#if that was just the sneak peek the episode is going to kill me

[hyperfocusthusly]

Tommy ‘squinty face’ Kinard you will always be famous to me

[emeryhiro]

I over analysed TBOC trailer

I did it again, I don't know how to stop overanalysing anything that I find that's Carol & Daryl Related, and I'll say in advance that this will be another long one, but I really hope you guys enjoy it because as always I had a lot of fun writing it ♡

Firstly, I want to say that there will be a second post coming, which will briefly cover my thoughts on the SDCC panel. However, in this post, I'm going to breakdown all the scenes from the trailer that I think are the most important/interesting. I'll also be expanding on some of the scenes that I saw in episode 1, specifically the ones shown in the trailer, so that I can avoid spoiling anything that hasn't been shown yet.

Also, just as a note, I've listed the scenes below in what I think is timeline order (to my best guess), which means that I'm leading with the scenes from the trailer that are actually in episode one. So, a spoiler warning for those, as I'll be delving into them in a little more detail than I have before.

Carol's flashback at the barn doors:

This is the flashback scene of Sophia that Carol has in episode one, which has already been spoiled/posted online, but here you can see a glimpse of it in higher resolutions.

Isabelle and Daryl at the Nest

This is one of the scenes from episode one, specifically the scene where Daryl tells Isabelle that he doesn't know if he'll ever be happy staying at the Nest/France.

Ash and Carol opening the shed door:

This was also a scene from episode one, in which Ash shows Carol his stockpile of fuel, which is enough to get them to France and back.

Genet and Daryl:

This is another scene from episode one, which directly follows the scene in the sneak peek where Daryl attacks Genets' convoy. As seen in the trailer, as Daryl is about to shoot Genet, he's interrupted by a delayed explosion in the background, allowing her to get away. Anne's performance here blew my mind!

Carol & Ash takeoff:

These few shots are also from episode one and are pretty self-explanatory. But just to go over it again briefly, certain events led to Carol and Ash having to leave America/take off in the plane in a rush, which I'll add may not have been the ideal time in terms of logistics (you'll see what I mean); however, we can see that they make it into the air, which then gives us the beautiful shot of the sunrise in the distance.

This scene also features a really beautiful moment and dialogue between Ash and Carol, which I know you guys will love. It definitely made me love Ash a lot more.

For the Anon from last week: This scene may or may not have been the one I was referencing with the emojis 😊💖

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This wraps up all the scenes from the trailer which are from episode 1 that I wanted to talk about. There are a few others, but I don't think listing them right now is relevant.

From here on out, all the scenes that I mention come in later episodes, so the order of the scenes is just my guess of how I think things are going to happen, and it could honestly be completely wrong.

~~~~

Genet flashback:

To me, this looks like a flashback of younger Genet watching someone she cares about getting killed, which is potentially what motivated her and led her on her journey to becoming who she is and touches on what Laurent meant when he told her, "you're not angry, you're heartbroken" in season 1.

Additionally, the scene's background looks to be set in the Louvre, which we also see in an outside shot.

Ash/Carol's plane landing in France:

As I've mentioned previously, it appears that the plane lands somewhere in what looks like the French Alps, the possible location of which I broke down in one of my previous posts [here]. However, what we can see here is that the plane doesn't appear to be in good shape and will probably need some repairs before it can fly again, which is one of the reasons I don't expect Daryl and Carol to be leaving France using the plane and instead having to go to Spain (by land) as confirmed by the showrunners and cast.

Also, how good do Carol and Ash look in this scene?!

They look like a literal ad, and I love seeing them fighting walkers together! I'm genuinely gonna start praying that Ash survives.

Daryl surrounded by soldiers:

This is another really interesting shot because it appears that Daryl is being chased and surrounded by civilian soldiers who seem to be dressed just like the people of the Nest, with the addition of a red armbands and using older guns, which makes me think that these could possibly be civilians from the Nest that Genet had recruited to betray and attack the nest from the inside, alongside her soldiers. This solidifies what Norman said we'd see in season 2 as "wolves in sheep's clothing."

Another thing to point out is that Daryl's face is not covered in cuts and bruises yet, which leads me to believe that this is set early in the season, possibly in episode 2, before the reunion.

Daryl getting beat up:

Daryl appears to be captured by Genet and her men here. Although they make it look like Genet is talking to him directly as he's getting beat up, I think the scene with Genet is placed there to throw us off and, in fact, happens at a different time.

We then see the scene of this boy locking himself into the cell where Daryl is being held as he tries to get away from walkers. An interesting thing to note here is the resemblance between this guy and the guy in a cream-coloured jacket standing behind Carol in the previous teaser (comparison images below).

However, another possibility is that some of the group from the nest have come to save Daryl, and the walkers inside and outside are being used as a distraction.

Daryl fighting the walkers outside the car

The location of this scene looks exactly the same as the place that we can see in the shot below of Carol in a car surrounded by walkers.

The second angel solidifies that Daryl is the one killing the zombies surrounding the car as he approaches it. It's important to note that there appears to be at least one other person with him who shoots the walker that can be seen on the right, in the head.

Daryl in the car

So we can see the blood covering the windows of the car, which matches the scene where Carol is stuck in a car surrounded by walkers, and we can tell that there's someone outside the car killing the walkers, resulting in the blood splatter covering all the windows.

However, it looks like all the blood on the windows is now dry in this new scene, which leads me to believe that they (Carol and Daryl) were in that car for a while, maybe stuck/hiding from someone or just catching up and figuring out their next move.

And then we see what looks like a person or walker thrown through the back window🤣; they really can't have a moment of peace.

Codron at the gates of the Nest:

This scene looks to be set outside the gates of the Nest, which we saw in season one. Codron looks to be chained on top of a buggy that launches an explosive, destroying the Nest's gates. I expect that Codron was chained there as bait to lead the horde of walkers that we see running into the Nest.

Motorcycle & Car crossing a bridge in Paris:

This scene could involve the group (Carol, Daryl, Codron) returning to Paris after the attack and fall of the Nest.

Codron and Falou:

This is most likely the moment when Codron arrives at the Paris Nest base, and Fallou appears to be pointing a gun at a kneeling Cadron, furious at what Cadron had done to his group in the past; however, Carol and Daryl probably vouch for him; explaining that he helped them. It's also likely linked to the set photos/video that we've seen of Carol, Falou, and Codron sitting around a table in the same location.

Daryl and Carol in Paris:

No joke, I was cheering out loud when I saw this scene at the end of the trailer!! Having them in the same frame again (even if Carol is blurry) is a literal dream 😭 I love them so much, and this single frame was worth the long wait for the trailer. More on my thoughts about this scene in my theory at the end of the post (below the line).

Carol Walking through Paris:

We see Carol approaching a building (below), the Mobilier National, a museum and tapestry manufacturing facility in Paris. The side of the building that Carol is looking at is the chapel.

This location could be Genet's Paris base since, as you can see, several vehicles are parked outside, resembling her convoy and soldiers dressed in her group's uniform. Additionally, we see many people in civilian clothing walking into the building, similar to the ones that surrounded Daryl previously.

Daryl walking with the guitar

I believe this scene is post the Carol x Daryl reunion because of 2 main things.

The scars and bruising on his face match those we saw in the behind-the-scenes photos of Melissa and Norman filming together.

The surrounding area looks like the race track that we also know they filmed in together from set photos.

The other thing I want to mention here (I'm going to fangirl for a second, so bear with me) is the smile on Daryl's face; I just imagine that he's looking at Carol in this scene and overwhelmed with joy at the thought that they're together again, that they've found each other and they're going home. I really hope I'm right.

Codron shooting at a convoy:

So many interesting things in this shot which I haven't completely figured out how they'll fit into the story but I'll just breakdown what I see.

Ash/Carol's plane is in the background, and I'll add that it is not in the same spot where we see them land it in the other scene (Maybe after Daryl saves them in the car, Ash is injured so he heads back to fix and move the plane while Carol goes off to help Daryl).

Cordron is covered in injuries (broken arm, bandaged eye, bruising) potentially caused by Genet and her men as punishment for not giving away the location of the Nest in Season 1.

It also looks to be on the same race tracks we saw Daryl at in the guitar scene.

Cadron appears to be shooting at Genet's men/convoy that's approaching.

Dary sitting in a different car.

Looking at the seats of this car, they appear to be different from the one Carol was hiding in/surrounded by walkers.

The seat style suggests that it's an older vehicle, which could be the interior of the black sedan approaching Codron as part of the Convoy (gif above).

Daryl looks a little defeated, which may be due to them losing the plane (or the pilot😭).

Daryl in a tunnel:

As we can see, Daryl has his crossbow on his back, which means that this scene is also taking place post-reunion, possibly near the end of the season when Carol and Daryl decide that it's time for them to leave France and find their way home.

They appear to be in the unground Channel tunnel connecting France and England, which I expect them to try to head through since Losang had told Daryl in season one about boats that can travel between England and New England (US). However, it looks like there may have been a Chemical explosion/blockage in the tunnel that prevents them from getting across, leading them to try to find a way back to America through Spain.

~~~~~~

I know that was a long one but there was so much content in that trailer!! I'm so happy that the promo season has now kicked off and can't wait to keep getting some amazing content and interviews.

Thank you to all of you who read through this analysis! I would love to know your thoughts on any of the things I mentioned or left out. ♡♡♡

Also, based on all the content we got today, I now have a theory of how the rest of the season (episodes 2-6) will go, which I've included in this post (below the line) for those of you who are interested.

My Theory:

Thank you for sticking through the whole post and getting to this part ♡ Okay, so the trailer gave us all of these scenes out of order, but after I put them into some kind of order (to my best guess), I now have a theory about how things are going to play out from episode 2 onwards, I'll be leaving out episode 1 because that part wouldn't be a theory and I don't want to be giving any major spoilers 😅

Episode 2:

I believe that Daryl somehow hears that Carol (or someone who could be Carol) is in France and is looking for him, which is when he decides that he has to leave the Nest and go and find her; however, this is when the Nest is attacked (for the first time), and Daryl is surrounded by Genet's civilian soldiers, captured, and taken to Maison Miere, where we see him getting beaten up in the trailer.

Carol, Ash, and the two other mystery people with them either find out that Daryl has been captured and is being held there or get ambushed and stuck on their way to the Nest.

One of Carol's companions manages to find their way past the walkers into the building/Daryl's holding cell and frees Daryl. Daryl is then seen fighting his way through walkers inside the building as he's trying to get out and then fighting through the walkers surrounding the car that Carol, Ash, and the other mystery person are trapped in, leading to the long-awaited reunion.

Episode 3:

Now that they're reunited, I expect they spend some time in the car catching up on everything (at least long enough for all the blood that's on the car to dry, as seen in the scene above) and coming up with a plan. Finally deciding to leave once the walker comes flying through the back window, they head back to the Nest, potentially knowing that a second attack is imminent and wanting to help whoever they can.

As Carol and Daryl get back to the Nest, they manage to free Codron from his chains. However, they're too late and unable to save everyone. This final attack leads to some of the people from the Nest (Laurent, Isabelle, Silvy, etc.) ending up on the run or being captured by Genet.

Now that the Nest has fallen, they (Carol, Daryl, and Codron) have nowhere to go except back to Paris. Once back in Paris, we find that Daryl is now torn; he's finally reunited with Carol, and this is their chance to leave without taking any more risks; however, he feels guilty about leaving Laurent and the others in Genet's hands.

Carol is initially frustrated with Daryl (maybe this is where they're bickering like an old married couple 🤣) and how he's considering risking their lives again even though they only just reunited and are safe despite all the odds; however, seeing Daryl in this predicament, how he clearly cares about these people and how the guilt is affecting him, Carol ultimately decides to help him rescue whoever they can.

Episodes 4-5:

This will lead us into Caryl's rescue adventures for the next two episodes. Ending in them rescuing some of the people who were captured, including Layrent, Syvlie, Emile, etc. (Unfortunately I don't expect Isabelle to make it)

Episode 6:

After the rescue, they leave Laurent in Cordrons care, who has now redeemed himself and can raise Laurent as the brother he once lost.

Now that they've made things as right as they can, they feel ready to leave, however, there may be several failed attempts,

The first being the plane. Unfortunately, Genet's people find their location and try to stop them, which is where we see Codron shooting at the convoy in an attempt to slow them down, allowing time for Daryl/Carol (and maybe Ash) to try to get away. However, they end up losing the plane (or Ash 😭), and they're no longer able to get away.

Their second will probably be through the Channel Tunnel, which is another failed attempt due to what we can see in the trailers, which appears to be a chemical/acid explosion, with a portion of the tunnel collapsed and overrun by walkers.

Their final attempt will be going to Spain on land in hopes of finding another way across the Atlantic.

~~~~~

That was so fun to write and I'd LOVE to hear what you guys think, and if you have your own theories, ♡♡♡ Mine seems to be constantly changing.

[darlingshane]

Salt of the Earth ~ Part 3 (Final)

Pairing: Michael Berzatto x OFC

Summary: She was Carmy's best friend growing up, and Michael never looked at her as anything other than that until years later when she comes back to Chicago to start over. In the process, she turns his sorry excuse of a life upside down.

Content/Warnings: 18+. Explicit, Friends to lovers, Fluff, Heavy Angst, Smut, Shower Sex, BJ's, P in V, Family Drama, Dysfunctional relationships, Addiction, Alcohol, Pets, Pet names, Dialogue heavy, Undisclosed age gap.

Word Count: 12.3k // Chapters 8-10 // AO3 Link.

— Part 1 (Chapters 1-4) // Part 2 (Chapters 5-7)

A/N: This part includes my version of the famous 'Fishes' episode. Though having Maya in it changed a few things, most of it is pretty faithful to the actual script. I also borrowed some of the dialogue to keep it as close as possible.

Chapter 8: As warm as toast

Maya is hugging Michael’s back when the warm breath of her dog is pressed against her ear. She tells the dog to go back to sleep, but Coco, ignoring her request, whines a couple of times until Maya has no choice but to get up. Though it's still terribly early, she takes Coco out to the park down the street from Michael’s building. It's freezing outside, but that doesn’t stop Coco from zooming across the park a hundred times until she’s spent while Maya paces along the fence, wrapped in thick layers of hat, scarf, mittens and a bulky coat.

Upon their return, Maya fills Coco’s bowl and makes some coffee.

They’ve fallen into a nice routine with Michael. He’s made room in his life for them, as much as they’ve welcomed him open into theirs. Half a week they spent in his apartment, and the other half at Maya’s house.

While she sips on her coffee, she tries to guess what's inside the big wrapped box that has been sitting in Michael’s living room for a week. Curiosity has been killing her since she saw it the other day. Her fingers tap on one of the sides and lightly pull on the edge of the red and white paper, trying to sneak a peek of the box.

“I told you to leave that alone, Maybird. That’s not for you.” Michael catches her red-handed as he comes out of the bedroom.

“C’mon, Bear, let me open it already. It’s Christmas.”

“Uh-uh, it’s Christmas Eve.”

“Is it a sex swing? It feels like a sex swing.” She keeps tapping on the box.

“It's not a sex swing. Keep guessing.” Michael snorts, leaning over to kiss her good morning. “Your face is cold, did you go out?”

“Uh-huh.” She glances at Coco, who’s currently devouring her food by the kitchen. “She woke me up and dragged me outside.”

“At least she knows how to hold it and ask for the head.” Michael goes around the breakfast bar to fill a mug with coffee. “Remember that yorkie that Francie had that couldn’t stop peeing everywhere.”

“Well, training goes a long way.”

“That's what everyone kept telling her, but her parents ended up leaving a poor thing in the kennel.”

“I mean it's Francie. I'm not surprised. She really can't be trusted to take care of anything. How's she? I haven't seen her in ages.”

“She's around. I think. Last time I saw her was probably a couple of years ago. She’s banned from our house.”

“Why?”

“Beats me. It's a Sugar thing. I think Francie tried to hit on Pete or something. You'll have to ask Sug.”

“Really? Just when I thought she couldn’t sink lower.”

“Tell me about it.” He pulls up his sweats as he takes a seat on the couch next to her.

“Okay, stop trying to distract me. So, if it’s not a sex swing, or a pizza oven, which I really wanted by the way…”

“The sex swing?” He lifts a brow at her and takes a sip of his mug.

“The pizza oven, smartass. How about… a weighted blanket?”

“First, you don’t need any of those. You can cook pizza already in your oven, and why do you need a weighted blanket or a sex swing when you have me?”

“That’s true.”

“You know what? Go ahead and open it, but you’re gonna need Coco, cause like I told you, that’s not for you. C’mere Coco Girl.”

Coco’s floppy ears perk up at Michael’s call. The dog turns her head to look at Michael for a second before continuing chewing her food.

“She’s too busy to open presents right now.”

“Figures.”

They wait till she’s done, and Maya beams in delight, quickly tearing apart the flashy wrapping paper. That delight turns into a mocking frown when she finds out it’s a big, fluffy dog bed for Coco.

“Oh, you weren’t kidding. It’s not for me.”

“Aw, don’t be jealous, sweetheart. You know I have something else for you. She needed a bed here. This couch is so uncomfortable, no even a dog wants to lay here. She’s always either hoarding the bed or sleeping on the rug.”

“Yeah, I know.” Her lips curve up, watching Coco inspect her present before attempting to curl inside. “That’s it, baby, lay down. Good girl.”

“Are we still up for tomorrow?”

Maya sighs, “yeah, I think so. Did you tell them I was coming?”

“I said you might. Just in case you change your mind.”

“Do you want me to change my mind?”

“No,” he strokes her hair with his free hand. “I really want you there.”

“What are we going to tell, y’know… everyone?”

Everyone – meaning Carmy. Though their relationship is practically nonexistent, the last thing she wants to do is show up holding hands with Michael and flaunt it on anyone’s face without a warning.

“Well, Richie is the only one who knows.” Cause he caught them last week making out at their usual bar. “I guess Tiff knows too. Does it freak you out? Do you wanna back out now?”

“No, no. I just… I guess I’m not ready to announce it on a day like this. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, that’s okay, baby. I get it. It’s driving me crazy, too.”

“If they find out, that’s great, but I don’t just wanna put it out there right away.”

“We’ll just have to keep a low profile, then. How hard can it be?”

“I’ve never had a secret relationship before. It could be fun pretending, even if it’s just for a few hours.”

“We just have to hope Richie doesn’t blow our cover.”

“Oh, we’re screwed.”

“I don’t know about that. But I can tell someone is about to get screwed. Shower?” His brow playfully arches.

“Hmm, you’ve read my mind.”

It’s that rush of excitement of being with someone new that leads them quickly to the bathroom. He undresses her just as fast as she pulls his sweats and underwear off him. He hasn’t finished taking off her bra and his lips automatically invite themselves into her neck as she fumbles to get the water going so it warms up before stepping inside.

Under the warm spray of the water, their bodies fuse together. Lips against lips share a vicious amount of kisses and laughs. Their arms tangle around the other, her hands become his, and vice versa. The steam filling the room boils hotter when Michael turns Maya around and presses himself on her ass while one of his hands slides between her legs. Her palms brace the tiled wall, as his mouth bites the flesh at the curve of her neck. Her moans and curses sound like heaven when the blunt tip of his cock slides into her opening. His hips push painfully slow as her walls stretch inch after inch. Once he’s fully sheathed in her tender pussy, his eyes squeeze shut, he lets his desire guide the pacing of his thrusts. Maya waves her hips at the same time, countering his moves until both find the same rhythm. One of his hands clutches the curve of her ass, keeping her secured, as the other stays right on her pussy, rubbing her swollen clit with passion.

His back turns red as the hot water keeps pouring over him. The fiery pressure rising up in his core makes his cock throb inside her. He looks down to see his length disappear inside her fast with each push. At the same time, his mind dissipates somewhere up, above the mist of the bathroom, somewhere above clouds. It’s like he’s traded one addiction for another. As long as he’s with her, he’s safe. It’s not the healthiest way to deal with it, but right now he doesn’t give a shit. The climb to that high is way faster, it feels better, it’s less toxic, but it lasts shorter. That’s the only downside.

“Michael… please,” her breathing swallows, as she inches close to the finish line.

“I know, sweetheart, shh…. Come for me. C’mon…”

Following her plea, he pushes a little harder, rubs a little faster until her body seizes up. She lets out a strained moan that bounces off the steamed walls, as her opening contracts around him harder than he’s ever felt. Maybe it’s the position. It feels like pure bliss to have her squeezing every last drop of him.

Catching his own breath, he hangs his head down to rest on her nape for a moment. While still riding that high, he slowly slips out of her and drops to his knees on the shower floor. His hands handle her body around so she's facing him. As her abdomen lines up with his face, he glances up to capture her glowing aura, stunning as ever. Maya’s still floating in that same sea of ecstasy he floats on. It makes her look like a goddess from his position. Her dark hair cascades over her shoulders, sticks to her skin as it touches the curves of her chest. Water trails down her body as if she was standing under a waterfall. And like the Goddess she is, he aims to devout himself only to her.

He gently holds one of her legs up, letting his lips glide across the surface of her thigh as he drapes her leg over his shoulder. His mouth waters as it gets closer to her center. Licking his lips, his eager tongue just to taste the heaven between her legs. It's slicked and tender, ready to consume. His mouth fits perfectly against it. Wide open. Desperate to please her with the flick of his tongue and ease his own affliction.

Maya leans her back on the wall, anchors her only feet hard to the floor, and grips at his soaked hair as his tongue works restlessly all over her sex. He sucks her clit between his lips, licks her folds, circles her dripping opening, and revels in tasting both, him and her. In a wild frenzy, he devours it all. It consumes his need and desperation for more. Her moans are exquisite. Her body writhes in his hold as she rises up gracefully to a higher plane.

Chapter 9: Bigger fishes to fry

“Are you really going to wear that?” Asks Maya as soon as she sees the outfit Michael has chosen for Christmas dinner.

“What’s wrong with this?” He gazes at his blue Under Armour shirt and jeans ensemble.

“Workout shirt, jeans and kicks, really? Why don’t you put on a nice sweater at least?”

“Baby, it’s just dinner at my house with the same fucking people I see every year. It's not like the Queen of England is gonna show up to have tea and biscuits.”

“C’mon, Bear, do it for me?” Maya pulls out her big adorable eyes and disarming smile.

“Ugh, alright, only for you.” Unable to resist her power, he easily yields and goes into his bedroom. From a drawer, he collects a dark blue fisherman sweater. Then he sticks his hand into the closet to pick up the vintage jacket she bought him for his birthday. To finish his new getup, he trades his sneakers for ankle boots.

Maya is taking out a dessert from the fridge that she bought this morning to take to The Berzattos.

“Wow,” her head turns when hearing his footfalls. “See, you look so much better now.”

“Yeah? You clean up pretty nice too,” he picks up her hand and makes her spin under his arm, capturing the stunning shape of her body hugged in a cream knitted dress that almost touches her knees. Right below, black leather boots cover the rest of her legs.

“Thanks, handsome bear.” After her spin, her head tilts to the side, capturing a chaste kiss from his lips.

“What’s that?” Michael points at the dish covered in tin foil on the breakfast bar.

“It's a strawberry tart.”

“You made a tart?” He lifts part of the foil to uncover the well-crafted pastry.

“What? Surprised that this tart made a tart?”

“Well, yeah. You almost poisoned me the last time you cooked.”

“You got me. I didn't make it. I bought it this morning when I took Coco out.”

Michael softly chuckles. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring that. Have you forgotten about pudding-gate? Donna's going to eat you alive if you show up with food.”

“Oh, I think that night was the first time I got drunk. I don't remember the details. But I do remember the pudding and eating a bowl with Carmy in the garage. Who brought it?”

“Uncle Jimmy's first wife.”

“That's right. She was never seen again after that. Okay, I guess I could bring a bottle of wine.”

“You're gonna make me look bad if I show up with nothing.”

“You could bring the tart, and say that you made it. I bet Donna will be delighted if it comes from the golden child.”

“That's a great idea, baby. It'll be a great distraction when she starts strangling me that people won't even notice this other tart.” His hand boldly squeezes her ass.

“Hey!” she swats his shoulder with the back of her hand. “I thought we agreed to keep our hands off each other.”

“I meant later. Here, I can still get a piece if I want.” He links his arms around her waist and peppers the curve of her neck with kisses, making her laugh with the coarse tickle of his beard.

“Oh, this is gonna be harder than I thought,” she whines when his lips nibble her earlobe.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” He laughs against her ear, gripping tightly at her hips. “I’m not sure how long I can make it without touching you like this.”

“Well, we better think of something…”

Ready to go, they hop in the car and drop Coco first at Maya’s house. While Michael waits in the car she collects a bottle of wine to bring for dinner.

It’s then that she gets jittery about the whole ordeal. It’s been years since she attended one of their functions. Christmas at the Berzattos was never a walk in the park, and as she has heard recently, they still aren’t. But she’s not the one to talk cause the Silvas have always had their own issues, proof of that is her desertion from her own family dinner.

“Okay, kiss me one more time,” she requests after parking at the end of the street. They both lean in to meet in the middle over the center console for a chaste kiss. “One more.”

Michael delves into her mouth a little deeper, hoping it’d ease her up.

As they walk up to the house, they pass Maya’s empty childhood home, and Michael just wraps an arm around her and kisses her hair.

“Their loss,” he mumbles. “Don’t think about them, Maybird.”

“I won’t.”

His arm unfurls away from her body as they get closer to the Berzattos’ house. When they reach the door, they stay there for a minute, filling their lungs with cold air as they muster the courage to cross the threshold.

The house is loud with people talking and laughing when they step inside.

Maya can see Michael's face changing as the door closes behind them. That raw vulnerability, his bashful expression he's not afraid to show her slips once again behind that mask he's fought so hard to get rid of. She can't hold it against him. Everyone has their coping mechanisms and this is Michael's.

She becomes suddenly the new sensation, everyone openly welcomes her as if they hadn't seen her in ages. Which is actually the case. She's bombarded with questions she doesn't really want to answer like — How are your parents? How does it feel being back? Are you seeing someone?

Mirroring Michael's, she just draws her best smile and tries to satisfy their curiosity while Michael takes a smoke break with Sugar leaving her to be eaten by wolves before she can protest.

To Maya’s disbelief, after the third degree, she’s welcomed with open arms by Donna Berzatto, who is just as intense as she remembers. Hair on point, makeup on point, fresh manicure softly scratches Maya’s jaw when she briefly holds her face.

“We've missed you, Mayhem Maya.” Donna actually coined that nickname after that incident when she broke one of her figurines when she was a kid. And she'd never live that down. It makes her feel like a child every time she calls her that or the way she manages to compliment her and patronize her at the same time.

“Hey,” she hears the familiar voice as Donna disappears into the kitchen.

Maya turns around to see Carmy climbing down the stairs.

“Hey, you made it,” she says a little hesitant, trying to decide whether to hug him or just shake his hand as he reaches the last step.

“You too.”

Hug. She goes for it and tucks her arms around his shoulders for no more than two seconds. It feels a little awkward and cold given their history but understandable. They're not as close anymore, and it doesn't come as natural as it used to. She tries to internalize that as best as she can, but there’s still something that doesn’t feel right. Maybe this wasn’t the best moment to show up back again into his life. Being Michael’s girlfriend, no less. Perhaps deciding to hide that wasn’t the best choice after all. It sounded reasonable when she chose that, but right now, it feels like she’s betraying him.

“How's Copenhagen?”

“Cold. How is being back?”

“Weird.”

“Tell me about it… Never thought I'd see you again in one of these functions.”

“Yeah, Michael insisted. You knew I was coming, right?”

He nods. “Sugar told me.”

They shoot back and forth meaningless questions without really diving into anything substantial. For the first time, she looks at his cold blue eyes and realizes they're not best friends anymore. She might have known everything about him once upon a time, but now it feels like talking to a stranger, and it breaks her heart not being able to pass that invisible wall between them.

Maya stares at him one last time as they are interrupted by the rest of the party. He’s dragged to a mindless conversation with Neil and Ted Fak, while Michelle brings Maya a drink and settles with her on the couch to catch up.

Carmy manages to escape the Faks and asks for some help from his siblings that were hiding outside.

Michael does another quick round before disappearing again somewhere with Richie.

“I thought you weren’t serious about bringing her.” Richie takes him to the garage where they open a couple of beers.

“I was dead serious. And please, don’t say anything. Tonight, we’re just friends, alright?” he gives him a menacing look.

“You’re dead for sure when Carmy finds out. Don’t get me wrong I love Maya, but is she all that? Is she worth the trouble, Cousin?”

“She’s all that and a basket of biscuits.”

Soon, Michael thinks. Soon everyone will know how much he loves her but for now, this is for the best. This is what she wants and he respects that.

When they go back into the house, Michael goes checking if she needs a break from socializing. Figures, she probably does as much as he does. She's not in the living room anymore, or anywhere on the first floor. He climbs upstairs and from the cracked door to his room, he finds her snooping around the bedroom with a glass of wine in her hand.

“Hey. What are you doing up here?”

“The bathroom downstairs was occupied, so I came up here, and I realized I never really saw your room. Was it always like this?”

“Kinda. It’s cleaner for starters. The walls used to be covered in Red Sox merchandise and movie posters. It’s all in the basement at The Beef now.”

“Traitor,” Maya mockingly squints her eyes before taking a sip of her glass.

“Why do you care, you don’t even watch baseball?”

“Yeah, but if I had to pick I wouldn’t even dream of going against my own home team,” she says, scanning a pile of CD’s on the corner of the desk and picking one from the middle. “Marky Mark, really? Who are you?”

“That’s Sugar’s.”

“Sure it is,” she laughs.

“This is why you came up here, to make fun of me?”

“Nope, I just like snooping.” She turns around and keeps flicking through those albums while Michael shuts the door to seize that as an opportunity to kiss her again.

“Hey, c’mere.” Quickly wetting his lips, he cups her face as it turns to the side and gently captures the flavor of her mouth soaked in white wine.

“Hmm, we’re a lost cause,” she says as his lips bounce a few times against her.

“I know.” Michael hums, unable to stop himself from going deeper into her mouth.

As she places her glass on the desk, his tongue swipes past her lips.

Michael moves his hands to her hips, as Maya links her arms around his neck, letting her tongue slowly play with his.

His mouth grows hungrier and desperate for more. She can feel it at the eager tip of his tongue demanding more action. He blindly guides Maya to the bed, and almost without breaking from the other, as she settles on her back, he pushes all the coats people left on his bed to the side. Michael lies on top of her, nestling between her legs, claiming ferociously another kiss from her mouth.

From zero to sixty, his hand slips beneath the hem of her dress and hikes the skirt up to her waist to grab her ass. He digs his fingers on her skin over her tights. He could rip the fabric apart in a second if he pressed a little harder.

Maya hums in his mouth, struggling to keep up with the burning passion he's pouring into her lips as the coarse texture of his beard scratches her face.

The setting is a little off-putting for her right now no matter how much she wants him and as his bulge hardens between her legs, she promptly puts a halt on.

“Michael, baby, shh. We can’t do this here.”

“We’re just making out. The door is closed.”

“We’re not just making out. You’re already hard. What if someone comes in?”

“There’s a lock on the door. I closed it.”

“The lock is not the problem. It's this place. This house.”

“The house is cock-blocking you?”

“Pretty much. Yeah. Let’s just take a breath and go back down. We’ll finish this later at home. See, this is why we can’t be left alone.”

“Okay,” he begrudgingly rolls to the side with a sigh, feeling a little disappointed to be honest and stares at the ceiling. “Is it the house or is it Carmy being here?”

“I don't know. Maybe both.” She leans on her elbow to look at him.

“I see.”

“It’s not like I don’t want to. I do. More than you know, Bear. I just feel weird about doing this right here. We said the other day that we should be honest with each other to make this work. And this is me being honest.”

“I know, baby. I get it. I just… All I wanna do is be with you right now. Can't stop thinking about you. That’s why this happens…” he gestures vaguely as his crotch.

“Now, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to give you blue balls. I know how much that hurts.”

“I don’t think you do,” he snorts.

“I’m sorry,” her palm covers her smile. “I really am. But I… I guess I could do something about it. Don’t move.”

Maya’s fingers glide over his crotch to undo his fly.

“Wait, are you changing your mind?”

“No, but I don’t wanna leave you like that either. Just trust me.” She shifts on the bed as her hand slides under the fabric to feel the pressure of his straining erection.

Biting her lip, she locks eyes with him as her fist curls around his shaft as Michael’s hand wraps around hers.

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I wanna. Just because I can’t, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t. Let me do this for you. Please.”

“You’re fucking amazing, you know that?” he sighs, letting her hand move up and down his hardness.

“I know. Just relax for me. I'll make it quick.”

Maya leans closer to his face to lock her lips with his. His low grunts echo in her mouth while her fist prompts him to spill his early drops of arousal. They help her pump more swiftly. He has to bury his sounds deep in his throat when she parts from his mouth and moves her head down his torso so he can finish him with a blow.

“Fuck, Maybird,” he moans as her lips wrap tightly around his swollen gland. Her hand keeps a nice pressure at the base as her head bobs quickly to have him climaxing all over her tongue.

She cleans him up, licks her lips and makes sure nothing was spilled on their clothes before taking a long swig of the glass of wine on the desk to get rid of the aftertaste of his cum.

“God, sweetheart, that was…” he stands up and pulls his clothes together while she finishes her drink. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

“You better.” She collects a pocket mirror from her purse to check her makeup. As she moves Michael's jacket out of the way, something falls from its pocket — a round pill container lands at her feet.

She means to bend down and pick up, but she freezes. It's Michael the one to reach and grab it. Maya stiffens, stares at him as he quickly tucks in his pocket. Unable to process any thought at all, she pins that in her head to revise later. As she intended to do, she fixes her hair and makeup.

Michael should have left those at home. He didn’t even mean to grab them. It was just exactly that– a habit he can’t break yet. Especially on a night like this.

“Hey,” he says softly, holding her chin under his finger and tilts her head up so he can capture her eyes. “We'll talk about it later, okay?”

“Okay.”

She checks her face in the mirror a second time to make sure there’s no visual signs of her just going down on Michael before leaving the room.

Their hands are still linked together when they step into the hallway, and it isn't until they spot Natalie coming from another room that they quickly pull them apart.

So much for being sneaky… There's no way she didn't see that. The shock flashing across her face is telling.

“Michael, can I talk to you?”

“We should go downstairs before… Carmy can't handle all those people.”

“This won't take a minute,” she says firmly.

He glances at Maya, and they nod at the other.

As Maya returns to the party, Sugar can't help but question Michael about it.

“I don't know what you saw, but it's not what you think, Sug.”

“You came out of your room holding hands. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to put two and two together. Are you dating her?”

“Would you have a problem with that?”

“I don't know… It's just… She's Maya. She practically grew up here. In this house. She and Carmy were… you haven't told him, have you?”

“Nobody knows yet. Well, just Richie. But it hasn't been going on for long, and we just thought it'd be best to wait.”

“And you brought her here tonight?”

“I didn't want her to spend the night alone. Do you think it's weird, me and her?”

“I don’t think it’s weird. I… I guess it's a little unexpected. It just caught me off guard. If you had given me a warning…”

“You wouldn't be so shocked. I'm sorry. I wanna tell everyone, but it's all so new, and she's…”

“Maya.”

“Yeah.”

“Look, it's an adjustment, but if you're happy with her, then I'm happy, Bear. Does she make you happy?”

“She does,” he smiles bashfully.

When Michael and Natalie join the rest, Cicero and his wife arrive. Uncle Lee follows.

The delicious smell of food cooking fills every nook with the house and Maya's stomach rumbles under layers of wine. She desperately needs to soak all that alcohol before it's too late.

She goes into the kitchen to find Michael casually leaning on the counter bantering with his mother as she works against the clock, cooking those seven fishes that’s the staple dish of her house.

“You doing good?” He gives Maya a look as she props her hands on the breakfast bar.

“Hm-hm.”

“You hungry too?” He guesses and Maya only nods at his question as Donna points at the meatball casserole on the counter.

“Here,” Michael grabs one meatball from the casserole, dabs the sauce on the edge so it drips as he lifts it up to her mouth. His eyes light up as she carefully bites half of it directly from his fingers. Then he shoves the other half into his mouth. Smiling at the other, both thinking about what they did earlier as they fight the urge of eating each other's mouths again.

A beat after, Maya looks to the side to see Carmy standing by the door as Donna barks something at him. She swallows, watching people come and go out of the kitchen. The timer goes off as voices get louder all around. Maya helps herself to another drink in the middle of the whirlwind of chaos of the heart of the house while Carmy takes him upon himself to organize the mess of the kitchen against Donna's wishes.

“Ma, why don't you let him help you? It's all he fucking does.” Michael picks up another meatball and offers it again to Maya, but she declines this time.

“What was that?” Carmy glances annoyed at Michael. “Like uh, that was a shot or…”

“Wasn’t a fucking shot.”

“Mikey, he’s helping me. Back off.”

“Yeah, that was a shot.” Carmen states more sternly this time. “I'm the guy that does food. You're the guy that what? You-you, uh… You start 100 different businesses and have zero follow-through.”

“You’re the one to talk,” Maya rolls her eyes, taking a long sip of her wine.

“Yeah, what are you doing here? Thought you had a husband.”

“Wow. Leave her out of this, Carm. She’s here cause I asked her to.”

“It’s fine, Michael. Let Annie Oakley take her shots at me.”

“Okay, this is why I didn't wanna come home. This is why.”

“Fuck you!” Donna shouts.

“What the fuck? Why the fuck would you say that?” Michael raises his voice. “It's fuckin' Christmas. Why would you say something like that?”

“Whatever, okay? Whatever.”

“Maya, sweetie, can you bring some ice from the freezer in the garage?” Asks Donna in the middle of the argument, and she just silently agrees.

All their voices ebb as Maya disappears into the hallway that leads to the garage to grab some ice and pull herself together. She stays there for longer than she should, collecting her thoughts and checking her phone for all her friends and co-workers messages and sending some of her own. Her eyes pull away from the screen when the door swings open.

She tucks her phone in her pocket as Carmy climbs down the two steps into the room.

“What are you doing here?”

“Grabbing some ice.” She glances at the freezer where her ass is propped.

“No. I mean, why did you come here at all?”

She shrugs, folding her arms against her stomach.

“Michael invited me.”

“It’s pretty fucking weird, don’t you think?”

“Why? I used to come here all the time when we were kids. Hell, the first time I got drunk was right in this garage with you.”

“Yeah, that’s my point. You and I aren’t friends anymore, Maya. It doesn’t make sense that you’d come anymore.”

“You've made that clear but hey, you’re the one who stopped talking to me in the first place.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know. You tell me. I’m not psychic, Carmen.”

“Doesn’t really matter anymore.”

“No? It matters to me.”

“Guess I got tired of waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me? You’re completely delusional, you know that?”

“Am I? I thought you were different, but you’re just…”

“Just what? Are you going to call me a slut or something? You better watch your mouth.”

“No. You’re… reckless.”

“I'm reckless? For what? Living my life? Growing up? Marrying another guy?”

“Yeah.”

“I’d rather be reckless than be anything like you, Carmen. You think you're better than me, than anyone in here, but you're not. You're conceited. You've always looked at everyone down from your ivory tower like you've never made a mistake in your life. You said you were waiting for me? You had many opportunities to say what you felt, and you never did, why is that? Because you’re a fuckin’ coward. I’ve watched string along girls you weren’t into for longer than you should have. Anytime anyone has shown you an ounce of love, you’ve run the other way. You've shut down me and everyone out cause you don’t know how to love anyone but your self-righteous, narcissistic ass.”

“That’s rich coming for someone who’s fucking my brother.” His voice comes out deeply loud as Maya swallows. “You think I’m dumb? It’s written all over your face.”

Her posture stiffens all of a sudden. She opens her mouth to contradict his words, but she can't. It's pointless. He's chosen to attack, and she's going to stand and take blow after blow without throwing some of her own.

“You had your chance, Carmen, and you never took it. And the worst part is that you expected me to do something about it, but it really wasn’t up to me. I’m sorry I never felt anything for you… but I don’t think you ever loved me like you wanted either. You only thought you did cause I was there all the time. It was easy, right? We were friends. Best friends. And you ruined that.”

“So did you.”

“Yeah, we can agree on that.”

“It’s fucked-up, y’know?”

“What is?”

“You and my brother.”

“You know what’s fucked up?” She pegs him with a harsh twisted brow. “You. Coming here judging everyone and pretending you know anything about me or him. Say, when was the last time you said I love you just cause you wanted to and not because someone said it first? When was the last time you were in a relationship that lasted more than two dates? When was the last time you woke up next to someone and the thought of leaving them ripped your heart apart? I'd rather take risks and be called reckless than feel nothing, do nothing, say nothing at all, and turn into a bitter asshole like you.”

Maya walks past him and heads out the door without giving him the opportunity to respond.

As tears threaten to come out, she stops in her tracks and draws a fortifying breath to keep herself from falling apart. Though she knew sooner or later she’d have to deal with Carmy, that conversation was truly more difficult to deal with than she expected. She couldn't handle that better if he wasn't acting like an asshole.

Disheartened… Maya feels just at home. It really is no different from being with her own family. Next year, she swears she's going to take a trip or just stay at home with Coco, which sounds like something she should've done today. Coming here tonight was a mistake. If she could turn back time to earlier in the day and convince herself to stay at home she would.

In the never-ending night of riffs, she overhears Donna yelling at Natalie in the kitchen as she crosses the hallway. In the living room, Michael has everyone's attention while telling one of his stories. Every one seems entertained except for Uncle Lee that has to poke the bear as usual.

It feels like an eternity until dinner is finally served it doesn't get better once everyone is sitting at the table. No. Because, of course, there can't be a moment of peace, everything escalates from that point.

Maya’s taking a swallow of her glass when Lee starts telling the story about the seven fishes and the Dutch oven when Michael makes a buzzing sound and throws a fork at him. It hits his shoulder.

“Wrong answer.”

“Did you just throw a fork at me?” Lee's high-pitched tone breaks.

“I did,” Michael snorts.

They both start bitching back and forth. The tension strains harder after every word, every sentence interrupted, every thought unfinished.

She places her glass down as the animated conversation grows more heated by the second. The voices get louder. There's a countdown hovering over the table showing how many seconds are left for the bomb to go off. Maya hears the ticking in her head, or maybe that's just the sound of her own heart racing.

In the heat of the moment, Michael borrows a second fork from Fak and repeats the same action. This time he misses Lee's head by an inch.

Everyone tries to put off the fire before it rises, but Michael is too far gone into his own head, nobody can talk sense into him.

“Cousin, you're scaring the normals.” Richie nervously laughs.

“This is fine. It's nothing.”

“Mikey, can you hear me, buddy?”

“Not now, Stevie.”

“Cut it out.”

“Hey, look, here's the thing.” He leans back on his chair ignoring everyone. “You see, I can throw forks cause this is our father's house. My father's house.”

“Okay you have everyone's attention so go ahead, tell us a story we've all heard a million times already.”

“That's good Lee.” He laughs manically while Lee goes on a rant about him living off his mom and borrowing money from everyone.

“… I don't know what the fuck you're on, but if you can hear me through the fog, throw another fork at me, you're gonna get fuckin’ rocked!”

There's a long moment of silence. Michael scratches his beard and gazes to his side, where Maya is sitting trying to process the whole thing happening before her eyes.

“Hey, Maybird.” He says softly, and waits until she looks at him. “I just… You think I could just borrow that for one second…” he points at her fork.

“Michael don't,” she tries to say, but the rest of the table speaks louder over her voice.

“It's okay, baby.” It slips out as he picks up her fork. “This is fine. I’m fine.”

“Michael. Please don't do this!” It's Natalie's words that stand out over the others. “Hey!” She calls his attention and when Michael glances at the opposite side of the table and Sugar lowers her voice. “I love you. Okay?”

“I love you, too, Sug.”

“I'm begging you. Don't do it.”

He vaguely nods. But he's dead set on making everyone shift in their chairs as the ridiculous dispute picks up again.

The flames touch the ceiling, and there's nothing she can do to smother the fire.

Maya nudges his thigh under the table with her knee, and says his name softly, hoping it'd be enough to calm him down. But it's too late, he's already so riled up that not even her can't stop him from rising from his chair, fork in hand taunting Lee non-stop.

Petrified, she stares at the man she loves, the one who looked like a dreamboat when she woke up next to him this morning, turning into something completely different. The cracks of his mask can't hold any longer. Behind it, it all slips out. His haunted expression taking over the rough edges of his face, the sorrow in his eyes, and his tired voice, makes her heart hurt.

“Bear.” She resorts to a term of endearment, but there is no use. He's on a different plane now, guided by his addiction.

Her eyes well up as Lee keeps repeating that he’s nothing. She can see his gears spinning in a different direction and for a moment everyone stays still watching everything unfold until Donna comes into the room.

That only puts a temporary patch on the wound. It's only a matter of time before someone takes it away to let blood spill all over the table. Michael sits back down, pushing his hair back before clutching the fork again in his fist as Donna lights up a cigarette and takes a seat.

“What did I miss?”

“Nothing.”

“I missed something.”

“Uh, Stevie, Stevie's about to say grace, Ma.”

“Ooh, good, yes.”

“Go ahead and take it away there, Stevie.”

“I uh… I don't think…”

“Just say the fucking thing, Stevie.”

The tension eases up for those couple of minutes while Steve improvises grace. It all seems perfect for a moment, they all nod and smile a Steve’s kind words, but that countdown is still ticking down every last fucking second.

Everything afterward is a tableau of surreal events tangled together that would play in Maya’s head for years to come… Donna’s meltdown, Michael throwing the last fork, flipping the table and taking a more physical approach against uncle Lee, Donna losing her hinges and crashing the car into the house, the police attending the disturbance…

Out of all the memorable dinners she's had in this house, this one really takes the cake.

It's the shitshow of a lifetime that nobody will ever forget.

Chapter 10: Basket of biscuits

It’s past the witching hour when all the voices, all the noise, all the sirens, and rumblings of his own thoughts quiet down in his head when he closes the door as he settles on the driver's seat. And at once, the only voice he wanted to hear the most echoes in his head with one simple word — his name. The fear in her tone haunts him. He probably scared the shit out of her after what went down. Staring at the ruins of the front of his childhood home, Michael turns on the engine and takes a final look before steering Maya’s car out of that place.

Maya left earlier, after the police took everyone’s statement. Though she wasn’t as drunk as he was, he begged her to take a cab back home. While Donna refused to leave the house, everyone eventually left as well. Michael stayed all the way through while they boarded up the hole in the wall as a temporary measure.

Sobering down, the road gets clearer the closer he gets to Maya. He can't stand the thought of her being witness to his frantic meltdown. All he can see now, clear as day, the utter disbelief and fright in her eyes when she was pleading him to stop. He should have listened. He should have held himself better in that situation. Drugs or not, there's nothing or no one to blame but himself. That was… Embarrassing. Even for him. He swore he'd never sink that low, that he'd never let anyone see that part of him. It was bound to happen. He lost control and everyone saw. And if he wasn't for Donna interrupting his act, he's not sure how far he'd have gone.

For a split moment, he blames it on something else taking over his actions, like being possessed by one of his demons. But it doesn't last long. He can’t continue denying the fact that he’s the only one responsible for his actions. Claiming otherwise would only delay the inevitable.

They say all roads lead to Rome, and if keeps driving in the same direction, he’d surely find the only possible outcome to this. It’s time to veer off the path and find that there’s more world to see besides Rome.

He has to find a new way, and she is the only thing that could save him from this right now. However, after tonight, it wouldn't surprise him if she was already thinking about kicking him to the curve. He would blame her.

Christmas lights and empty streets quickly take him to her house. He can even imagine what’s going through her head right now… but it’s time to find out.

He parks on the driveway and takes measured steps toward the front door as the weight of the world perches on his shoulders. He feels like shit and the biggest asshole in the world for breaking his promise.

The glow of the TV and tree lights shine faintly behind the curtains when he knocks on the door. He should have called before, he realizes on that spot. Or even just text her to say he was coming so she would know what to expect. But there’s not going back now.

She takes her time to open the door and when she does, he’s met with the reflection of all his fears coming true. It flashes across her face the disappointment and disgust and utter terror of what happened at the table.

“I brought your car.” He reaches out to hand her the keys.

Hesitantly, she collects them, and makes room for him to enter before closing the door behind him.

“I… You shouldn't be driving.”

“It's fine. Sobered out pretty soon after… Where's Coco?”

“Upstairs. Hoarding the bed.” Maya puts the keys on the console table as they stand by the staircase railing. “Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, Carm and Sug stayed with her at the house for the night. Everyone else left. ”

“She wouldn't leave?”

“No, she locked herself in her room.”

“That's crazy.”

“Yeah, another Christmas at The Berzattos. Hey, but at least none of us got locked up.”

“That's not funny, Michael.”

“It wasn't meant to be funny.”

“I think you should go… You should've stayed with them.”

“I wanted to check on you.”

“I'm fine.” Her tone says otherwise.

“Are you?”

“I was about to go to sleep.” She’s already slipped into her pj’s and was just watching TV cause she couldn’t fall asleep.

“That doesn't answer my question.”

“What do you want me to say? Of course, I'm not okay. You lied to me.”

“What… When did I lie to you?”

She fights the urge of rolling her eyes and instead, crosses her arms against her midsection to keep herself together.

“You said you weren't using when you were with me, but tonight you did. Instead of coming to me and saying — hey I'm dealing with this and that, you straight up hid it, and then you just… went off. I thought we were being honest with each other.”

He hangs his head down as she tiredly leans her back against the wall.

“I don't know how to help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on, Michael.”

“There's nothing you could've done.”

“Maybe not but you didn't even give me the chance to. I'm really concerned about you and after tonight… I don't know… I'm out of my depth here. I knew it was bad, but it's worse than I thought… If you're not seeing that, if you're not willing to admit that… Then maybe we should take a step back and consider our options before going further.”

“Consider our options? You're getting cold feet now?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I just…” she sighs in exhaustion. “You should go. It's been a long night. And I'm not in the mood for this.”

“If you're gonna break up with me, just say it. Don't wait till tomorrow.” Though it’d be the right decision for her to do, he can’t stand the thought of not being with her now that he’s seen what it is to have her in her life. It would rip his soul and heart apart to hear her say those words.

“I don't wanna break up with you, but I can see that you're going through something right now, and I think it’d be best to talk about this tomorrow or the day after with clear heads.”

“Okay, okay…” he says under a heavy breath, as he shortens the distance between them.

Michael cups her jaw, and places his lips gently on her forehead.

“Can I stay here tonight?” He tries to not sound desperate but it fails so badly.

“Michael…” He grabs his wrist and takes a step back to detach herself from his hold.

“Please, Maybird, I don't wanna go. I… I can’t be alone right now. I’d… I don’t know what I’d do…” There’s something brewing inside him and if tonight wasn’t bad enough, not being able to be with her would send him down to that hole of despair he’s dug himself.

“You're scaring me, Michael.”

“Fuck, I know… I know I’m an asshole. I just…” He frantically runs a palm over his beard as he keeps pleading. “I need you. Don’t make me leave. I'm begging you.”

Those words put her between the sword and the wall. As much as he loves him, as much as she’d want him to stay, she’s still shaken and would rather be alone right now. But she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if something happened to him because she sent him away.

Before she has the chance to reply, while she gathers her thoughts he dramatically drops to his knees on the verge of tears.

“Please. I’d do anything for you, but don’t ask me to go.”

“Michael…”

“Shh, shh, shh,” he grabs her waist, pulls her close, and links his arms around her hips, planting his full face on her abdomen. He swallows his sobs in his relentless ramble. “Please, baby, I need you… I’m sorry I lied to you… I’m so sorry that I'm scaring you… I swear I’d never hurt you…”

Her eyes brim with tears and unable to pull away she just holds his head protectively in her hands, threading her fingers in her hair to calm him down.

“You’re everything to me, Maybird. I know I’m a pathetic loser and that I don’t deserve you, but I’m fucking ready… just tell me what to do… I don’t know how to fix this… please just… let me stay…”

“Shh, it’s okay, Bear.” She’s so overcome by the love she has for him, she doesn’t have the strength to kick him out. So, she just gives up to his implore. “We’ll figure it out.”

Michael’s breaking point came like the most unexpected Christmas gift he didn't ask for. He can't return it or exchange it for something else. It's only up to him to either throw it away and pretend it didn't happen or use that as the catalyst to his recovery. They say that sometimes you have to break down to break through. And he went down so many levels, that there’s only one option but to go up from there. No because he feels like he has to, but he'd do anything to stay with Maya, and he knows the only way to do it is to climb out of the dirt.

After falling asleep in Maya’s arms, he wakes up in her bed alone the next morning. The clock says it is 10am when he looks up to her night stand and from the feet of the bed is only Coco, keeping a close watch of him. Her tail starts wagging when he gazes at her and extends his hand to scratch her head.

“Hey, Coco girl.” His voice rasps as she climbs up closer to lick his face relentlessly, slobbering all over his beard. “Okay, okay, that's enough, sweetheart.”

He holds her close and scratches her neck to calm her down, as Maya’s measured footfalls make the stairs creak when she climbs up. He looks to the door and watches her as she enters the room. She's fully dressed and by the amount of layers she's clad in, it looks like she's been outside.

“Morning.” She smiles softly as she proceeds to take off her hat and scarf.

“Morning.” He props himself on his elbow while Coco jumps suddenly out of the bed and circles around Maya’s legs before leaving the room at once. “Went out?”

“Yeah, just went for a drive and grabbed some breakfast. You two looked so cozy together, I thought I should let you sleep a bit longer. You're not opening today, right?”

“No. C’mere, sweetheart.” He finds her hand and gently tugs on it so she would sit down next to him. “I'm sorry about last night, I shouldn't have come here like that. I thought I was…”

“Sh, it's okay. You already apologized, hon.”

“No. That wasn't me. That was fucking embarrassing.”

“Is this you now?” She tenderly moves his straightened hair away from his forehead and combs it softly.

“Think so.”

“You look better.” Her fingers keep gently peppering him with caresses all over his head and neck.

“I feel like shit.” He gets a hold of her hand and kisses her knuckles. “You’re not mad at me anymore?”

“No. I can’t really stay mad at you for long. You know that. And the good thing about all this is that since last night, I haven't really thought about being ditched for Christmas by my family.”

“Fuck, I'm such an asshole… I had all these plans with you after dinner… and I totally ruined everything. We didn't even get to open our presents.”

“It's okay. I promise. We'll try again next year. Maybe just the two of us.”

“You still think we'll be together next year?”

“I have no idea. But I'm hoping so… I want to.”

“God, you’re a fucking angel.”

“I’m not,” she laughs softly.

“Yeah, heaven-sent. You took care of me last night when you had your own thing going on. Not many people would’ve done that.”

Maya leans in and kisses his temple before wrapping her arms around his neck. She bathes him with love cause she’s not sure what else to do than to show him that she needs him just as much.

“How about we get some food in you?” She smooches his head and as she attempts to stand up, he curls his arms around her, pulling her down with him.

“Not yet, baby. Let's stay here for a minute. I'm not hungry.”

She relaxes in his hold and cuddles with him until his phone goes off.

“It's Sugar.” Maya sees on the screen. “Are you gonna pick it up?”

He vacillates, but he ends up taking the call while Maya dislodges herself from his embrace. She collects a tray and some food from the kitchen while Natalie tells Michael that they finally got their mother out of the house. She'll be at Nat's for a few days until they fix the front of the house.

“Yeah… I'll take care of it. See you later.” Maya overhears as she returns to the bedroom with his breakfast.

“Everything alright?” She sits down on the mattress, placing the tray in the middle.

“Yeah. She asked me to go talk to uncle Jimmy's friend. You know, the contractor? He said he could get it done fast.”

“That's good, yeah?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“What's wrong?”

“I don't know… I just… how can I look at these people in the face after what I did.”

“Because you're Michael fucking Berzatto. And you don't take shit from no one.” She tries cheering him up. “Uncle Lee was an asshole. Nobody cares that you threw a couple of forks at him. They're worried about you. And I don't think anyone remembers what you did. Donna upstaged the two of you, I'm afraid.”

“How do you manage to put a positive spin on everything?”

“Someone has to.”

As much as he loves hearing her talk like that is time for a reality check. Besides Maya being the brightest light in his life from the past few months, the rest have been hell. The restaurant has been struggling for way longer than he’d like to admit and has become the biggest failure of his life. His dependency has only been exacerbated by the pressure he’s put on himself to try to fix all by himself. All the lies, the high expectations, and the way his family look up to him for answers and comfort have become a lead weight on him.

The Beef was an inherited mess that was passed down to him when his father died. He took it upon himself to carry the family business to keep the family afloat, especially since Carmen and Natalie were merely teens, and there was nobody else but him to provide for all of them. He always thought he’d had his own restaurant and part of that pipe dream was bringing Carmy along. That dream faded as soon as he got hit with the hard cold truth that managing a restaurant, even a sandwich shop wasn’t as easy as his father made it look. But to be fair the late Berzatto didn’t have the best system either. It was all back door deals and handshakes and fucking agreements with this guy and this other guy. It made him wonder if the old trio had some shady business going on. Even Maya’s uncle was involved at some point, he recalls seeing his name a couple of times in one of the accounting books.

To sum it all up, he was set up with a business that was already failing before got it. His optimism and passion could only keep him trying for so long. The last couple of years have been hell, and at this point he’s not sure if he wants to run it anymore. He’s toyed with the idea of burning it to the ground and starting over, or just selling it and walking away. But there are a lot of factors in play that are stopping him from doing that. Like disappointing his family or the people who work for him. And let's not forget the big question of what Michael would do if he didn’t have The Beef.

With a heavy heart he finally pours everything out to Maya. If someone can understand, it’s her. She knew when her life needed a turn and took it. He’s at the same crossroads right now, but unlike her, he doesn’t feel brave enough to do what needs to be done.

Maya draws a breath, absorbing every single thing Michael has laid out. It’s a lot to process, but her mind is already spinning ideas and questions that could potentially help him.

“You could sell and start over. The Beef is not your failure. It wasn’t even your dream to begin with. And I don’t think anyone will hold it against you if you give it away.”

“I guess I’m not ready to give up, you know? I don’t know what I’d do if I walked away now.” He shifts in the bed, laying on his side, placing his head on her lap while she plays with his hair.

“What about the restaurant you wanted to open with Carmy? It was all you talked about once upon a time. ”

“I can't bring him into this. He's better off without me.”

“He's not. Your brother is fucking miserable.”

“How do you know that? Did he tell you that?”

“No… but we shared some words last night, I don't want to get into the whole thing right now, but I could tell that he's not happy either.”

“Last night… He gave me this thing. It was a sketch he did about that restaurant… I just don't know how to make you both understand that I have no idea how to make it true. He's worked so hard to be where he is now…. I won’t be the one to keep it away from all that.”

“Have you ever thought that maybe you could learn something from him and that teaming up would solve all your problems?”

“Yeah, maybe. But I don’t want to take that chance. I won’t ruin his career. He’s where he’s supposed to be.”

“You know, you’ve talked a lot about not wanting to let everyone down and keeping everyone happy. But when are you gonna start taking care of yourself, Bear? All those people you’re caring for, they’re pretty much grown up. They don’t need you to keep holding their hand. Not Natalie, nor Carmy, nor your mother. And don’t get me wrong, the way you care for them is part of the reason I care for you… but at some point you’re going to have to care for yourself too. Cause I can’t keep an eye on you 24/7.”

“Did you go to shrink school or something?” He scoffs, glancing up at her eyes from his comfortable spot.

“No, I wish! It’s hard to put yourself above anyone else… I get it. But you’re going to have to, Michael. If you don’t, it’ll eventually catch up with you. The pressure, the pills, the need to please everyone…”

“What if it’s too late?”

“It’s not. I promise it’s not. I know it seems that way, but you, asking the right questions… That tells me it’s not too late. And the thing is that you don't have to decide anything right now. But hypothetically speaking, if you didn't have The Beef to take care of, and could do anything in the world, what would you do?”

“Well, If I could do anything, I'd stay in this bed, day, and night with you for a year.”

“Okay, let's say you've done that now. You wake up, get out of bed and where do you go?”

“I've always….” he pauses as the corner of his mouth pulls up.

“What? Tell me.” Her hand fists his hair without pulling.

“I've always wanted to buy a bike and drive across every state.”

“I could see you doing that.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Stop doing that. It's not an unattainable dream, Bear. You can do whatever you want.”

“Would you come with me if I asked you?”

“Hm, I don’t know… I’m not a huge fan of bikes. But I guess if I could follow along with my car and bring Coco with us, I’d go.”

“How about next summer?”

“Bring it on.”

“You know I’m joking, right?” He scoffs.

“I’m not. If you really wanna do that. Do it. What’s that thing you always say… Let one rip?”

“Let it rip,” he snorts and shakes his head, utterly amused by her way of messing up his motto.

“So, let it rip!”

“How? How do you walk away from everything?”

“You put one foot in front of the other and repeat.”

“Well, thank you for just describing walking, baby.”

“I’m serious, Michael. You take enough small steps and one day you’ll look back and won’t be able to see what you left behind.”

She holds his face firmly and dips to leave a small peck on his lips, then plants her forehead on top of his.

“I’d go anywhere with you. Would you?”

“Yeah, always.”

Michael’s palm slides along her jaw as his lips capture her mouth one more time. In this room, on this bed, he feels more safe and loved than ever before.

In the evening, Maya takes Michael to meet the contractor who comes into the house to survey the damage. After that, they swing by Natalie’s to check how Donna is doing.

Maya stays in the car. Her choice. She’s not ready to have another Berzatto reunion so soon.

She’s listening to the radio when all of a sudden a tap on the glass startles her. She glances to the side and finds Carmy motioning with his hand to roll down the window.

Sighting, she turns off the radio, as the glass slides down.

“Hey, can we talk?” His breath manifests in the air.

“I'm not in the mood for you to keep jabbing at me.”

“I wasn’t going to… I just…” he props his forearm on the roof of the car. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. You were right about… well, about almost everything. I have no right to tell you how to live your life and shouldn’t have talked to you that way. I still think it’s pretty weird that you’re dating my brother… but I guess I’ll have to get over it.”

Maya swallows, staring at her hands curling around the steering wheel. It feels forced to hear him say that so soon, but not completely dishonest. He’s making an effort, and she appreciates that.

“Thank you for saying that. I’m sorry that you had to find that way and that I called you a self-serving asshole that doesn’t care about anyone but himself. I know you cared about me… I just…”

“Hey, I get it. We both said a lot of things we didn’t mean.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“I don’t know… I couldn’t sleep last night and Sugar and I started talking, we were up for hours… I guess she knocked some sense into me.”

“Do you think we could ever be friends again?”

“I don’t know.”

“Could we pretend that we are just for five minutes? I need to ask you something.”

“I… I suppose we could. Can I get in? It's freezing out here.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Carmy goes around the car and hops into the passenger seat as Maya closes the window.

“What is it?”

“How's Copenhagen? Are you liking it there? Is it everything you ever dreamed of?”

“It's one of the best jobs I've ever had.”

“That's not what I asked.”

“I… I don't know what you want me to say… I guess I always thought I'd end up here with Michael… But I don't think he even wants me here anymore. Why are you asking me this?”

“God, he's going to kill me for telling you this… But hypothetically, what if he was in trouble and was too prideful to ask for help? What if he wanted to build that restaurant you dreamed of but wouldn't want you to give up your career for him? What if he was thinking of selling the shop but was too afraid of disappointing all of you?”

“Fuck, that's a lot of what ifs, Maya. Is that all true?”

“I can't tell you that, but if that were all true would you consider coming back?”

“You know better than anybody that all I wanted to do is work with him. If he asked, I'd be here in a second. But he's not going to ask, is he?”

“I don't think he's ready yet. I'm trying to help him as best as I can, but I feel like I'm not enough.”

“What do you think I could do if he doesn't want anyone's help… ”

“I don't know… he's too stubborn to ask for help. I'm just running out of ideas here… and he's looking at me like I have all the answers…”

“You think if I came back that'll change?”

“Maybe not, but if there's just a small chance that you were considering doing what you always wanted to do… if he saw that you weren't going anywhere, perhaps it’d point him in the right direction.”

“It takes guts to ask for help like that. And I'm not talking about him. I know you wouldn't be asking if it wasn't serious.”

“Yeah, like I said, if he knew I was telling you this…”

“I won't tell, if you don't.” He smiles softly.

“Thank you.”

“I'll think about it though.”

“Yeah? I'll keep trying too.”

As Carmy leaves the car, Michael comes out of the front door. They meet in the middle and Maya watches them quickly sharing some words before saying goodbye.

“Everything good here?” Asks Michael once he's taken his seat and closes the door.

“Yeah, we were just straightening some things up. I didn't want to tell you earlier, but we had an argument last night. It's all good now…” and she feels like an asshole for going behind his back, but if Michael is too proud or ashamed to ask for help, someone has to. She'd love to have all the answers laid out for him, but she has no idea what she's doing half of the time.

“He knows about us, does he?”

“Yeah, we weren't as careful as we wanted. Even Sugar saw. I mean… you even called me baby at the table. Don’t think anyone really noticed but… I guess it’s out now.”

“Does it freak you out that they know?”

“No. It was never about that. I just wanted to keep it just between us for a little longer.”

As they drive back home they toy with the idea of recreating the Christmas dinner they never go to have the previous night. They make a quick stop at a couple of places to gather some ingredients and scramble something together.

Michael has a lot of faults, but he's a natural in the kitchen. He feels right in his element when he's crafting a meal, especially when it’s for her. There’s no pressure laying on the counter, no bills to worry about, but the need to impress her makes him rise to the occasion.

After dinner, they exchange those gifts they put under the tree in her living room a couple of days ago. There’s a gift basket for Coco with toys, her favorite snacks, a blanket, and bathing products. While the dog is distracted with a chew on the rug, they sit on the couch to open theirs.

Maya’s gift to Michael is considerably bigger than what he got for her, which is a thin flat box as long as her palm.

“You want me to go first?” Asks Maya.

“Yeah, sure. Go on, baby.”

She’s kneeled by his side on the cushion, and he closely watches her hand unwrap the jewelry box that contains a dainty gold necklace with two twin pendants. Two small discs share an M etched on one side but are different on the back. One of them has the outline of a bear, and the other a dog paw.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it, Mikey Bear.” Her free palm slides at his nape. “Thank you.”

“Thought you could wear this one,” he points at the one with the bear, “and I could take the other.”

“Yeah, that’d be perfect.” She inspects the pendants for a bit longer before sliding the one with the paw on it out the chain. “We’re kind of an institution now, like M&Ms.”

“Or Eminem.”

“For sure,” she laughs at the same time she clasps the chain around her neck. “Are you gonna open yours?”

Michael nods and extends his hand to open the big wrapped box waiting on the coffee table. In it there's a record player set with speakers and a couple of Otis Redding albums.

“You’re the best, you know that?” He holds his chin on top of his fist for a second, mesmerized by how much he adores her.

“Hm, I’ve been told.” She smugly slings her arm around his lower back as he inspects his new gift and starts setting all the components on. “Wasn’t sure if you liked Otis, but it’s one of my favorites.”

“Yeah, I dig it. Everyone loves the king of soul.”

Tucking her palm under the hem of his shirt, she kisses his shoulder, as he carefully slides one of the vinyls out of its sleeve before placing it on the platter.

“I haven’t used one of these in a while, let’s see if I remember…” he thinks for a beat, staring at the levels and buttons as he figures out how to set it up.

“You know, there are instructions on the box, right?” She playfully scratches his back.

“Don’t need instructions.”

“Typical male response,” she scoffs.

“Look, it’s done.” After settling the needle in position he hits the on button and stares at the record as it starts spinning. It rotates a couple of times before the first track comes out of the speakers.

Michael curls his arm around her, pulling her flush against his chest as they lean back on the couch. Maya drapes her legs on his lap, pillowing her head on his shoulder as the ever so beautiful melody of These Arms Of Mine plays on the speakers.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Maya tucks her hand in her jean's pocket to collect a keychain of a miniature motorcycle she got at the gas station earlier. “I also got you this when we stopped for gas. I didn't have time to get you a real bike in time but– what do you say, you wanna go on a road trip with me and Coco?”

“A Harley-Davidson? I don't think the three of us can fit here.” He dangles the keychain between his fingers. “But we'll see.”

Maya smiles against his shoulder as he kisses her head.

“Hey, can I tell you a secret?” His voice changes to a softer tone.

“Uh-huh.”

He knows this is far from perfect and that he's probably going to screw everything up at some point, but whether it's perfect or not, right here, in her arms, everything is like it's supposed to be.

“I love you, Maybird.”

She tilts her chin up so he can capture the glint of eyes. She doesn't say it right away, it takes her a couple of beats to build up the courage to say back…

“I love you too, Bear.”

The End.

[monsterfloofs]

Ary (Female Reptilian Alien) x Anonymous Reader (Sfw)

(Writing some cuteness about two beings out in space >:3 Platonic luff or romantic luff, I am leaving it up to you, dear reader. )

Space is cold. That's the first thing that gets drilled into your skull once you become a spacefarer. The glittering sky may look beautiful from afar, but it is a vacuum after all. Unprotected, Your blood would boil, your lungs would collapse and ultimately, your body would freeze over from the cold.

With all the technology at the galaxy's disposal, none is more precious, more imperative than the suit you wear and the metal transport that keeps its crew cradled below its multitude of decks.

With heat being so important, some places within the ship needed it more than others. Vegetation that couldn't grow without expensive artificial sunbeams taking precedence over other areas of the ship. Food was a necessity, and some comfort had to be given up for that precious resource. The crew's cabins were, unfortunately, one of those places where a little heat had to be forfeit for the greater good. While these areas of the ship could be on the chillier side, intelligent ingenuity would find a way to make it work.

And make it work, we did.

Chilled fingers fumbled with the controls of heating blankets before you duck your head and sneak back under the covers.

"Whew, okay, done and done."

You catch the glint of the eerie shine of an eye under the blankets before toasty fingers wrap around your own. Ary was your cabin mate, and the two of you had bonded thick as thieves due to the cold climate onboard. They were a reptilian with cold green blood and a sensitive disposition to climate change. They were one of the agriculturists, working in the hot and humid biosphere on deck five. Quick on their feet and witty in the warm sunshine. Yet, outside of that environment the cold took a toll on her. She became sluggish and tired, never without a cup of something hot, with a special biosuit that helped regulate their temperature.

The two of you huddled closer together underneath the makeshift tent. Flexing your fingers as heat returned and a dull ache settled in the joints.

"Is it just me or are the sleep cycles the coldest?" Ary's voice whispers next to you.

You laugh, "I was thinking the same thing!" You shudder and the two of you huddle closer together. You tap your watch and hold it out, dim orange light filtering into the space.

"We left off on. . ."

"Episode 6," Ary supplied eagerly, learning their head against yours. "It's where Lord Zenra discovers a stowaway on his regency ship, who is in fact Princess Ezie, who went into hiding because her homeworld was under attack and now she attempts to plead with the Lord to help save her home."

You glanced up at Ary's wide eyes, "Did you skip ahead?"

"No!" Slitted pupils flared round, "But I am pretty sure I have rewatched each episode about five times! Hit the play button already, you're killing me!" You cackle, and the two of you relax back, watching the holographic screen flicker with action until sleep comes.

You wake up nose to nose with Ary, giving a small smile, before pulling back the covers. The reptilian hisses and grumbles, pulling the blanket nest tighter around them to keep away the sudden chill.

"Are you going to get up and have breakfast with me?"

You laugh as you see the tip of her snoot peek out of the blankets.

"Do I have to?"

"If you want breakfast!" You check your com, "It'll be over in an hour or so, so we got some time still but. . ."

You could already see the snoot slowly receding back into the blankets.

"Don't need it. Need bed more."

As much as you agreed with that sentiment, someone had to be the voice of reason, "The faster you get out of bed and get breakfast, that faster you can get into the biosphere~"

Ary grumbled again, "Five more minutes, save a tray for me."

Well, that was that. You give yourself a moment to reflect on how good of a friend you are, for coercing your roommate to leave a toasty bed for a nutritious meal of something that looked somewhat edible. “That’s a pat on the back for me,” you mumble before your body decides that this is the perfect moment to do a full out shudder. You shake your head, and pick up the pace to the mess hall. The faster you can grab a cuppa something warm, the sooner you can stop shivering. You grab two plates and build up two different diet routines. One more on the heavily protein side with different kinds of dried meat and some purplish nut that you have lovingly deemed “almost almonds,” the other plate is a more varied kind, with hot rod red leafy greens, and fruit that is so grey and wrinkled, it looks as if it can’t decide if it wants to break out in mold, or if it’s too shriveled to care. It tastes a lot better than it looks. Thank goodness.

You balance the trays to a table, before you scamper back to get two piping hot mugs of something the troop calls “Space Sludge,” some beings onboard think it tastes terrible, as for you yourself, you aren’t sure if your taste buds have adapted enough to pick up what some beings abhor about the drink. It tastes like a very nutty tasting tea, as if someone threw in a whole spoonful and a half of peanut butter into it. A little odd, but it’s warm, and that’s what matters. You heard from Ary that the drink is one of those close to universal beverages. She would know, she’s part of the team working towards life sustainability on the ship. You can’t imagine what that job would be like. Referencing and re-referencing the crew to make sure that one being on board wouldn’t get poisoned by what some folks could eat a truck load of without batting an eye. It sounded terrifying.

Thinking of Ary must have summoned Ary, for you feel hands hug you from behind.

”It’s too cold out here,” She pulls you closer, nose pressed against the back of your neck which makes you start. “Cosmic creepers, your nose is an ice cube!” You wriggle to try and get away. “Stop, stop, I was just warming up!” She giggles and feigns a wide eyed snuffle as you squint at her. You do another one of the blasted full body shudders and you wriggle uncomfortably. “Brrrrrrr! You’re terrible!”

Ary sticks her purple tongue out and slides across the table to sit across from you. “At least I don’t stick my cold feet on your legs in the middle of the night.”

You grin, one shoulder raising and tilt your head, having your own evil giggle. “Ehehehehe, that was so funny though-“

“Funny for you! I woke up thinking something was grabbing my legs!”

”I can’t help it, I was asleep!” You try to explain yourself while you laugh. It was an age old conversation that the two of you ran through. This shared memory was something you would never live down. It was one of the first times the two of you had pushed your bunks together and shared a bed to keep warm. You had fallen asleep and hadn’t realized you had moved. You had been so cold it apparently woke Ary up squealing, and you had woken up in a groggy stupor. It was absolute chaos, and yet, after that you had been inseparable.

You pick at the food on your plate, pressing your lips together tightly to stop from giggling. Ary drinking from their mug. It was times like these when you two were together that the whole place fell away. It was just you and her, existing together, and nothing else seemed to really matter. The cold wasn’t a problem anymore, together the both of you seemed to diminish the effect of things. Struggles became merely challenges, something to puzzle through as a team. You wondered if she knew that, how much her presence brightened up your whole existence.

Enjoy what I write? I have a tip jar! I also take writing and art commissions on kofi! ヽ(*ᵔ▿ᵔ)ﾉ

[starryredpandawrites]

“Born From the Same Ink” Ch. 14 Sneak Peek

Henry flipped to a fresh page on his sketchpad to start a rough storyboard for a new Bendy episode. It saddened him that it and the rest of his drawings would likely never be seen by anyone other than Boris (and that was only if the artist was lucky enough to get out of this damn prison), but that wouldn’t stop him from drawing. 

Just as he felt himself falling into the familiar rhythm of creation, he heard an odd noise. Initially, he tried to ignore it, used to overhearing strange sounds outside his cell even when the shutter was drawn. The problem was it was definitely getting louder…or getting closer? 

Pencil paused, Henry closed his eyes, listening intently. The sound turned into a series of thuds, like massive footsteps, and they were definitely getting closer. 

Then, he heard Audrey’s voice. “Keep it coming, you’re–wow you’re more flexible than you look.”

“ARGLFH.”

“I have no idea what you just said but you’re doing great! We’re almost there!”

A door creaked open, followed by Audrey frantically yelling, “Waitwaitwaitwaitwait, watch your head-”

CRASH

“What in Bendy’s name–” 

“Hi Sammy! This is–GET AWAY FROM THE WINDOW!”

SMASH

“Awesome, great, good job, big guy. Quick note: you don’t need to break the glass and the wall behind it, just the glass but that’s okay!”

“Okay?! That...thing almost killed me!”

“Oh you’re fine,” she quickly replied, her tone switching from encouraging to dismissive and back to encouraging so fast it gave Henry whiplash. `“Now, I need you to break out one more person then you’ll get your treat, but this time, please wait to punch until I tell you it’s okay, okay?”

“GRRHGLUMPH.”

Stunned, Henry wondered what sort of nightmarish creature was strong enough to break Sammy’s window. He didn’t have to wonder for long when Audrey popped in front of his cell. Her formerly well-styled hair had clumps sticking out in every direction (although her curl was intact, he noted with an artist’s interest), and her gold, pupil-less eyes had a crazed look to them. While that was concerning, what concerned him most was the coffee cup in her hand holding what appeared to be a hyperrealistic ink heart.

“Hi Henry!” she chirped cheerfully with a stressed smile. 

Normally, he would have at least given a nod in greeting but he just noticed the heart was still beating. 

 “Don’t freak out, I have a friend here to help get you free, so stay away from the window.”

Before he could react, she disappeared. Then, he heard her call out far-too-casually for his liking, “Okay, you can go break the glass now.”

Hellllooooooo I finally have the next update (almost) ready! I'm probably going to post it this Friday. I also might try hosting a stream on Saturday where I play the new Bendy game/Secrets of the Machine (and possibly Bendy and the Dark Revival depending on how everything goes) but I'll keep you guys updated.

Thanks for reading and have a FANTASTIC morning/day/afternoon/evening/night! 🖤🤍🖤

[rose-sophia-isabella-rogers]

A Steel That Went Through Hottest Fire: Chapter XII - Holding Out an Olive Branch

Chapter Summary: You wake up and discover Aleksander is gone. You hurry to the Fold, determined to help him, save him or die with him. Will you get there in time? And what do the results mean for you?

Pairing: Aleksander Kirigan/Reader, Ivan/Fedyor Kaminsky, Mal Oretsev/Alina Starkov, Genya Safin/David Kostyk

Characters: Aleksander Kirigan, Reader, Ivan, Fedyor Kaminsky, Alina Starkov, Mal Oretsev, Inej Ghafa, Zoya Nazyalensky, Nina Zenik, Nikolai Lantsov, Genya Safin, David Kostyk, Baghra, Tolya Yul-Bataar

Word Count: 4333

A/N: This chapter contains plot and dialogues from episode eight of season two. Also, we're get into the story from the King of Scars. Not much taken in this chapter, but later on I'm going to take some fragments from the book. Enjoy! https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089684638/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089798515/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089786937/

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added or removed):

@budugu

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@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

@zeeader

@marrymonrich

@wonderland2425

@chelseyyouraverageluigi

@thehufflepuffavenger1

When you wake up, you don't open your eyes at first. You lay in it, remembering with a smile the events of last night. You reach to the other side of the bed but you don't find Aleksander with your hand. You frown at the feeling of very cold sheets. You move your hand and suddenly feel a piece of paper.

You sit up abruptly. You grab the letter and scan it quickly with your eyes. Your face goes pale and your heart stops.

'Damn it, Aleksander!' you curse and spring out of the bed. You quickly dress yourself. For a moment you can't find your kefta. You finally notice it, but when you unfold it, you see it's not yours. You freeze for a moment. In some places, grey embroidery turns to black. In another situation, you'd be touched by it, appreciate it and maybe even cry a bit. But now you just put it on and gather your things.

You take a peek outside. In the letter Kirigan mentions that Fedyor and Ivan will look after you. You understand it as making sure you won't run. So, you look for them. You see them with their backs to you and a few feet away, talking quietly.

You quietly sneak away past them to the horses. You prepare yours and mount it. You direct him toward the Fold and urge him forward. It neighs, and galops away.

Ivan and Fedyor's head snap toward the sound. They're eyes go wide at the sight of you riding away. They sprint toward their horses.

'General will kill us!' Fedyor says, cursing under his breath, as they mount their horses.

'If he'll me merciful,' Ivan says gloomily and they ride after you.

But you're riding faster than you've ever had. Your heart beats faster, when you see the Fold is closer. Aleksander has spread it again. You bite your lip, fully believing nichevoy'a will protect you from the Volcras, and ride into the Fold.

You don't have to worry about the monsters of the Unsea long, though. Suddenly, everything is covered in blinding light. When you can see again, you're no longer surrounded with darkness. The Fold is gone. While part of you is glad, you're mostly concerned with what that means for the Darkling. You ride faster, praying to the Saints to arrive in time.

In the middle of the Unsea, Aleksander and Alina face each other. Starkov won, but Mal sacrificed himself, so she could destroy the Fold. Kirigan is wounded, but he still wants to join forces with the Sun Summoner. But when she pushes him away, nichevo attacks her, and doesn't listen to the Darkling ordering it to stop. Inej, the female thief from Ketterdam you've met, throws a sword made by Sankta Neyar at it, destroying it. It's the only thing that can do it and it's been acquired it with great difficulty.

'You can't control them, can you?' Alina asks. 'You can't control any of it.'

She's on her knees. Aleksander is already standing. He offers her his hand. She stares at it.

'I thought I could control it all… once,' he says. 'Find peace. And for a moment… I swear I did.'

He closes his eyes with a soft smile. Memories of you flash in his mind. Your smile. Your laugh. Your teas. Your kisses. The nights you've spent together.

Suddenly, he feels terrible pain in his abdomen. He coughs out blood and opens his eyes. He looks down. The sword is lodged in him, held by Alina's hands.

'Without me… know they will come for you,' he says. She stares at him angrily.

'Let them come,' she says and pulls out the sword with the grunt. Kirigan gasps and falls backward. A moment later Starkov shows up in his vision, blocking out the sun.

At that moment, you arrive. Your heart drops at the sight of General on the ground and Alina above him.

'No,' you whisper, dismounting. 'Saints, no, please!'

You run to them. Alina hears you or sees you, because she looks up. She tenses and gets ready to fight, but you ignore her and fall on your knees next to your lover. He groans as you touch him.

'Hey, hey, hey, hey. Shhh,' you say gently, as you scoop him up in your arms.

Saints, no, please, no…

'… [Y/N]… you're here?' Aleksander asks, trying to focus on you. You manage to laugh, tears in your eyes.

'Yeah. Yeah, of course I'm here,' you say. 'Now don't talk.'

There's so much blood…

'It h- it hurts,' he cries out.

'I know, darling,' you say, brushing the hair from his forehead. 'But don't talk. And don't move, either.'

No, no, no…

'H-hey, [Y/N]?' Kirigan asks. His breaths are rattling.

'Yeah?' you ask.

Stay awake…

'I-' he says and coughs. 'I love you.'

His eyes close. You freeze. You finally heard those words. But he… he's gone.

'No…' you sob. You whine, your shoulders shaking, as you press your head to his chest. You clench his kefta tight, begging him to come back to you.

You're not even aware you have an audience. Zoya and Inej are standing not far, looking at you sadly. You're only pulled back to reality after hearing a relieved laugh.

You lift your head up. You see Alina hugging Mal. The tracker is alive. A Heartrender, Nina, is next to them. Did she save him? But no, she's shocked as well. You focus on Alina… and feel it.

You feel anger. She killed Aleksander for using merzost to save Grisha. And now she's used it to save her lover? What a hypocrite…

You feel something burning inside, begging to get out. The moment you realise what it is, you calm down. You look up and meet Zoya's hesitant look calmly. Everything is gonna to be different now.

*

You don't know how you return out of the Fold. Or what used to be it. You get to an old camp at Kribirsk. You meet the rest of Alina's army there. Including Prince Nikolay. Your eyes meet, but he quickly looks away, finding something unnerving in your look.

You're taken away to a tent. On your way out, you didn't allow anyone to take you from Aleksander's body. Now you hesitate only for a moment.

You sit on a chair, your hands spread and bound. After what feels like hours, Nikolay enters the tent. You don't look at him.

'Baghra claims these bonds won't stop you,' he says after a moment and walks toward you. 'That if you want, you can break them free. You don't need to touch your hands for that.'

'And why would I do that?' you ask, your voice flat. The Prince… or maybe the King, just not crowned yet, sits on a chair opposite to you. You still don't look at him.

'To run away,' he answers. You focus your gaze on him. Once again, something in your eyes disturbs him.

'Where?' you ask.

'Anywhere you want,' he answers, shrugging. You smile bitterly.

'And what would I do?' you ask. 'I used to think I can use my powers to help others. To make this world a better place. How would I do that on the endless run?'

Tears glisten in your eyes. You hastily look away. Nikolay observes you in silence. He knows you were on Kirigan's side. But he can't imagine you approved everything he did. Others told him that as well.

'Are you going to kill me?' you ask.

'Do you want me to?' he asks. 'And that is a serious question. Do you want to die?'

'No,' you answer after a moment. 'I… I've done some things I'm not proud of. I need to atone for them. My death wouldn't do that. I'd be just running away from responsibility for my actions.'

'Did you really love him this much that you didn't hesitate to break your own rules?' Nikolay asks quietly. You look at him.

'I do,' you confirm. He almost shivers under your gaze. He looks down.

'You'll be a prisoner until…' he says but doesn't finish the thought. Until you atone? Until they decide you're not really a villain?

'You weren't with others,' he says instead and looks at you again. 'And you weren't with Kirigan in the Fold from the beginning. If you had been, you'd have stopped Alina from killing him. So, where were you? Why weren't you there?'

'Because he didn't want me to,' you answer after a beat. 'He was protecting me, since I'm not much of a fighter. He didn't want me to get hurt. And he also… didn't want me to bend my morals even more. He already believes… believed… that he had ruined me enough.'

Your look softens. You clench your fists.

'I'm not trying to minimalize what's he done,' you say. 'He committed hideous crimes. But he… he cared. There was goodness in his heart.'

Silence falls. This time you don't try to hide tears in your eyes.

'You know this is my third time in this camp?' you say. 'The first time was when I created my skiff. The second time when… we crossed the Fold that day.'

'Did you know what he's planning?' Nikolay asks.

'I figured it out,' you admit. 'I didn't approve of it, though. And I'm glad the Fold is gone. I didn't believe controlling it would make Grisha safe. Just as now I don't believe it being gone will do it.'

'It won't be easy,' the King says, easily getting back his confidence. 'But the country is united once again. We can do it.'

'The land maybe is reunited, but not its people. It won't be that easy. You lost what could unite them. Because it's easier to unite against a common enemy than under the kind ruler.'

'You think Alina made a mistake killing the Darkling.'

'You know my opinion on that matter. But yes. He could have been someone that could help you stitch this country back together.'

'If you didn't believe in neither controlling the Fold nor destroying him… what did you believe in?'

'Him.'

Silence falls again. Nikolay observes you, thinking how to break certain news to you.

'We have to burn him,' he finally says and you stiffen. 'Will you let us?'

'I know how dangerous it would be to simply bury him,' you say softly and then look at him with a hard gaze. 'But I have one condition. Or rather… request.'

'What is it?' the King asks, actually curious.

'Let me prepare him for it,' you answer and your lip trembles. 'Let me… say goodbye properly.'

Nikolay thinks about it carefully. But finally… he nods.

'I will send someone for you,' he says, standing up. 'But after you're done, your being tied again and in Os Alta you're going to be put in a cell.'

You nod in agreement. The King looks at you for a moment longer, then leaves.

You're not sure how much time pass until it's time of the ceremony. For the burning of the Darkling and the Sun Summoner, which is obviously attended by many people. Because officially, Alina Starkov has died while destroying the Fold. She chose a simple life with her Tracker. You can't really blame her. It's what you would want with Aleksander.

You glare at her. She's here, disguised, of course. But she wanted to see it. See him being burned. And herself. So, since you're present as well, you glare at her, angry that she can get to live the life you want.

You turn your head, not wanting to explode. You glance at your guards and look at his body. In the corner of your eye, you see Nikolay giving the signal. You watch as the Inferni summon the fire to ignite the stake. People around you call Alina's name. No one calls his. Because not many knew it.

'Aleksander,' you whisper. Suddenly, you feel arms around you. Zoya, your friend, who's not sure how to treat you now, puts her head on yours.

'It's over, [Y/N],' she says softly, with a dose of compassion, you think.

'No, you're wrong,' you say quietly, your eyes not leaving the pyre. 'It has just begun.'

*

Two years and a half have passed since the civil war in Ravka. Nikolay is still trying to stitch his country back together. He has help, of course. But some things only he can do. One of them isn't the new threat to Grisha. To deal with that he needs all the help he can get.

Jurda parem. The drug that modifies Grisha's power by changing their perception of the world in an opposite and unnatural direction. It is extremely addictive to them, and rapidly weakens the body of the user. Many want to use this to their advantage. Fjerda. Shu-Han. It seems only Ravka wants this drug out of the market and to save Grisha. But even though they now have the son of the creator of the drug, they're still not closer to finding an andidotum.

Nikolay sits with his Grisha Triumvirate – Genya, Zoya and David – and they have a brainstorm. The Durast is trying hard, but so far, he's getting nowhere.

'It is frustrating,' Zoya sighs, after yet another dismissed idea. 'Why did Bo Yul-Bayur have to die?'

'I'm sure he didn't just decide to die and leave us all in this mess,' Genya says grimly, but suddenly frowns. 'David? I know that look. You have an idea.'

'Well…' the Durast starts but closes his eyes. 'I'm not sure.'

'Share with us, David,' Nikolay encourages him. 'Surely it's not worse than Zoya's idea to set Fjerda and Shu-Han on fire.'

'I still think it's our best option,' Zoya says, raising her head haughtily. She is ignored.

'I have tried many things with that drug to find an antidote,' David says. 'I am skilled… but there is someone whose mind is far brighter than me… who may think of a solution.'

'There is no one smarter than you,' Genya says, squeezing the hand of her husband.

'There is one person,' Kostyk disagrees, staring Nikolay in the eyes. The King slumps in his chair. He closes his eyes and pinches his nose.

'You can't think…' Genya starts, realising what the Durast means as well. 'She won't agree.'

'She cares about Grisha,' David argues softly. 'And she's not… She helped you escape.'

'She's spent two years and a half locked in a cell,' Safin argues. 'She couldn't use her powers. Don't you think that changed her?'

'Surely,' Kostyk agrees. 'But not enough not to help.'

'Can she really find a way we haven't found?' Nikolay interrupts them.

'We've all been surprised by how powerful she really is,' Zoya speaks up. 'All but one.'

An hour later Nikolay knocks on the door to Baghra's hut. He comes in after the invitation. The old woman is sitting in her armchair. She looks at him.

'Do what do I owe the pleasure of the King himself to visit me?' she asks with sarcasm.

'I need to talk to you about our problem,' Lantsov explains, sitting on a chair.

'Jurda parem,' Baghra says and spits. 'Another abomination. Are the Durast and Alkemi any closer to finding an antidote?'

'No,' Nikolay denies and exhales. 'But David believes someone else may think of something.'

'[Y/N],' Baghra immediately guesses and nods. 'She has a unique brain. One of the reasons he was so drawn to her. Yes, if anyone can find a cure, it's her.'

'Will she do it, though?' the King asks. The old woman is silent for a moment.

'Yes,' she finally answers. 'Her heart hasn't changed. She still would do anything to keep Grisha save.'

'But what will it cost us?' Lantsov asks. Baghra smiles.

'You have to ask her about it,' she answers. 'But don't worry. Without my son, she's not your enemy.'

Another hour later, you hear footsteps coming your way. You know it's not Baghra, who's visiting you quite often, as they don't sound like hers. You look, curious, at the door to your cell and a moment later you see a guard and… Zoya.

'Have you come to kill me?' you ask.

'No,' your former friend simply denies and nods at the guard. He unlocks and opens the door to your cell. The Squaller walks inside and he closes the door behind her, but doesn't lock it. Then, he leaves. Zoya sits on a chair usually occupied by Baghra. She crosses her legs and looks at you.

You're sitting on a chair. You're thin, almost all skin and bone. Your complexion is grey. There are dark circles under your eyes. Your hair is matte. You look like a ghost.

'Then why are you here?' you ask. Nazyalensky sighs… and tells you everything about jurda parem. By the end of her story, you're frowning.

'That is… I've always known Fjerdans are bastards but what they did to those Grisha…' you say and shake your head. 'Still… I don't know why you have come to me.'

'We need to find an antidote,' Zoya explains. 'And you're the brightest person we know.'

'I'm not a Alkemi, though,' you say, frowning. 'And since Bo Yul-Bayur was one… you need another one to create an antidote for his work.'

'We don't have an Alkemi smart enough, apparently,' the Squaller says. 'And since you're a Durast-'

'It's not the same. We have completely different abilities.'

'Maybe. But you're still the smartest person I know. If you can't figure it out, no one can.'

You look away. You think about it in silence.

'Please, [Y/N],' Nazyalensky says quietly. 'David believes in you. So does Baghra. And… I do, too.'

'Trying to use my sentiment, well played,' you say.

'I'm not trying to manipulate you,' Zoya snaps. 'I'm not-'

She stops herself. She goes pale. You close your eyes.

'I still find it funny,' you say quietly. 'He manipulated everyone. I was manipulated by everyone but him.'

'I know he said with his last breath he loved you…' the Squaller says slowly, '… but he still didn't deserve you.'

'Perhaps,' you concede. Silence falls between you two again.

'Fine,' you finally say. 'I can try at least.'

'What do you want in return?' Zoya, who's relieved but also wary, asks. You look at her with a frown.

'I care about Grisha, too, you know,' you say. 'I want them to be safe as much as you all do. But since I can ask for something… there's one thing I want.'

*

A few months have passed since you've been officially pardoned and released from prison. It felt nice to return to your old room and not to have your hands bound. But other Grisha, obviously, don't trust you and look at you with disdain. You ignore them.

Together with David and other Materialki you try to find an antidote for jurda parem. It's not going well. One day, you even throw a mortar at the wall. David stares at it with wide eyes. You exhale slowly and run a hand through your hair.

'You know, I think it was simpler with the skiff,' you say.

'It is complex,' Kostyk says. 'Give yourself time. We're getting there.'

'And how much of that time I have?' you ask. 'The only reason I'm out of the cell is because you believed I can figure something out. When does Nikolay's patience runs out and I go back there?'

'It won't happen,' the Durast promises. You smile sadly at him. He decides to take your mind of this.

'Did you think what will you do after we find an antidote?' he asks. 'Will you… stay?'

'I am not welcome here,' you say after a beat. 'I… I don't know what I am going to do. They say, "follow your heart", but if your heart is in a million pieces, which piece do you follow?'

You blink away the tears. David looks at you with sorrow.

'You know… I miss him sometimes, too,' he admits and you look at him with interest. 'He… had something about him. A charisma. He drew us all in. We felt safe, needed. I believe that he actually cared and wanted to make Ravka better. Or at least better for Grisha. I don't think he was evil. He… just lived too long.'

'Sometimes I think so, too, ' you agree quietly. 'But then I think we didn't have enough time.'

'Did he… tell you he loved you?' Kostyk asks hesitantly.

'They were his last words,' you answer after a beat. 'For weeks I wondered whether he feels what I feel. And when I finally got a confirmation… I couldn't even be happy about it.'

You look down. The Durast wants to reach to you and squeeze your hand. But while you work, joke and spend time together… you're not as close as you used to be. He still wants to comfort you somehow.

'I'm sure you hear others gossiping,' he says after a moment. 'That he didn't and was just manipulating you. I don't believe it. He truly cared about you. I saw it. When he was dragging you away from workshop, so you could rest, for example. He was also more relaxed around you… more cheerful. And yes, it was friendship at first. But at some point, I noticed that he was looking at you differently than he used to.'

You smile at him, grateful for his words. But he's not done yet.

'When he was leading me to the workshop in the mansion,' he continues, 'he said you're there and you're definitely going to be happy to see me. He… he seemed so happy he can brighten your day. He always was like that with you.'

'If you won't stop, I'm really going to cry,' you chuckle, trying really not to break down. 'Thank you, though.'

David nods. You go for the mortar you've thrown and return to work. Your fellow Durast observes you.

'I think, though, that you deserve more,' he says after a moment. You look at him, curious.

'You deserve to be someone's priority,' he explains. 'And while there's no doubt Kirigan loved you… he cared more about the Fold and power.'

'Thank you, David,' you say. 'I… I think I really needed to hear all that you said. About… him… and me as well.'

Just then Tolya Yul-Bataar shows up at the door. He looks at you grimly.

'Speaking of,' you say and pack your things. 'See you in a week.'

'Until next week,' Kostyk says, nodding. You smile at him and leave with grumpy Tolya. You go outside and mount your horses. You set off immediately.

A few days later you reach your destination. You ride through an open space that used to be the Fold for so many centuries. Finally, you stop and dismount. Tolya stays with the horses and you continue on foot for a moment longer. At last, you stop and stare at the ground.

This is your price for helping with an antidote. Every two months, you're to travel here with someone, not always Tolya. To the place where Aleksander died. It's your way to deal with grief. At first, you wanted to come here every month. But since travelling there and back takes about a week, you agreed for two months. You're relieved Nikolay agreed at all.

'So, here I am again,' you start. 'Missing you the same way I did three years ago. I told you, didn't I? That I would never forget you. Three years it's probably not much for you, since you've lived hundreds of years. But I know you'd want me to move on by now. I don't think that's ever going to happen. You'd probably be frustrated by that.'

You exhale slowly. You can hear Tolya pacing behind you, but still giving you some privacy. You know he wishes to go back already.

'To be honest, I'm a bit frustrated, too,' you admit and your lip trembles. 'You were never supposed to mean this much to me. I was never supposed to fall so hard. But you know what? I did and that's the truth. That's what keeps me holding on, because it hurts like hell to let you go.'

Tears stream down your face. You don't stop them this time. You sniffle.

'It's hard without you,' you whisper. 'I feel lost. I don't know what to do. I wish you took me with you that day. Maybe then everything would be different.'

You fall silent. You think of what else to say, as you remember your last moments together. You saved him from merzost. But he died anyway. Still… at least you had that one last night. You smile at the memory.

'I don't know what will I do in the future,' you finally say. 'But I will find an antidote for jurda parem. And protect the Grisha. Because that's what you'd want. You'd want them to be safe and healthy. Mind you, you'd probably want to rip Fjerdans apart for what they're doing.'

You chuckle. Then, you kneel and press your hand to the sand. You focus on the ground beneath it for a moment, remembering how you held Kirigan in that spot three years ago. Your heart breaks, when you remember how he fought for his breath. But he still tried to hold on, wanting to at least tell you how he really feels.

'Until next time, Aleksander,' you whisper and stand up. You turn and return to Tolya. He fails to mask his relief that it's finally time to go. You almost roll your eyes, but you understand that most feel uneasy here. You don't. Not anymore.

'Done?' Tolya asks.

'Yes,' you confirm, mounting your horse. The Heartrender does the same.

'We can go back,' you say and you look at the place where the Darkling gave his last breath. 'I'm done here for today.'

A/N: Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts! Reblog, like and comment if you could. Every comment makes my day!

This can also be found on Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52696933/chapters/134689462

[flower-boi16]

There was a lot of discourse going around in the HH/HB critical community about Hevean being eeeeeeevil, and tbh I actually don't mind the idea of Hevean being evil too much. I do agree that some other ideas about what to do with Hevean would have been more interesting, but still it doesn't bother me too much.

That being said, I just saw the two-minute sneak peek of the show, and I found something...interesting. That being; it looks like they changed the reason as to why Hevean did the exterminations. In the pilot it was a way to prevent Hell from being overpopulated, in the actual show meanwhile the reason for why Hevean does the exterminations has been changed to ensure that hell's citizens don't rise up against them.

It looks like their going to push this idea of Hevean being evil a lot more in the series, since now it's going to go from Charlie trying to convince Hevean that sinners can be redeemed to there being a war with Hevean. The reason why this line matters is because it shows signs of HH doing the same thing that its spin-off show did; abandoning its premise. Now since Charlie can't come up with another way to get rid of sinners from Hell since Hevean most defiantly isn't going to accept sinners now that they are sending armies to kill people in Hell to ensure that they don't get to rise up against them; the series is going to drop its premise once again and start focusing on a war with Hevean.

...which is exactly what the trailers imply. It is possible that everything that was shown in the second trailer was from the final episode- though if that's the case then that means that Season 1 is going to end with Hell rebelling against Hevean and most likely winning...

...so how exactly are they going to incorporate the premise after that? What they are going to with Hevean when Hell wins the war we wont know until the finale actually comes out, but depending on how season 1 ends it could mean that the show will once again drop its premise like HB and also like that show descend into an identity crisis where it's hard to even pin-point what it's supposed to be about.

Maybe I'm looking too deep into this, but making Hevean evil and ending season 1 with a war against Hevean makes me worried that HH will, once again, abandon its premise like its spin-off show. And again, while I don't hate the idea of Hevean being evil, I'll admit, part of me thinks it would've been more interesting if it wasn't.

[fratricideknight]

imho (feel free to tell me your thoughts, whether you agree or disagree), the introduction of the angels spelt the beginning of the end for spn. by this i don't mean that nothing good could possibly come after; that's not true, there's plenty of good content after season 3. i mean that it dealt a fatal blow to the framework of the show. spn was not built to facilitate angels - kripke literally said that he used to have a "no-angel policy" in the first three seasons of the show (see bottom of post for link). despite being sci-fi/fantasy, at its core it was always a relatively small, intimate show. everything felt confined: within the us, within a select group of people. i know that sam was quite possibly always supposed to spell the end of the world, but the threat always felt so much more personal. sam and dean would be torn apart by something outside of their control, dean would have to kill sam - those were the stakes. it took their mom, it took their dad, their family tree was closing in on them, and with the way spn ditched characters quickly, it sometimes felt like they were the only two real people in the entire world. you could argue that those are still the stakes of seasons 4 and 5, just wrapped in apocalyptic packaging, and i agree, but it doesn't feel that way as viscerally as it could. they weren't supposed to deal with cosmic plots and religion beyond the spectre of it, sam having faith and dean not. the world was dirty and gritty and, all in all, shit. for all the audience knew, everyone either went to hell or just ceased to exist when they died. that's what the episode Road Kill was about. it brought meaning to the sacrifices that john and dean made when they weren't just preventing someone from being at peace in heaven. (although, to be fair, that allows for a different kind of horror; selfishly refusing to let someone go, even to a better place.) death was actually a scary prospect. everything was scarier because there was so much dark with no light, no counterbalance besides a handful of hunters. there was so much uncertainty, which bred fear. so, sure, the angels were douchebags, too, in the end, like everything else in the spn universe. but that doesn't change how much the world was expanded, how the afterlife became clear-cut, and sam and dean eventually ceased to be real, relatable people dealing with issues that, ultimately, resembled real life ones. crisis of identity, grief, strained familial relationships, child neglect, living in poverty, loss of humanity. even sam's story could have felt intimate and allegorical rather than literal if the show didn't pull out all the stops and throw itself down the pit of angels and demons and a ✨️ cosmic war ✨️ and everything that came after.

[lavenderbexlatte]

day 5: mile-high club

nct/wayv 1.9k words female reader insert Reader x Wong Kunhang (Hendery) NSFW

🖤 warnings: idol au, public sex, penetrative sex (f receiving), they fuck in an airplane okay idk what you expected🖤

kinktober masterlist

connect with me! / masterlist

You have never wished for the gift of being clueless more than you're wishing for it in this moment.

Because, of course, you know too much. You're observant by nature, and you like that trait most of the time. It's helpful. It keeps things interesting.

It also means that you know full well that the person in the seat next to you on this half-full flight from Hong Kong to Seoul is famous.

You don't know who he is, exactly. It's not that serious. But you can tell just by looking at him that he's someone. Famous people have this air, especially these young sheltered ones. Not cocky, like rich American popstars. Nervous, as if they're about to be scolded at any time. This one looks like that.

He's handsome, though. From the peeks you've been able to sneak as the flight attendant handed you a water over him, anyway. He's got a hat on, and a mask, but you can see the telltale flawless skin and terrified eyes of a young, company-stranglehold celebrity.

There's a seat between you. He's in the aisle, you the window. It's still too close for comfort. You wish you were the kind of person who didn't notice things.

Because now, all you can think about is who he might be. What he might look like, under the careful disguise. And, kind of evilly, how many girls in how many countries would kill for the opportunity you have, here, just to be next to him.

It's only a three-hour flight.

So when the flight attendant returns with snacks - the only service on this short flight - you make the most of your chance to break the ice.

You drop your pretzels on him.

The bag is closed, of course. You're not a monster who's about to waste a snack for attention. But it falls into his lap, and he barks out a startled laugh.

"Sorry," you say, flashing him your best smile.

Like you'd expected, he jumps at being addressed. His eyes dart to you.

It's as if he thinks any person who looks at him is going to whip out a camera and start making calls. So-and-so from such-and-such group is here! Look!

"Can...I have my pretzels?" you ask gently.

"Oh!" He startles all over again, snatching up the little packet and holding it in your general direction.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Words. That's progress.

"D'you fly this route a lot?" you ask.

He actually looks at you this time. "...A couple times a year, maybe?"

You nod. "This was my first trip to Hong Kong."

"For what?"

Ice, broken.

"Work," you say.

Your business trip was three days and two nights, and you've been bored out of your mind since you left your hotel room the first morning. Conferences are inherently boring. This is the most fun you've had in weeks, as you watch this anonymous celebrity's curious eyes as you give a vague summary of your long weekend abroad.

"Me, too," he says, when you've finished.

You grin. "You?"

"Yeah."

"You work?"

The two of you obviously aren't speaking his first language right now, but he catches your joke easily. "Do I look like I don't work?"

"You look..." you hesitate, and he notices.

He notices, and he wilts. As if he's expecting you to realize, to recognize. To ruin this moment of human to human.

"I-"

"Good," you interrupt, before he can shut down on you completely. "Too good. Like a nepo baby."

"Nepo baby." He turns the phrase over on his tongue.

"Nepotism. Personality hire. Friend of a friend? Daddy's money, maybe?" you tease.

He smiles. His mask is still on, but you can tell by the crinkling lines near his eyes.

"All talent."

It's a hint, a little hint about who he really is. You just let it lie.

You grin back, but you sit more firmly in your seat, straightening up from the way you'd been leaning toward him to talk. You've done your searching, now you can give him some space.

That lasts for about one episode of television on the cramped little seatback screen.

After that one episode, your handsome seatmate gets up to use the restroom, and he leaves his phone on the empty middle seat.

You don't think it's on purpose, but the phone is unlocked. Open, plain as day, messaging up all queued up and the most recent texts plainly visible.

You're not in the business of snooping, usually, but come on. You're only human. And the most recent message, one from your seatmate sent to a contact in a language that you can't read, says something in another language that you certainly can read.

Well, some of it. The word "pretty" stands out pretty starkly. The blushing emoji doesn't hurt.

So he thinks you're pretty.

When he comes back, you've got another episode playing, innocent as can be.

He sees the open phone, still just laying there, showing everything, and he grabs it so fast that he nearly drops it.

You let him sit with the question that he so obviously wants to ask for just a moment, or two. You can see his uncertain gaze, trying to wager if it's worth embarrassing himself.

You pull your earphone out on the near side, and you meet his eye. "I think you're pretty, too."

The earbud goes back in, as he faceplants into his palms.

There's only two hours of the flight left, now.

You can't even finish the episode. You're too curious.

"So, it's mutual," you say lightly.

"I guess so," he replies.

His voice is small, strangled with self-consciousness but also something else. You figure it out when you see him eyeing the row ahead. He must be on this flight with other people. People who wouldn't be too pleased to see him doing...anything, really. Company people, maybe, work people.

Well, you don't really want to get him in trouble. But he is very pretty.

"If you..." You're trying to word your question carefully. "If you could do something about that, would you?"

"Do something?"

"I think you're pretty. It's mutual. In some situations, people would do something about that."

You don't know why you're doing this. He's obviously nervous, and he's obviously famous. You also think he's probably out of your league, under that mask.

"I can't really do things like that," he says.

"Have you ever tried?"

The airplane cabin is only half full, maybe less, but like any flight, it's dark. Simulated nighttime, even for a short trip. Easier if the passengers sleep through the whole thing.

You stand up. Everyone in the rows around you - maybe six people, including the tired-looking middle-aged guy in the row ahead that your seatmate had been eyeing, and the two young men beside him - are asleep, with eyemasks and headphones. The works.

"You can come if you want."

He looks confused, until you head toward the restrooms at the center of the plane. You make sure he's watching which one you choose, and of course, he is. You lock yourself into the little booth, barely enough room for one person, and wait. You wash your hands, for good measure.

There's no reason why he would come. If the flight attendants catch you, if that guy he's with sees, the consequences could be-

But then there's a tentative little knock. Barely loud enough to hear, over the normal noise of the plane.

When you unlock the door, he pressed himself inside so quickly that you stumble against the rounded wall. He's got the mask pulled nearly all the way up to the brim of his hat, face completely hidden except for two very anxious eyes.

"You didn't have to-"

"I wanted to." He locks the door, leaning against it. "One crazy thing. Just once."

"Careful. If you like it, you'll have to do more," you say somberly.

He laughs softly, just a sharp breath. "Don't care."

Under the mask, he has a long, handsome, masculine face, classic like a movie star. Under the hat, he has long glossy black hair that practically touches his shoulders, cut in lovely rounded waves.

Under his shirt (though you don't take it off, for time and convenience), a thin, wiry physique that makes you think he's probably a dancer, not a model or actor.

Under his joggers, a pair of well-worn black boxer briefs that do not a single thing to hide his half-hardness, his length and girth that both have you wondering how you're going to walk out of here like nothing happened.

Under all of your clothes, it's just you, but the way he's watching as you strip the layers away makes you feel like you must not be half bad.

"Is this illegal?" you wonder, as you settle back against the wall with your panties hanging off one leg.

"Probably," he says. "Do you wanna stop?"

"No."

That's all he needs to hear, apparently, because he's got his length freed and your leg hitched around his hip lightning-fast.

"What can I...what's your name?" he asks, as the hot, broad head of him nudges up against you.

You're honest. You tell him your first name.

He smiles, showing off very straight, slightly overlarge teeth. "Call me Hendery."

It sounds like a fake name, because nobody's fucking name is Hendery, but now isn't the time.

Hendery pushes in, and you sigh, pitching forward to bury your face in the crook of his neck to muffle any other noises, and to avoid looking at his gorgeous face.

Eight hours ago you were having cheap coffee in a stupid boardroom with Ms. Li from the Hong Kong branch, and now you're having your insides rearranged in an airplane lavatory.

It's extremely unfair that this man is handsome, well-endowed, and somehow also talented, in this, regard, as he keeps a bruising pace while avoiding any kind of telltale rattling of the folding lavatory door, keeping you close but also letting you tip your head back again, expose your throat, stifle your noises into the meat of your arm.

"Wish you didn't have to be quiet," he says.

You huff out a laugh. "Unless you want paparazzi waiting for us, I gotta-"

"Paparazzi?" he grins. "What would they want?"

"You tell me."

He doesn't tell you, but he does grip you harder by the hip, use the leverage of this position to pull you in time with his motions, force you down harder, faster...

Maybe it's the adrenaline, or the risk, or the fear, or maybe this guy really is some kind of supernatural force, because your peak is looming. Your head is buzzing, your veins thrumming...

Hendery is gonna make you cum, like this.

You tell him, and he laughs. You can feel it reverbing in his thin chest. He trails his lips over your cheek, down to your throat.

Playfully, he bites.

Your world goes white.

-----

It's strange, to be back home so soon. Familiar soil, Incheon Airport arrivals, getting yourself a snack.

The convenience store is mostly empty, due to the late hour and the odd time of year. That's just fine, though, because it means that no one is around when you scream.

You don't mean to, of course. It's not even a whole scream, just a startled yelp. And you thank your lucky stars that the bottle in your hand doesn't pop when you drop it on the floor. The mess would just be the icing on this cringe cake.

It's a birthday message on the electronic screens at the mouth of the store. The kind of things that music and drama fans buy out for their idols, whitewashed photographs and cheesy well-wishes.

Happy Birthday to our prince, it reads.

His name really is Hendery.

Hm. Well.

You take your snacks, and head to checkout.

He looks better than that in person.

[therotatingvillain]

Funny things in Baby Steps, my unfinished Pokevillain fanfic

Alright, after spending too long in a severe depression hole and also spending like way too much time at work, here I am again!

This is gonna be my first update on the Pokevillain fanfiction that my last post was about. What I’m doing is reading through those 43 pages and just get a base understanding of what the fuck I was even doing.

To have all of you be part of this, you’ll get my live thoughts about it! So be ready for some shitposting and a few sneak peeks at the story haha

Cyrus insisting on just being called ‘Cyrus’ because ‘Mr. Akagi’ reminds him of his father is such a mood. Also, yeah, I use their japanese names as their last names, except Guzma, because Guzmas japanese name is Guzma lol So for him I just used his german name ‘Bromley’. Such an ass name

Having stayed in a hospital for the first time not too long ago, 2020 me was surprisingly accurate when it came to hospital food

“What do you think? Aren’t you supposed to be incredibly smart?” She kept smiling, but Cyrus knew it was fake. It had been ever since she entered. It was the same smile his mother always had when talking to guests or clients. God I hate Cyrus nurse, I made her such a bitch lmao

Forgot I made Cyrus lactose intolerant lol

That smile made Cyrus want to go back into the distortion world No comment needed

‘New Guy’ seemed like a major downgrade from ‘God of a new dimension’ but for now, having terribly failed the latter one, the first one was acceptable. 2020 me had banger humor

Guzma looking at Cyrus and just going “You’re my friend now” is how I make all of my friends

Ah yeah, Giovanni is there because of another failed attempt, except for Guzma the rest is there because of court mandation and Guzma is there because Nanu got him a spot.

almost like touching a Rotom that couldn’t quite control its energy. Foreshadowing? Maybe

Guzma immediately having Cyrus back even when Cyrus is clearly in the wrong is so funny to me

Aaaaaaaah gays bonding over piano music

Ah yes, Maxie and Archie are divorced husbands. Yes, they still love each other, yes, Maxie still actively wears his wedding ring while Archie always has it on him somehow

“Hey fuckers, time for lunch!” Mood Guz

Lysandre desperately trying to socialise with his roommate only to routinely be fucked over by his own shitty mental health and eating disorder is too real man

Dr. Roberts is such a kind soul, he’s the therapist OC I created specifically for this story and he’s just a sweetie who’s fantastic at his job and also, obviously, gay and married with a couple kids.

Cyrus went to college (duh) and majored in: Electrical Engineering, Economics, Computer Engineering, Political Science and Computer Science. And finished all his majors in 4 years. Yikes dude, my boy just wanted to study the stars but he was denied by his bullshit parents

Ah yes, Cyrus sister. Buckle in people, time for a bit of lore:

So we all remember the Old Chateau in Eterna Forrest back in gen 4, right? Right. For a long time there was a theory that perhaps Cyrus grew up in that house. How did we come to that conclusion? Basically, Cyrus in Platinum (and the USUM Rainbow Rocket episode) has a severe obsession with the Pokemon Rotom, supplying Charon with detailed notes and diaries all about it and in the Rainbow Rocket episode, he nearly has a breakdown upon seeing the Rotom dex. Now where do you find Rotom in Gen 4? Hiding in a TV in the Old Chateau. So, we theorized that Cyrus grew up there. What else do we find in the Old Chateau? The spirits of a butler and a small girl. So, the theory goes that Cyrus used to have a little sister, but she and a butler of the family were killed in an accident, probably involving the Rotom Cyrus kept, most likely hidden from his parents. Afterwards, his family moved to Sunyshore, leaving the Chateau, where Rotom was still hiding, possibly having come back in search of it’s friend (Cyrus) and then hiding in the TV because it was scared as it was alone, Cyrus nowhere to be found, and sought comfort in the electrical appliance. That’s how the theory goes. This theory is true in my story.

Maxie and Archie being extremely angry bordering on violent with each other makes me sad. And I wrote this shit!

The fact that Cyrus, on his first day there, immediately has a panic attack in the evening is relatable.

Also, Giovanni helps him through it and they start bonding and being cute hehe

For every scene involving stargazing, be aware that I have zero idea about stars. I grew up in the middle of fuck nowhere, so I can see them very clearly each night, but I still have little to no idea about how to read stars lol

Lysandre has anorexia and Cyrus is way too oblivious to understand that it’s ana so he’s just constantly like “wow youre thin” until it clicks lmao

Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and Charon are just codenames and Cyrus never bothered to learn their actual names. Is this also foreshadowing? Maybe hehe

YES CYRUS STAND YOUR GROUND TO THAT PISS POOR EXCUSE OF A NURSE i hate her so much man

Cyrus is a deeply kind person. I will not elaborate yet

Yes, Maxie and Archie get over their shit and back together

Yes, it spirals Giovanni into another suicide attempt

No, I shall not elaborate how one leads to the other

But yeah, there’s a pretty intense part of this that deals with Giovannis shitty mental state and his active suicide attempt (that only barely failed) and Cyrus ends up having a severe breakdown because of it. Like I said in my last post, this story deals with some heavy topics.

Guz and Ly really take on the roles of dads to Cyrus, to help him be more open in his expression and just be who he is and I think that’s beautiful

His breath was caught in his throat, his chest and stomach spreading a comfortable warmth through his body.

What was this? A heart attack? 

No, those felt different. There was no stabbing pain. I love writing Cyrus

THERAPY POKEMON EVERYONE yes the leaders are getting therapy Pokemon

Here’s a list of who they get:

Giovanni: His Persian

Maxie: Toxel

Archie: Hypno

Cyrus: His Rotom

Ghetsis: Castform

Lysandre: Levanny

Guzma: His Golisopod

I’d love for yall to theorize on why each leader gets their respective Pokemon! I actually put some thought in all of them haha

Cyrus grandfather has a big role in Cyrus’ recovery, and it starts with a simple visit that is still one of my favorite parts of this story so far

Cyrus grandfather (Paul Akagi) is the polar opposite to his parents, Paul is kind, loving, supportive and really just wants Cyrus to be happy and their relationship???? it warms my heart

A big part of connection for all of the leaders, specifically everyone else and Ghetsis, is a broken piano in the common room that they all work together to fix and that piano really is a symbol for Cyrus’ recovery and especially his willingness to get better.

GUZMA IS TRANS and this is a fact because I am trans and I said so. Also Ghetsis is a bigot. End of sentence lol

Ghetsis saying some transphobic shit and Guzma then going to PULL HIS NON PARALYZED ARM OUT OF ITS SOCKET is such a girly pop move

Also yes everything I’ve written so far ends on Maxie and Archie remarrying and Dr. Roberts allowing everyone to drink alcohol in celebration and yes of course it escalates lol

Alright everyone, that’s it for now, I’m all caught up, hopefully I’ll get some time to actually write a bit more the next few days. 

As always, please please please interact with this, tell me your thoughts so far, ask questions, I NEED IT okay cool thank you.

I have work tomorrow so I shall go and kill myself lol

Have a great whenever you are! Stay hydrated

Love all of you.

[thessalian]

Thess vs TLOVM S3, Ep 2

Right. I've had nap. I've had toast. I'm still tired. But I am going to do another episode of TLOVM, even if I'm being slow about it because new eps don't drop until Thursday and I don't want to spend too long going, "Is it Thursday yet?", even if that is the CR catch-phrase.

"You never bothered to ask." I don't know why that hits me so hard, but it does. Possibly because it highlights how Percy was so blinded by trauma, fear, and anger that he just took what was offered and barely even remembered that it came from somewhere outside, whereas Ripley went into that bargain with her eyes wide open. It definitely highlights that Ripley is not the sort of person whose mercy you want to be at, because she has less of it than "No Mercy Percy" does.

That whole opening just highlights exactly why Taliesin winces every. Single. Fucking time someone in Exandria pulls a gun.

"Believe me; I've tried--" Gilmooooooooooore ... what did you do? If you're trying coquettish winks at the Hand of Ord, it's because you did some shit. ...That or you tried to get one into bed and you're talking about your famous charm falling flat for once, which you would never do, so-- No. No. Focus on the current bisexual disasters running around Marquet.

...OMG. Ripley's a NRA nut. And the picture she's painting is basically the USA right now. ...Which is not a good thing. Because, Ripley, that force you're talking about someone overwhelming? THEY COULD BUY GUNS TOO.

...That was hesitance and I don't like it. But the twins figuring out crime with the ranger/rogue combo is awesome.

Yeah. That was hesitance. J'mon sa Ord is not stupid. Then again, considering who and what J'mon sa Ord is, they couldn't be. I mean, even without certain parts of the what, you don't rule someplace like Ank'harel if you're stupid.

OMG SCANLAN YOU ARE SUCH A DAD. Without the right as yet to make that kind of brag, but ... you're Scanlan.

...Yes, Kaylie. LITERALLY.

Oh, Percival, you'd better have a plan to wreck shit up while no one's looking.

"Asshole even ripped off my font" OMG.

N'awwwwww Vex! Wait. This might be the instead of the huge fight that killed Percy that one time. It makes sense; Percy's grabbed in the place of the help Ripley hired, we don't have the issue about bringing in Kynan or the whole Allura / Kima thing, they still get Cabal's Ruin at the end of it, and...

Wait. In the campaign, the Plate of the Dawnmartyr was already in the Hells. Is Percy about to wreck up Ripley's plans by sending Orthax and the Plate to the Hells?!?

I have to watch the bisexual disaster Scooby-Doo gang if I want to find that out.

This ... is so Grog. And ... this is how GROG gets the intel they need. Okay, I love this.

See, Season 1 Grog felt infantalised. It feels like Grog's characterisation got closer to how Travis originally played him the more involved Travis got in the writing. ...I wonder if that's why he got more involved in the writing. I guess I would, in his shoes; "Fine! I'll write the loveable idiot myself!"

Aaaand that's where that sneak peek comes from. I've seen this.

He tells Kaylie she's his only family ... but he kinda lies. This is going to be problematic.

I FUCKING CALLED IT!

Vex, your heart was in the right place ... unfortunately in this case, possibly, but how the fuck can you do that to Percy again after he was the reason you died the LAST time?!?

Aw, crap.

Oh, good lord, Scanlan. I was kind of hoping you'd have some conscience about your friends getting chased, but he's just hiding from the law?!?

And the little dragon. Perfect.

Keyleeeeeeth ... no. No you're not.

Yeah, you know how bad this looks, guys-- Oh, for fuck's sake, Percy. I mean, I get feeling responsible for making the thing in the first place, but at some point, you have to forgive yourself, not only because sometimes trauma makes you do dumbass things, but also because HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO MAKE RESTITUTION IF YOU'RE-- wait. Transformation what-now?

...Oh, gods, the second-hand embarrassment is strong. But I take it back about the "hiding from the law" thing; he was just ... too torn to be any good to either of the people he wanted to be with at that time.

Ah. Transformation this-now. Oooooooooooh shit. I hope they can undo this shit-- Scanlan?!?

Scanlan, what--? Oh. Even drunk, you can pull out a last-minute clutch move.

.........All that and it was fake Plate?!? Well. That gives us the trip to the Hells, and the big fight with Ripley later to get Cabal's Ruin. Okay!

I think at this point that my only problem with this element of the series is ... well, the thievery. It feels like trying to fanangle an audience with J'mon sa Ord, while not as visually impressive, could still have resulted in an investigation leading to Ripley. Possibly less tension, though ... but there are ways!

Aaaaaaaaaanyway, this is a good place to leave things until Monday - Sunday's way too full of stuff, given D&D Sunday and Silent Hill 2 remake dropping. My D&D group should feel very flattered. I set aside brand new unread @seananmcguire novels for sessions, and I will be setting aside a game I've wanted to play for at least fifteen years for session too. Because I love them and I love our story.

[dreamsandscenes]

My Ranking of TVD Seasons

*spoilers ahead*

NUMBER 8 - SEASON 8

I mean…do I need to even explain this? We all saw season 8. It was a mess. I felt like I had to drag myself through this season, just because I wanted to see how it ended. The only highlight for me was the ending.

NUMBER 7 - SEASON 5

The characters going to college was always going to be a strange transition - as it is in any tv show that starts with the characters in high school - and I just didn’t like the change. I can’t even put my finger on a specific reason why. It just felt different. This season also had the Travelers and Markos, who were just boring villains. The whole Silas/Qetsiyah plot was interesting at first, but fizzled out for me. The only highlight I could maybe pick out is Katherine’s arc. The show just didn’t fill the hole that the Mikaelsons left behind imo.

NUMBER 6 - SEASON 7

I didn’t completely hate this season. Ngl it was weird without Elena. That being said, I actually liked the time jumps in episodes. I wasn’t a fan of the Caroline pregnancy storyline, but that only happened because Candice King got pregnant irl. It just seemed to me like Caroline felt so bad for Alaric & everything he went through in S6, that she continued the pregnancy out of pity for him. The whole Alaric & Caroline “romance” (if you can call it that) was disgusting too. What were the writers thinking. I enjoyed the Damon and Bonnie moments though and Bonnie finally found a good love interest in Enzo. The Heretics weren’t all terrible either. I liked Nora. The Originals crossover ep was a highlight too.

NUMBER 5 - SEASON 6

Season 6 was a mixed bag for me. I really loved the whole prison world storyline. I thought it was unique and an interesting way to keep Bonnie and Damon alive after the S5 finale. It completely changed their relationship for the better too. Kai Parker was a great villain, one of the best in the whole series. I remember when he first told Bonnie and Damon about what he did to his family, that was the first time I was genuinely disturbed by a TVD character. Liz’s death was so emotional. Elena’s storyline this season was dull and I didn’t enjoy the whole Lily Salvatore thing. The season finale at Alaric and Jo’s wedding was crazy though.

NUMBER 4 - SEASON 4

Hope Mikaelson tutorial above 👀. Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion, but I actually liked Elena’s transition and then her no humanity arc. I seriously didn’t like the sirebond thing though. That felt icky to me. Her relationship with Rebekah from enemies to kinda friends was nice. Going to Silas island for the cure was interesting. Did I love the cure storyline? Not really, but it wasn’t the worst.

NUMBER 3 - SEASON 1

So many great moments. I just love this season. I will say, the pilot is a little rough, but most pilots are, so I don’t hold it against the season as a whole. While I’m not a Stelena shipper, I do think Stefan and Elena were very sweet in S1. Elena was also at her best in this season and season 2. When I say I like Elena, it’s this one I’m referring to. Damon was in his villain moment. The arrival of Katherine at the end was just perfect after all the talk about her throughout the season. I will say, I didn’t love S1 the first time I watched it, but when I went back and rewatched it, it became one of my favs.

NUMBER 2 - SEASON 2

This season? Oh this season keeps you on your toes. Elijah’s first appearance was so damn good. The moment at the school dance where Bonnie looks at Elena as she fakes her death with the sparks falling around her was a beautiful shot. I was so stressed the first time I saw it because I really thought Bonnie died. The build up to Klaus’ arrival and then him taking over Alaric’s body, so we kind of got a sneak peek of the character before Joseph Morgan fully entered the show was fantastic. I wish he didn’t kill Jenna, but he wouldn’t be the villain if he didn’t do horrible things.

NUMBER 1 - SEASON 3

The best of the best. The absolute pinnacle of the series. Season 3 was non stop action. It never got boring. And of course one of the main reasons why this season is number one for me is the introduction of the full Mikaelson family. The Originals brought so much to TVD. This was THEIR season tbh. They were the best villains ever in the series, and watching the Mystic Falls characters try to take them out never got old. From Stefan’s ripper arc, to the Mikaelson ball episode, to Alaric being turned by Esther, and then finally, Elena’s death and transition in the final episode; it was just simply a perfect season.

[theodoraflowerday]

heartstopper s3e3 live episode reaction

omg the beginning of this episode with nick like the first episode of the past two seasons w charlie

THE RUGBY LADS

DARCY WEARING PANTS AAAAAAAA

bro it makes me *so* happy that imogen is now hanging out with the girls too like yeah babygirl get yourself a nice group of friends

NAOMI AND FELIX!!!!!!!!!

NATHAN AND YOUSSEF I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

JSKFJSKFJSKGJDKGK MS SINGH LMAO

she's so right I want them to be engaged by breaktime let them get married please

NO KISS? HUG FIRST

my lil baby boys who LOVE EACH OTHER!!!!!! THEY SAID ILY!!!!!!!!

oh they're just. full on making out then. huh.

i love how you can see the progression of their relationship, physicality wise. like that's two people who will be going at it raw and nasty in a few episodes

they're holding hands under the desk I want them to die

THIS ISN'T MR AJAYI'S HIPPIE CLASS KSKFKSLFKSLFKSLFIDLGUDOGI that's ur future husband

oh nick's following the whole plan he made with auntie diane I'm gonna sob

god charlie's making me so anxious idk how I'm gonna do it next episode

LNDLSKFLSFJSLFJ we get it elleargentupdates

TAO'S IG BIO NAKDOSIFOSIFLSJFSLIDLGIDOGK HE REALLY WAS SHORTER IN HIS PREVIOUS LIFE IM DYING

but also "you two need to get a life" same isaac

LMAO HE WALKED IN ON NATHAN AND YOUSSEF SKFJSKFJDK

oh

oh yeah the rules. the ocd. that's also massively important. oh lord

NICK

I THINK HE'S DATING MR FAROUK KSJFISJFISFJODFJDKFU ok gossips

oh nick's not gonna gossip is he

ok, trying to mentally prepare for this

oh okay that wasn't bad thank god

oh he fell asleep :(

TAO COME ONNNNN

"I love you" "aw I love you too" I'm gonna rip my tits off perhaps

AW I WISH I HAD A BOYFRIEND HSKFJSKFJDKFJ ME TOO JAMES not the boyfriend part, the general feeling of loneliness part

JAMES NO LMAOOOOOOOO someone save isaac from all these allos

ARE YOU AROMANTIC oh my god james I could KISS YOU

im not used to hearing the word "aromantic" so many times it's really starting to feel overwhelming

oh is the wrapping a compulsion? I see it

also friendly reminder that I would kill a man for victoria spring

tori's older sister magic working overtime huh

bro if one (1) nicktori scene has me in *shambles* idk how I'm gonna cope during this winter

✨FRIENDSHIP✨

IT'S LIKE A MINI CHARLIE AAAAAA

oh oh OH OH OH IMOGEN AND SAHAR

SEEMS A BIT GAY TO ME LETS FUCKING *GOOOOOOOO*

time to reunite the meddling gays? please? for me?

I LIVE for established relationship narlie please god let us keep this energy

darcy questioning being called a "lady" oh I am getting fed from EVERY angle this season

tao no

TAO DONT

OH FUCK

lmao not [imogen humming nonchalantly] jskgjdkgjdkgj me

IM NOT APOLOGIZING YEAH WELL I'M NOT APOLOGIZING EITHER COOL COOL COOL COOL COOL COOL

I love that imogen can just be like "oh yeah I used to be into nick" with her whole friend group that includes nick and the love of nick's life

sahar we GET IT you don't wanna hear about imogen's boyfriends we get it

LITTLE PLANE omg

elle calling tao out on his bullshit is so good we love elle

god. will gao is a national treasure

THEYRE *NOT* HAVING THIS CONVERSATION OVER FISH

oh my god nick should grow up and be a therapist honestly

UH ME AND SAHAR AREN'T A COUPLE - BUT WHO SAID WE WERE

MAYBE STOP ACTING LIKE A COUPLE THEN?????

"I don't think we're talking about fish anymore" yeah honestly darcy we kinda got that

WHEN I FIRST REALIZED I LIKED CHARLIE I CRIED AT AN AM I GAY QUIZ NOIOIOSKFLSJFKSJFKSJFKDFJDKFKDLFKDLFKDLFK

NICK IS WESR TO GODKFLDKFOSOFLFKDLFKDLFKDLFLDLFK

oh he's tired, baby boy :(

god tao I love you but you come on SO STRONG sometimes oh my god

"cause he can barely talk to ME about it" bro 😭😭😭😭😭

HE GOT HIM A LEMUR PLUSHIE I WILL *KILL MYSELF*

those casual I love yous are going to destroy me

YOU LIKE MY SMELL?????

oh that was absurdly precious

"oh wow it's wrapped very neatly" haha yeah..... about That........

I KNEW the sneak peek cut right before nick said "I love you" I KNEW IT oh my god

bro if they say ily one more time I might genuinely end it all

oh

yeah, speaking about ending it all

god

god if they don't shower them with awards after this I'm gonna petrol bomb every academy

Oh he's gonna read it

HE'S GONNA READ IT NO I WASN'T COUNTING ON THAT

oh well

that was a thousand times worse than I anticipated

like, a MILLION times worse than I anticipated

oh my god

and it's only gonna get worse I can't deal with this

[gartenofbanny]

Literally each time Striker, Blitzo and Moxxie should've killed each other

Today I'm just gonna point out each time Moxxie should've killed Striker, Blitzo should've killed Striker, Striker should've killed Blitzo, and when Striker should've killed both of them because those scenes honestly frustrate the hell out of me and reminds me of The Flash.

Blitzo

So the first time Blitzo should've killed Striker was when well he first found out that Striker was going to kill Stolas. Instead of taking the shot the moment he walked into the room, he decides to talk to Striker leading to Striker nearly manipulating Blitzo into teaming up with him. Blitzo was most likely aware of what Striker was gonna do, so why didn't he just take the shot immediately?

The second time Blitzo should've killed Striker was when Moxxie came out to aim the rifle at Striker. Blitzo's flintlock was still pretty much near Striker, all it would've taken was Blitzo quickly moving his arm to aim it at Striker's chest and to pull the trigger. But instead he just insults Striker and allows Striker to shoot Moxxie by using his flintlock.

The third time Blitzo should've killed Striker is when he and Moxxie corners the cowboy. And instead of shooting him they just let him talk.

And what's even worse is that Blitzo has this surprised look on his face once Loona shows up, somehow completely ignoring the fact that the man trying to kill his fuckbuddy is still cornered.

Moxxie

The first time Moxxie should've killed Striker was when he found Striker's blessed tip rifle and was aware of what it was. Instead of y'know, pulling out the pistol he had in his vest pocket he instead fucking lectures Striker while Striker is literally walking towards him with the intent to kill. I know Moxxie realized that he forgot about his pistol, but that's just bad writing for a character that's implied to be intelligent.

The second time Moxxie should've killed Striker was when he picked up Striker's rifle and patiently waited for Blitzo to acknowledge his presence. He has the Blessed Rifle in his hands and he doesn't take the shot for some reason. You can make the assumption that Moxxie was a bit concerned that the bullet would go through Striker and connect to Blitzo however I doubt it since he's an expert shooter.

Third time Moxxie should've killed Striker was when he alongside Blitzo cornered Striker. But instead of taking the shot to the head, he took a shot NEAR the head to intimidate him for whatever reason. This causes Moxxie to be a bit too late on killing Striker as Loona pops up out of nowhere, knocking out Moxxie in the process.

Striker

So the first time Striker should've killed Moxxie and Millie was when he overpowers them both. Instead of killing them in the tornado shelter right then and there he just doesn't because "they're not worth the cleanup", yet he's willing to kill Stolas while the Prince is out in the open in front of numerous imps. And if he did kill Moxxie and Millie right then and there then Moxxie wouldn't be there to assist Blitzo later on. Also in the sneak peek for the upcoming episode it's shown that Moxxie and Millie both fight Striker which could've been completely avoided if Striker just killed them both.

Second time Striker could've killed Moxxie and Blitzo, he aims the rifle at both of them while they're down. Instead of shooting both of them the moment they are down, he expresses his disappointment towards Blitzo and aims to take the shot. Also he listens to what Blitzo says leading to Blitzo kicking his ankle pretty hard making Striker lose balance and getting kicked in the stomach straight after which makes him drop his gun.

Honorable Mention

Millie snuck up behind Striker in a bloodlusted state just to stab the snake man in the back multiple times when she could've literally stabbed him through the head or something. Striker was crouched down trying to suffocate Moxxie and even if he was standing, Millie can jump pretty high and could've delivered the killing blow that way. I am unsure why she decided to do this when she can kill humans in many gruesome ways without being bloodlusted

Anyway that's all I have for today, thank you all for reading and I hope you all have a great day! ❤️

[anyoldfandom]

wait hol' up i gotta hear those Bobo Thoughts. hes such a fascinating character and the way he was used was so all over the place (like straight up vanishing when it was Serious Episode Time lmao) but,, thats Rex's friend! weird uncle? Moral compass but pointing the wrong way?? Always had such mixed feelings about his writing

Bobo is like. The thing about Bobo is he's such a good fucking character potential. I said most of my thoughts in this reply so I don't really have much more to say besides Wow they really did just make the potential for a really interesting character and blew it for jokes about harassing women. There was so much THERE where he COULD be funny while still being a serious character - plenty of the time Rex is silly and goofy while still being a serious character.

Exposed imo is one of, if not the best Bobo episode for the simple fact that he was actually a funny comedy relief character while still being Bobo, actually. It didn't really dive into him as a character, but he did have some pretty good lines ("That cage was electromagnetically sealed" "I didn't say it was easy" got a chuckle out of me, as well as "Are you going to just stand there and talk or help me?" "Talk.")

But also in my rewrite of Bobo, he's...well, he trusts in Rex's abilities, and he knows at the end of the day he doesn't really have superpowers or healing like the kid, but he's way more concerned for him. He notices how Rex makes jokes when he's stressed and makes jokes with him, to help ease tensions and get Rex to crack a smile when things are tough. He sits with the kid and talks because he knows he's also an adult, but he knows he's easier for Rex to relate to than other soldiers at base. Even with as much as Holiday and Six love Rex and are there for them, they're still in positions of authority over him - Bobo, meanwhile, is another EVO, who knows he can talk to Rex about how much it sucks not to have people like them. I don't have the link on hand but I remember in @bambeptin's interview where the show creators mentioned how Bobo was like a weird uncle, and I think they should've played into that dynamic more. Bobo encouraging Rex to be reckless and sneak out and see what he can get away with when his parents and Providence aren't looking.

Also, the show just kind of...forgets that Bobo made Robobobo and I think that'd be fun to play with. Bobo surprising everyone with how smart he is, all the skills he picked up over his time doing crime on the streets that Rex doesn't remember/know about. He could've contributed to the team so much in S3 by being the guy who knows how to break into places without hurting or killing people (like Six and WK know), occasionally peeking at Holiday's work and pointing something out bc she's an overthinker (all the adults in the Providence Fam in S3 kind of are in their own ways) and he goes at things to try to find the easiest solution. Hell, even have jokes about him being surprisingly smart - have characters talk about something super complex and Bobo surprises everyone by understanding it. Have everyone getting ready to kick down a door and have Bobo say "And here I thought I was the animal" or some joke like that and pick the lock. Hell, have him try to open a door and see that it's unlocked while everyone's prepping to kick it in.

Have Bobo be just...a smart and logical guy and have that be the joke. He looks ridiculous, constantly makes jokes and acts dumb, but reminders that he IS smart can be funny, and him being cheeky can be funny! Hell, the show kind of hinted at potential but never went through but Bobo and Six having a rivalry bc they both think the other is bad for Rex at first (and have a history of clashing that we see in Promises Promises) could be VERY funny! Especially because it would pair Six's very blunt personality with Bobo's ridiculousness and refusal to act seriously. There's potential there but they just...went for easy jokes and it's a shame, because Bobo had so much potential to be great.

[thebunniesgrim]

Can they please put someone else in charge of announcing eps for helluva boss or Hazbin?  

Please the suspense is literary killing me I not joking  

is this criticism? i wanna tag this properly

I'm not gonna complain too much I'm very grateful for everything that gets put out, but I just want to understand what going on  

I can't believe there are people who find edging sexually appealing I can't even do this and it's not even sexual  

Stop putting out teasers please! I can't take this anymore  

“Hazbin Hotel is coming out this summer!” 

Babes it’s September! its spooky season eve  

Even like for Helluva episodes like a week or 2 in advance start the sneak peaks and announcing the episodes please stop waiting a month or two to start giving people sneak peaks  

I'm losing it!  

I mean hell even for like the month the episodes are going to come out start the sneak peeks on the 1st of the month and release it later that month.  

Hell, surprise us don’t do any sneak peeks just drop the ep cold turkey  

Have a laugh with it  

I'm not telling them to get on a schedule, they’re an indie production, that’s not fair. But take your time making episodes. answer questions on twitter or whatever but don’t tell me it's coming soon if “soon” is 3 years from now that’s not soon that eventually  

Like yall remember when andrealphus was first announced?  

Like what back in 2022 right?  

The earliest thing I can find is March 2022 then the episode he was in didn’t release till May 20, 2023, a year and some change later.  

Why do they do this? Am I missing something?  

I'm not a marking major and I have no clue but as the consumer it feels like I'm being stringed along for no reason  

Am I the one who is not understanding?  

Are they making multiple episodes at once and just releasing them when they get done? It would explain some of the inconsistencies and jumps in the show.  

What is happening someone anyone please I'm dying!  

Am I in the wrong? I don’t think so

So please someone dumb down how this works for me you’ll be my sexy little knight in shining armor forever