#but like why go top down when you need to build a strong foundation bottom up

[fall-and-shadows]

It's worthwhile to point out that in every situation a mother has been in, there is often also a girl that by definition is more helpless since she is a child. I never understood why this is controversial on radblr or why feminism wouldn't focus on girls instead of women tbh

[writing-in-april]

Training wheels

Spencer Reid x Gender Neutral Reader

Summary: Years later after Spencer teaches Reader to drive even though he hates driving, Reader becomes good enough to ride a motorcycle they get him to come along on a ride.

A/N: hey heyyyy- this is my seventeenth fic for my 30 fics in 30 days for April! This fic is based on this request- which I decided to make smutty instead of full on smut so I could make it a bit more fluffy. Disclaimer- I know nothing about motorcycles and I can’t even drive lol so sorry for the lack of terminology. This ended up being gender neutral- I checked it over for the correct pronouns a few time but I could have missed something- please let me know if so! Feel free to give me your response by sending something to my inbox here. Thanks for reading and hope y’all enjoy.

Warnings: 18+- (if you are found to be violating this I will tell writers who you are), no full on smut- in the smutty/spicy category, a bit of grinding, implications about having sex in the future, In public sexual teasing (who’s fucking surprised), hints at Sub!Spencer, A few swear words

Main Masterlist Word Count: 2.0k

Spencer hated driving. He always shook whenever he couldn’t stop the racing thoughts about the dangers of moving vehicles. He knew he was a good driver, but it was easier for him to trust the metro which stayed on its tracks (most of the time). A car with no rigid path and with so many variables just made Spencer’s mind race too much.

You were the only person that could get him to get into a car, without any sort of coercion. At his job he had accepted it as a reality of his situation; there was no way that he could get around it. He agreed to teach you how to drive to your job, which happened to be where you had met him. You ran a small thrift store just walking distance from your apartment. There had been no need to drive anywhere, until you opened up another branch on the other side of town.

You had met Spencer there, he had come in at night, just before close. He shopped around for a few sweater vests and cardigans until you had told him that you needed to close. His mumbled apology had been so cute you remember it to this day.

When he noticed that you walked home in the same direction as his, he offered to keep you company. At first you thought he had done it out of guilt since he made you stay late, until you realized he liked your presence. It was not a romantic relationship (not yet at least), you both didn’t kiss or anything, but you did love to tease him.

He cared about you, and you about him, which is why he eagerly offered to teach you to drive when you mentioned that you were scared to learn with an instructor. You preferred to be taught by someone who you knew and knew was a good driver. Spencer was just that, even with jittery fingers and tapping feet.

Since then you had become a great driver, good enough that you felt confident indulging in one of your dreams. You had always wanted a motorcycle, the wind blowing in your face and the freeing quality it had, had always made you desire one. Despite Spencer’s protests about the potential for even more safety hazards than a car you still indulged your dream, confident in your skills that Spencer had laid the foundation with his excellent teaching skills even while slightly fearful.

You had taken to it like a fish to water, it had been even easier than when you had Spencer teach you. Now it was the time to show the master how the apprentice approved, though you highly doubted Spencer liked to be called a master at driving. More like a teacher, a nervous one.

It did take some convincing for him to agree to ride on your motorcycle with you.Somehow, through gentle persuasion throughout the last few months, you had done it. He had prefaced it saying that it would be the only time it would ever happen, and you made it your goal to change his opinion. You highly doubted he’d ever want to drive it, which was fair considering he couldn’t stop the thoughts of statistics about safety in his head. You hoped though, that maybe he’d like riding with you.

“Is it safe?” Was his first question as soon as he arrived at your small thrift store you owned, jittery with nerves.

“Well- hello to you too.” You sassed cocking your hip to the side while holding your helmet in the small of your waist. He blushed bashfully, then finally said hello before you assured him, “I wouldn’t be bringing you if it wasn’t safe- I wouldn’t be driving it if it wasn’t safe.”

“Ok- I trust you.” He relaxed a little, though he was obviously still nervous.

To cheer him up a little you pivoted the conversation onto a more jovial topic, “Will you wear a leather jacket?”

“Maybe next time- if you convince me to get on the death trap again.” It was rare to see Spencer tease you back, but you thoroughly enjoyed it.

Quipping back you said, “Maybe I could get you to drive it too”

“I think I’d need training wheels for that.” A snort came out of you at that; it was funny imagining Spencer riding a motorcycle with bicycle training wheels.

“That would be a sight to see.” You swung your leg on to mount the vehicle, ready to take him on a spin. You then prompted him while getting your helmet on, “Come on pretty boy, let’s do this- and get that helmet on.”

He was a little nervous just going by the shaking in his palms, but he still put the helmet on and climbed on- albeit a bit awkwardly.

He wrapped his hands around your waist snugly when you roared the motorcycle to life. Whenever you had to break he clenched tighter, maybe not enough to leave bruises, but enough that it would be implanted in your memory for a good long while. You couldn’t see him, but you could feel him.

You could tell he had slowly relaxed a little bit more even while keeping a strong grip on you as you made your looped path charted out in your head. Starting at your store and ending at your store, it was longer than maybe it should have been, considering Spencer’s grip on you had made your arousal spark to life.

You soon realized you weren’t the only one enjoying this, feeling something slightly stiff as Spencer shifted slightly at a red light. Oh, he was enjoying it. His cock confined in his pants was growing harder as the journey progressed.

“Did you have fun?” You questioned just as you pulled back into where you started, even though you already knew he did.

He squeaked out a measly, “Yeah!”

You smirked again, out of sight from his face. Biting your inner cheek in thought, you contemplated whether or not to act on it. It would be so easy to just swivel your hips and begin to grind down on his erection that had been pressing into you during the whole ride.

Fuck it, this might be one of your only chances to make a move. You tilted your hips just a smidge, leaning back just a little into him. You heard a hitch in his breath, his hands he had around you tightening back around you, pulling you in closer.

He whimpered when you sat back a little more, testing the waters just a little further. When he himself rolled his own hips once you had to ask, “Do you want me to keep going, Spencer? Do you want this?”

His helmeted head dropped into the crook of your neck, nodding into it as he began to rock into you a little. You gripped around the handles that you were still holding, all you had done was break so far. You were both in broad daylight perched on top of the vehicle. Turning your head as much as you could when you realized he hadn’t verbally responded you prompted sharply, “I need you to speak up, pretty boy. Do you want this?”

“Yes!” He gasped quickly at your prompt.

You then ground yourself back onto his bulge, rotating yourself slowly to feel the torturous friction. The fact that your bottom halves were still clothed only made it even more devastating. No one was around as it was the weekend, when you weren’t open and no one was really around. You still tried to stifle any noises you were tempted to make as his own hips started to undulate into your own.

A person could round the corner and immediately see two people grinding like teenagers onto each other. You both may have been completely closed, but it was quite obvious what you were both doing.

The extra friction you were getting was building a burning orgasm in you, the noises you had been trying to hold back were too hard to stifle. A moan came out of your mouth when Spencer moved down his hands from your waist to the outside of your hips, pulling you down on him with even more ferocity.

When his phone then began to ring you both let out a groan, your hips stopping any movement you had been making over his hard bulge. He reluctantly pulled out his ringing and buzzing ancient phone. Which you would normally find endearing that he carried around somewhat arcane technology, but your weaning arousal was wanting you to smash it on the ground.

“Hello? Hotch?” You groaned, knowing exactly what this meant. There was no way this was going to go further tonight, Hotch wasn’t calling him on the weekend just for paperwork. He was about to leave for a case.

You ripped your helmet off of your head out of frustration while he continued to talk. Grumbling while wiping the sweat that had started to accumulate, Spencer chattering away quickly at Hotch telling him he’ll be there in about ten minutes.

When he got off the phone he began to stammer in apology, this was the only time I’d ever want to cut him off, “There’s no need to apologize- go catch a bad guy.”

“Thank you- and thanks for-r the ride and- um the other thing… I’ve got to go now, I’ll uh- talk to you later.” He then awkwardly shuffled off, trying to conceal his obvious bulge even though you were the only one around to see it.

When he got into his car, you were happy he had brought it for once. You wouldn’t have let him walk all the way to his office from here, and you would have had to drive him with his bulge pressing into your ass again.

“I’m gonna need a cold shower.” You added, mumbled underneath your back as you put your helmet back on, ready to drive back to your apartment to hopefully freeze your frustration away.

—-

The next time you saw him- about a week later, a little blush immediately graced his cheeks, probably thinking about what happened last time. You kissed his cheek and felt how hot they had gotten just by being in his presence. He was here again, early this time, ready for you to open up your shop for the day.

“You’ve got to wait 30 minutes until you can buy something, I don’t open till then,” You then flashed a smirk towards him, he might die from being overheated if you kept teasing him. Still, you continued to do it, “Can’t be seen to show you any favors, pretty boy. Then everyone would want one.” As soon as the keys turned to unlock you didn’t open the door right away, instead turning back to face him. He fidgeted even more underneath your direct gaze, also averting his eyes. You let go of your hold on the keys, bit your lip and added, “Though, I think you’d be the only one I’d want to be my favorite.

He stuttered a bit at that, before changing the subject, “Um- I came here to actually thank you for last week… I had a lot of fun.”

You then cocked your head to the side in question, “Didn’t you already thank me last time?”

“Yeah.” He responded meekly, clearing his throat a few times while he collected his thoughts. “Can we finish what we started?”

You beamed, as it had been exactly what you were hoping for. You made your way back over to him, this time to pull him by the front of his shirt to press a steaming kiss to his lips. He moaned, letting your tongue run over his teeth a few times before you deepened it further. You were panting by the time you released him, but worked through the gasping breaths to answer verbally now, “Of course- come inside with me. If you won’t go on another ride with me after this while wearing a leather jacket, I’ve got a leather jacket you can wear while I ride you.”

Ask Me Anything

—-

Tag lists (fill out this form to join):

All Works: @shotarosleftpinky @90spumkin @kyra-morningstar @spenxerslut @boxofsparklingmuses @katexrichardson@takeyourleap-of-faith

All MGG characters: @muffin-cup @willowrose99 @princesssmooshie @peterpanouat @anaagraceeberr @ashcakes1918 @reid-me-a-story @cosmic-psychickitty

Spencer Reid/CM: @calm-and-doctor @destiny-tsukino @safertokiss @spenxerslut @onlyhereforthefanfics @jareauswifey @princesssmooshie @peterpanouat

Sub Spencer: @thatsonezesty13 @pastathighs @virtualpeanutartisanjudge @calm-and-doctor @princesssmooshie @peterpanouat

[i-love-you-all]

Brimstone has thoughts that he doesn’t control...

~1.4k words, mild violence, memories, hurt, implied death. (anything else? pm me and i’ll add them here.) Rough draft here, will edit then make a series on Ao3

What makes a friend a best friend?

Brimstone then didn’t know the answer, that much was for certain.

When he was young, it was all about who had the guts to go against him in a game of soccer, football, or hockey. The ones who competed, who played to win, who smiled as easily as he did in a world that did its best to push you down were his friends. But still, one by one, they lost their connection to him. Some moved away, others turned arrogant, and others still just turned on him. Were they even friends?

As he got older, he realized just how little he understood about relationships past the professional ones made between peers. Even when he joined the military at eighteen, he had trouble identifying friend from rival, and rival from enemy. Friendships were shallow and they didn’t give Brimstone any feeling of connection or deep trust.

That all changed the day he got assigned to clean the gun closet with Kay.

Up to this point, he had never met someone with a more innately friendly disposition than that man. And despite his aloof façade, Brimstone was readily accepted by Kay as a friend.

“Why are you so… friendly,” Brimstone asked him one day, feet hanging off the roof of the barracks. They snuck up here on nights where Brimstone couldn’t sleep.

“I used to have these long conversations with my grandpa.” Kay was staring off into the night sky, not really watching Brimstone who was studying him like he would get them out of drills the next day. “His philosophy in life was just… If you’re not sure, start off nice. Things were way more likely to go your way. And that no matter what judgements they made about me before speaking a word, a well said compliment could wash it all away.”

Brimstone nodded his head. “I think I was actually told the opposite. Don’t trust anyone unless they profit off your success.”

“Kind of a sadder way to live.”

Brimstone shrugged. “Helped me out in the end.”

Eventually, Brimstone found himself trusting and relying on Kay as he would on his sister or his father. He would gladly admit that it was easier that way, and through Kay’s eyes and actions, he could agree with him on the fact that having friends was much easier than toughing it out on your own. A day eventually came when he realized that Kay was basically his family at that point.

People said that he smiled more often those days. And that it was a start reminder of what went wrong when it stopped.

The war was something that no one saw coming. How could anyone have predicted that one day, a substance would arrive on earth that gave people actual superpowers? Just like that, he found himself on a precarious battlefield. They knew that they were just men. He and Kay were pinned down on the top floor of an office building, and their escape options were… deadly to put it lightly. One, they could try to take the stairs to the bottom floor, but with the building already on damaged foundations and leaned over, ready to topple any moment, Brimstone wasn’t sure if that was even an option. Still, it was better than option two: rappelling down the side of the building amidst a firefight. If even one person looked up at them, they’d be dead.

“End of the line for us.”

He didn’t even get a response. Well, not one in words. The room shook as something exploded behind them.

When he regained his vision and finally looked at his surroundings, he had another choice in front of him. On one side, a masked figure in a hoodie and sweats was literally glowing green as trails of smoke drifted from his fingers. The smell of dust and rubble filled his nostrils and Brim just knew that this was the one who caused all this damage. Had he been alone, had he never met Kay, this would’ve been simple… but…

Kay looked half conscious; his fingers dug into the cement floor blood dripping from the various scrapes he had suffered from the explosion. And Brimstone felt his heart skip a beat.

Deal with the radiant first.

That was the first thought. It wouldn’t matter if Brim could even get to Kay in time if the radiant was still there. He took a few shots at his target, only one hitting, before rolling behind cover. He almost felt the need to slap his hands over his ears when he heard the scream of fury come from the mystery person. Inhuman. That’s what the noise was.

He couldn’t stay on his feet though as another shockwave shook the unstable floor, and he heard cracking coming as well as the pained grunts of his best friend hanging on for his life. It only took a split second for Brimstone to locate then lunge at the radiant, knocking them off their feet. As he aimed to take a shot with his pistol though, the radiant quickly regained their bearings and hit the gun out of his hands. With superhuman strength, he was shoved to the side as another shockwave rolled out from the radiant… then another. The dark red liquid dripping down their side showed their weakness, but Brim was too unsteady to make it any worse.

And Kay…

The radiant fled, parkouring down the ruined buildings with no fear. With the threat gone, he rushed over to Kay, who was barely hanging onto one of the metal supports that was now exposed.

“Hold onto me,” Brimstone called out, trying to reach out to his friend. The hazel eyes looked back at him with so much fear that… that for a moment, Brim truly thought that this attempt was hopeless.

Not that it mattered when he reached down to grab ahold of that same beam and started trying to pull Kay up – at least so that he could pull himself up the rest of the way.

“Not enough,” Kay managed to say, after a failed attempt at grabbing something sturdier to hold onto. “You gotta go. This building isn’t gonna–”

They were cut off as the top of the building – their floor – creaked and groaned as it tilted further.

“No… No not like this.” Brimstone, once again, reached out for him. “Grab onto me.”

Had he been thinking clearer, which he had ample time to do in the decade since the incident, he would’ve come to the same conclusion to as Kay. It didn’t matter. If Kay grabbed onto Brimstone, he wasn’t strong enough at that moment to pull him up. It’d be more likely that they both tumbled over. If he didn’t tumble over due to the weight, one more shift in the building would’ve done it too. And should the impossible happen and he lift Kay up… well, they would both need to get to the ground floor, and Kay, who was already injured, had new gashes on his leg and side from his slide to the edge.

“You have to let go.” It didn’t make sense at the time. Because it wasn’t him holding the metal bar, but in hindsight, Kay was telling him in advance to move on.

“Brimstone!” A large pair of hands was wrapped around him and pulling him away from the cliff’s edge. He looked back into the one brown, one blue eye of Sova, who had his arms wrapped around him and was straining to keep him topside. He was holding onto – not Kay – but Kay/O.

“You have to let go,” the robot was saying in that vaguely familiar voice.  “I’m just a machine. I can be rebuilt.”

“Let… go, Brimstone,” Sova said again, heels digging into the dirt. Kay/O wasn’t even holding onto Brimstone – it was the other way around.

“Remember to rebuild me,” Kay/O said, more directed at Sova than Brimstone. “You leave me for scrap, I’ll kill you.”

Sova chuckled and gave one last heave backwards. Brimstone let go of the machine and watched him fall.

“Are you ok, Brimstone? You lost focus,” Sova immediately started checking in with him.

Any other day and he would maybe tell this younger man about the dangers of making friends in the midst of a battle.

Today, he said, “I’m fine.”

[noladyme]

xo - Red (A Clark Kent/Superman oneshot)

Just a really funny; warm; kind; built like an Olympic athlete, with perfect lips friend? Tag-list: @wolf-lover-bookdragon @wonderlandfandomkingdom​

TW: Fluff. So much fluff. Explosions.

Fifth date. Things were supposed to happen, right? I mean, at least a kiss; other than a peck on the cheek. But he was a friggin’ gentleman; which I couldn’t help but be a little annoyed about; as it made it very difficult to get to the fun part of our relationship. Not that we didn’t have fun, mind you. Clark had an uncanny way of turning my frown upside down.

Ever since I’d run in to him – literally – at that coffeeshop a few months ago. I had left home early, so I wouldn’t be late for my first day at my new job, at the elementary school. I’d been so nervous about it; I hadn’t been able to fall asleep until 3 am; and was now battling exhaustion, nerves, and the fact that my new red shoes were really uncomfortable – all at the same time. I’d ordered a large black coffee; extra strong; and was on my way out the door – the sun in my eyes – when I tripped on the steps; my drink splashing out of the cup.

Suddenly; two strong hands were grabbing my shoulders; and pulling me up to stand. “Are you ok?”, a warm voice said. I looked up, and found two friendly blue eyes looking me over. “Yes, thank you”, I smiled; before noticing the large brown stain on the man’s white shirt. “Oh, crap. I am so sorry!”. He looked down himself; and smiled. “It’s fine. White isn’t my color anyway”. I laughed. “Still, I’m so sorry. Didn’t I burn you?”. The coffee had been scolding; I knew. He smirked. “I’m thick skinned”, he insisted.

He was still holding on to me; and I felt a warmth spreading in my stomach; making me short of breath. “Miss?”. His eyes suddenly looked worried. “Are you sure you’re ok?”. I smiled. “Yes, absolutely. It’s just been… a morning”. He chuckled. “Can I buy you a new cup of coffee?” I simultaneously nodded and shook my head. “Yes… no… I mean, I should buy you one; as an apology”.

He removed his hands from my shoulders; leaving me to stand on my own. “No need for an apology”, he smiled. “But I’ll take the coffee”.

We’d spent 10 minutes sipping at our hot drinks – for which he’d insisted to pay – and talking about what we did for work, and what our favorite movies were; having noticed an advertisement for some superhero movie on a passing bus. Apparently Clark wasn’t a fan of superheroes; but found it hilarious that I loved The Wizard of Oz – being from Kansas himself. Then; Clark had asked for my number, and I’d given it to him. He shook my hand, and we’d said goodbye.

The next afternoon; he’d called me, and we’d gone to see a movie – one about aliens instead of superheroes. He’d still been frowning all the way through it. “It was just really… unrealistic”, he said afterwards over a beer at a local bar near my apartment. He walked me home, declining my offer to come up for coffee; and had given me a short hug, before saying goodbye.

The next time has been a trip to an apple picking farm. “You can take the boy out of Kansas…”, I’d chuckled, as he’d carried a bushel of Granny Smith’s back to his car. “I just really like pie”, he’d smiled. He’d driven me home; and on the way there, told me about his moms pies; and how it was his favorite thing in the world – next to sweet potato fries. When he dropped me off; he leaned in, and kissed my cheek. “Goodnight”, he’d whispered; and I’d bit my lip – and hoped for more. More didn’t happen.

Then there was the quick cup of coffee on both our lunchbreaks; where I’d told him about how I’d sprained my ankle on roller-skates – 3 times in the same amount of years. He’d snorted a laugh. “Well you are kind of clumsy”, he’d said, and removed a strand of hair from my face; putting it behind my ear – before running off for a sudden work emergency.

And lastly; the roller-skating rink. Because I insisted. And he said he couldn’t say no to me. That night, he’d held my hand as we went about the floor; and grabbed my waist several times, as I was about to fall. “Careful, slick”, he’d said. “Oh, is that my nickname now?”, I’d chuckled. “No. I think I’ll call you Red. From those godawful shoes you were wearing when I met you”. It was another kiss on the cheek; and a hug that lingered, and made my knees weak. And then just… goodnight.

So yes. I was just about desperate to kiss the man. He was gorgeous; which at times had made me feel insufficient and a bit self-conscious – but then there was the way he looked at me. His eyes would light up as I talked; as if I was the most fascinating person he’d ever met. Even when our conversation was about cereal, or how one of the kids at my school had put bead up his nose. It was like his eyes drew me in; and then – as my breath would hitch, and I’d part my lips – he’d pull back as if nothing had happened.

I couldn’t help but ask myself; does he just want to be my friend? My really funny; warm; kind; built like an Olympic athlete, with perfect lips friend? I’d decided that I needed clarity on where we were going with our relationship – even if that thought did make me feel like I was living in a sad rom-com, where everyone was always talking about their feelings.

Tonight, it was dinner. Nothing fancy, just a steakhouse I’d suggested. If Clark turned out to just be in it for the apple picking and coffee; then at least I could drown my sorrows in a medium rare steak, with enough bearnaise-sauce to drown a small elephant.

—

Putting on my favorite jeans, black pumps, and a snug top; I waited for the call to let me know Clark was by the door on the street. He’d never been inside my apartment; and didn’t seem very interested in it either. This isn’t real, I told myself to guard my feelings against the inevitable rejection I’d have to face that evening. We’ll eat, laugh; and he’ll walk me home – and then tell me that he’s got a wife and three kids in Smallville, waiting for him to come home for game-night.

A text message made my phone light up. Hey Red. I’m late. So sorry. Be there as soon as possible. – C

Great. That gave me even more time to just hang out… and be anxious.

No worries, Kansas. See you. xo – R Send… Crap, why did I write xo? What am I; a teenager?

I sat down on my couch. Deciding I needed to pass the time doing something other than stare at the wall; I turned on the television. Landing on the news; I dropped the remote.

In Stockholm, Sweden, the building of a new sky-scraper in an old neighborhood; had made a nearby building begin to crack in the foundation. The old residential was quickly giving in; and families were being evacuated from their homes. There were firetrucks spraying water at the structure, to avoid flames from any electrical fires.

Though it was a terrible situation for those families; I was confused as to why one building falling apart half way around the world, was a breaking news story here. That was until I saw a figure at the bottom of the screen; seemingly supporting the weight of the building on his shoulders. Oh, right! That guy! The Superdude…, I chuckled to myself; and went to see if Clark had texted me back yet.

Nothing. It was probably the xo-thing. He didn’t know how to reply to that.

The news story ended when cameras filmed Superman handing a shaking and wet puppy to a little girl; who kissed his cheek in thanks. I always found it kind of neat, that the flying caped man managed to know where every camera was; so that anyone watching would find it difficult to make out his features. From what I could see; he was sort of cute. If Clark doesn’t work out; I could always throw myself of a building; and have that guy catch me. It must be lonely in that fortress of solitude; maybe he’d like some company.

A text. Outside in 5. Can’t wait to see you. xo – C

xo. He’d written xo. Right. Big girl pants on, and go talk to him.

—

Outside the door of my building stood Clark; a smile the size of the sun plastered across his face. My heart jumped. He opened his arms; and took me in for a hug.

“Hi, Red”, he breathed. “I’m so sorry I’m late. It was a work emergency”. “It’s fine”, I said and looked up at him; and opened my mouth to say something more – until I noticed something strange.

“Clark?”, I said. He was still holding on to me. “Yeah?”. “This is going to sound weird, but… why do you smell like wet dog?”.

He pulled back. “Yeah… I was doing a story at an animal shelter”, he said. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Let’s go!”, he said, and took my hand.

It was a beautiful night; so we decided to skip the cab, and walk the few miles to the restaurant. We walked down the street, hand in hand. It wasn’t the first time we’d held hands; but then it was because he was trying to keep me from falling. This was different. It wasn’t strange; but warm… familiar. I swallowed hard. “I want to talk to you about something, Kansas”, I said. He looked down. “You don’t want to do that at the restaurant?”, he said with a strained voice. “No, I think I need to do it now”, I answered. He nodded. “Ok. Do you want to sit down?”, he asked; and gestured at a bench on a playground we were passing.

Once seated; I let go of Clarks hand. “What’s up, Red?”, he asked earnestly. “You seem… tense”. He laughed nervously. I smiled. “I like you, Clark. A lot”, I said. “I like you too. A lot”, he smiled. I matched his nervous laughter. “It’s just… lately, I’ve been thinking. About us… and what we are”. He looked down. “Yeah, I figured we’d get to this at some point”. I nodded. “We have fun”, I said. “Like friends. But I don’t know if we both feel like this is more than that. Friendship, I mean”. He sighed. “Right. No, I get it”, he said. “You’re new in the city, and shouldn’t be settling down with anyone serious”.

I looked at him confusedly. “I’m not sure I follow”, I smiled. He took my hand. “You’re an amazing woman, Red”, he said “And I’ve enjoyed spending time with you. But maybe you’re right, and this is a good time to call it quits. If that’s what you want”. My heart fell into my stomach. “Is that what you want?”, I asked timidly. “I want you to be happy”, he said, smiling sadly. “With or without me in your life. I’d just hoped I’d have a few more dates before you came to your senses about me”.

I frowned. “Clark… you need to be clear with me here”, I said. “Are you breaking it off with me?”. He looked at me with a frown on his face. “I thought you were breaking up with me…”, he said. “You suggested that restaurant; and I thought you wanted to be in public when you did it”. I laughed. “No. I just… really like steak”, I smiled.

He exhaled with relief. “Good. Because I was lying. I really don’t want you to be happy without me…”, he said. “I mean… crap… I want you to be happy; I’d just really like to be a part of it. If you’ll have me”. I bit my lip and nodded. “I’d like that”, I said. “I thought you saw me as a friend because… you haven’t…”. I couldn’t finish the sentence. He took my hand, and tried to meet my gaze. “What? Tell me”, he said. I took a deep breath. “You haven’t kissed me”, I said; meeting his eyes for a second; before looking down in embarrassment.

He put his hand under my chin, and raised it to finally meet my eyes for real. “Red, I’ve wanted to kiss you since the moment you spilled scorching hot coffee on my least favorite shirt”, he smiled. “I was just waiting for the right time, and…”. He exhaled and took my other hand; playing with my fingers.

“My life is… complicated. The work I do; sometimes it’s dangerous”, he said. I raised an eyebrow at him. “You write fluff pieces for The Daily Planet”, I chuckled. “That too…”, he muttered and looked down.

I smiled; wanting to ease the tension. “You know, I was watching a news story while I was waiting for you”, I said. He looked up at me with questioning eyes. “Yeah?”. I chuckled. “It was about that Superman guy. He was helping some people; in Sweden I think”, I said. “I was telling myself; that if you didn’t want to see me anymore; I could always just… throw myself of a building, and he’d rescue me. Then I could hook up with him”. He laughed nervously. “What? Like a rebound?”. “More like a… third choice. If you didn’t work out”. He narrowed his eyes at me. “Only third?”, he said. I scoffed. “Have you seen Aquaman? I mean, come on!”, I grinned.

His lips tightened, and he stifled a laughter. “So… if Superman is third… and… Aquaman…”, he raised an eyebrow at me, “… is second. What does that make me?”. I sighed. “The guy I’ve been waiting months to kiss”.

He looked deep into my eyes; and my breath hitched. He put his hand on my cheek; and he leaned in close to me, stroking my temple with his thumb I brushed my nose against his; and closed my eyes, letting my lips part.

Suddenly; he pulled back. “Clark?”, I asked. His eyes were scanning the area; before they met mine again – alarmed. “Red, go home.” “What’s wrong?”, I said. “Did I say something?”.

He stood up and began backing away; his eyes again searching his surroundings. “Listen, go straight home. Don’t stop for anything. I’ll… I’ll call you when I can”. He ran around a corner, and was gone. I heard a strange woosh, and a stray cat ran from the alley he’d gone in to.

I felt suddenly cold. This was the weirdest date I’d ever had; and it hadn’t even really started. Then there was the fact that the guy I was falling head over heels for, finally said he care about me too – and then just… left. That’s it, I laughed to myself. I’m finding a really high building to jump off.

I began walking home. Slowly. I didn’t want Clark to have the pleasure of getting me to do what he wanted me to. Jerk. Not a jerk. Crap; I really like him. More than like. This is real.

I heard a crash, and then a screech; like metal being torn apart. I felt a warm gust of wind, forceful enough to make me stumble. I looked up. Was that seriously a bus flying through the air?

Another crash; this one even closer. I fell to the ground; and was scrambling to get up, when I saw a minivan sliding on its roof towards me. I got on my feet, and bean running out of the way; when something red and blue slammed into the minivan; making it alter its course. Was that?…

I ran towards my block. Red, go home. I’m going; but where are you Clark? Are you ok?

I kept running; fishing my phone out of my pocket, and dialing Clarks number. It kept ringing, but went to voicemail. Hey. This is Clark Kent. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you… beep. Come on, Clark. I need to know you’re ok!

I redialed. Suddenly I heard a phone ringing near me. I looked into a bush; and saw… Clarks jacket? His phone was ringing in his pocket. 2 missed calls from Red – heart emoji. Damn it, Kansas. If I wasn’t so pissed at you; I might think this was really sweet. Where are you?

Screeching… a car landed on the ground 10 feet from me; the force of it throwing me to the ground again. I got up slowly; rattled from the shock.

I began running again; getting closer to my block.

Suddenly; a tank truck was blocking my path; crashing into a bus-shed. My heart was in my throat, and my chest hurt from having run so fast. I tried turning around, but a bus had crashed into an RV, blocking my path in both directions. I was trapped.

I looked up. The sky was covered in smoke from the many burning vehicles around me. The sound of a large crash made me look towards the truck. Something made the vehicle fall onto its side, and slide towards me with such speed that the shock of it made me fall.

I looked back – there was nowhere to run. In three seconds, I would be smashed between the truck and the bus.

Three… Oh God…

Two… Clark, where are you?

One.

A gush of wind; and I flew in to the air. No… I didn’t fly; I was lifted. My feet were dangling in the air; and one of my shoes fell of, landing on the ground hundreds of feet below me. Someone was holding on to me; his strong arms around my waist; and my chest pressed to his – which was adorned with a red S on a yellow background. What?

I let out a terrified whimper. “It’s ok. I’ve got you”, a warm voice said. I looked up into my saviors face. “Clark?”, I gasped. “Hi”, he said with a crooked smile. I opened my mouth to say something. “Don’t speak…”, he said. “The air is kind of thin up here”.

I looked down; and realizing how far up in the air we were, I panicked. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let out a weak squeal. “It’s ok, Red”, he chuckled. “I won’t let you fall”.

He set me down on the top of a building a few miles from the explosions. Once on stable ground, he held on to me for a second; making sure my legs would carry me. I stepped backwards, holding my hand up in front of me. “Y-you…”, I stuttered. He looked at me apologetically. “I know. I should have told you. It’s just… complicated”. He tried to smile.

I stumbled; and fell to my bottom. He took a tentative step forward. “I know. I get it. You’re scared”, he said. I shook my head. “No… it’s… you!”, I said.

He reached his hand out to me. “Please, let me help you up”. I gave him my hand; and he gently raised me to my feet. “Are you ok?”, he smiled. I simultaneously shook my head and nodded. “Yes?”. It was almost a question. He sniggered.

Suddenly I began laughing – the ridiculousness of the situation too comical. “I was supposed to fall off a building; not land on it”, I chuckled. He began laughing with me. “Yeah, I must have gotten those two mixed up”, he said. “It’s like I’ve said; I can’t say no to you”.

I sighed, and gently laid a hand on the S on his chest. “So… what now?”, I asked. He smiled. “I really want to continue what we started on that bench”. I chuckled and bit my lip. “Ok”.

He slid his arms around me – his tall and broad frame almost enveloping me – and I melted into his arms. His face came close to mine; and the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes; where his striking blue ones, boring deep into me.

He tensed up; and when I opened my eyes again, he was frowning, and turning his head, as if listening.

“I’m so sorry, Red; but I have to finish this”, he said. Another gush of wind; and he was gone. “Seriously?!”, I yelled after him.

—

I made my way down the skyscraper Clark had left me on; where I was met by the sirens of police cars, and people pointing at the sky. I was out of danger – I knew – but no less rattled. I was wearing a pump on one foot, and limping barefoot on the other; until I simply gave up; and took off the shoe – throwing it in a trashcan.

I walked all the way home; confused and dizzy. On my block, people were standing in the streets, murmuring to each other; and looking at the fires in the distance. It was as if there was line drawn through the city. On one side; havoc, and crashed cars – on the other, where I was… nothing. It was as if nothing had been touched.

One of my neighbors tried to stop me in the doorway; noticing the shell-shocked look on my face, and my bare feet. “Were you in that? Are you ok”, he asked. I shook my head. “I’m fine. It’s nothing”, I smiled.

I stumbled into my apartment; threw my jacket on the floor, and grabbed a beer from the fridge – plopping down on the couch.

Well… that was something…

Without anything else to do, I took a large swig of my beer; and turned on the television.

“… explosions in downtown Metropolis this evening; as terrorists connected to the incarcerated Lex Luthor, placed explosives on multiple vehicles, throughout the city…”

Footage of explosions, and scenes of police cars and firetrucks racing down the streets.

“… no casualties, due to the quick intervention of the group calling themselves The Justice League…”

A man who looked like Robocop, pointed at the camera, and the screen blurred. There was a flash of red; and just after it, footage of a group of men captured by a shiny lasso, held by a woman dressed like a Greek goddess. A burning building was drowned in water; and a smirking longhaired man – still hot… – was yelling booyah’s at it.

“… headed by the Batman; and Metropolis’ own Superman…”

I saw the Gotham Knight shaking hands with…

It was Clark. It was always him.

There was a knock at my door. When I opened it Clark stood outside. Not red and blue Superman – just my Clark; dressed in jeans; a plaid flannel; and wearing his glasses.

“Hi”, he said. “Hi”, I answered. “I brought you something”. He pulled out my black pump; the one I had dropped from the air. I chuckled. “Great, now I just need the other one”. He pulled out the other one as well. “It might smell a little. It was laying in a trashcan”. I took the shoes from his hands, and half smiled at him. “I have something of yours as well”, I said, and gave him back his phone, from my jacket on the floor. “Thanks”, he said. “The suit doesn’t really have pockets”.

He clenched his jaw. “Can I come in?”, he asked. I stepped aside, and he walked into my combined kitchen/living room. “You have a nice place”, he smiled. “Thanks”, I said quietly; as I closed the door behind him. His large frame seemed to fill the entire space. “Do you want a beer?”, I asked. He looked at me warmly. “Yeah, sure”. I handed him a cold one. “You can sit down”, I said. “Unless… you pulled a muscle flying me through the sky”.

He chuckled at me, and sat down on my couch. “No, I’m fine”, he smiled. I raised a brow; and sat down on the couch with him – leaving some space between us. “Right; you can lift buildings and stuff like that”, I muttered.

He exhaled, and took a swig of his beer. “Yeah… about that”, he began. “I was going to tell you”. “Why?”, I muttered. “It seems like something pretty big. I get why you’d want to keep it private. Have a… secret identity”.

He frowned. “I wanted to tell you, because I care about you. And I want you to be a part of my life… all of it”. I met his eyes. “Really”. I bit my lip. “You… care”, I said. He reached for my hand; and I let him take it. Our fingers linked into each other. “You’re funny; smart; passionate”, he said. “And you’re beautiful”.

I scrunched up my face in embarrassment. “Ok, now I’m uncomfortable”. “Why?, he said, and stroked my cheek; moving closer to me on the couch. I sighed. “Because you’re… you. The Superdude. You can see every flaw…”. “There isn’t a flaw on your body”, he smiled. I scoffed at him. “I’m serious! Every little thing… the wrinkle between your eyebrows when you’re concentrating… how your one hand is a little bit smaller than the other… that beauty-mark on your back…”. “How did you know about that?”, I interrupted. He smiled embarrassedly. “That loose fitting top you wore on our last date. The dark blue one”, he muttered. “I love all of it”. I half-smiled. “There’s actually two of them… the beauty-marks”, I said. “I didn’t want you to think I was creepy for looking”, he smirked.

“You love it?”, I mumbled. He swallowed. “Yeah, Red”, he said. “I mean… I’ve fallen hard for you”. I giggled nervously. “So, this is real…”, I muttered. “I want it to be”, he smiled. “Do you?”. I nodded, and looked at him through my lashes. “Yeah, I do”, I said.

He let out a relieved sigh, and chuckled “Good… Are you sure?”, he smirked. “I could introduce you to Arthur”. I frowned. “Arthur?”, I sneered. “In that case, never mind!”.

We laughed together; before Clarks face became apprehensive. “And…”, he couldn’t form the words. “Your other side?”, I said. He shook his head. “It’s not my other side. It’s me. It’s who I am”.

I squeezed his hand gently, and placed it on my knee. “I fell for you, without knowing everything you were”, I said. “What I know now… just makes you… better”. His eyes lit up. “Really?”, he half-whispered. “Yeah”, I smirked. “Besides; I kind of like how the suit makes your butt look”.

He raised his brows at me and laughed – putting his free hand to my cheek, and stroking my temple. “Oh!”, he said. “Well… yours isn’t half bad either”. I frowned. “Did you x-ray my pants?”, I asked; narrowing my eyes at him. He tightened his lips. “Not yet… do you want me to? I mean… I’m up for it”, he smiled, and moved his other hand up my thigh.

I chuckled; and put my hand on his cheek; pulling him closer. “Let’s do the kissing part first – we can get to what’s in my pants later”, I smirked. “Unless, of course, you have another superhero emergency you need to tend to".

He closed his eyes and listened; then opened them again. “Nah, we’re good”, he smiled; and his lips met mine.

He tasted like apple pie and sunshine.

—

[axiomsofice]

2021 Playoff Preview

WEST

1. Colorado: hitting their stride at the perfect time, key players are back from injury. Healthy goalies go a long way (as they found last year). Makar deserves Norris consideration. On top of all their riches Jost and Timmins have finally started to live up to their potential. Don’t forget Newhook and Byram are on the way up as well. This group should be a cup contender for the next 5 years or so. With all that being said it took Tampa quite some time to turn their talents into a cup, and only time will tell if the Avs are able to love up to their projection. 2. Vegas: this team is big and strong and feasted on the lower half of the west division just like the avalanche. One of the most undersold additions of this off-season is probably Pietrangelo, joining Theodore and a strong and young blueline that boasts some really good defenders in Whitecloud and Hague. Yes, Chandler Stevenson is not quite the flashiest name at 1C (he does a good job tho, don’t get it twisted), but even the bottom portion of the forward group has players who are strong, fast, and skilled, such as Roy, Tuch, and Kolesar. A cup win this year is very much in play, but the future is not without hope should Glass and/or Krebs ever blossom into what Stevenson is not. 3. Minnesota: Although a playoff berth without much of a chance to go all the way is not new for the Wild, the sense of ascension in a optimistic future is a welcome change. Even without a series win, the foundation of a strong performance could be a crucial step in their building. 4. St. Louis: letting your captain and best defencemen (player?) walk is certainly a choice. Reminds me a little of Washington letting Trotz walk. I must also admit I’m not a huge believer in Binnington. They’ll need Kyrou and Thomas to continue expanding their influence as the years go, but it’s hard to see this group replicating their success from 2019. Shout outs to Perron for aging like fine wine.

Final four pick: Vegas over Colorado

EAST

1. Pittsburgh: Yes, the goaltending is more stable than last year, but another huge aspect in what looks to be a much stronger iteration of the Penguins is the success of Matheson-Ceci. The duos play has definitely helped Marino-Pettersson to develop at their own pace, not to mention Dumolin-Letang to round out an understated but very strong blueline. Carter has been a great addition and has still got game, people sleep on you when your team isn’t good (I see you Anze Kopitar). Between their cups wins the Pens looked like an easy out at times, but I see that more as a testament to Crosby and Malkin being able to cruise into the playoffs. When they are on they could easily go all the way. 2. Washington: Some have been waiting for the bottom to fall out with this aging group, although they managed to pace the division for large parts of the season. Although Chara joins a defence group that is probably at its best since the Cup win, there are questions up front and in net. Mantha is a nice addition (maybe not worth the price) but there are a lot of injuries heading into the post season. Samsonov and Vanecek have been alright in net, but it is a lot to ask of two young goalies. In 3 years that tandem could be really strong but to this point it hasn’t been elite level. 3. Boston: finally the blueline is healthy. The second line, rather the forward group in general is as strong as it’s been in years. Swayman and Vladar provide some post Rask optimism, but for now there’s not much to be critical about throughout this lineup. 4. NY Islanders: This team is not exciting but they get the job done. They ended Pittsburgh’s 8 series winning streak a few years ago. Barzal/Nelson/Pageau is really solid down the middle. The defence would look a lot better with Toews. I might pick them to beat Washington in a series but that’s about it.

Final four pick: Boston over Pittsburgh

CENTRAL

1. Carolina: This team is stacked. The blueline is very deep. The goalies have all been good in large part thanks to their overall team structure (I’d go Mrazek/Nedeljkovic/Riemer FWIW). Trocheck has fit in so nicely and really shine with Necas, who is big, fast, and skilled, and often looks like he can do anything on the ice. Svechnikov is still coming into his own, but is not being relied on more than he can handle at this point. 2. Florida: This has been the most surprising and fun team of the season. It’s nice to see players like Duclair, Verhaeghe, and Bennett excel when given the opportunity. Splitting Barkov and Huberdeau was huge, and adding lots of sandpaper with the likes of Hornqvist, Wennberg, Gudas, and Nutivaara has helped solidify the bottom of the roster. It sucks that Ekblad is out for sure, although hopefully both he and the Panthers can carry their success into next year, regardless of how a very tough opening round in the battle of Florida unfolds. They really got pooched in the last expansion draft so hopefully that does not repeat itself, although youngsters like Tippett, Denisenko, and down the road Noel and Lundell should help prevent too much of a regression. 3. Tampa Bay: What to say? The defending champs hitting the post season in a return to full health. A roster with no holes, lots of continuity and the best goalie in the world (?) at this point. There’s not much reason to pick against them besides hockey is strange and random and Florida is more fun. Big shout outs to the NHL’s first all Black line, as Mathieu Joseph, Daniel Walcott, and Gemel Smith got the opportunity to start late in the season. In particular Joseph and Smith are players who have had really strong results in short stints fighting for a regular spot in this loaded Tampa lineup (also, shout out to their brothers, Givani Smith and P.O. Joseph who should have a shot at being NHL regulars next season). 4. Nashville: The Preds have the goaltending and defensive structure to pull off an upset. Both the 1st round matchups in this division embody why I really enjoyed this division, as geographical rivals have the chance to square off. In all, this division could provide the most entertainment of round 1.

Final four pick: Carolina over Florida

NORTH

1. Toronto: I will probably be writing more Toronto centric pieces so I’ll keep it short. In three short (actually painfully long) years as GM, Dubas has kept the “can and will” big four and changed the rest of the team to compliment their skill sets and short comings. This team is easily the favourite to come out of the North Division. 2. Edmonton: McDavid is on another level. Seeing some clips in the fall (off-season) it’s as if my eyes forgot how fast he really was, as upon seeing some clips of his I could’ve sworn were playing in fast forward. Draisaitl is really good too. Similar to Dubas, GM Holland has built a roster that compliments his offensive stars, although his route there has involved more patience than anything. Tippett and Smith have been the forefront of their defensive prowess, it’s hard to overlook the effect that defenders like Nurse and Bear have contributed to this new facet of their identity. 3. Winnipeg: the Jets are very much limping into the post season, although they do have the goaltending to pull off upsets, and the talent up front to score opportunistically. In all their blueline and defensive play in general is underwhelming. 4. Montreal: The Habs successfully outlasted the mediocrity in the lower portion of the division to hold onto the last spot. They do have the physicality and depth to outperform their talents in the playoffs as we saw last year, although a lot will have to go right for them to pull off an upset or two, including a vintage Price performance in net should he be available.

Final four pick: Toronto over Edmonton

[megalony]

Shattered

This is a firefighter! Ben Hardy imagine that will have a follow up part soon, I hope you all enjoy it. There is angst and injury mentions in this part.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem​ @butlegendsneverdie​ @langdonzvoid​ @jennyggggrrr​ @rogermeddow @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez @jonesyaddiction @ambi-and-sunflowers @milanosaurus @httpfandxms @saint-hardy @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @mrsalwayswritex @rogerina-owns-me @peterquillzsblog

Ben Hardy masterlist

Part 2

Summary: Whilst Ben is on a job at a collapsing building, he finds out (Y/n) and their son are there and tries to protect them but he can’t stop them all from getting injured.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Whatever, it's fine Ben it doesn't matter-"

"Yes it does, it matters a lot to me (Y/n) because I've never missed a scan before. I want to be there and I want to take Tommy to his game in the afternoon but I can't swap my shift." There was a knowing look in (Y/n)'s eyes that made Ben's expression harden. They had three boys together and up to now Ben hadn't missed any of the scans during each pregnancy, despite the odd and gruelling shifts he worked. But tomorrow he simply couldn't go because he had to work and no one had been able to swap the shift with him.

"You can be at the next one Ben, it really doesn't matter. The job always comes first, right?" (Y/n) quipped back, but her response only caused Ben's brows to raise and his jaw to lock.

"Now that's not fair." Ben's voice was unusually now and with his words being quiet as not to disturb the toddler on his chest, his words sounded menacing. Ben would admit that his job was important to him, it was a vital job that he had been doing for ten years but it wasn't the most important thing in his life. Ben would always put his family first but the point was he had to work tomorrow and if something went wrong at the scan (Y/n) could always call him and he would try and leave as quickly as possible. It was the first time this had happened when they were having a scan.

"Isn't it? You haven't been able to go to half of Tommy's games, it was me who had to leave work to take Billy to the doctor, not you and we were damn lucky my water broke when it did with James or you wouldn't have been there for the birth. I'm not angry Ben because it's just a scan, its routine and we've done it before but we both know the job comes first a lot of the time."

(Y/n) knew she would be rivalling with Ben's job the moment she got together with him and it was always okay because he saved lives. Ben put his life on the line to help others and sometimes (Y/n) did worry he would get hurt badly or not come home at all. But she knew being a fireman was the only thing Ben wanted to do and he was good at his job so she was proud. But the job was almost as important as his family and even though that was understandable, sometimes it did hurt.

"No, that's not fair because when you had your operation I got two weeks off at two days notice so I could be home with the boys. When Tommy broke his leg I was the one who took him to A&E instead of going to work and when you had your accident when you were pregnant with him I left work and came straight home to you. The job always comes second to you and the boys and you know it."

Tilting his head down from looking at (Y/n), Ben looked at the two year old asleep in his arms. Billy had his head resting on Ben's shoulder and his arms curled up against his chest, when he fell back asleep Ben didn't have the heart to put him into bed. He just stayed holding him because he had to get ready and go to work in a few minutes.

"(Y/n) I don't want to argue, I'm sorry but on the next scan I'll be there and I'll take Tommy to his next game in three weeks. Can you take Billy now, I need to get ready?" Ben tipped his head to the side, his eyes sorrowful but he felt a small swell of relief in his chest when (Y/n) nodded before approaching him.

Biting her lip, (Y/n) carded her fingers gently through Billy's hair as she leaned her head on Ben's chest, feeling his free arm wrap around her waist to pull her a bit closer.

"Text me when you've finished and I'll see you tonight." (Y/n) reached over and gently eased Billy into her arms before she quickly pecked Ben's lips. Their gazes stayed interlocked for a few more seconds before (Y/n) slowly left the room to go and settle Billy back down to bed since it was still early in the morning and he was now fast asleep.

"Tommy, I need my shoes back buddy, give 'em here." Heading down the stairs, Ben sat on the bottom step before he motioned for his eldest to walk over to him when he came in sight down the hall. Ben watched with a smile as Tommy slowly waddled over to him, trying his best to walk in his dad's shoes that were far too big for his small feet. When he reached Ben, he stood by his side and kicked the shoes from his feet so they were resting in front of Ben.

Ben's shifts were all twelve hours a day, four days a week but he still had to leave home early so that when he got to work he could put his overalls on and grab his protective equipment. Then when he finished his shift he took longer because he got changed and showered at work rather than driving home covered in smoke and grime. It was tough, but it was Ben's job and he wouldn't choose to do anything else.

"Why are they like that?" Tommy leaned his head on the banister as he tapped Ben's shoe with his toe to signal what he meant.

"So I don't burn my feet, bud, or in case anything falls on them so it won't hurt." Ben tapped his knuckles against the top of his boot to show how tough the material was which he was very thankful for. Ben had to walk into burning buildings and step in or around fires so his boots had to be made of material that wouldn't catch fire easily and that wouldn't melt or burn his feet. They also had to be strong so that if any bricks or wood or items fell on him, they wouldn't crush his feet and stop him from getting to safety.

"Why aren't mine like that?" Tommy watched Ben tying up his boots before he stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder, checking that his keys were in his pocket.

"What fires do you normally walk into, buddy?" Ben smiled, trying to refrain from laughing because he didn't want Tommy to think he was being rude when he was only curious. "Right, I'll see you tonight before you go to bed, your mum's gonna take you out today so you be good, okay?" Ben leaned down when Tommy wrapped himself around his legs, humming in agreement before he begrudgingly moved back to let Ben leave. Tommy huffed quietly, knowing that whenever Ben left to go to work at night or when he got home at night it meant it would soon be his bedtime.

"Bye dad."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't like this Joe, the whole place is about to go." Ben spoke into the radio hooked to his left shoulder as he cast his eyes around his sector of the ground floor car park. The fires in this multi-story car park and shopping centre were on one side of the building and it made the whole thing unsteady and Ben felt like he was going to be crushed at any given moment. Ben's team were needed to try and get people out whilst Joe's team were concentrating on the fires that were still going.

But Ben didn't like the feel of this because the fire meant that the building was collapsing on one side and that normally led to the whole thing breaking down. Ben knew that the building was far too big for everyone to get out safely before something happened but they had to try.

Turning to look over to his right, Ben nodded silently at Sammy before the pair hurried in different directions, both of them picking up speed when they could hear the building trembling. The fires on this floor were minimal but the number of cars suggested people might come down here trying to get out.

"Ben, pull your team out it's too risky. Let search and rescue take over when they get here." Joe knew it was getting to a point where Ben's team were going to be put at substantial risk when they weren't designated to getting everyone out. They didn't have the equipment or protocol to stay and act as a rescue team, it was safer for Ben and his team to get out and then help put out the fires from the outside.

Just as Ben was about to agree, he reached out to his right to steady himself against the wall when the building started to tremor.

"Dad?!"

That one word made Ben feel like the building had already collapsed onto him and crushed him entirely. They couldn't be here, not now, not today not right this moment in time. Ben couldn't have any of his family here in this building or anywhere near this place when it was about to go down.

"No, no no what are you doing here?"

A course of curse words flooded past his lips on repeat as he flung himself from the wall and across the unsteady ground that felt like it was going to give way beneath his feet. Ben's eyes were locked on Tommy who was trying to run but he was wobbling. The moment Ben reached him he wasted no time in scooping him up and holding him to his chest, pressing his hand to the back of Tommy's head as his eyes darted around to look for (Y/n).

"Where's your mum? Are James and Billy with you? Tommy tell me quickly where are they?!" Ben didn't know if (Y/n) had brought the boys with her or if she was just out with Tommy and James and Billy were with her parents like they were supposed to be. (Y/n) wasn't meant to be here, she never said she was bringing Tommy here, Ben thought she was going across town today.

Why did they have to be here?

"M-mum's behind me... t-the boys aren't with us." Tommy tucked his head into Ben's neck as much as he could with Ben's safety helmet and his thick florescent jacket being in the way. (Y/n) had been right behind him until he spotted Ben and made a beeline for him.

"Ben, are you on your way out yet? The place is gonna go down any minute, the foundations are ruined." Joe's voice over the radio was barely heard due to the rumbling sound the building was creating and the panic that could be heard from miles away.

"I can't get out yet, my family's on this floor!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A choked breath mixed with a moan escaped Ben's mouth as his eyes violently flew open like he had been resuscitated. His head jolted up before slamming back down against the concrete floor when he realised his body was far too weak and paralysed from unconsciousness to move.

Where was he? He was on the ground floor level, he remembered going down and knowing it was a bad idea before the concrete walls started to shake and the world turned black.

How long had it been? He didn't know.

Was he alone? Sammy was on the other side of the floor, but he might have gotten out when Joe told the team to retract. But Ben was still here... oh God, Tommy and (Y/n) had been down here with him the moment the place started to crumble like it was the end of the world. Hundreds more questions started to circle through Ben's mind but he couldn't focus on any of them other than needing to find where his wife and son were.

It wasn't dark.

As Ben tried to open his eyes and focus his vision, he realised that there was still light creeping into this level despite half of it being collapsed. The electrics would have surely become severed and broken so to have light meant there was part of the walls that were broken enough for the outside to creep in. That was a good sign.

When his vision managed to focus properly, Ben choked on his breath when he realised that he was laid on his side with his arms cocooned around Tommy who was squashed against his chest. Ben was relieved he seemed to have fallen- or maybe he laid down himself, in this position because if he fell on top of Tommy he would have crushed him. And if he fell with Tommy on top of him and something fell down on them, it would crush Tommy first and presumably worse than it would Ben.

Trying to keep his breathing calm and slow, Ben counted each breath he took until he was no longer on the verge of panicking as his eyes focused on his eldest boy. His vision narrowed and he held his breath so he could try and focus on Tommy and Ben felt tears welling in his eyes when he knew his boy was breathing rather normally considering the shock he must have gone through.

A shuddering breath left Ben's lips as he relished in holding his boy before he dared to look around and try to find (Y/n). Ben couldn't remember if she had been close by or a distance away, he didn't know if he had been holding onto her as well or if she had been out of his reach.

Ben's eyes soon latched onto his wife's frame only a few feet away from him, she was also laid on her side and thankfully had her front facing Ben. Even when he narrowed his eyes, he couldn't quite tell if her chest was moving and with the sirens and screams and ringing sounds, Ben couldn't hear how she was breathing. But he was certain he could see the muscles and skin around her neck moving and pulling inwards suggesting that she was breathing. He kept watching her for a few more minutes before he noticed her hand twitch and he nodded to himself that she was alive.

That was all he could ask for at this moment. He didn’t dare let his mind think about what was happening with the baby after something like this, they were only five months along and thinking of the results of this kind of event made Ben want to be sick.

As he took calming breaths, Ben tried to think what kind of training he had received for this kind of situation, but he'd never been in this situation before and his training had been years ago. The refresher courses didn't do any good and the last one of those had been at least seven months previous. Deciding he would have to try and make it up as he went along, Ben knew the first thing to do was try and see what injuries he and Tommy had and if he could move or not.

He slowly moved his fingers, feeling the gloves over his hands were grazing against rubble and gravel. When he curled his fingers into his palms, he knew he hadn't broken any knuckles or fingers which was a good start. He moved his focus onto his arms which he tensed before pulling tighter around Tommy. Ben could feel the burns and when his left arm started shaking, he figured it was a rather bad burn. But nothing broken yet.

Raising one hand, Ben slowly grabbed the helmet and visor resting on his head and moved his head to take it off. He knew it was safer to keep it on in case any rubble fell but right now he didn't want it constricting him. He cracked his neck side to side and felt very little strain there which was also good.

Trying to shuffle his weight back just a little, Ben very slowly and gently unravelled his arms from Tommy without moving his boy very much at all. When his arms were free, Ben rolled onto his back and then removed the thick padded gloves that made it hard to bend his fingers, Ben then trailed his hands over his upper body.

His overalls were ripped, burnt and hot to the touch and when he moved his hands down to his chest he hissed and jolted against the concrete when he felt at least two ribs on his right side that were either fractured or broken. Now his breathing felt like it was beginning to hurt now he was aware of the pain he was beginning to notice. Moving his hands lower, he grazed only his fingertips against his body so he wouldn't apply any pain or pressure to any injuries he had.

His torso felt strained and bruised but nothing major. Moving his hands to the floor, he felt around him for any bricks or lumps of concrete before he pressed his flat palms to the ground in order to sit himself up.

Ben took a moment to control his breathing and ride out the dizziness in his head before he dared to check over his legs. His right leg had a rather blistering burn to his upper thigh and the way it sizzled like he was sitting on a barbecue made Ben guess it had reached the muscle.

"Shit."

He left the burn alone, not having any water or gauze to clean it with anyway, so he focused on trailing his hands lower down his body.

He'd dislocated his left knee, great.

But when Ben looked at his legs, a sound resembling a moan escaped his lips before he groaned and felt himself beginning to cry without shedding any tears. There was a chunk of concrete like one of the pillars holding up the ceiling and it was laid on Ben's right ankle, cutting off his sight of his foot.

For two, maybe three minutes, Ben sat choking on dust and air wondering if it had gone completely through his ankle and chopped off his foot. Without being able to see his foot or being able to see the damage to his ankle, it felt possible that his foot was no longer connected to his leg. But Ben could feel his whole leg twitching and it didn't feel like his foot wasn't there, so surely it had to be, right?

Ben found it horrifying that he could feel no pain in his leg other than his blistered thigh. He wasn't suffering agonising pain from his ankle bone clearly being crushed by concrete, nor were his nerves shooting with pains or his muscles twitching and spasming with pain. His leg just felt numb from the knee down.

Trying to ignore his own injuries when he heard Tommy lowly groaning, Ben tried to turn to the left but he ended up laying back down on his side to ease the pain he was feeling. He gently brushed Tommy's hair from his eyes that were just beginning to flutter open like butterfly wings. He took a moment to adjust and look at Ben before hi pupils blew wide and a strangled breath escaped his bleeding lips.

The eight year old's breathing started to increase and he began to shake as a silent cry escaped his lips making it clear that his memory was sharp and coming back to him quickly.

"Sshh, hey, hey I'm here buddy. I'm here and I've got you, it's gonna be okay I promise." Ben brushed his hand over Tommy's face, knowing his voice was scratching but he hoped he could still calm him down. He kissed Tommy's forehead and continued to brush his hand over his features to calm him down, listening as his breathing calmed down but he started to choke on wails. "I'm here, you're okay."

Tommy reached his hand up and clung to Ben's arm for a few minutes until his wails turned to sniffs and gasps for a proper breath.

"Tommy, baby I need to check you over to see where you're hurt. I'm gonna turn you on your back, just tell me if anything hurts, okay?" Ben took Tommy's hand to keep him calm when he sat up before he gently eased Tommy over onto his back.

Ben felt something stabbing his chest when he realised he'd called Tommy baby like he used to when he was younger and he didn't revolt against the term. It was a pet name Ben used for (Y/n) and all the boys but Tommy started to say he was too old to be called that, but right now he didn't seem to bother, if anything it seemed to reassure him.

Ben slowly let go of Tommy's hand so he could check him over, wincing when Tommy let out a cry when Ben touched his left shoulder which felt dislocated. Ben tried to breathe slowly and calmly to get Tommy to copy him as he continued to check him over, noting that he had at least two broken or fractured ribs and his right leg felt both blistered and broken. But he didn't feel any pain around his torso or chest other than bruising which was a good sign that he might not have any internal injuries.

"Okay, I'm gonna sit you up, put your shoulder in place and then sort out my knee, okay?"

"Daddy don't... i-it's okay please-"

"It'll hurt a lot less if I put it back in place, I know what I'm doing I swear. Count to three for me baby, please." Ben eased Tommy up before reaching around to hold onto his shoulder. He knew it was going to hurt but he also knew leaving it out of its socket would be a bad idea if they had to get themselves out of here because he could catch his shoulder and make it worse.

"O-one... two-" Tommy cut himself off with a piercing scream when Ben pushed his arm straight up and they both heard it popping back into its socket. It was better to do it when he wasn't expecting it and get it over with.

"Good lad, now you just sit there for a minute, okay?"

Placing one hand on his left thigh, Ben held his lower leg with the other hand and closed his eyes for a few seconds as he calmed himself down. He'd done this before with someone else's knee, but not to himself. But he couldn't move or bend his knee if it was popped out of the joint and at some point he needed to check on his shattered ankle. Drawing in a deep breath through gritted teeth, Ben opened his eyes, focusing his gaze on his knee as he held his breath deep in his lungs.

One... two... three.

Curse words flowed freely from his chapped lips along with a scream of pain when he heard the sickening pop telling him that he'd done it.

Turning his head, Ben looked over at Tommy who was cringing from the scene and the sound he just witnessed and tears were now streaking down his face that was covered in grime and dust. But when Tommy moved his head and caught sight of (Y/n), Ben's voice caused him to quickly look back at his dad.

"Hey, eyes over here. Your mum's okay, she's just unconscious like we were a bit ago. When I sort my foot out, I'm gonna go and make sure she's okay and then we'll get out of here, it's gonna be fine I swear." Ben didn't want Tommy to sit and stare at (Y/n) because he would upset himself and convince himself that she wasn't okay. Ben didn't want Tommy to torture himself looking at (Y/n) knowing that he couldn't help, nor did he want Tommy to go and sit with her in case she had any injuries that he would be able to see.

Pressing his hand under his knee, Ben pulled it until his knee was bent up and he could shuffle closer and bend his other knee to get as close to his damaged ankle as possible. The boulder crushing his limb wasn't too extensive, it wasn't very long in length and it was rather thin which he guessed was a good thing. Daring to lean his head over the boulder, Ben sighed in utter relief when he saw his foot on the other side. He had truly believed he would look over to see a severed limb looking back at him. His foot was bent to the left at an odd angle and Ben didn't have to move the boulder to know that the bone of his ankle would be shattered.

Without even thinking, Ben moved his cautious hand to try and touch his foot that was clad in his boot but to his utter surprise, his foot jerked at the contact which made his ankle move under its constraint of the boulder.

Ben tried to swallow a howl at the sudden agony he felt when a shooting nerve sprung to life in his ankle and bolted all the way up his leg. Now he could feel the pain instead of the numbness. He tried to think what he was going to do and how to get his foot free and as he leaned his head to the side to assess his ankle, he noticed there might just be enough room to bend his foot and slide it under.

"Tommy, can you shuffle over here for me?" Ben cocked his head to the side, watching as Tommy slowly dragged himself over whilst trying not to move his broken leg too much. But when he looked over at Ben's ankle, more tears fell from his eyes and he started to whimper.

"D-daddy, y-your..." He couldn't seem to find the words he was thinking of so he just pointed at the sight that made him feel sick.

"I know it looks bad, but baby I need you to help me. I need you to lean over and help push my foot under the concrete, I can't get it free on my own."

Tommy violently shook his head, trying to retreat but Ben reached over and grabbed hold of his hand. His eyes were pleading, he wouldn't ask this if he could do this on his own. Ben didn't want his boy to see him in pain or witness this but there was no way Ben could bend his damaged foot the other way and push it under the boulder as well as trying to lift the boulder enough to slot his foot free.

"Baby I need your help or else I can't go and help your mum. Please?" Tommy started to shake but he finally relented and nodded. "Good boy, all you have to do is bend my foot to the other side and then push it when I tell you to, okay?"

Tommy turned his head to the side when he shuffled closer to the boulder and Ben could see his stomach churning and his throat tightening like he was going to be sick. He rested his left arm over the boulder and held onto Ben's boot, slowly pushing it like he was moving the hand of a clock into the right position but the noise Ben's ankle made caused Tommy to wail. He shivered and shrunk down when Ben growled through gritted teeth and snapped his eyes closed, he had to try and be strong but the pain was making it very hard.

Moving his hands, Ben slipped his gloves back on before he slotted his hands under the small gap the boulder had left. His arms started to shake and he felt his stomach muscles tightening when he pulled up the boulder before nodding for Tommy to push his foot.

Ben tried his best to pull his leg back but it was harder than he thought when his whole leg was numb to the point he could barely feel it. When the edge of his boot barely scraped past the boulder Ben let it drop against the floor before he leaned back on his hands and tipped his head back, closing his eyes tightly. Now the weight was gone Ben could feel every inch of skin and every nerve pulsing and tingling in his ankle like it was coming back to life and he knew it would only be a matter of minutes before the pain started to arise.

"Good lad." Ben breathed through the words as he tried to stop himself from becoming light-headed.

When he dared to examine his ankle, Ben knew he would be lucky if his foot would survive with how shattered the bone was, it looked like his ankle had been flattened and there was a piece of bone poking through the skin that was oozing blood like a small river.

"Tommy, baby you stay there and I'm gonna go see to your mum, I'll be right there you won't lose sight of me for a second I promise."

"O-okay."

When Tommy nodded, Ben managed a tight-lipped smile before he slowly rolled over so that he was resting on his front. He knew it would be easier to crawl over rather than try and stand with a shattered ankle and a dislocated knee, the pain would be too intense to bear. As Ben started crawling over to (Y/n), he started to wonder how long it would be before search and rescue got here and got them out.

There were countless other people trapped here who needed to escape but Ben was praying that since they were on the ground floor, they would be seen to quicker.

They needed help.

[tiannarosetarot]

Wonho Current Energy Reading - June 29th

Very long reading ahead, but I hope you’ll check it out! 

There is a lot going on, yet at the same time things feel very balanced. Wonho has just announced his new fandom name and has made his first vlive. This already feels like he has passed over the first major hurdle. He’s been slowly climbing back up from basically rock bottom. Ever since that terrible day in October, he is rebuilding his image, his self esteem and his career. He’s been holding back quite a bit, reasonably so, but I’ve thought since the beginning that when he makes a vlive, that’s when we’ll know. His vlives are extremely special to Monbebe and he has always used the platform to share his life with us and bring us along on his journey. I know that now that he is comfortable enough to go live with us again, he has passed that difficult checkpoint, and will hopefully be able to do it a lot now. It’s kinda like when a couple first confesses that they love each other. At first it is scary and awkward, and they’re not sure whether they should say it. But once they do, now they’re able to say it all the time to each other. I think vlive is Wonho’s way of saying ‘I love you’. And if he’s afraid we might not say it back, that will be extremely harmful to him. I think he needed to wait until he felt comfortable enough that we would reciprocate his feelings. Throughout this process there has been a lot of negativity and people attacked him for something he didn’t even do. So the fact that he feels strong enough to show himself to us again in the way he used to is incredibly special. 

 Wonho also used this vlive as a way to announce his fandom name with us, which is Wenee. I’m a little worried, because I see a lot of people who aren’t super happy with the name. I’ll admit that it seemed a little strange at first, but after knowing the backstory behind it, I know that it will become super special to us, as he pushed for this name himself. In order to make sure that Wonho feels ready and comfortable to fully come back, we need to make sure that we’re sending positive energy and messages towards him. He is a pretty sensitive person (which is a good thing), but I know that in the past he has sometimes taken negative comments to heart. It is important that we project into the universe what we want to happen. Whether you believe in this stuff or not, there is some truth that if you try really hard for something to happen, it definitely can. So let’s make sure Wonho doesn’t think we don’t like his choices, or he may stop trusting in his abilities. Let’s trust that he knows what he’s doing and can make his own decisions. We are his fans, and it is our job to support him in what he does. To reiterate this once again, the fact that he released a fandom name is much more important than what the name actually is. It means he is moving in the right direction to coming back into the industry. Even if you wish he were back in Monsta X, let’s trust in his new achievements now and worry about that later. Just because he’s becoming a solo artist doesn’t mean the chance of him coming back is completely off the table. And again, hopefully we realize that it is better to have him back in the music industry even without being part of Monsta X, than not have him back at all. 

Now onto the cards ~

There is a new start for Wonho coming. He needs to work on his insecurities in order to achieve his dreams, because these things may be holding him back from doing so. There is also this feeling that he doesn’t really want to move on. He’s a little stuck in the past, wishing things were back the way they were. He is missing the group activities and the family he has been a part of for so long. But I think he’s finally realizing that the rest of the members are going to be okay without him. Wonho left because he wanted them to still be successful, and I know that he’s been hyping them up with all of their projects. He can trust now that they are doing fine, and take that as a positive sign that he can move forward. He needs to not let his past hold him back from achieving his dreams. He can remember that part of himself, all of the beautiful memories they shared together, without needing to stay in the shadows forever. We can think of this like any other idol who takes on a solo project or album. They work on promoting that for a while, and still can do group projects as well. Although Wonho may not be in the group right now, there is still a chance that could happen in the future. I know a lot of people have given up, which is totally fine, but I do still believe that he could come back somewhere in the future, and to not give up on those dreams just yet. He needs to not allow the hope of that return stop him from moving forward in his life. He needs to take care of his needs and keep fighting for his dreams. 

There is a lot of fire energy in this reading, including a lot of Aries energy. I’m definitely feeling a lot of movement and power coming from this; he is taking back control. Things are happening quite quickly but no longer in a negative way, because he is taking the reins. Things are happening at the right speed for him now. It’s as if he has been using all of this time to sort everything out and now that those things have happened (New Moon in Cancer: he trusts Monsta X is okay, and South Node: he is not letting his past stop him from moving forward) he is able to finally take action. I have a strong feeling that things will all start falling into place now that he has made his vlive and announced the fandom name. Everything has been building up to this moment, and now rather quickly, things will start working out the way they are supposed to. It’s kinda a roller coaster. After leaving Monsta X, he dropped down to the ground. He’s been slowly inching his way back up to the peak, but with a lot of anticipation and maybe some anxious energy. But once he reaches the top he sees where he needs to go. He’s on top of the world again. And he can now soar down the steep track and enjoy the ride; as all of that pent up energy is being released. (I know Wonho hates heights so maybe this isn't the best analogy, but roller coasters are meant to be fun and exciting. I really want to emphasize that this isn’t like he’s reached the top and it’s only downhill now. This is a super exciting drop that will allow him to really set everything in motion. 

The New Moon in Aries card is a big sign for him to be able to achieve anything he puts his mind to. He may still have a long way to go on this journey (Aries is the first sign of the zodiac), but he’s definitely getting there. He is making sure he does things correctly this time, and he is taking all the time he needs to really make sure he’s ready. He wants to figure out the logistics so that he can be able to have it easier later on. The only problem with this is that he might get so tied up into making everything perfect that he never actually takes action. But seeing that he released his fandom name shows that is not the case, and I hope this strategy works well for him. I think he has a really good foundation which will allow him to grow into an amazing artist again, so we need to be patient in his efforts. He knows what he is doing. 

I’m really glad that the Justice card came up in this reading. This whole situation has been based around a legal matter, an accusation that Wonho did something unethical. However he has been proven innocent and has been given a second chance. Through this card, we are reminded that justice does prevail. Love does win, and people who do the right thing will come out on top. Maybe not always, and maybe not often either, but Wonho worked way too hard to have this all taken away from him so quickly. So the fact that he’s coming back just proves that things are working the way they are supposed to, and that hopefully there is a change happening in the kpop industry. I want to point out a quote from this card which says “Even though events in our life may seem unjust, there is a divine order to the universe.” This reminds me a lot of Wonho’s situation. This whole time we’ve been thinking that what happened to him was unfair, but maybe there is some reason why this happened. There is a hope that can be found in this card, that this event will only make him, Monsta X, and Monbebe stronger. This card can also symbolize weighing all sides before making an important decision, which I do think is what he is doing. It is important he thinks this all through before taking any big risks he might regret later. 

The Three of Cups reversed represents overindulgence or an attempt to escape from the unpleasant aspects of life. It could also represent alone time and independence. The upright version of this card represents the opposite; celebration, friendship, community. Wonho is starting out on his own after being part of a group for so long. He has the opportunity to make many more decisions now and get a lot closer to the fans. He has a newfound independence that could have negative and positive aspects to it. He could be enjoying all of this freedom, but he may be overwhelmed in the amount of things he has to do. It’s no longer all being split between 7 members and in the kpop world, solo artists normally have to work harder to become and stay popular. I also sense a loneliness, and a possible emptiness that he’s feeling going through the steps again of things like announcing a fandom name, and eventually a debut, comeback stages and maybe someday his own concerts. In the past he experienced all of these major moments with his members, but he’s venturing out on his own now. He needs to remember that he still has his fans by his side, and therefore he isn’t truly alone. 

This situation really is like he’s starting all over again though. He’s relearning how to do all of these things that he may not have done in a while. I could tell he was slightly out of practice trying to do aegyo today. I think he’s trying extremely hard to learn everything he can. He’s been learning English and Japanese, maybe other languages too. He’s been taking his time to make sure he makes careful decisions. He’s really being like the apprentice in the Eight of Pentacles, working hard through repetitive tasks and using keen attention to detail in order to master his craft. The second time around, he has the opportunity to do things with more ease and enjoy the moments that he may have been too nervous during the first time around. I’m really proud of how hard he is trying lately to better himself, and feel even more inspired by him than normal. He doesn’t want to disappoint, and I know that anything Wonho releases will only be after extreme thought and with thorough execution so I really hope that we can see that. 

I’m so happy to be a Wenee now, and I want to say happy birthday to my fellow new fandom! Although I’ve been with many of you before, we need to get used to the fact that there will be new Wonho fans who have not known him as a member of Monsta X. I hope we can accept them into this family because the people I’ve grown to know through Monsta X are some of the most amazing people ever. I’m so proud to be part of these two beautifully intertwined fandoms and I can't wait to see what happens in the future. Don’t give up on hoping and be patient for what Wonho as well as the universe has prepared. I believe it will to be even better than anything we could’ve imagined. 

[strangcrdoctor]

For the mun, what's one headcanon you haven't formally posted but is integral to Stephen as a character?

∞Hooooo buckets. You had to go and ask me a good question. Um, there are a few that I haven’t expressly written out, so I might just do them all here and finally get them out on paper… metaphorically. Whatever.

✒ My Stephen didn’t have a bad relationship with his father. I understand the fandom is drawing from some source material (which frankly I haven’t found and this headcanon has been a part of my Stephen all along so whatever), but I don’t see Stephen as someone who really models having “daddy” issues. He has family trauma because his entire family unit died before he was 25. In my headcanon, yes Stephen and his father were very different. Eugene was a farmer, with a genius, academically inclined son. And frankly, knowing a lot of farming families, farmer fathers and sons just tend to be like oil and water even when they’re similarly driven. There’s always some distinction between the two, a separation. And it can be loving, but more often is expressed as a distant but respectful caring. I see that being the manner of relationship Eugene and Stephen functionally had. Which is why losing his family was so hugely wounding for a young Stephen. He had to see every painstaking moment of their demise, and part of why he became so stunted isn’t because he hated them - it’s because he loved them. All of them. His father, mother, sister, and brother gave him a strong foundation on which to build his confidence, his empathy, and his identity, and he had it all pulled out from underneath him. Which is why Stephen also twisted his relationship with medicine because of that traumatic sequence: he cares about people, cares about the work he does so much. But he’s guarded, he stays distant because he got to a point when he was younger that he didn’t know how much more breaking down he could take should he be close with others before he disintegrated entirely. Hence, my next headcanon…

✒ Stephen at his core isn’t the selfish bastard that the fandom makes him out to be so fucking often. I see people making him a cold megalomaniac sometimes and I know that the comics often do a great job of giving him that melodramatic flair, but that’s not my Stephen. My Stephen puts everything he has into his work out of a motivation to succeed, because if he fails, he knows it will break him in the way his late childhood trauma never had the chance to. It’s why after his accident he hit rock bottom - that final hammer-stroke finally happened. But it speaks to his character that even when he thought he had nothing left but his work - because his heart and his compassion hadn’t done anything to save his family - it turned out that his love and caring were everything he ever needed in order to be truly amazing. And when he sewed those inherent parts of himself into his wielding of magic, allowed saving life and using that power to protect what he cares about rather than trying not to feel anything, he fulfilled the capacity he’d been trying to bury for so long. There’s a damn good reason why Stephen was able to reclaim that goodness, and it’s not because he, at age ~40, had to just learn it from scratch. It’s because it was there all along, and had just been neglected.

✒ This boi is 1701% hydrophobic. Granted, it’s not like he’s afraid of getting into the shower or going for a swim - Stephen actually swam as his primary workout for most of his adult life (hence his body/muscle type). However, his worst nightmares are about drowning, and he has one persistent recurring dream about drowning being the way he dies. His accident, and being trapped so close to and partially submerged in water while washing in and out of consciousness, on top of the trauma of seeing his sister drown without being able to save her, has seriously demonized water as death in his subconscious. So if you really want to torture him, leave him trapped around water and he will 11/10 wig the hell out. It’s by far his most severe trigger.

✒ Stephen considers himself a ride-or-die New Yorker. He was at Columbia during 9/11, was at Metro General working triage during The Incident, and honest to god refuses to be run out of the city that’s made, broken, and remade his identity. New York pride? Fuck yeah baby. He’s got every chintzy attraction mug, magnet, and t-shirt the city has to offer, and makes no bones about giving recommendations when he inevitably gets pulled aside by tourists like every other New Yorker. He’s a dork. Let him live.

✒ The man fucking drinks coffee. What the fuck. Yeah he likes tea as well, and in fact likes them both about equally. But he went through graduate school, med school, residency, and an entire career of being on-call for mandatory periods. And for long fucking before caffeine alternatives started coming out in more palatable forms. I just kinda shake my head at the part of the fandom that makes him this soft, wibbly, herbal-tea purist because just. Have you gone in for advanced degrees? Have you tried staying awake for 42 hours without some kind of caffeine? And I’m sorry, but the fru fru teas and super-energy drinks weren’t around in the 90s and Aughts. You know what was the whole time? Black ass coffee. And especially as an insomniac nerd mystical researcher, there are nights when black tea just doesn’t cut it my dudes.

I think those are the biggest ones I’ve bottled up and just refused to say for the longest time, so thanks nonnie for letting me air my stupid character grievances.∞

[originalsurfmorocco]

11 Best Surfing Flexibility Exercises (for beginners)

Your flexibility is an important aspect you need to work on to enjoy your surf holiday in the best surf camp- Original Surf Morocco in Tamraght. Yea, you may ask “why?” Well, being able to bend freely helps you pop up freely turn, turn your board, and maneuver through the waves on top of the water. More so, a loose surfer has a reduced risk of sustaining an injury while surfing. That’s why we compiled a list of 11 best-surfing flexibility exercises that you can try even as a beginner.

So don’t be in a hurry to jump on your surfboard to try out some skills. Surfing involves a range of motions, and your body needs to be prepared to stand some high-stress scenarios. And do you know what? Trying out surf stretching exercises is a solid foundation to help you become very skillful in surfing.

Want to know how? Check this out! The main body parts you use while riding on the surfboard or maneuvering include the hips (the joints joining the upper body and legs), shoulder, and neck. Hence, for you to be highly flexible, you need to use the surf stretches and exercises to build these joints and muscles and make them stronger. By doing this, you will surf with much ease and you increase your chance of learning new skills on the board. That’s when it becomes fun!

Best Flexibility Exercises for Surfing

Now that you know the benefits you stand to gain when you’re flexible, below are some of the best flexibility exercises for surfing you can try. However, note that practicing these exercises requires a little time before you’ll start seeing great results. So there’s no quick fix; you just have to be patient and keep up with your practice. In no time, you’ll become amazed at how flexible and skillful you would have become.

Without much ado, check out the surfing flexibility exercises:

Jumping Jacks

The jumping jacks are one of the simplest exercises to try before surfing. You can use this exercise to warm up even if you haven’t exercised at all for a long time. They help you keep your heart pumping while helping you to loosen up the muscles in your torso, legs, and arms.

After trying the jumping jacks for some minutes, your body will be ready to try other moves and hit the surfboard.

How to do it:

Stand upright, keeping your legs together, arms at your sides, and chin up.

Bend your knees a bit and quickly jump into the air (not to the clouds)

As you jump, part your legs and widen it to be about shoulder-width apart. Also, stretch and widen your arms out over your head

Now, return to your starting position to make 1 rep

Repeat

Do reps of jumping jacks

Useful Hints: Inhale at the initial position and exhale while spreading your hands and legs out. Also, remember to wear athletic shoes to avoid slipping off or sustaining an injury.

Deep squat

Your hips are mainly involved in those skillful twists with the board while riding on waves. Hence, you need to work on them to keep them strong. The deep squat works your hips, but it is a full-body workout and it targets other parts like your knees, ankles, and spine. The parts provide the support you need to stay flexible.

Try to spend some time in the deep squat daily. It develops your ability to get low and stay balanced, which prevents you from falling and helps you recover from committed turns.

How to do it:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keep your back flat and chest up, and then stretch your hands fully in front of you.

Allow your weight to rest on the heels and balls of your feet.

Tighten your entire body, breathe deeply into your stomach, push your butt back, and get into a squat position.

As you squat deep down, try to keep your knees and your feet in line.

Keep going down until your hip joint goes lower than your knees

Breathe out and drive through your heels back up to your starting position

Repeat

Hold for 30 seconds and do 2 sets

Useful Hints: As you drive your heels back up, ensure you squeeze your butt at the top to engage your glutes. And make sure you push your knees out when they start to come inside the toes.

Child’s pose

Your hips need to be opened up for surfing flexibility and the child’s pose helps you achieve that. From the name “child pose” you would need to sit back like you’re a child for some time to improve your hip muscles. You’ll also get a slight stretch in your glutes and lower back.

How to do it:

Get into a kneeling position

Keep your knees apart towards the edge of your mat, and then allow your big toes to make contact. However, if you’re not comfortable, you can put your knees together.

Bow your head to touch the mat and fully stretch out your hands in front of you

Keep the top of your shoulders down below the ear

Then withdraw your hands, close up your knees, and return to the starting position.

Repeat

Hold for 30 seconds and do 2 sets

Useful Hint: Do not try the child’s pose if you have a knee injury. Also, always work within your abilities and range of limits.

Bottom Leg Lift (Right and Left)

You don’t get to exercise your inner thigh muscles during normal daily activity, but when you try the bottom leg lift, it works on your core and helps stabilize your hip and knee joints. This is an effective surf stretching exercise that keeps you flexible; build your abdominals, even as you set up a solid core for great surfing experience.

How to do it:

Lie on your side and extend your legs a few inches to form the shape of a banana

Raise your ribs and place your heads on your hands. Keep your neck and back in good alignment

Raise the foot of your top leg (left leg) and bring it to stand in front of your hips

Put your left hand behind your calf to support your left leg outside the ankle region

Take a deep breath, and lift your bottom leg (right leg) off the floor. Stretch it out completely and do not allow your knee to bend.

Breathe out and slowly lower your right leg back to the floor

Turn to lie on your other side and repeat the process for your left leg.

Do 14 reps each

Useful Hint: Make sure you’re aligned correctly to get the most out of your bottom leg lift. Engage your core to keep your body stable and upright while lifting your outstretched leg.

Curtsy Lunges (Right and Left Leg)

The curtsy lunge trains your glutes and quads to improve your flexibility. The crossing motion in this surf stretching exercise fires up your gluteus medius (a stabilizing muscle located in the upper part of your butt) and the abductors (located in the inner thigh and responsible for pulling the legs together). Also, the curtsy lunge challenges your stability and flexibility more than the normal lunge. It helps improve your overall surfing skills on the board.

How to do it:

Stand, keeping your feet hip-width apart, and fold your arms to place one palm on another. Look straight ahead and keep your neck firm

Engage your core and keep your back flat

Step your right foot behind and outside your left foot, bringing your hips down until your left thigh is parallel with the floor. Your right knee should be an inch or two above the ground surface

Return your right leg to the starting position and repeat 14 times

Switch to the other leg (left leg) and repeat the curtsy lunges 14 times

Do 14 times each for right and left leg

Useful Hint: Start slowly to master the process. Keep your head straight, and make sure you engage your core.

Side Leg Circles (Left and Right)

The side leg circles are one of the best flexibility exercises for surfing. This exercise targets your glutes and the abductors located inside and outside your hips. And this prepares you to maneuver strongly with a strong core through the waves on the water. More so, this exercise works on your abs your hip flexors- the antagonists to the work of your glute muscles.

As you try the side leg circles, it forces you to use your core muscles to support the weight of your raised leg. This helps to keep your spine and pelvis in proper alignment.

How to do it:

Lie on your left side with legs stretched and stacked together. Prop yourself up and rest your head on your left hand. Keep your right hand on the floor for balance

Slightly bend at your hips to allow your leg and torso form a slight angle

Raise your right leg 5-7 inches and draw circles from your hip as you go higher. From that highest point, draw another smaller circles in the other direction as you bring your leg down to make one rep

Repeat the process on your right side drawing circles with your left leg.

Do 14 reps on both legs

Useful Hints: Do not be too fast, especially as a beginner. You can start by drawing smaller circles, and then work your way up to drawing bigger circles.

Lying Butterfly Stretch

The lying butterfly stretch opens up your hips and stretches your groin muscles. As you ride on waves, you will need to open and close your legs a lot of times, so the lying butterfly stretch helps to build your hip abductors to support the closing of your legs while surfing.

How to do it:

Lie with your back on the floor and keep your knees bent. Put your feet together.

Widen your knees and put it as far as possible to the sides. You would get this stretching feeling in your groin.

Place your hands on your thighs and make your knees go closer and closer to the floor. Take a deep breath in this process.

As your exhale, return your legs to the starting position and repeat

Do the butterfly stretch for 40 seconds

Useful Hints: Allow your abdomen to expand as you inhale to help release the muscles of the groin and hip region.

Quad Stretch with Wall (Left and Right)

You can also work on your flexibility for a great surf experience by trying the Right and left Quad stretch exercise. This works on the quadriceps or quads, which is the muscle groups in front of your thighs. These muscles play a large role in your maneuvering on the surfboard, so it is advisable to work on them.

How to do it:

Stand in front of the wall and place your right hand on the wall for support

Hold your left leg with your left hand and lift it towards your back. Keep your knees and thighs together

You will feel a gentle stretch in front of the thigh

Hold the legs, relax and breath

Switch to your left hand on the wall and repeat the process for the right leg

Do 5 reps with each leg

Useful Hints: Be gentle with the quad stretch if you’re prone to lower-back or knee pain. And quit the exercise if you feel any sharp pain.

Side-lying floor stretch (Right and Left)

This is a simple stretch exercise that works on your lats and auxiliary muscles to improve your surf flexibility. It builds strength around your upper-body to improve your range of motion and limit the risk of injury while surfing.

How to do it:

Lay on your right side, slightly bend your right knee in front of you and keep your left leg straightened out.

Stretch your arms out and place it on top of each other over your head

Maintain this position for 20 seconds and then ease yourself to your starting position.

Switch to your left side and repeat the same process

Do 5 reps on each side

Useful Hint: Maintain the abdominal bracing to stabilize your pelvis. And be sure to keep your spine in a straight line.

Cat-Cow Pose

The Cat-Cow Pose is one of the surfing flexibility exercises that help to warm up your body and at the same time bring flexibility to your spine. It combines two poses to develop postural awareness and balance throughout your body. More so, it stretches your hips, your lower back, upper back, chest, core, and neck to help your surfing flexibility.

How to do it:

Get on your knees and hands with wrists directly beneath your shoulders, and your knees stacked directly under your hips. Center your head

Starting with the cow pose- Take a deep breath, sink your abdomen into the ground, and arch your spine to form a C shape while looking straight towards the ceiling.

Broaden your shoulder and open it far from your ears

Next, move into the Cat Position- While breathing out, lift your belly button towards your spine, and relax the crown of your head towards the floor.

Move at a slow and controlled pace to feel the movement and release in your spine.

Breathe in and come back to the cow pose, and then breathe out and return to the Cat Pose

Do this exercise for 40 seconds. You can try up to 10 times.

Useful Hints: Make sure your stomach is empty before trying the Cat-Cow Pose. So it is better to have your meals at least 4 hours before you do this surf stretching exercise.

Floor Tricep Dips

The floor tricep dips works effectively for training your upper body, including your arms and your shoulders. It activates the triceps muscles in your upper arms, and as you hold your hips off the ground, you also activate your core. More so, the tricep dips improve your strength, flexibility, and balance while you surf in the water.

How to do it:

Sit on the floor and keep your knees bent, your feet flat, and your hands behind with fingers facing your body.

Lift your hips from the floor, and bend your elbows slowly to lower your body close to the floor

Tighten your abdominal muscles and extend your arms through the elbows

Repeat the process

Do 18 reps

Useful Hints: Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears throughout the exercise. However, don’t go any lower if you begin to feel strains in your shoulders.

Final Remark

If you want to enjoy the best surfing experience during your surf holiday, you need to work on your flexibility. That’s why we made it easy for you. Yea, by practicing these surfing stretches and exercises consistently for some time, your body will become very flexible; especially your lower back and hip region and you’ll be able to pop up easily. You can let us know if you have any questions or need help in the comment section below.

[classlesstulip]

  Alright, I mentioned a while back that if anyone was interested, I would post some of the things that didn’t make it into my fic’s and the like. HERE’S THE FIRST ONE!

This particular one is how “Sugar Daddy” was going to start.

He was exhausted, irritated, angry, frustrated, and he felt like his head was about to explode. From the moment he woke up, Julian's day had been shit. This was just the icing on top of the shit cake.

     Last night, he and his now-ex had broken up. He had suspicions for a while that she was cheating and it was confirmed in the most explosive way possible.

     It's not every day that you catch your girlfriend snogging a guy at the bar you WORK at. Or you call her phone, have her deny it, and continue to do so even when you're both staring the other straight in the eye from across the bar. After having at it, he tossed her shit out. By that point, it was near 4am and they had attracted the whole floor of the apartment building.

     Thinking that was that, he essentially took a short nap before getting up for his Epidemiology lecture. After, he had to rush to his residency, getting stuck in the subway when power to the car went out. Getting chewed out by the Ward Director, he got vomited on, along with a volunteer accidentally spilling a tray of urine samples all over him.

     Suffice to say, one would think that things couldn't get worse. Alas, one would be so very wrong. Because that night the bar was packed because of a late-running football match, and Millwall fans are fucking dicks.

     After everything that happened, he decided to treat himself. Picking up a curry, he made his way to his unit just to find some stranger knocking on the door. Thinking they were looking for someone and had gotten lost, Julian decided to do a good deed and help the poor guy out…

     ...just to find out his ex had signed him up on every hook-up site and app she could find, posting his personal ADDRESS for anyone to see.

     He should just go back to Russia.

***

     Rubbing his eyes, he flopped back onto his bed, laptop balanced between crossed legs. On the glowing screen was his open email, message after message and advert after advert for different ‘mingling’ sites displayed.

     Grindr, Tinder, Bumble, the whole shebang. Literally dozens, including ones he didn't even think existed.

     (Some guy named GoatBoy69 on pissparty.com keeps emailing him, wanting Julian to ‘let loose’ all over his chest while he gets railed by his boyfriend. Julian just wants to vanish into the ether.)

     Hearing another chime chirp from his computer, he groaned in emotional agony. Every five minutes he got something from one of the sites, the most active one being a hardcore BDSM sugar baby finder. It hasn't even been a full day since their breakup and he literally has a hundred messages from this site alone.

     Julian would be lying to himself if he said that having a bunch of rich people want to bone him and pay his tuition wasn't a powertrip. Any other time he would be gloating. But, considering he hadn't signed up in the first place, he was just frustrated.

     Another chime coincided with a knock at the door. Sighing in tired resignation he went to answer, ready to repeat his spiel once again. Flinging open the door, he saw no-one before looking down.

     A short woman stood there, dressed in a power suit that probably cost more than what he made in a year. Her long mahogany hair was pulled up in a bun, and she had dark eyes. Like a few others before her, she held a duffle bag that no doubt held all sorts of sordid sex toys.

     For some reason, this was the last straw. All of the anger, frustration, and just downright sadness hit him all at once.

     Something must have shown on his face because her expression turned from one of controlled flirtation to concern in an instant. She shuffled him back into the apartment, set him down in his breakfast nook, and made him a cup of tea.

     “From the look on your face, this was not your doing, hmm?” She had a nice voice, lower than most women. It was soothing to his frayed nerves.

     “Ah, no, um, miss. It was not, Prew, my ex-” she held out a hand, cutting him off.

    “Say no more. And let me guess? She signed you up for everything under the sun?”

     Julian could only give a subdued nod, sipping his tea. He had curled his long fingers around the stoneware, trying to suck in the warmth it provided. “I emailed most other sites, explaining what happened. They've, ah, been very understanding. Along with my bank. Some sites had a registration fee. I didn't know until one mentioned a refund.” Checking his account balance nearly gave him a heart attack; he only had £5.84 to get him through the rest of the week.

     And it was only Tuesday.

     She hummed. “Have you seen the pictures?”

     His heart stopped.

     Pictures. Prew had posted PICTURES!

     His guest sighed. “I'll take that as a no. Here,” pulling out her phone, she tapped the screen a few times before passing it to him. On it, he could ‘see’ his profile.

     Username: CumDump069

     Sex: Male

     Gender: Male

     Orientation: Everyone and everything ;)

     Tribe: Hard bottom, sissy

     Looking for: Someone to boss me around and hurt me hard! ;lick emoji;

     His face went red when it got to the kinks section. Some were actually quite truthful, while others were quite disgusting.

     (Now he knows why GoatBoy is so interested in him.)

     His heart stopped at the pictures. Some were quite innocent. One was from their day at the beach a few weeks back. The others were personal. Things that should have been kept between them.

     (A small part of him was puzzled; the ‘Mods Favorite’ pic was taken of his shirtless back as he sprawled in bed. Others were more risqué, so why is this a fave?)

     Glimpsing through some of the comments, he passed her phone back with a snort of disgust. “No, I hadn't. Those were personal, just between us.” He felt hollow, violated. Another muffled chime was heard. Julian sighed, cupping his face and leaning on his elbows.

     “Hmm, give me a minute. Oh, the name's Lucille, by the way.” Tapping on her phone again, she placed a call. It only rang through for a few moments before getting picked up. A man's voice could be heard, but it was too quiet for Julian to hear what he said.

     “Hey, Ty. What's going on?” Some gibberish. “I know, I know. In fact, I'm sitting in front of him. Thing is, he didn't do it.” An incredulous sound. “Mhmm, ex-girlfriend. Think you can help out?” An affirmative sound, followed by a few more sentences. Lucille turned to him, “do you mind if I put this on speaker? Ty just wants to ask you a few questions.”

     “Why not? My weeks already ruined.”

     “Awwww, don't be like that. Ty's pretty good at taking care of things. A total Daddy. And you,” she gave him a slow once over, a smirk pulling at her lips, “look like someone Daddy needs to take care of.” Before Julian could sputter out a denial, she put the phone on speaker.

     “Hello?”

     Julian went redder than a brick house. Lucille snorted, not missing the effect such a dark and growly voice had on him. “He-hello? I'm, uh, Julian. Thank you for helping me?” Dear lord above, he hopes the other didn't hear his voice crack.

     “It's no problem, sweetheart. Us kinkster's take things like consent seriously. Now, do you have your computer in front of you? I'm going to be doing some things to your account before we close it.”

     Dashing to get his laptop, he plunked it down before sitting. Navigating to the site's main page, he gave an affirmative.

     “Nice. So, I'm going to start by locking your profile and changing the username. Afterward, it'll get wiped of your info and a disclaimer put up. Then, it'll be left as is for a few days so word will get spread of just what happened. A week later and it'll disappear like magic.”

     “Question. Why leave it up, and not just delete it?”

     “Well, your ex probably has you on a couple of different sites, and our community isn't just limited to using just one. This is the quickest way to spread word and have others keep an eye out. As it is, some of your info is already on the deep web.”

     Julian's heart sank.

     “Unfortunately, honey, the damage is done. All we can do is control. Lucky for you,” Lucille threw him a saucy wink, “a lot of us who use the site have some power and influence. We can keep quiet a bit of your info out of the wrong hands.”

     “I'll also give you my personal number, in case some people won't take no for an answer. I'm not worried about our members acting...improper, so much as the damned vanilla community. Fuckers don't understand that no means no.” Ty rattled off a number, one that had an international code.

     After a few moments of silence, Julian then saw his profile change. All the photos and info vanished. Stuck to the top of the page was a banner, disclaiming this page as being a ‘compromised account, not to be pursued’ with a small screenshot of what had been listed. Another beat later and his eyebrows vanished into his hairline; a multi-paragraph legal disclaimer popped up, stating things like ‘impersonation’, ‘distribution of personal assets’, ‘revenge pornography’, and a list of sites that are also on the lookout.

     This guy has done more to stop and fix the issue than his bank did. And when he called the police, he got laughed at.

     “So, that's that. Now for a profile name. You want anything in particular? Unfortunately, I can't leave it blank. The foundational coding throws a fit if left blank.”

     “If you let him pick, he'll go with something cutesy. Don't do it.”

     “I am beyond the point of caring. I'm tired. I'm hungry. My day has been shit. He can call me ‘kitten’ for all I care.”

     “Mmmhhhh, so if I pet you, will you purr for me?” Ty's voice went darker, a strong heat coming through. Julian covered his face as he groaned in mortification. The other let out a rumbly chuckle. “Gotta say, babe, may want to be careful. You can give a guy ideas…”

     “Tiberius. Leave him alone.”

     “*snort* Oh, you're no fun anymore. Fine, I'll leave sweetheart alone.” A few beats of silence, Ty grumbling under his breath. “There. Got you a new name and everything. I've put extra security on your account in case your ex tries anything. I'll send it to your email. I've also taken care of your registration fee. It's been marked as expedited, so it should be in your account by morning.”

***

     Lucille left after everything was wrapped up, also leaving her number as well. Feeling much lighter than before, Julian slept soundly. His good luck must have carried over because his classes the next day were canceled due to a burst pipe, and his supervisory doctor, Dr. Satrinava left him a message to have the day off, he looked like hell.

     Having a day off for the first time in a while let him do some much-needed housekeeping. Starting a load of laundry, he tackled the dishes as it ran. Looking into his fridge and pantry reminded him he needed to do some needed grocery shopping. Wondering about what he had to work with, he opened his banking app. He wasn't expecting much, knowing that refunds take a few days to process. He just needs enough to get by until the weekend. Seeing his checking account, he nearly dropped his phone, fingers going numb.

     There was £5,000 in his account. He didn't even have a full £1,000 the day before this bullshitfest started, having just paid his rent and utilities. Where the fuck did this come from?

     Heart going mad, he looked through his recent transactions. The usual deductions were clear as day, and he could pinpoint the start of Prew's transgressions. Scrolling through, he made a mental note to email a few other sites he must have missed. Coming to today, there was only one thing posted.

     March 22nd, 2018 (Con't):

       www.darkdelights.com

                               -£99.99

       www.ashleymadison.com

                               -£19.99

       www.sugarandsting.com

                              -£100.00

     March 23, 2018

       www.sugarandsting.com

                           +£100.00

       Roman Financial

                           +£6000.00

       Account Balance: +£5007.45

     Sinking into his kitchen chair, he gave a shaking exhale. This must be a mistake. There is no way that that money is his. He doesn't even know of a Roman Financial!

***

     One panic attack and several hours of being on hold later, and Julian had a few answers. The transfer came directly from a personal bank account. Getting passed around to different levels of the fraud department revealed that the individual called in the transfer and had Julian's account info. Put on hold again, the investigator called Roman for further inquiries. Getting patched into a conference call, the personal accountant of the originator confirmed that yes, it's legit, no, no need for thanks, it's a gift, and will he be okay for right now or does he need more funds until everything is sorted out?

     (Julian is embarrassed to admit that he made a sound not unlike an angry teakettle when asked that. He swears he heard the accountant smother a laugh.)

     Finishing up the call, he had an internal battle with himself. He knows for a fact that the money has to have come from someone who was a member of one of the ‘sugar baby’ websites. Two of the ones he was signed up for had a listing for a checking account, but both were to what must be Prew's account.

     Which means a moderator had to have done it. The question is, why? Is it hush money? Is it a bribe? Settlement?

     Or is someone making good on picking him up as a sugar baby? If so, is he spending this money (on greatly needed essentials, granted) implying his agreement to such an arraignment?

     He'll need to call Ty on this.

***

     Fixing up a cuppa, he curled up on the couch. Wrapping a blanket around his shoulders, Julian scrolled through his phone before selecting Ty's number. Listening to it ring through, he hoped he didn't wake the other. International numbers can be so unpredictable.

     “Mrrh’lo?” A rough, gravelly voice rumbled through the speaker. Julian winced, knowing that he did, indeed wake the other man.

     “Ah, sorry to wake you, Ty,” he felt so guilty. “But, um, something came up and Lucille made a comment last night that leads me to believe you can answer it and ohgodI'msorryto-”

     “Nah, calm down, sweetheart. I've shoulda woke hours ago,” a loud yawn could be heard in the background. “What's goin’ on, babe?”

     “...what's sugar baby etiquette?”

     “Ooooh, you lookin’ for a Daddy? I'm available if you're interested. I know I certainly am.”

     Redder than a hydrant, Julian explained. He stumbled and started a few times, not being familiar with being so frank. He'll flirt up a storm, tease you nice and good, but being this blunt? 

     Never heard of her.

     “Eh, if the accountant says not to worry, then don't. You would have been told directly and in no certain terms what's going on. Hell, a signed contract needs to be established before the relationship can go. If they try to goad you into this, using the money as an excuse, call me. Our site has a top-notch team of rabid lawyers.”

     Julian felt himself relax. It's not normal to trust a literal stranger this much after everything that happened, but he has no real choice. It also helps that neither Lucille or Ty are twigging his ‘Stranger Danger’ alarm.

     Hearing a chime from his laptop, he opened it. Among the now-familiar deluge of mailbox porn was a friend request.

     “I've sent you a request. My handle on Sugar and Sting is ‘NightmareFuel’. A few members are feeling a little worried, so if you're open to it, I can make your profile interactive.”

     Julian was left feeling speechless. He's lived in Cambridge for nearly four years, going back home to Kursk rarely. He has few friends this far from home, despite the efforts of Dr. Satrinava, and his ex-girlfriend is doing her best to make him miserable.

     And here is a group of rich, kinky bastards who want to make sure he's okay.

***

     During dinner, he accepted both the request and decided to make his profile public. Within minutes, he had over a dozen requests, each attached to a message asking how he was doing. Composing himself, he accepted and responded to a few. One linked to a ‘Misc.’ chat board, saying it was kink-free and a good hangout. Logging in, he was bombarded with a variety of greetings, both typed and voice. Dozens of men and women, sounding like they came from all over the world, were treating him like an old friend.

     Sweetheart: Hello? It's nice to meet you all.

     BangCOCK!: finally! fresh MEAT!

     FuckBoysGet$$$: dont you fcuking start

     Snek_Boops: Hello! (waves)

     Qween: Good evening.

     Sweetheart: Wait what? Why is this my handle?

     BangCOCK!: (looking @ Fuel)

     FuckBoysGet$$$: (looking @ Fuel)

     Qween: (looking @ Fuel)

     Snek_Boops: Fuel did it!

     NightmareFuel: fuck all u motherfuckers suck my dick

     Fuck you, Ty. Fuck. You.

***

     The next few months, school really ramped up. He was moved to the labs, analyzing samples and diagnosing illnesses. The bar finally got another bartender on hand, along with additional bouncers, lightening his load significantly.

     Things with Prew continued to go downhill. He had changed the locks a few days after she left but isn't able to move until his lease is up. He may still be stuck there because not many other buildings have flats within his budget. He's trying to find a better job, but not many places offer good pay and are willing to work around his schedule. Dr. Satrinava is putting out word to her colleagues, but not many are in the market for a student that still has another three years to go before being a fully viable employee.

     At least once a week some rando will show up, knocking on his door. Most left him alone when told what's going on, one revealing they found his info on a fucking bathroom stall. A few tried to get handsy regardless. He's already had to send some off with broken noses, one with a broken arm. Last week, he punched a guy so hard that he dislocated his finger along with the guy's teeth.

     (Dr. Satrinava gave him the most disappointed look he's received from anyone other than his mother. Due to his splint, he's been relegated to ‘File Boy’.)

     His resolve is starting to wear thin. He needs to get out, he needs sleep, and he needs a job that will give him the flexibility required to continue his education. He's thought of asking Ty and the others if they know of anyone willing to hire him, but he doesn't want to lean on them too much. Two already are helping him understand some of the weirder concepts of evolutionary biology.

     Looking at his bank account again, Julian sighed. He may not have a choice. Tapping a well-known contact, he shot off a text. Getting a skype invite back, he opened his laptop before launching the app. Putting on his headphones, a wave of nervousness washed over him: with only one exception, all interactions between himself and Ty had someone else present in some way. Granted, they talk nearly every day through Sugar and Sting's chat function but never solo. Until now.

     “So, you said you needed a better job?”

     Julian jumped, having drifted off. That same low heat pooled in his gut, a familiar friend that comes around every time he hears Ty's voice. “Ah, um, yes. Prew has scrawled my address on many, um, loo stalls and it's just, just-”, he gasped, exhaustion and fear collapsing over his chest. “I just can't take it anymore. I can't sleep, my job sucks, I've had to fight off sever-” Ty cut him off.

     “Fight? People have tried to hurt you!? You should have called me when this started! *sigh* Sweetheart, when I said call me if you need help, I meant it. Shit like what your cunt ex did can last for months, if not years. Just…*grumbles*.”

     Julian's chest felt tight. “Sorry. I didn't mean to anger you. It's just…”

     “Haaaa, I know. And I'm not angry at you. Just the situation. When this started happening I did a bit of background on you, and having such a good, hardworking person get dicked over by some self-perceived princess gets me mad.

     Can you give me a few days? I assume you're not looking to be ‘acquired’, so getting something tossed your way may be difficult. I also take it you're looking for something medical-related?”

     “Yes, please.” He was quiet, feeling bashful.

     “Alright, I'll send you what I find. I may know of a few leads. Have a nice night, Sweetheart.”

[xthe-corrupt-angelx]

Meet the Muse | Eve Gabriel

**partial credit to @miami-blanke -we made this OC together

Name: Eve Gabriel

Age: Unknown

Height: 6'2

Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah///Banished to Atlanta, Georgia

Birthday: June 24th

Zodiac: Cancer

Sexuality: Open to whoever

Top/bottom/switch: General switch with anyone-dom leaning w/ men(or masculine muses), sub leaning w/ women(or feminine muses)

FC: Samuel Larsen

Likes/Interests/Hobbies: Night scenery, punk music(but secretly loves classical), anything beauty related, being alone most of the time, long in depth conversations, anything black or red, old books, old paintings, dark academia, vintage aesthetic, Polaroids

Dislikes: Rudeness, cockiness, being yelled at, being talked down to, people who don't accept them, early mornings, bright lights, loud noises, strong smells, uncleanliness, people who are passive aggressive

Family History: Eve was born into a highly Christian, very wealthy, and highly Mormon family where their parents were both doctors. They have many, many siblings, all of who they never really knew. A few months after Eve was born, both of their parents were in a fatal car accident that resulted in their death. Eve was sent to an orphanage, but their stay there didn't last long. Not even a couple hours later, God came down and brought them back to an orphanage in the heavens, where they stayed until the age of about 11. The rest of the siblings however, Eve never met most of them. They remember a very foggy memory of one, who was sent away not long after

Description: Eve spent most of their time staying inside the orphanage, not wanting to socialize much and was quite lost. When Eve questioned where they were and why, God told them that they had a gift. They were born an angel, one that was meant to protect others from harm. Being born into a rich and well known family, God saw their newest child as a very special one. He saw Eve as a protector, one that would never get caught up in any harmful situation. Little did God know, that would end up being a little more twisted in Eve's mind than he thought. The Tree of Knowledge still existed, lived, and was something Eve was sent to first protect. God knew that Eve didn't know their name, and wanted to almost redeem the story of Genesis. Giving Eve a new last name was also part of God's plan, knowing that Eve didn't have much family at all. Gabriel came about because of that reason, wanting Eve to make families for others even if they couldn't have one of their own. They became the "Seer of Fertility," where they could tell families what the fate was of their unborn child would be, and what that looked like for the rest of them. Protecting The Tree of Life was a simple task, watching over the tree and paying attention to the serpent that still roamed. God told Eve to never listen to the serpent, and told them about the original story of Adam and Eve; one that was meant to caution them. But Eve was so desperate to know the answers, why they were alone, why they were ripped from family, and what was their true purpose living up in Heaven. Eventually, they became frustrated and the unanswered questions became too much to bear. Being the protector of The Tree of Life and knowing the true story behind it, it was a two way battle for them. Without being persuaded by the serpent, Eve ate from the tree anyway; something God worried about. They could've asked God themselves, but they were told that too much knowledge was power and could do more harm than anything else. But they were desperate, they needed to know. Eve, now 11 years old, was facing the harsh reality against God's word. God cursed the forever dull pain of carrying wings, one that made even emerging them uncomfortable. Eve got used to this pain eventually, and accepted it. However, God wasn't finished. Eve was pushed from Heaven and was told to never return. Eve was sent down into the criminal crowd on purpose, something they didn't know or discovered. God hoped it would teach them respect, loyalty to what really means something to you, empathy, and what it means to take accountability. Eve felt betrayed and sickened, knowing that all they wanted was answers. It hurt deep down inside of them, leaving them asking more questions about how could God not love his children, and why he would punish them for wanting answers to their past. Eve was alone for a couple weeks, wandering the streets in search for something to live for. The pain of carrying wings, even if they weren't there, was made a rather normal feeling due to how much they would simply fly around for hours on end. They had nothing, and didn't even know where they were banished to. That is until one day, a group of criminals took him in. They were not the kind to rob local shops or murder for fun, but rather a group who wanted to kill off people who did more harm than good. Being raised by criminals confused the idea of a God born child in their mind, unsure of what their purpose really was now. They were taught the ways of criminal life, how to spot people who were the real bad guys, and how to use their abilities to their advantage. They adjusted to this new life and saw it as a new family, new home they could come to, and rebuilding trust with the mortal world that they weren't able to obtain at a young age. However, growing into a teenager was not a pleasant experience for Eve. In fact, it was a very horrid one. They knew something was wrong, and was scared to talk about it to the new family. They wanted to wear makeup and dresses while still maintaining that masculine appearance. They wanted to wear nail polish, lipstick, foundation, all while still dressing up as a male. They even noticed changes in who they had interest in, finding people of all genders and sexualities as something they were attracted to. One day, they opened up about this, expecting to be kicked out or be the one who was considered the bad one. Instead, it only made things stronger between Eve and the group. They accepted them, not wanting them to feel like they were trapped and betrayed again. They were able to express themselves under the protection of the group, where they made sure Eve was safe. All this time, Eve didn't think about where they were or paid any attention to detail. It was all about what the group and building a family. They asked one day, being told that they were in Atlanta, Georgia. Eve was okay with this, especially since they have now lived here for so long. God watched it all unfold, and knew that Eve would never return back to the Heavens. Though this was something Eve never knew about, God basically wanted to test them and see if the plan worked. Instead, God was left with his questions answered. As Eve got older, they were introduced into the drug scene. They looked at it as a sense of protecting others, giving them at least a little income, and having a job of sorts. Eve is a person of color, which many people in Georgia are also. They understood the low income to their families, the struggle to get jobs, to keep jobs, and to stay off the streets. So selling drugs was the one way they saw as helping those people earn a little more money and keep people "working." In Eve's mind, killing off true bad people and selling drugs was a way of protecting others; something he was born to do. It's a little backwards in their mind, even if in some ways it does serve as a good thing. Eventually, Eve started working in safe injection sites as a further reason to protect the community. They were trained by many medical professionals, and due to their religious upbringing and great sense of care for people, they were made a nurse practitioner after many years of working under their supervision. Still to this day, that has been their job and they have no plans on leaving anytime soon. Also to this day, Eve is still very close to the group and has even convinced them to work alongside them. At this point, Eve no longer lives with them, but is only a few houses down incase of emergencies. However, Eve does still resent God and what he did, and they carry that pain with them on a day to day basis

Abilities: 

Healer

Great strength

Speed

Durability

Stamina

Invisibility

Energy manipulation

Telekinesis

Telepathy

Teleportation

Lie detection

Conversion

Shape shifting

Resurrection

Protective charm (protecting another person from harm)

Smiting(kill someone by touch)

Biokinesis(change someones biological makeup)

Holy white light (blasts of energy from their palms)

Memory manipulation

Pyrokinesis (manipulate/create fire)

Electrokinesis(create electricity)

Reality warping

Sedation

Hypnotism

Vessel locking(trapping someone through smoke/light)

Conjuration(make things or remove them from nothing)

Personality traits: 

They're very loving and sweet, though it takes them a while to get there

They're very protective and care easily

Very sarcastic and playful, even too much so

Sometimes doesn't know boundaries, but that's only if they like someone

They're quite witty and hard headed

They can be very stubborn

They have a tendency to close off and distance themselves

They have a short temper from time to time

They can get quite sensitive

They don't like going into their past or talking about what they've done, though they can get carried away and end up talking about it anyway

They get defensive rather quickly

They're very blunt and have no problem telling people how it is

They come off as intimidating at times, though they're actually quite sweet

They're actually very smart and intelligent

They're respecting of other peoples viewpoints, so long as the other person isn't an asshole about it

They don't like being touched often unless it's by someone they like/have interests in

They're quite confident and a little cocky at times

They like attention from small crowds, not big ones

They can be a little selfish from time to time

They can be quite the flirt

They can be insecure at times, mostly when they really think about the choices they've made

Additional information/miscellaneous facts: 

Even though they sell drugs, they actually don't do them often. In the very beginning yes, but as years went by it's more about protecting people than the high

They haven't been with many people, mostly because they were focused on other things

They've gotten into a couple fights over drug deals before

They don't like the idea of the path they've taken, but isn't sure how to change it

They're not proud of selling drugs either

They have quite a few scars over their body

They don't wear makeup and such as much anymore, at least not publicly-in private, yes. But going back to being a little restricted, they'd rather keep it more secret again

As a teen, they resented most forms of authority-kind of an anarchist but not fully

As an adult, they respect authority more. However, they do see the misunderstanding of some cases and the advantages some authorities have on others

They've broken their knuckles many...many times

Their wings make them feel a little more feminine in a way, so they're always glad to show them off when given the chance

Their wings don't hurt all that much anymore, but if they stay out for long periods of time it does become uncomfortable

Being an angel isn't a secret for them, they've actually embraced it through the years

Though they don't like the whole idea of being a Christian most of the time, they still wear a cross or have a rosary as a symbol of taking back their past

General tags: 

🕯our waking life's just a living dream | aesthetic

🕯look into the spanish moss let your mind conjure up old ghosts | home

🕯the life you've always wanted could be yours | desires

🕯even if your love was unconditional it still wouldn't be enough to save me | nurse practitioner

🕯what god doesn't give to you you've got to go and get for yourself | musings

🕯i've got no judgement for you come on and ache with me | roleplay

🕯you want me to surrender my identity | self

Ship tag: 

🕯i see your face when i close my eyes | lovers

(New)Other (side)blogs:

Zeus: @xking-of-the-godsx

Hera: @xqueen-of-the-godsx

Alessandra Galanis: @xi-dont-know-what-i-amx

Jaysen Gerasimos: @xking-of-the-overcloudsx

Griffin Saffi: @xthe-fortune-tellerx

**Rules/notes from the mun apply just as they do on @xking-of-the-cloudsx

**NOTE: This OC is not meant to bash religion, POC, and to glorify the drug scene. It's meant to explain the story of a Christan raised child gone a bit off, and understanding the harsh reality POC go through at times(Mun of @xking-of-the-cloudsx is a POC, has experienced religious differences, and grew up with cousins who were also forced into the drug/crime scene. It's not my intention to offend people with Eve's story, but rather explain the not so wonderful side of a child growing up in a world with somewhat switched morals and unacceptance through opposing beliefs)

[aeducanka]

OC Profile Meme

Thanks for the tag to the wonderful @gingerbreton!

I decided to go with my precious darling, Em!

(A part of my birthday present from wonderful Annorelka. Go follow her on deviantArt or Instagram! She is an amazing artist that you need in your life.)

________________________________________________________________

PHYSICAL

Name: Emerald Aeducan.

Nickname: to most people she is either Emerald or Em but when she was a child, her relatives used to call her "Emmie" (even in the Prologue Trian was still using this nickname in a condescending manner). To Sten Emerald is simply "Warden". Alistair, Zevran, Morrigan and Oghren sometimes call her "Princess" and only the context says whether the intention was playful or hurtful.

Age: 23 at the time of her recruitment to the Grey Wardens, had her 24th birthday slightly over a month later.

Species: dwarf (Orzammar).

Morality: (at the time of Prologue) self-proclaimed lawful good, (after the Prologue) self-proclaimed neutral good. It is debatable whether she is truly good or just a neutral with a strong inclination to do good, especially to the people she cares about.

PERSONAL

Religion: officially she believes in the Stone and you cannot prove otherwise.

That being said, she is a chief supporter ONLY of the reformed "church" of the Stone - the foundation stays the same, but the principles are as follows: good people enrich the Stone, assholes weaken it, and your nobility will not save you from the Stone's scrutiny SO YOU BETTER BE NICE.

Sins: greed/gluttony/sloth/lust/PRIDE/~envy~/wrath.

Emerald's greatest fault is her pride. Although the time spent in exile made her, more or less, aware of her shortcomings and able to express genuine humility (or even self-deprecation of sorts), Emerald, deep down, is convinced of her superiority to ALMOST EVERYONE. She knows that she is awesome, she has the papers to prove it, and even if she does not flaunt her superiority in your face, you still ~know~ that she judges you in the categories "If I were you, I would never make any of your mistakes". She goes to great lengths to change it as the Queen.

Virtues: chastity/ CHARITY/ DILLIGENCE/ humility/ KINDNESS/ ~patience~/ ~JUSTICE~.

Ooh, it is a tricky one since Emerald does her best to project an idealized version of herself. That being said, her humility is more often than not depression-induced so it does not really count. Her first marriage was very chaste, but then she did not love her husband and so I would not count is as genuine chastity. She may appear patient but she is still very much struggling with it. She is also very just for someone raised as a spoiled noblewoman, but due to her sheltered life, I feel that she has still a lot to learn.

Known languages: her mother tongue is Common as spoken in Orzammar. 

As Orzammar is a fairly isolationist kingdom, I cannot say how much impact there was on the princess learning foreign languages. A language nerd myself, I like to think that Emerald knows at least a little bit of Orlesian (due to Orlais being Orzammar's best trading partner) and Tevene (due to the dwarven minority living there), but it is purely my speculation. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

For sure Emerald picks up random words and phrases from Leliana, Zevran and Sten - partially because she is a nerd but mostly because she knows that ~being more understood~ would make them happy.

Build: scrawny/bony/slender/fit/ATHLETIC/~curvy~/herculean/pudgy/plus size/average.

A friend of mine saw Queen Emerald take off her shirt in the shower, and she said that Queen Emerald had an eight pack, that Queen Emerald was shredded.

(She seems curvy only to a non-dwarven eye, though. To dwarves her charms are only slightly above average.)

Height: ???

Scars/Birthmarks: information classified! She was lucky enough not to receive any scars that would be difficult to hide with casual clothing, though.

Abilities/Powers:

1. She is a born diplomat and a pacifist who will do her best to resolve a conflict without unnecessary bloodshed.

2. She is well-versed in Orzammar's politics and her unshakable composure attests to it.

3. She makes excellent first impressions and can befriend people easily. 

4. She is a good leader and advisor.

5. She makes for an empathetic friend who can listen to you rant for hours.

6. She is a good tactician and I firmly believe that she could beat Cullen in chess.

7. She is a trained warrior, by Landsmeet physically stronger than Alistair, who relies both on her smarts, her dexterity and strength.

8. She draws fun and happiness from the world's most boring hobbies which surely must be a some kind of witchcraft.

9. She shares Alistair's sense of humour, enough said.

Restrictions:

1. Her reputation of a fratricidal ex-princess makes any negotiations in Orzammar kind of difficult.

2. She speaks very posh which triggers some people's *Oghren, cough, Oghren* bratty princess alert.

3. Despite being well-versed in politics, she is a bit too idealistic, too merciful, and she used to trust her family members blindly.

4. Her composure does not really falter even among friends which gives off an impression that she is keeping distance... which she is, but not to THAT extent.

5. She is an excellent advisor… until she becomes frustrated because her advice is not listened to and her input is ignored.

6. She is good at listening to people for long periods of time, but if it is not important, she may not give the rant her full attention (getting just enough gist not to be accused of ignoring the person and dismissing the most of it when it is no longer useful).

7. She does not step up for a leadership position, despite her qualifications, unless the circumstances literally force her to do so.

8. As much as tactics go, she is miserable with games other than chess because either she will not realize that her opponent is a cheater (Isabella, round 1) or, which is worse, she will not be able to prove that her opponent is cheating (Isabella, round 2).

9. She is smart and well-trained but not very inspired as a warrior. She could be defeated by stronger people, more dexterous people, smarter people, luckier people or people who, like Kallista Tabris, are very dedicated to their craft.

FAVOURITES:

Food: anything that hails from Orzammar! Nothing makes you long for your local cuisine better than a bitter exile. Also, she would not put herself above eating a nug. Sorry, Leliana!

Pizza topping: (modern AU) corn and mushrooms. Emerald is by no means a vegetarian but she is very picky about meat so in most cases - a vegetarian pizza it is!

Colour: her all-time favourite is purple, but, frankly, Emerald is the embodiment of "Do you like the colour of the sky?" meme. Her exile to the surface made her aware of a brand new palette of colours and she loves them all. That being said, early on her "comfort" colours were the subdued earthy colours of Orzammar.

Music genre: she mostly listens to instrumentals, both in the canon and in the modern AU. She is very picky with songs, though I could see her enjoying a band as “low brow” as ABBA. During her exile she develops a soft spot for Fereldan folk songs and Leliana's Orlesian-Fereldan repertoire. 

Movie genre: Emerald is not much of a movie fan. Generally, she does not have time for them. She mostly watches documentaries with some classics/awards nominated movies thrown in for a good measure. She could be persuaded to watch something entirely outside her watching preferences when quality time with friends is the main incentive.

Curse words: Emerald does not cuss, especially not in public, but I think that there are certain dwarven words she says in her thoughts when the situation goes badly.

Scents: Emerald does not like the smell of the rain and she even agrees with Sten about Ferelden smelling like a wet dog, but during her rule there is nothing she misses more.

FUN STUFF:

Bottom or top: that is disgusting. And wrong. I don’t even get- why would- Her Royal Highness has never had sex with anyone, anywhere. It is none of your- you have- the nerve, the audacity, she is the Queen of Orzammar and about to get married. Warden Alistair is her former companion, barely, and he is just awful, humour-wise. And how- how- do I know, frankly, that you are not sleeping with him? Maybe you are. Maybe you are trying to throw me off? Hmm, check and mate.

Sings in the shower: not all all, she is too aware of her lack of singing talent. Sometimes she hums to herself, though.

Likes puns: all kinds of them, with strong preference to Alistair ones, and ability to make almost EXCLUSIVELY the terrible ones.

________________________________________________________________

Phew! It was a long one. Sorry, I have a tendency for writing much more than I should. ^^”

Tagging: @bitchesofostwick, @bluekaddis, @etoilebinaire, @dekudoodle, @lady--revan and @visionmarred (Hi! Reverienne here!), @gingerbreton (Freya? 👀). As always, there is absolutely no pressure!

Tagging back is fine but only at your own risk!

[sparda3g]

My Hero Academia Chapter 259 Review

When it comes to war, the best option is to eliminate your obstacle first. Granted, everyone is problematic, but the one behind the scene should be the primary target. That’s the heroes’ intention. The chapter can be considered yet another calm before storm, but that’s fine by me. Once the storm kicks in, all hell will break loose.

The cover shows the Todoroki Family being safe and secured for the time being. As it was addressed before, they have moved to another area for safety reasons. It’s good to know the mother has returned home. All it’s missing is Endeavor; as long as he can survive the upcoming mayhem.

Ujiko the Doctor’s real name is revealed and yes, it’s the same guy that was seen two chapters ago. Due to recent controversy, his real name is likely to change; therefore, it’s not worth mentioning until official release. He may be quirkless, but he has a lot of history under his name. He’s the founder of Jaku General Hospital and current chairman of the board. That’s pretty prestigious if you ask me. The most notably part from his titles is the fact he opened orphanages and nursing homes through the partnerships with his hospitals.

This explains how he was able to conduct his research on Nomu without any attention. If you recall Pro Hero Arc, High-End was hiding in a Kindergarten place. It’s possible if a villain happen to be the one invested. Not only that, but Ujiko has built a strong foundation as a person; falsifying his present as a beloved man. Although he’s not originated from Liberation Army, his disguise sure worked similar to their style. Bottom line, you can’t trust anyone.

Naomasa received an evidential photo from a spy, who most likely refer to Hawks, which proves Ujiko as the culprit. Remember, he was tipped off from Twice about Shigaraki’s location, so this came biting back badly. The photo shows Ujiko entering a secret entry and to top it all off, a small Nomu can be seen. If that’s not enough, then I don’t know what is.

The plan is to infiltrate the location and stop the villains from endangering the city. None of them wants a repeat from past incidents, so they will take the battlefield to them. Plus, all commanders are holding a meeting there supposedly, so all the more reason to attack now. This is why heroes are gone from the city. A shame the battle won’t take place in the city, but anything can happen down the road. I believe they can simply win with Chainsaw Man by their side. No, really. Kohei-sensei drew a cameo; a nice nod to the series.

As mentioned before, majority of heroes, including Class B, are here. I would think they’re in a process of elimination, but that would be dark. Though couple of series in the same publication have been merciless, but I digress. Anyway, the formation is set to have the students working on the initial stage, though we know they’re bound to get caught in the mayhem. Funny enough, Kaminari is in frontline, separated from Class A. Poor guy. This could give him the spotlight that’s been long overdue, so perhaps it’s not all bad. It’s kind of funny how they made so many implications that nothing can go wrong. It’s clear it will, but hey, got to keep hoping.

All the collected data was done by Hawks, though Naomasa doesn’t give the name away. Besides, Endeavor knows very well who, so there’s no need to explain. I like how he and Hawks continue to build their friendship or show how much they trusted each other. Now, it’s time for him to reply back.

Back in the city, the citizens realize the absent of heroes in the street. The only one there is Slidin’ Go, who isn’t aware of the intention. It’s too late, as one hero, Death Arms, catches him in the open, calling him a backstabber. That’s one way to trap the fakes. It’s a little odd how less important it is to hide their true self when everyone is exposed already. You would think the use of alias would pull more damages before exposure. At least Ujiko made the best use of it and he was revealed just now. Oh well.

It’s time for heroes to engage the mission. Ujiko has no idea what’s about to happen. One thing to note is Shigaraki needs a month to be ready. With the current development, I suppose this would excuse Shigaraki’s potential defeat, because he’s not completed. It depends how Kohei-sensei writes the narrative. Maybe he would write Shigaraki is complete and he’s even more powerful than Ujiko’s expectation. Whatever it is, I hope it’s acceptable in all counts. I like the chapter’s ending with Endeavor confronting him. Ujiko’s day couldn’t be any more disastrous.

Overall, this was a good engaging the mission chapter. It gave the floor plan for us to understand their direction and explained the heroes’ absence from the city. We can expect a more of an enclosed battlefield instead of an open-world environment, but we’ll know soon. The ending was a good way to start off with a doomsday reaction from Ujiko. I doubt it will be that easy for the heroes, so expect many complications down the line. It won’t be easy, but nothing ever is.

[softupshur]

A Patient Wolf: Chapter 8

<Previous

Ao3 link if you’re into that kind of thing

~Updates every Sunday~

You were early. You had a drink. You don’t know what came next. You wake up in a strange room.

Chapter 8:

It's the night before the wedding.

You and Eddie are lounging on the sofa, when you suggest a night on the town—dinner somewhere special where everyone can marvel over what a perfect pair you make.

"I'm not sure…" Eddie bites his lip. "Tomorrow is a big day. We should be well rested for the ceremony. I'd absolutely hate for us to lose ourselves before our life together begins."

You pout as you lean against him. "But Eddie, that's precisely why we must go out! What other chance will we have to go out as fiances? Tomorrow it will be husband and wife. That's it! I never even got to show off my engagement ring." You hold your hand up so the light bounces off the dahlia, each diamond glittering.

"Darling, I promise you that come the honeymoon, I'll be sure everyone sees it."

"But it's not the same." Your gaze falls. "It's different for a woman. There's nothing quite like showing off a beautiful ring and talking about the wedding date. It's a special time that a woman only gets to experience once, and it'll be even better because you'll be right there with me." You cling to his arm. "I know every woman will be pea-green with envy when they see me with such a strong, handsome man. Oh please say we can go, Eddie! Please?" You flutter your eyelashes until he would be inhuman to say no.

"Alright, but only for a little while. We need to get our rest for the big day tomorrow."

Nonetheless, you tackle him in a hug, sending you both crashing on the couch. "Oh, thank you, Eddie! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He chuckles as he sits back up, patting your head. "I'll make the reservation immediately. How does Dorsia's sound?"

"Dorsia's sounds divine!"

You've never heard of Dorsia's in your life.

"Then you best get ready! We want to be looking our best tonight." He ushers you off and you blow him a kiss before frolicking off into the bedroom.

Since making up, Eddie had moved your things from the basement so your exquisite gowns now hang alongside his slacks and tailored shirts. You sort through them, humming a tune until you settle on a bright red one.

Though it maintains the vintage silhouette with the cinched-in waist and flared skirt, it's a daring, sleeveless number. You pair it with a shimmering shawl and pantyhose before tending to your makeup. Bold, red lipstick complements your gown, and enough foundation makes you look positively airbrushed. With smokey eyeshadow, your eyes pop. You even brave the eyelash curler for the occasion.

When through with the makeup, you curl your hair into perfect ringlets to hide the chopped strands. Enough hairspray to blow a hole in the ozone keeps it all together.

A more patient woman might have painted such overgrown nails, but you keep it easy by slipping on a pair of white gloves to hide the lingering rope burns. You make sure to wear your ring over the glove for all to see. Once you complete the look with a strand of pearls, Eddie walks in, slack-jawed and frozen.

"Darling, you look…"

You turn from him and cling to the shawl. "Oh, it's not too much, is it? I know red is so daring, especially in public, but I really wanted to look special for you."

He's quick to recover with the flattery and comes to your side to kiss your head. "You look positively divine, but I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you. You're going to be turning heads tonight."

"Oh, I hope so! That's what makes it so fun!"

"As long as you know that you're mine."

You fight the urge to shudder as you say, "I wouldn't dream of being anyone else's."

He kisses your hand before parting, saying he needs to ready himself and sends you downstairs.

For the first couple minutes, you wait on the sofa, but when he starts whistling a tune, you abandon your heels and tiptoe to the kitchen. He only whistles when he knows he has time to kill, and this is the first time you've been alone since your captivity. Nonetheless, you've made sure to keep make note of where he keeps his pens and pad of paper for grocery lists. You rip a piece off the pad and take one of the pens.

Eddie has allowed you entrance in most rooms of the home, except one. You suspect it's the garage and that's where you head next. It's down the hall. You keep your steps light as possible as you scurry there. Your hand hovers over the doorknob while you listen to make sure he's still whistling. Only then do you open the door, guiding it closed so it doesn't slam.

Your nose immediately crinkles at the foul stench that hits you. It's hard to fight the urge to retch and you have to fan your eyes to keep tears from ruining your makeup.

Despite the stink, there's nothing out of ordinary in the garage, only large storage boxes surrounding a dark car. You squeeze through so you can reach the car and flatten the paper over one of the boxes as you jot down the make and license plate number, noting the "classic vehicle" label.

Once you have it down, you hurry from the garage and back into the hall where you can breathe easy again.

Eddie is still whistling.

You return to the sofa and fold the piece of paper, placing it in your shoe before slipping them back on.

The whistling stops.

Heavy footsteps follow, descending the stairs. When they reach the bottom, Eddie is looking most debonair and elegant in a tuxedo. You make sure he knows he's a catch by jumping to your feet and gasping.

"Oh, Eddie! You look so handsome!" You're careful as you rush towards him to not disturb the piece of paper.

"I can't look anything less than my best when accompanying the most beautiful lady in town," he says.

You cover your mouth as you giggle. "Oh, Eddie! You're incorrigible!" You hope you're using that word right.

"Only for you, Darling." He tells you to wait at the front door so he can bring the car around to pick you up, and you oblige.

It feels like you've entered another reality as you step outside and take in the first breath of fresh air since your captivity. It's also the first time you genuinely smile. The breeze never felt so cool and refreshing, and the stars take your breath away.

You savor every moment of night air until Eddie pulls up in his classic vehicle. Moonlight shines off the perfectly polished exterior. When he stops the car, he hurries out to open the passenger door for you.

As much as it pains you to enter, you're sure to thank Eddie as you settle into the leather interior. It reeks compared to the fresh air, but you count your blessings that it's not whatever the hell was in the garage.

At least Eddie allows you to roll down the window. He doesn't even press you for conversation as he's happy to hum along to the oldies station while you watch the city go by.

None of the street names are recognizable on the drive over, but the area seems no finer than anywhere you've been, though there is more neon than you're used to. At first just a few scattered storefronts, but soon the buildings are larger and lights advertise available vacancy, reservations only, and 24-hour openings.

It's before the most pristine, white building that Eddie parks the car. You're sure the architecture is influenced by some European country, but you can't place where. You always counted on your fiancee to be the cultured one. She would go on and on about the countries she wanted to visit, languages she wanted to learn, and rare books she wanted to read. You don't know how she remembered it all.

Eddie walks in like he owns the place, made to tread upon the spotless red carpet with crystal chandeliers overhead.

The staff notices him and straightens up when he passes by, wearing their biggest, fakest grins.

You feel like an accessory for his arm as he strides in and demands his reservation for two under Gluskin. You wonder if that's a real name or one he made up, but you don't linger on the thought long. You're too busy focusing on not tripping down the steps as the hostess leads you.

She brings you to a small table away from the larger ones. Two glasses of water await, along with more silverware than any sane person needs.

You wait until Eddie pulls out your chair to take your seat. The folded corner of the paper is poking at your heel as you thank him.

"This place is absolutely breathtaking," you tell him as he sits. "I've never been anywhere so elegant."

"All that will change after tomorrow." He reaches across the table to take your hand. "When I've made an honest woman out of you, I'll take you to these places as much as you want. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

You force a smile even as Eddie's holding your hand too tightly. "Oh, Eddie. That would be wonderful!" You bat your eyelashes as you place your hand on top of his. You're certain he'd stare into your eyes forever if not for the waitress clearing her throat. Though she's quick to flash a smile, you catch her split-second scowl and feel for her. It must be near the end of her shift and the last thing she wants is a pair of sickening sweethearts wasting time in their own world instead of making their damn order.

"What can I get you two to drink?" she asks.

"Hmm…" Eddie takes his sweet time perusing the drink menu, and you know the waitress is fighting back eyerolls until he settles on "Bastianich Friulano for me and my fiancee." He beams at the last word, though the waitress has no reaction outside of her promise to return with wine.

Eddie scowls at her indifference.

"It's alright," you assure. "She's probably got a lot on her mind."

"Still, you think she would have the decency to comment on the perfect couple when she sees it."

"Maybe she's jealous," you suggest while you fight the urge to choke on the sparkling water you mistook for normal water.

"Maybe you're right."

That calms Eddie down enough and you settle into small talk until the waitress arrives with the wine and takes your order, though Eddie takes care of that for you by deciding on, "an orange-fennel salad for the lady."

You make no protest as the waitress takes your menus away.

When she leaves, you attempt to escape to powder your nose, but Eddie assures that you look "breathtaking as is" before trailing into rambles about tomorrow. It's almost a feat to be admired that he can talk so long about the exact same topic, but you think your sustained fake interest is even more impressive. If only he would use the bathroom after all that vile sparkling water, but he remains until the food arrives and you stare with longing at the juicy steak he's ordered for himself.

Your fiancee always did joke about what a carnivore you are and chided you for not eating your greens. You're going to be hearing enough scolding to last you a lifetime if you get out of this. You intend to eat all the greasy meat you could get ahold of, even if it kills you.

For now though, you make do with the salad, though you spend more time picking off the croutons as you try to think of a way to escape.

"Is everything alright, darling?" he asks.

"Hm?" You look up from your half-eaten salad. "Yes, why?"

"You've hardly touched your meal."

He's already cleared his plate while you're still shifting croutons in pointless circles. You're about to assure that the meal is fine when an idea comes to mind. Though you still promise the quality of your meal, you pair it with sad eyes that resemble a dog at the pound and a wilting voice.

"Now, darling. Don't feel you have to hide yourself from me," he says. "Do tell me what the matter is."

"Oh, but I don't want to be any trouble…"

"You could never be any trouble."

When he takes your hand, you sigh. "Well...it's just...my salad doesn't taste quite right. I don't know...I think the ranch is old, but it's fine, really." You set your fork down as his eyes shadow over. "Eddie?"

"This is unacceptable." He's seething now. "This was supposed to be a special night."

"And it is! Just getting to go out together is special enough, really!"

"You're too softhearted," Eddie says. "No one, and I mean no one, can get away with mistreating my fiancee like this."

"Oh, Eddie. That's sweet of you, but you don't need to go through a fuss for little, old me."

"But of course I do." He catches sight of what appears to be a manager checking on another table. "I hate to leave you, but this will only take a moment. I'll get this taken care of."

He rises from his seat and storms off to the manager without another word. He's no doubt making some ridiculous demand, but you don't listen. Now that you're alone, everything is muffled, like you're underwater. With Eddie's back turned, you reach into your heel for the paper. It's crinkled but readable when you check it under the table. You look up to make sure Eddie is still throwing his tantrum before you reach out for the first person to pass. It's your waitress with a round of drinks for another table. You're holding onto her apron, knuckles white. You can't find the words.

"Ma'am...is everything alright?" she asks, brow furrowed.

"Help me," you choke out as you shove the paper into her free hand. You squeeze just once before releasing her. Maybe she lingered for a few moments, but you don't know as you straighten yourself and look forward as if nothing happened.

The waitress heads to her next table as Eddie returns.

"Is everything alright?" you ask.

"No, we are leaving." He grabs your arm and yanks you to your feet. "I refuse to give such a cheap and vulgar establishment another moment of our business."

"But, Eddie, it's fine, really. What about dessert? Surely that'll cheer you back up. Please, won't you be reasonable?"

Your pleas fall on deaf ears, but no doubt everyone is staring as Eddie drags you out. You lock eyes with the waitress just before the door shuts behind you.

[ptw30]

Prompt: From the Gargoyle AU- Keith and Shiro's first meeting

Sorry for the long wait, and thanks for wanting more! And thanks to @sol1056 for also requesting a continuation. 

Based upon @velowsa‘s amazing Voltron: Legendary Defender/Gargoyles crossover - see her lovely pictures here. Thank you for letting me write this story!

Fic: Love at First Catch  

Summary: When reports of falling rocks come in from Zarkon's penthouse, Detective Keith Kogane is dispatched to investigate and comes face to face a creature that should only live in his nightmares - and maybe his dreams.

Story series on AO3. 

Keith hated the Eyrie Building.

It was big and airy and too formal. Dressed in his beaten-up red jacket and jeans, Keith looked like a beggar coming before the king, instead of a New York City detective coming before one of the wealthiest men in the world.

He’d do it – because a call came in and he was a professional – but he’d only stay as long as necessary to finish his report. If anyone else had been on duty – anyone else – he would have deferred. Keith wasn’t scared or anything, but nothing could save him from the longing look in Honerva’s eyes when she opened the penthouse’s door.

“Mister Kogane. It is good to see you.”

Honerva smiled a tiny little grin, the same one she gave Keith every time he slid down the grand staircase’s banister. Zarkon was always furious, shouting about Keith’s safety and what-ifs. Honerva just stood there, stone-faced, and waited until Zarkon ordered Keith to his room. But before shutting the door, Honerva always handed Keith a cookie and a smile.

Keith clung to those smiles, even after the courts ordered him from the building.

He accepted Honerva’s tender hug and walked side-by-side with her, not realizing the destination until he found himself in the penthouse’s kitchen.

“I assume you have come to thank Mister Zarkon for those vests he donated.”

Keith paused. “What vests? Wait – you mean the new bulletproof ones we just got at the – ”

“What brings you to the Eyrie Building this evening, Mister Kogane?” Honerva interrupted with endless patience.

Keith stopped himself from telling Honerva not to don her apron or gather the milk, eggs, flour, and chocolate chips. There was no point; she wouldn’t listen. “There were reports of falling rocks, probably from the Scottish castle Zarkon had hoisted up here. Seriously, Miss Honerva. What was he thinking?”

“Well, you know Mister Zarkon. He is the quintessential history buff.”

“But to move a castle from Scotland? That’s extreme, even for him.”

Honerva cracked two eggs before reaching for the sugar. “Says the boy who spent the summer between his sixth and seventh grades traveling the globe because his father decided he needed to see the World Wonders – all of them.”

The memory stung. It was probably the best summer of his childhood. “Foster father.”

“Pardon me, Mister Kogane, but I do not see the significance in adding an adjective.”

All right. Keith deserved that. “I just came to investigate and make a report, if needed.”

“Hm. I do not believe the falling rocks came from the castle itself, but take a look around. I’m sure Mister Zarkon wouldn’t mind.”

Keith’s shoulders eased. Maybe he wouldn’t need to see Zarkon after all. “Thanks, Miss Honerva.”

Honerva smiled and winked. “Cookies in ten dobashes.”

Keith rolled his eyes. Dobashes was what they called “Zarkon’s minutes.” When Keith was growing up, Zarkon made a habit of telling Keith he’d leave the office in ten minutes; it always ended up being twenty.

Keith made his way through the long, wood-walled corridor, between the grand staircase, which sat before a floor-to-high-ceiling window. Off to the side, a new set of white and silver French doors opened to the one-time garden, where now sat the castle’s courtyard. As Keith grabbed the handle, an elegant voice called him back.

“Keith, you’re home.”

Keith took in a sharp inhale, braced himself, and turned.

Daibazaal Zarkon looked almost no different than he had ten years prior. A little gray on the temples, lines about his eyes and mouth from smiling that annoyingly fake smile, though his private grin was always kind for Keith. Jade eyes, a strong build. In a turtleneck, slacks, and Salvatore Ferragamo loafers, he appeared the epitome of the New York social elite gentleman.

“There were calls,” Keith managed to get out as Zarkon descended the stairs, arms open for an embrace. “Falling rocks, growls. I came to check out the castle you decided to hoist up here.”

Zarkon stopped a few inches from Keith but kept his arms open. It had taken Keith a full year to feel comfortable receiving hugs and a tad bit longer to give them, but Zarkon always allowed Keith to make the choice. He never pushed unwanted affection upon Keith, for which Keith was grateful.

When Keith refused to step close, a quick morose expression flashed across Zarkon’s face. He dropped his hands and effortlessly slipped them into his pockets. “Well, yes. It is a thing of beauty. Built around the 900s. Attacked by Vikings. Left abandoned for almost a millennium. Truly a work of art. I just wanted to…help it along a bit, I guess.”

Keith caught the double meaning and whipped around, eyes narrowed. “Do you really want to do this now?”

“You could have come home,” Zarkon said, eyes firm and dark. “As soon as you turned eighteen – ”

“And you could have stopped whatever underhanded trading you were doing. It was enough that the police – ”

“I was found not guilty.”

“Because you weren’t or because you bribed the courts?”

Zarkon remained silent, eyes glowing, and Keith found himself unable to back down. The fire burned in his gut, and he used it to demand, “They came for me at night. Child services tore me from my bed and needed two police officers to drag me out of here.”

Zarkon turned on his heel and threw up a hand. “Oh, come on, Keith – ”

“You said this was my home. You said no one would ever take me away from you. You said I was safe here.”

“I didn’t know the cops would find – ”

“You didn’t stop! You still haven’t stopped. That’s what this monstrosity out there is, isn’t it? Some other way to smuggle – ”

“Damn it, Keith. Don’t act like – ”

“You own half of New York.” Keith clutched his hands in trembling fists. “And you couldn’t get child services to hand me back. Or…” He put words to his greatest fear for the first time. “…did you not want me back?”

Whatever Zarkon was going to say died in his throat, and he whirled, eyes wide and breath loud. His hand came up, earnest but telegraphing, to cup Keith’s cheek. “Of course I did. I would have done anything to get you back.”

Keith couldn’t will the tears away. “Then why didn’t you?”

At some point, the dusk turned to dark, and an animalistic roar shook the very foundation of the penthouse. Shock stole Keith from Zarkon’s grasp, and he acted on instinct, opening up the doors and running into the courtyard. More fierce growls echoed over the landscape, along with the sound of rocks cracking, and Keith took the decrepit stairs one after another.

“Keith!” Zarkon yelled. “Keith, don’t go up – ”

As soon as Keith reached the top, his breath hitched. There, on the very edge of the platform, were crumbling statues. Gargoyles. The one closest to him huffed, its shoulders bunching and cracking, and between the slithers, he spotted purple skin, mussed black hair, and pointed ears.

Keith reached out, tentative at first, perhaps to knock the stone off the being, perhaps to simply touch. The statue rose up and whirled toward him, pupil-less eyes glowing, monstrous face scarred across the snout, a shock of white hair. The sudden movement jerked Keith, and he took a step back.

And fell.

The scream tore from his throat before he realized it came from him. His stomach bottomed out. He plummeted past the floor-to-ceiling windows, past the penthouse, down the side of the building. In a few seconds time – ticks, he mused with dark humor – he’d hit the pavement, and Zarkon, Honerva, the cookies – none of it would matter anymore.

Something caught his eye. Movement, and then that being – purple, scar, ears – dove toward him. His eyes now had slate pupils, and his face was no longer contorted with anger but fear. And he was beautiful, so much more handsome than any creature had the right to be.

“Hold on! I’m coming.”

“Thank…you!”

As he came to Keith’s side, massive arms slid under Keith’s knees and about his torso. Majestic wings spread from the creature’s back. Then the air tugged them up, and Keith buried his face in the creature’s neck. He smelled of pencils and dust, of lavender and white tea. His hands were massive, one curled about Keith’s far thigh, the other cradling his hip and back.

Keith’s pulse came down as his stomach righted, and he opened his eyes, first to see the New York streets hundreds of feet below, and then the creature flying above them, carrying him.

“You saved me,” he said in wonderment.

The creature shrugged, or the best he could while flying. “Seemed like a good idea at the time. Are you all right?”

“Um…maybe?” He had just fought with Zarkon, happened upon a creature, and fell off a building, and was now flying around Manhattan with said creature. He wasn’t dead, which he appreciated.

“Uh, who are you? What are you?”

“Shiro,” he said with a gentle smile and a dip of his head. His wings flapped and arced as he curved around Madison Square Garden and went straight for the Empire State Building. “And you?”

“You didn’t answer my – ” They passed a perched statue, and the answer clicked. “You’re a-a gargoyle.”

The creature’s – Shiro’s – congenial nature evaporated as shadows crossed his face. He flapped his wings, brought Keith up, and dropped them both onto the closed platform of the observation deck. Keith took a step back, his shaky legs holding him, and he marveled as Shiro’s wings folded over his shoulders and locked upon his chest.

“Zarkon said we’d be safe on his building. He said no one would come to harm us.”

Keith snorted. “Join the club.”

“And you? What were you doing at the castle?”

Shiro rose up, back straight, height towering over Keith’s by a good few feet. He meant to intimidate, and perhaps if Shiro hadn’t just saved Keith, he might be frightened. But then again, Keith has fought worse villains than a handsome gargoyle with a metal arm and…yes, a loincloth.

Keith recounted why he’d come to the Eyrie Building, the roar, finding Shiro.

“And Zarkon and Honerva just let you?” he accused.

Keith straightened his back, ready to snap at Shiro, but those gray irises were hard and frightened. He thought back to the roof. Shiro and he hadn’t been alone. There had been more gargoyles. Shiro was protecting his own.

Keith could accept that. “Zarkon – he raised me, from the time I was five to when I was sixteen. He did something bad. Illegal. And the courts took me away from him.”

Understanding crossed Shiro’s face. “He is your sire.”

“Um…not biological, no, but…” A shrug.

Shiro glanced away. “He must miss you. Humans are close with their kin. I’ll take you back.”

As Shiro stepped forward, the moonlight brushed against his face and illuminated his defined cheekbones, strong chin, and kind eyes. They appeared almost silver against his night sky, and Keith found himself hypnotized in their firm gaze.

Wait. Were Shiro’s eyes dilated? Huh.

As Shiro went to grab Keith’s legs again, Keith put a hand on his chest to stop him – and damn. Those muscles were rock hard.

“I, uh, you need to know something about Zarkon.” Wow. Really hard, and those abs. Focus, Keith. “You can’t – You can’t trust him. He’s a smuggler, of arts and historic goods. He doesn’t do anything for altruistic reasons.”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Waiting. Weighing Keith’s words.

“When I was twelve, he took me to see places around the world. At every stop, he moved illegal goods. He’s doing something with the castle.”

Shiro crossed his arms. “You think he’s using my clan?”

“Clan?”

“My fellow packmates – the other gargoyles. You think Zarkon doesn’t want to help us?”

Keith slipped his hands into his pockets. “I know Zarkon doesn’t do anything without a selfish cause.”

Whatever Keith said struck Shiro. His arms dropped to his sides, and his eyes softened. “I’m sorry. It must have been…difficult for you.”

“It…was, but I had people to help.” Kolivan, Thace, Antok, and others. “People who helped me to survive after…” He fought the shiver that threatened to overtake his frame. “If…if you need my help – uk!”

In one fluid motion, Shiro swept Keith into his arms. “I will need to speak to my clan, and we will decide together. But thank you for your offer, Keith.”

“I didn’t tell you my name,” Keith said. He’d told Shiro why he went to the castle, why he spoke with Zarkon, but Keith never told Shiro his name.

“No, you did not,” Shiro admitted, “but your sire did.”

“Zarkon told you…about me?”

So close, Shiro’s eyes cut to his soul. “Yes. The warrior on the streets, saving the world because he couldn’t save his father. It is admirable.”

“I don’t save anyone because I can’t save my father. Zarkon isn’t even my father.”

“Hm.”

“Don’t give me that look.”

“I’m not giving you a look.”

“Zarkon only took me in because I humanized him. It was good press, not because – ”

“Then I guess he only donated the money for…vests? For this good press? He said he was worried for your safety, nothing about…press.”

Keith’s head perked up. “Wait, Zarkon donated the precinct’s bullet-proof – ah!”

The wind caught Shiro’s wings, lifting him up and over the fences of the observation deck. Keith’s arms wrapped about Shiro’s thick neck and squeezed with all his might. Only once Shiro stabilized and begin their journey back, did Keith manage to look up at Shiro’s amused face.

“You did that on purpose.”

Shiro laughed, a hearty, grounding sound, and it eased Keith’s nerves. “Maybe.”

“You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?”

Shiro looked down at him, eyes open and expression fierce. “I think I should be asking you that.”

Perhaps Keith should have been scared, flying around Manhattan hundreds of feet in the air. Perhaps he should have been worried about entrusting his safety to a gargoyle he just meant, and maybe he should have been worried about offering his help to someone he didn’t know.

But Keith just held on and enjoyed the ride.

When Shiro touched down at the castle, three gargoyles – a green one with glasses, a pudgy yellow one, and a lithe blue one – rushed to his side, while Zarkon came up to Keith. He stopped just before touching Keith and opened his mouth, but Keith launched himself at Zarkon, gripping his father like he hadn’t done in seven years.

Zarkon jerked and then wrapped his arms about Keith, cradling him against his chest. When lips brushed the top of his head, Keith buried his face in Zarkon’s shoulder.

“Ah, there you are, Mister Zarkon, Mister Kogane.” Honerva. “I have fresh cookies.”

“Miss Honerva, did you say cookies!” a rambunctious voice yelled, and the blue gargoyle scuttled toward Honerva and her platter, the yellow one on his heels.

Loud flapping sounded behind Keith, and he turned in his father’s hold to see another purple gargoyle, this one with an artificial eye and arm, drop near Shiro and place a hand upon Shiro’s shoulder.

Right. Well, Keith brushed off his momentary disappointment and focused on Zarkon’s affectionate smile. Perhaps he couldn’t make Zarkon what he wanted, but he would always be grateful for those eleven years when this building was his home.

“Do you still have dinner at seven-thirty on Thursdays?”

“Yes, but I think for today, we could make an exception. Miss Honerva, would you warm a late dinner?”

“Of course, Mister Zarkon.”

“Before that.” Zarkon steered Keith toward the gargoyles. “Allow me to introduce you to the gargoyles.”

As Keith set his eyes upon Shiro again, he let out a tiny sigh and wondered how he was going to explain this to Kolivan.

[beingallelite]

The feuds developed over the first three shows in company history laid the foundation for Saturday's event before the weekly TNT show begins Oct. 2.

None, however, have gotten as deeply personal as Cody Rhodes vs. Shawn Spears. The feud began with no obvious backstory as to why Spears plastered Cody on the head with a chair at Fyter Fest. It's blossomed because of the intricate storytelling AEW fans hoped to see. President Tony Khan promised more gripping entertainment than what wrestling fans have been used to in recent years, and the buildup for Cody and Spears' feud has been a highlight.

Below is a breakdown of the rivalry until now. Watch their match and the rest of the All Out event Saturday on B/R Live.

Background

Although the friendship between Rhodes and Spears wasn't highly publicized before the chair shot, AEW set the larger stage for their feud through the YouTube series, Road to All Out. AEW established Rhodes and Spears' history of camaraderie during their time at Ohio Valley Wrestling, WWE's former developmental territory. There, the two were a tag team and won the promotion's tag titles twice.

In 2006, Spears taught a young Rhodes, only a handful of professional matches into his wrestling career, about the business.

"It started in OVW. It started with me," Spears said in an interview with AEW's Jim Ross during a Road to All Out episode. "He came in, and I taught him to wrestle. Those were his words, and he's made it public knowledge. ... He's a leech. He latched on, bled me dry and moved on in his ascent to the AEW hierarchy.

"Bottom line is he's forgotten who he was. He was in my inner circle. He forgot that I was there for the 50th wedding anniversary of his parents. He forgot that I sat at his table for Thanksgiving dinner. We were like brothers."

Harboring a deep resentment is a time-tested way to kick-start a wrestling angle, and this one planted the seeds for Spears to turn on Rhodes the moment the latter said "great hand."

"Great Hand"

In an episode of Road to All Out before June's Fyter Fest, Rhodes described Spears as a "great hand" to Nik Sobic, AEW's vice president of business operations, about The Perfect 10 signing for their company.

"He could potentially be a player-coach," Rhodes said. "He's great for the young guys and is a great hand, so I'm happy with it."

That's a compliment—usually. A hand is someone skilled in the ring and good to work with. Superstars can be hands and so can midcarders. It also can be a condescending dig at a guy who can work but is not going to be a star. For the purposes of this feud, Spears is selling it as a dig that he's never going to be a top star in the company. He's merely a good wrestler used to put over better guys.

Rhodes sees Spears as someone whom younger wrestlers at AEW can go to for advice and that he can help guide, similarly to what Spears did for Rhodes at OVW. As shown by his actions at Fyter Fest just weeks later, Spears was not pleased with this description.

The Chair Shot Heard Around the World

Rhodes had just finished a thrilling match against Darby Allin that reached its 20-minute time limit and ended in a draw. The crowd was hot already, and Spears jogged down the ramp with a chair in hand.

The crowd grew louder as The Perfect 10 raised the chair over his head and waited for Rhodes to turn around. When he finally did, Spears walloped his victim with a vicious, unprotected shot reminiscent of the Attitude Era.

A puddle of blood could be seen gushing out of Rhodes' head as he laid on the canvas with Spears standing over him. Brandi Rhodes, Cody's wife and the chief brand officer of AEW, rushed to the ring as she and referee Aubrey Edwards begged Spears to not take any further action. With an emptiness in his eyes, Spears left through the crowd.

The moment went viral—but probably not for the reason AEW wanted. Fans debated the recklessness of allowing someone to take a chair shot to the head. WWE banned them in 2006. Khan and the Young Bucks said after Fyter Fest that the blood was not intentional. The gimmicked chair used as a precaution mistakenly injured Rhodes.

Regardless, even more eyes were on the impending Rhodes-Spears feud now. The bludgeoning of Rhodes added to the perceived disdain Spears has for him, and that was the point. The chair shot confirmed how personal this feud was going to get.

Reaction

Fans were left to wonder why Spears did that since the friendship between them wasn't highlighted until after the chair shot. The explanation came in his interview with Ross.

"Cody crossed the line," Spears said. "You don't call someone a good hand. It's the curse of this industry to be called a good hand. He should know better. Clearly he forgot, and that's why I wrapped a steel chair around his face. Sometimes people just need to be reminded."

The angle: Spears felt disrespected by Rhodes and believes his time at AEW will transcend that of just someone there to help others. He wants to be a face of the company and doesn't care who he has to confront to get that message across.

Reaction from within Rhodes' circle came in hot and heavy as his close friend, MJF, called Spears a "piece of s--t" in the buildup to their match at Fight for the Fallen two weeks later. Brandi Rhodes followed it up with a three-minute episode of Road to All Out solely dedicated to her thoughts on what happened and a warning to Spears on what's going to happen to him at All Out.

"He was your friend, and yet you took an unforgiving steel chair and ended all of that to make a name for yourself. ... That blood that I saw coming out of the back of his head may as well have been a mirror into your future. ... Ten staples to the back of my beloved's head was your 15 minutes. I really hope you enjoyed them."

This feud feels personal, and bringing in the opinion of others close to Rhodes to chime in emphasized that. However, Spears also didn't mind bringing in people to back him up.

Tully Blanchard

Toward the conclusion of Spears' interview with Ross, he told AEW's lead commentator he had an ace up his sleeve. In walked Tully Blanchard, a WWE Hall of Fame member best known for being one of the Four Horsemen alongside Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson and Ric Flair.

Why bring in Blanchard? As Spears put it, his history of competing against Rhodes' father, Dusty, will give him psychological insight into what he can expect from Cody. After all, Blanchard and Dusty did wrestle together 184 times.

"I got a phone call from a great athlete who was feeling underappreciated," Blanchard said in an interview on Road to All Out. "He asked me how to get his career to the top. I said if you take down one of the Rhodes, that'll get you to the top in anyone's book. I probably knew Dusty as well as anyone across the ring. I know what makes the Rhodes family tick. Shawn has asked me to give him that knowledge."

Bringing in a name of Blanchard's ilk adds prestige and even more background as to why Spears assaulted Rhodes. Blanchard telling his protege that the quickest way to gain some respect around AEW is to go after the man he felt underappreciated by in the first place is compelling, in-depth storytelling.

Blanchard set the scene at All Out even further with one key stipulation.

The Stipulation and What We Can Expect From All Out

The contract signing on Road to All Out was brief, with Rhodes entering the room where Spears and Blanchard, along with a group of AEW officials, awaited the arrival of The American Nightmare. Rhodes walked in, signed the contract and left without saying more than a couple of words.

Before that, though, Blanchard and Spears added a clause in the contract stating that only one person would be allowed in the corner of each competitor during the match. It was obvious who would accompany Spears, but who accompanies Rhodes has yet to be announced.

Could it be Brandi or MJF? Could we see someone from Blanchard's past who can match wits with the Horseman? There are plenty of options, most whom already have their own stake in the feud. The surprise addition will add another layer to this bout.

This is the promotion's first real test in building a storyline that stretched for months, and so far it's worked. AEW's four events before its weekly show begins have given the promotion the opportunity to get its feet wet creatively. This feud has yet to feel far-fetched or disingenuous.

The match itself is what fans will really remember. If both wrestlers—and everyone else involved in the match—can deliver a satisfying finish, it would be a strong bridge to the start of AEW's weekly television.