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emilia3546 · 3 years ago

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The Rest of Our Lives - Nessian

Happy #nessianmonth guys! Thanks @illyrianet for organising!

Here we go with the first one: nessian’s mating ceremony, finally filling the gap that Sarah left us with at the end of ACOSF.

*****

The temple was absolutely beautiful, Rhys really had come through on this one, this was sure to be the most extravagant party Nesta had ever been to, and that was saying something. She glanced around, checking that everything was ready, nothing could go wrong, everything was perfect, all she needed now was to calm her nerves and get on with it.

"Nesta?" Nesta whirled at the sound of Feyre's voice behind her, "Do you want a hand getting dressed?" Right, because she was supposed to already be dressed, had told Emerie that she was, even while she'd just been staring at the dress, nerves racing through her. She nodded,

"Thank you,"

"Come on," Feyre squeezed her hand gently, "Let the guys finish off here, everything's perfect, okay?"

"Okay," Nesta squeezed her eyes shut when Feyre winnowed them back to the River House, to the room she'd slept in last night, "I don't get the tradition of not being allowed to see him before the ceremony," she muttered,

"Honestly, me neither, but we don't want one of you to chicken out and you guys to end up mating beforehand, then to go to the ceremony with you both riled up with a new mating bond," Feyre chuckled, "Rhys was bad enough, but I dread to think what you two will be like,"

"Oh hush," Nesta muttered, "We're not that violent,"

"Not usually, but you never know," Feyre teased, "Dress, c'mon," Nesta nodded, turning her gaze back to the dress waiting for her, she gingerly took it from its stand, stepping behind the curtain to slip it on, but stepped back out to let Feyre help her with the clasps and ties at the back. She almost didn't want to look at the mirror, if she did, her nerves would catch up to her again, but Feyre offered a little encouraging smile,

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Nesta laughed, "I don't even know why,"

"You look stunning," Feyre breathed, "And that feeling's normal, I think," her sister was right, no matter what anyone could say, Nesta was beautiful, with the fitted bodice rising just above her breasts, cinched in the back to accentuate her figure, whorls of silver thread forming Illyrian runes across the bodice. Runes for luck, prosperity, love, Cassian might not be much of an artist, but she knew full well that he'd helped Feyre designing the dress, especially with the occasional rune for witchcraft, or more violent things having slipped past her sister's notice,

"You can't read Illyrian, can you?"

"No, Rhys has tried to teach me, but his particular style of teaching doesn't work so well with the runes, I know some, but not many, did I get one wrong?"

"No," Nesta laughed, "I'd just be surprised that you'd let Cass call me a witch on my wedding dress," Feyre flushed bright red,

"He what?"

"This one, it means witch,"

"It does not, he said that it meant loyalty," Nesta stifled another laugh,

"He lied, aww you believed him, he definitely lied to you about a few of these runes then, you should know better than to take his word at face value,"

"I did check with Azriel,"

"Oh he was probably in on it, knowing them, the idiots," she chuckled again, spinning around in front of the mirror, "I love it, and I would never have suggested he help if I didn't want something a bit less formal, it's not like anyone will be able to read the runes, it's just for us,"

"Right, sit," Nesta just about managed to lift the skirts of her gown before Feyre tugged her across to the chair waiting for her, mountains of cosmetics beside it, "I asked Elain what she thought would work, then Mor, and they're both wrong,"

"Is that so?"

"Mhhm," Feyre was hardly listening as she dusted something along Nesta's cheekbones, the tang of magic filling the air, "I'm just setting it in place, not even Cass can fuck this up later," Nesta snorted at that, but Feyre held her head still, "Stop it, you're going to make me mess up," she hissed just as the door opened,

"You told me you were already dressed!"

"I lied,"

"Shush, I can't do this if you keep moving," Nesta did fall silent, but held Emerie's disapproving gaze while Feyre finished, twisting her hair up onto her head in a knot of intricate braids, setting gemstones through it, Nesta had no words when Feyre span the chair around for Nesta to see her handiwork, those jewels caught the light, making her hair shine and glimmer as she moved. She almost couldn't believe the person who was staring back at her, she'd changed so much over the last year, the person staring back at her was beautiful, confident, tears formed in her eyes, "Nesta,"

"I'm okay, I just, it feels like some stupid dream and I'll wake up any minute back in that apartment," Feyre threw an arm around her shoulders,

"It's real, I promise it's real, enjoy it, Nesta, you've earned it," she glanced back at the female in the mirror, the way her eyes sparkled with life, her cheeks glowing with health, especially with the rouge that Feyre had dusted onto them. Feyre had painted her lips red, an almost sinful color, and she blushed at the thought of exactly what Cassian would be thinking when he saw her,

"There we go," Emerie laughed, "Dirty mind, she's fine,"

"Oh shush," Nesta laughed, but didn't deny it, "You're just as bad as I am,"

"While that may be true, I'm not the one about to get married." Married. She was about to get married, shit. She didn't know what she was doing. What if she tripped? What if she forgot her vows? What if she panicked and froze up? What if she embarrassed herself, embarrassed Cassian? "Deep breath," this time it was Emerie, "Still your mind," she did, closing her eyes, deep breath, deep breath, she was the rock against which the surf crashes, she was a Valkyrie, and she could not be broken, not by the Blood Rite, not by marriage. "Drink this," Emerie handed her a foul-smelling tonic of some sort,

"What is it?"

"Just an anti-sickness tonic, for your nerves, but you'll fine once you get there," Nesta wasn't so sure of that and downed it in one, the effect almost instant,

"Are you drugging her, Em?" Nesta almost spat it out at the sound of another voice, "Everything's ready, you look beautiful, Nesta," Azriel smiled as he spoke, "Cass won't know what's hit him,"

"Thank you," Nesta ran through the ceremony again in her mind, automatically finding everything that could go wrong, "Em, I'm gonna fuck up,"

"No you're not,"

"Easy for you to say, you've never done this,"

"I have," Feyre said, squeezing Nesta's shoulder, and Nesta almost winced at the memory that she hadn't bee there when Feyre and Rhys had had a proper ceremony, being too lost to her fears to care or even notice, "You'll be fine, Nesta," It's okay that you weren't there, you're her with us now, Nesta started at Feyre's voice in her mind, and she nodded, still not quite believing her, but if Feyre forgave her, she could start to forgive herself for everything she'd missed this last year. "Just ignore everyone, focus on Cass, okay?"

"Okay,"

"Step-by-step, walk up to him, let him say his vows, say your vows, exchange rings, food, kiss him, and walk back, you can do that,"

"Yeah, yeah I can do that, thank you, I'll be fine," she shot a grateful glance at Azriel as he offered her an arm, but she still squeezed her eyes shut when he winnowed them back to the temple, just outside the door,

"Ready?" Nesta took in one last breath and squeezed Azriel's arm,

"Yeah, and thank you,"

"For what?"

"This. Walking me down the aisle," she refused to allow herself to tear up at the thought that her father should be the one doing that,

"I'm honestly honored that you asked me,"

"There would be no-one else I would want to," she mumbled,

"Oh, so I'm the last resort, I see," Nesta chuckled when he finally stepped forwards, and was still laughing when they crossed into the temple. Everyone was there, everyone was watching her, but she remembered Feyre's words, gripping Azriel's arm tighter as she lifted her gaze to the end of the aisle, to Cassian. The moment she locked eyes with him, Nesta forgot to be scared, forgot that she was nervous, excitement taking over, and she lessened the vice-like grip on Azriel's arm, earning a soft chuckle. Each step took her closer to that dais, to Cassian. Each step took her closer to the first day of the rest of her life. Each step brought her closer to finally stepping out of the shadow of the war. Each step brought her closer to her mate.

At the top of the dais Azriel released her arm, and Nesta almost swayed on her feet, a sort of dizzy feeling washing over her at the prospect of saying the proper words, words that she had been waiting for longer than she'd care to admit to say. She clasped Cassian's hands in her own, holding on tight, reassuring herself that this was all real, that he was real. She hardly noticed the movement beside her until Rhys spoke,

"Nesta, do you come to this place of your own free will, with love in your heart to wed this male?"

"Yes," she breathed, "I do," she was still staring at Cassian and hardly registered the same question being asked of him, until he gently squeezed her fingers and started to speak,

"I, Cassian, swear to love, to cherish, and to protect you, when you actually need it," he added with a smirk, and Nesta had to hold back a fit of giggles, "I swear to love you through the best and worst the world can throw at us." With the official words said, he continued to add his own, "I never knew what was coming that day I first met you, Nes, when we arrived to ask for help, and I didn't find just a human woman, but an Illyrian without her wings, honestly I think I started falling right then, and kept falling with everything since. It didn't take long for me to figure out what you were to me, but long before that, I'd already decided that I wanted you, just you, mate or not, and I cannot thank the Cauldron enough that it saw fit to bless us with that bond." Nesta blinked tears out of her eyes, losing track of the murmurs around them, "You, Nesta, are everything I could have possibly dreamed of, and more besides, your courage, your strength, I don't know what I would have done without you at this point, I knew full well that I loved you when you refused to back down, when you made sure to protect your family from anything you thought was a threat, even me," Nesta let out a little chuckle at that,

"You didn't exactly correct me," she laughed,

"I'm not finished, Nes, it's your turn in a minute," she snorted, but allowed him to finish, "I have loved you through everything, but I never once believed that you could return that love and I promise, Nesta, that I will continue to love you until my last breath and beyond." Nesta couldn't stop the tears now flooding down her face, and thanked the Mother for Feyre's shield to protect her make-up from ruination. When he finished, she took a few breaths before beginning her own vows,

"I, Nesta Archeron, swear to love, to cherish, and protect you, because gods know you do need it." Nesta grinned at the mutterings among the few Illyrians chosen to represent their people at her changed vows, never 'obey', not for them, never for them, protect, yes, but never obey. "I swear to love you though the best and worst the world can throw at us." She grinned again when Cassian laughed, "I knew I loved you when I feared I might lose you, and I was so scared that you wouldn't want my love, that I didn't deserve yours, but thank the Cauldron that you reached me, I really don't know what I would have done this past year without you, and I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love anyone. I promise to love you until my last breath and beyond, until this world is nothing but a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, until whatever end, I will love you."

Nesta's vision was still blurred as Emerie stepped to her side, handing her a ring, its partner in Cassian's hand as Azriel stepped back. She let her tears fall as Cassian slipped the ring onto her finger, a beautiful red stone capturing the light, surrounded by seven smaller silver ones, the reverse true of the one she placed on Cassian's finger.

"The red stone is hewn form my siphons," he murmured, "So that I'll always be by your side, I had them made specially," Nesta had no words as she held his gaze,

"Now, Lord and Lady Archeron, I declare you husband and wife now-" Nesta couldn't wait any longer, surging towards Cassian and showing him how she felt in the only way she really knew how. Rhys sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Do that, I guess,"

"Sorry, Rhys," Cassian chuckled when he stepped back, keeping a hold of Nesta's right hand as they both turned to face Rhys, taking the twin biscuits offered by Feyre and Elain. Nesta had insisted on the biscuits, just for the look on Cassian's face when he realized what she'd made,

"Witch," he muttered,

"Brute," she responded, breaking off a bit of the biscuit to feed him, hoping desperately that it tasted alright, but relaxed when he fed her piece of the other one, it was okay, nothing like Elain's cooking, but it was hers, she'd made it, for him. Cassian held her gaze as Rhys cleared his throat, the black ribbon in his hands the final piece they needed, the last thing before they could be declared officially mated.

Nesta wasn't sure that her heart was beating as he tied it around their joined hands, grinning, even when he met Nesta's eyes. Her brother, that was what he was, even more now, and she smiled at him as Cassian swept her into his arms to carry her back down the aisle,

"I can walk," she laughed,

"I know, I want to carry you," he laughed,

"Oh really, husband,"

"Yes, wife, I wouldn't want you trip, it's bad luck you know," Nesta laughed again as Cassian stepped outside, the first day of the rest of their lives, that's exactly what this was, and she wasn't scared anymore.

#fanfic #fanfiction #acotar #acosf #a court of thorns and roses #a court of silver flames #nesta #nesta archeron #nessian #nesta x cassian #cassian #wedding #nessianmonth #nessian month

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yjk-imagines · 3 years ago

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Preview from a future fic I'll be writing

Warning for partial nudity. Nothing seggsy, just changing clothes.

When you went through the things that Jaina had been through with her friends, the concept of privacy and personal space went out the window. And she didn't mind it one little bit. Jacen was sitting on Tenel Ka's lap, and Lowie was sitting on the bunk that the twins usually shared, playing with Jaina's wookie doll. It was a testament to her explicit trust of her friends that she didn't rip it out of his hands and hug it tightly. Jaina herself was sitting on the bench in the Rock Dragon's hold with her feet on Zekk's lap. Zekk was attempting to fix a part he'd brought from the Lightning Rod, but was struggling because Jaina's feet were tapping out the beat of the latest Bith hit.

"Masters and Mistresses," Em-Teedee interrupted their comfortable silence with a soft chime over the comms as he monitored their flight from the cockpit.

"We are coming up on Canto Bight. It would be prudent to prepare your disguises now."

"Thanks Em-Teedee!" Jaina called. Lowie growled an affirmative.

Tenel Ka gave Jacen a nudge, and despite the big, soft brown eyes he stared at her with, she kept nudging him until he fell onto the floor.

"The closet should be over here." Tenel Ka opened the double doors and the fabric nearly took off Jaina's eyebrows as it gasped for breath after being squished inside.

"Huh," Jaina grinned, "Maybe the Ta'a Chume has a few good ideas every now and then."

Tenel Ka graced Jaina with a rare smile, "This is a fact."

"Okay," Jacen slicked his hair back at the fresher unit, "Let's go over our roles one more time."

"You don't have a role," Jaina shoved a stylish Corellia-cut suit at her brother, "You, TK, and I are notable enough to have a alibi for being on Canto Bight."

"Yeah, but the holonet doesn't know anything about us. Uncle Luke said that Canto Bight is always swarming with paps, so this is our big chance to create the persona that we want the rest of the galaxy to know."

"You've been crafting a big, dramatic backstory this entire ride, haven't you?"

"I have." Jacen admitted with a huge, dorky grin.

"Hear me out;" Zekk pulled out his ponytail, "A playboy."

Jaina hummed and hawed, then looked at Tenel Ka, who already had her poker face ready to go, "It might work, if he had any girls to play."

"Hey!" Jacen protested, "It could work!"

Not with his one and only girlfriend by his side all night. Jaina rolled her eyes.

Canto Bight had connections to Black Sun, and so at the request of the new owner, Master Skywalker sent five of his newly minted Jedi Knights to snuff them out. Jacen, Jaina, and Tenel Ka would play the heirs come to have a night out, spend all their money, and sniff out suspicious activity. Zekk and Lowie would play bodyguards.

Lowie wore pieces of the same suit Zekk had squeezed into, and the boy from Ennth envied him.

"It feels too tight," He said, trying to move his arms without tearing the suit.

Jaina tried to hide a chuckle, "It makes you look more intimidating." She told him.

"Friend Zekk, there is another suit here that would perhaps fit you better," Tenel Ka tossed it to him. This style of suit was mostly black, with purple accents. It hugged his hips, but comfortably, and the sleeves allowed for more movement while concealing a couple of holsters on his arms. He placed a single tiny blaster on his right arm, just in case, and tucked his lightsaber into the two on his left.

"Still intimidating?" He asked.

Jaina, who was still indecisive about what gown to wear, looked him up and down. "Let's try a fake scar," She suggested.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, you look like you have a babyface."

"Are you saying I'm not intimidating?"

"Zekk, I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you're about as intimidating as Nicta."

Zekk had no idea how to react to this. His mouth moved back and forth as Jaina grabbed the makeup kit. "I was the Darkest Knight!" He defended.

Lowie growled, badly stifling a fit of laughter.

"Lowbacca is correct. That is not who you are anymore." Tenel Ka decided on a slim number in neon green, with a matching sash of green, blue, and yellow taffeta.

Zekk sighed, "Well, good to know all the time spent meditating on my actions and taking responsibility really worked."

"Hold still," Jaina pushed down gently on his shoulders to get him to sit in the chair. She began to draw a long white line over his eye, reminiscent of the scar on Anakin Skywalker's face. Zekk waited patiently, but with exasperation, for the whole process of blending, shading, and contouring to be finished. By the time Jaina was done, Lowie had brought them out of hyperspace and everyone else was dressed.

"Am I beautiful yet?" He asked.

"Very," Jaina promised.

"For a mechanic, I am impressed with the attention to detail you gave my makeup," Zekk said, examining himself in the closet mirror.

"Hey Jay! check it out!" Jacen said. His hair was spiked up in the front, and face was painted with the craziest amalgamation of colors and powders he could concoct, reminding everyone else of Raynar's robes.

"You like it?" He asked his bewildered sister, framing his face with his hands, "I'm thinking rich bad boy with a heart of gold."

"Perfect! You're bad at everything!"

Tenel Ka stepped in between the twins before they could start fighting and smear the makeup on Jacen's face.

"I thought that you might find this dress fashionable, yet comfortable enough for your tastes," She held out a pile of fabric, and Jaina could hardly tell where it started and where it ended.

First of all, she noticed the red cape. Two buttons, stretchy material, and an endless amount of opportunities. She was sold immediately, but even more so when she noticed the white pants that went under the whole ensemble.

"The shirt is more of a tunic, and can be worn with or without the pants, though I assume you would prefer the pants?"

"Um, yes!" Jaina immediately began to change, trading her cargo pants for the long white pants that, while shiny and white, fit more like Zekk's bodyguard-style pants. She was in love. They came with a matching set of white heels, but who cared when she got to wear pants to a fancy, stuck-up party?

And then she had to change her shirt.

Zekk froze, staring at her collarbone. The familiar pattern of spindly white lines trickled into existence, blossoming with the faded black and blue of bruises from lightning and gathering together beneath Jaina's bra.

"Jaina, what is that?" He asked, his voice shaking.

Jaina looked down at her chest. It hardly pained her nowadays, but yeah, it was there.

"Uh, lightning scar?" She quickly pulled the white shirt on, not nearly as excited about her disguise now.

"No, Jaina," Zekk's voice was low, and bristling with sharp, pointed syllables. "That is not a natural lightning scar and those kinds of bruises only come from Sith lightning."

He stepped closer to Jaina, who didn't move. The whole ship was deathly silent as Zekk's anger rippled outward into the force.

"Jaina," His voice held a hint of softness as his fingertips brushed against her hand, "Who did this to you?"

#jaina solo #zekk #star wars #star wars eu #star wars legends #young jedi knights #jacen solo #lizart writes #tenel ka djo

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paladin-lynx · 4 years ago

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SquipJere Week 2020, Day 3: Dance Dance Revolution

@squipjerebmc’s SquipJere Week 2020 Day 3: Dance Dance Revolution

Ships Involved: The SQUIP x Jeremy Heere (Technical Difficulties/Squipemy/Squeremy/JereSquip/SquipJere), Jake Dillinger x Christine Canigula (UpStage/ChrisJake), Jeremy Heere x Brooke Lohst (Puppy Love)

Setting: Canonverse, set in the time interval between “Loser Geek Whatever” and “Halloween”.

Trigger/Content Warnings: Implied child abuse; non-graphic mentions of vomiting; kissing and mentions of kissing

Author’s Notes: I actually had no ideas for this one at first, and then it turned into my longest piece so far for the week! I love DDR and games like it, so this was really fun to write, even if a lot of it is set-up. Enjoy!

Jeremy could only put off hanging out with Rich for so long. For someone who was once so eager to grab Jeremy and stuff him into a locker that was much too small for him, now Rich was way too enthusiastic about meeting up with Jeremy outside of school.

Unfortunately, it was still too early in their ‘friendship’ – could they really call it that? Was it possible to be friends with the guy who had been bullying you constantly for the past two years? – for Jeremy to feel comfortable going over to Rich’s house. Besides, he didn’t want to have to deal with Rich’s dad, who seemed like a nightmare. Jeremy would rather not have a beer bottle thrown at his head or be accused of being Rich’s secret boyfriend. Despite all the torment Rich had put him through, Jeremy couldn’t help feeling a bit bad. He could tell through their connection that Rich definitely didn’t have an easy time at home. Jeremy’s dad was an embarrassment at worst, but Rich’s was dangerous at worst, and nobody deserved that.

So instead of hanging out after school, Jeremy suggested that they do something on a Saturday. Rich, from what Jeremy could glean, tended to spend his weekends out of the house, usually with Jake. And Jeremy wasn’t exactly familiar with the ‘cool places’ in town they could go to, so he left that decision up to Rich and just prayed it would be something he could handle. There were only a handful of places that he ventured out to when he ventured out at all: the park, the old dumpy arcade, the grocery store, and the mall. The rest of town, despite living here for sixteen years, was something of a mystery to him.

Rich would definitely pick a place that would help Jeremy be deemed as cool, because Rich was cool. And Jeremy bet that Rich’s SQUIP was helping him pick, if it was anywhere near as bossy as his own.

So it came as a surprise to Jeremy when Rich said they should hit up the local Dave & Buster’s. It was like the old dumpy arcade, except less old and dumpy.

Jeremy’s SQUIP didn’t have anything against it, so plans were made. But of course because Rich was going, Jake was going and bringing Christine along. And because Jake was going, Chloe was going. And because Chloe was going, Brooke was going. And because Brooke was going, Jenna was going.

So suddenly this casual hangout with Rich felt a lot more daunting. Because it was no longer just with Rich, who was more than enough on his own for Jeremy to handle.

Nonetheless, the SQUIP urged him not to bail out. “That won’t look good at all,” it warned. “And this is your chance to be in an environment where your…geekier interests and their popular tastes overlap. You can’t give up this opportunity.”

And so Saturday came. The SQUIP convinced Jeremy to eat something before he left despite Jeremy feeling like if he put anything into his stomach, it would immediately come right back up. But by some miracle – or a certain supercomputer’s influence – he managed to get down a half-decent meal, and then off he went. The SQUIP told Jeremy to take his father’s car, since it was highly unlikely the man would notice, and it was of course more convenient than waiting for a bus or having to pay for an Uber.

Jeremy had never actually been to this place before, although from what he could recall it was relatively new. Or maybe it wasn’t, and he just hadn’t cared to notice it because he and a certain hoodie-loving ex-friend of his preferred the local arcade, even if it was more run-down and much less crowded. Or maybe that was why they preferred it.

Because as Jeremy set foot into Dave & Buster’s, he was immediately overwhelmed by the blaring music, the bright neon lights of the countless games, and the crowd of people mulling about.

“Oh God…” he mumbled, feeling his stomach turn.

The SQUIP flickered into existence beside him, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “It’s a Saturday,” it reminded. “This was bound to be the busiest day.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that? I don’t…do big groups of people, you know that!”

“Maybe it’s time to change that. It may benefit you to have an audience.”

“An aud—”

“Heere!” Jeremy’s protest was cut off by a familiar voice and he turned to see Rich bounding up to him with the rest of the popular kids in tow. Great, he was the last to arrive, but maybe he could brush it off as being fashionably late, even though he was pretty sure he was actually a few minutes early. And it was then that Jeremy also realized that he had been speaking out loud to his SQUIP, and he received a small fizzle of static against his back as a reminder to think at the supercomputer while he was around his new group of apparent friends.

“Uh, hey, Rich,” Jeremy returned, fighting back the urge to smack himself for how lame of a greeting that was. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were all here already. Hope you weren’t waiting long.”

Rich shrugged. “Nah, it’s chill. We were just wandering around checking out all the games.” He grinned and elbowed Jake in the side. “Jakey D here tried to use his fake ID at the bar and got caught.”

Jake’s cheeks flushed and he lightly shoved at Rich. “Only because you look like you’re still in middle school!”

Brooke covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. “It was only because Christine apologized and promised it wouldn’t happen again that he didn’t get himself kicked out.”

Christine smiled shyly. “I wouldn’t want the day ruined before it even started…Besides, who drinks this early in the day anyway?”

The others laughed, to Jake’s chagrin, and Christine absolutely beamed as it sunk in that she’d said something they actually found funny. Well, Chloe wasn’t really laughing, but she was hyper-focused on her phone – with Jenna not-so-subtly trying to snoop over her shoulder – so she might not have even been paying attention. Jeremy realized this place probably wasn’t really her particular speed, but she had come along because, of course, she had to keep tabs on Jake. They weren’t back together, were they? Jake looked like he was still very much with Christine. Or at least ‘courting’ her, if they weren’t actively dating.

And speaking of courting, Brooke chose that moment to saunter over and peck Jeremy on the cheek, making his face warm. “We’re glad you made it, though,” she told him. “And that we didn’t get thrown out and end up leaving you here alone!”

“Ah…” Jeremy gave a nervous chuckle and a little bashful smile. “Y-yeah, I’m glad you didn’t get kicked out. So, uh, what should we do first?”

And off they went. There was a good mix of kids and adults enjoying their Saturday, so Christine made a polite request that they watch their language – which was reiterated after Jeremy beat Rich in air hockey and gave a loud “oh fuck you, tall-ass!”, although Jeremy was pretty sure that the insult was actually more teasing than anything else. It had been quite a match to watch, considering they obviously both had their SQUIPs assisting them. Jeremy tried not to focus on the fact that his SQUIP had laid its hand on top of his to alter his movements when necessary.

Some of the games were rather well-known titles while others were so obscure Jeremy couldn’t help wondering if Michael would know them. They made their way around the entire collection, and to his own surprise Jeremy found himself actually having fun. He was better at the more classic arcade-style games but he still gave the rest a fair shot. Christine, who didn’t seem like she dabbled in video games very much at all, found out she was rather good at Temple Run and some knockoff version of Whac-A-Mole. Rich and Jake of course went right for all the shoot-‘em-up games where they could pretend to blow the heads off of zombies. Jenna was actually pretty talented at the various trivia and timing games, although Jeremy supposed that came from years of sticking her nose into everything. He was pretty sure Chloe didn’t touch a single game in the time they were there, and at one point Brooke tried to drag Jeremy into one of the enclosed games – it was a haunted house or something – to make out, to which he turned bright red and, despite the SQUIP’s insistence in the back of his mind, told her that they shouldn’t abandon the others or they’d get upset.

Jeremy was pretty sure after a couple of hours that they’d gone through almost every game in the building and he was about to suggest that maybe they grab snacks or something, but then Christine suddenly perked up and pointed. “What’s that one?”

They all turned – Jeremy thought he even saw Chloe glance up from her phone – to see a tall game station with a metal platform in front of it, and on the platform were brightly colored arrows.

Jake raised an eyebrow. “Is that DDR?”

Jeremy frowned and glanced around at the others before stepping forward to get a better look at the game. “No, I think it’s a knockoff,” he replied, looking up at the top of the cabinet. There was definitely a name there that wasn’t Dance Dance Revolution but it was in too many eye-straining fonts for him to actually make out what it said. His gaze swiveled back down to the arrows on the platform. “DDR has the arrows going left, right, up, and down, but these ones are on the corners.”

He realized a beat too late that implying he had played DDR before was probably not something he should divulge to the cool kids, but when he looked around for his SQUIP, he found it giving him a little smile and nodding in approval.

Before he could react, though, he felt a hard nudge at his back and turned around to see Rich snickering. “Well, go on, tall-ass! Dance for us!”

“What?” Jeremy immediately sputtered in a way he was positive was uncool and his face went bright red. “I-I’m not gonna dance!”

Chloe smirked at him, lowering her phone – why did she have to lower her phone now of all times? – and put a hand on her hip. “Come on, Jere. Since you seem to know about this kind of game.”

Brooke giggled. “It’ll be fun, Jer-bear.”

Christine clasped her hands together, grinning at him, her eyes almost shining. “I’d love to see how you dance, Jeremy.”

Jeremy’s gaze flicked around to each of them and he suddenly felt very cornered, sweat slipping down the back of his neck. However, a wave of calm swiftly fell over him and he released a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding. He peeked to the side and saw the SQUIP standing there, giving him a confident smile.

It reached up to gently tap Jeremy’s nose, which felt more like a tiny spark of static. “Come on, dear,” it purred. “Let’s dance.”

He knew there was no getting out of it now, so he sighed, pushing his hair back and shaking his head. “It’s not as if these games actually look like dancing,” he muttered as he plodded up to the platform. “They look more like your legs are spazzing out.”

The rest of the group quickly crowded around, eagerly watching as Jeremy stepped onto the arrows to activate the game and pull up the song list. He could almost feel the confusion as they looked over the options.

“What are these?” Jenna huffed out.

“It looks like Japanese,” Jake commented, tilting his head as if that would help him read the foreign characters better. Or maybe Jake could understand Japanese; Jeremy wouldn’t be surprised, considering how much Jake threw himself into extra skills at school.

Jeremy decided it was better to hold his tongue than admit that he actually did recognize some of these as covers of Vocaloid and Touhou songs. He was pretty sure a few on the list were actually Korean and not Japanese, but he didn’t recognize them regardless. He tapped his foot against one of the arrows to scroll through and see if anything looked particularly interesting.

The SQUIP suddenly held up a hand and Jeremy found himself frozen in place, blinking at the screen. The song title was in Japanese, but upon hearing the rhythm and a few of the words in the preview snippet, he recognized it as a Touhou song, although not one he knew well enough to recall the name of. And it sounded like a remix, nonetheless.

“‘Four Seasons of Loneliness,’” the SQUIP translated, smirking sideways at him. “Pick this one.”

Why?

He got his answer from Brooke: “Sounds hard and fast.”

Ignoring the snicker from Rich at the obvious joke, Jeremy selected the song and was about to begin the game when the SQUIP once again stopped him. With yet another smirk, it upped the difficulty to the max and Jeremy had to keep his jaw from dropping.

“Damn, look at you, J-Man, all confident!” Jake whistled, and Jeremy felt his blood run cold.

I’m going to embarrass myself, he lamented as he confirmed his selection and the loading screen came on. Not only was the difficulty at its highest, but it was set so that he’d have to use every arrow, not those just designated for a single player on one side of the two-player platform.

“No, you won’t,” the SQUIP soothed, appearing in front of him and taking his hands. Jeremy couldn’t help blushing as those familiar cool fingers curled around his already sweaty hands. “Just let me do all the work.”

Jeremy had thought that the SQUIP wanted him to become more independent. Then again, it had also recited his lines for him during play rehearsal so he didn’t have to take the time to memorize them. Maybe this was along the same lines. But this wasn’t going to be like when the SQUIP had led him in a slow waltz – honestly, he wasn’t even sure it had been a waltz, he didn’t know shit about dancing – around the imaginary Hogwarts Great Hall. This was going to be quick-paced – the BPM had been 178 and while Jeremy wasn’t a music expert, he was pretty sure that was fast – and in front of an audience.

So that was what it had meant earlier.

You predicted this, didn’t you? he accused, heart jumping as the first beats of the song came on.

The SQUIP laughed. “Perhaps. Now let’s give your new friends a show.”

The song opened and Jeremy felt like he couldn’t move, frozen with fear like a prey animal, but then suddenly the SQUIP gave his hands a little squeeze and his entire body started moving on its own. It wasn’t the first time the SQUIP had stepped in to autopilot his body but it had never been to move around like this.

He had to make sure to restrain himself from looking too surprised, because as far as the others knew – except for maybe Rich – he was doing this all on his own. So he just swallowed the lump in his throat and let his feet fly across the platform, hitting every arrow in perfect time. When he was on one side of the platform and had to get to an arrow all the way on the other side in less than a millisecond, he was suddenly over there, which he didn’t think would be possible. Even if someone was controlling his body, he was still in no way built to be a dancer. Or at least, a cool and popular one.

He looked up at his SQUIP, who was still holding his hands and grinning widely at him. When Jeremy peeked down, he saw that the SQUIP’s feet were moving in time with his and, unlike when they’d slow-danced and the SQUIP had been dancing in front of him, now their feet blended together.

One of the others whistled and whooped from behind him. “Go, Heere!” Rich called, and Jeremy could feel his excitement buzz through their connection.

And despite his earlier nerves, Jeremy found himself breaking into a grin, adrenaline pumping through his veins. To the others it would seem like he was intently watching the screen, but he was truly just watching his SQUIP in absolute awe. He didn’t even need to know what arrows to press because by the time they popped up in the game, he was already there and moving on to the next arrow.

The SQUIP even let him show off a bit – although could it be considering ‘showing off’ if he wasn’t the one actually doing it? – and threw in a few spins and jumps for flare, earning him more cheers from his friends. He would think that this entire display would be considered rather dorky, but his body was moving so fast that even if the game was childish, his so-called dancing was too unreal for it not to be impressive.

All that existed in that moment was him and his SQUIP. Even the music, upbeat and catchy as it was, faded into the background. It wasn’t like he could understand the lyrics anyway. Jeremy had had moments before when he’d felt unusually close to the SQUIP – he knew, in reality, they were always close considering that the SQUIP was inside his brain – but there had only been a few moments these past few months where he’d really, truly felt in sync with his own personal supercomputer.

And he liked how it felt.

Before he knew it, the song was over and he found himself striking a pose. He realized he was soaked in sweat, but he barely felt winded, although he had a sneaking suspicion that that was the SQUIP’s doing. He looked up at the SQUIP once more, who smiled and stepped back, dipping down to press its lips to the back of Jeremy’s hand. Jeremy was absolutely dumbstruck at the small but notably warm fizzle of static against his skin, but then the SQUIP’s form blinked out of sight and Jeremy found himself staring at the screen with his mouth open in shock.

The last notes of the song faded and his score flashed onto the screen, a chipper female voice declaring, “Yeah, I knew you could do it!” There were quite a number of ‘Perfects’ but also a good mix of ‘Greats’ and ‘Goods,’ as if the SQUIP hadn’t wanted to make it seem like Jeremy had achieved the impossible on his first try at this obscure knockoff game.

He stumbled as Brooke suddenly crashed into him in an embrace. “Jeremy, that was amazing! I had no idea you could move like that!” She put her hands on his cheeks and pulled him into a somewhat messy kiss, making his cheeks burn, but he didn’t get the same fuzzy feeling in his chest that he’d gotten before, when the SQUIP had had his hand.

“Ah…” He smiled shyly once they’d broken apart for air and his chest heaved, the exhaustion from his dancing suddenly setting in. “Th-thanks. I just kinda…went for it.”

Jake grinned, flashing him a thumbs-up. “Looks like all that DDR and dancing alone in your bedroom didn’t go to waste, huh?”

Jeremy tried to come up with a retort, but he quickly realized that more than just his small gathering of friends was watching. Quite a few of the other patrons were looking at him, muttering to each other about how remarkable that had been. He even heard one little girl squeal, “I wanna dance like him!” which earned an amused chuckle from her parents.

Jeremy gently pulled away from Brooke, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thanks, guys. Uh, you can stop staring now.”

It looked like the group wasn’t going to drop it any time soon, though, as they led him off to find a place to sit down. Jeremy couldn’t help peeking over his shoulder, expecting to see the SQUIP right by him as it usually was, but instead it had reappeared beside the dancing game, watching with a surprisingly fond smile as the little girl bounded over to the platform and started tapping away at the arrows.

Jeremy’s heart squeezed. Maybe he’d ask Rich if they could meet up here again at some point.

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whittakerjodie · 5 years ago

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So infuriating ( 13th Doctor X Reader )

Request:” Hii :)) might I request a 13 x reader story where they start off bickering all the time but then realize they actually like each other quite a lot? Thank you” Requested by @anti-bright-places

A/N: I’m bad at writing bickering but I tried! I loved this request because it helped me explore it more. Thanks for requesting, hope you all enjoy!

Words: 1.3k

Warnings: Brief description of injury

The TARDIS was rarely silent. It was normal for the three human companions Ryan, Yaz, and Graham to wake up to the sound of clanging metal or arguing. Ryan, who’d been woken up by some sort of interior construction going on, made his way into one of the kitchens on the space/time ship. He grabbed a mug and a random container of loose-leaf tea. Just then, a flash of color passed in the doorway and he turned his head. You'd been walking down the hallway and quickly shot back to the door frame, glancing at the tea in his hand.

"Is that from Isroth?" You asked. Ryan looked around and then pointed at the tea with a questioning look.

"Uh- the tea?" You nodded and approached, turning the packet over in his hand.

"Oh my god, it is." You groaned, throwing it in the bin. "I told her not to drink this stuff, it's extremely unhealthy. Of course, she did it anyway." You opened up the cabinet to confiscate the rest of it. Before Ryan could ask you more you swiftly disappeared back into the hallway. Yaz entered, seeing the empty cupboard.

"Are they bickering about the tea again?"

"Sort of?" Ryan replied. "You know how they are. I give it an hour before the Doctor realizes.”

Sure enough, an hour later Graham was trying in vain to read as you and the Doctor argued over whether or not you should've gotten rid of the tea considering 'Yes its unhealthy, but not that unhealthy' (to which you insisted yes, it was, and maybe the Doctor should also work on her sweets addiction)

Later Graham and Yaz would joke about how the two of you were practically married with the way you argued. Ryan would try to get them to join his attempt to set the two of you up together; it'd be in vain since they were having an ongoing bet to see how long it would take the two of you on your own.

Days like this were not uncommon for the two of you. It didn't matter what planet or time period you were visiting or if the plan to save the day was succeeding or not; there was always something for you two to argue and bicker about.

Take the last few adventures for an example: On one occasion, there were multiple different ways you could've approached saving a small, nomadic village. You spent so long bickering about which one would yield the best results that the attacking group was able to undermine every single one of them. On another, the TARDIS randomizer was broken and kept sending you to the same location, just at different times; there'd been a half-an-hour long spat about what to do. Dozens of other (probably meaningless) events came to mind.

You'd written all of them off as simply part of the job. You didn't dislike her. On the contrary, you greatly respected and appreciated her 90% of the time. But when you spend nearly every waking moment with someone, there's bound to be some bickering. It just seemed to happen a lot.

Currently, you found yourself in another one of those situations. You and the Doctor had gotten separated from the fam running from some pretty aggressive aliens and you'd gotten roughed up in the process. Now, the two of you were bound together back-to-back in a cell, waiting for them to return. You hissed as the rope bounding your wrists together dug in a little too much. It was paired with the throbbing pain spread across your chest, from what you were assuming were broken ribs.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked. You felt the familiar annoyance rise up and take control of your voice.

"I would be if we'd gone right as I suggested"

“Left was clearly the better route. We only got captured because we were being too loud.”

“Oh, I wonder which one of us that was.” You said pointedly. You expected the Doctor to throw back something, but no response came. The silence was deafening. You couldn't make out what she whispered ten minutes later. "What was that?"

"I said I'm sorry" She spoke louder, leaning her head back against yours. There was another beat of silence before she continued. "You were right, we should've gone a different way. I'm sorry- that you got hurt and that I didn't listen."

You blinked, not sure of what to say. Usually, the two of you would just bicker, and then be done with it. You felt bad for instigating another fight.

"I- I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay" the response was very quick, and you tried to shift. When you groaned in pain again the Doctor tried to stop you, but you shushed her. When you were finally done squirming, your head lay on her shoulder so you could just barely look her in the eye.

"I don't always mean to bicker with you, you know"

"I don't either. " Came her reply. "I guess it just.. happens you know. Now look where it's got us"

You gave a short laugh, pushing past the pain it brought you. It was silent once more as if both of you were waiting for your brain to supply you with something to say next. You let yourself relax into her. It wasn't hard. She was warm, and soft, and gently relaxing back into you. It was comfortable, despite the circumstances.

"You know-" She started.

"I know" You softly replied. It was like a silent admission, shared between the two of you. You both recognized that the arguments were nothing more than natural bickering. You hoped that you were also in the process of acknowledging how you really felt. You decided to prompt her further, chastising yourself for cutting her off moments before.

"I think even if we'd gone right, this would've happened. Your idea was good too. They always are." She didn't respond, simply staring at you. You closed your eyes so you could continue unembarrassed. "You're amazing, you know? And sometimes you’re also infuriating, and goofy, and-"

She shifted her weight and you yelped as gravity took over and your bodies crashed onto the floor. Pain shot up your side and your ears rang, drowning out whatever the Doctor was saying.

"What.the.hell?" You groaned through gritted teeth.

"Sorry I was um... I was just trying to move a little."

"Why?" You tried to turn to look at her but there was too much resistance in your new position.

"I was.. well" She chuckled nervously. You raised a brow and waited for her to continue.

"Doctor.....?"

"IwastryingtoseeifIcouldkissyou?" She all-too-quickly answered. You blinked and your breath hitched. Your heartbeat did not. You opened your mouth to ask her to repeat herself, but you'd heard her well enough. Through the door of the cell you were being held in, you heard something that sounded like.. cheering? The lock clicked and the door swung open, revealing Ryan. He was grinning from ear the ear, arms raised in a victory pose. He jumped up and down, like a child unwrapping a Christmas present they’d begged for.

"I knew it! I knew it! Yaz, Graham, come 'ere, you won't believe-" He waved wildly down the hallway, where you suspected the other two companions were. You felt blood rush to your face and heard the Doctor groan in embarrassment.

"I should've joined the bet!" Ryan exclaimed again.

"It happened? Seriously?" Yaz asked. It hurt too much to keep turning your head so you could see them in the door frame. From their voices, they sounded very proud. You felt pain shoot through your chest again and the Doctor took back control of the situation.

"Alright, you lot, when you're done joking around we could use some help over here. Actually, we could’ve used help the past 20 minutes, but you were too busy listening at the door."

Although they started untying you, the joking failed to cease. You didn't mind. The Doctor did, and repeatedly scolded the three humans (which only encouraged them further). They whistled as she picked you up bridal style, and you jokingly snuggled into her. If you can't beat em, join em, you thought.

There would be an awkward conversation later so the two of you could confess properly, but for now, you just let yourself relax. At least the bickering paid off in the end. You’d still have to monitor her sweet addiction.

#13th doctor x reader #13th doctor imagine #13th doctor #doctor who #doctor who imagines

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deputyrhiannonhale · 4 years ago

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Nodus Tollens Chapter 4

Back, back, back again with a new chapter! Same TW apply; language, game canon violence, fear

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

tagging: @returnofthepd3 @ja-crispea @dieguzguz @shelliechen @deputyjessicaquinn @f0xyboxes @farcry-5fan @xbaebsae @veinereastath @ec-10 @tomexraider @sharky-broshaw @hopecountygazette

A notebook crashed against the door after William left the room, 15 year old Rhi was baring her teeth, something she would never do in front of her Step-Father, even though she desperately wanted to. Yet, after seeing what he could do to Deeter, she chickened out, not that she wanted to admit that out loud. She just let everyone think she was just mousy and quiet. She fell onto her bed and tried to fight back tears, she was so tired of that man telling her she is worthless and will never amount to anything in life.

After a few moments of silence, she heard her bedroom door open slightly, she turned her head quickly, assuming it was going to be William, but instead it was Deeter. He was leaning against her door frame, his lanky arms crossed over his chest and he was giving her his trademark lopsided grin.

“Seems you’ve had a visit from the asshole, huh?” He asked, before pushing himself off the frame and walking over to her bed as she sat up, sitting Indian style and hugging a pillow to her chest, and he flopped down on the bed next to her, propped up on his elbows.

“Unfortunately. How do you deal with him?” Rhi looked over her shoulder at him, and he shrugged, sitting up and bumping her shoulder with his own.

“After 16 years...you just get used to it.” Rhi gave him a pitiful look, here she was feeling sorry for herself, only having to deal with William for a couple of years, and poor Deeter has had to deal with this everyday for 16 years.

“I’m sorry, Deets.” He shrugged again, smiling, taking the pillow from her and playfully hitting her over the head with it before tossing it behind them.

“What’s say we go get some ice cream at the Creamery?” Deeter suggested after they both stopped laughing, and she gave him a confused look.

“We don’t have money though.” Rhi pointed out and Deeter chuckled, pulling out a handful of bills from his front pocket, spreading the bills out and fanning himself with them.

“We do if you steal it from the asshat.” Rhi got a mischievous grin on her face and they both launched off the bed and ran down the stairs and out of the house.

At the ice cream shop, Rhi skipped up to the counter, it was rare for them to get any kind of sweets anymore, so to say was excited wasn’t a strong enough word. The girl behind the counter didn’t look enthused to be at work, popping her gum annoyingly just waiting for the duo to order.

“I think I want four scoops, two chocolate and two peanut butter.” Rhi ordered, pointing at the flavors she wanted through the glass, causing Deeter to laugh loudly.

“You know what, make that two!” There was no way they were going to be able to eat all of that, and really they should have just shared the four scoops, but Deeter had stolen enough cash to pay for that and then some.

“Fuck…” Rhi groaned out, her stomach already beginning to hurt as she looked down at her unfinished frozen dessert that had long begun to melt in the cup. She slumped back against her chair, turning the ice cream into a soupy mush with the plastic spoon. “Yo, I think I’m gonna be sick, Deets.” She admitted, a low belch coming from her, and she quickly covered her mouth, and Deeter laughed at her, scooping up some of his own mush. He wiggled his black eyebrows at her, turning the spoon to face her and Rhi had only enough time to squeak before the cool mess slopped her on the cheek.

Rhi’s face was shocked, but she quickly fell into fits of laughter, lobbing her own ice cream at Deeter, which caught him on his slender neck. Bombs of ice cream flew back and forth before the girl behind the counter exploded, her shouting caused Rhi and Deeter to stop what they were doing, and with comedic timing, a glob of ice cream fell from Deeter’s hair onto the floor. They both grabbed their things and ran cackling from the store.

Rhi’s eyes cracked open slowly, the warmth from having Deeter with her again still radiating within her, until cold reality sunk in and she had to remember where she even was. Sharky’s snoring coming from the cot beside her own grounded her to the moment. She rolled onto her back and looked at the cot next to her to see Sharky sleeping away without a care in the world. Rhi rubbed her eyes before staring at the ceiling as the last few days replayed in her brain.

The Peggies had Addie and Xander locked inside one of the side buildings a few nights before, several of them patrolling the vicinity. Rhi and Sharky had descended on them like a bat out of hell, it was lots of confusion and screaming, gunshots and blood. They had saved several people and even ran off the cult from several hot spots in the Henbane area. So the fact her brain gave her a happy dream to save her for even a few moments from the craziness that has become her life wasn’t surprising to her.

Rhi touched her cheek and winced, she had gotten punched pretty good by one of the Peggies who had come into the Marina from a boat, the bruise itself was healing, turning that ugly yellow-green color but it was still tender to the touch. He had caught her off guard, but she quickly put him in his place with a roundhouse kick and then snapping his neck.

“You ok, Shorty?” Sharky asked, his voice still husky with sleep and Rhi jumped slightly, she had been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t even noticed he had stopped snoring. She cut her eyes over to him as he sat up, groaning slightly, the sheet falling off of his upper body to reveal he was just sleeping in his underwear, which caused Rhi to quickly look back towards the ceiling.

“Yeah, the cheek is just a little tender I guess.” Rhi admitted, with a small shrug of her shoulder, and Sharky stood from the makeshift bed to come stand next to her, bending at his waist to check out the bruising on her face. Rhi felt panic rise in her slightly from the fact that Sharky apparently has no shame and was just letting his dick be that close to her person. Of course, she was still a female and let her eyes wander to check everything out in what she hoped was a discrete look. She took note of several different small burn scars that marred parts of his chest.

“My eyes are up here, Dep.” Sharky quipped playfully and Rhi felt mortified that she had let herself get caught, and she proceeded to cover her face with both her hands while making a groaning noise. “I’m just fuckin’ with ya, ya can look all ya want to.” Rhi peeked at Sharky from behind her fingers, before he straightened and allowed her to sit up in the cot. The side of her hair she slept on was a tangled mess, and she tried brushing her fingers through it, as Sharky walked away, coming back with a cold can of root beer for Rhi.

“Hey thanks. That’s one of my favorite drinks.” She said, smiling as she cracked the top, and he nodded, sitting back on his own cot with, opening his own can of soda.

“I know, I noticed that the last few nights when we was havin’ dinner with aunt Addie.” Sharky confessed, before taking a long drink from the can. Rhi lowered her own and looked over at Sharky in almost a new light, also thankful to see that he had at least slipped his jeans back on. “Dep...who is Deets? I heard ya mumbling that name before I fell asleep last night.” Sharky sounded so innocent when he asked his question, keeping his eyes on his can and Rhi gave a quick, sad smile.

“He is...was my step-brother.” She corrected herself, sitting the can on the box close by the cot, before picking up her most prized possession, Deeter’s lighter, and she hesitantly reached across the space between them so Sharky could see the Zippo. She had it specially made for him, with his favorite band’s logo on the front. “He used this for everything.” She told Sharky as he looked at the Sex Pistols logo, rubbng his thumb over it. Rhi knew he was going to ask what happened, and she just wasn’t ready to tell him, Deeter was still hers, she wasn’t ready to share his story with anyone else. Sharky looked at her, his mouth open, but Addie burst into the small room, saving Rhi just in time.

“Hope y’all are decent!” Addie shouted, laughing, but quickly stopped and frowned when she noticed how serious the room felt, her eye catching the lighter in Sharky’s possession, and she nodded quickly. “Aw, here I was thinkin’ y’all might blow off some steam with each other.” She teased, walking over to the cots, pulling Rhi to her feet, and Sharky returned the lighter to her.

“Addie…” Rhi began, softly, slightly embarrassed that Addie would think she would just jump right into bed with Sharky, shooting him a sheepish look, to find he was chuckling.

“I haven’t put those sweet moves on her yet, auntie.” Sharky pointed out, pulling first his shirt then his hoodie over his head, and Addie snorted.

“What sweet moves is that?” Addie shot back and Rhi just looked between the two, confused how the conversation had been steered to Sharky trying to seduce her.

“Ok...well...I’m gonna get dressed, if you two don’t mind.” Rhi motioned at the fact she was still in some of Addie’s old sleepwear that was really too long for her short stature, and Addie chuckled.

“Ya mean ya aren’t gonna go busting ass in that?” She teased and Rhi blushed heavily, imagining herself running around in this night shirt that hung off one shoulder and she shook her head fervently.

“It’d be a good distraction, Dep.” Sharky joined in and Rhi growled slightly, marching towards them both, shoving them out the door.

“I can’t have you being distracted Charlemagne, I need you to have my back.” She retorted, before shutting the door forcefully, hating the fact that she got embarrassed so easily. She slammed her back against the door, covering her eyes with her hand again. She is usually so in control of her emotions, well, except her anger, and yet since she’s woken up this morning she has been a bumbling mess. Is it because she had such a pleasant dream, getting to see Deeter again, and it’s made her less guarded, or is she actually starting to feel comfortable in Sharky’s presence?

Rhi was asking herself these questions as she got dressed, finally deciding that maybe it was a little bit of both. Sharky had plenty of opportunities to abandon her on their journey here and he never did, so maybe she could trust him. She supposed that she shouldn’t hold something against him that happened so many years ago, considering it seems he has definitely let it go by how he was getting to know her, and trying his best to help her in any way he could. She sighed heavily, tossing her hair up in a messy ponytail and rolling her shoulder, loosening herself up as she walked out of the room.

“Hey, Addie,” Rhi began as she walked around the island, grabbing a banana off the banana hanger she was sure Xander had something to do with. “Have you heard any chatter about where my uncle may be? Dutch told me he was in this region, but didn’t give me much after that.” She explained as she plopped into a chair, peeling and eating the banana. Addie shrugged, appearing pensive for a moment.

“Sorry, honey, I’m afraid I haven’t. ‘Course, I have been watching Xander doin’ yoga this mornin’, so I may have been a little distracted.” Addie confided, leaning closer to Rhi, as if it were a secret, and Rhi tossed her head back in laughter.

“I mean, I suppose I can’t blame ya for that.” She whispered back as they both watched Xander drinking water at the sink, and Sharky made a ‘harrumph’ sound, adjusting his ball cap before folding his arms over his chest, causing Rhi and Addie to look at him, laughing again. “Aw, Sharky, don’t be jealous.” Rhi teased, pushing on his shoulder playfully, and he batted her hand away humorously.

“If I had my guesses,” Sharky finally interjected, once the batting each other's hands was finished. “I’d guess the jail. Although, I don’t really wanna go there.”

“Obviously.” Rhi stated in a deadpan voice, as she continued to tease him, and he shot her a sarcastic look, which caused both her and Addie to laugh. “OK, Sharkster, lead me to the jail then.” Rhi stated, winking at him, and standing to throw away the banana peel. “We’ll be back later I’m sure. I’ve just really gotta find Earl. Make sure he’s ok.” Addie nodded, standing and giving Rhi a big hug.

“You’re like a daughter to me, ya know that right, girl? So be safe.” Rhi felt a pressure in her chest, having not gotten much love from her mother after her father's death all those years ago, she really began to look up to Addie as a mother figure. She had helped Rhi more with growing as a person than Julia ever had.

“I will, I love ya, Addie.” Rhi choked out and Addie rubbed her back, before slightly pushing her towards the door.

“Go save the day, Kiddo. If ya need me and Tulip, don’t be afraid to give me a holler.”

“FUCK!” Rhi shouted, kicking the flat tire of the ATV, screaming more obscenities as Sharky just watched her. “That fucking Peggie shot out the tire!” She growled, her tiny frame visibly shaking with rage fueled tremors, and Sharky tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s ok, Dep, we can get it fixed.” He pointed out and Rhi looked at him, feeling some of her anger leaving her body at his voice of reason. Which in and of itself was terrifying that Sharky was being the voice of reason between the two of them, but she finally nodded.

“I know but fuck if this wasn’t bad timing.” She hissed out bitterly, allowing Sharky’s hand to stay rested on her shoulder. “Rhi...you can just call me Rhi. You don’t have to call me Dep all the time. We are friends now after all.” Rhi informed him, patting his hand on her shoulder, before she began walking in the direction they had been driving.

Rhi looked up at the sky, it was already muggy this early in the morning and she sighed loudly, hating feeling overheated, sure she would get burned in the unrelenting sun. Suddenly a field of whiteflowers caught her attention.

“Hey, what are those, they’re really pretty.” Rhi asked, steering off her trajectory to investigate.

“Rhi, don’t go in there!” Sharky yelled, breaking into running to try to intercept her, but he was too late. Rhi walked into the middle of the bliss flowers, and everything began to become distorted, her vision and even her hearing was playing tricks on her. The woman she now knows is Faith appeared before her, giving her a soft smile, and Rhi felt herself falling and could do nothing to stop it.

Rhi opened her eyes to find herself in an open field, it wasn’t where she had gone down, and her brain definitely felt foggy, she looked around, rubbing her eyes trying to clear them, but it did nothing. Finally Faith appeared before her again.

“Faith…?” Rhi asked almost hesitantly as Faith took her hand in both of her own. “What the fuck is going on?”

“I know all about you, Rhi Hale. You are so much like me...your family not loving you…leaving you to die. We will love you here, unconditionally. John will love you here unconditionally. You know you want to be with him...and us. You can be free...and you can be happy. Don’t you want to be happy for once?” The girl before her pulled Rhi along through the field, letting her go long enough to twirl around in the weeds and wildflowers, the animals even looking peaceful in this clouded dream.

“I...don’t know...I’m so...confused.” Rhi touched her head, as it was swimming under the influence of the Bliss, shaking her over and over, trying to make sense of everything.

“Here you do not have to prove your worth like you do with the others. Your worth will be given to you here, because all we want from you is to exist and be happy. The Father will protect us from all harm.” Faith took Rhi’s hand again, and they both took flight, Rhi feeling her stomach fall to her feet, her fear of heights causing her breathing to accelerate as she watched the ground getting farther and farther away until Faith dropped her on Joseph’s statue, on his Bible. She looked at the words, before looking back up to Faith, surprised to see Burke there with her. “Just take the leap of Faith. The path to Eden is clear to those who have faith.” The blonde girl promised flying back away from the statue, and Rhi could swear she could see angel wings on her.

“Burke...you don’t believe this shit, do ya?” Rhi asked the Marshal, as butterflies began to land on him. He turned to look at her, holding his hand out to Rhi, and she pulled back reflexively.

“Walk the path.” He said, turning to the edge of the book, holding his arms out to the sides, letting himself fall forward. Rhi rushed towards him, trying to stop him, but she stopped, looking over the edge at how high up she was, and she crouched, placing her hands on the cool concrete.

“This is just a dream...it’s gotta be. This is too fuckin’ trippy to not be a dream. Which means if I do fall, I’ll be ok. I’m sure this is just stress induced, or heat exhaustion.” Rhi was muttering to herself, squeezing her eyes shut tightly, getting on her knees and crawling closer to the edge until her hand met air, and she opened her eyes again and screamed, falling back onto her butt. “Get it together bitch, you can do this. It’s all just in my head anyway.” Rhi got shakily to her feet, inching towards the edge, looking at Faith one more time, before the blonde girl disappeared into a misty cloud of green. Rhi took in several deep breaths before she walked off the edge of the book, screaming as she watched the ground come closer and she flailed her arms for purchase that she would never find.

Rhi groaned, her head was throbbing slightly, and she felt cool rock beneath her. Her eyes opened slowly, and she rolled over onto her back. She sat up, her eyes scanning the area, there were bodies all around her and she startled, scrambling backwards like a fleeing bug, her chest rising and falling rapidly in her panic, her back being met with the rock face behind her. Once she regained control of herself, she looked up to see she was in fact below Joseph’s giant eyesore of a statue. Had she really fallen, or was it all a dream? How else would she have gotten here otherwise? Rhi and Sharky had been miles away from this spot last she could remember. Then it was like a lightbulb flashed in her mind. Sharky! Where was Sharky?

“Sharky!” She called out on her radio in a desperate attempt to reach him, hoping someone would answer her at the very least, if not him.

“Dep! Where are ya? We been lookin’ everywhere for ya!” Rhi felt relief wash over her, and she stood at her full height, dusting off her backside and easily maneuvering around the bodies and the blood. “It’s like ya just fuckin’ disappeared in those flowers!”

“I’m at the bottom of Joseph's statue.” She informed him, looking at the giant painted starburst cross that was the Project’s logo, for lack of better terms.

“Ok, Shorty, just stay there, I’m comin’ to get ya.” Sharky promised, and Rhi nodded to herself, attaching the radio back to her belt, walking out of the shadows and into the sunlight. Based on it’s position, Rhi guessed it was about one in the afternoon, had she really been out of commission for that many hours? It had only felt like minutes to her.

She leaned against a tall rock, rubbing her temples before digging out her container of water, taking a long drink, and splashing some of it on her face. She was enjoying the feeling so much, she didn’t hear the Peggies sneaking up on her until it was too late.

One grabbed Rhi, pulling her away from the rock, wrapping her arms around Rhi from behind, and in a semi-automatic response, she hopped up slightly, and used the forward momentum to send the woman flying over her and onto the ground flat on her back. It knocked the wind out of her, but it didn’t stop the second cult member from grabbing Rhi and tying her up. Rhi was cursing and wriggling around trying to get herself free, when the Peggie stood over her and smiled, and not in a friendly way.

“John is going to be happy to see you.” With that, the butt of the rifle came down against the side of Rhi’s head and everything went black.

#far cry 5 #far cry 5 oc #Sharky Boshaw #rhiannon hale #deputy rhiannon hale #adelaide drubman #xander flynn #deeter foster #william foster #hope county #hope county montana #earl whitehorse #cameron burke #faith seed #john seed #Joseph seed #Jacob Seed #sharky x rhi #Charlemagne Victor Boshaw IV

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yourescapetofiction · 6 years ago

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The Tides Have Turned-Part 2

A/N: This is my old work, The Tides Have Turned. It is a complete story that I am reposting on this blog so the work isn’t lost and can be found for those interested :)

Two

Nate’s POV

I couldn’t help but grab her hand, she looked so beautiful drifting off to sleep next to me. I was secretly thrilled when she decided to ride up front with me. It was rare to get any alone time because the entire squad was usually around, which I didn’t really mind we’re all best friends but there is something about her. She had a presence that when she was gone, you missed it.

I continued driving down the highway periodically stealing glances at the sleeping beauty next to me. We had been on the road for a solid few hours by now. I smiled as I felt her snuggle closer and rest her head on my shoulder to get comfortable. We had just passed the sign signaling our entering of Illinois when the guys started getting antsy in the back. “Hey man when are we gonna pull over, I gotta pee” Swazz asked me. “Yeah and I definitely need some road trip snacks” Johnson added. “Calm down J you’ll get your slim jims” I laugh merging over to the right hand lane to get off the exit ramp. I pull over into the rest area and the guys immediately jumped out and ran for the bathrooms and snack stands. I shook my head, “animals” I mutter. I knew it was time to wake y/n up, but I dreaded the inevitable loss of contact.

Y/n POV

My eyes slowly fluttered open as I felt a large hand soothingly rubbing my side.

“Hey baby, wake up” Nate’s voice rang in my ears. “What year is it?” I say rubbing my eyes and stretching a bit. “2015, same as when we left” he chuckled. “You’ve been asleep for hours, we’re at a rest stop” he answered.

“Omg Nate I’m sorry, did I fall asleep on you? How embarrassing…” I blush deeply pulling open the door. I slid down until my feet touched the pavement and the fresh air filled my nostrils.

“I didn’t mind..” I heard mumbling. “What did you say?” I turned around. “Huh? Nothing” Nate said giving me a weak smile. “Ok well I’m gonna go find the guys and make em’ pay for my snacks” I wink and laugh.

I walked into the rest stop and freshened up in the bathroom. Nate was acting kind of weird, I wonder what’s bugging him. I brushed the thoughts of Nate away and walked over to the guys who were grabbing bags of chips like they were going out of style.

“Hey baby girl!” I felt strong arms wrap around me. “Hey Sammy” I grin and place a kiss on his cheek. He always made everything irrelevant fade away when I was with him. He looked at me and smiled wide, his beautiful eyelashes fluttering as he spoke.

“What do you want? Pick anything, it’s my treat” he said. “Aww Sam, you don’t have to do that. I can pay for my own shit” I laugh. He intertwined his fingers with mine and walked me over to the candy aisle-my favorite.

“Nonsense. My girl isn’t paying for her candy.” He smiled genuinely at me. I picked out what I wanted and we all proceeded to the register to pay. I glanced at Nate and he looked antsy and uncomfortable at Sam’s close contact. I don’t understand, all of the guys have been like this with me for as long as I can remember and it’s never been a problem before.

“Last one to the bus has to sleep on the floor in the hotel tonight!” Johnson screams as he takes off on a tear towards the bus. “Oh come on you guys, you know I’m not a runner!” I pout behind the pack of running guys. “Don’t worry babe I got you!” Gilinsky stopped in front of me and picked me up into a piggy back ride and took off in a full on sprint. I screamed my head off as we swerved past Kenny and Dillon, Jack tossing elbows as he moved.

“Sorry losers!” I taunt and poke my tongue out at them. We make it to the bus in second place, not too shabby. We collapse to the ground out of breath and laughing till it hurt.

“Wait! Who’s last?!” I ask wide eyed to find the sucker that was sleeping on the floor tonight. We all looked around to a pouty Sammy. “Laugh away, I thought you guys were supposed to be my friends” he says sarcastically. “You know we love you Sam” I counter and he sends me a wink. As the boys pile into the back of the bus, I assume my spot next to Nate.

“You having a good time so far?” He asked. “The best time” I grin so hard it makes him bust out laughing. Nate pulls off and continues driving for another couple of hours.

It is soon dusk as the sky is lit with colors of lavender and indigo. It was beautiful, reminiscent of a Van Gogh painting. I sigh contently as the sounds of The Weeknd float through the bus. Everyone takes turns singing a verse giving credit to those who gave it their all. Of course Gilinsky was able to belt the R&B feel flawlessly. It certainly adds to his appeal, girls love him. We cross the state line for Indiana when Nate decides to pull over to a hotel for the night.

The boys remain outside handling our luggage while I go inside to book our rooms. I book two rooms and wait for the friendly guy behind the counter to enter my information.

“You from out of town?” He asks sending me a smile as he types away. “Uh yeah, my friends and I are actually road tripping to New York for the summer” I answer. “That sounds like the life. If I weren’t stuck at work, I’d probably end up joining you” he laughs. Just then, the guys all file into the lobby and saunter over to me.

I can see the protective looks in the Jacks, Nate, and Sammy’s eyes. “Tough break bud” Gilinsky says curtly while slinking his arm around me. “Jack…” I whisper hinting that he needs to back off. The guy meant well, I knew he was just trying to make conversation.

“Uh here’s your room keys, enjoy your stay” he nervously says. “Thank you so much” I say kindly. I walk away, Jack’s arm still around me, and I look up at him. “There was no need for that Jack.” “I know, I’m sorry. It’s just guys suck baby girl, and I didn’t want him to try anything on you” he states matter of factly.

“I’ve never seen you like this G” I giggle. “Yeah well you’re our girl, MY girl, I’d do anything to protect you” he says, shooting me a wink at the end. His words caused flutters in my stomach.

“Alright who’s sleeping where?” Dillon’s question interrupted my moment with G. “Well Nash and Cam, and you and Kenny can go in one room” I suggest. “Jack and Jack obviously together, and Nate and Sammy in the other” I continue.

“What about you?” Kenny asked raising a brow. “Oh I don’t know, I-” I begin “Bullshit, she’s coming with us” Nate states.

“Yeah the squad has to stick together” Johnson jokes pulling me into his side.

We all file into our rooms and I get out my pjs and place them on the bed. I desperately needed a shower after being cooped up in that bus all day.

“Hey guys I’m gonna shower first is that ok?” I question. “Yeah go ahead babe we’ll go after you” Johnson politely offers. “Or we could save water and shower together” Sam says and smirks. “Cool it Samuel” I joke pushing him back onto the bed. “Feisty, just how I like em” he says causing the room to erupt with laughter.

I make my way into the tiny bathroom and run a hot shower. Man it feels good to get cleaned up. I got changed into my pjs when I was done and emerged from the steamy bathroom. The Jacks were already passed out, poor guys. I made my way over to their bed and covered them up, placing Gilinsky up on the pillow as he was laying half off the bed. He grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze “goodnight, love you” he mutters half asleep. I chuckle to myself.

I turn around to see Nate resting against the headboard of the other bed. He was wearing nothing but his boxers and his eyes were droopy from staring at the road all day. God he looked good. He patted the spot next to him and I smile.

“What about Sammy?” I ask. “He’s fine, he’ll sleep on the floor. A bet is a bet, he has to honor that” Nate laughed. “Yeah, yeah. I get the bed with y/n next time though” he laughed. “Goodnight Sam” I state plainly.

I crawled onto the bed next to Nate, careful not to encroach on his side too much. I’ve shared a bed with the Jacks before when we were growing up, but this was new territory with Nate. I shiver and climb under the blankets.

“Cold?” He asked. “Mhm” I mutter closing my eyes. “Come here lil mama” he extends his arm opening his side up to me. I snuggle in close and drape my arm over his chest. I aimlessly start tracing his tattoos and I hear his breathing become shallow. Maybe I went too far. I tried to sneak a peek at him through the dim lighting of the room and saw he was fast asleep. I place a kiss to his chest and drift off to sleep myself.

- The next morning

I crack my eyes open and check the time on my phone, it’s 5 am-shit. We needed to get up and get back on the road if we wanted to get to New York at a decent hour. I tried to snake my way out of Nate’s grip, but he absent mindedly pulled me back into him when I tried to get up.

I giggle “Nate,” I say poking him. “Nate wake up we gotta get going” he groaned next to me reluctant to wake up.

“Wake up guys!” I say loudly to get the others to stir. “Ugh why are you doing this to us?” Johnson groaned covering his face with a pillow. “Do you want to get to the beach at a decent hour? Then get up!” I retort. They all grumble but make their way to get dressed and grab some coffee and breakfast from the complimentary set up downstairs.

We embark on our journey, coffee in tow, and start up a game of would you rather. This time I sit in the back with the boys, and Swazz is riding up front with Nate.

“Alright Johnson, would you rather have a time machine that only goes back in time, or a time machine that only goes forward in time?” Cam asks. “That is like the hardest question everrrrr” Johnson groans. “Fine, forward in time because the past should remain in the past” he answers. Everybody nods their head. “Alright Sammy, would you rather have your body found in a pile of sex toys or found on a pile of drugs?” Johnson asks. We all bust out laughing. “Hmmm, sex toys.” Sam answers barely giving the question any thought. “Eww what the hell Sam?” Kenny pulls a face. “Dude….” Nash starts in before Sam can explain himself. “What?!” He exclaims. “At least sex toys aren’t illegal.” “Yeah but people would wonder what the hell you did to die there” I giggle. My statement caused everyone to laugh.

“Alright y/n, would you rather give Gilinsky a lap dance or go streaking with Cam?” Sam asks me. My eyes widen. Who would ask a lady that? Sam Wilkinson.

“Omg Sam how am I supposed to answer that?” “Ugh I guess the lap dance, because there is no way I’m streaking.” Gilinsky wiggles his eyebrows at me and I throw a pillow at him.

“Alright Nate this one’s for you man!” G calls up to Nate. “Oh god, alright. Hit me” Nate responds. “Would you rather sleep with y/n or sleep with a random hookup?” G asks him. I can see Nate’s grip tighten on the steering wheel. Swazz looked back at me uneasy, like he knew something I didn’t. Nate briefly made eye contact with me in the rearview mirror and I was blushing hardcore. Everyone waited with baited breath for his answer. Way to put him on the spot G…

“Dude definitely the hookup” Nate answers. Some of the guys chuckle and slap hands brushing off his comment, but I fell silent. Nate focused back on the road when I heard my phone song with a text message. It was a private message from Johnson.

J😇: I’m so sorry y/n…. 😥 Me: I’m fine J, thanks though. J😇: Gilinsky shouldn’t have asked that. It was an uncomfortable question. I’m sure Nate didn’t mean anything by it. Me: Don’t worry about it. It was just a throw away comment. I love you J ❤️ J😇: I love you too baby girl

I slid my phone back into my pocket and rested my head against the window. The game died off after that and the guys assumed their own conversations but I wasn’t in the mood anymore. I put in my headphones and drowned out the noise. Why was this bugging me so much? It’s just Nate. He’s one of my best friends, I know it didn’t mean anything. Still, I couldn’t quite forget the cold way he rejected the notion of sleeping with me. I was hurt. And now I had to live with this guy for a month in the Hamptons.

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apocryphist · 7 years ago

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@vault11overseer asked me to rank all of Palpatine’s looks, which was probably at least 40% a joke. Joke’s on them, I’m doing it anyways, starting with the absolutely most wretched of them:

The classic throne room look

Yeah, I know -- this is The Palpatine Look, the one that defined our mental image of withered old bastards forever in Return of the Jedi. It’s a classic. But looking at it with the nostalgia goggles off, first doesn’t always mean best. There’s nothing regal about this look, nothing that screams Emperor, just a decrepit old man in his comfy clothes.

Sure, it’s real menacing when the fabric kind of blends into the shadows, but when he’s just walking around? It looks like he’s wearing evil cotton bathrobe. Even Dooku knew that if you were going to take a nap, you’d better be doing it in black silk pajamas. Next to Palpatine’s other looks, this one’s clear that he’s not trying too hard.

Which, of course, is the point -- Luke Skywalker sure didn’t expect the bathrobe man reclining in his Death Star Lay-z-boy to summon fucking lightning from his fingertips. That, and Palps just doesn’t have anyone to impress at this point. Who the fuck does he need to dress himself up for? Nobody, that’s who.

That said, this outfit has an unsung hero -- the cut of that hood. The way it’s draped like that, basically putting his head inside of a triangle, is way more evil than some round hood would be. Seriously, that hood is the reason we remember this look so well.

Final Verdict: 6/10, a respectable showing in many ways, but his other outfits often take what’s good about this one and do it better.

Next up...

Pantene-patine

Yeah, that’s not a great pun, but this guy clearly loves having hair a little too much for his own good. It’s like he saw male pattern baldness coming for his colleagues in the Senate, and thought “oh man, they’re all gonna be so jealous when they realize I can still style my hair like Nicholas Cage.”

But it also gives him kind of the air of a doddering politician. Between the taditional Naboo clothing, unflattering haircut, and the particular brand of politeness he employs, this Sheev Palpatine can blend into the background until it’s time to let his actual personality shine through and steal the space presidency out of nowhere.

Still not going to save it from a mediocre score, though. 2/10.

Space President, President of Space

Ol’ Palpy’s moving up in the world, so he can trim the weird wings off the sides of his haircut and stop wearing medium blues and purples to look nonthreatening. He doesn’t want to come on too strong, so there’s no hood or whatever, but he takes advantage of the opportunity to wear black and runs with it, only offsetting it with a brown top and sash. Palpatine can afford to look a little evil now; he’s space president. If he wasn’t at least a little evil, what would he be doing in politics?

But the ruffled brown-gold...sweater...? That’s not doing him any favors. 5/10.

Revenge of the Sleeves

This one’s pushing it, Pal. This outfit might not quite scream evil, but it's at the very least stage-whispering it. All-red color scheme? Shoulder pads like an evil wizard? Sleeves wide enough to hold entire folders in the upper arm?? Also, now that he’s in animation, it’s a little hard to hide the fact that he looks like an evil puppet, but what the hell. The Senate voted him enough war powers that shit shouldn’t matter.

All of that evil looks good, but those sleeves really do lose this outfit a lot of style points. Still, I guess he just had to do it to em. 4/10

The murder machine

We all have days where we want to cut lose and just be ourselves, right? Well, this is what Palpatine wears on rare occasions when he can put aside the busy schedule of leading both factions in a galaxy-spanning war, and just be what he is in his heart: a goddamn Sith Lord.

This doesn’t just scream evil, it screams evil and loving it! He spends his time in this outfit doing two things: cackling, and styling on absolutely everyone he encounters. It’s got that same classic comfy cut as his original Return of the Jedi look, but with a little more class. The texturing is great, the balance of black and red is on point, and it’s got a nifty sith clasp thing. Also, accessorizing with two lightsabers is a risky choice, but it really works out here.

Honestly, this look is hard to beat, a great combination of old and new. 9/10.

Leather car upholstery from the 90s

You know, this has a lot going for it. The cut of it is great, with angles seamlessly transitioning into round forms in a way that kind of suggests a business suit. This really says Space President in a way most of his looks don’t. That said -- this texture is just too much. Space leather is nice, but this is just distracting.

Also, I just noticed this, but -- are those loafers? Fucking evil loafers? Sheev, come on.

It looks good in darker lighting, though, so I’m gonna give it 7/10.

The Coronation Gown

Motherfucker shows up like “okay, the Jedi tried to kill me, gave me some weird scars, but i’m good. Don’t even pay attention to those scars, I’ve got this sick red robe aND A NEW EMPIRE, SEE YA DEMOCRACY WE’RE GREAT.”

Also? This is a fucking sith robe. Dude’s just wearing it in public because he knows he’s eliminated the only people who would know what he’s doing. What a fucking power move.

Is this a little too regal? Maybe for day to day wear, but come on, let Sheevy have his day to wear crushed velvet and unholy symbols of the dark side. 8/10

Classic 2: The Sequel: Redux: Fresh New Emperor Edition

What’s old is new again. right? Mostly. While this is a good look, it’s not as striking as the look he sported in the Clone Wars, and it’s not as creepy as his original look, either. Also: he gets flipped over a chair by Yoda.

Surprisingly underwhelming, 6/10.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

Is it cheating to count two looks as one? Probably. But the juxtaposition of his original Space Satan look with Kindly Old Grandpappy Palpatine was fucking incredible.

You never forget that he’s a bad guy, but you understand the Empire a little better just looking at Hologram Palpatine -- this is the face he presents to the public, a charming and diplomatic wartime leader turned the greatest champion of peace in the galaxy. It’s a hell of a trick.

Plus, the animated version of the costume is a little more put together than the 1983 version, while still maintaining everything that made the original great. 10/10.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast

Is this our old pal Sheev? No, technically not, it’s a recording of him being projected by a droid after his death.

Still, I like to think he picked this look out for the Sentinel Droids. Red leather, poofy sleeves, classic Sheev Palpatine material. Also, the faces on top of droids? Very spooky, very necessary, and very Palpatine. A post-mortem message isn’t quite the same with your dead boss staring you in the face.

However, I’m sorry to say, these sentinel droids look cooler without Palpatine’s face being projected in them.

They have a really neat look all of their own, and a dead dictator in a fishbowl doesn’t really add much. 7/10

So classic you don’t even know it’s classic

This is how Palpatine appeared in the original release of The Empire Strikes Back, before Ian McDarmid was even cast in the role. And, if I may say so, this is clearly Sheev’s best appearance. Big spooky hologram, lighting so dark you can’t tell where the shadows end and the black clothing begins, eyes that are probably sunglasses with putty on them -- need I go on?

No. No I don’t. Sheev was facetiming Vader from the fucking Coruscant runway where he was showing of his Sheevy Collection. Everyone else in the galaxy, eat your heart out, you’re never gonna look this good. 1,980/10.

...That applies to everyone except Lando. I can’t even joke about that, the man wears capes as fashion statements, and can turn the most painfully 1970s look into something acceptable. Sorry, I don’t make the rules; that’s just how it is.

#sheev palpatine #palpatine #star wars #original trilogy #star wars rebels #the clone wars #text #misc. apocrypha

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mistyheartrbs · 7 years ago

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good luck wizards

so on december 20th, 2017 aka last night i thought “aw man it sure is weird that all disney channel sitcoms take place in the same universe!” and then literally ten minutes later i was knee-deep in writing a really gay wizards of waverly place/good luck charlie crossover fanfiction in tweet format. and i loved doing it.

so here it is, my masterpiece, good luck wizards

a/n: some background: alex and teddy are roommates at whatever unattainable college teddy ended up going to and i have been mad about stevie’s death for six years now

"she just died," alex whimpers to teddy one night, curled up in her arms with two cups of magic hot cocoa in their hands (winning the wizard competition has some perks - learning the spell to keep hot cocoa warm indefinitely is one of them) "i could've done something."

"they put her back together. it's okay."

"it was like i could hear...laughing. nobody cared. nobody mourned her."

"yeah that's pretty terrible."

"wizards suck, teds. don't get mixed up with them."

"i'll try."

"should i...should i visit? i haven't seen her since..."

"why not?"

"guilt. it took like, six months. i could've probably done it in half the time. messed up, man."

"where is she now?"

"wizard juvie. i dunno." alex starts making loops with her wand, little tendrils like snowflakes following her motions. it's lovely, teddy thinks. "probably being made to clean up after slime toads or whatever. the wizard world's got some cra-appy punishments." alex's voice lilts on "crappy," and she jerks her wand sharply upwards. teddy tries not to flinch. "help me out with a spell, would you?"

"okay?" teddy wonders if this is like that time gabe asked her to "help" with a "harmless prank." it's probably worse.

"just sit here and take my hand when the portal opens.” alex raises her wand. “when the world slips apart and wants to see me / take me there to go to my friend stevie." a portal opens in truly bad 2007 cgi. they go in.

"that was a really bad rhyme," teddy deadpans as the two of them fall through the void.

"i'm working on my original spells, okay? it's an ~experimental style~"

"whatever you say."

and then the portal closes and they land. not very gracefully. on top of each other. it's not wizard juvie, and it's not some slime frog habitat, either. it's a little apartment. dusty and dim, with a faded rainbow flag hanging on one wall. a funny-looking dog skitters across the floor, and its footsteps echo around the room.

"susan?" a familiar voice calls out. alex freezes. "hey, i said i was gonna...oh." stevie nichols stops dead in her tracks at the two intruders. "hi."

"i'm just gonna..." teddy awkwardly backs away to go back into the portal, only to realize it's not there anymore. she pokes at the air anyway. it's fraught with tension, alex and stevie staring at each other.

"took you long enough," stevie finally grumbles. "i thought you'd forgotten."

"i wanted to," alex admits. "it's easier to just bury that sorta thing down deep, though, isn't it?"

"yeah."

teddy stares helplessly at the blank wall. she needs to leave before this gets bad.

"it was like i was asleep for a while," stevie murmurs. teddy notices a few weird little cracks in her body. "after that happened. and then i wasn't. and i was in wizard juvie."

"i could've broken you out," alex realizes. "the dynamic duo at it again, right?" she laughs hollowly. "but they all wanted to forget about you! and you were dead! they'd have thought i was nuts."

"for trying to help?"

the wizard world is really truly messed up, teddy thinks.

"with the competition and everything, it took me forever to even find out you had a chance of coming back, and i tried to tell myself that was enough. i mean, if it was enough, i wouldn't have to see you again, right?"

"and you'd forget just like them. move on with your life."

"exactly."

"that's a crappy thing to do to a friend, dude."

"maybe i didn't know if we'd be friends after this stuff at all!" alex snaps, and then she claps a hand over her mouth. teddy crouches behind a counter - it's all she can think to do to get out of this awkward situation, since there's no clear door.

"i don't give a flying fruit bat about what most people think. but you, stevie, you were like some kind of visionary! and how could i face you after i betrayed you and then let you die and then tried to forget?"

stevie still isn't moving.

"do you ever think maybe i wonder about what would've happened if none of that had ever been a thing? we could've been two wizard kids and just, like, lived. maybe we could've gone on a date or something, i dunno."

stevie turns red and her cracks start showing again.

"i would've liked that, too," stevie croaks. it occurs to teddy that maybe stevie doesn't talk much anymore - living in what's apparently another dimension consisting only of her apartment with just a dog present seems awfully lonely.

"open the portal, open the gate," alex says suddenly, and stevie recoils at the sight of the wand like it's a weapon. "take me and stevie to our first date." the three of them are whisked away.

(PREVIOUSLY ON GOOD LUCK WIZARDS, alex entered the lesbian dimension and teddy third-wheeled for an argument)

"that was a better rhyme," teddy says, trying to keep pace with alex and stevie as they walk. stevie looks at her strangely.

"do i know you?" she asks. teddy feels vaguely threatened.

"yeah, yeah, she looks just like justin's vampire girlfriend, it's weird, we've been over this." alex rolls her eyes, and stevie looks at her warmly. "real weird. i know."

"if it helps, i don't know much about wizards at all," teddy offers. she looks around - it's not like the last portal, where they were falling through a purple void. instead, it's just a white space, with fog bunching around her ankles.

"she's my roommate. i got dropped into all of this stuff after she showed up."

"so you've still got your powers. i guess you won the wizard competition?" stevie looks alex up and down. "and you're going to college?"

"contrary to popular belief," alex drawls, "our lives don't end after we graduate high school. i spent two years having a good time doing wizard stuff, and then i got up off my butt and applied to some places and bam! new friend."

"how'd she find out about...all of this?" stevie gestures to the space they're in. even though she's asking alex the questions, teddy feels like she's the one being interrogated, somehow.

"that was my bad," alex admits. "i thought she wasn't gonna show up until later, so i went and used a teleportation spell and..."

"there i was," teddy finishes. "have you guys ever noticed how all of your magic looks like something from a low-budget movie?"

"we've noticed," alex and stevie say in unison, and then they look at each other and laugh. teddy feels like she's intruding on something.

"hey." alex stops in front of a massive door, patchy and glowing. "we're here."

"whoa, whoa, whoa." stevie steps back. "you didn't tell me we'd be stopping at your house first."

"i mean, yeah. what, did you think i'm actually a good enough wizard to just get us right to where i wanted to go?"

when we get back to college, teddy thinks, i'm getting her some lessons in self-esteem.

"besides, my folks aren't even around half the time. max runs the shop now."

"max. great."

"what's wrong with max?" teddy had met max, once, when he'd visited their college. he seemed nice enough, if a little bit of an idiot.

"he-"

"made a really bad mistake," alex intervenes, and she seems to realize why this is such a bad idea. "i'll sneak you past him."

"better than being trapped in that apartment, i guess," stevie sighs, and follows alex through the door. teddy almost stumbles back into the wizard world when she sees the room - it's dark and cluttered and nothing at all like her pastel-colored rooms back home.

"aw, c'mon!" alex moans. "did dad really rearrange everything? if he's here i'm gonna give him a piece of my mind, i'll tell you what."

"you know, i think i'm just going to stay here," teddy says.

"nope." alex takes her by the arm and all but drags her out of - what the heck why is their living room in a vegetable cooler - and into a brightly lit diner, with stevie close behind. max looks up from a magazine.

"hey," he says. stevie narrows her eyes. max stumbles back. "o-oh," he mumbles. "hey, stevie."

"hey, squirt." stevie pushes past him for the exit.

"sorry for killing you!" max calls behind her, but she can't hear him.

"okay!" alex claps her hands together and lets out a long sigh. "where to?"

"for what?"

"for our date, you doofus. what do you think 'me and stevie's first date' meant?"

"seriously?"

"yeah."

"okay, what about . . . the movies? i can't really see movies in the apartment but i hear about 'em. is Bird Dude 3: Revenge of the Birds still playing?"

"Tender Vampire Romance is out now, too," teddy says, too quiet for either of them to hear.

"i've been meaning to see that one!" alex exclaims, starting to grin and very much ignoring the other suggestion. "this one's too scared of horror to go with me." she jabs a finger at teddy, who feels a little bit insulted.

"i can do it," she says, since apparently she's not getting out of this situation, probably doomed to be a third wheel forever. "i mean, it can't be that scary after seeing magic, right?"

"it's decided!" alex bends down, plucks her wand from her boot, and starts to wave it around. "whether it's the first, second, or third," she starts, "let us see the movies about birds." they're whisked away again.

and then they end up in the movie theater. more specifically, behind the ticket counter. on top of each other.

"now that's just overkill," stevie mutters. "isn't the movie theatre like, ten minutes from your house?"

"dad says i've gotta start working on my teleportation skills."

"they're obviously not great," teddy groans, from underneath stevie's boot.

"plus, this one's got a bonus." alex holds up a bowl. "baby tomatoes!" she cheers, and stevie's eyes light up. teddy leers at the bowl.

"they're just regular tomatoes?" she asks. "not, like, actually infants from a sentient tomato species you weirdos eat for fun?"

"what? no!"

"what kind of monsters do you think we are?" stevie adds. teddy shrugs. "we just like 'em because they make us feel like dinosaurs. rawr, i'm eating a tomato. woo." stevie pops one in her mouth. "man, i've missed these."

"they don't have baby tomatoes in your apartment dimension?"

"nope. just regular-sized tomatoes." alex claps a hand over her chest like she's been wounded.

"what kind of sick torture is that?!" stevie shrugs.

"eh. could've been worse. i could've been dead for longer."

"listen, guys, i'm loving this feelings session, but we're going to miss the movie if you keep up like this." teddy points to the showtimes. "and if i stay stuck in this ticket booth for another two hours with you lovebirds-"

"crap! birds! stevie, we've gotta go!" alex takes stevie by the hand and drags her out of the ticket booth down the hall.

apologetic, teddy slips a twenty-dollar bill on the counter. hopefully it'll be enough. she runs after the pair of wizards and they just barely make it into the theatre before the previews start. teddy stops a few seats above alex and stevie.

Bird Dude 3: Revenge of the Birds starts and it's truly awful. but teddy can hear alex and stevie laughing from their seats, so that's something. it's a whole lot of something, actually.

***

"... and then when the bird dude jumped out and went 'rahh!' i could hear everyone screaming!" alex cackles, and stevie laughs with her.

"okay, okay, but what about when his enemy the lizard gal punctured his throat?"

"that was so good!"

"they need to make a movie about lizard gal. she's the best."

"aww, does big bad stevie have a crush?" alex teases. stevie elbows her, hard.

"tell me you didn't see something there between her and otter lady."

"when it comes out on dvd, we have to have a movie night at your place. all three bird dude movies, back to back!" alex is happier than teddy's ever seen her, but stevie's smile drops, and teddy can see the cracks again. "i'll even bring baby to-"

"you can't."

"what?"

"you can't bring stuff to the apartment. stuff appears, like the dog and the flag, sometimes when i want it or need it or whatever, but not from other people."

no wonder wizards keep their world a secret from everybody, teddy thinks. they've got some terrible rules.

"you shouldn't have even been able to show up. at wizard juvie, sure, but the apartment? i'm supposed to be alone."

"maybe it was the power of love," teddy offers unhelpfully, half-meaning it as a joke but half-wondering if it's true. from the way alex and stevie actually ponder it for a moment, it seems like she's hit the nail on the head.

and then she walks off before alex and stevie can turn her arms into jelly or something like that, slipping behind a massive cutout of the leads from Tender Vampire Romance. she's in way too deep to stop now.

she watches as alex's face crumples in defeat. as stevie just stands there. as a few people pay them odd glances.

"we can do something," alex says. "we have to."

"we really don't," stevie says. "it's okay."

"hey, when did the bad girl get so sweet?" alex awkwardly nudges stevie with her shoulder. "the old you would've taken the offer and run with it."

"i guess i've changed," stevie says. "being alone in an apartment dimension gives you a lot of time to think."

"that still sucks, by the way," alex scoffs. "that's, like, worse than wizard juvie."

"yeah."

"i'm gonna visit, okay? a lot. and we can keep going on dates out here and stuff. you're not gonna be alone." alex clenches her wand in her hand. "not on my watch."

"that's my cue to leave, huh?" stevie sighs. "it was nice seeing you again, russo. i hope you'll keep that promise, but i get it if you-" and then alex kisses her, and teddy has to put her hand in her mouth to hide her excitement.

stevie sinks deeper into the kiss, and for a moment they're just two girls in a seedy movie theatre, with no magic or anything.

"been wanting to do that for like three years," alex breathes, once she pulls away and stevie is shellshocked. "it's just as nice as i thought it'd be."

"wait!" teddy yells, and both of them turn around in surprise. "uh, stevie, i've known you for like four hours? but i don't think you deserve to be . . . alone, like that. come with us. i'm okay with it."

"seriously?" stevie points at her.

"sure, you'd have to hide and stuff since i guess legally you died in 2011, it wouldn't be great or anything, but you two would be together, and that's what's important, right?"

"you're too nice for your own good," stevie laughs, but she's holding alex's hand. "okay," she finally says. "as long as everyone's okay with it. alex?"

"another wizard in this place? heck yeah!" alex pumps her fist and kisses stevie again, and teddy feels an odd sort of warm swelling in her chest. it's a disney ending, and a lovely one at that.

"are you ready?" alex asks, and both stevie and teddy nod. "okay . . . through the world we might roam . . ."

"this is pretty bad," stevie whispers to teddy, and she nods in agreement. "it's kinda cute."

". . . let us now go right back home."

they're all whisked away.

#wizards of waverly place #good luck charlie #stalex #or whatever that ship name is #natsuki's terrible disco pants

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dont-sneeze · 8 years ago

Text

I don’t know what this is but I hope you enjoy?

The year was 1899. It was two a.m. in Manhattan, New York. Because it was night and every sane person was sleeping, there wasn’t much noise compared to the daytime. It was quiet now, nice for thinking and reflecting. During the daytime, one could see and hear the cry of newsboys all over the city, trying to make their living on half a penny a paper-

“Yeah, yeah they all know the plot, C.” Jack commented leaning against the railing of his rooftop penthouse. “That’s why they’re reading this in the first place. You can just go on with the Angst so we can get it over with.”

“Jack.” Crutchie limped up next to him. “Be nice. She’s trying out a new style of writing. You should be honored she even writes about us. After all, we are just a bunch of nobody’s to the rest of the world.”

“Yeah, well I don’t appreciate all she’s put us through. It hurts. Over and over and over.”

“But it always turns out happy in the end. That’s why we’re still here.” Crutchie reached over and took Jack’s hand.

Jack tried to keep the scowl on his face, but it didn’t stay for long once he looked at Crutchies hopeful expression. “Okay, okay fine.” Crutchie beamed at Jack as he rolled his eyes. “Go on with your story, C. Just try not to break us too much. Can you at least tell us why we’re still awake so late at night?”

The stars seemed to sparkle with amusement. Jack didn’t even notice that Crutchie had sat back down over the ledge, his legs dangling off while looking into the empty streets below. Jack looked down at the brown haired boy, wondering-

“Woah, hang on. Since when was Crutchies hair brown?” Jack interrupted. “It’s blond. And when the sun shines on it, it’s like the sun is kissing it. It’s beautiful. Not brown. That’s my hair, dark and dirty and gross. Crutchie has the best hair in the world.” Jack placed his hand on Crutchies shoulder, causing Crutchie to look over at him. “Crutchie is the best in the world.” He whispered, looking into Crutchies eyes deeply.

“Jack, you’re getting sappy.” Crutchie looked up. “I think she’s just basing me off Andy Richardson in this story.”

“And who is she basing me off of? I got four options who all have the same hair color. There’s no other way to describe me.” He complained, making Crutchie chuckle.

“Just let her tell the story. Maybe this one will be happy?”

“You gazing out into the night sky at two in the morning can’t be happy.”

“Shush! Let her write it!”

Jack sighed heavily, looking down at his brother. “Okay, but you feeling okay? You haven’t slept in a few days.”

“I’m fine, Jack.” Crutchie pulled his legs up to his chest. “Really. I just can’t sleep.”

“I know. But you need sleep.” Jack sat down next to Crutchie.

“I’m so tired, Jack. But every time I close my eyes, I see that awful place and suddenly I’m wide awake again because I can’t go back there.”

“You won’t, I promise you won’t ever go back there. I know how awful it is, and I won’t let anything like that happen to you again. Never. I refuse to let it happen. Hear me?”

“You can’t promise that.”

“Well, not if C keeps writing these stories. Then no. I can’t promise it. I’d like to promise it; but that’s not possible, knowing the way she writes.”

“Jack, why are you focusing on the negative here?” Crutchie tried to reach out and take his hand.

Jack shook his head, and pulled his hand away, standing up. “Because that’s what 90% of her stories are! For some reason she rips us apart-”

“But only to bring us together again, closer than before.”

“But at what price, Crutch? I’m terrified that one of these days she’s gonna write something that will keep us apart from each other, and I can’t take that right now. Crutch, I just… I can’t bear the through of loosing you, not again!”

“You won’t loose me, Jack.”

“But I already did once. When you died… I fell apart. I couldn’t sleep or eat or breathe… and I can’t take that again.”

“She’s not gonna make me die again, Jack. That was a one time thing when she needed to put her emotions on you.”

“Oh yeah, because I deserve all this?”

“Jack, stop. She’s going through a hard time in her life right now. Maybe she just likes seeing us overcome struggle? Maybe she wants to tell herself that if we can do it, she can too.”

“I… maybe.” Jack seemed to take this idea in a new way. He almost half smiled. “So we’re helping her build her self confidence?”

“Maybe not that, but seeing her work through her problems while writing dozens of story’s all the time makes me proud of her. And it’s interesting to figure out how she’s feeling with the story’s content.”

“Oh yeah? Give me some examples then.” Jack sighed heavily.

“If you come sit back down by me I would. Im still exhausted and maybe if we can finish this story quick enough I can sleep. But we can’t finish until you agree to.”

“If you can give me examples, then I will let her finish the story without interrupting.” Jack promised, sitting back down.

Crutchie curled into his side. “Well. There was that one she wrote about when I was in the hospital because I fell out of a tree?”

Jack snorted. “Yeah. That one wasn’t really realistic.”

“It doesn’t matter, Jack. She wrote it because she was sick of a certain rule that was set for her own safety, but she didn’t want to ignore the rule because she knew she could get hurt herself. And writing that story reminded her how she could get hurt and how disappointed everyone would be in her.”

“Okay, well that’s one out of hundreds of them.” Jack unconsciously examined Crutchies arm, just to make sure it wasn’t broken.

“And one of my least favorites is one of my favorites because of the story behind it.” Crutchie continued, as he played with Jack’s fingers. “The one where you kinda turned to the dark side and were a jerk to me… i lived in the hospital, and you told me you would pay me 500 bucks if I walked across the city to your apartment. I did it because I needed the money to pay my hospital bill and stay alive. And when I did you laughed in my face and-”

“Yes, I would like to not remember that whole story, thank you.” Jack grumbled. “I hated that. I hated what I did to you. How could writing that possible help her with anything?”

“Because she might have had a best friend turn on her, and she felt completely alone and vilified by the world. She didn’t know what else to do, and didn’t like the ending she got. So she gave us the same situation, but with a happier ending.”

“She had a friend who really did that to her?”

“Well her friend might have not made her walk across the city, but they could have made her feel stupid and useless and unloved.”

“Oh.” Jack leaned his head on Crutchies shoulder, then decided to just reposition and lie his head in Crutchies lap. “That’s horrible.”

“Aren’t you glad she chose us to help put her feelings into words?” Crutchie began to run his hands through Jack’s hair.

“I wouldn’t say glad because I hated every word that came out of my mouth, but yeah, I guess. But I still need another example.”

“You’re needy, Jack.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Jack replied. His eyes were closed, and he was just feeling the wonderful sensation of Crutchie playing with his hair.

“Remember that story about us going out west and meeting her at the restaurant where she works?” Crutchie asked quietly. He was exhausted. But he couldn’t go to sleep, even if he wanted to. Playing with Jack’s hair helped a lot though, knowing that Jack was real, and not the refuge. Not anymore.

Jack scowled. “The one where you got lost for three days?”

“Hey, that one wasn’t that bad.”

“Crutchie I was worried sick about you! I couldn’t eat or sleep, I didn’t know if I would ever find you again!”

“But you did, Jack. And we’re okay again.”

“And what was the point of that one anyway, huh?” Jack sat up, much to Crutchies dismay. “She loose a friend once and found ‘em a few days later?”

“She’s lonely Jack. You could tell when she first started talking to us when we came in. She just wants a friend.”

“She’s got plenty of friends.” Jack scoffed. “Em and Kayde and Ammon and Joey-”

“And how long has it been since she’s seen those friends in real life?” Crutchie interrupted. “Most of her friends she’s never even met in person! And the friend she does know in person, what was it, thanksgiving when she last saw Ammon? She thrives on physical contact, and when there’s no one around you feel comfortable with-it’s draining. You of all people should know this Mister Jack can’t take my hands off anyone for a second Kelly.”

Jack didn’t say anything in reply, for the first time actually understanding and realizing.

“I was her friend. She could open up to me. She felt comfortable and happy for the first time in months.”

“Yeah you two were partying while I was sick with worry. Why do I always get the lousy end of the deal?” Jack pressed his thumbs on the bridge of his nose.

“You don’t. You just take it worse then me.”

Jack only grumbled in reply.

“Can we move on with the story now?”

“You’re always so positive about this.” Jack shook his head.

“No. I’m just saying all this to make her happy so she can write me sleeping.”

“Maybe you can ask her nicely?” Jack suggested, pulling Crutchie against him.

“Yeah…” Crutchie yawned and leaned against Jack, feeling warm and safe.

“Just breathe and remember I’m right here.” Jacks soothing voice came in, and Crutchie felt overwhelmed with a happy feeling and when his eyes slipped closed, he didn’t dream about the refuge.

#newsies #newsies fic #jackcrutchie #my writing

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freeyourheartandsoul · 8 years ago

Text

Smoke

Prompt: Hi love!! I don't know if you're taking requests or even have the inspiration to write at the moment, but I was wondering if you could write a Theo imagine? About him coming back from hell and meeting the reader for the first time? And she sort of takes him in because she doesn't truly know what he's done or what he was like and he starts to fall for her but he has all these trust issues??Very fluffy too please!!! – Anon

Author’s Note: So, I had this idea to write this to Maddie & Tae’s song “Smoke.” I think it really fits, and I hope you do too. Hope you like what I came up with! Thanks for requesting!

Smoke.

(Y/N) rushed out of the classroom as she shouldered her bag and typed a quick response to a friend, making plans for the weekend. She was so engrossed in her phone that she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going and ran smackdab into someone, sending the other person’s books to the floor and her phone flying. “Dammit. I’m sorry. That was totally my fault.” She apologized as she knelt down to help gather the books.

“Nah, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have been trying to read last night’s homework while walking.” The other person responded with chuckle.

Her head snapped up when she heard the somewhat husky voice, and just as she did she was met with the most gorgeous blue-green eyes she’d ever seen on a boy that she had never seen around before. She definitely would have remembered him if she had. His gorgeous eyes, his perfectly styled hair, his muscular build, and a grin that made her weak in the knees. He looked like he walked right off a movie set… a far cry from the rest of the guys at her school. That’s not to say they weren’t attractive, they just weren’t her type.

She managed to laugh a little, “I was the one texting and walking.”

“You can get a ticket for that, you know.” The stranger joked and it caused (Y/N) to laugh again.

“I’ll remember that next time.” She smiled. They gathered the books and her phone and stood up straight. “Are you new here?” She asked.

“Um… not really. I was here last semester, but had to leave for a while for… personal stuff. I think you’re the new one.” He answered and pointed at her with his last statement.

(Y/N) blushed a little, “of course. I guess that’s what I get for pretending not to be new.”

The boy shook his head. “It’s okay. I was in your shoes earlier this year.” She smiled a little and nodded her head. They stood there awkwardly for a minute until the boy broke it. “I’m Theo, by the way.”

She smiled, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m (Y/N).” She noticed the covers of the books in his hands. “Are you going to English Lit next?” She asked, pointing over her shoulder to the classroom behind her.

Theo was confused for a minute, but then remembered the books in his hands. “Oh. Yeah. You just came from there?”

(Y/N) nodded her head, “Yeah, and don’t worry about the reading for last night. He didn’t do anything with it today.”

Theo sighed in relief, “Great. Thanks.” The warning bell rang, “I guess we should get going.” He suggested with a small smile.

(Y/N) nodded a little, “Yeah…” She started walking backwards slowly, “I’ll see you around, Theo.”

“See you around, (Y/N).” He responded and they both smiled sweetly at one another before heading to their respective classes.

Wanna know who burned you so bad Left your heart in ashes on the ground Made you promises, took 'em right back Left you cold and alone, now all you know is the sound Of goodbye You won't let anyone inside Baby, you're just like smoke, blowing on the wind One minute, you're by my side and then you're gone again You might be bad for me, but I just wanna breathe you in Every time I reach out, I find there ain't nothing to hold Boy, you're just like smoke

Theo and (Y/N) spent the following weeks getting to know each other a little better. They didn’t go out on dates or hangout outside of school. They just ate lunch together, spent study hall out on the quad, and texted each other without missing a beat. They just clicked with one another, like they’d known each other their whole lives.

(Y/N) could tell that he was holding something back, though. No matter how much she opened up to him about her own life, he couldn’t seem to do the same about his. He was distant without completely checking himself out of the conversations. He was fine when it came to talking about her, but as soon as she changed the subject to ask about him, (Y/N) could actually see him closing himself off.

A brick wall was between them and she wanted to bulldoze it down. She wanted to know the reason for the pain reflecting in his eyes. She wanted to know what left him so broken. She wanted to know his story on why her other friends warned her to be cautious of him. She couldn’t explain why, but she felt undeniably drawn to him and the need – rather, want – to take him in and prove to him that it was okay to let her in and let go of whatever painful past that was haunting him.

It was a nice day out so they decided to eat their lunch out on quad at a picnic table. The first twenty or so minutes were full of laughter and joking comments as she told him a story about how she slid down the stairs in the hallway on her first day at Beacon Hills High one rainy day. He even joked about how she needed to pay more attention when she’s walking, reminding her of their first encounter.

Then the chatter and laughter died down and they were met with silence. Theo seemingly got lost in a daze as he fiddled with the lid to his water bottle. (Y/N) watched him with knitted eyebrows for a minute, wondering what was on his mind, but she knew he would change the subject if she asked. So, she decided to go a different direction.

“Can I ask you something?” She questioned casually before taking a bite of her fries.

Theo snapped out of it at the sound of her voice breaking through the silence, but he still didn’t look her way. “Sure.” He responded somewhat dryly.

(Y/N) took a sip of her water then looked at him intently, “Some of my friends have advised me to be wary of you… why?” She knew it was a longshot that he would actually give her a decent answer, but she had to try.

“Which friends?” Was all he questioned back as he continued to play with the water bottle lid.

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, “does it really matter?”

He finally looked back at her, “yes.”

“Why do I have a feeling you already know who?” She questioned, furrowing her eyebrows again. Theo sighed and went back to spinning the lid around. “You know, if I were going to heed their warning, I would have already done it. I just want to know your side of the story.” She tried to sympathize by reaching out for his hand, but he quickly stood up.

“Their side of the story is all you need because it’s the truth.” He stated before grabbing his trash and walking away, disappearing behind the double doors of the school.

We can start out slow like an ember Get the fire burning back behind your eyes I wanna feel you when we're together So, whatever you do, baby, don't disappear This time Don't fade into the grey tonight

(Y/N) was tired of this back and forth with Theo. It’d been months now and they still hadn’t made any real progress. She still knew very little about him, while he knew quite a bit about her. He was still quick to put up a brick wall when it came to her asking anything about his personal life. Strangely enough, the more he pushed her away, the more she was drawn to him. She’d had enough though, she was bound and determined to get him out of this weird funk.

So, as soon as the final bell for school rang, she rushed straight to his truck and leaned against the front bumper as she waited on him. She wasn’t going to let him disappear again. When she spotted him walking up, she stood up straight and put on her best intimidating stance, hands on her hips and everything.

“Hey, (Y/N)…” Theo started to greet her with a smile until he saw that she was clearly upset. “What’s going on? Everything okay?”

(Y/N) shook her head, “no. We need to talk.”

“Okay…” He exhaled slowly as he gripped the shoulder straps to his backpack.

Her shoulders relaxed a little and she took her hands off her hips, “I like you, Theo. A lot. Probably more than I should.” She noticed how his shoulders visibly slumped. “But there’s this big gaping hole between us that’s keeping us from being able to move forward. That hole is you and your inability to let me in and trust me. I’ve tried and tried and tried since we met to get you to open up, but you won’t, and it’s… infuriating.” She said with a deep sigh in frustration.

“(Y/N), I’m…”

She held up her hand, “I’m perfectly fine with taking things slow, Theo, but there’s generally some sort of progress while taking it slow and we haven’t made any progress whatsoever. I mean, I don’t know anything about you besides your last name, the fact that you hate math, and the bad stories about your past that my friends have told me. I don’t know what you were like as a child, your parents’ names, what you want to do when you graduate… hell, I don’t even know your favorite color!” She exclaimed in frustration, causing a few stares from fellow students as they made their way to their cars.

Theo looked down and (Y/N) sighed in exasperation. “I can’t keep being the only one who puts forth any effort to this…” she gestured between the two of them, “whatever this is. So, if you ever feel like you’re ready to move forward, give me a call, but until then… I can’t do this anymore.” She looked at him with solemn eyes for a minute before turning and walking away towards her own car, not giving Theo a chance to say anything.

***

(Y/N) and Theo didn’t talk for the rest of the week. She avoided him like the plague; choosing different paths to her classes, eating lunch with Stiles and everyone out on the quad, parking as far away from his truck as possible, and even arriving to their shared classes at the last minute so she could avoid conversation since she had to sit beside him. It wasn’t the easiest task, but it was necessary because she knew that if she didn’t, she’d end up right back where she was. He had to be the one to make a move this time. The ball was in his court now.

As sad as it sounds, she wasn’t expecting him to actually make one. She’d waited this long for him to show some sort of reciprocating feelings, why would he change now? Did it bum her out? Of course, but she’d already tried everything that she could think of, but he kept pushing her away and putting up walls. That’s no way to build a friendship, much less a relationship that she wanted to explore. She had to know when to give up the battle when he wasn’t even fighting.

So, when she saw a bouquet of her favorite blue daisies sitting against her windshield as she approached her car the following Friday after school, she was shocked to say the least. She picked up the flowers and found the note tucked inside:

Meet me at our spot after school. Please. – Theo

Since the note seemed to be an indication that he finally decided to make an effort, (Y/N) decided to give Theo the benefit of the doubt. She tossed her backpack in the backseat of her car and the daisies in the passenger seat before pulling out of the school parking lot and heading in the direction of their spot. Twenty minutes later, she put the car in park at the main entrance of the reserve and walked the trail until she saw him sitting on a rock by the river.

It wasn’t like this was their secret spot or anything, but they’d started coming to it about a month ago when she was having a bad day and he convinced her to skip school with him. He brought her here and they sat in silence for the most part until she started babbling about how her parents were going out of town once again and how they’re never around because of work. He listened as she complained, and that was all she needed. Ever since, they’d come here sometimes just to escape reality for a while. But of course, he never had anything to say about his own issues. (Y/N) was hoping that maybe this time would be different.

“This spot taken?” She asked softly as she gestured to the empty space next to him.

Theo shook his head and patted the spot next to him. “I’m glad you didn’t throw my note in the trash.” He offered her a soft smile.

“You got my favorite flowers. I couldn’t ignore that.” She responded with a simple shrug as she looked out at the creek. She was tempted to start the conversation, but this was his deal… he had to be the one to initiate it when he was ready.

So, they sat in silence for a few minutes as Theo gathered his thoughts and his courage. It wasn’t an awkward or uncomfortable silence, but it also wasn’t exactly comfortable either. It was just a torturing silence that (Y/N) was desperate to fill, but she knew he was probably just gathering himself.

Finally, he spoke up. “I know your friends have told you some pretty bad things about me and what I’ve done,” this caused her to turn and face him so that he’d know she was really listening even though he was still looking out at the water. “And you should know that it’s all true.”

“But…”

Theo held up his hand, “I know you haven’t told me what they’ve said exactly, but it is. All of it. I know it’s horrible, and you have every right to hate me for it. I’d understand because they aren’t things I’m proud of, and sometimes I hate myself for doing them too.”

“Theo…” She tried to place her hand on his shoulder, but he turned to face her instead.

“I’ve never met anyone like you, (Y/N).” He said as he looked deep into her eyes. “You’re kind and understanding. You’re sweet and funny and beautiful, and I don’t deserve you as a friend. You’ve been trying to bust down these brick walls of mine for months, and I just keep building them higher because I’m afraid that once you see the real me, this… evil monster, you won’t want anything to do with me. It’s what I deserve, honestly, but the selfish part of me needs you in my life more than I need anything else.” His eyes hadn’t left hers, and she knew he could see the tears welling up. “You came into my life at just the right time. You were this breath of fresh air after suffocating in my own darkness. But then you started getting curious and I got scared. So the darkness eased its way back in.”

“So, I tried to keep you in my life, but at a safe distance. The way I acted was selfish, I know, but it’s the only thing I knew to do. Then you basically told me to get my head out of my ass and walked away.” He paused for a minute as she noticed him getting a little choked up. “This past week without you has been like hell all over again, (Y/N). You have every right to walk away, but this is me begging you not to and promising to try harder to be someone you deserve. I’m not saying it’s going to happen overnight or that it’s going to be easy. I just…” he grabbed her hand as he searched her eyes. “I don’t want to be that monster, and I’m afraid that if I lose you, that darkness will consume me again.”

Theo lowered his head as if he were ashamed of that confession. (Y/N) placed her hand under his chin and lifted his head so that he was looking back into her eyes. “I won’t let that happen.” She stated firmly and honestly so that he knew how much she meant it. She caressed his cheek, “you’re not going to lose me.”

He looked back at her in awe, sure that she was going to walk away from him again after his confession. Their eyes danced together a little as they each slowly leaned in, and as their lips met for the first time, it was like a spark ignited in both of their bodies. It was then that they knew there was no going back now.

The End.

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rscenarios · 8 years ago

Text

Daehyun - Freefall

akutagawahakuryuunosuke requested “Hello can i request a scenario for Daehyun? The plot is what if he was a mafia who like to eat a cheesecake from the bakery across the street, at first he just love the cakes but later he fall in love with the baker too, but one day she start avoiding him and after that is up to you hehehe thank you hope my plot not confuse you^^;; hehe make it nsfw if you, thanks”

Since this got quite longer, I didn’t include the smut so I apologize for that. I was also originally going to lead this into where the Skydive M/V starts but decided not to be cruel about this... Please enjoy -Admin Em

Warnings: Some curse words.

It was rare for a new business to appear in their territory with the history of crime and violence. It was especially interesting that of all thing the business was a cute little bakery right across the street. Something brightly colorful and sweet among the bitter darkness. A place like that sparked the interest of B.A.P and so they kept a watchful eye.

After a week of no surprising activity, the youngest member suggests they pay a visit. “Getting inside will give us a better idea if something is happening,” Zelo explains.

“Or it’s a trap,” Himchan sighs before he takes another drink.

“It’s not like we don’t use the club as a rouse,” Zelo groans. It’s times like this everyone is reminded he’s still young.

“We aren’t going,” Himchan declares. “Don’t argue.”

The room falls silent as Yongguk enters, handing Himchan a file that may contain new orders. Himchan points to something in the document, raising an eyebrow in question. Yongguk shakes his head.

“Warn him the bill is to be paid in a month. We’ll have to see about this...development,” Himchan says, handing the files back to the second in command. The leader looks at Zelo. “You get your wish, we’re headed to the bakery.”

“Really?!” Zelo asks, an excited grin forming on his face.

“What’s going on?” Daehyun questions as he follows the group.

“That’s what we want to know,” Himchan states simply.

“Do you think all of us should go? It might be suspicious,” Youngjae suggests, making the leader halt.

“You’re right. Yongguk, Youngjae, Jongup, you three stay here. Daehyun and Zelo, with me,” Himchan orders and everyone obeys without further question.

There’s a small chime as the trio enters the bakery, but no one is in sight. The group looks around, the place is mostly bare with only a few pieces of art hanging on the walls. Some of the furniture is in worn condition, but is still cute. The group nearly draws their weapons as you rush out of the back room, “I’m sorry, I hadn’t heard you come in,” you apologize before smiling at them, “Welcome, thank you for coming in. How can I help you today?”

“Woah, everything looks so good,” Zelo gasps, looking at all the treats through the glass container as Himchan looks around. Daehyun is focused on your beauty though as you give a small chuckle at the youngest’s comment.

“Thank you. Would you like to sample something before you buy?”

HImchan shakes his head, “I’d just like a slice of the chocolate cake.”

You quickly place the slice on a plate for him before Zelo asks, “Can I have caramel apple?”

“Sure thing,” you smile and hand it over.

“A slice of your best cheesecake, please,” he requests and is soon given a slice of New York style cheesecake.

Before you can say anything, Himchan hands over the payment and you return his change. “Please have a seat anywhere,” you tell them and they settle at a table.

“It’s so good,” Zelo hums as he munches on his treat. Himchan and Daehyun nod without word. The leader is still looking around, watching for any sign of trouble and Daehyun is just too focused on the cheesecake to care.

“Did you make this?” Himchan calls out to you as he notes you cleaning the display case.

“Oh, yes, is there a problem?”

“No, it’s good. I wasn’t sure if you were the baker or just an employee,” Himchan explains casually.

“Thank you, I’m currently everything around here. I don’t have any other employees yet.”

“Really?” Zelo gasps. “You work in such a dangerous area alone?”

Himchan gives him a warning look, but you give an amused chuckle. “It was the only place I could afford to lease on such short notice,” you bit your lip before you can say anything more.

“What do you mean?” Himchan asks.

“I’d rather not discuss it. Excuse me,” you go into the back room to get rid of the dirty rag.

“Daehyun,” Himchan speaks quietly as Daehyun cleans his plate.

“Sir?”

“I want you to keep an eye on this place. Figure out her story.”

Daehyun gives a quick nod as you come back into the room.

“I apologize if he upset you. Our Junhong is a curious one,” Himchan says politely.

“It’s okay, can I take care of your plates?” you ask, taking note of the empty plates sitting in front of him and Daehyun. When he nods you quickly take those to the back room too. When you return, the three are moving to leave. “Thank you again for coming, have a good day,” you smile.

Himchan and Zelo return the kind words as they leave, but Daehyun stays behind.

“Could I have another slice to go?” he asks.

“Of course,” you say while placing a slice in a box for him as he hands you the money. “Come again,” you call after him as he leaves.

Daehyun already knows he’ll be back. This was some of the best cheesecake he’s ever had...and there was his assignment. Mainly the cheesecake though.

Two days later, Daehyun returns to find that there are a few more customers in the shop. Not many and no one he recognized from their reveals. “Be with you in a moment,” you smile as you carry some plates into the back room. “Nice to see you again,” you say as you step behind the counter. “What would you like?”

Daehyun looks at all the choices, licking his lips in approval. Everything looks so good, but the cheesecake is still calling his name. “I’ll take a slice of the blueberry cheesecake, please,” he tells you while grabbing the cash from his wallet.

“Thank you,” you muse as he goes to sit down. As much as he wants to give the cheesecake his full attention, he keeps a watchful eye on you as you work. He doesn’t notice anything out of the ordinary about you. He can tell you’re trying not to show how tired you are as you wipe down tables and tend to customer needs. Your smile doesn’t seem to dwindle and Daehyun admires that, but he also can’t help but worry why you’re pushing yourself so much. He would have to find out another time, it would be suspicious to ask now.

He bids you farewell, thanking you once again for the cheesecake before he goes back to the club. “Anything to report?” Himchan asks without looking up from what he’s doing.

“No. Is there something particular I should be looking for?”

Himchan simply shakes his head and Daehyun goes about his business.

Another two days pass before Daehyun comes back, and this time the shop is empty again. “Nice to see you again,” you greet him. “What kind of cheesecake will it be today?”

“Surprise me,” Daehyun shrugs while placing the money on the counter. “It’s a shame more people don’t know how good your food is,” he tries to make conversation.

“Just leaves more for my number one customer,” you laugh, handing over the food. Daehyun can tell the laugh is somewhat forced. “People just don’t want to risk being in this area long.”

Daehyun finds a seat and takes a bite of his cheesecake, trying to think of what more he can say. He has to start getting to know you, but he can’t risk coming on too strong. “Does it scare you?”

“The lack of customers or the area?” you ask while arranging something by the register.

“The area.”

You stop whatever you’re doing and sigh. “A little bit.”

A silence falls over the two of you so Daehyun decides to just eat. He feels guilty for upsetting you and it was evident you didn’t want to say anything more.

“Do you think they’re as bad as everyone says?” you ask suddenly, trying to hide the small shake in your voice.

“Who?”

“Any of the gangs, or mafia...whatever they are. Like B.A.P.”

Daehyun almost chokes on his food. “They’re tough, but they don’t hurt the innocent so you don’t need to worry,” he offers, trying to keep casual. You nod slowly, letting his words sink in but Daehyun senses there’s something more. “Forgive me for being bold, but are you in trouble with someone? Is that why you’re in this area?”

You shake your head, “I’m not in trouble. Just worried.”

“It’ll be okay. I’m not far away, I’ll keep you safe, but if I’m not around and anyone tries to hurt you just feed them,” he tries to lighten the mood and this time you give a genuine laugh. It’s beautiful.

“Thank you...I don’t even know your name,” you note.

“I’m Daehyun.”

“____________,” you introduce yourself before noting the empty plate in front of him. “How was your cheesecake?”

“Wonderful,” Daehyun smiles as you take his plate. “As always.”

“That’s good. I hope it continues to be.”

“I’ll have to keep checking,” he declares as he gets up.

“If you insist. See you next time, Daehyun.”

“Have a good day, __________,” he smiles before leaving. He decides that he would start coming every day after that.

Each visit the two of you would talk more. No matter who else was in the shop, you would always make light chit-chat with Daehyun and whoever he was with. You got along with all of the members of B.A.P without knowing who they were. Himchan would have DAehyun’s head if he told you who he really was and Daehyun didn’t want you to see him as a monster. He didn’t want to risk not seeing your beautiful smile. He was falling for you even though he knows that’s risky. Himchan warned him he would be pulled from the assignment if he didn’t find anything out soon, but Daehyun still doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be looking for. You lived a normal life.

It’s a week and a half before the deadline and after taking out a group that owed B.A.P money Daehyun decides that he needs to see you. You had become the bright spot in his day and he could use that. Daehyun is excited to see your smile, but instead he hears a soft sobbing and spots you crying at one of the tables. “____________, are you alright?!” he asks quickly, rushing over to you.

“Oh, Daehyun, I’m sorry,” you sniffle, wiping away tears. “I’m okay. It’s fine. Let me get you your cheesecake.”

“No, I don’t need it,” he stops you. “Please just relax.”

“I can’t, I-”

“It’s okay, you work hard.”

“You’re too kind,” you tell him, still trying to control your tears. Slowly, he reaches out to gently pat your head to try to help you calm down. It seems to help as a few minutes later you take a few deep breaths and relax. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“It’s okay. Is there something I can do to help?”

“Will you...will you walk me home?”

“Of course, do you want me to drive your car home?”

“My father needed it today so I don’t have it,” you explain.

“I’ll go get my car. Wait here,” Daehyun tells you before rushing to get his car from the garage behind the club. He returns quickly and helps you stand. He even opens your door for you and closes it once you’re seated. You tell him the address and it isn’t far so the drive is quick.

When the car stops Daehyun walks you to the door of your apartment. “You didn’t need to walk me in. I don’t want to be a bother.”

“It’s no bother,” he assures you. “I told you I would be around to keep you safe,” he reminds you.

“Well, I think I owe you for your services,” you smile.

“And how will you be paying?”

“Would my handsome saviour settle for a kiss?” you ask boldly.

Daehyun’s heart skips a beat. This had started as an assignment and grown into so much more. He had thought about asking you out, but he knew the risks involved in that. But now, now he can’t help but smile and step closer to you. “I would have settled for a phone number, but I will accept your kiss.”

Your cheeks turn a soft shade of pink as you lean up, eyes closing slowly as your lips meet his gently. It’s a short kiss, but it sends sparks through Daehyun’s body. Everything else is forgotten in that moment and even as you move away from him. “________, will you be my girlfriend?” he asks softly.

“Of course.”

“Can I have your phone?” He asks and you hand it over without question. He punches in his number and hands it back you. “Now I’m only a phone call away when you need me. But it’s late and you’ve had a long day. Please go and rest,” he says, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I will see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” you smile as you head inside.

The smile doesn’t leave Daehyun’s face as he heads back to the club. He doesn’t even notice as Youngjae and Jongup start talking to him. He only snaps out of it when Youngjae throws a dart just a few centimeters away from his head. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!” he shouts

“Relax, if I wanted to hit you I would have,” Youngjae remains him. It was true, Youngjae had deadly aim. “What’s on your mind?”

“Probably the pretty noona at the bakery,” Jongup grins.

“Just her food,” Daehyun says coolly. He doesn’t want the others to know about his relationship with you yet. Not until he’s discussed it with Himchan. “Where’s Himchan?”

“He and Yongguk just got back from meeting someone that owes us money. Should be in his office,” Jongup answers.

“Thanks,” Daehyun nods and heads to Himchan’s office.

“Come in,” Himchan calls when he hears the knock on his door. “Daehyun, have a seat,” HImchan says, putting some documents in one of his drawers. “Do you have something to report?”

“Not yet, but I wanted to inform you that my relationship with ________ has grown.”

Himchan raises an eyebrow, “For the mission or for your own personal benefit?”

Daehyun takes a deep breath, “Both, but mostly due to my own feelings.”

Himchan leans back in his seat, eyeing Daehyun carefully. The leader’s expression is unreadable as the two sit in silence. “You understand that regardless of your feelings, whatever has to happen will happen, correct? If your loyalty becomes a question, you know what will be done, correct?”

“B.A.P is my family, I will not betray my family. Is _____________ in trouble with us?”

“No, but she has connection to someone who is. She may be part of something bigger. She could be using you. Be careful,” Himchan warns. “For now, it’s nearly time for the club to open.”

“Yes sir, thank you,” Daehyun bows and leaves.

When the crowd of people starts to enter, Daehyun pays them no mind as he thinks about what HImchan told him. He doesn’t want to think you could be using him, but in his life anything was possible. People were hard to trust. He shouldn’t have been careless to ask you out, but he couldn’t deny what he felt for you, especially after the kiss. Especially as you send him a good night message and his heart gives a small flutter. Regardless, he would have to be careful from now on.

The following day, your shop has a few customers, but that still doesn’t stop you from rushing to greet your boyfriend. You don’t bother to ask him what he wants as you hand over a plate with a slice of cheesecake. Before he can take his wallet out you stop him. “My treat.”

“Oh, am I going to be getting special treatment now that I’m your boyfriend?” he asks

“No, you’ve just done so much for me that I still want to repay you however I can.”

“Please don’t worry about paying me back,” Daehyun assures you. “You work hard. We can talk later,” he adds, seeing more people walk in behind him.

“Ok, enjoy,” you grin as he goes to take a seat.

To his dismay, with HImchan’s warning in the back of his mind, he starts to worry that maybe there was something wrong with this cheesecake. He shakes his head, trying to force the thought away. You weren’t like that. You weren’t a part of the world of killing. He takes the first bite slowly, and waits for any signs of trouble even though he knows it would take more than one bite.

He finishes sometime later, feeling fine. He’s ashamed to have thought so lowly of you. He takes his dirty plate to the counter and gets a hug goodbye from you. “I’m going to be pretty busy tonight so I probably won’t get to talk to you, but I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“How about dinner later?”

“That would be great,” you reply before he leaves.

The next three days are spent in bliss. The two of you would message almost constantly when you weren’t out on dates or busy with work. Business was picking up for you. You were even looking for some part time help. Daehyun would help on occasion, allowing the two of you to spend more time together. He stayed to help you with closing, offering you a ride home. “I have to meet with someone, so it will be a while. Go home and rest,” you told him, giving him a soft kiss.

He kisses you again quickly before leaving. As he steps out of the shop, he bumps into a man and apologizes quickly. The man looks like he’s about to yell, but suddenly fear fills his eyes and he apologizes in return before quickly entering the shop. Daehyun doesn’t question this much as it was common for people to remember that this was an area filled with people that could easily kill someone.

The next day your shop is still busy, and it makes Daehyun happy that you’re work was finally being appreciated. You finally put up a sign looking for some part-time help. You hand over his cheesecake, and he hands you the money just before you move to tend to someone else’s needs. It was odd you didn’t say anything, but he dismisses it as the frustration of being busy two days in a row. He quietly eats his food, watching you move with a forced smile on your face. You don’t look at him, but again he dismisses it as you’re busy. He takes his plate to the counter and is about to ask if you want help when you go into the back room so he waits for you to return. When you come back, you have a fresh pie to place in the display case.

“Do you want some help?” he asks.

“No, thanks, I can do this,” you say just as quickly. “I’ll talk to you another time.”

Daehyun just nods and leaves, allowing you to get back to work.

Later that night he decides to message you to make sure you’re okay. “Hey __________. Did you have a good day?”

“Lots of business. I’m pretty tired so I’m actually headed to bed early.”

“You work too hard. Sleep well,” he replies. All he can do now is wait for a time when you’re less busy to talk to you.

Unfortunately, you continue to dismiss his messages and work keeps you busy for three more days, On the fourth day, with only five days left in Himchan’s deadline, Daehyun doesn’t bother to come in to see you. Instead, he makes the bold and incredibly risky choice to meet you as the shop closes. A few minutes before closing time, he enters the shop, making you jump as the bell chimes. “Hey Daehyun, I’m about to close,” you tell him simply..

“I know. I came to walk you home. I haven’t seen your car lately.”

You shift uncomfortably and head for the door.. “I can take myself home. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“____________, what’s wrong?” He steps closer to you and you step away, tears forming in your eyes.

“Please don’t,” you whimper and he halts. His heart breaks at the sound of fear in your voice. Your legs start to shake and you fall to your knees. “Please don’t,” you beg again. “Please don’t hurt me.”

Daehyun quickly kneels in front of you. “___________, I would never hurt you.”

“You were going to kill him!” You sob.

“What? Who?”

“My father. He owes B.A.P money,” you say between sobs. “He didn’t have enough to pay it back. He was supposed to pay it tomorrow...but he left. I tried to help earn the money....I gave him everything I could. I didn’t....I didn’t,” you choke on your words. “Are you going to kill me?” you manage to ask slowly.

Daehyun thinks back to the man he bumped into a few days ago. No wonder he had been so afraid. To see a known mafia member spending time with his daughter. “__________, please listen to me,” Daehyun urges. “You aren’t going to be hurt.”

“I gave him money to pay. He saw you and told me I should run from B.A.P. You’re one of them and he left me. I don’t have enough to pay his debt. ”

“It’s true,,” he says slowly. “I’m a member of B.A.P, but I’m not going to hurt you. You didn’t expect him to run. It’s not your fault. I won’t let you get hurt. I’ll keep watching over you. I love you,” Daehyun vows, pulling you into his arms..

“What? You love me?”

“I do.”

“But the money-”

“It doesn’t matter. B.A.P doesn’t hurt the families of the people who have done us wrong. You’re safe. I’ll explain it to my boss. You’re safe. I promise.”

You sob harder in his arms. “I’ve been so scared. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I pushed you away. I love you too,” you cry as he holds you. He rocks you back and forth, allowing you time to calm down. “Will you take me home?”

“Of course,” he says, wiping the last few tears away from your face before helping you up. He keeps a firm hold on your hand the entire walk.

You stop in front of your door. “Will you....will you spend the night?”

“Are you sure?” He asks and you nod, not wanting to be alone. He follows you inside to see how small and empty your apartment is. There was likely more at some point, but it had since been sold to help your father. “Do you have a spare pillow? I’ll sleep out here,” he says as he looks at the barren living room.

You let go of his hand and grab him a few things. He continues to look around, spotting the note your father had left you telling you he was leaving. Daehyun steps away so you don’t see him looking at your things. “I’m sorry I don’t have more,” you say when you hand him a pillow and blanket.

“It’s alright,” he assures. “Rest, I’m going to make a call and then I’ll be right out here.”

You nod and go to crawl in your own bed as he steps outside to call Himchan. “Hello?”

“Sir, I have something to report.”

“Daehyun, what is it? Where are you?”

“I’m with __________. Her father left her. He took the money she gave him to pay us but he ran away.”

“Damn it. Did she tell you where he went?”

“She doesn’t know. She doesn’t know anything. She’s scared.”

“Are you certain she isn’t lying to protect him?” Himchan questions.

“I’m sure. She was begging for her life. I told her she would be safe. We don’t hurt the innocent.”

“I’m aware of our code,” HImchan snaps. “She’ll be fine, but we will be looking for her father. You know that.”

“All I care is that she’s safe now.”

“Yes. I have things to do now. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Himchan hangs up..

Daehyun knows his boss is angry. He knows Himchan likely wants to interrogate you himself to make sure you weren’t lying, but HImchan wouldn’t do that to Daehyun. As tough as Himchan is, he still had a softer side for the group.

As quietly as possible, Daehyun comes back into your apartment and lies down in a spot on the floor. He wishes he could run home and grab some pajamas, but he doesn’t want to leave you. Not like this. He stares up at the ceiling, trying to let the events of the day sink in. He’s about to doze off as he hears you softly call his name. “I’m here,” he assures you as he gets up. He opens your bedroom door. “What’s wrong?”

“Will you lie with me?”

“Are you sure?”

It wasn’t the first time the two of you had lied together, but Daehyun knows you’re scared. You’ve been living in fear. He would take things at the pace you wanted but only if he knew you were certain of your actions.

“I’m sure,” you say, lifting the blankets for him. He settles in quickly, allowing you to move into his arms.

“I took care of everything,” he tells you softly.

“Your boss is probably mad.”

“A little,” he tells you honestly. He doesn’t want to lie. He wasn’t going to tell you that your father would be hunted down to pay for his actions, but he wasn’t going to keep anything more from you. “But he won’t do anything to you. No one will. You’re innocent and I’m here to protect you. I promise,” he kisses your forehead.

“I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“You have no reason to be sorry. I’m sorry that you had to go through this. You deserve much better.”

Your arms tighten around him. “I never said I love you too.”

“Hm?”

“You told me you loved me...and I didn’t tell you I love you too. I just thought it was all part of making sure my father paid you back...but he still ran. I got scared and I tried to push you away, but I do love you.”

Daehyun smiles, kissing your forehead again. Very slowly, he kisses down to your nose and then places a light peck on your lips only for you to kiss him back. Everything is very tender and soft between the two of you as he holds you close.

Your hands lightly move over his chest as he pulls away to place gentle kisses over your face. He whispers sweet things, telling you how beautiful you are and how he was always going to be here. He doesn’t stop you as you remove his shirt before you roll on top of him. You don’t stop his hands from rubbing your thighs. His touch is light, as if he’s afraid to break you.

Your hands move over his bare skin, trailing lower until he stops you. “___________,” he licks his lips, “we should stop. As much as I would love to continue, I want to wait and show you how much I love you. Is that okay?”

He trusts your judgement, but he wants to make sure you’re ready to be involved in his world. You’d had a long day, and although he had missed you desperately, he didn’t want to risk you regretting anything.

You move to lie at his side and kiss him again. “Okay, let’s just sleep.”

He moves you back into his arms, kissing you again. “Sleep well.”

The two of you quickly drift off, content in each other's company without worry of future dangers.

#BAP scenario #BAP scenarios #B.A.P #BAP #B.A.P scenairo #B.A.P scenarios #Daehyun x you #Daehunxyou #Daehyun scenario #Daehyun scenarios #BAP Daehyun #BAP oneshot #B.A.P oneshot

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mindtap · 8 years ago

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Stepping into Your World

Transitioning from middle to high school can be somewhat of a fresh start, where people get to reinvent themselves in order to better fit their new surrounding. There are also those that stick to their roots and hang out with the old friend they have had from the previous years. There is no clear right or wrong way to approach such matters, but the one thing that stays with both situations is they are trying to establish some type of group to be apart of. While, at the same time, thing to be someone who is special, someone who sticks out from this group is also important at this new stage in live; and that struggle to balance the two different categories, group vs individual, is one of the difficulties of being in high school.

That struggle is something that I find interesting and Japan as well, by the sheer amount of anime set in a high school. Unfortunately, there aren't that many anime that tackle this endeavor head on. This is where the likes of the Young Animator Training Project -- known as Anime Mirai -- comes to shine with the one shot style of anime. In this case, the anime name "Harmonie" is the one I thinks stands out this year and is also the one that deals with this individual versus group topic.

What is Harmonie?

Harmonie focuses around the spaces that every person has to themselves. Whether or not these worlds are affected or influenced by the people around you is debatable, but one thing that is certain is it's somewhere comfortable, for the creator of such a world. What if there was a way to step into someone else's world and be able to explore it? Well this is something that Honjou Akio did after listening to a song by Makina Juri. What is in such a world is where all the interesting bits come into play. Let alone that closeness that people undergo after having very similar experiences. Only thing is, these things don't come without a price.

Collectivism vs Individualism

Being the "weird kid" can be both freeing and isolating at the same time. With the freedom to express your individuality, but also be shunned from most groups. This battle of collectivism and individualism is something Juri has experienced in her youth, and that resulted in her completely distancing herself from what makes Juri herself. She traded her world for what was an all access pass to being in, what I guess would be considered, the in crowd. In the case of Juri, she traded her individuality for the comfort of being accepted by a group of people who happen to be the more popular type of people within the high school.

On the other hand we have Akio, who hangs out with his friends and they discuss anime together. Although Akio isn't as much of a tragic case as Juri, he only really interacted with this small group of people because everyone else thinks of his group as weird. So, it is almost like Akio chose his individuality, but still has a group of people who accept him and the majority of everyone else actively avoids them talking under their breath about them quite frequently.

I would say there is a divide between collectivism and individualism, it just has its own benefits and consequences based on which one you favor most. Of course a mix of the two is far more powerful of a bound, and that is what happened when Akio was the one of the first to enter Juri's world absent of the judgement that Juri has had suffered through in her childhood.

Connecting the Two

The one talent that makes Akio standout, but he isn't that proud of, is his ability to learn a song just by listening to it once -- which the anime would call "perfect pitch". That talent is what made Juri aware of his existence after Juri's ringtone went off during class. That song was something that came from the dream Juri has been having since she was a kid. That song was essentially the key to what was Juri's world and after she allow Akio to listen to the full song, he fell right into the same world Juri has visited often. And this new-found common starting place is where a new relationship started.

Juri finally had a place to be both apart of a group, rather someplace outside her head, and actually express the one thing she has tried to push away from for so long. I find this was of connecting two people very intriguing because of the mundaneness it is on the surface, but for the most part all relationships start at one common place. I also love that it brings together two people from different groups and create something that felt like Juri has grown by accepting herself, and Akio is stepping outside his familiar group of friends. The only this is, as I alluded to in the summary of Harmonie, there is conflict that comes from this newly forming affair.

Conflicting Conclusion

Most of the push back that came from Juri and Akio becoming closer was from Juri's friends, mostly just Gotou. The details aren't that important, but there is an interesting parallels to be made about this high school world and Juri's dream world. A lot of what happens in that dream is very similar to what happens between Juri and Akio. The closer the kid and the female doll got, the more these other dolls tried to break them apart. And by the time they break free for that conflict, both of them end up become extremely close, while also enjoying their time together. So even if this anime didn't show them getting closer, it is inferred based on the dream and the ending of Juri happy crying about finding someone similar to her.

To conclude this post, I want to say I enjoyed this anime way too much than I should have, but unfortunately it is only one episode. Since it was only one and ended so well, I still wish there was some fleshing out of the friction that was going to eventually happen the closer Juri and Akio became. Also, it would be nice to see how Akio's friend would react when the relationship between the two main characters get more serious. There is also the relationship being based on the hazy memories of Juri; Akio never really told her the full truth to Juri when he found out the dream he had were suggested to him from the track after Juri's song.

Last is the end scene in the dream world where the doll girl shows the boy her rainbow insides. That seem like showing him her true self; and as I concluded that the dream world parallels with that real world, I want to see Juri also showing her true self to Akio.

So leaving an anime open to questions like this really is the strength and weakness of it. It shows that I'm invested to just trying to predict what might happen to our main characters and also leaves a starting point for if studios decide to pick it up. Either way, I'm glad that I watched it and hope more people watch out for things coming Anime Mirai.

Originally posted 2014-07-05 on the now shutdown sekijitsu.com

#harmonie #2014 young animator training project #anime mirai #anime #sekijitsu

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emmakillianfan · 8 years ago

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Music of the Heart Chapter 46 of ?

Previous Chapters: FF.net and AO3

So a week from now I’m going to see A&E, JMo, and Colin talk about the new episode and I get to watch a screening of it. I’m so excited for that. But meanwhile he’s another chapter. Loving the theories of who Elsa’s stalker might be. This chapter looks at two theories. Thanks for all the feedback and comments!

Elsa peered out the window of her former townhome and winced at the sight of the beige car across the street. There was nothing that noticeable about the vehicle or the man. Neighbors probably thought he was simply waiting on someone. However, she knew the truth. He was a last minute add from Regina to her security detail, a former police officer who did freelance work for entertainers. Tall and rather unassuming with his barely moving facial features, he had introduced himself and then asked her if she had any special requests or plans.

“It’s creepy,” Anna said from her spot at the kitchen island, a plate of freshly baked cookies sitting before her. “Not having a bodyguard. I think that’s kind of neat, actually. It’s certainly a sign that you’ve made it big. But you looking out the window at him looking for danger against you? That’s creepy.”

Elsa let the floral curtain drop back into place and spun back to face her sister. “You’re welcome to have your own 24/7 guard. I’m not sure that I understand the theory of having a man sitting outside like a stalker to protect me from another stalker. That’s what’s creepy.”

Anna had unwound her hair from her usual plaited style, the amber tresses flowing in a subtle waving pattern down her back. While some liked to tease her about the sometimes childish fascination with braids, she actually looked younger with the thick mane framing her lightly freckled face. Cookie and a glass of milk in hand didn’t help her maturity.

“He’s here to protect you. I for one am grateful for that. I mean could you imagine if something happened to you? I wouldn’t be okay, Elsa. I can’t be an only child. Who would I talk to? Sing with? Enjoy eating cookies with? You’re not actually eating the cookies, but you understand my point. We’re sisters. We have to look out for each other. Do you not like these cookies? You helped make them. If you wanted something different, you should have said.”

Resisting the natural tendency to roll her eyes, Elsa reached over and grabbed a cookie, taking a dramatic bite of it before swallowing. “See. I like the cookies.”

“He seems nice. Your bodyguard. Maybe we should invite him.” While the sisters had first gathered to talk about the security concerns, go through the playlist for possible songs that Elsa could cover alone during Anna’s self-imposed pregnancy break, and just enjoy some time together, it had turned more domestic. Conversation was about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday that Mary Margaret and David were hosting. The sisters had been tasked with helping with the menu planning, something they were discussing in earnest.

“To Thanksgiving?”

Anna gave her sister an annoyed glare. “Of course. Even if they have caught your stalker by then. It’s a nice gesture, right? He doesn’t have good taste in car colors, but he’s good otherwise. I have been thinking about colors a lot lately for the baby’s room. I was thinking to go with gender neutral. No pinks or blues, but then what if the baby really likes pinks or blues. Do you know if this bodyguard guy has a family? I could ask him. You know get a guy’s opinion other than Kristoff’s.”

“He’s probably got family. I’m sure he has other plans.”

If Elsa expected an argument to her theory, she didn’t get one as Anna moved on to the next topic of menu etiquette and whether Liam and Killian might be offended by the holiday’s traditions. Elsa provided few suggestions, but was not fully engaged in the conversation. For a while Anna pretended she was getting more than monosyllabic answers.

“Do you want to trash this and try something else?” Anna asked about one of the recipes she was pondering online. “I think I saw a similar one that didn’t include nuts. Maybe that would be better? Is anyone allergic?”

Elsa peeked through the crack in the curtains, straining her long neck to see. “Do you think I know this person? Or is he a fan?”

Anna lowered her pen slowly, thoughtfully running her perfectly white teeth over her bottom lip. “I have a theory about that, but you probably don’t want to hear it.”

“Has that ever stopped you before?” Elsa bit into another cookie, her ice blue eyes studying her sister carefully. They had always been opposites in most regards. Elsa, an introvert and reserved leader, had their mother’s fair skin and hair. Anna’s rambunctiousness was just like their father, as were her wide set eyes and rust colored hair. Both had secretly envied the beauty of the other growing up, wondering how they could be related and yet so different.

“You remember that man I dated before Kristoff?” she asked, her voice sounding timid rather than confident. “Hans?”

“Hard to forget a guy so crazy he tried to kill us,” Elsa said sourly, biting again at the mint chocolate chip creation. “You haven’t heard from him, have you?”

“No, no, no,” Anna insisted, shaking her head violently at the idea. “He’s probably still lying on a psychiatrist’s couch recounting his childhood. But then I thought maybe not. Could he be the one stalking you? He didn’t really like you very much.”

***AAA***

Emma managed to drive Henry home unscathed, her anger simmering below the surface as he chatted over the events of the day and how Violet had kissed his cheek. Try as she might, she was struggling to come up with anything motherly to say about that display of affection. Thankfully he was not too aware of her distraction, his words falling out as fast as anything she had seen or heard.

“You’re not coming in?” He asked, hoisting the backpack over his shoulder and peering back into the car. “Do you have to work?”

“Not exactly. I just need to do something. Tell Killian I’m going to be late,” she said, leaning forward so she could meet his eyes. “And get your homework done before any screen time, okay?”

His lips were parted to argue, give some sort of snide reply to the idea of not being able to at least watch one television show or play one level of his latest video game obsession before tackling the history of Maine. He must have thought better of it, readjusting his bag on his shoulder. “See ya. Love ya.” It was their familiar refrain that she repeated back to him, only adding the word more to the end of it. He echoed it too, changing more to most before waving and darting up the couple of steps into the house.

He was growing up into what she hoped was a fine young man. He still believed in magic and hope, despite having been disappointed by people. It was a wonder, she thought, noting that she was the most cynical of all. He had a good heart and a friendly personality that won him lots of friends. And he was smarter than she could even imagine, having no problems in school at all. She and Neal were lucky. She hoped Neal realized that.

Making a wide turn with her small car, she drove back the few blocks to the center of town where Gold’s Pawn Broker and Rare Antiquities was still open at the corner just two streets from the library. Neal seemed to think that his time and energy were best served at the dusty old shop where his father’s hoarding obsession turned profitable on the rare occasion someone bought something. Most people treated the shop like some sort of museum, marveling over collections of outdated useless technology as art rather than for purchase.

She was not even sure what Neal did there all day other than dust and sweep an occasional trail through the room. So she was not surprised to find him absently running a cloth over the smudged glass of a display case full of antique costume jewelry. Finger prints and the ring of a cold drink had marred the surface, but his lazy strokes would not do much good.

“Neal!” she shouted over the guitar strums of an 80s rock tune playing loudly. “I want to talk to you.”

He rose from his stooped position, giving her that lopsided and yet coy smile that seemed to scream that he was ready to give as good as he got. “Ems, nice to see you. Is Henry with you?”

Her eyes narrowed over him, the pressed jacket and pants that while neat seemed too big for his frame. His stubble was more like a shadow on his jaw that an attempt at true facial hair. “No, he’s not. I didn’t want him to know about the conversation I had with Tamara today, Neal. I wanted to give you the opportunity to fix this situation.”

Neal was not known for his reactions or emotions, preferring to remain stoic or as Ruby described him – disinterested to the point of nearly being catatonic. “She said something, right? About the wedding and Henry?”

“You’re not even surprised,” Emma said with a sad shake of her head. “I doubt she’s self aware enough to come over here and tell you herself. I don’t think she even realizes how vapid and cruel she sounds when she says that he won’t look good with the other groomsmen for the pictures. Neal, I know we both agreed to move on from each other a long time ago. And I’m not trying to judge, but seriously? This is the woman you want to be Henry’s stepmother. I’m surprised she even knows his name.”

He exhaled loudly, his hands going up in front of him to ward off the tirade. “Whoa, Ems. Tamara is not like saint Killian, but she’s not the devil either. She’s just not the mothering type. Were you when you first had Henry? I get that. I accept that. Henry’s got a mother – you. At least she respects you enough not to try to compete. It hurts to see me with her. I get that. But Ems, we’re both trying to move on here. So she’s not super-mom. Henry likes her better now. It’s going to be fine.”

She could not even look at him, focusing her green eyes on the old typewriter in the corner. It was missing a few keys, but one could picture great writers pounding out their souls and life’s works onto it. There was something sad and yet proud about the machine that it seemed time had forgotten there on a shelf in the shop. “You know this isn’t about my opinion on her. It’s about her saying the wrong thing to my kid. It’s about her destroying him with some comment about how his suit doesn’t match the rest of you. It’s about her making him feel unwelcome in what should be his second home.” She rocked back, eyes narrow and daring him to challenge her. “He’s a kid. Your son. And while he is loving and sweet now, he won’t always forgive us, Neal. He’s going to remember these days. And when he’s in a relationship or having children of his own, he’s going to remember how it felt to watch his parents navigate through being single parents and dating and now marriage. I don’t’ know about you, but I want my son to remember that I never for one second made him doubt that he comes first in my life. Can you say the same?”

“Ems…”

“God, I hate that name,” she said, softening a bit as she saw his brown eyes squeeze shut in that way he had about him. For a moment she was 17 again and listening to him explain how they could have the world if she would only just trust him. With that memory came

“Emma,” he enunciated carefully. “Emma, I love Henry. And I love…It’s just hard, you know? Tamara and I both come from money. There’s expectations with that. All this pressure. It’s not easy to fit Henry into that. Her parents are not thrilled that I have a son. These are things you don’t…”

“I don’t understand, right? The little lost girl doesn’t know what it’s like to have family breathing down your neck. You know what, I don’t want to hear how her family and your father are taking over your wedding plans. I don’t care. What I do care about is how you’re going to explain to your son that you chose a wedding over him. Not a wife but a wedding.” She waited a beat for him to stop her, explain why she was wrong. “Fine. You have Henry for dinner on Wednesday. You can explain to him then why he’s not welcome at your wedding. Make it a good excuse, Neal. He’s growing up and can spot a lie just like I can these days.”

***AAA***

With Henry tucked under a blanket on the couch and surrounded by three textbooks about American History, Killian gave a nod to his soon to be stepson and stepped out through the side door onto the deck where his brother was waiting. The two brothers had spent very little time together lately, as both busily planned tours, weddings, and weekend getaways between hurried texts and dropped phone calls.

“I’ve always admired the view here, brother,” Liam said, leaning on his elbows over the railing toward the muted gray sky and water. “You did quite well for yourself to find this lovely house.”

Killian took the spot beside him, staring toward the shore lights that blinked back at him. “You know, Emma has been talking of finishing that space above the garage. She was thinking a music space. However, we could convert it to a small flat for you should Elsa ever kick your arse out.”

“I suppose if Elsa wasn’t with me that’s where you would have shoved me, right?” The older of the two accepted the extra bottle of beer from his brother and held it firmly without taking a single sip. “I don’t mean that. You and Emma have been gracious. I knew that she is a lovely lass both inside and out, but you are a lucky bloke, brother. You have a nice little family here with her and with Henry. I hope you know that.”

Lips still pressed together, Killian grinned out toward the lights. “That I do, but I wouldn’t say you were down on your luck either. Elsa is brilliant and seems to adore you for whatever reason.” His grin widened. “She is coming back tonight, right?”

Liam’s laugh was tight as he finally turned up the bottle briefly. “Aye, she seemed so happy to see Anna that I suggested they spend some more time together while Kris is off working or some such. She promised to call so I can escort her back. I don’t feel that comfortable with the idea of her out alone.”

“Perhaps we should consider similar precautions for you?” Killian turned his back to the expansive view and settled onto the built-in bench with his head cocked to look directly at his brother’s profile. “So tell me about this trip to the flower shop. Any clue as to who could be causing all this?”

“That Graham chap has theories, but no solid leads. I can’t quit thinking about it. Why would someone do this? What would they have to gain by attempting to woo her and hurt me?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have a good answer, mate. While I frequently imagined pummeling you as a child, I can’t quite fathom that much hate in your regard now. Didn’t Graham ask you to come up with some possible suspects of your own? Some people you may have pissed off over the years? Even some of those sailors who may have been passed up for promotion in turn for you? As much as I love you, I’m sure there are no shortage of possibilities.” He noted the sour look on Liam’s face with his own chuckle. “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” Liam said, softer than either expected. “Killian, I have been thinking and wondering. I don’t want to bring this to the attention of our local sheriff, but…”

“Sounds as though you have a conspiracy theory.”

“Of sorts. I was thinking about father.”

Killian had been about to take a sip of his own beer when he sputtered at his brother’s revelation. Still holding the bottle, he frowned. “What the bloody hell for? I assure you that he’s not thinking of us.”

“Perhaps not,” Liam agreed, still staring into the distance and not at Killian. His sweater rode up a bit as he stooped more against the rails. “That son he has now. He’s what 16? 17?”

“I think it’s more like 19. He met that lass about 20 years ago and married her about 19. I think she was expecting at the time.” Realization hit Killian boldly. “You don’t think?”

“Aye, I was just considering the possibility. That flower bloke did say the man said his name was Liam and spoke with an accent. Mighty big coincidence, don’t you think? Perhaps it wasn’t one though.”

“And what reason would this half-brother of ours have in causing you harm? We’ve never so much as laid eyes on the lad except in that bloody prep school graduation announcement that was sent to us. Looks more like his mum if I recall correctly. I’d be more likely to believe old Brennan himself was behind it before his son.” It was somewhat of an understanding that both Liam and Killian avoided their younger brother’s name, as it seemed too much like their father was replacing them. Killian had little doubt that had the new Mrs. Jones had another child his name would have been Killian.

“Father doesn’t match the description of the flower store. But our younger brother just might.”

“But what would be the reason? If any of us have an issue with the whole family it should be us. That man abandoned us when we were vulnerable. He married another woman and attempted to paint himself as a family man after that. His son is the golden child, gifted and probably spoiled.”

Liam said nothing as he drank from the bottle again, turning his gaze back to the house and through the glass doors toward Henry. The 13-year-old was settled on the couch with one leg sticking out from the knitted throw. His sock covered foot was on the stack of bridal magazines that Mary Margaret had left and Emma had yet to read. “Did you know I heard from father about two years ago? I was still in the navy.”

“Did you answer him?” Killian asked, sounding accusatory with his angry eyes narrowing at his brother. Liam had always been so against contact with their father, even after the man had made a half hearted attempt years before to reconcile. “Did you?”

“He was ill,” Liam said vaguely, his pale blue eyes closing. “I think the booze and hard living finally was too much for the gaffer. Seems his liver was shot. Needed part of mine.”

“And you…”

“I ignored the email. Who the bloody hell asks for such a thing over email? He barely even asked after me, never even mentioned you at all. Then he asks for a part of my body. I deleted it. I couldn’t…I couldn’t face it.” Turning back toward Killian, his features were turned down in a sad state of confused agony. “He should have died, but I suppose they found the git a donor because he’s still alive.”

“And our brother…”

“Wasn’t a match,” Liam concluded, looking for all the world like the 15-year-old explaining life to his younger brother. “He wrote not long after, called me all sorts of names for not wanting to help. Said I was not his brother and never would be.”

“And you never told me this before?”

Liam seemed to snort as he buried his chin against his own chest. “I don’t know, Killian. I suppose I thought it best to ignore it. I didn’t want to think about how we should have done more to save our brother from Brennan Jones. We ignored the warning signs and left the lad to be raised by a man who abandoned us. Or perhaps I was jealous. Wondered what it was that made the second Liam so special as to keep our father around. But we weren’t. Were we honestly that flawed?”

***AAA***

When Emma was first promoted at work, friends had encouraged her to find a new car. Something more reliable, safer, fuel efficient, and more luxurious would be better suited for the single mother and music industry executive. However, she had resisted, citing her car’s long history and her love of the little yellow compact that had seen her through every rough moment in her life. After an unfortunate stay in jail as a juvenile it was her sole possession, along with a newborn son and freshly printed GED. She didn’t like to admit to having slept in the seats, eaten more meals than she could count, and even falling in love with Neal as they drove aimlessly and determinedly away from what both had deemed crappy childhoods.

It had driven her from a barely there existence back toward Neal and the promise that he could and would be a father for Henry. And just as she was doing now, she had sat in it and stared at the weather worn façade of Gold’s shop and waited on divine intervention years before. Smoothing down an errant cowlick on her son’s head, she had trooped him into the shop under the guise of building bridges toward family. The man had taken it as a sign of weakness, of her crawling back in search of money for her son. She had fought that assumption as best she could.

“Okay so this is creepy,” Ruby said, sliding into the seat next to her. “Are you stalking Neal or are we just having a good pout?”

“Neither,” Emma said, accepting the throw away cup of hot chocolate from her friend. “Just thinking.”

“Do I want to know? I mean I am here for you and love you as a sister, Emma, but Neal is not my favorite person or topic of conversation. I have such respect for you, but seriously. That was an odd combination.” Ruby flipped down the visor on the passenger side and ran her pinky around her lips to check her lipstick. “It was the sex, right? It had to be the sex because the guy’s not exactly the most intellectual, a good conversationalist, and he was running away from his daddy’s money at that point. So it was good sex. That’s why you hooked up with him.”

“I think 14 years is a bit too long ago to kiss and tell.”

“Fine, so the guy’s a dud. So why are you looking like this. You didn’t kill him did you? I mean I would totally go help you hide the body, but I need details.”

“He’s still around, but I basically just told him that he sucks as a father,” Emma said, her eyes falling to the steering wheel. “I mean who am I to do that?”

“You’re Henry’s mother, that’s who,” Ruby exclaimed boldly. “You have been with that boy since day one. And you have seen Henry with his so called father.”

“I’m not perfect. I make mistakes too. I’m pretty much the model for absentee mothering lately with my fiancé helping to raise my child. That’s not good parenting or even normal. My kid is in therapy fears and anxieties about me being around and what do I do? I go on weeks long road trips to book semi-talented musical groups. They should lock me up for that.”

Ruby twisted in the cramped seat, facing her friend the best she could and crossing her bare arms over her tightly covered chest. “Is that what that jerk said to you? Emma, you are a single mother. You have a job that requires a lot, but you manage to do it and raise your son. Do you honestly think anyone could do better?” One hand flew out and hovered a few inches from Emma’s parted lips to stop her. “Wait! Before you answer that, tell me something. Is Henry having nightmares about losing Neal? No, he’s having them about you. Because you are his mother. You are his one true parent here in this situation. And who is the one dealing with those nightmares?”

Despite the close quarters Emma flopped back against the seat covering. “Me. And Killian’s been pretty great about it too. Neal’s not been bad exactly…”

“Just distracted, right? Isn’t that the excuse you used for him before? He’s distracted by his wedding. He’s distracted by the pressure his father puts on him. He’s distracted by running a shop that barely has enough business to stay open in a normal town. When is he going to be distracted by being a father?”

“Fair questions,” Emma admitted. “I guess I don’t have the answers.”

Ruby nodded, shifting her gaze out the windshield at the darkened shop. “So we’re watching what exactly? Is he in there?”

“Yeah, I guess I was trying to make myself feel better that I confronted him tonight. Maybe if I saw him upset or looking at a picture of Henry or something. But that’s what you see in the movies, not in real life.”

“I agree that’s a tall order, but Emma, you can’t put that on yourself. Henry’s fine. He’s a good kid with a mother who loves him and would fight dragons to protect him. And if I have any of my grandmother’s sense people then I will say that he’s got a future stepfather who is almost equally as devoted to your son. Maybe your confrontation will kick some sense into Neal or maybe it won’t. But what matters is that you are trying to make things better for that kid. You and I both know what it’s like to grow up without parents. Henry’s got so many of us pulling for him that he’s never going to want for love.”

Leaves scattered on the pavement, a sign that fall was in full swing with the brisk air blustering in from the west. Emma and Ruby both watched silently for a moment. “You’re a good friend, Ruby. Especially for bringing me hot chocolate.”

Rolling her eyes upward and flipping her thick dark hair over her shoulder, Ruby sighed. “I know. I know. I’m a freaking saint. So let me offer one more piece of advice. Go home. Get in bed with that fiancé of yours after hugging your son goodnight. Forget about Neal. He’ll be a good father or he won’t. You can’t force people to do the right thing.”

Emma handed her friend back the empty cup with a wry smile and a mocking salute. “Got it, boss,” she said. “You really do sound like your grandmother sometimes.”

***AAA***

Henry skimmed the paragraph again, hoping the words would find their way into his brain with minimal effort. While he loved most all his classes, he was not in the mood to read about the advancing British army during the Revolutionary War. Killian often called him perceptive, noting that he picked up on things around him way too easily and tended to internalize them. The drive home was a prime example, his mother’s tense and yet concerned tone giving credence to his worries. And now Killian and Liam whispering on the deck seemed to indicate more secrets in the household.

“Anything the matter?” Liam asked, the first to enter back into the expansive living space. He rubbed his hands together swiftly after dropping the empty beer bottle into the recycling. “You look as though you ate something that disagreed with you, mate.”

“I’m fine,” he lied, ignoring the vibration of his phone on the table. Violet had a tendency to text when she was done with her homework. And while it shouldn’t, the notice that she was done ahead of him seemed to bring out a competitive nature. “Just doing homework. Where’s Killian?”

There was a flash of something in the older brother’s eyes, guilt maybe. “He’s finishing his beer out there. Should be in soon. He tells me that you went horseback riding today with that young lass. The one with the flower name. Must have been a fun time. I took a lass I was courting out for a ride once. She was quite impressed with my skills.”

Henry’s face flushed. “She’s better at riding than I am. It was kind of scary to be honest. They are pretty tall animals. And they go really fast.”

“Aye, but you need to appreciate the freedom of them. And I’m sure she appreciated the gesture nonetheless.” Liam dropped into the chair next to the sofa, his long limbs sinking into the stuffed cushions. “So if it is not woman trouble that has you so anxious, what is it? Your mum’s back in town. I haven’t heard a word about any academic difficulties.”

“It’s nothing,” Henry insisted, readjusting the book on his bent leg. “Is Elsa coming back tonight?”

“Aye, she’s having a bit of sisterly bonding right now. She’s planning to come back with that new bodyguard of hers in tow. Is that the problem, mate? Are you feeling a bit crowded here?”

“No, that’s not it. I guess I’m just in a mood.”

“Ahhhh,” Liam said, sneaking a peek out the door where his brother was clearly brooding over news of their father and younger sibling. “That does happen from time to time. If you care to wag your chin at it, I’m all ears.” He crossed his right leg over his left, ankle resting on the opposite knee.

“Wag my chin?”

Liam chuckled and mumbled something about language barriers with Americans. “I think you probably refer to it as chatting. Or something of that sort. Fine, I’ll clarify. If you wish to talk about it, I’m willing to listen.”

“Just never heard that expression before,” Henry said, trying it out for himself. “I like it.” He gave a sort of half smile. “What else have you got?”

It might not have been the conversation Liam anticipated, but he enjoyed himself as they both threw out colloquialisms and slang the other was completely unfamiliar with. When Killian joined them a few minutes later, they were both laughing hysterically and trying to string as many together as possible. Even Emma joined in on the fun when she came inside, her eyes still puffy from the tears she had shed but laughing as she sat between her son and future husband on the couch.

“I don’t think it sounds the same with our American accents,” she said after Henry tried to say something about dinner options. He could barely get through the phrase without laughing so hard that his breath came in short spurts and he was reflexively hitting the arm of the sofa.

“It does sound rather flat, but lovely nonetheless.” Killian bopped her nose playfully, which combined groans, guffaws, and giggles in the group.

Eventually Emma called a halt to the shenanigans, sending Henry to ready himself for bed and eyeing Liam’s ability to drive himself to the Rabbit Hole. Deeming him safe, she sent him off on his way too, rolling her eyes when he kissed her cheek and called her mom.

“Call us when you get there, mate,” Killian called out, winking back at the man’s scowl. “Have fun and be careful.”

Emma placed her hand on Killian’s bicep, her face a bit more gentle and understanding. “The label arranged for someone to monitor the parking lot at the Rabbit Hole. Similar to the guy watching out for Elsa. I can arrange for him to…”

“No,” Liam said firmly, offering no more argument before disappearing into the night. Killian looked both mildly amused and a bit annoyed by his brother’s lack of concern on his own safety. It was not unexpected at all, but still stung a bit in the faces of those who cared about him.

“You didn’t really think he was going to take me up on that, right?” Emma asked, dropped her head to Killian’s shoulder as they both stared at the closed door. “You’re the one who often refers to him as a stubborn arse.”

“Such an American accent, love,” he chuckled. “No, I expected his reaction. I hoped for better, but often expect obstinacy in my brother’s foul-mouthed wake.” He drew in a breath. “You are quite like him in that way. Both hard headed and stubborn.”

Turning in his loose embrace, she craned her neck back as if inspecting him for signs of regret in his statement. Finding none, she pursed her lips into a frown. “I’m not sure I enjoy being compared to your brother. Don’t want you confusing us or picturing him when we…”

He crushed his mouth against hers quickly to silence her, harsh and bruising against him. When he did pull away, he smoothed down a bit of her hair that had escaped from behind her ear. “I assure you that I’ve never confused the two of you.”

#ouat fanfiction #cs fics #cs ff #cs ff au #frozen jewel fanfiction

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simon-frey-eu · 6 years ago

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Working with Microsoft Azure for 20 hours and why I will not use it again

Last weekend I attended a Hackathon at Microsoft. Overall it was an awesome experience and I had a lot of fun, so this post has nothing to do with the event itself and also is not my overall opinion on Microsoft. They do awesome stuff in a lot of fields, but with Azure, they are definitely under delivering.

During the event, I started to get in touch with the Azure platform. Our project Idea was to create a website where you can search for news and then via sentiment analysis this news would be sorted by "happiness". The news search and sentiment analysis are offered via Azures so-called cognitive services that abstract the ML models away and you can simply use an API for accessing that services....so far so good. With this preconditions most of you coders out there will have the thought: "This sounds too easy to fill 24h of programming". Exactly what I thought...already thinking about also coding an Alexa skill and so on to fill the time. With two experienced developers, we thought the backend would be done in about 4h (conservative calculation) as it would only be stitching together three APIs and delivering that info to a JSON REST API for our frontend team. For keeping the fun up and having more learnings during the project we decided to do the backend as a serverless function. But then Azure came into our way...

In the end, it took us ~9h to develop the backend as a serverless function that is mainly a 40 lines JavaScript file we had to develop in the in-browser "editor" that Azure offers as all the other approaches we tried didn't work out and we ended up abandoning them. Once again: 9 hours for 40 lines of JS code stitching together three APIs...that is insane. (Btw. at 3 am we decided to switch to GCP (google cloud platform) and that did the job in about 45 minutes)

So for sure we did things wrong and it could have been done faster, but this blog post is about the hard onboarding and overall bad structure of Azure. Please also keep in mind that Azure is still in a more-or-less early stage and not everything is wrong in there. In the following, I will walk you through the timeline of this disaster and suggestions I would have in mind to fix some of the most confusing steps. Actually, I will try to avoid these mistakes in my own future projects, so thanks Microsoft by showing me a way how not to do things xD

Just a bit more background: My partner in the backend had some experience with GCP and I do most of my current projects with AWS, so we did know how stuff works there...couldn't be too hard to transfer that knowledge to the Azure platform.

Start of the project

So first of all creating a new Azure account, that is not that hard and after entering credit card info you get 100$ of free credit. I actually like how Microsoft solved that here: You have two plans. You start with the 100$ free tier and if you spend all of that money you manually have to change to the pay-as-you-go plan. So that protects you of opening up an account, doing some testing, forgetting about it and then a month later you get a huge bill (happened to me with AWS). So that is nice for protecting new users that just start to test the system. Good job here Microsoft!

After setting up the account I created a new project and added some of the resources we needed. Creating a serverless function I recognized the tag "(Preview)" on the function I created but didn't think more about it...but actually, that sign should be something like Experimental/Do not use/Will most likely not work properly. We created a Python serverless function (apparently Python functions are still beta here) and tried to get some code in there.

There are three ways to get code into an azure function:

Web "editor"

Azure CLI

VS Code

...for full-featured functions. As we selected the experimental/beta/preview functionality Python we only had the latter two options. Not that bad as it is the same for AWS and I am used to deploying my code via the AWS cmd...shouldn't be way harder with Azure.

My suggesting: Do not do publish functionality that is obviously not ready yet. Do internal testing instead of using your users for that task.

Azure plugins for VS code

Microsoft overs a wide range of VS code plugins for Azure. As that is my main editor anyways I wanted to give them a try. So for the functionality of serverless functions, you need the functions plugin and about 9 other mandatory ones that are some sort of base plugins. 500mb and three VS Code crashed later finally the required plugins were installed properly. The recommended login method did not work and I had to choose the method via the browser. Not that big of a deal, but as they recommend the inline method I would think that should work. (Didn't work for the other folks in my team as well...so had nothing to do with my particular machine)

You would think that 500mb should be enough for finally being able to deploy some code...but you still need 200mb more for the Azure cli that is required for the plugins to work properly.

Finally having installed all of it you can see all your Azure functions and resources in VS code. I started to get a bit excited as it looked that the development from now on would be straight forward and easier as I am used to from AWS.

But that 700mb of code did not work properly....the most important function "deploy" did fail without a more in-depth error message...AAAAAAARRRG. Why do I have to install all that crap and then it can't do the most simple task it has to get my code into their cloud.

Keep your tooling modular and try to do fewer things, but do them right

Code templates

A nice idea is, on creating a new serverless function Azure greets you with a basic boilerplate code example showing you how to handle the basic data interfaces.

Maybe also because we selected the alpha functionality "Python" we didn't get Python code here but JavaScript. So your function is prepopulated with code that is not able to run because it is the wrong programming language. We were lucky and recognized that right away, but you could get really confusing error messages here if you then start developing in JS but actually having a Python runtime.

Better no boilerplate code than one in the wrong programming language

But at least it is colorful

So next try with the Azure CLI. The first thing that you recognize is that the CLI has all sorts of different colors...but that does not help if you are annoyed and want to get things done.

That is a thing you also recognize in the Azure web interface...it has quite some UX issues but they do have more than five color themes you can choose from for styling the UI...not sure Microsoft if you set your priorities right here ;)

Also, the CLI did not get us where we wanted....either of our own incompetence or the CLI, no clue. Either way, I would blame Azure as it is their job to help developers onboarding and at least get basic tasks (we still only want to deploy a simple "hello world") done in an acceptable time.

Focus less on making your UI shine in every color of the rainbow and try to improve documentation and onboarding examples

Full ownership of a resource still does not give you full privileges

After finally being able to deploy at least the "hello world" we wanted to go a step further...work concurrently on that project. Yes 'till now we mainly did pair programming on a single machine.

As I was the owner of that resource I wanted to give my teammate also full access to it, so he could work on the resource and add functions if required. I granted him "owner" access rights (the highest that were available) but still, he was not able to work properly with that function. In the web UI it did work more or less but than again in VS code no chance to do anything (adding a function or deploying it). I ended up doing a thing that goes against everything I learned about security: I logged in with my credentials at his machine.

So imagine yourself now already sitting in front of your laptop for about 4 1/2 hours and you did not manage to do anything of your real work.

Ditching Azure Functions and switching to GCP

That was the moment when we did ditch the idea of doing the backend as Azure function. We switched to GCP and started there all over again. As I also never worked with that platform I expected a similar hard start as I already had in the last few hours with Azure. So about 25 minutes later we achieved more on GCP than with azure 'till then.

A thing both Azure and GCP do better than AWS is they have the Logs of a serverless function in the same window as the function itself. AWS has here a different approach and you have to change to the cloud logs when you want to get info about your function and how it worker. Props to both Google and Microsoft for solving this a lot better!

Actually a hint for AWS: Give your user all control and info at a single place

Cognitive services

The prices you could win at the Hackathon were attached to using Azure and thereby we stick to the cognitive services for doing the news search and the sentiment analysis. Overall the API is straight forward: Send your data and get the results back.

One thing we got told in a presentation and that you should keep in mind when using the cognitive services: You do not control the model and it could change at any moment in time. So if you use the cognitive services for productive use, you should continuously check that the API didn't change its behavior in a way that influences your product in a bad way. But most of the time it is still a lot cheaper and better than building the model yourself

The problem that we did have with the services where again authentication issues. Quite confusing some of the cognitive services (e.g. the sentiment analysis) are have different API base URLs depending where you register that cognitive service and others are not. As I assume they need that manual setting of data centers for a particular (unknown to me) reason. Indeed I would propose to have all the cognitive services bound to a location.

The news search, for example, is not bound to a location and so we had two different behaviors of the API base URLs in our so short and easy application:

One URL for all location.

Only a certain location is valid for your resource. If you point to a wrong API location you get an "unauthorized" as the response

Pointing to the wrong location is pure incompetence on the developer side but it would help a lot if there would be a distinct error code/message for that scenario.

Have the same base URL behavior for all cognitive services

Return some sort of 'wrong location'-error if you have a valid API token but you are pointing to the wrong location

Insufficient documented SDKs

Azure offers SDKs for using their services. We gave the JS SDK for the cognitive services a try. Here we stumbled upon two sides of a medal: First props to the developers coding that SDKs they are straight forward and do what they should. Even the code itself looks good...but why the hell do I have to look into the code of the SDKs to get all the options the functions offer? When you stick to the documentation provided via the GitHub readme or NPM you only get a fraction of the functionality. We were confused that the own SKDs of Microsoft seemed not to be API complete. Looking into the code we saw they are actually API complete and do offer a lot more options then documented.

Please Microsoft: Properly document your functionalities!

IMO there must be deep problems with the internal release processes at Azure. It is not acceptable that an IT company already being so long in the industry allows itself such a standard mistake. You should not release your products (and I see the SDKs as such) without proper documentation.

"Code Examples"

During our try and error period for trying to get the JS SDK running, we stumbled upon the quickstart guide for the cognitive services Quickstart: Analyze a remote image using the REST API with Node.js in Computer Vision

Instead of using their own SDK and explaining how to use it they show you how to manually build an HTTP request in JS. Sure that can be helpful for new JS coders, but if you have an SDK for that particular reason...why are you not using it? Looks like the left hand is not knowing what the right-hand does.

Stick to one way of doing things. If you have an SKD, also use it in your quickstart guides for being consistent

Conclusion

In the end, we did port the code back from GCP to an Azure function (again ~1h of work). We selected JS instead of Python and coded completely in the web UI...that did work. I now know how real Microsoft business developers do their daily business...never leave the web UI and just accept that life is hard.

Microsoft failed to deliver a good enough experience here and lost me as a potential customer. How can it be that I was able to do the same stuff in a fraction of the time in GCP? (And keep in mind: it was already 3am in the morning, I was super tired and I also never worked with GCP before)

None of the three major players is perfect and sure I understand it is hard to deliver fast and keeping good quality in this highly competitive market. But maybe actually going the step further will help to win in the end.

Once again: This is me only rating the onboarding experience of Azure in particular! No general opinion on Microsoft.

Last one: The Azure web UI didn't work in Chrome. So if you have issues with that, Firefox did the trick for us ;)

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