#like what I see is that Jackie was confident and popular and even though she was shauna’s best friend

[theriverdalereviewer]

YELLOWJACKET WATCHERS! What are your opinions on Jackie and Shauna

[siriusly-parker]

—more. [isaac garcia, mlwtwb]

“Lowly knights and mighty kings, they all want more”

tags. [fluff, angst, bonfire party, childhood best friends to lovers, jealousy, drunken confessions]

author’s note. [thank you for all of the requests!! i got a TON, so i tried to mix a few ideas into one fic, so i could get it out to you guys as fast as possible! ꩜ i siriusly love you <3]

wc. [4k]

—fic under the cut!

‧˚ʚ ⋆ ꜝꜞ

Aside from her predicament with the Walter boys, Y/n did really like Jackie. Who she didn’t get along with where her newfound friendships. Skyler and Grace where gossipers. Y/n knew they just enjoyed being close to the center of it all. Skyler was just annoying, and she didn’t enjoy the way he treated Nathan at all, but she could get past that and tolerate his presence. Grace though… she was just a bitch. She hated Grace, “Gracie” as she used to call her. They actually used to be good friends, until high school made the girl even more of a newsmonger. The slight whiff of a scandal and she’d come running like a dog, even to the detriment of the people around her. She gets carried away, forgets it’s real people and not a movie. Maybe she gets a high out of the attention she gets from sharing the information she dishonestly collects. People only come to see her to know all about other’s lives. Gracie’s own is incredibly boring, she’s sheltered. So, gossiping is her only way of living some sort of excitement, through others, of course. Y/n pities her, in a way. But she mostly, mostly hates her guts.

At the annual bonfire party, after an insane amount of begging from her best friend, Y/n took a ride with the Walter’s. Cole got them there, but Danny was, as per usual, the designated driver. Y/n didn’t enjoy drinking either, but she didn’t have her permit yet, postponing her lessons every chance she got. She liked driving with the boys, she even had her own designated seat. Being their neighbour meant they’d get her to school too, and that Isaac would practice his own driving on his uncle’s truck with her. He was good, she felt safe.

When they got there, Jackie immediately jumped to Gracie, while Nathan ran to see Skyler, who didn’t truly seem to be as excited. Y/n rolled her eyes so hard, she’d probably get a headache from it. “Careful, you’ll get stuck like that.” Laughed Cole as he closed the door and threw the keys to his twin brother. “I can’t help myself!” She pleads in annoyance as she turns to her best friend for support. When she looks at Isaac, he’s looking over at the fire, not listening to their conversation at all.

He had been mostly quiet the whole ride, which she didn’t necessarily mind. They're used to comfortable silence, understanding each other beyond words. Even before him and Lee went to live with their cousins, they often came to visit. Y/n came to know that truck by heart, always sneakily asking her parents if she could go play with the neighbour boys when she saw it drive past.

Isaac actually had a stutter as a child. He wasn’t always as confident as he seemed now. Ashamed, he often stayed quiet. At first, Lee talked for him most of the time, but as their friendship grew, they learned to communicate without much words early on. The banter came later, when puberty hit and he became popular with the ladies. Sometimes though, when they’re alone, his quiet side shines through. Maybe tonight he just didn’t feel like talking much. That would be fine, but she knew there was something more.

“Hey,” It’s spoken softly. Hearing her voice, he shook himself out of his trance and noticed everyone was gone to exactly where he was looking. He was too bewitched by the fire to notice the people around it. “you’re quiet.” She chuckles. She says it as a fact, as something she noticed, but he knows she means it as a question that needed answering. He rubs the back of his neck, not sure of what to say. “Oh… uh~ yeah.” A giggle escapes her lips at that. “Recompose yourself, Garcia. You have a reputation to uphold.” He knows she’s teasing, but before he can answer, her hand leaves his forearm and she’s headed towards the party, like everyone else.

People wave at her, Cole screams something, Danny laughs. All he sees is fire. As if she’s walking right into it. She looks beautiful. The lack of her touch is more noticeable now. It feels wrong. He didn’t even notice she was touching him. It’s not unusual per say, but you’d think he would notice. Maybe it wasn’t her voice that drew his attention, maybe it was the familiarity of her touch. She knew that sometimes he was so inside his head that only a gentle squeeze could do the job that words couldn’t. But the fact she kept it, and he allowed it, like it didn’t matter, was what perplexed him. He’d usually be thrilled, but he was too tense to even feel it. Maybe that’s what made him stutter again. She had that effect on him, even though she helped him through it the most. He couldn’t get the idea of her out of his head, but he didn’t know how to tell her.

“Buddy, c’mon.” Danny’s voice pulled him out of his haze. “It’ll just come out naturally when you talk to her, don’t stress about it.” It comes out so casual, as if it was obvious between the two boys. “What are you talking about, dude? I’m just kinda tired. Didn’t even wanna come to this trash party.” He scoffs unconvincingly to his older cousin. “Yeah okay. You were the most excited. You dragged Y/n here, when you know she doesn’t even like parties. Look, if you have something to say to her, just do. It doesn’t have to be special, or a big deal, or even tonight. Now let’s go. She’s all alone in a party she didn’t wanna go to, with people she can’t stand.” Isaac laughs at that, knowing she’s probably poking at Cole’s last nerves or teasing Alex and Lee. He also knew that, sadly, the company of her friends didn’t compensate for breathing the same air as some deeply annoying people. “Well, to be fair, Gracie is a pain in the ass. Girl can’t mind her own business.” Danny pushes his back harder as he holds his shoulders, guiding him towards their friends. “You know she likes you right?” Danny questions, but Isaac just rolls his eyes. “Right, she likes anything that looks in her direction.” The Walter boy nods enthusiastically, as if it was all evident. “Right, yeah. And, you don’t care—obviously- cause you like Y/n, anyway!” Isaac’s head turns sharp at that, but he relaxes at Danny’s unconcerned smirk. He couldn’t get anything past the boy. His feelings were hiding behind a glass window to everyone, but her. Finally giving up the act, he shakes Danny’s hands off him and walks the final few steps towards the crowd on his own. “Shut up…”

When Isaac finally joins the party, he’s immediately swarmed by a raid of girls. Y/n watched from far away, lightly laughing at the absurdity of it all. But, a part of her is jealous. She doesn’t want him to spend time with these girls, he’s supposed to be her best friend. She’s the one supposed to have all of his attention… and more. Before she can shut down that too recurring thought, she feels someone walk up beside her.

“Isaac Garcia, honorary Walter, and breaker of hearts! Why don’t you join the fan club?” The boy teases in a theatrical manner. She recognized him, Matthew, from the football team. “I didn’t have time to sign up, sadly. But I don’t think there’s any more place to join, now.” She mimicked his dramaturgic expression. “King Garcia has a big heart, thou shall not worry! The more the merrier.” She laughs at that. He’s being ridiculous, but it’s getting a reaction out of her. Matthew did not mind being ridiculed if it meant she would be the one laughing. After the laughter quieted down, she answered honestly. “Not for me, I don’t think so.” But she kept their act going, finding it fun. “I have come to accept this sad reality a long time ago, My Knight! When I was still only a small peasant girl.” He smiles, before dropping the Shakespearean accent. “I am glad.” “You are?” She suspiciously questions. “Of course. That means you can join my club. As the face of it, of course. The Y/n appreciation club.” The play is back on, and so are the theatrics. “Oh, I’d be delighted, My Knight. Not many members I suppose?” “Only me, for now, My Queen. But not by lack of trying from others. It’s just that…” His face drops forward comically, pressing her to ask, “That what, My Kight?” Dramatically, he sighs. “They have to fight to the death to join… and I’m a very good duelist. Very motivated… to be the sole member of this club.” “How so?” She truly wonders. “It would mean that I would have your undivided attention, My Queen. That would be a great prize, indeed.” He says, slowly coming back to his true self. Y/n actually didn’t expect that. Most boys don’t give her the time of day, let alone display their affection so clearly. “Oh…” “Oh.” He teases, and she giggles at the realization.

Through the sea of undesirable faces surrounding him, Isaac sees the interaction. Why is she laughing? What could he be saying that’s so incredibly funny? He should be the one making her laugh like that. But, that’s not really fair, though, is it? He didn’t even come up to her since he left the side of the car. She’d be alone if it wasn’t for the footballer. He’s glad she has company, he just wishes it was him instead. Not keeping his eyes off the girl, he distractedly excuses himself from the herd. Slightly pushing people out of his way, he goes directly towards the new pair of friends. Y/n is laughing and twirling her hair. She never twirls her hair. Her dress is pretty. Short. She was wearing a dress? Is it new? He’s never seen it before. Did she wear it for him? For Matthew? Did they talk before tonight? Why is he so pressed about this? Why does he care so badly? Heart beating louder than the music, his hands reach to another random drink. Suddenly, his legs start to walk on their own towards the girl he can’t help but love.

As he comes up behind her, Y/n sees Matthew’s expression change. “Well, time is up, My Lady.” He theatrically bows down to her as Isaac puts his arms around her shoulders. Y/n’s confused at his sudden change of behaviour. “I’ll see you later, Princess.” He winks and walks away while Isaac stands confused. Did he just call her Princess? What a player… What even was their dynamic? He didn’t actually plan on interrupting anything, but now that he did, he wasn’t sure how to proceed. Lost in thought again, he only notices her expression when she yells out the other boy’s name and moves towards him, making Isaac’s drunken arm drop. Matthew turns around and softly smiles at her. He motions for her to come closer and whispers something in her ear. That secret makes her blush, and Isaac is furious, not knowing what was said. Why did he have that effect on her? As Matthew leaves Y/n with a pat on the head, she sheepishly comes back to where her best friend was standing. The closer she got, the warmer he cheeks felt, and apparently looked. Isaac noticed, but didn’t truly understand he was the source of it.

“So? What did cocky all-American football star Matthew want to do with you?” Isaac says matter-of-factly. His words start to slur. Nothing makes much sense, except the thought that she may be in love with someone else. She takes a step back. He suddenly went from quiet to mean. What happened in that pit of girls? Was he tired of breaking hearts? Was yours the only one left? “He’s not cocky, he’s actually very nice…” She tries to add, but it comes out hushed, shy. The words hurt more than she cared to admit. Her biggest insecurities highlighted by the one she cared for most. “And- I’m sorry if it’s too hard for you to imagine… that someone could actually like… me,” It comes out slow, as if she was carefully choosing her words and not only trying not to cry. “but there’s no need to be so rude…” Her last words are barely louder than a whisper. With the ringing in his ear and the loud music, he’s scared he simply imagined it. But her eyes tell him that even if she didn’t say it, that’s how she felt. He was deliberately rude and knowingly mean and he felt absolutely awful.

“Y/n… you know that’s not what I meant…” “I don’t know that…” She avoids his gaze, kicking the sand beneath her feet. “I just-” “You what?” “He’s a jock! He must have bad intentions!” She scoffs at that. “Or maybe! Just maybe! Someone likes me! Crazy, I know! But not that impossible…” “I don’t doubt that anyone could like you, Y/n. You’re-” When she finally looks at him, demanding an explanation, his mind goes silent. How could he tell her how deeply amazing he truly thought she was? “It’s just that- He’s a football star! They’re dicks!” That’s the excuse he comes up with. “Ok? Cole was a football star?” “And he’s a dick! I love him… but look at Erin…” She nods sarcastically. “Well, I’m glad you’re concerned, but I won’t follow him around like a puppy, waiting for attention. I’ve done that enough actually…” She mumbles, but he hears. He always hears her. “Y/n…” She dismisses him with a wave. “Go back to your little fan club, Isaac…” As Y/n walks away she blinks back a few tears that were threatening to spill. Isaac watched her sit down by the fire besides Matthew, hugging her knees. He’s making her laugh, and everything gets more real. He was the asshole, and he hated himself for it. Before going to apologize, he just needed another drink.

As he turns his back to the fire, he bumps into Grace, who didn’t seem this shocked. “God! I didn’t see you!” She feigns innocence, as she offers him a new red plastic cup. Isaac takes it without much thought, constantly looking back at where Y/n and Matthew were sitting. He’s too distracted to care about Grace and too buzzed to even understand what she’s saying. He nods at whatever she’s saying before noticing her hand on his shoulder. “Ew, get off, Grace.” The intoxication in his voice is clear, but he’ll never be wasted enough to want her, or anyone other than the girl he couldn’t keep his eyes off of. Gracie doesn’t seem to take a hint, putting her other hand on his free shoulder. By the time Isaac turns back to look at her, Y/n is already on her feet marching towards them. “Oh no… she’s coming to ruin our fun…” Grace pouts, but Isaac doesn’t hear, too mesmerized by the girl stomping her way to them. “Get off, Grace.” Y/n pushes her off and instinctively checks on Isaac. Taking his drink from him and buttoning his jacket back on, she says, “Ok, it’s time to go, pretty boy.” She softly smiles at him, knowing he doesn’t need a lecture right now. After she puts his hair back into place, she turns to a whining Grace and tells her matter-of-factly, “Also.. Gracie… eat shit and die.” She scoffs and flips her hair like in the movies. At least, that’s how Isaac sees it. His savior in slow motion, he thinks and laughs. He looks stupid and drunk, and so so so in love with her. It’s time to go home.

“Y/n, that was not nice…” Jackie comes up to her, but Y/n ignores her, fully knowing the point of her words were to be mean. She could be the devil when she wanted. And Grace was always a free pass for being bitchy. The amount of times that Y/n had to defend Isaac as a child, she knew how to take care of the boy. This came naturally to her.

“You do not want to feel the wrath of the neighbor girl, Jackie.” Cole laughs as he pats her shoulders and goes past her towards the car. Danny joins him, keys in hand. “She’s his fiercest defender, don’t try her. She’d burn the world for him, I’m pretty sure.” He warns, mumbling the last part. “Walter family! In the car! Now!” Y/n demands, holding Isaac up. “Yes ma’am!” Cole winks at Jackie, who’s slowly understing the dynamics of the family. “No one is safe if he’s the one in danger. No matter how much you think she loves you, there’s no one on earth she cares more about than him.” He whispers in her ear as he sits down considerably close to her. “She’s crazy mad, guys! Get in the car!” Danny yells for the others to come. Lee and Nathan run up to the car, fully knowing who’s boss.

When they finally get home, Y/n walks right past everyone with Isaac to put him to bed. No one says a word, knowing it’d be better not to test her in times like these.

Isaac starts laughing when they go past his door. “Y/n! Are you crazy?” She shushes him for being too loud. “Are you crazyyy?” He tries again in a loud whisper. “What are you talking about?” She can’t help but laugh a little too. “You can’t come into my roooooooom. Not at this hour! No girls over. Aunt Katherine is gonna be piiiiiiiissed.” “I’m just putting you to bed, Isaac. You’re drunk.” She chuckles, pushing him towards his bed so he can sit down. “Oh…” He’s quite obvious in his disappointment. As she chooses clothes for him to sleep in, she tries to reassure him. “Katherine said I could stay tonight, ok? Because of the party. I’ll sleep on the couch.” His excitement is brought back by that piece of information. “Oh! We can watch a movieeeeee, and-” “No, Isaac. We sleep. You don’t want to be visibly hangover in the morning. Then, Katherine would kill you.” She turns away from his dresser and puts his clothes beside him on the bed. “Here. Your pjs. Put them on, I’ll put mine on, and then we’ll go brush our teeth, ok?” “Ok…” His eyes wander to her dress. It’s pretty. It’s short. He wants to tell her it’s pretty. Instinctively, his hands wander to the hem of the dress. His thumb strokes the fabric, it's nice. There’s a silence between them. Y/n doesn’t actually leave the room, like she had planned. “Pretty… it’s-“ “Thanks.” She quickly interrupts. In his daze, his hands move from her skirt to her thigh. The touch is soft, feather-like. He’s scared she’ll break otherwise. Y/n holds her breath, but before she can say anything, he lifts his arms up. “Help.” He simply says like a child who can’t undress themselves. It takes a while for her to process his request, but she doesn’t decline.

When she first touches the bottom of his shirt, and her hand accidentally brushes over his skin, she can’t help but feel her heart skip. It’s not as if she had never seen him shirtless before. Countless summers at the Walter household gave her many opportunities to gawk. But this felt different. The two of them, alone in his room. It’s as if, in her anger at Grace, she had forgotten their own fight.

Matthew had abs too, even more, probably. A football star boyfriend would be great, she tried to convince herself. But the thought didn’t persuade her, as it didn’t give her the butterflies that Isaac’s simple smile easily could.

As she lifts his shirt up, she can’t help but think back at what Matthew whispered to her back at the bonfire party. “Go to your King. Do not settle for a lowly knight like me.” She later tried to explain to him she didn’t feel as though he was “lowly”, but he saw through her makeshift walls right to where she hid her feelings for the older Garcia boy. She didn’t know why he acted the way he did that night, so quiet, and then so rude, but she pushed it all away, they’d talk about it tomorrow.

When she finally took off his shirt, she couldn’t help but stare a little. She quickly shook it off and put his old band shirt on. There were a few holes in it, but with his grey hoodie on top, it didn’t really matter. Looking at his neatly folded red checkered pyjama pants, he got up and said, in the same way as before, “Help.” She chuckled, and turned away to leave. “You can do that part on your own, I’m sure.” She could feel his smirk burning at the back of her head.

In the bathroom, she put her own pyjama set on and started her nightly routine. Hearing a knock at the door, she swiftly opened, knowing it must be Isaac coming to brush his teeth.

They brush their teeth together and Isaac sits on top of the counter, waiting for her to finish taking off her makeup and doing all of her skincare. “You’re so pretty…” The sudden break in the comfortable silence shocks her. Of all the things he could’ve said, she didn’t expect this. Seeing she didn’t answer, he kept going. “And smart too. You’re more than your looks of course, but you are very pretty. I know I make fun of you for your thousand steps routine, but I actually do enjoy it. Gives me more time to just look at you…” “Isaac…” She tried to cut in on his rant. “And- And I didn’t mean that… At the bonfire. I know people like you. How could they not… I just- i just don’t want you to like them…” He was drunk, he’d regret it in the morning. She feels as though she’s reading someone’s secret diary. He’s drunk and an open book for her to skim through. “Isaac…” She warns again, but he shakes his head. “I guess I was just jealous… ‘cause you were laughing… so much with Matthew. What were you even laughing at? He can’t be that funny. I’m funny. I want you to like me…” He groans, hiding his face in his hands. “I do like you…” Y/n tries to reassure him. “Well then… I want you to love me.” She takes his hand, making him look at her fully. “I love you, Isaac. A lot.” He smiles. “You’re my best friend.” It drops. “No…” That was wrong. That’s not what he wanted. “No?” She questions. “I don’t want you to love me like a best friend… I want you to love me as… more.” “More?” “More.” He says it as a pledge. “Will your answer stay the same in the morning?” There’s a smile on her face. She can’t help but dwell on the possibility of what could be. “I promise.” He’s sure of himself. “Ok, then we’ll talk about it when you’re well-rested.” She laughs. “Now get down, sleepyhead. It’s time for bed.” Isaac didn’t argue, knowing full well that in the morning, he’d be telling her the same thing. Over and over again if that’s what she wished to hear.

ꕀ

‎𐦂 hope you enjoyed it!! comment what you think! and please don’t forget to reblog!!! ◡̈

ʚ masterlist + resquests!

taglist ; [making a taglist for my life with the walter boys! plz send an ask, comment, dm to be added!]

[sunflowerheartsandstarryskies]

Stranger Things That 70s Show AU~ That 80s Show

That 80s Show Background and Headcanons 

(Eventual Eddie Munson x fem!reader)

Author’s Note: This is for the eventual fic that I want to write because I am soft for grumpy x sunshine otps and Jackie x Hyde were the definition of that. So the background is important for this AU I think.

Who knows if I will fully write a fic about this? But I love this idea, I just don’t know if anyone else will. I also wrote this while I was bored at work if you couldn’t tell.

I don’t know if I should cross-publish here and on AO3 or just AO3??? Idk? This really is a “guess I have to do it myself” fanfic scenario, as I am combining one show with a fav of mine. 

Background/Headcanon:

✌  I had this in my head for a while so this is what you need to know if you  haven’t seen That 70’s Show. The main group is a feminist, a conspiracy hippy, a horny foreign exchange student, a peppy cheerleader, a complete dork, and the definition of getting by on looks alone.

✌   I am getting rid of Fez’s character (the foreign exchange student) because I don’t know where to include him in this story, he wouldn’t fit in Hawkins.

✌   This is also a universe where the Upside Down doesn’t exist, and that means everyone lives! So now they are living in a goofy sitcom show instead of a paranormal drama show.

✌  I think Robin and Donna from That 70’s show would get along up to a certain point. Robin and Nancy I think could make a total feminist power couple. Nancy has the “I will fuck shit up and you up if you don’t listen to me” like Donna had and Robin has a better sense of humor than Donna.

✌  Steve could make a total Kelso and Eric combo. I feel like he’s got some hidden nerdiness in him that he doesn’t want to be known, and in this AU he’s childhood friends with Nancy, Robin, and Eddie and so this confident, popular act makes a sort of shield around his friends, to know they can’t be messed with. He also babysits the neighborhood kids from time to time, and so he’s the golden boy of Hawkins, popular, sweet, and responsible.

✌  Eddie I feel is a mix between Hyde and Eric, he’s definitely gotten the bad boy look down, listening to rock and metal, dealing weed, but he’s a total dork like Eric. He loves D&D, and Tolkien, and probably loves Star Wars and Star Trek as well.

✌   The town judged him too quickly based on his looks so the inner nerd in him kinda quiets down and is only known by his close friends. He becomes more theatrical, and dramatic, though, and starts to rave on the different conspiracies of the world to anyone who listens.

✌  Steve’s parents are Kitty and Red, since we don’t see the actual Harringtons, and I love them.

✌  The reader is a ray of sunshine, femme, and a cheerleader, who would fit into the role of Jackie but not outright Jackie. She’s into Star Wars and D&D but has to keep that quiet because she doesn’t want to get kicked off the cheer squad. She’s friends with Chrissy and they get along fairly well. She would be considered the golden girl of Hawkins.

✌   Steve keeps hitting on her (think like Season 1 or 2 Steve) and he won’t take the hint to leave her alone. She gives in and says one date and the possibility of meeting his friends as well (since she’s hoping to meet Eddie through Steve). He’s ecstatic and thinks that’s like two dates.

✌  She’s immediately drawn to Eddie, even with Steve hitting on her, she’s always had a thing for the whole bad boy aesthetic, and knowing Eddie likes the same music and movies as her??? Yeah, she’s full-on crushing.

✌  Eddie at first tries to keep up this grumpy bad boy facade so that the reader doesn’t know he likes her and also doesn’t want what little of her social status is left to come crumbling. However, once he knows she has an inner nerd like him, he kinda becomes his full dorky self that everyone loves from the show.

✌  The AU starts with everyone the same age, 16-17, in high school, so they are sophomores in high school at the start.

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

The One Who Got Away

Summary: While out with friends one night, the reader bumps into her old high school best friend, Jensen. They always had a will they, won’t they relationship but the reader finds things with Jensen don’t seem to be going as well she thinks they are...

Pairing: Jensen x reader

Word Count: 7,700ish

Warnings: language, angst, family drama

A/N: For the purposes of this fic, Jensen’s wife and kids are fictitious...

____

“Oh my God,” said Carla. She nudged you and nodded over towards the other end of the bar. “Look at the guy going up to do the karaoke.”

“He’s hot,” said Nora, sipping on her beer. You spun around in your seat, catching the back of the man, his friends he was with obviously egging him on. You tilted your head, wide eyed when the guy spun around up there.

“Holy shit,” you said as he started to sing.

“I know. Plus he can sing,” said Carla.

“No. I mean...I know him,” you said.

“Yeah, he does look familiar. Is he an actor or something?” asked Carla.

“Yeah! Wasn’t he on that superman show? Oh that other guy was hot too,” said Nora.

“No. I mean, well yes, he was. He had his...own show for a while,” you said. 

“You like a fan?” asked Carla.

“Go get his autograph when he’s done!” said Nora. “I’ll go with you if you’re nervous.”

“Guys-”

“I want his autograph,” said Carla.

“You’re married to Nolan,” she said. “I know he’s revolting but still.”

“Oh, Nolan is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I can still look,” said Carla. “Speaking of which, Miss I’m engaged.”

“I’d have to fight Dan off over that guy,” said Nora. “And I’m trying to be a supportive friend over here before Y/N fangirls too hard.”

“Guys-”

“I triple dog dare you to ask him as your date to Nora’s wedding,” said Carla.

“That’s evil,” said Nora. “I want in though. I’ll pay for your drinks tonight if you do it.”

“He was my best friend in high school,” you said, both of them going quiet. 

“Oh,” said Carla after a moment. “Sorry. We’ll shut up.”

“Yeah. Sorry, Y/N. We were only teasing,” said Nora. “My brother totally wants to go with you anyways.”

“I...I’m gonna go say hey,” you said, standing up when he finished singing. He got a few slaps on the back from his friends and took a seat, doing a shot as you slowly walked over. You froze for a moment. 

You hadn’t seen him since you were eighteen. It was more than likely he wouldn’t recognize you in the dim bar anyways. You shook your head and went to turn away.

“Kid?” you heard, gaze going back to his table. His friends were all staring at you but you only saw Jensen looking at you with a big smile. “Y/N?”

“Hey, Jens,” you said. He shot up out of his seat and immediately gave you a hug, pulling back with a goofy grin. “Been awhile.”

“Yeah it has,” he said, looking you up and down. “You look great.”

“You too. You finally grew into your body,” you said with a laugh.

“Took me long enough. You never had that problem,” he said, biting his bottom lip.

“Who’s your friend, Ackles?” asked one of his friends, a smirk on his face.

“Oh. Guys this is Y/N. She was my best friend in school,” he said.

“You mean the Y/N you had a super huge crush on?” said someone else. Jensen looked like a deer in the headlights, his other buddies wearing shit-eating grins.

“Remind me to kill you later,” mumbled Jensen.

“It’s cool, Jay, really. It was a long time ago. I just wanted to say hi,” you said. “I’ll uh...see ya.”

You immediately left, heading back to your table with a sigh.

“Y/N,” said Carla, shoving her credit card back in her wallet.

“Mhm?” you hummed, tugging your jacket on.

“You got a visitor,” said Nora. You turned on your stool, Jensen giving you a smile as he walked up. “Hi.”

“Hi,” said Carla.

“Hi,” said Jensen to them both before landing his gaze back on you. “Sorry about them. Guys are...shit heads.”

“It’s fine, Jensen, really. Like I said, it was a long time ago,” you said.

“It was,” he said. “Do you ladies mind if I steal Y/N for a minute?”

“Oh, steal her for all the minutes,” said Nora.

“You and Dan are my ride home,” you said.

“Maybe you get a ride home somewhere else?” she said with a shrug.

“Oh my…” you sighed, hopping off your seat and following Jensen outside and into the cool night air. “Sorry. My friends would get along great with yours.”

“You were never much of one with being friends with other girls,” he said with a smirk.

“Cause I was a tomboy,” you said. “I wasn’t exactly girly in school, Jensen.”

“So?” he asked, nodding down to your band tee. “I always liked your style.”

“I do wear skirts and dresses now, Jay,” you teased.

“I’m just saying, you be you. I always liked that version of you,” he said.

“What’d you want to talk to me about?” you asked.

“I have kids,” he said. “And I just went through a very quiet divorce about a year ago.”

“I’m sorry,” you said.

“Remember how you always said I’d marry the first girl I wasn’t shy with? Well, you were right,” he said. “I never loved her the way I knew it was supposed to be. She was safe and I was scared.”

“Jensen. Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I’m sorry for being a horrible teenage boy when I was eighteen and ruining our friendship. I had a crush on you from the first day of kindergarten and I never said a word. Tonight...I feel like a five year old all over again,” he said.

“You said-”

“I know what I said. I remember,” he said.

“I said some pretty awful things too,” you said, kicking the ground. “I told you that you’d fail if you went out to LA, that you weren’t any good.”

“I deserved it. I’m pretty sure I called you a bitch,” he said.

“You were pretty angry,” you said. “All because I went to prom with Dylan Anderson.”

“Dylan Anderson was a scumbag who bragged about who he had sex with in the locker room. He had this list of girls he wanted to try and get with just so he could be their first and you were on it. He was always asking me how to get in your pants,” he said.

“I never had sex with Dylan Anderson. You would have known that if you hadn’t stopped talking to me but oh wait, Jackie Morlan didn’t like you talking to me,” you said.

“Like I said, I fucked up. The one time I picked popularity over you and...I ruined thirteen years of friendship and the end of our senior year and none of our friends talked to you anymore. I know I fucked it up,” he said.

“What is your point?”

“My point is, I should have asked you to homecoming and prom and I should have had the guts to ask you out. We both wanted it. I was too shy and I treated you like one of the boys too much. I took you for granted,” he said.

“You can’t change that, Jensen,” you said.

“No, I can’t. I have two amazing kids and I wouldn’t change a thing when it comes to having them in my life. But if I could have done it with you, I would have,” he said.

“Jensen. I had the world’s biggest crush on you back then. I kept waiting and waiting for you and maybe I regret not saying something first but you know how little confidence I had back then. I’m a big girl now, Jens. I don’t just say yes to the pretty boy because he asked,” you said.

“I just wanted to apologize,” he said with a nod. “You grew up very beautiful, Y/N.”

He turned and headed down the sidewalk, your own eyes shutting.

“Wait,” you said, Jensen’s footsteps stilling. “What did you say to Dylan Anderson? I know you said something because he didn’t even try to make a move on me at prom.”

“I told him if he hurt you, I’d hurt him,” said Jensen. “He could have easily kicked my ass but I sounded pretty scary when I said it.”

“So we stopped talking and you still had my back?”

“That’s what best friends do,” he said with a shrug, turning to face you.

“Why’d you really get a divorce?” you asked.

“She stopped loving me in that way,” he said with a sad smile.

“Jensen.”

“She cheated on me and I pretended it wasn’t going on because I thought I deserved it for not being around so much,” he said.

“You’re an idiot,” you said. “You don’t deserve that, Jay.”

“I know,” he said. “Listen, I’m sorry for bothering you tonight. I should have just kept my mouth shut.”

“Hey. Red light green light,” you said, Jensen tilting his head.

“That was...that was your thing,” he said.

“It was our thing and just because we never did it with you doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start,” you said.

“That’s not-”

“I said red light green light. You remember the rules,” you said. “You came up with them.”

“Green light,” he said.

“You’re lying,” you said. He sighed and shook his head as he crossed his arms.

“Fine. Red light,” he said. “What’s the point?”

“Red light means let’s go find someplace that still has ice cream this time of night and we talk until you feel better,” you said.

“We aren’t teenagers anymore,” he said.

“No. We’re not. But red light green light really helped me on some bad nights and I think it’ll help you too,” you said.

“I gotta head home. The kids are getting dropped off in like twenty minutes,” he said.

“Jensen.”

“Go tell your friend you’re riding with me then. And hurry. I don’t want to be late.”

“The one time she’s early,” grumbled Jensen as he pulled into his driveway. You slid out of the car and saw the driver’s side on the the other one open. “Hallie.”

“Jensen,” she said, glancing at you. “Moving on finally?”

“She’s my friend,” he said, opening her backdoor. “Where are the kids?”

“In the house watching cartoons,” she said.

“You left them in the house alone? They’re four and three,” he said.

“They’ve been in there fifteen minutes, they’re fine,” she said. “I’ll be out of town with Wes the next three weeks so you’ll have them 24/7.”

“Starting…”

“Tonight,” she said. “I have to head home and finish packing if you don’t mind.”

Jensen waved her to leave, rolling his eyes after she backed out.

“That’s your ex-wife?” you asked.

“Yup.”

“No offense but she kind of seems like a bitch.”

“She is,” he sighed. “She suckered me. Jokes on her though. Glad I listened to my parents and got a pre-nup.”

“Way to go Ackles,” you said, Jensen smiling. 

“She only has the kids one day a week anyways. It’s very hard explaining to a small child why their mom doesn’t want to see them,” he said.

“She purposefully doesn’t have the kids more?” you asked, following him in through the front door.

“She was never overly affectionate with them. She’s been slowing leaving their lives for the past year. I wouldn’t be surprised if she asked I have full custody within a few months,” he said.

“How on earth did you wind up with someone like that?” you asked.

“Because she acted like someone I wanted. But like I said, pre-nup. She’s got a pretty stupid rich out his ass boyfriend now so she’s happy,” he said, kicking off his shoes as you followed him inside. You looked over and spotted a little girl and boy sitting on the couch watching cartoons. “Hey guys. It is so past your bedtime.”

“Mommy said we could watch,” said the girl, a little bit bigger and taller than the boy nearly passed out next to her.

“Well it’s past your bedtimes,” he said, flipping the screen off and picking up the girl. “How was mommy’s today, Harper?”

“We watched cartoons,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Is that all you did?” he asked.

“Yeah. Wes came over. I don’t think he likes me and Taylor,” she said. Jensen seemed to ignore the comment but he pursed his lips, looking at the boy half-asleep.

“You want me to get him?” you asked. He smiled and you picked Taylor up, the boy tilting his head at you with green eyes. “Wow. You look so much like your daddy.”

“You smell pretty,” he said, wrapping his arms around your neck.

“He’s so cute,” you said.

“Wait until it’s five am and he’s peeling open your eyelids,” said Jensen with a smirk. “Alright. Let’s get you two squared away.”

Ten minutes later you headed back downstairs with Jensen, Jensen sighing as he went to the freezer and pulled out two pints of ice cream.

“I forgot how much easier that is when two people do it,” he said.

“Your kids are adorable,” you said.

“They’re worth dealing with she who shall not be named,” he said, giving you a smile and handing you a spoon.

“Your house is beautiful too,” you said, taking a seat at his kitchen counter. He hopped on top of it, starting to dig into his ice cream. “So what’s got you feeling red light?”

“Do we have to do this?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah. That’s the rule. If you feel like shit, we eat ice cream and talk until you don’t feel like shit,” you said.

“This used to be easier when it was you feeling crappy, no offense.”

“We don’t have to fix it all tonight, just talk,” you said.

“I’m an asshole and you still want to make me feel better,” he said.

“Best friends have each other’s back from what I hear,” you said. He chuckled, nodding his head. “So what’s up?”

“Nothing. Same crap I’ve been dealing with for awhile,” he said.

“You seemed okay until we were outside the bar.”

“Because sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if we hadn’t had that stupid fight,” he said. 

“I could have said something too, Jensen.”

“No you couldn’t have,” he said with a sad smile. “I knew your weak spots and I hit them. Jackie was stuck up and I never should have started hanging out with her.”

“She was the prettiest girl in school,” you said.

“No she wasn’t.”

“Jens-”

“No she wasn’t. She had to put on a mountain of makeup and a push up bra and wear tight little shirts. There was someone else far prettier around,” he said. “And I was scared of ruining us so I kept it down and then when Jackie started pulling me away, I called you a prude and told you to act more like a girl and you totally should have kicked my ass for that.”

“I spent my first year of college being a girly girl you know,” you said. “Make up every morning, hair, preppy clothes. Frat parties, joined a sorority, hooked up with a guy on a bet. I spent my first two years of college like that.”

“Why?”

“Because boys started paying attention to me. People started to talk to me,” you said with a shrug. “My dad thought something was wrong, like I was having some kind of reverse breakdown or something.”

“What about the second two years?”

“A frat boy tried to spike my drink,” you said.

“Really.”

“Yup. I knocked out three of his teeth,” you said with a smile.

“That’s my girl. You thought it was silly when I taught you how to throw a punch too,” he said.

“Well after that whole incident, I quit my sorority and started fresh. I met Carla and Nora in a study group. Those were real friends. We sat around and ate pizza and cookies and looked like shit and we had a blast. We would dress up and go out sometimes but it was different. It felt like I found a balance. It was nice having girl friends for once,” you said. “They’re the ones that reminded me that acting like a girl means not taking anyone’s shit.”

“I like your friends,” he said. 

“So we had a fight in high school. You obviously regret it and I regret it and...maybe something would have happened, who knows. But like you said earlier, you got two great kids upstairs and I’d never take that away from you,” you said.

“Can we start over?” he asked. “From before our fight?”

“In that case, you owe me a dollar for lunch money,” you said, Jensen breaking out into a laugh. “I’m serious. With inflation that’s like five bucks.”

“I can take you to lunch tomorrow to make up for it,” he said. 

“I thought we were starting over,” you said. Jensen nodded and hopped off the counter, walking around to you.

“Oh, we are,” he said. You stared at him as he leaned down and kissed you, cupping your cheek gently.

Oh shit he was better than any teenage dream you’d had could have been. He was soft and sweet and he tasted like bourbon and vanilla. There was a spark in your stomach that raced through your veins, quietly vanishing as he pulled back. You breathed and looked up at him, Jensen licking his lips.

“I already told you. I fucked it up the first time. I’m not doing it this time around,” he said. “What do you say?”

“You’re blushing,” you said, touching his cheek, feeling the heat in it. You reached your hand around to the back of his neck, Jensen letting you pull him into another kiss.

“Can I take that as a yes?” he asked.

“Yeah,” you said. “It’s a yes.”

“For my own edification, back then, if I wasn’t so scared…”

“It would have been a yes,” you said.

“That’s what I was scared of,” he said with a swallow.

“Jens. Stop being scared,” you said. “Please?”

“Alright,” he said with a nod.

“Red light green light?”

“Green light,” he said. “I feel better now. Promise.”

“Good. Now what fancy rich neighborhood do you live in cause I need to get an uber home.”

“Hey, Y/N?” asked Jensen when you answered your phone as you were heading out for your lunch date the next day. “I got a slight problem.”

“Yes…”

“My last minute babysitter had to cancel last minute,” he said.

“Bring the kids with,” you said. “I don’t mind.”

“Really?” he said, his voice light and happy like he was a kid himself.

“Yeah. Let me get to know the whole family,” you said. “If you’re okay with that.”

“Yeah, totally. We’ll meet you there.”

“Hello Ackles,” you said, spotting them in a booth at the restaurant. 

“Hi!” said Taylor from the other side of the table, tucked between the wall and his father.

“Hi Taylor,” you said, sliding into the empty spot next to Harper. “Hi Harper.”

“Hi,” she said, a bit more quiet than she was the night before.

“Guys, this is Y/N. She was my best friend in school,” said Jensen. “She’s hopefully going to be hanging out with us more lately.”

“Do you play pretend too?” asked Harper.

“No. Your daddy was very good in all of our school plays though. He even got me to do it one year,” you said.

“You hated that,” he said.

“Yes, I did,” you laughed. “I’m a sound engineer.”

“Really? I thought you were going to be a marine biologist,” said Jensen.

“Well, one required way less schooling,” you said. “So you know how singer’s record in a studio? Well I’m one of those people that helps turn what people sing into an album.”

“Do you know Taylor Swift?” asked Harper.

“No, no. Sometimes I work on commercials too. I do a lot of different stuff. It’s really fun,” you said.

“Can you sing like daddy?” asked Taylor.

“Nope,” you said. “What about you guys? You good singers?”

“I’m amazing,” said Taylor.

“Mhm,” laughed Jensen. “So, Y/N-”

“Harper’s having a pool party tomorrow for her birthday. Are you gonna come?” asked Taylor. You stared at Jensen, Harper scowling at her little brother. 

“I didn’t know there was a party,” you said.

“I don’t want a party anymore,” said Harper. “Mommy won’t be there.”

“Sweetie, all your friends from pre-school will be there. Don’t you want your birthday party?” asked Jensen. Harper shook her head, Jensen staring blankly for a moment. “We’re having your party, Harper.”

“I don’t want it,” she said.

“How old are you turning, Harper?” you asked.

“Five,” she grumbled.

“My mom wasn’t at my fifth birthday either,” you said. Jensen gave you a smile, Harper looking up at you. “Can I come to your party, Harper?”

“Okay,” she said. “Can I go to the bathroom?”

“I can take her,” you said.

“Thank you,” said Jensen as you slid out, following Harper back to the bathroom. You waited inside with her, helping her get up to the sink and dry off her hands. By the time you were back out, a plate of french fries was in the middle of the table. “All good?”

“Yeah. Can I have a hotdog?” she asked.

“Sure. You wanted mac and cheese, buddy?” asked Jensen, Taylor nodding. “Y/N, order whatever you want. It’s on me.”

“I’ll just get a cheeseburger,” you said. “Harper, I like your braid. It’s very pretty.”

“Daddy did it,” she said. “He’s really good at playing dress up.”

“I bet he is,” you teased. He rolled his eyes and ordered when the waiter came over, making small talk for the most part with you and the kids.

“Hey guys,” said Jensen as he put down some money to pay. “You want to hang out at Uncle Jared’s tonight for a few hours?”

They both nodded excitedly as Jensen looked at you.

“Dinner?” he asked. You smiled and he looked relieved. It wasn’t until you were outside and he packed up the kids in the car that he brought it up again. “Sorry. This has been a total disaster of a first date.”

“No it wasn’t,” you said. “They sort of come with the package.”

“Thanks for earlier with Harper. She really wanted me to cancel her birthday party this morning,” he said.

“Speaking of which, what does she like? I got to run to the store and grab her a present,” you said.

“She’s got toys out her ass,” he said. “Some money in a card is fine. I’ll put it in her savings.”

“Would she like a blanket?” you asked, a silly smirk crossing his face. “Blankets always made you feel better when you felt crappy.”

“She likes pink,” he said.

“Alright. I’ll find her something,” you said. “Where do you want to meet tonight?”

“I can pick you up at your place at seven?” he asked.

“Alright, that sounds good,” you said.

“Hey, Y/N.”

“Yes?”

“I know it doesn’t seem like it but you just gave those two more attention in an hour than their own mother’s given them in six months,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

“Don’t thank me for talking to your kids, Jensen. You don’t have to thank me for that,” you said.

“I’ll text you later,” he said. “And thank you.”

“Alright. I’ll see you later, Jens.”

“Hi,” said Jensen when you slid into his car that night, Jensen looking you up and down. “You look gorgeous.”

“You look very pretty too,” you teased. “Where are we going?”

“BBQ?”

“That’s my boy,” you said. He was quiet as he drove, asking you more about your work as you parked and ordered your food. It wasn’t until he was halfway through a pulled pork sandwich that he started to blush. “What is it Jensen?”

“I’m doing it aren’t I. I won’t shut up,” he said.

“We’re catching up is all,” you said. “I don’t recall you ever being a singer in high school.”

“Well, it’s not exactly something you brag about,” he said. “I’m not any good anyways.”

“You sounded pretty good at karaoke,” you said. “You could make an album for fun. Plenty of people do. Those are actually my favorite projects to work on.”

“Maybe. I’m busy enough with the kids and brewery. I got a movie I’m supposed to film in a few months. Only like four weeks but I’m gonna fucking hate being away from the kids that long. My parents are going to have to watch them,” he said. “Signed on before we got a divorce and everything.”

“Can’t she take the kids?” you asked.

“Honestly, I don’t trust her. About two years ago, Taylor was still a baby, she really started to show her true colors. The nanny was the one raising the kids. I mean, I’m not claiming to be world’s best dad or anything but at least I change a diaper and give ‘em a bath when I’m home. Now they’re getting older and they’re starting to think mommy doesn’t like them. Unfortunately, I think that’s true,” he said.

“You weren’t joking earlier about thinking she wants to ditch them, were you.”

“No. In the long run, it’ll be the best thing for them. But it’s gonna suck. I hope they’re small enough to not let it get to them,” he said.

“I barely remember my mom,” you said. “Shit, your mom was the one that got me through my first period.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I was over your house and went to the bathroom and it happened and she was so nice about explaining everything to me. I think my dad was a bit relieved we didn’t have to have that talk,” you said. 

“My parents ask about you every once in a while,” he said. “Ask if we ever made up.”

“I assume they’ll be at the party tomorrow?” you asked, Jensen nodding. “Well, you can tell them we have now.”

“Harper’s not gonna have a mom pretty soon,” said Jensen.

“Do I have to tell you how a period works?” you asked, Jensen chuckling.

“No. No. It’s just hard to be dad and mom sometimes. I know it’s going to happen too,” he said.

“Well, when it does, I want you to remember that your kids are better off with just you,” you said.

“I’ll try,” he said. “How’s the brisket?”

“Crap, crap, crap,” you heard a guy say as you got out of your car at Jensen’s the next day. You rushed over and helped him catch a bag that was falling. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” you said, giving him a smile.

“I haven’t seen you around before. I’m Jared,” he said.

“Y/N,” you said, Jared raising an eyebrow.

“Wow. Like the Y/N Jensen was puppy dog in love with?” he asked.

“My reputation precedes me with Jensen’s friends apparently,” you said. “We met up a few days ago again. Talked through some stuff. We’re...trying it out.”

“I don’t even know you and I already like you better than the bitch,” said Jared. “Sorry. That’d be-”

“I know who you’re talking about,” you said, glancing at the bag. “Looks like Harper’s making out pretty good.”

“I’m the godfather. I’ve got to spoil her rotten,” he said. “I used to work with Jensen.”

“Yeah, you looked familiar. Your hair’s much shorter now, right?” you said.

“Yeah. Jensen was so excited,” Jared laughed. “I’ve been thinking of growing it out again. Well, I’m glad you made it.”

“Glad Harper invited me,” you said, following him down the driveway and around to the backyard, spotting a few kids and adults around.

“Hey, loser,” said Jensen with smile.

“You’re the loser,” you said, looking to Jared when you heard him echo the sentiment back. 

“Well now I really like her,” said Jared, setting his bag down near the pile of presents. “Speaking of which, where’s the birthday girl?”

“Last I saw, Gen and my sister were keeping an eye on them in the shallow end,” said Jensen. 

“Well I better go say hey,” he said, taking off as Jensen gave you a smile. 

“Thanks for coming,” he said as you sat down a small bag on the table. “So what’d you get her?”

“Eh, it’s nothing,” you said with a shrug. He hummed and crossed his arms. “I got her Harry Potter and a soccer ball.”

“That’s actually kind of perfect. She starts soccer in the fall and she’s ahead of her age group reading wise. She’s actually really ahead,” he said.

“You were always a good reader. Plus kids love Harry Potter,” you said. 

“I’m sure she’ll love it,” he said, your lips turning up when you caught sight of his older brother coming over. “Hey, Josh. You remember-”

“Little shrimp. Hard to forget Y/N Y/L/N,” he said with a laugh. “Did you let him sucker you into being his friend again?”

“We’re kind of dating,” said Jensen quietly.

“No shit. You do have a pair on you after all,” he said, slapping Jensen’s back. “Hey Mac!”

“What!” she shouted from across the yard.

“It took them more than ten years to get together! You lost!” he shouted.

“Mow your own lawn loser!” she shouted back. 

“No way! A bet’s a bet!” said Josh as he headed off, not without turning around. “I always told Jenny-”

“Joshua. Leave before I drown you at my daughter’s pool party,” said Jensen, closing his eyes.

“Fine, fine,” he said, waving Jensen off. “You know I’m pretty sure you gave him his first boner and-”

“Josh!” said Jensen, his brother cracking up as he left. “That’s not true…”

“We’re not at that stage yet so let’s just go with the old standard,” you said.

“Josh is a dick?”

“Josh is a dick,” you laughed.

“I can agree to that,” said Jensen. “So bathroom is right through there. If you want to change out of your swimsuit, just find a place in the house that’s free. We got presents and cake in like an hour but other than that, it should be pretty laid back.”

“Cool. I’m gonna go say hey to the birthday girl myself and I’ll swing back around later.”

“Thanks for helping pick up,” said Jensen, tossing a streamer in the garbage bag that evening.

“It’s no problem,” you said, looking around the yard. “I think that’s the last of it.”

“Yeah. Hey you want to hang out? We were gonna do a little backyard bonfire. If you want to,” he said.

“Sure. I do want to change out of these wet clothes first though,” you said. He hummed and you walked back out to your car, grabbing your bag as Jensen showed you down to the guest room. 

“Shit,” he said, the door already closed. “Forgot, my brother’s family is crashing in there tonight...and my parents are in the other guest room and my sister’s family is taking over the family room.”

“Don’t you have a bedroom?” you joked.

“True. I don’t want you getting the wrong idea though. I mean...you know what I mean,” he said.

“Just point me towards a shower and I’m good, Jens,” you said. He showed you towards his room and told you to take your time. Your jaw practically dropped when you were alone. His house was gorgeous but the bathroom was anyone’s dream come true. “Shit Jens. Somebody did well for themselves.”

You set your bag down on the empty vanity and pulled out your new clothes before hopping in the shower. You were pretty sure you would marry it if you could have but you didn’t want to waste all the water on Jensen and quickly were out and changing into some sweats and a tee shirt.

“I’m all set,” you said, giving Jensen a smile as he padded around in his bedroom.

“You got a hoodie?” he asked. You shook your head, Jensen walking into his closet and out a few seconds later, tossing one at you. “Take it.”

“Thanks,” you said. You gave him his privacy, catching his parents watching the kids in the family room. “Hi.”

“You owe me five bucks,” said his dad to his mom. “Told you those two would wind up together.”

“I was the one that said that!” she said, rolling her eyes.

“She’s delusional as always,” he said, standing up and giving you a hug. “How you doing kiddo? You got all grown up.”

“Yeah, been a few years,” you said, rubbing the back of your neck.

“Jensen said he ran into you a few nights ago. I’m so glad you two made up,” said his mom. “He could really use a good friend right now.”

“Grandpa, Daddy says he used to be best friends with Y/N,” said Harper, already face first into her Harry Potter book. 

“We’ve known Y/N since she was your age, Harper. She practically lived at our house,” he said. 

“She lived at your house?” she asked.

“It’s just an expression. I went over your daddy’s house a lot to play,” you said with a smile. “So, Jensen said fire in the backyard? Am I to assume the famous Ackles smores will be served?”

“You help pack up the kids for outside and we’ll get this thing going.”

“Hey, shrimp,” asked Josh a few hours later, the kids all up in bed in the house aside from Harper who was passed out on Jensen’s chest.

“Yes, Joshua,” you said, sipping on your beer. 

“How’re Drake and Devin doing?” he asked. “We sort of fell out of touch when they moved up to New York.”

“Those guys are good. Off being lawyers. Shockingly enough they didn’t get in the NBA like they planned,” you said with a laugh.

“Wasn’t that the boys plan?” teased Mac. “Your older brothers were like super hot though.”

“Your older brothers were super hot,” you said. 

“Josh was not hot,” said Jensen.

“When I was 14 and you got an older brother, he was pretty hot at the time, Jensen,” you laughed.

“I always knew shrimpy had a crush on me,” he said.

“Uh, no. That was reserved for someone else,” you said.

“I wonder who that could be,” said Jensen, pulling a yawn and stretch, putting his arm over your shoulders.

“How’s your dad doing, Y/N?” asked their dad. “He retired yet?”

“No. No. He’s still got a few years left he says. My brothers and I keep trying to get him to quit but we think he doesn’t want to sit in an empty house by himself,” you said.

“He never found anyone, did he,” said Jensen.

“No. After my mom got sick, he focused on us and on work. I think that’s part of the reason me and my brothers were always over your guy’s house so often. Dad was always working two shifts. You guys fed us dinner most nights of the week,” you said, pursing your lips, catching the look on his parents faces. “You knew that, didn’t you.”

“It was always obvious that you and Jensen had a special friendship,” said his dad. “You two were attached at the hip from day one. When you started coming over to play, we started noticing a few things. We had a conversation with your dad one night before he picked you up. We offered to help. He was reluctant but we found out what happened with your mom and he let us help eventually. That was around the time your brothers and Josh started playing together too.”

“I know,” you said, staring at the fire, feeling Jensen rub your shoulder. “The Ackles were always nice to the Y/L/N’s.”

“I’m gonna put Harper up to bed,” said Jensen, nodding for you to follow. “We’ll be back in a minute.”

He picked her up easily and brought her into the house, returning down to the kitchen with a smile after a moment. 

“My sister in law is conked out but I think they’re fine,” he said, heading back for the back door. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just remembering...when we fought, I sort of lost your family too,” you said.

“I know they’ve only tried to embarrass me about fifty times today but my family did always love you too, Y/N.”

“You love me?” you asked.

“I did. A friend love for sure. We still have to figure out the rest of this. I’m not ready to say it. I may never be,” he said.

“I enjoy just hanging out again,” you said. “Even if your family apparently made a lot of bets on us getting together.”

“You haven’t even heard half of them,” he chuckled. “Come on. I bet there’s still some smores left out there.”

Two Days Later

“Hi guys,” you said, spotting Harper and Taylor playing with some chalk in the driveway. “Where’s your dad?”

“He got a big letter in the mail. He went under the front porch,” said Harper, pointing down towards the front door, Jensen sitting at an outdoor table with his back to you.

“Alright. Well, your dad invited me over for dinner so I’m gonna go say hey and then I’ll be right back,” you said. You made sure they were okay on their own before you wandered down and poked Jensen on the shoulder, Jensen nearly jumping out of his seat. “Sorry.”

“Y/N, no, it’s fine. You’re early,” he said, looking at his watch. “Or not. Shit. Shit, I was supposed to have the food in the oven and those two need to get out of the sun.”

“Alright. You take a minute to yourself and I’ll get them inside and washed up, okay?” you said. Jensen nodded and you rubbed his arm as you walked past. You gathered up the kids, letting them show you where they kept their chalk in the garage, leading you inside and showing you around a little before you got them both washed up at the kitchen sink.

Jensen made his way inside by the time you were in the family room playing with them. He forced a smile on his face as he worked in the kitchen a moment, closing his eyes once he had the oven door shut.

You left the kids and wandered over, Jensen sighing as he shoved some papers back in a manila envelope.

“Jay...what happened?”

“She’s giving up custody. She filed the paperwork. All I have to do is sign apparently,” he said, running his hand over his face. “How the hell did I end up with a person like that?”

“Are they better off with or without her?” you asked.

“Without for sure,” he said.

“Then remember that. You love ‘em and that’s all they need right now,” you said. He nodded, letting a half-smile cross his face. “I’ll watch dinner and the kids. Go get your head on straight.”

“No, Y/N. I’m really okay,” he said.

“You’re really not. Go before I force your wimpy ass,” you said.

“Alright,” he said, gathering up the papers and taking a step out of the kitchen. “Y/N, I don’t know how you came back into my life at this exact moment but I’m glad you’re here.”

“Go on, Jens. I got everything covered.”

“Thanks for tonight,” said Jensen, the kids passed out in bed as you sat on his back porch. 

“Just because you knew it was coming doesn’t make it easier,” you said.

“You knew your mom was sick when you were little, didn’t you,” he said.

“Yeah. My parents told us. I didn’t understand really, not until after she was gone,” you said. “You’ll be okay, Jay.”

“I know. I don’t know how to tell them,” he said. 

“Tell them their mom isn’t able to be a mom anymore and leave it at that,” you said. 

“Harper’s the one that’s old enough to ask questions,” he said.

“Don’t say anything until it’s final. Maybe when she’s back from her vacation, she’ll say something to them, alright? Try not to stress too much and just enjoy the few weeks without her.”

Two Months Later

“Ackles,” you said, ruffling Taylor’s hair as you walked into Jensen’s house after work. “Where’s daddy?”

“Harper’s room,” he said with a frown.

“Something happen?” you asked.

“She thinks daddy’s getting rid of us too,” he said. 

“Oh, Taylor,” you said, picking him up. “Your daddy’s never getting rid of you. He loves you so much.”

“Mommy did,” he said.

“Come on, let’s go find those two,” you said, carrying him on your hip up to Harper’s room, Jensen scowling at her closed closet door. “I see it’s going well.”

“Harper. Y/N’s here,” said Jensen. The door flung open and she ran over to you, grabbing onto your leg.

“Make daddy stay,” she said.

“Stay where, sweetie?” you asked.

“Harper, I have to travel for work. It’s just a little while and I will be home every weekend,” he said.

“I hate you,” she said, letting go of you and storming down the hall. 

“I got her,” you said, setting Taylor down and going down the stairs after her. She moved pretty fast for a five year old and you barely caught up to her before she could rush outside. “Hey, you know you’re not supposed to be outside without a grown up, Harper.”

“Can we live with you? Daddy’s going away too,” she said.

“Harper,” you said, picking her up and carrying out to the backyard, settling her in your lap on the oversized swing back there. “Daddy isn’t going anywhere. He has to travel for work. He won’t be gone too long and he’s going to call you every single day. I promise. He’s not going anywhere.”

“Are you?”

“No. No, I’m not going anywhere either,” you said.

“Are you still gonna come over every day?” she asked.

“Of course. You and me are gonna bake cookies and go swimming and ride bikes. We’re going to do all the stuff we do now. Your grandparents will be here during the day is all,” you said.

“Promise?” she asked.

“I promise, sweetie.”

One Week Later

“Alright,” you said, Jensen tossing his backpack on his shoulders. “You got everything you need?”

“Well, I can’t bring the other things I want,” he said with a smirk. “There’s a couple of short people around here I’d like to accompany me but otherwise, I’m good.”

“Text me when you land,” you said.

“Will do, sweetheart,” he said, pecking a kiss on your lips. “Y/N. You really don’t have to come over every day just to hang out with the kids.”

“I know I don’t have to, Jensen,” you said with a smile. “We’ll try not to destroy the house too badly.”

“Thanks,” he laughed. “I’ll talk to you in a few hours then.”

“Talk to you soon, babe.”

_____

[missjanjie]

Better Than Revenge | Chapter 3

Title: Better Than Revenge Summary: Karma Inc.’s business structure is simple - clients hire them when they’ve been grievously wronged and they send one of their revenge mercenaries to right them. As painstaking as their efforts to remain ethical may be, that may be tested when former detective, Rosé, enlists the squad to pick up where she couldn’t on a much higher scale, with potentially greater consequences. Word Count: ~2.7k (this chapter) | ~8k (total) Relationship(s): Rosnali (Rosé/Denali Foxx), Jankie (Jackie Cox/Jan Sport), Halldoll (Nicky Doll/Jaida Essence Hall), Gimone (Gigi Goode/Symone), Gottlux (Gottmik/Olivia Lux) Rating: T

Read on AO3 | Ko-Fi

Chapter Summary: Rosé learns Gigi, Symone, and Denali's revenge origin stories

-

Woodstock, IL — 2016

Gigi took a deep breath as she stared at herself in the mirror. She could do this, it was fine. Every time her suspicions or confusion would bubble up, she forced them back down. Hannah was nice, she was different from the other popular girls. She didn’t see the ‘weird art lesbian’ with the braces and thick-rimmed glasses, who rarely got pop culture references post-1989, at least, that’s how she made her feel.

“I’ll text you in the morning,” she assured her mother as she threw her bag over her shoulder. “It’ll be fine, I’m just hanging out with a friend.” She was out to her mom, of course, that was her biggest ally. But she wasn’t ready to tell her that the head cheerleader had taken an interest in her. Maybe when and if they became official. Until then, she shook off the last of her nerves and drove to her house, only pulled from her thoughts by the time she was sitting on Hannah’s bed.

“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” Hannah cooed, batting her lashes and resting her hand on Gigi’s thigh.

If Gigi hadn’t been so blinded by her crush, she might’ve thought Hannah was laying it on a little thick, but she couldn’t act like she didn’t enjoy the attention. “Me too, a-about you, I mean. Sorry, I’m just nervous…”

“How come? I didn’t come on too strong over text, did I?”

“No, no I liked it, it’s just… I’m a virgin, like, I’ve only ever kissed before,” she confessed, her cheeks flushing rosy pink. She had talked a big game over text, but being faced with the chance of starting a physical relationship brought her back to reality.

Hannah pouted, rubbing Gigi’s thigh as she thought, letting her hand inch higher. “Well, you’ve got fantasies, don’t you? I know you’ve masturbated before. What do you think about while you touch yourself?”

Gigi hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip. The other girl wasn’t wrong, she did know what she liked, could conjure up vivid imagery to get herself aroused, but she had never said any of it out loud. “I like powerful, confident women. I guess that’s something that drew me to you,” she started, “I wanna just… give up control, be dominated.”

“Really? Tell me more,” Hannah prompted, kissing along her neck and jaw and slowly tugging Gigi’s shirt off in an attempt to coax her to continue.

When Hannah didn’t seem deterred by her confession, Gigi started to relax. “It’s just, I don’t know, I always feel the need to be in control of my life and with sex, I just wanna let go and give up that power.”

“So like, what would you want someone to do to you?” she asked, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

She bit down on her lip. “Um… tie me up, spank me, choke me, and I know it’s kind of intense but maybe something like cnc or—” the incessant buzzing of her phone distracted her and, concerned it might be an urgent call or text from home, she took her phone out. “Sorry, one sec.”

It wasn’t from home, she had two missed calls from her best friend, Crystal, followed by several texts.

Crystal: GIGI STOP Crystal: SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! Crystal: She’s broadcasting you on IG live! Crystal: We can see and hear everything…

Gigi’s face fell, her first instinct to pull her shirt back on. Then she slowly looked up and in front of her, that’s when she saw it, nestled between stuffed animals — Hannah’s phone with an instagram live going. She didn’t say anything, just ran out of the house as fast as her legs would take her and through her tears drove right to Crystal’s house. That was when the two of them formed their plot.

In and of itself, it was simple. Gigi waited one day until Hannah was away for a cheer competition and went to her house. “I’m so sorry to bother you, Mrs. Andrews, but I think I left some of my homework in Hannah’s room, she just said to let you know so I can run in and grab it.” Once inside, she found exactly what she was looking for, sliding Hannah’s diary into her backpack and went right back out.

“This feels very Mean Girls, I love it,” Crystal remarked as they taped page after page of the diary on lockers, walls, anywhere they could.

“Well, plan B was to go the Heathers route, so let’s just hope it works.”

And to say it worked was an understatement. As it turned out, Hannah had written things far more incriminating, and because it came from someone of her social ranking, it made everyone immediately lose interest in Gigi’s livestream scandal, and she graduated with the anonymity she needed for survival.

Present Day

“I’ll be honest with you,” Rosé remarked, “it’s kinda hard to picture you as an ugly duckling, especially the way you described it.” Gigi was too pretty, too perfect. Something didn’t add up.

Gigi got out her phone and scrolled through her photos until she found one from her senior year. “Believe it, doll,” she said as she held her phone up. She watched with an amused expression as Rosé looked from her phone, to her, and back with her eyes wide and mouth agape. “Braces off, lasik, learned a lot about how to dress while going to FIDM, which is where I met Symone, who helped fill in the blanks.”

“And made sure she got to do all them things she listed to that bitch without feeling ashamed about it,” Symone added with a smirk, draping her arm around Gigi and pulling her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Why don’t you tell her your story next, baby?” Gigi prompted.

Conway, AR — 2014

Symone watched her sister throw her bag over her shoulder and start to sneak out the window. “Look, I ain’t snitching or nothing, but I still don’t think this is a good idea.”

She and her sister, Lala, were close, sometimes referring to themselves as twins – they were only ten months apart, in the same grade at school. And until the summer after sophomore year, they had the same group of friends. But the crowd Lala ran with now just rubbed her the wrong way.

“You worry too much,” Lala brushed it off. “I’ll be fine, in bed by morning like nothing happened.”

But when Symone got a collect call two hours later, she found out things were far from fine. She drove down to the county jail as fast as she could without getting pulled over herself. Luckily bail was a mere fifty dollars, but once she got her sister back in the car, she looked at her incredulously. “What the fuck happened?”

“One of ‘em brought weed, another brought booze, but when the cops rolled up on us, they said it all was mine. And who was they gonna believe, me or three white kids?” Lala sniffled, wiping her eyes. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen to me,” she whispered.

“I don’t either,” Symone admitted quietly, frustrated at her inability to come up with an immediate solution. “But we’re gonna do our best to get you out of this, okay?”

The best they could do wasn’t easy. It involved a lot of legal maneuvering, meetings with one person in a suit after another. The end result wasn’t ideal, but it was far better than what could have been. Lala was fined three hundred dollars and put on thirty days of probation. In and of itself, it didn’t seem so bad, but the residual consequences took their toll.

“I lost my scholarship, ‘mone. That was my ticket into college,” Lala sighed. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know I’m getting off with a slap on the wrist, but I really ain’t thrilled about taking out student loans,” she sat down on the floor beside the bed, head leaning against it. “Or maybe I’ll start with community college, I dunno. It just fucking sucks that they all got off with warnings.”

Symone’s brows knitted together, her lips pressed into a fine line. “Don’t you worry baby,” she said after a moment, “they gon’ face consequences one way or another.”

It had taken most of spring break, but Symone finally had all of the pieces for her plan. “Not the most convoluted thing in the world, but it’ll get the job done,” she mused.

Lala looked at her sister, then at her desk and back. “Do I even wanna know where the hell you got coke from?”

“No, you do not.”

Getting the drugs was the hard part. Getting into school early to plant the drugs in the lockers of Lala’s former friends was far easier, as was leaving an ‘anonymous tip’ from a ‘concerned student’ on the principal’s desk.

“God, I wish I could’ve seen them get hauled off in cop cars,” Lala remarked as she and Symone drove home from school. The three students were quietly escorted out of class and arrested, the school wanting to bring as little attention as possible. “Shame that they rich daddies will still get them off lightly.”

Symone sighed and nodded. “Sure, but they’re still gonna get something, which is more than what they got when they threw you under the bus. Bet they’re gonna think twice before they let someone else take the fall for them.”

Her sister smiled softly and shook her head. “You really ain’t gotta do all that for me, you know?”

“I know,” she hummed, “not gonna stop me, though.”

Present Day

“Wow, that’s both selfless and hardcore,” Rosé remarked with an impressed nod. “Did she ever find out where you got the coke from?”

Symone laughed and shook her head. “Nah, that secret I’m taking to the grave.”

Rosé jokingly put her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, fair enough,” she chuckled. After a moment, she turned her attention to Denali. “That just leaves you, princess,” she remarked, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. “What’s your claim to infamy?”

Denali tossed her hair off her shoulder and grinned softly. “Who, me?” she cooed, fluttering her lashes. “Well, it is kind of an interesting story…”

Nicky rolled her eyes and tossed one of the couch pillows at her head. “Stop flirting and get on with it already.”

Fairbanks, AK — 2011

Denali groaned when the sound of loud footsteps racing up the stairs pulled her from her quasi-asleep state, then pulled a pillow over her head when the door swung open.

“What the hell are you still doing in bed when the qualifiers are in two hours?” her friend, Kahmora, asked with incredulous horror. She yanked the covers off of her, but stepped back in concern when she finally caught sight of Denali’s face. “Oh god, you look like shit.”

She frowned and rolled over to face away from her. “I feel like I died and was in the process of being reanimated, then killed again,” she lamented. “It’s probably food poisoning… or maybe swine flu came back, I dunno.”

“Did you eat anything unusual?”

Denali furrowed her brows as she wracked her brain. “I mean, Tara gave me those brownies and I had one, but when she said they were ‘special’, I just thought she meant they had weed in them, but that sure as hell isn’t it.” With as much energy as she could muster, she sat upright. “Oh my god, do you think she poisoned me?”

Kahmora arched her brow. “I think that’s a bit much, even for her. Do I think she put something like a laxative in there so it’d take you out long enough that you couldn’t beat her out in the international qualifiers? Yeah, probably. She’s a cunt.”

The skater scowled, her jaw clenched. “She’s a dead cunt,” she corrected, then suddenly shot out of bed. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she muttered as she raced to the bathroom yet again.

There wasn’t an obvious revenge plan for Denali. She knew that nothing she did would get her spot in the competition, and she wondered if it was even worth it. But her pettiness and spite won out and she began planning out her course of action.

“Remember,” she was saying, “if all else fails, we go the Tonya Harding route.”

Kahmora sighed. “For the last time, you are not whacking Tara’s kneecaps, now let’s go.” Despite some pouting from Denali, they went to get the gears turning in their plan. They got to the ice rink and slipped into the locker room without being noticed by Tara, who was in the middle of practice.

Denali picked the lock and took out Tara’s change of clothes. Then she reached into her own bag and pulled on latex gloves and a plastic bag containing several leaves of poison ivy. She turned the shirt, pants, and socks inside out and firmly rubbed the leaves against the fabric, making sure she left as little fabric uncovered as possible. “She’s lucky I’m merciful or I’d rub it on her panties too,” she remarked offhandedly.

Kahmora tilted her head as she watched her. “Do you actually think it’ll take her out of the competition?” she asked as her friend put the leaves and gloves into the ziploc bag.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I mean, it’s possible, probable really, that the constant itching might make it too difficult for her to skate. But this is more about getting even with her. I might not ever get another chance to compete for internationals. She’s lucky the only retribution she’s getting is a few weeks of itchy blisters.”

“Otherwise you’d Tonya Harding her?”

Denali nodded brightly. “Exactly! Now come on, we have to get rid of the evidence.” And with that, they scurried out of the locker room as inconspicuously as they’d entered it and threw out the evidence in a trash can several blocks over.

When the news broke that Tara had withdrawn from the competition due to ‘unexpected physical problems’, Denali did her best to feign shock and didn’t celebrate until she and Kahmora were alone.

“So, what do you wanna do now?” Kahmora asked.

Denali tilted her head in thought, then smirked. “Let’s go get brownies.”

Present Day

“Personally, I still think you should’ve busted her knees,” Mik mused offhandedly. “Like, I bet you would’ve figured out a way to get away with it, you conniving bitch,” he teased.

Denali shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s not very original and it’d look a lot more suspicious on my end.”

“I think it was pretty badass,” Rosé offered, making the other woman smile which, in turn, made her heart flutter — something she chose to actively ignore. Instead, she let all of their stories sink in. None of their reasons for revenge were out of line, none of their victims undeserving. And none of the consequences were as severe as some of the things she had seen in her time. “You all really know what you’re doing, huh?”

“We wouldn’t have been able to keep this up for three years if we didn’t,” Jan replied. “We had all of the potential on our own, but we make a difference together, and then we added Jackie to tie up the loose ends. It’s been smooth sailing from there.”

“Yeah, and now Jackie ties you up instead,” Nicky teased, earning an eye roll in response.

Rosé watched the group interact with a fond smile. She had assumed they all got along to be working together for as long as they have been, but she hadn’t anticipated them truly behaving like a family. It was a stark contrast to the constant coldness and curtness she had grown accustomed to, both in her previous career and in the environment she grew up in. She only hoped it would make the tasks ahead that much easier for them.

[artificialqueens]

Rollerskating Into My Life (Symone x Gigi) - Strawberry

Summary:

“You’re really pretty, too. But I don’t really know how to skate. Balancing is so hard!”

“Let me get a soda and then afterwards I can help you out?” The curly haired girl offered, and Gigi grinned.

Or, Gigi is at Jaida's birthday party and doesn't know anyone else there. Symone changes that.

A/N: Hi! I originally wrote this for the Rare Pair challenge earlier this year, but I never ended up submitting. I reread it yesterday and was like "Wait, I don't hate this!" so I decided that posting it months later was better than never!

Being at a roller rink with half of her grade was not where Gigi wanted to be.

It was her best friend Jaida’s birthday, and she wanted to go roller skating to celebrate. Being fairly popular, she ended up inviting half of their grade to the party, and Gigi, who was not popular in the slightest, knew absolutely no one well enough to want to talk to and she didn’t want to change that.

However, that meant Gigi would spend most of the night by herself as Jaida went around the rink, talking to everyone. Of course, she didn’t blame Jaida, it wouldn’t make sense to invite so many people and then only hang around the redhead. It also didn’t mean that it didn’t suck.

The two arrived together, meaning that Jaida was her ride back home where they would have a sleepover, just the two of them. Just that made showing up to the big party worth it in Gigi’s opinion, but the minutes were dragging on so slowly. She would’ve been out skating to make the time pass faster, but Gigi was incredibly clumsy and could only stay upright for a maximum of twelve seconds. Skating was not her thing.

Sitting at the bar, Gigi’s eyes wandered from watching Jaida and Nicky skate around, to Rock making a fool of herself in front of Jackie and Jan, to two girls that Gigi didn’t think went to their school.

One was a taller brunette and the other was a slightly shorter girl who had curly black hair. Both of the girls were stunning, but Gigi couldn’t take her eyes off of the shorter girl. She was the prettiest girl the ginger had seen in a long time, and she wished they had the confidence to get up and (slowly and carefully) make her way over to her.

Gigi watched as the brunette slipped and fell after attempting to dance to the Dua Lipa song that was playing and instead of helping her friend up, the pretty girl stood there and laughed.

Her smile was so beautiful.

“Whatcha looking at, G?” Jaida’s voice scared the shit out of her, Gigi placed her hand over their heart as she turned to face her best friend.

“Those girls don’t go to our school, I was trying to figure out if they did. But they don’t!”

“Mhm. You should go talk to the one you think is cute.” Jaida always saw right through Gigi.

“Oh, fuck off. You know I won’t.” She rolled her eyes. Gigi was never one to just go up and start conversations with complete strangers, especially ones that she thought were cute.

“Anything is possible! You actually showed up even though I know you would rather be in bed right now.” Jaida reminded her.

“Of course I would go to my best friend’s birthday party! I’m not a monster.”

“I know! It just really means a lot that you showed up. I know being with large groups of people isn’t your cup of tea.”

“Anything for you, but I think Nicky is waiting for you at the soda machine.”

After trying to convince Gigi to get up and say hi to Nicky, Jaida went off to go see her friend by herself. Gigi pulled out her phone, deciding to see if any of the celebrities she followed on Instagram had posted anything within the two hours they had at the roller rink.

“Hiii,” a voice she didn’t recognize said, and Gigi looked up to see that the pretty girl with curly black hair was right in front of her.

“Oh! Hi,” Gigi let out a nervous giggle. The ginger always laughed when she was nervous and absolutely hated it.

“I saw you looking at me earlier, and my friend just ditched me for a questionable boy, so I’d thought I’d come and say hi. I’m Symone.”

What a gorgeous name.

“I’m Gigi. And where are they? The boy probably goes to my school.”

Symone pointed to where her friend was currently trying to dance with a guy Gigi had history with. “Yuck. Your friend better not hit it off with him. He’s gross.”

“Noted. Is there a school event going on or something?” She asked, looking around at the rest of Gigi’s classmates.

“Oh, it’s my best friend’s birthday. She invited like, half of our grade,” the redhead rambled on while Symone nodded, “I think you and your friend are the only people here who aren’t from school.”

Gigi was never up to talking to strangers, but they wanted to keep talking to Symone. Everything about her was perfect and they were not going to fuck it up by being cold.

Symone made her way to the empty seat next to Gigi, “It feels so nice to sit down. I’ve been on my feet all night.”

“You should definitely rest up then.”

“I haven’t seen you on the rink all night though, I’m starting to think that you don’t know how to skate.”

“So you were watching me too?” Gigi questioned, grinning.

“Yeah. You’re pretty cute, Strawberry Shortcake.”

Gigi didn’t know why, but she liked being called that. It wasn’t new or creative in the slightest, but it gave them butterflies. “You’re really pretty, too. But I don’t really know how to skate. Balancing is so hard!”

“Let me get a soda and then afterwards I can help you out?” The curly haired girl offered, and Gigi grinned.

“Sounds amazing.”

____________

Gigi and Symone did a little more than grabbing a soda. They ended up getting pizza too, and spent a little too long sitting there and chatting.

They might have only met Symone an hour prior, but they really liked her. She was kind and funny and actually seemed very interested in getting to know the redhead a little bit more. The darker girl was an extremely slow eater, so they were there for quite a while, engaging in small talk. They both were interested in fashion and hated boys, it was extremely refreshing for Gigi to meet someone that appeared to be similar to her.

When Symone finally finished up her pizza, she got up and reached out to grab the ginger’s hand. Gigi gladly accepted it, and together they made their way to the edge of the rink.

“Okay, I’m gonna let go of your hand and you’re going to try to balance.” Symone explained, and Gigi hesitantly let the girl take her manicured hand away.

They did not stay up for long. After a few seconds, they had to grab the half wall that separated the rink and cafeteria in order to stay upright. “This is hard!” Gigi yelped, blushing when she saw the amused look on Symone’s face.

“You’re not standing right. You’re putting all of your weight on your heel which is why you can’t stand up for very long.”

Gigi tried balancing their whole foot, and Symone adjusted their body so the ginger was leaning slightly forward. “Try that now. You should have an easier time balancing.”

Symone was right. Gigi had completed the first step of learning how to skate, something they probably wouldn’t have been able to figure out on their own.

“Okay, I think I’m ready to skate.”

“Hold onto me, Strawberry Shortcake. I don’t trust you to not fall quite yet,” Symone giggled, holding her hand out and waited for Gigi to grab it.

They went slow at first, carefully watching Gigi as they went around the rink. Halfway around they passed Jaida who was now skating with Dahlia, and Jaida nearly fell over seeing that Gigi had actually talked to the girl she thought was cute.

After two laps, the redhead was fairly confident in her ability to skate around without holding onto Symone; not that she would tell her that. Gigi was enjoying holding Symone’s hand and she did not want to let go anytime soon.

If the dark haired girl felt the same, she was definitely prioritizing teaching her new acquaintance (what were they? Gigi had no clue.) how to roller skate.

By their fourth lap, Symone was starting to catch on, “I don’t think you need my help anymore. I think you just want to hold my hand.”

Being called out flustered Gigi, but they were proud of what they responded, “Am I wrong for not wanting to let go of a pretty girl’s hand?”

Her new love interest pondered for a moment, “I guess you might have a point.”

____________

They ended up spending the rest of the night side by side, skating around and dancing to music. Gigi was much better at roller skating than they were a few hours prior.

Eventually, Symone’s friend made a reappearance and the people who showed up for Jaida’s party slowly started to empty the rink. Gigi knew that it was time to part ways.

“I had a lot of fun tonight. Maybe we could do it again sometime?”

“Depends. Will you pretend to be bad at skating so you have an excuse to hold my hand again?” Symone teased, getting out her phone and opening up the contacts app, pressing ‘new contact’ before handing it to the redhead.

“I’m never living that down, am I?” Gigi giggled, typing in her name and number into the phone that was now in her hand.

She shrugged, “I’m not complaining about someone as cute as you holding my hand, but I also found it amusing.”

After saying their goodbyes to Symone and her friend Rosy, Gigi made their way over to Jaida who was sitting at the bar, typing away on her phone.

“Hey, stranger.”

Their best friend looked up, smiling at them. “You had a lot of fun tonight, huh?”

“I really did. I’m really glad I came.”

Gigi couldn’t wait to see them again.

[into-the-afterlife]

Why I Ship Johnny/Female V Part 3: V, and You, and Me

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

I’ve spent a lot of time in this essay series so far focusing on one half of the pairing. Johnny is fascinating, but he’s only one half of the dynamic. So what about V is interesting? Why does she stand out as a character, in the context of this pairing?

Across different ships, I’ve noticed a consistent pattern. There tends to be one character that the fandom focuses in on to thirst over and one that the fandom imagines themselves being. In this ship, the thirst-character tends to be Johnny, while the self-insert character tends to be V. And that’s not surprising, considering that V is essentially our self-insert into the world of Cyberpunk 2077. It’s also worth noting that people who engage in shipping and transformative fandom tend to be predominantly AFAB, myself included, and it makes sense that when writing sexual stories we’d want a self-insert who has our anatomy.

But fans being AFAB doesn’t usually impact what ships are popular. Shipping is infamously dominated by M/M couples who are, ninety percent of the time, cis. Usually, that impulse to self-insert results in an exaggeration of top-bottom dynamics rather than genderswaps or increased focus on M/F couples.

And the thing about V is, she isn’t just a self-insert. In fandoms focused on open-world RPGs, there tends to be some focus on the player character. However, that focus tends to be limited to the Tumblr-ish, transformative end of fandom. One of my other favourite video game fandoms is The Elder Scrolls. There, people avidly draw and discuss their versions of the protagonists on Tumblr and AO3. But on Reddit and Facebook meme pages, the focus is much more on the other characters, the lore, the worldbuilding.

In this fandom, though? I’ve seen more Vs on Reddit than I have on Tumblr. On Reddit, you’re bombarded with beautiful screenshots of V after V. On Tumblr, there’s tons of new names for V, lovingly thought out backstories and more. And when I see V being shipped with Johnny, V is almost always depicted as female, despite there being an option for a male V and despite the norms of shipping favouring a male V.

So it’s clear that female V inspires more affection than most RPG protagonists. Part of that is to do with Cherami Leigh’s voice acting that I covered in Part 1. But I also think there’s a lot in V’s writing that influences things this way.

CD Projekt Red’s writers are known for focusing on character and plot over worldbuilding in their writing. There’s no, ‘I used to be an adventurer like you...’ in their games, no blank-slate hero or awkward, generic background dialogue. Instead, their other protagonist, Geralt, reacts to chasing after goats and weird children and ancient beings as his own person. The world he inhabits is similarly richly drawn, with even the most bland of background guards discussing gimps and birthdays.

There’s also no black-and-white morality. Even in The Witcher games, their fantasy series, the morality leans much closer to Game of Thrones than The Lord of the Rings. This means that their characters are always three-dimensional. Their first true RPG is actually Cyberpunk 2077. Oh, sure, they’ve done games with rich worlds and lots of sidequests, with skill-trees and moral options, but they’ve always had an authored character, with his own slants and biases. Even when Geralt picks the moral option, he’s likely to be cynical about it, and he always leans towards being a grizzled libertarian who’s Done With This Shit at heart.

Despite their provision of a relatively blank-slate character in this game, this influence lingers on in Cyberpunk 2077. One of the big critiques of the game at launch was that the much-hyped lifepath system felt clunky and didn’t have much of an influence on later gameplay. It’s true that the backstory sacrifices some smoothness of plot and introduction to the world.

But what it gets rid of in those aspects, it makes up for in characterisation. No matter what path you choose, V is never an anonymous prisoner, a mysterious courier or a long-forgotten colonist. She has a clearly defined context, and real roots in the world around her. Even after you move past the prologue, V has the network of people around her you’d expect for someone already embedded in the world. After you’re shot, you don’t just go to some random ripperdoc; you go to Vik, her regular ripperdoc and friend. You don’t get the tarot sidequest from reading an anonymous shard; you get it from Misty. Jackie dating Misty suggests that he introduced V to Misty and Vik. V getting to know them through Jackie feels natural, and just like the kinds of close communal networks that spring up in large cities. Meanwhile, the unique dialogue options for each lifepath keep reminding you that V had a life before you met her.

And that’s true even for the other dialogue options. Here’s a minor, early-game set of dialogue choices from Cyberpunk 2077:

And here’s a similarly minor, early-game set of dialogue choices from a recent RPG that shares a lot of tonal and thematic similarities with Cyberpunk – The Outer Worlds:

Notice the difference in attitudes allowed by each set of dialogue options. The player character of The Outer Worlds has the opportunity to respond compassionately, snarkily or lie for their own advantage. Deception is specifically highlighted and controlled by a skill tree, and each dialogue choice has its own tone and flavour. Meanwhile, all of V’s dialogue choices can be interpreted as some kind of attempt at deception. They’re also all written in the same voice. While The Outer Worlds offers matter-of-fact kindness, brevity and colourful imagery, V’s dialogue choices all share sentence fragments, spunkiness, bluntness and emotional volatility. No matter what choices you make, V’s attitude and voice always stays the same.

The way dialogue choices are controlled is also worth examining. There seem to be more choices on the surface in Cyberpunk, but a full half of them are controlled by skill trees. Level V up differently to this YouTuber, and they may not even be available. The skills themselves also betray a lack of choice here. While speech is split into five different skills in The Outer Worlds, and the skill used here is directly named ‘Lie’, in Cyberpunk 2077 the skills are simply named ‘Reflexes’ and ‘Cool’. That’s partially due to differences in RPG mechanics, which is beyond the scope of this essay. But look at the names themselves. While The Outer Worlds singles out deception, and bluntly names it for what it is, Cyberpunk 2077 frames quick thinking and bluffing as simply part of the reactions and social attitudes required to survive in Night City. Even the very names of the game mechanics are coloured by V’s attitudes.

While V’s status as an independent character is coloured by CD Projekt Red’s previous experience, it’s definitely not an accident. They had an entire trailer dedicated to answering the question of who V is. For the question of whether V keeps her own personality to be compelling, V has to have a personality in the first place. And in the Temperance ending, the emotional impact of seeing V as an NPC in cyberspace, as well as the final, long shot of V’s face on the bus, depends on you having built up a relationship with her as a separate character. She’s a fascinating mix of self-insert and defined character, and purely from a writing perspective, breaks a lot of new ground for RPG protagonists.

But back to the subject at hand: shipping. She’s just self-insert enough for you to imagine yourself as part of a heightened reality, as someone blisteringly witty, quick-thinking and intelligent. And feeling competent and confident, whether in the real world or in-game, brings you back into your body and makes you feel confident enough to pursue what brings you pleasure. But V’s also just enough of her own person that you can care for her and want her to be happy. That combination of affection and wish fulfilment is what the best ships are made of.

Another huge part of V’s popularity in the Cyberpunk fandom comes from the way gender, or the lack of it, interacts with her characterisation. Of course, you can make her look and dress however you want; that’s one of the beautiful things about RPG protagonists. But her lines and interactions with other characters, thanks to them having to be voiced by male V as well, are refreshingly gender-neutral. To understand this further, let’s take a look at some concrete examples.

Cyberpunk 2077, particularly during the prologue and Act 1, takes a lot of inspiration from Grand Theft Auto. Fast cars, exciting crimes, the obligatory strippers and prostitutes; they’re all there.

These kinds of gritty, sexualised game worlds have attracted criticism from feminist media analysts for normalising violence against women and normalising extreme violence as the default and desirable way of responding to the world. What I think about these takes would take its own essay to get into. But the part of these critiques I do agree with is this. By having protagonists in these worlds always be hypermasculine cis male protagonists, and by having victims of crimes and sexualised characters always be cis women, these worlds repeatedly and unnecessarily sideline anyone who’s not a cis man from imagining themselves having power and agency.

However, where Cyberpunk 2077 differentiates itself from other examples of these game worlds is its lack of gendered differentiation for its protagonist. Ninety-nine percent of the time throughout the game, male and female V voice exactly the same lines. This means that if you choose to play as female V, female V is characterised exactly the same way as male V.

Let’s take a look at some concrete examples of this. The biggest is V’s relationship with Jackie. It’s rarely that you see a male-female friendship that stays as platonic as this one does in media, and I welcome it. The quest called ‘The Ripperdoc’ demonstrates this, in the conversation when Jackie and V drive to see Vik:

Jackie [with relish]: ...I got a date - me and Misty.

V: You don’t say...

Jackie [confidentially]: She’s soooo sweet. Really gets me, y’know?

Jackie describes his relationship with Misty in respectful terms, and isn’t afraid to detail the emotional aspects of his and Misty’s connection. But he doesn’t hold back on the macho bragging either. In these lines, and especially in the pleased, suggestive tone of the first line, it’s clear he’s proud to be the kind of guy who could date someone like Misty. The presence of both of these attitudes together shows that Jackie both trusts V and considers V a part of his traditional-masculinity-valuing world. It’s less ‘not like other girls’ and more ‘not like other mercs’.

Similarly, while V’s first interactions with Johnny do draw from highly gendered relationship dynamics, the actual content of V’s responses undercut any feminising this would give her. Here’s one exchange from ‘Playing For Time’:

Johnny: The fuck kinda joytoy are you supposed to be?

V: Fuckin’ ghost off!

Johnny calls V a whore. Before and after, he physically hurts her in ways that, in my opinion, have a highly sexual undertone. But the crucial bit is how V responds here. She neither responds in a helpless, damsel-in-distress sort of way, nor in a defiant, sassy heroine way, where she might take the gendered insults and own them or prove them wrong via physical prowess. In fact, she doesn’t react to the gendered aspect of Johnny’s comment at all. Where a game with a Strong Female Character (TM) would use gendered jabs to refocus attention on said character, Cyberpunk blows them off to focus on the reality of this particular character’s situation.

Outside of V’s closest relationships, this gender neutrality can also be seen in the wider world of Night City. Dexter DeShawn is one of the most tropey, Grand Theft Auto-esque characters you meet in the game. As such, he’s one of the best barometers for how gender interacts with the ‘usual’ state of the world. And how does he react to a female V?

The answer is, not at all. He addresses her as ‘Ms V’, but that comes across as less about her and more about him being high up enough in the world that he can afford affectations. Her gender simply isn’t relevant. While this is increasingly common in pop culture, it’s still rare in worldbuilding like this, where gender is all too frequently used as a lens through which to explore violent, chaotic worlds. In a type of world and tone where gender roles are traditionally emphasised , V slips past those roles and is allowed to exist beyond them.

But why does gender neutrality make V more appealing to ship? To answer that fully, it needs to be combined with my next point.

V is also compelling to ship because her characterisation gives a safe platform from which to imagine her being vulnerable. What I mean by that is this. The main aspect of V’s characterisation in canon is her status as a merc. How you experience her life, through gameplay and through the situations she gets into, is through her skills at hacking, sneaking and killing. You don’t just witness her competence, daring and toughness; you share in it.

When writing fiction that focuses on romantic relationships, one of the toughest balances to get right is that of competency and vulnerability. Any good romantic arc involves watching a character’s barriers come down, seeing how they react to the other person when they lay aside their protective pretences. But this can’t happen too soon, or too much, for either the protagonist or the love interest. Competency and assuredness are huge parts of what makes someone attractive, and they’re also huge parts of feeling like you can come out and play, sexually speaking. Even for the biggest submissive on the planet, the submission has to be a deliberate choice to be hot.

Taken together, V’s canonical characterisation and the possibilities and conventions of fandom provide the perfect balance of those two qualities. Canon makes it clear that V is capable and strong. When you or I imagine our Vs with Johnny, that buildup of ‘competence capital’ makes it feel safe enough to imagine V vulnerable.

And that safety is vital when shipping any character with a character like Johnny. This is where the gender neutrality I talked about earlier comes into play. Imagining V vulnerable feels safe. So does imagining V in a dynamic with a guy who’s a tropey bad boy. Because V is written in such a gender-neutral way, it lets the player enjoy all the deliciously dangerous aspects of her relationship with Johnny without the distractions that may come from feeling disempowered. It also refreshes all the clichés of Dangerous Guys, making their impact feel fresh and new again. Her ability to walk the line between wish fulfilment and independent characterisation inspires simultaneous identification with her, affection for her and boosts in confidence for the player.

This is why she’s compelling to ship. Johnny brings in the familiar emotional arcs of classic tropes, while V makes them new. So what happens when you put these two characters together? Just what about the way they bounce off each other has inspired the majority of fic and art in this fandom?

That’s what I’ll talk about next time.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

[somedayonbroadway]

Santa’s Little Helpers

Fandom: Newsies

Word Count: 2k+

Characters: Racetrack Higgins, Albert DaSilva, Jack Kelly, Katherine Plumber, Smalls (Newsies)

Summary: When Albert had told Race that he’d had a surprise for him at the mall, this is not what Race had had in mind.

A/N: So this little fic was a request from Katrina Miller. This reviewer did ask for a Christmas fic with Race and Albert and while that's definitely here, this did turn into a bit of a Sprace fic. I hope that's okay!

Please enjoy!

When Albert had told Race he'd had a surprise for him down at the mall, this is not exactly what Race had had in mind.

Race was now making minimum wage at, what he had been told by Saint Nick himself, was the perfect job for him. He was an elf. If the pointy ears and ridiculous jingle bell hat weren't enough, the shoes certainly completed the outfit. He was clad up in ridiculous green and white socks and even worse tiny red overalls. What didn't make sense to Race was that he had never been particularly short. Neither had Albert. And yet, here they were, pretending they were tiny, had squeaky little voices and painting red little red circles on their noses and cheeks.

Currently, Santa's was on a ten and that meant that Santa's helpers had to deal with the oh-so understanding parents and their screaming kids who had been waiting in line for about two hours now only for Santa to decide he needed a break.

"Oh my gosh, look at him," Race groaned a bit at the voice, turning around to be met with the sight of his all too adorning big brother who was not even alone. No, he had his girlfriend on his arm. "Honey, look at our little elf! They grow up so fast."

The pair had bags and bags of things in their arms. And Race couldn't even be bothered to be the nosy kid he was and try to prematurely snoop. All he could do was glare as Katherine cooed at him, "Aww, we raised a good little elf, Jackie."

With a roll of his eyes, Race just prayed no one else he knew from school stumbled through Santa's Village. As much of a loser as he already was, he didn't think he'd survive the torment. Albert, however, didn't seem to care as he slung an arm around Race's shoulders and hung on him a bit. Albert was eccentric. People expected this kind of thing from him. Race, as he often was, was just along for the ride. Right now, that ride required red, white and green everything and a fake smile for the bratty kids that tugged on his hair and ears.

"Heya, Jack!" Albert grinned. Race pouted his lips over his brother, as though he was asking for some kind of help but Jack only reached into his back pocket and took out his phone, snapping a picture of the pair. Albert was grinning.

Not quite as ecstatic to be here, Race's pout turned into a small glare towards the man who raised him. "Have I ever told you that I hate you?" he asked, only getting a small laugh out of Jack. "I'm burning all of your presents."

Jack only smiled and shrugged. "Well, I guess that means I can go return all of this—"

With his eyes widened in fake terror Race shook his head. "No! Jackie!" he whined. "I want presents…"

"Then I guess you gotta be a good little elf and take all the kiddies to meet Santa," Jack shrugged. Then he smirked. He had such a knowing smirk and Race hated him and yet somehow still loved him for it.

Before he could further insult his big brother in front of the giant line of crabby customers, Katherine was quick to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "We'll be by later to give you guys a ride, okay?" he promised, moving to give a waiting Albert a kiss on the head. "Tinker away my little elves."

"Bye, Red!" Albert called.

"Bye, Red!" Katherine called back, walking away confidently without her boyfriend.

Jack paused to give Race a kiss on the head too. "Be good, okay? Give these kids a good meeting with Santa. You don't know how many of them might actually need it." That was just like Jack. Thinking about others first. Sometimes Race feared that it might be Jack's downfall. He cared too much about others. He was self sacrificing. He couldn't could the number of times Jack had literally given him the shirt off of his back and the food that never reached his mouth. They'd grown up poor. They'd grown up orphans.

But that was a long time ago.

Race was sixteen now. And he had a job like any normal sixteen year old does at Christmas time.

Turning back to Albert, he sighed. "Why did you make me do this?" It was true. If anyone from school saw him here, he'd be torn apart. He and Albert weren't exactly super popular and they had accepted that a long time ago. That didn't mean no one knew who they were. In fact, people knew them as geeks and/or nerds who were constantly the target of some popular kids' pranks.

With a cheeky grin, all Albert could do was shrug. It was impossible to make the redhead embarrassed at this point. Race figured they'd been through enough humiliation to get him immune. See, Albert had not only one, but two older brothers. They were a product of his father's first marriage and were much older than Albert by the fault. They had been tormenting him his whole life. Race loved Albert's older brothers but they had always had sneaky, effective ways of embarrassing their baby brother. "Um, I'm sorry, we spread Christmas cheer to every child in the world. We're basically like the most important people in the world right now. Our job is literally to make Christmas happen. God knows Santa just sits on his ass all year long while we do all the heavy lifting," Albert scoffed, almost looking offended. "And also… money…" he finished, like that part was some great bonus.

To be honest, Albert wasn't wrong. The money was a great thing and Race was glad to have a little cash in his pocket for the holidays. He still had plenty of Christmas shopping to do. "Whatever…" he scoffed, rolling his eyes as they saw Santa coming back. The guy wasn't the best, but he got the job done.

"You're the one who said you wanted a job, man," Albert said.

"I meant a normal job, Al," Race groaned dramatically as he forced himself to make his way over to that big red rope that blocked off their little area. "One where I don't gotta wear a costume." Albert just tugged on Race's hair. Race let out a small yelp but he got back to work, shooting a glare in his best friend's direction as he let the first child in line go through. He only got shoved a little bit by the mother who had only yelled at him the second Santa walked away.

Today was the seventh day Race had been working and that meant, coincidentally, that he was also getting his first paycheck today and that was something to be happy about. It was all he could think about at the moment, as he lifted screaming, kicking, smelly children on and off of Santa's lap while a bored photographer snapped their picture. Well that and, of course, lunch.

Well, sort of.

As hungry as Race was, and Race was really hungry, the idea of having to stand out in the cafeteria like this was enough to make him want to put a bag over his head. According to his manager, he was not allowed to take off the costume at any time. It would ruin the magic, apparently and that just meant they wanted to see what happened when they sent two teenage boys dressed as elves out into the most popular hang out in the city just to see what would happen.

There were literally twenty minutes left before Race and Albert could take an hour long lunch and that's when Race saw him. "Hi, are you guys ready ta meet Santa—" He froze when he looked up to see a very hot, very muscular boy standing above him. "Holy sh—" A hand clamped tightly down over his mouth before the word slipped out and he nearly bit it to get it off.

Spot Conlon was one of the most popular kids at their school. He was the athlete. The quarterback, captain of the soccer team, pitcher of the baseball team and the literal homecoming king was standing right there in front of him and Race was staring at him with wide eyes. "Hi, Spot Conlon," Albert greeted much too cheerfully. Race was sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he was the only person in the world that knew that Race had a huge crush on the older boy and had ever since the sixth grade.

Spot gave the both of them an odd look. "Uh… hi? Do I know you guys?" he asked. It was only then that Race noticed he was holding onto a little girl's hand. He didn't know that Spot had any siblings.

Easily, Albert pulled Race up and put his arm around him again. "Uh… we go ta the same school… I've been in your bio class for the past semester, you live in the same building as Race—"

"Oh you guys are the ones that had to run through the school in your underwear because the Delanceys stole your clothes!" Spot said, like it should've been obvious.

It was immediate, the way Race's face fell into his hands dramatically. Albert hardly reacted. "Yep." Race wished the earth would open up and swallow him whole. That had been one of the single worst days of his life and he loved to have that reminder right now by this boy with this random kid there too. "Anyway, is your sister ready ta meet Santa?"

Snapping back to the moment, Spot looked down at the little girl who seemed very interested in her little toes right then. "Oh, this is actually my niece. Her name's Saraya but we all call her Smalls," he explained. There was still another kid up on Santa's lap giving him a list about the size of himself. "She really wanted to meet Santa, but she's deaf so… h-he doesn't have to talk to her or anything, she just wanted to say hi."

So maybe Race was desperate to impress this boy somehow, but he actually got very excited at hearing that. He immediately looked up before he kneeled back down to that little girl's level. He lifted up his hands slowly. "Hi," he signed with a small smile. "My name's Tyler. Are you excited to see Santa?"

The little girl's face lighting up tuned out the voice of his best friend looking up at Spot and spilling his life story. "His brother is hard of hearing. They were in a really bad car accident when they were little so now he has to wear hearing aids but they couldn't afford them when they were little so…" Albert never knew when to stop talking.

It was true. Jack had lost his hearing almost completely when he was ten years old. It hadn't been an easy adjustment for either of them, especially since they were orphaned in the very same crash. Jack hadn't handled it well. So Race had helped him learn a language that he didn't have to hear and now here he was.

They'd both lived.

Saraya nodded to him and signed back, "I know that's not the real Santa, but my uncle says he's gonna tell the real Santa my wish!"

With a big smile, Race nodded right back. "It's true! Santa just so happens to be a personal friend of mine," he explained a bit smugly, his heart only warming when that grin on Smalls's face grew. "What are you gonna ask for?"

That's when Spot stopped her, picking her up to mask that fact. He placed her on his hip before looking down at Race who slowly stood to his feet. "She… uh… she wants to see her mom… I'm trying to get her to ask for something else, but… her ma ain't home because… well she just ain't, but… we're hopin' ta get her home by Christmas. We just need enough to get a plane ticket," Spot shrugged, clearly not up for explaining at the moment.

Something sunk in Race's chest. He nodded, glancing back and realizing that it was Saraya's turn. "Uh, it's her turn…" Race stated awkwardly. So Spot nodded and walked over to Santa, setting Saraya down on his lap and translating for her as she sighed and signing back what Santa said.

"You are so in love with him," Albert sighed.

Race elbowed his friend in the gut and turned to him. "I'm not even… I'm thinkin' about Saraya! She just… I don't know… reminds me of Jack, okay?" he shrugged. "Except she's not quite as sad as he was when…" Race shook his head.

"Okay, don't go gettin' all emotional. Just get her a gift 'r somethin'."

Race smiled at that.

So that's exactly what they did.

This is how Race ended up on Albert's back, still clad up in annoying green and red colors as they quickly went from store to store trying to find the right thing during their lunch break.

"And then Kat said, 'well, if you admit that you don't believe in Santa, then maybe he'll stop comin' around, so like… I'm sixteen and I still get presents from Santa and I call that a win," Race shrugged, resting his chin on Albert's shoulder.

Albert scoffed. "Jeanne is the reason Santa still comes around ta our house— she misses you, by the way," he stated. "She's honestly, the cutest little kid I've ever met."

With a small laugh, Race jumped off of his friend's back and bounced over to the little stuffed animals. They were, of course, in the Disney store. He didn't know where else one would go to get a gift for a child. "Of course she misses me, I'm her favorite," he said, like it should've been obvious.

He came face to face with a little Stitch plushie. His heart swelled. It was one similar to something a nurse had gotten Jack all those years ago when Jack was in the hospital. Race shook himself out of it as he pulled the thing off the shelf. "This is the one," he decided.

"Ohana means family or whatever," Albert shrugged. "It's cute. Get it."

When they got back to Santa's Village, they stole some wrapping paper off of one of the decorations to wrap the gift. Race mostly swatted away Albert's hand when he tried to put a piece down all of the place. Race prided himself in his gift wrapping skills. "Dude, if you're using more than three pieces of tape, you've done something wrong!" he laughed as Albert hung a piece of tape from his nose.

But eventually, they managed to have a gift to give to the little girl who missed her mother.

Race got so wrapped up in the thought as he and Albert continued on that he didn't even notice the Delanceys walk by and mock them. He was too busy trying to give the kids a nice visit with Santa Claus. Some of them might actually need it.

—

When someone knocked on Spot Conlon's door later that night, he didn't know what to expect. The little elf boy definitely wasn't it. So, maybe he knew what the kid's name was. Racer. That didn't mean he was supposed to care.

Race wasn't wearing his costume anymore. He only wore the makeup. "Uh… hi…" he said. Spot almost greeted him back before the kid kept talking. "Look, I know it ain't like we're friends and you can make fun of me forever but… I… I got Saraya this and… this is for you guys…" He handed Spot a neatly wrapped box for Saraya and an envelope. It was his paycheck.

With a curious look, Spot smiled a little bit. "Um… thank you," he shrugged, not really knowing what to say. "You really didn't have to—"

"Saraya should be able to see her mom on Christmas…" Race shrugged.

Spot squinted at him a bit. "What—"

"Also, just to put this out there, I don't always look like this," he said.

A sly smirk made its way onto Spot's face as he shrugged. "Too bad. You make a cute elf."

Doing his best not to go weak in the knees, Race smiled breathily and let out a small, delighted laugh. "Uh, anyways—"

"Hey, what the Delanceys did," Spot interrupted, scratching awkwardly at the back of his neck. "That was messed up. I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

For some reason, that might've been the best thing Spot had ever said to him. Okay so maybe this was the first conversation they were really having all alone, but still. "Well, since it's the season of forgiving an' all…" Race shrugged. Then he sighed. "Merry Christmas, Spot."

Spot smiled at him. "Merry Christmas, Racer… and hey… thank you…"

And with that, Race walked away, feeling the Christmas spirit flowing through him more than he had in years.

Merry Christmas everybody! Happy holidays! Much love!

As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, fansies!

[lesbianzhane]

gigi goode does NOT simp (crygi)

gigi goode is a popular instagram designer and model. her friend, jan, constantly posts photos with a pretty girl that gigi falls head over heels for. when nicky throws a party, and that pretty girl just so happens to be there with jan, gigi knows that her friend was pulling out some sort of scheme. 

ao3 link!

Gigi never liked to call herself an ‘influencer’. The word seemed far too snobby, and she really didn’t believe she was all that big of a deal online. Sure, she had a couple hundred thousand (closer to a million, really) followers. But, in the grand scheme of things, did that really matter? People would tire of her one day, they’d find another pretty fashionista to gush over in the span of a year. For the time being, she just wanted to bask in whatever glow she had. The fame would come and go, and soon she’d be left with nothing but the memory of her silly little instagram account. 

Speaking of, the blonde haired girl set up her next post. Her caption had been some witty pun made up by her best friend, Jackie, because obviously she wouldn’t think of something so endearing yet stupid at the same time. Gigi usually ripped her captions from stupid things her friends would say, or she would force Nicky to translate some song lyric into french and use that. She wasn’t exactly the most creative when it came to captioning her posts, but she made up for it with the fact that the clothes she wore were all hand designed. 

Ever since she could remember, Gigi loved fashion. She loved being able to make things that people loved and wished they owned themselves. She adored the way that people would ask her where she got a garment, and how she could answer that she made it herself. Most inspiration she had came from her mother. She had been a seamstress as well, and as a child Gigi would watch her work. She was fascinated with how easily her mother put together clothes, and she started designing at a young age. It’s what led her to where she was now. 

Gigi began posting her outfits on Instagram a year prior. She didn’t expect it to go anywhere, really. So, when she started gaining followers, she was completely shocked. People actually liked her designs and her fashion enough to follow her. Enough to anticipate her next post. It was mind boggling to her. 

As she hit post, she scrolled down her Instagram feed. It was mostly filled with her friends. Jackie’s silly little Star Trek stan account that she had insisted Gigi followed, and Nicky’s own fashion account. Jackie had even forced her to follow the girl she had been pining after for years now, Jan, and she could have sworn the girl combusted when she got that follow notification. The direct message that followed consisted of a fully caps locked message, and a whole bunch of spelling mistakes that Gigi couldn’t even count. 

Pausing her scrolling, one post in particular caught her eye. It was from Jan, posted about an hour ago. In the photo, Jan was smiling brightly with a taller girl standing by her side. Her bouncy red curls were flying all over the place, and her smile lit up the entire photo. Gigi loved when Jan posted photos like this. She didn’t even know the name of the mystery person, and there was never an account tagged in the photos. Gigi was left wondering who that beautiful girl was, and of course she brought it up everytime she saw Jan. 

Gigi could recall the most recent time she brought up the mystery girl. Her, Jan and Jackie were gathered around a busy diner booth, all sharing one basket of fries. It was a silly idea, because Jan could eat far faster than the other two, so by the time Gigi had tuned back into the conversation, half the basket was already gone. She didn’t really mind though. She was aimlessly scrolling through her Instagram, as she does, when another photo of the mystery girl popped up on her feed. She slid her phone towards Jan, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Who is this?” Gigi had a rather harsh tone of voice, and oftentimes she sounded meaner than she had intended to. But, Jan knew her well enough to see past that. 

“That’s me and my friend, why?” Jan was much more upbeat than Gigi was. Sometimes, the blonde would wonder if Jan had ever felt any emotion aside from happiness. 

“Yeah but like, what’s her name? Her Instagram?” Gigi pressed forward. 

A grin spread onto Jan’s lips, and she snatched Gigi’s phone up. “Are you being a simp? Are you simping for my friend who you have never met?”

“What does that even mean?” Gigi attempts to snatch her phone away from Jan, all while Jackie sits back and does nothing to help her. Some best friend she is. “Jackie, help me.”

“I want no part in whatever you two are doing.” Jackie throws her hands up, before taking another fry and popping it into her mouth. It’s so like Jackie to not get involved in their silly squabble, it makes Gigi wonder why she loves the girl so much. Except, not really. She knows why. 

“Give me my phone! I don’t even know what a simp is.” Gigi stretches across the table until she’s practically kneeling on it. It’s garnered the attention from other occupants in the diner, most of them wondering what the hell this twenty something year old is doing. Gigi pays no mind, finally grasping her phone and sinking back down into her seat. 

Jan goes on to explain exactly what a simp is to Gigi, and the girl can't even deny the fact that maybe she is simping a little bit. She doesn’t think it really counts though, she’s never sent this mystery person any money. She doesn’t even know her name for crying out loud. 

It’s about a week later, and Gigi still has no answers to who this person is. Jan refuses to tell her, for whatever reason. She has to push those thoughts aside for the moment, because their close friends are throwing a party that evening and she still has yet to get dressed. She moved over to her closet, rifling through her clothes for something suitable. It wasn’t something super fancy, so she could skip out on long gowns. She didn’t really feel like showing up in a cocktail dress either, though. 

After searching for an allotted time that she doesn’t really want to admit, Gigi finds the perfect outfit. It’s a turtleneck shirt that hugs her figure like a glove, and it has a beautiful floral print on it. She pairs it with a simple high waisted short, tucking the shirt into them. It makes her waist look skinny, and her legs long. She adds a small little pink scarf tied around her neck. She pairs it with a matching pair of pink boots that make her even taller, and she looks over her outfit in the mirror. It’s perfect for a casual party, plus she looks pretty enough for anyone new she might meet. 

Grabbing her purse, she slips her keys into her hand and heads out the door. Thoughts of the mystery girl are completely void from her mind, which was rare. She was glad for the distraction though, and she drove towards Nicky’s house with Clario blasting throughout her car. 

Nicky has much more money than Gigi did. Her house was larger than Gigi thought was possible, and the other woman surely didn’t need that much space. It helped though, when she had parties like this. Though it was mostly kept to close friends, other friends were brought around and it made the house bustle with noise. Gigi stepped inside without even knocking, knowing Nicky well enough that she didn’t find it necessary to do such a thing. 

As she was crossing the main hall to go find where her friends were tucked away, she saw her. Long legs covered by a pair of worn out denim jeans that were absolutely covered in iron on patches. She was wearing a bright green blouse that hung loosely off her shoulders, and it was unbuttoned enough to reveal the white tank top she was wearing underneath. Bracelets and necklaces clinked together every time the girl moved, and there were the signature red curls adorning her head. She looked even prettier in real life. 

Before she could even take a deep breath, Jan was by her side tugging on her wrist. Gigi stumbles a bit, still a little dazed from seeing the mystery girl from all those photos right in front of her. “Hey girl! You drooling? Better pick your mouth up off the floor before she notices!”

The music from the house pumps in her ears, and she can barely hear Jan making fun of her because of it. Barely being the key word here. Gigi shoves her, puffing out her cheeks. “I didn’t know she would be here. You should have told me, you bitch!” 

Jan simply laughs, grabbing Gigi’s wrist and pulling her over towards her. She can feel her heart in her throat as they get closer, and Gigi has time to appreciate just how beautiful this girl is. Sure, her fashion is louder than Gigi’s, and she certainly looked more creative than herself. Her features were soft, her lips look fuller in person if that was even possible. Gigi was absolutely blown away, how was it possible for someone to be that pretty?

Before she could get over whatever she was feeling, the mystery girl was right in front of her. Her smile lit up the whole room, and Gigi was finding it difficult to even breathe in the presence of this girl. She was already striking up a conversation with Jan that Gigi was tuning out. In favor of listening, she was simply staring at the girl and hoping that she would be swallowed by the floor. She couldn’t do this, she couldn’t talk to someone this pretty. All the confidence she prides herself on having was washing away. And then, that smile was directed at her, and she thought she might just pass out.

“Hi! I’m Crystal!” Crystal. That was her name. Such a perfect name for such a perfect girl. Gigi thought that Crystal suited her, considering she was about as unique as a crystal. None of them looked perfectly the same, and they all stood out on their own. 

“Uh..” Gigi stuttered over her words, looking around the room as if she had forgotten her own name. “Gigi! I’m… Gigi.”

“Pretty name for such a pretty girl!” Crystal shot her a wink, and Gigi felt her heart stop in her chest. The way the music pounded made her feel dizzy, and Crystal giving her that flirty little smile wasn’t helping at all. Gigi simply laughed the compliment off, waving her hand and excusing herself from the two of them. She needed to get some air. 

Stepping out onto Nicky’s back patio, Gigi looked down at the pool below her. There was a small staircase that led down to the pool's edge, and with the beginning of summer fast approaching, Nicky had just opened up the pool. The water shone with the sunset, rippling and allowing Gigi to get lost in her thoughts. The mystery girl, Crystal, had actually been here. Jan was probably planning this all along. Gigi wouldn’t be surprised if the reason she kept any and all information a secret was for this exact night. Actually, she guaranteed that was the reason. 

Reaching into her pocket, Gigi took out the one object that always brought her comfort. Her phone. She opened her Instagram, scrolling through her notifications until a certain name popped out at her. 

crystalemethyd has followed you!

Crystal Methyd. That was her full name. She clicked onto the page, finding herself lost in scrolling through pictures of the beautiful girl. Her follower count was low, and it was clear that this was a personal account and not a business one like Gigi’s. Crystal's vibrant smile captivated her, and she didn’t even hear the door to the patio opening. She was far too engrossed in the current photo of Crystal holding up her cat and laughing at the camera. The way her eyes crinkled slightly was absolutely adorable, and Gigi couldn’t tear her eyes away from it. 

“That’s my cat, Tic Tac.” The sudden voice behind her startled her, and Gigi nearly dropped her phone down into the pool water below them. She took a deep breath, locking her phone quickly and pressing a hand to her chest. 

“You can’t just sneak up on somebody like that, jeez!” Gigi puffed up her cheeks, though her voice was much softer than she intended. Crystal just laughed quietly at her, holding her arms up. 

“I’m sorry! You were just standing out here by yourself, thought you could use some company.” Crystal shrugged, and Gigi had to force herself to look away from those perfectly painted lips. She looked up to the sky, watching the way it melted from a light purple to a beautiful pink. The edges of the sun were setting, and she could see how all the colors blended together to make a masterpiece. 

“So…” Crystal broke the silence. “Why are you out here scrolling through my Instagram? Are you some sort of stalker or something?” The playful grin on her lips made Gigi’s heart tremble, and she looked away quickly. 

“No! I just noticed you followed me.” She swallowed. Since when was she this awkward? Never in her life had she found herself fumbling for words like this. “I’ve seen pictures of you and Jan before. You were never tagged in any of them.”

“Oh yeah, I didn’t want Jan’s followers like hounding me or something.” Crystal laughed again. “People on the internet are scary. And mean.”

It was the first time since she had seen Crystal that her smile faltered. There was a flash of nervousness, of insecurity in her eyes before it was replaced by that confident aura that seemed to follow her. “Yeah.” Was all Gigi could bring herself to say. 

The two of them stood in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, both sneaking glances at the other. Gigi still couldn’t believe how beautiful Crystal was in person, and that fact that she was really standing in front of her was starting to settle in. As if the silence was actually physically hurting her, Crystal brought her hands down onto the railing of the patio, forcing Gigi to look over to her. 

“Well, it’s been great standing here and doing nothing.” Crystal starts, and Gigi assumes that she must think she’s the most boring person in the whole world. “But, Jan is going to throw a fit if I don’t help her with Jackie. That’s why I’m here after all. And for this mystery girl who has been simping over me for a while.”

Crystal winks at her, and Gigi feels her entire face go red. Of course Jan had told her about that, because why wouldn’t she. She swore that she would get back at her at some point, probably by using Jackie against her. Really though, she knew that Jackie wouldn’t go along with it. 

Crystal grabbed her arm, producing a pen from her pocket. Gigi hadn’t even realized what was happening until she felt the numbers being scrawled across her arm. They were loopy and beautiful, and she never wanted to wash them off. She gasped at the numbers that were clear for anyone to see, and Crystal just grinned at her. 

“You do know I have my phone with me, right?” Gigi challenges her, and Crystal just waves her hand.

“Where’s the romance in that, miss Goode?” With those final words, Crystal shoots her one last wink and disappears into the house. Gigi is left standing there, mouth hung open as she tries to process what had just happened. Did Crystal want to go out with her? Was this a date invitation?

Gigi had no idea. But she took her phone out, copied the number into it and put a cute little heart next to Crystal’s contact name. After a few deep breaths, she went back inside to find where the hell Nicky and Jackie were. Plus, she wanted to see whatever scheme Jan had planned to swoop Jackie off her feet. 

Gigi never really understood slang, despite her follower count. Most of it went over her head, and she wasn’t well versed in meme culture. But, in the words of Jan, maybe she was a simp. 

And maybe that was okay.

[andy-the-8th]

Things Green and Growing

Part 9 of Creatures That Defy Logic

Read on AO3

Sam's last day at the greenhouses for the summer and seeing her sister off back to college.

cw: homophobic language

A/N: I just really like the idea of Sam and Jess being biology bros

Also we meet Sam's dad. He's an asshole.

The rushing fans and cool mist of the greenhouse definitely made the late August heat more bearable - no matter how much you might love your job, there's only so much summer sun you (or your plants) could take without some assistance.

"Am I doing this right?"

Jess looked up at Sam from the other side of a table of junipers, a spiky carpet of green across the long low table, contrasting the spotty gray of the wet concrete greenhouse floor. He'd come by the greenhouse a few times over the summer - even though he didn't work there, he insisted he help with something if he was going to hang out. Sam had eventually agreed to let him take care of some of the more innocuous tasks.

Pruning clippers in hand, Jess had been tasked with cutting back the overgrown shoots from the Japanese star junipers - the small conifers were popular for their hardiness as a ground cover, especially as a more durable and eco-friendly replacement for grass. This meant though that their lower branches would snake over the edges of the black plastic pots they were growing in, running sideways in every direction, getting tangled in each other, burning and drying out foliage.

Sam walked over to inspect his handiwork. Actually not too bad.

"Yeah, they look fine."

"Awesome. Thanks for letting me prune something, feels more important than moving things around from table to table" Jess said cheerfully.

"No problem" Sam had come to genuinely enjoy spending time with Jess, and not just as a confidant. Sure, he never got any less excessively enthusiastic, would still frequently go off on tangents of facts and theories, but she'd gotten used to his pattern of speaking. He'd clearly been scared of being annoying the first time he'd visited, and pretty much stayed quiet the few times he'd met Jackie or Jen. Trying to be a bit more normal around new people.

So in a way, she was glad he was comfortable being himself around her now.

Sam went back to the table of peace lilies: graceful, broad glossy dark green leaves with their delicate white alien blooms on long stalks above the thick cluster of greenery at the base. Like the junipers - like most potted plants packed together for commercial purposes - the lower levels were at risk of suffocation, for both light and air, and had to be clipped off before they turned yellow and started to attract mold.

They kept working in silence for a long while, the only sound in the greenhouse the gentle rush of the fans, the occasional hiss of the misting system, the soft clicks of the pruning clippers punctuating at either end of the space.

"So school starts back up in a week."

Sam caught that that was both a perfectly normal observation and a veiled question about what they'd both been thinking since August started. Cody was supposed to be back soon.

"Do you think he'll come back at night? So no one sees him transform back?"

"I don't know, probably." Of course Sam still missed her boyfriend, but it had also been good to spend the summer focusing on her own interests, her own friends, away from swimming and social drama. But she knew she looked forward to seeing him.

Still, it would be a lie to say she wasn't more than a little apprehensive as well.

Like, he literally wasn't human. A lot had probably changed from spending some time as a full-time merman. And what sort of sea creatures were they anyway? Were merpeople more like whales, pelagic, solitary, mostly sticking to the vast fathoms of the open oceans? Living alone or in two or three individuals? Or were they more like dolphins, staying in the shallows in big social pods? Was it like in the movies, secret underwater cities of merpeople with their own cultures, music, governments?

It wasn't too unrealistic to imagine that any of those might significantly change someone's demeanor or even personality. She still got hung up on the whole telepathy thing as well - if Cody came back able to read minds, that might just be too weird of a thing to deal with on top of starting high school.

Jess didn't seem to see any of those questions as anxieties, of course. Quite the opposite. To be fair, he wasn't the one dating him either.

"Gosh, I wonder what it all was like." His voice that that airy sort of awe he'd had back when Cody was still going through the transformations. They actually hadn't really talked about him much over the summer, which Sam had found a little surprising - Jess seemed equally excited to just talk with her, especially with their shared interests in biology. He'd listened attentively when Sam wanted to talk over her mom's work with environmental regulations, or projects she was taking on with the envi-sci club at school next year, or balancing swimming with her other extracurriculars.

"Guess we'll find out." Sam carefully kept any apprehension out of her voice. She did want to know about it, as much as Cody wanted to tell her - but she also wanted to keep their first year of high school as normal as possible after junior high's supernatural finale.

"Yeah. I think I've gotten all the shoots on the junipers."

"Alright, thanks Jess. I'm finishing up here, then will have to be getting home. Jackie's leaving for college again tonight, and I think my dad will be coming to see her off as well."

Sam bit her lip at that. She didn't like having to talk about her father. It wasn't like having divorced parents was abnormal - she guessed that was the case for Jess as well, since he never talked about his mom - but she still didn't like having to bring up her father in more detail than necessary.

"Oh, OK. D'you want me to stick around and help clean up?"

"Nah it'll be fine. Ms. Brantwood should be coming by soon anyway, before I lock up."

"Alright." Jess walked over to the open greenhouse door, where he'd leaned his bike against the frame. He paused for a moment, wiping his glasses with the hem of his shirt where they'd fogged up from the quick temperature and humidity shift, squinting in the sun.

Sam had turned back to the peace lilies, arranging them with proper spacing on the low table, fishing the spray bottle where it had disappeared in the thick stand of leaves, pots, and dirt.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" she turned her head over her shoulder to where he was still just outside the door, helmet strapped on, hands on the bike ready to go.

"Can you call me if you hear first when he comes back?"

Sam smiled and exhaled out her nose, relaxed her shoulders. "Of course. You too, OK? You're a lot closer to the water than me."

"Oh definitely." Jess balanced to one side on the bike, ready to kick off. "See'ya!"

"See'ya later Jess."

She heard him head off, wheels crunching over the gravel down to the sidewalk, saw him blurred through the glass walls, disappear as he went around the front of the building.

Grabbing the spray bottle and the clippers, she walked them down to the worn wooden cabinets and coat rack built into the wall next to the greenhouse office, hung her gloves on the hook. She took the broom back over to the peace lily table, made sure she hadn't missed any stray leaves or sprinkles of soil on the wet concrete floor. The bell on the door of the office jingled once as it opened and closed - Ms. Brantwood, the owner, came out then, clipboard in one hand, glasses perched on the end of her nose. Ms. Brantwood always looked like some hybrid of a farmer and a librarian, flannel shirt, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, workboots, her gray hair in a tight bun, glasses held on a colorful beaded strap around her neck.

"Ms. Brathwaite," she said congenially. "Here you go." She handed Sam an envelope.

"Thanks Ms. B." Her paycheck from the summer, headed straight for her college savings once she got home.

"Thanks for all the help this summer! The peace lilies never looked better." She smiled approvingly over at the displays where Sam had spent most of the afternoon. "We'd be happy to have you back again."

"That'd be great! Thank you again for having me" Sam tucked the envelope in her canvass bag, slung it over her shoulder, and started to the door.

"Good luck with high school - it's scary at first but you'll do great."

Sam smiled again and backed out the open door, closing it behind her, the screen making a quick whoosh sound before the door clacked on the wood frame. She shifted her bag on her shoulders and started down the sidewalk for home.

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

"If you really have that much of a problem with it, you can just leave."

Lindsey crossed her arms and leaned back on her kitchen counter, staring down her ex-husband, who was at the bottom of the stairs next to the front door, one hand on the newel post, head hanging down in frustration.

"I don't have a problem, I have an opinion. Goddamnit, do you have to make everything into one of your crusades?"

"I don't have crusades, Steve, I have morals. It's none of your business how she looks, Jackie is a grown woman."

"Staying in a house that I pay to keep you in."

"Don't bullshit me like that. You known damn well I supported us. The house was only ever in my name, for fucks sake. Your child support checks aren't anything we rely on."

"Trust me, they wouldn't exist if the court didn't say so."

Steve glared back at her, the silence tense. Lindsey huffed and went back to packing granola bars and sandwiches in the lunchboxes on the table - snacks to send with Jackie for the car ride to the airport.

"You shouldn't have let her go to that school either."

"She got a full scholarship" Lindsey snapped. She was rapidly reaching the end of her rope with this conversation and was just about ready to throw Steve out of her house if he continued like he was. He was the father of her kids, he technically had visitation rights - but she wouldn't have him talk like this in their house. Thank God Jackie was outside, and Sam still at work.

"Yeah, well, maybe if she'd gone to a state university instead of some liberal arts bullshit, she wouldn't be dressing like some fucking dyke now."

That was it - he was through.

"Get out. Now."

She threw every bit of venom she could into the final word, her gaze ice cold, her knuckles white gripping the edge of the kitchen counter.

Steve sneered cruelly at her as he shifted to  go and roughly put his hand on the door knob. "Wonder where she got that from."

He opened the door quickly to find Sam on the doorstep, her face surprised and pale. Steve stopped, also startled for a moment. He didn't know how much she'd heard - he didn't care. She was grown up enough to start knowing about the real world unfiltered, as far as he was concerned.

"Hey, Dad," she offered shakily, awkwardly. He just looked down at her coldly.

"Good luck in school next year." He turned back for one last glare at Lindsey, then pushed past Sam down the front steps, to his car in the driveway, leaving the front door open. He slammed the car door as he got in, backed down past Lindsey's car into the cul-de-sac where Jackie was standing next to Vanessa's old Jeep, and sped off around the corner, tires spinning harsh squeals, out of the neighborhood.

Jackie and Vanessa quickly looked over at Sam, clearly worried. Jackie walked up across the small front yard, making herself smile sarcastically, trying to conjure humor for her sister who still was frozen and scared-looking on the doorstep.

"Another grand finale and exit from the father of the year, ladies and ladies!" she announced dramatically.  Sam smiled a little at that - Jackie's features relaxed in relief. Vanessa stayed by the Jeep, eyes closed and looking down, fingers pressed to her temples, shaking her head in exasperation.

"Hey, Sam." Jackie looked hard at her, serious. "Don't listen to anything he says. He's an asshole. Got it?"

"Yeah Jackie. Got it." Sam went inside and put her bag down on the floor next to the kitchen table, where Lindsey was aggressively zipping up the lunch boxes. She might have chided Jackie for using that kind of language in front of her, in less charged circumstances.

"I just have one more box upstairs, 'kay Mom?"

"Alright, don't keep Vanessa waiting out there too long though. I'm set to go when you are."

Sam bit her lip and looked down at the wood grain in the kitchen table, at the lines in the linoleum floor. "Mom, I'm going to put my stuff upstairs too, I'll be down to see them off."

Sam quickly took the stairs, two at a time. She tossed her bag on her bed, closed the door, and turned down the hall to Jackie's room.

She was standing at her bureau, small cardboard box in hand, quickly putting her many rings, chokers, and bracelets in, her back to the door. She turned her head, hearing Sam step into the door frame.

"What's up?"

"Jackie, I- something Dad said -"

"Hey, what'd I tell you? Ignore him. He doesn't know shit." Jackie huffed and went back to gathering things off the top of the bureau.

"Yeah I know." Sam looked down, nervous. "But what he said about how you looked, like a...a.."

"A dyke?"

".......yeah."

To Sam's surprise Jackie actually laughed a little, put her last few bits of jewelry in the box, shoved it into her black backpack, covered in pins and patches. She crossed the room and put her hands on her sister's shoulders. She breathed in, and Sam looked up at her a little.

"Listen to me again now. We are strong, modern women. We can look how we want. We can be how we want. It's a new millennium, we can't stay stuck in that patriarchal bullshit forever."

Jackie definitely looked how she wanted - hair spiked up today, black nailpolish, Bikini Kill shirt with cut off sleeves over her black jeans.

"So, does that mean...?"

Jackie smiled and rolled her eyes. "Actually, no. I'm straight, I'm just goth and like to piss off old men." She paused, serious again. "But there'd be nothing wrong with that if I were, Sam. If anyone were."

"Um, oh. Yeah, OK, I jus-"

Jackie's eyes flicked up, past Sam's face and cutting her off, looking past her face to the doorway. Lindsey was standing there, arms folded, lips pursed, her eyes nervous.

She and Jackie held eye contact for a noticeable moment - Sam turned her head to look at her mom as well. Lindsey's eyes calmed and softened almost too quickly to notice.

"You guys about ready to head out?"

"Yeah Mom, we're done." Jackie walked back over and hauled her backpack up onto one shoulder, the buttons rattling into each other with the motion. Sam turned back and walked past her mom, leading the way down the stairs and out the front door. She paused on the doorstep to let them pass. Jackie hoisted her backpack straighter and stopped in front of Sam on the doorstep.

"You know you can always call me if you want. High school can suck sometimes, if you want to talk to someone who already did it you know where to find me."

"Hey, I was in high school once too" Lindsey added, smiling a bit, trying to lighten the mood as well. Jackie rolled her eyes dramatically.

"'kay, how about if you want to talk to someone who did high school within the last hundred years, THEN call me."

Jackie hugged Sam tight, and walked across the grass to where Vanessa was waiting by the car. Vanessa and Jackie both went to college in Philadelphia - Vanessa at Temple University, Jackie at Haverford College. They were on the same flight over - Vanessa's mom was an airline pilot, so would drive the Jeep back home from the airport after they'd left.

Lindsey followed her down to the side of the car, stopping on the curb, arms crossed over her chest. The air had cooled significantly as the sun went down, almost chilly in contrast to the day's heat.

"Call me when you get in, OK?"

"Yeah of course, same as always." Lindsey hugged Jackie and Vanessa, stepped back from the Jeep as they pulled away with the windows down. Jackie turned up the radio, the energetic chugging guitar and drums filling the summer night, bouncing off the houses around the cul-de-sac.

"WOOOOOOOO!!" as Vanessa steered them away from the sidewalk, Jackie looked back with a wild excited smile, hands up in the rock gesture.

"DRIVE SAFE GIRLS" Lindsey called over the loud music, waving as they turned the corner and out of the development, the music fading as they left.

Lindsey stayed looking down the road for a few moments after the Jeep was gone - from where she was leaning against the front door, Sam saw her mom's eyes were a bit wet. Lindsey walked back up the yard and into the house, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Sorry, sorry, just you girls are growing up so fast." She smiled then as they both walked back inside. As she closed the door behind them, she un-did and re-did her bun, pushing back the loose red strands from the day, refreshing, restoring order.

Following their routine pattern, Sam walked to the kitchen, got two glasses of water, handed one to her mom as they both settled at the table.

Lindsey took the glass, gently clinked it against Sam's. "Hydrate or die!" she said cheerfully, familiarly as part of their home-from-work/inside joke ritual they'd organically developed over the summer, with Sam getting back from the greenhouses the same time Lindsey got back from the offices.

"Hydrate or die." Sam replied, smiling. They both sipped their water silently, decompressing from the day, from Steve, from Jackie's departure.

"You got everything you need for next week?"

"Yeah, I'm set on everything. I got paid from Brantwood today too."

"Oh good, I'm going by the bank tomorrow morning, I can deposit it for you."

"Thanks Mom."

Eventually Lindsey got leftovers from the fridge to heat up - dinner passed at a welcomely-uneventful rate, just chatting about work from the day, errands to run. They finished the dishes and Sam filled up one of the watering cans on the counter to bring upstairs to her plants. She'd put the succulents on a nightly watering schedule, better to accommodate the extra heat this time of year without extra evaporation.

"Goodnight Mom."

Lindsey looked up from the reports she had absentmindedly been paging through after finishing the dishes - environmental justice never sleeps. "Night hon. You OK?" Her voice was gentle, but firm enough that she indicated that she was leaving it open if Sam wanted to talk about any of the commotion from earlier.

Maybe not tonight.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Goodnight." Sam was up the stairs and out of sight.

Lindsey closed the folder on the table, shuffled it back into the small pile she'd pulled from her briefcase. She leaned forward, hands on her forehead, taking long, soothing breaths with her eyes closed. She stayed like that a while, listening to Sam moving about above - back and forth around her room with the watering can, down the hall to the bathroom and back, waiting til she heard her door click shut for the night. She got up, quietly pushed her chair back under the table. She filled her glass at the sink, downing it in one draft, slowly and smoothly, letting the coolness spread through her whole body.  Hydrate or die.

Filing folders back into her briefcase could wait til morning. It had been a long day.

END NOTES:

I imagined the song Jackie and Vanessa are listening to is Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill

Tune in next time for more of "which of Sam's supporting cast is going to be a lesbian"

Jackie and Lindsey continue to be fun and interesting to write - maybe future spinoffs? Does it still count as fanfiction when the original characters get spinoffs?

[fleetwoodmoth]

Just Business

A Cyberpunk 2077 au where V is a Joygirl and she gets a new client

WARNING: nsft content

            Heywood wasn’t foreign to Vesper, quite the contrary really since her home was only a few blocks from the apartment she currently stood in front of. The streets were still alive with the sounds of sirens and voices of people out late smoking in the dying heat of late evening. There was a beep and a click and the door slid partially open, on the other side was a man that took up nearly the entire doorway. He was definitely much bigger than she had expected, but it wasn’t a problem really, his hair was cut in the samurai style that had become popular in Night City, and he wore a heavy leather coat over his thick shoulders. He smiled at her and while his size could be described as intimidating, he seemed charming in that moment.

“You must be Mr. Welles,” she said.

He opened the door fully to her and stepped back allowing her into the small apartment.

“Yeah, you can call me Jackie,” he replied.

She stepped in and surveyed the room as he closed the door behind her. It was a tiny bachelor’s unit, with a bed on one side and a small kitchenette on the other, pretty standard for Heywood’s cramped complexes. She had definitely seen worse. She stopped her observation of the room and turned to her client.

“You want a drink?” he asked, moving to the small fridge stuffed under a countertop that was filled with trinkets and snacks.

“That’d be great, thanks,” she said dropping her bag by the bed and taking a seat.

She watched as he moved, seeming too large for everything around him, she wondered how he slept in such a small bed, which made her wonder other things about tonight’s activities, not that she couldn’t improvise.

“You have any trouble getting out here?” He asked while pouring the amber liquid into two shot glasses, well within her view so she could watch him and she wondered for a minute if he did that on purpose.

“I’m used to this neighborhood, not much trouble at all.”

He turned to her with a warm smile, bringing over the shots and handing her one before taking a seat beside her.

“So what do I call you?” He asked.

“Volt is fine,” she said with a smile, raising the glass for a cheers.

He clinked his into hers “alright, Volt.”

They both threw their drinks back before setting the empty glasses on the table beside his bed. For a moment after, they sat together, and Vesper had a sneaking suspicion this was his first time with a joygirl, not that that was a bad thing. She rested a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at her.

“Why don’t we get you out of this jacket baby,” she said, putting on her most soothing voice, new customers could be skittish, not because they were inexperienced with sex, but because they were inexperienced with paying for it.

He nodded and shrugged off the heavy leather, Vesper helping him slide his arms out before setting it aside. She then leaned on him, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

“You have any requests?” She asked, her voice soft and smoky, and for a moment in the dim light she thought she saw him blush.

“Not particularly,” he said, his voice had a trace of a nervous laugh to it.

She leaned up to kiss his throat which was now exposed to her, gently running her hand across his broad chest.

“First time with a joygirl?”

“First time I’ve had the Eddies,” he chuckled.

She smiled against him, happy with his honesty, deciding that it was sufficient enough reason to take the reins for a little bit. She slid into his lap, him leaning back to accommodate her as she straddled him.

“We can do anything you want,” she said kissing him properly, the taste of rum still lingering on his lips.

“I just want you,” he sighed, hands settling on her hips.

She smiled, hands running down his muscled arms, rolling her hips slightly, soliciting a wistful sigh from Jackie. She let one arm fall between them while the other rested on the back of his neck.

“We can take it as slow,” she said softly, her hand between the two of them palming between his legs where she felt him, already hard, through his jeans “or as fast as you’d like.”

His breathing stuttered, his hips canting upwards slightly as her touch.

“I’ll let you lead,” he said, hands squeezing around her hips.

She hummed out an affirmation before pulling back and lowering herself between his knees, kissing a trail from his mouth to his chest, keeping him occupied while she worked at his belt. He watched her through heavily lidded eyes, pupils already blown wide, one of his hands going into her curly pink hair while the other rested on the bed beside him. She kept eye contact as she unzipped his jeans and pulled his cock from his underwear. She knew he would be large in relevance to his size and she wasn’t wrong, he was thick in her palm and as she gave him a few lazy pumps he sighed heavily before sucking in a breath and she wondered when the last time someone had touched him like this was.

She gave a cursory lick over the head of his cock and she was sure she could see all tension leave his body as he relaxed back against his arm that was supporting him. Satisfied she took him into her mouth and swirled her tongue around the head, one hand on his thigh and the other stroking him in time as she bobbed down. She heard a string of Spanish leave his mouth as she worked him over with her tongue, looking up at him through thick lashes to be sure he was being satisfied, even though the grip in her hair tightening was a pretty good indication that he was enjoying himself.

She pulled back to catch her breath, stroking him while she spoke “you like that baby?”

“Fuck, yeah, yeah that’s good,” he growled.

She smiled before going back down, his hand in her hair moving so that he could see her face as she took him into her mouth again. This time she angled herself so she could take more of him, tongue flat against the bottom of his shaft, his head brushing the back of her throat. He made a startled noise, mouth falling open as he cursed again. She hummed around him, before coming back up for air, repeating the action several times as his other hand came up to pull her hair away from her face. She could feel his hips twitch forward in a halfhearted attempt at stopping himself from thrusting full force into her mouth, his breathing having become labored, his eyes closed, she knew he was close, but to her surprise as she pulled up for air once more he weakly took her face in his large hands.

“Come here jaina,” he said.

She followed as he took her hands and pulled her up so they were standing, taking her face again and kissing her as his hands went to work his jeans and underwear off before doing the same to her own leggings and top. She was barely done pulling his shirt off over his head before he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her down onto the small bed. She let out a startled laugh as they both settled onto the sheets chest to chest. Her mouth found his again as his hands rested on the rise of her ass, his warm skin against her own raising goosebumps along her arms in the cool air of the apartment.

“Fuck you’re gorgeous,” he said as she kissed along his jaw and lightly dragged her nails across his shoulders.

“As if you should speak baby,” she said, a laugh laced with sarcasm leaving him as she did.

She pushed herself up, feeling his hard cock against her ass as she did she smiled down at him, biting at her lip as she steadied herself with her hands on his broad chest. He looked up at her with deep brown eyes, the irises of which had been swallowed by the black voids of his pupils. She rolled her hips back, his cock wet with her saliva sliding against the curve of her ass, he stared up at her with an adoring gaze she wasn’t quite used to with most clients, but she liked the way it made her feel. She took his hands and slid them up her sides before resting them against her breasts, his fingers occupying themselves with teasing at her sensitive skin while she continued to grind against him. He huffed out a needy breath which bordered on a whine, canting his hips up to try and get more friction despite the fact that it wasn’t possible at the angle they were currently in.

“You want this pussy baby?” She asked quietly, digging her nails into his chest a little deeper.

“Let me fuck you.”

She smiled, satisfied with that answer, she pushed herself up one hand going to his cock, the other on his shoulder. He helped hold her, his hands on her hips, as she guided him to her entrance. She knew he was big, but if she could fit him in her mouth she was sure she could take him. The head of his cock pressed into her and she could help the moan that escaped her as she began to lower herself down onto him.

“Easy jaina,” he said, his voice strained as he steadied her.

“I can take it baby, don’t worry about me,” she said with a smug smile.

She took a breath before sliding down halfway. Fuck he’s big, she thought as her cunt clenched around his cock. Jackie cursed in Spanish, then in English. Filled with confidence at his reaction Vesper took the rest of him, stopping only when he was well seated inside of her and the two of them were panting with anticipation. She watched as he nearly squirmed beneath her, clearly lost in his own little world as he adjusted to her tightness.

“Haven’t lost your nerve have you?” She teased.

That prompted him to open his eyes which had fluttered shut only moments ago, a dark look to his expression as he cracked a smile.

“Not even close,” he said, his hands at her hips sliding back to squeeze at her ass.

“Good,” she said, before rolling her hips in earnest.

She set to a slow pace, riding him as they both chased their end, Vesper leaning back to gain leverage by balancing herself on his thighs. Soon enough he matched her rhythm with the rolling of his own hips. She let her head fall back, letting herself enjoy how he stretched and filled her in the most satisfying way. She let out a startled yelp when she felt a thick rough thumb drag over her clit, a jolt of pleasure nearly knocking her off balance. She looked down at him only to be greeted with a smug smile which she didn’t have the opportunity to comment on as he began rubbing small circles against the sensitive bundle of nerves. She clenched hard around him as she felt her pleasure building, a breathless moan tumbling from her lips. He pulled her forward so that she was leaning against his chest, his fingers leaving her clit and making her whine in earnest.

“Patience baby,” he said in a teasing voice.

One of his hands cupped where her thigh met her ass, the other bracing her hip, with that he pulled her up which allowed him room to thrust up into her. She let her head drop onto his shoulder as she began to pant, sweat beading across her brow as he fucked her.

“Jackie, fuck,” she moaned against his shoulder before nipping at his throat.

His breath was coming faster, his hips moving to snap against her with more fervor, and she could tell he was getting close. She grazed his pulse point with her teeth, her hands running light scratches down his sides, his name coming freely as she felt her core tighten with anticipation.

“Where do you want it?” He asked, his words hurried and strained.

“Cum inside me baby.”

His thrusts became erratic before he finally buried his cock deep inside her and came hard. His voice carried through the small room and for a second Vesper wondered if his neighbors could hear them, not that she cared all that much. Slowly he relaxed against the bed, breathing evening out as he came down from his high, his hands guiding her down with him so that she was relaxed, flushed against his warm body. Her own head was spinning despite not yet having reached climax, not that that was required, but she had sure hoped he would have kept up a little bit longer.

“You good baby?” She asked, pressing a soft kiss to his temple as he regained his composure.

“Yeah—yeah I’m good,” he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

“Good.”

They laid like that for a minute and she idly wondered if he was the cuddling type. Her thoughts were interrupted when he tapped her on the shoulder. She pushed herself up, hands on either side of his head so she was looking down at him.

“Did you finish?” He asked, face flushed, eyes half lidded, a pleased smile on his face.

“Don’t worry about that,” she said, leaning down to kiss him, his lips tasting of sweat and rum.

After a moment his hand came up to push the hair from her face “no, I want to know.”

She was surprised by his insistence, most of her male clients didn’t give much of a shit if she came or not.

“I was close there baby,” she said with a small smile.

His smile faltered slightly but it was more in determination that disappointment.

“Get up,” he said softly.

She obliged, slowly lifting herself off of his cock, prompting a deep groan as he watched her. The bed was small, so she stood on shaking legs as he sat up before standing as well, then guiding her onto the bed. She sat there, looking up at him curiously, wondering what it was he intended to do. He then got on his knees in front of her, hands on her thighs with a questioning look on his face.

“Can I?” He asked, and she found it endearing that he did ask.

She smiled and let her legs fall open. He had to bend over, still too tall even on his knees, before pulling her legs up and over his shoulders. She felt his breath against her core and that same excitement from their fuck came rushing back, her hand resting on top of his head, nails against his scalp which in and of itself made him groan. He spread her with his fingers, the action making her sigh, before she felt his hot tongue press against her clit. She let out an earnest moan, her head falling back as he swirled his tongue before dipping down to her opening and back up again. It was then that she felt a thick warm finger tease at her entrance, before pressing inside as his lips sealed around her clit. Damn he was good at this. She rested back on her elbow as he went to work, slowly probing her with his middle finger and sucking at the small nub with his lips, never working the same pattern against her cunt twice. Once she was sufficiently wet again he pressed in another finger, fucking her properly with them as she let her voice carry. Her fingers found his topknot as he finally pressed a third finger in and she felt herself clenching around him.

Jackie hummed against her, lapping at her clit as her hips rolled, her thighs tightening around his head and her free hand balling sheets in a fist.

“Jackie I’m going—I’m—“ she went rigid, her voice leaving her as she came.

Stars burst behind her eyes as they rolled back in her head and her mouth hung open. She gasped, her voice high as she rode out her orgasm, Jackie fucking her through it and not relenting until she was squirming with overstimulation. It was then that he finally pulled back and Vesper got a good look at him there, between her legs, lips wet with her slick as he licked them and then his fingers. Her face felt hot and her head felt fuzzy as she tried to catch her breath, her whole body relaxing against the bed. She felt him maneuver from between her legs before pulling her up to sitting and wordlessly slipped back into the small bed. He tugged her gently to lay tucked up against his chest as he lay on his side, and she didn’t protest as he slung an arm around her and pressed his face into the back of her neck. She let herself bask in the afterglow, thankful for his warmth in the now chilly feeling room.

He was an odd one to be sure, but at least she had gotten the answer to one of her questions, he was a cuddler. 

[jess-the-vampire]

The Demon Next Door, Chapter 7

Previous / Next

-

The day finally came and Marco felt hot as Tom helped him practice his line to use on jackie, trying to ease him up and keep him from stumbling with his words. They were right outside the dojo, star already chilling in the bleachers and Tom wiping off sweat from his own brow. Tom seemed to have the upmost faith in marco though marco still felt rather shaky.

It all came by so fast, one day he and tom were just hanging out and the next they were getting dressed quickly to prepare to meet up with the girls at the dojo to finally make their first proper moves on the girls of their dreams. Tom actually looked great in his own karate uniform, though he would look a bit strange being the lowest belt in the class but also one of the oldest.

But that wasn't important right now, getting themselves together was, and marco felt his palms sweating.

"What If I-"

"You won't."

"But what if-".

"Marco, you'll do fine...".

"But maybe-".

"Dude, you got this.".

Tom was grinning ear to ear, fixing marco's hair and easing him down, trying to build his confidence. Tom being here was already way better then if he wasn't, the boy ushering marco to do breathing exercises to keep his cool. This was rather silly in all honestly, in fact a lot of people seemed to be giving them rather strange looks, but tom kept marco's attention on him instead of them.

Otherwise marco would probably panic and ditch.

"You got your line?", Tom asked one more time, marco taking a deep breath and standing upright and trying to make eye contact. "Jackie...d-do you want...to go out to a movie together?", the boy still seemed to have a bit of trouble but it was an improvement from the other times he tried and the most he could get out was "Jackie, movie, me?", so Tom considered that a success.

Marco let out a deep breath and slumped over a little, "You sure I got this tom?".

"Dude...I know you do...trust me, she's into you.".

Tom carefully pat marco on the shoulder and fixed his hair one last time, "You're going to go in there, show off how cool you are and ask her out marco diaz. Then you me, her and star are gonna hang out together, get some milkshakes and have a good old time. Your also gonna stick it to jeremy and if you don't, i'll make sure that kid doesn't get in your way myself".

"Thanks tom.".

Tom smiled, going in for a hug with the boy, "You're welcome...".

The two separated and quickly headed in to join the rest of the students, marco trying to keep his cool as star waved to him from the bleachers. Tom stretching himself out for today's lesson and to kick but, quickly swarmed by excited fellow students who were happy to see him, as they always were ever since he taught jeremy a lesson and made himself the coolest person in echo creek.

This had probably been the most popular and tom had been liked...period, at least according to him. Sensei didn't even have to introduce tom to the class, everyone knew who tom was at this point, he just seemed to fit in rather naturally.

Giving the kids high fives as marco tried to pull himself together, remembering all the lessons tom had given him and pulling himself together, repeating lines and practicing poses for when jackie showed up. What should he use? The guy with sunglasses pose? The leaning pose? Maybe he should've slicked back his hair a little bit to impress her? After all he was sure Tom did something with his spiky hair.

Or maybe he just looked plain silly right now.

Though a sudden silence in the room got his attention away from jackie to seeing the arrival or Jeremy, a bit smug with himself actually for once, ignoring tom as he and his parents headed off to the other side of the room and not even looking at marco. Guess with tom being so protective of marco at this point the boy decided marco wasn't even worth it.

at least, marco hoped that's what it was.

Regardless, the other kids seemed confident tom could handle it if the rich kid started causing some serious trouble anyway.

The kids disbanded from tom and tom approached marco, fixing his own karate outfit for today's lesson, "I don't trust that jeremy kid...he looks like he's up to something.". Marco couldn't blame tom, because he was right, jeremy was WAY too chipper over there from what he usually had been since tom started coming to these lessons. Though marco shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, if he does something we'll handle it...alright?", tom was obviously still frustrated but he understood, cooling himself off to get in a fighting stance. Other students getting on their own matts to start practicing as well, "Jackie might be a little late but let's get started, then when she walks in she can see you showing off your cool moves.".

Marco smirked, getting into his own fighting stance.

"Sounds like a plan to me lucitor...".

Tom and Marco actually seemed almost evenly matched as they practiced kicks and hits to each other, though marco could tell tom might've been holding back just a little, probably to have marco look more like a badass when jackie walked in. Tom won a few matches and marco actually won some matches, sensie judging them and all the other kids who were fighting.

Though marco had been so caught up fighting tom he didn't even notice as a freckled blonde walked through the dojo and took a seat next to star on the stands, tom pushing marco to the matt, laughing. Honestly having tom there with him was actually a lot more fun then normal lessons were, marco never really had someone to goof off with at these lessons.

He took them seriously, which was great.

But tom provided some form of levity he actually really liked having.

Though he quickly felt his cheeks flush as he spotted jackie waving to him from the stands.

While he was pinned to a mat.

By tom.

Tom quickly got off marco and marco quickly tried to fix himself off so he stopped looking so embarrassed and foolish. He was so caught up with tom he missed out on seeing his own crush come to see him?

Wow, what a great start to this whole day.

He weakly waved to jackie as tom asked him to focus and continue to keep practicing like normal.

"Eyes on me diaz...", Tom said, smirking, marco's attention now focused solely on the boy in front of him. If he wanted to impress jackie he couldn't be distracted, he needed to focus on tom and treat everything as normal. He looked into tom's greenish eyes and paused as tom went in for a kick, marco nearly being hit by it before stopping the blow.

Tom really was a fast learner.

Tom stopped some hits from marco, and marco from tom, and they went on for a few minutes without taking the other out. Not until tom went easier on marco so marco could look better and as marco went in for another punch, found himself once again...distracted by tom's eyes. Instead freezing up and once again, he found himself fallen on the matt.

Tom looked embarrassed, considering he was supposed to be helping marco and he was actually probably making marco look more silly then anything on accident.

Was he not doing enough?

Though marco looked embarrassed for way different reasons.

And unfortunately, Jeremy caught on, the younger boy pointing and yelling to the top of his lungs.

"LOOKS LIKE MARCO HAS A CRUSH!"

Marco suddenly felt deeply embarrassed, all eyes on him, and he felt like time stopped moving. Everyone seemed to be staring at him, then back to jeremy, then back to marco. Though as the dust settled, Tom stepped in, quick to resolve the situation before the boy did anything else to ruin marco's big day with jackie. "You're right jeremy, marco does have a crush he's trying to impress, what's it to you?", tom was smirking and almost mocking the boy.

Jeremy's smile left his face.

He suddenly felt deeply embarrassed instead and everyone turned to look at him and he slunk away.

Tom helped marco up and Sensei came to dissolve the situation, declaring it was time to move on to their next lesson, especially since tom was technically still a beginner. Honestly the only reason he probably let tom even face off against marco was because marco told him tom could fight against him pretty well because he taught him some stuff already.

Plus if he didn't tom would have to fight kids WAY younger then him considering marco was the only kid in high school in this class before tom came in.

Tom sent jeremy a glare as tom was directed to practice on chopping a board, one board, a small board...in half.

Right, he was a beginner, what did he expect?

And the man helped direct tom's arm movements and demonstrated what he should do and all the safety precautions that came with it.

Marco was nearby on 3 boards, and tom was left with the one, to practice on. Sensei was of course there to keep an eye on everyone though considering the kids was this even safe to be doing? Marco once told tom he broke his arm trying to chop boards for this class, and what he had was much less then what he had that time but still. Tom kept a watchful eye on marco before doing as he was instructed.

And the board broke, immediately.

Just like that.

Like ease.

Marco looked shocked.

Was tom superhuman or something? A beginner never could get it on the first go, not even a measly small little board like that.

Tom barely even tried to hit it as well, and marco wondered how much holding back tom had done when he fought marco before.

Marco was practically gawking at the boy as Sensie started freaking out, clearly impressed with tom's abilities. Tom got a few hard pats on the backs and a few people whistled and cheered for the boy. Though as marco looked more around the room he could spot jeremy looked less then impressed, in fact, he almost seemed a little more nervous now at seeing tom's strength.

Tom packed a punch.

Marco suddenly felt a lot weaker then he was, was jackie looking at tom? She probably was.

Maybe tom being here wasn't a good idea...tom was here to support but now marco was just feeling pathetic all over again.

But tom looked so happy being there, with marco, and marco couldn't help but stare at his smiling face as people cheered him on. Tom wanted to be liked, clearly, he wasn't liked where he came from after all. And now he was liked, liked by almost everyone he'd met when he came to echo creek. Marco suddenly felt so much smaller then he did before, and hugged his shoulders.

"Marco? You ok?".

Then he looked up to see tom heading towards him, pushing through the crowds to check up on him.

Then tom looked back to the people and to the board.

"Oh...dude I'm so sorry...I didn't mean...sometimes I don't know my own strength...I didn't mean to...", then tom quickly ushered marco out to the bathroom, telling sensei they'd be back in a second because marco didn't feel well. Marco laid against the wall as tom checked on him, worried, "Hey I...I'm sorry this was supposed to be your night and i'm screwing it all up...I...didn't mean...".

Tom looked so upset he hurt marco, the most upset marco had seen him actually.

Though marco was quick to tug on his hair, trying to fix this before he said something he regretted, tom was his friend and now tom was getting upset because he was getting upset and this was all becoming a mess real fast. He needed to pull himself together, otherwise he might lose tom and jackie both and that was something he definitely couldn't handle right now.

"No tom...you didn't do anything wrong...It's me...I just...I can't help but feel this way. I'm so used to being ignored and everything and...even with star, everyone looks at her and not me and...it's not your faults I feel like this. Please don't apologize...I'll only feel worse about it if you do. You wanted to join this class to hang out with me and for fun and i'm...making it less fun for you...".

"Marco I just want to help you...".

"I know...".

Tom went silent, tugging at his sleeves, "Marco...I'm...not good with keeping or making friends...but...I do really want you as my friend. I want to be able to keep you as my friend marco, I haven't really connected with someone like this in a long while. I...I want to make this friendship work...and i'll do anything you need if it helps you feel better.".

"No tom...", marco said, "I...I shouldn't be letting myself get mad at you being happy...this is just as important for you...and I shouldn't take that away for you either.".

"Are you sure? Marco I don't want you to feel you have to say sorry because of me...I know this whole thing is just...how it is".

"Yeah tom...", Marco took a deep breath and finally seemed to pulled himself together, "I...I'm so worried about impressing jackie that i'm making you feel bad and...I don't want you to feel bad for being...happy...I...I might have other chances with jackie, but this is your only first day here with me on something you want to do and...tom i don't even think I could look at jackie if you ran out of here upset because of me".

"Oh marco...", tom hugged his friend, sighing, "That's...really nice of you...you didn't have to.".

Marco sighed, smiling as he wrapped his arms around tom, "I'm sorry for getting you worried and upset...I...I just hope I haven't screwed up everything". Tom reassured marco with a couple pats on the shoulder, "Dude trust me, jackie's probably totally more impressed about you being here for me then showing off a bunch of cool moves, besides...even if she did like me...I'm not interested in her.".

"Yeah, yeah, you're right..."., marco suddenly felt like a weight was taken off his chest.

Tom sure knew how to make him feel better, not to say star never did, but tom was just a lot better talking to him about it emotionally and calming Marco down. When marco really thought about it, if jackie was this repulsed by him not being super amazing and impressing her, then maybe she wasn't the ideal nice girl he was looking to date at the end of the day.

Though when they got back out there jackie and star immediately approached, probably worried about what had happened, and marco was so caught off guard he froze in place in front of his crush. He and tom just got out of quite a very intimate moment where marco almost lashed at tom for something that wasn't his fault and was immediately approached by his crush that he was terrified to speak to.

What timing, just his luck that this would happen of all things.

"Nice job out there diaz, you too tom!", she was smiling, she was impressed, she was...totally not turned off by marco not doing as good as tom?

He felt a sense of relief wash through him, he hadn't screwed everything up after all.

"You guys alright, everyone's stretching and taking a break right now", star motioned to the people behind her, kids getting water and snack breaks, "You didn't get injured or anything right?".

Though marco noticed her attention was mostly on marco.

"No no i'm ok, we just needed to talk about some things, we're all good.".

"Well that's good", jackie said, nodding to star, "Star said after this we could all get something to eat together, you all in?".

Marco could barely speak, was jackie asking them all to eat together? Jackie barely acknowledged him before this point and now she wanted them all to hang out together? For real?

Even Tom seemed super happy for marco, winking at him and the boy's clearly reddened face.

Though he did have to bump marco to wake him up and get him to speak and say something to his crush.

"Oh um...we'd love to! You wanna get some uh...chili dogs and uh...milkshakes nearby? I'll uh-", but then tom stepped in for marco with a wink, "I'll pay, plus it'll be great to get to know you better jackie!". Jackie seemed chill with it, adjusting her hair and marco could spot her 20 earrings of all kids on her ear, maybe jackie really was into him? She seemed so...calm around him.

She didn't think he was weird at all.

Marco strained to get his response out, "Good good, great...we'll see you then.".

The girls left and Tom smirked as marco tried to pull himself together and not look so excited, but it was super hard for him not to look excited. Did he actually just do that? He held a conversation with his crush! That was a first for him, he was so used to just nodding to jackie or glancing at her. But now he actually sorta kinds spoke to her! Face to nervous face!

And jackie didn't seem to think he was weird or a loser at all!

He tugged tom into another hug, practically crying.

"Thank you...".

Tom chuckled, hugging him back quickly before the two disbanded, "Dude...see? I told you you had this...c'mon...let's finish this and then it's all smooth sailing from here. And if all goes right we'll both have dates by the end of the night.". Oh right, tom was trying to pursue star, them seeming to get a long a little better was a good sign for that working out.

Maybe, star could be unpredictable.

Regardless, the lesson went on smoothly for the rest of the lesson, though marco and tom both seemed on suspicion of jeremy being up to something. The boy seemed rather intimidated by tom, and yet at the same time he clearly was up to something. Maybe not something that involved confronting the boy but something nonetheless, and tom was especially keeping a careful watch on him.

Tom could be pretty scary when he wanted to be, marco kinda understood the younger boy's caution.

Better tom was his friend then his enemy honestly, he didn't want to be on his bad side, especially after how strong he clearly was.

The lesson was over, people started heading out, the kids started getting dressed and cleaned up, parents arrived to pick some of the kids up. It was about time to head out and tom and marco were back in their regular clothes when tom seemed to be going though his bag, a little more stressed then usual. Marco didn't even get a chance to ask what was wrong before he stormed out of the dojo, telling marco to stay put and entertain the girls.

Alone.

Marco could sense the girls coming up behind him, tensing as he watched tom head out to take care of whatever it was that tom needed to take care of so badly.

Maybe tom lost something? Though what he lost was beyond marco, and why would outside of the dojo be the first place tom would look for it?

"Is tom ok?", Jackie asked, crossing her arms as marco awkwardly turned towards her apologetically

"Uh...he had to run out real quick, he'll be right back...", he could feel his heart stopping in front of jackie, how was he supposed to be just as cool in front of her without tom?

Even Star looked a bit concerned at tom just running out like that.

"You did great today marco, real cool", the chill blonde mentioned, calming marco's worries down just a tad. Jackie seemed to truly mean it too, her smile was so cahrming and her eyes were incredibly pretty.

"Thanks jackie...I'm glad you...h-had fun!".

"Yeah, it's cool seeing what you like to do marco, you seem to have a good thing going on here. It's cool you and tom are so close, clubs and stuff aren't much fun without friends to hang out with and spend time with. If anyone gives me trouble i'll make sure to call on you guys, you two seem to be able to hold your own pretty well together against threats.".

Marco's thoughts wandered to tom, the boy brought a smile to his face, "Yeah, we work together well.".

"Back!", tom headed in abruptly, his hair was a mess, but overall he seemed mostly normal.

"Tom? What happened?".

"Jeremy stole something from me, I think the little guy intended something for me cause he tried to make a scene about how he was being helpful and i was picking on him. ", tom huffed, "I think he was trying to get me kicked out from somehow being mean to him...but I got it back". Tom held up what looked like an armband, "Don't worry, I didn't get kicked off, took care of it.".

"How?".

"Sorry, it's a secret, but c'mon...let's get food before he pulls something like this again...ya'll hungry?". And indeed everyone was, and ready to get out of here and properly converse and fill their empty tummies. They left the dojo and on their way out he noticed jeremy a distance away, though he actually seemed startled, immediately running off and away from tom.

Jeez, what did tom do to make him so upset?

Then again, considering all the stuff that kid pulled, did marco even have a reason to care?

Regardless they finally picked up some food to eat, chilling at a table together and marco felt himself finally relax, not panicking in his seat over his crush and what she thought. Tom was sitting next to him and the girls were across, probably so tom could continue to help him and be his wingman. Though Tom's presence in itself helped marco feel more at ease in general around jackie.

If it were one on one, he'd probably have screwed up a ton of times by this point.

Tom asked more questions, got jackie to share more about herself when marco couldn't, and marco was learning so much more about the girl.

She got clothes at goodwill, knew how to rollarskate, went to surf camp, and loved spicy food. Things marco didn't even know about her despite the years of them going to school together, though in his defense he didn't exactly follow jackie around everywhere and spend his time studying everything she did or liked. Jackie even asked more about Marco though she also did ask everyone else as well.

Even tom and star were talking and getting a long, star was being pleasant to tom.

Did tom and star talk in private at any point and talk it out? Marco was sure whatever star was doing, whether an act or not, would not let up so easily and yet.

They weren't talking as much as tom and marco and marco and star did, but it was better then before where star was shunning tom oddly despite him being a new kid she'd never met before. Tom seemed to be making progress with her, getting her to talk about little things and sharing how his family was doing and star doing the same. Maybe tom would actually get that date without any issues.

Maybe they could double date sometime, the four of them laughing and smiling and having a good time together without any of the awkward tension going on.

Though Star was talking to Tom, she was more ecstatic about talking to Jackie however, she had some gal pals but the one she mainly spent time with was janna. Meeting another gal and striking up a convo with her, especially with her being the girl marco was obsessed with ever since she'd known him, must've been really fun for her in particular to get to know.

And Jackie seemed to feel a very similar way considering star was fairly popular with most of the school and yet they only talked in few.

There was comfort among the group as they hung out together though the fun was interrupted as tom had to excuse himself to the bathroom, leaving marco alone with the girls. Marco watching him go as star and jackie giggled among themselves. Marco just felt a little naked without tom, plus it gave more room for star to tease and embarrass him in front of his crush.

"You and tom seem to be good friends", jackie mentioned causally, making eye contact with marco.

"uh...yeah, we've been hanging out for over a month now on the regular, it's been fun, he lives right across from me so it makes it easy to hang out.", he took another sip of his milkshake, jackie still smiling towards him. "Well I think it's great you made friends with him, he seemed so...upset on his first day, I think he really appreciated having you around to make it better for him.".

Oh yeah, jackie was in the same class that day he first truly saw tom wasn't she? He nearly forgot because he had been so distracted by tom when he first showed up.

"Hey, it was no problem at all...tom's great.".

"I can tell, you guys hang out a lot at school from what I can tell.", jackie took another bite of food, "I guess Brittney took notice as well cause she's been talking about it over at her table during lunch too.'. Marco had to pause himself a moment to process what jackie had just said, she had been noticing him hanging out with tom? How did he not notice this?

Then he snapped out of thinking about his crush, as the name of the dark haired popular girl snuck his way into his mind as well.

Brittney.

The snobby, rich, popular girl and head cheerleader, she was one of the most well known people in their school but not really one of the most liked either. Even for as popular as she was, people only seemed to hang out with her for her fame and money and less due to the fact she was actually fun to be around, hearing her come up as someone who talked about tom was...well...a shock.

"Brittney?", even star looked shocked about that, brittney would never give a guy like tom the light of day if she saw him.

"Yeah, you guys didn't know? I guess Brittney heard about Tom more from Jeremy since their rich parents talk, she's apparently under the impression Tom's a thug or something...and marco's hanging out with a gang. Which is clearly not true but it's starting to spread a little bit around the school, though only brittney's possy really believe it that much.".

Tom, in a gang?

I mean sure, tom dressed a little tough and could be a little scary but tom wasn't really in a gang right? Marco had spent so much time with him tom wouldn't even have the time to hang out in a gang, not to mention he was still new and didn't know anyone here, unless they were implying tom's gang was back home. Regardless, the new info seemed to really annoy marco and it showed.

Normally he didn't care about Brittney's gossip.

But Tom was so nice, so caring, so...great that marco felt ticked off hearing people lie about him around the school.

Tom had enough problems making friends without people lying about him, and if this did manage to get worse who knows how much it could tap into tom's already real problems with his own self loathing.

"Marco? You ok?", marco's anger sure showed on his face though, cause soon enough star and jackie were looking at him. The two girls looked extremely concerned, jackie especially, thinking maybe she hit a nerve mentioning the rich popular cheerleader. After all, she wasn't all too nice to marco as well and had been meant to him at a few occasions.

"It's...nothing...I just...jesus...", Tom would probably not care honestly, he didn't care for Brittney in general when she showed up in the hall with him around. But Marco sure cared, especially if it had the chance if it had the chance of getting tom in serious trouble, Brittney had that kinda power after all. It was best people didn't even so much as look at her if they wanted to avoid conflict.

Maybe this was part of whatever jeremy had been up to.

Maybe.

"Don't worry jackie, marco and I won't let that girl mess with tom, that gossip will totally die in like a week...right marco?", she looked at marco with her sweet sparkly eyes, "We're WAY cooler then her anyway!". She was clearly trying to cheer marco up but he felt himself grow more and more anxious, was this how tom had felt earlier when it came to marco freaking out?

Worried and panicked?

It was probably over nothing, but marco still felt worried.

He just wanted tom to be be happy and have a good time, and Tom did seem to get rather affected by what people thought of him. What if Tom heard and thought to move or to stop being friends just to protect marco? What if tom ran away? What if-

"Yo marco...", Tom sat back down next to the boy, startling him, and tom laughed in his seat.

"You ok dude? Not telling each other ghost stories are you?", he took a sip of his milkshake as the girls returned to talking as normal, marco would normally have been able to recover to talk to someone like jackie of all people but the thought lingered in his mind the rest of the lunch. Though as the food became scarce and jackie's time had run out, marco's mind went back to the situation for a bit.

It was over, they made it through.

Marco didn't die in place, he didn't make jackie hate him and never want to see him again.

Marco got to talk and hang out with his lifelong crush.

It went by so quickly it felt like it was all just another dream.

But sure enough, jackie was packing up her stuff to skate home, and she put on her helmet before reached out to shake hands with marco. And Marco felt her soft but firms hand in his, "It was great hanging out with you guys today, thanks for inviting me, I had a lot of fun...maybe i'll stop by during your classes sometimes when I pass by. Though if you guys wanna have lunch sometimes, let me know."

And the hand left, reached out to star and tom as well, "Cya guys at school!".

And then she turned and waved as she headed off, marco staring at her as she skated off into the distance, leaving marco with his best friends in the world. Even as he faced away from them he could tell both of them were smiling at him. As they probably should, after all marco just basically went on a semi date with his long time crush and it went actually great.

And jackie wanted to stop by and see him again, maybe even get lunch together.

That was more then marco could've ever imagined happening, much less this soon, at this rate he might get to go on a real date with her within the next month, and finally be able to make her his official girlfriend.

He turned to his friends who wrapped him in a big hug, "Congrats marco, you did it! You hung out with jackie and she had a good time! You even spoke to her!", they were both laughing and giggling and marco wrapped his hands around both of them. "Hey It wouldn't have gone great without either of you two with me...I...appreciate all the support and everything."

They stopped hugging and star fixed her outfit, "Of course marco, i'm your number one wingman after all".

Technically in this case tom had been more of his wingman but it was best not to correct her about that.

"You ready to head home...we could all play some games together...maybe?", he looked over to star, who nodded, "that's a great idea, maybe a movie after? If we hurry we could fit in three!". She quickly started running home with the boys walking behind her, tom watching star run off with a smile on his face, only peaking marco's curiosity further.

"You and star seem to be uh...getting along.".

Tom suddenly coughed, patting marco's shoulder, "Oh well yeah...we might've talked at some point and well...I think we might've gotten ourselves on a better foot with each other...for now. ". He almost seemed rather embarrased about it, becoming red-faced, "Sorry for not saying something sooner I just didn't want you to worry, and this was between me and her so uh yeah...we talked.".

"Well...", the other boy started, before giving his companion a smile, "I can't complain actually...it's actually...it's really nice seeing you both talk and kinda get along...just uh...don't screw it up, star's not one to be messed with". That seemed to get a laugh from the taller teen, who honestly probably had to agree with marco from how star acted.

Tom then sighed, watching star run off into the distance, "Hopefully things improve from there...but it seems like a good start right? You're finally on the right path to ending up with the girl of your dreams diaz.".

Marco sighed, looking up at tom, uncertain of their future after today's events.

But happy to have him at his side.

He might've lost him today though, and a part of him knew that if he had let his feelings take him over, he would've lost the person who even gave him this chance in the first place. In fact the more he thought about it tom had been affecting him more emotionally today then jackie had, he worried about tom being ok, worried about him and star, worried about jeremy, and worried about the rumors going around about him.

He cared so much about tom, more then he expected to do under these circumstances.

He still heavily cared about jackie, but for the time being, his focus seemed to be on the person next to him, and as tom awaited an answer from him he turned away from tom's smiling face and kept on going.

"Yeah, I guess I am".

[therealsymmetra]

Just Business

A Cyberpunk 2077 au where V is a Joygirl and she gets a new client

WARNING: nsft content

            Heywood wasn’t foreign to Vesper, quite the contrary really since her home was only a few blocks from the apartment she currently stood in front of. The streets were still alive with the sounds of sirens and voices of people out late smoking in the dying heat of late evening. There was a beep and a click and the door slid partially open, on the other side was a man that took up nearly the entire doorway. He was definitely much bigger than she had expected, but it wasn’t a problem really, his hair was cut in the samurai style that had become popular in Night City, and he wore a heavy leather coat over his thick shoulders. He smiled at her and while his size could be described as intimidating, he seemed charming in that moment.

“You must be Mr. Welles,” she said.

He opened the door fully to her and stepped back allowing her into the small apartment.

“Yeah, you can call me Jackie,” he replied.

She stepped in and surveyed the room as he closed the door behind her. It was a tiny bachelor’s unit, with a bed on one side and a small kitchenette on the other, pretty standard for Heywood’s cramped complexes. She had definitely seen worse. She stopped her observation of the room and turned to her client.

“You want a drink?” he asked, moving to the small fridge stuffed under a countertop that was filled with trinkets and snacks.

“That’d be great, thanks,” she said dropping her bag by the bed and taking a seat.

She watched as he moved, seeming too large for everything around him, she wondered how he slept in such a small bed, which made her wonder other things about tonight’s activities, not that she couldn’t improvise.

“You have any trouble getting out here?” He asked while pouring the amber liquid into two shot glasses, well within her view so she could watch him and she wondered for a minute if he did that on purpose.

“I’m used to this neighborhood, not much trouble at all.”

He turned to her with a warm smile, bringing over the shots and handing her one before taking a seat beside her.

“So what do I call you?” He asked.

“Volt is fine,” she said with a smile, raising the glass for a cheers.

He clinked his into hers “alright, Volt.”

They both threw their drinks back before setting the empty glasses on the table beside his bed. For a moment after, they sat together, and Vesper had a sneaking suspicion this was his first time with a joygirl, not that that was a bad thing. She rested a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at her.

“Why don’t we get you out of this jacket baby,” she said, putting on her most soothing voice, new customers could be skittish, not because they were inexperienced with sex, but because they were inexperienced with paying for it.

He nodded and shrugged off the heavy leather, Vesper helping him slide his arms out before setting it aside. She then leaned on him, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

“You have any requests?” She asked, her voice soft and smoky, and for a moment in the dim light she thought she saw him blush.

“Not particularly,” he said, his voice had a trace of a nervous laugh to it.

She leaned up to kiss his throat which was now exposed to her, gently running her hand across his broad chest.

“First time with a joygirl?”

“First time I’ve had the Eddies,” he chuckled.

She smiled against him, happy with his honesty, deciding that it was sufficient enough reason to take the reins for a little bit. She slid into his lap, him leaning back to accommodate her as she straddled him.

“We can do anything you want,” she said kissing him properly, the taste of rum still lingering on his lips.

“I just want you,” he sighed, hands settling on her hips.

She smiled, hands running down his muscled arms, rolling her hips slightly, soliciting a wistful sigh from Jackie. She let one arm fall between them while the other rested on the back of his neck.

“We can take it as slow,” she said softly, her hand between the two of them palming between his legs where she felt him, already hard, through his jeans “or as fast as you’d like.”

His breathing stuttered, his hips canting upwards slightly as her touch.

“I’ll let you lead,” he said, hands squeezing around her hips.

She hummed out an affirmation before pulling back and lowering herself between his knees, kissing a trail from his mouth to his chest, keeping him occupied while she worked at his belt. He watched her through heavily lidded eyes, pupils already blown wide, one of his hands going into her curly pink hair while the other rested on the bed beside him. She kept eye contact as she unzipped his jeans and pulled his cock from his underwear. She knew he would be large in relevance to his size and she wasn’t wrong, he was thick in her palm and as she gave him a few lazy pumps he sighed heavily before sucking in a breath and she wondered when the last time someone had touched him like this was.

She gave a cursory lick over the head of his cock and she was sure she could see all tension leave his body as he relaxed back against his arm that was supporting him. Satisfied she took him into her mouth and swirled her tongue around the head, one hand on his thigh and the other stroking him in time as she bobbed down. She heard a string of Spanish leave his mouth as she worked him over with her tongue, looking up at him through thick lashes to be sure he was being satisfied, even though the grip in her hair tightening was a pretty good indication that he was enjoying himself.

She pulled back to catch her breath, stroking him while she spoke “you like that baby?”

“Fuck, yeah, yeah that’s good,” he growled.

She smiled before going back down, his hand in her hair moving so that he could see her face as she took him into her mouth again. This time she angled herself so she could take more of him, tongue flat against the bottom of his shaft, his head brushing the back of her throat. He made a startled noise, mouth falling open as he cursed again. She hummed around him, before coming back up for air, repeating the action several times as his other hand came up to pull her hair away from her face. She could feel his hips twitch forward in a halfhearted attempt at stopping himself from thrusting full force into her mouth, his breathing having become labored, his eyes closed, she knew he was close, but to her surprise as she pulled up for air once more he weakly took her face in his large hands.

“Come here jaina,” he said.

She followed as he took her hands and pulled her up so they were standing, taking her face again and kissing her as his hands went to work his jeans and underwear off before doing the same to her own leggings and top. She was barely done pulling his shirt off over his head before he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her down onto the small bed. She let out a startled laugh as they both settled onto the sheets chest to chest. Her mouth found his again as his hands rested on the rise of her ass, his warm skin against her own raising goosebumps along her arms in the cool air of the apartment.

“Fuck you’re gorgeous,” he said as she kissed along his jaw and lightly dragged her nails across his shoulders.

“As if you should speak baby,” she said, a laugh laced with sarcasm leaving him as she did.

She pushed herself up, feeling his hard cock against her ass as she did she smiled down at him, biting at her lip as she steadied herself with her hands on his broad chest. He looked up at her with deep brown eyes, the irises of which had been swallowed by the black voids of his pupils. She rolled her hips back, his cock wet with her saliva sliding against the curve of her ass, he stared up at her with an adoring gaze she wasn’t quite used to with most clients, but she liked the way it made her feel. She took his hands and slid them up her sides before resting them against her breasts, his fingers occupying themselves with teasing at her sensitive skin while she continued to grind against him. He huffed out a needy breath which bordered on a whine, canting his hips up to try and get more friction despite the fact that it wasn’t possible at the angle they were currently in.

“You want this pussy baby?” She asked quietly, digging her nails into his chest a little deeper.

“Let me fuck you.”

She smiled, satisfied with that answer, she pushed herself up one hand going to his cock, the other on his shoulder. He helped hold her, his hands on her hips, as she guided him to her entrance. She knew he was big, but if she could fit him in her mouth she was sure she could take him. The head of his cock pressed into her and she could help the moan that escaped her as she began to lower herself down onto him.

“Easy jaina,” he said, his voice strained as he steadied her.

“I can take it baby, don’t worry about me,” she said with a smug smile.

She took a breath before sliding down halfway. Fuck he’s big, she thought as her cunt clenched around his cock. Jackie cursed in Spanish, then in English. Filled with confidence at his reaction Vesper took the rest of him, stopping only when he was well seated inside of her and the two of them were panting with anticipation. She watched as he nearly squirmed beneath her, clearly lost in his own little world as he adjusted to her tightness.

“Haven’t lost your nerve have you?” She teased.

That prompted him to open his eyes which had fluttered shut only moments ago, a dark look to his expression as he cracked a smile.

“Not even close,” he said, his hands at her hips sliding back to squeeze at her ass.

“Good,” she said, before rolling her hips in earnest.

She set to a slow pace, riding him as they both chased their end, Vesper leaning back to gain leverage by balancing herself on his thighs. Soon enough he matched her rhythm with the rolling of his own hips. She let her head fall back, letting herself enjoy how he stretched and filled her in the most satisfying way. She let out a startled yelp when she felt a thick rough thumb drag over her clit, a jolt of pleasure nearly knocking her off balance. She looked down at him only to be greeted with a smug smile which she didn’t have the opportunity to comment on as he began rubbing small circles against the sensitive bundle of nerves. She clenched hard around him as she felt her pleasure building, a breathless moan tumbling from her lips. He pulled her forward so that she was leaning against his chest, his fingers leaving her clit and making her whine in earnest.

“Patience baby,” he said in a teasing voice.

One of his hands cupped where her thigh met her ass, the other bracing her hip, with that he pulled her up which allowed him room to thrust up into her. She let her head drop onto his shoulder as she began to pant, sweat beading across her brow as he fucked her.

“Jackie, fuck,” she moaned against his shoulder before nipping at his throat.

His breath was coming faster, his hips moving to snap against her with more fervor, and she could tell he was getting close. She grazed his pulse point with her teeth, her hands running light scratches down his sides, his name coming freely as she felt her core tighten with anticipation.

“Where do you want it?” He asked, his words hurried and strained.

“Cum inside me baby.”

His thrusts became erratic before he finally buried his cock deep inside her and came hard. His voice carried through the small room and for a second Vesper wondered if his neighbors could hear them, not that she cared all that much. Slowly he relaxed against the bed, breathing evening out as he came down from his high, his hands guiding her down with him so that she was relaxed, flushed against his warm body. Her own head was spinning despite not yet having reached climax, not that that was required, but she had sure hoped he would have kept up a little bit longer.

“You good baby?” She asked, pressing a soft kiss to his temple as he regained his composure.

“Yeah—yeah I’m good,” he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

“Good.”

They laid like that for a minute and she idly wondered if he was the cuddling type. Her thoughts were interrupted when he tapped her on the shoulder. She pushed herself up, hands on either side of his head so she was looking down at him.

“Did you finish?” He asked, face flushed, eyes half lidded, a pleased smile on his face.

“Don’t worry about that,” she said, leaning down to kiss him, his lips tasting of sweat and rum.

After a moment his hand came up to push the hair from her face “no, I want to know.”

She was surprised by his insistence, most of her male clients didn’t give much of a shit if she came or not.

“I was close there baby,” she said with a small smile.

His smile faltered slightly but it was more in determination that disappointment.

“Get up,” he said softly.

She obliged, slowly lifting herself off of his cock, prompting a deep groan as he watched her. The bed was small, so she stood on shaking legs as he sat up before standing as well, then guiding her onto the bed. She sat there, looking up at him curiously, wondering what it was he intended to do. He then got on his knees in front of her, hands on her thighs with a questioning look on his face.

“Can I?” He asked, and she found it endearing that he did ask.

She smiled and let her legs fall open. He had to bend over, still too tall even on his knees, before pulling her legs up and over his shoulders. She felt his breath against her core and that same excitement from their fuck came rushing back, her hand resting on top of his head, nails against his scalp which in and of itself made him groan. He spread her with his fingers, the action making her sigh, before she felt his hot tongue press against her clit. She let out an earnest moan, her head falling back as he swirled his tongue before dipping down to her opening and back up again. It was then that she felt a thick warm finger tease at her entrance, before pressing inside as his lips sealed around her clit. Damn he was good at this. She rested back on her elbow as he went to work, slowly probing her with his middle finger and sucking at the small nub with his lips, never working the same pattern against her cunt twice. Once she was sufficiently wet again he pressed in another finger, fucking her properly with them as she let her voice carry. Her fingers found his topknot as he finally pressed a third finger in and she felt herself clenching around him.

Jackie hummed against her, lapping at her clit as her hips rolled, her thighs tightening around his head and her free hand balling sheets in a fist.

“Jackie I’m going—I’m—“ she went rigid, her voice leaving her as she came.

Stars burst behind her eyes as they rolled back in her head and her mouth hung open. She gasped, her voice high as she rode out her orgasm, Jackie fucking her through it and not relenting until she was squirming with overstimulation. It was then that he finally pulled back and Vesper got a good look at him there, between her legs, lips wet with her slick as he licked them and then his fingers. Her face felt hot and her head felt fuzzy as she tried to catch her breath, her whole body relaxing against the bed. She felt him maneuver from between her legs before pulling her up to sitting and wordlessly slipped back into the small bed. He tugged her gently to lay tucked up against his chest as he lay on his side, and she didn’t protest as he slung an arm around her and pressed his face into the back of her neck. She let herself bask in the afterglow, thankful for his warmth in the now chilly feeling room.

He was an odd one to be sure, but at least she had gotten the answer to one of her questions, he was a cuddler. 

[zenosanalytic]

People What Aint From Round Here Is The Problem...

So I just watched Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood and I have THOUGHTS:

Ive read a few reviews&ruminations on this film at this point and I can’t believe that none of them got(or at least, mentioned explicitly) the primary thesis of this movie, spcl given that Tarentino flatly states it out the mouth of his primary protagonist within, like, the first 15-20mins of the film: “...most important thing in this town is when you’re making money you buy a house in town. You don’t rent... Hollywood real estate means you live here. You’re not just visiting, not just passing through. You fuckin live here.” i.e., the most important thing in Hollywood, to Hollywood, is the people FROM Hollywood; Everyone else is just a filthy, trouble-making tourist or profiteer who is “Passing Through” and “Doesnt Get It” and  “Is Fucking It Up”(It being the film industry), and probably “Secretly Hates Movies”. There are places and aspects of this movie that are basically a Nativist Angeleno rant, written by a life-long Angeleno film-nerd-turned-film-maker, against Hollywood’s critics(and his critics which he just totally conflates with the former), and probably non-Angelenos(and non-Californians?) in general.

There are two ways to read this thesis: Straight and Subverted/Satirized.

The evidence for reading it straight is pretty plentiful. Lots of reviews have puzzled at where the line connecting the constant hippie-bashing, the weird focus on knocking Polanski’s Polishness & preference for shooting in London, and the inexplicable pot-shot at Bruce Lee is, and I think this is it. “The Hippies” are repeatedly presented as a corrupting force: digging through trash, living in squalourous filth at the Spahn Ranch dragging members of “Old Hollywood” like its owner into it with them, selling drugs, and using sex to “control” men. And attached to this is presenting “The Hippies” as foreign; not only from another place, but refusing to assimilate with the LA way of life and hostile to it. The Manson family are the only explicitly identified “Hippies” in the film(other than, possibly, the one who sells Cliff an acid cig). The only “positive” portrayals of Bruce Lee in the film are silent ones of him teaching anglos kung fu, which has some fairly obvs and well-understood Implications.

But there’s also good evidence for reading it as subverted and satirized. Both Tate and Dalton are NOT from California, let alone LA, and Booth’s origins are left unclear. Dalton’s the only one of them explicitly id’d as being from elsewhere(Missouri), but Tate’s easy to google and she was a military kid who grew up all over the place. When Dalton returns from Italy, that sequence and his look in it are VERY reminiscent of the scenes introducing Polanski at the beginning of the film. The side-characters around Tate, perennially shown in a positive light, are also non-Angelenos. Doing Spaghetti Westerns revitalizes Dalton’s career, despite his disdain for Italian cinema. Tate and her crew, while not explicitly ID’d as “Hippies” and often shown in Mod and other fashion styles, are also presented in “Hippie” fashion, shown listening to “Hippie” music, smoking the “Hippie” Reefer(Im sorry, but Comedy Demanded this phrasing and I am Devout u_u), and implied to be living a polyamorous “Hippie” life.

It really is difficult for me to say which predominates. On the one entirely metaphorical hand, the ways in which Dalton’s Angeleno chauvinism are subverted and mocked are fairly obvs, but on the other emh, the film is FILLED with LITERALLY GLOWING nostalgia for this pre-Hippy, pre-Lefty, pre-70s, Conservative and Republican California&Los Angeles. Dalton’s focus on property-ownership&the film industry in the opening thesis could easily be seen as resolving these subversive contradictions to allow for a straight read(ie: Tate, Booth, and Dalton are “Hollywood People” who’ve both bought real-estate in LA, and who’ve grown up in film or film-adjacent fields and choose to center their adult lives in the film industry). So much, in fact, that I kinda started to wonder abt QT’s politics while watching it. And, if it WAS satirical, then what’s the point of the knock to Bruce Lee and focusing criticisms of Polanski on his Polishness and shooting in London? Is that just meant to characterize Dalton and Booth as nativists and racists?

It really cannot be said enough that there are REALLY MORE APPROPRIATE CRITICISMS to make of Polanski than 1)begin Polish, 2)possessing boyish effeminacy, and 3)preferring to shoot movies in London instead of LA. Which are this movie’s only problems with him(though it also takes the time to show him bitchily smoking a cigarette in an evening gown while being rude to a dog). Obvsl I dont object to villainizing an ACTUAL REAL LIFE VILLAIN like this shitstain, but I DO object to being asked(albeit gently) to participate in this film’s understated nationalist bigotry.

It’s possible that Cliff’s turning Pussycat down during the drive to the ranch was intended to be this but I highly doubt it. And if it was it’d be misrepresenting Polanski’s misdeeds enormously, considering that Pussycat, the too-young girl, is the sexual instigator in this film. Polanski liked to manipulate, drug, and rape underaged girls(he pulled the same shit with models in Europe before getting busted for it in LA, btw, then continued doing it after fleeing back to Europe); really not the same situation.

There’s another irony in that, while the film goes out of its way to call Polanski “boyish” and imply that makes him feminine and that this is Bad, there’s also a subtle under-current that... Tarentino sees himself in his youth the same way? He’s certainly never been short like Polanski and Jay Sebring are/were, QT’s 6 1, but the actors he cast to play them and the description made of the pair in-film are more than a bit reminiscent of how Tarentino looked&was discussed in the press back in the 90s when he was starting out. AAAaaand the film explicitly calls that Tate’s “Type”; leaving me with the question: would Tarentino be able to stop himself from implying a dead starlet would have been attracted to him? I leave the answer to your imaginations, Dear Readers u_u

Having said all that it IS a really good film, which I liked, I dont think it’d be very hard to set aside this political stuff while watching, the driving sequences are especially emotive&exhilarating, and there’s some seriously great acting in it. IDK if I’d say I liked it more than the recent Emma movie, tho.

I feel like each of the trio, Tate, Dalton, and Booth, were meant to symbolically Embody LA/Hollywood/California? Like Pitt especially seemed to be channeling movie characters and CJ from GTA: San Andreas throughout his performance, while I couldnt help but think of Ronald Reagan watching DiCaprio(spcl given the character’s likely politics). So there’s this sense in which the film is a fantasy of “Old Hollywood”, embodied by these three, Vanquishing its “Enemies”, represented by The Hippies(moralizing, pretentious, gross leftist) and potentially Polanski&Lee(foreign film ppl who refuse to integrate into the LA scene). Again, given the political history of Cali after this era, this embodiment raises some questions for me abt the film and QT’s politics(particularly in re: misogyny and feminism).

Also DiCaprio is totally going to get pitched a Reagan biopic off of this role and I sincerely hope he has the good sense to turn that shit the fuck down.

Circling back to the ranting at his critics, this movie was definitely and consciously a response to them. Like: up until the last 5-15 minutes of the film, and aside from a handful of too-lingering too fetishistic too on-the-nose creep shots of the female cast that Tarentino simply could not stop himself from making, OUATiH is precisely the sort of “Serious” film Tarentino’s critics have been saying he should make for decades now(of course he did Jackie Brown, which was that and which he blew Completely out of the park). And then there’s that bloody, gross-out, exploitation-movie ending. I dont actually think it was as bad as many critics were saying it was? For some reason I was thinking there was gonna be a massacre of the ENTIRE Manson family, which would have been totally out of left-field. But it WAS clearly a stinger of a major tone-shift thrown in as a Fuck You to the ppl who’ve called out his violent and exploitative preferences throughout the years. As for me I generally like his movies and think he’s a great filmmaker but he absolutely does go too far sometimes.

Rick Dalton, in an evening-gown, with a mixer full of iced-margarita in one hand, getting all up in the face of the driver of a loud exhaust-spewing jalope in his PRIVATE STREET was TOTALLY Tarentino himself :| By which I mean NOT ONLY that That’s ABSOLUTELY the sort of cameo he would have given himself 30 years ago and if it made any sort of sense at all in the film(which here it wouldnt have, obvsl), BUT ALSO that I feel 94% confident that Tarentino has actually done that at least once in his lifetime :| :|

I think the monologue&interactions T gives Bruce Lee leading up to the fight were probably more insulting to him than the fight itself. Contrary to popular discussion, it isn’t Pitt’s character totally trashing Lee, he gets in one good throw after Lee repeats a successful attack at his request(which I doubt Lee would have ever done from what little I know about him; not being predictable in a fight was his whole Deal), but rather an even duel between them(most of the fight is just the two blocking each others’ attacks). I dont think the film was trying to say “Lee was full of hot-air”, if it wanted to say that it’d have shown him getting trounced instead of showing him knock Booth down then trade him blow for blow, but more “Lee was pretty arrogant and a bit pretentious”.

OK, that’s abt all that I can think of right now: thanks for reading ^v^

[lostsummerdayz]

Lost Summer Deep Dive - Christie Monteiro Part 1

An In-Depth Look At A Capoeirista Forgotten By Lore

by Nay Holland

When one thinks of capoeira, it is impossible to mention the impact video games had in bringing the art into the public eye. Sure, there have been movies, books, and capoeira schools for as long as the art existed, but video games were arguably the form of media which made the art popular. The same could be said for its representation in video games.

While you had capoeiristas like Richard Meyer and Bob Wilson in the Fatal Fury series, it wouldn’t be until years later that a rich Brazilian capoeirista known as Eddy Gordo would set the bar. No, he wouldn’t just set the bar, he would be the bar himself.

In arcades during the year of 1997 and home consoles the following year, many a player felt rage from a single man. A man whose flips, spins, handstands, and kicks, would bring awe to those who played him, and frustration to those who fought against it. He was both famous for moves never seen before in a 3D fighter, and infamous for being the definition of “cheap.”

Regardless how you felt about him, there was no denying that Eddy was different from the rest of the cast. In a game where homages to Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Tiger Mask were evident, there was nothing who was comparable to Eddy at the time. His unique, yet slightly exaggerated, homage to capoeira brought new fans into the art. Capoeira became a popular buzz word for fighting enthusiasts almost overnight.

But was Eddy always considered to be the face of capoeira?

After Tekken Tag Tournament, Eddy was noticeably absent from the main roster. In place of him was a young Brazilian woman by the name of Christie Monteiro. A fresh face for a game that represented a new era in Tekken, her moves were very similar to Eddy’s.

In fact, apart from her normal throws, her movelist were identical to Eddy’s in every way. Eddy being a palette swap for her in Tekken 4 and Tekken 5 brought the “Christie is Eddy” angle to its head. At the time, although Eddy was included in these two games, Bandai Namco was trying to push Christie as the new face.

At the very least, they were trying to push a woman as the capoeira representative from the very beginning.

In a 1998 CVG interview, following the release of Tekken 3, the development team discussed how the concept of Eddy came about. When asked how the team went about designing its roster of characters, the team replied with the following.

“A good example is Eddy, since he wasn't planned to be the character you see at first. The development team wanted to include a character who used Capoeira, so the idea was passed on to the artist team. Mr Kimoto requested the artist to make a female character for Capoeira. However the artist said it was too difficult to design a female character who used Capoeria, so there came Eddy.” 

It wouldn’t be until Dark Resurrection that Eddy had his own slot on the roster for the first time since Tekken Tag Tournament.

With the separation of the two characters at last, Christie’s push would be put on the backburner in lieu of Eddy’s importance to the story. Christie’s relevance came to a screeching halt in Tekken 7 as Eddy was one of the final main roster characters revealed without a Brazilian woman in sight.

NO!!!

Anyways, Christie wouldn’t make another official appearance until the mobile Tekken game, but considering the mobile Tekken game is literally a dump of old characters that didn’t make the cut in Tekken 7, that’s hardly a victory.

I started writing this back in early 2018, and since then, we’ve gotten Marduk back from the graveyard!

However, I’ve long since stopped holding out for hope. If she shows up, she shows up. If she doesn’t, well. It still won’t dilute the amount of love I have for this girl. Hopefully by the end of this I can shed some light on what makes Christie amazing to me.

So, what happened? How did the one who was pushed to be the babyface of capoeira after Eddy’s origin ended up becoming the queen of the indies known as mobile Tekken? What is it about Christie that makes me admire her as a character? Well, let’s start with her design.

Appearance

So, imagine the year 2001. You’re in the arcades and you see Tekken 4 for the first time. The attract video plays and you’re in wow at the graphics. Especially considering this is the first Tekken on a new engine in the arcade at least. Then suddenly you see this mami twirling and making sensual poses, flashing the biggest grin.

It was at this point you dumped quarters in the machine. Don’t lie. This totally didn’t happen to me at an arcade while I was in the Poconos. Nope.

I remember the rumors at the time. Everyone thought the designers took inspiration from Tyra Banks and Harada himself de-confirmed this.

Wearing a low-cut green floral blouse that cuts above her midriff, black leather hotpants with frills at the end, black fingerless gloves, and Spartan-style sandals, Christie’s primary outfit was made to turn heads and accentuate her features. As with most outfits and hair designs in this game, Christie’s design was also made to show off the new graphics engine for Tekken. Christie’s long brunette hair, coupled with her loose-fitting clothing, flows with the wind with every kick and acrobatic motion. Her design was made for comfort in mind as well as ease of movement.

Christie’s competitor’s outfit is a brassiere-style top with silk training pants and green fingerless gloves. Wrapped around her waist is a capoeira belt, much like Eddy’s competitor’s outfit. Whether this is an actual representation of her rank, or just a design choice, is up in the air. I’d like to say it’s the latter, though I believe a purple belt is a high ranking in capoeira.

Comparing Christie and Eddy’s competitor’s outfit, they aren’t too different from each other. In fact, side by side they appear like partners rather than a radical difference.

Following her debut, her primary outfit changes from a green to a light purple top and black to white colored hotpants. The top of her competitive gear is more confined and stylish while retaining the same effect as it did before. As the series progressed, her butterfly motif became more prevalent in her clothing.

With such a dynamic taste in style, one would think that her personality is just as bubbly, and you’d be correct to think so.

Personality

Pointing at her opponent with finger guns and firing off in their direction, Christie enters her ginga stance with a declaration…

“Here we go!”

Oozing with confidence no matter who she is fighting against, Christie never backs down from an opportunity to show off her studies in Capoeira arts.

Christie makes it clear to her competitors that if they take her lightly, they will pay for it in a loss.

Perhaps one of my favorite exchanges with another character is when she fights Bruce in Tekken 5. Bruce exclaims that the “competition has gotten easier on the eyes,” in which Christie taunts him in return. When Bruce questions if her capoeira can stand up to [his Muay Thai], she replies with a sultry tone of confidence.

Ultimately, Christie would win the bout and she toys with him, saying that his lack of rhythm will be the reason why he will never defeat her.

It’s exchanges like this, as well as her other intro pose where she blows her opponent a kiss and declares them to “go easy on her,” that she uses her looks to her advantage. It’s almost as a form of intimidation, being caught off guard by swift kicks coming at you at every direction while she emerges the victor, leaving the battle almost unscathed.

There is a depth to this. When things get serious, Christie has a sense of justice within the confines of her own capability. This is commonly brought up whenever Eddy runs off headfirst into danger.

In the same game, when she runs into Eddy, she doesn’t back down from fighting Eddy to save her grandfather’s life. Win or lose, she will fight her hardest for those who she loves, even if it means fighting the one person, she loves the most.

She’s also highly emotional as an individual as evident when she shows her disappointment at the end of her winning the 4th Iron Fist Tournament. This changes to a complete 180 as she sees the one person who she has been looking for all tournament, immediately returning to her bubbly cheerful self. A dark version of this trait shows when she is overburdened with emotion to the point of tears upon discovering that her grandfather passed away.

This combination of a flirtatious happy-go-lucky capoeirista who revels in her fights and a woman who is bound to protect those who she holds dear comes into full force in Tekken 6. Although in the overall canon she takes a backseat, controlling her in Scenario mode reveals hidden layers about her character.

One of the hypothetical scenarios that is brought up is when Christie and Eddy do cross paths in Scenario mode. If the former approaches Eddy, he will exclaim that she shouldn’t be here in high concern. If the latter approaches Christie, she will appear angry that he has, once again, decided to be inconsiderate in being brash for considering working with “Public Enemy #1.”

Both Eddy and Christie wish to protect each other, yet they do so by ironically placing themselves into harms way. While on a larger scale, they are two small fish in the giant ocean that is the Mishima bloodline story. If one zooms in on the microscope, you see two troubled young adults who wish to live in peace. One is bound by vengeance while the other is bound by duty.

Story

While Tekken 4 is the first time we see and hear of Christie, that game is not the first time we hear of her story. In Tekken 3’s prologue, Eddy was incarcerated after being framed for the murder of his father. During his sentence, he learns the art of capoeira from an elderly master. Up until his release, Eddy perfected the art of capoeira and entered the third King of Iron Fist tournament to exact

That elderly man was none other than…

Well…

The old man never had an official name. The Tekken wiki has his name as

DENSETSU NO KAPOEIRA MASUTAA

or the “Legendary Capoeira Master.”

For a while, the urban legend regarding his name was “Ho Chi Myong,” but unlike the Tara Banks inspiration, this wasn’t ever confirmed by Bandai Namco. I don’t think it ever will.

The one thing that was confirmed, however, was that the

DENSETSU NO KAPOEI---I’m sorry.

The elderly capoeira master was Christie’s grandfather. How did Christie herself know capoeira? Through Eddy, as a form of mutual respect for her grandfather teaching him the art. Suddenly Christie and Eddy having identical moves isn’t farfetched.

However, I always wondered why Christie’s grandfather never taught her capoeira himself? The obvious answer would be because he, too, was imprisoned. Still, you’d consider that maybe he would have taught her when she was a child or began to teach her. Who knows?

At the end of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, Eddy finds out that it was Kazuya Mishima who orchestrated the events which led to his father’s murder and his own imprisonment. Since then, he has sought out to find Kazuya and settle the score on his own terms.

Enter Tekken 4, where a concerned Christie realizes Eddy has gone missing. In her response, she spends the 4th Iron Fist Tournament looking for Eddy, sensing trouble brewing on the horizon.

Honestly this was Eddy’s fault to begin with. Had Eddy not told Christie that he was going to avenge his father’s death, she wouldn’t have bothered to put herself in harm’s way. However, Christie’s story had to start somewhere yeah?

In the end, Eddy doesn’t find Kazuya, but, if we take Christie’s ending in Tekken 4 as canon, we can deduce some details.

Christie wins the iron fist tournament, incredibly bemused, as she failed at her original goal in locating Eddy. However, seeing a familiar face in the crowd, she runs over to Eddy in a full embrace. Eddy appears in this ending with a cast on his arm, so it is assumed that his progress in finding his father’s murderer ended prematurely. Even so, despite his lack of success, he still shows up to his girl’s victory match in support. What a romantic.

Several months later, tragedy strikes. Christie’s grandfather is inflicted with an illness and the race to find enough money to pay for the operation begins. In the end, no matter who wins the tournament, they use their prize money to pay for the operation which turns out to be a success. Christie, Eddy, and her grandfather are all seen at a park practicing capoeira and everyone lives happily ever after, right!?

Unfortunately, not.

Several years later and the climate is different. Jin Kazama wages war against the world and it turns out that neither Christie nor Eddy was able to win the tournament after all.

Running out of time and resources, Jin makes a deal with Eddy. If Eddy works for him and helps exact Jin’s vengeance against Kazuya, then Jin will help pay for the operation. Considering this as an opportunity to become in direct contact with Kazuya, the murderer of his father, it’s a win win for Eddy.

He didn’t want to be a part of this war, but for the safety of the one person who was a father figure for him and the chance to kill the one who has caused him years of torment, he will take up a gun for Jin.

So, where does this leave Christie? Back to where we once were in Tekken 4, on the lookout for Eddy and her grandfather.

Do you see where I’m getting at now? “As the series progressed, Christie’s role became diluted?”

The sad part is that Christie is not the only character to suffer through this “character dilution.” The4thSnake’s video on Asuka Kazama goes over the same points that I could ever make, so please give that video a watch when you can. In Tekken 6, if it wasn’t Mishima related, it was on the backburner.

Once again, both parties are unsuccessful. Christie never finds a cure for her grandfather’s illness and he succumbs. Eddy is deceived by Jin, refusing to hold his end of the bargain, and is unable to save his master’s life. While visiting his grandfather’s grave, Christie discovers Eddy.

Instead of a warming reunion, Christie, in a fit of rage and sadness, slaps him while demanding where he was. In response, Eddy stands there, motionless, as he throws his Mishima Zaibatsu pin to the ground.

This is where Christie’s story ends. Officially.

What began as a bright young capoeira student ended a grieving shell of a person, thanks to the dishonesty of Mishimas and Eddy for pulling a Knuckles and believing Eggman---Jin Kazama.

If we look at the Tag 2 endings and assume, they take place after 6, Eddy takes a page out of King’s book and opens up a capoeira school for orphaned children. After some time passes, he embarks on a trip to become the world greatest stuntman the Mishima Zaibatsu has ever seen!

No of course not he’s going to confront his father and master’s murderers of course! What else would Eddy POSSIBLY do at this point!?

In Christie’s ending, as a continuation, she catches wind of this and chases Eddy, but, as history tends to repeat itself, she’s too late. Eddy is already on the train.

Some. Things. Never. Change.

At least she was spared a grim fate, unlike our friend here.

Conclusion

So. Where do we go from here? From the beginning, we know that Eddy is an integral part of Christie’s story. However, there are signs in her design that shows she can hold her own, both in a fight and in her sense of justice.

I recommend anyone to play through Scenario mode with all of the available roster and not just Lars, but in Scenario mode, Christie has a sense of justice that almost felt refreshing. It wasn’t just simply “where’s Eddy,” but it was also “I have to stop the messed up things from going on in the world”

Earlier I posted a photo where she confronts Eddy for working with the Mishimas and she has no qualms in defeating him to knock sense into him. I also mentioned the confrontation between Bruce and Christie, which is just about non-canon as far as Tekken 6 is confirmed. They treat their encounter as if it was the first time they’ve ever met. Bummer.

But there are signs of life for this character and when it shows, it’s refreshing to see. Christie is not the only character who suffers from this, but she is the one who is marred by the reputation of “always being in Eddy’s shadow.”

When discussion is brought up on why she shouldn’t be in the game? “Eddy is already in there.”

When the game throws her into a repeat storyline for the third straight game in the series? “Eddy is already there.”

Why is Christie out and about? “Her grandfather, but Eddy is there as well.”

Part of the reason why I considered myself a Christie main is because Christie is an underdog in the Tekken universe as well as within the competitive scene.

The irony here is that Christie was meant to replace Eddy, but the inverse happened.

One day, Christie can exist without having to worry about being in Eddy’s shadow. A fan can dream. Until then, I’ll always consider her my favorite fighting game character so there’s no replacing that at least.

There will be a Part 2 to this as there’s one key game that she’s a part of where she does regain some of that luster I wish she had in the main series. A game that is largely underrated but a game where Christie has had her moment in the sun.

Stay tuned for Part 2 soon! If you weren’t sick of me talking about Christie and made it this far, congrats! Stick around for the follow-up!

[kumkaniudaku]

Wild N Out

A/N: A request for the amazing and patient @queenbutterfly2018 . This was a challenge that I did not expect but had a lot of fun with. I hope you enjoy! If it isn’t what you want, let me know and we’ll take another stab at it. 

“Wild’n, wild’n...”

Chadwick stood in the hallway of the downtown Los Angeles venue, bouncing on his toes to shake some of his anxious energy away. When he got an invite to appear on the improv comedy show hosted by Nick Cannon, he allowed his wife to pressure him into accepting the invitation against his better judgment. To Chadwick, sketch comedy wasn’t his idea of a good time. He didn’t mind watching live during a date night with CoCo, or even spending hours of mindless time watch the popular television show, but participating was a different beast.

“I got somebody that’s gon’ try and take my comedy crown. You seen him be Jackie Robinson, James Brown, T’Challa and probably ya uncle. Tonight, he’s the Captain of the Black Squad. Y’all know him, Chadwick Boseman!”

Taking one last deep breath, Chadwick started a slow trot to the stage. In the short time beneath the bright lights, he noticed that the person responsible for his appearance on the show was suddenly absent from her front row seat. There was no time to process Tasha’s absence before he was pulled into a dap and hug by Nick Cannon.

“Now I know you like the Master Actor out here these days, but we've never seen you in a comedy role. You think you can hang tonight.”

Chadwick scoffed and smiled, “C’mon man. I’m me.”

“Alright, alright,” Nick laughed in the midst of the oohs and ahhs from the crown. “See, I knew you were coming, so I made sure the Red Squad was stacked. We had to bring out the big guns.”

“Hopefully it’s a ghostwriter. I’ve seen you in the wild style and it ain’t nice.”

“It’s terrible,” Emmanuel Hudson yelled from across the stage. “Worst shit I ever heard. You should throw all of your studio equipment in the middle of the ocean. Then jump in behind it. And drown.”

A chorus of laughter erupted in the building, becoming contagious as Chadwick let go of a few chuckles and some of his nerves.”

“Anyway,” Nick interrupted. “For the first time in Wild N Out history, I’m giving up my captain’s seat to somebody that I know can beat you. She told me to call her the HBIC and the B stands for Boseman. We got your lady in the house, Tashaaaa Boseman!”

With “Last Time That I Checc’d,” playing as her walk out music, CoCo confidently strolled onto the stage with a smug smile and a mischievous grin on her face. She’d been intentionally quiet about her invitation to appear being the catalyst behind her working double time to convince her husband to step out of his comfort zone.

Once Chadwick was over the shock of seeing Tasha step through the tunnel, his eyes flickered with a competitive drive.

“Hey, baby,” Tasha sultry voice spoke into the microphone. “You ready for me to whoop that ass in front of all these people?”

“I hear you talking big shit. Just don’t be surprised when I have on my championship belt in the bedroom tonight, Co.”

After sharing a friendly kiss, Chadwick and Tasha turned to join their respective teams and listen to the instructions for the first game.

“Alright, the name of the game is Got Damned,” Emmanuel started, imitating an old school referee. Even though they were on opposite teams, Chad and CoCo caught eyes and burst into giggles at the act.

A member of each team was called to the center of the stage to participate in an old fashioned game of the dozens. By the middle of the game, Chadwick was in tears from the sheer absurdity of the jokes. Tasha wanted in on the action.

“Give me Tasha! Give me Justina!”

The crowd’s cheers became lost in the background as Tasha stepped forward and grinned from ear to ear.

“Girl, if you don’t get your 'Thank you for being a friend,' Golden Girls old ass outta here,” Justina started.

“I know you ain’t talking with your big back, Clay Matthews from the Packers built ass.”

“If I’m built like Clay Matthews then you must be Spock with them gahdamn Star Trek ass ears.”

Tasha took the joke like a pro while assessing the competition. “Sis, if you don’t get your Frank Sinatra’s face, Khloe Kardashian’s old body having ass outta here!”

When Justine opened her mouth to counter, her speech faltered, causing her to stutter. The misstep garnered a reaction from the audience and the cast on the stage.

“You’re out!” Emmanuel’s declaration came with a gesture for Justine to rejoin her team a bell indicating that the red squad had received the point.

“DJ D-Wreck, who won that game, man?”

“It was close but, it looks like the Red Squad got that one!”

Tasha felt a surge of pride, knowing that she contributed to the win. Her pride matched Chadwick, who tried to keep his admiration lowkey.

If anyone were to ask him, his wife was everything light and fun in their relationship. She had the better jokes, was voted best song singer by the kids and always became the life of the party when they would have their famous monthly gatherings. If circumstances were different and they weren’t on different teams, he’d be congratulating her on her went. Unfortunately, he was forced to defeat his wife on national television. He could apologize for the beatdown later.

Nick continued to fly through games, some that neither Tasha or Chadwick felt qualified to participate. They were content to bobbing their heads along with the rap portions or adding a couple of chuckles to the mesh with the audiences’ laughter. In others, like Plead the Fifth, the Black Squad took the lead when Tasha and Chadwick were pitted against each other.

“Mrs. Boseman. I hear your nickname is CoCo. Can I call you CoCo,” Conceited asked.

“Never in your life, sweetheart, but continue.”

“Oh-kay! I just have one question. On a scale of 1 to 10… how much does Chadwick...hate working with those white people at Marvel. We’ve seen the pictures! How much does he hate it, Tasha!”

Chadwick looked at his wife’s eyes shut, and her lips become tucked into her mouth as she tried to stifle a laugh, half hoping she wouldn’t answer for a variety of reasons.

“Oh my God,” Tasha groaned while “answer him” chants grew in intensity. “I...plead the fifth.”

When the next segment was introduced, the couple made it a point to try and interact with their respective teams.

“ATL makes some noise! We back like we never left. It’s been a wild night all because of Ms. Tashaaaa.”

CoCo made sure to make an animated face in the camera before waving to the crowd.

“Damn, you just gon’ act like I ain’t playing? I mean, my team is winning.”

“Not for long! I’m coming for your ass tonight,” Tasha hollered across the stage.

“Is that a promise?” Chadwick’s suggestive comment didn’t go unnoticed by Tasha or the crowd, earning a mixed back of reactions and a subtle wink from his wife.

“Okay, okay. Sound like y’all are ready for the next game. What you got for us D-Wreck?”

“This next one is called Let Me Holla. We’ll bring a Wild N Out girl to the stage, and each team takes turns trying to holla at her. Good pick up lines get a bell; bad ones get a buzzer. Let’s get a Wild N Out girl to the stage?”

As the pretty blonde made her way into the spotlight, both Chadwick and Tasha made it a point to turn the friendly competition up a notch. Both teams went back and forth with pick-up lines varying from hilariously innocent to suggestive and downright raunchy. After B. Simone received a buzzer on the Black Squad, the scores were even, leaving the door wide open for a win.

Chico Bean was next to step to the young lady. “Hey, baby, do you have sex with men you meet the first night?”

“Uh...no?”

“Good, then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tasha could feel her face getting sore from laughter that halted the moment the noise from D-Wreck’s bell turned into excited cheers from the crowd. Looking over, she was shocked to see Chadwick swagging his way to woman on stage. In a rush of adrenaline, Tasha dashed to join him on stage, sandwiching the woman between them.

Neither Tasha or Chadwick spoke. Instead, they took turns pointing between each other and the young woman while smiling. When that didn’t work, Chadwick reached across to pull Tasha into a kiss before pulling away and resuming the silent charade. Their display of affection and its not so hidden meaning made the blonde’s face flush as she bit her lip. Finally, she linked arms with both of her “suitors” and began to walk off stage, giving both teams a bell and ending the game.

Nick Cannon’s face, a mix of shock and intrigue, was priceless as he stepped on stage to mediate as Tasha and Chadwick exchanged a high five and returned to their respective teams.

“We wild’n out for real, huh? That one was too close to call, D-Wreck. Tell us who won.”

“Even with the double bell, the Red Squad had the most luck with the ladies. Give it up for them!”

“Aye, we all tied up around here, and we’re coming back to settle it the Wild Style battle. So, sit ya ass down because we’re coming right back!”

Tasha felt her stomach churn at the mention of the final battle. There was a laundry list of things she didn’t consider herself good at, and freestyle rapping was at the top. A quick break for some crowd shenanigans gave Chadwick time to break away from his group and check on CoCo.

“You good,” he asked as he handed her a bottle of water and bumped her shoulder. “Ready for this to be over as much as I am?”

“If I could end it right here and not have to rap in front of all these people, I’d gladly take my win and leave.”

“Oh, so you think you can just beat me without a fight, Cookie. Nuh uh! We play all the way through in this household.”

“But I can’t rap!”

“And I can’t do improv,” he laughed. “But I did that stupid props game and ended up winning. I got out of my comfort zone, and now it’s your turn.” A quick signal from a producer on set let the couple know that it was time to split up and wrap the taping, prompting Chadwick to end the conversation. “Get on out there Champ. If I lose, I want it to be because you beat me. Got it?”

His reassuring smile came with an extended fist which CoCo bumped to complete the gesture. “I got it. But if I suck, we never speak of it again.”

“Now you know damn well I can’t do that.”

She didn’t have time to respond before Nick was returning from the planned television break and introducing the Wild Style battle. Though nervous, CoCo tried to push all thoughts of possible humiliation from her mind and focus on coming up with rhyming words while others around her rapped. With the number of people on stage, she hoped she’d easily be looked over. Most hosts that weren’t known musicians or comedians tended to skip out on participating even if bated. Tasha hoped she could do the same.

“Aye, Tasha.” The mention of her name made her body still with fear before settling back into reality. “Bring that ass here, girl!”

CoCo’s mind pinged with all of the ways being called out by resident funny guy, DC Young Fly, could turn into a disaster. He was known for not only being outlandish in his delivery but also being good at his craft. She’d watched him completely eviscerate opponents all night and joining in on a laugh here and there. Now, she was on the receiving end and terrified of what was coming.

She didn’t move from the back of the pack under her own power. All she felt was several hands pushing her forward as she willed her facial expressions to morph into something that screamed confidence.

“Now Ms. Tasha, I know you old but I still think you groovy, so when are you gon’ stop fucking this nigga that gets his ass whooped in all his movies?”

Chadwick took the joke in stride with a cool laugh and shook his head. With the end of the game drawing closer, he didn’t care what went on as long as it was on its way to being over. Instead, he chose to give Tasha a subtle nod for encouragement.

Tasha had two options. She could laugh and return to the crowd without a rebuttal or take a stab at defending her man. CoCo chose the latter. Grabbing the mic, she took a deep breath and prepared to give her first televised freestyle a fair shot.

“DC, I’ll tell you a secret, real quick, don’t no woman want a man built like a used toothpick.”

The reaction to her response was instantaneous laughter from both teams and the audience. D-Wreck rewarded her effort with a quick bell before the battle progressed to an old school showdown between Chico and Karlous. She was excited and proud at the same time as she moved back to the side to make room in the center of the group. Chadwick was happy for her too, giving her a subtle wink and nod from across the room.

By the end of the battle, the bells and buzzers had become so mixed in everyone’s heads that no one was aware of the score until Nick called over to the DJ booth for an official tally.

“I got a feeling I get to keep my comedy belt this time, D-Wreck, but who won that game, man?”

“That battle was crazy...but the Black Squad got more bells in the end for the win!”

Chadwick smiled as he was presented with the gold plated souvenir and led to the spot beside Nick Cannon to end the show.

“You came in here, stole, and stole my belt. What you got to say to the people?” “Not much, man. Thank you for having me out here to whoop yo ass and give my lady and me something new to add to the trophy case. C’mere girl.”

Tasha smiled as Chadwick pulled her to his side and handed her the mic. “Let the record reflect that I technically won too because what’s his is mine,” she laughed.

“There it is! Let’s get to it. Everybody get out ya seats, turn your TV up and make some noise for Lil Baby!”

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