#for the record it's not even about free hospitals or whatever nah nah it;s about the ones u pay for

[alligaytorswamp]

hand update: everything still sucks

[endexe]

                   “Thank you, but nah. They gotta have someone to blame, I guess."

The line will always wander across Zero’s mind the moment they first step into Quinn’s town. Calm words given after a laughter was made, sharper than snapping bones, louder than phantoms’ wails. He then offered Zero a small smile, yet full of assurance it was, when they asked him if they could kill harm those who had labelled him as a serial killer, though his eyes said otherwise. [ QUINN DAVIES, THE SOLE KILLER SURVIVOR ( ? ) OF THE SIX. ] Though Zero didn’t say any more on the matter and pulled Quinn through the distraction, the disappointment was clear through their grim expression, their mismatched eyes full of raging, dying stars.

Zero stops by a candy store to admire the treats displayed behind the front windows. They plan to purchase them for themself and Quinn, though pause when they hear several cackles nearby. Out of curiosity, they follow after the sounds to see what was entertaining and found themself walking through the alley. They make a turn and gasp at the large, bolded texts on a brick wall before them.

         QUINN DAVIES IS A KILLER WHO NEEDS TO BE KILLED

The words were printed in dark red, done without any care to them, and noticing the small splatters around them, Zero wonders if it was blood that was used instead of paint... Blood. They glance over to find a few teenagers laughing at the corner, their limbs covered with the red, red, red. One of four, supposedly the leader with black hair and brown eyes, him being the most insensitive to the others ( Four is his name now ), mentions about how he plans to commit a crime, that he will make sure Quinn will be the main suspect of it.

Zero’s eyes glow as they realize something.

“...You,” they snarl, approaching closer to the group, their glitches hissing and snapping at the reality.

“YO- YOU - YOU BLOODY. FUCKED UP. P̵I̵G̴S̴.”

Zero remembers. Quinn’s day of graduation. Once he took the diploma while everyone was out with their own already, and a small celebration was done with icecreams and milkshakes, Zero was with Quinn and his father as they returned home. He opened the front door and Zero saw red. Saw Quinn covered in blood—pig’s blood. His father rushed over and tried comfort him as he remained still, his eyes widen and diploma dropped to the blood stained floor. Zero didn’t know what happened from there when they exited their home to find out who was responsible for it. Their powers couldn’t work so they spent the rest of the evening alone with just their human abilities searching for answers. 

In the end, Zero only learnt that the incident was recorded and already uploaded across the social medias.

“And who the Hell are YOU?!”

Zero’s attention snaps back to the present to find the blonde haired kid ( Three ) taking a threatening step forward.

“I recognize him,” comments the other ( Two ) with the brown hair. “He’s with Quinn and his pussy of a dad. He was in the video as well.”

“Shit, I didn’t even notice him!” says the last kid ( One ). “Wait, Quinn has another dad?! Didn’t he have a mom?”

“He did until she abandoned him because she couldn’t bear the fact her own child is a mass murderer,” sneers Two. “Anyways, I’m not surprised his dad would fuck with guys too. Quinn gives me that f—” Zero T E A R S his jaw off from him, watches with a blank stare as blood explodes and coats on them and their surrounding. Two gags and gurgles as he collapses to the surface and tries to breathe for life, his hands trying to cover their jawless face, though can only bear so much of his blood before his body stills.

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT, SHAWN! WHAT THE - WHAT THE FUCK!?” screams Three, taking his gun out to shoot at Zero. The bullets enter through their stomach and as the aches tear across them, they fall to their knees. In the corner of their eyes, they watch One and Four leave the area before they realize Three have the gun against their forehead.

Zero takes his hand and bites his wrist hard enough to take a chunk of raw meat from him. Three screams as he pulls the trigger, another bullet hitting to the sky. Violent rings echo at the back of their mind and they freeze for a brief moment before they shove more of his hand into his mouth, constantly chewing through the flesh. Three tries to take the gun with his free hand, though Zero grabs his other wrist and SNAPS it.

“FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!” He drops his gun and finally steps away from them, wailing from the agony. Before he can look up from his damaged hands, he falls to the ground with a bullet through the eyeball before the gun is shoved through the other socket.

“DO YOU THINK MARK GOT HIM!?” shouts One as he and Four finds the exit entrance of the alley.

“I DON’T FUCKING KNOW, JUST RUN!” responds Four, pushing him on the back.

One trips his feet over and falls, crying out from their knees and arms got scrapped against the concrete surface. He watches One’s form disappearing as he takes a turn. “FUCK, LUKE!” he loudly hisses, trying to pull himself up. “LU-” Two knifes pierce his mouth and his eyes roll back, dead.

Four reaches to the exit, he tries to call out for help from the people passing by. Hearing no one, his blood runs cold realizing they are frozen, stuck in time. He tries to make a run, though only to find Zero standing before him, giggling madly with two knifes held out, his right weapon holding the head of One. There is nothing human about them while they are coated in red, red, red, though the worst thing about them? They’re wearing a human face.

Four’s face.

Luke gags and covers his mouth. He runs to the opposite direction, though nearly bumps into Zero. He trips and falls on his back, whimpering and wheezing. “WHA - WHAT - WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?” he yells, his hands shoved into the pockets before he throws whatever he have at Zero. Wallet, drugs, everything. Yet nothing seems to attract Zero as they stomp on his crotch and rest their entire weight there. Luke wails and tries to push them off of him, though Zero stops him by throwing One’s head on him. Luke screams, pushing it away and violently shakes his head before he constantly begs to Zero to let him be alive.

Zero’s head perks up at the pleas. “You - you want to - YOU want to be ALIVE?” they innocently ask, quirking an eyebrow at him. “Well, I - i - IIIIII want you and your boys to leave - to leave Quinn Davies, my best fucking friend, al- alo- ALONE.”

“Thank you, but nah. They gotta have someone to blame, I guess," said Quinn to Zero a while after one of the teenagers— Luke pushed him down and insulted him right before Zero’s eyes. It was the first time they witnessed something like this to Quinn and before they could do anything, Quinn stormed off, leaving them behind and Luke walking away, laughing, laughing, laugh—

Zero grabs Luke’s neck, keeps him there as he squirms, his nails digging through their bleeding arms, before his body begins to twi- twi- twitch. “Here’s the deal: I’ll keep - I’ll keep you alive. I’ll resurrect your friends too. ONLY as long as - as looongggg as you all can do T-H-A-T for me, okay?” He clenches his skin tighter and watches the purple forming beneath their fingertips. Luke tries to nod, though seeing the desperation in his eyes, Zero laughs and lets go of him with enough force for his head to hit the ground, knocking him out. “Okay,” says Zero, falling to the surface on their back, their blood still gushing from their stomach wounds.”Okay,” they whisper and weakly snap their fingers.

Darkness falls.

"Four teenagers are taken to the hospital with severe injuries. One of them have a dislocated jaw, another have missing eyes, and the third have a missing tongue with a deep cut around the neck. The fourth, while only having bruises on the neck, keeps rambling on about this entity who had a face like his and lashes out at anyone who tries to come close to him. No one seems to know what happened to them or even who they are. Police had tried contacting their families and close associates with their given phone numbers, though none of them recalls being associated with them. The police are still investigating the case. If you know who any of these teenagers are, please contact at—”

"Zero?”

Zero’s gaze slowly rises, though doesn’t meet the other’s, their attention everywhere and nowhere at once. “Yes?”

“Do you know who they are?”

They glance over to the television, staring at the pixelated images of the four teenagers on the screen. “I - I do not”, they blankly respond, staring down at their alphabet cereals and starts playing with them again. They can sense the suspicion, though they don’t know why. Can’t remember if there’s any reason for there to be suspicion.

“Do you?” Zero asks quietly after a heavy period of silence, almost if they’re afraid of the answer.

“No, I can’t remember them,” replies Quinn.

[themoonandotherslikeit]

What the Rain Can’t Wash Away - Epilogue

*FINAL PART TO THE LOOK IN HER EYES SERIES*

Sixteen years after Lucifer rose, and Dean lost his wife he finds himself with a teenager, a Nephilim, an angel, and his brother living out a Full House rerun with some seriously dark undertones. How will he be able to raise his daughter, fight monsters, and deal with the loss of the love of his life? Sometimes moving on is the hardest part, but with the Winchester’s there’s always something harder around the corner. Isn’t there?

"No doubt.. Endings are hard, but then again.. nothing ever really ends, does it??"

Seven Months Later

Dean

The bar was busy, bustling. Sometimes it was hard to keep track of everything, but I was starting to get the hang of it. Deep breaths, focus on a specific sound, and block out the rest. It wasn’t always easy, but it was damn effective. 

Things were calm, for once in my life. It still felt wrong, like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop-- jokes on me, though, because it already did. Sometimes there just isn’t another shoe. Most people have only two feet, and I’ve had about a million fall on my head throughout the years. Maybe it is really over, at least that’s what Ave keeps saying. 

“Dean.” 

I’d recognize the voice anywhere, and at the sound of it I reached under the bar for the beer I’d been saving, and I tossed it to him. There wasn’t a crash so I had to assume that Sam still had good hand-eye coordination. Well, better than mine at least. “Sammy. Back from the hunt already?” 

“It was a milk run.” I could hear the grin in his voice. He was a proud fucker. He loved the hunt, and I couldn’t fault him for that. Sometimes I missed it, but mostly I didn’t. The squeak of his favorite bar stool told me he sat down. Guess he was planning on staying awhile. 

“Cas with you?’

“He went back to the bunker to check on the kids.” 

“They probably aren’t there. It’s summer. Can’t hardly keep tabs on them anymore.”

“Who does that sound like?” 

I laughed and shook my head, leaning on the bar. “Shut up, Sammy. Guess this is what I deserve, huh? After all I put Dad through.” 

“Yeah, man,” Sam said softly, reaching out and touching my arm. “It is. You seem good.” 

Sometimes I tried to remember what Sam looked like. Every day was harder. It all seemed so fuzzy, and I wasn’t sure what I was making up or what was true. 

“I am good,” I said, and it wasn’t even a lie. “Bar is doing great.” 

“I can tell! You’ve got a lot of business.” 

“We’re holding our own.” 

Sam was still in the life, and he came and went a lot, but he always ended up back home. That was all that mattered. 

“Where’s Ave?” 

“She ran to get limes. We were out.”

“So she’s not sick of you yet?” 

“Quit grinning, Sammy,” I said with a laugh. A familiar warmth grew in my gut as Ava’s face popped into my head-- well what I could remember of it. “Nah, she’s not tired of me yet.” 

“You made it, man.” 

“Yeah, I did.” 

“Excuse me? Can I get some service down here?” A voice called from the end of the bar. 

“Be right back,” I said to my brother, shaking my head. “Duty calls.” 

I slid down to the end of the bar in front of the girl calling for me. I leaned in toward her. “How can I help you?” 

“How about a glass of red.” 

“How about a soda,” I retorted with a smile. “Just because I can’t see doesn’t mean I’m blind. 

She reached forward and grabbed my head, illuminating my vision. Eleanor sat in front of me, my own patented grin painted on her lips. “Hey, Dad.” 

“Hey kiddo. What brings you around?”

“Going to take Claire on a date,” she said, blushing a bit. “And I missed you. Where’s Mom?” 

“Getting limes.”

Seeing her never got old. When she touched my hand it was like she turned the light on. She was happy, glowing, literally. I was proud of her. 

“Ah, maybe I’ll catch her before the movie.” 

I couldn’t stop staring at her. There weren't many things in the world that I loved more than looking at her. 

“Dean, I’m back.” 

I sat up straighter, turning toward the door. “El, can I--” 

It was like she clicked on global vision, and I was seeing the whole bar through her eyes. The door opening, and in the midst of the afternoon crowd my beautiful wife came in, arms full of a bag of bright green limes, bouncing against her large pregnant belly. 

“Nel, you’re here,” Ave said, dropping the limes on the counter before wrapping our daughter into a hug. Ella let go of my hand to hug her mom back, clicking the lights back off for me, but the sight of Ava’s round belly was still burned into my vision like I’d stared too long at the sun. 

She was almost ready to burst at any time. We had the nursery completed upstairs, but we’d been dragging our feet moving out of the bunker. It still felt weird that Eleanor didn’t live with us. I think we felt like if we left that we would be moving on without her. We didn’t know what we were having, Ave wanted it to be a surprise, and I wanted whatever she wanted. She deserved to be happy and stress free. My job was to be the best husband possible. No Hell Hounds, no hunts, no money problems. The goal was to be happy. That was it. 

She wanted to be a stay at home mom with this one. She didn’t want to miss anything else, and that was fine with me. I wouldn’t blame her if she wanted to go back to the force, but the itch is a lot easier to ignore when you aren’t faced with it everyday, at least that’s what I told myself. 

We were going away after we closed up tonight. They called it a ‘baby moon’ the last weekend away before the baby comes. I told her that we should go back to the beach, where we first started to fall in love with each other. I wouldn’t be against the sand in my toes, a classic shitty motel, the smell of the sea… 

I could remember her running out to the beach, her arms in the air, Sam and I following after her like the lovesick puppies we were. It felt like a different lifetime. I guess it kind of was. 

“Mom are you okay?” 

“What’s going on?” I asked, snapping out of my own personal day dream. 

Ave sucked in her breath, and I made my way around the bar, keeping my hand on the edge until I made it around to her. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she huffed. 

“You don’t look fine,” Ella said, suspiciously. 

“Ava, what’s happening?” I asked, touching her arm. She leaned into me immediately, and I reached down to touch her stomach. It was tight, and my eyebrows came together. “Are you having a contraction?” 

After a moment of gasping and gripping my shoulder with her hand she whispered, “Fine, yes,” breathlessly. 

“How long?”

“All morning,” she said sheepishly, letting out a pained laugh. 

“Damnit, Ave.” 

“Don’t do that,” she said dismissively. 

“Hey Sam, go get the car.” I dug my phone out of my pocket and handed it to El. “Can you get Claire to come close up shop? We’re having a baby.” 

My heart was racing. I couldn’t hide that I was excited, and fucking terrified. We didn’t have a great track record and even though this pregnancy has seemed pretty seamless, there was still a lot of risk. “Are you good, sweetheart?” I asked Ava, wrapping my arm around her. 

“Still hate that,” she gasped, another contraction racking her body. “But yeah, I’m good.” 

A honk came from out front and I put my arm under hers. “Ready?”

“It’s probably nothing, Dean… My water hasn’t even broken.” 

“Ava Winchester, just because I can’t see you doesn’t mean I don’t know you’re in pain. Let’s go get you checked out. If anything, we will just come home and watch a movie. Okay?” 

“Fine,” she huffed. Stubborn woman. 

We got in the car, Sammy was driving and Ave, and I were in the backseat. I let her lay down, and I held onto her. “I’ve got you, Ave.” 

I tried not to think much about the day that Eleanor was born. The day I missed, but as Ava writhed in pain in my lap I couldn’t help but wonder if Sam was holding her like this. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was afraid. 

She squeezed my hand tightly, pulling my arm around her. I could feel her tears on my forearm. I’d have given anything to take her pain away. “Wish I could switch places with you,” I whispered into her hair. 

“You couldn’t handle it,” she gasped out. 

She was probably right. 

We rolled up to the hospital, and they wheeled her to her room while Sam and I took care of all of the paperwork. Now that I was an official business owner, we had legitimate insurance. It was kind of weird putting our real names on the forms. 

“Is this what it was like the first time?” I asked. 

“Huh?” I could hear his pencil scribbling on the forms. 

“When Ella was born? Was this what it was like?” 

“No,” Sam said softly, his pencil stopping. “She didn’t go into labor then. She had to be induced. It was pretty scary, actually, but she did great.”

“I’m scared,” I admitted. 

“You’d be crazy not to be,” Sam said, squeezing my shoulder. 

“Thanks for being there for her the first time.” 

“You’ll do it this time. It’s pretty incredible, honestly.” 

“You think you and Eileen will ever?”

Sam exhaled and was quiet for a moment. I could hear his pencil tapping. “Doubt it. I already have two kids, basically three with Claire. Plus, I like the hunt too much. So does she.”

I smiled a bit to myself. I used to feel that way. Incredible how your perspective can change. Guess I had to lose my sight in order to truly see. 

Ava 

I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t done the baby’s laundry. We hadn’t even fully moved into the apartment. I think I kept expecting the other shoe to drop, something to change, to fall apart. I didn’t expect this. 

I was laying in a hospital bed, with my feet in the air and some nurse had her fingers probing for my cervix. I thought I was going to throw up, and all I could think about was Dean. Part of me wondered if he ran, even though he wouldn’t have to see anything traumatic. I couldn’t stop thinking about how last time I did this I was all alone. 

Except for Sam. 

Sam really was the only constant for Dean and I. We should buy him a fruit basket or cigars or name this kid after him, or something. 

The door opened, exposing Sam and Dean. If I didn’t know any better I’d think Dean was about to throw up, and Sam didn’t look much better, if I was being honest. I instinctively reached out for Dean, forgetting for a second that he couldn’t see me. It was still hard sometimes. Sam nudged him in my direction, and he found my hand easily. “Are you okay?” He asked softly, gripping me tightly. 

I looked to the nurse who smiled tentatively, removing her hand and discarding her glove. “Ava you’re about eight inches dilated. I’m going to have the OB come in and check you out, okay?” 

“Sure,” I said with a hopeful smile before turning to Dean. 

Sam had slipped out with the nurse, leaving Dean and I alone. I was appreciative of that. I moved my feet from the stirrups, because who knew how long the doctor would take, and I scooted over. “Sit,” I demanded quietly. 

He placed his hand down on the bed and felt around until he was able to sit next to me, feeling him next to me immediately relaxed me a bit. “Sammy?” He called out. 

“He ditched out. My legs being up in the air probably scared him away.” 

“Good,” Dean said with an ornery smile. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. “He should be scared.”

I laughed lightly and kissed him before wincing from another contraction. He held me against him, his face curling down into concern. Ever since his eyesight left him, Dean was even more easily readable than before. Since he couldn’t see people’s faces, it’s like he forgot that we could still see his expressions. “What?” I gasped out a bit. 

“Huh?” 

“You seem… concerned.” 

“I am concerned,” he admitted, his forehead wrinkling as his eyebrows came together. “The nurse she sounded… worried, I guess. Shit, I don’t know. Maybe I’m just freaking out.” 

I smiled at him warmly and touched his cheek. He was so fucking cute. The big bad Dean Winchester, single father for sixteen years, and so damn afraid. I loved him so much for it. “No freaking out allowed. I’m about to push a living being out of my vagina. You aren’t allowed to freak out.” 

“Right,” he said, his face getting serious. “Sorry, I shouldn’t do that. You need me to be strong. I should be your support here, not cause more issues.” 

“You’re okay, Dean. I’m just giving you crap.” I pulled his face to me, and I kissed him desperately. “It’s your first time.” 

“I hate that I missed Ella’s birth. I think about it a lot.” 

“I wish you were there, too.” 

A knock came to the door, and I looked toward the door. “Mrs. Winchester?” 

“That’s me.” 

“I’m going to just check you out,” Dr. Laucklan said with a warm smile. 

I frowned a bit. “Why? The nurse just did.” 

“I just want to double check. I don’t want you to be concerned.” 

Concerned. Well I was. How could I not be after she said that? Dean stood up and held my hand tightly. 

“It’s good to see you again, Dean.”

“Good to hear ya Doc,” Dean said, beaming. 

I adjusted my legs back into the stirrups and scooted to the end of the table. 

They never really tell you how much it sucks getting your cervix messed with. It hurts in a way that is unnatural, it’s mean, and Dean has learned, and is already squeezing my hand in preparation. It was almost eighteen years ago that I was here with Ella, Sam snuggled behind me, but it didn’t feel like that long. My body remembered this feeling like I just went through it. I barely felt healed from the first time, but dying does weird things to you. Nothing is ever really normal after that. Not that my life with the Winchester’s had ever been normal. 

My OB was making sounds in reaction to whatever she was doing between my legs. It was a humming, a sort of judgmental noise that left me unsettled. 

Something was wrong. 

She pulled her hand away and discarded her glove. “Ava, Dean,” she began, and my stomach dropped. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want you to be worried, but there may be a change in plans,” she explained. “Your baby has flipped since your last appointment, he or she is now in a breech position.” 

“What?” I asked, my heartbeat pounding so angrily in my ears that the sound was virtually impossible to override. 

“Can we do anything about that? Turn them around? I think I heard of that…” Dean’s voice was far away. He couldn't see my face, and it was probably for the best, because I had to look absolutely terrified. 

I ran my hands over my swollen stomach. This was the last place that my little one would be safe. Inside of me, they’re safe, but now… what I was hearing from my doctor told me that I couldn’t even protect them. “What do we do?” I asked, the sound of my own voice snapping me out of that feeling that I was underwater. 

“I want to suggest a Cesarean.” 

“A C-section,” I said, dumbfounded. 

“What?” Dean’s voice was rising, and I couldn't even look at him. I couldn't process my emotions and his. It was all too much. “That isn’t a part of our birth plan.” 

In any other circumstance, hearing Dean Winchester use the phrase birth plan would be insanely entertaining to me. “Dean,” I whispered, reaching for his hand again. I finally turned to see his face, it was twisted, his cheeks wet from tears. I had to remind myself that this was his first time. Last time didn’t exactly go as planned. “It’s okay.” 

“No, Ave… it’s…” 

“Hey,” I said, tugging him to me. I brushed my nose against his. “I love you. Everything will be okay. We want to do what's safest for our little pumpkin.” 

He pressed his forehead to mine in a way that was so gentle that it made my heart hurt. “I just want you both to be okay.” 

“We will be. You’ll be right there the whole time.” 

“But I can’t see,” Dean said, his voice breaking into a soft, strained sob. 

I touched his cheek, holding his face, and I closed my own eyes so we would be on equal terms. “You don’t have to be able to see to be there. You aren’t defined by that, Dean. Not to me.” 

“Okay,” he whispered with a nod. “Okay.” 

Ella 

I’ve learned a lot of tricks in the last few months. Some Cas taught me, some Billie, and some I just learned myself. One of the best, though, is the most simple. I like to be invisible. Sometimes I just watched them, my parents. I watch them be together, be in love. Sometimes I’ll just rest my hand on Dad’s shoulder so he can see Mom. The look on his face when he does is always one of complete adoration. It’s kind of like how Claire looks at me. 

I wouldn’t ever admit it to them, but I spent a lot of time back in that bar, the one where they met. I even went back in time once, just to watch them meet. It may not have been obvious to them, but I could tell that they were already spent on each other. Especially Dad. 

I heard their prayers from the hospital like they were right next to me, pressed against my ear. With all of the power in the world I still didn’t know how to fix this. 

I popped into the operating room, everything was sterile, blue. The air was cold and Mom was shivering. Her arms were spread out and strapped down. She sort of looked like Jesus on the cross, and the sight left me sick to my stomach. 

Dad’s hands were shaking as he held her hand. He wore blue gowns, something over his hair, and a mask. He looked alien. I wished someone had taken a photograph. 

They were both behind a curtain that separated Mom’s stomach from the rest of her body. The doctor cut into her, pulled her organs out to expose her uterus, and I felt awful for ever being born. The human body was incredible. 

Mom was crying. I could feel the fear pulsing off of her in a way that was almost palpable, so I broke my own rule and I pressed my hand into hers. Her fingers curled in immediately and her head turned to me. Thank you, she prayed, and I squeezed her hand in response. 

I spent my entire life wanting a relationship with her, and the moment she got back I had to go and die. We were cursed. People always said that, other hunters, angels, demons. You Winchester’s are cursed. I never believed it, but I had started to. We were supposed to be Chuck’s favorites, but maybe there’s something not so good about being God’s favorite after all. 

I just hoped this baby didn’t get the curse. 

“Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Winchester,” the doctor said as she lifted a wailing baby out of my mother. “You have a son.”

Dean

I have a son.

I couldn’t begin to explain the feeling that washed over me when the words came out of the doctor. Son. I had one already, of course. But things with Jack were always a little complicated. I love him like he’s my own. Something felt different, though. With this baby I felt like I had a fresh start. He didn’t know anything I’ve done. To him I am just his father. I’m not the righteous man. I’m not a dark shadow, murderer, knight of hell, monster. 

I am just me. 

The nurse placed my son in my arms, and I felt how small he was. He was tiny and squirming, and I felt myself cry. I hadn’t loved anything this much since the first time I held Ella. There was nothing like it. 

And in a blink the lights were on. The darkness dissipated, and I knew she was with me. She was giving me a chance to see my son.

I couldn’t look away from him. He looked at me with hazy eyes, his face pink and swollen. His head was perfectly round, like an orange. His tiny fingers flexed for me, pin pricked with dimples. He looked a little like Sam when he was a baby, and I touched his tiny chin. It was the size of my thumb and the sight of it made my heart squeeze. “Ave he’s gorgeous.” I turned so she could see him, and she was crying. She was beautiful, even pale and her hair tucked away inside of a cap. “You’re beautiful,” I whispered quietly to her.

Her face flashed in recognition. “You can see me.”

“I’ve always been able to see you.”

I held our son against my chest, with my daughters hand pressed to my shoulder, and for the first time in my life, we were all together. Everything was perfect. “I don’t need eyes to see you Ava Winchester.” 

She smiled as I laid our son on her chest, near her face. As I leaned down to her and pressed my lips to her forehead everything went dark again, but this time it didn’t scare me. This time I didn’t feel empty, and I was sure that I would never feel empty and afraid again. 

------

A/N: 

I can't believe this day is finally here. I've been dragging my feet really badly, because this series is what made me want to write again. This show has pulled me out of my absolute darkest places, given me a beautiful new group of friends, and a purpose. I think I associated my joys with the show and my feelings toward it with this fic... so what happens when it's over? I'm not afraid of that anymore.  

Now I'm just enjoying a large coffee, and the bittersweet feeling of endings. Please yell at me anytime. I live for it. 

Love you all

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[eldritchsurveys]

669.

What is the wallpaper on your computer screen? Why did you choose it? >> You know, it’s set to shuffle but I feel like it’s always on the same thing every time I get this question. It’s a shot from the movie Interstellar. Is there a pattern on the pants you’re currently wearing? Which one? >> No, there’s just a NASA logo on the left thigh. Do you like going to baby showers? Do you go only for the cake? >> I’ve never been to a baby shower and I can’t imagine a reason why I’d ever be at one. Who is the person you text the most in your life? What relation are you? >> Sparrow. She’s my spouse. Mexican food, Chinese food, Italian food, French food or American food? >> Mexican food is my favourite of the ones listed.

Has there ever been a time in your life, you felt sexually undecided? >> Sure. My sense of sexuality has gone through several states of flux. It’s never been set in stone, for whatever reason. Does your mother annoy you when the holidays come along in the year? >> --- What is the color scheme of your absolute favorite fast-food restaurant? >> --- Do you think tattoos and piercings are sexy on the opposite sex? >> I don’t think of them in terms of sexiness. A lot of people have had tattoos or piercings that I found nice to look at, though. Do people ever ask you to do things they’re too short to accomplish? >> No, because most people I encounter are taller than me. Do your siblings bring people around that your parents don’t approve of? >> --- Is there carpet or hardwood floor in your bedroom? >> Carpet. Do you check the texture of things first or the smell of them? >> It depends on what the thing is. Have you ever broken the arm or head off of a trophy? How did you do this? >> No. Do you believe in superstitious things such as breaking a mirror? >> No, but I do believe in not breaking mirrors because they’re a pain in the ass to clean up. Do you get sick of people who call themselves bipolar all the time? >> I mean, I haven’t heard anyone do this in years. Ever have an ultra-sound performed on you? What was it for? >> Maybe they did one when I had an abortion, I don’t remember. Do you like those ‘end of the world,’ ‘Armageddon’ movies? >> Nah. They’re very “seen one, seen ‘em all”. What color are the headphones you have at this moment in time? >> Black. Ever been choked severely on something during lunch at your school? >> I don’t think so.

Do you remember who you sat next to in Kindergarten? Who was it? >> I remember nothing about kindergarten...... Has anyone ever compared you to an animal? Which one(s)? >> Maybe. It probably wasn’t a flattering comparison, though, so I’m glad I don’t remember. Has anyone, including yourself, forgot it was your own birthday? >> I don’t think so. I mean, obviously people who aren’t especially close to me are going to forget, but they’re not expected to remember, so I don’t care. Chocolate or strawberry birthday cake? Choose one. >> Neither, thanks. Do you eat more vegetables or fruits? What’s your favorite fruit/veggie? >> I eat more vegetables than fruits. I don’t have favourites. Do you abbreviate things way too often? Do you get called out on it? >> I abbreviate things when I feel like abbreviating them, idk. Why would anyone “call me out” on it, it’s not fucking illegal. Ever been in one of those church Christmas plays before? Why/why not? >> No. Because...? Obviously it just wasn’t a part of my life. What is the funniest conjunction you use throughout your day? >> I’ve... literally never heard of a funny conjunction. How do you even... Have you ever thrown a roll of toilet paper at someone before? >> No. Does the dentist calm you or does it tend to stress you out? >> Of course it stresses me out, it’s invasive and involves strangers touching me. If you had to choose, which is the worst movie you’ve ever seen? >> I wouldn’t bother choosing. Have you ever found yourself talking to an inanimate object? >> Sure, I talk to my plushies and my computer all the time. Do you like movies that are originally based on children’s books? >> Sure, sometimes. Is your hair more thick or thin? Is it more curly or straight? >> Thick and curly. Something on the human body that grosses you out the most: >> I’d rather not even think about it. Do you like meeting new people? What’s your most common greeting? >> I don’t mind it, if I’ve got the energy for it. I don’t have a common greeting, I just say hi or whatever? IDK. Ever think of what it would be like to be a mermaid or merman? >> Not extensively. If you had to choose, which celebrity would you date out of all of them? >> --- Do people feel sorry for you for no reason? Have they ever? >> I don’t know? What is something that bothers you about most surveys in general? >> I’m not really bothered by anything in surveys, aside from maybe an occasional flash of irritation (like when I get a bunch of questions disparaging slang usage or so-called “internet speak” or whatever). Who would you take with you on a stranded/deserted island? >> Bold of you to assume I have any interest in being on a deserted island. Do you have your own personal boom box in your bedroom? >> No, but I have a record player. Would you survive if zombies were to take over the world? Why or why not? >> Probably not. Because reasons. What would you say is the worst part of high school period? >> The social hell, in general. For me specifically, also my inability to, like... do schoolwork in some classes. I can’t really explain exactly how/why I was so bad at school, which is also partly why I couldn’t get any help. What is your favorite color of apple? Red, green or yellow? >> Red. Ever want to be a doctor? Is it because of all the hospital shows? >> I’ve never wanted to be a doctor. What do you think of all these reality shows that try to alter personality? >> I don’t know what you mean. Where are your favorite pair of shoes in the whole world right now? >> --- Do you live anywhere near a mall? >> Yeah, there are two malls that are both a relatively short drive away. Do you like drawing smiley faces or do you think they’re overrated? >> I literally have no opinion. If you were dying who would you say goodbye to first out of everyone? >> --- Are you someone who actually likes to babysit children? >> I’ve never babysat a child. Do you ever have those ‘ah ha!’ moments? Do those annoy you? >> What kind of moment is that? Do you hardly ever remember where you put things at? >> I usually remember, but sometimes I don’t. What’s your favorite lunch meat, if you even like any in the first place? >> Turkey or chicken. When is the next time you’ll eat a cupcake, if you know when? >> I don’t know when. I don’t usually eat them. Where did you last buy socks from? What do those socks look like? >> I don’t remember. Do you ever lay in the grass and look up at the sky, just because? >> I’m sure I’ve done it on a few occasions. When do you normally go to sleep on the weekends? >> The same time I go to bed any other time -- around 10p. Have you ever met someone with the same ‘biggest fear’ as you? >> --- Do you ever have movie nights with your significant other? >> Not really, because she doesn’t often have the mental energy or... desire to, I guess? watch movies. I’m the big movie watcher in this household. But occasionally we’ll go out together to see one. Would you rather write with a pen or a pencil? Why is this? >> Pen. I just like the way it feels more. Do you like candy bars? Are you trying to slack off of them? >> No. What is your favorite number? Is it significant with your life? >> 9/19. I mean, I guess, yeah. Are you afraid of being kidnapped if you go outside at nighttime? >> No. Has your mother ever called your school because of your grades? >> My father has. Which of course then led to two people teaming up to berate me about my “laziness” and “not living up to my potential” or whatever the fuck they assumed about me. In the next twenty minutes, what will you be doing and where will you be? >> As long as this survey is, I might still be doing it 20 minutes from now. If not, then I’ll be making/eating breakfast. Do you like showers or baths better? Why did you choose your choice? >> Shower. I just hate baths. Are you a controversial person? Do your views oppose others? >> I don’t think I am a controversial person. Of course my views oppose others’, not everyone thinks alike... Have you ever thrown a surprise party for someone? Who for? >> No. What would you say your average word per minute time is on the keyboard? >> I’m not sure. At least 60, I’d assume. What is your least favorite class in school? Why is this? >> --- Do you bite your fingernails or tap them on desks? >> No. Have you ever wanted to be in a band? What position exactly? >> I did when I was a teenager, but like... not seriously. I just was really into rock music, lol. (I wanted to be the singer.) Who is your role model or hero in life if you have one? >> --- Do you ever call your cousins just to talk to them randomly? >> --- Do you find any of your friends’ parents creepy or really mean? >> --- Do you ever have to wash your clothes at someone else’s house? >> Well, we do our laundry at Sparrow’s parents’ house because we don’t have a washer/dryer in-unit. (There’s a laundry room in the building, but they’re coin-operated, and doing laundry at the Wayland house is free...) When is the next time you’ll go to the library? Why is this? >> I don’t know. I usually borrow e-books. Do you like fiction or non-fiction books more? What’s your favorite? >> I like both. Do you constantly have to be told to shut up? By who? >> If someone constantly told me to shut up, I wouldn’t fucking hang out with them. Do you know how to play pool? Are you any good at it? >> I know how to play, but I am not skilled at it. Do you treat others as you’d like to be treated? Have you always? >> I try to treat others with at least basic respect and compassion. Sometimes I miss the mark, because I’m not perfect (and I have a lot of issues), but I try. Were you a really mean kid or a sweet and quiet kid? >> I was a quiet kid, but more on the sullen side than the sweet side. Are you someone who likes to get in arguments or fights a lot? >> No. Conflict is very taxing for me physiologically, so I try to pick my battles accordingly. How do you make sure people know you don’t like them at all? >> I don’t bother making a big deal out of it. It’s just not necessary and leads to more issues/drama. Also, who cares? Would you say you’re someone who likes to cuss a lot? >> I mean, maybe. I don’t think I cuss a whole lot, but maybe I do, idk. Do you keep secrets from your parents that you don’t keep from your friends? >> --- What is your father’s best friend’s name? Do you know them personally? >> --- If you had to, where would you get a tattoo at? Why? >> Anywhere. How much was the cell phone you have at this moment in time? >> A couple hundred, I think. Would you say you hang out with people the majority of your life? >> No? What would you do if you woke up randomly with purple hair? >> Be really confused? Do you ever look in the mirror and name all of your flaws for no reason? >> Sometimes, if Can Calah doesn’t stop me. Are you getting sick of the reality show Survivor? Why? >> I mean, I don’t watch it, so. Do you usually explain to people why you do the things you do? >> I’ve stopped with this for the most part, unless they explicitly ask. I’m tired of making unnecessary justifications for myself. If you don’t like something I do, you don’t like it. That’s fine. Ever submit a video to America’s Funniest Home Videos? >> No. The most painful medical procedure you’ve ever had? >> I don’t know. Are you someone who likes to eat Poptarts? What’s your favorite flavor? >> No, I am not someone who likes to eat Pop-tarts. Ever have a dream you’re being abducted by aliens? Was it scary? >> No. Do you like people who are loud or people who are quiet? >> I like quieter people. Does personality weigh out the sense of ‘good looks?’ >> --- When is the next time you’ll see someone who is pregnant? >> I don’t know. Do you hate it when people copy the things you do? >> This doesn’t happen to me. Where is your favorite piece of electronic equipment? >> I’m using it. Where is the person who ‘owns your heart’ at this moment in time? >> --- Has anyone ever told you that you’re good at cooking? >> I don’t think so. Would you say you’re a fast texter, or are you pretty slow? >> I guess I’m fast enough. What is your favorite flavor of Doritos? What do you drink with them? >> I hate Doritos. Do you have any enemies who you think are dangerous? >> I don’t have enemies. Do you ever try to squeeze information out of people? >> No. Does it freak you out when the police drive by your house? >> The cops aren’t usually driving around this apartment complex. Are you someone who tends to take a whole lot of naps? >> No. What is your favorite nickname you like to be called? Why do you like it? >> “Rev”. I have no idea why I’m attached to that, I just am. Do you already have your outfit for tomorrow planned out? >> I don’t plan my outfits. What is the color of your favorite pair of pants? What brand are they? >> --- Has your favorite song ever been featured on a commercial? >> No. Do you ever promise pc4pc on Myspace then never return the favor? >> No. What is one song right now that really gets on your nerves? >> --- What would you say was the best year of your life? Why? >> --- Do those annoying infomercials ever draw you in to buy things? >> Nope. Have you ever been pulled over by the cops for speeding? >> I don’t drive, so. Is anyone in your family a firefighter? Who is it anyway? >> ---

[comicgirl08]

Supergirl recap: Lena and Supergirl go all caged heat

One day has passed since the world believes it saw Supergirl attack the White House, and Kara is horrified to realize how sharply public sentiment has turned against her. President Baker himself addresses the nation to announce a sundown-to-sunup curfew and to urge Supergirl to turn herself in.

Even though she’s America’s most wanted, when Supergirl hears someone calling for help from a burning vehicle, naturally she flies to lend a hand. But her efforts are interrupted by a man with a gun trying to make a citizen’s arrest. Her attempts to deflect the bullets end up causing an explosion in the car and even the man she pulls to safety says his daughter was crushed to watch Supergirl turn into a terrorist.

To rectify things, Alex and Lena set out to help Supergirl in their own ways. For Alex, that means subverting Lockwood’s demand that the DEO turn over the signal watch and any weapons that could capture Supergirl. Haley sends him away to secure proper presidential approval, but while he’s gone, she sets about gathering the goods he asked for because “orders are orders.”

Alex hands over the watch and instructs her to press it twice to summon Supergirl. (Ah, but once summons Supergirl; twice is the Akbar warning.) To get her chain-of-command-loving boss fully onboard, Alex asks for Kelly Olsen’s advice on what to do. Kelly tells her that you can’t change people, but you can appeal to what they care most about.

So Alex tries to convince Haley that following an immoral order makes you complicit and begs her to think of her daughter. Haley is furious at having that bit of personal information leveraged against her. Also, she knows that Alex lied and it’s actually a single press to summon Supergirl.

Brainy, too, is facing a conundrum after he and Alex agree that Lockwood’s next step will be to use the alien registry to start rounding up aliens. Declaring that “no one is more clandestine than I. NO ONE!” Brainy sets out to delete the registry, relying on the subterfuge techniques of Ethan Hunt, “master of the impossible mission.”

But when the time comes to delete, he realizes that there’s a 50/50 chance that deleting it will cause more harm for the alien community if he’s discovered. He freaks out and finds Nia at CatCo, even though they haven’t spoken since their “incredible yet devastating romantic encounter at the hospital.” Since he can’t use logic to decide, he asks her to dream the future to find out what he decides so he can just do it.

Then she plays him by pretending to dream that he doesn’t destroy the registry. He says that’s ridiculous, and she explains that she tricked him into listening to his gut. But that night, she for-real dreams that he’s apprehended by the Children of Liberty for destroying the registry and calls him in a panic to warn him not to do it. Too late, though; he deleted it but downloaded a copy of his brain, calling the potential danger “the cost of being a hero.”

Okay, now, to Supergirl and Lena, who follow up on Lilian Luthor’s tip that Lex has been coming and going from his prison cell for months. They strong-arm the Stryker Island warden to let them toss Lex’s cell by promising to keep his husband out of his Lex-related legal mess. He agrees, and Supergirl takes the long walk past a row of penned inmates chanting her name and calling her a terrorist, with a supportive Lena by her side. Lena, after all, knows all about how awful it is to be a good guy accused of being bad.

In Lex’s cell, Lena declares his Hannibal-crossing-the-Alps etching pretentious and solves his puzzle to unlock their childhood chess board to reveal stacks of Lex’s journals, including one recording all of her faults and mistakes since she was four. What a monster he is. Lena settles into the painful task of reading her brother’s journals, even though just looking at his handwriting is like needles in her eyes, while Supergirl talks to his cell neighbor, Steve Lomeli (Willie Garson, a welcome presence in whatever show he pops up in).

Steve, who’s locked up for stealing classified DOD documents about illegal drone warfare, calls her a malignant narcissist, taunting that, “Everything you touch, you ruin.” Then things get worse when Otis shows up to kill the warden and free all the inmates from their cells to help capture Supergirl.

Knowing that Otis has Metallo’s powers, Lena gives Supergirl a Kryptonite shield for her S-insignia. Wait, so Lena made a K-shield and brought it with her on the off chance that Supergirl might need it? That’s certainly thoughtful of her.

Then Supergirl turns to fight her way through a long line of inmates, none of whom stand a chance against her, and honestly, Supergirl effortlessly batting around a cellblock full of numbskulls is exactly why I watch this program, so thank you every so much, writers.

Then Otis appears to sneer, “if it isn’t Lee Harvey Supergirl.” They blast each other through walls and hit each other with prison gym equipment, but eventually, his Kryptonite blasts destroy her shield, and Supergirl’s forced to change into Kara Danvers. In her human guise, she tells Otis she saw a red blur going that-away, and for a second, Otis looks suspicious. C-could he possibly be…?

Nah, he just wants to know what a woman’s doing in an all-male cellblock. She tells him she’s a journalist doing a story on prison reform. But he doesn’t care to give her a comment: “I don’t trust the press. They always parachute into crises like this without any context for the larger systemic issues at play.” Y’ALL. I may be a little in love with Otis now because, by God, he’s not wrong.

When he heads out, Kara recharges in the sun and then bumps into Steve, who turns out to be the editor of Stryker’s one and only newsletter. He’s delighted to meet the famous Kara Danvers, who writes the Aliens of National City column, and apologizes for having his muscle pull a shiv on her.

Then the National Guard pulls up outside and makes plans to come in shooting if Supergirl doesn’t give herself up. Steve predicts that the prisoners are acceptable collateral damage in this scenario and drops to the floor, placing a comforting hand over the trembling fingers of his scared bodyguard, which was a nice little character moment.

To minimize the casualties, Kara changes into Supergirl again and uses a super-clap to knock all of the rioting prisoners off their feet and out of the line of fire.

Then she races back to Lex’s cell, where Lena has discovered that the etching isn’t of the Alps, but the mountain peak where a young Lex promised a young Lena that he’d build a house to keep them both safe forever. (Is…is that a touch of humanity, or another long-ago Lex trick?) When she touched that section of the drawing, the wall lifted to reveal his secret prison lab.

But before the women can explore its secrets, Otis steps into the cell as he talks on the phone with Lex, who directs him to the center of the room. Once he’s there, Lex engages a device that revs Otis’s Metallo implant and causes him to explode. It destroys the lab, and Lena and Supergirl barely escape thanks to Supergirl punching through the back wall.

But the danger isn’t over yet; Lockwood arrives at the DEO with the proper presidential order and starts handing out big guns to his men. He tells Haley to summon Supergirl, and Haley. presses. twice. Heck yeah, scary boss lady!

A frustrated Lockwood realizes that Supergirl’s not coming, so he takes all the big guns with him and leaves. Haley tells Alex that she didn’t do the double-tap for Alex but for her daughter, who’s scared of the martial law and is sad that her favorite alien teacher has gone into hiding. Suddenly, the complicit thing didn’t look so appealing, huh?

Also unappealing? The president allowing Lockwood to deputize the Children of Liberty, which should make everybody’s blood run cold. Oh, and Eve’s able to put Humpty-Otis back together again after his detonation.

Finally, when the news (but not CatCo, of course!) spins the Stryker Island visit as Supergirl’s attempt to free prisoners, Supergirl realizes she’s doing more harm than good right now and flies away to lie low. And in her Kara Danvers duds, she heads back to Stryker to interview Steve, who’s honored to help bring Lex Luthor to justice. He slides her a jump drive with the contents of Lex’s secret prison lab hard drive before it was destroyed.

“The pen is mightier than the sword,” he says, and she replies, “Maybe even mightier than a cape.”

Snaps of the cape

Tonight’s important Olsen development: James is suffering from something more than PTSD. Although the therapist he’s working with teaches him about bilateral stimulation, a widely used calming tool, his eyes and veins turn black when he’s upset, giving him super sight, strength, and hearing. Stay tuned for the possibility of a turbo-charged, midnight-eyed Guardian.

Not only did James fill Kelly in on what’s going on, but didja catch that smiley little moment she shared with Alex? I bet they’re both glad she stuck around National City.

My word, but Otis is a pop-culture quip machine: It’s easy being green, his heart growing three sizes, heeeeeere’s Otis. Supergirl is killing it with the recurring villains this season!

Gosh, remember when both Alex and Lena were not at all Supergirl’s biggest fans? And then Supergirl won them both over through her bravery, loyalty, and friendship? A million heart emojis forever, show!

[gyrlversion]

Rising Rapper Phora Has Been Going Hard For Nearly A Decade — Just Ask His Legions Of Fans

By Ural Garrett

On a rainy, February weekend at a rented Crescent Hills Drive home with a wide view of Los Angeles, Phora is putting the finishing touches on his Valentine’s Day release, “i still love you.” The track’s arrival was hinted at on his Instagram weeks before the drop, giving fans a taste of what to expect from a song that has him more in touch with his melodic side than ever.

“It’s just me tapping into my natural roots,” the 24-year-old rapper tells MTV News. “I’m really pushing the limit to my vocal range. I’ve been really practicing with vocal harmonies and stuff like that. It’s not a rap song. I guess you could call it an R&B song. It’s just my style and me taking a new approach. It’s the same me, just a new approach.”

That same evolving approach when discussing “i still love you” and its accompanying music video is mapped out in typical Phora fashion which, as always, revolves around his fans. Active for nearly a decade, Phora, born Marco Anthony Archer, has amassed over 2 million followers across YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and music videos with eight-figure view counts. Coupled with the accounts for his signature Yours Truly apparel brand, his audience is closer to 3 million.

His considerable following hasn’t yet translated to smashing chart success. But just last year he made national headlines by nearly starting a riot at the busy, Los Angeles intersection of Hollywood and Highland while conducting a meet-and-greet at the sneaker store Shoe Palace. Eight people were reportedly hospitalized at the event, where Phora gave out free shoes and Yours Truly swag to hungry fans. Around the same time, he shut down an Orange County mall after giving away $15,000 in cash and even free gas for three hours at a local gas station.

“The fans are the foundation and sometimes artists don’t understand that and they think, oh, it’s just me because I’m a superstar who was just born with this talent,” explained Phora. “Nah, bro. You may have talent but if you let your fans down and they say, ‘You know what? Fuck this dude,’ you’re going to be left with nothing.”

Part of the mindset comes from Phora’s humble beginnings in Anaheim, California, a city better known as the home of Disneyland, where he was not only the victim of a stabbing when he was 15 years old, but two shootings as well — including one in 2015 where he was shot three times in the back. Pouring all those stories into a consistent album and mixtape run that hasn’t let up since 2010, Phora has grown an army of fans that helped him secure a deal with Warner Bros. Records in 2017. His Warner Bros. debut, Yours Truly Forever, dropped that same year, while the follow-up, Love Is Hell, was released in 2018.

“That’s the foundation and I treat my fans like family because, in a deeper sense, everyone is human no matter who you are and I feel like a lot of those people aren’t just fans,” said Phora. “They’re people who have been through the same kind of shit that I’ve been through. You know, relationship shit, family shit, life shit or whatever the case may be. I feel like 99 percent of people — if not 100 percent of those people — have been in my same shoes before at some point in time.”

Phora’s eyes light up when speaking about his fans, even more so when he’s asked about the first note of support he received on his 2010 YouTube debut, “Graff History.” “I feel the verse from, 2:10 to 2:24,” the commenter said. “Kinda relate to it. Good song though.”

“I haven’t seen it,” answered Phora. “I’m going to check that person out and find that person and look for that person and I’m going to hunt them down.”

The track came from RePhlections Of The Truth Mixtape Vol. 1, a project that established him as something of a rap purist. It’s a far cry from his more contemporary, melodic efforts on last year’s Love Is Hell, which featured guest appearances from G-Eazy, Tory Lanez and 6lack, among others. Love Is Hell’s title track also features Trippie Redd. That may have possibly alienated some of Phora’s loyal followers, his earlier material being more rooted in rap traditionalism than the emo-rap sound Redd and his peers have perfected. However, he doesn’t feel like he has anything to prove to the vocal naysayers in the video’s comments.

“I feel like I paid my dues and that was a big part of my life where I showed my respect and gave my respect to hip-hop, from opening up for Rakim to Talib Kweli,” Phora explains. “I don’t want to have a certain sound or be labeled as a ‘insert here’ rapper. I don’t want to sound like anyone else cause I don’t want to be labeled. I wanted to tell my own story with my own sound and that’s it.”

Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

Phora performs at the 2018 Rolling Loud Festival in Los Angeles.

Anyone who’s followed Phora over the years understands the other leg of his story involves his Yours Truly clothing brand. He says the brand has taken on life of its own to the point where he’s had to manage over 20 employees on his payroll.

“On the Yours Truly side, you have manufacturing, shipping, shipping fulfillment, screen printers, and ordering blank apparels like hoodies. Sometimes, we gotta go overseas,” he said. “It’s a good thing but, I don’t have an answer for how it’s grown so far and so rapidly.”

What he does understand is the next phase for Yours Truly: a flagship store opening later this year on Los Angeles’ streetwear capital, Fairfax Avenue. Phora wants his line to be synonymous with the other stores in the area are known for the likes of Supreme, Golf, Dope, and The Hundreds.

“They’ve been doing it longer than we have so we’re like the little bro,” said Phora. “The thing about us and the main reason why we’ve been so successful is because we study. To master the game, you have to be a student first and we look at everything they do. We’re not arrogant to the reality that people have been doing this for a long time.”

While Phora adds to his juggling act, he’s also recording new music for his next album which, at the moment, doesn’t have a concept or theme, other than providing a space for him to unleash all his “emotions, feelings and shit.” 2019 will also be the year he expands his Yours Truly record label, as he begins searching for a diverse array of producers and artists.

“Whether you make happy music, sad music, R&B, whether you play piano and sing ballads, whether you got bars and you really wanna rap your ass off. We looking for anyone that’s talented,” he says. “I want to have a fortress. I want to give everybody an opportunity to shine.”

Releasing new music, owning a full-fledged clothing brand, pleasing his rabid fanbase, and putting the gears in motion to grow his label family would cause anyone to eventually burnout. However, for the sake of the people who put him in this position, Phora doesn’t see himself letting up off the gas anytime soon.

“I feel like a lot of artist have a disconnect with fans and the reason my fanbase is so strong is because I go out of my way to talk to people to look into people’s lives and get a better understanding,” Phora says. “With that, I know how people feel and they just want someone to relate to. People don’t want to feel alone.”

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[thefeedpost]

Rising Rapper Phora Has Been Going Hard For Nearly A Decade

Rising Rapper Phora Has Been Going Hard For Nearly A Decade — Just Ask His Legions Of Fans

By Ural Garrett

On a rainy, February weekend at a rented Crescent Hills Drive home with a wide view of Los Angeles, Phora is putting the finishing touches on his Valentine’s Day release, “i still love you.” The track’s arrival was hinted at on his Instagram weeks before the drop, giving fans a taste of what to expect from a song that has him more in touch with his melodic side than ever.

“It’s just me tapping into my natural roots,” the 24-year-old rapper tells MTV News. “I’m really pushing the limit to my vocal range. I’ve been really practicing with vocal harmonies and stuff like that. It’s not a rap song. I guess you could call it an R&B song. It’s just my style and me taking a new approach. It’s the same me, just a new approach.”

That same evolving approach when discussing “i still love you” and its accompanying music video is mapped out in typical Phora fashion which, as always, revolves around his fans. Active for nearly a decade, Phora, born Marco Anthony Archer, has amassed over 2 million followers across YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and music videos with eight-figure view counts. Coupled with the accounts for his signature Yours Truly apparel brand, his audience is closer to 3 million.

His considerable following hasn’t yet translated to smashing chart success. But just last year he made national headlines by nearly starting a riot at the busy, Los Angeles intersection of Hollywood and Highland while conducting a meet-and-greet at the sneaker store Shoe Palace. Eight people were reportedly hospitalized at the event, where Phora gave out free shoes and Yours Truly swag to hungry fans. Around the same time, he shut down an Orange County mall after giving away $15,000 in cash and even free gas for three hours at a local gas station.

“The fans are the foundation and sometimes artists don’t understand that and they think, oh, it’s just me because I’m a superstar who was just born with this talent,” explained Phora. “Nah, bro. You may have talent but if you let your fans down and they say, ‘You know what? Fuck this dude,’ you’re going to be left with nothing.”

Part of the mindset comes from Phora’s humble beginnings in Anaheim, California, a city better known as the home of Disneyland, where he was not only the victim of a stabbing when he was 15 years old, but two shootings as well — including one in 2015 where he was shot three times in the back. Pouring all those stories into a consistent album and mixtape run that hasn’t let up since 2010, Phora has grown an army of fans that helped him secure a deal with Warner Bros. Records in 2017. His Warner Bros. debut, Yours Truly Forever, dropped that same year, while the follow-up, Love Is Hell, was released in 2018.

“That’s the foundation and I treat my fans like family because, in a deeper sense, everyone is human no matter who you are and I feel like a lot of those people aren’t just fans,” said Phora. “They’re people who have been through the same kind of shit that I’ve been through. You know, relationship shit, family shit, life shit or whatever the case may be. I feel like 99 percent of people — if not 100 percent of those people — have been in my same shoes before at some point in time.”

Phora’s eyes light up when speaking about his fans, even more so when he’s asked about the first note of support he received on his 2010 YouTube debut, “Graff History.” “I feel the verse from, 2:10 to 2:24,” the commenter said. “Kinda relate to it. Good song though.”

“I haven’t seen it,” answered Phora. “I’m going to check that person out and find that person and look for that person and I’m going to hunt them down.”

The track came from RePhlections Of The Truth Mixtape Vol. 1, a project that established him as something of a rap purist. It’s a far cry from his more contemporary, melodic efforts on last year’s Love Is Hell, which featured guest appearances from G-Eazy, Tory Lanez and 6lack, among others. Love Is Hell’s title track also features Trippie Redd. That may have possibly alienated some of Phora’s loyal followers, his earlier material being more rooted in rap traditionalism than the emo-rap sound Redd and his peers have perfected. However, he doesn’t feel like he has anything to prove to the vocal naysayers in the video’s comments.

“I feel like I paid my dues and that was a big part of my life where I showed my respect and gave my respect to hip-hop, from opening up for Rakim to Talib Kweli,” Phora explains. “I don’t want to have a certain sound or be labeled as a ‘insert here’ rapper. I don’t want to sound like anyone else cause I don’t want to be labeled. I wanted to tell my own story with my own sound and that’s it.”

Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

Phora performs at the 2018 Rolling Loud Festival in Los Angeles.

Anyone who’s followed Phora over the years understands the other leg of his story involves his Yours Truly clothing brand. He says the brand has taken on life of its own to the point where he’s had to manage over 20 employees on his payroll.

“On the Yours Truly side, you have manufacturing, shipping, shipping fulfillment, screen printers, and ordering blank apparels like hoodies. Sometimes, we gotta go overseas,” he said. “It’s a good thing but, I don’t have an answer for how it’s grown so far and so rapidly.”

What he does understand is the next phase for Yours Truly: a flagship store opening later this year on Los Angeles’ streetwear capital, Fairfax Avenue. Phora wants his line to be synonymous with the other stores in the area are known for the likes of Supreme, Golf, Dope, and The Hundreds.

“They’ve been doing it longer than we have so we’re like the little bro,” said Phora. “The thing about us and the main reason why we’ve been so successful is because we study. To master the game, you have to be a student first and we look at everything they do. We’re not arrogant to the reality that people have been doing this for a long time.”

While Phora adds to his juggling act, he’s also recording new music for his next album which, at the moment, doesn’t have a concept or theme, other than providing a space for him to unleash all his “emotions, feelings and shit.” 2019 will also be the year he expands his Yours Truly record label, as he begins searching for a diverse array of producers and artists.

“Whether you make happy music, sad music, R&B, whether you play piano and sing ballads, whether you got bars and you really wanna rap your ass off. We looking for anyone that’s talented,” he says. “I want to have a fortress. I want to give everybody an opportunity to shine.”

Releasing new music, owning a full-fledged clothing brand, pleasing his rabid fanbase, and putting the gears in motion to grow his label family would cause anyone to eventually burnout. However, for the sake of the people who put him in this position, Phora doesn’t see himself letting up off the gas anytime soon.

“I feel like a lot of artist have a disconnect with fans and the reason my fanbase is so strong is because I go out of my way to talk to people to look into people’s lives and get a better understanding,” Phora says. “With that, I know how people feel and they just want someone to relate to. People don’t want to feel alone.”

The post Rising Rapper Phora Has Been Going Hard For Nearly A Decade appeared first on TheFeedPost.

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[drawingsdrawingseverywhere]

Trollhunters Dadswap AU part 18

It’s finally time. Sorry this post has taken so long to write out! My brain has been fighting me every step of the way.

BUT HERE WE GO! TIME TO TIE UP SOME LOOSE ENDS BEFORE THE PLOT GETS HEAD OF ME

FIRST THINGS FIRST, with a short moment of calm among all this madness, Toby still takes time to help his new roomie learn about his new life. This includes convincing Strickler to bargain with Dictatious to find information on AAARRRGGHH!!!’s breed, taking him out of late night adventures with the team so he can get used to this new world (Angor Rot is far better at explaining things to him than Strickler, but hey at least Strickler tries), and even making Flash Cards with Jim and then later quiz the big guy on them.

Speaking of, that’s where we begin.

Toby reads off the cards while Jim reads the answers. For every question right, Toby’s gotten some old VHS tapes no one in the house watches anymore and has them as incentive. AAARRRGGHH!!! sits across from them.

“ok, this is an easy one. You’re walking through the market, and realize there’s a gnome climbing in your fur! what do you do?”

AAARRRGGHH!!! is quiet for a long minute.

“you can do it,” Jim assures him. “almost any answer will work.”

The boys both nod to the troll as he continues to think, until eventually he makes a motion with his hands that could translate to crushing the gnome.

“no no! You can’t kill it! That little guy might have a family to worry about! or he might be another troll’s groomer!”

AAARRRGGHH!!! looks a bit disappointed.

“It’s not a bad answer! I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some trolls who do crush gnomes!” Jim stretches a sec before continuing. “But if we’re going to convince Vendel to let you into the Market, you have to be on your best behavior!”

“yeah! Just try again. I got a copy of a bootleg Jurassic Park with your name on it if you’re willing to try~”

The troll thinks it over and nods.

“ok, so one more time: in the market, spot a gnome in your fur, what do you do?”

Another silence as they wait for an answer. Eventually AAARRRGGHH!!! reaches up to his shoulder and makes a brushing motion.

“You’d just brush it off?” Toby leans in to make sure he recognized the gesture clearly.

Jim and Toby both smile and Toby tosses the tape his way.

“Good Job, AAARRRGGHH!!! That’s a good answer!” Jim holds up the card to show him that’s what they had written down.

“you’re getting better and better every night, big guy!”

It’s then that Toby and the Troll fistbump.

“What’s that all about?” Jim asks.

“oh this? I taught him how to fistbump! He uh... didn’t know his own strength at first but now he’s gotten pretty good at it! 

Meanwhile Strickler and Nomura’s search for clues about the bridge’s location continues. Blinky and Dictatious provide them with all the books they have on the subject, including the book edited by Angor Rot. Many of the books lead to dead ends, but the pair remain vigilant. After all, the bridge being opened could spell the doom for all escaped changelings as well as troll and human kind.

Needless to say there’s a lot at stake. Blinky and his brother offer assitance when they can, but with their limited knowledge of the darklands there’s only so much they can do to help. Dictatious soon begins searching through books that even mention the bridge, and Blinky often disappears for days on end before reappearing fresh out of the Gyre tunnels with new books to offer.

until one day

“you will not find the answers you seek in these books.”

Strickler and Nomura look up to see Angor rot and Vendel entering the library.

“the sort of thing you require is a book from the darklands itself that speaks of the bridge.”

Strickler rises, eyes gazing hopefully towards Vendel. “do you... know where we may acquire such a book, Vendel?”

“perhaps.”

There is a silence as Angor Rot looks over at the elder along side the others in the room. His face is as hard and suspicious as ever.

“Though you know I would not trust even knowledge of it’s location in changeling hands.”

Strickler sinks back into his seat in defeat. Nomura reaches over and takes his hand in hers for support.  “I.... I see.”

“First, I shall have a look at this troll your soulless friend here has been gnawing at my ear for the past few days over.”

Strickler and Nomura both look back to Vendel who is already beginning to leave.

“then we shall see if I have the information you so desperately seek.”

Lastly, and the most important of all, While Jim has been training with Bular outside the forge, and Strickler within the forge, he’s also taken note of his mother talking very highly about a new coworker at the hospital.

“He’s a miracle worker” she says, “I don’t know how one man could have so much knowledge about the human body, and how he can remember all of it without fail! Thanks to him, patients have been able to go home so much faster than before he arrived.”

“That’s good to hear, mom! I’m glad you’re finally getting some extra help down there.”

“hey, speaking of which, you have some free time after school on Friday? I’d love to take you with me to work and introduce you. Dr. McLaine tells me he’s heard a lot of good things about you!”

Jim hesitates while he’s washing the dishes.

“Sounds... good! I’ll have to make sure my instructors know I wont be able to make it to practice first, but I’d like that.”

“Are you talking rehearsals for the play or Chess club?”

“Well uh... both, actually. I don’t think the director will kill me for missing a rehearsal so long as I let her know in advance, and Strickler-”

“if you need it Jim I can ask Strickler if he’d care to join us. Along the way you can discuss your.... chess... club things, and I can introduce everyone to each other.”

“.... to each other, mom?”

“what?”

Jim gives her a playful smirk.

“Just what have you and my teacher been doing behind my back, young lady?”

Barbra laughs and puts the last plate into the sink before giving him an equally playful bump.

“I respect your teacher, is all. Nothing serious!”

“Mhmm, sure.”

“Jim!”

“Hey, no worries, mom. If you and my teacher decide to run away to vegas it’s your decision!”

That friday, Barbra does just as she said and brings Strickler and Jim to work with her. She walks towards the exceptionally big doctor as he’s going over a patient’s records, and as soon as he looked up to her she gladly introduces him to her companions.

“Doctor, this is my son Jim, and this is his teacher, Professor Walter Strickler. I wanted to bring Jim to work today to introduce you. I figured since it was the night shift things would be calm enough that he could help me out too- if you’re ok with that.”

Bhaltair takes Jim’s small hand into his own massive one and gives it a firm shake.

“It is good to finally meet you face to face, my boy. Your mother has told me many good things about you!” He laughs heartily. “never expected you to be so small, though!”

A warm smile stretches across Bhaltair’s face as he and Strickler shake hands. He seems to be a very warm fellow. 

“And you are Walter Strickler!” As Bhaltair shakes his hand, Strickler’s entire arm seems to buckle under his strength and is trapped in the handshake until he finally finishes. “I have heard many a good thing about you as well!”

Jim laughs lightly at the sight of his thin teacher standing beside this mountain of a man, now trapped in his strong grip. Barbra leads him off to help with something and he gladly agrees.

Meanwhile Bhaltair and Strickler continue with their talk.

“You teach at.... Arcadia High, yes?”

“indeed. I am the history professor. it’s... always been a calling of mine.”

“I hear ya! I have plenty of hobbies of my own that I can’t do away with no matter how hard I try.”

“well, such is human nature!”

the men share a laugh before Bhaltair wipes a jovial tear from his eye.

“by the way, you remind me of someone I used to know!”

“Oh?”

“yes! An old business associate of mine. He had a similar love for history and books.”

“whatever happened to him?”

Bhaltair straightens his posture and clears his throat.

“Well he just.... ran off one day. Didn’t leave a note, didn’t tell anyone where he was going... he just... vanished.”

Strickler feels a growing unese as this conversation continues.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“nah, don’t be. I’m sure he had his reasons. Just wish I could see him again.”

Strickler dares to ask:

“Do you... remember you friend’s name?”

Bhaltair glances away and watches Barbra and Jim before laughing to himself.

“I think you’d find it odd if I told you, Mr. Strickler. You two... even have similar sounding names.”

Strickler’s heat freezes in his chest. He nervously laughs and takes a drink from his water bottle.

“I’m sure it’s fine. As you recall I am a history professor. There have been plenty of strange names spanning generations of humanity.”

Bhaltair laughs.

“Alright alright. you convinced me.”

Strickler holds his breath, fearing what this man says next.

“He went by a few different names, back in the day. But we all knew him as ‘Stricklander.”

Strickler is silent a minute as it sinks in, and Bhaltair raises an eyebrow.

“Does that name sound familiar to you, Mr. Strickler?”

The teacher is mute for what to him feels like an eternity before he can come up with a strong enough answer.

“I was trying to recall if i had read it in a history textbook once before. It... sounded like someone I had once read about... Unfortunately I don’t think I have met this ex-coworker of yours.”

Bhaltair hums to himself, slightly narrowing his eyes and nodding. “I understand.” He laughs and, while it would sound humored and hearty to a passerby, Strickler could then clearly hear a venomous twinge of wicked joy in it.

“After all, it’s not like he would just suddenly reappear after eons of searching for him, now would it, Mr. Strickler?”

Strickler tries to laugh and then takes another drink of his water.

“you’re absolutely right. The chances of that occurring are-”

Bhaltair strongly pats his back-almost making him choke on his water- and then puts his hand on Strickler’s shoulder. His laughter grows darker as he leans in.

“It’d be preposterous!  Am I right? I mean... To go through all that trouble to vanish... just to show up here of all places.... while I’m visiting on business? The odds are far too out of my favor for it to be at all possible.”

Bhaltair laughs one more time before again standing tall.

“Anyway... I enjoyed our chat, but it is time for me to return to work. You take care, Mr. Strickler.”

Strickler nervously clears his throat.

“yes well... you take care too... Dr...?”

“Bhaltair. Bhaltair McLaine.”

“Dr. McLaine.”

Strickler leaves without another word. Bhaltair watches before returning his attention to Jim. The boy is happily helping his mom tuck in a patient for the night. Bhaltair smiles. His eyes narrow. His nimble fingers lightly trace the engraving of his cane handle- almost as if eager to do something with it.

Mark one rogue history teacher onto his list of traitors.

The game begins.

[quietlyhereshhh]

In the Twilight Rain (Chapter 27)

Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke Pairing: AkaFuri, others implied Rating: M Warnings: Language, violence, drugs, sexual situations Other: Yakuza AU Chapters on Tumblr: [Previous] [Next] AO3

Seas are wild tonight Stretching over Sado Island Silent clouds of stars

- Matsuo Basho

“No word yet?” Seijuurou asked Higuchi as they walked down the hall of the manor. He opened his office door as the man followed, bowing respectfully before sitting in a seiza.

“None. As far as we know, there is no indication of an ‘IW’ in Seiho’s past records and we can’t find anything with those initials indicated by the Kirisaki,” Higuchi replied with the papers in his hands.  “The 600 could be time. It’d be too cheap if it was the price, so if we deduce that it was at six ‘o’ clock, Hayama-san has been going around the market during that time to test it out. So far, we have nothing.”

‘What a pain in the ass,’ Seijuurou kept to himself as he leaned back in his seat. He was aware of these nightly and morning trips Hayama has been taking to the black market and getting no results. Hayama’s got more important things to do than to wander around aimlessly, looking for something they don’t know a thing about.

“Get Terasaka to taking over Hayama’s search,” Seijuurou stated as he took the papers from Higuchi. “He’s got his own projects to work on and is already losing focus on those. He needs to be in better shape than that.”

“Yes, sir.”

“How’s business back at Mibuchi’s?” Seijuurou asked as he flipped the pages.

“Average. I believe he mentioned that people are still wary to return after what happened,” Higuchi explained.

“Of course.”

Seijuurou was silent as he sifted through the pages but could feel Higuchi trembling. He looked up at the man with confusion – Higuchi has been working with him for a long time; he wasn’t scared of him anymore.

So something must be wrong.

“Higuchi,” Seijuurou was calm. He leaned across his desk, watching the man look at him nervously. “What’s the matter?”

“I-I apologize, sir, but with everything happening, I wasn’t sure how to bring it up,” Higuchi bit his lower lip. “We thought it was just a mistake at first and went through all the calculations again just to be sure but…the numbers do not match.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“What do mean the numbers do not match?”

“The profits do not correlate with the estimate,” Higuchi announced. “Even with Blue Bar and Club Kaijou’s temporary close, the profits we have are much lower than what we expected. At first, we thought it was just an accounting error so when we checked again, we realized that the gap in sales is much wider than expected.” Higuchi visibly swallowed under Seijuurou’s narrowed gaze. “It is believed that…someone has been taking our funds.”

Seijuurou tapped his fingers on the table.

Higuchi flinched.

This was the last thing Seijuurou wanted and needed; someone from the inside damaging their profits. He could possibly narrow it down to the lower associates – an excess amount of drinking had happened therefore they had to dip into it, Mao somehow weaseled their members into paying extra for whatever reason, or even praying that whatever program the accountants were using was faulty.

But Seijuurou didn’t pray.

“Find the culprit,” Seijuurou leaned his chin on the back of his hands and smiled to Higuchi. He saw the stout man shiver and Seijuurou could feel his left eye twitch. “Bring him to me. Alive. We’ll have to question this perpetrator and get them to talk.”

Higuchi nodded. When he finished his report, he bowed and stepped out only for Hayama to enter in his stead. Hayama looked back at the anxious Higuchi as he disappeared and turned to Seijuurou – eyes dull and lifeless.

“Right on time,” Seijuurou didn’t say anything about those blank eyes. Hayama has been like this since their last trip to the hospital and has, in fact, brought down the morale of the group. Hayama had always been prone to mood swings so Seijuurou thought he would bounce back.

He didn’t and he was the reason why.

He squashed down the feeling of his stomach coiling and his face remained impassive.

“After your report, I need you to move on to more…important matters,” Seijuurou announced. The blond didn’t react as he continued. “Terasaka will take over for you. You’ll move onto the assignment we discussed earlier albeit a little early. My patience is running thin and I’m sure Kasuga wants some peace of mind.”

Hayama nodded obediently and looked down at his paper. This compliance unnerved Seijuurou but he didn’t say anything.

“There is a lead outside of Kirisaki’s usual district,” Hayama announced flatly. “They’re trying to build traction in Yamanishi. The branch that’s setting up there is still fresh though defensive. It’s apparently headed by Hara Kazuya, someone who has been rising in the ranks recently in Kirisaki and Hanamiya decided it was time for him to test his abilities. Since my assignment is going to change, giving Terasaka permission to engage will be next.”

“Noted,” Seijuurou nodded as Hayama handed him the report. “Excellent work. I’m glad that you’re concentrating fully on this.”

Hayama didn’t say a word.

It’s not in Seijuurou’s style to empathize with people – he had developed an underwhelming sense of that, able to separate himself from others. Even so, he could feel the pain radiating from the other man.

If he had told himself that he couldn’t see Furihata again, he would probably be conflicted. His moral code told him to stay away, keep civilians out of this, and move on. He was yakuza and knew that he brought upon death to everything he touched. The complexity of the situations, ranging from his businesses to shunning himself from society to becoming the next head – no matter what, it was not a path for anyone to take.

But Furihata made everything ridiculously simple. Even when Seijuurou knew he should push him away, he brought with him something free and straightforward. There were no hidden motives in his eyes or movements; he could be read so easily. Yet everything he does makes Seijuurou baffled, wanting to unwind and twist at the puzzle that is Furihata’s mind, needing to know more.

They had known each other for a few short months and this was how he felt.

He looked at Hayama’s tired face. Dark bags were under his eyes and his face was thinner and paler. Hayama had been burying himself in work and getting more than great results if being able to track down a lead in Yamanishi was anything to say about it. However, he was unsettling others without his usual energy.

And it was only going to get worse from here.

Seijuurou leaned back and stared.

“You leave tomorrow.” Back to business as usual. He couldn’t break his word. “If you run into trouble, contact Higuchi as soon as possible.”

For the first time since he entered the room – and perhaps since he returned from the hospital – there was a flicker of surprise.

“Not you?”

“I will be absent for the next couple of days,” He wasn’t going to reveal how he was going to a mountainous location alone with a civilian that he happened to be dating. “It was suggested by Mibuchi to have a short break. Higuchi will relay to me a summary each day so I am not completely off but if you feel the emergency is dire, do not hesitate to contact me.”

Hayama stared at him evenly and Seijuurou had no choice but to look back. There was a muted silence that Seijuurou could sense something was off about.

“Okay.”

Shoichi didn’t know how he got dragged into a guys’ night out by the station, but somehow he did.

He sat in this little bar with a sharp silver and forest green palette, mixing with modern and traditional Japanese-style floors, slowly drinking his shochu. Aomine was downing whatever beer had been brought to him in high spirits after managing to bust a small (but impactful) drug deal going on in the Sogo district where he and Wakamatsu were patrolling.

Turns out that they were just young juveniles in the end but they were selling drugs, claiming it to be the new miracle drug on the market. They were naïve and stupid and it was nowhere as potent as what the King Drug is, but the fact that they were able to find someone who has heard of it in their own hometown – well. Aomine definitely though he deserved free drinks.

Which he didn’t but he probably wouldn’t remember paying for them in the morning.

“He’s going nuts,” Kasamatsu snorted from across from Shoichi. He had a bottle of beer in his hand as he watched Aomine swinging his arm around Wakamatsu like they were best friends. The yelling from Wakamatsu said otherwise. “Control your guys.”

“Nah,” Shoichi had a grin on his face. He lifted up his phone and took a picture of his subordinate’s drunken state. “It’s more entertaining this way.”

“You’re awful.”

“I need some sort of material to use against him, you know.”

“You’re some crooked cop,” Mikoshiba landed next to him with a chortle. Yamazaki had taken a seat next to Kasamatsu, stern-faced like normal. Mikoshiba clucked his tongue but it sounded more amused. “You’re gonna give us a bad rep.”

“I think that lies in Aomine’s territory,” He said as he watched Aomine slur something to their sketch artist, Sakurai, before a red-faced Wakamatsu slammed him down to the floor. He was glad they got a private room.

“S-Satsuki!” Aomine groaned, his arm reaching out as Wakamatsu sat on his back. “H-Help! Get this gorilla off of me!”

“She’s not here!” Wakamatsu scowled. “For fuck’s sake. Get a grip!”

“Start blocking the drinks from him!” Kasamatsu took command and raised from his spot. Sometimes, Shoichi wondered why he was just a vice-captain before remembering that Riko was his boss.

More alcohol was placed next to Shoichi. He glanced up to see the smiling face of the bar owner, Kiyoshi, rather entertained at the rowdiness.

“Some water for the drunkard over there, please, Kiyoshi.”

“No problem,” He nodded and walked out of the room, closing the sliding door behind him.

“Wakamatsu,” Shoichi called out to the detective. “Try not to knock him out.”

“Are you sure? It might be easier to do so.”

Luckily for them, it wasn’t too long until Aomine fell asleep, lying on the floor against the wall. Everything else resumed smoothly (if not for the slightly drunken wails of Fukui as he challenged Wakamatsu to arm-wrestling) and Shoichi was only slightly tipsy – but it was enough for his tongue to slip.

“So, Imayoshi…” Mikoshiba was slurring a bit, looking pleased with his bottle of beer in his hand. “What’s yours and Aida’s deal?”

“Hmm?” Shoichi immediately noticed Yamazaki flinch and he could feel a dark gaze on him. He tried to hide his smirk but knew he was failing as a slithering feeling emerged in his chest. “What do you mean?”

“Like…” Mikoshiba paused, placing his chin in his palm. He waved his other hand absent-mindedly. “Are you two dating or something? You guys flirt around the office so much, it’s sickening.”

Ah. Of course Mikoshiba was interested in discussing this. He was a fiend when it came to this kind of information, always looking for the latest gossip. And based on how he kept glancing over at Yamazaki, he had an inkling to why this was being brought him.

“Riko and I have a very…special relationship,” He watched from the corner of his eyes as Yamazaki tense. He took a sip of his shochu and tried to not to snigger. “We’ve always been together. Can’t recall a time when we haven’t.”

“Hmm,” Mikoshiba sounded amused. “Even with that trip to Osaka a couple of months ago, you took her along even though she was given other stuff, yeah?”

“She was helpful during the trip,” Shoichi said as he filled his small cup again. Maybe he should stop drinking soon. “It’s not like I brought her just to be with her.”

“Oh ho, but that was a reason?” Mikoshiba’s eyes sparkled at the news and Yamazaki’s fist clenched on the table.

“If I say such a thing, she’d skin me alive,” Shoichi made it seem like he was laughing at the joke rather than Yamazaki’s reaction. It was just too easy. “But I can’t deny that being with her makes me feel…good.”

“Masochist,” He looked over at Kasamatsu who had his brows furrowed. There was also a hint of disgust that Shoichi cackled at.

“It’s true,” He took one last swig of his shochu before grabbing one of the untouched glasses of water on the table. “I don’t know how many times my ass has been saved by her. Of course, it’d probably be better if we were in the same division, but who am I to stop her from doing whatever she wants?”

“Even if she dates some other guy?” For the first time since the conversation started, Yamazaki spoke up. Shoichi looked at him and saw the challenge in his eyes. “If she was swooped off her feet and taken by some other guy?”

“Now, now,” Mikoshiba sat up when the tension suddenly got thick. “Don’t plant those things into her boyfriend’s head, Yamazaki—”

“That’s not what I heard from her,” Yamazaki leaned on the table with his forearms, eyes staying on Shoichi. “From what I know, she only considers you as a friend, Imayoshi.”

“Ah, really?” He knew better than to lie in a room full of cops. The alcohol may be affecting his brain but he wasn’t stupid. He clucked his tongue. “That hurts, Riko.”

His body moved on his own as he took out his cellphone without a word. He could feel curious stares as he pressed the number ‘2’ and it immediately rang. He lifted the phone to his ear, waiting for the other person to pick up.

“What the fuck, Shoichi?” He immediately grinned at her irritated voice. “It’s one-thirty in the morning and I’ve had a long day. Someone better had died!”

“Riko-tan~” He whined and heard her groan. He made sure to raise the volume louder. “You love me, right?”

“Get off the phone and get some water.”

“Not until you say it,” Shoichi’s eyes met Yamazaki with a taunting grin.

“Don’t force her to say something against her will,” Yamazaki growled and Shoichi heard Riko’s voice rising in his ear.

“Who are you with?” He could imagine her narrowing her eye. “Was that Yamazaki? Shoichi, what are you trying to do? I’m going to hang up—”

“Riko,” He interrupted with a much more serious and sober voice. For some reason, the cold water didn’t cool him down. His body became hot as if he was still drinking and his heart was thumping against his chest. His breathing became shaky. “I love you.”

There was a collective silence from both sides of his ears that he could only conclude was blood rushing through. Something settled and unsettled in his stomach, flopping around irritably after he said those words.

He heard her sigh from the other side. He knew he had put her in a rough spot and was taking advantage of that.

She couldn’t say no to that.

“I love you, too,” She sounded exhausted and Shoichi concluded that it must have been due to her long day. “So hurry the fuck home so I can beat you up.”

“Roger.”

He hung up, almost forgetting that he had an audience of at least ten officers. Even Aomine had somehow woken up from his drunken slumber, looking more alert than before.

He ignored their gazes and slowly got up. He threw a few bills on the table before walking up to Yamazaki with an arrogant smirk on his face.

“If Riko chooses to date another guy, she’s free to do so,” His smirk became much more cheerful though the unsettling feeling in his stomach remained. “However, he’ll have a lot of problems coming his way – her pride, her father, and me.

“So,” He made his way to the sliding door, still smiling but he opened his eyes slightly to look down at Yamazaki, “They better be ready.”

Note: This was supposed to come out earlier but I came home late and fell asleep so I didn’t really get a chance to post it.

Something is afoot on Akashi’s side and Imayoshi is showing some...possessiveness?

There was a lot of things I wanted to include but I didn’t feel like this would be the right time. I’m also changing a little bit of how I’m writing because it’s pretty stressful to cram everything I want in one chapter.

The scene with Imayoshi was supposed to be different but I ended up with this instead? I guess that’s how the flow of things work. And I want to advance their relationship a bit more, whether platonic or not.