#girl we've been knowing how to blanch-

[kirvee]

in this household we love jason ritter

[corkinavoid]

DPxDC Demon Children Are Multiplying

This idea is still stuck in my head, and I might even end up writing something out of it, but for now, I just thought of something equally really, really stupid and really, really funny.

What if I combine that idea with Al Ghul Twins. I don't know how. Maybe Talia was cautious about Ra's not wanting to keep two kids for a position of Heir, or maybe she staged Danny's death, or maybe something else entirely happened. But anyway, Danny is Damian's twin.

Then, Dani is the same age as Danny in this AU. And Dan is de-aged to be the same age as both of them.

Now behold an absolute train wreck of a situation where Bruce attends a Gala hosted by Vladimir Masters. Together with Damian, of course, and maybe other batkids are there too. They all part their ways to make their rounds or whatnot. And they all keep seeing Damian wherever they go. Just everywhere.

Dick is talking to someone, and Damian walks past him, not paying him any attention. Which is not surprising, but a little rude, and, wait, wasn't he wearing a red tie? When did he change it to green one?

Tim is just going on the top floor to greet a lady he recognizes from some other event, and Damian all but storms in the opposite direction, only letting Tim catch a glimpse of his face. But when Tim turns around, he is really confused: the person running down the stairs is clearly a girl, albeit she is wearing a suit. Her long hair is up in a complicated braid. Why did he even mistake her for Damian?

But the ultimate confusion happens when Bruce is talking to Vladimir Masters, and a very familiar voice calls, "Father". Because both he and Vladimir turn to face the boy and ask, "Yes?" at the same time.

Damian is standing there, looking between Bruce and Vlad. He looks a little off somehow, but before Bruce can figure out why, the boy blinks and focuses on Vlad.

"We've been looking for you," he tells the man, and, wait, when was Damian looking for Masters? Furthermore, who is we?

But then another child comes closer. And-

That's Damian.

That's two Damians.

Wait, no, none of them are Damians.

"What is it?" Vladimir raises an eyebrow, not paying too much attention to Bruce's blanched expression.

A third child comes towards them, and this one also looks like Damian, only this one is a girl.

"Template's duplicate is here," she says, and Vlad frowns, turning to the Damian lookalike in the middle.

"Have you had another incident that I don't know of?"

Whatever answer the boy wanted to give is cut off by a n o t h e r child who looks like- no, this is real Damian, thank God, Bruce had started to wonder if the champagne was spiked with hallucinogens.

"Father-" he stops in his tracks as the three other children turn to him, and the four of them just stare at each other for a long moment. Then the one in the middle takes a sharp breath in and stage-whispers:

"Quick, do the meme!"

And all three not-Damians start pointing at each other.

Bruce is going to have an aneurysm. Judging by Vladimir's face, he is also not far from one.

Just my ramblings under the cut

I think you all know what meme I'm talking about, but I'm still gonna add it

This is so fucking hilarious to me, I'm sorry, I just can't

Danny is not missing this opportunity of a lifetime, even though Vlad specifically asked all three of them not to cause a scene. And yes, they all call Vlad "father" just for the spite of it or for shits and giggles. I'm going with Bad Fentons idea here, although I'm not sure to which degree they are bad, but anyway, Vlad is their legal guardian, and he is redeemed.

Yes, Dick took a picture. Yes, it's already in the group chat. Yes, other batkids are going wild.

Damian is greatly confused because, first, he thought there was a clone of him at the gala, but apparently, there were three of them, and second, why are they pointing at each other? Should he join them? He is under the assumption his brother is dead (he's not exactly wrong on that account), or he doesn't even know he existed.

This is as far as I got now, feel free to add anything!

[thelesbianpoirot]

could you plz talk about your thoughts on poor things. I havent found the courage to watch it yet and id love to hear your takes on it

I like Yorgos Lanthimos films, he deals in absurd fucked up little worlds, I've seen Lobster, Dogtooth, and The killing of... and enjoyed them. They usually tackle something fucked up in society. How these characters live is deranged, we are also doing these deranged things, but we've normalized it so much that the absurdity on us is lost. Lobster - Our fixation on romantic partnership to the point people who choose not to participate in this societal arrangement as treat unfairly and left out of many areas of society. So where is an absurd situation is where this society forces you to be partnered or you are not human anymore. Killing of a sacred deer (TO ME) was about how we're at the mercy of powerful men with vices (and perversions) that can ruin our life without consequences, the drunk surgeon ruins a family by killing someone, the male doctor has a very scary fetish, assaulting unconscious women etc, when you realize the fallibility of men in charge of our lives, horrifying, so here is an absurd situation where someone has ultimate power and characters have no control. It is horrifying to be powerless to human men. I have been a woman who had to be sedated for a procedure, with a male doctor, my greatest fear was being taken advantage of, it would make me throw up to know my doctor had a fetish for having is wife pretend to be dead/unconscious while they had sex. That is what I took from that film. That is what made it powerful for me. POOR THINGS I thought when people were criticizing it they may not have gotten the satire, (I thought) it was supposed to be about how people only love women, the concept of women, if we are eternally girls, never mature, and always giving them carte blanche to exploit us and have a smile on the entire time. The prostitute who loves sex with random strangers for money, always sexual, always flirting, she just can't control herself. The stripper who loves being an exhibitionist, she's just a freak and has to share it. The woman who loves pain, it turns her on to be hurt by men. We've seen her on TV and in porn. I expected this to be an exploration of how men love this fake woman, and want to control her, because if she loves sex, they should be in control of who she has sex with or it is no longer fun for them. I thought this was going to be another "LOOK AT THE ABSURDITY" of such a woman. She doesn't exist. And if she did, she'll have to be brain dead, literally a shell of a mature adult woman who has killed herself because she cannot cope with this world. An analogy for how the sex industry takes advantage of drug using and mentally ill women. HOWEVER, director man wants to have his cake and eat it too, satirizing the exploitation of women, while exploiting a woman doesn't not make good satire. You're just doing the thing you're condemning. Satirizing sexualization of mentally unwell women, while actively eroticizing fucking someone with the mental IQ of a child is not good. Men already have a fetish of taking advantage of women with developmental issues, would loved if fuckin children was legal, and here you have talented actress Emma Watson making a fucked-stupid face right out of hentai. And she's being alluded for doing what porn actresses do every day, the voice and facial expression that makes me want to throw up. The film more goes on it stops being about (what I viewed, me personally) as a critique of the sex industry, and became about controlling a woman's sexuality, with no character there to present a feminist path that isn't BEING USED BY ANY MAN VS BEING CONTROLLED BY ONE MAN.

HERE IS A SHORT VIDEO of how I don't like satire of objectification/sexualization that uses objectification/sexualization to say it's message. But also I don't even think poor things are anti-sexualization, it is mainly about autonomy, the autonomy of women to sexually exploited. The exploitation isn't criticized, marriage is, a child like woman with unquenchable sexual lust belongs to the world, not one man it says. It was gross to watch and I felt icky. Not the kind of grossness that Killing of a sacred deer felt like, which was necessary to feel uneasy because feeling powerlessness is not comfortable. However, it is up to you to watch the movie and make up your mind, I am just annoyed that when it came to tackling women's issues acclaimed directors always fumble the ball.

[taesclub]

The Wild Child, Act I ✦ BTS

✦ BTS x Fem! Oc's

━━━━━ ( SYNOPSIS. ) She is suddenly forced to attend the all-girls boarding school, St. Victoria's. Determined to break free, she tries to escape. Her only problem? To do so she must go through the neighboring boarding school and its notorious group, the Bangtan boys. Among them, one member captivates her the most, blurring the line between rebellion and romance.

genre. boarding school au, angst, fluff, smut

word count. 4,586

warnings. only curses for now

-ˋˏ masterlist ✦ next ˎˊ-

ACT I.

━━━━━━━━━ ✦ 

Claire, a tall girl with an eighty's aura and a shag haircut, sits in the passenger seat of her father's car, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The car hums with tension as they drive down the road, the passing scenery reflecting the girl's inner turmoil. She was about to meet her doom.  

She gazes out the window, her expression a mix of anger and frustration. The weight of her resentment hangs heavy in the air. 

“I can't believe you're making me go to some stupid all-girls boarding school, Dad. This is so unfair!” she grimaces. This had been her constant complaint ever since receiving the news, but somehow, like a broken record, she still held onto those words, praying it would be enough to make her dad rethink his decision. It wasn’t.  

Her father, Mr. Deschamps, a middle-aged man with tired eyes due to his rushed businessman life, glances at her with a mixture of concern and regret. “Claire, we've talked about this. It's a better opportunity for you. You'll have a chance to focus on your studies and discover new interests.” he insists softly.  

Claire scoffs, her frustration boiling over. 

Her voice sounds angry as she replies, “Better opportunity?! What about my life here? My friends? You're ripping me away from everything I know!” 

Her father's grip tightens on the steering wheel, his tone laced with remorse. 

“Claire, honey, I didn't make this decision lightly. It's for your future. You'll make new friends, and have new experiences. Please try to understand.” 

Claire's gaze remains fixed on the passing scenery, her umbrage simmering beneath her rebellious exterior. “You simply don't get it, Dad,” she says resentfully as the view keeps changing dramatically into a more rural area. “You don't know what it's like to be uprooted from everything familiar, to start over in some stuffy boarding school.” 

Her father's voice softens, laced with a tinge of sadness. “I know it's hard, honey,” he admits sincerely. “But sometimes, we must make sacrifices for the greater good. Trust me, I only want what's best for you.” 

Claire's anger doesn’t wane, even though she is tempted to soothe at her dad’s words. “Change can be scary, but it also opens doors to new opportunities.” he continues, tenderly. “You're strong, Claire. You'll adapt, and who knows, you might find something incredible out here.” 

Her gaze shifts from the passing greenery outside to her father's warm and understanding eyes. She takes a deep breath, slowly releasing the pent-up frustration. There was no point discussing this with him, he would never back up on his word. And the truth was, ever since he got together with that Malibu Barbie wannabe called Blanche, this was destinate to happen. She had waited for the rug to be pulled from under her feet as her distrust in life itself was a rooted injustice carved deep in her heart, but now that it happened, she tried desperately to hold onto a shimmer of hope.  

And how tricky it was to expect, to wait for someone else to take the reins of one’s life... No one would come and save her, that was clear. So why not save herself? 

“Sure thing, Dad.” Claire mumbles resigned. At least for now.  

A bittersweet silence fills the car as they continue their journey, both aware that this new chapter holds challenges and possibilities that neither can fully anticipate. The beginning of a plan to escape the boarding school, however, started to thread like a lightning bolt in the girl’s mind. 

She would make sure no one would see it coming. And one thing was certain, Claire Deschamps would never settle into a life in the middle of nowhere, nor a life she hadn’t chosen herself.

━━━━━━━━━ ✦ 

Claire steps out of her father's car, her jeans bomber jacket with wide shoulders and lots of sewn trinkets contrasting greatly with the more conservative uniforms of the other students passing by. Their plaid skirts had at least two full hands more fabric compared to the black leather one she used.  

She takes a deep breath, bracing herself for what lies ahead. Mr. Deschamps opens the trunk, retrieving her suitcase and opening space for two employees to try and lift the big chest full of stickers that also belonged to Claire.  

“Here you go, honey.” He hands the lush green suitcase to her. “I hope you find… Some great things here.” 

She takes it, grudgingly. “Don’t be so disappointed when I don’t.” 

Her father shows a sympathetic smile on his face as he pauses to take in what she had just said. “I understand, Claire.” He opts to say. “Take care of yourself. Call me if you need anything, okay?” 

Claire nods, unable to hide her lingering resentment. Her father gives her a last reassuring smile before driving away. 

As she sees the Rolls-Royce disappearing on the dirty road, the Headmistress Winters, a stern and composed woman in her fifties whom she had already seen printed on the flyer advertising the school, approaches Claire with an air of authority. The disapproving expression that she wears only exacerbates Claire’s dislike for her furthermore.  

“You must be Miss Deschamps, our newest student,” the woman says, inspecting her closer. “I trust you had a pleasant journey?” 

To that, Claire rolls her eyes discreetly, her guard already up. “Oh, joy,” she mutters under her breath.  

Putting on a polite facade, the Headmistress takes a step further, “As you know, I am Headmistress Winters. Your father and I talked on the phone. Welcome to St. Victoria’s Academy. Here we expect our students to uphold the highest standards of discipline and academic excellence.” She waves her hand in a high class and fluid motion, introducing the grand structure of the school behind her.  

There is a moment of silence as Claire fights the urge to scoff, her skepticism apparent. 

“Sounds like a real party,” she mutters dryly under her breath.  

Headmistress Winters's eyes narrow not catching what the girl has to say, however, judging by the lack of excitement on Claire’s part and her many years of experience when it came to building character, she maintains her composed demeanor. She knows a troublemaker when she sees one.  

With thinly veiled annoyance she adds firmly, “Respect and compliance are expected from all students, Claire. You'll find that St. Victoria’s Academy offers numerous opportunities for personal development and camaraderie. I suggest you keep an open mind.” 

Claire's expression remains guarded, her disdain for the headmistress palpable the more words fell from her mouth. Her tone is pure cynicism as she answers. “Sure, Mrs. Winters. I'll keep an open mind while I'm here.” 

Begrudgingly, she follows the older woman through the school's grand entrance, the imposing architecture and hushed conversations heightening her unease. 

The Hall of Entrance in the all-girls boarding school exudes an air of elegance and tradition. Polished marble floors stretch out beneath the students' feet, reflecting the soft glow of the chandeliers that hang overhead. Tall, arched windows line the walls, allowing sunlight to filter in and cast a warm, inviting glow on the surroundings. 

As Claire steps into the hall after the Headmistress, she is greeted by a flurry of activity. Girls in crisp uniforms pass by more eagerly than the ones she saw outside, their eyes darting to and fro, their hushed whispers carrying snippets of gossip. The hall becomes a stage for both fellowship and rivalry, as cliques form and dissolve with each passing moment. 

The sound of clicking heels and rustling skirts mingles with the gentle murmur of conversation, creating a symphony of feminine energy. Some girls walk with confidence, their heads held high, while others seem more reserved, their eyes darting nervously as they try to find their place within the social hierarchy. 

Portraits of past headmistresses and notable alumnae adorn the walls, their stern gazes reminding the students of the institution's legacy and the high expectations placed upon them. Some peak Claire’s attention. One of the spaces in particular, the one dedicated to the sports league, shows boys’ teams and trophies they earned against them, but she can’t find the right moment to ask what it is about as Mrs. Winters walks like a thunderstorm.  

The aroma of freshly polished wood and the faint hint of perfume linger in the air making her curiosity calmly dissipate, creating an atmosphere that is both refined and pansy. 

A grand staircase, its banisters intricately carved, leads to the upper levels of the school. It serves as a focal point, drawing the eyes of the girls as they ascend and descend, their interactions playing out on the stage of the hall. 

Claire becomes acutely aware of the watchful eyes as she makes her way through the bustling crowd, trailing the steps of Mrs. Winters. Some girls shoot her curious glances, sizing her up and speculating about the newcomer. Whispers trail in her wake, snippets of conversation filled with intrigue and speculation. 

Mrs. Winters then suddenly turns to face her once more, revealing behind her shoulder line a girl who matches Claire’s height, with bangs and a cascade of hazel hair. The girl’s warm and open expression contrasts greatly with Claire’s defensive demeanor.  

Noticing Claire’s disinterest, Mrs. Winters starts, “Let me introduce you to your new roommate, Claire. She’ll help you settle in.”  

Extending her hand politely and rather excitedly, the girl before her greets, “Hi! I'm Ella. It’s really nice to meet you!” 

Claire reluctantly shakes Ella's hand, her guard still up. Frustrated by the already lack of choice on her end she mumbles, “Yeah, hi.” 

Headmistress Winters nods curtly, signaling the end of their interaction. “Miss Dubois, why don’t you show Claire to your dormitory and explain how things work around here? I was in the middle of a rather urgent matter when she arrived...”  

Without missing a beat, Ella promptly nods, understanding the task at hand. “Sure thing, Headmistress. Follow me, roomie!”  

The newfound nickname makes Claire hiss internally like a cornered cat, but she plays the part, thankful to finally get herself rid of the Headmistress's presence.  

Before the two of them can walk further away, Mrs. Winters dismissively points again, “Very well, off you go. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the rules and expectations of this institution, Miss Deschamps.”  

Claire raises an eyebrow, her rebellious spirit flickering to life. “I'll keep that in mind, Headmistress,” she replies defiantly, turning her back to the woman.  

Leaving the bustling hall and the scrutinizing eyes of the older woman, Claire turns to Ella, a sense of complicity forming between them as she notices how much more relaxed her new guide seems to be.  

Smiling, Ella reassures her. “I promise this is not all as daunting as it seems.”  Claire takes a deep breath, her apprehension giving way to a glimmer of hope. She follows Ella, ready to navigate the challenges of this new environment, determined to find her place amidst the rules and expectations she so vehemently resents. Who knows?, she thinks, maybe her new roommate can give her an escape route without even noticing. She could be escaping St. Victoria’s much earlier than she had predicted.

━━━━━━━━━ ✦ 

Claire wasn’t convinced if Ella had what it takes to be her newfound ally. The headmistress seemed to trust her enough which made her either valuable to the plan or a stone in her shoe. Although Claire was pending more to the former since the girl seemed very friendly as they kept a light conversation and she led the way through the bustling hallways. More often than not, the veteran would gush about her own friends as she vibrantly pointed to Claire how their day-to-day was, and for moments, more than to seek intel to architect her plan, the brunette found herself momentarily forgetting about her purpose as she got infected by Ella’s contagious energy.  

Their footsteps echo softly as they step onto the serene patio, where blooming flowers and neatly trimmed hedges create a serene oasis within the school grounds. The sound of laughter and animated conversations drifts through the air as girls gather in small groups, enjoying moments of respite and fellowship. 

Claire’s eyes scan the scenery, and they get caught in the ruckus three girls are making right by the center fountain of the patio. The one standing in the middle, a blonde with a high ballerina bun, dances excitedly as she flashes a knitted scarf to her peers. “You think JK will like it?” Her voice travels through the open space as she points specifically to the initials engraved in it.  

Noticing Claire’s mind is far away from whatever she is saying, Ella leans closer, whispering, “That’s Vivienne for you,” she chuckles as Claire’s glance shifts quickly back, “Everyone calls her Vivi and you’ll soon hate her too, trust me.”  

To that statement, Claire’s eyes return inquiring to Ella’s, her nose scrunching in doubt.  

“You see, she delusionally believes she and some trouble boy are meant to be. We’re all tired to hear about it, or witness moments like this.” Ella points with her head to the blonde once more. “There she goes, making him a scarf he won’t probably use. Tell me about waste of time!”  

Claire mildly snorts entertained, looking at the scene as well. “Poor girl.”  

“Oh, believe me!” Ella exhales, walking away and her roommate follows, “That one is nothing of the sort. Imagine Regina George in real life. That’s her, right there.”  

In a lack of response from the brunette, Ella gestures towards a row of benches shaded by a grand oak tree. ”Anyways, this is our patio, Claire. It's the perfect spot to relax and soak up some sunshine during breaks. And see over there? That's the canteen.” 

The delicious aroma of freshly cooked meals fills the air as soon as they step closer to the precinct. Girls line up at the serving counter, chatting and exchanging stories as they eagerly await their turn. The room is alive with vibrant colors, with posters and artwork adorning the walls, adding a touch of creativity to the space. 

“We refuel here, obviously.” Ella glances excited to see Claire’s reaction. “The food is surprisingly good, and there's always a variety of options to choose from… Well. When the boys don’t join, that is. They can be savages.” she chuckles nonchalantly. 

Suddenly Claire’s eyes perk with curiosity. Every bit of information she had gathered about the school before arriving said this was an all-girls academy, but then again, there were existent photos of boys displayed in the hall. Not to say Vivienne’s parade a second ago. Do they have a day off?, she muses, Could this be an opportunity? “What do you mean boys? Isn’t this an all-girls school?” she voices her thoughts as Ella takes the lead again, taking her on another stroll.   

The energetic roommate greets some girls that pass by them with a sympathetic smile before returning her focus to the newcomer beside her.  

“Well, yeah. The Alarie boarding school for boys is right across the river, and we often have classes together. You know, lack of teachers in the far countryside.” she shrugs. 

Before she can inquire further, Ella is already distracted, smiling at the passersby.  

“With Jimin? Again?! God, what’s her secret!” They hear a girl gasp to a friend as they crossways.  

Oh. I see..., Claire’s thoughts put the pieces together. She quickly looks at the hazel-haired girl making her company.  

By the raise of eyebrows that she gives her and the flicker of frolic that flashes in her eyes, Ella is quick to warn, “It’s strictly forbidden to hang out with them boys, Claire. No smogging. No funny hands.”  

“But she just-” Claire refuted pointing behind her shoulders to the girl that passed by sharing her indignation a bit too loudly.  

Ella gave her a warning yet laid-back glance, “Alright, people go on with it in secret but as you can see, nothing is really a secret around here. And then when you least expect it, bam! You’re in trouble!”  

“Are they at least hot? Or I don’t know... Worth the trouble?”  

Ella thinks for a second and then shrugs with a naivety Claire knows to be fake, “How would I know?”  

“If you say so!” Claire pretends to salute dramatically, a bickering well read by the other as to the current square state the Academy insisted on following rules. And so, Ella pulls her to a quick jog entertained, and a bit tempted to show her new roommate she also knew how to break a few of them. Even if the rules she was breaking weren’t as grand as Claire deemed them to be. The students passing by confirmed the thought as they judged their behavior, and Claire laughed even louder at their tedious conformism. The rule about not running in the hallways was true indeed.  

As they arrive at their shared dormitory, their footsteps grow softer as they enter the hushed ambiance of the living quarters. The dormitory is a cozy space adorned with tasteful decorations, featuring two neatly made beds, desks adorned with books and personal touches, and small corkboards for photos and reminders. 

Ella jumps to sit on her own bed, bouncing on the mattress as she does so. “And here we are,” she gestures. “Our humble abode. It may not be the biggest, but it's home.” 

Claire looks around the room, a hint of curiosity dancing in her eyes as she imagines the memories that will unfold within these walls, even if for brief moments. Ella seems a nice girl, but she won’t be around to discover much more about her. She needs to escape this. Her real friends await in the big city.  

“Yeah, it's not bad…” 

Ella grins with the comment, her warmth shining through. 

“We'll make it cozy, you’ll see,” she says encouragingly. “Plus, you still have to meet my girls! They are rooming right in front of us. It’s great to share stuff and to keep gossip in day!” She laughs at her own behavior.  

As Claire sets her suitcase down and begins to unpack, a bit aloof to her roommate’s words, a newfound sense of optimism fills the room. To Ella is the beginning of a new friendship, even if her roommate was a hard one to crack. But she was patient, everyone had their personal time after all. To Claire, it is a journey through a path she had never charted before, but her father was right about one thing---she is strong. And she will prevail.  

“We’ll meet them in a few!” Ella continues, snapping Claire out of her thoughts, “They went to pick up your uniforms for you.”  

Claire eyes her with gratitude, showing for the first time a smile, even if timid, and her roommate mimicked the action. Only hers was as big as her enthusiasm for finally having a friend to share her bedroom with.  

Still sitting by her bed, Ella watches as Claire takes only her toiletries out of her green suitcase, as well as a portrait of her and what the girl gathered to be her mom. The tall wild child discards the pouch with her cosmetics by the bed, as she walks toward the bedside table, closely placed to the window, adjusting the portrait on top of it. Her clothes, still inside the suitcase, didn’t seem important and were left forgotten still inside it, untouched. Or so Ella thought so.  

“Your mom is beautiful,” she comments gently, looking at how Claire’s eyes seem to hover with longing at the picture.  

The brunette opens a small smile, thanking her roommate almost in a whisper, eyes still glued to the image of her mom. How she missed her.  

And then suddenly a loud pang interrupts the moment, making her jump and Ella scream. Startled by the sudden impact of a ball against her bedroom window, she had fallen back onto her bed, her heart racing. She swiftly rises and storms towards the window again, fueled by annoyance and ready to unleash her frustration on the culprit responsible. 

Seething with anger, Claire flings open the window of her dorm room on the second floor, ready to give the culprit a piece of her mind. Ella knees on her bed to look at the indicted herself. “Shit.” She manages to say.  

Claire’s words, however, catch in her throat as she locks eyes with a boy she has never seen before, and taking by Ella’s reaction beside her, it was clear that wasn’t her case, her roommate knew him.  

His mischievous grin and charismatic presence immediately captivate her, and a flicker of curiosity replaces her initial anger. Still, she stands her ground and through gritted teeth, she lashes, “What's your problem?!” 

Both girls watch as he brings casually one of his hands to shield his eyes from the sun, his smile gleaming with amusement. 

“Oh, I apologize, princess,” he says charmingly. “You weren’t supposed to-” he trails off, “Well, I wasn’t looking to make an impression on you but now…” he considers, his smile doubling the size.  

Claire tries to maintain her composure, but there's an undeniable pull towards the Alarie’s boy that she can't ignore. 

“Impression?” She scoffs slightly flustered, “If it’s at being stupid, you've certainly succeeded. Who are you anyway?” 

The boy takes a step closer toward the shade of the tall building to see her better, a playful glint in his eyes as he keeps looking up chuckling at her response.  

With a smirk, he replies. “You didn’t hear of me? I'm Jungkook,” he says as if it explains a lot, with a smugness that makes Claire crazy to punch out of his face. “I go to the Alarie’s, right next door.” 

“JK!” another boy shouts from a distance, and Claire’s eyes travel to the field to meet the face of Jungkook’s peer. A group of boys is joyfully hanging out there, waiting for him.  

As her eyes turn back to him, standing beneath her window, with a raised eyebrow, Jungkook says with yet another chuckle, “You never told me your name.”  

She sneers, “And I won’t.”  

Despite her refusal, Claire can't help but feel a certain curiosity pull toward Jungkook. His confidence and charm leave her intrigued, even if she tries to deny it or finds it too brazen. 

Jungkook sends another intrigued look her way, a hint of mischief in his voice. 

“Don't worry, princess. I’ll find it soon enough.” that answer only makes her blood boil further. “Besides, life's too short to be boring, don't you think? I like the mystery.” He shrugs with a smile, picking the rugby ball that was fallen by his feet, and starting to walk back. He turns once again to see her reaction, raising his voice as he adds, “And tell your rat roommate that the next one is meant for her!” He lifts the ball in his hand as if he raised a toast. 

“I'm not fucking interested in your idea of excitement, Jungkook. Save your charm for someone else!” She shouts defiantly but he only laughs in response, now fully turning his back and jogging swiftly toward his friends.  

She can't help but watch his back and carefree stance, even if Ella’s presence is made heard by her side. Under rushed and muted curses, the girl gets up from the bed, initiating an anxious breakdown as she paced back and forth inside their bedroom.  

Claire’s gaze finally moves away from the window to fall upon her roommate’s state. “Not that it’s any of my business, but... You wanna talk about it?” she asks, gaining no response apart from a full stop on the pacing and Ella’s hands coming to a desperate grip on her own locks.  

“Ella!” Claire calls her, closing the distance between them, “Hey, what’s going on?” The change of attitude of the girl was so brusque from her previous joyful self that it got her worried.  

She gently touched her shoulder, and Ella’s eyes finally found her own. “I’m totally, completely, fucked.” She confesses finally.  

“What happened? Is it about this Jungkook guy?”  

The hazel-haired girl gives her a nod and Claire’s eyebrows knit together. She manages to inhale, ready to question further but they are interrupted by the cheerful tinkle of shoes and greetings.  

“We got it!” It’s what she hears as she looks at the door to their room that had been left open. Two girls enter the space, both shorter than Ella and her. They look excited, probably having fun on the way there.  

“Hi! You must be the new girl,” The shortest one says, giving her a cordial smile. She has her long honey-blonde hair held back by a bow. “I’m Lola, this is Avery...”  

“And this is your uniforms!” While Lola has a royal aura to her, somewhat restrained and charismatic, Avery seems more upfront and girly. Her hair is like coal and so glossy that it shines hues of dark blue in the light.  

Taking the folded clothes from her hands with a smile of her own, Claire introduces herself. “Thank you, I’m Claire. And you really didn’t have to do it-” 

“It’s totally fine, we wanted to!” Lola insists bubbly, waving off, and the brunette smiles thankful.  

The blonde walks her way toward Ella’s bed, familiar enough to sit on it as she grabs a pillow to hug as she did so.  

“Girls. He knows.” To Claire’s relief, Ella finally enters the conversation. “I hate myself!” She adds, grunting.  

She notices how the other two react fervently to the comment as she places the pile of uniforms on top of her bed, ceasing to be the focus of their attention. They look at Ella with staring eyes, clearly on topic but still indignant about the rest of the information that still doesn’t come.  

“What do you mean he knows?!” Avery is the first to question. “How would he know? There were no boys in class that day...” 

To which Lola quickly made a comment with a nudge at her waist, “I told you there was! Louis, remember?”  

At the same time, Ella explained. “Now Jungkook sent a stupid ball flying up the window on purpose. After my head of course!”  

While Claire looked from one to another trying to unveil the situation, both Avery and Lola unleashed a series of wroth exclamations, to what Ella took part in instead of actually providing a clearer explanation.  

“I’m sorry.” Claire interrupted. “But can someone situate me here? What does this Jungkook know? And why is it a big deal? I’m lost.” She had a notion she was being brazen as she wasn’t close to the three friends before her, but not a couple minutes before she had witnessed a boy sending a warning in the shape of a rugby ball to her roommate. If this was to continue while she stayed there, she needed to know at least the basics.  

Avery and Lola look from her to Ella apprehensively waiting. So this is mildly important, she thinks. And then the latter sighs.  

“I wasn’t completely honest with you about the boys’ part...”  

To that statement, Claire slowly realizes that there may be more to this school than meets the eye, and consequently, more that she needs to unravel to make her flight seem a mystery. Glancing out of the window, Alerie’s boarding school for boys is starting to feel like a needed pit stop, as it stands tall between St. Victoria’s building and her much-wanted freedom.

✦ TAGLIST.

send an ask in if you want to be part of it or comment down below.

[the-eclectic-wonderer]

is there anything golden girls you have Lots of Thoughts on that you haven't got to talk about fully or been asked about yet? consider this a free space to share those thoughts.

Anon, this question is essentially a declaration of love to me. You couldn't have made me happier. I am kissing you on the lips (or going to buy the best cheesecake in the world for you, your pick).

After some deliberation, I ended up choosing a subject I've been thinking about (and mentioning on here) ever since my first watch-through of the series, i.e. why a queer reading of Dorothy, Blanche and Rose doesn't only make sense because of their interactions with each other, but is actually in line with their journey as characters, the challenges they face, and the overall tune of the show. It seems like I ended up writing a short essay about it, so I'm putting it all under a cut. Hope you enjoy!

Ok, so, I'd like to make a little premise first. I love the platonic view of the show. I'm always always fond of stories that celebrate the importance of platonic bonds. If anything I'm sort of annoyed that they sometimes use familial language (they're ‘sisters’, Sophia loves them 'as her own') to symbolize their love for one another, but I understand why they chose to use it -- it's a quick way to communicate profound affection to the audience, and especially to the audience at the time.

That being said, I feel like a queer romantic view of the bond between Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche is equally poignant -- and of course it's especially dear to me, as a queer woman. For one thing, it’s still in tune with the core message of the show: whatever kind of affection they feel for one another, they’re still an unusual unit by societal standards, and yet there's no doubt that they’re the most important people in each other’s life (in fact, one could argue that they are, in canon, what today we'd call a QPR, but I digress). They love each other, they're committed to each other, they share their lives, in a way that doesn't conform to societal standards.

Dorothy sums it up very well in her speech in S7E4 That’s For Me To Know: they’re not a conventional family, but theirs is a real, honest love. This is a message that feels very in tune with the queer experience: how many of us have been told that our loves, our identities, our relationships and our (chosen) families aren’t real? Not to mention some of the problems they face: how many queer people have been kept apart from their loved ones in the hospital because they weren't related? How many have gone through the anxiety of an HIV test? I'm not surprised the show resonated so much with queer people in the 80s/90s, and I'm not surprised it still does.

Dorothy

What about the characters themselves? Let's start with Dorothy, since I've already spoken a bit about her in the past. Dorothy's character journey is, in essence, a journey towards self-discovery, self-acceptance, and self-love. She begins the show as a recently divorced woman who has been with the same horrid man for her entire adult life, a man she married in a hurry because he got her pregnant at 17; her self-esteem is on the floor. She doesn't know what being loved in a romantic sense means. Through living with the Girls she learns how to take back what she's lost; how to feel secure in her sexuality and attractiveness, how to love herself more, and (as a consequence of this self-love) how to open herself up to the world and other people. She even states so in the series finale:

We've all learned a lot from each other. I mean, Ma taught me life does not end because you've reached a certain age. And I've become much more comfortable with my sexuality because of Blanche. And Rose has taught me… Rose has taught me... [...] Anyway, because of them I feel that I'm ready to love you. (S7E25 One Flew Out Of The Cuckoo's Nest)

This is a queer-aligned narrative already!! Years and years of sacrifice and repression followed by a journey towards self-discovery thanks to love, support, and a sense of community? That's queer, baby! I particularly like the interpretation of Dorothy as a repressed lesbian because I feel like it fits very well with her character traits, but honestly, any queer reading of her fits as well. Having her realize that she is queer and eventually choose to act on it would have been a great way to reinforce her character journey.

It also would have added some amazing layers to her whole backstory, both as pertains to her marriage (doesn't it all feel more tragic, if you think of her as a repressed lesbian?) and, for example, to her friendship with Jean (how would she have felt seeing her friend be openly gay while she denied the same truth about herself?). I just think there's lots and lots that could be explored when we consider Dorothy in this lens.

Blanche

On to Blanche. A lot of Blanche's character traits (her vanity, her self-centeredness, her need to be the center of attention in a positive way) stem, I feel, from the way she was treated in her childhood and from two pivotal episodes in her life: the 'disappearance' of her Mammy and George's death. Her stories about her childhood (especially the ones she tells when her sisters are involved in an episode) make it seem as if her parents, while affectionate (Big Daddy especially), weren't exactly involved; she had to fight for their attention in constant competition with her siblings, particularly her sisters. There were only two people in her life whose love didn't feel dependent on her performance, her Mammy and George, and they both disappeared from her life abruptly and without any warning.

What does this teach a person? That they have to be the most attractive version of themselves at all times; that they need to be very careful with how they present themselves in society, so that they may always appear as the best within the bunch; that even the people who seem to love them unconditionally can leave them at any minute. The end result is Blanche, the woman in the mask. She seems very open in her attitude, especially towards the sexual sphere of life, but she's open in the same way the titular character of Fleabag is open:

Yeah, I think she’s using a certain type of honesty as a weapon of distraction. She talks very openly and honestly about sex so you feel like she’s being open with you when, actually, she’s completely hiding by doing that. She’s distracting you from a completely different side of her, which is the side that’s traumatized and in pain. (from this interview to Phoebe Waller-Bridge)

In truth, she's always very attentive to the way she presents herself to others, because she's afraid that people will turn away from her if she steps out of her persona. Look at what she says to her Mammy in S6E5 Wham, Bam, Thank You, Mammy:

You didn't even say goodbye. I woke up one morning, and you were gone. I loved you. I spent the next few years wondering what I'd done, what I'd said to make you leave me.

She's convinced (until this episode, at least) that she was abandoned by someone she loved so dearly because of something she'd done. And, well, George's death is a bit of a different thing, but also... do you think she hasn't spent long, sleepless nights wondering what would have happened if she'd convinced him not to go wherever he was going? If she'd gone with him? If she'd made different choices, if she'd said different things, if she'd been better?

What does all this have to do with queerness? Well... we know that some of Blanche's issues manifest in her constant concern with how society perceives her. This ranges from her search for rich and sophisticated men to parade around to her struggle to accept Rebecca's decision to undergo artificial insemination -- not to mention how she reacts to Clayton's coming out and especially to his decision to marry Doug. If that was how she reacted to a member of her family proudly coming out as gay, how would she react to the realization that she might also be queer in some way?

I figure the steps would be her usual ones -- denial denial denial, fear of judgement, bargaining with herself, eventual acceptance and even pride -- but with the added complexity of having to deal with something that concerns her and her desires. Not her daughter, not her brother, her. If she comes out and/or acts on her attraction, any eventual consequence from a societal standpoint would be due to her actions, not a reflection of someone close to her, and I feel like that would be interesting to explore. We already know she can get over her fear and prejudices when it comes to the people she loves; can she do the same for herself? I like to think she would, eventually, overcome her need for societal approval, just like she (sort of) does in the show, and the journey there would be fascinating from a character standpoint.

Rose

What about Rose? There's a minor thread in her character journey that's about fear of intimacy due to Charlie's death, but it gets resolved pretty early on (apart from an episode in S7, but I feel like that's more of a momentary setback than anything major). Apart from this, I think her character growth is about becoming bolder: more sure of herself, better at advocating for herself and her loved ones, better at asking people to respect her needs and wants.

This is a very minor spoiler for The Golden Palace, so thread with a pinch of caution, but -- in it, Dorothy is shocked that Rose became strong, and while I understand her surprise, I don't think that's necessarily the right word to use. Rose is meek, and gentle, and she certainly wasn't at her best at the beginning of the show (S1E9 Break In and S1E22 Job Hunting are proof enough), but I think we forget that she's overcome a lot throughout her life. It takes a strong person to recognize that her home is too filled with grief to keep living there, and uproot her whole life (leaving behind her whole community and support system) to begin to heal:

The winters are rough, here in Minnesota, and this place is too filled with memories to let me get on with my life. I need to start over without you, Charlie, and I think this is the best way. (from S2E25 A Piece Of Cake)

I think she's always been a tough cookie, and remarkably in touch with her emotions, even if her grief for Charlie momentarily weakened her. Living with the Girls helps her get her conviction back and gain the newfound boldness she needs to know she has a spine of steel and use it when the moment calls for it.

Realizing that she might be queer would encourage her in this journey towards boldness, I feel. I don't think she'd have any internal hang-ups like Dorothy and Blanche would (her sort of reticence towards homosexuality in the show seems like it comes from a place of ignorance, rather than repression), but we know she can be sensitive to societal perception, even if not at Blanche's level (see S1E13 A Little Romance), and a queer relationship is the sort of thing that, unfortunately, invites a lot of societal scrutiny. The need to be there and ensure the safety and happiness of her partner(s) would embolden her to show her strength and aid her journey as a character.

Sophia

As an addendum: what would a coming out from any of her three Girls (Dorothy especially) mean for Sophia? In the show she's always supportive of homosexuality:

Jean is a nice person; she just likes girls instead of guys. Some people like cats instead of dogs. Frankly, I'd rather live with a lesbian than a cat. Unless a lesbian sheds, that I don't know. I'll tell you the truth, Dorothy. If one of my kids was gay, I wouldn't love him one bit less. I would wish him all the happiness in the world. (S2E5 Isn't It Romantic?)

That's what Doug and Clayton want, too. Everyone wants someone to grow old with. And shouldn't everyone have that chance? (S6E14 Sisters Of The Bride)

However, she's also shown to have some hang-ups when it comes to this sort of thing. Her issues with Phil's cross-dressing are the best example, but I'd count her attitude towards Rose while they're waiting for her AIDS test results in the mix, too. I wonder if a coming out from (one of) her Girls would prove more difficult to handle? I have no doubts that she'd come around in the end, of course -- I just wonder if she might have to work at it a bit first (and if her reaction to Dorothy coming out would be any different from her reaction to Blanche and/or Rose coming out).

Sophia's journey in the show is subtle, and the one I find harder to pinpoint. My personal opinion is that she gradually becomes softer around the edges, more open and openly vulnerable with the Girls; she gets more playful, more relaxed, more in her element as the show progresses. I think it's possible that a coming out from (one of) her Girls would encourage this progression towards openness; having her loved ones confide in her about something so personal would invite more confidence from her part too.

Whew, that was a long answer! It's a mess and I'm sure there's lots more that could be explored -- these are just some of my thoughts finally put on paper. If anyone has anything to add (or any contrasting opinion too!!) I'd love to read what you think!! In the meantime, anon, thank you so much for this ask. You seriously made my week!

[grogusmum]

Halloo, Hazel! 💚 OK, Din and Grogu have one Earth week to visit here (ignoring the how or why). Please and thank you:

First meal you share together? Either home cooked or favorite restaurant; and

One souvenir for each of them to take home, as a reminder of you.

Hey Maggie May! Thank you for playing with me! 💚 I'm sorry this is getting to you Sunday morning, I was getting sleepy and wanted to give this the attention it deserves!

So this is not connected to AGalaxy Far Far Away, but a new take on Din and Grogu on Earth...

This was written on my phone, in my drafts, and barely edited... sorry 😬

Din put Grogu down to let him stretch his legs after a very long journey in the N-1.

"I've gotta get a new Razor Crest," Din sighs, shaking his head slowly . Grogu has much to say on the matter and does so.

"We need to stay here for a few rotations, week tops, then we can finish our journey. Then will give this thing back to Peli."

Din looks around, he needs to feed the kids that's task number one, as if Grogu knows exactly what he's thinking starts complaining and looking for something to eat in the tall grass they find themselves in.

Suddenly, they hear someone laughing and calling to someone else. Din looks, and there is a human with, well, a four-legged animal with fur, reminding him of a fuzzy massif. It catches a disc in its mouth that seems to have been thrown by the human.

Soon, they are out of the tall grass dotted with flowers, and in more manicured grass, there is a large square cloth on the ground and a basket on top of it. A picnic, Grogu recognizes it right away and hustles over.

"Grogu," Din calls, "kid no!"

Before he knows it Grogu has the basket open and is digging into the sandwiches and fruit he finds.

You throw the Frisbee one more time and then head over to have your lunch. You were planning on meeting a friend with their furbaby, but they canceled last minute, so its a picnic for you and Molly, your pitty mix today.

Molly bounds over seeing strangers in her basket.

"Molly!" You shout in surprise. Then, putting on your best alpha dog voice, "Leave It!"

Molly stops only 10 feet from the picnic basket thief, a small green, something, in a little tan coat. Then Molly growls at the armored person.

"Sit-stay." You say, treat in hand, knowing your good girl will follow your directions. When she does, you praise her and give her a bit of chicken.

Din's hand lowers from his blaster.

"I am very sorry, Grogu, is only a child. We've been on a long journey, and he is very hungry. I will happily reimburse you for the food."

You have no idea who or what's going on, but you're incredibly intrigued.

"No problem, I have extra anyway."

Molly watches Grogu hustle up, reaching for her. She gives the little green fella a sniff and Grogu giggles and coos delighted. Molly gives him a big wet kiss that bowls him over. Grogu laughs and scrabbles up.

Instant best friends.

You smile at the whole exchange, comfortable with Molly's behavior with little ones, and since this very usual one is behaving just like a toddler, you knew she would be fine.

"Soooo, Comic Con?"

"Um, I don't... we are here for a week, then heading off world." Din points to the n-1 behind him.

You blanch, hoping it isn't too noticeable.

"Well, okay... wanna sandwich?"

Din hesitates, then takes off his helmet, "Thank you."

Did the sun just come from behind a cloud? This guy is gorgeous, you think... keep cool. Keep cool. You pull out drinks and two more sandwiches not decimated by Grogu. As you eat, you watch Molly, who is now giving Grogu a ride.

"So, um where are you staying?"

"We haven't secured lodging yet," Din says, biting into a sandwich, and then looking at it pleased.

You put a bowl of cut fruit down between you.

"This," Din swallows," is very good, thank you. I insist on giving you some credits."

"Credits?"

He pulls some large discs out of a pouch in his belt. You are not sure what to do. Are they really from "off world"?

"Um, those won't spend here."

Din looks down at the Calamari Flan, then takes out some imperal credits and shows them to you.

"No," you say apologetically.

"Well, huh..."

"Listen, I have a small finished, sort of, basement apartment, I've been renting it to comic con folks for years, and it's available. You can stay there, it's clean and safe."

"You are too kind," Din stammers.

You have no idea what they are, how they got here, but you feel you should help them.

"Not a problem!"

So the week goes along. You have work, but after you take them to see the sights of your little corner of Earth. Molly and Grogu can't hardly be separated, and you've fallen for the little green bean, too. You teach him to throw the frisbee, and somehow, despite having such little arms, his throws sent the frisbee straight and far, and Molly loves it! And Din, well, he’s... oof. You are soon thinking about him after you say goodnight and wonder if his lips are as soft as they look.

On the second to last day, you take a chance and kiss him goodnight.

Which in turn had leaves Din a little dumbstruck, he thinks about your lips pressed against his until he falls asleep and then he dreams about them.

Today is their last day, on Earth or whatever...

Though somewhere during the week, you'd started to think that they were truly aliens from another galaxy, and it just made you laugh at how wild that was.

"We will miss you," Din says, stepping into your space.

"We'll miss you," you tell him, looking into his warm brown eyes. You are never going to forget them.

Din dips his head down, bringing his mouth to yours. Your lips meet his, and become hungry. Your arms wrap around his neck, and the kiss deepens further.

When you break away, you are both out of breath and warm from the tips of your ears to the tips of your toes, your lips tingling.

When it's time to say goodbye (for now, Din insists) you give Din the necklace you've been wearing, it's a two inch long quartz crystal with a piece of abalone shell wrapped to the top of it. (Grogu finds it very interesting, but he's given the frisbee, which he's delighted by)

Din prys Grogu from Molly, who licks Grogu and whimpers. Grogu whines and reaches for you and Molly. You blow him a kiss, and hand Din a cooler of sandwiches, fruit, and drinks as Din settles his son in the cockpit.

He puts on his helmet and his gloved hand goes to your cheek.

"Goodbye," you whisper, eyes glistening. Din takes your chin and tips it up gently by one finger-

"Until our paths cross."

"Until our paths cross," you smile as a tear slips down.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! 💚

[cant-get-enough-btr-forever]

"Big Time Battle of the Bands", Chapter 7: Big Time Replacement

Later that day, Big Time Rush was rehearsing at Rocque Records. It seemed to be going well. Gustavo stood sidestage while his foursome sang and danced. Next to him, Kelly nodded her head along.

But it still wasn't perfect. Their dancing was slightly off-beat, and their pitch went flat a few times. To the average person, it was hardly noticeable. To Gustavo, however...

"WHAT WAS THAT??!!"

Kendall sighed before speaking. "We're just a little nervous, okay? We don't wanna screw this up for everybody."

"Guess what? I don't care." Gustavo snapped. "The fundraiser, in case you forgot, is on Saturday. And Saturday is two days away. So you monkey dogs better get your act together, or Griffin will have all of our butts hanging on his office wall!

"Not to mention, the Palmwoods will go down in history as, 'The Hotel That Was Failed By a Sloppy Boy Band.'"

Kelly cleared her throat. "Y'know, we've been rehearsing all morning. Why don't we take a lunch break?"

Gustavo began to object, but he quailed under Kelly's glower. "Fine...lunch." he relented. The guys exhaled with relief.

The moment Gustavo and Kelly had disappeared, James straightened out his collar and flipped his bangs. "Well, I am going back to the Palmwoods to see if Pink Girl wants to share that lunch with me."

Kendall rounded on him. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Gustavo has a point. If we wanna give the Palmwoods a good name, we've gotta be 100% into this. Now really isn't the time to be getting distracted by girls."

Logan whapped the back of James' head. "See? I told you."

James sputtered indignantly as he rubbed the stinging area. He retaliated with a shove, which Logan countered with a harder shove, which quickly snowballed into a heated tussle. Carlos could do nothing but slowly back away and watch them go at it. Kendall rubbed his forehead.

"Okay, okay! Time out!" he yelled, holding up the universal "T" gesture. When that didn't work, he signaled to Carlos, who nodded and rapped his helmet. They proceeded to tug the pair apart, dodging the flying fists and elbows.

......

Meanwhile, out in the hall, Gustavo and Kelly came face-to-face with an unexpected (and unwanted) guest.

"Gustavo! I expect that the fundraiser preparations are going smoothly," Arthur Griffin said in his smug-cheerful voice. As usual, he was accompanied by his trusty assistant, Abdul.

"Ah, uh, yes! Naturally! Rehearsals are just peachy!" Gustavo replied with as much mirth as he could muster. Kelly looked sympathetic. She knew that Griffin was the last person he wanted to deal with.

"Splendid! I thought I would drop by and tell you how pleased I am that we are staying well within the budget. Pyrotechnics, lights, speaker systems, not to mention decor...everything my team has picked out will enhance the concert quite nicely." Griffin went on.

Gustavo inwardly screamed. Obviously, this insufferable man had "dropped by" to gloat. "Well, great!" he said, plastering on a grin.

Several awkward moments passed. Kelly was the first to break the quiet. "So, is there anything else?"

Griffin seemed a bit startled, but smiled. "Oh, yes! I wanted to let you know that plans have changed slightly. A different band will be performing at the fundraiser."

Gustavo blanched. Kelly's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!" they yelled.

Griffin calmly explained, "A new group has been brought to my attention. I believe that all up-and-coming young artists deserve some recognition. Besides, the people of the Palmwoods could use some fresh new faces to represent them, don't you think?"

With that, he left them in their flabbergasted states. Just as he reached the end of the hall, he turned around. "Oh, and tell the boys 'you're welcome.' Now they have extra time to work on that album!"

Gustavo shook himself out of his stupor and furiously marched after his boss. Kelly hastened behind him.

"ExCUSE me?" Gustavo exclaimed. "So you're gonna fire us, just like that?! What, we don't even get to hear the 'fresh new faces' you've dragged in?"

"First of all, Gustavo, I did not 'drag' them in. They were dragged to me." Griffin patiently replied. "Second of all, yes. I can fire you. It's one of the many joys of having lots and lots of money. I can own anything I want, including you. I can choose anything I want.

"And if I think one of the things I own has grown old and tired, I can simply choose something else to replace it. And do you know what that gets me?"

Gustavo and Kelly stared at Griffin, mouths agape.

Griffin leaned in. "More money, Gustavo. And the cycle continues." He smiled.

After a beat, Kelly shook herself. "Okay, you skipped a part: Are you even going to let us hear the new boys?" she demanded.

Griffin and Abdul looked at each other.

......

"DOGS! We're done for the day!" Gustavo annunciated as he re-entered the rehearsal studio.

He was greeted by an interesting sight: Carlos was sitting on Logan's stomach (who was lying flat on the stage) and reading a comic, while Kendall was standing with his arms crossed next to a seated James. James' wrists were bound with a purple bandana. Logan and James were, understandably, scowling.

"You know what? I don't even wanna know." Gustavo said after some staring. "Follow me, we are going back to the Palmwoods."

"Wait, you're letting us off early?" Carlos said, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Who are you, and what have you done with the Giant Turd?" Kendall mock-exclaimed.

Gustavo managed to keep the steam from hissing out of his ears, but completely failed to keep it out of his mouth. "You know, with an attitude like that, I might just LET Griffin replace you with his new BAND!"

The four boys froze at that last word. "New band? What new band?" Kendall asked.

Kelly took one look at her beet red boss and decided to answer that one. "Griffin has recruited a new vocal group. He wants them to replace you guys at the fundraiser."

The reaction was as expected: a chorus of "what?!" and "he can't do that!" Gustavo held up his hands. "Yeah, yeah, we know. We get it. Which is why we are all heading over to the Palmwoods."

Kelly elaborated, "They're gonna debut for the residents."

James barked out a laugh. "Oh, yeah? I bet the people will know what's up. They know I'm the original Face of the Palmwoods." He did his trademark 'spirit fingers' (as best as he could with his hands tied).

Kendall smacked his chest, to which he flinched. "And by 'I'm', I mean we." From his spot on the floor, Logan rolled his eyes.

"Let's move out! I wanna see the look on Griffin's face when he realizes the egregious error he's made." Gustavo huffed before leaving.

James gave a little "ahem?" and shoved his hands at Kendall, who sighed and untied him. Logan glared at Carlos after he finally got off his stomach.

"Think it's time to lay off the corndogs, man," he grumbled, rubbing his abdomen. Carlos stuck out his tongue as they hopped off the stage.

[fritzyfarm]

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia are gathered in the living room, all dressed in outdoor attire, preparing for their fishing trip. Fishing gear, hats, and snacks are spread across the room.

BLANCHE (lightly frustrated) Girls, are we ready to go yet? The fish won't wait forever!

DOROTHY (calmly) Blanche, we've been over this. We're waiting for Sophia to finish sharpening her fishing hooks.

Sophia sits at the dining table, using a small file to sharpen the hooks with precision.

SOPHIA (muttering to herself) If those fish think they can outsmart me, they're dead wrong. Literally.

ROSE (optimistically) I'm just excited to get out on the lake. The wind is perfect for fishing today!

As if on cue, a gust of wind blows through the living room, causing the curtains to flutter.

BLANCHE (smiling) You're right, Rose. It's going to be a fantastic day for fishing. Let's go!

They gather their belongings and head out the front door, where the boat with an outboard motor is waiting.

EXT. LAKESIDE - DAY

The women reach the lakeside and load their gear into the boat. The wind blows stronger, causing the water to ripple.

BLANCHE (teasingly) Oh, Dorothy, you better hold onto your hat. This wind might blow you away!

DOROTHY (determined) Very funny, Blanche. Just make sure you don't drop anything overboard. We don't need you diving in after it.

Sophia takes the helm of the boat and starts the outboard motor, which roars to life.

SOPHIA (mockingly) Listen up, ladies! Captain Sophia is taking the wheel today. Hold onto your bloomers.

The boat pulls away from the dock and glides onto the choppy waters. The wind whips through their hair as they navigate the lake.

ROSE (excitedly) This is thrilling! It feels like an adventure out here!

BLANCHE (holding onto her hat) Adventure? Rose, this is a fishing trip, not an Indiana Jones movie!

Suddenly, a big wave crashes against the side of the boat, splashing them all.

DOROTHY (sarcastically) Well, I hope you're all wearing your waterproof makeup.

SOPHIA (grinning) It's a good thing I brought my raincoat. Dorothy, you can borrow it if you're scared.

DOROTHY (rolling her eyes) I'm not scared, Sophia. I just don't want to end up soaked.

As they continue sailing, the wind calms down slightly, creating a serene atmosphere.

ROSE (gently) You know, there's something peaceful about being out here on the water. Just us, nature, and the fish.

BLANCHE (reflectively) You're right, Rose. It's a nice change of pace from our usual activities. We should do this more often.

DOROTHY (sincerely) I agree. It's moments like these that remind us how important it is to appreciate the simple pleasures in life.

Sophia, feeling nostalgic, looks out over the lake with a smile.

SOPHIA (softly) You know, when I was a little girl in Sicily, my father used to take me fishing. Those were some of the happiest moments of my life.

The women share a tender moment, enjoying the tranquility of the lake and the memories it evokes.

FADE OUT.

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

I already sold my soul, but *subtly clears throat and passes a 100 dollar bill across the table* how about Indiana and a wee baby? 👀

*Takes 100 dollar bill*
 *Shreds it* 
*Grinds shredded pieces*
 *Snorts the remainder*

I'm in an Indy-writing mood so this got way too long

Warnings: Sticks to the original trilogy, ignores Crystal Skull (Soz); period-typical/sexist reactions to having a baby out of wedlock; mentions of pregnancy; mentions of breastfeeding; angst that ends in fluff

- Well we've all seen how cute he is with a monkey

-  And we all know he Fucks™

- We also know that Indiana can be flighty, and reckless, so it's no wonder that you're more than a little hesitant to tell him that you're pregnant.

- After you find out, you resolve yourself to have the baby and keep it, with or without Indiana's support.

- When you tell Indiana, he doesn't actually...Say anything. He just looks at you, eyes darting to your stomach, as if he can see through it.

- What finally shakes him from it is Marcus coming to summon him to a meeting with two investors for the museum.

- Indiana manages a, "Sure, yeah," And stands from the diner table, absently dropping a couple of bills to cover your meal.

- If he looks back at you, you don't know. Your eyes are filling with tears as you slide down in your seat.

-  You don't expect him to contact you again, which is why you're stunned when he shows up at your apartment that night.

- He steps in, glances around, then at you, and mutters, "You're gonna need to get rid of some of this stuff."

- "What?"

-  "When we move you in, I mean, you know how many books I've got and look at this." He waves his hand toward your living room, where you've got shelves of books crammed tightly together, and more stacked on tables and your side table. “And you’ve got more back there,” He waves his finger toward your bedroom.

-  As you realize what he means, you fold your arms across your chest, pouting up at him.

-  "Why can't we get rid of some of your books?" You ask.

-  "That's not happening, sweetheart."

-  "Then why don't we get a bigger place?"

-  Indiana considers, mutters, "Guess we could look into it."

-  "Better look fast. There's a pretty tight deadline."

-  Indiana steps closer to you, pressing a kiss to your cheek and resting his hand on your belly for a moment before he draws you into his chest.

-  "How was the meeting with Marcus?" You mumble against his shoulder.

-  "About that," He draws away, rifling through his pocket, "I have a...A job I need to take, so." He draws an engagement ring out of his pocket without ceremony, just holding it up to you.

-  "...My god, Jones," You say flatly, "You're such a romantic."

-  "Well are you gonna put it on or not?"

-  The wedding is quick, intimate—just your family, and Brody. Indiana's father is a notable absence.

-  You don't mention it; you don't know if it stings Indiana or not.

-  Indiana leaves for his job, and it's up to you to move your things into the new house.

-  Indiana's given you carte blanche to get rid of his things, but has specifically flagged several items that must make it into the new house.

-  By the time he returns, the house you've chosen feels like a home, with a blend of his things and yours, and a nursery well under way.

-  Indiana turns up with a cut on his lip, a tired furrow to his brow.

-  His fatigue seems to melt as he spots you on the front porch, and the growing swell of your belly.

-  Leading up to the birth, Indiana gets you whatever you need for your cravings (though he teases you for them), massages your feet or shoulders, rubs cream into your itching belly when you ask him to.

-  Once the baby is there (let's say it's a girl), Indiana isn't quite sure how to help, and honestly, sometimes gets annoyed when you ask him to.

-  Look, he's fine with kids, but a baby is a baby. That's uncharted territory for Indiana.

-  The closest he's ever been around was that monkey, years ago.

- And it wasn’t even his monkey.

-  In the first few months, he spends a few nights in his office to escape what he deems 'your nagging and the kid’s wailing'.

-  When he is home, he remarks disparagingly about your mood, and while you often brush it off, one night you mumble, "Maybe if I had some help, I wouldn't be so upset."

-  "What can I do? She cries when I hold her."

-  "Maybe it's because you're never here!" And you know it's too far, but you're so tired and frustrated that you spit, "Maybe you won't attend her wedding, either."

-  Indiana looks like he's been slapped. He says nothing.

-  It's like when you first told him you were pregnant—silence before inevitable retreat.

-  You don't sleep that night. When Jones comes back into the house early the next morning, you don't expect an apology.

-  You don't get one right away, either.

-  But as you expect the baby to rise and wail, you hear nothing.

-  When you go into the check on her, you find Indiana sitting with the baby in his arms

-  The pink blanket is off-set against his bare chest; his damp hair sags over his forehead

-  He glances up at you almost nervously, as if you’re going to stride over and snatch the baby out of his arms.

- Instead you ask, “You want coffee?”

- “...Yeah.”

- “You hungry?”

- “Yeah.”

- “Alright. Bring her down when she starts to fuss, I have to feed her, too.”

- Breakfast is pretty quiet, save for the baby’s gurgles and giggles. Indiana makes it a point to wipe her chin she was drools.

- You let him. You don’t tell him to do thinks this way or that. It’s not like what he’s doing is harmful to the baby.

- “...She doesn’t seem to mind me so much,” He finally says.

- You shake your head in answer.

- “Do you?” He presses.

- “Mind you?”

- “Uh-huh.”

- “...I can’t say you’re my favorite person in the world right now, Jones.” 

- Indiana leans back in his seat a little bit, eyeing the baby as she studiously plays with a crumb.

- “Listen,” He says, and you brace for the lecture, but—“I can have Marcus look after the kid tonight. We should go out, clear our heads.”

- “And leave the baby?” You frown.

- “She won’t be by herself,” He drags out.

- You feel a little bad, even as you heap Marcus with instructions (which you’ve also written out for his reference).

- Dinner is nice. You and Indiana are still a little hesitant around one another, but it’s been months of thorny behavior between the two of you. That won’t disappear overnight.

- When he takes hold of your hand, when you eye the wedding ring on his finger, it makes you oddly emotional.

- “I know I haven’t been so...Present,” He tells you. “My father wasn’t, either.”

- Your stomach twists with remorse, and you sit up a touch straighter. “Indy, I should never have said—”

- “No,” He shakes his head, “You were right. That’s how it was with my father. It’s one or two things, and then a day, and then two days, a week...If I keep on like this I’ll miss...I’ll miss all of it.”

- He starts slowly—getting up sometimes to quiet the baby when she’s crying (though there are some late nights when he comes in holding a still squirming, still whining child and nods toward your chest with a mutter of, “I don’t think this one is my department.”)

- He learns to change her diapers, though he clearly dislikes it (”No one likes it, Indy, but we can’t leave her like that—” “I’m not!”)

- He takes to grading papers with her in his lap, tutting softly when she reaches for his pen and disparaging some students’ answers aloud to the baby (”Can you believe he wrote 1802?” *shriek!* “I know. A full century off. Unbelievable.”)

- The two of you take turns feeding her when he’s home, and handling her nighttime routine.

- And once the baby’s down, the two of you have your dinner together, and start speaking to one another like adults again.

- Emotional tensions cool and give way to physical affection. He doesn’t hesitate to reach for you; you go willingly and easily.

- On a particularly quiet night, when the two of you are cuddled up on the couch, Indiana presses a kiss to your temple.

- “I acted like a real ass.”

- “Hm?” 

- “At the start.”

- “Oh.” Then, “I know.”

- He chuckles softly, shaking his head and dipping his head to brush a kiss to your lips.

- “Can you ever forgive me, Mrs. Jones?” He murmurs.

- You grin, raising your hand to cup his cheek.

- “I already have, Dr. Jones.”

[walpurga-nacht-academy]

CHAPTER I

Phone Call: Birthday Girl, Blanche Dion

Walpurga Nacht Computer Lab

Blanche: To think that this day would come too. Nevermind, it will pass soon. Everybody will be too busy with their jobs and responsibilities, and will surely forget-

[Ring, Ring]

Blanche: ...

[Ring, Ring]

Blanche: ...

[Ring, Ring]

Blanche: I suppose... I will have to answer it...

[Ring, Ring]

Blanche: ... Very well. Hello. I apologize for the wait.

Deuce: It's no trouble at all, Dion-senpai! I'm sorry for bothering you like this today of all days!

Ace: Hey, blockhead, the first thing you do when she answers the phone is say 'Happy Birthday!', not apologize. Is this your first time or something?

Deuce: N-No! And I don't see you following your own advice either!

Ace: That's cause I gotta teach you how to behave. Man, you're such a difficult guy~

Deuce: HA?!

Blanche: Deuce... and Ace... To think that it would be the two of you calling of all people...

Deuce: Eh? Is something wrong senpai?

Blanche: ... No. Nothing at all. I was simply surprised by the fact that it was the two of you. That is all. I was not aware that you knew it was my birthday.

Ace: I mean, it's kinda hard to miss when Magicam is set to remind you about it, you know?

Blanche: Magicam... Ah, yes, Marcia had set up an account for me a while ago, but I never bothered much with it. So you are saying that the app will record even such things?

Ace: Yep~ Really nifty, right? Makes keeping up with everybody that much easier and it's less of a hassle overall too.

Blanche: Indeed... So then you have called me today with the purpose of giving me your well-wishes?

Deuce: Ah! That's true! Sorry for taking so long to get to the point, but 'Happy Birthday!'

Ace: Happy Birthday~

Blanche: ... Heh.

Deuce: Dion-senpai?

Blanche: My apologies. Thank you. This was very kind of you both.

Ace: Well, we're dependable kouhai, you know? Showing respect to our senpai is in our nature.

Deuce: ...

Blanche: ... hahahahaha!

Ace: Huh?! What's with that laugh?!

Blanche: To think that you'd be this bold towards me.

Ace: Haaa, so you figured it out?

Blanche: No, no, it's alright. I found it quite endearing. The two of you have always had a talent for this sort of pantomime. And it put me in a good mood as well. Now - Just what is it that you needed help with actually?

CHAPTER II

Blanche: Hm...

Deuce: Is that grave?!

Blanche: Rather than grave... I think it is impossible.

Deuce: I-IMPOSSIBLE?!

Blanche: I am afraid so. To be able to study the entire textbook in under 36 hours is not something that can be achieved, I believe. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it seems like you will most likely fail the exam regardless of my intervention or not.

Ace: Haaaa, that was what I was afraid of...

Blanche: Unfortunately. Still, it surprised me to see that you would contact me like this when you knew that things could not be salvaged anymore.

Ace: Ah, well, we thought that since you're a wonder child you would have been able to lend a helping hand and all that, so...

Blanche: A wonder... child... ? Ah. So you must be aware of it...

Deuce: Diamond-senpai seemed rather knowledgeable about this so let us know as well. Your family participates in all sorts of radio trivia quizzes, isn't that right?

Blanche: ... That is true. We've made quite a name for ourselves in this particular domain ever since we were young. It's tradition at this point that when we come to a certain age, we'll be asked to participate and demonstrate our own abilities. All my brothers and sisters before me have obliged as well. But...

Deuce: Senpai?

Blanche: No, nevermind. What I meant is that in spite of all this, it is rather ridiculous to think that I would be able to do something like this under any circumstances.

Deuce: I-I see...

Ace: Haaa, I figured as much...

Deuce: Huh?! So you already knew it would turn out this way?!

Ace: More or less. If you think about it it'd be impossible for anybody who's not a genius to do this so easily. It was worth a try, anyway!

Deuce: You say that but if we fail Prefect Rosehearts will surely get mad at us again...

Ace: Haaa, guess it's off with our heads again...

Blanche: ... You two.

Ace: ?

Blanche: I'm quite free today so if you need assistance...

Deuce: Re-Really?! Then thank you very much, senpai!

Ace: Blanche-senpai is really kind after all~

Blanche: It's what you were after, weren't you?

Ace: Huh? You mean me? No way~

CHAPTER III

Deuce: Ah, but...

Blanche: Hm? Is something wrong? Are you having second thoughts?

Deuce: Well, today is your birthday, isn't it? Is it really ok for us to take up your time like this? Won't your family be displeased?

Blanche: There is no need to concern yourself with this.

Deuce: Ah? Is that so...

Blanche: Thank you for the concern but I believe it is best to simply proceed with the tutoring session as suggested. I may not be successful in getting you updated on all the things that you might need to score high on the exam, but I'm sure that you'll at least manage a passing grade.

Ace: Haaa, that's not ideal, but since it's the best we've got...

Blanche: This is the result of your own sloppiness, rather than anything else so the result is to be expected.

Ace: Man, that's super harsh, you really don't let up on the discipline.

Deuce: Dion-senpai's family is pretty high up in the Rose Kingdom, isn't it? I remember my mother saying that Minister Dion was a pretty public figure and would often organize fundraisers for charities and such. His work ethic inside the department itself was unparalleled so it's not surprising that those same values were instilled in her as well.

Blanche: ...

Ace: Hm? Senpai are you still there?

Blanche: Yes. My apologies. I had something else on my mind...In any case, yes, I suppose that our upbringing was rather... disciplinarian, so there is not much that I can do about my own teaching style. We were taught even as children that failure was not an option for those who prepared beforehand. So we always made sure to do our best to perform up to expectations and such.

Ace: Isn't that kinda overkill?

Blanche: ... Perhaps. But, you must understand, that as the children of such a high standing public figure we must always ensure to never bring any shame upon our family name. Whether it's overkill or not is unimportant. These are the facts of the world and they cannot be changed.

Ace: Ah...

Deuce: ...

Blanche: ! My apologies... I seem to have caused to feel uncomfortable, have I not?

Deuce: Uh, no- it's just-

Ace: Speak for yourself. I was really weirded out by this hyper cynical episode, you know!

Deuce: O-Oi! Don't say it like that- Think about Dion-senpai's feelings too!

Ace: Says the guy who brought up the subject in the first place!

Deuce: T-That-!

Blanche: That's enough, you two.

Ace/Deuce: !!

Blanche: I was in the wrong here to bring up such matters in the first place. It was impolite and for that, I apologize. Now, I would also ask you to cease your fighting. It's not proper behaviour for students of Night Raven such as yourselves.

Deuce: I-I'm sorry...

Ace: ...

Deuce: You apologize too!

Ace: Huh? What for? Senpai herself admitted that it was her fault, so I don't see the point at all.

Deuce: O-Oi!

Blanche: ... haha.

Deuce: Eh?

Blanche: You really are as impetuous as always, aren't you? Hahahaha.

Ace: You say that but you're cracking up!

Blanche: Hahahahaha!

Ace: Seriously, senpai, I think that for today at least you should take it up a little easier. So since it's your birthday, how about relaxing with your cute kouhai and giving them a little help!

Blanche: Hm, since you're so insistent, I suppose there's no harm in it.

Ace: That's the spirit! Then- let's get to work! Ah, though before that, I almost forgot-

Ace/Deuce: Happy Birthday, senpai!

[thedevilsruby]

Drowning in a Frozen Heart (Spanche multi chapter fic)

Spark Rai is the new student at Viridian High. New school, new life right? He meets the mysterious Blanche Overwater, who's the loner at school. Can he melt their frozen heart or will he get the cold shoulder?

Chapter One: New school, New life

"Are you new?"

Spark knew he should expect that question a lot, even on the first day of school. He looked at see a girl with brown hair and golden eyes. She smiled warmly at him, making him smile back.

"Yeah, just moved here over the summer. I'm Spark, Spark Rai."

"Candela Drake. Nice to meet ya." Candela shook his hand. "I can guarantee you'll like it here. I'll show you around if you'd like."

"Thanks, that'd be great!" Spark grinned.

"I have AP Calculus after this, what do you have?" Candela asked, deciding to take a seat next to Spark. Spark glanced at his schedule.

"Shoot, I have English Lit after this." He frowned.

"Darn. Meet me in the cafeteria after, that's lunch time." Candela smiled.

Spark could hardly wait for that. The blond was always starving, even after growing out of the eating phase most boys grew out of.

Just then, he noticed a student with long silver hair in a ponytail walked in. He couldn't help but stare, who were they?

"Blanche! Hey!" Candela said, waving.

Spark looked at Candela. Blanche?

Blanche sat next to Candela, sighing. "Hello Candela." They said simply. Why did a shiver go up Spark's spine at their voice?

"Blanche, this is Spark. He's new here." Candela smiled, leaning back so Blanche could see him. Spark smiled and waved. "Nice to meet you!" Spark grinned.

Blanche simply nodded then looked ahead at the white board. "Likewise."

Spark couldn't help but frown. Why were they so...distant? And cold? Even to Candela.

"Blanche is my best friend, we've been friends since we were five." Candela explained.

Best friend? Blanche didn't even seem to like being around Candela. Spark didn't see it, how was that so?

Oh well.

"Hello class, I am Professor Willow! I hope we can get along this year." A silver haired man smiled to the class as he wrote his name on the board. "I know homework on the first day of school isn't the most fun thing, but I'll keep it simple! I want you to..."

Willow's voice faded out to Spark as he stared at Blanche. Blanche simply looked at Willow while he rambled on, taking notes now and then. Spark wasn't sure what to think of Blanche but for some reason he felt...drawn to them?

What was this feeling? It made him feel fuzzy inside.

Hopefully, Blanche would slowly open up to him and they would get along better.

Can't start a new school year without new friends.

[fumiko-matsubara]

Writing Exercise 3 // AssClass x Tower of God AU - Astonishment

Writing Exercise // AC × ToG AU - Reunion

Summary: Recently becoming a D-Rank Regular meant there would be more to learn about, Maehara concluded after a talk with the dodgy Scout of Team DREAM.

Word Count: 653 words

• ▪ • ▪ •

"Is that a flying warship?!"

"Yep."

Maehara stared at the approaching ship in amazement. Its size alone is large enough to cover half of the wide open field before them. "Wow..."

He turned to the pink haired woman next to him. "Where'd you all get it?!"

Kanemoto Shiori, one of the Scouts of Team DREAM, simply stared back blankly in contrast to the Lightning user's excitement.

"I stole it."

Maehara blanched. "How?!"

"I'm a Scout, man," Kanemoto nonchalantly waved him off. "Hijacking into accessible machinery and transport is just the bare minimum of what I usually do."

She faced the landing warship again, arms crossed. "Besides, flying ships are expensive in general. You've gotta invest in one for your team in order to travel around the higher Floors since there are less land there."

A small smile graced her face. "Thankfully, a team on the 40th Floor is stupid enough to leave their warship completely unattended."

"I-I see. ."

"But considering the huge number of members in your team, you all can just collectively save up points to purchase a flying ship big enough for 30 people at most," Kanemoto thoughtfully said. "No need to steal one. In our case, we were just in a hurry."

Maehara forced out a smile. "That's good to know..."

He then returned his gaze towards the warship, still marvelling at its large size and appearance. He hasn't been in a flying ship before, as their team had only been travelling by land and teleportation throughout their climb so far, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't curious how this one in particular looks from the inside.

"If you're thinking about going inside of that one now, I suggest you stop thinking," Kanemoto pointedly interrupted his train of thought. "They're just here to drop off supplies and will leave again soon."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "And we'd rather not have you getting lost inside the ship just cause you wanted to check out the rooms."

"I didn't even say anything..." Maehara muttered, pouting almost. "Where do they even go? I thought you guys were on a break."

Kanemoto raised an eyebrow at him. "The break was only prompted because Tsuchiya had a burn out after we cleared five Floors in just few months, since she was the one who had sorted everything out for us to clear the floors much easier," she explained. "Yes, all of us were physically exhausted but a month is more than enough for all of us to recover."

She turned back to the warship, its entrance finally opening. "But for now we're just restocking supplies and training to gear up for when we continue our climb. That's why we've had Fukiyose, Masato, and Terushima for the stuffs since they know their way around the floors the best among all of us."

She returned her gaze towards Maehara once again. "I personally wouldn't mind you helping them out, to be honest. But their next destination will be at the 44th Floor so..."

"Yeah I can't go anyway, I get it," Maehara sighed in disappointment. Travelling inside a flying warship would have been so cool though.

Kanemoto stared at him for a moment. With a mildly amused smile, she gestured towards the ship. "You can help them out with carrying the supplies to the house if you want, Maehara-kun." She suggested. "They might be needing more manpower than usual and I don't particularly trust Fukiyose with the heavy work."

She swore she could see his eyes sparkling in excitement almost childishly at the offer.

"Right!" With a bright grin on his face, Maehara dashed towards the warship immediately.

Kanemoto gazed at his retreating figure thoughtfully, the gears in her brain already racking up new ideas. With a small satisfied smirk, she turned her back and walked towards the front door of their residence.

She supposed having another delivery person wouldn't hurt.

• ▪ • ▪ •

A/N: Kanemoto Shiori is one of Zaina's OC, who is from the canonically hinted group called the Virtuoso Girls, which we have made four other OCs out of.

I've decided to add her in Team DREAM's line up simply because Zaina and I have joked about her and Eiji (Fukiyose) being a formidable Shitty Duo in Kunugigaoka. With Eiji's talent to encounter and escape trouble, and Shiori's information gathering skills to blackmail people and influence their public reputation, what else is a better idea than them being the Scouts of their team?

[headoverhiddles]

Three’s A Crowd - Doug Kinney/#2/#3 (Multiplicity) x Reader

Synopsis: You never thought you’d have a threesome with twin brothers. Of course, you don’t know they’re really clones. 

Notes: Watch Multiplicity! Michael is hilarious in it!! Also #2 is daddy af. Sooo daddy. Also, there will be no sex with #4 in this. Lol. 

The clock ticks on the wall behind you. Five minutes til your shift is over, and you’re counting down the seconds. You wipe down the counter, straightening up some packs of gum, and start to lock up the till.

It gets lonely around here sometimes as night. You sometimes fantasize about someone coming in, hitting on you, doing anything to take your mind off the monotony of the job. You laugh to yourself. Wishing for that was probably a bad thing.

The bell on the door rings, and you resist the urge to roll your eyes. Two minutes before closing? People honestly are the worst.

But as you glance up from the till and get a good look at the customer, you hesitate. He’s an attractive guy, probably in his thirties or forties, with jeans and a red shirt on. Not bad looking... someone you probably wouldn't refuse a night with.

Shut up, (y/n). He's buying shit and leaving.

“Hi,” he mutters, plunking a couple twinkies and a day old breakfast roll down on the counter and squinting, “Fetch me a pack of smokes, will you honey?”

You nod, turning to grab them, and the guy watches you, eyes falling down to your ass. He moves his fingers up to graze his chin, contemplating.

“Hey...”

You turn again, waiting to see if he wanted anything else.

“...I’m, uh. Lance."

"I'm (y/n)." You ring his stuff up. "You look tired."

"I am. Been working hard all day, y'know?"

You laugh. "I know the feeling."

"Feel like I got no me time, which is fucking ironic, but... anyway." You look down to his muscular arms, which are shiny and a little bit dirty. Trying not to look too thirsty, you nod.

"What do you do?"

"Contracting." He answers the question distracted, eyes mapping you out. You can't say you mind. "(y/n). Nice name. You got anything going for you tonight, (y/n)?” You shake your head, and he sticks his hands in his pockets. “When’re you off, babe?”

“I’d already be off, if you hadn’t walked in,” you smirk, leaning forward against the counter. You slide him his pack of cigarettes, and your fingers brush as he exchanges them for cash.

“What’dya say I make that up to you?” he asks, giving you a devilish half smile. You don’t know what it is—this guy just exudes sex appeal. “I can show you a real good time.”

“I’m sure you can,” you play along, punching the cost into the till and getting his change, “So is this your nightly routine? Picking up chicks at local convenience stores as a last ditch effort to get laid on a Saturday night?”

His eyes drop to your lips, and he leans forward too. “Nah. You’re just beautiful.” He cocks his head a little. “And, I haven’t gotten laid in a month. I’m fuckin’ dying for some pussy. But I’d do a handstand to have yours, honey.”

You bite your bottom lip, and before he can even think about kissing you, you stand back, locking the till and grabbing your jacket. You hop the counter, and walk out on his arm.

You two drive back to his place in his car, and approach the house.

“Ah,” he points, “Over here. I live in the garage, this is my... brother’s place.”

You saunter closer to him. “Is he out?”

“Yeah. He’s out. So is his wife. So we can make all the noise we want.”

“Great,” you moan, and drag him in for a kiss. He growls against your lips, and grabs a handful of your ass, squeezing and massaging it. You two kiss all the way up the stairs, and he lets you both in.

“Let’s get some music going, huh?” he grins, and you take your jacket off. He turns on the stereo to some raunchy party music, and returns to you.

You fall down over top of him on the bed by the window, making out heavily as you rub a hand between his legs, feeling his cock fill out. He brings a hand down to reach into your panties, and when his fingers make contact with your pussy, he groans. You can tell it's been a while for him, which is probably not what he's used to. You gasp against his lips, and kiss him again, and again, as he slides one finger deep—

“Two, I didn’t hear you come back, silly! What’d you get us over at—”

You yelp as the man below you rolls his eyes and looks over your shoulder. You turn, and cover up.

“Lance! Who’s this?!” you squeak. The other man looks exactly like the one beneath you, only... his posture is different.  

“This is my brother... Rico,” Lance waves off, “Rico, I'm about to get my dick wet. Fuck off.”

“Don’t make me come over there, Two.”

“Why does he keep calling you Two?”

“Nickname.”

“Who is this?” the man (Rico?) demands, crossing his arms, “You know what Doug said.”

“Doug said not to sleep with his wife, so I’ve discovered alternatives,” Lance supplies, “What? Jerking it isn't as fun after a month, man’s got urges. Specially when he sees a pair of tits like these, Christ...” He goes in and starts to nibble playfully on them, but when you look at him in alarm and confusion, he puts a hand up. “Long story baby. Doug’s another brother. Sorta.”

“I’ve got one foot out that door,” you warn, “What’s going on, and what the hell is this brother doing here?”

“Yeah. What the hell are you doing here?” Lance asks. The other one swallows, staring at you. You tilt your head. He’s a little different from Lance mannerism wise, but he’s just as attractive... maybe you could...

“Scram Three,” Lance shoos him away, “I mean, Rico.”

“Okay,” Rico mutters, still standing there and staring at you in a daze. You bite your lip, and turn back to Lance.

“He doesn’t... have to leave.”

“You want him to watch, honey?” Lance raises his eyebrows, hands rubbing your hips. You look down coyly, and his eyebrows raise even higher. “You want him to join in?!”

You nod, and you hear a noise behind you—no doubt from Rico.

“Oh, well I'm flattered, but, but I can't. I have a... something to attend to... in the kitchen, I really--” Rico starts to say, but Lance starts to smirk.

“Get your ass back here. You heard the lady. She wants us both.” He turns back to you, eyes raking over your hungrily. “After all, sweetheart. Two’s better ‘n one.”

You feel cautious hands on your shoulders from behind as the twin brother takes his place. You lean back into his chest, and get to work on Lance’s belt buckle as he leans back and grins.

“Oh yeah. Take it out honey, see what you do to me.”

“Have you ever done this with two people before?” Rico asks softly from behind, kissing your neck. You moan, brushing your hair aside for him.

“First time for that.”

“No kidding,” Lance says, “Well, same for us.”

“Yeah. This whole... double thing is a bit new for us too. Who's gonna do what?" Rico asks.

"I wanna ride Lance," you smirk, "Will you give my tits some attention, Rico?"

"Ohohoho, did I pick up the right chick tonight," Lance grins. You straddle him, lifting up, and sink down over his big cock, letting it stretch you. Behind you, Rico's hands close over your breasts, and he slowly begins massaging them together. He's surprisingly good at it, and you feel his lips once again attach to the back of your neck, sending tingles down your spine. You let out a moan, and Lance gets handsy. He sits up, and wraps his arms around you, kissing you hard as he fucks you like this. Rico doesn't mind the change in position, continuing his massage and grinding against your lower back. You can feel how hard he is. Lance's noises are lower in pitch, grunting and growling as he fucks you good and chases his relief. Rico has higher moans, but he's much calmer, taking his time with it. Lance lets out a little grunt.

"Hell baby, this is great. This is fantastic, jesus."

"Harder, daddy," you breathe.

"You want daddy to give it to ya harder?" Lance mumbles, voice low and gravelly. Your pussy clenches around him, and Rico leans forward, resting his chin on your naked shoulder.

"Where'd you say you found this girl, Two?"

"Convenience store."

"Very lucky."

"I'll fuckin say," Lance groans, "Damn babe, you're riding me like a goddamn rodeo!" He bites his lip, and you rock down onto his cock as Rico rolls your nipples, whining a little.

"I'm close," Rico stutters, "I need to c-come..."

"Join the club, pal," Lance gasps out, and you giggle, on top of the world between two hot twins.

Just then, the door bangs open, startling you all.

"What is all this racket I'm coming home to?!"

You all turn, and Lance looks over your shoulder. "Oh, 's you. Our music too loud, grandpa?"

The visitor's eyes come to rest on the sitting pile that is the threesome taking place on the bed, and his eyes widen, before he turns around and smashes his head on the door.

"Get a clone, he said. It'll be fun, he said! Oh yeah. Watch my clones fuck anything that moves-- no offense, sweetheart."

"She's actually a very nice young woman, Doug," Rico points out, blushing hard. Lance remains indifferent to the man, rolling his eyes.

"So this is the famous Doug," you smirk, and run a hand through your hair with a laboured breath. "Care to make it four?"

"Wow," Lance mutters.  

Doug blanches. "Do... do I... what-- is this-- I have a... I have a wife!"

"Yeah, he has a wife," Rico confirms softly.

Doug's voice keeps climbing in pitch as he gets more and more desperate.

"She's... she's in my bed sleeping! I have to-- she's--"

"It's not cheating if you just watch," you blink innocently, staring pointedly down at Doug's prominent bulge. He covers his erection fast.

"Hey. Stop that. Both of you, she's gotta go..." He begins to trail off.

You turn to kiss Rico over your shoulder, and he happily obliges, lips fitting over yours and sliding his tongue over your bottom lip. As he kisses you, your arms go back to run through his hair, still wiggling your hips. You then go back to making out with Lance, grinding down on his cock as the kissing gets sloppy.

"Fuck," you whisper, and Lance puts his forehead to yours.

"What is it? Talk to me babygirl, gimme something to work with."

"Need you to choke me daddy."

"We've never done that before," Rico mentions in your ear, kissing your jaw line, "Maaaybe I should, I'm typically trusted with the duties that require more responsibility."

"Hey, get your own neck to squeeze, asshole," Lance scowls at him, and kisses your cheek. "Tell me stop, I stop. No questions asked. Kay babygirl?"

"Yeah," you moan. He wraps his hands around your throat, and Rico gets even harder listening to your moans. He looks down as himself, and takes a deep breath; meanwhile, Lance fucks you faster.

"You are insatiable, babygirl," the man beneath you groans, rocking his hips up.

You drag your hands through Lance's chest hair, then reach behind you, and take Rico's cock in your hand, pumping him as he archs up and chases his climax. Lance is doing a good job beneath you, and you feel your orgasm build.

"Holy shit," you hear, and turn to see Doug standing there still, palming himself. You smirk, putting on a show for him by turning up the volume. Doug bites his bottom lip hard, and can't help but reach into his pants and provide himself a little relief.

"Mmm, yeah Doug," you say, watching his jerking motions, "Faster." He jerks himself faster, as Lance also picks up the pace. Rico tugs your hair from behind.

"Can't believe this," Doug whispers, dragging his thumb over the head of his cock. You just look so good there, getting fucked by... well, him, your hair tossed back, your ass getting slapped every now and then by Two. Maybe it's the fact that it's like watching porn starring him, or the fact that you're so fucking hot and it's been too long, but he can't deny himself. He rocks forward on his toes as you let out a slutty moan.

"Lance... R-Rico," you whine, feeling utterly taken care of in their arms. Lance looks absolutely gone, biting his bottom lip hard as sweat covers his body in a thin sheen. Rico's not much different, lips parted and muscles flexing as he keeps tugging your hair.

"So pretty for daddy," Rico whispers in your ear with a little stroke.

"Damn right," Lance huffs out.

You come hard over on the bed, feeling four hands all over your body, making you feel good. With a quiet gasp, Doug finishes, watching you three in awe. You lean back in between the guys, and sigh.

"Never thought I'd get to try this."

"You can say that again," Doug mutters, and his two clones grin at him, Three giving a thumbs up and Two putting his hands behind his head in smug satisfaction.

Rico suddenly looks at you, and purses his lips. "Go like this." He makes a hair flipping motion. Not satisfied with the result, he reaches forward and moves a piece of hair back into place. Lance and Doug roll their eyes.

[snapheart1536]

Of Course, the Real Question is...

Is Nursie from Blackadder II Kat Ashley or Blanche Parry?

Let's study the evidence:

• Unmarried and but a mere maid.

Thus: Blanche by name, blanche by nature.

• From that there West Country.

Thus: Kat's got a brand-new combine harvester and she'll give you the key.

Yer lucky devil, yer.

• Keen leanings towards piracy; has taken to wearing their beards once dead (don't ask).

Thus: Yer 'avin' a laff, incha?

Excepting latter-day Somalian scamps, every decent, upstanding fellow of a piratical persuasion will slit yer gizzard if yer eat that scone wrong.

ARRGH!!!

• Real name: Bernard. Sisters: Donald, Eric and Basil.

Thus: Records are silent on the matter.

• Lived long into Queenie's reign, and was so bold to offer 'yer sister Mary' ointment post-beheading.

Thus: Aged P. Blanche.

Nod for Blanchie! Nod for Blanchie now! Yes! Look, she likes that!

• Nursed Queenie, and indeed scarred her for life with talk of 'breasty dumplings'.

Sick, perverted filth.

Would mean o' course Nursie had a secret baby.

The minx.

Thus: Oh no. Oh no-no, no-no-no. That's certainly not how Kat rolls. She's got airs and graces, doncha know.

Blanche, meanwhile, is pure filth.

• Attended Queenie's birth, and declared the child 'a boy without a winkle'.

Lord be praised! It's a miracle!

That is until spoilsport Sir Thomas More said a boy without a winkle was a girl.

Oh-ho! He had it coming.

Thus: They do things different in Ponty.

• Uncle Nursie had a good idea and lost a foot for it.

Be that a lesson to ye.

Dunno what the world's coming to if a man can't even cut his toenails with a scythe in peace.

We've all been there.

Thus: I know wacky antics down Champernowne Way when I hear 'em.

• Nursie, being a 'sad, insane old woman with an udder fixation', will get 'em out for the lads at any given opportunity.

Thus: Kat's sporting some big, sad cow eyes like a Miltank.

'Nuff said.

Verdict: It's a draw!

[fancytalestrawberry]

Your parents LIED to you!

Here are 5 PRETTY LIES we tell our children, and what we should say instead.

THE LIES:

1. Just be yourself

2. Follow your passion

3. Everything in moderation

4. Money is the root of all evil

5. You can do anything you set your mind to

LET'S BEGIN :

LIE 1: Just be yourself!

What does a child or adolescent know about their ‘self’?

Nearly nothing!

People spend their whole lives attempting to discover their true ‘selves’, and many never succeed

Yet we dole this advice out to children like it’s some profound bit of wisdom.

Want to make friends? Be yourself

Want to get the girl? Be yourself

Want to succeed? Be yourself

This means NOTHING to a child

By saying ‘be yourself’ we skip over mountains of practical, actionable advice that could ACTUALLY help them get what they’re after.

LIE 1: SOLUTION

STOP using ‘Be yourself’ as a blanket statement.

Instead, tailor your advice to what they’re actually trying to achieve.

Want to make friends? Teach social skills.

Want to get the girl? Teach what attracts women.

Want to succeed? Teach habits and hard work.

Eventually, once they’ve mastered the actual skills and habits necessary to get what they want, we SHOULD emphasize authenticity in our actions.

So yes, ‘being yourself’ will ultimately help, but not until you’ve mastered the BASICS.

Start with those, every time.

LIE 2: Follow your passion!

Repeat after me: PASSION DOES NOT EQUAL FULFILLMENT

You can follow your passion to the ends of the earth, but if you aren’t getting FEEDBACK (ie if no one is paying attention, or no one likes what you’re doing)

You WILL be unfulfilled.

Trust when I say you can spend your whole life toiling at your passion.

If no one notices, if you’re shouting into the void.

You will gradually begin asking yourself:

Does this matter?

Am I making a difference?

The answers to those questions will drive you to madness.

LIE 2: SOLUTION

Passion and fulfillment come from the journey to greatness, not the other way around.

Become GREAT at something valuable, and passion will follow.

But merely ‘be’ PASSIONATE about something? Greatness and value may well elude you forever.

So what can we say?

Help your kids identify their aptitudes

TELL them when they do something well

HELP them steer that talent into something valued by the world

TEACH them that to leverage our gifts we must have an intentional plan, and

GUIDE them toward creating that plan

'PASSION" be damned!

LIE 3: Everything in moderation

What a dangerous lie this is!

It’s typically assigned to discussions around vices and easily extrapolated by our children:

From ‘moderating’ junk food or video games early in life

To alcohol, drugs, and sex as they get older.

Some of the smartest minds IN THE WORLD are dedicated to ensuring these vices are as ADDICTIVE as possible.

They want your kids FAT, DRUGGED, and HOOKED.

Their business model REQUIRES it.

And you tell your children it’s no big deal, so long as they practice ‘moderation’??

LIE 3: SOLUTION

Most people can’t effectively moderate themselves, especially facing the current brain-power and resources dedicated to ensuring their addiction.

Our brains weren’t designed to resist modernity’s level of stimulation.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THIS :

Our kids are smarter than we think

Help them see how they’re being targeted by marketing, how their brains are being hacked

All in an attempt to make moderation impossible.

Don't simply preach 'moderation' and hope your kids come out unscathed.

Help them see the WHOLE PICTURE.

LIE 4: Money is the root of all evil.

‘The rich are greedy’

‘The haves and have nots are at war’

And on and on...

It has somehow become more ‘noble’ to act as if one desires to never be wealthy.

And the rich are seen as inherently immoral by the mere fact of their existence.

So we teach our children that ‘money isn’t everything’.

To ‘follow your passion’ and not get ‘caught up’ in chasing money.

Or worse we don’t discuss money at all, giving our leaders in the media carte blanche to imprint whatever messages they’d like into our children.

LIE 4: SOLUTION

If you want to do any good in this world

Any REAL, scalable good

You will require money

And lots of it

Demonizing the accumulation of resources only holds you back from leaving the mark you were meant to make on this earth.

So what should we tell our kids?

TALK ABOUT MONEY

Do so with discretion, and teach your children to practice the same.

But talk about money nonetheless .

Tell them they can better help the world if they first help themselves.

Money makes every aspiration larger and more plausible.

It should be pursued as such.

LIE 5: You can do anything you set your mind to.

If you just believe!

If you just dream!

If you just work hard, you can be ANYTHING!

How many of our parents fed us this rubbish? And how many of us were left sorely disappointed when we discovered it to be patently false?

The advice is meant well, and an irrational self-belief is indeed critically important for success.

But framing it as it’s framed above, we set our children up for a jarring awakening upon adulthood.

I could never have been an NFL linebacker.

You will never be Queen of England.

LIE 5: SOLUTION

No they cannot be anything they want.

But yes, they can ABSOLUTELY be great

They can undoubtedly become elite AT SOMETHING.

Your job is to help them find out what that is.

Don't destroy their dreams, merely reframe them.

Steering them always toward greatness.

Teach them that everything requires good habits and hard work, and we all have greatness within us.

Are they short and slow but want to be an NBA player?

Promise to help them become the best athlete they can be.

Always emphasizing practice and improvement’s role in success.

Don’t say they ‘can’t’ do something

Instead instill that with the right habits and systems they will become great.

Be realistic about the odds.

Tell them their dreams may require a hard fight, but that you are ALWAYS fighting with them.

We've now reached the end

Thank you for helping me dispel these popular parenting LIES

Are these the only lies we feed our children?

NO

What other dangerous lies have you heard repeated? Share them in the comments

And RT to help spread our message

Now go forth and be great!