#i’m just a julian girl i can’t help it

[romajuliettesupremacy]

stephanie garber wrote scarlett dragna for the mentally ill girlies, the older sisters, and the swifties

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The House Guest 10

Warnings: non/dubcon, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Bucky Barnes

Summary: an old acquaintance calls in a favour, leaving you with an unexpected house guest.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

You stare through the window as hammering echoes through the glass. Despite the muffling of the barrier between you, it’s loud enough to put you on edge. Or maybe that’s because of the man calmly bringing the iron down on the nails. 

As if he can sense you, he looks up, his dark hair flopping back. You quickly spin away. You have to be going stir crazy. Bucky was just concerned. A lot of people come up this way and get freaked out by the wilderness. You used to when you visited as a child. 

You go back to the kitchen and take out the ingredients for your grandma’s classic turkey stew. It’s always a comfort as the temperature starts to drop. Still, it’s never as good as she made it. One day, you might figure out the secret. 

Cooking is a good distraction. There isn’t much to do up here. Often, you enjoy that facet of your existence. You work then disconnect and just do your own thing. Now you can’t help but feel the desolation. 

Thunk, thunk, thunk. The hammering continues. You put the turkey into roast. It’s always better to season and cook it first then shred it up for the stew. You set the broth to simmer with the chunked veggies and pace the kitchen as you wait for it all to come together. 

You use a fork to pick the meat of the turkey legs and dump it all in the boiling pot. Another hour to meld together and it’ll be ready to serve. The longer you let it, the better. It’s always best the day after. 

The silence doesn’t hit you until you hear the back door. The smell of pine follows Bucky inside. You put your attention to the pot and stir it. 

He sniffs and sighs loudly as he enters. “Ah, smells delicious. Chicken?” 

“Turkey,” you correct him as he twists on the faucet and squirts soap into his hands. He lathers up and looks at you. “It’s funny. Back in my day, not to sound like a crotchety old geezer, women cooked. They had recipe cards on the counter. These days, half the girls I talk to can only use some app to order pizza that tastes like ketchup on cardboard.” 

“Oh, yeah? I kinda miss fast food,” you say dully. 

“Huh. ‘Cause I miss the home cooking. It’s just... simpler.” He shuts off the tap and shifts closer, drying his hand on the dishcloth as he looms. “If it hadn’t all gone to shit, I probably woulda found a good woman. Settled down, lived the good life.” 

“Right,” you nod awkwardly and set the spoon down.  

He clicks his tongue and turns, putting his hand on the counter as he leans on one foot. His other hand goes to his hip. “But then I wouldn’t be here.” 

“Fair,” you say, distancing yourself as you step around him to get to the fridge. “I got some cider left over? Want some? It’s mulled. Julian down by the Rocks makes it--” 

“Think I’m good,” he says. 

You put the large glass jug on the counter and open the cupboard. Bucky catches it and shoves it closed with a snap. You face him in surprise. He’s strong. You know that but feeling it is something else. 

“Sorry, I... I’m in your way?” You wonder. 

“No, you’re right where you should be,” he says. 

You try not to lean away from him. Your heart is racing. You swallow and peer over at the dimming window. 

“I could help you cover up the lumber before--” 

“Already did that,” he interjects. “You know, I think I’m where I need to be too,” he edges closer. “Think after everything, I did find that good woman.” 

You blink, speechless. You can barely think above the tempo behind your ears. 

“I hear it.” He puts his fist to his chest and knocks on it. “I know you feel it too.” He stills his hand and holds it over his heart. “I was pissed when Sam brought me up here. Dropped me off like some stray dog. The longer I’m here, the more I realise he did me a favour. He didn’t dump me on you...” you wince as he pulls his hand away from his chest and opens it to cradle your face, “he gave me you.” 

“Bucky,” you latch onto his wrist but can’t move it. “I think we need some space. Don’t you?” 

“No,” he says flatly. 

“You spend too much time in the same proximity, and it starts to get weird--” 

“No,” he repeats. “I’m right. It’s perfect. You’re strong, you cook, you’re handy, not afraid to get a little dirty,” he slides his hand down to cup your chin. You flinch but can’t pull away. “And you got a nice ass.” 

“Bucky,” you breath and gently shove his chest. “I’m saying to you that you’re wrong. I’m flattered and all but no.” You push harder as he squeezes tighter. You whimper, “ow, let me go. I’m calling Sam-” 

“Shh,” his other hand swoops up to back of your skull. He lurches you closer, bringing you to your nose as he snarls down at you. “You’re not calling anyone.” 

“Bucky--” 

“It’s the way you say my name,” he growls. 

“Please, you’re hurting me--” 

He hushes you again as his thumb rubs behind your jaw. He turns you so your penned in against the counter. You splay your fingers across his chest, dragging them down to his stomach as you push on him. He stands unmoving. 

“Let go--” 

“You. Let go,” he insists calmly. “You built this wall around you. Let it down,” he drops his hand from your head and lets it trail down your back, “let me in.” 

“No, I’m telling you.” You squirm against him. “Stop this, right now.” 

“I know you want me. I found that toy. The little flower, hm?” He tickles along your side, your jaw aching in his grip. “You wanna feel the real thing? Huh?” 

“Please,” you clasp the fabric of his shirt in your fingers. 

“Doll, I want you think about this,” he buries his thumb behind your jaw until you whine. “You’re up here all by yourself. Lonely days, lonelier nights. Anyone could catch on. They could figure out just as fast as I did.” He leans in until you’re nearly bent backwards. “You need a man because any old beast could snatch you up.” 

Your eyes glisten and you search his face. He doesn’t look human. He’s animalistic. His eyes are dark and dilated and his jaw is set with slathering hunger. Your lip trembles. 

"Wouldn't you rather have the beast on your side, doll? Instead of tearing it down?” He purrs and shifts his hand around your chin, bringing his thumb up to poke at your lower lip. “I can be good for you, all you gotta do, is the same.” 

[treedaddymcpuffpuff]

Excessive Force : Tom Ludlow x Fem Nurse Reader (COLLAB W/ THE INCREDIBLE @johnwickb1tsch) - Chapter One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven

TW: angst, fighting, discussion of nsfw topics

The alcohol you ingested certainly does not help with your coordination. You nearly bump into several club-goers, as if you are a salmon struggling to make your way up stream. You feel as though you can’t breathe, your skin crawling on your bones.

Once you finally burst out the doors you gasp for breath, grateful for the outside, if not polluted, air. You do not stop moving, your feet mindlessly carrying you down the sidewalk, away. All you can think, is that you want to get away.

You don’t really pay attention to your surroundings in your manic dash. Julian’s face keeps flashing in your mind. Of all the men in your life who had hurt you, none of them had been half so beguiling as Julian. None of them so fucking clever at hiding the monster inside. 

You have been a fly caught in his web, baited by his puppy dog eyes and his kindness in his doctor’s persona–you cannot understand how that man can share the same body with the dom who literally licked your blood from your palm earlier, and loved it. He lured you but now you know the only way you can be intimate with that man is through playing dangerous games with his darker side. Maybe some of them you could have enjoyed, but this? He would tease you with the crumbs of his sweetness, his kisses and caresses, but he would make you pay for them with your pain, your blood, and your submission.

It can only end in your ruin.

You would destroy yourself, trying to heal this man, while he just kept taking pieces out of you and swallowing them whole. 

As your feet slow you look around, and you realize you have no fucking idea where you are.

Well done, you fucking little idiot. Filled with crippling despair, you sink to the cracked concrete curb, ruining the seat of your silk dress, hanging your head in your hands. Asking Julian to take you home is out of the question. You can’t really afford a taxi. You could call an Uber, but the thought of getting in a car with a total stranger right now makes you feel ill. And you are way too drunk to try to navigate the Byzantine bus system of LA.

You stare at your phone, and your fingers swipe and tap of their own volition, as though to say we know what to do, you messy bitch. The phone only rings twice before a familiar, deep voice comes over the line. “Hey baby.”

“Tom?”

“What’s wrong?” 

The sleepy warmth in his tone immediately sharpens, and the fact that he hears the distress in your voice after just one word fills you with a relief that maybe you have no right to.

“Can you come get me?”

“Yes. Where are you?”

You laugh a little at that, a brittle sound you have not heard in your own voice in a long time. “I don’t know?” Your voice cracks, your throat tight, on the verge of tears. “I’m somewhere in Venice.”

There’s a silence on the other end that communicates he has an inkling of what you’ve been up to. “Are you hurt?” There’s an undertone of something dangerous in his question, but you don’t think it’s directed at you. 

“No. Just…” Scared. Embarrassed. Stupid. Heartbroken. Drunk.

You can’t bring yourself to say any of these things aloud. You settle for, “Lost.” 

It was the understatement of the century.

“Ok, honey. I’m on my way. Tell me what you see.”

You describe your surroundings as best you can, and it’s enough for this man who knows this city like the back of his hand. He has you stay on the line, asking you little questions you hardly even think about the answers you give. You’re in a different place, in your mind, and like the forever original creature that you are, you sit there and cry quietly while Tom tries to keep you talking. Meanwhile, you cannot stop picturing Julian’s face, the hunger in his eyes as he watched that poor girl being lit on fire.

By the time you hear the bass growl of Tom’s Charger swing up to the curb, you don’t know how long it’s been, only that you’re grateful for the sight. Moments later he’s kneeling in front of you, his big hands cradling your tear-streaked face like you are something precious and breakable.

At least the last part is true.

“Y/n? You ok, sweet girl?” He wipes your tears with his thumb, sweeping your damp hair back from your face. You can only imagine how terrible you must look. Waterproof mascara has its limits.

Bravely you nod, though your chin quivers tellingly. “Thank you for coming.” 

“I’ll always come for you, y/n,” he tells you with a frown, and goddammit if you don’t believe him. He’s looking you over, inspecting you for damage you’re too in shock or too embarrassed to disclose. When he finds the bandage on your hand his expression turns murderous. “What the fuck is this?”

“I cut myself,” you assure him, certain that if you don’t convince this dangerous man of the truth, Julian’s not days, but hours, are numbered. “With scissors. Opening a plant.”

Tom narrows his eyes, glaring down at the bandage like he’s not sure he believes you. “What happened then? Why are you out here alone like this?”

“Julian wanted to show me the club,” you try to answer as vaguely as possible. “But I…couldn’t handle it.” You shake your head, unable to meet his eyes. He wants to hurt you. Julian had outright told you so, but somehow before tonight, maybe you didn’t really believe him.

“Do you need to go to the hospital?” Tom asks, his voice low and pointedly gentle. You realize, a beat later, that he’s asking if you need a rape kit. You never imagined, for some reason, that this man could be as equally gentle with victims as he is harsh with perps. That warms your heart for some reason. 

You shake your head slowly. “No, nothing like that.”

He searches your face with those sharp black eyes, and you imagine that stare is probably just as effective as a lie detector. You almost didn’t even register it, maybe because it feels so natural, but his hands are on you. His hands have been on you this entire time, and his touch makes you feel anchored, like just maybe you won’t get blown away in this shitstorm.

He looks at the matching bangles around your wrists next, the thin bands of gold bearing Julian’s monogram in that delicate slanted script.

“Fucking asshole, really thinks he owns you,” Tom growls, sliding one from your hand, and crushing the soft high karat gold in his fist.  

“Hey.” Your protest is half hearted at best, and all you do is watch as he does the same to the other one, bending it beyond recognition. Destroying the precious little objects that weighed on your wrists with such heavy meaning seems to make him feel better. 

Maybe you feel lighter too.

“Trade ‘em at a pawn shop for scrap value, honey. That’s all they’re good for.”

“They were Tiffany,” you tell him with a half smile and a raised eyebrow.

“They were Bullshit & Co, baby girl.” He might just be right about that. “Didn’t really think you cared about stuff like that?” 

You shrug, because you don’t, but you’d never owned anything so fine. The novelty of it was enchanting, but maybe the real price for them was far too high.

“Can you take me home?” You think you probably look as pathetic as you sound.

He nods, pulling you to your feet with those strong hands, lifting you like you weigh nothing. You lean on him, more than you have to, and it takes all your self control not to wrap your arms around his solid torso and not let go. You realize, this is the first time all night you actually feel safe. “I’ve got you, honey. Come on.”

He walks you to the passenger side of the Charger, tucking you down into the seat, even fussing over the seatbelt. “I can do it,” you tell him softly with a brittle smile. You only see it for a flash of a second, but the rawness in his expression wipes that stupid smile right off your face. You realize that he was scared, for you, and the unlikelihood of it all makes you reach for him. 

He freezes as you touch his cheek, your thumb tracing his high cheekbone. Only belatedly do you remember it's the hand with the bandage, because you really have had too much to drink, and you start to withdraw. Not before he turns to press his lips to your palm, his hand dwarfing yours. “You’re safe now. Alright?” 

You nod, and your heart hammers in your chest as his gaze drops for a telling moment to your lips. In this vulnerable, inebriated state, safely ensconced in his car, you decide there’s nothing you would like more than to kiss Tom Ludlow, your unlikely knight in shining armor. It seems like the least you can do. You even start to lean towards him, but with a small growl he’s suddenly gone, shutting your door, and striding around to the driver's side. You almost can’t believe it.

But then again, you’re a fucking mess. Why would he want to kiss you?

Julian chooses this moment to start blowing up your phone. You send it to voicemail. As Tom pulls away, the Hemi snarling down the streets of Venice, your doctor demands,

WHERE ARE YOU?!

In answer you tap out, I can’t do this, Julian. I’m sorry. I left. You look over at Tom, a small warmth blooming in your chest, before adding, I’m safe.

Julian tries to keep talking to you, but you decide to just turn off your phone entirely, tossing it down on the floormat with your little clutch purse.You close your eyes, and sit back in the seat. Even then, you can feel Tom looking over at you.

You don’t know where you get the courage to speak, except maybe it’s just the liquid kind, and you’ll really regret it in the morning. “You’re a smart guy, Tom. Maybe you can tell me. What is it about me, that makes men want to hurt me? My whole fucking life…” Your courage does fail you then, and your mouth snaps shut.

There’s the regret. You knew it was there somewhere.

“Honey…” He reaches for you, engulfing your hand in his catcher’s mitt of a paw, squeezing. “I’ve seen a lot of bad shit over the years as a cop. The world is full of assholes. It’s full of evil. Maybe even more than good. It’s not your fault, when it finds you. Ok?”

You nod silently, but you still can’t help but think you’re like a fucking magnet for it. Julian had seemed like such a nice guy, but it turns out he literally wants to beat you with sticks–and maybe light you on fire? A bit of a roué. The understatement of the century.

And Tom seemed like an insufferable alpha asshole, but here he is, saving your ass when you had no one else to turn to.

Maybe the real lesson of the night is that you can’t trust your own judgment at all. 

You feel Tom looking over at you again, that evaluating gaze that you fear misses nothing. “You sure he didn’t hurt you?”

You shake your head again. “He just…wanted to,” you admit. “He told me about it. That’s as far as it got.” 

“Ok, sweetheart.” He squeezes your hand again, and you can’t help yourself from looking down at it in your lap, and imagining what it would be like if he slid those long fingers up your thigh, and into your panties while driving this powerful machine at breakneck speed down the road. His voice breaks you from your fantasy, leaving you blinking from the brightness of the passing headlights. “Look. Maybe that shit is all done up as something safe with all its rules and consenting adults and blah blah blah, but I’m a cop, and I know an abuser when I see one. If a man cares about you, he shouldn’t want to hurt you. Ok? Don’t let him mindfuck you, baby girl. Stay away from him. You don’t owe him anything, and he doesn’t own you.”

“You think you own me. By that logic, shouldn’t I stay away from you too?” 

He gives your thigh a little possessive squeeze. “I don’t wanna hurt you.” 

Maybe you’re a horrible judge of character, and maybe you should just listen to yourself every once in a while and stop getting into these situations, and maybe you’re just fucking stupid, but you believe Tom Ludlow. You believe him with every part of you. 

“Well, you’re sorta.” A big hiccup cuts off the middle of your sentence, and you cover your mouth. Oh, that’s how you absolutely know you’re too inebriated for your own good. 

Tom laughs. “Sorta what? Mean? Domineering? Bull headed?” 

“Cocky,” you add, using the hand on your mouth to cover your smile. Somehow, this man has already managed to cheer you up a little. 

“You can be dominant without hurting someone,” he tells you, tapping the side of your thigh with one chunky finger. You twitch a little bit, and it spreads a big grin on his face. The temptation exists to grab his hand and guide it right under the skirt of the dress, but you’re sadly not that drunk. 

“Maybe…I need a demonstration?” 

He looks so handsome when you catch him off guard, that rugged eyebrow quick and easy, raising in either confusion, humor, or a little bit of both. “Maybe I need to have dinner with you.”  

Nope. No more dates. No more, says panicking sober brain. 

“I was thinking maybe we just… skip the date?” 

“Why? So you can avoid all those feelings you have about me? This might surprise you, but I’m not much for one night stands.” 

Really? Fucking really? All his sexual innuendos and suggestions and poking and prodding and he’s suddenly the Virgin Mary? 

“Are you kidding me?” You ask, unable to hide your anger. Alcohol. It does wonders. And horrors. 

“I’d like to fuck you more than once, honey.” 

“I’m not saying it would only be once.” 

“Oh? And then the rest of the time, when we’re not fucking, you avoid me and ignore my calls?” Impenetrable Tom Ludlow seems a bit annoyed. Meanwhile, you are internally melting at his words. A man that wants to do more than just fuck you? Take advantage of you? Tom wants you? Fucking asshole. For making you feel…special. Wanted. Even if it is true.

“I don’t believe you.” 

“What?” His anger makes you flinch. 

You knock his hand off your thigh. “I said, I don’t believe you.” 

“Maybe you would if you’d give me a chance.”

“You don’t take no for an answer.” 

“Because I like you, and I’m not stupid enough to let you go.” Your internal monologue is screaming, resist. You’ve heard this shit before. 

That’s the mantra. 

You’ve heard it before.

“You just don’t get it.”

“Because you won’t let me. For Christ’s sake, it’s just one date. You wanna act all tough, but if you ask me, you’re being a coward.” 

His words hurt, and you shrink back from the deep bite of his tone. He must notice the withdrawal, because he’s reaching over to touch your cheek, to soothe you, to tame you easily with that big, warm touch. 

You smack him away. “Don’t touch me.” 

“Baby.” His voice is soft, now, and fuck him for plucking every single one of your heart strings with it. 

“No. Just let me out. I’ll walk home. I’ll call a fucking Uber.” 

“You’re not getting out of this car until I watch you walk into your apartment.” 

“You’re not the boss of me!” 

“No, but I’m bigger, stronger, and have double locks on these doors, so you’re getting home safe whether you like it or not.” 

So you stew in your frustration for the rest of the ride home, your arms crossed like a petulant child. When he pulls up to your apartment building you remember that you had not, in fact, told him where you live.

“How do you know where I live? See, this is why I didn’t go on a date with you. It’s weird that you know where I live. I didn’t even tell you, and you think I’m the one who’s doing something wrong here? You’re a real piece of work, Tom.” You’re babbling, rambling, trying to restrain drops of salty liquid from falling down your face and failing horribly.  

He turns toward you, calm and despondent. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings.” 

This is the second time he’s said sorry to you since the day you met him. No, maybe the third. He just swings that word around like he does his badge, and it’s so strange. People do not say sorry to you. That apologetic roll is usually yours and yours alone, and here he is just… Just saying it? Why does it piss you off even more? 

You get out of the car, slam the door shut, and punch the security buttons for your complex. It's only after you’re safely inside that Tom drives away. 

[kirk-says-wah]

Hello hello ☎️

I have a request for you that is possibly a little silly or maybe awful? You decide.

Picture this: a 4th of July Party, at Jason's house, in 1992.

James (an idiot) is in the kitchen alone and tries to open a beer bottle with his teeth, but oh no! He breaks his tooth in the process! While the party is happening outside!

Please expand on this, how will they all sort it out? What will James do? Who will help him? Will he cry? I give you complete creative control.

anyway I love you and hope you're doing good! 🫂💖

Ahhh Julian!! *hugs you* thank you for the request! This was fun to write! I’m so sorry, this turned out sappier than I intended 😆💕

𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐥

Pairing: James/Jason

This party is shit.

Jason’s sound system is only half working, there’s hardly any girls, and someone’s already threw up in the living room.

James only came because Jason said “dude it’s gonna be the best fucking party you’ve ever been to,” and he doesn’t go to Jason’s house much, they always go over to James’ house. He also can’t resist Jason with those goddamn puppy eyes.

He’s cramped himself in the kitchen to grab a piece of alone time before having to go out and face the group. He’s not drunk but he’s fairly tipsy. Some shit techno pop is pounding the walls, and he wonders if maybe he should sneak out or something.

Or maybe he just needs to get more drunk.

The other guys are in the garden, mingling with the rest of the crowd, and James knows that he definitely needs to drink more if he wants to fit in. He’s never been good at making small talk. Even when he’s a fucking rock god. That’s always the downside to these kind of parties. He’s only good at talking about his band, but even then most people don’t really give a fuck.

He sighs, grabbing a beer from the fridge, fucking Coors Light, and twists at the cap with fingers.

The top doesn’t budge.

He frowns, tries again, but still it’s not going anywhere.

Great. This is just what he needs.

He tries to get his frustration under control and tries to flip the cap off to no avail, so he does the only thing he can think of.

He brings the beer up to his mouth, tries to pry the metal top off with his teeth, when all of a sudden there’s a resounding crack, and his mouth goofs the bottle, a sharp pain emanating through the front of his teeth.

Shit. Shit fuck shit shit bastard.

He puts his finger in his mouth, swipes over the front set of teeth, only to find one considerably shorter than the rest, the edges jagged and broken.

James takes in a deep breath. Okay maybe this isn’t as bad as he thinks. Maybe no one will even notice.

He puts his beer on the side before going back into the main room, twisting between swaying bodies until he’s in the bathroom.

There’s a couple kissing in there, but with one wave of his hand they’re out of there quicker than lighting. James smirks to himself. Sometimes he loves the power he holds over people.

He locks the door before finally standing in front of the mirror, ignoring his unkempt hair. He lifts up his top lip with his fingers.

Yep. It’s as bad as he thought. His front tooth is so short it almost looks like it’s not there, leaving a dark hole.

He swears, drops his fingers before giving a feigned smile.

Nope that’s no better.

He sighs, white knuckling the sink. He tries to think who he can go to to help him.

Lars won’t be any help. He’d just laugh at him and cause a scene.

Kirk isn’t much help when he’s sober, but he’s already mostly drunk so he’d be no better.

Which leaves him with Jason. Fuck. Jason will probably laugh too but out of the three of them he seems the most proactive and will hopefully be a little bit more concerned.

Now James just needs to figure out how to get his attention without opening his mouth. He needs to do it before the fireworks go off because Jason will just get distracted.

He takes one last look at his busted tooth before taking a deep breath and exiting the bathroom.

The house is mostly empty as he makes his way to the back door, and he keeps his lips firmly shut, can’t help but let his tongue prod at his broken tooth.

He passes Lars and Kirk, sat with their girls by the beer kegs, and Lars waves him over but James just ignores him. He can deal with their bitching later.

He spots Jason at the top of the garden, sorting through cassettes, and he quickly jogs over to him.

Jason smiles, lets his fingers fall from the box he was digging in, and springs forwards, obviously drunk. His hair falls around his face, his tshirt tight against his chest.

“Dude, what the fuck’s wrong with your face?” Jason asks, noting the deep frown wrinkling James’ forehead, but James doesn’t want to talk about it out here. Everyone will see, and he’s not gonna make a fool of himself. He’s James Fucking Hetfield. He’s not a fucking pussy, and he certainly doesn’t chip his teeth on beer bottles.

The rough edge of his tooth says otherwise.

He roughly grabs ahold of Jason’s arm, sinks his fingers into his jacket before dragging him back to the house, ignoring the questions Jason shoots his way until they’re finally in the bathroom.

It’s empty, luckily, and he locks the door behind them, turning to see Jason perched on the edge of the tub. His cheeks are pink, eyes glazed slightly as he sways on the bathtub, the overhead light highlighting the flush up his neck.

“What’s up, man?” he asks, head cocking. “You can’t fuck me in the middle of the party.”

James hopes he’s joking, but his mind momentarily flashes back to a party a few months ago where Jason had pressed him against the wall and sucked on his neck hard enough to leave a bruise that people kept pointing out.

James grinds his jaw, tries to bring his mind to the present and not get hard, and finally works up the courage to speak.

He hovers his hand over his mouth, covering the offending tooth, and says “don’t fucking laugh.”

Jason squints, face sobering a little.

“What’s going on?”

“Just, promise me,” James pleads. He already feels humiliated, and he doesn’t want anyone making him feel like shit, least of all Jason.

“Fine I won’t,” Jason says, standing up now with an edge of concern.

James looks at him for a moment before sighing.

He gingerly pulls his top lip up, exposing his chipped tooth.

Jason’s face cracks and James scowls.

“Don’t you dare.”

“I’m not laughing,” Jason says, but he definitely is, laughter bubbling up in thick waves as he tries to suppress it.

James quickly pulls his lip down, crossing his arms.

“Don’t fucking laugh at me,” he complains. “It’s not my fucking fault.”

“Well, who punched you?” Jason asks.

“My beer,” James says, feeling a bit stupid. “I couldn’t get the lid off.”

Jason bursts into another fit of laughter, wheezing loudly, and James feels shame creep onto his cheeks.

“Forget it,” he mumbles, turning to leave, but Jason just grabs his arm.

“I’m sorry,” Jason says, voice even now, and he steps into James’ personal space, though there’s still a smile dimpling his cheeks.

“No you’re not,” James says, doesn’t look at him, and Jason sighs.

“It was just a shock,” Jason says, lets his hands wander up onto James’ shoulders. “You’re still beautiful to me.”

James blushes, ducks his head a little. Fuck, he really can’t get all sappy when they’re at a fucking party. But still his legs go a bit weak. Fuck Jason.

“We can go and fix this now,” Jason says, reaching up to push James’ hair from his face. “No one will even know.”

“But your party,” James says, finally looking at Jason.

Jason just shakes his head.

“You’re more important,” he says. “Especially when you look like you’re gonna cry.”

James scowls and punches Jason’s arm, and Jason giggles.

“Cmon,” Jason says, cupping James’ jaw.

He leans forward, expecting a kiss, and James rolls his eyes before leaning forwards, pressing his lips to Jason’s.

He can’t help but open his mouth after a moment, their tongues intermingling, until Jason yelps, pulling away.

“What?” James asks, breathless but concerned.

Jason prods at his tongue before he says, “your tooth is sharp.”

James can’t help the laugh that filters up through his throat at that.

It seems like it’s not the end of the world after all.

Jason gets his chauffeur to drive them to the emergency dentist, and he’s not in there long before they’ve fixed his tooth. It looks like nothing ever happened.

They manage to slip back into the party unnoticed, just in time for the fireworks, and James stands close to Jason, lets their hands thread together, covered by the sleeve of his jacket.

[eolewyn1010]

Downton Abbey Fashion 12 - post-war outdoors fashion

We have everything from high glamor to realistically shabby today, so let's jump into the younger generation's fashion choices in the second season!

Ah, Mary’s famous red coats. Now, since I’m an honest soul I will admit that she looks fabulous. Interestingly, despite the passionate associations of the color and Mary’s overall temperament, I think she wears this outfit and a similar one predominantly in her loveless engagement with Jorah Mormont Richard Whatshisrank. But anyway, if you have these velvet cuffs and collar, what else do you need? Well, except a matching hat with a silk sash. A shame she doesn’t wear this again the coming seasons, but I guess the waistband dates it too much, fashion-wise.

Gotta own up to my double standards here: A servant or commoner, I would have complimented on such a nice, sturdy, comfy-looking tweed coat. But since it’s aristocratic fashion queen Mary, I’m tempted to ask her why it had to be such a boring thing. Ah well, at least it has some subtle Tartan going for it.

This one isn’t much different, granted, but I feel the collar shape adds a point of interest. Also, the little ear studs plus the feathers on her hat emphasize the red lines in this tweed’s check pattern. Nice.

I did say the asymmetrical semi-cowl collars are something of a Mary thing, so here, have another. Somehow, I feel she should have worn a scarf to this; her neck looks weirdly naked between this and the hat. The hat itself is fine, if not overly flattering.

Speaking of unflattering – this is one of those coats that throw my brain for a loop, because it just doesn’t look like something Lady Mary Crawley would own. It’s this weird khaki brown shade, and it looks undecorated and, most of all, worn. I have no idea why she would keep something that looks so ragged, and maybe she doesn’t, because after her prostration before Matthew, this is never seen again. Symbolism about humility, I guess? Which is why it wouldn’t stick.

The other gorgeous red coat! Well, walking suit, perhaps; the skirt may come in a set with the coat. Anna wears a coat in season that is dark blue, but has this exact two-pointed configuration of the collar in the back. Granted, Anna’s hat isn’t so chic. Look at the cute feathers! Red to match the skirt, burgundy to match the coat, but I also find some useless joy in the little toothed trim around the brim.

And another walking suit, Mary steals the show in the shiniest blue silk. Big-ass lapels are something of a Mary feature, too, although I can’t say it’s not worth it. Why so blue, girl? You look fantastic. Including that cute little brooch she’s put on the neckline of her blouse.

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

There’s something about certain combinations of black and white that make me think monochrome is the peak of all elegance. Like this. Lavinia looks great in it, and it’s not even much? The collar is not any special shape, there’s no decoration on it other than the closures of her cuffs; I couldn’t tell you what it is that catches my eye here, but I want this.

If you look at this closely, you can see that Lavinia’s jacket also rocks the aforementioned two-pointed collar back look. Since we already know that part and I don’t know enough about fur to discuss the stola – let’s talk about the cute hat. Sometimes, a little white trim is really all it takes. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons Mary could respect Lavinia, because she’s also a fashion queen.

This jacket looks like it belongs to Edith, and the blouse doesn’t help the impression. It’s strange; these wide collars serve to accentuate Mary’s wide shoulders and make her appear tall and regal, but because Lavinia’s shoulders are narrower, the collar serves to make her look smaller than she is. I should probably not complain about that, as it is the whole point, but I fucking hate how Julian Fellowes wrote her arc. Poor little frail flower, too good for this world. Give me a break.

Another lovely coat! Bit more understated with the brown, but it looks quite comfortable and the golden lapel embroidery pops nicely. Also, I like that, this time, the hat is actually a shade off from the coat instead of tone-in-tone; it gives the outfit a little more color, in this case some red.

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

When it comes to Edith’s out-of-place looking coat, at least we get an in-universe explanation: The farmer’s wife on whose farm Edith helps out says that she’s going to need to find something for Edith to wear during work. It’s a ragged thing, but I like it better on her than I did the other on Mary, perhaps because Edith is lovely when she finds joy in something and is flushed with a day’s work well done. Still. Don’t kiss married men, girl.

Let it henceforth be known that I am proletarian trash, for I like this outfit even though there’s absolutely nothing special about it. I don’t know, this knit jacket is so cute. I want one. Also, Edith may be wearing a skirt in the second image, but that in the first? Those are trousers. And she wears them several times during the season, on her bicycle and at work. Sybil, your pantaloon pioneering was not in vain!

Is this corduroy? I think it may be. It feels a tad too green to be brown (you know what I mean), and we get some lovely piping around the collar. Shame that I can’t see much of the hat, but that looks like a red or orange ribbon in the back, so thanks for the contrast point.

Oh hey, is this the same hat? Look, there’s embroidery! And Edith learning to drive is fun, and foreshadows her stepping somewhat into Sybil’s footsteps regarding her curiosity about modern developments and women’s emancipation. As for the walking suit – I feel like later on, Edith chooses decidedly nicer shades of orange. This is a bit too pale to be flattering. Although it has subtle stripes; that’s a plus in my book.

I first thought this was vertical stripes, but the later picture from season 3 proves me wrong; it’s actually plaid. The grey walking suit isn’t really a catastrophe, but it only does so much to keep me interested. I kinda like the flowered blouse, leaning toward art nouveau when most fashion is screaming for art deco around them. The hat is. Fine. Not my personal favorite style, but I do feel obliged to mention the velvet ribbon giving it some shimmer, whereas the one in the second shot it pleated into little squares, repeating the suit pattern.

Return of the pale orange, and of the hat shape that is not to my taste. This walking dress is one of the last pieces of Edith’s daywear that has a distinctly Edwardian feel to it; come next season, she has pretty solidly transitioned into post-war fashions. I don’t hate it; it’s got some pin tucks and all that and doesn’t look bad upon its last hurrah in season 3, but these white sailor collars give a little bit of the impression that Edith doesn’t have an adult sense of fashion. Which she very soon proves wrong, so the sooner Julian Fellowes gives up on it, the happier I will be.

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

I really only have one outdoors look for Sybil this season? And then I picked a shot where we hardly see anything of the coat; I must have been unimpressed with it. Sorry. In all fairness, it’s the war season, so Sybil spends most of her time in her nurse uniform. But we get the cutest hat of all! This colorful embroidery is so whimsical! And the tassel in the back that hangs down her neck, that’s also whimsical. I can’t believe we’ll never see that hat again.

[gudsouplady]

Watching ghosts (S1,E1)(spoilers) ‘Who do you think you are’

• Lonely grey house…

• The old woman is dying with the ghosts watching her :(

• Why are they betting on a ghost

• Guys if you please - I love Pat

• The Captain is obviously getting any room he wants, He is a king 👑

• Everyone just left Humphrey’s head alone with Thomas

• House hunting is going unsuccessful

• Alison inherited button house

• I love the intro

• Mike ranting about what he did to Daniel Bellingham’s ear and Alison stopping him is hilarious

• They don’t like the look of the house from the pictures

• Robin got a checkmate

• Learning how to make a basket from Mary

• The captain is furious

• *Arguing intensifies*

• Why does the captain lay down like that ????

• Fanny has returned

• Car karaoke 🎤

• Fanny can’t help it

• It’s Kim Wilde!!!

• “He’d make a very fine soldier” I’m sorry what ???

• They ghosts aren’t very supportive and are plotting to kill them

• “she’s married Thomas” I died

• The pigeon in the bedroom

• The plague girl scares Pat and The Captain

• They all failed to scare them ????

• Dark creepy basement with dead bodies that had the plague

• Mike being a terrible plumber

• Looks like YouTube can teach you anything

• JULIAN JUST PUSHED ALISON !!!!!!!!!

• ANSWER THE QUESTION,DAMN YOUR EYES !!!!!!!!!!!

• Poor Fanny :(

• Pat would be a great therapist

• The Captain can sleep again

• Alison is alive and awake

• Mike is such a good husband

• The builders have arrived

• She can see the ghosts

I rate the episode a 9.5/10 because I didn’t like the cliffhanger

[unhingedthirst]

“It’s my thigh or nothing, I’m not helping you get off.” For Cyrus × Fem!Reader

I was promised a kidney for this but honestly the fact that you love and support my work will always be more than enough!

Edit- I wrote this right when it was requested but intended to finish it at some point- I didn’t so have this first part of an unfinished fic :3

Living in Sunnyvale and having a situationship with Cyrus came with its own set of difficulties. You didn’t know exactly what you guys were but you know that living next to his sworn enemy was the catalyst for a lot of rough angry sex. Not that you were complaining. Julian, bubbles and Ricky pestered you often about your involvement with Cyrus. You were all sitting around in Julian’s trailer smoking dope laughing about something dumb Ricky said. You all sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments and than Ricky turned to you “why are you dating that fucking dick Cyrus anyway?” It seemingly came out of nowhere but you looked around your friends and they just waited for your response with eager eyes. You sighed “one we aren’t dating..we just hang out.” You say sheepishly and Julian scoffs at you “I can’t believe you bang that creep” you roll your eyes at the man; their disgust used to bother you a lot more but now it was just par for the course. “You guys are just mad that you aren’t banging me” you say confidently and the men collectively groan. You didn’t even know if that statement was true but by how jealous they all acted it be seemed like the logical answer. Bubbles finally spoke after awhile of just listening “you’re a pretty lady and all” he sqawks out and you smile softly with pride “but we care about you. He’s not a good guy!” Bubbles explains and you pat his knee lovingly. A deep blush forms on his cheeks and than Julian speaks again “he can’t even protect you he’s a fucking pussy” Ricky nods. You huff a frustrated breathe and than quickly duck and cover when Ricky pulls out his gun and starts waving it around “he can’t even shoot anything! He’s a dumb idiot coward! He can’t protect you from shit!” Ricky yelled and you got up to leave as Julian and bubbles start scolding him. You yell a goodbye and leave the rest of your dope as a sign of good faith. What they didn’t understand is how sweet Cyrus is with you; fingers in your hair and lips pressed to your neck. Every time you saw him he’d pull you into his lap and say “tell me about your day baby.” It felt so intimate. There was definitely feelings involved on both sides but you weren’t about to be the dumb girl that tries to tie a guy like Cyrus down. He was also so amazing in bed; when you guys were alone and he starts touching you, you lose all brain function. you found your way once again in Cyrus’s car; you’d called him the second you left Julian’s trailer. He was quick to pick you up; eager to get laid probably. As he pulls in front of your trailer the boys are sitting around the shit mobile now drinking. You close your eyes and take a deep breathe bracing for the annoyance you are about to endure. Cyrus makes eye contact with Ricky as he goes in and kisses you hello. Before you could commend Ricky for keeping his cool Cyrus yells out “Fuck off Ricky. I’ve got work to do” and points to you. You shove him with your elbow as you bury your face in your hands. Ricky loses it throwing a beer bottle and screaming at your non boyfriend’s red corvette as he speeds out. Cyrus has always been a tough nut to crack, if felt like he was constantly on a losing streak but with you it felt like he was winning. It started out as just fucking someone hot that he was pretty sure Julian and Ricky were interested in but now it turned into another person accepting him as he was even if it meant you being okay with him keeping you at arms length. You hadn’t discovered how much of a loser he was yet and he was eager to keep it that way.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Vesuviella: Part 13

The rehearsal goes surprisingly well. It’s easy for the two troublemakers to pour their frustrations into their lines, which leaves Julian excessively pleased with himself. You watch the scene unfold, Portia standing haughtily by the tomato vines as she swirls an imaginary glass of wine and watches her daughter and stepdaughter duke it out.

“Cinderellaaa!” Lucio screeches, tossing his head and stamping his foot on an unfortunate rogue strawberry. “I told you to send that note to the butcher’s son, not the baker’s! Now he’s going to think I have crush on him!”

Asra tiptoes over between the cabbages, demure posture completely betrayed by the smirk on their face. “My deepest apologies, dear stepsister. Would you like me to relieve him of your letter? I’m sure he’d appreciate it if I cleared up the misunderstanding.”

Lucio sighs and sinks down onto a bench, a perfect image of maidenly suffering apart from his sprawling knees. “No, it can’t be helped. I suppose I’ll just have to manage two admirers. Oh Cindy, you don’t think they’ll fight over me, do you?!”

“I doubt it.” Cinderella’s standing with a foot on either side of a row of carrots. The Ugly Stepsister continues, undeterred by her lack of enthusiasm.

“You’re so lucky you don’t have to worry about these things, Cinders. You’ll never have to know the dark side of being pretty and popular. It’s much harder than keeping the house clean.”

“It can’t be any harder than resisting the urge to -”

“Girls, girls!” Portia steps in the fray, hip cocked and wine glass swirling in a manner vaguely reminiscent of a certain courtier. “Stop this at once. Cinderella, you should know better than to speak out of place. I expect better from you.”

Cinderella nods her head and withdraws shyly, amusement dancing around her face. “Yes, stepmother.” The Evil Stepmother whips her head around to her languishing daughter, haughty demeanor softening.

“And Drisella, I expect better of you too. Young ladies do not indulge in such petty squabbling.” She brings the invisible glass to her lips as she rolls her eyes. “Save that for your elders.” She does a double take at the Ugly Stepsister’s posture, mask slipping to reveal entertained scandal underneath. “And sit with your knees together! Legs closed! My goodness, it’s like you’ve never worn a skirt before.”

Lucio blinks and straightens self-consciously. “I haven’t worn a skirt before. At least not the kind you’re thinking of.”

Portia’s whirling around before he can continue, accusatory finger aimed at the snickering magician. “And you! No self-respecting maidservant straddles carrots like that! Anytime you’re standing still, both your feet should be as close together as they can get, hands folded, elbows out. No funny business.”

Julian interrupts her stream of double entendres, gloved hands clapping his delight. “Wonderful performance for our first rehearsal! Pasha, keep practicing your reactions. The Evil Stepmother is only watching for most of the scene, but she is still reacting. Asra and Lucio, please practice wearing skirts like ladies. In fact,” he turns back to his sister, eye widening, “would you have any spares for us to rehearse in?”

Portia settles back and nods, blowing a stray curl from her face. “There’s some extra petticoats in the uniform closet. I’ll ask milady.”

“Perfect.” Julian whirls to face you, expression relaxing into an easy grin. “I have something to ask the Countess myself. Perhaps you could accompany me.”

You tense in your spot between the step siblings, concerned both for leaving them without a buffer and for whatever scheme Julian’s about to drag you into. “Are you sure I’m necessary?”

“Of course you are. Don’t worry, it’s only about casting the minor roles. Shall we?”

You sigh, slide your script into your satchel, and pick your way out of the garden.

[hyperfixatedonstuff]

Hello :) I saw your recent/pinned post. I'm assuming you'll write for lucio cuz you said you like him in another post, so just gimme literally anything for him, hcs, a minific, idc. All I ask is for some fluff (maybe some angst 👀(just as long as there's some fluff) the rest is up to you bc I'm a dumb bitch and can't think of anything specific so :/

ok so i have lots of random headcanons for Lucio and this is a good chance to share them! also i’m writing a decently sized oneshot about him so expect that too!

he loves your hair! no matter if it’s curly, straight, wavy, red, brown, blonde, short, shaved, super long, etc

it does not matter

he’ll play with it and run his hands through it constantly

he’d be sooo happy if you let him braid it

he definitely remembers how his mom taught him to put up hair

he definitely enjoys being the little spoon but he also tosses and turns so much while sleeping so you have to hold him tight or he’ll end up on the floor

remember in his route where he talks about always wanting a familiar? he still doesn’t realize Mercedes and Melchior are his familiars

if you tell him he will genuinely gape at you

“is that why i can understand what they say??”

he loves summer and the beach but he BURNS in sun

like bright red skin, sobbing, can’t move type of sun burn

you will absolutely have to use magic to heal him

also never uses sunscreen

really bad at riding horses bc he never learned as a kid and was too embarrassed to learn later on

he’s also terrified of horses

he teaches you how to fight if you don’t already know and will let you win a lot

but he’ll dramatically act like you killed him and say the only way to help is to give him a kiss or two

he snores and no one can tell me otherwise

but he’ll deny it in the morning

he has his dogs spy on people in the castle sometimes because he likes hearing the petty tea

he secretly really likes when you act responsibly and pull him out of conflict

he thinks it’s cute but he also just appreciates it bc he saves face

he pouts a lot but if he’s desperate to convince you he’ll get his dogs to do it with him

yk that one tweet where it’s someone saying like “my girl is mad at me. i hope i die.” that’s him (Julian too)

if he makes a small mistake like accidentally bumping you or forgetting to get you something he will dramatically swoop you up into his arms and kiss you

yk those images of sailors getting home and tipping their wives over to kiss them? that’s him, all the time

he’s one of those guys who’s allergic to a million things

morga will tell you all of the stories of her figuring out what he was allergic to

most of them are embarrassing

he eats some of those things anyway because he thinks he can outsmart his allergies by eating fast

he takes forever to get ready bc he’s very picky about his outfits

he’ll give you little fashion shows if you let him

[x-ceirios-x]

letters: emma and jensen

a handful of letters/fire messages between jensen ashfair and his friend emma carstairs. takes place between the end of city of glass and the beginning of city of lost souls

Emma,

Sorry I haven’t been answering your letters. Things here are still crazy. I feel terrible all the time. Mom’s trying her best to cheer me up, but I can see she’s upset too. I slept in her bed with her the other day—I think it made us both feel better. 

Thanks for checking in. 

- Jensen

— —

Emma,

Mom says she thinks its a good thing for me to talk to you some more. I want to, I guess I don’t know what all to say. Life’s not too interesting right now, just a lot of Rowan and Dad fighting. Alec’s on vacation with Magnus which is super cool, I wish I was on vacation. Maybe one day, I can come visit you in LA! That would be fun, right?

I’m gonna go back to reading my comic books now. It’s good to hear from you. Mom says thank you, too. 

- Jensen

— —

Em,

How are things in LA? I hope they’re good. Thanks for asking about the comics. I’ve been reading this Spiderman series that I think is super cool! I really like that Spiderman could be anybody behind the mask. Maybe I could be spiderman one day. That sounds lame. Ignore that. 

I’m still missing Max but I had dinner with Jace and Clary and Izzy last night. I think Rowan was at Simon’s house. They seem to spend a lot of time with him lately, which is funny, because I think he’s dating Izzy. They hang out a lot, though, and I think Rowan has a crush on him. You can’t tell anyone that, though!! Please. Rowan will kill me. 

Dinner was good. Dad cooked, and he made this chili stuff that he says Uncle Patrick can’t eat cause it’s too spicy. I think it’s funny. I’m gonna write to Aline and see if he’s messing with me and trying to make me laugh or if he’s being serious. 

I found out from Mom today that Dad likes to draw. I didn’t know that. I asked and he didn’t say much about it, but maybe that’s where I get the steady hand from. Clary says when I draw runes it doesn’t hurt so much. Don’t you have a friend that likes to draw? Maybe he could teach me one day.

It’s late where I am right now. I should probably go to bed soon, Jace said he’s gonna take me out for training tomorrow morning. I don’t feel like running, maybe he’ll let me climb for a bit. I like climbing. 

Say hi to the Blackthorns for me.

- Jensen

— —

Emma,

I’m worried about Jace. He seems really closed off lately. No one really wants to tell me what’s going on, which is fine, but I’ll ask him about it later, maybe. Everyone’s off at that party for Luke and Jocelyn tonight, which is cool, but I didn’t really wanna go even if I was invited. 

Otherwise, things seem okay. I think my dad and Mom are hanging out a lot lately, and that Andy girl is third-wheeling a lot. Andy is Jace’s sister, I guess (Jace has a sister, it’s not Clary, it’s a whole thing. I don’t even know anymore, I just stopped asking). She’s an adult though, so I guess she’s helping Mom. 

I forget if I ever explained this. Mom and Dad aren’t actually together. Mom is Maryse, who isn’t “technically” my mom, but she’s Mom. Y’know? Dad is my actual dad. It’s strange, but I call the Lightwoods family too. Kinda like you and the Blackthorns, right? I think family is whoever you decide to annoy for the rest of your life. 

I hope things are good. I like the picture you sent with the last letter with the palm trees—things are getting colder here and all the trees lost their leaves. I wish it was 70 again, not below freezing when it gets dark out. Visiting sounds better every day. Maybe with some convincing, we can get Mom to bring me for a few days. 

- Jensen

Jen,

I think a visit sounds great! Maybe I’ll talk to Julian’s dad and the parents can work something out. Let me know! I don’t envy your weather right now, the sunshine feels amazing. It NEVER rains here though. You might have to get used to the dry heat. It sucks. We’ll take you to the beach sometime. 

That’s funny about your mom and dad. I don’t have that, but Julian’s dad is pretty cool. I think you just collect moms like crazy. You’ve gotta have at least two, is there any others you haven’t told me about?

Sorry things are stressful, but I’m glad you’re doing better. Things are good here, too. Not much different in my life, but you guys in New York seem to have something different going on every week. Keep me in the loop—I’m rooting for you!

With love,

Emma Carstairs

— — 

Jen,

Hope you’re doing okay. I haven’t heard from you lately. There’s some council meeting happening soon and Helen is going to that with Julian and the Blackthorns. I dunno what it is. I’m gonna see if I can go so I can see you! It’s been too long. I’ll keep this short so I can tell you all about life when I get there. 

With love,

Emma Carstairs

— —

Jensen, where are you? I know this won’t go through, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Everyone’s trying to find you. Just hold on a little for me. 

With love, 

Emma

[treedaddymcpuffpuff]

Excessive Force : Tom Ludlow x Fem Nurse Reader (COLLAB W/ THE INCREDIBLE @johnwickb1tsch) - Chapter One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine

TW: little bit of nsfw, BDSM mention, angst

You shouldn’t be googling ‘how to tell a guy no in a nice way’ at the nurse’s station, but something has to be done. You thought after you left Julian’s place that there would be a mutual understanding of “this isn’t going to work out, we’re too incompatible”, but he didn’t seem to get that memo. 

The gifts just keep coming:

A pretty black silk dress in your exact size by Prada. Two crescent thin golden bangles for each wrist from Tiffany & Co that come in a robin’s egg blue box wrapped in a white satin ribbon. Upon close examination, you make out that they are subtly engraved in slanting script, JM. Really? His initials? You almost chuck them out the window just for that. 

An expensive lunch from the fancy bistro that you can never afford, though you would have preferred a gourmet sandwich to an artisan salad. 

A bouquet of fifty fucking red roses for Christ’s sake. They take up so much room at the nurse’s station that they’re a nuisance. They’re addressed to you, not signed—but you know exactly who they’re from. Then you have to field all the annoying questions about who’s your secret admirer? You hear Karen grumble that it must be that Officer Romeo and didn’t know cops got paid that good. 

If only they knew. It would serve Julian right, if you just ratted him out to everyone. 

This has to stop. 

“Julian?” 

He looks up from his mountain of paperwork. “Hey, look who it is. Are you feeling alright?” 

“I’m fine. How are you?” Yeah, great, egg this on a little bit more instead of getting to the point. When will you learn? 

“I’m spectacular,” he says. “I was wondering if you were alright because you called off for the first time yesterday?” 

Yeah, so I didn’t have to face you after receiving the expensive ass jewelry…

Your smile feels forced enough to induce a migraine, but at least it gives you an idea for an excuse. “Yeah, I had a really bad migraine.”

“Oh, that’s not good. Do you get them frequently?”

“Yes.” It’s not exactly a lie, although these migraines you’re admitting to are actually just mild caffeine withdrawal headaches when you don’t have enough time to drink your coffee. 

“Have you talked to your primary care provider about it?” He asks, standing up to flash his penlight in your eyes and dilate your pupils. He grips your chin and turns your head to check lateral eye movement, but you stop him. 

“Julian, I’m fine. I didn’t have a stroke.” 

“Don’t tell me you’re fine if you’re not fine,” he orders. “I can see there’s something wrong. You're pale and clammy.” He pulls out his big leather chair and guides you to sit in it. “Tell me what I can do to help.” 

You look up at him, at this kind eyed, two sided man, and can’t do it. You can’t tell him to stop sending you gifts or buying you food, because you don’t want to be an asshole and you don’t want to hurt his feelings. Your nerves die along with your resolve.

“There, see, you look like you’re feeling better already. I’ll go buy you some water.” 

“No, you don’t-“ he’s already gone halfway down the hall with those mile long legs. 

You decide to take all the expensive gifts and shove them in the bottom of your closet to avoid feeling guilty when looking at them. But that doesn’t change the fact that you still have to look at Dr. Mercer and endure his caring, golden retriever persona.

This is what happens when you lie to yourself. You swear off relationships, move to a different part of the country, and then decide to go on a date—idiot—and these are the consequences for it. You feel like you have absolutely betrayed that girl that packed up her whole life to come to LA for a fresh start, and you’re sure she’s not forgiving you this time. 

“No more,” you say to yourself, pushing the gift boxes to the back of the cobwebby closet. “No more dates, no more men. No more heartbreak. You stupid bitch. Yes, that includes Tom Ludlow. Shut up. I said. No. Tom. Ludlow.” 

You end up screaming into a pillow, then calling your sister. She doesn’t answer, which is typical—probably on the road or using again or even dead in a ditch for all you know.

“Hey, Aggie, it’s me, gimme a call.” You play the voicemail back and then decide to delete it and hang up. You’re not exactly on speaking terms, but that ebbs and flows from one year to the next, so you’re not sure what she’ll think or do when she sees your name on her phone screen. 

Your friend, Sheila, doesn’t answer either; she’s probably at work.

It sucks. You could really use some reassurance and comfort that you’re not alone or unwanted in this fucked up little world. Maybe that’s why you end up with your finger hovering over Tom Ludlow’s number while you sit on the floor of your bedroom. You stare at those digits for a long time, then tuck your phone away and cry. 

You only get a chance to dive a little bit into this self pity session before your phone rings from your pocket. It’s not Aggie, nor Sheila, but a number you’ve unintentionally memorized nonetheless. 

Now, you really have to fight with every piece of yourself not to answer Tom Ludlow. The lecture you just monologued becomes irrelevant next to the burning, awful fucking desire to hear him talk. You almost pick it up. Almost. 

Watching your phone ring and ring, his name emblazoned on the screen, without answering feels like cutting out your heart and crushing it under your heel.

It goes to voicemail, but he hangs up before leaving a message.

A part of you that you didn’t even know that you need dies.

Good. Good riddance. Your heart only gets you into huge fucking trouble anyway.

You wait for your inner strength to return over the days that go by afterwards. Tom continues to call. You keep declining to answer. For some reason, you feel worse and worse every time the phone ceases to ring.

Where is you fucking girl power now? 

All you really feel, is empty, and that is the vulnerable state Julian finds you in one late night at the nurses station.

“Y/n,” he greets you, leaning on the counter, looking down at you with a glimmer of something dangerous in his dark eyes. It’s a look he almost never lets out of the box while at the hospital, and suddenly your heart is in your throat.

“Doctor.”

For some reason this causes him to smile down at you, a slight curl of lips that unleashes a handful of fluttering butterflies in your belly. 

“I’ve been thinking about you.”

You recall the massive bouquet of pure white lilies he had sent to your door yesterday, and believe him. 

“Julian…”

He comes around the counter, smooth as a dark lake, reminding you of when he jumped over the couch and chased you like he was a wolf rather than a golden retriever. Your pussy gives a timid little throb at this, almost as if she’s asking for permission to come out after days of being punished, locked away in her gilded cage while you dealt with other, more pressing emotions, like the one that stabs you repeatedly in the chest while you let Tom Ludlow’s number go to voicemail. 

“I can’t stop-“ he clears his throat, chin up as if he’s trying not to be nervous, and brushes some wispy, rogue hair off your neck. “I can’t stop thinking about you.” You can tell by the black matte of his eyes he means more than just platonically. 

Every hair on your body stands at attention for that hungry, eat you alive look on the handsome Doctor’s face. Part of you, and it’s a bigger part than you’d like to admit, wants to have a gag stuffed down your throat and a tight slip knot holding it in place so that he can do whatever he wants without you ruining things with your fat mouth again. 

“We’re just. We’re really not—Fuck.” You slap your forehead into your hands, and he takes it out, ever so gently with a big, shiver-inducing palm at the back of your neck, gripped softly in your hair, not exactly pulling, but lifting your face up to look at him nonetheless. 

“Please, just hear me out.” It doesn’t sound like he’s used that first word very often—maybe not ever, or at least not for a very long time. Dr. Mercer’s picture is in the dictionary under the word ‘Polite’, but he practically runs this hospital, and with that responsibility comes a certain authoritative entitlement. 

“Julian, we’re at work.” You don’t know how he manages to get you on the desk without alerting anyone around. The way he can just lift you easy and gentle has a familiar desire bubbling hot in your hips, and you can’t decide if you’re glad that you chose to chart in a more secluded area of the floor tonight or not.

“I can’t help it.” It sounds like he’s honest about that, voice splintering and needy as he presses his hard torso between your soft thighs. “I know that I fucked up, but if I don’t get a second chance to at least try and rectify this…” He’s not usually a man that doesn’t know what he wants to say. 

This whole swearing off men thing? How is it supposed to fucking work if the men look and act like Julian? How are you supposed to do the whole proverbial keep it in your pants bit when a sexy, tall, beautiful doctor wants—desperately—to string you up to his bed and do horrible things to your body?

You can’t believe these words are coming out of your traitor's mouth as you bend under his will: “what kind of a second chance?”

He kisses you in response, long and slow, tongue slipping teasingly against the sensitive inner sanctum of your mouth. It leaves your toes curling, your chest rising quick and rapid, your white knuckles clutching the polished counter. He’s not exactly nice about it, pressing you back into the lip of the granite, holding the entire side of your face in his hard grip, turning your mouth red and swollen. 

You’re going to have to bleach wipe this desk after all of this is done, because the insistent need of his mouth is making your comfy cotton underwear damp and warm like a humid summer night back at home. 

“Let me take you to the club. Let me show you��let me help you understand.” 

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” Isn’t that the fucking understatement of the century? It sounds like a terrible idea. But, you were the one that wanted to understand him better. “When?” 

The thrill seeker, she’ll never die. She needs blood, she’s thirsty, she doesn’t want a boring life of reading and watching the news. She wants to go to a BDSM club in Venice with a fine ass doctor and probably ruin your—her life in the process.

“When are you off next?” The grin on Julian’s face is all Mr. Hyde. 

[gothamslostboy]

📁 for Micheal tlb!!

A/N: I’m in a Michael mood rn so I figured I’d do this request first, but to the person who requested it, I will do the Jervis fic soon I promise

My boy has perfect pitch

Sam just walks up to him and hits random things together and is like “what note was that”

Michael put a lock on his door bc one night sam did rt his at 4:00am

He loves Disney movies

I’ve said this so many times but he LOVES cooking

Especially for ppl he cares about

His favorite season is summer

It would be spring but he’s allergic to flowers

Still buys Star flowers every week

His favorite fruit is cantaloupe

Likes the look of button up shirts but cant stand actually wearing them

Solid B+ student

Does well in math tho

Has 5 pairs of shoes: 1 set of foot flops, 1 set of dress shoes, 1 pair of boots, 2 sets of tennis shoes

Looks identical to his grandpa on his dads side

Prefers quilts over blankets

Decent singing voice but thinks it’s awful

Mamas boy, but in the good way

Normally his room is pretty neat, but around important tests it gets messy

Always wanted brown eyes

Used to help grandpa Emerson with his taxidermy when little until he realized it was actual animals

Nanook was originally his dog, but gave her to Sam after realizing he didn’t want the responsibility

Still lays on the floor with Nanook’s head on his chest like they did when she was a puppy occasionally

Learned piano for a couple years but dropped it for guitar

Has a tiny scar just below his hairline on the back of his neck bc Sam threw a pencil at him in elementary school

Collects quarters

Favorite candy is pop rocks

When he was a toddler he was a dance machine and Lucy constantly brings it up and accidentally embarrassed him

Michael and Lucy have had special nights just for them since he was 2 where they watch their favorite kids movies together curled up on the couch

He saved up money from his first job in Santa Carla and bought a tv so they could continue this

At some point in life he gets a chicken named Julian

I Like @persephone-s-moon ‘s Rat Series so even though they aren’t they boys, laddie, and Star, he gets 6 rats to help with anxiety after the night in the house

Names are Joey, Bobby, Danny, Chloe, Rosie, & Frankie

Yes all their names had to end with an “e” sound on purpose

He and Star end up dating for a couple years, but decided to be friends after a while

Michael ends up dating a bleach blonde guy who he just can’t figure out why he looks so familiar no it’s not actually david

Kinda regrets not turning when he reaches his 30s

Would never tell anyone that tho

His favorite Disney movie as of 1987 was The Fox and The Hound

But adored the Little Mermaid when it came out and took Laddie to see it all the time

Also was the one who went with Star to return laddie to his parents after everything, and the pair became his official babysitters

He gets a little creeped out whenever laddie acts like the boys tho

Still bought laddie a new jacket when he outgrew his old one, and it looked a lot like Dwayne’s

Becomes a music teacher in 50s, but was a producer before that

Ends up married to a girl named Susan, and has a son- Gabriel David Emerson

Yes Sam and everyone besides Laddie gave him hell for the middle name

Ends up being a great dad

Favorite shape is a trapezoid

Listens to Queen a ton

He and Star end up life long besties

[wqintraining]

NEW X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - SEASON 1, EPISODE 7

We open on Julian angrily packing his things. Brian tells him he can’t leave. What happened was awful, but he wasn't even the one who got shot. 

Julian tells him he's not waiting around for that to happen. His parents have a sweet mansion in LA he can crash at, and everyone in the gang is welcome. 

JULIAN: “The girls don’t even HAVE homes they can go back to”.

As far as he’s concerned, they should ALL be getting out of here. The only cool teacher is gone, and getting kidnapped by an interdimensional freak was one thing, but the other night made it pretty clear they aren’t safe here even from normal people. 

Brian tries to argue that if they really wanted to, they could all just go to Genosha, but they WANT to stay here. What happened was a fluke, and they can’t let it scare them off. 

Julian loses his cool against Brian, shouting that he isn’t scared of anything, he’s just practical, but before he can get too aggressive, he gets a call. 

Walking into the hall, his face lights up when he answers and it turns out to be Emma on the other end. Julian tells her he’s leaving Xavier’s, not about to die with the rest of these losers. Emma tells him that’s just the attitude she knew she could count on him to have in this whole mess. She’s already got a new teaching job working at the school she used to run, the recently reopened Massachusetts Academy, and she’d love for him to visit and see if he’d be interested in transferring there. 

EMMA: “The school presently has an entirely Flatscan student body, but the new headmistress is a Mutant, and I’ve been asked to help fill out the school with our kind. In the past, I’d seek out and bring in any Mutants I could to be my Hellions, but with us so populous now, I can afford to exclusively bring in only the most elite of young Mutants. And you, Mr. Keller, fit the bill perfectly.” 

Julian smiles maliciously. 

JULIAN: “I’m SO there.” 

In her bedroom, Jean wakes up, but Scott isn’t there. She’s concerned at first, but when she messages him, he tells her to come to get dressed and come to the teacher’s lounge. 

Jean arrives there to find Scott’s made breakfast for her. She asks what this is about, and he says he just woke up and felt like doing something nice for his perfect wife. Jean says she loves when he’s a sofite, kissing him before sitting down to eat. When she isn’t looking at him, Scott’s smile disappears, replaced with a guilty stare. 

In the cafeteria, Julian’s whole crew is on Brian’s side; they don’t want to leave, and they don’t want him to leave. For Laura, this is where Scott and James are…among others, and it’s where Logan wants her to be. For Sooraya, she can’t attend a school with a uniform, and Cessily wouldn’t pass among the mainly human students. Brian is the one to point out that Emma said she wants him as a *Hellion*. 

BRIAN: “Ms. Frost having Hellions is basically her screaming out loud that she’s evil again.” 

Julian thinks he’s being overdramatic, and tells the girls they’re just jealous; if they got in, he’s sure Emma wouldn’t let Cess and Soo’s concerns be issues. With all of them getting annoyed at him, he flies over to Noriko and Sofia’s table, telling the latter that he just got an offer to transfer to a way cooler, Mutant-run school, and if she plays her cards right, he’s sure he could get her in. 

Sofia and Noriko laugh at him. 

JULIAN: “What’s so funny?” 

SOFIA: “We both received the same call.”

Julian is confused. Not about Sofia, obviously she’s better than everyone else here and deserves this, but *Nori*? 

JULIAN: “You’ve never done anything but run your mouth at Ms. Frost.” 

NORIKO: “Maybe, but apparently a flashy power and a dad who owns a bank were enough to get me an invite.”

JULIAN: “Wait…but you…”

NORIKO: “Were homeless? Yeah, and I was also a rich kid. Not all of us turn out to be jerks.” 

Julian grunts and asks if they’re going on the visit. They both are. 

SOFIA: “In just over a month, I’ve already been kidnapped and shot. Why would I ever stay here when there’s a better, safer alternative?” 

Noriko trusts Scott and Jean more than Emma, “Though that’s not saying much”, but going to a place where they can train and live without having to worry about supervillain attacks or isolating themselves on Genosha just makes sense. 

JULIAN: “Heh. Maybe you’re not so dumb after all, Ashida.” 

In Scott’s office, he and Jean are trying to figure out how to divy up Emma’s classes among the rest of their teachers. Jean’s not complaining about Emma’s early departure, but they hadn’t exactly worked this out yet. 

JEAN: “They may not enjoy the extra work, but Kitty, James, and Storm are probably throwing a party over her being gone. Or, at least they would be if two of them weren’t still blaming themselves for what happened.” 

SCOTT: “What about Sunspot?” 

JEAN: “About what you’d expect from him. Hiding his guilt and trauma behind a smile and jokes. 

Scott knows from personal experience the team won’t work if they’re all guilt-ridden and depressed, so he’s changing today’s plans for training. 

JEAN: “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Scott grins. 

SCOTT: “Batter up.” 

Outside the school, Sofia is leaving, carrying her bags with her winds. Laura runs out after her, trying to convince her to stay, getting more emotional than usual. 

SOFIA: “Why do you seem to care so much? I like you, Laura, but we don’t exactly speak often.” 

LAURA: “I…I just…this just seems too good to be true.” 

SOFIA: “Why? Because you’ve never been happy? The whole world isn’t as miserable as you think it is. It isn’t as miserable as you.” 

LAURA: “Why are you being like this?” 

SOFIA: “Because not ALL of us can regenerate. If Jean wasn’t half-way between a Mutant and a god, I’d be dead. Not again.” 

Sofia flies off, leaving behind a depressed Laura. 

Sofia lands over the gate, where Julian and Noriko are waiting, as a limo arrives to pick them up. 

JULIAN: “Perfect timing, Beautiful.” 

The three get in the car, and it drives off. 

Cut to the X-Men’s baseball field, with Scott and Jean hyping everyone up to play. Storm and Roberto get into the mood, while Kitty and James really wish they could just be punching something right now. They’ve brought out six teachers to play against: Beast, Kurt, Dani, Xuan, Northstar, and Dazzler. Most of them are in the proper spirit, though when Beast accidentally kicks sand all over her, Allison expresses that she really needs to get back on tour. 

Dani is also still focused on work, asking Scott and Jean if, with Emma gone, she could take over mentoring her training squad. She’s the one who brought Noriko and Sofia here, who got them off the streets and off drugs, and away from their terrible father, respectively, and she thinks that unlike Emma, who only bolstered Julian’s bad attitude, she could temper it. The headmasters think if she can handle advising two squads, this would be perfect. 

SCOTT: “Now then…let’s play!” 

In the limo, the kids are enjoying the amenities provided to them. Julian and Sofia are still  supremely confident in their decision, also getting close to holding hands, with Julian commenting how the campagne here is so much better than the crap they drank the other night, while Sofia is insisting on taking a million selfies. 

SOFIA: “I don’t miss it, myself, but my followers have definitely missed seeing me in luxury.” 

Noriko, meanwhile, has a realization: She doesn’t think Emma’s gone evil again, but just on the off chance, what if being Hellions really does mean being supervillains?

NORIKO: “I mean I know that’s not a problem for you, Keller, but we’re no villains. Right, Sofia?” 

SOFIA: “Obviously.” 

The two girls agree that if they even slightly suspect Emma wants them as anything other than students, they’ll get out of there. Julian chimes in that, despite Nori’s insistence otherwise, he’s  not interested in being a villain either; he wants people to love him like they should, not hate and fear him. But he also doesn’t want her jumping the gun on this. Emma’s finally free to teach things her way without following the lesson plan of an old guy they’ve never met. He wants them all to agree that unless it seems like she actually wants something from them, they don’t panic, regardless of what she wants to teach them. 

JULIAN: “Some of us are eager to learn.” 

Sofia and, reluctantly, Noriko, agree. 

The car stops. A moment later, the door is opened for them. As Juilan gets out and the driver helps the girls out, they’re greeted by three figures. 

EMMA: “Welcome, children, to Massachusetts Academy. We’re delighted you all had the sense to accept our invitation. Allow me to introduce my old business partner, Sebastian Shaw, and your hopefully soon-to-be new headmistress, my sister, Adrienne.” 

Outside Xavier’s, the X-Men and teachers are going all out against each other at Mutant baseball. As we montage through a game, we see various snippets. Jean and Storm don’t cheat nearly as much as they could for the X-Men, just taking it easy, while the teachers do everything they can to counter the heroes and the two gods among them, with Karma momentarily possessing them, Dani bringing out their worst fears, and Dazzler blinding them with her sparkles, while Kurt’s teleportation, Northstar’s speed, and Beast’s agility all just make them excellent players. While the rest of his team are still mostly just treating it as a game, Northstar takes it way too seriously, offended at how badly they’re losing. 

Through all of this, however, Kitty and James are grouchy and barely trying, despite Roberto’s best efforts to lift their spirits and/or tease them into competing with him. This comes to a head when the three, all in the outfield, get in each other’s way trying to catch the ball, all of them failing and falling over. 

The three all start screaming at each other, even Roberto finally losing his temper, each of them calling out different ways each of the others could have caught the ball, with it very quickly becoming clear this isn’t actually what they’re talking about. When Kitty points out Berto joined this team just to catch Mystique, and this is both of the boys’ second time failing to stop her in a month, and the two of them pissed off that she’s acting like she’s better than them when she’s equally responsible for Sofia getting shot, things turn violent, and the three begin fighting. 

Dani and Karma shout at their friends to knock it off. When this doesn’t work, they sigh and tell the others they’ll handle them, but Scott has them stand down. He wants to let this play out. 

At the Massachusetts Academy, Emma, Shaw, and Adrienne tour Sofia, Julian, and Noriko around the massive campus. Compared to Xavier's smaller, centralized campus, MA's is massive, with multiple builds as large as the school they've been living in. 

Emma is thrilled all three students she called accepted her invitation. Especially Sofia. She can't imagine how she'd feel comfortable continuing to live at that X-shaped target. Here, they would all be safe, while also living in luxury and not being taught not to survive this world, but to thrive in it. 

Shaw, who comes off as a stuffy, snobby and imposing, but good-natured man, adds that its no surprise to him that three of the most gifted young Mutants of today also come from good families. 

Adrienne, who appears extremely similar to Emma, is happy to explain the details of the many amenities and facilities her school has to offer. She says to Julian that Emma told her he was on the basketball team at his old school. She's sure he could be a great asset to theirs - especially once they can teach him to use his gifts covertly. As Julian is pleased by this idea, Adrienne moves on to telling Sofia about how wonderful their dance building is; she'll have a wonderful time practicing her ballet and hip-hop there. 

SOFIA: "I–"

She's cut off. 

NORIKO: "Yeah, yeah, sound like great bribes. I don't have any real hobbies though, so watcha got for me?"

Shaw tells Noriko that between the three of them, they have infinitely more resources than Scott, and, just as importantly, entire teams of dedicated scientists in their employ. 

SHAW: "Given some time, I believe we could figure out a far less…noticeable way for you to control your powers, and get those eyesores Mr. DcCoy developed off of you."

Noriko looks down at her gauntlets with wide-eyes. 

NORIKO, still looking down: "And, to be clear, when you said you wanted us as Hellions…"

EMMA: "Its only a name for your special class, Darling. Just as before, you will only be students."

Noriko's grin only widens. 

Julian asks if they'll be able to get the rest of the squad here "once I convince them", but Adrienne tells him there will be time to talk about that later. For now, she wants to show them they're training room. 

Julian and Noriko are fully excited, but now Sofia appears slightly hesitant. 

Back at the baseball field, Roberto and James are brawling. James tells him now that Mystique’s been dealt with, he should just go back to Genosha. Roberto counters that if the X-Men were really so desperate that they recruited HIM, he has to stick around and help. Kitty pops out of the ground and punches James in the ground, and, while Roberto is laughing at him, Kitty neck chops him. 

KITTY: “Neither of you should be here! You’re just kids!”

ROBERTO: “You’re younger than us!” 

KITTY: “Yeah! Fine! We’re all still just kids!” 

As the other X-Men and teachers continue to watch the fight, the three’s personal insecurities come out. For James, this whole incident just confirmed his fear about himself that he’s not good enough to be on this team. For Roberto, it's a wound to his massive ego. 

ROBERTO: “How wonderful can Roberto Da Costa be if he still can’t even protect her?!” He pauses. “A…a single student, I mean.” 

Dani and Xuan hold their heads down, knowingly. 

He also can’t hide what he’s talking about from Kitty, who stops fighting and takes his hand, James also halting. Kitty then walks over to Scott. She knows he didn’t JUST bring her onto the team to help manage conflict. She figured out what was really going on here back on Genosha. 

KITTY: “You’re not gonna be around forever.” 

Kitty realized that Scott’s reaction to seeing how she’d grown and how she was able to handle the kids was to think that she could be next in line, should anything happen to him, Jean, and Storm. But while she failed that night, he stopped Mystique effortlessly. He needs to consider someone else. 

SCOTT: “You kept her alive.” 

Yes, what happened was awful, but while they’ve been beating themselves up all day, they’ve all been forgetting that THEY were the ones who kept Sofia alive long enough for Jean to save her. James WAS good enough for the team, Roberto WAS able to protect her, and Kitty? 

SCOTT: “I’m not planning on dying soon. You’ve got time.” 

Storm holds Kitty, while Dani and Xuan give Roberto a hug, and even Kurt teleports over to James to give the poor guy a pat on the back. 

Jean gives Scott a kiss on the cheek. 

JEAN: “Well handled, Headmaster.” 

Scott smiles and says they should finish the game, but before they can, Laura comes running up to them. She’s been angsting about it all day, but she decided her friends possibly hating her is worth protecting them. The X-Men need to know where Julian, Sofia, and Nori went. 

Back at Massachusetts Academy, the kid trio are sitting among dozens of uniformed students in a formal dining hall. Julian is completely sold and pumped. Everything about this place rules, and from the sound of it, they may as well be set for life. Noriko hates agreeing with Keller, but when he’s right, he’s right. Screw Xavier’s! They tell Sofia she should take a pic with all of them announcing the transfer, but she’s lost in thought. When they finally get her attention…

SOFIA: “How did Adrienne and Mr. Shaw know what we all most hoped to hear?” 

Nori laughs and shrugs. “Mr. Frost probably just told them.”

SOFIA: “Yes. Except I don’t DO hip-hop.” 

Sofia makes clear she only does ballet. The others figure she just made a mistake, big deal, but Sofia counters that Ms. Frost has the most practiced performance for day to day life she’s ever seen; she doesn’t just get things wrong like that. 

SOFIA: “I believe she may have been trying to send us a warning.” 

Nori thinks she’s being ridiculous. Whoever Adrienne and Shaw are, no one can force Frost into doing anything she doesn’t want to. Julian begs Sofia not to make him side with Ashida over her. 

JULIAN: “After what happened to you, I get being nervous…” 

Sofia cringes as she flashes back to getting shot. 

JULIAN: “...but you’re worrying over nothing.” 

Sofia glares at the two. Since when does Nori even hate her gauntlets so much? And doesn’t Julian want to be a beloved hero? Whatever good life their potential new headmasters can provide, does he really think that’s the direction they’ll be taking him down? Laura warned her this seemed too good to be true…

While Sofia seems to get through to Julian a little, Nori gets pissed. She’s sorry she hasn’t complained enough about the giant, ugly hunks of metal on her arms that no guy would ever wanna go near. She was too busy resigning herself to the fact she was stuck with them forever and didn’t see the point in making it everyone else’s problem. 

Sofia apologizes. She didn’t know. Nori screams that of course she didn’t. Not like she pays attention to her. She’s too busy making googly eyes at Julian. When ARE they just gonna kiss already? 

As Julian and Sofia stumble over their romantic awkwardness, Nori storms off. 

Sofia buries her face in her hands, screaming and cursing in Spanish. Julian uses his TK to pull her hands down into his, smiling tenderly at her. 

She can’t help but smile back at him. 

JULIAN: “You really believe something’s going here?” 

Sofia’s face turns stoic, but confident as she nods. 

Scott and Jean, accompanied by Dani, hop onto the Blackbird. No need to bring in the whole team just yet, but they want Dani with them to help convince the kids to come home in case they decide to be difficult. Dani’s pissed, indignant that Scott ever gave Emma these kids in the first place. That he even brought her here! 

DANI: “Do you KNOW how many times she tried turning my team into her “Hellions”?” 

As they take off, Scott apologizes. For some reason, he thought they could trust her. It won’t happen again. 

Noriko, Julian, and Sofia sit across from Adrienne in her office, Emma and Shaw on either side of her. Alongside the degrees and decorations Adrienne has up on her wall, we also see a family photo showing the sisters, their other two siblings, and their Mother and Father. Emma in it is a brown-haired, small-chested teenager who doesn’t even have the confidence to look right at the camera. 

Adrienne just wanted to know if they’ve made up their minds about transferring. If not, they’re more than welcome to sleep on it. Nori says she’s in, but she’s not sure about the others. Before she can even finish that sentence though, she’s cut off by Sofia saying they’re in too. 

SOFIA, smirking at Nori: “I’m sorry for panicking over nothing earlier. As well as the other thing.” 

Nori shrugs. 

Emma is thrilled, but Julian has one more question before they make this official: What are they really doing here? 

Yes, they all come from “good families”, but none of their parents are about to pay tuition for them. And they’re planning on getting even more kids, right? For a place like this, that doesn’t make any financial sense. They believe Emma’s got their backs, but these total strangers? They want something. 

SOFIA, smirking maliciously: “With how much you're offering, we're more than happy to meet your desires. Regardless of how Hellish they may be."

Adrienne, Shaw, and Emma laugh, the former complimenting Emma on her chosen children not being fools. Emma assures her she was confident from the start they'd catch an idea of what was happening here. 

Noriko, suddenly back to being the nervous one, asks what they're all talking about. 

Shaw says that he's sure Emma's told them at least a couple stories about their time together, plotting to take over the world. Emma defected and, after the X-Men foiled one too many plans, even he gave up. But after Adrienne "woke up", she became the Hellfire Club's new White King, and reignited a fire in him. And as fortune would have it, right as they were about to start recruiting young Mutants here, Emma returned to her senses and joined them, and recommended the three kids as the future of their little club. 

ADRIENNE: "Right now, we only ask that you be good, hardworking students. But come graduation, we want your gifts, and your families' resources, to aid us in our bid for global domination."

Julian and Sofia express their full support, while Noriko is about to have a panic attack. 

SHAW: "Oh. Is this one going to be a problem?" 

EMMA: "Please don't be a spoilsport, Noriko. Doesn't this all sound…X-citing?"

Julian and Sofia's eyes widen, the two leaping up and blasting Shaw and Adrienne through the wall. 

Noriko is so confused, and only getting more freaked out. 

EMMA: "I'll explain momentarily! For now? To me, my X-Men!"

We cut to a cemetery. Kitty stands over a grave holding rotted flowers. 

KITTY: "Hey. Sorry I haven't visited in a while. I was gone for a few years, seeing the world, seeing other worlds, and after I got back…I'm sorry. More pressure's been put on me since I got here than I expected, and I just, I don't know. I just wish you were here with me. With us." She sets the flowers down on the grave. "Been letting those wither and die for the last couple weeks. Thought you'd like them." She chokes up. "I love you."

We see the grave belongs to Illyana Rasputin. "Sister. Queen. New Mutant". Based on the years on the tombstone, she was only alive for 10 years. 

Kitty says she got her private time done, and the others can come over. She's joined by Roberto, James, and Xuan. They all just stand in silence, holding each other. 

Back at the Academy, Adrienne barks that they knew they couldn’t trust her. 

EMMA: “No, I’m afraid if that were true, you would have put me on a shorter leash. You really shouldn’t have though. As if I’d ever lower myself to working for you.” 

Adrienne psychically attacks Emma, with the two appearing even as Emma defends herself. Emma thanks Julian and Sofia for picking up on her hint and tells them this is what she needs them for. Adrienne is hardly as strong as her, but because of how long Adrienne spent in her mind as children, she has natural defenses against her. She needs them to deal with Shaw, while she tires out her sister. While the kids both seem nervous about the prospect, she tells them they don’t need to fight. “You CAN’T fight Shaw, physically”. Fortunately, the two of them have gifts which excel at keeping opponents at bay. 

As Shaw rips his shirt off and charges at the kids, shouting that clearly the real reason their parents abandoned them isn’t because they’re Mutants but because of their lack of class solidarity, Julian and Sofia use their powers to levitate him, and keep him in the air. 

EMMA, telepathically: “Perfect. Noriko, dear, you deal with the Hellfire soldiers who will be here any second so they don’t shoot us while we’re stuck like this.” 

Sofia once again flashes back to getting shot, but she’s able to keep it together. 

As the Hellfire goons show up, Noriko takes a deep breath, before proceeding to run all around them at super speed, stealing their guns and hitting them in the heads with them to knock them out. While she’s doing this, with more and more continuing to show up, she shouts at super speed about how much she hates this, hates the X-Men, hates Emma, and how she’s totally gonna die, and would really love to know WHAT is happening before she does. 

Accompanied by flashbacks, Emma finally explains. Years ago, during her time teaching Generation X, Adrienne became a problem for them. As she’s sure they can tell, her sister is a lot like her. Only while Emma’s heart stopped beating for sometime, Adrienne was born without one. She gets that from their father. A tragedy occurred, and, in retaliation, Emma put Adrienne in a coma. 

Upon waking up, she quickly made a new alliance with Shaw and took over her old school. They approached Emma and told her they had no desire for a repeat of history with the X-Men and Hellfire doing battle, but if she wanted to avoid that, and keep the kids from getting caught in the crossfire, she’d come work for them. 

She went along with this, but, naturally, she was already working on a way out of this situation. She made sure to act reluctant at first, before doing something she knew Scott would fire her over so she could use that as an explanation for why she’d have another change of heart, and be able to gain their trust. 

She knew if she could just put Adrienne back to sleep, Shaw on his own would hardly be a threat to worry herself over. So she arranged for this battle to take place, easily able to sell Shaw and Adrienne on the three kids based on their gifts and backgrounds, and playing things from there. This was the only way she could have done this as, if she’d telepathically informed the kids, or, worse, told the X-Men, Adrienne would have known, and they wouldn’t have a chance to stop her. 

Julian and Sofia are in awe of Emma’s strategy, and of how she did all of this to protect them. Noriko, meanwhile, points out that she still tossed them right into the literal line of fire. 

EMMA: “Why do you think I’ve been making sure you’re all prepared to defend yourselves?” 

Adrienne laughs that this isn’t gonna go how she thinks. Ever since she was an annoying little brat, Emma’s wanted to be a teacher. But that’s not a life for people like them. Maybe that’s why her students *always* die. Maybe that’s why she was able to kill one herself. What was his name? Silk? Cyan? 

Emma shouts that his name was Synch, but, in her moment of rage, Adrienne is able to pierce Emma’s defenses and knock her out. 

Julian shouts for Nori to take her out fast, but as Nori turns around, one of the soldiers manages to finally get a gunshot off. It doesn’t hit anyone, but it does bring all of Sofia’s recent trauma right to the surface of her mind. 

Adrienne hits all three kids with psychic blasts, but purposely doesn’t knock them out or kill them. As Shaw recomposes himself and the last of the Hellfire goons surround them, Adrienne tells the kids they’re still going to work for her, and kill anyone who stands against her, whether they want to or not.

As Sofia’s anguish bubbles over, she says “No.” And as she does so, everyone is knocked away, and Sofia levitates, as a storm of winds surrounds her. As the goons pull their guns on her, Noriko and Julian take them down with their TK and electricity. 

Shaw tells Adrienne to end the brat’s tantrum. A moment later, he begins choking. 

SOFIA: “What’s wrong, big man? Do you not feel well?”

Using her winds, Sofia is pushing the air away from him.

SOFIA: “You remind me a lot of my father. I hate my father.” 

Adrienne is finally going to take her down, but Sofia then begins using her winds to repeatedly slam Adrienne into the walls, ceiling, and floor. 

Sofia’s face fills with sadistic glee. 

Nori tells her to stop. It’s over. At this rate she’s gonna kill them. 

Sofia doesn’t see the issue. THEY would kill THEM. Everyone WANTS to kill them. Or use them. Or do anything but just let them live freely. 

Noriko and Julian exchange looks of panic. They know they can’t let this happen. 

Nori steps forward. Nori’s sorry. The world is a scary place, especially for them. Things like this may keep happening to them. But the answer isn’t to lose themselves. It's to have each other's backs, and protect one another. She can’t fully blame her for not noticing how she felt about the gauntlets. Not with how she’s gone out of her way to isolate herself. But that’s done now. Even if it means putting up with Keller more than usual, she wants to be there for her more. Julian quickly follows that he’s got no problem adding someone even as lame as Ashida to the crew if it’ll make her happy. 

Sofia starts to hesitate. 

Nori tells her she thought she’d be a bitch when they first met, but now she knows she’s the sweetest girl in the world. She doesn’t want to do this. 

JULIAN: “Come on, Wind Dancer. Breathe.” 

Sofia questions if she should do that or finish what she started. Ultimately, she breathes. As she calms down every so slightly, her storm ends, and she falls to the floor, completely exhausted. Fortunately, both of her friends are there to catch her. 

Later, the Blackbird arrives, with Scott, Jean, and Dani getting off. Dani tells Jean to point her toward Emma so she can put an arrow in her, but, meeting them with perfect timing, they’re approached by Emma and the kids, Julian and Noriko helping Sofia walk. Scott demands to know what’s going on and Emma’s happy to oblige, filling all three of them in telepathically on everything that she was privy to, also mentioning for the audience that, after she woke up, she did what was necessary with Adrienne. 

Scott takes a moment to process. He’s grateful to Emma for the lengths she went to to protect the kids. He is. But he also can’t discount how reckless she was, how her plan still involved putting kids in danger, and how she continues to act the same way she always has without remorse. He thanks her, but this changes nothing. He orders the kids to get on the Blackbird so they can take them home, but…

JULIAN: “Yeah, that’s not how this is happening.” 

Sofia stands up on her own and makes clear that her and Julian aren’t going back to the school unless Ms. Frost is rehired. Nori adds that she doesn’t really care about Frost, but she goes where they go. 

As the two groups stare each other down, Jean creates a link between her, Scott, and Dani so they can reach a consensus. 

Ultimately, Scott reluctantly agrees to rehire Emma, but as far as her squad goes, she’s sharing it with Danielle. While Sofia and Noriko are more than okay with this, you can feel the passive aggression between Emma and Dani as they agree to this. 

JEAN: “Was this all part of your plan?” 

EMMA: “Hardly. Children just love me.” 

As they load up onto the plane, Nori hates to admit it, but she and Julian made a pretty good team back there. Julian’s sure he could have carried her weight without her…but he was glad to have her there. 

NORIKO: “This doesn’t make us…*friends*, right?”

JULIAN: “God no. Never. But it does mean you’re part of the crew.” 

While Nori sits down next to Sofia, Julian sits next to Emma. 

EMMA: “Something you’d like to talk about, Julian?” 

JULIAN: “Yeah. My codename.” He smirks. “Call me Hellion.” 

Emma smirks back at him with pride. 

EMMA: “Use it well. 

Back at the school, while we silently see Cessily, Sooraya, and Brian scolding Noriko and Julian for being idiots, Sofia finds Laura. She says she’s sorry she was a jerk to her, and didn’t listen to her, but Laura’s just glad she’s okay. Sofia isn’t sure she is though. 

SOFIA: “You have…violent urges, yes? Do you think you could help me with my own?” 

Laura is worried, but visibly happy Sofia trusts her like this. 

In their bedroom, Scott and Jean settle in for the night. Jean can’t believe Emma. She’s unbelievable. As Scott turns to face Jean, we flash through various shots of Emma from their earlier encounter and previous episodes, including “their” kiss, and an ass shot. 

SCOTT: “Yeah. She is. Good night, Jean.” 

JEAN: “Good night, my love.” 

The light is shut off. 

[super-caribe-suomi1012]

Françoise Gilot, the accomplished painter whose art was eclipsed by her relationship with Pablo Picasso, has died at 101.

She made celebrated paintings exhibited at the Met and MoMA, and wrote a best-selling account of her years with Picasso. By Harrison Smith

The Washington Post: Françoise Gilot had just finished dinner at Le Catalan, a Left Bank bistro in Paris, when Pablo Picasso approached her table with a bowl of cherries. He was 61, a master artist who had already reinvented himself several times over. She was 21 and, like the friend accompanying her that night in May 1943, starting out as a painter.

“That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day,” Picasso told the two elegant young women upon learning they were artists. “Girls who look like that can’t be painters.”

In fact, Gilot’s work had just appeared in an exhibition for the first time; one of her canvases was a veiled swipe at the city’s Nazi occupiers, showing a taxidermied hawk with the Eiffel Tower rising in the background.

She would continue to paint through the tumultuous years that followed, as she became Picasso’s mistress, model and muse, the mother of two of his children and, by his account, the only woman who ever left him.

Ms. Gilot, who was 101 when she died June 6 at a hospital in Manhattan, achieved a distinguished career as a painter, with her work shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art and Centre Pompidou in Paris.

She also published graceful, incisive memoirs and poetry collections, even as she spent decades battling with those who sought to define her by the men in her life, including Picasso, her friend Henri Matisse and her second husband, American virologist Jonas Salk, who helped eradicate polio.

Those men certainly influenced and inspired her, Ms. Gilot said. But there was no reason to view her as a supporting figure rather than a leading one. “Lions mate with lions,” she told Mirabella magazine. “They don’t mate with mice.”

The only child of a wealthy agronomist, Françoise Gilot was born in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine on Nov. 26, 1921. As a child, she borrowed paintbrushes from her mother, a homemaker who worked with watercolors and ceramics. Her father, who pined for a son and dressed Ms. Gilot in boys’ clothing, pushed her toward international law.

Gilot graduated from the Sorbonne at 17, in 1938, with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. She was studying law when the Germans invaded France in 1940. “After that,” she told TV interviewer Charlie Rose, “I thought, ‘Well, you know, I don’t know how long we will remain alive. So I’m going to do what I want.’ ”

She dropped out of law school at the Sorbonne, an event that marked the beginning of a years-long estrangement with her father, and was studying at the Académie Julian art school when she began visiting Picasso’s studio in 1943 after their initial encounter at the bistro.

By then, Picasso had separated from his first wife, Russian dancer Olga Khokhlova, and taken up with photographer Dora Maar. He soon abandoned her for Ms. Gilot.

Their relationship, she wrote in a best-selling memoir, “Life With Picasso” (1964), was “a catastrophe I didn’t want to avoid” — a passionate romance that was intellectually and artistically fulfilling but marred by episodes of physical and emotional abuse.

The couple lived together for nearly a decade, spending much of their time at a Riviera villa known as La Galloise, where Picasso introduced Ms. Gilot to friends including the existentialist philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, the filmmaker and artist Jean Cocteau, and the painters Georges Braque and Matisse.

The latter “acted like a visa on my passport to the realm of art,” Ms. Gilot said. Picasso incorporated Gilot and their two children, Claude and Paloma, into sculptures, paintings, ceramics and lithographs. But Gilot’s own work drew more from Matisse, whose brightly colored, emotionally reserved style she preferred over Picasso’s expressionistic technique.

When their work was exhibited together in 2012 at the Gagosian Gallery in Manhattan, Picasso biographer John Richardson declared that “Picasso took from her rather more than she took from him.”

Reviewing her 1965 solo exhibition at the Findlay Gallery in Manhattan, New York Times art critic Stuart Preston wrote that Ms. Gilot “is an artist very much in her own right …

"Without any self-indulgent interest in sensuous or ‘interesting’ textures, she has a feeling for the quality of paint itself and for the mysteriously effective relationship of color and shape that lends her paintings, large and small, a genuinely authoritative air.”

In 1970, she married Salk, perhaps the most famous physician in the world for his work on polio two decades earlier. He was running a lab in San Diego when a mutual friend introduced him to Ms. Gilot.

Salk knew next to nothing about painting; she knew little of science. The couple remained together until his death in 1995.

Gilot eventually sold all the Picasso works she owned, including “La Femme-Fleur,” because of the “bad luck” that seemed to trail him — including the suicides of his mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter, his wife Roque and his grandson Pablito.

Gilot chaired the fine arts department at the University of Southern California. She also wrote books including “Matisse and Picasso: A Friendship in Art” (1990) and “About Women” (2015), with Lisa Alther, and was appointed an officer in France’s Legion of Honor in 2009.

Despite losing vision in her left eye, she continued painting into her 90s.

[the-knights-who-say-book]

just another haunted house // a Scapegracers playlist

Gravel to Tempo — Haley Kiyoko Catch my name for kicks Thinking I would be right by your side I don’t feel adequate Thinking I’m a monster in disguise

Control — Halsey And all the kids cried out, “Please stop, you’re scaring me” I can’t help this awful energy God damn right, you should be scared of me Who is in control?

Heaven in Hiding — Halsey Sitting on the concrete in your basement But I don’t have no time for conversation Said, “this ain’t what you usually do, and a girl like me is new for you” And I can tell you mean it ‘cause you’re shaking

Control — VÉRITÉ Please excuse me for the way I act So I’ve asked too many times Drawing circles to show where I’m at As if they leave me to unwind

Haunted House — Sir Babygirl This party’s just another haunted house I can’t wait to lose all my friends tomorrow This party’s just another haunted house I can’t wait to carry it with me forever

Witch’s Rune — S. J. Tucker Darksome night and shining moon Balance of the dark and light hearken ye our witch’s rune as we perform our sacred rite

Human — (cover by) Kim Petras Pay my respects to grace and virtue Send my condolences to good Give my regards to soul and romance They always did the best they could

Floor — VÉRITÉ It’s no surprise on most nights How black skies poured down around us And I’m tired of waiting for our lives to crash against the surface

In the Woods Somewhere — Hozier When I awoke The moon still hung The night so black that the darkness hummed

clementine — Halsey Wish I could see what it’s like to be the blood in my veins Do the insides of all of my fingers still look the same? And can you feel it too, when I am touchin’ you? And when my hair stands on ends, it’s saluting you

Siren Song — Julian Moon They say I’ve got a serpent’s tongue And a body like a loaded gun You wanna tame me You wanna make me forget where I come from

Mile Magnificent — molly ofgeography This is my favorite part, the start Not the fire but the sparks The hold-your-breath, let loose your heart We burn ourselves to ashes Lighting fires in the dark

Hold Me Down — Halsey My demons are begging me to open up my mouth I need them mechanically make the words come out They fight me, vigorous and angry, watch them pounce Ignite me, licking up the flames they bring about

Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene — Hozier With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean She’s the angel of small death and the codeine scene With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean

It Will Come Back — Hozier Oh, please, give me mercy no more That’s a kindness you can’t afford I warn you, baby, each night, as sure as you’re born You’ll hear me howling outside your door

Need Nothing — VÉRITÉ I’m sorry I’m not what you wanted A blissful expectation of something you never got And I’m sorry we’re not where we started You’ve wasted all your time in holding on

Graveyard — Halsey They say I may be making a mistake I would’ve followed all the way, no matter how far I know when you go down all your darkest roads I would’ve followed all the way to the graveyard

[sofiamantegafan110]

NEW X-MEN SEASON 2 EPISODE 4

EPISODE 4- A WEB OF LIES

WE OPEN UP IN CESSILY AND SOFIA’S ROOM AS CESSILY AND ROXY SNUGGLE TOGETHER. ROXY ADMITS THAT SHE APPRECIATES THE TIME CESSILY PUTS IN TO SPENDING TIME WITH HER, AND CESSILY CHUCKLES, SAYING THAT SHE’S WORTH IT. THE TWO KISS BEFORE CESSILY SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD PROBABLY GET TO CHEERLEADING PRACTICE, AS SOFIA DOESN’T LIKE IT WHEN THEY’RE LATE. THE GIRLS START FOR THE DOOR, BUT WHEN THEY OPEN IT, THEY SEE ALANI STANDING OUTSIDE. SHE SEEMS A BIT SURPRISED THAT ROXY IS THERE AND ACTS FLUSTERED WHILE CESSILY ASSUMES THAT SHE’S THERE TO REMIND THEM OF PRACTICE. ALANI NODS NERVOUSLY WHILE ROXY TELLS HER THAT THEY ALREADY GOT THE MEMO AND WALKS OFF WITH CESSILY.

CESSILY TELLS ROXY THAT SHE WAS A BIT HARSH, BUT SHE SAYS THAT SHE DOESN’T REALLY TRUST ALANI. SOMETHING SEEMS OFF ABOUT HER. AS THEY WALK OFF, ALANI WATCHES THEM BEFORE EMMA FROST SENDS A TELEPATHIC MESSAGE TO HER, SAYING THAT SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE HAS TO DO.

CUE INTRO AND CREDITS

WE TRANSITION OVER TO LAURIE AS SHE EXITS A CLASSROOM. ALL OF A SUDDEN, A BLACK-GLOVED HAND GRABS HER SHOULDER AND SHE WHIRLS AROUND TO SEE KEVIN STANDING BEHIND HER. SHE IMMEDIATELY ASKS HIM WHAT THE HELL HE’S DOING AND KEVIN SAYS THAT HE NEEDS TO TELL HER SOMETHING. LAURIE SIGHS AND ASKS HIM WHAT HIS PROBLEM IS; HE GHOSTS HER FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS IN FAVOR OF HIS NEW SQUAD BUDDIES AND NOW HE SUDDENLY WANTS TO TALK TO HER AND EXPECT TO PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF. KEVIN SIGHS AND BEGINS TO SPEAK.

KEVIN: LOOK, LAURIE, I WANT YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM JOSH. I KNOW THAT THERE’S SOMETHING UP WITH HIM AND I DON’T WANT YOU TO GET HURT. HE’S BAD NEWS, LAURIE.

LAURIE STARES AT HIM, GOBSMACKED.

LAURIE: OH, I GET IT.

KEVIN: YOU DO?

LAURIE: YOU’RE JEALOUS. YOU ABANDON ME FOR THE COOL KIDS AND NOW THAT I HAVE FRIENDS OUTSIDE OF YOU, AND A BOYFRIEND WHO LOVES ME, YOU WANT TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO BRING THAT DOWN. THAT’S REALLY SELF-CENTERED, YOU KNOW? I WANNA BE HAPPY, KEVIN. I’VE CHANGED. I’M NOT THE SAME SHY WALLFLOWER WHO WOULD TALK WITH YOU ABOUT SHAWN MENDES ALBUMS IN THE LIBRARY. I’M HAPPY, KEV. SO PLEASE, IF YOU CAN’T ACCEPT THAT, I NEED YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE.

WITH THAT, LAURIE WALKS OFF AND KEVIN WATCHES HER, DETERMINATION IN HIS EYES.

MEANWHILE, SOFIA LEADS THE CHEERLEADERS IN THEIR CHOREOGRAPHED DANCE TO ‘THEY DON’T KNOW’ BY ARIANA GRANDE. AS THE SONG ENDS, SOFIA CONGRATULATES THEM ON THE NEW ROUTINE AND DECIDES TO GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THEIR NEW MEMBERS; MIRROR GIRL, ALCHEMIST, AND THE STEPFORD SISTERS. AS THEY APPLAUD, MONET COMPLIMENTS SOFIA ON THE NEW ROUTINE, BUT SOFIA SAYS THAT CESSILY CAME UP WITH MOST OF THE CHOREOGRAPHY. THE GIRLS APPLAUD AGAIN AND CESSILY SMILES WHILE ROXY PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THAT SHE’S HER GIRLFRIEND. ALANI SHIFTS UNCOMFORTABLY AT THAT, WHICH MEGAN OBSERVES. SOFIA THEN TELLS THEM ALL THAT THEY CAN LEAVE AND THEY ALL START TO EXIT THE GYM.

AS MEGAN LEAVES, ALANI SAYS THAT SHE NEEDS HER HELP. WHEN MEGAN ASKS HER WHAT SHE NEEDS HELP WITH, ALANI SAYS THAT SHE WAS THINKING OF PUTTING TOGETHER A BRUNCH AND SHE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF MEGAN COULD ASK CESSILY IF SHE WANTS TO GO. MEGAN NODS, A BIT SUSPICIOUS, AS MONET LOOKS AT ALANI IN INTRIGUE, AND SHE ULTIMATELY AGREES TO TALK TO CESSILY.

AS MEGAN FLIES OVER TO CESSILY, MONET GRABS ALANI BY THE SHOULDER AND ASKS HER IF SHE’S LOST HER MIND. ALANI INNOCENTLY ASKS HER WHAT SHE MEANS, BUT MONET TELLS HER THAT SHE’S A TELEPATH AND SHE KNOWS WHAT EMMA SUGGESTED. ALANI TELLS MONET THAT SHE KNOWS, WHICH IS WHY SHE WANTS HER TO DO THE PROCEDURE, WHICH MONET IS HORRIFIED AT.

MONET: ALANI, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. THAT PROCEDURE IS DANGEROUS. YOU SHOULDN’T LET YOUR FEELINGS FOR CESSILY COME BEFORE YOUR COMMON SENSE.

ALANI: YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS BECAUSE THE ADVICE THAT MS. FROST GAVE YOU FAILED AND NOW JULIAN’S WITH THAT GOTH WOLVERINE.

MONET: GOD, ALANI. THE WORLD ISN’T ALL BLACK AND WHITE. I’VE MOVED ON FROM JULIAN. AND YOU SHOULD MOVE ON TOO. CESSILY IS HAPPY WHERE SHE IS, AND THIS PROCEDURE COULD RUIN YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH HER. IT’S BETTER TO ACCEPT CESSILY THE WAY SHE IS RIGHT NOW.

ALANI: MONET, PLEASE JUST DO THE PROCEDURE. I REALLY WANT THIS, AND I NEED A TELEPATH TO DO IT. IF YOU WERE REALLY MY FRIEND, YOU’D DO IT.

MONET SIGHS, AND THEN TELLS ALANI THAT SHE KNOWS WHEN HER MIND’S MADE UP AND SHE’LL DO THE PROCEDURE IF ONLY TO BE A GOOD FRIEND, BUT ALANI HAS NO IDEA WHAT SHE’S DOING. ALANI BEAMS AND TELLS MONET THAT THEY’LL MEET AT THE GRIND STONE IN FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE WALKING OFF TO MEET MEGAN AND CESSILY. MONET THEN WALKS UP TO SOFIA AND TELLS HER THAT SHE NEEDS HELP.

SOFIA: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

MONET: I THINK… I THINK ALANI’S ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING AWFUL. AND I JUST AGREED TO HELP HER.

LATER, CLARICE WALKS ALONG THE HALLWAYS OF XAVIER’S BEFORE RECEIVING A TEXT FROM SOFIA, SAYING THAT SHE’S A BIT BUSY WITH SOMETHING AT THE MOMENT, BUT THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME FOR THEIR DATE LATER. CLARICE TEXTS BACK BEFORE ENTERING A CLASSROOM AND MEETING UP WITH TWO MORE STUDENTS. ONE IS A BLUE-SKINNED, POINTY-EARED GIRL WITH THREE FINGERS AND TOES, AND THE OTHER ONE IS A BALD, PALE-SKINNED BOY IN SHORTS AND A HAWAIIAN T-SHIRT THAT READS ‘PARTY NAKED’ ON IT. CLARICE EXCITEDLY GREETS TALIA JOSEPHINE WAGNER AND KEVIN SYDNEY, ALSO KNOWN AS NOCTURNE AND MORPH, WHO BOMBARD HER WITH HUGS.

TJ JOKINGLY SAYS THAT SHE’S GLAD CLARICE COULD TAKE SOME TIME OFF FROM HANGING OUT WITH HER NEW MUTANT BUDDIES WHILE MORPH APPLAUDS CLARICE FOR NOT ONLY SHOWING UP TO COMIC CLUB ON TIME BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO HIT SOME SEXY LATINA TAIL. TJ WHACKS HIM ON THE ARM WHILE MORPH COMMENTS ON CLARICE’S OBVIOUS SEX HAIR, SAYING THAT SHE’S CLEARLY NOT USED HER BED FOR MUCH SLEEPING, IF SHE WAS EVEN IN HER BED. CLARICE REMINDS MORPH THAT HER SEX LIFE IS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS, BUT MORPH SAYS THAT HE CAN’T HELP IT. AS HE SPEAKS, HE MORPHS INTO A CHALK-WHITE VERSION OF SOFIA WITH PORN-STAR LEVEL LIPS AND BOOBS BEFORE CLARICE GRABS HIM BY THE NECK, MAKING HIM INFLATE LIKE A BALLOON.

TJ GIGGLES BEFORE ASKING WHERE BEAK AND ANGEL ARE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THEY’VE FLAKED AND THEY CAN’T MAKE COMIC CLUB OFFICIAL AND GAIN NEW MEMBERS IF THE OG MEMBERS DON’T KNOW THE VALUES OF PUNCTUALITY. MORPH THEN SAYS THAT HE HASN’T SEEN THEM IN CLASS FOR A WHILE, AND CLARICE WONDERS WHERE THEY ARE. SHE KNOWS HOW EXCITED THEY WERE TO TALK ABOUT MARIA LLOVET AND HOW HER ART REVOLUTIONIZED THE AMOUNT OF SEXUALITY IN COMICS.

SUDDENLY, THE DOOR FLIES OPEN AND BEAK ENTERS, WRINGING HIS HANDS WITH WORRY. HE PACES AROUND THE ROOM RAMBLING SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS LIKE A MIX OF ENGLISH AND SQUAWKING. CLARICE TELLS HIM TO CALM DOWN AND TJ ASKS WHAT’S WRONG. BEAK TELLS THEM THAT HE REALLY MESSED UP AND HE NEEDS THEIR HELP, AND MORPH ASKS WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN COMIC CLUB.

BEAK: OH GOD… OH GOD… I’M SO SORRY, GUYS. I DIDN’T KNOW… I SWEAR I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT I DID WHEN I DID IT AND NOW… OH MY GOD… AND NOW ANGEL IS PREGNANT WITH MONSTER BABIES!

THE TRIO LOOK AT HIM IN SHOCK WITH MORPH MIMICKING THE EXPRESSION OF A SHOCKED CARTOON CHARACTER AS BEAK STARTS SQUAWKING AGAIN.

MEANWHILE, MONET, SOFIA, CESSILY, ALANI, AND MEGAN HEAD OVER TO A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP AS CESSILY THANKS ALANI FOR PUTTING THIS BRUNCH TOGETHER. THEY THEN OPEN THE DOOR AND SIT DOWN AT A BOOTH AS SURGE GREETS THEM, DRESSED IN AN APRON.

NORI: WELL I’LL BE DAMNED. MONET ST. CROIX DARES TO ENTER AN ESTABLISHMENT THAT SHE PREVIOUSLY REFERRED TO AS A ‘GHETTO STARBUCKS’.

MONET: HEY ASHIDA. LONG TIME, NEVER SPEAK.

NORI CHUCKLES BEFORE MEGAN COMMENTS THAT SHE DIDN’T KNOW SHE WORKED AT THE GRIND STONE. NORI SAYS THAT SHE’S JUST LOOKING TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK, BEFORE TAKING THEIR ORDER. SOFIA EXCITEDLY GREETS NORI BEFORE TELLING MONET THAT A LOT OF STUDENTS GO HERE BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL. SHE THEN POINTS OVER TO WHERE DAVID, CAM, AURA, JAY, SOORAYA, LIN, AND LAURIE ARE SITTING AT A BOOTH AND WAVES AT THEM. AFTER TAKING THEIR ORDER, NORI SPEEDS OFF TO THE KITCHEN WHILE CESSILY AND SOFIA WAVE GOODBYE.

MEGAN: JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, ALANI, WHY DID YOU PUT THIS BRUNCH TOGETHER?

ALANI: OH, UH… I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO JUST HANG OUT WITH MY FRIENDS, ENJOY A LITTLE DOWNTIME, Y’KNOW?

MONET: I BET YOU DID.

SOFIA LOOKS OVER AT MONET BEFORE TURNING TO ALANI, A BIT WORRIED.

MEANWHILE, JOSH CHANGES FOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE BEFORE WALKING OUT WITH BRIAN. AS THEY LEAVE THE LOCKER ROOM, KEVIN SNEAKS IN BEFORE LOOKING AROUND THE LOCKERS. HE THEN NOTICES A KEYCHAIN POKING OUT OF ONE LOCKER AND HE TOUCHES THE LOCK WITH HIS BARE HAND, WITHERING IT. HE THEN PULLS OUT JOSH’S DUFFEL BAG AND RIFLES THROUGH HIS STUFF BEFORE PULLING OUT HIS PHONE. HE THEN LOOKS THROUGH JOSH’S CALL HISTORY BEFORE TAPPING ON A MESSAGE FROM AN UNKNOWN CONTACT, WHICH HE PLAYS.

MESSAGE: JOSH, IT’S RAHNE. RAHNE SINCLAIR. LOOK, I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE. I LIKE YOU. YOU’RE A GREAT GUY, BUT THIS IS WRONG. YOU’RE A STUDENT AND I’M A TEACHER. WE NEED TO STAY PROFESSIONAL. SO I’M SORRY, BUT WE CAN’T SEE EACH OTHER ANYMORE. DON’T CALL OR TEXT ME AND DELETE MY NUMBER FROM YOUR CONTACTS. IT’S OVER. I’M SORRY.

KEVIN PLAYS THE MESSAGE AGAIN AS HIS EYES NARROW.

MEANWHILE, CLARICE TELLS BEAK THAT SHE’S GONNA GO OVER THIS ONE MORE TIME; ANGEL ACCEPTED A BET TO KISS HIM BUT KNEW HOW SAD HE WAS, SO SHE HAD SEX WITH HIM TO MAKE HIM FEEL BETTER, AND NOW SHE’S PREGNANT ALREADY WITHIN THE SPAN OF FIVE DAYS AND HE THINKS FROST AND CYCLOPS WOULD KICK THEM BOTH OUT IF THEY FOUND OUT. BEAK STARTS TO SOB AS CLARICE SPEAKS AND SAYS THAT HE DIDN’T KNOW THAT IT TOOK FIVE DAYS BETWEEN THE SEX AND THE BIRTH FOR A FLY’S PHYSIOLOGY.

MORPH: HEY, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, NOW YOU KNOW WHAT A FLY’S VAGINA LOOKS LIKE!

BEAK STARTS SOB-SQUAWKING AGAIN AS TJ ASKS HIM IF ANGEL IS STILL PREGNANT THEN. BEAK TELLS HER THAT ANGEL HAS ALREADY STARTED LAYING EGGS AND HE COMMENTS THAT THEY’RE LIKE MONSTERS HANGING IN BAGS MADE OF SKIN AND IT’S ALL HIS FAULT. CLARICE SIGHS AND PUTS A HAND ON HIS SHOULDER.

CLARICE: BARNELL, LOOK, THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT, NOR IS IT ANGEL’S. PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES, AND THEY ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR THEM. BESIDES, DANI SAYS THAT YOU’RE AN AMAZING STUDENT. SHE’D NEVER AGREE TO KICK YOU OUT.

MORPH: BESIDES, CLARICE HERE WOULD KNOW A LOT ABOUT ACCIDENTAL, AND SOMETIMES INTENTIONAL, SEX.

WHILE TJ ELBOWS MORPH IN THE GUT, BEAK ASKS WHAT HE SHOULD DO NOW. TJ THEN TELLS HIM THAT THE NEXT MOVE IS SIMPLE; THEY NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE EGGS ARE.

MEANWHILE, CESSILY AND ALANI EXIT THE COFFEE SHOP, LAUGHING. CESSILY THEN TELLS ALANI THAT SHE’S REALLY GLAD SHE PUT THE BRUNCH TOGETHER AND ALANI THANKS HER. CESSILY SAYS THAT SHE’S BEEN WANTING TO HANG OUT WITH ALANI FOR A WHILE, BECAUSE SHE LOOKS LIKE A REALLY FUN PERSON, AND ALANI SMILES IN RESPONSE.

CESSILY REACHES FORWARD TO TOUCH ALANI’S HAND, BUT HER HAND PHASES THROUGH IT, GETTING SHREDDED IN THE PROCESS. AS CESSILY’S HAND FALLS TO THE GROUND, ALANI APOLOGIZES, BUT CESSILY LAUGHS AND SAYS THAT SHE WAS LOOKING TO LOSE A FEW POUNDS ANYWAY. ALANI LAUGHS NERVOUSLY AS CESSILY REABSORBS HER HAND, AND SHE COMMENTS THAT HER POWERS ALWAYS TEND TO GET OUT OF CONTROL WHEN SHE GETS EXCITED. CESSILY SYMPATHIZES WITH ALANI’S INABILITY TO ACT UPON HER FEELINGS, AND SAYS THAT SHE WISHES SHE COULD DO SOMETHING TO HELP.

AS MONET, MEGAN, AND SOFIA EXIT, ALANI TELLS CESSILY THAT SHE’S ACTUALLY HEARD OF A TELEPATHIC PROCEDURE THAT CAN ASSIST IN JUST THIS OCCASION. THE CATCH IS THAT IT NEEDS TWO PEOPLE IN ORDER TO WORK. CESSILY LOOKS OVER AT MONET BEFORE ASKING IF IT’S BASICALLY PSYCHIC SEX. ALANI SHRUGS AND CESSILY LOOKS A BIT NERVOUS, BUT SHE ULTIMATELY ACCEPTS. ANYTHING TO HELP OUT A FRIEND. SOFIA LOOKS OVER AT MONET, WHO SIGHS AND SAYS THAT SHE’LL PERFORM THE PROCEDURE IF THEY BOTH INSIST ON IT, BUT WARNS THEM THAT IT CAN BE… A LOT TO HANDLE. ALANI AND CESSILY NOD AND THE QUINTET GATHER UNDERNEATH A LARGE OAK TREE.

UNDER MONET’S INSTRUCTIONS, CESSILY AND ALANI LIE DOWN ON THEIR BACKS AND CLOSE THEIR EYES. MONET THEN SITS BESIDE THEM AND SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD RELAX THEIR MINDS AND HOLD HANDS. ALANI TIMIDLY REACHES FOR CESSILY’S HAND AND SURPRISINGLY, IS ABLE TO HOLD IT WITHOUT DISASTER. MONET INSTRUCTS MEGAN AND SOFIA TO WATCH THEM BEFORE ASKING AGAIN IF THEY’RE OKAY WITH THIS. ALANI AND CESSILY AGREE AND MONET CLOSES HER EYES. A BLUE LIGHT THEN EMERGES FROM MONET’S HEAD BEFORE REACHING ALANI AND CESSILY’S HEADS WHILE MEGAN AND SOFIA LOOK ON, THE FORMER SEEMING EXCITED WHILE THE LATTER IS MORE WORRIED. MEGAN THEN ASKS WHAT THEY’RE SEEING IN THERE.

WE THEN CUT OVER TO THE ASTRAL PLANE, WHERE ALANI AND CESSILY ARE ENTANGLED IN A PSYCHEDELIC RAPTURE. THEY’RE SURROUNDED BY COLORS AND LIGHT WITH THEIR BODIES TURNING IMMATERIAL AND BATHED IN WARMTH. MONET SAYS THAT THEIR RESPECTIVE SUBCONSCIOUSNESSES ARE BLURRING TOGETHER. NO BORDERS, NO BOUNDARIES, EVERYTHING IS SHARED. EVERY HOPE AND DREAM. EVERY FANTASY. EVERY PLEASURE. EVERY CRY FOR DELIGHT. EVERY SECRET. ALTHOUGH, AS CESSILY AND ALANI’S FORMS ARE ENTWINED TOGETHER, CESSILY LOOKS MORE SAD THEN EUPHORIC.

HOWEVER, AS THEY CONTINUE TO BE ENTANGLED TOGETHER, A DARK RED SPOT EMERGES IN THE ASTRAL. IT SLOWLY STARTS TO GET BIGGER AND BIGGER AND SLOWLY OVERTAKES THE PSYCHEDELIC RAINBOW BEFORE OVERTAKING CESSILY AND ALANI. IN THE REAL WORLD, BOTH GIRLS THRASH AND CRY OUT AS IF THEY’RE HAVING A NIGHTMARE, AND SOFIA ASKS WHAT’S WRONG. MONET SAYS THAT SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THIS. THEY’RE SHARING TOO MUCH. AND THEIR UGLIEST SECRETS ARE STARTING TO TAKE CONTROL. IF THIS KEEPS UP, THERE WON’T BE ANY OF CESSILY AND ALANI’S PSYCHE LEFT.

SOFIA THEN SAYS THAT SHE’S GOING IN, AND MONET WARNS HER THAT IT’S TOO DANGEROUS. IF SHE GOES IN, SHE RUNS THE RISK OF FRYING HER MIND. SOFIA SHRUGS THIS OFF, SAYING THAT CESSILY IS HER BEST FRIEND. SHE’D DO THE SAME FOR HER. MONET THEN TELLS MEGAN THAT IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, SHE SHOULD GO FOR HELP, AND MEGAN NODS, NERVOUSLY. WITH THAT, SOFIA LIES DOWN AND CLASPS CESSILY’S HAND WHILE MONET TOUCHES THE TWO GIRLS’ FOREHEADS.

WHEN MONET AND SOFIA APPEAR IN THE ASTRAL PLANE, THE AREA IS COMPLETELY RED, MADE UP OF CESSILY AND ALANI’S TWISTED PSYCHE. A FEW MILES AWAY, AN ORB LIES, MADE UP OF CESSILY AND ALANI’S WRITHING AND SCREAMING FORMS. SOFIA IS THEN BOMBARDED WITH CESSILY AND ALANI’S VOICES AND CRIES OUT BUT MONET TELLS HER TO FOCUS. IF SHE SUCCUMBS TO THE DARKNESS, HER BODY WILL SUFFER PERMANENT DAMAGE. SOFIA NODS AND MONET SAYS THAT ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS GET TO THE ORB AND TOUCH IT, AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. SOFIA SIGHS BEFORE TELLING MONET THAT SHE’S READY. AS THE GIRLS FLY TOWARDS THE ORB, CESSILY AND ALANI’S VOICES SPEAK, OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER, AS THEIR DARK SECRETS ARE EXPOSED.

CESSILY: --WHEN I WAS 4, I BURNED A LITTLE FROG WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS. I KNEW I SHOULD FEEL GUILTY, BUT I ACTUALLY KINDA ENJ--

ALANI: --BARELY KNOW YOU, BUT I GET THIS VIBE LIKE WE CAN BE REALLY HAPPY IF WE JUST DIVE RIGHT IN AND—

CESSILY: --AFTER MOM CALLED ME A FREAK, I SPENT HOURS FANTASIZING ABOUT TURNING TO LIQUID AND JUST… JUST FILLING UP HER MOUTH AND HER NOSTRILS AND HER LUNGS AND—

ALANI: --SO I WAS THINKING FIVE KIDS, THREE GIRLS AND TWO BOYS, MAYBE WE ADOPT A COUPLE MORE, AND—

ALANI AND CESSILY’S THOUGHT REACH SOFIA, CAUSING HER TO SLOWLY BLEED FROM HER NOSE AND EYES. MONET NOTICES THIS, HER NOSE STARTING TO BLEED AS WELL, AND ASKS SOFIA IF SHE’S OKAY. SOFIA TELLS HER THAT SHE’S FINE AND INSISTS THAT THEY KEEP GOING, AS THEY’RE ALMOST TO THE ORB.

CESSILY: --SOMETIMES DREAM ABOUT CUTTING AND CUTTING--

ALANI: --I SWIM IN THE OCEAN AND IT’S… IT’S JUST CALLING… LIKE I JUST WANT TO DISSOLVE INTO THE ENDLESS BLACK AND NOT FEEL ANYTHING—

CESSILY: YOU MOTHERFUCKING MEAT PEOPLE WITH YOUR WARM BLOOD AND BEAUTIFUL SENSES… YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LUCKY YOU ARE—

ALANI: --I DIDN’T EVEN WANT TO DO THIS BUT MS. FROST INSISTED THAT IT WAS FINE AND THAT IT WOULDN’T HURT AT ALL, BUT THIS HURTS SO MUCH AND I JUST NEED—

SOFIA CRIES OUT IN PAIN AS BLOOD POURS FROM HER EYES, NOSE, EARS, AND MOUTH. MONET LOOKS AT HER AND SAYS THAT SHE NEEDS TO GET OUT NOW. THE DAMAGE TO HER BRAIN COULD BE TOO SEVERE IF SHE CONTINUES. SOFIA REFUSES TO LEAVE MONET ALONE, NOTICING THAT SHE’S BLEEDING TOO, BUT MONET INSISTS.

MONET: SOFIA, I KNOW I HAVEN’T BEEN THE BEST FRIEND TO YOU. YOU’RE SWEET AND PRETTY AND I JUST FUCK EVERYTHING UP. IF IT CAME BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, THEY WOULD NEED YOU MORE THAN ME. IF I DON’T MAKE IT OUT, TELL CESSILY, TELL ALANI, TELL EVERYONE THAT… I’M SO SORRY.

SOFIA CRIES OUT TO MONET, WHO CLOSES HER EYES AND EJECTS HER FROM THE ASTRAL. SOFIA WAKES UP IN THE REAL WORLD, WIPING BLOOD AND TEARS FROM HER EYES AND SHE LOOKS AROUND, NOTICING THAT MEGAN ISN’T THERE. SHE LOOKS OVER AT MONET’S UNCONSCIOUS FORM AND STARTS TO PRAY.

MEANWHILE, CLARICE, BEAK, MORPH, AND TJ WALK THROUGH THE WOODS AS CLARICE ASKS BEAK IF HE’S SURE THAT THE EGGS ARE HERE. BEAK NODS, SAYING THAT THEY FOUND AN OLD SHACK HERE THAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE GREAT TO HIDE THE EGGS. TJ NOTICES THE SHACK AND APPROACHES IT, NERVOUSLY. AS SHE TRIES TO OPEN THE DOOR, SHE FINDS OUT THAT IT’S LOCKED AND TELLS THE OTHERS TO STAND BACK. THEY DO SO AND TJ FORMS A BLUE BOLT IN HER HANDS, WHICH SHE USES TO BLAST DOWN THE DOOR. MORPH THEN TURNS INTO A PALE-SKINNED POLICE OFFICER AND DEMANDS THAT WHOEVER’S INSIDE SHOULD PUT THEIR HANDS UP, BUT A FEMALE VOICE YELLS NOT TO SHOOT.

INSIDE THE SHACK, ANGEL SITS CROSS-LEGGED AND SMILING AMONGST MILLIONS OF SMALL FLYING CHILDREN. THEY ALL HAVE ANGEL’S WINGS AND SOME OF BEAK’S FEATURES WITH MOST HAVE HIS FACIAL FEATURES. THE QUARTET’S EXPRESSIONS LIGHTEN AS ANGEL CONTINUES TO BEAM AT THEM, HAPPILY.

ANGEL: THE BAGS BURST, BUT IT’S OKAY NOW. CHECK ‘EM OUT!

MEANWHILE, MONET CONTINUES TO FLY TOWARD THE TWISTED ORB, BOMBARDED WITH SECRETS AND FANTASIES. BLOOD CONTINUES TO POUR FROM HER ORIFICES AS SHE KICKS HER LEGS AND REACHES HER HAND OUT TO TOUCH THE ORB. HER MOUTH OPENS WIDE IN A SCREAM BUT BLOOD POURS OUT INSTEAD. THE MOMENT HER FINGERTIP TOUCHES THE ORB, IT EXPLODES INTO A BRIGHT LIGHT AND MONET FINDS HERSELF BACK IN THE REAL WORLD, WITH CESSILY AND ALANI WAKING UP BEFORE STARING AT EACH OTHER, SHOCKED.

ALANI: Y-Y-YOU’RE SICK! YOU’RE TWISTED ON THE INSIDE!

CESSILY: I’M SICK?! YOU LIED TO ME! Y-YOU TOOK MY FEELINGS ABOUT YOU AS A FRIEND AND YOU FUCKING VIOLATED IT! YOU MANIPULATED ME! PLAYED WITH MY FEELINGS! YOU RAPED MY MIND BECAUSE YOU KNEW I WOULD WANT TO HELP YOU BECAUSE I WANT TO BE A GOOD FRIEND AND YOU DIDN’T CARE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN! AND NOW YOU WANNA PLAY THE VICTIM BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAW IN MY HEAD?! WELL GUESS WHAT?! MY HEAD IS FUCKED UP! FUCKING DEAL WITH IT!

ALANI: F-FUCK YOU! YOU’RE EVIL! YOU’RE A MONSTER! YOU’RE INSA-

CESSILY: NO, YOU’RE THE INSANE ONE! YOU’RE A LYING SLUT AND A BITCH! Y-YOU LIED TO ME AND BETRAYED MY FUCKING TRUST! YOU’RE A BAD FRIEND AND A TERRIBLE PERSON! I HATE YOU, ALANI! YOU’RE A SNAKE! A LYING, SELFISH, MANIPULATIVE SNAKE!

WITH THAT, CESSILY RUNS AWAY IN TEARS WITH ALANI STORMING OFF IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. SOFIA IMMEDIATELY RUNS AFTER CESSILY AND MONET WAITS FOR A WHILE BEFORE MAKING UP HER MIND AND RUNNING AFTER HER TEAMMATE.

MEANWHILE, MORPH AND TJ PLAY WITH THE BABIES WHILE BEAK COMMENTS THAT IN HIS DREAMS, HE WOULD SEE AN ARMY OF MONSTERS SHOUTING ‘FATHER!’ BUT THIS IS JUST WONDERFUL. ANGEL LAUGHS AND SAYS THAT SHE’S GONNA NAME THEM AFTER THE JACKSON FAMILY BEFORE SAYING THAT ONE LITTLE FREAK LOOKS ABOUT AS CUTE AND USELESS AS BEAK, WHO COMMENTS ON THE WINGSPAN OF ANOTHER LITTLE GUY.

CLARICE KNEELS DOWN AND REACHES OUT TO THE CHILD IN ANGEL’S LAP BEFORE TELLING THEM THAT THEY SHOULD’VE BEEN HONEST FROM THE BEGINNING. ANGEL SAYS THAT SHE WAS WORRIED THAT THEY’D GET KICKED OUT, SINCE THERE’S NEVER BEEN A STUDENT AT XAVIER’S WHO’S GOTTEN PREGNANT. CLARICE AGREES, BUT SAYS THAT SINCE IT’S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, THEY SHOULD AGREE TO HELP IF A SITUATION LIKE THIS EVER ARISES AGAIN. SHE AGREES TO TALK TO DANI TO SEE IF THEY CAN LIVE HERE AND MAYBE THEY COULD SKIP SOME CLASSES TO TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN. MORPH THEN SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD DO THE SAME IF BEAK AND ANGEL ARE TOO BUSY, AND PLUS, “UNCLE MORPHIE” NEEDS TO BE THERE FOR THE KIDS. TJ ALSO VOLUNTEERS TO HELP SPIFF THE PLACE UP AND MAKE IT MORE FAMILY-FRIENDLY AND CLARICE COMES UP WITH THE IDEA OF SIGNING THEM UP FOR THE LOWER SCHOOL SO THAT XUAN CAN HELP WHILE BEAK AND ANGEL ARE AT SCHOOL.

ANGEL AND BEAK THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP AND CLARICE ASKS IF THEY’RE GOING TO STAY TOGETHER. THEY BOTH SMILE AND SAY THAT THEY HATED XAVIER’S AT FIRST, BUT THERE IS ONE THING THAT THEY LOVE ABOUT IT, AND IT’S THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND EACH OTHER.

MEANWHILE, SOFIA SEARCHES FOR CESSILY, EVENTUALLY FINDING HER CRYING. AS SHE ASKS CESSILY IF SHE’S OKAY, CESSILY TELLS HER THAT SHE’S NOT OKAY. SHE’S NEVER BEEN OKAY. SHE FEELS LIKE A MONSTER AND KNOWS THAT EVERYONE WILL REJECT HER ONCE ALANI TELLS. EVEN ROXY WILL LOOK AT HER LIKE A FREAK AMONG FREAKS.

SOFIA: CESSILY, I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL—

CESSILY: NO YOU DON’T! HOW COULD YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW HOW I FEEL?! YOU’RE THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN SCHOOL! YOU’RE POPULAR, YOU HAVE FAMILY WHO LOVES YOU! YOU COULD NEVER KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WAKE UP ONE MORNING A FREAK! MY PARENTS LOVED ME! I WAS EVERYTHING TO THEM! AND THEN WHEN I GOT MY POWERS, THEY DIDN’T SEE ME AS THEIR PRECIOUS GIRL ANYMORE! THEY JUST SAW ME AS A FREAK! YOU SHOULD SEE HOW QUICKLY THEY SENT ME TO XAVIER’S WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT! I… NO ONE LOVES ME! NO ONE EVER WILL!

SOFIA STARTS TO CRY AND PUTS A HAND ON CESSILY’S SHOULDER.

SOFIA: CESSILY, LOOK AT ME. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND YOU ARE LOVED. ROXY LOVES YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD, AND I KNOW YOU’D NEVER CHASE ME OR HER OR ANYONE AWAY. I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE REJECTED AND I KNOW THAT IT MAY MAKE YOU AFRAID TO TRY TO FORM A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION, BUT I’M HERE FOR YOU. I WILL ALWAYS BE. YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND, CESSILY. AND I LOVE YOU. WARTS AND ALL.

CESSILY COLLAPSES INTO SOFIA’S ARMS, CRYING AND SOFIA HUGS HER. AFTER A WHILE, CESSILY WIPES AWAY TEARS AND SNOT AND THANKS SOFIA FOR HELPING HER. SOFIA THEN ASKS IF SHE’S READY TO GO AND CESSILY NODS, STANDING UP WITH SOFIA’S HELP.

MEANWHILE, MONET FINDS ALANI BESIDE THE COFFEE SHOP. ALANI SWIPES AWAY TEARS AND TELLS MONET THAT CESSILY’S RIGHT. SHE’S A LIAR AND A SNAKE. SHE REFLECTS ON HOW SHE BETRAYED CESSILY’S TRUST AND VIOLATED HER MIND. SHE KNOWS THAT SHE HAD NO RIGHT TO INTRUDE UPON CESSILY’S SECRETS AND SHE SHOULD’VE BEEN HAPPY TO HAVE HER AS A FRIEND. AS MONET SITS DOWN, ALANI TAKES OUT A VAPE PEN AND PLACES IT TO HER LIPS, BLOWING A STREAM OF SMOKE FROM THEM AS SHE ASKS MONET IF SHE THINKS SHE’S A BAD FRIEND.

MONET: ALANI, I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE UNABLE TO TOUCH ANYONE. NOT LONG AGO, SOMEONE DID SOMETHING TERRIBLE TO ME. THEY TRAPPED ME INSIDE A HOLLOW SHELL, UNABLE TO TOUCH ANYONE WITHOUT CAUSING THEM PAIN. I LIVED THAT WAY FOR A WHILE, UNABLE TO SPEAK OR TOUCH ANYONE. THAT WAS MY CURSE. THAT WAS MY PENANCE. I WAS NEVER THE SAME EVEN AFTER I WAS FREED. THE TWO OF US, WE’RE UNTOUCHABLE. BUT WE DON’T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE THAT WAY. WE CAN BE BETTER.

ALANI LOOKS UP AND STARTS TO SMILE. SHE SAYS THAT WHEN THE YEAR BEGAN, SHE REALIZED SHE WAS BISEXUAL. SHE WANTED SOMEONE TO LOVE HER AND SHE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW GOOD A FRIEND CESSILY WAS TO HER. BUT SHE SAW HOW HAPPY SHE WAS WITH ROXY AND SHE WAS JEALOUS. BUT SHE KNOWS THAT DEEP DOWN, SHE SEES CESSILY AS A GOOD FRIEND AND SHE WANTS TO STAY THAT WAY. MONET STANDS UP AND OFFERS HER HAND TO ALANI, WHO STANDS UP AND GIVES HER A HUG.

A FEW MINUTES LATER, SOFIA AND CESSILY MEET ALANI AND MONET. SOFIA REMINDS CESSILY NOT TO LET ALANI GET TO HER, AND CESSILY WALKS UP TO HER.

CESSILY: ALANI, I’M REALLY SORRY. I SHOULD’VE-

ALANI: YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR. I SHOULD’VE BEEN A BETTER FRIEND. I… I SHOULDN’T HAVE PRESSURED YOU INTO THIS. I’M VERY TRULY SORRY.

THE TWO GIRLS HUG.

ALANI: SO, STILL FRIENDS?

CESSILY: QUID PRO QUO, CLARICE. YOU DON’T TELL ANYONE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW IN THE ASTRAL PLANE. THOSE ARE MY SECRETS AND I’LL TELL THEM TO ROXY WHEN I WANT TO.

ALANI: DEAL.

CESSILY: AND I, FOR ONE, AM SO GLAD THAT YOU’RE THINKING OF COMING OUT, BUT I CAN’T RECIPROCATE YOUR FEELINGS. I’M HAPPY WITH ROXY. BUT I CAN HELP YOU FIND SOMEONE ELSE. SOMEONE WHO YOU CAN LOVE.

ALANI: WELL… I WAS THINKING OF ASKING SUDI OUT. WE’VE BEEN PRETTY CLOSE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, MEGAN DASHES OVER, RED-FACED AND PANTING, AS SHE DRAGS A CONFUSED TRAFFIC WARDEN BY THE COLLAR. SHE’S SWEATING LIKE CRAZY AND LOOKS HALF-CRAZED.

MEGAN: I COULDN’T FIND A POLICE OFFICER SO I GOT A TRAFFIC WARDEN! WRITE THEM ALL A TICKET!

SOFIA GIGGLES BEFORE TELLING MEGAN THAT THEY’VE CLEARED EVERYTHING UP, AND MEGAN RELAXES, ASKING IF THEY CAN GO HOME NOW. THE GIRLS START TO WALK BACK TO THE SCHOOL AND CESSILY AND ALANI START TO TALK TOGETHER. SOFIA IS ABOUT TO JOIN THEM WHEN MONET STOPS HER.

MONET: I TRUST YOU SAW THAT SECRET OF ALANI’S, RIGHT?

SOFIA: YES. EMMA FROST WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD ALANI TO DO THE PROCEDURE. JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOU AND JULIAN.

MONET: I KNOW SHE MEANS WELL, BUT…

SOFIA: I KNOW. WHO ELSE DID SHE AGREE TO HELP?

MONET: WELL, EDIE, MARCOS, SUDI, AND MARK JUST WANTED HELP ON CLASSWORK, SO THE ONLY OTHER ONE WHO WANTED HELP IN THE OTHER WAY WAS… KEVIN.

SOFIA: THEN WE NEED TO FIND HIM BEFORE HE DOES SOMETHING HE’LL REGRET.

AS THEY WALK HOME, ‘PIANO MAN’ BY BILLY JOEL STARTS TO PLAY. WE SEE TJ, DANI, AND MORPH HELPING BEAK AND ANGEL FIX UP THE SHACK AND SOME OF THE BABIES PITCH IN AS WELL. THE COUPLE EMBRACES, SMILING HAPPILY. MEANWHILE, ALANI FLOPS ONTO HER BED, LOOKING OVER AT A NOTE FROM MIRROR GIRL SAYING THAT SHE GOT INVITED TO A PARTY AND SHE’LL BE BACK LATE. ALANI THEN PULLS OUT HER PHONE AND STARTS TO TEXT SUDI, ASKING IF SHE’D LIKE TO GO OUT WITH HER SOME TIME. WHEN SHE SENDS THE TEXT, SHE WRITES ANOTHER ONE THAT CLARIFIES THAT SHE MEANS TO ASK HER ON A DATE, BUT SHE HESITATES. HER FINGER HOVERS OVER THE SEND BUTTON AND SHE BITES HER LIP, NERVOUS, BUT SHE EVENTUALLY LOOKS DETERMINED AND SENDS THE MESSAGE, WAITING FOR SUDI TO TEXT BACK.

MEANWHILE, CLARICE AND SOFIA LIE IN BED, AS CLARICE TELLS SOFIA THAT SHE LOOKS HAPPY. SOFIA SMILES AND SAYS THAT SHE’S NOTICED THE SAME ABOUT CLARICE, WHO SAYS THAT SHE DID A GOOD THING TODAY. SOFIA SAYS SHE DID TOO AND THE TWO KISS BEFORE PROCEEDING TO HAVE SEX. MEANWHILE, ROXY LOOKS OVER AT A SMILING CESSILY AND ASKS WHAT’S UP. SHE JUST KISSES HER AND SAYS THAT SHE JUST CAN’T IMAGINE LIFE GETTING ANY BETTER THAN THIS.

WE THEN CUT OVER TO ONE FINAL SCENE AS JOSH KISSES LAURIE GOODNIGHT. LAURIE SAYS THAT CLARICE IS PROBABLY HOOKING UP WITH SOFIA AGAIN AND ASKS IF MAYBE JOSH COULD SPEND THE NIGHT WITH HER. JOSH SAYS NO, HE HAS A TEST TOMORROW AND NEEDS TO SLEEP, BUT ASSURES LAURIE THAT THEY’LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TOMORROW. AS LAURIE CLOSES THE DOOR, JOSH STARTS TO WALK TOWARD HIS ROOM BUT KEVIN WALKS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.

JOSH: THE FUCK, KEVIN? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

KEVIN: I’LL CUT TO THE CHASE. YOU’RE GOING TO BREAK UP WITH LAURIE.

JOSH: WHAT? ARE YOU ON CRACK? WHY WOULD I DO THAT?

THE CAMERA ZOOMS IN ON KEVIN AS HE GIVES JOSH A DEVIOUS, SHIT-EATING GRIN.

KEVIN: BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T, I’LL TELL THE ENTIRE SCHOOL ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE DOING WITH RAHNE SINCLAIR LAST SEMESTER. AND YOU’LL GET EXPELLED!

TO BE CONTINUED