#is it just me or did Brian Griffin get killed before he could finish the sentence?

[pelviscostello]

“Jake Riviera their manager, wanted a cover for Elvis and the band a bit similar to my Echo and the Bunnymen sleeves. This photograph taken outside Montpelier, of the "Goodies" and "Baddies" symbolises .... [x] “

photography by Brian Griffin

[utilitycaster]

what do you think are the different strengths of the GMs in the various actual plays you watch?

This is a good question.

The actual plays I watch or have watched are:

Critical Role (caught up)

TAZ (caught up, so I’m going to use Griffin as the GM since Travis is newer to it - I think he’s doing a good job, it just feels weird to judge him based on four episodes).

Relics and Rarities (finished...hopefully they do a second season?)

Dimension 20 (caught up on Fantasy High/Fantasy High Live, finished Escape from the Bloodkeep, am still relatively early on in Unsleeping City)

[I also just started listening to Rusty Quill Gaming, but I’m like 4 episodes in and right now they’re still sort of getting used to the Pathfinder rules so it’s going a little slowly; I’m not including Undeadwood for a couple reasons, but mostly it was short, I don’t know the rpg system used very well, and I never watched Deadwood so its harder for me to judge a couple aspects of Brian’s GM-ing but I did really like it]

Anyway:

Critical Role - I mean, it’s kind of established fact that Matt Mercer is exceptionally good in pretty much all ways at DM-ing, so I’ll focus on some things he does particularly well.

He’s the only DM/GM here for whom I can’t think of any examples where I was like “that seemed kind of railroaded”. Like, I’m sure he’s done the DM trick of “both paths lead to the same end”, and I don’t blame other DMs for doing this - it’s tough when people get super chaotic - but it’s definitely admirable and something I really appreciate because while it means things can go very badly, it also puts the plot in the hands of the players.

To that end I think the reason he can have such an open world is because of how built out the world of Exandria is. And again - I love the worldbuilding the other GMs I’m going to talk about have, and this is more a recognition of how incredibly detailed and thorough his world is.

TAZ - So I think all the GMs on this list do a great job with NPCs and making us care deeply about them, and all of them do that through having the NPCs clearly have lives even when the camera isn’t on them, so to speak, but I believe this is absolutely one of Griffin’s strengths and worth recognizing.

I also think he’s had probably the most unique worlds in terms of structure - I also love extraplanar weirdness as a setting and were I to run a serious, long-running game that’s something I’d want to incorporate.

Relics and Rarities - I mentioned this before, but I think Deborah Ann Woll did the best job of running a game that could make another GM say “Oh, I could do that!” - and not in the sense of her DM-ing not being very good and experienced, but rather it was episodic, and the props were for the most part home-made (which is something she specifically talked about being a goal). Don’t get me wrong, I love a giant battle-map, and I should note that TAZ probably doesn’t use fancy maps being a podcast and played over skype, and that CR used graph paper until the Chroma Conclave arc, but I loved the homemade puzzles and thought they were really creative and yet accessible. As for being an episodic game - it’s a particular style, and it works well if you run a game for beginners or if you can’t meet that regularly, both of which are true for me. It’s hard to make a story that works both as a series of one shots but with a through line as well, and she did an excellent job with it.

She also did, as some of those episodes, some very good self-contained mysteries. All the GMs here did a great job of having characters uncover mysteries, but it’s really hard to run a mystery in a couple of hours, rather than over the course of a long-running game.

Dimension 20: As the explicit comedy one, I have to recognize the amazing improv in this game. Several of the most iconic NPCs or funniest scenes were almost entirely made up on the spot. I think to be a really good and flexible DM you either have to be like Matt Mercer and already have almost every answer thought out, or you just need to be excellent at rolling with it, and Brennan is so good at the latter.

I also think it’s a great example of using heightened versions of real settings in a fun way - it works especially great in comedy. Using an 80s high school movie or a magic New York or a thinly veiled parody of Mordor are great ideas for a D&D game, and he does a great job running it.

Finally, this is something the Escape from the Bloodkeep commentary episodes cover (I don’t listen to Adventuring Academy regularly but I’ve watched a few episodes specifically about the shows) but I really like the way he’s handled villains both when they were the protagonists (Escape from the Bloodkeep) and in-game normally. There’s a reason we cheer for the Escape from the Bloodkeep team and for Gortholax and not for the actual enemies in the story, and it’s that they’re like “well yeah we kill people but we wouldn’t like, be racist, or lie about killing people”. It’s something most D&D games have as an undercurrent, but the comedy comes from it being so openly out there.

[emma-nation]

Thinking Of You (Mona x MC Fanfiction) - Chapter 7

You said move on Where do I go? I guess second best Is all I will know

Summary: Years later, Allison has everything she wants, a brand-new internship as a doctor, a handsome boyfriend… but her first nightshift won’t go as expected…

Genre: Romance, Angst

Tag list: @zoe6111, @simsvetements, @mvrinettes, @whoinvitedalx, @scarlet-letter-a0114, @abunchofbadchoices, @kamilahmademedoit, @janurary, @talkinlikeateen, @eagle-one-1, @andreear17, @tia-bi, @monagf, @monahott, @fal-carrington, @crazzyplays, @honorablebicycle​, @teja-desai​ (let me know if you want to be tagged!)

Notes:

- English is not my first language, forgive me for any mistakes.

- Choices July Challenge starts tomorrow and I’m more than excited to share some other MonaxMC fics with you. Stay tuned!!

"I still don't like this idea," Mr. Wheeler grunted.

"Neither do I," Mona responded, scowling with arms crossed. "Do I look like I'm happy?"

"Will you two ever stop?" Allison finished placing her things inside her purse.

"I hope you're not doing this, ruining your life, because of her again."

Mona rolled her eyes.

"Look, I only accepted this damn plan because Allison tends to do some stupid things. I know she'll get in trouble."

"For the first time we agree, Mona. Though this behavior is more usual when you're around."

"Are we good to go?" Allison interrupted, trying to put an end in the discussion.

As expected, Mr. Wheeler wasn't happy. He protested, accused her of throwing her entire future away because of Mona but, in the end, he threw the towel, knowing it was useless to try to change her mind.

Mona nodded, waiting for her in front of the door.

"Before we go," Allison pulled out her cell phone, "one last thing."

She snapped a picture of Mona.

"Mona's first day of college. We need to save that moment. Your mom is going to be so proud!"

"Don't you even dare to send her that!" Mona angered. "If she knows I'm playing the bait for a serial killer, she'll kill me and your father together."

Allison laughed.

"Don't worry, but we'll show her when all of this is over. She’ll be proud anyways."

Mona sighed and shook her head.

Outside, they were about to enter her car when she stood still, staring at a luxurious car parked at the opposite side of the street. Noticing their presence, the car drove away. Mona scowled.

"Who was that?" Allison asked, curious and worried.

"No one," she answered. “No one that matters.”

Ignoring the tension in the air, Allison changed the subject.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this!" She giggled as Mona started driving. "I'm so excited."

"You're the only person I've ever met that would want to catch a serial killer to run away from your life. And I've met some weird kinds in prison."

With the mission, Mona was finally being more open around Allison. Her mood also improved, though she fought hard to hide it. She was always smiling and making jokes. The night were Allison confessed her feelings was never mentioned again, but she planned to bring that up again soon, when she was finally able to break her engagement.

Griffin had been unreachable lately. The internet signal was very poor in the area he was volunteering. Mona would often tease her, about him having a second fiancée in Africa.

They parked. Mona wouldn't leave the car.

"Let's go," Allison called.

"I suddenly feel nauseous again."

"Don't tell me Mona, who doesn't give a damn about anything, is actually nervous?"

"C-Can you blame me? Do you have any idea of how long ago was the last time I was in school? And trust me, it wasn't good."

"Okay... I'm gonna do something my dad always did, in my first school days," she kissed Mona's cheek. "A good luck kiss! See you at lunch."

Mona froze and then blushed. Allison left the car, leaving her alone. She hid herself behind a tree and observed at distance as she followed her own way.

----------

The day passed quick, but it wasn't any easy for Mona. As she entered her first class, she felt a lump on her throat.

"So this is how it feels like," she thought, remembering her past and how she was supposed to have attended to NYU or Columbia. Both of them granted her full scholarships, over a science project she developed in High School and she perfect GPA.

She picked a seat at the most hidden corner she could find in the auditorium. In that moment, Mona completely understood Mr. Wheeler’s feelings towards her. She acted so stupid, throwing everything away for a girl. Searching her name on Google, she found out she was in jail again. Drug dealing this time. And she didn't even look so pretty or cool anymore.

The classes were easier than she expected. For someone that got a GED in prison, she stood out, being the one to answer all the questions teachers asked. Of course, not without attracting some jealousy from her classmates.

Anyways, it was lunch time and she was ready to reunite with Allison.

"Any news?" Mona asked, as soon as she joined her at the table. "I can't wait to get the hell out of here."

"No, there wasn't any creepy guys selling drugs in my classroom," Allison joked. "But come on, was it so bad?"

"Bad? My classmates have started spreading rumors I was in jail for murdering some dude. The only person who actually interacted with me was this Christian girl, saying she'll help me to find redemption."

Allison couldn't help but laugh.

"What about you? How many Graysons did you meet in class?"

"Griffin. But no, there was no one like him."

"Obviously,” Mona finally grinned, ironically. “Because he's the most perfect, handsome and also, good in bed."

"No, actually it’s because most of my classmates are women."

"Oh! Any like me? I doubt it."

"Of course not! You're one in a million, Mona."

Mona suddenly stop laughing, wondering if Allison was still joking of if she really meant that. Before she could ask, her expression changed and she became serious.

"I'm breaking up with him," she told.

"Oh, my condolences."

"Can you just be serious and listen to me? I mean, I like talking to you. You don't judge or put any pressure on me."

Mona inhaled deeply, thinking of what to say, without sounding sarcastic or thrilled about the break up. She tried to remember the therapy sessions she was forced to attend in prison, where the therapist taught her to be more empathetic.

"Listen, Allison. You know I'm not the most appropriate person for heartfelt conversations or to offer comfort but..." she placed her hand on top of hers. "You gotta do what's the best for you. If you're not happy anymore, just do it. You're smart and pretty, besides having some impressive hot wiring skills and being a great driver. I’d say you still can have a lot of fun before settling down with someone."

"That was the sweetest thing I've heard in years," Allison smiled. "Thank you."

Mona didn't immediately removed her hand, Allison didn't bother moving hers either. They stayed like that for a brief moment, enjoying each other’s touch.

"But I'm worried about you," Allison spoke again, in a serious tone. "About that guy who was parked in front of home this morning. You're not in danger, are you?"

Mona sighed. She didn't like sharing, but since she was staying in Allison's house, she deserved to know the truth.

"That's my..." she cleared her throat before saying the word, "father. Though he's the ultimate douchebag, he offers no threat. I hadn't seen him since I was fifteen. I have no idea why he suddenly became obsessed with me."

She told about his famous dealership, with all the stores he had around the country and how he had been keeping her car for the last few years.

"Maybe he's trying to make it up for the lost time and bond with you?"

"No, it's something else. I just don't know what."

Allison checked her watch, concluding it was almost time to go.

"I had a really nice time chatting with you," she said before leaving. "I hope we can do this more often."

"Yeah, me too..." Mona whispered, but she was already gone.

----------

After lunch, Mona had a freshmen orientation in the library. Checking her phone, there was already multiple messages from Detective Wheeler, asking if she had gotten anything. She rolled her eyes and started to examine her surroundings.

"Remember what you're here for. This life isn't for you. You're only playing a role."

There was this young male, Brian. She had been watching him since the early hours in the morning. Mona knew his type very well. Big biceps, small brain. He was a Jock, what made her the suspect number one in her list. Discreetly, she took a picture of him, sending to the Detective.

Passing through one of the library sections, she saw a perfect opportunity to confront him, when he was pestering another freshman girl.

"Come on, gorgeous. Let me give you a tour of the campus. I'll show you the most interesting spots in this place."

"Leave me alone!" The girl ordered.

He didn't obey. Preventing her from leaving the aisle.

"At least give me your number. So we can get to know each other better."

"No!

"Come on..."

Mona decided it was the perfect moment to intervene.

"The girl said no," she calmly said. "Do you even know what 'no' means or... your muscles have overgrown your brain?"

"Get out of here, chick," he angered. "This is between me and... what's your name, gorgeous?"

Mona placed herself between them, frowning at him.

"You're crossing limits here, dude. So it's my business too."

"Do you have any idea of who you're messing with?"

"What about you? Do you have any idea of who you're messing with?"

"Oh my god!" The girl yelled in that moment. "S-She's that girl who was in jail for stabbing a man."

Brian's expression suddenly changed.

"T-Those are rumors. She's only playing the bad girl act."

"Are you willing to test me?"

"I could break you in half if I wanted," the intimidating look was back on his face. "You've been warned. Stay out of my way."

As he went way, Mona glanced back at the girl. Who looked away, avoiding to face her.

"You're welcome," she said upon her silence.

She began to walk away, when she called her back.

"Wait! I'm so sorry, I just wanted to scare him away. I don't even know if these crazy rumors are true."

"And you don't want to find out."

Mona continued her way, but she heard the girl yelling 'thank you' at distance. She didn't care, she had gotten what she wanted. One first suspect for Detective Wheeler.

At the parking lot, she waited for Allison, when Krista, the Christian girl, came to her direction, making her wince in displeasure.

“The Lord is testing me.”

"Mona!" She greeted. "How was your first day? Well, I hope."

"Fabulous," she replied with sarcasm.

"Good. Listen, I really meant it about redemption. If you prove you're willing to follow a new path, you're more than invited for our weekly Bible studies."

Mona didn't answer. She didn't want to sound disrespectful or offend her at all.

"Wow, is that your car?" She asked looking at the Halberdier EVX. "I-It isn't stolen, is it?"

"Probably," Mona sighed deeply. Kaneko had given her that car when she moved to Los Angeles, so it was very possible.

"Oh my god!" She covered her mouth with her hand. "Listen, the first step for your redemption is to get rid of these things. Things that keep you attached to your sinful past. Will you be getting a new car?"

"Maybe, when I have money."

"I could get you a job, if you want. We do charity work for people like you, that served time in prison. But first you need to prove you're willing to reborn to a new life."

"I'll think about it," Mona lied, trying to end that conversation.

As she watched Krista entering her own car, she let out a laugh. She had the most expensive car of the moment. The same model as Dr. Carlson and her father.

"Snob."

----------

Allison was never good at socializing, in school her only friends were always Darius and Riya. In college it wasn't very different. All the friends she made, she met them through Griffin. He was the popular one. But the situation demanded desperate measures. There was going to be a hot party in the weekend, to welcome the freshmen, and she needed to get invited. What place could be better to catch a drug dealer than a party?

During a break between classes, she found a group of girls reunited at the bathroom. She remained silent inside a stall, to listen to their conversation.

"Are you going to the 'Welcome Party'?"

"Sure I am! It's one of the best parties of the year!"

"Do you know where I could get tickets? I tried to buy from Aaron, but he said they're expired."

"Don't tell anyone, but I bought some extra. You know, there will be some desperate people searching for last time tickets and I really could use some extra money."

"Perfect," Allison thought.

She followed them to the corridor, her wallet in hands.

"Hey! Did you say you have tickets for the 'Welcome Party'? I need two."

"You gonna have to pay double for them, honey. I was saving for some friends."

"I have this friend, who's a freshman too. After having such a hard time in life, she could really use some fun. I'll pay the triple."

In the end of the day, she was grinning ear to ear. Mona was waiting for her, leaning against her car's hood in the parking lot. As usual, she had a scowl on her face.

"What happened?" She asked. "I have the most awesome news."

"Is it related to the investigation?" Mona asked. "Because I don’t know how longer I can’t take without telling these dickheads to screw off!"

"Whoa, someone has definitely pissed you off."

First she told her about her suspect and her encounter with him at the library, where Mona saved a girl from him. In the end, she also misjudged her, repeating the rumors for everyone around to listen.

"And then there was this Christian girl, the one who wants to save my soul. She wants me to get rid of my car, but she has that brand-new European model all the douchebags have. My father and Dr. Dickson."

"Hey, your dad is a creep, I agree. But Dr. Carlson is a good man. Have you seen all the humanitarian projects he does?"

Mona looked at her and sighed.

"Anyways," Allison changed the subject. "I have great news. Something that will help you to relax."

"Please, tell me it's my one-way ticket to New York?"

"No, you're not going away so easily. Not before we attend 'The Welcome Party'."

[miamaroo]

Northern Migration- Chapter 19 (Notes + Preview)

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait between updates. I had to work on another project for a bit, but now we’re back and with a chapter that will hopefully be a satisfying follow-up than the last. Hopefully. I don’t know. Like always, these spoilers contain massive spoilers for the chapter so don’t cheat. Read it first, then you can come back to this. Without further ado, let’s jump right into it.

 Spoilers Ahead!

As many of you guys probably know, I’ve been trying for months now to find a good place to drop in the fact that Johann has a massive crush on Avi. And thank god I finally did it now because this shit is about to get relevant.

Also, I have no idea how to write Leon, especially when he’s not being tormented by Taako. The first time I wrote that scene, I accidentally made him a Merle copy and that wasn’t going to fly around here. I have standards to maintain.

I hope Lucretia’s plan makes sense. I really wanted to give me a moment in this chapter to act on it, but it never really came up. I kept the mention of it in though since I like the realness of having a strategy that we never get to see work or fail because the circumstances to use it never come up.

And, oh my god. This is going to be the last time I’m going to get to outline what sacrifices Avi, Killian, and Ren made. The end to this stupid arc is almost in sight! So Killian forgot Brian and had to give up her crossbow. Avi lost some vitality that makes it so that he has a constant headache and he’s been aged another 15 years. And Ren lost vision in both of her eyes. These were the hardest sacrifices for me to go through with, but I told myself that whatever I spun on the wheel for them was going to have to stick (within reason, of course). I just really wish I had the space to write out the scene where all this happened because damn. This is really not satisfying to just read about. Maybe I’ll make a quick one shot of this scene. Who knows.

The little Stevie, Magnus, and Merle scene was originally much different. I actually rewrote it last night because I just knew that this here is a lot better than what I had before.

I also don’t know if Magnus for sure would like Bon Jovi, but how can you not jam out to Living on a Prayer?

I know reading a copy and paste of the show’s villain speech is annoying and smacks you right out of the narrative, but I didn’t have the energy to rewrite it and skipping it would ruin the build of tension. I tried to only include what’s necessary so that the flow into the addition of Edward and Lydia’s body collection would be smooth.

Fun fact: originally, Lucretia was  not the only one who realized Edward and Lydia’s scheme. I originally had it so that Killian figured it out as well, and so when Lucretia shouted for Julia to kill her, we would get this moment where Julia refused but Killian would take her crossbow and shoot Lucretia dead (which wouldn’t last since Edward and Lydia would just heal her right up with their Wonderland magic). Of course, I then remembered that Killian SACRIFCED HER CROSSBOW so all that got cut. RIP EVERY ATTEMPT I MAKE OF GIVING KILLIAN SHIT TO DO IM SORRY

I know Griffin just said that the Hunger’s spies were white figures and that probably means they’re just like Princess Mononoke’s forest spirits, but I really wanted something horrific looking. Let me have this.

No one is surprised that the one armed mannequin is Taako. After all, he knew what Davenport was going to ask for when building the engine before he could even say it. He knows what his captain wants.

Okay, so let’s talk about that bastardization of Arms Outstretched. One of my goals for this story is to pick up ideas Griffin mentioned he wanted to do for Balance that he never got the chance to act upon. One of those is the side story of having to escape from the astral plane. So, that’s what we’re going to do here. Next chapter is going to be about Taako and Lucretia escaping death, so get ready for a short but hopefully enjoyable break from the sludge that is Wonderland.

If you’re wondering why Taako couldn’t overpower the plane’s pull this time, it’s because he’s also dead. He belongs in the astral plane and the forced of the universe knew that. He didn’t have the strength to fight back against it.

Sorry not sorry for that chapter title lol

And, as always, here is the preview for the next chapter, which should be coming out at a much more reasonable timetable than this past one:

“I can’t tell if this is stupid or kinda genius,” Magnus says, switching his eyes between the control board usually commandeered by Davenport and where Merle packs up his bag of supplies.

Merle makes an uncommitted shrug, double checking that his Extreme Teen Bible is still in his bag and his war hammer is attached to his hip. The lines of laundry still hang over the deck, shirts and skirts billowing dangerously against the wind as they coast over the city. A few clothespin unsnap against the force, sending Stevie chasing after it with determination that’s quiet and frantic all at once. “Just go with it.”

Magnus makes a face. “Just go with it.”

“You know I can still see you.”

“You know I can still see you.”

“Stevie,” Merle says, snapping his fingers at her as if she’s a dog to order around. “Tell your father to stop being an ass.”

Stevie stands still in her spot, mouth opening and closing for a moment. “I—” One of Julia’s skirts flies off the line, and, whipping through the air before going overboard. “Fuck!” Stevie dashes to the side, swearing when she sees the skirt fall to the earth, getting caught in the top branches of a yellowing tree.

“Stevie,” Magnus warns. “Language.” He turns his attention back to his compass and map of Neverwinter, turning the ship so that they can fly over the merchant district. He doesn’t see how Stevie’s face burns. She stomps to the nearest wicker basket, drops the clothes inside with little fanfare, before storming to the door below deck.

Magnus makes one last turn at the wheel, then pulls a lever that stalls the ship in place. “Your move, Merle.”

Merle pulls on his red robe, pulls his back over his shoulder, then takes his bible in hand. “I’ll be back with Barry before you know it.”

Magnus double checks all the controls are in the right settings before scrambling down the stairs to the deck, just catching Merle right as he finishes preparing a round of feather fall. “Hey, so from one idiot to another—”

“Don’t put me in your category,” Merle says.

“But like, Cap’n Port is going to kill us when he finds out.”

Merle raises a finger. “If.”

Magnus nods. “Yeah. I like the sound of that. If.”

The dwarf hops a little, trying to reach the top of the rail. Without waiting for permission, Magnus places his hands on Merle’s butt and boosts him upwards. “Wait,” he says, already pushing Merle over the edge of the rail. He hears Merle scream every curse he knows in every language as he plummets downwards. “This isn’t an if situation—fuck!”

[jidashia]

‘sup, guys. I wrote a fanfic about Magic Brian to make myself sad and thought I’d share with you. Because I love that unimportant NPC (sorry, Griffin) and ever since it was mentioned that he was engaged when he was killed my imagination’s been running wild. So if you like mushy stories (like, seriously, you might get caries from all the sweetness) that still leave a bitter taste in your mouth at the end, give it a try!

Origins „Hey! I told you, no peeking.“ They quickly swatted away his hands before he could lift the blindfold that had been covering his eyes for about half an hour now. Their tone was probably meant to sound accusing, but the effect was somewhat ruined by the fact that they were saying it with a laugh. He lowered his hand again. „Well, Dear, you have to excuse my impatience. You see, usually when you tell people to get undressed and blindfolded because you have a surprise for them, they don't expect to immediately be dressed up again, you know?“ He grinned. „I would be lying if I said I wasn't a tiny bit disappointed by this development.“ „Brian, I swear to all the gods, I will leave you if you don't stop being so lewd“, the groaned, but were still smiling as they finished buttoning up his robe, smoothing out the fabric. Their fiancé, however, thought it a good idea to seize this opportunity and pull them closer by their hips, burying his face in their hair and not even saying anything, just humming contently. They sighed, but let him continue and even rested their head on his shoulder. The two of them stayed in this embrace for a moment, then Brian let go of them again, smiling happily. „Well then. No more lewd, naughty wizard today, I promise. I'll behave.“ He found himself rewarded with a deep, gentle kiss before he had even properly finished that sentence, but much to his dismay that kiss was very soon broken up again and he could practically feel the smirk on his partner's lips as they pushed themselves onto their toes to whisper close to his ear: „Shame. I had actually been planning on removing all these clothes again later for another surprise. But I guess that will have to wait until tomorrow then.“ They took a step back, and just in time to see Brian's face fall and his smile fade, as he seemed to very quickly be regretting all of his life's choices that let him to this point. Even his pointy drow ears seemed to droop a little at that, which caused his partner to snort. „You know I'm just messing with you, don't act all cute and depressed now.“ He tried to feign hurt surprise at those words, but with only moderate success. „No more distractions, Brian. Are you ready? I'll take off the blindfold now.“ As they said that they stepped behind him and removed the piece of silky cloth covering his eyes. Brian blinked. A huge mirror had been positioned in the middle of the room, facing towards him, reflecting himself and thus also showing him his 'surprise'. He found himself to be wearing a smooth, black robe that fit snugly and had obviously been tailored exclusively for him. The fabric looked expensive and durable, and the front had been embroidered with a large white spider. He ran a hand over the seams, admiring the handiwork and looking at himself from different angles, marveling at his own refelection. „You like it then, I reckon? I mean, you better, I spent a lot of work on it.“ He turned around to face his partner, his betrothed, the love of his life, and tried to come up with a response that could possibly convey all the feelings he had in this very moment. He failed miserably. „I- You- I mean- …..I don't even know what to say.“ He looked at them sheepishly and they laughed again, saying „Well, that's a first“ and he didn't know what to do with all of his emotions at this point so he just closed the distance between them again and kissed them, trying to express himself this way. It took them a lot longer to break up this time, and when they did, they were both out of breath and panting slightly. „Wow. You sure seem to like it a lot. If I had known it would get you this excited I would have given it to you sooner“, they teased. „But I have to admit, Brian, it looks even better on you than I imagined.“ At that he shook his head and when they looked at him quizzically he shrugged and said „I'm afraid Brian doesn't exist anymore. I mean, just look at this.“ He made a gesture emcompassing all of himself. „This needs a much better name. A name of greatness, So don't call me Brian anymore. For from now on, I shall be.....The Black Spider.“ He posed pompously, waggling his eyebrows in a comical way, sending his partner into another fit of laughter. When they started to calm down a little again, he continued: „I must immediately let everyone know about this fantastic development, dear. They simply have to know.“ They looked up at him with a red face, bent over slightly and holding their stomach. „Don't- Don't you fucking dare“, they gasped between fits of giggles.But he just grinned and ran out of the door and down the corridor connecting their appartment to the rest of the base. It took them a moment to actually process what was happening, but he was soon pursued by his soon-to-be spouse as he ran through the Bureau of Balance's headquarters, yelling at everyone he met to refer to him as Black Spider from now on. He'd watch the confusion on their faces as he ran past, which would turn into even greater confusion whenever his chaser rounded the corner after him. Even the director inside her bureau noticed the commotion going on outside and just sighed, but decided against scolding them. Happy employees were good employees, after all. She glanced at the file of the last job she wanted to assign Brian before his marriage, the importance of which he would surely appreciate, but then decided that it could wait for another day. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A few hours later - Brian had long since been caught and both had returned to their shared appartment – they were lazing about on the bed together, Brian playing with his partner's hair while they read a book. The two of them were perfectly happy, enjoying some comfortable silence, when he suddenly had a thought. „I'm sorry, I completely forgot. I haven't thanked you yet for your gift.“ They stopped reading and slowly sat up, looking at him expectantly, so he continued. „It's absolutely stunningly beautiful and I love it. Almost as much as I love you.“ „Why so cheesy Brian? Did it make you that emotional? Or are you trying to seduce my with flattery? Cause it is working“ They smiled and lightly guided him to lie on his back, sitting over him, with one of their legs on either side of him. „It's Black Spider, actually“, he corrected but they frowned and stopped unbuttoning his robe. „Not if you want to get laid, it's not.“ He seemed to ponder this for a moment, so they made a motion to get off of him again, but he held onto them by their waist. „No, don't leave, I'll stop, I promise.“ He said laughing and then paused for a second. „Talking of promises: Remember how you said you'd get me out of my clothes again this evening for another surprise?“ They nodded and undid another button, as if to stress that they did remember that very clearly.„I was thinking...maybe I could leave it on instead?“ „Wait, what?? You want to wear this during sex? Are you serious??“ „No“ he said, „not just during sex, Darling. All the time. I'm not taking this off ever again.“ He started laughing when he saw their expression, which was an interesting mixture of incredulity, annoyance and amusement. „I just love it so much, I want to die in this robe.“ He beamed at them, making them laugh as well. „Please don't. If you wore it until your death it probably wouldn't get cleaned for more than a hundred years. And I don't wanna be married to a smelly dude. Off with it. Now!“, they ordered. „As you wish, my love“, he sighed.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Intersection of Politics and the Oakland Raiders: Case Against Kaepernick

This isn’t an article I wanted to write.  Politics and sports are both topics that make rational people do and say irrational things to complete strangers solely on the basis of affiliation. Many people turn to sports to take a break from national and international affairs. But, the truth of the matter is, they  go hand in hand. Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier, Jesse Owens running all over the Nazis in Berlin during the 1936 Olympics, and the raised fists in the 1968 Olympics. Not to mention, Team USA defeating the Soviet Union in the 1980 in Lake Placid, and Raiders icon Al Davis.

AROUND COVER32

The Latest: Steelers expecting troubled WR, Martavis Bryant, to return soon

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What’s Trending: How much money did Jay Cutler leave on the table after leaving FOX

Fantasy Focus: Five rookie sleepers to target for the 2017 fantasy football season

Game Preview: Answering the top five questions of Friday’s Raiders vs Cardinals’ game

For better or worse, Raiders legend Al Davis was a renegade NFL owner. The only way was his way and if you didn’t like it, then move out of his way. Al broke many barriers in the pro football world. Tom Flores was the first Hispanic starting quarterback in the NFL; he also became the first minority head coach to win a Super Bowl. Art Shell became the first African-American head coach in the modern NFL. Fritz Pollard has the honors as the first African-American head coach back in 1921 when he was a player/coach for the Akron Pros. Amy Trask was the first woman CEO of an NFL team.

It’s this track record and Al’s history of swimming against the flow of all the other owners that have some people believe that he would have signed Kaepernick. I am one of those people, but not for those same reasons.

If Al Davis was still alive, Kaepernick would probably wear the Silver and Black now. During his final years, Al wasn’t a very good GM in his later years and was especially horrible at finding talent to lead the Raiders under center.

If not for Rich Gannon, the Raiders quarterback list read like a who’s who of one hit wonders, draft busts, and  mediocrity between the duo of Marc Wilson/Jim Plunkett and Carr. Jay Schroeder, Todd Marinovich, Vince Evans, Steve Beuerlein, Jeff Hostetler, Billy Joe Hobert, Jeff George, Donald Hollas, Kerry Collins, Aaron Brooks, Andrew Walter, Marques Tuiasosopo, Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper, JaMarcus Russell (groan!), Bruce Gradkowski, Charlie Frye, J.P. Losman, Kyle Boller, Jason Campbell, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and Terrelle Pryor (Al’s final pick). Under those failed Raiders, the team finished in the top HALF in passing offense four times. Kaep would have fit right in.

Stats never lie! Yet, they can be used to deceive. The big argument these days is whether or not Kaepernick was a good quarterback or a bad one. And it’s split about 65/35 bad to good. Let’s tackle those numbers real quick. 16-4 touchdowns to interceptions is pretty good, great even. Only four possessed a 4-1 ratio or better. Yes, Derek Carr was one of them in case you were wondering. Granted, a 90.7 rating is very good. Those are the only two numbers that the “good QB�� camp point to. The rest of his stats fall from mediocre to bad. First, off let’s throw out the win/loss record altogether because that is a TEAM stat.

Kaepernick was neither responsible for the 49ers 3 straight NFC championship appearances nor Super Bowl appearance nor is he responsible for their 7-25 record over the past 2 years. What he is responsible for is his own stat line and how well the passing offense is. In the 4 years that he was the team’s primary quarterback his passing offense ranked 32nd in 2016, 30th in 2014, 30th in 2013, and 23rd in 2012.

His style also has a negative effect on his individual stats. It wasn’t too long ago that every NFL team wanted a dual threat quarterback. Most wanted that guy that could hurt you with his arm but also could kill you by running 60 yards down the field leaving linebackers and  in their dust. Hell, everyone used to play as the Falcons in Madden just so they could embarrass the other team with Michael Vick because you couldn’t catch him. The drawback of injury loomed large. So the football world came back to its collective senses and came back to the prototypical pocket passer.  Newton, Wilson,Taylor, Kaepernick, Griffin,  Mariota and Manziel represent the tail end of that era.

Manziel is out of the league, Kaepernick and RGIII still remain unsigned free agents. Newton, Wilson, and Taylor, all had more than 70 rush attempts and were the only QB’s to run for more than that number (Kaep had 69 in 12 games). In a pass dominant league, you need to be able to move the ball downfield through the air. That is where Kaepernick’s limitations glare the most. Last year, he ranked 34th in the league in passing yards per game. In other words, 30th out of 30 of Qualified QBs (minimum of 14 attempts per team’s games played) with meager 187 yards per game.

As bad as that sounds, that’s actually HIGHER than his career average. In 2015, he was 34th out of 34 qualified QBs with 179 yards per game average. That’s two yards more than his career average. The year before, he stood 25th out of 33 qualified passers, with 211 yards per game, a career high average. In 2013 he was 32nd out of 37 qualified quarterbacks with 200 yards. He did not qualify in 2012 when Alex Smith went down with an injury, that year he had a 139 yard per game average. His completion percentage is equally as bad, with a 59.8 percent rate. In 2016 he  ranked 26th of 30. Two years ago,  ranked 30th of 34. In 2014, Kaepernick sat 24th out of 33. In 2013 he was ranked 31st out of 37. Surely he does have great individual game performances.

Who can forget his 412 yard game against Green Bay? But how often does he really have a great game of 300+ yards? 6 times. 6 games in 58 games started. In comparison, Blaine Gabbert has 3 in 29. Brian Hoyer has 9 in 31. Not exactly QBs that jump out at you as above average QBs. For every great game, there have to be bad games. Let’s put that number at 140 yards or less. Colin has 10 of those types of games in which he started. Hoyer has 4, Gabbert has 12.

According to multiple reports, NFL viewership dropped by 8%, of that 8% that didn’t watch only 3% cited that they weren’t watching directly because of the protests by Colin Kaepernick and others. That number comes out to roughly around 30,000 people per game. Hardly a significant number, and in fact about the same number of people that say they are boycotting the Raiders, Rams, and Chargers if Kaepernick doesn’t get signed to a team. If the outrage is about equal in the number of people boycotting the teams based on the signing of Colin, then it’s not about “Boy, stay in your place” as Richard Sherman states.

In fact, if anyone doesn’t “stay in their place” it’s Richard Sherman. If there’s a more outspoken and vociferous player than Richard Sherman, please let me know, I’ll wait. Plenty of players stood with, so to speak, with and still stand with Colin Kaepernick and his message. Most of them enjoy employment.

Bruce Irvin stood by his message and very few people took issue with it once he started getting sacks. If your play exceeds your implied “distraction,” no one cares because you’re helping lead the team to victories. Winning cures all. Once you start losing, everyone will find a reason why, even if they make it up. I do believe Colin will find a team. However, it’ll have to be a team that’s willing to adapt to his limited skill set.

  The post Intersection of Politics and the Oakland Raiders: Case Against Kaepernick appeared first on Cover32.

[allthemxses]

The Day - [Faniction]

Summary:  Oneshot. It was THAT day. Brian regretted instantly stumbling across something utterly horrifying. He didn't want to comprehend it... Friendship!Stewie/Brian, torn apart. Please read and review! :) (bad at summaries)

Rated: T

Fandom: Family Guy

--

A test.

That’s all he had needed.

Something to prove it— That he couldn’t have carried it out the task of getting rid of his mother just yet. With vast access to advanced technology created by himself, he had run a dream simulator when he had been an infant, and the doubletask of murdering and world domination didn’t go well for him.

He had to wait—

A thing he could do if the end results would pay off.

The waiting ceased when he was about 6 years old— this very day.

Of course, she wouldn’t expect a damned thing, just had the knowledge that he had always been a bit quirky growing up by her side.

It would hurt—

No.

Tear up his best friend’s heart, the dog of the family, Brian, since the dog had always loved her— lusted after her. Of course, still respecting her marriage and all.

But the matricide had to be done.

It was a simple enough afternoon for the Griffin household. The birds were chirping outside, singing happily unknowing of the darkness later in the day. The sun was beaming, shining through some windows of the house, specifically into the living room. It also drifted slightly onto the TV, but mostly onto the sole occupant of the room, Brian.

He let out a deep sigh, as the movie played out before him on the TV. “This is even worse than the supposedly subtextual romance on the X-Files.”

CUTAWAY

There was a knock on the door of Scully’s apartment. She was still in her dress clothes from work. She went and opened the door, to see a fancily dressed Mulder who grinned at her.

“Scully.”

“Mulder?”

He cleared his throat, while he tried to cover his obvious boner. “Would you like to go on a non-date to a non-restaurant?”

She sighed. “No-yes.”

ENDCUTAWAY

It had been a boring day so far; it was barely anything to really do. Lois was busy doing some housework, while his friend, the 6 year old, was probably up in his room inventing another device of some sorts. …So he thought.

The dog had absolutely no idea that Lois was in danger—

If he had known, he’d probably try to intervene.

Stewie had told him he was going to hold off his plans to kill Lois, or taking over the world, years, years ago. Only a year ago did the sociopathic child say that he wasn’t going to carry out the task of murdering of his mother in front of Brian.

The event and confession felt out of place almost, but Brian seemed to accept it to a degree.

Afterall, the child didn’t seem as violent as he had been when he was smaller, younger.

… Maybe he was being blind to that— He and Stewie had been friends for such a long time. The dog tended to brush off more and more of the child’s homicidal incidents— pegging it as pretty normal at some point.

… Okay, maybe entirely blind.

He continued to watch the TV, eventually deciding to flip the channel away from another crotch shot that was being shown— the movie’s poor shot at humor.

The TV’s noises didn’t quite reach upstairs. But Stewie stood up at the top of the stairs, hearing the distant noises drifting upwards. He had already doublechecked— his father and the older siblings weren’t going to be back for awhile yet.

Right.

Also, his best friend- Brian- hadn’t been able to get out of the house for today… Damn it. It seems almost rare that the family seemed to go on their separate ways like this— leaving most of the house deserted.

Oh…

How he hated that the pet of the family stayed today. Why?

He and Peter had always gotten along— why couldn’t have the Fat Man taken his dog along with him for the stupid antics?

A heavy sigh exited from the 6 year old’s mouth.

Stewie took a few steps down, peering towards the white furred animal, seeing that his attention was pretty much set on the television before him.

Perfect enough— The diabolical youngster thought. He made a movement to continue casually downstairs, but that’s when the animal moved to get up. Widening his eyes, he quickly hid his weapon when he saw Brian start to approach the stairs.

Oh, fuck—

He soon started to wave towards his friend with a smile. “Hey, Bri.”

Brian looked towards him non-suspiciously. “Hey.”

“Uhmm… You wanna go to the park later? Maybe hang out for a bit?” He offered.

The dog shrugged. “Sure, why not. There’s nothing to do, maybe some fresh air will be good for me.”

“Alright, cool, Bri.”

Brian rubbed back of his head. ‘’Hey, you alright? You seem… a bit out of it the last couple of days, kid.”

Stewie shrugged, shaking his head a little. “No idea what you mean— I’ve been doing pretty okay.”

A ‘hm’ from the dog. “Well, alright. I’ll come get you in a couple of hours then.” He then left, carefully continue to walk.

He’s getting old. The youngster noticed letting his eyes follow the other. He’d have to do something about it one of these days. Easy enough. Bit of a challenge, nothing more.

With that in mind, he pulled out his weapon, ready to continue his mission. He hmm’ed, furrowing his brows. “At least that went better than what happened in between Rosanne and her sister one time.”

….. He waited.

And a bit more. He finally scowled. “Aw come on, cutaways are part of this damned show.” A roll of the eyes. “Doesn’t matter if the writer isn’t a too big of a fan of them, and think they somehow detract away from the main plot….” That last statement had been muttered underneath his breath, effectively adding more to the fourth wall being shattered.

Soon enough, he found himself at the bottom of the stairs. With an apprehensive look up the stairs, he then focused his sight on the kitchen. It’d have to do.

The usual pitter-patter of his feet was silenced by the carpet and then it soon went off noisily as he entered into the kitchen. It was the usual sort of set up throughout the room, of course. He hmm’ed, narrowing his eyes, thinking of how to get his mother in here. There were so many options—

He could knock off one of those water glasses on the counter—

Or perhaps even turn on the stove by ‘accident’ and start a minor fire—

Start crying because he tried to reach for something—

Moan for some food, even.

Moaning for food seemed reasonable enough. With a ‘hm’, he went and opened up the kitchen door, letting the slightly cool Fall air within the home.

“MOM!” He yelled in a whiny voice.

A crack of the back, and Lois popped her up from working on cleaning up some leaves. The orange haired woman let her vision fall onto her son’s form. “Yes, honey?”

“I’m huuuuuuuungry. Can you make something?” He had accounted that she had been working for quite long time, so a break was a sure thing.

She almost seemed relieved at that thought— Her body hadn’t been the same way as it was a few years ago. She was pushing 50, afterall, just like her husband. She studied him briefly— Thank God that he wasn’t as simple minded as her husband, that’d only contribute more to the Peter-Chris problem. It was interesting also to note he had inherited some orange hair mixed with brown—a nice subtle combination.

“Sure, mommy’s coming.” She said with a gentle smile.

An evil smirk passed over his face, as she turned her back to grab some things to put them away. She had done enough work for one day— So she figured she’d do some work inside instead.

Stewie quickly dodged inside, spotting a chair and set it up right next to the kitchen door. Lois would end up tripping over it, and that’s when he’d strike. A quick toss of his eyes out of the window told him that she was very near finishing up with her cleaning up— prompting him to get out his dangerous weapon, ready to aim. As long as Brian stayed upstairs—

Everything would go just fine.

He’d have to quickly get rid of the body though. There was a cemetery a few blocks down from this house. He’d throw her into one of the unprepared holes— enabling a perfect getaway. He already had prepared a good enough story for Brian…. Hopefully it worked.

A creak of the door sounded off, and he instantly prepared himself, mentally calculating where his aim should be on her body when she fell.

“Ste—“ Her voice being cut off as she fell over the chair, landing hard on the ground, not quite where she should have been. Nevertheless, the six year old took the shot. Not having to worry about the sound, since he had prepared the kitchen with mostly soundproof walls before this afternoon.

Most of all, he had made sure Joe was off somewhere this afternoon, too.

“OW!” She loudly yelled, now trying to get up, but that thought was soon abandoned as soon as she felt pain in her abdomen, rendering her to keep on the floor and quick as possible clutching her stomach.

“Damn!” Stewie cursed, just now realizing the chair had been off a couple of degrees. “Oh bloody hell, it just had to be per—!”

“S-Stewie? What the— W-Why do you have that gun, honey?” Lois said with fear in her voice, stammering somewhat due to the blood loss so far, the red pool seeming to be stable at the moment beneath her.

Stewie just grinned, as he stomped over with his anger quickly dissipating with seeing his mother in such a vulnerable state. He promptly shoved the gun right into her cheek.

“Well, Lois, I—“

“WHAT THE HELL?” A shocked voice rang through the atmosphere.

All the confidence and the grin disappeared from Stewie, and his eyes widened. His blood went absolutely cold.

B-Brian… No…

The child turned to look at his friend, who had a taken-back expression. “O-Oh my God… This is like… Like.. walking into some bad porno with—“ “B-Brian, I…” How could the homicidal boy even begin to explain about this? “It’s… not what it looks like…” He said awkwardly, effectively cutting away the opportunity for a cutaway.

Brian went immediately over to Lois, and Stewie backed up at least for now, hiding his weapon. He needed to finish her afterall.

Stewie wouldn’t allow guilt to spring up— No. This was a goal he had been determined to stick to for all these years.

Tears sprung up in the dog’s eyes upon seeing her in such a weakened state. “L-Lois… I…I knew he—But..” A sigh. “We’re getting you to a hospital as soon as possible, alright?” His voice sounded broken, but he tried to keep strong for her.

Lois coughed, a bit blood coming up. ‘’I-I.. Didn’t expect it.. How could he…?” Her question left off in a trail, as she gripped her pet’s arms.

Brian sent a glare over to him. “He’s… It’s a long story.” He finally told her after a few moments. Another sigh. He couldn’t let her die here. He reached for the phone nearby, but—

A cock of a gun went off.

“Brian. Don’t do it.” The British voice told him, coldly.

Brian shook slightly. This whole situation was generally fucked up to the core— And he could have tried to prevent it entirely. Only if… he had paid more attention to his fri— No, family me— Not that either. How he could think of anything positive?

“Stewie—“ He started off desperately, looking over to him, which Stewie had the gun pointed right at him. That hurt. “Really? Acting like a fucking psychopath— Again—“

“Brian.” His voice much calmer now, it was a forced coldness. “I-I’ve waited for this… For so long. To be able to kill—“

“YOU ALMOST KILLED LOIS! A friend! A love of mine…!” Brian felt a tear escape from his eye, as he clenched his fists. He started to scan the room for anything— anything— to use against the other. Knives. Knives in the drawer.

“I’VE WANTED TO DO THIS.” Stewie let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s… no use getting through you. Not right now.”

Right after that last bit, he finally lifted his head to see the dog rushing towards the drawer, which he immediately caught onto. Without warning, he shot the dog immediately—

And Brian went down.

Stewie cringed, hating that he had to do that— to a friend nevertheless. He watched as blood started to leak from the dog’s foot and as the dog fell down yelling in pain.

At least his attention was drawn away from the knives.

The child had to turn away, not wanting to see the pain of Brian. His eyes immediately flickered over to Lois, who had been trying to drag herself away from the scene altogether. He had to give her credit— she was nearly halfway across the kitchen floor, leaving a smeary trail of blood.

The sociopathic boy set on catching up with her, shoving the gun yet again into her face with a mean scowl and sadistic grin to match.

“Lois… You die here. Right now.”

She tried to protest, but it was no use—

Everything went silent after the final shot went off within the room. Beian didn’t dare move. It was as if he was afraid that Stewie might turn the gun towards him.

But no.

His love was bleeding all over the place. Within a few seconds, he limped over and held onto her. “L-Lois… She’s… Dead.” He whispered a bit harshly. He gritted his teeth. This wouldn’t have happened if—

He turned to glare over at Stewie. “What the HELL? I thought you swore off killing Lois?”

Stewie drew out a long sigh, before tearing away his eyes from the most proudest accomplishment of his yet. “I’ve… Lied.’’ He rubbed the back of his head. ‘’God, how do I even explain this…?”

“…I’m waiting, you bastard.”

Stewie deeply frowned, thrusting his arms out in front of him. “I don’t know how to! I’ve always just had this urge…”

Brian said quickly, “You could have ignored it.”

“I couldn’t!”

“You could have, Stewie! You’re nothing but a cold hearted murderer. You knew damn well how I felt towards her!” He shouted, fists clenched at his sides. “Yes! I knew, imbecile!” He growled. “That’s…” He hesitated a little bit on his words, but decided to quickly deliver them. “..Why I wanted you to know none of this had happened. Assume that Lois had been killed by a mere known criminal or something.” He said a bit guiltly.

“So go behind my back. Nice one.”

The boy pointed fiercely at him. “You know damned well it was a far better option than—“ He motioned a hand around the scene. “THIS.”

“….Your point?” The dog growled, this time. Though it seemed like he accepted the point Stewie had made.

“…You’re not going to forgive me for this, are you?” Stewie said nonchalantly.

“Fucking no, never.”

“Figured.” A pause. “Fair enough.”

With that, a sort of silence fell over the two, as they soon let their vision wander over towards Lois’s body, which would no doubt start to stink up the place. Stewie’s vision had lingered on her corpse, but Brian had to turn away before he could break down. Suddenly, the silence was torn in half.

“…I need to get rid of it as soon as possible.’’ The dark statement spilling away from the 6 year old’s mouth. Then his eyes fell onto Brian. “I need some help.”

“Piss off.” Was the instantaneous response from the dog, who was trying to tend to his injury.

‘’… Ugh. Come here—“ He said, going over and grabbing the First Aid Kit and starting to tend to his friend’s foot.

In a fit, Brian tried to yank away his leg. “No, fuck off.”

“Hell.. I didn’t want to do this.”

“Oh, really?’’ He quipped, bitterness still obviously in his voice.

“Yes— I really didn’t. You were going to call 9-1-1. That could have caused trouble. I had to stop you from doing so.” He explained, now starting to wrap up the foot in clean bandage.

“Shots to the stomach aren’t fatal.” He spat.

An angered sigh. “I know. But they can be.” Stewie retorted. He continued before the dog could retaliate with another jab. “Besides, won’t you want Lois put in a decent place? With dignity? Besides, 6 year olds can’t be put into jail… Besides, we’re…. well, used to be? I don’t know. Friends.”

Brian scowled, then huffed. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, they did have a lot of good times. “I do. Fine. I-I’ll do it.”

“Good.” The youngster said, before going over to the counter and fishing something out from behind. A body bag. Brian’s heart could have bursted at the sight of it, and he quickly looked away.

“You put her in.” He choked.

“Was planning to.” He said in an almost sing-sing voice. “I know you wouldn’t want to help.”

The animal’s stomach lurched at how joyful the child’s voice seemed, as he silently waited. He squeezed his eyes shut as if in physical pain when he heard the zipper finally, signaling that Stewie was done. A heavy sigh exited from his mouth, when he shakily stood, testing his foot.

Lois… When we go to wherever we’re going… That will be my final goodbye. “Are you done torturing me for the day?”

“Quit it.” Stewie quickly replied, as he helped Brian over to the body bag. “Careful.” He continued to instruct as he let the dog grab one end.

Stewie looked at the pet concerned, before turning his head back forward to lead the way. They were both silent towards the way to the graveyard— quietly maneuvering in behind houses and in alleyways as to not to alert anyone. They had to be somewhat quick too, and that was difficult.

When they arrived, the dog instantly demanded that he’d make sure she was buried correctly.

“….Are you sure?” The boy’s voice questioned.

‘’Yes. She meant a lot to me, so it’s a damned good reason.” Brian bit back at him.

Stewie’s heart finally got pulled, and his stomach lurched same as Brian’s did when he had seen his love dying. This was the thing he had been absolutely dreading—

Brian’s disapproval. His disappointment.

He had planned to tell the dog at some point after the deed— but not too soon. He hadn’t wanted to lose their friendship, and it seemed like now he would right back when Brian had seen Stewie had finished off his mother.

He was jolted out of his dark thoughts as Brian announced that he was done. He didn’t look at Stewie the same way as before, when meeting his eyes. Instead, he just brushed past the boy and went back home, which Stewie quickly followed him.

“A-Are we still….” He looked away, unable to finish his sentence, as he kept up with the animal.

“I—“ Brian bit at his tongue. “Right now? You’re asking this?” He asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Stewie fidgeted. “I… need to know. I mean…”

“I know.” Brian quickly supplied quietly, unable to continue for now.

He stayed silent the entire way back home, but as he opened up the kitchen door, he let the boy in first. He finally spoke up after keeping silent for what seemed like a decade. “…I… Don’t know. This… pretty major.” He couldn’t even form proper sentences, upon seeing the blood smeared on the floor.

“Jackass.” Brian decided to say. He added on, “…Do you want me to clean up your sickening mess, too?” He narrowed his eyes towards the other.

Stewie seemed to shrink at the look he was getting from the dog. “ Uhm…” He shifted his eyes back and forth. “No, I’m good.”

Brian grunted, as he brushed past, getting out of the kitchen as fast as possible. Stewie stared for several minutes after the dog had left the room. He snapped out of it when the blood smell became too strong. It was a…. Mixed sort of feeling day.

Both a good one—

And a sad one.

He had been able to clean it up extremely well, making sure absolutely no sort of clue was on the floor of the events that had occurred earlier.

Not even hours later, did the three missing Griffins come back home. Peter instantly went to watch TV with Chris, while Meg wanted to cry up in her room for some reason. It wasn’t an entire half hour later that Peter’s mind was finally putting the pieces together. He casted a suspicious glance around—

“Hey, where’s Lois? She’s supposed to get me a beer by now.” Chris shrugged. “I’unno. Maybe she’s ice skating or something?”

Peter hmm’ed, then took a look outside. “Huh… impossible. It’s… Uh…”

Brian let out a deep sigh, as he was with them on the couch, looking downright depressed. “You’re almost there, Peter…”

Chris waited for his dad’s conclusion, blinking towards his father. “What, dad?”

Peter shifted his eyes back and forth, obviously thinking hard as he could. He eyed a leaf falling to the ground outside. “It’s…. something…”

“Something?” The blond haired boy said dumbly.

“OH! It’s Fall!” Peter said smiling, proud of his conclusion. “She can’t do it in Fall, I think.”

“Oh.”

Another a moment went by. “Yeah, where did she go?” Peter asked, before turning his vision turned to the TV, which Stewie was standing in front of now, tears in his eyes—faked for effect. He turned and shakily shut off the electronic device.

Peter was about to retort angrily to the action, but immediately fell silent when he heard the words:

Mommy’s dead.

Stewie went off into a heartfelt, believable story about how Lois was taken off somewhere after being murdered. At some point, the sole daughter came downstairs, looking horrified as rest of them. The boy discretely eyed the dog the family— Brian had kept silent. Brian could have easily interrupted if he had wanted to.

A spark ignited within Stewie.

Perhaps their friendship wasn’t dead as he thought it was.

Maybe….

It was worth to think it.