#maybe I need to get to know Brad better and then I can separate them

[yuenity]

pretty much watched the entire first season of mythic quest in one day and I LITERALLY CANNOT SEPARATE BRAD AND ABED

[bella-goths-wife]

Crush

Yandere cullens x reader

Tw- gore, death, reader being abused, sick family dynamics, animal death

You trailed behind Jasper as he grasped your cold hand. He had always felt the need to hold your hand in busy hallways, it made him feel better. You were about to yank your hand away but your mood flipped like a switch and an idiotic smile forced its way on your lips

He always did this, whenever you felt uncomfortable he would make your mood more convenient for him.

You snapped out of it when you were bumped into by a distracted walker, she smiles apologetically and walks away while Jasper glares daggers at her. You yank your hand away and he looks confused

“I have chemistry now” you remind him “you have p.e your going the opposite direction”

“Can’t you just skip?��� Jasper asks annoyed as emmet joins him and puts an arm around you

“Yeah little sis, come join us” emmet tries to convince you but you just shake your head

“Last time I did that, neither one of you defended me when Carlisle scolded me” you sighed out as you separated yourself from them

“(Y/n)” emmet calls your name and you turn your head “behave yourself, little sis”

You nodded and made your way to your class. As you stepped through the doors you noticed someone sitting in the seat next to yours.

He was a short boy with brown curly hair, he saw you and pulled a small, polite smile.

“Hey there” he greets you as you sit down “you must be my new lab partner, I’m Brad”

“(Y/n)” you greet politely and shake his hand before turning away and looking at the board

“You always sit with the cullens kids, your their sister right?” He asks and you just nod “you don’t talk much, huh?”

You shake your head. You don’t want this boy to die all because you engaged in polite small talk. You feel him moving and hear him scribbling. You don’t pay attention to him until half an hour into the lesson he tugs in your sleeve.

You turn to see a small sketch of a baby deer on the inside of brads work book. You look at him curious and find the paper to be dedicated to you. You turn your head and he just gives you a cheeky smile.

“Because of your eyes” he explains playfully “you remind me of a deer”

You blush red and hide your face from his peering gaze. He rips the page and grabs your hand before placing the paper in your palm. Your heart would have beat at the contact

“Thank you” you say flustered while he just chuckles

You try and listen to the teacher but all you can listen to is brads heartbeat increasing every time you looked at him, he was nervous too.

As the bell rang you rose from your seat but Brad takes your bag in his hands. You look at him but he just takes your hand and leads you out the classroom. As you exit the classroom your hand remains in his.

“I’ll walk you to lunch” he says as he nudges you with his shoulder “you can keep chatting my ear off”

You let out a small giggle and he gives an exaggerated shocked gasp

“She laughs” he says shocked “it’s a miracle”

“Shut up” you replied back playfully as you kept walking “so what’s the plan, woo me over a lukewarm lunch meal?”

“Who says I’m wooing you” he questions playfully “maybe your the one seducing me? With your big eyes and complete silence? Who could resist”

You let out a loud laugh but you catch yourself as you see the entrance to the lunch hall. You let go of brads hand and walk away but to your dismay he follows you, thinking it’s a game.

You approach your siblings at your usual table and they smile at you, all except Edward. He was too focused on someone behind you.

“Hey, you” he shouts to Brad who was looking like a lost puppy “come sit with us”

“What are you doing?!” Rosalie hissed out as she pulled you down to your chair before you could wave Brad away “why are you inviting a human over”

“Seems like our baby sister has a crush” Edward answers darkly “we should at least get to know the guy”

Brad sits down next to you and Rosalie pulls your chair closer to her passive aggressively. You shoot brad a pleading look to walk away but he didn’t understand, everyone at the table glares at him

“What’s your name kid?” Jasper asks with a cruel smirk

“Brad” he answers while looking at you with a smile “I’m surprised this one hasn’t told you, she’s a real chatterbox”

“He’s joking” you defend yourself fearfully at the thought of them telling Carlisle that you talked to humans

“So Brad” Edward leans closer with a menacing look “your gonna switch chemistry classes”

“Why would I do that?” Brad says confused

“Because we all don’t trust you with our little sister” emmet answers while cracking his knuckles

“It’s not like you’d ever be good enough for her anyway” Rosalie says disgusted “she’s too precious for you to even talk too”

“Fuck you” Brad seethed out as he rose from his chair and stormed off

“Why would you do that?!” You question angrily “he was a nice guy and you all sat here and mocked him”

“Behave sis, you wouldn’t want to get punished” emmet threatened

You look to the exit and make your thoughts known before turning to them

“You can’t do anything here” is all you said before you stormed off to find Brad, your siblings wanted to punish you but it was way to public

They would get you later.

———————————————————————

“Brad!” You called after him when you saw Brad emerge from the library

“Go away (y/n)” was all he said as he kept walking

“I’m so sorry Brad” you apologised and he turned to you with an angry expression “I tried to stop them”

“Fucking incest freaks” he spits out as he continues to walk away “they’re brother fuckers and they judge me?”

“I’m so so sorry” you apologised again with your head down

“Its not your fault” he sighs out “why are they so weird with you?”

“I don’t know” you admitted and he put his hand on your shoulder, you blush slightly

“I’ve gotta get to gym” he says with a smile “I’ll see you around chatterbox”

You nod and smile sadly while watching him leave. Your first ever crush and your family couldn’t even let you enjoy it for more than an hour.

———————————————————————

There’s a knock on your locked bedroom door. You look confused before Carlisle emerges from the other side.

You back away and go into the corner of the room out of fear. Your arms instinctively put your arms over your face defensively. Carlisle sighs and goes to your corner before crouching

“Sweet girl, don’t be afraid” you flinch when he caress your cheek “I’ve brought you a gift”

You look at him with fearful curiosity as he grabs your hand and pulls you up. He forces his arm over you shoulder and drags you to the kitchen

You see Brad sat at the counter with his arms tied behind his back with thick rope and a gag in his mouth.

“We’ve brought your friend home for dinner” Alice says gleefully as she puts her hand on his shoulders with her nails sticking in

“You’ve been a bad girl (y/n)” esme says as she emerges from the living room with a disappointed frown “talking to humans is against the rules”

“I won’t do it again I promise” you cry out as you go to Brad and watch him struggle against his restraints “let him go, it’s not his fault”

“He’s corrupted you” Edward slams his fist on the counter and breaks it “all he thought about when he was with you was your body, why would he be interested in you beyond that”

“It’s not like you give enough conversations to the humans to like you for your charming personality” emmet snickers out cruelly as they all tainted you

Brad furiously shook his head in disagreement as you put your head down in shame and embarrassment.

“Shall we get the entertainment” Alice squeals out while she claps her hand excitedly

They all pull you and Brad through to the living room. They forcefully pull you to the couch and sit around you but Brad is forced onto a seat in the centre of the room.

“First up” Edward announces “your punishment”

Emmet comes through with a beautiful little Robin. You knew this bird, you had connected with this bird through your power to ask it to sing for you. They knew that and you knew what came next.

You felt your connection with the bird force it’s way to the surface as it felt like your soul intertwined with its.

“You know what happens now” Carlisle sighs out as he takes the small bird in the palm of his hands, you feel the birds fear and anxiousness as tears well up in your eyes

Carlisle slowly uses his strength to crush the bird and you yell in agony. Your neck feels as though it’s the one being crushed as your head feels pulses of pain expand from your brain. As the bird lets out it’s last breath your neck forces a sigh and you feel devoid of breath even if you didn’t need to breath.

Rosalie pulls you face to lean on her shoulder while you grip your throat in pain. The pain eventually leaves but the birds dead body is left on the coffee table

“It’s okay baby” Rosalie shush’s “it’s gone now”

You cry harder and Brad looks at you terrified and confused. They pull him to face you before emmet goes behind him

“Baby sis’s first crush” Emmett laughs out as he puts his hands on brads shoulders “get a picture Alice”

The flash on Alice’s camera shocks you and Brad as you rub your eyes. The photo comes out and Alice sighs affectionately while putting it in your ‘scrap book’

Before you realise what’s happening, you see Emmett’s hands go on the side of brads face and he begins to press. Brad screams in agony as his head is slowly compressed, blood spurts out onto your face when his face is flattened. Small pieces of brain matter landed on your face as Rosalie pulls out a napkin and wipes your face gently.

“Smile sis” Alice says as the camera flashes on your shocked, terrified face.

Alice sticks the photo in the scrap book with “baby sis first ‘crush’” with crush in air quotations. You look at your face on the photo and then hear your families cruel, mocking laughter

They treat the situation as a party and dance around while laughing. You look at brads body and clutch the drawing he gave you in your pocket.

You make eye contact with Carlisle who just smirks and then Edward steps in front of you and smiles cruelly. One thought springs to mind

I need to get the fuck out of here

Hope you enjoyed :)

Love ya ❤️

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/10-11/2023: MAD LOVE (1935), BODY PARTS (1991)

I had always heard, casually, that Eric Red's BODY PARTS was a remake of Karl Freund's MAD LOVE. The relationship can't be quite that direct, since each film is adapted from a separate novel--MAD LOVE from Maurice Renard's The Hands of Orlac (1920), and BODY PARTS from a book with the English title Choice Cuts (1968) by crime-writing duo Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. It just so happens that the two films deal with the notion that consciousness exists throughout the body, not only in the brain. This is a real idea, actually (Wayback doesn't get behind this paywall, but maybe you have something better), although I haven't heard anyone posit that personality exists throughout the body like it does in these exciting movies.

Simply one of the best appearances of a human being in a movie.

In MAD LOVE Colin Clive plays Stephen Orlac, a famous pianist who, after a devastating accident, receives a transplant of both hands from the disturbed Dr. Gogol (Peter Lorre). Orlac doesn't know that he now has the hands of a murderer, and they have retained their former habits. Gogol uses the ensuing drama to try to deprive the pianist of his beautiful wife Yvonne (Frances Drake), a Grand Guignol performer with whom the doctor is obsessed. Gogol seems to know that body parts can remain identified with their original owner, and perhaps this awareness feeds into his general attachment to appearances. His projected relationship with Yvonne is filtered through layers of simulation: He "knows" her from her stage role, and he lives with a wax figure of her in a self-conscious imitation of the myth of Galatea, the living statue. Perhaps what's inside doesn't count so much, when the personality is equally embedded in the outside.

In BODY PARTS, psychiatrist Bill Crushank (Jeff Fahey, don't ya just love him?) receives a new arm after a surviving a spectacular car wreck. The experimental procedure seems like a godsend until previous owner's violent nature begins to infect Crushank's behavior. To solve the mystery of what is happening to him, he seeks out the recipients of other limbs donated by the same crazed killer, including a vigorous young athlete named Mark (Peter Murnik) who needed new legs, and Remo (Brad Dourif), a hack painter who has experienced a burst of highly lucrative inspiration since he accepted his new arm. All of the men have been contaminated with the original donor's destructive rage, but Mark and Remo are less willing to part with their, er, parts. Here we have a whiff of the notion that the beast in man--the animal self that resists civilization--is connected to bodily power and pleasure, and also to subconscious, intuitive mental activities like the artistic impulse. Crushank, a psychiatrist who works with prisoners to help civilize them, is naturally less benefited by these bestial qualities.

The makeup in this movie is incredibly great, you can practically smell that arm.

BODY PARTS and MAD LOVE share the intriguing feature of a kind of decentralized evil. There is the evil of the original owner of the parts, and the evil that grows in their unwitting recipients, and the evil of the egomaniacal doctors who perform the operations for their own purposes. Villainy is sort of a free-floating essence that travels through bodily tissue but is never confined to a single, containable, even killable person. Instead it spreads like a virus through a person's life until both their inner feelings and their outer circumstances are entirely tainted. It's fortunate for the films' protagonists that consciousness is still corporeally dependent, despite how communicable it is, or else things could have been a lot worse!

PS Both of these movies deserve a lot more attention than I was able to give them during what I did not know would turn into a speed run season of Blogtober. I reserve the right to revisit them later! I didn't even get to talk about how BODY PARTS was co-written by Norman Snider who co-wrote DEAD RINGERS with David Cronenberg...

[blue-aconite]

Can we please have a little background info on let me drown? 💕

Vee, first I'd like to apologise for not answering this sooner. Second, I'm so excited you want to know more about Let Me Drown. I've been wracking my brain for this ask and I've decided to put it underneath a cut. There won't be any significant spoilers, but better safe than sorry!

You can find some background here. Find out more below the cut!

Like I've said before, I actually can't exactly remember how I came up with the idea for LMD. As I mentioned in the post linked above, there was another fic planned called "Mid-Air Collision", which had similar elements that I've adapted into LMD.

In the film, it's very obvious Rooster and Hangman share some kind of history. They don't like each other and there's some kind of slumbering conflict between the two of them. I found that fascinating and while I do love me a good Hangster fic, I knew I wanted to create something else this time around.

I think there was a dream involved where I saw parts of the fic. Call me crazy, I don't know and when I woke up, there was only a vague memory of what had happened. But I couldn't let it go.

I made this, which became my first visual for the fic and after creating this, I made two separate Pinterest boards. One for Bradley and one for Jake.

In MAC, Bob's little sister was named Sasha, which I used in my first draft. But the name never felt right, she didn't feel like a Sasha. So while I recycled parts of the character into LMD, I knew I needed to let her become her own person. There might have been a poll involved in choosing a name, or maybe I asked for opinions in the Discord server, but either way, Thea got stuck on my mind (I was most likely looking at baby name websites).

I wrote this in the Discord, saying to get ready for pain and angst:

Bradley slammed Jake against the wall, knuckles white as he tugged on the shorter man’s shirt. “Shut the fuck up!” He sneered, trying desperately to ignore the way Jake seemed to thrive on his anger. Hangman smirked as if their position didn’t bother him in the slightest. The rest of the squad tried to pry them apart, tried to get Bradley to let go but he held fast. Jake didn’t once try to break free, he just kept a hold on Bradley’s wrists. “Calm down Chicken.” The nickname, that Bradley hated, was the last straw as he pulled back only to raise his fist instead. If he couldn’t get Hangman to stop smirking, he’d punch his face instead. What he didn’t count on was Bob of all people stepping between them and blocking Bradley’s fist.

And another few blurbs, but it all started with the confrontation between Rooster and Hangman at the Hard Deck and Bob picking Jake's side over Bradley's (this event has not occurred in the timeline for the fic yet and what I've shared above has changed a lot).

Bradley's issues came into play quite early and I knew before I even started writing that he and Thea were doomed from the beginning. There was no way for either of them to make it out of the relationship unscathed and I always knew Bradley was going to break her heart.

There was a point where she never found about his infidelity directly from Rooster but rather Athena, but I owed it to both of them that Brad was the one coming clean about his actions. There was even a time where Thea was going to forgive him at first but as Bradley's toxic behaviour unraveled itself and became such an important part of his downfall, I knew Thea would never do that.

Same as I knew Bradley and Thea would never make it, I knew Jake and Thea were destined to be together. That was a no-brainer.

The balance between writing Bradley and Jake as love interests is what intrigued me the most, how different and at the same time, alike, they are. It's a swamp of navigation but I knew I needed to write it.

I could go on and on but I'll stop here. Thank you so much for this ask, it's been great fun answering it. You know my DM's are always open!

[dayswritting]

“There she goes”

Chapter 2: The one with The Hard Deck

Bob Floyd x Teacher! OC

Summary: Maybe getting out of the house wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Especially if it end up with the opportunity of meeting that cute stranger again.

Pairing: 

Word count: 4,4k

Warning: Bad spelling (English is not my first language), fluff, sloooooow buuuuuurn, Bob being gentleman, Bradley being the fairy godmother

Masterlist

Sunday, a day after Bradley got home, after going to church and having a nice day together. The family was found gathered in the kitchen. Talking about a serious subject they needed to focus on. Getting Lucy out of the house for Sunday night.

“I’m not going,” Lucy said, getting a whine from her brother-in-law. Bradley had decided it would be a good idea if she went with him to Hard Deck. Lucy hated the idea. It was a Sunday night, and tomorrow she’ll have work and didn’t like looking tired. Another reason why she didn’t want to was easy because of Sienna. 

“Come on” Bradley begged her “You need to go out more. Abuela told me that you spend all your weekends in the house”

“Yeah, because I’m spending my time with my niece.” She replied, trying to defend herself. Bradley just laughed at her like what she just said was a joke.

“Don’t use my daughter as an excuse. I know for a fact that mamá has taken Sienna to her house on some weekends and you stay all by yourself at home” Lucy gasped about this confession. She couldn’t believe it, her own mother betrayed her. “And don’t get me started. Because Joel told me that you turn down his invitations when he is in town”

“I can’t believe it.” she hit him in the chest. “You turn my family against me!” she shouted at him. This was completely nonsense. She was a grown-ass woman, she could do anything she wanted. Even if that involves staying at her house for the weekend.

“Yeah, so don’t make me tell you what Sienna told me.” Lucy turned at her niece who was hiding behind the kitchen aisle. The child was trying so hard not to laugh. Nice, now Sienna was on Bradley’s side. “C’mon Lu, we’re worried about you.”

“That’s true, Tia” Sienne finally said “I mean, even I had plans for tonight” That caught Noa by surprise.

“You did?” she asked concerned that her own niece didn’t tell her “Why you didn’t say anything”

“You sound so excited about today's movie night and I didn’t want to hurt you,” Sienna said.

“Oh darling,” Noa got close to her niece and hugged her. “You can tell me if you want to do something else. You could never hurt me for something like that” Noa separated a little to look into her eyes “What are your plans, bee?”

“Lisa’s mom is making pizza for dinner so she invited me to eat with them and have a sleepover” Sienna answered excitedly.

“Well, if your dad is okay with it.” Noa turns to Bradley who just nods in answer “We can call Lucy’s mom and tell her you are going. But I hope you won't be sleeping late because tomorrow is a school day”

“ I promised we won't.” Sienna replies “Her mom said that we can sleep till 10, is it okay?” Lucy and Bradley only nodded in answer.

“You better pack your stuff, baby.” Bradley said, confirming with a smirk.

Sienna smiled so big and jumped to her father’s arm to give him a kiss on his cheek. She hugged her aunt while saying a million thank you. Bradley just laughs warmly at the actions of his daughter. He missed these moments the most when he was on call.

When Sienna left the room, Bradley didn’t lose time and looked at his sister-in-law with a mischievous smile.

“Well, now, since Sienna is going to her friend’s house. You can’t say no to going to the bar” Bradley announced pleased.

“I’m not sure, Brad.” Noa stared at the book in her hands “I’m pretty sure it would be more fun without me. Why don’t you go and enjoyed yourself”

“No way. I’m not leaving my little sis all by herself in this big old house” Bradley replied

“I’m fine being by myself.” Lucy showed Bradley her book “And I have some reading to catch on”

“‘Don’t care. You’re coming with me” Bradley took Lucy’s book and put it on the table to start pushing her to the stairs. “Now, go and get ready. Put the best of your wardrobe to catch the eye of a guy.” Lucy fake laughs at him

“Yeah, right. Good joke, Brads” She started to climb the stairs “I’ll call Marie’s mom and then get ready”” Lucy mocked Bradley.

Lucy looked at her wardrobe without knowing what to use. Sure, when she was in college, she knew how to dress up for going to a bar. But now it was different. She hasn’t gone out like that in ages. Especially now that she is a teacher, she didn’t like the idea of accidentally meeting some parents. Yes, definitely she was not going. So she simply sent a text to Bradley to avoid confrontation.

I have nothing to wear. I’m not going. Sorry.

When she sent the text she heard some noises coming from the room next door. Her door opened and the duo of father and daughter came through it. Quickly, Sienna sat on Lucy’s bed to watch the show while her dad went directly to her wardrobe. After a minute he came out with clothes in his hands.

“Wear this with some white sneakers, tie your hair up and you’re ready to go” Bradley said while handing her the clothes “I expect you downstairs in 10 minutes. We still have to drop Sienna at her friend’s house” He exited her room after saying that. Leaving a shocked Lucy and a smiley Sienna in the bedroom.

“You should use some light makeup.” Sienna said capturing the focus of her aunt “It will make you look gorgeous”

“How do you know so much about makeup?” Lucy asked amazed.

“Abuela Alma told me. Especially that, light makeup it's better because it brings out your inner beauty” her niece answered, trying to imitate her grandmother.

“Well, I’ll listen to you, my beauty guru. Now, get out of here so I can start getting ready” Lucy pushed her niece making her laugh.

Alone in her room, Lucy decided to listen to those two and get ready. No one would believe her but Bradley did have a good sense of style. Sadly it looked like it didn’t work when it came to his stupid Hawaiian shirts. 

What he chose for her was something comfortable and just like her. A white blouse and some blue mom jeans. And just like he said, with her flowered vans it looked perfect. Definitely, the best brother-in-law she could have.

With the essential stuff in her bag, she went downstairs. Finding a quite unique image before her eyes. Dad and daughter were wearing the same Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses. Lucy grabbed her phone and took a picture of them, gaining their attention.

“I don’t even want to ask about how you got another shirt like that,” Lucy said

“Don’t worry I have one for you too. But today I've decided to have mercy since it's your first time out ” Bradley replied.

Now that everyone was ready, they went to Bradley’s Bronco.

“I’ll see you inside,” Lucy told Bradley when they came out of the car. “I got a call from my principal”

“It’s Sunday! You can check that tomorrow” Bradley said, trying to stop her.

“It’s really quick. You can go ahead” Lucy answered, gaining a not much convinced nod from Bradley. He went to the bar after telling her “You buy the first round”. To which Lucy just laughed at it.

Lucy called back to her principal. It turns out that in a few weeks, they were having a little fundraiser. It was a yearly event trying to gain some extra money for school supplies. Since being a public school it’s always hard to get money for special materials. Her principal wanted to ask Lucy to take care of the baking area. She had to make some cakes and ask for support to parents to sell some of them. Lucy accepted happily because she loved baking, so it wasn’t a problem for her.

After the call, she made her way toward the bar when a man was thrown out of it. She got close to the man and helped him to stand up.

“Let me guess, you put your phone on Penny’s bar more than once,” Lucy says while offering her hand so he could stand up.

“Seems like I didn’t get the memo” the man responded while taking her hand.

“Yeah, a newcomer 's mistake.” she faked a laugh, helping him. 

Lucy took a look at the man, noticing the pilot’s jacket he was wearing. A Navy pilot, nothing new here. But the nametag caught her eye for a second. Maverick, that name sounds a little familiar. But she couldn't put her finger on it.

“Well, thank you. You didn’t need to help an old man.” The man said with a grateful smile.

“Well, my parents raised me well, sir.” She smiled at him when a familiar song came from the bar. Damn it, Rooster. He really needed to listen to more music. “I think that’s my call. And you're welcome, sir. Have a nice night”

“You too, kid” He replied and Lucy answered with a smiled 

She walked back to the bar. Opened the door and was greeted by the voices of drunk and sober people singing along to “Great Balls of Fire”. Before getting in she got a text from her brother, Joel.

No pilots allowed.

Lucy chuckled at his warning.

Don't worry. Too busy for that.

She went straight to the bar and tried to get Penny's attention. When the woman saw her, Penny's face lit up, and smiled at her. Before Lucy could ask, Penny got her a soda.

"It’s on the house Luce. It's really good to see you." Penny smiled at her handing her the cup before leaning on the counter "So… What do I owe this pleasure?"

"I was dragged here, Pen. You know I don't like this stuff." Lucy replied.

Penny knew her thanks to Lucy's Mom. Three years ago they went to the same book club. And since Amelia needed help with Spanish, her mom offered Lucy's help. After a few sessions, Lucy and Penny became friends. Penny became Lucy's confidant when Lucy felt she couldn't keep going and vice-versa. 

"And who should I thank?" Penny asked.

"My stupid brother-in-law," Lucy said, making her laugh.

"Well, I'm glad he did." Penny placed her hand on Lucy’s shoulder. "You really needed it." After saying that, she left, leaving a speechless Lucy alone.

While at the counter, Lucy analyzed the room realizing how out of place she was. Friends chatting and dancing, people making out, girls trying to flirt with Navy officers. If she had come here eight years ago, she would be dancing with her sister or singing along to Bradley’s piano. But now this wasn't her thing anymore. She was too lonely even in a crowded place like this. And the sound was making her ears feel overstimulated. She really needed to distract herself or get out of the place.

Before she could still feel petty for herself she heard a "Teach" calling in her back. When she turned around she was greeted by the life-sized version of a Ken doll. He walked confidently to her side.

"Hey, Luce. Missed me?" He asked flirtatiously as he gave her a hug.

"Hey, Jake." Lucy answered, “I think I should ask you that question.” She crossed her arms and smiled at him.

“Well, I did miss you.” He smiled at her while leaning closer

The relationship between her and Jake “Hangman” Seresin was one of frenemies. They met at a cafe when Lucy went to pick up some drinks for her co-workers. They talk while waiting and connect in a good way. Even had some more encounters around Miramar. After a while, they meet again at Bradley's Top Gun graduation. That’s when she learned Jake was Hangman, the one pilot that always loved to mess with Bradley. And Lucy didn’t like it when someone messed with her family. Even if she likes them, in a friendly way.

 “Still taking care of other people’s children,” he asked.

“Yep. Still giving girls headaches?” Lucy counterattacks, making Jake laugh. She drinks her soda while he tries to get her to talk. But she barely listened, the noise was becoming louder so it was hard for her to concentrate. She only could see Jake move his lips but nothing came out from them.

She felt a hand on her shoulder “Hey, Teach. Are you okay?” Jake asked, seeing her sudden change of demeanor. 

Before she could answer, Bradley came into her vision. And Lucy into his. She saw how his carefree smile tense when he registered who was next to her. Like the big brother he is, Bradley moves faster to take place next to Lucy and taking Jake's arm away from her.

“Need something from my sister, Bagman?” Bradley asked while putting his arm around Lucy’s shoulders.

“Don’t worry, Big bird.” Jake showed his hand like surrendered “Just catching up with an old friend. Don't need to be so overprotective, Rooster.” Before any of them could keep going, Lucy interceded. She really didn’t want to be in the middle of their bickering.

“And we are already finished.” Lucy turned to Jake and smiled “It was really nice catching up, Jake. See you around.” She took Bradley’s arm and started dragging him to the pool table. Where Bradley was before coming.

“See you, sweetheart” Jake shouted playfully making Bradley groan of annoyance.

“I swear you two are worse than my kids,” Lucy mumbled annoyed.

“He started it,” Bradley said, winning a look from her.

Getting to the pool table Bradley left Lucy's side when he saw a brunette getting closer. Lucy didn’t realize it since she started to look around the people in that area. When she found someone she thought never saw again.

“Tasha?” Lucy asked not believing her friend was in front of her.

"Teach!" She got closer to hug her "It's so good to see you, girl" Lucy embraced her warmly.

It had been years since the last time they saw each other. Phoenix and Lucy meet at the same time she and Hangman did. It had been all thanks to Bradley, he invited Phoenix to have dinner with her after hearing how homesick she was. When Natasha saw her in the kitchen feeding Sienna, she immediately thought that Lucy was Bradley's wife. But after presentations, she learned that they were nothing more than in-laws, a family helping each other. Lucy still remembers the look of relief on her face.

"I didn’t know you were called. Bradley didn't tell me anything." Lucy said when they broke the hug.

"You and I, Luce. He forgot to tell me he was called too." Natasha answered by lacing her arm with Lucy "I'm so happy that you're here, now I'm not the only girl in the group. Well, except for Halo, but she's with the other guys." Phoenix pointed out a girl next to two guys in the corner. "Now let me present you to everyone else."

Natasha took her where Bradley and the other three guys were surrounding a small table in the back. Here the sound was a little lower, so that helped Lucy to calm down. Bradley was chatting cheerfully to two of them while the other had his back turned. When they saw the two girls coming, they stopped their chat so the presentations could begin. Payback and Fanboy, that's how Bradley introduced them, where reall y excited to meet her . The first shook her hand while the second went for a hug saying something about how happy he was to "finally meet Teach".

"I told them about the time you punched Hangman in the face," Natasha explained proudly, putting her arm on Lucy's shoulder.

"Oh, that was an accident," Lucy told them. Feeling that she needed to explain the situation, she began to ramble. "Some guy was following me and Jake tried to help me. But I thought he was the guy so I ambushed him and punched him straight in the eye." She smiled ashamed, looking at her shoes. 

While the guys laughed so hard that they were almost crying. Especially Fanboy that had to lean on Payback's arm.

"IT WAS YOU? You gave him the black eye?" Bradley asked, astonished. Lucy just nodded and chuckled, eyes still fixed on the floor.

"Yeah, Jake make me promise that a won’t tell anyone" Lucy explained to her brother-in-law.

“But you told Phoenix!” Bradley argued like a little child.

“Because she wouldn’t use to annoy him. As you would” Lucy muttered loud enough to make everyone expect Bradley, to chuckle.

Before he could “defend” himself, a new voice joined the group.

"Sorry, guys. I had a call from my Meemaw" Someone spoke next to Phoenix.

When Lucy raised her head, her eyes were met with a pair of Birth control glasses and cobalt eyes. It was him, the same man from the library, he was in front of her. Just that this time he was wearing khakis instead of some blue jeans and a blue plaid shirt. And his hair, if Lucy thought he looked cute before, now that she saw him with his hair styled, that changed him to handsome.

From the man's point of view, it was almost the same. He never thought fate was on his side, but maybe just for today. Maybe the scales have changed for good. For him, Lucy looked more beautiful than yesterday. Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful woman in the bar, no, in the whole world. He started to feel his heart racing, making him unable to talk.

"Library boy" Lucy was the first to speak, making the group look at the just mentioned.

"Hi…hi" He stuttered, still in awe. 

"You know Bob?" Phoenix asked, interrupting their moment. Everyone was asking the same question. How was that possible? 

"Yeah. We met yesterday," Lucy answered, not knowing how to answer correctly.

"In the library" Bob completed shyly, feeling everyone's eyes on him. 

Lucy smiled at him, ashamed of the possible future reactions from Bradley and Phoenix. Those two were so happy to see her like that. Maybe even planning their wedding already.

"Well, that's great!" Natasha said gaining the attention "Now you know my backseater"

"Your backseater?" Lucy asked with her brown furrow “You’re a WSO?” her voiced sound surprise. And for him was the same, it was rare that women not NAVY related knew what his job was.

“Yeah,” he admitted flustered. He extended his hand to introduce himself. “Lieutenant Robert Floyd, Weapon System Officer” 

Lucy smiled at his actions and how he told her exactly what WSO meant. Even though she already knew what it was. She took his hand and shook it.

“Lucia Orozco” she answered with a smile “But everyone calls me Lucy or Teach”

“You have a call sign?” Bob asked, surprised.

“More like a nickname, Tasha and Bradley gave me one a long time ago” she explained, a little embarrassed. She placed her hand on her wrist, playing with her bracelet “What’s yours?” She asked curiously. But before he could answer, Fanboy did it for him. Getting in between.

“It’s Bob,” he said with a giggle.

“Dude!” Bradley scolded him as he had just interrupted an important moment. 

Lucy only chuckled at it. She thought Bob had a call sign just as his name fitted him perfectly. Bob on the other side, felt ashamed of it. He was thinking that it wasn't as cool as the others were. So he just hide a little, like he was trying to make himself smaller. Lucy quickly catches his change of demeanor.

“I think it's a great call sign,” She said sure of herself, making everyone surprised. “It’s short and easy to say. Most callsign should be like that. Especially if you’re in situations where you can’t use too many words” she explained “Imagine you're in a difficult situation and say Fanboy instead of Bob. I mean that's three letters of difference, too much trouble.” she finished.

Both WSOs had their cheeks tint red the only difference was the meaning of each. Fanboy felt ashamed, while Bob was surprised and his heart was racing faster than ever. It was barely the second time they saw each other and Lucy was ready to defend him. 

“Damn, she got you good, man” Payback started bursting into laughter. Seconds later everyone joined him

But on the other side, Lucy realized what she just said. And now she blushed too.

“I'm so sorry, Mickey. I swear I didn’t want to make fun of you.” Lucy apologized “Sometimes the filter between my brain and mouth doesn’t work” Bradley hugged her shoulders.

“Lu, don’t apologize to that guy. He deserved it” He said, trying to calm her down. After that, Mickey assured her that it was okay, he just was caught by surprise.

After that, everyone fell into a more comfortable and friendly conversation. Everyone except Bob, decided to stay silent and enjoy the moment. Or at least try. Since his eyes couldn't focus beyond the arm of Rooster on Lucy’s shoulders and how comfortable they seem with each other. Yeah, definitely her noticing was too good to be true.

“Stop that,” Phoenix told him making him jump. Bob didn't realize when she moved next to him.

“What? I… I don’t know what you mean” he said confused at what she just said to him. She looked at him for a second, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or trying to fool her. But after seeing his baby deer eyes, she realized Bob actually didn’t know what she meant.

“That face of hurt baby deer” she reply while she moved closer to him like she didn’t want to be heard by the others.

“Hurt? Wha… what do you mean?” he asked. Phoenix sighed at his reaction. Man, this boy couldn’t be more blind, joke aside.

“I just, I know what your thinking” she stated in a whisper “I had the same face the first time I met them. And, since you are a nice guy or that’s what I hope, I’m gonna tell you this.” Phoenix moved closer, making it look like she was taking some of the peanuts from Bob’s cup. “They’re family. Rooster and Lu are in-laws. He was married to her sister before she died giving birth to his daughter” she explained.

Suddenly it clicked, the little girl in the library. She was Rooster’s daughter. Even Lucy had told him she was her niece. Now he really felt embarrassed. He made conclusions without knowing all the information. His Meemaw would be ashamed of him right now.

“I don’t know what to say” he admitted avoiding Phoenix's eyes. The woman seeing his action, felt compassion for her WSO so she just gave him some pats on his back.

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself” she tried to calm Bob down “It’s not the first time someone thought that about them.” Bob drinks some water from his cup “Now you can definitely try to get a chance with her” She added mischievously making Bob choke.

When he started to cough he got everyone's attention fixed on him. Lucy quickly moved closer to Bob seeing if he was okay, Phoenix seeing this left his side. Maybe it was the teacher inside of her, but Lucy wanted to make sure he was fine.

“Are you okay, Robert?” she asked him getting his attention while she placed her hand on his back.

Bob simply nodded and blushed, no one called him by his name when he was on call. After calming down he just stared at her. 

“What is it? Do you need more water?” she questioned him quickly worried. 

“No, no, it’s just… It’s silly, don’t worry about it” he replied softly but the brunette looked at him like she was expecting an explanation. Bob sighed defeated “It’s just no one around here calls me by my name”

“Oh,” Lucy simply commented “Do you want me to call you Bob? I mean, I call everyone by their name. But I can totally call you Bob if you wanted. I mean, I don’t have a problem at all” She started to ramble, feeling a little anxious about making a mistake. 

Bob notice how she started to talk faster than before, just like when they meet at the library. He simply giggled at her reaction, damn, she was cute.

“Robert is fine” He replied friendly trying to ease her “I mean, my ma tends to use it when she is mad at me. But you can call me Robert or anything you want” Bob chuckled awkwardly.

“Okay, Robert” Lucy smile warmly.

They stood there in comfortable silence. A minute passed and Lucy decided to try to have a conversation with him, because, even if she leaked the silence she always needed to fill it. Thankfully, Bob found that endearing and followed everything she said to him. Paying attention to what Lucy said, answering all of her questions, and sometimes making them himself. The time passed but they didn’t felt since they were inside their own bubble. So they didn’t realize that two sets of eyes were watching this whole interaction from the pool table.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking?” Phoenix smiled mischievously at Rooster.

“I don’t know. Are you thinking about how I should play again “Great Balls of Fire”?” He reply winning a glare from the brunette “I’m joking” he chuckled “Yes, I think they look good together” Rooster rolled his eyes

“Good, so we are definitely going to do something about it” she said determined.

“Are you sure? I mean, you know where Lu is standing when we talk about relationships” Rooster knew better than anyone his sister-in-law feeling about having someone to care for romantically speaking.

“Bradley” Phoenix talk with a serious tone “You know better than anyone that this is what she needs” She stared into his eyes hoping to convince him. Rooster sighed.

“Fine, but if something happens it is all your fault” He accepted making Phoenix smile excited.

Half an hour later, the gang decided to go home so they could sleep before the big day that was coming. Everyone said their goodbyes and went their own ways. Before getting into his car, Bob gave one last peek at Lucy, who was talking with Rooster while getting into their car, and smiled warmly. Tonight it had been the best night of his life.

What he didn’t know was that the girl from the other side was looking at him too. Grateful that her brother-in-law and niece got her out of their house. She definitely went to sleep with a smile on her face.

[mischief-lies-and-stories]

Loki Episode 4 Incoherent Thoughts

I know we have two more episodes. I know it's (probably) gonna be fine. But goddamn, guys.

I hope this episode doesn't completely disprove the end of my fic so soon.

Also the word Heart in the title is turning me into more of an absolute Fool

This intro is making me very upset

HOW DID THIS RECORDING GET BACK TO THE TVA IN THE WAR ROOM

OH SHIT

OH FUCKING SHIT

NO YOU'RE NOT, YOU DOUCHE

Welp, already. Before the title card. Damn.

Why does the door stay open at the end of the last episode for Loki and Mobius, but close immediately in this one though?

Sylvie!

Wait no Heart is in the title.

I SWEAR TO GOD IF RENSLAYER AND MINUTES END UP TOGETHER AND THE ONLY GAY REP WE GET IS THE VILLAIN LADY AND THE ANIMATED CLOCK I'M GONNA LOSE IT

Loki being soft and gentle is KILLING ME

You didn't need to give me that long of a shot on that screen. I know the future's approaching.

B15 I WOULD DIE FOR YOU

Fucking hell I love this. I want the end of this so bad to be lokius and Sylvie as my trio but not a throuple.

Gaybies!

His number two fan!

LOOK AT CASEY BACK THERE SMILING LIKE A PROUD BOYFRIEND I'M SORRY I SHIP THESE TWO SO BAD

ANOTHER REASON WHY HIS NAME IS OUROBOROS I'M DYING

OH MY GOD HE SAID THE THING OB YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THE THING I'M SCREAMING

OH MY GOD THIS IS KILLING ME

SYLVIE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE HERE

OB YOU MADE MINI-FIGURES?!

STOP I HAVE TOO MANY THINGS TO WRITE I CANNOT WRITE A FIC WHERE OB DMS THEIR DND CAMPAIGN

OB'S NOT SO SUBTLE LOOK AT SYLVIE WHEN HE SAYS "When someone killed He Who Remains" AND HER RESPONDING LOOK OF PRIDE LIKE 'Thank you, and I'd do it again' AND LOKI LIKE 'Not in front of the variant, please' IS FUCKING SENDING ME

"And ruined my life" OB YOU'RE MY FAVORITE OFFICIALLY

THE BICKERING IS BACK BABYYY ALSO IT'S ABSOLUTELY YOUR TURN LOKI HE'S RIGHT

CASEY AND OB JUST IDLY WATCHING THE BANTER I CANNOT WITH THIS EPISODE OH MY GOD

SYLVIE JUMPING INTO THE BICKERING OH NO OH NO (this is an oh no for me, maybe I'll explain what oh no means in reaction posts later, if anything comes of this one. God I hope not)

Loki is a very fast runner

VICTOR

But also please do not come in the way of Casey and OB

Ohhh fuck

I thought she was gonna restore his memories without permission, I really did

[I just paused typing the reactions because I thought of a theory OH MY GOD]

LOKI DON'T GO AFTER HER YOU KEEP CHOOSING MO STOP

OH FUCKING BRAD AGAIN

WHY ARE THEY ALL IN THERE THAT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA

THIS IS ABOUT TO BE A PRISON RIOT

B15 NO YOU CAN'T TRUST THEM

They're for sure gonna go for it AND THEN TURN ON YOU WHEN IT'S TIME

NO THAT'S THEIR PLACE

Lord please don't kiss

Loki you're doing great sweetie please don't try to kiss her

LOKI STOP I'M GONNA WRITE A POEM IF YOU KEEP SPITTING WISDOM

SYLVIE YOU'VE SEEN WIZARD OF OZ??!!

Don't you DARE FUCKING kiss her

Oh thank god

FUCK YOU RENSLAYER

FUCK OFF BITCH

BRAD THAT'S A BOLD FACE LIE

MINUTES GO FUCK YOURSELF (Timely's not gonna do it, after all)

EEEWWW

MINUTES YOU FUCKING BITCH YOU'RE SMILING THAT'S DISGUSTING

BRAD YOU BETTER TURN ON A BITCH

THE TEMPAD ISN'T WORKING??!!

This is weird

WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS WEIRD SHIT

BRAD YOU MOTHER FUCKER DON'T! FUCK

MOBIUS WHAT DID YOU PLAY? I BET IT WAS CANDY CRUSH AND AMONG US

FUCKING HELL I HATE THIS SO FUCKING MUCH FUCK THIS

TIMELY OH MY GOD

OH MY GOD SYLVIE

FUCK MY BRAIN IS MOVING FAST AND GOD I HATE IT I KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN I PAUSED IT

SO IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN TILL NEXT WEEK BUT: So they're separated, Sylvie gets up, pries open the elevator doors in time to see past Loki get pruned but thinks it's current Loki. And she's very upset about it. Then current Loki shows up and they reunite and she kisses him for real this time. GOD PLEASE NO I'M GONNA BE NERVOUS FOR THE NEXT SEVENTEEN MINUTES MINUS WHENEVER THAT HAPPENS.

ON THE OTHER HAND IF YOU JUST HUG HIM I CAN HANDLE THAT

THERE'S PAST LOKI SHIT HERE WE GO

ELEVATOR BROKEN. I MIGHT START CRYING PREMATURELY

IF I GET THIS RIGHT I'M GONNA BE SHOCKED I NEVER PREDICT THINGS RIGHT EVEN IF THEY'VE BEEN HEAVILY FORESHADOWED.

I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE THE MOMENT I CHECK OFF THAT BINGO SQUARE PLEASE NO

SYLVIE GOOD GIRL OH MY GOD YOU'RE SO SMART THIS IS WHY YOU ARE THE SUPERIOR VARIANT

WAIT WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHO'S ON THE PHONE THOUGH

WAIT PAUSED AGAIN. WAS I ORIGINALLY RIGHT, DOES FUTURE LOKI PRUNE PAST LOKI? OKAY EVERYTHING ABOUT MY PREDICTION IS THE SAME EXCEPT SHE'S ONLY UPSET UNTIL PAST BOI DISAPPEARS BECAUSE CURRENT BOI IS RIGHT THERE. OKAY PRESSING PLAY AGAIN

RIPPING OPEN THE DOOR, CURRENT LOKI WITH PRUNE STICK Y'ALL AS SOON AS I FIGURED OUT HE ACTUALLY GOT PRUNED FROM BEHIND I SAID IT WAS LOKI

DO IT LOKI MOBIUS NEEDS YOU

OH RIGHT YOU NEED TO SEE SYLVIE RIGHT. I forgot you understood this shit better than I do.

There's a guy in another apartment yelling ARGH, and that's a BIG MOOD right now dude lol.

"I promise you this will make sense." You're killing me Loki PLEASE DON'T KISS HER

ANSWER THE PHONE

STOP YELLING RANDOM DUDE IN MY BUILDING, EVERYTHING'S OKAY (FOR NOW)

FUCK YES DO IT, OB

ALSO THANK GOD NO KISS YET

This man is still yelling and it's been like 3-5 minutes.

I AGREE WITH LOKI AND SYLVIE LOL

YEAH DIE BITCH

OH SHIT I WAS GONNA FUCKING SAY NOT AGAIN BUT SHE SAID HER PIECE HOLY SHIT

GET HIM

YES

YES FUCKING DIE

Thanks V

TELL HIM LOKI

NO TIMELY I WANT LOKI TO TELL MOBIUS AND I DON'T TRUST YOU THAT MUCH

AND LOKI'S FOR SURE A FASTER RUNNER

I DON'T LIKE THAT WE THINK WE'RE GONNA FIGURE OUT-- FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

OH NO

NOOOOOOOOO IT'S THE SHOT NOOOOOOOO

WAIT WAIT DID HE TIME SLIP OR TURN INTO BLACK HOLE SPAGHETTI [Pretty sure it's the second one]

wait. Why are there pictures of the episode including the last scene in the files at the TVA? (I know it's the credits but I'm choosing to accept it as canon)

It all comes down to Brad I guess??

I. Need to go like. Stare at a wall for a little bit or something.

[americanphysco]

for me interview with the vampire where i saw two men closer than friends on the screen. This is why I loved it so much. Growing up in a very oppressive christian-conservative southern home, Interview with the vampire was a taste of escape and freedom, a look into a different world where two men could raise a child, and fight, and love,and be ..them. The grapple between humanity and monstrous nature of being a vampire really spoke to me deeply, as I fought with what I was raised to think and what I felt.

All in all, this is what I love about IWTV, and what I watch over and over for. It gives me a feeling of escape and freedom.

I guess I can understand getting attached to it at a young age but I feel as though the racism and the pedophilic elements are so deeply ingrained in the story itself that you cannot separate them from the narrative. like if you're very young and desperate I could understand (a little bit. not much) overlooking questionable elements because you're blindsided by the need for validation, but I don't see how an adult can revisit the film just as fondly. I'm not saying this to attack you or claim you're a bad person, but I cannot grasp how you can watch something this flawed and not feel gross by the themes present in the film. honestly if you're looking for a queer vampire film to take comfort in that explores tragedy and desperation id recommend the hunger 1983. it has an explicitly wlw relationship and does an excellent job making commentary on vampirism. and david bowie doesn't prey on black women.

and also the part about being faced with one's own monstrosity is interesting, but that theme falls flat for me when you remember that brad pitt plays a wealthy slaveowner. I can't sympathize with a man who has inflicted so much violence on people while alive, and I can't understand why he's suddenly against harming others now that he's a vampire. like I know he never killed his slaves, but isn't imprisoning ppl, forcing labor upon them, and using physical violence as punishment for disobedience a date worse than death? isn't that even less humane? for me at least a film like ginger snaps explores these themes so much better. the entire story is centered around a teenage girl and her struggle with embracing her inner monster and grappling with her moral compass while using lycanthropy as a vehicle to do so. it's much easier to relate to ginger as well because she doesn't end up kissing her adoptive daughter by the end of the film :/

I just don't think I can ever really get why this film resonates with people. like in theory I get how the messages the movie is trying (and failing) to portray would hit close to home, but I really don't know how you can look past the film's racist aspects. like I said before, maybe when you were younger it'd make more sense, but as an adult I feel like you could find better movies to supplement these desires.

wait id also like to add that being young doesn't justify enjoying racist movies. if you're old enough to recognize your own queerness you're old enough to be grossed out by the framing of woc within the film.

[xeo-kunsatan]

Dissatisfied One shot +14 (Part 2)

Warning

This story contains sexual themes, gore, Domestic abuse themes, Suicide, cigarettes use, bad words and prostitution references. If you are sensitive or underage please don't read this story.

8:00 pm

???: Son.. Son!

Bradley: Father?...

It was one of my father's camera larvae.

Betrayus: can you please come?

Bradley: what's wrong Dad?

Betrayus; We need to talk...

Bradley:.. uh?.. okay.

I escaped from round house as i used to do while Quartzy was following me and keeping me safe to go to the labyrinth and then go through a portal to the netherworld.

Now there, My Father was waiting for me, his Expression was different, he seemed worried..

Betrayus: Son we need to talk...

Bradley: What's it Dad?..

Betrayus: I respect your privacy .. but with all respect.. you have nothing to do selling your body like this, You are still so young And this is absolutely not sexual freedom.

Bradley: I know...I can't avoid it..

Betrayus: first Bradley if you needed money or something, you most told me..

Bradley: But i Don't want to bother you...

Betrayus: *pets him* C'mon my shiny Ruby.. it's not a bother for me, i am your father and it's my duty to give you all you need.

Bradley: If i were death.. my life can be better here.

Betrayus: Honestly yes, but Bradley you have a life and all you can do is enyoi and experiment for more things, suffering is not just the only thing is you will have, more wonderful things would be waiting for you.. i am sure it would be.

Bradley: It's strange to hear you saying this.. even when you want to take over Pac world.

Betrayus: Well yes, but i want you to enjoy it before Id destroy it.

Bradley: Sounds reasonable.

Betrayus: Second and very important, what you are doing for your emptiness is wrong.

Bradley: I know.. i just can't avoid it.. I'm just trying to felt filled but not.. i really don't know what exactly i need to feel less pathetic that i already am.

Betrayus: Selling your body with people who treats you as shit will not fill your emptiness

Bradley: And then.. what the fuck you think i need!?

Betrayus; I don't think so.. Bradley what you need is love and support.. and you know what's another problem.. you already have love and support.. from me, your sister, the netherworld.. and not just the netherworld.. maybe it's incredible but you have it from your cousins, even when they tried to separate you from them and of course from your best friend and your dog, and believe me.. you have enough with it, it's just thing about having time for it.

Bradley: I didn't.. think about it.. I'm sorry Dad

Betrayus: So please Bradley, stop selling your body for Money nor even to make you feel filled, here you have all you need.

Bradley: Okay okay Dad, I will try..but hey a good side is that i have a better way to insult my classmates.

Betrayus: Ok you're a Goddam genius and all me, when i was from your age i used to sleep with others and the next day when they pretended to don't know me i used to make fun of them related with their bodies's features.

Bradley: *chuckles* you can't be serious

Betrayus: Really, It was so funny, even a good way to bother my awful brother.

Bradley: Okey

Betrayus: Remember son if you need something, you can tell and i can give it to you, like new clothing so you can have new clothes and not just your sister's clothing.

Bradley: It's not that bad that i inherited my sister's clothes, they are so cool and warm, she had a really good taste in dressing..

Betrayus: All from me and your mother

Bradley: By the way, where is she this time?

Betrayus: In Pacopolis scaring people with Blinky and Inky, both are having fun, also she took my champagne bottle.

Bradley:*chuckles* oh Man

Betrayus: That's my boy, i love to see you smile, so cheer up son.

Bradley:*sighs and hugs Betrayus* i love you Dad..

Betrayus: and i love you too my son, now go before Stratos founds out that you escaped from home.

Bradley: Alright Dad.

I left the netherworld, Quartzy was waiting for me to then walk together to our way to The round house.

During the way, i found out that Bryan, Lexy's boyfriend was laughing next to a girl while they were cuddling up, i didn't helped to feel mad by it and Quartzy was growling at it too.

Bradley: Hey Smallhead!

Bryan: Huh! Me!?

Erika: Eh?!?

Quartzy: Grrrghh...

Bradley: No.. i was talking with the stone behind you..

Bryan: Alright weirdo...

Erika: Ignore him, sweetie

Bradley: You don't catch the sarcasm, right?

Bryan: Now i see you better, Bradley or i mean..The Play-Bunny, you don't have a Dick to eat or something?

Quartzy: *thinks* "Don't make me bite you"..

Erika:*giggles*

Bradley: Didn't you had a Boyfriend to be loyal?

Erika: Wait what!? You have a Boyfriend?

Bryan: E-Eh!? No i can explain!

Lexy: Explain what!? About you cheated on me!!?

Bryan: Lexy!!? What are you doing here!?

Bradley: How did you found us?

Lexy: Biscocho have lost and me and my father are looking for him...and i heard all..

Erika: Eh!? Bryan you told me that you were straight!

Lexy: You told me that you would never disappoint me!

Bryan: I-I..

Bradley: You disgusted me from the start.. now i know i wasn't wrong..

Bryan: You awful slut! *Starts hitting Bradley*

Lexy: Brad!!

Quartzy: Grhhh!! *Bites Bryan in his leg*

Erika: *attacks Lexy* How dare you to take my man!?

Lexy:*stops her* It was my Boyfriend!

Bradley: *defending himself* I am not guilty about that you cheated on my friend!

Bryan: And you judge me? You are the one who is sleeping with all the boys in maze high

Bradley: At least i don't have a partner to be unloyal..

Bryan: Shut up!! *Throws Bradley against the wall, breaking one of Brad's Badges*

Quartzy: Ok.. so you choose to play dirty..

Bryan: What the-

Bradley's right fist temperature was getting higher without him noticing, he hitted Bryan's face burning his face in the process.

Bryan: AAAAAAAAARGH

Bradley: Holy shit.. your face..

Quartzy: :0..

Lexy: Qué?..

Erika: You monster!! I'm leaving!! I will call the police right now!.

Bryan: Aargh!! Please!! And call the ambulance!! My fucking face!

Mitzy: Oh no you don't..*pushes Erika to the road just in time when a car was passing by to then crash her* you're safe now.

Bryan; Erika!!

Lexy: a la puta madre [Holy Shit] A Talking doll!!?

Mitzy: Hehehe

Bradley: Mitzy what the fuck!!?

Quartzy: *thinks* what a chaos

Blinky: We saved you butt your majesty~

Inky: a "Thank you" would be nice.

Bryan: Ghosts!!! Ugh! It's not over yet!! *Leaves*

Bradley: Guys thank you so much, but Mitzy what the heck!?

Mitzy: Don't worry she would be fine~

Quartzy:*sniffs Erika's corpse* ...

Inky: Be careful your majesty, the cups would pass by

Lexy: Ok Bradley.. thank you for defending me and giving that jerk a lesson but.. *takes Bradley's Hand* Run!!

Bradley: I'll go!..

Quartzy: *follows them*

Lexy, Bradley and Quartzy quickly ran away to meet up with Martín.

Martin: Lexy, you came, i finally found Bizco-.. Bradley? What are you doing here?

Bradley:*panting* long... Story

Quartzy:*thinks* a really burning story...

Lexy: Bizcocho! *Hugs the big fat cat* Dad.. my boyfriend cheated on me.

Martín: He what!!??

Lexy: But don't worry, Bradley gave him a lesson, he deformed his face with a punch.

Quartzy: *thinks* Honestly he looks better with that new face hehehe

Bradley: My fist was in fire Lexy.. i don't know why..

Martín: I think i know, please give me your right hand.

Bradley: B-but.. what if i hurt you sir..

Martín: Dear, I'm a chef, i play and work with fire.

Bradley: if you say so...*gives Martín his hand, his palm was covered with tiny flames*

Martín: Bradley, You have powers.. and *shows him his badge of his same hand* your uncle and Grandmother have hided that from you for really long time.

Bradley: What!?.. what do you mean?

Martin:*takes off that badge from Bradley's right hand* do you know what is this?

Bradley: Uhh.. the Badge my grandmother wanted to not take it off, don't think i didn't had my suspicions about it.

Martín: I'm glad that you already suspect about it, this is a badge used for powered Pacworlders so they cannot have problems with their powers, mostly related with stress, some of this Badges used to be to force that, Pacworlders to hide their powers *turns on the badge again* this shit is easy to repair..

Bradley: Are you telling me that.. all this time i.... Oh no... Oh no...

Lexy: Bradley?...

Quartzy: *Thinks* Not again.. not this..

Bradley: Now it was sense... I finally know why my Grandmother and uncle treated me like that... Now i understand why did they used to separate me from my cousins... It has sense.. I'm an actual monster.

Quartzy:*cuddles with Bradley*.. Hmm *Thinks* No Bradley.. you are not a monster.. quit telling that.

Bradley:*takes his badge and puts on it* I'm sorry Mr Martín.. Lexy..

Lexy: Bradley.. no..

The Round house Limo have arrived

Stratos: There you are!, You will be punished by escaping from home!..

Bradley: ..sorry...

Lexy: No Bradley! Wait!!

Martín: With all respect Mr president you..

Stratos: Nope!..

Quartzy: Grrrghh!! *Attacks Stratos*

Stratos: Argh!!

One of the bodyguards shoots Quartzy to make her leave alone Stratos.

Bradley: Quartzy NO!!!

Bizcocho escapes scared by the shoot

Stratos and his bodyguards take Bradley to the Limo and drived away without.

Martin: Viejo conche su madre... [Bitch]

Lexy: *sees after Quartzy* Oww no.. Bradley...

Quartzy:*moves*

Lexy: Oh shit is alive!!

Martin: *takes off the dart* it's not an actual bullet.. it's a Dart

Quartzy: *thinks* Ok I'm a little unlucky with shootings.

Martín: what a relief she is alive *holds her* let's take care of her while she recovers.

Lexy: Oki Doki.

9:49 pm

Stratos have seended Bradley to the Round house jail as a punishment.

Stratos: You cross the line young man.. I told you million times to don't go outside in the night, anything you want to say?

Bradley: You killed Quartzy..

Stratos: don't avoid my question..

Bradley: You killed my dog..and you left her behind as a trash..

Stratos: I didn't killed her, my bodyguards actually shoot her with a pacifier Dart.

Bradley:*sighs*...

Stratos: You would be here all the night and the rest of the next day..*leaves*

Bradley:*sighs* If you already consider me as a monster.. i would give you a real monster *Takes off his right badge*...

His hand started burning again but not with more strength.

While that Betrayus have watched everything with full of rage.

Betrayus: My Son have finally discovered his powers and a part of the truth.. Dear brother you will pay for this.

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

What do you think the Animorphs would be like playing D&D? Not "the Animorphs in a D&D world", but the Animorphs actually sitting down and having a campaign of D&D. Like the classes/races they'd pick, their play styles, wacky shenanigans (because we all know it would happen).

[Credit to Cates for 100% of the character builds, and most of the lore, in this AU.  In case you were wondering, I’m the Jake-style “never read the manual” chaotic-dumbass bard of our campaign; she’s the Marco-style “uses the rules exactly as much or little as needed” DM.]

It was decided almost right away that one on the team had any alignment.  As DM, Marco attempted to start there, only to have Ax begin questioning whether the manual’s explanations of “good” and “evil” truly captured human ethics on a grand scale.  Tobias claimed that Ax was looking at it all wrong, that the moralities were only default behavior types within the game, and that within this particular context morality didn’t matter.  Cassie got very concerned about the idea of context-dependent morality, Rachel declared that the book was stupid and short-sighted for claiming that destroying things was always bad, Jake quietly asked for the fourth or fifth time if this game was actually a good idea…

“Fine!” Marco announced.  “You’re all amoral characters.  Happy?”

“‘Amoral’ implies that we’re immoral, doesn’t it?” Cassie asked.  “Or that we exist outside the spectrum of moralities?”

“Just…”  Marco rolled his eyes.  “Everyone leave that spot on your character sheet blank, okay?  If it ever comes up, we’ll deal with it on a case-by-case basis.”

“Yes,” Ax said, “although you never did answer my question about the implied ethical structure of this universe.”

After that, character creation went fairly smoothly.  Kind of.

“Why does Dennis need a backstory, again?” Jake asked, looking down at his sheet.

“Dennis?” Marco said.  “Dennis?  

“You already said I wasn’t allowed to use ‘Dylan’ or ‘Brad’, so…’”

“C’mon man, this is D’nD.  There are no Dennises in medieval fantasy epics.”

“Fine.”  Jake crossed out and rewrote the name at the top of his character sheet.  “Why does Keith need a backstory?”

“To explain his motivation.”

“You just said that the whole time we’re going to be chased around by orcs and whatnot.  Isn’t not dying enough motivation?”

“You really don’t understand this game, do you?” Rachel said.

“I really don’t understand this game,” Jake agreed.

“My character’s a dragonborn rogue named Joan, and she’s the greatest gymnast of all time.”  Rachel added a Dexterity marker to her sheet with a flourish.

“I thought I was a dragonborn,” Jake said.  “Is that allowed?”

“Yeah, we can have as many dragonborns as you all want.”  Marco shrugged.  “We just can’t have multiple bards.  And since you called dibs on that class, and Rachel wants to be a rogue, we’re fine.”

“Yeah, okay,” Jake said.  “I just want to help out the team.  Or, uh, Keith does?”

“Great.”

“So that’s my backstory, right?  Being a bard?”

“Yes,” Rachel said, at the same time Marco said, “No!”

In the end, Marco declared that if neither Rachel nor Jake could come up with a proper backstory, he was making their characters cousins.  Tobias, who had a better flair for the romantic, declared that said cousins were from an internationally feared family of highwaymen.

“So does that get us any extra skills, coming from a family of pirates?” Rachel asked.

“Maybe it’d explain how good your character is at gymnastics,” Jake said.  “Because of riggings and all.”

“Highwaymen.”  Marco looked up from where he was trying to salvage Keith’s stats from the hopeless tangle of Jake’s incorrect math.  “Tobias said you guys are highwaymen, not pirates.”

“What are pirates but highwaymen of the sea?” Tobias asked, tilting his head in thought.

“Just put us down as jewel thieves.”  Rachel made a note on her own sheet.  “Jewel thieves of diverse methodology.  Wherever jewels can be found, there we are with threats of violence to take them away.”

“By the way, why is Ax now a tiefling?” Tobias asked Marco.

“I told Marco I have no preference for my class and race,” Ax said.  “And the word is most pleasant, tea-fling.  Ffflllling.”

“They’re blue and have tails.”  Marco smirked at Tobias.  “It’s perfect!”

Rachel and Jake might’ve been vague on the idea of backstory, but Ax was quite definite.

“I am Eldrias the tiefling, fffflllling, paladin.  She was raised by cows,” he announced.

“Don’t you mean raised by wolves?” Jake said.  “Isn’t that a thing, raised by wolves?”

“Uh-huh,” Marco said, “since your land-pirates make perfect sense.”

“Wolves are beautiful animals, but they pale in comparison to cows,” Ax said.  “Among other things, wolves’ meat is not so succulent and does not pair nearly as well with french fries.”

“Okay then,” Jake said, “raised by cows.  Got it.”

Becoming a barbarian was Cassie’s idea.  She spun through the manual in a rapid burst of pages, brushing gentle fingertips over the beautifully rendered illustrations, and then pressed it shut.  “Barbarian,” she said.  “That’s the one that can protect the team the best, right?  So I’ll be a barbarian.”

Marco laughed.  “All right then.  Barbarian it is.  Anything else in mind, for this barbarian of yours?”

Cassie tapped a finger against her lower lip, fluttering through the first several pages of the manual once again.  “I could make my character a big, tall guy, right?”

“Sure.”

“But I want pointy ears.”  She grinned at the rest of the table, somewhat sheepish.

“Half-elf barbarian, then?”

“Half-elf barbarian.”  Cassie looked down at the sheet in front of her.  “He can be named Reisgalan Von Schwartzel of the Morsgalath Half-Elves, Lord of the Plains and Wielder of…”  She glanced around.  “What’s that thing with the spiky ball on a stick?”

“Mace,” Rachel provided.

“Mace is that spray you use on bears and muggers,” Jake said.

“And it’s also a spiky ball on a stick.”  Marco glanced at Cassie’s sheet.  “You have a backstory for Reisgalan Von Whatshisface?”

“Hmmmm.  Can I be widowed and have a tragically dead prince I must avenge?”

“Is it me?”  Jake smiled hopefully.

“What?”  Cassie frowned at him.  “No.  That’d be horrible.”  She looked over at Marco.  “Uh, can my character be a guy and also have a dead husband?  Is that allowed?”

“Yeah, sure,” Marco said.  “I’m the ruler of this universe, so I say it’s fine.  And Tobias is the designated rules lawyer, so he’ll probably have some reason that it’s not.”

“I am not rules-lawyering!”

Marco looked at Ax’s character sheet, and then pointedly back up at Tobias.  “Ax, how did you end up as not just a paladin, but a paladin that’s even more overpowered than the standard build?”

“Paladins are allowed.”  Tobias shrugged.  “It’s right there in the manual.”

“Ax, how you have splint armor?” Marco demanded.

“Paladins can wear Heavy armor,” Tobias sing-songed.

Marco growled.

Ax squinted at his character sheet. “Tobias says when I get to Level Three, I will take the Oath of Vengeance and take a Vow of Enmity. I will know the spells Thunderous Smite, Command, and Detect Magic.”

Marco’s face was turning an interesting shade of red.

“Oh, and Eldrias the paladin is taking Great Weapon as her Fighting Style.”  Tobias wasn’t bothering to hide his smirk.  “It’s all perfectly legal.”

Ax frowned at Marco.  “Banging your head against the table with that level of force may have an adverse effect on your brain’s ability to function.” 

“I’m not rules-lawyering for selfish gain,” Tobias said loftily, looking over Marco’s prone form.  “And besides, Ax is new at this.  He needs all the help he can get.”

“You find yourselves in a magical land.”  Marco made a wild gesture in the air.  It was probably meant to look dramatic and mysterious.  “A land known as Falicornia.”

“Marco sucks at naming things,” Rachel whispered loudly.

“Rachel sucks at listening,” Marco whispered more loudly.

“You were saying?” Jake asked.

“This magical land is under threat from the dread god Cthulu!  You must stop him through using the Philosopher’s Stone, which is powerful but cannot be used except by those who do not wish to use it.  It contains many powerful temptations for the bearer.  You must journey across the land, facing many dangers, to bring it to the only magical mirror that can destroy it before Cthulu has the chance to rise from that mirror and take over the world.”

Cassie raised her hand.

“Yes?” Marco said.

“Why does Cthulu want to take over the world?” she asked.  “Does he need it for something?”

Marco sighed.  “He wants to take over because he’s Cthulu.  Any other questions?”

“First question: did you steal more of this plot from The Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter?” Rachel said immediately.  “Second question—”  She turned to Ax.  “Have we showed you those movies?”

“He’s reading the books first,” Tobias said.

“I’m reading the books first,” Ax agreed.

“You were saying about Cthulu,” Jake said to Marco.

“Yes.  He wants to take over because he’s Cthulu,” Marco glared at Rachel.  “Just because.“

“Actually,” Tobias said, “the original version of Cthulu was kind of like the Silver Surfer of Norse Mythology, and his motivation—”

“He wants to take over because he’s Cthulu.”  Marco took a deep breath.  “Anyway.  Moving on.”

“Okay, you’re here.”  Marco pointed to the G.I. Joe figure sitting in the middle of their somewhat crudely drawn map.  “The goblins are…”  One after another, he set four white pawns from his mom’s chess set around the G.I. Joe that represented Jake, forming a half-circle that separated him from Ax’s Smurf, Cassie’s My Little Pony miniature, and Tobias’s Precious Moments angel figurine.  “Rachel is, uh…”  He set the teddy bear pencil topper several inches back, between two goblin-pawns.  “There.  So.”  Marco looked up at Jake.  “You’re under attack.  You’re up first in initiative order.  What’re you going to do?”

Jake frowned, surveying the scene in front of him.  “I have magic, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay, so I’ll use magic to turn myself into a bird, and then—”

“Yeah, no.”

“Then I’ll turn my teammates into birds, and they can—”

“You cannot turn yourself into a bird, you cannot turn anyone else into a bird, no one is turning into a bird or any other animal at any point in this game.”  Marco glanced over at Tobias.  “No offense.”

“Oh, I totally agree,” Tobias said.  “A Level One bard performing an animal shapes transmutation?  Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Anyway.”  Marco pointed at Jake’s G.I. Joe figurine.  “Assuming we’re sticking to handheld weapons, what else do you want to do?”

“I… shoot the goblin?” Jake suggested.  “With my…”  He flipped over his character sheet, squinting at his own handwriting.  “With my board-sword.”

“Pretty sure you meant ‘broadsword,’” Rachel said.  “Okay, Jake killed the goblin, now what?”

Cassie peered over Jake’s shoulder.  “It could just be a sword made out of boards, you don’t know.”

“Jake only has thirteen out of sixty odds of killing the goblin on one go,” Marco said.

Tobias flipped open his own manual to the entry on goblins.  “Where are you getting these numbers from?”

Marco selected two dice from the pile, handing them both to Jake.  “Oh, I just figure that if the goblin’s got an armor class of seven and five HP, then Jake’s got a thirteen-in-twenty chance of scoring a hit and then a two-in-six chance of it being deadly, given his hit dice.  So if you reduce twenty-six over one-twenty down it’s thirteen in sixty.  Like, point-two-one-seven out of one.  Simple math.”  He gestured at Jake.  “Roll those.”

“You and I have very different definitions of the word ‘simple.’”  Jake looked up.  “Uh, ten and the other one says four?”

“You grievously injured but did not kill the goblin,” Marco said graciously.  “Now it’s the turn for this leftmost goblin, who is going to run and stick a sword through Rachel…” He rolled, and winced.  “That’s fifteen to hit, and two damage?”

“What’s that mean for my little rogue?”  Rachel waved her pencil topper at him.

“You got stabbed,” Marco said.

“Uh-huh.”  Rachel picked up her pen and sheet.  “Where?”

Marco shrugged.  “The leg, let’s say.  Uh, upper thigh?”

“Mm-hmm.”  She wrote that down.

“Okay, then.”  Marco glanced at his sheet.  “Next in initiative order is—”

“I cast psionic blast as a Level One spell, which would cause additional damage to fiends or the undead.  Are they undead goblins?” Tobias asked.

Marco rolled his eyes.  “Nope.”

“Then they each suffer three points of damage and do not have the opportunity to make saving throws for the next minute and a half,” Tobias said.  “That’s my first spell slot today.”

“Okay.”  Marco tipped over one of the goblin pawns.  “That one’s dead.  Cassie?”

“That one’s threatening Ax?”  She pointed at the pawn within the same square as the Smurf figurine.

“Yep.”

She nodded.  “Then I smash its head in with my mace.”  She rolled.  “Eight to hit, eight damage?”

“Oh yeah, you just annihilated that one.”

“Good, good, so now can I mace the one that attacked Rachel?”

“Cool your jets.”  Marco held up both hands.  “You don’t get to do multiple hulk-smashes in one round until several levels up from here.”

Cassie wilted a little.  “Okay.  But I want to run over next to that one to be ready to mace it soon.”

“All right, center goblin is going to try and swing his big old greatsword at Cassie as an attack of opportunity…” Marco rolled.  “And that’s a miss.  Rachel, you’re up.”

“I’m unconscious,” Rachel said.

Marco gave her a blank look.  “No you’re not.”

“Yes she is,” Ax said.  “You just allowed that goblin— gob-blin? Goo-blin? —to stab her.”

“I did not allow— The dice—”  Marco took a deep breath.  “Rachel, you only took two points of damage.  Go ahead and make a turn.”

“Okay, you clearly said…” Rachel glanced at her own notes.  “That the goblin stuck its sword through my upper thigh.  And apparently these are pretty big swords.  No way in hell that misses the artery, not if I’m only about human-sized at the time.  You also said that the goblin has its sword back, which means it pulled the sword out, which means that by now I have definitely lost enough blood to be unconscious.  It’s just basic logic.”

Marco opened his mouth halfway.  “That’s not how damage functions in this game,” he said at last.

“No, she’s right,” Jake said.  “She wouldn’t necessarily be dead from blood loss by now, but on the super-narrow chance she’s still conscious, she’s not going to have the, like, grip strength to be shooting people with arrows or anything.  That’s just how getting stabbed works.”

“Actually…” Tobias looked up from where he was sorting his flash cards of wizard spells.  “In combat time, each turn is six seconds.  So it hasn’t been five minutes of game-time.  It’s been less than three seconds.”

“So this goblin managed to stick its sword all the way through me, pull it loose, and then get back into position to make a different attack in less than a second?” Rachel said.  “And I don’t need to take a second or two to react to having been stabbed?”

“Yes!” Tobias said.

“This game is not closely aligned with the timing and functions of real combat,” Ax pointed out.

Marco let out a noise somewhere between a sigh and a shriek.  “No shit, Sherlock!  Can we please just play by the rules?”

“I’m just saying it’s not realistic,” Rachel muttered.  “You get run through the leg with a sword, you bleed to death.  That’s how it goes.”

“Would you please shoot someone already?” Marco said.

“If you insist.”

At Level Two, Tobias’s gnome wizard joined the School of Divination for exactly one game.  “He’s rules-lawyering things that haven’t even happened yet,” Marco cried, throwing out his hands like this was the greatest injustice ever visited upon humanity.   At which point Tobias decided that discretion was the better part of valor and switched to the School of Evocation.  Marco’s eye stopped twitching.

“No, no, no.”  Marco leaned over to look at Jake’s roll.  “You add your charisma modifier to your attack roll, and then your strength modifier to your damage roll.”

“So he adds twelve to his roll?”  Cassie looked at her own sheet.  “I add seventeen to my roll?”

“Modifier.  Not the whole stat.  Mod-if-i-er.”  Marco groaned loudly.  “Is Tobias the only one who even tried to read the manual?”

“C’mon, man.”  Jake shrugged, grinning.  “When have you ever known me to do the assigned reading?”

“I have Tobias here to summarize the manual for me,” Rachel pointed out.  “Why bother?”

“I did attempt to read the manual.  Man.  Well.  It was not the most boring human book ever written, but it was very repetitive.”  Ax glanced around at all of them.  “Not to say that all human books are bad, even if they are all repetitive,” he added quickly.  “Take the books of Harry Potter, which are acceptable in addition to being repetitive.”

“‘Acceptable’?”  Tobias shook his head.  “‘Repetitive’?  You, sir, are wounding my entire species — one of my species — Just don’t diss the Potter.”

“There’s no need to call me ‘sir,’ professor,” Ax intoned.

Laughing, Tobias leaned over to bump their shoulders together.  “I take it back.  I love you, Ax-man.  Never change.”

“Anyway,” Cassie said, “we elected Tobias party leader, so he’s the only one who really needs to know how to play, right?”

“‘Elected’ is a pretty strong word for it.  The way I remember it, I was like…”  Marco put on a deeper voice, “‘Who wants to be party leader?’ and Jake yelled ‘NOT IT’ so loud that he probably startled pigeons in the next county over.  And then Tobias was the first one to recover from the shock long enough to volunteer.”

“I didn’t yell it, I said it,” Jake mumbled.  “Said it enthusiastically.”

“And you’re wrong.  We did nose-goes.”  Rachel tapped her own nose to demonstrate.  “Tobias lost.”

Ax’s eyes widened.  “So you and Cassie covering your noses was a primitive selection procedure in the manner of duck-duck-goose?  I thought we were all simply being polite by hiding our hideous human orifices from one another.”

“Anyway,” Tobias said, “as party leader, I’m declaring that we can whine about noses — and bipedalism — at a later time.  For now, let’s play.”

“Ah, yes.”  Ax looked down at the dice, and then back up at Marco.  “Who was attacking whom, again?”

Marco stared around the board, and then back at the dice.  “Like I remember that now!”

It was a small miracle that they all kept showing up after that first week.  Tobias and Marco were the only ones with both the skill and the enthusiasm to be any good at the game.  Cassie and Rachel lacked the necessary motivation: Cassie tended to get lost in long conversations with NPCs and never advanced the plot at all, whereas Rachel was likely to start climbing the walls with impatience after half an hour of sitting still.  Ax and Jake were both reasonably enthusiastic but terrible: Jake paid no attention at all to the math, and Ax paid too much.  They had one set of dice between the six of them, if one was generous and called rolling a d6 twice the same as rolling a d12.  (It wasn’t, but Marco’s and Ax’s attempts to explain this always made everyone else’s eyes glaze over.)

Seriously, though, Marco knew perfectly well why they kept showing up.  And it had nothing to do with everyone getting on board with Tobias’s super-geeky idea.  They’d tried Dungeons and Dragons, and they hadn’t actually started liking it.

It had nothing to do with the storyline.  Or the dice.  Or the characters.  They weren’t here for swords or goblins.  They didn’t drop everything to spend four hours a week in each other’s company because they liked the game.

Duh.

Of course, even their love for each other could be tested, at times, by their sheer incompetence as players.

“We’re still in the undercave?” Jake groaned, looking at the game board.  “We’ve been down here for like six weeks!”

“Yeah, ‘cause we’re stuck.”  Rachel glared around the table.  “Because we keep trying to fight the ooze monster and then almost dying.  Because we suck at this game.”

“Still say there should’ve been illithids,” Tobias muttered.  “We’re in the cave of the illithids, but instead we’ve got apocalyptic ooze where there isn’t supposed to be any.  That’s why we’re stuck.”

Marco sighed into his hands.  “For the last time, man, we’re not having any stupid mind flayers in this game.  There is a way out, I promise you, if you guys would just stop and figure it out.”

“I stab the ooze?” Cassie suggested.

“You take fourteen acid damage and permanently blunt your sword.”  Marco didn’t bother to look up.  “Just like last time.”

“Ugh.”  Cassie wrote down her new HP.  “At least I ruled out repeated stabbing as a way out?”

“Okay, okay.”  Jake stared at the game board, yet again failing to take the this map not to scale memo.  “We can figure this out.  Is it a cave kind of like those caves under Leeran?”

Marco lifted his head, tossing his hair out of his face.  “I got schlooped back to Earth before you guys got to see those, remember?”

“They were very beautiful,” Ax said, “and also full of toxic eels.  So perhaps Prince Jake’s comparison is apt.”

“The real toxic eel is the friends we made along the way.”  Rachel tilted her chair back, picking at her manicure.  “Think we should just call it a day?”

“No, no, Jake’s right.”  Cassie stared at the board.  “I believe in us.”

“It was kinda cool in the Leeran caves, so sorry you missed it,” Jake said to Marco.  “I was dead and missed the Battle of Trafalgar, though, so it all balances out?”

“The Battle of Trafalgar was not cool at all.”  Marco rolled his eyes.  “It was a battle.  It was gross and loud and bloody.  Is no one going to try anything else?”

“I pull out my rope and my flint, I set the rope on fire, we all die of smoke inhalation,” Rachel drawled.  “There, I got us out of the cave.”

“And into the afterlife,” Ax said solemnly.  “If, indeed, this game has an afterlife.  It was designed by humans, so I assume… Soom.  That it must.”

“Look, if we could just fight the mind flayer instead,” Tobias said, “there are clear strategies in place for how to fend off psychic attacks, and even if a few of us end up as mind-witnesses we could still use a handful of different spells—”  He swung his copy of the manual around to face Marco, pointing to a spot low on the open page.  “If you’ll just look at what the book says…”

Marco slammed the book shut, hard.

Tobias had to yank his hand back to avoid smashed fingers.  “Watch it!” he snapped.

“Guys,” Jake said.  “Let’s—”

“Rule.  Zero.”  Marco flattened a hand on top of the closed book.  “I’m the DM here, and I get to say that there are no mind flayers and definitely no mind witnesses, because I say so.  I’m the Ellimist of this little universe, and you don’t get a counter-argument.”

Rachel snorted loudly.  “Bad comparison.  Tobias argues with the real Ellimist all the time.”

“Only when he’s doing something stupid.”  Tobias was looking at Marco, not at her.  “Or breaking the rules of his own game.”

“Tobias…”  Jake inhaled slowly, massaging the bridge of his nose.  “It’s just a game, okay?  Marco… We are kinda stuck, dude, no offense.  Couldn’t we at least try to fight whatever it is Tobias wants, see if that gets us out of here?”

Marco pushed to his feet, face flushed.  “I’m running this game, because you people decided I should.  And I don’t give a fuck how much Bird-Boy complains, this game is not going to involve anyone getting psychically mind-controlled.  It will not feature alien tadpoles that crawl inside people’s brains and take over their bodies.”  He swept a hand across the board.  “There will be no illithids, there will be no brain golems, there will be no controllers—”

Marco snapped his mouth shut.

There was a long silence.  Tobias stared at the floor.

“Mind-witnesses,” Marco said at last.  “I meant mind-witnesses.”

THUNK.

Figurines and dice scattered everywhere.  The play-dough lump of ooze flattened underneath the second game board Cassie had just dropped on top of the first.

“Anyway,” she said, giving everyone an embarrassed smile.  “How about we switch to Monopoly for a while?”

“I call being the little dog piece,” Rachel said, pulling the box open.

“I’m sorry,” Tobias whispered to Marco, as Ax began clattering through the pieces and asking Jake questions.  “I didn’t mean…”

“Yeah.”  Marco pulled the bank toward him and counting out notes.  “Same here, man.  Uh, y’know.  Sorry I…”

“We’re cool.  We’re cool?”

“Yeah.  Yeah.”

“Does this highly successful roll mean I have first chance to stab Income Tax with my—”  Ax squinted at his game piece “—car?  So I’ll be attempting to inflict damage on Income Tax by running it over?”

“Many have tried that strategy,” Rachel intoned.  “None have succeeded so far.”

“You know that your beloved manual lists exactly the same stats for hawks, eagles, and owls, right?” Marco asked, grinning evilly.

“What?  No.”  Tobias frantically flipped toward the back of the book.

“Anyway, is he right?” Cassie asked as Tobias searched.  “Are we all supposed to be dead right now?”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Marco said.  “Yes, the explosion would have done a lot of damage to all of you—”

“Thanks, Jake,” Rachel snarked.

Jake sighed loudly.  “How was I supposed to know you had to throw the hand grenade after you pulled the pin?”

“You mean the part where Ax and Tobias were both yelling ‘toss it, toss it,’ and you were like ‘no, I’m gonna do an investigation check first’?” she said.  “And then we all died?”

“Actually, I believe Cassie was raging at the time when the ceiling fell on us all,” Ax said.  “Therefore, her damage would be halved.”

“Hell yeah!”  Cassie laughed.  “So it’s just…”  She peered at Marco’s roll and winced.  “Everyone else… in the entire party… who automatically failed a death check.  Right, Tobias?”

“No,” Marco said loudly, “because Jake cast Teleportation Circle and got you all out of there before the ceiling fell.”

“But Tobias believes that that would be allowing too many actions on a single turn.  Uurn.  Earn,” Ax said.  “And that Jake wouldn’t have time to set up the circle even if he did have a bonus action left.”

“For fuck’s sake, do you want to end on a total party kill?” Marco demanded.

Rachel smiled sweetly.  “It’s not a TPK if Cassie’s still alive.”

Marco rolled his eyes.  “Oh, in that case—”

“Oh my god, you’re right!”  Tobias sounded outraged.

“Am I dead?”  Rachel pouted.  “Just when this stupid game was starting to grow on me.”

“No, not that.”  Tobias stabbed a finger on the page.  “It says right here.  ‘For hawk, see: eagle.’  It fucking classifies hawks as a fucking subspecies of eagle!”

“What were you just saying about us following the manual at the expense of our lives?” Marco said smugly.

Tobias stared in betrayed horror at the page for another second.  And then he tossed the entire book clear over his shoulder and out of the room.  It clattered loudly in the hall.

“So as I was saying, Jake cast Teleportation Circle,” Marco said.  “And teleported you all out of there.”

“So we’re… not dead?” Cassie asked.

“Given the nature of teleportation, perhaps we are both dead and not, existing in the gap between states,” Ax said.  “Like when our consciousness was trapped in z-space, and yet our matter remained on Earth.  Or we exist in multiple universes at once, some in which we have died and some in which we yet live.”

“Yeah, cool, Schrödinger’s party,” Rachel said.  “Blah, blah.  Anyway, I’m gonna punch Jake in the arm for being a dumbass.  In-game and out-of-game.”

“Good luck with that.”  Marco cackled his evil DM cackle.  “The only universe I care about is the one where the whole lot of you give me an initiative roll.  Because I didn’t say Jake teleported you to a safe location, just a different one.”

[jrueships]

If you really wanna prove yourself as someone who has a 50 slide PowerPoint on anything what do you have to say about either Brad/Russ or Brad/John 👀. Sorry I’m a wizards fan (unfortunately 😔) and I’m truly starving for content 🥲

Also being a wizards fan (unfortunately), I simply cannot turn this ask down!!! I have another ask talking about russ/brad so I'll use that to expand upon it more because I have a LOT of feelings about brad/john...

Their whole relationship makes me??? Sad. Idk like it's not even that DEEP but i still can't help but feel melancholy tension in it. Their relationship has been known mainly for its downsides and criticized for its chemistry as struggles, so first I'm gonna explain Why I think that is??

I think I wanna start off with a look into john?? To explain my reason?

John was a highly regarded draft prospect and was critically acclaimed as being one of the best point guards, a superstar point guard. He got picked by the wizards and the wizards were going to be His team to turn around. He was The Franchise Guy, so as The Franchise Guy, it was his Job to lead that team to a championship. He's very devoted to his team, a prideful loyalty to a team that he believed was His and His responsibility.

To help him lead his team to victory, a good point guard needs a good shooting guard. Enter in Bradley Beal.

Bradley is a lot more reserved, a lot more quiet with his opinions and his enthusiasm. A lot of his photos with John are of John beaming at him and Brad looking away. Bradley was younger, but he had the same amount of pride as John -- just a different way of showing it. They were two franchise guys struggling to carry their teams but just? Not knowing how to carry it together.

Bradley Beal was injured first, a glass cannon. With his shooting guard out most of his early seasons, John wall expressed his Annoyance. Here was his shooting guard, his supposedly dynamic duo helper sent to carry the franchise load with him, stuck to the sidelines for most of his games. So it was easy for John to see himself as the only all star on a team that needed two.

But when beal comes back, wall's injuries begin to accumulate. So he needs beal to Step Up.

At the start, john Wall was the star point guard without a shooting guard to pass to. Then, John wall became set to the sidelines and bradley had to be the shooting guard without a star point guard.

It's not as if John and Brad disliked each other. They both wanted good for the team by having the other step up, but that was the issue. They both have a team dedicated mindset, but exclude themselves from that mindset. It's always 'beal needs to stop getting injured so he can come back and help ME out.' Or 'I need john wall to heal quick so he can come back and help Me.'

Seldom times was it ever "i need to step up For beal/John''. Because at the start of the other's injuries, that mindset was easy, but as losses piled up so did blame and annoyance for being the only superstar playing right now. Their dedication to their team dictated the way they were going to talk to each other.

If they won, they liked each other. If they lost, they hated each other.

I think they're better off on separate teams where a win or a loss won't weigh so much responsibility on the other's shoulders anymore.

Now that I'm done talking about their issues and why I think they had them, I'm gonna just talk about Them

Bradley was a lot more closed off when he was younger. Almost always had a permanent bitch face and seemed far more exasperated. He wasn't as much as a big goofer as he is now. I think both John and Russell helped him become softer, but .. more-so Russell than John.

I already mentioned how much brad looks away when John smiles at him. While he did like John, their pride for their team's future really did create tension. Whenever the other praises, the one being praised can't help but think about what the other could've done to also help the team and share in that praise. Less injuries? A less risky playstyle? Getting off the bench? Maybe not signing a max contract while they were injured?

There was always a tension of What's Good For The Franchise that was weighing on their friendship. Sometimes it made it, sometimes it broke it. And a lot of times, it broke it.

Russell didn't carry that heavy pride with him. He didn't Have to prove that he was the superstar point guard to put the wizards to fame.

He just had to prove that he was a good teammate.

His goal was a lot more teammate oriented. Everyone thought he was just a selfish Stat padder. They Knew he was explosive and a powerful pg that Could carry the wizards out, but would he bring the chemistry to make it possible?

And he did.

And that's what makes me sad.. I think.

Because John and beal could of had that too if they didn't have so much love for their team. It sounds confusing but... sometimes having Too Much love for something can hurt others. Either too much pressure or blame.. I dunno. My feelings for them are really complex because it's kinda a complex issue?

But anyways, yeah. I think both John and Brad realize that they could've had that chemistry that all the good superstars had, but they didn't. They both kind of realize why, but can't change it.

So there John, a cheerful man who also had a contagious energy to him, watching russell get all the love and praise from a team that was His. From a teammate that was His. A teammate, that he partially helped out of his shell, now laugh back but not at him, but at Russell instead.

And it really makes you think what could have been if you hadn't loved so much.

They just make me sad. Because they could of been great together, but they just couldn't put pride past each other to experience that.

And I think John really regrets that.

Maybe more than bradley now that he has russ and john doesn't have anyone.

[decemberrose0912]

My Top 10 Romantic Movie Love Quotes

I love movies, and I’m always on the lookout for good films, those that are not only entertaining but have substance as well. I love movies that make me think, those that leave something for the mind to ponder on. I also love movies that have a romantic feel to it, not necessarily movies about love, but has accents of love that go straight to the heart and ring with truth… because they make me think about life in general. I’m a romantic comedy type of woman, but I also love other genres, like drama, suspense… a well written plot.

1.

The Notebook (2004)

Duke reads the story of Allie and Noah, two lovers who were separated by fate, to Ms Hamilton, an old woman who suffers from dementia, on a daily basis out of his notebook

~ Why didn't you write me? Why? It wasn't over for me, I waited for you for seven years. But now it's too late.~ Allie

~ No, I made a promise to a man. He gave me a ring and I gave him my word.~ Allie

~ This is not about keeping your promise, and it's not about following your heart- it's about security.~ Noah

- So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be really hard. We’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day. Will you do something for me, please? Just picture your life for me? 30 years from now, 40 years from now? What’s it look like? If it’s with him, go. Go! I lost you once, I think I can do it again. If I thought that’s what you really wanted. But don’t you take the easy way out.- Noah(Ryan Gosling) to Allie(Rachel McAdams).

2.

Legends of the Fall (1994)

Based on the novella by Jim Harrison, this sweeping romantic epic is about the Ludlow brothers--two men Tristan (Brad Pitt) Alfred (Aidan Quinn) in love with the same woman, Susannah,(Julia Ormond).

Susannah: "Were you going to say goodbye? Tristan? How long will you be gone?"

Tristan: "Not long. A few months."

Susannah: "I can make it better for you."

Tristan: "No."

Susannah: "If we'd had a child or if I were pregnant, would you still be going?"

Tristan:"Yes."

Susannah: "Just give me a chance."

Tristan: "Don't do that."

Susannah: "Look at me. Please, look at me. I'll wait for you. However long it takes. I'll wait for you forever.

- Tristan, I have no where to send this letter and no reason to believe you wish to receive it. I write it only for myself. And so I will hide it away with all things left unsaid and undone between us.---Susannah to Tristan

3.

Cold Mountain (2003)

In order to reunite with the love of his life during the American Civil War, W P Inman, a wounded soldier, goes on a difficult journey to reach the Cold Mountain.

" She's the place I'm heading. But I hardly know her. I just can't seem to get back to her". --Inman

"I count the number of words that have passed between us, Inman and me - not very many. But I think about it". --Ada

"If you are fighting, stop fighting. If you are marching, stop marching. Come back to me. Come back to me is my request" - Ada to Inman

"My love where are you? With no hope of reaching you I write to you... as I have always done". --Ada (Nicole Kidman) to Inman (Jude Law).

4.

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Childhood friends Rafe and Danny become army pilots and meet Evelyn, a navy nurse. However, the three of them later find themselves in the middle of the attack on Pearl Harbour during World War II.

"If I had one more night to live... I'd wanna spend it with you".--Evelyn

" Every night I watch the sunset and soak up every last ray of its warmth, and send it from my heart to yours".--Evelyn

Danny: You know, the only thing that scares me is that you might love him more than you love me.

Evelyn: I love You, Danny.

" Evelyn, loving you kept me alive.I should have died over there. When I was in that water, I made a deal with God. I told him I was sorry. I was a fool for leavin' you and I told him I would never ask for anything again if I could just see you. And you know what?It was worth it. You kept me alive Evelyn, you brought me home.So I'm gonna stand by my end of the deal,I'm gonna walk away. And I won't ask you for anything".~ Rafe (Ben Affleck) to Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale).

5.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest, a man with low IQ, recounts the early years of his life when he found himself in the middle of key historical events. All he wants now is to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Jenny.

Why don't you love me, Jenny? I may not be a smart man, but I know what love is.~ Forrest Gump

“I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floating around accidental—like on a breeze—but I think maybe it’s both. Maybe both is happening at the same time. I miss you, Jenny. If there’s anything you need, I won’t be far away.”— Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) at Jenny’s (Robin Wright) gravesite.

6.

Braveheart (1995)

William Wallace, a Scottish rebel, along with his clan, sets out to battle King Edward I of England, who killed his bride a day after their marriage.

"I will love you my whole life; you and no other forever". --William Wallace to Murron

Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it.- William Wallace

7.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Ennis and Jack are two shepherds who develop a sexual and emotional relationship. Their relationship becomes complicated when both of them get married to their respective girlfriends.

“I wish I knew how to quit you!”—Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) to Ennis (Heath Ledger)

"Sometimes I Miss You So Much I Can Hardly Stand It."-- Jack to Ennis.

"Jack, I swear"-- Ennis to Jack

(It is an unspoken promise, but the audience can understand what he means. Ennis promises to do what Jack had been telling him to do for years, and try to be happy. It is also a reassurance that, though he couldn't show it, he loved Jack all these years.)

8.

The English Patient (1996)

Hana, a nurse, tends to a plane crash victim who is on his deathbed. While doing so, she discovers a way to heal herself.

Katharine Clifton: Promise me you'll come back for me.

Almásy: I promise, I'll come back for you. I promise, I'll never leave you.

I can still taste you. I try to write with your taste in my mouth-- Almasy to Katharine

Every night I cut out my heart. But in the morning it was full again.--Almasy to Katharine

9.

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Amidst a battle between Britain and France in colonial America, Hawkeye and his team of Mohican scouts protect Cora, the daughter of a British officer.

"You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you.”—Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) to Cora (Madeleine Stowe)

Cora Munro: They're going to hang you. Why didn't you leave when you had the chance?

Hawkeye: Because what I'm interested in is right here.

Cora Munro: What are you looking at, sir?

Hawkeye: I'm looking at you, miss.

10.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

While holidaying with her parents at a placid resort, Frances is smitten with the resort's rebellious dance instructor. Her father opposes their relationship which creates a rift between him and her.

“Me? I’m scared of everything. I’m scared of what I saw, I’m scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.”—Baby (Jennifer Grey) to Johnny (Patrick Swayze).

Very early I learned that you have to be true to yourself about what you care about--what you believe in. If you're not, you have nothing at all. You have to listen to that bird inside that tells you what's right-- Johnny (Patrick Swayze)

[peterstanslizzie]

Reacting To: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Season 2 Episode 1)

Episode Title: Paw of the Jaguar

Spoiler Warning: Kindly proceed if you’ve already seen the episode or are able to tolerate spoilers.

1. Naturally, Season 2 picks up where things left off at the end of the first season; Kipo manages to avoid being captured by Scarlemagne by reining in (or still trying to) the Mega Flamingo that grabbed her. Wolf says that the flamingo is their best bet and so, she, Kipo, Dave, Benson and Mandu hop on it in the hopes of it leading them to Scarlemagne and Lio Oak, Kipo’s dad. 

2. Back at Scarlemagne’s Court, we find the captured denizens/humans including Lio and Hoag, whom are all apparently separated from the kids of the burrow for some reason. Hoag is blaming Kipo for their kidnapping, which I have to be honest; He is right. She did unknowingly lead Scarlemagne to Site B. One of the mind-controlled mutes starts spraying the Puppet Pheromones on the humans, which includes Hoag. But Scarlemagne/Hugo doesn’t want Lio to get sprayed with the pheromones. 

3. I have a prediction. I bet Lio and Scarlemagne used to be friends or co-workers and I’m pretty sure they had something to do with Kipo being part mute. 

4. Before taking off, our heroes are spotted by Troy, Asher and Dahlia and they are wondering what’s up with Kipo’s arm to which she tells them she’s part mute. Troy wants to tag along to help out but Kipo says that it’s too dangerous and suggests that Wolf and Benson take them to the Timbercats while she and Dave go after Scarlemagne. Despite some push-back from Wolf, her plan is more or less agreed upon. I think not bringing Wolf along isn’t a very good idea since she’s the best fighter. Also, he has an entire army; What makes her think that only her and Dave could take them on?

5. As she makes her way over to Scarlemagne’s Court, she is making sure to leave some remnants of Dave’s exoskeleton to allow the others to know where they’re going. Suddenly, the mind-controlled Mega Monkey attacks them. Kipo tries to calm it down by singing the iconic song, ‘What We Have Is You’ again but it doesn’t seem to be working as well as before. Maybe she needs to play the guitar lol.

6. The Mega Monkey grabs Kipo and she tries singing to it one more time and thankfully, she manages to calm it down but for only a few seconds before the pheromone-infused collar it’s wearing starts to activate. Luckily, Kipo swiftly uses her huge cat arm to destroy it, freeing Mega Monkey from Scarlemagne’s control. Aww, I’m so glad because I can’t bear to see it being controlled any longer. 

7. Kipo seems to understand what the Mega Monkey is saying because it tells her that it wants to come along with Kipo to stop Scarlemagne. Kipo does the right thing and convinces it to stay put because she doesn’t want it to get mind-controlled again. I agree with Dave; This moment was so cute and touching but I’m sure we will see Mega Monkey again. Plus, Kipo gave it her bracelet/wristband as a symbol of friendship. That’s so sweet. 

8. Kipo tells Dave that the Mega Monkey is “special”. I’m now actually wondering if it’s somebody Kipo knows or has met before. Maybe it’s her mom, Song? But didn’t she die when Kipo was a baby or something? Hmm...

9. Meanwhile, I don’t really know what Wolf and Benson are trying to do with Troy, Asher and Dahlia. They want the three of them to learn how to wrangle Pierre in order to gain the respect of the Timbercats. They cover Asher and Dahlia’s faces with maple syrup to lure in Pierre, which catches its attention and it charges right at them. Troy tries to defend them but Benson pushes him out of the way and we get this moment:

10. STOP THE PRESS! Did y’all see this? They blushed! Not just one of them but both of them! OMG! This is lowkey confirmation that Troy is gay too. Well, we all suspected it but c’mon this blush pretty much confirms it. Plus, the little pessimist within me is fearful of one-sided crushes. But luckily, we didn’t get any of that; YASSS! 

11. Anyways, back to the story hehe. Pierre starts licking Asher and Dahlia’s maple-syrup covered faces, which makes Benson and Wolf think that they’re doing a good job. Anyways, I love how Wolf doesn’t know how to fist-bump. I guess it’s because she was raised by wolves lol. 

12. It’s already night time and Kipo and Dave have finally reached Scarlemagne’s Court but it’s strangely empty. We then quickly shift over to a shot of Scarlemagne and his army flying over (or is it to?) Ratland. 

13. Oh, great. More lessons on how to impress the Timbercats in order to let Asher, Dahlia and Troy stay with them; Is this really necessary? Don’t they have better things to do during a time of crisis? This time, they want them to learn how to properly chop wood. They do a decent job with it but Dahlia (I think?) unexpectedly goes ham on the wood and according to Asher, it’s because it has been a long day for her. 

14. Kipo eventually spots her dad inside a prison cell that is guarded by two of the primate mutes and she rushes in to attack. One of them sprays the pheromones on her but it doesn’t seem to do a thing. I wonder why? She then beats them and frees her dad. 

15. More Troy and Benson moments! We basically see them talking some more and Benson comes up with an idea to have them give flapjacks to the Timbercats. He also says that he has the best recipe in the world to which Troy asks if it includes flour, milk and eggs and Benson replies yes. Don’t they know that those are the basics? LOL. 

16. But please, go ahead and be your cute gay selves while you guys flirt and bond over flapjacks. And it’s pretty clear that Wolf, Asher and Dahlia can sense their chemistry. 

17. We shift things over to Ratland and all of its patrons are freaking out whilst rushing to exit the theme park since Scarlemagne has arrived, without an entrance ticket for that matter. Scarlemagne reveals to Amy and Brad (two of Ratland’s personnel) that he plans to take over Las Vistas and rename it as Aurum. He envisions Aurum to be a city where mutes will reign supreme over humans. He then proceeds to order his army to dismantle Ratland, which upsets Amy and Brad. Aww, I feel so bad for them!

18. Benson, Wolf, Mandu as well as their new friends arrive at the Timbercats’ forest and they try to return Pierre back to Yumyan. Yumyan notices that Pierre is acting differently because he seems to be attached to Asher. Benson and Wolf try to convince Yumyan and the rest of the Timbercats to let them stay with them by telling them their story about losing their home and etc. And guess what? It’s working because Yumyan is in tears as he is overcome with emotion knowing how brave they’re being despite the hardships. Umm, okay???  And so, they manage to quickly win over all of them. Well, it’s mostly because they’re friends of Kipo but a win is still a win lol. 

19. As Wolf and Benson are getting ready to go back to help out Kipo and Dave, Troy walks over to Benson to thank him. They then talk about what they plan to do once they hopefully reunite again; They’re basically setting up a date! And oh, before leaving, Troy gives him one of these:

20. Oh. My. God. A kiss, a gay kiss on the cheek! And it’s only the first episode? I’m screaming! I love these two; I ship these two! YASSS! I hope they meet up again soon because I need more Troyson moments. And Benson is obviously so happy about what just happened. Same here, Benson. Same here. 

21. Now back to Kipo, Dave and Lio. Lio reveals to Kipo that he and Song had infused Kipo’s DNA with a mutagen in order for her to become a Mega Jaguar herself. And that is why Scarlemagne’s pheromones didn’t work on her because they only work on primates. What a revelation lol. I was kinda right; I knew that Lio had something to do with his daughter’s transformation. But why would he and Song want to experiment on their own daughter, even if it’s to save the world or whatever? That’s kind of....I don’t know, off? 

22. Just as I was half-expecting for Kipo to get mad at her dad, she reacts in the complete opposite way and is excited about becoming a Mega Jaguar and wants it to happen now to get everyone to safety. 

23. I have questions lol. If she becomes a Mega Jaguar, will it be permanent and she can she ever turn back to her normal human form? Or maybe switch between the two forms? Lio says that she needs to train with the Chevre Sisters (who we’ve never heard till now) in order to control her transformation or else she’ll never come back. What does that mean when he says “never come back”? Like is she supposed to learn how to switch between her human form and her Jaguar form?

24. They notice that the flamingo that flew them there is being taken away by the primate mutes and Kipo foolishly rushes to attack them to retrieve the Mega Flamingo. She is stopped by Lio but it’s too late because one of them manages to grab hold of Lio whilst trying to escape with the help of Dave who has now transformed into his flying hero mode. Kipo tries to fight back to rescue her father but there’s too many of them. Lio urges Dave to fly Kipo out to safety and the scene cuts off. 

25. Back at Ratland, Amy and Brad are devastated at the destruction of Ratland by Scarlemagne and his army. He then grabs hold of two humans and sprays them with his pheromones. Here, we also find out more about Scarlemagne’s evil intentions, which is similar to how Planet of the Apes is and that is to overcome their oppression by humans for thousands of years and basically topple over them. 

26. Please don’t kill the rats, please don’t. Scarlemagne wants to make an example out of Brad and Amy as he threatens to launch a bottle of explosive nectar at them. He advises them to run but unfortunately, the scene then cuts off. Oh how I hope they survived!

27. Back in the woods, Benson, Wolf and Mandu bump into Kipo and Dave. Kipo then tells them what happened and she totally regrets not thinking things through, which led to her unsuccessful rescue attempt of her dad. She feels like her instincts have betrayed her. Wolf and Benson try to console her by telling her all the good things she did in the past to which there’s a lot of them. 

28. That immediately makes Kipo feel a lot better and we then get a nice group hug between all of them. But the love-fest ended quickly because they hear a loud rumbling in the background, which of course, as we know, it’s coming from Ratland. Again, I hope Amy and Brad are alright. Scarlemagne and his primate mute and human army are seeing flying away from the area, taking some of the wreckage from there. 

29. We then see in the distance, a group of cloaked individuals looking at the result of the explosion. I wonder if they are mutes or humans? I can’t tell. One of them does appear to have a beak and two of them have really long ears. Although, their legs looks very human-like. Maybe they’re part-mutes like Kipo? But what we do know is that they’re against Scarlemagne, which is good news. 

30. Thinking back, I suspect that they’re the Chevre Sisters, Lio was talking about to Kipo. And it would make perfect sense if they’re part-mutes too because they’re supposedly going help Kipo to learn how to control her transformation.

31.  Well y’all. That is the end of my review of episode 1 of Season 2 of Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. This episode absolutely exceeded my expectations; It was filled with so much excitement, action and of course, love. Stay tuned tomorrow for my review of episode 2. Thanks for reading! Till then, bye!

[sparrow-flies-south]

Ten Things [4]

Fandom: Sanders Sides Pairings: Anxceit, Royality Intrulogical Summary: Ten Things I Hate About You AU When Roman Prince learns that Patton Foster isn’t allowed to date until his older brother, Virgil, is, Roman is crushed. Roman’s twin brother Remus, however, comes up with a plan: find someone who is willing to date Virgil. And who better to ask than Janus Verona, who according to rumours is willing to do anything for the right price? Taglist (ask to be added!) @glitchybina @imlikeaghostzombiejesus  @someone-idk-is-here @anxiety-ismy-name @ellietempest Warnings: Underage drinking, description of a panic attack, implied references to sexual assault (though it's never outright stated that that's what the character is worrying about) Notes: This is one of the chapters I've been looking forward to writing since I started planning this thing, so I hope you like it!

AO3 Link - Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six

This was a bad idea.

Scratch that, this was a terrible idea, and Virgil was clearly insane for ever agreeing to it.

They were parked outside Brad’s house, or at least, as close to it as they could get - the street was littered with cars. Virgil’s hands were still clutched tight around the steering wheel, and he was trying to keep his breathing even.

“Virgil?” Patton said. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Virgil said.

“Crowds do heighten your anxiety,” Logan observed from the backseat. “Perhaps it would be best if you don’t come with us.”

Virgil shook his head. “I promised Dad I’d keep an eye on you.”

Patton had not asked for permission so much as told Remy that they were going, and they had Virgil with them, and surely Remy trusted Virgil to keep an eye on them. Remy had agreed to let them go with the look of a man who was trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

“Falsehood,” Logan said. “You promised your father you’d keep an eye on Patton. You are under no such obligations to me.”

Virgil rolled his eyes fondly. Perhaps he didn’t have any official responsibility for Logan, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to look out for him. With how much time Logan and Patton spent together, Logan was practically another brother at this point.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Virgil said, getting out of the car before he could change his mind.

Inside turned out to be just as crowded and loud as Virgil had feared. Teens spilled out of rooms, holding drinks and yelling to be heard over the music that was blaring as if this was a club rather than just a house party. In short, it was Virgil’s idea of hell.

“Oh!” Patton shouted. “There’s Roman.”

Virgil tried to look in the direction Patton had indicated, but it was too crowded to make out who Patton was talking about. People were all around them at this point, boxing them in.

Patton grabbed Logan and made his way through the crowd. Virgil watched them go, unsure if he should follow them. He didn’t like the thought of Patton being off by himself somewhere like this, where anything could happen. But he also didn’t want to ruin Patton’s fun by hanging over his like an embarrassing shadow.

He began to move through the crowd, looking for somewhere he could breathe. Logan was with Patton, and Logan wouldn’t let Patton do anything stupid. Virgil would check in on them every now and again, but otherwise leave them alone.

The crush of bodies was making the air thinner. His fingertips were tingling. He spotted a door that looked like a bathroom, and pushed towards it, barely aware of his surroundings. When he reached it, he nearly fell against it in relief.

He tried the handle. Locked. He’d have to find somewhere else.

He needed to get away from the crowd. He couldn’t breathe, and his head felt like it was going to split in two. Maybe there was another bathroom upstairs. He pushed his way towards the hallway, but people were everywhere, pressing in on him, trapping him.

A hand fell on his shoulder, and Virgil swung around. His shoulder buzzed, as if even his cells were trying to escape the sudden touch.

“You made it,” Janus said, a small smile on his face.

Virgil should say something, had to say something, before Janus thought he was a weirdo, but conversation was well out of the window by now. He just stared, as if that would make the world fit back in place. Janus frowned.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

That was something he could answer. He shook his head, tears blurring his vision.

Janus placed a hand around Virgil’s wrist. “Come on.”

Janus moved through the crowd and Virgil staggered behind him. They moved easier now that Janus was leading him, the difference between wading through a swimming pool and fighting against the current of a stormy sea. Janus’ hand stayed firm on Virgil’s wrist, an anchor, stopping them from getting separated.

Cool air hit Virgil face, and the world opened up around him. They were outside, now. Janus led Virgil to a swing bench, and Virgil collapsed onto it. He pulled his knees up tight to his body and buried his face in them.

Even here, in the open air, he still couldn’t breathe.

“Virgil.” Janus’ voice was quiet but firm. “I need you to breathe with me. Is that okay?”

Virgil nodded.

“Is there a breathing exercise you normally use?”

“Four seven eight,” Virgil mumbled into his jeans.

“Okay. We’re going to breathe in for four, okay?”

Janus quietly counted out each step. He didn’t manage to hold for seven the first two times, but Janus didn’t comment, just adjusted his counting and kept going, quietly telling him he was doing well in between each step.

Slowly, the pain in his chest fell away, replaced by an uncomfortable numbness that made his fingertips buzz, and then that, too, faded.

“Fuck,” Virgil muttered.

He really couldn’t go five minutes without a panic attack. And, as if that wasn’t humiliating enough, he’d really just made the boy he liked take him outside and look after him, like he was some little kid.

“It’s okay,” Janus said.

“It’s not. I can’t believe I did that.”

“Yes, how inconsiderate of you to have a panic attack. I’m sure you just love feeling like you’re dying at the most inconvenient times.”

Virgil slowly uncurled himself. It was surprisingly quiet outside. It made the party feel like it was in another world. Virgil was in a new one now, and he and Janus were the only two people in it.

“I’m okay now,” Virgil said.

“Good.” Janus made no attempt to move.

“So you can go,” Virgil clarified. “Enjoy the party. Hope I didn’t ruin it too badly.”

“Watching a bunch of teenagers get belligerently drunk and make terrible decisions does sound like fun,” Janus mused. “But I think I’d rather stay with you.”

Virgil shook his head. “Why?”

“Again with the cynicism,” Janus sighed. “I thought we’d already covered that I want to spend time with you.”

“Ordinarily, maybe,” Virgil said, though he still wasn’t sure why. “But I’m not exactly fun to be around.”

“On the contrary, I’d say you were far better company than any of the imbeciles in there.” Janus looked Virgil in the eyes. “If you’re trying to get me to leave because you don’t want me around, then I will go. But I have a feeling that’s not the case.”

If Janus left, Virgil would be alone. He’d either have to wait outside like a weirdo, or go back inside and act like he wasn’t completely out of place. He didn’t know which option was worse.

“You can stay,” Virgil grumbled.

Janus tilted his head back so he was looking at the sky. In the light from the house, Virgil could only just make out the raised skin of the scar that covered the left side of his face. “How generous of you,” he remarked with a smile.

 “I think you should stop for now,” Logan said.

Roman looked over to see that Patton had gotten hold of yet another drink, and was downing it quickly. What was that, his third? Fourth? Either way Logan was probably right.

“It’s fine, Lo!” Patton said when he came up for air. “I feel fine!”

“You’ll probably feel less fine tomorrow,” Remus remarked. Even he looked concerned, which meant that Logan was definitely right.

Roman took the cup out of Patton’s hands and held it out of his reach. Patton pouted and made grabby hands, but Roman refused to be swayed.

“How about we dance for a bit instead?” Roman offered.

The pout instantly disappeared, replaced by the kind of smile that could blind a guy from ten feet away. “Sure!”

They made their way to the living room, which had been turned into an impromptu dance floor, the furniture pushed against the wall to make more space. Patton held Roman’s hand as they went, and Roman tried his hardest to keep calm. He would not swoon just because he was holding hands with a pretty boy.

They found a slightly less crowded spot, and began moving in time with the music. Roman lifted their still joined hands in the air, and Patton spun underneath them.

Patton stumbled as he finished, almost falling into Roman’s chest. He giggled. “Oopsie.”

Roman smiled, though it seemed that dancing might not be the best activity at present, even if it did keep Patton from drinking. He looked around for Logan and Remus, but they must have stayed in the other room.

He turned back to Patton, about to suggest they get some air, only to find Patton was staring at him intently.

Before he could ask what was wrong, Patton stood on his tip-toes and leaned in to kiss him.

Roman wanted to kiss Patton. He really, really did. But he wasn’t going to have their first kiss when Patton was drunk, when he couldn’t tell if this was what Patton really wanted or just a lack of inhibitions.

He took a step back, and pressed his hand against Patton’s shoulder to stop him from closing the gap.

For a moment, Patton just looked confused, and then realisation and hurt rushed in.

“Oh,” Patton squeaked as he took a step back.

Distantly, Roman was aware that the people around them had stopped dancing and were staring. But all he could focus on was the way Patton looked like Roman had just torn his heart of his chest.

“Patton,” Roman began, unsure what to say.

“I’m sorry,” Patton said, tears filling his eyes.

Roman took a step forwards, reaching out to him, but Patton had already turned away. He plunged into the crowd, pulled away from the current.

Roman could only watch, unsure how things had gone so terrible so fast.

“Way out of his league,” someone said, and Roman glared in the direction it had come from.

A group of girls were huddled together, watching. One of them, at least, had the decency to look guilty.

Roman turned away and pushed through the crowd, leaving them behind. Arguing with them would do nothing except waste time. Right now, all that mattered was finding Patton and making it up to him.

 ***

“How come you were so good at that?” Virgil asked.

“I’m good at many things,” Janus replied, his lips curving into a smug smile. It would be infuriating, if Virgil didn’t secretly think it was cute. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

Virgil gestured towards himself. “That. Most people take way longer to figure out what’s going on.”

Janus turned away. “Panic attacks are awful, aren’t they?”

Virgil was about to ask what that meant, but Janus cut him off. “I will admit this isn’t going completely how I had planned.”

Virgil snorted. “You mean you didn’t plan on wasting your evening out here?”

“I don’t usually plan first dates with the intention of causing the other person to have a panic attack,” Janus clarified.

Virgil’s mouth went dry. So this was a date? He stared at his feet, humiliation hot against his ribcage. So he’d got his wish, only to ruin it so badly there wasn’t going to be another one. That was some kind of monkeys paw bullshit.

“I suppose you’ll have to choose what we do for the next one. It’s clearly one area I’m not skilled in,” Janus continued, and Virgil’s head shot back up.

“Next one?” Virgil echoed.

“First dates are traditionally followed by a second, yes,” Janus said, as if Virgil was the one not making any sense.

Virgil was about to reply when a figure stumbled out of the house and dropped to the ground. A very familiar figure.

“What the fuck,” Virgil hissed.

Janus’ eyes widened, confusion and hurt flickering across his face, but Virgil was already moving, racing across the lawn to where the figure was sat crumpled on the grass.

“Patton?” Virgil asked.

Patton looked up, tears coating his face. He was hugging his cat cardigan tight to his body. Virgil crouched down in front of him, scanning over him. Not injured, thank God, but what the hell had happened?

“Virgil?” Patton asked, voice breaking. “Can- can we go home now?”

Virgil nodded, anxiety crawling up his chest and blocking his throat. What was wrong with him? And where was Logan?

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, Pat. Come on.” He reached out a hand, and helped Patton to his feet. Patton wobbled slightly as he got up, he must be drunk, and Virgil’s mind flashed through a hundred possibilities, each one worse than the last.

Had someone done something to Patton? How was Virgil supposed to ask?

“Is everything alright?” Janus asked, coming over.

Just the sight of someone else, someone who wasn’t panicking, filled Virgil with a sense of relief.

“I- I need to take Patton home,” he said. “But first I need to find Logan. Do you know where he is?”

Patton shook his head. “He was with Remus, I think?”

Remus probably meant Remus Prince, and that just opened up a whole other load of questions.

“Okay,” Virgil said. He’d have to go back inside to look for Logan, but that would mean leaving Patton alone.

“Go,” Janus said quietly. “I’ll look after him.”

Virgil nodded, and squeezed Patton’s arm. “I’ll be right out,” he promised, and headed back into the house.

Inside that crowd pressed upon him immediately, a Virgil felt as if a static cloud was surrounding him, electrifying him. He forced himself to keep moving, keep pushing his way through the room. Why did there have to be so many people? It was just making it harder for him to get back to Patton.

He pushed into the living room, scanning for Logan. Remus Prince seemed like the kind of guy who would be at the centre of attention, but Logan was the complete opposite. Who would win out between them?

A hand grabbed his arm, and a voice shouted “Virgil!”

Virgil spun, and tore his arm away from the boy in front of him, who was dressed in a white t-shirt under a red jacket.

“Have you seen Patton?” the boy shouted. “He ran off- I can’t him.”

Virgil’s hands clenched into fists. There was only one person this boy could be, and it wasn’t someone Virgil wanted to see. “Roman Prince?”

The boy - Roman – nodded.

Virgil put one hand in the centre of the Roman’s chest and shoved, sending him staggering back, almost colliding with a group of dancers.

“I don’t know what you did and you better pray you don’t find out,” Virgil snarled, stalking forwards. Roman’s eyes widened. The dancers had turned to see what was going on, but Virgil didn’t care. There was no room for anything but anger in him now. “Stay the fuck away from my brother.”

He pushed past the stunned Roman, and the crowd parted easily. He left the living room, and entered the dining room, where the crowd became thick like molasses again. Finally, he was able to push his way into the kitchen, where it was easier to breathe.

Logan was stood next to the sink, drink in hand, talking to a boy who was perched on a counter top.

Virgil saw red. He began to march over there to rip Roman away from Logan, until his brain registered that this boy was dressed in a green and black crop top, and was wearing purple eyeshadow. Not Roman. Which meant that this must be Remus.

Remus Prince might not be much better than Roman.

“Hey,” Virgil called as he got near. Logan and Remus both looked over. “I’m taking Patton home.”

Logan frowned, his brow furrowing. “Is he alright?”

Just like that, his anger disappeared, replaced by overwhelming exhaustion. “I don’t know. He came out crying, and I’m pretty sure he’s drunk.”

“Yes, I noticed he was drinking rather quickly.” Logan’s voice sounded even, but Virgil could see the way he tugged at his collar. “I should have tried harder to stop him.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” Remus said, nudging Logan. “Pattycake can make his own decisions. Besides, Roman was with him.” He turned to Virgil. “What happened?”

“Why don’t you ask your brother that,” Virgil spat, and Remus reeled back.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means Roman did something to my brother!”

Remus shook his head. “Roman would never-.”

“Oh, and I’m supposed to trust you on that?”

“Enough!” Logan snapped, stepping between the two of them. “This isn’t helping. Virgil, did Patton say what happened?”

Virgil shook his head, teeth clamped tight together.

“Then there is no point in speculating. Once we know what really happened, we can figure out what to do about it.”

He was right, and Virgil knew it. He forced himself to let out a deep breath. “Fine,” he muttered.

Logan nodded. “I assume you came to let me know you were leaving?”

“Yeah.  Are you coming with us?”

“That would just add an unnecessary detour to your journey. I will find my own way home.”

Virgil shot a suspicious glance at Remus. “Are you sure? I don’t like the idea of you getting a lift with someone else. Maybe I could come back and pick you up?”

“Again, it’s appreciated but unnecessary. I have a standing agreement with my mothers that should it be necessary, they will pick me up from anywhere I require.”

Remus leaned closer to Logan. “I’ll stay with you while you wait,” he offered. “By the way, has anyone ever told you you’re hot when you take charge like that?”

Logan shot him an exasperated look, but didn’t object.

That was something to overthink another time. Virgil gave a quick salute to Logan, and then hurried out of the house.

He froze in place outside of the door, because Janus and Patton were gone. There was no sign of them anywhere in the yard. The panic that flooded through him knocked his breath away, and his hands shook as pulled his phone out to call them. There was text from Patton already there; Virgil must have missed the notification.

This is Janus, it read. Patton and I are going to your car to wait for you.

Relief flooded through him, and Virgil took a shaky breath as he rushed to his car. They were fine. He’d drive Patton home, and then everything would fine. And if it wasn’t fine, then Virgil was going to murder Roman Prince.

Janus and Patton were waiting together, Janus looking rather out of place. Patton was still hugging his chest, but he’d stopped crying at least. Virgil was torn between interrogating him about what had happened right there in the street, and putting him straight to bed to sleep it off.

“Logan’s getting a lift from his mother,” Virgil told Patton. He turned to Janus. “Thank you for staying with him.”

“It was a total inconvenience and I expect to be compensated for every second of it,” Janus replied. His face was perfectly deadpan, but Virgil was pretty sure he was kidding. He held out his hand. “Give me your keys, I’ll drive you back.”

Virgil shook his head. “I’m fine, I didn’t drink anything.”

“You’re shaking,” Janus said, and Virgil lifted one hand to see it tremble. “I’ll drive.”

That would just add another way Virgil was bothering Janus. How long until Janus got fed up with him, and decided he never wanted to see him again?

But what if he did drive, and have a panic attack and not be able to control the car and roll off a cliff or something. Sure, there weren’t any cliffs in the area, but it could still happen-

Okay, yeah, maybe Virgil was panicking.

He handed his keys over, and then went to help Patton into the backseat, before getting in the car himself.

It was weird, sitting in the passenger seat of his own car. Janus pulled away from the curb, and Virgil plugged his address into his phone’s GPS. Once he was done, he twisted in his seat to look at Patton.

“You okay, Pat?”

“Dad’s going to kill me,” Patton replied miserably.

“No he’s not,” Virgil assured him. “Dad’s, like, incapable of staying mad at you. He’ll probably just kill me for not keeping an eye on you.”

“If you’re referring to Patton being drunk,” Janus said, “Then your father doesn’t have to know.”

Virgil shook his head. “We don’t lie to each other,” he said firmly.

“So you tell him everything about your life then?” Janus asked. “What are his thoughts on Mr Williams?”

Virgil glared. Remy knew that he didn’t like his English teacher, but that was it. He wasn’t going to add to his father’s worries. Besides it wasn’t like anything would come of it. Mr Williams could do what he wanted.

“That’s not the same thing,” Virgil snapped.

“Isn’t it?” Janus asked. “So long as Patton is okay, which he will be, what good does telling him do?”

“That’s not the point,” Virgil argued, crossing his arms. “Besides, what if he finds out?”

“While that is a risk,” Janus admitted, “It’s a low one. How would your father find out?”

Virgil shook his head. “Whatever,” he muttered. He glanced back at Patton in the rear-view mirror. “We’ll figure it out tomorrow, okay?”

Patton nodded, though he still looked miserable.

They drove through the twisting streets of the town in silence. Several times, Virgil wanted to speak, but each time the words died before they reached his throat. What was he supposed to say?

“Virgil?” Patton asked after a while.

“Yeah?”

“Why is Janus driving your car?”

Virgil’s cheeks inexplicably heated, and Janus laughed.

“That, Patton, is because I have taken a liking to your dear brother,” Janus said. “And so I would rather he didn’t die in a fiery wreck.”

Patton nodded, looking thoughtful. He leaned closer to Virgil’s seat.

“Virgil?” he whispered, or at least, tried to whisper. He apparently didn’t have much control over his volume, so it was more of a stage whisper.

Virgil glanced at Janus, who just looked amused. “What?” he stage whispered back.

“Is Janus the thing?”

Virgil had to be bright red now. Janus raised an eyebrow. “Thing?” he asked.

“Hey, how about some music,” Virgil said loudly, fiddling with his phone.

Janus shook his head at the music that came out through the speakers. “Why am I not surprised this is what you listen to?”

“Because I have excellent taste, duh.” Virgil said.

“Well, then I suppose I should be flattered that you spent your evening with me.”

“Correction: I have excellent taste in music,” Virgil shot back, and Janus smiled.

Virgil shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Seriously, though,” he added. “Thanks. For everything you did tonight. It was pretty cool of you.”

Janus just nodded in response, his attention focused on the road, hands tight around the steering wheel. His expression was unreadable. Had Virgil said something wrong?  Had Janus just been taking pity on Virgil and was now trying to figure out a way to gently tell him he wasn’t interested?

“Virgil!” Patton shouted from the back. “You should play this with your band!”

Janus’ mouth twitched. At least now he looked amused. “Band?”

“I don’t have a band,” Virgil said quickly. “Not yet, anyway. Maybe one day.”

“Let me guess: you will be the guitar player.”

Virgil nodded. “That and write music. Not that I’m much good at either.”

This wasn’t something he talked to anyone outside of his family about. It was too embarrassing, too easy to make fun of.

But it didn’t feel embarrassing, in the car with Janus.

“What about you?” Virgil said, changing the subject before he could think too hard about what that meant. “Do you play any instruments?”

“Piano and violin when I was a child,” Janus answered. “My parent’s idea. They claimed that it would be useful for my development. The fact that it gave them another two hours each week away from me had nothing to do with it, I’m sure.”

Virgil had never heard anything about Janus’ parents. In fact, it had never really occurred to him that Janus had parents. It felt as if Janus had just appeared at school one day, fully formed and ready to blackmail people.

Virgil knew what shitty parents were like. His birth parents had been great, but he’d spent enough time in the foster system after they’d died to get the full spectrum of shittiness. He wanted to say something, to commiserate, maybe, but Janus cut him off.

“Oh, look,” he said. “I believe this is your street. Which house is yours?”

“The blue one,” Virgil answered, letting the subject drop. “Just park in the driveway.”

Janus pulled in and turned off the engine.

“Thanks,” Virgil said, unbuckling his seat belt. He paused, hand on the door handle. “Wait, how are you going to get home?”

“I left my bike at the party,” Janus said. “I’ll walk back there and get it.”

Virgil shook his head. “No way. I’ll drive you there.”

“Virgil, the whole point of me doing this was so that you wouldn’t have to drive. It’s fine, I can walk.”

“It’s the middle of the night,” Virgil protested.

“This is hardly a dangerous area.”

“Stay here.”

Janus looked incredulously at him, and Virgil felt his cheeks heat as he realised what he’d just said.

“Stay here,” he continued, forcing his voice steady. “I can drive you back tomorrow.”

“Will your father approve of you having a strange boy over?” Janus asked.

“What was that you said about him not having to know everything?”

Still, Janus looked hesitant.

“If you leave, I’ll just worry,” Virgil said, which was perhaps underhand move but it was still true.

“Fine,” Janus said at last.

Satisfied, Virgil got out of the car. He hovered close to Patton as the three of them went up the driveway, ready in case Patton stumbled.

“We’re back,” Virgil shouted as he pushed open the door.

Upstairs, floorboards creaked. Remy must be moving to greet them.

“Were going straight to bed,” Virgil added hurriedly.

“You better not have done anything I wouldn’t do,” Remy called.

Virgil glanced at Janus, standing next to a red-rimmed Patton. “No,” he called, thinking back to the many cautionary tales he’d heard about Remy’s teenage exploits.

“Alright,” Remy called back, and Virgil breathed a sigh of relief.

Upstairs, Virgil pointed Janus in the direction of his bedroom, and then took Patton to his.

Patton dropped down on the bed, looking like he was going to fall asleep right then and there. Virgil shook his head fondly.

“You need to get out of your clothes,” he said.

“Don’t wanna,” Patton mumbled.

Virgil sighed, but didn’t bother to fight. He sat down next to Patton and began to untie his laces.

“Virge?” Patton mumbled.

“Yeah?” Virgil replied, easing the first shoe off Patton’s foot.

“I tried to kiss Roman.”

Virgil’s throat tightened. “What happened?”

Patton flipped onto his stomach, and buried his face in the pillow. “He didn’t want me.”

Virgil sighed, and pushed Patton onto his side. Rejection wasn’t as bad as some of the things Virgil had imagined, but that didn’t mean Roman Prince could hurt his brother and get away with it.

“Want me to kill him for you?” Virgil offered.

Patton shook his head. “I want him to want me back,” he said, voice breaking.

Yeah, Virgil was definitely going to murder Roman Prince. “If he doesn’t want you, that’s his problem, not yours.”

“Feels like it is mine, though.” Patton covered his face with an arm. “Can today just be over?”

“Pretty sure it is by now,” Virgil commented. He rubbed his hand along Patton’s arm. “Go to sleep, Pat.”

“’Kay,” Patton mumbled, and closed his eyes.

Virgil waited a moment longer, but Patton didn’t move. He was either asleep already, or he just didn’t want to talk.

Virgil stroked Patton’s hair, just like he had that first time, only a few weeks after Virgil had joined the family, when he’d crept into Virgil’s bed after a nightmare. Virgil had felt frozen in place as Patton had curled up beside him. He’d never had a brother before. He’d had no idea what to do or say to make it better, and he’d still been terrified that if he didn’t do the right thing, he’d get kicked out.

Seven years later, and he still didn’t know what to do to make everything okay.

“Love you Pat,” he whispered, then crept to his room.

There was nothing more he could do about Patton tonight. He had a whole other problem to deal with.

The other problem was sat on Virgil’s bed, looking at the posters that covered the walls. Virgil quickly grabbed his pyjamas.

“I’m going to get changed,” he explained. “You can take the bed.”

But when he got back, Janus was lying on the floor, his jacket bundled up to use as a pillow.

“I said you could take the bed,” Virgil said.

“It’s your house,” Janus answered.

Virgil should probably try to fight it, but he was far too tired. He crawled into bed and turned out the light.

Sleep never came easily, and someone else in his room only made it worse. After what felt like hours of staring at the ceiling, he rolled onto his side to look at Janus.

Janus didn’t seem to be asleep either, though Virgil couldn’t see his eyes. He was shivering in just his t-shirt, and it couldn’t be comfortable on the floor.

His bed was a double, there was plenty of room. And it was a hell of a lot warmer than the floor.

Was he really going to this?

“It’s a big bed,” Virgil said, and then rolled onto the other side so he didn’t have to look at Janus. Yep, apparently he was doing this.

“I mean, you could stay on one side and I could stay on the other. We wouldn’t even notice the other was there.”

There was silence, and Virgil felt like he was going to combust from the awkwardness. Great, now Janus probably thought he was a weirdo or a pervert or something.

There was the rustling of covers, and Virgil shut his eyes. He hardly dared breathe, but then realised that probably made him look like even more of a creep, so he tried to adjust his breathing. What the hell was a normal amount to breathe?

He felt the mattress dip as Janus got in next to him. He forced himself not to react, as if a cute boy crawling into his bed was something that happened all the time.

The only sound was Janus’ even breathing next to him. Virgil stared at the wall and tried not to think about how close the two of them were to each other.

Yeah, there was no way he getting any sleep tonight.

[krat395]

Laughing With Integrity (Chapter 1)

Happy early Mother's Day, everyone! :) And to celebrate, here is a story featuring Izzy (Integrity) and her adopted mother, Heidi (the Snowdin Innkeeper)! :D Yes, after all this time, Izzy, a character that's only been mentioned up until this point, is finally making an actual appearance in one of my stories! ;P Same goes for her adopted mother, Heidi! To everyone that read my "Rabbits! X3" journal on DeviantArt, I told you she would appear in a story before Grillby! ;) She's so underrated! She and all of those other rabbit monsters are so underrated! Though especially Heidi (my headcanon name for her)! And after all this time, she's finally receiving the attention she deserves! She and Izzy both! Haha! Enjoy, my friends; and don't be afraid to leave feedback! :)

Undertale(c) Toby Fox.

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Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

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LAUGHING WITH INTEGRITY

Chapter 1: Izzy (and Heidi)! :D

 It is a Friday afternoon; early November; and on this particular afternoon, a little human girl named Izzy is currently resting in her home on the Surface after a productive day of school. Izzy; short for Isabella; possesses a blue Integrity soul, which symbolizes her trait of Integrity. As for her personality and appearance, she is a kind-hearted, fun-loving, flirty (like Frisk), and tomboyish 10-year-old girl; Caucasian; with long, straight, and naturally blonde hair whose hobbies consist of things such as dancing, bicycling, gaming, painting her nails, and throwing/attending slumber parties. As for her everyday attire; she doesn't wear a pink tutu and ballet shoes everywhere she goes contrary to popular belief. She mostly just wears those when she does ballet, which she took up due to her love of dancing. But outside of ballet however, she is often seen wearing tank tops with jeans and flip-flops; her most common attire being a pink and blue striped tank top with dark blue jeans and pink flip flops. One thing worth mentioning about Izzy is that she LOVES showing off her feet to everyone, especially when her toes have nail polish on them! Blue nail polish is her favorite and to show off her feet, she wears flip-flops, which she has at least five pairs of but the pink ones she’s often seen in are her favorite. But if her feet were more durable like that of most monsters however, then she'd go everywhere with bare feet instead. The only thing Izzy likes more than wearing flip flops is wearing no footwear at all and she sure does a splendid job making everyone fully aware of that every time she announces that she's removing her footwear; saying things such as, "Get off my feet, flip flops!" and "Freedom… for my feet!" XD It's the first thing she does upon entering her house and/or others' houses; usually when arriving home from school or just after being outside in general. She's a funny little girl like that and a real cutie too. A real cutie! X3 One look at her and you wouldn't believe that she was one of six humans that had their souls taken from them in the Underground!

 Another thing worth mentioning about Izzy is that she is Brad and Justin's cousin; Brad (Bravery) by adoption and Justin (Justice) by blood; and like her cousins, she was one of a handful of humans that was miraculously resurrected after the destruction of the Barrier one month ago. Also like her cousins, she was immediately adopted by rabbit monsters; in Izzy's case, Heidi, the former SNOWDIN INNKEEPER, and her husband, Harvey. After hearing so much about Izzy from Brad during the three months he spent as a member of her family in the Underground, Heidi dreamed of one day adopting Izzy if she had survived after being separated from Brad and Justin. Izzy was not fortunate enough to survive during her time in the Underground though, much to Heidi's devastation. But once Izzy was miraculously resurrected however, Heidi became overjoyed with happiness and immediately took her in as part of her own family; just like her sister, Harriet (the former Snowdin Shopkeeper), did with Brad and Justin.

 Ever since last month, Izzy has been living happily with a family of rabbit monsters on the Surface and her new family members consist of adopted mother Heidi, adopted father Harvey, and 3 adopted siblings; an older brother named Bastian, a younger sister named Bekah (short for Rebekah), and a baby sister named Bebe; and over the course of just one month, Izzy managed to win all of their hearts; even the heart of one particular family member she wishes she could bond a little better with. Yes, in Izzy's new family, there's one family member that she hasn't properly bonded with yet; and that family member is her adopted brother, Bastian, who is four and half months older than her. Bastian, an 11-year-old rabbit monster with all-white fur, is the youngest student in Toriel's 6th grade class. He's a nice boy; getting along with almost everyone he interacts with; but is someone that has difficulty accepting major changes in his life. An example of this was when he and his family moved to the Surface a month ago. Bastian was one of the few monsters that didn’t want to move to the Surface after the Barrier was destroyed. But not just that though; he was also one of the few monsters that actually didn't mind living in the Underground; and during his time there, he often accompanied Heidi whenever she was running her inn. He loves his mother very much and is a bit of a mama's boy himself, which Heidi doesn't entirely mind. Heidi loves him back with all her heart and soul and if it wasn't for her patience, guidance, and kind and loving nature towards him, Bastian would not be the happy child he is today on the Surface. But not everything is perfect however. After moving to the Surface, Bastian has had difficulty making friends with human children, whom he doesn’t appear to realize aren’t all that different from monster children in terms of personality, and his cousin, Heather, Harriet's daughter and a lavender rabbit monster who is in the same grade as him, can only do so much to help him in that regard. So, that's where Izzy, a human girl, comes in. If Bastian can bond better with his adopted human sister, then there's a chance that Izzy might be able to help him feel more comfortable around humans as a whole; and Heidi believes that she knows just the thing that will help Izzy win him over. It can't hurt for Izzy to try, anyway. But unfortunately for her, she's going to have to wait until tomorrow since Bastian currently isn’t present in the house, which is connected to an all new Inn that Heidi runs for a living. Instead, Bastian is out with his father and sisters meeting his father’s new human friend, Elwood, who Izzy and Heidi have already met, and won't be back until tomorrow. That's right; the majority of Izzy's adopted family isn't home during this particular afternoon; nobody except for Izzy's adopted mother, Heidi, a thin 36-year-old female rabbit monster with pink fur and always bare 3-toed feet, who is often seen wearing sleeveless knee-length dresses; primarily a yellow one with 2 blue stripes (one at the top around her neck and one in the middle around the waist). X3 Not that Izzy minds. She loves her adopted mother very much and this afternoon will provide her a perfect opportunity to ask her what she can do to bond better with Bastian.

 4:00pm, Friday, early November...

 Heidi: Ah. Good to be home. *said Heidi to herself as she entered her home; from one of the side entrances (the one that leads to her inn)* Hmm… Is Izzy here?

 Not even one second later, Heidi's question was answered the moment she saw Izzy's pink flip flops on the floor near the front entrance, indicating that Izzy was barefoot somewhere in the house.

 Heidi: (Heeheeheeheehee. She most certainly is.) Izzy! *shouted Heidi, seconds before hearing a little girl's voice in her living room*

 Izzy: In here, Mom! I'd come out and give you a hug but my toenails need to dry first.

 At this very moment, Izzy is sitting on a couch; in an upright position on the middle cushion; in the living room watching television with her bare feet resting on a footrest, which Izzy covered with a towel before she began painting her toenails.

 Heidi: Heeheeheeheehee. Oh, Izzy; painting your nails again? *asked Heidi with a smile as she walked into the living room to greet her adopted daughter* Didn't you paint them last night, sweetie?

 Izzy: Heeheehee. Yeah; my fingernails! A while ago, I painted my toenails! Heeheeheeheeheehee! Aren’t they pretty? *Izzy asked cheekily while wiggling each of her ten little toes slightly; being careful not to ruin her nail polish while it was drying* Heeheeheeheeheehee~!  

 Heidi: Heeheeheehee! They most certainly are! Pretty just like you! *answered Heidi, pinching Izzy’s left cheek*

 Izzy: Heeheeheeheehee! Mooooooooom! Heeheeheeheeheehee~!

 Heidi: Heeheeheeheeheehee! Oh, you know you love it. Heeheeheeheehee! So, what would you like to do tonight, my dear? We have the house all to ourselves. Any ideas?

 Izzy: Yes, actually. I was thinking that maybe we could chat a little. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.

 Heidi: Oh? And what would that be, my dear?

 Izzy: Well, first off, I just want to say how grateful I am to be part of this family. You’ve all been so wonderful to me… and Justin and Brad; you, Dad, Bastian, Bekah, Bebe, Aunt Harriet, Benny, Robbie, and Heather; all of you. We couldn’t ask for better adopted families. *stated Izzy sincerely, causing Heidi to tear up a little and hug her*

 Heidi: Oh, Izzy. *sniffles* The pleasure is all ours; and we all love you kids very, very much.

 Izzy: Awww! And we love you, Mom. …Oh, but I just wish I could bond better with Bastian though! After one month, I’m still not entirely sure that he loves me the way you, Dad, Bekah, and Bebe all do!

 Heidi: *shocked gasp* Oh, Izzy; please don’t ever say things like that! Of course Bastian loves you the way your father, sisters, and I do! *assured Heidi, shocked after hearing what Izzy just told her*

 Izzy: A-are you sure? *asked Izzy, somewhat doubting Heidi*

 Heidi: Of course I’m sure! I know that boy better than anyone else! Just give him some more time, all right? He’ll come around.

 Izzy: But what if he never does though? Mom, there has to be something I can do to get him to like me more! There just has to be! *shouted Izzy, tearing up a little, which in turn made Heidi stop acting so defensive*

 Heidi: Hmm… Well, there is one thing that might work, sweetie; actually 3 things.

 Izzy: *excited gasp* There are?! Really?! Oh my gosh! Could you tell me, please? I’ve been trying to figure out this mystery for a month! An entire month!

 Izzy is feeling rather insecure about herself this afternoon. It's not like her to feel so insecure but who can blame her? Bastian is her adopted brother and he's never himself whenever he interacts with her! Around Harvey, Bekah, Bebe, and especially Heidi, he's very enthusiastic and quite the joy to be around! And pretty funny too; telling jokes and pulling harmless pranks on others; all with a big smile on his face! "Why doesn't he act that way around me?" Izzy often wonders to herself. It could be because he's shy around Izzy. It could be because he's still having a difficult time adjusting to having an adopted sister that isn't the same species as him. Who knows? But whatever the case is, it doesn't stop Izzy from wondering what she can do to fully earn his trust and after one month, Heidi feels that it's finally time to suggest something that might just do the trick. To earn Bastian's trust, Heidi feels that Izzy should TICKLE HIM. Lots! If there's one thing that Bastian loves almost as much as his own family, it's being tickled; and the spot he always wants to receive the most attention is his feet; his white, always bare three-toed feet. He absolutely loves having his feet touched despite how immensely ticklish they are and no matter how much someone tickles them, he won't ever beg them to stop; provided that whoever's tickling him is doing so with good intentions of course. But tickling alone might not be enough to fully earn Bastian's trust though. To really seal the deal, Heidi believes that Izzy should also pet him and consistently tell him that he's cute, which will be easy for Izzy to do since cute is exactly what Bastian is and that she used to have a pet rabbit when she was younger. X3

 Izzy: R-really?! That's all?! *asked Izzy all surprised* I wanted to do all three of those things the moment I saw him! But I didn't because I felt that it would’ve been inappropriate… you know, due to my… condition. *she added, referring to her tragic past and miraculous resurrection*

 Heidi: Oh, I feel you, my dear. That also happens to be why I didn't suggest that you do those things sooner. I wanted to give you enough time to adjust to your new life here on the Surface with us.

 Izzy: And I appreciate that you did too! Thank you!

 Heidi: Heeheeheehee. Of course, my dear. *said Heidi lovingly, giving Izzy a kiss on her left cheek*

 Izzy: Heeheeheeheeheehee! *Izzy giggled in response*

 Heidi: ...So, Izzy, now that you've taken some time to get to know us, I have to ask… are you ticklish yourself? *asked Heidi cheekily, causing Izzy to perk up*

 Izzy: *excited gasp* Oh my gosh, yes! Yes, Mom! I am sooooo ticklish! Heeheeheeheeheehee! Oh my gosh! Heeheeheeheeheehee! I'm giggling just thinking about it! Heeheeheeheeheeheehee!

 Heidi: Heeheeheeheehee! You are, indeed. And do you like being tickled?

 Izzy: Heeheeheeheehee! Maaaaaaaybe! *answered Izzy, teasing Heidi and wiggling her toes slightly in anticipation* Heeheeheeheeheehee~!

 Heidi: Heeheeheeheehee! Well that sounds like a yes to me! Brad told me you did but I wanted to hear it from you.

 Izzy: Heeheeheehee! Oh he did, did he? *Izzy then asked, feeling nervous all of a sudden*

 Heidi: Heeheeheeheehee! Oh, yes. There's lots of things he told me about your ticklishness when he lived in the Underground with us; such as where to tickle to REALLY get you squealing!

 Izzy: Eep! Oh my gosh; that little devil! *Izzy shouted in response, pretending to be offended* Well, I can tell you right now that I am most certainly going to punish him sometime for telling you about that! *she added, implying that she will tickle torture Brad sometime; playfully*

 Heidi: Heeheeheehee! I bet you will! But can you blame him? *asked Heidi, placing her right hand on Izzy's stomach* You're an incredibly adorable little girl; and I bet you have some of the absolute cutest reactions to tickles in the entire world. *she added, seconds before lightly scribbling her fingers against Izzy's stomach on the outside of her tank top*

 Izzy: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! *Izzy squealed, taken completely by surprise* HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *she then laughed adorably, quivering her stomach with every passing second* MOHOHOHOM! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! JUST WHAHAHAT DO YOU THINK YOHOHOHOU'RE DOOHOOHOOING THERE, MOHOHOHOM?! *SQUEAK* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!

 Heidi: (*gasp of delight* Oh my g-god! Her reactions are even cuter than I thought! X3) Heeheeheeheehee! Why, I'm tickling you, of course! *Heidi answered with a giggle, right before ending her ticklish assault on Izzy for the time being* Heeheeheehee! And I would very much enjoy doing so some more after your nails dry and after we eat some dinner together; if that's ok with you, Izzy.

 Izzy: Heeheeheeheeheehee! Silly rabbit! Of course it is! Heeheeheeheeheehee!

 Heidi: Heeheeheehee! Fantabulous, my dear! Heeheeheeheehee!

 Heidi is very pleased to find out that what Brad has told her about Izzy's ticklishness is true so far and that she will be tickling Izzy again real soon. From the moment she heard that Izzy was ticklish, how ticklish she is, and that she loves being tickled, Heidi dreamed of one day tickling Izzy herself if she ever met her in person and now that she finally has an opportunity to do so and now that she feels that she's waited long enough, she's going to be sure to take full advantage of it! Plus, it'll be a nice little warm-up for Izzy before tomorrow; because if she tickles Bastian and does a great job of it, then it's very likely that he's going to want to tickle her back. Hehe. ;)

TO BE CONTINUED...

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of DC: Week of October 30th, 2019

Best of this Week: Tales from the Dark Multiverse - The Death of Superman - Jeff Loveness, Brad Walker, Drew Hennessey, Norm Rapmund, John Kalisz and Clayton Cowles

We all know the story of the Death of Superman.

It was one of the few times that Superman fought a threat that pushed him to his limits, ultimately meeting his “end” before a triumphant return after he had been presumed dead. However, what would have happened had Superman not come back as soon as he did? What if someone wanted revenge for his death and saw his passing as a failure on the part of his friends and allies? What if that person were Lois Lane, fueled by the anger of losing her loving husband, enraged enough to become the change the world needed without its greatest hero?

The book begins with Tempus Fuginaut questioning why the darkness keeps returning, why it seems to keep attempting to poison the rest of the multiverse and he is at a loss. He breaks when he mentions worlds that are already dark because of tragedy and get darker still. We then cut to Superman’s battle with Doomsday and his eventual death right up to Lois cradling his body. Where the original story sees her crying and appreciating all that the rest of the heroes were doing while the fight was going on, this book sees her turn to them in fury. She asks why none of them were there for him, why none of them helped him fight.

Brad Walker does an excellent job of conveying Lois’ emotions. Here, she is shown to be far more angry, her eyes showing a pain that honestly, I don’t think we’ve ever seen from her character. Her tears are well detailed, dripping down her cheeks with maybe some bit of mascara mixed in for effect. Her brow furrows and she lashes out at Batman in particular once he tries to comfort her.  

What’s most interesting about this take is the idea that those closest to Clark had been shunted to the side in favor of the League who Lois saw as attention seekers with no regard for his real family. In the original story, Lois and the Kents were in the forefront and were absolutely devastated at the funeral. In this story, Lois is barely able to see the proceedings as the crowd blocks her and some members of the League stop for photos (maybe, Hal Jordan stops and waves at someone). Lois is further disgusted as Lex Luthor (with luxurious long, red hair) unveils a golden statue of the Man of Steel and promises to “live up to the hope” of what Superman believed humanity was capable of. Lois feels that Clark would have found it all s disgusting.

Time goes by and the world turns back into the cesspool that it was before Superman even lit the sky up with hope. There are headlines that crime has skyrocketed and Lois can do nothing but look at it all with despair. Lois Lane had always been a giant beacon of hope, even before she met Clark, but something about his death and the way that world handled it just broke her. Her body language at her desk and later, Superman’s grave give off heavy feelings of sadness and depression. She can’t even have a good night's rest without thinking about him and the shoddy state of the world after his passing. Superman gave so much to humanity and they’ve all just pissed it away from her point of view.

She visits Ma Kent and comforts her as the Kents couldn’t even go to their son’s funeral to say their goodbyes. As they embrace, Martha tells Lois that Jonathan fell into a coma after a heart attack and you can feel her brokenness as she laments that “her boys are gone.” It rips at the heart to see, a testament to Brad Walker’s emotional art and Loveness’ amazing script. She stays with Ma Kent for an unstated period of time before making her way to the Fortress of Solitude to deliver Superman’s cape back to his Kryptonian home. 

She puts herself in a fetal position before the statues of Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van and suddenly the form of Eradicator appears before her. John Kalisz is given a ton of space to shine as this is one of the most visually dynamic sequence of pages in the book. Eradicator shimmers with a bright and vibrant shade of red accentuated by a white form. Energy surges around him in the form of circular marks, like bubbles as one exhales while swimming underwater. Even without a mouth, his eyes emote for him. Showing his own anger and lament after failing to save Superman in time. 

Lois, with tears in her eyes, offers her body as a vessel for his power as he cannot sustain it in his current form. He is reluctant at first, thinking that her body wouldn’t be able to take it, but upon seeing her resolve and want to finish Superman’s mission, he allows her to take his power. She is then showered in his energy in a bright blast as he dissipates into her. The Fortress of Solitude is destroyed with the red of the explosion contrasted by the blues and whites of the ice. Things simmer down for a moment before another single beam of light shoots out from the ice, revealing Lois in her Super-form. 

Her costume is amazing. Mirroring the bloody logo that made the Death of Superman story feel so visceral, she already feels like a different “hero” altogether, choosing to forego bright colors in favor of a black bodysuit and Superman’s torn cape. She vows to make the world better, to make it a world that deserved Superman. The way that she goes about it very similar to Injustice Superman’s approach, but instead of raising an army, she is the army. She takes down predatory banks, ends wars, feeds the hungry, kills the corrupt and does so without a hint of remorse. She begins to wonder why Clark never used his power in that way. The questions swirl around her mind as she wonders if Clark was truly naive or if he was just afraid of truly Saving humanity for whatever reason.

Many have asked similar questions over the years with the only real answer being that Superman wants humanity to advance on their own with him being a guiding hand, but not a firm one. Lois, only fueled by revenge, doesn’t have the same restraint. Eventually she finds Lex Luthor, knowing that he’s been the cause of all of the world’s troubles since Superman’s death. He doesn’t bat an eye as he admits to his heinous crimes; funding wars and conflicts, struck down climate regulations, created child soldier and even murdering his secretary just because he could. He expects Lois to bring him to justice, claiming that he owns far more judges than she could stop.

In a terrifying moment, she bursts through the glass window separating them and grabs him by the throat. Luthor is unable to speak, unable to stop her at all and the motif of tears continues as she tells him that Superman was Clark Kent. Luthor’s face, abject terror mixed with the loss of breath is both horrifying to see and absolutely gratifying considering his actions. She flies him past Earth’s atmosphere as quickly as she can, burning him to ash and bone in her hands before continuing her mission.

These are my favorite pages in the book. Loveness wrote it in such a way that all of the emotion is able to be carried by with little dialogue and the few words that are spoken were powerful. Walker made sure to draw these pages with an amazing amount of depth to them. Lois’ boiling anger is painted on her face through her tears, her body language indicates that she feels her actions are righteous and the ease that she’s able to keep hold of Luthor as she destroys him shows a level of control over her new powers and it is amazing. Kalisz makes no bones about showing how Lois’ inner darkness has taken over, showing her shrouded in fire and feeling nothing about what she has done.

The training wheels are taken off by this point as Lois has seemingly gone on a tear through the rogues gallery of almost everyone; burning Intergang, Cadmus, Ra’s al Ghul, Ares, Black Adam, Deathstroke and finally the Joker which draws the ire of Batman. He confronts her about what she’s done, leading to them having a fight. Batman does his best, but she tells him how much Clark actually held back against him, even going so far as to say that Clark pitied him and wished that he would stop being Batman. Bruce looks at her with a seething rage, saying that “he doesn’t stop” to which Lois says that she knows. While we don’t see the aftermath of their conflict up close, we do see her heat vision make a huge blast before she flies away.

This stuck out to me because, unlike Injustice that went out of its way to show all of the brutality that Superman inflicted upon the heroes of the world, we can interpret similar actions from how she was able to easily kill Batman alone. We don’t need to see what happened to know that it was heinous and that she likely had cut a swath through the other “glory hounds” as well. As she looks out to the vast emptiness of space, she sees her own truth. Humanity can’t be saved because they don’t want to be. Batman was the pinnacle of that and now that he’s gone, she’s finally realized it. Batman was one of the greatest humans to exist, but he was too wrapped up in his own emotion and damn anyone that tried to stop him.

What would a Death of Superman retelling be without the “pretenders?” Granted, I think this bit of the story took some liberties, but it was still horrific to see. She goes after Cyborg Superman and immediately sees through his ruse. They have a tussle and as it appears that she’s about to lose, Steel and Superboy show up only to be crushed and heat visioned to death. I suppose Superboy’s clone DNA doesn’t make him as invincible as Superman, but I don’t think Cyborg Superman has the power to control metal at will to crush Steel either. Lois proceeds to fight Cyborg Superman for God knows how long, not caring about property damage or the amount of people killed.

She looks around, seeing all of the damage and suddenly, in a black suit, Clark returns. He apologizes for how long it took and sees that she’s been fighting Cyborg Superman, then he takes a look at the crowd of people and sees that they’re afraid of her and he questioned why. Unfortunately, this leaves him distracted enough for Cyborg Superman to blast the pair with a ray of Kryptonite Energy, killing him and leaving his face frozen with terror at Lois. She kills Cyborg Superman and cradles his body again, this time knowing that she’s the one that kills him.

I loved this book because it was absolutely masterful. Lois Lane is such a great character that rarely gets stories of her own these days, aside from her current ongoing series by Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins. She is always portrayed as a strong character and seeing her succumb to a weakness like rage is refreshing in a dark way. One criticism I could draw is that this story focused very little on her journalism, but in contrast, how often do we get a super powered Lois Lane? 

Brad Walker, Drew Hennessey, Norm Rapmund and John Kalisz absolutely killed it in the art department. It was brutal without blood and the motif of tears and fire was a nice addition. Waller has such a distinctive and sharp style that is accentuated by Hennessey and Rapmund's inks and elevated by Kalisz' colors. This book was high quality and beautiful. 

High recommend!

[katehuntington]

Title: Ride With Me (part 11) Fandom: Supernatural AU Characters series: Reader, Dean Winchester, Bobby Singer, Ellen Singer-Harvelle, Jo Singer (Harvelle), Benny Lafitte, Garth Fitzgerald IV, Ash Miller, Castiel Novek, and many more. Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: ±6400 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family.  Summary part 11: The company of wranglers sets up camp for the night. After spending the evening sharing stories and music around the fire, Dean has another shot to win Y/N over. Will he take it? Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: The Weight - Jason Manns & the cast, Desire - Ryan Adams, Ada Plays - Gabriel Yared (final scene). Check out ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify! Author’s note: Thank you @kittenofdoomage and @girl-with-a-fandom-fettishfor helping me. You girls are awesome betas. Thank you for your endless patience! Author’s note 2: In a paragraph of this chapter, Apache Indians are mentioned. This does not reflect my (or my beta’s) opinion on them.

Ride With Me Masterlist

    It takes the six riders another seven hours to reach Willow Spring. The rough terrain forces them to move cautiously, especially since some members of the fellowship have little experience with these kinds of circumstances. Another reason for the slow time could very well be that Y/N halts every once every so often, simply gaping at the amazing panorama. The views are absolutely breathtaking, the young woman from Freeport has never seen anything like it.      Drops that would give fear of heights a new definition, wide-open spaces that make her feel so small in this incredible world. Old volcanic remnants emerged from the depths of the earth more than a hundred thousand years ago and still stand tall today. African daisies and brittlebush decorate the grounds for miles, blossoming after last month’s rain. Copper-colored mountains surround them for as far as the eye can see, separated from each other by deep canyons. The epic proportions of the Superstition Mountains are difficult to grasp. It’s quite liberating, to move through an area so remote and untouched, with a horse the only possible type of transportation. She feels like an explorer, a conqueror from the old times. No car could take her here, not even a tank or a helicopter would be able to get Y/N over these boulders and through the narrow canyons. Only Joplin can. 

    The cowgirl rests her wrist on the horn of the saddle, the reins loosely in between the fingers of her left hand. Joplin still speedwalks under her rider, who stopped attempting to slow her down hours ago. Apparently, the dark mare does not wish to adapt her speed, even though she asked nicely a couple of times. Of course, Y/N could have made her point, but the argument that would probably carry on for days is not worth it. Where the little horse gets the energy to keep this up, she has no idea, but Y/N is glad she’s a forward-thinker. Dragging a horse up this God-forsaken mountain wouldn’t actually be a pleasure either.

    Dean reaches the final hill first, looking down at the small stream that gurgles and splashes through the worn stone several hundred feet below. A lone willow tree grows on the bank, surrounded by cattails, marking the year-round water source. It’s a heavenly sight, because the horses are thirsty, and finding Willow Spring means that today’s time in the saddle is over. Make no mistake, he loves to ride, but after ten or so hours in the saddle, his ass is starting to get sore.     “We’ll set up camp here,” he decides, glancing over his shoulder at the others before he gives Ted the aid to descend the steep slope.    

    Dropped back on his hocks with his hooves out in front of him, the gelding makes his way down the hillside, trying to find the easiest path as he snakes down the mountain. Dean sits back, maintaining the balance as he lets his horse figure it out. When Ted reaches even ground again, Dean gives his companion space to drop his head completely. Alert, Ted drags his feet through the cold water, his lips on the surface of the crystal clear spring as he starts to drink, rhythmic gulps moving up his throat every time he swallows. Gently, the wrangler rustles his fingers through the bay’s mane, then he swings his right leg over the back of the saddle and lowers himself into the shallow spring. The water is pleasantly cold after a long day out in the desert and he can almost feel it sizzle when he splashes the water in his face and on the back of his neck. He rarely gets a sunburn anymore, but his skin feels tense and dry today. As the droplets run down his chin and neck, he puts his cowboy hat back on and rises up to find Y/N next to him, copying his actions. While Joplin gulps down at least a gallon, the female rider cups her hands to capture the refreshing water and wash her face clean, after which she lets the air flow from her lips in delight.

    “Long ride, huh?” Dean sighs.     “Sleeping is not going to be a problem, not even if I have to spend the night on a rock,” she admits.     “We’ll rest up here, Benny will get dinner going soon,” he assures her.       “Better be good, Benny,” she warns as she leads Joplin away from the riverbed, trading places with the Southerner. “I’m starving.”     “The things I can do with canned food above a fireplace, darlin’. Those Michelin star joints can kiss my fine behind,” he returns, a bright smile and even brighter eyes adorning his face.

    Dean grins at the claim and walks with Ted to follow Joplin. All fun aside, they cannot sit down and kick their feet up just yet. They have a camp to build.     “Brad, Jon, you can set up camp on that plateau up the hill. Benny and I will take care of the horses. Y/N and Macy? Can find us some firewood?” He looks in the intern’s direction and she nods in confirmation. He takes over the reins of her horse so that she can get to the task at hand.     “Watch out for snakes,” he presses.     “I know. And kick over the wood before you pick it up,” she adds before her supervisor does.     “Jo already gave you the lecture, huh?” Dean assumes, grinning.     “And Ellen, and Bobby.” She giggles, looking over her shoulder as she joins Macy to find some dry wood.

    The women hit the jackpot after searching the dry terrain a little higher up the stream. What once was a sheep shed is now a heap of wood and nails, nothing left standing but one corner strut. With the rotten planks stacked up in her arms, Y/N and Macy return to camp on the plateau, about a hundred feet from Willow Spring. Two out of the three tents are set up and ready to be inhabited, while the horses are tacked down and resting. Dean and Benny created a small paddock with rope, using two large boulders and a large cactus as anchor points.     Within half an hour there’s a fire going and soup is bubbling in a pot above the flames. The sun is setting fast, still reflecting its orange rays on the few clouds above, drawing shadows larger than the mountains that create them. Tired from the long day, the six riders sit around their improvised stove, easy conversation and joyful laughs rising up from the valley. It doesn’t take long before the night darkens the sky, the stars and the moon shining bright. Suddenly the desert that seemed enormous and wide-open during the day, feels cozy. Almost as if the company of six are in a room as big as the light of the fire can reach. The soup, rich with meatballs and vegetables, together with the bread Ellen baked this morning, fills their stomachs. Y/N stretches her legs out in front of her, crossing them at her ankles while she sits down on a boulder, stretching her back to fight the dull ache.

    “Who wants a beer?”     The intern looks up surprised while Benny gets up and looks from one to the other.     “We’ve got beer?” Brad, apparently as astonished as she is, wonders.     Benny shows his set of pearly whites and descends down the hill towards the cold spring.     “Even better,” he corrects, as he pulls the six-pack from between four stones, the cold water dripping from the bottles. “We’ve got cold  beer.”     The wranglers cheer as the Southerner makes his way up the slope again, after which he rummages in one of the saddlebags, probably to find an opener. Casually Y/N glances over, but then she furrows her brow as something catches her eye before Benny closes the straps again. Was that the handle of a pistol she spotted? The gears in her head start turning. Why would they bring a gun on a trail ride? Y/N isn’t a stranger to guns. Her brothers and father have a hunting cabin up north at White Mountain and her oldest sibling, Jake, is a police officer in Los Angeles. At home, she knows where they keep the guns, and in case of an emergency, she knows how to use them. Still, she wonders; why bring one here into the desert, miles from a living soul? Wild animals, maybe?

    “Here ya go, darlin’.”     Benny hands Y/N a bottle of Corona, which she takes gladly. Then he hops up on the large rock the intern is leaning against. Dean walks around the fire after pushing in a new log, then settles down on a small boulder on the other side of her. He props up one leg, the other stretched in front of him, resting his wrist on his knee while he begins to play with the silver band on his ring finger.     “Cheers, y’all,” he says, raising his bottle.     The others respond with a mutual ‘cheers’ and he takes a swig of the welcome refreshment. Y/N does the same, but can’t help to glance at the saddlebag again. Eventually, curiosity gets the best of her and she leans into Dean.     “Can I ask you something?”     He looks aside, attracted by her whisper, a little bit nervous all of a sudden now that she’s so close to him. Apparently, whatever she is going to require from him is not suitable for the tourists to hear.     “Shoot,” he replies.     “Why do you guys carry a gun with you?” Y/N wonders with a soft voice.     Dean cocks his eyebrow and can’t help but to lift up the corner of his mouth a little. Someone is being observant. He huffs before he answers, but Benny, who apparently was eavesdropping, beats him to it.     “Seems like we’ve got a detective amongst us, Chief,” the Southerner comments.     A little embarrassed, Y/N stammers as she looks up at him and back at Dean, his slightly amused and soft smile taking away some of her insecurities. “I - I didn’t mean to sniff around,” she half apologizes, but Dean brushes it off.     “It’s fine,” he assures, then checks on the other three to make sure they aren’t listening in. The tourists are entwined in a conversation of their own, however. “And that gun is a safety precaution.”     “For what?” she asks, not settling for an answer that vague.

    Dean glances at his friend, shielding his face from her for a second. It seems like he is discussing silently if he should share this matter with the intern, but in fact, he’s telling Benny something completely different. The slight nudge of his eyebrow and the suppressed little smile says one thing only: play along.     “We’re not the only ones out here, darlin’. Apache Indians still roam these mountains,” the farrier from the South elaborates.     Y/N’s eyes widen, as her gaze darts from Benny to Dean, but both keep a straight face. They aren’t serious, right?     “Apache Indians?” she repeats, a little skeptical.     Dean nods, carrying a blank expression and she could swear they are telling God’s honest truth.     “Yep. You better watch out for the natives. Us white folks came here and stole their land long ago in a brutal manner,” Benny adds, taking a sip of his beer to prevent himself from breaking character. “You’re a smart Belle, you can guess what they’d wanna do to us, might we cross paths with them, out here in No Man’s Land.”    Stunned, Y/N stares at him. It sounds hideous, but the way he delivers the story is disturbingly convincing. Plus, she looked into the history of the true Native Americans for a project back when she was a sophomore and remembers that there used to be a large colony at Apache Junction, not far from here. She didn’t realize that besides dangerous five hundred feet drops, unbearable heat, venomous spiders, snakes and scorpions, there is more to fear out here in these wastelands. But then she notices how Dean presses his lips together, so tight that his jaw clenches for just a second as he fights a laugh. On to them, Y/N tilts her head and throws the two boys a glare, causing them to crack.     “Idiots,” she mutters as they laugh loudly.     Sniggering, the friends toast their beer bottles, celebrating their successful prank. Sometimes Y/N wishes she wasn’t the easily fooled city girl.     “All jokes aside,” Dean recovers, his tone serious again. “We always bring that gun on trails in case a horse injures itself lethally. We’re miles out from the road, let alone a veterinarian, so if it would ever come to a worst-case scenario, at least we can put the horse out of its misery.”     Y/N didn’t expect that answer and is silenced by the reason for the weapon. She only now realizes how far from civilization they are. Slippery slopes and narrow paths over high ridges are a recipe for accidents, but that a misstep could have such consequences somehow didn’t dawn on her until now. When things go south out here, they are truly on their own.

    “Did you ever have to use it?” she wonders.     Dean shakes his head gladly. “No, but Bobby did once,” he tells her. “That’s why he insists on us bringing the Colt every time we go out.”     “The Colt?” the intern responds. “The gun has a name?”     “It’s not just some gun. It was specially made for a hunter on horseback at the beginning of the 19th century. It has been in the family for a long time,” Dean explains as he takes another swig from his bottle.     “Well, I hope you will never have to fire that gun,” Y/N says solemnly.     He looks at her and agrees to that statement with a small nod, because he surely hopes he doesn’t have to either.     “How about some tunes, Chief?” Benny suggests.     The night is still young and he is looking for ways to fill the evening; musical entertainment will do just that. Dean throws him a displeased look, though, but his friend already pulled his harmonica from the chest pocket of his jacket. He holds the instrument in front of his mouth with one hand and partly covers the exhale holes to give the extra effect as he blows on it, playing a little riff that captures the attention of the others. Dean sighs; there's no way out of it now.     “What are you gonna sing?” Y/N asks the handsome man next to her.     The giddiness in her voice melts away Dean’s discomfort for being put in the limelight by Benny once again. He remembers her first day on the job when he sang a couple of songs. Her beautiful eyes sparkle just as bright as they did that night and he smiles.     “How about a duet?” he suggests.     She snorts, almost choking on her beer. “What? With me ?! God, no. Clearly, you’ve never heard my singing voice.”     “I have, actually,” he begs to differ. “You hum quite a lot when you’re working. And I heard you sing ‘American Pie’ the other day when you were cleaning tack.”     “Were you spying on me?” Y/N eyes him, jumping subjects to get out of a potentially embarrassing situation.     He averts his gaze, a nervous chuckle under his breath. His eyes have lingered on the new wrangler apprentice more than once. There is no denying that.     “I wouldn’t call it spying,” he corrects shyly.     “What would you call it then?”     She pulls up her legs and folds her arms around them, resting her cheek on the flat surface of her knee as she studies him. It amuses her how flustered he gets whenever she catches him taking an interest. He can be so cocky at times, so full of it, but when she corners him only slightly, he seems self-conscious all of a sudden. Now is no different, but he gathers enough courage to look back at her again.     “I’d call it admiring.”

    Dean holds her gaze for a few seconds after he speaks, fire dancing in his beautiful eyes that seem to have a shade of amber now that the flames reflect in them. Unable to look away, Y/N’s cheeky grin tones down into a small smile, the words warming her more than the desert ever could.     “C’mon, brother. This audience ain’t gonna wait all night.” Benny pauses his harmonica solo to rush the head wrangler, missing the conversation that was going on between the two.     “I’ll handle the main vocals. Will you back me up?” Dean asks the cowgirl, not letting his pal interrupt the moment.     “I-I don’t even know what you’re gonna sing,” she returns nervously.     “You’re into classics; you’ll know this song,” he assures, winking at her before he turns to Benny and mouths the title of the track.     Benny nods his head and then starts the melody to ‘The Weight.’ Dean looks over at Y/N as he taps his foot to the rhythm, waiting for her to identify the track just by the cords that Benny plays. Then her face lights up and he grins, knowing that she’s got it now.     “I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling ‘bout half past dead.     I just need some place where I can lay my head.     Hey mister, can you tell me where a man can find a bed?     He just grinned and shook my hand. “No” was all he said.”

    Nervous for her debut as a background singer and yet delighted by his warm voice, Y/N waits for her cue. She has never sung for other people before. In her own head, it sounds quite alright when she joins in with the vocalists of her favorite songs, either while mucking out or under the shower. But to claim she can sing? Absolutely not. God, you’re gonna make a fool of yourself. Are you truly so desperate to get his approval that you signed up for this? Then Dean nudges her softly, calm eyes telling her that she’s going to be fine.

    “Take a load off Fanny. Take a load for free.     Take a load off Fanny…”

    “- and you put the load right on me.”

    Y/N joins him on the last line, hitting a higher note simultaneously with Dean, creating a vocal harmony. The cowboy smiles widely at her, impressed with her voice. Relieved, she beams when Jonathan whistles and Macy and Jon cheer. Maybe she doesn’t sound so bad after all.

    “I picked up my bags, I went looking for a place to hide.     When I saw old Carmen and the Devil, walkin’ side by side.     I said, ‘Hey Carmen! C’mon, let’s go downtown.’     She said, “I gotta go, but my friend can stick around.     Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free.     Take a load off Fanny, and you put the load right on me.”

    They sing the chorus together and Y/N can feel herself loosening up, swaying to the music as she closes her eyes. The classics enthusiast knows most of the lyrics by heart and dares to play with the melody a little bit when there’s room, all the time carrying a smile on her lips. A smile that is pure bliss to Dean, and watching the woman he is losing his heart to express herself has him lost for words. This is what happiness looks like and he can’t get enough of seeing her in this state of mind.

    Benny finished the song with a little solo of his own, knocking his head back with the last notes and drawing applause from the others. Y/N exchanges a look with the two wranglers, thrilled with how that little collaboration worked out. As the clapping dies down, Dean becomes quiet, pondering on his next song. Curious of what he will pick next, Y/N watches him. She doesn’t know, however, that she is the one person occupying his mind.      Again Dean turns to his best mate. “You know the chords to ‘Desire’, Ryan Adams?”     “Sure do.”     He brings the harmonica to his mouth and lets the air flow through the instrument as he moves the intakes on his lips, testing the notes. Dean listens, staring into the fire for a moment as he gets the feel of it. Then Benny starts on the verse and the cowboy begins to sing.

    “Two hearts fading, like a flower.     All this waiting, for the power.     For some answers, to this fire.     Sinking slowly, the water’s higher.     Desire… Desire…”

    Quietly Y/N watches as he moves his upper body back and forth slowly, like waves rolling onto the beach and pulling back again. His voice overwhelms her with every note, so raw and pure and sincere that it gives her goosebumps. Sometimes his eyes close as he enjoys the flow of the song, but throughout most of his performance, they are open, looking up at either the sky or into the flickering flames. But ever so often he glances over, honest eyes strengthening the message. Is he…? Is he singing this song for her?

    “With no secrets, no obsession.     This time I’m speeding. With no direction.     Without reason. What is this fire?     Burning slowly, my one and only…hmmm.”

    Desire… Desire…”

    There’s a calmness that washes over her and for that moment, it feels like it’s just the two of them. While listening to the words, she brings her hand up to cover her mouth, afraid to make a sound and disturb the magic. Folded fingers press against her lips as she swallows apprehensively, feeling her throat is closing up. She is so moved, that tears shimmer in her eyes. Her eyes which never leave him, not once.

    “You know me. You know my way.     You just can’t show me, but God, I’m praying.     That you’ll find me, and that you’ll see me.     That you run and never tire.”

    Desire… Desire…”

    The harmonica echoes through the valley as Benny takes on the last part of the song, but the sound of the instrument fades out in Y/N’s mind. Dean watches his friend for a short moment, but then glances at her. Instantly his expression changes and she realizes he is able to see that her eyes are glazed over in emotion.     “Hey…” he whispers concerned, moving his hand to lay it over hers.     “I’m okay,” she assures, smiling, blinking away the tears. “In fact, I don’t think I ever felt this happy.”     Dean settles, the worry leaving room for his own happiness. Supporting, he gently squeezes before he retreats his hand, holding onto her gaze just a bit longer. Then he averts his eyes to watch the harmonica player’s grand finale.     Several other rock and country songs are covered and the evening flies by in record time. Adoring glances and little touches are exchanged between Y/N and Dean, without the others noticing. If it wasn’t for the company, who knows how the night might end, and she silently wishes it was just them, sitting here by the fire. It’s ten to midnight when she fails to suppress a yawn.     “You and me both,” Macy comments as she gets up, covering her mouth as she yawns as well. “I’m gonna get some sleep.”     It’s anything but a bad idea, because their bodies are drained. Macy’s friend and her brother get up as well, gathering their things before they go to their tent, thanking the crew for the good night.

    “You take first watch, brother?” Benny checks before he hops off the boulder.     Dean nods. “I’ll wake you up at three.”     “Already lookin’ forward to it,” the farrier grunts.     He shuffles to the tent closest to the paddock and unzips the canvas, crawling in on hands and knees, before closing the opening again. And there she has it, her wish granted; it’s just her and Dean now.

    The wrangler realizes it too, because a nervousness overcomes him. He adjusts himself a little, crossing his stretched legs at his ankles as he observes her for a short minute. Poor thing, she can barely keep her eyes open. Ten hours in the saddle and traveling across the desert under the ruthless sun are taking their toll.     “You should get some rest,” he suggests softly. “Tomorrow’s another day.”     Almost pleading, Y/N looks up at him, because even though her body begs to differ, she wants to stay. But when a yawn escapes her again, she has to admit her loss; she is so tired, she’s not even worth a dime. With at least two more days to go, the cowgirl needs to keep her strength up.     “You’re right.” She sighs as she gets up. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning. Good night, Dean.”     “G’night,” he returns, an ache developing in his chest as she moves away.     He watches her struggle with the tent and chuckles, but then she disappears inside, leaving a saddening silence. Within a couple of seconds he regrets his decision of letting her go, but remains seated on the rock, facing the fire. Pondering, he goes over the night, over every single moment, no matter how small.     “Chief?”     Dean looks over at the tent he shares with Benny, noticing how the Southerner has popped his head through the opening again.     “If you were waitin’ for the perfect opportunity,” his friend carefully starts, “that was it.”     The head wrangler glares at his friend, telling him that now is not a good time to judge his actions. Benny has a point, though; he missed his third shot. Let’s hope the rules of baseball don’t apply in this game of love.

    Wide awake, Y/N stares at the ceiling of her tent while listening to the wildlife outside. Crickets chirp loud enough to annoy the restless woman, but she can blame the insects all she wants, they are not the reason for her insomnia. She slept for about thirty minutes, unconscious before her head hit the pillow, but without significant reason, she woke up and hasn’t been able to sleep since. A sigh slips from her lips as she shuts her eyes stubbornly, forcing herself to get some sleep, but after a minute she opens them again and turns on her flashlight to check the time. For God’s sake, it’s almost 2 AM.

    Y/N switches off the torch again and tosses and turns, trying to get comfortable on the thin air mattress without waking Macy. But whatever she does, her brain continues its attempt to process and analyze every emotion that short-circuited her body last night. Every bit of hope, happiness, but most of all, the love that filled her. There’s no doubt in her mind; she knows she has fallen head over boots for Dean. The difference is that she strongly believes she witnessed his love for her as well tonight. She knew he was interested, he made that clear early on. But this… this is different. This is deeper.     Inhaling slowly, Y/N tries to lower her heart rate and calm herself, but it’s a hopeless case. Defeated, she gives up and rises from the bed, slipping back into her jeans. Somewhat angry with herself, she pulls a clean tank top over her head and squirms into her denim jacket, after which she crawls to the opening to unzip the tent.

    Apart from the crickets, it’s quiet outside. The campfire has decreased in size, only half a log fueling the flames. The faint light fans out and only reaches so far, drawing dark shapes past the rocks and tents. Beyond its range, the world is pitch black. A little uneasy, Y/N crosses her arms in front of her chest and tries to chase away the chill. It’s the beginning of October and the difference between day and night is growing larger. In contrast to the heat about twelve hours ago, the air seems brisk now, as it would be on an autumn night at home.

    She sits down on the boulder facing the fire, hunched over as she looks around for Dean. Every sound seems magnified, sounds that she does not want to know the origin of. Didn’t Benny mention that there are mountain lions in this area? One of the horses sighs a little further up and although Y/N can barely make out their shadows, she tries to ease herself with the fact that they are calm. Their instincts would make them the first to sense danger, so if they are comfortable, why shouldn’t she be?     Something rummages in the dark and slow footsteps follow. Her eyes dart in the direction where the sound comes from, but then Y/N lets out a breath of air when it is in fact the person she hoped to find.     Dean steps into the light and notices the intern, clearly surprised. “Hey… What are you doing up?”     “Couldn’t sleep,” she excuses simply.     For a second he wonders what caused her to lie awake, but decides to leave the reason for what it is and instead makes a joke. “Scared that the Apache Indians will invade the camp?”     “Shut up,” she mutters, embarrassed.

    Smirking amused, he shoves some dry branches into the fire, trying to spike it up a little. He then settles down next to her on the boulder that serves fine as a bench, careful to leave enough space between them. At ease, he watches Y/N from aside, who in turn stares at the fire, intrigued. How the flames lick at the wood, slowly swallowing the twigs. How little fireflies of hot amber twirl up into the night sky.

  The weariness that he felt when she left a couple of hours ago is gone instantly, her presence soothing him. She has her arms crossed in front of her chest, hugging herself to stay warm. It makes her seem so small. Without missing a beat, he reaches for the plaid blanket that he used himself earlier before he went to check the horses, and hangs it over her shoulders.     Grateful, Y/N pulls the wool fabric around her body a little tighter. “Thank you.”

    For a couple of minutes, the two of them just sit there, listening to the crackle and pop of the fire as they simply enjoy each other’s company. Reluctant to break the silence, Y/N steals a glance at the handsome man next to her. The radiance of the flames caresses his hair, highlighting it with gold and adding a soft glow to his freckled skin. Dark shadows bring out his strong jaw, his profile illuminated by the frantic light. There’s a softness in his eyes, his pupils slightly dilated due to the darkness that surrounds them, but they still leave enough for the beautiful shade of forest green to mesmerize her. Feeling his company’s lingering gaze, he turns his head to meet it. He smiles, the smallest chuckle rumbling deep down in his throat as he takes her in.

    “What?” she wonders.     “When you first arrived at the ranch, you seemed a little… out of place. We just brought the cattle in and we all looked ragged and dirty, probably smelled even worse. We had a few drinks, were loud. A proper bunch of country folks,” he starts. “And then you walked in, the complete opposite. Your hair all done, nice clothes, shiny boots.”     She grins. “I stood out, huh?”     “You did.” He smirks at the memory, but he’s not just reminiscing over the first time they met.     “Are you telling me that I look ragged and dirty now too? Or that I smell bad?” She side-eyes him, noticing the slight horror on his face when he realizes how his words are coming across.     “No! N-no, that’s not at all what I’m… Y-you smell great,” he stutters, and Y/N can’t contain a giggle.      Dean scoffs and shakes his head; she got him there. Slowly the heat fades from his cheeks. “What I’m tryin’ to say is… I mean, look at you now,” Dean says, letting his eyes roam over her for a second. “You’re achieving your goals, proving the judgemental ones wrong. And I know it ain’t easy. It’s hard work. I’ve seen plenty of people cave in their first week. But not you. You became a part of the ranch… a part of this family.”

    The corners of her mouth lift when the last word sets in. Family. She is a part of this family. Of course, she isn’t from here and she will always call Freeport home, and yet Y/N has never felt like she truly belonged somewhere. Not until now.     “Were you one of the judgemental ones?” she asks him.     “I would be lyin’ to you if I said I wasn’t,” he admits, shame evident when he lowers his head. “I’ve never been more glad to be wrong, though.”     Her smile grows, much like her heart. She looks down at her feet, dragging marks with her heels in the sand. Why is she so nervous to sit here next to him, when at the same time she has never felt more comfortable?

    “Dean?” She turns to him a little bit more, her knee brushing against his. The touch is so light it shouldn’t leave her skin so sensitive, but it does. “That song you sang,” she continues, daring to restore eye contact. “Was that dedicated to someone?”     The wrangler’s heartbeat fastens and he’s doing his best not to heave his chest noticeably. He knows she’s not asking if he sang her a pretty song. No, she’s asking if he meant it. If every word that rolled from his tongue was the truth. If every raw edge in his voice was shaped by the rush of emotions that plows through him whenever he thinks of her. If every time he closed his eyes as he got lost in the music, it was her who he pictured.     “It was,” he admits.     “Does she know?” she counters, her eyes playfully taunting him.     He grins, dipping his chin slightly, but his expression changes the moment she moves her hand to his face and lets her delicate fingers run through his hair, her thumb softly rubbing his temple. Under hypnosis he stares into her soul, his eyes bouncing over her features.

      He’s not sure if he can speak, now that he’s completely under her spell, but he can try.     “I sure as hell hope she does,” he says, his voice so soft that it is no more than a whisper. “But you tell me.”

    If there was any doubt left about the attraction being mutual, it is gone now. Dean just laid it out in front of her, and as a pair of hopeful greens wait for her to respond to his words, Y/N doesn’t waste another second. She closes the few inches between them, shuts her eyes and meets the cowboy halfway. She kisses him first, the action igniting a similar sensation as diving off a cliff into unknown water: thrilling, scary, but addictively exciting at the same time. Thankfully Dean instantly responds, welding his lips against hers and taking away her insecurity. Y/N half registers him cupping her face, careful not to break the moment, but the rush of blood to the head soon has her so dizzy that she has trouble focusing.

    He lingers in the kiss, drawing out the moment for as long as he can. Then they part, pausing for a second as both wranglers open their eyes. Stunned, they stare at each other. Her hand has slid down to his chest, and he knows she can feel it rising and falling under her touch, his heart beating against her palm like a drum. Trying to get a hold of himself, he takes a breath, a small smile forming on his parted lips as he swipes a frizzy strand of hair from her face. He always thought she was beautiful, but in this light, looking at him like she does now… My God, beauty doesn’t even begin to define her.     Now he moves in, less hesitant, drowning in another kiss before he can help himself. His lips graze over hers eagerly, deepening the connection when she allows him to. Giving the cowboy permission, even chasing him in the touch, sets him free completely. Finally, he is able to push past the self-consciousness. Finally, he can dismiss the voice within that tells him that she deserves so much better. The woman he’s in love with wants to be with him and nothing has ever felt so liberating. He lets her know, by tracing the soft skin of her cheek with his thumb. By resting his forehead against hers for a brief moment when he needs to come up for air. By putting every bit of want and adoration into their first kiss.     Every one of Y/N's senses is set in overdrive. As she breathes him in, she smells the aroma of aftershave from this morning’s trim, mixed with the scent of leather, horses and dust. She tastes the salt on his slightly chapped lips and El Corona on his tongue. She hears his respiration, the sound of him pulling in oxygen whenever his mouth parts from her for a short second, blend with the noise of her own breaths. But it’s how he touches her that blows her mind. He cradles her head, curled fingertips pressing in her skin as if he’s afraid he will lose what he just gained. Moved, she cards her fingers through his short hair and pulls him even closer, letting him know that she isn’t going anywhere. And all this time, her palm covers his heart, the steady rhythm that beats under her touch intensifying the intimacy. Wanting to stay here with her as long as possible, he lets his free hand slip over hers.     After an entire month of fighting this feeling, contemplating whether this is a good idea or not, they broke through the restraints. For now, the self-doubt is gone, the fear of commitment with it. Neither of them worries about the consequences of their actions, nor about the fact that Y/N will leave in five months. At this very moment, all that matters is that they allowed each other in. Here at Willow Spring in the Superstition Mountains, Arizona. The center of the universe.

Well, you waited almost 60K for this moment. I hope it met the expectations!

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to reblog my work or buy me coffee (Link in bio at the top of the page)

Read part twelve here