, she felt being an older brother would be good for Wakko. Perhaps it would help tame him a little bit, though she and William suspected he was destined to be a wild child. They did name him Wakko after all.

“Congratulations your majesties. It’s a girl,” The doctor said as she wrapped the newborn princess in a blanket and handed her to Angelina, who just about started crying when she held her.

“I know what you’re gonna say Lena, and yes, she’s adorable,” William wrapped an arm around her.

“She’s just so cuteeeee,” Angelina sobbed this time, the hormones really doing a number on her. Then again, though William wouldn’t admit it out loud to the boys, she was easily the cutest baby he had ever laid eyes on.

“I just-” Angelina sniffled, desperate to pull herself together. “She’s just so cute. I can’t handle this.”

“You’re exhausted Lena. Maybe I should-”

“No, I want to hold her,” Angelina shook her head, and William backed down. Angelina took in deep breaths and gathered herself.

“I’m okay, I promise,” Angelina said. William nodded.

“I know my love,” He kissed her. His eyes then went to his sleeping baby girl and the two just sat and stared at her sleeping, both feeling exhausted (though one more notably than the other).

In honesty, things were starting to get tense with Warnerstock and Ticktockia, as the new king Salazar was far less willing to follow treaties of the past, and Angelina and William had been working out deals very late hours into the night, and their exhaustion most certainly wasnt helped my Angelina being in labor for two whole days, leaving neither one of them with much sleep at all.

“What do you want to name her, dearest?” Angelina asked. William yawned.

“I thought I named Wakko,” He said.

“Well yes, and I do have an idea of my own, but I was wondering what you think first,” Angelina said.

“Fair enough,” The king said, sitting himself up.

“I was thinking she could have your name,” He said. Angelina blinked.

“You want her to save the same name as my mother?” She raised an eyebrow in alarm.

“I hardly think of your name as her name. You’re much much kinder and more beautiful and kind and a much better mother than she could ever dream,” William smiled tiredly at her.

“Oh stop, you’ll make me cry again,” Angelina said, not admitting how much those words meant to her. William kissed her head.

“What were you thinking of naming her Lena?” He asked.

“I just wanted to name her Dot...” She sniffled. In truth, she liked the name Dot. She had read it in a book somewhere and admired how short yet colorful it was.

“How about that’s her nickname? Like how I call you Lena,” William suggested.

“How on earth is Dot short for Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the Third?” Angelina questioned.

“It isn’t, I just think it makes sense,” William shrugged. Angelina looked back down at her baby girl and thought about it.

She really did like the idea of her sharing her name... but she did also like the name Dot. It suited her, somehow. Just like how Yakko fit Yakko and Wakko fit Wakko, Dot just seemed to fit Dot.

“I’d like that,” Angelina agreed.

“Do you want me to let the boys in?” The king asked. She nodded. He kissed her one last time and headed out of the room, and before she knew it, two cautious little boys were at the foot of her bed.

“It’s okay you two, you can climb up,” She gestured with her head. Slowly, they climbed up on either side of her, and both looked down at their baby sister.

“What’s her name?” Yakko asked.

“Her full name is Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the Third... but you can just call her Dot,” Angelina joked.

“That’s a really long name,” Yakko remarked.

“It’s my name too,” The queen said.

“Your name isn’t mummy?” Wakko tilted his head in confusion, and Yakko laughed at him. Angelina gave him a look.

“No. I’m Angelina the second, and this is Angelina the third,” She said, not having the energy for the full name.

“How is Dot short for Angelina?” Yakko asked.

“It just is,” She shrugged.

“Why does she look like that?” Wakko asked with a frown.

“Wakko, that’s quite a rude thing to say,” Angelina scolded.

“Sorry,” he apologized. The queen took a deep breath in.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t snap like that,” She apologized too. “It’s been a very long week.”

“Yeah,” Yakko agreed.

“I think she’s cute,” Wakko said, seeming to have changed his mind from the previous statement. Angelina smiled.

“She is, isn’t she?” She laughed tiredly. After that, the three of them stayed staring at the newest member of their family curiously, even though she was only sleeping. Eventually Angelina joined her in sleep, and soon enough, all four of them were asleep on the bed.

With encouragement from William, despite having a rocky and exhausting start, Angelina was optimistic that everything was going to turn out alright. Thank god William was an optimist, because Angelina was pretty sure between the tension only increasing with Ticktockia and with her exhaustion from having a newborn around again, she was pretty sure she might have snapped by now.

It especially wasn’t helped that when Dot was only three months old, there was already rumors of war.

Angelina hated war. She hated the very concept of it. All she wanted to do was to live a peaceful life with her children and husband, was that so much to ask?

However, despite how dire things were going William always promised everything was going to be okay, but Angelina was starting to become less and less persuaded. So, while she set Dot down for her afternoon nap, and while Yakko and Wakko played in the gardens, she wrote letters to Acme Falls, explaining the situation as best she could.

She couldn’t live with herself if something were to happen and she didn’t have a plan.

Thankfully the people of Acme Falls agreed. Many of them were old friends of William’s, and so they swore they’d protect them if anything bad were to happen to her and William.

Angelina hated to think that way, but she needed to know they’d be safe no matter what.

Well, one night Angelina put Dot in her crib for the night after finally getting her to go to sleep (it had been a rough night and she had had to go through at least five different lullabies) and Angelina went into the playroom and saw Wakko playing by himself with toy soldiers and carts.

“What’re you playing there Wakko?” She asked, trying her best not to let her exhaustion show.

“M’playing soldiers,” He gave her a big toothy grin. She nodded and sat in the rocking chair in the corner.

“Sounds like fun, my dear,” She said, not knowing what else to really say. Wakko was nowhere near as talkative as Yakko, so if he didn’t feel like talking, he didn’t feel like talking.

She had nearly fallen asleep in the rocking chair, when she heard the door open and saw an embarrassed and upset looking Yakko enter the room.

Right. He had just come back from the meeting with his father. Angelina told him he shouldn’t have let him sit in, but William had insisted it was good for him. She sighed.

“You alright honey?” She asked. Yakko sighed.

“I talk too much,” he sighed.

“Impossible. I think you talk just the right amount for you,” The queen shook her head.

“Yakko! Play with me!” Wakko said, putting a toy soldier into his hand. Yakko groaned and looked at his mom. Angelina rolled her eyes.

“Play with your brother Yakko, it’s good for you,” She said, before grabbing his arm and whispering, “I’ll let you have a treat later if you play nice.”

That seemed to change his mood instantly and he quickly joined Wakko on the floor. He was still a little more grouchy than she would have liked, but she was far too exhausted to fix it, and decided he just needed to vent a little and that it’d be fine if she closed her eyes for a minute or two...

Angelina wasn’t how long she had rested before the loud shattering of glass shot her awake in the rocking chair, and she stood.

“What was that mummy?” Wakko asked, tugging on her sleeve.

“I-i’m sure it was nothing, dear,” She patted his head to try and reassure him, but she cringed when there was another crash. In a moment, she recognized what she had to do.

“Yakko, watch over your brother. I’ll be back in a moment, I promise,” She said, trying her best to appear strong and brave for them, but she could see it wasn’t very effective on Yakko. She hugged them tightly and kissed their foreheads.

“I’ll be back in a moment, I’m just going to check on your father,” She repeated, praying that sounded more confident. Quickly, she grabbed Yakko’s shoulders.

“Yakko, listen to me. If anything should happen, I need you to grab Dot and exit the castle using the servant tunnels underground. Don’t stop until you reach Acme Falls, understood?” She asked him. Seeing the fear in his eyes nearly broke her, but Angelina knew she had to get Dot and William. Thankfully, he nodded and She relaxed a little.

“I promise I’ll protect them,” Yakko said. Angelina nodded.

“I love you two so very, very much,” She said, hugging them once again.

Why did this feel like a goodbye?

She kissed their foreheads again, making sure to memorize the feeling of holding them. God, she loved them.

With a heavy heart, she pulled herself away and ran out.

It was worse than she imagined. She could smell wood burning and the shouting and swearing of men. Angelina ran as far away as she could from the nursery, knowing if she ran into any of these invaders, the last thing she wanted was for them to find the boys.

She had to find William before she could find Dot. It broke her heart to admit, but Dot’s bedroom was a million times safer than wherever her husband was.

She dashed around corners and went down and upstairs, and eventually she heard his voice.

“William?!” She called out.

No response.

She ran towards where she heard the voice, but no one was there. Eventually, someone grabbed her arm and she spun around, expecting it to be him, but-

“I found her royal majesty,” a greasy and disgusting man spat on her. Angelina tried to break free, but he was much taller and stronger than she was, and his grip only tightened.

“I demand you let me go!” She tried, but the man only chuckled as more of his ‘friends’ arrived, and she was overcome with a feeling of dread.

“You think you’re so pretty huh? Got all that money and power, hm?” He asked. Angelina didn’t dignify the stupid words with a response, which fill the man with anger and he punched her in the face so hard she fell to the ground.

Ow.

“Did they find the King?” One of the men asked, as another, much taller and muscular man approached.

“He is... taken care of. Now our main goal is to find those little brats. And oh look- you found their mommy dearest,” A familiar voice spoke. Angelina blinked and looked up to see his face.

it was King Salazar himself.

“Surprised?” He grinned.

“Not in the slightest,” She growled. Salazar snapped his fingers and one of the men kicked her in the ribs. Hard.

“You’ve always been so annoying Angelina, you know that?” He complained.

“You’ve always been a stuck-up pain in the ass who’s never had more than ten cents worth of knowledge, you know that?” Angelina fought back, and regretted it as she was kicked again.

“You never know when to shut up, do you?” He frowned. Angelina only glared, which made him grin.

“You know... we were originally betrothed to each other. It’s not too late. We can still be married,” He said, squatting down to her level. Rage filled her body and she spat in his face.

“I’d sooner die,” She stated.

“You disgusting creature!” he shouted, standing up and wiping off his eyes. Angelina felt two men grab her arms and twist them into and uncomfortable position and soon she was off the ground.

“Look... I’m only going to ask this once. Where are those disgusting little children of yours?” He asked.

“Tough, because I’m not telling you,” She glared, and she was dropped onto the floor, her head hitting the marble hard.

“We can do this the easy way, or the hard way,” Salazar snapped his fingers and guns were pointed at her head.

“I’m not telling you where they are.” She didn’t waver.

“We’ll find them either way Angelina, so how’s about you tell us anyway? We already killed the king, we can kill you just as easily,” He snarled.

William...

Angelina’s eyes darted everywhere as she tried to grasp what they just told her. She didn’t want to believe it but-

William was dead.

Then, the worst happened.

She saw him.

Yakko. He was standing at the end of the hall, looking utterly terrified. Angelina’s eyes widened in fear as she realized her mistake, and she heard Salazar’s voice order:

“Seize the boy.”

Angelina called up all of her inner strength to shout

“Yakko, run.”

Thank god he did.

However, a feeling of dread crawled up her spine as Salazar laughed.

“You stupid, pathetic, and grotesque little creature,” He grinned and Angelina felt blood drip down her face. She hoped Yakko hadn’t seen that.

“He’s going to lead us right to them, which means we no longer have a use for you,” he grinned.

“Wait-! Salazar, please- i-i-” She tried begging, but she was knocked back down to the ground my one of their guns. She cried out in pain as she heard something break.

Her last thoughts were of Yakko, and she quickly and silently prayed that somehow, someway, they’d make it out alive and stay together. They had to.

“please,” she whispered.

And everything went black.

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toujoursmiraculous · 4 years ago

Text

Thoughts and Reaction to Lies!

It's another long one because so much happens in this episode! The episode starts with Marinette trying to figure out a "secret" within the grimoire. Literal first thought was that this "secret" may be the key to waking up Emilie. It's obviously going to be of huge significance later, anyway. By looking at that piece on Adrien, it does appear Adrien has an amazing life. And really, that's what a lot of people think. That's the point of featuring him. A life of a celebrity is pretty amazing, really interesting and fascinating. But it's also filled with a lot of stress, chaos, loneliness, etc. But viewers rarely ever see it. As for Marinette, while Adrien has said things about what his father allows that makes him sad, we haven't ever heard him complain to her in any way about that lifestyle. To her, he's a guy whose father has him busy with activities (interesting ones at that) and very rarely ever lets him spend time with friends. I love how this episode parallels Truth! But Adrien's POV. My boy has an episode centered around him, finally!

So we know her standing Chat Noir up is because Luka came by reminding her of a date she forgot she rescheduled. You know she's extremely distracted and stressed when she can't remember a date with Luka or a patrol with Chat Noir, or remember that she planned them at the same time. It's really not her fault, and I feel so bad for her that things are becoming so difficult. "No messages, but don't forget my cheese!" LOL this is perfect. Plagg has to get that reminder in wherever he can! The Chat Noir appreciation was so wholesome to see awww, I bet so many boys in Paris look up to him, so sweet x33 Mr. Banana, Chat Noir, and the man who frequently is Mr. Pigeon just chilling on a bench in the park together. What a scene! lol But Chat wanting them to be akumatized so he could see Ladybug. Big oof. He's going to get his wish, a few times over. Careful what you wish for, Kitty! "A glass of milk as usual, mister Chat Noir?" Okay so when Chat's down, he goes to that bar and has a glass of milk. Or more if he's having a bad day. Awwwww. If you think about it, Adrien probably isn't allowed to have milk. With the fat content and all. :/ Kagami lying to her mother and Nathalie/Gabriel just to spend some time with Adrien. Considering how difficult their lives are, that's pretty impressive to be so brave. Not too fond of the lying part though, since there's not a noble reason for doing so. But I can understand it. We found out Kagami's real passion: drawing! Which is pretty cool. That's one thing Kagami and Marinette have in common that'd make them good friends. Very sad how her blind mother tells her she's not good enough. That just tells you what she thinks of her daughter and what she wants her to do with her life. She's afraid she'll pursue the arts rather than something practical, so best shoot down any thoughts of being an artist now. And then, like with all episodes that have Kagami in them, this is where I start to dislike her. "I want to draw the real you, on the inside." Adrien makes various model poses, none work for her as she knows they're just him being a model. Then he actually poses as himself. A silly, goofy cat having fun and being happy. Adorable. "What do you think of... CAT?" deathglare "No, this is absolutely not natural." "Yes it is. I promise, this is really me!" "NO! This is you when you're acting like a clown!" Adrien looking hurt, "But maybe when I act like a clown, it's really me." Then she takes his hand, (gently) pushes him back up against the wall, her hands on his chest, "That way, that's who you really are." What way? Her telling him how to be is who he really is? He stammers, looking very uncomfortable. "But are you sure?" "Yes... you are perfect." Then she leans in to kiss him, while he's still looking uncomfortable. Right here, she's trying to tell him who he is. What kind of relationship is healthy and a good one one at that, when one side is trying to tell the other who they are, how they must act, etc? That's toxic. Keep in mind, after this scene, during Truth's attack. He found out that Ladybug actually in fact loves (said she prefers) the humorous, "clown" side of him. Yes, she only knows it as Chat Noir for now, but she actually appreciates and loves Chat for who he is. Kagami doesn't love nor appreciate that side of Adrien. Which is a very big and important side of him. We knew this in Ikari Gozen, she couldn't stand the thought of Chat Noir being compared to Adrien, pretty sure she even seemed offended by it if memory serves. But it's laid out more in Lies, it's more direct. (Marinette's done this too in the past, but when she's done it, her tone's more like pssssh please! while she looks off to the side, like she's mostly just telling herself that, to convince herself, rather than believing it.) Kagami thinks she knows Adrien, knows that him being funny and a clown is not the "real" him. Acting like she knows him better than he knows himself. Thinking he's perfect. That was a very hurtful thing to have said and you can see it in his expression the same kind of pain and hurt

he gets a lot. I also want to talk about how watching her back Adrien up against the wall like that and leaning into kiss him made me feel particularly uncomfortable. While they might have a little thing going on, he was clearly not comfortable by it and it just did not sit well with me. This entire scene was riddled with red flags. Adrien smiled at the end of that on his way out, yes, but having someone tell you you're perfect would seem like a compliment to you, wouldn't it? The one you like thinks you're perfect, thinks the facade you put up is perfect and anything less isn't okay with them. That'll end up so well! The almost kissing scenes this episode literally had me like

I'm sorry, I just feel so very uncomfortable by them, I can't help it. xD Just before Chat Noir sneaked up on Ladybug, he almost kissed Kagami right? And yet here he is, being a bit flirty, saying he's missed her on patrols. I also want to point out she tells him to stop with his stupid jokes, because she doesn't want to accidentally hurt him! She could've hurt him by scaring her like that. While she likes his humor, they're only problematic if it puts himself in danger or distracts them from fighting an akuma. "I promise I won't forget our patrols anymore." The looks that passed between LB and CN here is just so cute! OOOF as Luka walks away sad because Marinette had to run off, here comes Adrien, about to do the exact same thing as Marinette to Kagami... Now Kagami's not as accepting of him running off as she was just a little while ago.

Even Andre's like, what the heck was that?! His expression watching Adrien run off made me laugh, I had to share it. I was wondering how Adrien got to the boathouse before Marinette did, as it made it seem like Adrien was there long before Marinette was. He just ran in and started playing along where they were. Good lord, he has a lot going on too, doesn't he? Only difference from Marinette here is Adrien has a built-in and believable excuse he can tell his friends. Kagami's forceful "Adrien, it's time." "Five little minutes?" *shakes head sternly* Who does this remind you of in Adrien's life already? Is this what a good girlfriend, what a good friend would do? And here again is the pattern we see a lot with Kagami. She manipulates situations so that they can spend time together. Adrien wants to spend time with his friends AND girlfriend at the same time. Rehearsing for their band, it looks like. He rarely ever gets to spend time with others, be a normal kid. But no, she drags him away early, making it sound like they had to leave, but it's just her wanting him to herself. When he couldn't go to New York, oh well that's unfortunate you're sad, but we can spend more time together now, isn't that great? It's about what she wants, not what he wants or what's best for Adrien. She spends more time with Adrien (not counting Ladybug spending time with Chat Noir here) than anyone else does by the looks of it, and she doesn't even know him at all. It's really sad. Adrien still carrying around Marinette's lucky charm bracelet in his pocket x3333 This never fails to make me happy. But oof that boy's seriously going to lose it one of these days if he's not careful! There's something different about seeing the Ladynoir scene on the roof that we got in Truth, but from Adrien's perspective. Something about it feels like it means more to me, idk. Adrien gets caught in a lie, saying he lost something but found it. Kagami asked what it was, holding Marinette's lucky charm behind her back. He says it was the lucky charm Marinette gave her, as he's scrambling in his pocket to pull it out seeming a bit frazzled, but realizes he actually in fact lost it (again! he says). But Kagami caught him in that lie, showing him that she actually had it.

I'm not sure if he's so shocked because she actually had it and wonders how she got it, or if he looks like that because he just got caught in a lie. But the way his eyebrows raised a little makes it seem like he's surprised she had it after all and was testing him the whole time. I've always hated the way sometimes someone when in a relationship will test the other one like this. Really not fair in Adrien's case at all. Things aren't always as they may seem. And here's the thing, she's admitting to him that she's lying just to be with him. She lies all the time. Adrien caught on that she was lying, but didn't really understand why I don't think. Earlier in the episode he says, "What are you hiding, Kagami?" he didn't know her purpose for it. Now she says, "We're both liars, the difference is I lie to be with you. You. You lie to get away from me." Which is a yes but actually no situation. It's not that he doesn't want to be with her, it's that he needs to get away temporarily. It just looks really, really bad. Getting off track from that conversation briefly, but that scene where the akuma goes off into the night, with the blurred city lights that becomes clear. Just wow. That shot is beautiful, I can't help myself from playing it back and admiring it. I'm also totally digging the new transformation music! it gives me 90s vibes and makes me happy. Seeing Jagged after Truth is just completely different xD "I fear nothing, I am an artist! I still hold to my fans." Both Roth: "Wrong, you lie to them about your age!" "That's not Rock and Roll!" Had me rolling!! Jagged sure is something XD Chat just up and about to cataclysm the sphere, thinking he'd be okay because he doesn't lie. Except he lies all the time to protect his identity and get himself away from people so he can transform. xD Silly Kitty. The drone as a Lucky Charm is super cool! In Truth, Chat Noir said a truth about how he felt about Ladybug. In Lies, he tells lies to Lies to get her attention. "My name's not Chat Noir! I'm not a superhero! I hate Ladybug! And I think Hawk Moth should've called himself Panfly! It's funnier! Oh, I was about to forget: my favorite dish is cabbage with white sauce! Yummy!" Cabbage...with white sauce... as a dish. Is this like, a real fancy dish or something or is this boy being completely starved? o.o CN: "There are only two more liars left in Paris, and one of them knows how to turn his attention." LB: "No, wait! Don't do that! What if I'm mistaken?" "You know what? I trust you." he lets go, sacrificing himself again "Chat Noir, no! Don't do that! You're crazy!" "Yes, crazy for you, m'lady." Says softly, sadly, "No, you're just crazy unconscious." This ENTIRE scene right here. The love, the trust, the pain in this scene. It's so beautiful and well done that I can't stop getting emotional from it and gushing! Everything's on the line from that decision, and the trust he has for her, the faith he has in her really helps her know she can do what she needs to do. She's always doubting herself, and he's always there to say he doesn't feel that way at all, and it gives her that confidence and courage she needs. The moment Chat Noir is okay, the first thing Ladybug does is run up and smack him, grabbing him anxiously saying "Seriously, you need to stop doing this to me!" The girl is stressed seeing her partner sacrifice himself time and again! IF THIS BOY DOESN'T REALIZE JUST HOW MUCH SHE CARES ABOUT HIM AT THIS POINT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. Any fan that still thinks Ladybug doesn't love Chat Noir and thinks poorly of him, clearly does not understand it at all. My Ladynoir heart is SO HAPPY! I was thrilled with them in Truth, but this is a totally different level. I'm almost in tears with how happy I am. And then I noticed something. I don't know if it's anything or not. But Chat Noir says to her, "Yes, but it's because I find that angry look of yours irresistable." and Kagami turns around to look at him, only him and never Ladybug. Just watching him. Which is a bit... odd. "Ahh, Ladybug..." he sighs. After what

just happened, I don't blame him! x3 These two are honestly fire. When D'Argencort has to step in to keep Kagami from hurting Adrien during fencing... Doesn't matter how upset she is, that's gross to physically take it out on him to the point a teacher has to intervene. Kagami tells Adrien she knows he's hiding something, but that he's sincere, too. But when he asks if they can't be friends then, she responds, "How can you trust someone who lied to you?" and finally gives him back the lucky charm. Ever since Gorizilla, I've been worrying of him losing it for good! Glad she gave it back to him. I've said it already, but he's really going to lose that thing if he's not careful! "When I'm ready to see you again, I'll let you know." and she just leaves. I get she's upset, he's been lying to her to get away when he's with her and all that. But this is worse than what happened with Lukanette. Luka wanted to actually know what was going on, he asked Marinette about it directly. She told him honestly, it's the one thing she can't tell him. Kagami on the other hand never actually asked. During one of the scenes when he was spacing out, she asked what was the matter is all. All she's cared about is that he's lied, and now that he's lied she can't trust him. Doesn't even want to hear him out, not that he'd explain it to her. Kagami doesn't even want to see Adrien for awhile now. At least Luka's more understanding and isn't as harsh being in the exact same situation. This poor boy... But it's also for the best. Marinette and Adrien both after breaking up with Luka and Kagami, decided to transform and meet up to just be in each other's company. They're both sad, but not especially so. "Do you know what the difference is, between us and the rest of the world, m'lady? We can't be completely honest with each other. We have our secrets, and sometimes we have to lie." Ladybug frowning hums in agreement. But at the same time, they both turn to each other and say happily "But we know we can trust each other!" finishing with a pound-it! IT'S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL AND MY HEART IS HAPPY After Truth, where Luka and Marinette were so sad and having a hard time, I really needed such an episode with such good Ladynoir! It really looks like the story is going in a really good direction, in my opinion. x3

#ml #miraculous ladybug #miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir #ml season 4 spoilers #ml spoilers season 4 #ml spoilers #lies spoilers #adrien agreste #ladynoir #ladybug #chat noir #it took me HOURS to write this up so sorry it's late #if I could only pick one ship to ship in the entire show #it'd be ladynoir #if you couldn't tell

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