#don't either of you die on me off screen you hear?

[luveline]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 | 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐨’𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚

the tension between you and miguel rises to an all-time high —a ficlet featuring a grumpy miguel and a flirty, distracted spider-girl. pre across the spider-verse but contains spoilers. fem!reader, 1k

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Miguel has asked you multiple times to leave him alone while he's working. The strike force can't run itself (or so he claims —Margo and Lyla seem plenty capable, in your eyes) and he needs time and solitude to organise the protection of canon events, and—

"Blah, blah, blah," you say, dropping your voice to a soft, teasing melody as you skirt around his frankly audaciously jacked chest. 

"Don't blah, blah, blah me," Miguel says. You'd be intimidated if you weren't so happy to mess with him. "I'm not kidding around." 

Okay, maybe you are intimidated. That just makes messing with him more fun. 

The room he operates from, as you've so fondly monikered The Office, is in organised chaos, and much too dark. You drag a lone chair toward his control panel and set yourself down in front of all his screens and computers. 

"Ooh," you hum, reaching for an unlabelled switch with a purposeful slowness. 

Predictably, Miguel slams his hand over yours, yanking your chair back with an annoyed, "No." 

"Come on, Miguel. What harm could I possibly do?"

"You could–" 

"Topple the multiverse?" you suggest. "I've heard." 

"You could turn off every member of the Society's DMW. That's what that does. Potentially endangering each of their lives by stranding them in unfamiliar dimensions, and preventing them from correcting canon events." 

You feel bad for teasing him when you see the look on his face, anger and exhaustion and the slimmest allowance of defeat. It must be tough to lead the Spider-Society. Tougher to micromanage more than half of its members. 

Pulling your hand from under his, you cross your arms over your stomach and give him an apologetic frown. "Sorry, Miguel."

Evidence of his sweet spot for you lines his expression, softening his sharp jaw and the stoic set of his brow. It's gone as quick as it came, and his mask falls back into place. He turns away from you as though pretending you aren't there and scans one of his holographic screens, his face glowing with a yellow-orange haze. 

Miguel has to tolerate you, because you're a Spider-Girl. Though you've never called yourself that aloud, and you're not sure anyone else has, either, it's an undeniable truth. You were bitten by a radioactive spider that gave you super mutant abilities, though yours aren't as potent as others. You're not especially strong, you probably couldn't stop a bus with your bare hands, but you're smart. You haven't saved the world or anything, but you lost your Uncle Ben. You paid the toll. 

Every spider person has lost someone. Miguel seems to have lost more than that. 

"You know," you mumble, kicking the ground lightly to make your chair spin on its axle, "I've been thinking…" 

"That's never good." 

"Why do we wear our suits here?" you ask, spinning for a second time, the room moving past your eyes in flashes. "It seems performative." 

"Ah, I can answer that. Some of us work when we're here." 

You wrinkle your nose at his deadpan and kick the floor again, spinning so fast it makes you laugh. "What did you say? I can't hear you from your high horse– woah!" 

Miguel grabs the back of your chair, bringing you to a sudden and firm stop. You blink hoping it'll assuage the dizziness between your eyes, and when it doesn't work you keel forward, muttering, "Woah, I'm gonna die." 

"You won't die." 

"How do you know?" you ask. 

"You're under my watch, aren't you?" 

"I knew you liked me," you say. "Oh, I don't feel well." 

"You brought it on yourself." 

You catch your breath. When you feel okay enough to stand you almost trip, and Miguel doesn't bother pretending that he had any intention of stopping you from landing flat on your face. The you before the spider bite would've wiped out. This you giggles and holds Miguel's elbow for a second while you plant your feet. 

"Okay, boss-man," you ask, looking up at the unnaturally high screen he's investigating. "What are we doing today?" 

"I'm supervising a task force operation on Earth-31913. You're going home." 

"Miguel," you say, not sure if you want to flirt with him or piss him off. He looks incredibly pissed off already, so you choose flirtation. "Have I told you how handsome you look this evening?" 

He doesn't react. His hands don't so much as shift where they're akimbo on his hips. 

"You really have the most handsome eyes," you continue, weaving around his arm to stand in front of him. You have to crane your neck to see them. "Sulky. Do I really have to go home? I'd rather stay here with you." 

He looks down his nose at you. "Yeah?" he asks quietly, his voice rough as hewn stone.

"Yeah," you say, taking a small step back. 

"And do what?" 

You mirror his stance, hands on your hips. Your suit isn't form fitting like his, doesn't showcase nearly so much lean muscle, but you like it. You'd chosen a simple black ensemble to match the spider who bit you with a pinky purple heart over your stomach. Miguel had asked about it once, just once, when you'd first met and he had no idea how much of a problem for him you were going to become. 

Why there? 

Why do you think? you'd asked, giving him a sticky-sweet smile. 

Forget I asked. 

He lifts a hand to your chin, pinching it between two deft fingers. You're lucky he isn't wearing his gloves; his claws would pierce your jaw. 

"What do you want to do?" he asks, again so quietly. "If you stay?" 

"I could help with the task force." 

"That's what you want to do?" 

You flush with heat but refuse to let him know how you're feeling. Your heart bumps against your ribs, breath caught in your throat as he tilts your head up, as he leans down. 

"No," he says near your lips, "that's not it." 

"I could help you?" you offer. 

Something flashes in his eyes. You hesitate to call it lust. It reminds you of a cat with a mouse in it’s clutches, only his pupils are blown, black and inky and wide as dimes. 

"You want to help me?" he asks, his lips an inch, half of that from yours. 

You nod minutely. "Yes," you say under your breath. 

His hand moves to your cheek. He leans in closer and closer, until there's a hair's width of air between his mouth and yours, the tips of your noses bent together. His breath fans over your bottom lip and it's hot. You swear you can feel his heart as his chest presses to yours. He lingers there for an endless handful of seconds, silently egging you on.

You call his bluff and refuse to close the distance. 

Miguel pushes you away from him, far from cruel but certainly not sweet. "I have a tower of paperwork you can file," he says. 

"Here I thought you were finally going to bite my head off," you hum. "You're a sore loser, Miguel." 

"And you're my pest," he says, holding your gaze for a half-second too long. He turns away. "Lyla? Arrange the recounts from the last canon event for Spider-Girl's perusal, please." 

"So you've remembered I'm here?" Lyla asks wryly.

You don't mind the paperwork. You sign each one with a winky face and a pink gel pen heart, knowing Miguel will go over them all again, and knowing he'll grow angrier and angrier with each heart.

He'll kiss you and mean it one day. You just have to play the waiting game.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

[rafesfavgirl]

two graves, one gun — r. cameron

sad rafe fic bc i just got my period and i'm feeling extra emotional :')

series: every few lifetimes

❝ so long, london stitches undone two graves, one gun you'll find someone ❞

pairing: bf!rafe x fem!reader

context: after another night of getting coked out and passing out on barry's couch, rafe realizes you deserve better than him and decides to let you go.

words: 1.3k+

warnings: drug addiction, break-up, might make you cry, ANGSTY asl

the sole of your heel taps anxiously against your living room's hardwood floor, as you stared at the time on your phone's lock screen, which lit up with a photo that wheezie took of you and rafe sitting at one of the tables at midsummers last year, looking at each other as if you were the only people there.

8:30 p.m.

your heart aches at the realization that he had forgotten your date again, but the nerves that settle in your stomach win over, as you think about where he probably is.

pushing your weight off the sofa, you grab your car keys from the hooks on the wall, and dial rafe on your way out the door.

straight to voicemail. fuck.

you skip down the steps in front of your house and unlock your car in the driveway to get in, immediately starting the engine to get on your way.

you dial rafe again as you pull into the road—to no avail.

"damn it, rafe," you mutter, eyes switching between the road and your phone as you type him a message.

you: where are you???

when the message doesn't even go through, you let out a frustrated groan. either his phone's dead or it's switched off. you step on the gas to speed up, zigzagging between cars to get there faster.

you pull to an abrupt stop in front of a beat-down house on the south side, and switch the car off before hopping out.

"mrs. country club, what brings you to this side of the island?" barry stands from the porch when he sees you walking towards him, fuming.

"oh spare me the fake hospitality, barry," you tell him. "where is he?"

"where's who?" he shrugs—but you knew he knew what you were talking about.

"don't play dumb with me," you spat, attempting to walk past him. "i know he's here."

he steps to the side to block you from going any further. "maybe so, but it ain't a pretty sight."

"ugh," you manage to walk past him and proceed into the house, with him on your tail. "rafe!"

barry catches up to you and blocks your way again. "hey, i told you-"

"barry, you're really testing my patience here, alright?" you say, refusing to back down. you weren't scared of him—okay, maybe a little, but you weren't about to let him see that. "rafe!"

you push past barry again, and make your way further inside, immediately rushing to rafe, who was passed out face-down on barry's couch.

"oh my god, rafe!" you crouch down beside him, not missing the un-sniffed lines of coke on the wooden table in front of him, and pick up his head in your hands. "baby, baby," you gently pat his face with your hand. "can you hear me?"

"told you it wasn't a pretty sight," barry leans against a wooden post and watches you, making you roll your eyes.

"rafe," you try to wake him up again. "babe."

thankfully, his eyes flutter open, relief washing over you as you let out a sigh. "oh thank god."

"y/n?" his voice is barely above a whisper when his eyes lock with yours. "shit!"

you move aside when he suddenly sits up, searching the couch cushions for his phone. "what time is it?"

"rafe-"

"no, fuck!" he shouts when he realizes his phone is dead, and looks up at barry. "i told you to wake me up if i knocked out!"

"i'm not your keeper, cameron," barry shrugs. "just take your shit and go, a'ight?"

"baby…" rafe turns to you kneeling on the ground beside him, his voice much softer now. "i swear i set an alarm— i was just— i didn't think my phone would die and-"

"hey," you place your hand on top of his, squeezing it lightly to make him look at you. "don't worry about it. let's just get out of here, okay?"

he nods, and you stand up, dusting yourself off as you do.

"i'll meet you in the car, doll," he tells you. "i just gotta take care of something."

—

the car ride back to your house is almost completely silent, until rafe breaks it.

"you look beautiful, by the way," he says, eyes shifting to you.

you glance at him, a small smile on your lips. "thank you."

"god, i'm such an idiot!" he groans, clearly frustrated with himself over the situation. "how many missed dates is that this month?"

"rafe, i told you not to worry about it," you tell him. "it's okay, i get-"

"y/n," his voice is stern now, his eyes burning holes into your skin. "how many?"

you sigh, turning the wheel towards the curb to park the car in front of your house. "four," you answer, switching the ignition off. "that was the fourth one this month."

rafe scoffs and shakes his head, eyes averting away from you. he just couldn't look at you anymore, because he knew that even if you didn't show it, you were disappointed. not only at him, but maybe even yourself for putting up with him.

"hey," you place a hand on his knee, and he glances down at the gesture, before finally looking at you. "it's okay."

"how is it okay?" he asks, eyebrows furrowing. "all i do is disappoint you."

"baby, that's not true," you try to reassure him, but he doesn't buy it.

"it is true," he tells you. "and you don't deserve it."

not knowing what to say, you just glance down at your hand on his knee. "rafe…"

"no," he cuts you off, and places his hand above yours to slowly push it off of him. "i can't keep doing this to you."

letting out a sigh, you adjust yourself in your seat so you're looking at him. "okay, rafe, before you saying anything else— i love you, alright? there's nothing you can do that-"

"and that's exactly the problem, a'ight?" he snaps. "you're never gonna walk away from me yourself! even when i bought this shit from barry after i told you to wait in the car." he reaches into his pocket and tosses the small bag of blow in between the two of you. your eyes shift from it to him, the uneasiness in your stomach only getting worse.

"i have a problem y/n," he tells you. "and it's not the kind you can just 'fix' with love."

"then we'll get you help. we'll do any-" you try to reach out to him, but he resists.

"no," he says, motioning a hand between you two. "this has to end."

the words you dreaded hearing comes out of his mouth in one fell swoop, your heart shattering into a million pieces.

"what?"

"i'm never gonna be the guy you need me to be," he shakes his head at you, and if it weren't so dark outside, you swear you'd see his eyes watering. "and since you can't let go, i have to do it for you."

tears brim along your lower lashes as you speak, "no. that is not your choice to make."

"god, y/n, can you stop making this harder than it already is?" he pleads.

"can you stop acting like it's so easy?" you retort.

"you think this is easy?" he asks, taken aback by your accusation. "it kills me to do this."

"then don't," you say, voice cracking as you reach out for his hands. "we can work through your addiction together, rafe. we'll-"

"that's not your responsibility," he shakes his head at you. "if i'm gonna get better, i need to do it on my own."

you sob, "i— i don't want this to be the end.”

rafe glances down at your hands, before bringing his hand up to cup your cheek.

you lean into his touch, and a single tear rolls down your cheek—one that he wipes away with his thumb.

"i love you so much," he says, eyes closing as his head tilted down against yours. "i'm sorry."

his lips place a soft kiss on your forehead, and just like that, he's gone.

part 2.

reblogs and comments are deeply appreciated <33

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[sehodreams]

who in riize would you think that will be in a phone call with the reader in the middle of the night just to listen her voice talking about nothing? (maybe i have something about this and this question comes through my mind). And i really, really love "sex, money, feelings, die", it's sooooo good. Sorry english is not my first language.

I'm so happy you like sex money feelings die, I thought people would get tired of their silly conversations on the phone this last chapter but I'm glad it wasn't that bad hahahaha

Don't worry babe, english is not my first language either, we're here doing our best to learn!

This is more a how would calls with them be, I imagined them all and it was so cute 😭👌

Tw and tags: pure fluff, a little suggestive with Shotaro.

Eunseok definitely would be the kind of guy who sends you a text at 2 am to ask if you're awake, and the minute he sees you've read his message he'd call you, ''Why are you calling me at this hour?'' you'd ask, and he'd reply with a ''Why are you awake if you don't want me to call you?'', to make you laugh and then ask you about random stuff just to hear you until you or him fall asleep.

Anton is needier, he likes his daily night call, so every day at the same time you'd receive a text from him asking if he can call you, and when you say yes, he'd immediately do it, but I see him, more than talking, asking you questions to hear you ramble, and if you ask him the same question back, he'd softly laugh a bit embarrassed, ''sorry, got lost in your voice for a second, what were we talking about?''

Sungchan seems like the kind of guy who also loves his daily call, but he also seems like he would rather talk while you listen, and even if he says nothing and you either, he wants you to stay on the phone with him just to feel your company.

Sohee wouldn't call you, you'd call him, and he loves that. I see him more as the type who prefers texting, but he would never say no to you asking if you can call him, patiently listening to you and giving you answers when you need them. However, what I also see, is he falling asleep with your voice, and after a few times like that he'd be stuck to his phone waiting for your name to appear on his screen every night.

Seunghan would call you and plan little activities to not fall in silence, you can't tell me he doesn't make his girlfriend download silly games to play while you two talk for HOURS.

Wonbin doesn't seem like the kind who rambles much on the phone, but he still likes long phone calls, just listening to you breathe or even singing, leaving little comments every now and then and only hanging up when you beg him to let you go (at the end he'd take screenshots of how many hours you've been on the call to show it off to the other boys).

Shotaro likes to hear your voice but I think he prefers even more to see you, so he'd ask for short video calls if you're not busy, and a long one once a week, asking you to model for him if you bought something new or just to see you better (you can't tell me this man won't love those calls to have a... happy ending).

[muffinpink02]

Bronze Is Better Than Gold Part 5

Warnings - gun violence. gun violence, scenes of sexual assault

Lucy stared at the dark liquid, bleeding into the concrete pavement, she bent down to touch it, the temperature was still warm.

She pulled out her phone from her pocket, she went straight to Ona’s name, pressing on the call button, the familiar sound of the dial chimed loudly in her ear. She looked back at the empty paper cups on the floor. She could feel that something wasn't right, she could feel it in her bones. 

The ringing continued.

She looked back and forth around the wall, hoping to see something that would give her an indication of what happened, why Ona wasn't sitting in her spot like she always did. The dial tone kept ringing in her ear, she could feel her skin start to sweat. 

Suddenly the ringing stopped. 

“Ona-”

“You have reached the voicemail of the caller you are trying to reach, please leave a message after the tone.” The robotic tone called out.

Lucy hung up. Why isn't Ona here? She glanced up at the Spaniards building, the memories of them together only a few hours ago was still fresh in her mind. She didn't want to overthink the situation. Maybe Ona spilt the coffee on herself and she went back in to change? Or maybe-

The older brunette's thoughts were cut off as her phone started to ring, she looked at the screen. Her face scrunched in confusion as an unknown number appeared on the phone. Dread filled her stomach.

She tapped the green button to answer, but she kept quiet. 

The line was still, Lucy could just make out a quiet breathing on the other end. It sent an eerie feeling through her body. She then heard a russell and then a thud. 

“What's wrong, pig? Can’t you speak?” A man's rough voice barked through the phone.

“Who is this?” 

“Doesn’t matter. I got your little girlfriend with me, that’s all that matters.” 

Lucy’s stomach lurched.

“What do you want?” 

“I want my brother out.” 

That's when the penny dropped.

“Slims?” 

“Get my fucking brother out or she’s dead!”

Lucy went silent. She couldn’t respond, not with what she really wanted to say. 

“You know that’s not possible.” 

Lucy flinched as she heard a muffled scream. It was Ona. 

“Hear that, pig? I like the way your girlfriend screams.”

Lucy's stomach twisted. The fear that sunk through her body was chilling. How was this happening?

“Don’t you fucking dare!” She gritted through her teeth. 

“Got your attention now? If you don’t get him out she’s dead. And it wont be fucking quick. I’ll have my fun with her first.” Slims gave out a dirty chuckle. 

“You dare hurt her-”

Another chilling scream ran through the phone.

Lucy kept her mouth shut.

“Getting it now? Get him out.”

The line went dead. Lucy's heart either stopped beating or was running at a thousand beats per minute. She felt the bile ooze up her throat and out of her mouth. She coughed as the acid from vomit burnt her throat. She took a deep breath as she wiped her lip with her sleeve.

The brunette ran to her car, starting up the engine as quickly as she could. She held the steering wheel with one hand and her phone in the other, dialling the first person she thought of.

“Sarina speaking.” 

“Sarina, it's Ona… she's been taken. They fucking have her!”

“What? Who has her?” 

“Slims, that fucking…He didn't die. He-he has her, he's threatening to kill her, if we don't free his brother- Get out the fucking way!” Lucy slammed her hand down on her horn blaring the sound at a driver who was driving too slow for her right now.

“Okay, listen to me Lucy. Don’t do anything hasty, come straight here. We will find her. Come to the office.” 

Lucy hung up her phone, dashing it to the passenger side. She didn't want to listen to Sarina, but she knew she would only be driving aimlessly around the city, she didn't have any kind of leads on where Ona was. So, she zoomed past cars that beeped at her dangerous driving, but she couldn't hear them, all she could hear was the chilling sound of Ona’s screams.

It felt like hours before she got to the office, she just about parked her car before she sprinted into the building. She could already tell the news had got out as she felt her colleagues' eyes on her as she marched through the building. 

“Bronze!” 

Lucy turned her head to find Jill jogging up to her. She could tell by the look on her face that she already knew.

“Sarina’s upstairs. Everyones been told to go to the meeting room.”

Lucy nodded, not trusting herself to speak. 

Lucy followed the taller women into the meeting room, the majority of the team were already there, Sarina was at the head of the table ready to give out orders. The look on each member of the team's face was either determined and focused or down right scared. 

Lucy felt like both.

Sarina spotted Jill and Lucy.

“Lucy, you got a call from Slims?” Sarina asked.

Lucy nodded.

“Okay, give your phone to LJ, she will try and pick up the coordinates from the phone.” 

Lucy nodded, she brought out her phone and gave it to LJ. The young agent squeezed Lucy's shoulder as she left the room, though the older brunette had just about felt her touch.

Sarina cleared her throat, getting the attention of the room. “As most of you know, Ona has been taken hostage. This morning Lucy got a call from Slims, he wants his brother out of prison in exchange for Ona. We know that's not possible, we need to work closely as a team to safely return her. I need everyone to do their jobs and remember to keep a cool head.”

Lucy felt Sarinas eyes on her with that last sentence. 

“Do we have any leads? Can we question any of the gang members that worked with Slims?” The Dutch woman asked.

“We had a few guys that we didn't have enough evidence to lock up, they definitely worked with Slims. They might not talk, but we can try them.” Jordan answered 

“Okay, Jordan and Demi you go and question them, be forceful if you have to. But keep it calm. Millie you take your team with you, I want a squad car to follow them in case they need back up.”

“Yes, ma'am.” The girls jumped to their feet and made their way to leave, each girl gave Lucy a quick nod or a quick squeeze of the arm or hand, but she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge them. She was in a deep state of fear, she felt like all her senses were shutting down. 

“I know this is a long shot but have we tried to track Ona’s phone?” Chloe asked.

The room fell silent.

“Surely they would have got rid of it, they can't be that stupid?” Jill scoffed.

“Do it. Track her phone.” Lucy ordered. 

Everyone turned to the voice in the room, finally Lucy had woken up.

“I’ll get LJ on it.” Chloe nodded.

Sarina eyed the dark haired girl, she was worried that Lucy hadn’t said much.

“Jill, once we have a lead I’ll need you with the firearm squad.”

“Yes, ma'am.” 

Sarina nodded, thinking to herself. “I’m going to contact other branches, it would be good to have more eyes and ears on this. I need to contact the next of kin.”

Lucy felt her stomach twist, she had no clue who Ona's next of kin was, maybe it was her parents? Or was it her friends? How would they react to this?

“Lucy, I want you to check CCTV. Travel to Ona’s house and see if you can get any leads from shops, houses, street cameras. Alex you take a squad car and see if anyone has seen or heard anything around the area.”

“Yes, ma'am.” Alex left the room as quickly as she could. 

But Lucy didn't move, she didn't like that idea, she wanted to get Ona, now, not look around at shop corners. 

“Jess, take the K9’s try and see if they can get a scent. Tail Lucy.”

“Yes, ma'am.” 

“I’ll go with Demi and Jordan to question the leads.” Lucy stated.

Sarina eyed the girl thoughtfully. “No, I don’t need you losing your head. I need you calm, Lucy.”

“I am calm! I don’t want to be fucking around looking for camera footage when we can go straight to the pricks and get information.” Lucy's voice started to rise.

“Lucy, I know you’re upset but-” 

“No! I’m not upset, I’m fucking angry! These fucking bastards have found out where Ona lives and fucking abducted her! God knows if she's okay, she might not even be alive! But you want me to look at fucking camera footage!.” Lucy was fully shouting now.

Sarina stared at the brunette, she understood Lucy's anger, but this is exactly why she didn't want her out with potential leads, her anger would only make things worse.

“That's an order, Bronze.”

“Lucy-” Jill tried to pull Lucy away, but Lucy pulled her arm back.

“You’re a fucking joke!” Lucy shouted, while she pointed at her superior.

Lucy stormed out of the meeting room, slamming the door behind her. The brunette rushed through the building's office, ignoring the questioning looks from her team. She sprinted to her car as the rain came down hard, her breath was ragged with rage by the time she got to her car.

Lucy gripped the steering wheel as she tried to control her breathing. She felt the tears threaten to fall but she shook her head in protest, fighting with herself.

“Fuck.” She shouted, leaning her head on the wheel.

The brunette stayed there for a minute, breathing deeply. Just before she put the car in gear the passenger side door opened.

“Wait, don’t go yet!” Jill jumped into the passenger seat, her hair and clothes soaked from the heavy rain. She looked over at Lucy, a concerning look on her face.

The outburst from Lucy was completely out of character, she wasn’t someone who would question her superior, she had nothing but respect for Sarina. And Sarina knew that, it's why she had moved up to a DC quicker than most, her work ethic was like no other. Sarina had it in her mind that Lucy would be the one to take her role the day she retires, but Sarina could see the anger in Lucy, this job was clearly hitting too close to home for her and she could see she wasn't thinking with her head, but with her heart.

But of course Lucy didn't see it this way and she didn’t like her decision, not one bit. She didn’t feel like she was doing anything helpful, she just felt like she had been given a useless task. She was just angry and honestly she was scared. 

Lucy felt Jill put her hand on her shoulder, squeezing her. Lucy spoke first.

“I can’t believe her. Why won't she let me go.” 

“Come on. You know Sarina’s doing what's best, you might find something that could help find her.”

“What if I don’t? What if she gets hurt, or worse.”

Lucy sighed. She sunk back in her seat, she didn't have the words to describe the fear she felt, not really. She wanted to scream, cry, run or kill.

Jill looked at her friend, not knowing the right words to say, she herself was scared for Ona’s safety, the whole team was, but she could see in Lucy that this wasn't just about a colleague, though right now wasn't the right time to question her on it.

The hand on Lucy's arm squeezed harder.

“We have to. There can’t be any doubts, she’s part of us, she's family, we need to get her back, and we will.”

The brunette nodded, her words lost in her throat.

Lucy bit her lip, she could feel her body going limp, she felt so useless, nothing was in her control. She just wanted to get Ona back, she wanted to feel her in her arms, tell her she was okay, that she was safe, not let anyone hurt her. 

—--------------

Ona winced from the aching pain to her eye, she could barely open it, thanks to the rings on Slim's fingers. She tried her best to not show any emotion but in honesty she was petrified. 

The day had started like any other, the only difference was the light spring in her step from her new found relationship with Lucy. Happy wasn’t even close to how she felt, the girl was elated, she was glowing, she was high from happiness. She had felt giddy as she got ready for work, ecstatic to see the older brunette again, even though she had just seen her not even 10 hours before. Not to mention the late night call only 7 hours ago. 

It was still dark when Ona had left her flat, thanks to the gloomy hours of December. She had made her way to the coffee shop where she always got hers and Lucy's morning coffee. She waited in the line like normal, greeted her usual barista like normal. They quickly spoke about Christmas and what she got up to. She walked back to her usual spot on her wall outside her building, just like she always did.

The sky was just starting to lighten when she felt the sharp pain in the back of her head, then everything became dark. 

She woke up to a hard jolt shifting her body. It was difficult to open her eyes, feeling weak when she finally came to. It felt like she was in a dazed dream. She could feel the familiar movements of being in a car. She slowly opened her eyes to see she was in the back of a van. 

Confusion clouded her brain, a stabbing feeling in her head made her wince as the throb bled into her skull. She tried to move, but her wrist was tightly bound behind her back. That's when panic settled in. What was happening?

“Wakey, wakey, sunshine.”

Ona recognised the voice straight away. She turned to see Slims sitting by the doors of the van, glaring at her. 

It felt like she was staring at a ghost. They had assumed he died from the fall. What did he want with her? How did he even find her?

“What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?” He spat.

But Ona didn't reply.

“You and your little dyke girlfriend was huddled together for a while, made me wait 3 fucking days before she left.”

Ona’s stomach dropped, Slims had clearly been following them to know where Ona lived. Neither Lucy or Ona had noticed.

Slims held up Ona’s phone. “What's the pin to your phone, pig? I need to make a call to the other pig.”

Ona ignored him again, only angering the man more. 

Slims chuckled darkly as he rubbed his chin. “Give me the cunting pin.”

Ona just stared at him, not giving the man what he wanted. His next movements were quick, he lept towards her like a crazed beast, making Ona flinch. The girl tried her best to move, but with her arms bound she had nowhere to go. His large rough hands grabbed her ponytail, making her gasp in pain, forcing her already aching head up towards his face. 

“You’re going to tell me the pin to your phone, then you’re going to tell me the name of that cunt that shot me.”

Ona felt rage rise up in her body, not thinking about her next actions, she spat in his already angry face. 

“You fucking little dyke bitch!” Slims lifted his arm, bringing his knuckles down hard against Ona’s eye and cheek, his thick jagged rings catching the soft skin under her eye.

The pain that shot through Onas face was like white hot liquid, for a second she didn't actually know where the pain had started or ended, engulfing all the nerves in her face. When she couldn't open her left eye that's when she realised what happened. She gritted her teeth, trying to firm the pain as much as she could.

“Give me the pin or I'll shoot you right now.” 

Her body went rigid when she felt the cold metal against the side of her head, Ona opened her good eye, the other one already swelling closed. 

“1006.”

Slims typed in the number, opening her phone.

“Now, tell me the name of the bitch that shot me.”

She pressed her lips together, she felt so helpless.

Slims pushed the gun harder against her head, wanting the name.

“L-Lucy.” 

The man looked around the van for his next plan. Ona watched as he found the grey duct tape, ripping some off and pressing it aggressively to her mouth.

Slims went on her contacts finding Lucy. He changed the number to unknown, calling Lucy's phone. Ona could hear the tone dialling, she felt sick, her emotions were everywhere. It was only two rings before the phone was answered but she didn't hear Lucy's voice.

“What's wrong pig? Can’t you speak?” 

“Who is this?” 

Hearing Lucy's voice sent a wave of emotions through her limp body, she wanted so badly to be with her, wrapped up in the safety of her bed, in the safety of Lucy's arms.

“Doesn’t matter. I got your little girlfriend with me, that’s all that matters.” 

“What do you want?”

Ona could hear the fear in Lucy’s voice, it was a foreign sound to her.

“I want my brother out.” 

“Slims?” 

“Get my fucking brother out or she’s dead!”

Ona flinched at the rage in the man's voice, the boom from his words sending a shooting pain to her head.

Ona could hear the pause. 

“You know that’s not possible.” 

Before Ona knew what was happening she was being dragged by her hair, releasing a muffled scream, she would have tried to hold back the noise but the pain in the back of her head made it impossible.

“Hear that pig? I like the way your girlfriend screams.”

Ona winced, she could feel a wet trickle dribbling down her neck, it was more than likely blood from the assault on her head.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” 

“Got your attention now pig? If you don’t get him out she’s dead. And it wont be fucking quick. I’ll have my fun with her first.” 

Slims gave out a dirty chuckle. Ona shivered at his words, she could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage.

“You dare hurt her-”

Ona cried out as Slims pushed her hard, making her back hit the metal tin walls. He grabbed her jacket before she could fall, his face inches from hers, she could smell the cigarette on his breath. The ache that shot through her almost knocked her out, she felt dizzy.

“Getting it now? Get him out.”

Slims hung up the phone, he glared at Ona, the hate in his eyes was evident. He released her clothing, allowing her to fall to the floor, smirking as she groaned from the pain. The man walked back over to the van doors, sitting on a crate.

“Fucking, pigs.” 

Ona closed her eyes, trying her hardest to calm her breathing, she could feel her body shaking uncontrollably. Even though she was trained for hard situations this was something that was completely out of her control. She could only hope her team would help her now.

After 40 minutes the van came to a stop, the engine turning off. The van doors opened, a cold gust of wind hit Ona’s face, making her wince. Slims jumped out of the vehicle, lighting a cigarette. Two more men appeared around the doors, clearly working for Slims.

“Take her inside.” 

Both the men nodded, one jumped in the back and pulled Ona up by her collar, he pushed her forward, wanting her to walk. She slowly walked to the edge of the van, but before she could get down she was kicked in her back. She let out a muffled shriek, not able to stop herself with her arms tied behind her back, she fell face first on the floor. She groaned as her chin took the worst hit, bleeding instantly, the cold rainy air hitting the cut made the sting worse. She could hear the men laughing behind her, her heart was racing with fear.

“Stop fucking about and take her inside!” Slims shouted.

Ona felt herself being lifted roughly, her body was aching, everything felt like it hurt. She looked at her surroundings, they were in the middle of nowhere, it was mostly fields and trees, aside from an abandoned looking storage unit. She was guided to the building, her legs were like jelly as she feared the worst. 

The goons walked her up a flight of metal stairs, Ona looked around with one eye, trying her best to see a place to escape. All she could see were beams of shelving units, but she was shoved in her back. They came to a room with old office equipment inside, the smell of damp and dust consumed her nose.

“I’m going first.” 

Ona heard those chilling words ring into her ears. Before she could stop it she was being pushed towards a desk.

“Take off the tape, I want to hear her.”

The second man ripped the duct tape from Ona’s lips, stinging her skin.

“No! No! Please, stop!” Ona’s voice cracked.

She was pushed forward over the desk. her chest hitting the wood with force, making her gasp loudly. She couldn't stop the tears this time.

“It's a shame she's all beating up, she's got a pretty face. I'd rather look at her while I was inside her, make it romantic.” 

The men laughed loudly at the joke. Ona tried to move but was only pushed further into the desk, constricting her breathing.

“Stop moving.”

She felt her body tense up, every muscle in her body was screaming, she couldn't move, she couldn't even scream, her body felt so weak, she was completely shutting down.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Slim's voice boomed into the room.

The two men turned to their boss.

“Just having a bit of fun, Slims.”

“Fun? Fucking get outside and patrol the area you dumb fucks. She’s the fucking police, do you not think the feds will be hot on her? Get outside, make sure no one followed us.”

Ona felt the pressure come off her body, the two men moving away from her, finally able to take a breath.

“Tie her up first. Fuck!” Slims slammed his palm on the door.

One of the men grabbed Ona’s weak body, moving her towards a metal radiator. Slims threw a bag at his feet. The pig eyed man grabbed some rope from the bag and tied it around Ona’s already restrained wrist, securing her to the metal bars.

The brunette lifted her head up weakly, meeting Slims eyes.

“You better hope she gets my brother out.”

The door slammed behind him, leaving Ona alone. 

She tugged at the restraints around her wrist, again and again, until her skin became red raw. She screamed out into the air, but she knew no one would hear her. Her knees weakly slumped down to the floor, every fibre in her body began to shake. She didn't want to cry, but she could feel her resolve crashing, she felt hopeless.

She began to think about her friends. Her family. Her parents. Lucy. 

She wondered if she would ever see any of her people again. She could feel her heart breaking as she pictured Lucy's face. That's when the tears began to slowly run down her cheeks. 

For the first time in a long time Ona had woken up the happiest she could ever remember being. And in an instant it all came crashing down. Now she didn't even know if she would live through the night.

She closed her eyes, hoping to wake up from this nightmare. The pain in her head started to throb as she fell in and out of consciousness.

—-------

“Okay no worries, thanks anyways.” 

A deep sigh escaped Lucy's lips as another door closed in her face. 

It was maybe the 50th house that she had knocked at, questioning any homeowner that would answer to her. Seen as it was the middle of the day not many people were in, more than likely at work, or the ones that did answer hadn’t seen or heard anything, giving Lucy no leads. 

She had already tirelessly roamed the high street, enquiring shop workers if they had any CCTV footage of the street view, just like her superior had asked. Only 2 of the 16 shops she had questioned had footage she was able to watch on site. Though, the footage she did watch didn’t show anything suspicious. The rest were either not able to give her the footage till the end of the week or simply didn't have any ideas on how to show her.  

She climbed into her car, the rain was coming down hard now, hammering on the roof above her head. Lucy felt weak. Her mind had been all over the place, she hadn't been able to think straight since this morning. But how could she? Ona was gone, she was in the hands of a dangerous criminal. 

So many questions filled the brunette's head. What was happening to Ona? Where had he taken her? Was she even still alive? Had he realised the demands he wanted were obscene, killing her in the process? Not knowing if she was safe was driving the brunette fucking crazy. 

Surely she was okay? He would have to be stupid to think he could hurt her and get away with it. Even if he killed her, he was found, he'd be going away for life. 

Lucy looked at the time, it was 3pm. She turned on her engine, ready to go question a whole other street of houses. Her radio automatically turned on with the car, just catching the end of a song.

🎵 “Islands in the stream. That is what we are. No one in between” 🎵

Of all the songs that could have played it had to be that one.

Lucy closed her eyes as she remembered the way the Spaniard had completely butchered the song at the Karaoke bar. The poor girl didn’t know the song as well as Lucy, making up the words as she sang, even singing some of the lyrics in Catalan. Lucy was no better, she was as tone-deaf as they came, but she couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes as she laughed hard at the shorter brunette, even her abs ached the next day. 

Ona had looked truly stunning that night. Her caramel hair fell perfectly around her face, making the contrast between her milky skin and her beautiful dark freckles pop. Lucy had caught herself staring at her throughout the night, watching as the younger girl laughed and danced. Ona would knowingly catch the older brunette staring, a small smirk twitching in the corners of her mouth before taking a sip of her drink, the twinkle in her brown eyes made Lucy's stomach do flips.

It was so blatantly obvious now. Now that Lucy thought back on it. They had both wanted each other, the signs were there, loud and clear, but they had both been too scared. Well, mostly Lucy had been too scared.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the radio.

“Here’s Charlie with your news.”

“A police woman has been abducted earlier this morning outside her residential home. It's led to believe a known criminal is involved in the abduction of 25 year old Ona Batlle. Chief Constable, Sarina Wiegman has told reporters that ‘she is determined to get Miss Batlle back safely’.” In other news…”

Lucy turned down the radio. Her heart wrenched, Sarina would have had to inform her parents or friends about Ona. Lucy gripped the steering wheel, anger spiked back up through her body. She regretted that day on the bridge, she should have just shot Slims in the head.

She was done waiting around, she put her car into gear and made her way to the destination. The rain continued to pour hard, her wipers working overtime to get rid of the water covering her screen. Her hands were turning white with the pressure of her grip, she had never felt a feeling of rage like it. Not since Sophie. It made her head throb, a tension that grew all over her body, like something was taking over her.

She finally got to the destination, she looked at the building where Slims was known to hide away, it was the same house they had raided before. She jumped out of her car, not caring that she was getting soaked from the rain. She got to the house and pounded on the door, she waited a few minutes until a man opened the door. 

He eyed her up, he knew she was police, going by the disgusted look he gave her .

“I’ve already told your little mates to piss off. I didn't talk to them, so I’m not talking to you.” 

The man tried to shut the door but Lucy wedged her boot in the way.

“Move out the fucking way.” He growled. 

“Where is he?” Lucy was trying her best to be calm.

“Fuck off, how about tha-” Before he could finish his sentence Lucy’s fist was splitting his lip open. 

“Ahhh, fuck!” 

The man let out a yelp, while falling on his arse. The brunette moved inside the door, she quickly scanned the house not seeing anyone else. 

“Where is he? Where’s Slims? You know he's taking her. Where is he?” 

The man spat out a mouth full of blood. “She's probably in a ditch somewhere.” He smiled at Lucy, showing his once white teeth stained red. 

Lucy booted the man in his leg, he let out another yelp.

“Fuck. I don’t know where he is!” 

“Don’t fucking lie!” 

Before Lucy could think she grabbed her hand gun that sat on her waist and aimed it at the man on the floor.

This went against everything Lucy was. The brunette knew what she was doing was completely illegal, nobody in the police force could just waltz into a person's home and start demanding information, let alone assault them. But right now she didn't care, she just wanted answers, she just wanted Ona. 

The man's eyes bulged open, finally looking scared. 

“I swear! I don’t know where he is! I only heard about it today!” 

Lucy cocked her gun.

“No! Please. I don’t know anything!” He started to cry.

“Lucy! Drop the gun.”

Lucy heard Jordans voice, but she didn’t lower her gun.

“Come on Luce. Drop it. He’s not worth it.”

Lucy stared at the man, she watched as his tears rolled down his cheeks, it made her wonder if Ona had cried when she was taken. 

Her finger stroked the metal trigger.

She uncocked her gun and slowly lowereed it, staring at the man 

“That's it. Come on, let's get you home.” Jordan’s voice was gentle as she tried to coax her friend away. The brunette allowed Jordan to monaver her, stepping back from the man sniffling. 

“Come, Luce.” 

They began to walk out the house, both Demi and Jordan had a hand on their friend. 

“Fucking bitches.” The man muttered, still lying on the floor. 

Demi didn't hesitate when she blew a fierce kick between the man's legs.

“Fuuuuuck!!” The man groaned as he rolled on the floor, wailing with his hands between his legs. 

“Sorry, my foot slipped.” Demi smirked as she followed Jordan and Lucy out the door.

“Did you get anything from them? Anything on Ona?” Lucy asked, her voice full of anger.

“No. Nothing.” Jordan shook her head, looking at the floor. 

“Fuck.” Lucy kicked the plastic bins outside the house, she was clearly losing her resolve.

“Demi, you drive my car. I’ll drive Lucy’s back to hers. Follow us.” Jordan threw her keys over to Demi.

“No. I want to go to the office. I want to see if there's been any updates.” 

Jordan wanted to argue but she thought better of it, she nodded. “Okay, but I'm driving.” 

“Fine.” Lucy whispered as she walked around to the passenger seat.

Demi and Jordan shared a concerned look. This wasn't like her, but they understood why. She was clearly going through a rollercoaster of emotions, they just felt as hopeless as her, wanting nothing more than to bring Ona home. They could see it was tearing her apart. The girl looked like she was about to lose it all.

It was silent as Jordan drove them back to the office, other than the sound of the window wipers clearing the relentless rain. She looked over every now and then at Lucy, she sighed as she saw the pain in her friend's face, she looked like she wasn't even there, a shell of the Lucy that she knew, completely lost in her own thoughts. 

She knew Lucy needed to take a break, or even a step back from the case, but she also knew if Lucy wanted something she was going to get it.

“How did you know I was there?”

Jordan jumped at the sudden voice. 

“We spotted you driving past us in the car. I knew you were heading that way, so we followed you. To give you back up… just in case.” 

Jordan flicked her eyes back and forth between Lucy and the road in front.

The brunette nodded, watching the rain drip down the window. She was thankful that they showed up, she wasn't sure if they hadn't, how it could have ended.

“Have you eaten?” The blonde asked.

Lucy shook her head. “I can’t eat.”

Jordan pressed her lips together as she came to a stop at the red traffic lights.

“Luce, you need to take a break. You can’t work like this. Let's get you something to eat, yeah?”

Lucy didn’t respond, she sighed as her thoughts were taken up by Ona.

Jordan drove for a little while more until she pulled over to grab some food for herself and Lucy. 

“Here, eat.” She placed the sandwich packet in Lucy's lap but the girl made no attempt to eat. 

Finally, they arrived at the office. The girls made their way inside, Lucy was praying that she would hear some good news about Ona, or any news.

They gathered in the meeting room, it was quiet, nobody spoke until Sarina walked in, from her face alone Lucy knew it wasn't good.

“I’m going to be straight with you all, there hasn't been any updates with Ona. I wish I could tell you more or even a different circumstance but I can’t. We do have more eyes and ears from other branches. I’m also in talks with the chief of police, who are going to help us further with the case. I think our best bet is to keep doing what we’re doing. Wait to see if Slims gives us any leads. I’ve also informed Ona’s loved ones about the situation.” 

The room was silent. Lucy could feel a few eyes on her, but she kept her gaze down.

“You’re dismissed, but please keep your phones with you in case I need to call you in. We will have an overnight team keeping an eye on any leads that may come through.”

The room started to slowly empty.

“Bronze, a word.” 

Lucy nodded, she knew Sarina was going to pull her up for her outburst earlier but she didn't care, she had nothing in her to care.

The blonde women eyed the younger girl as it became only them left.

“I’m so sorry this has happened, Lucy.” 

Lucy looked at her superior.

“I know you and Ona are close, maybe closer than just partners. So, I can’t imagine how you're feeling, but I need your head straight, Bronze, not for me, but for Ona.”

Lucy knew she was right, but words were so much easier said than done.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to-”

“Stop. It's nothing.” She smiled softly at the brunette.

“Go home. Eat, shower, sleep. I need you ready in case anything comes up.”

“Yeah, I'll try.” Lucy gave a sad smile.

The older woman wanted to assure Lucy that it was all going to be okay, that Ona was going to come back, but she knew she couldn't promise that.

The older woman patted Lucy on the back, walking out with her.

Lucy drove home, though she didn't remember doing it. She walked inside her house, but it didn't feel like hers. She looked at her phone, she had countless missed calls from her mum, dad and brother, they had obviously seen the news, but she had nothing in her to speak to them, she couldn’t. 

She slowly walked over to her front room slumping on the sofa, it felt like her body was made of lead. Her muscles and bones ached, but from what? She hadn't done anything, but the pain in her body swept over her all the same.

She felt like she was sinking, like her chest was  filling with sand, her rib cage becoming tighter with each breath she desperately tried to take, but never getting the air that she needed. She grabbed the closest pillow that she could, squeezing it to her chest, trying to feel herself, ground herself. She felt like she was in a hot fever dream, maybe she was? Maybe this was all just a nightmare and she hadn't woken up yet.

Maybe she was still in bed with Ona, stroking her naked back, smiling as the smaller girl giggled from Lucy's touch. Laughing as Lucy grabbed her in a tight hug, both their naked bodies warm against the other. 

Maybe she would wake up and they were at her parents house, laughing at Lucy's baby pictures. Maybe if she woke up she would be at that Spanish restaurant that Ona liked, finding out more things about the younger brunette. 

If only she could wake up and see Ona’s freckled morning face again, her fingers tangled in her hair as she made love to her over and over again. Her heart pounding as Ona barely whispered her name as she coaxed her to another orgasm, her legs shaking around her waist as they lost themselves in each other.

Lucy screamed into the pillow, it hurt. The tears then followed, the tears were blinding, she couldn't see, she couldnt breath. She screamed again, this time she definitely ripped something, but she didn't care. Her mind kept going blank, her head felt heavy, like she wasn't even able to hold it up, it felt like everything was shutting down. Her lungs, her eyes, her brain, her thoughts, it all felt too hard for her body to take. 

She woke up a couple hours later, she didn't even realise she had fallen asleep, she must have passed out. The pain in her head ached, it felt like she was hungover, her throat was dry, a metallic taste rose up her throat, her stomach was in knots and her hands were shaky. She forced herself to the kitchen, but she couldn't bring herself to eat. She showered, but for at least 10 minutes she just stood there, the luke water hitting her skin. 

As it got later Lucy tried to sleep. She laid in her bed, she closed her eyes, trying her hardest for her body and mind to rest. But of course it was no use. She tossed and turned in her bed. Her head was all over the place, all she could think about was Ona, her screams were cemented in her brain. She felt sick again. She needed air.

Lucy found herself driving around the city of London. The usually busy streets were a ghost town apart from the odd night dweller, or the bin people collecting the mountains of rubbish from the bars and pubs. She drove over tower bridge, taking in the bright lights of the city. It reminded her of the night she took Ona to the spot by the river, when it was her first week at the firm. She could still see Ona’s bright brown eyes twinkling as she took in the sight. 

Before she knew it she was parked outside the office. She glared at the grey building, the sky becoming a little lighter as the sun began to rise, the birds singing their morning songs. She walked up the steps, letting out a deep sigh. She didn’t know why she came here, it was like she was on autopilot. She knew she didn’t want to go home, maybe being here felt closer to Ona. 

She walked through the dark office space, she spotted LJ sitting at a computer, the bright glow from the screen on her face, she looked tired. 

“Hey, Luce.” She whispered. 

“Hey.” 

LJ didn’t seem shocked to see Lucy, it wasn’t the first time Lucy had slinked into the office when she couldn’t sleep. The older brunette was glad she didn’t question her on it.

Lucy leaned next to LJ, looking over the screens. The younger brunette was watching over any footage in the proximity of Ona’s house, looking for any vehicles or activity that looked suspicious. There was also a smaller screen to track Ona’s phone, the last place being tracked wasn’t far from her home, but since the last call they hadn’t been able to trace it again. 

“Any updates?” 

LJ sighed as she leaned back, Lucy heard a few of her bones cracking at her movements. 

“No, nothing. Well, one black van. I followed camera footage until it no longer was being picked up. I ran the number plate and now I'm waiting for the van company to get back to me.”

Lucy nodded. She walked over to her desk, her hand gently gripping Ona’s chair. She smiled to herself at how neat the Spaniards desk was compared to her own. 

She let out a deep sigh as she sat at her computer, opening up the files on the case that involved Slims. Half an hour later she was scrolling through the names of the men that were connected with the case. She wondered if she could find their properties and ‘question’ them. 

The older brunette stared out the window, the sun was just staring to make the clouds orange. The streets of London starting to wake again, 

She heard LJ groan and stretch from across the room, tiredly getting up from her desk, and heading to the toilet. Lucy gave out her own yawn, and made her way to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. She put the kettle on and instantly zoned out, staring at the water as it began to boil through the glass. Her bitten finger tips unconsciously migrated to her mouth, biting the already bloody nail beds. The brunette was in her own world, lost in thought, once again feeling hopeless. Feeling sick.

Ona of course clouded her brain, she wondered if the girl was okay, she wondered if she had been fed, she wondered if she had been left somewhere, had she been hurt? Or worse. She felt her eyes pricking with heat again, threatening to let her tears spill over. 

The high pitched screeching sound of the kettle started ringing in her ears, bringing her back to the present. 

The kettle came to the end of the boil, the bubbles slowly calming down to a simmer. She looked up as she faintly heard the sounds of what sounded like the office phone ringing but then ended. She continued to make herself and Lauren a cup of coffee. 

The younger brunette was still away from her desk as Lucy placed the hot mug on her coaster, that's when her eye caught the red dot, blinking on the screen. 

It was Ona’s phone.

Her heart jumped in her throat, the small red dot was flashing across the map. She pressed a couple of buttons and was given the address. She could tell the location wasn't the city, it was easily a 40 minute drive, maybe 30 if she rushed and used her police lights through the town. She hurriedly took her phone out of her pocket, taking a picture of the location. 

She grabbed her jacket as she ran out of the building, but not before she stopped at the armoury room.

[08melancholie]

Hi! First of all: love your writings! Somehow you manage to give me exactly what I want. I have read the lessen your stress one, amazing. Thank you. Lots of loves from the other side of the screen.

Now, I would like to request a one shot Micah/F!Reader (or GN reader if you want) where a really sweet and kind Reader likes Micah and actually wants to sleep with him but is a virgin and kind of shy, in contrast with the rough, brute Micah we all know, who will obviously want to sleep with reader too (either bc he likes them back or simply bc he’s desperate and wants sex, you decide, just please don’t miss characterize him too much, I like my Micah as the asshole he is :’) <3

Thank you very much and I really appreciate your work! <3 have a good day!

thank you sm for the compliments <33 and dw because i like to also keep my men just as scummy at times🙏

Some aspects might be similar to 'Untouched' here (still attached to that fic like a leech chat..) but i'll make sure it still sounds new!

Lose Some; Gain Some. — Micah Bell/Reader

tags: Smut, Porn, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Micah Bell Is His Own Warning, Virginity, Loss of Virginity, Vaginal Sex, Penis In Vagina Sex, Sex, Orgasm, Multiple Orgasms, Rough Sex, but just a bit at the end, its micah he doesnt know how to be gentle sorry guys, Not Beta Read, no beta we die like micah bell

summary: You would rather take over doing everyone's chores in camp forever, than ask the question thats currently been plaguing your mind; one of your lowest lows, probably. You were told that a woman's virginity is a precious thing, how you had to lose it to the right person. This, however, you found to be total bullshit. And you wanted nothing more than the man who was Micah Bell to do it for you.

a/n: first ask yippiee!! i am so busy with exams oh lord i barely made time for this😭 i hope its to your liking!!! second ao3 post today im on a roll actually🙏🙏

words: 3,201 | AO3 LINK

Still being a virgin at this age is almost laughable. Well, it is; the girls haven't stopped teasing you since you told them during a game Mary-Beth told everyone about. You had to answer the question asked by Karen—about your sex life—or drink. You answered that you were still a virgin, and a few of them laughed; haven't stopped making jabs at you since. It's almost irritating.

And, your irritation made you slip up—by saying you'd lose your virginity tonight.

"What!? Tonight? With who?" Karen immediately snapped her head in your direction and away from the fresh laundry she and you were folding. There go the consequences of your actions. Who the hell do you even say?

You put down your own laundry back into your lap. "Well," You'll either have to lie your ass off, or go for the truth; but you sure as hell were not going for the latter. "guy I met in the saloon while we were still in Valentine, we've been writing." Not too bad.

Karen chuckled, thankfully buying into your lie. "Well, ain't I happy for you! It's about damn time, anyway." She goes back to the chore, like yourself, and continues your previous conversation.

Let's think logically—or, as logically as you could—about this; you don't exactly trust finding a random man in a bar to do this with, so who is going to eagerly take your virginity? Who would you ask that wouldn't tell anyone in camp about it, keep it between you two for the exchange of taking it from you? Who would you want to take your virginity?

You thought about how sweet Arthur would be; how he'd probably understand and treat you right, talk you through everything while praising you for following his instructions so well. Or maybe Charles; A gentle giant that would worship you as should be, show you how everything is done while talking in that deep tone you love to hear.

And then your mind went completely south of the previous two. You thought about how greedy he'd be, touching and moving his hands all over your body, wanting to feel every crevice under his rough fingertips. How he'd see taking your virginity as a precious thing, how you were told growing up, something you wanted him to have—and also as the biggest ego boost ever. He'd probably be a complete tease, too, nor would he talk you through the process like the other two. He'd probably just go for it, no instructions as you scrambled for what you had to do while he—

Jesus Christ, that's the last person you should be even 'just considering'.

Micah Bell is NOT an option here; forget it. Even if the heat between your legs didn't agree with these terms, you would not give your first time to that bastard. He was just an egotistical, rude, mouthy degenerate. Why the hell was the thought of how poorly he'd treat the situation getting you so worked up? You're practically soaking your garments over this bastard; and that's a problem.

Oh, but it's so tempting; this, unfortunately, wasn't the first time you've caught yourself thinking of him, imagining him in bed—which is reasonably worse than the former. Could you refuse yourself this small want? When you think about it, he might be one of the only people here who'd jump to get intimate without question, seeing how he catcalls and flirts with most of camp; including yourself a few times. God, were you really going to do this? How would you even bring it up?

This was something you needed to think of on the way, because it was nearing nighttime and you'd probably lose him to the darkness in the outskirts of camp, where he's usually found. As soon as you finished folding the laundry, you excused yourself from Karen and went to find Micah, thinking over what you would say to him. You had a whole dialogue figured out by the time you spotted him smoking by Baylock, probably having gotten done tending to the horse after the job he went on today. You really had to just brace yourself and follow your little plan, while hoping it'll turn out how you envisioned it to.

He noticed you approaching while you were a few steps away, the nervousness in your body language not hard to make out; hands clasped together, eyes focusing everywhere but on his own, your steps almost reluctant. He raised an eyebrow at you while taking a drag from the cigarette. "Look who it is; worried I'mma bite 'ya?"

You were barely able to give a reaction to his words, your nerves making you go almost silent. "Hah, no.. no, I'm..." Come on! We practiced this six times already! As soon as your eyes darted to his own greyish-blues, you lost your goddamn ability to speak. For the love of God; get your shit together. "Listen; this is very hard for me to even say out loud." Well, it's a good start.

Micah's eyebrows furrow slightly, your sudden shyness compared to the usual quips you could muster up back to his flirting or teasing very abnormal. But, he doesn't comment on it, wanting to hear you out before he teased you further. "Go on then, girl." He speaks, tossing his cigarette elsewhere.

The embarrassment this will leave you in will be history. "Okay.. so, uh.. I need your help with something—let's say." Your words just make him more confused; speaking to him in these absurd riddles. "Would you just.. hear me out?"

The blonde man nods after a moment, folding his arms over his chest while leaning back on the tree. Okay, you can get the words out, trust yourself.

"Would you.. and it's just a one-time thing, may I add." You start, a blush creeping up your neck and to your cheeks as you tried to think of what you were saying; you were about to ask Micah to get intimate with you. Yeah, you don't think this low can be matched. Nonetheless, no giving up now. "Would you take.. take my uh.. virginity?" As soon as the words leave your mouth, you have to hold back from fleeing the scene. "Listen—I lied to the girls and I just.. fuck, it's you."

Micah's had a small smirk on his face, mostly directed towards your nervous and shy state, until the sentence finally left your mouth. His smile dropped and he assumed he heard you wrong. "What'd you say.? Would I take.. your virginity?" He repeats back to you, definitely sure he's heard you wrong. But as you slowly nod your head, unable to open your mouth any longer, his eyes slowly widen a little more, rubbing his chin in thought. "Well, goddamn. You're one bold 'lil thing, ain'tcha?" Here comes the teasing you envisioned.

You roll your eyes to the comment. "I don't need your comments, Micah. You in or not? I'll gladly find someone else." You threaten, biting your cheek. Don't make me find someone else.

He perks up at your empty threat. "Hey—no, don't threaten me now, doll," He leans off the tree and gets right in your personal space, hands on his gun belt. "you know I love to help a lady in need out." He purrs at you, looking down almost menacingly.

"Good," You murmur, the closer he got the more nervous it made you. "then.. it's settled." It's only when he stands right before you, hands running up from your outer thighs to your sides, that you start processing what you've gotten yourself into.

His hands glide over your waist, feeling you up through your shirt. "Surprised yer still untouched, many would love a little body like this in their hands." His words and the small squeeze to your sides send butterflies straight to your stomach; you could practically lose it right then and there. "But it's only little ole me that gets it, huh?" His claim is followed by a darkish chuckle, ringing in your ears. He stops his hands over your ribs and the underside of your chest, looking down shamelessly at the little cleavage your shirt provides. "Well then; my tent?"

It took him barely a few seconds to get you through the flaps of his tent, tying the canvas shut and making sure you've got the bit of privacy camp life can offer. It takes him even less time to shove you down to his cot, seating yourself on the mattress and looking up at him settling atop you, knees around your outer thighs. "Don't you look pretty under me like this." His hands cup around the underside of your jawline, thumbs running up and down the outline of your face. "So, ever kissed a feller?"

You raise an eyebrow at the question. "Not that much of a prude." Your quick response gets a gruff chuckle out of him for a brief moment, before he'd leaned down and captured your lips with his, setting a nice and quick pace for the kiss. You return it with just as much swiftness, hand reaching for his belt buckle and gripping it, earning an appreciative sound out of Micah. "Good girl," His tongue swipes over your bottom lip, trying to enter your mouth rather quickly; but you don't complain, quickly complying. He gets himself an immediate taste of you, tongue swirling around in your mouth as if mapping out the contour of the body part. He goes back to exploring the rest of your body with his hands, moving them all around your sides and waist before stopping at the hem of your shirt and breaking away from your mouth briefly. "Let me see what I'm workin' with, doll." You breathe in the air that the kiss knocked out of you for a moment before wordlessly nodding, lifting your arms up for him to slide the shirt off, peeling it away from your torso and arms as you're sat almost bare from the stomach up now, only covered by your bra. Your shirt is tossed elsewhere, and he goes back to appreciating the view in front of him—or well, under him.

"Oh, you're perfect, little lady." He doesn't hesitate to reach his hands to your chest almost immediately, cupping you through the bra while running his thumbs on the upper flesh that was exposed. His fingers are as calloused as you envisioned, as if moulding your soft flesh with every swipe of his digits on your skin. He knows his way around your body, probably from the experience you lack. One hand stops groping you and moves to your back again, fiddling with your bra before unclasping it. Why is it that your shyness is only hitting you now? As soon as he starts moving your bra straps down to reveal your bare chest to him, you finally process that he's about to see you nude, and you definitely show some signs of reluctance. He notices your sudden demeanour change and looks from your chest to your eyes. "Come on, I don't judge, princess. Bet you're realll purty under here." His finger slips between your cleavage and hooks to the middle of your bra that connects the two pieces as he tugs at the material, slowly moving it away from your bare chest. It slips off your shoulders and arms, and you feel like a prey being inspected by it's hunter under that dark gaze Micah's blues hold. "Like I said.. damn beautiful."

Your shyness and nerves don't pass him by, and he doesn't want you to feel uneasy while he gets what he wants, so he decides to try and ease you up with another kiss, leaning up and snaking one hand to the back of your head to pull you in while the other went to your jean button, undoing it before moving to the zipper. The kiss definitely helped calm you a bit, your hands on his shoulders now as you clung to his shirt, kissing back with a small hum in your throat. He works your zipper down and hooks his fingers into your waistband, breaking the kiss again. "Lift your hips real quick," When you comply, he pulls your jeans down and you help him by kicking them off when they reach your ankles. His hand finds itself right between your legs, swiping at your still-clothed and warm entrance to find you just as aroused as he was. "damn, lookat'chu. Surprised a lady sweet as you'd be this wet over fuckin' a bastard like me." You almost moan at his comment, your garments definitely as damp as you felt them between your legs, drawing your shyness and embarrassment to a whole new level.

He leans away from you to strip his jeans off, first unclasping his gun belt and placing it over to where your shirt was, slowly moving into unzipping and undoing any other restraint that stopped him from getting naked. He looks to you—just watching him strip his pants off—and chuckles briefly. "Well? Get them panties off, sweetheart. Ain't need experience for that." You snap your eyes away from the small peek of a happy trail on his stomach that you, shamelessly at that, were staring at and stand up momentarily to slip your undergarments off, tossing them just shy of the other articles of clothing. "Mm, good, good.." He hums, letting his jeans drop before wasting no time with his drawls, slipping them off and freeing the leaky, visibly throbbing erection that was hidden in it. Your eyes scan over the length; it doesn't look too big, you can probably take it...

But where many assume Micah lacks in length—he makes up for in thickness.

He positions you to turn and bend over the cot slightly, hands on the mattress and back slightly arched. He's moving you around like a doll, positioning you to his liking. He lets out a small whistle when he's got you exactly how he wants you. "Ain't often I get a chance to do this type of thing... Almost feels like an early birthday gift." He chuckles while running one hand down your spine and moving to your hip, stroking himself with the other. He swipes two fingers over your entrance—earning himself a small moan—and uses it, mixed with some of his precum, to moisten his member up. "Now, might hurt a bit, ain't gonna lie to 'ya." You knew that much, mostly why you were adamant to the idea of sex for a while, but it can't be that bad, can it? "But we'll try to keep calm, eh girl?" He punctuates his last sentence with a squeeze to your hip before his tip slides between your warm folds, slickening himself up some more while he rubs his cock just shy of your entrance—unable to help himself from teasing you some. You let out a plethora of meek moans and huffs, your cunt itching for him to just ease it in. After a moment, he stops his tip at your entrance, ready to slide in. "I'mma go slow, try to make it.. durable for 'ya."

There's definitely a small stretch mixed into the overwhelming feeling of your walls being filled by Micah's thick shaft, clenching around him as you sigh and gasp to every inch filling you. "Shh, you're alright.. look," He reaches one hand over around you, two fingers pressing to your clit and making slow circles on it. Your sighs turn into small moans again. "Yeah.. good, focus on ma' hand, baby." He hums, slowly starting to bottom out into your pussy. His hips meet your rear as he continued to rub over your nub, giving you a brief moment to adjust before he pulls out to the tip—then slides right back in. The pain isn't as bad as people made it out to be, but some have a higher pain tolerance either way. You do your best to focus on the sensation Micah's rough fingers are playing on your clit, more than the way his cock slams into you and creates an almost echo-ey sound of skin-on-skin slapping, filling the tent with the suggestive melody.

The repetitive motion of his dick brushing your gummy walls has you on cloud-nine; you're gasping and moaning, letting his name slip past your lips in a pitched tone, grasping fistfuls of the sheets underneath you as his pace slowly gets faster per thrust. "Don't think it's smart I cum inside," He chuckles, punctuating himself with another slam of his hips into your ass, followed by your sweet little whine, almost like a protest. "you want me to?" He asks curiously due to your whine, and his grin gets so much wider when you nod your head, and his pace turns relentless. He starts fucking into you how he likes, trying to get himself to cum while rubbing you faster to get you there with him. "Can't wait to feel you clench this pretty cunt around me," He purrs with a small kiss to the nape of your neck before his focus is back on fucking his throbbing cock into you, getting himself closer by the moment.

You feel your own orgasm start to approach, your legs slightly jittery from the upcoming feeling. Micah takes quick note of this change and rubs your clit faster, drawing more whiny moans out of you that get muffled by the action of burying your head into the mattress; last thing you need is someone hearing you moaning Micah's name. Your whines are breathless and abrupt, getting cut off by each of Micah's quick thrusts into your cunt, all until you finally feel yourself tip over the edge and you cum, the clench of your pussy around Micah enough to get him there just a moment after you. He buries his cock deep into you, holding you up from collapsing into the bed by the hips as his chest makes contact with your back, the side of his head on the very top of your torso as he gasps breathlessly. "Ah.. there we go.." You can feel him empty himself inside you, your shaky legs barely supporting you with Micah doing most of the work.

He gives himself a moment before pulling out and placing you down to lay on the cot. "Let me tell you somethin', darlin';" He gets his underwear and jeans off the floor, slipping into both before leaning over you to whisper into your ear. "This definitely ain't 'gon be a one-time thing—not with how addicting that cunt is, or with how 'ya love to scream my name." He purrs lowly while clasping his gun belt back up, running a hand down your spine and stopping at your ass with a firm squeeze before moving you to lay more comfortably on his bed. "Well, get comfortable, think I'm up for a smoke.." He lazily tosses a random blanket in his tent over you—it's the thought that counts, apparently—before leaving you in his tent to rest up.

And you agree; he's addicting, and you will be fucking again.

Kudos on AO3 very appreciated!! we love the micah smut where hes still an ass to us <3

[monstrousproductions]

Hi! Sorry to bother you, but I had just finished the latest tsv episode and. well first of all I wanted to congratulate you on the absolute stellar performance of getting drowned. Very disturbing (overwhelmingly positive)

I can't stop thinking about why Rane would get in the water with a shark. You knew he tried to drown himself before and now you stand before him (the other Faulkner, his warped reflection, the bride to his trawlerman) and he's asking you to get in, it's fine, the water isn't even that deep here!

The faith! The trust! Like Faulkner said, it's eating them all but he's the only one awake to hear the bones crunch. I truly believe Rane expected him to do something unhinged in that pool, but either trusted him enough to believe the katabasian bait or thought themself physically able to overwhelm him should the need arise. Except they didn't know he's done that before! How could they? And they still tapped his arm even when they knew he had murdered Mason.

The anglerfishery of it all.

This is the best death for Rane I could imagine. They're one of my favourite characters: a pragmatic fanatic, so terribly faithful and treacherous at the same time, utterly fascinating in their devotion.

I wish that when Faulkner looked down at Rane through the mirror of the surface, he finally saw something other than his own face. I don't think that's the case though, and that, too - him taking away their personhood during the last moments of their life, is part of Rane's tragedy. This is his revenge - for killing Carpenter, for making him into a hollow mouthpiece, for pulling him out of that tank. And they're not even allowed to die as Rane - they die as Charlie, as Faulkner 2, as Mason, as sister Thurox. Terrible! I love it!

Sorry for the ramblings. I just really, really enjoyed Rane. Once again congrats!

No need to apologise, I'm certainly not going to complain about people messaging me to be nice about my performance! Thank you so much 💖

Honestly I think Jon deserves so much praise for Rane - all his characters feel so rich, even if we don't see that much of them "on screen" so to speak. It's easy to feel like even the relatively small roles in TSV are fully realised, fleshed-out people with rich inner lives, even if we never really see that side of them. And I think he's made a show that invites you engage in that if you want to, so that you can approach Rane and ask what their motivations are and why they might make the choices they do, and have fun chewing on that.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, and again for being so kind about the performance! I loved playing Rane, can't wait to revive the character in The Tequila Verses, the upcoming TSV spin-off sit-com set in Rane's crab-themed, beachfront cocktail bar they open after surviving Faulkner's attack.

[theaudacitytowrite]

I just called to say...

Dean Winchester x Reader

A/N: I think this fic shows my current state of mind quite well... so I think you guys get why I'm not able to write the fluffy fics that were supposed to be written months ago. I hope you can enjoy this one at least

Warnings: blood, injuries, character death (it's spn, duh!), hurt with no comfort

word count: 2.124

Dean groaned when he was shaken out of his slumber as his phone vibrated somewhere next to him. He tapped around his nightstand annoyed as he tried to find the pesky device and turn it off. Whoever called could wait for him to get up in the morning. He peeked onto the display, blinking against the harsh display light as he was about to decline the call when he saw your face lighting up the screen.

You had walked over Dean’s path earlier that day. You were out on a hunt with a fellow hunter and the three of you caught up over lunch. Dean had needed a motel to stay over for a night since he was on the drive back to the bunker after a successful hunt further down south so you showed him the motel you were staying at before parting ways again.

Dean wondered why you'd call at this time and sighed deeply, answering the phone.

“It’s 3 in the morning. What is it Y/N?” he asked groggily. His voice sounded hoarse, rough, and tired but his demeanour quickly changed to worry when he heard your laboured breaths that you forced yourself to take.

“D-Dean...” your voice was only above a whisper as you replied shakily. But there was also relief. Relief that Dean had picked up. You had worried that he wouldn’t hear his phone since it took him a few rings before he had answered. When he answered with his hoarse voice and his usual sassy remark, you had to smile softly, your eyes closing as a tear ran down your cheek “...I ...I fucked up.” you wheezed strained.  

Suddenly all his usual snarkiness was nowhere to be heard; he was in his serious, caring, concerned mode now.

“What do you mean?" Dean asked confused, “Where are you?”

Your breaths were ragged, and Dean could tell that you were holding back tears and wails of pain.  

“...Randy and I-I,” you stammered, swallowing hard as you tried to hold yourself together, “We were... we went out to the woods.” you coughed and it sounded like you were choking, “It was an ambush.” you managed to press out, “Randy's... he didn't make it and as it looks like... I won't make it either.” you breathed out.

In an instant Dean had jumped out of bed, starting to dress himself hurriedly.

“I’ll come and get you.” Dean responded curtly, almost hanging up.

“No! Wait.” you croaked, “Don’t… don’t hang up. I... I don't wanna die alone.” 

“You’re not dying, Y/N!” Dean harshly responded but cooled down immediately as he took a deep breath. “Okay.” his voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke again, “I’ll stay on the phone with you but you’re not going to die. And you gotta tell me where you are.” Dean tried to stay calm for your sake as he hurried out to Baby. 

“Somewhere in the woods... maybe ten minutes from the motel.” you breathed heavily.

“I’m coming to you, Y/N. Hold on.” Dean uttered collected.

“Dean...” you sobbed, “...can you do something for me?”

“...yeah. What do you need?” Dean tried to keep his emotions at bay. He didn’t like the sound of your voice. It was getting quieter with each time you spoke. He didn’t waste another second and drove off towards the woods you and Randy had told about him earlier. 

“Tell Bobby...” you hiccupped, “Tell Bobby he was right. I'm an idiot.” you chuckled somberly. “And... tell Sam and Cas that I'm sorry... and I love all three of them.” you sniffled. 

“You can tell them this yourself.” Dean insisted. He felt his emotions start to build up as tears streamed down his cheeks. 

“Please.” you breathed shakily. ”Just promise me.”

Dean’s words were no longer above a whisper as he croaked. “I'll tell them.”

“Thank you... *you huffed heavily, trying to keep your breath steady as you lay on the cold forest ground, the knife in your chest hurting so damn much with every breath you took.

“Do you... do you remember that Summer in 1995?” you suddenly whispered into the phone.

“...Yeah?” Dean hummed as memories flooded his brain. He had no idea of where this was going but he was still curious and waiting for your next words.

“How we went to the beach that one night and sat eating smores till sunrise?” you chuckled, tears running down your cheeks. “We watched the stars...” you trail off. 

“...Yeah, I do remember that night.” Dean wasn't saying much because he didn't want to interrupt you, so he was mostly quietly listening and waiting for more. He wanted to keep you talking so he knew that you were still with him.

“I knew it then.” you sobbed cryptically, the rigid movement hurting you even more. “But I never said anything...” you gulp, “But I have to say something before... before I go…”

Dean swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat and was struggling to keep his voice steady when he spoke. “And what is that?”

 “I love you, Dean.” you breathed through the speaker, “I always have.” you sniffled, “And I'm sorry for telling you this now... but you know me. I always had bad timing.” you chuckle bitterly.

Dean swallowed hard as your words sank in. A flood of emotions filled his head like a wave from the ocean crashing to the shore. He was so speechless that he could barely respond “...yeah, y-you always had bad timing.” He finally answered though it was really just to have something to say.

You chuckled sadly and closed your eyes, tears streaming down your cheeks. Your breath became shallower with every breath and your voice started to fade out as you slowly began to slip in and out of conscience.

“D-Don't you dare leave me...” Dean uttered huskily. He grew more panicked with each passing second. He was scared and desperate. “D-Don't leave me...” He repeated, his voice growing more strained with each word. 

“Ok.” you sobbed weakly, knowing you couldn't do anything against it no matter how hard you tried. You felt your energy draining more and more as you began to shiver. 

“...where are you, Dean?” you asked almost inaudible when Dean’s line grew silent. You needed to hear his voice just for a moment longer. 

“I... I'm here...” Dean whispered back. His voice was shaky, unsteady, and heavy with pain as tears continued to stream down his cheeks. “You... you're not alone. Okay?” he repeated his earlier words almost in a begging tone.

“Thank you...” you whispered, slowly losing strength to hold up your phone to your ear. 

“You're welcome...” There was a long pause after that, and Dean was trying to stay calm for you but you could still hear him struggling to hold back more tears. “Hold on... Okay?” you could hear his voice break with another sob. 

“I... I don’t think I can that long anymore...” you croaked when you suddenly heard the faint sound of an engine and some lights started to creep up the hill. Dean perked up as he heard the noise of Baby reverb from your side of the line and his eyes widened. He suddenly sounded incredibly desperate, and his voice was pleading. “Come on, come on... Come on, come on. Please...” he was still speaking softly so as not to alarm you, but he was trying to be encouraging, hoping you'd hold on long enough to see him.

“Dean?” you asked almost elated, “Is... is that you?” you sobbed, “Or am I hallucinating?” 

“No, you're not hallucinating.” Dean's voice was surer and clearer when he spoke again, though the heavy emotion in his voice was still clearly present. “It's me, it's me. You're gonna be okay.” his voice was still quiet so as not to startle you, but a little louder than before.

You started sobbing audibly, a mix of hope, longing and desperation mixing as you heard Baby approach. It took an eternity until you heard her come to a halt and the doors opened and closed. You heard hurried steps rustling through the leaves and Dean’s voice calling out for you in the distance and over your phone.

“H-here...” you croaked as loud as you could, but it was still only a whisper.

Dean heard you and your words filled him with a rush of emotions. The tears still streamed down his cheeks as he ran around the trees following the sound of your voice. He got closer and closer until he reached you, kneeling by your side as he looked down at you. 

“Y/N.... Y/N...” the flood of feelings almost made his words unintelligible.

Dean saw the state you were in and it frightened him. Your skin was pale and dull, your lips chapped and your eyes half-lidded. You were covered in bruises and cuts, blood everywhere. You were cold to the touch aside from the bloody patch where a hunter knife stuck in your abdomen. 

“Dean...” you breathed out, barely able to focus your eyes on him but his touch was so familiar and soothing.

“Y/N...” Dean took your hand and squeezed it firmly, “Y/N...” he repeated, and his voice grew stronger and louder. “...don't go... please...” you could sense the desperation in his words, as well as the pain and anguish that was breaking out as Dean was desperately trying not to cry.

“I'm... I'm trying...” you huffed heavily, fighting against your eyes closing. “How did you find me?” you croaked out weakly. 

Dean swallowed a few times as the words struggled to come out of his mouth. “It... it doesn't matter... don't matter.” There was a long pause before he spoke again “Just...” another long pause and his tears kept falling, “...just hold on... okay?” He sniffled as he tried to come up with a plan of how to get you out of here and into the ER.

“Dean...” you weakly squeezed his hand, trying to get his attention back to you. 

“Y-yes?” he quivered, pulling your hand up to his cheek.

“It’s going to be alright,” you whispered almost inaudible. 

Dean felt his emotions break as he felt your soft hand on his cheek. A lump grew in his throat yet again as he fought back tears. There was another long pause before he spoke again. 

“It won’t... will it?” he whispered strained, his voice breaking slightly with the last word. You smiled bleakly, knowing he was right. 

“I love you...” you simply responded, your eyes starting to flutter.

You could hear his voice getting even more filled with distress as he couldn't hold the tears back anymore. “I... I love you, too...” he continued, not wanting to waste the last few moments you had before leaving this world. “I love you, Y/N... too...” he whispered as he squeezed your hand again, softly kissing the back of your hand. He hoped that you could still hear him and feel his love as your eyes had closed. For a moment a soft smile appeared on your lips before your face relaxed.

Dean felt a deep sense of guilt when he saw your relaxed expression. The tears still fell as he was struggling to hold your hand steady. “Don't go...” he repeated over and over again. He fell apart when your hand squeezed his faintly once more. He leaned over your body, softly pressing a kiss against your forehead. He could taste the dried blood mix with his tears.

Dean took in your last squeeze and he stayed next to you, his hand still holding yours for a while after he felt there was no more movement in your hand. He was still crying, too devastated to say anything else.

As he started to pull himself together, his voice had become hoarse. It was weak and barely above a whisper. “...Y/N...” Another long pause spread as he took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. “...Y/N, you ain't ever gonna believe this.”

He took a moment to gather himself again. He took in a shaky breath and continued, hoping that the last of your consciousness could hear his words in the afterlife at least. “...Y/N, I always knew that you were an idiot,” he said with the barest touch of humour as he smiled through his tears. He took a moment and then spoke again. “...but... you've always been my idiot.” His breath grew shaky again and his eyes were filled with more tears, but the smile was still there as he spoke. Another tear fell from his eyes as he forced himself to chuckle through his sadness as he sat there with you until the sun began to rise.

Sooo... what do y'all say? Hope it wasn't too bad for a first Dean Fic.

Taglist: @hellowgoodbye @tommie-gvf @loz-3

Divider by @talesmaniac89

You can also read it on my [AO3]

[janetkwallace]

Gutsy doesn't have the guts, or how to screw up a season finale

(Warning: Spoilers of Moominvalley Season 4 ahead)

The hell was that ending.

How come no one at Gutsy, from the storyboard team to the artists to the 3d animators to the writers to the editors to the directors to the executive producers looked at the Comet in Moominland episode and said "that ending could be better" or something, or actually anything, did they just nodded in approval as it was done?

It baffles me that they thought it was a neat idea and didn't question how odd of a choice it was to end the series that way. So, In case you don't care about spoilers, well, here it goes:

A big comet approaches Moominvalley, oh no! Everyone (with the exception of a few characters who never appeared again, like Emma, Misabel, Ninny, Fillyjonk's nieces, Teety-Woo, to name a few) goes to Sniff's Cave.

Moomintroll is like: "We must face our fear instead of hiding from it!", despite said fear being a freaking comet that will fry everyone as soon as it reaches Moominvalley. They leave the cave so everyone can die together, which sounds silly but whatever.

Not even once they contemplate their mortality, despite the episode pretending they are. How do you expect the audience to care if not even the characters show any concern to the looming threat on the horizon? Is it too much for children to experience the fear of death or any existential thoughts? I mean, this is Moomins, a series with frozen squirrels, Fillyjonks craving all sorts of disasters and sad pinwheel on the beach episodes. Oh, and a story about child abuse and how we need to listen to the downtrodden to aid their healing, but the 2019 series somehow found a way to screw that up, and I'll probably talk about it later.

What matters is that the Groke appears, and like a fly attracted to a bug zapper, she heads towards the comet, something happens (I don't know exactly what, did she froze the comet, did she ate it, did she explode, it's unclear), but everyone is happy.

Really, everyone just leaves and goes to a party. The comet, as it seems, was just a fleeting glimmer. And the best part, the one that made me laugh to myself because of how dumb it is in retrospect: The Groke dies for everyone's sins and becomes a force ghost that only Moomintroll can see.

The end.

I'm not kidding. This is the season finale's final act. This is how the 2019 Moominvalley series ends. Moomintroll looks at the viewer and we hear the Groke's moan off-screen. She is okay! But where is she? Is she alive? Is she dead? Is this a Schrodinger's Groke? Are we, the audience, supposed to be the Groke? Nah, that would not make any sense.

The Groke, of all characters, sacrificed herself for a bunch of people and it has no impact whatsoever. Like, do you expect everyone to know the symbolism behind the Groke, how she represents loneliness and a desire to feel something she can never attain? And that symbolism isn't even properly established in the series, to begin with, so what's the point of getting rid of the Groke? And she isn't even dead because Gutsy won't say that, and if you can't do something that Shin Moomin did five decades ago and better, then something is wrong. If you can't do something Tove herself did in one of the novels, then something is utterly wrong.

Although, to be fair, why the Groke? Is it so the comet would be gone? How does "the Groke freezing a comet" (I guess) is a better option than "the comet is about to hit the valley but it changes course"? This is like Moominvalley attempting to be its own unique adaptation by taking choices and u-turns in the narrative in order to stand out from the rest, but the result is this convoluted mess that either gets unnoticed or is just strange.

Overall, it was an okay episode. As someone who has seen the worst of humanity through MST3K, Comet in Moominvalley is mostly competent. Eh, at least the music was nice, but the episode could have been a lot better, and who knows, someone may have liked it as it is. I did not, and that's why I wrote all of this.

[electric-blorbos]

JUST HAD MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! can I please get anything wheatley-related I would appreciate it very much thank you

Sorry it took me so long to get to this! I guess a belated Wheatley birthday present is better than nothing, though. I hope you enjoy it!

Wheatley Surprise:

Included: Just Wheatley from Portal 2

No I'm not going to tell you what's in this post, that would spoil the surprise! Just click on it to find out!

"I don't care what you have to do with him, just get that little idiot out of here!" Your boss, who also happened to be the main personality core controlling the entire facility. GLaDOS looked down at you in scorn, displaying an image of your pride and joy on one of the screens on the wall. Poor Wheatley.

"he's doing much better lately, I promise, GLaDOS! He can work odd jobs around the facility! After all, his illogical function makes him work just like an organic-"

"that defeats the purpose of assigning ai to tasks. Why would we want an illogical idiot who thinks like a human to work in the facility when we could have perfectly logical personality constructs working here. Either drop him into the incinerator, or get rid of him some other way, but I'm not looking at him any longer."

You sighed, and walked out of GLaDOS's chambers.

"Wheatley?" You called out for him, walking into his section of the facility to find him. He was simply hanging from his management rail, awaiting instructions from his boss in the relaxation vaults.

"Wheatley, I'm going to have to disconnect you from your management rail, alright?" You walked up to him, holding your arms up to take him down, but he pulled away.

"no! Your team told me that if I ever disconnected from my management rail, I'd die! Are you trying to kill me?"

You shook your head.

"you trust me, right Wheatley?" You asked. He nodded hesitantly as you climbed up a stepladder to take him down as he detached himself.

"Unfortunately, GLaDOS says that you're... Well-" it was difficult to break the news to him. He looked up at you hopefully, not piecing the dots together. He didn't even seem to realize that he could be fired.

"what? She said I'm what?"

"Being let go, Wheatley... GLaDOS is firing you."

"WHAT?" his camera lens darted around the hallway the two of you were in, visibly in a state of panic.

"She can't let me go- even if dropping down from my management rail didn't kill me, that incinerator will definitely kill me! Please, y/n, you have to hide me somewhere! I don't want to die!" You could hear soft sobbing noises coming from Wheatley's core as he squeezed his lens covers shut. He was terrified, and couldn't imagine a more horrible fate than this. You couldn't help but feel sorry for him, and you wrapped your arms gently around the core.

"hey... Hey, Wheatley, it's going to be alright. I'm not going to incinerate you. Nobody is. We're going to take you somewhere safe."

You pressed your cheek gently into the top of his chrome shell, and he nuzzled into your chest as well as he could. He trusted you more than anything, knowing that his grip on reality wasn't the best, so he had no choice but to trust in you.

You took Wheatley to your office, setting him down on a spare chair for the rest of the day. He chattered away all day, babbling about how he hadn't seen the office part of the facility in a while, and how excited he was to be able to finally get off his management rail. You didn't manage to get any work done on your latest project, but that was ok. Your coworkers were even glad to see Wheatley go, calling him an annoying little idiot. A few of them even congratulated you on making him so insufferable.

"PCH, I'm not insufferable. You like me, right? I'm a likable little core. Even if GLaDOS did fire me... I'm still doing a good job, right? I'm sure I can get a job outside the facility, right? Maybe at Black Mesa?" He talked to you as you walked him to your car, and you chuckled.

"you'd probably be sued beyond recognition if you let Black Mesa get ahold of your tech, Wheatley. But it's ok, you don't need a job right now."

You buckled him in, and started driving off to your apartment. Wheatley kept babbling to you as you drove, not worried about distracting you. Even still, you were pretty good at staying focused even while he was babbling.

After a while, you got home to your little apartment. Since you lived alone, it wasn't really much to speak of. A bit of a mess, but Wheatley looked around at it like it was the most beautiful mess he'd ever seen.

"wow! This is what human homes look like? And I thought the relaxation chambers looked cozy and lived in! This is amazing, love!"

You chuckled and blushed a little, setting him down on your sofa.

"I usually just have some dinner and relax on the couch. I'm not used to having guests."

"That's alright, love! I'm just happy to be out of Aperture labs!"

Despite his cheerful demeanour, you'd never seen Wheatley this genuinely happy before. He couldn't really move around without his management rail, so he just sat contentedly on your couch until you sat down next to him with your bowl of ramen and egg.

"You seem to be adjusting to the life outside of Aperture fairly well, Wheatley. I've never seen you this happy before."

"Sakes alive, mate... That place was a prison! I'd never had the chance to see the sun, to drop off my management rail... To live, know what I mean?" He raised his lower lens cover at you in a smile-like gesture.

"It's the best feeling in the world to be out of that place. I didn't think you'd actually take me in, though! But-" he started to look concerned.

"what am I going to do when you're not at work? I don't have any hands, so I can't read books or use the internet... Do you have any ideas?"

You hadn't really thought much about that, to be honest. You were mostly just excited about having your own British orb to keep in your house and talk to, but he was right. It wouldn't be fair to just leave him in front of the TV... He'd be bored out of his mind.

"we can come up with something. Until then, I think I'll hire a babysitter to keep you company during the day. Then maybe we can sign you up for some hobby groups so you can make some friends. It'll be fine."

Wheatley nodded his little lens camera, visibly understanding.

"I'm not a baby, but that sounds a lot better than being alone all day."

"better than nothing, right?" You smiled, setting your finished soup bowl on the coffee table and putting your arm around Wheatley to watch a few episodes of your favorite show. Wheatley talked through it, of course, but you'd already seen this show through several times, so it was okay.

When you were done, you went to rinse out your bowl and put it in the sink.

"well, time for bed. You comin', Wheatley?"

Wheatley lit up.

"Really? I've never seen a bedtime before! They simulate daylight hours at all times in Aperture. People don't even have a bedtime routine in the relaxation vaults. It's mostly just check-ups and then back to bed, ya know what I'm saying?"

You nod, picking him up and taking him to your room. You set him down on your bed, and angle him towards the bathroom so he can see you brushing your teeth.

"Alright, I'm going to shower and get changed into my pajamas now, so I'm going to close the door."

"I mean... I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of watching you shower and get changed."

"Oh don't be a pervert." You closed the bathroom door while you showered and got changed, and then you got into bed with Wheatley.

"this probably won't be too different from watching the test subjects in the relaxation vaults. Just try to relax, alright? I'll be awake in a few hours."

"Yeah, alright. You know, the craziest thing happened in the relaxation vaults last week. So there I was on my management rail..."

You pulled him in close, holding him like a stuffed animal, and listened to him chatter on as you fell fast asleep.

[impactedfates]

Yay requests are now open! So can I request a reader who is yanqing's sibling who plays sympathetic immersia (video game equivalent in Luofu) Genshin that Guinafein introduces them to it, even JY knew the game's hype and reader is immersed with the game's scenery, music and archon quests Reader also would blush every time they see genshin fanart of Wanderer or Xiao. Yanqing and JY would notice how they would look down and grin widely in their phone screen. Also the early AR shenanigans like unlocking dragonspine, trying to ice bridge to Inazuma and getting yeeted by a hilichurl and ofc the infamous dendro slime attacking when exploring Liyue. Overall, reader plays it and YQ is curious and JY is interested

★ A/N: If that were me they would hear me screaming at night when I get my various different characters (esp Kaveh and Zhongli) I hope you like this anon :>

☆ Genre/Trope: Platonic + Fluff

★ Format: Mini Scenarios (Separate)

☆ Warnings: None (I think?)

★ Extra: Reader is older then Yanqing // Readers job is whatever you want their job as // Father JY :D

Jing Yuan's heard of the game before however it wasn't until he heard you yelling in delight over a 5* you had gotten that he found out you were one of the many people that also has a delight in playing the game.

He's amused to see how much you like certain characters and how you, in your words, "simp" for others. In fact, I honestly think you probably did the "My parents rate Genshin Characters" trend with him. He ranked most of the characters very highly honestly. (He especially liked Cyno along with some of the sleepy characters like Lisa, Layla and Sayu)

Honestly he's very amused by all your reactions throughout the game, the audible gasps you may do when something surprises you, the loud cursing when you're fighting an enemy and the cries when you lose your 50/50 (maybe if you ask nice enough he'll give you his credit card)

I'd think he wishes to try out the game himself, however with the fact he's busy with General duties he doesn't get much time to really play. However he does get all the characters he wants with just a swipe of his card, however he's stuck at level 45 as a) no time to really continue and b) he honestly seems like the type to not bother with the ascension mission and in fact wants it to build up till he knows he's AR 60. THEN he'll actually do it.

Overall, he doesn't mind that you play it and enjoys it himself when he can. However don't expect him to be so willing to give you his card so you can get the Genesis Crystals to get the characters you want.

(Also I see his team consisting of off-field dps like Xiangling and Furina so he can just sit back and relax as they do the fighting and he doesn't need to lift a finger much)

I feel like Yanqing was already a player. Like he joined when it was first released but he didn't really play much. He'd log in once or twice a week then not log in for months. It's not that he isn't interested, he is. It's just he has things he enjoys more.

When he finds out you play it then he might be more inclined to try harder at it, so the two of you can do some sibling bonding time and play. Depending on AR levels between the two of you, he's either asking you to help defeat bosses when he still cannot after the nth time or you both can cry as you die to the electro hypostasis.

I feel like his luck is like, amazing as well. Like he got Keqing on the beginner banner and managed to get a good 5* weapon for her on the standard. And he's always won his 50/50s

However his luck cannot be transferred to how his artifact luck is. It takes his weeks upon weeks to get ONE decent artifact for his new 5* Ayaka.

He still doesn't play much but his game time has increased a lot more and he can understand why you like it so much...however he cannot understand why you seem to like certain characters and beg him to get you merch of them for your birthday.

He definitely struggled in DragonSpine and thought pyro and cryo characters were immune to sheer cold.

Overall, he understands a lot where you're coming from when it comes to gameplay and lore but when it comes to you simping over certain characters then he can't help but feel confused, and if he particularly dislikes a character you simp for. Perhaps disgusted (jokingly and lovingly of course)

(I'm unsure what his team would be, but he'd be a mono sword team imo)

Honestly, with my personal experiences with Genshin. I thankfully did not struggle with DragonSpine (not as much as other people did)

.

.

.

However, I will say that I probably should've started building sooner. I only started once I hit about AR 56 and finished most of the Inazuma quest (don't ask me how I survived, idk either lmao)

[silvervioletvalentine]

❣️! Strange love !❣️

Pairing : max verstappen X femOC (Cherrie)

Word count : 6.1k

Warnings: pure fluff / Cherrie being a menace. Max permanently being exasperated. That’s it I think xoxo

As Max stepped out from their bedroom in confusion after a while of not hearing his girlfriends loud voice bellowing out the lyrics to the songs that were blaring from the radio in the kitchen , he could only hesitantly poke his head around the corner with trepidation .

Because when his girlfriend went quiet , it was not a good sign.

The only time she ever shut her big mouth up was either when she was sleeping or doing something that she knew he wouldn't agree with.

Which was a lot . Because the love of his life apparently liked to keep him on his toes and was determined to give him Grey hair as soon as possible.

He spent about fifty percent of his time worrying about racing and the other fifty percent worrying about what the hell Cherrie was going to do next.

She was an absolute nutcase who didn't seem to ever think twice . She just did whatever strange idea popped into her head without even considering the consequences.

It was often Max that was left to deal with them. Rushing to fix whatever mess she had made and apologise to anybody that she had brought into her chaos as well.

He got asked a lot about why he was with her if he spent half the time scolding her or dragging her away from bad decisions.

She wasn't exactly the type of girl that people pictured him with.

She wasn't serious . She wasn't level headed or competitive . She wasn't like him at all.

Instead she was loud , obscene and careless. And barely ever did she take anything seriously .

He could remember the time that he had crashed a few months ago and instead of his girlfriend fretting over him and being in tears with worry, he had returned back to his trailer to find her waiting for him with some hello kitty plasters in her hands and a mischievous smile on her pretty face .

He hadn't been in the best of moods so he had huffed in annoyance at her .

"You can't be serious!" Yet he had stood still and let her plaster one on his cheek where there was the smallest of scratches from where he had pulled off his helmet too roughly.

She had merely laughed and patted him on the shoulder with a shrug . "That looked insane on tv. What did you do that for? Made my heart jump!" She had exclaimed as she hurried back over to the couch to continue watching the rest of the race that was playing out.

Max had gaped at her , hands pressed firmly on his hips in disbelief at what he was hearing.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" He had exclaimed looking at his girlfriend with a small pout when she had started to cheer on Charles in front of the tv instead of coddling him like he had stupidly expected.

Huffing to himself as he pulled off the rest of his suit and flung it aside , not caring where it landed.

He was too busy side eyeing Cherrie moodily , wanting her to make a fuss over him .

Having at least expected more than a little pat on the shoulder! But he should have known that his adrenaline junkie , uncaring , so fucking strange wonder of a girlfriend would act like this.

He had once watched her get stung by two jellyfishes and laugh about it. Forcing him to take a picture of her painful leg while he nearly had a full blown panic attack , hurriedly Googling if you could die from jelly fish stings.

So him crashing into the wall and getting out completely unharmed probably didn't even make her flinch.

She was a nutcase!

"I can't believe you're cheering on another man after I've just lost like that! Don't you have any pity for me Cher?" He couldn't help but wine as he threw himself down on-top of her so that she had no Choice but to pay him attention.

She had just smiled and ran her fingers through his hair , still not taking her eyes away from the screen not matter how hard he huffed and puffed.

"You haven't lost . You'll win the next race and then the next one after that .." she simply replied. Letting out a small cheer as Charles overtook Lewis around the corner bend.

Ignoring the way that Max was scowling up at her from her lap as she did so. Instead she just gently patted his cheek and even gave it a little pinch.

Realising that she wasn't going to give in, he let out a loud sigh of defeat. Snuggling his face into her thigh as he wrapped his arm around her leg and got more comfortable .

"You think I'll win?" His voice was quiet and unsure, needing reassurance after that little disaster of his.

There was no hesitation in her voice as she answered him "every time you get into that car I believe that you can win Max. I wouldn't be dating you if I thought you were a loser!" She joked .

Referring to the comments that had been made about her being after his money and only dating him for the fame. Cherrie thought they were funny because she hadn't even been that interested in him at first .

And max had spent the whole summer stubbornly following her around until she agreed to go on a date with him.

And well, the rest was history.

He was stuck with her annoying ass now.

But he had wanted her annoying ass first , so it was all his own fault really .

He had known how odd she was from the beginning. The first time that he had saw her while on holiday , she had been stood in front of a board with a smile on her pretty face while a blindfolded man threw knives around her head.

Watching the way she had giggled after it was done and asked the man if she could try doing that to him as well , and well, he had been hooked since then.

And true, she stressed him the fuck out sometimes but she also gave him some of the best , funniest and most insane memories of his life .

Everyday was an adventure with Cherrie by his side , she would drag him along to all this crazy shit that he would have never even had known existed if it wasn't for her.

So when people wondered why he was so firm in his belief that she was the one , he merely smiled and told them the same thing.

It was the way she made him feel.

She made him feel normal, she made him feel alive.

Since the moment he had met her butterfly's had become a permanent residence in his chest, no matter how much time passed between them, he still looked at her smile and felt the love right through his whole fucking being.

'But she makes you worry!' They would frown in confusion as to why he was willing to put up with a woman who permanently did stupid shit and had him on the edge of his seat.

I love her . He would simply reply. And when you loved someone you constantly worried about them. It was normal.

Perhaps his girlfriend wasn't exactly a hundred percent normal but the feeling he got whenever she did something stupid was.

But mostly it was because she loved him too. And she liked him.

She liked being around him no matter what mood he was in.

A lot of people didn't like to be around him because they thought that he was too brash and blunt , too boring and serious .

But not Cherrie.

She loved him and she liked him.

She had told him that she loved hearing him rant to her about the troubles with his car and crew even though she hardly understood the terms he was saying.

It's your passion. She had whispered to him one night after he was finished telling her about how he wasn't satisfied with the new engine that had been fitted and tested that day. Any other woman would have bored out of her mind but not her.

Never her.

Instead she had a pretty smile on her face as she rested her chin on his bare chest and looked up at him with a soft sigh. Contentness a heavy blanket around them.

You mean everything that you say. I can feel it.

And he loved her and liked her too.

He loved being by her side in the morning while she sat up in bed and tried out some brightly coloured eyeshadow that would start out on her eyes and then spread down to her Cheeks.

Getting Glitter everywhere as she drew art on her face without a care in the world while he silently laid back in bed and took pictures other without her even knowing .

He loved watching her try new foods after he had spent all night convincing her to do so. The way that she would scrunch up her nose and let out a little hum as she tasted it. Although she would never admit that he was right . Instead she would just swap their plates around and give him a apologetic kiss.

He loved the way that he was the one that she ran to when she had news or even just to tell him stupid shit that meant absolutely nothing.

He liked that he was always the one that she wanted to know about it first .

He liked the way that she would take the lead in a busy crowd and reach back for his hand without even saying a word. He would let her pull him to whatever destination she had in mind, knowing that no matter what they did she would make him happy.

He liked the way that she wasn't afraid to stick up for him either. Having picked up on some of his own bluntness and curses , she wouldn't hesitate to go up to someone that had wronged him and call them out. Refusing to budge until she had forced that person to apologise to him face to face , sincerely.

Max thought it was funny that his five foot four girlfriend was such a wildcard. It always was the short ones that were the craziest after all.

What she lacked in height she made up for in impulsiveness .

His friends often liked to tease him about how he looked like a concerned father with a naughty child that was acting out . He supposed they weren't that wrong to think so.

He knew that he was the mature one in their relationship, that wasn't a secret .

So with her lack of loudness making him uneasy , he walked into the kitchen with worry and then paused by the doorway at the sight in front of him.

Making direct eye contact with his girlfriend who was sat cross legged on their dining table with only her lace knickers on, with scissors held up to her head as she tried to cut herself some bangs. A heap of hair already covering her lap .

He could see that she had also hacked at the ends of her hair too. It now rested to the middle of her waist instead of the bottom of her back like it had an hour ago.

He sighed loudly , not at all surprised.

“We have dinner in half an hour Cher." He stated matter of factly as he glanced down at his watch with worry.

"Was now really the right time for a new look?" He asked her as he walked over to her and gently took the scissors from her hands before she could do any more damage to her pretty hair.

She just smiled and laughed a little at the look on his face . Smoothing her hand over his smart dress shirt with a appreciative hum.

"You look handsome." She told him as she leant up to kiss him. Momentarily forgetting about the mess of hair she was dealing with.

Max didn't. He let her kiss him for a moment longer before pulling away and looking sternly down at her.

Patting down her new bangs so he could see how uneven she had cut them, shaking his head at her in exasperation.

"You look insane. Couldn't you have waited baby? Keep still a minute while I fix it.." he told her firmly as he began to fix her bangs for her.

Lifting up the scissors to her hair and Cutting off the longer pieces till they were all even , grabbing the brush from beside her and brushing through them to make sure that it was right.

Missing the way that Cherrie was gazing at him fondly as he focused on cutting her hair. Sectioning the rest of her her hair into two parts and pulling them to the front of her chest so he could see what he was working with.

"My dress is low on the back so I wanted my hair to rest at the end of the fabric so it covers it." She simply informed him of her brilliant idea.

He rolled his eyes in amusement as he started cutting the end of her hair straight.

Typical. He thought with a smirk .

“why the bangs then? What does that cover?" He murmured with a small smile, one that he just couldn't help but let out whenever she was near.

Cherrie just hummed "absolutely nothing. I just thought they'd look cute. Don't you agree?" She pressed when he was finally done. Shaking out her hair and shooting him a pleased grin , her dimples showing.

Max wiped down the hair from her skin the best he could , trying to ignore the fact that the love of his life was sat in front of him with just a thong on.

They had a important dinner to get to. He reminded himself firmly as he tore his eyes away from her pierced tits and back up to her glimmering eyes instead .

"Don't play cute with me. You know I think you look good in anything." He warned her playfully as he helped her get down off the table.

"We're going to be late. You can be the one to tell them why this time! I'm not covering for you again!" He told her seriously. Fed up with her constant lateness.

Having been the one to take the blame the last time she had made them late because she wanted to finish watching the football match first. Even though max had told her that they could simply record it on their tv so she could rewatch it when they got back instead.

You would have though he had told her to kill one of the players with the disgraced look she had shot him at his rational suggestion.

“It’s not the same! I want to see it as it happens! That’s like messi being in our house and instead of seeing him we just get someone else to take a video so we can watch it when he’s gone! Don’t be ridiculous Max!” She had yelled at him dramatically before shoving a football jersey over his head and grabbing the beers, shoving one into his hand with a grin as the game started.

So Max had been forced to yet again lie to his friends.

'I couldn't find the car keys. Sorry guys .'He had told their friends with a grimace as he held out the seat for his girlfriend who was already tipsy from downing beer after beer during the match , once they finally arrived an hour later .

Cherrie absolutely buzzing from her teams win. She hasn’t stopped beaming since he managed to finally drag her out of their home and into the car.

He supposed the face paint with her favourite players number on her cheeks really hadn't helped to sell his lie either.

But Cherrie refused to be the one to take the blame despite everybody knowing that the reason he was always late was 99.9% always her fault.

Cherrie just huffed at him as she pulled her dress over her head , wiggling her body from side to side as she tried to adjust it. Leaving Max to stare at the low neck and cut out sides and back with an open mouth.

Swallowing Thickly as he looked at her in awe. Feeling like he was going to have a stroke as he tugged at the collar of his shirt , his skin flushing just from the sight of her.

He didn’t think that there would ever be a day where her beauty didn’t make him breathless.

"Please baby! They're already pissy with me for making us late to your birthday party a few weeks ago!" She whined as she leant down to slide her feet into some high heels. Placing her hand on his shoulder to keep her balance .

Max snorted as he ran his fingers through her newly cut hair to help it frame her face like he knew she liked it.

"Once again. That was your fault. Because only you could make me late to my own surprise party." He mused beyond amused at the reminder of that day .

His friends had spent two hours in a darkened room waiting for him to come through the door so that they could jump out and surprise him.

Only Cherrie had taken him one look at him wearing the new tight shirt and even tighter jeans that she had bought him before dragging him to the backseat of his car .

It was only after the third orgasm that she had came back up for air with a shocked gasp , eyes wide as she blurted out 'your party!' Before quickly pulling her dress back down and dragging him out of the car while he hurried to button up his jeans again.

His friends had taken on look at his lipstick covered face and neck , as well as her swollen lips and messy hair before rolling their eyes and scolding her for not being able to keep her hands off him while max just helped himself to his cake while laughing hysterically .

Cherrie looked up at him pleadingly as he ushered her out the door while muttering about how late they were. Again.

"Please max! Just tell them that you had stomach troubles or something! I don't want them to know it's my fault again!" She pleaded to him.

Max merely shot her a unimpressed glance as he shoved her into the passenger seat of his car with a huff.

"Absolutely not. I'm not taking the blame this time! Forget it! You’re on your own with this one!”

Max gave their friends a apologetic smile as they finally arrived at the table, everyone looking up at them exasperatedly .

He glanced between their unimpressed expressions and his girlfriends pretty face with her newly cut hair and sighed in deafest.

"Sorry we're late ..I had some stomach troubles." He blurted out .

Shooting cherrie a look as she tried not to giggle from beside him.

Having already known that he wouldn't let her take the blame no matter how much he wanted to throw her under the bus.

He loved her too much to actually do it.

Charles looked over at him with a concerned frown "like food poisoning or something? I hope there's not a bug going around." He questioned him worriedly.

Max grimaced as he pulled out a chair for Cherrie and carefully tucked her into the table before sitting down beside her. Placing his hand on her thigh.

"Maybe. I'm fine now though. Don't worry." He muttered not looking at him in the eye in case the lie was written all across his face.

Then he ended up catching eyes with Daniel who was already grinning between them, his cheek in his hand as he eyed Max’s girlfriend in amusement.

"New hair?" He asked making max frown at him in bewilderment as he wondered how the hell he had noticed so quickly .

“You didn't have bangs this morning Cherrie ." He said knowingly.

Then max remembered that Cherrie always met up at the cafe with Daniel after her morning work out and fought back a annoyed groan.

Turning his head to squint his eyes in disbelief at his sheepish girlfriend who had seemed to forgotten that little detail .

"Did you cut them while max had the shits?" Daniel joked. Already guessing what had happened but ribbing him for it.

"Max has the shits?" Pierre called down the table , only catching the end of what he said.

It seemed to set a chain reaction as everybody started questioning him about his bowel movements .

Max's Face went bright red as he glared at his giggling girlfriend who he had lied for. Shaking his head with a annoyed huff as he pinched her thigh in retaliation.

"No I don't have the shits!" He exclaimed a little louder than he meant to. Making a few peoples heads turn towards their table.

He wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it. He was going to take Cherrie with him too for putting him in this awkward position!

Their was a pause before Cherrie snorted and muttered "try telling that to our toilet."

Max smacked the back of her head .

"That's it! No wine for you!" He yanked the glass from her hands with a scowl. Sliding the bottle away from her as well in punishment .

That was the last time he covered for her. He lied to himself . No more!

He ended up telling his health coach that he had injured his wrists from his gloves being too tight when he asked him why his wrists were red.

Too mortified to admit that it was because Cherrie had the idea to tie him up and make him see god an hour before he had to get to the paddock.

Just another normal Wednesday.

As Max stood by the side of the track that overlooked a lake, looking over the barrier down at his girlfriend who has thrown herself in after stripping naked , he couldn't help but sigh.

Hands on his hips like a concerned parent as he watched  her splash around , frown deepening even further as Daniel also threw himself in as well.

He had just won p1 and Cherrie had decided to skinny dip to celebrate . He mightn't have been so annoyed if it wasn't for the hundreds of cameras that were following them around all day.

He really didn't want his girlfriend's naked body to be seen by anybody but him.

Feeling his blood pressure rise as he watched Daniel splash at her as the both of them laughed loudly , playing Around like little kids.

"Not so close Daniel!" He snapped down to his also naked friend in exasperation and worry as he saw how close the both were to each other . He did not want any part of Daniel's body to be touching hers.

Daniel just laughed and grinned up at him cheekily .

"Who's going to keep her warm then?! Just get in! It's nice!" He called up to him , Cherrie shouting her agreements as she leant her arm against his shoulder and beamed up at him happily .

Seemingly not giving too shits that everybody could see her tits as she waved up at him happily.

It was times like this that max often wondered if she did drugs when he wasn't looking.

It would make a lot of sense. It really would.

"Absolutely not! All of you need to get out and put your clothes back on! Especially you baby!" He shouted at them sternly as he took the towels from his assistants hands that he had asked her to run for.

Daniel cooed at him "aww he's nicknamed me baby how sweet! I knew you'd come around to our love Max!" He teased him. Deliberately putting his arm around cherries bare shoulder just to wind him up some more .

Max hated it when the two of them were together because all Daniel ever did was encourage his girlfriend to do crazy shit and instead of talking her down from the ledge , he jumped off it with her!

"Shut up! Watch your hands Daniel! I'm serious!"

Cherrie just laughed at his furious expression, not caring at all.

"I'm so proud of you by the way! Watching you get soaked with champagne was really hot!" She shouted up at him honestly.

Eyeing his sticky racing suit with a raise of her brow "are you sure you doing want to jump in and wash it off?" She double checked.

Max just deadpanned at her. Shaking his head with a exasperated groan. Giving up.

"You're very lucky that I love you Cherrie because you're getting on my nerves." He informed her bluntly before pulling out his phone and pressing a familiar contact.

He then looked at her in the eye smugly as he brought his phone up to his ear.

"But If you won't listen to me then I guess I'll just have to call your father-" he threatened her. Pulling out the last card in the pack, the one that he knew would work without any hesitation.

Grinning slyly when she let out a sharp gasp and quickly pushed herself away from Daniel who was calling him a party pooper as they both pulled themselves out of the water.

"Don't ring him! You bastard!" She ran over to him completely naked . Making him pocket his phone in amusement . She then Let him wrap her up in the towel till she was swaddled in it like a big baby.

Chuckling to himself as he wrapped one around her hair too, rubbing at the fabric to dry her quicker .

Daniel side eyed them as he wrapped himself in his own towel . "Are you sure you're not her daddy max? You're always telling her off like one!" He joked while laughing.

Max couldn't stop the smirk that pulled at his lips , eyes twinkling as Cherrie placed a kiss on his neck and whispered in his ear about how she was going to personally congratulate him for winning when they got home.

"I'm just a concerned boyfriend who doesn't want the whole world to see his girlfriends boobs." He said as he then wrapped her in a dressing gown as well. Flipping the hood up to keep her warm.

Daniel just smirked "too late mate." He then turned to look at Cherrie with a friendly smile .

“They’re very nice. Lovely and round." He told her casually as though he was complimenting some fruit .

Cherrie beamed back at him happily. "thank you! Grew them myself!" She joked . The both of them ignoring Max's eyes glaring daggers at them.

Shaking his head with a disbelieving huff as he decided that he had enough of the two of them being around each other .

He hauled his girlfriend away before they decided to do some more stupid shit together that would make his blood pressure rise rapidly.

"Love you." Cherrie muttered to him quietly as they made their way back to his trailer . Tucked underneath his arm where she belonged .

Max softened , any annoyance he felt quickly fading at the honesty in her voice .

He just sighed fondly and gave the side of her head a gently kiss .

"I love you." He simply replied. So utterly in love that it overwhelmed him.

Because If be didn't love her like he did , he would have ran away screaming from her years ago.

She was an absolute pain in his ass.

It was a clear fact that was further proven to him when she tried to breakup with him one night after they had been arguing over why he thought it was a bad idea to get a dog.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing when she first told him that she wanted a pug.

He had looked at her in disbelief , feeling the need to remind her the obvious.

“You're allergic to dogs." It was said bluntly and in bewilderment as he wondered what the hell she was going on about.

They couldn't get a dog when she was allergic to them! Had she gone mad?

Cherrie had frowned at him like what he told her was a lie . As though she didn't start sneezing and coughing up a lung whenever she touched one.

"I can take medicine to help. I want one Max. It's too lonely when you're not here with me !" She had exclaimed , upset  with him as she threw herself up off the bed .

Flicking on the lamp as she glared down at him unhappily .

It was three o'clock in the morning and max couldn't believe that she had woken him up for this shit.

Rubbing at his eyes tiredly as he squinted up at her from the bed. Judgement across his face. He found it hard to have patience with her when it was this early in the fucking morning!

He had just been nodding off too!

"Don't be daft! You'll make yourself ill! And how can you be lonely when you constantly have those hippies around here when I'm gone? Don't think I can't smell the lavender oil that they leave behind!" He warned her. Huffing in annoyance.

Cherrie just wouldn't let it go. Tired and emotional herself and max had known that it was a bad idea for them to watch a heartbreak chick flick film before bed.

But he had still let her put it on anyways .

And now he was paying the price because his girlfriend was a melodramatic drama queen who had watched a film about a man who didn't love his girlfriend anymore , who had also refused to let them get a dog in the film as well.

Clearly she had gotten it into her head that they were doomed to be like the characters too. Having tested him all night long with utter bullshit.

"They say a man is falling out of love when he spends more time on his phone when his partner is right beside him to talk to." She had muttered with a scowl when he had been replying to some work emails on his phone before bed.

Knowing that she had heard it from that stupid movie , he had merely glanced up at her in amusement .

"Do you like your diamond jewellery  and expensive clothes?" He had returned to her . Their huge closet filled with her shit already giving him the answer .

She had just frowned harder. Not answering him.

He smirked triumphantly "these emails I'm answering about promotions will get you more of those things . So shut your trap and get back into bed." He scolded her.

Only perhaps he should have settled her mind further than that before they went to sleep.

Maybe then she wouldn't have been trying to break up with him because he wouldn't let her get a dog.

"We need to break up max . This isn't going to work. You obviously don't understand my needs anymore-"

Max Couldn’t have scoffed any louder if he tried. Finally Sitting up in the bed with a loud, annoyed groan as he eyed her in disbelief .

"Your need to annoy me you mean?" He yawned, casually leaning back against the pillow with a small amused smile playing on his lips .

The look on his face only seemed to piss her off even more but he couldn't help it.

She was being completely ridiculous!

She then sniffled loudly, dialling up her drama.

"why are you smiling? Are you happy that I'm not your girlfriend anymore?" She almost cried . Glaring back at him tearfully.

Max just snorted , rolling his eyes at her .

“We're not breaking up stupid. Now Get back into the bed!" He snapped at her tiredly .

Pointing sternly to the space beside him, impatiently patting it to further get his point across when she made no love to do as he said.

"No! You obviously don’t want me to be happy!"

"Because I don't want you to get a pet that's going to make you never breathe properly again?!"

"You're being dramatic! I'll just take the medicine for my allergies!"

Max groaned  loudly , covering his face with his hands as he tried not to lose his shit at her.

"Me? You're being crazy." He ground out "I never said we couldn't get a pet. Just not a dog that you’re allergic to !"

There was a long pause before Cherrie blinked away her tears and cautiously approached the bed again.

"A cat?" She murmured hopefully. Already crawling back into the bed and sliding underneath the covers now that her hysterics were over. Knowing that she was about to get her own way again.

Perhaps also opening that bottle of wine during the movie was a bad idea too.

Max had forgotten how emotional she got after drinking it. It was like she went through five stages of grief when she drank red wine.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders with his eyes already closed, kissing the side of her head with a little laugh.

"Fine but you're changing the litter tray." He warned her. Feeling her smile brightly against his chest.

"I will! I promise! You won't have to do anything!" She had promised him gleefully . Giving him a kiss before promptly falling back to sleep now that she had gotten her own way.

Leaving max to sigh to himself as he tried to go back to sleep. Having a feeling that she wouldn’t be that helpful at all.

It just wasn’t in cherries nature to pick up cat poo.

Yet another lie of here that was proven as two weeks later he was knelt down with a grimace as he cleaned out the litter box for the fluffy ginger cat that was nudging him against his leg.

Glaring up at his girlfriend who was dancing around the kitchen while singing to the radio , without a care in the world.

Instead she was too busy rambling on about how she was going to get herself some pole dancing lessons, jumping from one subject to another. Filled with endless ideas ths never seemed to stop.

Sighing to himself as he finished cleaning it up and set out some food for the fur ball as well .

Then he got to his feet and pursed his lips as he eyed the love of his life with a feeling of acceptance.

This was going to be the rest of his life.

Pretending that he wore the trousers in their relationship and acting like he wasn't ready to do anything he could to make her happy .

Even if it meant cleaning up cat poo so that she didn’t have to.

So with that thought in mind, how he must be crazy to love her even more than he did yesterday despite how much she drove him up the wall.

He knew it was time.

He walked over to her and gently grabbed her hand , making her look over at him with a curious

smile on her pretty face.

"What's up handsome?" She had chirped obliviously at him. Leaning forward to give him a quick kiss.

Not even noticing the way he pulled something out of his Jean pocket and slid it smoothly onto her finger , his eyes locked with hers as he let out a small laugh at how oblivious she was.

"I'm gonna be your husband." He decided to tell her bluntly . 

Because he had no doubt in his mind that if he decided to plan a fancy proposal that she would somehow find a way to ruin in.

Not on purpose but that was just the way she was.

So instead he settled on simply letting her know instead.

Cherrie looked at him with wide eyes before finally noticing the diamond ring on her finger.

Then she did the most her thing possible and laughed loudly in response .

Casually shrugging her shoulders as she wrappped her arms around his neck and gave him a soft kiss.

"Okay. Sounds fun." She simply said once they pulled away to breathe again .

"Yeah?" He grinned . Looking between her eyes to be sure. His heart squeezing in his chest, so full of love for his little pain in the ass.

She just beamed back at him happily. As in love with him as he was her .

"yeah. I'm gonna be your wife."

Then she tilted her head cheekily "can we get married in Vegas after you win the race there?" The pure confidence that she had that he would win that race made him grin like a lovesick idiot.

Squeezing her hips and blinking back happy tears from his eyes as he kissed her again and again and again.

They could get married in the basement for all he cared. As long as she was officially his to worry about for the rest of his life , he didn't care.

She may have been a little strange but she was his wildcard  . Nobody else's.

He wouldn't change her for anyone.

[fake-wtnv-intros]

(Black screen with text; The sound of buzzing bees can be heard) According to all known laws of aviation, : there is no way a bee should be able to fly. : Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. : The bee, of course, flies anyway : because bees don't care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. : Ooh, black and yellow! Let's shake it up a little. Barry! Breakfast is ready! Coming! : Hang on a second. (Barry uses his antenna like a phone) : Hello? (Through phone) - Barry? BARRY: - Adam? ADAM: - Can you believe this is happening? BARRY: - I can't. I'll pick you up. (Barry flies down the stairs) : MARTIN BENSON: Looking sharp. JANET: Use the stairs. Your father paid good money for those. BARRY: Sorry. I'm excited. MARTIN: Here's the graduate. We're very proud of you, son. : A perfect report card, all B's. JANET: Very proud. (Rubs Barry's hair) BARRY= Ma! I got a thing going here. JANET: - You got lint on your fuzz. BARRY: - Ow! That's me! JANET: - Wave to us! We'll be in row 118,000. - Bye! (Barry flies out the door) JANET: Barry, I told you, stop flying in the house! (Barry drives through the hive,and is waved at by Adam who is reading a newspaper) BARRY== - Hey, Adam. ADAM: - Hey, Barry. (Adam gets in Barry's car) : - Is that fuzz gel? BARRY: - A little. Special day, graduation. ADAM: Never thought I'd make it. (Barry pulls away from the house and continues driving) BARRY: Three days grade school, three days high school... ADAM: Those were awkward. BARRY: Three days college. I'm glad I took a day and hitchhiked around the hive. ADAM== You did come back different. (Barry and Adam pass by Artie, who is jogging) ARTIE: - Hi, Barry! BARRY: - Artie, growing a mustache? Looks good. ADAM: - Hear about Frankie? BARRY: - Yeah. ADAM== - You going to the funeral? BARRY: - No, I'm not going to his funeral. : Everybody knows, sting someone, you die. : Don't waste it on a squirrel. Such a hothead. ADAM: I guess he could have just gotten out of the way. (The car does a barrel roll on the loop-shaped bridge and lands on the highway) : I love this incorporating an amusement park into our regular day. BARRY: I guess that's why they say we don't need vacations. (Barry parallel parks the car and together they fly over the graduating students) Boy, quite a bit of pomp... under the circumstances. (Barry and Adam sit down and put on their hats) : - Well, Adam, today we are men. ADAM: - We are! BARRY= - Bee-men. =ADAM= - Amen! BARRY AND ADAM: Hallelujah! (Barry and Adam both have a happy spasm) ANNOUNCER: Students, faculty, distinguished bees, : please welcome Dean Buzzwell. DEAN BUZZWELL: Welcome, New Hive Oity graduating class of... : ...9: : That concludes our ceremonies. : And begins your career at Honex Industries! ADAM: Will we pick our job today? (Adam and Barry get into a tour bus) BARRY= I heard it's just orientation. (Tour buses rise out of the ground and the students are automatically loaded into the buses) TOUR GUIDE: Heads up! Here we go. ANNOUNCER: Keep your hands and antennas inside the tram at all times. BARRY: - Wonder what it'll be like? ADAM: - A little scary. TOUR GUIDE== Welcome to Honex, a division of Honesco : and a part of the Hexagon Group. Barry: This is it! BARRY AND ADAM: Wow. BARRY: Wow. (The bus drives down a road an on either side are the Bee's massive complicated Honey-making machines) TOUR GUIDE: We know that you, as a bee, have worked your whole life : to get to the point where you can work for your whole life. : Honey begins when our valiant Pollen Jocks bring the nectar to the hive. : Our top-secret formula : is automatically color-corrected, scent-adjusted and bubble-contoured : into this soothing sweet syrup : with its distinctive golden glow you know as... EVERYONE ON BUS: Honey! (The guide has been collecting honey into a bottle and she throws it into the crowd on the bus and it is caught by a girl in the back) ADAM: - That girl was hot. BARRY: - She's my cousin! ADAM== - She is? BARRY: - Yes, we're all cousins. ADAM: - Right. You're right. TOUR GUIDE: - At Honex, we constantly strive : to improve every aspect of bee existence. : These bees are stress-testing a new helmet technology. (The bus passes by a Bee wearing a helmet who is being smashed into the ground with fly-swatters, newspapers and boots. He lifts a thumbs up but you can hear him groan) : ADAM== - What do you think he makes? BARRY: - Not enough. TOUR GUIDE: Here we have our latest advancement, the Krelman. (They pass by a turning wheel with Bees standing on pegs, who are each wearing a finger-shaped hat) Barry: - Wow, What does that do? TOUR GUIDE: - Catches that little strand of honey : that hangs after you pour it. Saves us millions. ADAM: (Intrigued) Can anyone work on the Krelman? TOUR GUIDE: Of course. Most bee jobs are small ones. But bees know that every small job, if it's done well, means a lot. : But choose carefully : because you'll stay in the job you pick for the rest of your life. (Everyone claps except for Barry) BARRY: The same job the rest of your life? I didn't know that. ADAM: What's the difference? TOUR GUIDE: You'll be happy to know that bees, as a species, haven't had one day off : in 27 million years. BARRY: (Upset) So you'll just work us to death? : We'll sure try. (Everyone on the bus laughs except Barry. Barry and Adam are walking back home together) ADAM: Wow! That blew my mind! BARRY: "What's the difference?" How can you say that? : One job forever? That's an insane choice to have to make. ADAM: I'm relieved. Now we only have to make one decision in life. BARRY: But, Adam, how could they never have told us that? ADAM: Why would you question anything? We're bees. : We're the most perfectly functioning society on Earth. BARRY: You ever think maybe things work a little too well here? ADAM: Like what? Give me one example. (Barry and Adam stop walking and it is revealed to the audience that hundreds of cars are speeding by and narrowly missing them in perfect unison) BARRY: I don't know. But you know what I'm talking about. ANNOUNCER: Please clear the gate. Royal Nectar Force on approach. BARRY: Wait a second. Check it out. (The Pollen jocks fly in, circle around and landing in line) : - Hey, those are Pollen Jocks! ADAM: - Wow. : I've never seen them this close. BARRY: They know what it's like outside the hive. ADAM: Yeah, but some don't come back. GIRL BEES: - Hey, Jocks! - Hi, Jocks! (The Pollen Jocks hook up their backpacks to machines that pump the nectar to trucks, which drive away) LOU LO DUVA: You guys did great! : You're monsters! You're sky freaks! I love it! (Punching the Pollen Jocks in joy) I love it! ADAM: - I wonder where they were. BARRY: - I don't know. : Their day's not planned. : Outside the hive, flying who knows where, doing who knows what. : You can't just decide to be a Pollen Jock. You have to be bred for that. ADAM== Right. (Barry and Adam are covered in some pollen that floated off of the Pollen Jocks) BARRY: Look at that. That's more pollen than you and I will see in a lifetime. ADAM: It's just a status symbol. Bees make too much of it. BARRY: Perhaps. Unless you're wearing it and the ladies see you wearing it. (Barry waves at 2 girls standing a little away from them) ADAM== Those ladies? Aren't they our cousins too? BARRY: Distant. Distant. POLLEN JOCK #1: Look at these two. POLLEN JOCK #2: - Couple of Hive Harrys. POLLEN JOCK #1: - Let's have fun with them. GIRL BEE #1: It must be dangerous being a Pollen Jock. BARRY: Yeah. Once a bear pinned me against a mushroom! : He had a paw on my throat, and with the other, he was slapping me! (Slaps Adam with his hand to represent his scenario) GIRL BEE #2: - Oh, my! BARRY: - I never thought I'd knock him out. GIRL BEE #1: (Looking at Adam) What were you doing during this? ADAM: Obviously I was trying to alert the authorities. BARRY: I can autograph that. (The pollen jocks walk up to Barry and Adam, they pretend that Barry and Adam really are pollen jocks.) POLLEN JOCK #1: A little gusty out there today, wasn't it, comrades? BARRY: Yeah. Gusty. POLLEN JOCK #1: We're hitting a sunflower patch six miles from here tomorrow. BARRY: - Six miles, huh? ADAM: - Barry! POLLEN JOCK #2: A puddle jump for us, but maybe you're not up for it. BARRY: - Maybe I am. ADAM: - You are not! POLLEN JOCK #1: We're going 0900 at J-Gate. : What do you think, buzzy-boy? Are you bee enough? BARRY: I might be. It all depends on what 0900 means. (The scene cuts to Barry looking out on the hive-city from his balcony at night) MARTIN: Hey, Honex! BARRY: Dad, you surprised me. MARTIN: You decide what you're interested in? BARRY: - Well, there's a lot of choices. - But you only get one. : Do you ever get bored doing the same job every day? MARTIN: Son, let me tell you about stirring. : You grab that stick, and you just move it around, and you stir it around. : You get yourself into a rhythm. It's a beautiful thing. BARRY: You know, Dad, the more I think about it, : maybe the honey field just isn't right for me. MARTIN: You were thinking of what, making balloon animals? : That's a bad job for a guy with a stinger. : Janet, your son's not sure he wants to go into honey! JANET: - Barry, you are so funny sometimes. BARRY: - I'm not trying to be funny. MARTIN: You're not funny! You're going into honey. Our son, the stirrer! JANET: - You're gonna be a stirrer? BARRY: - No one's listening to me! MARTIN: Wait till you see the sticks I have. BARRY: I could say anything right now. I'm gonna get an ant tattoo! (Barry's parents don't listen to him and continue to ramble on) MARTIN: Let's open some honey and celebrate! BARRY: Maybe I'll pierce my thorax. Shave my antennae. : Shack up with a grasshopper. Get a gold tooth and call everybody "dawg"! JANET: I'm so proud. (The scene cuts to Barry and Adam waiting in line to get a job) ADAM: - We're starting work today! BARRY: - Today's the day. ADAM: Come on! All the good jobs will be gone. BARRY: Yeah, right. JOB LISTER: Pollen counting, stunt bee, pouring, stirrer, front desk, hair removal... BEE IN FRONT OF LINE: - Is it still available? JOB LISTER: - Hang on. Two left! : One of them's yours! Congratulations! Step to the side. ADAM: - What'd you get? BEE IN FRONT OF LINE: - Picking crud out. Stellar! (He walks away) ADAM: Wow! JOB LISTER: Couple of newbies? ADAM: Yes, sir! Our first day! We are ready! JOB LISTER: Make your choice. (Adam and Barry look up at the job board. There are hundreds of constantly changing panels that contain available or unavailable jobs. It looks very confusing) ADAM: - You want to go first? BARRY: - No, you go. ADAM: Oh, my. What's available? JOB LISTER: Restroom attendant's open, not for the reason you think. ADAM: - Any chance of getting the Krelman? JOB LISTER: - Sure, you're on. (Puts the Krelman finger-hat on Adam's head) (Suddenly the sign for Krelman closes out) : I'm sorry, the Krelman just closed out. (Takes Adam's hat off) Wax monkey's always open. ADAM: The Krelman opened up again. : What happened? JOB LISTER: A bee died. Makes an opening. See? He's dead. Another dead one. : Deady. Deadified. Two more dead. : Dead from the neck up. Dead from the neck down. That's life! ADAM: Oh, this is so hard! (Barry remembers what the Pollen Jock offered him and he flies off) Heating, cooling, stunt bee, pourer, stirrer, : humming, inspector number seven, lint coordinator, stripe supervisor, : mite wrangler. Barry, what do you think I should... Barry? (Adam turns around and sees Barry flying away) : Barry! POLLEN JOCK: All right, we've got the sunflower patch in quadrant nine... ADAM: (Through phone) What happened to you? Where are you? BARRY: - I'm going out. ADAM: - Out? Out where? BARRY: - Out there. ADAM: - Oh, no! BARRY: I have to, before I go to work for the rest of my life. ADAM: You're gonna die! You're crazy! (Barry hangs up) Hello? POLLEN JOCK #2: Another call coming in. : If anyone's feeling brave, there's a Korean deli on 83rd : that gets their roses today. BARRY: Hey, guys. POLLEN JOCK #1 == - Look at that. POLLEN JOCK #2: - Isn't that the kid we saw yesterday? LOU LO DUVA: Hold it, son, flight deck's restricted. POLLEN JOCK #1: It's OK, Lou. We're gonna take him up. (Puts hand on Barry's shoulder) LOU LO DUVA: (To Barry) Really? Feeling lucky, are you? BEE WITH CLIPBOARD: (To Barry) Sign here, here. Just initial that. : - Thank you. LOU LO DUVA: - OK. : You got a rain advisory today, : and as you all know, bees cannot fly in rain. : So be careful. As always, watch your brooms, : hockey sticks, dogs, birds, bears and bats. : Also, I got a couple of reports of root beer being poured on us. : Murphy's in a home because of it, babbling like a cicada! BARRY: - That's awful. LOU LO DUVA: (Still talking through megaphone) - And a reminder for you rookies, : bee law number one, absolutely no talking to humans! : All right, launch positions! POLLEN JOCKS: (The Pollen Jocks run into formation) : Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! LOU LU DUVA: Black and yellow! POLLEN JOCKS: Hello! POLLEN JOCK #1: (To Barry)You ready for this, hot shot? BARRY: Yeah. Yeah, bring it on. POLLEN JOCK's: Wind, check. : - Antennae, check. - Nectar pack, check. : - Wings, check. - Stinger, check. BARRY: Scared out of my shorts, check. LOU LO DUVA: OK, ladies, : let's move it out! : Pound those petunias, you striped stem-suckers! : All of you, drain those flowers! (The pollen jocks fly out of the hive) BARRY: Wow! I'm out! : I can't believe I'm out! : So blue. : I feel so fast and free! : Box kite! (Barry flies through the kite) : Wow! : Flowers! (A pollen jock puts on some high tech goggles that shows flowers similar to heat sink goggles.) POLLEN JOCK: This is Blue Leader. We have roses visual. : Bring it around 30 degrees and hold. : Roses! POLLEN JOCK #1: 30 degrees, roger. Bringing it around. : Stand to the side, kid. It's got a bit of a kick. (The pollen jock fires a high-tech gun at the flower, shooting tubes that suck up the nectar from the flower and collects it into a pouch on the gun) BARRY: That is one nectar collector! POLLEN JOCK #1== - Ever see pollination up close? BARRY: - No, sir. POLLEN JOCK #1: (Barry and the Pollen jock fly over the field, the pollen jock sprinkles pollen as he goes) : I pick up some pollen here, sprinkle it over here. Maybe a dash over there, : a pinch on that one. See that? It's a little bit of magic. BARRY: That's amazing. Why do we do that? POLLEN JOCK #1: That's pollen power. More pollen, more flowers, more nectar, more honey for us. BARRY: Cool. POLLEN JOCK #1: I'm picking up a lot of bright yellow. could be daisies. Don't we need those? POLLEN JOCK #2: Copy that visual. : Wait. One of these flowers seems to be on the move. POLLEN JOCK #1: Say again? You're reporting a moving flower? POLLEN JOCK #2: Affirmative. (The Pollen jocks land near the "flowers" which, to the audience are obviously just tennis balls) KEN: (In the distance) That was on the line! POLLEN JOCK #1: This is the coolest. What is it? POLLEN JOCK #2: I don't know, but I'm loving this color. : It smells good. Not like a flower, but I like it. POLLEN JOCK #1: Yeah, fuzzy. (Sticks his hand on the ball but it gets stuck) POLLEN JOCK #3== Chemical-y. (The pollen jock finally gets his hand free from the tennis ball) POLLEN JOCK #1: Careful, guys. It's a little grabby. (The pollen jocks turn around and see Barry lying his entire body on top of one of the tennis balls) POLLEN JOCK #2: My sweet lord of bees! POLLEN JOCK #3: Candy-brain, get off there! POLLEN JOCK #1: (Pointing upwards) Problem! (A human hand reaches down and grabs the tennis ball that Barry is stuck to) BARRY: - Guys! POLLEN JOCK #2: - This could be bad. POLLEN JOCK #3: Affirmative. (Vanessa Bloome starts bouncing the tennis ball, not knowing Barry is stick to it) BARRY== Very close. : Gonna hurt. : Mama's little boy. (Barry is being hit back and forth by two humans playing tennis. He is still stuck to the ball) POLLEN JOCK #1: You are way out of position, rookie! KEN: Coming in at you like a MISSILE! (Barry flies past the pollen jocks, still stuck to the ball) BARRY: (In slow motion) Help me! POLLEN JOCK #2: I don't think these are flowers. POLLEN JOCK #3: - Should we tell him? POLLEN JOCK #1: - I think he knows. BARRY: What is this?! KEN: Match point! : You can start packing up, honey, because you're about to EAT IT! (A pollen jock coughs which confused Ken and he hits the ball the wrong way with Barry stuck to it and it goes flying into the city) BARRY: Yowser! (Barry bounces around town and gets stuck in the engine of a car. He flies into the air conditioner and sees a bug that was frozen in there) BARRY: Ew, gross. (The man driving the car turns on the air conditioner which blows Barry into the car) GIRL IN CAR: There's a bee in the car! : - Do something! DAD DRIVING CAR: - I'm driving! BABY GIRL: (Waving at Barry) - Hi, bee. (Barry smiles and waves at the baby girl) GUY IN BACK OF CAR: - He's back here! : He's going to sting me! GIRL IN CAR: Nobody move. If you don't move, he won't sting you. Freeze! (Barry freezes as well, hovering in the middle of the car) : GRANDMA IN CAR== He blinked! (The grandma whips out some bee-spray and sprays everywhere in the car, climbing into the front seat, still trying to spray Barry) GIRL IN CAR: Spray him, Granny! DAD DRIVING THE CAR: What are you doing?! (Barry escapes the car through the air conditioner and is flying high above the ground, safe.) BARRY: Wow... the tension level out here is unbelievable. (Barry sees that storm clouds are gathering and he can see rain clouds moving into this direction) : I gotta get home. : Can't fly in rain. : Can't fly in rain. (A rain drop hits Barry and one of his wings is damaged) : Can't fly in rain. (A second rain drop hits Barry again and he spirals downwards) Mayday! Mayday! Bee going down! (WW2 plane sound effects are played as he plummets, and he crash-lands on a plant inside an apartment near the window) VANESSA BLOOME: Ken, could you close the window please? KEN== Hey, check out my new resume. I made it into a fold-out brochure. : You see? (Folds brochure resume out) Folds out. (Ken closes the window, trapping Barry inside) BARRY: Oh, no. More humans. I don't need this. (Barry tries to fly away but smashes into the window and falls again) : What was that? (Barry keeps trying to fly out the window but he keeps being knocked back because the window is closed) Maybe this time. This time. This time. This time! This time! This... : Drapes! (Barry taps the glass. He doesn't understand what it is) That is diabolical. KEN: It's fantastic. It's got all my special skills, even my top-ten favorite movies. ANDY: What's number one? Star Wars? KEN: Nah, I don't go for that... (Ken makes finger guns and makes "pew pew pew" sounds and then stops) : ...kind of stuff. BARRY: No wonder we shouldn't talk to them. They're out of their minds. KEN: When I leave a job interview, they're flabbergasted, can't believe what I say. BARRY: (Looking at the light on the ceiling) There's the sun. Maybe that's a way out. (Starts flying towards the lightbulb) : I don't remember the sun having a big 75 on it. (Barry hits the lightbulb and falls into the dip on the table that the humans are sitting at) KEN: I predicted global warming. : I could feel it getting hotter. At first I thought it was just me. (Andy dips a chip into the bowl and scoops up some dip with Barry on it and is about to put it in his mouth) : Wait! Stop! Bee! (Andy drops the chip with Barry in fear and backs away. All the humans freak out) : Stand back. These are winter boots. (Ken has winter boots on his hands and he is about to smash the bee but Vanessa saves him last second) VANESSA: Wait! : Don't kill him! (Vanessa puts Barry in a glass to protect him) KEN: You know I'm allergic to them! This thing could kill me! VANESSA: Why does his life have less value than yours? KEN: Why does his life have any less value than mine? Is that your statement? VANESSA: I'm just saying all life has value. You don't know what he's capable of feeling. (Vanessa picks up Ken's brochure and puts it under the glass so she can carry Barry back to the window. Barry looks at Vanessa in amazement) KEN: My brochure! VANESSA: There you go, little guy. (Vanessa opens the window and lets Barry out but Barry stays back and is still shocked that a human saved his life) KEN: I'm not scared of him. It's an allergic thing. VANESSA: Put that on your resume brochure. KEN: My whole face could puff up. ANDY: Make it one of your special skills. KEN: Knocking someone out is also a special skill. (Ken walks to the door) Right. Bye, Vanessa. Thanks. : - Vanessa, next week? Yogurt night? VANESSA: - Sure, Ken. You know, whatever. : (Vanessa tries to close door) KEN== - You could put carob chips on there. VANESSA: - Bye. (Closes door but Ken opens it again) KEN: - Supposed to be less calories. VANESSA: - Bye. (Closes door) (Fast forward to the next day, Barry is still inside the house. He flies into the kitchen where Vanessa is doing dishes) BARRY== (Talking to himself) I gotta say something. : She saved my life. I gotta say something. : All right, here it goes. (Turns back) Nah. : What would I say? : I could really get in trouble. : It's a bee law. You're not supposed to talk to a human. : I can't believe I'm doing this. : I've got to. (Barry disguises himself as a character on a food can as Vanessa walks by again) : Oh, I can't do it. Come on! : No. Yes. No. : Do it. I can't. : How should I start it? (Barry strikes a pose and wiggles his eyebrows) "You like jazz?" No, that's no good. (Vanessa is about to walk past Barry) Here she comes! Speak, you fool! : ...Hi! (Vanessa gasps and drops the dishes in fright and notices Barry on the counter) : I'm sorry. VANESSA: - You're talking. BARRY: - Yes, I know. VANESSA: (Pointing at Barry) You're talking! BARRY: I'm so sorry. VANESSA: No, it's OK. It's fine. I know I'm dreaming. : But I don't recall going to bed. BARRY: Well, I'm sure this is very disconcerting. VANESSA: This is a bit of a surprise to me. I mean, you're a bee! BARRY: I am. And I'm not supposed to be doing this, (Pointing to the living room where Ken tried to kill him last night) but they were all trying to kill me. : And if it wasn't for you... : I had to thank you. It's just how I was raised. (Vanessa stabs her hand with a fork to test whether she's dreaming or not) : That was a little weird. VANESSA: - I'm talking with a bee. BARRY: - Yeah. VANESSA: I'm talking to a bee. And the bee is talking to me! BARRY: I just want to say I'm grateful. I'll leave now. (Barry turns to leave) VANESSA: - Wait! How did you learn to do that? BARRY: (Flying back) - What? VANESSA: The talking...thing. BARRY: Same way you did, I guess. "Mama, Dada, honey." You pick it up. VANESSA: - That's very funny. BARRY: - Yeah. : Bees are funny. If we didn't laugh, we'd cry with what we have to deal with. : Anyway... VANESSA: Can I... : ...get you something? BARRY: - Like what? VANESSA: I don't know. I mean... I don't know. Coffee? BARRY: I don't want to put you out. VANESSA: It's no trouble. It takes two minutes. : - It's just coffee. BARRY: - I hate to impose. (Vanessa starts making coffee) VANESSA: - Don't be ridiculous! BARRY: - Actually, I would love a cup. VANESSA: Hey, you want rum cake? BARRY: - I shouldn't. VANESSA: - Have some. BARRY: - No, I can't. VANESSA: - Come on! BARRY: I'm trying to lose a couple micrograms. VANESSA: - Where? BARRY: - These stripes don't help. VANESSA: You look great! BARRY: I don't know if you know anything about fashion. : Are you all right? VANESSA: (Pouring coffee on the floor and missing the cup completely) No. (Flash forward in time. Barry and Vanessa are sitting together at a table on top of the apartment building drinking coffee) : BARRY== He's making the tie in the cab as they're flying up Madison. : He finally gets there. : He runs up the steps into the church. The wedding is on. : And he says, "Watermelon? I thought you said Guatemalan. : Why would I marry a watermelon?" (Barry laughs but Vanessa looks confused) VANESSA: Is that a bee joke? BARRY: That's the kind of stuff we do. VANESSA: Yeah, different. : So, what are you gonna do, Barry? (Barry stands on top of a sugar cube floating in his coffee and paddles it around with a straw like it's a gondola) BARRY: About work? I don't know. : I want to do my part for the hive, but I can't do it the way they want. VANESSA: I know how you feel. BARRY: - You do? VANESSA: - Sure. : My parents wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor, but I wanted to be a florist. BARRY: - Really? VANESSA: - My only interest is flowers. BARRY: Our new queen was just elected with that same campaign slogan. : Anyway, if you look... (Barry points to a tree in the middle of Central Park) : There's my hive right there. See it? VANESSA: You're in Sheep Meadow! BARRY: Yes! I'm right off the Turtle Pond! VANESSA: No way! I know that area. I lost a toe ring there once. BARRY: - Why do girls put rings on their toes? VANESSA: - Why not? BARRY: - It's like putting a hat on your knee. VANESSA: - Maybe I'll try that. (A custodian installing a lightbulb looks over at them but to his perspective it looks like Vanessa is talking to a cup of coffee on the table) CUSTODIAN: - You all right, ma'am? VANESSA: - Oh, yeah. Fine. : Just having two cups of coffee! BARRY: Anyway, this has been great. Thanks for the coffee. VANESSA== Yeah, it's no trouble. BARRY: Sorry I couldn't finish it. If I did, I'd be up the rest of my life. (Barry points towards the rum cake) : Can I take a piece of this with me? VANESSA: Sure! Here, have a crumb. (Vanessa hands Barry a crumb but it is still pretty big for Barry) BARRY: - Thanks! VANESSA: - Yeah. BARRY: All right. Well, then... I guess I'll see you around. : Or not. VANESSA: OK, Barry... BARRY: And thank you so much again... for before. VANESSA: Oh, that? That was nothing. BARRY: Well, not nothing, but... Anyway... (Vanessa and Barry hold hands, but Vanessa has to hold out a finger because her hands is to big and Barry holds that) (The custodian looks over again and it appears Vanessa is laughing at her coffee again. The lightbulb that he was screwing in sparks and he falls off the ladder) (Fast forward in time and we see two Bee Scientists testing out a parachute in a Honex wind tunnel) BEE SCIENTIST #1: This can't possibly work. BEE SCIENTIST #2: He's all set to go. We may as well try it. : OK, Dave, pull the chute. (Dave pulls the chute and the wind slams him against the wall and he falls on his face.The camera pans over and we see Barry and Adam walking together) ADAM: - Sounds amazing. BARRY: - It was amazing! : It was the scariest, happiest moment of my life. ADAM: Humans! I can't believe you were with humans! : Giant, scary humans! What were they like? BARRY: Huge and crazy. They talk crazy. : They eat crazy giant things. They drive crazy. ADAM: - Do they try and kill you, like on TV? BARRY: - Some of them. But some of them don't. ADAM: - How'd you get back? BARRY: - Poodle. ADAM: You did it, and I'm glad. You saw whatever you wanted to see. : You had your "experience." Now you can pick out your job and be normal. BARRY: - Well... ADAM: - Well? BARRY: Well, I met someone. ADAM: You did? Was she Bee-ish? : - A wasp?! Your parents will kill you! BARRY: - No, no, no, not a wasp. ADAM: - Spider? BARRY: - I'm not attracted to spiders. : I know, for everyone else, it's the hottest thing, with the eight legs and all. : I can't get by that face. ADAM: So who is she? BARRY: She's... human. ADAM: No, no. That's a bee law. You wouldn't break a bee law. BARRY: - Her name's Vanessa. (Adam puts his head in his hands) ADAM: - Oh, boy. BARRY== She's so nice. And she's a florist! ADAM: Oh, no! You're dating a human florist! BARRY: We're not dating. ADAM: You're flying outside the hive, talking to humans that attack our homes : with power washers and M-80s! That's one-eighth a stick of dynamite! BARRY: She saved my life! And she understands me. ADAM: This is over! BARRY: Eat this. (Barry gives Adam a piece of the crumb that he got from Vanessa. Adam eats it) ADAM: (Adam's tone changes) This is not over! What was that? BARRY: - They call it a crumb. ADAM: - It was so stingin' stripey! BARRY: And that's not what they eat. That's what falls off what they eat! : - You know what a Cinnabon is? ADAM: - No. (Adam opens a door behind him and he pulls Barry in) BARRY: It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. ADAM: Be quiet! BARRY: They heat it up... ADAM: Sit down! (Adam forces Barry to sit down) BARRY: (Still rambling about Cinnabons) ...really hot! (Adam grabs Barry by the shoulders) ADAM: - Listen to me! : We are not them! We're us. There's us and there's them! BARRY== Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning? ADAM: There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me! : You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee! BARRY: - Thinking bee. WORKER BEE: - Thinking bee. WORKER BEES AND ADAM: Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! (Flash forward in time; Barry is laying on a raft in a pool full of honey. He is wearing sunglasses) JANET: There he is. He's in the pool. MARTIN: You know what your problem is, Barry? (Barry pulls down his sunglasses and he looks annoyed) BARRY: (Sarcastic) I gotta start thinking bee? JANET: How much longer will this go on? MARTIN: It's been three days! Why aren't you working? (Puts sunglasses back on) BARRY: I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about. MARTIN: What life? You have no life! You have no job. You're barely a bee! JANET: Would it kill you to make a little honey? (Barry rolls off the raft and sinks into the honey pool) : Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you. : Martin, would you talk to him? MARTIN: Barry, I'm talking to you! (Barry keeps sinking into the honey until he is suddenly in Central Park having a picnic with Vanessa) (Barry has a cup of honey and he clinks his glass with Vanessas. Suddenly a mosquito lands on Vanessa and she slaps it, killing it. They both gasp but then burst out laughing) VANESSA: You coming? (The camera pans over and Vanessa is climbing into a small yellow airplane) BARRY: Got everything? VANESSA: All set! BARRY: Go ahead. I'll catch up. (Vanessa lifts off and flies ahead) VANESSA: Don't be too long. (Barry catches up with Vanessa and he sticks out his arms like ana irplane. He rolls from side to side, and Vanessa copies him with the airplane) VANESSA: Watch this! (Barry stays back and watches as Vanessa draws a heart in the air using pink smoke from the plane, but on the last loop-the-loop she suddenly crashes into a mountain and the plane explodes. The destroyed plane falls into some rocks and explodes a second time) BARRY: Vanessa! (As Barry is yelling his mouth fills with honey and he wakes up, discovering that he was just day dreaming. He slowly sinks back into the honey pool) MARTIN: - We're still here. JANET: - I told you not to yell at him. : He doesn't respond to yelling! MARTIN: - Then why yell at me? JANET: - Because you don't listen! MARTIN: I'm not listening to this. BARRY: Sorry, I've gotta go. MARTIN: - Where are you going? BARRY: - I'm meeting a friend. JANET: A girl? Is this why you can't decide? BARRY: Bye. (Barry flies out the door and Martin shakes his head) : JANET== I just hope she's Bee-ish. (Fast forward in time and Barry is sitting on Vanessa's shoulder and she is closing up her shop) BARRY: They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena? VANESSA: To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream! : Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering. BARRY: A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events? VANESSA: No. All right, I've got one. How come you don't fly everywhere? BARRY: It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster. VANESSA: Yeah, OK, I see, I see. All right, your turn. BARRY: TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane! VANESSA: You don't have that? BARRY: We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease. VANESSA: Oh, my. (A human walks by and Barry narrowly avoids him) PASSERBY: Dumb bees! VANESSA: You must want to sting all those jerks. BARRY: We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us. VANESSA: So you have to watch your temper (They walk into a store) BARRY: Very carefully. You kick a wall, take a walk, : write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: : Anger, jealousy, lust. (Suddenly an employee(Hector) hits Barry off of Vanessa's shoulder. Hector thinks he's saving Vanessa) VANESSA: (To Barry) Oh, my goodness! Are you OK? (Barry is getting up off the floor) BARRY: Yeah. VANESSA: (To Hector) - What is wrong with you?! HECTOR: (Confused) - It's a bug. VANESSA: He's not bothering anybody. Get out of here, you creep! (Vanessa hits Hector across the face with the magazine he had and then hits him in the head. Hector backs away covering his head) Barry: What was that? A Pic 'N' Save circular? (Vanessa sets Barry back on her shoulder) VANESSA: Yeah, it was. How did you know? BARRY: It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit. VANESSA: You've really got that down to a science. BARRY: - Oh, we have to. I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue. VANESSA: - I'll bet. (Barry looks to his right and notices there is honey for sale in the aisle) BARRY: What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this? (Barry looks at all the brands of honey, shocked) How did this get here? Cute Bee, Golden Blossom, : Ray Liotta Private Select? (Barry puts his hands up and slowly turns around, a look of disgust on his face) VANESSA: - Is he that actor? BARRY: - I never heard of him. : - Why is this here? VANESSA: - For people. We eat it. BARRY: You don't have enough food of your own?! (Hector looks back and notices that Vanessa is talking to Barry) VANESSA: - Well, yes. BARRY: - How do you get it? VANESSA: - Bees make it. BARRY: - I know who makes it! : And it's hard to make it! : There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing! VANESSA: - It's organic. BARRY: - It's our-ganic! VANESSA: It's just honey, Barry. BARRY: Just what?! : Bees don't know about this! This is stealing! A lot of stealing! : You've taken our homes, schools, hospitals! This is all we have! : And it's on sale?! I'm getting to the bottom of this. : I'm getting to the bottom of all of this! (Flash forward in time; Barry paints his face with black strikes like a soldier and sneaks into the storage section of the store) (Two men, including Hector, are loading boxes into some trucks) : SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEE== Hey, Hector. : - You almost done? HECTOR: - Almost. (Barry takes a step to peak around the corner) (Whispering) He is here. I sense it. : Well, I guess I'll go home now (Hector pretends to walk away by walking in place and speaking loudly) : and just leave this nice honey out, with no one around. BARRY: You're busted, box boy! HECTOR: I knew I heard something! So you can talk! BARRY: I can talk. And now you'll start talking! : Where you getting the sweet stuff? Who's your supplier? HECTOR: I don't understand. I thought we were friends. : The last thing we want to do is upset bees! (Hector takes a thumbtack out of the board behind him and sword-fights Barry. Barry is using his stinger like a sword) : You're too late! It's ours now! BARRY: You, sir, have crossed the wrong sword! HECTOR: You, sir, will be lunch for my iguana, Ignacio! (Barry hits the thumbtack out of Hectors hand and Hector surrenders) Barry: Where is the honey coming from? : Tell me where! HECTOR: (Pointing to leaving truck) Honey Farms! It comes from Honey Farms! (Barry chases after the truck but it is getting away. He flies onto a bicyclists' backpack and he catches up to the truck) CAR DRIVER: (To bicyclist) Crazy person! (Barry flies off and lands on the windshield of the Honey farms truck. Barry looks around and sees dead bugs splattered everywhere) BARRY: What horrible thing has happened here? : These faces, they never knew what hit them. And now : they're on the road to nowhere! (Barry hears a sudden whisper) (Barry looks up and sees Mooseblood, a mosquito playing dead) MOOSEBLOOD: Just keep still. BARRY: What? You're not dead? MOOSEBLOOD: Do I look dead? They will wipe anything that moves. Where you headed? BARRY: To Honey Farms. I am onto something huge here. MOOSEBLOOD: I'm going to Alaska. Moose blood, crazy stuff. Blows your head off! ANOTHER BUG PLAYING DEAD: I'm going to Tacoma. (Barry looks at another bug) BARRY: - And you? MOOSEBLOOD: - He really is dead. BARRY: All right. (Another bug hits the windshield and the drivers notice. They activate the windshield wipers) MOOSEBLOOD== Uh-oh! (The windshield wipers are slowly sliding over the dead bugs and wiping them off) BARRY: - What is that?! MOOSEBLOOD: - Oh, no! : - A wiper! Triple blade! BARRY: - Triple blade? MOOSEBLOOD: Jump on! It's your only chance, bee! (Mooseblood and Barry grab onto the wiper and they hold on as it wipes the windshield) Why does everything have to be so doggone clean?! : How much do you people need to see?! (Bangs on windshield) : Open your eyes! Stick your head out the window! RADIO IN TRUCK: From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carl Kasell. MOOSEBLOOD: But don't kill no more bugs! (Mooseblood and Barry are washed off by the wipr fluid) MOOSEBLOOD: - Bee! BARRY: - Moose blood guy!! (Barry starts screaming as he hangs onto the antenna) (Suddenly it is revealed that a water bug is also hanging on the antenna. There is a pause and then Barry and the water bug both start screaming) TRUCK DRIVER: - You hear something? GUY IN TRUCK: - Like what? TRUCK DRIVER: Like tiny screaming. GUY IN TRUCK: Turn off the radio. (The antenna starts to lower until it gets to low and sinks into the truck. The water bug flies off and Barry is forced to let go and he is blown away. He luckily lands inside a horn on top of the truck where he finds Mooseblood, who was blown into the same place) MOOSEBLOOD: Whassup, bee boy? BARRY: Hey, Blood. (Fast forward in time and we see that Barry is deep in conversation with Mooseblood. They have been sitting in this truck for a while) BARRY: ...Just a row of honey jars, as far as the eye could see. MOOSEBLOOD: Wow! BARRY: I assume wherever this truck goes is where they're getting it. : I mean, that honey's ours. MOOSEBLOOD: - Bees hang tight. BARRY: - We're all jammed in. : It's a close community. MOOSEBLOOD: Not us, man. We on our own. Every mosquito on his own. BARRY: - What if you get in trouble? MOOSEBLOOD: - You a mosquito, you in trouble. : Nobody likes us. They just smack. See a mosquito, smack, smack! BARRY: At least you're out in the world. You must meet girls. MOOSEBLOOD: Mosquito girls try to trade up, get with a moth, dragonfly. : Mosquito girl don't want no mosquito. (An ambulance passes by and it has a blood donation sign on it) You got to be kidding me! : Mooseblood's about to leave the building! So long, bee! (Mooseblood leaves and flies onto the window of the ambulance where there are other mosquito's hanging out) : - Hey, guys! OTHER MOSQUITO: - Mooseblood! MOOSEBLOOD: I knew I'd catch y'all down here. Did you bring your crazy straw? (The truck goes out of view and Barry notices that the truck he's on is pulling into a camp of some sort) TRUCK DRIVER: We throw it in jars, slap a label on it, and it's pretty much pure profit. (Barry flies out) BARRY: What is this place? BEEKEEPER 1#: A bee's got a brain the size of a pinhead. BEEKEEPER #2: They are pinheads! : Pinhead. : - Check out the new smoker. BEEKEEPER #1: - Oh, sweet. That's the one you want. : The Thomas 3000! BARRY: Smoker? BEEKEEPER #1: Ninety puffs a minute, semi-automatic. Twice the nicotine, all the tar. : A couple breaths of this knocks them right out. BEEKEEPER #2: They make the honey, and we make the money. BARRY: "They make the honey, and we make the money"? (The Beekeeper sprays hundreds of cheap miniature apartments with the smoker. The bees are fainting or passing out) Oh, my! : What's going on? Are you OK? (Barry flies into one of the apartment and helps a Bee couple get off the ground. They are coughing and its hard for them to stand) BEE IN APARTMENT: Yeah. It doesn't last too long. BARRY: Do you know you're in a fake hive with fake walls? BEE IN APPARTMENT: Our queen was moved here. We had no choice. (The apartment room is completely empty except for a photo on the wall of the "queen" who is obviously a man in women's clothes) BARRY: This is your queen? That's a man in women's clothes! : That's a drag queen! : What is this? (Barry flies out and he discovers that there are hundreds of these structures, each housing thousands of Bees) Oh, no! : There's hundreds of them! (Barry takes out his camera and takes pictures of these Bee work camps. The beekeepers look very evil in these depictions) Bee honey. : Our honey is being brazenly stolen on a massive scale! : This is worse than anything bears have done! I intend to do something. (Flash forward in time and Barry is showing these pictures to his parents) JANET: Oh, Barry, stop. MARTIN: Who told you humans are taking our honey? That's a rumor. BARRY: Do these look like rumors? (Holds up the pictures) UNCLE CARL: That's a conspiracy theory. These are obviously doctored photos. JANET: How did you get mixed up in this? ADAM: He's been talking to humans. JANET: - What? MARTIN: - Talking to humans?! ADAM: He has a human girlfriend. And they make out! JANET: Make out? Barry! BARRY: We do not. ADAM: - You wish you could. MARTIN: - Whose side are you on? BARRY: The bees! UNCLE CARL: (He has been sitting in the back of the room this entire time) I dated a cricket once in San Antonio. Those crazy legs kept me up all night. JANET: Barry, this is what you want to do with your life? BARRY: I want to do it for all our lives. Nobody works harder than bees! : Dad, I remember you coming home so overworked : your hands were still stirring. You couldn't stop. JANET: I remember that. BARRY: What right do they have to our honey? : We live on two cups a year. They put it in lip balm for no reason whatsoever! ADAM: Even if it's true, what can one bee do? BARRY: Sting them where it really hurts. MARTIN: In the face! The eye! : - That would hurt. BARRY: - No. MARTIN: Up the nose? That's a killer. BARRY: There's only one place you can sting the humans, one place where it matters. (Flash forward a bit in time and we are watching the Bee News) BEE NEWS NARRATOR: Hive at Five, the hive's only full-hour action news source. BEE PROTESTOR: No more bee beards! BEE NEWS NARRATOR: With Bob Bumble at the anchor desk. : Weather with Storm Stinger. : Sports with Buzz Larvi. : And Jeanette Chung. BOB BUMBLE: - Good evening. I'm Bob Bumble. JEANETTE CHUNG: - And I'm Jeanette Chung. BOB BUMBLE: A tri-county bee, Barry Benson, : intends to sue the human race for stealing our honey, : packaging it and profiting from it illegally! JEANETTE CHUNG: Tomorrow night on Bee Larry King, : we'll have three former queens here in our studio, discussing their new book, : Classy Ladies, out this week on Hexagon. (The scene changes to an interview on the news with Bee version of Larry King and Barry) BEE LARRY KING: Tonight we're talking to Barry Benson. : Did you ever think, "I'm a kid from the hive. I can't do this"? BARRY: Bees have never been afraid to change the world. : What about Bee Columbus? Bee Gandhi? Bejesus? BEE LARRY KING: Where I'm from, we'd never sue humans. : We were thinking of stickball or candy stores. BARRY: How old are you? BEE LARRY KING: The bee community is supporting you in this case, : which will be the trial of the bee century. BARRY: You know, they have a Larry King in the human world too. BEE LARRY KING: It's a common name. Next week... BARRY: He looks like you and has a show and suspenders and colored dots... BEE LARRY KING: Next week... BARRY: Glasses, quotes on the bottom from the guest even though you just heard 'em. BEE LARRY KING: Bear Week next week! They're scary, hairy and here, live. (Bee Larry King gets annoyed and flies away offscreen) BARRY: Always leans forward, pointy shoulders, squinty eyes, very Jewish. (Flash forward in time. We see Vanessa enter and Ken enters behind her. They are arguing) KEN: In tennis, you attack at the point of weakness! VANESSA: It was my grandmother, Ken. She's 81. KEN== Honey, her backhand's a joke! I'm not gonna take advantage of that? BARRY: (To Ken) Quiet, please. Actual work going on here. KEN: (Pointing at Barry) - Is that that same bee? VANESSA: - Yes, it is! : I'm helping him sue the human race. BARRY: - Hello. KEN: - Hello, bee. VANESSA: This is Ken. BARRY: (Recalling the "Winter Boots" incident earlier) Yeah, I remember you. Timberland, size ten and a half. Vibram sole, I believe. KEN: (To Vanessa) Why does he talk again? VANESSA: Listen, you better go 'cause we're really busy working. KEN: But it's our yogurt night! VANESSA: (Holding door open for Ken) Bye-bye. KEN: (Yelling) Why is yogurt night so difficult?! (Ken leaves and Vanessa walks over to Barry. His workplace is a mess) VANESSA: You poor thing. You two have been at this for hours! BARRY: Yes, and Adam here has been a huge help. ADAM: - Frosting... - How many sugars? ==BARRY== Just one. I try not to use the competition. : So why are you helping me? VANESSA: Bees have good qualities. : And it takes my mind off the shop. : Instead of flowers, people are giving balloon bouquets now. BARRY: Those are great, if you're three. VANESSA: And artificial flowers. BARRY: - Oh, those just get me psychotic! VANESSA: - Yeah, me too. : BARRY: Bent stingers, pointless pollination. ADAM: Bees must hate those fake things! : Nothing worse than a daffodil that's had work done. : Maybe this could make up for it a little bit. VANESSA: - This lawsuit's a pretty big deal. BARRY: - I guess. ADAM: You sure you want to go through with it? BARRY: Am I sure? When I'm done with the humans, they won't be able : to say, "Honey, I'm home," without paying a royalty! (Flash forward in time and we are watching the human news. The camera shows a crowd outside a courthouse) NEWS REPORTER: It's an incredible scene here in downtown Manhattan, : where the world anxiously waits, because for the first time in history, : we will hear for ourselves if a honeybee can actually speak. (We are no longer watching through a news camera) ADAM: What have we gotten into here, Barry? BARRY: It's pretty big, isn't it? ADAM== (Looking at the hundreds of people around the courthouse) I can't believe how many humans don't work during the day. BARRY: You think billion-dollar multinational food companies have good lawyers? SECURITY GUARD: Everybody needs to stay behind the barricade. (A limousine drives up and a fat man,Layton Montgomery, a honey industry owner gets out and walks past Barry) ADAM: - What's the matter? BARRY: - I don't know, I just got a chill. (Fast forward in time and everyone is in the court) MONTGOMERY: Well, if it isn't the bee team. (To Honey Industry lawyers) You boys work on this? MAN: All rise! The Honorable Judge Bumbleton presiding. JUDGE BUMBLETON: All right. Case number 4475, : Superior Court of New York, Barry Bee Benson v. the Honey Industry : is now in session. : Mr. Montgomery, you're representing the five food companies collectively? MONTGOMERY: A privilege. JUDGE BUMBLETON: Mr. Benson... you're representing all the bees of the world? (Everyone looks closely, they are waiting to see if a Bee can really talk) (Barry makes several buzzing sounds to sound like a Bee) BARRY: I'm kidding. Yes, Your Honor, we're ready to proceed. JUDGE BUMBLBETON: Mr. Montgomery, your opening statement, please. MONTGOMERY: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, : my grandmother was a simple woman. : Born on a farm, she believed it was man's divine right : to benefit from the bounty of nature God put before us. : If we lived in the topsy-turvy world Mr. Benson imagines, : just think of what would it mean. : I would have to negotiate with the silkworm : for the elastic in my britches! : Talking bee! (Montgomery walks over and looks closely at Barry) : How do we know this isn't some sort of : holographic motion-picture-capture Hollywood wizardry? : They could be using laser beams! : Robotics! Ventriloquism! Cloning! For all we know, : he could be on steroids! JUDGE BUMBLETON: Mr. Benson? BARRY: Ladies and gentlemen, there's no trickery here. : I'm just an ordinary bee. Honey's pretty important to me. : It's important to all bees. We invented it! : We make it. And we protect it with our lives. : Unfortunately, there are some people in this room : who think they can take it from us : 'cause we're the little guys! I'm hoping that, after this is all over, : you'll see how, by taking our honey, you not only take everything we have : but everything we are! JANET== (To Martin) I wish he'd dress like that all the time. So nice! JUDGE BUMBLETON: Call your first witness. BARRY: So, Mr. Klauss Vanderhayden of Honey Farms, big company you have. KLAUSS VANDERHAYDEN: I suppose so. BARRY: I see you also own Honeyburton and Honron! KLAUSS: Yes, they provide beekeepers for our farms. BARRY: Beekeeper. I find that to be a very disturbing term. : I don't imagine you employ any bee-free-ers, do you? KLAUSS: (Quietly) - No. BARRY: - I couldn't hear you. KLAUSS: - No. BARRY: - No. : Because you don't free bees. You keep bees. Not only that, : it seems you thought a bear would be an appropriate image for a jar of honey. KLAUSS: They're very lovable creatures. : Yogi Bear, Fozzie Bear, Build-A-Bear. BARRY: You mean like this? (The bear from Over The Hedge barges in through the back door and it is roaring and standing on its hind legs. It is thrashing its claws and people are screaming. It is being held back by a guard who has the bear on a chain) : (Pointing to the roaring bear) Bears kill bees! : How'd you like his head crashing through your living room?! : Biting into your couch! Spitting out your throw pillows! JUDGE BUMBLETON: OK, that's enough. Take him away. (The bear stops roaring and thrashing and walks out) BARRY: So, Mr. Sting, thank you for being here. Your name intrigues me. : - Where have I heard it before? MR. STING: - I was with a band called The Police. BARRY: But you've never been a police officer, have you? STING: No, I haven't. BARRY: No, you haven't. And so here we have yet another example : of bee culture casually stolen by a human : for nothing more than a prance-about stage name. STING: Oh, please. BARRY: Have you ever been stung, Mr. Sting? : Because I'm feeling a little stung, Sting. : Or should I say... Mr. Gordon M. Sumner! MONTGOMERY: That's not his real name?! You idiots! BARRY: Mr. Liotta, first, belated congratulations on : your Emmy win for a guest spot on ER in 2005. RAY LIOTTA: Thank you. Thank you. BARRY: I see from your resume that you're devilishly handsome : with a churning inner turmoil that's ready to blow. RAY LIOTTA: I enjoy what I do. Is that a crime? BARRY: Not yet it isn't. But is this what it's come to for you? : Exploiting tiny, helpless bees so you don't : have to rehearse your part and learn your lines, sir? RAY LIOTTA: Watch it, Benson! I could blow right now! BARRY: This isn't a goodfella. This is a badfella! (Ray Liotta looses it and tries to grab Barry) RAY LIOTTA: Why doesn't someone just step on this creep, and we can all go home?! JUDGE BUMBLETON: - Order in this court! RAY LIOTTA: - You're all thinking it! (Judge Bumbleton starts banging her gavel) JUDGE BUMBLETON: Order! Order, I say! RAY LIOTTA: - Say it! MAN: - Mr. Liotta, please sit down! (We see a montage of magazines which feature the court case) (Flash forward in time and Barry is back home with Vanessa) BARRY: I think it was awfully nice of that bear to pitch in like that. VANESSA: I think the jury's on our side. BARRY: Are we doing everything right,you know, legally? VANESSA: I'm a florist. BARRY: Right. Well, here's to a great team. VANESSA: To a great team! (Ken walks in from work. He sees Barry and he looks upset when he sees Barry clinking his glass with Vanessa) KEN: Well, hello. VANESSA: - Oh, Ken! BARRY: - Hello! VANESSA: I didn't think you were coming. : No, I was just late. I tried to call, but... (Ken holds up his phone and flips it open. The phone has no charge) ...the battery... VANESSA: I didn't want all this to go to waste, so I called Barry. Luckily, he was free. KEN: Oh, that was lucky. (Ken sits down at the table across from Barry and Vanessa leaves the room) VANESSA: There's a little left. I could heat it up. KEN: (Not taking his eyes off Barry) Yeah, heat it up, sure, whatever. BARRY: So I hear you're quite a tennis player. : I'm not much for the game myself. The ball's a little grabby. KEN: That's where I usually sit. Right... (Points to where Barry is sitting) there. VANESSA: (Calling from other room) Ken, Barry was looking at your resume, : and he agreed with me that eating with chopsticks isn't really a special skill. KEN: (To Barry) You think I don't see what you're doing? BARRY: I know how hard it is to find the right job. We have that in common. KEN: Do we? BARRY: Bees have 100 percent employment, but we do jobs like taking the crud out. KEN: (Menacingly) That's just what I was thinking about doing. (Ken reaches for a fork on the table but knocks if on the floor. He goes to pick it up) VANESSA: Ken, I let Barry borrow your razor for his fuzz. I hope that was all right. (Ken quickly rises back up after hearing this but hits his head on the table and yells) BARRY: I'm going to drain the old stinger. KEN: Yeah, you do that. (Barry flies past Ken to get to the bathroom and Ken freaks out, splashing some of the wine he was using to cool his head in his eyes. He yells in anger) (Barry looks at the magazines featuring his victories in court) BARRY: Look at that. (Barry flies into the bathroom) (He puts his hand on his head but this makes hurts him and makes him even madder. He yells again) (Barry is washing his hands in the sink but then Ken walks in) KEN: You know, you know I've just about had it (Closes bathroom door behind him) with your little mind games. (Ken is menacingly rolling up a magazine) BARRY: (Backing away) - What's that? KEN: - Italian Vogue. BARRY: Mamma mia, that's a lot of pages. KEN: It's a lot of ads. BARRY: Remember what Van said, why is your life more valuable than mine? KEN: That's funny, I just can't seem to recall that! (Ken smashes everything off the sink with the magazine and Barry narrowly escapes) (Ken follows Barry around and tries to hit him with the magazine but he keeps missing) (Ken gets a spray bottle) : I think something stinks in here! BARRY: (Enjoying the spray) I love the smell of flowers. (Ken holds a lighter in front of the spray bottle) KEN: How do you like the smell of flames?! BARRY: Not as much. (Ken fires his make-shift flamethrower but misses Barry, burning the bathroom. He torches the whole room but looses his footing and falls into the bathtub. After getting hit in the head by falling objects 3 times he picks up the shower head, revealing a Water bug hiding under it) WATER BUG: Water bug! Not taking sides! (Barry gets up out of a pile of bathroom supplies and he is wearing a chapstick hat) BARRY: Ken, I'm wearing a Chapstick hat! This is pathetic! (Ken switches the shower head to lethal) KEN: I've got issues! (Ken sprays Barry with the shower head and he crash lands into the toilet) (Ken menacingly looks down into the toilet at Barry) Well, well, well, a royal flush! BARRY: - You're bluffing. KEN: - Am I? (flushes toilet) (Barry grabs a chapstick from the toilet seat and uses it to surf in the flushing toilet) BARRY: Surf's up, dude! (Barry flies out of the toilet on the chapstick and sprays Ken's face with the toilet water) : EW,Poo water! BARRY: That bowl is gnarly. KEN: (Aiming a toilet cleaner at Barry) Except for those dirty yellow rings! (Barry cowers and covers his head and Vanessa runs in and takes the toilet cleaner from Ken just before he hits Barry) VANESSA: Kenneth! What are you doing?! KEN== (Leaning towards Barry) You know, I don't even like honey! I don't eat it! VANESSA: We need to talk! (Vanessa pulls Ken out of the bathroom) : He's just a little bee! : And he happens to be the nicest bee I've met in a long time! KEN: Long time? What are you talking about?! Are there other bugs in your life? VANESSA: No, but there are other things bugging me in life. And you're one of them! KEN: Fine! Talking bees, no yogurt night... : My nerves are fried from riding on this emotional roller coaster! VANESSA: Goodbye, Ken. (Ken huffs and walks out and slams the door. But suddenly he walks back in and stares at Barry) : And for your information, I prefer sugar-free, artificial sweeteners MADE BY MAN! (Ken leaves again and Vanessa leans in towards Barry) VANESSA: I'm sorry about all that. (Ken walks back in again) KEN: I know it's got an aftertaste! I LIKE IT! (Ken leaves for the last time) VANESSA: I always felt there was some kind of barrier between Ken and me. : I couldn't overcome it. Oh, well. : Are you OK for the trial? BARRY: I believe Mr. Montgomery is about out of ideas. (Flash forward in time and Barry, Adam, and Vanessa are back in court) MONTGOMERY-- We would like to call Mr. Barry Benson Bee to the stand. ADAM: Good idea! You can really see why he's considered one of the best lawyers... (Barry stares at Adam) ...Yeah. LAWYER: Layton, you've gotta weave some magic with this jury, or it's gonna be all over. MONTGOMERY: Don't worry. The only thing I have to do to turn this jury around : is to remind them of what they don't like about bees. (To lawyer) - You got the tweezers? LAWYER: - Are you allergic? MONTGOMERY: Only to losing, son. Only to losing. : Mr. Benson Bee, I'll ask you what I think we'd all like to know. : What exactly is your relationship (Points to Vanessa) : to that woman? BARRY: We're friends. MONTGOMERY: - Good friends? BARRY: - Yes. MONTGOMERY: How good? Do you live together? ADAM: Wait a minute... : MONTGOMERY: Are you her little... : ...bedbug? (Adam's stinger starts vibrating. He is agitated) I've seen a bee documentary or two. From what I understand, : doesn't your queen give birth to all the bee children? BARRY: - Yeah, but... MONTGOMERY: (Pointing at Janet and Martin) - So those aren't your real parents! JANET: - Oh, Barry... BARRY: - Yes, they are! ADAM: Hold me back! (Vanessa tries to hold Adam back. He wants to sting Montgomery) MONTGOMERY: You're an illegitimate bee, aren't you, Benson? ADAM: He's denouncing bees! MONTGOMERY: Don't y'all date your cousins? (Montgomery leans over on the jury stand and stares at Adam) VANESSA: - Objection! (Vanessa raises her hand to object but Adam gets free. He flies straight at Montgomery) =ADAM: - I'm going to pincushion this guy! BARRY: Adam, don't! It's what he wants! (Adam stings Montgomery in the butt and he starts thrashing around) MONTGOMERY: Oh, I'm hit!! : Oh, lordy, I am hit! JUDGE BUMBLETON: (Banging gavel) Order! Order! MONTGOMERY: (Overreacting) The venom! The venom is coursing through my veins! : I have been felled by a winged beast of destruction! : You see? You can't treat them like equals! They're striped savages! : Stinging's the only thing they know! It's their way! BARRY: - Adam, stay with me. ADAM: - I can't feel my legs. MONTGOMERY: (Overreacting and throwing his body around the room) What angel of mercy will come forward to suck the poison : from my heaving buttocks? JUDGE BUMLBETON: I will have order in this court. Order! : Order, please! (Flash forward in time and we see a human news reporter) NEWS REPORTER: The case of the honeybees versus the human race : took a pointed turn against the bees : yesterday when one of their legal team stung Layton T. Montgomery. (Adam is laying in a hospital bed and Barry flies in to see him) BARRY: - Hey, buddy. ADAM: - Hey. BARRY: - Is there much pain? ADAM: - Yeah. : I... : I blew the whole case, didn't I? BARRY: It doesn't matter. What matters is you're alive. You could have died. ADAM: I'd be better off dead. Look at me. (A small plastic sword is replaced as Adam's stinger) They got it from the cafeteria downstairs, in a tuna sandwich. : Look, there's a little celery still on it. (Flicks off the celery and sighs) BARRY: What was it like to sting someone? ADAM: I can't explain it. It was all... : All adrenaline and then... and then ecstasy! BARRY: ...All right. ADAM: You think it was all a trap? BARRY: Of course. I'm sorry. I flew us right into this. : What were we thinking? Look at us. We're just a couple of bugs in this world. ADAM: What will the humans do to us if they win? BARRY: I don't know. ADAM: I hear they put the roaches in motels. That doesn't sound so bad. BARRY: Adam, they check in, but they don't check out! ADAM: Oh, my. (Coughs) Could you get a nurse to close that window? BARRY: - Why? ADAM: - The smoke. (We can see that two humans are smoking cigarettes outside) : Bees don't smoke. BARRY: Right. Bees don't smoke. : Bees don't smoke! But some bees are smoking. : That's it! That's our case! ADAM: It is? It's not over? BARRY: Get dressed. I've gotta go somewhere. : Get back to the court and stall. Stall any way you can. (Flash forward in time and Adam is making a paper boat in the courtroom) ADAM: And assuming you've done step 29 correctly, you're ready for the tub! (We see that the jury have each made their own paper boats after being taught how by Adam. They all look confused) JUDGE BUMBLETON: Mr. Flayman. ADAM: Yes? Yes, Your Honor! JUDGE BUMBLETON: Where is the rest of your team? ADAM: (Continues stalling) Well, Your Honor, it's interesting. : Bees are trained to fly haphazardly, : and as a result, we don't make very good time. : I actually heard a funny story about... MONTGOMERY: Your Honor, haven't these ridiculous bugs : taken up enough of this court's valuable time? : How much longer will we allow these absurd shenanigans to go on? : They have presented no compelling evidence to support their charges : against my clients, who run legitimate businesses. : I move for a complete dismissal of this entire case! JUDGE BUMBLETON: Mr. Flayman, I'm afraid I'm going : to have to consider Mr. Montgomery's motion. ADAM: But you can't! We have a terrific case. MONTGOMERY: Where is your proof? Where is the evidence? : Show me the smoking gun! BARRY: (Barry flies in through the door) Hold it, Your Honor! You want a smoking gun? : Here is your smoking gun. (Vanessa walks in holding a bee smoker. She sets it down on the Judge's podium) JUDGE BUMBLETON: What is that? BARRY: It's a bee smoker! MONTGOMERY: (Picks up smoker) What, this? This harmless little contraption? : This couldn't hurt a fly, let alone a bee. (Montgomery accidentally fires it at the bees in the crowd and they faint and cough) (Dozens of reporters start taking pictures of the suffering bees) BARRY: Look at what has happened : to bees who have never been asked, "Smoking or non?" : Is this what nature intended for us? : To be forcibly addicted to smoke machines : and man-made wooden slat work camps? : Living out our lives as honey slaves to the white man? (Barry points to the honey industry owners. One of them is an African American so he awkwardly separates himself from the others) LAWYER: - What are we gonna do? - He's playing the species card. BARRY: Ladies and gentlemen, please, free these bees! ADAM AND VANESSA: Free the bees! Free the bees! BEES IN CROWD: Free the bees! HUMAN JURY: Free the bees! Free the bees! JUDGE BUMBLETON: The court finds in favor of the bees! BARRY: Vanessa, we won! VANESSA: I knew you could do it! High-five! (Vanessa hits Barry hard because her hand is too big) : Sorry. BARRY: (Overjoyed) I'm OK! You know what this means? : All the honey will finally belong to the bees. : Now we won't have to work so hard all the time. MONTGOMERY: This is an unholy perversion of the balance of nature, Benson. : You'll regret this. (Montgomery leaves and Barry goes outside the courtroom. Several reporters start asking Barry questions) REPORTER 1#: Barry, how much honey is out there? BARRY: All right. One at a time. REPORTER 2#: Barry, who are you wearing? BARRY: My sweater is Ralph Lauren, and I have no pants. (Barry flies outside with the paparazzi and Adam and Vanessa stay back) ADAM: (To Vanessa) - What if Montgomery's right? Vanessa: - What do you mean? ADAM: We've been living the bee way a long time, 27 million years. (Flash forward in time and Barry is talking to a man) BUSINESS MAN: Congratulations on your victory. What will you demand as a settlement? BARRY: First, we'll demand a complete shutdown of all bee work camps. (As Barry is talking we see a montage of men putting "closed" tape over the work camps and freeing the bees in the crappy apartments) Then we want back the honey that was ours to begin with, : every last drop. (Men in suits are pushing all the honey of the aisle and into carts) We demand an end to the glorification of the bear as anything more (We see a statue of a bear-shaped honey container being pulled down by bees) than a filthy, smelly, bad-breath stink machine. : We're all aware of what they do in the woods. (We see Winnie the Pooh sharing his honey with Piglet in the cross-hairs of a high-tech sniper rifle) BARRY: (Looking through binoculars) Wait for my signal. : Take him out. (Winnie gets hit by a tranquilizer dart and dramatically falls off the log he was standing on, his tongue hanging out. Piglet looks at Pooh in fear and the Sniper takes the honey.) SNIPER: He'll have nausea for a few hours, then he'll be fine. (Flash forward in time) BARRY: And we will no longer tolerate bee-negative nicknames... (Mr. Sting is sitting at home until he is taken out of his house by the men in suits) STING: But it's just a prance-about stage name! BARRY: ...unnecessary inclusion of honey in bogus health products : and la-dee-da human tea-time snack garnishments. (An old lady is mixing honey into her tea but suddenly men in suits smash her face down on the table and take the honey) OLD LADY: Can't breathe. (A honey truck pulls up to Barry's hive) WORKER: Bring it in, boys! : Hold it right there! Good. : Tap it. (Tons of honey is being pumped into the hive's storage) BEE WORKER 1#: (Honey overflows from the cup) Mr. Buzzwell, we just passed three cups, and there's gallons more coming! : - I think we need to shut down! =BEE WORKER #2= - Shut down? We've never shut down. : Shut down honey production! DEAN BUZZWELL: Stop making honey! (The bees all leave their stations. Two bees run into a room and they put the keys into a machine) Turn your key, sir! (Two worker bees dramatically turn their keys, which opens the button which they press, shutting down the honey-making machines. This is the first time this has ever happened) BEE: ...What do we do now? (Flash forward in time and a Bee is about to jump into a pool full of honey) Cannonball! (The bee gets stuck in the honey and we get a short montage of Bees leaving work) (We see the Pollen Jocks flying but one of them gets a call on his antenna) LOU LU DUVA: (Through "phone") We're shutting honey production! : Mission abort. POLLEN JOCK #1: Aborting pollination and nectar detail. Returning to base. (The Pollen Jocks fly back to the hive) (We get a time lapse of Central Park slowly wilting away as the bees all relax) BARRY: Adam, you wouldn't believe how much honey was out there. ADAM: Oh, yeah? BARRY: What's going on? Where is everybody? (The entire street is deserted) : - Are they out celebrating? ADAM: - They're home. : They don't know what to do. Laying out, sleeping in. : I heard your Uncle Carl was on his way to San Antonio with a cricket. BARRY: At least we got our honey back. ADAM: Sometimes I think, so what if humans liked our honey? Who wouldn't? : It's the greatest thing in the world! I was excited to be part of making it. : This was my new desk. This was my new job. I wanted to do it really well. : And now... : Now I can't. (Flash forward in time and Barry is talking to Vanessa) BARRY: I don't understand why they're not happy. : I thought their lives would be better! : They're doing nothing. It's amazing. Honey really changes people. VANESSA: You don't have any idea what's going on, do you? BARRY: - What did you want to show me? (Vanessa takes Barry to the rooftop where they first had coffee and points to her store) VANESSA: - This. (Points at her flowers. They are all grey and wilting) BARRY: What happened here? VANESSA: That is not the half of it. (Small flash forward in time and Vanessa and Barry are on the roof of her store and she points to Central Park) (We see that Central Park is no longer green and colorful, rather it is grey, brown, and dead-like. It is very depressing to look at) BARRY: Oh, no. Oh, my. : They're all wilting. VANESSA: Doesn't look very good, does it? BARRY: No. VANESSA: And whose fault do you think that is? BARRY: You know, I'm gonna guess bees. VANESSA== (Staring at Barry) Bees? BARRY: Specifically, me. : I didn't think bees not needing to make honey would affect all these things. VANESSA: It's not just flowers. Fruits, vegetables, they all need bees. BARRY: That's our whole SAT test right there. VANESSA: Take away produce, that affects the entire animal kingdom. : And then, of course... BARRY: The human species? : So if there's no more pollination, : it could all just go south here, couldn't it? VANESSA: I know this is also partly my fault. BARRY: How about a suicide pact? VANESSA: How do we do it? BARRY: - I'll sting you, you step on me. VANESSA: - That just kills you twice. BARRY: Right, right. VANESSA: Listen, Barry... sorry, but I gotta get going. (Vanessa leaves) BARRY: (To himself) I had to open my mouth and talk. : Vanessa? : Vanessa? Why are you leaving? Where are you going? (Vanessa is getting into a taxi) VANESSA: To the final Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena. : They've moved it to this weekend because all the flowers are dying. : It's the last chance I'll ever have to see it. BARRY: Vanessa, I just wanna say I'm sorry. I never meant it to turn out like this. VANESSA: I know. Me neither. (The taxi starts to drive away) BARRY: Tournament of Roses. Roses can't do sports. : Wait a minute. Roses. Roses? : Roses! : Vanessa! (Barry flies after the Taxi) VANESSA: Roses?! : Barry? (Barry is flying outside the window of the taxi) BARRY: - Roses are flowers! VANESSA: - Yes, they are. BARRY: Flowers, bees, pollen! VANESSA: I know. That's why this is the last parade. BARRY: Maybe not. Could you ask him to slow down? VANESSA: Could you slow down? (The taxi driver screeches to a stop and Barry keeps flying forward) : Barry! (Barry flies back to the window) BARRY: OK, I made a huge mistake. This is a total disaster, all my fault. VANESSA: Yes, it kind of is. BARRY: I've ruined the planet. I wanted to help you : with the flower shop. I've made it worse. VANESSA: Actually, it's completely closed down. BARRY: I thought maybe you were remodeling. : But I have another idea, and it's greater than my previous ideas combined. VANESSA: I don't want to hear it! BARRY: All right, they have the roses, the roses have the pollen. : I know every bee, plant and flower bud in this park. : All we gotta do is get what they've got back here with what we've got. : - Bees. VANESSA: - Park. BARRY: - Pollen! VANESSA: - Flowers. BARRY: - Re-pollination! VANESSA: - Across the nation! : Tournament of Roses, Pasadena, California. : They've got nothing but flowers, floats and cotton candy. : Security will be tight. BARRY: I have an idea. (Flash forward in time. Vanessa is about to board a plane which has all the Roses on board. VANESSA: Vanessa Bloome, FTD. (Holds out badge) : Official floral business. It's real. SECURITY GUARD: Sorry, ma'am. Nice brooch. =VANESSA== Thank you. It was a gift. (Barry is revealed to be hiding inside the brooch) (Flash back in time and Barry and Vanessa are discussing their plan) BARRY: Once inside, we just pick the right float. VANESSA: How about The Princess and the Pea? : I could be the princess, and you could be the pea! BARRY: Yes, I got it. : - Where should I sit? GUARD: - What are you? BARRY: - I believe I'm the pea. GUARD: - The pea? VANESSA: It goes under the mattresses. GUARD: - Not in this fairy tale, sweetheart. - I'm getting the marshal. VANESSA: You do that! This whole parade is a fiasco! : Let's see what this baby'll do. (Vanessa drives the float through traffic) GUARD: Hey, what are you doing?! BARRY== Then all we do is blend in with traffic... : ...without arousing suspicion. : Once at the airport, there's no stopping us. (Flash forward in time and Barry and Vanessa are about to get on a plane) SECURITY GUARD: Stop! Security. : - You and your insect pack your float? VANESSA: - Yes. SECURITY GUARD: Has it been in your possession the entire time? VANESSA: - Yes. SECURITY GUARD: Would you remove your shoes? (To Barry) - Remove your stinger. BARRY: - It's part of me. SECURITY GUARD: I know. Just having some fun. Enjoy your flight. (Barry plotting with Vanessa) BARRY: Then if we're lucky, we'll have just enough pollen to do the job. (Flash forward in time and Barry and Vanessa are flying on the plane) Can you believe how lucky we are? We have just enough pollen to do the job! VANESSA: I think this is gonna work. BARRY: It's got to work. CAPTAIN SCOTT: (On intercom) Attention, passengers, this is Captain Scott. : We have a bit of bad weather in New York. : It looks like we'll experience a couple hours delay. VANESSA: Barry, these are cut flowers with no water. They'll never make it. BARRY: I gotta get up there and talk to them. VANESSA== Be careful. (Barry flies right outside the cockpit door) BARRY: Can I get help with the Sky Mall magazine? I'd like to order the talking inflatable nose and ear hair trimmer. (The flight attendant opens the door and walks out and Barry flies into the cockpit unseen) BARRY: Captain, I'm in a real situation. CAPTAIN SCOTT: - What'd you say, Hal? CO-PILOT HAL: - Nothing. (Scott notices Barry and freaks out) CAPTAIN SCOTT: Bee! BARRY: No,no,no, Don't freak out! My entire species... (Captain Scott gets out of his seat and tries to suck Barry into a handheld vacuum) HAL: (To Scott) What are you doing? (Barry lands on Hals hair but Scott sees him. He tries to suck up Barry but instead he sucks up Hals toupee) CAPTAIN SCOTT: Uh-oh. BARRY: - Wait a minute! I'm an attorney! HAL: (Hal doesn't know Barry is on his head) - Who's an attorney? CAPTAIN SCOTT: Don't move. (Scott hits Hal in the face with the vacuum in an attempt to hit Barry. Hal is knocked out and he falls on the life raft button which launches an infalatable boat into Scott, who gets knocked out and falls to the floor. They are both uncounscious.) BARRY: (To himself) Oh, Barry. BARRY: (On intercom, with a Southern accent) Good afternoon, passengers. This is your captain. : Would a Miss Vanessa Bloome in 24B please report to the cockpit? (Vanessa looks confused) (Normal accent) ...And please hurry! (Vanessa opens the door and sees the life raft and the uncounscious pilots) VANESSA: What happened here? BARRY: I tried to talk to them, but then there was a DustBuster, a toupee, a life raft exploded. : Now one's bald, one's in a boat, and they're both unconscious! VANESSA: ...Is that another bee joke? BARRY: - No! : No one's flying the plane! BUD DITCHWATER: (Through radio on plane) This is JFK control tower, Flight 356. What's your status? VANESSA: This is Vanessa Bloome. I'm a florist from New York. BUD: Where's the pilot? VANESSA: He's unconscious, and so is the copilot. BUD: Not good. Does anyone onboard have flight experience? BARRY: As a matter of fact, there is. BUD: - Who's that? BARRY: - Barry Benson. BUD: From the honey trial?! Oh, great. BARRY: Vanessa, this is nothing more than a big metal bee. : It's got giant wings, huge engines. VANESSA: I can't fly a plane. BARRY: - Why not? Isn't John Travolta a pilot? VANESSA: - Yes. BARRY: How hard could it be? (Vanessa sits down and flies for a little bit but we see lightning clouds outside the window) VANESSA: Wait, Barry! We're headed into some lightning. (An ominous lightning storm looms in front of the plane) (We are now watching the Bee News) BOB BUMBLE: This is Bob Bumble. We have some late-breaking news from JFK Airport, : where a suspenseful scene is developing. : Barry Benson, fresh from his legal victory... ADAM: That's Barry! BOB BUMBLE: ...is attempting to land a plane, loaded with people, flowers : and an incapacitated flight crew. JANET, MARTIN, UNCLE CAR AND ADAM: Flowers?! (The scene switches to the human news) REPORTER: (Talking with Bob Bumble) We have a storm in the area and two individuals at the controls : with absolutely no flight experience. BOB BUMBLE: Just a minute. There's a bee on that plane. BUD: I'm quite familiar with Mr. Benson and his no-account compadres. : They've done enough damage. REPORTER: But isn't he your only hope? BUD: Technically, a bee shouldn't be able to fly at all. : Their wings are too small... BARRY: (Through radio) Haven't we heard this a million times? : "The surface area of the wings and body mass make no sense."... BOB BUMBLE: - Get this on the air! BEE: - Got it. BEE NEWS CREW: - Stand by. BEE NEWS CREW: - We're going live! BARRY: (Through radio on TV) ...The way we work may be a mystery to you. : Making honey takes a lot of bees doing a lot of small jobs. : But let me tell you about a small job. : If you do it well, it makes a big difference. : More than we realized. To us, to everyone. : That's why I want to get bees back to working together. : That's the bee way! We're not made of Jell-O. : We get behind a fellow. : - Black and yellow! BEES: - Hello! (The scene switches and Barry is teaching Vanessa how to fly) BARRY: Left, right, down, hover. VANESSA: - Hover? BARRY: - Forget hover. VANESSA: This isn't so hard. (Pretending to honk the horn) Beep-beep! Beep-beep! (A Lightning bolt hits the plane and autopilot turns off) Barry, what happened?! BARRY: Wait, I think we were on autopilot the whole time. VANESSA: - That may have been helping me. BARRY: - And now we're not! VANESSA: So it turns out I cannot fly a plane. (The plane plummets but we see Lou Lu Duva and the Pollen Jocks, along with multiple other bees flying towards the plane) Lou Lu DUva: All of you, let's get behind this fellow! Move it out! : Move out! (The scene switches back to Vanessa and Barry in the plane) BARRY: Our only chance is if I do what I'd do, you copy me with the wings of the plane! (Barry sticks out his arms like an airplane and flys in front of Vanessa's face) VANESSA: Don't have to yell. BARRY: I'm not yelling! We're in a lot of trouble. VANESSA: It's very hard to concentrate with that panicky tone in your voice! BARRY: It's not a tone. I'm panicking! VANESSA: I can't do this! (Barry slaps Vanessa) BARRY: Vanessa, pull yourself together. You have to snap out of it! VANESSA: (Slaps Barry) You snap out of it. BARRY: (Slaps Vanessa) : You snap out of it. VANESSA: - You snap out of it! BARRY: - You snap out of it! (We see that all the Pollen Jocks are flying under the plane) VANESSA: - You snap out of it! BARRY: - You snap out of it! VANESSA: - You snap out of it! BARRY: - You snap out of it! VANESSA: - Hold it! BARRY: - Why? Come on, it's my turn. VANESSA: How is the plane flying? (The plane is now safely flying) VANESSA: I don't know. (Barry's antennae rings like a phone. Barry picks up) BARRY: Hello? LOU LU DUVA: (Through "phone") Benson, got any flowers for a happy occasion in there? (All of the Pollen Jocks are carrying the plane) BARRY: The Pollen Jocks! : They do get behind a fellow. LOU LU DUVA: - Black and yellow. POLLEN JOCKS: - Hello. LOU LU DUVA: All right, let's drop this tin can on the blacktop. BARRY: Where? I can't see anything. Can you? VANESSA: No, nothing. It's all cloudy. : Come on. You got to think bee, Barry. BARRY: - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. (On the runway there are millions of bees laying on their backs) BEES: Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! BARRY: Wait a minute. I think I'm feeling something. VANESSA: - What? BARRY: - I don't know. It's strong, pulling me. : Like a 27-million-year-old instinct. : Bring the nose down. BEES: Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! CONTROL TOWER OPERATOR: - What in the world is on the tarmac? BUD: - Get some lights on that! (It is revealed that all the bees are organized into a giant pulsating flower formation) BEES: Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! BARRY: - Vanessa, aim for the flower. VANESSA: - OK. BARRY: Out the engines. We're going in on bee power. Ready, boys? LOU LU DUVA: Affirmative! BARRY: Good. Good. Easy, now. That's it. : Land on that flower! : Ready? Full reverse! : Spin it around! (The plane's nose is pointed at a flower painted on a nearby plane) - Not that flower! The other one! VANESSA: - Which one? BARRY: - That flower. (The plane is now pointed at a fat guy in a flowered shirt. He freaks out and tries to take a picture of the plane) VANESSA: - I'm aiming at the flower! BARRY: That's a fat guy in a flowered shirt. I mean the giant pulsating flower made of millions of bees! (The plane hovers over the bee-flower) : Pull forward. Nose down. Tail up. : Rotate around it. VANESSA: - This is insane, Barry! BARRY: - This's the only way I know how to fly. BUD: Am I koo-koo-kachoo, or is this plane flying in an insect-like pattern? (The plane is unrealistically hovering and spinning over the bee-flower) BARRY: Get your nose in there. Don't be afraid. Smell it. Full reverse! : Just drop it. Be a part of it. : Aim for the center! : Now drop it in! Drop it in, woman! : Come on, already. (The bees scatter and the plane safely lands) VANESSA: Barry, we did it! You taught me how to fly! BARRY: - Yes! (Vanessa is about to high-five Barry) No high-five! VANESSA: - Right. ADAM: Barry, it worked! Did you see the giant flower? BARRY: What giant flower? Where? Of course I saw the flower! That was genius! ADAM: - Thank you. BARRY: - But we're not done yet. : Listen, everyone! : This runway is covered with the last pollen : from the last flowers available anywhere on Earth. : That means this is our last chance. : We're the only ones who make honey, pollinate flowers and dress like this. : If we're gonna survive as a species, this is our moment! What do you say? : Are we going to be bees, or just Museum of Natural History keychains? BEES: We're bees! BEE WHO LIKES KEYCHAINS: Keychain! BARRY: Then follow me! Except Keychain. POLLEN JOCK #1: Hold on, Barry. Here. : You've earned this. BARRY: Yeah! : I'm a Pollen Jock! And it's a perfect fit. All I gotta do are the sleeves. (The Pollen Jocks throw Barry a nectar-collecting gun. Barry catches it) Oh, yeah. JANET: That's our Barry. (Barry and the Pollen Jocks get pollen from the flowers on the plane) (Flash forward in time and the Pollen Jocks are flying over NYC) : (Barry pollinates the flowers in Vanessa's shop and then heads to Central Park) BOY IN PARK: Mom! The bees are back! ADAM: (Putting on his Krelman hat) If anybody needs to make a call, now's the time. : I got a feeling we'll be working late tonight! (The bee honey factories are back up and running) (Meanwhile at Vanessa's shop) VANESSA: (To customer) Here's your change. Have a great afternoon! Can I help who's next? : Would you like some honey with that? It is bee-approved. Don't forget these. (There is a room in the shop where Barry does legal work for other animals. He is currently talking with a Cow) COW: Milk, cream, cheese, it's all me. And I don't see a nickel! : Sometimes I just feel like a piece of meat! BARRY: I had no idea. VANESSA: Barry, I'm sorry. Have you got a moment? BARRY: Would you excuse me? My mosquito associate will help you. MOOSEBLOOD: Sorry I'm late. COW: He's a lawyer too? MOOSEBLOOD: Ma'am, I was already a blood-sucking parasite. All I needed was a briefcase. VANESSA: Have a great afternoon! : Barry, I just got this huge tulip order, and I can't get them anywhere. BARRY: No problem, Vannie. Just leave it to me. VANESSA: You're a lifesaver, Barry. Can I help who's next? BARRY: All right, scramble, jocks! It's time to fly. VANESSA: Thank you, Barry! (Ken walks by on the sidewalk and sees the "bee-approved honey" in Vanessa's shop) KEN: That bee is living my life!! ANDY: Let it go, Kenny. KEN: - When will this nightmare end?! ANDY: - Let it all go. BARRY: - Beautiful day to fly. POLLEN JOCK: - Sure is. BARRY: Between you and me, I was dying to get out of that office. (Barry recreates the scene near the beginning of the movie where he flies through the box kite. The movie fades to black and the credits being) [--after credits; No scene can be seen but the characters can be heard talking over the credits--] You have got to start thinking bee, my friend! : - Thinking bee! - Me? BARRY: (Talking over singer) Hold it. Let's just stop for a second. Hold it. : I'm sorry. I'm sorry, everyone. Can we stop here? SINGER: Oh, BarryBARRY: I'm not making a major life decision during a production number! SINGER: All right. Take ten, everybody. Wrap it up, guys. BARRY: I had virtually no rehearsal for that. WELCOME TO NIGHTVALE.....

[maxwell-grant]

Reverse Unpopular Opinion: Polnareff

I always think a lot about the craft and evolution of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure whenever I think about it and Polnareff is one of the greatest examples of it, because Polnareff is the exact moment you can see Araki's gears clicking in place regarding how dang useful supporting characters can be when allowed to take the lead. Where as previous main supporting characters were largely split between cheerleaders (Speedwagon, Poco, Smokey, Erina), sacrifices to up the stakes (the Zeppelis, George) or something in between (Stroheim, Lisa Lisa, Hamon masters in general), Polnareff was maybe the first JoJo character to leapfrog out of his designated role and really for real take the reigns of the story for himself. The first guy that people point to and say as "the REAL protagonist of this part", which is almost a tradition at this point.

In fact, although it's not the first time he has a fight to himself, you could say the first Hol Horse battle is the exact moment when this shift happens, when he's determined to face the odds and die trying in a glorious blaze of righteousness so long as he gets to fulfill his backstory-given revenge (the exact same thing that drove the Zeppelis to their doom) and play the sacrificial role, and then Avdol steals that chance away from him and "dies" instead, and then Kakyoin slams him into the back of a dragulaaaa a pick-up, hears his realization, and elbows him in the face so they can make up and handle this fight on their own, a fight they are not guaranteed to survive because remember, they're side characters, Araki doesn't spare those (heck, he didn't spare either of them in the long run), and thus, the fights they're in inherently have a tension most of the main protagonist fights don't, which means they're a thing worth doing even if, and especially if, they won't be the ones where they're killed off.

This in turn is what allows the Crusaders to gradually come on their own as a cohesive unit of characters, each of whom can take the lead and work out their own missions, solo or in pairs, and take the story through different tones and bumps and highs and lows, each of whom can be selected to better fit whatever cool or stupid or crazy idea Araki was feeling up to that month, and I'd say this breakthrough, working out what it means to write for an actual cast of protagonists and dynamics instead of just the one guy everything rotates around, was just as crucial to the long-term viability of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure as the invention of Stands.

Jotaro is the main character, of course, and Joseph is the navigator. Polnareff was the best answer I could come up with for a personality and visual appearance that would still be able to stand uniquely apart from those two. He makes up for what the two Joestars can't do… So he may have always been special to me. (Laughs)

For example, when he's with Jotaro and Joseph, Polnareff becomes a character who can both tell jokes and act serious. Polnareff's the one who always falls into enemy traps and has bathroom trouble on the journey. If that had happened to Jotaro, it would have made him seem too careless, and the story would have gotten off-kilter. That's why I had no choice but to put in Polnareff as much as I did. Compared to Kakyoin and Avdol, Polnareff is a light, straightforward man who goes out of his way for others, and tends to stick his nose where it doesn't belong. Thanks to that, he got a lot of screen time.

Since he got so much screen time, he also got a lot of battles. He fought a lot of DIO's men, and I was always worried that I might have to make Polnareff lose, or even kill him. Within his battles I saw the unique excitement of not knowing who's going to come out of this alive, similar to with "The Magnificent Seven." Polnareff grew precisely because he conquered so many do-or-die situations. - JoJonium special interviews

Polnareff is the Wolverine of Stardust Crusaders: the lone wolf rebel who actually turns out to be the greatest team player of them all. He's the great handyman, the glue that turns every interaction into a scene, every pairing into a character dynamic, every conflict into a worse conflict, and every victory into an emotional triumph. The Crusaders are largely a set of defined, set personalities, with Joseph providing initial levity, but Polnareff is extremely volatile: he never half-asses a decision or impulse or feeling, he is a whole-ass everything guy 100% of the time. He gets to fall into every horrific trap that Jotaro is too cool to have an appropriate pants-shitting response to, he gets to take turns being the clown with Joseph and play the comedy scenes to their respective traits, he is inherently suited to be a comedic and personable foil to Kakyoin and Avdol, he pairs up wonderfully with all of them when it's time to get serious because Polnareff getting serious means something that Jotaro and co. getting serious doesn't, and THEN he gets to be the hapless frustrated straight man to Iggy, because Iggy is Dog Polnareff, the living embodiment of Polnareff's ego being his worst enemy, and then when they do patch up and get serious, it's the most heartbreaking moment in the story. It's a long journey for Polnareff to work his way to being the guy who can have a stand off with DIO and kill arguably the strongest enemy in the entire series up to that point.

If Stands are said to be the thing that made Araki decide to continue the series past Part 3 because he realized he stumbled onto a conceptual goldmine, I'd say it was the development of the Crusaders as a team, and especially Polnareff taking the lead to such an extent, that gave him the legs to carry this for 25 more years and counting. If Joseph was the moment where Araki kickstarted the idea of being able to replace his protagonists with total opposites and thus always have a potential new angle to approach a story from, Polnareff blew wide open the possibilities of who could take the lead in a given JJBA story, the utility of it's supporting cast, and opened the door for the entry of much, much stronger and more varied character dynamics to support and evolve this variety. There aren't many characters who did as much for JJBA as Polnareff did.

Also yeah no SHIT people joke he's the real protagonist, his fights had a way better batting average than everyone else's, do you remember how boring most of the early fights with Jotaro only were? I'm not gonna say Stardust Crusaders was the best at balancing out the cast just because it was the first part to really try, I definitely think Avdol and Kakyoin got the short end of the stick, Avdol especially, but can you blame Polnareff for overexposure just because he so naturally lends himself to the good stuff? Shit, he really is the Wolverine of Part 3, for better or worse.

[chriscrosswallflower-blog]

Alright, I have finally finished watching a Good Girl's Guide to Murder and I collected my thoughts as I went. Overall I really enjoyed it, though some of the plot changes weren't my favorite.

Spoilers below for the TV show!

Things I Loved

How awkward Pip is - I don't think we get a good look at this in the book since it is mostly through Pip's eyes, but I love how goofy and awkward she is!

Pip's friendship group! I love how much closer they seem in the show and how they accept Pip as the weirdo she is without a single thought, especially since she is different from them in so many ways. I also love seeing more of Connor and his funny personality

I love that we get to see more of Cara and Pip's relationship - they are precious and you can tell how ride or die they are for each other

Lauren - she adds so much to their friend group and I just love her so much. Ant, stay tf away from this baby!

The PipRavi sleepover - my heart couldn't take it!

I like the introduction of the da Silva siblings backstory. In the books they seemed pretty estranged so it's not as obvious why Nat is upset about Pip accusing her brother. Obviously that would bother anyone to an extent but with the introduction of how close they are/were it will make a lot more sense moving forward

Max (and Dan honestly) seem creepy from the start. I swear anytime either of them came on screen I got a terrible feeling - though Dan did begin to seem more good intentioned after talking to Pip in the police car (still creepy though)

Name drops of characters that will be important later - non-readers won't think anything of it but it's funny to hear Stella and Jamie name dropped so casually

It's interesting to see Mr. Ward acting so normal and casual - he does the same thing in the books but seeing it is so unnerving. I think the plot line of him forcing Pip to change her EPQ really adds another layer to his character too

BARNEY'S FUNERAL AND THE TENNIS BALLS!!! 😭 the "why didn't anyone help him" almost broke me.

Ravi being the one to suggest that they call off the investigation hits so damn hard. He feels so hopeless and trapped but the only thing he cares about is protecting and reassuring Pip

Since we have a more objective POV, I love seeing the little signs of how smitten Pip is with Ravi from the beginning - much more than she ever acknowledges in the book

Pip going in the junk yard scared the hell out of me - she got wayyy too close to DTK there.

Becca and Andie being close makes her death so much more tragic

Cara has a TRACKER on Pip?! "Maybe she's not as smart as she thinks she is," man I cackled!

OMG Sal and Andie talking about running away together hurt so bad - seeing how much they loved each other makes the whole story so much more heart breaking

Regardless of if it's in the book or in the show - Mr. Ward talking about how he talked to Sal about Cambridge so he would die thinking about something good will always turn my stomach. That man is such a disgusting mfer

Pip threatening Max at the very end is so amazing. That little pat on the shoulder? 🤌🤌

Things I disliked

Pip seems a lot less informed in the show - like seriously, book Pip would be horrified. You broke into the Bell's house without GLOVES?

I think this is partially because we don't see Pip's POV and much about her suspects - the only two people she really seems to suspect are Dan and Jason and that really only comes into play at the end. I wonder if people who just watch the show will even guess that she suspected Naomi, Nat, and even Howie throughout most of the book

I think we all mourn for "real men wear floral when trespassing" 😢

Honestly, the storyline with Pip's dad might be my least favorite thing. I loved their cute, playful relationship in the book and how she ardently defends her blended family, but in the show, even before the cheating thing, it seems like she didn't really like him? That made me so sad! (Also, does he call her chicken in the UK edition of the books? I really liked Pickle as a nickname!)

Nat's storyline is strange, like I understand to an extent why they did it but book Nat would have a fit if she figured out she was supposedly friends with Andie 😂 I think she loses quite a bit of her character building when we leave out how much her nudes getting leaked affected her (it seems like almost a minor thing in the show) and her act of violence while trying to go to college that put her on probation. Especially since it's a large reason why Pip suspected her in the first place (her reasoning seems pretty weak in the show)

Where the heck is Stanley?! He's pretty important for season 2; of all the characters to cut you wouldn't think it would be him!

I really miss the scene where Ravi and Pip recreated the timeline to prove Sal's innocence - it was such a potent moment!

I miss hearing Naomi's backstory - we get a bit of it implicitly by the way she acts and her confession, but I think it adds a lot to her character to know more about her anxiety and depression and how it caused her to drop out of college

We miss some of Pip's bad ass moments! Again, this is possibly because we are seeing things from an objective POV and we can't see inside of her head, but I loved reading about how knowledgeable she is about true crime, how much research she did, and how much that informed her actions. I also missed seeing how much she defended the Singh family and Ravi specifically. That scene in the grocery store where she told off the cashier for being so rude to Ravi is one that I dearly miss

Pip accusing Max of raping Becca doesn't hit as hard when she did it over the phone and I hate that he didn't truly confess like he did in the book. And they didn't bring up Nat's rape at all (or Nat in general very much). Her confronting Max and Naomi was such a badass moment for Pip and I'm sad that we missed it

Becca's wig in that flashback. Yikes.

Becca taking Pip to the well (or whatever it is - I feel like it was called something else but it's not coming to mind) made her seem less sympathetic to me than when she just drugged her without much of a plan. "Now I'm going to have to put you in there with her," was so freaking sinister

Things I'm not sure about

In some ways I like the addition of Pip seeing Andie and Sal after they obviously argued - the guilt she felt after that and how that would motivate her to look into the case makes a lot of sense. However, I think I prefer her only looking into the case because she trusted and believed in Sal because of how kind he was to her. I think that the fact that she rarely doubted Sal in the books was really compelling and we lose a lot of that when Pip is concerned that she might have played a part in Sal finding Andie after their fight, therefore possibly contributing to her death

I don't think the video to lure the killer out was necessary but I think they did it to move the story along quicker. I wish we could have seen more of Pip's notes since that is what they wanted in the books when they kidnapped (dognapped?) Barney

I think I prefer them finding Andie's planner over the note in her bunny - it seems to make more sense than just a random note and I like how it gives us a small look into her life (her struggling to read the Revengers was a cute little detail and showed us that she is still a teenager). That being said, the note does the job and it feels a bit nit picky, so I'm not super upset by it

Having Isla tell Pip about Sal's murder was interesting - I'm not super mad about it but it definitely changed a lot, especially since neither of them think she's Andie and he keeps her captive to further hide Sal's murder. Somehow it makes Mr. Ward even more sinister

Having the plot line of Ravi leaving, coming back, and then him and Cara track her down was definitely different. I can decide which way I prefer it. Ravi leaving seemed really random and rushed but I did like that Cara had a part in her rescue (see the hilarity of the tracker above)

Though I enjoyed seeing PipRavi get together by the end of the season, I will miss their awkward tip toeing around each other as Ravi tries to ask her out!

All in all I really enjoyed it - I think it's one of those that I'll also get a lot out of after rewatching it. If you got this far, first off, I'm impressed! And second, let me know your thoughts!!

[starlightshore]

Gotta say, I love how you made so many posts criticizing people who see Chara as an abuser, yet in your own AU you depict them as a cruel, vindictive bully who tries to turn Asriel's family against her, drives her to suicide, then guilt-trips her into getting back together with them. Yet Asriel is somehow the real abuser because she's mad at them for ruining her life. I am by no means a Chara hater, but that seems a little inconsistent.

// CW: discussions of suicide, long post

wow, what an incredibly uncharitable reading of my work! thank you so much!

okay, jokey-positive aside. i shouldn't respond to bad-faith criticism like this because it's not worth my time as it's unlikely you'll actually hear me out in response. I've been online long enough to know you don't feed the trolls.

but, I'm an optimist at heart and I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you're actually upset with me and do want to have a civil conversation and are not just here to spew hate and drag me down.

Ask Fallen Royalty, the tumblr version wasn't handled the best as it was my first attempt at really trying to write this subject matter and I felt I didn't tackle it as well as I could have. that's something I plan on fixing with the rewrite.

that said, I have never called either of the siblings abusers.

they're flawed, mentally unwell and traumatized young adults/teens who are in no way equipped to handle the situation they were put in.

they both did awful things. Asriel packaged their trauma in a sanitized way for profit and sympathy points believing it'd benefit Monsterkind. they did so without asking Chara for permission. Then later, at Christmas, Asriel abandoned their family to go solo ruling. That's shitty! That's objectively really shitty but it's a very understandable reaction.

Asriel is taught that money is what moves the world and they believe they're soulless and a faker. That if anyone were to know their secret they'd hate them. so prevent that hurt, they cut everyone else out.

That's completely why Chara goes from "oh man I miss Asriel I wish I was good enough to have them beside me again ):" to 180 "Actually screw them for leaving me i hate them for this. i don't deserve to wallow in pain waiting for someone who can't even bother to text me back" them cutting of asriel is an understandable reaction for anyone, let alone a teenager! could they have been more gentle? yeah. could they have tried to fix things? yeah! but they're not a villain for not having the emotional maturity or foresight to handle a complex situation like that. they're like, literally 15/16 at this point of the story

chara also wasn't trying to drive people away from asriel? i really don't know what you're referring to with this aside from Chara deciding to tell the (at the time they believed) truth that Asriel is Flowey. At that point, Chara literally thought Asriel was replaced by Flowey. That they were two different people. That's not to isolate them- its to be honest with the family with this huge news. Toriel is shown not to care that her children are flowers, it would have never mattered to her as we see immediately that Chara is a flower and Toriel doesn't care.

chara also didn't drive Asriel to suicide. that's a blatant misread of the text. It's not that Asriel decided to die right after Chara decided to cut them off. and it's NOT like chara handed them a loaded gun or told them to do anything. all they did was say "don't lie to our family and don't talk to me, i don't want to be friends with you."

Asriel didn't decide to die until they felt their weak support system was breaking down. Yun wanted to be with Mew Mew, the Band broke up (Shyren, Napstablook and most recently Mew Mew quit), they made a big stupid movie that they hate (the epitome of their fake narrative on the silver screen), and because they ditched the premiere to check on chara (who was missing) their agents are pissed off.

Mew Mew then talks about how troubled Flowey/Asriel is and how being a secret flower hurt their social life. (The relationship with Flora being a strong example) like, Flowey always sabotages or loses those they care about because everyone else has their own life and they don't open themselves to create connections that last because they're running away. it's the culmination of everything going wrong that drives them to that point.

plus, it's hammered home later in Flowey's introspection that they feel horribly guilty for their actions as Flowey. parading as their perfect King when they secretly killed a majority of mosnterkind and did who knows what else is like. majorly fucked up.

i'm unsure if you forgot or chose to ignore the larger narrative or what's happened, but these things are in the story. they're both messed up individuals who have a hard time communicating their feelings -Chara literally brings up having emotional dysregulation disorder and CPTSD in the epilogue. Asriel's imposter syndrome and-gestures to Flowey) is also a clear indication that they've got some fundamental mental health issues that prevent them from understanding themselves and others.

it's a story about broken people who lash out against each other but ultimately come together in love.

they care so so deeply for each other! they're family. messing up (especially as children, teenagers etc) doesn't mean you shouldn't be written off as disposable. you're ALL capable of fucking up severely but you have the chance to grow and better yourself. you owe it to those who are willing to give that chance to do better. that's what the story has always been about.

I will admit that I plan on working on the pacing and giving chara more sweet moments so it doesn't come across as harsh -I don't want either sibling to be seen as a "villain" or """""abusive"""" as you call them. Except, yeah, Asriel is meant to be seen as an antagonist for a brief while, but that's set up Chara to come to that realization just the same as the audience should.

i hope this helped you understand what i was going for. if you wanna talk further I don't mind, but please talk to me as a real person. we're on the same page that abuse is bad. that people shouldn't treat each other so horribly. i don't excuse either of the character's interactions but i want to show empathy and understanding and that they can grow past that. i sincerely hope we can come to a shared perspective. if you wanna, i'd love to talk about i can make this message more clear, i'd love some proper criticism! i hope you have a lovely day and that you please be more considerate to how you to talk to others as I could have very easily read this anon hate/trolling.

[desultory-novice]

Why do I see Magolor using his ship to look into other timelines, to which he ends up stumbling upon the timeline where Adeleine and Noir end up fusing into that... thing and ultimately die. (Or any alternate timeline of Apologies really, they're all despressing and messed up!)

He probably turned the screen off pretty fast.

[Requiem For a Mask]

-

Magolor:  "Heheheh... Kirby and friends will be SO surprised when they see these masks!" (And I'm giving them a two for one deal! Am I generous with my genius or what?)

Magolor:  "But what to do for Adeleine? No offense, but from what I've seen, she's pretty boring--...I MEAN! She's a good girl with a stable head on her shoulders!" (...No one heard me say that right??)

Magolor:  "But that makes it hard to imagine a good alternate mask for her. Maybe she gets more interesting in another timeline? Lor...? Do me a favor and search her dimensional signature for me!"

-

BZZT KSSH

Adeleine:"...You're not allowed to leave, Noir." Noir:"...I don't want to leave you either..."

-

Magolor:  "...Hmm? This looks different. ...I'd heard she had a brother, long, long ago. Is that what he looked like before he got turned into...?" (...You know what? I'm not ready to go there...)

-

King Dedede: "Hey, I think these two are still alive...!" Waddle Dee: "But...what are they...?" Meta Knight: "They don't look like anyone else alive on this planet." "Frozen remains of an extinct species?" "But how are they the only ones who..." King Dedede: "What they are is kids in need of help, obviously!" Meta Knight: "...Well, Kirby? It's your decision." (Hey, don't go above me! I'm the king here...!) Kirby: "I say we help them!"

-

Magolor:  "Ahh, yes, yes. And they get rescued! Happily ever after~! Just what I expected from Kirby and friends! ...Only difference I can see with her here is that she's not wearing that hat. Boy! Does that girl have a forehead you could park the Lor on or what? Heh he--"

-

Noir:"Adeleine...!! What did you DO to her?!" Dee Child: "We didn't do anything! We just asked if...!" Dee Child 2: "The ground!! It's turning to snow...?" Adeleine: "N...No...ir..." Dee Child: "Is that...her doing...?" Noir: "Don't TOUCH HER! Stay back...!" "...Stay away...from BOTH of us...!!"

-

Magolor:  "...Hmm? What's happening to...?" "O-Oh... Ohh Stars......."

-

""Is ts He un rk tr sa MD oe rm ea TS he ah nT Jo ut sn tI Mg yn Hi eh at ry tr .e Iv tE He ug rn tu sl IP no MT yt Sn oa uW lI""

-

Magolor:  "......Shut it off, Lor. Back out. Cancel the stream. Now."

- King Dedede: "Don'tcha hear them screamin' in there?!" Meta Knight: "...Of course I can! Which is exactly why we nee--!"

-

BZZT KSHOO

-

Magolor:  "................"

Magolor:  "...Boring is good, I think."

-

Magolor:  "Let's stick to boring."

-

-

-

-

Zero III's dialogue reads: "It hurts more than just my heart. It hurts in my Soul." "I want to plunge everything into the same Darkness."

-

Since we're here, I just wanted to take this moment to regale how hair-pulling it is to write Zero III's dialogue!

It starts with thinking up something somewhat fitting for both siblings to say (Adeleine's dialogue always leaning towards sad or naive, Noir's always leaning towards rage or guilt) then stretching and twisting and trimming till they are the exact same number of characters, which generally means making a good guess, finally flipping Noir's backwards and painstakingly inserting each letter after Adeleine's, one by one, until I realize I was off by ONE letter and have to start the WHOLE PROCESS over again!

This happens about three times per attempt. All to come up with a dialogue quirk that NO ONE can read and that I have to spoil what they say at the bottom of the post anyway! XD

-

Also, Magolor's feelings on Adeleine do not reflect my own!! I think she is a good girl (/genuine) and I apologize for writing up a bunch of timelines where awful things happen to her! (...Looking at my Marx, Magolor, DMK and others, that's kind of a theme with me, isn't it? ^^;;)

And while the sadness will continue for a while longer, I can assure you that Apologies DOES end with Adeleine, Noir, and the rest of their new family both safe and content!