#i also finally got his helm right omg

[asmoteeth]

I have not even started on the grown up! Wedge design yet. However I like to think that he wears his visor a lot, even outside missions, maybe its because it makes him look more collected.

it also seems there's only one way to get him to take it off, lol 👀

[snipersfucker]

As someone new to transformer fics, I'd love a fic where Mirage and the reader learn what the others name for body parts are (hand/servo, etc.) And obviously Mirage uses it as an opportunity to put the moves on the reader.

yall are so creative with these i legit opened my mouth when i read that...... such a good idea omg lets go (im so deep in that shit i legit remember most robot names for these body parts without having to look em up lmao)

"That's a chassis."

You let out a sigh as Mirage pointed at another part of his metal body. You knew you wouldn't be able to remember all these ridiculously strange names, but still wanted to be a good student, especially because you asked him to teach you.

"Mine's a bit bigger than the ones your little boys have."

And there it was. His constant bragging, showing-off, comments that indicated he was damn aware he was better than humans.

You raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him, not having to look up that much because he was sitting on his... aft. Or something.

"Helm, face plate, optics, pedes, tank..." He kept pointing at random body parts of his, naming them as fast as he could just to get to the most interesting ones he could use to finally rizz you up.

"'m surprised you don't have a diploma for being the best teacher ever, Mirage," you muttered under your breath shamelessly, sarcasm dripping from your tongue as you stood there with your arms crossed on your chest.

He liked the way you said his name, even if it wasn't in a particularly nice tone.

"No speaking unless you're being spoken to, miss," he reprimanded you like a strict teacher would, using his best Optimus Prime voice. Then, before you could talk back, he extended his left arm, putting it right in front of your face. He made a fist but allowed his middle finger to stay up, "What's this called?" he asked you, even though you haven't gone through this particular body part yet.

"Flipping someone off, sir," you answered in an overly eager, sweet tone, as if you were trying to sound like the teacher's pet.

You calling him sir made his spark skip a beat or two.

"Wrong." He lowered his hand and placed it on his metal thigh with a soft clang. He shook his helm in fake disappointment, letting out a long sigh. "It's a digit. And what do we do with digits?" he continued in a teacher's voice, making a specific motion with his servo to encourage you to answer his question, even though he automatically did so in his mind.

We put them inside disobedient girls.

"We flip people off, sir," you responded in a fake innocent, childish tone, straightening your back and smiling widely as if waiting for praise for giving him a good answer. It made you cringe internally but you also thought it was funny so the choice whether to continue talking like that or just leave was easy to make.

He snorted at your words, shaking his head in amusement once more as he brought his servo to your body and flicked your arm gently with his two digits.

"That's what we do with 'em."

"Oh, fuck off." You smacked his servo before he could pull it away from you. Even though you could barely feel the flick of his robot fingers, you still massaged your arm, hoping it'd make him feel at least a little bit bad, and he'd stop bullying you.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" He raised his optical ridge at your words, not being able to fight back a teasing smirk forming on his lips.

You could kiss me with that mouth.

As soon as the thought appeared in his mind, he immediately got rid of it, not letting it distract him.

"Tibulen, cadulen..." he began naming other body parts, and there was no way in hell you'd be able to remember those. "Glossa..." He stuck his metal tongue out, pointing at it lazily with his index digit.

A question popped up in your head, "You got saliva?"

For the first time, you were actually curious about something, expecting an actual, truthful response, but instead you got what Mirage was best at. Sarcasm.

"Oh, yeah, our saliva's made out of corrosive acid actually. Cool stuff." He shrugged nonchalantly as if what he just said was nothing. "Want me to spit on you so you can get the drill?" he asked overly casually, already slightly leaning in your direction.

He was having so much fun...

You grimaced at his question, even though you knew he was most likely joking. Most likely.

"Pass," you murmured under your breath.

"...But there are other ways you could... feel it."

His time to shine has come which he was very much aware of.

His unnecessarily mysterious tone made you snort quietly, an eyebrow involuntarily raised as you asked him with amusement dancing on your tongue, "Care to share?"

He tilted his head with a very, very sly smirk on his lips, which partly gave you an answer to your question. The realisation almost made your face drop but you contained yourself, and just rolled your eyes at his silent offer, pretending not to notice the heat spreading across your own cheeks.

"No."

"I didn't say anything," he responded in an amused, innocent tone, raising his servos in a defensive gesture.

"Yeah, but your eyes said a lot," you argued, the sudden shift in your confidence making you unable to find the situation as funny as before.

He made an unbelievable amount of butterflies awaken and fly around in your stomach, and as pleasant as it felt, you couldn't show him that.

"Optics," he corrected you immediately, playful superiority in his tone coming back just in time to crush you once more. He leaned in, making the gap between your faces a lot smaller than before. "And I'm pretty sure you're just imaginin' things," he added teasingly, the smirk almost challenging you.

His plan was working.

"Am I?" You tilted your head slightly to the left, your gaze never leaving his blue optics.

The intensity of your eye contact made him back off just a bit, before he shook his head in both amusement and surprise at the sudden comeback of your confidence.

"We're not done yet," he just said, which may have sounded like a warning but you felt like he was talking about something else than this game you were both playing. "I didn't show you everything," he explained, even though this lesson about his anatomy was the smallest thing occupying his mind at the moment.

You refrained yourself from frowning, feeling pretty sure that he'd already named every single body part of his possible, but you didn't want him to notice how little attention you were actually paying. So you just nodded, getting ready to hear more of that very interesting stuff.

"...Ever seen a metal dick?"

Your jaw almost dropped when your brain registered his shameless question. You couldn't even say anything to that, just unsurely shaking your head to show him that you, in fact, have never seen a metal dick.

And you thought he was about to offer to present one to you just now, but he just let out an amused noise. "Too bad."

And with these words, he transformed into a silver Porsche and drove past you towards the exit of the garage, leaving you confused, breathless, and wanting something more...

might make a part 2 for this with smut if you want

[riddlerosehearts]

more thoughts on my baldur's gate 3 playthrough! still running around exploring this giant city and trying to make my way through act 3. in this post, i continue gale's companion quest.

all right, so i explored the city a bit more. found carm's garms and uhh, also found naaber. i'm dying at him trying to be a cleric, praying really really badly and when you ask what god he's praying to he goes "there's more than one?!" like HOW do you get to be a grown adult in this world and not know that skjdafg 😭

anyway, i exhausted all of his dialogue. thought it was kind of funny but was surprised at how bizarre and out of place he felt and especially by the fact that he talks kind of like spongebob. looked him up to see if there was anything more to his entire deal and found out that apparently he's a running gag from previous baldur's gate games! so that's neat, but i seem to have turned the poor guy into an oathbreaker paladin. oops!

also found the harper hideout, did the battle there and learned about minsc! i know he's from a previous game like jaheira is, and i also know he's recruitable later. not sure i'll end up using him any, especially since i already thought halsin and jaheira became recruitable a little too late, but maybe once i meet him i'll change my mind.

then i continued the murder investigation, and on my way to progress through the quest we got invited to gortash's coronation! made sure to bring karlach along with me for that and damn, she was immediately SO ready to kill him. he says a single sentence and she says she can taste his blood. and then she yells at him and stops just short of saying she's going to shove her boot up his ass LMAO. i also had wyll with me and there was a bit of extra dialogue about his father!

i'm actually a bit annoyed about how the whole deal with mizora plays out because like, there's this whole theme of the companions reclaiming their agency and i believe letting shadowheart make the choice to spare the nightsong on her own is actually the "correct" option over trying to persuade her. so... why do you have to choose whether wyll should break his pact or save his father? why can't you tell wyll to make the choice for himself? and tbh i also feel like there's basically zero chance that wyll as a character would ever not choose his father anyway, whereas with shadowheart there's this tension and ambiguity where right up until that moment you can't be sure what she'll do, so that's another flaw in how wyll is written imo. oh well.

walked into a church in the city and there is a statue of mystra here. elenion made small offerings to tyr and helm and a larger offering to selune, but for mystra? he kissed gale in front of her statue and then left <3

lakrissa and alfira are so cute 🥺 i found them on the roof of the tavern and alfira was looking out at the city and said she'd never get tired of this view, while lakrissa who was looking at alfira said "same here"... god i'm so weak for that sort of thing.

honestly i've wished alfira had been recruitable ever since i first encountered her in the game, and i guess if she was then we would lose this sweet wlw couple, which would also be a shame AKLJGHDF but idk i like her a lot and i think having her around and getting to know more about her would've been fun!! especially since i think it's a huge shame that there isn't a bard companion.

hey, i finally figured out where sorcerous sundries is! the lorroakan fight was a little annoying with all his myrmidons running around, but i did manage to cast tasha's hideous laughter on him for a few turns, which was hilarious. god i can't wait to get elenion up to level 11 so he can learn otto's irresistible dance.

the vault frustrated me in a way that i don't think it was supposed to, because wyll got downed from a trap without me realizing and i got kind of lost trying to get back to where he got downed at and then i forgot how to get back to the beginning of the vault so i could leave omg. i'm probably the only person in the world to have that kind of trouble with it. but oh well, we got gale his super dangerous-sounding book!!

and then i got to see the gorgeous boat scene that i've seen so many gifs of. and i love gale so much askdjghfdsgjhdf i'm 😭😭 first of all i will never understand how anyone could hate a man who says things like "with you, i forget my goddess" and "you put the stars to shame". that second quote especially is killing me because it feels so tailor-made for my tav! and then the fact that he is so surprised and relieved that they love him just the way he is!! aaaaaaaaaa i'm going to explode. hate when people say gale fumbled a goddess because she's the one who fumbled him!

going to end this post here, now that i've seen gale's talk with mystra, so i can take a look at my quest log and decide which of the 93475384 sidequests i've picked up should be handled next!

[watercolorofthemoon]

i forced my roommate to watch both LOTR and The Hobbit with me. Here are some highlights

LOTR:

Roomie: I like this gandalf dude Me: Oh yeah me too. he's a bit questionable sometimes but we love him

30 seconds later, gandalf fighting saruman: Roomie: NO MY SKRUNKLY

Roomie: awe sam is a precious boy Me, internally: oh you dont even know the half of it

merry and pippin stealing crops: Roomie: ARE THEY THE BASTARD LITTLE BROTHERS?? me: I mean i gues- Roomie: FOUND FAMILY LETS FUCKING GO

Elrond being disappointed and having strong eyebrows: Roomie: i feel like i've let down my dad and i dont even have a dad

Roomie: i don't really like boromir that much- me, pausing the movie to explain why boromir is extremely valid: I WILL HAVE NO BOROMIR SLANDER Roomie: is this bc he's a himbo

Roomie: this thorin guy sounds pretty gay if he's given bilbo this thing thats worth more than the shire me, internally: YOU HAVE NO IDEA MOTHERFUCKER

gandalf dying: roomie: NO MY BOY

roomie: please tell me gimli and legolas are gay, because everyone else seems extremely straight me: they arguably one of the gayest duos, yes. roomie: oh good. i thought they straight-washed sam for no reason me: i mean. there are a lot of frodo and sam moments that have no heterosexual explanation viggo breaking his toes: me, practically bursting at the seams: roomie: oh god what is it me: DID YOU KNOW-

gandalf is alive: roomie: FUCK YEAH MY BOY

me, explaining the uruk-hai: roomie: fucked up of a yas character to do that tbh (referring to saruman's manicure)

theoden being stubborn at helm's deep: roomie: okay i like him BUT COME ONNN MAN

eowyn picking up merry before they ride to gondor: roomie: I KNOW I WANTED TO KISS HER FOr A REASON MWAH MWAH EOWYN me:...she gets a bf roomie: NOT ANYMORE

aragorn: for frodo roomie, bursting into tears: me: whoa whoa u good roomie: ITS HIS DAD. ITS FRODO'S DAD.

sam literally carrying frodo up a mountain: roomie:...thats a bit gay mount doom blowing up: roomie: thats unecessary and homophobic

frodo sailing to the undying lands: roomie: TAKE YOUR BOYFRIEND WITH YOU YOU COWARD

The Hobbit:

the scene with baby bilbo: roomie: NAUR I LOVE HIM

bilbo and gandalf interacting as adults: roomie: this feels like it could go very wrong thorin finally showing up: roomie: listen im gay but i'd consider it me: he's probably also gay roomie: mlm and wlw solidarity okay we're bffs now

bilbo running out of the door: roomie: again. this feels like this could go very wrong. me, internally: oh fuck how do they KNOW already

thorin throwing down his weapon bc bilbo got caught by trolls: roomie:....thats....sus. me:...if this is sus...oh boy...

thorin's obvious dislike of elves @ rivendell: roomie: okay so. explain to me why thorin doesn't like elves again- me: did you not watch the entire introduction to thorin? roomie: NO WAIT I REMEMBER THE BLOND BITCH

saruman showing up: roomie: ew.

galadriel showing up: roomie: HELLO SAILOR AWOOGA AWOOGA

bilbo and thorin nearly falling off at the mountain pass: thorin: he's been lost ever since he stepped out his front door roomie: WDYM YOU'RE ALL FUCKED UP- thorin stop being mean to your husband

the entirety of the goblin tunnels and gollum: roomie: this does not bode well. at all. the ring showing up: roomie: I WAS RIGHT

azog versus thorin scene: roomie: dumb bitch...OH NO DOES HE DIE- bilbo to the rescue: oh no its chill, just gay

the iconic carrock scene: roomie:....this is incredibly gay bestie me: i'm aware.

the entirety of the beorn's house arc: roomie: ...i like beorn. he's feral and skrunkly. so is radaghast.

legolas showing up: roomie: *surprised pikachu face*

tauriel and kili's interactions: roomie: damn i was hoping she would be gay me: i mean with the right headcanons she can totally be a lesbian roomie: UR SO RIGHT OMG

kili getting shot with arrow: roomie: NO THE GAYS-

the laketown master existing: roomie: EAT THE RICH.

bilbo and thorin on the boat together: roomie: oh they definitely fucked in laketown-

tauriel healing kili and them holding hands: roomie: oh no don't make me feel sad for straight ppl me: again. they don't have to be straight. roomie: I KNOW BUT ITS THE PRINCIPLE OF IT

bilbo waking up smaug: roomie: oh bilbo...oh you sweet summer child...you stupid bitch.

thorin threatening bilbo initially: roomie: oh fuck. it got worse. me, internally: oh honey. oh no.

thorin's gold sickness and then nearly killing bilbo at the ramparts: roomie: NO THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GAY AND HAPPY HOW COULD YOU

*doesn't say anything almost the entire battle until the kili and fili die* roomie: noooo the skrunklies NOOOOOOO

thorin, fucking dies in bilbo's arms: roomie: *turns to look at me with the most murderous look on her face* me: *nervous laughter* so about it getting worse- roomie: IM GOING TO KILL YOU.

end for now, if we end up watching trop together ill let yall know <3

[themandylion]

For Day 4 of DickTim Week: Dark AU | SPACE | Vampires. As a small child, Dick was always told he was born under a lucky star. It's not until decades later that he learns it was the complete opposite, and by then it's far too late to save him, not that he even cares.

So, basically. Dick was born under a Far Realm-infested star, specifically that of Thim’zee, he who watches from the shadows.

Tim thought he’d done pretty well for himself, getting a foothold in the Prime Material Plane by infesting a star! And then several millennia passed and he got super bored because omg it is really hard to spread chaos and unrest when your whole shtick is that you’re so sneaky that no one sees you coming until it’s too late. So he found himself a mortal to mold into his own (his “Chosen,” if you will), pretty psyched about that! Except that his pet mortal was born into a family of vistani and they were doing a really good job of just. Thwarting/blocking Tim’s influence at every turn! Obviously, they had to go.

His influence may be limited because of his sneaky nature, but Tim is very, very good at distracting people when they can’t risk being distracted. Like 60 feet in the air with no net and no one with feather fall prepared.

At last, he thought he was finally going to get unfettered access to his boy, but then this stupid paladin of Helm stepped in and took charge of him? Ugh, so annoying. Still, the paladin was so lawfully good that he never dreamed of using sneaky, underhanded tactics to keep the kid out of Tim’s clutches like the vistani. Finally, progress!

At the start it was really just friendly dream visits, being a sympathetic ear to listen to Dick’s problems. Unlike some Elder Evils, Tim is able to hide his madness-inducing features (just don’t look under his floor-length cloak), and he’s positively human-looking when he takes off his mask (doesn’t happen very often because it’s hard to be a scary eldritch horror when you’ve got a babyface).

Ever so slowly, Tim worked his magic and Dick began his slow slide from neutral good to chaotic evil. Bruce was ignorant of the whole thing, chalking up a lot of Dick’s apparent eccentricities to his vistani heritage. It also didn’t hurt that, as far as Bruce was aware, his ward was a very bendy College of Swords bard.

(Dick: Imma gonna wear bird-themed armor! :D Bruce: You do that, chum. Embrace your acrobat roots. Dick: Look, I *cough* found these really cool goggles that let me see in the dark! :D Bruce: Haha, you're so talented. Dick: This talisman I found is very important to me and my culture so I need to wear it. Bruce: I don't know enough to disagree with this! Jason: OH MY GOD)

Bruce’s squire was a lot more suspicious but Dick was just too charismatic (and Jason frequently sucked balls at his insight checks, possibly due to his unwittingly being cursed by his “brother”) and no one really suspected anything.

Until the Betrayal.

The Betrayal where Dick’s twin shortswords manifested right in the middle of Bruce’s chest, slicing his heart free. Where Dick used his mentor’s life blood to paint horrible sigils on the floor of a temple once dedicated to a long-forgotten deity, opening a gate to the depths of space and welcoming a fragment of horrible Evil onto their planet. Jason tried to stop him, but he was no match for Dick’s swords and magic, long tentacles of ethereal black rising out of the shadows to restrain him while the blades dealt the final blow. He saw a brief glimpse of a blank white mask and an inky cloak before he sank into nothing and life left him.

As for Dick, he didn’t care that he just killed both the man who raised him and the boy he once called his brother. He was united with his patron at long last, and nothing in the world would stop them now.

[boxofbadaddiction]

Gotta Get Me Some

Fred Weasley x Reader

Warnings: Umbridge Detention, Swearing, Implied Pot Smoking, Heavy Duty Make-Out Sesh.

Note: This is my first ever fanfic. I'm aware I'm pretty rubbish and OMG! WHY IS IT SO LONG??? But I'm sure I'll get better in time.

Inspired by Nickelbacks "Gotta Get Me Some" which is linked to the title.

The arrival of Winter, typically, meant the castle of Hogwarts were filled with the shivering and cheerful voices of students and staff anxiously awaiting the beginning of the Holiday festivities. However, with Delores Jane Umbridge set rampant upon the school there was little room for joy in the lives of any of the Hogwarts occupants.

"The bloody bitch is a menace!" Came the familiar drawling voice of Ronald Weasley.

It was breakfast and the Great Hall was filled to the brim with complaints following the latest set of 'Educational Decrees' which saw the students, already slim, range of freedom lessened still.

"No loud music. No groups larger than 3. Gryffindor as good as dead in the Quidditch finals-"

"HEY!" Ginny had taken Ron's remark against her teams performance rather personally, still he carried on as if uninterrupted.

"What's there left for that pink, old, Toad to take away?" He questioned to the equally disgruntled group of teens hundled around their morning pumpkin juice.

"I know, it's just dreadful isn't it?" Answered Lee Jordan. "I can't wait to be shot of this place for the holidays! I mean..." he glanced sorrowfully over his shoulder toward the Ravenclaw table, a look which did not go unnoticed by the rest of the group, "there's just nothing left to be cheerful for" he stared glumly back to his breakfast where he poked and prodded a cold piece of sausage across his plate.

"Oh give it a rest, Lee." Snapped the impatient voice of Fred Weasley.

"Just because you've no longer got someone to snog under the mistletoe." Continued George.

Their attitude caused Lee to slouch somewhat ashamedly in his seat.

"Don't be so insensitive!" Defended Hermiome, noting the further drop in his mood. "What is the matter with you two!? Your best friend is upset, the least you could do is be supportive!

"You're right, Hermione. I'm sorry Lee." Said George.

"Yeah, our bad mate. Just a bit out of it this morning...had detention with Umbridge late last night." Fred straightened himself from leaning on his elbows as he cletched his left hand, lowering it below the table.

"What'd she have you carve this time?" Lee asked concernedly.

"The same," responded George, showing the fresh scar upon his hand which read 'I must obey the rules', "she's got it out for us honestly."

The group grimaced at the sight.

"Has she said anything to you, since it happened, Lee?" Spoke Ginny, eager for a change of topic.

"Nothing new. Just the same everytime I try to talk to her; 'I don't see this going anywhere. I need someone more serious. I have my future to think about.' As if I'm the reason she's flunking potions." He rolled his eyes.

The group couldn't stand to see their friend so upset. He'd been, understandably, moping for days since the sudden termination of his eighth month long relationship with a fellow Seventh Year, Ravenclaw.

"Forget about her, mate." Fred stated abruptly, "you'll find someone better in no time."

"Someone who doesn't try to change everything about you." Chimed George.

Fred had never much cared for Lee's partner of choice. Her feelings were mutual, toward not only the devil-may-care redhead, but also his equally chaotic twin. Following the boys words of encouragement a wave of compliments and support erupted from the mouths of everyone else currently involved in the conversation, which crashed upon Lee. Seemingly having the desired effect as his mood greatly improved over the remainder of their meal, until came time for everyone to depart for their various classes.

---

Several tiresome hours later found most of the group, minus the Twins and Lee, lounging comfortably about the Gryffindor common room. Everyone was quietly enjoying the time to themselves. Everyone that is except for Ron who, per usual, had countless complaints to share on the topic of the 'Hogwarts High Enquizitor'.

"Did you hear her today before Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"What happened?" Ginny asked, only partially interested in the conversation.

"She gave him a serve for standing too close to Hermione." Sniggered Harry who, quite frankly, found the whole situation rather amusing.

"Boys and Girls are not permitted to be within eight inches of each other!" Ron mocked in his best impression of Umbridge.

"What's she expect to walk around a corner and catch me snogging?"

"Well, not you snogging anyone" George had just entered through the portrait hole, followed closely by Fred and Lee.

"You've got about as much chance being caught with a girl as George and I do being caught doing homework" Fred teased as the room broke into laughter.

A scowl plastered itself across Rons face. Insulted, he tightly folded his arms across his chest and slumped back between the cushions of the armchair he'd perched himself on.

"Awe, come on now Ronniekins. Mind the attitude", Fred goaded while roughing Rons hair. This earned him a rather hard slap across the arm, as he attempted to bat away the unwanted contact.

"Yeah," George began resting on the arm of Rons seat, "it's not all that bad."

"What's got you three in such a good mood?" Hermione questioned noting the new found spring held in the boys step as they strutted about the room disturbing the previously content group of teens.

"Just had a good day is all" Lee smirked, eyes flicking toward the Twins.

"You've planned some ridiculous prank on Lee's ex haven't you?" Ginny groaned with a look of you'd-better-fucking-not etched across her freckled features.

"No, nothing like that." Lee assured her, clearing the resounding tension from the air with a wave of his hand.

"Well, what then? You all looked ropeable at breakfast this morning. Now it's like you've won 100 galleons." Piped Harry, intrigued by the boys sudden optimism.

"We just got some good news, that's all." commented George vaguely, as Fred and Lee chuckled.

"What good news?" asked Ron.

"None ya business." Chorused the Twins.

"Oh come on you three! Just tell us!" Ginny and Harry were on the edge of their seats while Ron continued to scowl and Hermione remained utterly indifferent, immersed in yet another book. Good news was scarce these days and if it was enough to get the Twins excited this news was obviously well worth their time and pestering.

"Alright, fine then." Lee propped himself up straightly in his chair, ignoring the sounds of protest from the Twins as he leant forward to whisper to the eager group of ears. "What's it matter, really?" He shrugged.

The group was now huddled closely together around a small coffee by the fire on their knees. Everyone's attention fixed directly on Lee as he spoke.

"There's a scheme in action throughout Hogwarts. Someone is planning an end of year party right under the nose of that great, Toad."

Hermiones face showed no interest. "Really. That's all, a party?" Everyone promptly began shushing her.

"When is it!?" Asked Ginny, excitedly.

"No idea" replied the three seventh years at once.

"Well then, where is it?" Harry attempted to carry on the conversation.

"No idea." Came the chorus again.

Harry, Ron and Ginny eyed each other confusedly. Unable to see how a party with no location or time could have got the boys so happy.

"Who's planning it?" Hermione broke the silence.

"No idea."

"I'm missing dinner for this?" Ginny huffed as she slouched back against the bottom of the couch.

Harry could not have been anymore confused at this point. "So tell me, how exactly has this lifted your spirits?"

"Because it's going to be the party!" Lee answered.

"There's this tradition you see..." said George.

"Every year the graduating class holds a secret party under the noses of the staff. Obviously this year will be the best because no prior year had Satan at the helm." Fred explained. "But it's more than that. This year has already gone further than any before."

"How so?" Sighed Ron.

"It's a complete secret to everyone." Said Lee.

"No one's going to know when" smiled George.

"And no ones going to know where, until the day of." Fred smirked reclining with his feet up on the couch, hands nestled comfortably at the back of his neck.

"But then how do you know about it?" Piped Hermione.

"The group involved in it's planning has begun spreading rumours to get the word out. Only those invited are being told." Nodded Lee.

Ron was smiling now "I'm so going - OW!" Fred had reached and slapped the back of Ron's head again.

"No can do Ronniekins." He stood.

"Strictly seventh years only." George and Lee followed suit as the boys headed toward the portrait hole.

"Why tell us then??" Complained Ginny.

"Because you asked!" Lee laughed.

"What a bloody waste of time." She shook her head heading for dinner.

"What do you reckon, Harry?" Nudged Ron. But Harry didn't get the chance to answer as Hermione sprang into a lecture.

"Does it matter? One, you can't go - it's seventh years only. Two, this whole thing is terribly thought out! You can't hold a party that no one knows any details for. Not to mention the fact there is no where in the castle that a party could take place without detection. Not enough people know of the Room Of Requirement for it to be used. Lastly, even if by some miracle this plan does go ahead can you just imagine the punishment those who attended will receive when Umbridge finds out? And she will find out! Besides, Ronald. As school prefects we could not allow for such an event to take place. It goes against at least 30 school rules. Ones not set by Delores mind you. It won't go ahead so there's no point discussing it any further." Hermione was short of breath when she finally finished.

Given her friends deadpan expressions her lecture, per usual, had little effect. Frustrated she collected her belongings and left for dinner also.

"Sucks the fun out of everything, doesn't she?" Whispered Ron, as they followed. Neither game to admit just how much they wanted an invite to the mystery party. Not around Hermione at least.

---

Two weeks had passed since news broke of the Party and school spirits had lifted substantially as a result. Amongst the seniors at least. Although, it may also have had something to do with the approaching Quidditch match, between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, set to take place shortly after classes concluded in the afternoon. Students hastened themselves in storing their possessions before hurrying off to the stadium.

Halfway toward the pitch the Twins were deep in conversation over new product ideas when the sudden call of their names caused them to turn. Lee had been attempting to gain their attention from some distance behind. He looked far too excited for someone so out of breath as he ran up to his awaiting friends.

"Nice of you to finally join us." George laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're so funny, whatever. Listen!" He pulled the boys aside of the walking track to avoid being over heard. "The party's happening tonight! That's why I was late, a Ravenclaw was talking to me and -"

"Which Ravenclaw?" Asked the Twins, excited about the news.

"Doesn't matter."

"Given that tone, I'd say it does." Fred raised his brow. But Lee remained quiet.

"Which Ravenclaw?" They demanded.

"Oh fine! Alright, my ex. We were snogging in Moanies bathroom when the bell rang and she told me. Are you happy?" Groans and eye rolls came from the redheads as they processed the information.

"You'd just gotten over her mate" said George as they began walking, now running late for the game.

"Hadn't spoken to, or about her in weeks!" Fred spoke.

"Yes. And snogging was my reward! Now, you're sort of missing the important information here!! The party is on for tonight! Word has it, there's a deal between the teams seekers to push today's match back as late as possible. So Umbitch has to extend tonights curfew. That will draw some of the suspicion away from students wandering the halls late. Since they begin play at five, and curfews at nine, we're hoping for a three and a half hour match at least."

"Where's it happening?" Asked George.

"Some room in the Dungeons. There's going to be a marker set up to let us know where to go."

"What's the marker?"

"Haven't the foggiest."

"Well that's handy" Fred sighed. "Still no idea who's planning this?"

"Nah, but when she told me, she did happen to mention it's a friend of hers."

"What about the time?"

"Now that, I do know something about. Everyone's been given an individual time to arrive. To avoid a build up of students roaming toward the Dungeons past curfew. Our time is 10:45."

As they reached the stadium entrance the boys opted for a change of subject, as they took their place within the commentary box.

A total of 3 hours and 52 minutes later saw Hufflepuff victorious.

---

Time seemed to move agonisingly slow from that point as the boys waited in their near empty common room, keen for the night ahead.

"It's happening tonight isn't it? That's why you're all down here dressed up!" Ron had been pestering the boys for the past 40 minutes at least having noticed them wearing what you'd consider their best jeans and shirts.

"Give it a rest Ron!" Ginny snapped. Evidently even those uninvited few who knew of the party had grown tired of Rons relentless begging. She huffed as she changed position on the common room sofa.

"Like you aren't itching for an invite." He hissed back.

"We aren't going to tell you so just stop being such a nagging little prat, and leave us alone!" Fred growled.

"You weren't invited and we're not taking you!" George glared at his younger brother, and spoke with such a tone of finality that Ron reluctantly admitted defeat. Sulking in a neighbouring armchair.

"It's time" interrupted Lee, standing from his seat. "If we leave now that should give us plenty of time should we run into any obstacles along the way."

Indeed, the thought of stumbling upon Filch, or his cat, a rogue professor or prefect patrolling the halls, perhaps even the big bitch herself put a certain extra degree of temptation over the excitement for the night. At least it did for the Twins. Lee was slightly more apprehensive as he was not quite as adept in late night adventures compared to his prankster best friends. Fred and George could sense Lee's nerves in his voice and assured him that it would be "no more than a walk in the park".

Making use of their extensive knowledge of hidden passages and corridors the Twins had memorised, the boys met few speed bumps along their way. Aside from one encounter with Peeves the Poltergeist, whom they convinced to keep their whereabouts a secret on the word they were off to Prank Umbridge. Peeves gave them no such grief as a result.

"Right." Whispered Fred as they entered the Dungeons. "What's this signal we're meant to wait for?"

"If I were to hazzard a guess Freddie, I'd have to say...that." George pointed.

As if summoned by their presence a neon green ball of light appeared before them, glowing brightly against the pitch black corridor.

"Shall we gents?" Lee gestured for the Weasleys to move forward.

As they approached the ball began to move slowly throughout the space. Gliding ominously down the long empty hall and turned right down a passage which they knew led to the potions classroom.

"I swear, if this is a joke and we're about to be dumped on Snapes doorstep I'm pushing you both over to make my escape." Fred joked.

After a few more minutes walking the Gryffindors had passed their potions class and, while holding their breaths, the office of one Severus Snape. The orb led them directly to an unused classroom at the very end of the hall.

"Here?" Asked George. "Last I saw of this room, it were no bigger than Hagrids hut and stacked high with crap!"

The green orb flowed seamlessly through the old wooden door, coaxing them to continue onward.

"Here goes nothing, I guess." Lee shrugged as he placed a tentative grip on the doors handle and swung it open.

Whatever they had been expecting it sure wasn't this. The room had obviously been cleaned and made subject to an expansion charm as the ceiling was considerably higher than they recalled. However, what stood before them was not the hustle and bustle of a raging party - but two glistening white sheers with a note attached.

"Please shut the door before parting the curtains." It read. Confused but obediently the boys ensured the door was closed securely before passing through the thin fabric.

Immediately the scene changed. Their ears were met with the deafening sound of alternative rock music and the laughter of what was surely the entire cohort of seventh years. Tables lined the walls with an assortment of food and drink, as well as allowing areas for seating. The atmosphere was warm and inviting and they couldn't help but smile as they admired the amount of effort which must have been placed into making this a reality. Casting their eyes toward the ceiling they noticed an array of multicoloured orbs - similar to the one which lead them to the room, glowing brightly above the centre of the floor which lit the party like 70s disco.

"You made it!" Called the voice of Angelina Johnson as she ran to embrace the new comers. She was clutching a drink firmly in her left hand and swaying considerably, indicating she had indeed been here for quite some time and that was in no way her first drink.

"You're clearly having a ball." Fred chuckled, near having to yell over the noise of the place.

"I've been here since 9.30. That was my time. GEORGE!" She startled him before pulling him down by the neck to speak into his ear, "that girl you fancy from Hufflepuff is here. She's been asking about you! By the drinks last I saw." She pointed.

"Well. I mustn't keep her waiting much longer, must I?" He winked at his brother signalling his departure. Angelina mumbled something about needing a new drink and followed as she drained her cups last drop.

Lee and Fred set off into the crowd to enjoy the night.

---

Two hours and too many firewhiskeys later found George shamelessly snogging and wrapped tight within the arms of said Hufflepuff, and Angelina presumably with her head buried deep within a toilet somewhere.

Lee and Fred were having the time of their lives, drinking and dancing the night away. That was until Lee found more issues for himself in the form of his ex dancing and kissing someone who wasn't him. All his hopes of rekindling their relationship were decimated. Fred noticed his sudden drop in emotion and promptly shifted his gaze to meet the object of Lee's loss of enthusiasm. Had he not been met with the most beautiful shade of [y/c] eyes he'd ever seen, he probably would have noticed Lee excuse himself from the floor.

Fred's heart began to race and it was like everyone in the room disappeared except for you. Mesmerised by the way you smiled and moved in time with the music he couldn't look away if he tried. He knew he recognised you from around school, you were in his grade after all, but surely you'd never been this breathtaking.

You were huddled close to Lee's ex, stealing her from the arms of the boy she'd wrapped herself around, smiling so bright the lights were dull in comparison. You clung to one another instead as you danced, bodies intertwined in a way that made Fred jealous. He could have watched you all night, and probably well would have had it not been from the sudden sharp blow of an elbow to his ribs.

George had appeared, lips swollen and hair dishevelled, with a drink for his brother.

"Interrupting an important thought am I?" He smirked handing his brother the beverage. "You know, Freddie. If you fancy someone talking to them usually accomplishes more than just staring at the poor girl." He laughed.

"Oh, suddenly so wise now that you've come up for air, are you?" Fred teased, sipping some of the purple concoction he was sure he shouldn't be drinking. "Who is she?" He turned back to look at you.

"Who?" George asked trying to peer over the mass of heads. But you'd vanished.

Fred's face sank. Chugging his drink and rushing through the tight group of bodies jumping and laughing together. As he reached the place where you'd been dancing he searched for you but even standing at his full height he was unable to catch so much as a glimpse of your [H/L + H/C] hair.

Disappointed he removed himself from the crowd, to the outskirts of the room, where he leaned against a table with his hands in his pockets. Desperate for a hint of your figure but nothing. Seconds turned to minutes as his heart began to race and he panicked slightly. Had you left? He began to fear the thought he'd never get to see you again tonight when suddenly...

"Hey" a drink appeared infront of his chest, "you look like you could use a drink." He turned to see you smiling sweetly at him. Shocked his lips parted slightly while he stared at you awestruck. He lost himself in your eyes. Merlin! They were so much better up close.

"It's okay" your words snapped him out of his daze, "it's just firewhiskey." You tilted your head a little, raising the cup further infront of him.

"Thanks." He hastily reached for the drink, fingertips brushing your own. He felt goosebumps rise up his body. How could a girl he's never spoken to before have such an effect on him? Smiling his eyes raked your body as he took a sip. Noting your tight leather jeans and lose black top that sat off your shoulders. The outfit reminded him of a muggle rockstar.

You stared deeply back into his eyes as they met yours again. Never breaking the stare as you downed you entire drink in a mouthful without even batting an eyelid. To say he was impressed was a vast understatement. Firewhiskey was by no means a weak drink. His eyes widened and he laughed watching you place your now empty cup the the table next to you, raising a curious eyebrow at his reaction.

"What?"

Fred turned his head back to face the crowd on the dancefloor, raising his cup to his lips once more. "Nothing", he said with a twitch of his lips and a small shake of his head. He drained his cup before looking back down to you, "I get the feeling you can really handle your alcohol."

"What can I say? I like the taste" he laughed at your comment. "So, which one are you?"

"Fred" he held his hand out to you, shaking it you never let your eyes leave each other for a second. "I must say, you have me at a loss. You know who I am, but what's your name, lovely?" He stepped closer to you and turned his body to face you fully.

"[Y/F/N + Y/L/N]"

"How is it I've never met a beautiful girl like you before?

"I'm pretty easy to miss, if you're not looking for me."

His eyes scanned your body again, running his tongue slowly over his bottom lip before pulling it gently between his teeth, as he did so. It was probably the hottest thing you'd ever seen. Making your knees weak. You'd always considered the Twins handsome, how could someone not? They were tall, confident, charming, smarter than you knew they'd care to admit, fiercely loyal, and it'd be a lie if you said you hadn't noticed how Quidditch sculpted their bodies over the years. They were like fucking Gods around Hogwarts.

"Well..." Fred spoke as you both admired each other. "I'm sure now, I'll never be able to stop myself looking for you." He smirked inching ever so closer.

It was your turn to bite your lip now. He was so close you could smell him, and fuck did he smell good. You felt your body warm as you took in his scent. The sensation reminded you of fresh Butterbeer on a brisk Winter's day. Completely intoxicating.

"I think it's time for a refill" you said grabbing your wand to summon a bottle of Whiskey from the table down from you. You filled both cups before turning back to face him.

"If I didn't know any better" he took the drink from the table, "I'd say you were trying to get me drunk." He drank slowly from the cup.

"Just trying to see if you can keep up with me." You said with an innocent expression, "anyway. It's good for you." You drank.

"It's good for you now, but it won't be easy tomorrow."

"I'm a big girl. Reckon I can handle it."

He laughed, looking back over the room briefly. He caught a glimpse of George with a girl who Fred was sure wasn't his same kissing partner from earlier, dancing up against him. He raised an impressed brow to his brother, which earned himself a shrug and nod in your direction. Fred knew exactly what he meant by that. He was telling him to get a move on, not that he needed any goading.

His attention back on you, he watched as you drank more of your whiskey. All he wanted to do right now was push you against the nearest wall and have at you. However, he figured that may be a tad forward of him so he decided not to mention the fact.

"So tell me, [Y/N], what house are you?"

"Take a guess." You teased.

He titled his head, taking his time to look you over. Starting at your eyes and travelling slowly down to your lips, to your neck and they paused for a moment longer as they reached your exposed collarbone. Mind drifting to imagine how soft the skin would feel under his lips as he left hickies across it. He examined your whole body in what he felt could have been hours. Really though it was just enough for you to refill your drink, having finished it again moments ago.

"Well, you're clearly not Gryffindor." He began. "Otherwise, I'd absolutely have spoken to you before now."

"Clearly" you mocked.

"Certainly not Hufflepuff."

"And what makes you say that?" You asked curiously.

"Because Hufflepuff is the most innocent house in the school. And I can tell you are anything but."

"Oh you can tell can you?" Raising your eyebrows in surprise at his comment.

"Absolutely" he nodded.

"What gave me away?" You pouted, feigning dejection.

"Well, Darling, if it weren't for that devishly wicked smile you wear so well, that's been driving me crazy all night." You averted your gaze, smiling, trying to hide the blush that threatened to form on your cheeks. Slowly casting your eyes back up to meet his that'd never left you. "Then I'd say it's in the way you drink Fire Whiskey like it's pumpkin juice. Or from the red in the whites of your eyes which, naturally, is from..." he took a step into you and leant his head down to your neck. His nose grazed your skin and you could feel his breath on you as he inhaled your scent deeply. He lifted his lips to your ear where he whispered "-that's hardly the smell of tobacco now is it?" Turning his head enough to stare into your eyes, smiling proud and somewhat cheekily.

"Quite perceptive, aren't you?" You whispered back to him. He shrugged stepping back to sip his drink. "You know I saw you watching me earlier. Dancing."

"Couldn't take my eyes off you, love. I've never seen somebody move that way." He was grinning at you, far too content for your liking.

"Well." You finished your drink and set aside the cup, "what do you say you replace my previous partner?" You grabbed his right hand and began making your way to the dance floor which, although still bustling with life didn't house nearly as many sweaty bodies as before. You flashed him that same devilish grin you now knew he loved so much.

Chugging his drink and casting aside the cup he wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, nestling his chin in your neck "lead the way."

Never letting his hand leave your grip you brought him to the middle of the floor where you pulled him into you slowly. Once you were flush against one another you began to move. Shamelessly enjoying the touch of each other's body. He spun you, and you were swaying and grinding against him when he pulled you back. You stayed like that till you were both sweating and panting quite heavily. Unable to contain the smiles that graced your faces.

You couldn't take it anymore, the look in his eyes and the grip on your waist was sending you crazy, reaching a hand up and around his neck you pulled his face dangerously close to yours "want to get out of here?"

His grip on you tightened as he responded "absolutely" and with that dragged you toward the exist.

George caught Fred's attention momentarily, he had a curious expression on his face. He simply smiled and winked back at his Twin. George laughed sending up a mock, celebratory fist pump.

Slightly impatient, you pulled Fred by the front of his shirt out past the curtains. You had no idea how loud the party had been until you were faced with the eery silence of the empty Dungeon corridors. The muffling charm placed on the sheers working perfectly.

"Come with me, I know a place" Fred said taking your hand.

Quietly manoeuvring through the castle halls, he pulled you into a hidden passage behind a tapestry, through to an empty classroom away from prying eyes. With a quick glance through the crack of the door to ensure you weren't spotted Fred was surprised, and satisfied to say the least, when he turned from closing the door to be immediately met with your lips on his.

You pushed him back against the wall. The kiss was passionate and so full of need you wondered how either of you lasted this long. His hand cupped your face as he deepened the kiss. Your hands on his chest began to snake their way over his body, one resting on the back of his neck to tug on his soft hair, the other wrapping around to his lower back where you pulled yourself against him. Causing him to groan at the sensation.

Soft moans and light gasps for air were the only sounds to penertrate the nights silence. Both of you were desperate for one anothers touch. An intense need to have you built within Fred like a fire. Mirroring your movements from earlier he grabbed a fist full of your hair as his other hand clung to the small of your back.

He spun around so it was you pressed against the wall. Hunching his body so he could lean fully into you, your tongue traced his bottom lip and he responded.

He tasted like Whiskey and Chocolate. You, undoubtedly, like Whiskey and Smoke. He ran his hands down below your ass and lifted your legs to wrap around his waist. You giggled slightly as you wrapped your arms around his neck to support yourself.

He walked blindly over to the centre of the room, lips never leaving yours as he placed you on top of the nearest desk. He pulled himself tight between your legs, arms now firm on your lower back.

Pulling away from your lips he moved to place love bites and kisses along any bare skin he could reach. From your neck, to behind your ear, to your shoulder, he wanted all of you. Lightly tracing his mouth along your soft skin he ducked his head down further to your collarbone to make true his earlier fantasy. Leaving countless hickies across the bone. Chest heaving against him as you threw your head back in pleasure, running a hand through his hair once more.

Gently moaning his name, he hummed in response sending vibrations through your skin. You could have stayed like that forever.

Unfortunately for you however, you found yourself interrupted by the sudden opening of the classroom door.

Snape.

"Ugh, Fuck." You groaned in frustration, letting go of the redhaired boy who was practically lying on top of you. Fred parted from you and turned to face the door.

"Mr Weasley. Miss [Y/L/N]. Detention. Two weeks. Hope this late night rendezvous was well worth the 50 points you've just cost Gryffindor, Weasley. And [L/N]...20 from you."

"Ahhh..." Fred spoke as realisation began to dawn on him "so you're a Slytherin." He laughed to himself. "It seems so obvious now."

"Return to your houses immediately." Snape growled as you hopped down off the desk top and walked past him trying to contain your giddy smile.

"Was worth the punishment" Fred leant to whisper in your ear as you both walked. "Best night I've had in a while."

"Glad you liked my party then" you looked up at him. He froze. Watching as you kept walking and turned through a hidden passage.

"Yours!?" He asked astonished jogging to catch up with you.

You nodded. "mine."

"God. You've got everything I want, all rolled into one."

You reached your parting point. Looking up to see the clock on the wall you hadn't realised how late it was till now. Although, it's not like you were worried about the time while you were busy wrapped up in Fred.

"I take it you won't miss me passing by in the halls from now on." You joked.

"Not a chance, love."

You reached up to place one final kiss to his lips. Just as passionate as the ones before, only far softer and slower. He felt like he was melting. His whole body went warm and all he could think in this moment was; did he really have to leave you? Why couldn't you be a Gryffindor?

"What do you say about meeting me here tomorrow night?" You asked, breaking the kiss and resting your forehead against his.

"Not even Snape, could stop me." He grinned, making you smile as you began to walk off. "What time?"

"How's 10:45?" You threw your hand up in a lame wave.

He continued to watch you walk away with a wide smile on his face, "it's a date." He called after you, finally walking towards his house.

---

When he arrived at the common room he hadn't expected to be greeted by the smiling, smug face of George. He stood with folded arms across his chest.

"So. Tell me...How was your night?"

[dellyduck]

Wait a minute! So Violet's is Daisy mom here, so when Donald tried to find the book of the Shadow realm, did he find Daisy there? Or did he only search it with Webby? How is the episode work? (I like that Violet got age up too, I want to know how is her dynamic with Huey? Do they try to compete in a fun way as adoptive parent? Are they talk about how hard/fun/incredible is to raise kids or exchange some tips about raising kids (only to get depressed/tired when their angels will be teens)?

Ding, ding, ding! You’re correct!

Right after this scene, Donald and Webby left to the library. Daisy is there to accompany Violet, who’s the librarian, but neither Donald or Webby (or Lena, can’t forget she’s following them as a shadow) will know that.

They will meet because Daisy eavesdrops on them by accident when they’re talking about the type of books they need. Daisy’s found Lena’s old amulet on the beach after the shadow war and since then she has been curious about it. Those two seemed to know at least something about what happened during the shadow war so she went to talk to them.

Daisy: Are you trying to know more about where those shadows came from?

Donald: Erh... Sure, I guess you can say that’s kinda it.

Webby: Yeah, it surely isn’t to find a way to bring back his best friend who’s trapped on the shadow helm.

Donald: *facepalms*

For the boy’s surprise, Daisy didn’t call them crazy and ran away; actually she even offered to help! Her mother has some really old books about all kinds of magic (that information makes Lena raise a brow) and she could borrow them for a while, as long as Daisy could participate in the research too. That said, Donald and Webby gave their address to Daisy and she was going to meet them in the Manor with the books within some hours.

The rest of the episode shouldn’t play much different (though Daisy won’t be there for a sleepover).

About Webby, she won’t be with them in the rest of the episode. I’m changing the B-plot with Mrs. B and Launchpad for Della and Webby having to marathon the finalle of a show they two love and watch together. Lena’s not pleased.

Lena: Wait, are you two really going to let him alone with a strange girl that just brought a bunch of books about dark magic to your house?!

But nobody couldn’t even hear her concerns so yep, Della and Webby just left, leaving Donald alone to search through the books with Daisy.

And Donald’s focused, ok? Yes, Daisy’s kinda cute, but Lena’s his best friend and he has to bring her back. That’s the only thing that matter for him right now.

So... That’s it, that’s what I have so far for their meeting :)

Now, about Huey and Violet!

I’ll be honest, I haven’t thought much about their dynamic beside the Senior Junior Woodchuck Challenge, where they totally will support their respective kids and “compete” against each other over who’s gonna win XD

But also yes, now that they’ve met again they will totally save a date for a tea and talk about the years they’ve been apart. Especially about their kids :3 There’s gonna have so many baby pictures and embarassing stories omg, good thing neither Daisy or the twins will be around xD

Thanks for your ask!

[lovecanbesostrange]

I’m so glad I’m used to Grey’s making me cry. Guess that will be amped up for this season. But it’s a bit different, because I can already see that the writers try to balance it all with little positive things. They just don’t hold back reality and that is the worst thing right now.

Okay, getting it out of the way. We have confirmation, JO WILSON IS OFFICIALLY BACK. Maybe it’s just because that can of worms is one too many, so let’s go back to something easy and nice. I don’t care why, thanks for finally clarifying that. Also omg, she is an actual doctor. She did actual medical things. I’m baffled. And it was especially mentioned. Wow. This is something I am not used to. (lol DeLuca is an attending now and he only took five years like he was supposed to, even if we ignore the almost one year timejump at the end of S11, Jo’s 5year residency took six years.......)

Well, I got Wilson and Bailey together in an OR and they got to have a rare case and a good outcome and I am always here for Bailey feeling some joy. Plus fuck, Jo observing mother-baby-bonding is emotional as hell. And after Station 19 I was so glad that Carina had a win as well. God, Carina is starting her fourth season and now as Maya’s girlfriend... I like her. Terrible things will start to happen to her soon, right? I mean, witnessing her brother’s mental break already counts.

I feel bad for Schmitt. Except it’s almost a fun running joke by now, getting thrown off of cases... Also, dude, thank you so much for spitting out like that. There are some things you really shouldn’t say during a pandemic. Can I assume he still lives with Jo now? Liked seeing them close.

The Jackson/Link/Helm team-up was also cool. I just want rotating doctor teams treating patients and this was hilarious. Although... do people remember that Private Practice was an actual spin-off that existed with Charlotte King, Sexologist, in it?! Guess that would mean acknowledging Amelia once had another close friend........... (I only really liked Charlotte on that show, would love to know what she is up to now) But hey, the sex therapist lead to another great Amelia/Link moment and I will devour every bit of happiness they share.

The talk between Link and Jackson was great. And once again, two sides of a thing are totally understandable. Link being glad he got to leave the crazy house with the four kids for a day. And Jackson missing spending more time with his daughter. And thank you, thank you, for not just mentioning April, but also Matt.

Speaking of mentions... Alex Karev...... Meredith’s power of attorney..... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I remember when it was a fun scene discussing healthcare proxies back in S10. Did Alex ever change his? He is known for having trouble with forms (his student debt, the unmailed marriage license) - if he’s in an accident, will Cristina get a call in Switzerland????? A~nyway it is only fair that Maredith picks Richard now. Role reversal and all. At least she tells him before! I was wondering if Bailey tried dropping hints that she wants dibs on pulling Mer’s plug if the time comes........

Watching Meredith run across the beach and faceplanting was such a relief. I laughed way too much, but it’s the stress from the rest of the ep. So thanks for doing that.

I’m glad Maggie has Winston, even if it’s only a video-call. He gets it. And everybody at Grey Sloan should have somebody outside to talk to anyway. But Maggie’s breakdown was so fucking real and awful... doing her best to just be the sister. While losing so many patients. And the way they threw in her mom’s death - yep, new perspective on that, now that people die alone. It’s not a statistic. People are dying.

Laura Cerón on Station 19 and Lisa Vidal on Grey’s, Please import more people from Emergency Room. New interns, well, the Webber speech sure changed... that hit hard. Especially with only three people left. Gonna look out for Mama Ortiz now.

I should say something about Tom. Hmmm... guess somebody has to asymptomatic.

Station 19 was good as well. A tiger. Shouldn’t surprise me, we saw a pet lion before. Ben should be glad they call him Dad. Not Grandpa. XD Still the best dude, good peptalk to Carina. A+ interaction. Seeing a happy Andy sure is weird, will she find five minutes of peace in all of this? Also Webber being Sullivan’s sponsor is a better way for a crossover than more interconnecting romance.

[pug-bitch]

That’s not why I’m staying (3)

I like a protective brother

Book: The Royal Romance, Book 2

Pairing: Drake Walker x Amara Suarez

Rating: some foul language, some extremely suggestive, and a VERY steamy scene right at the beginning. This is absolutely NOT appropriate for people under 18.

Word count: about 4,600

Notes: This picks up pretty much where we left off, after the gang’s night out, starting with Amara’s POV.

*****

Amara throws her purse on the bed, and takes a very deep breath. ‘What an awesome night,’ she whispers.

Drake smiles at her and sits on the comforter. ‘You must be exhausted,’ he says.

She smiles and runs a hand through his hair, straddling him. ‘Not at all,’ she whispers. His smile becomes more mischievous as she starts unbuttoning his shirt. She adds, ‘I’m pretty fucking awake.’

Their lips crash together and their bodies cling to one another, not even giving each other the time to undress. She sits on his lap, facing him, his growing erection pressed against her. Drake’s hands roam up on her back, under her light yellow top, until they find her bra. He expertly unhooks it with one hand, which draws a low, unexpected groan from Amara. He pulls her top over her head and throws her bra across the room as swiftly as humanly possible, and she catches herself thinking, what did I do to deserve this sexy man?

She gets up and quickly takes of the rest of her clothes, as Drake takes off his pants too. Amara takes back her position, straddling him. He moans. ‘Fuck, babe, you’re so sexy.’ He kisses her neck and nips at her earlobe. She kisses him again, deeper and deeper, and grinds him until he’s about to burst out of his boxers. With one hand, she frees his throbbing cock from its fabric prison, and Drake groans in her ear. ‘I want you so fucking badly,’ he whispers.

His cock teases her entrance, although she can tell he’s dying to be inside her. She feels herself getting wetter and wetter, she can barely control herself as Drake’s mouth lands on each of her nipples and kisses them, licks them. She moans louder and bucks her hips, ready and eager for more. ‘Fuck me,’ she whispers.

Drake obliges, slowly and deeply. When the tip of his cock enters her, she lets out a low groan, and tugs on his hair a little harder. She wants to take him all in, she wants them to be as close as possible, always.

As they move together, she breaks their kiss for a second, just the time to say to him, ‘I love you.’

Breathlessly, he responds, ‘I love you too.’

*****

Drake pours himself another cup of coffee, before joining Maxwell on the patio. ‘Hey Max,’ he says.

Maxwell looks up from his book and smiles brightly. ‘Hey Drake. What are you up to?’

‘Not much, I’m waiting for Michael and Amara to be done with their call, and then I’m taking Mike on a tour of Ramsford. You?’

Maxwell pats his stomach. ‘Trying to relax and get over the magnificent lunch you made us. I can barely move.’ He gestures towards Hana, who’s doing laps in the pool. ‘Look at this one. She gleefully ignores the ‘wait 30 minutes after lunch before you swim’ rule.’

Drake chuckles. ‘Glad you enjoyed lunch. How is life?’

Maxwell laughs. ‘What do you mean, ‘how is life?’ We’ve been spending so much time together, you know exactly how my life has been. Amazing, surrounded by my friends, old and new. Plus, I got a new goat.’

‘Ah, right, the magnificent B-Coops.’

Maxwell smiles a bit brighter. ‘The most beautiful man in the world.’

Drake shakes his head. ‘You guys are nuts. But that’s not what I meant. You’ve been spending a lot of time and energy helping Michael and Amara mend their relationship, and helping Mike adjust. You’re a good friend, Max. I thought I’d ask how you’re doing, you know.’ He runs his hand through his hair. ‘You take care of others. I wanted to make sure you were ok.’

Maxwell sits up and closes his book. ‘Drake Reginald Walker—‘

‘Not my middle name,’ Drake interrupts.

Maxwell waves him off. ‘Your middle name will be the name I give you, my friend. Drake Reginald Walker, are you —gasp!— worried about my well-being?’

Drake laughs at Max’s theatrics. ‘Yeah, maybe, if you insist on putting it this way. You’ve been incredible with Amara. And with Michael. I wanna make sure someone’s taking care of you, too.’

Drake detects a hint of a blush on Max’s face, but doesn’t pry. Maxwell pauses and responds, ‘Thank you, friend, this means a lot. Well yeah, I’m having a good time, enjoying everyone’s company.’

‘You just came out to court. It would probably be normal if you had some, I don’t know, insecurities or whatever,’ Drake continues.

Maxwell looks in the distance before responding. ‘I really appreciate you checking in with me. You’re right, I need to take a minute once in a while to make sure I’m doing ok. So far, so good. I’m surrounded with so many amazing people, I know I’ll be ok.’

Drake smiles. ‘Do you want to join me and Mike on our tour? It’s your duchy, after all.’

Maxwell shakes his head. ‘No, no. Please enjoy your bonding moment with your future brother-in-law. I’ve spent a lot of time with him, and I can tell the two of you will get along great. He’s just like you, no-bullshit, straight-to-the point and all of that. You’ll have a great time.’

Drake smiles mischievously. ‘Been enjoying his company, Maxxie?’

Max snorts. ‘I don’t know what this is supposed to mean, but let me answer that honestly. Yes. He’s a great guy, and he deserves to have people around him, helping him grieve and take back his life.’

Drake throws his hands up in defeat. ‘True. Can’t argue with that.’ He looks to the house. ‘Oh, here they come.’

Drake’s heart tugs when he sees Amara. As usual. She’s coming out of the house, laughing with Michael. She is wearing denim shorts and a white T-shirt, simple as can be, but on her, everything is fucking enchanting. God, he loves her.

‘Hey babes,’ Amara yells out to Drake, Max, and Hana, who waves from the pool. ‘How is it going?’

Drake holds out his hands, and Amara goes right to him to sit on his lap. Drake knows they must look cheesy and cutesy from the outside, but he doesn’t give a fuck. ‘How was the call with your family?’

Amara kisses his forehead. ‘Oh, you wouldn’t believe how chatty Callie is, right Michael? The girl cannot be stopped, I love it.’

Michael chuckles. ‘Yeah, she was so excited to see me AND Auntie Amara together, she proceeded to show off every single one of her stuffed animals, and to introduce them, first and last names included. Took a while.’

They chat about the Suarezes for a while, Amara telling stories about her dad and technology.

Michael looks at Drake and asks, ‘You wanna go? I can’t wait to see more beautiful landscapes.’

Drake nods and kisses Amara deeply. ‘See you later, babe. Max, be good, and don’t buy another actor from the Hangover franchise. I can’t handle a cow named Ed Helms.’

Max gasps. ‘OMG. That is a genius idea, Drake, thank you.’ He mutters to Amara. ‘OR we could buy an angora rabbit and name him Zach Galifianakis. What do you think?’

Amara nods. ‘Yes. But think about poor Justin Bartha. Abandoned on the roof, then no one thinks of naming an animal after him.’

Drake chuckles and gets up. ‘Alright. Let’s go, Mike. I’m very scared of what we’re gonna find when we get back.’

*****

‘See that building over there?’ Drake points as he slows down. ‘This is the oldest restaurant in Ramsford. Been there since the 15th century.’

‘Wow, that is impressive!’ Michael replies. ‘This old town is so gorgeous.’

Drake smiles. ‘Alright, ready to go off roading? We can drive from here to the beach, scenic route only.’

‘Sounds great!’ Michael pauses and takes in the scenery. ‘So, Drake...I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to ask you what your intentions are with Amara.’

Drake chuckles. ‘Go for it. I think I can handle it. Besides, I like a protective brother, I’m one myself.’ He stops himself and remembers that he only has to wait a couple more weeks until he sees his little sister.

‘Ok, here we go,’ Michael says as he pretends to hold an imaginary microphone. ‘Drake Walker, what are your intentions with my sister, Amara Elena Suarez?’ He passes the non-mike to Drake.

‘Well, Mr. Hansen-Suarez, I love your sister, and I firmly intend to keep loving her as long as she’ll let me.’

Michael smiles. ‘Good answer. Besides, I don’t think this sort of menacing older brother thing suits me. It was more Sergio’s speed.’ He chuckles. ‘No one would be threatened by me, I guess.’

‘Hey hey, don’t sell yourself short, Mike. I saw you last night, that douche got hit pretty hard in the face, so I would definitely be threatened by you.’

Michael laughs wholeheartedly. ‘Thanks, man. Well, there’s also the fact that I’m not actually concerned about your intentions. I don’t think my husband would have been either. I mean, it’s pretty obvious that you love her, I could tell right off the bat.’

Drake blushes. ‘Yeah, it caught me by surprise, but...I was all in, right away. I knew that it was a bad idea, well...I thought it was a bad idea. My best friend was —is— really into Amara, and at first I thought I’d stay away. But I couldn’t.’

‘Sash guy?’ Michael asks.

Drake chuckles. ‘Heh. Yeah, that’s the one. Sash guy, aka Liam.’

‘No, no,’ Michael says, ‘I mean was that sash guy on the side of the road? Like, right now?’

Drake frowns and brings the Jeep to a stop. He looks in his rearview mirror and sure enough, Liam is on the side of the road, jogging by himself. ‘What the fuck? He’s not supposed to be in Ramsford without security.’

Michael nods. ‘Should we…?’

‘Yeah. If you don’t mind, I think we should.’

Michael nods again, more emphatically. ‘Of course. And um, I know he doesn’t know. Don’t worry.’

Drake smiles and pats Michael’s back as he backs up his car until he reaches Liam.

‘Hey Li,’ he shouts out the window.

Liam, startled, takes out his earbuds and finally smiles. ‘Hey Drake, you scared me!’

‘That’s what happens when you run around without security, man. Hop in, we were about to go grab coffee somewhere.’

Liam hesitates for a moment and nods. Drake presses the button to open the doors and he gets in the back seat.

*****

Ran into sash guy. Going to coffee with him now. Whaaaaat

Amara looks at her phone quizzically. Michael and Drake had been gone for a little while, during which she, Hana and Max had been puttering around in the pool and eating fruit. The life. When she stopped to think about it, she couldn’t really believe that this was the program for the day. Lounging, eating pineapple in a mansion with a beautiful view. Nice change from her Brooklyn dwellings and her shitty shifts.

‘I think Michael and Drake ran into Liam. Weird, huh?’

Maxwell shrugs. ‘Don’t worry. He was probably getting some air before having to go home to his ball and chain. Literally.’

Hana nods. ‘I know he was pretty shitty to a bunch of us in the recent past, but I do feel bad for the guy. First his dad is dying, then he’s stuck in this sham of an engagement with the most horrible person ever. I hope he can get out of it.’

Amara pauses. ‘I think his father is the one who really pushed him to choose her. I think those two events —his dad’s illness getting worse, and his engagement— are tied together. He wants to please the King, make him feel like he is leaving the country in good hands.’

Maxwell nods and pops a new piece of pineapple into his mouth. ‘I agree, Little Blossom. I worry about him, too, but at this point, there’s nothing more we can do before the Engagement Tour. Then, all of us can investigate and maybe catch Madeleine in a scheme, or something of the sort. I mean, we have a detective in our midst.’

‘Yes,’ Hana says emphatically, ‘we have a brilliant detective here, and, well, it’s too bad that our lawyer will be back in the States by the time we hop on that train on Friday…’ she makes eye contact with Amara in a smooth, sneaky way.

‘Right,’ Amara jumps on the occasion, ‘I’m gonna miss Michael. I can’t believe he’s already leaving in a couple of days.’

Maxwell looks at the bottom of his water glass, without a word. Hana looks at Amara again, this time seeming a bit more impatient. ‘Well,’ she continues, ‘maybe he could come back soon, right Amara? With Callie? We have all grown to like him a lot, and I’m sure you miss him so much.’

As much as she’s enjoying the theatrics, Amara feels the need to tone it down. This is getting a bit too orchestrated, even by Maxwell’s standards. ‘Definitely,’ she says. ‘I don’t know what the future holds, but if I stay in Cordonia —that’s assuming I stop being viewed as a whore by the whole community of course— I would love for my family to visit.’

Maxwell finally lifts up his eyes. They meet Hana’s. ‘Sweetie, you’re amazing at everything, but I think we just found your weak spot. It’s acting.’ He turns to Amara. ‘And you, please don’t say that people consider you a whore. Have you read the tabloids? No? Because I have. And sure, there’s some that publish the infamous Tariq picture, but most of them say it was photoshopped, and that you were too big a threat to the monarchy. The press still loves you. Many newspapers are speaking up against slut shaming, and in fact, I hope that Liam does hire a PR guy or gal for you, as he promised, because we can totally fucking spin this. Even if we don’t find stupid Tariq. Hell, if Liam doesn’t hire someone, I will. I can pull some strings.’

‘Wow, Max,’ Amara says, blown away by the monologue. ‘That was hot. Look!’ She holds out her arm. ‘I got chills!’

Max chuckles, ‘Oh, shut up. I love you, but shut up.’

‘No no, I’m serious. That was badass, and it actually made me feel better. I told myself I didn’t care what Cordonia thought about the Tariq shit, so I didn’t look online at all, but just knowing this is making me feel better. Thank you.’

He smiles. ‘You’re welcome. Bertrand and I were talking about it, and we think that maybe it’s time for you to talk to the press. They’ve been calling the duchy, but we respected your wishes not to talk about it. Maybe before we leave for Rome, we could pick a journalist and tell your side of the story?’

Amara smiles. ‘I’ll think about it.’

Hana, still silent up until now, takes advantage of a quiet moment to turn to Maxwell and ask, ‘What do you mean I can’t act?’

He bursts out laughing. ‘Oh honey. Maybe you can, on a stage, but in real life you are not smooth. ‘Oh I wish Michael stayed longer!’ ‘Oh we all love him, don’t we?’ Give me a break, I know what you’re all thinking.’

Hana pouts. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you, Maxxie. I’m sorry.’

‘No no, I’m not upset!’ He rubs her shoulder and smiles. ‘I’m not. I just—‘ he pauses and sighs. ‘I like being around him. A lot. Alright, you happy now?’

Amara smiles brightly. ‘Well, yeah, we definitely are.’

Hana’s smile is so wide that Amara is concerned she may dislocate her jaw. ‘I didn’t mean to pressure you into anything, Maxxie, but you gotta admit that you two would be so cute together!’

Maxwell rolls his eyes. ‘Fine, we’d be fucking adorable. We all know that.’ His face grows a tad somber. ‘But babe, and forgive me, Amara, for saying this and potentially ruining the day, but Michael is still grieving. In just a few days, I’ve grown fond of him, and if this were a regular situation, yeah, of course, I’d ask him out. But this is a very irregular situation. It’s delicate. I don’t want him to think that I’m going too fast, and I certainly don’t want to hurt his feelings in any way if he’s not ready to even go on a date with someone other than Sergio. I respect him —and you, Little Blossom, and your family and your pain— way too much to step into this unwelcomed.’

Amara realizes she’d been holding her breath. Hana holds out her hand for Max to take. He complies, and gives her a sweet kiss. Amara fights back tears. No, she won’t cry. Not now, not when she wants to show Maxwell that no, he’s not stepping into a bed of thorns. She takes a deep breath. ‘Shit, Max. Do you have any idea how much I want Michael to be happy? And do you have any idea how much I love you? How good a guy I think you are? If anyone is gonna be respectful and mindful of Michael’s history, I know it’s you.’ Welp, a tear escapes. She tried to hold it back, but oh well. She wipes it away. ‘That’s all,’ she chuckles. ‘I won’t overstep any more than that. You guys figure it out. And for the record, he may leave on Thursday, but he’s not dropping off the face of the Earth.’

Maxwell nods. ‘Understood.’ He takes Amara’s hand. ‘There,’ he says, ‘now I’m in a Hana/Amara sandwich. I love you guys.’

*****

‘Thanks, Drake,’ Liam says as he grabs the coffee his friend is handing him. ‘Sorry we couldn’t go in public.’

Michael waves him off. ‘This is a lot better, actually. Who wouldn’t want to have coffee on the beach?’

Liam smiles. ‘Thank you, Michael. I didn’t mean to crash your afternoon.’

Drake sits down in between the two men. ‘Don’t be stupid. Did you guys get a chance to chat while I was picking up the coffee?’

Liam nods. ‘Yes, we did. I apologized to Michael again for the ruckus at court. This is not a normal time, that’s for sure.’ He takes a sip and stares at the ocean.

Drake sighs. ‘Li, are you ok? You didn’t answer my texts.’

‘Sorry about that, too.’ He lets out a sad chuckle. ‘I’ve been shit at everything. That’s why I went for this run. I bet Bastien is looking for me everywhere as we speak, but I needed out.’

‘Liam, I know you barely know Michael,’ Drake continues, ‘but you can speak in front of him, right, Mike? He won’t care.’

Michael nods. ‘Of course. You’re going through a lot. You need to let it out.’

Liam smiles. ‘Well, I made my bed.’

Drake snorts. ‘Come on, Li. You deserve better. You didn’t ask for all this shit. We’ll find a way to get you out of this shitty engagement, I promise. If we can get some dirt on her, she’s done.’

‘You know why i ran away? I have a press conference with her tonight. The engagement conference. We’re supposed to gush over each other and talk about our hopes and dreams. Dreams of a future heir. Disclose the names of our wedding party. All wedding and marriage stuff. Nothing I want. I needed some air.’ He takes another sip, stares into the distance.

Drake puts his hand on his friend’s back. ‘Li, I’m sorry. We’ll get you out.’

Liam nods. Is he going to be able to tell him? It might be worth it to just say it out loud, even with a stranger here. ‘Drake, I don’t know if I can do this.’

Drake sighs. ‘I know it’s hard right now, especially since you’re alone at the palace with her and your dad and brother, but as soon as we’re all on the tour, I promise. It will get more manageable.’

Liam avoids Drake’s eyes. Maybe he can tell him. ‘I don’t feel good about this, Drake. I know it’s not comparable at all, I know this, but—‘ he interrupts himself. Should he say it in front of her brother-in-law? Fuck it. ‘I can’t stop thinking about what Amara went through. Tariq trying to assault her. She must have felt so fucking violated, and thankfully you were there. I can’t stop thinking about it these days. Partly because I feel responsible for her being in the spotlight, and partly because—‘ he pauses again. Can he say it without sounding like an asshole? What he’s going through is by his own volition, kind of, it has nothing to do with assault, and yet… He takes a breath. ‘Partly because I feel completely shitty about having to sleep with Madeleine.’

Drake tightens his grip on his back. Liam feels Drake’s eyes migrating to Michael’s. The two men share a stare. Is it a concerned stare? Is it one of disdain? Like oh, that spoiled mansplainy Liam, thinking his plight is the same as that of an assaulted woman? He hopes not.

Drake finally speaks. ‘Liam, I’m sorry to hear that. Please don’t be concerned about Amara, I know it was hard for her, but um, her friends and family are around her. As for you, well, I feel terrible about this. I’m so sorry that you had to go to those lengths. Please don’t let her take advantage of the situation again. You have the right to say no.’

Liam chuckles. It comes out a lot sadder than he intended. ‘I know. I just didn’t feel like dealing with the consequences of saying no. And for the record, I know that my situation isn’t the same as Amara’s. I know that. It just makes me feel even worse, because it’s already fucking terrible to force oneself to have sex with someone you don’t want. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to—well, to say the least, this whole situation is making me reconsider a lot of fucking things.’

Michael gets up from the sand, slowly and discreetly. He whispers, ‘I’m going to let you guys talk for a bit. I’m sorry, Liam, and I agree with Drake, I don’t know you, but you deserve better. Please take care.’

He walks away towards the other end of the beach, cell phone in hand, taking pictures.

Liam shakes his head. ‘See? I’m even making him run away.’

Drake chuckles. ‘No, that’s not it. He wanted to give us privacy. And probably to take pics for his daughter.’

Liam nods. ‘He seems like a good guy. He lost his fucking husband, and here I am complaining about not really wanting to fuck a Countess.’

‘Liam, there’s no competition in suffering. I wish I knew what to say or do to help—‘

‘You can’t help, not for now anyways,’ Liam interrupts. ‘But it does feel good to talk about it.’

*****

‘Hey guys!’ Drake yells out as he lets himself into the house. ‘We’re home, and we brought wine!’

‘Welcome back,’ Maxwell says cheerfully. ‘It’s just me and the girls, Liv went to her date with Rashad, and Bertrand has a dinner meeting at Castelsarreillan. How was the tour?’

Michael’s face lights up. ‘Oh, it was amazing, Max, your duchy is so beautiful. I loved the beach most of all.’

‘I’m so glad,’ Maxwell beams. ‘Come on in, guys, let’s get comfy.’

They walk into the living room, where Hana is reading a book, and Amara is on her iPad doing research. Drake sees on her screen that she’s still looking into Savannah’s location in Paris. His heart sinks. How did he luck out so much with this woman, who’s always in his corner?

‘Hey ladies,’ Drake says enthusiastically. ‘Mike and I have a proposition for you all.’

Amara raises an eyebrow. ‘Oh, do tell!’

Michael smiles brightly and looks at Drake. ‘You do the honors, you’re in charge!’

Drake nods excitedly. ‘Since Mike has never seen Portavira, we thought that we could all go to my cabin tomorrow morning and stay tomorrow night? He only has 3 nights left in this country, let’s make them count!’

Hana gasps. ‘OMG this is a great idea! I love your cabin so much.’

‘I’m SO in,’ Amara says as she closes her iPad into its keyboard. ‘I miss the tranquility of the cabin, let’s do it!’

Maxwell claps his hands in excitement. ‘Yass Kweens, let’s go bright and early tomorrow!’

‘And let’s pop this wine,’ Michael whispers to Drake. ‘We got it in an old wine store, it was so cute! I had to get two bottles for us.’

‘Aw, thanks Michael, you didn’t have to do that,’ Maxwell says as he claps a hand on his arm in gratitude. ‘Well, everyone get comfy around the table, and I’m gonna go get us some snacks.’

‘Oh, I’ll help,’ Michael follows suit.

Once the two disappear into the kitchen, Amara and Hana look at each other and put a hand to their chests. Drake smiles. ‘Alright ladies, could you be any more obvious?’ He plops down on the couch next to Amara and nuzzles in her hair. ‘Hey babe. Missed you.’

Amara kisses his nose and cups his face in her hand. ‘Me too. How was it?’

‘Good. It was fun to hang with Mike. But um, I think he told you, we bumped into Liam. He’s going through some serious shit.’

Amara makes a pained face. ‘Oh crap. How is he holding up?’

Drake shrugs. ‘Not great. I think it was good for him to talk, though.’

She nods. ‘Good. I’m glad.’

Hana sighs. ‘We were just talking about him today, right Amara? We all feel terrible about his situation, and maybe it will all get sorted out during the Tour, at least let’s hope so.’ She pauses and Drake and Amara nod in agreement. She turns her head to the kitchen and whispers, ‘What do you think they’re talking about in there?’

*****

‘Another martini?’

‘Are you trying to get me drunk?’ Liv asks sharply.

Rashad laughs earnestly. ‘No. You can drink me under the table.’

‘You got that right.’

He chuckles. ‘I hope you like boeuf bourguignon. I got takeout from this French restaurant. I know you like red wine so I figured you’d like that.’

Olivia forces herself not to smile. ‘Oh so, no cooking?’

Rashad gestures to the apartment around him. ‘This is an Airbnb. I don’t know where the pans are.’ He takes a sip of his martini. ‘Or how to cook.’

Liv can’t help but smile, ever so slightly. Rashad travels a lot around Cordonia for work, and stays at Airbnbs and hotels most of the time, since he rarely stays in his own duchy. No wonder the man lives off takeout. No servants in his life, and certainly no cooking.

Olivia likes that. The life of a loner. Depending on no one. Kinda hot.

‘I like boeuf bourguignon. You win this round.’

His face lights up. ‘Good. Not that I was nervous or anything. You know me. Cool as fuck.’

She gives him a half smile as she sips on her second martini. ‘Is the bourguignon ready now?’ She asks.

‘Not yet,’ he answers. ‘Needs to be in the oven for a while.’ He takes a sip as well. ‘Why, you hungry now?’

She gets up from her chair. ‘Nope,’ she says, as she straddles him and kisses him deeply.

*****

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Natsume Yuujinchou: “The House that was Left Behind with a Promise (Part 3)” Summary (Chapter 94)

The three of them, to each his own......

“The House that was Left Behind with a Promise”: Part 1 | Part 2 

*gross sobbing*

N-No I’m not crying! I’m not!

Also, yes, I changed the translation for the title. It makes more sense now that the meaning behind it is clearer.

[I actually had plans to make an April Fools version of this summary yesterday... But this chapter was too emotional to make a joke of. So I decided not too.]

- Niji

[Everything under the cut.]

Chapter 94: “The House that was Left Behind with a Promise” (Part 3)

Right from where we left off last chapter...

One-eyed: Do... you... know... Masakiyo? Natsume: Masakiyo... Is that a person’s name? One-eyed: Ye... s. An... expressionless... merci... less... exor... cist... from Miha... ru.

The One-eyed youkai recounts his past, how he used to hide in the shed of an old and large mansion. One day, a large ayakashi came to the warehouse of the mansion, bring with it calamity and other ayakashi.

One-eyed: The humans in the mansion cried every day... And... So did I... So scary~~~~~ Natsume: ......

The humans called in exorcists to get rid of the ayakashi, but each one of them failed. Until one day, Miharu was called.

All the small ayakashi, realizing that it was the infamous “expressionless and merciless exorcist of Miharu, Masakiyo,” ran for their lives. However, One-eyed was so petrified with fear that he was unable to move at all. The large, powerful ayakashi stayed their grounds, believing that they would be able to deal with another exorcist-- but was easily purged by Miharu.

One after another, Miharu went down on the ayakashi, and each of them were erased. Until, finally, he arrived in front of One-eyed.

However, after one look at the trembling youkai, Miharu turned away.

Masakiyo: ......Leave this instant. I have no interest in weaklings. Don’t show your face before me again.

He let One-eyed go.

Natsume: ------If that’s the case, why...... One-eyed: He let me go... I had to... return... the... favor.

From that day on, One-eyed followed Masakiyo, asking him for a chance to return the favor. However, Masakiyo never looked at or answered him.

Nyanko: Don’t tell me you are one of those they call “stalkers”.........

One-eyed persisted by Masakiyo’s side, believing that a chance to repay his mercy would come one day, even if Masakiyo refused to look at or speak to him.

Masakiyo himself was also a stern man who never smiled. But one day, One-eyed saw Masakiyo alone in the garden, crying.

Masakiyo: ------Ah. I wish the Miharu house would disappear...

That must be Masakiyo’s wish. One-eyed got excited, wanting to grant it, but was always unable to do so because of Mihashira’s interference. That was when he realized...

One-eyed: If I interfere with the ceremony and anger Mihashira, then the Miharu house might get destroyed...

One-eyed hurries away to head back to the ceremony, but Natsume tries to stop him. Angered at his interference, One-eyed turns around to threaten Natsume, but is knocked down by Hiiragi, who appears right at this instant.

One-eyed pushes Hiiragi away and heads up the hole in the ceiling. Fearing that they might lose him in the mansion, they quickly chase after him.

Nyanko: ...Geez, he was so focused on returning the favor that he didn’t even realize that Masakiyo and the people of Miharu were already gone. At the end of the day, humans and ayakashi will never be able to truly understand each other. Natsume: ------...

Natsume, however, believes that One-eyed must have misunderstood Masakiyo’s intention... That he might not have meant it literally as a wish.

[Okay, I didn’t think it was a good idea to slot this translation note the first time Masakiyo said it because of how emotional it was, but... oh god, it’s a double-meaning. When the word “house” (家 “ie”) is used with a family name like “Miharu”, it usually refers to the family or the people of the household. However, this can also refer to the actual building itself. When Masakiyo said this, One-eyed and almost everyone else in this chapter mistook it to mean the Miharu family, when in truth, Masakiyo was probably crying over the latter, because of the strain of having to care for Mihashira-sama. Thankfully there is a way to make this vague in English as well (I’m going with “the Miharu house”, which can refer to both the people AND the building), though it’s a bit of a cheat... But you get the idea.]

The ceremony continues, with the swaying figure of Mihashira-sama walking among the parade of exorcists, with Matoba at the helm. With the rather fluid appearance of the youkai, none of the exorcists can tell which of the three it is; only until they lead it into the room between the pillars for the ceremony will it return to its original appearance. [”Mihashira” is literally “three pillars”.]

Natsume manages to catch up with One-eyed, but sees One-eyed heading for Matoba and Mihashira. Right before the youkai could reach though, he slams into a barrier made by Natori.

Natori: Try and take a step closer to the procession, and I’ll exorcise you, One-eyed.

[Great time to be a badass, Natori.]

One-eyed, fearful of the threat, quickly runs away.

Natsume and Natori finally reunite.

Natori: ------Hm, I’ve been looking for you. Are you alright? Natsume, Hiiragi? Nyanko: I’m here too! Natsume: You saved us. -------Natori-san... I’m glad you’re alright... Natori: ------Yeah. You too, Natsume.

[Why does this look like a love confession?]

Fearing that One-eyed might try to interfere with the ceremony before it is over, they decide to set up an exorcism circle outside the room. As they do, Natsume fills Natori in with One-eyed’s story.

The ceremony proceeds without issue, and Matoba leads Mihashira into the room.

Just as Natori and Natsume are done with their preparations, One-eyed appears in the corridor, asking them to let him pass. 

Natori: ------I’ve heard your story. I can’t be sure if you’re doing the right thing trying to grant this wish, but Masakiyo-san and the people of Miharu are no longer around. Even if this ceremony fails, you will still be unable to return the favor you so hope to.

One-eyed: ...... That’s... not... true. Miharu’s house... is still right here... isn’t... it? Masakiyo... was here. He was wishing... for the Miharu house to disappear. He was... crying. Th... at... strong... Masakiyo... He was.. crouching... Crying... so many tears... I wanted... to comfort him, but Masakiyo... won’t look at me... That’s why... I...

One-eyed: I... will grant Masakiyo’s wish!! Go away! I’ll... anger... Mihashira!

One-eyed flies towards them. Stunned, Natsume holds him before he can enter the circle, knowing that he will get hurt in it.

One-eyed: Let go! Let go! Ch... ild! Natsume: Yes, the house was left behind like this, but the thing that Masakiyo-san wanted to make disappear... It’s already over. Miharu, and Masakiyo-san too. They are no longer around. They will never come back.

One-eyed: You’re... ly... ing. Masakiyo is... Because... The Miharu’s house... ....... I have to return the favor. He showed me... mercy... To someone like me...

One-eyed: To me... Who couldn’t do... anything...

In the room between the pillars, the ceremony continues. As the exorcists continue their chants, the fluid figure transforms itself into none other than... Boubou-zukin.

Matoba offers the youkai sake while calling its name. Boubou-zukin accepts the wine, pledging to protect the family once more.

And thus, the ceremony ends.

Having held onto One-eyed, who was fill with bloodlust, for so long, Natsume collapses to the ground, unconscious.

He sees One-eyed’s memory, where he follows Masakiyo.

One-eyed: Oi! Let me return the favor! Oi! Don’t make me repeat this! Masakiyo: ------... Go away. Letting one go is frowned upon. If you don’t want to be exorcised, don’t show yourself before my eyes again. One-eyed: ......... You saved me. I will return the favor.

Masakiyo: You were to be exorcised because of a human’s situation. You were saved on a human’s whim. What favor is there to return? You are free. Go anywhere you like. Live however you like. One-eyed: In that case... It’s fine even if I don’t find it. I will just stay by Masakiyo’s side.

Natsume wakes up. One-eyed, knowing that Natsume has seen his memories, speaks of the events.

One-eyed: ------... There was someone that... Masakiyo loved... but because she was unable to shoulder the burden of his work... and he was unable to abandon his family... On the day they separated... just once... Masakiyo cried. I couldn’t understand it... But I thought, if Miharu disappeared, Masakiyo will definitely... Definitely... Bu... t... I... see... I... was too late... for... everything... and... anything------...

Tears brim by One-eyed’s eye.

Natsume: ...Didn’t he tell you this? ---------...... “You are free. Go anywhere you like. Live however you like.”

Thus, the incident concluded without further complications.

Matoba and Natori thank each other (Matoba thanking Natori for stopping One-eyed during the procession, while Natori thanks Matoba for helping them get out of the room). Matoba laughs, saying that this means that they are even.

Natori: ------The true weight of taking over someone else’s burden... It’s something I cannot fathom, but today, I’ve finally understood something. Even heavy things must be dealt with alone......

[OMG these lines are so AAAAAAH. Not only does it refer to Matoba taking over the Mihashira ceremony for the Miharu family, it also talks about Masakiyo having to take over the ceremony for his own family, AND of course, Natsume’s Book of Friends which he inherited from Reiko. Natori literally just summarized the entire point of this three-parter, the central plot of the series AND an integral conflict. This is... This is just expert writing right there. I’m dying.]

Natori and his shiki return to picking loquats, when Natsume spots Matoba seated alone.

Natsume: ------Matoba-san. Matoba: Oh, Natsume-kun. Good work today. Everything worked out well, didn’t it? It’s just as you declared it would... Natsume: ...... Matoba: Still, Mihashira-sama is pitiful, isn’t it? Even after the everyone in the family has passed on, they still continue to keep to their promise. It’s laughable and troublesome. Natsume: ------...

For a moment, Natsume thought that Matoba looked envious of those ayakashi who continued to keep to their promise. Perhaps because Matoba was someone who has broken so many promises that he can no longer have another with anyone.

Matoba begins to wonder if the ceremony would go as smoothly the next time it occurs, but finally concludes that it might no longer be a concern of his when the time comes, as a new head might have already taken his place.

Natsume digs for a loquat in his bag, and offers it to Matoba.

Natsume: ------I’m sure you’ll be able to do something about it. As long as you’re able to welcome them properly like today and convey your feelings, it’ll be alright... Here, please cheer up.

Matoba looks surprised, but breaks into a chuckle.

Matoba: What a strange thing to say. Did I appear unhappy?

Regardless, Matoba accepts it, recalling that the loquats were pretty tasty the last time he had them. He had been very interested in the loquat tree at Yorishima’s.

Matoba: It was when I was a student. I was always very interested in it, and would stare at it all the time. Once, I was looking at it beside Natori, and Yorishima-san gave us a couple of them, one after another. It was so sweet and tasty. I’d always wanted to try one, and finally had my wish granted that day. However, Natori seemed to have gotten a bad one, as he ate his with a strange look on his face. Natsume: ------... Matoba: ------I wasn’t sure why that was the case. I believe Yorishima-san gave me one that was the same as Natori’s. But mine was sweet. Yet, Natori gave Yorishima-san the look that it wasn’t tasty. ------Then he said, “Yeah... Even for something this small, it doesn’t always go around well...”

An exorcist calls out for Matoba, telling him that they’ve prepared for the dismantling of the ceremony. Matoba comments that he had been saying a strange story without even a punchline, and leaves with the loquat.

Back to the loquat tree, they ask about where One-eyed had gone to, but figures that he must have left with his newfound freedom. Natsume wonders why Miharu died out even though they should have had peace with Mihashira around. Natori replies that it was probably because of Mihashira that they began to decline. 

Natori: Humans are prone to lose control, after all... And I don’t mean over ayakashi, but over themselves. It’s rare to meet someone like you, who keeps powerful things------ like Sensei and the Book of Friends by your side, but you never use them for your own benefit. Nyanko: What are you saying!? He always uses me like a cart-horse!!

Natsume grows solemn, thinking about Miharu. He believes that they must have invited Mihashira in originally with the intent to protect their family, and that it just so happened that there were youkai that were willing to answer to that wish.

He recalls Matoba’s words: “Even for something this small, it doesn’t always go around well...”

Natori breaks him out of his reverie with a bag of loquats.

Natori: ......Natsume? ------I’m sorry for dragging you into exorcism stuff again. I’ll give you these as gifts, so please cheer up... Natsume: Did I appear unhappy?

“The House that was Left Behind with a Promise” END

[lilbit-of-kizzy]

Cue me just mumbling "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!!"

God that was a DAY (this may be mixing two days but I'm pretty sure it was all one): We get up early to catch the ferry, head across the sound and make our way to the next ferry which is a 3 hour ferry ride (Swan Quarter out to Ocracoke) We played Uno and had a great day out on the islands. The Wright Bros museum was closed due to a fire earlier that day but the grounds were open and very fun. We decided to not wear our bathing suits on the beach so we've got super sandy shorts (oops), after our fun day we head back with plenty of time to spare on the last ferry home (the first one, we're driving back skipping the swan quarter ferry)

However we need gas, this is fine I think to myself. There's bound to be a gas station at Swan Quarter right? As busy as it is? Yeah I'll get it there. Nope, it closed at some ungodly hour (like 3 or something) and the gas attendant inside is ignoring us. The cop who pulls up is wildly unhelpful because??? He can be? And when I say "look is there anything closer than Belhaven? Our GPS says that's X-miles away but I think I only have gas for just under that" cop shrugs, says nope, looks bored towards his friend inside the gas station, rolls his eyes like "tourist amirite" and walks off inside. Great.

So we head towards the Belhaven gas station, we see many logging trucks along the way. Then we see a dog...wait no it's moving funny....and is also very largthat's a bear?!

4 miles to the gas station, says the GPS. 0 gallons of gas says my car. 3 miles to the gas station says the GPS -1 gallons of gas and also fuck you says my car and sputters sadly to a stop. Ok, let's not panic, let's call 911 like the responsible adults we are. So we do, only signal sucks ass and we have ZERO idea where we are so it takes them a little too long to find us. We're all a little on edge so we think, well let's roll down a window or two. Nope wrong bad idea because what's that weird droning? What's that weird droning? Mosquitos, in the car, loooots of mosquitos. So we spray bug spray in the car, which we can't vent because mosquitos. Finally notice the cop and honk the horn. "Omg sorry I didn't see you, your back hazards aren't working" fantastic anyways can you get us gas please? "No, but my buddies coming with a gas can!.... I'm sorry I don't mean to imply anything but....is that alcohol I smell?" No sorry that would be copious amounts of bug spray mixed with hot car mixed with mild panic.

Cue buddy, who does not have a gas can but another cop is coming with one. He finally arrives and he and I drive the 3 miles over to the station. Turns out he's actually from Charlotte and knows the place my dad works so we actually have a nice talk which calms me down considerably. He also says he's so glad we decided not to walk as we broke down in a pretty bad neighborhood (again fantastic)

We figure out how to work the pump with the can, and drive back. Only to find my 2 friends playing uno with the other 2 cops 😂

We gas up my poor little car and have to push it to get it running. Wave bye and thank the cops profusely and beeline for the ferry, which we're really not sure we're gonna make and will add an extra hour and a half to our insane day if we do miss it.

Cue frogs

(oh and the GPS telling us the road continues through a corn field that's obviously been there for decades??)

We make it to the ferry terminal and run inside to find a schedule and...yeah we missed the last one, by like 45 mins. We're bummed trying to decide what to do when we hear a horn in the distance. It's the ferry, with the captain we've gotten to know over the past few days waving out of the helm at us. When he gets close enough he comes down and yells out "I'd given up on you girls! Are you ok?" All 3 of us basically sobbing at this we tell him we ran out of gas and got majorly delayed. He told us to drive on and went back up to drive. We did and followed him up, he said he'd been pretty worried about us and was glad we'd made it in time. I'm still pretty sure he did that for us out of kindness, because the scheduled crossings were definitely over for the night. (Thank you so much ferry man!)

We all called our worried parents and drove back to the house and crashed in front of the TV.

Tl;dr: small town cops suck ass, bears look like dogs from far away on flat straight roads, small town cops can be fun, frogs have no regard for self preservation, and ferry men take a shine to the only tourists riding the miner's ferry. Also please get gas at the first station you see.

me: *pulls into gas station* just a quick stop :)

GPS: what the FUCK did you do

[rt-carrot]

10 Favorite BNHA moments so far

So I’m making this list because BNHA just keeps getting better and I just wanted something to look back at in the future.

Note: Everything after the first one has no specific order. Just did the moments I could remember off the top of my head. 

Definitely manga spoilers here sooo you’ve been warned.

1. All Might tells Deku he can become a hero after he saves Bakugou 

I honestly was not a fan of the show from the start because of how much Deku cried. I just wasn’t having it. But after a while I gave it another shot and realized how emotional these two scenes made me. There was something chilling about Deku running out and made me cheer for him. To me, this encapsulates what the entire story is about and tells us what we can expect. It gives us a lot of information about his character and how selfless he is. 

The moment right after is when I decided I completely love this this show. I’m a huge fan of origins and All Might telling Deku he can become a hero was just brilliant. The color scheme, the music, the emotion, and the fact that All Might is saying this in his weakened form just gave me the feels. I don’t know how I overlooked this moment my first time watching, but this was definitely the start of where this show began to grow on me. 

Deku vs Bakugou (1 on 1)

Up until this point, I had very mixed feelings about Bakugou. Initially, I hated the guy. He was such an asshole and it was the type of character I hated most. After a while though, man Bakugou is SO badass. Yeah he’s an ass, but this man exemplifies what Go Beyond, Plus Ultra is. He has an incredible drive, he’s versatile, intelligent, and honestly a giant wall for everyone else in the class to overcome. I hated him, but I admired him so much for having so much potential. 

And then we got this moment. Teenage angst much? I love it. For how scary he might be or how much of an ass he is, the guy is human too. Bakugou, for me, is how this show is tackling mental health. We are seeing virtually the most fearsome man is class 1-A the most vulnerable he’ll ever be. His character development over the story has been phenomenal and seeing him in this panel solidified him being my favorite right after Deku. 

Deku and Bakugou vs All Might 

I love character development so much. This moment just had so much between the two. They start working together, they go Plus Ultra, and they stay true to who they are. Deku will always save someone that needs saving, Bakugou will do whatever it takes to win, and All Might is still a fucking beast. The two of them in the future are going to make such great heroes. 

 Deku vs Tordoroki

I honestly don’t think I need too much explanation for this one lol. Todoroki, you deserve so much. Deku, you’re doing amazing sweetie. Endeavor? More like DAD NEVER ha.. ha.. ha. 

Deku and Mirio vs Overhaul (saving eri)

y’all, Mirio is such an amazing character. There’s a reason why he was the one that was supposed to be succeeding All Might. He trained ridiculously hard with a quirk that’s not easy to use at all. Overhaul was really no match for him at all. Even when he was quirkless he stood on his own fairly well. 

And then Deku takes the helm. It’s the madman’s turn to prove that he deserves to be All Might’s successor. 

I just wanna put this whole arc in this spot tbh bc Kirishima, Fatgum, Tamaki, and Night eye, but these two had to take it. The feels in this arc man. The feels.

You’re next 

All Might vs AFO was an incredible, phenomenal, bad ass, emotional, omg my heart fight. It had so many great moments that just made me feel so many different things from hype to fear. Moments like All Might’s true form revealed, Deku and Bakugou crying for All Might to win, THE UNITED STATES OF SMASH. But, the moment All Might says Deku is next got me.

His time is up and it’s Deku’s turn to take the mantle. 

Deku saves Kouta 

So this was the first time in the series that Deku actually saved someone in a real life or death situation. Not only does he save Kouta’s life, but also gave him a change of heart in heroes. Todoroki mentioned that actions have more impact than words and Deku goes out and proves that. He puts everything on the line for Kouta and again, it shows the kind of hero he is. This was a moment for me that really made me feel like Deku was going to be the world’s greatest hero. I mean that’s what we were told in the very beginning, but when we are able to finally see the actions, oh man shit got real. 

Deku uses One For All for the very first time

This moment had me hype for the rest of the show. LIKE DAMN. This smol little cinnamon roll has this much power now. Is he ever going to learn how to control it? How is he going to be at the very end of the series? IS HE GOING TO BE ALRIGHT?? 

Just seeing this cultivated so much curiosity for me and it was such an awesome moment to see that this man will do anything to save someone. 

Stain 

Stain was a villain for the ages. In my opinion, this was when the show had a major turning point. For the most part, the show was fairly lighthearted. After Stain though, everything that happens consequently is because of this man. He has so much influence over the show after his appearance. One of my favorite villains on the show that felt so real. He was the villain that embodied plus ultra (in a bad way). 

Bakugou vs Uraraka  

I could probably go on as to why I love this but I’m just going to keep it simple. 

It’s my favorite ship   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Honorable Mentions

Any moment with Toga in it

Red Riot Debut

Deku goes full cowl

Deku’s shoot style

Todoroki vs Bakugou 

Students move into dorms

Kendou and Tetsutetsu vs Villains

[verdigrisprowl]

May 14 Dancitron Movie Night - Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Prowl was warned ahead of time by Soundwave that there was going to be constant organic shadowplay in this movie. And after the fight against Unicron was immediately followed by a wave of movie nights with mind control, bugs crawling into heads, forced gestalt minds, needles in heads... Prowl decided he didn’t feel up to more makeshift exposure therapy tonight.

So he didn’t show up.

ItsyBitsySpyers *Soundwave quickly finishes nibbling his piece of the gummi dancing chestburster's tail and slams his visor down. Time for movie night - and a seat.* Specs ((bless)) Smokescreen This message has been removed. This message has been removed. ItsyBitsySpyers ((i'm gonna start at 8:25 so if y'all want snacks or whatever, get them)) Prowl *arrives* Specs ((awright)) ItsyBitsySpyers *Soundwave pings Prowl hello.*

[[Good evening.]] Prowl *pings back*

Hello, Soundwave. Specs *here comes a dragon! she looks exhausted, but she's brought the energon goodies as always.* Hello, Soundwave! ItsyBitsySpyers *She's to be greeted with cushions, bugs - this time, Buzzsaw tried to fancy them up a bit by cutting off bits of random plants as a garnish, based on what he saw on Earth cooking shows - and Soundwave's feelers helping her move the goodies to the counter.* Specs *bless this Soundwave. what a friend.* Oh! Thank you, Soundwave, Buzzsaw. Thank you! *she doesn't even get a full dragonloaf this time, it's more like a dragonbaguette* ItsyBitsySpyers ((*does the skeletor NYEH and laughs into her hands*)) [[Quite welcome. Still experiencing the aligned planets...?]] *She looks as tired as him.* Specs No, thankfully. Concursion only lasts a week. A bonded triad got lost out in one of the less-inhabited areas. Part of my job, as it were, is to make sure search parties passing through my area get fed and rested, so it was a busy week. At least they were found before they starved. ItsyBitsySpyers [[Do you require search assistance?]] ((wb)) Smokescreen Tonight's a Star War trek night, right sounds? //asbncv thanks ItsyBitsySpyers [[It is.]] ItsyBitsySpyers ((well, looks like a quiet night tonight. we're gonna get rolling)) Specs *the dragon blinks. she wasn't expecting to hear THAT!* Not this time, but... *pauses to lick her paw and smooth out the fur around her face* But if your offer stands for the next time, it would be appreciated. Smokescreen /He's going to go ahead and take his usual spot! He brought a few snacks to share- or just eat, himself/ ItsyBitsySpyers *Ah. Preserving her dignity, felinoid style? Or just dirty?*

[[He can allow it to stand.]] ((SHIT WAIT i forgot warnings uh where' smy file)) ((WARNINGS: Often nonconsensual invasive telepathy, passing ableist comment, Bones being species-ist, "nudity", flashing lights, birthing scene, shaky camera, monotheistic focus. Not to mention that the movie is just plain BAD. Badly written, badly filmed, badly edited. Hands down the worst of all six original Trek films. I'm so sorry for making you all sit through it.)) Specs *Yes.* You have my thanks, Soundwave. *she is really grateful! just also very tired and not making the words go.* ItsyBitsySpyers *Soundwave sends Prowl the name of the film and where to find the audio description file* *He still hasn't figured out what her alternate did.* Prowl *notices something off about the energy signatures in the room* My alternate isn't here tonight? ItsyBitsySpyers [[No. Not yet.]] *And that's probably for the best.* Omicron *Ice Queen pokes her head in, late, looking around* Me ((can we assume he was warned ahead of time? since that would be the reason for him not to show.)) ItsyBitsySpyers ((we can)) Smokescreen ... Huh, he isn't? I didn't look that way yet. Me ((o7)) ItsyBitsySpyers [[He's not. Police work doesn't always obey the hours we set for ourselves.]] Smokescreen Yeah- yeah, that's fair. Still, sucks to have to work when he usually gets to relax, right? But I guess every Cybertron's been pretty busy! ItsyBitsySpyers [[Naturally. And... yes. Yes, some of them have.]] Omicron ...? *the big predacon carefully sits in the bakc.... sneaks a lick on smokey as she passes* ItsyBitsySpyers *Without so much as fidgeting, let alone turning to look:* [[Greetings.]] Prowl Ah, all right then. Thank you for the audio description, Soundwave. *frowns* Smokescreen I don't know if mine's busier, or if I'm just taking on way too much work. Omicron hello Specs *the smol fluff chirps at the sound of Icy Claws, but doesn't get up- she's TIRED.* Omicron ....? *looks for the chirper? where is the fluffy?* Me ((i appreciate that they feel the need to specify "Yosemite National Park, Planet Earth." It implies that the audience might not necessarily know what planet Yosemite is on. Good immersion there.)) Specs *the fluffy is on all these nice cushions Soundwave has brought out for her. she is a cozy fluff.* Omicron *Ice Queen eyes the spot, debating if there's room to rest her head by the tiny friend* ItsyBitsySpyers [[Perhaps you could tell him what you have been up to, and then he would know whether you're doing too much.]] *Soundwave tilts his head to one side.* [[...Should he not have provided that?]] *Why is she frowning?* ((and agreed on the immersion point)) Specs ((bones is perfect)) *the fluffy dragon can move, or be moved, if Icy needs. she's just tired.* Omicron ((he is, human ratchet but not--PFFFFFTTT)) ItsyBitsySpyers ((when we get to the campfire scene remind me to tell you all a thing)) Specs ((Are they actually playing pool in a wet pool table)) ItsyBitsySpyers ((they are)) Omicron *watch big dragon steath herself over to rest her big head by fluffy dragon. broken horn makes it easier to sit by the cushions* Prowl Hm? Oh, no, no, you should have. That is... I appreciate that you did, but the Captain has been sharing his visual feeds with me. I'd been enjoying the opportunity. ItsyBitsySpyers [[Oh. Do... Should he provide one?]] *Pause.* [["Captain"?]] Smokescreen ... What exactly WAS that noise and how'd they make it Prowl The belch? Smokescreen Yeah, that I heard 'em before, but how exactly are they made? Prowl Are you able to? I didn't think to ask. Specs *the dragon gives Icy a sleepy lick on the horn. there. it is clean.* ItsyBitsySpyers [[...You ARE in HIS home.]] Omicron gas, not unlike how we, some predacons can produce fireballs Prowl A Klingon explained it to me as gas coming up from the tank, er, stomach. Smokescreen Gas? ... Wait, do their stomachs just make gas somehow? Like- is it some kinda weird food conversion thing? Prowl Yes, your home. Which is precisely why I didn't ask. To my knowledge, Soundwave, you don't trust me. ItsyBitsySpyers [[He doesn't.]] *Blunt, isn't he?* [[But you are a guest. And he is a host.]] Prowl I don't know that much about Klingon anatomy. ItsyBitsySpyers *Ping. She can have a feed from one of the overhead cameras... which he'll be removing from access to any greater part of the network, and later, completely digging out.* Prowl *appreciates the honesty* *pings a thank you* Me ((those dorks)) Specs ((DORKS)) Smokescreen These are advanced beans Prowl ((yesss best scene ItsyBitsySpyers [[Ah. The musical fruit. He has heard of this plant as an instrument.]] Smokescreen I wanna go camping like this ... wait this plant's an instrument? Also wait... Wait sounds I have a vegetable band to show you later ItsyBitsySpyers [[Apparently. Dried, they can be put in a hollow object and shaken.]] Prowl A simple but effective instrument. Smokescreen That sounds pretty fun- humans are pretty creative! Me ((wow way to make it dark kirk)) Omicron ((on phone, Icy's dosing <.<) ItsyBitsySpyers (( ;n; )) ((kk) Smokescreen Oh! I figured out energon marshmallows recently- they're not bad! But you can't toast 'em ItsyBitsySpyers ((SO FUN FACT in the novelization they expand on this "marsh melon" mistake of spock's and bones jokingly goes on and on about how his family member had a whole farm of marsh melons)) Me ((omg)) Specs ((HAHAHAHA)) Smokescreen ((pfpfff ItsyBitsySpyers [[He should say not. How many explosions did you go through to figure that out?]] Prowl Marsh melons. Smokescreen None! I'm not that dumb. ... Maybe once. ItsyBitsySpyers *Tiny trembling.* Smokescreen Life is but a dream sounds kinda poetic! Prowl *huffs in amusement at Spock* ItsyBitsySpyers [[...Is the satellite screaming.]] Prowl ...I think it did. ItsyBitsySpyers [[Life is more often a nightmare, if you ask him.]] Prowl Indeed. ItsyBitsySpyers *At least as of late.* Smokescreen ... Really Sounds? Are you okay? ItsyBitsySpyers [[Oh, yes. Quite fine, thank you. Merely thinking about the war.]] *Lies, lies, everywhere lies.* Smokescreen ... Is it about the Unicron thing? Blaster -wanders in, looking a bit tired- ItsyBitsySpyers [[The destruction of the Hall of Records.]] Smokescreen Oh. Oh yeah- I can agree with you on that. Blaster -sits in empty seat, and waves at Soundwave- ItsyBitsySpyers *Soundwave bobs his helm.* [[Good evening.]] [[Now is not the time for such jokes, doctor.]] Blaster Hello,...what did I miss? ItsyBitsySpyers [[A revolutionary Vulcan has seized control of a small outpost, captured three ambassadors, and demanded a Federation starship for unknown reasons.]] Smokescreen ... Maybe if it helps, Sounds, there were a lot of things we recovered from the Hall of Records in my universe. Maybe there's a few other things that survived in yours? ItsyBitsySpyers [[Hm?]] *Oh, right. His fib.* [[Yes. We've been recovering some... ancient files.]] Blaster Oh. Okay. -understands only half of what was said- Smokescreen Really? What kinda stuff? Did you find the covenant or something? Or maybe something else? I guess I shouldn't be surprised that that stuff upset you, too. ItsyBitsySpyers [[He hasn't found the covenant. You need not fly into a panic about whether or not he's worthy of possessing it.]] *Yet.* Smokescreen ... Why would I be panicked about that? You probably are worthy of it. ItsyBitsySpyers [[...Pardon. He must reset his audio receptors.]] *Because he didn't just hear that.* [[Say again?]] Smokescreen I mean, using the past to make the future better? I bet you'd do that, and I bet you'd try to record everything going on in there- you have a lot of data you could add that isn't in there, too. I would figure that'd be the kind of thing Alpha Trion would want. You'd probably never let it go if you got a hold of it, right? Specs ((HAH)) ItsyBitsySpyers *Amused huff at the screen.* Prowl Clever. ((this talk of the covenant reminds me, you owe me on our thread, smokey, didn't he bring the covenant to show prowl? Smokescreen //AAAA yeah lemme find that thread asdxc Prowl ((it was right before the unicron plot took off, no worries <3 ItsyBitsySpyers [[...He wouldn't want to, no. But if - er. Certain parties, demanded he let it go, he would - consider the circumstances. Otherwise, no. He would guard it like little else.]] *Basically if Primus strode up to him and said "burn it" he would have a crisis but probably obey. Otherwise? Nah.* Smokescreen And you're a strong bot, you'd be able to protect it pretty well! I'm pretty sure if Alpha Trion talked to you, like, at all, he would've put you in his will. You think you'll ever find your covenant? ItsyBitsySpyers [[...Why are you flattering him. What is it you need.]] Smokescreen ... I mean, I'm glad you kept Unicron from destroying my home, but that's honestly how I feel. ItsyBitsySpyers *Now outright staring at Smokescreen instead of the movie screen.* [[He does not understand.]] Prowl *would be staring herself if she could, this seems... strange* Smokescreen ... What's so hard to understand, exactly? You probably know practically everything about Cybertron where the Covenant cuts off. You'd be a great fit for writing down modern Cybertronian history, I bet. ItsyBitsySpyers *Something's wrong. This isn't Smokescreen. Or he's somehow lapsed into recharge mid-movie and this is an exhaustion dream. They had a whole argument about how he wasn't worthy. And Smokescreen's been hiding his copy from him for months. None of this is right.* Smokescreen ((wait they did ItsyBitsySpyers ((some while back iirc)) Smokescreen ((i remember sounds and primus but ItsyBitsySpyers ((smokescreen started it i think)) Smokescreen ((adsxvcbn he would ItsyBitsySpyers [[...He does know a great deal.]] *But not as much as some relics sitting here listening to the movies.* [[But he doubts that alone makes him worthy. If it did, he would have it.]] [[Or know where to look. And he does not.]] Smokescreen I mean, just 'cause you find it doesn't mean you're worthy, and vice versa. Is there any rubble in Iacon? Maybe it's hidden around there. ItsyBitsySpyers *If a sharp buzz could be a nasty laugh...* [[Iacon is still MOSTLY rubble.]] Smokescreen Well! There's lots of places where it could be, then. And I'll bet it'll pop up when it's needed most. That's how it works most of the time. ItsyBitsySpyers [[Then, as he said, it isn't time, as it hasn't popped up.]] Smokescreen Has anyone been around the area recently? It's not gonna pop up if no one goes there. ItsyBitsySpyers [[He often goes to the Hall of Records to inspect their new findings and recoveries.]] [[...They ARE in the brig.]] Smokescreen Huh. Maybe you pissed off Alpha Trion or something. He wasn't big on Megatron, maybe he thought you were in league with him and would alway be. Prowl It's likely unneeded at this point. We are managing quite well without the need for relics. ItsyBitsySpyers *(Barely) refrains from asking why she's still there, then.* Prowl *rude* Smokescreen ... Fair enough. But with the covenant and Sounds, he could teach an AWESOME history course. ItsyBitsySpyers [[He'll teach nothing. He's dead.]] Smokescreen I'm talking about you Prowl *huffs* Blaster -has probably fallen asleep where he's sitting- Prowl Why Soundwave? Smokescreen ... /He's putting a small cube of energon on top of Blaster./ Blaster -no movement- Smokescreen 'Cause he's old and was awake for most of the war- and has a pretty good memory! Specs *the dragon, too, is out like a light.* Prowl He is not the only Cybertronian alive during the war. Smokescreen ... /Putting another cube on blaster./ Omicron *Icy stirs, yawning wide* ItsyBitsySpyers ((there are some great editing errors here. watch the deck number progression in a little bit)) Blaster -still hasn't moved- Smokescreen But- Sounds, do you have a lot of the war recorded? Omicron ((I see a blaster, hiii!)) ItsyBitsySpyers [[He does.]] Smokescreen Exactly! Blaster ((hiiiii Prowl As do I. Smokescreen ... Do you wanna teach history, Prowl? Shocky *Shockwave enters, somewhat distracted looking and quickly takes a seat* Prowl Not at the moment. Smokescreen !! /Waving at Shockwave!/ Omicron ((and hi to others! don't mind icy sprawled on the ground. the predacon can be a good couch at least)) ItsyBitsySpyers *Soundwave bobs his head at Shockwave* Smokescreen Well- I figure Soundwave might be more interested. Shocky *He nods back in acknowledgement, giving a slight wave to Smokescreen back* Omicron *The predacon humms, head resting inner optics covers over.* Prowl Do you want to be a teacher, Soundwave? ItsyBitsySpyers [[He has some interest in educating others.]] *Not necessarily as a teacher, but...* Specs *the dragon makes a sleepy purr-chirp, getting Real Long and resting her tail on Icy* Shocky ((I won't be here for long, just saying hi really)) ItsyBitsySpyers ((the pop-in is appreciated!)) Smokescreen Yeah! I bet Sounds would be pretty awesome at teaching other bots. He's helped me with math before. Prowl Has he? Smokescreen Yeah! He sent me a bunch of documents, since I kinda missed out because of... You know. The war and stuff. Omicron *has a fluffy tail on her muzzle, happy predacon* Prowl But what about before the war? Surely you were educated during the Golden Age. Smokescreen I really didn't get that much math education. And my processor, uh- it kinda has trouble with this one part of math in particular. Prowl What part? ItsyBitsySpyers *This seems so familiar. It's a very, VERY good thing "the Captain" isn't here, yes. Yes, indeed.* Smokescreen ... Do we gotta talk about it out loud like this? Prowl Not at all. Smokescreen @Prowl: ::I can't do decimals or percentages or slag like that at all- I can't process 'em without having to write it out.:: Shocky *he has just now zoned in to the conversation* Nothing to be concerned over. Mathematics has been an age long struggle to many Smokescreen But I want to be able to get it! It's- wait are they showing THAT Prowl @Smokescreen: [[Ah. And Soundwave helped?]] ItsyBitsySpyers *Alarmed.* [[Is the spawn injured? It bleeds.]] Shocky A normal thing for organic emergence. Specs *sleepily* Blood keeps the babies alive, in eggs. There's always a little extra afterwards. Smokescreen @Prowl: ::Yeah! He gave me some documents so I could figure out how to do it manually. I still can't do it like- like how some other Cybertronians do, but I can do it, and that's a big step.:: ... Eggs? Shocky I do not believe they are formed in eggs Smokescreen Wait do humans lay eggs ItsyBitsySpyers *Not quite believing it, but if anyone knows, it's an organic - and a scientist who's probably pulled uncountable numbers of them apart* Shocky humans emerge live, or so extensive amount of evidence points towards Omicron eggs? Specs Dragons lay eggs. I dunno if humans do. Smokescreen Okay- but why do some organics lay eggs? Do vulcans lay eggs? Shocky apparently not Prowl There were no eggs in the flashback. Omicron I lay eggs? *puzzled waking up* Specs *the other dragon has fallen back asleep* Prowl I thought you were a Predacon? Shocky Such carelessness for their crew... But the pursuit of knowledge is admirable Omicron I am, but I can produce what are 'eggs' with the sparklings, hatchlings inside *Icy slowly stretches from the nap. curling her tail and flexing claws, might nudge some chairs sorry* Blaster -annnnnd wakes up to this- What just- -down go the cubes when he moves- ........... Prowl *startles at the clatter of the cubes falling* Smokescreen ... PFPffff ItsyBitsySpyers *Soundwave has a long, long vent. He had hoped that mess wouldn't happen. He wanted to go right to berth afterward, not mop...* Shocky *sharply looks at the source of the noise* Blaster ....how did those get there? Smokescreen I don't know! That's just what happens sometimes ItsyBitsySpyers *He wonders what it's like for other species, not knowing where their gods are located, if they actually exist.* Omicron *looks over, loosing the fluffy tail and curls her neck around to peer at mess?* Blaster I want to argue with that, but I'm just waking up. Smokescreen You need any help getting that cleaned up? Shocky I will extend my help to clean also. Prowl How can all organics have one god between them? They're not that alike are they? ItsyBitsySpyers [[They are not.]] Blaster I...think I might ItsyBitsySpyers [[He appreciates the cleaning work.]] Prowl *oh good, Prowl was going to volunteer Smokescreen clean it up, glad he volunteered himself* Smokescreen Well, yeah. I'd feel kinda bad leaving you to do it. Plus, it's free energon! ItsyBitsySpyers *...He still can't go recharge while they're there, but at least he won't have to put in the effort.* [[...Do NOT lick his floor.]] Smokescreen ... Oh. ItsyBitsySpyers [[If you are in need of refueling, there are PLENTY of refreshments atop the bar.]] Smokescreen Well, yeah, but someone else will drink that energon for sure. Prowl Don't lick the floor. Smokescreen There aren't that many bots brave enough to lick freshly spilled energon! And I'm just the type! Blaster Smokescreen No. Shocky ((I gotta go since i'm using phone data, but for this instance let us say shockwave stayed to help clean and make sure smokescreen didn't lick the floor)) Blaster ((kaaaay ItsyBitsySpyers ((gotcha! thank you for coming for what you could!)) Smokescreen ((pfff see you later! Blaster ((see you later! Smokescreen ... Where do you keep your towels, Sounds? Shocky ((Bye <3 )) Prowl Smokescreen, that's disgusting. You don't know what's on that floor. ItsyBitsySpyers [[Just behind the bar.]] Smokescreen Energon's on that floor. Prowl Besides the energon. *unimpressed frown* Blaster Smokescreen don't lick the floor ItsyBitsySpyers [[Ravage dragged a rusting titanium moose across that spot not six hours ago.]] [[Do you really want to lick it.]] Smokescreen ... Blaster ...oh...uh...can I get a towel too? Prowl Eugh. Smokescreen /He's just going ahead and getting the towels, and is starting to soak up the energon./ Blaster I have a feeling it got on Blaster too)) Omicron *shifts and her turn to screach, movies to bonk Smokey, and curl her tail around him to pull away from mess?* ItsyBitsySpyers [[Oh, don't "eugh". He was retrieving it for the hospital. They wanted to make sure it doesn't have plague of some sort.]] Prowl *don't tell Prowl you thought it had a plague, she will freak out, even if the floor was cleaned* ItsyBitsySpyers *Snaps back to the screen. Hold on. They found something?* Blaster !!!! Omicron ...???????? Prowl ...so there was someone there after all. Smokescreen /He's starting to put the towels on Blaster, as well!/ Blaster Uh...hi Smokey Smokescreen Hey Blaster! ItsyBitsySpyers [[A very good question.]] Prowl Why would their god--yes, thank you, Kirk. Omicron .......does that stink of something Bad Blaster Thanks for the towels? Prowl Yes you do. Omicron ...?! ItsyBitsySpyers *Suddenly uneasy shifting. Just an itty bitty bit.* Prowl It is a perfectly valid question. ItsyBitsySpyers *...HEY you know what needs doing? Putting away the snacks early.* Me ((i mean. not knowing who kirk is and shooting lasers around doesn't prove he ISN'T a god. he might not fit a given theology but that doesn't make him not a god.)) ItsyBitsySpyers *He'll just stand and do that.* Omicron *growls at screen, trying to not to lash tail in current spot* Me ((sometimes gods are not omniscient and are dicks. they're valid too.)) Prowl This is not a being that should be freed from his prison. ItsyBitsySpyers ((this is basically a remnant of the fact that originally shatner wanted a story where they thought they found god but found the devil - there was a LOT of executive meddling with this movie)) ((tbh this isn't the first god they've met anyway. they met apollo once)) [[No. He should be destroyed.]] Prowl ((i'm honestly ok with it being just a very powerful horrible being and not literally the christian devil Omicron ((*nods*) Blaster .......wow, okay, no Me ((oh i certainly wouldn't want it to be literally the christian devil. or literally any other human-made theological entity.)) ItsyBitsySpyers ((i am too, i'm just reciting fact)) Me ((i'm just saying. rude of them to assume it's not a god just because it doesn't have the same traits THEY expect out of a god.)) ItsyBitsySpyers ((this being got written more about in a novel later and i find that content far more interesting)) Omicron *looks over at blaster again, chirps a question, does he need help cleaning up?* Blaster -grabs a towel and starts cleaning himself off, ignoring the screen now- Prowl ((ah yes, true, after all, loki is just an ice wizard that fucked a horse Me ((HE SURE DID FUCK A HORSE.)) ItsyBitsySpyers [[All of this and now they are under attack.]] *It's like being interrupted by his alternate, the universe curse his existence.* [[It still lives?]] Prowl Not for long. ItsyBitsySpyers [[Good.]] [[They must leave. Now.]] Omicron pfffttt though yes, they should leave before that parasite reforms ......? ItsyBitsySpyers ((ARE YOU SERIOUS)) [[Pardon. It is occasionally difficult to maintain a signal this far from Earth.]] Blaster -only now glances over at the dragon- Yes? Omicron *glances over* need help? Blaster ...I don't think so? Did I miss any? Smokescreen /Once one towel is soaked, he's picking it up, and is wringing it over his mouth to try to get a bit of the floor energon./ Omicron (( I love this part) *Icy tries to smack that towl away!* *with tail!* ItsyBitsySpyers ((time marker: 10:30)) Smokescreen Hey- come on! Blaster Smokescreen! Tarantulas (( *applause, and a wave goodbye, sorry i wasn't here ic, heh* ItsyBitsySpyers ((np! take care <3)) Tarantulas (( <3 Smokescreen //<3 ItsyBitsySpyers *Anyway, here's Wonderwall.* Omicron No sparkling! Smokescreen I'm not a sparkling, come on Omicron (have a good night!) Prowl Smokescreen, that's disgusting. ItsyBitsySpyers *Soundwave is glad the business with hunting the god is over.*

[[Even the twins have better manners.]] Smokescreen waitwaitwait sounds can you put up wndrwll Omicron Yes you are, *Icy gets up and starts to twist around, lifting wings and tail up so not to knock someone one way to smokescreen* ItsyBitsySpyers [[He can.]] *But you know what he's doing? Not that.* Smokescreen I'm as old as Soundwave! And there's nothing wrong with trying not to waste energon. Omicron *snorts at that, still coming over* Prowl You're much older than that. Soundwave is only 25 million give or take, yes? *tilts her helm toward him* Smokescreen ... I'm like, 21 million. I think Prowl ... Blaster -he;s keeping the towels used on himself in his servo- When it's probably got things in it from the floor, yes there is Smokescreen ... I don't really know, I was in stasis for a while. I've eaten organic stuff, I'll be fine. Prowl ...are the differences between universe so extreme that you and my Smokescreen are completely different ages? Smokescreen Wait- is your version of me way older? Prowl He's my age, yes. Smokescreen ... And how old are you? Omicron ((Icy really wants to grab smokey and bring him outside to groom him you know, or move him away from mess)) Blaster You've eaten organic stuff. ItsyBitsySpyers [[You don't want to know that.]] Smokescreen Only once or twice! Blaster And how did that turn out for you? Smokescreen Not great! But I'm still here. Blaster I'm younger than you and I know better Prowl *huffs* Smokescreen ... And a loooong time ago, I had a run-in with Unicron and that was REALLY not fun. Omicron *predacon looom over Smokey* Smokescreen It was a dare. And it was still worth it. ..... /He's starting to pick up the soaking towels and back away./ Where should I put these, Sounds? ItsyBitsySpyers [[There is a bin for wet material near where the cleaning supplies were.]] Blaster -will take his towels over there as well- Smokescreen /Smokescreen's going over and dropping the wet rags, before grabbing a few more cleaning supplies to clean the floor!/ Blaster A dare to eat organic things? Smokescreen /He's trying to avoid getting groomed by a predacon again./ Smokescreen ... Yeah? Blaster You do know you don't have to do everything people dare you to do, right? Smokescreen I know I don't HAVE to, but I need them to think I can do anything. Prowl *Prowl isn't sure she wants to say her age lest someone freak out again like the last time. That was really uncomfortable* Blaster No. You don't. Smokescreen ((oh yeahhhh i need to ask my boss to buy this game for our stuff aszcxvb Omicron *Icy is not far from Smokey, at least she's not stalking* If you have a propper conversion tank you can eat organic things ItsyBitsySpyers ((I NEED THIS GAME SO BAD)) Smokescreen //IT LOOKS LIKE FUN! Blaster ((it does! Smokescreen I don't want bots thinking less of me 'cause I won't do a dare or something Blaster If they do then they're not the type of bot you need the rewspect of *respect Prowl *still using the visual feed, going to focus on this video* Smokescreen but I need the respect of every- anyway, it doesn't matter, 'cause I haven't done it in a while. Prowl You don't. Blaster You don't need the respect of everyone It won't happen Smokescreen ... I at least want bots to like me Prowl They won't. ItsyBitsySpyers [[Bots will think poorly of you no matter what you do. He should know.]] Blaster You can try your hardest to please everyone, and you'll only end up tired in the end Omicron It doesn't matter what you do, you can't impress everyone. You can kill yourself trying. Its best to focus on those you care about Smokescreen I mean, I know you will, Sounds, but I want other bots to like me, at least. Prowl And if someone said the only way they would like you would be if you harmed others? ItsyBitsySpyers [[He MEANS he is very, very familiar with being disliked. It does not decide what he does.]] Smokescreen ... But no one would say that Omicron or to take from things those that need? Smokescreen ... I mean, I can't do that. Prowl Megatron would say that. Blaster Daring you to eat things that shouldn't be put in your tanks counts You are hurting yourself doing that Smokescreen ... Well, I'd want to make sure those bots are okay. I don't want to hurt other bots. Prowl Harming yourself is still harming someone, Smokescreen. Omicron Prowl is right *still not far, waiting* Prowl Would you ask other people to do the things you do so you'll like them? Smokescreen What? No way. They're themselves, I'm me. I'd probably like them either way Blaster Smokey. I have a question. You might recognize it. Prowl *scowls* Blaster How long are you going to keep putting out more than you make back? Prowl So hurting yourself is fine but hurting others is not? Smokescreen Relationships aren't some kinda transaction- I'll give as much as I can if it means other bots'll be fine ... I mean, when you put it that way, it sounds bad. ItsyBitsySpyers *What madness. Of COURSE they're a transaction. It works perfectly well for him.* Blaster I'll talk to you later. I have to go home now Omicron Smokescreen, how about this. When you really need to help someone Smokey, and you Can Not, because you've hurt yourself too much to help them. What happens then? Blaster Good night Prowl *of course they are* Smokescreen Night, Blaster! It was nice seeing you! Prowl I can't do this. Good night, Soundwave. ItsyBitsySpyers [[Goodnight, Blaster. Prowl.]] *He doesn't blame them.* Omicron *Icy nods to prowl, and moves to try and grab Smokescreen with jaws, kidnapping time? please?* Smokescreen I should probably go, too. Night, Sounds. Thanks for the movie! Sorry about trying to lick the floor and stuff! Prowl Smokescreen... *she reaches out and pats him on one shoulder before getting up and leaving* Smokescreen /Aaaand he's grabbed!/ Wait- wait, come on, what's that about? ItsyBitsySpyers *Soundwave just sort of waves a hand goodbye at Smokescreen. He doesn't have the ability to argue about that tonight. It's just a goodbye instead.* Omicron *grings around the smaller bot, lifting him up, waves a wing at soundwave good night* V'Mm vaking vis. *fully intenting to sick her insectons workers on smokey to get the mech cleaned up* ItsyBitsySpyers *Nods.* [[Thank you.]] Omicron (XD thank you for the movie) ItsyBitsySpyers ((you're welcome)) Smokescreen You know you can't just take me away like that, right? /Still, he's not even fighting it right now. He's had worse!/ Omicron (want to move to tumblr smoke mun?) Smokescreen //Thank you very much! Also yeah that'd be good

[pinksweatergettingbetter]

alright so we’re back with chapter three - the Great Witch

-

i wonder how much of their memories Nick and Maya have actually recuperated 

the whole thing seems a little dodgy...

-

“This bench looks like a torture tool– shall we try it out on you, Nick?”

why is Maya so bloodthirsty in the game?? i mean she’s mischievous, but...

-

ahhh their widdle walking sprites are so cuuuute!

-

hang on– is that a picture-picture of Barnham with his dog?? if so, that should raise a lot of questions...

also why is the only person who *doesnt* comment on the painting Phoenix? he’s the art major.

-

you know, ive seen plenty of Phoenix X Barnham, and Darklaw X Barnham, but I’ve never seen any Phoenix X Darklaw 

i wonder why...

maybe Ive just never come across it

-

“Mr Wright, are you alright?”

(no response)

he's dead guys the fucking dog killed phoenix wright 

-

luke: I can talk to animals maya: haha omg cool! phoenix, laying in a pool of his own blood: hurgle

-

wait did maya just call Barnham adorable by proxy 

-

things layton likes: puzzles, stone lanterns 

-

oh fuck i forgot about the puzzles

also what the FUCK muffet

-

Patty: I believe in your Phoenix

Phoenix, trying not to cry: cool cool cool

-

aww. its nice to have a moment to just talk about feelings, especially between the sidekicks. 

...

...dont go into the forest you little fuckers

-

maya likes helms..??

-

“I used to come here with Nick. He’d carry the water pots, and I’d cheer him on!”

that reminds me, theres no plumbing. in fact, since its the middle ages, theres not even any outhouses. maya and phoenix have canonically shit in the streets

-

DOGS AND CATS, LIVING TOGETHER–

-

its 12:30 on a school night and I've spent over an hour trying to help a dog deliver mail 

oh maya solved that one! thats the first AA solve of the game. ...er, to me.

-

i dont understand how piccarats work

like, the previous puzzle was 30 piccarats and it was ridiculously easy. this one’ twenty and ive already lost ten points

maybe its to do with how my brain works– the 30 one was a pattern/colour puzzle, and I'm an artist. this one’s about directions, and I'm ASS at directions.

-

darklaw what are you WEARING

you look like a skimpy medieval furry

seriously what is with the metal skirt on bare thighs 

is that supposed to be comfy 

-

man these backgrounds are so beautiful 

-

why did she specifically tell Maya to be wary of witches

-

“You certainly both love your food. Personally, I’d just like a little more sleep...”

amen bro

-

oh fuck

Drosselmeyer wants to see Layton. dont let him brainwash ya!

-

“So this is the deathknell dungeon? Looks more like solitary confinement to me.”

considering the fact that she can see out the door, i doubt its solitary nick. solitary is a sealed box from hell.

-

Maya: you were just scared that nick would fuck up like always!! because he's an enormous fuck up haha!! Espella: i... no, i think he's really great

Phoenix: ...hey can i change assistants please

-

OH HO

CLIFF HANGER 

-

one does not simply

visit the storyteller

-

“come to think of it, during that parade, the storyteller did seem to be held in high esteem by all the townsfolk...”

guys have you not realized that youre literally meeting god yet???

ah see Layton’s got it

c’mon luke keep up

-

pfft they think Layton’s a hatter 

just wearing a tophat does not a hatter make 

-

ah the knights garrison

this is where Chucky stopped playing on his second third-space save 

I wonder why...

-

“And so the travellers finally arrived...”

yeah well first of all??? if you wanted me to get in there faster maybe dont make your door a fucking puzzle maybe 

fuck you old man you aint shit 

(btw i managed to solve it accidentally in the recommended 4 turns by pressing 3 random buttons and then realizing id somehow succeeded)

-

Storyteller: [farts suspiciously]

-

Storyteller: you guys are bad because you stopped me killing children

Layton: 

-

“OOPS”

DUFLUS SHFLS 

LUKE ITS OK 

I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO BE MAD

-

Espella: it’s true... that the towns folk look at me in a different way

well for one thing youre a different art style than most of them without being anything usually associated with said art style 

-

oh ok that i was not expecting 

she’s,,, jesus???

-

Maya spitting truths here 

-

wait hang on a second 

first of all– “the great witch is just a character of myth” yeah well EVERYONE is a character, Espella

also, she says she came to live with Patty 5 years ago... which is also what Phoenix and Maya said

when their memories all got altered to include phoenix and maya, does that mean they like, had a whole growing-up-together for five years roster of memories?

13 y/o Espella and Maya meeting, bonding over stuff, wondering why only Maya had to make bread and Espella didnt 

Phoenix–– hell, in the time frame, he’d be ‘Pheenie’ being their older brother. Acting like his 25 y/o self, or harkening back to those days and acting accordingly??

and how shitty it must’ve been when they realized none of it ever happened.

-

“Were these things... My memories?”

well probably not considering im pretty sure that tiny kid being flown over was you

-

i feel bad for nick’s... wherever is getting bitten, but this does lend credence to my headcanon that animals hate phoenix so 

also the inquisitor office theme needs to chill the fuck out

-

“Exactly what are you doing over there on all fours”

dont do that 

“He just sits back and lets his dog bite people, err... I mean, me”

he’s lucky nobody flips the fuck out and bites back. i suppose nobody would dare if they knew it was his dog, but still. not very responsible.

-

“Dr. Delduke” eh

well now

-

“He was no witch.” “Why?”

“HE was a man.”

( Welp, can’t argue with that. )

hey!!! equality to witches!! boys can be witches too!!

-

“Maya... can you get this mutt away from me? I can’t feel my leg.”

“Aww... So soon? I was hoping he’d use you as a blue chew toy just one more time.”

ok, seriously, what is UP with Maya? I can’t remember her ever being this violent in the original series. Like, she hit Nick over the head with the shichishito that one time, but she wasn’t constantly wishing harm on him??

-

as much as i appreciate seeing a tiny maya model i fucking hate the cloud puzzle fuck you for doubling up on it

-

oh i lucked into the answer awesome

this seems to be a running theme...

-

every time someone looks at the bell tower, they always comment on the bell never being heard. it must be foreshadowing.

-

wow Jean is very short

...also I'm calling it now, HE DID IT

-

hmm Greyerl’s voice actress is a little more noticeable than Luke’s...

also OH OK. the fucking bell tower just MANIFESTED OUT OF PURE FLAMES

THATS COOL

-

“He reacted in a moster peculiar way. Unlike others who saw it, he seemed unsettled, as if he was truly afraid of something” 

oh i dunno, maybe the DEMON BELL TOWER???

-

Maya: only YOU can fuck up that badly, nick!

ok... genuinely, utterly, seriously, why is Maya so malicious in this game? She does tease Nick a lot throughout the series, but its usually in a more playful or goofy manner. A lot of the things she says in this game seem sort of unnecessary or weirdly hurtful... especially since phoenix hasn’t done much to warrant any of them.

-

hmm

well, I know what happens to Maya

but what the hell is he doing to Nick?

also I do hope there’s a reeeeeaaaaally good reason for all this...

-

layton flings out his arm to shut luke up skdgkafajkf

-

wait why did the owl bring them that

-

“Luke, my boy... We have the need... to rent a steed.”

LAYTON

oh and they fucking did

-

“You think that’s bad? You should see Nick try and do the laundry– Now that’s a major blunder!”

see that seems a little more in character somehow

especially since its something that seems like he would fail at.

still, weirdly insult heavy...

-

hey hey 

100 coins

-

“in an alchemy sense”

shouldn’t that be an ‘alchemical’ sense?

-

“I guess you’re more suited to small, dark, damp places.”

is that a reference to the mushroom thing??

-

phoenix, in someone else’s abandoned basement: oh no their house plants are dying :( ill water them 

this man??? is pure??

-

“Well well well. If it isn't a well.”

NICK

-

“Come to think of it... I haven’t noticed any plumbing here in Laborynthia.”

HA 

I WAS RIGHT

THEY SHIT IN THE STREETS

-

“As things stand, Mr. Wright is in serious danger!”

uh the story said Maya would die, not Phoenix. It said he’d be cursed, but Maya would be tried and burnt. You should probably be more worried about her...

-

great witch: sup guys I'm gonna fuck shit up

game: the following is too horrifying to look directly at; here, have some shenanigans with Luke and that other bard Bardly was complaining about.

-

“Birdly”

fuck you perhaps

-

NO

WHY IS EMEER THERE

NOO

-

also hi Layton you’re looking a bit uh 

a bit 

...well this hardly makes any sense

doesn’t Layton appear not long after this? also, it’s easy enough to prove Maya’s not a witch; just hand her the staff and ask her to politely turn Layton back. 

that or just cry on him real quick; worked for Ash

-

bweuuuhhh dont cry luke pls

luuuuke

its ok luke magic isn’t real luke

...though from what I’ve heard of your universe, someone could have used Science to turn him into gold and that could be totally real so

just 

c’mon in for a hug lil guy

also see yuh all next time for part... four? i think?

[tahlreth]

OMFG Wonder Woman is Amazeballs

This is it - this is my new favorite movie. Everything I ever watch ever will be judged on this scale. Whenever I re-watch old favorites, they will forever fall short of this sheer masterpiece of awesome. Holy shit. I have no one to gush to right now, so I’m just going to do it here, because if I don’t I will explode. There will be spoiler-y stuff, so beware.

Okay, first - this movie made me cry FIVE TIMES. I have never cried so much during a movie in my whole life. Like, I don’t cry IRL, so I get a lot of that out during movies and books and songs and especially touching commercials, but it’s usually a one-off deal. FIVE. TIMES.

When the Amazons are first getting ready to fight the Germans with guns on the beach because I KNOW HOW THAT ENDS, OKAY, but they were still all badass and you can bet your life that they will now be fucking preparing for bullets and next time things’ll be different. Just as I had gotten myself calmed down and cheering their awesome fighting...

ANTIOPE WHHHHYYYYYYY

When Diana makes the charge across ‘No Man’s Land’ because OMFG, that was moving as fuck and I don’t care that I’ve seen men do it tons of times, this was fucking WONDER WOMAN and she did it because it was RIGHT and she and a rag tag group of men just did the impossible and I had so many emotions that I just can’t even express them properly. I sobbed and cheered and it was amazing.

When the gas was fired on the village and Diana goes and finds all the villagers she was just celebrating with like, a day before all dead. The confusion and anguish over why such a thing happened that Gal Gadot was able to portray broke my heart.

STEVE WHHHHHYYYYYY and then all the way until the end of the damned movie.

It’s been 20 minutes since I left the theater and I’m still close to balling. OMG. I’m used to superhero movies making me feel a little emotional, but mostly being full of fighting and badassery. Wonder Woman had all the fighting and explosions while also making me FEEL more than I think any movie ever has before.

Things I Loved, The Short List

Antiope’s scar on her shoulder. Like, this is one of the first times I’ve seen a heroic female character just showing her scar like it was no big deal. Even Natasha in MCU only really has the one, and she hides it and is all like ‘can’t wear bikinis anymore’ and it was only there for plot reasons anyway. Antiope is a fucking warrior, and she has no shame in the marks battle has left on her body, and I dunno. It’s just a little thing that is never commented on in the movie, which makes me love it even more. Antiope in general stole my heart, and I now belong to her, TBH.

The Amazons weren’t all tiny, stick-thin blonde women with big boobs. There was so much variety, and I found that both beautiful and believable. It was just great to see some muscular babes up there being all bad-ass without having to look like stereotypical movie-pretty woman. They were every single one of them absolutely stunning.

The scene where Diana walks in on Steve bathing and is just like ‘whatever’ about his nudity while he’s all flustered and worried about modesty. It was adorable, and that’s when I fell in love with him.

ETTA CANDY. Oh my god. I love her so much. I want a movie where her and Diana are all up in the women’s suffrage movement, and it’s just Etta helping Diana navigate being a woman in that time and place while Diana helps Etta get in touch with her inner Amazon, and both of them help each other through the loss of Steve. Charlie shows up often to serenade them for no reason at all.

Speaking of, the way Diana was like ‘Charlie, you should come because who else will sing for us’ just really got me. She’s seen how damaged he is, how he has so much trouble shooting, but she’s unwilling to just throw him away or say he won’t be any use on the mission. Him being there matters to her, and it was just a nice little moment.

Every moment between Diana and Steve. It was all so beautiful, and that he was the reason she almost went to the dark side and also the person that saved her was just... hng. Crying again.

Nobody had to take off their clothes to let me know that they were lovers. The ‘love scene’ was just handled so well, where you knew that they were emotionally close and finding comfort in each other, and there was no need to be all in the audience’s face with nudity. It was refreshing - there’s nothing wrong with a ‘fade to black’ after some intense gazing in to each other’s eyes, is what I’m saying. I don’t need to see the LI’s tearing off their clothes (or each other’s) to get the message.

Diana’s crisis of conscience where she was just DONE with humanity’s bullshit. Like, this is the first time she’s seen war and death like this, and to realize that it comes from something inside instead of being solely the work of an outside force had to have crushed her. Again, Gal Gadot here was remarkable. The amount of emotion that woman can put into a scene is awe-inspiring.

Everything. Just... everything.

Things I Didn’t Like, The List

Nothing. Fucking nothing. Usually I walk out of movies - even ones I love, even ones that are my favorites - with a small list of things I wasn’t happy with. Subsequent viewings make the list grow, and I’m sure that once I’ve seen Wonder Woman a few times, I’ll have some bones to pick. But right now? There is nothing that I am immediately unhappy with. I love this movie so much.

SO YEAH. Best movie ever. Like... sorry, but to me this just proves that women should be directing female-centric superhero movies. It’s not a slight against male directors or anything, it’s just... women and men frame things differently. I cannot imagine that a man directing this movie would have been able to capture the essence of Wonder Woman the same way. I cannot imagine that it would have made me feel so damn much if a man had been at the helm. Women know what women want to see - I’ll still go see the male superhero movies, but I want more where women are front and center, both as the stars and the people behind the scenes. Men have dominated the movies for a long time - it’s time and past to make some room for us ladies at the table.

If anyone wants to gush/scream about this movie with me, feel free. I needed to get this stuff out because I have no interested friends outside the computer. All my friends are dumb. XD But yeah, if anyone wants to talk about the movie I will happily oblige, now that I have finally seen it.

Now excuse me while I go scrape together another $10 so I can go see it again tomorrow.

[lovecanbesostrange]

Why do I even watch a Grey’s Anatomy finale when it’s out. S14 ended on such a no-disaster note that S15 had to be terrible cliffhanger upon terrible cliffhanger. Months and months of painful waiting start now. omg

I just disliked the very horrible fight Jackson and Maggie had. Some interesting points for sure, because of their different upbringing and development. But well, we’ve been through the whole different class thing with Jackson and April already and apart from a few comments Maggie dealt fine with it (it was funny way back when discovering she had a summer job where he vacationed and all, weird how this is biting them in the ass). His spiritual awakening at the start of the season works well with dragging Maggie out of her comfort zone by taking her camping. It’s a good contrast, because you can’t force someone to enjoy something. But then they got to their car and the fog came and I yelled at my screen DON’T YOU DARE. And then Jackson left the car... in an angry/frustrated emotional state... with a tiny flashlight.... while the episode started with a car pile up.......... DON’T YOU DARE have one of them fall into a ditch now or get run over or what not....... (in a parallel universe they are both now in Silent Hill facing their inner demons, oops). Great, a summer full of worrying.

It is 100% in character for Bailey blurting out that “you’re fired”. She would’ve fired Izzie way back with the LVAD (thanks for mentioning it, I laughed when Meredith said this was her first strike, because no, you’ve just been getting away with stuff like all of you for quite some time now). She was so pissed at Meredith for ruining Derek’s trial. She was ready to fire her own husband, when he spaced out and made a bad call. Bailey is not here to be Spartacus’d, you should’ve seen that coming. And Catherine is just so done. (Also throwing money at the problem by putting the bill on the foundation, lol. Fucking money.)

Well, will Grey’s tackle the whole bullshit health insurance system next season? Will Meredith get a huge speech about why she did what she did and how that was about saving a life without bankrupting a poor person? ????????? Anyway, so I guess DeLuca is the one of the four who is mostly of the hook? Except somebody could hold his false confession against him now? Seeing Meredith with her three kids, saying goodbye for a while... (this was so fast, she didn’t even change her clothes and DeLuca is already booked in a jumpsuit, while Maggie is lost in the woods... Amelia will have to take care of the kids, holy crap... guess Alex can move into the house for a while...)

Oh Alex, watching a woman he loves committing herself into the psych ward. I am so glad Jo is doing this and Bailey is absolutely right, she is depressed, she will get help, this is a good thing. But like, how often can Alex do this in one lifetime? Of course he is afraid. (Even Lexie had a mental breakdown after the shooting and I know that doesn’t exactly count, because they broke up, but it’s such a theme with him.) Anyway, it’s good to see Grey’s taking depression seriously. I still think they dropped the ball with Arizona back in S9 after she lost her leg. Like they weren’t sure how to tackle the whole situation. Jo can get the help she needs now. Liked her scenes and that realization that fixing other people is easier than fixing yourself.

I feel bad for Tom now. He’s so happy building the nursery and all. And there is Owen with Teddy, declaring his love and... well... I was all for Owen and Teddy eventually getting back together, but Owen was so horrible this season (especially the apartment-party-fire-episode, going after Tom like that)... it’s so great that his issues get addressed and he’s doing therapy and I’m totally here for his better side winning (because Owen can be such a good person), but... the overdrama of it all........ But hey, if I can get a real friendship between Teddy and Amelia going, that would be amazing! Amelia for MVP for sure. Her talk with Link was excellent as well. AND SHE DOESN’T KNOW THE DRAMA HER SISTERS ARE IN! (Her sisters in heart, not by blood. pfffffff)

Oh right, we met Schmitt’s mom! And he came out to her! And she for sure has things to say, but she’s gonna do that later and she treated Nico with kindness. AMAZING!!!

A bit sad we didn’t get to see Helm or Parker. I don’t follow any casting news, but I wouldn’t be surprised coming back next season and at least one of the interns is just gone. :( Well, at least nobody died. RIGHT NOW.

Gus is alive!!