#but no one treats him with care or understanding (except maybe cameron) and that’s like 9/10 the cause of his personality issues

[sheenashifts1217]

Hii!! I am Aurelia or just Aurie! I want to know about my relationship with Peter Parker (andrew garfield) from my marvel dr! Thank you in advance!!

Hiii! I’m a marvel shifter too, but I haven’t met Peter so this is exciting for me!!! :))))

Your Relationship with Peter Parker

Lyrics standing out:

“You could be trusted

Salt in the wound

Laughing right at me

The good times

You and I

Now we got bad blood

Mad love

Be fine

Scars from your knife

Did you think it all through

Just don’t

It’s so sad to think about the good times

You made a really deep cut

Bandaids don’t fix bullet holes

If you live like that, you live with ghosts (I’m seeing him sneaking in your room through the window?)

Blood runs bad

Look what you’ve done”

I know when you say this song, you probably got scared, but DONT. Peter has been hurt by a lot of people so he puts up walls, maybe you do too. He’s always seen you as a person out of his league. (Like maybe the “popular people” in school) He hasn’t trusted those people, but he trusts you. You both learn from each other. I feel like there was maybe a miscommunication at some point and it took a toll on you guys, but you worked through it and it made you stronger together. Maybe there was a prank played on one of you and you of him felt humiliated and like it was the others fault. You all talked it out. You remind Peter that he can’t keep his life secret forever because he is shutting himself off. You’re his rock and help him not become too consumed in being spiderman. He feels things very deeply which is why he tries to shut people out because he wants to protect them and himself. He also really likes when you “patch him up” after a mission.

Lyrics standing out:

“Supermoon, watch it dance in your eyes

Are we just two stars passing by

Wanting your summer skin pressed on mine

Hearts on fire

Walking on a wire

You blow my mind

Tell me anything you like, except for goodbye

What’s it like up there high in heaven

(I can see him swinging through the city with you in his arm)

Wanna know what your lovin tastes like”

You guys are in the “honeymoon phase”, and you will kind of always stay like that, even when you do argue. Most of your arguments are just over each other’s safety or well being. He’s a very caring s/o, but can be forgetful because he spreads himself too thin at times. You all go on cute dates a lot. He loves to treat you like a princess. He sometimes still can’t believe that you’re his. He never thought he would be with someone like you because of how amazing you are. You’re very patient and understanding with him, yet you hold him accountable and keep him in line. He’s whipped. He likes to make out on rooftops….A LOT. Also, I didn’t get this by shuffling, but the song “Kiss Me More”, by Doja Cat, is playing in my head. That may be a message for you.

He says that it must be fate for you all to be together.

Lyrics standing out:

“A million thoughts

Should I let my heart keep listening

It’s time

So hard to let go”

There are a few different things I’m getting from this song, even though it’s shorter than the others. Firstly, are you overthinking shifting? Don’t. You know you can do it. Just trust yourself and the time will come. Let go of material things and any fears holding you back. You will be fine.

Secondly, it’s giving Peter is scared of vulnerability and you’re scared of not doing enough. I feel like this needs to be a conversation between the two of you tbh. Peter has grown and learned to trust, but a part of him still worries about you seeing all of him because you are so amazing and he doesn’t want to scare you off. You worry that if you’re not constantly there for him, something will happen. You kind of feel like you have something to prove in order for him to want you. Know that you are enough and that you don’t have to “earn” love. It’s there, just take it. Peter will come around and open up more. You just have to stay persistent and keep inviting him.

He wants to say, “I love you so much. I’d be lost without you. Don’t let me go. I’m yours”. And I saw him kissing your hand. Aweeee

Overall, your relationship is full of love, but there needs to be more communication. You both feel very deeply for each other and you’re almost codependent, but you need to work on your shadow selves. Be honest with yourself and with him. He will only feel comfortable opening up if you do the same. So if you feel like you’re not doing enough, or even if you feel like you’re doing too much, tell him. He’s willing to listen. He treats you like a princess. You’re a queen in his eyes and you never won’t be. Remember your worth and that your cup has to be full before you can fill others.

I hope this was accurate and you liked it. I could feel the emotion Peter has for you. It’s very strong. Please give me feedback, my love.

🫶💗

[obliviouspoptart]

ngl, the more i watch house, the more i hate how everyone treats him

not in the “he’s an asshole, treat him like an asshole” way bc that’s deserved and honestly why i love him as a character

but everything else. he uses vicodin bc he has constant chronic pain that will never fade and never get better. everyone says he should be able to live life without medication and be fine! let’s force him into widthdrawals because we’ll feel better about a chronic pain patient not having to “rely” on medicine to live!

bc fucking personally, as a chronic pain patient, fuck you. do i use opioids to live a normal life? no, and i feel very lucky that all i have to do is slowly destroy my liver with nsaids to survive bc that’s a more “acceptable” medicine and even still some people will tell me “yoga” or “eating healthy” or fucking “healing crystals” will cure my arthritis that will never ever go away. if those things work for you, i am so happy, i wish you all the best and hope it keeps working for you, but it doesn’t work for me. and other medicine can’t work for house. and i am always very mad that every single able-bodied person in this show thinks his need of the medicine is a problem that needs to be fixed bc once he’s not addicted he’ll be magically healed!! or something because they really don’t actually consider his very real and very never going away or even getting slightly better pain outside of his addiction to vicodine.

another thing i hate, probably more than the abled characters telling house what is and isn’t acceptable for a disabled chronic pain patient to do, which is surprising considering how much i dislike it, is how they treat house’s relationship to his parents, specifically his dad. his dad is abusive. full stop. there’s nothing fucking redeeming about that man in any plot point in the show. he’s just straight up abusive. no real explanation, besides house was a rebellious kid and his dad was the typical Military Father™. like, he made house take ice water baths and sleep outside in the cold when he misbehaved. his dad spoke to him solely through typed notes for TWO MONTHS. WHEN HE WAS 12. house didn’t get to eat dinner if he was two minutes late (that’s a direct quote btw). and still, the very few people he considers friends try to force him to still forgive his dad and feel bad when his dad is dying and when he does die. like, no, fuck that. you should never, ever force someone with abusive parents to forgive them or mourn them. that should be their decision. but no, you literally drug house with a sedative to force him to go to his dad’s funeral! that’s beyond fucked up! like house does morally ambiguous things in this show for the sake of saving patients (and being an ass) but sedating a friend to force them to go to an extremely emotionally traumatizing event by use of sedation and kidnapping when he said he didn’t want to go is. i am so mad for house.

should house try and seek closure and come to terms with his extreme childhood abuse at the hands of his father? yes. obviously. house is fucked up from his childhood, he’s admitted that most of his emotional dysfunction is due to his parents’ abuse. which is a lot for house to admit, lbr. he literally cannot accept praise, and it’s always shoved off by him being an asshole, but he cannot accept praise. that’s textbook childhood abuse, esp emotional abuse! it cannot get more textbook than that! and they are forcing him to face probably the most traumatizing time in his life because they think they know what he needs. and considering everything else they “do for him” in this show, they don’t know shit.

i am just. look. i know house is an asshole. he’s meant to be an asshole. he doesn’t always make the good or right choice. he’d be knee-deep in about 5000 lawsuits if he were a real doctor and no one would actually want him as their doctor because of the risks he takes and how often he plays god thinking he’s right. he’s a plain asshole, and he needs wilson more than wilson needs him, but still does everything in his power to drive him away, short of actual evil things. but his needs are also constantly ignored by his friends bc they “know better” obviously. idk where i’m going with this but i am infuriated by how wilson and cuddy treat house and his personal issues, bc they forget he is still a person inside his shield of assholery. and they let him being an ass get in the way of actually doing the right thing by him, constantly, in every major house-centric character arc. that’s it. the whole post is just bc i am upset for house and, honestly, unpopular opinion, house deserved better.

thanks for coming to my ted talk

[matthewtkachuk]

love in all its forms - rafe cameron

you love rafe cameron and he loves you too. sometimes it’s better shown than told

pairing: rafe cameron x reader

warnings: allusion to sex, light angst (duh its me), no dialogue (is that a warning? idk)

words: 1k

a/n: this has been in my drafts for ages, finally finished her up this morning. this is probably the last thing i write for obx for a while, hoping s2 will bring some more motivation

Rafe Cameron has never been big on ‘I love you’s. He loves to hear it from you - your cracked sleep-laden voice first thing in the morning, a breathless whimper when he’s inside of you, rushed and casually as you peck his lips and leave the house, softly in his ear before you fall asleep in his arms, a quick text throughout the day. There is no sweeter sound that falls from your lips than those three syllables, except maybe for your soft sighs and moans.

Growing up, he never heard the words. A dead mother and an absentee father who didn’t have the time to ensure his emotional needs were met. It worsened as he got older, saddled with responsibilities and expectations he couldn’t keep up with, his father’s absenteeism grew into cold malice, the lack of love became an intentional absence. Ward Cameron only loved two of his children, and neither of them were his only son.

And so Rafe finds the words difficult to say. He means them, oh God does he mean them. He loves you like he’s never loved anything before. When he looks at you he sees an unbridled future, the two of you against the world, surviving and thriving, despite obstacle after obstacle. He sees marriage and a white picket fence and a dog and two and a half children that he will love the way he never was loved. He sees possibilities and hope and everything he ever dreamed of. He sees love in its purest form.

While he can’t say the words back when you utter them, he shows you in so many other ways. A vase of calla lilies brought home on a random Tuesday ‘just because’ and ‘they made me think of you’. Makeshift candle lit dinners when he knows you’ve had a bad day. Always vacuuming the living room carpet before you even have a chance to ask, because he knows it is your least favorite cleaning duty. Grabbing you a blue gatorade and your favorite snack when fueling up on a road trip even though you said you didn’t want anything. Gentle lovemaking, held hands and foreheads pressed together, intermingling breaths and soft kisses on bare skin. 

You treated him so good, he isn’t sure he deserves it. He knows he can be an asshole, and his temper needs work, and he can be overly possessive which you hate. He often says the wrong thing, can snap at you when you don’t deserve it. He sometimes forgets important things like your anniversary or dinner with one of your parents, and you don’t like it when he blows you off to go golfing with the boys. But you love him, flaws and all, and you will always forgive him. 

You knew love. Growing up, your parents had always told you they loved you and each other. with words, with actions, with gifts. Every morning you would witness the blissful domestic form of love, as your parents moved around the kitchen, movements a decades long choreography of your mother making coffee as your father made eggs. Stolen kisses and slight squeezes. A kiss atop your head and to your mother’s cheek before your father left for work and your mother was left to get you off to school. Dancing in the kitchen and family vacations and quiet Tuesdays. Father/daughter dances and dates and your mother pulling you out of school early one Friday a month to take you to get your nails done and a late lunch at your favorite restaurant. Consequently, you grew up very loved. 

However you also knew love could hurt. As a teenager, you had watched as your parents’ love for each other couldn’t combat their issues with each other. As your mother sought love in a man ten years her junior and as your father blamed himself, that his love hadn’t been enough for her. You knew that despite love’s best intentions it could very quickly turn to resentment, hate and impatience. You had witnessed the death of love, seen love in its most desperate and despicable form.

Despite this you had fallen deeply and quickly in love with Rafe Cameron. From the moment you had met freshman year at some stupid social your roommate had dragged you to, you knew he was it for you. He was dressed like a douchebag, blue henley and backwards baseball cap with your university team written across it, a red solo cup full of jungle juice grasped in one hand, the other hand flicking through his phone. Ordinarily he was exactly the type of guy that you would avoid but there was something about the look in his eye, or maybe it was the small smirk that graced his lips when he caught you staring for a minute too long. Whatever it was, it possessed you to cross the makeshift dancefloor, place your hand in his and drag him to dance with you; all without even knowing his name yet. He’d let you guide him and hadn’t stopped following you like a lovesick puppy since. 

At first it bothered you that he couldn’t say the words. You had an idea in your head of what the perfect progression of a relationship was, and when you had said the words first and he had been unable to reciprocate, you had stormed out of his apartment in a mix of embarrassment and sadness that your feelings were not shared. As he explained the next day, that wasn’t quite the truth, that he had never been comfortable with the words but that didn’t mean that he didn’t mean them too. 

As your relationship progressed, you began to see the ways he told you he loved you without having to physically speak the words. Picking you up at the bar after a few too many without any judgement. Taking on your least favorite household chores so you wouldn’t have to. You realized that love was more than three words, eight letters. It was every action, every conscious choice where he picked you every time. 

Your love wasn’t perfect. It was selfish and petty at times, it wasn’t always fair. But it was beautiful too, understanding and compassion and light. It was a combination of all you were and all that he was, and in all of its forms it was yours.

taglist babies (im so sorry if u dont care abt this anymore, i just copy pasted from my last fic lov u ) @velyssaraptor @danicarosaline @copper-boom @x-lulu @prejudic3 @rekrappeter @downbytheouterbanks @ilovejjmaybank @bricksatanakinswindow @jellyfishbeansontoast @rudyypankow @im-a-stranger-thing @alexa-playafricabytoto @hoodpankow @girlsru1eboysdroo1 @sortagaysortahigh @socialwriter @bloodyheavcn @anxietyandtacos @diverrdown @starkeyseguin​  @dmonchld​@rafej-cambanks @stfukie @obxmermaid

[shitsngiggles666]

I am not one to use social media, but this whole sh*t show is something I will not take sitting down. I’ve seen some messed up things on the internet, but the cyberbullying by the “Camily” is really disturbing me. Before I get to my criticisms and thoughts, I will briefly address Luke Deacon. The allegations against him are not without evidence, namely from a public social media account. One of these allegations is very serious, and can be considered “revenge p*rn which can actually lead to charges in the UK. I’m not sure if it’s the same in the UK, but in my country Luke can be legally labeled as a sex offender if convicted! This is all I know of the situation but since many of Luke’s fans are underage girls who are also fans of Queen and the Bohemian Rhapsody movie I don’t feel this issue can be totally ignored. I consider Luke “innocent until proven guilty”, as I am an inhabitant of Freedom Land. The first issue I will address is both of Cam’s parents, as I want to discuss them before the “Camily” as they’re not directly involved with the cyber bullying, at least to my knowledge. I admit that I have never met John or Veronica Deacon. I have no knowledge of the intimate details of their family life, and their parenting skills. I do have a fair amount of knowledge of John‘s time with Queen as he is my favorite surviving member of Queen. I find researching his life and trying to understand someone who seems an overlooked and complex figure in music. Yes, John is Cam’s father and to me he’s an interest, a subject I enjoy learning and trying to understand him like I do with other things I’m interested in. Meanwhile, to Cameron he is “dad”. I understand that it must be hard seeing people on the internet either make untrue statements or discuss aspects of one’s father that isn’t flattering. I get it, But Leopard (my nickname for the victim) made it clear when replying to asks that she doesn’t know things and addressed when discussions involved speculation or rumors. She also made it very clear that she didn’t like discussing John’s competence as a father and his children. These subjects made her uncomfortable but she still addressed them in a respectful way. John Deacon was a part of one of the biggest bands in the world. People are going to discuss him. Leopard didn’t do anything wrong. She admitted that John Deacon had flaws but was still sure to admit that she doesn’t know the whole story. I think her attitude is reasonable. I saw the stream the night Cam’s parents came on stream. At first I saw it quite humorous with a boomer bumbling in, ignoring his surroundings. He almost seemed senile. But as the stream went on things got uncomfortable and my attitude changed. Cam’s parents were doing the right thing as loving parents. They came over because Cam has a history of not managing his diabetes properly. His father (his mother explained) was becoming worried about his son’s glucose levels and tried to contact him. When he wouldn’t pick up his phone his father became worried and the two went over. Cameron was peeved and rude to them. I don’t think John cared about if people on the internet saw him. He was too focused on making sure his son wasn’t in danger and that his phone was charged. He only left when he knew his son’s levels weren’t too low and his phone was charging. He even mentioned off screen that he brought some treats (I have no idea what he said, and if it was a favorite sweet or what) from the store. I’m just making an observation of a stranger peeking in, but I think it’s clear John adores his son. Maybe the scant bit of interaction I observed of John Deacon as a person (instead of Queen’s bassist) was of a devoted father who was telling his adult son “I love you, I want you to be happy and I will be devastated if anything happened to you” without saying it verbally. People have different ways of showing their love. I know (per interviews with John) he experienced loss at a very young age when his father passed away. I don’t know John’s personal thoughts and relationship with Freddie Mercury and how his death affected him personally, but watching someone’s health decline due to AIDS is probably an upsetting and unforgettable experience. I bring these two examples up because this to me suggests Cam’s dad knows first hand how delicate and precious life is, wisdom that Cam seems blissfully unaware of due to his disregard of his parents’ anxiety. Cam obviously knows his father better than I can ever, but sometimes it’s good to have a different perspective. On to Mama Deacon. Yes, she was shouting at her adult son while he was live on stream. Like Cam’s father, she was completely in the right. When she said they were making sure Cam “wasn’t dead” and that Cam’s life was at stake, she was not being overly dramatic. If a diabetic’s blood sugar is too low their body can actually go into shock and than into a coma. If one doesn’t manage their diabetes this can happen and it can kill you. Diabetes is a life threatening condition. I’m not a diabetic, and I’m sure it sucks and isn’t easy to manage. Cameron is an adult at 27. His parents will not always be around to help him. If he wants to live by himself his priority should be learning to manage his diabetes without his parents’ help. His life literally depends on it. His glucose levels is far more important than his streaming career. Until he proves he can consistently manage himself to them his glucose levels are their business. Additionally, since they pay for his flat it’s technically their’s and thus can come over when ever they want. If anyone was being “inappropriate” it was Cam. His mother carried him for nine months, at age 43. For a woman her age, pregnancy can be risky and very hard on her body. She has cared for her son’s health issues, helped him through school and has loved him unconditionally. She seems to have done everything she can to protect Cam and pushed him to be the best person he can be. And this is only what I’m aware of. At her age, she should only leave her home when completely necessary to protect herself from Covid-19, for she is in the age group most at risk. Her son wouldn’t even leave his chair to greet her. Do you know how my parents would react to me if I acted the way Cam did Sunday? Most people can only dream about the privileges Cam has. Again, I don’t know everything about Cam’s life but what I saw was a mother and father trying to do what is best for their son. If Cam is so concerned about his parents’ privacy, why didn’t he turn off his stream? He could’ve even walked off to talk to his parents rather than continuing to play and yelling at them from his chair? This whole situation can be solved simply by Cam answering his phone, keeping it charged or even walking off camera to talk to his parents rather than barking orders from his screen. As I said earlier, to them their son seems more important to them rather than their privacy. Cam makes such a big deal over their privacy but I think he also has to respect his parents’ feelings and all that they do for him. Part of respecting them should include making a better effort to take care of himself. Five hours without food excepting a bowl of cereal could give me low blood sugar to the point of trembling and not being able to concentrate. Since Cam did just that, maybe his parents’ concern of his blood sugar is not without merit. Cam mentions his mental health issues and depression. One of the ways to help stabilize his mood would be stabilizing his blood sugar. The Camily should consider my words as they criticized Cam’s parents’ behavior. I have addressed the Mama and Papa elephant in the room, I will now focus mainly on Cam’s “Camily”. Due to time restraints, I will address the Camily in a later post. In the mean time, there is a difference between “haters” and critics. A hater says things simply to hurt or insult. A critic disagrees for a reason. If anyone thinks I’m a hater that needs to be “bunny blocked” go right ahead. I don’t care what strangers, many of them children think of me. I think bunnies are cute. Send me bunny emojis if you all think I’m spreading hate. This will only lend more evidence that the Camily is leading an internet harassment campaign. BTW I have been owned by pet rabbits since I was seven. Let me tell you, Mr. Bunny is unhappy to know his good name and image is being used as a symbol to bully. No, I am not jealous of Cam. I am proud of my family and wouldn’t trade them for any other. My dad has a profession I consider noble and was the one who raised me. The same goes for my mother. My extended and nuclear family includes firemen, a priest, nurses, teachers, librarians, a researcher studying cancer, a lawyer and engineers. None are famous but I don’t care. They are good people and it doesn’t matter how much the public knows about them or how much they earn. What matters to me is that they work hard and have a strong moral character. If you do wish to harass me, I ask of one thing. Show my post to Cameron Deacon and have him read my post (and any later ones I hope to soon put up) on his Livestream. If Cameron thinks I’m being a bully or am wrong about anything, please have him show this to his parents, the two people who love him more than anyone else does. If they think I’m wrong about anything or am bullying their son, have them PM me so we can discuss. Do not bully anyone who posts or likes this.

[obxparadise]

Rebel Love Song

JJ Maybank x Female Reader 

Word count: 3,836

~JJ’s had enough of his abusive father and life on the Cut, so he tries to convince you to run away with him~

Song: Rebel Love Song by Black Veil Brides 

A/N: Leave a comment please :) 

*GIF is not mine, but found on Google. Creds to the owner!*

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

I cannot hide what’s on my mind

I feel it burning deep inside

A passion crime to take what’s mine

Let us start living for today

“You are a worthless piece of shit.”

“Shut up!”

“Your mama knew!”

“Shut up!”

JJ’s fist strikes his bedroom door, although he wishes it were his father’s face. It probably wouldn’t be as painful, and he’d feel good about it. But his dad would retaliate like he always did, and JJ’s face couldn’t handle another black eye or split lip. Luke had already done a number on his face twenty minutes prior.

Luke turns up the volume of whatever rock song is playing throughout the house, and JJ clutches the sides of his head, digging his palms into his temples, the thoughts in his head drowning out the song. What the hell was he listening to anyway? Judas Priest? Black Sabbath? He had no fucking clue.

He should be used to it all by now. The loud music. The constant drinking. The verbal violence. The physical abuse. The mental manipulation. It’s been going on for years. And there’s no way to stop it.

The cut on JJ’s lip burns as a salty tear mixes with the dried blood. He drags his fingers across the bottom of his lip, wincing. Thirty grand in restitution for a boat he didn’t even sink. He should’ve seen the punch coming, anticipated it as soon as he slid in the passenger’s seat of the beat up pick up truck. But it happened so fast, over and over, until Luke’s knuckles were painted red with blood.

He doesn’t regret taking the blame, though. Even if he now has to scramble to come up with thirty thousand dollars, JJ’s glad that he did the right thing for once in his life. Pope was a good kid, had too much to lose. But JJ? He had nothing.

The music dies down in the living room and JJ peers toward the door, heart hammering against his chest as he waits for Luke to bust into his room. His fists are balled by his sides, ready to attack if necessary, but the door never opens.

JJ takes it upon himself to crack open the door, just enough for him to peer out into the living room and see Luke passed out on the sofa. Empty beer bottles are scattered along the coffee table and a pill bottle is just barely sitting in Luke’s hand that dangles off the couch. Just another typical Tuesday in the Maybank household.

It’s times like these JJ wishes he wasn’t an only child. Although he’s glad no one else is subjected to Luke’s abuse, the house gets lonely. Talking to his father is impossible. His mother is nowhere to be found, and he resents her for leaving him to live with a monster, to fend for his life.

He could always talk to his friends, though.

Ah, scratch that. They’re all busy tending to their own lives.

Pope’s in and out of scholarship interviews.

Kiara’s working overtime at the Wreck.

John B is glued to Sarah Cameron’s hip.

But there’s one more person left. One person that would always make time for him. One person he could confide in no matter the circumstances.

JJ retrieves his phone from the back pocket of his shorts, typing out a quick message.

Can you meet me at the dock?

He smiles as your name pops up on the screen, promising to meet him in ten minutes.

~

You watch from afar as JJ stands at the edge of the dock throwing rocks into the bay. The sun has begun to set, the sky now painted a light orange and pink, and there’s a slight chill in the air thanks to the open water. Tugging the sleeves of your hoodie down to cover your hands, you shuffle quietly along the wooden boards.

JJ’s body instantly relaxes when your arms circle his middle, forehead resting against his back. The cologne on his body mixed with his natural scent is what keeps you still against him until he turns around to hold you. He needs this hug. You can just tell.

“I owe thirty grand for sinking Topper’s boat.” His voice is defeated, arms limp around your body.

Wherever trouble was, JJ found it. He was always getting into scuffles with the teenagers on the other side of the island, parents turned their noses down at him, and the cops had no problem blaming JJ for crimes he didn’t commit. The boy was an easy target.

You shake your head, refusing to believe his story, but asking the question anyway. “Why’d you do it?”

JJ pulls away, stuffing his hands in his pockets, eyes downcast on the dock. He doesn’t want to tell you the truth, but you have a guess as to who he’s protecting. “Just sick of everyone treating us differently because we live on the poor side of the island. Money isn’t everything, but it’s all these people on Figure Eight know.”

He’s not wrong. The rich kids on Figure Eight can’t separate fantasy from reality. They’ve never known struggle. They’ve always had designer clothes, food on the table, a roof over their heads, plus the perks. Motorcycles. Boats. Cars. Status. Friends. Opportunities. So much more than the average person could afford, or wish for.

And you were one of them.

It’s a wonder how you and JJ became friends. You knew of his hatred for rich kids before you’d even met him. But JJ saw something in you. You weren’t like the rest of them. You had a pure heart, kind soul. Being rich wasn’t a personality trait for you.

“I just,” Dragging a hand through his hair, JJ gazes at you sadly. His frown tugs at your heart. “I just want to get away, you know? I can’t hide it, but I’ve had thoughts about leaving the Cut, the OBX in general.”

Now that’s something you never would of thought would come out of JJ’s mouth. He lived and breathed the Outerbanks. He didn’t know anything else.

“Where would you go?”

He takes a seat on the end of the dock, feet dangling just above the water. You join him, sitting close, head on his shoulder, toes skimming the cool water.  “Paris. England. The Yucatan,” JJ chuckles, nudging you. “That’s long term.”

“What about now?”

JJ exhales, thinking hard. “Maybe Florida. Or Texas. California, possibly. I want to go somewhere warm, like OBX, with a beach and some palm trees,” JJ looks down at the top of your head, resting his cheek on your hair. Your presence calms him. “And I’d take you with me.”

He knocks the breath out of you. You were never one to plan for the future, but the future is all JJ can think about it. And he sees you in his future, wherever he decides to be. How could you possibly tell him that the life that was destined for you would always be in the Outerbanks, breaking his heart in the process?

“Don’t you want to start living? The way we want to?” JJ asks softly, fingertips grazing your leg. Goosebumps rise on your skin at his intimate touch.

“I already am,” you say, considering his words. “My life is here, JJ. I can’t leave it behind.”

“No, it’s not,” JJ retorts instantaneously, voice unwavering. “This life you’re living? It’s not yours. It’s your parents’.”

Bringing your knees to your chin, you reposition yourself to look at JJ, whose staring out at the bay, blue eyes scanning the water, tuffs of blonde hair dancing in the breeze. It’s the first time that night you really took notice of his face. Dried blood dots the corner of his mouth, and a purple bruise rings around his eye. There’s a tick in his jaw and his fingers drum quickly on his leg. He’s tense. “How so?”

He’s never been anything other than blunt. He hides nothing, letting you know how he thinks, what he feels. “Because you don’t stand up to them. They drag you to yacht parties on the weekend because you’ve never told them who your real friends are. They think Susie Milligan and Delia Pratton are your best friends, except they have no idea that you can’t stand them and would rather be surfing with Kie and John B. They make you stay in and study your dad’s old college textbooks, convinced you’re going to be the world’s greatest attorney, but you complain to Pope that the material is dry and you’ll never be happy working as a prosecutor.” Pulling a cigarette from his pocket and then lighting it, JJ takes a drag, puffing out the smoke before turning to face you. “You let them dictate what should be your life. What is it that youwant to do? You never talk about the future, but one day it’ll be here, and it’s sooner than you think.”

His eyes are focused as he waits for you to consider his question. The truth is, you know what you want, but you’ve never said it aloud. No one ever cared to ask, except for now. Except for JJ.

“I want to be a marine biologist,” you’re confident in your answer, and it leads you to spill more. A weight lifts off your shoulders. “I want to go to school in Hawaii or Australia and learn about animals, nature, sea life. I want to surf, fish, and wear flowers in my hair, embrace my free spirit.”

JJ’s smile encourages you. Opening up to him is so easy because he understands. He listens. And he wants the same freedom as you do. The only difference is, JJ will chase after his dreams.

“I want to learn how to play guitar, climb a mountain, run a marathon, learn Chinese, ride in a hot air balloon,” you take a second to catch your breath, feel the chill of the breeze on your legs. “I want to find love. Maybe get married, have a kid or two. Adopt five kittens. Build my own home with a pool that has a waterfall. I want to try escargot, visit a rainforest, and see the Northern Lights. I want so many things, JJ.”

“Then let’s do it,” JJ says, standing and pulling you to your feet. A smile lights up his face as he grabs your hands in his. It’s the happiest you’ve seen him in the last hour, but it contrasts with what you feel inside. “Let’s start living.”

~

Never gonna change my mind

We can leave it all behind

Nothin’s gonna stop us

No not this time

“Hawaii, huh?”

You look up from your soup. Kiara leans against the bar top, watching you curiously. JJ has gone off to the bathroom, the perfect opportunity for Kiara to grill you with questions.

“He seems pretty adamant,” she remarks, flipping hair over her shoulder. “What’d you say?”

The spoon clinks against the metal bowl as you set it down, dabbing your lips with a napkin. “I didn’t answer.”

“Don’t you think you should?” Kiara asks, playing with the beads on her bracelet. “From what JJ said, he seems pretty sure that wherever he goes, you’re following.”

“Oh, he’s set on us moving to the west coast, but I can’t just leave the OBX,” you counter, shoulders slumping. “My life is here.”

“Then why did you tell him all the things you wanted to do if you don’t ever plan on doing them with him?”

The million-dollar question.

“Because I knew he’d listen,” you say quietly. “I didn’t think he was serious about us leaving together, though. We’re sixteen, Kie. What sixteen year olds do you know drop everything and leave their home behind? And besides,” your laugh comes out strangled, “My parents would never let me leave. You know how they are. They don’t even like that I’m friends with JJ. They think he’s trouble, a bad influence. How do you think they’d react if I just up and left with him?”

Kiara leans in close, whispering, “That’s why you don’t tell them.”

You roll your eyes as Kie laughs. “I’m not going to change my mind on this, Kiara.”

Her face turns serious as she chews on the corner of her lip. The gears turn in her head as she contemplates. “Would it matter if I said JJ’s in love with you?”

Your eyes roam her face, waiting for a laugh, a smile, a teasing wink, but her composure is kept intact as she stares at you. Your face falters. “He—what?”

She nods. “What boy asks a girl to travel the world with him if he’s not in love with her?”

Color creeps up your neck, mouth dry, heart beating irregularly. Your body is jelly, almost sliding off the bar stool, but you slink back further into the chair, hands gripping the arm rests. “Are you sure?”

“If I was a gambler, I’d bet it all. That’s how sure I am.”

“I—no,” you dig in your purse for some cash, slapping the bills down in haste. “I’m either going to disappoint JJ or my parents, and I can’t disappoint my family. So, no, JJ being in love with me doesn’t change anything,” you say, exhaling a breath. “I’m not going with him.”

“Well, that’s good to know.”

Kiara’s eyes expand, and you freeze. JJ’s boots pad against the floor as he pushes through the front door, angrily stomping into the night. You thank Kiara for the dinner before rushing outside to chase a visibly irritated JJ.

“JJ, wait!” Your hand clamps down on his shoulder, spinning him around. The look on his face is disheartening. You try to cradle his cheeks, something you normally did to comfort him, but he pushes your hands away. “Please, stop.”

“You were never planning to come with me, were you?” JJ questions, twirling a few of the rings on his fingers. “You were just…what? Entertaining me?”

“JJ, my life is here, in the OBX!” The words that use to flow perfectly off your tongue don’t even sound right anymore. Part of you doesn’t believe them. “I can’t just leave it all behind. And my parents…God, JJ, they’d never let me go with you. I mean, we’re so young.”

JJ nods, although he doesn’t understand. He knows you. He knows your heart. He knows where you really stand. But he can’t persuade you anymore than he’s tried. “I’m taking my dad’s boat and I am leaving tomorrow. I’m getting out of here because I know what I want and nothing is going to stop me.”

JJ turns, and your heart squeezes as you watch him leave. Your fingers twitch, begging to reach out to him. This can’t be it. He can’t be leaving you. “Is it true?”

He stops in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder.  “Is what true?”

You choke back a soft cry, voice croaking. “Are you in love with me?”

JJ faces you, staring absentmindedly. He wants nothing more than to hold you in his arms, kiss your breath away. But he keeps his distance, shoving his hands back into his pockets, whispering, “It doesn’t matter, because it wouldn’t be enough, anyway.”

~

Back home, you’re surprised to see your parents still awake, chatting softly at the island in the kitchen. You hastily wipe away any leftover tears before they can hound you with questions.

“You’re home late,” says your father, giving you a look. He’s the stricter parent of the two. “I assume you have a good reason?”

You keep the conversation short. “I got caught up talking to JJ. I lost track of time.”

Your mother wrinkles her nose, wine sloshing in her glass as she takes a sip. “How many times have we told you to stay away from that boy, Y/N? He’s trouble.”

“He’s not trouble,” you fire back, wishing you had come up with a lie instead of telling them the truth. “You’re just judgmental.”

“That’s enough,” your father snaps. He runs a hand over his tired face. Being an attorney has aged him ten years. And to think he wanted to send you down the same dreadful path. “I’m having lunch tomorrow with DA Lance Nicholas. I figured you could come along, ask him some questions--.”

“No.”

Your mother stares at you quizzically. “No?”

“Is tomorrow a bad time?” asks your father, loosening his tie. “I’m supposed to meet with him next week as well, if that’s better for you.”

You feel the rage building up inside of you as you remember JJ’s words. You let them dictate what should be your life. What is it that you want to do? “No, dad, there will never be a time that’s good for me to meet the DA, because I don’t want to meet him. I don’t want to be a lawyer.”

You’re sure they’ll yell, give you a hard time, but the laughs that come out of their mouths are surprising. You don’t understand why they’re laughing, but you’re determine to stand your ground, speak up.

“You’ve never once asked me what I wanted to do with my life.”

“Well, yes, because—.”

“Because you planned it for me.”

Your mom glances at your dad, unsure of how to continue the conversation. “Sweetie--.”

“I’m not going to law school,” The light dims in your father’s eyes, face growing red as your tone grows serious. He’s silent, but it doesn’t scare you. “Because I want to be a marine biologist.”

“Honey, listen,--.”

“I want to travel, see what the world has to offer me. I’m tired of being your puppet. I’m tired of pretending to like Susie and Delia. I’m tired of going to stupid yacht parties with out of touch rich people. I’m tired of reading college textbooks about a career I don’t even want while I’m still in high school. This is my life, and you don’t get to choose how I live it.”

Your mom speaks up after what feels like an hour of silence. Her eyes are full of sorrow, voice low, disapproving. “What happened to you? You’re so…outspoken.”

“It’s that damn Maybank kid,” your dad’s forceful voice cuts right through you. He slams his fist on the counter, startling your mom. You stand your ground, unflinching. “I always knew he’d corrupt you sooner or later.”

“Corrupt me?” A laugh escapes you. He can’t be serious. “He helped me, dad. He taught me to stand up for myself, which is what I’m doing right now. He taught me that there’s a life outside of our world in Figure Eight. JJ helped me realize that I don’t belong here,” your mother’s face drops. Guilt briefly flickers across your face. “I belong with him, wherever he goes. Whether it be California or Texas or Hawaii. I belong with him.”

“You are sixteen years old,” your father reminds, looking at you in disgust. “You have no clue what you’re talking about or what you are doing. Go on, get out of my sight.”

You shake your head, turning your back on your parents. It didn’t matter what they said. They wouldn’t be able to stop you from chasing your dreams, from living your life the way you wanted to. They could say you were too young, too naïve, until they were blue in the face. But you know what you want, and no one, especially not your parents, would stop you.

~

So take your hand in mine

It’s ours tonight

This is our rebel love song

Staring down at the note in your hand, you exhale a sigh before dropping it on the kitchen counter. You sign it with a kiss, letting your family know you love them, before venturing outside, quietly closing the door behind you.

The last night in your house was spent packing, constantly checking that your bedroom door was locked to keep the helicopter parents away. There wasn’t much you could fit into the duffel bag, but you squeezed as much as you could, the contents varying from clothing to toiletries to small mementos you didn’t want to leave behind.

The plan was to surprise JJ at the dock. Tugging your duffel higher onto your shoulder, you walk with a content smile.

When you reach the dock, your heart rises to your throat. JJ stands with his back to you, one foot on the dock, the other in the boat. He’s ready to take off, and your legs break out into a sprint, daring him to leave you behind. “JJ!”

The voice makes his ears perk up. He turns, wide-eyed, smile brighter than the gleaming Carolina sun. JJ’s heart swells as he watches the girl he loves run after him, one hand waving frantically in the air, the other tugging the bag higher on her arm.

“JJ, wait!”

But he’s not going anywhere. He’d never go anywhere without you.

You drop the bag onto the dock, launching yourself into JJ’s body. He wobbles slightly, arms coming around your middle, pulling you as far into his chest as you’ll go. You fit perfectly.

“You came,” JJ breathes into your hair, kissing your forehead. The soft pecks are quick, friendly.

It’s not enough for you, though.

You grab his cheeks, pressing your mouth to his, hard. Your heart reacts, beating wildly. The feeling in your body, the sensation you get from kissing JJ, it feels like sunshine. Warm. Blissful. Happy.

There’s no hesitation as JJ kisses you back. His hand creeps up your spine, pressing you impossibly closer to him, almost as if he’s testing to see if you’re real.

It’s all real. You, the kiss, the moment.

He pulls away, slightly breathless. His eyes flicker to the dandelion lying on his drawstring bag, and a smile tugs at his parted lips. He’d picked it for you on his way to the dock, just in case.

“It’s true,” JJ says, reaching down to tenderly pick the flower. Doe-eyed, you watch as he tucks the dandelion behind your ear, shielding the stem with a few strands of your hair. “I am so deeply in love with you.”

“And you were going to leave without ever letting me know.”

“A part of me hoped you wouldn’t let me leave without you,” JJ answers, helping you settle into the boat.

“You’re right,” you smile. “I couldn’t let you leave without knowing I’m in love with you, too.”

The kiss that follows is better than the first. It’s softer, more intimate, and it feels like a rainbow.  

It completes him.

It completes you.

After grabbing your bag from the dock, you help JJ untie the boat before joining him at the wheel. The boat rumbles to life, sailing slowly across the open bay. A new life is just in the distance.

“You ready?” JJ asks. There’s nothing in his eyes other than hope, nothing in his grin other than happiness.

Taking his hand, you smile. “I am now.”

[saharamae21]

Never Ran Smooth (Part 7)

Hey everyone! Working really hard to try to update more! Let me know what you think! | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | 

__________________________________________________

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

JJ’s POV:

After hours of blaring music and yelling, my dad had finally passed out. This is why Savannah can never get involved with me. I would tear her down to my level. I would just ruin her life. I winced in pain as I brushed against the bruises my dad had given me and roughly packed a bag. I needed to get out of here. As I slipped past my dad on the couch, a wave of rage overcame me. I can’t do this anymore. He makes me miserable. He’s given me nothing. He’s the reason I’m worthless. I shook as I pulled out the gun and aimed right at his sleeping body. I felt tears well up in my eyes and moved away quickly, shoving the gun back into my bag. In the end, he was still my father.

When I got to John B’s there was someone already there. They watched the house from a car as we slipped into the Pogue and took off.

“First, I almost get strangled to death by Kooks,”I started. “and now I'm on the hook for 30 grand. We should just dip.”

“Okay, where do you wanna go? Hm?” John asked with a hint of annoyance.

“Yucatan,” I said, earning a laugh from the boy. “No, I'm dead serious right now. Surf all day, and then we can just live off lobsters we catch with our bare hands.”

“You just wanna leave 'cause you got your ass beat?” he asked, rolling his eyes. No. Maybe if I just left, Sav would be better off. Maybe if I left, my dad would get his shit together. Maybe if I left, everyone around me would get by a little easier. Not only that, maybe if we left I could save John B from becoming like the two guys who were fed to the sharks.

“You didn't see the photos,” I mumbled.

“Think about it. They're willing to kill for the gold,” John B paused. “then it's gotta be out there.”

“One hundred years, people have been tryin' to find this Royal Merchant,” I said raising my voice. “and no one succeeded. And you think you are gonna be the one that actually finds it? When will you get it in your thick skull? If you keep goin' down this road, you're gonna end up just like your dad!”

I felt him shove me. I saw the anger on his face. I watched as he began to struggle with his own thoughts and actions.

“I can't give up, JJ!” he screamed back at me. “The last time I saw that dude, we got in an argument, and then he took all of our rent money and dipped for this Royal Merchant. And then I told him he was a shit father. and you know how the rest of the story goes.”

“Bro, that wasn't your fault,” I said softly. I just wanted him to stop blaming himself for this.

“It doesn't matter whose fault it is, JJ!” he yelled. “Do you not understand that? I can't give up on the hunt, man. I don't care who's out there, who's gonna try to kill us. Do you understand that? I can’t just leave. I get you think you have nothing here JJ, but that isn’t true. What about Pope and Kie? What about Savannah?” I cringed when he said her name. I remember the look on her face when I told her we would never happen. She deserves more than me.

“What would Savannah do if you just left one day JJ?” he asked me. I avoided his gaze. I felt guilt well up in me as I imagined her looking for me. “When are you going to stop thinking you're bad for her and realize how good she is for you?”

His words burned me. They sat in the back of my mind for the rest of the day. I had made my decision to prevent her from being hurt by my lifestyle. Now night was upon us and the Midsummers event was in full force. I was dressed the nicest I’ve ever looked as we pulled the boat up to the dock of the hotel.

“Okay, look, I need you to get this to Sarah,” John told me.

“Ooh! Can I read it?” I asked, already sneaking a peak. “Hold up. Are you mackin' Sarah Cameron?”

“Would you shut up?” he asked, clearly embarrassed. This new information made my stomach churn. He was macking on a Kook and I couldn’t even accept the fact that I might like one.

In the end, I agreed to be his little messenger and sneak into Midsummers. I made it into the backyard and admired the decorations Sav had thought about. She really had a talent when it came to picking out things that sparkled. Then my eyes landed on her. She looked radiant and fresh like the decorations themselves. She was beautiful from head to toe and every single part of me wanted to go up to her and ask her to dance, but then my eyes found their ways to hers. There was her black eye. The one she had gotten while trying to protect me. The guilt began to overwhelm me. Where there was me, there was bruising and hurt, and she wasn’t an exception to that rule. I was a danger to her.

“Hey!” Pope yelled. Thank you for interrupting my thoughts.

“Dude, don't sneak up on me like that right now,” I said awkwardly as he embraced me. “Whoa. Unexpected PDA there, Dr. Spock.”

He looked so distressed, but it made me happy to know he was okay. “But, uh... hey, love you, too, man,” I said while placing a quick kiss on his cheek.

“Did Shoupe do that?” he asked, motioning to my face.

“Oh, this? No. This is-- It's my dad. You know? Has that right jab,” I said jokingly. I didn’t want him to worry. “Can really snap it off at times. It's nothin' that hasn't happened before.”

I explained that we were going to be rich. I explained that John had a plan. And most of all I explained to him that nothing that happened to me was his fault. I smiled as I left him to do his job and went back to the mission of finding Sarah Cameron. As I dodged my way through the crowds I found Sarah dancing with her little sister. I awkwardly slipped her the note and tried to get out of there as quickly as I could, but felt a hand grab mine. It was soft and warm and I knew exactly whose it was before turning around.

“Are you okay…?” her voice was shaky. Princess.

“I’m fine,” I said as I turned around. I heard her gasp and instantly her hand was on my face. I winced in pain and pushed her hand away. She muttered an apology, worry filling her eyes.

“Who did this to you?” she asked. I saw a single tear slip down her cheek. I wanted to reach forward and wipe it away, but at this moment she seemed a million miles away from me.

“Don’t worry about it,” I scoffed. She wasn’t going to let this go though. I opened my mouth to give her an explanation, but was interrupted by the last person I wanted to see.

“I'm wonderin' if you could get me a mai tai, my friend,” Rafe’s voice rang out.

“Grow up Rafe,” Sav said, defending me no matter what.

“You guys look spiffy,” I joked. “You know, uh, I got a couple of orders ahead of you, so why don't you guys just go ahead and wait by the bar?”

“No, we're going…” Rafe started. “help yourselves to hors d'oeuvres.”

Then a guy I didn’t know spoke up. I had seen him around a few times, but never once has he picked a fight with me.

“Guys, JJ's gonna serve us some hors d'oeuvres,” he smirked, but not at me. He was looking past me, right at Savannah. I saw the anger on her face.

“That’s enough Jasper,” she said, her hands balled into fists. “Leave him alone.”

“I'll be right back, okay?” I said. I was going to do anything to get Sav out of this situation before it got ugly. But then they followed me. I ran through the hotel and into the locker room. I sighed and tried to find a place to hide, but there was nowhere to run. Next thing I know, I’m being escorted out by security. At this point I might as well make a scene.

“It's okay, everybody! Do not panic. Leave it to the men and women in uniform,” I yelled as I looked up. My eyes met Savannah’s dad’s who looked disgusted by my actions. It was too late to go back now though. “Let's hear it for them. Rose! You look like Lady Liberty.”

My eyes once again fell on Savannah, who laughed at my joke. She looked like she was building up courage for something. I hated when I was right.

“Let go of him!” she yelled. I watched as she ran up to where I was. “You can't boot him! I invited him here. I'm a member of this club.”

“Savannah!” her dad yelled and marched down to where she was. Kie and Pope followed shortly after. When her dad finally made it to her, he grabbed her arm roughly. She pushed him away and then a sound echoed through the silence. If this wasn’t a scene before, it certainly was now. Nicolas Stryker had just struck his daughter in the middle of Midsummers. “You will not embarrass this family anymore.”

I knelt down beside her, expecting her to be in full tears like at the movies. Yet, there were no tears. No emotion was in her eyes as my fingers guided along her cheek. She pushed my hand away and got up, looking at Kie, Pope and I.

“C’mon…” she said quietly. “You guys have somewhere to be right?”

I grabbed her wrist, making her come with us. The only thought going through my head was: I have to get her out of here. I have to make sure she’s okay.

“If you leave, don’t bother coming home,” he dad muttered after her, but she kept walking. I held her wrist tightly and just kept my face forward, not checking on her in the slightest. If I looked at her, I would be filled with rage at everyone. Is this how rich kids were treated too?

The rain was whipping through the air as we drove to the lighthouse. Kie was arguing back and forth with John B over the Sarah Cameron predicament, but Pope and I focused our attention on Sav. She sat silently, staring out the window even though we weren’t moving anymore. Her knees were hugged into her chest and there was no emotion on her face. I felt Pope nudge me and gesture towards her. I gave him a look as if saying no, but there was no arguing with him at this moment. Finally giving in, I went and sat next to her. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything though. She just sat there unfazed by me. I slowly reached up and moved a piece of hair from her face. God, she is so beautiful. Unable to make the words come out, I just pushed her head to lean on my shoulder. “You don’t need to force yourself,” she mumbled and leaned her head back up.

“I’m not,” I said and placed her head down once again. “I’m just trying to be a good friend.”

She kept her head there and closed her eyes, squeezing them tightly like she was going to cry. I felt her wrap her arms around my neck. Her hot breath against my neck made my heart pound.

“Just let me stay like this for a second,” she whispered, pain echoing inside her voice. She clung to me as if she needed me by her side. What she needed was love and if I gave her that, only bad things would follow. Instead of loving her, I reassured her everything was going to be alright, but even that must have been too close, because John B almost died less than an hour later.

___________________________________________________________

Tag List : @jjmaybangme

[indelibleevidence]

Thoughts re: pre-series Roscar, Roman and Shepherd

I have a theory that Roman did NOT like Oscar. And that Shepherd encouraged the Roscar relationship for precisely that reason.

We don't see Roman talk about Oscar, except that one comment about how he should never have been Jane's handler, but things between Roman and Remi in the flashbacks Roman has are positively icy. I remember being very surprised that Remi would treat the brother she'd been through hell with like crap, especially since she seems relatively gentle with Markos and Oscar. There's a real edge in her voice when she talks to Roman, and though it could be subjective, as in he remembers things differently to the way she remembers treating him, we also see her speaking very harshly to Hallucination!Roman in season 4. (Personally, I think losing everything she cared about also hardened her a little bit more, plus she's kind of aware that Roman isn't real and she's being harsh and defensive to her own doubts, but I also think Roman's opinion of Oscar would tie in here.)

So my take on it was that Roman was thrilled to have Remi back in the fold after Afghanistan, though he might have been a bit upset by the way she left him behind - since Shepherd stole her baby, though, I get the feeling he'd understand why Remi needed to get away, and they probably wrote to each other a lot. Maybe it was even similar to the way Kurt used to worry about Sarah in military school - needing to leave a sibling with an abusive parent, but checking up on them whenever possible.

So when Remi gets back to Sandstorm after Orion's collapse (for which Shepherd probably played the 'you'll get your sister back' card with Roman to persuade him to go along with the Douglas Winter framing, etc.), Roman is hoping they can spend a lot of time together. But then along comes Oscar. Since Alice Kruger was declared dead in 2013, and Jane was left in Times Square in 2015, Remi must have met Oscar pretty soon after she got back, and it must have been an intense relationship with a lot of time spent together, for her to agree to marry him as fast as she would have had to. That leaves not as much time for hanging out with Little Bro as Roman might have hoped, and I get the feeling Roman blamed Oscar for that, because blaming Remi after all she'd done for him would seem disloyal.

His sister is moving on with the next stage in her life without him, but from their conflict over Kat from the Viper Kings, Remi still has a lot of sway over Roman. Maybe she even played the 'you want me not to be so close to Oscar? Then stop getting so close to the redhead' card. That would explain a lot.

Meanwhile, Shepherd has a subservient son-in-law-to-be. Oscar is loyal to her cause (and scared of her, which always helps), and her kids are pissed at each other. She confessed to Jane in late season 3 that she'd always wanted to drive a wedge between Remi and Roman, and Oscar seemed to be doing the trick, plus Shepherd got to score extra points with Remi after the Avery schism, by endorsing her choice of husband.

It also makes it make more sense that Oscar described Remi as compassionate and patient, and said that she wouldn't torture him because 'that's not you', when she really didn't seem that way in Roman's memories. Having said that, Remi did seem to be showing her better side to Oscar, or maybe he just brought out the best in her, the way Kurt did with Jane. There are a lot of parallels between Jeller and Roscar, if you look for them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Remi didn't do awful things. We saw that from the way Cameron Gibbs remembered her in season 4 (the anecdote about something costing someone an arm and a leg? Eek!). But an argument between Remi and Roman does seem to make sense. 'The more I remember, the more I hate you.'

Thoughts?

[forestwater87]

A big box o’Gwenvid AU ideas: A is for "Aww” and “Angst” and “AAAH”

This post is fucking rad as balls, and I started thinking of fun AU ideas . . . until I remembered that I already have approximately 2 billion WIPs already and don’t necessarily know if any of these have legs as actual fics. But it was fun to think about, so here we are! This is the first of . . . presumably 26 of these? Who knows, but this post we have:

Accidental Marriage AU

In which Campbell convinces incredibly wealthy investors known for their focus on “family values” that the Camp is a sweet family business run by a husband-and-wife team of counselors. The problem, of course, is that it isn’t sweet and its head counselors aren’t married. Campbell only has enough booze to fix one of those situations. 

He’ll figure the rest out in the morning. He thinks better with a hangover, anyway.

(Yes I think this one would be awesome in Campbell’s POV. You cannot change my mind on this.)

Actor AU

Okay, real talk this would just be @whiskyarts​‘s gameshow AU. Because I kinda love the idea of Jerk!David who just pretends to be a sweetheart for the cameras. Except I would cover it with my filthy Gwenvid hands and make it shippy in that antagonistic-hatemance-eventually-turns-into-something-resembling-feelings. There would be lots of angst and snark and sparkly clothes and I would love it and probably no one else would.

Alien AU

An Interplanetary Anthropologist, Gwen, manages to land a position on the Campbell after years of education and networking and plain old hard work. She is an employee of the most impressive warship in the galaxy -- sure, it’s gone to seed a little bit in the last few decades, but it still has its shine if you look at it sideways and squint a little -- and more importantly, it’s work experience! Paid work experience . . . as a janitor.

When the Campbell picks up a POW that the ship’s commander plans to (illegally) sell to the highest bidder, Gwen decides to treat it as an opportunity to build a real-life case study on one of the universe’s rarer life forms while it’s within arm’s reach. But the more she learns about the strange, sunny alien who was his platoon’s only survivor, the more uncomfortable she is with letting him disappear into her captain’s nefarious dealings and -- 

Oh fuck, this is The Shape of Water, isn’t it? I mean, I’ve never seen The Shape of Water but I’m pretty sure that’s what this is. Fuck. Goddamn it. Fuck.

Amnesia AU

David takes a rogue bus to the . . . well, everything -- something that’s more or less routine by now -- and hits his head hard enough to knock him out for almost a full day. When he wakes up, he’s the same cheerful David the camp is used to . . . except for three strange new things:

He doesn’t know where he is or what he’s doing -- doesn’t, in fact, remember anything after some vague memories of childhood.

He’s completely terrified of the forest, and especially of Spooky Island.

He has no idea who Cameron Campbell is, but he’s quite positive he hates him.

Android AU

Actually @ciphernetics​ and I put this idea together a little while ago! Basically Camp Campbell has a state-of-the-art off-brand helper android named David, who is a perfect camp counselor, childcare provider, and comes equipped with the finest Forest Survival software Cameron Campbell could find for free online in half an hour.

Gwen, the new (requisite human) hire, hasn’t ever really interacted with androids, and doesn’t especially want to now. David is used to the distrust, even outright hostility -- very few of the campers seem to like him, and he knows that his presence can be unsettling to humans, and look, it isn’t a D:BH AU okay? It just looks like one, and acts like one. And is one.

Angel/Demon AU

Um the perfect Angel/Demon AU literally already exists, but they only wrote one chapter back in 2017 and never updated, and that makes me absurdly sad. Regardless, David being very bad at being a demon and Gwen being very bad at being an angel is the ideal setup for this kind of AU, in my humble opinion. 

However, David being an angel trying to reform his fallen ABFEL (angel buddy for eternal life!), who probably became a demon over something stupid and probably horny, also sounds extremely cute. They’re still friends, even though that is against literally all of the rules, and they secretly meet and hang out. David is convinced he can bring her around, and Gwen insists that she hates having him hanging off her nonexistent wings all the time. 

Honestly, probably neither of those things are true. Gwen wasn’t cut out for heaven -- and probably, neither is David.

Apocalypse AU

Cameron Campbell was probably doing something dangerously stupid in the hopes it could make him money. That, or the Quartermaster was doing something dangerous for reasons only he could ever understand. Hell, maybe that’s what that weird Daniel guy’s cult was trying to do. Whoever was doing what, they ripped a hole in their dimension at the bottom of Lake Lilac, and all sorts of awful things start creeping through.

There were signs, of course -- that weird fish-monster certainly didn’t come in through customs -- but an inopportune explosion, or wayward firework, or the rumblings of Sleepy Peak Peak, or something ripped a hole in the fabric of reality big enough for Lovecraftian monsters to start crawling through. There’s no stopping it. Really, there’s no chance of even fighting it. 

The second the rift opens, the story becomes one of just trying to stay out from under the Elder Gods’ feet.

Arranged Marriage AU

I think the easiest way to make this one work is by making either David or Gwen Campbell’s actual biological child -- maybe an heir, albeit to a highly illegal fortune and a mountain of credit card debt. But Campbell gets in trouble, the kind of trouble where he’s gambled everything and the only collateral he has left is a kid he got saddled with because their mother had better lawyers. A kid he’s been more than happy to put to work for the last 20-something years, who happens to have caught the eye of a ludicrously wealthy magnate -- not for her own sake (though Campbell would’ve been open to that too) -- but for her child, one she loves more than anything and keeps carefully shut away until the Right Person comes along.

His kid isn’t necessarily the right person, but for the first time in his life Cameron Campbell has a genuine treasure on his hands.

And, like all the fake treasures he’s passed off over the years, he just has to find a way to shine them up and make him a fortune.

Artist AU

Gwen is a starving artist living in a rat-infested hovel in the city, scraping by on a series of uninspired landscapes she paints on postcards and the goodwill of friends, family, and significant others. One day, a bright young man bounces up to her “studio” (it’s a cardboard box outside the park) and tells her excitedly that he’s been looking for her for weeks; he thinks her postcards are the most beautiful things he’s ever seen, and he would like to know if she’d be interested in moving down to a cabin by the lake. He runs a summer camp, he explains, and he knows they’d all be honored if she would teach them art lessons -- and of course paint in her spare time! The views are indescribable, and he’s sure she’ll have no shortage of inspiration.

She weighs the cost of what little artistic dignity she has remaining against room, board, and a steady paycheck for three months, and takes the job immediately.

Art Student AU

Put them in an art college -- maybe condense the ages so that the campers are like, younger students? -- and have Gwen as the Serious Art Student who cares a lot about theory and form and doing things right, and she’s constantly irritated by her classmate David, who sits at the same table as her and has declared them art buddies, and is convinced that the point of art is just to have fun and do your best! Maybe force them to do a group project together and really see them clash.

(Alternatively, there is the infinitely more shameless route of one being an art student and the other being a newd model for figure drawing. I am obviously much too classy to ever insinuate such a thing, but if someone was really looking for a way to write smuht . . . it’s sitting right there. On a table. nekkid. I HAVE TO CHANGE THE SPELLING TO MAKE THIS GO IN THE TAGS ARE YOU KIDDING ME)

Athlete AU

There are 4 major ways this one can go, I feel like:

Basically HSM: Gwen is a small part in her school’s musical (techie, maybe, or the orchestra) and lanky jock David -- which is the most hilarious phrase ever but he’s probably a runner or tennis player, something light on muscles and heavy on speed and springiness -- who’s well-mannered and cheerful but not the brightest, is put into the show as an extra-credit way to bump up his GPA so he can keep sporting his sports, and it turns out he’s both very good at and super enthusiastic about it.

A little like HSM, but as grown-ups: Gwen is the head of the drama/art department, which has just faced heavy cuts to support the superstar sports program, and she furiously storms over to the head coach’s office to let him know exactly what she thinks about him and his stupid meathead jocks. Of course, when the man who opens the door is a sweetheart beanpole with big eyes who already knows her name, she finds it hard to keep up her righteous indignation. And when it turns out that he was completely ignorant of the hit her department took from the budget cuts (or maybe not ignorant, just terminally oblivious) and is almost as upset as she is to hear about it, she’s forced to reconsider everything she’d assumed about Coach Greenwood; maybe he’s not the enemy after all, but someone with whom she can formulate a new battle plan.

Reporter/Famous Athlete AU: Either Gwen is a professional sportsball person and David is the shy, bumbling photographer eager to prove himself, or she’s the plucky, intrepid reporter and David is a good-natured professional athlete who she’s determined to interview.

Teammates AU: Professional or amateur sports team, and they’re just trying to scrape their way out of the bottom of the league without killing each other. 

Author AU

There are a lot of potential interpretations of this AU, but my personal favorite is Gwen as a novelist with two distinctly differing careers: as G. E. Santos, the high-concept writer whose books are critical darlings in the maybe 3 publications that care about such things but whose sales can’t quite crack the triple digits; and as Annabelle Elizabeth, whose steamy erotica regularly tops the bestseller lists and is reviled by all of G. E.’s colleagues as “populist genre trash.” 

The only person alive who knows about her Jekyll-and-Hyde author personas (besides her older sister Audree, who plays the part of charismatic and sensual Annabelle flawlessly) is her editor, David. He’s an odd choice, as her colleagues in both fields have pointed out -- reading her romance novels with his pen in one hand and the other covering his eyes, peeking through his fingers to write tremulous notes in the margins; stumbling through her ponderous literary works with a dictionary in his lap and his tongue between his teeth, poring through them like he’s learning a new language -- but he’s the only person Gwen will allow to touch her writing. 

Maybe it’s because he always seems like her biggest fan. Maybe it’s because she’s known him since they were at a summer camp together years ago. Maybe it’s because he believes in her in a way no one else does -- in a way she absolutely doesn’t believe in herself.

David is, for reasons she’s not entirely sure how to explain even to herself, the only person she trusts.

Avian (Bird People) AU

Centuries ago, it was said, avians were a rarity, an aberrant mutation to be locked up and intently studied but never trusted. Some people thought they were antichrists, a sign of the end times, when all normal humans would be destroyed and only the strange bird-people would remain.

In a way, maybe they were. Because when the earth’s crust ripped open and flooded the planet with magma and boiling water miles deep, avians were the only ones who could take to the sky.

Not all of them, certainly. In fact, most were locked up in detention centers and laboratories when the Swamp formed, and were unable to escape in time. Considering the people who could get to high enough elevations to escape the deluge, there were decades afterwards where the decimated human population outnumbered the avian one. Those were periods of tension, outright war and tentative alliances -- even romances, the kinds of great love stories that dragged both avian and human populations a few generations along when one or both of them should’ve died out.

That was over two hundred years ago, however. Now the Swamp is a murky expanse of scalding water and the boiled remains of civilization transformed into unrecognizable muck, with islands of “land” cobbled out of what remains. This is where the avians live, now. And humans don’t live anywhere, not anymore.

At least . . . that was what they thought.

[pass-the-bechdel]

Continuum season one full review

How many episodes pass the Bechdel test?

80% (eight of ten)

What is the average percentage per episode of female characters with names and lines?

30.6%  

How many episodes have a cast that is at least 40% female?

One, episode 1.05, “A Test of Time” (41.18%)

How many episodes have a cast that is less than 20% female?

Zero.

How many female characters (with names and lines) are there?

Twenty-two. Seven who appear in more than one episode, five who appear in at least half the episodes, and one who appears in every episode.

How many male characters (with names and lines) are there?

Forty-four. Fifteen who appear in more than one episode, eleven who appear in at least half the episodes, and three who appear in every episode.

Positive Content Status:

Perfectly average, with nothing terrible, but nothing of note, either.  (average rating of 3.0)

General Season Quality:

Solid. It attempts to merge police procedural element with a more serialized narrative, and generally succeeds at both.  It is also clearly a series that realizes the potential of its premise and is interested in exploring it in depth.

MORE INFO (and potential spoilers) under the cut:

Let’s talk about heroes.

Heroism, in stories set in versions of Earth that are meant to resemble ours—see: the MCU, Supergirl, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, earthbound Doctor Who stories not set in the future—tends to be associated with maintaining the status quo. As disruptive as heroes often are by nature and necessity, they generally don’t work to change things for the better in a general way, but rather, to ensure things don’t get worse. Society, by implication, becomes “good enough”—something worth keeping around as is. This tendency is occasionally questioned—not surprising, given all the ways the status quo isn’t actually good for many people—but the story’s internal rules mean that the conclusion is often a half-hearted “eh, what other option is there?” with the occasional “but that way lies tyranny!” While this stance isn’t entirely without reason, it’s also often frustrating. Inaction and tyranny aren’t the only choices, so why pretend that they are?  

This right here is one of the main reasons why I really appreciate Continuum, and why I would probably do so even if the show weren’t as consistently solid as it is.  It is a show entirely built around the idea that the status quo is untenable, and that trying to keep things as they are can only bring about the destruction of the human race at the hands of the 1%.  While it’s far from the only series with a social conscience, it is one of the very few to declare that what is needed is massive, widespread and disruptive social change. That it does so while also being a police procedural, a genre that tends to be almost inextricably tied to conservative politics and an affinity for the status quo, is all the more impressive.  

I’m fascinated by stories about people vs. the future—it’s the absolute impossibility of the struggle that gets me. I mean, how do you fight change? Sarah Connors’ battle wasn’t just about deadly people-killing robots; it was a fight against progress, a refusal to acknowledge that humans will continue to advance technologically no matter what you do, and  “winning,” in those terms, meant undoing the previous fifty years of existence. Team Machine’s battle against Samaritan hit the same points: in the end, if didn’t matter whether one particular artificial super-intelligence was atomized, because another would take its place—maybe not soon but eventually.  

While Liber8’s struggle has some similarities to these fights, it is, in the end, fundamentally different. The Corporate Congress and the mass demotion of actual people to second-class citizens isn’t inevitable the way the advent of artificial super-intelligences is. There’s no reason why humanity can’t continue progressing technologically AND choose not to bring back indentured servitude. If the terrible future happens, it’s not because the arc of humanity inevitably bends towards corporate dystopia, but because the people in positions to change things…didn’t. Also, while artificial super-intelligences are still years away, Continuum’s apocalyptic future isn’t really the future at all.  Corporations aren’t going to wait fifty years before they choose to actively reduce people’s freedoms in order to obtain ever greater profits; it’s what they’re doing at this very moment.  Liber8’s battle is much more urgent and immediate, and that ups the difficulty level of the storytelling immeasurably—it would have been very easy for the series to fuck it all up.  

Fortunately, Continuum, for the most part, hasn’t.  It’s not perfect—its theory of oppression largely ignores the role of marginalized identities, and how these shape the way oppression is performed and perceived (and no, making most of Liber8’s members people of color isn’t enough to address this)—but the series’ heart and storytelling instincts appear to be where they need to be. They actually care about the issues at play, and that’s mostly evidenced in the fact that it treats Liber8’s fight as legitimate.  It could have been the easiest thing in the world for Continuum to be the story of cop vs. terrorists FROM THE FUTURE!, and for Liber8’s motives to be nothing more than the motivation to get the story going, or a cover for more traditional nefariousness. Instead, it is the whole point. Continuum is a series about getting from point A to point B, and about just how complicated things can get.

Speaking of complicated: Kiera Cameron.

While Kiera is very much a genre show protagonist—Continuum is very much a genre show—she actually reminds me more of a character from an entirely different sort of story—The Good Wife’s Alicia Florrick.   This is a good thing, since Alicia is one of the best protagonists on television and I love her for many of the reasons I love Kiera. I love that she’s an introvert who doesn’t make friends easily. I like that she likes systems, and feels most comfortable inside them. I like that she is fundamentally selfish. I like that neither she nor the series is exactly concerned about her being approachable or cool. Perhaps most importantly, I like that while the series is never short of sympathy for her, it is also very clear that her goal is completely incompatible with the good future.  

Unfortunately, none of the show’s other female characters manage to equal Kiera, or even come close. While there’s no glaring missteps I can identify in the show’s female representation—aside from the usual ones—there’s no real revelations, either: Sonya, Garza, and Betty, are, for the moment, just alright. Somewhat ironically, the one-shot female characters do better than the more promising ones, in part because they’re more numerous and varied, and in part because the series can’t afford to punt their development to a future date. While this feels like the result of circumstance rather than intention—with so much to cover and so little time to do so, something had to give—that’s really just an excuse. There’s no reason why the characters who got prioritized this season had to mostly be men.  

If there is something noteworthy in the way Continuum approaches gender, it is in Kiera’s relationship with Carlos, which is my favorite dynamic in the show. While I tend to look askance at calls for more purely platonic relationships between sexually compatible characters—I’m not often confident they’re made in good faith—I do like the idea in theory, and this relationship is an excellent proof of concept. Kiera and Carlos could get together. There’s tons of evidence that they’re compatible, and he’s a better person than Kellogg or—ugh!—Alec.  Heck, there’s absolutely no evidence here that they aren’t going to get together in the future. But it’s not happening now, and neither the characters or the show think there’s anything wrong with that or that it makes their relationship somehow lesser.  It isn’t that romance isn’t important or it’s incompatible with depth or great storytelling and character development; the elements of the relationship that I like— push and pull, between people who disagree on a lot but respect each other and are more than willing to meet each other halfway—could easily still be there if they were together. It’s just that sometimes, it doesn’t need to be there.

(I’m team Kiera / no one, myself.)

Kiera’s relationship with Alec, meanwhile, is not nearly as compelling, in large part because Alec is the element of the show that least works.  I understand his place in the narrative, and I can totally see how a character like him would end up eventually helping create the corporate dystopia, but this doesn’t make the present-day version of the character and his immaturity any easier to take (his future self is fine). He’s not intolerable, and I like the family drama that surrounds him—the best episode of the season is all about the Saddlers and Randols—but he’s also not great, and given just how many characters and concepts are fighting for attention, that’s something the series can’t afford.  

To mix metaphors, Continuum is a high-wire act, juggling so many balls that it is in constant danger of collapse. There’s a let’s-prevent-the-terrible-future time travel narrative, with all the usual complications of time travel stories. There’s a good half-dozen fish-out-of-water narratives.  There’s a traditional police procedural, except that it also involves future technology. There’s an exploration of class warfare and capitalism, and the evolving roles of activism and terrorism within it. There’s family drama. Taken together, it’s arguably more than can be properly explored in ten episodes, and that the series did as well as it did is genuinely surprising. While I’m not sure it can keep up the balancing act indefinitely as it continues, I’m interested in seeing how long it lasts.  

[rivervixen327]

The Slayer

Summary ↓

Six months ago Stevie Hoffman was just your regular highschool student, above average grades, head cheerleader, class president and the president of the year book committee. But all that changed the day she turned sixteen, that day the wool had been ripped from her eye's and suddenly she was thrust into the world of the supernatural. A world she had to singlehandedly keep at bay, along with her over barring Watcher at her side ,all while she tried to keep her identity a secret.  unfortunately things are about to get a whole lot more complicated when Thaddeus greystone shows up, with information about the big bad apocalyptic Ark Angel who just rolled into town looking for trouble. and a secret, one that involves Stevie Hoffman.

Characters ↓

Thaddeus greystone - " I didn't choose to be this way, a monster."

Stevie Hoffman - "Go to hell, the council doesn't get to decide who I love"

Louisa Corns - " I really do hate that bitch"

Gregory Cerberus - "Wow they really don't make em how they used, huh"

Kathy Davenport - " wait let me get this straight, you're vampire slayer and my boyfriend is the wolf man"

Mickey st'john- "sorry my favourite time of the is coming up"

Pete Hoffman- "Back off dad, you screwed up way before you cheated on mum"

Tory Rivera - " So can he like, ya know smell you're period"

Professor Lionel Coleman- " I'm her Watcher it's my duty to train her, to protect her, it's not yours"

Mrs Mary Hoffman - "Hunny I know you don't want to talk right now, but when your ready my doors open"

Cameron Fields- "Look babe I've been trying to get in good with her click, but the witchy girl is making Impossible"

Sara Davidson - "Hmm, she's different to the others, why?"

Angela Thomas - " So you're the slayer, smaller than I thought you'd be"

Delilah Spence - " Long time no see, tell me Thaddeus how is immortality treating you"

Ezekiel - " You think you have the power to beat me little girl, I am power"

Jedediah - " We were friends once Thaddeus, perhaps one day we shall be again "

Mathias - " Come home Brother our father misses you greatly"

Philip Hoffman - " Hey she's my daughter too, I deserve to know what the fuck is going on with her"

Hey so I'll post the prologue on Tumblr if you want to read but don't have a wattpad account.

_________prologue↓_________

Prologue

1

Ezekiel's feet pounded the gravel flooring of Paris, the night air thick as he chased down his latest prey, the slayer. He had kill meny in his time since his fall from heaven, this one would mean just as little as the rest. The slayer rounded the corner into a pretty french graveyard, away from the prying eyes of the mortal folk.  personally he couldn't care less if the mundanes saw what really lurked in the night, but she was a slayer and very good one, one who had evaded him and his clan for years, so yes it made sense that even now as her death was approaching she kept to slayer code.

The slayer stood rooted in her spot, watching as two more men appeared from the crevices of the graveyard. She knew in that moment that her death was near, but she wasn't scared to die. For a slayer her life had been long, most don't make passed the test. So yes while she was only 43 the slayer knew she had lived a long Life, one in which she was a hero to meny. Going out in Paris seemed beautiful to her, the tower in view it's light's glistening, as the Ark Angel and his followers surrounded her. The Slayer knew what he wanted, but she wouldn't give up a fellow sister, especially one as significant as she would become.  For centuries the council had told it's warriors of one who would have the power to end the raign of Ezekiel. That the Slayer would have the power of immortality, though it was an impossible task it was a task each was Given, to understand what the prophecy ment by immortality. And for centuries no one had figured this out, until now, until this moment now she the middle aged women stared her death in the eye's she understood the prophecy.

In her minds eyes she could see the next warrior, the girl was young much like she used to be. But she also happened to be completely untrained, though to the slayer perhaps this was a good thing. The girl would be surprise to Ezekiel and his band of merry men, he wouldn't be expecting the next warrior to be small and untrained knowing nothing of the supernatural world. But the Slayer knew this girl would be well protected, with friends like she had. With the Watcher who would soon be chosen to prepare her for the battles ahead, one who would love the her like a father loves his daughter. Surely the council would frown upon such a thing, but it was something out if their control. And she had him.

He was a surprise to the women at first, but now visions had become clear, In Death that often happens, now she could see the Slayer clearly and she knew the girl needed him. There had been a Reason her first date six months ago had been such a chaotic disaster, it was the same reason all the other dates had ended the same way. It was clear now, she was destined to be with him, it was as though they're Union was written in the star's. she was Reason why he had left his master's side over a thousand years ago. She was Reason why he only killed when he needed to, the universe was trying to tell him something. It had become clearer to women now as her death approached, the shadows in her vision's had been him. He was forever watching her, making sure she was Safe. He had loved her since the beginning of his immortal life. Now the current slayer for however long she had left knew this would be hard for the pair of fated lovers, it was forbidden but she knew somehow in the end it would work out. She knew the slayer would be safe and protected by all around her that cared for her. And she knew that the girl would protect them too.

Ezekiel finally came into view, the Slayer shut of her minds eye, her concentration now of the Ark Angel and his followers coming forwards  from the Shadows. The women was now surrounded but she had no fear of death, it was a natural part of life.

The women dropped her stakes, using her now free hands to push back she knoted blonde locks from her face.

"Arh, i see the women has come to her senses, tell my slayer what do you know of the prophecy" the man's voice was thick with gravel, his yellow eyes hooded as  they remained trained on the Slayer.

"I'll never tell you" spat the women, in a flash Mathias had pinned one arm across the blondes chest, while his free hand tangled itself into her hair, pulling back her head. The warm flesh of her neck exposed.

"You are brave, for a dead women,  aren't you ?" The ark angel closer now, so close he could hear the blood pumping in her veins. She wasn't stupid, she knew he was trying to intimidate her but it wouldn't work she wouldn't give the young girl up.

"Nothing I'll tell you nothing" Ezekiel growled like a primitive animal, before taking a few strides backwards.

"Go ahead boys, but remember to share." Within a blink of a eye, the slayer felt two pairs sharp teeth sink into either side of her neck. Both vampire's lapping up the blood as sweet as nectar. The older man forced his children to stop when he saw the women wanting to speak.

"STOP, she wants to speak." Both vampire reluctantly realised the women allowing her sputter out her last words.

"You'll never beat him, you Ezekiel of Lazarus will never beat him, you are not strong enough."

"Who, is this you speak of, girl answer me" the man's face was a mixture of confusion and desperation, to know who the Slayer spoke of.

"Someone you thought was long dead, you're Greatest creation," with those words the women was dead.

Ezekiel was confused, In his long raign on this earth he had turned meny and meny of them he considered his greatest creation. But through the ages they had all died, well those except Mathias and jedediah. On some level he knew that the pair were living because of him, they were faithful to him, to cause and of course he knew why. He had found jedediah two thousand years ago dying, the blood had been two hard to resist and soon enough he was drained of the sticky red liquid. At the time his first turn had convinced Ezekiel to bring the man back and of course he did. Matthias was different he was young compared to jedediah at only just a thousand. He and come looking for Ezekiel, evidently he found the the ark Angel in question, at the time he happened to be grieving the loss of his child. So he turned the young Man, his pathetic attempt to recreate his masterpiece.

"Father_father are you okay"

"No I think I have discovered something imperative, you're brother Jedediah may still in world after all". Ezekiel stated, the younger man froze taking a step backwards.

"Father it can not be, you would've felt his presence long ago, if he was still with the world you could feel him" Mathias spoke up licking the rest of the slayers blood from the corner of his lips. He had never met his master first creation but he had heard the story's, if they were true he was something beautiful but fearsome to be-hold.

"Perhaps, the distance of time has severed our connection, my son would've come home to me if I'd called, if he knew I was still living." Ezekiel frowned as a old wound had been opened.

"Father, maybe he did know and he simply didn't want to return to your side, that if what the girl said isn't true, father she could've lied" Jedediah said remembering those last few months before his blood brother disappeared, before the human had come with proof of his death. It had been trying times, his brother grew bored of being locked up like a child, he grew tired of the constant killing. The blood that followed them, how cruel they're father had become. How his eyes longed for more than blood and satisfaction the kill gave him. Jedediah knew his brother was capable of more, maybe evenlove if he found the right person. So he thought maybe his brother had planned that night, to escape and then disappear from the face of world.

"No my son would return to me, I know it" all eyes were on the Ark Angel as he spoke.

"Let's leave we have a Slayer to find"

2

It was late afternoon when Stevie Hoffman started on her way home, cheer practice had gone longer then expected, giving her less time to get ready for tonights party. Tonight her family and friends would be celebrating sixteen wonderful years with Stevie in the world. We'll all except her father, he would be seeing her on the weekend, since Mary and Philip got divorced the redhead saw her father less and less. Though she supposed it was natural he lived in California now and she still live in Willow falls, a small town just outside of Pennsylvania. But that didn't mean that Stevie didn't want him here for her sixteenth, but both her parents had assured their daughter it was for the best so Stevie dropped it.

The redhead decided to take a short cut through the cemetery, maybe she'd stop and see her grandparents graves before heading home. This was nothing out of ordinary Stevie often came by to see her grandparents, sometimes it help to talk to to them, if the day had been especially bad. And today had been, the boy who asked out had suddenly changed his mind and copped off with a blonde a year or so older than her.

This always happened to her, the redhead felt like she was destined to be lonely forever. Stevie continued down the gravel path to her family crypt, but from behind her the girl Heard a branch snapped under someone's feet. Now sure this could've been nothing but the redhead could've sworn she was alone. Turning Stevie saw nothing, so she shook it off and headed further down the track.

The girl however didn't get far because before long had been shoved to floor, with a man in his late twenties maybe early thirty's on top of her. The man's face was filled with rage, his eyes wide with hunger. He craned mouth down to the girls neck, but as his large fangs grazed Stevie's neck she brought her knee up to his groin, connecting it hard. The man tumbled a little to the side in pain, the girl shoved him the rest of way scrambling to her feet she ran.

The redhead ran as fast as converse clad feet would carry her, but she couldn't beat the man's speed. He up and like a flash had caught up to the girl. Stevie once again found her on floor, the man dragging her by the ankles. The gravel of the paving cutting her knees and hands. The girl some manage to break one leg free, kicking the man in the ankle he fell to the ground.

Stevie turned to leave but once again the man was her In a flash, the red was flat on her back. Fearing the worst, that he was going rape her. She turned her head, green eyes landing on a sharp wooden branch and in a instant the girl knew what to do. It was like every molecule woke up and told her what to do, seconds later Stevie plunged the wooden stick into the man's chest. Soon enough he was reduced to ash, his body had disappeared, as though he was never there.

From the corner stood a man holding a note pad and what looked to be a recording device. He looked impressed, but Stevie Hoffman stood tears welling up in her eyes and the realization of what she had just done. She and killed a man.

"Oh god I killed him, he's dead" the man frowned  and made his way over to his slayer.

"Miss Hoffman you need to calm down" he tried to Reason with the girl.

"No I killed someone, I just killed someone, he's dead what if he had a family" Stevie Hoffman's body trembled, where she now stood the stake still in her hands.

"Miss Hoffman, I need you calm down and listen to me. What you just killed wasn't human, he was a vampire and he was already dead" the man with note pad spoke getting closer to frightened redhead.

"Vampires aren't real,"

"Yes miss Hoffman they are and it's you're duty to protect the world against the creatures, you are the slayer" Stevie Hoffman let out a hystercial giggle before collapsing to the floor. The Watcher huffing as it suddenly became clear to him just how much help this girl was going to need.

Sighing professor Lionel Coleman collected his slayers belongings, and drove the unconscious girl home. He had spun some story of how he saw the girl being asulted by the cemetery, but had managed to to stop the assailant before anything to bad had happened. Stevie's mother had been greatfull that her daughter was brought home safely and thanked the man kindly. 

It was safe to say her sixteenth birthday hadn't turned out the way she expected and it turned out her life wouldn't be the same again. So much was coming and her Watcher just hoped she'd be ready when it did.

[peachhpunch-blog]

Getting to Know Quinn McNeil

Answering ask memes without anyone sending you a message never really bothered me. Sometimes I want to answer them without any sort of prompt. Today is one of those days! I found an ask meme by cassandrapentayaaaaas for OCs and creators; not only does it look fun, but it’ll get me to understand Quinn even better! Enjoy!

1. What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do? Quinn is working towards being High Scholar in my world, which means plenty of studying. She is studious and dedicated, so she has no problems with sitting still for long periods of time. Sometimes her twin brother, Cameron, leaves glasses of water and food for her because he knows how often she forgot to take care of herself.

2. How easy is it for your character to laugh? I’d say about average. She politely giggles more than laugh, but Keandra makes her genuinely giggle all the time. Her brother, too, but she doesn’t really laugh on a regular basis.

3. How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?) More often than not, she falls asleep studying or reading. She’s basically stressed 24/7 because of school so she doesn’t really get a good full nights rest. Unfortunately.

4. How easy is it to earn their trust? She wants to see the best in everyone, but at the same time she’s the butt of a lot of jokes thanks to asshole Mervyn Fredrick Maslow III, who also wants to be High Scholar. She trusts her family, she trusts Keandra, but not many others. To her, actions speak louder than words. Show her that she can trust you, and you’re good!

5. How easy is it to earn their mistrust? She often gives second chances; she did with Mervyn at first, thinking that maybe he had an off day, that his attitude wasn’t about her but something else. But months past and he still ridiculed her. So I’d say it’s harder to earn her mistrust than her trust.

6. Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable? Oh no, rules are rules. The law is there for a reason. She is very Lawful Good. To be High Scholar, you must have a clean record because you work for the Emperor directly.

7. What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling? The smell of aromatic woods, sunshine, and roses. She grew up in the Rosewood Palace because her uncle, the Emperor, is her and Cameron’s legal guardian. She also has a little drawing her brother had drawn as children that she keeps as a bookmark. It’s a picture of a the god and goddess Alistair and Nora. Unfortunately, she has nothing of her mother’s and father’s. So she’s pretty sad about that.

8. What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child? “Be more confidant!” “Stop walking in your brother’s shadow!” “Smile more!” “Speak up!”

9.Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word? She’s too pure for that. When she was seven she accidentally said “shit” and cried all the way to her uncle about it. (OKAY TRU STORY this happened to me and I ran all the way to my house and cried to my dad lmaooo)

10. What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them? Nothing seriously, to be honest. Just that she was going to bed when really she would stay up all night reading. She’s quite a truthful person, ie. question number 9!

11. How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)? She keeps asking questions until she fully understands the situation/question. One of her pet peeves is misunderstanding or something not clicking. 

12. How do they deal with an itch found in a place they can’t quite reach? She’d more than likely try to scratch it on the back of a chair if she’s sitting. Once, she used a fountain pen and got ink all on her back!

13. What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color? She loves the color red, and I think she looks beautiful in the color!

14. What animal do they fear most? She’s not scared of most creatures. I mean she lives in the city, and she spends so much time in the royal library that the worst she deals with is rats. She thinks they’re cute though! I would say dragons, but they’re all extinct. And I mean truly extinct. None of that Game of Thrones Mother of Dragons stuff. HAHA.

15. How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first? My poor baby rehearses everything in her mind first, unless it’s in front of Cameron or Keandra. She has a soft voice, the kind of voice you’d want to hear when you’re having a bad day.

16. What makes their stomach turn? Public speaking.

17. Are they easily embarrassed? Ho boy, is she! I’d say her face is forever red because of how much she blushes.

18. What embarrasses them? Public speaking, people saying nice things to her, getting something wrong, stumbling over words, her brother teasing her... she’s basically a walking shoujo anime girl cliche!

19. What is their favorite number? Mmm... I don’t think she has one. Maybe 10? It’s divisible by 5 and 2 which makes thing look all pretty and organized.

20. If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so? She’d think about it for a while. She’d probably use examples from old tales and history to help explain.

21. Why do they get up in the morning? More than anything, she wants to be High Scholar. She wants to be recognized for her dedication, intelligence, and, even though she loves her brother more than anyone else in the world, she wants to prove that she is her own person. She does not need his shadow anymore.

22. How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)? I feel like there are several types of jealousy. She’s jealous of her brother because she wishes she could relax like him, but she knows she doesn’t have that in her. She’s jealous of Mervyn because he’s quite charismatic, but in Mervyn’s case, I think she does things out of spite. Haha I hope that made sense!

23. How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)? I’d always felt that envy and jealousy are the same thing, so please look at question 22.

24. Is sex something that they’re comfortable speaking about? To whom? In a clinical sense, sure. She can talk about the anatomy of a penis and vagina with ease. But personally, probably not.

25. What are their thoughts on marriage? Marriage isn’t really in her plan, but she’d bawl her eyes out at a wedding!

26. What is their preferred mode of transportation? Walking. She lives in a fantasy world where advanced technology doesn’t exist. Though I am toying with the idea of trains.

27. What causes them to feel dread? Surprise surprise! Public speaking! Leaving the city, her uncle’s long speeches, and the Bridging, which is the annual oral exam all scholars must take to advance to the next grade/level. 

28. Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? An unpleasant truth for sure. Quinn is stronger than she believes and can handle the ugly truth. Besides, who likes being lied to? No, no, scratch that because some of my OCs would rater a lie...

29. Do they usually live up to their own ideals? Unfortunately, no. She wants to be brave, charismatic, and outgoing, but that’s not who she is. She has very low confidence, but don’t worry! She gets there. I mean, I can’t really  consider that a spoiler. She’ll learn to love herself.  30. Who do they most regret meeting? Uhm, Mervyn for sure! And this nasty slimy dude, Hayes. :) 31. Who are they the most glad to have met? Keandra!!!!!!!!!! And another OC, Naomi, Rosewood’s General of Arms!

32. Do they have a go-to story in conversation? Or a joke? No... She’s horribly awkward in conversations.

33. Could they be considered lazy? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Lazy isn’t in her vocabulary.

34. How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt? Extremely hard. She’s her worst critic and is very hard on herself. She’ll think about it for weeks.

35. How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive?  Absolutely! If... they’re practical. If her brother came to her and said, “Quinn, I want to become Captain of the Guard!” she’d say, “Oh... Okay, but let’s think about this.” But if he said, “Quinn, I got an apprenticeship with an artist down at the Market, and I’m thinking about taking it” she’d say, “Cameron! That’s great! Who is it? What sort of art do they do? Do they have patrons? Followers? Will you need to buy your own supplies?” etc, etc... 34. Do they actively seek romance, or do they wait for it to fall into their lap? Quinn has a huge crush on Keandra, and vis versa, but romance isn’t her priority. She’d just let it happen, though they BOTH have this stupid “but they would never like me back” thought in their thick heads!

35. Do they have a system for remembering names, long lists of numbers, things that need to go in a certain order (like anagrams, putting things to melodies, etc)? She uses plenty of mnemonics.

36. What memory do they revisit the most often? There’s two! One, when she and Cameron were around five, they explored the palace, even the parts they were allowed to go. It’s the most rebellious she’s ever felt. The second, the moment she received her red shael. (Shael’s are like belts in karate, except they’re satin clothes you wear over your head. They represent the level of scholar you are - black, blue, green, red, gold, white. Cameron is green, while Quinn and Mervyn are red. Whoever earns the gold shael will be the nest High Scholar, but they do not get the white until the present High Scholar dies. I also chose black to be novice since black does not take in any color, and white as High Scholar because white takes in all colors.)

37. How easy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people? Mmm... haha. That’s one of Quinn’s flaws. It’s pretty hard to ignore someone’s flaws. She will try to correct it as nicely as she can, but it can become pretty annoying, like she’s trying to fix them into a perfect person. 

38. How sensitive are they to their own flaws? Same with other’s flaws, she sensitive to her own. 39. How do they feel about children? She loves children! But, again, children just aren’t in her plan.

40. How badly do they want to reach their end goal? VERY BADLY. But not enough to kill. So maybe not that badly! HA, I’m kidding! But she does want to be High Scholar very very badly. 41. If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so? Okay, so, to Quinn, she doesn’t really care about her own sexuality. The world she lives in doesn’t really care, but I will make it a priority to show/tell the readers that some characters are bisexual/ace/trans/etc whenever gender/sexuality is important to them, the characters. Like Keandra, she’s mtf trans and bisexual, and that’s important to her. Another character, Naomi, is aromantic ace, and that’s important to her.  It’s just, Quinn doesn’t feel like it’s important. But for the sake of this question, Quinn is pansexual. I hope I made sense of this...

1. Why are you excited about this character? Absolutely! Please make more female characters like Quinn. She’s weak. It’s harsh, but it’s true. But she’s kind, smart, understanding, and she will grow into her own. I love characters like this (ie. Samwell Tarly/ Sansa Stark) because I root for them the most. And it’s nice to see a character I could relate to. 

2. What inspired you to create them? This is going to sound conceded, but... me. I’m a lot like Quinn, except I am definitely not that smart and I’m a little more outgoing. But like I said above, I want more female characters who are cowards, who hide behind people when they’re scared. Because they have the most room to grow! And I will root for all of those characters until I’m six feet under!!!!

3.  Did you have trouble figuring out where they fit in their own story? Nope! She was the first person I thought of. I was going to make this a 1 POV story with just her, but I love multiple POV books so much, now I have like... 5? She plays a pretty big role. 

4. Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look? Oh no, she went through some editing. At first she was petite and very thin, but then I was like... SCREW THAT! Now she’s still small but stocky from holding huge books and climbing up stairs and ladders all day long.

5. Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you? I think so... We’re both so a like. She’s the kind of person you feel comfortable sitting quietly with! 6. What do you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement, frustration, etc)? Mmm... Excited, mostly. Because I can’t wait to see her grow into such a fantastic woman!

7. What trait of theirs bothers you the most? How she always second guesses herself, and yet she wants to “fix” her friends when she notices a flaw. And how her brother has to stand up for her.

8. What trait do you admire most? Oh, her dedication for sure. That’s where we’re the opposite. I’m so lazy, but she gets so determined when she really gets her mind on something.

9. Do you prefer to keep them in their canon universe? .... Yes?

10. Did you have to manipulate or exclude canon factors to allow them to create their character? ......... Noooo??? (Is talking about fandoms? lol)

[fcdings]

"Sebby, you never really got to tell me this before... and I feel like it's a really touchy subject, but now that we're settled in this beautiful home with our Baby Ben. I just wanted to ask you... What were your parents really like?" from Cameron c: bc after being together for so long, I don't think he'd want any secrets kept from each other

discussing his parents had always been a subject he avoided. the vague information that he’d given people in the past made it obvious that his parents weren’t the nicest people in the world.  that would usually end the conversation. he thought at this point in their relationship, cameron would understand he didn’t want to talk about his parents. so when the question comes up he doesn’t know how to respond at first.

sebastian almost wanted to brush off the question with some sort of vague answer that would pacify cameron, but he stops himself. cameron had the right to know about his parents, right? after all, the blond had been nothing but open about his family, and sebastian loved them all. silence filled their bedroom as sebastian thought about the best way to approach this new situation.

with a heavy sigh, he took his phone out of his pocket and started to type something. he stayed silent as he did before the image popped up on his phone. “well for starters, these are my parents.” he handed his phone over to cameron. a man and a woman stood together, posing in front of some logo. the woman looked to be in her late 30s to early 40s, and dressed in elegant clothes. her cheeks sunken slightly, her professional done makeup didn’t completely mask like sebastian’s. her eyes had a familiar look to them, almost identical to sebastian’s besides in color. the man looked in his mid-40s to early 50s, and stood straight with a ridged posture and stone faced. there was a small amount of scruff on his face, and his facial features were more like sebastian’s except with a hint of aging.

“that’s my dad, daniel lawrence.” he says, eyeing the picture for a second as he thought of a good place to start and how honest he wanted to be with cameron. in the end he decided on being as honest as he could handle it. “my dad is the ceo of our family insurance company. i don’t know much about what he does at work since i never paid attention to him when he talked about it.” he remembered his dad would complain every night about clients or his employees. his younger self wouldn’t pay attention since it didn’t interest him.

“he’s a pretty important man in the insurance world i guess. we’d have to go to a lot of boring events for his work, and he’d leave on business trips for a week or so at a time.. i never missed him when he was gone.” he’d count down the days until his father would leave on another trip, looking forward to having time away from his dad. “he had this obsession with our family having the ‘perfect’ image. if any of us– or more often than not, me– broke that image, he would… ‘correct’ us.” it seemed like his dad’s sole purpose in life to correct everything that he did, more than his siblings. “CPS got called twice, but with my dad’s money and connections, it didn’t do much. the only thing that came out of those visits was my dad learning where to hit me so the bruises wouldn’t show.” 

those visits and having to talk to police were one of the scariest things that he went through as a seven year old. he was so scared that he was the one in trouble even after the nice lady reassured him that he wasn’t in any trouble. he lied to her. he shook his head over and over again when she asked him if his dad ever hit him, or scared him in any way. he made up lies about how he got the fading bruises, he was used to doing that much. sebastian remembers after the police and nice lady were gone, how angry he was at himself. why didn’t he tell them the truth when he had the chance? how different would he had turned out if he had told the truth and been taken away from them? 

he felt himself get a little choked up and cleared his throat a little, “and that’s my mom rachael lawrence.” it was better to get off the subject of his dad. cameron would maybe recognize his mom a little more as she was a little more known. especially after he saw cam once wear a jacket from her clothing line. he had felt sick to his stomach for that entire day and shied away from his boyfriend’s attempts to be affectionate. it almost felt like that stupid piece of clothing was mocking him. he was grateful that cam hadn’t worn it since. “she’s a fashion designer, and was once a model. her fashion line is ‘totally rachael’.” he gave something close to a laugh at that. he always thought the name of his mother’s clothing line was a little self centered but who was he to judge her ? 

“i don’t think she was ever a mom to me. if anything the roles were reversed for us.” there were so many times that he had to be the one to take care of her when everyone else in his family didn’t care enough to. “some of my earliest memories of her were me having to help her get out of bed, and get her ready for the day. i don’t know when i decided to take care of her, but it was like my job in the family.” he knew since he was a child that it wasn’t normal, but at the same time he didn’t know anything else. he didn’t want to go into detail about her drinking habits, so he leaves that issue to rest. 

“she’s the one who… who kind of started my.. ‘issues’ with my weight.” that was a whole other topic was on the ‘do not discuss’ list of sebastian. “she– she, uh… she had issues with eating.” she didn’t have issues with eating per se, more with keeping the food she ate down. “i remember she would disappear right after every meal and would be gone for a half and hour or so. i asked my brother about it once and he told me ‘she’s making sure dad stays interested in her’. i-i didn’t understand, so i didn’t ask anymore.” he takes the phone away from cam, who was looking at him with an expression that he couldn’t decipher. “i was eleven or twelve, i think. i guess she wasn’t happy with my weight, so she put me on a diet. believe it or not, i actually hated dieting at one point of my life.” it was a heavy kind of joke but he thought he’d try to lighten the mood a little. “i remember i was complaining about the diet, and she told me..” a pause, “she told me.. ‘don’t be dramatic, lacey. no one will love you if you’re unattractive. don’t you want someone to love you?’” 

that seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back as sebastian put his face in his hands, shoulders shaking. as he sat there he remembered why he avoided talking about his parents. all those feelings of hatred and self-loathing came rushing back into his chest, making it hard to breathe. “i was only a kid. who tells their kid that?” he didn’t want to go into detail into how much those words had harmed him as a teen or they were always in the back of his mind whenever he tried to eat. so he doesn’t. he hadn’t even told cameron about how his parents reacted to him coming out. how they threw his things out and left him in the cold, or even how his siblings had treated him. this was a small fraction of everything that his family had put him though.

he would usual go to cameron for comfort, and the other seemed to have that idea.  he feels the blond’s arms try to wrap around him and he flinches, moving out of reach of his boyfriend. “don’t touch me.” there was a hint of fear in his tone as he closed in on himself. “cam.. leave me alone for awhile, okay?” it was a struggle to keep his voice even enough to for the words to come out clear enough for cam to understand. he needed a couple minutes by himself and hopefully he’d be able to close the pandora’s box that he had opened in his mind.