#frank wellington

[summersnow82]

Somethin' Bad - Part 16

Summary: In which Constance Hackett is a wretched hag, Travis doesn't know how to handle his own trauma, and Frank makes another appearance. (Because I love him.)

Author note: Thanks for sticking with me, folks. This will probably be my last update until the new year. My beautiful boy brought some nasty bug home from school, and I'm completely exhausted. Your kudos, comments, reblogs, etc. are all so deeply appreciated; you have no idea how much I appreciate it.

I feel like I've read the line "A prisoner can't be a girlfriend" in another fanfic, so I'm going to go a-huntin' and see if I can track it down. I can't get it out of my head, and I need to give proper credit.

UPDATE: A big thank you to @prurientpuddlejumper for your help. It was your fic, “Through the Bars” where I read that line! (Chapter 5, cause I reread it all last night.) 😊

Trigger Warning: Constance is her own trigger warning, but she's especially wretched here. Foreshadowing to additional Travis trauma. Don't worry, my lovelies. I promise our boy will have a happy ending.

---------------

Annabelle was livid as she stood behind Travis; she was seething she was so incensed. She had been raised in a loving home with parents who did their best, and while they weren’t perfect, home was a safe haven. She had been grounded more times than she cared to count, but her folks apologized when they were wrong, and worked hard to have an open line of communication with her and her sister. Now, watching this bizarre Hackett family interaction, particularly with Constance, Annabelle began to understand some of the reasons her stoic sheriff behaved the way he did.

Like hiding the romance novels. Bet mama wasn’t a fan of that, she thought.

A pang of guilt overwhelmed her at the thought; she should’ve gone to the station with him. Maybe then they wouldn’t be in this mess. Then again, Annabelle hadn’t planned to open the front door. She assumed the commotion outside was bound to catch someone’s attention, Travis would get a call, and rush home. But for someone her age, Constance Hackett didn’t tire easily; in fact, she seemed to grow more enraged as more time passed until Annabelle finally believed she would make good on her threat and burn the house down.

She couldn’t let that happen to Travis.

Now, he stood in front of her taking an attack intended for her, an attack Annabelle knew she could’ve easily deflected, even with her damaged arm. Travis probably could’ve deflected it, too, but he didn’t; he took the slap, and now Constance was raising her hand again.

“No! Travis, no!” Annabelle heard the desperation in her voice and hated it, but she wasn’t going to stand there and watch him get beat. Intuition told her he would take the beating without a sound, and if Constance had taught Annabelle anything in their brief time together it was once she got started it would only get worse.

“Ma!” Bobby cried out from the side, obviously confused and upset by what was happening. His father hushed him, but the large man still looked concerned; like he knew something was wrong, but he couldn’t put a finger on it.

The horror of their situation made it hard to breathe; she could handle monsters any day of the week, but she struggled with abuse. She knew – she knew – Travis had grown up like this; taking verbal and physical abuse, and probably a good deal of emotional neglect, at that. She would not – could not – stand by and watch this happen. Her body moved of it’s own accord, and she was ducking under Travis’ arm before she could think. Constance was swinging her arm up to clock Travis in the face, her hand contorted like a claw, when Annabelle grabbed it with her good arm, twisting to pivot Constance’s body in the opposite direction.

The move required correct technique, but little strength, and Constance was quickly tumbling to the ground with the force of her own velocity. She heard Jedediah cry out and rush to his wife’s side, both looking up at Annabelle with a mixture of shock and fury. “How dare - ,” Constance began, but Annabelle cut her off.

“You will not touch him again, do you hear me? I know your kind, and you will not touch him EVER again.” She was trembling with rage as she looked down at Travis’ parents, but her voice was miraculously low and steady. “Travis Hackett is a good man, and a good son, and a good sheriff, and you will not touch him ever again. Do you hear me?” She repeated herself, partially because she was too angry to think of anything else to say, but also because she wanted them to know she meant it. She’d imagined this scene with Sean and his father hundreds of times, inventing ways she’d save her best friend from his deep-rooted trauma, but Sean’s father wasn’t here: Constance and Jedediah Hackett were.

In her peripheral she noticed Bobby wasn’t moving; he seemed stunned by what was unraveling. Jedediah was helping Constance up, both looking at Annabelle with intense hatred, and perhaps something bordering on respect. Annabelle assumed very few people stood up to the Hackett family, but their respect wasn’t something she was interested in.

She’d take their fear, though.

Constance stood, clenching her fists, eyes bulging. “I’ll kill you for that, girlie.”

“Try.” Annabelle breathed the word, but she knew they heard her, and they knew she was not afraid. She felt like a mongoose facing down two cobras; they had no idea what she could do, but she would be happy to show them. Constance raised her hand again, and Annabelle couldn’t help it: she smiled.

“Constance Hackett, what the sam hill do you think you are doing?” A new voice rang out across Travis’ front yard breaking the tension. All eyes turned to see Frank Wellington standing on the sidewalk. He was accompanied by a lovely, well-dressed woman around his age, one of her arms looped through his while the other carried a pie plate.

“Hey, Father Wellington! Hey, Mrs. Wellington!” Bobby smiled, waving at the couple.

Annabelle blinked. Father Wellington?

“Hey there, Bobby,” the woman said, flashing him a sincere smile before looking back up at Frank. “Honey?”

Frank had appeared so sweet and passive in the whole five minutes Annabelle had spent with him, but the look on his face now was stern and full of reproach. Travis’ hands were on Annabelle’s shoulders in a flash, wheeling her back towards the house. “Travis,” she protested, but he shushed her, and continued to shove her firmly.

“Get in the damn house,” he muttered, clearly taking advantage of the distraction. “Before someone dies.” He gave her a firm thrust that almost got her over the threshold, and she whirled, glaring at him defiantly.

“I will not - ,” she began.

“You get back here, you little witch!” Jedediah’s voice made both of them freeze, and they turned to see him pointing a finger at Annabelle. “We ain’t done here yet.”

“Jedediah, get your house in order, and leave the poor girl alone,” Frank called, moving swiftly in his direction. “And learn to park,” he added, motioning towards Jedediah’s truck. “This how you show your son respect?”

“You ain’t a priest no more,” Constance hollered at him, her venom just as potent. “We don’t have to listen to you.”

“Constance, let’s not kid ourselves: you never listen to anyone but yourself.” Frank seemed unimpressed. “And if we’re being honest, the whole town knows Travis is a saint for putting up with your nonsense.” Annabelle felt Travis’ grip on her tighten, and Frank glanced their way. “You two kids all right?”

“Yes, sir,” Travis said with a brief nod.

“Yes, Mr. Wellington.”

Frank gave a small nod their way before turning back to the senior Hacketts. “Why can’t you let the boy be happy, Constance? You have to take everything from him?” His words seemed weighted, and Constance’s body language indicated more was being said than Annabelle understood.

“You can’t prove nothing,” she retorted.

“No witnesses,” Jedediah added, and Annabelle frowned. What the actual what now?

Frank gave them a hard stare. “Except God.” The senior Hacketts seemed to waver just slightly in their resolve, but Frank was already moving on. “Unlike this little display,” he said, gesturing with a hand. “Lots of witnesses. Lots of folks saying you started it, and she,” he pointed in Annabelle’s direction, “was just defending herself.” Constance’s eyes flickered to her husband. “Think maybe it’s time you got going.” Constance’s eyes narrowed, and she thrust forward, saying something so low Annabelle couldn’t make it out, but Frank seemed unfazed.

To the side of them, Frank’s female companion was holding the pie plate out to Bobby. “Now, you enjoy this, sweetheart. I can make another just like that!” She snapped her fingers, and Bobby grinned, taking the plate with glee. “And don’t you be a stranger, now. You pop on by whenever you like, m’kay?”

“Yes ma’am,” the younger man replied, grinning with delight.

“Give it back, Bobby,” Constance cried as she turned, stalking back to the truck. “You ain’t eating one of Darlene Wellington’s pies in my house.”

“Aww, Ma.” He paused, before an idea obviously struck him. “Can I eat it outside the house?” Darlene chuckled, and gave Bobby a quick pat on the shoulder.

“You take care, darlin. Bye, Connie!” Darlene called sweetly, waving at Constance and Jedediah as they got into the pickup, both fuming. Bobby clambered in the backseat, holding the pie plate like newly unearthed treasure. The car doors slammed, and the truck revved out of Travis’ front yard leaving skid marks as a parting gift. “I won’t be seeing that pie plate again,” Darlene sighed, looking relieved despite her revelation. “Travis, honey, I’ll make you another pie tonight.”

“That’s all right, Mrs. Wellington,” he said, both his voice and face devoid of emotion.

“Nonsense,” Darlene continued on. “You’re an angel for taking care of those bats for us.” She frowned, stepping closer to him, and raising her hand to his cheek, her hand hovering over a forming bruise. “Let’s get some frozen peas on that, sweetheart.” She took his hand, leading him into his house with so much confidence Annabelle could only blink and follow along.

“My wife is a very take-charge kind of woman,” Frank said, coming up behind Annabelle, chuckling softly. “But it’s only because she means well.” He craned his head, surveying her closely. “Are you all right, Alice?”

Annabelle opened her mouth, and then closed it, remembering her alias. She honestly hadn’t expected to use it much, but here they were. “I suppose so,” she answered honestly, still in shock. “That was… bizarre.”

“That’s one word for it,” Frank admitted, shutting the door behind them. “But you looked like you were handling yourself well.”

Annabelle cast her eyes back to Travis who was currently being fussed over by Darlene. “Are they always so… awful?”

Frank sighed. “The Hacketts are one of the oldest families here in North Kill. I’m afraid with that comes a feeling of entitlement to do or say as they please. Constance minded her manners better when Hank was still sheriff, at least.”

She turned to Frank, her brow furrowed. “What did you mean about taking everything from Travis?” She kept her voice low, and Frank frowned as if he were debating on what to say next.

“Alice, sweetheart, will you come hold this pack of peas to Travis’ face while I hunt for some castor oil? We’ll keep that handsome face from bruising in no time,” Darlene said.

Annabelle moved to Travis who currently had his eyes closed like he was counting to ten over and over. She raised her hand to his face, and he gruffly but quietly said, “I can hold the damn peas to my own face.” He opened his dark eyes, glaring down at her. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Me?” Annabelle asked in shock. “Are you serious?”

“I could’ve handled it,” he replied, placing the peas down on the kitchen counter.

“By what? Taking a frontal assault? I can deflect those all day long,” she shot back, her tone growing defensive.

“If you had just stayed in the house…,” he started.

“She would’ve burned it down!” Annabelle cried. “Travis, she was out there for a good twenty minutes or more wailing on the front door like a lunatic!” Annabelle thrust her arm out in the direction of his front door. “I kept waiting for windows to shatter.”

“I could’ve handled it,” he repeated through clenched teeth.

“Like I imagine you’ve done your whole life,” she shot back. She regretted the words the minute they were out of her mouth; she saw the flicker of pain in his eyes and the wince as he set his jaw. He was already in enough pain, and she’d just piled on. “Travis, wait, I didn’t mean that. I didn’t - .”

“You can’t stay here.” He drew his mouth in a tight line, staring down at the kitchen counter. “Not tonight. Maybe not anymore.” His eyes flicked up at her, and she saw the softness edging away. He was going back to the no-nonsense officer, leaving any sweetness or gentility behind.

“Here we are!” Darlene called, whisking back into the room with a small brown bottle in hand. She read the room instantly, glancing at her husband who’d been watching the lover’s quarrel unravel before him. “Oh, dear.”

“You know, honey,” Frank said softly, breaking the tension, “You just got that guest bedroom looking so nice. Why don’t we have Alice over for a night or two? Let some of this… tension… die down a bit. What do you think, Travis?”

Travis was still staring at Annabelle like he had in the interrogation room, completely devoid of warmth. “Sounds fine, Frank.”

Annabelle narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. “We would love the company, darling,” Darlene said, coming over to give Annabelle’s shoulders a squeeze. “Give him time to miss you, dear,” she said softly.

“Doubtful,” Annabelle replied, pulling away. “Besides, all my things are in the wash.”

“I’ll drop it by when they’re dry,” Travis drawled, uninterested.

“There’s a roast in the oven!”

He shrugged, staring back at her like it didn’t matter. Like she didn’t matter. Like nothing they’d shared together had mattered at all. She wanted to slap him, hit him, scream at him, anything to get some response - anything but his stupid, blank, cruel cop face. She’d earned more than that by now. Instead, Annabelle stepped back, arching a brow in his direction. Ice cold words danced on her tongue begging to be let loose. Sharp, cruel thoughts she’d be ashamed of later lashed at her mind. So much to say, and none of it kind.

Just like his mother.

The revelation was like an ice bucket being dumped over her head, and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. He must have noticed the shift in her demeanor, because for a moment – a brief moment – his face relaxed, and she saw her Travis looking at her with something akin to concern.

“I need… I need a minute,” Annabelle said, stepping back and accidentally bumping into Darlene. “Excuse me.” She turned, rushing to the bathroom, the bile rising in her throat.

----------

Travis felt like a grade-A, double-prime jerk as he watched Annabelle hurry off to the bathroom. She’d gone from looking furious to so pale so quickly he thought she might pass out. He closed his eyes, rubbing a hand over his face. He had screwed up again, and he didn’t know if he could fix it this time.

“Why haven’t you told her yet?”

Travis sighed. He still had an audience, and despite how much he loved Frank and Darlene it still mortified him to know they’d witnessed his family hysterics again. “Frank, not now.”

“Then when, exactly? If you’re going to have a successful relationship with this girl you need to be honest about your past.”

Travis wanted to laugh. Under normal circumstances, Frank would be right, and Travis would be compelled to share. But he wasn’t really dating Annabelle, and a possibility of a relationship wasn’t going to arise. A prisoner can’t be a girlfriend, and even if she didn’t view herself that way he still had Sean locked up. There was no way – no healthy, legitimate way – Travis and Annabelle could ever be together.

“We’re… she and I… we’re not what you think, Frank,” Travis said softly, still unable to meet the older man’s eyes.

“It’ll be all right, darling,” Darlene said softly, patting Travis on the shoulder. “I’ll go put her things in the dryer. Give y’all a chance to talk.”

Frank waited until Darlene was out of the room before he moved closer to Travis. “You need to tell her or you’re going to lose her, son.”

Travis blew air hard out of his nose, whirling to face the older man. “I’m not your son, dammit.”

“Language,” Frank said firmly, pointing a finger at Travis. “Now I know you’re angry, but don’t take it out on me.” He paused. “Or her.”

Travis huffed, crossing his arms across his chest as he leaned back against the kitchen counter. He looked like a defiant teenager. “She can hold her own,” Travis muttered, not daring to meet Frank’s eyes.

“You mean that stunt with your mother out there?” Frank thrust his thumb in the direction of the door. “That was impressive, but I’m talking emotions, Travis. She cares about you, son,” Frank said, moving closer. “And I think you care about her, too. Am I wrong?” Travis sucked his teeth and averted his eyes; it was all the answer Frank needed. “Y’know, I talked to Evie last month.”

Travis’ head jerked up at the mention of his ex-girlfriend’s name. “You did?”

Frank nodded. “Always calls me on the anniversary every year to say thank you. To remember.”

Travis stared down at his toes as he focused on his breathing. “She wants to remember?” He heard Frank step closer, and when the older man put a reassuring hand on shoulder he didn’t flinch. He squeezed his eyes as tight as he could, and dug his short nails into his arms so redirect the pain.

“I know you’re sending her away to protect her, son,” Frank said, his voice soft and gentle. “Just make sure she knows it, too, okay?”

Travis sucked on his teeth, thinking about Frank’s advice. He’d known Frank most of his life, and he’d always offered Travis love, respect, and advice with the best intentions. Still… there were some things Frank didn’t know about – things like werewolves and time travelers.

“I’ve got to get back to work,” he said, straightening to his full height, and still avoiding Frank’s eyes. “I’ll call later to check in.” He heard Frank call after him, but he kept walking, clenching his fists tightly by his side.

The ride back to the station was a blur; Travis was still trying to process everything that just unfolded, and all the damage he would have to fix. But first things first – he’d left Sean in the showers in his rush to get home, and he needed to make sure he was safe and secure for the night.

The station was quiet when he arrived which wasn’t a real reason to worry. The apple pie sitting on one of the abandoned desks was, though – it was the same pie Darlene had given Bobby. A chill ran through Travis; the last time his brother came to the station… well, there was a reason Travis didn’t like to use the middle jail cell.

He felt the barrel of the shotgun in the small of his back before he heard anything, and Travis silently chastised himself. Annabelle and Sean had been open and honest with him about their abilities, and he’d taken their words as bravado and pride. He realized now how wrong he had been. “Hello, Sheriff,” Sean said, his voice lacking the friendly tone he normally used with Travis. “Where’s Annabelle?”

[small-spanish-face]

19 gay little microbes.

[aa-power-of-nine]

Behold, the complete third sheet of minis for Minis for All! (I wonder who will start off my fourth one when I get to it xD)

[bagelbun333]

The death penalty in Ace Attorney | The fandom’s biggest misconception

Capital punishment is something we all know is a real consequence when it comes to murder in Ace Attorney, but do all culprits who commit these crimes actually get the death penalty? That’s what I’m going to go through in depth within this post!

CW and TW: mentions of death, execution, murder, suicide etc.

Also major spoilers for basically all the mainline ace attorney games!

To start off with, what exactly warrants a death penalty in Japanifornia? Murder has been referred to as a capital crime that deserves a capital punishment, which in turn led people to believe that all murder convicts get the death sentence. However, there is a slight mistranslation within that statement and it should say “murder is a charge that risks the death penalty.” “Risk” is the keyword here. While yes, it is possible murder charges can warrant the death penalty, that doesn’t mean every culprit will get executed. Like, this isn’t Danganronpa 😭 What people don’t think about is the different kinds of murder charges there are, and the differences in sentencing this can create.

Murder charges can go from:

1st Degree Murder - Premeditated/long time planning

2nd Degree Murder - Not premeditated but the intent is there within the moment/deliberate killing

3rd Degree Murder - Deliberate reckless behaviour resulting in death

Aggravated Murder - Murder when an aggravating circumstance is proven (such as kidnapping or torture)

Voluntary Manslaughter - Intention to kill but is not guilty of murder due to provocation or mental incapacity

Involuntary Manslaughter - Killing without intention within the heat of the moment

Self Defence - Killing for defence of oneself

Consensual Homicide - Assisting a suicide

Attempted Murder - Planning and failing to kill

In Japan (the country this series is initially based on) these charges have different kinds of sentences depending on circumstances. So naturally, Japanifornia must have punishments very similar to this. These are the sentences for these crimes in Japan according to my research:

1st Degree - 5 years to life imprisonment

2nd Degree - 5 years to life imprisonment

3rd Degree - 3 to 5 years imprisonment

Aggravated Murder - Death penalty or life imprisonment

Voluntary Manslaughter - 1 to 15 years imprisonment

Involuntary Manslaughter - 1 to 15 years imprisonment

Consensual Homicide - 6 months to 7 years imprisonment

Self Defence - No imprisonment

Attempted Murder - 5 years to life imprisonment

Death penalties are usually passed in cases of multiple murders, although there are exceptions where individuals have committed a single murder that have been executed because it involved torture, extreme brutality or kidnapping with a demand for ransom. It is punishable by five years to life in prison, and with the death penalty if aggravating circumstances are proven. The only exception is for juvenile offenders since the minimum age for capital punishment in Japan is 18.

With this, we can work out what kinds of charges each of the ace attorney culprits will be given. (Mostly for the Phoenix Wright trilogy since I can’t recall much beyond aa4.)

(For clarification’s sake: a “/” is used when a crime could be one or the other or both, while the “,” is used to separate different crimes.)

Frank Sahwit: 2nd Degree Murder

Redd White: 1st Degree Murder

April May: 1st Degree Murder (Accomplice)

Dee Vasquez: Self Defence/Voluntary Manslaughter

Yanni Yogi: 1st Degree Murder

Manfred von Karma: 2nd Degree Murder, 1st Degree Murder (accomplice, planned out)

Joe Darke: Serial Murders (technically spree murder, guilty on five counts)

Damon Gant: 1st Degree Murder, 2nd Degree Murder (Serial Murders)

Lana Skye: 1st Degree Murder, 2nd Degree Murder (Unwilling Accomplice in both)

Richard Wellington: 2nd Degree Murder/Involuntary Manslaughter

Mimi Miney: 1st Degree Murder

Morgan Fey: 1st Degree Murder, Attempted Murder (Accomplice in both, planned out the crime)

Acro: Attempted Murder, Involuntary Manslaughter

Matt Engarde: 1st Degree Murder (Hired a hitman), Consensual Homicide (driven a woman to kill herself)

Dahlia Hawthorne: 1st Degree Murder, Consensual Homicide, 3 counts of Attempted Murder, and 2nd Degree Murder (Serial Murders)

Luke Atmey: 1st Degree Murder

Furio Tigre: Either 1st or 2nd Degree Murder

Godot: Voluntary Manslaughter/Self Defence (defending someone else)

Iris: Voluntary Manslaughter (accomplice)

Kristoph Gavin: 2 counts of 1st Degree Murder, Attempted Murder (Serial Murders)

Those who canonically got the death penalty:

- Joe Darke

- Dahlia Hawthorne

- Terry Fawles

- Simon Blackquill

Those who canonically got the death penalty but didn’t get executed:

- Terry Fawles (he died anyway rip)

- Simon Blackquill

Those who are most likely to get the death penalty but never canonically stated:

- Manfred von Karma (not explicitly stated but heavily implied)

- Damon Gant

- Matt Engarde

- Morgan Fey (vaguely implied)

- Kristoph Gavin

- The Phantom

Those who don’t get the death penalty:

- Frank Sahwit

- Redd White (he would if his blackmail victims got leaked)

- April May

- Dee Vasquez

- Yanni Yogi

- Lana Skye

- Richard Wellington (could be a chance that he would considering his victim was a police officer)

- Mimi Miney (unsure considering her accomplice is implied to be on death row)

- Acro

- Luke Atmey

- Furio Tigre

- Godot

- Iris

To recap, the death penalty in Japanifornia is reserved for the criminals with absolutely no hope for rehabilitation, and for those who have aggravated murder charges/serial murder charges. Even people like Redd White will not receive the death penalty.

After all, Redd White did plead guilty to Mia’s murder specifically because getting arrested for one murder would be safer than having his list of blackmail victims get leaked to the press. It would be strange to confess for his own safety if he was just going to get executed anyway.

In the later games it is shown that the law is changing, and the death penalty is even less involved when culprits are convicted of murder. (Not counting charges in Khura’in, that’s different.) So it is very possible that the punishments can change overtime for those who were already convicted; meaning there’s a chance that they can be given a lighter sentence later on. There’s even a culprit in aa5 who was planning a murder but ended up killing someone else accidentally, and they were released from prison mere months after the trial. If they can released for that then surely a lot of the other culprits deserve the same treatment.

Speaking of Khura’in, that is actually more of a parody of what the fandom thought Japanifornia’s death penalty worked like. Even then, after the ending aa6, it looks like that judicial system will change for the better too.

And that’s pretty much it! The reason I wanted to go through this topic is because the whole murder = death penalty ideology is taken way out of proportion, and has been treated as a fact for far too long when it’s actually not completely true. This is just what I’ve managed to research and you can feel free to believe it or not, but I really wanted to share a new perspective on this subject. I, for one, wanted to share some hope for people; especially because I know a lot of these culprits have a lot of fans, and they deserve to have a brighter perspective on these characters. I definitely want some of these characters to return and this research really helped me feel confident that some of them have the potential to make a comeback.

Plus with the HD release of, not only the Apollo trilogy, but the Edgeworth collection in the same year, it’s more than likely that aa7 will bring back old characters! The reason a lot of these old characters didn’t make a reappearance sooner is because Capcom stood by this “no spoiler” rule for the players who may have missed out on certain games in this series. But now that we have all the mainline games in the series getting a HD release on all modern platforms, this “no spoiler” rule will most likely not be necessary anymore!

No more of this “if they’re guilty they’re never coming back” bs, let’s be more hopeful! It’s actually less likely that all culprits would get executed than the majority not getting executed. Let’s bffr!

And even if they don’t come back in aa7, we now have a more clear understanding on this messy topic, and you can feel free to use my analysis as a way to explain ace attorney culprits being able to leave prison in fanfictions, roleplays, fanarts etc. Don’t let the fandom tell you what to do >:3

Unrelated but I think this has been my first analysis post I put on tumblr and it was very fun to delve into! I may make more if anyone is interested :3c

[laughing-moonlight]

AU where the death penalty is abolished after Dahlia is executed. So they all have to live together. In the one prison in Japanifornia.

(Frank, Redd, Dee, Manfred & Damon escape the DP because Dahlia was arrested before the first game)

[etchif]

some design ideas n concepts

[imsosocold]

“Um, this character was made to be unsympathetic and irredeemable-”Bitch you underestimate me and my attachment to terrible people.  

[dunebrainrotmtg]

Magic the Gathering cards reimagined with Frank Herbert's Dune novels and movie adaptations.

[maimreddwhite]

this is a very funny concept to me. the aa4-aa6 criminals are here in spirit

[dragkingnames]

Beef Swellington

[small-spanish-face]

Hello sorry for the textpost inactivity here ya go

[askaceattorney]

Dear Anonymous,

Aside from the three you mentioned, the only ones I’d consider those I knew were guilty right off the bat at first glance were Acro, Furio Tigre and technically Shelly de Killer.

For Shelly de Killer, he pretty much outed himself the moment he took Maya hostage, so he was obvious by admission. For Acro, I knew it couldn’t have been the other circus performers and his room was located right above the crime scene where the flying Max Galactica was located, so it had to have been him by default. If not for admission or being the only possible culprit, I wouldn’t have even guessed by first meeting Shelly de Killer or Acro.

Now, Furio Tigre, there was no question it was him. The fact he looked like me, aside from the tanner skin, personality and the way he talked made it clear there couldn’t have been anyone else. So, I’d say Furio Tigre was the most obvious at first glance.

(If only all of my cases were this easy.)

- Phoenix Wright

[beelze-bruh]

Suk Doctor Wellington Yueh. House Atreides. Planet Caladan. Trained by the Suk Medical School, Dr Yueh bears the school's customary diamond tattoo of imperial conditioning upon his forehead that renders him incapable of committing any intentional form of violence or injury upon another human. He's saved countless lives under service to House Atreides and is well renowned for the great wisdom he's gained over the course of his life through his study of the ancient religion of Orange Catholicism. He is one of Prince Paul Atreides' teachers alongside Mentat Thufir Hawat, Warmaster Gurney Halleck, Swordmaster Duncan Idaho, and his parents Lady Jessica Atreides and Duke Leto Atreides. The good doctor bears a terrible secret however. His Imperial conditioning has been broken by the centuries long rivals of House Atreides, House Harkonnen, who captured the doctor without the Atreides' knowledge. Even worse, the Harkonnens have his wife held captive, and he must do anything and everything necessary to save her, no matter how traitorous to his own house.

[summersnow82]

Somethin' Bad - Part 18

Summary: We get a glimpse into the Hackett's past.

Trigger Warnings: Attempted murder, abuse, pregnancy loss, miscarriage

Author's Note: I apologize for the delay - I've had some medical issues that have taken up a LOT of head space for me, plus it's baseball season for the kiddos. (Y'all, T-Ball is the cutest thing EVER!) Thanks for sticking with me. This chapter's a bit short, and I'll do my best to get the next out quicker.

Part 18

“Who did you lose, Travis?” The question hung in the air, and Travis let the silence grow between him and the younger man. Sean’s gaze didn’t waiver, and he seemed content to wait for an answer.

Travis looked away first, scoffing as he grabbed for the bottle again. “Shaddup.” Sean waited, his piercing blue eyes steady on Travis; blue eyes much brighter than Evie’s.

“Oh, honey, that’s… that’s a big question right there.” Annabelle was surprised her question was the one thing to seemingly throw Darlene’s composure. “I mean, you really should be asking Travis about this.”

“Travis isn’t here, though,” Annabelle replied gently. “And honestly, after what happened today I think I have a right to know what’s going on if I’m going to stick around.”

“Tell her, Darlene,” Frank’s said, stopping in his tracks to turn and look at the two women. They’d finally left Travis’ house, and Frank had insisted on carrying Annabelle’s backpack. She’d crammed as much of her and Sean’s things in as possible, and the weight was clearly getting to the older man. “Tell her,” he repeated. “She deserves to know if she’s going to continue seeing him. Needs to know what she’s getting herself into.”

Darlene sighed, resigned to the fact her husband was right. That didn’t make it any easier, though. “Oh, honey.”

Evelyn House was one of the prettiest girls in North Kill. Her beauty radiated from the inside out, only emphasizing her chestnut curls and slate blue eyes. She was fair of face with a figure like a 1950s starlet, and she was known for her keen intellect and gentle demeanor. It was odd to the townsfolk of North Kill she would willingly choose to date a Hackett boy, especially Travis. Despite their prestige and history within the town, everyone knew Constance Hackett had lofty goals for all her boys, none of which included dating a small town girl.

Travis, on the other hand, fell for Evelyn the first time she smiled at him from across the chapel during mass. She was surrounded by kids from their class, but it was clear she would have preferred to be by his side.

“Travis has always had that air about him like a wounded animal. Makes a kind soul like Evelyn want to take him in, and breathe life back into him.”

And she did.

Whenever Travis was around Evie he felt loved, important, seen. His mother’s criticism didn’t sting as much, and his father’s indifference didn’t seem as palpable. Constance noticed, and she did not approve.

“I planned to marry her. Planned to have a whole mess of kids with her. An unplanned pregnancy before the wedding didn’t bother me, but it sure bothered her pa.”

“I will never, ever understand parents who cast their children out,” Darlene said, shaking her head sadly. “Travis was so brave, standing up to Hugo, and telling him a baby was a blessing no matter what. Telling him they were going to get married anyway. Her daddy wouldn’t hear it, though. Said he’d give her the abortion himself.” Annabelle shuddered at the thought. “I’ve never seen Travis so terrified.”

Frank had slowed his pace, wrapping an arm around his wife as he sensed her grief. “Darlene took Evie in after that. The poor girl was too scared to stay in her own house.”

“She finished the semester out with me. Her parents didn’t even come to graduation, although I know her mama wanted to come. I knew Hugo was a hard man, but I didn’t know how hard.”

Annabelle felt a chill run down her spine, and the hair on her arms raise; some of the puzzle pieces were beginning to fall into place.

Constance Hackett never liked Evelyn, but Chris and Bobby adored her. Travis was excited for the baby, and they were happy for their brother and soon to be sister-in-law.

“I suppose… you hope for something long enough when it eventually happens you don’t stop to question why it’s happening. I should’ve warned her. Should’ve been more suspicious. But I thought...”

“Evie wanted Connie to like her so badly, especially after everything that happened with her folks. She was so happy when Connie invited her over. ‘Just us girls’, she’d said. Had the boys set up to go fishing while they had tea and talked about the nursery Connie was working on.”

North Kill was quiet as Darlene spoke, as if the town knew what was coming, and it held too much respect for the past to make a sound. The trio stood in a small circle on the sidewalk under a tree slowly waking up to the coming spring. Silent tears ran down Frank’s face while Darlene’s eyes shone brightly with her own tears threatening to overflow.

Sean’s breath was caught in his chest. Travis had been silent for a long time now, staring off in the distance, reliving the past. When his eyes finally fell on Sean they looked vacant and hollow. “You’re lucky you survived that house, you know. Most of us don’t.”

Looking back, Evelyn admitted Constance’s insistence of having the nursery on the third floor was odd. Evelyn overlooked it, though, chiding herself for even acknowledging the mental red flag when Constance was making such an effort to bury the hatchet. One minute she was standing at the top of the stairs, and the next she was in the hospital in anguish.

Annabelle was shaking her head, willing away the words she knew were coming next. “No.”

“The baby didn’t make it,” Darlene whispered, a sob breaking through, and she buried her face in her hands.

Frank moved to wrap his arms around his wife, meeting Annabelle’s horrified stare as she continued to shake her head. “No. No.”

“Dunno if it was the surgery or the understanding of what happened, but Evie barely made it through. Her folks didn’t show for awhile. Her ma finally came by to say she could come home now that the baby was gone.” Travis’ mouth twisted into a hard knot, and he took another swig from the bottle.

“...and your mom?” Sean was afraid to ask. The nausea was building, bile rising in his throat as the story continued to unravel.

Travis cast a withering glare in his direction. “What do you think, college boy?”

Evelyn refused to press charges even though everyone suspected she didn’t lose her balance as Constance claimed. Any cordial feeling Constance had presented were gone, and she never stepped foot in the hospital. It was suspected, though never proven, that Evelyn laid on the floor far longer than Constance originally stated; an ambulance only gave Constance the illusion of caring, and the doctors suspected the bruising on Evie’s stomach was from more than a hard fall down several flights of stairs.

“Hank tried to get Evie to press charges, but she wouldn’t do it. Kept saying it wouldn’t bring back her baby boy. All it would do would cause Travis more pain, and she wouldn’t do that. Loved him too much.”

Annabelle felt cold all over. “Get in the house before someone dies,” she murmured, recalling Travis’s words earlier. She felt like she was going to be sick again. “Where is Evie now?” She asked hesitantly.

“Her aunt and uncle down in North Carolina heard the news. They were livid with her folks. Came all the way up here, and offered to take her back with them. She could go to college there, and what scholarships didn’t cover they’d take care of for her.” Travis shrugged. “Seemed like good people for the short time I met them.”

“He told her to go. Told her it was a chance she couldn’t pass up. Tried to seem casual about it, but I know that boy inside and out,” Frank said softly. “He cast her out like he did you because he knew in his gut what his mother had done. Knew it even if no one could prove it. Knew she’d try again, and this time Evie wouldn’t survive.” Frank held her gaze steady and intensely, and Annabelle knew he was thinking of what could’ve happened if they hadn’t shown up this afternoon. Annabelle’s chill grew. “He didn’t turn you out because he doesn’t love you anymore,” Frank said firmly, holding her gaze. “He turned you out to keep history from repeating itself.”

Sean swallowed the bile rising in his throat. Travis was wrapping his story up. “… last I heard she was teaching Kindergarten. Got married, adopted a couple a kids on account of…,” he trailed off, sniffing and taking a long pull from the almost empty bottle. “On account of my mother’s handiwork preventing her from having kids on her own.” He shook his head, laughing bitterly. “Called herself damaged goods. Said I should marry someone who could give me kids of my own.” Travis slammed the bottle down on the desk so hard a framed picture tipped off the side. Sean reached for it quickly, catching it before it hit the ground. “See how well that worked out, huh?”

Sean stared at the picture in front of him. Travis was in his army uniform, kneeling next to a little boy.

“My nephew Caleb,” Travis told him, reaching for the picture. “One of the few who tried to save you from that hell of a house.”

Sean was silent for a moment, trying to read Travis’ face. “I’ll make sure to thank him,” he replied softly. “Travis - ,” he began.

“Don’t.” Travis shook his head, tilting the bottle back to finish it off. “Just… you asked. Now you know.”

“So now you know,” Darlene said, her voice wispy from her tears.

“Yeah,” Annabelle replied quietly, nodding. “Now I know.” And I kinda wish I didn’t, she added silently. Because now… now she understood Travis on a whole new level. Now it felt like there was much more at stake than just ending a werewolf curse.

[etchif]

I miss my wife Tails I miss her a lot