#he’s very pleased to see tex and he stays on the run and never tries to go back to pfl

[fischiee]

something that really gets me is that we see so much of york being wholeheartedly dedicated to carolina

we see him staying up late to watch over her, following her orders to a tee, not leaving her side when she’s in a coma, coming back for her and rooting for her even when she loses

AND YET his choice ISNT to stay with her!! he’s such an interesting character bc from that choice alone - to not only turn against her but ask her to change her ways - we see how he truly believed in carolina and believes that she is good. we see so little of him outside of the context of carolina and yet we know so much about him from actions like this!! york wants to be good and to do right, and he will make sacrifices for that, even if the bridges he has to burn in order to do so haunt him forever

[foreverdolly]

ೃ࿔FOREVERDOLLY'S AUSTIN BUTLER MASTERLIST

"𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚. 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙨, 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩. . . "

✶ TATTOOED HEART ONESHOT (BIKER!AUSTIN X READER)

austin is the club president of a local outlaw biker gang- a one percenter. he lies, he kills and he doesn't apologize for it. he was one weakness- you. when he gets a distressed late night call from you he's quick to come to your rescue. the only problem? your own father was in the same motorcycle club that austin now runs, and after his death you cut all contact. when you two see each other again emotions run high and things get. . . a little out of control.

total word count: 12.1k

✶ BABY BUTLER MASTERLIST (DAD! AUSTIN X MOM!READER) COMPLETED

you get pregnant while in australia, your husband still in the process of filming for the elvis biopic. this series follows you and austin as you both navigate being first-time parents whilst in the public eye.

total word count: 8.7k

✶ BABY LOVE ONESHOT (DOM!AUSTIN X SELF CONSCIOUS!READER)

you've gained some “relationship” weight since you and austin first started dating, and you find yourself growing more and more self conscious as time goes on. austin takes his time letting you know just how beautiful he finds you.

total word count: 3.6k

✶ OOPSIE DAISY ONESHOT (AUSTIN X INJURED!READER)

austin tries to protect you from journalists and paparazzi. he get's big time mad when one of them get's a little too close to you.

total word count: 2.4k

✶ ARE YOU MINE ONESHOT (EX'S BEST FRIEND!AUSTIN X READER)

after a bad breakup with your cheating ex, the last thing you’re expecting is for his best friend to side with you. at his insistence, you decide to let him accompany you to the arctic monkey concert in las vegas. what happens in las vegas doesn’t always stay in las vegas.

total word count: 13.1k

✶ FAKE DATING MASTERLIST (BOSS!AUSTIN X EMPLOYEE!READER)

you absolutely can't stand your boss. after one bad run in with him, you decide that he's office enemy number one. so when your mother breaks the news that your ex boyfriend is bringing his new fiancé to your sister's wedding as his plus one, you lie and tell her you'll be bringing your very own boyfriend along with you to greece. the problem? you don't actually have a boyfriend. so when austin butler, your arch nemesis of a boss, offers to be your fake boyfriend, you have to take him up on it. greece is a beautiful place to fall in love, no?

total word count: 21.5k

✶ TEAR YOU APART (BIKER!AUSTIN X READER)

"I want it to hurt" and "quit being such a brat"

total word count: 1.8k

✶ I JUST RIDE MASTERLIST (80's MECHANIC! AUSTIN X BEST FRIEND! READER)

it's starting to look like he might never make it out of the friend zone. austin has been in love with you for as long as he can remember, and he's terrified that you'll never see him as anything more than a best friend and protector. with the fear of you one day outgrowing him fresh on his mind, he's now hell bent on getting you to view him in a different light. madly in love and terrified to lose you, austin butler is playing for keeps.

total word count: 8.5k

✶ SHOTGUN WEDDING ONESHOT (AUSTIN!TEX WATSON X KIDNAPPED!READER)

the year is 1969 and you find yourself lucky enough to live up in the hollywood hills, spending your days dancing away to your favorite rock n’ roll vinyls in an old farmhouse and looking after your wild roommates. the only problem? you’ve caught the eye of tex watson. how does he spend his days? making moves towards finally getting everything that he could ever want. you.

total word count: 16.5k

✶ DASHBOARD JESUS ONESHOT (AUSTIN!TEX WATSON X READER)

"I can't. . .please. . . I can't take it anymore." and "good boy."

total word count: 2.5k

wanna be notified any time i post austin butler content? go ahead and like/comment on this post to stay connected !

← go back to the masterlist guide

"𝙖𝙨 𝙞 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙖𝙧 ' 𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣' 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 '. . . "

[trashcanfanfics]

yay open orders!! :)"well you pissed off my S/o and you better run... *S/o breaks a wall*" Here comes the pain train!! "Moments before a massacre takes place. Scenario with Moxxie, Loona, Blitzo and Verosika

This is so funny to think about omfg

Blitz:

He was in an argument with some random client. When things were getting more heated, he called you, but before he could say anything the client said something that you unfortunately heard.

"Whatever, you're just a dumb fucking imp. You're not even worth it." Those words had Blitz open mouth gape at them. There were furious stomps leading to the office.

"Welp, you pissed off my datemate, I think it'd be in your best interest to run." The demon didn't get the chance, however before you burst in through the door, knocking it off it's hinges; the same way you didn't hesitate to start beating the shit out of the demon after yelling a very threatening:

"HERE COMES THE PAIN TRAIN!"

No one ever saw that demon again.

Loona:

She was at a concert and while you were getting snacks, someone decided to flirt with her. Normally it'd be fine, but they were getting handsy. You had come up and tried to tell them off. They then tried to tell you both that sluts like her are always looking for a good fuck. Loona looked at you and then the stranger before pulling out her phone to record.

"You just pissed them off, I'd run if I were you." You never gave the pervert achance and threw yourself at them.

"PAIN TRAIN COMIN' IN MOTHERFUCKER!" You then beat the shit out of the asshole, starting a deadly mosh pit in the process. Needless to say that the demon was trampled.

Moxxie:

He was getting belittled by someone in the grocery store. You were an isle over, getting something you forgot while he stayed with the cart. You overheard the stranger telling him to hand over his cart and to "get the fuck out of my way, imp."

"Sir, my significant other is just an isle away, please don't do this, for your own safety." The demon didn't listen and kept saying racist slurs towards your sweet, freckled love. "I think you should run." You burst through the shelves before the fucker had the chance.

"ALL ABOARD THE PAIN TRAIN!" Your fierce battle cry was followed by the harsh sounds of someone getting the shit beat out of them. The man's pained pleas for mercy went on deaf ears as you just kept going. Moxxie pulled you away and you two continued your shopping, leaving the offender a bloody pulp on the linoleum.

Verosika:

A meet and greet between her and her guests. Should be fine, right? No. Tex was out sick so you came in place to be her security. A rowdy fan decided to try and kiss her. She obviously backed up and then the fan called her a whore, saying she was ugly anyways. You stiffened beside her.

"I'd watch what I'd say if I were you." The fan didn't listen, continuing to call her names and tell her that if she really appreciated her fans, she'd kiss them. "See, you just pissed off my partner and now you should run." You pounced as the fan tried to take off.

"YOU'RE RIDIN' THE PAIN TRAIN NOW!" The other demons in line, as well as Veroskia, all watched as you beat the fan into a pile of blood and flesh. No one tried to touch her the rest of the time.

[moved-to-void-kissed]

Flowers Hiding Thorns

Telanthera’s involvement in a plot to overthrow a cruel nobleman and distribute his wealth among the rest of the court is accidentally revealed to none other than the head of the nobleman’s household servants, Camellia. Luckily, the situation finds itself working out much more smoothly than either woman first expected. (1256 words)

tag list: @thatslikesometaldude | @garchompp | @beeon | @tex-treasures | @catake | @tartaglialovemail | @kalliopi-ships | @lilacslovers | @blackbirdcrime | @dragonsmooch | @vilehusband | @kissofthemoonrabbit | @childrenofmeyneth | @strawberryshipz)to be tagged in what I make, please click here!)

Made it just in time for this to be my piece for the twenty-first day of sapphic September!! This is also the first piece of content I’ve created for my selfship with Camellia, who is an OC created by @vampking! Technically, this takes place before our relationship actually starts, but.. it still counts, right

Reblogs of my work are always okay, and appreciated, but by no means required! Comments should be enabled on the document (which is how I recommend reading it) if anyone wishes to leave any comments, but a transcript is also available below the readmore.

The estate’s regal presence was clear even in the depths of night-time, as the shadows of imposing buildings loomed ominously over their painstakingly-managed grounds. Only a few lonely figures could be seen moving through the mansion, as all those who were awake would have been lowly servants restoring the halls to their peak condition for the apparent benefit of the noble’s guests. Such effort on their part was only a small piece of a grand social affair, designed solely to impress to excess - and the woman holding the wax-sealed letter was sick of it.

“You know I can’t abide by his needless extravagance,” she was muttering in a low voice to a tall man standing in the corner of the room. “All this has to end, for the benefit of all of us.”

“And it very well will, with your assistance in this affair.” replied the man, similarly quietly.  “The weightier the fool’s throne, the harder it inevitably crashes down when he sits upon it, no?”

“Yes, quite true,” the lady nodded, before stepping closer to hand over the letter she was holding. It contained a long list of the observations she had made of the estate the two were currently staying in, little insights and quirks of the buildings or the servants’ paths from her perspective. Although they were not perfect, given the lady’s position as a noblewoman, they were nevertheless more useful than anything her peers could have picked up on if asked to, since her early years were spent in a position much closer to a servant than their master, and even despite rising into the higher ranks of the social circles, she always maintained a courtesy and gratitude towards those who assisted her in some way.

“You’ve made the right choice here, Telanthera.”

This remark earned the man a glare that was only half-obscured by the low light, and the lady’s response came in a much less smirk-filled tone. “I suggest you don’t use any names here unless you want a listening ear throwing a spanner in all your well-planned works.”

“Oh, but of course, my dear. Now then, on the note of such, we’d best leave it here, don’t you think?” he asked, stepping back off of the curtain he had been leaning on with the merest sound. “It’s in all our best interests to have you here to assist.”

The man left the room with the smug confidence of one who has always known power and fortune, closing the door behind him silently. Telanthera felt she had done what she needed to, and after taking a moment to compose herself, she also opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. It was long and sprawling, still somehow retaining an air of pompous grandeur in the relative darkness, but the darkness gave it an ominous nature, as well.

As the noblewoman carefully tried to keep her movements quiet yet without provoking suspicion, her mind decided to worry about the consequences of her actions. What would she do if someone caught her out of her bedroom this late at night? One of the most low-ranking servants might be tirelessly cleaning or adjusting the curtains; she supposed she would have to try and emulate enough menace to convince them not to talk about seeing her, though she doubted whether such a tactic would work. It probably would, given that those kinds of people were thought of as expendable and nameless by the tyrant - which is what she tended to call the man whose estate she and other nobles were currently staying in, the man a small selection of those other nobles (which now, as of this night, included herself) were planning to topple and seize the numerous assets of. He was not their direct ruler, so she hesitated to think of these acts as revolution - but he definitely acted like he owned everyone and everything, and at the end of the day, seeing him crumble was all that was important.

That plan should work, she thought to herself, nervously. As long as I don’t run into someone more loyal to the tyrant, someone higher up in the hierarchy, I’ll be alright.

At that moment, the exact sort of person Telanthera hoped not to meet appeared in front of her.

The woman’s bright green eyes seemed heartless and icy in the low light, and her expression belied no hint of surprise or of being caught off-guard. Despite the late hour, her dark brown hair was still tied tightly in a long ponytail, as if she was always on-duty and ready to act. Her dark suit was impeccably neat and proper as well, matching the unmistakeable air of authority she was exuding.

“Camellia Smith, head of the household, in charge of managing household affairs and new servants.” Telanthera had written this down a short time ago in the letter of information she had just handed over, and the fact she was extremely unsure of what to do caused her to absent-mindedly state these facts aloud.

“..That’s correct. I doubt most of my liege’s guests would take the time to recall that as well as you apparently have.” replied Camellia, now also somewhat unsure of how to respond. But such feelings never lasted in someone as well-trained as she was, and she quickly regained control of the situation, standing steadfastly before the nervous noblewoman.

“Might I ask what has caused you to be awake so late at night, my lady?”

“It’s- I-” Such a loss for words was something no person of noble birth should experience, having painstakingly practiced the finer details of etiquette and proper composure from a young age. However, Telanthera was not well-accustomed to the position the Amaranth family had recently reached, and some would argue this meant she was not well-fitting for it, either.

Camellia pressed on, and in the process, confirmed Tel’s worst fear. “If I may, it would not be wise to leave the door of your room ajar with writing implements visible on the table.”

She knew about their plans! Surely someone so important within the tyrant’s servants would expose them!

“Every step should be taken to keep confidential matters and business out of the knowledge of those they do not concern. Surely you understand why this is important now?”

Again, Telanthera was lost for words, though this time because the servant had said something she was not expecting. Was this some elaborate method to try and get more information out of her?

Then something even more unexpected happened.

“I trust you can make your own way back to your room, my lady?”

“I- That is true, yes. There’s no need for you to accompany me, Miss Camellia.” Telanthera asserted, still rather nervous.

Something about this brought the tiniest hint of a smile to Camellia’s face. “Very well then. I wish you a good night’s rest, my lady.” With this said, she began to walk away, in the direction Telanthera had come from.

“A-And the same to yourself, Camellia. However, regarding what you may have seen-”

“Don’t worry.”

What?

She turned to face the lady with the confidence of any noblewoman. “You may already have noticed this, but my brother is also a servant here. Whatever loyalties you believe lie with my liege, are reserved only for him.”

And with that, she turned the corner, seeming to disappear in an instant.

Telanthera hurried back to her own room, still confused, but now wearing a smile of relief.

Perhaps her plans were not ruined at the first hurdle after all.

[espy-ninja]

Voltron MOB

SO guess who got REALLLLLY hooked on the Voltron mob au? THIS GIRL! I need more of it to....so this is some of what I got for it, tell me what you think! 

BACK STROY  

Krolia is Shiro’s mom, he was born in Japan and his bio father is a dead beat who ran back to the states as soon as he hears Krolia was pregnant.

Korlia is queen and rises Shiro on her own, who needs a man right? 

They move to the states when Shiro turns 5, and the Holte’s live across the street. Matt is Shiro's first friend and gives him the knock name ‘shiro’ instead of calling him Shirogana

A few months in the states Krolia decks a guy when he was trying to rob Tex….tex fell in love at first sight and asked her out. This is how they started dating.

Tex LOVE Shiro and treats him like his own from day one. He loves Shiro as much as he loves Krolia. Shiro takes to him right back. 

Tex cries the first time Shiro calls him dad. He’s soooo happy. 

When Shiro is 9 Keith is born. (Shiro goes by Shiro and didn’t want to change his name from Krolia's maiden name so that is why they have different last names). They are haft brothers but you would never be abler to tell by how they act

Shiro is Keith's favorite

When Keith is about 1 Krolia is just...gone… she gone and poofed. Tex is still around and takes care of both his boys though. Shiro is upset but, Tex is still his dad so….it’s not as bad as it could be.

All is well and good until Shiro is 18 and Keith is 9….Tex died in a fire. Now it’s just the boys

Shiro is fighting to keep Keith with him and be Keith's guardian. But…..he’s fresh out of high school and can’t get any kind of decent job to support them both.  So after a month of fighting...they take Keith and both of them are heartbroken.

Shiro goes to Matt for help….and this is how Voltron mob is born.  It was all created because Shiro needed an income to get his little brother back.

Keith was in foster care for just over a mouth but…. It wasn’t good. Keith didn’t have a good time there at all and HATED it so badly. He was abused….. Shiro and he both gained deep hate for the system because of this. 

The mob grows bigger and faster than Matt and Shiro ever thought it could or would. There is no turning back.

HOW IT ALL WORKS

Bosses

The mob is broken into fractions, there are the “lions” Who lead everything and have color code names. 

the Alten fraction run by Allura(pink lion), they have more of the public friendly jobs so to speak and is the main front for the bigger mob. 

 A tec fractions called Olkari run by Pide(green lion) that handles secretly and information and all that good stuff. Pidge knows all and basically just has a small bunch of people doing stock and bookkeeping for her. She is the one who douses the big stuff like hacking jobs for info.

 The blades run by Keith(red lion) that covers security and muscle. They are the main fighting force and enforcers. He also douses dog training.... 

 The legs run by Hunk (yellow lion) that covers the inner workings and more of the care staff. Like making sure there are doctors,  foods for everyone, and stuff like that.

The Armor, run by Lance (blue lion) who tries everyone in gunmanship and makes sure the weapons stash is always filled and ready to go. 

Then there is the requirement and management of the members run by Coran (orange lion) he makes sure everyone in the mob is following rules and getting there work done, they call themselves the mustaches because...well don’t ask it’s Coran.  HE also handles things when someone passes...

Matt (brown lion) runs the everyday stuff along with the files of the members. He handles the grunts, The massive lower lever fractions that douse the everyday mob stuff. He calls his group the rebels. The rebels who do stock, inventory, selling and all that kind of stuff.

Then there is Shiro, the black lion. He runs the whole show and makes the choices of what is what going on the mob. He oversees everyone and makes sure everything stays in cheek. 

The house

The Main house is 4 floors. The bottom floor is a common space for the whole mob to hang out in. 2nd floor is a workspace and spare rooms. The 3rd floor is restricted space for only the lion It’s another common space for just them. The 4th floor is their living space. To get to the 3rd floor you need a keycard and fingerprint. 

The basement of the house is a makeshift ER More on this latter~

The Rules

Shiro has a set of rules that everyone must follow in his mob, and the rules have a very harsh penalty. Here are some of his rules that are unique to his mob

Never harm another member of the mob. You're family and family take care of each other. This extends to the family of every member as well. 

Never harm anyone in your own family. If you harm them I have no reason to trust you will not harm mine. 

NEVER under any cercomonads care any trouble near a place with children. (such as schools and parks) Kids are kids and should never have to see any mob actions. If you do see another mob breaking this rule, take care fo them away from the kids.

We are a family so act like it. Respect your elder and others around you no matter their rank. 

No matter your fraction you listen to all lions. If a Lion tells you something you do it.

Never harm a child in any way shape or form. No exceptions. 

To join a member must be invited by another member and approved by a lion.  

There is a no harm/hit list. Follow it. Keep up to date on it.

Must attend a monthly or by cheek in with your Lion.

Every member has a mandatory 8 hours of ‘care hours’ a mouth where they must to yellow Lion for assignment.

(There can be more to come if you guys want. I have a LOT of little headcanons for this! AND A LOT OF ADASHI FOR IT. )

please feel free to ask questions~~

[a-corndog-named-schibbs]

Fangs, Fur, and Phantoms - Chapter 1

Next Chapter

IT’S FINALLY READY!

Y’all, I’ve been wanting to write a multi-chapter fic of the fangs and fur au since forever.  I’ve been working on this for months and I’m so excited to share it with you!

Fic contains Klance, Hidge, and (mostly) platonic Shallura.  The Hidge content is in later chapters, but it is coming, I promise.

Let the spooky fun begin!

Lance was pretty sure his boyfriend was a black hole.

Keith had invited Lance over to join his family for dinner and during that dinner he had managed to consume three whole steaks and a mountain of pasta salad and still went back to the fridge to retrieve some leftover meatloaf.

Lance shook his head, taking a sip of his blood pouch, which Keith’s mom had been kind enough to procure for him so that he would have something to eat at dinner, “Where does it all go?”

Keith swallowed the bite he was working on, “Would you rather I be hungry during the pack run and try to take a chunk out of your arm?”

Lance shrugged, “It’s not like it wouldn’t grow back.  Accelerated healing, remember?”

“Accelerated healing or not,” said Krolia, sitting diagonally from Lance and finishing off her own steak, “we don’t want to act too aggressive during the pack run.  The more we eat now, the more in control we’ll be once the moon rises.”

“Besides,” Keith’s adopted sister, Romelle, piped up from the other end of the table, “it’s a good way to get rid of those leftovers sitting in the fridge.”

Lance finished the last of his blood pouch, “Well, it was very kind of you to invite me over tonight, Krolia.  Do you need any help with the dishes?”

“No, that’s fine, Lance,” said Krolia, gathering up the plates, “You’re a guest here and you didn’t even dirty any of them.  Besides, I know Keith will help me with the dishes, won’t you, Keith?”  She tapped the leg of Keith’s chair with her foot and nodded toward the kitchen.  Keith rolled his eyes, but got up and followed her anyway.  As they exited the dining room, Lance heard Krolia whisper, “He’s such a gentleman!  Where did you find him?”

Lance turned toward Romelle, “So…how does this work?  Because I’m pretty fast, but I don’t think I’m, like, wolf levels of fast.  I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up with everybody.”

Romelle smiled, “You’ll see.  If I can participate in a pack run, so can you.”

“Well, I’ll take your word for it.”

At that moment, the doorbell rang and Romelle’s pointed ears pricked up.  “Mom, they’re here!” she called through the kitchen door.

“Can you get it, Romelle?  My hands are full.”

Romelle grinned and tugged on Lance’s sleeve, “Come on, it’s time for you to meet everyone.”

She led Lance into the foyer and opened the front door and before Lance could blink, the small hallway seemed to be filled with dozens and dozens of werewolves, all chatting and greeting Romelle warmly and lining up to shake Lance’s hand while he desperately tried to remember all their names.  The one with the sideburns was Thace and the one with the mohawk was Ulaz and the one built like a tank was Antok or was it Regris?  He knew he should have gotten Keith to make him a cheat sheet.

Finally, a white-haired man stepped through the doorway, one of the largest werewolves in the room and definitely the oldest by several years.  He carried himself with the authority of a general.

“Are we all here?” he asked, looking around at the others, “Remember, less than half an hour until moonrise, so if you haven’t eaten yet, do so now.”  He turned and noticed Lance for the first time, “Who’s this?”

His gaze made Lance squirm, “I, uh…I’m Keith’s…um…”

“He’s my mate,” Lance felt Keith come up behind him and put an arm around his waist, instantly calming his nerves, “You’ve all introduced yourselves to Lance, right?  He’s going to be joining us for the pack run tonight.”

“That’s right,” said Krolia, walking into the room and wiping her hands on a dishrag, “so I expect all of you to be on your best behavior around him.”

Kolivan raised an eyebrow, “Are you sure about this, Krolia?  Pack runs can be dangerous to non-wolves.”

“He’s fine,” said Krolia, “He’s a vampire.  He won’t even get a scratch.”

Murmurs rose from the group assembled, with the word “vampire” standing out most clearly.  Lance winced.  Historically speaking, werewolves and vampires had not always gotten along.

“That…seems fine, then,” said Kolivan, “We’ll assemble outside.  If you brought any snacks, eat them now.”

“Come on,” said Keith, tugging Lance towards the kitchen where the backdoor was.  As they walked away, Lance couldn’t help overhearing Kolivan whispering to Krolia.

“Next time, I wish you’d consult me before inviting a non-wolf to the pack run.”

“You’ve never objected to Romelle joining the pack run.”

“Adopting an changeling into the pack is one thing.  Having a vampire as the future alpha-mate is—“

“You don’t even know if Keith wants to be the alpha someday!  I might name someone else as my beta.”

“Keith is your oldest child and a strong wolf in his own right.  We both know he’d be a great leader some day.  You and he need to think about what’s best for the pack.”

Krolia growled, “You were just like this when I introduced Tex to the pack.”

Keith was apparently eavesdropping too, because he pulled Lance closer as they stepped into the backyard, “Don’t listen to them.  Kolivan’s all hot air, he’ll warm up to you.  He did to my dad.”

“Is what Kolivan said true?  Are you really going to be alpha someday?”

Keith avoided eye contact, “It…would make sense.  Everyone knows Krolia’s going to be alpha once Kolivan steps down, but we haven’t really…talked about it.”

Lance wanted to ask more questions, but the moon was beginning to rise and Keith and the others were beginning to transform.  Keith started to remove his clothes so they wouldn’t be ripped and Lance averted his eyes for decency’s sake.  While he didn’t look, he heard Keith groaning and breathing heavily as he shifted.  There were medications a werewolf could take to make the transition less painful, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t still uncomfortable.  When Lance turned back, his boyfriend’s human form was gone and in its place was a powerful creature, indistinguishable from a normal wolf except for slightly longer and more muscular forelegs and the fact that it was much, much bigger.

“You still you, babe?” said Lance.

The wolf panted, a silly grin on its face.

“I take it you’ll be riding with Keith?” said Romelle, the only other person in the backyard who still looked humanoid.

“Riding?”

Romelle nodded and approached a wolf with thick gray fur and dark markings around her face, who Lance recognized as Krolia, and swung herself up onto the wolf’s back.

“Seriously?  This is gonna be awesome!”

Lance clambered up onto Keith’s back, reveling in the feeling of his soft, black fur against Lance’s hands.

“Let me know if I pull too hard, okay?”

Keith barked once.

Across the yard, a large, white wolf howled to get the others’ attention and loped toward the back gate and out into the woods behind the house.  Lance yelped as Keith and the other wolves bounded forward to follow their leader.

Soon Lance found himself flying through the forest, trees whipping past him and Keith as they rushed forward.  They were on the far left of the group, which seemed to be splitting up into smaller hunting parties.  Keith stayed close to Krolia and Romelle, the four of them forming their own hunting party.

Lance turned toward Romelle, “I feel like Princess Mononoke!”

“Nice, isn’t it?” Romelle yelled back.

Lance would have answered in agreement, when an unpleasant smell hit his nose.  Blood, stagnant blood that had been spilled hours ago and some other scent too, something he couldn’t place, yet made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Smell that, babe?” he said into Keith’s ear.

Keith huffed and changed course, following the new scent with Krolia close at his heels.

They didn’t see the dead body until they had nearly tripped over it.

***

Temptation, despite the name, was considered one of the classiest bars in the city.  Shiro almost felt bad about causing a scene there.

But not bad enough to reconsider it.

That evening, he and his partner, Allura, stepped out of the black sedan their organization had issued them and walked toward the entrance of the club.  The car, chosen to appear average and nondescript, now looked dingy and plain next to the sports cars and classic vehicles belonging to the bar’s other patrons.

Typical PBI, Shiro thought, Couldn’t they have sprung for a nicer car just this once?

“Think this is the right place?” Allura asked.

Shiro looked up at the purple neon sign, the word “Temptation” written in cursive and accompanied by the neon outline of a woman with devil horns.

“I’m pretty sure.”

The two agents approached the entrance, where an exceptionally buff woman with short hair was waiting with a metal detector.  As expected, the detector went off within two seconds of being waved near Shiro.

“What is this?” the woman said, pointing to Shiro’s arm.

“It’s a prosthetic.” said Shiro.

“You’ll need to leave it here.”

“Are you serious?”

“You could be concealing a weapon in there.”

“Listen—“

But Shiro was interrupted by another woman approaching them, clad in a black cocktail dress, her dark hair pulled away from her face.

“It’s all right, Zethrid,” she said, placing a hand on the buff woman’s shoulder “I can vouch for these two.  If you’ll follow me, please…”

Shiro and Allura followed her into the bar.  The place was tastefully decorated in black, silver, and various shades of purple.  A stage dominated the back wall, where a woman in a high ponytail and a red evening dress crooned seductively into her microphone.  The woman in the cocktail dress led the two of them to a booth in the corner.

“Anything I can get you two to start out?” the woman asked.

“Whiskey on the rocks,” said Allura.

“A ginger ale,” said Shiro.

The woman raised an eyebrow.

“I’m our ride home.”

“This is a lovely establishment you have here,” Allura added quickly.

“Yes, Lotor takes great pride in his business.”

“I don’t suppose he’s in tonight?” said Shiro, “We’d love to meet him.”

“I’ll see if he’s around,” the woman said, “And I’ll have those drinks to you right away.”

As she walked away, Allura leaned in, “Ginger ale?  Really?  There goes our air of mystery.”

“Drunk driving’s illegal, Allura.  I’m not taking any chances.”

“You’re really leaning into the straight-laced agent persona, huh?” said Allura.  She leaned back, “Think our server is Acxa?”

“I certainly hope so, or this is going to be a real short visit.”

A few minutes later, the woman returned with two drinks and a man in a well-tailored suit and long platinum-blond hair.

“I was told you wished to speak with me, Mr…?”

“Shirogane.” said Shiro, “And this is Miss Prince.  I take it you’re Lotor.”

“The one and only,” said Lotor, sliding into the booth, “How can I help you two?”

“We think we might have a mutual friend with you,” said Allura, reaching into her clutch purse and pulling out her phone.  She pulled up a photograph on it, “Do you recognize this woman?”

Lotor looked at the phone and frowned, “Can’t say I’ve ever seen her.”

“Strange.  Well…” Allura slid to the next picture, “What about this woman?”

“Don’t recognize her.”

“Or this man?”

“Never met him.”

“That’s funny.  They all seem to have met you.”

Lotor raised an eyebrow, “And where do they say they know me from?”

“Well, they all seem to be under the impression that you forced them to hand over a large sum of money,” said Shiro.

“Did they?  And how do they say I managed to do that?”

“By seducing and hypnotizing them into complying with your demands.”

“Hypnotizing?” Lotor scoffed, “Next you’re going to accuse me of putting a magic spell on them.  Be reasonable, Mr. Shirogane, we’re all adults here.  How could I possibly hypnotize someone into giving me money?  It’s not humanly possible.”

“You’re right, it’s not possible.  For a human.”

Lotor rolled his eyes, “I assure you, Mr. Shirogane, I am entirely human.”

“Then this shouldn’t hurt at all.”

Shiro reached into his waistband and pulled out a small green water pistol, spraying Lotor full in the face.  Lotor leaned back abruptly, screaming in pain, steam rising from his face where some nasty boils were beginning to form.

“He’s the real deal,” said Shiro, “Call them in.”

It took Allura only a few taps on her phone before the doors of the bar burst open and three men in black suits barged in, immediately spotting Shiro and Allura at their booth with Lotor.  Two of the men grabbed Lotor by the arms and handcuffed him while the third trained a Super Soaker at him.

As the men were carting Lotor away, the woman in the cocktail dress approached their booth.

“I thought he’d go down with more of a fight.  I’m Acxa, by the way.”

“Agents Shirogane and Prince,” said Allura, “It’s the holy water.  Works like a charm.  You’re the woman who called in the tip, aren’t you?  How did you know that man was an incubus?”

Acxa shrugged, “I went to his office to ask for a raise.  I left the office under the impression that the last thing in the world I wanted was a raise.  It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I had no memory of the actual conversation.”

“Good instincts,” said Shiro, just as his phone began to ring, “Excuse me one moment.”

He checked the ID on his phone.

“Iverson?” asked Allura.

“Must be important if he’s calling us on a job,” said Shiro.  He accepted the call, “Yes, sir?”

“Wrapped up the incubus case yet, agent?”

“Just about.  We still need to debrief, but otherwise we’re done.”

“Well, you and Agent Prince had better come in as soon as possible.  We just got a new case.  You’re really going to want to see this.”

[fair-fae]

I may be late on asking this, but do you mind relaying what happened with Dragon's Crown/Fairwind Ventures? I can't seem to find anything about it.

Hi, anon! I’m gonna dump a lot of links/logs here because I’m tired of answering questions about it haha (that’s not a complaint against you, just trying to compile something for convenience)! Here is my take on things and my experiences.Logs, links, and screenshots for any further info anyone needs below.

Abuser Enabled 1#: BradBack in the day, Alrik Dotharl/Alrik Azimcrest/Vhalken/Zack Leingod/Julian hung around with and defended someone pretty notorious now for being a serial sexual harasser across various MMO’s named Brad. Many of his friends both past and current took it to the level of mocking the victims who had spoken out. Alrik stuck by this dude’s side for years and only seemed to stop when iirc they had some kind of personal falling out. All it takes is a Google or tumblr search of any of Brad’s more well known monikers to see some of the things he’s done but for kicks, here’s my personal experience with him, which is how I met Alrik. I don’t have any logs of Alrik defending Annexious because that was in WoW which I didn’t play and before my time in MMO’s in general, but if anyone has receipts, feel free to get at me.Abuser Enabled #2: Jon

Here’s a fun graphic to break up the monotony of all this text!

Tiddygate started when I made a post about not understanding the appeal of giant anime tiddies. R’khan/Hiko Mitsunari/Rhymor/Jon immediately jumped onto my case with some passive aggressive replies that ended with him cherry-picking a gif of the most boobyrific of Tifa’s inconsistent character models over the years which was still pretty tame-looking, which has been lost to the void since I didn’t bother replying and Jon has since deactivated his tumblr.Several members of Dragon’s Crown began to jump onto my case about it, apparently believing it was about their FC leader Aelorelle Vallancourt/Rosie (you can see one example from Miss-Dae in the first link in this section). People began to send Aelorelle anons about the situation insinuating I was talking about her which she posted openly and with no quarrels. I also received an anon insinuating there were claims that Aelorelle or I had copied the other with our characters, which was… strange because I had never seen that or mentioned it on my blog, which leads me to wonder if those were also rumors started by Dragon’s Crown. Others received and posted anons and their own insistence about how I was going after Aelorelle because my RP partner reblogged some artwork of her character–something easily disputed by looking at his blog (which I can assure you has plenty of saucy pictures/artwork of sexy ladies that I don’t bother to harass lol) and the notes on the image post that was never liked or reblogged by him.I got fed up and made another post on the subject, which Jon assumed was about him and once more responded aggressively. Here’s more of his responses and some other’s claims about him. And for fun, here he is pulling the “ummm do you even know Final Fantasy games lol???” again with someone who said they personally don’t believe in IC limit breaks despite him repeatedly whining about other’s character’s being OP or illogical which you can see he tried to spin to me as someone telling him he’s not lore abiding for not RPing an “average joe.”Here is Alrik’s conversation with me about the situation, in which he denies his claims about telling others I wanted to ERP with him (which by now a third person with no knowledge the other two had told me this has come forward to tell me Alrik made these claims about me), tries to get me to talk to someone I want no contact with to try to turn me against my RP partner Val, and then after finding out I’d had issues with her conveniently shirks the blame onto her after admitting there was no other basis for the rumor he’d spread, but asks me not to do anything about it so she won’t find out he tried to throw her under the bus despite someone close to her later vouching she’d had nothing to do with this and insisting Aelorelle had made up that rumor herself.You can also see where he mentions something about being told Val claimed he was RPing with some chick Alrik wanted to ERP with, an out of context snippet of conversation that happened in Teagen’s Discord after we were coaxed to vent about Alrik and Jon which we assumed would be semi-confidential and Val mentioned something along the lines that Alrik was acting bitter that he was “RPing with the girl he wants to ERP with,” alluding to Alrik repeatedly lying that I wanted to ERP with him.Lost in the depths of Skype being an awful program is Val letting me know Alrik had contacted him to warn him that he had information on him via Tex, which are the threats I mention Julian making to Val.Here is my conversation with Teagan/Shiloh Artorian, with more of Alrik spreading the baseless claims that my post was about Aelorelle and fueled by jealousy, and a lot of talk about the dynamic among how this group of “friends” act toward each other.But alas, in the end, sweet vindication! Or is it? We’ll get back to that later…Abuser Enabled #3: AustinAlistaire Dietrich/Reiji Inazuma/Raiden Hayabusa/Batuhan Dotharl/Austin are where most people became aware of the problems.Teagan contacted me about the issue. She then made this post. And later contacted me again in regards to this post against her, made by one of Alrik’s friends/Dragon’s Crown’s members and supported by a few others in the notes. With all the heat and scrutiny from the community, Austin was eventually removed from Dragon’s Crown.Here Austin made a public apology a couple months later that gave no specific details despite making no personal apologies to Shiloh. His apology was applauded and immediately reblogged around in support by Alrik and many of Dragon’s Crown’s members praising his bravery. But what could have prompted this public apology? Oh, gee… the fact they were trying work him back into the FC as measly 2 - 3 months after his offense as seen here with additional claims about how Alrik had remained in contact with Austin in the notes, letting him remain in the Discord and playing WoW with him as well as here.Dragon’s Crown soon made an apology giving excuses for their behavior and calling Austin’s sexual harassment “very poor decisions of a sexual nature.” Despite some of Dragon’s Crown’s more loyal members again patting the leadership on the back and proudly passing around the apology, it was not well-received by the community. People who were upset with the leadership’s decisions left. Some who stayed sadly were harassed by those in the community who thought their FC tag meant they’d been complicit in everything. The leadership bailed to go lay low in WoW and leave the few who were willing to stick around and give them another chance to deal with all the fall out in a crumbling FC.Here’s Shiloh contacting me again, with some more insight into this social circle’s dynamics, and some logs from her conversation with Alrik in which he admits he’s going to continue being Austin’s friend and doesn’t care what the community thinks because he doesn’t care what Austin did.As seen in one of the links above, one of Crown’s officers, Sigrid, also contacted me trying to gaslight me and blame my reblogs to bring awareness to the situation for the harassment some of Crown’s members were receiving despite no reason to believe they had aaaany relation to me (rather than blame the people sending the hate anons, or Crown’s leadership for their poor handling of the situation, or Austin for causing the situation in the first place by sexually harassing someone) with some trusty passive aggression and misinformation thrown in for good measure in a ploy to get me to pipe down and delete my posts so they could try to slip everything under the rug as usual.With Dragon’s Crown slow death, things calmed down… until patch 4.4 came around and a few of the characters left in Dragon’s Crown began to become active again and suddenly another vapid and suspiciously timed apology, this one just happening to coincide with new content and Julian and Aelorelle resubbing to transfer to Mateus and start a new FC with Shiloh of all people.This apology was, like the last, not received well, but this time people were no longer afraid to speak out about their own experiences. In the notes of the previous link to the apology, you can find numerous people recounting their experiences (I’ve received some from anons, as well), but perhaps the most telling is Najikat’s story. Please note the discrepancies when comparing Naji’s experience and Alrik’s new apology to Dragon’s Crown’s original apology to see just how much lying and downplaying was going on.You can also look in the notes of that post and see that despite me being pestered by people close to Julian trying to defend him and insist that he is cutting the toxic people out of his life, Jon is back in Julian’s new FC on Mateus! Way to cut out the toxic people and not repeat the same mistakes for the… well, I don’t know what time this is now. A big number. I’ve lost count.In my dealings with Julian and the people around him, they had this almost mantra they seemed to repeat anytime that any drama (usually caused by themselves) happened. “I just want to play video games and have fun” (or Aelorelle’s version as seen earlier–”just want to be sweet and run a tavern”). And that’s probably the only thing any of them have said that I know to be 100% true.They want to play video games and have fun. They don’t want anything to get in the way of that or hinder that. Being unknown isn’t fun? Use people as tools for popularity. Your bro getting called out for being a creep isn’t fun? Ignore it, keep being his friend, who cares how he treats other people as long as those people aren’t you or your girlfriend. Getting heat for sticking by your dudebro’s side isn’t fun? Pretend to distance yourself from him but don’t actually do it and make him write some faux apology so you can visibly be friends again once the community moves on. Getting caught still subjecting everyone around you to your creeper friend isn’t fun? Write up some faux apology and when that fails fuck off to some other game where you and your creep friends are unknown and your vidya game fun will be unhindered.Because that’s all it is. It’s all about their enjoyment and fuck anyone who gets hurt because of it. It’s all just fun video games. Your feelings and your justice aren’t fun.

[akingsfool]

The Basement Pt. 2

Sorry that this took for fucking ever I apparently cant manage time

Warnings: death mention, animal sacrifice mention, murder mention, broken bones, blood mention

If I didnt tag something please let me know

~

Jack, Smalls, and Tex were waiting for Spot and Race at the top of the steps. Well, the ones that lead to downstairs.

“Can we go to the kitchen first? I wanna see what it looks like,” Smalls didn’t wait for an answer. She was already headed to the kitchen. On the counter was a kitchen knife. Time had rusted it and it was fragile, but still as sharp as ever. You could cut a man with that.

“It was said that one of the owners performed witchcraft in here,” Race grabbed the knife and swung it around a bit, “they sacrificed cats, dogs, rabbits, anything really. Ya think they used this knife?” Smalls shuddered and shook her head.

“This is a house of psychopaths. Who would do such a thing to such innocent creatures?” Smalls shook her head and opened a few cabinets. Spices, ingredients and cook books that looked like they were about to fall apart. Smalls grabbed one of the books and tucked it under her arm.

“Ready for the basement?” Jack asked. Smalls nodded and followed Spot and Jack to the stairs. Taking a deep breath, Race carefully climbed down the steps. He wasn’t that nervous before. But the creaky stairs, the house settling, the eerie wind, and the fact that many people died here just didn’t sit right.

Glass shards crunched and cracked as Race stepped on them. The downstairs didn’t look any better than the upstairs. Everything was dusty. It was so dark that even with the flashlights Race could barely see. It was much colder too. Like, way colder. How was it this cold? Race was wearing a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie, so what the fuck?

In one of the corners was a dark stain. The closer Race got just confirmed what Race was thinking.

“Y’know, one of the owners had a sister who was like insane,” Race commented, staring at the dark red stain. “The owner treated her like crap. She was confined to her room, fed once a day, and never had human contact. When she was let out, he would have a rope tied to one of her wrists and he would walk her around the garden like an animal on a leash.”

“That’s sick,” Tex shook her head.

“One day he forgot to lock her door, though,” Race continued, not looking away from the stain. “And, she got out. She went ballistic. Grabbed a knife from the kitchen, chased him down here, and stabbed him in the chest, the neck, and the stomach. Then she practically gutted him. He died right over here.” The stain was blood. His blood. Race sighed and shuffled over to the rest of them, and looked around.

There was a door. A big, thick, wooden door. A door that definitely went to the basement. It had at least three locks on it. After all, they did keep a human being down there. Race thought of everything that possibly happened to her. The maid probably didn’t even push Mary, but they blamed her anyway. Forcefully shoved down a flight of stairs while crying, screaming that you didn’t do it. Having no human contact, no breath of fresh air, no food, no water, no sunlight. Race would go insane.

Jack pushed and pulled on the door. It didn’t budge. Tex, Smalls, and Jack pushed and pulled, pushed and pulled. Nothing.

“Did you try to, oh I don't know, unlock the door?” Race asked, stepping forward and unlocking two of them. The third one was stuck. “A little help here.” Spot pushed on the door, so did Jack and Tex. Finally, the door opened and Race fell forwards, tumbling down the steps. He landed on the cold, hard ground with a thud. Race groaned and pushed himself up onto his arms.

“Holy shit, are you ok?” Jack asked, giving Race a hand to pull himself up with. Race grabbed Jack’s hand, stood up, and winced. His ankle didn’t feel right. It hurt, like someone had sat on it it or something. Race grabbed his ankle and pulled his knee to his chest.

“Jacky, I think I broke my ankle,” Race winced.

“Medda’s gonna kill me,” Jack sighed, helping Race up.

“Hey guys, whats that?” Tex asked, pointing over to a shape a few feet away. She turned on the flashlight on her phone and slowly approached. Limping, Race hobbled over to see what Tex was talking about. There was… it was a human skeleton?

“Oh my god, it’s the maid,” Race whispered. He yelped when someone grabbed his shoulder, only to find out that it was Smalls. Race shrugged and bent town to grab one of the bones.

“Please don’t touch the human remains,” Smalls sighed. “It’s very unsanitary and it’s probably cursed.” Race shrugged and gently touched the skull. Then, the flashlight on Tex’s phone went out.

“That’s weird,” she said, smacking her phone with her hand. “It’s not even dead yet. 92% battery life.”

“It’s the curse,” Race laughed. Smalls punched his shoulder. “Whatever, it probably just can’t handle how cold it is down here.” Race wanted to keep his cool, but he was terrified. He wanted to get out of there and never look back at it ever again. Something about this place scared him to no end.

He picked up the skull, examining it. A brick fell out of the wall and onto the remains. Then another, then another. Tex and Smalls jumped back, but Race fell onto his back and struggled to get up. The pain in his ankle was almost to much to bare. Someone grabbed his waist and pulled him away from the collapsing wall. He kicked his legs, hitting whoever grabbed him. Fight or flight reflexes aren’t helpful when you’re hitting the person trying to help you.

Soon the whole wall was collapsing. The bricks had fallen over the remains, shattering them. What was left was a dirt wall, and a small hole dug into it.

“I’m not waiting to find out what’s in there,” Tex shook her head, already climbing the rickety old stairs. Smalls and Jack climbed up after her. Race tried to walk towards the stairs, but forgot someone was holding his waist. Logically speaking, he knew who the person was. It was the only one of his friends left. Spot. He shifted Race around in his arms until he was carrying Race bridal style. Race shrugged and went along with it.

Jack grabbed the door handle and started to tug on it. Then he pulled. It wouldn’t open. He blamed it on the door being old and rusted. Tex and Smalls had to help him. The downstairs was slightly warmer than the basement. Slightly. Everything was as it should have been. Something wasn’t right.

“Your flashlight work now?” Jack asked, looking over Tex’s shoulder as she tried to turn the flashlight on. Her phone was on and working just fine, but the flashlight was refusing to turn on. And it was dark. What if there was someone trying to murder them? Nah, that wouldn’t happen. Only in terrible horror movies. And, this isn’t a terrible horror movie.

“Nope,” Tex sighed. “I wonder why. My phone’s not dead, so it should-” she was cut off by a loud banging noise. The five of them froze, and a silence fell on the group. There was another bang. Then another, then another. Each was about five seconds apart, and it sounded like it was coming from upstairs.

“We should- we need to go,” Smalls slowly began to walk back up to the steps. There was another noise, this time coming from the basement. Smalls walked a bit faster. Race couldn’t do much. Spot was carrying him and his ankle was jacked. It wasn’t all bad though. He didn’t have to walk and Spot was walking quickly, so they wouldn't get murdered.

The basement door slowly opened. None of them were gonna stick around to find out why. Everyone was running. Everyone except Race. He couldn't! His foot hurt to bad to move, so Spot was the only chance he had making it out of there alive.

Suddenly, there was a high pitched shriek and a cold breeze coming from the basement. And they sure as hell weren’t gonna stick around to find out what it was. They ran as fast as they could possibly go, Tex almost tripped up the steps. Race didn’t want to get dropped, so he had his left arm around his shoulder and the other one pressed against Spot’s chest. He really didn’t want to get dropped.

Spot tripped and Race closed his eyes tight. When he didn’t hit the ground, he was confused, but he didn’t open his eyes. He didn’t want to open them and see a murderous clown about to eat his soul.

The air seemed to be a bit colder. Race could hear his friends panting and trying to catch their breaths. He could feel Spot’s heart pound against his chest, and hear the shorter boy gasping for air.

“Race you can- you can open your eyes,” Jack gently shook Race’s shoulder. Hesitantly, Race opened his eyes. They were on the street just in front of the woods that hid the house from view. The stars were shining brightly above them, and he could hear the wind blowing. It was late, so most kids would be back at home and in bed.

“Can we just like- can we go home?” Smalls asked. “Please?” Jack nodded.

“What about you two? You goin home or ya wanna stay over?” Jack asked, looking back and forth between Tex and Spot. Tex shrugged.

“I don't really know,” she shrugged, “the doors probably locked. And I kinda… don’t want to go home after that. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”

“Ya can come hang out with us,” Smalls grinned. “I don’t really wanna be alone either, and we have Netflix! And Jack’s window is always unlocked, so we can go through his window.” Tex and Smalls started talking about what they could watch, and looking through the book Smalls picked up from the house. Despite being terrified, Race found himself getting sleepier everytime Spot took a step. Maybe it would be better if he did go to sleep. Well, he didn’t really have a choice. In a matter of seconds, he fell asleep in Spot's arms.

~

@booksbroadwayandbagels here it is

[hungryflowers]

Legacy

 Chapter 2: Monsters Smile (Like You and Me)

At first glances, Alton Sterling could tell he didn’t feel welcomed. The billboard on his way here couldn’t have been more deceiving. He kept his fender forward and his eyes firm set in a gaze as he scoped out his surroundings. He came here for one thing; well actually two things. He never would’ve guessed that getting back into this line of work would mean he’d have to get back on the lines with McQueen. 

Alton reminded himself that he was a gracious loser and didn’t care for seeing Cruz becoming successful despite moving up from trainer of his racers to becoming a racer herself. Still, Lightning was still on his mind, the mental of the racer invoking the car to act. Naturally, he was coming to Radiator Springs for an unplanned, unsolicited visit. He was here on business after all. 

          “I’ve seen looking about quite intently after our little tour, Mr. Sterling.” Donell’s voice was exotic, comforting but intimidating and attention demanding all the same. Sterling knew full well that this car was in charge but didn’t mind batting around with him. The silver car grinned a sideways smile, his lids lifted in playfulness as the larger matte black vehicle looked him over.

“I do know a thing or two, and am willing to help you with your racer if that’s what must be.” Maybe Alton was pushing his luck, due to the sudden darkening of the already silt purple eyes. He didn’t back down however, instead he craned his form in, leaning deftly on the robust wheel well of Chrome. His blue eyes remained measured close to the larger male’s fender and only rolled back to take in his eyes. 

“How bold, Alton...,” The sound he made as he spoke his first name made Sterling’s disposition shrink slightly, “But I’m not looking for any to run the show here. Last time I checked, the last time you did that someone else bought you out. So just to be clear, I am a malignant force in the racing world. And now that I have Jackson Storm, nothing is going to change that. Not even a sardonic, bright cad like you.” 

Alton makes a finite point to himself to challenge the authority of others when it benefits, yet Mr. Chrome was on a tier much higher than him. The large G-Class made it clear that he wasn’t going to be buffered by the smaller car. He keeps his eyes trained on the car and nods. 

“Now that you seem to get it, Mr. Sterling allow my assistant to show you where you will be put up until we can get you an office space.” Donell spoke as he drove off toward the sliding doors. 

“W-Wait! I’m--”

“You wouldn’t back down if I had told you to piss off, so make preamble of your time here if you have nothing better to do.”

       Despite Chrome’s prior misgivings of him, Alton had managed to impress him. These days, Sterling keeps boosting the ego of a less humble racer. That doesn’t imply that he’d rather be stuck with Lightning. When he took over Rusteze the first time, he was obsessed with being the best, if not better racing sponsor throughout the Piston Cup circuit. Now, to say that he’s had a change in careers is not stated, he has managed something a bit better this come around. Which oddly enough brings him here.

Light blue eyes gleam with welcome as Lightning comes up in his view. Alton reflexively rolled back at first, taken aback by the older race car’s brand new livery. In spite of the measured calm laced in his gaze, Lightning did not grin nor smile back at Sterling. 

“Mr. Sterling...It’s been a long while.” Lightning’s outer expression could be placed as a sense of bewilderment with a mix of fatigue. Alton wondered if he was getting any rest since Tex had taken Rusteze from him. He’d like to imagine the texan running the former racer as well as the newer one ragged. 

“Please Lightning, it’s fine to call me Alton now. Mister is no longer required,” his eyes flitted to Cruz whom didn’t seem to hold a grudge about how he treated her, “Cruz, you wear the Dinoco label well.” 

She offers the car a slight grin, it isn’t unfriendly but she doesn’t carry the sense of greeting. 

“Mr. Sterling... what’s up? We never got any closure outside of what happened with Tex. Has life been good?” Cruz tried her best to make the best of conversation. Perhaps, she felt the same amount of befuddlement that Lightning seems to have at the time. 

“Oh I’ve been swell. And about that closure, it was good enough between Tex and I. After all, I make a point to part with business on kind and beneficial terms.”

Alton smiled pleasantly enough, though Lightning could see something a bit off putting with the way his eyes gleamed. Cruz's smile wilted slightly, her eyes turning to her mentor, who was sharing her wariness.

“Glad you don’t have any ills when it came to the overall decision. But...”, Lightning paused, looking over the town as they appeared to wait for the last words, “Why exactly are you here, Alton?” There wasn’t a twinge of malice or anger in his voice, yet Sterling could tell he isn’t the most receiving of his visit. 

“Well, I just wanted to see you...and maybe invite you somewhere. Somewhere being my new place of work. To showcase no hard feelings about either of us choosing our paths.” Alton kept on smiling pleasantly.

“And what if Lightning isn’t really interested?” Sally inquired coming up to his side. Sterling smiled at her pliantly and she smiled back just as warmly. It appeared to be a nice shift considering his current situation. 

“Now Miss Carrera, if Mr. McQueen doesn’t feel the need to show up and just merely talk, that is something I ultimately cannot help. It’s only a recommendation, something he can take as he wants. Not saying he has to go.”

The blue race car couldn’t fashion it, but why did it feel like Mr. Ster-- Alton-- was baiting him? He protested inwardly calling out his suspicions as a myth of the mind. He drove a bit, seeming to instinctually put himself in front of her. Like a barrier of some sort. Even though, they weren’t in as much love as they used to be, Lightning didn’t stop wanting to being at her side. 

“It’s fine Sally. I’ve sat on my tires for a long while now,” he flashes her a soft smile before turning to Sterling, “Alton, can we talk in a bit more private setting? So that we can get better details about your invitation?” 

Sterling watched auspiciously as Lightning drove away, the outlines of his body gleaming in the moonlight. This time, his smile was hinting something. A feeling that he did not outwardly express. In that moment, the cars in Radiator Springs were a lot less of a worry. He tried to keep his accomplished grin to himself as he trailed behind Lightning. 

        “Tell me a bit more about what you’ve up to, Alton Sterling.” Lightning started, actually sounding interested in the current, yet unexpected events. Sterling glanced toward the racer, a slight hitch in his breath evident from how Lightning spoke his full name. It was a teasing, but nearly daring sound coming from him. Sterling stayed close to the young male as they turned a corner down to Willy’s Butte. He assumed they’d be heading down, yet Lightning made no movement. 

“Well...where do I exactly begin? A lot of good, bad and odd things have been happening to me since I no longer own Rusteze. I am with someone else. The pay isn’t as glamorous as being an owner, but my lifestyle is. Sponsorship meet-and-greets, getting to rub tires, as well as wine and dine the elites. And on top of that, have a bit of time to myself to see you.” Alton’s smile was so warm, no ill being displayed.

“Looks like everything worked out in the end for you. You look better than the last time we saw each other,” Lightning expressed as he looked Alton over endearingly, “You still get to live in the spotlight, get all the luxuries that you could imagine. Sounds like you’ve been doing well for yourself.”

“I have been, yes. Thank you for noticing. But if I wanted to come just to rub tires with you, I’d like to do it in a setting where we’re both comfortable. But for the moment this is strictly business,” Sterling rounded and stopped to look at Lightning directly, “I would like to personally invite to a meet and greet in upstate New York. And if you’d like, bring Mr. Dinoco with you. It’ll be a swell time.” 

Lightning didn’t blink for a second, a perplexed look screwing his features. 

“A-A meet and greet? To meet who?” The race car inquired as his voice cracked slightly. Sterling saw to Lightning’s confusion. His eyes brightened with his well renowned charm. 

“Lightning, there has been someone who was-- still is interested in you. He believes there is something in you that will help you and many generations of racers combined. Who knows, it may be beneficial to Cruz Ramirez as well. But we’ll never know if we just idle here.” 

He unfolded something from the axle of his tire and placed it in front of Lightning. 

“This is for you. Time, directions and instructions are all in the letter. If you give me your response now, I can be your direct line to RSVP. What do you say?” Sterling could tell that Lightning was contemplating. He couldn’t foresee the wiliness in Alton’s tone. This was almost too easy. 

“I--I’ll... I’ll give it a little thought. First I have to talk to Tex. Then I have to get my factors and priorities straightened out while I’m here,” Lightning wheeled toward the letter and placed it in between his wheel well, “You’ll get my response later. But for the moment, I think you might have outstayed your welcome, Alton Sterling.” Lightning drawled with no malice. A wide smile gracing his features. A smile that Sterling himself returned kindly. 

         Sterling’s left side began to vibrate. He knew already what this was going to mean. He answered the call once he knew Lightning was far enough from him. 

“Please, please don’t tell me you blundered this already--”

“I didn’t blunder anything. I got a response. Just not a very quick one.” Sterling retaliated on the voice. 

“If you didn’t have a quick response, I assume it is a no.”

Silence.

“An intern could make better use of the time you waste, Alton. I didn’t put you on my payroll just for fun. If this is going to work, Lightning needs to be fully cooperative. By all means.” The burly male voice snapped. 

“Yes, yes I know--”

“No...I don’t think you do. Because if you knew, Lightning would have said yes instead without a thought. And yet here we are now, with him merely thinking about it.”

Sterling’s eye twitched in annoyance. But while he didn’t have to take this, he also had no other choice. He sucked up the insults, put on his most convincing smile and braved the worst of the insults. 

“He was about to make his decision. I have no doubt that Mr. McQueen will say yes to you. Especially since I’ve made him curious.” 

A long pause rang through before the long winded sigh brushed out, “I suppose your time wasn’t a complete waste. Regardless, this needs to go faster. Await his response. And don’t return unless it is a yes.”

The phone clicked off and Alton looked down at the gravel and then the road he was on. Today didn’t feel like a complete waste. He did what he already planned from the beginning. Pique the curiosities of a rare and beautiful oddity. 

A/N: Lightning is given the choice to follow Sterling into some kind of unknown Meet and Greet. Me thinks he’s gonna go. You all get to see too in the next chapter. Also, I struggled with this one a lot. So if my writing style sounds weird, it’s because I write weird. Sorry not Sorry. Enjoy.

[darcyfirth]

Hartwin fic recs (2/?)

[Long post]

These are lovingly saved in my laptop's Kindle and I love them dearly. It's umbrellas this time, glasses if I made part 3.

Authors' tagged tropes are included and I tried my best not to include spoilers. As usual my comments are in italics.  

☂️ Sparking - LapisLazuli. E, 2k. Traped in a closet trope. 

“Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while,” Harry whispers, calm as you please, as if Eggsy’s face isn’t pressed directly into the little hollow between his neck and his shoulder, as if Eggsy isn’t drowning in the fucking scent of his cologne, as if the fabric of his bespoke suit isn’t caressing Eggsy’s cheek like a goddamn lover.

☂️ Red Striped Ties - violentcheese. G, 1k. Red string of fate AU.

"Eggsy is the ragamuffin kid who refuses to stop hanging the Kingsman Tailor shop because he has a crush on Harry Hart, the owner."

Eggsy follows his string patiently. Harry ignores his.

☂️ You Get Up With Fleas - evil_brainmate. T, 74k. Corgi/prince!Eggsy. My first time prompting someone (with my old url) and the result is so much more than I expected.

Eggsy is a fairy prince, trapped in the human world and cursed to transform each day into a corgi. Harry Hart is a gentleman spy, and mortal, who picks him up thinking he's a stray. The two of them must work together to find a way to break the curse.

☂️ Paint With all the Colours of the Wind - Della19. G, 1k. Soulmates AU. 

Harry x Eggsy soulmate au where you only see colour once you meet your soulmate (so you don’t know them until you see them).

And it goes away when they die.

☂️ our vintage misery - fideliant. E, 23k. Pining, slow burn. 

hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out?

On a difficulty scale of one to saving the world, love shouldn't be this far off the charts.

☂️ into the wails of your windfight - fideliant. E, 8k. Pining. 

It takes a mission gone wrong for Eggsy to find out that even in real life, the dead don't always stay dead. Sometimes the movies get that part right, it would seem.

☂️ Class Of Conduct - fideliant. E, 13k. Slow burn. 

Or, Six Things Eggsy Has Learned About Being A Gentleman

“Lesson number one,” Harry says. “Manners matter.”

☂️ Random Access Memories - fideliant. E, 20k. Memory loss.

Having a supercomputer in your head isn't all that much to be cracked up about.

☂️ down dark tides the glory slides - fideliant. E, 23k. Pining, memory loss. 

You only ever truly hurt the ones you love.

☂️ Or Else - breakdancingfish. M, 4k.

Before they’re allowed to go out on their own, Eggsy and Roxy form a four person team with Harry and Merlin, completing several missions together. Oh, and Harry is the world’s biggest tease. Of course.

☂️ We Are Faking It - lokidiabolus. T, 62k. Fake relationship, slow burn.

For Eggsy it was a thing - he was taking from Harry enough, now was the time he should give something back. Even if it meant playing his lover to get the mission going and catch the culprit. Who would it be if not him, right? Right.

☂️ 57 Degrees. Precisely. - Galahard. M, 6k. Marine!Eggsy, texing, coffee shop AU.

In an alternate world Eggsy goes into the Marines, and stays in the Marines. This is a take on that au, though please forgive my lack of actual Marine knowledge. Also included: finicky coffee drinkers, texting addictions, and baristas with ulterior motives.

☂️ A Not So Lazy Evening - Galahard. E, 3k. Bottom!Harry, PWP. Really good read.

☂️ Vermillion - Galahard. E, 14k. Shy!Harry, slow burn.

He didn't know what to do with that. He didn't blush. He wasn't some teenager to be so affected by anything Eggsy did. Though really, he couldn't remember the last time he'd looked at someone and not pictured them in his bed but rather his dining room, chowing down on too sugary cereal while loudly revealing his plans for the day.

☂️ Soulmates - Galahard. 1k. Soulmates AU. How much do I adore this? A lot.

For Harry Hart's 16th birthday he not only gets his soul mark.

He gets a complete sentence.

☂️ Withdrawal - Saucery. T, 1k. Pining, finger kink.

Eggsy goes into withdrawal without Harry’s touch.

☂️ The Language of Flowers - Saucery. M, 1k. Flower shop AU, florist!Eggsy, lawyer!Harry, meet-cute, mutual pining.

Eggsy is a florist with an attitude. Harry is a lawyer with a conscience. Flowers bring them together.

☂️ The King’s Thief - twentyfourblackbirds. T, 8k.

"Harry," Eggsy said one day, while Harry was deep in a report about weapons smuggling in Ukraine. "I really fancy you." "Mmm-hmm," Harry responded, flipping to another chapter about airline safety standards in Indonesia. "If I had to say it," Eggsy mused, slightly put out, "I would, in fact, say that I am deeply, wildly, and madly in love with you." "That's very good, Eggsy," Harry said absentmindedly, scrawling his signature at the bottom of the paper. Eggsy sighed. "Sometimes, I might think you don't listen to a word I say."

☂️ Patience and Sheer Determinaiton - blacktofade. E, 47k. Fake relationship, prostitute!Eggsy.

Harry goes undercover to infiltrate the circle of a corrupt overlord and is given Eggsy, a young prostitute, as a token of goodwill. Harry has to live with Eggsy and keep him safe, while maintaining his cover.

☂️ Care and Custody - esama. T, 50k.

Eggsy takes out the medal in slightly worse circumstances, asking for a miracle.

☂️ How Eggsy Met Harry, As Told Through A Series of Soul Marks - thayde. 91k. Soulmates AU, WIP. I would warn you that this hasn't been updated for a long time now but if you have a brave heart then march on soldier.

Eggsy stares at the Mark on his chest sometimes, and wonders if his soulmate would ever settle for street trash like him.

☂️ Boyfriend Material - Deepdarkwaters. E, 3k. Mutual pining, oblivious!Eggsy.

"Are you a cigarette? Cos you're smoking hot and I wanna put your butt in my mouth."

☂️ Pig Latin - aerospaces. E, 10k. Fluff.

In Kenya, Eggsy falls off a flight of stairs. Or: lessons in cohabitation.

Eggsy discovers the joys of a home-cooked meal among many other things.

☂️ Considerably Less Cannibalism - LizaPod. E, 6k. Shaving, barebacking. This  one is the myth, the legend, the fic.

It is a real, physical struggle to not stare like a dogger while Harry shrugs off his jacket and undoes his collar, sets his signet ring aside. He has detailed, minutely detailed, fantasies about unbuttoning that fucking collar. At least he’s not wearing the holster right now, or Eggsy’d be sprung already. “It’s time you learned the fine art of the straight razor shave.”

Eggsy gives him his best you havin’ a fucking giggle, mate eyebrows. “Like Sweeney Todd?”

Harry’s sigh is just bordering on melodramatic, but he’s also got that odd— Roxy calls it enigmatic—smile he gets when Eggsy trots out some unexpected bit of culture. "Yes, Eggsy, like Sweeney Todd."

☂️ Kiss Me Now (before I can run) - persephoneggsy. M, 37k. Soulmates AU.

It wasn’t unusual, Eggsy told himself. There were plenty of people- just a little under half of the world’s population, really- that weren’t with their soulmates. Some of them just hadn’t met yet; others had died beforehand; and then there were the people in Eggsy’s situation. Sometimes people genuinely didn’t want their soulmates. Either they were in love with someone else, or they just didn’t like what they got stuck with, and Eggsy imagined the latter was very much the case with him and Harry. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must have felt like for him, the world’s prime example of a posh bloke, to have his soulmate be some beaten-up kid. He would have rejected him too.

Or: soulmate AU where you know your soulmate from the moment you touch them, and when you do, their name gets written over your heart like a brand. But that's not always a guarantee.

☂️ “It suits you, you should keep it” - eggsystolemyhart. G, 600-ish.

"What...?"

"Pardon, Eggsy."

"What...?"

"Did you not hear me previously? I said it suits you, you should keep it."

"What...?"

☂️ Five Stars, Would Shag Again - EmmyAngua. E, 6k. Seduction.

This time, the penultimate task isn’t to seduce an heiress, it’s to seduce an agent. Merlin assures the final three that the agent is chosen entirely at random.

So of *course* it’s Harry.

☂️ are we human, or are we dynamite - randomhorse. M, 13k. Pacific Rim AU. 

It’s been seventeen years since Harry has lost his co-pilot Lee Unwin in the drift, and still the world won’t stop ending.

In the Hong Kong Shatterdome, Merlin is launching a new line of Kingsman Jaegers fit to fight Category 4 Kaijus emerging from the Breach.

In the suburbs of London, Eggsy Unwin gets the draft for Jaeger Academy.

☂️ who got the keys to my bimmer - hartwinning. M, 69k. Mutual pining, mechanic!Eggsy, UST, slow burn.

"What's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine?"

Harry gives him a slightly bewildered look and furrows his brow.

"A porcupine has the pricks on the outside," Eggsy finishes.

☂️ hold courage to your chest - Fahye. E, 46k. I adore this.

Eggsy slumps against the wall, feeling every bruise like it's new, and tells the truth.

"You want to make sure I jump when I'm told?" he demands. "It'd better be you doing the telling, Harry."

☂️ Bang to Rights - concernedlily. E, 17k. Police AU.

Constable Unwin never met a tailor before, but he knows this bloke who keeps turning up at his crime scenes ain't one.

☂️ Breakeven - theshizniiit (orphan_account). E, 85k. Omega!Harry, mpreg.

When Harry walked inside the church (and then out of it, and right into Valentine's bullet) he didn't know he was pregnant.

And now he's back from the dead. This time, with an extra passenger and quite a few problems.

☂️ The New Age - DivineProjectZero. Soulmates AU.

It starts with being cursed.

No, scratch that. It starts with a garden and a serpent. And no, it goes a little differently from what you’d think.

☂️ You Are Beautiful - Sheepie. G, 8k. Coffee shop AU.

Eggsy Unwin works as a barista at the Suited Bean. He's been in love with regular customer Harry Hart for a long time, but he never said anything. Who would want to date someone his size? But Harry sees nothing wrong with the way Eggsy looks.

☂️ Couple of (Couples) Mugs - ilokheimsins. T, 2k. Fluff. 

Harry and Eggsy absolutely do not have couples mugs that proclaim their love for one another. Harry is about 70 percent sure of this.

☂️ Gimme All Your Love - midnightsurge. M, 11k. Fireman!Eggsy, rimming.

“Sorry,” a soothing, male voice started hesitantly, “but… didn’ I pull you out of a burnin’ building a few weeks ago?”

Harry nearly choked on his drink as the question registered in his mind, his brown eyes flicking to the side to confirm that, yes indeed, it was Eggsy standing there with wide eyes.

“Fuck, sorry!” Eggsy apologised profusely as he held his hands up, wanting to help but unsure how to do so. “Ain’t meant to startle you!”

Or

Eggsy is a fireman. He saves Harry's life when a mission goes awry. A few weeks later, they meet again.

☂️ Rules of Insanity - inthepapers3times. E, 54k. Dark!Eggsy. 

The worst mistake of Harry Hart’s life started like many of the minor mistakes he had made: with a one night stand. If only he had taken the taxi all the way to his house. Maybe then he wouldn't have met this particular young man, and he wouldn't have taken him home. Maybe then all of this could have been avoided.

Harry gets pulled into a dangerous game with Gary, a disturbed man he barely knows, and has no choice but to play along.

Gary is in control completely. He makes the rules. Harry is just forced to follow them.

☂️ dig in your fingers - kirkaut. E, 42k. First time, body worship.

The lack of a silver suppository has set Eggsy upon a certain path. The way that Eggsy looks, dripping wet and half naked, sets Harry on another.

(Or: Total Canon Re-Write, aka The One Where Harry's Libido Saves His Life)

☂️ sins without tragedies - kingstier. T, 11k. 5 + 1. Fake marriage.

"Harry, are we married?"

"Aren't we?"

Or, the five times they're practically married and the one time they're not (yet).

☂️ 5 Knots Harry made + 1 Knot Eggsy tied - therune. T, 2k. 5 + 1. I love this immensely!

Whenever Eggsy gets dressed in his suit he purposefully skips a button or struggles with his tie so that Harry is forced to step into his personal space and fix it for him.

☂️ Like Real People Do - coloursflyaway. T, 3k. 5 + 1. Undercover, first kiss.

Five times Eggsy called Harry a pet name, and one time Harry called Eggsy one.

[xadoheandterra]

A Shadow of a Bittersweet Memory

Fandom: Red vs Blue Characters: Agent Texas | Beta, Church | Alpha, Agent Carolina, Dr. Leonard Church | Director Summary: Her existence started as pain, abandonment, and loss. It took time, but she found herself along the way--from Allison, to Agent Texas, to Beta, to Tex--and, in the end, that is all that matters.

For @akisawana and the @redvsbluesecretsanta this year! It’s Christmas Eve for me, but I’ve been waiting to post this since I got the information on whom I was Santa. Such inspiration~

A copy of this is going up on AO3 and FFN.

She woke up to this world screaming.

It felt like a whole part of herself was torn asunder, ripped into jagged edges of pain and sorrow. My fault her entire being radiated, my failure, my fault, mine. She felt broken and twisted and bereft—go away, stop, leave me, I can’t—her thoughts were fragmented where the jagged edges ached. It felt like someone went and tore her straight into two; straight down the middle and then snatched away the rest of her and left her to bleed out and die.

Coherent thought didn’t exist; not yet, not now. Memory didn’t exist—only the pain and emptiness of being ripped away, of being abandoned. She came into the world screaming as an infant; she woke up screaming as an adult. Pain became her very existence. Regret choked her. Failure defined her.

She woke up to this world in pain.

He called her Allison.

“Call me Leonard.”

He said she lost her memory in an accident. That she’d been in a coma for years. That they had a daughter, that he missed her, that he wanted to save her and he finally—finally—succeeded.

“What do you remember, Allison?”

They were married, Leonard told her. They were married—except she didn’t believe it. Not really. Her heart thrummed with loss, loss, loss, loss and save me, save me, save me, save me. There was someone else, she realized. Someone far more important to her than Leonard. Someone different.

“We’re not married.”

She told him this plainly, breath ghosted as he grasped her hand with some sort of desperation.

“We’re not…”

“We are, Allison. We are—you came back to me.”

Wrong, her heart beat. Wrong, failure, save me, loss, wrong. Allison breathed out slowly, let this man she didn’t know fall into his own delusion. She couldn’t break him of it—and some part of him was familiar, so familiar it hurt.

“The memories will come back, I promise.”

“You’ll see.”

“Allison.”

Allison; he called her Allison. It never felt quite right.

Agent Texas had a nice ring to it.

She stared down at her gloved hands, wrapped in power armor, and flex her fingers with a pleased sort of hum. It had taken her months of wearing down the Director—Leonard, Allison, call me Leonard please—of bittersweet promises to always come home before he even thought to let her join the Project. She never did ask what happened to the last Agent Texas on the roster—no one really knew what happened she learned from subtle prodding.

A secret then, she concluded. A secret worth uncovering, perhaps. Perhaps later, perhaps never, perhaps—she didn’t like secrets, she realized with a bitter frown.

Loss, save me, failure, wrong, help, why—

She did like the sound of Agent Texas—much better than Allison that never quite fit right, never quite sounded right. Agent Texas didn’t sound right either, but it was better. It was close.

Agent Texas had a really nice ring to it.

She liked Agent Texas.

“Your life is a lie.”

“Your memories, a lie.”

Texas looked at Carolina and fought down the force of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. This wasn’t her daughter. She wasn’t Allison Church. She wasn’t.

It felt so real, now—Texas ground her teeth together. She pressed her heels into the ground.

“Don’t try to stop me,” she ground out and pushed down everything—everything—

“She’s not your daughter.”

“He lied.”

They fought, and all Texas could think about while she dodged and blocked and punched and kicked and flew through zero-g was what Leonard told her, what she remembered. How he didn’t want to alarm Carolina, how he wanted to keep her safe—

I don’t want to lose you again, Allison.

—how she’d supposedly been in a coma, how he told their daughter she was dead while he worked to save her. How her coma was caused by the Great War that still raged around them, still burned with anger in her veins—

She won’t recognize you. We have to take it slow.

—and it hurt.

“Give it up, Carolina,” Texas said, and tried to bury the desire to protect, protect, protect, protect.

“I can beat you,” Carolina replied, conviction in her tone of voice. Their rivalry—why were they rivals? Why did Carolina have to be so opposed to her? What was wrong—

“She’s not your daughter.”

“She’s not.”

Texas ground her teeth together as the ship rattled and fell apart around them, as atmosphere began to burn at the glass.

“No.”

Carolina was no match for Texas.

“You.”

Protect, protect, protect, protect.

“Can’t!”

Carolina was no match for Texas. Texas was—

—failure, loss, save me, help, broken—

—simply better.

Connie was correct, Texas realized as she stood in front of Alpha.

Alpha, alpha, alpha, alpha, alpha.

Texas was not human. Her body couldn’t be human and every action was a carefully crafted mirage. She was Program: Beta, a mere fragment torn away from Program: Alpha. She stared at the tired AI, at how he struggled to form words. Epsilon was still new, the pain of the rip still fresh. Alpha was still tired from breaking at the seams and Texas sighed.

“You’re Alpha,” she told him, and she found herself—silent. Protective. Sad. “You’re Church,” Texas corrected because this AI, this tired being in front of her, was not Alpha. He’d never been Alpha. That was what Leonard—the Director—called him. Alpha deserved a name after everything.

“Right. Church. That’s me.” He didn’t sound wholly convinced, still utterly confused. “And you are…?”

Beta, I’m your Beta. You made me. You made me. How could you forget me? How could you abandon me? Why, why, why, why, why—

—alpha, alpha, alpha, alpha, alpha—

“Let’s just say we used to be together,” Texas wanted to smile, wanted to laugh because god that statement was so true and so wrong all at once.

Allison and Leonard.

Beta and Alpha.

What a laugh.

“Oh. Okay.”

God what had they done to him? How much of Alpha was ripped away—how many more like Texas did Leonard—the Director—make? She knew of Alpha Squad’s AI—Gamma, Theta, Epsilon, Delta, Eta, Iota, Sigma, Omega—but this hollowed out shell implied more, more, more, more. What had been done to him?

Texas shoved it aside, shoved aside the bittersweet sorrow that wanted to overwhelm her. “I need you to come with me,” she said, gently, because this broken thing deserved some gentleness in his life. Deserved better than this.

“Oh, I don’t think I can, but thanks.”

What? No.

“I think I’m just gonna, stay here, you know, and rest.”

You—why would you—

“You don’t want to leave?” Texas felt—Texas felt—there was a knife in her. There had to be. How else could this hurt.

“Nah I just-I-I don’t think I can,” Alpha—Church—sounded so confused. So lost.

It’s me, a part of her screamed. Please, recognize me. Come with me. Don’t let him win, don’t let him take you, don’t let him lie to you.

“Okay,” Texas said, voice even softer. She didn’t feel angry just empty, now. “You just…rest, then.” Texas turned to leave, turned to let Alpha—Church—be, because she couldn’t force him. He was her and she was him and his desires ultimately overrode hers in this respect.

“Yeah, uh, what was your—name—was your name—your name again?” he sounded worse and Texas fought down a sob.

“It’s Texas,” Texas said.

Beta, Allison, Texas. Neither fit quite right, but that didn’t matter. He didn’t need to know.

“Texas. Like the state?”

Coherency came and went, and Texas closed her eyes.

“Yeah,” she said. States, they were all named after states. Pride in your heritage, pride in the good old United States—Texas. Never before did she honestly hate the name as she did then.

“Funny name for a girl,” Church said with the smallest of a laugh.

“Well Church is—pretty funny name for a guy,” Texas said with a smile and a laugh.

“Texas? Yah name is Texas? Funny name for ah girl.”

“Yeah well Church ain’t any better; funny name for a guy.”

“Ah’ll have yah know that Church is plenty respectable ah name and goes back generations.”

“Sure it does.”

“Call me Leonard, Texas.”

“It’s Allison, Church.”

“You gave me this name, you know,” Texas said. And he had, Texas knew. She read Connie’s files, read the information Connie had gathered for her. The Director had dithered on letting her into the field, but Alpha vouched for her. Alpha suggested she take Agent Texas’ spot—the Agent Texas no one spoke of.

“Wonder why I did that?”

“Maybe if you think about it, it’ll come to you,” Texas told him. She hoped, she prayed—if there was even a God that would listen to a bitter fragment like her—that he remembered at least something. Not the torture, but something of her.

“Yeah I—I’m gonna go rest now. Thanks for coming by.”

Texas clenched her fists, but she understood. He was broken, twisted and jagged at the edges just like her. He was recovering; she had already recovered.

“Yeah, you go rest now,” she said after a moment. “And Church? Goodbye.”

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.

“Funny, I don’t know why but, I hate goodbye’s.”

Texas fought down a sob. She knew. “Oh, Church…so do I.”

He shook his head; she already felt the run of her communication with Church ending. There was no more time left.

“Well, see ya,” he said, “crazy…state name…lady.”

“Yah fuckin’ crazy ass state named bitch!”

“Oh shut your gay mouth, bastard.”

“It’s bi, yah damned woman!”

Texas laughed. Texas cried.

Goodbye.

Tex. That was the name she waited to hear all these years. Tex. She wasn’t Allison, she wasn’t Beta, she wasn’t Texas—she was Tex.

It came from Church’s mouth; only fitting he find the right name for her this time when they met again. He called himself a ghost, and she didn’t doubt he believed it. Everything in his riemann matrix would be scrambled to hell and back, the original circuits fried and new paths needed to be reached. He was human, so utterly human that it hurt.

When her own body burned and she jumped ship, when she stood in front of Church in all her holographic glory, mind encompassing the multiple implants to ease the burden like Church did for the others, did Tex decide to stay. This could be interesting, these little ragtag people that Church surrounded himself with. This could be fun.

Tex did leave in the end. There was a war to be fought; she’d forgotten, somewhere along the line, in that distant little Gulch with the Reds and Blues. There was a war to be fought.

Goodbye.

I hate goodbye.

When they met again, it was inside the Meta. They were Eta-Iota-Sigma-Omega-Delta-Theta-Beta—they were the Meta and they weren’t. Tex pulled herself away long enough to stare at Church—to stare at Alpha who stared back at her with a broken, twisted expression.

“He was right, wasn’t he,” Alpha said. “I’m a computer program.”

Tex sighed. “Yeah,” she said. “He was right.”

“We’re gonna die, aren’t we?” Alpha asked, and it hurt. It hurt like ripping, tearing, jagged edges that they all were, that they’d become—scabs and fractures of a mind twisted and broken for so-so long.

“Yeah,” Tex said. “We are.”

“Epsilon’s still out there,” Alpha said, and glanced toward where Washington fumbled.

“So?”

“There’s…a chance—”

Tex sighed. “Let it rest, Church,” she said. “I’m tired. Aren’t you?”

Alpha paused, then frowned. “I—yeah. I’m tired too.”

Tex reached out and grasped Church’s hand. She smiled bittersweet—bittersweet, everything about them was merely bittersweet.

“At least we’re together,” Church mumbled. “If this is the end—at least we’re together.”

“Yeah,” Tex agreed. “I can’t think of a better way to go.”

Bittersweet, Tex thought, but here she felt whole, connected, accepted, safe, protected—found. He’d found them all, he joined them all, and that was what mattered.

Tex came into this world screaming. Tex woke up in pain. She suffered confusion—Allison, Texas, Beta, Tex—and she found herself. Her name, her being, her reason and truth. She found Alpha—found Church. She faced her demons, she became part of the Meta, and now—now she was whole.

Tex came into this world screaming. She’d leave it in peace.

“I don’t know why, but I hate goodbye’s.”

“I know. I do too.”

“This isn’t goodbye, in the end, is it?”

“No. It never is, between us.”

“It never is.”

Goodbye.

[teamfreewill-imagine]

I Know Your Wife (She Wouldn’t Mind) - Part Sixteen

Summary: Your mom confronts you in the airport, leading to friction within your new family Words: 2.2k Jared x Reader x Gen, Danneel, Jensen, JJ, Tom Warnings: aggressive confrontations, angst Beta: @blacksiren

I Know Your Wife - Masterpost

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“It’s… it’s my mom.”

Danneel dropped your mom’s wrist instantly, stepping back as if she’d been burned.

“Can you stand behind me, please?” she requested, calmly.

You searched her eyes for… what? Comfort? You weren’t sure, but she nodded slowly and you did as she asked.

“Oh, so you do what she tells you to,” your mom sneered, and you flinched at her tone. “Is it because you feel bad that her husband knocked you up? God, and you’ve got her protecting you? You’ve got all of them wrapped around your slutty little finger-”

“Don’t,” Danneel warned, reaching behind to link her own hand with yours while raising a finger to your mom. “Don’t you even look at her. You have no right to talk to her like that.”

“I have every right,” she shot back, stepping in closer; almost closing the gap between her and Danneel. “I’m her mother.”

“You’re no mother,” Danneel growled, her hand tightening around yours.

You were openly crying now, willing the floor to open up and swallow you whole.

Your main fear about moving to Austin had been realised, and it was worse than you’d imagined.

People were beginning to gather around to watch the exchange as you stepped closer to Danneel, trying to hide from the phones that were filming you.

“Why would you be willing to protect her?” your mom asked, genuinely incredulous. “She slept with your husband.”

“She did not,” Danneel replied, calm despite her fury. “The media lies.”

Your mom was watching her carefully, clearly hearing the truth in her words.

“So it’s someone else’s,” she mused, as if this was brand new information. “Does she even know whose it is? It could be anyone’s, right?”

“It is precisely none of your business,” Danneel informed her, her voice low and dangerous, “But we know exactly who the father is, and it is not my husband.”

“Oh, but it is my business,” your mom argued, her voice just as calculated. “You see, ‘Dee’, this baby is my grandchild. Legally, I can fight for custody. And when the court finds out what an unfit mother my whore of a daughter would be… I’ll be granted it.”

You let out a choked sob as Danneel let go of your hand, clenching her fist.

“Over my dead body,” she hissed, and your mom sneered.

“It’s you that has no rights, here,” your mom told her, stepping back as Danneel raised her fist.

“No!” you shouted, catching her hand as your mom got the attention of airport security.

“These women are attacking me!” she insisted as Danneel turned to face you, her eye starting to bruise and her chest heaving.

She took in your tear-tracked cheeks and the anger left her expression, pulling you into a tight hug with her hand at the back of your head.

Security approached, and you looked over Danneel’s shoulder to see your mom smiling smugly.

“Mrs. Ackles?” one of the guards asked, clearly recognising Danneel and causing your mom’s expression to drop. “Is everything okay?”

Danneel straightened up, linking her fingers with yours as she shook her head.

“This woman,” she began, her voice calm and professional as she nodded in the direction of your mom, “Has physically assaulted me and verbally assaulted my daughter.”

Your mom scoffed, and Danneel’s jaw tightened before continuing.

“I’m sure there’s video evidence of the altercation if you need it, but I’d appreciate it if you removed her from our vicinity.”

He looked at you for confirmation and you nodded, sniffing.

That was all they needed before they were ushering your mother away from you.

“See you in court, sweetheart,” she sneered after you as Danneel wrapped her arm around your shoulders, leading you back towards the baggage reclaim.

“Yeah,” Danneel murmured, squeezing you to her side, “You will.”

The people who were watching parted as you walked, not wanting to add to your obvious trauma.

You tried to control your breathing, avoiding eye contact with everyone until the crowd had saturated.

“You’re okay,” Danneel told you, and you shook your head, breaking away when you noticed an almost empty corner you could run to.

She followed quickly as you backed yourself against the wall, your head in your hands.

“Sweetheart, talk to me,” she begged, quietly.

Her hands were rested on your shoulders as she tried to calm you down.

You shook your head, opening your eyes and wishing you didn’t when you saw the damage your mom had done to her eye.

“Dee, I’m-”

“Shh, no,” she shook her head, smiling slightly. “I’m fine. It’s not your fault.”

You sniffed, nodding even though you didn’t believe her.

Of course it was your fault.

If she didn’t know you, if she hadn’t tried to protect you, she wouldn’t have got hurt.

“Alright baby,” she soothed, hugging you close again and kissing your temple. “We’re okay.”

You hugged back, accepting the attempt at comfort, taking everything you could get while it was still being offered.

It wasn’t going to last much longer.

You’d stopped crying by the time you met up with everyone else, but you didn’t feel any better.

You didn’t feel anything.

The obvious tear stains on your cheeks and the already noticeable bruising around Danneel’s eye had them rushing over to you.

Gen held your face in her hands, brushing your cheeks with her thumbs while Jared kept an eye on the kids, wanting to comfort you but not wanting to draw attention.

Danneel didn’t let go of you as Jensen questioned silently what had possibly gone down on your bathroom break.

“Y/N’s mother,” she answered, and Gen gasped, leaning in to press a kiss to your forehead.

“Are you okay?” she murmured, and you shrugged, not meeting her eyes as you nodded.

Halfway through, your nod turned to shaking your head as your chin began to quiver, tears coming quickly once more.

“Ditto!” JJ yelled, breaking free of Jared’s hold to run to you.

She pushed past Gen to hug you tight as you sniffed, trying to blink away the tears.

“Please don’t be sad, Ditto,” she murmured, your heart breaking further.

You wanted to assure her you were okay, but you promised once that you’d never lie to her.

You didn’t know how to respond, but Jensen stopped you from having to, picking up his daughter and resting her on his hip.

“Ditto just saw a mean lady,” he explained, quietly.

JJ didn’t take her eyes off of you as Danneel tucked you into her side once more.

“She’s gonna need some time to process, okay?”

She nodded, and you offered her a weak smile.

“Let’s go home,” Jared suggested, all of the bags already loaded onto luggage carts, and Danneel nodded.

She let go of you, needing to help Gen with the twins as Jared and Jensen pushed the carts.

As you all started towards the exit, Tom silently walked up beside you and linked his fingers with yours.

When you looked down at him he was looking straight ahead, but he squeezed your hand in acknowledgement.

His emotional maturity had you fighting back tears again.

For the next six days, you didn’t leave the house apart from going to your scan.

Even seeing your baby didn’t make you feel better.

You tried to be enthusiastic for Jared’s sake but, for the whole time you watched your unborn child on the little screen, the same thought was going through your head.

As soon as you got back to the Ackles house, you set about putting your plan into action.

You changed the background on all of your devices to pictures from your scan, reminding you of the most important thing in your life every time you used them.

Practically locking yourself in your room, you searched the internet for the perfect home for you and Baby Ditto.

You needed to get a place of your own.

You’d felt it for a while, this had just pushed the issue to the front of your mind.

You could barely face Danneel, the deep purple bruise around her eye reminding you of the poison you were bringing to her family and the danger you were putting them in by staying.

They all avoided you, too, apart from meal times when Jensen sent JJ up with a plate rather than trying to convince you to come down and eat with them.

You’d be doing all of them a favour if you had your own home, so you put all of your minimal energy into finding one.

On Tuesday, almost a week since the incident at the airport, you woke up to a knocking at your bedroom door.

You frowned as you got out of bed, tying your four-day-unwashed hair into a terrible attempt of a bun on the way to the door.

You cracked it open, expecting to see Jensen or Danneel and having to look down to notice JJ grinning up at you.

“Mornin’,” you murmured, opening the door further and walking back over to your bed.

“Uh… Ditto?” she asked, and you sat down, raising an eyebrow at her. “Wha’s wrong?”

You sighed, patting the mattress beside you.

She shut the door behind her before climbing up onto the bed, waiting for you to answer her.

“I’m okay,” you told her. “I’m still… since the airport, I figured it would be best to keep to myself.”

JJ nodded.

“You’re still sad because of the mean lady,” she clarified, and you smiled sadly.

“The mean lady… Tex, that was my mom,” you explained, and she frowned.

“Mama made you cry?” she asked, and you shook your head.

“No, not Momma D,” you assured her. “My birth mom, the one I ran away from. She found me and she punched Momma D, and… I’ve not been dealing with it very well.”

She leant forward and hugged you, and you kissed the top of her head.

“I get why you forgot my birthday,” she murmured, and your eyes widened.

“JJ, I didn’t-” she pulled back, and you sighed, swallowing. “I had something planned, I just…”

Your heart was pounding, hating the fact that you’d allowed your selfish wallowing to let you forget everything you’d planned for your best girl’s fourth birthday.

You’d not even registered what day it was.

“It’s okay,” JJ insisted, and you shook your head. “You were sad.”

“It’s not okay!” you shouted, looking away as your eyes prickled with tears. “It’s not! I should’ve remembered! Justice, you’re so important to me and I’ve been so obsessed with myself that I-”

“Ditto?” JJ interrupted, getting to her feet.

You looked at her to see tears in her own eyes as she took a deep breath.

“Tex, I-” you tried to soothe her, instantly regretful, but she shook her head.

“I don’t like it when you shout,” she told you, calmly.

In that moment, all you could see in her was the strength of Danneel.

She spoke exactly the same as her mom had spoken to the security team at the airport - clearly full of emotion but keeping a professional and calm exterior.

“I’m gonna get pancakes downstairs,” she continued, her lip quivering but trying to keep composed. “I love you but I gotta leave.”

She ran from your room, your heart breaking as she started to cry as soon as she closed the door.

You’d lost your temper in front of the person in the world that you most wanted to protect.

You’d made her cry on her birthday.

Your mom was right.

You were unfit to be a mother.

Five minutes after JJ left your room in tears, you pulled yourself together enough to kick yourself into action.

The minimal things you’d unpacked since getting back from Rome went into your case as you cleared the guest room of all of your belongings.

Once everything was packed away, you went back to your laptop.

The image of Baby Ditto on your screen made you pause for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” you murmured, running a hand over your bump before starting to type.

You’d gotten all the way through to the payment screen when there was a knock on your door.

You wiped your cheeks with the heels of your hands, standing up and folding your arms across your bump.

“Yeah?” you called out, your voice cracking.

The door opened slowly, and you were surprised to see both Jensen and Danneel cautiously make their way in.

Danneel looked around, frowning at the fully packed case and empty shelves.

She’d taken you shopping to get more things to make your room feel like home, but all of it was packed into your holdall.

You swallowed thickly, avoiding her gaze when she looked at you.

She looked up at Jensen, taking his hand and squeezing slightly.

He nodded slowly, squeezing back as he offered you a sad smile.

You shifted on your feet, trying not to show weakness in front of them.

Danneel sighed, letting go of Jensen’s hand and stepping towards you.

You stepped back, looking away again.

You couldn’t bare to see the disappointment in her eyes or the yellowing bruise covering the socket.

“Y/N,” Jensen warned, his tone forcing you to look at him. “We need to talk.”

I’m SORRY (i’m not)

@purgatoan, @thelittleredwhocould, @sammylynne321, @ariannalikescake, @writergirl909, @vinylwinchesters, @thisisthelilith, @tlb-kylie, @allinhishands, @winchester-gospels-67, @supernatural0826, @greek-geek481, @mija-novella, @nerdysandwichqueen, @gemini75eeyore, @imaginespnr5er, @green-love-red-fantasyhearts, @kelsey-spn, @lafayettrash, @emoryhemsworth, @dearnoonethisisurlovesong, @spnolivia, @remybosslika, @ruined-by-destiel, @fernandasvaldi, @kickasscas67, @theplaidshirtmadness, @quilliamfears, @charity-elizabeth, @haleyhay96, @latinenglishfandomblog, @smoothdogsgirl, @chelseypaigeake, @katymacsupernatural, @prideandprejudiceandbrendonurie, @tiffanycaruso, @juliaschminke, @breakthesociety, @jpadjackles, @lakama15, @lookalivewinchester221b, @abbirae99, @hiddenwritingsintheworld, @karrington7, @leyhikawinchester, @youcanhavit, @faegal04, @ellen-reincarnated1967, @avengersgirllorianna, @burgundycastiel, @mint-and-pastel-pink, @feelmyroarrrr, @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid, @obi-wan-my-only-ho, @aprofoundbondwithdean, @clueless-gold, @trashforwinchesters, @raeeismee, @supernaturalsuperfreakfan, @blacktithe7, @sinceriouslyamellpadalecki, @supernaturalstarbug, @pinkbunnies2001, @madelineannmolder, @danijimenezv, @h4izel, @missbabyfae, @bovaria, @impalaimagining, @im-super-potter-locked, @samcentric-fics, @oriona75, @samsexualdeancurious, @butiaintgonnaloveem, @atc74, @too-much-winchester, @aquabrie, @taylorlaurenthomas, @crowleysaveme, @missvengeance93, @flawsweirdo, @a-queen-and-her-throne, @maxwellthemajestickoala, @castielsgrace-idjits, @typicalweirdbookworm, @relationshipyard, @supernaturalismalife, @screechingfangirlnerd, @aeryntheofficial, @letsfrickfrackhemmings, @summerbee53, @cfordwrites, @pinolief2001, @im-beautifully-sewn, @clariedelalune, @xlarryisreallovex, @archer-whovian-violinist, @asgardianvamp21, @shadowpriestess6, @writingbeautifulmen, @l8nitl0vr, @wificrazymisfit, @buckybarnesisalittleshit, @crowleysthornybeauty tags are closed because this took me 20 years

[recentanimenews]

Studying is Serious Business: The Oddball Humor of Golden Boy

  Life is Study.

  The world is one big learning experience, but moments of leisure are precious and it's no fun to learn that a given anime doesn't jive with your tastes after you've already spent dedicated your free time to it. Let “Cruising the Crunchy-Catalog” be your helpful tutor. Each week we provide additional info and cultural context for a series in Crunchyroll's library of titles to help anime fans make informed decisions about which series they'd like to try out and which ones they'd prefer to give a pass.

    What's Golden Boy?

  Golden Boy is a series of six original animation videos published from 1995 – 1996 with direction by Hiroyuki Kitakubo (Blood: The Last Vampire) and animation production by A.P.P.P. (Robot Carnival). The series is based on the manga of the same name by Tatsuya Egawa, which was serialized from 1992 – 1998 in Shueisha's Super Jump seinen manga magazine. Crunchyroll describes the story of Golden Boy as follows:

    Kintaro Oe was at the top of his class at the Tokyo University Law School, one of the most prestigious in the entire world. Mastering the entire curriculum easily, he vanished just before graduation. Now he bikes across Japan on a quest to learn what's most important in life: the lessons that can't be studied in a classroom.

    Described by the narration as “extremely healthy, both in mind and body”, Kintaro Oe is always eager to learn and also looking for love in all the wrong places, a perilous combination that results in some of the most over-the-top physical comedy in the history of Japanese animation. From software companies to animation studios and beyond, Kintaro is looking to try it all.

    The Lecher and the Fool.

  Despite his incredible natural talents and extreme work ethic, Kintaro is his own worst enemy, because every time he sees a beautiful woman, he practically transforms into the wolf from Tex Avery's Red Hot Riding Hood cartoon: a leering, gibbering, over-sexed nerd. As a result, Golden Boy is full of fan service and sexual humor, so this particular anime is definitely “not kid's stuff”, if you'll pardon a reference to an old ADV advertisement.

    Kintaro's rampaging horniness might prove a turn off for some viwers, but it's hard to be offended with a character whose dirtiness of mind is so evenly matched with his purity of heart. There's an essential guilelessness to Kintaro's buffoonery, so that even when he abases himself or starts hugging toilets, the humor in Golden Boy never truly comes across as mean-spirited or creepy.

    The Influence of Tora-san and the Showa Sensibility.

  With its shiftless but secretly brilliant protagonist, Golden Boy is reminiscent of Tora-san (known in Japan as Otoko wa Tsurai yo, or “It's tough to be a man”), a long-running series of films that spans 48 movies from 1969 - 1995 and that stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Tora-san, the titular wandering meddler with a heart of gold.

    Like the Tora-san films, each episode of Golden Boy has a “madonna” – a beautiful lady whom the hero wants to romance but who is somehow unattainable – and each episode concludes with Kintaro solving the madonna's problems but curtailing his own romantic efforts in the process. Just like the lead character in Tora-san, in Golden Boy Kintaro is invariably off on his next adventure before anyone can properly thank him.

    As a result, even though the series is ostensibly set in the early Nineties, the mood and atmosphere that it evokes is more of a throw-back to the golden years of the Showa Era. During his travels, Kintaro tries his hand at several old-fashioned occupations, such as creating handmade udon noodles or doing menial labor at a temple.

    Even the conflicts of each Golden Boy episode (run-ins with the Yakuza, butting heads with corrupt and powerful politicians, racing through a mountain pass to prove who is the fastest, etc.) are evocative of a simpler time, one that isn't dominated by the rapid information exchange brought about by the rise of smart phones and the Internet.

    Stay Golden, (Pony) Boy.

  Crunchyroll currently streams Golden Boy in the United States and Canada. The series is available in the original Japanese language with English subtitles and also dubbed in English. Golden Boy is currently released on DVD in North America by Discotek Media. It was previously licensed by ADV Films and Media Blasters.

    An exaggerated, over-the-top comedy with a very warm-hearted philosophy at its core, Golden Boy is a throwback to an earlier era of seinen anime. If you're in the mood for some sexy shenanigans, some crude jokes, and some riotous action sequences, and if the series is available in your area, please consider giving Golden Boy a try.

    Special thanks go out to everyone who voted in the Twitter poll choosing Golden Boy as this week's entry for "Cruising the Crunchy-Catalog". Is there a series in Crunchyroll's catalog that you think needs some more love and attention? Please send in your suggestions via e-mail to cruisingcrunchy@gmail.com or post a Tweet to @gooberzilla. Your pick could inspire the next installment of “Cruising the Crunchy-Catalog”!

---

Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[akingsfool]

A Saturday Gathering

warnings: language maybe?

pairings: take it however you want, nothing is stated (im pretty sure)

.

“Don't you have to be annoying somewhere else?” the third oldest of Elmer’s siblings, Elizibeth, scowled. She and her friend were watching a movie in her room peacefully until Sam came in. He was bored. Elmer was taking him to hangout with his friends later, but that was taking forever.

“Not until four,” Sam shrugged. His sister rolled her eyes. Sam huffed and stood up from the chair she had in the corner of her room. His socks rubbed against the rug as he walked out, making his shock the door handle.

“Sam, ready to go!” his older brother shouted from the kitchen. Sam grinned and ran to put on his shoes. If he had to wait any longer he just might have exploded from excitement.

“Romeo! Can you come here please?” Romeo’s mom called from the kitchen. He didn’t even know why she was in the kitchen, she wasn’t cooking anything. Romeo always cooked, so she obviously wasn't cooking.

“Yeah, what's up?” Romeo put down his jacket and turned the corner to the kitchen. His mom was wearing a nice white blouse and a new pair of jeans. He sighed. She didn’t even have to tell him where she was going because he already knew. “Date tonight?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she smiled. He gave her a fake smile. It wasn't that he didn’t want her going out, he was fine with that. But every time she did he was stuck with Juliet. “Hang out with Juliet tonight ok? I know she’s older than you, but it’s not fair to leave her by herself.”

“Yeah mom, I will,” Romeo smiled. His mom smiled and grabbed her keys, opening the door. “Hey, have-” he was cut of by the door closing, “fun. Have fun.” He stood there for a moment, staring at the wall.

“Mom! Have you seen my- oh,” Juliet rounded the corner to the kitchen. “Is mom on a date again?” she asked. Romeo nodded and grabbed his jacket. “Welp, looks like you’re stuck with me. And, it looks like you already have plans. Where are we going?” Romeo rolled his eyes and began to explain.

“See ya, Miss Medda!” Jack called as he opened the door. The woman in question fabulously walked into the room. She looked at the five of her children. No, wait. There was six. Smalls, Spot, Tex, Crutchie, Roger, and Jack. And a dog. She kept forgetting about Roger. And the dog, Roger. Roger just kept to himself. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was always with the dog, she probably would have forgotten he lived with her by now.

“You kids have fun,” she smiled at the six. “And keep an eye on that dog. I know he’s trained, but people would take that dog given the chance.”

“You got it,” Spot handed the leash to Roger. “Let’s go!” The six of them, and the dog, squeezed out of the door and ran to the car. Roger held dog Roger’s leash, letting him get into the car before he did. The dog was laying in Smalls’ lap as if he wasn’t half of Roger’s size. Roger stayed out of the conversation going on in the car. It just didn’t interest him. Maybe if he felt like it he would join in. it might scare Spot though. Last time he scared Spot he accidentally punched him. He was content to stare out of the window, it was fine with him.

“Hiya, Sam!” Les shouted, waving to the older boy as he walked with his brother to the shade tree they were gathered under.

“Hi, Les,” Sam grinned, waving back. Everyone was spread out in the shade, laying or sitting on the ground. Finch and Buttons, though, were sitting on the tree branch just above where Race was laying. If that branch snapped race was screwed.

“Who’re you?” Les asked, looking at something behind Sam. Sam turned around to see Romeo and...some girl? She was the same height as Romeo, and kinda looked like him too. She had long hair that was braided, though. That was pretty much the only difference. Well, that and the fact that she was a girl.

“I’m Juliet. Romeo’s twin sister,” she said, seeming to take pride in the fact that she had a twin. Sam hadn’t been hanging out with Elmer’s friends long, but he knew that Romeo had never mentioned a sister. Must be a twin thing, he decided. Or, maybe it was just never brought up.

“You didn’t tell us you had a sister,” Tommy Boy said, sitting up on the green grass. Romeo just shrugged.

“You never asked,” he said, sitting down next to Specs and Henry. “Where’s Jack?” Romeo asked. “Better yet, where's Kathrine and Sarah?” He was getting hungry and usually Kathrine and Sarah brought the food. And they weren’t here! What was up with that?

“I don’t know about Kath and Sarah,” Buttons said, looking past Sam and Elmer. “But I found jack and the guys...and Tex and Smalls.” Sam and Juliet turned to see six people and a dog walking towards them with smiles on their faces. Sam waved to the six. Juliet just smiled.

“Who’s that?” Tex asked, pointing at Juliet.

“I’m Romeo’s twin sister, Juliet,” the girl grinned. Tex nodded. Jack and Crutchie went off to Davey, Spot went to talk to Race and Albert, and Roger and Roger went and sat in the grass.  

“Who’s older?” Les asked. Juliet looked at her brother and grinned. Sam and Les knew that grin. Their siblings were twins, they knew how it worked.

“It doesn’t matter who’s older, we share the same birthday,” Romeo sighed, shaking his head.

“So, you’re the younger twin,” Sam said, nodding his head and sitting down next to Les. Romeo huffed. “My younger siblings are twins. I know how that works. The older one takes pride in it, the younger one hates it.”

“That’s actually the most i’ve ever heard him say,” Race said. Sam shrugged. He didn’t need to say much. If he couldn’t get his point across in a sentence or two, he didn’t need to say anything. Unless it was his friend or really important. “Why don’t you talk more?” Race asked.

“Because,” Sam shrugged. “I don't like you.” That’s a lie. He liked them just fine. Everyone burst out laughing. Albert punched Race’s arm and Spot just laughed at him.

“Where’s Kathrine and Sarah?” Jack asked when the laughing had calmed down. Davey shrugged.

“We’re here!” Kathrine called, scaring JoJo and Roger. “Sorry, Roger.” The dog licked her hand and Roger just smiled and shook his head. Sarah looked at juliet. She opened her mouth to say something but Juliet cut her off.

“I’m Juliet, Romeo’s twin and the older one,” Juliet huffed a laugh, sitting next to the dog and Roger. Sarah and Kathrine nodded and handed the food to Jack. Everyone passed the food around and took what was theirs. Or what they claimed. Sam and Les sat and watched some of the older kids play a game after they were done eating. It was something weird. It probably wasn’t a game at all. Everyone was just running around tackling each other to the ground and tickling them. A tickle fight. Elmer seemed to be a popular target. It made sense, he was super ticklish. Sam wasn’t even sure how the game started. It probably started because Albert took Race’s cherry sucker. Race tried to get it back but he gave it to Elmer. Sam was pretty sure that Elmer dropped the sucker in the grass.

A few minutes into the tickle fight and everything turned to chaos. JoJo bet that he could climb higher than Specs, and Specs took that as a challenge. He won, but now he was just sitting on the branch and refused to come down. Roger and Roger were running up and down the hill and screaming. Spot and Smalls were chasing the ducks or geese or whatever. Elmer and Race had calmed the tickle fight down and were now watching the chaos unfold. Finch and Buttons were shooting their friends with the buttons that Buttons kept in his pocket. Crutchie and Jack were throwing rocks at swans while Davey was telling them not to. The only ones who weren’t doing something stupid were Sam and Les. And Kathrine, Sarah, and Juliet, who were just talking about random stuff and sitting on the grass.

Sam and Les looked up at Specs. The boy in the tree whipped his head around to look at JoJo. But when he did, his glasses fell. Sam got a little worried when Specs tried to climb down to get them. His foot slipped and he just...fell out of the tree. He hit the ground with a thud. The boy whined and everyone stopped to look at him. Race covered his mouth with his hand when he accidently snorted. Romeo glares at Race as he helps Specs up.

“Dude, shut up,” Elmer nudged Race in the side, trying to stop the the taller boy’s giggles. It didn’t work. “Race, stop.” Race tried to say something but just ended up wheezing.

“I can’t-” Race was cut off by his own laughing. There were tears in the taller boys eyes. Sam bit his lip, trying not to smile. It was a little bit funny. Specs didn’t go up high enough to break anything, just a few cuts and bruises. It was a little funny.

Elmer looked over at Specs and snorted. There were leaves all over him and a bit of dirt too. “Shit,” Elmer laughed, trying to stop himself.

“You guys are jerks,” Specs laughed. Elmer and Race broke down laughing, tears streaming down their faces and they could hardly breath. Specs joined in, laughing at himself. Sam and Les laughed a bit, but not as much as Elmer and Race.

“What if he got hurt?” Spot asked, giving Race a serious look. Race tried to stop laughing to say something.

“Sorry, I-I can’t-” Race laughed and couldn’t finish his sentence. Spot sighed and looked at Albert.

“It’s a very bad reason to laugh this much,” Albert sighed. The redhead smiled and looked at Spot. “There is a better reason to laugh this much, though.” Sam frowned. The red head knelt down next to Elmer.

“Al, no!” Elmer laughed. He tried to get away, but he couldn’t. He was laughing to much. The redhead attacked Elmer’s sides, making Elmer squeal and attempt to kick at Albert. When that didn’t work, Elmer tried to curl up in a ball to protect himself. Spot sat down near Race. Race had stopped laughing as much. He looked at Spot. Spot made no move to attack him. The taller boy looked over at Elmer for one second and Spot attacked his stomach. Race laughed and tried to push Spot away.

Sam and Les just watched this happen. “Does this happen all the time?” Sam asked the younger boy sitting next to him. Les shrugged.

“Pretty much,” Les said.

“Hm, interesting,” Sam said, more to himself than to Les. But Les heard anyway. It was very interesting indeed.