#i'd be correct but the world isn't ready to hear that from me

[its-a-me-mango]

I freaking love having OC's I can do anything I want with them.

[bi-ss]

~ Ties that bind ~

Bucky x reader- arranged marriage.

Summary: You agreed to arrange marriage when you were little, after seeing who you are to marry. You wish you could go back.

Warning- drinking? None i can't think of.

(Spelling may be bad as I'm very dyslexic sorry in advance)

You've been staying in your bestfriends apartment for 2 days now, you've just had more time to think about what will become of your life, you didn't get as many texts from James as you thought when you went to bed around 11PM but oh lord when you woke up it wouldn't stop going off, in all truth your phone died and you fell asleep with it on charge.

"Omg, would you turn that off.. It's 6:30, i love you, but not that much.." your friend groaned as she walked over to your phone to turn it off seeing you still in your make shift bed, you were about to get up and go get coffee but a 'huh' your friend made caught your attention.

"What? If it's something stupid, imma smack you so hard.." You look at your now bright screen to see unread texts coming through from an unknown caller, you picked it up and started reading some, with her reading over your shoulder, your were confused at first because you didn't know who it was but when finding out who thought it would be an amazing idea to text you at an ungodly time, but you soon figured it out, it was james.

You were annoyed at not only did he get home at 1am close to 2 so you would have been there for hours on your own but because he was the last person you wanted to talk to.

Rolling your eyes you went on with your life, making and drink a cup of coffee then getting ready to attend a fashion show, you weren't walking but you were invited with front row seats and couldn't pass it up, and there was have after party which you managed to get your friend into aswell somehow, so a minimum of 6 hours away from James and all the stress in the world.

"I wonder if theres cute guys there? I hope so. Ugh, after me and Josh broke up, I've been so lonely.. in bed, of course, i dont want commitment!" You watch as your best friend since college, Chloe, yapped about boys while realising for the 4th time today what's going to change when you marry James, "have you seen Joshs new girlfriend, I think we went to high school with her.. shes nice..." As she continues to gossip while doing makeup, you zone out and think about your life until she claps, getting your attention once again, "you know what?! I'm happy for Josh. I'm happy being single. He's happy being non single." She smiled at you."You should be happy you're marrying one of the most richest and most powerful men in America, probably the world, maybe.." You just nod and smile at her. You don't know if you are smiling because she's smiling or if what she said was correct, you're sure you'll find out.

While driving to the fashion show, the topic of James was brought up, "if I were marrying him, I'd be in his bed so fast," Chloe stated for the 38th time. "Is it true? The rumours about his arm, that's is.. no doubt the rumours about his dick aren't false -" You zone out from your friends rant about James when your phone screen lit up from a text... his text.. one after the other..

You zoned back in to hear chloe talking about Zeon. In all fairness, you didn't know who he was, but also, she hadn't spoken about him til now, or you think so? You were about to ask who he was until you see a modern building with lots of windows and a weird looking woman statue but with no curves and all straight lines and spikes, it did make you uncomfortable in an unspeakable way but you got out of the car and walked past it while looking down, you walked up to the bouncer you, showing your Ids and was let in, after the man blocking the door with a clipboard questioned chloe about if she was in the right place or not.

You were seated towards the end of the runway, which you didn't mind, but what you did mind was the constant camera flash some for the models but mostly for you.. that isn't helping you stay away from James, but you do like attention. The event was over later than you expected as some older women went on a rant about how fashion changed and how it was disturbing now or whatever.

You parked in a 24/7 parking zone and walked a little over 10 minutes for the after party that was already in full swing when you got there, heading straight towards the bar with chloe walking close behind to order a mocktail since you dont drink often but over to your left chloe was downing tequila shots like water, that wasn't surprising but what was surprising was when she ordered a cocktail and sent it your way, she knows you don't drink but looking around and seeing all the lady's glancing at you knowingly you thought this was one of the rare occasions where you will drink, and drink you did.

You knew from the start that marrying James Barnes wouldn't be easy from all his "fans" who are just girls throwing themselves on him but finding out he has a girlfriend? A whole other can of worms you didn't realise opened but the girls at this club were a new level of bitchy, like one tried spilling her red wine on you but ended up missing and it went over the lad next to you who weren't amused at all or when you were dancing with chloe and some other chick tried tripping you but you stepped over her foot unknowingly but 30 seconds later you did almost trip yourself up, but that's about the last thing you remember apart from getting more drink and getting hit on some else happening then dancing on someone or dancing on your companion.

But you do know 1 thing for certain is that you've woken up with a massive banging head ache in a warm bed, half dressed and with what you assumed someone sleeping next to you as they haven't moved, unless they're watching you sleep?

(Lol sorry i hadn't been posting i just moved, lmao, so that's taken most of my time)

TAGS: @learis @unaxv @cjand10 @pattiemac1 @coffee-winter-and-silence @scott-loki-barnes @blackhawkfanatic

[wingsoverlagos]

Lewisohn vs. Howard Smith, January 23, 1972

The Lewisohn-fact-checkification has heated up in other areas of the interent, and while I can't say the reception is unexpected, it's not the sort of thing for which I'm well-equipped. I'm leading with that because, honestly, I don't see the point in actively fighting Lewisohn's reputation anymore. I have several more comparison posts drafted, and I intend to step back after I churn those out. I want to put the evidence out there as clearly as I can - it may not matter now, but down the line, when more people are ready to put the actual history above a sham historian, it will be there. I can't forcefeed the truth to people who are still unreceptive to it.

This isn't a goodbye post (there are still quite a few drafts to go!), but I want to thank the community here for being so funny, openminded, and encouraging! I don't interact with you all as much as I'd like to--I'm an anxious little bird--but your thoughtful responses and feedback have meant the world to me :) Sincerely, thank you!

Anywho, enough whining - I've got an audio comparison today! I love audio comparisons - the immediacy of hearing John Lennon or Brian Epstein or Paul McCartney say words that are clearly different from what Mark Lewisohn wrote can't be beat. Today's comparison comes from Howard Smith's January 23, 1972 interview with John and Yoko. Let's all praise the estate of Howard Smith, as many of his interviews are available for purchase at a reasonable price! You can find this track for purchase here, and two other interviews at this link. There are three interviews available total, each chopped into two tracks, with each track costing ~$0.99-$1.50.

Lewisohn quotes this interview three times, and there are issues with all three quotes. One is a standard Lewisohn rephrasing (you'll find that under the cut), while the other two construct an equally standard but somewhat meatier John v. Paul narrative.

All three quotes fall in the same ~1:30 of the interview, running from 9:29-11:10 in the track linked above. I've included the clip here for your listening pleasure:

Tune In 24-5 vs. Interview by Howard Smith, January 23, 1972

HS: This tape, the Decca tape that we were talking about, that was for a Decca audition I’m informed, January 1, 1962 [crosstalk] JL: That was the famous one that they turned us down on. I listened to it, y’know, I wouldn’t have turned them down on that, not in those days, y’know. I think it sounds okay, especially the last half of it for the time-  the period it was, there wasn’t many people playing music like that. HS: Were you guys very disappointed? JL: Oh, it was terrible, yeah. I mean, See, we used to-Brian Epstein had come down to Liverpool- to London, and then he’d come back and say, ‘I’ve got you an audition.’ We’d all be excited, it was Decca and all that. We met this Mike Smith guy, and we were going to go down there. So we went down, we did all those numbers, [we were?] terrified, nervous- you can hear it on that album, start off terrified, and gradually settled down, and then we went back and waited, and waited and then we just found out they hadn’t accepted it. We really thought that was it then.

(Emphasis indicates quoted phrases. I've bracketed "we were?" because, while I don't hear it clearly in the audio, it's not clear enough for me to say with perfect certainty that John didn't say it)

Lewisohn gives this quote as John's assessment of the day of the Decca audition, but that's only partially correct. The first word, "terrible," is representative of John's feelings about Decca's rejection, which is clear from the context of the quote. The second part of the quote "we were terrified, nervous" does describe how John felt during the sessions, but only partially. He quickly goes on to say they "start off terrified, and gradually settled down."

The next citation continues on with this theme.

Tune In 25-12 vs. Interview by Howard Smith, January 23, 1972

JL: Oh, it was terrible, yeah. I mean, See, we used to-Brian Epstein had come down to Liverpool- to London, and then he’d come back and say, ‘I’ve got you an audition.’ We’d all be excited, it was Decca and all that. We met this Mike Smith guy, and we were going to go down there. So we went down, we did all those numbers, [we were?] terrified, nervous- you can hear it on that album, start off terrified, and gradually settled down, and then we went back and waited, and waited and then we just found out they hadn’t accepted it. We really thought that was it then. HS: What, that that was all? JL: That was the end, yeah, y’know, cause [crosstalk] YO: You think that the sound was too far out for them or something? JL: [crosstalk] Well, we’d been- they all said it’s too bluesy or too rocky, too much like rock ‘n’ roll, and that’s all over now, they used to keep telling us, y’know.

(Emphasis indicates quoted phrases. This segment overlaps with the transcript above)

Here, Lewisohn recounts Paul and John's reactions to Decca's rejection of the Beatles. The quote isn't too butchered, though there are some small changes (e.g. "they all said" to "they always said")

That's a quibble, though. The main issue here is Lewisohn's misrepresentation of John's feelings at the time. Lewisohn's assessment that "[John] also wondered if they'd shot their bolt" is correct, but the rest, which I've underlined in pink, isn't supported by the source. Lewisohn contrasts Paul’s reaction with John’s: Paul thought the rejection was “shortsighted” but, as Lewisohn writes, “John marked it differently. He knew the Beatles had underperformed on the day.”

John does not express that sentiment in this interview. Within the same brief span that John gives the “too bluesy” quote, he also says of the Decca tape, “I listened to it, I wouldn’t have turned them down on that, not in those days. I think it sounds okay, especially the last half of it for the period it was, there wasn’t many people playing music like that.” John says that their nerves were apparent for part of the session, but he clearly didn’t view it as a dud overall, and underperformance isn’t the reason he states for the rejection. When Yoko asks for clarification (“You think that the sound was too far out for them or something?”), John gives the answer that Lewisohn quotes here: “They all said it’s too bluesy or too rocky, too much like rock ‘n’ roll, and that’s all over now, they used to keep telling us.”

Lewisohn intentionally misrepresents the above quotes to set John up as more knowing, more aware than Paul, who, per Lewisohn's version, even with hindsight couldn't see the flaws John spotted the day of the audition. In reality, John and Paul were of one mind—they didn’t think the audition was that bad. Paul’s assessment that Decca’s rejection was “shortsighted” goes hand in hand with John’s true thoughts on the matter, which I’ll quote here a third time, in case I’ve failed to get the point across: “I wouldn’t have turned them down on that, not in those days. I think it sounds okay”

Tune In 5-17 vs. Interview by Howard Smith, January 23, 1972

JL: The first day I got interested in rock, the first six months, y’know, when Presley’s heartbreak hotel came out in England, they were saying rock was gonna die already, which- “Is calypso gonna take over?” That was what they were talking about then. So whenever- Even in Hamburg, when we auditioned for those German companies, they would tell us to stop playing the rock and the blues and concentrate on the other stuff, y’know. Cause they all thought rock was dead, y’know. But they’re wrong. They’re still saying rocks dead, right?

Minor changes. John starts this quote by discussing one time frame ("The first day I got interested in rock") and then changes to another ("the first six months") - Lewisohn swaps the order of "I got interested in rock" and "the first six months." John also clearly says "gonna" instead of "going to" - this is exceptionally minor on its own, but I do think there may be some interesting patterns on when Lewisohn preserves vs. erases vs. introduces certain colloquialisms and dialect-specific spellings. That would take a more in-depth analysis to tease out, and I shall resist the urge - I'm clearing my drafts & touching grass!

Sources:

Lewisohn M. 2013. The Beatles: All These Years Vol. 1: Tune In. New York (NY): Crown Archetype. [ebook]

Smith H. 1972 Jan 23. Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Purchased 2024 May 28. Available from: https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B00JMTMOTU

[soupedepates]

Louis belongs to @corneille-but-not-the-author

Louis gave me the contact information of a midwife. He said she's nice. That even if she isn't supposed to work today she can see me, I just have to say I come on his behalf.

Zuza Majak. She had a thick Slavic accent on the phone. The Polish diaspora is so tight-knit here oh my god.

Well, my whole family is made of immigrants, and boy did we migrate. When my mother was expecting me, they travelled half the world. It's easier to flee a war when your folks are loaded. Were loaded. And I cut all ties. My parents tried to make us assimilate in Denmark with good Nordic names, just for us to end up in France. Got so white-washed in appearance people have never guessed what my ethnicity is. You only know when I've brought you at least once at my family's place, or if you're part of the gang...

Damn, am I really thinking 'bout that stuff while going to the Polish midwife? For fuck's sake Dom, you're turning into your granny.

I knock at the door. I hear someone's steps. Then the door opens on a skinny yet square-shouldered woman, with stern glasses and grey eyes.

"Domhildr Lulea?"

"The one and only", I smile.

"Come on in."

She lets me in her office. Neat place. Everything is classified. Some posters about prevention, pregnancy, contraception... Welp, classic midwives' stuff.

"I was told by the Planned Parenthood you already got the information appointment with their doctor and Louis sent you to me because we are going to run out of time and they're overwhelmed these days, correct?"

"...Yes? Wait, are you just writing up a prescription and lemme on my way? That easy?"

"You already got the first appointment, miss. There is no counter-indication for drug-induced abortion in your medical file", she assures. "Yet... I am reading that you have had previous abortions. And you're quite young too."

I am ready to hit that bitch if she starts to slutshame me. I swear to the big G.

"I see you are already on the pill, do you suffer from chronic migraine or difficult transit?"

"I... yeah. Due to stress. I take over-the-counter stuff."

She smiles faintly.

"And I suspect you don't take it perfectly. The pill, I mean."

I am fucking mesmerized. I got berated so many times by medical pros about my "irresponsibility". A obgyn called me stupid. Twice. Yet this woman sounds so... gentle?

"It lowers the efficiency of the pill", she explains. "Which is, surprisingly, something a lot of youngsters - and older people - aren't taught. Would you like an IUD? It is not perfect and I'd like you to be screened for a lot of stuff AND get an echography to make sure you don't have any uterine difformity beforehand, but it is safer pregnancy wise."

"I have to answer now or I can think 'bout it?"

"You have all the time in the world. This is just a suggestion. Do you want to see me again in about two-three weeks or do you prefer I redirect you to the Planned Parenthood's doctor?"

"...For what?"

She looks puzzled.

"Well, you know the drill... To check if your pregnancy is very much terminated."

"I never went to those appointments." More like I felt so humiliated I just wanted never to see their faces again.

"Oh." She has, like, a disbelieving laugh. "It is preferable you come, but it's a free country."

"I'd rather have a woman to do that. And I kinda like that office", I admit. I kinda like the fact she does be nice. No. She isn't nice. She is gentle. And non judgemental.

I like that in someone.

"So, in two weeks, on Thursday, is it good for you?"

"Perfect."

"Here's your prescription", she says while handing me the paper. "Those painkillers are really strong, so you won't be in too much pain. You take this medication first. Then, the next day, you take this one. Don't hesitate to take the painkillers. They are lifesavers. And..."

She hands me another sheet.

"You address this to social security, okay? I am prescribing you three days of sick leave. You'll need them."

She lets me speak for a while after that. She doesn't insist for a rape kit after I've stated specifically I REALLY don't want to do it. Which is. Appreciated. Spot on, Mrs Majak. I like that in a woman.

"...How much do I owe you? I'm not sure social security gonna cover this as Louis told me you're not supposed to work today."

"It's fine. I'm not charging you an extra fee. You can find what you owe me on the prescription. Just fill in the paycheck and scan your social security card, okay?"

"...And what about the prescription?"

"Everything is 100% covered by universal health care", she smiles. "An abortion is difficult enough to live to add money-related worries to your burden."

She stands up, signalling the end of the consultation, and walks me to the door of her office.

"See you in two weeks", she says. "You've got this."

I wave her goodbye. And I leave to the pharmacy, with a lighter heart and some hopes for the future.

[annamarabella-grumble]

mass effect replay thoughts, episode 11

episode 1 / episode 2 / episode 3 / episode 4 / episode 5 / episode 6 / episode 7 / episode 8 / episode 9 / episode 10

haven't updated these in a while! we're almost at the end of mass effect 3 now lmao. thoughts on mass effect 2 for the meantime?

we killed mordin solus in cold blood; did the math and everything--i enjoy padok wiks' company a LOT more. christ, he's weird. i like him

i'm never fucking playing arrival again, i swear on wrex's bollocks. a tiny room and five pyros??? NO THANK YOU

speaking of, if grandpa hackett doesn't stop calling me on my damn bananaphone the minute i enter a system where he's committed another war crime....... THIS PHONE IS FOR BANANERGENCIES ONLY

during every playthrough of me2 i successfully repress the memory of that damn reaper skeleton. it punches me in the face every time

the amount of times during me2 that chat was like "oh yeah that's an old bug," including for bugs i'd not encountered on my own before???????

now what about mass effect 3?

meeting anderson again: I HEAR YOU'RE AN ADMIRAL NOW, FATHER! GOOD FOR YOU!

that lil pat of shep's tummy after months under house arrest. father pls (i love their dynamic so much)

as always, we're fetching garrus first, as is proper and correct. we're not romancing him in this one, and i love how so few of their lines actually change. they're not together, but they adore and rely on each other. there's no shepard without vakarian, ain't ever gonna change

you know whom i do not adore? kai leng. god, i hate that railroady flippy bitch

he's not scary, he's not even interesting, he's just a plot device. BORING

which reminds me (sob): shep's fully ready to jump thane's bones in the atrium of a hospital. down, girl

speaking of: we're in love with traynor now, she's delightful. we played sweaty chess

speaking of speaking of: every stream we have a ten-minute section where we talk about how literally everything about mass effect would be better if everyone was queer

yesterday we played omega dlc and my GOD. the belligerent sexual tension, cut it with a knife. bioware are cowards for not just letting aria and nyreen fuck nasty on the floor of any of the dozen elevators we were on. shep can watch, she'd like it

(if you also like it, listen to "temper temper" by black pistol fire)

the section with the adjutants prowling around in the dark is my favourite thing in the world, it's so well done

"ask the ghosts if honour matters" is a raw af line

i can't believe that mr vega asks if we can adopt that husk head and then it ends up in my cabin anyway

also can't believe how married messers vega and cortez are I LOVE THEM SO MUCH YOUR HONOUR

steeb :'((

i've been having a rough time and i think a hug from jimmy vega would fix me. just compress me, bro

LEGIOOOOON :'((((

oh my god when grunt does the thing and you think he's gone and then he comes stumbling out of the cave and collapses

love how shep is like A LIL HELP HERE and garrus comes swaggering up leisurely to collect his krogan son (we're not dating but we're definitely co-parenting)

ADAMS IS SO HAPPY HIS ENGINEER DAUGHTER TALI IS BACK

i love tali's character arc

WE CURED THE GENOPHAGE BITCHES

dalatrass can go and sulk for all eternity, don't give a shit. wrex did the right thing

oh lookie here, ashley magically isn't racist anymore! hate how there's no discussion of that in the game. the writers just quietly retconned that shit when it could've been a genuine example of growth--something the other members of the og crew all got lmao.

fuck cerberus

FUCK CERBERUS

can't wait to blow up all the reapers

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

AMoW March Trope-A-Thon Day 7 - Angst (Catharsis)

Fun fact, this scene was what made me realize what makes Mariano soft. Evritt belongs to @brinkofdiscovery and this is based off an RP we did!

TWs: alcohol (casual consumption)

This seaside resort was unparalleled. The ocean was still cool from spring, the old-world pools had been beautifully restored, and the drinks were strong enough to relax with without risking getting wasted. Sipping something that sang of the pineapples from the market nearby and leaning against the edge of the large pool, Mariano felt at peace.

The water was clear and comfortable, tugging at the shirt he wore when swimming in public. The stars were bright and clear in the sky above them, uncaring of the lanterns that lit the town below. The knight nearby didn't even seem nervous when he had stepped into the water, little umbrella-ed drink in hand and a polite nod given his way.

Brunet hair and long pointed ears, he had to be foreign. It was easy to strike up a conversation, too. His smile was easy and his eyes were warm--and if Mariano's eyes wandered to his sculpted shoulders, it was alright. The soft, warm lighting did everyone favors.

"I'm sorry--" Evritt said, cutting himself off, mid-sentence. "Do you know who you look like?"

There it was. The end of the comfortable conversation. "Oh, the Kingslayer?" He asked, already bracing for the disdain. He'd earned it. "Yes, that's me." The little laugh tacked on couldn't hope to soften the impact.

Evritt laughed a little himself. "Do you get that a lot?"

"You could say that. They...are correct, though. Bastian usually gives it away."

Evritt's smile faltered. There it was. "You're...not joking."

"I'm not. No one here is in danger, I promise." Mariano said, sipping his drink again. The sweet, sour pineapple tasted stale now. Sickly. "Consider me off duty."

"So why...are you here?" Evritt asked. He had to be ready to leave, to get up and escape.

Maybe he should've just stuck with water. The drink was a rare indulgence, but the mood was quickly souring it. "Traveling, seeing the sights." He said, setting his cup on the stone lining the pool. He couldn't look at Evritt anymore. "Yourself?"

"I can't say, actually. Royal business from the mountains. I'm traveling, too." Evritt laughed again, nerves peeking through. "You seem like you're used to people being afraid of you."

"I...am. It's fair though, I understand their reasoning." Mariano said with a shrug. "Nothing to do but prove them wrong--or right."

Evritt fell silent for a few moments, the warm breeze playing in the leaves of the palms that lined the resort. Any moment now, Mariano would hear the soft swish of water, the drip of someone exiting the pool. He wouldn't talk to Evritt again.

"You...you are just a legend back home." Evritt said, quietly.

Mariano looked at him, finally, eyes slightly wider. He was glad he'd set his drink down, it would've ended up in the water otherwise. "Can...can I ask how? I don't think I've ever visited your area." He didn't recall razing a town in the mountains, but that didn't mean very much in the throes of his late king's curse.

"You...so, we were preparing for invasion. To be invaded, I mean. By your king--your ex-king." Evritt started, setting his own drink down to free up his hands. Mariano's stomach wanted to turn. "We knew it was coming, but we didn't know when. We just...we all knew we didn't stand a chance. I'd just graduated from the academy and I felt like I was staring down death. We all did."

Where was Evritt going with this?

"And then one day, you just--he was gone. The potential war was over. We were safe." Evritt looked relieved, like he'd just gotten that news all over again. "And you...you are so, so terrifying. And infamous. And killing the guy who planned to destroy your home isn't something you can just send a gift basket for, but we...we know. It was you." Evritt's voice softened, and Mariano didn't know when he'd stopped being able to look away. When he'd stopped feeling so sick to his stomach. "We couldn't have survived if you hadn't done what you did, when you did."

"I..." Mariano felt his own face heat up. He didn't know what was happening in his chest. It almost felt like he wanted to cry, or shout, or hide. Or all three, somehow? "It wasn't nearly so virtuous, or selfless, on my end." He said, face red. When had it gotten so warm? There was no way he was even close to tipsy, not with a fifth of one mostly-fruit drink in him. "I'm...glad it helped. And that it spared people."

Evritt fell quiet, some emotion that Mariano couldn't hope to name swimming in his eyes. His ears weren't lowered though--what was he thinking about? "You know...back home they actually make fun of us knights now. It's--it's not bad or anything, but everyone knows that most of our job duties are patrolling for anyone who fell off of a cliff, or getting runaway cattle back home." They were about the same age. Evritt looked so much younger than Mariano did though, with hardly a scar on his body and no lines on his face. "They say we're errand boys with swords." Evritt laughed, watery and sounding like he'd been wanting to say this to someone for a while.

Maybe he had.

"But the thing is, we were soldiers." Evritt said, squeezing his own hands together. "I was training to die and I knew it. I'm...I'm so happy to just be an errand boy with a sword."

Mariano couldn't say anything. He wasn't even sure if he could swallow. Evritt shifted where he sat, taking a deeper breath and sending a glance Mariano's way.

"I'm...I'm sorry if that was too emotional, or too much information."

"No," Mariano was finally able to say, his own voice sounding thick. He swallowed, finally, and tried again with a small smile. "No, you're more than fine. I'm just not very expressive." He said. "It makes me happy to hear that. You deserve that peace."

Evritt deserved to never have to hear how people begged when they knew it wouldn't make a difference. He deserved to herd cattle for farmers and be teased about it. He deserved to look his age.

Something shifted in the atmosphere then. Some tension broke. Evritt looked nervous still, but...a different sort, somehow. "...Can I buy you a drink?"

Mariano smiled, more fully this time. "You don't have to, you certainly don't owe me anything. But...if you want to, yes. Yes, you may."

Evritt wanted to.

[liminevator]

[Interview log]

Topic: ID #0008's past prior to entering The Outer Bounds

Subjects involved: Prof. Radiant (Interviewer) and #0008 (Interviewee) (Note: Prof. Radiant's stutter has been written out of this transcription for ease of accessibility for readers)

[Begin log]

R: "Good morning Mr. CoLatta! How are you doing today?"

#0008: "Ehh I'm doin' fine, same old same old. How about you?"

R: "Oh!" [chuckles] "Yes, yes I'm doing quite alright as well."

R: "I'm sure you already understand the gist of this by now, I'm just going to ask you some simple questions and document your responses, these all should be very easy and you are free to respond in any way you wish so long as it is on topic, okay?"

[#0008 Nods in response]

R: "Alright! So, first question. Can you list off for me the five basics about yourself?"

(Authors Note: "the five basics" are name, age, birthday, gender, and origin, we ask this at the beginning of every interview as a safety precaution.)

#0008: "Yeah sure, my name is Tropicarl Coco-CoLatta, I was 18 years old when I lost track, my birthday is- was August 22nd, I was born a woman but no longer identify as one, and I was a Phonian citizen for my whole life."

R: "Mm yes, and what year were you born?"

#0008: "2006."

[Prof. Radiant pauses and looks at #0008 confused for a moment, before writing down its response]

R: "...Okay, and roughly when do you recall entering the Outer Bounds?"

#0008: "Ahh jeez... I wanna say it was around 20██? I'd been stuck at home for a long time by then so my memory is a bit fuzzy."

R: "Stuck at home? Did something happen, or was this by choice?"

#0008: "Eugh yeah no not my choice, there was some sorta huge virus outbreak so I got stuck all by myself at home with my roommate, I think it was called ██████████? And I mean I still went outside in my yard every now and then to get some sun but that was kinda it. One day I got ready to go do that but when I opened my door it just... wasn't my yard anymore, and that's how I'd ended up here."

R: "...Ah, I see. I'm sorry to hear that. Did- Did your entire house really slip through?"

#0008: "Yeah my house is still exactly the same as it was the day I got here, well, I mean ya'know what I mean. It's the same house, not a copy. Hell, Juggs didn't even know it'd happened since honk was dead asleep on the lazy boy through the whole thing."

R: "Wow, that's probably the smoothest transition we've heard about so far." [Chuckles]

R: "Since you just mentioned Juggalogo though... would you mind if I ask a few questions about honk as well?"

#0008: "Not at all Rads, hit me with it."

R: "Good, good. Now, did you ever happen to notice any strange metaphysical behaviors from honk during your time in reality? Like, had honk ever seemed particularly detached from the world in strange ways, or vanishing for long periods of time through impossible exits, things of that nature?"

#0008: "Hmm... Well, now that you mention it, honk did sometimes do stuff sorta like that? Like, honk would tell me that honk was headed out and then would just turn the corner and POOF! Not a trace, like honk was never there at all. Then a few hours or days later honk would just be there on the couch again, it was weird but I never asked about it."

[Prof. Radiant pauses for a moment failing to hide his disbelief, before clearing his throat and continuing]

R: "I... uhm, okay- do you... even know where Juggalogo came from? At all?"

#0008: "Nope, not at all, I met honk in a Taco Ball parking lot, got honk and I each one'a those beefy 5-layer burritos to be nice and we split an edible and we've been friends ever since."

R: "Do you know... what Juggalogo is?"

#0008: "Isn't honk just another monster? I dunno I've only read a few of those denizen files Eskobar wrote up"

R: "Okay... backtracking now. Are you aware of the planet J-Sibler?"

#0008: "Yeah, that little tennis ball looking one just past the suns right?"

R: "Yes correct, and good to hear there were two suns for you as well. Were you aware of any alien life present on that planet?"

#0008: "Well I mean I was always one of those people who had their theories, but nothing was 'scientifically' confirmed or whatever."

R: "...Ah. Have you... ever met any aliens- hey, don't smirk at me like that, you know Ick doesn't count."

#0008: "Eheh, yeah no never had until I got here, to my knowledge anyway."

R: "Seriously??- I- sorry, okay. Backtracking further, how many continents were there?"

#0008: "Six."

R: "What color was the atmosphere?"

#0008: "It was... blue?"

R: "Do you recognize what this is?"

[Radiant, getting increasingly stressed, proceeds to hold up a photograph of himself next to a typical Phonian cargo ship, something every citizen on the surface has seen at least once]

#0008: "Is that you next to some huge spaceship?? Where the hell did that come from, were you in a movie or something? I would've thought you were way too dorky for tha-"

[Radiant ditches the photo and grabs #0008 by the shoulders]

R: "WHAT HAPPENED IN PHONIAN HISTORY ON DECEMBER 31ST 1999 THROUGH TO JANUARY 1ST??"

#0008: "I DONT KNOW DUDE- A BOMB ASS NEW YEARS PARTY??"

[Radiant lets go and pauses to breathe for a minute and lets off some visible electricity into the air around him to calm down, causing a slight audio distortion for a few seconds]

R: "I- sorry- I apologize for yelling, I need to... go call Dr. Kusatta, you are free to go Tropicarl."

[#0008, visibly shaken from the outburst, silently nods and leaves the room. Followed soon after by Prof. Radiant.]

[End Log]

[the-firebird69]

All 4 tires came off the ground because of 2000+ hp

They were doing this all week practically any of the drag cars will lift off like this but the Camaro is lighter and powered right it's very fast and with our son's kit it goes extremely fast people are making these Ferrari kits and with the trunk lid and it's not that hard these days with the technology. It's going to soon be one of the biggest hits on Earth because of what it does usually they have a 350 in them and it's an LS1 type motor and when you add the fairings which are not really that thick and they're lightweight and the whole kit and you put the dot kit on you pull all the electronic crap off it goes about 700 miles an hour and people think it's awesome the thing looks completely radical it's a Ferrari if anyone's ever seen one and it rides it's intense it rides extremely well and Timmy Doyle said this is going to be the biggest hit on Earth he would have one in a minute if he could get one probably painted himself the color of the Camaro give me the coolest car in town and he's trying to get one and they're making them and there's several manufacturers about five and now they're saying they're eight contenders they're probably out about 700 million a day soon it's going to be $700 billion and you said we should probably start ourselves trying to get in there and we're going to go ahead and do that sometime soon there's about 20 more that are starting and we can make a company out of it I don't he doesn't think anybody checks and they don't really not as much as other stuff they will check later and be ready by then we're going to go ahead and do this

Nuada Arianna

He always says this I'd like to get one but they're probably way too fast for me but they look really cool maybe I can get one for six cylinder and help me with the gas mileage let me say that's fine even the six of them would be way too fast like 290 miles an hour so you have to get a limiter and you don't know how to put those on and we don't want people doing that work these days

Thor Freya

I can put one on there for like 80 and this is at 80 I wouldn't even be going to speed limit that's funny it's still like a hundred isn't bad with that car it's not a bad idea cuz it will save a gas it would look cool instead of his usual crappy look

Hera

His cover is horrendous and he says it's not covered they have me under house arrest and we're actually going to see say that because we need to get them out of that. The pseudo empire is under attack as is the empire they are under severe attack their bunkers are being hit all over the world and they keep saying we have a fleet and what are you doing and try to get their fleet in and foreigners are fighting them both of them and they're not doing well and both fleets are getting beat up and the stone ships are under siege up north of the max are hitting them extremely hard and sitting troops huge numbers not only from the bunkers but from all over the place and they're going up there and fighting and trying to take the ships and they're making a major offensive now and we think that they're going to break through their defenses and it will be forced to launch sometime real soon we hear it on the radio too that they're saying we have this many and have any this line is not going to hold and they all have to launch if one does and they're starting to deplete other areas badly. Right now this is turned into a big war it's getting much bigger there's a lot of things going on and all the same time. The hammers had well the stones here have not moved and we think our son is correct I need to move out so they can move and other things have to change in order to move the black ship so he's going to try and do something and we're going to hope it works

This morning going on but they'll be more news in a few hours

Thor Freya

Olympus

Thor Freya

[doctorbrown]

Once again, Emmett scoffs, this time sharper so that there's no room to misinterpret his opinion on his counterpart's deplorable—and rather concerning—actions. ❝The point is, he allowed Hill Valley to become this❞—with a grand, yet no less disgusted gesture, he indicates the monitors strewn across the desk, the cameras looming ominously above—Big Brother, indeed! all that was missing were the on-the-nose signs—❝and either doesn't see why that's a problem or isn't willing to do something about it. If you ask me, he might've benefitted from a—❞

He trails off, remembering himself. He might benefit from biting his tongue in this situation and avoiding vilifying his counterpart in front of Marty, who clearly, at least in some capacity, looks up to him.

The pit slowly opening up in his stomach as he catches every single one of Marty's broken expressions becomes a chasm and Emmett does his best to not allow the hurt over the obvious fear in his eyes, the shattered pieces of his self-worth crumbling before him, to show on his face.

Marty's emotions are too fragile, too mercurial to allow him any moment to try and address everything written so painfully clear across his face, so he chooses to focus on the most poignant part of his disbelief—their seemingly impossible friendship.

Emmett nods, slowly. ❝You have friends where I'm from, even if I haven't met them all personally. I've heard you talk about them often enough to the point where I could almost say I know them. But you were my first—besides my dog Einstein, that is—in a while and you're still my closest friend today.❞

Instinct tells him to reach for the boy and initiate physical contact as a grounding mechanism as he's done time-and-time again over the course of their friendship, something that, while once awkward, has since become second-nature. But Marty's visceral reaction to him even calmly approaching him is enough to make him rethink that—he certainly can't blame the young man.

If his counterpart is as prominent and powerful as this office and Marty have led him to believe, being approached in such a manner likely spells disaster.

❝No more contingently false than I am standing here in your reality right now,❞ Emmett admits, working beyond his surprise to hear such concepts coming from his dear friend's mouth. The nature of this conversation makes his skin crawl. "A possible world is nothing more than the maximal mereological sum of spatiotemporally related things—something existing differently doesn't make it any less real. You're as real as I am, Marty. Arguably more so, as I'm the one who doesn't belong here."

There's something about Marty's readiness to accept that he and his reality are nothing but a falsehood, a blight to be corrected, that sets Emmett's stomach turning. He has neither the heart nor the will to divulge what he knows regarding the correction of temporal aberrations, at least not yet, and he can only hope he will never have to, no matter how the secret will fester and rot inside him.

His better judgment be damned, Emmett reaches out and places a gentle hand on Marty's shoulder.

❝I'll explain in more detail about what happened to bring me here elsewhere, I promise—I can't shake the feeling, despite this being my office, someone is watching me right now as well.❞ It's likely paranoia talking, but he would be in no way surprised to find his counterpart was being watched as vigilantly as the citizens of Orwell Valley.

❝Thank you for still agreeing to help me—I don't think I'd be able to get through this without you. You said I—my counterpart—has a lab in secret out by the ravine. Do you know how to get there? I assume I've still got a car here—that's about two miles out, assuming something hasn't drastically changed the terrain.❞

Martin bites his lip. Part of him-- the part he wants Jennifer to see, the part he thinks he shares with Dave and Linda-- feels vindicated. Yes, Citizen Brown was the architect of not just the city, but of all their problems too. But the other part of him knows how reluctant Citizen Brown is to go home at the end of the night, his sallow face, his sunken eyes.

"...I... I don't know about unchallenged, sir," he admits, clasping his left wrist behind his back and lowering his gaze. The man in front of him as he was now certainly never would have given up without a fight.

He looks up instantly at the other's encouragement, eyes wide in disbelief.

"...Really?" Martin asks, desperately searching his face. There's a spark of hope in his eyes, but it's faint and fragile and immediately extinguished by his rejection. The boy's face falls, rapidly flashing through horror, hurt, and panic, as if the idea of causing Citizen Brown offense brought him actual pain.

Before he can apologize, everything completely shatters. The words ring in his ears, the rest of the universe and the world outside fading into static.

"I... I have a friend?..." he says before he can stop himself. His composure falling apart by the second, he runs his hands down his face before running them through his hair. "What am I saying-- Jesus, that's pathetic, I'm pathetic-- I mean... you're saying that you're... friends with... with me?..."

Martin reflexively backs away from the man as he advances, but after a moment and a guilty look, carefully takes the photograph.

It's unquestionably him, happier in one split second than he's ever felt in his life.

Burning, stinging heat pricks at his eyes as he stares at the image, watching it blur in front of him. His breath hitches and he squeezes his eyes shut.

After a long moment, he opens them, returning Cit--Doctor Brown's gaze.

"So... the Everett interpretation... modal realism." Martin's tone sounds breathless and hollow as he slowly starts to speak. His hands start to shake. "You're from a possible world. Or this is the possible world. And I'm a... what, a-a contingent proposition? If... If this is true," he indicates the photograph, his voice straining as it rises in pitch, "and it is, that means that all of this... that I-I'm... contingently false?"

He takes a moment to take in a shaky breath, digging his thumb and his forefinger into his eyes.

"I, um..." Martin continues, quiet, "I gotta say it makes sense." His shoulders fall, looking much too old and far too young all at once. "I'll... I'll help you, Doctor Brown. Something must have gone really wrong to make you end up here. I'm sorry."

[smoothdogsgirl]

Before He Cheats

Masterlist

Chapter 2

Summary:

"Kelly Severide was pretty excited to see his fiancée standing in his living room. That is, until she opened her mouth to tell him her news. Then he was just pissed. And really, really hurt. But mostly pissed. So he called the one person he thought might understand: his best friend. What will happen as they try to navigate this new world filled with hurt, anger... and companionship?"

Notes:

I don't own any of the characters or shows; they belong to Dick Wolf and Wolf Entertainment. I am just borrowing and playing in the sandbox. No money is being made off of this. Please DO NOT repost my work on other sites. I will cross-post this with my AO3 account. Thank you to @ArwenHermione for all your help brainstorming, and for being my sounding board and beta. Any remaining mistakes are mine.

Story Mater List

Chapter 2

After sending the text, Kelly angrily emptied and repacked his duffle, flinging his dirty laundry into the hampers he kept in his closet, some of the items missing their target and landing on the closet floor. Kelly then changes into his running clothes, grabbing his hoodie from a chair by the door. He dons the hoodie as he leaves the room. He notes that Stella’s bags have not moved from the living room. The sight of the bags intensifies his anger, resentment, and hurt as they are a visual representation of everything he has just lost. Kelly can hear her moving around Casey's old room as he heads to the kitchen. He grabs a large hydration flask filling it with water from the fridge, and a banana out of the fruit bowl on his counter. Quickly walking to the front door, he grasps his keys from the entryway table before he can leave though Stella comes out of the spare room. 

“Where are you going, Kelly? I thought we could talk some more about everything.” 

"Not right now, we don't. Stella, I'm angry. Very angry. And I'm hurt. You do not want to talk to me right now. Trust me; you wouldn't like anything I'd say. I need to clear my head first, so I'm going for a run." he tells her honestly.

“In this weather? It’s freezing out.” Stella voices with concern.

“Don't give me that crap, Stella. If you really cared about me, we wouldn't be in this situation. Besides, I’ve been running in this for the last eight weeks, just fine. I run any day I’m not on shift. Not to mention before Shay died, I ran regularly.”

“Oh…I didn’t know.”

“Maybe if you had answered the phone or a text, you would have,” Kelly bit out sarcastically. He then leaves the loft without a backward glance leaving Stella standing in the open doorway.

He drives his Mustang to the meeting place. When he sees his friend already there waiting for him, he sighs in relief. Parking next to her black Jeep Cherokee, he takes a quick sip of water before getting out. He grabs his beanie off the passenger seat and pulls it onto his head. Locking his car, he joins Hailey. They greet each other with a quick “hi” and a fist bump as he follows her warm-up stretches. 

They take off on their usual four-mile loop of the riverwalk when they're ready. However, Kelly's anger finally comes to a head, and as he puts one foot in front of the other, he picks up the pace and starts to push himself. Hailey watches him take off but picks up her pace so as not to be left too far behind. After roughly a mile, Kelly’s pace slows down again and Hailey pushes herself a little bit to catch up with him. 

“So Usain Bolt, do you want to tell me why you just set a new record for the first mile of our run? You haven’t pushed this hard in a few weeks.” Hailey asks huffing, trying to catch her breath.

“Stella came home tonight….”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn't this what you’ve been wanting? Why aren’t you at home with her?” 

Kelly glances over at her, and his expression is full of pain and anger, “If only it were that simple.”

“Come on, Severide. What’s going on?” Hailey pushes, wanting a better understanding of her friend's mood. She’s seen him after a bad shift or call, and this isn’t it. Something else is causing him anguish, and she isn’t about to let him bottle up whatever it is. “Talk to me, Kelly. You know me, I’m not going to let this go.”

Kelly shakes his head and nudges her in the arm with his elbow, “Hey! I thought we agreed to you not using your interrogation skills on me… but to answer your question. She’s pregnant; the baby isn’t mine because she had a one-night stand while she was gone.”

“What the fuck!” Hailey exclaims. “Please tell me this is a bad joke?”

“I wish… but no, it’s the story of my fucking life. On the bright side, you get to keep your running partner.”

“There is that. Now that I’ve broken you in, I wasn’t looking forward to replacing you.” Hailey tells him honestly. “Though I may have to cancel, I’m in the process of apartment hunting. I need to find a new place to rent; I can’t keep crashing on my little brother’s couch.”

“Shit! The loft was feeling empty since Casey left, part of the reason I wanted her to come home. But now, with all of this… I told her to pack her stuff and get out.” Angrily he wipes away a lone tear, “I’m going to need to find a new place. I can't stay in that loft.”

“Hear me out; this may sound crazy….” Hailey pauses for a moment, “but why don't we get a place and be roommates. If we pool our resources, we could find a decent place.”

After a few minutes of silence, “That’s a good idea. Plus, with your work schedule and my shifts, we shouldn’t drive each other too crazy.”

The two continued running the loop until they reached their cars. When they finished their cool-down stretches, Hailey took a long sip from her hydration flask; she then glances at her watch, “It's just past midnight now. Are you on shift in the morning?”

“No, I came off of a twenty-four-hour shift this morning. Why?” Kelly asks.

“Well, I don’t have to be in the district until ten am, so let's meet at Manny’s for breakfast at eight-thirty. We can talk about your situation some more after you’ve slept on it. Plus, we can also discuss our living.”

“You’re on,” Kelly tells her as he unlocks his car, they wave at each other briefly as they leave the lot heading home in opposite directions.  

***********CFD***********PD***********CFD***********CFD***********PD***********CFD******

Kelly spends the night tossing and turning, unable to fall or stay asleep. At four-thirty, he gives up; going into the bathroom, he grabs a quick shower, then, dressed in jeans and a henley, he leaves his room. Quietly he goes into the kitchen and starts the coffee machine while pulling a large thermos out of the cupboard. While waiting, he writes a note for Stella telling her that he would like her to pack what she needs and be gone by the time he gets home later in the day and that they can arrange a time for her to pick up her larger items. When the coffee is made, he sneaks out of his apartment, going for a drive through the city, hoping to settle his mind. He’s used to physical fatigue from the demands of his job, but that feels insignificant to the emotional and mental fatigue he feels from the last twelve or so hours. For the briefest of seconds, there was pure joy in his heart when Stella said she is pregnant. But that joy has now turned into this deep chasm of pain. He is almost tempted to call Matt, but looking at the clock and the time difference he decides against it. 

He wouldn't have recalled how he got to Loyola beach if you'd asked him later on. But now that he was here, he figured he might as well go for a walk. Retrieving the thermos of coffee, he got out of the car and walked toward the beach. Since last night, he didn't know what to make of all the emotions running riot. Angry. Betrayed. Hurt. Upset. Sad. Conflicted. All of them rolled into one package named Stella Kidd. How could she do this to him? Why did she do this? Where did she get off trying to blame him for her betrayal? Was this always going to be his reality: every woman would betray him and abandon him? Would he ever get the chance to be a father? He kicks at the sand at his feet, watching a small stone tumble into the nearby water.

Standing at the lake's edge, Kelly watches the first rays of sunlight breach the distant horizon. A cold breeze is coming off Lake Michigan, going through his body, causing him to shiver and his teeth to chatter. Even though his face has become painfully numb from the cold lake air Kelly cant find it in himself to move and find a more sheltered location. The numbing pain on his face is similar to the pain he is feeling in his chest, replacing the love he feels for Stella. Kelly looks at his watch once the sun has wholly crossed the horizon. Realizing it is almost seven-thirty and will hit commuter traffic, he returns to his car. Due to the morning traffic, it takes Kelly nearly an hour to get to Manny’s, where he is meeting Hailey for breakfast.

Hailey’s Jeep pulls in next to him as he parks his car. Together they enter Manny’s, where Maia, the head waitress on duty, points to their usual booth, indicating it is available. They nod in thanks and take a seat. Maia brings them two coffee cups a few minutes later, “Morning, you two. Do you need a menu, or are you ordering the usual?”

Kelly and Hailey share a look before she grins and responds, “we’ll have our usual.”

“You got it,” Maia smiles and heads to the kitchen while writing the order on her pad.

Hailey grabs a couple of sugar packets from the table caddy and pours them into her coffee as Kelly sips from his cup. Neither says anything, and they just enjoy watching the hustle and bustle of the dinner. 

Eventually, Hailey breaks the silence, “did you get any sleep? You look like shit.” 

“I tossed and turned for a few hours; I got tired of looking at the ceiling, so I went for a drive.” He pauses, taking another sip of his coffee, “eventually, I ended up at Loyola beach, and I stayed there until the sun came up.”

Hailey reaches out and gives his forearm a comforting squeeze. “I am sorry; I know what she means to you.”

Kelly shrugs, “Yeah, about as much as Halstead means to you.”

Hailey lets out a hollow chuckle in response. “The big difference between you and me is that I’m the one who fucked up my relationship. I lied and kept things from Jay, and in the end, he had to cross a line to save not only my ass but his and Voight’s. As much as it fucking hurts, it’s on me.” She takes a sip out of her cup, “You didn’t do or cause this. Stella did.”

“No chance of you two fixing things?” Kelly asked though he was sure of the answer.

“Jay and I have moved our things from the apartment. I heard he’s been crashing at Will’s place while looking for a new place. Most of my stuff is in storage, and I’ve been sleeping on my little brother’s couch. We’ve been keeping things professional at work; when anything personal comes up, the squad room's temp drops in the polar vortex range.” Hailey picks up her teaspoon and begins to stir her cup idly. “Have you given more thought to what you’re going to do about your living situation?”

“I told Stella she has until the end of the day to move out, that we can arrange a time when she comes by to get her bigger items. I can’t live under the same roof as her.”

“What about work? You’ll both be at 51.”

“I’ll do what you’re doing. Keep it professional. Stella reports to Pelham; he’s the new Lieutenant on Truck 81. If need be, I’ll talk to the Chief about loaning me back out to OFI for a bit. They always need bodies.”

“From everything you’ve told me, you hate being tied to a desk; you love the thrill and adrenaline rush from going out on a call. Don’t let her take that from you as well.”

Maia returns to the table carrying a tray with several dishes, “for my favorite detective, I have a veggie omelet, fresh fruit bowl, and a glass of orange juice.” she states as she sets the items in front of Hailey. Turning, “and for my favorite firefighter, I have the corned beef hash and eggs with a short stack of buttermilk pancakes and a glass of orange juice.” She winks at him.

“Thank you, Maia,” both say to the waitress as she heads back to the kitchen. 

Both dig into their meal for a few minutes before Hailey continues, “I'm not part of the CFD, but even within CPD, you're known as being very good at what you do. Use that… What about the academy? Could you be a guest instructor?”

Kelly pauses and looks up, “funny; you should mention the academy. Deputy District Chief Tiberg, the Chief of Academy Operations, called me last shift because he needs a substitute instructor for a couple of CPFTA classes. One of the regular instructors has health problems associated with a recent bout of COVID.”

“CPFTA?” Hailey asks.

“The Chicago Police and Firefighter Training Academy,” Kelly responds.

“Wait, is that the program for high school students interested in working for the CPD or CFD?”

“Yeah, it is. When Chief Tiberg called, I told him I needed to think about it and speak with Boden, as he’ll need to find a relief lieutenant.” 

“So, how do you feel about the offer?”

“I’ve taught several classes at the academy and enjoyed it. Not as a permanent thing; I’m not ready for that yet.”

Hailey couldn’t help but chuckle at that statement, “copy.”

“This would be different, though, teaching high schoolers.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way but do you even like kids?” Hailey asked cautiously.  

Kelly couldn’t hold in the full belly laugh that erupted from his core at the worried expression on Hailey’s face, “Yes, I like kids, But tell me, how are you able to work undercover? You have such an expressive face.”

“Hahaha, you wise-ass!” Hailey exclaims. “So you like kids, but are you any good with them?”

“Well, I haven't killed Herrmann’s youngest.” Kelly says with a straight face.

“What?” Hailey asks, clearly confused.

“Kenny Herrmann is my god son. I usually watch him a couple of times a month.” Kelly admits. “Sometimes he helps me with the boats I work with, we’ve hit the batting cages, and sometimes we work on a project when he wants to make something for Cindy or Herrmann. It’s a good time. Now that he’s a little older and out of diapers, we do some enjoyable things.”

Hailey nods her head slightly in agreement, “my other brother has two kids, Tommy is five, and Evie is three, and they are both now at the stage where it is fun to do things with them. “

They continue to eat their respective meals in relative silence. As Kelly finishes his breakfast, he looks over at Hailey, “So... we talked about our housing situation yesterday," Kelly started a little hesitantly. "Did you mean what you said, or have you been looking by yourself? How's that going?”

With a sardonic chuckle, she responds, “not ok. The few places I’ve looked at in my price range within a reasonable distance of the district come with roommates in the form of roaches, mice, or rats.” She is utterly disgusted, “I think if I want to find a decent place, I will have to find a human roommate that can offset the cost, not freeload. Why do you ask if I meant it? What did you have in mind?”

“Much as I like my own space, coming home to an empty apartment after an intense shift is not fun. I've discovered I actually like having other people around, just so long as we're not constantly on each other's lip. The lease on the loft has been month to month, and the building owner has been good to me, as he likes having first responders in the building. I know he owns a few others, so I will ask him if he has any openings in his other buildings.”

Hailey nods, “I’m impressed; that's a solid plan.”

“I’m glad, so how would you feel about being my roommate?” Kelly throws out.

“What?” Hailey asks, shocked.

“Do. You. Want. To. Be. My. Roommate?” Kelly asks again, slowly this time.

“Are you fucking with me?” Hailey asks. “If so, I’m not amused,” she adds.

“I’m serious,” Kelly admits to her.

A genuine smile breaks out on Hailey’s face; she holds out her hand “you got yourself a deal, Kelly.”

Kelly shakes her hand, a genuine smile gracing his face. As they finish shaking on their deal, Maia approaches their table, “Can I get you guys anything else.”

“More coffee please,” Kelly requests before looking over to Hailey, “I could use a refill too,” she chimes in. 

Maia nods with a smile as she collects their dishes, “coming right up.” She then heads off to the kitchen. 

While waiting for Maia to return with their coffee, Kelly calls his landlord Max. Kelly gives Max a barebones explanation as to why he is looking to move and that he would like to move into a loft in one of his other buildings if at all possible. Kelly listened to Max for several minutes before ending the call. Just as he hangs up his phone, Maia brings out their coffees. They nod their heads in thanks.

“Any chance you can come in late for work today?” Kelly asks.

“If I have a good excuse, Voight won't mind,” Hailey replies.

“Does looking at a new place to live qualify?” Kelly asks with a raised brow. 

Hailey just picks up her cell and sends a message to Voight, “Done. So I take it your landlord has something we can move into.”

Kelly chuckles at her enthusiasm, “he has a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath penthouse loft in a recently bought building. It's not too far from the firehouse or district. Utilities are included, so we should be fine if we split the rent, it should be fine.”

“All right, when do we roll?” Hailey asks, her body shaking slightly with excitement as she bounces slightly in her seat. 

Kelly shakes his head a little at her enthusiasm, “let’s finish our coffee; Max said he'll meet us at the loft in an hour.”

Hailey picks up her cup of coffee and takes a sip; as she puts the cup back down, she mumbles, “ok.” Her mind begins to wander as they sit in comfortable silence. *To sleep in my own bed again will be amazing; I love Caleb, but I’m not sure how much longer my back can take that couch… I’m glad Kelly has agreed to be roommates, he’s a good guy and has really been there for me since Jay and I split… I feel bad for him; I can’t believe Stella cheated on him after everything that they’ve been through already.*

Kelly watches Hailey lost in her thoughts yet still taking small sips from her coffee cup. A genuine smile crosses his face;* note to self NEVER come between that woman and her coffee.*

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

I live for constructive feedback, comments, and thoughts. Please let me know what you think.

Constructive feedback is welcome, TROLLS will be ignored.

[latteunwoo]

friendly rivalry || j.ww + k.sy

↪  What happens when two best friends end up going after the same girl? Will one of them be able to win her heart? Will their friendship be in danger?

pairing: oc x wonwoo; oc x hoshi; oc x ??? (wink wonk you'll see at the end)

genre: fluff; humor

A/N: Request from @hazelbean13. Do note that most if not all of the content are not real/accurate because this is an AU (Alternate Universe).

seventeen m.list || main m.list

-

Out of everyone in their friend group, Hoshi and Wonwoo are truly the closest. In fact, some might say that they are exactly carbon copies of each other. They've always liked and done the same things.

For example, when they were little, when Hoshi got the new gaming console for this birthday, Wonwoo just had to get the same one for his birthday so they could play together.

Another example would be when they were in high school and joined both the soccer team as well as the gaming club because they didn't want to spend a second of their after school time without each other.

Of course there are some things one likes that the other dislikes and luckily because of that they've also never liked the same girl. That is until they met Hazel.

Hazel was about two years older than them. The first time they met her was during their college freshman orientation when she just so happened to be one of their facilitators. They didn't know what it was, but there for sure was something about her that caught their eyes.

At first they didn't know that they happened to be crushing on the same girl. However, once the both found out that they liked the same girl, Hoshi wouldn't let Wonwoo live after that.

"Did you talk to Hazel today?" Hoshi asked as he quickly sat down next to Wonwoo while some of the other students in the library quickly shushed him for talking too loud.

"Why are you asking me?" Wonwoo asked as Hoshi's smile grew wider.

"Because I talked to her today and she said that I was her favorite."

"Favorite what?"

"I'm actually not sure because she just said I was her favorite but I'm pretty sure that I'm her favorite freshman at least. Has she called your her favorite before?" Hoshi teased as Wonwoo just let out a small laugh.

"Yes, she has actually," he said as Hoshi gasped.

"No way! I don't believe you."

"Ask her yourself. But I'm pretty sure she's just nice to everyone."

"Are you saying she's lying then?"

"No, I'm saying that she probably tells that to everyone else because she doesn't want to upset them and also because she kinda has to be nice to all of us since she is an upperclassmen and they're supposed to set a good example for us."

"Valid. But I still think she actually did mean it when she said I was her favorite."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, I always talk to her and she always says that she thinks I'm funny-"

"Funny looking," Wonwoo said as Hoshi was about to snap back but was stopped by the sound of Hazel calling out to the both of them.

"Hey guys!"

"Hi Hazel!" The two said as they both turned to wave towards her as she walked towards them.

"Are you guys still helping out at the fair tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we'll be there!"

"Great, thanks! You're the best!" Hazel said as she reached up to pat both of them on the head before walking the other way, "I'll see you tomorrow then!"

"Did you hear that? She said I'm the best," Hoshi teased as Wonwoo just let out a scoff as he rolled his eyes at the older boy.

"Correction, she said that to the both of us so technically-"

"Yeah, whatever," Hoshi interrupted Wonwoo as he started walking away, "We'll see tomorrow who she thinks is better!"

"This isn't a competition though..." Wonwoo said to himself as he followed Hoshi to their next class.

Come the next day, Hoshi was more than ready to kill two birds with one stone by not only proving to Wonwoo that he is Hazel's favorite but also try to win her heart.

"Here are all of the decorations for our booth," Hoshi said as he set down the last two boxes and stood up proudly.

Hazel couldn't help but let out a small laugh at how cute he was, "Perfect, thanks Hoshi!"

"You're welcome," Hoshi said as his face started heating up. Although everyone calls him Hoshi, it just felt different when Hazel called him that.

A few moments later, Hoshi came back with Hazel's hydroflask filled with fresh cold water.

"Here, I refilled your hydroflask for you!" Hoshi announced as Hazel turned around to see him holding out her hydroflask.

"Oh, thank you," Hazel said as she took the hydroflask from Hoshi to take a sip of water, "You didn't have to, but thanks."

Hoshi smiled widely once again when she patted his head before walking away to help out some of the other students with organizing their booth.

Wonwoo let out a small laugh as he watched the interaction between Hazel and Hoshi, "He really is trying hard to get her attention."

Unlike Hoshi, Wonwoo wasn't very forward with trying to get Hazel's attention and luckily for him doing nothing worked just fine as she had praised him for doing a good job even though he didn't really say anything.

"Nice job, Wonwoo! I didn't know you could draw so well," Hazel praised as Wonwoo was currently painting some cats onto their booth.

"Oh, thank you," Wonwoo said as he turned around only to jump at how close Hazel was to him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Hazel apologized as she slightly moved back to give him a little space as Wonwoo felt his heart start beating a little too fast than he wanted, "I just saw how good of a job you were doing and wanted to watch!"

This went on for the rest of the day, Hoshi doing anything and everything to get Hazel's attention and Wonwoo doing the bare minimum but still somehow managing to get her attention.

"I think I'm winning," Hoshi announced proudly as Wonwoo just let out a small laugh.

"This isn't a competition, you know?"

"Everything is a competition to me."

"How do you even know if you're winning? Has she said anything to you?"

"Well, no-"

"Exactly. Also, stop being so forward, I'm pretty sure she's starting to feel uncomfortable with how forward you're being; I would."

"No she's not-"

"Why don't we just ask her who she likes better to get this over with?"

"That's actually not a bad idea, why didn't we think of that earlier?"

"Because you were too busy trying to get her attention every second."

"True," Hoshi said as he quickly looked around to see if Hazel was anywhere around. As soon as he spotted her, he quickly started waving at her to get her attention, "Hazel!"

"Oh, hey guys," Hazel said as she quickly walked towards them, "What's up? Is everything alright?"

"We have a question for you," Wonwoo said as he looked over at Hoshi to signal for him to ask it.

"Which one of us do you like better?" Hoshi quickly asked as both him and Wonwoo were eager to hear the answer.

"What do you mean? I like both of you!" Hazel said as she smiled and patted their heads.

"What we meant was, if you had to-"

Before Hoshi could finish his question, a very familiar figure started walking towards the three of them.

"Hey guys! Hey love," the man said as Hoshi and Wonwoo's expressions quickly fell when they saw the guy put his arm around Hazel's shoulder and place a kiss on the top of her head.

"Hyung," Hoshi and Wonwoo said as they looked at the older boy Seungcheol who happened to be the captain of the university's soccer team.

"Wait, you didn't finish your question, Hoshi," Hazel said as she looked back at him and Wonwoo.

"Oh, it's nothing! Nevermind. Forget I even said anything!" Hoshi quickly said as he grabbed Wonwoo and dragged him the opposite way.

"What was that?" Seungcheol asked as Hazel just shrugged her shoulder.

"I don't know. They're pretty weird, but cute."

"He's her boyfriend!" Hoshi yelled as him and Wonwoo were finally out of Hazel and Seungcheol's view.

"I told you it wasn't worth trying so hard," Wonwoo said as Hoshi just let out a small laugh.

"You act like you're not affected too."

"Touche, my friend."

"Well, at least that's settled. I'd rather lose the girl than lose my bestest friend in the world," Hoshi said as he tried to give Wonwoo a hug but Wonwoo quickly swerved his reach.

"You were literally ready to do anything and everything including risking our friendship over her," Wonwoo said as he started walking the other way and Hoshi started following him while apologizing.

The end.

[siren-virus]

There's some stuff that has been going around in my head regarding Luckuboy!AU, so I'll just dump everything here and see how you might adapt/change/evolve some of these ideas, or don't use any of them since that's perfectly valid too and it's your au, not mine :3 anyways, this is a long idea that can be divided, so I'll do just that and make a paragraph for each sub-idea.

1) Ben's daily schedule: Ben most likely has a morning schedule in the coffee shop, and as such he would get to work early, now idk how they work, but I imagine Ben's day to day life would go something like this: Ben's alarm goes off at 7:00, he wakes up and leaves bed at 7:15, breakfast and shower before arriving at work at 8:00 (do shops open at 8:00? 8:30? idk :V), keep working until 16:00 with lunchtime tucked in the middle, hang out with friends/relax/naps until 20:00, start his own vigilante work until 2:00, where he goes to sleep and repeats. If his patrol is slow then he would go home earlier to sleep more, if it's hectic and he doesn't get enough sleep, then the afternoon/evening would be used in powernaps.

2) Ben the info brooker, I imagine that Ben would eventually get to know a lot, and I mean A LOT, of information about everyone and everything important that's going on in Undertown (which, considering the situation of Earth and the Plumbers, is probably the only alien world center, would be everything), and when he hears of someone having some kind of trouble, he gives them a nudge in a certain direction for them. Eventually word gets out that there's a new information brooker in town that has scarily accurate info, he works at a coffee shop and you better give him a big tip if you don't want some of your info to get out fast (how real this info is nobody knows, and since Ben hasn't heard of it he can't correct them)

2.5) One day Argit appears and asks for a coffee under a different name, when it's ready Ben calls for him (he used a fake name) and writes with an alcohol marker on the cup "Argit", scaring the hell out of him. "How did you know?" "I'd be shitty at what I do if I couldn't recognize you *wink*", then he tells him that as long as they do nothing dangerous near him he won't tattle him and Kevin to the Plumbers, or worse, Gwen. "Don't you dare" says Argit aghast, "Try me bitch" answers Ben grinning, almost double daring him into doing something dangerous only so he can call his cousin and set up a date

3) The coffee made in the shop is delicious, caters to every species needs, alergies, likes and dislikes, and everyone agrees that the place is the best of the best in the whole world for these reasons and more; thus the shop has been a tentative neutral zone for years, however the lack of "people" (idk what word to use that captures everyone, human or alien) that knows how to fight there has severly dampened the opportunity of it becoming one. Cue Ben beggining to work there, in the beggining it's nothing special, he's just a human who makes good coffee and is surprisingly charming, come a few weeks and months and everyone starts noticing how he's the infamous information brooker that has been the talk of Undertown, thus gathering a bit more attention. Eventually someone (Plumber, civilian, villain, whatever you choose) is more rude to him than needed and tries to get some info from him, even if it's by force... Ben decks him, like, he kicks their ass, defenestrates them, break a chair on them and hands them unconcious to the closest Plumber, bleeding and all while still being intact himself. Everyone glares in awe at the show of badassery and oficially the coffee shop becomes the new true neutral zone, where everyone can get coffee, exchange information and form unlikely friendships. Whenever someone tries to mess with the shop, if Ben isn't present, is busy or it's too much for him, everyone else, Plumber, villain and civilian joins him in defending the shop and getting rid of the nuisancess that mess with the shop.

4) With all the info that Ben gets both as a barista and as a vigilante, one would think that he would give everything out as long as you paid the prize, but surprisingly he has a strong code that he never breaks. If he EVER learns that a piece of information he has with himself is considered confidential, then he'll never speak about it with anyone, no matter how much they offer to pay him. He can't answer for the ones who talks about this info in the shop without saying in any moment that the info is supposed to be confidential, he can't read minds, but everyone catches on fast on this, and some say the keyword when talking in the coffee shop. However many still forget about it once in a while, since the calm atmosphere of the shop is too powerful and slip up often happen. Still Ben can't be blamed, how is he supposed to know if some piece of info is confidential if no one ever says it is? Again, he's not a mindreader nor a telepath.

5) Any info on his vigilante persona he never gives out, however it's not because of not wanting to give out any of that info, but rather because another part of his code is "If I haven't heard people talk about something, then I don't know information about it. All my info is second hand, so unless someone else already knows about it, I won't know about it". That can come in very handy considering the surprisingly little info there is about his vigilante persona out there, despite how famous he kinda is. This more often than not drives Jimmy mad.

Love brainstorms, hate the alien.

1) Most cafes open at 7am from my knowledge, 9am if you're in a sleepy town, so it'd be more like a 6am wake up, optional breakfast- (who eats breakfast these days?), straight to the cafe around 7ish to help with cleaning and setting up for the day.

This cafe is more of a 24/7 place. With 24/7 breakfast! (don't you hate it when places stop doing breakfast at a certain hour?)

Apart from that love what ya got there.

As for the vigilante side, he starts whenever is easiest, it's all dependent if things are hectic or not. Sun goes down roughly 7PM (pretty late I know, but where I live (during summer at least), sun won't go down til 9PM). Sometimes he finishes at 2AM, sometimes a few minutes before work (Incoming animatic!)

2) Love everything about that too! I'd like to think Ben has no idea about it at first, he just notices some days the tip jar is fuller than others. He chocks it up to his charming personality. But eventually he catches on.

Another thing to add, at some point if people wanted to get info from Ben they'd order a "whipped caramel latte with icing sugar, honey, and salt" (gross) Ben has no idea of this, but the weird amount of customers ordering that and asking for intel, kinda makes him think about it.

2.5) This!! good shit right here! Except, you can't call a customer a bitch, trust me... Karen's and Kevin's exist in all shapes, sizes and forms. So Ben uses the kill them with kindness, customer service attitude.

Additionally, sometimes Kevin, although rarely, comes by, hovers around the counter. He'll order a coffee and glare at Ben until, he gets his attention.

"You staring at me for a reason?"

"I need to know about Gwen 10."

Of course, at this Ben would grin devilishly and respond with, "Oh, you wanna take her on date? She loves sappy romance movies, she's also a nerd, so get her a math book instead of flowers."

That always shuts Kevin up, makes him leave most occasions.

3) Everything about this is just!!! Love it. Wouldn't change a thing.

4) Yes yes!!Sometimes, a customer will demand classified info (those that aren't initiated to how the cafe works). When Ben refuses to squawk this can lead to some shouting from a customer sometimes, which leads to a coworker, or a regular shoeing the nasty customer away. Ben can hold his own against most people, as a human, but sometimes they're just a little too big or a little too tough to be able to defend himself against.

5) I like that a lot too.

I also like to think that sometimes, if Ben wants to mess with someone, especially Jimmy. He'll slip a piece of information out that no one else knows.

"I heard from a plumber, that the vigilante guy likes smoothies- specifically [insert favourite smoothie flavour of the week]"

Cue Jimmy buying several of that smoothie to try and lure Luckyboy (still haven't thought of a namee!!!) out. It works, and Ben gets free smoothies almost every week.

This could backfire immensely though.

Woo, sorry about the delay there, been working a few shifts. Work is kicking my ass as usual...

[themadauthorshatter]

... This is going to be more triggering than my Sanders Sides Beetlejuice AU, and I deeply apologize.

This is a Happy Tree Friends story I've thought about and it got inspired by a scene in the Asylum season of American Horror Story.

MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING FOR PTSD, AVERSION THERAPY, FORCED/DELIBERATE TRIGGERING OF PTSD AND HALLUCINATIONS, ISOLATION, BEING HELD CAPTIVE/HOSTAGE, ANIMAL DEATH, AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS!!!!

PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!

Additional note: I'm visualizing the characters as human, so don'tbe caught off guard when I bring up a character's hair or complexion. It makes this story easier for me to picture in my head, that's just how I work. And this is mostly TV perspective, so thought I'd tell you that, too.

We begin with the sun rising and a new day starting, how lovely. No one is fully awake, but two people are and they are having a race.

Who's against who?

Simple.

It's Flippy on his feet and Splendid in the air to see who's faster on which and they're neck and neck in this.

Flippy sees Splendid next to him and asks if he's holding back, because this is not the fastest Flippy can run.

Splendid jokes that maybe it is because this is the SLOWEST he's flown in a long time.

Flippy laughs and kicks it into maximum overdrive, full on sprinting as fast as he can, even faking a turn to throw Splendid off his flight. While he stays on his intended path, and shouts that Splendid fell for it, Splendid calls him a cheating bastard.

Flippy laughs and contunues sprinting until he stops on a sidewalk in the town.

How lovely because Splendid is sitting on the wood of one of the telephone poles and waves at him.

Flippy pants and asks how Splendid both beat him and got up there.

Splendid simply floats down and claims it's just a hop, skip, and leap of faith.

And no cheating, which he points out.

Flippy clarifies that he actually DID NOT cheat. He would've gotten some of kryptonut and put it in his pocket, if he really wanted to.

Splendid gasps that he wouldn't, but Flippy shrugs and says he knows a guy, so don't tempt him.

The two share a laugh, but Flippy freezes as he hears a nearby woodpecker.

Splendid spots it and comments on the lovely avian specimen.

That's when a knife is thrown and (TV perspective) off screen kills the bird.

Splendid sees Flippy threw it and has 'killer instinct' eyes.

Thank goodness it's just them and there's no one else around because just as Flippy readies another knife, Splendid grabs him and flies to a hill, fast enough to get there within a minute or so, but not so fast that Flippy dies from the velocity.

It snowed a little bit, but it's enough for Splendid to toss Flippy into.

The cold instantly snaps him out of it and Flippy quickly looks around and asks where they are.

Splendid shrugs and answers the hill, and the realization sets in as Flippy's face drops, groaning and putting his hands over his face.

Splendid sits next to him as Flippy asks if 'it' happened again.

It did, but there was no one outside, so at least it got stopped before anyone got hurt.

Flippy is still crestfallen and rests his head on his arms, which are on his knees.

Splendid asks if he really can't control when he flips out, and Flippy confirms that as much as he can, but he still can't, mainly because when he feels like there's nothing to worry about, he remembers how he got comfortable and confident before and it ruined everything.

And he can't control the world or what randomly happens.

If his instincts say he's in danger, he's using thise same instuncts to keep himself safe.

Splendid digests those words as Flippy takes a breath and stands up, thanking him for the race and apologizes for talking his ear off and snapping on him.

Splendid stands as well and asks if Flippy needs help getting home, to which Flippy politely declines, not wanting to beat Splendid in another race. Splendid narrows his eyes and dares Flippy to repeat that, but Flippy chuckles and says he'll see him around before leaving.

Splendid watches him go and gets to thinking. He and Flippy have been friends for a while, and this stuff with flipping out and all that has been bothering him for a long time. He'd also been informed that Flippy went to Lumpy for help, but it failed miserably, so he was left to deal with it using the medicine he'd been prescribed. Beyond that, nothing seems to have helped him.

He also remembers how he had once had a doctor friend that helped people with addiction and talked with him about how some people aren't addicted to substances, but to feelings or emotions, as a comfort thing.

We don't get any more thoughts because we return to Flippy as he lets himself inside and leans against the door, very much upset with the fact that he lost it in front of one of his friends, especially one loke Splendid, who he rarely flips out on.

And it doesn't help that he hasn't lost it in a very long time.

Because his instincts are going haywire and he just needs to know HOW bad his episodes get, Flippy gets up, grabs a couple party poppers that were left over from a party he was fashionably late to(he had to do a check-in/catch up call with one of his army higher ups so they knew he was okay), and goes down to a basement, one that has a hatch door in the floor rather than a regular door.

He locks it behind him and goes down to a fully concrete basement that has holes and scratches in the concrete, because he's strong.

Here's where that deliberate triggering of trauma and an additional blackout Trigger Warnings come in, because Flippy sets up a camera, that's recoeding, takes one of the party poppers, and squeezes his eyes shut as he pulls the string and sets it off.

Flippy instantly starts seeing that he's back on the battlefield and not in his own basement, and hyperventilates as he sees an enemy standing over him, smirking and gun ready.

Flippy stares up at this enemy, but that fear melts into anger and throws himself into his enemy, landing next to a gun, which he uses to take this enemy out.

No time to relax because he gets grazed by another enemy soldier.

He smiles and chuckles, readying the gun and a knife from his leg before he races forward.

We don't see anything happen, save for black, but we fade to see Flippy coming to on the floor, sweaty, bruised, and knuckles bloody.

He groans and pushes himself up, rubbing his head for a minute before he finally looks around the basement.

The walls and floor are worse than before, but at least the camera is still intake.

Flippy gets up and stops the camera, sitting down as he reminds it back until plays it.

There's no battlefield, no enemies, no threats at all. In the video, Flippy pops the party popper, and clutches his head as he curls into the ground.

He hyperventilates and looks up backing away from someone that isn't even there. At least before he throws himself into the wall a makes a small shelf of knives fall. He mimes shooting the person before grabbing numerous knives and racing toward and hitting the wall and stabbing the wall, even punching and kicking it.

That explains the busted knuckles and bruises.

We don't see the rest of the video, but we do see Flippy's face grow more distressed and upset as he keeps watching himself fight nothing and just beat himself instead.

It is not easy to watch at all.

The video eventually ends with Flippy passing out on the floor, where we caught up with him.

Flippy puts the camera away and leans against the wall.

Guess he's a lot worse than he thought.

He sighs and rests his head against his knees.

Guess he's not leaving the house today either.

Time jump to a week or so later!

It's bright and sunny, and we're checking in on Flaky now as she struggles with some groceries; it originally started as a trip for shampoo and a new toothbrush, but it became a food run as well because she got hungry. She can't really see where she's going, but is trying her best, okay?

Carrying five bags at once a was huge mistake because she trips on a rock and almost falls down.

Almost, because Flippy catches her and helps her back to her feet.

Flaky shrieks and asks who it is.

Flippy decides to mess with her and lowers his voice, asking for either a hello or her life.

Flaky gasps and says he'll get a shoe to his shin, if he doesn't watch himself.

Flippy chuckles and asks if she skipped breakfast again, seeing all the bags she has. Flaky, turning to look at him, corrects him: she DID eat breakfast, but lunch was calling and she couldn't leave it on voice-mail.

Flippy, following along with the analogy, takes a bag or two and advices she try to learn how to BLOCK those calls when they drain her wallet.

Flaky hums, but thanks him for helping, and for the wallet he got her; it's sleek, but holds a lot of money and cards. Or card, which Flippy mutters as they walk to Flaky's house.

Flaky kicks at him, but they half walk, half run to Flaky's house. Once they arrive, Flaky thanks him again for the help and says she'll have a potatoe, butcher beef, apple soup/curry waiting for him next time he comes over.

Flippy chuckles and agrees, countering he'll bring her a cake SMOTHERED in sugar, cubes, chunks, powered, candy, caramel, all that garbage so that her teeth fall out and he can help her get METAL teeth instead.

Flaky sets down her groceries and stamps her foot, saying Flippy is not her father.

They still hug each other and Flippy leaves, telling her to take care of herself.

He continues on his walk and pays attention to the birds that are singing and wind blowing through the trees.

No time to fully appreciate it because Splendid turns a corner and Flippy waves him over, much to the superhero's delight.

They quickly touch in and ask how the other has been before Flippy interests Splendid for another race, 'the only rule is win' edition.

Splendid has a better idea: coffee. He had just finished some errands and was on his way home when he and Flippy ran into each other.

The invite seems iffy, but Flippy accepts, not wanting to run off like last time.

They walk and Splendid's smile drops a little, which draws Flippy's attention, the ex-soldier asking if everything's okay.

Splendid nods, saying everything's fine. He's just had some stuff on his mind that he can talk about when they get to his house.

Flippy stops for a second and watches Splendid continue walking, following behind more cautiously.

Cut to Splendid's house as the superhero fixes himself and his guest some coffee, though Flippy is slow to drink his because it doesn't smell like black coffee.

When asked, Splendid explains that the grounds were a little stale. He'd bought some that was fresh, but didn't want the old stuff to go to waste.

It calms Flippy enough for him to take a drink of coffee. He also asks what's been eating at Splendid, even apologizing for leaving him hanging last week.

Splendid shakes his head. Water under the bridge, everyone has their moments.

Speaking of moments, Splanedid asks if Flippy's been better since their race.

He shrugs, admitting that he's had worse happen, but that still doesn't make it good or even okay.

Splendid asks if he's ever gotten help for his 'issues' and Flippy asks back if he thinks Lumpy is really as good at everything as he thinks. Splendid supposes not, all things considered.

Done with the interview, and taking a drink of more coffee, because he's tired, Flippy asks what Splendid's deal REALLY is, and why he's so interested in Flippy's personal issues.

Splendid gives it to him straight: he's noticed that Flippy's trauma is bothering him on a pretty big level, and it has him worried for his friend, not because he can hurt people, but because he's seeing how unhappy Flippy is, and how much it tolls on him. He's had SOME experience with people who've had similar problems to Flippy's and there's a sort of therapy that's helped them. Granted, he knows Flippy doesn't enjoy flipping out, but, in a sick sense, his mind and body do. And there's a way to trick his mind into pushing his instincts away and leaving him with a normal life.

Flippy keeps his head propped up on an arm and finishes his coffee, so tired that he's barely listening and is instead asking for a fresh mug, because he doesn't understand either.

Splendid only takes his empty mug and suggests he's probably had enough coffee; he'll be up all night, if he drinks more than one cup and, as he's already said, Lumpy is a terrible doctor and will say he's about to die and overlook that he's just high of caffeine.

Flippy laughs and shakes his head, asking if Splendid is a better doctor and scoffing that he can take Lumpy.

He stops laughing when he sees that Splendid is straight faced and looks a little apologetic.

Yeah. Heavily delayed, 'oh shit!' moment for Flippy, who now realizes that there was something IN his coffee; he knows what stale coffee tastes like because he once suffered through a month of the stuff.

And he can't flip out on Splendid because he's too tired, so he's left to try running for the door.

That fails, too, so he can only pull and push himself away from Splendid, who apologizes for lying and for making Flippy go into such a panic, all the same he's just trying to help him and hopes he both forgives him and understands where he's coming from.

Flippy only keeps trying to get away, weakly telling Splendid to stay away from him.

From Flippy's blurry and world-spinny eyes, Splendid is the General from the Tiger Bomb mission, said General kneeling in front of him and smirking as Flippy knocks out with a sigh/groan.

Flippy doesn't wake up until MUCH later. He's got a splitting headache and, upon seeing all of the white-ish walls around him, sighs that he really must've fucked himself up when he set off that party popper, rubbing his head as he does so.

That's when he notices the handcuff and chain on his wrist, one that keeps him chained to one of the walls. He checks his other hand and sees that there's an identical handcuff on his wrist, also connecting him to the wall.

Not a dream.

Before Flippy can lose it, he sees a door open and Splendid walk in, looking very sheepish despite being the stronger of the two at the moment.

Before he can get any words out, Flippy charges toward him, at least until he's stopped by the chains.

It still makes Splendid jump back; powers be damned, if Flippy's mad at you, your days are numbered.

Splendid, from his place against the opposite wall, asks quite stupidly if Flippy's mad.

No. He's not mad at all. He's having the best damn day of his life, thank you for asking.

Sarcasm. All sarcasm that Splendid misses and is relieved by.

That relief vanished when Flippy charges again, pulling the handcuffs enough to make himself bleed.

Flippy demands to know what the hell is going on and why he's handcuffed in a padded cell.

When Flippy starts pulling a little too hard, like he's pulling hard enough to dent the chain links out of place, Splendid acts fast and aims a spray bottle at Flippy, and sprays water on him.

When Flippy backs down, Splendid repeats what he said upstairs, especially apologizing for not explaining how he was going to help him.

Flippy banks up, stands down, and sits down criss-crossstyle, which makes Splendid let out a sigh of relief, following his friend so they're sitting across from each other.

Flippy asks what EXACTLY Splendid was thinking when he drugged Flippy's coffee and then took Flippy to a loaded cell in his basement.

Splendid explains that he was just thinking and didn't regard what would have happened, even admitting that drugging the coffee wasn't his best or first plan; somehow sneaking up behind him with a nasty was, but that seemed insulting to Flippy's skills, so he thought about just working him out with races and exercise until Flippy passed out. That seemed like the most painful option, and the most tiring because wherever Flippy would fall would be unpredictable, so he just went south putting something in his coffee so he'd go unconscious for a little while.

Flippy takes all of this in and asks why Splendid didn't just ASK him to try this treatment he was babbling about earlier and Splendid admits that it's used for addicts to help them stop using whatever substance they're on. It's a pretty brutal technique, but it has worked.

The brutal part has Flippy concerned, so he asks what that means.

Splendid stops beating around the brush: aversion therapy. Using old war footage and medicine to make Flippy not want to go on a rampage whenever he gets triggeres.

Flippy stares at Splendid for a minute before taking off his boot and throwing it at him, asking if he's out of his damn mind.

That's not how his 'issues' work. Aversion therapy is meant to change another person so they AVERT away from something. Besides, what if they go through the therapy and Flippy's ordered backninto service, but ends up dead because he can't rely on his instincts?

Problem solved already because, as Splendid points out, Flippy's on a paid leave; his job is to stay OUT of the army now.

Flippy readies his other boot and Splendid backs down. Yes, he could've been more open about this to him. Yes, the whole chained to the wall in a basement thing is WAY too far. Yes, he should have told him as soon as he can, and he's sorry he didn't.

Flippy calms down and asks why he thinks it will work. No offense, but this is already working less than anythung Lumpy did, and the fool hypnotized himself into being a chicken.

Splendid admits he isn't sure, but he still wants to try to help.

Flippy asks what he'll do if he refuses to try this therapy. He's already on pills.

Splendid shrugs and says that while he'll be disappointed, he'll understand and won't be mad. Again, he just wants to help his friend and this is something that's worked for other people, not the chaining to the wall thing, but the aversion and sensory friendly environment, hence the padded room that isn't white, just a very light grey mixed with some blue, which is a calming color.

Flippy considers it for a minute before askung Splendid if he absolutely knows what he's doing.

Splendid nods. It took him a little freshing up and some review from a friend of his, yes. He knows what he's doing.

Flippy eyes him for a second before nodding, agreeing. Despite not saying it out loud, he wants to live life without worrying about killing everyone or snapping because his old instincts getting the better of him.

But stipulates that as soon as things get REALLY bad, they're calling this whole thing off and won't have anything to do with each other after that point.

Splendid rightfully agrees to those terms and tells Flippy to follow him to another room.

Flippy holds up his hands, reminding him of the handcuffs.

Those come off and the two leave the room, Flippy hoping Splendid was good on his word that he knew what he was doing.

Splendid shares a similar sentiment, instead hopi g that he can help his friend have a normal life.

[kaiparker-avengerssmut]

CURSED: CHAPTER TEN

"the angels never arrived"

Kai Parker x OC!Mack Grace

Series synopsis: "We're both cursed, in a way."

We all know the story of Kai Parker, but he once lived in a very different life. Do you ever wonder what that life looked like?

Chapter summary: Christmas get a little...deadly

Warnings: violence, death

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

VIOLENTLY bright and tacky lights were strung through the halls, spare corners and classrooms decorated with paper snowflakes and plastic Christmas trees and the general spirits of student was lifted at least thirty percent by the approaching break. Mack sighed and closed her locker, turning to face Jo as she filled her in on everything that happened when she was away.

"So who's this mystery guy that keeps coming up then?" Jo urged with a raised brown, poking Mack in the side playfully with her elbow.

"Just that. A mystery." Mack retorted, scoffing and rolling her eyes at the overly invested girl.

"A mystery, huh? Well I do love a good problem to solve." Jo teased. "If I can't know who he is, at least tell me what happened." No suggested. After a long pause to mill it over, Mack finally caved.

"Okay, so - don't freak out, but I may have slept with him." Mack all but whispered. Jo cupped her ear with her hand and said:

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Mack chewed her bottom lips before repeating.

"I slept with him. Twice." Jo's eyes went wide.

"Twice?!" Mack but her lips and nodded. Suddenly an arm was thrown over her shoulder and Mack turned to see a grinning Kai.

"So what's this?" He asked, mock shock on his face.

"Mack finally found a way to forget Ben." Jo stated.

"Ooooo, so Kenz's finally getting some?" Mack rolled her eyes. "It's about time really, I was getting fed up with her cranking attitude and-" he cut off when Mack hit him in the shoulder and he retracted his arm, shooting her a knowing look.

"It's not like that. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing, I doubt it will happen again." She dismissed, giving Kai a warning look.

"If you say so. Hey, this is me. Catch you guys later!" Jo said as they reached her class.

"Won't happen again, huh?" Kai husked lowly in Mack's ear once Jo was gone.

"Yes. So don't try anything." Kai's mischievous grin worried Mack and before she knew it he had grabbed her hand and pulled her into Janitor's closet and pressed her against the closed door.

"Like this?" He whispered, nibbling softly at her earlobe. She put her hands on his chest and pushed Kai back slightly.

"Yes, like this."

"We have a free period, may as well use it." He shot back with arched brows. He stepped closer to her again. "I know you want to." His minty breath fanned over her face, intoxicating her further. Mack looked away, and before he could get another word in she smashed her lips to his, her arms wrapping around his neck.

Kai was taken back at first but he quickly melted into the kiss, bracing a hand on the door beside Mack and his other settled on her hip after running over her curves.

"This is the last time this happens." Mack mumbled against his lips, gasping as Kai picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist before crashing her back to the door again.

"Okay." He murmured back, knowing full-well it wouldn't be.

...

"So what are you guys doing for Christmas?" Mack wondered aloud as Kai drove her and Jo home.

"Yeah, our family is going to San Francisco to see our cousins." Jo explained. "Well Kai isn't, as usual." she added almost accusingly.

"So you're gonna be on your own for Christmas?" Mack's question was directed at Kai now. he scoffed.

"So?" he seemed completely disinterested. Mack's eyes were wide.

"So?! What are you on about? It's Christmas!" Mack exclaimed, shocked. After a moment of thinking she came up with a solution. "Why don't you join my family for Christmas? It's only my dad, my sister and me but it's normally quite funny and we could always use some extra company." she quickly added, "and you can probably cook better than any of us."

After a moment of no answer Mack spoke again.

"You don't have to, I just didn't think you'd want to be alone. Think about it." She said as Kai pulled up to he house. "Thank you for the lift, bye!" and with that she climbed out Kai's car, slinging her bag over her shoulder and opening her front door.

"Hey dad." she said, dumping her bag on the table and grabbing an apple from the fruit bowel.

"Hey sweetheart." he chimed back, focus still on his notepad in front of him. "have a good day at school? How's Kai?" Mack took a bite of her apple.

"School's..." she trailed off, thinking about the Janator's closet, "fine, I guess. And Kai's good too. Speaking of Kai, can he spend Christmas with us? His family is going away and he'll be alone." Mack put her pleading face on.

"Of course he can, that boy has been a great help to you these past few months and I'd love to finally meet him. Do you want to give him a call?" he suggested, finally looking up from his work.

"I'll call him later. I've got homework to do, so I'll just be up in my room if you need me." Mack said, walking towards the stairs.

"Oh honey," her dad started. she turned back to face him.

"Yeah, dad?"

"Kim's boyfriend is also joining us this year."

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah, they started going out recently. I think he's younger than her - maybe your age. I am yet to meet him, so she thought Christmas would be the perfect opportunity."

"Okay." Mack walked up the stairs, the cogs of her mind churning, trying to figure out who her sister was dating.

...

"Kai! Finally, I thought you'd never come." Mack greeted cheerfully, smiling widely at Kai would held a few stacked trays covered with tea-towels in his hands.

"And miss seeing you in this little get-up?" He gestured to her red dress and Santa hat, "not a chance in the world, sweetheart." Kai grinned back, placing a quick kiss on her cheek as he walked into the house.

"You must be Kai!" Her Dad said as he saw Kai, Kim taking the plates from him as he mouthed a thank you before returning to her dad.

"Correct. You must be Mr Grace." Kai mentioned, shaking his hand firmly.

"Oh, please call me Ian." Ian waved off, releasing Kai's hand.

"Well, it's good to meet you, Ian. Thank you so much for having me." Kai thanked.

"Oh, it's no big deal. It's nice to have some more company for a change." Ian smiled. Kai turned to Kim.

"Ah, the sister." He said with a tight smile.

"Ah, the boyfriend." She mimicked. Kai had an amused smile at that.

"Not quite, just the best friend for now. I don't think she's quite over-" he was cut off when he heard Mack's horror filled voice whisper.

"Ben." She stood completely frozen, the door wide open and a smirking Ben stood on the other side, a small box tucked under his arm.

"Hey doll, how are you?" He said with a sickeningly cheery smile that made Kai clench his fists. After the moment of awkward silence, Kim walked over, pecking Ben on the lips and taking his hand, leading him into the house.

"So, everyone. Ben is my boyfriend, we started talking a few months ago. And we're really happy." Kim announced, standing hand-in-hand with a grinning Ben. Kai put his hands on Mack's shoulders, looking into her eyes with concern.

"You gonna be okay?" He whispered, thumbs stroking her shoulder soothingly. She swallowed thickly before nodding, still looking straight ahead with a look of emptiness in her eyes. She closed the door, sticky heading towards the sofa and pulling Kai down to sit next to her.

They zoned out the interaction currently happening, Mack's body slumping against Kai until she laid down, her head in his lap. He played with her hair, trying to quell the building anger inside him.

"So, Ben - long time no see?" Ian said with a bright smile and mockingly-sad tone. Ben smiled at the man from where he sat beside Kim, his arm slung over her shoulder.

"Yeah, well, after me and Mack decided to end things, it got lonely for me. Then I bumped into Kim at the diner down the road and we just got to...talking." Ben mused, but Mack could tell by the mischievous glint in his eye they did something, but talking was not it. "And ever since then, we've been practically inseparable." He finished, entwining his hand with Kim's and smiling down at her with warmth, but a dark undertone still lingered in his gaze.

"Well, I hope it isn't awkward between you kids." Ian joked, gesturing from Ben to Mack with his hand, which had a bottle of beer comfortably settled in it. Ben chuckled and Mack forced a smile, but Kai was practically seething, it glare emitting nothing but anger as he shot an icy stare at Ben. Mack noticed this and gently tugged him away.

"We'll go get dinner ready." She said with a small smile as she pulled Kai into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him and looking into his eyes - which remained fixed on the door as his nostrils flared and his face burned crimson. "Hey, hey. Look at me." Mack soothed as she placed her hands on the sides of Kai's face, stroking his cheekbones softly with her thumbs. His gaze broke and he looked down at her, his expression softening at the sight of Mack.

"I'm sorry, Kenz. I just- I can't stand him." Kai seethed and Mack shushed him gently.

"I know, but I need you to stay calm for me." She whispered and he nodded slowly. "Now, how 'bout we get this food ready?" Mack suggested and Kai's anger seemed to melt away at the mention of food, his shoulders relaxing and a wide smile replacing his frown. He leant down, kissing Mack languidly before pulling away and walking over to the oven.

"You do the veg and I'll handle the Turkey?" Kai grinned and Mack smiled warmly.

...

"This is delicious, Kai. Thank you so much for bringing it." Ian commented, mouthful of food as he eagerly wolfed down the plate of Christmas dinner Mack had served him.

"Yeah, I guess you can cook much better than you can throw a punch, huh?" Ben jeered with an amused grin. Mack and Kim grimaced and Kai had to stop himself from dropping his fork. Or stabbing it into Ben's hand, for that matter. Kai looked up at Ben with a fake smile.

"I guess so." He chuckled and Ben followed, the tension melting as they all continued to eat. "But, you know, just for the record." Kai started and Mack put her knife and fork down, burying her face in her hands as Ben raised a brow and Ian looked between the two boys. "I think you're a much better conversationalist than boyfriend." Kai mused.

"And what makes you say that?" Ben prompted.

"Well, from what I  can tell you can make it through a whole conversation with out hitting someone, unlike your relationships." Kai snapped and Ian's eyes widened, Ben's jaw ticked and he gripped his fork tightly. "Notting to say to that, sick bastard?" Kai taunted and Ben's jaw clenched and he abruptly stood.

Kai followed soon after. Mack reached out for him, placing a hand on Kai's arm but he shrugged her off. Kim seemed to be frozen and their dad looked completely lost. Ben made the first move, stepping around the table. Kai was soon to copy him but as Ben threw his fist Kai caught it with ease. He smirked at Ben.

"Still wanna tell me I can't throw a punch?" Kai asked with raised brows and Ben's angered face melted into one of fear and he coward away from Kai. "Didn't think so." Kai muttered before twisting Ben's arm round and holding it against his back as Ben cried out in pain. "Now, why don't you leave and stay the fuck away from Kenz, huh? I know how much you like to lay your hands on her.." Kai trailed off and let Ben go, who stumble forward and practically bolted from the house, the door slamming with a bang behind him the reverberated from the walls like thunder.

"Get. Your. Fuck-buddy. Under. Control." Kim spat at Mack before storming off, the sound of the legs of her chair scraping bitterly against the floor was punctuated awkwardly but the slam of the door behind her. A thick tension rose, thick enough that a knife could slice straight through it like it was cutting cheesecake.

"Well.." Ian began but Mack was gone, the last thud of the door causing both Kai and Ian to flinch as the wood smashed against the battered frame.

"I'm sorry-" Kai tried to apologise, turning to face the man but Ian held up a hand, halting Kai's words.

"No. You did the right thing, boy. I can't believe I let that boy in my home - near my daughters!" Ian gritted out and Kai's jaw clenched. "I should have been a better father..."  he murmured.

"No." Kai said harshly, making Ian's head snap up to look at him. "You are not at fault. Ben is a vile creature who deserves to rot in hell." Kai spat and Ian nodded. "And if you think you're a bad father, you are strongly mistaken. If you knew how much Kenz appreciates you,     you'd-" Kai's little sprang was cut off when a violent buzzing echoed from his pocket. Kai pulled out his pager to see Mack's number and instantly rushed to the phone.

"Kenz? Oh my god, Kenz! You had us worried sick! Where are you? I'll come pick you up-"

"I killed him, Kai. He's - he's dead."

[lawrising-a]

( continued from here! // @pseudoneiric )

there's a sore sensation nestling against the sensitive skin of his wrist -- not rubbed raw, exactly, considering his tie is too silky to achieve such a feat ( and he, desperately, tried to move as little as possible ) but it still stings. a chiding reminder of what he allowed to happen not even minutes ago. yellow wrapped around him, completely bound and helpless ... it was something he can't say he's done before, not like that. he thinks the correct term would be bondage, but was it? gloved hands sinking beneath layers of flesh to expose the fluttering organs beneath, and expose her own in turn. call him crazy, but that's not what he thought bondage was about. but when was anything with lilian it's textbook definition? he can't blame anyone for his display of vulnerability except himself, completely ensnared with the girl the moment they crossed paths. there were times he watered down his attraction, for both their sakes, blaming her allure for his enchantment. yet lies come clean eventually and here he now perches. the edge of his mused bed, chest rising and falling more then it should as he burns with the black markings drifted upon his ivory skin. lipstick marks painting him in a light he's not used to. he's been stripped of all his warm tones and fake boy scout personas ; left in cool colors. green pants and black marks.

‘and what are you ... the sun?’ whispered a voice earlier, like every hushed word was a secret reserved between the two of them. mat rolls his shoulders, because he doesn't feel that way anymore. never has, honestly. he wants to be beaming lights with a killer gravitational pull, but he ... isn't. the colors on him now is a striking reminder of that : yet he replays lilian's maddening words and fools himself briefly. it's okay to believe lies when she's the one feeding them! as long as she believes it, why can't he humor it? everything she said had been a warped view, a funhouse mirror at those shifty carnivals -- but it was raw honesty from lilian, and he can't turn away the swell of attention. even if he should, even if mat should waltz into the bathroom where she's currently shrouding herself away and spill out the truth. let her know he isn't some angelic force but rather a mockery of one. how matthew naively hopes he can be hers regardless of his lack of good ... it's dizzying, causing his vision to blur, because it's been a while since he's confronted this about himself. the student doesn't like it. but oh, he loves her -- a burning sensation that lights his veins aflame and races his heart.

distractingly, he presses the pad of his rough thumb against the mark on the corner of his lips. a replica of a kiss she once bestowed upon him like salvation itself ( hm, what's with the spur of religious imagery today? hah ). trying to prod away the disappointment that rises every time he feels the wishful want of her actual lips there instead. she has to -- she has to feel something for him at this point, right? that can't be an assumption anymore, can it? questions whirl around as his fingers ghost down his ruined skin, tracing over the words left with his own hands like confirmation. like he's silently saying 'yes, property of lilian eyler.' like he's finally allowing himself a love he thought he wouldn't ever have when he traces, ‘mine. mine. mine-’ that ends with him working his way back up, away from the bulge of his stomach and trembling arms -- away from 'poetry, life, religion' and back to his lips. where he's reminded, with a fuzzy feeling balling up in his chest, 'mine.' almost pushing hard enough to slip a finger through his pink lips, plush and ready for ... mat isn't sure. he just wants her to kiss him there. though he knows she won't, least not today. and even if there's this sickening greed that controls him with a talent, he lets her have that. lets her take all her time in the bathroom and tries not to beg for more. how did she elegantly put in, in all her poetic prose that he's seen briefly in the club? a loyal dog? just for you now, only ever for you, lili--

a shiver rocks his form, startling his hands to the edge of the bed to tear into as he digs his heels into the carpet ( like he once had in the bed, to ground himself, to not buck ). was his pulse racing with the life she declared to adore so much? the man sinks canines into his cheek to hold back from beckoning her out to check. no, no ; he said he'd leave her be. it's a good thing for them both right now. if she had stayed and let the fabric obscuring his view fall from his eyes, he would've reached for her. try to pull them close and he'd ramble like a mad man ... wouldn't he have scared her? some part of him thinks he still has. which wobbles his posture in order to keep his head bowed, like awaiting punishment. almost waiting for pain building in his scalp, because surely she'd card her delicate laced fingers through his hair with a bit more force if she came back out. or was that his gentle throb of arousal wanting that? she got him worked up so easily ; ah, well, at least it's a good exercise for his thinning self control ...

a sigh, shaky and human, whistles out of parted lips. dry due to the fact he can't lick them thanks to the lipstick, though he can't help but wonder if he did -- would he be licking lilian's lips that way? the material touched them ... realizing how wild he is, a thoroughly teased animal, matthew laughs nervously. jesus christ, there's parts of him strewn all around his bedroom, because there's no way mat is fully put together. his brain feels like soupy liquid dripping from his ears and hissing into his scarlet skin. a puzzle of a man that lilian expertly took apart and left half completed. no matter how hard he tries to reel himself in, chase away all the sweetened morbidness delivered, he can't find all the pieces. surely, the clever girl took some with her to the bathroom. she was ... possessive. mat learned that just now. possessive over him, envious of basic things that matthew almost couldn't believe. she'll never know how comforting it was to see. a feeling now nestled happily within because nobody's been possessive of him before! she mustn't of gotten the memo from former friends, didn't hear how expendable he was to everyone who's known him. people don't get jealous for matthew, they don't care how much he sleeps, they don't care if he isolates away -- and they certainly don't care if his eyes linger on a girl with purple hair.

because who would find him special? he's an emotional wreck everyone stays weary of, a boy to eye with skepticism. his jealousy, his rawness, his obsessive love and need is wrong and ugly. you're shunned for those things by society. to the world, mat is anything but special, he's wrong ; so wrong and he's relentlessly tried to change that. but lilian ... she thinks otherwise. feels like he feels. sensitive and lovesick. and while he's always tried to hide before, if the girl with inky hair thinks it's beautiful and radiant ... everyone else must be wrong, because lilian eyler never is! as clever as the devil and twice as pretty, so the saying goes. with a rueful smile, too boyish and gentle for his own sharp face, he thinks it's an accurate fit for his favorite person ever. his throbbing molten core of earth, the darkened reflective surface of his beloved moon.

“im excited about lunch tomorrow, you know?” calls mat, voice as rough as ever ; like he uses it too much. but during this whole date, he fears he hasn't used it enough. “i haven't eaten with another person in a while. i usually just grab an apple and loiter around the library.” did you think i ate with yuri? though the fawn haired male doesn't ask, he quickly kills that assumption if it festered in lilian's mind. “if it goes well, we could ... ah, why don't we eat together from then on? maybe everyday? maybe forever! i think it'd be ... nice.”

the last part is so quiet he's not sure she hears it, but maybe she hears it die off. senses his shyness that bares him like it's her own. matthew doesn't want to dwell in it, so he tries to push forward. telling himself to keep tearing down the walls until there's nothing left ( the bathroom walls or his own? ). she deserves to hear more then his sputters from their little session, brought on by gutting arousal and his own jittery sparks : she deserves the world on an obsidian platter. to know he does want to be owned by her, to understand he'd be so comfortable displaying that label for all to see. and for lilian to be told, sternly, that he'd choose her out of a line up with certainty most would be scared of. love isn't half way for him, ever, and lilian needs to know that. even if his heart thunders and he wants to hear more of her disarming voice instead.

“and i want to be yours ; your idea with the whole 'blindly leading me around' wasn't half bad!” heartfelt chuckling makes him feel like he's vibrating out of his skin, her skin now, isn't it? “i'd let you blind me, i'd let you led me even if i was deaf and mute. you could be all my senses, because maybe then i'd trust them more. you don't know how much i wish these words on me were permanent, lilian --” mat twists his mouth, ruins his hair more. “darling, you just ... i've tried so hard to be normal this year, more then any other, yet you make me so helpless! it's ... how do you do that? do you know how special you are, how beautiful? perfect ... well, perhaps not that ; because you're stupid for worrying about not owning me. isn't it obvious you already do? were these reminders for me, or wishes for you?"

( eyes flutter to words he can barely read on his bared parts, words overlapping due to frenzy. all true. all true )

with a tightening throat, emotions rising like waves and god he could just drown, matthew lays back on the mattress. meekly pulling the tie out from under him, only to drag it over his used wrists. picturing only her. wondering if this sight would entice her to keep going when she comes out. and he wants to say lilian, you've won! congratulations on having a lover for life! or, something like : yuri couldn't pry me from your cold dead fingers! but what stumbles out is something foolish that he immediately grimaces over. hopefully she's too shaken to judge him too much.

“i think you're my soulmate, lilian. i .. really do.” so why would i ever let you go? or deem you unworthy? it's me, im unworthy. not you, never never -- his lashes tickle his skin when he shuts his eyes. breath hitching before evening out. reminding himself to calm down because matthew thinks he'll actually explode otherwise. a bundle of nerves, of her love, is all he really is.

[valeriethepussycats]

Assemble

Chapter 2

Pairing- Loki x Reader x Steve (one side)

Warning- cursing 

Your thoughts and other characters are in italics.

Flashback in Bold.

At night, a slum in India it attacked by a sickness. A little girl runs into the middle of a makeshift hospital in someone's home, pushing through the crowd frantically. She runs up the steps inside to greet the only doctor, Bruce Banner.

“What are you doing here?! Get out! You shouldn't be here.”  The Women scolded.

“I have to see the doctor. It's my father.” The little Girl explained.

“Calm down. What's wrong?” Bruce Asked.

“My father...” she looks to the other sick people, laying down and moaning in pain.

“Is he like them?” Bruce wondered.

The little girl holds out money, crumpled and looking desperate. “Please.”

Banner and the little girl run quickly to the edge of town. She leads him quickly through narrow passageways, and is proving too fast to keep up with. Banner spots a nice car, and looks around, worried. He runs into the girls house, when she leaves through a window, untraceable.

“Should have gotten paid up front, Banner.” Bruce scoffed.

Natasha entering the room behind him, making Banner turn around. “You know, for a man who's supposed to be avoiding stress, you picked a hell of a place to settle.”

“Avoiding stress isn't the secret.” Bruce started.

“Then, what is it? Yoga?” Natasha said sounding unduly curious.

“You brought me to the edge of the city, smart. I uh... assume the whole place is surrounded?” Bruce wondered.

“Just you and me.” Natasha say trying to convince Bruce.

“And your actress buddy, is she a spy too? Do they start that young?” Bruce  wondered.

“I did.”

“Who are you?”

“Natasha Romanoff.”

“Are you here to kill me, Miss Romanoff? Because that's not gonna work out for everyone.” Bruce explained.

“No. No. Of course not. I'm here on behalf of Shield.” Natasha replied

“Shield. How did they find me?” Bruce questioned.

“We never lost you, doctor. We've kept our distance, even helped keep some other interested parties off your scent.”

“Why?”

“Nick Fury seems to trust you. But now I need you to come in.”

“What if I said no?” Bruce stated.

“I'll persuade you.” Natasha said in a voice soft.

“And what if the... other guy says no?” Bruce said uncertainly

“You’ve been more than a year without an incident. I don't think you wanna break that streak.” Natasha replied.

Bruce gently pushing a cradle. “I don't always get what I want.”

“Doctor, we're facing a potential global catastrophe.” Natasha commented.

“Well, those I actively try to avoid.” Bruce mumbled.

“This is the Tesseract. It has the potential energy to wipe out the planet.” She shows him a photo of the Tesseract on her cell phone. Banner takes a closer look.

“What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it? Bruce said in a sarcastic voice.

“Well, he wants you to find it. It's been taken. It emits a gamma signature that's too weak for us to trace. There's no one that knows gamma radiation like you do. If there was, that's where I'd be.” Natasha explained.

“So Fury isn't after the monster? Bruce hesitated.

“Not that he's told me.” Natasha replied.

“And he tells you everything?” Bruce queried

“Talk to Fury, he needs you on this.”

“He needs me in a cage?”

“No one's gonna put you in a...”

“STOP LYING TO ME!” Banner slams his fists onto the table.

Natasha grabs a gun hidden under the table, pointing it at him. Banner stays still, grinning.

“I'm sorry, that was mean. I just wanted to see what you'd do. Why don't we do this the easy way, where you don't use that, and the other guy doesn't make a mess? Okay? Natasha...”

Natasha, still wary, doesn't lower her gun. She lowers her gun and speaks into her earpiece.

“Stand down. We're good here.”

Dozens of soldiers armed to the teeth have surrounded the small house, but at her signal they back off a bit.

Bruce smiles back at Natasha. “Just you and me?”

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

This isn’t real that’s all Y/n could think about as she walked home. The rain hammered against the roof of a nerdy houses, thunder rumbled as The dark sky was lit up by lightning flashing across.All she wanted to do was believe that Magneto was lying but she knew he was telling the truth. She knew it her mother is alive, has been this entire time.

Get it under control calm down. Come on remember what Gambit said “don’t let it control you you control it.”

Y/n was slowly starting to lose control. She was starting to hear what everyone around her was thinking and then Y/n starts to hear a ringing noise. Can deal with a sound Y/n place her hands around her head in a way to stop the voices.

“Excuse me, Miss are you alright?” Someone asked Y/n as he gently grab her on the shoulders.

Y/n looks up to the person in front of her and see red eyes. “Remy?”

“Is that someone I can call for you?” The man that looks like Remy asked.

Y/n finally comes to she realizes that the man in front of her is not with me not even trying to hide her disappointment she nods no, then walks away then her phone begins to ringing and vibrate in her pocket. She fishes her phone out of her pocket and then pushes answer.

“Hello?”

“Where are you because I know you’re not in Sydney, Australia.” Said Coulson.

“Walking home.” Y/n answered  honestly. “Why?”

“There’s someone I need you to pick up tomorrow. Is that some thing you can do?” Coulson voiced.

“I’ll be bright eyed and bushy tail.” Y/n said Tightly.

“I’ll send you all the information.”  Coulson replied. “Is something wrong?”

“You’re supposed to ask questions because I’m an agent and you’re my superior officer.” Y/n said in a dry tone.

“I’m asking this question as a person who’ve known you since you were ten.” Coulson replied.

“No it’s not.” Y/n answered. “But um..I’m gonna go home and watch some Y/t until I fall asleep.”

“Ok i’ll see you tomorrow.”

Y/n hangs up the phone.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Inside a Shield analytical room, filled with monitors of partially silhouetted people. Fury stands in the middle, frowning. They make up the World Security Council.

“This is out of line, Director. You're dealing with forces you can't control.” Council Member 1 commented.

“You ever been in a war, Councilman? In a firefight? Did you feel an overabundance of control?”  Nick said in a level tone.

“You saying that this Asgard has declared war on our planet?” Council Member 1  wondered.

“Not Asgard, Loki.” Nick corrected

“He can't be working alone. What about the other one? His brother.” Council Member 2 Chimed in.

“Our intelligence says, Thor is not a hostile. But he's worlds away, we can't depend on him to help. It's up to us.” Nick answered.

“Which is why you should be focusing on phase 2, it was designed for exactly...” Council Member 1 trailed off.

“PHASE 2 isn't ready, our enemy is. We need a response team.” Nick stressed.

“The Avengers Initiative was shut down.” Council Member 1 told Nick Fury.

“This isn't about The Avengers.” Nick Remarked.

“We're running the world's greatest covert security network and you're gonna leave the fate of human race to a handful of freaks.”

“I'm not leaving anything to anyone. We need a response team. These people maybe isolated, unbalanced even, but I believe with the right push they can be exactly what we need.”

“You believe?” Council Member 2 Chimed in.

“War isn't won by sentiment, Director.” Council Member 1 noted.

“No, it's won by soldiers.”  Nick replied.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

A brooklyn gym at night. Occupied by one man, beating a punching bag in the gym lights, alone in the floor, lost in the fight. The gym is old, as old as the man inside, Steve Rogers. Steve punched the bag, easily a hundred pounds, across the room with one swing snapping the metal chain and pummeling it back a dozen feet, sand spilling out from where he cracked the fabric. He stands up, breathing hard, and grabs another bag, resuming a more normal routine. Fury walks in.

“Trouble sleeping?” Nick Announced.

“I slept for seventy years, sir. I think I've had my fill.” Steve answered.

“Then you should be out, celebrating, seeing the world.” Nick replied.

Steve stops punching and walks over to the bench, unraveling the tape off his hands. He sits down.

“I went under, the world was at war, I wake up, they say we won. They didn't say what we lost.” Steve explained.

“We've made some mistakes along the way. Some very recently.” Nick commented.

“You here with a mission, sir?” Steve wondered.

“I am.”

“Trying to get me back in the world?” Steve supposed

“Trying to save it.”  Fury hands Steve a file on the Tesseract, along with other files on Hydra’s  projects.

“Hydra's secret weapon.” Steve disclosed.

“Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you. He thought what we think, the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs.” Nick explained.

“Who took it from you?” Steve wondered.

“He's called Loki. He's not from around here. There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed on if you're in. The world has gotten even stranger than you already know.” Nick shared.

“At this point, I doubt anything would surprise me.”  Steve put forth.

“Ten bucks says you're wrong. There's a debriefing package waiting for you back at your apartment.” Nick started.

Steve turns and picks up a punching bag. Fury starts walking out of the gym.

“Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know now?” Nick finished

Steve without missing a beat. “You should have left it in the ocean.”

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Out in the Atlantic Ocean, Tony Stark, in his Iron Man suit, is cutting a pipeline transport with a laser cutter coming from his hand. He then places a Stark Energy Reactor. It lights up. Iron Man rockets out of the water and flies towards Stark Tower.

“You're good on this end. The rest is up to you.”

Pepper Potts on the other line. “You disconnected the transition lines? Are we off the grid?”

“Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy.” Tony grinned.

“Wow. So maybe our reactor takes over, and it actually works?” Pepper supposed.

Inside the Suit, Pepper appears on his hud Monitor.

“I assume. Light her up.” Iron Man flies to the Stark Tower Building, the power is switched on the Stark sign lights up.

“How does it look?” Pepper asked.

“Like Christmas, but with more... me.” Tony answered.

“Gotta go wider on the public awareness campaign. You need to do some press. I'm in DC tomorrow. I'm working on the zoning for the next three buildings.” Pepper revealed.

“Pepper, you're killing me. Remember the moment? Enjoy the moment.” Tony proclaimed.

“Then get in here and I will.” Pepper requested.

Tony arrives at his skyscraper penthouse and is in the process of taking off his Iron Man suit through a hi-tech gauntlet of gadgets.

“Sir, Agent Coulson of Shield is on the line.” Jarvis informed Tony.

“I'm not in. I'm actually out.” Tony remarked.

“Sir, I'm afraid he's insisting.” Jarvis stressed.

“Grow a spine, Jarvis. I got a date.”  Tony teased.

Pepper Potts stares up at the monitors of the reactor device. “Levels are holding steady... I think.”

“Of course they are, I was directly involved. Which brings me to my next question: how does it feel to be a genius?”  Tony asked.

“Well, ha, I really wouldn't know now, would I?” Pepper replied.

“What do you mean? All this came from you.”

“No. All this came from that.” Pepper Said Pointing to the energy in his chest plate.

“Give yourself some credit, please. Stark Tower is your baby. Give yourself... twelve percent of the credit.” Tony disclosed.

“Twelve percent?” Pepper voiced.

“An argument can be made for fifteen.” Tony pointed out.

“Twelve percent? Of my baby?”

“Well, I did do all the heavy lifting. Literally, I lifted the heavy things. And sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you.”

“Oooooh.”

“My private elevator...”

“You mean our elevator?”

“Was steaming with sweaty workmen. I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I?” Tony wondered.

Pepper pours herself and Tony a glass of

champagne. “Not gonna be that subtle.”

“I'll tell you what. Next building's gonna say 'Potts' on the tower.” Tony disclosed.

“On the lease.” Pepper murmured.

“Call your mom, can you bunk over?” Tony asked.

“Sir, the telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overwritten.” Jarvis stuttered.

“Stark, we need to talk.” Coulson Announced.

Tony picks up his phone and looks into it at Coulson. “You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message.”

“This is urgent.”

“Then leave it urgently.” At that moment the elevator door opens and Coulson appears. “Security breach.” Tony turns and looks a Pepper “That's on you.”

“Mr. Stark” Coulson started.

“Phil! Come in.”  Pepper beamed.

“Phil? Uh, his first name is Agent.” Tony remarked

“Come on in, we're celebrating.” Pepper

“I can't stay.” Coulson told Pepper.

“Which is why he can't stay.” Tony agreed with Coulson.

“We need you to look this over.”  Coulson said as he holds out a file towards Tony. “Soon as possible.”

“I don't like being handed things.” Tony voiced.

“That's alright, 'cause I love to be handed things. So, let's trade.” Pepper said as She pases her glass of champagne to Coulson, takes the file from him, then takes Tony's glass of champagne while passing the file over to Tony. “Thank you.”

“Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday.” Tony disclosed.

“This isn't a consultation.” Coulson replied.

“Is this about The Avengers? Which I...I know nothing about.” Pepper lied.

“The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought. And I didn't even qualify.”  Tony pointed out.

“I didn't know that either.” Pepper lied. Again.

“Yeah, apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others.” Tony explained

“That I did know.” Pepper commented.

“This isn't about personality profiles anymore.” Coulson stated.

“Whatever. Miss Potts, got a minute?” Pepper walks over to Tony who places the files into his own databases. “You know, I thought we were having a moment.”

“I was having twelve percent of a moment. This seems serious, Phil's pretty shaken.” Pepper replied.

“How did you notice? Why is he Phil?” Tony questioned.

“What is all of this?” Pepper asked ignoring Tony’s previous question.

“This is, uh....” Tony expands his arms and different profiles appear in holographic form floating in the air in front of Tony and Pepper.

Screens appear of Captain America in action, the Hulk roaring as he attacks the army at Culver University, and Thor and Y/n fighting the Destroyer in New Mexico. Another is of Loki and the Tesseract to which Tony and Pepper look at in awe.

“I'm going to take the jet to DC tonight.” Pepper Announced

“Tomorrow.”  

“You've got homework. You've got a lot of homework.”

“Well, what if I didn't?”

“If you didn't?”

“Yeah.”

“You mean if you finished?” Pepper asked and Tony nods his head. “Well, um...then.” Pepper whispers something into Tony’s ear making him gasps. While Coulson looks away in embarrassment.

“Square deal. It's the last date.” Tony answered.

Pepper kisses him.”Work hard.”

As Pepper leaves with Agent Coulson, Tony grabs the Tesseract in holograph form, worried.

part 3