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astrovian · 4 years ago

Audio

Richard Armitage interviews Harlan Coben for the Win audiobook (released 18/03/21)

Full transcript under cut

RA: Hi, I’m Richard Armitage. I played Adam Price in the Netflix series The Stranger, which was adapted from Harlan Coben’s novel of the same name. With me is the man himself, Harlan Coben, number one New York Times bestseller, the author of over thirty novels, including the one you’ve just listened to. I’m delighted to be talking to Harlan about his book, Win.

Okay Harlan, thanks for taking the time to chat about your audiobook and thanks for sending me a copy of the book. Um, it was so nice I ended up wrapping it up and giving it to my brother for Christmas.

HC: *laugh* You’re supposed to read it first, but okay, thanks Richard.

RA: No, I got the electronic version so uh, so I’ve had a good read. Congratulations, a great story. Brilliant, brilliant central character. I mean the first question I’m gonna ask is – because people listening to this have just been listening to the audiobook – are you, um, a big audiobook listener yourself?

HC: I – I go through stages, um, because my mind wanders, I sometimes have trouble focusing. But when I’m in a car, um, that’s most of the time that I’m- that I really love to use the audiobooks because it does make the ride just fly by. However, I’ve set up my life that I don’t have to commute to work every day, so I don’t have it steadily – it’s usually when I’m doing a nice long ride, I get a really good audiobook and time just flies by.

RA: And have you- have you got any favourite audiobooks that you’ve listened to recently, or any podcasts or what is it that floats your boat?

HC: You know, it’s funny. I still remember when I was a working man, way back when, when audiobooks were really first starting out and we had them on cassette tapes, I listened to the entire Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe, um, it was about thirty hours long, going back and forth to work for almost a month. And I still have memories of that experience, and it’s probably, well god, it’s probably 1990 I did that, 1989, something like that.

RA: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean I’ve got a- I’ve got a few journeys up and back from Manchester this year, we’re about to start working on Stay Close, so I’ll happily – I’m happy to take any recommendations of any good books, so maybe I’ll listen to Bonfire of the Vanitites.

HC: Well I tell ya, a lot of people – first of all, it’s a brilliant book, it’s maybe a bit dated, but I doubt that, um. I think Richard, I get more people telling me to listen to any book that you read.

RA: *laugh*

HC: I said, “Hey, I spend a lot of time with this guy, I’m about to do my second television show that stars Richard Armitage. No one I think has starred in two shows that I’ve done ever, so I get a lot of him anyway.” *laugh*

RA: You don’t need my voice in your head when you’re driving, that’s – that’s torture.

HC: That’s right, I’ll be hearing notes on, on scripts in my head if I hear you going. For those who don’t know who are listening, y’know, Richard starred in The Stranger, um, and now is going to be starring in Stay Close, uh, based off two of my novels which I’m sure you can get on audiobook.

RA: And on that note, what um, you’ve had so many adaptations now that have moved from page to screen – what is it like when you go through that process? When you’re – ‘cause you’re very hands on in the way that you kind of collaborate with not just the actors, but with the producers and y’know, the writers. I mean, you’re – you’re writing it yourself. Um, what is it like through, through that whole process, from starting to developing to seeing it kind of realised on screen?

HC: I think the key for me is not to be slavishly devoted to the novel. I think that’s a mistake that a lot of people who are trying to make an adaptation make. So, I go into it, ‘what is the best TV series we can make?’, if it’s true to the book, great. If it’s not true to the book, also great. Um, so I move my stories to various countries, we’ve changed characters around, we’ve changed motivations. Because they’re two very different mediums – a book is a book, and a TV series is a TV series. They should not be the same. One is a visual medium, one is not. Even, even um, audiobooks are slightly different um, than what you read. And they should be. Um, y’know, there’s a performance involved.

Also, because I’ve spent most of my life alone in a room coming up with writing a book, um, where I am just everything – I’m writer, director, actor, key grip. I don’t even know what a key grip is, but I’m that. Um, it’s really nice to collaborate. So um, you’ve worked with me, I hope you agree – I like to collaborate, I like to hear the opinions of other people and um, I really enjoy that aspect of it. I look at it like I’m – like I get to be captain of a World Cup football team, rather than being a tennis player where I’m standing there on my own, which is what happens with a novel.

RA: Yeah, and actually it’s the same when I get to narrate an audiobook, like you say – you get to be director, you get to be the cinematographer to an extent ‘cause you’re setting the scene, but one thing that I’ve – I really appreciated about working with you was having read your, your books and sometimes you’ll pass by a character that is useful to the, to the narrative that you’re telling, but when that comes to developed for TV or film you’ll take a bit more time to investigate that character, and you’re very open to treading those paths, which makes for a very kind of dense narrative with the screenwriter.

HC: Well that’s what I think we’re trying to do. If you think about The Stranger, um, y’know in the book the Stranger is a sort of nerdy teenage male.

RA: Mm-hmm.

HC: And that just – we even tried out some people, and that just didn’t work. And it was really my idea – and I don’t say it in a bragging way, I say it as a way to show how open we all are – to change the character from being male to being female. And once I saw Hannah John-Kamen do it, then I pictured her in a room with you in that first great scene in the bar, um, or at the club when she tells you the big secret, it just worked. Um, you have to be willing to, to sort of stretch your imagination all over again and re-think your story. Which is also fun.

RA: Yeah, and also I suppose because y’know, as much as we love a faithful adaptation of a novel, um what you don’t wanna do is just deliver the novel in screenplay. You want to, for everyone that has read it it’s a new and exciting surprise, and for everyone that hasn’t it’s, y’know, it’s gonna be the same. So, um, it’s nice to kind of have a, to have your audience ready for people who have read a lot of your work, and there were, y’know, a guaranteed audience of people that had, had looked at The Stranger but what you gave them was something really surprising.

HC: Yeah, it was a lot of fun. A lot of fun. And Stay Close, there’s a change in the ending to that which will hopefully shock everybody but especially the people who have already read the book, who will smugly think they know exactly what’s going on.

RA: *laugh* And me, probably. I haven’t read it yet. Um, so when you’re writing – I’m gonna double up on this question now, so when you’re writing, do you write in silence? Do you have any music playing in the background or are you – do you have like a, a kind of sacred writing space?

HC: Um, my routine is not to have a routine. Uh I, I do whatever works until it stops working and then I change up. It’s like I’m riding a horse really fast, and then the horse dies so I gotta find a new horse. So most writers will tell you ‘yes, I use this space, I do it at this time’. Um in the days before Covid, I would go to different coffee shops all the time, I would try out different… any place. Y’know, my favourite example is the end of – when I was writing The Stranger, um with about three weeks left to finish it, I had to take an Uber for the first time. This was a number of years ago. I had to take an Uber in New York City, and I felt really guilty about spending the money on an Uber and trying to justify it, so I was sitting in the back of the Uber and I was writing down notes, and I start writing really well. So for three weeks, I took Ubers wherever I went just so I could finish the book *laugh*

RA: ‘Cause that was the magic formula.

HC: Yeah, that worked! Then that stops working and then I have to find the new, a new place. So my routine is not to have a routine. If you’re trying to write out there, the key to anything is ‘does it make me write more?’ – if the answer is yes, it’s good. If the answer is no, it’s bad. It really is that simple.

RA: I’m gonna make a note of that for when I start writing myself. Um, do you – do you speak any of your characters out loud, your dialogue or your prose passages, do you say it out loud?

HC: The very last stage um, of editing. Okay first of all, no writer gets it right the first time. I know a million writers, I don’t know any writer who doesn’t re-write and re-write a lot. Well, I know one but he’s the guy none of us wanna hang out with, you know what I mean?

RA: *laugh*

HC: So um, the last stage that I do, and it’s usually after I’ve done all the editing with my editor and everything like that, we’re ready to go. I will sit in a room and I read the entire novel out loud to myself. Um, because what happens is, it’s a little bit like a musical score. Where you can – if you read it out loud, I can detect false notes that I may have missed along the way. Um, I can hear them. So the last step is that. I rarely y’know, I’m not – I’m not crazy, I’m not sitting there maybe talking out loud to myself, I’m maybe testing out lines by doing that, and I do that a lot when I’m helping with the screenplays on our shows. But um, for the most part that’s how I do it.

RA: So, in that case, would you ever narrate one of your own audiobooks?

HC: I did narrate one, uh, many years ago called Promise Me. What had happened is we had - my Myron Bolitar series we did seven with the same reader and he retired. I hadn’t written um, I didn’t write Myron for about five or six years it was. And so they said, ‘hey, why don’t you do it?’ which was a huge mistake in many ways. One, I’m not a professional. But two, the people who were fans of Myron Bolitar liked the first guy, and it felt to them liked they had tuned into their favourite TV show and every actor had changed.

RA: *laugh*

HC: It’s really difficult to re-do or start a series, uh, when people know the- the old reader. So um, I also figure- it was also, Richard you know this of course, so for people who don’t know, it’s a lot of work. I’m a guy from New Jersey. I speak very quickly, which does not go over well in audio. I don’t do voices. I would have to sit with a pillow on my stomach because uh, my stomach would sometimes grumble and that would be picked up- *laugh*

RA: Oh, yeah!

HC: By the microphone. And it took me um, a week to record it because – and I don’t know if this is still the case – but back then, the abridged version wasn’t just a cut up version of the unabridged, I had to do a whole different reading for it. So um, it was – it was a lot of work. Um, and it’s a skill that I’m not sure I’m best to do.

RA: Yeah, it does take a lot of stamina. I mean what’s interesting is, having gotten to know you, and when I, when I now read your work, I can hear your delivery, I can hear your voice. And there’s humour in the dialogue, and there’s humour in the as well, and I – it’s an instant ‘in’ for me, so I – ‘cause, ‘cause often I read and I speak aloud when I’m reading alone in the dark, I say things out loud but I think people approach it differently. But I definitely hear your voice in, in these characters. And I think particularly in Windsor Horne Lockwood.

HC: That’s so interesting because Win, I think of my heroes that I’ve had, Win is probably the least like me. I mean um, when you think about Adam-

RA: *laughing* You have to say that! You have to say that because he’s such a badly behaved person, isn’t he?

HC: *laughing* Yeah! ‘Cause I usually like to think of myself as more of like Adam in The Stranger, who you played, or some of the other characters that – the ‘I’m a father or four’ or those kind of guys. What I love about getting into Win of course is that Win is something of an anti-hero. Um, he sort of says and does things that are not necessarily prudent or appropriate, and he can get away with that. Um, so I really loved – I loved getting in his head, it was really an interesting experience. But on the surface anyway, he’s probably the least like me of any uh, main character that I’ve ever written.

RA: Yeah, I mean I- I relate to that totally. It’s a little bit like- it’s probably a side of you, you daren’t investigate, but- but when you get the chance to do it in a fiction um, you can tap into those things that we’re not allowed to do or say in your, in your regular day. But um, where did that character spring from? What was the seed that germinated into his story do you think?

HC: Rarely is this the case, but um, Win is actually – y’know, he’s the sidekick in my Myron Bolitar series but um, when I first created him I based him off my best friend in college roommate, who has a name equally obnoxious as Windsor Horne Lockwood the Third-

RA: *laugh*

HC: Very good looking, blonde guy who used to say before he would go out to parties when we were in college, he would look in the mirror and say, “It must suck to be ugly”. And so I took him and I tweaked him and made him more dangerous, uh and that’s how I, I kind of came up with Win.

RA: And does this person know that you’ve based this character on him?

HC: Oh yes! In fact, some people know who he is, he uses it. He’s still a-

RA: Oh, really?

HC: Owner of all these fancy golf clubs, he’s president of one of the most famous golf clubs, um, in the world right now. He looks the part. In fact, he one time came to one of my books signings years ago and um, he’s sitting in the back, and I tell people the story of how I created Win, and I say, “I’m not gonna tell you who, but Win is actually in this room right now”. It took the crowd about four seconds to figure out who he was, and he had a longer line to sign books that I did *laugh*

RA: Amazing. I mean I have to say, it’s- you, you start reading the story and thinking, ‘I don’t know if I’m gonna like this guy’ but he really grows on you, warts and all. I wonder how many people are gonna go into Saks on Fifth Avenue and go looking for the vault.

HC: *laugh* Yeah, no, I made that up. But there is place in Saks-

RA: I know, so brilliant!

HC: -but the rest of it is completely made up, this involves an app that you’ll read about when you- hopefully when you, when you read book. But yeah, it was fun to do an anti-hero where he makes decisions and does things that you don’t like, and yet you still wanna hang around with him. I always think the key to a fascinating character is not um, that he’s likeable necessarily, but that you wanna spend time with him. Not that he’s a nice guy, but if you were at a bar and you could sit with somebody and have a conversation with them and learn about their life, would this be a person you’d wanna do that with? And that’s sort of the test whenever I do a character. And Win, I think, passes that with flying colours. There are people who love Win and wanna be just like him and there are people who loathe him! But everybody, or I hope many people, are fascinated by him and his life.

RA: Well, also you’ve given him such an incredible kind of tool kit, like a skill set. I mean, I think everybody would look at that character and wish they could do the things he does, maybe not in the way that he does them, but I mean he’s- he’s exactly the kind of character that you’d hone in on, certainly from an acting point of view. I look at that and if I was, y’know, like fifteen years younger, I’d be leaping on that character to play. Which is, it means – it means he’s sort of relatable or aspirational in a kind of anti-hero way.

HC: I’ve heard this a lot, and I think it’s one of the most flattering things that I hear from my actor friends – I think everybody would want to play Win. I mean, I think the- it’s an interesting challenge, um, for a lot of actors. More so than even Myron Bolitar who is my lead series character. Um, everybody kind of wants to play win and kind of wonders who would play Win. Uh, and I take that as a – as a compliment.

RA: Are we gonna see more of him? Is he ge- are you writing more stories for him?

HC: My guess is the answer’s yes. I plan each book as it comes, so I never know until I’ve started. Is it gonna be a stand alone? Is it going to be a Myron Bolitar? Is it gonna be a young adult? Mickey Bolitar is now going to be a Win, and I don’t know until I – each book, y’know when I finish a book, I’m like a boxer who’s just gone fifteen rounds and can’t even lift my, my arms anymore, I gave it everything I had, I can’t even imagine fighting again or writing another novel. So I don’t know is the answer. Probably? I do wanna see Win again, separately or at least back with Myron, so I do think we will see Win again. But the book I’m writing right now is a sequel to The Boy From the Woods, which is the book that came out in 2020, so that’s what I’m writing now. Will I return to Win? Maybe. Maybe. We’ll see how- we’ll also see how people react. Not that I would work necessarily off of commercial interest, but it people really love this book, y’know, we don’t live in vacuum, that would probably somewhat influence what I do.

RA: Right. I mean, because so many of your- your books are being developed and being snapped up to be turned into film or television – I mean, Myron Bolitar is, is a recurring series waiting to happen, and then you’ve got your spin off of Win – I, I- I wonder if, y’know when your first ever, uh novel, did you write with kind of cinema television in your head? Is that something that as modern storytellers we can even avoid? Um, did you ever dream that these would ever turn into sort of film and TV?

HC: Well, everybody dreams, but there’s sort of two answers to it. The first answer is when I’m writing a book, I never ever, ever, not for one second do I think ‘Ooh, this would make a really good movie’ or ‘Ooh, this would make a really good TV series’ because that’s the kiss of death for a book. It really is. It’s, it’s- it’s just a disastrous thought, and if you’re out there writing really don’t try it, because it’s, it’s a big mistake. At the same time, to be realistic and honest, I grew up watching TV. Who didn’t? That’s my – I mean this is what we grew up with. To pretend you’re only influences – y’know you ask a writer ‘What’s your influences?’ “Oh, Shakespeare and Proust and Yeats” – come on. You watched TV growing up. And so that’s an influence on how you tell a story. To deny that is silly. So writers today do think in terms of cinema more just because they grew up with it. Where writers of a different generation did not, so they wouldn’t have that influence.

RA: Yeah, I mean I- I think this all the time – it’s impossible to even de-program your brain not to imagine scenarios in terms of cinema. I mean I- I often think about sort of Victorian novelists that didn’t have y’know TV, and their trying to describe something that they’ve never seen or experienced. And we have references for so many things – I mean it’s almost impossible not to, we’re- we are and will always be influenced by one or the other, especially in the written word. But I- I find that it means that you can kind of uh, put aside the investigation and just get on with the storytelling. And maybe go even a little bit further. It’s like instant access. Y’know, I know exactly the world that you’re talking about when you’re y’know at the beginning of Win, but- but y’know at the same time I felt there was something very Agatha Christie like about the um, the backstory of uh, of this book, I really liked the fact that there was a historic event that was really informing what was happening right now.

HC: Well, y’know when I start a book, there’s- I’m always- I have a bunch of ideas and I’m trying to think which ones are going to go in the story, and it ends up being several. So for example, in this book, I wanted – I’ve always wanted to do an art heist. Y’know, like the Gardner Museum Heist, where they still haven’t found the paintings that were stolen, the Vermeers and the Picassos that were stolen in that particular – I can’t remember if it’s Picasso now, I know it was a Vermeer – um, stolen in that- that, heist in Boston years ago, I wanted to write a book about 60’s radicals – the Weather Underground and what would happen to people who were involved in that so many years later. I also wanted to write something about a kind of Patty Hearst-type character who was a famous kidnapping here in the 70s. So those were like three of the things that I wanted to like – to delve into. And I ended up delving into all three *laugh* which sometimes happens.

Oh, and the last one I wanted to do – I always wanted to do um, a hoarder that was actually someone famous. There was actually um, something of a case of this in New York City where somebody died who was living in a top floor of an Upper West Side building, and it ended up being the missing son – not really missing, but had just kind of gone off the rails – of a very famous American war hero. And so, I took all of these aspects, which would seem to make three or four different novels, and I make it into one novel if I can. It’s not that different from – again, I’m referencing um, um – The Stranger y’know, because you’re here and provably a number of the people listening to us have seen The Stranger on Netflix, but it’s the same thing with The Stranger a little bit, where I had a lot of ideas for secrets that could be revealed by the Stranger, and each one could have been a separate novel. And instead, the challenge is put them all in one story and find a way to hook them together.

RA: Yeah. I mean, it’s rich in a way that when I- I’m reading it and the producer head in me is saying ‘gosh, this is gonna be a great TV show’ ‘cause you know, you’ve got the present day, you’ve got the near-past and the um, the heist story, which uh, is kind of crying out for – you just want more of it, which is brilliant in a book. When you’re – you’re leaving the reader wanting to know more and wanting to, to know more about that family and what happens to them. It’s – it’s the perfect recipe, really.

HC: And so much of it does come from your life in ways that you don’t expect – right now, maybe a lot of people are watching this uh, the Aaron Sorkin movie about the Chicago Trials from the 70s, Abbie Hoffman, who is played by uh, I think Sacha Baron Cohen played him in, in the movie. When I was in college at Amherst, Abbie Hoffman was on the run, um, but he still showed up one day at our college and gave a speech, then disappeared again. And boy, that stuck in my head always. Man, I’d love to write a character that’s kind of like Abbie Hoffman. ‘Cause he had that charisma even then, y’know on stage he was funny as heck, I must have been eighteen or nineteen um, when I – when I heard him speak. And so that – I never consciously back then, I didn’t think that, but every once in a while those experiences come to head and you wanna write about it.

RA: Mm-hmm. You’ve been writing for quite a few years now-

HC: *Laugh*

RA: -you’re – I don’t know if you can even remember what it was like when you first stated your very first book. Um, and some people have said that books are like children in a way, you sort of rear them and then the more you do, the more familiar you are with that process. But would you – I mean, it’s difficult for you to answer this, but would you say you have a favourite book that you’ve written?

HC: I don’t have a favourite book that I’ve written. Um, this – this sounds self-serving, but it’s usually the book, the most recent book, that I like the best. Um, it’s a little bit like – and the way I try to explain this is – maybe you wrote a paper, an essay when you were in college which you thought was brilliant. You remember that moment in school and you wrote a paper and you thought it was brilliant and you find it now and you re-read it and you go, ‘wow, this wasn’t good after all’. It’s not that it’s not very good, it’s just that you have sort of moved on and you’re not that sort of person and so you see all the flaws. So in the older books, which I don’t re-read, I see all of the flaws. I always think, y’know even if you think of yourself, what you thought ten or fifteen years ago – you sort of go ‘ugh, what did I know back then, I’m so much smarter now’. So the same thing a little bit with books, where I think I’m learning more and the current book is better. One of the interesting experiences of working on these adaptation is having to go back and read a book – in some cases we’re doing one, the next one I think uh comes out in France for example, is Gone for Good, which I think was released in 2002! Or 2003. So I wrote it twenty years ago. And to have to go back and read it now, I’m always kind of cringing at some of the stuff-

RA: Mm-hmm.

HC: -some of the stuff I’m kind of thrilled with, like ‘wow, that’s an interesting twist. You don’t have that kind of ending anymore’ and some of it I’m like, ‘wow, why’d you go there?’ so it’s an interesting experience.

RA: Yeah, I feel the same. I very – I, uh, very early on in my career I would watch my work back in quite a lot of detail, thinking ‘I’m gonna learn something’ and then as I got older it was – it was almost unbearable to just do that. And I actually haven’t been able to do that, but it’s because when you’re – when you’re first starting out you throw everything you’ve got into that first breakout role that you do, and then your realise that you’re always in danger of repeating yourself and you think – ‘gosh, people are gonna suss me out that I’m only capable of doing one or two things’, but you live in hope that you can, y’know, find that one thing that you can completely reinvent. Y’know I still hope for that.

HC: I still think that everyone who I’ve ever met who is successful at what they do has imposter syndrome. If you don’t um, you’re prob- you have a false bravado and you’re in trouble. I always say, “only bad writers think they’re good”. The rest of us really suffer with that, and really questioning and always think we’re gonna be sussed out. And I can tell you, um, Stephen King sent me a book not that long ago because he’d nicely put my name in it and wanted my reaction. But even Steve, after all his success and whatever else, he still worries about the reaction, that he’s as good as he used to be, that people will still like it, he’s – I know him. He still worries about it. And when you stop, that’s when you’re in trouble I think as an artist, when you’re starting to doubt what it- when you don’t have the doubts, you start having an overconfidence that you sort of got this. It’s a little bit like my golf game, frankly.

RA: *laugh*

HC: There’s moment’s when I’m about to swing, y’know, I’m gonna be okay and then you get out there and you stink all over again. So-

RA: Yep

HC: -you’re constantly trying to get better and so I imagine it must be difficult to look at your old roles and you – you’re kinda cringing, right? You see all the mistakes you’re making. You see through you so to speak, right?

RA: Yep. Absolutely.

HC: And then someone will come up to you, right, and they’ll say, “Oh, my favourite thing you ever did was-“ and then they’ll list something you did twenty years ago, and you want them to pay attention to what you’re doing now *laugh*

RA: Yep. Yep. Seeing through you is, is one of the things that is quite haunting because I do, I see through me. I can’t shake myself off, if you know what I mean.

HC: Well, you are very cool, you don’t watch any of it until it’s all over. Uh, that’s correct right? You never watched any of our rushes or I remember trying to tell you that you’re doing great and all that-

RA: No, I watched, I watched the first shot-

HC: -and you had not seen any of it and I watch you every day when you’re on set working on our shows and I’ll comment if I see something or whatever, to either you directly or the director, uh, and most of the time I’m – I’m complimenting you, but you don’t – you don’t know either, because you’re not watching, you’re not getting lost in that.

RA: Yeah, I don’t like to watch or be somebody that studies myself to much, I don’t think that’s my job. I think my job is to be inside the character looking out, rather than the other way around. I leave that to the experts like you and the director.

HC: Also, I think it’s- I think if you start worrying about what – you’re right – and also you don’t have the distance. This is always an issue when I – I first start watching the cuts of the first episodes, and I read the book while I’m editing it, while I try to take time between my writing it and then seeing it, I have to sort of put myself in the position of being somebody who knows nothing about this, and doesn’t come in knowing the story already that I’ve already read or seen a thousand time. How do I keep it fresh in my head when I’m trying to be objective and watching it so we can make edits. Uh, both on the screen or on the page.

RA: Mm-hmm. What draws you to crime/thriller? What – I mean is that – I, I can’t often imagine you writing a romantic novel, but what is it that draws you to this particular genre?

HC: Well, y’know to me it’s uh, not really a genre. It’s more like – it’s a form. It’s more like saying it’s a haiku or a sonata.

RA: Mm-hmm.

HC: And within that form I can, and hopefully have, done everything. Um, I think The Stranger for example is more a story about family, uh, and the secrets we try to hide, rather than it is about who killed who – y’know, the mystery angle of it.

RA: Yeah.

HC: One of my most, uh well-known books, my first bestseller, was a book called Tell No One which was made into a French film starring François Cluze, and that’s really a love story, it’s about a man who’s madly in love with his wife and eight years earlier, she was murdered. And then eight years passed, he gets an email, he clicks the hyperlink, he sees a webcam and his dead wife walks by, still alive., And the pursuit, the wanting to get back, the hope for full redemption is really what drives the story more than ‘who killed who’.

RA: Mmm-hmm.

HC: So different stories do different things. But the great thing about the form of crime fiction is that it compels me to tell a story. I’m not getting lost in the beauty of my own genius, my own kind of navel-gazing. I have to continue to tell a story and entertain you. So any of the themes that I wanna tell, any of the things I wanna discuss, has to be slave to that story. And I think that’s probably a rich tradition. If you think about Dumas really, wasn’t that all crime fiction? Even Shakespeare is mostly crime fiction.

RA: Yeah.

HC: Most great stories, if I ask you to name a favourite novel that’s over a hundred years old, Dostoevsky, whoever, you will find that there’s almost always a crime in it. There’s almost always a crime story.

RA: I mean it’s one of the things that I get very excited about, um, I mean obviously I haven’t read your entire canon but I – there’s a signature, or a theme that you love to play on which is this idea that – that um, the people you know aren’t telling you everything about themselves, or that there’s something to hide and that in our modern world, with technology, we have this sort of ability to – to sort of lead multiple lives of truths or lies. And it’s something which I think we immediately recognise. ‘Cause I think we – we’re living that, that reality, and it’s a theme that I really enjoy about your writing.

HC: Well, first of all, thanks. Second, um, there’s a lot of things we’ve heard about the human condition. One of my favourites about the human condition that I used to write, is that we all believe that we are uniquely complex and no one knows the inside of us. And yet we think we read everybody else pretty well. We all think we are uniquely complex and the person across from us, we can kind of figure out. They’re not quite like us. Um, and that’s something I love to play with when I write. Because you’ve gotta remember that everybody is uniquely complex and on a humanity level, and on an empathy level, I raise my kids and I’m always teaching them that every person you see, the richest, the poorest, the happiest, the saddest – everybody has hopes and dreams. Just think that, when you see a stranger on the street, when you’re going to interact with somebody, when you’re getting angry at somebody, whatever it is – just remember, they have hope and dreams. Um, small little thought, but it helps me create a character as well.

RA: There’s also a- a kind of very strong level of self-deception involved, which I think can be quite surprising. Because you always read a character and go, ‘I’m not like that’ or ‘I would never do that’ and then if you really think about it, we – there’s a truth we tell ourselves about ourselves which isn’t always honest.

HC: Well, exactly. It’s really come to fruition in the world the last few years, where I kind of joked that I’ve been working too hard on making my villains sympathetic, the villains in today’s world don’t seem to be very – very complex at all.

RA: *laugh*

HC: But for the most part, people don’t think they’re bad guys. Even the bad guys don’t think they’re bad guys.

RA: Yeah.

HC: They have some way of, of justifying. It’s one of the great things about human beings, or one of the most prevailing thing about a human being, is we all have the ability to self-rationalise, to self-justify. Um, and so I’ve always tried with my villains, and I hope that I did it in everything that we’ve done together, to try to make even the villain – you may not like the villain, but you get them. I don’t really write books – I don’t write books where the serial killer is hacking up people for no reason, that doesn’t really interest me. I prefer the crimes where you can say, ‘Yeah, I wouldn’t have done it maybe, but I can see why that happened. I can see if I was put in that position, um, where I may have done something similar’. That to me is a much more interesting villain than somebody who’s just cruel and evil.

RA: Yeah. Um, final question actually, is – I mean, as a listener/reader yourself – are there any other authors whose books you love and just go back – I mean, you’ve mentioned Stephen King, um I’m with you on that one – but are there any other authors who really kind of inspire you and, and y’know, like a little guilty pleasure reading for yourself and not for work?

HC: Yeah, well the problem always is that I start listing authors, and then someone will say, ‘well, what about so-and-so who’s a friend of mine’, and then I say ‘oh shoot, I forgot – I forgot that one’.

RA: *laugh*

HC: Y’know I saw recently that it’s the eleventh anniversary of the death of Robert B. Parker, who wrote the Spencer novels, if by any chance you haven’t found the Spencer novels, and I don’t know how popular they are overseas – they’re fantastic, wonderful detective series. Um, so that’s one guy I would go back in time and try to find for audio. But I actually like Philip Roth a lot on audio, even though he doesn’t do crime fiction. I’m a big Michael Connelly fan and I like Lee Child, um and Laura Lippman. Y’know, I could sit here just naming um, people all day. I’m always curious also – who is reading – who does it because of the reader and who does it because of the writer. I know there’s a number of people who will listen to anything you read, Richard, because it’s you. Um, which is really quite nice, but it’s interesting the combination of the audio reader. I have Steven Weber, he’s been reading most of my novels, though I’ve had a female lead – a woman named January LaVoy who’s fantastic – and I think Weber captures my voice. He sounds a little bit like me, we both have a similar background, similar sense of humour, so part of it with the audio is also the match you end up making.

RA: Yeah. It’s interesting, isn’t it? Because I certainly find I don’t often get to read something which is purely my choice, I have a stack of things that are work-related, or that I’m about to record. So I don’t think I’ve – I’ve chosen a book recently which is just been- I don’t know how I would pick something, it’s usually a recommendation, so I’ll certainly have a look at the Spencer novels, they sound – they sound brilliant.

HC: Yeah, and they’re fun – there was a TV series in America for a while called ‘Spencer for Hire’ – this is s or going back to the, I guess the 70s or 80s I think. Um, those were not great, but the novels themselves were sort of – Raymond Chandler to Robert B. Parker to the guys who are working now. So he’s a huge – he was a tremendous influence on most of your favourite crime writers. I said in his obituary eleven years ago, I said, “90% of writers admit that Robert B. Parker was an influence and 10% lie about it”. So um, if you can find Robert B. Parker Spencer novels that would be a good clue for everybody out there.

RA: Brilliant. Well, that just about wraps it up. And uh, thanks for talking to me. I really enjoyed the book and no doubt it will be another best-seller and fingers crossed it ends up as a TV series.

HC: Well, thanks Richard, and I look forward to seeing you work on uh, Stay Close. I know that uh, Armitage Army out there *laugh* that – your, your loud uh supporters and fans who just adore you are going to go gaga cause you get to play somebody quite different from Adam in The Stranger. Um, it’s-

RA: Yeah. Looking forward to it.

HC: Yeah, it’ll be a lot of fun. Thanks very much.

#this was actually more interesting that I thought it would be #sorry the audio ain't great I had to compress it a lot #it is longgg #richard armitage #harlan coben #win

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chayacat · 3 years ago

Text

Devil’s Sweet Star (33)

Fandom: Dead by Daylight

Ghostface x Female Reader

Rated M for Violence, Language and Smut

***

Aaaah...(Y/N), (Y/N), (Y/N). What mess are you in? You don't realize how much your life is going to change. Certainly, your career, your business, flourishes day by day, to the point that you are solicited for great events. Well, I recognize that for the moment, you have just been asked for cakes for the local festival. But imagine the success you could have! the whole area could hear from you. But... It may not be for that reason.

Your life could change... because of this "deal" that you have made with Ghostface. I have to admit that, if I had been given the same proposal, I would have finally accepted it. But not as quickly as you did. The curiosity and eagerness you felt to know the true identity of the Roseville Assassin... could destroy you forever. How... it’s still a mystery. But back to our business, will you?

The whole city was aware of your participation in the festival. The information spread very quickly, and in a city like Roseville, it's not very surprising. Everyone is wondering about, this famous cake that you are going to prepare for this special occasion. And it's a good opportunity to get ideas. Even if you already know what you are going to do, having or rather hearing people come up with ideas, can give you new inspirations. Amy and Corey also stay on the lookout for any ideas that might be interesting to explore. As you were preparing the next batches of cakes, the phone rang. Amy being too busy taking the orders, it’s you who take the call.

“Welcome to the Nebula, where our pastries came from Outerspace! How can I help you?”

“(Y/N) sweety!!! How good it feels to hear you after all this time!” said a woman cheerfully.

“Aunt Marnie! How did you get the number of... Oh that's right. Mr Parkson had to tell you about my business and had to give you the number. it's so nice to hear you after... You know what. How is Uncle Joey? And Daisy and Tobias?” you respond with a smile.

“Daisy has managed to get a scholarship for her studies in geology, she will be able to start this year. Tobias still plays on Gary's American football team. The city has not changed. some people come to settle there while others go elsewhere. As for Joey... Let's say he hangs on as he can. You know how much he cared about your mother; She was his little sister... he feels guilty for not being there to protect her.”

“Me too you know. I'm sorry if I left the area but... I needed to change the landscape. To start from scratch.”

“Oh, don't worry you Butterfly, we all understand that you needed to do that. You are much stronger than us, never forget that. So, tell me! How does it go in Roseville? is your business going well?” She replied.

“Everything is fine! I was offered to make cakes for the local festival and Jed and I will move in together!” you answer.

“Jed? Who’s Jed?”

You suddenly realize that you have made a slight blunder. When you separate with Alex, your aunt Marnie protects you like a mother hen. And this is even more the case since the death of your parents. No boys could approach you without her being around to watch for any suspicious movement on their part.

“Jed is...is my boyfriend. He works for the Roseville’s Gazette. It's recent, but don't worry about it, aunt Marnie, he's very nice! this boy is... he’s an angel. He’s the complete opposite of Alex.” you explain, worrying about her reaction.

“... Well, if you're sure what you're doing... And from what you say, I want to believe you. A journalist you say? Well, he had to live things from it! You will have to present him to us one day. And if possible before you are married.”

“Don't worry about it, we're not there yet. As I told you, it's recent but... he’s someone of trust. Believe me. Listen aunt Marnie, I have to go back to work, I'm going to give you my number like that if you want to call, you can call me directly on my phone! you always have the same, don't you?”

“Yes of course! I'm not going to bother you for very long either, I have a few groceries to do on my side. I hope we can see each other soon, and with your boyfriend! I love you very much (Y/N). See you later.”

“See you later Auntie. I love you too.”

You hang up before you get back to work. It felt good to have talked to your family again since the death of your parents. Poor Uncle Joey. He is your mother's closest brother. They both adored themselves. And yet, they couldn't help but argue about something. by force you were used to it and you wondered each time how long they would resist before arguing. And especially on what. And every time it ended in the same way: in the water of the pool, laughing like two idiots. They couldn't even remember why they were arguing.

When your parents died, Joey didn't say a word. For several weeks, he had locked himself in the guest room, without eating or even talking. It was you who managed to get him out of his silence. You sigh as you think back to all this. From the whole family... he’s the one who has suffered the most. And he still suffers today. Luckily, he has a wife and two children who love him and help him. Otherwise, who knows how he would have turned out. Bad, very bad if you want my opinion.

You return to work when Melina enters the café with Mattew and Jed. The three greeted you from afar and went to sit down at a table that Corey had just cleaned. The latter took their order, which did not change the habit. You won't even need to ask them what they want by force. But Jed looked... annoy. You were wondering why.

“This guy is really twisted anyway. Hiring a guy to kill his own partner, it really goes too far. McKellan was an asshole, but Hoggins is twice as much.” said Melina, crossing her arm on her chest.

“What amazes me is that the guy Wilhelm interrogated is not responsible for this murder. Are you sure that he didn't lie?” asks Mattew.

“Wilhelm passed him twice to the lie detector, left him alone for several minutes to see if he was going to say something and the results showed it well: he did not lie and he said nothing. Wilhelm said he knew Devon well, we can ask him anything and everything, but killing someone is not in his ropes and in his principles. At least he doesn't kill when the person has done nothing to him.” said Jed.

“What do you think in this case?” you ask suddenly, making all three of them react.

“... Either Hoggins hired someone else... or he was the one who killed. But in this case, you have to prove that he went at McKellan’s home. But Wilhelm has interrogated the guards. They did not see, neither Hoggins, nor his car in the vicinity. So there remains only the first option, remains to know who he hired.” responds Jed.

“It doesn't seem to be going. Do you have a problem?”

“Let's say in short, that if I had this asshole in front of me, I would beat him to death.”

“Hoggins said things about you two that... didn't really please Jed.” explain Mattew.

“I think I know what he said. But you don't have to care, I won't leave you for anything in the world.” you said, kissing Jed on the cheek which made him smile.

You suddenly remember the conversation with your aunt and take the opportunity to tell Jed about it. If at first, he was a little reluctant, worried and uncomfortable about the situation, he was rather reassured to know that your aunt was delighted to know that you are in a relationship with someone. Luckily for you, she doesn't know anything else... and so is Jed. Better to avoid talking about Ghostface.

*You have all the cards in hand, and two lives. Let's see if you get to the end of the game. *

Two lives...No, more. It’s not your life and Jed's that is in your hands, but also that of all the people who are close to you, Melina, Mattew, Corey, Amy... and even your family. So many lives in your hands, which may or may not be a victim of your choices. It's way too much for your shoulders, but you have no choice, you can't go back now. All you can do is say nothing to Jed. Even if it bites your lips, that your heart tightens at the thought of having to lie to him, you must hold. For the good of all of them.

The day went smoothly, although for once, a few annoying customers gave you a hard time. It takes everything in this low world, otherwise everything would be wonderful. Corey and Amy helped you clean everything up before returning home completely exhausted. Jed was waiting for you outside leaning against his van. You close the café after checking that everything was locked and then join him.

“Still worried about my aunt? I told you, you don't have to worry, they will adore you, I'm sure.” you said when you see his face.

“No, it's not related to that... It's... it’s in relation to Hoggins. How can such a guy appropriate someone like common merchandise? When I heard him say that you were a bird of paradise and that it was a shame that you were with a guy like me... I refrained from sticking my fist in his face. It's easy for him to have a woman by his side, he has the money and the luxury.” He responds, clenching his fist.

“Hey! Don't say that. I could have hanged out with him, not worrying about finances and having everything I want. And I chose you. So, he can do whatever he wants, offer me all his fortune if he likes it, I would say no. He is repugnant, narcissistic, old, a real head to slap. It’s out of the question for me to go out with such a moron.”

“Hahaha that’s why I love you honey. Ready to go?” Jed replied, holding you close.

As you were about to leave, a group of men surrounded Jed's van. And obviously they weren't there to talk. Jed gently pushed you behind him, blocking you between him and the van.

“Get in the car. Right now. And lock yourself in.” He said seriously.

“But Jed...” You start.

“I said RIGHT NOW.”

You get into the vehicle and lock it as Jed asked you. The men came a little closer, revealing iron bars. Some of them made them spin while sneering, others hit the ground with them. Jed didn't seem panicked, he didn't tremble. He gently removed his glasses, tapped against the glass so that you would take the glasses with you and then turned to the group of individuals.

“I suppose... that you were hired, were you not? It's Hoggins I bet.” He said calmly.

“We have nothing against you, man, but the boss... he can no longer stand you. On the other hand, he paid us to bring the girl back to him too.” said one of the men.

“Just try to see.”

It was then that the fight began. Despite the fact that there were several of them, Jed managed with disconcerting agility to dodge punches and iron bar blows. He even managed to put some men on the ground, before unfortunately being blocked and punched before being thrown to the ground. You knock against the window of the truck screaming his name, actually starting to worry when you see him spitting out a light trickle of blood. Suddenly, as if caught in a sudden rage, you see Jed throwing himself at the man in front of him, hammering him with fists.

He took the iron rod to knock one of the men who was trying to attack him and then returned to the one on the ground. Despite the windows you could hear the man on the ground begging Jed to stop. But he kept on. As if he was taken with an uncontrollable rage. A monster. Jed again took the iron rod and raised it to hit the man on the ground, when suddenly he stopped and turned his head towards you, realizing that you were still there. Then police sirens were heard.

“Hands up! not a gesture you are surrounded!” shout an officer.

“Olsen! put this iron bar down! Right now!” said inspector Wilhelm.

Jed dropped the iron rod before collapsing next to the man he had just beaten. You unlock the vehicle and get off it to go see Jed shouting his name. The officers handcuffed the men one by one, while another called doctors to take care of Jed. It took them only a few minutes to arrive and take care of Jed. This one grimaced when the doctor applied the disinfectant.

“Are you okay, Olsen? nothing serious?” asks Wilhelm.

“I'm fine, nothing too serious except spitting a trickle of blood. These guys told me that Hoggins had hired them. They did not say it directly, but they made it clear to me.” responds Jed.

“We're going to take them to the station for that. Both of you go home. Miss, I count on you to take care of him.”

“You can count on that Inspector. Thank you.” You said, turning to Jed. “Does it hurt?”

“A little, but don't worry, I've experienced worse. And then you're fine that's the main thing. I guess I will have to give a deposition tomorrow at the first hour?” He responds.

“Yes, unfortunately for me, it’s I who will have to take your deposition. It looks like the roles have been reversed between you this time. See you tomorrow Olsen. Miss.” said Wilhelm before leaving.

You and Jed go back to the apartment. There is no question of leaving him alone tonight. He will sleep at home. You both go to bed, Jed hugging you. He wished you good night, told you that He loves you and that he will not let anyone harm you. And you take his word for it. The Jed you saw tonight, scared you. He has protected you and protected himself in a sense. But from there to almost kill a man...

Now you understand better why you should never piss him off. And it scares you.

***

(I’ve to finish RE8 Village but I don’t want to kill Heisenberg! He’s my favorite Lord! I must admit I’m a little disappointed about the fact that we can’t choose to help Heisenberg or not. While we could choose between saving Mia or Zoe in RE7. Even if in the end both survive (Thanks the DLC: the End of Zoe). This could have led to an alternative path! But I'm quite curious to see the DLC that CAPCOM is developing for RE8! I hope you’ll like this chapter like the others ones! Well, it's time for my brain to rest! Have a great weekend to you all! See ya!)

#dbd fanfic #dbd #dead by daylight #ghostface #danny johnson #jed olsen

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casualdadnomad · 4 years ago

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modern hc for every possible atla ship

Alright, I said I’d do it and now I’m doing it. We will not be arguing over ships because it’s impossible to argue if I include..... all of them. I’ll include some nice ship things and then rate the likeliness of the ship happening in my au.

Kataang: my babies. soulmates. they would be that adorable couple that has been together since the eighth grade. they work well together because they’re both kind hearted and care about each other deeply. they hold hands in hallways, call each other pet names (the infamous “sweetie” that makes sokka want to die), and always try to give each other little surprises to brighten each other’s day. they’re very into valentines day. would it happen? yes. 100/10.

Sukka: my babies part 2. sokka comes to every football game to cheer her on during halftime. he also goes to every winter guard competition. Suki goes with him when he does his graffiti. she insists it’s to be a lookout in case the cops find them, but she just loves watching him make his art. they don’t go out much, and are just as happy watching anime in suki’s room as they would be on a date. would it happen? YES. 10/10.

Zukka: the hottest ship of the ATLA renaissance. probably the best ship of all time. they just have this perfect dynamic. sokka is a genius with terrible ideas and no impulse control. zuko is just a guy with anxiety. sokka would definitely help zuko come out of his shell a little bit. and iroh loves his nephew’s boyfriend. sokka helps out for free in the jasmine dragon if zuko is working. would it happen? maybe. i do love them a lot. 8/10.

Zutara: okay. everyone has an opinion on zutara. my opinion is that i don’t like it unimportant. they stay up late on facetimes and talk until like 3 am. they play a lot of games and katara is super competitive, so zuko lets her win a lot. she’s cute when she’s convinced she’s the king of gamepigeon 8 ball. would it happen? unlikely. 4/10.

Taang: i don’t hear about this ship a ton. it’s not one i ever thought about. they’re both super protective, even though neither of them really need to be protected. aang is definitely more affectionate than toph, but toph can and will beat the shit out of anyone that hurts aang. would it happen? they’re the only two freshmen, so maybe, but still unlikely. 5/10.

Tokka: i’ve always thought toph’s little crush on sokka was adorable. they would skip school, go break the law for fun, that kind of nonsense. this is one of those rare instances where sokka has the most common sense. they would be more of a “what’s up you ugly idiot” kind of couple than a “hey baby! :)” kind of couple. would it happen? I could see them getting along. it would be pretty chaotic. 6.5/10.

Mai Lee: MY GIRLS. they’re perfect for each other. Mai is peak alt girl. She’s a goth queen, eyeliner sharp enough to kill a man, chains, little shirt big pants, and a nose piercing. ty lee is the exact definition of cottagecore. strawberry dresses, lots of blush, makes her own earrings. ty lee even gave mai a pair of earrings she made to look like knives. they walk down the street holding hands. if anyone throws them a weird look, mai throws a knife right back. would it happen? HELL YES. 1,000/10.

Tyzula: here’s the thing. azula never did get that sweet sweet redemption arc, so in my au she’s still a bit of an asshole. if they got together, i can see azula really trying to improve herself as a person for ty lee. i see ty lee really trying to sell the idea of including azula to the rest of the friend group. i’m really into the idea of instead of ty lee “fixing” her, having azula work on herself with ty lee as some extra motivation. would it happen? if azula put in effort to be a better person, sure. 7/10.

Maitara: what, did you think i was going to forget maitara? i did say every ship. katara vibes with the softgirl aesthetic while mai is on the egirl side, and honestly i am living for it. would it happen? this one is definitely a rare ship. but i think it could work. 5/10.

Maiko: ah yes, the canon one. zuko’s not quite as edgy as mai is. he’s like, if you diluted the eboy aesthetic a little. but i think it would maybe work between my two emo babies. they’re a couple that you never really see engaging in any pda so you just assume they’re friends until someone tells you otherwise. they’re very cute together, but dare i say kind of boring...? would it happen? goth x goth solidarity is cool, so maybe. 6/10.

Azutara: dude, there’s not a lot to say for this one. it’s been a little while since i’ve even seen an azutara shipper. are they extinct? (azutara babes pls tell me if ur not extinct). yeah so if this happened i think it would be because azula put in the work to be a good person and was welcomed back into the group. once she was in the group, katara would have gotten to know her real personality and liked her. but katara also holds her accountable for her actions. she puts up with no bullshit because she knows her worth. would it happen? i don’t think so. 2/10.

Sutara: this seems like chaos. these ladies would be the power couple of the century. i think with two women so strong and powerful, they’d butt heads a lot. they would be out in the world and actively changing it. would it happen? they’re both badass awesome women, but i’m not sure. 3/10.

Zukaang: uhh... i can’t say i ever thought about zukaang before now. but i guess you would have this bright ball of energy and a dark brooding type, so i can see how it could be cute. would it happen? um... no. i’m not sure if opposites attract that much. 0/10.

Tophko: another one that has literally never crossed my mind! i’m not sure how i feel about angry + angry as a dynamic. i think they would make great friends. okay, i think they would be a couple you mostly wouldn’t want to mess with. they can mess with each other, but no one else is allowed to mess with them. would it happen? no. i’m a slut for height differences, but not at the expense of a good personality match. 0/10.

Jetko: ah, the infamous jetko. the thing about jet in my au is that he’s kind of a sports boy. jock vibes. i guess i haven’t thought about his personality much except that he’s, well, a cocky sports guy. even if mans was bi or gay, i think he would have too much internalized homophobia to openly be in an gay relationship. would it happen? here’s the thing. i could maybe see them having kissed once or something, but not together currently. 4/10.

Jetka: okay i see a handful of people saying jetka rights so i thought i’s include it. i think the most likely scenario would be, maybe, they kissed once or twice and then sokka got ghosted because jet was closeted and scared. since jet obviously didn’t try to burn down a village, maybe that could be the reason sokka doesn’t like him. would it happen? maybe they never got together but jet could have been sokka’s first dude crush or something. 2/10.

Jetara: my immediate thought was that jet asked her out and they went out for like a week but katara quickly realized hey, he’s an asshole. ALTERNATIVELY, katara recognized him as the guy who hurt her brother or zuko and never went out with him at all, because hey, i don’t need all that drama. would it happen? maybe awkward exes. 3/10.

okay these took soooo long! if you have another ship, questions, or headcanon ideas, my ask box is always open!

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talldecafcappuccino · 4 years ago

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Title: Between Close Friends

Rating: General Audience

Chapters: 1/1

Relationship: Ted Lasso/Rebecca Welton

Summary: Ted is bad at social media, but is that a bad thing?

Ted, what the fuck are you doing????

Ted peers at his phone, rubbing sleep from his eyes and reads the message again.

He scrolls down and sees he has twelve more texts and three missed calls all from Keeley Jones. He turns off his nighttime notifications with a few exceptions for emergency contacts, so it’s not surprising he slept through the messages.

He scratches at the stubble along his cheek and checks his clock. It’s seven o’clock here in Kansas, so it must be . . . early afternoon in London. He thinks through the last day, but he can’t remember anything interesting enough to have Keeley on the case.

Henry came over to his extended-stay hotel, they went to an American football game, got a late dinner in downtown Wichita, and watched a movie before bed.

They did make it on the Jumbotron for the Lasso-off, the team’s half-time dance contest, but his moves weren’t especially embarrassing. At least not in his opinion. Unless one of the moves was actually an insult to the English in which case, oh jeeze, he needs to get on this quick.

The call barely connects before Keeley’s voice echoes in his ear.

“Oy! Ted!”

“Keeley, I am so sorry for whatever I did to offend the great people of the United Kingdom. I am ready to make a statement and an apology tour as soon as you tell me which dance move I need to retire immediately.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I need you to log out of the AFC Richmond Instagram account. Like, now.”

That stops Ted in his tracks.

Does he even have access to that? He remembers a post-it note of accounts and passwords from Beard on their first day with Richmond.

There was an account run by the previous manager, but Keeley had taken it over long ago, converting it to the official team account. She had also made Ted a personal Instagram for his own use and brand development, but he never posted publicly.

He puts her on speaker phone and opens the Instagram app. She’s right. He’s logged into the team account with all 25 million followers. Well, shoot.

There are about a dozen stories posted from last night. All of Ted and Henry’s day together. There’s puns (“having a cow” at dinner with an image of Henry holding up a beef rib and screaming his head off), Ted and Henry singing at a dueling piano bar, the two brushing their teeth together in the bathroom mirror.

“No offense, but I think this may delay the Tom Ford deal you asked me about.”

“Yeah. I get that.”

“It’s just, you know, dads aren’t quite their brand. Or our brand. I mean we’re not anti-dorky dad, but you know with the whole comeback narrative during the season hiatus . . .”

“No I get it. You’ve put a lot of work into rebranding this team and I just undermined that.”

She sighs, but it’s fond.

“Sorry, Ted. It’s not like what you posted was bad, it’s rather sweet actually. It’s just a little different from the posts I had scheduled.”

Ted nodded. It wasn’t the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to him, but he felt bad for making Keeley’s job harder than it needed to be.

“No, I’m sorry Keeley. I swear, it won’t happen again.”

****

“Can you believe what Ted did last night? I’ve never seen someone so bad at social media.”

Rebecca has no idea what Keeley is talking about when she walks into her office. She flops onto the couch, feet splayed on the coffee table, clearly exhausted by whatever Ted has done from 4,438 miles away.

“So many puns. Which, don't get me wrong, I love word play more than most people. But I don’t think it’s right for the team right now.”

Rebecca shuts her laptop.

“You’re right about puns not being part of the team plan, but what’s this about Ted? What did he do, exactly?”

Ted hasn’t posted anything in at least 24 hours. Not that Rebecca is keeping track.

“Oh he managed to switch to the team account on Instagram and posted about his entire evening out with Henry. It was quite sweet, actually. The ones that made sense,” but then she pulled a face.”He’s like, really, really bad at social media.”

Oof. Well that isn’t great, but Rebecca doesn’t think there’s anything particularly terrible about Ted’s social media use normally.

“But everything seems under control? No big PR actions needed.”

“It’s fine. I had him log out and wrote a post about Coach Lasso’s surprise social media takeover from America.”

Rebecca nods. Okay, so it was all sorted. Keeley has things totally under control.

But she reaches for her phone anyway. She opens Instagram, taps through the AFC Richmond stories, and snorts at the image of Henry with the rib as big as his head.

“Are people at least being kind?” Rebecca hopes Ted logged out without seeing any messages about Henry. Not that she could see any reason for it, but people were shitheads on the internet.

“Well, wanker is still the most common response. But many of them are wanker with a little heart at the end, so I think it’s fine. We actually got a lot of responses, proper engagement and all that,” she looks up at the ceiling, considering it for a moment before rolling her head to look back at Rebecca.

“If we weren’t trying to present the team as a badass phoenix rising from the ashes, I’d say a Ted takeover isn’t a bad idea. He just needs some supervision. Maybe a phone with a better camera.”

Rebecca is only half listening as she taps to the next story.

“Aw, they went to dueling piano night. That must have been fun for Henry.”

She’s smiling at her phone when Keeley asks, “Dueling piano night?”

“Yeah, you know at Jim Bob’s Bar.”

Keeley is looking at her blankly.

“Fine. I know it’s not really Jim Bob’s bar. It’s probably not even a bar if Henry’s there. But I can’t remember the real name off the top of my head.”

She’d looked it up once, after Ted first posted about the dueling pianos. For some reason she started calling it Jim Bob’s. Ted didn’t seem bothered and had even started calling it that himself.

When she looks up again, Keeley is staring at her, eyes narrowed.

“What are you talking about?”

“What do you mean?”

“How do you know so much about some bar in Kansas?”

That gives Rebecca pause. She isn’t sure what Keeley means by the line of questioning.

“It’s not some totally random bar. Ted posts about it whenever he goes for dueling pianos.”

If he gets to the bar early or she has a particularly late evening, Rebecca catches the story before going to bed. When she does, she always asks him to put in $5 for Wannabee by the Spice Girls. She owes him a small fortune by now, but it’s worth it to see the bar explode with cheers and jeers.

Some nights she misses the story, but he puts money in anyways and she wakes up to a shaky video of, Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want.

Rebecca thinks this is a good enough explanation, but Keeley is still staring at her.

“I’ve literally no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Keeley, you know social media is not my thing. All I know is that sometimes Ted posts about this bar on his tiny friends list thing,” she waves her hand around, trying her best to describe it. “The one with the green ring around it.”

Keeley leaps to her feet, eyes wide.

“Am I not on Ted’s Close Friends list??”

Before Rebecca can say a word, Keeley is halfway out the door, texting furiously.

“Roy, better not be on there, if I’m not on there. Ted knows how I feel about being left out!” she shouts over her shoulder. “Sorry Rebecca, I need to do some investigating, asap.”

Oof. She may have just created a problem. It’s probably best to give Ted a heads up before Keeley gets through interrogating Roy.

She drafts a text once, twice, then deletes it and presses call instead.

“Hey Boss, let me guess. Keeley got a hold of you?”

It’s been a while since they’ve chatted, what with the time difference. It’s bizarre how familiar his American accent has become.

“She just left my office, yes.”

There’s a loud crack in the background and a metal clang.

“Where are you?”

“Oh, just the batting cages with Henry,” he says, cheering loudly. “Hey, do you guys have a sport called baseball that has nothing to do with American baseball? You know, like football and football?”

She chuckles, “I don’t believe we do. However there is always cricket.”

He hums, considering it.

“Now Ted, I think there’s something you should know.”

“Lay it on me Boss. I know I caused a headache this morning, what’s the damage? What do you need me to do? I am at your disposal or I’ll lay really, really low as long as you need me to.”

“It’s not that Ted. It’s Keeley.”

“Keeley?”

“Yes, she’s on a bit of a mission at the moment. It seems you left her off your Close Friends list? I think that’s right. On Instagram?”

“Huh. How did that come up?”

“I was telling her about Jim Bob’s. Apparently she had never heard of it and realized you had a whole social media life she was unaware of.”

“Right . . .”

“So do what you will with that.”

“You haven’t talked to anyone else about this yet, have you?”

Rebecca is confused by this new direction.

“No. Why? Ted, is something wrong?”

It takes a long moment for Ted to respond.

“What can I say, I’m just really bad at this social media stuff.”

It's a non-response and an overly folksy one at that. But Rebecca can’t be fooled by the aw shucks routine—not anymore. She tries again.

“Ted. Who is on your close friends list?”

“Uh. Not a lot of people.”

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

“What can I say?” He huffs, a little frustrated. She would feel bad for prying, but she can't help herself. “The list of people I want to share silly life things with is small.”

“How small?” she wonders.

“Very small.”

The line goes silent and Rebecca swears she lost him. But then she hears him take a deep breath.

“It’s you. You’re the list.”

Rebecca feels flush. That’s not where she was expecting this conversation to go.

“I know that might be a lot. You don’t have to say anything. I just, that’s the honest truth and I’d like to get ahead of it before Keeley harangues the entire team.”

It’s a lot to take in, but it makes sense. Sometimes when she’s watching his posts, she wonders about his audience. Who else cares about his biscuit recipe improvements or Broadway Sundays (a recent development that’s turned into a shared movie night.)

“Rebecca?”

She realizes she’s been quiet for a while. The moment feels tenuous and she worries about saying the wrong thing, sending him running faster than Keeley during a social media snafu.

Finally she settles on, “You know, you’re welcome to text me silly life things. It wouldn’t be a bother.”

She brushes invisible crumbs from her desk, listening carefully to his breathing on the other end of the line.

“Yeah?”

“Yes. Maybe I can send some, too?”

Rebecca can hear his smile from across the Atlantic.

“Well, alright then.”

****

That night, Ted’s phone pings and he rolls over to see a text message from Rebecca. It’s a picture of the sun rising over her garden wall.

Something silly to start the day.

But it doesn’t feel silly. Not at all.

#ted lasso #ted lasso fic #some fluff #because a plot bunny got in the way of what I planned to write this weekend #I blame the Easter bunny #ted x rebecca

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unalivex · 4 years ago

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13 Reasons Why | Season Four Review ( SPOILERS )

i just finished watching season four, and it’s got me DEEP in my feelings. so, i’m going to review it and give my opinions. first i’m going to do main characters, then the side characters, and then my overview of the whole season. i’m going to keep it as short as i can!

MAIN CHARACTERS

clay | clay has and probably always will be my favorite character. this season finally addresses some of his mental issues and his trauma. i feel like all of the other main characters forget that clay went through everything too and he also has some serious issues, so it was nice to see him talk about it. he was kind of frustrating though. this season there was a severe lack of communication between him and others. like dude, tell your damn therapist you see dead people!! he was also a dick to justin throughout the whole season, and i did NOT dig that. overall, though? i still love him. he had an interesting plot. he had a really good glo up though 10/10 he was hot this season.

justin | HOW DARE THEY KILL HIM OFF. he was fucked with all season. first he and jessica break up, then she starts seeing diego, then clay starts being a dickhead, then his mom dies, then he relapses, and then he fucking dies!! what the fuck!! he didn’t deserve this after all of his character development. he and clay can never be happy.

jessica | every season her and justin do the ‘will they wont they’ thing and i think it was over done and unnecessary. jessica was kinda immature in s4, especially when justin broke up with her. i do love her, but i got frustrated with her at times. she wasn’t the worst though. her friendship with ani was cute, and she is still the baddest bitch on the block. her and bolan’s relationship was one of my favorite things tbh.

ani | surprisingly pleasant. i’m really glad the writers managed to save her character. i still think she’s not really needed, but i didn’t hate her at all this season, and i actually managed to like her. her hair had a major glo up like damn sis. i loved the hairstyle with the bangs!

alex | BABY BOY. i loved him so much this season. alex has never really annoyed me, but this season i especially loved him. after getting messed with every season i appreciated seeing him thrive. i loved seeing more zalex (even if its just a friendship but hey they kissed!!) and he and charlie were SO cute. some of his relationships were a little rushed, but i could still enjoy them.

zach | i used to adore zach up until this season. he just kinda showed up drunk and then never stopped. there was no build up. he had some scenes where i cheered for him, and he does have some badass and fun scenes. he’s the one main character that annoyed me a lot though, which is sad because he used to be one of my favs.

tyler | he deserves the world. i think tony and clay were right to suspect he was up to something, because he was acting suspicious, but i’m glad he wasn’t doing anything bad. i’m so happy he’s getting more comfortable in his own skin. his and winston’s friendship was cute while it lasted, and him and estela were hella cute too.

tony | meh. he didn’t really do much this season tbh. i still love him, but i feel like the last two seasons haven’t been giving him enough screen time. i also was disappointed that his friendship with clay isn’t really shown anymore. he was best in seasons one and two.

SIDE CHARACTERS

winston | i feel like i’m alone when i say that i love winston. i can understand the disappointment though. the trailers made him out to be a big threat and then didn’t really do anything with it. i also feel like the only one who didn’t care about him and alex? they were fine together, but i don’t see the chemistry that others seem to. him saying he loved alex was wack. winston and monty hit different than any other relationship on this show and i’m not gonna apologize for saying that. i cried like a baby during the prom episode. it’s bs that he apparently only knew the version of monty that he wanted to see, when he was the only one who really knew monty the person and not monty the jock or monty the bully. winston was the only one to know monty in an intimate, vulnerable state. winston was done dirty this season and he deserved better.

monty | he gets his own category because he may be dead but he was a prominent character. i hate that i get really emo about monty but i do. he was an awful person, and i’m not gonna make excuses for him because he doesn’t deserve them, but i just get really emo and sad about him and i’m not sure why. maybe because the show redeemed bryce (bleh) but didn’t allow monty the same luxury. i really wish he wasn’t dead. they didn’t need to kill him off at all. the plot wouldn’t really change much if he had been alive. clay could’ve still seen him bc he felt guilty, and winston still could’ve gone to the school.

estela | i love her so much!! she is mourning her brother but understands what he did was gross and disgusting. she didn’t really do much but i still appreciated her. her and tyler were cute.

diego + the football team | diego was kinda shitty and he fucked with clay when he didn’t need to but i don’t think he’s a bad person at all, and i believe he genuinely cared about jessica and wanted her happy. he was kinda used as a plot device for jess and justin so he didn’t really do much after the first few episodes besides be there to make justin jealous. the football team was actually kinda fun this season and i didn’t hate them. kinda asses but not in the way the past ones were.

caleb | caleb and tony are perfect for each other but caleb is also too good for tony tbh. they’re cute though and i’m happy they have each other, but shit tony doesn’t listen to him. caleb doesn’t do much in the show but he’s cool.

the parents | i’m only gonna speak in detail about one parent and that’s mister bill standall. idk i just kind of love him and i think he’s an amazing father to alex. every time he kisses alex on the head my heart goes soft because it’s what alex deserves. the whole standall family is super cool and i like peter’s reaction to alex dating charlie. clay and justin’s parents try really hard and they love both their boys though. jessica’s parents also love her very much and i love her dad. we only see ani’s mom once this season and i love her even if she’s strict. mrs. walker is cool and i wish the best for her.

gary bolan | he and jessica have really funny interactions. you can tell he does actually really like her and values her input but he also thinks she’s overbearing and it’s amazing. he sucks sometimes but you can tell he’s trying.

the dean guy and also that one police guy | i don’t remember their names and i don’t care enough to look it up. the dean guy was kind of a dick sometimes but woah i was not expecting the gay from him. i thought the police guy was awful at first but he grew on me when i realized he wasn’t out to fuck with tony.

scott | he was in one scene and it wasn’t even really him but i love him so i’m gonna mention him. 10/10 stole the show.

charlie | i saved my favorite for last. CHARLIE IS BABY. he literally has done nothing wrong in his entire life. the sweetest boyfriend. not closeted and isn’t afraid to show affection. would literally do anything for alex. his and alex’s relationship was a b i t rushed but i enjoyed it nonetheless. i don’t know how people could prefer alex and winston over charlie and alex literally they’re so cute and charlie is the best.

OVERVIEW

i think this season was pretty good. a bit fucky here and there, but overall a lot better than season three. i do wish some things were different, and i don’t know why there weren’t thirteen episodes because that would’ve helped slow things down a little so some things didn’t feel too rushed, but eh whatever. this season tackled some interesting topics like mental illness, AIDS, sexuality, and police brutality. i was super stressed out watching but in a good way. i do wish some things were done differently. that’s what fanfiction is for i suppose. i’m gonna give this season a 7/10. it was good and i enjoyed it, though i think some decisions were questionable and i think there should’ve been a happy ending for all of the main characters since they’ve been put through literal hell. please interact if you share the same opinions or if you think differently because i would love to discuss further!! i feel like i have a mixture of both popular and unpopular opinions about this season, so i’d love to hear about what anyone else thinks.

#13rw spoilers #13rw season 4 #13rw #13 reasons why #thirteen reasons why #clay jensen #justin foley #jessica davis #zach dempsey #alex standall #tyler down #tony padilla #ani achola #13rw review

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lilaclovestowrite · 5 years ago

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Arcade Chaos (Katsuki x Cheerful!Reader)

“ Bakugo oneshot with cheerful!reader at arcade plz? ”

Type: Request from Quotev

Words: 2556

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Pairing: Katsuki x Reader

Genre: Hint of fluff, lots of Katsuki rage lol, and mainly humor

Summary: Somehow, you’re able to drag your crush, Katsuki Bakugou, to an arcade for the day. Of course, this creates chaos, since the Bakusquad happens to be there as well. But maybe, after all the chaos, you’ll finally be able to confess your true feelings to him!

Warnings:

None

💥💥💥

“Why the heck are we in this lame place!?” questioned an irritated Katsuki.

“Cuz arcades are fun!” I answered, leading him in by the hand. He was very resistant—but he was no match for my nonexistent strength.

“Fun? This place is for nerds who live in their mom’s basement. Just like stupid—”

“Deku, yeah, yeah,” I finished for him with a blasé attitude. “I’ve heard it all before. Why don’t you just focus on something else besides Midoriya?”

“Pfft, like what?”

“Uh, something that actually matters. Video games, obviously.”

“I’m leaving.” Just as he tried to escape, I pulled him back.

“Get yer hands off me!” He flicked his wrist away from me, and huffed as he scanned the arcade’s interior.

“Come on, please stay with me for just an hour? PLEEEEEAAAASSSEEEEEE~!?” I forcefully smiled, holding my hands together in a purposely pathetic pose.

“Well, you already kidnapped me so—whatever. And what’s the difference between these games and the ones on my phone? Only geeks play these chunky, 8-bit fossils.”

“Trust me. You’ll see,” I vaguely left as an answer.

After I dragged Katsuki around the building, I asked him if anything caught his eye. “So, do you know what game you wanna play?”

“’Nuke the Zombies’ didn’t look too trashy, I guess.”

I blinked once. “Uhh, how about something more child-friendly?”

“Fine. How about ’Blow up the Bunny’ then?”

Why did I ever think this was a good idea?

“Let’s not.”

But what we didn’t know, is that our other friends happened to be here as well! Eijiro, Denki, Hanta, and Mina approached us all at once.

“Wow! Hey, guys! Nice to see you here,” Eijiro greeted.

Hanta laughed. “Didn’t really expect to see you two here. . .specifically, together.”

“The heck you mean by that!?” Katsuki nearly erupted, but I held him back.

“Oh, y’know—just figured you’d be at home plotting your revenge for Midoriya or something.”

His response only earned him a snarl from Katsuki. But Mina, on the other hand, decided to push all of Katsuki’s buttons without thinking.

“Maybe they’re on a date!!” she gasped. “WAIT, ARE YOU—”

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!! This isn’t a heckin’ date!” Katsuki debunked. “She bugged me nonstop about coming to this trash hole, and finally got on my nerves, so I came.”

By the smug look on my friend’s faces—they were obviously not buying it. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have minded it if were a date. Considering I’ve always had a thing for Katsuki. People may have thought I was crazy for liking someone so spastic with anger management issues—but there was more to him than just his atrocious personality. He had a lot of admirable qualities like uh, well, I’ll think of some later.

“Alright then~” Mina giggled.

“Guys, when can we play some games?” asked Denki.

“Right now!” Eijiro made an immediate beeline for Whac-A-Mole. “Bakugou, you gotta try out this game! I used to play it when I was younger, and it’s so much fun.”

“The heck is it?”

Katsuki stormed over and studied the attributes of the vintage game, while Eijiro explained the rules of it to him.

“And when the mole thing rises up, you just hit it with this mallet!”

“Pfft, sounds like a baby game. Pass.”

“Aw, c’mon!” I joined in, trying to convince him to try it out.

Hanta agreed, “Yeah! Don’t be such a wet blanket, man.”

After all our nagging, he eventually gave in and reluctantly picked up the game mallet. “Gross, a thousand brats probably got their diseased germs all over this thing.”

“They’re not as diseased as your attitude, that’s for sure—”

“COME AGAIN, KNOCK-OFF PIKACHU!?!”

“Hey, hey,” Eijiro tried calming. “Just try one round at least!”

“Ugh, fine.”

Once the game started, the plastic moles slowly rose up from their holes, and each one was hammered by Katsuki. He displayed his obvious boredom through stance and expression.

“This game is about as fun as watching paint dry.”

“Oh, it gets harder,” I snickered.

“This is about as hard as using Deku as a football.”

But he was soon showed otherwise—as the game’s difficulty increased. The moles now only stayed up for half a second now, and even Katsuki was having a hard time keeping up.

“C’mon, dude! Whack them!” Eijiro cheered.

“THIS STUPID MALLET ISN’T WORKING!!!” he screeched, causing the rest of the people around us to stare. It was a bit embarrassing. But that’s my penalty for going out in public with Katsuki. “DIE, RATS, DIEEEEEE!!!!” So, he dropped the mallet, and just started exploding the moles with his hands.

And of course, the result was he melted the arcade machine. All the moles were now nothing but liquefied plastic, which was totally uncalled for compared to the games standards.

I walked back to my friend’s table with Katsuki by my side.

“Alright, I just called Katsuki’s therapist and he was able to, er—scream out his issues. So, I think we’re good!” I informed with a thumbs up.

“My therapist can bite rocks.”

I let out a sigh of disappointment at his rude response.

“Hey, (Y/N)! Did you see any games that caught your eye?” Hanta wondered.

I answered with, “Hmm. . .well, I did wanna play Whac-A-Mole. But now it’s melted into the flooring, so. . .”

“It wasn’t even fun,” Katsuki downplayed. “I have more fun beating Deku. Wait—they should make a game called Whac-A-Deku. Now, I’d play that.”

We only stared at our friend, mildly disturbed.

Hanta said, “Pac-Man it is, then.”

After playing a few more games, we headed to the eating area. We ordered some pizza and soda, so we just chatted as we ate.

“You guys, what do you think is better? Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-Man?” asked Mina.

“They’re the same thing, Raccoon Eyes.”

“NO, PAC-MAN IS A MAN, AND MS. PAC-MAN IS A WOMAN.”

I awkwardly nibbled on my pizza, watching the conversation between them take a nosedive for the worst.

“Guys, is butter a carb?” Katsuki asked us.

Denki replied, “I don’t know—I don’t watch Gordon Ramsey.”

“Whatever, I’m getting cheese fries.” He launched his pizza in the trash can (which he carelessly missed), and headed back to the ordering station.

Just as Katsuki got out of earshot, Mina immediately began interrogating me.

“So. . .ya sure you two weren’t on a date~?”

I went red with total shock and embarrassment. “What? No way! He doesn’t like me like that.”

Hanta chuckled. “He liked you enough for you to literally drag him here. That’s like, a deathwish for most people.”

I knew he had a point.

Eijiro said, “Plus, he needs a girlfriend. He needs someone to keep him fairly sane.”

All their talking had me blushing. Yes, I liked Katsuki a lot—but I never thought it’d go any further than that. However, you never know about these kind of things.

“So. . .should I ask him out or something?” I hesitantly questioned.

“Go ahead! I mean, there’s not a line of girls trying to date him, that’s for sure.”

I took it into consideration. Maybe today, I should try to make a move. I mean, YOLO, amirite?

“Alright, I’ll try next time I see him,” I gulped.

They all smiled uncontrollably, but instinctively stopped once Katsuki returned to the table.

“Why’re you idiots all staring at me like a bunch of idiots?”

“Oh, uh—well. . .” I mentally prepared myself for rejection. I knew all my friends were bursting at the seams, waiting for me to confess my feelings to Katsuki. But it was just so awkward. So, I chickened out. “I uh, wanted to know if you were gonna share your cheese fries with me.”

“What does share mean?”

I could hear Eijiro facepalm. So, I ended the awkwardness with, “Nothing! Just eat your fries—”

Later, we all continued searching for what else to play.

So, I cleared my throat to get everyone’s attention. “Ahem. How about we do something that’s multiplayer?”

“You mean like a competition?” Katsuki wondered, a psychotic smile forming on his face once the idea of winning first place entered his mind. Now, we were all scared.

“Uh, you’re smiling like a psycho again—I MEAN, uh, yeah! We just need to find a game that allows two players. . .and one that isn’t taken.” As I examined the room and every one of its consoles, I found one that caught my eye.

Dance Dance Revolution (DDR).

“Hmm, I know! That one!” I excitedly pointed to the one I was referring to.

“OMG, that one is so cool! I used to play it when I was younger!” Mina beamed.

“Oh, great. Dancing? I thought you’d pick something that would actually hold my interest. Like no-scoping zombies or something.”

I crossed my arms and said the thing I knew would make him do what I wanted. “What? You think you can’t beat me? Think I’m gonna win instead~?”

“Pfft, in your dreams. I’d beat you at any game at any time of the week. You’re a lame gamer.”

“You think so, eh? Well, let’s just find out!” I skipped over to the DDR machine and patiently waited for the two children to finish up their round. However, patience wasn’t an idea Katsuki could process in his arrogant brain.

“Hit the road, punks! I’ve got a game to win!” He shoved the two kids off, and cleared the platforms for both of us. I tried mouthing an apology to the two schoolboys, but they had already escaped to find their parents.

Katsuki extended his arms and stretched out his fingers. Eijiro and Hanta approached me, asking if I was sure this was a good idea. I knew Katsuki was unhealthily obsessed with winning, but that only made it more fun being his opponent, at least in my opinion! (Plus, seeing him fail was ten-times funnier).

“Go easy on her, dude,” Denki tried helping out.

“No way, Calamari. I’m not a braindead loser like you.” Finishing up his mini exercise, he stepped onto the dance platform. “What’re you waiting for, girly?” Katsuki snarked at me with a confident smirk.

I stepped on mine as well, and scrolled through the list of songs to perform. “We could start with easy mode,” I offered.

“No way. Go for the hardest mode you can find.”

Someone was going to break their legs, and it wasn’t going to be Midoriya this time around.

“Oh. . .well, uh—alright!” I landed my finger on this Vocaloid song called The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku, which was apparently the most challenging one on this menu. “Alright, there’s the modes: Beginner, Intermediate, Pro, Master, and uh, Death.”

“Choose Death then.”

With a cloud of anxiousness looming over my figure, I pressed that option. I didn’t know what to expect—but I was scared.

“How bad can it be?” chuckled Eijiro.

Oh, but it was pain. It was the most torture I’ve ever experienced in my entire life.

When the gameplay started, it wasn’t too hard in the intro of the song. But when the fast part came, it was like we were dancing to save our lives. People in the building came to spectate us and our anguish—but our friends cheered us on the entire time.

“REEEEEEEEE, END MEEEEEEEEEE!!!” Katsuki screeched as he barely managed to touch the flashing tiles on his platform.

I felt as if I was jumping across a room full of nails sticking straight up. I could barely keep up with the beat of the song, and I was already exhausted. But we weren’t even halfway into it.

“BEATING ALL FOR ONE IS EASIER THAN THIS TORTURE MACHINE!” roared Katsuki.

“You’re almost to the beat break!” Hanta reassured.

Finally, the first verse of the song ended. So, our legs could take a break for a few seconds. Katsuki and I were desperately trying to regain oxygen, since it was such a rush. When we looked at our current scores—I saw that I was luckily five points higher than Katsuki.

“WHAT THE HECK!? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!?” he raged.

“HA.”

Everyone cheered for me at the moment, but Katsuki wasn’t having it. He was more than determined to beat me now.

When the gameplay resumed, we continued to push ourselves to dance on the correct tiles. Our scores were nearing closer together, and it was only a matter of time before one of us passed each other for good and won.

“ALMOST THERE,” Katsuki spoke to himself, as he glimpsed at his own score.

But just the moment before it was all over, Denki accidentally activated his Quirk due to the hype building up in his system—and it shot out at the DDR machine, causing it to short-circuit and die.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” Katsuki bellowed out, as he fell on his knees and placed his hands on the now black screen. “I’M GONNA KILL YOU, STUPID PIKACHU!!!”

However, it was pointless because Denki already fried his brain and went dumb. “Wheyyyy~”

Eijiro couldn’t help but laugh hysterically, along with Hanta and Mina. It only made Katsuki’s blood boil—and frankly, I couldn’t help but giggle too.

“I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PAIN.” Katsuki stood up and stalked out of the arcade. Of course, I followed him.

“Katsuki! Don’t be upset. It’s only a game.”

“I WAS SO CLOSE TO WINNING!” he fumed. “I COULD HAVE BROKEN THE STUPID RECORD—”

“Shh, just relax! They’ll probably fix it, and we can always come back later.” I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, which he surprisingly didn’t flick off.

“Hmph. I’m never playing that demon game ever again.”

I laughed softly. “Well, there’s plenty of other games. But other than the fact Denki shut off the game—did you have fun?”

He turned his head to me, and for I moment, I swear I saw his eyes soften by a fraction. “Maybe a little—but not that much.”

I’ll take that as a yes, coming from him.

But now that we were together with no other distractions, I decided to take a risk and slide my hand into his. He widened his eyes—since affection was probably a concept far removed from his unfriendly mentality.

I looked down at the floor and smiled, saying, “I was thinking, Katsuki. Would you uh, would you consider being my Player Two?”

I didn’t even care how cheesy I was being at this point.

“The heck does that mean?”

Our friends screamed from a distance, “SHE’S ASKING YOU OUT, GENIUS!”

Katsuki stiffened up, since he was struggling to find a riposte to throw back in my face. But it was relentless. Instead, he let out a sigh and told me, “That’s the sappiest and most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard—but sure. You’re not as annoying as the others.”

I strained my cheeks from smiling so much, and I threw my arms gleefully around Katsuki. The others were probably afraid he’d blow up or something, but thankfully, he didn’t. Instead, he returned the favor by awkwardly rubbing my head.

“They’re so cute together~” sighed Mina.

“Yeah, Bakugou better not screw it up,” Eijiro added with a smile.

“It’s Bakugou, he screws everything up.”

“True.”

Maybe coming to this place was a good idea after all~

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shinjukuspiritcommittee · 5 years ago

Text

Sick Time HCs

Hello, guess who was sick for the whole day prior. This mod, haha- (coughs)

Since I had received multiple Headcanon requests for this topic but different characters I decided to just wrap it into one post I hope you all don’t mind. Regardless, please enjoy~

~~~

Sick Day

Kengo

~“Okay…” Kengo breathed as you two stared one another down. You gripped your sword as tight as you could and steadied your breathing as you were anticipating his next move. Kengo moved with impressive speed but you parried his punch with your blade. However it was just a feint as Kengo’s true intention was to strike you from the side. Due to your sluggish movements and hazy vision he completely blind sided you and sent you spiraling on the ground. You coughed and wheezed as you struggled to pick yourself back up. Kengo quickly caught on and rushed over. “Hey, what’s the matter!?” You tried to tell him you were fine but you coughed again, this time from your sickness. “I knew somethin’ was off.” You sniffled a bit and sneezed in response which finally gave you away. “You’re sick ain’tcha?” You grimaced. “Yep. C’mere.” Kengo suddenly picked you up carrying you bridal style. You tried to argue that you could walk on your own just fine. Silently Kengo lifted your shirt which you would have raised an opinion about but he revealed the bruise he left on you given your weakened state. You couldn’t really hide it anymore at that point so you fell silent and couldn’t look him in the eyes with shame. “I’ll take you, got that?”

~Much to your displeasure he carried you all the way back to your room cradled in his arms. It was a little embarrassing but you were relieved none of your other friends saw you. Once you were back in your bed you did your best to feign wellness and attempted to shoo Kengo away. “What’s with you? There’s no way you’re alright!” You tried to argue that you fine once more but a sneeze prevented you from doing so. “See?” You grumbled with embarrassment. You didn’t like the idea on appearing so vulnerable in front of your partner when he relies on you. “What’re you talkin’ about? You’re just sick, that’s all.” Still, it was embarrassing to get sick when it seems Kengo almost never gets sick. “Yeah I’m pretty healthy year round and- wait, no.” Kengo snapped his attention at you. “I won’t think you’re weak. Promise.” You crossed your arms in defeat and sighed. “Now, what do you do when you get sick…” He pondered aloud. “Uh, right.” Kengo tossed your covers over you. “Stay in these, I’ll be right back!” First he insisted on staying, then he leaves!? “It’ll just take a second.” With that you were alone like you initially wanted. You breathed out a sigh while you reflected back on earlier. You could’ve been a little nicer and gave him a bit of a heads up that you weren’t in fighting form today. Then again you can’t let yourself get sick so easily. Everyone depends on you and you can’t rest while everyone else does the heavy lifting. You just wanna do your part…

~Your thoughts were interrupted abruptly by Kengo swinging the door open. He seemed to have extra blankets for you and what looked to be bottled water. “I’m back!” He declared happily. “Shiro told me that when someone gets sick you’re supposed to keep em warm and hydrated! Yep, that’s what he said!” You asked if he told Shiro while you were concerned your cover was blown. “Nah, cuz then he would get all fussy over you. So… you’re my little secret. Well, our little secret but… uh…” Kengo scratched the back of his head while you both breathed a sigh of relief and looked at him with a bit of contempt. “Hey, what’s with the dirty look for? I thought you didn’t want him fussin’. That’s why I didn’t tell him.” You let loose another cough as your throat begins to feel irritated and you instead thanked him for doing all of that. “No prob!” He chuckled. “But, I don’t think these sheets are gonna keep you warm.” Before you could ask what he meant, Kengo slipped out of his sandals and got into your bed with you. You told him that someone might get the wrong idea or he could get sick himself. “Hmm, nope. I locked the door (I think) and I’m pretty good at stuff like this.” While you two were wrapped under the same blankets you could feel how warm your partner really was. You shivered and subconsciously scooted closer to him until your bodies were pressed against one another. You comment on how pleasant his body heat is and how the cold seemingly disappeared. “Thanks, but… you’re really burning up. Try to drink some water and relax, ‘kay?” You did so and the cold drink felt refreshing for a change, but even then you shivered which Kengo laughed at.

Wakan Tanka

~You couldn’t hide anything from Wakan Tanka. Not a thing in the world he couldn’t see past. “Hey, you feeling alright?” You tried to play it off as a little head cold and that it wouldn’t interrupt your planned day out but you couldn’t hold back a serious cough that left your throat feeling scratchy. There was no denying the chills you were starting to develop either as you started to shiver in your jacket. “You don’t look that well.” He commented. “I think something happened like this before to my Gunzo. I believe the instructors said there was an illness going around… it seems you’ve caught it, my summoner.” You were dreading the prospect but couldn’t deny that to be the case as your chills began to escalate and you letting out a comment on how cold it was. Wakan Tanka took hold of your hand and the heat from his hand was relieving to say the least. “Here, come with me.” Wakan practically tugged on your arm as you were dragged off towards the dorms at his school.

~“You can use my room.” He said as he guided you in. Not surprising at all everything was disorganized. You commented on the state of his room and all the garments he leaves about. “Oh, don’t worry! None of them have been worn yet. I was just looking for my lost jersey!” You sighed and commented that he should take better care of his room while you proceeded to shiver and cough more. You sniffled as your cold began to reach peak chills and shivers. Your joints felt incredibly stiff as you continued to stand. “Here, have a seat.” The football player guided you to his bed and undressed you in most of your clothes except for your under shirt and pants. Then he helped you to get into a cozy enough position in bed as your breathing became harder. Everything felt worse because you were still chilly. “Give me one moment. I’ll let the nurse know and to call your school.” He said that as he jogged off, leaving you to curl up under his sheets. They definitely smelled like Wakan after a long day of practice to the point where you began to wonder if he showered enough. He may be more absent minded but he does care a lot for others so maybe that devotion leads him to neglect his own needs…

~Wakan Tanka came back sniffling with his face looking flushed. “Okay my summoner. The nurse said you can rest here while he contacts your school but it may be a while.” You took notice of his complextion and runny nose. “Oh, this?” He questioned as he wiped his face. “This is probably-” He coughed. “Scratch that- definitely the same cold as you and my Gunzo…” He was starting to shiver and you couldn’t bear to see him like that, so you told him to get into the covers with you. “Oh, do you mean it?” He seemed pretty ecstatic most likely because it meant he could be closer with you. He quickly removed his jersey and tossed it to the side (at least you now know how he loses it) as he crawled into the bed with you. His normally warm body felt like an inferno since he was coming down with the same cold. You welcomed the warmth of course because it meant you were no longer freezing. “Wow my summoner… you feel as though you’re on fire…” He stated, huddling closer to you. “I know it’s because you’re ill, but… I like it…” He yawned. “It’s kind of… relaxing…” Yawns were contagious because you too were beginning to feel dreary. “Maybe… we could…” The two of you trailed off to sleep together within moments, now somewhat comfortable despite your shared illness. When Monobe came over to pick you up he decided to let you sleep for a bit longer with your friend since you both looked “at peace”.

Tsathoggua

~You were chatting away on the phone with Tsathoggua now that classes were done for the day. He was going off about how certain classics will never go out of style and you gave him your honest opinion on the topic. While he was interested in your perspective he seemed dead set in his own ideas and you commented that was totally fine and that he should have fun his way. “Right!? It’s like most gamers nowadays wanna shove their opinions down your throat and you just want em to-” During his rant you let loose a cough that wasn’t very severe. “Hm?” You tried to explain it as a tickle in your throat but a much nastier one came through. “You’re getting sick.” You tried to assure him it wasn’t serious as the sick pains began to set in. “One sec.” With that he disconnected, leaving you to wonder what he meant by that.

~That was until he warped himself right into your room. You let out a hoarse shriek as Tsathoggua’s huge frame startled you. “What!? That’s like, not a way to greet a guest yeah!?” You apologized and explained you weren’t expecting him to just poof on over. “Well what else was I gonna do? Just let you sit all alone? C’mere.” He replied while holding a hand out to you. Hesitantly you grab it and in an instant you were taken to his den of sloth. He brought you over to a bean bag chair he often uses to relax and play games on. Tsath rests himself on the chair and pulls you onto his lap while his minions wrapped you both in a blanket. “Uh… are you comfortable?” You told him you were very comfortable like that, but if he really had to drag you all the way out to his room. “Yes, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to watch movies.” Tsathoggua did seem genuinely concerned with your well-being in his own way. “I just want you to relax, yeah?”

~So giving into Tsathoggua’s offer rather quickly proved good for you in the end. His body was quite soft and cozy which helped you ease up. The movie more served as white noise for you as you quickly became exhausted due to your sickness and fell asleep cozied up in your friend’s fur. “H-Hey…” Tsathoggua grumbled as you were a bit too relaxed. But he eased up when he saw on your sleeping face. Rather than try to put you to rest elsewhere he figured it’d be better (and less work) to adjust you slightly on his frame and using him like a bed. While you weren’t lucid enough to remember what exactly happened, you were happy it did and slept incredibly soundly.

#kengo #Wakan Tanka #Tsathoggua #tokyo afterschool summoners #housamo #sfw #Headcanon #HC #sick

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zairapvrker · 5 years ago

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Teeth: Vampire!Luke // Chapter 6

Author’s Note: writing this gave me three migraines and two breakdowns followed by an existential crisis, but at least it’s out! i’m so so so so so sorry for the long wait.

Summary: Luke knows the rules and his boundaries, he has respected them for centuries. He knows he should stay as far away as possible from every human on his path. But that was before she came along.

Warnings: mentions of death, unedited.

masterlist | chapter 5 , chapter 7

Luke made his way through the populated hallways of the high school he’d condamned himself to attend, huffing in annoyance every few steps. He swore to himself the last time he did this to never ever try and pursue this kind of torture again - but he couldn’t really argue with his motifs after all, they were the same as forty years ago. Her.

For God’s sake, it’s not like he needed to be here - hell, he was born way before high schools were even concieved by the human mind and surely received a more than proper education - but she was, so he was.

“Stupid, moronic, unbearable teenagers” he murmured frustrated, avoiding a freshman who almost spilled the contents of his water bottle on him while tripping on air in an attempt to rush to his classroom. He hadn’t had a good night, usually he would unwind reading while waiting for sunrise, but he couldn’t deny that scaring the hell out of the creep that had dared put his hands on Bea hadn’t been fun. They guy deserved to walk away with far more emotionally scarring memories of the encounter in Luke’s opinion, but Ashton had interveined before the blond could have his true fun. His friend was more adamant than him in keeping a low profile and causing as little trouble as possible, and the fact that he’d enrolled in high school was already enough attention in Ashton’s opinion.

He scoffed, his train of thought interrupted as she walked into the classroom along with one of her new friends, Calum, he believed. Just before sitting down in the seat right behind the blue-haired boy’s, Bea spared him a small smile. Luke believed that if his heart was still beating, it would’ve stilled for just a split second. He didn’t like how human she made him feel, how everything he thought he’d finally suppressed for forever, came back with just a smile. This time was going to be different.

I hadn’t slept well, of course. I was already drained of all energy and emotion the second I stepped into the house. Then, of course, I had to deal with my mother’s questions, concearn and worry. It was far too late for my liking when I finally made it to my bedroom and even later when I could lay down on my bed after a trip to the police station and probably the longest shower of my life. However, sleep did not come my way as easily as I had hoped it would’ve. I could still feel the guy’s hands on me, grabbing and pulling and I could still see the fury in Luke’s eyes - somehow frightening yet comforting, foreign and absolutely familiar at the same time. Tossing and turning was all I managed in between short and troubled sleep breaks in which nothing but dreams of him saving me, over and over again through the centuries, kept me restless.

So it was no surprise to me when just after ten minutes of lesson, my mind slipped back to those dreams, my head hiding into my crossed arms and my eyes closing as the voice of my Physics teacher was washed away slowly.

I found myself wandering around golden decorated corridors, with paintings hanging in every corner and soft, distant music accompaining my steps. I caught my reflection in a mirror and stopped to stare at myself in disbelief. I let my hands caress the deep purple shiny fabric of my dress, a spectacular ball gown which reached the floor and had a very poofy skirt thanks to the heavy layers of fabric weighing me down. My hair was twisted in a very complicated updo, leaving space to dangling earrings. I let out a short surprised sigh as another hand sneaked around my waist, holding me close. “You look breathtaking” lifting my eyes to find his in our reflection, I smiled. It was like everywhere I went, there he was. “Thank you” I murmured back, his lips opening into a smile as well. Truth be told, he looked far more breathtaking than I did. As soon as he hooked my arm through his and guided me to the ball room, I felt like just a spectator, as if I was remembering a memory far far away. Rationally, I knew it wasn’t possible that this was something I had lived, I knew it couldn’t be me the one dancing around with Luke at a party in the Victorian England. Another part of me, the very irrational one, was telling me a whole other story. It lasted very little, the peace, the fesivity, the light conversation and atmosphere. I realized it felt like disaster followed us, everytime I saw him in my dreams. This time I was being dragged away, screamig his name, before I fell to the ground hurting, silent, as he ran towards me. Everything went black.

I woke up wincing lightly, hoping no one had caught it. I found Calum looking at me from over his shoulder quizzicaly, before turning around quickly. “Ms. Longford, is there a problem?” the teacher’s voice called. So much for not being noticed, I thought. Sitting up properly and emerging from my hiding spot behind Calum’s back, I shook my head. “No, everything’s alright”

Luckily, the bell interrupted whatever he was going to say next, as students started walking out of the classroom. My blue haired friend looked at me as if he wanted to ask something, but apparently let it go. “I’ve got to run to my next class, see you in English?” he asked as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Yeah, see you later” I smiled, earning one back before he walked away. As I quickly packed my stuff, I couldn’help but frustratedly sigh at the headache that was starting to creep from the back of my head. I still had too much time of school left for this inconvenience.

“Come with me” this time, unlike every other time, his voice didn’t surprise me. I turned around, finding him there looking at me with a grave expression. “Why?” and as much as I wanted my voice to sound firm and sure, I couldn’t help but find it shaky and light. His expression softened a bit and he just offered me his hand, surprisingly, I didn’t even have to think twice before grasping it in mine. He dragged me out of the classroom, not caring for the looks people were giving us, not even when we walked past Michael and Ashley - both having weirded out expression plastered on their faces. “Luke, can you at least tell me why am I following you? I needed to be there for my History class, we were going to start a new chapter and I really can’t afford to ditch-” “You can afford to ditch, you haven’t been absent one day” he interrupted me as he took a sharp turn for the back exit that lead to the football field. “And how would you know?” I stopped dead in my tracks, both out of breath for having to keep up with his freakishly long legs and fast pace and the accuracy of his statement. He stopped too, turning around in the middle of the path caved in the grass by generations of students who didn’t want to take the long walk to the field, and looked at me dead in the eyes. “Because I observe you”

“What?” I let out kind of shocked, but he didn’t answer rather started marching towards the bleachers once again. “Hey, no, Luke!” I tried to let go of his hand, but he was holding it too tight. “For fuck’s sake, can you at least let me breathe? I may come to school everyday but I sure as hell don’t partake in every gym class” I complained, almost panting an embarrassing amount, as we reached the bleachers and I finally plopped onto the nearest seat.

“Sorry” he just said, barely seeming so from his tone. I flashed him a very little amused smile as he sat down next to me. “What have you dragged me out here in the freezing cold to talk about?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest to hug my jacket closer.

“I now realize I probably shouldn’t have” he said staring straight at the empty field in front of us. I did too, waiting for him to say something. “I just can’t keep watching you being like this” he admitted, almost whispering. “Like what, exactly?” I asked, defensive. He looked at me briefly but intensely, as if to ask me to think twice about what I’d just said. “I’m perfectly fine” I stated firmly. “I’m just...” But I soon realized I didn’t really know what was up nor how to finish my sentence. “How is it any of your business anyway?” I asked. “I barely know you”

He scoffed. “Oh, you do know me, you just don’t realize it yet” “What’s that supposed to mean?” it was safe to say I was highly confused by now, yet I couldn’t let myself drop the argument. I had too many questions regarding the dreams that had plagued my nights for a month now, the fact that I felt like utter shit almost every day, how I seemed to trust him so easily and every reason why seemed to be him. But it just couldn’t be.

“You know what? You’re right. But you’ll figure it out by yourself, you always do” he said, not moving an inch. “I just don’t want it to end like it always does” “You talk like you know something I don’t” I let slip, just above a whisper. “It’s because I do” he smiled at me, and I swore it was the most familiar smile.

“Do you want to go study?” I asked, tired of being cold. “Since you made me ditch History” he laughed lightly, then nodded. Shortly after we were in the only classroom we found unused, the one where the school band practiced. I sat down at the first free desk and watched as Luke sat at the piano, taking a book out of his bag and started reading. Every few minutes my gaze shifted from my notes onto his figure, still focused on the pages he was reading, and had to force myself to keep my concentration. “Do you play?” I asked, giving in to the curiosity. He looked at me from over the rim of the book, nodding slowly. I smiled, secretly hoping he would understand what I meant. Luke shook his head, smiling softly, before letting go of his novel and finally letting his fingers dance on the piano keys.

As he played I couldn’t help but observe him, how he was lost in the music and how peaceful he seemed, opposite to how he always appeared. Beautiful as a broken angel. Suddenly, I felt my heart beating way too fast for it to be normal, almost producing a ringing in my ear, as a sense of déjà vu overtook my mind. Only this time, the scene unfolding in my head belonged to a different time.

“I lied” he stopped playing as soon as the words left my mouth, facing me with a questioning look. “Maybe I do know you” his eyes sparkled with a light I couldn’t quite place, before he said “We’ll see about that”

I had only just finished to get my friends off of my back for seeing me ditch class with Luke, having to endure questions and sly remarks all the way to my house - after having accepted Calum’s ride - when my mother decided to keep asking about the day. I brushed her off, feeling a little guilty only when understanding that she was worried. Strangely enough the events of the day had kept my mind quite busy and off of the fear. But now, a new question needed answers.

Maybe Luke was just crazy and messing around with me, maybe I was loosing my mind or maybe, just maybe, he was right. All I knew was that I needed answers and he was the only one who could give them to me. With a new sense of determination and the knowledge that as soon as I closed my eyes dreams would come to me, I laid down on my bed, trying to fall asleep.

The scene that presented itself to me wasn’t so distant like the others. No Shakespearian theaters, Victorian ball rooms, not even the reoccurring propaganda for The Great War or the bombs flying over the night sky followed by the deafening alarms. No, this felt more familiar to what I was used to seeing every day: an high school. The banner that hung up high above the school entrance read “Congratulations class of ‘84!″ So this was graduation day? Soon after I spotted what my gut told me were my friends, sitting on the stairs before the glass doors, I walked over to them: once again my own will faded away as I stood back and watched. Conversation flowed easily between the group, but I excused myself rather quickly to go look for someone, instantly knowing who. I didn’t need to wander through the deserted hallways for too long, following the soft melody that was echoing through the walls. It brought me to the music room, where I found Luke sitting on a desk strumming along on a guitar. The same he’d played for me today.

“I knew I’d find you here” I heard myself say, resting my shoulder against the door frame. He looked up and flashed a smile in my direction. My eyes wandered across his figure, lingering for a second too long on the way his white shirt hugged him perfectly. “Why aren’t you outside with the others?” he asked with a sly smile. I watched as I saw myself blush a little. “I was looking for you, why aren’t you?” he shrugged in response and came closer to me.

Resting his forehead against mine and his hands on my hips, he whispered softly “We need to get out of town before sunset” “Why do we always have to run?” I asked. “So that we can be together” came his answer. “I know” I murmured. “I just wish it was easier” shrugging, I let my eyes lock with his blue ones. He just planted a soft kiss on my lips, acknowledging the feeling. “We’re going to make it this time” he assured me. I simply nodded, but that didn’t ease the feeling of hopelessness that coursed through me. It was a carefree afternoon, the one I watched unfold between the group of freshly graduated teens, spent mostly at the fun fair organized by the school for the event. Still I felt it was too soon to say goodbye when I watched Luke drag me away from the group and to his car, before starting to drive.

We’d made it into the next town over by the time the sun had started to set, somehow the air in the car was thick and heavy - but not from the summer heat. “We should’ve been further away by now” he murmured as he sped up just a little. “It’s alright-” “No, it isn’t” he cut me off harshly. “Listen Luke, I’m sure this time is going to be different. They’re going to leave us alone-” “They never do, Beatrix!” he shouted angrily, leaving me speechless. I faced the other way, looking out of the car window, trying to hold back my tears. “I’m sorry for raising my voice” he said, sounding small. “I just can’t afford to lose you again” “You’ll never lose me” I wiped a fallen tear. “You quite literally can’t” I laughed softly, turning around to see the small smile that had formed on his lips.

It was night time when we stopped in the first motel on our way and settled into the room. The worry seemed to have dissipated just in the slightest, but all my senses were highly aware as I watched this version of me get into bed along with the golden haired boy. “I wish it had been me, that night” I heard myself whisper in the dark. “Don’t even say it” “But I do” I sat up. “I’ll always do” “You don’t know what you’re talking about” he sat up as well, looking at me. “Spending the rest of eternity like this, condemned to this life” he spat out the last word as if it’d been venom. “Watching you slip right out of my grasp just as we’re so close to happiness...” his voice broke and I saw myself looking for his hand and finally holding it in mine. “Then change me” I suggested, my voice faltering. “It’s not what you want” the harshness he was trying to mask was still prominent in his voice, putting a stop to the conversation. But before anyone could add anything, everything started going downhill as usual.

As a fight ensued between Luke and the mysterious man that had barged into the room, I tried to offer some aid but was immediately told to run, so I did. However, I didn’t make it as far as I had wished - only getting to the lower floor and hiding behind the ice dispenser. “You can’t hide forever!” sing-sung the voice of a woman, hearing her steps come closer and closer. I grabbed an empty bucket and tried to hit her with it as soon as she cocked her head around the corner, but she didn’t even falter and swiftly turned around, effectively kicking me to the ground. Almost unconscious from the pain I watched, powerless, as she pressed a knee down on my chest, leaving me breathless. “You’ll both never win” she murmured before stabbing me. I had seen this all before, how he managed to find me just mere seconds before the life would leave my body, how he crouched down to listen to me beg him to find me in another life and how he promised to. But I had never seen how he‘d stay there, near me, whispering he loved me again and again. I had never seen the despair of a man who had just lost everything so clear in his eyes.

I woke up trembling, damp from the sweat and panting. This could not just be a dream, this out of every other nightmare felt way too real to be just that. I noticed how, like the first time I started dreaming of him, my body still felt stiff and was still hurting from the injuries inflicted to me in the dream. And what was he going on about? What did I mean with change? I tried to calm down a little, sipping a bit of water from the glass on my nightstand, before deciding that this was entirely too strange to ignore. Somehow, someway I knew Luke and he knew me.

Not even thinking about how to find him, I put my shoes on and grabbed my jacket before sprinting out of my room and down the stairs, yelling a “Be back in a while!” to my mom and not even waiting for an answer as I slammed the front door shut behind me.

tags: @keithseabrook27

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auburnfamilynews · 4 years ago

Link

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Time to Barn Hard

Here we go... With under 24 hours until the kickoff of Auburn’s 2020 season, the luminaries here at College & Magnolia offer their sage opinions on what Tiger fans will see tomorrow afternoon. Most of us see a close contest destined to give us that all too familiar fall Saturday heartburn but there are a few brave souls who are prepared to barn hard no matter what.

Auburn (-7.5) vs Kentucky (O/U 49.5)

2019 Auburn fans won’t recognize 2020 Auburn. Bo Nix is going to take a huge leap forward. His receivers are healthy for game one. Our fearless leader has finally found someone he trusts enough to manage playcalling duties. The defense will reload with All-Conference (and maybe All-American) talent. A talented (and deep!) group of hard-hitting running backs. Pre-season optimism has overwhelmed pre-game jitters for me. Look for Chad Morris to show off all his weapons Saturday. He has a tendency to put up a lot of points in his first game at a new school. Brace yourselves, Wildcats. Let’s barn hard, yall.

Auburn 48

Kentucky 14

-Josh Dub

I was talking with a friend of my wife’s the other day and she asked how I thought Auburn would do. I was raised by an old school Auburn fan who taught me to sandbag and say that we were just hoping that everyone buckled their chin straps correctly and that they just had fun out there. That was met with my wife telling her, I always do this. I responded by saying that I just lower the bar so that, when they win by 40 in a game I don’t expect, I get the rush of being a kid again and genuinely happy when Auburn wins.

That said! HERE WE GO!

Auburn has got stars everywhere on the outside and in the backfield but a bunch of green horns on the starting line on offense, so IF Chad Morris (or Gus if he is still calling the plays) can use quick screens and....this route called a slant...to hide the fact that the Auburn offensive line will look a lot like the French army circa 1938, then they might buy a few chances for Anders to kick some field goals.

On defense, you don’t lose D Brown and Marlon and get better. You probably don’t maintain the production you had last year on the D-Line. You can get back there, but that takes time and experience. That said, I am a bit more bullish on the defense as a whole. There is a ton of talent to go around on the line and the secondary and the Linebackers may be the best in the conference. Once again, the defense will keep Auburn in every game for the most part. And that new line will be tested against a really well coached, running offense that Kentucky brings to the Plains.

I love what Mark Stoops has been able to build in Lexington, and sort of done what Matt Campbell has done at Iowa State, that team you just don’t want to see cause they are scrappy and will take advantage of your mistakes. On the betting lines, I am staying away from this one with spendy cashy monies but with fakey non-existant moneies, I love the Cats getting a touchdown and a hook because I see this one being in the 3-4 range with Auburn probably winning, just based on history and going with my heart, but I could totally see Kentucky pulling this off as well.

Gimme Auburn over Kentucky 27-24 and the defense had to get a late stop to seal this one away. Nothing like a late missed FG to start that stomach ulcer.

(betting pick: UK and the points, Over at 51)

-Drew Mac

Auburn *should* win this game. Auburn *should* have the talent advantage. But hey, this is 2020. Who knows what havoc Covid will have wrought on install for any given team.

That being said, I trust Bo Nix’s development as a true sophomore. I think this Auburn team, while still going through some growing pains, will finally start to hit on explosive plays with a veteran WR corps. This Kentucky defense is not the one that one 10 games two years ago.

The only way things go sideways is if the retooled defensive line can’t stop the Kentucky ground game, which is an extremely valid concern. The Wildcats have three returning backs who combined for 1,900 yards and 18 TDs while sharing the spotlight with Lynn Bowden Jr last year, and Terry Wilson is no slouch. I think the Auburn linebackers are going to have to earn their keep as best LB group in the SEC here in week 1.

Auburn takes this one with some big plays through the air and a defense that bucks up in the second half. 27-13 Auburn.

-Ryan Sterritt

I’m a huge proponent of playing a patsy in week 1. In a normal season fall camp doesn’t really give a complete picture of how an offensive line communicates in real time, how well the quarterback has his timing down with his receivers, if the tailback has fumbling problems, mike linebacker being able to switch the defensive alignment based on tendencies, etc. etc. But if you can’t play a patsy I’m a huge proponent of playing a top 10 team who will keep you engaged without distractions leading up to kickoff and will tell you so much about where you can go from here. What you don’t want is a trap game in week 1.

Folks what we have here is a trap game in week 1.

We’re 14 points better than Kentucky. I genuinely believe that. Talent wise and coaching we’re at least 2 scores better than this football team at home. And it does not matter one bit thanks to COVID.

I am so concerned over what we’re going to look like out there considering how many guys were held out at various points of our extended fall camp thanks to COVID. Which wouldn’t be as big of a deal in a normal year, even though it would still be a big deal, but OH YEAH WE HAD NO SPRING PRACTICE. So in keeping with my tradition of being absolutely God awful at Barnin’ Hard, this tiger ain’t changing his stripes for this one.

Keys to victory:

- Stop a Kentucky ground attack with a defensive line that is fully capable of plugging the gaps and have your linebackers make plays in space. This will only work if our corners, who will be in a lot of one on one situations, make plays. Jaylin Simpson is the guy that will get picked on, and this is a fine opportunity for the redshirt freshman to get thrown into the deep end to see if he’ll sink or swim in his first meaningful snaps. If he can hold his own, we’re in good shape.

- Establish an intermediate passing attack early in this game. Keep their defense off balance early on the offensive script and allow Bo Nix and an offensive line that will struggle but has a higher ceiling than that of the last 2 seasons gain some confidence early.

- Get the fastest player in all of college football 10 touches/targets for the day. This one may appear in all 10 entries of “Keys to Victory” for our schedule this year. Scheme to get Anthony Schwartz the ball in multiple ways. And then scheme off of it to get other players in positions to be in favorable coverages.

- Rotate your running backs in a way that makes sense instead of giving the “guy with the hot hand” 25 carries. This running back room is deeper and more talented than it has been since the healthy parts of 2016/2017 for Pettway and KJ. Give these guys a chance to punish Kentucky’s defense with fresh legs for 4 quarters. Make them hate playing us.

- Oh, and finally, get some sound sleep and show up alert for an 11 AM kickoff. I don’t need to explain to any of you why this is obviously something we should all worry over.

All in all I think being at home does matter, despite 20,000 people in the stands. Traveling in these uncertain times has to account for something, right?

Auburn 27 Kentucky 21

-Josh Black

If the first few weeks of football are any indication, I’m expecting some low scoring sloppy games on Saturday. And while Auburn’s rivals have essentially “warmup games” to start their season, Auburn will play another ranked opponent in Week 1. That’s JABA right?

Anyways, I’m really excited to see this group of Running Backs led by Captain Shaun Shivers this season. I’m really excited to see Shaun get the opportunity to start and it’ll be interesting to see how many carries he and the rest of the RBs get on Saturday. This is an experienced receiving corps too led by Seth Williams, “Flash” Anthony Schwartz and veteran Eli Stove.

The biggest question to me (other than the offensive line) will be the defensive line as it’s hard replacing Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson. And we can all hope for better O-Line play this season and a more mature Bo Nix as he enters Year 2 as the starting QB.

As I said earlier, I’m thinking this is a low-scoring game and I’m a bit concerned about this one, with the 11AM kick and all but I’ll take Auburn in a close one.

Auburn 17 Kentucky 14

-Will McLaughlin

I firmly believe Auburn has a significant talent advantage at the skill positions in this matchup. Yes the Cats have an athletic QB, a strong stable of backs, intriguing WRs and a surprisingly good secondary but across the board I’ll take Auburn. However, it won’t matter if the Tigers lose the line of scrimmage battle which is way more likely than any of us wanna imagine.

As you have probably read, heard, seen by now, Kentucky has one of the best offensive lines in the country. This isn’t a group made up of 3-star kids with heart. Left tackle Landon Young was a 5-star recruit. Center Drake Jackson was a 4-star ranked as a top 150 player. Future NFLer Darian Kinnard was a 4-star recruit as well. This is both an experienced AND talented front who enjoy physically beating the hell out of their opponents. Everyone in the world knew that a run play was likely coming last fall and it rarely mattered. While I trust Rodney Garner & Kevin Steele to rebuild this front 4 for the Tigers, I am concerned about them being ready to go week 1. Even with Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson last year, Oregon pushed around the Tigers for one half. This UK OL is of the same calibre and it wouldn’t shock me if they came out the gate with similar success.

Then there’s the other side of the ball where the UK return plenty of experience of a solid front 7. However, they were actually pretty porous against the run last fall allowing over 5 yards a carry against SEC competition. The problem is I am not sure if Auburn is ready to take advantage. In most years, when I see a defense susceptible to the run, I expect an AU victory that borders on dominant. I just don’t know if the Tigers though will be ready to go on Saturday.

That’s why Anders Carlson will be the x-factor. I think Auburn’s offense will look disjointed but generate enough explosive plays to get into UK territory consistently. They don’t put the ball in the end zone as much as we would like but Anders knocks through 4 big kicks. The defense rebounds from a rough first quarter to limit the UK offense to only 2 touchdowns on the day. Auburn recovers a late onside kick to escape with a hard won victory.

Auburn 26 Kentucky 20

-AU Nerd

Auburn at 11am.

Auburn in season openers.

Auburn as favorites vs hungry teams.

Yuck. I am finding it hard to Barn as hard...——record scratch—-

(The boys are back in town starts playing)

Just kidding!

The Boys are back!

Guys we are gonna kill em.

Auburn 34- Kats 24

-Son of Crow

Most of the time I have some idea of what to expect. There’s a gut feeling, an inkling, an intuition. Even days when I publicly avow a big win, and we end up losing, I realize that I knew it deep in my soul. This time, I have nothing. I guess that’s what 2020 will do to a man. I can’t pick this game with my heart or my gut, so I have to go with the limited knowledge that we’ve been able to glean from the practice fields. Somehow, Gus has kept it tighter than usual this season. He’s keeping spies, leaks, and COVID out of the fold.

It’s not a big secret that Auburn’s level of talent is superior across the board, but Kentucky might have the mix of experience to go along with its skill to make this a very scary opening contest. We’ve heard that the Wildcats’ lines are both going to be solid, and that gives us a flashback of what the Oregon offense was able to do for about a half last year in Arlington. Auburn can’t afford a slow start on Saturday, because we’ll be breaking in a new offensive line. Now, that might not be the worst thing in the world — our line last year was nothing much to write home about — but they started to get better down the stretch. That said, this year’s group might be more maulers than linemen. Sometimes you just need some dudes being guys up front to push people around. We might have that, thus the run game could come to life with a much more talented group in the backfield. Not to mention, Bo Nix’s sophomore development with a true quarterback coach could be something unparalleled.

Kentucky will give us a fight, but there’s no way I’m picking us to lose this game. It’ll probably be close, and uncomfortably so for a while I’d wager. Still, the home “crowd” and the overall talent win out in the end. I think someone else mentioned Anders Carlson being a weapon in this one, and I agree. I think he hits 3 kicks and Auburn scores 3 touchdowns. Tigers 30-21.

-Jack Condon

In our preseason predictions I pegged this as one of the three games that Auburn could lose, and had it at the top of my list as the one I’m most worried about. That may seem weird, but we really just have no clue how any team, including our own is going to look on Saturday. We’ve all seen how bad some of these other teams already playing have looked, and I guess people think that there’s no way their own team could look that bad, but I’m not so sure. That said, I believe this Auburn team has all the components necessary to be better than last season and thus easily handle a Kentucky team that is, well they’re Kentucky. The new look offense should give an older, more seasoned Bo Nix a chance to throw some higher percentage passes, we have an SEC caliber stable of running backs for the first time in a couple of seasons, and presumably a fully healthy group of receivers. The new-look offensive line doesn’t concern me at all, because, well, I’ve lived through the last two seasons. At this point Kevin Steele and co. have earned my utmost confidence that the defense will pick up right where they left off.

Tigers 37 - Cats 12

-AU Chief

Man alive I wish I wasn’t so worried about this. Kentucky is well coached. They know what they are, and they don’t try to do things outside their comfort zone. Their strengths could cause problems for us. And yet, Auburn has more talent. 2020 is going to be a weird year, but I think having better athletes is going to win out more often than not, because teams are going to have to keep things simple. I like everything I’m hearing out of fall camp. I still don’t know about that line though. I could see a backdoor cover for UK where Auburn has to recover an onside kick to clinch things. I could see a front door cover for Auburn putting the game away late. I’ll stay on the safe side.

Auburn 24

Kentucky 17

(Auburn wins, UK covers; under)

-James Jones

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dio-roga · 5 years ago

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After years of stalling, this is finally seeing the light of day and thank actual jesus for that. There’s more fic out there than you’d think for the best boys, but like all things, sturgeon's law’s in effect when it comes to quality (big time actually, around 35 fics on this list from a rough 350 in existence). I read them all so you don’t have to.

Higher rank the better (though obviously YMMV) and the rest should just be ordered by word count. I have a place in my heart for everything on this list so no matter where it is or what I say about it, trust me, if it’s here, I think it’s worth your time.

Will do my best to keep things up to date. I F5 tabs like you wouldn’t believe. Love you guys ❤

[SSS RANK] ABSOLUTE TOP SHELF

ego, opinion, art & commerce 24parts

We hopefully all know it, we certainly all love it. The canon-compliant, rock-band road-trip AU that’s destined to rule the entire ship one day; the cryde child of prophecy. Go in hard and this’ll take you away like nothing else. The only thing not absolutely perfect about this fic is (like the rest of us) you’ll have to wait for the ending. I know waiting sucks, but please don’t let it stop you bingeing this story right now. I am not exaggerating when I say it’s better than most published books you’ll ever read.

let your heart hold fast niente

Literally the best finished cryde fic ever written as of time of writing this. The boys have grown up. Clyde’s a writer, Craig’s distant, and familiar circumstances bring them crashing back together. The cast of characters are a complete joy, it’s fully drenched in canon, and sports an amazingly rich post-series lore with all manner of cute nods and easter eggs for fans of the show. Nothing short of a masterpiece. Written with such love. Treasure your first read of it.

[SS RANK] AMAZING READS GAURANTEED

Pulling Mussels SekritOMG

A divisive fic maybe, but a classic all the same. Get ready for a fresh take on normal fic conventions to be sure. Personally? I’d consider it top shelf, no question. But to others? They might end up absolutely hating it. A strange midlife odyssey wherein a fed-up, lonely Craig begrudgingly reconnects with an out-of-shape, stagnated Clyde. Memorable to say the least, packed to bursting with detail and personality; go in with the right mindset and its glorious set pieces with burn themselves into your memories. Possibly the fic I’ve re-read the most ever.

Darkness Falls Vampiracy

Do you like cute, gorgeously written things? Set during the three days of Stick of Truth, it tells the behind-the-scenes story of Craig’s growing infatuation with the Lord of Darkness. Everything about this is clever and charming and just generally heart-warming. Best read after playing the game for maximum enjoyment, feel smart and accomplished as you pick out all the references. This fic’s adorable and pure and can do no wrong.

Chicken Vampiracy

The gateway fic? Huge question mark? This story is cryde personified. Like the author distilled the ships very essence into this amazingly funny and light-hearted story about the boys playing the world’s most drawn out game of gay chicken. It’s impossible not to love this story, it’s perfect for what it is, and will leave you feeling happy by the end every time. What more could you want? Show this one to your friends and they’ll finally ‘get’ cryde.

the remains of our sky traiyadhvika

I’ll level with you fam, this story will emotionally cripple you, prepared or not. The writing is precise, sublime, and utterly heart-breaking. It tells the story of how Craig deals with the aftermath of Clyde’s death on Everest. Obviously a heavy topic, but I can tell you with complete confidence that this fic not only does the subject matter justice, but also manages to tell a story of love and hope despite it. Like Butters said, it’s a beautiful sadness. This fic had me obsessively researching mountains for weeks, and anything that can light that kind of fire in you is something special.

C & C, The Mystery Duo Darkyfoot

There is nothing in here but pure fluff, joy and happiness. This story will lighten your soul and brighten your heart. It tells the tale of the boys discovering a life-long obsession for hunting mysteries, and will resonate with anyone who’s ever held a strong passion in their lives (which is probably most of you, if you’re hunting down SP fics to read). The written equivalent of a warm blanket and a steaming hot mug of cocoa on a cold winter’s night.

[S RANK] THE REALLY GOOD STUFF

Equality Donkerblauw Fluweel

A good chill-out fic? Cataloguing a series of parties over the summer in which Clyde starts cozying up to Craig after much alcohol is consumed; and like a good drink, the fic mixes all its elements together nicely. It’s nothing ground breaking, but it’s got a super relaxing flow to it, and will brighten your mood by the end. It nails the party atmosphere, so if you’ve got no-where to go this Friday night, maybe pour yourself a little something and give this one a read.

Craig Likes Vanilla (Ice Cream) themuffintitan

The cuteness equivalent of porn. If you’ve got a list of cliché ‘aww’ scenarios, chances are they’ll play out in this fic. If hand holding and sharing an ice-cream make you melt (hahanotfunny) then this one’s definitely for you. For a fairly simple story about Craig and the squad visiting a waterpark, it’s remarkably detailed (check that word count fam), and has a killer summer atmosphere to boot. It certainly made me hit up a park last July. The writing does let it down in a few areas, but overall you’ll probably be too busy enjoying the ride to notice.

The Silent Lie Donkerblauw Fluweel

Guilty pleasure? Okay you caught me red-handed. This fic’s practically porn. Read all about how Clyde learns to surrender his heterosexuality as Craig massages away all his football injuries in the steamiest way possible. If I’m being totally honest? The story’s pretty obviously there to frame the smut, and writing can be a bit all over the place. But I can’t deny it just works. It’s hot AF. Come here for the sexies and you won’t leave disappointed. Read it after dark. ;)

Press Play flappySp00kster

Arguably unfinished, but the only thing missing is apparently a mostly superfluous epilogue. We’re in full AU territory here as Clyde hooks up with Craig on a dating app during a rough-patch with his long-time, and now ex, girlfriend. Your mileage may vary obviously as the story’s not canon compliant; however the boys behave like you’d imagine and the romance is nicely fleshed out and unique. Bonus points for a bit of kink in the sex scenes, which is rarer than you’d expect for this ship.

What Happened in 1637 pinkfloyd1770

One of the most strikingly unique stories out there; it’s essentially a flower shop AU in which Clyde embraces his Dutch heritage and sports and encyclopedic knowledge on tulip facts. Written in medias res during a seemingly long since established relationship with Craig, this fic merely offers a look into this unique take on the couple as they go about their lives. The detail is stunning, and you’ll find vivid mental pictures coming to life in every scene. If you can get past the fact Craig bottoms (let’s pretend he was feeling generous that evening) then you’ll certainly be charmed with this one. (1637 is the year the tulip bubble finally popped. In case you were wondering.)

Around My Head wendybirb

Are you looking for something that’s light and fluffy? Maybe you like reading Clyde’s inner monologue as he fumbles around high-key pining over his best friend? Perfect, sign yourself up to this fic; it’s a quick and easy read that’ll give you your daily dose of wholesomeness from one of my favorite authors. Nothing overly flashy or complicated here, just boys being cute and kissing.

hey there demons traiyadhvika

This spooky affair is thankfully a lot less of an emotional roller-coaster than it’s cousin ‘remains of our sky’, but that’s not to say it doesn’t grab you and refuse to let go. Have you ever wondered what Craig and Clyde would be like trying to host one of those dorky haunted house shows? Bonus points in that Craig can legitimately see ghosts? It’s a fresh concept that’ll really get your mind racing with the cutest hosts you could ask for. Kept me glued to my seat, ready to throw down if any bad spirits came between the best boys. Slept with the hall lights on for a couple nights ngl.

As Good a Reason as Any Vampiracy

The last of the sacred trinity that also includes Chicken and Darkness Falls, the only reason this fic isn’t ranked higher is because it’s also the authors shortest. Watching Clyde try anything and everything to spend more time with Craig is as endearing as it sounds, and the only thing that sucks is that it doesn’t overstay its welcome; when honestly, you’d like the fic to stay for dinner and spend the night. Quality everything. No joke made my heart flutter. Read it and know true happiness.

Kiss It Better dokidave

A one and done story of Craig trying to cheer Clyde up after a difficult day. This fic’s a nice double whammy if you’re looking for some hurt and comfort mixed in with some steamy sex scenes. It delivers exactly what is says on the box; don’t expect too much in the way of plot of development, but certainly feel free to gush over the sappy sweet character moments. A good pick-me-up fic if you’re having a lousy day.

Take a Chance (You Say It's Your Birthday) Miaou Jones (miaoujones)

So here we have Craig being drunk and vulnerable, while Clyde’s radiating raw sexuality as he dances for Craig’s camera. I’m usually all about Craig giving off that top energy, but the way this story frames (hahakillme) the whole dynamic is very soft and endearing; you can fully understand why Craig’s the one feeling thirsty this time around. This is a fic that really knows how to set a mood. Read it and feel like you’re being pampered.

You Make It Easier glowworm888

Pure comfort; Clyde’s feeling understandably miserable about the thought of growing up without his mom, and Craig’s doing his best to help Clyde cope. Wholesome dumb teenagers looking out for each other and low-key falling in love. I dare you not to feel all happy inside as Clyde slowly begins to feel better as Craig looks after him. Adorable throughout, the ending is very much them. Another good read for making a crappy day a better one.

Miss you x Vampiracy

A true hidden gem by one of the best authors in the whole fandom; we have here the best fic in which Clyde doesn’t even appear. The whole schoolyard gang give their two cents on Craig’s spiraling mental state as he tries desperately to justify a typo to Clyde during an obsessive summer-long texting marathon. Legitimately funny from start to finish, with buttery-smooth dialogue and a big soft ending that’ll have you grinning ear-to-ear for completely different reasons. Love it, cherish it, and dream of more. Vampiracy ̶ we’ll miss you x.

[A RANK] SHORT AND SWEET

Whatever Gets You Through The Night Miaou Jones (miaoujones)

There’s a lot of mixed feelings for me in this fic. A love-letter to Clyde and his parents, in which Craig gets caught up on the whole ‘love’ part of it, having trouble fully expressing himself due to some heavy personal baggage. The Donovan’s really shine in this story. Betsy’s alive and massively comforting, Roger’s family values personified, and Clyde’s being a sweetheart to end all sweethearts. It’s confronting, more than a little emotionally messy, but it’s none the less a story that’ll stay with you. Check the comments for a hidden stinger.

Some Dieting Donkerblauw Fluweel

Clyde’s self-image problems are the focus this time around, doing a commendable job pushing the ideas of healthy progress, properly looking after yourself and feeling comfortable letting others help out. It’s a good length for the story it is, and although the writing gets a little spotty in parts you’ll be unlikely take too much notice. Like Clyde, this one’s hearts in the right place.

If Time Could Stand Still WeCryde

I used to stumble across this story semi-regularly back in the day, wondering if I’d missed it before realizing we’d already been well acquainted. The amount of show rather than tell is fairly distracting, with the entire meat of the relationship relegated to backstory. There’s still something here though. Perhaps in the way it deals with long-distance relationships and just distance in general. Maybe the hopeless romantic in me resonates with the plight of two idiots with thousands of miles between them. See if it works for you?

The Edges of the Atmosphere Miaou Jones (miaoujones)

There should be some sort of law that states that confessions in cryde stories have to be some level of stupid or convoluted. These two are physically incapable of expressing such feelings to each other in any standard normie way. So enjoy some classic spaceman Craig tropes while Clyde juggles being cute and awkward like a pro. Trigger warning for some racy hand-holding action; we’re talking interlocking fingers here.

Standby Flier Cheesebirb (Hi Mark ;)

So upfront, this story isn’t even a romance quite honestly. It’s just a cute bromance sort of affair at most, in which the boys share a hotel room together while waiting on a flight back home. You could quite certainly interpret it as the start of something deeper, as the fic gladly provides hints to support it; however there’s nothing to see here apart from the two personalities bouncing off each other, and sometimes that’s enough. A memorable little story that might resonate that little bit extra if you’re a frequent traveler.

Bust and Boom Azul_Bleu

Clyde fumbling with the realization that he’s got the hots for Craig isn’t new ground, that’s about the only ‘downside’ I could give this story. What it does with this premise however is deliver some pitch-perfect characterizations, snappy pacing, a good variety of settings, and some surprisingly touching moments given its brevity. It’s also loaded with lines that stand up off the page and stick with you and those are always worth their weight in gold; the author really squeezes a lot out of the short word count.

Forts Can Be Fun wendybirb

In which little Craig builds a pillow fort and little Clyde is invited. It’s a soft story with some cute exchanges, if you’re looking for a more innocent kid-cryde vibe then this one can scratch the itch. Short and sweet by definition. Go read it and give yourself a little smile.

Ennui dsfgajkh

This simple story’s a real blink and you’ll miss it; detailing some introspective thoughts Clyde’s having about the monotony of small town life and his fascination with his much more interesting best friend. At nearly a decade old, this story pre-dates Pandemic, which solidified the usual stoic Craig tropes that came after so it’s an awesome little time capsule back to those days where apathetic Clyde and flamboyant Craig was as good a guess as any. There’s a line about skittles that makes it worth the ten minute read.

Neighbors Vampiracy

So remember that time that Vampiracy wrote one of the most realistic and precious depictions of little Craig and Clyde playing with toy trucks in the backyard, but then it got buried in the depths of tumblr? Try not to smile when Clyde beams over the prospect of making a new friend and being able to show off the hole he’s dug; I completely and utterly dare you. Bratty Craig is my spirit animal and I’d die for more adventures with him at the Donovan house. I’m such a sucker for cutesy pre-school fluff I swear; just like you will be when you’re done reading this.

Shine On How You Shine On Miaou Jones (miaoujones)

Real talk? I’m a sucker for all things Brokeback Mountain, and this fic’s just neatly slotting in Craig and Clyde as the cowboys sharing a rough and confusing night in a tent together. The story is exactly what you’d think if you’ve read the original, and it hits all the same thematic beats. Guilty pleasure alert in full here. If you’re in the mood for hearing Clyde Twist tense up as Craig Delmar spits on his hand behind him then I won’t judge if you don’t. I’d unironically read ten more chapters.

Two Weeks toddintops

Yeah-yeah I know I’m stretching the definition of fic with this one, it’s barely a half thousand words; but hey, better five hundred words that make you feel something than ten thousand that leave you feeling the same. A short, sharp dose of angst with some beautiful art accompanying, what have you got to lose? Something about Clyde’s smile, coupled with the bittersweet lines near the end has always managed to stay with me. Maybe it’ll strike a chord with you too.

UNFINISHED (BUT STILL GREAT)

Ask Craig obitotxt (Password is 12345)

Hop on board the angst express; with the last stop being yourself when you realize the story comes crashing off the rails and never hits the end. Is the fact this blog never reached a conclusion one of the great tragedies of our modern era? Yeah, kinda. Fact is, this is probably the only cryde-centric askblog-formatted story out there; and yeah, it’s hyperbolic at times, but goddamn if it doesn’t make you feel something. Packed to the brim with boys being boys, memorable moments and just so much heart, you’ll be pressing F (and F5) for days after you reach the final unfinished pages.

One More Year llexxii

And here’s a weird way to recommend something: you probably don’t want to read this one. It’s very long, it’s very dead, and it has a fairly submissive Craig coupled with a rather unlikable rendition of Clyde. So why’m I even talking about this, and really, I’ve not got much of an answer for you. Just that this fic, despite everything, has some consistently excellent writing. The flashback scenes to Craig and Clyde as young kids are total gems. There’s stuff to love here, and maybe it could have been something great; if nothing else, maybe check it out as an interesting look into the ships history.

Turn It Around, Get a Rewrite wendybirb

This one hurts, in just about every respect. Prepare for angst story wise as we follow along with the life and times of Craig, reconnecting with a clearly troubled yet desperately pining Clyde, who seems scared shitless about his dying claims to heterosexuality. I genuinely love this story. It’s raw and emotional and angry and sexy, it comes across messy and real and does an amazing job making you care about the boys while also showing their more frustrating attributes. I’m still holding out hope it’ll one day take its place with the greats, but until then, the hardest gut-punch is always that “unfinished” tag.

January White (Love Is a Stain) Dovakiin

Here we’ve got a different kind of tragedy. The usual formula is a promising author burning out after an amazing opening run, but here we’ve got a story that never even made it past the kickoff. It’s such a shame. The eponymous metaphor and the solemn tone throughout is honestly pretty captivating; I would love to see how this take on the characters would have played. Spare ten minutes from your day and give yourself something to reflect on with this abandoned beginning.

NOT FULL CRYDE, BUT CLOSE ENOUGH

ask MARSH and BROFLOVSKI jovishark

You know what? Fuck it. I’m putting this one here and no one can stop me. This ask blog is practically fandom required reading at this point, and I couldn’t in good conscience not mention it. Stan and Kyle answer your questions, the plotline reads like something from a CW show, and Craig and Clyde don’t even end up together. I love it genuinely. If you pressed me, this story might be what got me into the fandom; pressed me harder, it’s what got me into cryde (again ironic as cryde isn’t endgame here). Always worth a read or a re-read. Pretend Craig and Clyde sorted things out in college if you need to.

Brace Yourself skyline

Okay so it’s a style story, let’s get that elephant in the room well and truly pointed out from the outset. If it’s a deal breaker for you that cryde isn’t the focus, then move along, but I guarantee for those that stay, there’s a charmingly written cryde side-ship playing out in tandem to Stan’s quest to win over his super best friend. There’s a lot to love about this story, the writings sharp and surprisingly powerful at times, and the characters are a joy to watch. Watching the cryde story unfold from Stan’s POV is a unique experience that you won’t really find anywhere else.

Remove Before Flight skyline

So remember Brace Yourself from literally just one entry up? Okay, same concept, same author. This is a different timeline in which Kenny’s the lucky protagonist trying to win Kyle’s heart, but like before, you’re treated to an enjoyable cryde sub-plot playing on in the background of the K2 drama. The writing’s still on-point, the characters are still great; if you liked the authors other story (which I’d advise reading first), you’ll definitely enjoy this one too. It’s cute how Craig and Clyde always seem destined for each other in this universe.

#cryde #fanfic #clyde donovan #craig tucker #cryderecs #we should probs be friends if youve read them all #❤️

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mariogoetze · 5 years ago

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/update

Hey everyone,

I’ve been absent for some time now. There were a few reasons why I took a break, I wanted one, I needed one. The last few weeks hasn’t been really enjoyable for me tbh. I‌ try to avoid weird stuff which sometimes happens on tumblr but my Club is making it not easier.

BVB has been doing very poor lately as you may have noticed and I haven’t been in any mood to post anything related to them and that has several reasons. When‌ I‌ was a kid and grew up, BVB stood for so many things. They always fought, their will to try and win any game against any important was so inspiring, not only as a football fan, but as an human being itself. We were beasts when it came to pressing and tackles we would give out all and you could see basically the spirit of each player glowing and screaming at the same, you just felt it, that the Team gave their all, nowadays I‌ don’t see nor feel it. Also the way they played football was so attractive, like they just played forward. Nowadays they hold the ball for way too long, it’s a play style which doesn’t suit them at all. Even under Thomas Tuchel who started this whole ‘ball possession’ project we were only dangerous when we added speed into our game, it’s just Dortmunds DNA to play fast forward with lots of pace and combinations, but the more months are passing and the years following we are not really being THAT Dortmund at all anymore and it’s sad to witness it’s really annoying. We are passing the ball way too much, we are less dangerous and we are shooting less which just makes me yawn and sigh at the same time bc it’s unattractive and boring.

Sometimes I watch older videos of how we used to play and it’s making me sad to realize how far away we are to get back to that level. I‌ mean we have the quality but with our latest coaches and especially our current one (Favre) we are not going that road to play that football again. We have quality players and we could be doing so much better I see other clubs playing offensive with certain tactics and line-ups while we just play the same 4-2-3-1 all over, it’s supposed to bring us stability compared to other teams using 4-3-3 for example, but it’s funny how we still concede more goals than other teams do.

Simply bc we are lacking of too many things. Our team looks so fragile like as soon as something doesn’t seem to work out during the game they start to literally sweat and it’s like if we are a tower which tempts to fall apart. I just don’t understand it tbh like how??‌ why??‌ Too many questions and yet 0 answers. I think the players are tired of Favre it’s the same with Kovac and Bayern. Look how successful they are. They won their last 4 games with 16-0 Goals scored and 0 conceded. If that isn’t the proof how tired the Bayern players were of Kovac and basically doing sabotage to get him sacked (playing bad) then idk what else it is.

For me the Team is tired of Favre and it’s understandable. I mean I was probably one of the first People who started the whole #FavreOUT thing and seeing how it developed is no surprise for me. He’s a solid Coach but that’s about it. He does way too many mistakes and lacks of too many things as well it’s no wonder why he hasn’t one really any major trophy (no offense).

I hope that Dortmund will sack him soon and get a new coach. I think our Players would be exactly be like the ones of Bayern, they would be motivated again and they wouldn’t be mind blocked by Favre’s 91882831 tactics. In football it’s important to feel free and not strangled or tied up. For me the players are only getting worse under Favre, while last year a lot of players had improved, I rather saw it as a one-hit-wonder season bc Favre had the momentum of surprise in back when he arrived and the league wasn’t prepared for him, 6 months later tho the league was, hell not even 6, I think earlier and then we started to drop more and more points.

So back to tumblr, For me as a blogger it’s important to enjoy what I do. Dortmund has been a shadow of they used to be, obviously it ruins my mood, which results to blogging being less fun. Then there is Favre who is even worse and makes me roll my eyes. There also some people on Tumblr who are let’s say strange and make my eyebrows move. I try to avoid it like I said above but sometimes it makes me think about why would someone say or think that, but then again everyone can have their own opinion and I respect that.

Overall tumblr is changing for me, a lot of the people I knew left. When I‌ joined this site I felt like a feather and in general felt easy. I could post what I wanted basically, about OTP’s about football and people would be the same. It was like you could be careless basically. Nowadays you get judged for anything, people who bash someone, there will be hate spread. I think it’s good that you need to take care of yourself more now, bc in life you should do that as well, but hey on tumblr?‌ Things have changed, became more difficult. I think on tumblr you could be criticized for anything and that it gives the vibe of living with a fear that not someone will attack you or in general interact with your posts which leads to hate or other stuff is alarming. I sometimes witness stumbling through tumblr those situations when I check out certain blogs or tags that some people shoot at one another and it’s just unnecessarily, but then again, on tumblr everything seems to be normal to do that.

Sometimes people like my older posts and I look at these posts and realize:‌‌ I’m not that blogger anymore. Nor will I‌ ever be that blogger anymore. Time changed, People changed. We move on, We evolve.

Over the years people left, the vibe around tumbr changed and people did as well. Don’t get me wrong I met incredible nice people over the years and I enjoy seeing them on my dash and interacting with them. But overall there is a weird vibe going around tumblr. Too much toxicity, too much hate. I will never understand why people won’t mind their own business. There’s so much drama. I’ve been off tumblr and life has been good. Sometimes I‌ would see stuff on here and it made me question certain things.

I start to ask if this site is still made for me. Seeing that more and more weird things are happening on this site makes me wonder if more people will become like this or that, if more people in general will join this site and will be like that or this. Not gonna give examples, everyone needs to have their own opinion on this site. I don’t know the answer to that tbh but I will once eventually but yeah it’s hard. I’m a person who doesn’t let someone else ruin my fun, but then again which fun? Like in life we sometimes deal with problem and we can solve them but on tumblr?‌ That’s not the case. That’s why on tumblr is hard to keep going. I never understood back then why all the people I used to look up to left, but after a certain moment I‌ understood why.

Coming back to tumblr, I joined this site back then bc of two major reasons and that’s bc I wanted to support my club and my favorite player. My Club like previous mentioned is nothing but a shadow of what they used to be. It’s not for me about winning constantly, don’t think of me like that, it’s like I mentioned, the will to pull of a good fight the desire to win this game at any cost and play their best football, that’s not there. My favorite player?‌ I wonder he can still smile after being benched all over again. He’s such a inspiring person I’m not even kidding, he got benched 6 games in a row and then when he finally started he scored a header (he’s 176 cm)‌ and became Man of the Match during that game. Could you ask for more?‌‌‌ Probably not.

Favre. That’s not only the whole’s Team problem but also Mario’s. Favre is probably the most ungrateful person‌‌ I know. When Marco and Paco where injured last season MARIO was there. He played, he showed off and delivered. When we lost to Bayern 5-0 and he didn’t start Mario he shamelessly admitted in the presse conference afterwards that it was a mistake to not let Mario play. Mario has done so much, fought his way back, but Favre?‌ Favre never trusted Mario. He could have played the game of his life and that would’t have changed anything. Favre just doesn’t trusts Mario and it hurts. Like I could understand if he would does shitty but that’s not the case. Favre gives no no wait, he handles out more opportunities to any other player in the squad when they bottle something up but Mario?‌ He doesn’t do anything wrong and yet he gets always outlined. Favre will always be for me a piece of shit. The fact that he’s so ungrateful makes me explode. Mario Götze did more in 5 minutes in Barcelona than some other players who played nearly or the whole game, enough said.

So yes, Dortmund has been nothing but annoying lately, Favre has gotten me even worse, My favorite player gets treated like a poor dog and Tumblr itself is getting weird, the vibe changes often sometimes it’s fun sometimes it’s not.

Excuse me for my disappearing and my rant. Sometimes certain things are needed to be done.

#text #long text #update

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smolmagicalmuffin · 5 years ago

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In the Hands of Magic

Finally wrapped up my s4 ep 5 inspired fic. I’m not really confident with this one... especially with the way I wrote the ending. Feedback is appreciated and if anyone wants to recommend a better title that’s fine. SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 5

He had met the octopus before. It was an unusual sight to see the creature perched on a chair, wearing a suit and wiggling its tentacles about. Its voice vibrated the vacuum that surrounded them. It was peculiar but he knew that he was in the presence of something divine. Something bigger than him and older than the universe itself. The experience had changed him. It delivered much needed confidence and the last message he received… it stuck with him for a while. Which is why he wanted to pay the being a visit. He was hungry for information, sneaking around, hunting down items in the woods, and finding a peaceful spot… all to see it again. It was a difficult process. Quartermaster scared him away from the shed that he was searching for documents in. He had pulled up the wrong plant, earning him a few days of itchy red welts. Entering the dimension again was a bit bumpy. It took a few different chants and almost a month of attempts but eventually he arrived thanks to the full moon. “We meet again Harrison.” “Uh… hello?” He had appeared on the same tea party style table as last time. A football, rocks, a stuffed elephant and a playing card floated past them. The dimension wasn’t as empty as Harrison thought from his first trip. “I figured you would try to enter on your own. You seemed very curious. Be careful with your search for knowledge… might get you into trouble someday.” The octopus waved its tentacles around, words echoing. “I have so many questions.” Harrison grabbed a playing card as it drifted by. He returned it to the deck in this pocket.

“What do I call you? I don’t know your name and I’ve been seeing you as an it? Which just feels rude to me?” He pointed at the octopus, hand shaking.

A chuckle came from the ancient being. “Ah humans. I can tell you have a loving heart. You worry about offending me? That is almost impossible. I am not bound to the labels that your kind tends to adopt. I’ve been called several things throughout millennia. My gender is infinite. You may call me what you wish.”

It took a moment for Harrison to process that. He looked up in shock. “I can name you?”

“Yes. No pressure though. I can understand why it would be a burdensome task.”

Harrison fiddled with his fingers. He glanced at the suit that the octopus was wearing. Today it was a muted green with a yellow bow tie. “I’m not sure… I could name you Gray? You are gray but at the same time that seems stupid?

“That I can accept.”

“Seriously?” “You worry about the approval of others too much. No need to fret. The name you assign me can be simple. Each name I’ve been assigned by mortals has a unique energy signature. Even if it is the same name used by separate beings. It binds us together. “ “Should I be concerned?”

“I am a neutral being assisting and guiding who I desire. That connection will not harm you. Let us make this connection official.” Harrison stared at his companion’s tentacles. “You want me to shake one of you tentacles?”

More laughter erupted from it. “Not necessary.” A tentacle reached out and pressed up against his forehead. The sensation was cold at first but it turned warm. His whole body shivered as energy passed through.

The newly named Gray took its tentacle away. “Complete.”

Harrison shook his head. “That was something.”

“It was nothing more than a simple ritual to bind us together. Do you have any more questions for me?”

“How can I come back here without all of the work? Where are we?” Harrison waved his hands around.

Gray let out a soft chuckle. “This plane of existence has many names. It is a crossroads between multiple dimensions. Not every being can access this place.”

The stuffed elephant from earlier floated by again. “Stuff I made disappear is here? Is… my brother here? You told me that he said hi.” “Your abilities are quite talented for someone of your age. With some practice I can see you returning completely on your own. That I can teach you. Your brother? I have seen him around here. Do not worry. He is well taken care of.” This confused Harrison. If his brother was floating around in this plane why couldn’t Gray just bring him back? At the same time he was honored to have the attention of a higher being… even if it was a little creepy and slimy. Gray seemed to be trustworthy and a possible… friend? Yes. Harrison wanted to work on a relationship between the both of him. If the octopus couldn’t return his brother maybe it could pass on the knowledge to do it himself. Gray oddly blinked. “You have many thoughts at the moment”

Harrison shot it an offended look. “You read my mind?” “I admit to taking a peek. I was curious of your opinion. If this does disturb you I can be less obvious about it.” “How about you don’t take any peeks?” he snapped. “That I can not do. I have access to the minds of most mortals. They chatter and chatter. It is quite interesting if you give it a try. I do not advise that you attempt to look into mine. It is too incomprehensible and I would hate to lose a wonderful soul like you to insanity.” “I...okay? Why would I do that? Its rude.” Harrison stammered. “You have goodness in your soul but I sensed a bit of darkness being held at bay. Nothing wrong with a controlled release of your darker wishes and desires. Prevents it all from boiling over.” “Dude you are creeping me out right now and I have no clue how to feel.” “Do you wish to go back?” “No. I want you to teach me things. I’ve been looking for someone to help me with my magic.” The fear in Harrison’s voice was replaced with confidence. This didn’t surprise Gray. It knew the boy viewed it as a potential teacher. He was a bit skeptical and skittish but willing to listen.

“I am afraid that this current visit must come to a close.”

Harrison titled his head. “So is that a no?” “I am willing to educate you on the use of your powers. However it will not be easy. We will meet very soon.” Harrison’s surroundings started to turn white. As everything around him faded he heard one last thing. “The hat you own and hold so dear is the key for your return.” He woke up in the forest laying on his back. The stars glittered above him. His hat was beside him. Harrison gazed at it while thinking about Gray’s last words. He made things appear and disappear with the hat. Perhaps it was a portal of some kind. Would stepping into the hat bring him back? But how could he return once he arrived? Wouldn’t that trap him? Could Gray just teleport him? His mind was buzzing with questions.

Harrison sighed and stood up. It was late and he needed rest. He could practice tomorrow. He walked along the path towards the circle of tents. Leaves crunched under his feet and he could have sworn that Quartermaster was behind him at some point. He stepped into the tent he shared with Preston. The young theater kid was snoring quite loudly. Harrison rolled his eyes. This was normal but that fact didn’t make it less annoying. Oh well he was starting to adjust and he was exhausted anyway. He slipped under the covers of his sleeping bag and instantly fell asleep.

“GOOD MORNING CAMPERS!” David’s cheerful voice rang through the recently repaired loudspeaker. Neil had helped and earned extra dessert as payment.

Harrison grumbled and rolled out of his sleeping bag. He got dressed and then shook Preston awake. His hearing was slowly starting to decline so Harrison decided to be a decent friend and help him out when needed.

“Did I miss announcements again?” Preston stretched. “They just started.” On cue they droned in the background. Gwen mentioned “Banana Pudding Night” and there was something about a dodgeball competition later in the week. Preston started humming and walked over to the corner of the tent to change. Clothes flew in Harrison’s direction. He picked those up, eyes rolling. “Hey next time keep your clothing on your side of the tent.” He left the tent.

Preston looked in his direction. “What?” Today’s plans were easy. Eat breakfast, do whatever activity the counselors set up, sneak off to practice magic and test his theory.

He mostly kept to himself. Normally he would be trying to get the other campers to view his illusions but the summer was almost over and he had a mission for the day. Nerris approached him during breakfast which made him both annoyed and oddly happy. Harrison was beginning to enjoy her company and the bickering between them was slowing down. Of course, since they were both children they would fight and argue but they found themselves more as friends than rivals these days. After a long and exhausting hike with David and the others Harrison decided to hangout behind his stage to practice. He made a mental note to update Nerris and Preston on his recent adventures after his next visit to Gray. He felt guilty for his distance lately.

He stared at the inside of his hat. “I don’t see anything?” He shoved his hand in and pulled out a rabbit. It sniffed at him before hopping off.

“That didn’t work.” For the next half hour Harrison tried multiple things. Screaming into the hat. Jumping on the hat. Shoving his head inside the hat… which got him the closest result. He could see the dimension and was that Gray waving a tentacle to say hi?

He was close.

Harrison sighed and placed his hat on the ground. Instead of jumping, he would step into the hat. Maybe this would work? It was a more controlled action.

He did just that. Once both feet were in the hat he was sucked downwards, landing face first onto the tea table. “There goes my tea. What a shame.” Harrison lifted his head up. Gray was directly in front of him and his suit was covered in tea. “My bad.” “That is no problem. I am used to this sort of thing.” In a flash of light Gray’s suit was clean again and Harrison was sitting in a chair.

“Congratulations. You discovered a way to get here on your own.”

“I mean… I did before?” He shrugged. “Ah yes. It was not smooth and simple like this time however.” Gray almost laughed. “I don’t know. Is almost throwing up as I’m hurled towards another plane of existence smooth?” Harrison’s voice raised in pitch with annoyance. “You will adjust. Travel is not rest on your mortal body.” “Quartermaster? How are you two connected? I don’t think I ever asked about that. And… what did he mean when he said that the world needed to be saved very millennia?” “Those are some difficult questions.” “Not really.” “Remember when I said that your search for knowledge might get you in trouble some day? This is what I meant.” Gray’s eyes glowed for a moment causing Harrison to shiver. “I can answer some of your questions but others will have to wait for the future.” “I’m sorry.” Harrison quickly apologized. Gray stretched out a tentacle and patted him on the head. “Humans like you make me have faith in your species. It is not very often I notice purehearted individuals. Without that… well Earth may no longer exist.” This concerned Harrison for a moment. Why was the octopus so focused on the idea of destruction? Yet so encouraging of his better traits and oddly trustworthy? He grew silent and awkwardly stared up.

“So what can you teach me?”

The next few weeks were very busy. Harrison’s perspective on Gray slowly begin to shift from fear to an acceptance of the odd habits that the being displayed. With every visit they grew closer and eventually there was a friendship of sorts. Gray was annoyed but amused with the constant string of questions from Harrison. The young magician was also getting more powerful and beginning to stand up for himself and his friends.

On the last day of camp, Harrison decided to check in.

“Here again?”

“I just wanted to say hi really quick.” He leaped up from his chair and began to float. “Still not used to this.” Harrison slowly did a flip in the air as he drifted away from the table. It was like he was underwater with a lack of gravity.

Gray began to glow. Harrison found himself in a different but yet familiar section of the dimension. Lots of objects surrounded him. His heart pounded as he realized the significance of the objects. It wasn’t just one or two objects that he made vanish before. It was almost everything. Which meant…

A figure came into view.

“Blake!”

Harrison stuck out his arm. Kicking his feet, he got closer and closer to Blake. He did the same in response, yelling out in glee. His hand finally met his brother’s. He wrapped him in a big hug. “I’ve missed you so much...” Blake looked at Harrison with wide blue eyes. “Are we going home now?” “Yes we are.” In a poof of smoke they both vanished.

Pride was a rare emotion for Gray’s kind but with Harrison, it had those feelings towards the boy. Maybe in the future he would make a wonderful guardian, a similar role to Quartermaster. Humanity as a whole was going to be okay. Magic was in good hands.

#camp camp #cc harrison #im so sorry if this isnt my best writing #i tried

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itsalreadybroken · 6 years ago

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Through Expectations Chapter 1.

Ben Hardy X Reader

Synopsis: You're the daughter of the famous Roger Taylor, okay that seemed alright the thing is, you're more of a geek than a rockstar's daughter. He's blonde, blue eyes and you're brunette, brown eyes. Your brother on the other hand was the younger version of your dad, certainly he preffered to play the guitar, but that only seemed to make him even more popular. But things change the day you get to meet the cast of your dad's movie, and a certain blonde guy makes you change your point of view.

A/N: Sorry for some grammar mistake that might exist (if seen please inform me so I can change it) I'm portuguese, and trying to write something that all of you can read and hopefully enjoy!

Tell me if you liked it, it’s just an introduction and I was feeling so entitled to it, and so motivated! Thanks for all the support when I presented the idea!

Chapter 2: http://itsalreadybroken.tumblr.com/post/183270695519

Words: 2576

The alarm woke you up, and after snoozing it for what it felt like a lifetime, it had only passed 15 minutes. Like a broken record, you heard a knock on your bedroom door

“Love, it's 7:15, better get up or you're going to be late” your dad's voice was puffy and you knew he had just woken up too.

“Just five more minutes” you groaned and heard him laugh while you hid your head under the pile of blankets but after some seconds you got up, took a shower and stood in front of your closet choosing your clothes for today.

That's what you thought that made you most like your dad, the clothes you liked, the matching outfits you choose to wear. Today you went for a skirt with some stripes, a white shirt and a fur coat that matched your boots. Your hair was just messy and that's the way it would go, only brushed it a bit to seem a bit nicer and grabbed your sunglasses.

“Dad, have you seen where my keys are?” you rushed yourself down the stair while trying to find your car key, you never knew where you'd put them or sometime your brother jut hid them from you on porpouse.

“Y/N check the bowl! And get ready, after classes you gotta meet the cast, I'll tell you they're absolutely perfect. Jamie already left he had practice. Love your outfit moonpie” Roger smiled as he seen you enter the kitchen just to grab something from the fridge. Your dad always loved that you could dress that outrageous and never feel embarrassed about it, just like he did.

“Thanks old man” you giggled as you kissed his cheek “I guess Roger Taylor left me some of his fashionable tips to follow” you grabbed your purse and looked at the clock, you knew you were already late to your first lecture.

“Jamie doesn't dress like I did” your father reminded you and you tried to hide a laugh.

“Huuummm... Were the 70's and 80's, you were a rockstar, Jamie's just your kid. It's different, and he's a frat guy, that's pretty much about it” he looked at you hoping you'd correct yourself “Okaaay, you are a rockstar”.

“Fine by me” he smiled at you “Now go before you get even more late”.

You waved him goodbye and left your house.

~~~

“And that's why has a good dentist you should always check it” your professor spoke and you took a mental note of it, this semester wasn't being that bad and youthought to yourself this was the most Roger Taylor you could get. Of course people knew, and people did often aked you things about him, or asked you if you could ask dad for an autograph and you knew that people knew your eyes rolled, nonetheless you never said “no”.

“Y/N what are you thinking?” Stevie touched your arm for the twentieth time today and you could swear you sighed a bit louder.

“Am I boring you Miss Taylor?” your professor looked at you, so yeah, you sighed a bit louder “Isn't this subject of any interest to you?”

Your friend glared at you, fuck, all the students glared at you and you just shrugged “Well, no of course not!” you tried to apologise “I remembered it from last semester, I just had a bad night's sleep, that's all”.

“From partying with famous people you'd say?” there it was, a voice just made itself overheard to all and a bit of giggles just bubbled up.

Luckily for you, the bell rang and you just grabbed your stuff and got out of there.

“I am so sorry, I just looked at you and you were so bored you know?” you smiled at your friend, that was the thing, tevie was just genuine the way she did things, you'd never got mad.

“Roger Taylor's moonpie always get's away with it innit?” you laughed and went outside with your friend so she could smoke. You didn't smoke quite actually, it's not like you couldn't but you heard your dad talk about someone who had pneumonia, and decided you didn't want that when you were a teenager and at age 22 you still thought it was better like that, plus you were already a passive smoker.

“Your brother posted a picture last night” you heard Stevie said between puffs and you just did a crooked smile.

“Lovely thing isn't he?” you laughed because since you met Stevie in university and learned about her passion about Queen, and all the things Queen, it sooned turned out to be a major crush on Roger Taylor's younger doopleganger. Jamie looked almost like your dad did when he was about his age. Blond, blue eyes (why couldn't you at least had those too?!), a smile that could drive girls so crazy to giggle after he absolutely did nothing, and the fine way to play drums, plus he had a way of being a sportsguy in university, a good one you had to admit and it drove girls crazy.

When you were seventeen you swore you'd never date a blond guy, because they made you look miserable after them!

Stevie Jackson was babbling something about the way he always talked to her and it got to your dad's raspy voice while singing so you just put your fingers on your ears and made a funny look “Too much, sorry!” she smiled a bit ashamed because she always lost herself on her magical dream where she allegedly married Roger Taylor or John Deacon (why not both she once asked you and you made a weird look) “Look who's coming” she blurted out and you looked to see who had coming, Dean Padalecki appeared and you could almost swear he was the most cool and handsome guy you'd ever seen. He was getting a master's in economics and could play footbal soooo good. You just mocked your brother, it didn't mean you couldn't fangirl and obssess too about a guy you excused yourself.

The guy wore just a flannel shirt, jeans and some tupid regular boots, but oh, how nice those jeans made him look. In your junior year he once spoke to you at a party, mostly because of music, but nonetheless, spoke and after that he just smiled whenever he saw you and you simply shyly smiled back. He was moving towards you and Stevie had made a “I don't believe it look”.

“Hey Taylor” he always called you by your last name and you always put a string of your hair behind your ear trying to look cute and all.

“Padalecki” you nodded and answered in return and he pressed his lips together smiling.

“Friday night at the club, there's this party, and wanna come?” was this just happening? Was he really asking you out like that? “Stevie can come too” he looked at your friend and she babbled something about maybe being busy. Lies, all lies.

“Yeah, maybe I'd like to” you adjusted your fur coat and just stared at him, completely abnoxious of it all while he smiled “Yeah, of coure, friday night sounds great”.

“Nice, meet you there then” he winked at you and left.

“Is this real life? Or is this just fantasy?” you heard Stevie sing and laughed because actually you didn't know it either.

The rest of your day just went simply dull while you checked your social media and saw a lot of requests, questions about your father, fanmail basically and you felt like an assistant.

“Why didn't they cast Jamie to play Roger at the movie?” Stevie questioned you while she saw some picture of the recent cast and the were all smiling next to uncle Brian and Roger, dad you reminded yourself.

“Ohhh I don't know, maybe Jamie was much overskilled and that much of a great actor you see” you mocked her “He does has the looks but not the attitude” took another sip from your coffee and looked at the picture, the cast was already wearing wigs, clothes like they used and they looked like them, being truthful Brian May was like a clone. Your dad's actor...Well a bit, not that much. He looked cute but then, just like you were synchronized “I know you don't like blonds” Stevied murmured.

“He's not so bad though” you mad a perv look and she burst out in laughter “Gonna meet them today right?” you nooded whilis listening to her question.

“All my dad talks about, he loved Freddie even though they were always arguing and he feels so proud of doing this, is like honoring him. Even thoug I told him their music honors them all everyday” you showed a simple smile and this was about as much has she could get to talk about the band in public or in anywhere else, you kept you opinions right to you.

“Except I'm in love with my car” you both mentioned at the same time. “Never tell him I told you this, but it's not so bad, his voice is damn great there” you said and she just looked at you in a faked shock .

“Indeed you are Roger Taylor's daughter, and maybe the lack of that Roger attitude that your brother lacks is in you, you just hide it well” Stevie looked you right in the eye and you knew she was being serious, because sometimes you'd get upset about stupid stuff and just made sure everyone you crossed path with, got a bit of your anger. She sure knew you'd never lock yourself in a cupboard just to get your song on a album. Would you? She thought to herself.

~~~

Your class extended a little bit and you knew you were late to meet with your father, alredy had missed calls from him and Jamie and you rushed to get into your car and drive to the studio, since our car had your phone connect to it you were able to get the call and answer it.

“Yes daddy, I'm on my way” you didn't even let him speak, calling daddy usally didn't make him upset because it reminded him you where his little girl and that came in handy sometimes, like now.

“We're waiting for you for 45 minutes” you heard him and Jamie made some comment on the background that made people laugh, you rolled your eyes.

“I know, I know, class got late, professor was teaching something about gums, and it seemed rather important” you honked your car horn “Asshole!!” you shouted.

“There's my girl!” you heard your dad laugh “Alright then, drive safe moonpie” he hung up and you kept driving simply finding too much traffic.

After 20 minutes that seemed to you like 40 minutes you arrived the studio, looked at your hair in the car mirror and it looked like you and your coat were one, you just loved fur coats, were cozy, were always in style (at least in your opinion) and they'd go with everything, today it went pretty fine with the skirt you had and the shirt.Since you were about to meet a bunch of guys, at least you had to go decent right? You locked the car and entered the studio where a perfectly fine new assistant approached you “Name, please?”.

You took the sunglasses from your face and put them on the top of your head “Y/N Taylor” you murmured and she looked at you indisbelief “His son already came in” you sent her a sarcastic smile “Exactly, do I look like a dude to you?” .

“Mr. Taylor didn't mentioned a daughter coming, nor she dressing like him a few years ago” she replied.

“Mr. Taylor doesn't need to mention his daughter coming, she just appears” you groaned “Do I look like a guy?” you asked again and she picked up the phone, probably calling to see if it was true, if you were Jamie this wouldn't have happened, he was a copy, you were just something.

“Someone will go down in a bit, darl” she changed her expression towards you, seeing she made a mistake.

You heard some steps and all you saw was a guy wearing a shirt a bit thigh to his body, a fur coat looking a bit like yours did and some sunglasses so familiars to you it made part of who your father was.

“Y/N?” the guy asked and you knew it was the guy playing your dad's part. You couldn't quite remember the name. “I'm Ben, Ben Hardy”he smile and extended his hand for you to shook.

“Ben, that's it!” you realised you have spoken out loud “Sorry, dad had told me your name but I didn't remember!” you tried to avoid his eyes when he took out the sunglasses and smiled. Luckily Stevie and Roger had the same amount of information about Queen, sometimes you soubted if dad knew more than Stevie.

“No problem!” the guy smile and you shook his hand “Roger wanted to see if I represented him well” he laughed “But his mistake you look more like him” he said mentioning your outfit.

You both laughed “If you were 50 years old, you might might, but do it this way: Rogah Taylaaah, nice to mee you, maybe I could teach ya doll to play the drums after the concert?” you made a raspy accent and leaned in to speak closer. “That's his deal, be a bit more cocky”.

He showed you the way upstairs and you were both chit chatting about the way up the studio and traffic. All the guys tood up when you entered and you ran to kiss your dad, Brain and your brother, meeting the rest of the guys.

“Don't know Roger, she looks cocky like you, plus she and Ben can get to Mardi Gras' together, look at the matching outfits” the guy named Joe said and Roger put a arm over your shoulders.

“You haven't seen nothing, an angel, but a little devil when mad” he said and made you blush in a funny way “Am not” you defended yourself.

“So... My dad was like a big crazy kid who's more excited to tell me about his news toys but tell me the truth, Queen sucks, right?”

Brian laughed “You can't help it can you?”

“Nope, makes him do a stern an mean look” you laughed.

Gwilym nodded and all the curls from the wig moved like Brian's “Please tell me you'll not grow one to or uncle Bri here will forever adopt you into his family” you showed your teeth in a funny smile making Roger laugh and Jamie rolling eyes.

“See, told ya she bites” Roger warned “Give her time and she'll loose the princess Rogerina looks”.

“Dad, it was funny when I was 6, it's not anyome, since first we don't look alike” you looked at him in a caring way, no matter what he always tried to show how much the two of you looked alike, yet you never saw it.

And all the way through some lazy chat, some eyes were looking at you like you were some kind of girl from another world, which you didn't realized, being so at your own, like no one would ever notice the smile you made was exactly like your father's.

Tag list: @killer-queen-ofrhye @cotton-candy-bubbles @applcrumblr @roseesirene @freddiewhistle @kurt-nightcrawler @works-of-fanfiction @but-legendsneverdie @jelly-snow-stark @strangemaximoff @marvel-rhapsody @blessthegulag @ur-gunna-h8-ths @destiel-stucky4ever-loki-queen@celebsimagines @queen-irl-af @rogerinasqueen

tagged who asked me, if you want to, just let me know!

hope you like to read it as much i enjoyed writing it

#ben hardy x reader #ben hardy #queen #roger taylor #queen band #freddie #fanfic #gwilym lee #joe mazzello #brian may

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nautiscarader · 5 years ago

Text

Wendip Week 2019 day 2 - Why are you wearing my clothes?

(Ao3)

- Why are you wearing my clothes?

Strangely, the first question Dipper asked the kid standing in front of him wasn't the one he should be asking. Fortunately, he came to his senses just a minute later.

- And why do you *look* like me?!

The mysterious kid blinked, though he apparently couldn't see the striking similarities. He was younger than Dipper, maybe around 10 years old, but he was wearing his trademark white-blue hat, a dark blue vest, and an orange shirt. The only element of his physique different from Dipper was his red, curly hair, well-hidden under his hat, and green eyes, looking at him with curiosity.

- I... I don't know.

Perhaps the only stranger thing about the boy's appearance was where Dipper has found him: in the forest, just a few minutes away from the Mystery Shack. Dipper was cataloguing the ever-changing routes and landmarks of he forest, when he spotted the boy that seemingly has appeared there out of nowhere.

Dipper walked around the boy, paying close attention to all the details he might have missed. He spotted a badge of some sorts pinned to his vest, a ballpoint pen tucked in his pocket, and some sort of notepad sticking out of another. The boy took out a package of chewing gums and began munching on one, while he eyed Dipper with equally confused looks.

- Hey, dude! - a familiar, jovial tone reached Dipper's ears, together with rustling of grass, moving away under Soos' heavy footsteps. - Whatchu' doing there? - Soos, I found this weird kid, and-and-and he looks like me!

Dipper grabbed the kid and pushed him to his side, much to his surprise.

- See? - Woah, dude! You're right! - Soos exclaimed - It's like a mini-you... except the hair... - I know, and he just... appeared here. I was redoing the maps, you know, and he... he was just here, as if he teleported or something! It was weird!

Soos' eyes suddenly opened wide, and he grabbed Dipper by the neck to pull him aside.

- Dude! I figured it out! - he whispered, turning back to the newly found kid. - What? - You say he came out of nowhere, looks like you, and even behaves like you!

The two looked back and stared at the boy, sketching something in his notepad.

- Don't you get it? - No...

Soos grabbed his shoulders a and pushed his face uncomfortably close to his.

- He. Is. Your. Kid! - he spoke - From the future!

At that revelation, Dipper gasped and took a step back, looking back and forth at Soos and the boy. His first thought would be that it was one of the clones he made years ago, that must have mutated... But Soos' explanation made much, much more sense.

- You... you're right! - he wheezed - But why would he be there? You think there's a problem in the future he wants to warn us about? - Maybe... - Soos scratched his chin - Maybe there's a robot uprising! Maybe he was the last human to solve those annoying anti-robot puzzles on-line, and he had to escape! - Wow, my son is so brave... - Dipper shed a tear - Why is his hair red, though?

Soos raised his brow.

- Er, isn't it obvious, dude?

It took Dipper another second or so for the realisation to hit him, and the sheer power of future consequences forced him to fall to the ground.

- We-Wendy? Me-Me and We-Wendy?

A massive mixture of joy, pride, but also guilt and pain seared through his chest. He was still in love with her, no matter how hard he tried not to, cherishing their friendship and every moment with her, but the memories of their not-exactly break-up was still vivid in his mind, and the thought he might screw something up again was devastating. But at the same time, a new sensation filled his soul, inflating him like a balloon. In front of him stood the proof that not everything was lost, and that he still might have a chance.

- Okay, but how do we prove it? - Dipper asked Soos in the conspiratorial voice. - Easy - he replied - Hey, kiddo? Where are your parents? - There - the boy pointed to the Shack, barely visible through the trees. - See? - Wait, we need something more... - Dipper muttered - Hey, do you have a phone? - No. - he replied, not taking eyes from his notepad, where he was tracing leaves. - I knew it! - Soos said under his breath - He's from the future, so they probably have laser communicators! Okay, one last proof. What would you name your and Wendy's child?

Dipper's cheeks turned crimson again, at the mere thought of him and Wendy sharing their future.

- I, I don't know. - he stuttered - I, I would have to talk it over with Wendy, I mean, it's our kid, so I can't *not* take her opinions into consideration. I mean, if it was a girl, then her mom's name, and if it's a boy, then-then... - Dude, quick answer! - Soos slapped him gently to stop blabbering. - Danny! - I would call my son Danny, Danny Pines. That sounds nice, right?

Soos turned to the boy, who seemed to have lost interest in an adult and a teenager talking about him all the time.

- Hey, boy, what's your name?

He looked up from his drawing. The boy's eyes met with Dipper's, and he said his name.

- Daniel.

Dipper and Soos let out a breathless gasps, as they stormed to the child, who now looked a bit concerned, moving his head back and forth, as he eyed the two.

- Okay, son, I - Dipper paused - I mean, sonny, Danny. You have to tell us about where are you from. I mean, what year are you from? Is the economy stable? Are-Are the ice caps still there? - Is the Super Panda Ninja still on? Please don't tell me they cancelled Super Panda Ninja! - Er...

Danny looked at the two weirdos and tucked his legs and arms closer to his body, as he curled up on the rock he was sitting on.

- I... My parents tell me not to talk to strangers. - Oh, right. - Dipper suddenly regained his senses, and let go of him - That is right, of course, that's what I would have taught my son to do.

The two took a step away from Danny, letting him have some of the personal space.

- That drawing you made looks cool - Dipper smiled, and watched as Danny's face brightens. - Really? - Sure, dude! - Soos added. - Thanks - he sniffed - My dad likes to draw. - Yeah, I'm-I'm sure he does - Dipper replied, feeling goosebumps all over his skin. - But still, er, we would like to know, why are you here, exactly? - We... we came for a trip... - Danny relaxed - To see the forest and mountains.

Dipper and Soos exchanged nervous looks.

- Me must have messed up the planet badly in the future. - It's all because the plastic straws... - tears appeared in Soos' eyes - Why do I always take two of them? - Soos, relax, maybe there is time.

He turned towards Danny again.

- Listen, my great uncle is a scientist, he will be able to help us. And you too, assuming when you go forward in time, timelines would update. Will you go with us? He's in the Shack, just... Just like your parents. - A scientist? - Danny raised a brow - Like, with a secret laboratory? - Only the best Gravity Falls, Oregon can offer!

This piece of information had the reaction Dipper and Soos expected. Danny jumped off the rock and ran towards the two, eager to follow them.

- Okay, let's go and see Ford, he'll know what to do.

A few minutes later, the two walked behind the Shack and opened the hatch to the underground lab. The sheer idea of it made Danny ecstatic, and Dipper and Soon had to restrain him from rushing down the narrow stairs. They found Ford sitting by his table, with several samples of what looked like pladypus fur being exposed to various chemicals.

- Interesting... - Grunkle Ford! - Oh, hello, Dipper, what are you-

Ford turned to his side, and he nearly fell from his chair when he spotted a third person between Soos and Dipper.

- Dipper! - he exclaimed, jumping to his feet - How-Who-Why have you brought this child here, this is supposed to be a secret! - I know, Ford, I know, but... - Dipper approached him - This... This is my and Wendy's son from the future! - he stepped closer and whispered in one go.

Flabbergasted by the news, Ford kept looking back and forth at Dipper and the new kid, who was now just inches from touching a canister of highly volatile substance, and what's worse, Soos was as well. Dipper and Ford quickly grabbed the two, pushing them away to the center of the cramped lab. Soos and Dipper relied the few bits of information they have managed to gather from him in the glade, explaining their reasoning to Ford.

- Well, I... I can see the resemblance. - he muttered - What's his name? - Danny! - Danny exclaimed - Are you the scientist that lives here? - I sure am, kid. Listen, do you mind if I ask you a few questions? - Uh-uh. - Okay. First, how did you get here? What vehicle have you arrived in? - A car? - Danny titled his head. - What's that? -

He pointed to the samples on Ford's desk.

- Oh, I am just conducting experiments on some local fauna. Animals, I mean. Remarkable animals, pladypi, their skin is in natural plad! - Heh, my mom wears that!

Soos heard Dipper sniff loudly.

- I hope I am a good husband...

Ford opened a drawer and took a elongated machine with an LCD screen hastily mounted on it.

- Back to my questions... - Ford continued - So, about place where you came... - We live in Calafornia! - he exclaimed. - Okay, so California is still present. - Ford scribbled his notes - Can you tell me about your world? - Like, the playground and stuff? - Precisely, the playground. And stuff. - he smiled. - Well, I like football. - Danny replied. - The one you kick, or the one where you throw the ball? - Eh, the kick?

Suddenly, Soos turned to Dipper with a concerned frown on his face.

- Things aren't looking so good. The British may have come back for the colonies! Danny, please tell me you don't drink tea... - Sure I do. I love ice tea! - Okay, everything's fine then. - Soos let out a sigh.

Ford took the portable biometric scanner and began moving it around Danny's head, much to his amazement and amusement, as the machine produced steady beeping.

- Woah! What's that? - I'm trying to detect any time anomalies around you... They tend to cause fluctuations around one's magnetic field up to twenty-four hours after the shift... - Hey, is Soos down here?

A sudden, new voice reached Ford's ears, though it was followed by a blood-freezing shriek. Ford nearly dropped the device on Danny's head when Melody ran towards him, wearing an expression of utter shock and anger.

- F-Ford! Why-Why do you took Danny here? And what are you doing to him?! His parents were looking all over for him! - Dipper and Wendy? - Ford asked - Did they come with him as well?

Melody took a moment to process his question.

- What are you talking about? - she shouted, and grabbed Danny's hand - Come here, sweetie, your mom and dad are waiting for you...

And sure enough, when Soos, Dipper and Ford peeked from the secret door behind the soda machine, they spotted Danny in arms of his mother. She was tall, wore plad jacket, and had blonde hair. His father had red ones, and was distinctively not like Dipper at all, with a rather big nose and beard.

- I'm- I'm so sorry - Melody apologised - We're, uh, we're remodelling the, the basement, and he must have walked downstairs. Please, take anything from the gift section as a compensation. - No problem, ma'am. - the woman replied - As long as our lil' Danny is safe, we're fine. - Mommy! There is a secret lab downstairs! And a scientist that makes experiments! - Really? - his father smiled - You'll tell us all about it when we drive home...

Melody walked the couple to the exit, and stayed by the door, making sure they were far away, before she turned on the spot and stormed to the three men, now all wearing guilty expressions on their faces.

- Can anyone tell me what the hell was that about?

Dipper and Soos explained briefly what lead to them to the discovery of Dipper's "son", and with each line, the two realised they might have jumped to the conclusions a bit quickly.

- For the love of... - Melody hid her face in hands - Soos, if you find a child in a forest, YOU DON'T ASSUME IT'S A TIME TRAVELLER! YOU BRING IT TO THE NEAREST ADULT! AND NO, YOU DON'T COUNT!

She looked at Dipper.

- You're glad Wendy has a day off, or I would have told her all of that right now, and ruin any chances of you two ever hooking up. And you, Ford!

Ford flinched when his name was uttered.

- You, out off all people here, fell for that?! - Well, the evidence was there. - he scratched his head - He did look like Dipper's and Wendy's child... - And he had no phone! - Soos added. - Because he spent 300 bucks on microtransactions - Melody replied - He won't be playing the "Sweets Squash Saga" anytime soon... - But the hat! - Yes, bought here.

Melody showed the rack with t-shirts and caps, where one was missing.

- But... - Dipper asked - Then why was he in that glade? - He was taking a pee. Unheard of, I know.

The three men exchanged guilty looks with one another.

- Has neither of you thought to, you know, ASK him?!

She let out another, deep sigh and sat on her chair.

- Listen, the attractions in the parking lot needs cleaning. I want to see them shining by the dinnertime. And no science-y do-dads! - she addressed Ford - Just water and soap. - Hey, on the bright side, I can still use plastic straws and not feel guilty! - Soos cheered up as they walked out.

Melody leaned in her chair, glad the parents didn't want to press any charges, and for once, hoped for a customer-less afternoon. A minute later, however, the door behind her opened though, and Melody turned towards it.

- Oh, Wendy, I'm glad you came, you're not going to believe what hap-

But the woman in the back entrance wasn't Wendy, though Melody had to rub her eyes to make sure she was right. She was wearing large, round glasses, green jacket, a somewhat singed backpack, and had long, red hair, tied into a ponytail, which at first made Melody mistake her for her friend. She was panting and gasping, as if she has just run a marathon.

- Oh, apologies, ma'am. I though you were another shopgirl. - Wendy? - the woman asked, her eyes widening at the sound of the name. - Yeah, she was supposed to have a day off. Anyway, the customers entrance is there - she pointed to the other set of doors.

But when Melody turned her head back, the woman was gone, as if she evaporated into thin air, leaving Melody in a state of even deeper confusion.

Ten feet below the ground, Ford's scanner made another noise and printed an output.

#wendip #wendipweek #wendip week #wendy x dipper #dipperxwendy #gravity falls #dipper pines #wendy corduroy #nautiscaraderfics #why are you wearing my clothes

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