#gonna miss me when i'm gone ~ Jessie

[missmarveledsblog]

It's only pretend right ? ( Bucky barnes x reader) part three

summary : kitty ( y/n) brings bucky to one of the spots in her life she can just breathe and take it all it , while the two enjoy the time alone soon realize that they been gone far too long get back only for bucky to take a tumble and learn more and more about her , he even get asked to bring her grandmother to church and a surprise shows up that makes her happy to be home

warnings : this is actually unlike me to have a tooth rotting fluff piece but i ain't mad at it , grammatical and spelling errors ( whats new)

previous part

Maybe it was the scenery , maybe it was the company  or even it was the both that had her instantly more calm more settled , the fresh green grass  , trees and  fields as she passed by was something she did miss even though the compound was surrounded by some trees and stuff it wasn’t like this . it wasn’t the great outdoor of home she always looked forward to .  The two stopped near the meadow just an hour from her house. She felt calmer being away from the judging gazes and comments, finally being able to breathe fully and it was like bucky could see the shift himself .

 “ You know they have no idea about who you are,” he spoke up.

 “I used to think they did , they used to make me doubt myself so much that when i was on my own I thought I was a disappointment so when i was left in big city i was afraid to come home, until I met fury  , he showed me I was worth something then I came on to the team and even more, I mean my dad's side they're awesome they let me know i'm loved , they tell me all time that their  proud of me” she smiled brightly. 

“ I understand you more” he nodded “ huh ? “ she felt herself suddenly doubt kicking in.

 “ Why you make everyone's day better, let them know their worth even when they don't themselves “ he smiled softly watching the horse move to the little river.

“ I make sure they never feel the way I once did,  sorry also I didn't know dickface was here” she grumbled . 

“ gotta be a specific doll” he chuckled .

 “ Good one but I was talking about my ex,” she laughed.

 “ He's the one who hurt you badly huh?” He knew of him , Knew it was bad but never pushed her to tell him .

 “ he left me in new york two days after arriving found him with another girl when I went go get my stuff out of hotel room and he didn't care like they waited for me to leave” she scoffed.

“Well  he never deserved you , he  screams of  what is it Parker says , small dick energy “ he mused as her laughter filled the meadow. The way the light hit her honestly looked like an angel,as he knew one week was gonna be hard , two was going to definitely kill him . 

 “You know I'm glad fury found me “ she sighed  flopping on to the ground staring up at the clouds above. 

“ As am I,  you know you still never told me that story either” he flopped down beside her .

 “ you make it  through these days without killing my family or ex and well then I'll tell you both stories “ she giggled .

 “ you got yourself a deal doll “ he held his hand out as she took it, sealing their deal 

 “ so Is this your spot , you know  that one spot that everyone has to feel free , The one that is just for them ” he asked, eyes watching her reaction. 

“ It's one of them only Jessie knows my real spot, the one I went to  as a kid when they would visit or when I had a tough time,  he’s the oldest and in the army  but he got leave so be here tomorrow ” she smiled softly.

“  Are you two  close?” he asked . 

“ He was the first best friend I've ever had and the first person I rang when I got both jobs then my dad” she smiled. 

“ I mean I love izzy and jack to death and we’re close too, we bond over different things , she is closer to  Jack ,twin thing “ she explained . He could listen to her rambles even for hour , days even and not get tired of sound of her voice .

“ I get what you mean doll” he held her hand and two just looked up at sky enjoying the comfortable silence. She even had a nap before the buzzing of her phone startled her seeing the sun setting .

 “ shit mama texting to say it almost time for dinner” she yawn as he stood holding his hand out for her to take pulling her up . “ just us and grandma “ she added .

“ the evil one?”.

“ The devil lady , she ain't so bad I mean she's quiet and grumpy and judges everything most of the time and ignores everyone. My dad convince she sold her soul to the devil to live forever hence the nickname , she’s had a few close calls ” she chuckled easily mounting her horse as bucky got up on the moon easier.

“ I would say race you but this one is too far gone” he chuckled as she walked a head and moon followed.  

“ I'll see if I can keep you guys together” she cooed to the horses . 

The sun completely set as the two pulled back up on the ranch. All the cars were gone meaning they were gone too . 

“ I can't believe this,” her dad stared as they approached.

 “ What are you about, old man?” she laughed.

 “ the rebel stallion walking like a show pony , you know he bucked Jack off” he said coming to the two .

“ he's misunderstood , hard at trusting but once he does , big softy plus jack in the box is annoying  “ she giggled, flickering a glance towards the man beside her.

 “ We think he's after star too “ bucky patted the stallion not realizing he was going to sneeze once horse head went down bucky tumble after hitting the ground with a thump.

“ shit bucky you ok “ she hopped down so quickly honestly her father never seen her move so fast  .

 “ is it dark enough that neither of you saw that” he groaned, eyes not  wanting to open. 

 “ it not even dark enough to hide the red of your cheeks son” her dad's hand slipped into Bucky's, pulling him off the ground.  

 These two stay together  from now on , you get in and rest that was quite a fall I'll check you over once I get these settled “ she called back .

“ come on son we get you in “ her dad led the super soldier in suppressing his laughter.

“ Are you ever gonna tell her how you feel?” he asked. “ I mean we're together “ he panicked.

“ I may be old but I ain't dumb  , plus the team clued me in “ he chuckled . 

“ steve?” He asked .

 “ he and Natasha , they rang three nights ago” , his words making Bucky stop. 

 I only found out last night.” His brows furrowed.

 “ she only found out that morning” he winked, heading into the house leaving the door open once the super soldier let the words sink in.  

“Come on before she kicks both our asses,she a cute little thing but shit never get wrong side of kitty ” he walked faster into the house as bucky followed . 

“ about time … wheres kitty “ her mother turned to see two men .

” Bucky here took tumble off the moon so she gone get them  set for night while I checked over lover boy here” he patted the man's vibranium arm . 

“ shit” bucky huffed. 

“ What's broken , we ain't got insurance for that '' her dad said  his first proper look at the metal arm he's only ever seen in pictures. 

"Nah the plates and calibration is out of whack ,makes it off” he explained lifting the glasses up and instantly smashing it. “ I can feel pressure with it “ he winced as they jumped at the sound of glasses shattering .

 “ hey who’s making a mess in here” she walked in seeing their worried expressions set on bucky . 

 What's wrong, do we need to go to the hospital?” she rushed in front of the man. Eyebrows furrowed as her face laced with worry checking him over. 

“ my arm just acting up” he smiled softly loving the doting attention she was giving him .

 “ Pop, can you get my tools please?” she asked softly .

 “ You need to take the arm off , I can clear the table” her mother rushed over .

 “ No, he doesn’t easily do it while on so he can feel it’s in the right balance” she shook her head . Bucky couldn’t help laughing when her father pushed in the heavy trolley neon purple in color.

 “ nice choice color doll” he winked making her chest flush.

“ Jessie and Jack got them for me” she rolled her eyes . 

“ She and my dad used to fix cars when she was growing up , little tiny thing picked quickly. I mean she was fixing engines to her daddy’s machines at 10” her mother chuckled.

“ Ok, you ready buckaroo?” she asked, opening the trolley. 

 as i’ll ever be” he saluted with his other hand.

Her parents watched as she was lost in her task. It was like watching her as a kid working with her grandfather again. While bucky was lost in her , just the presence of her alone.  “ ok …more or less” she asked as he flexed the metal appendages. 

“ nearly there a little more” .   He loved when she was this close, how he could see every detail of her face, little freckles that littered her cheeks, how he could enjoy the full beauty of the color of her eyes. When the tip of her tongue peaked out when she was fully concentrating on a task.

” ok how's that” she asked.

 “ Perfect thanks doll” he kissed her cheek . 

“ y-y-your welcome , food time” she turned so fast she felt dizzy but she was sure if it was his lips or smell of his cologne , the way she had to force her eyes to stay on task at hand or get lost in his beauty but boy did her knees feel weak. 

 “ kitty dear, could you get me a blanket” her grandmother asked . 

“ Yes grandma, which one ?” she asked softly. 

“ surprise me dear” she let a little smile on face. 

“ She needs to teach me to do that,” her father whispered to bucky. 

“ Mama is always sweet to the grandkids” her mother rolled her eyes.

 “Mr Barnes,  would you bring me to the church tomorrow? '' the elderly woman asked face showing nothing .

“ I can indeed ma’am” he nodded . 

“ Mama, he doesn’t know where it is, '' her mother protested.

 “ They got computers for that , thank you mr. barnes'' she nodded before bowing her head, not waiting any longer saying her own grace and tucking  into her food .  

“your immortal right” her dad Frank teased.  

“ Why, '' Bucky asked.

 “ Don’t mind him '' Beth's eyes rolled, swatting her husband as Y/N walked in with a flowery blanket. 

“ Perfect dear, thank you, '' her grandmother cooed. '' Bucky is taking me to church tomorrow” she added as the woman froze while sitting down. 

“ He doesn’t know where it is , we don't have a car here” she began. 

“ your fathers car and he’ll find the way” she dismissed easily.

 “ good luck, you know what buckaroo it was nice meeting you ” she gave him thumbs up dodging her mother swatting her . 

Once dinner was done and everyone was retired for the night, Bucky found her sitting on the porch looking up at the skies . 

“ i was wondering where you went to , nat is wanting to facetime” he held his phone up . 

“ ok park that ass” she patted the spot beside her. What they weren’t expecting was the team sitting in the living room, even Tony .

“ Hey you two, how did the first day go” nat asked . 

“ he survived the first day with the vultures” she joked.

 “ I went horse riding too,” Bucky beamed.

 “ fell off the horse too” she burst out laughing .

 “ last time i was one was the 40’s” he rolled his eyes but didn’t hide his loving glance at her laughing.

 “ Two weeks guys” she said as they all looked away from the camera. 

“ you haven’t had your vacation yet and neither has the cyborg so yes two weeks pretty girl” sam sassed. 

“ Hey little pyro you haven’t seen my black card have you” tony asked arching his brow.

 “ Remember that hug?” she asked . 

“Little shit , buy anything good even? ” he asked, chuckling.

 “ nah not yet might buy my horse a new saddle you know the luxury brand” she mused playfully.

 “ Her little accent is so cute , you can hear it more,” Wanda cooed.

 “ I dont have one , anyway funny find out you got my parents involved in the ploy” she asked softly. 

“ you both need a break ok so shut up and enjoy it , not much happening here anyways” nat rolled her eyes. 

“ I mean it is good to be home , just can’t wait til the rest of them leave, especially dick face” she huffed. 

“ What is your brother thinking?” Nat crossed her arms.

 “Honestly jack doesn’t think” a gruff voice called, making her head shoot right up.

“ JESSIE” She ran off the steps, almost knocking the man to the ground. 

“ her older brother is here i’ll ring you guys later” bucky hung up before standing up.

 “ Hey kitty, good to see you,” he smiled, holding her tighter to him . 

“You're supposed to be here tomorrow” she sniffled.

 “Hey they best be happy tears” he pulled her into a hug. 

“ very happy tears i missed you so much” she almost climbed into his arms .

 “ sergeant barnes” he saluted while still holding his sister close to him .

 “corporal” he saluted back .

 “ Are you being safe?” she asked, checking him over.

 “ I should be asking you that,” he arched his brow. 

“ I'm safe,” she smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

 “Sorry you had to deal with them today” he smiled sadly knowing his own family. 

“ s’okay i mean dad was there” she shrugged. 

“ They give her a hard time?” He looked to bucky.

 “  hey i’m right here i can handle it , how long's the leave for” she asked.

 “ It was a bit harsh,” Bucky smiled sadly.

 “ dickface saying anything? And I got two weeks, funny that ?  ” he asked. 

"No, I mean anytime he did Helen answered, even though she doesn’t like him and I didn't influence your leave ” she giggled. 

“ Jack just thinks her family should be there , her parents are gone so he’s all she has” Jessie rolled his eyes still not liking it hell he almost left his post to get her  in NewYork when he found out. 

“ Come on mama and papa haven’t been in bed long” she pulled the men into the house , she and bucky stood on the landing watching the reunion. She grabbed his arm when she saw her mother crying at the sight of her son making him move his arm lacing his fingers in hers . 

“I'm glad i didn’t miss this” she whispered seeing how happy her parents were.

 “ Me too,” he smiled, eyes locked on her , seeing how happy she was. 

part 4

taglist : @vicmc624

[teknikolor-walters]

This has a cut on it because it's REALLY self indulgent and I'm embarrassed<3 also it's kinda long. But whatever cowboy wives be upon ye

"Fuck-! God, Bug, what the hell?"

Bug didn't say anything. Everything was happening too fast. Cassie was covered in blood and so were their hands (the hands holding the calculator) and their face was bloody and it hurt. Everything smelled like blood.

"Jesus Christ, I think you broke my nose. What's wrong with you? I've housed you for three years now, and this is how you repay me? A broken nose? Fuck you."

"I'm- I'm sorry- I'm sorry, Cassie, I didn't mean to- My- my face hurts and you charged at me- I panicked-"

"I don't CARE about your sob story, Bug. I'm not letting you leave me like this. And for what? People that don't even love you? Don't be ridiculous."

"Cassie, please-"

"Please what? Let you abandon me here? Let you waltz off to your partners without a care in the world as I tend to a broken fucking nose?"

"I don't- I- I'll come back, Cassie, I'll come back for you. Okay?"

"Bullshit."

Bug knew Cassie was right. He also knew that he couldn't stay here and his face hurt in the same way that it did when Ty would punish him.

"I love you Cassie. I really do."

"I love you too, Bug, that's why you need to stay-"

The time travel hurt more than it usually did.

---

"Hey, Fox, C'mere." Jessie kissed her wife quickly on the cheek. "Ah'm sure it's gon' be ok. Ah'm sure wherever our Bug is, they're doin' alright. They're real resilient, y'know. It's gon' be okay. Ah love you."

The two of them had just gotten back from Walters Base, asking if they knew where Scarab had disappeared to. They didn't.

B0UNTY sighed. "Ah love you too, Capybara. 'M jus' a bit worried."

In truth, Jessie was also worried. Scarab had been gone for two days now. It had never known him to just disappear. And with how badly Cicada had been doing, and how poorly B0UNTY had been handling Scarab's disappearance- Jessie felt like it was watching H1VE crumble around it.

Yee couldn't let that happen. H1VE was one of the few things keeping haw from missing haw's own time period. It was her home. So Jessie tried her best to throw on a smile and make sure everything was okay.

"How 'bout we throw on a movie an' relax? Ah think snugglin' in mah Fox's arms t'night is jus' what ah need."

B0UNTY smiled and nodded. Jessie tried to ignore the way he held onto her as if he was scared he was going to lose her too.

They had just started the movie- a shitty western, something to zone out to -when there was the unmistakable feeling of time travel. Nothing changed in the room, but it could feel it. It sat up and looked over.

There Scarab, her wife, her Bug, stood, in the middle of the living room, shaking like a leaf and holding a calculator. They didn't have their cowboy hat on. There were two fresh cuts on their left cheek and the side of their neck. He was crying. Jessie nearly started crying too.

"Beetle?" Yee heard B0UNTY ask from behind haw.

Jessie ran forward, crushing Scarab in one of haw's infamous bear hugs. She felt Scarab tense up in her arms, then relax.

"Capy... Bara? Jessie?" He asked hesitantly, leaning into the hug. The southern accent was gone entirely. He sounded so much like Cicada without it, but Jessie knew instantly that she was it's Beetle.

"Bug! Oh, Lovebug, we missed ya so much, ah love ya, so much." Jessie continued to whisper sweet nothings into her hair as she cried harder.

B0UNTY ran over too, and the three of them stood there for awhile, holding on to one another.

"'m sorry," whimpered Scarab. "'m so- so fuckin' sorry."

"Fer what?" asked B0UNTY.

"Ya didn't do anythin' wrong." Jessie added. "Ah promise."

"No, no, no, no, you don't understand." Scarab was hyperventilating now, and the panic was clear in their voice. "Cas- Cassie's gonna tell Ty, it's all my fault, he said he'd tell Ty about H1VE if I left and I ran anyway, I'm sorry-"

B0UNTY cut haw off. "Hey, Beetle, look at me. It's okay. We ain't mad. Ty tries doin' anythin', an' ah'll kill'im, alright? We've got each other now. He cain't do anythin' to us. We're cowboys. Who the hell told'ja that, anyway? I'll kill 'im too."

It was obvious that he was trying to keep the anger out of his voice. Nonetheless, Scarab's breathing slowed. Jessie slipped it's cowboy hat off and put it on their head. They smiled.

"How 'bout we go an' get that cut 'f yers cleaned up, alrighty?" asked Jessie. "Then we can ask questions 'bout where've ya been."

After they were all cleaned up, relaxed, and fed, they laid together on their shared bed. Scarab nuzzled himself right in between Jessie and B0UNTY, laying his head right over her heart. Yee ran a hand through her hair.

Scarab made a noise.

"You doin' ok, Cuddlebug?"

"'m jus' glad'ja ain't floatin' in the pacific ocean. Ah missed y'all."

Jessie laughed and kissed her on the head. "We missed ya too. But yer here now. Get some sleep, mkay? Ah love you."

"Love you too."

[blacknight2221]

Loving you- Carl grimes x poc reader

So this is my first time writing a fanfic so bare with me :)- Jessie

Warnings: angst, self lothing, depression, running away, zombies, death, no happy ending, afab reader

'It was pouring rain the day that it happened. Curly hair sticking to my dark skin as I hold my knees. What do I feel? Why do I love him? Why can't I stop loving him? It was supposed to be a good day, but on our anniversary of all days, I caught him with her once again. Her hand touching his beautiful locks the way I do, his laugh, his smile, his hat? Why was she wearing his hat? She doesn't know about me. No one does. We decided to keep it secret. I decided to keep it secret. You wanted to tell the world I wasn't ready to commit to titles. Looking back at it now, it was idiotic hiding you. Hiding us. I felt like next to you I don't belong. I'm not pretty, I'm not smart, maybe. Maybe I should disappear. Would you even miss me, my love? If I were gone. Without a trace. I pondered that as I arrived home. Losing Glenn has left a toll on my home and he was like a brother to me. Now he's gone, Maggie is pregnant. I was never good with babies. I was terrible with Judith. I thought you were amazing at it. One day you will make a great father. Enid would be a great mother. I don't hate her. I don't hate you. Well, maybe I hate her. I saw how happy you were with her and it always got under my skin. I stand packing my bags now. I know if I speak to you, I will calm down. Carl, you will take me in your arms and kiss me, making it better. Is it wrong that is what I want? To have you kiss me and make it better. Make the way I feel go away. I didn't take everything. I left my brothers' varsity jacket. It kept me warm all these years. I can still see him wearing it, throwing that football around. God, I used to be so mad at him growing up. Now I just miss him... I figured it brought me comfort after he was gone from my hands, in which I had to give him mercy from the monsters in our world. It will give you comfort as I find mercy from the monsters in my head. Loving you was the one thing I did right. It was wild and insane and when you lost your eye, I nearly died. I spent all my time worrying, but now you're safe.... I am leaving safely to go out in the world. By now, I have probably kissed you on the lips and said good night....you had no clue I would be gone in the morning.... it's not your fault. I know you blame yourself for the world's problems. Do not, my love.  I wanted this.

Forever yours, Y/N'

Carl looked over the letter for the third time, a look of panic on his face. He knew his girlfriend was always quick to react without thinking things through. As he grabbed his gun and gathered Michonne, Daryl, and Rick, he ran in search of his lover, his light, his life. Carl lost so much but he never expected her, his y/n, his darling, his baby, the reason he still fought as Carl searched, he stopped as he stepped on something. A pool of blood. The male turned to see drag marks. The air caught in his throat as he walked closer to see the bones. Bones everywhere, blood, bones, her clothes, her hair, bloated zombies...3 of them so fat they could not move, blood all over them, all over the scene, her curly locks in their mouths with hunks of flesh and scalp still that they could not swallow. His y/n.....

"Loving you was the best thing I did. You are probably with my mother now. God I'm a mess...how can I live like this? I will never see your smile again? Your curls bounce as you run? The sun in your hair!? That chip in your tooth from when you tripped on your feet at the prison?! Big brown eyes staring at me so lovingly!? Come back! Please! I'm sorry! Im sorry!" The male screamed at the cross in front of him, tears running down his face "Please.... I'm never gonna stop loving you." He whispered as he sat over the grave knowing there was nothing in the dirt below.

I hope you liked it!!! It was my first time doing this kinda thing:)-Jessie

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Bethyl Ask Videos #1 - #50

***Please ignore. Just updating my index.***

Bethyl Ask Videos #1 (10/30/2023)

Bethyl Ask Video #2 (11/01/2023)

Bethyl Ask Video #3 (11/02/2023)

Bethyl Ask Video: Beth and Beta Symbolism 11/03/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #5 11/04/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #6 - Showrunners, Spinoffs, Interpretations 11/07/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #7 - Ansel Elgort SM Post 11/08/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #8 - The Leah Storyline, Multiple Seasons of DD 11/09/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #9 - Streaming Rights, Unseen Events in Alone 11/10/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #10 - Yellow Flash From the Opening Credits 11/11/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #11 - The Symbolism of Rick and Jessie 11/15/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #12 - Articles About Headshots + Maggie in S5 11/14/2023

Bethyl Asks Video # 13 - Where Beth Got Her Gray Sweater 11/17/2023

Bethyl Asks Video # 14 - Peach Schnapps and Spinoffs 11/18/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #15 - Other Ships, Jadis vs. Morgan, Grady Survivors 11/21/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #16 - Daryl's Lost Wing + TWD Destinies 11/22/2023

Bethyl Asks Video #17 - Grady Philosophies + Tracing As Back Throughout the Series 02/27/2024

Bethyl Asks Video #18 - Beth's Hearing + Filming in Atlanta 02/29/2024

Bethyl Asks Video #19 - Daryl and the Question of Connie 03/02/2024

Bethyl Asks Video #20 - Reunions, TWD Destinies, and Setting Beth Apart - 03/06/2024

Bethyl Asks Video #21

Bethyl Asks Video #22 - Timelines and the Age Gap Question 03/09/2024

Bethyl Asks Video #23 - S11 Symbolism, Rick + Bullet, Stilliversary 03/09/2024

Bethyl Ask Video #24 - You're Gonna Miss Me So Bad When I'm Gone 03/19/2024

Bethyl Ask Video #25 - Sus ScreenRant Article + Daryl as Jacob Template 03/20/2024

Bethyl Ask Video #26 - Super Suspicious "Welcome Home" with Beth and Rick 03/21/2024

Bethyl Ask Video #27 - Upcoming Louvre Scene + Sleeping Arrangements in S4 03/22/2024

Bethyl Ask Video #28 - Where Dead City Might be Headed + More Age Gap Stuff 03/23/2024

Bethyl Asks Video #29 - Daryl and Sophia, Future TWD Conventions 03/26/2024

Bethyl Asks Video #30 - Claire De Lune, Loss of Limbs, Daryl's Silence 03/27/2024

Bethyl Asks Video #31 - Will Beth Return to the Funeral Home 03/28/2024

Bethyl Asks Video #32 - Beth's Gray and Yellow Clothing, Beth's Memory 03/29/2024

Bethyl Asks #34 - Changing Placement of Beth's Head Wounds 04/02/2024

Bethyl Asks #35 - Bethyl Kiss + Deep Dive Into the Wolves 04/03/2024

Bethyl Asks #36 - The Solar Eclipse and Emily's Social Media 04/04/2024

Bethyl Asks #37 - What the Actors Do or Don't Say Openly 04/05/2024

Bethyl Asks #38 - Black T-Shirt Guy on Coda Set and in Opening Credits Flash? 04/08/2024

Bethyl Asks #39 - 5x09 Strangeness + Blonde Walker in the Trunk 04/10/2024

Bethyl Asks #40 - Dead City Timeline + "New Sheriff" Parallels 04/12/2024

Bethyl Asks #41 - The Pizza Symbol - 5 and a Wedding Ring + Pineapple 04/15/2024

Bethyl Asks #42 - The ID of Beth's Shooter + Size of TD 04/17/2024

Bethyl Asks #43 Theme Music and Filming of Missing 17 Days 04/21/2024

Bethyl Asks #44 - Whether We'll See Beth in DD S2 + What Actors Know and Say About Their Deaths 04/22/2024

Bethyl Asks #45 - The Sheriff's Hat, the Color Red, Dawn's Last Words 04/23/2024

Bethyl Asks #46 - Rick Following the Template of the Missing 17 Days 04/24/2024

Bethyl Asks #47 - Rick's Focus on Beth in 9x05 + Length of Rick's Coma 04/25/2024

Bethyl Asks #48 - Orville Peck Music Video + TPTB Hinting at Beth's Return 04/26/2024

Bethyl Asks #49 - Characters Still Alive from Coda + Whether TD Knows About Td 04/29/2024

Bethy Asks #50 - AMC's Caryl Friendship Campaign + TSDF 05/06/2024

[brummiereader]

@emotionalcadaver poor Tommy 😩. Jessie digging up memories, was brutal.

I love how everyone is like “He’ll get over it,” about Arthur 😂. Yeh he missed the vote, but it's not like he wasn't missing out on something with what he was doing with Linda 😅.

It was in Tommy’s nature to blame himself for every little thing that went wrong. But still, she needed him to hear it. Maybe, someday, he would believe her. Exactly this! I think it's so important that you wrote this. Because it's never really considered/mentioned in canon, but it's there. You can see Tommy blaming himself for everything. He didn't even blame John for Grace's death. He blamed himself. He takes on everyone's burdens, and I adore the fact that Lucy sees this and trys her best to have him lessen everybody else's faults he blames himself for.

Tommy doesn’t want you to be there when Luca comes for him,” Polly stated simply. Lucy felt her shoulders tense, turning to face her. I have such a bad feeling about this 😬. And the fact Lucy seems to be getting increasingly frustrated with Tommy holding her back, makes me think she's going to try and prove her point.

The way he looked at Tommy, in particular, as if sizing him up, made her particularly nervous. I can't stand Michael. So this right here 👆...this gives me hope that Lucy will keep her guard up when it comes to him. Trust those spidey senses Lucy!!

Devlin was waiting for him with steps she suspected his overdramatic ass was purposefully ensuring sounded booming and intimidating. Definitely couldn't mention stomping Tommy 🤭😂! You just know he purposely prances about as loudly as possible. I reckon he's probably heavy footed naturally. Doubt he does anything quietly 😂.

Clara had quite the intel 👌. I actually really loved the fact she had a certain amount of loyalty towards Tommy and Lucy. And decided to tell them her observations. BUT...arghhhh. Lucy, hun...I feel like this might be a trap for you 😩. Now I don't think Clara would set them up, but I'm not so sure about Elizabeth or Maria. If she's taken with the Italian...she might not be so loyal, or her ditzy personality might slip up 😬.

The whole entire next scene was filled with so much emotion, I honestly started to get that nervous uneasy feeling in my stomach. Heartbreak for Tommy and the memories Jessie cruelly brought up. And heartbreak for Lucy and the emotions/self doubt that she internally battled with.

You did an excellent job at describing both. And I felt like I got a deeper look into how Tommy felt about Greta. But his loving gazes at the woman he knew before the war, broke my heart for Lucy. He lit a cigarette, then picked back up the photo he’d pulled from his pocket before taking off his coat, looking down at it longingly. Lucy felt something inside her twist. I felt so sad for her in this moment when Tommy remembers his time with her. And her trying to find logic in her irrational thoughts about who Tommy might love more etc, was something I think maybe a lot of us has gone through. I think that's why I felt this scene so much. Nobody wants to be second best. And it's something us women do so well...worry. Worry about things that are out of control. Just like Lucy was doing 😭.

“I’ll be right back,” Tommy said, tucking the photograph into his trousers pocket. Wait, where did he go??? Oh god, I know it's not yet but...the scene down by the cut with Lizzie...it just popped into my head 😩. I'm not sure how you're gonna spin this one in your story, I'm nervous. Don't hurt my girl 😭😭.

“I think you would have liked her. I know she would have liked you.” honestly 😭, this was the sweetest way he could have reassured her worries. Tommy's love for Greta I imagine is different to what her shared with Grace and different to what he shares with Lucy. I just hate the way she started criticising herself when he was gone. Lucy that man is obsessed with you!!!!

Tommy kissed up her neck to her cheek, nuzzling at her like an affectionate cat. Thank you for ending this chapter on a fluffy note, I needed it 🥰. You had me worrying on Lucy's behalf how much Tommy loves her 😫😂. Like I really felt it 🤦🏼‍♀️. But that shows how good of a writer you are, hun! I had a visceral reaction to your incredible use of emotions, and the depth they held.

Amazing, amazing, amazing!! Another brilliant chapter, can't wait for more ❤️!

Part 21: The Shadow of the Abattoir

Fandom: Peaky Blinders

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x OC

Summary: New information arrives that could prove extremely useful, and Tommy is reminded of someone from his past.

Word Count: 6,091

Notes: I know that these first couple chapters have been a little slow, so thank you for sticking with me so far. I promise that things are going to start picking up after this chapter! Warnings for references to past sexual assault, prostitution, disease, death of a minor character, and suicide.

Previous Chapter • Series • Fic • Next Chapter

Chapter 9: No One Came Back

Lucy winced at the way the door slammed behind Arthur, the relief that she’d felt initially at the sight of him alive and well in her and Tommy’s office had quickly drained when he started in on Tommy about the vote Ada had told him about. He was furious and hurt. Not to mention that he looked to be about to come down with the shakes after having just killed two Italians who’d tried to get him.

Great. So now they couldn’t trust the men in their own damn factories not to give them up. The Changrettas were gaining more allies within their territories. That was a problem. 

Tommy stood there, staring at the door Arthur had stomped out of, a hand raising to wipe across his face. 

“He’ll get over it,” Lucy said, rising from where she’d leaned against the desk, arms crossed over her chest while she silently watched the encounter. She rested a hand on his shoulder. “Who knows? Maybe he’ll still be the one who gets to kill Luca and this’ll all be a mum point anyway.”

“Mm,” Tommy grunted, dropping his hand and turning to her. “He was upset.”

“He still blames himself.”

Tommy gave her a sad look. “It wasn’t his fault.”

Lucy cocked her head, eyes narrowing slightly at the tone in his voice, it clear who he actually blamed for John’s death. “It wasn’t yours, either.”

“Yes, love. It was.”

She shook her head stubbornly. “John died because he was an idiot and didn’t kill Audrey Changretta when he had the chance. The whole mess with them wouldn’t have even begun in the first place if he hadn’t lost his head over Lizzie dating someone else,” she cupped both sides of his face. “John’s death was his own fault. Not yours. Not Arthur’s.”

He closed his eyes, and she knew that he didn’t entirely believe her. It was in Tommy’s nature to blame himself for every little thing that went wrong. But still, she needed him to hear it. Maybe, someday, he would believe her. 

She leaned her forehead against his for a second, his hands resting upon her forearms before letting him go. He moved to collapse exhaustedly into the chair behind his desk. Lucy followed him, hopping up to seat herself on the edge of his desk beside him. Had there not been men working in the betting shop just outside the office windows, she’d have climbed into his lap instead. But this would do for now. 

“He’s going to be angry over this for a while,” Tommy huffed, rubbing at his brow as if fighting back a headache. 

“Yeah,” Lucy acknowledged, sighing. “It’ll be alright. He’ll understand eventually that it’s for the best.”

“Mm,” Tommy grunted, fingers pressing to his lips, eyes growing unfocused slightly as he was lost in thought. Lucy nudged his knee with her toe to get his attention. 

“Tea?”

“Hm? Oh; sure,” he nodded absentmindedly. Jumping off of the desk, she ducked out the door, dodging around men busy at work in the shop to get to the kitchen. She was just putting the kettle on and grabbing two teacups when the backdoor squealed open and Polly came in.

“What are you doing here?” Lucy asked curiously.

“Just came by to pick up a few things,” she set her hat down on the table. “Did you find Arthur?”

“Yeah, he just left. He’s not too happy about the whole thing.”

“He’ll get over it,” Polly said with a dismissive wave. Lucy raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anymore, instead moving to grab the tea from the pantry. “Where’s Tommy?”

“His office.”

But Polly didn’t move, and Lucy found herself growing increasingly uncomfortable under her gaze, boring into her back, shifting from foot to foot while she tended to the kettle. 

“I’ve set a time and place to meet Luca,” Polly said in a soft voice. Lucy swallowed, throat suddenly dry. It was a dangerous plan, for all of them. But at the moment, it was the best they had.

“That’s good.”  

“Tommy doesn’t want you to be there when Luca comes for him,” Polly stated simply. Lucy felt her shoulders tense, turning to face her.

“He’s protective. Especially after…” she choked briefly on the name. It was still hard to say it without opening up the well of grief inside of herself. “Especially after Grace.”

Polly nodded, pulling out a clove cigarette and lighting it. 

Lucy smiled tightly. “Too bad for him that I’m protective too. I’m not letting him deal with Luca alone.”

“Good. I don’t like the idea of him getting into a shootout all by himself. Even if he knows that they’re coming for him. I’m assuming your presence is to be kept a surprise?”

Lucy nodded, pouring the tea, letting it steep while she cleaned the kettle. 

“You’ll tell Tommy? That I’ve made contact with Luca? I need to be getting back.” 

“Sure,” she didn’t ask where Polly needed to be getting back to, probably home or the hospital. She wondered if Michael might be getting tired of her constantly hovering over him.

At the thought of Michael, something else occurred to her. “Polly.”

She turned at the doors, cigarette between her lips and hat clutched in her hands, brow raised. 

“Yes?”

“Have you told Michael about the thing with Luca?”

Her brows pulled together. “No.”

Lucy nodded, thinking. There had been something in Michael’s eyes for the past year…she couldn’t quite place it. But it had been there since he’d killed Hughes. Lucy had thought at the time that murdering his rapist would help him, similarly to the way it had helped her. But she was beginning to think that might’ve been a miscalculation on her part. 

The way he looked at Tommy, in particular, as if sizing him up, made her particularly nervous.  

 “If it’s all the same to you, I think it best we keep it that way. I don’t know what Michael’s…acting skills are like, and the fewer people that know, the better.”

Polly thought it over, then nodded. “Yes, I think you’re right.”

Lucy cracked a humorless grin. “Look at us, agreeing on things for a change.”

Polly snorted. “Don’t get used to it,” but there was half a touch of humor in her voice, before she turned and wandered her way into the shop. Lucy picked up the two cups of tea, steaming rising steadily and the delicate China warm against her fingers, and carried them back to Tommy’s office. 

∗ ∗ ∗ 

It was dark, when Isiah brought Devlin to them. They were in the kitchen eating a quick dinner when they arrived, and Isiah silently took him to an office, leaving him seated at a table with one of their other men keeping watch. They’d let him sweat a little before actually speaking with him.

In the kitchen, Isiah spoke in a quiet voice. Everyone else had gone home for the day, and the betting shop was dark and eerily quiet.  

“He had a one-way ticket to Glasgow in his pocket when we searched him, like you said he would.”

Lucy nodded. That was to be expected. Tommy had asked her to do some digging into Devlin after Arthur was given up by someone in their own factory. Devlin had keys to all the doors, and he’d been frustrated with them as of late. He was the obvious candidate for a traitor. 

Whether it was fear of the Changrettas, or hatred for them, it was hard to say. To Lucy, it didn’t particularly matter. The outcome was the same. 

“His wife and kids had already left for there three days ago,” she told Tommy, leaning back in her chair and puffing at her cigarette. “According to the woman selling tickets at the train station.” 

“You find the address they’re staying at?” Tommy asked. She nodded, digging around in her pocket and pulling out the little slip of paper she’d scrawled it down on, handing it to him. He looked at it for a moment, committing it to memory, before tucking it away. 

“I already called some of our men we have allegences with in the gangs in the city. They’re prepared to do what we ask if Devlin doesn’t cooperate.”

“Good,” Tommy started fumbling with his briefcase, clasping it shut. Isiah shifted from foot to foot nervously. Lucy raised an eyebrow at him curiously, his eyes lifting to meet hers. 

“There’s a woman who I think you should speak to, Lucy,” he said. “She’s just outside, with Skudboat. I can have him take her home, if you’d prefer, but…”

“What is it?” Lucy asked, head cocking curiously.

“She has information about where Alessio Changretta is hiding.”

Lucy’s eyes snapped over to share a look with Tommy. Her breath caught in her throat with excitement. Finally, they might have something they could use.

“What do you mean?” Tommy asked, being cautious in his optimism. 

“She’s a girl who works at the Midland. She says that one of the other girls there has been bragging about getting some extra work on the side of what she does at the hotel. Serving some Italian men living in a flat nearby.” 

Lucy looked back to Tommy. That certainly sounded promising. Could be a trap, too. So they would have to be cautious.  

“You and Scudboat searched her?” Tommy asked Isiah. The boy nodded. Tommy looked back at Lucy. “See what she has to say. I’ll deal with Devlin,” he turned to Isiah. “Go wait with him. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Isiah nodded, and scurried away. 

“Watch for if she’s lying about anything,” Tommy said, clearly thinking the same thing that she’d been about a potential trap.

“Right.”

He finished clasping his briefcase, standing and making her smile when he dropped a kiss on the top of her head before striding  towards where Devlin was waiting for him with steps she suspected his overdramatic ass was purposefully ensuring sounded booming and intimidating. Standing, Lucy scooped up both of their plates, setting them down in the sink to be washed later. Once the table was cleared, she went to the backdoor. Outside, Skudboat was standing with a young woman Lucy instantly recognized from nights spent with Tommy at the Midland. 

“Clara,” she said in soft greeting. The woman was pretty; almost as short as Lucy, with soft, golden colored hair, and wide, sea-green eyes. Lucy held the door open to her. “Come in,” she let Clara step past her into the dimly lit kitchen. “Wait out here,” she ordered Skudboat, who nodded, leaning against the wall and pulling out his cigarettes.

When she closed the door and stepped back into the kitchen, it was to find Clara with one hand held out, smiling while Asher sniffed at it. Lucy watched the encounter curiously, taking note of Asher’s reaction. A moment later, his tail wagged, tongue darting out to lick Clara’s hand in approval. Clara giggled, and gave him a scratch behind the ears that left the dog practically overjoyed. 

“Ash, come here,” Lucy chuckled, and he trotted to her side dutifully. “Have a seat,” she said to Clara, nodding to the table. She sank down into the seat next to her, Asher plopping down at her feet. 

“Isiah says you have some information for us?” Lucy prompted, opening her cigarette case and offering Clara one, which she politely declined, fiddling nervously with the buttons on her coat while Lucy took a cigarette out and lit it. 

“Yes, um…you know Elizabeth,” Clara started. Lucy nodded. Elizabeth was another prostitute that worked at the Midland who sometimes served her and Tommy. Though not as much as Clara. “Well, shortly after Christmas, she came in wearing this expensive necklace. I thought, maybe her mum or some guy she’d been seeing, or maybe even a client had given it to her for Christmas. They do that, sometimes. But then she started coming in wearing more expensive things, and cutting down on her hours at the hotel. Billy wasn’t happy about it,” she looked down.

“So, eventually, one day, while we were all in the powder room getting ready for the evening, Maria asked her about it. Elizabeth said that she’s been seeing some new man who’s staying in a flat nearby. She says that he and his friends are rich. He and another man work as a…a…I don’t know, I guess as security guards of some kind, for another man. She’s always taken work on the side, you know. Even though Billy doesn’t like it when we do, he doesn’t stop us either. Apparently they called on her and she serviced all three of them one night, and then one man out of the three took a shine to her. He’s been buying her things, taking her around town with him to fancy restaurants. All that sort of stuff. I didn’t think much of it, at first. You know, it happens, sometimes, that a client takes a real shine to one of the girls and decides to play Prince Charming. If you ask me, I think he’s just trying to get free services out of her for him and his friends, but that’s not any of my business. But then…” Clara stuttered, fidgeting with her hands nervously. Lucy held out her cigarette to her, and this time, she took it gratefully. 

“She mentioned that they were all Italian. And I’d…I’d heard rumors that there was trouble between you and Tommy and some Italians that had come to town. And then Elizabeth–she’s got a big mouth, you remember? She mentioned something about how they’d been asking all sorts of questions. Mostly just about the city. But also about you and Tommy. And it just…it didn’t seem right, so I poked around the Garrison until I found the preacher’s son who works with you and told him what I’d heard.”

Lucy leaned back in her chair, fiddling with her rings while she considered Clara’s words. “Did they tell Elizabeth what they’re doing in Birmingham?”

“Just that they’re in town on business.”

“You get any of the names of the men from her?”

“No,” Clara shook her head regretfully. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Lucy assured her gently. “Do you know where they are staying?”

“Yes, I made her write it down,” she fumbled with her handbag. “It’s a flat just down the road from the hotel. I told her to give us the address in case something happened to her while she was with them. I think she thought it was silly, but she did it anyway. We have to look after each other, you know?” she handed Lucy the paper. Lucy took it, looking over the address and quickly drawing out her notebook from the inner pocket of her suit jacket and copying it down, handing the paper back to Clara. “I think that they hurt her.”

Lucy looked up sharply. “What makes you say that?”

Clara shrugged. “Just noticed some bruising on her arms that wasn’t there before, and she sometimes gets this look on her face…but she keeps going back. I think because she really likes the one guy, and because they pay her so well.”

Lucy nodded in quiet understanding, sympathy building in her for the girl. “Clara, thank you,” she said genuinely. “Really. You’ve no idea just how big of a help this has been.”

She nodded. “Of course. I…you and Tommy were always nice to me. And since you’ve been around, the men…some of them used to be really bad, sometimes. But since you came around with the whole…punishments for hurting women, things have been a bit better. There are still some arseholes every once in a while, but not so many as there used to be,” she shrugged, looking away and blushing when she realized that she’d been rambling. “So, anything that I can do to help…as a way to say thank you…”

“There’s no need to thank me,” Lucy said gently. “But if you hear or see anything more about Italians in the area, you call my office,” she wrote down the number and handed it to her. “Especially if you get anything more out of Elizabeth.”

“Of course.”

“There may be a day, soon, when I’ll need you to keep Elizabeth away from that flat for a few hours. Do you think you could do that?”

Clara thought about it. “I think so. If I could get Maria to help. Elizabeth is more likely to listen to her rather than me.”

“Okay. Good,” Lucy thought a moment more, then rose to her feet. Clara followed her lead. “Skudboat can walk you home.”

“Alright,” Clara gave Asher a parting little pet to the head. She seemed only then to realize that she was still holding Lucy’s cigarette between her fingers. “Oh,” she offered it back to her, but Lucy shook her head with a kind smile. 

“Keep it,” she led the way to the door, opening it and allowing the chill of evening air to enter the kitchen. “Thank you again, Clara. Really.”

Clara nodded once, with a bashful smile, and stepped out the door. 

“See to it that she gets home safe, Skudboat,” Lucy told him.

“Sure thing, Luce.”

She watched them begin to walk away, not closing the door until they were out of her sight. Returning to the table, she sank back down into her chair, hands clasped in front of her, fingers fiddling idly with her rings while she stared at nothing, just thinking silently in the dark.  

She barely registered it as Tommy came back into the kitchen, softly closing the double doors that led to the betting shop behind him. It wasn’t until he dropped a large hand onto her shoulder that she roused, head raising to peer up at him. 

“We have to go,” he said in a soft voice, expression apologetic. Her brows drew together. 

“We do?”

“Mhm,” he gave her a gentle tug on the arm. “We can talk on the way.”

“Okay,” she stood, still a little baffled, taking her coat that he’d pulled from the peg it was hanging on from him and tugging it over her shoulders, securing her cap atop her head. Tommy shepherded her out the door.

“Stay, Asher,” he told the dog when he moved to follow them. Lucy felt a little bad at the sight of his wagging tail and the eager perking of his ears. But he sat down obediently at Tommy’s command, taking up position quietly guarding the door until they got back. 

“Where are we going?” she asked as they began to walk. Tommy took her hand in his and she was grateful for it, his warm fingers helping to shield hers from the cold of the night air. 

“To see Jessie Eden.”

“At this hour? She won’t like that.”

“She might when she hears my improved offer.”

“Is that a euphemism?” Lucy chuckled with a suggestive raise of her eyebrow. Tommy huffed out a small laugh.

“No,” he gave her a mildly mischievous look. “Not yet, anyway.”

She pressed her smile into his arm, moving to press closer to his side as they walked. He was warm and it was chilly. 

“How did it go with Devlin?”

“It wasn’t him who gave Arthur up,” Tommy sighed, sounding simultaneously relieved and dejected.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. He’s just afraid of the communists.” Tommy’s gaze was focused on some faraway point in front of them. It was late enough that the streets were mostly quiet, a light drizzle of rain slickening the cobblestones. “He said that he heard that there were two Italians who attended a communist meeting in Stechford.”

“Ah. I see now why we’re on our way to speak with Miss. Eden.”

“Mm,” he nodded conspiratorially. “I’m keeping Devlin here in Birmingham. Isiah will get some of our men to watch his house. Tell our friends in Glasgow to look after his family.”

“Will do.”

“Did you get anything useful out of the girl from the Midland?”

“It was Clara. And actually yeah, very useful. She said that Elizabeth has been running around with some Italians that are living near the hotel. Apparently one of them’s taken a shine to her and has been buying her all sorts of expensive jewelry and taking her around town. Clara said that there’s three of them that Elizabeth has talked about. I got the address they’re staying at from her,” she pulled out her notebook and passed it to Tommy. He took it, examining the address carefully before handing it back.

“Do you trust her?”

“I do,” Lucy affirmed, tucking her notebook back into one of her inner pockets. “She seemed genuine. I don’t think it’s a trap. I think it’s just some of Luca’s men getting sloppy with the whore they’ve taken a liking to. But I’ll have Isiah and the boys case the place for a few days to make sure it’s not a trap and to work out a schedule of when they come and go.”

Tommy nodded. “Do you think Elizabeth knows what they’re actually here for?”

“I doubt it. You remember how she is: sweet, but a little ditzy and naive. Clara said that they told her they’re just in town on business.”

“Right. Well, just have the boys look into it and gather up information on the location and the men holed up there for now. Before we decide what to do about it.”

She raised an eyebrow, noting how he clearly was trying to avoid a discussion about her being the one to go after the Italians. But they were approaching Jessie’s building, so she decided not to push it. “Right.”

Tommy paused for a moment before heading inside the building, head craning up to look at the windows, most covered by the material of curtains, some more sheer than others, light only filtering out through them dully. Tommy squinted, as if trying to make out any of the silhouettes that passed across the windows, before moving to the door. He held it open for her, and she ducked in quickly, thankful to be out of the cold. Inside, she could hear a baby crying in one of the rooms, and the hum of music from another one upstairs. She climbed the narrow stairs after Tommy, looking around at the somewhat dingy, cramped lodgings. 

He came to a stop at the door that the music was filtering in from, smoothing down his fringe after he removed his hat, switching the briefcase to his other hand, then knocking softly at the door. The music came to an abrupt stop, and then Jessie’s voice was calling through the door, asking who it was. 

The meeting was going…well, not well, necessarily, but decent enough, considering their past dealings with Jessie. Lucy kept quiet, making herself comfortable in a chair at the little table in the center of the room, sipping at the beer Jessie offered them and observing her carefully. 

Jessie wasn’t particularly helpful, but that wasn’t actually a surprise. Nor was it cause for Lucy to bristle at her.

But, oh, did she bristle at the name that suddenly and entirely unexpectedly fell from Jessie’s lips. 

Greta Jurossi

“Did he ever mention her to you?” Jessie asked, suddenly turning to Lucy, her voice raising ever so slightly in pitch, expression smug.

“Yes,” Lucy said, softly. Many times. He had always been forthcoming and honest, when it came to her questions about Greta. She knew that it was hard for him to talk about, and she appreciated how eager he was to answer her queries despite that.

Under the table, she moved her leg to press against his. The softness in his voice when he responded to Jessie caused her to press it a little harder against him. The mention of Greta had not been something he was prepared for, and it had knocked him off kilter. 

“After she died, you went away to war. Kitty said that the sweet boy who left never came back,” Jessie continued, recounting the sad story that both Tommy and Lucy already knew. 

“No one came back,” Tommy’s voice was hoarse. Lucy cocked her head, looking at him sadly. 

Because the way Jessie recalled Kitty Jurossi’s description of Tommy: charming, sweet, loving, sitting at Greta’s side every day when she was sick, holding her hand, tending to her for months until she died, did not sound all that far off from the Tommy she knew. Perhaps he was a little rougher around the edges, a little more worn down from so much pain and hardship. But the sweet boy she spoke of was not nearly so lost as both she or Tommy seemed to think.

“Jessie, that’s enough,” she said harshly, not wanting to see the pain that had sprung up at the mention of Greta in Tommy’s eyes anymore, but Jessie just smiled in mock sweetness and continued on as if she hadn’t even heard her. Lucy would have snapped at her again had it not been for the sudden admiration in her voice as she recounted the stories Kitty had told her about Tommy. Lucy could see it so plainly: Tommy, young, barely a man grown, wrestling furiously with a brute he’d caught beating a horse, striking him savagely and goadingly on the arse with his own whip as the man scrambled away. 

The mental image made her smile a little. 

But as Jessie went on, Tommy grew more agitated, suddenly rising from his seat. Lucy kept her eyes on Jessie’s face. She couldn’t quite figure out how she felt about her. On one hand, she could appreciate some of what Jessie was trying to do. Particularly the push for advancing women’s standings in the workforce. But on the other, her smugness and attitude of moral superiority bothered her. And this…this action of digging up all these things about Greta, then throwing them in his face…they had been calculated. Lucy couldn’t tell if Jessie was simply trying to draw out his past sympathies with the communist cause, or if she was just trying to hurt him.       

Tommy put back on the music Jessie had been listening and dancing to prior to their arrival. 

All smugness left Jessie’s face when Tommy started to relay the information Lucy had gathered previously on her: how her sweetheart had gone off to war, and returned with shell shock so severe that he killed himself. 

Jessie’s face grew haunted, big dark eyes filling with tears, before hastily looking away. And finally, she was serious, answering Tommy’s previous question with only a minimal grumble. But Lucy was still on edge, her protectiveness of Tommy flaring.

It blazed back into full-force when Jessie pulled out a picture Kitty had given her of Greta and Tommy in Blackpool. 

“We’re done here,” Lucy announced, the legs of her chair screaming against the floor as she stood up hastily. She looked at Jessie with quiet rage, and she must have let a little more darkness filter into her eyes than she’d intended, because for a very brief moment, Jessie looked genuinely unnerved by her.

Tommy did not protest her suggestion that they leave, simply gathering up his things, tucking the photograph Jessie had given him into the inner pocket of his coat.  

Lucy, in what was perhaps a somewhat petty display, did not say a word to her as she went to the door and yanked it open, holding it ajar so that Tommy could follow her outside. And she put perhaps a little more force than necessary into her stomps down the stairs, to really telegraph just how she felt about the whole thing. 

“Are you okay?” she asked once they were back out on the street.

“I’m fine,” Tommy said, in a voice that was very much not fine.

“Tommy…”

“Let’s just go home,” he sighed, swiping a hand through his fringe before replacing his cap back on his head. She hovered in close to him as they started to walk, this time not just for the warmth that his body provided. She didn’t say much, knowing better than to try to push him to talk when he was like this.

When they got home, he went upstairs without a word. Asher greeted them at the door, tail wagging, following eagerly at Lucy’s heels when she ascended that stairs after flicking off all the remaining lights that were on in the kitchen.

Tommy was in the process of taking off both his coat and waistcoat, brows creasing in mild frustration when one of the buttons momentarily caught. Lucy swallowed hard at the sorrow in his eyes, her heart aching for him. 

She did not think about Greta all that much. A part of her didn’t particularly like to, because there was always the question, if Greta had not died, if she and Tommy would have even ever gotten together. It made her feel so incredibly guilty, that her happiness with him might have come at the price of the sweet Italian girl’s life. 

Taking a step forward, she took the coat and waistcoat from him.

“Thank you,” he said softly. She just nodded, hanging the coat up on a peg and folding the waistcoat to tuck away in the chest of drawers. He lit a cigarette, then picked back up the photo he’d pulled from his pocket before taking off his coat, looking down at it longingly. Lucy felt something inside her twist.

It was not right to wonder if he loved her as much as he had Greta. There was no competition between them, and it wasn’t logical, or productive, to even consider such things. 

And yet, a tiny part of her brain, the part that she was pretty sure only existed to cause her pain, still mulled it over.

“I’ll be right back,” Tommy said, tucking the photograph into his trousers pocket. 

“Okay,” Lucy said softly. She watched him go, fingers fiddling with her rings long after his figure had disappeared out the door. In his dog bed, Asher whined. “I know, boy,” she soothed, reaching down to stroke his big head, then setting to work changing into one of her nightgowns, folding her clothes with slow, methodical movements and tucking them away beside Tommy’s in the drawers. 

He wasn’t back yet when she went to the washroom to remove her makeup and finish getting ready for bed. She figured he just needed a moment to himself. He’d come back to her. He always did. 

Wiping off the remains of dark eyeliner, she looked at herself in the mirror and frowned.

She’d never thought of herself as particularly pretty. Not with her face full of freckles, eyes that were a few sizes too big to be in proper proportion to the rest of her face, and messy red curls that never seemed to want to cooperate.

Her lips pursed as she took in the dark circles under her eyes–neither she or Tommy had been sleeping very much since this whole thing started–and a hand raised to brush across one of her cheeks. She might’ve been imagining it, but she swore that she’d lost some weight. Not that she couldn’t stand to probably lose a few pounds, but she was starting to look a little gaunt in the face. 

Shaking her head, she poked and pulled a little at her skin for a moment more before stepping out of the washroom and heading back to bed.

Tommy was there when she entered, scratching Asher absentmindedly behind one ear and undoing the laces on his shoes with the other. Lucy approached him slowly, making sure that her footsteps were loud enough so that he would hear her coming up behind him and not be startled. When he kicked off his shoes and straightened, he turned partially, and looped an arm around her shoulders at the same time that she wrapped her own around his waist, hugging his middle with her head on his chest. Tommy’s face dropped down, burying in her hair with a deep sigh. She felt him inhale, breathing in the scent of her soap and perfume, and relaxing a little in her arms. 

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. There wasn’t much more that she could say. He rubbed her shoulder, giving a small shake of his head. 

“I love you,” he murmured, and she let out a small breath, squeezing him tighter. 

“I love you too,” adjusting her head on him, she considered her next question for a moment before verbalizing it. “Can I see it?”

He reached into his pocket, pulling out the photograph and holding it out to her. Taking it carefully by the edges, she eyed the faded, grainy image, smiling softly at the serious look on the younger Tommy’s face. Good to know that it had always been a chore to get him to smile when having his picture taken. 

Greta was beautiful, with dark hair that was carefully done up and slightly stern features. Her dark eyes fixed upon the camera steadily, but despite the seriousness in her face, there was a spark of levity there too. 

“She was pretty,” Lucy commented. Tommy hummed in quiet agreement, hand smoothing down her back, shifting them so that his head was hooked over her shoulder to look at the photograph with her. 

“I think you would have liked her. I know she would have liked you.”

She craned her head back to look at him. “You think so?”

“Mhm,” he nodded, and closed his eyes, turning his face to press a few kisses to her neck. Lucy raised an eyebrow, even as her head tilted to give him better access. 

“I doubt she would have approved of the part where I’ve fucked her lover.”

“I don’t know…she could be pretty open minded too, you know…” Tommy mumbled, and Lucy chuckled. 

“Building quite the harem for yourself there in your head, aren’t you?” 

He snorted, pinching at her hip playfully. “You know what I mean.”

Angling her head back, she looked deep into his eyes, taking in the sincerity in them, understanding what he was trying to get at.

“I would’ve liked to have met her,” she said, more serious. He was right, after all. Everything he’d told her about Greta indicated that she and Lucy would have gotten along very well together. 

“Yeah,” Tommy gave her a sad smile, and she stretched up on her toes to press her forehead against his. His eyes lowered. “Who knows if we would have even stayed together, after I got back from the war.”

“You don’t think so?”

“I don’t know,” he sounded so lost and sad. She wanted to cry for him. It was so unfair, that he’d had to experience the loss of not just one, but two women who he’d loved so deeply. 

“Everything that you’ve told me about her indicates to me that she loved you very much.”

Tommy blinked hard, eyes a little glassy, throat working as he swallowed hard. “She loved the person I was before I went away to war,” his thumb circled mindlessly around Lucy’s hip. “I don’t know what she would think of the man who came back.”

Lucy stroked his face, brows pulling together. She could not say whether or not Greta still would have loved him after he returned to war. She would like to think that she would, and nothing that Tommy had told her indicated that Greta would have rejected him after he returned home. But ultimately, she could never say for sure. 

Unsure what she could possibly say to make it any better, she stretched up on her toes and kissed him. Tommy’s arms tightened around her, leaning into the kiss gratefully. 

“We should get some sleep,” she murmured once they’d parted, still caressing one chiseled cheek. 

He hummed, nodding, and took her hand, leading her over to the bed. She climbed in first, and he immediately snuggled against her, their arms wrapping around each other under the blankets, her head on his chest and his face tucked against her hair. 

“I love you,” she repeated, hand trailing along his strong back, feeling the warmth of his skin through the material of his shirt, tracing delicately over the scar on one of his shoulders. Tommy kissed up her neck to her cheek, nuzzling at her like an affectionate cat. 

“I love you too.”

And with her hands tenderly petting his back, she felt him slowly sink into sleep against her. 

Previous Chapter • Series • Fic • Next Chapter

Thank you for reading! Please consider leaving a comment, reblog, or like. I always appreciate feedback and love getting the opportunity to interact with you and hear your thoughts!

[umbral-stigmata-unbound]

.....

[x3kristax3]

⚠️TW: sucide, drug reference, sexual content

A part of me 2/3

First| Next

He reaches for me but i move away "that night i blacked out i dont remember much expect i drank 2 big bottles of Jack. Jessy had to call an ambulance by the time she came home and i woke up to my stomach being pumped out" i say lifting the shirt up showing the scare "shes not joking Jake if she hadn't came home when she did i would of die because thats the night i wanted it all to end. If i couldnt have you i didn't want to be here anymore" i say crying

"Please don't say that" he says

"Oh i said it in voicemails and texts to you multiple times that night i thought for certain it would change something in your heart and nothing so i tried what Jessy doesnt know is i also took some pills that night. Thats another big reason they had to pump me like they did"

Jake pulls me close fighting me fighting him until i just melt in his lap "I'm so sorry i wasn't there" 

"Sorry only means things if you can prove it. Jessy taught me that, that night. She said she would never leave me when i'm going through my downs of missing you and she proved it. She moved plans and switched days with girls at work to stay by me and when she couldn't she paid for Dan to come out and spend that time with me." I sit up and look at him and see he's heartbroken as he runs his fingers through my hair "this wasn't how you imagined tonight is it?" I say wiping a tear away from my face

"Not at all. When i saw you at the club and dancing with that guy i almost wanted to punch him right away. It made me feel like i was gonna lose you forever if i didn't do something right there to let you know" he says

Without even thinking i lean into him and kiss him then i pull away and look away and bite my bottom lip. He grabs my chin making me look at him "fuck i missed that kiss and that look" he says kisses me this time deep and i crawl into his lap

As i do theres a knock on his door " i know your in there" yells Jessy

I sigh "shes relentless"

"How did she find you?" He asks

"My location when we have girls nights we get updates of any new pings to eachother phone"  i sigh

"I just want time alone with you" he says as she pounds on the door

" shes not gonna go until she sees me" i say i say getting up and he does too and we go to the door. I stand just in front of him as he opens the door

"Jessy go home. I want to stay here tonight" i say

"I tried to keep her home" says cloe

"Its okay" i say i look at Jake "can they come in for a moment?"

"As long as she doesn't go crazy bestie on me again"

I look at Jessy "can you promise him that?"

"I can try" she says. We move from the door cloe and hannah both say Hi to him

Jessy pokes his chest "you enter her life again i dont want to see you disappear again" she says

"Everything is safe. Ive even stopped hacking until i knew i was safe to find her" he says

"What?!" I say looking surpised at Jake

"Yeah we hadn't got to that yet but didn't you notice I don't have all the screens always going?"

"No i hadn't…. Not gonna lie those other moments we had since alone again i hadnt really looked around"

"Krista why are you in his clothes?" Says hannah

"I showered after that guy at the club"

"I still dont trust you to not break her heart again. After losing Richy, i can't lose her like that…. Did she tell you she flatlined twice on us that night!?" Jessy says

"No she didn't" says Jake

" i was about to lose my best friend because you left her and she couldn't handle it after trying everything to get you back" she says tears in her eyes

I hug her "Jessy i think thats enough we will talk tomorrow when were all 100% sober okay?"

"Only if he comes to the apartment" She says

I look over at Jake 

" okay i will i will bring her home tomorrow and we can talk this all through" he says

Hannah and cloe manage to get her out and once they are gone. Jake pins me against the wall again looking down at me and he sees me melt as his slides his leg between mine.

"Oh we're gonna do this again?" I say with a smirk

"Yep i still have to get you back" he says bringing his mouth close to mine and acting like hes gonna kiss me but as i lean up he moves back "now where were we?" He says with that devilish smirk that sends chills down my spin as he takes a hand and runs it under his shirt that im wearing while his other hand holds one of mine above my head

I turn my head "jesus you haven't forgotten what drives me insane" i say and my legs go weak and im sitting on his thigh 

"No jesus here just this devil tonight and i sure haven't." He moves closer to my ear and whispers in it "since the night i left i thought about this moment. Only thing that kept me sane without you" he says as he kisses my neck.I take a big gulp trying to fight the urge " just give in" he says and as he does a soft moan escapes my mouth

"Good girl" he says as i feel his breath on my neck and his hands going along my back.

I move closer to him "please jake" i say turning my head towards him again and i look into his eyes and he smiles

"Was there anyone else since i left" he asks

"No." I say knowing what he's asking

He kisses me deep and i moan into his mouth as i lose any control i had. He pulls away and lets my hand go and i pull my shirt off but he stops it just above my head as he grabs it pinning it like that " its cute you thought you had any kind of control here" he says  as he moves me and hooks the shirt on a coat rack and walks away.

With his back still turned i manage to get my hands free and i wrap an arm around his chest. Feeling his muscles as i lean into his back "with you i know i don't. Id do anything for you" i say

As i say and do that he grabs my arm thats around him pulls me around to his front "you know there are certain things i won't let you do for me" he says while looking in my eyes

"Anything that can result in you losing me forever" i say

He kisses me deep again this time both hands on my waist as my hands run up and down his arms and chest. He starts moving us towards the couch me walking backwards and we get to the arms and i fall backwards onto cushions. I let out a whimper cause he steps back and is looking down at me.  I get up on my elbows and say "please stop teasing me"

" but you know i enjoy it" he says running his hands up my legs to short waistband and slowly moves them down. He does that and I fall back and let out a frustrated whimper. Once the shorts are off he grabs my hips and pulls me up to the sitting on the arm rest at this point im naked. He grabs my chin and pulls my head up so im looking at him "I'm gonna stop here. Im going to bed" he says kissing me again and walks away. 

I go to follow him and he turns around in the bedroom door frame. " you take 1 step in here and mr. Nice guy is gone until we wake up" he says stepping back once

I take a step in so im right against him "maybe i don't want mr. Nice guy tonight" i say with a smile

He grabs my waist picking me up and tosses me on the bed as he strips down to just boxers and i see a new tattoo on his thigh. I sit up and run my fingers across it and smile

"Why you smiling?" He asks

" you got that in my handwriting" i say

" yep the only paper i could find before i had to leave that you wrote me said those words on it and incase i couldn't find you id have it forever"

I go to get up to kiss him but he push me back as his hands run between my thighs for the first time all night and my legs instantly spread. Without even looking at Jake i know he's smiling. He lets his fingers slowly trace every inch of my body that it hasn't yet and my body instantly arches.

He starts kissing my calves up my thighs then back down the other leg. I feel his breathing on my skin. I let out a moan "i thought no more nice guy?" I say getting frustrated trying to push him futher

He crawls on top of me and my breathing getting shallow. "I know what you want and im gonna make you work for it tonight" he says this time kissing my chest.

My hand goes behind his head and the other one grabs the bedding as my body arches as he does that and i take in a deep breathe "Jake please" i beg

As i beg he slides a hand between my thighs and feels the warmth and wetness and he looks at me and smiles "someone is enjoying this" he says

" someone else is too" is i run my hand on his bulge

"Honestly the moment i knew you were following me out of the club hes been there" 

"You knew you had me in the palm of your hand" i say as i lean up to kiss him

As i do he kisses me deep and slides a finger in me. I moan instantly into his mouth as my body aches towards him

He pulls away from the kiss and bites his bottom lip "that's the moan i was looking for" he says as he just slides his finger out and slides his boxers off and slides in. 

********

I finally wake up and its almost noon. I look over at jake side and he's not there i get up throwing on the shorts from last night and as im about to walk into the living room i hear jakes voice and someone's else. I go into his closet and finds another shirt to throw on and walks out. His visitor looks at me then looks at Jake "really dude i thought your heart was on your old girl?"

"That is her" jake says as he walks into the kitchen and i follow

"Who's that?" I ask

"One of my hacker buddies who helped me get out of that life" he says handing me a cup of coffee "i figured after last night you needed to sleep" as he looks down at me

"Well i mean unless you were gonna wake me up the way i like" i say with a smile and i kiss his cheek

"God how i missed this with you. Mornings like this" he says running his hand through my hair. As he does his buddy comes walking in

"Its nice to meet you Krista" he says "but ill let you two be you probably have alot to catch up on cause i know how he feels about you" he says as he heads back out

"Krista stay here for a moment" jake says kissing me then heads out with his buddy 

"Hey man dont say anything in the community. Im really trying to walk away from that life and i know she still enters the chats" jake says

"Dude she was only getting into those chats to look for you. I told you when you walked away from her that if you didnt win her back once it was cleared up youd lost your mind. Obviously you never lost her heart" he says as he leaves

Jake walks back into the kitchen and i look at him as i lean against the counter drinking my coffee "you know when you had my call Jessy last night, you almost lost me."

He walks uo to me "i know thats why i wasn't letting you get too far away from me because i didn't want that to happen." He says running his hand along that scar again "im sorry i left you alone to the point you thought that was your only choice"

"Because i couldnt find you even in the hacker chats i thought you died. It felt like that mine all over again" i say.I hear my phone go off "its probably Jessy we should head there before she calls the cops" i roll my eyes

"Let me get dressed" he says

I grab my clothes from the night before and head into the bathroom. In there i see an outfit i swore i had lost and i open the door "jake what is this?" I ask

He comes out dressed in black jeans and a black shirt "when i left i grabbed that for if this moment happened so this morning i put them in there for you so you didnt have to wear those clothes again" he says

I close the door and throw them on. It was one of my favorite shirts he had bought me and a pair of leggings. I walk out and i catch him staring at me. "What?" I say with a smirk

"Just like i remember… but here catch" he says tossing me a bike helmet

"Really?" I say

"Yeah were riding over on my bike" he says

[delicateharmonybear]

Babysitters Club season 2 live react

Episode 1

tbh I feel like Kristy's friends are not at all sympathetic about the whole "thrust into a strange environment where everyone around me treats me like dirt because of my socioeconomic background" thing. like "maybe you misunderstood, anyway: boys". Realistic, probably, I'm just surprised it was never addressed. Impressed with Kristy's personal growth tho.

Also kind hilarious that they're all acting like Kristy is so naive and clueless about the Logan situation when actually "just text him" is the best and most adult advice, but that's not shown either

Can't get used to new dawn tbh but she seems to be doing a really good job keeping in character

Episode 2

I don't think my friends or I ever took personality tests this seriously lmao.

Claudia, you really are proud of being the individualist aren't you?

Oh Mallory you poor awkward baby

The way Kristy took back over when she came back without slamming dawn and actually praised the good parts of Dawn's leadership 😔😍 is it weird that I'm proud of her LMAO (she really should have let vice president Claudia do her job in the first place tho!)

OMG THAT ENDING LMAO

Claudia: *long rambling heartfelt speech*

Janine: okay. *walks off*"

I LOVE U JANINE

Episode 3

Me: why is Stacey giving me celebrity vibes? *2 seconds later* she's gone be on a magazine? Oh so she is one 🤣

"I tried to do a fishtail braid on my own but it ended up looking like a regular braid that gave up on itself" lmao it me

Wait Kristy secretly attempting the fishtail braid alone in her room is me too

Stacey baby you already learned this lesson u need to tell a grown up what's going on 🥺

Ooh is Jessi actually going to get characterization beyond "is black and likes dancing" in the show?

"i brought coasters from home" omg my hero

Kristy you adorable baby gay. The bassinet thing is so sweet. She's really done a 180 on the whole Stepfamily thing. The fact that her mom's not even pregnant just makes it hilarious

Omg Dawn i can't believe this is working. I miss u old Dawn but I love you new Dawn.

"I love babies! I'm a babysitter!!”

Ahhh I'm Sooooo worried, she's gonna pass out on stage isn't she 😭

She walked off before it happened you go girl!

Omg. They didn't want Kristy to know because they knew she'd be excited and it's not a sure thing. I'm not crying you're crying. She and her future wife are gonna be such good parents and have like 10,000 foster kids that will be So Loved

Stacey admitting she was jealous of Jessi for having a functioning body while she struggles just to make hers work on a normal day honestly felt so real (and relatable as someone with chronic pain).

Stopping for the night, gotta save these bad boys

[emotionalsupportshelby]

Hi, I'm depressed it's almost 1am and I'm gonna blog my Peaky episode watch:

Episode: Series 4 episode 3

Let's go

My dad said Paul walks like a ape, and it's, all I see now... Like with both arms at the same time

Michael gives me so many mixed feelings but it's cute that his, adoptive mum showed up in the hospital

Village Michael was the best Michael

Does the adoptive mum know it was Michael's decision not to go back? She's out here, blaming Tommy, like babe... Tommy wanted Michael to go, he refused

ADA MY BABY

Polly counting the days she's gone without a fuck 😭 legendary behaviour only, you go be with someone unsuitable ma'am, we rooting for you

Hi Ada saying "behave yourself" is lowkey fucking hot

You never behave yourself Pol you go down with legends

Only Cillian could rock Harry Potter glasses with that Haircut and I am here for it

I'll make a post on this, later but Tommy needs a, woman like Linda, a women who gets him away for the Buisness

Im not a fan of Linda but Kate is gorgeous 😍

Why is everyone in this cast so hot though

No but I had to watch the Arthur and Linda, sex scene with my dad 😭😭 there's others but this is by far the worst 😭 I hate every time we get there 😭

"keep his balls empty and his belly full" Linda's mum >>>>

I hate myself for thinking this but I wonder if Helens hair drastically changed to this shorter one because she was going through treatment..it looks similar to my aunts, who went through breast cancer so I'm like 👀

Probably not cuz it's years before but.... Who knows

The paint fight scene must have been so fun to film... I love watching it each time

"I'm here as a lover of theatre" Me introducing my theatre nerd ass

I alwaud forget how good Adrien is in Peaky... Season 4 is one of my least favourite seasons but Adrien kills it as Luca even though I dislike his character in general

Arthur he had a fucking vote because it was planned to have the vote Just because you were getting fucked doesn't mean that stops

Arthur... John shoulda killed his teacher... Its not on you it's on his dumb ass

Kates smile is GORGEOUS

Arthur and Linda are a toxic relationship on each end and I hate that neither of them are getting happiness

She's trying to help you get out of the life which is damaging you Arthur, don't go Bat shit at her

100% found out that I've developed a new crush on Kate just now...can't wait to rewatch with this knowledge

"you have a lot of enemies" no shit mate... No fucking shit

JESSIE BABY HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU

and your muppet dress

You cannot say that that dress don't look like it's got muppet on

Ti's the Muppet dress..

Okay I made a post on this before but Cillians subtle yet heartbreaking acting when Greta gets brought up is a hyper fixation every damn time I watch this episode... Here's, my gif from last time

He looks so broken and I can't explain how much I love his acting choice there... Whether he even knew he was doing it or not

I'm so angry Jessie isn't coming back next series 😭

Her and Cillian had so much on screen (for lack of better word) chemistry and I'm sad we won't get any more of it 😭

Greta is still Tommys truest love and possibly his ownly love and I will go to my grave thinking that

Jessie/Charlie deserves SO much more love than she got and I'm forever bitter about how dirty she was done

Cillians acting in this scene is heartbreakingly subtle yet beautiful and I'm in awe

Arthur firing the bullet, I'm not a HUGE Arthur fan but he needs to go and get therapy and find happiness

Lizzie is under appreciated as the woman who isn't with Tommy... She is so much more than Tommy's wife

"Tommy said yes, Arthur said yes"

"but did God say yes" - I love Polly 😭

Finn trying to be in charge, bby no

As someone who has been to Blackpool... That is the happiest look you will ever see... I stayed at a hotel there for a con and it didn't even have a fucking window... We were in a box... I feel Tommy had the same experience

Lizzie, Polly and Linda arranging a girl for Finn gives more proof that he's fruity 🍓

"nice women don't do that sort of thing"

"yes they do, look at you" - we love sweet Tommy one liners 🥺

Hi if tommy wants to take me to the docks Id love that because it's, precious as fuck 🥺

He is fully in his head fucking Greta here but its still a fucking sweet moment and I love it

HE PROMISED GRETA HE WAS GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD GUYS I CANT 😭

The way he goes back to talking business straight after having sex 😭 boy, rest dammit

"I don't want it like that ever again Tom" cuz you are interested in the other gender?

This scene woulda been a great one for Finn to come out to Tommy and I'm bitter it didn't happen, Steven recognise he ain't straight dammit

I remember watching the scene where Polly 'betrays" Tommy the first time and being so fucking pissed 😂 Still lowkey stresses me the fuck out

I always think I dislike S4 until I watch it and then I'm like damn... What a masterpiece ✨

Top 3 thinks I've thought:

1. Wow Kate is gorgeous and I hate that I've ignored it this long

2. Tommys romantic side who has his guard down needs to be shown more

3. It's not gonna be the same without Helen, I just pray they do it respectfully 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Ahhh that was fun... Hope you enjoyed my commentary 😂

(it's now 2am...oops 🙈)

[theangrypokemaniac]

Then Ambipom showed up, and the little miss wasn't half so bad in retrospect.

I never felt too keen on Aipom. It was okay but that inane grin possessed a sinister edge, like Tony Blair after the '97 election.

Bloody hell, what's that?

Yer tail's got more fingers than you!

Nasty thing this freak:

• Teeth like bathroom tiles.

• Grimace about as reassuring as an escaped mental patient peering in the window.

• Chevron nose implying a porcine snout.

• Tail ends like silicon knockers, each sporting a trio of red-raw teats.

• Screechy, gurgling cackle.

• Bobbing up and down, heaving, like a Steamboat Willie reject.

It's the voice mainly. The cheap attempt rolled out by The Pokémon Company ruins much of it for me.

Aipom began Sinnoh as Ash's Pokémon, but so enamoured was she of the whole Contest palaver, and with no chance of joining whilst still in his custody, the decision was made to trade her for Buizel.

I repeat: she left Ash, whom she clearly cared about, given the hat antics, because Contests were a wondrous jewel in her eyes.

It did then anyway. The boss-eyed ugliness is more of an issue now.

It was all going so swimmingly. Dawn and Ambipom made a grand team, sticking it to Ursula and Gabite good and proper.

That is, until she made the mistake of entering a table tennis event.

Really? To this we are reduced?

Remember that. It's important for later.

His name is O.

It is not. That's blatantly an alias for ulterior motives.

What's he up to, sneaking about under a pseudonym of evident fabrication?

O? Yer couldn't even think up a proper sobriquet for this devilish creep?

It's all Barry's fault, the bitch.

I consider folk who fanny hither and thither, referring to themselves by initials only, to be insufferably pretentious.

T.A.P. won't have it on this blog.

Dawn progresses with ease, thoroughly thrashing opponents, for Ambipom reveals herself to be quite the skilled operator.

With no fingers, no wrists, and no joints. Just the palms.

As if!

How can Shiftry be a champion? Look at it, man!

Alright, it's not so severe a drawback as Oddish, who had No Bloody Arms, but it ain't much of an improvement.

It's got no bloody hands!

Yet they come up against real competition at the close, for O and Shiftry are legends of the art.

It's a master ping-pong player... with No Bloody Hands?!

You're 'avin me on here!

What's it meant to do, slap away with a frond?

How?! There's no bloody bones in them there leaves!

Can't have a cup of tea with them, can yer?!

What a surprise, Dawn loses in the final.

Something else to fail at then?

Oh come on love, can't you do anything right?

Then O guilt trips her. Apparently the shrieking simian is a natural talent, but her deadweight presence is cramping its style.

Charming.

Ambipom is given the choice: spotlight and seals or bats and balls. She picks the latter.

Each time the ball approaches, either it'll just bend the foliage, or, when aflame, burn a hole right through, and Shiftry would go up like a woollen nightgown!

Of course she does. The compelling story arc of twenty minutes could lead only to this conclusion.

Aipom gives up entering Contests, a career she adored, in preference for a thing no one knew existed before this single episode, even if it means parting from all of her friends forever.

Perfectly logical thought process there.

Two options:

1. Contests are crap. They look all flash at a distance but it's a soulless procedure.

Ambipom twigged this early on, jumping ship at the first opportunity to escape a lifetime of feudal drudgery under Dawn's baronial whip hand.

O claims to run his own ping-pong school, because in these parts that's how people fill the empty hours waiting for death.

Bizarrely it's situated in Vermilion City.

I know. It's on a entirely different continent to Dawn, as if they don't want her visiting.

Back in day Ash and Brock almost died trying to reach said settlement. It ain't easy even for them.

Oh Vermilion City! Of course it is! I remember it so well now from Electric Shock Showdown.

Lieutenant Surge loves a game of ping-pong! Him and Raichu batter fragile Pidgey and Rattata all day then unwind with a bit of back-and-forth paddle-whacking.

He's at every hour under the sun with the Fishing Guru and Fan Club Chairman.

2. The writers responsible are baggy-arsed oafs and this is the most inept exit in the show.

Yeah, and I bet O's vehicle is the one hiding Mew.

Ah! That's the explanation I've waited for!

Disembarking from the Saint Anne? It's the first place you go when in town.

Captain, calm thy sick, and Sailors, put down those women of ill repute. There's pongs to be pinged.

A likely scenario as ever I did see.

Or is it?

Well, well, well. This tissue of lies is unravelling before me.

• Calls himself O?

• Has such a mundane, yet ludicrous profession?

• Works with a disabled Pokémon incapable of the very action for which it is famed?

• Professes to own an establishment we know from past experience isn't there?

• Enters the aforesaid competition, immediately targeting his favoured prey?

• Grooms Ambipom with flattery, adding a reduction in status by beating her, inspiring a useful hunger for better?

• Emotionally manipulates a young girl into surrendering her Pokémon?

• Shows no remorse in removing an animal from her family?

• Travels thousands of miles from home, keen to avoid recognition by fellow countrymen?

• Supposed base happens to be in a city difficult to access for Dawn?

• Oh, and a port town to boot, stamping ground of smugglers passing illegal goods, like exotic pets and contraband?

• Disappears on a bus, never to be seen again?

The evidence is piling up!

He ain't no ping-pong player! He's scouting for specimens for his animal research lab!

Ambipom's gonna get stuffed and placed in a cabinet for snotty students to study!

Hey, science man. Anything's justified in its name. The future's now thanks to it.

Thumbs up from Pope Clemont.

Could be worse. Could be talentless twat Damien Hirst picking up creatures to bisect in a vat of formaldehyde for the pleasure of a lot of beard-stroking bourgeoisie.

If I were Ash I'd be well aggrieved at the entire situation.

You give away yer best chimp, assuming it'll be safe with a friend, and she gifts it to the vivisectionist!

Oi bitch, yer wanna take the shirt off his back too?

You should've handed it to Jessie when asked. She never would've done such a thing.

She cares.

She just dumps all hers in the tender embrace of H.Q. and forgets.

Might be dead now. Much better.

What is it about Sinnoh? Chimchar gets grief, and Aipom's headed for China's cruelty-free wet markets.

From Poffin to coffin: aye-aye-aye.

Mmm-mmm: Mashed Ape coming to a dinner plate near you.

I tell yer, shameless spanking of monkeys going on all over.

But lo, the somewhat misnamed Galar region is set in Vermilion City!

Obviously Ambipom will be at Chloë's for a cup of tea and a banana on a regular basis.

Yep, definitely will happen. No doubt about it. We're due a remake of Diamond and Pearl after all.

Should that come to fruition, any old excuse to promote it on screen will do.

I'm handing yer that loose story strand, Game Freak!

Any time now. The first day Ash was in town he raced to the famous ping-pong school round the corner.

He couldn't resist, not when he hadn't bothered to visit in three previous generations.

It's coming. It will. Just wait a minute.

...

That's right, you wave goodbye. That's the last we'll be seeing of 'er outside of a packed lunch with mustard.

No? Again I give you two options:

1. What choo expecting canon coherence from this shower for?

I keep telling yer: when a new era begins it erases all that has gone before. That's why they explain the concept of Pokémon EVERY SINGLE BLOODY TIME.

2. It is consistent, and Ambipom can't return as her skin's decorating a fine Gucci handbag.

Plus the rest of her made a top-notch tin of dog food.

[briankang]

hi tay! so i want to get more into k-pop but i’m not sure where/who to start with! also are biases the same as stanning? do you have any input on all this? haha thanks so much!

ljklkjldkfjslk HI!!!! ok this is. probably going to be a longer answer than u anticipated so i apologize in advance

ok the easier question to start with is sort of!!!!! your bias tends to be your fav in a group, but it can also be applied to solo artists as well! usually you'll hear the term ult bias, which is your ult(imate) favorite!!! mine is bang chan from stray kids!! but u can also have multiple. you'll also come across the term bias wrecker which is like. the member that's your second fav. i always think of it like having a side piece LMAO. however i am a libra and can never choose so i always have bias lines (multiple favs).

as for groups ok so i'm. gonna plug my boys stray kids here first and foremost mostly bc i have a deep dive playlist for beginners on yt that i made for some friends full of their mvs, some funny clips, and dance practices that you can watch here!!! i also have a beginner spotify playlist (that i need to update now that skz2021 is out oops) here! stray kids self produces and write all of their own songs within their production/rap unit called 3racha and have some really beautiful songs!! their style tends to fall under rap/hip-hop/edm/pop, but they've done mostly everything lmao. 3 of.....many favs are for you, my pace, and get cool!

if you like self-written/produced/choreographed groups, seventeen is right up your alley as well. they're INSANELY multi-talented. def lean more pop imo more than anything. my favs from them are pretty u, left & right, and very nice!!!

bts is obviously insaaaaaanely accessible! they also (usually) self write/produce their own content as well (you. can see the theme w/ me lmao). they've done pretty much every genre of music, so there's something for everyone. personally i love their more hip-hop leaning albums but it's all fun!!! miss right, i like it, dope, idol, and airplane pt 2 are just a few off the top of my head that i really really love.

if you like r&b, got7 follows more of that style. they were under the same company as stray kids until about a year ago when they left! not by the moon, just right, and teenager are my faaaaavs.

if you want all-rounders and VOCALISTS? a.c.e is here for you. most of their members are enlisted right now but my god do they have some bangers for while they're gone. take me higher, down, and undercover are unstoppable and make me feel insaaaaaane.

ok but for some female groups!!!!!!

mamamoo first and foremost. those bitches. god. i love mamamoo. insane vocalists and fun raps and some just goofy women having a fucking ball. dingga, decalcomanie (2021 version), and piano man are just some of my favs!!!

twice. god. fucking TWICE. my friends just saw them at their last US show and i love them so much. twice make some of the most fun music and even help write on it!!!!!! twice makes music for the girls and the gays and that's IT!!!!!! if i had to narrow down my favs: what is love, baby blue love, and cheer up, at least currently. they're also under the same company as stray kids!

another jyp group (i'm not a company stan i swear LMAO), itzy!!!! i love these girls sm......v cute and fun and make some music that really just. it scratches the itch in my brain yknow. in the morning, icy, and wannabe really just. they HIT.

i GOTTA throw a classic in there and go girls generation on this one. snsd are THE bitches. we would not have k-pop as we know it without them. the first kpop group i EVER heard. gee, i got a boy, and into the new world are MUST hears!!!

and last but not least, the first gg i really truly loved: 4minute!!! 4minute is disbanded now but i will truly never forget the impact they had on me. crazy, hate, and whatcha doin' today are some of my favs!!!!

there's also tons i haven't listed here (shinee, txt, enhypen) and some soloists (hyuna, sunmi, jessi), so if u ever need more recs......i am here BUT HOPEFULLY THIS WAS ENOUGH LMAO please lmk if u have any more questions or whatever hehehe

[coralsgrimes]

Love remembering when the DL and some anons on here turned on Jessie. It’s just so predictable and imo shows that they might’ve saw them as a threat and not as the far fetched ship some of them acted like

LOL I dunno about that and what is the people turning against Jessie is a sign that bessie was/is a threat? wtf? and since I forgot, here's a good time to clear up my old asks lol

So for what I managed to find was that Sujaya asked someone on insta I think a question like 'what about us/pocs?' when there was a talk about BLM. Well it is a valid question but it was neither the time nor the place to discuss it. For what I seen she apologized but some people took it further and there, Jessie comes in! And then Jessie 'apologizes' for getting involved and says that she meant no harm cuz she had black friends when she was a kid or something... Will not bother to even commenting on that cuz it's what it is. Might be missing stuff cause there is not much and I don't wanna look honestly x.x i mean like cool beans but totally uncalled for Jessie so thanks for nothing.

The other thing was the stunt double shite. So if ye don't know, they hired a white woman as Amita's stunt double and they basically tanned her. The bitch in question seemed kinda proud of herself and like sis I might not have the authority to speak on such matters, but ye she's a piece of shit and everyone who approved and overseen this should be gone in an instant (they probably were not fired tho, lets be honest it's netflix after all!). ALSO Jessies stunt was white too! Ye know it's such a deep running problem in the industry in general that I will not touch on that cuz it aint my place. But I think that Jessie was outright asked about it in some interview or something? She did not bring it up by herself? Might be wrong here again tho! So for this I think it was no nose sticking, it was more or less deliberate.

And like I'm not trying to defend anybody but Amita was speaking very warmly about her double and then Jessie says it was fine, no problemmmm, nothing to look at here! Again, the shite is running deep and free, it's normalization of such bullshit. There were comments that they were not able to find stunts who matched their psychical appearance so they had to improvise... Like? No?

So my guess is that they are just starting their careers, Amita and Jessie, and speaking badly about the hand that feeds ye would land them on naughty list. They are getting more offers, magazine covers and fucking brand deals, if they speak against the producers or writers or networks or whatever on one occasion then who is gonna hire them? entertainment industry crash course. They are racist people at power and the rest can either shut up or say what they are expected to say. Ye know, the usual talk. We will get rid of racism in this Thursdays episode of The Activist tho! They are on a payroll so putting out the fires before they get nasty might be clause in the contract, would not be surprised.

With Jessie, she has a need to speak about every issue imaginable because of her own experiences? Totally understand this, feel the exact same at times but I feel like it's not always good to speak out about everything. Share support, do that always when there is a need but comparing certain experiences to different ones? I won't do that ;c Dunno if I'm right but I know close to nothing about her, just as much as ye been tellin me. It's kinda good to know yer place at times but again, I don't know all the details and it's not a right place to unpack it. One might argue that her intentions were right but like??? Were they? Maybe with Sujaya, when she did not want people to hate on her friend? But I don't buy it kinda... Who can tell about her intentions really and like ye know what they say about good intentions...

There was another message about how Jessie, Miss Flo and Jules are all the same. Would I put Jessie and Jules on the same list tho? Hmmmmmmmm I would not? They both do come from different backgrounds and have very different life experiences. Dunno much about Jessie but she seems genuine in most cases, with her fairyness tho we can tell there are repeated patterns of ignorance, stupidity and use of many privileges. Look at certain Halloween photos and tell me she did not know what a fucking bullshit she was up to at that moment.

[x3kristax3]

Part 16

Jake and I get to the bar and there are still some customers

"Guys get out of here do we need to call you all a cab?" They all moan and groan and get up after paying their bill

"Thanks I owe you. So where's that friend?" Phil says

"At my place but let's close up and head over" 

Him and I close up and jake sits and wait

We leave and I call Ashley letting her know. I hear everyone in the background and I have Jake driving behind me with Phil behind him as I'm not the best driver.

We pull up to my place Jake goes in. I stop phil "just know this don't play your games with her. This is a part of my life you don't want to mess with otherwise you will see my crazy"

"Okay i got it" he says

I stop him again "understand this i know your past. I know you've laid a hand on women. And know if you do to her that will be the last thing you do"

"Jesus Krista I get it."

Me and him walk in and Ashley freeze in the kitchen looking at him. 

" Ashley, phil" i say introducing them

He reaches a hand out and she's just frozen. I snap my fingers in front of her face and nothing…. I tap her face

"Oh Hi…" she says shaking her head

I grab a pizza and a drink and head to the living room with the rest

'I hope you know what your doing" says Dan

"Nope but she wasn't gonna let up. I just hope he doesn't go down the normal Phil path" i say taking a drink

"I think that needs to be strong" says choe as she pours more whiskey 

"Omg are you joking it was perfect?" I say mixing it and taking a swig making a funny face She smiles at Jake

"Okay someone needs to tell me whats going on. I already found the car"

"Nope you'll find out on Christmas" says Jake

" who knows what's going on?" I ask

All but Jessy and Ashley raise their hand, even Phil. "Ugh but good choice not to trust them as i could get it out of them"

"Thats exactly why" jake laughs 

"Thats not fair" says jessy crossing her arms

"But we all know it's true" chimes in Dan

I hear Ashley in the kitchen still with Phil and she tells him no

I pop my head around the corner "everything okay ash?"

"Yeah she's fine" says Phil

"I asked Ashley" i say looking at her and phil is looking at me and she shakes her head "ash come with me i need to show you something"

She follows and i take her into my closet

"Did he do something?"

"He grabbed my wrist. We were just casually flirting and then yeah" she says

I storm out into the kitchen "get out phil"

Jake comes walking in "whats wrong?"

"Get out of my house. I warned you. You don't want to mess with this one"

"Wow, don't even ask your boss what happened?" He says

" your here as a guest, just leave. You couldn't even make it to the start of the movie before you showed up. I'm not playing this game. Boss or not boss that isn't cool"

"What is going on?" Asks jessy

"Your friend is kicking me out of the party"

Jake heads down to the closet to check on Ashley and i finally get Phil out

Jake comes storming out ready to throw punches "oh no! Not on my watch" i stop him at the door

"No Jake, just let him go. I warned him before we walked into the house" i say

"Someone tell me what's going on?" Says Jessy

"I think your brother pulled a Phil after Krista warned him" says Dan

"Yep. Kinda glad i was about to get him out of this house" i say

Ashley peaks her head out "is he gone?" She asks

Dan walks up to her and hugs her. "Yeah he's gone" say Jessy

"So where is everyone else?" I ask

"They wanted to stay in with the storm" says Richy

Jake is still wanting to punch something I can tell

"Jake follow me" i say as i put my hand out he grabs it and he follows me to the garage where there is a new punching bag in the corner

"When did you get this?" He asks

"Recently i use to do boxing classes in the city and I've been missing it so I order this and it just came so here get it out" as i toss him gloves.

I back up and Jake starts throwing punches hard left and right.  I sit on the hood of my mustang and stare at him. In the 6 months I have never seen him like this and while it should scare me it's a turn on.

He finishes it and turns around catching me staring at him. "What?"

"I've never seen you like that i didn't think you even had that in you"

"Does it scare you?"

"Nope" i say walking up to him and helping hin take off the gloves as i stare up at him.

He takes the gloves off and pulls me in close "just nope" as he smirks at me

"Seeing you so protective and mad actually turned me on"

He says and smiles as he grabs my chin and kisses me deep

Jessy and Dan come walking out "get a room you guys" says Jessy

Without pulling away jake grabs a glove and throws it at them. Dan grabs it and hits us back with it. Jake breaks the kiss

"Really you guys come out here looking for us"  he says i look at jessy

"Guys go pick out a movie" she says and stays out here with me. As the door shuts " where you guys about to you know"

"If you and dan didn't come out most likely. I saw a side of Jake i hadn't seen and wow is all i can say" i say with a giggle

"He's protective for certain of you and anyone you care about"

We hear the door opens and its Ashley "are we having girl talk or duskwood talk?"

"Girl talk" i say

"Does jake have a brother?" She laughs 

"Haha nope… believe me if he did that would of been the setup of this trip for you" i say

"Yeah I should have listened to you with Phil. But when I told Jake what happened he got pissed!"

"Yeah why i took him out here to the punching bag and yeah one thing almost lead into another" i bite my lip "but we should go inside before all the pizza and drinks are gone"

"Krista you were about to right out here?" Ashley says

I go inside as I act like I didn't hear her. I grab some pizza and a drink and curl up next too Jake on the couch.

Ashley comes out "i know you heard him Kris" she says

I look at her "you know I don't answer that question" 

Jessy chimes in "yes it was about to happen"

I put my head into jakes shoulder "lets not do this" i say but only jake hears me

"Ladies not tonight. She doesn't wanna do this" he says

'Will you tell us "Ash says

"No i won't" he says taking a bite of food and dan hits start on the movie as richy turns off the lights 

I whisper in his ear "thanks they want to know what was about to happen"

"No problem babe" he says as he kisses me and I start eating and drinking. 

I was smart and brought the jack and coke and as I finished my drink I made another one even stronger after today. We have a fun night in just us 6.

I feel myself getting sleepy and get up and head up to bed. Jake follows me to give downstairs to the others to sleep.

I hear Ashley downstairs "we don't want to hear it"

I grab an extra pillow and throw it over the loft bannister and it hits her and i laugh next i know she's running uo the stairs to toss it back.

"Go to sleep" i say as she hits me with the pillow and I hold it

"Can i have that pillow back?" She asks

I toss it at her "next time you won't get it back"

She goes downstairs and jake and i crawl into bed

"You know you could use another friend here and she fits in perfectly" he says

"That's her choice" i say as i cuddle up against him and fall asleep fast

[theangrypokemaniac]

@nyarthsis

If Team Rocket 'always had a heart for unpopular Pokémon', that's an admission their Alola catches aren't particular loveable creatures, so I'm not thinking anything too controversial.

You're saying they take pity on the animals no one wants, as in it's normal for me not to find them adorable.

Some Pokémon, such as Lucario, become fan favourites without the advertisement of a regular role the anime. With Wobbuffet, Bewear, Stufful, Mareanie and Mimikyu, do people like them for themselves, or because of their association with Team Rocket?

I think its the latter. I can't imagine there would be such interest in them were they to be owned by a Twerp or appear as a one-off. Really then, it's not what or who they are, it's to whom they belong that matters.

Alola has really devalued catching. Rather than be true to the source material, so battering a Pokémon into submission, as Ash did with Bulbasaur, Primeape, Muk, and many others, now you have to ask their permission!

Bewear didn't even get that. She hung around for no reason, and her 'friend' Stufful was belatedly tacked on. I see why those two were left behind, as Team Rocket had no right to take them elsewhere.

In terms of welfare, Mimikyu and Mareanie are better off staying with them, free and safe, rather than locked in the insalubrious depths of H.Q., but then it never bothered the writers sending previous Pokémon into an uncertain future, so what difference does it make now?

It can only be that, like their predecessors, there is no intention to ever bring them back, but unlike the rest, the fans can't even be allowed the vain hope of a return, not with this rather awkward disposal.

It's feasible that Jessie and James could call their base and request old monsters to join them, but it's difficult to imagine they'd fly across the world to Alola, wander through the woods, pick 'em up and go all the way back again. Why make parting so final and irreversible?

It does imply that Game Freak don't like them, so why should I?

I keep noticing this fickle attitude. A new era starts, we're expected to fall instantaneously in love with every element, beg for more and yet more. Then, once the next region arrives, this adoration asked of us is meant to evaporate and immediately transfer to the next batch.

Well why start to like them, if eventually the makers don't care, to the extent you wouldn't even know previous Pokémon had ever been alive?

Have you heard one mention of Seviper, Yanmega, Dustox, Cacnea, Carnivine, and Mime Junior since they left?

Why were they happy to chuck Wobbuffet after Sinnoh, yet fetched for Kalos?

How could Team Rocket live without it for an entire generation but suddenly it's indispensable again? What do you imagine the rest of their Pokémon felt about that?

Have Jessie and James wondered allowed how Arbok, Weezing, Lickitung and Victreebel are doing?

What of the last two generations?

What is this nonsense where every character is so detached from the past?

Supposing I was to force myself to appreciate them: since they've gone, never to return, I'd be dissatisfied with the show, thus no better off than I am now.

My feelings don't run on a switch. I can't find myself besotted one minute then dump the object of affection without a second thought, just because Nintendo want it from me.

Even if I had a more positive opinion of the current interpretation, there's no benefit to becoming involved when it's all so fleeting.

Mareanie is ugly, with three teeth. I think he's a sea anenome, so ought to be more attractive, but it's covered in nipples instead!

It looks like a bonsai tree growing breasts, reminiscent of the hideous content lurking within an Hieronymous Bosch painting.

The idea that all Mimikyu copy Pikachu, the most famous Pokémon, when in their world it's nothing special, is too stupid for me to accept. How could that be coincidence?

It's referencing reality, acknowledging the real world's view of Pikachu as the star, so if it's breaking the fourth wall, it invites disbelief.

Wobbuffet does sod all. It's a complete dead weight and has no attacks. Yet it's the one to survive generation after generation. Where's the logic in that?

I suspect his popularity rests on being there so long he's considered part of the furniture, the sole catch in which you can invest an emotional connection whilst fairly certain he'll remain around.

By now it ought to have developed some semblance of a personality, but it's as faceless as ever. Other Pokémon that have been and gone had a bit more about them, but Wobba's so bland no one can summon the energy to write him out.

If he went, what would you miss? Breaking out of his ball and hissing 'WAAAAAHBUHFEH'? Is that so integral?

I have several objections:

What is it meant to be?

Why does its tail have eyes?

Why is that never mentioned?

Is it a sort of quadruped, or has it only one foot with four toes, arranged like the bottom of a medical walking stick?

A lot of my reactions to Pokémon are influenced by encountering them in the games. With Wobbuffet, I remember first coming across it in the cave near Blackthorn City, and just as you're winning the fight, it pulls out Destiny Bond and suddenly you're both down.

When you finally get one, it's tricky to train. You have no choice but to guess whether the opposition will launch a physical or special move, and mostly you get it wrong. He never learns anything else and doesn't evolve, so it's that forever.

Persevering with Magikarp is worthwhile, but what's to be gained from taking any time out to fight with Wobbuffet?

The anime eliminates this problem. You're aware of the nature of the approaching onslaught because you can see it coming, and the opponent said it aloud.

In this context Wobbuffet should be the most powerful Pokémon in the universe. Come on, it can deflect every attack!

Is it? No. It has a successful defence about once a generation, and still loses the battle. I can't say if it's worse to be utterly pointless, or to not fulfil one's potential.

I resent it muscling in on the motto, as if it's considers itself of equal rank to Meowth. No it's not!

When I was young, there was a tendency for magazines to refer to Team Rocket as a duo. Meowth was judged to be in the same position as Pikachu: a main character yes, and valuable enough to be accorded the privilege of liberty, but still very much owned by people.

You would see references to Jessie and James as his Trainers, though how they assumed this worked went unexplained. Even if shared, one had to have to caught him, thus be his proper owner.

Later on this developed into them being three equal members, and the term 'TRio' emerged, but now, although perhaps not officially recognised, there's an attitude of treating them as a quartet.

It's just wrong! Wobbuffet's not been around since day one. He didn't join Team Rocket voluntarily because he had nowhere else to go. It was a choice made for him by his original Trainer, so out of his hands, or rather his flippers.

If he was an independent Pokémon who just tagged along one day, that would be different, but it belongs to Jessie. Promoting one of hers means James is lesser, and no longer equal.

In each generation Team Rocket catch at least one local Pokémon, but as Wobbuffet's there, it ends up with Jessie having more on her side than James, and I dislike the imbalance. Plus the one he does get is violent.

It can't be solved by giving him another new one, as then he's captured two in the region, and she has only one, so again it's skewed.

Whilst Wobbuffet does count in numbers, he's not on the level of the rest, who fight regularly. He's both there and not simultaneously.

I'm still irked the way Lickitung was ejected to make room.

It was the best Pokémon they ever had! It took out Pikachu, Vulpix and Bulbasaur with one move! It would've won those Princess Dolls for Jessie if the writers hadn't changed the rules so that Lick only affects those of sound mind!

It was as if they realised their mistake too late, and so Lickitung was featured less and less to avoid it dominating a fight, then hurriedly traded away for something reliably feeble.

The following analogy you may not understand, but I think it fits rather aptly:

There's a game called Final Fantasy VIII. One of the side quests involves you racing through a castle under a time limit. If successful, you are rewarded with Odin as a Guardian Force, which is a deity that will provide a defence.

Unlike others, he is out of your control, but every so often, as you enter battle, he turns up and annihilates your opponents. It's very welcome.

Unfortunately this game was programmed by bunyips, who clearly didn't want the last section of the game to be accidently easier for you. Oh no. If you're progressing, it ain't gonna be through luck, or turning the console on and off until he arises.

Therefore, towards the close, you come up against ex-friend Seifer. Odin is fixed to rush to your aid, but when he does, bloody Seifer slices him in half, horse and all!

He killed Odin, the ancient King of the North! The Lord of Valhallah! The Father of the Vikings!

It's not normal fighting death, it's irreversible. He's gone for good.

After this Gilgamesh introduces himself as a replacement. He too will randomly appear and set about the enemy.

The problem is that whilst Odin destroyed monsters unfailingly, with Gilgamesh it's a rarity.

He uses four swords, and which you get is also a lottery.

One is the same as Odin's, two deal average damage, but not death, and the worst one depletes 1 HP, so it might as well not have bothered.

Not only does it arrive but a fraction of the time, but it's in a fraction of those times that it's of any assistance, which is something of a comedown.

Lickitung is Odin: didn't see it often, but it tore the place apart!

Wobbuffet is Gilgamesh: once in a blue moon it provides rescue, but it's on a lot lower percentage than it's predecessor.

It's difficult not to be disappointed.