#i just think the idea of ulrich being run to the point of exhaustion over monitoring where the hell wayward human souls are going is funny

[stardew-obsessed-ora]

so as a fun fact my main stardew oc i post here was meant to be demonic in nature

the demon au going around is 1000% inspiring me to bring that back and expand on it in depth RAHHHHHH. BRAINROT.

[cartoonsliveon]

“If I could take it all back...”

Sissy's hysterical screaming is the only thing Yumi hears when she finally opens her eyes, struggling to see anything at first because there's so much dust in the air and so little light. Instinctively, Yumi tries to push up off of the floor, but she barely raises herself an inch off the ground before she's screaming. Pain races through her bottom spine, through her legs, and around her stomach. Her arms immediately give out under her, her face pressing firmly to the concrete floor as if that will somehow help. She struggles to even out her breathing as she quiets down, hands clenching to fist.

Everything's gone quiet. Including Sissy. Yumi doesn't realize it, until she starts trying to figure out why she's in so much pain and can't get up. She remembers, vaguely, that the eleventh and twelfth graders were having an assembly with representatives from the army, talking about the experience because college is right around the corner for them. She remembers, vaguely, everyone in her class talking about how they brought some things to show some of the students in the assembly like tanks and stuff. It hits her then how absolutely stupid that is, to bring such dangerous equipment to a school where any idiot could try to play a prank or mess around with it.

"Y-yumi?"

Yumi's jarred from her thoughts as she looks over, squinting to try and see the figure hidden in the dark and dust. It takes her longer than she likes to realize its Sissy, the bratty girl inching slowly towards her. It's difficult to see, but the arrogant look isn't there anymore. Sissy's face is blank with fear, looking exactly like the child she is.

Principal Delmas was evacuating the school because the tanks were hijacked. Yumi had been trying to sneak over to the factory to meet up with the others. Sissy (god it's always Sissy isn't it?) must have spotted her running the other way, and decided for whatever stupid reason to follow her. Why did Sissy think following Yumi was a smart idea? Didn't she think that, if Yumi could get hurt, she would as well? Yumi can't understand it honestly. Sissy was arguing with her though, and through the windows Yumi had spotted the tanks.

She doesn't remember how they got to the basement though. She doesn't remember how they got here. How they ended up like this.

Sissy takes out her phone, using the glow of screen as the tiniest, dimmest light possible. Both their faces are covered in dust, and Yumi has some blood slowly dripping from her forehead. The light makes her head hurt but she doesn't turn away, watching as Sissy sits in front of her, silently cursing her phone for getting no signal. Of course it doesn't have a signal down here. Why would it?

"What happened?" Yumi asks, turning her head down quickly as she coughs. Pain lances through her ribs, making it slightly harder to regain her breath.

Sissy watches silently as Yumi coughs, unsure what to do. She considers reaching an arm out to try and pat Yumi on the back, but refrains. Regardless of the circumstances, she still hates the older girl. Yumi thinks she's so much better than her and smarter. She has Ulrich wrapped around her finger and she doesn't appreciate him, constantly arguing with him. They argue like cats and dogs and she never learns her stupid lesson.

She hates Yumi. And Yumi hates her. Sissy's an absolute brat. A spoiled, rotten brat that picks on everyone and throws a tantrum whenever she doesn't get her way. But... Yumi can't bring herself to be angry with Sissy or fight with her. As she finally catches her breath, she looks back at Sissy and silently pleads for an answer.

"You spotted the tanks through the window," Sissy finally relents, "It started firing at us. You pulled us into the stairwell leading into the basement. We came down here and... there was this bang. Everything shook, and you pushed me!" Sissy glares at Yumi, still offended by the action even though it saved her life, "And the ceiling and support beams fell on you instead."

"Wait? What?"

Yumi makes the stupid mistake of trying to turn onto her side and screams in pain. Her fists slam onto the ground, and out of the corner of her eyes, she sees twisted metal and tile and whatever it was the basement ceiling was made out of. It's like a mountain on top of her. How is she not dead already?

"What's the matter with you?" Sissy shouted, "What part of the ceiling and support beams falling on you didn't you understand?"

"Shut up," Yumi hisses, her fingers digging into her palms as she tried to push through the pain.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Sissy yelled shrilly. Her high pitch voice only aggravated the sharp pain throbbing in her temples, "We wouldn't even be in this situation if you hadn't run off!"

Well. Sissy isn't exactly wrong there. But if Sissy hadn't stopped her she might have made it to the factory.

"This is all your fault Yumi Ishiyama!"

"My fault?" She sputters, "Yeah, it's my fault that I saved your life you spoiled brat! I didn't ask for those tanks to fire on the school! I didn't ask you to follow me! I didn't ask you to nearly get yourself killed! I didn't-"

Whatever Yumi was going to say, she's cut off by another bout of coughing, her face turned slightly red from the arguing. Although she can't see Sissy, the younger girl's face pales significantly as she watches Yumi struggle to stop coughing and calm down.

-

"We're going to die down here."

"We're not going to die," Yumi says quietly, her head pillowed awkwardly on her elbow. She doesn't look at Sissy, staring instead at the darkness. It's been maybe 30 minutes since Yumi woke up. Ever since Yumi's coughing fit, they'd fallen into an uneasy silence.

Well... an uneasy silence up until now.

"Have you even looked at yourself?" It comes out as a callous, thoughtless remark. It doesn't hit her until after she says it that she shouldn't have said that.

Yumi turns her head as far away from Sissy as she can, too tired to argue anymore. This isn't her first time being helpless in a X.A.N.A. attack, even if she hates it. This is hardly any different than being pinned under that tree during the blizzard. She remembers, not only how cold she felt, but also how painful it was to even try to move. She suspects that, if she tried to move anything at her waist or lower, she would no doubt pass out from the pain. Or... even scarier, Yumi won't feel anything.

"What I meant was..." Sissy's tone is quieter and softer. And also a lot more hesitant. Yumi strains to hear her, "It's just... you're really hurt Yumi. And no one knows we're down here. And who knows if those tanks are still up there. And there's no way out either."

"We aren't going to die," Yumi repeats, "Ulrich... Ulrich's not going to let us down."

"How is Ulrich going to stop a tank?"

Yumi silently smiles, happy to have this secret knowledge and faith in Ulrich. Maybe if Sissy knew what she actually meant, she would share her sentiments and faith about Ulrich. But now wasn't the time to talk about Lyoko. She didn't have the energy, patience, or strength to explain it.

But Sissy, not getting an answer, glares at Yumi, "You must have brain damage or something if you think Ulrich is going to show up and save us."

"Oh?" Yumi asks, "What happened to wanting Ulrich to come to the rescue as your knight in shining armor?" Any time Sissy is in trouble, from getting caught in the crossfires from X.A.N.A., she's always hoping praying for Ulrich to come to her rescue.

Sissy gives an obnoxious hmpth, and Yumi doesn't expect a response after a few seconds. She closes her eyes, trying to make her headache stop. All this talking is only making it worse. All this banter and thinking is making her feel a lot worse.

Sissy stares at Yumi, hating how her heart stops for a second when she sees Yumi close her eyes. She won't admit it, because she shouldn't care if she hates Yumi right?, but she thought for a second that the worse was happening. She can't stand the other girl but Yumi is so pale and so tired. She looks exhausted, and she isn't hiding her pain like she thinks she is. She's dying. She's dying and she needs help but there's no way to get any.

"I'm not oblivious," She finally says.

"Hmm?" Yumi blinks her eyes slowly open.

"I'm not oblivious," Sissy repeated, "I know you like him. And I know he likes you too. Herb and Nicholas told me that he talks to Odd and Jeremy about you. How much he likes you. And any time any other girl gets near him, your face is more red than Jim's track suit."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"It means your jealous," Sissy rolled her eyes, "And the point I'm trying to make is that I know he'll never like me as long as your around."

"Then why do you keep flirting with him?"

"Because I'm going to just let you have him all to yourself. Just because I know he likes you doesn't mean I'm going to let you have him."

"Aren't you just a saint?"

"Shut up."

"Excuse-"

"Shut up!" Sissy repeats, "Don't talk. If by any chance you're right and Ulrich does somehow manage to show up and be the hero, you need to save your strength. If he finds us and your dead, well..."

Yumi doesn't respond, just choosing to stare at Sissy quietly. She doesn't doubt that Ulrich and the others will pull through in the end, but she doesn't know when. She doesn't even know how long she'd been unconscious, or if they were still waiting for her on Lyoko. What if they needed her? She can't think like that, she shouldn't be thinking like that, but it still lingers in her mind. Sissy is right, she has to conserve her strength. Because who knows how long they'll be here for.

-

Sissy's scream somehow is louder than the explosion that shakes the entire basement. Yumi covers her head as best she can with her hands, shrinking slightly when she feels something come to rest on top of her. Her entire body is shaking and Yumi keeps her eyes shut for the longest time. It isn't until she is sure the building has stopped shaking does she slowly open her eyes and tilt her head slightly to see Sissy covering her head.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to protect you stupid!" Sissy snaps, wincing at her harsh tone.

Yumi's too shocked to respond. The two girls stare at each other, covered in dust and grime. Sissy's phone died a while ago and they had no choice but to adapt to the darkness. And before Sissy can say anything else, either an uncharacteristic apology or another insult, the ground above them is shaking. The rumble of the tanks echoes down on them, pinning them both where they are in fear.

Another boom, Sissy keeps screaming. Around them, the ceiling shakes and crumbles around them. Sissy curls around Yumi, listening as the older girl starts coughing. Something fell onto the pile crushing Yumi, dislodging something and pushing something else into her spine. It hurts so much that the pain makes her entirely numb. Her gasp for air is replaced with coughing.

At first, she thinks drool is dripping on her lip and chin as she continues to cough. The metallic tang of it informs her its blood.

"Yumi?" Sissy can't see what's happening but she feels Yumi shaking under her from her coughs, "Yumi what's wrong?"

Yumi doesn't answer, not in words. She just continues to cough, struggling to breath. Everything continues to shake, the tanks are still rolling above them and firing upon the school.

"Yumi please!"

Yumi feels her forehead hit the concrete, the cool surface only numbing her further instead of waking her up. Every time she thinks she has a chance to catch her breath, she's wheezing again, coughing all the oxygen she's manage to get in straight out.

"Yumi please!" Sissy's voice is suddenly so quiet despite being right above her, "Please. I'm sorry! I'm sorry for all the mean things I've ever done to you. I'm sorry! But-"

"What?" She rasps confused. And it occurs to her, all of a sudden, that she closed her eyes because suddenly they open. Something drips down onto her face. She's way too confused to realize its tears.

"If I could take it all back... I would."

Yumi doesn't have a chance to answer because there's one final boom, right on top of them, and Sissy starts screaming and she starts gasping for air as she coughs. Yumi gasps and chokes, trying to get air. She hardly has a chance to even process what Sissy has said, when Jeremy at that moment hits for a return to the past and the world is enveloped in a bright white light.

----

I always sort of liked the moments during X.A.N.A. attacks when Sissy isn’t an obnoxious brat and is nice to Yumi and the others. She never, of course, remembers these moments though. But I wanted a moment where Sissy and Yumi are stuck in a life and death situation because of X.A.N.A. because I can’t think of a time where it was just the two of them.

[breziarchive]

I'm here for valentines! Gay aelita wanting a valentine but being too shy to ask the cute girl in class c:

IIIIIII futzed with this one a little bit WHOOPS, it’s a real problem that i just write cliffnotes of the prompt in my sheet then get back to the actual prompt and i’m like WELL…CLOSE ENOUGh.

Azra Ürgüp won the lottery for aelita’s crush mostly in thanks to Kay and my need for more interracial relationships. takes place after/during the canon episode Saint Valentine’s Day, back when they still thought many things about aelita and when she was still fairly sheltered

valentine’s day boogaloo - guidelines - ko-fi

(requests closed, just gettin’ through what’s left!)

~~

Saint Valentine’sDay had been a bust.

Aelita didn’t haveto tell that to anyone, even people who didn’t know exactly whathappened. Her head burned with pain she couldn’t medicate, herfriends were exhausted in more ways than one, and though everythingwas okay and she could smile, it had all been a bust.

When she sat downin her chair, last class of the day which they had just barelymade it back for, she slumped, wishing she had a heating pad onher stomach and a pack of ice for her head. Slipping her opennotebook across the table, she laid her head down. She would’veabsolutely stayed there until class was over, but something poked herchin.

Cardstock. Keepingher head down, she curiously pulled the valentine from between hernotebook’s pages.

Her heart droppedinto her stomach and suddenly she was grateful she didn’t have aheating pad.

I think you’re sweet, Valentine!

The valentine wassigned but Aelita couldn’t recognize the collection of letters. Itwas a phrase, not a name, that much she could assume. But itcertainly wasn’t in French, nor was it Italian, which ruled Odd out.Aelita’s eyes swept over where the boys were sitting; Ulrich sittingbetween Odd and Jeremie just in case the two still had enough spit inthem to go at each other. It wasn’t Ulrich’s handwriting, and Jeremieonly knew French. She then started looking at her classmates. All ofthem were paying attention to the teacher, none of them lookinganxiously at her. Aelita bit her lip and looked at the foreignmessage.

When the bell rangshe caught Yumi before she left campus, roping her into a brisk walkaway from the boys before they got suspicious—after all the fussthey had made earlier, she figured it best. Handing the valentine toYumi, she studied her friend’s face as it hardened in concentration,then brightened in relief and tiredness.

“Just a normalvalentine this time, I promise,” Yumi said, “But I wouldn’t knowwho it’s from without looking it up. And no idea who left it?”

Aelita shook herhead. Yumi twisted her mouth, looking at the foreign phrase. After awhile her face lit up.

“I might have anidea. Back before XANA got really active—and even back before I metyou guys—I went to a couple of International Club’s meetings,trying to make friends, y'know,”

Aelita’s face litup in turn, in interest and excitement. At the sight of it after sucha long day, Yumi’s smile grew. It was the least she could offer aftersteering Aelita wrong the first time with the gift of the necklace.Besides, Jeremie was likely to hole himself away studying that chipXANA left behind—any Valentine’s Day plans they did havewere probably scratched by the ruined mood, anyways.

“Can’t be sure,but we did a language exchange day once, and there was one girl whowrote in Turkish—in fact I think she’s in your class,”

“She is?”Aelita asked, “Do you remember her name?”

“Umm,” Yumiclosed her eyes to think; it had been quite a long time since she hadbeen to a meeting, “I think…her name was Azra?”

Her face winced inapology, “I probably butchered her name, though,”

Aelita didn’t mind,wide-eyed and turning the name over in her head, wondering what waswritten on the note. To think! Someone outside of the group noticedher, thought of her enough to send a valentine? For a moment shedashed the idea like it had been an accident, but to slip into hernotebook it would’ve had to been tucked into her bag quitedeliberately, especially for it to be hidden until she had thumbedthrough the pages to jostle it loose. Still, the doubt flashed acrossher face and Yumi tilted her head, asking what was wrong.

“I mean…are yousure this is for real?” Aelita whispered. Yumi shrugged.

“Well, it couldjust be a friendship thing, but even so. I think all those boytroubles are giving this admirer of yours a run for their money,huh?”

“Do…can girlseven fall in love with each other?”

Yumi blinked,surprised. She wasn’t prepared nor equipped to really answer thatquestion in-depth, but she had to keep in mind that Aelita was, forall intents and purposes, a curious program in human form. Shockinglyhuman form, and by this point she was human nonetheless. Thoughawkward, rubbing her arm, she tried to answer the best she could.

“Well, of course.It’s generally not…I mean, I’d be careful as to who knew. Noteveryone’s okay with it, but uh…if it floats your boat…,”

Aelita stared ather, innocent and worried. Yumi forced a smirk and pushed pasteverything she couldn’t really articulate and repeated herself, “Itfloats your boat.”

“Oh…,” Aelitamurmured after a while, “I…should send something back…,”

At that Yumibeamed. Assuring Aelita that late valentine’s weren’t really anoffense unless it was already an established couple, and if this waswhat they thought it was, some shock and time to process was probablyexpected. After letting the boys know, Aelita followed Yumi home,home to dinner, home away from Kadic’s confusing structures; home tobuild a response.

Home to a computerthat provided a crude translation: Sincerely, your admirer.

‘Admirer’ couldmean a myriad of things, but Aelita’s heart was fluttering more andmore at the suggestion of something deeper. Something sweet andinnocent and just—even if it was flippant and superficial it wassomething new, and so long as they knew what it was Aelita wasokay with whatever it needed to be.

With Yumi’s helpshe crafted a response, which took much longer than she figured itwould, puzzling words and phrases out so it was a profoundacknowledgment but not too pushy. Calm, but not dismissive.Admittedly Yumi couldn’t help much either, she wasn��t good with wordsherself if her communication issues with Ulrich said anything. At onepoint Yumi laughed, embarrassed, saying that he was the poet, nother. The laughter was shaky, unsure. Well, if Aelita had time tofigure it out, so did Yumi. Besides, her friend didn’t want to spendtime on him when she had invited Aelita over for something else.

Despite Aelita’sinexperience and Yumi’s bluntness, the pink-haired girl walked homewith a note pressed flat against her fluttering chest.

Now came theproblem of delivering it.

Slip it into herbag? Too secretive, Aelita didn’t like that. Confront her in thehallways, cafeteria, classroom? Too…public. And she got theimpression that valentine’s like this were better done private. Butnot too private, she didn’t need to drag Azra into the deep ofthe woods just to pass off a note. Half the day went by and Aelitawas stuck in a loop of anxiety that planted her in inactivity. Theanxiety started to natter doubts in her head, that she hadmisunderstood, there was a mistranslation, or it was just too earlyto tell.

Eventually shesucked in her doubts and tried to press it into courage, staring atthe back of Azra’s head the whole class period. The bell rang, herheart blocked her throat, Aelita followed Azra out under the arches.

“H-Hey!” Aelitacalled, “Az, Azra, was it?”

The girl turned andAelita felt her heart, still in her throat, become a boulder. Darkhair, striking eyes, short, defined eyebrows—how did Aelita nevernotice this girl before? How many other classmates of hers had shejust not noticed because she was too preoccupied witheverything else?

“U-Uh,” shegulped the best she could, “Y-You dropped this,”

Smooth assandpaper. Aelita held the note out dumbly. Azra took it, and thoughshe probably didn’t take it slowly it felt like an agonizing eternityto Aelita. Trying to dance on her feet as inconspicuously aspossible, Aelita waited until it was too awkward to leave quickly butalso too awkward to stay and darted away. Azra’s brilliant eyes hadbeen trained down on the note, not noticing her fleeing until it wastoo late.

Azra frowned atwhere Aelita had just been. Opening her mouth like she was going tocall out, but shutting it when she realized she was alone, shecarefully re-folded the note and tucked it into the pages of hernotebook, memorizing Aelita’s handwriting and message.

I’ve never felt sweeter, thank you!

But I think giving a valentine firstmakes you the sweet one

-Admirer

[reese-anders]

Ooh, another prompt thing if you want - Dandelions.

i’ve started to bounce around all these prompts as the come to me, sorry if you’re kept waiting! :V

this drabble will become incrementally way more important when jim has his Moment much later in IWRY. THAT BEING SAID, this is very much almost entirely just a Code Lyoko oneshot, with Ulrich’s disappearance being a minor detail.

Pre-Reese Anders dad!jim and aelita!

~~

Jim yawned, scratching his side. Thepast week had been blistering heat, and since only him and one otherstudent remained in the building, it seemed foolish to turn on theair conditioning—especially since they resided on different floors.He had lent Aelita Stones a box fan to use, and instructed her quitesternly (to her hidden smile) to keep a water bottle full at alltimes. With ice. Several water bottles. In fact the minute she sippedwater from a bottle (which should be all minutes) she should refillit at once, to keep from dehydrating.

Nonetheless, at the first sign of heatexhaustion, he promised he’d turn the air conditioning on for theboth of them. Aelita insisted that she was fine, stating that she hadlived part of her life in a desert. Jim nodded but didn’t askquestions; after all the very second she complained he would switchit on. She was a sweet and smart girl—if it wasn’t for the factthat she hung around Jeremie’s gang to rack up an innumerable amountof absences, she might’ve been the perfect student. But he figuredthere was no such thing as a perfect student anyways, especially notin a boarding school where secrets were hard to keep even among thebestest of friends.

It was strange, though—Aelita neverwent home for vacations, and to this day he still didn’t know why.Then again she never mentioned any parents whatsoever, only that shewas Odd’s cousin. His nose smelled trouble or tragedy, perhaps both,and he never brought it up in conversation. All kinds of kids cameand went through Kadic and he had heard all kinds of stories. It wasnever a good idea to ask. (And, of course, asking her why she nevermeant home meant she could prompt him with the same question, andhe’d rather not have to explain that.)

He gotup out of the lumpy mattress he keeps telling himself he needs tonotify Delmas of to get replaced, but it always slipped his mindeither way. The morning sun shone valiantly through the gaps of hisblinds, finally not as brutally hot as it had been. Feeling refreshedif still a bit groggy, he set to work readying the hot plate andskillet for breakfast. A champion’s breakfast he always called it: atwo-egg omelette, croissants he got from the bakery down the street,tartine and jam, and of course, café crème. Everything was set, but he couldn’t begin cooking, notwithout Aelita awake. He kept a relatively early schedule though hedidn’t set alarms on vacation. Seven in the morning, or around thenas usual—but he let Aelita wake up whenever she would, usually anhour or two after him. Still, munching on one of the croissants, hesat down and flicked his tiny television on. Morning news, sportsreviews—it gathered his attention for as long as he got theinformation he needed before he flicked through and found somethingineteresting. An old black and white film had his attention for awhile, classy but outdated. When it became clear he had missedsomething vital from the plot, he flipped over again. Slapstickcartoon, to a game show, then finally to an overly dramatic naturedocumentary for kids. He settled back for a while, letting it runcomplacently.

Thedocumentary ran out and he finally glanced at the time. 9:58, wellpast the time Aelita should’ve woken up. Concerned but not yetworried, Jim sighed, brushing the crumbs of the croissant from hisbeaten tank top and got up, letting the TV run as he padded barefootout and up the stairs to the girls’ floor. All the while he playedwhat he’d do in his head; go up, knock on her door, ask if she’sawake, wait for an answer. Likely she just stayed up late talking toone of her friends and was sleeping in longer than usual.

“Stones?It’s way past time you’re usually awake. You in there?”

Silence.Jim knocked again, lazily, “I got breakfast ready to start wheneveryou are. The usual, a champion’s breakfast.”

Moresilence.

Now Jimwas worried. Even his regular speaking voice was loud—it had to bein order for him to be a gym teacher. And his knocks were not gentle,either, like it or not. It was possible she could’ve gone offgrounds—she had done so before, but very rarely without telling himand usually she’d check in as soon as she got back, or leave a noteon her door or something. Jim’s brows furrowed, and his hand droppedto the door handle. One last chance, and then he’d deem it worryenough that he should enter.

“Aelita?”he raised his voice, rapping his knuckles the way he did only when hewas upset with a student, “I’m going to open the door if you don’tanswer…,”

Still,silence.

Jimsucked in a breath and turned the handle, finding it unlocked. Heopened the door only a crack, “Okay? Opening the door?”

Noresponse. Sucking in a breath became biting down on the insides ofhis cheeks, and he swung the door open.

“Stones!Aelita!” Jim gasped,shouldering the door aside as he barged into the room and dropped tohis knees. The girl was splayed uncomfortably on the floor, still inher pajamas. He reached a hand out to her shoulder, ready to shakeher awake when he stopped, smelling the urine in the air and seeingremnants of froth and vomit near her mouth despite being obscured byher hair.

“Ohno…,” he breathed, “Oh no, kid, you’ve gotta be kiddin’ me!”

It wasno secret that she suffered from seizures, but no onehad been around for this one. With the way her body was positioned itwas very likely she had fallen to the floor, quite possibly hittingher head. If that was the case, this called for an emergency.Checking her pulse first and foremost, Jim started franticallypatting for pockets, forgetting they were pajama pants—forgettinghe was in his pajamasand did not have a phone on him to call an ambulance. Panickingthough her heart beat steady, his mind raced to the next option:Aelita’s phone had to be here in her room, perhaps plugged into thewall and charging. It took him a while to locate it, even though herdesk was only comfortably cluttered instead of an actual mess. Tornbetween staying at her side and reaching for the phone, Jim awkwardlystretched, trying to reach it without getting up off of the floor. Hewas quite honestly failing at it, and was just about to scoff andstand up when Aelita stirred beside him.

“Mmmuh…,”she mumbled, weak. Jim scooted back to give her air, tapping herlightly on the shoulder. She stirred further, trembling as she triedto work her muscles, and rolled onto her back. Hair plastered to herface in ugly strands, still covering her features. Without meaningto, Jim took notice of the large urine stain that spread from herpants to the floor and what looked to be parts of the sheets of herbed too. The seizure must have happened soon after she awakened, andwith a full bladder to expel—no wonder the room smelled sostrongly. Gulping, he looked back to Aelita as she slowly came to.

“Jim…?”she bluntly asked, no emotion, monotonous, “What’re…you…,”

“Youuh, didn’t come down for breakfast,” he carefully tried to explain,“And when you didn’t answer I deemed it an emergency and uh, openedthe door.”

“Huh,ah…?” Aelita grimaced, raising a trembling hand to peel the hairfrom her face, “Uh…I think…I think I…,”

“Hada seizure?” Jim filled in, eyes flicking back to the urine stain,“Looks like it, kid. How are you…feeling?”

“I…don’tknow…,” she answered without much contemplation. Her facescrunched in pain. Jim’s brows arced in deep worry.

“Didyou hit your head on the way down?”

“DidI…?” she asked, unsure. Jim frowned.

“Alright.I think it’s time for a trip to the infirmary.”

“But…isn’tYolanda…,”

Usuallyimpatient, Jim softly answered her, since she couldn’t be blamed forher confused state, “Not when she’s on vacation, Stones,”

“Oh.Right.” Aelita muttered. Jim stood up.

“Canyou ah…clean yourself up? Enough to go to the clinic?”

“I’mreally tired,” Aelita turned away, the slightest bit of emotion(that is, exhausted tears) in her voice. Jim shook his head.

“Youcan sleep later, we gotta get you checked out—you don’t know howlong it lasted or if you hit your head, and if these seizures aregonna start happening in the morning, we’re gonna have to let theprincipal know. Okay?”

Aelitawas quiet for so long he feared she had drifted back off to sleep(and she may have, if only for a moment), but she finally agreed. Jimgave her ten minutes to put on unsoiled clothes as he himself gotdressed, and then led her out to a cab to the clinic. It occurred tohim he hadn’t even shaved that morning—didn’t even take off theband-aid from the previous day. At this point it didn’t matter, justlike the unmade breakfast sitting near the hotplate and the TV heonly turned off after nearly forgetting to when he was about to goout and meet Aelita for the cab.

Aelitacurled up into a messy ball in the waiting room while Jim crossed hislarge arms. In her hands was her phone, and she slowly but surelytexted when she could. The buzzing noise when a friend responded toher became part of the background noise of the clinic which wasshowing more of the game show Jim had skipped earlier.

“Yousure you should be staring at a screen after that?” He asked, alittle too gruffly. Fortunately Aelita was still so exhausted andmonotonous, if he had hit a nerve it was hard to tell.

“Dunno,”she answered, “But it’s keeping me awake.”

Jimsnorted, but let her be, picking up a men’s health magazine that hadan overly-sculpted shirtless model on the cover. He kept glancingover to Aelita, making sure she was awake for the nurse when theyeventually came. More than once he thought about nudging her when helooked over and saw her eyes closed, but soon after her phone wouldbuzz and she’d tighten her features a little as she picked it up,opening her eyes only to read—closing them to type, opening toproofread, then send, then back to simply dozing.

Shewas a good kid. Probably knew what was happening to her and how tohandle it better than anyone. But still he had to make sure.

Finallya nurse entered, holding a clipboard and wearing a bright smile.Jim’s heart skipped a beat as he realized the paperwork he’d have tofill out for this incident since it happened on school grounds underhis jurisdiction, vacation or not. Well—that was a problem forlater, and likely for only when Delmas and the rest of theadministration got back. He’d just make a mental note of the eventsand recall them later. Still, he spoke to the nurse when the nurseasked him questions, and upon realizing that Jim was simply ateacher/groundskeeper that Aelita was with at the boarding school,the nurse turned back to Aelita and began asking if her parents knewabout this particular incident yet.

Jimquickly jerked his chin outwards, miming the cut-throat symbol eventhough the nurse kept talking. The nurse didn’t catch on initially,as he had to ask the questions no matter what, but when he did, helooked at Jim quizzically. It was hard to tell if Aelita was payingattention, but Jim tried to convey with just his frenzied expressionthat parents was a no-go onsubject matter. The nurse cocked an eyebrow, shutting his mouth as hecalculated Jim’s overdone miming and held his clipboard straight up,changing the subject. Jim settled back down into his seat. Good.

“I’llwait out here,” he told Aelita as the nurse beckoned for her tocome to the examination room with him. Aelita nodded, a little off,like a robot would nod. Good enough.

Hestared at the magazine, not really reading or seeing much of thepictures as his head worried about Aelita. This coming school yearwould mark the fourth year since their tight group of friends lost amember soon after Aelita started going to Kadic. At first heconsidered it to be a win-some, lose-some, but it had affected thegroup deeply, to the point where he simply just didn’t bring it upafter realizing how bringing up Stern’s absence brought a heavy cloudover their heads. Even the usually optimistic screwball Odd wasdestroyed whenever his name was brought out in the open. If anythingthe one who seemed to have it the most together was Aelita, though itwasn’t for any lack of sadness, it seemed. Like she was the glueholding them together, at times.

Takethe sudden disappearance of a close friend, the lack of parents orany close family (so it seemed), and her weak health, and the factthat Aelita remained cordial at all seemed like a miracle. Then againit’s not like Jim saw the inside of her head, nor even read the textsshe sent to friends. He felt the frown on his face go from neutral togenuinely upset thinking about it. He was a gruff man and rarely setaside real time for one-on-one with students that weren’t starathletes (and Aelita was far from it; he could tell from thefrustration on her face that she wished she was better, but, doctor’sorders, nurse’s orders—she couldn’t force her body to do what itwouldn’t do) but perhaps, since Aelita wound up spending so much timearound him, it might’ve been wise to start offering her opportunitiesto open up. Just be an ear, something else other than the glare ofher phone screen and the driving echo chamber teenaged friends couldbe.

Notthat he thought little of her friends—of all the groups he had seencome and go, he had never known one as tightly knit as her and herfriends, all together. He was sure there was something behind whythat was, but there was always a feeling in his gut that he shouldn’tget too carried away from it. A strange, alien sense that he couldn’texplain. Perhaps it had been why Ulrich had left, or at least thereason why they were so devastated.

Thetrain of thought pulled to a stop as Aelita wandered back out intothe waiting room. Jim set the magazine aside and stood up, offeringassistance since she still seemed exhausted and weak. She didn’tconfirm nor deny, so Jim simply kept himself close to her if sheswayed too far.

“Iguess it’s no real business of mine,” Jim said as the cab drovethem back to Kadic, “But uh, what’d the doctor say?”

“Rest,rest, rest, and more rest,” Aelita muttered, curled on the backseatmuch like she had been in the waiting room, “But she might adjustmy meds, or dosage, or something.”

“So,do you need to go back?”

“Probably.”

“Uh,”Jim grunted, “How will you know?”

“She’llcall me.”

Jimnodded. The rest of the ride was quiet.

Upongetting back Jim set her up in his room, turning the TV back on at alow volume and handing her the tartine and jam on a paper plate. Sheseemed to not be aware enough that it was—fairly weird to let astudent nestle into his couch while he left her alone, which wasprobably best as he had taken it upon himself to clean the mess herseizure left behind. Her pajamas were in a pile next to the door, andthe whole room stank of urine and vomit. Rolling up his sleeves andtucking his shirt into his pants, Jim carried cleaning supplies intoAelita’s dorm and set to work. Taking her sheets off the bed andpiling it with her pajamas, Jim sprayed and cleaned everything hecould. Of course she just happened to have a rug over the floor, sohis job was made more difficult as he poured over antiquatedgroundskeeper instructions for various cleaners, scrubbing hard andfilling the room with enough cleaners and air fresheners until hecould smell none of the offending odors. Finally taking her sheetsand clothes and putting them in the washer, he went back down to hisroom.

Aelitawas firmly passed out, TV still on and food half-eaten. His mouthtwisted into a small frown, but it untwisted to a relieved but tiredsigh. He left her a note, taped to the paper plate, and shut the doorquietly. Nothing to do now but busywork.

Outsidein the pleasantly warm sun he began weeding, starting with the pottedplants and gardens and working his way to the areas flush up againstthe buildings where the riding lawnmowers couldn’t reach.Particularly near the science building overlooking his own track andsoccer field there grew a thick row of dandelions, brilliant gold inthe happy sun. Jim began plucking them without thought, throwing themin piles next to him.

Ashadow came over his hand and he looked over his shoulder. Aelitastood, still looking exhausted, watching him work.

“Stones,you should be in bed or something. Your room is all clean, yoursheets and pajamas in the wash.”

“Thanks,”she said, her voice finally gaining some tone to it so she at leastsounded as tired and grateful as she looked, “Do you need help?”

Jimscoffed and turned back to weeding, “Absolutely not. The doctorordered rest, and that’s exactly what you’re gonna do, and that’salso exactly what I intend to have you going to d—going to—intendto have you do.” He scoffed again as if he hadn’t just tripped overhis words and almost gone on a rant again. He did not look back tosee her small smile.

“It’snot too much, I could handle plucking a few flowers.”

“Keepat it, Stones, and I’ll order you back to your room, vacation or no!”he used his drill sergeant shout, full well knowing it wouldn’taffect Aelita at all. But the threat—rather the promise—was real,if she kept insisting on helping.

But heheard her sigh, watching her shadow as she reached up and pulled herlong pink hair into a ponytail. Then she sat, quiet. Feeling weirdafter she didn’t move and he kept weeding, he looked back over hisshoulder again to see if she was staring. It was not exactly a prettysight, him out here like this, bent over and likely showing more thanhe intended around the waistband.

Butno, she was just quietly taking the dandelions he had discarded andweaving them together, entertaining herself while she soaked up thesunlight.

Hethought about making a comment, asking what she was doing, giving herthat opportunity to open up like he had been thinking about, butinstead he pretended like he didn’t notice her, continuing to work insilence as the sun shone.

[racingtoaredlight]

Profiles in IMDb Greatness: Jim Beaver

I love the Internet Movie Database. The people keeping track of who appears on Cinemax adult programming so dedicated masturbators can follow their favorites from show to show are doing the lord’s work. As such I enjoy looking over random performer pages and arbitrarily judging the scope and quality of their careers to determine if they merit entry into my vaguely defined IMDb Hall of Fame. Today’s enshrinee: Jim Beaver

You might be thinking to yourself “Hey, are you just doing this to keep with the theme Clyde started with covering beavers” and, sure, you’d be right, but shut up. The only reason Jim Beaver wasn’t inducted long ago is because I’m not very good at this since he need only appear as a rogue Soviet agent on The Americans and as just about anyone on Fargo to land in all my favorite TV shows (for real, Jim Beaver needs to be in Fargo). Possessing a sort of rugged, folksy western charm, Beaver’s been appearing in everything you’ve seen for coming up on 40 years, here’s to another 40.

First Listed Role: How am I only just now learning that there’s another football movie starring Burt Reynolds? Is Semi-Tough (Beaver’s uncredited according to IMDb) one of those pictures that’s slipped through the cracks or time, never to appear on cable television? There aren’t that many football movies to begin with so you’d think this would have come up at some point in all the pointless rankings of football films that I’ve read over the years. I need to remedy this immediately.

Also curious to know what the story is behind Burt Reynolds wearing #22 in both this and The Longest Yard, it wasn’t even his number at Florida State. So many questions.

Most Recent Finished Work: An episode of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. Unfortunately there’s no episode description on IMDb for me to do my usual bit with these appearances.

Feels like I’ve had a string of enshrinees that I’d said are the hardest working people in TV but goodness does Jim Beaver stay busy spanning from Dallas to NYPD Blue to NCIS today. We’ll dig into it more in my most favorite section coming up here but it might be quicker to just list the network dramas he hasn’t appeared on (Ally McBeal’s loss, really).

CSI/Law & Order/NCIS Guest Spots: *Cracks knuckles*

Appeared in two episodes of CSI: Original Recipe back in 2004. The first episode was called Fannysmackin’ so I went into the episode recap hoping to find our heroes investigating Jim Beaver running a shady brothel that caters to spanking fetishists but alas. It’s just about a roving band of street thugs who beat the crap out of the wimpy CSI guy. I found a video of it but doesn’t appear to be Jim Beaver doing the beating so tough to say what his role is here.

I don’t remember their being a Law & Order: LA (Skeet Ulrich! Alfred Molina!) but Jim Beaver found his way onto an episode titled Hollywood. The detectives suspect a young actress of burglarizing celebrity homes but get it wrong, possible that Beaver was playing an older actor going on OJ Simpson-esque rampages across Los Angeles to reclaim repossessed property.

An NCIS episode followed involving pirates. I was hoping that Beaver was the pirate captain since his character’s name is Captain Tom O’Rourke but the above photo suggests he’s the captain of some boring ass, non-pirate vessel. Someday perhaps, I think Jim Beaver would serve nicely as a pirate captain, he could just dust off the old Deadwood profanity to use as needed.

And finally a 2014 episodes of NCIS: New Orleans where he sadly is a different character and not Captain Tom O’Rourke who since his exploits with Mark Harmon has broke bad and is now a pirate captain sailing through the Gulf of Mexico and plundering treasure and beads.

Hall of Fame Ballot Submissions:

Blue Chips (sure to come up again in Penny Hardaway’s IMDb HOF induction ceremony), That 70′s Show, The West Wing (I’d actually planned on watching this and took in the first two episodes on election night and after that decided I didn’t need a show about a lovey-dovey president in the wake of current events), Deadwood, Big Love (leave me alone, this was in the second season when the show was still good and we in IMDb HOF land are still mourning Bill Paxton and are happy to honor his work at any turn), Justified, and of course as the arms dealer on both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

Depending on your feelings about Turner & Hooch throw that into the mix as well. That ‘stache!

I could have just listed the Holy Trinity of TV that I adore and it would have been more than enough. He’s now the third member of Team Deadwood to receive this prestigious honor along with W. Earl Brown and John Hawkes and I’ve long since exhausted the accolades that show deserves. Beaver’s character Ellsworth was tremendous, not quite a lovable loser since he usually seemed to have his shit together and when he was (uh, spoiler for a show that went off the air over a decade ago) shot by George Hearst’s goons even previously warring factions in the town could all agree that this was some bullshit.

And like so many Deadwood alumni he turned up as an important character in Justified as the sheriff who was supposed to be a puppet regime but had his own ideas. In looking over Beaver’s IMDb page there’s a lot of sheriffs and lawmen in there, always get a kick out of the character actors who so perfectly fit those types of roles and keep landing them. Wonder if they ever get bored though. Probably makes being the gunman in the Vince Gilligan universe all the more enjoyable, the scene with him and Mike is great even without a purchase being made. Just two old pros playing two old pros and not messing around. Hope there’s still room for him to pop up here and there as Better Call Saul progresses.

Miscellaneous Credits: I don’t know how or why this has become my bag in these but I always like pointing out when the great character actors we cover were in soap operas and Jim Beaver is the Chris Chandler of soaps, he’s played for all of them (and I’m not counting Melrose Place here).

Santa Barbara, The Young and the Restless and Days of our Lives all get checked off the list. Shame Passions is no longer with us and he can battle that demonic doll that would come to life. I’m curious about the Santa Barbara stint whether these are multiple characters or just the progression of one man.

He clearly did well enough as the uncredited rapist to be given the name Andy but did Andy the Rapist then become a Motel man? Motels are awfully inviting for the careful rapist and even while Jim Beaver can disappear into a role you’d think a multiple episode arc about a rapist would have the audience recognizing him a year later if he was just some non-rapist motel man. I think my mom watched that show back in the day, I’ll ask if she remembers Andy the Rapist.

Highest Rated IMDb Entry: Coming in at a robust 9.7 is a short film called Injection that looks interesting. I should make more of an effort to seek out these short films that win awards and what have you, I keep complaining that the big timey movies (and sporting events for that matter) are too long anymore and wouldn’t mind a wee story to entertain me.

Bigger upset here is the rest of the top 20 not featuring any Deadwood. It’s all Supernatural, Breaking Bad and Justified. Having never seen Supernatural I’m still going to be upset about this. ELLSWORTH DIDN’T (uh, again, spoiler for a long ended show) DIE FOR THIS.

Lowest Rated IMDb Entry: At the end of the 20th century there existed a show called Pensacola: Wings of Gold starring James Brolin which presented an episode unfortunately including Jim Beaver that only earned 3.7 stars from the voting public. Apparently this elite group of fighter pilots or whatever they are were known as the Sea Dragons which has me thinking we reinvent this show but the Sea Dragons are a Korean baseball team and Jim Beaver their crusty manager. If James Brolin wants back in we’ll find something for him to do.

IMDb Fun Fact: Wow, turns out that this enshrinement is extra special since Jim Beaver is himself a power user of IMDb.

As of 7/7/07, was the seventh most prolific writer of IMDb plot summaries and the seventh most prolific writer of IMDb mini biographies.

Although I would refer to the above where I was left hanging out to dry with no Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders episode recap to riff off of, you’re slipping Mr. Beaver.

IMDb HOF Members: Been since 10/13/16 since I did one of these (and please don’t revisit that Gary Cole one since there’s a smart ass joke about how James Franklin will never win a Big Ten title at Penn State in there), maybe doing one annually will add to the gravitas of being enshrined.

Bob Balaban

Jim Beaver

Clancy Brown

W. Earl Brown

Reg E. Cathey

Gary Cole

Keith David

Cary Elwes

Noah Emmerich

Jami Gertz

John Hawkes

John Michael Higgins

Toby Huss

Allison Janney

John Carroll Lynch

Margo Martindale

David Morse

Joe Morton

Robert Patrick

Bill Paxton

Jon Polito

Alan Rickman

Stephen Root

Alan Ruck

Peter Stormare

Daniel von Bargen

Next Time: Who knows what the world of 2018 will look like, let’s just be happy if there’s still internet and running water.

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