#jack-no home to return to and torched all relationships

[vampirefvggot]

yea yea i get it

[romanshomeonwattpad]

Black Swan | Colin Bridgerton

pairings — colin bridgerton/reader | brigderton au! |

“ _ _ “ = Y/ N

masterlist | next chapter

sypnosis — penolope is your sister, and your favorite one at that. she always sent you letters about the boy she fell in love with, and couldn’t wait for you to meet him. it brought warmth in your heart to know she cared so much for someone. so you return from abroad to visit your sister and meet a gentleman that catches your eye, but apparently, you weren’t the only one. and that’s when all hell breaks loose….realizing that was your sister’s night and shining armor.

warnings — future smut, angst, family betrayal, i love pen pen, choking, oral, finger bang pew pew, rough sex, possessive Colin

word count : 2.2k

authors note — i apologize in advance

© elliotsblunt 2024. do not repost, modify, or translate.

Your father had been a personal entertainer for Queen Charlotte until the same year you had been born. To put it into simple terms, he was a ballet dancer. The highest ranked of them, the leader if you will. People traveled harsh waves of vast oceans, uneven cracked dirt roads, and days of ridiculously long carriage rides just to see him perform in person. Louis XVIII— The King of England who took place of the late Marie Antoinette— offered the Queen of England 200,000 pound sterlings for your father to work for him. And although that was an extreme amount of money, the Queen flourished in her own and rejected the offer.

He loved working for the Queen. He spoke of her as direct, yet compassionate. Your mother, Portia Featherington, fell out of love with your father and decided to marry for riches instead. Jack Featherington had owned over ten different homes and was a successful mine owner. Karma struck when for her when she found out a few years into the marriage that it was a farce, but she had no one to run back to—since your father had passed already.

You’d think he would satisfy your mother with his relationship to the Queen…but no.

Irony aside—he passed away the same month your mother had given birth to you. And since that day, she couldn’t even stand the look of you. Your dark straight hair curved behind your ear, contrasting with your older sister’s fiery tight curls. You stood out completely. It was scandalous, since you didn’t share the same father as any of them.

You couldn’t stand them.

“Sister!“

Stepping out the carriage, torch lights glittered before your eyes as your shortest sister skips over to you. Except Pen. You could never hate her. You truly missed her dearly— reminiscing both of you eating cookies after dinner behind your mother’s back, taking the horses for secret rides late at night. A smile twitched onto your face as she meets up to your waist, surprising you with a hug.

A deep plum colored dress tightened at her waist, black shimmery gloves adorned on her pale arms. Her beautiful curls were flipped to the side, giving her a more mature look. She had blossomed beautifully.

Pen smelled like jasmine. “It’s been so long!” She cries out, looking up at you with wide blue eyes. They were the only thing you two had in common.

You grabbed her hands and held them tightly.

“My Pen Pen. How much I’ve missed you I cannot explain in words.”

“How was Hungary?” She questioned, interlocking your arm with hers. Your feet slowly carried you as stares burned into your figure already. Penelope takes notice quietly, nudging you with her shoulder . “Everyone’s staring at you. I mean, you look beautiful.”

Your cheeks burned at her words, but kept a blank expression, dodging eyes everywhere as you hastened your slow pace and approached the inside of the castle.

“And you look even more beautiful, Pen Pen.” You sent her closed lipped smile, momentarily squeezing her hand as she returned it. Voices chattering filled your ears as the both of you make your way down the staircase, gulping as you accidentally make eye contact with multiple men.

Men…or suitors?

“Mama was wondering where you were. She thought you weren’t going to show,” your sister and you take the final step off the swirling staircase, your fingertips brushing against the rails.

“—I offered to come out front and find your carriage.”

“I bet you’re going to absolutely pester me with questions,” you sigh, sending her a knowing smirk. It only took a gulp and a guilty expression to sweep over her features before blushing deeply.

“Well…perhaps you could tell me what Spain was—“

Before Pen could finish, a brunette haired girl with bright eyes and a dim smile approached her. Her hand gently rested on her shoulder as she shot you a confused brow, “Pen I’ve been looking for you—Who is this? I’ve never see you before.”

You tilt your head, “I’m Penelope’s sister. I just moved back here.”

“Oh,” her eyes flickered, biting her lower lip in slight curiosity. “Where did you move from?”

“Spain. She personally danced for the Queen,” Pen chimes in, clearly a proud sister as her brunette friend gasps in shock. “But since things with Spain are beginning to get rocky, she came back.”

“Can I tell her my name Pen or do would you like to cover that for me as well?” You joked, causing the tiny girl to blush in embarrassment. You reached in and pinched her cheeks, causing her to giggle as you turned towards her friend. “I’m _ _ by the way. And you are?”

“Eloise Bridgerton,” her smile slightly grows, her expression visibly relaxing.

You realized she was really pretty. Brown curls pinned behind her ears with bejeweled pins, her dark eye makeup brought out her fair complexion. A shimmery white dress that made her look like a princess hugged around her figure, lace gloves pinching her fingertips. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Eloise.”

Although you hadn’t seen her in years, Pen had grew bored of you within an hour and ran off with her friend to gossip about feminism and fictional stories. You didn’t really want to say hello to your family, currently hiding from your mother—as you stood in the sidelines and watched partners dance amongst one another like birds soaring in the sky.

And then suddenly, all the electricity turns off. You hear gasps tear through the air. Your glove covered hand landed on your chest as you squinted your eyes to attempt to see in the dark. It was no use though, you couldn’t even see your own hand waving in your face.

“My people, my loyal servants. This is the black out hour. You have twenty seconds to find a dance partner, without judging physical appearance, and if you’re unsuccessful in this….” She giggles, more like cackles, and it made goosebumps crawl against your skin. “—don’t hesitate to show yourself out. Good luck.”

A curse passed your lips. What the hell was happening?

This was kinda stupid. But food did seem to be running out, and it was already a little late. You weren’t going to show up at all, but thinking about how sad Penelope wouldn’t been absolutely gutted you. On top of that, you had already came all the way here back in London to meet this boyfriend of hers. Well, you didn’t know if he liked her back but she was absolutely adored him.

You sighed. Where was she anyway?

You shouldn’t have shown up. But if Pen found out you weren’t initially going to come, it was absolutely destroy her. You wondered if she knew about this. And that’s when you realized, you only have a few more seconds before the lights turned back on. Feeling slightly panicked, you took a messy step forward, tripping on your gown that caught beneath your heel. The world beneath you slipped, reaching out for anything to aid you.

A sturdy wrist. You grabbed onto it.

As if he had known you were about to hit the ground, a man’s arm wrapped around the small of your back. Chest pressed up against his, both arms wrapped around your figure—a deep inhale sounded above you. Hit breath fanned your features as your fingertips pressed against this mystery man’s chest.

And then, the lights turned on.

Your stomach did kick flips back and forth. Stormy blue eyes, almost grey, staring fierily down at you. They were set on yours, a warm firework exploding in your abdomen as your faces were only inches apart. You heard the thank gods and laughter fill the room, smiling nervously up at the man whose arms you were in.

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry,” you swallow, scrambling out from his arms and brushing down your baby blue dress. Your cheeks burned as he stared at you, but you didn’t meet his gaze, nodding your head instead towards him. “Thanks for urm, catching me—but if you’ll excuse—“

He chuckled whilst sending you a dark brow.

“That really isn’t a proper way to thank me, now is it?”

His words didn’t shock you. He seemed very confident in himself, which blended in with his ego. But the more he spoke, the more he sounded stuck up. “And that apology was incredibly poor. At least look me in the eyes Miss…..?”

Your eyes lifted from the floor, narrowing slightly.

“Rockwell.”

His eyes glinted. It made your heart vibrate, and burn like coals were afire within. The way your last name rolled of his tongue almost made your legs shake. You noticed a ton of eyes piercing through the two of you, from both men and women. Chatter began to spark as he cleared his throat and grabbed your hand. “Well, it’s lovely to meet you. My names Bridgerton. Colin Bridgerton.”

You almost gasped as his soft lips pecked your knuckle, holding eye contact with you.

“And your first name?” He muttered huskily against your flesh.

Your throat grew dry, widening your eyes before snatching your hand back to your side. “You’ll start rumors. I’ve only just arrived,” you snapped, holding your hand up to your chest.

“From where?” He questioned, holding a serious expression quickly once again.

You blinked, confused as to why he even cared. “Spain. I danced for the queen there. My uh, father used to be a dancer for Queen Charlotte actually.”

His eyes widened a bit, a small smirk growing onto his puffy smooth pink lips. “That’s sounds extraordinary. I’ve been to Spain once—and I must say, the most beautiful thing there isn’t the scenery,” he spoke whilst his eyes swept up and down your body, tilting his head to the side as his gaze meets yours once again. It felt like ever since one of your limbs were on fire. “Care to dance with me then, Miss Rockwell?”

He held his hand out for you. And the violinist kicked up the tempo, pianist following his lead. You smirked, deciding to have some fun, challenging his motives. It was obvious what he wanted. He couldn’t keep his eyes off your figure, but god when those brutal, hazy orbs of those meet yours. It felt like a storm was brewing within you.

“Try to keep up with me,” you teased as you gave in, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip as soon as your glove clad hand slid into his large, manly ones. You thought you heard him growl as his other hand once again slid around your back, pulling you against him. His eyes lit down at you, “I’ve traveled the world, sweetheart. I picked up a few moves along the way.”

You gasped aloud as he spun you out of nowhere, then pulled you back close into his chest. He smelled like spices and cologne. And then he slowly released you, as you noticed the dance floor was cleared.

Everyone had been watching you.

You twirled, your dress flaring like a flower during its blossoming. Everyone gasped at the beautiful sight, Colin walking over to the other side to catch you in the end. You ended up back in his arms, a small smile cracking into your lips, your eyes never leaving one another’s. It appeared he had been in awe, the both of you continuing to dance as the others watched. Whispering to one another.

“So you weren’t making a jest,” you rose a brow, causing him to chuckle before shaking his head.

“May I ask you something?”

He nods, furrowing his own. “I suppose.”

“Has there been a time where you didn’t want to return from traveling?”

It made him pause, but his feet still carried him as the two of you continued to dance. You genuinely wanted to know his answer.

“My family resides here, as well as my best friend. I don’t think I could ever fathom a life without them in i—“

“_ _?”

You both paused, looking to the source of the soft call of your name. And when your eyes laid upon Penelope, whose eyes were watery and wide, a look of clear mortification edging onto her features. “Out of all of them…it had to be him?”

Him?

Did she mean….

Colin was her crush.

Oh no.

Shit shit shit.

“Pen—do you know her?” He asked, growing confused as you pull away from him and reach for her. She took a step back, sending him a tight lipped smile.

“She’s my sister. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

“Pen!”

You felt a hand wrap around you wrist, locking you in place. Your head whips to look at a set of dazzling puppy eyes. He looked gorgeous, a pale blue vest wrapped tightly around his slim waist. His muscles bulged through his black coat, his red cheeks contrasting against his fair skin. “What has happened?”

Your hand flies to where you both connected. Biting your bottom lip, his eyes burn with something you’ve never recognized before.

“I’ll bite that for you if you don’t return to me.”

His forwardness appalled you. It should have pushed you away, but it slightly made you excited. But you couldn’t possibly let him know that. He belonged to Penelope. Whatever this was, was over. No matter what, you would always put Pen first. And you weren’t going to change that for some man you had just met.

Tearing his grip off, you sent him a firm look. “This is the last time you’ll ever speak to me. Goodnight, Mr. Bridgerton.”

And with that, you ran off to find your sister.

[painandignite]

medieval/fantasy!dsmp au

here’s my take on what the dream smp would look like if there was magic and took place in an older setting. my knowledge in medieval stuff is very minimal, but i’m trying my best.

- there’s a kingdom called the Dreamlands, which has many towns surrounding the main castle’s city. it’s a joint leadership between george and eret, with bad as their advisors, and sapnap and dream as personal knights. dream also takes on an advisor-like decision with george, and often george will confide with dream before talking to bad. a relationship built on unbreakable trust.

- wilbur is a leading general of their troops mainly as a strategist rather than a fighter. he often keeps the morale of fellow knights by singing tunes or taking time to know each person. however, after the last battle of the Pillager War, he’s no longer able to lead; he’s a shell of himself. more on the war later.

- tommy and tubbo are two knights-in-training. chaos buddies. you know the drill. though tubbo is in the guard, he’s thinking of becoming a craftsman apprentice. he wants to learn how to build things, and maybe create new inventions. but, he stays in-training to stay close to his best friend.

- karl is the main historian/records keeper of the castle. attending meetings and revising the notes bad takes to make into proper logs is his job. sometimes, he disappears for a while, and returns shaken. whenever karl comes back, he spends the next few days writing page after page of stories that no one can truly understand. karl insists they’re important, but can’t give a clear reason as to why. (the first day karl comes back, sapnap always brings him some food or warm drinks, and keeps him company. usually, sapnap ends up napping on a bench in the library.)

- ranboo is a new archivist at the castle since karl was looking for an apprentice. he tries his best, really, but sometimes there are blank pages that appear in records that ranboo doesn’t remember leaving empty. (tubbo makes time to go over ranboo’s work since tubbo knows a surprising amount of what goes on in the castle.)

- antfrost is their medic, who takes care of a herb garden for medicinal needs. it’s by a cottage behind the castle, where he spends most of his time with velvet. -w-

- philza is a sorcerer who prefers to watch things from the sidelines. he resides in his own private wing in the castle, where he experiments with different potion remedies and spells. after the war, he halted a lot of the projects he’s worked on to focus on memory restoration. for wilbur.

- you see, the dreamlands were at war with pillagers who raided towns on the border of their kingdom, slowly working their way to the heart of the land. george and eret sent knights to stop their approach, however the pillagers were powerful enough to eventually reach the castle’s surrounding city, L’manberg. wilbur asked to lead the remaining knights to defeat the oncoming pillagers, and created a plan to use illusionary magic to hide where their troops position. miraculously, their efforts to trick the pillagers worked, and the dreamlands were victorious. 

- having won the battle, wilbur led their knights back to the castle with the city’s flag in hand. but a pillager had their enchanted crossbow ready to fire at wilbur, and arrow pierced through his chest. he falls to his knees, gasping as the sudden numbness from the injury. 

- wilbur was quickly carried to the castle, with phil meeting them halfway there. they make it to phil’s work area, and he desperately tries to give him herbal remedies to the poison, when wilbur starts coughing blood, he uses healing magic to try to alleviate the pain. it doesn’t work. phil removes the arrow with shaky hands to try to stop the poison from spreading more. 

- (it’s too late)

- he dies on the table. 

- phil refuses to let him go. he uses a spell he learned about from a wandering trader on resurrecting people. however, there has to be a trade in exchange for granting the life. when wilbur awakes, he’s a ghost with hazy. he can’t leave the castle either because his body died in the castle, so his soul is chained to it. now, he wanders the halls, and many have gotten used to his presence.

- ok enough about ghostbur.

- PONK IS A CHEF AND HE IS THE BEST PASTRY CHEF OF ALL THINGS LEMON. he really wants george to let him plant more lemon trees, but they said no (even though he said please. ponk didn’t like the answer because the royal gardener has so much land to do as he pleases).

- techno. royal gardener. go figure. did i mention he helped write half of the books on potion-making that are in the library? no? well, no one really knows either, except for phil, since he was the main author of most of them.

- fundy is in-charge of the coffers. because foxes like shiny things? (i kind of based it off his originsmp character where he had a den of stolen stuff). when he’s not busy, he’ll keep track of where ghostbur goes from a distance.

- sam is the replacement general for wilbur. dream recommended him for the position because 1. he respects his ability to stay objective and 2. they trained together as knights, so dream knows his capabilities. he sets up rigorous training schedules for trainees, the hard work pays off.

- hannah and purpled are two knights who are basically sam’s assistants, dealing with the finer details of their army like weapon stocks and armor quality. they’re also extremely competitive with each other, and sam thinks it’s fun to watch them try to carry the most shields across the training grounds.

- callahan is a spy for the kingdom, and sends a few reports a month on how areas beyond the kingdom are doing. who’s to say he also includes town gossip about one of the kings and his green-eyed advisor.

- also, to be clear, eret and george aren’t married, they’re more like brothers 

- skeppy is a blacksmith, and utilizes magic to create many of his weapons. during peaceful times, skeppy makes a lot of cooking ware for ponk and cauldrons that are exported for sale. he also specializes in making baking trays.

- quackity is a tavern-owner, and drags george, dream, and sapnap from the castle to spend a night drinking together. a gateway to a commoner life. karl makes sure they make it back by morning, though no one in the castle minds that they’re gone. 

- niki is the stable master. if nascar racers rode horses, niki would be at that level. she’ll always beat you in a race even with the slowest horse. in addition to taking care of the animals, she keeps track of what medical supplies they have. she’ll have tea with philza and they talk about whatever comes to mind. sometimes, they talk about old memories of wilbur.

- jack manifold is a known explorer in the kingdom, roaming the realms beyond the dreamland. legend says he’s lived and died three times over, and he’s three times as lucky as any other man. jack specializes in fire magic, which is helpful for torches or campfires or lava.

- puffy is a captain on the sea, seeking the “Hermit’s Cove”. the dreamlands is not her home.

- schlatt is a sorcerer that can only create wine from any liquid and give people lung cancer. he’s usually too drunk out of his mind to actually cause damage. george doesn’t know why he’s in the castle, but hasn’t tried to get rid of him because...lung cancer...yea. quackity usually keeps him in check whenever he visits the castle, or drags him to stay at the tavern for a few nights. absolute nuisance.

i can probably write in a role for the other smp members, but that’s all for now.

[nade2308]

Can you do #9, Helpless for the Drabble Challenge? Mac and Jack or MacDalton, your choice.

Hey, hey, I finally managed to write this. Hope you’ll like it. Posted under the cut, because this one is the longest one, yet

The drive back to Mac's place was a blur. Jack focused on the road and tried not to think of what they were told or the treatment that might have reversed all of their hard work on making Mac's hands heal and be okay. 

In reality, Jack was scared because Mac's hands were an important part of who he was at work, and knowing Mac if something happened to his hands, he would find a way to convince himself that it was the only way he could do things. The only thing he was good for. Jack tried hard to stop that train of thought, but the fact was, he had some dark thoughts on his own. 

It was a little over two weeks after the NOLA mission and Mac's check up for the burns on his hands. The doctor told them that they were infected and after Jack was shooed out of the room and they did something to the burns to clean them, Mac got out of the examination room with an unreadable expression. 

He told Jack to get them home and Jack complied. He didn't have the heart to ask Mac about what transpired and what was the verdict on the infection. Not after he heard his partner screaming as his burns were cleaned. He desperately wished to be there for Mac, hold him close and whisper reassurances. But he wasn't allowed. 

Once at the house, Jack opened the door and Mac was the first one in. A moment later Jack heard the door to Mac's room - their room now - open and close with a slam. 

Jack looked at the clock. It was only noon. It looked like it was going to be a long day. 

…

Mac knew that he was acting like a sullen teenager when he slammed the bedroom door closed, but this day was too much already and he needed to be alone. He wasn't fair to his partner who was nothing but a supporting pillar, keeping up with all the moods Mac had ever since what transpired at the crematorium. He fed Mac, he helped with showers and baths, kept a steady stream of chatter when Mac wasn't feeling very talkative. He changed the bandages to his hands like a clockwork. Jack did everything in his power to make sure Mac was taken care of and looked after. 

The change of their relationship status from friends to boyfriends didn't change anything. They discovered that they did a lot of the things with the same drive and fervor, so it wasn't really a thing to get anxious about. That went out of the window when Mac decided kissing Jack was a good idea, and slamming him against the door of their hotel room was an even better one. And then Jack returned the kiss. They didn't look back to things from then on. 

After they came back to LA and Jack spent more time at Mac's, it was natural to ask Jack to move in with him. They lived in each other's pockets for years before Mac admitted his feelings, so it wasn't a rushed decision. Mac had to admit that waking up next to Jack in bed had interrupted quite a few of his morning runs. He loved the feeling of having his partner next to him in this capacity. The unbidden love Jack had for him, showing every day in every gesture. In the little pecks on Mac's cheek or neck, a touch on his hand and arm to ground him; the arm around his waist and pulling Mac to his side. Laughing at something Mac said and burying his head in Mac's neck. 

In light of recent events, Mac wasn't sure he was worth it all that. He was being snappy and by all means Jack should have said “enough” and left him. But Jack was still there. 

Mac wasn't sure how to approach his boyfriend and tell him about what happened at the doctor's office, when there was a soft knock on the door. It was a testament to how Jack was feeling about things that he didn't just get inside the room. Jack was the one that always said “family don't knock”, but was always cautious. 

While Mac was being busy planning what to say to him, it looked like Jack took Mac's silence as a no to get in, so he whispered how lunch was ready if Mac wanted to eat. 

Mac wanted to cry. Jack shouldn't have to do that. Helping Mac with mundane tasks was enough, but with eating and drinking… 

It was bad enough that the burns stopped him from doing all normal tasks. Now he added to Jack and the way Jack felt around him.

Doing a great job there, Angus, the voice in his head sounding suspiciously like his dad said. 

Footsteps echoed away from the door and Mac felt a pang of regret for not responding sooner to Jack. 

It was a trouble to open the door with both his hands wrapped in bandages, but Mac managed somehow.

He had to face Jack sooner or later. They had to talk. 

…

Jack was at a loss of what he could do, so he headed to the kitchen. If he was cooking lunch at least he wasn't going to be thinking about their predicament. But the fact was, Mac was hurting, he got hurt trying to save - and saving - him in the process. Jack still remembered the scent of burned flesh permeating his nostrils. It always made him feel sick, but now more than ever. It was Mac, his boyfriend, the love of his life, his everything that got hurt because of him, and Jack found that to be a hard pill to swallow. 

Jack smiled as he remembered that night in the Panama City hotel. After the lead in Guadalajara led to a trip to Karakas, ultimately making them circle back to Panama, they were left high and dry. What was once a promising lead it turned into their possible informant standing them up and Mac was pissed. 

Jack was trying to decide if it was best to leave Mac alone, give him space, when his partner turned around and kissed Jack, slamming him in the door of their room. His butt hit the door handle and Jack hissed in pain, but Mac swallowed it with his fervent kiss. Jack found himself responding and then it was frantic search for release, pleasure and being close to each other. 

Waking up in the morning was awkward, at least for Jack. He didn't want to ruin the feeling of peacefulness and satisfaction, but he had to know. 

Jack should have known that Mac'd be an explosive lover, given his propensity of making Jack's mind explode. 

Their talk was quiet and over breakfast they ordered from the hotel. Jack found himself asking where they were standing now, and Mac told him that he was hoping for something more. That the feelings were present for a lot longer than Mac even acknowledged them for. And Jack admitted he held a torch for his best friend for years. 

After that, they became a couple and despite them going from friends to lovers, nothing really changed. They were still Mac and Jack. 

Jack loved waking up to blond strands of hair under his chin, sometimes ending up in his mouth or tickling his nose. It was the small moments with Mac he loved the most. They just existed. 

Jack finished cooking the chili and put it on a rack to cool, while he took out plates and silverware. He busied himself getting the pitcher from the fridge with the chili lemonade his grandma taught him to make when he was little, and wondered for the first time if things would have been easier if he never said a thing about his feelings. 

It was a given for Jack to ruin things for himself by opening his mouth and admitting to things. If he just didn't tell Mac he loved him, that he was in love with, and dashed Mac's hopes for more, it would have been simpler. That and other lies he was telling himself to make himself feel better. 

Jack wiped a stray tear and went to fetch Mac. As predicted, Mac kept his silence and Jack gave up after several minutes of no answer from the other side. He knew Mac would surface at some point of the day. And as always Jack planned to be there. 

He ate the food mechanically, not tasting it. It was easier said than done to distract himself, think of something else. But nothing could help him, or stop Jack from thinking about Mac trying to put out the fire that caught his jacket. Nothing could stop Jack from thinking that just as so many times before, he was a hindrance to Mac, that he got Mac hurt in the process, for something that Jack was the only one at fault. Little Ray wanted to see him suffer, and it was a testament just how the work at the Agency sucked that Jack got dragged back into the mess of one of his former aliases. And now Mac was paying the price. 

Jack learned afterward that Mac crashed a car in the main pipeline to stop the fire that was going to consume the coffin he was buried in. On top of being thrown out of a window. And being worried about Jack so much that he pulled him out of the fire, literally.

And Jack fist bumping him was the worst that he could do to Mac's burn. Jack hadn't worn a ring ever since. It was too much to hear the pained scream when the metal touched the burns.

Just as Jack was eating the last from his plate, Mac joined him. He didn't say a word, just plopped in the chair and looked at the pot like it personally offended him. 

Jack didn't know how to proceed, but then he set with his routine as always. He placed the cloth napkin over Mac's lap, and one over his neck. Then put chili on the plate. 

It all went downhill from there. Jack's hands started shaking and after the third time he dropped food in Mac's lap, Jack could tell Mac was getting worked up. 

“Jack, stop.” 

The soft voice was far worse than Mac yelling at him. Jack stopped and then he went to gather his plate and took it to the sink. More like the floor since he dropped it. Jack was staring at his shaking hands and didn't know what to do. 

He tried to remove the broken pieces, but cut his finger on the edge of one so after snarling at no one in particular he dropped it and then placed his hands in his lap. 

“Jack? Are you okay?” 

“I'm fine.” 

“That's usually my line.” 

Jack mustered up a smile, but didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say, anyway.

“I'm sorry. I really am. But with my hands like this, I can't help but feel helpless.” 

That got Jack's attention and he looked up. 

“You are not helpless, Mac.” 

“Yes, I am. Look at me.” 

“Mac…” 

"Look at me, Jack! Look at me!" 

"I am looking at you. I am looking at you, even when you think I'm not. You are the most wonderful person I know, and you have no idea how lucky I am to call you my boyfriend, my ANYTHING! How lucky I am that you let me love you. I am looking at you, and I see someone that never gives up."

Mac looked at him with such a surprise that Jack wanted to hunt down everyone and everything that decided to hurt this wonderful boy. 

“If anything, I should be the one who-” Jack bit his lip. He shouldn't say it. Mac should never know. 

“Should be the one that, what, Jack?” 

“You should have left me when you had a chance. I'm too dangerous for you.” 

“Jack, that's not-” 

“I went and fucked things up and… and you paid the price. And no amount of me taking care of you is gonna solve that.” 

“Do you honestly believe that?” 

“I…” 

Mac carefully got up from the chair and kneeled in front of Jack. 

“Hey, what are you doing, you are going to cut yourself-” 

Mac kissed him and Jack shut up for a second before he returned the kiss. It was the first real one after everything, that wasn't frantic and needy and to make sure they were both around. Jack didn't like to admit it out loud, but this mission shook him for more than just Mac being burned. 

“I am the one that started things and hell would freeze over before I kicked you out or left you, Jack. I love you. If anyone is chasing someone away it should be you after all you've been through with me.” 

“I would never.” 

“I know.” 

“It's not something I can stop doing just snapping my fingers, dude. You are it for me. And even if that wasn't the case, you know I'd stay. Always. That's a promise I will try my best to keep.” 

“So you aren't mad?” 

“Of course not. I have my moments, too, it'd be hypocritical if I got mad over slammed doors and moody boyfriends, now.” 

“Jack, I'm serious.” 

“So am I. I know it's hard for you to ask for help, even if you need it, Mac. But remember, I am offering you my help unconditionally. I don't pity you, but I feel for you. It hurts me to see you hurting yourself like this.” 

“Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. You always say that to me.” 

“It's not. You are a strong person, Mac. You don't need to prove yourself to me.” 

“The doc said that the infection was spreading and if we… if we can't control it, I may have permanent damage to my hands. If… if it doesn't spread in my bloodstream and kill me first.” 

Jack felt like his world was turned upside down. It was possibly the reason why Mac was feeling like this and acting like it was the end of the world. But they were fighters. And they weren't going to give up. 

Still, a part of Jack thought if it wasn't for him… 

“Not your fault, Jack. I know what you are thinking. Knowing me, I could have burned myself easily in another way. Our job is dangerous.” 

“That it is. I'm so sorry, darlin'. Anything I could do?” 

“Hold me?” 

Jack complied and he ended up holding a highly distressed Mac over pieces of broken porcelain, trying to hold on on the last thread of sanity he possessed. He didn't want to act like he was thinking of the worst, always, but what Mac told him, it rattled him more than he would have liked to admit. It was cruel and unfair, but Jack wasn't going to give up. 

“We are going to be okay, Mac. We are going to deal with this. I'm here.” 

Jack knew he couldn't promise that it was going to be alright. But he'd do his damndest to try and make it happen. 

…

Mac was warmly wrapped in Jack's embrace and blankets as they lay in bed. They decided to turn in early, the day was too much for them. But neither was asleep. Jack was lost in his thoughts, Mac could tell. And Mac was busy listening to Jack's heartbeat and breathing. 

“You know that whatever happens, you got me for life, right?” Jack spoke softly, as if he was trying to whisper. 

Mac shuffled a bit and raised himself to see Jack. And he believed Jack. 

“Yeah. I do.” 

“Good. Because the next time I hear you are saying you are helpless, or even think about it, I'm finding a way to shut you up.” 

Mac could feel his eyebrows going up in surprise and what it implied and then Jack laughed and flushed.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, you idiot. I meant with a kiss. Or maybe more kisses.” 

Mac laughed and let himself be pulled back in Jack's embrace. 

“Seriously, though. You got me, Mac. Forever.” 

“Forever. You too, Jack. I'll never leave you.” 

“You better not. Or I'll come and find you. And smother you in kisses to show you how much I love you.” 

“I love you too, Jack.”

Things were far from over. But they had each other. And if Mac learned something throughout the years was that everything was more bearable with Jack in his life. 

With that thought, Mac let sleep pull him under. 

[multimetaverse]

Jamie Johnson 5x08 Review

Tonight was one of the best, if not the best, Jamie Johnson eps so far. Dillon faced some of his toughest obstacles yet in his coming out journey and we got some sweet Delliot moments. Let’s dig in!

This British kids soccer show continues to make history. We saw some very nuanced and mature discussions between Dillon and Elliot about being gay and coming out; how often on tv do two gay kids actually discuss their sexualities?  Elliot gave Dillon some great advice and perhaps more importantly told Dillon that he was in fact brave and a winner on and off the pitch

You’d have to be daft to deny that Dillon and Elliot have crushes on each other after this ep. Seeing both Dillon and Elliot trying their best to look nice before meeting up with each other was cute and their handhold at the pitch was very sweet. Lots of soft smiles and longing glances and we even got a hug before Elliot left

Laquarn has confirmed that he’s not in any more S5 eps and doesn’t know if he’s back for the yet to be filmed S6. I can only hope he’ll come back. It would be a waste of great chemistry and an engaging character if Elliot was just meant to help Dillon with his sexuality before passing the torch to Ruby. He clearly left the door open for a future reunion when he told Dillon to call him when he was ready. Patrick confirmed in an interview today that he’ll be back for S6 and presumably Dillon will be playing for Foxborough or some other pro team. Being in a relationship would certainly be a good spur for Dillon to come out more publicly. And Elliot’s love of astronomy is a perfect set up for a date under the staahs

It’s true that the show has not really focused on ships in a big way; the most we’ve gotten was Boggy and Nancy and the low key Jack, Jamie, and Michelle triangle. But at the same time if Dillon can take Indira out and kiss Sienna then he should be able to date a boy he likes. It would be tragic if the closest Dillon gets to having a boyfriend or kissing a boy is Liam outing Dillon and claiming that Elliot was Dillon’s boyfriend and that he thought they were gonna kiss

And it’s a bit shady that Eric of all people is suddenly getting a female love interest out of nowhere. I just hope when the show eventually ends that it doesn’t turn out to be another Andi Mack where Cyrus was able to kiss a girl twice and go on dates with a girl and use the word girlfriend when none of that happened with a boy

Jamie Johnson really covered a lot tonight with Dillon. We had a very helpful run down of Dillon’s past with girls and the show carefully explains that Dillon never liked Sienna like that, he never wanted to kiss her, he never had a crush on anyone else like she thought, and he never liked Ruby as more than a friend (at least Duby shippers still have Alba and Liam for an Osborne-Simmonds ship). It wasn’t subtle but I think it was necessary to really drive home that Dillon is really gay and there’s no going back. And we got confirmation that Elliot was Dillon’s first crush, he’s obviously never beaten anyone up on this show and the way he phrases it makes clear that he’s never really thought about liking boys that way until very recently

And boy did this ep ever tackle homophobia. Graham Simmonds was seriously out of order this ep. He clearly didn’t want to believe Liam but Dillon using his aftershave already primed him to believe he was trying to impress someone, he just assumed it had been a girl. He really ran through the homophobe’s greatest hits collection: blaming Ruby’s gay parents, saying being gay was a choice, saying that being gay would end Dillon’s career, and disowning and kicking Dillon out for being gay. I suspect that quite a few of the parents watching JJ with their kids hold some of the same views or act the same way and this ep really holds up a mirror and reflects how ugly that kind of behaviour is. We also see Graham praising Dillon’s accomplishments and character right before Liam outs him which just exposes his hypocrisy even more. I do give the show credit for not shying away from Graham’s awfulness, it’s not going to be a quick change for him to suddenly accept Dillon and I’m excited to see his journey to atoning for his mistakes

Thankfully Mrs. Simmonds returned from her banishment to the shadow realm to tell Dillon she loved him and to tell him to return home. Shaun Duggan said he hoped this ep would be a lifeline for kids watching who may be living in homophobic homes (he also mentioned that CBBC rules don’t allow eps to allow on cliffhangers so he has to end an ep showing that the characters are at least physically okay)

It also challenges the audience, most of whom are probably young boys and men, as to whether they will suddenly stop liking Dillon just because he’s gay. It was a real gamble on the show’s part to have their fan favourite character and the effective second lead of the show come out as gay but it has the tremendous pay off of really making the audience question their assumptions and hopefully for some of them it will change their world views

Dillon and Elliot also discussed homophobia in sports. Dillon correctly notes that there aren’t any out players in the top professional teams. Shaun Duggan mentioned in a BBC interview that they like to bring on professional soccer players when they’re having the kids going through things but this time he wasn’t able to have anyone come on to help Dillon because there are no out players. So it falls to Jamie Johnson to basically create that reality themselves by telling Dillon’s story

Patrick Ward did a phenomenal job tonight and he really is the best of the kid actors. He’s mentioned in interviews that he did a lot of research by watching shows and movies with similar gay story lines. In particular his breakdown set to Behind Blue Eyes by the Who was very well done (and once again the show has great taste in music). And of course, Shaun Duggan did an amazing job writing this ep. He’s openly gay himself and that makes all the difference in bringing an authenticity and depth to this story line. On Andi Mack of the 5 textual gay eps only one, 3x11, was written by a gay man and not surprisingly that was the best written by far of those eps

We were 19 minutes into the ep before Jamie himself briefly showed up. And he was 5th in the credits tonight with Dillon and Elliot taking the number 1 and 2 spots. Actually this whole ep had a very small cast and only a few locations, it really helped focus this ep on Dillon. Having Dillon seek out Jamie is interesting in that they’ve been foils for each from the start. But also because it sends a message to have Jamie Johnson himself praise Dillon, it’s a way for the writers to speak directly to the audience through the title character

We’ll doubtless get some more development on Dillon’s story line in the rest of the season but they’ve done historic work so far. A lot of what we’ve seen so far: the depiction of homophobia, coming out to parents, and two gay kids discussing their sexualities has yet to happen anywhere on Disney. Hell this ep alone had more uses of the word gay than Disney has yet to have

I loved how extra the black and white boxing match cold open was. Not surprising that Dillon sees Mike as the supportive (and non homophobic) father figure he wishes Graham was

This was a big step backwards for Liam’s redemption arc tonight but at least at the end he didn’t seem to buying into his dad’s bullshit about them being the only men left in the house. Liam is by no means blameless but he’s also a victim of his dad’s emotional abuse and his pitting his sons against each other. That little meet up with Eric was interesting because they’re foils for each other in some ways and I’m curious to see what lies ahead for Liam and the U13 crew and for how Liam makes this up to Dillon

Looking Ahead:

Finally we get back to the real meat and potatoes of this show; online gaming! Looks like Mike is bored of gardening at the allotment and wants Jamie to get back into real soccer. We’ll see if Jamie makes into the online tournament

Again, not really sure why Eric suddenly needs Ayesha but we’re getting some Freddie anger over Eric choosing lasses over lads

Until next week Jamie Johnsoners

[writing-frenzy]

My Hero Academia AU: Aizawa’s Dark Adventure Fantasy Isekai

So... I kinda found out about Villain!Mic and rediscovered my love for ErasureMic, and my twisted brain decided you know what, let’s have fun with this. 

And thus, we get Aizawa’s Dark Adventure Fantasy Isekai, or ADAFI as it could be called.

Here is some set up; Aizawa grew up in a non-quirk world, became an Ethics/Maths teacher after he quit being a cop, and teaches self-defense for free every Sunday for those at YMCA or youth centers for those who really need but can’t afford it. His life was fine, even at times rather pleasant.

But Aizawa Shouta, no matter what world, will always be a hero. Maybe it was a class saved from a mad shooter, maybe it was stopping a bomb, could have even been a sacrifice he willingly did to ensure the survival of many others; either way, the teacher dies saving so many young lives, always a hero to the very end.

Aizawa just never expected to open his eyes once more, in an entirely different world at that.

A world of magic and wonders around where ever one would look.

A world where death was everywhere and terrors always took. 

(A world so strangely advanced in some ways (Eco power) and yet lacking in others)

A world Aizawa woke up to in a young body (much too young) and an ability that he couldn’t quiet understand.

To the de-aged man’s luck, he actually get’s picked up by some nice people, who teach him about the world of crazy magic he has found himself in, along with the sign language the group uses to communicate. After a while, the faux youth tries to teach the found family he has his language, (Maybe a longing to hear a piece of home once more) ending up very confused at how shocked everyone seems to be to speak, and just how grateful and pleased everyone of them take to his language like a duck to water. As long as he doesn’t get kicked out for making so many old people cry, he can live with all the touchy feely stuff.

But as Years go in this vein, as Shouta learns how to get by in this insane world where people have slaves, kill others in broad daylight, and will steal children if one strays too far. Shouta learns his ability is rather powerful, seeing as it neutralizes any ability/blessing/magic around it, except for Bloodline abilities, magics so entwined with their host/user that they can’t be separated. (It’s like a field of void around him, where magic in a way seems to actually die around him if keeps it up too long, though is weaker with his eyes closed.)  

He finds out about the difference between kings and conquers, regular men with higher powers, bloodlines, and loyalty behind them, and actual Royals of this world, beings with Magics connected to the very world’s soul, Immortals and Torch Bearers alike of the Red and Black Courts, who keep the world balanced and in place. (kinda think Fae here, but with humans with magical bullshit and instincts.) Aizawa just takes this information in because he is as caustious as ever, even as he wonders why the hell the symbols of the courts are playing card trumps. (Because I like symbolism :) )

Realizes his found family are in fact considered a cursed people by the very old gods, long dead (it was the courts :3 ) but their magic not, cursed to never speak, their language strike from their mouth’s and brains and books, and unable to learn any in this world, the loophole of nothing being spoken the only reason they can still communicate with their hands. Realizes that with this, their can be no link with one’s magic, because while physical magicians can easily craft spells and slice through curses with but a gesture, not all can do so. Because every discovery risks being lost because one can’t write it down ever, because written words were cursed from them, even symbols of their letters with hands can not be written.

(Now, Aizawa realizes, with a startling clarity, why they treasure his lessons; his language was one made in an entirely other world, crafted by man and man alone; this way, while their language may be forever lost, their traditions, dreams, thoughts, Magic and Culture will never be... And if Aizawa spends a year transcribing their Sign language into a book for translation, using a trick of drawling the hands himself just in case, helped by a few other determined and slightly teary eyed people... it’s his own business) 

Things could have gone on like this, been peaceful and all... (which is odd in a way, threats of conflicts between Black and Red Courts have been threatening for years, The Club’s Royalty unsteady as the only Black Court to steady both The Heart’s and The Diamond’s Royalty, only to suddenly quiet down, The Club’s Kuler (King + Ruler) suddenly being restored a few year’s back)

But then word tells of a Sorcerer coming out and about, trying to claim any territory that strikes their fancy, breaking love and loyalties all along the way with his flirtatious wit and cunning green eyes, words so sweet and easy until you hear that last deadly scream in the night. (People whisper and warn about Socercer’s Obsessions and crazed behavior that is not natural... To Aizawa, it honestly sounds a little bit like bad cases of mania and Obsessive compulsive disorder, but who is he to judge right in this world of magic and blood?)

Shouta wouldn’t really care all that much, right up until this Sound Socercer, one Present Voice (couldn’t figure out how to work in Mic, otherwise I would) tries to take over the only land his family has claim on (only place they can be safe).

Shouta takes offense to this; he shows why, after living here for a few decades (and yet still looking late twenties), why his clan’s lands have had no murders, genocides, or kidnapped/missing children in the last decade. (it wasn’t just him, his family were always there to help and support him all along the way) He takes this Sound Villian down hard, gives him a good warning and kicks him to the curb because for all this world has harden him, Aizawa Shout is not a killer or murderer and never will be if he doesn’t have to.

Though if he knew the Socercer would keep coming back... he may have broken his legs to ensure he wouldn’t be running around anytime soon.

(As for Yamada Hizashi, who feels the world is but a stage for his entertainment, can’t but want just an audience of one forever, if it means those dark eyes that can turn such a beautiful red will never leave his own.)

After notes:

 Yes, Aizawa is indeed the other Black Royal, the Spade Royal :) The aspect of death is part of his powers, hence magic dying around him; oddly enough, him coming into the world helped restore the sanity of the Club’s Royalty, as they no longer had to worry about dealing with their counterpart’s (Diamond) Magic, but the Heart Court’s powerful emotional one as well, restoring balance to the world once more just by existing. 

Hizashi will indeed become Aizawa’s Quyal (Queen +Royal), but that doesn’t mean they will be in a relationship at the time :) Quyal’s are second in commands to the Kuler, so they can be from bodyguad to head strategist.

Jaquer (Jack +  Conquer) is the third in Court ranks, again a very important role in many ways, especially for Torch Bearing Courts as they can be groom for succession. everyone below are either Knights, Pawns, or civilians (which is everyone outside the courts)

Aizawa is painfully oblivious to any romantic intentions towards himself; he very demi :3 Hizashi has a lot of work ahead of him to get his Kuler.

(No one, no one know who the Spade’s Royal Kuler is. Not even the Kuler themselves :3)   

The reason why their was no Spade Court for so long? That killing the Old God’s was a bit stressful for the soul, so the Spade Kuler, who with the aspect of death had to bear the brunt of it, of the time had to retreat to an entirely different world, devoid of magic to actually restore themselves, or their soul could have possibly shattered. Aizawa dying just returned to healed, if still weary soul back to where it came from.

And that is what I got for this. :) I like this.     

[nellie-elizabeth]

Supernatural: The Trap (15x09)

Whaaaat did I just watch though? That made me... so happy? In the sad way? You know. You get it.

Cons:

I understand that the actress playing Eileen can't be in all the rest of the episodes, but I'm still sad to see her leave. It reminds me of Mary leaving, after her resurrection - just a plotty excuse to get a certain actor out of the show for a while. I wish it wasn't necessary. Eileen had better be in several more episodes, and she had better f**king live. That's all I'm sayin'.

Jared and Jensen were clearly having fun playing vampires, which is good for them, but it was a little too cheesy for my taste. Especially when Vamp!Sam got shot and Vamp!Dean attacked Jody. That should have been actually moving - this idea that even as a monster, Dean would go berserk watching Sam die. But instead I was too distracted by Dean's silly monster attack face. It's a small thing, but still.

Pros:

So let's start with the Purgatory stuff. This whole subplot was really just an excuse for Dean to emotionally apologize to Cas, and you know what? I am not mad about it. Really, it's a simple quest - get in, find magic flower, get out, create weapon to trap Chuck. So instead of watching two people hunt monsters, grab a flower, and get the hell out of dodge, we focus on the emotional aspect of this relationship.

First off, I love that Dean and Cas have to go into Purgatory knowing that Chuck has Eileen and Sam. You can see how torn Dean is, how every instinct is telling him to run to his brother immediately. But Cas is done caving to whatever Dean wants. He's scared for Sam too, but he knows that the only way to defeat Chuck is to follow through on Michael's plan. Once they're there, Dean is continually pissy, and Cas just doesn't have time for it. He scoffs at Dean's suggestion that they split up, and then later, as they are following their captive Leviathan to the flower they need, we get the exchange that everyone is already talking about: "You left." "I left, but you didn't stop me." Like... excuse me? That's the most... that's just... how is that not two exes being angry and bitter and heartbroken with each other? It was so much!

And then they get separated, and Dean searches for him. When there's only thirty minutes left until the rift closes, he realizes that he might have to leave Cas behind in Purgatory. For the second time. I love everything that goes unspoken here, because I truly believe that Dean would stay in Purgatory, and miss his chance to go home, to keep looking for Cas. But he can't do that, because Chuck has Sam. The prayer was... it was a lot. I know some people were disappointed and wanted some big declaration of love, but my expectations have always been pretty low when it comes to Destiel content.

So... to see Dean pray to Cas, literally fall to his knees part way through that prayer, to see him apologize, to see him say "of course I forgive you" and "you're my best friend," to see him acknowledging his own anger and how he takes it out on Cas, and how that isn't fair... I was overwhelmed. And Jensen really didn't pull any punches with the emotional nature of his reaction. We've seen a lot of dramatic angst speeches from Dean over the years - it's one of the show's trademarks. This isn't even the first time we've seen one of these speeches that's mostly about Cas. But this one isn't the typical "single man tear" type. Dean is openly weeping, his voice cracking as he repeats "I hope you can hear me." He thinks he might be saying goodbye to Cas forever, and it's so fucking powerful.

And that hug! Cas waiting by the rift for the last possible second, Dean planning to do the same, and then - they're reunited, and Cas got what they came for in the first place! I loved the hug, I loved Cas telling Dean: "I heard your prayer." It's just so - intimate. Dean praying to Cas is intimate, and it always has been, and it kind of drives me bonkers that it even exists.

Benny being dead was an interesting choice... they got the actor to come back for at least one scene, so it's odd not to see him here. That said, I appreciated that the writers didn't forget about him. Of course Dean would ask. And we also see Cas offering his sympathies, which leads in to their snippy exchange.

Let's go ahead and turn to the main plot of the night... Chuck systematically breaking Sammy's heart and fortitude. I am eMOTIONAL right now. I love that Chuck uses Eileen to cut Sam, that is just so dark and twisted and awful, and I felt so bad for both of them. But this isn't enough to break Sam Winchester, of course.

So Chuck tries a different tack, showing Sam what will happen if Dean and Cas swoop in and save the day, and defeat Chuck. The grim reality of the future is this: without God in place to keep balance, the monsters will start to take over the world, and Sam and Dean will not be able to stem the tide. That's the big picture, and it's what Chuck eventually explains to Sam... but in the immediate reality of it, Sam can only focus on the fact that their allies will slowly die around them - Donna and the girls, leaving Jody bereft, Eileen, leaving Sam bereft... even Cas gets buried in the box because the Mark turned him dark-side. And that at the end of all of this, Sam wants to go out swinging, while Dean wants to give up. It ends with Sam and Dean becoming vampires, and Jody and Bobby coming along to take them out once and for all. That's the reality waiting at the end of the line, if Chuck is defeated.

I hate to talk more about Destiel (haha no I don't), but I just have to point out that Dean identifies the moment when he lost all hope as the moment when he had to bury Cas. That's true love, baby! And Sam's increasingly frantic energy was really tough to watch, especially when we know that in this imagined future, Sam and Eileen formed a real relationship, and then he lost her. We start off this whole future by seeing Sam, Eileen, Dean, and Cas all apparently living together in the bunker, researching for cases, having movie nights... and then Jody calls to tell them that Claire is dead, and that's what starts the nightmare spiral.

And it gets worse than that - if Chuck is defeated, this is the apparent outcome. If Chuck isn't defeated, we go back to the whole "Cain and Abel" thing, where Sam and Dean are destined to kill each other. Chuck informs Dean, after Dean and Cas show up to save the day, that these weren't Chuck's planned endings. They were other versions of Sam and Dean, other ways that their story ended over the many different versions of Earth that Chuck has created.

Well, that's grim. I really enjoyed tracking the idea of "hope" as it's presented in this episode. Sam refuses to let Chuck get to him for a really long time, but one of the reasons that he loses hope, ultimately, and doesn't trap Chuck, is because he sees this future where Dean loses hope. Where instead of going out like Butch and Sundance, you have Sam basically forcing Dean to continue hunting, by threatening to go into reckless fights by himself. Of course Dean would never let Sam do that, even though he's lost his heart for hunting because his husband is gone. But then in our current reality, we see that Sam has lost hope, but Dean has not. Even as Chuck says that the dark ending is inevitable, Dean says no. Not this Sam. Not this Dean.

It's so fascinating, because it was Dean earlier this season who said that he couldn't even tell what was real anymore, but now, with his relationship with Cas newly repaired, he seems to have hit his second wind. He'll hold the torch of optimism while Sam cannot.

Eileen and Sam finally kissed, and of course they had to make it bittersweet! She needs some time away, she can't stay when she's so uncertain about what's real anymore. Chuck has manipulated their relationship, bringing them back together in order to prove a point. And that sucks, and it feeds in to Sam and Dean's fears about their free will... but it doesn't mean that Eileen and Sam's feelings for each other aren't real. I have hopes that Eileen will grapple with that off screen, and come back to help kick some ass by the time the finale roles around. Also the kiss was really sweet and soft and I want Sam to be happy SO BAD.

One final note: Sam didn't crush the magic orb thingy that was supposed to trap Chuck, making Dean and Cas' harrowing trip to Purgatory pointless. I was worried that this would cause a rift between the brothers, but instead, when Sam says that he believes Chuck's vision of the future, and how bad things will get without him around, Dean just says: "that's good enough for me." I love the fact that they are on the same page, and that here going into the endgame, we can have a united front.

One final final note: It looks like Jack is making a return! Place your bets now - will Jack replace Chuck as God, restoring balance and allowing our heroes the chance to defeat our ultimate Big Bad? I gotta say, I don't hate that as an ending to the show!

9.5/10

[boobtubedude]

Reposting my original “Lost” series finale review

(Originally posted May 23, 2010, on Zap2It. RIP, Zap2It.)

So here’s the deal: this will not be a complete recap of the series finale of “Lost.” To try to make complete and coherent sense of what just dropped our way would be 1) impossible, and 2) be a disgrace to what just happened. Because what just happened isn’t something you instantly react to, but rather mull over during the course of a few days, weeks, months, or years. After all, that was the final episode. We have all the time in the world to think about its implications until we “move on.”

And yes, I use the phrase “move on” specifically due to the use of the phrase by Christian Shephard in the sideways universe, which we know now to be real only in the emotional sense of the world. All throughout the season, the producers of the show have assured us that what happens over there had stakes and meanings, and this is still completely true in the most basic of senses. Neither the pro-epilogue camp nor the pro-Island timeline had it exactly right, even though both camps had valid perspectives to bring to the table and pieces of the puzzle in hand. What “Lost” brought instead was a third perspective, one that nobody really saw and one that I bet made a core section of its audience completely and utterly insane with anger.

Looking at the finale from a perspective of mythology isn’t the best way to go about it. (I started to jot down “So who put the stone in the devil cave in the first place?” before slapping myself silly.) Looking at the finale from a perspective of plot probably isn’t the best ay, either. (Waaaaay too much time spent on getting Ajira 316 up and running again, especially considering the sideways resolution. And there are enough holes in the overall plot as a whole to dig a few dozen wells down towards the light inside all of us.) But looking at it from an emotional perspective, I thought the finale was a masterpiece.

In a sense, “The End” was a love letter from the show to itself and, hopefully, to the audience as well. But it didn’t pay off donkey wheels and Dharma Initiatives but the core characters of the show themselves. The sideways universe did offer a second chance, but not in the way that those that saw the sideways world as a chance to live their lives free from the Island. Instead, it offered each character a tremendous grace note, one felt both by the characters but also the audience at home. When these people “flashed” to their Island lives, they didn’t flash to epic moments in Island history: they flashed to empty jars of peanut butter and freshly picked flowers and all the small moments that make up a relationship.

If the show had to get one of three aforementioned elements right (character, mythology, plot), then it absolutely focused on the right one. As of this moment, writing in the immediate aftermath of what I just saw, I could care less about what happened to Kate and Company once they left the Island. The point of the show seems to be that what you do is less important than the meaning behind what you do. And moreover, if you live those lives in the correct manner, then the specifics are null and void. In the end, you arrive at the same destination. (In Richard’s case, you arrive there with newly graying hair, and the chance to actually buy the eyeliner you’ve long been accused of using.)

Now, let’s talk about that sideways destination itself. If put on the spot, here’s what I think we’re supposed to take away from it: As Island Protector, Hurley envisioned a way to give a gift back to those with whom he shared his time on the Island. Mother had her style, Jacob had his style, and Jack had his extremely interim style. But placing Hurley in ultimate charge of the Island? Brilliant, and not just because I predicted this last Fall and am happy I got at least SOMETHING right.

He’s the absolute perfect person to take the Island from what it was (something to be protected) into what it should be (something to be shared). In a show full of selfish people, Hurley is the epitome of unselfishness. Go back to the pilot episode: he’s distributing food on the first night (including a double dose for Claire, eating for two at the time). In “Everybody Hates Hugo,” he once again institutes a massive redistribution of foodstuffs. In both the Island timeline and sideways one, he uses wealth as a means to help others, giving away his cash rather than hang onto it. So having him established as the final Protector of the Island that we see (though, I imagine, not the final one by any means) worked for me.

What I imagine did not work for a LOT of you is the fact that we’ve spent one-half of the final season of the show watching events that would have been solved in “LA X” had Haley Joel Osment been on the flight. It’s a feeling that I have sensed coming for a while: the sideways world was doing such a damn good job of providing emotionally resonant moments that it eventually turned into an overwhelming attractive option for both the characters and the viewers. In fact, it turns out that the major players had absolutely no problem moving on once they made their emotional connections/breakthroughs, and instead willingly moved onto whatever lies on the other side of that white light.

As such, I look at the sideways world now as something created by Hurley (with Ben’s help) as a stopping ground for all major players in the “Lost” universe to meet at once, irrespective of when or how they died. As Christian says, there is no “now” over there. Time is just a relative construct created by people who are used to seeing events progress in a linear manner. What does Hurley ever want? For his friends to be happy! So what does he do? Well, he doesn’t build a golf course, he builds a space for them to somehow connect after shuffling off their mortal coil and all end up getting the moments of happiness that eluded them, making connections that had been previously missed, and getting forgiveness once thought impossible. They don’t have to be alive to have these things matter once achieved in the sideways universe, which is why I was behind the ultimate explanation 100%.

In the end, electromagnetism had nothing to do with the sideways world. There was no Faustian bargain between Eloise Hawking and The Man in Black. I’ve spent the second half of the season (ever since “Happily Ever After”) arguing that theory, and I’m delighted to be wrong. Why? It’s easier to buy “Hurley’s gift” as a reason as opposed to trying to throw Schroedinger’s cat as a reason for the sideways world. And that “gift” yielded scene after scene in the sideways world that reminded us all why we care so much about this show: its characters. I’m sure everyone had their particular favorites: for now, I’m putting Sawyer/Juliet in the pole position with Charlie/Claire as a surprising second. I’ll take scenes like this over lengthy exposition of the true nature of the glowing cave any day.

It’s obviously easy to say, “Well, the characters are happy, so we should be happy.” But clearly it’s not that simple. After all, these characters are fictional, constructs of the writing staff, whom I am sure went into hiding knowing that there would not only be questions but flaming torches/pitchforks aimed their way once this episode dropped. If we didn’t care about these characters, then there wouldn’t be such anger. Either you read interviews and now feel deceived, or you’re generally displeased that our characters are all dead. I’m not going to tut-tut you from that perspective, since it’s your perspective and you’re totally welcome to it.

To me, anything in the sideways world ended up being something of a bonus, both a meta-level and a narrative level. The show didn’t do the one thing I prayed it wouldn’t: negate the sacrifices and deaths on the Island timeline for some sort of reboot/do over in the sideways timeline. So, we got to see really interesting combinations and remixes of existing characters in unusual settings, with those settings driven by a combination of subconscious psychological desires and latent psychological holdups. (Kate sees herself as the innocent victim, rather than an actual killer, but is still on the run. Sawyer fashions himself a do-gooder, but is still unable to shake the memory of his parents. Jack invents a domestic life he never had, inserting a new body in his life in the form of a son to replace the father he could never find.)

On a character level, the sideways world allowed these characters the chance to let go in ways that they were unable to do in their actual lives. To fault the show for creating such a space when we have so often lamented the unfairness or abruptness of their deaths seems a bit hypocritical to me. For example, let’s take Sun/Jin. Many howled when they died, unable to believe two seasons apart boiled down to one episode; many others noted that it didn’t move them, due to the couple being alive in the sideways world. Turns out, the sideways world gave them another chance to “be together,” as the latter group suspected, but also honoring the sacrifice that tore up the former. I’d love to call this win/win, but I’m not sure I’d get many takers on this.

Let’s take another example: John Locke. Here’s a man that died a potentially pitiful death in “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham,” only to have his life honored and vindicated in the finale. Without inspiring Jack, the good doctor doesn’t return to the Island, and never becomes Protector, and never stops The Man in Black, and never passes off the torch to Hurley who in turn creates a special world in which Locke not only gets to have the relationship with Jack they never had on the Island, but also gets to forgive his murderer. I could give a flying fig about the other people on the outrigger if I get payoffs such as this instead.

And, as many of us suspected, the show closed on a familiar image, in a familiar place. Some might find fault with the heart of the Island being so near the place where the show started, but if The Island has taught us anything, it’s that looking and seeing are two different things. Charlie couldn’t “see” his guitar until he chose to give up his drugs. The cave is no different: Jack couldn’t see it until he was ready to see it. That’s the work he had to do all along. By bookending the series around a man opening up his eyes to the unknown and closing them as a man who learned what it meant to truly live, “Lost” encapsulated its’ primary thematic concern: what it means to live and learn through other people. They lived together, and none of them died alone. Not in the end. Perfect.

I’ve tried to thematically address the biggest issues/ideas of tonight’s episode. I realize I am short on specifics, but I also realize that there’s probably a huge need on your part to talk about this episode as quickly as possible. So I’m going to end things here, but know that this is just the beginning. Over at Zap2it’s Guide to Lost, we’re going to spend all week looking back at this episode, and by extension, the series itself. Next week, we’ll be continuing our look back at this ambitious, epic, emotional, imperfect, messy, glorious, unique show. I look forward to hearing your comments below, and I look forward to continuing the discussion with you further over on the blog throughout the week.

[faveficarchive]

Together

By Blue Dragon

Pairing: Mel/Janice

Rating: Mature

Synopsis: Mel and Janice are on another dig with friends, and come to terms with the shifting nature of their relationship.

Staring out at the sun setting low on the desert horizon, Doctor Janice Covington pulled a cigar from the inside pocket of her jacket. This was her favorite time of day. The locals hired on to be diggers had all gone home, except for those few trustworthy enough for sentry duty, that is. The rest of the staff was either taking a breather before dinner or preparing for tomorrow's labors.

Hopefully, they'll get better, Janice thought as she lit her cigar. The day's labors were nothing to write home about.

It was the time of day where Janice was free to stand outside her tent in the meager shade, relax with a cigar and survey her kingdom.

Not that its much of a kingdom, she told herself, letting the thick smoke play in the air as she exhaled. But it will suffice. At least for now. She thought about that for a moment or two. "No, this is all I want. All I can handle." She muttered aloud. Looking around to see if anyone was in hearing distance, Janice chuckled. "Wonder if Gabrielle talked to herself. Guess I'll never know."

Janice relaxed after ascertaining that no one would be privy to this little habit she shared with both her father and mother. Thinking aloud was apparently a genetic trait. At least in her family. At least that was what her father told her. How could she know?

Shaking her head to free her mind of what ifs surrounding her family, she settled on contemplating the more recent past. Three months recent in fact. She grimaced at the memory of Ares and his "cursed" tomb. It had taken this long for the team to regroup, move the dig about two miles to the south, and get settled in. Surprisingly, the cover story they devised had worked and the crew was able to continue with their work unsupervised for at least the last month. The first two months had the Greek officials out to the sites every other day to make sure no more accidents occurred.

The cover story was that Smythe had held Janice, Melinda and Jack hostage in the tomb while his bullies searched it. Unfortunately, they didn't find anything. Also unfortunately, when one of the thugs opened a previously sealed door to another cavern, Smythe himself went to investigate. Too bad that the cavern was filled with natural gas and Smythe was a smoker. Apparently his cigarette caused a massive explosion. Janice, Mel, and Jack were barely able to escape with their lives. It was only fair, they were in a different part of the tomb after all and couldn't see what was going on.

The Greek officials said nothing condemning towards them. It wasn't their fault. These things happen. It was a risk in Archeology. Everyone knew that. They did warn Janice to be more careful about trusting certain people and to make sure that the caverns were aired out properly in the future. She agreed with appropriate humility, and all was well. The head of Greece's Department of Archeology didn't like Smythe anyway. He was happy it was "all above board" as he called it.

Getting Jack to agree hurt. A lot. She ended up bribing him with two of the Joxer Scrolls as he called them. She wasn't too much worried. Knowing Jack, he'd have them translated, put in a box and they'd be the archeological find of the next century when his great grand kids finally clean out his attic. With her luck, they end up being the basis for a cheap movie or radio program. What was it Ares had said? Idiocy was a family trait? Nope, She thought, nothing to worry about there.

The locals that had helped set everything up for the explosion eagerly went along with the idea. In exchange for an extra two days off, one with pay, of course. Most of them were just happy to be rid of the curse that had haunted the dig site. None of them realized that Smythe was cause of the curse. Then again, they really didn't care.

Convincing the rest of the staff and the students working the dig was also not a problem. She simply told them what she told the Greek officials. The senior staff members were all on a holiday anyway, playing around in one of the nearby villages buying supplies, getting laid, relaxing, whatever. Janice really didn't care what they were doing at that time, just that they believed her story. They did. After all, being able to talk her way out of anything also ran in the family. She did, however, tell two of her most trusted friends on the staff, Julie Waitreford and Roger Grant, the truth. They didn't believe her. She hadn't expected them to really.

Melinda, on the other hand, had posed a problem until Janice had her recite the story aloud. Janice had laughed hearing Mel's version of events. She could still hear the Southerner's voice in her head:

"Well, Smythe and his bunch of bullies accosted us and dragged us into the tomb. We found the Scrolls after Smythe had disappeared, and then found half of this round killin' thing that had belonged to Xena. Smythe showed up with the other half and tried to kill me. Dr. Covington saved me and we went into this other part of the tomb where all the torches lit by themselves. Then I was possessed by Xena so she could fight Ares, the God of War. The next thing I know was Dr. Covington helpin' me to my feet and then blowin' up the tomb to keep Ares from escapin'."

It still made Janice smile. After hearing for herself just how incredible the story sounded, Melinda agreed that the lie was better. Although she still didn't agree with the concept of falsehoods.

The dinner bell rang at that moment, tearing Janice away from thoughts of the tall, dark and enigmatic Southerner. She took one last look at her little kingdom, extinguished her cigar, put it away to keep it safe for later and went to wash up for dinner.

***

Dinner in the common mess type tent was a self serve affair. It was set up in a buffet style line and the staff, whatever field workers stayed at the camp, and their families could help themselves to whatever the cooks had decided to make that day. The kitchen was only open for three meals, and only for an hour and a half for each meal. It was a strict policy that if you missed out, you were on your own. Long ago, on one of her father's digs, Janice had learned never to wait and try her luck. She didn't appreciate missing a meal.

Janice grabbed a tray and walked through the line mindlessly gathering food onto her plate. She, like certain ancestors before her, didn't care what it was, as long as it was edible. She had that one, of several, advantage over most of her colleagues. She had found very few types of food that disgusted her in her travels. Most of the time she barely even noticed what she was eating unless it was either very good, very bad, or squid. Squid and sushi fell into the very bad, do not touch, I-can't-believe-you- want-me-to-eat-that category. She made it a point to interview the cooks closely to ascertain their feelings of seafood. If they believed fish should be cooked and squid should be used only for bait, they were hired.

Dr. Paul Stafford, Julie, Melinda, and Roger were already sitting at the "Round Table" when she finished gathering enough food to satisfy her appetite. She walked over and sat her tray down as Melinda was engaging Stafford in a conversation on Southern cooking.

"Really, Dr. Stafford, you must try some of our cuisine. Why I'd give almost anything to taste some of old Melba's hush puppies, turnip greens, creamed corn, fried chicken, catfish, black eyed peas, corn bread and white gravy. You just haven't lived until you've had a plate full of good ole home cookin' Southern style." Melinda finished by looking at her plate as if by sheer will it would transform into the food she was just describing. The rest of the party seemed satisfied by the food in front of them, and showed no interest in turnip greens. Janice was actually wondering what on earth they could be.

"My dear Ms. Pappas, I've actually been to the South. Mississippi in fact. I had to go and stay in this town, they called it a city, but still...Biloxi, I believe. They wanted to find the original site of the founder's landing. I was only there for two days before going to New Orleans, but they had the best shrimp. Its right on the Gulf of Mexico, and some of the restaurants catch their seafood fresh daily before dinner. It was marvelous. I could live without the hush puppies, but everything else was great. Especially in New Orleans. Now, that's a town that knows cuisine." Paul smiled kindly in Melinda's direction before returning his attention to his tray.

As Julie began her dissertation on her favorite meal, Janice studied her companions as she ate. The five of them were the top rungs of the dig's hierarchy, and commanded a table the undergrads and grad students working the dig had nicknamed the "Round Table" in reference to the sharing that went on there. Janice was not a control freak. She asked questions of her teammates and expected questions to be asked of her. In her mind, it was a group effort. Her tiff with Melinda over the discovery of the Scrolls was due to her distrust of the Southerner, and her disgust with what she thought was a spoiled, rich, naive woman-child trying to live off of her father's accomplishments. Xena's appearance straightened that out, but Janice still was not comfortable around Mel, and had only talked with her when necessary. She had only recently begun to warm up to the Southerner. More than warm up to her, if she would admit that to herself, which she wouldn't.

Straight across from Janice sat Paul. Dr. Paul Stafford was with the university funding the dig. He had actually arrived the day after Melinda. His mission, which he had chosen to ignore, was to spy on Janice. He chose to ignore it for two reasons. They were old friends from their days as undergrads and he had kept in touch with her enough after school to know that she did not share her father's moral views on the value of antiquities. He was a nice enough guy, intelligent, funny, compactly built with blond hair and blue eyes that twinkled with mischief. Paul and Janice had gotten into a lot of trouble with pranks their senior year when the dreaded senioritis hit them both with a vengeance.

To her left sat Julie "Curly" Waitreford. She was nicknamed Curly in adolescence because of the unruly blonde curls that she insisted on wearing long. Julie was the camp's secretary and generally Janice's right hand. Her father had been one of Harry Covington's most trusted staffers, and her mother was the camp nurse. After Janice's own mother deserted them, Mama Waitreford took charge of a young Janice and her baby sister Amanda. Add to the mix of Julie, Janice and Amanda, Julie's younger brother Robert, who was the same age as Janice, the four of them raised hell on the digs. It was kind of fitting that the four paired off. Janice and Julie still worked together continuing their parents' work and Amanda and Robert were married just before Harry was killed in a cave-in.

"So Janice, what do you think?" Roger asked interrupting her train of thought. Roger had also been one of her father's closest friends and staffers. Both Roger and Niles Waitreford were the only ones who stayed with him until the end.

"I'm sorry Roger, I was thinking about something else. What do you want me to agree to?" Janice asked turning to face him.

"Poker. Just poker. It must have been some heavy thinking if you didn't hear the plans for your favorite weekend activity." He teased.

"Well, I'd have to say that poker isn't my favorite weekend activity," The group chuckled at Janice's innuendo, all except for Melinda who blushed faintly as was befitting a proper Southern woman. Janice cleared her throat after seeing that. "Yeah, sure, I'll play. Same as always? Here about 8 o'clock?"

The rest of the group nodded. Julie excused herself after making a comment about pretending to take a bath in her tent. Paul left a moment or two later heading in the same direction Janice noted. Roger got up to refill his coffee mug, leaving Janice where she didn't want to be. Alone with Melinda Pappas.

"So, Dr. Covington, have y’all ever been to the South?" Melinda asked, obviously trying to make conversation.

"Yeah. I flew through Dallas on my way to Mexico once or twice. Does that count?"

"My dear Doctor," Mel laughed. "We in the deep South don't consider Texas as being all that Southern. Its more Western with the Mexican influence and all." She stated gently.

"Sorry, I guess my US geography isn't what it should be." Janice looked down at her cup and silently begged Roger to hurry back. She wasn't good at small talk, and the beautiful Southerner made her nervous in a way no one else ever had.

"That's ok. I'll forgive ya for it. Its really an easy mistake to make because only Southerners bisect themselves further than the rest of the county." Melinda on the other hand was a master at small talk. It was a Southern art form that had prompted Mark Twain to scorn their favorite topic, the weather, by saying something like "everyone complains about it but no one does anything about it." Melinda never could remember the exact quote, but it was a favorite one of her daddy's.

"So what are you two ladies discussing?" Roger asked as he sat down. Janice hid a sigh of relief and was about to excuse herself for more coffee when Roger placed the pot on the table. He filled Janice's glass and reached over to refill Mel's but the Southerner just shook her head, declining his offer.

"Geography." Janice replied to his question as she reached for the sugar and proceeded to empty at least three tea spoons of the white powder into her coffee.

Roger looked to Melinda for an explanation, but the tall Southern belle just shrugged.

"Well, if ya'll will excuse me, I think I'm gonna go back to my tent and rest awhile. Evenin' Dr. Grant. Dr. Covington." Melinda rose, gathered up her personal belongings, and exited to her left.

Roger watched her leave and then contemplated his companion in silence. Janice just drank her coffee. Finally the silence became unbearable for the older man.

"Janice, honey, why do you avoid Melinda?" He asked as he turned his chair to face hers.

"I don't avoid her Uncle Roger. I just don't know how to talk to her outside of the Scrolls." Roger smiled at the term of endearment. He had adopted Janice as soon as he hired on with her father a little less than twenty years ago. Janice was only five at the time. It had amused her father and scandalized her mother. They did make an interesting sight, a little strawberry blonde imp with a nice base tan as was only befitting the child of an archeologist, and a six foot five black man chasing one another through the camp. For awhile, Roger would have sworn that he was only hired as a babysitter. He didn't mind, and he taught Janice a lot about life. After Ms. Covington disappeared a year later, the confirmed bachelor took it upon himself to assist Harry and the Waitrefords with the two kids she left behind. He made his vow to continue looking after his stubborn adopted niece at Harry's grave side.

"Just talk. She won't bite you."

"I know, but I'm not good at making small talk, and...well...I don't know." Janice continued to stare into her mug as if it held the answers she was looking for. She refused to admit her fear of falling for her.

"Little one," Janice smiled at the endearment and lifted her eyes to meet his. "You know we raised you best as we could..." He started unsure of how to continue. Janice saved him the trouble by interrupting him.

"I have never once, and I mean NEVER, regretted the way I was raised or by whom." Janice made sure to keep eye contact with her uncle. "You helped raise Amanda too, and she turned out fine. Even if she did marry Robert."

"Now Janice..."

"I'm just kidding. Robert's a nice guy and will keep her happy and safe. I'm just glad its her and not me he wanted. I can't see myself doing the whole marriage with children thing." Janice chuckled at the image. So did Roger.

"No, although I can see you happy with someone, but you'll never know if you don't open up to others." Roger dropped his eyes to his cup. "I will tell you that if I was younger, I'd spend a lot more time with Ms. Pappas. She's quite smart and very lovely" Janice almost inhaled her coffee.

"What, I mean..." She sputtered frantically looking for a way to turn this away from where she thought it might be leading. "Are you trying to tell me that you have the hots for our translator?"

"I didn't say that. And no, I don't. I just thought that maybe she'd make a good friend. That was all I meant." He covered a grin by refilling his coffee mug. "Why? Did you think I meant something different?" He asked innocently. She had never told her father about her preference for women. He had never asked, and as far as she knew neither her father nor any of his contemporaries knew. She was wrong. Harry Covington had never asked because he hadn't had to, neither did Roger. They knew it, accepted it, and got over it. It was just one more thing that ran in the family. "She'd make a great partner."

"How did you know?" Janice asked looking at him with a mixture of confusion and fear. "I mean other than the clothes, which is mostly because of the heat and for comfort and stuff like local customs..." Janice realized she was babbling. A nervous habit that also ran in her family. "Did Dad know?"

"Yes your father knew. No, it did not disappoint him. No I do not think less of you." He answered the questions her eyes asked. "Little one, as for how we knew, we raised you. We just knew." He answered vaguely. Roger Grant was not a coward by any means, but he felt this conversation would be more appropriate at a later date. Janice seemed to agree and let the matter drop.

"I, ah, I think I'm going back to my tent and get ready for the poker game," She said standing up and pushing her chair back underneath the table. "Be ready to lose a lot tonight, old man. I feel a winning streak coming on." Janice grinned and left him alone at the table.

Roger sighed and finished off his coffee before he too left the table and headed back to his tent.

***

Melinda Pappas sat on the bed in her tent contemplating the changes her life had gone through in a year. God, has it only been a year? She asked herself, taking a sheet of paper and using it for a fan. I really need to start dressing in something more appropriate for the climate. Mother would never make it here. No wonder Daddy never took her along. The paper fan helped a little, but not much. Mel let her thoughts return to her recent past.

Not long after her daddy died the year before, a week and a half after the funeral as a matter of fact, her mother and grandmother began planning her wedding. It didn't matter to them that Jason was stationed on a ship somewhere in the south seas, as soon as he got leave to come home, they wanted to have the wedding. They also disregarded the fact that Melinda didn't want to get married to Jason. Matter of fact, she didn't want a husband at all. When she first told her mother and grandmother that, they chalked it up to nervousness. She was only 18 at the time, so they decided to wait. She quit dating and began studying whatever her father would let her. That was how she learned ancient Greek.

A year ago she turned twenty-seven, and they wouldn't take no for an answer. She had been "dating" Jason for four years and her mother and grandmother felt it time to take the relationship down the aisle. Her father had gone to bat for her every time the subject came up, so had her older brother who was already married with children of his own. After Mel Pappas died, his daughter lost her edge. The matrons ignored Thomas, and to a certain extent Melinda, and set about making plans for the wedding. A week before Mel had hopped a flight to Greece, Jason's ship was sunk off the coast of an undisclosed island. There had been no survivors. The telegram had come four days after the event. Mel had allowed herself two days of mourning for an old friend, then packed and headed out.

She had actually found the telegram Janice had sent asking for Melvin Pappas's assistance shortly after her father died. He had left all of his books and papers to her instead of her mother. Upon reading the telegram and the note he had left with it, she understood why. It wasn't until Jason's death that she was able to find the strength to defy her mother and grandmother by taking her father's advice to flee the household.

What was it the letter said? Mel asked herself. She had it with her, but didn't feel like looking for it at the moment. She knew it by heart and could hear her father's voice so clearly it was as if he were reading it to her. The only way, you'll ever really be happy, my dear child, is to get out of this house as soon as you can. Greece is a good place as any to start. I know the young lady - Mel smiled at that. Janice couldn't really be called a lady, but her daddy always tried to see the best in others - who is running the dig. I dare say the two of you will get along admirably. She will at least help you to answer some of the internal questions you have about yourself and about life.

Now, here she was in a rough camp somewhere in Macedonia. She couldn't pronounce the name of the local village. “How come I can read ancient Greek, but I can't speak the modern version well enough to ask where the restroom is?” She pondered that for a moment before turning her thoughts to Janice Covington and why her father had advised her to find the young archeologist.

That woman is impossible She thought. Although, she has been getting better. And then wondered why she so badly wanted to befriend a woman that didn't seem to need more friends than she already had. And she wondered why her father insisted that she find Janice. What questions about life? She asked herself. Giving that train of thought up as being too philosophical, Melinda turned her mind to solving the problem of getting through Janice's emotional and mental walls.

Melinda Pappas didn't stop to think about why she was staging expanding her relationship with Janice into a full blown friendship as a battle. She just went a head and prepared a strategy, rehearsed it, worked the kinks out of it, got dressed, and headed out for the poker game. She was determined to at least befriend a certain gruff doctor of Archeology. Though her thoughts concerning the dig's director were not all that friendly or sisterly. Melinda didn't understand that either, but she was willing to make the first step toward finding out what her father had meant.

Melinda did know that drawing battle plans ran in her family; however, she had no way of knowing that none of her ancestors ever needed to attempt what she was going to. She also had no way of knowing that roughly two thousand years earlier, a petite strawberry blonde had set in roughly the same area plotting almost the same thing. The exception was that the Bard wanted in, not the Warrior. Never the Warrior, until now.

Neither Janice nor Mel realized that the Universe, in all its vastness has a twisted sense of humor, and when coerced by the Fates, cajolled by Time, and pleaded with by certain spirits and a forgotten god or two now residing in what has become known as heaven, it releases its power with irony in full force. As punishment for crimes neither woman committed that happened before their country of origin was even thought to exist, both Mel and Janice were forced to take on roles defined by their ancestors. The twist that made the Universe quiver with glee, and the Fates to laugh coffee through their collective noses was that the current players were not cast to play the original roles as defined by the first actors on the stage of life. The Bard had become the Warrior, and the Warrior a gentile Southern belle. Even the originals, resting on their halos in the Fields laughed and placed bets on the outcome with their friends. Neither Janice nor Mel would have appreciated the joke.

***

Janice Covington jumped out of bed. She stood in the center of her tent for a moment or two to let her thoughts catch up to her reflexes. The foremost question on her mind was why she was getting up. The answer was slow to appear, but when it did, it galvanized her into action. She had a reputation to protect, and she was not going to sully that rep by missing a poker game.

She ransacked her trunk to find a different shirt, preferably a clean one. Upon finding one and changing quickly, she grabbed her pile of coins saved for just this occasion, threw on her hat and ran to the mess tent. Janice slowed a few feet away from the entrance to compose herself before joining her friends and colleagues inside.

Paul, Julie, Roger, and (surprise, surprise) Melinda Pappas were already seated around the Round Table when Janice joined them. She took the seat nearest Mel, which had been conveniently left open. Janice peered around suspecting a conspiracy, but her friends just smiled innocently at her. That gave her curiosity a mighty tug, but she decided to play along.

"Ok, hotshot," Paul said to get Janice's attention. "I'm feeling lucky tonight. Think I might make back that money I still owe you from college." He reached around behind his chair and produced a bucket filled with water. "But first, I have a surprise for everyone. Close your eyes." He commanded setting the bucket on the table.

"Paul if I get soaked, I'm gonna kill you." Julie warned. Janice and Roger echoed the sentiment. Only Mel was close enough to see what the bucket contained and was not impressed.

"No one is going to get wet. At least not yet, so close those eyes up real tight." They complied and Paul set before each of them one bottle of German beer. Needless to say, Janice, Roger and Julie were very impressed.

"Now, then, I could only get six, and it cost me...well, lets not worry about that. Lets just enjoy the beer, game and friendship." He stated sitting back down.

Roger produced a pack of playing cards as Janice, Paul and Julie opened their beers. Melinda just looked at hers.

Well, I guess if I wanna fit in, this is one way. When in Rome and all that She thought as she struggled to open the bottle before her. Paul took pity on her and opened it with a bottle opener that had been sitting on the table.

"Ok, the rules are as follows," Roger said while shuffling the deck. "Maximum bet is twenty-five cents US or the local equivalent, dealer changes after three hands, the dealer is also in charge of calling the game, and if you get caught cheating..." He took a deep breath before continuing, "Then you obviously need more practice and deserved to get caught." The rest of the group laughed as he began dealing out the cards. "Five card draw."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing," Janice said after a long pull on her bottle. "Those Germans may be twisted sons of bacchae, but they do make great beer."

"Gee, Janice, don't you know," Julie asked as she assembled the cards before her in some type of order, "that beer is what Germans do best?"

Those at the table laughed, save for Melinda who tried to turn her grimace into a smile. She detested beer, and generally tried to avoid it. I guess its an acquired taste She thought as she took a smaller sip. Although she did have to admit that this one was better than the beer her brother drank. She soon found herself with another type of problem. She had no earthly idea what to do with the cards in front of her. Bridge she could play, poker was not one of her skills.

The rest of the group anted up and Roger prompted Mel to do the same. Mel noticed that the others were discarding cards and wondered if she should. She held a two of clubs, five of hearts, ten of diamonds, ace of spades and jack of clubs in her hand, staring at them as if they were Arabic. Taking a gamble, she placed the numbered cards face down on the table as she had seen Janice do, and waited. Soon Roger handed her three new cards before turning his attention to Paul.

Gingerly, they placed bets. Each one trying to feel the others out without looking like that was what they hoped to accomplish. Melinda kept an eye on Janice and mimicked her movements, except she refused to raise the bet any. After all, she really didn't understand what she held, and didn't want to be out that much change.

Finally, it was time to show hands, as the betting had begun to wear itself out. Paul and Julie showed only a pair each, one of threes and the other of eights. Roger turned his cards over with disgust. He really didn't have anything good to show, while Janice sat hers down with a smile.

"Three of a kind. Sorry fellas. Looks like this one is mine." She placed three nines on the table and reached for the pile of change. Roger stopped her hand.

"Wait a minute there little one, there's still one more hand to check. Melinda?" All eyes turned to the Southerner. Mel just shrugged and laid her cards down on the table face up. Janice let out a sigh of relief after seeing the pair of aces, jack, five and four.

"Yep, this one is all mine." She wiped the pile from the center of the table and proceeded to mix it with her own. Janice grinned the whole time. Mel shrugged again and handed her cards to Roger so they could be reshuffled.

The next two hands saw Paul winning one and Melinda winning the other. Dealership was then transferred to Janice as Julie went to the kitchen to fetch more beer. This time it was Greek and voted inferior to the German beer by all present. However, it was wet and it was beer so the grumbling didn't last too long.

The group talked as they played and drank. Mostly it was rehashing memories of digs gone by or voicing their hopes for the current site, even the occasional political discussion was started. Although that one was usually finished shortly before it could really begin.

Roger made the next beer run after Janice relinquished control of the deck to Mel. Mel was at a loss as to what to do. She didn't think that the others would be interested in bridge, so she did the only thing she could think of (with a little help from two beers): she dealt them all in a game of go fish. Julie and Roger were ecstatic with the choice as it was a break from the norm, however, Paul and Janice considered themselves avid poker players and grumbled at the choice.

Three hands later, Paul took control over the deck. Janice cheered, mainly because she lost all three hands of go fish, and volunteered for the next beer run. While she was gone, Mel took the opportunity to talk. She had been quite for most of the evening, nervous in Janice's company.

"I'm sorry for that game before, but I've never really played poker before tonight," She looked down at her hands while apologizing. Julie reached across the table and laid her hand on Mel's arm in a gesture meant to convey reassurance.

"Don't worry Mel, it was fun. Don't let Janice fool you. She's just upset that she lost." Julie told her with Paul and Roger nodding in agreement.

"I guess you're right, but I just...oh, never mind...its foolish and this is supposed to be fun. I guess the beer is just getting to me." Mel wanted to talk to someone and thought that Julie would listen, but she didn't want to do so in front of the others. Especially when she didn't know when Janice would return.

"Melinda," Julie tightened her grip on the Southerner's arm and looked her in the eye. Mel saw compassion and understanding there. "I know. Its tough, but its worth it." Julie would have said more, but she looked up in time to see Janice balancing five bottles of beer in her arms. Melinda didn't.

"What's worth it?" She asked before being clued in to the Archeologist's presence behind her.

"Yeah, what are you talking about. What's worth what?" Janice asked setting the beer on the table and laughing as it was snatched from in front of her.

"You are, you scamp. You're worth a pot of gold and the heart ache you give someone who tries to find it." Julie said unscrewing the top of her beer. Her eyes twinkled as Janice did something she rarely did. She blushed. "Seriously, I was just assuring Mel that all the effort we put into unearthing a dig is more than worth it."

Janice relaxed and sat down. Melinda hid a sigh of relief. She was not, by any means, a dumb woman, after all, intelligence ran in her family as well. She more than picked up on the hints that Julie had dropped, the innuendo placed out in the open, and the support of a willing ally.

By the time the evening was over, Janice had made good on her boast. She had won most of the remaining hands of poker and ended up with a good portion of the overall pot. With one annoying exception: Melinda had won the last bottle of German beer two hands before when Paul bet it in lieu of money. The poor guy had a horrible run of bad luck, and was forced to watch the remaining two hands as a spectator. They had adamantly refused to let him cash in more money. No one played with anything but the change they had collected between games. That was why they only played once a month. It kept them from getting into real trouble by losing part or all of their pay.

The last game had come down to Julie and Janice. Melinda had lost all but the beer and retired for the evening after the second to last hand. Roger pulled out early on while he still had some change left, and watched the two women go against each other. Julie had two pair, kings and fours, but Janice had three of a kind. To her chagrin, they were sixes. Roger and Paul teased her unmercifully about receiving the "unholy" hand.

After a few minutes of conversation while cleaning up and finishing what was left of their beers, the group dispersed. Janice was actually the last one to leave and smiled when she realized that Paul and Julie had walked back to his tent. She knew that they would probably see the night end and the sunrise together. A small part of her envied them, but the logical self denying part of her reminded her that she had too much to do to get involved with anyone.

As she walked back to her tent, she contemplated the choices she had made in her life. Satisfied with the outcome she dressed for bed. It wasn't until she reached up to turn out the light that she noticed the single bottle of beer on her desk. Getting up and examining it, she realized that it was the same bottle that Melinda had won an hour earlier. Janice placed the bottle in her desk drawer for safe keeping and went to sleep with a small smile on her face.

***

Days off were always done on a Saturday, and were done on a rotating schedule that had one fourth of the staff off at one time. Holidays were the only exception. Janice had adopted that from her father. It made sure that someone was always on hand in case of an emergency, and it kept the staff happy. Sundays were the one day everyone had off thanks to local law. The diggers had the entire weekend free. It kept them happy.

As a result of the relaxed schedule on Saturdays, it was generally a day to do inventory, clean the recent finds, catch up on paper work and do something other than manual labor for a change. Everyone, whether it was their turn to have a free day or not looked forward to Saturdays. Janice was no exception.

She had the chance to participate in her favorite weekend activity for as long as she wanted. Sleep. She slept long and hard on the weekends, making up for the long days and short nights the week before. When she finally did put in an appearance in the mess tent for breakfast (the only thing that could awaken her from solid slumber was food) only Melinda was there.

"Morning. Where's everyone else?" Janice asked as she sat her tray on the table and took her seat across from Mel. She was usually the last one to arrive for breakfast, which was served at a later hour on weekends, and the lack of Roger made her a little nervous. She figured Julie and Paul were worn out and still sleeping.

The tall Southerner had just finished her breakfast when Janice sat down. She hadn't been able to sleep very well the night before. Her sleep was plagued with weird dreams that she kept trying to remember over breakfast. She failed.

"Melinda?" Janice attempted to get Mel's attention, as the Southerner had yet to acknowledge her presence.

"What?" Startled blue eyes looked up into bemused green as Mel came back to earth. "Oh, I'm sorry Dr. Covington. What did you say?"

"I just asked where everyone else is." Janice was both puzzled and intrigued by the evidence of Melinda's wavering attention. The Southerner was usually on top of things as a rule.

"Oh, Dr. Grant was here earlier, but he left to go direct some grad students in proper record keepin'. Apparently they weren't doin' that great a job, and I haven't seen Dr. Stafford or Julie. Do ya think somethin' bad happened to them?" Janice almost lost the mouthful of coffee she was trying to swallow at Mel's innocent question.

"Nah, I'm sure they're fine. Probably just overslept." She assured the Southerner. I'm sure something happened between them, not to them, but I'm not sure if it was something bad or not Janice thought to herself.

While Janice ate her breakfast, Melinda sat at the table drinking her coffee and furtively inspecting her companion. Janice didn't look quite the ruffian she had first appeared to be. The clothes were pretty much the same, and she still smoked cigars, but after Smythe's unfortunate accident, Janice had quit wearing the gun. Mel reasoned that the overall appearance hadn't changed too much, but her perspective had.

When Janice had been packing up the truck to move the Scrolls to a safer site, she had promised Mel that they would see this out together. She had kept her promise, hiring Mel on as the official translator and giving the Southerner a reason to stay in Greece. The hard part for Mel was that her idea of together was obviously not the same as the good doctor's. Janice had meant being colleagues, Mel had hoped for friends at the very least. It was that hope that kept her in the camp despite the homesickness and heat. She felt drawn to the young Archeologist like no one else she had ever met before.

"Melinda? Earth to Mel. Miss Pappas are you in there?" Janice was standing above Mel looking down on her and waving her hand in front of her eyes. Mel looked up to see a faint sheen of pink tinge the doctor's face as she stepped back and allowed the Southerner some room. Gods, she really has no idea how attractive she is Mel thought. Her eyes followed Janice as the shorter woman reclaimed her seat.

"Melinda, are you all right?" Janice asked, feeling much better with some space between them. Standing by Mel's chair and looking down at her had allowed Janice the opportunity to see down the sundress that Mel was wearing. Janice brought her hand up to wipe away any drool that may have made an appearance at the sight. She should register those breast as lethal. Anyone would surrender just to see them up close.

Melinda looked down at her lap and then back up at Janice. "Yes, I'm fine. I've just had a lot on my mind. That's all." Yeah, like how to catch you and what to do with you once I've got you The Southerner felt herself flush at the thoughts that were running through her head.

Janice did something then that Mel would have never guessed her capable of. She asked if she could help with the problem.

Yeah, I just don't know how to tell you that. Mel thought. Aloud she said, "That's mighty nice of you to offer Dr. Covington, but this is somethin' I need to work on. Somethin' personal."

Janice, thinking that it was jealousy over Paul and Julie's relationship, let the matter drop. Which was good for all involved, because at that moment the two entered the tent.

"See, Melinda, I told you they just over slept," Janice changed the subject (sort of, at least she thought so) and pointed out the couple to Mel.

"That's good. I'm happy for them. You know, that nothin' bad happened to them." The tall, self possessed Southerner began to ramble. "I think I'm gonna go work on the translations a bit more. I'll drop the preliminary notes off by your tent this evening. Is that ok?" She asked standing to her feet. Janice just nodded at the uncharacteristic ramblings the older woman evidenced. Mel nodded back and blindly rushed out of the tent.

"What did you do to her?" Julie asked as she sat down her plate.

"Nothing. At least I don't think I did." Janice replied before standing up. "I think I'm going to go review the new plans and get started on some overdue paper work. Enjoy your breakfast." She smiled and nodded to both Julie and Paul who had just arrived at the table.

"Do I smell bad or something?" Paul asked sniffing his shirt.

"No, why?" Julie asked with a slight grin.

"Then why did they both leave when we came in? I know you don't smell bad."

"Thanks. I think our dear friend and our translator are just experiencing a small case of UST." Julie informed him.

"UST?" Paul looked blank at the term.

"Yep, Unresolved Sexual Tension. Don't worry, I'll have a chat with Janice about it this afternoon."

"As long as you don't resolve it for her." He warned her. "Unless I'm invited." He added waving his eyebrows up and down in an imitation of the movies.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'm just going to talk to her." Julie assured him.

"Shucks"

Seconds later, the kitchen staff was complaining of water stains on their table clothes. Which is amusing because the tables weren't covered, but they were relatively new to the English language, so it could be excused.

Paul had forgotten to put up the bucket of water from last night. Because of his comment, Julie deemed a lukewarm water dowsing as fitting. Moments after that, she was running full speed through the encampment with a very wet Dr. Stafford hot on her heels.

***

"Janice, can you spare a minute?" Julie asked as she walked into the records tent. Other staffers and various students were engaged in either cleaning vases or catching up on their field reports. Janice was hunched over a list of the recent finds from the site. It wasn't a long list. This site hadn't been that productive.

"Damn it! I know there's something here." The Archeologist began pacing, heedless of the others present in the tent. Julie had long since grown used to this habit and just let Janice rant.

"There has to be something here. Maybe on the South ridge." She continued on in that vein for several minutes, all the while pacing back and forth in front of the table. Finally she stopped and noticed Julie standing patiently in the corner.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Paul decided it would be funny to drop me in the stream outside." Julie told her. She looked, to Janice and the rest of the tent's occupants, like a dirty, half drowned rat. Her blonde curls hung loosely around her face and down her back, and she was covered in clay. She looked pitiful. Those not too awe struck by the normally composed woman's appearance found it hard to contain their laughter.

"So, was it?" Janice asked trying to casually hide her mouth behind the report she had been reading.

"Was what, what?" Julie asked shaking her head. That did nothing to improve the situation.

"Was it funny?" Janice managed to get the question out before laughing. Julie looked down at herself and started laughing as well.

"Seriously, Jan, can I talk to you for a minute or two?" The blonde asked. "In private?" She added after Janice had nodded and indicated for her to go ahead with the conversation.

"Yea, I guess so. We can go to my tent if you want." Janice answered as she led the way outside the records tent.

The trip to Janice's tent was quite. Both women were absorbed in their own thoughts, and neither felt like making idle conversation. Janice thought she had a good idea of what Julie wanted to discuss, the relationship between the camp secretary and Dr. Stafford was beginning to heat up. The Archeologist assumed that they would be discussing Paul.

Julie was pondering how to broach the topic she had intended to advise Janice on. That of UST. It was obvious to Julie, Paul (well, maybe not Paul) and Roger that both Melinda and Janice were suffering from it. Though whether it was over each other remained to be seen. They could both just be incredibly horny. She also could have been misreading the signals, but she doubted it. Something deep inside her was telling her that this time, it was different.

They ended up seated in Janice's tent with one of them on the bed, and the other at the desk. They set in silence for a few moments while each one thought of and discarded possible ways to begin the conversation. Janice leaned back on her bed and took the initiative.

"So, Julie, what's going on?"

"Uh, well, I really don't know how to start this..." She trailed off and lit a cigarette to hid her awkwardness with the topic. Janice sighed and lit a cigar.

"Julie?" Janice tried to get her friend's attention after moments passed with no other sounds in the tent other than the exhaling of smoke.

"Sorry, Jan, I guess I wondered off there for a moment. We've known one another for how long now?" The blonde asked.

"Longer than I can remember." Janice answered getting annoyed with the beating around the bush. "Look, Curly, I think I know what this is about."

"You do?" Julie raised her eyebrows in question. She thought this would take the petite Archeologist by surprise. "What do you know?"

"Its kinda obvious. You and Paul have hit it off extremely well." Julie made as if to interrupt, but Janice kept on going. "I love you both dearly, and if you're worried I might be jealous or anything, don't be. I'm happy for you both. Honestly I am. Just don't try to make me wear a dress to the wedding." She chuckled.

"I wouldn't dream of it, but Janice, about Mel..."

"Melinda Pappas may be jealous a little, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. She hasn't known Paul all that long. I'm sure she'll get over it." Janice got out of bed and motioned to the front of the tent. "Now, let's get back to work. Shall we?" She extended an arm to Julie.

"But Janice, what about you?"

"What about me?" The Archeologist was confused by the turn in conversation.

"I mean, you can't do all this alone." Julie took her hand and stared her friend in the eye. "Honey, I'm worried about you. Solitaire is not a good game to play all the time."

"Thanks for the concern, Curly, but really, I'm fine. Happy even." The shorter woman shrugged. "Besides, I'm not alone. I do have friends you know. You are even one of them." Julie smiled sadly. She knew Janice was right, but she still felt she had to try.

"I know, but Janice..."

"Its fine. I'm fine. Let's leave it at that ok? Now let's get out of here before Paul thinks I've seduced you." Janice smiled as she deftly avoided the topic and started toward the tent opening.

"Well, he does have good reason to think that. You are a charmer when you want to be, Janice Covington." Julie laughed and headed out behind her friend.

"Thanks, but I wouldn't even try it a second time. Although it did work once."

"Yeah, but Janice we were only children. You were what, 16 and I was 18?" They both smiled at the memory of their long ago tryst. It was after the death of Julie's mother. Their combined tears had led to one night of misery turned to fumbling passion. It had only happened that once, and neither one of them regretted the act, denied it, nor tried to continue it. Even though Julie sometimes wondered if it would be better now that Janice had more practice. The closest they had came to it was after Harry Covington's death. Julie could now say that Janice was one hell of a kisser, but that was all.

"I think so. You were right. We're much better as friends. Paul's a lucky guy, and you're a lucky girl." Janice picked up her pace a bit before adding one last comment. "He's pretty good too you know. For a guy." At that she took off running. Julie was right behind her.

Janice made it all the way to the stream before Julie tackled her. Soon both women looked like dirty, half drowned rats. Their screams of mock outrage and laughter could be heard echoing through out the dig site.

***

Melinda, like most of the others in the camp had heard the screams as Julie and Janice ended up in the stream. She had gone to investigate, but soon realized her assistance was not needed. So she watched the two old friends frolic a bit before returning to her tent.

She hated to admit it to herself, but she was jealous. Not of Julie really. She was well aware that the two half drowned rats were nothing more than friends, but she envied that friendship. She had began to realize that she wanted that type of bond with Janice, and it depressed her that someone else had been there before her.

It wasn't until she tried to get back to work that she realized she was jealous of Janice and Julie's relationship for more than Janice. She never had that feeling of freedom both women seemed to take for granted. They laughed, drank beer, played poker, did whatever they felt like they wanted to. I bet they bed whoever they want whenever they want, the Southerner thought a little ruefully causing herself to blush. Her experience with sex was limited to maybe three nights of fumbling with Jason. She still didn't understand the attraction so many had for physical acts of passion.

Her mother and grandmother had kept her under strict control while she was growing up. She wasn't allowed to do anything that failed to meet their approval. Melinda Pappas had a lonely childhood as a result. Obviously, they didn't. She thought about the Archeologist and the Secretary. Bet they caused all sorts of trouble. Yes, Melinda was envious of their freedom both past and present. The same way she was envious of her brother, for the same reason.

Visions of Janice as a child soared through the Southerner's mind. Her imagination compared her's with Janice's in various situations. Placing them both in Melinda's memories, she saw Janice defy the Southern Matrons, and herself cower in front of them. The edges of the visions were blurred, as if someone else were showing her these things, or trying to stop her from seeing them. Abruptly they stopped.

You aren't under anyone's control now, you know.' A voice said into Melinda's mind. You have gained your freedom. Let go of the past and embrace the present. You'll never live until you do.'

Melinda jerked out of her bed wondering just when she had fallen asleep. My goodness, what did that dream mean? With each second the dream faded back from her awareness, but the voice stayed. That voice, it was so like Janice, only softer somehow. Gentle.

Melinda put her head in her hands and sat that way for a long few minutes. Finally she decided the heat was getting to her mental state, and resolved to dress more for the climate again. No matter what her upbringing had imprinted on her.

With that in mind, she collected the notes she had made on one of the Scrolls, and went to go find Dr. Janice Covington.

***

Janice had just changed out of her now filthy clothes and was reaching for a cleaner undershirt when someone cleared their throat in front of her tent.

Damn tents. No doors to knock on. She looked down at the pile of clothes at her feet and grimaced. Julie, it was fun, but now I've really got to do laundry. Maybe I can send a few of the grad students into the village Monday to have it done.

"Come in," Janice yelled to the silhouette outside her tent as she put on the white cotton t-shirt and grabbed for a more decent shirt to wear over it. Melinda walked in just as Janice had located one.

Oh, my. Melinda thought as she walked in on Janice. The Archeologist was wearing a pair of khaki pants that had yet to be buttoned, and a plain white men's undershirt, no sock, boots or anything else. Her strawberry blonde hair had been washed but not dried and was pushed back behind her ears. God, she looks great like that, and so young. The Southerner flushed.

Janice, who had forgotten that Mel wanted to talk to her after the translator had reviewed the Scrolls, just stood there for a moment pondering the look in Mel's eyes. Is that look what I think it is? She asked herself before regaining her senses. She turned around, tucked in the t-shirt into her pants, and fastened them. Nah, it can't be, can it?

"Well, Ms. Pappas, what can I do for you?" She asked turning back around to find Melinda staring at the floor.

"Well, I thought that maybe you wanted to read the notes I've made on the Scroll I've been working on." Melinda shyly looked up at Janice and handed her the notebook. Janice dropped her shirt on the bed and took the notebook from Mel's hands.

"Thanks, here have a seat," Janice cleared the papers off her desk chair and indicated that Mel should sit there. The Archeologist stared at the notes in her hand a minute before looking at Mel. "Sit down, really, I don't bite. At least not too hard." She smiled at Melinda until she realized the joke fell flat.

"Maybe I should just let you read over those. We can discuss them when you're finished." Mel had no idea why she was suddenly shy. Janice had on more clothes than those pictures she had found in her brother's room once a long time ago. She had to admit that the Archeologist looked better than those Frenchwomen in the photos, and she shaved too. That was a big plus. It was just that the tank style shirt accented the younger woman's curves, and Mel had to admit, that she look sexy disheveled. The Southerner blushed again.

"Sure, if that's what you want." Janice told her. She was slightly confused about the Southerner's reaction. Maybe there's something in the Scrolls. "Listen, I'll find you when I'm done looking these over. Does that sound ok?"

Melinda nodded and silently left the tent. It wasn't until Janice sat down on her bed to read that she realized how she had been dressed when the Southerner had entered the tent.

"Now, that was an odd reaction," She said to herself. "You'd think she'd never seen anyone half dressed before." The blonde Archeologist shook her head and started to read the understated yet neat handwriting of the dig's translator.

The story in the most recently translated Scroll turned out to be the story of the Warrior and Bard's first meeting with a god. Morpheus, the ancient god of dreams. It was obviously written sometime after the actual event had occurred. Although how much time had passed was not certain.

"This was probably written after Gabrielle decided to become a Bard," Janice muttered aloud.

The Scroll was written from an uninterested third party point of view, but the language used suggested that Gabrielle was the author. She rarely made mention of herself, but Janice felt a grudging respect grow for her ancestor. According to the Scroll, the Bard (who referred to herself as either Xena's young companion, which made Janice raise an eyebrow at the implied relationship, or as the would be bride of the Dreamworker) had managed to keep herself alive and her blood innocence intact long enough to be rescued. It sounded like it was quite a feat, and the young woman had accomplished it very well. Janice was impressed.

Janice rested the notebook on her knee and thought about the tale. She wondered if Gabrielle had really been that humble or if she had written that Scroll before she had been associated with Xena for a long period of time. It’s a shame we know so little about her. Janice thought. After all, Boswell, the man who recorded Ben Johnson's life had his own biography. Homer had his, sort of. At least, he can be proven to have existed outside of spirit saying so She wasn't sure if her colleagues at the university would accept Xena's word of her friend's existence as fact since Xena was roughly 2,000 years dead.

All in all, Janice thought it was a good story and a believable one for her colleagues. The god in question never appeared, and it read like a ancient cult acting out a ritual. The supernatural overtones of the dreamscape would be over looked as creative metaphor by those that either refused to believe or had not been trapped in a tomb with Ares. Ares had turned Janice into a believer of the so called supernatural real fast.

The young Archeologist had first begun searching for the Scrolls to prove her father right. That had been a little over two years ago. She had just gotten her doctorate and was on a dig in Mexico when word of her father's death had reached her. She had made a promise at his grave side in Cairo that she would continue his work and realize his dreams for him. It took her three months to find a replacement for herself at the Mexican dig, and to arrange for university funding to take over her father's dig in southern Macedonia, with herself as the director of course. She tried to keep everything above suspicion, for she was, like her long dead ancestor, an honest, honorable person with a very persuasive will. The university had agreed and Janice stepped into her new position.

It wasn't until they had stumbled onto Ares's tomb that Janice had begun to wonder about the identity of the Scrolls' author. It wasn't until Xena possessed Mel that Janice saw Gabrielle as something more than a tag along. She had seen it in the Warrior's eyes (Mel's eyes as...never mind) as she told the story of Gabrielle. Xena had obviously respected and cared for her friend. To Janice that translated as the Bard was worthy of admiration. From all she knew about Xena, the Warrior didn't suffer fools (except for Joxer) and had very little patience (even with Joxer).

The conversation with Xena had made Janice curious about Gabrielle. Two years after assuming her father's work, Dr. Janice Covington had turned the search for the Scrolls into her own. Oh, she'd admit that she was half in love with Xena, which was why Melinda made her so uncomfortable, but now the search was to know her family, to know her history, to learn about her so-far-removed-I'm-not-sure-you-can-call-her-that grandmother.

"Its about time," A low voice sounded in her ear. "You finally figured part of it out. Congratulations, I won the bet. The next part is easier if you'll let it be." The voice was soft and melodic with a slight accent to it that sounded Australian for some reason.

Janice jumped out of bed and looked around her empty tent. "Some dream," She mumbled as she picked up the notebook from its current resting place on the floor. She tried not to think about the dream, which involved the Warrior, Mel, the Bard and herself. She sat back down on the bed for a moment before making up her mind to go find the Southerner.

"Maybe Mel can shed more light on Gabrielle," Janice told herself. She was aware of the perfectionist side of the Southerner. Mel would translate a rough copy of a Scroll, refine it, proof it, set it aside and work on another before going back to the previous one for a final proofreading. It was a slow process, but Janice felt it was worth it. She hadn't found any errors that first time when she had checked the translation to the original. Not that she would, Mel was infinitely better as a translator than Janice was. So, the Archeologist reasoned that Mel would have rough translations for at least two or three different Scrolls.

With that in mind, Janice grabbed her hat, lit a cigar, and headed out to find Melinda. She made it five feet outside her tent before rushing back inside, pulling on the other shirt she had abandoned hours previous, and then resumed her quest.

The distant thunder sounded suspiciously like laughter. It was the Universe enjoying its game.

***

After leaving the Archeologist's tent, Melinda decided she needed to talk to someone about her confusing thoughts and feelings. She had to admit to herself that she was attracted to Janice, but had no idea what, if anything, she should do about it.

She remembered Julie's comments from the night before and thought that she would be a good person to talk to. Mel had always thought women were easier to discuss matters of the heart with, she had found only two exceptions: she had always felt as if she could tell her father anything, and never trusted her mother. That lesson had been learned the hard way.

With the thought of a willing ally in mind, the Southerner began her search for the camp secretary.

***

Julie had been sitting outside under a piece of canvas trading laughs with Paul when she looked up and noticed Melinda walk by. The tall Southerner looked so sad and distraught that Julie pointed her out to her companion then whistled for her attention. Melinda turned, noticed the couple and shyly walked over to join them.

"Well, well, Ms. Pappas, what's the long face for?" Paul asked as Melinda gingerly took a seat on the ground.

"I'm just tired, I guess." She told him. Julie was not convinced that the Southerner was just tired and searched her brain for a way to get Paul to leave without being obvious.

"Why don't we play some more poker this evening?" the blonde woman suggested. She knew Paul loved poker and would volunteer to set up the game.

"That sounds good, but what are we going to bet? I'm all out of change." They pondered that in silence for a minute before Paul had a brainstorm. "How Ôbout we use matches and stuff like that. I'm sure I can get Roger to help me locate some stuff." He stood up and dusted his pants off, excited about the suggestion.

"That sounds like a good idea. Maybe Melinda and I can go to my tent and see what we can find there. How Ôbout you tell Janice to meet us in an hour?" Julie stood up and extended an arm down to Melinda and helped the Southerner stand. They both dusted themselves off and straightened their clothes.

"That sounds like a plan. See ya there." With that, he jogged back to the camp and Melinda followed Julie to the secretary's tent.

They walked in an uneasy silence, but once in side the tent's entrance, Julie motioned for Melinda to sit on the bed, as she took a seat on her trunk.

"Wanna talk about it?" The blonde asked quietly.

"I'm not sure if I can. I'm just so confused about everything."

"You're attracted to Janice aren't you?" Julie was nothing if not blunt. Melinda nodded and stared at the floor. "Is this the first time you've been attracted to a woman?" She thought that was what caused the taller woman's discomfort. Finding a difference like that, especially in someone with Mel's upbringing, was often tough for someone to face within themselves.

"It's..." Melinda brushed a tear off her cheek. "The first time I've ever really been attracted to anyone." She told Julie in a subdued voice.

"So, you've never been with a woman, sexually?" At Melinda's shake of negativity, Julie continued. "Have you ever been with a man?" Melinda nodded again, still looking at the floor. "Were you attracted to him?" God, getting this woman to open up is tougher than getting Janice too. At least Jan will spill everything once prodded long enough. She thought to herself.

"I was sorta engaged to be married before his ship went down." Melinda took a deep breath before continuing. "My mother was going to make us get married. I had been datin' him for about four years, just to keep them quite. He was a friend, and I loved him, but I was never in love with him. Never attracted to him, never enjoyed it." She was crying openly now, so Julie got up and held her.

"When my daddy died, he told me to come here and meet Janice, but I never really knew why until now. I think I'm falling in love with her, and I don't know what to do about. I don't know what to do." Julie just held her until the tears had run themselves dry and Melinda was ready to listen to reason.

"Well, that's a tough one. Lucky for you, Janice is...," She stopped to find a way to put it delicately, "She does appreciate the female form. She's more than worth any effort. I think you need to decide what you want. If you want her, you'll have to catch her. She won't chase you."

"Why not?" The Southerner asked as she unwound herself from Julie's embrace. She had been worried that Janice would be upset or offended. Or worse, not interested in her. That would hurt.

"She respects you." Came the reassuring response. "Janice won't try anything with someone she respects, unless they give her a clear signal to go ahead."

"Did you...are you...have you..."

"Yes," Julie cut her off "Once, a long time ago. And almost again two years ago, but we're better as friends. Janice... we..." She sighed. "I wish that...sometimes I wish it could be different, but I'm just not that way. Paul's more my type."

"Why not two years ago? What happened?" Melinda was curious despite herself.

"She passed out." A rueful chuckle accompanied that statement. "It was right after her daddy died, well, right after the memorial in Cairo. We went out and got completely drunk. I held her as she cried, and one thing started to lead to another. I did learn that she has become one hell of a kisser, even intoxicated." Melinda blushed and wiped the tear stains from her face.

"Um, don't you think maybe we should go join the others?" Julie asked standing up and heading out the tent.

"Julie," Melinda came up behind her and reached for her arm. "Thank you for that. I really needed someone to..." The camp secretary cut her off by giving her a hug. The startled Mel returned it.

"It was my pleasure," The blonde told her. "Now, go get cleaned up. I'll meet you in the main tent."

The two women parted ways. Neither one saw Janice Covington standing behind them.

***

Janice had fruitless searched the area around Mel's tent and the records tent before running into Paul. He had just returned from putting all the matches and rocks he had collected into little piles on the Round Table.

"Hey, there, boss. What do you say we play some poker tonight. We're gonna bet with something other than money." The blond man was enthusiastic about the planned game.

"Sure, Paul, that sounds great. Have you seen Mel anywhere?" Janice would not admit that she was concerned, but she was.

"Yeah, she went off with Julie. I think they wanted to be alone for a few minutes." Paul didn't see the curious look that crossed his friend's face. "Listen we're supposed to meet in about ten minutes. See ya there?"

"Yeah, sure. Say Paul, when was it you last saw those two?"

"Um, about an hour ago why?"

"I was just looking for Mel. Had a question about one of the Scrolls. That's all." She turned in the direction of her childhood friend's tent and called back over her shoulder that she would see him at the game.

The walk to Julie's tent was a short one, and when she got there, she saw Julie stride out of the tent looking slightly rumpled. Melinda followed her a moment later. It was obvious to Janice that Mel had been crying. As she watched the two women hug and listened to their conversation, she became confused.

That didn't really sound the way I took it? Did it? The Archeologist thought as she headed toward her tent. She thought best while she moved. Nah, Melinda probably cried out her homesickness on Julie's shoulder. That's all.

Janice was surprised by a sudden feeling of jealousy over that thought. And it had nothing to do with her childhood friend. That really surprised her. She ducked back inside her tent to think about it.

"Ok, I know I'm attracted to Mel, I mean really, who wouldn't be? But jealous over her crying on Julie's shoulder? Why? I mean, I like her..." Janice was pacing around her tent as she muttered her thoughts aloud. She didn't hear Roger enter. She didn't see him until she walked into him. "I know I like her...oomph."

"You need to pay a little more attention, little one. Are you alright?" The big man asked, rubbing his chest where Janice had collided with it.

"Yeah, I think so," She answered rubbing her nose. "What are you wearing under that? Armor?"

"Nah, chain mail. Its easier to conceal. You're about to miss the poker game. We're all waiting for you." He advised her.

"Go ahead and start. I'll be there in a minute. I hafta make sure you didn't kill my nose." She shooed him out.

"I'm sure its fine. See ya there," He chucked and turned to leave. "Oh, yeah, Janice? I'm glad you figured it out." He left before she could reply.

"Figured what out? That I like Mel, or that his chest is as hard as his head?" That got her started on another circuit. "I like her and I'm attracted to her. What am I going to do about it? Guess I could find out how she feels. Or I could just go for broke and let her know. What would Gabrielle do?" She wondered as she followed the trail from her tent to the poker game.

Little did she know, that the situation between her and Melinda was still causing the Universe to chuckle. Had she known, then she would have understood why the thunder she kept hearing never got any closer. Janice would also have benefited from asking what Xena would have done, ok, on second thought, no she would not have. The Bard had plotted the capture of the Warrior's heart. Janice was right to ask what her ancestor would have done.

In the Fields, the Bard got pinched for laughing at that. Everyone else got a glare. Warriors are a touchy lot. Even long dead ones.

***

When Janice entered the tent she noticed that everyone was in the same position they were in the night before. She again took a seat next to Melinda. This time, she was a little nervous. She had decided to approach the Southerner after the game to test the waters. She wanted to see where she stood before anything else.

The game was already in full swing, so she just sat back and waited for the hand to be played out. Sitting in front of her was a pile of rocks, a pile of matches, and a pile of chipped pottery. She pondered the pottery for a moment before she recognized it. It was what was left of the vases Smythe's men had broken when they attacked Mel three months ago. She had forgotten that an industrious undergrad had put all the broken pieces in a box. He wanted to see if he could put them back together. Janice had told him that he had a severe obsession with Humpty Dumpty.

"Um, Janice?" Mel felt she was taking a risk by calling the Archeologist by her first name. She was encouraged when Janice turned greenish blue eyes her way and didn't protest. "Can you tell me what I should do here?"

Janice looked around and saw no protest before she nodded and scooted her chair closer to Mel's.

"Let's see what you have." Janice leaned closer to peer at the cards and almost closed her eyes as her pupil's perfume hit her. It was a light fragrance, kinda like fresh roses and vanilla. For some reason, she had been expecting jasmine and leather with the faint sent of horse. It was disconcerting.

Turning her attention back to the task at hand, She noticed that Mel had the most elusive of all hands. A Royal flush in hearts. Not wanting her companions at the table to hear, she leaned even closer to whisper in Melinda's ear. Of course being that close to the translator was a secondary reason. Well, maybe it was the other way around.

"You should hold what you have there. Its an unbeatable hand. Keep a straight face and bet whatever they ask you to." She advised. It took a minute for Mel to understand what she had said. Janice's close proximity was a little distracting, as was the warm breath that tickled her ear.

"Have you ever had one of these?" She whispered back. Causing Janice to entertain several lewd thoughts about the translator. She just shook her head and backed off to a more respectable distance.

The others took their cards and looked at Mel in suspicion when she declined to draw any others. They understood why five minutes later when she won the pot and Janice patted her on the back. The Archeologist had a smile on her face, and Mel returned it when she looked up. For a minute, neither woman could speak. Roger broke the moment when he handed the cards to Janice and explained what each pile represented monetarily.

She looked around and saw understanding smiles on her friends' faces. Well, not Paul's he was a little oblivious about the whole thing.

"What do you say? Seven card stud?" She began dealing before they could answer.

The evening went along almost like the previous one. They drank coffee instead of beer, none of them were really big drinkers. They only indulged on occasion, and the monthly poker game was one of the few occasions they agreed warranted it. Paul still didn't win that much, but Melinda did. Between her and Roger, the others lost their rocks. Nobody complained, not even Janice. They just wanted another evening of fun and companionship. It was hard to find anything else to do in west of nowhere.

Once again, Melinda left before the last hand. The rest voted Roger the clean up man since he won, and since the only things to put up were the cards and substitution betting chips. They all put away their own coffee mugs. Most were taken back to the tents for the evening.

Janice went to Mel's tent after she had lit a cigar for courage. It gave her something to occupy her hands with. She used a cigar as a tool of distraction.

To her surprise, the Southerner was not in her tent. Janice, losing courage, went back to her own.

She had just gotten into bed and fallen asleep when she had a nightmare. According to her watch, only half an hour had passed since she left the poker game. She was filled with an undeniable urge to find Melinda. The urge was so strong that Janice only slipped on a pair of pants, her boots, and threw her jacket on over her t-shirt before she was outside her tent.

Some compulsion led her to the eastern part of the dig. It was an area as yet untouched by the diggers, and looked unpromising. Janice saw her quarry sitting on a little rise staring at the moon.

***

After leaving the poker game, Mel decided to walk around the camp a little. She needed to work things out in her head, and thought the peace and quiet of the dig site would help. She sat down on a little rise overlooking the eastern part of the dig and stared at the stars.

Wonder if they ever saw them like this? If they ever had time to just stop and stare at the stars? She wondered about the ancient Warrior and Bard. Nothing she had read about in the Scrolls so far had said much about their private lives. So far most of them had been about the first year of their acquaintance, and they really didn't even seem to be friends. Just companions without the company.

Kinda like me and Janice. I guess they grew closer over time. Bet we can too, we have so far. She assured herself, after all, things had been warming up between them over the past few days. Maybe when we find more Scrolls, we'll learn more about their lives outside Xena's heroic deeds. Melinda shared Janice's view that there were more Scrolls out there to be found. They just had to know where to look. She believed that the Warrior and the Bard had several years together, and that the Bard had written more than just the nineteen Scrolls they had found. Well, twenty one if you count the two that went with Jack. Three of those not counted in the nineteen were continuations of other Scrolls, and two more contained two stories each, those like the Marcus one were short and distant. That made for a total of 23 stories, twenty one of which they had, and ten of which she had fully translated. Who knew what she would find in the others.

Melinda was so deep in thought over the Scrolls, having cowarded out and not given much consideration to the reason she was on the ridge, that she didn't hear Janice approach.

"Nice night, mind if I join you?" She asked as she extinguished her cigar under her heel. It gave her something to do while she waited on Mel's answer.

"Sure, I mean no, um..please, have a seat." Seeing Dr. Janice Covington standing in the moonlight with only a t-shirt under her jacket and shyly staring at the ground, gave Melinda the answer she was looking for. Yes, she wanted the woman before her, she loved her, she was attracted to her, and she would fight for it.

"Thanks," Janice sat down beside the Southerner. She felt the change in the air flow around them and realized that the thunder she had been hearing all day was gone. The Universe was holding its breath.

"So, what are doing out here?" Melinda asked politely. Her heart was beating so hard that she would have sworn the Turkish forces could hear it.

"I came out to find you." It was said quietly, so quietly that Melinda almost didn't hear it, but then super hearing ran in her family.

"Did you have a question about the Scrolls?" She wanted a negative answer. She really wanted a negative answer.

"No, I just wanted to talk to you. Is that ok?" Now Janice was nervous.

"Yeah, that's fine. Great. Its nice. What do you want to talk about?" Babbling didn't run in Melinda's family, but she was certainly doing that.

"Are you, uh, happy here, Mel?" The Archeologist asked her. Please say yes, please.

"I guess so. I'm not unhappy" At least not now.

"But are you happy?" Janice stressed. Seeing Melinda's shrug she continued. "What would make you happy?"

"You." It was a whisper. Janice barely heard it, and could have ignored it if she wanted to. She really didn't want to.

"I was hoping you would say something like that." The Archeologist felt the wind stir around them as the Universe sighed. "I've begun to like you a great deal. I don't want you to go anywhere like back home. Unless you want to, I mean."

"No. I like it right here. I'm not going to leave you Janice." Melinda promised. "We go together." It was a test. She wanted to see if Janice meant the same thing she did by together.

"Together." Janice reaffirmed. The Archeologist paused for a moment and then leaned over and kissed a startled Mel. "Was that alright? You're not going to flip or anything are you?"

"I'm fine. I don't think could do a flip if I tried." Mel quipped. This time she leaned in, Janice met her half way. They took their time, Janice kept all contact light. She didn't want to frighten Mel by going too fast.

"We have all the time in the world, right?" She asked. Mel, being a little short of breath, nodded. "Then let's take it slow and easy. Together." She promised again.

"Together." Melinda echoed. "Julie was right."

"How so?" Janice was confused by the sudden change in conversation.

"You are one great kisser." Melinda had the distinct thrill of seeing Janice blush for a change.

Janice stood up and brought Mel along with her. "Why don't we go shopping on Monday. We can take off and go to one of the larger villages. And I can get my laundry done."

"That sounds good." Mel stood up to her full height, and then took advantage of it by leaning down and kissing Janice. "Maybe we should go back and go to bed." She blushed again at Janice's upraised eyebrow. It had taken centuries before anyone in her family could do it, and Janice, although she didn't know that, wasn't going to let the skill go to waste.

"I know, separate tents. Separate beds. Shared dreams." Janice took Mel's hand and led her back to the camp.

Together. They both thought.

In the Fields, certain spirits were giving one another high fives, while two were claiming their rewards from each other. The Universe sighed again. The Fates warned it against sighing. That's how comets collide. It replied that this time, two hearts did. Two souls were rejoined. Together.

end

[thattay]

My Favourite Albums and Games of the 2010s

ALBUMS 100. Revolution Radio - Green Day 99. Modern Vampires of the City - Vampire Weekend 98. Good Kid M.A.A.D City - Kendrick Lamar 97. Pure Heroine - Lorde 96. Black Messiah – D’Angelo and the Vanguard 95. Let’s Rock – The Black Keys 94. Harmonicraft – Torche 93. Treats – Sleigh Bells 92. Sempiternal – Bring Me The Horizon 91. Painted Shut – Hop Along 90. No One Ever Really Dies – N.E.R.D 89. Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino – Arctic Monkeys 88. Lonerism – Tame Impala 87. Malibu – Anderson Paak. 86. Boarding House Reach – Jack White 85. Greatest Hits – Remo Drive 84. Help Us Stranger – The Raconteurs 83. Infest the Rats Nest – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard 82. Vessel – Twenty One Pilots 81. FM – Vince Staples 80. The Hurry and the Harm – City and Colour 79. Trouble Will Find Me – The National 78. I Am Easy to Find – The National 77. Afraid of Heights - Wavves 76. Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg 75. Arizona Baby – Kevin Abstract 74. I Think You Think Too Much Of Me - EDEN 73. Harry Styles – Harry Styles 72. Strange Desire – Bleachers 71. Here and Nowhere Else – Cloud Nothings 70. The Balcony – Catfish and the Bottlemen 69. Lemonade – Beyonce 68. Flower Boy – Tyler the Creator 67. Morbid Stuff - Pup 66. Meliora – Ghost 65. Cuz I Love You - Lizzo 64. Beauty Behind the Madness – The Weeknd 63. Some Nights – Fun. 62. The 1975 – The 1975 61. V - Wavves 60. Picture Show – Neon Trees 59. Little Dark Age – MGMT 58. When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go – Billie Eilish 57. + - Ed Sheeran 56. Hungry Ghost – Violent Soho 55. Lost in the Dream – The War on Drugs 54. Watch The Throne – Kanye West & Jay Z 53. Hurry Up We’re Dreaming – M83 52. Home, Like No Place Is There – The Hotelier 51. Run the Jewels 2 – Run the Jewels 50. Trench  – Twenty One Pilots 49. IGOR – Tyler the Creator 48. Gone Now - Bleachers 47. Every Open Eye - Chvrches 46. FIDLAR - FIDLAR 45. El Camino – The Black Keys 44. The Physical World – Death From Above 1979 43. Ye – Kanye West 42. Saturation 3 – Brockhampton 41. Blurry Face – Twenty One Pilots 40. Run the Jewels 3 – Run The Jewels 39. Death of a Bachelor – Panic! At The Disco 38. Megalithic Symphony – AWOLNATION 37. Attack on Memory – Cloud Nothings 36. Starboy – The Weeknd 35. Too – FIDLAR 34. 21 – Adele 33. Ginger – Brockhampton 32. Damn. – Kendrick Lamar 31. Splendour and Misery – clipping. 30. Emotion – Carly Rae Jepsen 29.  Channel Orange – Frank Ocean 28. Brothers – The Black Keys 27. Melodrama - Lorde 26. Plastic Beach – Gorillaz 25. Blowout  - The So So Glos 24. Prequelle - Ghost 23. Colouring Book – Chance the Rapper 22. Kids See Ghosts – Kids See Ghosts 21. …Like Clockwork – Queens of the Stone Age 20. Blunderbuss – Jack White 19. A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships – The 1975 18. Blonde – Frank Ocean 17. Habits – Neon Trees 16. Because the Internet – Childish Gambino 15. There Existed an Addiction to Blood – clipping. 14. Go Farther in Lightness – Gang of Youths 13. AM – Arctic Monkeys 12. Pony – Rex Orange County 11. To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar 10. Blackstar – David Bowie 9. Transgender Dysphoria Blues – Against Me! 8. Yeezus – Kanye West 7. Awaken My Love – Childish Gambino 6. Random Access Memories – Daft Punk 5. Suck It and See – Arctic Monkeys 4. Iridescence – Brockhampton 3. Danger Days – My Chemical Romance 2. Celebration Rock - Japandroids 1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West GAMES  50. Rainbow Six Siege 49. Batman Arkham Knight 48. Dragon Age Inquisition 47. Bastion 46. Heavy Rain 45. Luigi’s Mansion 3 44. Assassin’s Creed 3 43. Inside 42. LA Noire 41. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 40. Battlefield 3 39. Until Dawn 38. Control 37. Doom  36. Modern Warfare 35. Valiant Hearts 34. Return of the Obra Dinn 33. Firewatch 32. Cities Skylines 31. Alien Isolation 30. Skyrim 29. Cuphead 28. Assassin’s Creed Origins 27. Outlast 2 26. Telltale’s The Walking Dead 25. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End 24. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 23. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag 22. Dishonored 21. Horizon Zero Dawn 20. Death Stranding 19. Rocket League 18. Overwatch 17. Super Smash Bros Ultimate 16. Spider-Man 15. God of War 14. PT 13. Grand Theft Auto V 12. Portal 2 11. Batman Arkham City 10. Papers Please 9. Hotline Miami 8. Red Dead Redemption 7. Minecraft 6. Super Mario Odyssey 5. The Last of Us 4. Outer Wilds 3. Red Dead Redemption 2 2. The Last Guardian 1. Bioshock Infinite

[lakeham]

CHARLOTTE DAVENPORT is 28 YEARS OLD, resides in GRANDVIEW and has lived in Lakeham for 18 YEARS. She is FEMALE and works as a FREELANCE WRITER. She is portrayed by MARGOT ROBBIE  and is played by NATASHA.

Trigger Warnings: Death, drugs, depression.

The son of one of the most influential families in a wealthy Connecticut town falling in love with the daughter of a British lord was almost too perfect of a match. Jeff Davenport and Caroline Dormer met at Columbia University while they were pursuing master’s degrees; Jeff’s future working in his family’s company was decided for him while Caroline, who had no real desire to return to England to live as a noblewoman, had dreams of becoming a professor. Once the pair graduated and were engaged, there was no question that they were going to live in Jeff’s affluent hometown of Lakeham while he worked his way to being the CEO of his family’s Bridgeport-based cybersecurity company. Caroline taught mathematics at Lakeham University for some time, leaving the workforce entirely when she gave birth to their son Henry. Two girls followed in the subsequent years, Charlotte and Olivia. The Davenports had always wanted many children, not because they loved the idea of parenthood, but because they had a legacy to secure through them. They reminded themselves that a marriage like theirs, although based in love, was far too powerful to waste in any way but creating their own dynasty, a subset of the one that Jeff’s ancestors had begun when they settled in Lakeham.

Henry was the pride and joy of their family, the one who would eventually take over the family business, and the youngest daughter Olivia was the baby of the family who was constantly adored by both her parents and siblings. Charlotte was just that, Charlotte. She was seen as being beautiful and bookish, but no one else knew how to describe the black sheep of the Davenport family. Although she suffered from middle child syndrome and felt as though she was living in the shadows of her siblings, it would have been a lie to say that Charlotte was not loved by them. Jeff and Caroline tried their best to be the ever-loving parents, but they both had other priorities that took precedence over being there for their offspring. But if there was one thing that they had ensured to teach them, it was that their image and reputation were everything - only enhanced by associating with people of the same caliber as them. Valley Prep School was an easy time for Charlotte, with friends that her parents had deemed appropriate including her in their social circle. Insecurity plagued her brain as a teenager, knowing that had she not had the Davenport name backing her, she would not be friends with the people whom she called as such. Not that it mattered, as the young girl internalized that to be among them was a privilege that she should never question and should instead show gratitude for. So many teenage girls would give anything to be in her position, and she would be a fool to not acknowledge that. Henry played the role perfectly, and it would be an utter shame if she could not hold a torch to his performance.

Instead of following in the footsteps of her parents and older brother in attending Columbia when the time came, Charlotte flew across the pond to attend University College London in her mother’s homeland. Pursuing a degree in Comparative Literature with a concentration in French, Charlotte had no idea what she wanted to do with her life - just that there was more to it than the cushy confines of her family’s manor back in Lakeham. With Henry set to take over the family business, the middle Davenport child was free to make whatever life choices she wanted - within reason, of course. Caroline’s family was ever present in London, and welcomed their American relative with arms wide open. Her cousins invited her to social gatherings among London’s upper class, and for someone who had such distaste for her New England aristocratic upbringing, Charlotte ironically adored the British high society lifestyle and even thrived as an honorary socialite for some time. London had become her second home and she vowed that she would be back once she had seen enough of the rest of the world. As much as Henry and Olivia begged her to come back, Charlotte had no intentions of returning to Lakeham. In her eyes, she would have been returning to exactly what she wanted to escape: a stagnant and elitist society, where she would never be seen as anything but Jeff Davenport’s beautiful and introverted daughter. Although her older brother Henry especially kept bringing up the topic, Charlotte reassured him of her affection for him but also her reluctance to return to the life she once knew and did not enjoy, not when there was a chance to create a future independent of her family name, the future that she chose for herself.

Getting certified to teach English as a Second Language was not difficult, and getting a placement to teach in France at first was simple as well given her knowledge of the language. Being based in a small town in southern France teaching teenagers for two years, Charlotte embraced the culture and immersed herself in the French language before deciding that she wanted to move on to her next destination. The next four years were spent as an expat, from teaching English in South Korea to doing humanitarian work in Costa Rica to spending time on a working holiday visa in Australia. While she worked, Charlotte did some freelance writing jobs over the years, writing pieces mostly for lifestyle publications and even started her own blog. Her brother’s continuous pleas for her to return home fell on deaf ears, as the blonde ignored them and continued to embrace the life that she was meant to live. Her living conditions were not luxurious by any means, but she was truly happy with her life and the spontaneity of not knowing what country or project it would lead her to next.

It was in Australia that she crossed paths with a British expat who was also working there, and for the first time in her life, Charlotte was falling in love with a person instead of a place. Like her, David was also from an affluent family but wanted to forge his own path in the world, which led him to Sydney and right into Charlotte’s life. What started off as just them having fun turned into a serious courtship, with the pair becoming engaged just a little over a year into dating with plans to go to London for the time being, where they would marry in the presence of their friends and families before embarking on their next journey together. Once again, Henry’s desperate pleas for his sister to return home were met with an exasperated sigh, with Charlotte not knowing why a thirty-year-old man was so insistent on his sister being in the same place as him. Could he have not respected her newfound independence and desire to be on her own, regardless of how she felt about him? Their last conversation would haunt the young woman forever, as it was a week later that she received the call that no one had wanted to: Henry had died of a drug overdose in a Bridgeport hotel room. Charlotte’s world crumbled with that news, how long had he been using? Were his pleas for her to come home also a cry for help? Had she really been that selfish to ignore her older brother’s issues and focused on her own goals too much to see that she was needed by one of the people she cared about the most?

Charlotte and David were only supposed to have been in Lakeham for two weeks to attend Henry’s funeral and offer support to her family. It was the first time that the blonde had stepped foot on American soil since she was eighteen years old, and she was a changed woman since then, given her experiences and growth over the prior decade. The night before their transatlantic flight back to London Heathrow, Charlotte told her fiancé that she needed some more time in Lakeham and that he should go back to London and she’d join him soon. She was lucky to have such an understanding and patient man by her side, who was more than willing to give her the time she needed. The couple parted ways for the time being while David headed home, wanting to give Charlotte some the opportunity to collect herself and be at peace with her family - if only she knew how to do that.

❝ I'M OUT WITH LANTERNS, LOOKING FOR MYSELF.❞

It has been one year since Henry’s death, and almost a year since Charlotte has been back in Connecticut. She is still in a strained long distance relationship with her fiancé, who has grown frustrated with her reluctance to return to London or even set a wedding date, always telling him that she is “ not ready”. Quite a jump from the months prior to losing her brother, when she knew that she was ready to settle down with David and fairly sure of herself. She has since moved back into the Davenport manor in Grandview, although it had become a shell of the home that it once was. Her parents were devastated after having lost their only son, and Olivia… Charlotte did not even know where to start with her younger sister. She has been trying to read the youngest Davenport’s true emotions regarding their family and would like to rekindle their relationship, but also knowing what it feels like to need space she did not want to stifle her.

Charlotte’s career has been paused, but she has been keeping somewhat busy with continuing her freelance career while falling back on her financial stability, credited to her own savings and her family’s money that she was given. Being a jack of all trades but a master of none, she has yet to choose something to focus mostly one from her extensive resume of teaching, volunteering, and writing. She is contracted to write various pieces for publications and websites, sometimes thinking of starting an actual career but not knowing exactly where to begin.

Anyone who knows Charlotte is waiting to see which country she flies off to next, or what her next job would be. Surely she would not be staying in Lakeham, as she has enjoyed her time away from it far too much and had a life waiting to begin in England. She is definitely not a contender to take over the Davenport business, and the only person she would have stayed behind for is deceased. But Charlotte cannot bring herself to leave Lakeham yet again, as the sadness and guilt have consumed her and made her unsure even of what her purpose in life is. Death changes people, and she had been unprepared for it. She only hopes that she can keep her head above water long enough to find a life jacket, unsure as to how to ask for the help that she so desperately needs.

Charlotte has been running a travel and lifestyle blog for the past five years, documenting her various stints in different countries and the lives she leads in each one, seeing no two as being the same. But her online life has been on a hiatus since she returned to Connecticut, with only throwback photos being posted. She is not ready to come out to her followers about the pain that she is enduring currently. Her blog is her happy place, why should she ruin it? That being said, she hates the term “influencer” despite having a significant social media following due to her blog.

Ever since she left home for university, Charlotte has always wanted a pet but has never had the time to actually take care of one, with being so busy and moving from country to country. She is definitely more of a cat person than a dog person, and plans on adopting one soon now that she’s settled for the time being.

Charlotte loves being by bodies of water, and she can often be found on the beach or by Lake Marin relaxing peacefully. However, she is not much of a swimmer.

(+) Intelligent, compassionate, open-minded. (-) Guarded, self-righteous, hypocritical.

[yourescapetofiction]

The Tides Have Turned-Part 16

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

Sixteen

Y/n’s POV

We all filed into this fancy restaurant that was dimly lit, and teeming with people. It was one of those joints that had ambiance, and every diner was dressed to the nines. This was a really nice change from us sitting around like beach bums eating fast food.

“Good evening, do you have a reservation?” the server at the front podium asked us. She spoke fast, and in between barking out orders into her headset.

“Yeah it’s under Wilkinson” Sam spoke up, still holding my hand.

“Ah, yes. Wilkinson. Party of nine?” she clarified, typing away into the computer system.

“That’s right.”

“Right this way” she spoke before briskly walking through the crowded floor. We all had to take on a speed walk to keep up with her as she wove in and out of tables and around servers balancing food over their head. Sam dropped behind me, placing his hand on the small of my back as we made our way to the table.

“Here we are, your server will be with you shortly” she smiled before sauntering off.

“Damn, this place is fancy” Dillon said removing his blazer and placing it on the back of his chair.

“I heard they have the best steaks on Long Island” Kenny spoke up grabbing the menu.

“Nothing but the best guys” Sam said, making me giggle because I knew this was supposed to be for the two of us.

We all began to peruse the menu when our waiter came over.

“Good evening, my name is Zack and I’ll be your waiter for the evening. What can I get you all to drink?” he said flipping a notepad and pulling a pen from behind his ear. He was attractive, but rather quirky. He went around the table taking our drink orders, and most of us just asked for waters to start.

“You guys from around here?” he asked as he scribbled away.

“No, we’re on vacation” Johnson spoke up.

“That’s rad man. You having a good time?” he asked. This guy was overly friendly, but it added to his charm. He was really laid back.

“The best time,” I said smiling widely and glancing at the guys.

“Tell you what, let me see if I can sneak you guys a bottle of red. They’re always laying around anyways” he smiled before walking off.

“Hell yes” Dillon said clapping his hands together. I just laughed.

“This is a fancy establishment Rupp, not one of your strip joints that you get smashed at” I chuckle turning back to the menu.

“Better listen to the lady man” Gilinsky laughed.

We all made small talk about what we decided we were going to order. Most of us settled on steaks, or seafood.

Zack returned with our waters, and a bottle of red-as promised. We placed our orders and settled in for a relaxed evening. I settled back in my chair, semi-leaning on Sam, as we listened to Johnson tell us about the wild time they had on the set for a music video.

“I’m telling you guys, the power went out for like thirty minutes, nobody could see what they were doing” he starts speaking fast and talked with his hands, something he does when he’s excited.

“So we got the brilliant idea of splattering everyone with the glow in the dark paint” Gilinsky cut in, laughing so hard he could barely get the words out.

“But nobody realized that shit can be flammable, so here I am running around like an idiot past these tiki torches, when all of a sudden I feel the room become a thousand degrees” J said.

“This bitch caught himself on fucking fire” G was screaming laughing at this point. “I had to tackle him to the ground, and an extra poured all of the waters from the table all over him.”

“There’s no way” I say busting out laughing.

“Why haven’t I heard that one before?” Swazz asked.

“Can’t be worse than the time I almost set my hand on fire” Sam laughs.

“Oh my god, I was there for that one! Dude made a blowtorch out of a lighter and hairspray” Kenny said shaking his head at the memory.

This is generally how the night was carrying on, we were laughing and telling stories, reminiscing on the good times we have had together.

“How is everyone doing over here? Need any top ups on drinks, or are you good?” Zack asked.

“Actually, we’ll need two more places set” a voice boomed from behind the table. I furrowed my brow, turning from the conversation. The entire table fell silent to see Nate escorting that bimbo Jessica to her place. What in the actual fuck. I could feel Sam tense beside me, and everyone sat with wide eyes.

“It’s rude to stare, you know” she said sitting down, a smug smile playing on her lips. Nate sat directly across from me, and stared intently into my eyes.

“I could say the same” I said taking a sip of my wine.

“Glad you decided to join us after all” Johnson nervously laughed.

“Yeah, well I figured since tonight’s all about debuting dysfunctional relationships why not join the party” Nate said harshly, barely hiding that his snide comment was directed to Sam and I.

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but I squeezed his thigh gently under the table as a warning.

“It’s not worth it,” I whisper into his ear as his jaw clenched.

“So…” Kenny struggled to redirect this train-wreck back to normal conversation.

“Jessica, how did you two meet?” he asked before burying his face in his glass.

“Oh Nathan and I go way back” she flipped her hair before delving into the story. She had a fake spray tan, bright blonde hair and wore too much makeup. Her dress was quite revealing, and definitely not appropriate for the setting.

“We met back home in Omaha, and dated for a while. We were the loves of each other’s life” she said grasping Nate’s bicep tightly under her nails. He sat in silence, not corroborating her story one way or the other, just watching it unfold. Waiting for my reaction. I rolled my eyes, knowing damn well it wasn’t the truth.

“Don’t roll your eyes, sweetheart. Just because he chose me and not you” she smiled falsely. I could feel my blood begin to boil, but this night was not about this bitch, it was about friendship.

“There wasn’t a choice to make,” I smile just as falsely as she did, “I opted to fuck a real man” I say before placing a sloppy kiss to Sam’s neck. He looked down, trying desperately to hide his smirk. He knew I was a spitfire, and would hardly shy away from speaking my own. I heard an audible “holy shit” escape Gilinsky’s lips.

I slowly shifted my gaze to Nate to let him know that whatever little plan he had concocted, wasn’t going to work. He clenched his jaw tightly, anger flickering in his eyes.

“Okay, so Kenny how has the music scene coming along with Wes?” Cam asked, desperate to escape this awkward situation. They always seemed to follow us.

“Uh, really great actually” Kenny stuttered, trying to find his groove. “We’re starting up our own band, called The Balcony,”

“Oh my god, like the balcony of a house?” Jessica asked leaning forward, her boob nearly knocking over her wine glass.

“Uh, yeah,” Kenny slightly cringed at her comment, “anyways we just got it going and we’re releasing our first song in July” he finished. I laughed into my glass at her dumbass comment, and Kenny’s reaction was priceless and didn’t exactly help.

“You okay?” Sam leaned in to ask me, noticing my giggling.

“Yeah, I’m good. Just now realizing that balconies are a part of houses, AND the name of Kenny’s band!” I say playing dumb, which caused Sam to let out a giggle.

“Why you gotta say some shit like that” Nate growled out. This is the first time he contributed to the conversation. I wiped a tear that was escaping my eye, before shifting them to Nate’s face. He was fuming that I was finding this humorous.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” I say innocently.

“You have no right to be rude to her, y/n. You’re acting like a bitch right now” he said with malice.

“You’re way out of line bro” Sam warned, anger lacing his voice.

“What has gotten into you?” Johnson leaned in to Nate. All humor has left me, and now I felt pure anger.

“I’m not gonna sit here and let her talk about Jessica like that” he raised his voice.

“Oh now you’re trying to act like a man” Sam spat, standing up to confront Nate, who jumped to his feet also. They were about to get into each other’s faces before the waiter interrupted with our food, causing them to sit back down. Zack was oblivious to the hell hole that he walked into.

“Thanks Zach” Jessica said touching his hand and shooting him a flirty smile. The girl was on a date with Nate and she couldn’t even keep her hands to herself. Typical.

We all began eating, and the conversation shifted yet again.

“So speaking of music, you two are working on some new singles right?” Nash asked towards the Jacks before cutting into his steak. J’s eyes lit up, finally able to talk about something else.

“Yeah we are. We’re actually coming up with a new concept-” he began before he was rudely cut off.

“Wait. You two make music?” Jessica said gesturing between the two Jacks, a look of distaste on her face.

“Uh, yeah. Why?” Gilinsky asked, purely confused.

“Well now I’ve heard it all” she threw her head back and scoffed. Now I really felt my blood boiling. It was one thing to throw menial insults at me, but when you start to insult my family, the claws are out.

“Why don’t you shut the fuck up” I bellow, effectively silencing the whole table. I heard the clinking of silverware dropping on plates, and saw Cam’s mouth agape in shock.

“Y/n…” Gilinsky whispered while kicking my foot lightly under the table.

“I got this G” I said. Normally I was above this, I would just let it roll off of my back, but not tonight.

“These two guys right here, have more talent in one finger than you do in your whole body. I mean really, what are you good for? You’re just taking up space. Not to mention you’re completely wasting your time chasing after a guy that doesn’t want you” I started to lay into her, my face growing red with fury. Everybody just watched in complete horror.

She looked around somewhat nervously, but tried her best to laugh it off.

“Bullshit, Nate’s in love with me and you’re just too jealous to realize that you’re not good enough” she retorted. I stood up throwing my napkin on the table, Sam grabbing one arm just in case I tried anything.

“It’s not about being ‘good enough.’ What good does it do when the guy is completely repulsed by you, speaks bad about you when you’re not around, and goes out of his way to avoid you” I argued. She sat in silence at the impact of my words.

“You can try your best to hurt me, but I’ll be damned if I let you hurt these guys” I motion around me. “And you,” I turn to look at Nate, “I thought you would at least have the dignity to stick up for your friends.” I threw myself back in my chair and chugged my water, damn roasting people took it out of me.

“Check please!” Gilinsky half-shouted to any waiter in the vicinity. He stuck behind to finish up with the bill while the rest of us gathered our things to leave.

Nate’s POV

“Nathan! Are you just going to let her talk to me like that?!” Jessica whisper-shouted pulling on my arm.

“You were out of line attacking the Jacks like that” I simply responded as I got up from the table. We made a right commotion out of this dinner. My plan kind of backfired, I wanted to get a rise out of y/n, which happened, but I didn’t expect her to say such hurtful things. The rift is greater now.

We were walking behind the rest of the group, and I saw Sam holding onto her tightly. He was rubbing it in. I harshly pulled Jessica into my side, in a desperate attempt to exude my masculinity.

“Oww, Nate, watch my hair!” she whined.

“Sorry” I mumble gruffly.

By now we were all standing outside in the night air, waiting for G to finish up with the check.

“She’s only talking a big game because she’s got Sam Wilkinson on her arm” Jessica said to me, but quite loudly to where I knew the others had heard also.

“I have fucking had it with you” y/n said leaving Sam’s arms, and stormed right towards us. She lifted her hand and smacked Jessica right across the face. She stumbled backwards, from the pure force of the blow. Y/n turned quickly on her heel and walked with Sam and the others towards the car. Now I know I really fucked up, when the night resulted in physical blows. I shouldn’t have brought Jessica here, it made everything worse and possibly drove y/n further into the arms of Sam.

“Come on, I’ll take you home” I say ushering Jessica towards the car we came in. We drove in silence the entire way, she looked pissed that y/n got away with the last word. I could still see the bright pink handprint left on her face. I pulled up to the front driveway of the house she was staying at.

“You wanna come up?” she asked quickly, and in an angry tone.

“No I’m good” I say before driving off, leaving her standing in her driveway. I could hear her screaming something at me, probably a mixture of expletives, but I didn’t really give a shit.

I just kept driving.

[chocolatemillkk]

Tired Talks (JM)

Requests: A cute jack one where you’re cuddling together and he’s really tired and he’s laying on your tummy and you’re playing with his hair and your talking abt shit?!!!?£?

"Jack?" I call into the flat as I struggle to take off my heels and close the door behind me simultaneously. I hear a muffled, wordless response so I peek into the living room. "Hey!"

Jack looks up from his hands where he was rubbing circles into his eyes, looking stressed out as usual. He'd been going through a rough patch recently although he never liked to admit it, always claiming that he had a handle on things. I could read him easily, like a book I could never tire of.

"Hey," he sounds tired. "You're early."

"I wanted to catch you before you went out with the boys." I throw my bag in the vague direction of the dining table and walk to Jack. He smiles up at me and grabs my hands but I can tell from the lack of laugh lines, he was tired and not going to talk about it.

"I don't know if I'm going," Jack sniffs. "Might sit this one out."

"Have you eaten?" I ask, putting the back of my hand to his cheek. He didn't look sick but maybe he was catching a bug?

"Yeah," Jack looks down at his screen. "Conor came by earlier and we had takeout. We left some for you."

I was starving so I let go of Jack's hands to walk to the kitchen and track down the container. "It's nice having Conor home for long. He almost feels like an illusion the way he poofs in and out."

"Yeah but when he's around longer I remember how annoying he can get," Jack jokes. "I'm more fond of him when he's in and out."

I laugh as I take my food out of the microwave and decide to just eat standing at the countertop. It was one of those days. "You light up when he's around babe, you can't hide it!"

"I do not!" Jack insists. "He's always trying to be the center of attention."

"Someone a little jealous?" I tease, knowing exactly how to rile Jack up and loosen him a little.

"In his dreams," Jack shakes his head.

"He's better at it anyway," I say into my food. Ever since I'd known Conor he was the center whether he wanted to be or not. I remember telling Jack I liked him more than a friend at the beginning of our relationship and he was shocked. Because I hung out a lot with both Maynard boys and-occasionally-flirted with Conor, he just assumed he'd been friendzoned.

Jack scoffs and fiddles with something on his laptop so I eat in silence as he edits his video. I clean up and change to clothing a lot comfier than a pencil skirt, sliding in beside Jack on the couch.

"Whatchya editing?" I ask, settling into the old leather. "This week's video?"

"No," Jack groans. "I told a friend I would help edit his edits and he basically sent me the whole thing unedited. I haven't even done my video yet and I need to finish it by tomorrow since we're out of town Sunday."

"Aw babe," I reach out to stroke the back of Jack's neck. The spot where his hair faded away into his neck was my favourite.

"Ugh! I'm so tired!" Jack exclaims before falling backwards into me except he estimated the landing wrong and his shoulders land on my lap while his head hangs off the other side of my lap.

"Spot on," I tease.

"Leave me alone-I'm tired!" Jack says with a smile as he adjusts himself with his head in my lap. I admire how good my boyfriend looked, even with exhaustion tugging at his features.

"I love you," I say, smoothing his hair back. He reaches his hand up and strokes my cheek. I turn quickly and kiss his hand and he laughs, the sound hoarse like he hadn't done it in a while. I feel a small surge of pride for having cracked him.

Jack closes his eyes lightly as I stroke his hair for a while. I think he'd fallen asleep but his eyes suddenly crack open. "Our anniversary's coming up in a week."

"It is babe. Two years with the old ball and chain."

"Hey," Jack opens his eyes fully. "You're not supposed to say that."

"Why's that?" I laugh.

"Aren't we supposed to be married before I say that?"

"Why can't I say it?" I rest my hand on his forehead.

"You don't actually feel that way do you?" Jack asks, all traces of humour gone.

"Of course not babe," I shake my head. "I never feel that way."

"I would never say that-it's stupid." Jack grabs my hand and kisses it. I smile down at my angel and run my fingers through his hair to convince him I never felt that way.

"So why did you bring up the anniversary?" I ask. "Didn't we say we would do something lowkey this year?"

"I wanted to make you something," Jack says as his eyelids flutter. He looked like he was fighting falling asleep or continuing the conversation. "I asked my mum if she had a recipe for her creme brulee. And she told me I would burn the house down."

"Your mum's right," I chuckle. "Best to keep the blow torch out of your hands."

"But we had it on our first date remember?" Jack's voice takes on one of a tired child, asking their mum to remember an obscure story from last week.

"I remember," I smooth his hair back. "At the flashy restaurant you took me to."

"It was an awful first date," Jack smiles while his eyes remain closed.

"One of the worst. You had on that ridiculous shirt."

"I still have it. I call it my lucky shirt!"

"Lucky for what?" I cringe thinking about the patterns.

"I got you while wearing it didn't I?" Jack asks.

"Oi stop with the flattery. That date was bad because of the shirt."

"But then remember they came out with creme brulee-"

"And we were both so excited to crack it perfectly." I laugh.

"We laughed like crazy doing it like we were on the food network," Jack mumbles. "I don't think we can ever return to that place again."

"But after cracking dessert, we cracked the ice between us too." I remind him.

"Why are you so poetic?" Jack looks up at me with sleepy eyes.

"I'm convinced I'm related to Shakespeare." I muse. "My grandpa moved to London from Redditch. Maybe his dad was from where Shakespeare's from-you never know."

"You're so full of shite babe."

"You wouldn't have me any other way," I pry Jack's eye open and he groans, giving in to opening them both.

"I love you, bull and all alright?"

"Good. Hey you know my friend from work? Diana? She was talking about taking a trip to New York and I realised we never got around to doing it."

"Yeah," Jack's closed his eyes and fallen back to a sleepy state. He barely moves his mouth as he answers and his head slowly dips to one side. "Just busy."

"I know you are babe," I play with his hair and it shimmers multiple shade as the light from the sun setting hits the strands. "I was thinking I could plan it all out. We could go for our anniversary."

"Yeah," Jack mumbles. "That's nice."

"Just for a few days," I say quietly. "You can get your mind off of things too. There are thousands of creme brulees in New York."

"Mmm," Jack hums.

"Perfect. I'll start planning it then."

"Mmm," Jack agrees again and I giggle quietly. It was cute how Jack was still trying to keep up the conversation even though he was clearly asleep.

"Can we buy a dog once we come home? Maybe adopt a cat too?"

"Mhm," Jack responds slower.

"I'll name the dog Shakespeare after my ancestor," I whisper. When all I get is Jack's deep breathing I cover my laugh and stroke his hair, kissing his temple for having to put up with me.

I look around and spot the remote on the coffee table so careful not to jostle Jack, I reach for it slowly and grasp it with my fingers. The TV blares on, a high volume we'd left it on the night before and I scramble to put it down but Jack remains unfazed in my lap.

"Guess I'll be here for a while," I say to myself, finding my show on Netflix and pressing play. My fingers thread through Jack's hair again-it was just as therapeutic for me as it was him, and I relax from the day I had with a good show and my love on my lap. A girl didn't need much else to be happy.

[martinahlijanian]

The Hunt for Real Contracting Transformation (co-written by Dennis Smyth)

Change. The mere mention of the word generates multiple emotions. As professionals, particularly in the tech and professional services sectors, we know we’re supposed to embrace it, sell it, and support it. But in the context of OUR internal organizations and operations, we flinch. In fact, some of us get downright petulant, almost reverting to holding our breath and stomping feet. And those responsible for implementing the change – whether it be a procedure, a policy, or a system/app – have to deal with that resistance, while somehow staying on schedule and ensuring broad user adoption. No wonder certain implementers can sound like esteemed Captain Bart Mancuso (played perfectly by veteran actor Scott Glenn in the greatest movie ever made, The Hunt for Red October) when he says “Now if that ___ so much as twitches, I’m going to blow him straight to Mars”.

Hopefully change-related tensions don’t rise to this level in your company or agency, and your implementation teams are a bit more friendly, mature and flexible. Every change manager should understand that the acceptance of change is challenging.

Some might argue that change is more difficult for certain functions. One of the most important processes in any business is the handling of quotes, proposals and contracts. After all, contracts date back to our old friend Justinian’s law of the 6th century CE/AD as cornerstones of a developed market economy, and have increased in significance, particularly as business increases in complexity. Entitlements, obligations, and value corresponding to each party continue to be captured in contracts, but with the advent of business intelligence tools and sophisticated databases, tactical and strategic advantages inure to those organizations that mine data from their contracts most efficiently. So every large, successful corporation must be embracing contract process transformation initiatives, right? Not even close. Perhaps more than others, contracts, legal, and compliance professionals generally LOATHE change. Go ahead and implement a new HR or finance system, but don’t touch the way we do our jobs! Any lost time, lost information, or even worse, lost document(s) could be fatal to the company (so we think). As Admiral Painter said in Red October, “This business will get out of control…it will get out of control and we’ll be lucky to live through it!” (That’s a bit of an understated response when someone proposes a contract transformation program in MY department, but you get the idea.)

Nevertheless, contract transformation must occur. We’ve established that the handling of proposals and contracts is critical to a successful organization. If that’s the case, it should logically follow that the contracting process must perform at peak operational efficiency and effectiveness, with the best tools currently available. Contracts, legal, and compliance practitioners should never be the “red-headed stepchildren”, using outdated apps and byzantine procedures solely because “that’s the way we’ve always done it”.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged every aspect of our society, and contracting processes are no exception. If your department hasn’t gone through a transformation recently, COVID has likely generated a host of reasons to consider changes. For starters, where your team will work is a daily consideration, and the subject of thousands of webinars, white papers, and advisories. Smashing silos between departments is now a necessity, not a luxury from a consultant’s wish list. And completing such a transformation in a timely manner must occur to keep the company afloat. But before any other change initiative is considered, there’s now a sine quo non of transformation in 2021: employee safety. Pressures to return to an office environment will mount as infection rates drop; however, the benefits of in-person collaboration and employee-company stickiness shouldn’t ever trump increased risk to your team’s physical and emotional health. Stay tuned as this dynamic evolves through the coming months of vaccine mandates and booster shots.

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) matters, as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) considerations, are now part and parcel of contracts teams, from the retention of consultants in these areas to the increased utilization of diverse suppliers, partners, and subcontractors within the business. Entire proposal sections on ESG issues may have to be drafted, and contracts professionals may be called upon to provide substantial input into these developing responses. With respect to DEI, our colleagues in the government contracts arena have been utilizing tools to discover, partner with, and monitor/report on the performance of diverse subcontractors for over four decades; the contract formation and management practices used in that market could jump start a team’s ineffective – or non-existent – diversity supplier program. Process and system transformation will need to accommodate these critical areas.

Much has also been written about cloud systems and apps that facilitate remote work, and our blog from earlier this year on Contracts Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems addresses the jewel in the crown of remote contracts work. Collaboration tools, packaged home office setups, and mobile applications should also be considered to replicate the pre-COVID ways of working as much as possible.

In terms of your team’s structure, changes may be required to your wiring diagram to improve efficiency and reflect the dramatically altered circumstances. Schematic adjustments alone don’t often yield tremendous results, but in the current environment, and under the aegis of process transformation, reporting structures should be examined, particularly involving coordination with Legal and Finance departments. The placement of the contracts team – as either a centralized shared service, within a business unit, or in a hybrid structure, is also an issue to be addressed. Substantively, real estate, insurance, supply chain, third party partners in the remediation/testing field, and bankruptcy issues will likely demand equal footing with the typical front-runner of customer contracts.

This blog could go on for hundreds of pages on the topic of change management alone. Mandatory requirements include:

Ø Very public senior leadership support

Ø Transparency from start to finish

Ø Focus initially on managers – their buy-in is essential

Ø It’s all about relationships – don’t ever forget that, and use them within and outside of the process

Ø Develop and deliver training throughout the initiative

Specific transformation activities should focus on:

1. Contracts team performance, as measured against internal SLAs and KPIs

2. Skills of team members

3. Budget management

4. IT systems and apps

5. Terms and fallback position standardization (“playbook” creation, distribution and training)

6. Utilization of external resources and consultants

7. Common project management practices

Best practices in structuring the transformation exercise include the following steps:

Ø An initial diagnostic assessment of functions and then-current performance

Ø Survey of stakeholders and analysis of results against benchmarks

Ø Creation of a new contracting strategy

Ø Assessing IT tools that will facilitate the transformation for multiple years

Ø Messaging the urgent need and advantages of changes

Ø Creation of change agent allies and identification of specific team members for this role

Ø Measuring and monitoring progress

Merger and acquisition (M&A) integration activities must also be reflected in your contracts team transformation program. This includes both previously integrated entities/staff as well as future organizations. A packaged, M&A-centric version of your transformation program must be created as a major quick reaction process with your entity integration plan. This doesn’t have to be an immediate “break glass, pull alarm” response, but as discussed above, should be implemented sooner rather than later given the criticality of contracts to the overall business.

“Hey Ryan – be careful what you shoot at. Most things in here don’t react too well to bullets.”

Another aspect of change management (at least as taught to us at PwC) is to cajole and convince, but never go in with guns blazing. After all, facts and logic are in ample supply – you shouldn’t have to utilize a scorched earth approach. Does that mean every colleague will warmly embrace the changes? Absolutely not. But verbal bullets fired at your own team members shouldn’t be an option.

“When he reached the New World, Cortez burned his ships. As a result, his men were well motivated.”

While a Genghis Khan communication strategy shouldn’t be employed, weak, nostalgic messaging that undercuts the transformation and questions the need or approach for change will doom the program. Burn those ships sailing against the initiative. That doesn’t mean all of the prior procedures, approaches, systems, or contract terms were poor, or should be abandoned. But broader statements questioning the need or wisdom of the transformation must be torched.

A lot to consider here but it’s all about moving forward in a way that that improves staff/company morale and performance in a rapidly-changing internal and external environment. As Jack Ryan said in the final scene of Red October, “Welcome to the New World, Captain.”

[recommendedlisten]

Recommended Buzz Activity was how this week started, followed by a bout of anaphylactic shock from hyperactive punks PUP. Recent Recommended Buzzes Retirement Party set forth their plans to get rich by dying to try while Healing Potpourri are fine with life just by wrapping themselves up in a blanket of calm. Shape-shifting was a thing from familiar faces as a reunion from Wicca Phase Springs Eternal’s Adam McIlwee and his former Tigers Jaw ‘mates fell from the sky in dark angel form, former Harlem Shakes guitarist and ARMS frontman Todd Goldstein melded into acronymical ambient form, and CEREMONY’s Ross Farrar introduced us to the concept that SPICE is the pain of life. Top that off with loosies from Brooklyn rapper-on-the-rise Navy Blue and Big Thief.

Here’s the best of the rest from the week of April 26th, 2020…

Arca - “Nonbinary” [XL Recordings]

Inimitable experimental producer Arca has shared a glimpse behind her forthcoming third LP KiCk i. The album -- which is the first in a four-part series and touts Rosalía and Björk as collaborative guests -- marks the beginning of a new chapter for her since coming out as nonbinary in 2018. That, in fact, is the title of the album’s first single as well. In it, Arca goes hard on her multi-dimensional persona. “I don’t give a fuck what you think / You don’t know me / You might owe me / But, bitch, you’ll never know me.” The electricity pulsing through her just veins with just confrontation, and emerges as well in its thrilling futuristic visuals directed by Frederik Heyman.

Dixie Chicks - “Julianna Calm Down” [Columbia Records]

“Julianna Calm Down” is the second single from from Dixie Chick’s upcoming comeback Gaslighter, now delayed to a date TBD due to the coronavirus pandemic. We already heard its fire-fueled, buoyant bluegrass bop and first glimpse into what a Jack Antonoff team-up sounds like in its lead single. “Julianna Calm Down” takes on a steadier approach into bubbling up the Chicks’ country-pop. In a shoutout to Emily Strayer’s daughter and presumably the rest of the band’s family members, the listen is a torch song to young women when the end of a romantic relationship starts to feel like it’s taking something away from you. “Don’t give him the satisfaction that you can’t handle it,” Natalie Maines sings. “Put on your best shoes / And strut the fuck around like you’ve got nothing to lose.”

Empty Country - “Andi” / “10 Year” [Get Better Records]

Former Cymbals Eat Guitar frontman Joseph D’Agostino’s impressive experimental Americana rock reinvention as Empty Country was recently released and recommended over on these pages. He’s released two new tracks recorded from those same sessions in “Andi” and “10 Year”, which both encompass a new 10-track compilation of those songs alongside demos of every track off his eponymous debut. Each listen frequents the desolate narratives of D’Agostino’s current songwriting, with “Andi” being a quiet-spaced synth burner that encapsulates its outsiderness from the perspective of a trans individual while “10 Year” rumbles in hesitation against a reunion and hometown return.

Andi by Empty Country

Andi by Empty Country

India Jordan - “For You” [Local Action]

“Inspired by growing up queer in the North of England, For You documents India understanding and learning about their own identity, and to being kind to themselves in the process (the “You” in the EP’s title is a reference to India),”) reads the Bandcamp description for London-based producer India Jordan’s new EP For You due out on May 20th. The aforementioned “You” in the EP’s title and its titular leadoff single claims a celebratory energy in that self-acceptance, and the music is astutely colored with all the facets that make a person complex, yet oh so gratifyingly much as it snips through a flash of vocal samples and an ecstatic rush of emotionally-charged synthesizing. The whole picture it creates is not just one thing.

For You by India Jordan

Jessy Lanza - “Face” [Hyperdub]

Like her experimental dance contemporary Yaeji, Jessy Lanza creates moving sound that reflect the feelings flowing through us. With “Face”, the latest single from the Canadian producer’s just-announced third full-length effort All the Time, due out July 24th on Hyperbud, Lanza’s expressions in what she creates are derived quite literally. “I was fantasizing about what everyone was thinking based on their expressions,” Lanza said of its songwriting process, spurned by her daily commute. “I found myself projecting my own feelings onto the strangers I was looking at. I went home and wrote the lyrics imagining that the commuters were having telepathic conversations with each other.” In it, she asks, “Baby is it just enough? / Tell me do you want it all? / Baby are you feeling tough? / Feeling tougher more than not?” The synapses are fast, but altogether interconnected. Winston Case directs is apartment rave visuals.

Thurston Moore - “MAY DAZE” [Self-released]

Thurston Moore has releasing a new single as a reminder to any unregistered voters to get out there and sign up, seeing that every one of them will be needed come this election cycle. It’s called “MAY DAZE” and was recorded with his latest band incarnation of the Thurston Moore Group, which features Sonic Youth bandmate and drummer Steve Shelley, My Bloody Valentine’s Deb Goog on bass, and James Sedward on guitar. “You must be on some kind of revolution kick / Modernity is on the line and says you're making them sick,” Moore sings in its opening moments as the listen spindles out its hardwire electrical frame before it ends with a political romanticism. “Glitter everything with change / And i'll break the rules with you.”

MAY DAZE by Thurston Moore

[cbilluminati]

IDW has so much great stuff on sale this week, and we have a look at all of it for you. Here’s the IDW Publishing Previews for 1-25-2017.

Back to the Future: Biff to the Future #1 (of 6)

Writer: Bob Gale, Derek Fridolfs Artist: Alan Robinson Cover Artist: Alan Robinson

When Old Biff Tannen travels to the past to give his younger self the Grays Sports Almanac, he opens a lethal Pandora’s Box that drastically changes the course of history. In the BTTF movies, Doc and Marty save the day — but what happens in Biff Tannen’s dystopia before they do? Find out in BIFF TO THE FUTURE, the alternate life story of Biff Tannen detailing his diabolical rise to power, his dangerous relationship with the McFly family and Doc Brown, and his ultimate demise. The apocalypse has got nothing on the kinds of trouble a Tannen can make! Written by BTTF co-creator Bob Gale with Derek Fridolfs (Batman) and illustrated by Alan Robinson (BTTF: Citizen Brown).

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

Variant cover by Anthony Marques!

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BATMAN/TMNT Adventures #3 (of 5)

Writer: Matthew K. Manning Artist: Jon Sommariva Cover Artist: Jon Sommariva

A fiendish alliance unfolds behind the scenes, unbeknownst to Batman and the TMNT as they are forced to fight a Poison Ivy-powered Snakeweed!

Bullet points:

New team-ups and classic characters return!

Variant cover by Billy Martin!

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Comic Book History of Comics #3 (of 6)

Writer: Fred Van Lente Artist: Ryan Dunlavey Cover Artist: Ryan Dunlavey

The inspiring, infuriating, and utterly insane story of comics, graphic novels, and manga continues in four-color glory! This issue, the award-winning Action Philosophers team of Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey bring you ROMANCE, WAR, and CRIME comics galore!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

Featuring variant covers with all-new historically inspired comic strips by Van Lente and Dunlavey!

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D4VEocracy #1 (of 4)

Writer: Ryan Ferrier Artist: Valentin Ramon Cover Artist: Valentin Ramon

Ryan Ferrier and Valentin Ramon are back with D4VEOCRACY, the third arc of the acclaimed D4VE series. In the wake of a robo-political assassination, D4VE begins a presidential campaign. A hip new app startup has other plans for the robot society, however, and creates the perfect political rival.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

From the acclaimed creative team of D4VE, D4VE2, and HOT DAMN!

“…this book is funny. Not chuckle-quietly-to-yourself funny, but actual laughing-out-loud-in-public funny.” – IGN

“A sardonic satire of modern society that’s as funny as it is true…a series that will continue to delight.” – Multiversity

“…a fully developed future world that ingeniously blends technological fantasy with the mundane reality of domestic life.” – The AV Club

“D4VE is one of my favourite comics of the year. Very high quality work from Ryan Ferrier and Valentin Ramon!” – Fiona Staples

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G.I. JOE #2

Writer: Aubrey Sitterson Artist: Giannis Milonogiannis Cover Artist: • Aaron Conley

G.I. Joe’s mission in Mongolia gets underway, but the Dreadnoks and Crystal Ball have more allies than the Joes expect. And meanwhile, Lady Jaye and Gung Ho stumble upon a familiar enemy in Greece…

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

Part of IDW’s Artist’s Edition Cover Month!

Spinning directly out of the events of IDW’s Revolution event!

Variant cover by Corey Lewis!

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G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #236

Writer: Larry Hama Artist: S L Gallant Cover Artist: S L Gallant

As Cobra Commander continues his scheme to start the Cobra World Order, Destro and Baroness begin to bring their own contingency into play…

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

  Insufferable: Home Field Advantage #4

Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Peter Krause Cover Artist: Peter Krause

The lives of Nocturnus, Galahad and Meg hang by a thread as the INSUFFERABLE saga comes to a climax! Lives, worlds and relationships will be shattered, and there’s little guarantee that the day will be saved. Fingers crossed!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

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Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four: Artist’s Edition HC—SPOTLIGHT

Writer: Stan Lee Artist: Jack Kirby Cover Artist: Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four. World-shattering events, cosmic calamities, and Kirby Krackle—does it get any better?

Jack Kirby is the most important creator in the history of comics, and the Fantastic Four is one of his greatest achievements. First published in 1961, the adventures of Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch, the Invisible Girl and the ever-loving Thing introduced a bold new era in comics. Kirby’s dynamic storytelling, coupled with Stan Lee’s poignant writing style, were unlike anything comic book readers had seen before—it literally ushered in THE MARVEL AGE OF COMICS!

Now, with the cooperation of the Jack Kirby Estate and under license from Marvel Comics, IDW is proud to present the first Jack Kirby Fantastic Four Artist’s Edition! Including Fantastic Four Annual #6, the 48-page groundbreaking story that featured the birth of Franklin Richards! Also presenting issues #82 and #83, guest starring the Inhumans–plus more stories and and a beautiful gallery section of some of Kirby’s most incredible pages, all scanned from the original art!

HC • BW • $Please Inquire • 144 pages • 12” x 17”  • ISBN: 978-1-63140-831-1

Bullet points:

Celebrate the 100th birthday of the King of Comics with IDW Publishing—Artist’s Edition style!

  Jem and the Holograms #23

Writer: Kelly Thompson Artist: Meredith McClaren Cover Artist: Meredith McClaren

THE STINGERS part 5! It all comes down to this! The Misfits latest attempt to ruin Jem & The Holograms comes to fruition, and with Jem and The Holograms performance officially sabotaged will The Misfits have finally succeeded? Or will Jem and The Holograms live to fight—‘er sing!—another day!? Meanwhile, recent events mean The Stingers are shaping up to be not just reasonably friendly adversaries, but potential nemeses. Can Jem and The Holograms really have TWO nemeses?!?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

THE STINGERS arc ends here!

Variant cover by Gisele Lagace!

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Joe Hill: The Graphic Novel Collection

Writers: Joe Hill, Stephen King, Jason Ciaramella, Chris Ryall Artists: Zach Howard, Nelson Dániel, Charles Paul Wilson III, Vic Malhotra Cover Artist: Shane Pierce

New York Times #1 Best Seller Joe Hill is the creative force behind this collection of comic one-shots, short stories and graphic novels that showcase the world-building and bone-chilling talents of the famed Locke & Key creator. This deluxe hardcover includes: Kodiak (2010) with illustrations by Nat Jones, The Cape (2010) and The Cape 1969 (2011) illustrated by Zach Howard, Thumbprint (2013) illustrated by Vic Malhotra, Wraith (2014) with illustrations by Charles Paul Wilson III, plus the short stories “Throttle” (2009) from the Road Rage collection and “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain” (2012) taken from 2016 Bram Stoker Award Winner Shadow Show: All New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury. Fans of comic books, horror and Hill, take note.

HC • FC • $49.99 • 472 pages • 7” x 11” • ISBN: 978-1-63140-768-0

Bullet points:

Advance solicited for December release!

“Over the course of a decade, Joe Hill has gone from ‘promising new horror writer’ to one of the industry’s most reliably striking, exciting creators.” — V. Club

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Mickey Mouse: Shorts, Season One

Writers: Paul Rudish, Scott Tipton Artist: Paul Rudish Cover Artist: Paul Rudish

Join Mickey, Minnie, and all their pals in a comic adaptation of the celebrated multi-Emmy and Annie Award-winning shorts from Disney Television Animation!

TPB • FC • $19.99 • 132 pages • ISBN: 978-1-63140-814-4

Bullet points:

“It could almost double as an ‘Art of…’ book. Irreverent and fun, it’s capable of making you grin broadly the entire time you’re reading it.” –Multiversity Comics

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Mickey Mouse: Timeless Tales, Vol. 2

Writer: Romano Scarpa, Andrea “Casty” Castellan, Giorgio Cavazzano, Jonathan Gray, David Gerstein, Joe Torcivia Artist: Romano Scarpa, Andrea “Casty” Castellan, Giorgio Cavazzano, Jonathan Gray, David Gerstein, Joe Torcivia Cover Artist: Andrea “Casty” Castellan

“Omigosh!” IDW’s Mickey Mouse issues #7–12 land in a luxurious, limited collectors’ volume… with epic tales by Romano Scarpa and Andrea “Casty” Castellan, featuring the return of Atomo Bleep-Bleep, the quest for “The Chirikawa Necklace,” and the debut of Pegleg Pete’s sinister main squeeze, Trudy Van Tubb! Including archival extras for true Disney Comics aficionados, this extra-thick Mickey tome brings hours of thrills and comics history!

HC • FC • $29.99 • 256 pages • 7.25” x 10” • ISBN: 978-1-63140-801-4

Bullet points:

“A collection of different MICKEY MOUSE comics across various eras of the character that tell you absolutely why he and his comics have stood the test of time.” –Comicsverse

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Micronauts Annual 2017

Writer: Cullen Bunn Artist: Marcelo Ferreira Cover Artist: Marcelo Ferreira

The Micronauts have encountered many strange allies and enemies since they became stranded on Earth, a planet of giants, but perhaps none have been as unexpected as those awaiting them here. As we explore the origins of the various Micronauts, the team encounters a future version of… themselves? Are they friend or foe?

FC • 48 pages • $7.99

Bullet points:

Part of IDW’s 2017 Annual Offensive! Over-sized and action-packed key stories in a deluxe format!

Explore the origins of some of today’s most popular Micronauts characters in this can’t-miss annual!

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Micronauts #9

Writer: Cullen Bunn Artist: Max Dunbar Cover Artist: Max Dunbar

The Micronauts are stranded on a world full of giants, but they may not be as far from home as they thought. Relics from Microspace are all around, and allies–and enemies–from the microscopic universe have found their way to Earth!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

The Micronauts adventures on Earth continue!

Introducing all-new characters into the Micronauts mythos!

Part of IDW’s Artist’s Edition Cover Month!

Variant cover by K. Woodward!

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My Little Pony: Friends Forever #36

Writer: Christina Rice Artist: Tony Fleecs Cover Artist: Tony Fleecs

Rainbow Dash travels to a remote and dangerous location and finds her fellow Wonderbolt, Soarin, is about to undertake a dangerous mission. Will Dash be able to get over her ego help her fellow Pegasus?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

Part of IDW’s Artist’s Edition Cover Month!

Variant cover by Low Zi Rong!

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Optimus Prime #3

Writer: John Barber Artist: Kei Zama Cover Artist: Kei Zama

An uneasy peace between Optimus Prime and the newly arrived Junkions is threatened by Soundwave’s discovery within their massive ship…

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

Part of IDW’s Artist’s Edition Cover Month!

Variant cover by Joana Lafuente!

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Revolution

Writers: John Barber, Cullen Bunn Artist: Fico Ossio Cover Artist: Tradd Moore

Explosions rip across the Earth—and all signs of blame point to OPTIMUS PRIME and the TRANSFORMERS! G.I. JOE refuses to go quietly—and they assemble heroes big enough to stop the invaders! ACTION MAN and M.A.S.K. fight for humanity—but where do ROM and the MICRONAUTS stand? Celebrating more than a decade of stories by IDW and HASBRO, this unprecedented event draws everything together—and leaves nothing standing. The REVOLUTION is here—TAKE A STAND! Collects Revolution issues #0–5.

TPB • FC • $19.99 • 152 pages • ISBN: 978-1-63140-816-8

Bullet points:

THE REVOLUTION BEGINS!

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Star Trek/Green Lantern Vol 2 #2 (of 6)

Writer: Mike Johnson Artist: Angel Hernandez Cover Artist: Angel Hernandez

STRANGER WORLDS PART TWO! With their power rings running low and no power batteries left to recharge them, the surviving heroes of the Lantern Corps join with Starfleet in the ultimate battle with Sinestro and the resurgent Klingons… until the arrival of an unexpected visitor from the Lanterns’ past changes the game entirely!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

Following the blockbuster success of last year’s Star Trek/Green Lantern, DC Entertainment and IDW once again bring you the best team-up in the galaxy!

Part of IDW’s Artist’s Edition Cover Month!

Variant cover by Jen Bartel!

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #66

Writers: Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman Artist: Sophie Campbell Cover Artist: Sophie Campbell

Alopex is alone, her psyche reeling from Kitsune’s mind control. With Raphael and Nobody searching for her, will Alopex be able to find her way back to the side of good?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

Sophie Campbell returns to TMNT for a very special issue!

Part of IDW’s Artist’s Edition Cover Month!

Variant cover by Kevin Eastman!

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WEIRD Love #16

Writers: Richard Hughes, and more Artists: Bob Powell, Ogden Whitney, and more Cover Artist: Bob Powell

If you love your comics weird, then Weird Love is the perfect comic for you! This issue starts with the cover story by Bob Powell, “To Love A Cheat.” There are many more sordid stories this ish, but you demanded that we present another pinko-commie-cold war-comic so read it and weep: “Iron Curtain Romance!”

FC • 48 pages • $4.99

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via IDW Publishing

IDW Publishing Previews for 1-25-2017

IDW has so much great stuff on sale this week, and we have a look at all of it for you.

IDW Publishing Previews for 1-25-2017 IDW has so much great stuff on sale this week, and we have a look at all of it for you.