#heres the airplane baby horror!!! eat up!!!

[blizzardrush]

Down Time

                                Dragunov Week Day 2: Hobbies

No content warnings for this one, but there is some (emotional) hurt/comfort involved.

Read here or on AO3.

Thank you, and enjoy! @dragunovweek1

                                        1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7

                                                      -  -  -

    Dragunov isn't sure how the report meandered onto his desk. Someone else should have handled it. What it describes is so easy to deal with, janitorial staff could do it. But no. Since the problem is on base, there is a chance, albeit a small one, that the matter in question could be anomalous in nature. If so, it does require attention from someone better experienced.

    Still looks just like a baby owl to him.

    A dead tree on grounds gave up more than the ghost when it finally toppled over in the night. The owlet comes up to Dragunov's ankle from its sad place on the permafrost. It doesn't seem to have proper feathers, covered instead in vaguely fungoid down. It peers up at Sergei with inky eyes, bobs its head, and clicks its beak once.

    Yeah, this is just a baby owl.

    Dragunov tucks his hands into the pockets of his coat. This does not concern him or the base in the slightest. He turns to walk back to his heated office. Siberian weather can determine the owlet's fate. Already the wind is picking up in preparation for a snowstorm. It nips his face and lifts his hair.

    And with it comes a memory.

    The house in the countryside. Mother and Father would rent it every few years in the summer when savings were plentiful. It's a nice enough house, and Sergei would trade his single bedroom apartment for it any day, but as a child he would spend most of his time there in the neighboring woods.

    He'd been young. Three, perhaps, maybe four. He'd idolized his sister at that age, followed her every step like a shadow. She was his greatest source of inspiration and entertainment. She could do no wrong.

    It was during one summer trip she'd found the dead woodpecker.

    Neither she or Sergei had enough understanding of death to grasp why the woodpecker wasn't clambering up trees and banging its beak into the bark like so many of the others that called the forest home. The difference was obvious, though, and that made it intriguing. Now was their chance to take a close look at a creature that was normally as elusive, quick, and mysterious as a fairy.

    She'd picked it up, turned it over. Dragunov doesn't remember any horror or disgust. It must've been recently deceased. She'd spread its limp wings, jiggled its stick legs. He had watched with youthful awareness that observation was of the utmost importance.

    Satisfied, or maybe bored, his sister threw the woodpecker into the air. It dropped back to earth like a stone.

    And that violation of the paradigm that flying things fly was the funniest sight of Dragunov's short life. He remembered howling with laughter as his sister did it again and again, supplying sound effects of a crashing airplane, until he nearly wet his pants, tears pouring down his cheeks.

    Their oblivious cheer reached back to the house. Mother came out to investigate. Less than pleased, she hauled them both into the kitchen to scrub their hands raw.

    A frigid gust brings Dragunov back to the present. Looking down, the owlet is still there.

    The woodpecker's death had been a source of amusement, macabre as it was. If the owlet dies, nothing comes of it. Best case scenario, some scavenger eats the corpse. Worst case, janitors do deal with it and throw it in the trash. The idea suddenly makes Sergei's stomach churn.

    That settles it. It isn't often he gets to save lives.

    Picking the owlet up is easier than expected. Dragunov shields its head from the wind as he walks toward shelter.

-  -  -

    The owlet survives. The owlet thrives.

    She grows on a diet of captured rats. The larder is always full once (at Dragunov's command) the traps are switched from glue to spine-snappers.

    She is formally inducted as the first nonhuman among the ranks and given the title of Pest Abatement Specialist. Her routine patrols reduce bird strike incidents to zero.

    She is named Olga, after the saint who tied burning sulfur to sparrows' feet and rent divine fire to the homes of her enemies.

    She roosts in Dragunov's office, his apartment, and his heart.

-  -  -

    Yakushima was a complete disaster.

    Broken with jet lag, the ominous encrypted message from his boss fresh in his mind -- we will discuss your performance later -- Sergei barely recognizes unlocking the door and letting himself in. Home may as well be the surface of the moon. Charted, but devoid of air and warmth. His head is on the chopping block, waiting for the blade to fall.

    Then as he enters the kitchen: woo, woo-woo, hwoo-oo-oooo. An ocarina tremolo. Olga.

    Shit. The last few days had been such concentrated hell that he'd forgotten she was here. She must be hungry. He crosses the kitchen, opens the door to her parrot cage, and offers her his arm for perching. It won't be the first time she's clawed him as he trial-and-errored his way through animal husbandry.

    Yet she doesn't. She steps onto him, and yes, her talons pinch even through his sleeve, but her grip is merely for balance. She nips at the fur of his coat. Preening it.

    And Dragunov finds himself on the brink of tears.

    He bites his lip hard, squeezes burning eyes shut, wills the pain to replace -- what? Not sorrow. Not exhaustion.

    Gratitude.

    Olga loves him. Has loved him for years, and for more to come. He could fail every mission, become the laughing stock of his unit, and lose his job entirely. She loves him. Nothing on earth could change that.

    Sergei strokes her back, presses his lips against the crown of her head. Her feathers soak the words that fall.

    Thank you. Thank you.

[cartoonfanaticmonsterrobotalien]

Solar Opposites: The Misadventures of The Solars Episode #11: Terry Loses it Again!

The episode starts with Terry looking at Jesse’s old teddy bear back at Shlorp as he squeaks it.

Terry: *chuckles* She used to love playing with this.

Terry then sighs as he looks at the town and then puts his hoodie so he can go grocery shopping/

Terry: Later, babe. *kisses Korvo on the cheek*

Korvo: Later Terry-bear. *blows Terry a kiss*

Terry laughs. Terry heads out the door and turns into his human form. Later, at Earth-4 Mart, Human Terry was about waiting in the line after groceries until a mean costumer came by.

Customer: Hey, freak. Get lost.

Human Terry: Huh?

Customer: Oh. Well well well. If it isn’t the human who lives with those loser Shlorpians?

Human Terry groans

Human Terry: Hey. Those are my friends. What is your fucked up dealio here?!

The customer grabs Terry by the hoodie

Customer: Get this straight. You and your friends don't belong here.

Human Terry: Yes. We do. Now back up bub!

Customer punches Human Terry in the face causing Terry to fall to the ground. Human Terry gasp as the flashbacks of the Shlorpians taunting him and saying an insult about baby Jesse that made her starts crying causes Human Terry to snap.

Human Terry: You...you...

Customer: What?!

Human Terry: YOU FUCKING BASTARD!

The other customers look at Human Terry in shock. Human Terry finally snaps and attacks the customer as the customer screams in horror.

Clerk: SECURITY!

Security grabs Human Terry and pulls him away from the customer, who starts crying.

Customer: WHAT ARE YOU?! FUCKING CRAZY?!

The customer continues crazy as the paramedics came and take him away.

At the Solars' house, Korvo is making food for Lili

Lili: *clapping because she loves the food Korvo makes for her*

Korvo: *chuckles* You hungry, Lili?

Lili: *babbling because she saw what Korvo is making and loves it*

Korvo: I'll take that as a yes.

Korvo puts the baby food in the bowl as Lili claps in joy and Korvo prepares to feed her.

Korvo: Okay Lili. Here comes the airplane. *makes playful airplane noises*

Lili giggles and eats the food

Korvo: That a good girl.

Terry is then heard screaming in rage offscreen

Korvo: Huh? What the?!

Terry is then seen slamming the front door.

Korvo: Terry? What's-

Terry: DON’T TALK TO ME! *Korvo yelps and backs away to give his husband some space*

Shlorpian Cooke: *coming in with the others* Uh, I think Terry has lost his shit again.

Korvo sighs

Korvo: Don’t worry. I’ll go talk to him. *heads upstairs*

Later, in Korvo and Terry’s bedroom, Terry starts throwing stuff in anger as he smashes a mirror and looks at his reflection.

Terry: Why?! Why does it have to be like this?!

Terry growls while pacing back n forth as he deals with his human friends becoming Shlorpians.

Terry: How did I not know this would happen?! Why didn’t I listen to Korvo?!

Terry growls as he sits down on his band and looks at his family photo. Terry touches the family photo as a tear runs down his eye Then, he screams in fury and throws it to the ground. Korvo comes in while holding Lili and gasps.

Korvo: T-Terry?

Terry: GO AWAY!

Korvo screams as he backs away a bit while Lili whimpers.

Korvo: Darling, what has gotten into you?

Terry: Everything! Everything that has happened for the past week! Why won’t anyone just leave me alone?!

Terry suddenly starts getting a headache.

Korvo: Terry, why are you acting like this?

Terry: Maybe it’s because our friends are Shlorpians! DID YOU FORGET THAT?!

Korvo: What? No of course not! I-

Terry suddenly screams in pain

Korvo: gasp Terry?!

Terry kneels down in pain as his skin turns black.

Terry: GET AWAY FROM ME!

Korvo gasps as Terry starts to grow bigger. Then, Terry becomes muscular as his clothes rip apart into pieces. Terry suddenly starts moaning in pleasure.

Terry: OOOOH, YESSSS! THIS! FEELS! GOOOOOOOD!

Korvo: screams in horror Terry! What is happening to you?!

Terry gets monstrous fangs and his eyes turn orange as he roars.

Korvo: Terry? Are you okay?

Lili: *whimpering in fear*

Mundane Terry roars as he punches a wall and made a hole as the replicants scream.

Mundane Terry: Oh, I’m better than okay! I feel powerful, horny even!

Korvo yelps as he backs away while holding Lili close. He then realizes Terry is not here right now.

Korvo: What happened to you?

Mundane Terry chuckles seductively.

Shlorpian Sonya: to Mundane Terry D-daddy?

Jesse: Oh no! Not again!

Yumyulack: Oh fuck! Here we go again!

Mundane Terry: What’s the matter, Korv? You jealous?

Pupa: to Mundane Terry Papa?

Lili: *wailing*

Korvo: What?! No! No! This isn’t you Terry! I know you’re in there! Snap out of it!

Mundane Terry laughs.

Mundane Terry: Oh yes this is! This is who I am now! Jesse gasp as she breaks down crying And this pathetic lazy piece of shit of a weakling I once was is gone.

Jesse: sobbing I want my daddy back!

Mundane Terry: Now if you guys will excuse me, I have a few things to take care of.

The Shlorpian gang came and gasp. Mundane Terry jumps through the ceiling.

Lili: *crying*

Shlorpian Randall: Oh fuck! Not again!

Shlorpian Nova: Terry! No!

Shlorpian Cheery: Oh God! Not again!

Janiz: We gotta stop him before he hurts himself!

Korvo then gasped and sees Jesse crying because she wants her daddy back as he runs up and comforts Jesse.

Jesse: crying hysterically Daddy…. No….

Lili: *whimpers*

Korvo: Jesse, I am so sorry.

Jesse: crying I want my daddy back…. cries into Korvo’s chest as he soothes her

Korvo: It’s okay. We’ll get your father back. eyes glow aquamarine I promise.

The scene then cuts to Mundane Terry landing on the city as he laughs

Mundane Terry: Whoo-hoo!

Mundane Terry flexes his arms as he grins savagely and then looks at the town.

Mundane Terry: Time for them all to pay.

Mundane Terry stretches his back and heads to town. He leaps onto a building and grins savagely.

Mundane Terry: Oh Earth-4… GET A LOAD OF THIS!

Mundane Terry uses his lava powers on the building which causes a devastating explosion that has everyone running for their lives. Mundane Terry then uses his strength to destroy a car.

Mundane Terry chuckles seductively

Mundane Terry: Oh yes! That’s much better!

Mundane Terry roars and laughs savagely. Later, the gang looks down the disaster as they gasp. Super Shlorpian Korvo comes up to them in courage.

Human Jesse: Uh, what's the plan here?

Super Shlorpian Korvo: Save Terry by reminding him he is loved. Come on guys! Let’s do this!

All: RIGHT!

Super Shlorpian Korvo flies while carrying Human Jesse. Then, the gang sees Mundane Terry wrecking havoc.

Human Yumyulack: *carrying Human Lili* Oh, that’s not good.

Shlorpian Cooke: Terry!

Shlorpian Frankie: Stop it Terry!

Shlorpian Sherbet: This isn’t you!

Mundane Terry: YES! IT! IS!

Mundane Terry uses his lava powers to destroy a building.

Human Pupa: Terry! No!

Human Jesse starts crying.

Human Jesse: Daddy! Stop! Please!

Mundane Terry: Daddy’s not home right now, you pink loving bitch!

Super Shlorpian Korvo places Human Jesse down and flies up to Mundane Terry.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: Terry! Stop!

Mundane Terry: Why would I wanna do that?! I’m done being told what to do by some dumb blue Shlorpian who can transform into a monster!

Super Shlorpian Korvo: Please! Snap out of it! What happened to the husband I know and love?!

Mundane Terry: He was a weakling. Someone who was scared to unleash his anger. I’m over the old me and I’m over you!

Super Shlorpian Korvo gasp as tears appears in his eyes. He then realize it wasn’t Terry talking, but a huge monster talking to him.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: You’re a monster!

Mundane Terry: laughs Try looking in a mirror!

Super Shlorpian Korvo: No! The reason why I am saying this because this isn’t my Terry, but a monster who is turning him into something he is not!

Mundane Terry growls and pummels Super Shlorpian Korvo.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: Terry! Terry stop!

Mundane Terry growls.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: STOP THIS PLEASE! I’M SCARED!

Mundane Terry gasps when he hears Super Shlorpian Korvo say he’s scared.

Mundane Terry: Wh-what?

Super Shlorpian Korvo: I want to live. Please Terry…

Super Shlorpian Korvo starts crying as Mundane Terry releases his hold to look at his hands.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: Please Terry! Come back to me! cries I want my husband back…

Mundane Terry snaps out of it, his old personality restored. Mundane Terry holds his husband close and comforts him

Mundane Terry: Oh Korvy… shh… it’s okay… I’m here…

Super Shlorpian Korvo gasps.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: T-Terry!

Super Shlorpian Korvo hugs Mundane Terry as Mundane Terry laughs. But then Mundane Terry gasp as looks around at the destruction.

Mundane Terry: Oh dear God! What have I done?!

Mundane Terry then looks at his hands and starts weeping as the gang comes up to him.

Shlorpian Randall: It’s okay, Terry.

Shlorpian Sonya: Oh Terry…

Mundane Terry breaks down in tears.

Mundane Terry: I…I didn’t…mean to! I…I’m so sorry…

Mundane Terry continues crying as he kneels to the ground. Then, Super Shlorpian Korvo gives his husband a cool down hug as he soothes and consoles him.

Mundane Terry: K-Korvy…I am so-

Super Shlorpian Korvo: Shh… it’s okay Terry-bear… it’s okay… you’re safe… shh… I’m here my love…

Mundane Terry then notices how wider Korvo’s hips are in his Super Shlorpian form.

Mundane Terry: sniffles Wow… your hips are much wider Korvy…

Super Shlorpian Korvo blushes and giggles.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: Thanks honey… but why didn’t you tell me you were a Mundane? Were you scared of losing us?

Mundane Terry: Yes. I didn’t want to think I was a…monster…

The gang gasp as Mundane Terry weeps softly.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: You’re not a monster.

Mundane Terry: Then what am I?

Super Shlorpian Korvo smiles and put his left hand on Mundane Terry’s left cheek.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: You are a husband, a father, a good friend and an amazing Pupa specialist. Despite this other side of you, you’re still the Terry we know and love on the inside.

Mundane Terry: Oh Korvy…

The two monster alien husbands then kiss while moaning as tears appears through their eyes.

Mundane Terry: Wow…

Super Shlorpian Korvo: smiling through tears Yes wow…

Shlorpian Randal starts crying hysterically.

Shlorpian Frankie: laughs Randall, get it together.

Shlorpian Randall: I can’t help it! It’s too beautiful

Then, Super Shlorpian Korvo and Mundane Terry touch as each other’s foreheads lovingly as they turn back into their normal Shlorpian selves, but they’re still naked.

Terry: That’s better…

Korvo: gasping in tears of joy as he touches Terry’s face Terry! It’s you! cries in joy

Terry: laughs I know. I’m so happy.

The husbands embrace as the kids gasp in joy.

Human Yumyulack, Human Jesse, Shlorpian Sonya and Human Pupa: Terry!

Human Lili: *babbles in joy*

The kids dogpile on Terry and Korvo.

Terry: laughs with Korvo Hey kids! Did you miss me?!

Human Jesse: Yes! I missed you so much, dad!

Terry gasp on what Human Jesse just said.

Terry: Did you just call me dad?

Human Jesse: giggles Of course I did.

Terry cries in tears of joy as he hugs Human Jesse.

Terry: Oh Jesse-Bear!

Human Jesse smiles as he hugs her dad. Then, Human Yumyulack, Shlorpian Sonya and Human Pupa joins in on hugging their dads. Human Lili babbles as she reaches out to Terry.

Human Lili: *babbles as she teaches Terry’s face*

Terry: Aw I miss you too Lili.

Korvo: I’m so happy you’re okay, Terry.

Terry: Me too. I’m sorry I turned myself into a fucking jerkass monster.

Korvo: It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re back.

Shlorpian Kevin: Us too man.

Shlorpian Cheery: Welcome back Terry.

Shlorpian Mia: We love you Terry.

Shlorpian Cherie: We still do. No matter what. Just don’t hide yourself like that again. Okay?

Terry: Okay.

The family then gets in a group hug as Terry tearfully smiles.

Korvo: Come on Terry… let’s go home.

Terry: *sniffles* Okay.

Later, Korvo and Terry are outside stargazing

Korvo: Terry?

Terry: *sniffles* Yes Korv?

Korvo: *takes Terry's hand as his eyes glow aquamarine* Fly with me, my love...

Terry: Wh-what?

Korvo: It's okay...I'm here. You can transform knowing you're safe with me.

Terry: *looks down at his hands* But what if I lose myself again?

Korvo: You won't. Please dear.

Terry takes a deep breath as his eyes glow orange.

Terry: Okay. Let’s do this.

The two husbands growl as their skin turns black, they grow bigger and muscular as they stretch their clothes and shoes apart into pieces, Korvo gains horns and wings, their voices deepens and then after finishing transforming, the two monster alien husbands roar.

Mundane Terry: S-so… how do I look Korvy?

Super Shlorpian Korvo: You never looked more sexy.

Mundane Terry smiles tearfully. Super Shlorpian Korvo holds Mundane Terry close and starts flying. Mundane Terry tearfully smiles as the two husbands embrace in a kiss as they moan lovingly. Mundane Terry looks at the view as he grows amazed.

Mundane Terry: The view is...so...beautiful.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: Of course it is. Shall we land?

Mundane Terry: Okay...

Mundane Terry smiles as he and Super Shlorpian Korvo landed on top of a building where Mundane Terry smiles and looks at the stars.

Mundane Terry: The stars sure are beautiful tonight.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: I know.

Mundane Terry: *takes a deep breath* Y’know… maybe this new life is half bad. I’m sure whatever holds, we got this. Together.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: I know.

Mundane Terry: You know...you're right.

Super Shlorpian Korvo: I was?

Mundane Terry nods tearfully

Mundane Terry: *takes a deep breath* Y’know… maybe this new life is half bad. I’m sure whatever holds, we got this. Together.

Super Shlorpian Korvo smiles as tackles Mundane Terry with a kiss. The two monster alien husbands moan lovingly as they sink into the kiss. Then, Super Shlorpian Korvo picks up Mundane Terry as they fly home. The next morning, Korvo and Terry, who are back to normal are in bed naked. Terry smiles as he kisses Korvo on the lips.

Terry: Hey, baby.

Korvo: Hey Terry. *picks up Lili as she bubbles* Ready to start the day?

Terry: Hell yeah.

Jesse comes in singing like Donkey does in Shrek the Third

Jesse: Good morning! Good morning! The sun is bright and shining! Good morning! Good morning! *to Korvo* To you! *to Terry* and you! *to her siblings* And you!

Terry laughs

Terry: They grow up so fast…

AISHA: Not fast enough.

Korvo and Terry laugh as they head downstairs with the children.

THE END

[kuroos-moon]

S/o with an injured arm

Pairing: Kuroo x reader, Oikawa x reader, Sakusa x reader 

Warning/s: none, just don’t break your arm because they’re not actually here for us lmao 🤧

Genre: fluff 

Kuroo Tetsuro

the BIGGEST tease. NO. It won’t ever change even if you’re injured

“need my help carrying that?” he’d grin before he snatches your books away from you 

“if only you could manage to walk at least five steps without tripping on your own two feet huh?” he’ll add with a smirk when you give him a scowl

he’s just really happy that he has the opportunity to baby you at every second because you don’t give him the chance to in different circumstances

carries everything for you and you have to remind him that you have two arms 

“Your other hand’s for holding mine kitten,” he’ll so casually say before slipping his hand onto yours

yes he knows that he made you blush 

he doesn’t say anything out loud but you know how subtle he is when caring for you 

like the way he walks behind you in the crowded halls, his arms protectively going up your sides every once in a while when someone’s about to bump into you

or how he secretly does all your classroom duties because he doesn’t want you to be tired 

you were beside each other on your desks and while listening to you talk, he was playing with your exposed fingers untouched by your cast 

“Tetsu stop it, it’s weird.” “but your fingers are really so cute and tiny y/n,” he’ll say with a pout  

Oikawa Tooru

if you think he does a lot of snaking an arm around your waist before,

then there’s so much more of that now 

he just really wants you close y’know? how could his dumb princess injure herself like that 

babies you so much more than he already does, “y/n-chan here comes the airplane,” cue a spoon to your mouth

“Toru I’m not a child,” you’ll grimace. “Well you should’ve been capable enough to not fall down the stairs then y/n-chan.” 

he thinks you’re helpless without him and rushes off to your class after his because he doesn’t want you lifting so much as a finger

is very attentive; a stray lock of hair falls on your face and a second later he has already tucked it behind your ear

you won’t even notice until you feel the feather-like touch of his fingers slightly graze the side of your face in the process 

it happens a lot and now he’s worried about when you’re in class 

so he bought you a clip, a clip he himself placed on you in the early minutes of the morning

“but I don’t look good with a clip,” you protest “y/n-chan do this for me okay? and don’t be silly, you’re breathtaking.” 

wearing a clip wasn’t really your usual hairstyle and he never fails to notice anything about you so he knows you felt somewhat conscious

 to make you feel good about it, now he’s wearing a clip too, one that matches yours 

“see? aren’t we cute?” 

definitely posts a selfie of the both of you with clips on 

Sakusa Kiyoomi

no need to spell it out, he was visibly worried when he heard about you 

what a surprise it was for the others to see the horror in his expression as the usually laid-back germaphobe sprinted to where you were

but after that he actually got mad at your clumsiness 

yup, Oomi’s mad at you for not taking care of yourself 

“it’s not like I wanted to fall,” you huff, “then you shouldn’t have,” he bites back, eyes glaring at you 

despite constantly scolding you for it, he’s actually still very sweet

asks you what you want to eat beforehand so that once you’re in the cafeteria, your food tray’s already on the table for you 

of course he ignores your thanks because no you can’t see him blush 

does this very cute thing wherein he takes your small hand in both of his as he thoroughly sanitizes them for you 

you swear you just melt because he puts on your mask for you 

the butterflies fade when he flicks your forehead after that though 

“baka,” he says, still holding a grudge against you for getting hurt 

gently tugs you back from the back of your collar when he sees someone running down the busy halls 

he’ll dismiss it when you point out he was looking out for you though 

he’s not so physical and touchy, no need to explain, so your hugs are basically you hugging him and him just allowing you to

but now it’s just a one-armed hug and he’s unsatisfied because it’s not tight enough  

lmao the surprise you felt when he actually leans himself into you, his arms wrapping around your waist 

he sighs, “now I have to do this because you can’t hug me properly.” 

[platypanthewriter]

Guess Again

Day Four of Harringrove AUgust, Profession AU!  Steve runs into a hot guy named Billy on his plane flight back to Indianapolis, and Billy lies about what he does for a living, then, laughing, admits he lied.  The prize for this guessing game: an exchange of phone numbers.

Steve found his seat, in coach, because that was the only seat available on the overbooked flight into Indianapolis a week before Thanksgiving.  He shoved his carry-on under the seat, and wedged himself in the limited leg room, opening his laptop to answer the emails that had been pinging his phone before the plane was ready to take off, and he—blessedly—had to go into airplane mode.  

He barely even noticed the guy wedging himself in to sit by the window, and trying to get the damn table to stay up.  Steve typed away as the busted table mechanism flapped onto the guy’s lap over and over.  Finally, Steve grimaced, glancing over.  “You can use my table,” he offered, registering only that the guy was tattooed, and kinda...hot.  “I’ll put this away as soon as we taxi to the runway.”

“It’s fine,” the dude said, smacking the floppy table with a sigh.  “Not like there’s a meal on this flight.”

“You can lean in and share my pretzels,” Steve told him, grinning over, and was met with big, long-lashed blue eyes, an annoying mustache, and curls that curved around an attractively firm jaw.  

The guy nodded, and put the broken table away.  “...kind of a workaholic?” he asked, probably because it was nearly ten o’clock at night, and Steve was glaring at his screen and typing emails like his survival depended on a high word count.  

He snorted a laugh.  “I left them all until now,” he said, grimacing.  “They really don’t need my input, but if I replied earlier, they’d just ask me something else.  Something they could google.”  He narrowed his eyes at an email from a coworker who’d actually emailed to ask for exact details of what was allowed under the sexual harassment policy.  Talk to HR, he sent back.  Creep, he thought.  He finished the last of the replies, hoping he wasn’t sending anything too weird in his distraction, and closed his laptop.  “Um.  Sorry.  What do you do?”

“I sell life insurance,” the guy said immediately, with a toothy grin.  “I’ll sell you so much insurance on this flight.”

“Uh,” Steve said, blinking at him.  “Umm...oh.”

“That’s a lie,” was the dude’s followup, and Steve stared at him, starting to regret his offer to share a table, or catch the flight at all.  “I don’t sell life insurance, I swear.  I promise,” the guy said, laughing.  “God, your face.  I just...my job is...I started telling people I sell life insurance, so they wouldn’t talk to me.”

“I can just sit over here,” Steve offered, pretending to zip his lips.

“No, no, it’s, uh.  Sorry I lied.  Talk to me, it’s a long flight.”

“Why do you have to lie?” Steve had to ask, and the guy grimaced.  

“My job’s kinda awkward,” he said, laughing.

“Are you a...porn star?” Steve asked, trying to figure out what kind of job would get the worst people to talk to you, and the dude cracked up.  

“Jesus, no, but thanks for the ego boost,” he said, and Steve snorted a laugh.  

“Um.  What about…” Steve thought, opened his mouth, and then closed it.  “Can I guess?” he asked, grinning, and the guy snickered.  

“Sure.  Give it your best shot.  Just don’t tell me any horror stories.”

“Do you embalm bodies?” Steve tried, already holding back a tide of questions, like did you ever drop one and have to fix a broken nose.

“Nope!” said the guy, turning to lean more against the window, to face Steve.  “How many tries do you want before I just tell you?”

“Oh, no, no, lemme guess,” Steve said, thinking as they came around asking for drink orders.  “Horror stories...um.  Are you a soldier?” he asked, wide-eyed, and the guy laughed again.  

“No!  No, nothing like that.”  He leaned to see Steve’s ID as Steve pulled it out to order a beer, and Steve grinned.  

“I’m Steve.”

“Billy,” said his mysteriously-employed seatmate, offering his hand, and Steve flipped it over investigatively.  

“You don’t have those, like, love/hate knuckle tattoos,” he said, feeling like a detective.  “So...maybe not a biker?”

“I’m not a biker,” Billy snickered.  His hand was warm in Steve’s.  “Is that even a job?”

“Oh!  Oh!” Steve leaned forward, sure he had it this time, and Billy moved the armrest between them out of the way.  “A writer?”

“What?!” Billy laughed, which probably meant Steve was wrong, but he argued his point.  

“People tell you horror stories,” he said, narrowing his eyes.  “So—so probably everybody tells you they have a great idea for your next novel—”

“No, uh.  One clue,” Billy said, grimacing.  “They’re true stories.”

“True stories,” Steve said, going to cross his arms in thought, and realizing Billy hadn’t taken his hand back.  “Uh, what do I get if I guess right?” he asked, squeezing Billy’s hand, and Billy snorted a laugh, grinning like he couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

“I dunno, I feel like Rumpelstilzkin, you want like my firstborn or—”

“No, nope,” Steve made a face.  “I got enough kids around, thanks.  Oh—” he blinked, realizing how that sounded as Billy started to pull his hand back, and lean away, “—not, like, I’m not a dad, I don’t have a wife and kids or anything.  I just have some little shitheads that come over all the time and eat all my popsicles and pizza.”

“Oh good,” Billy said dryly.  “I’d feel terrible if holding my hand ruined your marriage.”

“No other knuckles can fulfill me, now,” Steve said soulfully, and then when Billy burst out laughing, Steve couldn’t hold a straight face.  

“You know how fucking dirty that sounds, right,” Billy whispered, rubbing his face with the hand Steve wasn’t holding, and Steve snorted a laugh.

“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to get you to fist me on the plane,” he hissed back.

“Coward,” Billy shot back, and then they started giggling again, like they were ten.  

 “True horror stories,” Steve repeated, later, as they leaned together over the napkin on his tiny airplane table, where he was keeping track of the guesses he’d already made.  “True horror stories.  Are you a reporter?” 

“God no,” Billy said, making a face.  “Imagine this many tattoos in front of the news cameras?  We’ve got a ways to go before they allow that.”

“Oh, true,” Steve nodded.  “I mean, unless you worked for, like, a tabloid.  Circling everyone’s stomach in pictures and writing ‘BABY BUMP?!’ on it.”  

Billy jumped when Steve yelled ‘BABY BUMP’, and half the plane twitched and mumbled.  “Fuck no!” he hissed, laughing.  “Ssh!”

“Huh,” Steve said, studying the napkin.  “Oh!  Um,” he grimaced.  “Police officer?”

“No,” Billy growled, and Steve nodded, writing that down and crossing it out, and sipping his third beer.  “We never worked out what you got if you guessed,” Billy said, watching.  

“Oh, yeah,” Steve agreed, nodding.  “Uh, what about...dinner?”

“We’re gonna land at like six in the morning,” Billy pointed out, and Steve fingergunned him.

“Breakfast.”

Billy laughed.  “I dunno if I’m willing to put out on our first plane trip together.”

“Lemme get you, like, bacon and eggs,” Steve said, leaning in and waggling his eyebrows, “—and my phone number.”  He smirked as Billy cackled, leaning his head in the window.

“Yeah, okay.  Gimme some breakfast sausage, Steve,” he said softly, the overhead reading light making his curls glow a little, like a halo.  

“Now I haveta figure it out,” Steve said, frowning at his list, and Billy’s fingers twitched towards him.  Steve grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together, and accepted another beer from the flight attendant.  “I wonder how many beers that is,” he said, prodding at the label with his thumbnail.  “I think they’re like ten bucks a pop.”

“I bet the alcohol will really help you think,” Billy said dryly, and Steve made a face at him.  

“Shut up, I got it.  I got it this time,” he said, tipping his head back for a long, satisfying drink of beer, and wiping his mouth.  Billy’s mouth hung a little open when he finished, and Steve licked his lips, grinning.  “You—you’re a doctor.  A—a doctor of butts.  A butt-doctor.”

Billy started laughing so hard, silently, that Steve was starting to wonder whether he could breathe.  

“I’m right, right?” Steve said, taking a triumphant swig, and Billy shook his head, wheezing for air.

“You mean a proctologist?!” he gasped.

“Yeah, and you understood fine,” Steve told him, annoyed.

“I’m not—I’m not a butt doctor,” Billy choked out, tears of laughter in his eyes.  “I don’t have a doctorate in ass—”

“Your loss,” Steve muttered, glaring at the napkin with the list.  “Man, my cousin is one, and he has some stories.  Dude, that’s everything, that’s every damn job.  Ever.  Do zookeepers get told horror stories?!  Oh!”  He pointed the beer bottle at Billy.  “Dentist!”

“No,” Billy giggled, his hair rising with static in the dry air of the plane, and sticking to the wall and window behind him.  He looked ruffled and fond, and Steve squeezed his hand again, trying to think of what he’d missed, before the plane landed, and he’d spent the entire flight guessing jobs, and Billy hadn’t even given him a last name.  

“Shit,” Steve said, then straightened again.  “No, okay, this time,” he said, the beer making his words a little soft around the edges, “This time I really have it.  You’re a Mickey Mouse person.”

“I’m a what now,” Billy said, still snickering.

“You know,” Steve said, his eyes narrowed.  “You crawl up the ass of one of those suits and let kids think you’re a Disney princess.”

“No, Harrington,” Billy said, breathlessly, as he shook with laughter.  “No, I do not.  Do people tell mascots horror stories?!  I don’t even want to know.  Which princess?  Just for scientific curiosity, Steve, which princess do I crawl up the ass of, in your brain?”

Steve tried to remember them all.  “Not Jasmine,” he said with certainty.  “Um.  Wait, Peter Pan?  Maybe?”

“Peter Pan’s not a princess,” Billy choked out, wiping his eyes as he tried to muffle his laughter.  

“Hrm,” Steve said, accepting another beer and huffing a sigh, but Billy leaned in suddenly and just kissed him.  His lips were warm and chapped, and Steve hummed happily against them.  Their teeth bumped, a little, because Billy was giggling so hard, and Steve was grinning so wide his cheek muscles ached.

“I’m a drug and alcohol counselor,” Billy said with a grimace, and Steve glared at his beer, betrayed, "—so, um, horror stories.  Yeah."

"I just have butt-doctor horror stories," Steve said quickly, trying to salvage the situation, and he shoved his beer behind him.

Billy laughed harder, shaking his head.  "I’ll still take that number,” he whispered, kissing Steve again—and snickering, his cheeks flushed.  “And breakfast?”

Here’s my other Harringrove stuff!  Or check out the Harringrove AUgust collection on Ao3!  Add something!  =D 

[jooniperhun]

The End of the Rainbow | ot7 (1)

pairing: tall!black!reader x bts, poc!reader x bts, woc!reader x bts, black!reader x bts

genre: fluff, strangers to friends to (maybe) lovers [later], romance [later], comedy, misunderstandings [later], (slight) angst [later], smut (maybe??) [later], idol!au

rating: PG-14

wc: 2.3k

warnings: swearing

notes: the boys won’t make an appearance until chapter 2 but there is some foreshadowing in there (hint hint); pretend that corona never happened; most of the geographical locations/distances will either be made up or not named because I’ve never been to Korea lol whoops; this reads more like a reader-insert sorry that’s my default writing setting; and the boys’ backstories and such won’t be all that accurate because I’m the author and I say so teehee :)

“Text like this is spoken in Korean.”

“Text like this is spoken in English.”

summary: Your current job as a travelling housesitter has taken you to many places, some strange and many wonderful. When the acquisition of a new client takes you to Korea for three months, you wonder if your self-esteem can survive being around so many other-worldly looking people. Also, not to be paranoid or anything, but maybeperhaps you’re being stalked by the same seven strangers? They’re pretty loud and always surrounded by a tonne of people, so you write it off the first few times.

But this shit is getting excessive, chile. And annoying…

Rhetorical question, but what lies at the end of a rainbow? You hope that it’s a pot of gold, but with the way that your luck has soured, it might just be seven short(er than you), rowdy leprechauns ready to flip your world sideways…

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

Usually, when it came to social outings, ___ would go out of her way to make sure that she looked her best. Her wild mane would be tamed, her makeup would be carefully, painstakingly applied, and her clothes wouldn’t hold a single wrinkle. This, however, isn’t ‘usually’— this is an airport, and ___ currently couldn’t find it within herself to give a single, flying fuck about her appearance after the flight that she had just had. 

That isn’t to say that it was terrible— she was flying first class, for Christ’s sake! Not to mention that she didn’t have to spend a single dime on it (excluding the multiple new outfits and lashes that she purchased for herself because if she was anything, it was slightly vain). But a roughly 18 hour flight, combined with slight motion sickness? It doesn’t matter how comfortably she had dressed, or how attentive the flight attendants were, or how delicious the food was— ___ walked off of the landing strip probably looking exactly as she felt (read: terrible). 

Luckily, the good thing about airports was that she wasn’t the only one. No one paid her any mind, too worried about themselves and finding their respective luggages and families to be giving some rando more than a passing glance. 

She was officially in Seoul, South Korea, and she couldn’t read a damn thing.

Okay— slight exaggeration. Most of the signs had English (and Spanish, and Chinese, and Japanese) translations beneath the larger blocks of Korean, but her damn near-blind ass missed that the first time around. 

The airport looked as airports tended to look— large, modern, and clean. There was a beautiful netting of glass in the ceiling that let gentle rays of sunlight in. The walls were similarly comprised of the netting design and slanted outwards, away from all of the passengers. Statues and abstract constructions divided the masses. People from all walks of life milled around, looking for their luggage or anxiously waiting for their plane to arrive.

Incheon International Airport, Terminal One, Flight DL27. ___ reminded herself over and over of the number of where she would go for Baggage Claim, scanning the area and mumbling slightly to herself. She adjusted her dark shades and hefted her purse (her only carry-on) higher onto her shoulders, following the crush of fellow passengers into the depths of the fragile looking place. 

There were a lot of people walking around with black facemasks and shades on, so she was glad that she wasn’t the only shady-looking sista walking around. Inwardly snorting at her own pun, ___ nearly walked past her destination. 

It was honestly this part of each trip that gave her the most anxiety— that is, waiting for her suitcase to come around on the conveyor belt.

She had heard and read multiple horror stories about too many passengers never recovering their luggage. Either stolen, lost, or dropped from the airplane itself— if it could go wrong, it went wrong. But it’s not like hers’ is particularly interesting to look at. It was a simple, standard black. Only a red, knotted ribbon tied around the handle marked it as her own.

Ten minutes of fretful bag checking later, ___ finally found it. She gave a silent sigh of relief and turned towards the exit. Then, her anxiety flared right back up when she realized that she would have to hail a taxi to get to her destination. 

Honestly, her people-meter was getting a little bit too full for her to actually be initiating direct human interaction right now. 

But she would persevere! Even if her persistence could use a bit of work, she’s faked confidence enough times to make it. 

Getting a taxi to stop for her was like pulling teeth. By the time that she had stuffed her menial baggage into the trunk and clambered into the front seat, her temper had risen a few notches. She’s had a long two days. The flight wasn’t kind on her stomach or her sleep schedule— not to mention the fact that she felt disgusting. A shower sounded so nice right now… She didn’t want to be on the streets any longer than she had to be, dammit!

Donning her ‘Customer Service’ voice (as she liked to call it), she politely rattled off her destination to the driver in Korean. He was on the younger side for the profession (at least, from what she’s seen), with neatly laid dark hair and slightly tanned skin. His dark eyes constantly shifted from the road to her when they were stopped for traffic, but he luckily seemed to sense her mood as he did not say anything more than the polite initial greeting. 

All in all, it was a 30 minute drive filled with determinedly unawkward silence. ___ sent a quick text to her employer to inform them that she would be at the house in a bit, then sent another to her mother to let her know that she touched down safely. Almost immediately, her phone began to buzz.

Rolling her eyes, ___ answered. “Good morning to you too, Ma.” She said as her full lips tilted up in amusement. Upon hearing the English, the driver sent another glance in her direction.

“Hey, baby! It’s night time for us right now (we just got finished eating dinner). How was your flight?” Her mother’s voice gave a slightly tinny echo as she spoke, and the sound of shifting fabric clued ___ in to the fact that she, indeed, was probably on the toilet.

“Tiring. I forgot to buy Dramamine, so it was a fun time for me.” She switched hands with her phone so that she could look out of her window more comfortably. Little snatches of the city flashed by before they turned into a slightly more residential area. The houses here were large and gated, yet closely located. “How is everyone doing? No-one dead yet, right?”

Her mother snorted. “Yet is correct. Turns out, ya’ sister got herself a lil boyfriend—” ___ had to stifle her laugh before she gave herself away, “— and ya’ daddy wasn’t too happy when he found out. Her fast ass is sitting in her room right now, phone taken and everything. Woulda’ gotten an ass whoopin if we found anything triflin’ in it, but she’s clean.” Yeah, only because of her advice. No sending nudes back and forth, no secret folders dedicated to trifling shit, and no conversations going further than normal teen-girl gossip. Those were her three cardinal rules to sneaking around with a boy, and it seems that her little sister had done well to heed them.

“And the lil’ boy? Anyone we know?” ___ asked, playing along. If her parents found out she already knew about him, her ass would be grass, too. 

“Yes!” Ma exclaimed frustratedly. The driver jumped at the sudden loud sound in the otherwise silent car. “That nigga, Devin. Lives a block down from us? You know the one.” She gave the appropriate gasp at the news while rolling her eyes. Devin was a sweet boy who had a good future ahead of himself. There was no goddamn way she would waste her painstakingly gathered advice on someone who wasn’t good for her sister.

“Dam— I mean, wow. You think you know the people you live around...” She caught herself quickly before she cursed. Even halfway across the world, her fear of her ma’s wrath was still very, very healthy.

“I heard that, but I’ll let it slide this time.” Her mother’s tone was amused despite her previous outrage. 

“Anyways, as I was saying… I don’t see anything wrong with Devin. He was a nice boy, last time I talked to him.” From the cover of her shades, ___ watched the driver watch her from the corner of his eye. The car began to slow.

“Tell that to ya’ daddy. He—” Ma began to rant as ___ pulled the phone away from her ear. 

“How much do I owe you?” She asked quietly, hands dropping to rummage through her purse for her wallet as she cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder. “—Alright, Ma. Imma have to call you back. We just pulled up to the house and I gotta get situated.”

Handing the driver the appropriate amount of Won, they both left the car to remove her luggage from his trunk. “Okay, sweetie. Love you! Call me again when you get settled in.” Her mother echoed as she mouthed a quick ‘Thank you,’ with a shallow bow.

“Gotcha. Love you, too! Bye.” She hung up and grabbed the handle of her suitcase, making it extend before dragging it behind her towards the house that they had stopped in front of.

She couldn’t really see anything past the high, brick walls and iron gate. Spotting an intercom, she quickly checked her reflection in her phone’s camera before she could press the button to call her employer.

Removing her silk head-scarf, she found that her high puff had held up reliably under it. She quickly stuffed it into her purse and pulled out her glasses case to place her shades in. Shoving that back in, too, she smoothed out her black jeans and checked for stains on her yellow top. It was only after assuring that her face was, indeed, clean that she rang the buzzer.

A red light blinked on before a voice answered. So there was a security camera for surveillance? Good. “Good morning! You must be ___, right?” Her voice was smooth and low, like velvet. It hinted towards an older age, especially when compared to the commonly high pitched tones of the youth.

“Yes, good morning.” ____ stepped back slightly to bow. The gate unlocked with a soft click, and she made her way up the driveway. She could only see one car at the moment, but from the size of the house— no, mansion—, she was sure that a lot more were probably in the garages (yes, plural).

The mansion was a modern white with a lot of windows to let in natural light. The lawn was cleanly cut and the rich, emerald grass shined with small droplets of morning dew. There was actually a surprising amount of yard space, which was ideal for pets and children. The only thing that she would be needing to worry about this trip was a dog and some plants, though.

Little solar-powered lights lined the walkway that ___ walked down. They looked nothing like the one-dollar versions from the Dollar Store, and definitely cost a lot more, too. She climbed a few stone steps to reach the porch. On either side of a dark-wooded door, two gold vases stood guard. They were almost as tall as her and intricately carved with little, delicate flowers. The welcome mat that she stood upon was a sensible dark brown and had a looping Welcome swirled across the front in white. 

She rang the doorbell and patiently waited.

A few moments passed before the door sprung open. The lady that answered was small and adorable in her old age. Her dark hair was sprinkled with white streaks, and her large, dark eyes were creased with laugh lines. The same lines were also wrinkled around her mouth, but they did not take away from the traditional beauty that she still held. Her cheeks were rounded and scattered with pink, and her skin was the color of milk. She was dressed in a fashionable black pantsuit and wore black pumps that boosted her height. 

“Good morning!” ___ bowed lowly with a sweet smile. Her eyes, large and slightly too round to truly be almond shaped, disappeared into crescents. With her face transformed so cutely by just a single smile, one would find it hard to believe that ___ had a mean, mean resting bitch face that, when combined with her not inconsiderable height, gave her a naturally intimidating demeanor.

Endeared, the woman bowed back. “Please, come in.” She invited, stepping aside and letting ___ and her suitcase drag in. 

***

She was still getting situated in the guest room when the door slowly creaked open.

Though she couldn’t see anything from where she was seated on the bed, the tell-tale pattern of claws clicking against the hardwood floor cued her in to who was entering— Mickey, a cute, little Shih-Tzu breed with floppy ears and a brown and white coloring. Despite the fact that he was male, Mickey had two tiny, powder-blue bows woven around his ears. His matching sweater creased slightly as he padded towards her.

“Hi, sweetie!” ___ cooed, reaching down to give him a gentle pat on the head, “Are you looking for some company now that Grandma isn’t in?” 

Mickey had been (surprisingly) very calm upon his introduction towards ___. He barely reacted (outside of a few weak wags of his fluffy tail) to her squealings of how cute he was. Perhaps it was behavior that he was used to.

He settled down onto the carpet next to her bed, the ideal spot for her to reach down and pet him if she wanted to. It was a good move on his part, because that was exactly what she wanted to do. 

___ was a huge dog lover— in fact, she just loved cute, fluffy animals in general. Cats, llamas, sheep— you name it. She tolerated reptiles, and if she had to handle insects, it was usually with gloves and a healthy bit of distance. 

The moral of the story is that she adored fur-babies, and until Mickey’s owner came to pick him up or his Grandma came back home, Mickey was her dog.

a/n: Thank you all for reading the first chapter! I really hope you liked it. The fun stuff starts next chapter, so please stay tuned! I have so much planned *evil laughter*

[cybertronian-cupid]

Hi its me again! I do hope your still doing requests! But I want to ask again Can you do some HC's of Tfa Blitzwing being a father and Tfa Starscream being a mother? Please and thank you! I really hope I didnt miss it this time!

HI! 💥💥💥Thanks for coming back, AND OF COURSE! Hope you like these! ~Gregoria🏩

These are beautiful, thank you kindly for this absolute gem of an idea!~Mila💟

(under readmore because they got pretty long)

TFA Blitzwing:

He is, surprisingly, the more fun parent once he works out how to reel back his personalities a tiny bit.

His kid rarely sees Hothead just because Blitzwing can't stay mad at them no matter how hard he tries.

It's also because Blitzwing hates seeing little one scared of him. He was terrified of being a parent at first, and would go out of his way to try and figure out how to stop seeking his kiddo out as Random

Not because he didn't want his kid to see that part of his personality, but more because he has had many a moment when he remembers what he did and gets so angry and frustrated with himself, it causes him to go into a rage... Though Hothead, again, makes sure to do it as far away from his kid as possible.

As Random his thoughts tend to focus more on the this-will-be-hilarious than on the this-seems-dangerous-and-could-hurt-my-kid-real-bad

Which is why he starts leaving post it notes for himself.

Color coordinated ones so even if he doesn't read it, his chances of switching to Icy and getting a more rational look on what EXACTLY he was about to do, are much higher.

He has a weakness for "his tiny widdle smoochum". He is never going to stop calling them this.

The kid is going to be an adult, and one of the most feared people to ever walk the solar system, and Blitzwing is still going to be constantly showing everyone around their baby pictures and cooing over their achievements.

TFA Starscream:

Oh by the AllSpark

Starscream is... The most fussy and nagging mother of a parent

Helicopter parenting? Oh please, you haven't seen ANYTHING until you see a Seeker with their child.

He is the parent with nicknames. As in, his kid knows exactly when they really messed up. It does not make sense to anyone else though, since something most consider cute or harmless, get the kid cued in on the BIIIIIG trouble.

"My dearest smoochie poochie widdle sparkle~" yeah, that's what a death sentence sounds like

Which confused most anyone else since the signature Starscream Scream with the word "SPAWN!" as the beggining of the sentence, always gets the kid very excited and rushing to their mom.

He honestly alternates between wanting to be firm and ruthless, to prepare his little treasure for the harsh world, since SOMEONE has to show what waits for them out there

While at the same time he wants to be gentle. He wants to comfort his little one even as they grow older, even as they mature and face much bigger challenges than a scraped knee or fear of monsters under their bed.

He really appreciates coming home and seeing his kid laughing with their Dad. He does feel a little bitter, and worries that his kid will grow to hate him when he has to be especialy harsh.

That doubt usually dissapears as soon as the kid sees him enter the room and rushes in for a hug.

Scream used to be a horrible cook. His ego has suffered many a blow when his kid didn't turn out to be a picky eater, and instead actually told him to his face that his food is yucky.

Pretty sure this turned into a game of "Okaaaaay, how can I make them eat these things they need to be healthy, and NOT get them sick in the process."

Which lead him to actualy follow the recipes first and getting creative later.

The food was, and still is to this day, at least a little yucky.

So takeout and the dino nuggets became a household staple.

"Here comes my airplane!" is what he calls his kid. When they were just a tiny lil speck, he really really hoped they would take after him.

Ask him about why he calls them that. Come onnnnnn, he knows you're dying to know. He can see the curiosity burning away in that processor of yours.

To his kids horror he keeps the recordings of all the times his kid pretended to be an airplane.

Cardboard wings taped to their arms while they spin in circles, complete with immitation of Mommy Star's engine? WHY, HE IS SO GLAD YOU ASKED, here's atwo hours of unedited footage of just the FIRST TIME it happened! He always carries at least one copy of these near his spark. Helps him to not strangle whoever it is he has to deal with.

[alarawriting]

52 Project #29: The Last Boy (Inktober #11: Disgusting)

This is fanfic-adjacent; it’s an unauthorized sequel to Alice Sheldon (writing as James Tiptree Jr)’s story “The Screwfly Solution”. It is... less dark than that story, but if you’re familiar with it, that’s not saying much. (If you aren’t familiar, don’t worry, this story explains the backstory necessary.)

This is a horror story... or at the least, dark science fiction. (Nothing supernatural in this one.) I am not tagging any of the triggers inside because spoilers, which are destructive to a horror story, but I will include them at the end, which is below the cut. If you rapidly scroll through the story you can reach the trigger list without actually reading any of the story.

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

Roy is very excited, running, practically skipping, ahead on the trail. “Uncle Matt! This is great! I can see the woods up ahead already!”

Matt forces a smile, because he’s very much afraid of how this expedition might end, but he has to try. He has to have hope. “Sure is. Ready to go hunting?”

“You bet!” Roy turns around and flashes Matt a big, heartwarming smile. His face is pocked with acne and he’s late to have lost his last baby tooth; it’s a gap on the upper left side of his face. He looks so young, so boyish. Which he is; he’s thirteen. Thirteen is still a kid. Matt’s sixty; thirteen’s practically a baby to him. They grow up so damn fast. “You think we’ll bag a deer?”

“We might. Or we might bag a goose. Or we might come home empty-handed. The point to hunting is to be quiet and patient, and let nature bring to you whatever it will.”

They hike up to the tree line. This is one of very, very few forest areas that’s still being tended and managed by people. The rocky hiking trail up to the tree line’s been kept clear of scrub; there are bushes and tall grasses on either side of the trail, but nothing on the wide stretch of packed dirt.

From here Matt can look down the side of the mountain, to the acres planted with corn and wheat, the women working in the rows, a couple of men stationed to sit by the road with their guns, watchful for whoever might come by. He knows them both. Good boys. He took Evan out on a hunting trip like this one, ten years ago, and they came home with a deer and a couple of rabbits. Jase was called Lisa back then, and didn’t need to go on a hunting trip like this. The tradition of the hunting trip when you’re thirteen isn’t for the girls, or the gay boys, or the trans kids. Most of them resent that, until they get to be old enough to understand why.

“This is the best,” Roy says. “Just me and you, Uncle Matt. How long has it been since we got to just spend time together, just two men?”

“I think you were 10. We went out to the river and went fishing, didn’t we?”

“Yeah. I didn’t catch anything,” Roy laughs. “You got a couple of fish, though, right?”

“Yeah,” Matt says, smiling as he remembers. “Had to throw ‘em back, though. They were too small.”

“Why don’t we do stuff like that more often, Uncle Matt? Just hang out, without all these stupid girls around?”

Matt sighs. “You have school and I’ve got work; crops don’t grow themselves and we don’t get security by going on vacation.”

“Yeah, but why do we have to even live here? Why don’t we go live somewhere where there’s just men?”

“That’s a little hard to find. There’s not a lot of men around,” Matt points out.

“Because the stupid girls wouldn’t go to them and have their kids,” Roy mutters.

That is a disturbingly misleading viewpoint on what happened, but Matt tries to let it go, for the moment. “Hey. We need to keep quiet now,” he says softly. “If there’s any deer, we don’t want to scare them.”

Roy nods, and the two of them walk quietly into the forest.

***

Roy was such a sweet little boy.

Matt remembers him bringing the pictures he drew to Matt and to his mother – who Matt, despite being called uncle, is not actually related to; Matt is uncle to all the boys he takes under his wing – and being so enthusiastic about showing it to them. He remembers one of the pictures, of himself and Roy holding hands. Another, of Roy holding hands with his mom. Roy hasn’t had anything positive to say to his mother in weeks; he’s been disobeying her, insulting her, calling her stupid and saying he doesn’t have to listen to her because she’s just a woman.

It’s biological. Roy wasn’t raised to even have the concept of men somehow being better than women at anything or for any reason. Most of the boys develop the attitude around puberty, the result of a disease that infected the entire world over a century ago. Many of them get over it. Many don’t. Matt never suffered it at all; it’s linked to heterosexual desire, and Matt knew he was gay ever since he was nine.

He remembers Roy running around with a toy airplane, declaring that when he was grown up he would help restore humanity’s control of the skies, working to bring back the airplanes. He remembers Roy making him lemonade when he was six, cooking him an egg when he was ten. Roy making a card for his mother’s birthday with a big heart on it. Roy asking him what stars were made of.

It’s going to be all right, he tells himself. Evan was a little ass to his mom and his sisters, and it all worked out for him. Lebron actually punched his mom when he was fourteen, and he came through it. Roy’s going to be fine.

All the boys mean so much to him, but Roy is special… maybe because he’s the most recent one. Matt hasn’t been working with the little boys so much, lately. There’s enough men in the settlement now that the younger men, with more energy, are taking up more of that role. When Matt himself was a child, there were almost no men – Uncle Harry was the only cis man he’d known. Of the boys he grew up with, only Andrew, Tyrone and Jose were still there by the time he was an adult, plus Deandre who was trans and joined them in their late teens. He’d dated all of them except Deandre, who was straight. Ended up eventually with Cole, three years younger than him. Cole had a heart attack six years ago, and after that Matt couldn’t bear to open himself up to any of the new little boys, not without the emotional support of an adult man to share his life with. Roy has been the last one to call him Uncle.

“Uncle!” Roy hisses. “Is that a deer? Over there?”

Matt looks where Roy is pointing. “It could be,” he whispers back. “Let’s see.”

They walk closer, carefully, trying to be quiet. But Roy steps on a branch he doesn’t see. It snaps, and the vague outline that might be a deer startles and runs, proving that yes, it is a deer. Roy pulls out his gun and fires, but misses, predictably.

“Oh, son of a bitch!” Roy swears.

“What have we said about language?” Matt asks mildly.

“Come on, Uncle Matt. I’m not a baby anymore,” Roy protests. “Besides, I said ‘shit’ when I stubbed my toe on a rock on the way up here.”

“Yes, but ‘shit’ is disgusting and everyone makes it. ‘Bitch’ is an insult specifically for women, and calling something a ‘son of a bitch’ when you want to swear at it is basically saying that it’s the fault of mothers if their sons are terrible.”

“Well, who else’s fault would it be? Stupid b – stupid women don’t know anything, but they act like they know everything.”

“I think that’s a little bit of an overgeneralization. I know you’re not getting along with your mother lately—”

“She just makes me so mad. She’s always telling me what to do! Like she knows everything!”

“She is your mother,” Matt says mildly. “And she’s twenty-five years older than you. That does tend to make people know more than you.”

“Yeah, but not her. She really doesn’t know anything. Sometimes I just wanna punch her.”

“That happens to a lot of boys at puberty, but they get over it. By the time you’re twenty-five, you’ll be amazed at how smart your mother has suddenly become.” He smiles at Roy.

Roy glowers. “I don’t think so. Girls are just disgusting. I just want to hang out with men, like you. You’re not a dumbass, Uncle Matt. All the girls are dumbasses, but the guys aren’t.”

“That’s the hormones talking. You’ll get over it.” Matt points at the ground. “Do you see that?”

“No, what?”

“Tracks. For the deer.” Matt crouches down and points them out to Roy. “We can see what direction it went in, now.”

“Oh, yeah! I can see it now!” Roy starts to run, but Matt holds him back by the shoulder.

“Roy. Slow. Patient. Quiet. The deer can run faster than you or me, but it burns more energy doing that. If we walk, we catch up with it, because it’s got to rest. But if it hears us, it’ll run again. So we walk, and we’re quiet.”

“Right. I get it, Uncle Matt.” Roy is much more quiet and careful about where he puts his feet after that.

***

When Roy was eight, Matt walked the fields with him and showed him how to sow corn. They went to the vegetable plots and planted carrots and lima beans. Roy was so proud the day they harvested his carrots, and he got to eat one. Matt took him fishing the first time, that same year.

The little boys are always so sweet, so bright, so full of promise. It hurts so much when they don’t fulfill it.

Please, God, let Roy be all right. Let him get past this. Of course he would. Matt has been training him, teaching him since he was small (but there were others, other boys Matt had loved like his own sons, who he’d trained and taught, and they weren’t around here anymore).

He should have been around more often in the last three years. Roy was heading for puberty and that scared Matt. Still does. He visits the boy often, but Roy is right – they haven’t done anything together, just the two of them, in a long time.

“You ever spend any time with any of the young men? Jase, or Evan, or Fred?”

“Yeah, sometimes. I hang out more with the guys closer to my age. You know any of them? Steve, Paolo, Rafael?”

“Sure, yeah, I know them.”

“Paolo has a dad,” Roy says enviously. “When I grow up I want to be a dad.”

“Well, you’re in luck, because humanity needs more men to be dads,” Matt says. “You can go live where they’re using your donation, if you really want to be a dad, and help to raise the kid you helped make, or you can stay here and help raise the boys as an uncle, and maybe go out and visit the places where they used your donations.”

“How come I can’t stay here and raise a boy here?”

“Genetic variation. If we let human men have sons with their sisters, we get inbreeding. All kinds of diseases. Sending your donations to the other compounds makes us strong and healthy as a species.”

“Did you ever donate, Uncle Matt?”

“Back in my day, if your balls worked you had to donate. We didn’t have enough men. You know old Gran Stacie, she had to donate too. She couldn’t take the hormones to look feminine until there was a safe compound for women to live in and plenty of donations so the human race could keep going.”

“She’s okay, I guess. But the other girls are really stupid and gross.”

Matt stops Roy there. “Hey. You keep saying that. It’s like you’ve forgotten everything we taught you about our history.”

“I remember history,” Roy protests.

“So tell me. Why do we live this way? Why do women live in secure compounds with only a few men? A hundred years ago the world was very different. Tell me how it was, and what changed.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes. You do.” Matt sits on the ground, and gestures for Roy to sit across from him. “Come on. Tell Uncle Matt all about it.”

Roy rolls his eyes. “A hundred years ago men and women lived together but then there was a disease and it made the men sick and the sickness made them want to hurt women so they couldn’t live with women anymore, the end,” he says in a rapid sing-song.

“No. That shit doesn’t fly with me, kid, and you know it doesn’t. Tell it to me right.”

Roy sighs. “Okay, okay. So. Back then, women and men lived together all the time and every kid had a dad, and the men still took care of the women but there weren’t a lot of men trying to kill them, just one or two weird ones.”

Matt, being an adult, is aware of how far this is skewed off the truth of what life was like a century ago, but the boys are being raised with no awareness of historical misogyny. Nothing to give the disease any historical justification it can hook onto. They learn more details when they’re proven to be safe. “So far so good.”

“So back then, there was this thing we used to do to kill flies where we made the male flies wanna kill the female flies instead of mate with them.” This is also a distortion of the facts, but Matt lets it go as well. “Then suddenly, men were trying to kill women instead of having sex with them. But it was just the straight men who were affected and they had to have balls. Women weren’t affected even if they had balls, and gay men weren’t affected, and men who didn’t have balls weren’t affected, and men who didn’t want sex even though they had balls weren’t affected, but all the men who had balls and wanted to have sex with women wanted to kill the women. And a lot of the time, little girls or old women that no one wanted to have sex with, because they thought in their heads it was God telling them to kill women or something. They didn’t know the truth.”

“And what was the truth?”

“That it was aliens. They spread the virus around on Earth because they wanted humans to die, just like the flies, so they could take the Earth for themselves. But humans are more complicated than flies. So there were men who were affected too much, who killed little boys because little boys look like little girls, and there were men who weren’t affected as much, who’d killed their wives but they were trying to protect their little girls. And there were men who didn’t have sex with women even if they wanted to because they were trying to honor God or something, and those men could resist wanting to kill, because the wanting to kill thing was related to wanting sex. If they could resist one, sometimes they could resist the other. Plus, all the asexual men and the gay men and the trans men and other kinds of men without balls like castrated men, plus the trans women, who could fake being men so they could stay alive. And there were also a lot of women with guns, too.”

“So what happened?”

“Well, most of the women got killed, and the men who were doing the killing, they didn’t have any kids. But the women who survived, they went into compounds where all the women had guns and they would kill strange men who came near them. And a lot of the kinds of men who didn’t want to kill women would help women get to those compounds. They called them ‘allies.’ You’d have been one if you were alive in those days, Uncle Matt.” This is said proudly. Roy doesn’t realize how much Matt is still called on to be an ally, even today.

“I would have, yes. So how did we get where we are today?”

“A lot of the places were run by women who hated men even before they started killing women, called rads, and the rads were okay with women getting donations from ally men, but if they had boy babies they wanted to send the babies to live with the men or else throw them outside and kill them. And the moms didn’t want to do that and they thought it was stupid. So they made their own compounds and they let ally men live there. And if boys grew up and they didn’t want to kill women, then they were allowed to give donations and be dads. But if they did, then they couldn’t be dads and they couldn’t live there anymore.”

So much heartbreak, so much agony, skimmed over so neatly and briefly. Mothers pleading with their baby boys, grown to young men, not to do this, before the boy killed the mother… or the mother killed the boy, in self-defense. Entire compounds of women lost because some mother couldn’t bear to kill her son, so she locked him away instead… and he got out. Boys with the compulsion to kill sent to live with the femicidal men, only to be killed themselves, because there were no boys among the men anymore and the young boys were more feminine than anything the killer men had seen in years, by then. Or castrated, so that they would theoretically be safe to stay, except humans were complex and some of them retained the femicidal compulsion even in the absence of testicles, and the horror of boys everyone thought were safe suddenly murdering their sisters. Gay boys in love, their hearts shattered when their love interest proved to have enough interest in women that he became a killer.

They’re more careful now. Things like that don’t happen anymore.

“And the killer men thought that the aliens were like messengers from God or something, but the women and the ally men killed a lot of aliens. And when lots of aliens were dead, they realized that their plan to get Earth for themselves by making the humans die out from killing all the women wasn’t going to work, because humans are complicated. So we guess they changed their minds, because they left and no one has seen them since.”

“And that’s a good thing. We lost a lot of people when the aliens were willing to fight back in self-defense. If they’d had the stomach for it, they might have won, and humanity might have been wiped out. But, we assume, they weren’t willing to die to take our planet; they’d been trying to kill us off so they could have all the bounties of the Earth without doing any damage from removing us. If you try to settle in swampland and you try to kill all the mosquitoes, and instead the mosquitoes start killing you back, maybe you go find somewhere else to live.” Or maybe you come back, later, with a new plan… but humanity has collectively decided that, while it’s important to try to have contingencies for that possibility, it’s more important to rebuild humanity and reclaim what was lost. Matt worries about that, but it’s not something he can do anything about.

“You think they’re ever going to come back, Uncle Matt?”

Maybe. “No. We kicked their butts hard enough I’m pretty sure they’re gone forever. But they left us with this giant mess to clean up.” He sighs. “This stuff you’re feeling about how girls are stupid and irritating and you can’t stand being around them? That says, you’re in puberty and you’re going to grow up to be attracted to girls. Maybe guys too, but definitely girls. And the virus is waking up in you, trying to turn your desire for girls into hatred, but it doesn’t have to win. A lot of guys make it through this stage no problem, and never hurt anyone.”

“It doesn’t feel like a virus. It feels like they’re stupid and boring and gross and I hate them.”

“Of course it does. If it felt like a virus, the men a hundred years ago would have figured it out before they killed most of the women. It messes with your emotions, Roy. It takes feelings that are natural and normal, and twists them around. But if you understand that, then you don’t have to let it win.”

“Okay,” Roy said, and rocks backward, looking around him. “Can we go hunt for the deer now?”

“Sure, kid.” Matt gets to his feet. “We’re done here. You remember what they taught you about controlling your anger?”

“Yeah. Take deep breaths, take a step back from the situation, walk away if you hafta.”

“Right,” Matt says. “Let’s get a move on. That deer won’t shoot itself.”

***

They amble along through the woods. Another deer makes itself known, and Roy takes another shot, but misses. “Dammit! I was sure I had that shot!”

“I thought you did too,” Matt says. “But they move fast. You gotta be able to sneak up on them and shoot before they hear you coming.”

“Can you do that, Uncle Matt?”

“Used to. I’m older now; wouldn’t be surprised if the deer could hear the creak in my bones.” He grins.

And then they circle around a big rock, and there’s a girl.

She’s a teenager, about Roy’s age, maybe a little older. “Hi!” she says cheerfully. “I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone from around here! You’re from the compound down the mountain, right?”

Roy’s face twists into visible disgust, and he backs away. “That’s right,” Matt says calmly. “I’m Matt, and this is Roy.”

“My name’s Jennifer!” Jennifer has dark, wavy hair and tanned white-person skin. She’s wearing cutoff shorts, sneakers that have been patched many, many times – there are no companies that make goods from the old world like sneakers anymore – and a short-sleeved blue buttondown shirt that’s been tied up under her breasts to show her midriff, and opened in the front far enough to see her cleavage. When Matt was young, women were advised not to wear anything that could be arousing, because if they ran into a killer male, their life might depend on how much he was not turned on. By now, though, so many of the killer males are dead, and with women outnumbering men by three to one, the women and girls dress in whatever they want. It was never a good strategy for dealing with the killer males anyway; too many of them were willing to kill women dressed in nun robes, so it plainly had nothing to do with revealing clothes. There are numerous large lumps in her front pockets, which could be rocks, or animal bones, or any number of things.

Matt’s gay and far too old to see teenagers as anything other than young kids, but Roy is plainly very uncomfortable with Jennifer’s state of exposure. “What are you doing here?!” he half-shouts, angrily, at her.

“I’m from a compound on the other side of the mountain, and I hiked up here to try to collect mushrooms,” Jennifer says, her voice just a little bit too loud.

“Well, we’re hunting, so I’d like it if you could be a little quieter,” Matt says. “Don’t want to scare the deer.”

“Ooh! Hunting sounds fun! Can I join you?”

“No,” Roy says, loudly.

“Oh, come on!” Jennifer pouts. “I’ll be quiet!”

Matt takes in Roy’s trembling hands, the whiteness of his lips. Terror, or rage, or both. Roy’s expected to control himself no matter what the circumstances, but Matt… really doesn’t want to push him. Not now, when he’s so fragile. “Sorry, Jennifer, but Roy and I really came out for some uncle-nephew time. Maybe you can join us another time, but not now.”

Her eyebrows go up. “Huh,” she says. “Okay! I know a lot of guys like to go hunting with their dads or uncles when they’re thirteen. You’re thirteen, right?” This is directed to Roy.

“None of your business!” Roy snarls.

“Yeah, he’s thirteen,” Matt says tiredly. “Nice meeting you, Jennifer. Maybe we’ll meet again someday.”

“And maybe we won’t,” Roy mutters. He and Matt hike up the trail, away from Jennifer. “Good riddance.”

“I want you to think about this anger you’re feeling. It’s really out of proportion to the situation, isn’t it?”

Roy sighs. “Uncle Ma-att, I just wanna go hunting with you! I don’t wanna talk about my feelings!”

“Sure, but it’s safest for everyone if you do. What’re you supposed to do when you feel really angry?”

“I already took a step back from the situation! I told her to go away!”

“Didn’t hear any deep breaths,” Matt says.

Roy manages to deeply breathe sarcastically. It’s an impressive trick. Matt would never have thought it possible to breathe in a sarcastic way. Most of it’s with body language and facial expression, but there’s definitely a sarcastic note in the breath itself. “Now can we go find a deer?”

“Maybe we’d have better luck setting up a snare to trap rabbits.”

Roy’s whole body sags. “I wanted to bring home venison, Uncle Matt! Nobody cares if you bring home a rabbit!”

“All right,” Matt says mildly. “We’ll keep going.”

***

The forest is full of sound. Birds chirp and call. Squirrels and other animals rustle in the branches and bushes. Many of the sounds go silent as Matt and Roy approach, but not all. They come up into a clearing, someplace where someone, long ago, had a concrete pad. Most of it’s broken and destroyed, but there’s enough of it that even after a hundred years, the forest hasn’t completely taken it back.

And then there is the deer, quietly grazing on the other side of the clearing.

Matt whispers to Roy as he points it out. “Quiet, now.”

Roy nods. There’s a broken half-wall part of the way through the clearing, blocking the deer’s view of them if they go low. Matt and Roy crawl toward it. Once they’re behind it, Roy pokes his head up, very slightly, following Matt’s hand signals. He lifts his rifle. Quietly. The deer doesn’t stir.

Matt hears a tiny click. His eyes go wide and his blood runs cold.

Jennifer comes bounding into the clearing behind them. “Hi, guys! Didn’t think I’d run into—”

The deer leaps and runs off. Roy spins around, utter rage in his face, and screams, “You stupid bitch!”

“Roy, don’t—” Matt tries to grab Roy, tries to pull him down, throw off his aim, but it’s too late. The gun goes off, twice. Splotches of red explode on Jennifer’s chest, and she falls backward, twisting as she does so she lands on her front. Red oozes out from underneath her.

Roy drops the gun from fingers suddenly dead white and shaking. “I – I didn’t mean to – I was so angry--”

Wounds where the red had blossomed on Jennifer would be fatal; she’d bleed out almost immediately, and the quantity of red seeping out from under her body suggests that that’s what happened. It looks like a strike to the aorta, or the heart itself, maybe. Matt cannot stop himself. “No, no, no—”

“I’m sorry!” Roy screams. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry—”

Matt gets hold of himself. “Roy. Roy, come here. Come here, son.” He means it as an endearment – Roy is neither his literal son, nor has he raised the boy as a father – but it’s real as well. Roy is like a son to him. All of them have been, and he loves Roy so much, and his heart is shattering.

Roy collapses in his arms, sobbing. Matt holds the boy tightly with one arm. “It’s not your fault, Roy, it’s not,” he tells the crying child, tears welling in his own eyes. “It’s the virus. I know you didn’t mean to. I know you’re a good boy.”

“I’m so sorry—I just got so mad, and the gun was in my hand—”

“I know,” Matt says, as the boy’s wet face presses against his shoulder. “I know. I love you so much, Roy, you know that?”

“I love you too, Uncle Matt,” Roy says into Matt’s shirt, still sobbing, and a sob escapes from Matt’s chest as well as he raises his pistol with the arm that isn’t holding his nephew, his child, his son, the little boy who trusts him and loves him, and as Roy cries against his chest and cannot see what he’s doing with his other hand, he lifts the pistol to Roy’s temple, awkwardly, being sure not to touch him with it, and fires.

The sobs stop. After a moment they start again, but they’re only Matt’s.

Jennifer gets up. “I’m sorry, Matt,” she says quietly.

“Get the fuck out of my face,” Matt snarls. “You provoked him! I told you to back off! I told you we weren’t having you join us!”

“I have to do my job,” Jennifer says wearily, and there is no longer any mistaking her for a teenager, despite the expertly applied makeup on her face. She’s short, she looks young, and with the right makeup none of the boys ever guess she’s not a teenage girl. There’s red all over her shorts, soaking her legs and belly, from where the bags of fake blood in her pockets burst, and splotches of red over her heart and her liver. The paint pellets look horrifically real; they even smell like blood.

No, wait, that’s probably Roy’s blood he’s smelling.

"Fuck your job.” Matt holds his little boy in his arms, with both arms now that he doesn’t need one free anymore. “You pushed him. If we’d just given him a little more time – a little more training—”

“And who might he have killed while you were giving him a little more time? His mom? One of the girls his age?”

“He wouldn’t have had a gun!—"

“He could have had a rock. Or a steak knife. Or a baseball bat. I’m so sorry, Matt, but—”

“If you say ‘that’s the law’ or ‘those are the rules’ to me, I will hit you,” Matt snaps. “Not because you’re a woman, but because you’re a piece of shit.”

She sighs. “I know you’re distraught. It’s horrible, having to do this—”

“You didn’t even know him!” Matt screams. “You didn’t watch him when he was little, you didn’t teach him to tie his shoes, you didn’t play airplane with him – you didn’t—”

“I had a son,” Jennifer says sharply. “Don’t tell me I don’t know how much it hurts, when we have to—I was 16 when I had my son. It was six years ago that – that he took his test, at thirteen, and he failed it.”

“There’ve been so many,” Matt whispers. So many little boys. Slightly less than half of them pass; that’s why the ratio of women to men is around 2:1. He was so, so relieved when Blake turned out to be a girl and took the name Cassandra, twelve years ago; the trans kids are immune to the violent impulses. He’d known that Cassandra wouldn’t have to face the test, that he’d never have to take her on a hunting trip she might never return from. So relieved when Joe, eight years ago, reported himself gay at eleven and then showed no sign of aggression toward his mother or sister or any girls his own age.

But all the others. All the others, he’d loved, and they’d loved him, and trusted him, and he took them up the mountain on a hunting trip… with a gun that could only shoot paint pellets and blanks, and the paint pellets only after the bait’s radio transmitter came into range and switched it on.

Roy would never have bagged a deer with that gun. But if he hadn’t shot Jennifer, if he’d controlled himself and proved he could overcome his femicidal impulses, Matt would have “discovered” that there was no ammo in it, and given Roy a different gun, and then they could have had a real deer hunt. Like Evan, ten years ago. Like Jamal, five years ago. Like LeBron… how long ago had LeBron even been?

He’d already decided he wouldn’t take on any new little boys, after Cole died. Roy was the last one, the last child to shepherd to adulthood, the last he had to test. “God,” he cries, holding the little boy he’s just killed in his arms. “Why couldn’t you have let me have the last one? Why didn’t you give him the strength to overcome it?” He rocks the body back and forth. “Why did you let any of this happen? Why do you make us have to kill our sons?”

“God’s got nothing to do with this,” Jennifer says softly. “This is evil. If God allowed such evil as this to exist, then She’s not worth worshipping, and if She can’t stop it, then there’s no point in blaming her. It was the aliens.”

The aliens his ancestors drove off planet, who he’ll never have a chance to fight, or get revenge on. There’s no one he can blame who’s here. He understands the system, he understands the necessity. Little boys who try to commit femicide once don’t have the control to stop themselves from doing it again, and if it’s not the bait with her paint bags in her shorts and the radio transmitter to make the gun fire paint pellets, it’ll be a girl or women who really dies because the boy will have a real weapon. They can’t let the femicides live among them, and they can’t send them away to live with the few bands of roving femicidal men that still exist… the only reason those still exist was that once upon a time, femicidal sons were turned out into the wilderness. Where they could grow up to be bandits who invaded compounds, stole the food, and murdered the women. The men, too, because the men would defend the compound, but the women they’d hunt and kill for fun.

He would never have wanted a future like that for Roy. But he didn’t want this, either.

“I’m… I’m going to go. I’ll radio the compound and let them know the results of the test.”

“You do that,” Matt says bitterly. He knows his anger isn’t fair. He knows his attempt to drive Jennifer off, put off the test at the last minute and get her to come back another day so Roy could maybe develop stronger self-control first, was wrong. He knows it could have resulted in Roy murdering someone he loves. Loved. But how much better is it that Matt had to murder someone he loves? Why do they need to kill the teen boys to protect the women? Oh, he knows why, he signed on for this job years ago because he knew why, he’s seen what happened when a boy grew into a killer and turned on the women he knew. But why has God or Fate or Allah or whatever the fuck is up there listening to human prayers allowed this? Why is this horrible thing something that they are forced to do?

After what seems like hours, crying and holding Roy’s body and whispering how sorry he is, he’s finally out of tears. He looks down at his pistol. Cole’s dead six years on now, and there’s no man in his bed waiting for him, back home. There’s no little boy he’s working with, and there will never be one again. Is there anyone to care if he lives or dies, now? What if he ate a bullet, right now, so he could stop seeing Roy and Jason and Manuel and little Matt, named for him and he still shot him in the head while the boy was bent over the bait’s body, and all the others, all the boys who loved and trusted him, and failed the test he brought them into? Was there any good reason not to?

…there were the boys who’d lived. Adults now, all of them, but they loved and respected him as their old uncle, and they still were willing to spend time with him, sometimes. There were the girls, who yelled “Mister Matt! Mister Matt!” when they saw him and crowded around him, showing off their accomplishments, and he’d never have to take any of them up the mountain. There are trans boys who just figured it out, and need an older man to mentor them and teach them how to be a man, and none of them will ever need to go up the mountain either. There are the gay boys who want to talk to him about boyfriends, and how to date a guy, and how sex works, and all the other things gay boys need to know.

He can still help the children. But he’s never going to take on a little boy as his nephew again.

After a few more moments, he picks up Roy’s rifle, which can’t fall into the wrong hands, and his own pistol, and slings them into the holsters he has for them, on his belt or on his back. Then he picks Roy up and cradles him. A fireman’s carry would be easier, especially with the long hike down the mountain, but he wants to give his boy’s body as much dignity as he can. He won’t sling Roy over his shoulder like a flour sack. He’ll carry the dead weight of the boy down the mountain, and then he’ll carry it for the rest of his life.

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triggers listed at bottom because they are spoilers

dashboard removes all the line spaces

so I have to put lines in

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Triggers: Child death. Serious misogyny. A backstory from the original story that involves a worldwide near-complete femicide.

[cardest]

San Francisco playlist

San Francisco  - my favorite city in the world! The bands, the music, the songs are all here, in this playlist I created. I threw in a bit of Sac and went south by San Jose, Monterrey and up past Sausalito. Can we make it to 250 songs? Let me know what bands/songs I left out.

Have I left out a song or a band in this San Francisco playlist? Let me know! Cheers! 

Play the songs here at this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1-HLG9q5rZLsqs8EYh6bhu- San Francisco

001 The Dillinger Escape Plan w/Mike Patton -  When Good Dogs Do Bad Things 002 Night flight Orchestra - California Morning 003 Quincy Jones - Call Me Mister Tibbs OST (Main Title) 004 James Taylor Quartet - Dirty Harry theme song 005 Faith No More - Seperation anxiety 006 Streets of San Francisco TV show theme song 007 Santana -  Evil Ways 008 High on Fire -  Electric Messiah 009 Metallica - Disposable Heroes 010 Hammers Of Misfortune -  Dead Revolution 011 Buddy Guy -  Hello San Francisco 012 Faith No More - Jungle 013 Isaac Hayes - Shaft 014 Orange Peels  - Back In San Francisco 015 Idris Ackamoor and the Pyramids - Message To My People 016 Thee Oh Sees - The Dream 017 Merle Haggard - Here In Frisco 018 Audrey Horne -  California 019 Journey -  Lights 020 Death Angel -  Hatred United / United Hate 021 Mel Tor Me - Got The Date On The Golden Gate 022 Duke Ellington -  Tourist Point Of View 023 Sons of Anarchy  - This Life (Sons of Anarchy Theme Song) 024 Larry Graham's Central Station - Earthquake 025 LARD - I Wanna Be A Drug Sniffing Dog 026 Machine Head -  California Bleeding 027 Neurosis -  The Doorway 028 KING WOMAN - Utopia 029 Lalo Schifrin - Magnum Force OST  Main Title 030 Forbidden -  Adapt Or Die 031 DBUK - In San Francisco Bay 032 Jack Name - Werewolf Factory 033 John Carpenter - Theme from "The Fog" 034 Khiis - Saboor 035 Richie Havens -  San Francisco Bay Blues 036 Metallica - Battery 037 Autopsy - charred remains 038 ExTREMITY_-_Crepuscular_Crescendo 039 The Otherside -  Streetcar 040 Quincy Jones - Ironside (TV Theme) 041 Megadeth -  Back in the Day 042 Sly and the Family Stone - Stand! 043 Faith No More -  From Out of Nowhere 044 Willie Hutch-Vampin (The Mack OST 045 Orchid -  Mouths Of Madness 046 Lalo Schifrin - Bullitt OST - On The Way To San Mateo 047 Vince Guaraldi - Woodstock's Dream 048 Fantomas -  4-11-05 049 Violation Wound - Fearmonger + State of Alarm 050 Primus - Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers 051 The Flower Pot Men - Let's Go to San Francisco (Part.1-2) 052 Bosse-de-Nage - Crux 053 Rod McKuen - The Beat Generation 054 Dionne Warwick - Do You Know The Way To San Jose 055 The Watchers - Sabbath Highway 056 Possessed - the eyes of horror 057 Scott McKenzie – San Francisco (Be Sure to wear flowers) 058 Tower Of Power -  Oakland Stroke 059 Big Trouble In Little China OST - Pork chop express 060 Vio-lence -  Calling In The Coroner 061 Black Oak Arkansas - The Big Ones Still Coming 062 Mr. Bungle - Love Is a Fist 063 VUUR -  The Fire - San Francisco 064 Testament - The Haunting 065 Electronicat - Frisco Bay 066 Y&T - Mean Streak 067 Thee Oh Sees -  Toe Cutter/Thumb Buster 068 Sweet - California Nights - Promo Clip (OFFICIAL) 069 Sadus - Swallowed In Black 070 Chuck Berry - San Francisco Dues 071 Sammy Hagar - Keep on rockin' 072 Fuzz -  Sleigh Ride 073 Otis Redding - Sittin' on The Dock of the Bay 074 Pleasure Leftits - The Gate 075 BL'AST - Sometimes 076 Santana - Samba de Sausalito 077 Acephalix - Upon This Altar 078 Sun Ra    - Lady With The Golden Stockings 079 Chris Isaak - San Francisco Days 080 Pointer Sisters - How Long (Betcha' Got A Chick On The Side) 081 High On Fire -  Carcosa 082 Will Haven -  When The Walls Close In 083 The Coup -  Laugh/Love/Fuck 084 King Khan - Teeth Are Shite 085 Deafheaven -  Irresistible 086 Glitter Wizard -  Blood of the Serpent 087 Jefferson Airplane -  It's No Secret 088 Cannonball Adderley - This Here 089 The Warlocks -  Can't Come Down 090 Squirmy Sax Man - I Still Believe 091 Acid King - Coming Down from Outer Space 092 George Duke - Sausalito 093 The Lost Boys - Cry Little Sister (Theme From The Lost Boys OST) 094 Betty Davis - [They Say I'm Different] He Was a Big Freak 095 Fever Tree - San Francisco Girls 096 The Dillinger Escape Plan w/ Mike Patton -  Pig Latin 097 Build Them to Break - Lucky Strike 098 Montrose - Rock Candy 099 PRIMUS - THE TOYS GO WINDING DOWN 100 Joe Satriani - Big Bad Moon 101 Sleater Kinney - Jumpers 102 GRUESOME - Dimensions Of Horror 103 Sly & the Family Stone - Everday People 104 Huey Lewis and the News - Back in Time 105 Hammers Of Misfortune - 2 17th Street 106 Jerry Fielding - Prologue _ Main Title (The Enforcer OST) 107 Metal Church - The Dark 108 Deftones - Ohms 109  John Lee Hooker - Frisco Blues 110 DRI - Go Die 111 16th & Valencia Roxy Music- Devendra Banhart, What We Will Be 112 MC Hammer - Too Legit to Quit 113 Dead Kennedys-Police Truck 114 Rancid - Adina 115 San Francisco's Shiver - Up My Sleeve 116 Bernard Herrmann - Vertigo OST - The Bay 117 Faith No More - Last Cup Of Sorrow 118 Blackburn & Snow -  Stranger In a Strange Land 119 The Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes 120 The Grateful Dead - Sugar Magnolia 121 Cab Calloway - San Francisco Fan 122 The Charlatans - codine 123 Buck Owens - Want To Live In San Francisco 124 Sleep - Dragonaut 125 Death Angel - 5 Steps Of Freedom 126 Neil Young - Heart of Gold 127 Vastum -  Reveries in Autophagia 128 Dead Kennedys -  Moon Over Marin 129 EchoBrain -  Colder World 130 Riz Ortolani    - Lombard Street   131 Waylon Jennings - San Francisco Mabel Joy   132 Con Funk Shun - Confunkshunizeya 133 Chic - Hes the Greatest Dancer 134 Peace Creep - Radio Free Alcatraz   135 ABBA - Santa Rosa 136 Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks - San Fransisco 137 Together Band - California Curl California Girl 138 The Hellers - It's 74 In San Francisco 139 Pat Todd - No Place Like Home 140 Nancy Wilson - I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco (And I Don't Drink At All) 141 Anathema -  San Francisco 142 Blue Cheer -  Fool 143 Exhumed - Gravewalker 144 Darondo - Let My People Go 145 Exodus -  Blood In Blood Out 146 Lalo Schifrin Dirty Harry OST - Scorpios Theme   147 Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues 148 Wild Light - California on my mid 149 Herbie Hancock - Man-child -  Hang Up Your Hang Ups 150 Fantomas -  Spider Baby 151 The Lord Weird Slough Feg -  Headhunter 152 The Animals - San Franciscan Nights 153 Twilight - Dance with Me 154 THE POINTER SISTERS - Yes We Can Can 155 Residents - Hello Skinny 156 CCR HEADCLEANER - Eat This Riff 157 LEON WARE  - Thats Why I Came To California 158 Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Put A Spell On You 159 Comorant - The First Man 160 Bosse-de-Nage  - The Trench 161 Hell Fire - Free Again   162 Riz Ortolani  - Golden Gate Bridge 163 Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun 164 Uther Pendragon - San Francisco Earthquake 165 Melvins - Zodiac 166 La Luz - California Finally 167 The Wyatt Act - Push 168 Santana - Soul Sacrifice 169 Cheap Trick - On the Radio 170 Electric Wizard -  Venus In Furs 171 Led Zeppelin -  Misty Mountain Hop 172 Tommy Castro - Callin' San Francisco 173 Viscious Rumors - Digital Dictator 174 Ghoul-Off With Their Heads 175 Diesel - Sausalito Summernight (Single Version) 176 Sheila E - A Love Bizarre 177 Starship - Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now 178 Jeffry Osboune - I Really Don't Need No Light 179 Nazareth -  Alcatraz 180 Freak of Nature - Rescue Me 181 Metallica - Crash Course In Brain Surgery 182 10000 Maniacs - Hey Jack Kerouac 183 Faith No More -  Get Out 184  URSA -  Wizard's Path 185 Jefferson Airplane - Aerie (Gang of Eagles) 186 Tower of Power - Just Enough and Too Much 187 Fred Hughes - san francisco is a lonely town 188 Mamaleek - Eating Unblessed Meat 189 Moby Grape - Naked If I Want To 190 Exodus - Metal Command 191 Pig Destroyer - Alcatraz Metaphors 192 the Donnas - You Make Me Hot 193 Hot Tuna - True Religion 194 Heathen - Opiate of the Masses 195 Fanny - Come and Hold Me 196 Sadus - Hands Of Fate 197 Negative Trend - Meathouse 198 Forbidden - Forbidden Evil 199 Spazz - Crush Kill Destroy 200 Testament - The Preacher 201 HEXX - Morbid Reality 202 Vio-Lence - Phobophobia 203 Dead Kennedys - One Way Ticket To Pluto 204 Tom Waits - Get Behind The Mule 205 CRETIN - It 206 RAMONES - Judy Is A Punk 207 Full House - Intro 208 Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band - Kerouac 209 Primus - Dirty Drowning Man 210 Wooden Shjips -  Motorbike 211 The Tony Williams Lifetime Ego - Clap City 212 Middle of the Road - Sacramento (A Wonderful Town) 213 Green Day - At the Library 214 Slayer -  Gemini 215 Tetema - Cutlass Eye 216 Defiance - Death Machine 217 Brisco County Jr theme 218 Doug McKechnie - Crazy Ray 219 Ulthar - Furnace Hibernation 220 Mr. Bungle -  ANARCHY UP YOUR ANUS 221 Dirty Ghosts  - Let It Pretend 222 They Might Be Giants - San Francisco (In Situ) 223 Metallica - The Shortest Straw 224 OM - Unitive Knowledge of the Godhead 225 Laaz Rockit - City's Gonna Burn 226 Autopsy - Skullptures 227 Mordred - Spectacle of Fear 228 Sly & the Family Stone - Luv N' Haight 229 Possessed - Seven Churches 230 Machine Head - The Rage to Overcome 231 Thelonius Monk - San Francisco Holiday 232 The Units - The Mission Is Bitchin 233 Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Mistadobalina 234 Arnocorps - Dead lift 235 The Grateful Dead - The Golden Road 236 DRI - All for nothing 237 Jim Martin - Disco dust 238 Thee Oh Sees - I come from the mountain 239 Death Angel - Discontinued 240 Starship - We Built This City 241 Captured! by Robots - Endless Circle of Bullshit 242 Pins Of Light - My revenge 243 Sun Ra - We Travel the Spaceways 244 Faith No More - caffeine 245 David Lee Roth - Just like paradise 246 San Francisco Fog Horns by Golden Gate Bridge 247 Abscess - Tormented 248 Mortuous - Bitterness 249 Dead Kennedy's - California uber alles 250 Twitch Angry - San Francisco 666 Neurosis - Water Is Not Enough

So, hop on a cable car, grab ice cream at Swenson’s or bark back at the seals down by Pier 39. Catch a Bear’s game at Berkeley and do some squirmy sax moves in the Haight after you down some beers at the Toronado and play my San Fran playlist! Here are the songs in the link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1-HLG9q5rZLsqs8EYh6bhu-

[6rookie-writer0110]

Chuck Norris invited the Roman numerals

Maisie Williams x Male Reader

Request- Can you make a fic about the male reader and maisie Williams they've dated since reader had an appearance on got and now they are filming a horror movie together with the reader being the antagonist of the film who's a yandere in love with maisie character and them talking about each other during interviews and saying how fun it was to mess around and scare their friends on set and R always interrupt her interviews and posting photos of them together on set

You first appeared on the show Game of Thrones season 5. You started to get along with the cast and most of your scenes are with Maisie. You and Maisie spent more time together offset. You two would flirt with each other all the time and send flirty texts to each other. You and Maisie made it official when starting to work on season 7 on the show.

The show has been over for a year now, you wanted to take a break. Before the break, you did appear on other shows as a guest star. Her family loves you and she is happy with you.

You are officially not living in California no more. You just got off the airplane when Maisie sees you, she runs to you. She jumped on you and hugged you tight. You or Maisie can't stop smiling and she kissed you. You put her down and kissed her. You temporarily moved to England to spend more time with Maisie.

”So glad you are here,” Maisie said.

”Me too. Just glad to be off the plane and I barely slept and I'm starving” You said.

Once on the car, Maisie drove to a drive-thru and ordered the food. While driving you start to eat fast

”Slow down, Y/N if you choke I won't make it to the hospital in time,” Maisie said.

”I couldn't wait,” You said.

Once at home, you just lie on the bed. Now you feel much better and Maisie lies on top of you. You hold her and you don't want to move.

”So happy we will live together,” You said.

”I think we should get a dog or two,” Maisie said.

”I think we should do it. We have the space to have pets” You said.

”Can’t wait” Maisie smiled.

----

You like living in England with Maisie. Now that you two have time off from work, you and Maisie sleep in and do whatever. Now you and Maisie have three dogs a Dalmatian, Toy Poodle, and brown Labrador Retriever.

You and Maisie took the dogs to the dog park and took pictures of them. Everyone on Instagram loves the pictures. You always spoil them and always buying them toys.

”What do you think about the script?” Maisie asked.

” It's really good and I never did a role like that before,” You said.

”I think we should do it. He has made some really good movies” Maisie said.

You kissed her cheek.

”I do like his movies. I think we will do great and I always wanted to do a horror film” You said.

”We should call our managers,” Maisie said.

Later, Maisie takes you out for dinner. You and Maisie do take pictures together. Then you and Maisie hold hands and walk around the city. Then she took you to a pub and you started to play darts with her.

You and Maisie are at home and she is wearing your shirt to bed. But she wants to cuddle and you get comfortable in bed. She starts to snuggle on you and you start to play with her hair.

✫ ✬ ✯ ✫

You and Maisie got excited to meet horror film director John Carpenter. You asked for a picture with him and he said yes. You and Maisie start to work on the movie, between sets sometimes you would like to scare Maisie. But she does get her revenge and she has scared you before and caught it on video.

You and Maisie do get along with the cast, sometimes you and Maisie go out to dinner or bars with them. You post pictures with them on your Instagram. Your co-star are Jordan Peele and Eiza González, you and Maisie have fun with them.

Today you and Maisie have to do interviews and talk about the movie.

”Tell me, Y/N and Maisie what it was like working on a thriller/horror film?” Mario Lopez asked.

”Its something different for both of us. Y/N plays a character and he is madly in love with my character, but he takes his love to the next level which is very unhealthy in every way. But my character doesn't notice it at first and that's all I’m saying” Maisie said.

”Y/N did you had fun scaring your friends?” Mario Lopez asked.

You have a huge smile. Last week you posted a video on Instagram scaring Maisie and Eiza.

”There were moments we had to shoot dark scenes. So... To lighten up the mood, I start to scare everyone on the set and it's soo much fun. Oh my God, you want to see the pictures?!?!” You excitedly said.

”Yeah, sure,” Mario Lopez said.

”I can't believe you still have it,” Maisie said and she isn't happy about it.

You showed him the video where you scared, Maisie and Eiza in the make-up trailer. You were hiding once they sat down then you jumped out and scared them. You and Mario are laughing and Maisie punched your arm.

”Wow, Y/N I can't believe you did that” Mario laughed.

You hug Maisie and kissed her cheek.

”Babe, don't be mad,” You said and you have your arms around her.

”Maisie, you should forgive him,” Mario Lopez said and you start to pout.

”I will make it up to you, I promise,” You said.

”You better,” Maisie said.

You high five Mario.

”Is Y/N always like this?” Mario Lopez asked her.

She nods.

”He always does something stupid and he ends up getting hurt,” Maisie said.

”She likes her boyfriend to be stupid" You said.

”I'm dating you" Maisie said.

”Exactly," You said.

-------

You and Maisie are still doing interviews for the movie, on the Jimmy Kimmel show.

”Babe, you look beautiful,” You said.

You and Maisie are backstage and you can't stop looking at her.

”You are very handsome,” Maisie said.

You blushed and she gave you a peck on the lips.

During the interview, Jimmy showed a picture that Maisie posted on her Instagram.

The photo was taken when you and Maisie were on set. It’s Maisie having a scared look and you hugging her from behind a scary smile with a caption saying

I may be a psychopath but I'm your’s whether you like it or not.

”Y/N that is a very creepy picture” Jimmy laughed.

”I was still in character,” You said.

”While shooting the movie, he did a great job making everyone feel uncomfortable for the movie. But he is still my crazy boyfriend” Maisie said.

You smiled and you are holding her hand.

”I won't let her go,” You said.

”You guys are so cute together. I can't wait to see this movie” Jimmy said.

✫ ✬ ✯ ✫

Maisie is at home with the dogs and she is waiting for you to come home. You and Maisie moved out of the condo and moved into a house. You come home with a box with holes on it, you can't stop smiling.

”Y/N, why are you holding a box?” Maisie asked.

”If I tell you, promise you won't get mad,” You said.

”Oh, I'm scared now,” Maisie said.

”Don’t be scared. This will make you smile” You said.

You bend down to open the box and a baby tiger comes out.

”Y/N!” Maisie yelled.

”Don’t worry, I didn't steal it from the zoo. I didn't have the manpower to do it, the meaning is no fun to do it alone. Can we keep it please” You said.

The baby tiger tries to roar.

”How did you even get it!?” Maisie said.

”I legally adopted the baby tiger. Look how cute it is” You said.

You pick up the baby tiger and you want Maisie to pet it.

”Y/N, I can't believe you. I can't say no to that face. What do baby tigers even eat” Maisie said.

”I don't know but let's find out on Google,” You said.

You and Maisie play with the baby tiger and take pictures. Later, checked on Google of what do baby tigers eat.

[miracalicethebookgirl]

The Phony and the Famous Pt. 3

AO3 

Pt 1. Pt 2. 

Summary: Lila spreads lies about being famous with worldwide connections to increase her local popularity. She’s confident that Marinette will never be able to prove otherwise. What she, and even Marinette herself, don’t realize is that Marinette won’t have to do any of that to come out on top. - A story in which everything Lila lies about, Marinette turns into reality for herself, usually unknowingly (our girl is quite the lucky one, after all).

“Yes, I suffer from tinnitus, a constant ringing in my left ear. I've had it ever since the sound of an airplane engine burst my eardrum on the runway when I was saving Jagged Stone's lost kitten.”

Season 3, “Chameleon”

... 

Fang was a simple creature.

He was hatched straight into the hands of the human he now called his owner and raised among those who often cowered from him. Very rarely did a human try to test Fang’s temper, so he grew up rather tame. His owner fed him well and presented him with many interesting gifts, most of which were quickly chewed through within days, if not hours. When Fang was not feeding or playing (or taking delightful baths), he would walk with and rest near and carefully watch his owner, for Jagged was a human worth Fang’s avid attention.

He could see when his owner was happy and content. It happened most when Jagged’s frequent companion—that human with the clipboard in her hands and the phone to hear ear, “Penny” she was called—would smile at him. It was even easier to tell when his owner was irritated and upset. Such moments were less frequent but still happened once or twice a week. Fang was now very accustomed to emitting a loud hiss on sight of the annoying man with the sunglasses and clanky jewelry.

And so Fang had his routine. Eat, play with his owner, sleep, growl happily at Jagged and his friends, hiss at the rabble, lounge in the bath, repeat (some steps more often than others).

Sure, Fang was unusual for a crocodile, but he was still a simple creature.

…

There was one girl who Fang recently began to see often. She was one of the few he was happy to ask for pets from, considering his owner always shouted happily when he saw her.

His owner called the girl “Marinette” or something of the like, but Fang thought her name should be Treats because she typically brought a box of cookies with her on her visits. Normally Fang wouldn’t care for human foods, but ever since the girl began bringing a variety of meaty snacks for Fang along with the cookies, the crocodile learned to become just as excited by her presence as his owner.

She was also very kind to Fang. Sure, she was reluctant to approach him at first as most humans do, but Fang understood that was how humans protected themselves. It proved she was a cautious one, yet also a brave and understanding one when Fang noticed that over time she became more comfortable with him, allowing him to nuzzle against her legs and growl in joy before climbing atop some furniture to beg for treats.

So one day, it was with little fuss that Fang allowed himself to be led out of the usual hotel by Treats. As a crocodile, he understood just enough that he would be in her care for the day.

Together, they walked down the streets of Paris. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and nearby humans consistently gave them a wide berth on the sidewalk with horror on their faces. Just how Fang liked it.

He prided himself on being able to keep the massive crowds away from his owner when they traveled around the world. Under Fang’s watch, not once did a “rabid fan” lay their hands on even the hair from his owner’s head.

Well…except for that one time one of those “fans” managed to zap Fang with a bright light, thus sending the crocodile to some empty white place.

But that was neither here nor there.

Treats was watching Fang for the day, yes, but that also meant Fang would watch out for her.

“Wow, Marinette! You weren’t kidding when you said you were pet-sitting a crocodile today!”

And there it was. The first test.

As soon as the two of them entered a park through its gated entrance, a tall boy came running at them, followed by a few others. Fang was quick to intercept as he maneuvered himself in front of Treats and snapped his jaw in the air once. The boy instantly recoiled.

“Whoa!”

“Sorry, Kim! Fang doesn’t like it when strangers come too close.”

“Unsurprising. Crocodiles tend to get aggressive when their space is invaded and considering their large size, that space can span a couple meters radius from their body. I can’t quite tell if Fang is of the freshwater or saltwater variety, but I can tell you that 95% of attacks on humans are caused by provocation no matter what species the crocodile is.”

“That’s a pretty good explanation. Thank you, Max,” Treats said as she bent down to pat Fang’s head. “Fang is just really protective of his owner and it extends to other people he likes. It takes some time for him to know a person so best to keep your distance for today.”

The first boy slumped. “Aw, man.”

Fang turned his snout away. That was the human’s problem. No way was Fang going to let his guard down just from some pitiful look.

By then, more young humans had gathered around but stayed far away, much to Fang’s satisfaction. They seemed to be friends with Treats, judging by her easy smile as she conversed with them, so he figured he’d keep his hissing to a minimum.

The afternoon passed peacefully in the park. Treats’ friends came and went without bothering Fang much as he lounged in a sunpatch.

He kept a watchful eye on one boy, though, who seemed a little too familiar with the girl. When the boy placed a hand on her shoulder, Fang let out a quiet warning hiss only to be met by a short hiss from the boy himself. It was oddly high for a human and the others didn’t seem to hear. Fang retaliated by crawling over and draping himself over Treats’ lap.

She let out an indignant squawk but Fang ignored it, reptilian eyes focused on the boy who had smartly moved away when Fang had approached. All the boy could do then was narrow his eyes at the crocodile momentarily before his face smoothed over and he went back to smiling at Treats.

If his cold-blooded body had allowed it, Fang would have scoffed.

Crocodiles may be simple creatures. But cats were even more so.

…

At some point, Fang became hungry.

He plodded a circle around Treats, who by then had moved to sitting on a bench as she struck up conversation with more friends. He rumbled and groaned for attention, which she was quick to give, and he delicately snapped his jaws at her to indicate his hunger.

“Oh, no! That alligator is about to eat Marinette!” came a shrieking from the distance.

Fang’s jaws clamped shut as he was quick to look for said alligator so he could fight it. Maybe he could make a meal out of it because such a scuffle would take a lot of him.

He was ignorant to the random screaming that erupted from all around the park while Treats’ friends spread out to try and calm people. Fang huffed.

Seriously, how was he supposed to find the alligator with all the chaos?

He turned back to Treats to see her glaring at another human girl. Ah, this must be another test. Perhaps the girl cried alligator as a ruse to distract Fang.

“No, really!” the girl continued. “I’ve seen rabid reptiles before and this one just isn’t safe! They latch onto one prey and they’ll keep on chasing no matter what you do! We have to get Marinette away from that alligator!”

Humans around the park hadn’t stopped running every which way while Treats’ friends looked on uncertainly. It confused Fang, because he still did not know what alligator the girl was screaming about. So he simply plodded closer to Treats and nuzzled her leg, hoping she would clear things up for him.

She must’ve understood crocodile language because thankfully her next words cleared things up for everyone.

“Lila!” Treats shouted reproachfully. “You need to be quiet for five seconds so I can explain to you and everyone else in this park that it’s all a misunderstanding. I am absolutely safe right where I am!” Her expression reminded Fang of when Penny would stand up eerily straight with a glare and somehow tower over his owner despite being much shorter. Needless to say, the posture and tone got the girl to shut up just as quick as Jagged would.

Treats marched over to this “Lila” and Fang was quick to follow. At least until Treats turned back to him and kindly motioned him to stay. Fang was a good crocodile so he did as he was told. The friends kept their distance.

“Now listen here, Lila,” she started off quietly once she stood just a meter away from the girl. “I need you to remain calm because panic from you and panic from everyone else is not going to solve anything. Fang is a completely tame crocodile and though he might look threatening, he knows better than to attack anyone. In fact he’s lived with humans his entire life.”

Fang nodded in satisfaction. He understood now that the girl thought he was the alligator. How silly. But an unfortunately common mistake.

The other humans seemed to share the same sentiment. Many of them nodded and smiled in relief. The Lila girl however, notably did not look reassured. If anything, she looked about ready to burst into tears.

“But Marinette! I thought you knew that I’m deathly afraid of crocodiles. I was traumatized as a child when I had to save baby flamingos from a herd of them in Africa!” And then she covered her eyes with her hands and actually started to cry. “How could you ignore that and do this to me!” she wailed.

Okay, Fang felt kind of bad at this point. He was sure Treats would never purposefully scare someone but he didn’t want to stick around any longer if a human was so terrified of him.

A few of Treats’ friends rushed over to the crying girl and tried to comfort her but they also defended Treats.

“I’m sure Marinette didn’t mean any harm!”

“Yeah, she didn’t even know most of us would be at the park today.”

“Come on, Lila, maybe we should get you home?”

Treats herself took a step back to let the others surround Lila. She held a frown on her face but said, “If Lila needs some time to calm down then Fang and I will head out first. Better to take away the cause of her trauma immediately, right? Besides, it’s about time we get him back to Jagged anyway.”

Some heads perked up at that.

The cat-boy from earlier, who stood apart from the crowd (and noticeably much closer to Treats) had a little glint in his eye. “That’s right! Fang is Jagged Stone’s beloved pet crocodile. Pretty neat that you were the first person he thought of to pet-sit for him. He must trust you a lot.”

Lila had been taken to sit at a far off bench by then, but Fang’s crocodile senses allowed him to hear that her sobbing had stopped and surprisingly a low growl had replaced it. One glance at her and he could spot the fury and shock in her eyes, unseen by anyone else.

If Fang had eyebrows he’d have raised them so high up. He settled for a confused hiss.

He really wished humans were simpler creatures.

Most of Treats’ friends wandered back to them after seeing that Lila had calmed down considerably and they excitedly began to ask Treats questions about Fang’s owner.

She just raised her hands up placatingly and shook her head, insisting that she get Fang back to the hotel to avoid any other mishaps. It made Fang a little sad to go back indoors so soon, but he didn’t put up a fuss. He just waited patiently as Treats finally turned around to walk over to him.

However, as soon as she looked in Fang’s direction, Treats’ eyes widened and she screamed his name. Almost too fast for his eyes to follow, she sprinted towards him before scooping his entire body into her arms and lifting him above her head.

Nobody moved for several seconds as a large runaway food cart went speeding through the exact spot Fang had been in.

The cart crashed into a nearby tree and a man—probably the owner—rushed by in distress, a constant stream of apologies spilling out of his mouth.

Fang felt himself being lowered to the ground. When he turned to look at Treats, he saw that everyone looked as gobsmacked as he felt, even the heroic girl herself.

“Holy kwami,” Fang barely heard cat-boy say under his breath. The sound of his whisper seemed to break the group out of their trance.

“DC, that was insane!” shouted the tall boy from before. “You just deadlifted a massive beast! Max, how heavy was that?!”

“U-uh, let’s see. Based on Fang’s size, he could be anywhere from 80 to 85 kg (approx. 175-188 lbs).”

“She reacted so fast I didn’t even see her move!”

“My girl’s always been on another level. Guess I didn’t realize how much until now.”

“Marinette saved Fang’s life! Ooh, we’ve got to post this!”

While her friends continued to chatter in amazement among themselves, Treats didn’t even notice them. She merely stared at Fang in relief before she patted him on the head. He looked up at her in question.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” she sighed and slumped forward. “That was way too close.”

Fang was sure he could have handled it just fine, but was thankful nonetheless. He showed his gratitude by giving a low grumble and nuzzling her hand.

Soon the other humans finally calmed down, allowing Treats and Fang to leave the park. Treats herself seemed paranoid on the walk back, looking every which way to make sure danger didn’t come flying at them again. Meanwhile Fang made sure she didn’t accidentally walk into a busy road or run into objects.

They met with Jagged and Penny back in the hotel suite and were immediately brought into a group hug by the man.

“Marinette, your rock n’ roll heroic deed went viral and it’s all anyone’s been talking about for the past hour. I may have written a song about Ladybug and Chat Noir but I think I’m gonna dedicate it to everyday heroes like you, next time I perform it!”

The girl stuttered out some response while his owner kept shouting happily about this and that. Fang ignored it and ambled over to the couch to take a nap, something he felt he earned after such an exciting day.

He was a simple creature after all.

[iliketowrite1996]

My Life Now

@chaneajoyyy quarantine Part 10/10 of Steve Rogers x Reader!Fic 

art by Rachel Szo on fearuted society6.com

 1:https://iliketowrite1996.tumblr.com/post/614617294578089984/his-best-girl

Part 2: https://iliketowrite1996.tumblr.com/post/614969499334197248/meet-the-music-teacher

Part 3: https://iliketowrite1996.tumblr.com/post/616114724817584128/lunch-buddies

Part 4:https://iliketowrite1996.tumblr.com/post/616328582794493952/why-not

Part 5: https://iliketowrite1996.tumblr.com/post/616965238563192832/blind-dates-part-1-sneak-peek

Part 6: https://iliketowrite1996.tumblr.com/post/617069920649412608/blind-dates-part-2

Part 7:  https://iliketowrite1996.tumblr.com/post/617392023489609728/as-a-friend

Part 8: https://iliketowrite1996.tumblr.com/post/617671766270263296/where-does-that-leave-us

Part 9:https://iliketowrite1996.tumblr.com/post/617671741879336960/next-step

 TRIGGER WARNINGS AND THEMES- looking back on memories, mentions of former crushes and deceased loved ones. 

4 years later

 Steve Rogers is sleepy.

    Steve Rogers is sleepy, and he hasn’t even had time for his morning cup of coffee for the day.

    Steve Rogers is sleepy, he hasn’t even had time for his morning cup of coffee for the day, and his kids are working his last nerve before 10 o’clock in the morning.

    In case you were wondering, that’s how the first Saturday of summer vacation is going. 

    ‘’James, eat your peaches. Otherwise I’ll have to tell mommy, and there will be no dessert for you this evening.

    James Samuel Anthony Rogers pouts up at his dad, but he obediently pinches his chopped pieces of peach, placing a bit into his mouth before humming appreciatively at the fruit’s sweet flavor.

    ‘’That’s my boy,’’ Steve kisses his head as he goes pass, sitting in the chair next to the three-year-old’s booster chair at their new kitchen table, ‘’You’ve got to set a good example for your big brother, bud.’’

    In Steve’s arms is your eight month old daughter- Natasha Rae Anne is beaming up at him as he holds her, ready to feed ehr next.

    Natasha is named after her godmother, who nearly burst into tears when she was asked to carry on this honor.

    ‘’What’s that mean,’’ James asks, taking his sippy cup to drink some of his milk.   

    ‘’It means that you have to do the right thing and show her some of the ropes so that she doesn't’ get into trouble and is safe,’’ Steve explains, ‘’Like how Jasmine and Olivia do for the two of you.’’

    ‘’Oh, okay,’’ James shrugs, continuing to swing his legs and eat his snack as Steve finishes setting up baby Natasha’s breakfast.

    ‘’Okay, sweet pea,’’ Steve begins, pressing a kiss to Natasha’s ebony black curls before beginning to spoon feed her, ‘’Time for some mashed sweet potatoes.’’

    Natasha, for her part, hates vegetables. She’ll spit them back up, leaving you, Steve or one of her older siblings to dutifully spoon them back into her mouth so that she can get her nutrients.

    ‘’The baby doesn’t like it, dad.’’

    ‘’I don’t blame her, son. Maybe she’ll eat some of her cereal puffs,’’ Steve shrugs before shouting, ‘’Jasmine!’’

    He hears a huff that he elects to ignore before the now seventeen year old comes around the corner, bobby pins in her mouth and hands working in her hair, ‘’Hmm?’’

    ‘’Take the bobby pins out of your mouth and come here,’’ he instructs, and Jasmine lets go of her hair to pocket the bobby pins and listen to her dad.

    Jasmine has grown into a beautiful young woman. She’s smart, funny, and continues to bring joy to both yours and Steve’s lives. This summer, she’s got some amazing plans. Her aunt is taking her to the lake with her nephew, Pepper managed to get her a tour of the college that she’s considering going to in order to study music, Natasha is taking her for a girls’ day at the spa next weekend, Sam and Bucky are helping her with ehr college applications, and Toni- much to Steve’s horror- bought her a car last year for her sixteenth birthday.Right now, she is currently attempting a new hairstyle by adding hair to her own ponytail, and Steve is interrupting the process.

    ‘’What is it, dad?’’

    ‘’Can you get your little sister her puffs? I’d ask james to do it, but…’’

    The duo look to where James is currently eating the peaches that he’s spread all over his plastic place mat, pretending like they are airplanes and flying them into his mouth.

    He’s a sticky, epach covered mess, but he’s not bothering anybody, so Steve leaves it alone.

    ‘’Enough said,’’ Jasmine nods, strolling over to the counter to scoop dome of the puffs into a small, rectangular bowl for Natasha, ‘’here you go, dad.’’

    ‘’Thank you, Jazzy. What are you doing your hair so early for,’’ Steve questions, allowing Natasha to feed herself the cereal puffs while he monitors closely.

    ‘’Just going out with DeShawn,’’ Jasmine shrugs casually, ‘’We’re going on a picnic.’’

    Despite her reservedness, Steve can see right through her. She’s just like Petra and himself in that way. She and DeShawn have been dating for a few months now- four, he thinks. He is pretty much in love with her, and he’s guessing that Jasmine has just come around to the realization that she feels the same way he does.

    ‘’Aww, no more Peter Parker?’’

    Jasmine groans then,remembering her crush on her former tutor, ‘’Dad! He’s like so much older than me, and he’s forgotten about it, let it go!’’

    Steve laughs at this, watching her try to cover her own smirk, ‘’Okay, okay. Go ahead and finished getting ready for your date.’’

    ‘’I think I’ll watch James up first,’’ she notes his sticky hands and face, ‘’Come on, James. Let’s go wash up and you can watch some TV.’’

    Jasmine picks her brother up, placing him on her hip and exiting the kitchen just in time for Olivia to join them.

    ‘’What did he even eat,’’ Olivia questions to which Jasmine snorts.

    ‘’Dad gave him peaches,’’ Jasmine explains carrying her little brother around the corner as she does so.

    ‘’Dad, you know he’s not  good with peaches, right,’’ Olivia quivers an eyebrow at the parent in front of her, who shrugs noncommittally.

    ‘’Slipped my mind.’’

    In the past year or so, Olivia has taken to calling Steve her dad. He’s been there or her so much thus far, and she considers no one else when asked about her dad. He loves her, she loves him and that’s all it is to them.

    ‘’Where’s your mother,’’ Steve questions, wiping some crumbs from Natasha’s face as she joyfully munches on her cereal.

    ‘’She’s taking a shower,’’ Olivia responds, reaching into the cabinet for some cereal of her own, ‘’She said she’ll be out soon.’’

    Olivia has grown into a kind young woman, too, and is now eleven years old. She managed to skip another grade, and is now in the seventh grade at a magnet school for arts and science. She’s rocking her grades, but it’s a boarding school in Brooklyn. This is her first weekend home in a  month, now that the school year is over, since she stayed to work on final projects and term papers.

    ‘’You don’t want any pancakes or anything? A nice home cooked meal?’’

    She raises an eyebrow at him yet again, looking so much like him when she does that.

    ‘’You burnt eggs last Sunday before church.’’

    ‘’How do you  even know that? You weren’t even here?’’

    ‘’Word travels. Jasmine talks. I’m good with cereal,’’ Olivia responds, pouring hr cereal and milk into a bowl before sitting down at her usual spot at the table, ‘’Are you taking mom anywhere?’’

    Today, the two of you are celebrating the first Saturday of summer. You’ve been tired and working, too, trying to get the kids to where they need to be.  Steve takes James to preschool, you take Nat to her babysitter’s place, and the two of you make your way to your work places. After work, Steve picks up Nat, and you pick up Joshua. Jasmine usually gets money in the morning to pick up dinner on nights where you don’t have to wait for her to get done with practice, or she makes dinner if it’s not a church night.

    ‘’We’re going to go to the movies without you kids,’’ Steve Adams waiting to see his daughter’s reaction.

    ‘’Joke’s on you, I’d rather watch them at home,’’ she shrugs, causing Steve to laugh as she eats her cereal.

    ‘’You’re not funny,’’ he says despite his own reaction, picning Natasha up, ‘’Okay, I think she just pooped herself. I’m gonna change her.’’

    ‘’I’ll clean the table when I get through eating,’’ Olivia commits, and Steve thanks her before heading into your bedroom to change his baby girl.

    The two of you converted your small home office into a small room for Joshuam, and Natasha sleeps in your room. When Jasmine heads to college, you’ll more than likely move Olivia to her room, Joshua to Olivia’s, and Natasha will have her own room.

    ‘’Stinky,’’ Steve makes a show of covering his nose to shield it from the scent of Natashas diaper, causing the baby to laugh at the silliness of her dad.

    ‘’You’re so overly dramatic,’’ you peak, causing Steve to look up at you.

    You’ve just emerged from your shared bathroom, cloaked in your robe and donning a towel on your head. 

    ‘’Well hello to you, too, honey.’’

    ‘’Baby, why didn’t you wake me up,’’ you sit on the bed handing him a diaper form Natasha’s changing table, ‘’What’s that all about?’’

    ‘’You looked so peaceful,’’ he shrugged, ‘’I let you sleep.’’

    ‘’You’re just as tired as I am,’’ you protest, to which he snorts.

    ‘’I don’t stay up till twelve watching television. I’m an early bird. You're A night owl.’’

    ‘’Yeah, because your baby doesn’t sleep, Steve.’’

    ‘’How is she only my baby when she doesn’t sleep,’’ Steve finishes changing her diaper as you pull her into your arms, pressing kisses to her tiny face while Stev discards the dirty diaper and wipes.

    ‘’You’re annoying,’’ you roll your eyes playfully, causing your husband to chuckle freely at your wit.

    ‘’Same to you, boo.’’

    He kisses your forehead then your lips before you recline in bed, Natahsa pressed to your chest as you gently hum.

    Steve is beaming ear-to-ear, having worried for so many years that he would never have this after he lost Petra. But here you are, and he’s so happy. You’ve got two beautiful kids together, and you treat your biological kids just the same. 

    And you, with no makeup on, just having gotten up from the morning, humming as your baby girl begins to close her eyes to go to sleep…  he has never been more in love  with any image. 

    ‘’Want me to make you some coffee, babe?’’

    ‘’Please,’’ you nod, ‘Her eyes are fluttering back open. There’s no way she’s going to sleep.’’

    Steve exits to do  as you request, and returns to see the baby girl sitting next to you, propped up on some pillows as you lean back against your bed, scrolling through the channels to find something that will keep your baby’s limited interest.

    ‘’She gets this from you,’’ you jest, ‘’Being picky.’’

    ‘’I’m not picky. My standards are high. Wouldn’t have married you if they weren’t,’’ Steve confesses, pressing a kiss to your lips and placing the coffee in your hands.

    ‘’Nice save, Rogers,’’ you compliment, ‘’Thank you, babe.’’

    ‘’No problem,’’ Steve grins yet again, pulling your daughter into his laps as he leans back against the pillows with you, ‘’So. What are we watching?’’

    Your day goes pretty lazily.  You feed your middle kids, make sure that James and at take their naps. Make sure Olivia takes some time to rest instead of just moving around trying to help, and wait for Jasmine to get back from her date.

    That night, at  about six, you try to watch a movie with your babies.

    The operative  word there being ‘’try’’.

    Natasha is whining, and is currently being switched back and forth between you and Steve each time that you do, Olivia is in the middle of the bed,  with James lying on his stomach right next to her. Jasmine is currently sitting in the arm chair, multi-tasking between braiding her hair and eating.

    It’s chaotic but it’s family centered,which is nice.

    ‘’I don’t get this movie.’’

    ‘’He’s the bad guy,’’ James  boos, and you do your best to stifle a laugh.

    You fail.

    ‘’Yeah, Jay. He’s the bad guy,’’ Jasmine agrees, watching the cartoon villian run away from the hero, ‘’Who's your favorite hero?’’

    James points to the sole female hero, who is running across the screen now.

    ‘’Good choice,’’ Steve approves, shifting so that Natasha is lying against his chest, ‘’Jazzy, come put your sister in her crib, please.’’

    The oldest child rises from her chair, pulling the baby into her arms before gently placing her in her crib, ‘’She sleeps through everything.’’

    ‘’Finally,’’ you mumble, stretching out a bit before James moves so that he cuddled up between you and Steve, ‘’Hi there.’’

    ‘’Hi, mommy.Hi, daddy,’’ he snuggles beneath the colors establishing the fact that he’ll be there until Steve transports him to his bedroom later.

    ‘’Hey, son,’’ Steve tucks the blanket around him, before settling in to finish the movie with your oldest three children.

    This is what he’s always dreamed of. He always thought he’d have it with Petra, but he’s glad to have you as his life partner, someone who's right by his side.

    And he’s not sure what tomorrow will bring, but for today, he’s food.

    Because as far as he is concerned, God has blessed him with unexpected gifts, and it’s only going to get better from here.

The End

DISCLAIMER- I own no rights to any of the Marvel characters or their fictional world, planets, galaxies, etc.

 @ashanti-notthesinger @destinio1 @afraiddreamingandloving @airis-paris14 @syreanne @chaneajoyyy @90sinspiredgirl @shemiahsmelanin @zillmonger @skysynclair19 @marvelpotterlove @constantlycravingtheunknown @imaginewhoever @wakanda-inspired @pocmarvelworks @theunsweetenedtruth @dreampovx @adrioola21 @supremethunda @thisiskayesworld @mcusocialimagines @priya212  @kumkaniudaku  @airis-paris14 @alexundefined @fonville-designs  @dramaqueenamby  @mellowjellow6 @oceanscorazon @nerd-lovely @fonville-designs @akimi-youngblood @yoyolovesbucky @fd-writes @areubeingserved-too​ @areubeingserved​ @thisbrokencapulet @squeackygee @melidris1  @honeydew-melanin​

[ladyreapermc]

Fic: This isn’t a rom-com 14/17

Author’s notes: we’re getting closer to the end. I’m thinking I’m just gonna post the last three chapters daily so it can end on Monday. Also I wrote two possible finales for this and I still have no clue each one to go for. Make your bets on what’s gonna happen!

Summary: Keanu and Lilah meet at the set of John Wick. Rom-com shenanigans ensues

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6  Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13

Wordcount: 2385

Warnings: a lot of yearning, a tiny bit of angst, but nothing too serious.

As Keanu stepped into the airplane that would take him to Tokyo, his chest felt tight and heavy and his head was a jumble of confused thoughts. He knew he wouldn’t get a wink of sleep the entire flight. Not that he ever managed to sleep in red eyes anyway, but in any other situation he would at least be able to distract himself with the book he brought along or with inflight movies. Tonight, Keanu knew the only thing he would manage to do was think about Lilah and the fight they had.  

This was the one thing he did not miss about relationships, about letting people that close to him. The ability they gained to hurt him. Not that Keanu didn’t do his fair share of hurting. He was quite aware he had been very petty bringing Pierce into the entire mess, but Keanu just couldn’t help himself. He lashed out when he was scared and when she mentioned Oxford, terror and dread overtook him.

They had known each other for about two months. Had been dating, really dating, for not even a month properly, but the thought of losing Lilah was terrifying. Right now, just knowing that he would be away from her for a few days, especially with all the uncertainty that hung over them, made Keanu feel like he left a piece of himself behind in New York. No matter what he did, he couldn’t shake that feeling.

He let out a heavy sigh, making the person sitting next to him look over. He just flashed a quick smile of apology and went back to stare out of the window of the plane. Keanu still couldn’t believe he was this hopeless in love with her after such a short time.

Sure, he realized his feelings had been running deeper than just infatuation that first night they argued about her father, but he didn’t really realize he was in it this deep. Not until tonight.

Keanu should have been more careful. He should have been smarter than this. He had been here before. He had given his whole heart and it had been wrenched out of his chest, smashed and torn, leaving him reeling and barely able to function.

When he picked himself up from that mess, Keanu promised he wouldn’t allow himself to fall like that again. He had been mostly successful at it; keeping his shields up and people would eventually turn away. There was always affection and care for whoever Keanu decided to date, but he never let it progress into something else. He had that pattern fine-tuned down to an art in the last decade. Sometimes it felt as natural as breathing.  

He still couldn’t quite understand how Lilah managed to break through that. It took Keanu by surprise, but not really. He saw the warning signs and had every opportunity to turn away, but he didn’t. Because Lilah had been such a breath of fresh air with her honesty and openness and earnestness. With the way that she never asked of him more than he was willing or ready to give. How she accepted him and liked him for what he was, not what she wanted him to be or something she made up in her head. Not many people did that, and Keanu found himself letting his walls down just enough for Lilah to sneak under the wire and lodged herself so deep it suddenly felt like she had always been there and he was just discovering it like a buried treasure.

And now Keanu was scared shitless because he didn’t want to lose her, but he didn’t know what to do either. Because part of him wanted to be with her no matter the cost. That hopeless dreamer that he thought he had lost so long ago didn’t care about the damn age gap or what the rest of the world would think of it. Keanu would move to New York or England or wherever the hell she wanted, if that’s what it took. Because he needed Lilah in his life.

The saner part of him, the one who had loved and lost knew it wasn’t healthy, not for himself and not for Lilah. This part of him knew that he couldn’t interfere with this choice in any way, at least not any more than he already did by offering to pay tuition and helping her through it. Keanu shouldn’t even have done that. He had hadn’t been aware of the weight her father’s wishes had on Lilah’s decision. The second he pushed her Keanu wasn’t being any better than her father was. And that was the last thing he wanted.

At the same time, the thought of Lilah giving up something that was obviously her dream broke his heart and every fiber of his being was screaming him to fix it; to make it better. Because he loved her, and it killed him to see her hurting like this. But Keanu knew that wasn’t what Lilah needed. She didn’t need a hero. Someone to fix things for her. She needed someone to be there for her, no matter what. So that was what Keanu was going to be. The supporting partner she needed, even if the uncertainty of her choice was almost driving him crazy.

With a new sigh, Keanu picked up his book from his jacket pocket, snorting at the cover. He had left home in such a hurry that he forgot the book he had separated to take with him so he stopped by at the airport bookstore to pick something else. The second he laid his eyes on this, he knew he needed to take it. It was Keanu's way to stay close to Lilah even miles apart.

He settled a little more comfortably on his seat and started reading The Shining. Keanu went through almost half before his eyes demanded a break and he put it aside again, smiling because he could almost hear her at every page; her thoughts on this or that scene. She had gone into a lengthy discussion on this book and Stephen King’s work in general, as well as her love for horror books and movies. He had never really thought about it as she did, as an exploration of the human psyche. It was an interesting take.

When he finally landed in Tokyo, Keanu fought the urge to call Lilah, check how she was doing. This was the moment to give her space, let her come up with her answer on her own. Instead, he decided for a text to let her know he arrived safely. He did the same for the rest of his family as he headed to his hotel.

Keanu was exhausted, physically and emotionally and as soon as he got to his room he pretty much passed out. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept for eight hours straight in the past few months, but he woke up to the sound of his phone, his publicist name flashing on the screen. It was time to get ready for the first round of photocall and interviews.

The thing Keanu hated the most about doing press for a movie premiere was that there were always so many things happening at once. He would come out of something and head straight into another with barely enough time to eat or have a smoke or check his phone. And that was how most of his days in Tokyo went in the time he had there. He only managed one afternoon free and he used it to buy some gifts for his friends and family.

Despite all, Keanu really enjoyed the trip. He had always been much fonder of Eastern culture and philosophy than Western. It was also quite nice to meet his fellow cast members for 47 Ronin again. As well as the director. Debuting the film in Japan, considering it was a tale of Japanese culture just felt fitting. The right kind of homage.

But as he headed to the airport at the end of his fourth day, Keanu was anxious to get back since he couldn’t get his head out of New York. Part of it was his worry about how much he was hindering John Wick’s production by being away. Even if it was just for a week. Chad and Dave assured him that they had come up with a plan, so they wouldn’t get too behind schedule and both of them understood that this was the sort of commitment that Keanu couldn’t say no, but he was still worried.

Keanu also couldn’t wait to get back to Lilah, see how she was and if she made up her mind about anything yet. Since they were in such different time zones and his schedule had been so full, they hadn’t managed to speak directly to each other. Only a few text messages throughout the day and he hated it. Apparently, he had grown used to their daily phone calls.  

He settled in one of the seats in the airport lounge, leaning his head back and closing his eyes as he heaved a long sigh as he waited for his flight to start boarding. Keanu was exhausted. All he wanted was to sleep. Fortunately, his publicist managed to book him a better flight this time, but he was probably gonna get to New York in the middle of the night. He was almost drifting off when he got a call from Karina. Doing a quick calculation on his head, Keanu winced at how early she must be up to be calling him.

“How come I had to hear from Kim that you’re dating someone?” she asked as soon as he picked up and Keanu rolled her eyes fondly at his baby sister.

“Well, hello to you too dear sister. How are you doing? I’m good, thanks for asking.”

“Oh, screw that!” she said with a huff. “Just give me the details because all Kim told me was that you met her at the set, was head over heels and being an idiot about telling how you felt.”

Keanu chuckled, pushing his hair away from his face. He really needed to call home more often. They were both a little out of the loop.

“I can’t talk much,” he said with a quick glance around. Everyone seemed to be minding their own businesses, but Keanu knew that didn’t mean anything. “So yes or no questions.”

“Fine,” Karina huffed. “She’s an aspiring actress?”

“No.”

“Good. She’s probably not dating you to advance her own career,” she said, and Keanu let out a long sigh, his argument with Lilah coming to mind.

“Definitely not that.”

They went back and forth with a few questions, Keanu chuckling slightly at Karina’s growing frustration, but he wasn’t crazy to talk about his personal business in a crowded airport. Even if he was in a private area.

“I wanna see her,” Karina said, and he winced. Keanu should’ve known that was coming. “Come on. Pictures. I know you have them”.

With a sigh, he pulled his phone away from his ear to browse his gallery, trying to pick one picture of Lilah to send Karina. Keanu smiled to himself because he noticed he had quite a few. She was fond of sending random selfies, which he really appreciated.

He picked the one they took on the mirror, maybe his favorite picture of them so far and sent it to Karina.

“She’s beautiful,” Karina said after a moment’s pause. Keanu smiled and just hummed in agreement. “Way out of your league.”

“If you’re gonna be an ass I’m gonna hang up,” he threatened with a snort.

“No, no!” she said chuckling. “I liked her Matrix shirt.”

“Me too,” he admitted with a smile. Keanu had really loved to see her with that shirt. Almost as much as he liked seeing her in one of his.

“Oh, man! You’re so in love!” she teased, and Keanu could feel himself blushing. He lowered his head, letting his hair block his face from view. “I can hear it in your voice. I can see in your face in that picture.”

“Yes,” Keanu breathed out. There was no point in pretending otherwise. His family knew him too well anyway.

“She makes you happy?”

“Very,” he said with a smile and he could hear his sister smiling on the other side too, as well as his phone beeping to signal low battery.

“Good. That’s all we all care about. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Keanu said, noticing his flight was about to board. “I gotta go. Talk to you when I get home.”

The flight back went a little better. Keanu actually managed to nap a little, but every inch of him felt stiff and ached when he finally landed in New York. His phone had died mid-flight and since he didn’t really want to give the entire airport a view of his dirty laundry by digging through his carry-on for his charger, Keanu hailed a cab instead of calling the car service he usually used.

The driver was a nice guy who recognized him immediately and asked for an autograph, which he didn’t have the heart to refuse. When the man asked for his destination, Keanu hesitated, checking the time before letting his impulsive side win over. He gave the driver Lilah’s address. It was late and he should be heading home, but he spent five days without seeing her. Keanu needed this.

Jean looked really surprised when she opened the door to see Keanu standing there and he gave her a sheepish smile.

“I’m sorry about the hour. Is Lilah…”

“You didn’t get her voicemail, did you?” she asked, her expression shifting into a grimace and Keanu’s heart stopped in panic.

“My phone died. What happened? Where’s Lilah?”

“Her brother was in a car accident,” Jean explained. “She left for Miami earlier tonight.”

A lot of feelings went through Keanu at once: relief that nothing happened to Lilah herself, worry for how she must be. From what all her stories, she was really close to her brother, but the thing that was stronger was the need to get to her. Make sure she was ok.

“Can I borrow your phone?”

x(tbc)x

Go to part 15

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[caroline18mars]

A Man On Fire - Chapter 45

Warm and still deliciously huge he stayed inside of her, “you ok?” he whispered her back to life, “dumb question, Leto, more than ok” she licked his lips that had worked so much magic on her “intense, really intense and you're always so..hard, you never dissapoint, I love it” smiling and shivering from her orgasm that slowly faded she pushed the sweaty strands of hair from his face. “I love you so much..” he pushed a kiss on the tip of her nose, she smiled but then she started squirming a little “wait..wait..” he slowly pulled out and rolled off of her, “I'm sorry but I really need to go pee” in her own quirky way she got up and beelined to the bathroom. A few minutes later when she was washing her hands, her eyes fell on it and she gasped, uh-oh..”Oh no..” he heard the sharp sigh full of what sounded like despair. Behind her she heard a worried knock on the door before it opened ever so slowly “what is it? what's wrong?” his eyes met her anxious ones in the mirror, she simply pointed at something on the glass tablet underneath the mirror in front of her, “what?” was it a spider? just tell me because I'm not good at solving riddles. “This” she picked up a blister with pills and held it up to him, “ohhh” it dawned on him what she was holding, “yes oh!” she sighed and leaned forward, hanging and shaking her head “I'm sorry, in all this mayhem, I forgot to take them, how stupid can I be?”. Her anxiety and worry were actually endearing, gently he pushed himself up against her back and folded his arms around her waist, “don't worry” he whispered and kissed her ear, “don't worry? You serious? I'll go get the morning after pill, do they still sell those?..the shops will open in a few hours” she mumbled, getting lost in her worried thoughts. “Ok, come on” he took the blister from her hands, threw it back on the sink and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her back to the bed, put her gently down and started another kissing session that escalated in a few seconds. “Nonono, oh no, you don't! Stop..oh that's nice” she giggled and squirmed when his teeth scraped against her throat “ok, no, stop, I'm being serious” she reluctantly put her hand against his chest and pushed him away just a little. “So am I” he pushed himself up on his elbows, but their bodies still connected “so what if you forgot a couple of pills?” he had this weird, calm smile, confusing much? “Oh I don't know..lemme think” she sarcastically put her indexfinger to her head “oh I know, I might get pregnant..if I'm not already, sometimes one shot is all it takes, or at least that wouldn't surprise me from you”. No reaction, just that goofy smile still plastered on his lips “So what? I still don't see the problem”, oh for crying out loud, she really needed to spell it out, didn't she? “I do, because I don't want to be..pregnant, nope, no way, not gonna happen, I've got stuff to do, and that doesn't include getting vomited on, changing nappies or soothing anger tantrums” she muttered.

“And I'm pretty sure you're not exactly jumping at the thought of being woken up after a show by a screaming kid either”, he kept smiling no matter the horror scenario she tried to picture, uh-oh.., “I'm gonna be honest here, Coco..I wouldn't mind becoming a Dad” ok, give me a minute to recover from that. “Interesting..” she swallowed hard “I'm gonna be honest too, I'm not” their eyes locked for a second, a flash of disappointment coloured his blue pools a little darker. “You said 'becoming', are you sure you're not a father already?”, her question had him roll off of her with a sigh and stared at the ceiling, “come on, Jared, everyone knows you're no angel, with all those women in your past..I can't help but wonder if there's not already a little Leto-girl or boy running around somewhere”. Jared closed his eyes and shook his head, she didn't blame him, she just stated the obvious, “not that I know of, and if there was, don't you think the mother would've come forward to demand her 15 minutes of fame and more importantly: alimony? That's what they're all interested in..money..”. Coco  shuffled closer and put her head on his chest “all of them? I'm not interested in your money..” she sighed, “no, you're absolutely not, you're not even interested in babies for that matter, so I stand corrected, 'all of them bar the fabulous Harper'” he smiled. “Better, much better” thank god for the lighter mood, at least his mind was taken off that ridiculous idea of babies, phew, “it's obviously too soon for us to be talking about such a touchy subject, so I'll let you off the hook this time, but I'm not giving up, I'll just let you get used to the idea” he firmly stated, what? Nope! No way, this ain't never gonna grow on me, not gonna happen, keep dreaming, Leto. His fingers slowly combed through her long hair “what do you say we try to get a little bit more sleep, we'll deal with reality in a couple of hours, alright?” he yawned, thinking of jumping on another plane out of NY and back to Europe had him shivering. “Fine, you win..for now, but you're not off the hook, I want to know more about your previous escapades” she snuggled closer to him, “I'll telll you mine if you tell me yours” he rolled his eyes, please let her forget about all this nonsense in the morning? This could possibly get us into more trouble “Deal!” she happily sighed and closed her eyes “but I'm still getting that morning after pill..in the morning”, fine, ok, smartass, you win..this time!.

Milk? Ugh..all gone, right ok, write it on your grocery list that's already a mile long, she scribbled it down and checked again while she zipped up her jacket, one last look at the bed, he was definitely out like a light, jetlag was a bitch, so let him sleep and go and get breakfast..and definitely some of those cinnamon buns from the jewish bakery on the corner, yumm! She tiptoed to the door and bumped right into Sean when she closed the door behind her “Coco! There you are, you ok?” he put his arms around her and give her a kiss on the cheek, “Sean, what are you doing here?” she quickly took a step back, his alcohol infested breath made her nauseous. “After last night, I just wanted to check on you, I already called Jared but I guess I just needed to see with my own two eyes if you were ok” Sean's hand reached for her hair, woah, wait a minute, who said you could touch me? “I'm fine, you've seen it for yourself now, so if you don't mind” she shrugged and brushed past him, “hey, where are you going?” he frowned, “grocery shopping, getting some breakfast” she quickly hopped down the stairs. “Hold up, I'm coming too” he jumped in front of her at the front door and held it open, “you still got a lot of energy, didn't score tonight?” she had hoped to be by herself for a bit, small talk just wasn't her thing. “As a matter of fact..no..I didn't score or hook up with anyone tonight..because I was too worried about you..” he dramatically ran a trembling hand through his hair, it was too hilarious to watch, “what? What are you laughing about?” he seemed offended at her spontaneous reaction, who cared? Who could actually still believe anything this guy said?. “You of course! I mean, are you listening to yourself? You were so worried about me that you didn't even notice what was going on until Jared saved me and brought me back down again, come on man, just be real! You can't keep on blaming me for everything” she hiccupped “anyway, you don't have to worry any longer, so tonight you dust yourself off and drag yourself back to that club and you wrap every single chick in there around your little finger”. Instead of just laughing along, knowing full well she was only trying to keep the mood light between them, he remained all serious and shrugged “yeah, whatever”, don't take any notice Coco, just leave him be, if you react to his sulking you'll never see the end of it and you'll feel a whole lot worse than you do now, this guy's a social vampire, he can drain the life and energy right out of you in an instant, leaving you dangling and depressed while he continues on his way all vibrant and replenished with energy. “Ok, well, this is my stop” she pointed at the entrance of the grocery store, please go home Sean, please, let me do my shopping in peace, her heart sank a little as he let her go in first.

”Go get some sleep, ok? I really need to go and make breakfast for Jared, you know something more wholesome and healthy than airplane food” will you just leave now? Can't you take a hint? You've been following me around the supermarket, and followed me even into the bakery, I'm done now!. “Yeah, you're probably right, I'll uhmm..go catch some zzz's, but if you want..we can all go do something this afternoon?” puppy eyes? Really Sean?, “uhm..I'll check with Jared..I don't know when he's leaving again, so...” it was only half a lie “I uhmm..go start on breakfast then” she quickly added as he just kept hovering around. “Harper Coco De Robiano..well well, I thought I'd never see the day, but he's got you all domesticated, hasn't he? Next thing you know he's got you scrubbing floors, his own little Cinderella, or maybe that's what makes him tick” bleerrghhhh that dirty grin, count to ten, just turn around and walk away before you punch him in the face “whatever Sean, whatever..” she turned to put the key in the lock, pushed the door open and closed it again without even give him another glance. The nerve, the bloody nerve of that pervert! Grumbling she stomped over to the kitchen, only to find Jared half naked and bent over, rummaging through her near empty fridge “ah there you are” he straightened his back and turned around to pull her in for a fiery goodmorning kiss “nevermind an empty fridge, I'd rather eat you for breakfast” he grinned in between kisses “lunch, dinner and even as nightly snack when I get a bit peckish”. The tenseness of her body worried him a little “wanna talk about it?” he sighed as he let go of her, “I've got breakfast” she ignored his question as she hoisted the bags onto the kitchen counter “what would you like, I got eggs, I got bagels and cream cheese, all kinds of fruit, bread..I could make us some french toast if you want..”. He took her wrist and gestured for her to sit down “what I want, is for you to sit down and tell me what's bugging you while I make us a special Leto breakfast” he wasn't gonna take no for an answer so she sat down with a huge sigh “it's Sean, I bumped into him in the hallway, he followed me all the way to the supermarket and back home again”. Jared closed his eyes in frustration for a second and started whisking a couple of eggs “did he do something? What did he want?” he heard his voice go just a pitch higher, that ass needed to leave his girl alone, he knew well enough what that fucker was up to. “I don't know what he wanted, he was oh so concerned about me after last night, I dunno, he just gives me the creeps, we used to be such good friends but when I look at him now, all I see is..a traitor, he betrayed our friendship”, good girl, it was the genuinely annoyed tone to her voice that made him calm and confident again. “You mean because he confessed that he was/is in love with you?” Jared nervously tried to light the fire on the stove and jumped a little when it 'whoosh-ed' to life, “of course, he's such a sneaky bastard..have you forgotten that he almost tried to kill me because 'if he couldn't have me then nobody could'? Stupid fucker!! I just can't forgive and forget like he obviously wants me to do..I didn't even get half of all I wanted because he was on my frikkin tail all the time..” she blurted out, getting more and more upset with each second. “Alright, alright” he took the pan of the fire and walked over to her to put his arms around her “it's ok, forget about him, what matters is us, just us, have you any idea how much I love you? Want me to show you how much?” he nodded in the direction of the bed, wiggling his eyebrows. “No, all you have to show me now is breakfast, because I'm HUNGRY and if you don't hurry up and feed me, I might just get very 'hangry'” she giggled when the stubble of his beard tickled against her face, “fine, breakfast it is then, spoilsport” he rolled his eyes, and turned back to the stove but not without a lash of his kitchen towel that slapped playfully yet firm against her butt “auwtchh! You're mean! Just get me breakfast and I might reconsider your offer” she giggled, rubbing the painful spot while the anticipation lit up in his eyes.

[verdigrisprowl]

May 13 Dancitron Movie Night - Earth Vs The Spider and The Blob

Prowl was torn on whether he should root for Earth or the spider. But he was rooting against the blob.

Surprisingly, Primus was the most poorly-behaved guest tonight. Not that it’s a surprise he caused mayhem; just a surprise that a Dinobot didn’t cause more. The Dinobots, however, were unusually tiny tonight.

After the movie, Soundwave and Prowl took turns impressing each other with space bridge tricks.

Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:43 PM Who doesn't love a good cheesy monster movie? Well, your mileage may vary, but the twins sure are looking forward to tonight. (Mostly Rumble. Frenzy prefers gory, scary messes to the ones being shown tonight, but watching them with Rumble and yelling at the screen will make them tolerable enough for him to sit through.) Soundwave's also perched on his couch, curious about these old human takes on horror. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 7:45 PM The Autobots really should know better than to leave Teletraan unguarded. It's so close to the Dinocave. That's just inviting disaster.

Ah well! Their loss, Swoop's gain. The even scrawnier than normal ptero-baby bounced around the keyboard, making numerous failed attempts to call anyone and several calls to random bots. Eventually, after a particularly effective full-body roll across the keyboard, Swoop manages to call Soundwave.

Look at this tiny genius go. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:46 PM ...What in Primus' name. [[Swoop?]] Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 7:47 PM Smokescreen's quick to bridge in, with a large tin of quartz coated energon goodies! After putting it next to the other snacks, Smokescreen's flopping onto the nearest couch, waving at Soundwave. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 7:47 PM Sludge is, naturally, horribly impressed by this magic Swoop has achieved. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 7:47 PM Swoop squeaks and dances across the keys to celebrate this call. Can you feel their (petite) joy, Soundwave? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:48 PM [[Evening, Smokescreen. Thank you for contributing to the snack bar.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 7:48 PM Windchill seems to have decided to make an appearance this evening. Either Rebel, also in tow, was grounded for a looooong time or someone wasn't feeling social. Maybe both. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 7:48 PM Prowl Has Arrived. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:50 PM Soundwave can absolutely feel that. What in blazes happened to the Dinobots? He's -- greeting ping for Prowl -- staring at the inside of his visor with his head visibly tilted to one side. [[Ran into a shrink ray?]] Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 7:50 PM "Anytime! I've been working on cooking stuff again- I guess you can't try 'em, though, can you? I gotta learn how to make drinks so I can get you something!" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:51 PM And a wave to Windchill from the twins, even though it almost makes them drop a handful of the goodies they're loading up on. [[...Why do you think he can't try them?]] Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 7:52 PM Swoop's laughter somehow manages to be even higher and squeaker than usual. It's a good thing you have such a wide range of audio equipment, because he is aiming QUITE high right now.

::Play!:: he finally squeals, roll roll rolling across the keys and accidentally sending the resulting message to Soundwave. SpecsToday at 7:52 PM In comes the dragon, with snacks aplenty! "Hello, Soundwave, everyone!" Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 7:52 PM Sludge joins in, stomping buttons. Can't let Swoop have all the fun. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 7:53 PM He waves back, having to be mindful of his extremities and walk very slowly towards the seating due to his orbiting truck spawn who's pretending to be the multiverse's least aerodynamic airplane around his feet. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 7:54 PM "Wait, you can eat 'em? I figured you couldn't intake 'em or just didn't like the stuff, 'cause you've refused 'em once or twice before." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:54 PM They're going to destroy that datapad before they ever make it here. If they make it here. He's not entirely sure their creators will think it a wise idea to let very tiny Dinobots get out of their sight.

[[That is because he has heard you are terrible at fuel preparation. Unlike the dragon. Greetings, dragon.]] Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 7:55 PM Guess who finally decided to show up for once and brought a present~! Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:55 PM ((10 minutes til start. get what y'all need, get settled, all that)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 7:55 PM (( Do I want a cookie? )) Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 7:55 PM "W. What? I think I'm pretty good at preparing fuel! Who told you I suck? I gotta have 'em try some of my energon croquettes sometime." SpecsToday at 7:55 PM The dragon churrs proudly as she helps put away the goodies she's made. The way to her heart is through complementing her cooking. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 7:56 PM Joke's on Wheeljack. Swoop and Sludge have already escaped and destroyed Perceptor's lab. It's time for something new!

Swoop taps the enter key repeatedly with his teeny tiny foot, as if this will suddenly get him the result he wants. ::Play?:: Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 7:56 PM Smokescreen's getting up immediately and grabbing one of the goodies made by Specs, as well as one of his own, trying to compare. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 7:57 PM Don't mind Blaster. He's following a certain trouble-maker into the room. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:57 PM ((always eat cookies)) Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 7:57 PM A grinning Primus was both good and horrible. One carrying a box, well, it still could go either way. Hi Blaster. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 7:58 PM (( I ate the cookie. I'm back. )) Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 7:58 PM Squints at. He recognizes that look from a certain avatar. SpecsToday at 7:58 PM Which one did he take? The energon gummis with silver flakes? The mercury-silver drops? The energon cookies with just a touch of mercury on the inside so that they're delicious and gooey? Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 7:59 PM He's just gonna sit on the floor, it's easier for him to watch his feet (perhaps in a literal sense,) that way. SpecsToday at 7:59 PM Did the dragon learn that mercury and silver seemed to be favored and stuck with what worked? Maybe a little. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:59 PM Soundwave taps for Prowl to come get comfortable and bobs his helm at Primus. [[Good evening. You honor him with your presence.]] SpecsToday at 7:59 PM Smokescreen could also, in theory, have taken some tinsel fish, but if Ravage is present that might be a poor idea. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:59 PM Ugh. If he brings Swoop over here for a few hours, will he and Sludge stop pressing Enter? The pinging is rattling his brains a bit. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:00 PM Probably. Most likely, if only because they will no longer have access to the Enter button. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:00 PM Can't press enter if you're on another planet. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:00 PM He does indeed get comfortable. Slight lean. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:00 PM "Evening, Soundwave. I brought a little something for a snack." The diety gave Prowl a short nod on his approach. SpecsToday at 8:01 PM ((puff, I know that I can't talk, but your icon is fucking me up)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:01 PM Thank goodness. In they come, though he's dropping them on Blaster. A little distraction for the night, given the kind of movie they're going to watch. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:01 PM Can Rebel try one of everything? Can anyone stop her? She's aeroplaning to the snack bar and back. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:01 PM Nope. Following. He has a bad feeling about this. What are you up to, Primus? Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:01 PM (( OuO )) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:01 PM Swoop squeeeeals all the way through the space bridge and onto Blaster, rolling through the air and landing with a squeak. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:01 PM Rebel can try as many of everything as she wants. Soundwave's too busy leaning up against Prowl and watching Primus' hands to notice, honestly. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:02 PM What? Him? Innocent as the Cheshire Cat. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:02 PM Sludge heard the word snack, and the moment he's dropped on Blaster he wriggles off and starts for the snack table. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:02 PM He only took a couple gummis, but his doorwings do seem to droop. These were better, weren't they? "Well- Soundwave, can you take a bite from one of my quartz cookies and say if they're okay?" SpecsToday at 8:02 PM Rebel can have as many goodies as Windchill and the other guests will permit. The dragon makes these in bulk- a pretty nifty achievement, for a fox-sized organic! She's slowly amassed quite a bit of technology to help. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:02 PM And is promptly stopped by Dinobabies. "WHAT THE HELL! SOUNDWAVE!" Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:02 PM At least he thinks it's the snack table. Kind of hard to tell when he's only two feet tall and can't see the top of the table. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:02 PM ((the baby dinos are BITTY. Like few month old puppy sized.)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:02 PM Prowl starts when the Dinobots tumble in. "Oh, hell." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:03 PM ((they are DOTS compared to a lot of y'all lol)) Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:03 PM [Ittle bittles] Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:03 PM Going to try and catch Swoop before he can fall to the floor. "Seriously?" SpecsToday at 8:03 PM The dragon blinks. "I guess I no longer am the smallest one here." Hey, at least she's more on their scale. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:03 PM [[He already has two terrors to watch.]] Soundwave points at the twins. [[Consider it a minor favor.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:03 PM Rebel hollers at the sudden dropping of dinobombs into the room, fists already brimming with at least one of every possible snack. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:03 PM Swoop makes zero attempt to catch himself or fly, just laughing as Blaster catches him upside down. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:04 PM Rebel's smaller than the table, so Sludge turns to her in hopes of getting a snack instead. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:04 PM [[Bring him a cookie and he'll see.]] Not gonna lie, though. Teeny tiny mechs? Protect urge is hitting. That's basically the reason he's trying to push them off on someone else. If he takes them under his wing they may never go back to the Ark. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:04 PM Okay, good, one down, two trouble-makers left. Yes, you count, Primus. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:04 PM She stares at him, not at all sure what to make of this thing, this creature, at her feet.

"Whatchu want?" Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:05 PM "Snack." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:05 PM ((I'm just imagining Prowl's forever sigh at both Tara and Soundwave wanting to hold the dinobbies)) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:05 PM //lmao Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:05 PM (( : ) )) Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:05 PM While Blaster is promptly distracted - shhhhh- Primus handed over the fairly light box. There was s faint clicking of some sort of treat inside. "Sorry I've been somewhat missing." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:05 PM And now glancing at Prowl. [[They're a fraction of their size. It's hardly full hell. A minor headache at best. ... He hopes.]] Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:06 PM Swoop goes completely limp - with the exception of his birdy head which swivels around to watch his audience - giggling as he tries to melt through Blaster's fingers. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:06 PM "Hmm." Rebel narrows her optics, but relents. "Okay. I got one of everything." Would that be enough? Probably not. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:06 PM "You of all people should know that frame size doesn't correlate with quantity of hell contained." Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:06 PM Sludge nods sagely. Well, as sagely as a baby can nod. "Snacks." Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:06 PM And Blaster is attempting to hold onto a dino that is tiny and now apparently liquid. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:06 PM Babies. BABIES. Smokescreen's squinting at the babies. How can they be so tiny? Smokescreen's picking up a couple cookies, walking over to Soundwave's side opposite of Prowl, offering them, "You got it, Soundwave! By the way, did you start working with more deployers or something?" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:07 PM He holds out a hand demonstratively at the FINGER MELTING ATTEMPT. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:07 PM He has no boooooones, Blaster. He is meeeeeeeeeeeeellllttting! Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:07 PM And there's that tell-tale doomsday giggling. Windchill's ears flick. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:07 PM "Okay, okay, stop, we're going to get snacks." SpecsToday at 8:07 PM Even the dragon kind of wants to cuddle with them, honestly. They're a little big for hatchlings, but they're so tiny and precious. They need protection. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:07 PM A long, long vent. [[Yes, he knows. He knows. But a mech has to be able to dream.]] He shakes his head no at Smokescreen and pops the box open, curious. What's in this thing, then? Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:08 PM Grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:08 PM ((... I think I might have misread that as "setting blaster's fingers on fire to melt through them" rather than "becoming a liquid state dinobird." to be fair, it's ambiguous)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:08 PM //Huh, gettin' off to a good start, this one.// Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:08 PM "These here hands aren't big enough for the two of us," Rebel drawls. She'll have to improvise. "You can have these." She piles the already collected assortment at her feet. It won't hurt her to start over. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:08 PM ((LOL a legitimate risk with Swoop)) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:08 PM //tbf i did too until i went back and reread it twice lmao Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:08 PM ((but no, so far, no baby fire)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:09 PM ((OH for the record: the blob does not have captions, i looked everywhere. but the first movie does)) Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:09 PM ((sorry about that Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:09 PM "Thank." Look, he knows how to be Polite! Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:09 PM Honestly, given Blaster's reaction, a little help from the tiniest of dragons is probably a good idea. SpecsToday at 8:10 PM "Very excellent, little one!" The dragon gives Sludge an extra gummi. "Another snack for good manners."

Yeah, alright, she can assist. Off she goes, to hover near Blaster and help administer snacks. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:10 PM Hm. Hard to tell what these wiggly looking blobs in the box are. Looks like an oddly colored energon gummi. He'll just pick one up and--

[[BANANAS]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:10 PM Prowl nods at the movie. "So that I know which tragedy to brace myself for: who's going to win, Earth or the spider?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:10 PM That box is sailing through the air and being shot. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:10 PM "Welcome." Rebel loads up again, and carefully steps over the dinobot and his offerings. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:10 PM Oh, he likes that. Being polite gets him snacks! "Thank." More snacks if he's polite? Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:10 PM Oh good. Swoop's too tiny to...bananas? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:11 PM Soundwave waits until burned bits of candy banana finish drifting to the floor, unable to harm anyone any longer, to hiss at Primus. [[He is NOT amused.]] Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:11 PM Ever seen a God rolling on the floor laughing? Now you have. As tiny candy banana pieces go everywhere. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:11 PM Dives across the couch. He's half leaning over the armrest as he gives Soundwave a shocked look. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:11 PM Swoop feel suddenly ignored for no real reason. Time to start chirping a chirp best translated as maaam! Mam! Mama! Mommy! Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:11 PM Sludge's head snaps up when someone shoots, and without thinking, unleashes a burst of fire at the already burnt remains of bananas. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:11 PM "They aren't? They're so tiny, though, almost Frenzy-sized." Smokescreen's pointing at Swoop with his cookie-holding hand, holding a cookie out in his general direction. SpecsToday at 8:12 PM Well. She was going to fly over to Blaster. The sudden shots and flying box makes her dive to the floor instead. She is the poofiest thing in the room, right now. A veritable tribble. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:12 PM Manners are largely wasted on Rebel, sorry bub. You can try asking for more, though. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:12 PM ((the baby dinos are smaller than that. They're like .... two feet.)) Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:12 PM ((phffff smokescreen's just being rude)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:12 PM ((ok good XD)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:12 PM Soundwave resets his vocalizer. [[...His apologies. Someone stop Sludge from burning the floor, please. Prowl, it is safe to come back up.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:12 PM (( They're snack sized. )) Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:12 PM Well shit, he's shielding Swoop with one servo, and scowling in the general direction of the mess. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:13 PM Still laughing from the floor. "I regret nothing." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:13 PM "... I ought to bridge you BOTH out of here." Referring to Soundwave and the two-foot-long flamethrower. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:13 PM Windchill sighs, and hooks a finger at Rebel, who interprets it as 'do what Soundwave says' and makes an attempt to pick up Sludge for relocation. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:14 PM [I'm not allowed in candy stores. :D ] Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:14 PM Is it rude to bridge robot god out? It's probably rude. ... He's doing it anyway. Primus can come back if he likes, but he's showing his displeasure here.

[[Don't bridge him. It was an automatic reaction. He's-- he doesn't like them. Bananas.]] [[...Oh, and Earth is fine.]] Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:14 PM ((too be fair, I didn't help matters)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:14 PM "Live fire in a crowded room." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:14 PM Swoop continues his needy chirping, leaning this way and that as he tries to escape. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:14 PM Sludge blinks at Prowl, even as Rebel tries to move him from his snacks. What'd he do? Soundwave shot things, he was helping. SpecsToday at 8:15 PM The dragon slowly deflates through the power of sad baby chirps. Alright, alright, here she comes, Swoop. She's got an energon gummi to give you. Open wide, here comes the train... Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:15 PM ((Whoops! Forgot to fix my name)) Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:15 PM Okay, okay, back towards the snacks....that are as big as Swoop. And stops so the dragon doesn't have to try and catch up. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:15 PM [[He's an accurate shot and it was a low-level blast. Besides, he didn't want to give them a chance to prove themselves capable of... doing whatever it is they do.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:15 PM "Get along, little dino, get alooooong," Oh well, if she gets burned for picking him and his remaining snacks up, dad will deal with it. Right? Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:16 PM When the gummy gets close enough to Swoop for him to notice it, he lets out a squeak and full body squirm before opening his beak wide for maximum baby birding. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:16 PM [[But he supposes it's rude of a host not to follow his own rules. Even if there were suspicious items in play.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:16 PM See this face, Soundwave? :| This is Prowl's reaction. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:16 PM Oh, right. Snacks. He goes limp, trying to get back to those before someone else steals them. A distinct possibility with his brother in the room. SpecsToday at 8:17 PM Thank you, Blaster. She can pre-shred the gummi she's currently got, to make it easier on Swoop. She'll just need... to work at it. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:17 PM If pre-shred means mama birding it into his tiny face, Swoop is 1000% down for this. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:17 PM (( I'm screaming. )) Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:17 PM "Wait, is her dad a spider?" Smokescreen's finally paying attention to the movie, after watching the bitty bitty dinos. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:18 PM [[No, her father is the driver that was attacked on the road.]] Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:18 PM "... Was that driver a spider?" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:18 PM ((someone is going to puke up food for swoop before this m!a is over mark my words)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:18 PM (( I'll make sure if nothing else. )) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:18 PM "Spiderbot?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:18 PM Soundwave ducks his head a bit. [[All right. You are disappointed, and for good reason. He will try to suppress the reaction next time.]] [[The driver was not a spider.]] Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:19 PM Once the amusement wears off, Primus gets up like a good diety and comes back inside. Cleans up the remnants with a wave of his servo. It was his fault, so he'd at least take responsibility for the smoldering remains. The burning bits of ash swirled about to come together to reform, changed from the atoms of course, into a nice pillow for someone to sit on or smack him with. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:19 PM //Can't see, huh. Looks pretty bright in there for a cave.// Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:19 PM If his hands weren't full he'd take Primus up on smacking him with it. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:19 PM "Bridging is a far better snap reaction to get into the habit of." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:19 PM Swoop's focus is immediately shattered by his brother's question. He gasps, "spIDER!!!??" SpecsToday at 8:19 PM The dragon is an ORGANIC, Swoop, she's not doing that. She's using her paws like a civilized being. She'd die if she ate energon. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:20 PM "Spiderbot! That's not's someone in this movie, but I know a really cool bot named Spiderbot." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:20 PM Now Primus gets the :| look, since this was his fault. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:20 PM "Him Spiderbot say momther." Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:20 PM All of this is distracting Rebel from getting her own snacks! Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:20 PM "... Wait, you know Messy? Is- Is Messy your moms?" Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:20 PM Would Prowl like to smack him with the pillow for causing this? Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:21 PM Prowl's above petty violence. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:21 PM "Him Spiderbot momther, not messy." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:21 PM "... I'm almost COMPLETELY positive that tarantulas do not make that sound." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:21 PM Swoop is so excited for Tarantulas to come play that he's not holding still for food. He's all squeaks and chirps and enthusiasm. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:21 PM "Oh, okay! So, is Momther your mom?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:21 PM Would Prowl like Rumble to smack Primus with the pilow for causing this? Rumble is not above petty violence. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:22 PM Be fine with him! Blaster can't. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:22 PM \MAYBE IT'S MIMICKIN' THE VICTIMS.\ Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:22 PM He would neither encourage nor endorse it, but he would not be upset to see it happening. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:22 PM Gently places one servo on Swoop, just enough to hold him still. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:22 PM \LIKE THAT PLANT IN THE JUNGLE BUILDIN'.\ Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:22 PM Rebel gives up, grabs her own snacks, then sidles over to investigate the tiny Swoop. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:22 PM "Him Spiderbot is momther." A Look. How dense are you, Smokey? Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:23 PM "I'm pretty sure they don't do that, either. ... And spiders ALSO aren't insect life." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:23 PM In that case, Rumble is more than willing to defend his Boss. He also doesn't have any oath he has to worry about. So he hefts the pillow, tosses it up twice, and then FLINGS it at Primus about as hard as you expect someone with piledriver arms to do. //That's for gettin' the Boss in trouble with the police.// SpecsToday at 8:24 PM The dragon looks up from peeling off coils of gummi to cheer on Rumble. "Great shot!"

Hey, she comes from a species that killed their god. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:24 PM "Ohhh- okay, so Spiderbot is your momther? And your mom? That's good! Any kid of Messy- Spiderbot is probably a really good kid. I'll have to tell Messy happy mother's day later. You wanna try one of these cookies?" Smokescreen's snapping a quartz cookie in half. And in half again. And again. Maybe this will be small enough for them? Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:24 PM HUFFS. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:24 PM //Thanks. Heh.// He'll bow all fancy like. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:24 PM Sludge is eying that cookie piece hungrily. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:24 PM Swoop reflexively gives Blaster a nip when that servo presses on him but he's in such a good mood that he is more interested in wiggles and Friendship than getting in an actual wrestling match. He sticks out his bitty tiny foot to point at Rebel and laughs. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:25 PM //how many people can sludge con into feeding him snacks tonight Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:25 PM Smokescreen's tossing one cookie piece towards Sludge! Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:25 PM [[It's an old human movie. Perhaps they hadn't talked to many spiders back then?]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:25 PM Rebel shoves one of those cookies in her mouth, chewing on it lazily.

"What're you laughin' for?" Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:25 PM Snap! Right out of the air and down his gullet it goes. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:25 PM Smokescreen owes him a (probably awful) cookie too, still. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:25 PM Well. It was a pillow, but that was Rumble. A real good thing he was a God or that may have laid him out. "I think you managed to dent my helm. I'm impressed." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:25 PM ((Sludge ends up living up to his name and getting so stuffed he is too round to walk home)) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:26 PM //tbh //gets home on a sugar high Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:26 PM No reaction to the nip, thankfully. But thankfully that's all it is. He'd really like not going to get his digits fixed. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:26 PM //Ha. Ya hear that? I impressed a god.// His chest puffs up with pride. He swaggers back to the couch, beaming. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:26 PM Swoop squeals out, "PLAY!" SpecsToday at 8:26 PM Sorry, minor correction: the dragon comes from one of many species that share the same cultural context. Who all also killed and ate their god. The dragon universe is kind of messed up that way.

"Alright, little bit, here's another worm for you." Squealing is a good way to get a Gummi Coil stuffed in one's mouth, Swoop. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:27 PM "Play? Or snacks?" please don't say 'play' right now. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:27 PM \KINDA NEAT 'N ORGANIZED, THEM BONES. PRETTY CLEAN FOR A BUG.\ Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:27 PM //tdgrtv cat pls get off the table so i can see Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:28 PM Rude! His cookies aren't awful. They're not as good as the Dragon's stuff, but they're crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and are still pretty hot! They taste mostly like quartz, but there is the slightest hint of mercury as well. Smokescreen offers one piece to Soundwave, watching for his reaction. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:28 PM With all the Exciting Big People paying attention to him, Swoop didn't see the worm coming and ends up getting startled by the sudden intrusion. Thankfully for the dragon, Swoop holds his beak frozen open instead of snapping down. :V Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:28 PM "I think by the time this movie was made, they probably had sufficient evidence to conclude that Earth spiders aren't exactly conversationalists." Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:28 PM Since Smokey hasn't tossed him more cookies, Sludge is going to return to his snack pile and steadily work through that for the moment. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:29 PM Rebel's optics track between the tiny Swoop, to Blaster, to the dragon, and back again. She huffs.

"Not 'sposed to play with food. That's how you get grounded." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:30 PM He'll take that piece with a feeler. Too comfortable on the couch to get up. [[Hm. Perhaps. For effect, then. Something to bother the easily scared and uninformed.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:30 PM Aww, they're shooting at the poor spider. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:30 PM Crunch crunch. Oh, mercury. That's. That's pretty sweet. A little too much for him, honestly. [[It's not... AWFUL.]] Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:30 PM The word 'grounded' catches Swoop's attention. He gives a more determined flail than before so he can make a daring escape, flying hap hazardously up to try to perch on Rebel. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:31 PM ((ah, the days before anyone knew how horrible DDT was. just spray it everywhere, no masks or nothing, nbd)) Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:31 PM Well, that's not good. There goes Swoop. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:31 PM She turns her head to see the shoulder-sitter, but can't quite make it.

"Let me guess, you want my snacks too?" Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:32 PM Smokescreen's doorwings perk up at the slightest hint of praise, "You think they're alright? What would make 'em better?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:32 PM \IT'S A FRAGGIN' BRACELET. JUS' BUY ANOTHER ONE.\ Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:32 PM After fixing his helm, Primus moved to the side of the couch by Soundwave. Sitting down, arm on the couch, he laid his helm against it. To make up for what he did, would Soundwave like a first person, and the data, of seeing a black hole devour a star? SpecsToday at 8:32 PM She'll take the miraculous survival of her paw and keep mutilating the gummi. "I acknowledge that playing with food is bad, but I also acknowledge that the little bit cannot physically eat this at his size." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:32 PM Swoop shook his head determinedly, still holding the worm in his beak. He leans across her, tiny talons doing what they can to keep him attached to her, and tries to put the gummy in her mouth. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:32 PM [[Less  mercury. It's almost sickly. Almost.]] Head snap. Would he like data? He's sorry, Primus; you seem not to have ever met him. Hi, he's Soundwave. Yes, he would. [[Hmph. It's not ugly. At least its fur is a complete covering and not limited to a head patch.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:33 PM Aw, the poor spider. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:33 PM Nope, her head's craning back to get her mouth out of the way.

"What's that? Cooties?" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:34 PM "Worm!" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:34 PM Now she's even more suspicious.

"What for?" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:34 PM ((sorry, the university is going to want it for dissection? you mean you HAVEN'T hollowed out that giant carcass and stuffed/preserve it?)) Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:34 PM Should he...remove Swoop? Or leave him on Rebel? Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:34 PM ((ohhh they're gonna have a rotten mess on their hands)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:35 PM "EAT!" Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:35 PM "Less mercury? I thought I wasn't putting enough in... Frag, I'll try putting less in." Smokescreen's taking another bite out of his own cookie. He thought it was perfectly sweet! The sweeter something is, the better, right? Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:35 PM "Um." Sounds gross. "Okay...I guess." She opens her mouth, just a crack, not the slightest bit enthused about this idea. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:35 PM ((smelly spide)) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:36 PM Hi Smokey, here's a baby Dinobot sitting at your feet and looking up expectantly for more cookies. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:36 PM That's fine, Rebel. Swoop has enough enthusiasm for the both of them. He deposits the energon gummy in her mouth and then chirps, pleased with himself. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:37 PM Oh! Sludge wants more cookies? Smokescreen's more than happy to give him another 16th of a cookie, offering it in his servo. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:37 PM Grinning more softly now. Dims his optics as he relaxed. Connect a feeler to the back of his neck. Fair warning, it is quite a lot of data given it is a good week or so worth. When you're ready, he'll let you in so Prowl won't flip out on him if there is an overload. No not that type. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:37 PM He snaps it up and waits for more. More cookies, please. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:37 PM Well, here goes. She lets it sit there for a bit, hesitant, than slurps it up like a noodle.

"Gross!" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:37 PM (( #GiveSludgeAWholeCookie2019 )) Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:37 PM Wait, already? Smokescreen offers Sludge an eighth of a cookie this time. Maybe this will last him? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:38 PM ...Maybe not to the back of the neck. How about a shoulder? Is a shoulder all right? Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:38 PM It does not, in fact, last much longer. He crunches through like a champ. Morrrre. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:38 PM Oh. Right. Yeah. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:39 PM Okay, fine, this time, he's offering half a cookie, but Smokescreen's frowning at Swoop. "Don't eat it in one bite! You'll miss all the flavor." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:39 PM "Anyone who has to ask 'are we friends or aren't we' to demand a favor is not a friend." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:39 PM Swoop lets out wild laughter, just about rolling off Rebel's shoulder with excitement. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:39 PM //Worked in the 'Cons sometimes. ... Probably means yer right though.// Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:40 PM Crunchcrunch. Crunch. CrunchcrunchcrunchcruHIC. A hiccup, and a few embers. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:40 PM "I've never heard 'healthy, supportive friendships' listed among the purported virtues of the Decepticons." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:40 PM Soundwave will snake a feeler over to Primus' shoulder, curious. Ping offer to Prowl to share it as it comes in?

Hopefully not too fast, though. He's interested in this giant spider flick. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:40 PM "Hey!" She reaches out to catch him, luckily she is a small bot and he's not completely dwarfed by her hands...just mostly. "You're making me drop my food!" Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:40 PM Smokescreen isn't going to say anything, but does remember a certain acquaintance from the elite guard that said the same kinda thing. Prowl's probably right... Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:41 PM //That's cause ya didn't know us.// He punches Frenzy's arm. Frenzy punches back and laughs. //But yeah. Yeah, kinda ain't.// Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:41 PM Swoop remains happily on his back in her hands, tiny feet up in the air wiggling a little. "Swoop food?" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:42 PM "Don't look like food to me," She scoffs, turning him over to examine the little beast. She's not impressed. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:42 PM Whoa! A tiny bit of fire? Smokescreen can't help but get a bit curious, and takes one step back, and gives Sludge one whole cookie. Will he make a bigger ember this time? Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:42 PM "Well. Naturally, I'm sure Ultra Magnus would be an exception to the usual rules about Decepticons." Sharing what, what's he getting? He leans against Soundwave and accepts the offer. Oh! The spider lives! Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:43 PM He's all giddy noises and chirps as she inspects him. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:43 PM The other feeler twitches to the music briefly before settling around Prowl's wrist. Easier with contact. Black holes eating stars is gonna be a lot of observational and scientific data.

[[The healing power of music.]] Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:43 PM He makes it two bites in before he's hiccuping another bit of fire at Smokey's feet. He may have been eating those cookies a bit too fast after all. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:44 PM Smokescreen's immediately jumping up, trying to avoid the bit of fire, "Ow, frag, ouch- you doing okay, kiddo?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:44 PM //Naturally. Though I ain't normally known for bein' a friendly kinda bot, so keep it under yer helm. Can't have mechs expectin' Ultra Magnus to smile.// Rumble tries like hell to arrange his features into something gruff and serious. His mouth keeps flickering in and out of a grin though. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:45 PM "Hmm." She cups him in her hands, stepping over the spilled treats and inexplicably away from the snack table. "You're gonna get me grounded again, I can tell. More trouble than you're worth, that's for sure." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:45 PM Oh. Ooh. Movie, what movie? He's measuring hundreds of pinpoints of astronomical data per second and feeding them back to Soundwave. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:45 PM Sludge shrugs at Smokey. This is new, he has no idea what this whole hiccuping fire thing is about, it's new. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:46 PM (( He needs to be burped. )) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:46 PM \MOVES KINDA SLOW, DON'T IT? PROBABLY THEY COULD JUS' WALK AWAY FROM IT INSTEAD OF RUNNIN'.\ Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:46 PM ((dino burbs sound dangerous XD)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:46 PM (( :) )) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:46 PM //Aw, that ain't no fun. Runnin's dramatic-like. Makes better storytellin'.// Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:47 PM And now that he's not looking after Swoop, he's looking to the movie he's missed most of. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:47 PM No, not too fast. Consider it background data so it won't interrupt the movie. Soundwave will still get all the data, so he can access it again later at his convenience. Primus chuckled at the feeling from Prowl. Just reading fields. Nothing to be alarmed over. Was Soundwave all set to be guided?

Not even watching the movie. Just here for the company. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:47 PM Swoop chatters wordlessly, but everything about his tiny frame radiates happiness. They're clearly going on An Adventure. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:48 PM All set and ready to sink into a glorious mess of interpreted astronomical data and raw information. It'll be like getting a back massage after spending a day in the mines. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:48 PM "Huh. Well, uh- maybe that'll be the last cookie for now! You know, that cookie had, uh, red energon in it. I bet you could run really fast all around the room now." The red energon was, thankfully, a lie this time. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:49 PM Prowl's avatar lacks a field to be read. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:49 PM A baleful look, and another hic. He doesn't WANNA run, Smokey. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:49 PM //Aw, c'mon... where's the kid's parents?// Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:49 PM Shhhhh. Don't question Primus, Prowl. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:49 PM An Adventure might just be right, but she's not the one taking the risks. Nope. Rebel has a better idea; let Dad get grounded for whatever happens next. She deposits Swoop on Windchill's elbow, let them play Shadow of the Colossus or whatever. She's got snacks to get back to, then she'll come back to check on them. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:50 PM \HEHEH. MONSTERS'RE DUE ON MAPLE STREET.\ Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:50 PM "... Tarantulas also tend to only eat every few days." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:51 PM Swoop squeaks dejectedly when Rebel abandons him.... but his attention span is as short as ever, so he almost instantly gets into full king kong mode, making his own wild noises as he clamors up this tower named Windchill. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:51 PM //Maybe he's gotta do way more cause he's so big?// //Zori's gotta eat a whole lot when he gets big.// Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:51 PM "... Possibly. But humans are also a lot bigger than normal tarantula prey." How does spider metabolism work. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:52 PM ... Oh. Oh, maybe that didn't work. "Well, uh- I bet I could spin you around if you want?" He's not used to bots younger than him! What is he even supposed to do? Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:52 PM Windchill will...wait patiently and hold still so as not to knock the little cretin off. Swoop's sure to move into visual range at some point, right? Being so big has it's downsides. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:52 PM Spinning sounds fun. He might want to do that. Sludge considers before nodding. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:53 PM Eventually, Swoop makes his way onto Windchill's chest. Having such tiny talons makes holding onto transformation seams easy. He's on his waaaay! Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:53 PM Pit if Soundwave knows. Tarantulas doesn't even eat humans. ...He thinks. He hopes not. Prowl wouldn't like that. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:53 PM He sure wouldn't. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:54 PM Rebel, meanwhile, has returned to pick the dropped treats back off the floor. Someone else can eat 'em, they've been contaminated! She'll keep the ruined ones in one hand, and start over once more on getting an unhealthy selection of new ones. Now, she can wander on back to see how Swoop is doing. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:54 PM "... It's not quite 'Earth versus the spider' at this point, is it? Closer to 'town versus the spider.'" Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:55 PM Alright then! Smokescreen leans down to pick up the teeny teeny baby before spinning him around and around! Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:55 PM Windchill still can't see a darned thing; boobs too big, but he can feel tiny claws tickling him in all of the wrong places and hear the monstrous sounds of a demanding dino on approach. Luckily, it's not his chestplates that are ticklish. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:56 PM Well, it cures his hiccups at least. But, ah. No. No, he definitely does not like being spun around like this after all; he's not entirely sure what to do about it though, so he cries. Loudly. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:56 PM ... The poor thing. What did that little spider do to deserve squishing. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 8:56 PM Resting his helm now as if he were asleep, Primus' optics turned off so he could focus on the data flow that Soundwave was recieving. It was fairly simple metrics from a further distance away. Getting closer there was more data to be sent as the gravity pull from the wells began to change drastically. Cue the influx of data and accompanying visuals of a star heading into the emptiness before it was torn apart in a rather beautiful display. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:56 PM Chill's ears flick, and his head turns towards the crying. What the hell is going on? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:57 PM //Maybe there's a whole lotta towns gettin' spidered up. Jus' we get to see this one only.// Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:57 PM OW. Ow, ow, ow. Smokescreen quickly puts Sludge back down, patting his helm, "It's okay, it's okay, we've stopped, we've stopped, see? You're gonna be fine." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:57 PM (( provided gif https://www.sciencealert.com/images/9f2df7fe3845cffaba5185a9ed2313ce.gif )) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 8:58 PM No they're WEREN'T, that was AWFUL! TERRIBLE. He lays down and continues crying. He definitely doesn't ever want to do THAT again. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:58 PM ...Gonna need more than a few hundred points, Prowl. Gonna need a LOT of points. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:59 PM Prowl's only capable of eight hundred odd simultaneous points, he's mathing as fast as he can. And definitely not watching the movie. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:59 PM Swoop's head snaps over to look at where Sludge is crying. What happened? He pushes himself off Windchill to glide over and land on top of Sludge in a protective baby pile. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 8:59 PM Smokescreen's staring around the room desperately, hoping someone might know enough about babies to help, "It's gonna be fine, I'm sorry for scaring you- do you want another cookie?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:59 PM \HEY! WHO MADE SLUDGE CRY?\ Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 8:59 PM Windchill sighs. So close. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:00 PM \I OUGHTA DRILL YOUR FACE IN\ SpecsToday at 9:00 PM The dragon just stares flatly at the offender. "What the frag, Smokescreen." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:00 PM //No! No drilling. Uh, but seriously. He okay, or...?// Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:00 PM No, he doesn't want a cookie. He wants to lay here and be upset for a few minutes under Swoop. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:00 PM Annnnnd there's crying. From over near...oh. "He didn't get hurt, did he?" Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 9:01 PM A sad, sad hand raise, "I didn't mean to, I swear! I asked if he wanted to be spun around, and he nodded, but now he's crying and I don't know what's wrong!" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:01 PM Eight hundred odd points will do. He's about as lost in all of that as it's possible to get without sliding out of his own head. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:01 PM That's it, he's getting to his feet. SpecsToday at 9:02 PM "Smokescreen, you can't spin hatchlings very fast! You'll make them ill- especially if they've already eaten." Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 9:02 PM "I don't think he's hurt, but- I don't know. I thought bitties liked getting spun. I liked getting spun." Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:02 PM Sends out a low, soothing, field from where he sat to see if it'd help comfort Sludge. While still keeping track of the data influx for Soundwave and Prowl. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:02 PM "You probably made him sick." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:02 PM //How'd you like gettin' spun up by Trypticon, huh?// Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:02 PM Don't worry Sludge. Swoop is being an excellent blanket and will bite the crap out of anyone trying to fuss with you. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 9:02 PM A surprised look at Spectral, and back at Sludge, "Wait, really? "Also, getting spun by Trypticon sounds awesome! Count me in." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:03 PM \LEMME JAB HIM. JUST A LITTLE BIT. C'MON. PLEEEEEEASE.\ //No! Boss'd--// Rumble stares at Smokescreen. //Maybe a little bit.// Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:03 PM He appreciates Swoop being a blanket; don't mind him hiding his face now that he realizes other people noticed he's crying like a BABY. SpecsToday at 9:03 PM "As a general rule, yes." Who left Smokescreen unattended around the bitlets, anyways? Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:03 PM Windchill skulks over to loom over the group, shooing Rebel out of the way and peering at the pile of dinos. Being tall helps a lot, here. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:04 PM Swoop slides his lil self forward so his scrawny body is hiding Sludge's head. (Though there's not much he can do about that noodle neck) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:04 PM "Me Sludge tank go swoosh," he whines up at Swoop. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:05 PM Frenzy eyes Smokescreen and makes a jabbing motion. Stay away from the kid or you're gonna get the real thing. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 9:06 PM "Oh. Huh... Okay, I'll make sure not to do that again." And he looks down at Sludge again. Though he's mostly looking at Swoop at this point, "I'm sorry, kiddo. I messed up." Aaaand he finally backs up. He doesn't wanna get jabbed! Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:06 PM "Bleghuhh!" he commiserates with his brohter. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:06 PM He thumps his tail in response. That may be forgiveness, or maybe just more stomachache complaints. Who knows. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:07 PM "Eh, he'll be fine." Windchill snorts. "Just leave 'em alone for a bit and they'll get over it." With that, he's turning to head back to his seat. Nothing more to be done, there. His hands are too big, anyway. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 9:09 PM ... Frag, what helps sick bitties? Smokescreen's looking around. High grade? Probably not. Maybe some low grade? Would he even want any while he's sick? Finally, he's giving Primus a desperate look, moving to whisper to him, "How do you unsick babies?" "Wait, are you sure? What if I made him really sick? What if he needs to go to a medic now? You're a baby expert, Winds, right?" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:11 PM "Sure am. Just let them be, his tanks will settle and they need to process their upset emotions and stuff. Plus, you'll get bit if you try anything." He's crossing his legs, sitting himself down on the floor once more. Rebel's going to sit too, and maybe, finally, snack in relative peace. That's all she really wanted. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:12 PM Something keeps bugging Soundwave. Lots of tension in the room. It's hard to focus on it with all the data streaming through his head, but there's not much choice. Gonna try to tear himself out of the special event enough to prod Rumble for an explanation. SpecsToday at 9:13 PM "Smokescreen, he doesn't seem to want to be touched right now. I'm not a bitlet expert, but I think it's important for hatchlings to be allowed reasonable personal boundaries." Spoken with some slight bitterness. Maybe a little. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:13 PM Swoop is an excellent example of personal boundaries right now as he completely plasters himself on top of and all over his still-technically-bigger brother. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:14 PM Can easily pause the data until Soundwave was done. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:14 PM Have fun in the real world, Prowl's still overloading on math. ... Which sense the word is meant in is currently ambiguous. Aw, what? Who paused the math. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:14 PM Sludge is still hiding his face and pretending he wasn't crying like a baby bot so he'd appreciate pretending he's just a rock Swoop's lying on for now, judging by the way he's avoiding looking. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:14 PM (( At least you're saving room for Primus. )) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:15 PM ((LOL)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:15 PM ((oh my god)) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:15 PM //gfdhgb Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:15 PM (( My work here...is done... )) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:15 PM [[Is everything all right?]] Kinda groggy sounding. [[Do we need to send them back, or to a hospital?]] Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:15 PM ((Technically speaking, snek Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:15 PM [dying] Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:15 PM ((there is a sacred threesome and a preschool in this same classic horror movie screening and I'm not sure how we got here so casually)) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:15 PM //do u need to save room for primus if primus is the one providing Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:16 PM ((i'm not sure either and yet here we are)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:16 PM "You'll likely just upset 'em more if you move them." That's Windchill's advice. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:16 PM ((primus made room for himself)) Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:16 PM ((apparently not ((and now things hurt from laughing too much Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:17 PM [[Then everyone back up and let them be. We do not need upset Dinobots.]] And he doesn't want to go full protective mode. Then there will be upset everyone else too. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 9:17 PM "Okay, okay- I can give him some space. Someone else can do stuff- I think I should just. Uh. Stay away from babies forever. I don't know what I'm doing. But they're gonna be fine, right?" Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:17 PM [Blaster is gunna die of laughter next to me. I might too. Worth it XD] Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:18 PM ((five minute intermission, get snacks and refills on drinks)) ((next is The Blob)) Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:18 PM And he's going back to his seat, but keeping an eye on the dino's as well. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:18 PM "They'll be fine. If you're still worried, contact their creators and let them decide what to do about it." (( in that case, coffee. )) Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:19 PM ((And thanks Primus)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:19 PM Blinks blearily around the room. He's still 50% math. Upset Dinobots? Where upset Dinobots. What. Huh. He wants to ask a question but his vocabulary is currently offline, so never mind that. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:19 PM Swoop isn't moving an inch off Sludge..... but this is an awful lot of holding still. He's got to peak his lil head up and at least look around a little. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:19 PM He peeks once Swoop does, before ducking back down again. Nope, still too many optics. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:20 PM ((brb, got to banish an empty salmon container so it doesn't stink up my kitchen)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:20 PM "Chirp!" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:20 PM Windchill chirps back. They haven't been abandoned, per se. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:21 PM Hums patiently. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:21 PM ((omg this is HILARIOUSLY well done)) Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:21 PM [ :3 ] Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:22 PM Swoop chirps back, a little less emphatically. Just a checking in noise. Making sure no one disappeared in the three seconds since his last chirp. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:22 PM ((a little more gruesome than i expected oop)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:23 PM Nope, still there. Chill emits a coo; it's the most comfort he can offer from a safe distance. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:23 PM Hm. They seem to be all right. He'll just let his consciousness slide back into the data stream for however much of it is left to process. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:23 PM [angrily Noot Noot] Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:23 PM ((DEATH)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:24 PM ((lemme know when y'all are back)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:24 PM Swoop settles back in on top of Sludge, content that they've sorted things out with that little exchanged. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:25 PM Give him a few more minutes and he'll be willing to sidle towards the closest warm body for attention. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:25 PM There's still quite a bit left. Primus smiled then continued the data stream. It was paused in the middle of the star's energy being dispersed out into the solar system around the black hole. Right back into the data! Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:26 PM ((I Am Back)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:26 PM ((I'm getting sleepy. I'm going to try to stick it out since I want to see The Blob but, if I go completely dead silent, it means I fell asleep and Swoop did the same as a result lol)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:26 PM Anyway, Rebel's gotten tired of sticky snacks melting in her hand; the ones dropped on the floor are being shoved and wiggled into Windchill's palm for him to deal with. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:26 PM ((with trash trashed)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:26 PM ((lmao roger dodger. we all back now? i think? yes?)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:26 PM ((and ice cream ice creamed)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:26 PM (( Chill can get him home if nothing else. )) Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 9:26 PM ((I'm still here!)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:26 PM ((put him in his pocket and just walk off)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:27 PM (( That might qualify as kidnapping. )) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:27 PM ((details!)) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:28 PM //lmao //sludge is likely to also fall asleep once he gets himself settled in a nice lap Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:28 PM Great, now his hand is sticky and he's forced to look and see why that is. Um. Well, better start eating, he supposes. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:28 PM \WHAT KINDA SCARY MONSTER MOVIE STARTS OFF WITH KISSIN'. UGH.\ Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:29 PM "If it's kissing a monster, than a good monster movie." He hasn't been watching to see, so you tell him. Goo, meet mouth. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:29 PM "No kiss!" :V Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:30 PM Windchill sticks out his tongue, both in reaction to floor food and Swoop. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:30 PM "The alternative is scary monster movies that end with kissing. Or have kissing in the middle." Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:30 PM "You're supposed to kiss babies." Let that be a warning to you. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:30 PM "Gross." A quiet mumble. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:30 PM "Such as The Shape Of Water or..." ... He forgot the name of the goo alien movie. "..................... Toxin." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:31 PM "No no no no no!" <:V Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:32 PM What is going on in the movie now? Was he upset over something stuck to his hand? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:32 PM //Venom?// \BETTER NOT HAVIN' ANY KISSIN' AT ALL.\ Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:32 PM "You'd better watch out, Swoop." Have some gooey, smooching sounds. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:33 PM "... Is this another movie like To— Venom?" Considering the alien goo covering that man's hand. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:33 PM Swoop GASPS and clings harder to Sludge Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:33 PM //Oh, naw. It ain't a friendly nothin'. Don't even talk.// Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:33 PM Not to worry, he doesn't intend to make good on his threat. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:33 PM Hmmm. Such beauty in the raw data of a literal force of nature. Don't mind him. He's enjoying reliving the event he's sharing with Soundwave and Prowl. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:33 PM "Friendliness and capacity to talk don't necessarily correlate, but point taken." Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:34 PM Too busy cleaning up Rebel's mess with his face, anyway. "Who the hell is responsible for this cookie?" Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:34 PM Sludge leans into the clinging. "Gross," he repeats. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:34 PM ... Oh wait is the data back on?? He's got a lot of math to catch up on. Back into the fray. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:34 PM It's been on for a bit. Soundwave has a decent dose to fling at him like an impatient Swoop waiting for Laserbeak to appear. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:36 PM Behold: numbers. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:36 PM Munch munch munch. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:36 PM Slowly.. sloooowly, inching for a couch. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:36 PM Chuckles. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:37 PM Swoop is light enough to just go along for the ride Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:37 PM Swoop's also covering his face, so he's relying on him to navigate. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:38 PM He doesn't know about this job and doesn't do it at all. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:38 PM Frenzy "whispers". //TEN SHANIX ON THEM PLOWIN' INTO THE COUCH.// Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:39 PM That's fine Swoop. He'll just keep going until he bumps them into something. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:39 PM Hopefully it's not TOO much more data, though. Soundwave's curious about that hand blob. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:39 PM Here we have Frenzy, making the smart bets. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:39 PM It's about the only smart thing he's done in his life, if you ask certain other deployers. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:40 PM He does eventually smack them into something, give or take two minutes later, and tilts his head back to get a look at whatever it is. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:40 PM Maybe another five minutes at the most? The star is nearly completely devoured. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:40 PM Windchill chirrups. He's not looking to see what's happening, but there's nothing wrong with checking in to make sure the dinobabies are still alive, right? Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:41 PM Swoop chirps in response to Windchill and continues not helping Sludge. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:41 PM Aha! Couch. That's what he was looking for. Now which way to the front? "You Swoop find couch." Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:41 PM Still alive, good enough for him. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:41 PM \HA. KNEW IT.\ //You 'n half of Cybertron. I ain't payin' that.// Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:42 PM ((I can't take them calling that dude a kid when he is like 40)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:42 PM Go, black hole, go. Finish consuming the star. Do what you were made to do. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:42 PM (( I know right. )) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:44 PM He'll continue mathing to the bitter end. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:45 PM He's doing his best to lick his gooey fingers clean. Rebel's free from a grounding...this time. It wasn't her fault. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:45 PM Well. That was disturbing to see. Had his hand been eaten and replaced? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:45 PM You could say that. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:45 PM Ew. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:46 PM Sludge would like it known that he has successfully navigated his way to the front of the couch. Now he has encountered a new obstacle: getting ON the couch. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:46 PM Consume. Does Soundwave know Unicron was a black hole in one universe after his defeat? Not a very well liked universe, but, it happened there. Tore the fabric of reality apart for awhile. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:46 PM Good job, Sludge. He's rooting for you. Silently. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:47 PM He didn't know that. Why? Did Primus just tell him? Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:47 PM He points.

"Dog." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:48 PM "Swoop" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:48 PM "Yes. You Swoop." Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:49 PM Thinking about it. Maybe next time. It might be too much. There was all that good data to crunch with Prowl for tonight. Primus would have to tell the Unicron story another day. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:49 PM "Ewwww!" Rebel yells. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 9:49 PM "... That blob is kinda cute." Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:50 PM "Oh dear" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:50 PM "They're dead." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:50 PM "Booger" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:50 PM "You SWOOP a booger." That's Chill's contribution. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:51 PM Success! He has surmounted the mountain that everyone else called a couch and now he is... kind of tired, actually. Flop. Sorry for knocking you around, Swoop. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:51 PM Then he'll wrap up getting that and try to shake himself back to awareness. Slowly. There are hundreds of numbers lingering in his head. [[You are... mostly forgiven. Do not offer him bananas again]] Pause. [[...What is that. On the screen. The... goo. Thing.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:51 PM "It's me on a bad day." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:52 PM [[Hm.]] A serious nod. It's going to take him a second to realize that's a joke answer. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:52 PM Prowl's going back over the data to run more calculations. He'll be dead to the world for a while yet. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:52 PM Windchill just smiles. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:52 PM He's welcome to be; Soundwave will probably reprocess it while he's drifting off later. It helps him fall asleep. [[...A little red to be you.]] All right, he's caught up to that. [[Blaster, perhaps.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:53 PM Later? Later?? Prowl's still sending his calculations to Soundwave. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:53 PM "...A really bad day. Red's not my colour." Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:53 PM "Excuse you. I don't melt things anymore." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:54 PM The biggest tragedy of the night is that Prowl missed the chess-playing cop being supported by his peers. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:54 PM Oh! Is that what that series of notifications is? He'll happily scootch himself into a more comfortable position on the couch and absorb them in the back of his mind.

[[Mmm. Anymore??]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:55 PM Chirp, chirp, chirp. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:55 PM Chirp.......... chirp.... Yawn. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:56 PM ((for a moment i glanced at a username wrong and misread it as "Primus [the-thot-of-light]")) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:56 PM ((AHAHA)) Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:56 PM Can't make any promises, but he'll try not to, Soundwave. Hums his appreciation regardless for the forgiveness. Have a nice trickle of visuals of the warm flickers of the fading star for later as a last bit of data. Primus will probably take a nice little nap here. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:56 PM "You Swoop go home and sleep." Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:56 PM [You killed Blaster XD] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:57 PM ((ouo)) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:57 PM //lmao Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:57 PM Primus is welcome to sleep here. Soundwave won't begrudge the creator of their species a little extra rest. He knows how often Primus needs to recharge. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:57 PM ((ow Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:57 PM "No." : < Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:57 PM ((unicron voice: BEGONE, THOT)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:57 PM ((PFFFHFFHFF)) Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 9:57 PM [B A N A N A] Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:58 PM ((hssss)) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 9:58 PM //im laughing bc i read puff's post and my first thought was "and on the first day, the thot said, let there be light" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:58 PM It takes him a moment to locate the source of the Swoop-voice, and he gives that voice a shrewd, sideways look. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:58 PM ((lmao)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:58 PM ((lol)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:58 PM "You Swoop not tired?" Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:58 PM ((-dead- Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:58 PM "No no!" He yawns. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:59 PM //Liar.// Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 9:59 PM "Oh, my mistake." He doesn't buy that for a second. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 9:59 PM "Is the dog the giant spider?" Smokescreen may be a bit tired at this point! Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:59 PM \WH-- WHY THE FRAG-- THE GIANT SPIDER'S DEAD, YA BOLTBRAIN.\ Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 9:59 PM "But perhaps this is one of the giant spider babies!" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:00 PM \NEVER SEEN A SPIDER BABY LOOKED LIKE THAT.\ Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 10:00 PM Sludge would deny being tired, but crying and then having to climb a couch have tired him out, and he's fallen asleep on his cushion. Tiny, tiny snores. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 10:00 PM Primus shall currently be: :zzz: Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:00 PM "Don't you know? Spiders aren't born with eight legs, they start with four and grow more as they get older." Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:01 PM How many passed out people is he carrying out of here, exactly? All of them? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:01 PM \LYIN' IN FRONT OF PRIMUS. YOU OUGHTA BE ASHAMED.\ Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:01 PM "Me? Lying? I'm not lying! Come on." SpecsToday at 10:02 PM "Liar, liar, fur on fire, skinned and burnt in a funeral pyre." Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:02 PM "That's grim." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:02 PM \OOOOH.\ //Vicious. I like it.// Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:02 PM "Come on, if I lied, Primus would, like, flick me or something, probably. And I'm not furry! I don't have to worry about that." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:03 PM Soundwave's glad Prowl's busy with numbers. He'd have a spark attack at the idea of someone cleaning up a crime scene the police were trying to inspect. //Don't say that too loud. Someone's gonna give ya fur.// SpecsToday at 10:04 PM "Grimmer when you know that we don't usually burn our dead." Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:05 PM "Why not? Stops the spread of disease and all, saves space, it's super effective." Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:05 PM Maaaay have started dozing off. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:05 PM All right. That's—that's maybe enough for now. He can wait until the movie's over to get back to it. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:05 PM "Look, they've given me everything else. They've given me fake matrices, sparkeater babies, trauma, might as well make me all furry too." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:05 PM //Don't say I never warned ya.// Frenzy sneaks over to Blaster to start trying to snack stacks on him now that he apepars to be dozing. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:06 PM "Greyfaces? Bastards." Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:07 PM "Maybe it'll be in my internals and it'll be fine and I'll be comfy to sit in! You can hang out inside me if they do." Smokescreen is watching for his reaction to the worst offer he's given in a long time. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:07 PM (( When ur dad is like ten years older than you. )) SpecsToday at 10:07 PM "Eh, cultural reasons- primarily the disease part. Burning corpses implies that they're unclean. And we're big on the cycle of life bit, so we usually place the dead out to return to nature. Or, if they were really naughty, we eat them." Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:07 PM "You can say that again. They put you through a lot of slag too?" Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:07 PM Started, Frenzy. He's still mostly awake. Still, he's going to hold still to see how many the mech can stack. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:08 PM "You are what you eat." He yawns. "It's why I'm such an ass." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:08 PM ((28 years old and playing a late teenager. i see dawson's creek casting choices have been a thing for decades)) SpecsToday at 10:09 PM "In theory, it's supposed to be purifying, thank you very much. We don't all become hatchling-eaters when we eat one, you know." Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:09 PM ((dangit now i wanna get out the rescue bots blob episode aszxzxcv)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:09 PM ((they had one? :o )) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:09 PM He yawns again before addressing Smokescreen.

"Yeah. Mostly just annoying stuff, but I don't think I'll ever get over bleeding out of unusual orifices. I suppose it's meant to be humiliating...But I'm immune." Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:10 PM ((yeah! I'll find the specific episode but I think it was a s1 or s2 epsisode? i remember there's also a small alien and a predator reference in the episode)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:10 PM ((what child would want to name his dog william)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:11 PM ((not that one, he doesn't like william  lmao)) Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:11 PM "Wait, what? Were you bleeding out your mouth? Our your sparkchamber? How are you online?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:11 PM ((i don't know why he suggested it if he doesn't like it, but. there it be)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:11 PM (( Throw a "the Conqueror" on there and it's at least...a reference. )) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:11 PM That may be a bad idea, Blaster. Frenzy gets bored really quickly. There may be more than just snacks on you soon. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:12 PM ((the idea that a child would suggest a name and then be upset at the name because he doesn't actually like it is far more believable than the idea that a child would want to name a dog william)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:12 PM "Worse than those." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:12 PM Something belatedly registers in Soundwave's mind. [[One moment. Who eats hatchlings?]] SpecsToday at 10:13 PM "No one that gets to live for much longer." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:14 PM This is a satisfactory answer. He nods and settles back against Prowl's shoulder. [[The humans need a camera. Plenty of proof then.]] Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:14 PM He'll just...move if it starts looking like he's gonna get to that point. Rather not find out what else he'd stack. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:15 PM ((OH the blob episode of rescue bots was uh "You've Been Squilshed" and i think i was mixing it up with another episode but yeah basically from what i understand of the blob it's the blob but rescue bots roll to the rescue)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:15 PM No? What've you got against shanix, empty quarter-ration cubes, a blaster (ha) and a live grenade? Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:16 PM Nods vaguely in agreement. Yes. Camera. That is smart. "... Proof of what?" He missed almost the entire set up of the movie. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:16 PM Okay, the first two sound harmless. Third...a bit iffy. The last? Hell no. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:16 PM [[The blob monster. The human eating alien goo. Nobody believes they have seen it.]] Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:16 PM "Worse than those? What other orifices do you even have? Do you secretly somehow have a belly button?" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:16 PM "Oh! Right. Got— It eats humans?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:17 PM [[Mm. Looks like it.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:17 PM "Huh." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:17 PM Fiiiine. Go ahead and knock over all the glasses and snacks and money, then. Spoilsport. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:17 PM "A little lower." He cranes his head, not at all bothered by the topic of magical menstruation. The dinos appear to be intact. Asleep, maybe, but no longer crying or looking miserable. Good enough for him. See? He knows a thing or several about babies. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:18 PM [[Wonder where the mouth is.]] He didn't SEE any. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:18 PM Live. Grenade. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:18 PM Maybe the whole thing is the mouth. Or stomach. Maybe it doesn't have anything else. Organics are bizarre. Oh, come on. You wouldn't play Hot Potato with it either, would you? He'd bet not. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:19 PM "Oh. OH. Frag, ow, it came from there? How'd you deal with that?" He is still thinking of the wrong orifice, somehow. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:20 PM It's a grenade! He wouldn't play games with it, period! He likes his limbs all attached, thanks. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:20 PM Tch. Autobots. He'll take what's left of his snack stash and re-seat himself. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:20 PM "Maybe it's acidic goo." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:21 PM [[Wouldn't it.... digest itself?]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:21 PM "Not very well. It's times like those when you just have to lie down and feel sorry for yourself." Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:21 PM He's just going to straighten up and huff. Seriously. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:22 PM "Acid doesn't melt acid." Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:22 PM "No, yeah, I get that. It's not still happening, is it? Do you, uh, want some of these cookies? They won't cure anything, but at least it'll be a good way to distract you from anything hurting, right?" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:23 PM "No, that was a while ago." Thank Primus, and he hoped it never happened again. What a waste of energon! "You're the one with the cookies?" Chill considers this. "Sure. I liked the other one." Granted, that one had been mingled with the other myriad snacks, but he'd go for another. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:24 PM "Wait, you really liked them?" Smokescreen's doorwings flutter, more than happy to give Windchill a few more cookies. And a few more. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:24 PM [[Hm. Tracks by vibration?]] Doesn't see any eyes, ears, or nose on it either. [[Stand on a desk.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:25 PM "Is the dog barking inside of it? Or has it learned to bark?" Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:25 PM "Or hang out on a hammock!" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:25 PM "Yeaaaah?" He's, uh, easy to please. He doesn't know why that would even be a question. A cookie is a cookie, isn't it? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:25 PM [[The dog, he thinks. It stopped.]] Light frown. [[Probably ate it.]] [[The goo ate the dog, he means. Not-- He doesn't think the dog could eat it fast enough.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:26 PM "Did the humans make noise when they were eaten too?" That was during the part he wasn't paying attention to. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:26 PM Then again, said cookie had been on the floor for a few minutes, so it might just be that he has no standards when it comes to fuel. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:27 PM [[No. But it went for their heads.]] [[Suffocation, likely.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:27 PM "I think it had a lot more than the dog's head." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:27 PM [[Poor beast. ... Don't tell Ravage.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:29 PM "Hmm." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:29 PM Oh. Another movie where the police are portrayed as stupid and oblivious. Hm. ((where the hell did a bunch of kids get access to an air raid siren omfg)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:30 PM ((it's the 50s, where WOULDN'T they get access to one)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:30 PM ((is there just, a button on the streets. "push in case of air raid.")) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:31 PM ((LOL)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:32 PM Munch, munch, munch. As many cookies as he's handed, he'll eat. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:33 PM Oh, good, ONE isn't being portrayed as stupid. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:33 PM Smokescreen isn't going to stop until he's out of cookies or until Windchill says something! Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:34 PM "Well, that's guaranteed to make it worse." Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:34 PM Fools, did you really think that Rebel would be left out of this cookie action? She'll snatch them right out of Windchill's hands. What if they run out of cookies. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:35 PM Oh! Rebel wants cookies, too? He's happy to feed her, as well. But if they run out, then he'll get to go home with an empty energon cube of cookies! "... Is it bad I kinda wanna eat the blob" Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:36 PM Windchill swallows and clears his throat, not about to be a bad example by talking with his mouth full while Rebel is around. "Probably." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:36 PM ((four cents a pound for watermelon, man)) ((yes yes i know, inflation, but let me dream)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:36 PM ((if only)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:36 PM (( What a time to be alive. )) Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 10:36 PM //i could eat so much watermelon Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:37 PM "......ew." Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:37 PM "Even I would hesitate to put that in my mouth." Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:38 PM "It looks like it has a really tasty, gooey texture, though! I bet it'd be good with some mercury syrup mixed in." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:38 PM [[Trapped.]] Chin on hand. He'd like to see how they expect to get out now. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:39 PM "It's got humans mixed in already. And a dog." How's that for flavour? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:39 PM [[Ugh. Vile.]] Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:39 PM "Agreeing with Soundwave here." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:39 PM "... Are they going to SHOOT the power line?" Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:40 PM "Oh, yeah, I guess that probably wouldn't taste great." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:40 PM [[Electricity worked on the spider.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:40 PM "Depending on who you ask." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:40 PM "...... That was actually a pretty impressive shot." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:40 PM [[Agreed.]] [[Sensible creature. If you ask him.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:42 PM He just...looks at Soundwave. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:43 PM Huffs. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:43 PM "Hmm." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:43 PM [[...What.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:44 PM A smile is all you get. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:44 PM He's not sure what to make of it, so he just chooses nothing. It's noted for later, though. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:44 PM "Just delicately pick the lock- yeah!" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:45 PM ((Delicate Lockpicking Method)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:45 PM (( I shed a tear. )) SpecsToday at 10:46 PM ((tapping out early. sorry, 'tis finals week. ilu all, I am just sleeby.)) Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:46 PM ((Oh! Have a good night! And hope your finals go well :O!)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:46 PM ((np, you're right at th eend anyway so don't worry about missing much <3)) ((good luck on finals!)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:46 PM ((get sleeb)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:46 PM He's going to subspace a single cookie for the dinobrats later. He feels a little sorry that they didn't get to play all that much. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:46 PM ((good luck! Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:47 PM (( Good luck and good night! )) Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:47 PM "Primus, I'm glad they made it. I thought they were going to go offline..." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:47 PM (("as long as the arctic stays cold." sounds like it's high time for a sequel!)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:48 PM ((there was one!)) Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:48 PM ((well shit Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:48 PM ((but another would sure suit it now haha)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:48 PM "Interesting." Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:48 PM ((yeah Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:48 PM (( Still pretty damned cold, trust me. )) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:49 PM Soundwave stretches. [[Intriguing. Humans are afraid of such strange possibilities. Something to keep investigating, he thinks. But for now, he should pick up.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:49 PM (( Set it another 100 years in the future maybe. )) Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 10:49 PM Angrily: Noot Noot. [didhereallydoit?] Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:49 PM Yawns. Okay, that's probably a sign he should be heading home. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:50 PM "Well." Time to get up and collect everyone who needs a ride home. "Thanks for the cookies, Smokescreen." Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:50 PM "By the way, Soundwave- this reminds me, I've got some documentaries I'd be up to watch with you privately sometime." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:50 PM [[Oh? Send him descriptions of them. He'll see if they're worth making time for some night.]] Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:51 PM Smokescreen waves at Rebel and Windchill, starting to get up as well. "You got it! I'll pick the best ones to share with you." Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:51 PM He snaps his fingers, Rebel's cue to lick hers clean and fetch the Dinobots in her more appropriately sized hands. How they're communicating with such simple gestures isn't anyone's business. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:52 PM Comms, he assumes. Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:53 PM Very likely. Blaster (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:53 PM Stands up and waves. "G'night. Time for me to go home." Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 10:53 PM Sludge's only response is a sleepy snuffle. He's ready to be take home. Smokescreen (ask-smokescreen)Today at 10:54 PM Before he leaves, he's going to grab a few more sweets, to compare and try to recreate. "Good night, everyone! I've got some business to take care of." Secret business! Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:54 PM [[Goodnight.]] Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:54 PM "I don't wanna carry 'em the whole way." Rebel, naturally, finds something to complain about already, and Windchill offers his palm with a mildly annoyed grunt. If she places the babies there gently, it'll be fine. He had to carry her around for days at a time when she was this small, after all. He can handle it. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:54 PM ((oh hey this song's in gotham)) Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:55 PM "I've got the creatures. Does anyone else need to be hauled out of here or are we good?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:55 PM [[That's it, he believes. The others have gone. Or are allowed to stay.]] Small nod in Primus' direction. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 10:57 PM :zzz: Windchill + Rebel (chillintel)Today at 10:57 PM Windchill doesn't appear to get it, and shrugs.

"Can't say that I know where anyone else lives, anyway." Rebel scoots towards the exit, and he follows. "Goodnight, watch out for blobs." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:58 PM [[We will. Blobs and many other things.]] And the door locks behind the last of the leaving guests. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:59 PM Speed trial bridge the couches back into position go. And done. Sludge(Slvdge)Today at 10:59 PM //ninii Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:59 PM ((night <3)) [[Remind him,]] turning to Prowl, [[that he has a gift for your Magnemite. The closest thing he could imagine as a tr--]]

Please hold. Taking off his visor to make sure he really saw that.

Okay, he really saw that. [[...As a treat. One day, you are going to pass him up in bridging creativity and skill. This is not a complaint.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 11:03 PM "I'm sure it'll appreciate it." He offers Soundwave the thinnest smirk. "And I expect you to keep competing."

Now. As much as he'd LIKE to plow Soundwave into the couch... He leans forward to look around Soundwave and give Primus a dismayed look. Soundwave obviously isn't sending him home. (Whatever qualifies as "home" for an entity that is in fact the planet on which they're currently sitting.) The couch, therefore, is unfortunately off-limits. With apologies to Frenzy and his ten shanix. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 11:07 PM [[He will spend all of tomorrow contemplating how best to show off in front of you; do not worry about that.]] Quiet huff.

As for Primus... [[Let him rest. He has earned a safe space to catch up on it with that data. The twins can stay to watch over him.]] He'll try to ignore that Frenzy's already readying the snacks and shanix again. [[We, however, are under no such restrictions.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 11:08 PM "I certainly wouldn't disturb him." Which is the problem. He didn't want to have to relocate first before banging. But alas. Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 11:08 PM You know he's probably seen it all, right? Doesn't care. Enjoy. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 11:09 PM Oh, it's not so terrible. Why, there might even be a small attempt to impress involved in the process of moving. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 11:10 PM Prowl doesn't frag in front of people who didn't clearly agree to be witnesses, whether or not they've seen it all. Consent is one of the three basic tenants of good BDSM. ... And good interfacing in general, in his opinion, but it seems to him that people into vanilla stuff don't pay attention to those sorts of rules the way they ought to. But do impress him, Soundwave. He's ready and waiting. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 11:12 PM [[Then let us be on our way.]] He squints and looks Prowl up and down before the next bit. [[But first, two questions. Are you afraid of heights, and do you trust him?]] Primus [the-lord-of-light]Today at 11:12 PM Would they even ask him? [I'm a lazy mun. Don't mind me.] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 11:13 PM Not while he's asleep, certainly.

ooOOooo. "Not in this frame, and certainly enough to go somewhere dangerously high with you." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 11:26 PM [[Good.]]

Because he's about to drop Prowl through a bridge that opens upside down and tosses him up into the open sky high, high above Iacon.

Prowl won't have time to fall for more than a moment after reaching the peak of that tiny flight. Another one opens to let Soundwave dart out and up in alt mode. In a flash, he's unfolding and scooping Prowl into his arms in mid-air, binding him close as a third bridge pops open just beneath them.

He completes the landing on the floor of his apartment, just in front of the OTHER couch, with only a slight wobble in one leg hinting at the stress of it. And plop on the couch Prowl is carefully dropped. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 11:32 PM Prowl had expected that Soundwave might be spontaneously dropping him into the sky. He was NOT expecting to be flung UPSIDE-DOWN into the sky.

He barely manages a strangled gasp before he's safely in Soundwave's arms, and flings his arms around Soundwave's shoulders as they pass through the bridge into the apartment. As they land, he stares at Soundwave's face, jaw dropped.

He doesn't let go as Soundwave plops him down. Instead, for a moment, he clings to his shoulders; and then jerks him down, hooks a leg around his thigh, and tugs him desperately into a kiss.

He was impressed. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 11:38 PM A mech doesn't spend a hell of a lot of time stuck around Starscream without learning how to modify and pull off a few stunts. It just doesn't happen. Granted, Starscream probably would have let Prowl fall a lot longer before catching him, but Soundwave wanted to SURPRISE Prowl, not scare the spark out of him. Prowl wouldn't have dragged him into a kiss afterward if he'd done something like that.

And he's more than willing to let Prowl do that. He's got physical reassurances to offer and a burning need to bite those beautiful lips, and both of those are best dealt with by diving right in.

They just got all the air they needed. He won't be coming up for more any time soon. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 11:39 PM And down they both go.

[papa-rhys]

Trial: Day 4, evening (Justice AU)

Note: Part 2 has arrived and I loved writing this part so much. I love the Rye family with all my heart and I will protect them until the day I die. Tagging: @casifer-fan Enjoy!

Series summary: After a war comes what is arguably the most difficult part: recovery. And a big part of that recovery - for both the deputies and Hope County residents alike - is justice. Jacob Seed and John Seed - exactly 1 half of the guilty party - must stand trial and face the consequences for what they’ve done. After being promoted to the position of sheriff, the Deputy (reader) must now guide their recovering friends through the difficulties that a very public trial brings about; all whilst reliving the horrors of what they faced in that small county in Montana.

Chapter summary: The newly appointed sheriff spends the evening enjoying a family dinner with the Rye family, during which, they express their concerns about the trial to Nick and Kim.

Word count: 1512

Characters: Reader, Nick Rye, Kim Rye, Hannah Rye (aka baby Rye)

Warnings: Graphic depictions of true love

| Other parts to this series |  | Find more of my stuff here! |  | Ko-fi |

“How’re things at the station?” Kim asks from across the Rye family’s dinner table.

You reach over and poke your fork into one of the beautifully cooked pork sausages that lay on a serving dish in the centre of the table. “It’s okay. They’re a rowdy bunch, but I’m doin’ a pretty good job of keepin’ ‘em under control,” you smile, dumping the sausage onto your plate and going back for another.

“After what you did here, I’m sure a bunch of overexcited cops ain’t nothin’ you can’t handle,” Nick comments, cramming the latter half of a sausage into his mouth with his hand and sucking his fingers clean. You watch as Kim gives him a mildly disgusted look and shoves a fork into his hand. “I mean, the Seeds were rowdier than any kind of cop I’ve ever met – apart from you, of course. Right, partner?” he laughs loudly, nudging you with his elbow. “I mean, flaying folk alive is the definition of rowdy.”

“Nick’s right, y’know? None of us would be here if you hadn’t put in the hard work to get us to this point,” Kim says, sincerely.

“I was just doin’ my job,” you tell them, awkwardly dancing around the compliment as you load a dollop of mashed potatoes onto your plate and sink back down into your seat.

“And a damn fine job it was, too,” Nick cheers, lifting his beer bottle into the air.

“Well I wouldn’t have made a single dent in the Seeds’ plans if I didn’t have the help from the residents, so cheers to you guys.” You raise your glass of water and put it to Nicks bottle with a clink; Kim joining in with her glass of red wine and a shake of her head as Nick sloshes beer onto the table next to his plate.

The three of you tuck into your food, immediately and Nick doesn’t waste a single second before shovelling a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth; perfectly seasoned with a home recipe handed down from Kim’s mother that would definitely win her first place on MasterChef.

“So, how’s my god-daughter?” You smile, tearing open a warm bread roll.

“Nicole’s doin’ great,” Nick chirps with his mouth full of potato.

“Hannah,” Kim corrects him. “We agreed not to call her by her middle name, Nick.” She sighs as she says it, but the corners of her lips are curled into a smile.

You grin down at your plate, shaking your head as Nick objects. “Nicole is a great name, Kim. I don’t know why you can’t give it a chance.”

“Because we already have one Nick in the family and one of you is way more than enough,” Kim chuckles.

Nick blinks at her for a few moments before letting it go. You can practically see hearts in his eyes as he watches her smile into her wine glass and you’d feel like you were intruding on something if you weren’t busy feeling so honoured to have witnessed a display of such raw, deep-seeded love.

“Anyway, baby’s crawlin’, now so everythin’s gotta be kept outta reach,” Nick informs you. “I’ll take you upstairs to see her after dinner.”

“That’s if she’s still asleep by then,” you remark.

“I hate to be a party-pooper, but there’s a pretty big elephant in the room that we haven’t addressed yet,” Kim states, placing her fork on her plate and reaching for her wine glass again. You already know the subject that she’s going to bring up and you follow her lead, taking a sip of your drink to prepare yourself for the discussion. “How’s the trial going so far?” she asks.

You swallow the sip of water down and set your glass on the table with a sigh. “It’s okay, I guess. Not much has happened yet. Just a few civilians recounting their various experiences with John and Jacob. The hard-hittin’ stuff is yet to come, I’m sure.”

“You seen them yet? The Seeds, I mean.”

“Yeah. They’re looking hard-done-by as ever. I dunno,” you sigh. “They just look around the room like this is all some huge injustice. Like I just plucked them from their home and put them in the town stocks for something they didn’t do. And they believe it, too, I think. It’s not just some act that they’re putting on for the public; they truly believe they’re innocent. Sometimes, when I see them looking back at me like that through the crowd, it’s just hard to remember what they did to people. Hard not to feel guilty. But the lives they ruined, the people they hurt – that was real. I just have to keep telling myself that, I guess.”

“Listen,” Kim starts, leaning forward in her seat. “After what Jacob did to you up North – all the mind games – of course it’s gonna be tough to know what’s real and what’s not, sometimes. But this isn’t an injustice, sheriff. Those men are not the victims and you did the right thing by putting them in that courtroom. They deserve this. Every bit of it. And this county is with you all the way.” She reaches out and holds Nick’s hand across the table and Nick does the same with yours.

“If you ever need reassurance, partner, then we’re right here whenever you need us,” Nick says. You nod your head solemnly, and the three of you let go of each other's hands and continue eating. “Anyway, I’m comin’ along next week to watch you take the stand,” Nick says, sipping his beer. “You gonna be sayin’ anythin’ that I ain’t gonna wanna listen to?”

“Depends,” you shrug, running your finger through the condensation on the side of your glass of water. “I’ll mostly be goin’ through what happened in Joseph’s compound, probably, but there’s also a high probability of them askin’ me about what each of the brothers did to me. It might get a little…”

“Grim?” Nick asks.

“Yeah… Grim’s a good word for it.”

Nick leans back in his chair and stifles a burp. “Well, I’m as stuffed as a hooker on a busy –“

“Ooookay,” Kim interrupts, standing up and beginning to gather the dishes from the table.

You share a chuckle with Nick as Kim reaches over and picks up his plate. It’s completely clean without a speck of food left on it; in fact, you’re sure there was a pretty pattern painted on the plate before Nick licked it all off.

You rise to your feet and start piling your cutlery onto your empty plate. “Here, let me –“

“No, no,” Kim insists. “I’ve got this. You two go up and check on the baby,” she smiles.

You hand her your plate and Nick gets up, tucking his chair under the table and whisking his beer bottle away just before Kim picks it up. Finishing the bottle off with one gulp, he places the bottle onto the stack of plates in Kim's arms and gives her a kiss on the cheek before leading the way to the staircase.

“She’s even more beautiful than she was the last time you saw her, ain’t she?” Nick whispers as the two of you stand over the cot, watching the sleeping baby. She’s sprawled out with both arms raised above her head and she wears a pale yellow sleepsuit with little red airplanes on it. Your heart swoons as she stirs, letting out a soft gurgle as she stretches her tiny legs; her little toes curling inside the soft fabric of the sleepsuit.

“She so amazing,” you tell him; a huge, excited grin plastered across your face. “And she still smells so good.”

“I know, right? I sometimes use baby powder on myself so that I can smell like her,” Nick confesses.

You give him a puzzled look, but he doesn’t notice. He’s too busy gazing down at his baby; watching her with the proudest look on his face. Nick has always been a kind man – always willing to bend over backwards for anyone who needed it – but his kindness towards strangers, or even towards you, hadn’t even come close to the level of kindness that he shows the child in front of you. There’s no doubt about it; Nick Rye was born to be a father. And in the quiet of the nursery, with the mobile singing a sweet little melody, you find yourself thinking of the of the Seed brothers. You think of them getting off the hook. You think of them one day coming back here, to Hope County – like you know they would if they were set free – and spoiling this peaceful life that Nick fought so hard for, for his baby. The thought of this child being in danger makes your blood boil. It terrifies you, and as if you ever needed any more proof, you know that the Seed’s have to pay for what they did here. And you know that there’s nothing you wouldn’t do to make sure they have no chance of ever coming back.

[preciiousdominique]

personal story

I’ll never forget my first time at an airport. At 5 years old, I had never seen so many people crowded in one place. My father was carrying what seemed like a thousand luggage bags while my mother struggled to manage my 3 brothers, my youngest infant brother in a stroller and my two other brothers running around her legs in circles. 

It was a cold night January night in Canada so my mother bundled me in a cozy cheetah print jacket and topped me off with a cute pink hat to keep my ears warm. I knew I was dressed for a special occasion that I should have been excited for but I could only focus on the big planes in the sky which I had never seen so up close before. We were sitting outside of the biggest window I’ve ever seen, flurries of white snow fell heavily from the sky and dusted the top of giant aircrafts lined up side by side. 

Earlier, my mom had told me that we would be sitting in one of those daunting flying contraptions for twelve hours. When I asked her why, she said it would magically take us to a new country for a very special reunion. I remember her whispering to me specifically that I had to be brave on the plane. My mind flashed back to my older cousin telling me about her own first experience on a plane - she projectile vomited all over the seat in front of her and said she felt like her ears would pop. Although that horror story terrified me, I pushed past it in order to put on my brave facade. As the oldest child, I was expected to always set a good example for my three younger siblings. So when it was my family’s turn to board our flight, I held on to my brothers with both hands, took a deep breath, and fearlessly took the first step.

Twelve hours, four naps, and three packs of airplane cookies later - we landed in the Philippines. Before this very moment, my parents hadn’t stepped foot in their home country for at least 8 years since they immigrated to Canada. Coming back with four new kids to meet the rest of the family was apparently a big deal, and my father said that many people were excited to meet us. My mother had been separated from her own parents and siblings for almost a decade and I could feel the excitement radiating off her body in the way she couldn’t sit still and kept rhythmically tapping her foot. 

A bright yellow taxi awaited us on the parking lot curb. As my father stuffed bags into the trunk, my siblings and I stuffed ourselves into the backseat. The cloudless blue sky was a stark contrast compared to the angry dark clouds back in Canada. But here the scorching sun beat down on us and I quickly peeled off my cheetah coat. Looking outside the window during the car ride, I noticed much more nature that I was used to. Tall trees filled with fruit lined the roads, loud marketplaces crowded with shoppers, and jeeps instead of cars were just some of the new things I first noticed about this foreign place. In the streets, kids my age were playing with the farm animals I was used to only seeing in storybooks. Living in the city, it wasn’t everyday you came across a chicken on the road.

When we arrived at our ultimate destination which ended up being just outside my mother’s childhood home, I was shocked to find that the driveway was packed with my family members who were still all strangers to me. Excited screams erupted from the crowd which upset my crying baby brother but also put the biggest, widest smiles on both of my parents’ faces. 

My cousins ran up to our car and helped my dad unpack the luggage. I looked up in awe to see tall coconut trees with the biggest green leaves looming over me and in the distance I spotted horses eating grass. Just in time, I focused my sight on my mother finally exiting the car and running into the arms of her parents, finally reuniting after eight years. They embraced hard and I vaguely saw my mom wipe a few tears. My father escorted my three brothers and I to meet our grandparents for the first time and immediately we were overwhelmed with love. My grandma fondly caressed our faces and I could see her facial similarities to my own mother that calmed my nerves. My grandfather picked us up one by one, smiling wildly and tickling us to make us smile after he put us down. In the corner of my eye, I spotted my mother and father holding each other tightly and looking down at their kids with the proudest looks as they presented us to the rest of the family.

What seemed like thousands of new faces, who I was told were all related to me in some way, quickly flooded my vision as I was introduced to the entire family on my mother’s side. As a shy little girl, I was taken aback by all the attention but also the fact that everyone was speaking tagalog, a foreign language to my ears that I didn’t understand. Nevertheless, I could feel the loving and adoring tone in everyone’s voices that made me trust everyone on the spot.

In true filipino fashion, after settling in and getting a quick tour of the place, the whole family sat down to eat our first meal after being reunited. Mountains of steaming white rice and pots filled to the brim with traditional filipino delicacies decorated the giant dining table as countless cousins, aunts, and uncles sat down. As I looked around to examine every laughing smile, every pair of welcoming arms, and every set of watery eyes, all under one roof at last, I will never forget the overwhelming,  immense, and unconditional love that enveloped me in that moment. All I could do was thank God for blessing me with the loveliest family as we gathered to say Grace before meals.