#my lawyer boi wanted to come out and play real bad

[cherrysugcr]

open to ladies connection: fiance, serious romantic partner, gf etc. inspo: pierce hasn't been entirely truthful about why he's so successful as a criminal defense attorney

"Look I didn't tell you any of this because it wasn't relevant information. Plus I didn't want to scare you," Pierce murmured the last part under his breath. "Just because I helped get some mafia kind of guys stay out of jail doesn't make me a criminal. I did have morals, I would never defend a murder charge or other violence unless there was clear evidence my client was innocent. So yes all this material wealth around us was paid for by people others consider scum but I don't. Plus I don't do that anymore, haven't done it since I moved here and met you. So I'm sorry that you or whoever decided to do an internet search of my name and found this out but I'm not denying any of it. And if you've already judged me on this just remember when we met I made it clear, I defend people considered the bad guys. The fact is it just pays more. I don't see you clamoring to give back any of the gifts I bought you since learning this information by the way."

[yuwuta]

I LOVE UR BRAIN SO BAD 😭😭😭 YOU ALWAYS POST THEBBEST HEADCANONS AND THOUGHTS LIKE. WORK HUSBAND GOJO. AND JUST HAVING A WHOLE IMAGINATION OF THE OFFICE W NANAMI AND HIGURUMA AND TOJI I?????? I WANT TO LIVE IN YOUR BRAIN

TEEHEEEE you’re so sweet <33333 the work husband to actual husband to househusband gojo pipeline is so so real to me and the office au that comes with it truly does take up space in my brain, so here’s some more loosely established points 

satoru has been your work husband since you got your first job in undergrad. you two met in your dorms, and became friends, and eventually you thought a job would help with your time management skills, so you got a very low-maintenance position at the front desk of the library. satoru applied right after you and schmoozed the two little old librarians into giving him the same shifts as you. that was probably the first moment satoru knew he was a little bit in love with you—because he had no reason to have a job while in school, but this small change in your schedule made him miss you so much that he was moved to get his very first job, probably ever, just to spend more time with you. 

he wasn’t bad at his library receptionist job, but he technically wasn’t good at it, either. if a student asked him for a laptop charger or to check out a book or something, he could do that, but anything else he’d just smile and say, “oh, you’ve gotta ask the pretty girl right there about that, she knows way more than me,” and bat his eyelashes at you. except, then, when you did need to get up to grab something for someone, satoru would just spring up instead, and tell you he’s got it. it’s like… he was incapable of helping anybody else unless he got to flirt with you, and then help you out to help them out……… strange boy 

anyways, satoru makes it a habit to assist you through your student jobs throughout undergrad, and then follows you to the same law school and repeats the process there. (also not to elle woods-ify him a bit but his father heavily questions him going to law school btw because satoru has never showed any interest in working, let alone following in his footsteps to be a lawyer, and now he’s going to law school? his mom is a bit sharper though, because when satoru tells his parents he’s going to the same law school as you, she just smiles and sips her tea and wonders if her son has already made a trip to their family jeweler). 

the firm is large, but the floor you work on is a pretty close knit group. there’s hiromi’s office at the tail end, which is the largest because he’s managing partner and he practically lives in there. on the other end, both you and nanami have decently sized offices. satoru doesn’t like hiromi at first because he thinks he’s mean. then satoru watches him play a little prank on kento, and suddenly the two of them are best friends. it would be a surprisingly wholesome friendship if their common denominator wasn’t irritating kento, and acting as guard dogs for you. 

kento’s office used to be just the bare necessities—law books, his degree, basic furniture, maybe a fancy paperweight, until satoru got his hands on it and decked it out. which is not something kento asked for, nor he thinks is necessary, but that doesn’t stop satoru from continually adding little trinkets and decorations and art to his office to make it livelier. when kento first meets you, he’s surprised when you tell him satoru gojo is going to be your secretary because kento interned for satoru’s father for two summers during law school, but when kento sees you and satoru together for the first time, it answers all of his questions. satoru couldn’t be more of a lovesick fool if he tried. 

listen the ex-convict to single father to janitor to lawyer toji pipeline is so real to me. while toji is working as a janitor at the firm, satoru slips once and then jokes that toji shines the floors too aggressively on purpose to make him slip, toji tells him to fuck off and he can sue for harassment. they truly don’t like each other at first, but once satoru steals toji’s masterkey to get into your office one night after you’re gone to leave flowers, and handle some paperwork to lighten your load in the morning, toji is sort of impressed. he still almost hits him with a broomstick, but even someone as gruff as him can see that satoru had pure intentions. toji is a lot of things, but he’s not immune to or devoid of love or passion. so, eventually he and satoru develop a weird sort of banter and respect for each other. one day someone actually tries to accuse toji of not putting the wet floor sign down and how it’s gonna be a lawsuit because some lowlife janitor fucked up his $3000 suit. satoru catches the argument as he’s heading upstairs and recognized the schmuck as the stuck up lawyer on the other side of kento’s case. satoru’s ready to jump in, but toji’s displaying an impressive amount of physical restraint and legal knowledge that when the dust is all settled, satoru asks him if he ever considered being a lawyer. toji laughs at it at first, but after a month of serious consideration (and megumi becoming a college freshman), he figures it can’t be all that bad. and turns out, toji’s a half-decent lawyer—once you’ve spent so much of your life skirting (or blatantly breaking) the law, you become pretty good at getting people out or around it, too. and with his life experience, he’s a pretty good judge of character; so when it comes time to lock up the bad ones, toji makes sure they get the maximum sentence.

except he has a bad habit of sending out emails with “URGENT: NEEDS ATTN” in the subject, which prompts you, kento, and hiromi to rush to his office, just to see toji with his feet up on his desk tell you that, “the emergency is i hate the opposing counsel, and now that i work on this side of the law i’d really like to not kill him, so somebody else should take this case.” 

anyways back to work husband secretary satoru. he pulls you out of boring meetings under the guise of an urgency, just for him to admit that the emergency is that he missed you, and you two were gonna be late for your lunch reservation. because he’s actually a licensed attorney, he can actually carry out duties an associate otherwise would, which saves you a lot of time and trouble; and it means that satoru gets to work even more closely with you, which is always an upside for him. sometimes you ask him to hand you documents and instead he just hands you his hand. and then pretends to blush and preen like a schoolgirl which always draws way too much attention to the two of you, but there’s no way to stop him either. he takes your coat off of your shoulders when you arrive in the morning, and helps you put it back on in the evening. when you tell him you’re looking for an apartment closer to the firm, he has eight places lined up for viewing, and one surprise at the end which happens to be the other vacant penthouse suite in his apartment building; which, conveniently, would make you satoru’s neighbor. he claims that it’ll be just like in college, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way when you finally move in and satoru can now loudly and proudly proclaim, “see you at home!” in the halls at work now. 

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 악인전기 / EVILIVE.

EVILIVE is a 2023 Korean crime drama about a mild-mannered middle-aged lawyer who becomes convinced by a beautiful tall mob boss that he is tired of being nice and does want to go apeshit.

I'm going to try real hard not to do the "[guy who has only seen Beyond Evil, watching a second Korean drama] this is giving Beyond Evil vibes" thing, but you have to admit up front that comparisons are inevitable. Both of them are tight, emotionally charged dramas with a lot of blurred lines about right and wrong, and both star the absolute acting powerhouse that is Shin Hakyun playing against a gorgeous younger man who sexually threatens him a lot.

However, EVILIVE makes Beyond Evil look warm and fuzzy. The series is tight, violent, messy tale of what happens when bad choices are the only choices left to make, but you lean real hard into them anyway. So especially if you're a fan of Infernal Affairs, The Gangster, the Cop, and the Devil, and/or other homoerotic East Asian crime-and-punishment media, let me give you five reasons why I think this ten-episode series is worth your time.

1. Daddy's home

But which one of them is Daddy??? Well, that's part of the fun. See, one of the characters is older and more composed, but also clearly the economically and hierarchically subordinate of the pair; the other is younger and has spent more time obediently submitting to his crime bosses, but has all the money and wields all the power in any room he walks into (and also uses every inch of his 6'2" frame to do it). So whichever one you think deserves that title, you're right.

Watching Shin Hakyun in a couple other things, I realized how often he's cast as a sniveling, pathetic, nerdy boy-man -- and he makes good use of that experience here. His Han Dongsu starts off as a wet paper towel of a person. They put that handsome fellow in the worst possible haircut a Korean man is allowed to have by law, frumped him up in some ill-fitting suits, and left him out in the rain for a couple scenes. It'd be criminal how much they nerfed his hotness if you didn't know from the start he's got a glow-up coming.

And it's a perfect contrast to the tall, lanky, and always slightly underwashed Seo Doyeong, played perfectly by Actual Runway Model Kim Youngkwang. Equal parts sleepy-eyed and vicious, Seo Deoyeong is a perfect handsome thug. He too looks like a lion who asked a good fairy to turn him into a beautiful Japanese lesbian, only his good fairy missed slightly, but the results were still pretty great.

And oh boy, does he want to fuck that old man in half.

There is a lot going on in this show, but the core dynamic is the weird dance between these two as Seo Doyeong opens the door to the criminal underworld and Han Dongsu makes the choice to step through it. The Korean title translates roughly to 'Villain Story,' so you know from the start this is going to about one guy looking at another and going, I can make him worse. And then he does.

I know there are those of you reading this right now who like it when those boys get rough with one another. I am here to tell you that EVILIVE does not disappoint on that front. If you consider stabbing someone a love language, this to you will be romance.

2. The TENSION

And I don't just mean the sexual tension, though, as my previous point noticed, there sure is a whole lot of that.

EVILIVE is not an easy feel-good funtime show. The very first scene (a flash-forward) involves seeing a character get stone-cold murdered by another character. This show features Legitimately Bad People Who Do Legitimately Bad Things. You may want some of them to get away with it because you like them for other reasons! But you know that geting away with it gets less and less likely every time you see them do yet another Legitimately Bad Thing.

The general shape of the plot is that a deeply stressed normie man who has been repeatedly fucked over gets a chance to strike back against the people and organizations that fucked him over by going to work for a violent mobster -- because all the systems that were supposed to help him are deeply corrupt and run by people arguably even worse than said violent mobster. So you don't even get the moral high ground of saying that Han Dongsu should have done things the right way because, motherfucker, he tried. He tried doing things by the book, and all that got him was a bunch of debt and humiliation. Worse, it got his loved ones a bunch of debt and humiliation to go right along with his.

Yeah, you notice I call him "normie" up there, and not "normal"? Han Dongsu is not a normal guy. Maybe he was, once, a long time ago, but life broke him very badly. Now he's trying to do what all the nice people say he's supposed to do, all the while being a bottled-up rage monster beneath the surface.

That's where Seo Doyeong comes in.

I do think the back half of the show is unevenly paced, to the point where I don't think it should have taken your full standard sixteen episodes of a regular-sized Korean drama, but I definitely think it should have gotten more than ten. The show kind of handwaves over months-long stretches of time that I very much would have liked to see play out, especially to watch Han Dongsu and Seo Doyeong bounce off one another some more.

If I were to put on my tinfoil hat, I would say that you would have to fast-forward over those stretches, because if you did show the extent of those boys' interactions during those periods -- enough to give some later events in the show the gravity they deserve -- things would quickly get unsustainably gay.

All right, all right, I know I'm calling things gay again, but how gay is it?

Well, to some degree, only as gay as these things ever are. I mean, you know the genre, so you understand the inherent sexiness of busting the lip of a guy you have a complicated life-or-death relationship with. If one of them were a girl, there'd be no question about what we're looking at here. (See: the Butch and Sundance digression in point 5 of my Sand Sea rec post.) You pretty much can't create the intense dynamic needed to sustain this kind of story without getting into at least a little unintentional homoeroticism.

Except I don't think it's entirely unintentional, and for that, I'm going to point (again) to Seo Doyeong.

When we first meet Seo Doyeong, he claims to have a girlfriend -- but then we actually meet her, and she's everyone's girlfriend but his. He never shows any interest in women. He never mentions romantic or sexual histories with women. I don't think he even interacts substantially with any adult women, minus one critical scene. Actual Runway Model Kim Youngkwang playes Doyeong like he clearly has the 'fight' and 'fuck' sections of his brain cross-wired, and he is always spoiling for a fight.

Now, of course, we are getting into the murky territory of 'just because a guy doesn't express interest in women doesn't necessarily mean he's gay!' Which, you're right, it doesn't. But when said guy is spending damn near every scene looking like somebody's about to get their dick sucked, yeah, it kinda does.

Wait, did I say we weren't talking about sexual tension? Well, that's fine, because there's still lots of high-stress surprises left! I've already made allusions to some of the general shapes of the narrative, and I'll make even more before this rec post is through -- and I don't feel like those are spoilers, because you can know the trajectory of the story and still find yourself holding your breath about what's going to happen next. It's like Breaking Bad! You know he breaks bad! That's not a spoiler! It's in the title!

EVILIVE's plot exists in a tangle of warring organized crime factions, all the bosses and goons vying for power inside said factions, the politicians they've paid off, the lawyers who know all their secrets, the businessmen trying to maximize their profits through illegal enterprises, the corrupt law enforcement agencies trying to make the conclusions fit their preferred narratives... What I'm saying is, it's going to get messy.

Oh, and there's also the one honest cop who's onto them, so, you know ... good luck with that.

3. Baby brother. Baby.

Every tragedy needs collateral damage. EVILIVE's comes in the form of Han Dongsu's dipshit younger half-brother, Han Beomjae.

God's perfect failure to launch, Beomjae is an underachieving doofus who has some real computer smarts, but lacks the ability to get his shit together in any meaningful fashion. Dongsu has taken care of Beomjae pretty much their whole shared lives, and now he also takes care of Beomjae's precious daughter, Minhui, who lives all but full-time with Dongsu and his wife.

I like that Beomjae's not some perfect angel either. Pretty much the first thing we do is see him scamming a customer at his part-time job so he can earn some extra cash. He's sweet and earnest, but he's also absolutely capable of taking advantage of situations to get by. When he's lying to customers about the price of refurbished hardware, that's one thing. When the big brother he'd do anything for gets wrapped up with a mob boss, that's quite another.

The show is kind of fuzzy about what the age difference is between them. Shin Hakyun is nearly twenty years older than Shin Jaeha, Beomjae's actor, but we get one little flashback when we see the boys together as kids, and there they look like they're maybe five and ten. I'm going to call bullshit on the flashback and go with the actor ages, because to me it definitely makes a big difference in Han Beomjae's character if he's supposed to be thirty and has been managing being a single dad -- and mismanaging everything else about his life -- since he was twenty.

Beomjae's a gentle little disaster, a petty fuckup who's used to getting by on petty crimes and trying his best (which is not very good). He is not a bottled-up rage monster. He does not want to go apeshit. He wants a mild-mannered existence, scraping together what he can to make a, well, mostly honest living for himself. Unfortunately for him, he's wound up in a genre that doesn't reward honesty.

Shin Jaeha turns in a solid performance here, especially considering his part is more understated than a lot of the others. Most of the time, he's sharing the screen with at least one of two real heavy hitters, but he holds his own. At first, I thought Beomjae was going to be annoying and exhausting, little more than a burden on Dongsu, but he turns out to be wonderful -- and because this show is the kind of show it is, you know eventually that's gonna hurt.

4. It's just beautiful

Ugh, this is the point where I have to get mad about how few screenshots there are of this show to poach from the internet, because it's lovely. The folk behind the camera are quite talented, and shots are framed and lit so well.

Here, I'm going to do my best with what's out there.

I mean, yeah, this show gets a cheat in how Actual Runway Model Kim Youngkwang is so gorgeous that you can't really get a bad shot of him. But the camera knows how to lean into his menace so effectively that it uses his natural resources perfectly.

Also, the posters they did for the main three are stunning.

I actually think this beauty is not just an incidental charm, but a key feature of the show. As I've said a couple times now, this show is quite violent. The violence, however, is presented in a way that is both lovely and awful at once, so you have something worth looking at even during the brutal scenes that isn't just ceaseless human misery. This is especially important to me because I'm pretty squeamish about violence! While I had to look away from the screen more than once (scenes with severing and breaking fingers in particular), I always kept wanting to look back.

Also! This show is set in 2008, which means it's got a cool recent-past vibe to it. Pretty much everything looks modern, except all the technology and cars are just out of date. It's a neat effect.

5. It resists an easy moral

Ah, we're back to Beyond Evil! You knew it was coming. Anyway, Beyond Evil ends -- and I'm saying this in as unspoilery of a way as possible -- with the people who did bad things getting punishments suitable to the level of badness they did. It's a show that skates the edge of copaganda but avoids it because of its steadfast belief that power and privilege should not insulate you from the consequences of your actions. Through this belief, it creates a story about a fantasy world in which power and privilege do not insulate you from the consequences of your actions.

Ha ha ha oh boy that is not EVILIVE's take on things.

EVILIVE exists in a world of extensive corruption and collusion between organized crime, politicians, and businesses -- and that world is very real. I remember when the South Korean president declared martial law last month, which prompted an immediate oh hell no response from pretty much everybody in the vicinity. A lot of non-Korean people were asking online how a country whose citizens seem so cool and action-oriented keep electing a bunch of absolute shitbags. And the answer seems to be, the whole system is jaw-droppingly corrupt, which means all the candidates are shitbags. You must be this shitbag to play. There is no non-shitbag option.

So it's not like Han Dongsu and Seo Doyeong are inventing some new kind of crime here. This is not the tale of how two bad dudes disturbed a pure and perfect ecosystem. It's a story about how, when presented with the choice of becoming the abuser or staying the victim, the "moral" choice is not the easy one.

I don't even think you can draw an easy conclusion about "oh, back when he was poor, at least he was happy and had friends!" because no he wasn't! His lack of money created so many problems for him and everyone around him! He has moments of happiness and togetherness, but they are vastly overshadowed by the grinding horror of his day-to-day life and the way it keeps him from being able to provide for or protect his loved ones. And he's haunted the whole time by the knowledge that the reason everything is so fucked up in the first place is that, once upon a time, he tried to do the right thing.

The real villain of the show is poverty, with a henchman of how it's so much easier to join a bad system than it is to challenge it. If anything, I wish the show had been a little more upfront about that, because I think that it's subtle about it to the point where it's easy to take away a shallow 'wow, bad things happen to people who do bad things!' lesson. That's not what it's saying. Yes, bad things happen to bad people, but sometimes good things happen to bad people. Actually, frequently good things happen to bad people, because the bad people do the things that make enough money to keep the bad things from happening to them. And bad things happen to good people because the good people don't have enough money to keep the bad things from happening to them. And if you're going to end up suffering either way, why not choose the way that also lets you live in a really nice house?

...I mean, okay, I guess there is at least one easy moral here, and that is DON'T GAMBLE ONLINE, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, JUST SET YOUR MONEY ON FIRE, IT'S FASTER

Ready to play ball?

For some reason, EVILIVE is not available on your regular streaming services. MyAsiaTV was how we were watching it, except that between episodes eight and nine (argh!), whatever external site they were hosting the videos on went kablooey for me. I'm leaving the link there because maybe it'll work for you? However, in searching for a replacement, I found that this DailyMotion account has the episodes as well, and has had them uploaded for over a year now, so perhaps that's a more reliable source. Whatever works for you!

In both cases, the subtitles are absolutely fine -- definitely some hiccups and typos here and there, but on the whole they're fine. They are, however, bowdlerized to the point of hilarity. You get scenes where these blood-covered gangsters are stabbing one another, and the subtitles have them yelling things like, "You jerk!" Which adds to the experience, but maybe not in a good way.

Anyway, watch it, then come back here, and we'll go together to see what AO3 has in the way of fix-it fic, okay?

He's a Benjamin Button baseball boy!

[stevenbasic]

Growing into the Job, Post 425: The Big Day, p3

Melissa Monroe and her new-ish boss and even newer lover were in her office. She’d just given him his new phone, compliments of her generosity, and had explained some of its, uh, unique features. It was, yes, she had to admit, a little bit like a super-fancy baby monitor, but in this day and age one couldn’t be too careful with one's shrinking boyfriend.

Said boyfriend was currently looking at his email, a delightfully concerned look on his face. He was still pinned beneath her, as she straddled him on her nice couch of comfy white leather. He was easy to keep in place like this, when she wanted.

“M-Melissa, I don’t understand��” he began, those brows still all knotted-up like a confused little boy’s, “some of these emails are, like, grayed-out, I can’t open them. Some I can open but it won’t let me reply…”

“Yes, sweetie, that’s what it does,” she started, gently explaining what the phone’s AI would do in filtering his email, what it would allow, “it flags some for my review before you can read them, it lets you see others but not reply until we talk about it. We set up the computer in your office to do the same thing…” 

“For real?” he answered, obviously disquieted but, she noticed, not putting up any real argument.

She could see that he didn’t love the sound of all this, and she hadn't even mentioned that there are some filters that won't let you see some emails at all. She looked down at his phone screen, tilting it down towards herself with one finger. “But, hey, look, there’s one from BOOMfood, a coupon for a free smoothie. It let you into that one no problem.”

“I dunno, Melissa, this seems pretty…” his voice trailed off weakly, as he looked at his meager inbox again.

She was confident that he’d finally get used to it, this new arrangement they had for his communications with the outside world. I haven’t even touched on how it’s also filtering his texts, or phone calls, or internet, she mused. His head was spinning, he would need a little more explanation, she could tell; at the very least he deserved a little of that. “We need to make sure no one else is trying to get to you,” she told him, “like those nasty little lawyers.”

He remembered those three guys; just a few days ago they had accosted them all out of the blue. They’d come with writs and warrants and were looking to take him into their own custody. He wasn’t clear as to what was going on with that, or how Sheryl was handling it with her team of attorneys. “Yeah did anything ever happen with them?”

Melissa had to fight back a smile, and was surprised herself with how delighted she felt. Something certainly happened to them. Marisela or…what did they call her in the press? Oh yeah. The Harpy had happened to them. 

“We’re dealing with them,” she answered coyly, petting his cheek tenderly as he continued to scroll through his emails, some of what he’d missed over the course of the past week. 

“So okay, bad lawyers. Girls asking for, uh, DPs. I get it, I don’t need to see those,” he posited, “But what happens to the ones it flags but that I should see? The ones I really need to respond to?”

“Don't you worry about that,” Melissa responded as she gently played with his hair, “We can get them to you if necessary.” She was trying her best to sound smart, and patient, and in control, like she knew about this tech stuff. “We can always talk about it if we need to.”

“M-Melissa, I feel like you’re treating me like a child,” he finally admitted.

Oh stop saying that, she shivered, or I may really start to mommy you. “Honey, don’t say that,” she offered, leaning in so that her hot breath was blowing in his ear. “You know we’re doing this for your own good. Your safety.”

He shuddered; the wind of her words making his toes curl. He needed to focus, though, and understand what was happening with this phone. “O-okay fine but…what about this one,” he challenged, turning the phone so she could look at it, pointing to an email from yesterday, “It’s one from the state medical society. It’s grayed out. I need to read it.”

“Fine, that’s okay, it’s okay baby, see,” she replied, responding by pulling her own phone out from her bosom. A few swipes and she was in his email account, and had approved the message in question. “Easy.”

Immediately it lit up and became accessible on his screen, allowing him to read it. Melissa already knew what it said, and she couldn't help but feel a little bad as she fought back the urge to smile.

He stared at the screen in disbelief. He was upset; she knew he would be. She resisted layering out a new wave of pheromones, a placating blanket of what the girls at Evolution would call 0001.55.6022.cd. There were things, though, she knew, that he should experience the full brunt of, and learn from them, learn to accept what was changing with open eyes. It would make it easier, sure, if she did mollify him with her perfumes, but it was so much better in the long run if once in a while he felt the full wallop of these emotions - sadness, confusion, helplessness, even a little fear -  from time to time. He should work through them; she would be right there to help. 

The email was from the state association of medicine, and it wasn’t good news. For him at least.

“They’re k-k-KICking me out!” he stammered, his voice cracking in the adorable way it had been recently. He was aghast. Obviously this meant something to him, whatever this club of doctors was. She knew he’d already been let go from the attending staff at the hospital, and that had upset him too. This was just another step. She knew he’d be even more worried if he also knew how much danger he was in of losing his medical license. No need to talk about that right now.

Melissa listened carefully as he explained the state association’s reasons to her, and she did her best to look surprised and attentive. She and the girls had read through the email already and it was clear, at least to them, that it wasn’t just him, but many of the male doctors in the state whose memberships were being reviewed by the new, nearly all-female board. “Believe me, you don’t need them, you´ll be better without them,” Melissa offered in comfort, seeing how she could use this as an exercise, something to help him and help them get a little bit closer, “No one understands. No one cares. No one but me and the girls. We’re the only ones who really care about your situation, honey, you know that. If you ask me, you should be with those who care for you...”

He looked up from his new Bebihon phone, his adorably cute lip quivering. He looked like he might cry.

This is exactly what I wanted. 

“...and I care for you.”

His reaction was building. It would be raw, she knew, but that could be good. she She could nearly see his emotions coiling up, getting ready to lash out, and she felt ready for it.

“Are you the kind of woman that likes losers??” he groaned, in a stifled sob as he tried to hold himself together.

“Oh, you’re not a loser!” she immediately replied, a little taken aback by the leap he’d made. He’d just been kicked out of a little club, that’s all. It wasn't really a big deal, was it? She also felt a little shocked by the affront - Me? Dating a loser? Don’t be silly! - but she stopped herself, sensitive to his state of mind. “I love you!”

“But…but…what’s h-HAppening to me?!” His voice broke as he half-raved, “I used to be cool, I used to be respected, and good at my job. But now…now…” He was searching for the right words, something to grasp onto, and he was looking up at her, towering over him in her strength and splendor. The light behind her cast a shimmering halo through her luxurious hair drawing him into her caring eyes. “I’’m becoming so…so inferior!”

Oh my, she shuddered, watch what you’re saying. Talk like that could get you molested.  “Inferior?” she replied, reaching out now with both hands to cup his face, “C’mon baby, shushhh. Yes, you may be inferior to some of us, but you’re not inferior to other men! In fact, you’re the best! You’re perfect, you’re the vulni hunk that every girl wants.”

The thought excited her. She’d grown so big, and him so small - and not just physically. It was true; they were becoming this new world’s perfect couple, the ideal. A man changing into something so needy, something utterly dependent on his wi…ooo haha Missy, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He was everything she could ever want, and shrinking into something even more so every day. 

”I knew people on the board. How could they do that to me?”

She stopped herself from rolling her eyes. He’s still on that?

“Poor Jay,” she purred, “no one but us seems to care enough about you…” She was feeling it, the hormone monster inside her starting to grumble, smelling all the delicious flavors of male weakness and needy submissiveness coming from him. It’d need something soon. Her hand, her large hand was on the back of his neck, and it took quite a bit to not pull him in, to embosom him again. She reined it in but allowed her fingers to gently to caress him as she kept him in place…while kindling the embers growing inside her into cooking flames; she was growing hungry, and just about ready to eat. “All those people out there, people that were supposed to be your friends. And not a single soul seems to care. No one, but me…”

“That´s… that´s not quite… true,” he said, trying to justify things, turn this conversation somewhere else. But…what if she’s right?

“Are you sure, honey? Because, so far, I´ve never heard you tell me about a single one of your friends. You never mention anyone who cares about you. In fact, no one ever calls you, texts you, reaches out. Not a friend, not a relative, no one…” 

Wait. There’s Rich, he remembered, on a desperate attempt to prove to himself that things have not gotten that bad. Rich was an old work buddy, a colleague really, that he’d see at the conference from year-to-year. Rich reached out to me just this Wednesday. If only to protect his own fragile ego he was about to speak up, tell her about him, but then he hesitated. Maybe they didn’t see his email. Maybe they didn’t need to know, for now.  

“Poor Jay….”

He was unsure if it was the tone of her voice, the sweet perfumes coming from her skin, or the softly overwhelming weight of her body, but she´d got him thinking…this was all sort of true. Most of his ‘friends’, when he was married, were his wife Sheryl’s friends - and that chapter of life was certainly over. Would they even recognize him now? Or care? His own family was, well, basically nonexistent, and the few distant relatives he did have he’d allowed himself to drift away from over the years. 

The only person he really talked to, whether about his joys or his sorrows, was her. Melissa. The only one he looked for when he needed comfort was her. Melissa. The only person he really wanted to be around was her. Melissa. Well, Melissa, and to a lesser extent, her friends…she’d like him to call them family. They did, he had to admit, provide him comfort. They offered him their ears, their time and their, uh…company, whenever he needed it. If he came to think about it, he was lonely before Melissa had come into his life. She loved him, now. They all seemed to. And they seemed to love how he was-

“Getting so small…”

The shrinking. Yes, the shrinking. He was still unsure what it was all about, and knew he should be more worried, but he wasn't. Was there even a reason for it? He didn’t understand but being around Melissa made him less concerned. She was supportive, she was there with him as he was-

“Getting so dependent on me…”

That made his heart flutter. He looked up at her, and saw a familiar gleam in her eye. She had appetites, and they were stirring. Though it excited her to give him the gift, this wasn’t just about the new phone, he could tell. There was something else going on. 

“S-so, uh, thank you again for the phone,” he said, clicking it off and handing it to her when she offered an outstretched hand to take it. The sight made him shiver. It looks so small in her hand. “Was that it?”

“No, now that you mention it,” she purred, as she reached to her side to place both their phones on a side table, her large one atop his tiny one. Small white lights on the side of each began to blink in unison, like they were communicating to one another. “I also have some news. I’m getting a promotion. A big one.”

She saw how this made him react. He froze, his eyes stopped moving. Thoughts and emotions ceased for a second, and then slowly came back to him. 

When it returned his voice, she noticed, was smaller than ever. “a-a promotion..?”

========================================

thnks to RiF, editor

[captaingoldenpants]

Helluva Lawyer: Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad X Helluva Boss

Saul was dead.

Not “died”, he had been dead for…about a year now?

He had went on this whole thing about finally accepting that he was Jimmy McGill, and apologizing and repenting for the crimes he committed, but that just wasn't good enough for some people!

He was shanked to death by a former client, unhappy with his defense.

He went back to the Goodman persona in hell, probably as a defense mechanism of sorts. But good news!

Good lawyers were very easy to come by down here, for obvious reasons.

His appearance had changed in death, like all sinners.

An lanky anthropomorphic weasel…well, can't say hell didn't have any irony.

Around the afternoon, Saul was in his office.

Playing desk golf.

“Oh! Oh! C'mon, c'mon c'mon!” Saul commented on his own desk golf game.

The marble sized ball rolled right around the hole…and slid back.

“...dang it.” Just then the lawyers phone began to ring.

What in the-

“Hera! I told you I was busy!” Saul yelled on the phone.

“Yeah, well it's important and I didn't want to hear the brat anymore.”

“What the hell are you-” Saul was cut off by a panicking avian voice.

“Goodman!? Y-You’re Saul Goodman!?” Oh shit-uh-uhhhhh

“Y-Yes! Saul Goodman Attorney at Law!”

“I'm Octavia, Octavia Goetia! M-My dad’s uhh-his-his umm…his imp boyfriend is being judged by Satan! He needs defense! He needs a defense lawyer! Now!”

“Well now, alright. You have to come in person and-”

“There's no time! Please!”

“Wait, wait…the Trial is ALREADY HAPPENING?”

“Yes! You-”

“No can do! I try interrupting Satan, I'll end up with my head so high on a pike folks from heaven will be calling in smell complaints.” Octavia’s voice got a bit watery here.

“P-Please! He-My Dad wouldn't…he'd lose it! Please! I- we can get you money! I promise!”

Now, Saul had fallen deeply into his vices ever since he went to hell. But this reminded him of a better time…when he tried to take moral clients. When he tried to do what was right…when he was working with Chuck.

“... Alright, alright! Fine! Location, now!”

“Satan’s courthouse! It's the big…SATAN’S COURTHOUSE!”

“I got it, alright!?” Saul was immediately pulling up directions to it.

“Ok! So I don't know the specifics but- mom what the-no! Mom we have to do-” Octavia’s phone cut out.

“...Miss Goetia? …Great.”

Ok. So Saul:

Did not have any up front pay, or confirmed pay.

Didn't know the charges.

Didn't know anything about the client, except that he was an imp.

He would begin his defense, MID TRIAL.

And-He would be interrupting Satan.

…Saul had this! After all, he did once convince a woman he was Kevin Costner!

…

“-Why don't you keep fucking yourself, ya big asshole!” Bee insulted Mammon, adding in a middle finger for good measure.

“Why don't we-” Satan interrupted the bickering Sins, but ended up getting interrupted himself.

The offender swung open the court doors.

“Sorry! Sorry, everyone! Hey, hi, hello! Oh, lovely outfit there Ozzie! Apologies about my tardiness, but hoo boy! You would not BELIEVE what the roads are like. I expected the fire, but the traffic is the real hell. Am I right?” Saul Goodman ladies and gentlemen!

He wore a Cyan suit, with a lovely green tie. He carried a dark brown briefcase with him, filled with various random papers from his office.

Upon opening the doors, he simply fast walked in. Giving a wink or point at the people in the stands. Upon reaching the defense desk he placed his suitcase on the table and began shuffling papers, giving an aura of actually knowing what the fuck was going on.

“Who the-WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?” Satan slammed his fist on the ground by his side and growled at this fool who DARED to interrupt HIM!

Even for a man who had died before, Saul was shaken.

“Hey umm-uhh yeah, do you mind if I just butt in here? Hey Satan! How about we take a deep breath, and go to our happy place.” Yogirt calmed Satan, being one of the only people allowed to do something like this.

“WHY THE-...Yeah, yeah happy place.” Satan took a deep breath…he did literally hire the Yogi, and it meant nothing if he never did what he said.

Saul had taken some deep breaths, and resumed his air of understanding. Wasn't the first time something like this had happened, the trick was to remain calm and confident. If you give them a hand, they'll take the whole arm.

“Saul Goodman, Attorney at Law of “Goodman and Associates”! This is my client, and this is thereby my trial! Now on that note, why the hell are they gagged and bound?” Satan breathed deeply. Saul had the edge here, he could feel it.

“They were being mouthy.”

“Mouthy? As in they were talking? What else are they supposed to be doing, your honor?” Satan breathed deep again. Happy place…happy place…

“I would like to respectfully ask that the gag’s are removed, so that my clients may have a fair chance.” …damn it, this lawyer was good.

With a snap of his fingers, the gag's came off.

“Fucking finally!” Blitz yelled out in anger.

“Yeah! Fucking finally!” Loona yelled the same, as Saul put his finger up.

“Could-Could you both just let me handle this?” Without waiting for a response he continued “Thank you, thank you.”

“Okay, your honor. Now I wish to know the exact crimes that my client is being accused of.” Goodman inquired.

“Assault, robbery, attempted murder, and traversing the mortal realm without proper credentials.” …Oh.

Ooohhh…

Ohhhh this was bad.

“Well, that is-”

“All of these crimes were committed against a Ars Goetia.”

“No it fuckin-” Blitz was shushed by Saul.

“Just shut up and let your lawyer talk okay? Okay. Your honor, where is the accuser?” Andrealphus spoke up here.

“I am speaking on their behalf, due to their lack of presence here today. It would be invariably damaging to his mental health to have to face this VILE DISGUSTING imp who ABUSED him!” Andrelphus played it up.

“Your honor that's conjecture!” Saul stood up and objected to this.

“Yeah! He's fucking right! Whatever that is!” Blitz flipped off Andrealphus, not helping his case at all.

Satan rubbed the bridge of his snout. The fun part of these trials was the punishment and power, not legal mumbo jumbo!

“Si! This entire trial so far has been a montón de mierda! Hell, Stolas isn't even here! Or Stella!” Vassago ranted, and Saul perked up.

“Wait a minute, if I'm hearing this correctly the accuser is not present? And the accuser is accusing on behalf of the victim? Your honor there are far too many degrees of separation here to conduct a fair trail.”

“Oh my Lucifer…okay. What do YOU suggest that WE do?” Satan was barely hanging onto his calm facade. Yogirt was rubbing his shoulder, trying to keep the big man relaxed.

“I believe that a recess is in order. You keep the accused in custody, and we reconvene in…a week?” Saul shrugged.

“Three Days. Three days and we have our final verdict. Am. I. Clear?”

“Three days! Perfect your honor! Thank you so much!” Saul bowed, the ball was in his court here.

People sighed at having to continue this stupid trial, and Saul went to his clients.

…

Later, in an interrogation room.

“Alright, so thanks for helping…I guess? But why the-” Saul cut him off.

“Err! Let's pump the brakes here, alright? First of all, my payment.” He took out a pen and business card.

“For a case of this magnitude, you're gonna have to pay for premium. $500,879. I'll write it down on the back of the card so you don't forget, Five Zero Zero Eight Seven Nine. Then you'll call your boyfriend or husband or ex or whatever the prince is to you, and have him write it out to “Ice Station Zebra Associates”, that's my loan out totally legit. Money order please, and then we can discuss Sinza or Mammoncard. But not Greed Express, so don't even try.” Saul knew this whole spiel by heart. The only difference was the numbers, and in this case the credit cards.

Before he could continue, the door once again burst open. Why was there so much door interrupting going on?

“Blitzyyyy!” Stolas ran in and hugged the imp.

“Why the-are you okay!?” Blitz rolled his eyes and feigned uncare.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine…just that your asshole brother in law is effing everything up.” Blitz bemoaned.

Before he could continue, Saul interrupted the on and off again lovers.

“Oh, so you're Stolas? …Thought you would have been taller.” Saul then gave the same spiel he gave Blitz, and tucked the business card in Stolas’s cape necklace thing. “Now, assuming you don't want to be beheaded or whatever other form of execution the big fella’s thinking, you have to tell me EXACTLY what happened.”

So, after a lengthy explanation, Saul sighed and face palmed.

“...whew…alright we are-we are not in a good spot here. Okay?” Saul almost defensively put his hands up.

“But let me tell you this. You are going to get the best criminal, criminal defense attorney money can buy. Alright?” Saul packed up his things.

“You three-” He pointed at M&M and Loona. “Are gonna be fine. I'll send a email to Satan right when I get outta here, he won't wanna do extra paperwork. Now me, the boss, and the bird are gonna meet here right after morning chow to discuss a battle plan and strategy. Alright?”

“What!? I'm not staying in this damn joint all night! I'm busting outta here fucking AS-fucking-AP Bitch!” Blitz protested.

“Huh. Aren't you classy? Well too bad, because I need time to talk to my people and get things ordered together. Alright? Look, I'm a lawyer okay? A GOOD lawyer taking this case with ZERO knowledge of what's going on. If bird brain’s kid here didn't call me, I'd be reheating last night’s casserole by now. Sit down, stay quiet, and try not to shank anyone in the chow line alright?”

“Hell-No! Busted outta a joint before, I can do it again.”

“Ugh, Blitz! Just-Please? For me?” Loona pleaded.

“...Fffffffffffucking fine.” Blitz shrugged, and got escorted out by the guards. Saul’s email went through, and the other members of IMP were let go.

While Saul was walking down the steps of the courthouse, Stolas huddled with him.

“Look, Mr Goodman? I-I have an idea okay?”

“Alright? Shoot.”

“Don't these things have like…plea deals?” Stolas remembered a scene in his Hell-o-Novella.

“Well…yes but-!”

“What if I confess in exchange for immunity for him?” Saul put his hand up dismissively.

“Not a chance. First off, only reason I took this failure of a case is cause your daughter has a convincing voice. You think she'll be happy that her dad is a prison wife to Buffalo fricken Bill? Second off, if you get canned where am I gonna get my pay? Not from Mr Assassin, I can tell ya that much!”

…

Saul, Blitz, and Stolas sat in the interrogation room.

“Hey there, Andy. How's jail been, huh?” Saul asked Blitz, making a reference the convict didn't understand.

“Shitty, how do you think?” Blitz made the obvious known. He was understandably unhappy at his brand new Orange Wardrobe, and at the cuffs on his wrists.

“Yeah, well my chi ain't exactly flowing either. Okay, so you cash that check yet eh princy?”

Stolas stiffened, and rubbed his right arm.

“I uhh…don't…have the money.”

“What?” Saul interrogated.

“I do not have the money.” Stolas finished.

Saul threw his hands up.

“Really…Welp, we're done for then.”

“What? No, no! You-Didn’t you promise Octavia you'd do this!? I-I can pay you with my stuff!” Blitz hated being forced to beg, but he wasn't crazy about execution either.

“This isn't just about feeding my greed, alright? I got guys to pay, overhead. We don't get the money, we don't have much of a chance!” Saul explained.

“It's with my ex wife, so-so it's not gone!” Stolas hung on to the only life line he had here.

“Just-Just right now. How much do you have on you?”

“Well…the only income I still get is the $5000 monthly allowance from my father…” No way.

“But uhh…after paying all my things…rent, food, employee salaries…”

“How. Much?” Saul demanded, and Stolas took a deep breath.

“At the end, I have $327 dollars left for luxuries.” Saul threw his hands back.

“Oh, okay then! So we're fucked!” Blitz bemoaned.

At most, if he spent all of IMP’s budget and managed to sell all those collectible plates at full price he'd still only be at like…not enough. What? Moxxie was the one who did numbers!

“Ahh that's just…great. This case just keeps getting better and better, huh? Alright, so how much does your ex wife have?”

“At least $2 million, Mr Goodman.”

“Alright, so we gotta get the cash from your wife…and that's not even mentioning the other issues. Stella and Andrealphus’s interviews came in. Both claim that they saw you acting nervous and a lot shakier this past year, when the divorce happened she began noticing you with bruises and cuts which you claimed happened from falling down the stairs, finally she claims that she saw Blitz beating Stolas on the 18th, and immediately called Andrelphus. The phone records might have been altered, but nevertheless they show a 17 minute call from Stella’s phone to his. 4:00 to 4:17.” Stolas paled, and Blitz slammed his head into the table.

“Great. I'm getting executed. Saul, you need to make sure all my stuff goes to Loona.” Stolas spoke now.

“Oh just…just shut up, okay!? That's not how will’s work, and we are NOT going to give up that easily!” Stolas scolded his boyfriend as the imps head hung low.

“What he said. I gotta plan…” Saul huddled with his clients, and began to explain one of the greatest schemes Slippy Jimmy's concocted.

…

Striker missed his cave hide out.

He was having to live in a small adobe shack on the outskirts of wrath.

At the very least, it had cable so he could watch his westerns and a stable for Bombproof.

He sighed as he walked outside.

“Ohhh Bombproof~! Who wants a tasty cactus fruit with no Benadryl in it~?” Bombproof wanted the tasty cactus fruit with no Benadryl in it!

But.

The tasty cactus fruit he chewed on and swallowed, did in fact have Benadryl in it.

Striker hated having to do this, but Bombproof gave him no choice but to do so. It was the only way Striker could administer a shot.

But, his phone rang. The cowboy checked the caller id, unknown.

He answered it.

“Hello?”

“Yes? Hello? Is this Striker?” A greasy voice spilled out of the phone.

“Yeah…how you know my name?”

“This is uhh, Gene Takovic at B.N.M? Well, first of all I just wanna say I am so sorry for your loss.”

Striker was confused. He hadn't had anyone close to him die recently…just a benefit of not being close to people.

“What? Ain't no one died near me.”

“Really? Your great uncle Earl?”

“My who? I don't have a great uncle. Or know anyone named Earl. Ain't got no family no more.”

“Oh really? I just-assumed you and him were close. Well, anyway his estate's in your name now. You're his last living relative.”

That caught Striker's attention.

“Really now? Well, ain't that something.”

“Yeah, I sent the $250 or so dollars to you already.”

Ah. So that's what that package was. Striker just thought it was a tip from a client or something.

“Got it. Was that all?”

“No, uhh there is a small issue at hand. Just some issues with changing hands and all. We just have a few security questions for you, nothing personal.”

“Well, shoot!”

The lawyer asked Striker the question’s. What was his Email, his Password, mother's maiden name, all that stuff.

“That it?”

…

“Yes. Thank you very much sir, we’ll send you a check ASAP.” Saul hung up the phone.

Goodman looked across his desk at Mike.

Mike was a sinner demon. By death, he had turned into a rhinoceros with facial hair made of cattails.

“Alright, where did you want the meet again?” Saul asked his private eye.

…

Stella was pissed.

Granted she was usually pissed, but now it was worse.

First her Husband isn't executed, then she has to spend an hour getting coached by Andrealphus on what to say in the interview, and then she had to actually do the interview!

This was all bullshit!

Unfair, stupid, bullshit!

Oh, and to top it all off!? Striker just HAS to have a meeting immediately!

And it can't be over the phone, can't be at any good coffee shop, it HAD to be this ratty motel!

Her anger was interrupted by a knock on the door.

She waited for a butler to open the door as there was another knock.

…Oh yeah, she was alone here.

She sighed loudly, and went to open the door. Letting the cowboy in.

Wait no, that's not striker. That's some Rhino.

“What in Lucifer's-” But Mike already pushed his way in, shutting the door behind him.

“Who the hell are you!?” Stella was somehow even more pissed off.

“That doesn't matter. Here's what’s gonna happen. You're gonna reach in ya cummerbund, and take out your checkbook.” Ehermantraut ordered before Stella laughed.

“Oh! That's a good one. I bet Andrelphus hired you. You can go now.” Stella shooed with her hands. Even Mike was taken aback at her cluelessness.

“Not a performer. Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna reach in your cummerbund, left side, and take out your checkbook. I saw you take the checkbook out 12 minutes ago to buy those earrings.”

“How fucking dare you! You stalker son of a bitch!” Stella picked up a lamp and was about to chuck it at Mike.

“You're not gonna do that. Considering that this room was prepaid, you have not interacted with any staff so far and there is zero proof that you were ever here. Adding onto that if you throw that, you will have to write a check to pay for it. Otherwise, you will be tried under vandalism. Same thing with if you kill me.” Mike knew how to deal with spoiled brats. The trick was to remain firm and constant.

“An Ars Goetia should not be found in a seedy place like this. If you throw that, attack me, or kill me, then you will be forced to explain why you were here to everyone. Exposing your scheme. Understand?” Stella was shocked and taken aback, dropping the lamp on the bed.

“That's-That’s not fair!” She hung to one of her only lifelines.

“It is. Now you're going to take out your checkbook.”

“But-But-”

“You are going to take out your checkbook.”

Stella huffed. She didn't have a choice…one of the only times in her life where yelling, hitting and screaming wouldn't solve anything.

She slowly took out her checkbook…

“Now you are going to write out a check. $500,879. That's Five, Zero, Zero, Eight, Seven, Nine. Made payable to Stolas Ars Goetia.” Stella halted her pen.

“That-That damn Imp fucking bastard!? Like hell I'm giving anything to him! He is a idiotic crybaby adulterer! He-He is loud and annoying and he just cries like ALL the time! Oh and he sings these just horrible songs! The tone deaf idiot! He is a imp fucking, lower class roaming, disgusting, wimpy, failure of a man and person!”

“Hmph. Is that so? Well, you're gonna continue writing that check. Five, Zero, Zero, Eight, Seven, Nine. Made payable to Stolas Ars Goetia. Need me to spell it for ya?”

“No I-I will call Andrelphus when I'm out of here! Yes! Mhhm! He-He’ll find you!”

“You don't know my residence, you don't know my occupation, you don't even know my name. Besides, do you really wanna get chewed out by him?���

No! No that was…Stella was backed in a corner…

“There we go…Thank you.” Mike took the check out of her hands and walked to the door.

“Oh, and by the way. If this check bounces, or doesn't go through? We're gonna have another talk. And I don't think you want that, do you?”

…

Great. Andrealphus’s day was just going perfect. Yesterday Stella spends $500,000 dollars on jewelry, and the day before that he had to spend HOURS coaching Stella on what to say in the interview!

Now, Stolas call’s him and he just HAS to talk in person. This tea had BETTER be good. Oh who was he kidding? Pringles made some damn fine scones. Especially with that Cinnamon glaze…mmm…

“Hold on a second sir.” A rhinoceros sinner demon by the Castle’s front doors held up and hand and stopped him.

“Excuse me?” Andrelphus said, almost aghast at this tomfoolery.

“I'm the new security consultant. Everyone who's not Octavia Ars Goetia, or Stolas Ars Goetia are to be searched.”

“What? I'm Andrelphus Ars Goetia. Stolas’s brother in law? Octavia's Uncle? I should be allowed in.”

“Sorry sir. Only two people allowed in without a search are Octavia and Stolas Ars Goetia.”

“Ughhhhhhhhhhghghghhhhhhhhhhhhghhhhhhhhhghhhhhhhh!” Andrelphus drew out his annoyed groan and began opening his pockets.

He didn't have many pockets, so he also carried around a purse. It was a dark blue leather, with a snowflake design at the top.

The security consultant looked everything over, opening the purse and picking up some items in the process.

“Alright, sorry about this sir.” He handed everything back to the Goetia.

“You better be.” Andrelphus yanked his items back, and went to go talk to Stolas.

When he arrived on the patio, Stolas happily poured him a cup of tea and handed him one of those heavenly scones.

“Andre! So glad to see you.” The Jack Frost wannabe took his own seat with a scowl.

“Considering that we are currently at odds, your graciousness is more than a little suspicious.” Stolas waved his hand.

“Oh, it's all just water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned! I was just uhh, wondering if I could talk to you about colleges for Octavia?” This peaked Andre’s interest.

There was not much he loved more than having his ego stroked, and having Stolas come to him for expertise? That was great. After all, Andrelphus’s branch of the family had been alumni and donors to several of the most prestigious colleges in all the seven rings.

“Well now! Isn't that interesting…”

…

Right when Andrelphus was out of sight, Mike took the planner he stole and walked to a nearby trash can.

“Got it Goodman. Time to get to work.” Said Lawyer began to rise out of his hiding spot.

“Yeah, yeah, oww…it's my knees alright? Making a man with bad knees hide in the garbage, I'm not charging these people enough.”

“You got your check, and I got my money. Now get to work.” Saul took the tracing paper and pencil out of his pockets.

“I'm working on it! Whew, Miss Cawolski’s 2nd period art don't fail me now!” Saul first opened the planner to the 18th, seeing it was blank. This meant that Andrelphus’s story checked out…

Saul then began to go through the planner, placing the tracing paper over the letters and numbers he needed to copy.

When it was all said and done, it was said that on the 18th a dinner party was held at Stolas’s Mansion. At exactly the time the call was supposed to take place.

And it said this, in the bird’s own hand writing.

In fact, Saul finished it just in time to pass it to Pringles.

When Andrelphus got tired of his ego being pumped full of hot air, said butler then took Andrealphus bag to carry, and slipped the planner back in.

…

Satan’s courthouse, Pride Ring. Mid afternoon,

This would be the trial that decided the fate of Blitzø Buckzo.

There was a dark air in the room, and the only conversation’s held were hushed.

Stolas was present today, and so was Octavia. Both in the Goetia’s section.

Satan sighed. He hated when a trial had to be an actual trial.

“All rise for the trial of Blitzø Buckzo V Ars Goetia. Oh also, this had better be quick.” Satan sat down, and Andrelphus stood up.

“On behalf of my, beautiful, sister. I accuse that DIRTY imp of abusing, harming, stealing from, and attempting to kill my brother in law! As well as traversing the Mortal realm without any proper cause!” He yelled with a point.

“We already had the assassin come forth, right? So I mean, what's even the point anymore huh?” Mammon said, getting a chorus of agreement.

“Well-I would say that you should hold that thought, sir.” Saul held up a finger, silencing the crowd.

“If I may, your honor, I would like to call the Assassin to the stand.” With a huff Satan honored his request, and Striker was brought up.

Striker realized that Saul and Gene were the same, and snarled at his own lack of foresight. His own greed did tend to blind the cowboy.

He'd shoot Saul. Not now, but definitely in the near future. Or stab him.

“Mr Striker, around 29 minutes ago a dear friend of mine shook your hand.” Striker remembered the elder who he talked about horses with outside the courthouse.

“Yeah? So what? I ain't allowed to meet people?” Striker shrugged.

“He noticed a ink smudge on his hand after shaking yours.” Andrelphus stood up aghast.

“So!? He probably just got it on his hand before he even met him!” Andrealphus defended.

“Well, then why don't you just raise your hands Mr Striker?” Saul countered.

“...No.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“I uhh…I gotta-a thing about it. Childhood trauma, you know?” Striker sheepishly shrugged, looking for any form of defense. In response, Saul changed his assault tactic.

“Phew! You, my friend, have a lot more guts than I. Not many people would be willing to lie to Satan in front of his face!” Thankfully, Satan took the bait Saul layed.

“Oh my Lucifer-JUST RAISE YOUR FUCKING HANDS!” Now Striker was a rebel. He had always been a rebel. But when Satan himself tells you to do something, you don't really have a choice.

With a groan, Striker raised his hands. Revealing the notes Andrelphus had him scrawl on his hands.

“Hah! Sins and Goetia, I think you can see that it is obviously plain that this witness was tampered with! As his testimony is the only thing connecting my client to the attempted murder of Stolas, and the theft of the grimoire and it's usage, I ask that these 3 charges be thrown out!”

“Yeah bitch! How you like them apples you cloaca having fuck face!?” Blitz said, in Andrelphus's direction, cussing as much as he always did.

“Really? I just filed all the…I suppose that all makes sense. But there's still the assault charge.” Satan waved his hand while waiving the charges.

With this decision, Saul had already talked Satan down from the death penalty to at most 50 years.

“Yeahhhhh! Daddy's coming home baby!” It was unclear if Blitz was yelling to Stolas or Loona. Though both shared the same expression of embarrassment.

Saul debated asking for the gag to be put back on Blitz. But decided against it helping his case.

“Heh, what a wordsmith huh folks?” Saul appealed to the crowd.

“Do any of you see this!? With how VILE, RUDE and CRASS this imp speaks how can he be anything BUT an abuser!?” Andrelphus was grasping at straws here, and it failed miserably.

“The fuck are you talking about?” Satan asked.

“Si, ¿qué carajo?” Vassago swore in his native tounge.

Right before Blitz was about to unleash his own stream of obscenities Saul put his hand over his mouth.

“Just-Just shut up and let me handle this! Eww, why'd you lick me!?” Saul pulled his hand back, wiping it on his suit.

“Okay, so uhh…50 years? Yeah? That f-” Satan tried to deliver a verdict.

“We have more to say your honor!”

“Oh my-Fine!”

“Thank you, your honor. We would like to call to the stand, Andrealphus himself!” Said Goetia was aghast!

“What!? You-That is not allowed!”

“I'm uhh, I'm pretty sure it is.” Satan spoke.

“Well it-it shouldn't be! This compromises the integrity of the trial because it uhh…”

“GET ON THE FUCKING STAND!” Yogirt had to come in again.

“Hey Satan, remember to ground yourself~! You know, “two feet on the floor”?”

“Yeah, yeah.” The frosty prince was brought up. He would have been sweating, but it probably froze.

“So, Andrealphus. When exactly did Stella call you again?”

“On-On the 18th. It was around 4? I had just finished chapter 8 of “The collected history and Anthology of Ice Spells (Vol 19)”. It was the chapter about, I think, making weapons frosted?”

“Ok, ok…do you have a PDA? Or some other way of marking your schedule?”

“Yes. I always tend to have my planner with me.”

“Could you please open it to the 18th, and show it to us?”

“Yes. I-” Andrealphus took it out, and opened it to the 18th before stopping abruptly.

This-This was all wrong! He wasn't anywhere on the 18th! Sure he didn't get a call, but he was home all day!

“Mr Andrelphus? Could you please show it to us?” Saul continued, his scheme succeeding.

“I-I-”

“JUST SHOW THE DAMN THING!” Almost all the sins said in unison. Not Satan though. He was finding his happy place. And not Lucifer. He was busy making duckies.

Slowly, Andrelphus brought up the planner…clear as day, in his own handwriting, it read “Dinner Party at Stolas's Mansion. 3:00 pm-6:00 pm.”

“Well-I didn't feel well that day so I didn't-”

“Oh shut up, you were there!” Stolas yelled out with a point. A bit dramatic, but Mike coached them well.

“Yeah! I was also there! He ate like, 7 scones.” Vassago added.

“Probably forgot it because of how much he drank…you got really drunk uncle Andre.” Octavia added her own section to the script, but it worked.

“I didn't do a thing!” Andrelphus slammed his hands slammed his hands on the stand, ice emanating from the strike.

“There wasn't any party! I wasn't there! I didn't eat any scones, and I certainly didn't get drunk! I didn't write this in my planner! Some-Someone else did! This is-it was a spell! It must have been! I'd never get that drunk! You all know I wouldn't get blackout drunk! I've never done it before! This is all-this is a conspiracy! I won't stand for it! This-this chicanery!” Andrelphus's freak out ended with another desk slam. His pupils had shown and snow fell around him.

“Damn…” Loona was aghast.

“Oh my Lucifer…” Beelzebub was also surprised.

Seeing a prim and proper man like him lose it was always a strange sight.

“I-I mean…what I meant to say was-” Satan cut him off.

“Great. So now it's revealed that this ENTIRE THING HAS BEEN A IDOTIC WASTE OF MY TIME!” Satan slammed his fists down, lava splashing where he hit.

“IF YOU EVER ATTEMPT TO PLAY ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, I WILL BURN YOU TO A CRISP AND GRIND ANYTHING THAT REMAINS INTO YOUR SISTER'S FACE!”

“Y-Yes sir! I am-I don't know what-”

“Blitzo Buckzo is freed from any and all charges! But you had BETTER NOT SHOW UP HERE AGAIN!” Satan got down near him, snorting out steam. Saul wasn't afraid. It was like he was looking through the devil.

“Yes sir! You won't ever see me again!” Blitz smiled as Stolas and Loona ran over and hugged him. Millie and Moxxie followed soon after.

“Thank you Goodman. I-...He wouldn't have been okay without you.” Octavia told the lawyer, who remained still.

“Yes, thank you very much Mr Goodman.” Stolas bowed, showing his father's teaching held no meaning.

“Saul, you get a permanent 50% discount on any IMP assassinations! ...Goodman? GOODMAN!” At Blitz’s yelling, Saul finally got out of his mind fog.

“Huh? Oh, oh yeah we won…hooray.” Jimmy straightened his tie.

“Yep, told ya you'd get your money's worth! I-I uhh…got-got business to be doing.” He handed out business cards to everyone around him.

“Remember, D.U.I? Sue? Anything? You get locked in jail, you “Better Call Saul”!” Saul posed with a point. The memories of Chuck being buried again.

Saul then left the courthouse, brushing off any thanks, Andrelphus's threats, and Mike's debrief.

Saul walked back to his apartment, a seedy place in the entertainment district of Pentagram City.

He chose this because it was close to a lot of potential clients, including the Vee’s.

He walked into the apartment, tossing off his jacket and pouring a whisky.

He turned on the TV, watching some random show. He saw one of his own commercials.

When it finished, he paused and rewinded.

As he rewatched the commercial, he realized why he helped that girl.

It felt like he was redeeming himself. Saving another family.

It made Saul feel ok again…no.

It made Jimmy feel ok again. For a second, he forgot.

[tpquill]

I’m not politically motivated when it comes to life (I came from Northern Ireland…enough said!) but when it comes to a man, who has been a corrupt property developer, corrupt tax fraud cheat, corrupt casino owner, corrupt hotel owner, corrupt golf course developer, paid hush money payments to make his “corruption disappear” and a corrupt politician (if you even want to call him that?) he deserves the book of law thrown at his very large egotistical, orange tanned and bad weaved head. I have no time whatsoever for this carnival barking clown, he reaps what he sows. He has always, throughout his failed businesses and play boy thuggish image been “protected” by mob styled lawyers (all good friends of his late father) to hush away - catch and kill bad information regarding his gaudy, glaringly obtuse lifestyle and multitude of affairs and cover ups. This man was solely responsible for hard shouldering leaders of countries, quid pro quo other authoritarian dictators to scratch his back for favours. Bully and threaten those who did not kneel to his grasp of delirium when it came to running a country (practically into the ground) he plays the victim card like a sullen, spoilt child throwing a temper tantrum when he can’t get his own way or if you disagree with his delusional rhetoric. Supported and goaded an insurrection on the Capitol a government building that was always seen as a place of importance - sending a mob of thugs to destroy and discredit and demean the very rule of law. Oh and he ignored a dangerous deadly virus that gripped the entire world by suggesting it was fake, let’s not forget how many died because of his ignorance in science and fact.

The delusional ringmaster will play this out, grifting as he always has, pleading to the meek minded out there who believe in his lies and conspiracies (he hasn’t charged his racist or fear driven point of view that he’s made of Teflon - nothing sticks) since he was in his early 30’s - he’s the victim, he’s good and the deep state government is bad. There’s just one thing, to those willing to die on the proverbial cross for him…prove the mountainous amount of evidence wrong. Prove the audio and video evidence wrong. Prove the receipts and records of bank transfers signed by his very hand (handwriting experts conform) wrong. Prove the telephone calls demanding that the election counts be changed - wrong. Prove the amount of court documents filed for him by not exactly whiter than snow lawyers to try and delay and dismiss and reject all that has been uncovered about his “criminal” behaviour wrong. This corrupt man has had 5 decades of getting away with things because he paid enough money (that would feed the not so wealthy in the US a hundred times over) to keep their mouths shut. He hired lawyers to do his dirty work while his brand was a shinning example of a shit, no matter how many times you try to polish it - is still a shit.

The fear on his face was real, it doesn’t matter the countless press conferences he holds, that droning whiny voice complaining because he has been caught, but he didn’t do it, and if he did so what? Will be played over and over on any media site that believes, the sun shines out of his depend covered pasty ass. A jury will decide hopefully without outside interference from the lunacy that is his family of equally corrupt children and the anger of little people claiming he is the next messiah - Waco anyone? Cult behaviour is a break down of mental and social health. The people who believe him or worse believe he is some kind of second coming are mentally and cognitively not well. He strokes their hate, their racism, their misogyny, their darkness and he revels in it because they keep the attention on him and his sociopathic behaviour loves it.

Can I also add, I have never seen a more delinquent, socially deprived, mentally unstable person who refuses point blank to accept anything they have done as wrong in my entire life. Regardless of how people view this man today - his nepotism, his continuous corrupt way he has always oversaw businesses conducted, not to mention his lack of any morals regarding the line of women he slept with while married then paid them off to keep quiet - all part of his playboy charm, he destroyed a lot of lives to keep his Trump brand where it is. He lies as easily as he breathes because he has always believed he was untouchable. He will put lives in danger to keep his bloated ego out of prison and that includes throwing members of his own family under the bus. His sociopathic, narcissistic behaviour willingly displays this - he thinks himself a modern day Al Capone except this time Trump will be determined not to get caught because he needs another 4 years to finish what he started Make America Mine Again.

[eviltiddyproductions]

Vincenzo: Episode 15

We’re finally on 15

also I forget HOW much happens in one episode. they had the pig’s blood thing in that one too

Inzaghiiii !!! the pigeon 🐦

omg her crow era, generally crows remember and attack

she got her whole gang here! I thought Chayoung was going to come to rescue him but the pigeons actually make it more funny

such an unserious show actually

look at Inzaghi blink back omg motherrr

Inzaghi is a boy pigeon?

my beautiful red head art director is about to die

Evil CEO doesn’t scare me at all actually. He’s just physically violent. Evil lawyer lady terrifies me more. She’s so !!???

Bodied Ms Choi

I feel for the art director. My babie

I guess the mother knows that’s her son

When I saw Chayoung alone I thought my girl was going to be attacked

awww their little fist bump

eugh I have a bad feeling

no he’s speaking about the guillotine file

BUILDING PEOPLE RELOCATE !!!

honestly I’m actually really confused by this. I thought the double crossing rn still had a point like he’d come clean about another plan or something. this is just greedy and weird. why change now 💀

oh I think she knows that’s his mom

Oh I assumed she clocked on that fish snack detail

so what was in the letter 🤨

I feel like they drink as much coffee as I do

I KNEW HE HAD THE FILE ON HIM !!!

little bro why are you here. oh he got them a gift

they know about the gold. evacuate the building 😭

I know he’s a little devil in the making but he’s seemed more at home and happy here in 2 minutes than the entirety of his time in the Babel monstrosity. get your shit together little bro !!!

noooo I hope the mom and building people are going to be okay 🙏

I feel like these two evil dumbasses are about to figure out that Chayoung is the way to hurt him

our man looks sooo good actually. his swoop has become permanent since the last episode. I love it

lmaoooo they really think he can play a shaman?! okay slay

he voted for her to be the shaman lmao. look at his laugh 😂

well he’s the shaman regardless

has no one started passing around Vincenzo’s pictures though lmao. art galleries, auditoriums, shamans, he can just show up anywhere and they don’t recognise him at all

Mr Nam managing to be in a get up everytime they do this is actually SO FUNNY

THEY ALL LOOK SO GOOD

is this adrenaline but make it traditional

the flower on his ear !!! my baby girl fr

A beautiful man

the damn pigeon

these three 🤣🤣🤣

a flair for the dramatic, I love these 3 like the whole fan and writing sequence. chef’s kiss

I want this sequence framed. MY BEAUTIFUL BABIES.

him fanning her. a true gentleman 💀💗

Evil brother CEO is actually insane like wdym he killed 4 of his classmates when he was young ???

little himbo evil brother SAVE yourself. get out of there

not Ms Chayoung’s anti drug agenda 💀😭 #real

Kdramas sometimes go full Indian TV with the amount of things that happen in 20 episodes ngl

probably one of the first times Jung is experiencing someone switching up on him at the last moment. that's what your company does all the time lol, you deserve it 😘

honestly who could believe our man was a corn salad (even i can't spell his job lmao) in Italy and part of the mafia. look at him acting for like the 800th time. the shaman is the best performance till now though! 10/10

'fate smiles most generously on brave souls and frowns mildly on those with no backbone' bars

the life page looks so good except i think Babel will gun for this man

adore this shaman track because i get to see my man with a small flower 🌼

I saw a car trying to run over Mr. Cho again and immediately thought evil lawyer lady was around

slay Mr. Cho slay

no they're going to go after his mom no no no 😭😭😭 (kinda surprised it took them this LONG to dig into his personal life lol talk about being overconfident)

take someone else instead for now. that lady barely has a breath left omg nooo. let one parent and child stay goodbye

Evil Lawyer lady and CEO when I get my hands on YOU

At least they know about Babel knowing about the building and the file

Oh no is Mr Cho about to die....

NO NO NO NO NO IT'S MR AN I AM GOING TO HURL NOOOOOOO

wait no it's just the media guy oh my god thank god

[feuqueerfire]

My Stand-In Ep 11 Live Blogging

I'm so excited, been waiting for the past 5 days. From the previews, seems like it'll be an angsty episode (episode 11 after all) and I'm really looking forward to this "ep 11 angst curse" because the conflict has been hinted at throughout the entire show so far (Ming's rich, shitty family and the fact that they would disapprove if they knew he was gay) rather than random problems that pop-up just because they need conflict. Also, I thinkkkk it may bring the two of them closer together, especially with Ming showing how far he's willing to go for Joe and that he's serious about this, rather than driving the two of them apart.

Ep 11 (July 5)

59 minutes, nice. Also half-glad that apparently it releases early-ish in the morning because I expected it to release closer to noon because today I get to watch it earlier but next week, there'll be an even longer time between when it's released and when I get to watch it and there'll be spoilers abound.

Mike promised Ming something hmm, will we get an ally?

even Sol knew that Joe wasn't gonna be able to not get back together with Ming lol

oh, I hope Sol is bowing out. he even used Phi-Nong for themselves

man, Mike's not an ally, just a soft villain compared to what I assume his father will do. although i wonder if Mike's the one who'll send the contract stuff to Joe's mother because I'm dreading that the most and will make Mike much worse

oh nooooo, we're already getting Ing finding out about the Ming-Joe contract aghhh I don't wanna watch T.T

I don't really even know how Joe would explain this tbh like what would make her be okay?

damn, she really said don't see me until you've paid off all the debt

so Mike isn't behind it? fr? hmm...

sickly, delicate, Victorian boy looking Ming

ohh Ming's telling Mike about new Joe being old Joe

not the parents suddenly coming in, not even a hint that they've come home beforehand

Ming's vomit falling on his mother's hand is grossing me out

lmfao Mike knowing that Ming was faking it. i love siblings and their shenanigans

yay, Mike has become an ally

I know people were shipping Mike and the secretary, though I don't care about that pairing myself

giggling over them playing around and Ming being a cute menace while in a hospital bed

okayyyy is the mother gonna be fine too now that she's seen the two of them together/wants her son to be well? also she's so beautiful

Ah, the mother sent the lawyer to Ing agh

Poor May bro, I can't believe she's stuck with Tong and is gonna have a child too agh I want her to leave him so bad

yess May, I love youuuuu <333333

why is this father actually evil bruh, threatening to disown Ming and take away his business and everything

anyway, that Tong info was barely leverage like Ming could've left and been disowned even without that aghhh should've used it as at least a bit more leverage

I'm once again mad/sad that Ming's not seeing Joe's real face

May, trusttttt, this divorce will be good for you

Do not show me Tong saying "I'm sorry" to the empty air. Is he doing this because he wants to protect May from the debt collectors or something? idc, you can't make me sympathetic towards him, I need to see him get fucked up

Tong leading these debt collectors straight to Joe while he begs him aghhh and now Joe's gotta fight them because he's too nice

girl what even, how did they switch clothes and mask/glasses so that they kidnap Joe instead of Tong and whyyyyy

why why why would you "take care of this" Joe? why

Ming mistakenly calling Tong Joe from seeing his back goes so hard though

500 000 000 baht oh my god, let's just trade and have Tong killed what the fuck

It's not fun to see Tong grovel/admit fault, I want revenge aklsjfaklsfjskl;f

fucking hell. I guess this is how Joe ends up in the wheelchair

we wouldn't happen to get Joe's real body back, would we? Since the cremation happened and everybody attended his funeral

did nobody inform Joe's mother? meanwhile fuckass Tong is here

what the hell is that door?

poor Joe who is fucking tired of everything happening to him. can't blame him for choosing the door, though I wonder if he's gonna turn back around next ep or he'll get his own body back or what

ofc we're ending here

The conflict had been hinted at throughout the show, but the episode was still quite different from the usual episodes where they're mostly in like Joe's house or at work (shooting/practicing/etc.) and Ming's a strong presence, whether it be to psychologically play with Joe or begging Joe lol. And this felt like a bit of a different genre now with the father and the debt collectors kidnapping Joe but we've been building up to it for a while. Like I'm just glad that the ep 11 problems, although more intense and in a different form than the previous episodes, are not out of the left field.

I can take Mike and Ming's mother becoming allies in this episode but I do not have it in me to give Tong grace. They still made him kinda cowardly and selfish in this episode but he's being portrayed as pitiful as well and maybe like he's turned a new leaf but like Enough! I was on board Ming's changes but you can't just make every shitty person become "good," I still need to see Tong get his comeuppance but I doubt we will. If they also make the father come around next episode (is he the one who called the cops?), then what even... we need some villains/antagonists who don't become sympathetic (the debt collectors don't count, they're hardly characters).

I can't believe I've not got to wait a week and ~8 hours to watch the last episode, what the hell... give it to me now. I'm not super worried about what happens next week though because of the scenes with Joe in a wheelchair that are yet to come.

[uncl3badtouch]

The Final Girl Support Group: Read it 📚 7/10⭐️

I just finished reading The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix 📚 I loved it! So I just recently discovered Mr.Hendrix in the last year. The first book of his that I had read was My Best Friend's Exorcism. I just coud NOT put it down and finished it in one night. From that moment, I was hooked and bought two more books of his the next day. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and How to Sell a Haunted House. Both of which I finished pretty quickly and happily. So in The Final Girl Support Group, we have, obviously a group of 'real life final girls' all grown women now with terrible histories. Each have a story of being young and carefree until they become the sole survivors in attacks against them and their friends from murderers and serial killers. All of these incidents taking place in roughly the 80s and 90s (maybe one in 79) but around the time that our favorite classic slashers had come out. One girl had survived 'The Ghost' a masked killer that went on a killing Spree with a single knife, and had created the "Stab" series in the book. (Get what I'm saying?) All of the girls have had movies made revolving around the incidents they each had. And it was interesting to see how each of them had handled the limelight. Some embracing it, some using it to rehabilitate, some shrinking away from it and barricading themselves in a small cage connected to their front door. Everyone was so different and unique in character and story. There was enough diversity in the group to make for compelling story and to give you characters you loved and hated, but each one having a special part. Throughout the story, there were sprinkled excerpts from aspects in each characters past that help to get you to understand their present. At one point there is testimony and dialogue between one of the girls and their lawyer as she tells details in her case, another is a journal entry. They were well placed and very useful in rounding everyone out. To be completely honest, Hendrix doesn't have deep writings. They are still adult writing, for sure, but they aren't like Dracula or Frankenstein with symbolism and extra thinking. They are stories with some profoundness that are extremely entertaining and can be enjoyed with your brain turned off to a point. Personally, I feel like it's a brain sitcom type deal, where it's just a story played out in front of me and I don't need to be super educated or paying a ton of attention go still love it and understand the entirety of the book. And I'm not trying to say that he's a dumbed down writer. It's not books that would be considered literature to me. But they are still really good and have lessons in them as well. In Final Girl, Hendrix had written a lot about women and men when it comes to horror. How the monsters are men and that's why there aren't any final boys. That the final girls exist because there has to be balance. The good always has to outweigh the bad. Women create, men destroy. And that's the cycle of why women are always checking behind them. Now that's just kind of what I got out of it and not exactly what was said, you'll have to read it to find out (or listen. Audiobooks are still books!) But he did have a nice amount of insight that made me think Hendrix is a decent guy with decent understanding of the differences in those two groups of people. He's observant and explains easily. I'd love to have a class with him on writing! I think he'd be an excellent teacher. Anyway, the book is about trusting your gut and your support group. About sisterhood and unspoken social rules. About greedy men in positions of power manipulating victims for their own personal gain and what to look for in the people you surround yourself with. It was truly an action packed story that kept me guessing until the end. There was a twist I didn't see coming and a pleasantly surprising ending that honestly left me wanting more, and I hope I was able to persuade you to read his works

[rejectedbad]

Rejected Bad: Arpeggios

The following is a rejected script from an early season of Breaking Bad.

INT. SAUL GOODMAN'S OFFICE - DAY

Saul sits behind his desk, flipping through stacks of papers. Enter JESSE, followed by his bandmates, SKINNY PETE and BADGER. Jesse carries his guitar, while Skinny Pete holds a keyboard, and Badger carries a drum kit.

Saul looks up, a mix of excitement and scepticism crossing his face.

SAUL:  (leaning back in his chair)  Alright, you knuckleheads. Welcome to my humble abode. Let's see what you got.

JESSE:  (with a grin)  You won't be disappointed, Saul. We're gonna make sure your jingle becomes the next big thing!

SAUL:  (chuckling)  I hope so, Jesse. Just remember, this jingle needs to exude professionalism. We are lawyers here, not some garage band.

Skinny Pete and Badger exchange glances, their faces hinting at mischief.

SKINNY PETE:  (mock-serious)  Oh, don't you worry, Saul. We're definitely in the big league of professional jingle-making.

Saul raises an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

SAUL:  (sceptical)  Alright, alright. Let's get down to business then. How much do you want for this masterpiece?

Jesse, Skinny Pete, and Badger exchange a mischievous look amongst themselves.

JESSE:  (teasingly)  Well, Saul, we've been discussing it, and we've come to a consensus. We don't want cash. We want...string cheese. Yeah, a lifetime supply!

Saul's eyes widen in disbelief.

SAUL:  (intensely)  String cheese? Are you seriously asking me for a lifetime of my supply of string cheese as payment for making my jingle?

Jesse and his bandmates burst into laughter, leaving Saul flabbergasted.

SKINNY PETE:  (grinning)  Hey, man, it's a delicacy! We deserve the best for this job.

BADGER:  (nodding)  Exactly! Plus, it'll help us stay inspired while working on the jingle. The cheesier, the better!

Saul shakes his head in disbelief.

SAUL:  (resigned)  Alright, enough with the string cheese. What else can I offer you? Cash? I can pay you. But keep in mind, it won't be as glamorous as a lifetime supply of string cheese.

JESSE:  (grinning)  We accept, Saul! Cash it is. Can't say no to cold, hard cash.

Saul breathes a sigh of relief. He reaches for his wallet, taking out some money.

SAUL:  (handling the cash to Jesse)  Here you go, boys. You'll find this more useful than chunks of cheese.

Jesse takes the cash, his eyes glinting with excitement.

JESSE:  (appreciative)  Thanks, Saul. We won't let you down.

As Jesse counts the money, both Skinny Pete and Badger look over each other's shoulder, their eyes locked on the drum kit.

SKINNY PETE:  (squinting)  Hey, Badger, what's the deal with arpeggios? Are they even real?

BADGER:  (defensively)  Of course, they're real, dude! It's like...a fancy way to play chords or something.

SKINNY PETE:  (shaking his head)  Nah, man. Arpeggios are just a myth. They try to trick you into thinking there's some secret technique.

Their argument intensifies, completely oblivious to Saul and Jesse.

JESSE:  (giving Saul an apologetic look)  Sorry, Saul. It seems like we might need some time to settle this arpeggio situation.

SAUL:  (sighing)  Great. Just when I thought we were making progress. Alright, boys, make sure to figure it out before the jingle session. We need harmony, not musical debates.

Jesse, Skinny Pete, and Badger continue their passionate argument while Saul shakes his head, wondering if he made the right decision.

FADE OUT.

[burgundybmw]

Munson's Mixtape

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Cunningham!Reader

Word Count: 3,470

Warnings: Mrs. Cunningham being a bitch, Mention of the Devil, Death (Chrissy, Fred, Patrick), References to Jason being an asshole.

Summary: Chrissy has been acting weird, and like a good big sister Y/N drives to Hawkins from Notre Dame to check in on her. Only to find out she has plans to meet up with Eddie Munson. Things take a turn for the worse and now Y/N gets wrapped in to the horrors of Hawkins. Hey, at least she has the company of the guitarist she was sweet on back in high school for comfort.

Author’s Note: Hope you guys liked this chapter! The next one will have Eddie reuniting with his lady in the trailer... but be warned. Next chapter won't be all sunshine and rainbows.

Track Fifteen

Y/N has never been in the back of a police car. Not once in her 20 years of life. She was always careful, anything to avoid her mother's wrath if she dared to do something untoward. However, her two decade long streak has come to a screeching halt. She was currently sitting in the back of Chief Powell's SUV, with Max Mayfield sitting beside her. Dustin and Lucas were in another car, and they were all heading to the Wheeler household. Y/N had asked the chief of police to stop at Rick's car to grab the duffle bag she had taken from her house. He agreed, and now she was peeling through Chrissy's diary trying to find something to back her story up. If she was going to successfully pin this thing on Jason, she needed more solid proof than her word.

Max was looking at her like she was insane, but kept her mouth shut. She was a smart girl, and knew better than to ask her what she was going in front of the cops. Y/N was reading her sisters most private thoughts as quickly as she could. She knew that if she found something useful, the police would confiscate it as evidence. They too would know every detail of Chrissy's life, the good, the bad, and the embarrassing. Y/N just hoped Chrissy would forgive her, wherever she was. She was framing her sister's boyfriend for murder, but Y/N held on hope that it wouldn't get that far.

The Carver's had influence, and once the panic eventually died down they would probably find the best lawyer they could to free Jason. She didn't think claims of a satanic serial murder would hold up in court, at least not for him. Hawkins was crazy enough to believe Eddie would do such a thing, but not All Star American Good Ol' Boy Jason Carver. By then Y/N would have enough evidence to prove Eddie's innocence, and then the cases would go cold. It made her sad to think Vecna couldn't be punished in a court of law, that he would never serve jail time for his crimes. But hopefully he will be dead by the end of this, and Y/N will have comfort in the thought that Chrissy could finally rest in peace knowing her real killer is gone forever.

Throughout Y/N's search she found a few entries in the diary that could be helpful, with a good enough spin. There was one from September that mentioned Patrick.

September 8th, 1985

Dear Diary, School starts tomorrow, and normally I would be excited for the new year, but this time I'm not. Last night Annie threw a last weekend of summer party at her house. Jason picked me up as usual, and everything was going great until Andy suggested everyone play spin the bottle. I didn't want to do it, but Jason said it was just a silly game and that it didn't mean anything. During the first half of the game I had to watch Stephanie, Michelle, and Crystal all kiss my boyfriend on the mouth. I tried not to feel jealous, they all said it was just fun. It didn't feel like fun to me. None of the boys landed on me at first, and I didn't know if I should've felt relieved or upset about it. I don't want to kiss any boy other than Jason, but it hurt seeing it happen to him over and over again. I wanted to get even, and I had my chance when Patrick spun on me. Jason gave him such a dirty look, and Patrick told me I didn't have to if I didn't want to. That was nice of him, and even though I was jealous of other girls kissing Jason, I didn't want to upset my boyfriend. So I just kissed him on the cheek, it was a bit closer to his mouth than I would normally do, but I never made contact with his lips. After I sat back down, Jason pulled me up by the arm and dragged me into the kitchen. He threw an absolute fit! As if he wasn't doing worse! He said it was different for girls, that I was his and his alone. I told him it was just a kiss on the cheek, but Jason wouldn't listen. He never listens when he's angry. After that he left me at the party and drove home. Patrick gave me a ride himself, and said he would talk to him today. I just hope I don't have to start senior year without a boyfriend, I already know what prom dress I want to buy.

After Y/N read the entry she thought of different ways she could make it seem like Jason had it out for Patrick. It would be difficult, considering the fact that they were friends, but not impossible. A second entry from the beginning of March mentioned Fred.

March 4th, 1986

Dear Diary, I got interviewed by the school paper today! Fred wanted to do a piece on the cheerleading squad and I was picked! My picture is going to be in it and everything! I'm so excited to tell Y/N about it. Even Jason's sour mood can't bring me down. He was sooooo convinced Fred was going to say something bad about me, because according to him Fred only writes bad things about Jason, and because I'm his girlfriend that means he's gonna write bad things about me too. I just think he's paranoid. Jason can be a little narcissistic sometimes, thinks the world revolves around him. He said the world revolves around us, which is sweet I guess. I don't know, he's been stressed out about his last basketball season of High School and getting into Yale. So I won't hold it against him.

Those two entries were all Y/N had to defend her case. There were others that talked about fights her sister and Jason had, but the rest of the diary sang his praises. She was sad reading how Jason had treated her sister, and that she didn't realize how cruel he could be. Chrissy didn't deserve Jason's bullshit, but it was too late for her to say anything about it now.

Before she realized it Chief Powell was pulling into the driveway of the Wheeler house. She could see a half dozen cars parked there, her mother's car included. Y/N's heart started pounding, she didn't think her mother would bother to show up, but she was here, waiting for her. The thought gave her little comfort.

Chief Powell opened the back door of the car and let the two girls out. There was another police vehicle in the driveway, so Dustin and Lucas must already be inside. As they walked through the door, all Y/N could hear was yelling.

Max went to sit down next to the boys on the love seat, and Y/N slowly walked to stand beside them. She purposefully ignored her mother's frigid stare. When the Chief walked in everyone stopped speaking for a moment, waiting for him to speak first.

"Okay. The story I've heard tonight is something I, quite frankly, find hard to believe. If you would have asked me a month ago if I thought the Devil was in Hawkins, I'd tell you to check yourself into the loony bin. But now, I don't know what to believe. So right now we are going to get to the bottom of this. Starting with you three." Chief Powell said sternly. Before any of the kids could speak the parents in the room started shouting again.

"The Devil? What's this about the Devil?" Mrs. Sinclair yelled. Lucas sank deeper into his seat. That was her I-mean-business-voice, and he knew he was about to be in deep shit.

"Oh God, Dusty what is he talking about?" Mrs. Henderson asked her son, wiping stray tears off her face with a hanky.

"What on Earth?" Mrs. Wheeler gasped in shock.

"I knew it! I knew Satan himself was involved with this!" Mrs. Cunningham shouted, and Y/N held her head down. She tried to stop herself from shaking. She looked up for just a moment only to find her mother staring daggers at her.

"That's enough!" Chief Powell shouted, but Y/N ignored him. The officers started asking the kids questions, about what they were doing at Lovers Lake. She couldn't focus on them, she was frozen by her mother's icy eyes. They were locked on to her, like a missile about ready to strike. The rest of the parents were shouting again, but Mrs. Cunningham never said a word.

"Shut up!" Chief Powell shouted. Y/N looked over to him, the spell her mother had on her finally broken.

"We're gonna try a more civilized approach. One at a time. You first." Chief Powell said as he pointed at Max.

"Wait, what? Why me? I'm not even in Hellfire." Max protested.

"Follow me." Said Officer Callahan as he lead her upstairs.

"And you, stay right here." Chief Powell said pointing to Y/N. "You two go in the other room, I'll deal with you later."

Dustin and Lucas gave Y/N a pitied look, before they nodded and walked into the kitchen, Lucas' little sister trailing behind them. That left Y/N alone with Chief Powell and the rest of the parents. She moved to sit down on the love seat, when she barely made contact with the cushion her mother went in on her.

"You have a lot of explaining to do missy. First, you selfishly ruin your sister's funeral, embarrassed me and your father in front of everyone, and now this? What is wrong with you! I knew your father was wrong, he should have never bothered calling Notre Dame. You should have stayed away before you ruined absolutely everything!" Mrs. Cunningham shouted. They stopped and stared at her mother's harsh voice, the other mothers in the group turned back to look at Y/N with a sympathetic look on their faces.

"That's enough Mrs. Cunningham, it's my turn to ask the questions." Chief Powell said sternly. Her mother looked like she wanted to continue, but she knew not to embarrass herself in front of the police.

"Okay Miss. Cunningham, can you continue what you were saying earlier? About Jason Carver?" Chief Powell asked. Mrs. Cunningham whipped her head around to face the Chief, protest ready on her lips before he raised a hand at her to keep quiet.

"I believe it was Jason who made a deal with the Devil... I think he wanted revenge against Chrissy, Fred, and Patrick. Jason... he's not who you think he is. It sounds crazy, but I know he somehow made contact with Satan himself, and through whatever means he was able to use black magic to kill all three of them. My sister often singed his praises, but she always saw the good in people... She didn't see how wicked he was." Y/N replied. She tried to make her voice sound haunted, scared out of her wits. Chief Powell was about to ask her to elaborate before her mother cut him off.

"How dare you. How dare you point the finger at Jason. You have no idea what you're talking about." The words were laced with venom as Mrs. Cunningham said them.

“Mom, it was Jason. I know it was him.” Y/N pleaded, but her mother ignored her.

“Shut your mouth young lady. Jason is a good, sweet, God fearing young man. He loved your sister! He wouldn’t make a pact with the Devil, stop spreading these lies.” Mrs. Cunningham replied, sick of her daughter's antics.

“I’m not lying! She told me they fought a lot, and Jason was paranoid she was going to leave him! See here, I have Chrissy’s diary." Y/N grabbed the book she hid behind her and opened it up to show the pages she marked.

"They went to a party and played spin the bottle, she kissed Patrick on the cheek and Jason flipped out." Y/N flipped the book over to show her mother and Chief Powell. She turned the pages frantically to find the next entry she dog eared.

"And here, Chrissy wrote that she did an interview with Fred about the cheer squad, and she said Jason didn't like him because Fred always wrote about his failures in basketball. Jason is the only one who's connected to all of the victims! That’s the only explanation! Jason signed his name in the Devil’s black book!" Y/N shouted. All of the parents in the room looked at her in shock and horror, all except her mother, who looked at her as if she belonged on a stake ready to be set aflame.

“Are you sure about this young lady?” Chief Powell asked.

“Yes. Something is wrong with Hawkins, so horribly wrong. We all know it, but are too afraid to admit it. I don’t know how Jason made his evil pact, but it’s the only thing that makes sense." Y/N felt the tears fill her eyes, this time she didn't have to fake them.

"I saw how Chrissy died, she levitated from the ground. Her bones shattered in place, her eyes... oh God her eyes were ripped out from the inside. No man could do that. Jason is trying to pin this on Eddie, he knows what people in town think of him. It would be so easy… but he didn’t fool me. He won’t get away with this.” She held firm throughout her tale. Y/N prayed that it was enough to convince Chief Powell. His face was still a bit unreadable, but he looked less skeptical than he did at Lover's Lake.

“Alright then. If you wouldn’t mind going into the kitchen with the others Miss. Cunningham, I’d like a word with your mother.” Y/N nodded and slowly walked away, leaving her mother and Chief Powell to speak privately. When she walked into the kitchen Dustin, Lucas, and his sister were all standing in the hallway next to the stairs.

"So, what if, with each kill, he's not simply killing them, he's making a powerful psychic connection with his victims? A connection powerful enough to rip a hole in the fabric of time and space." Dustin whispered loudly. Y/N stopped right in her tracks, the group didn't notice her presence yet. A feeling of dread so intense it gripped her from the inside out. Vecna was far more powerful than she had feared.

"He's opening more gates." Lucas replied.

"Bingo." Dustin replied. They heard another officer walk by the hallway and slowly headed back to the kitchen, Y/N quietly trailed behind.

"Why would he be opening more gates?" Dustin asked.

"To take over the world." Lucas replied, and that idea made the dread inside of Y/N grow thicker with every passing moment.

"And who do we know who wants to take over the world?" Dustin asked.

"The Mind Flayer." Lucas whispered. It was like the two of them were having their own private conversation, oblivious to Y/N and Lucas' sister's presence.

"So if the Demogorgon was just his foot solider, Vecna is his five-star general. A five-star general with the power to open gates." Dustin whispered frantically.

"Holy shit." Lucas said has he put his hands behind his said.

"Holy shit." Dustin replied in turn.

"Holy shit. That was incomprehensible. You lost me at Mothergate. Please be kind. Rewind." Lucas' sister said with distain.

"I agree, I have no idea what any of that meant." Y/N said finally making her presence known.

Dustin groaned and went back to the beginning of his theory. He explained what he knew about the massive gate that was in Hawkins Lab, the first one they found when Will went missing. He further explained how that gate remained open for a year before their friend Eleven, the girl with superpowers Dustin had told her about days prior, had closed it. They thought the gate was closed forever, until the Russians tried to open a new one under Starcourt Mall. A part of The Mind Flayer had possessed Will, and from there possessed dozens of other people in Hawkins. After they defeated the corporeal Mind Flayer in the mall, Eleven lost her powers, and they thought everything was finally over. That was until Vecna appeared, with his ability to open gates wherever he killed his victims.

Y/N's mind was racing. She hated every word that came out of Dustin's mouth, each statement more horrifying than the next. How was she oblivious to everything? Living her happy-go-lucky life as if there wasn't a living hell that casted it's dark shadow over Hawkins. Dustin had only given the cliff notes version of the story before, this, this was way worse. Lucas' sister, Erica she now knew, had led them to the dining room of the Wheeler house, convinced someone could hear their conversation. They all sat down at the table as Dustin paced back and forth in front of it, rambling on about his theories on Vecna.

"So our working theory is that Vecna makes remote contact from his attic. We don't know why. We assume he can do it from anywhere." Dustin sat back down when he noticed Erica staring into space. Y/N followed her line of sight and noticed the light from the chandelier was flickering in a pattern.

"Are you even listening to me?" Dustin asked.

"Yea, I'm listening. It's just..." Erica said as she walked towards the light fixture in the ceiling. "You said you followed Vecna through lights, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Dustin replied.

"Because I think he's here." They all stood up from the table to see what Erica was talking about. Y/N didn't look away once as the light maintained its steady pattern. A bad feeling settled in Y/N's stomach, she feared that whatever it was that was causing the lights to flicker was up to no good.

"S... O... S..." Dustin whispered. "Hey, uh, remember when I said they wouldn’t be stupid enough to go through Watergate?”

“Yeah?” Lucas replied.

“I overestimated them.” Dustin said in a disappointed tone. Y/N walked over and stood in front of the kids, her arms crossed against her chest.

“How do you know it’s them? What if it’s Vecna or something else? What if they’re trying to trick us?” Y/N asked, she was skeptical that it was truly Eddie, Nancy, Robin, and Steve on the other side of that light.

“It’s Eddie. I know Steve, Robin, and Nancy don’t know Morse Code, but he knows S.O.S. Nancy knows about Will communicating through the lights when he went to the Upside Down, it has to be them.” Dustin replied.

“Eddie? Eddie if that’s you can you show me a sign? If it’s Vecna you can kindly go fuck yourself, I’m not in the mood for this.” Y/N turned to face the lights, her arms moving from her chest to her hips with a serious look on her face. If Vecna wanted her he could just stop wasting her time and do it already, she didn't want to play any silly game.

The pattern of the lights stopped for a moment, the light maintaining a consistent glow, before it started up again. This wasn't the same S.O.S Dustin pointed out earlier, it was something else. The light flickered once and held the glow before dimming, then it did it a second time, and a third in the same way. Then it started flickering again, a steady 1, 2, 3, 4 beat. Other lights on the chandelier started to flicker as well, all following a consistent beat. Y/N began tapping the rhythm on the chair in front of her, and just like that, muscle memory kicked it. It was the same motion she made when she tapped the steering wheel of her Buick, every time she listened to Eddie's mixtape. It was the beat to For Whom The Bell Tolls. She started to softly sing the lyrics of her favorite song, the one she told Eddie and only Eddie.

"Make his fight on the hill in the early day… constant chill deep inside… Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey. On they fight, for they’re right, yes, but who’s to say… Oh God Eddie baby you’re a genius!” Y/N cheered. She turned around to face the rest of the group, a massive smile on her face. Eddie was here, in a way, and he was alive.

“Hey! Meet us in Nancy’s room, I’ve got an idea!” Dustin yelled. Y/N followed the kids as they stole the Lite-Brite from Mike and Nancy's little sister and headed upstairs. She hoped that whatever Dustin was planning would work. Y/N hated the idea of Eddie staying in the Upside Down for a single minute longer.

Taglist:

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[joe9cool]

Collide-Justin Herbert-14

A/N. Before this chapter starts I want to say I only own my Characters. The LA Chargers, their employees are real people. The gossip is for storylines only. I don't know their stories in reality. This is my story and doesn't reflect their real lives. Thank you.

"Alright, we got everything?" Sara yawned and nodded her head as she got in the car. It was 2am and Justin wanted to be at his parents by the afternoon. She could understand he didn't get to see his family very often during the season and he was excited. Despite the fact that she was exhausted, his happiness rubbed off on her.

Everything was packed up. Nova was asleep in her carrier, still on a high after the catnip she was given. They began the eight hour drive. Justin's phone was navigating, even though he insisted he knew where he was going.

She loaded up on snacks. She packed protein bars, cookies, an uncrustable and Capri suns. (Justin busted out laughing when he saw that one.) He was a bit annoyed when she made him stop at the twenty four hour dunkin donuts. (She placed an order ahead and ran inside in disguise to get it) however the stop was in handy as he sipped the coffee she got him and ate some of the sandwich. 

"Just let me know when you want to switch." Justin rolled his eyes. "Babe, I did this drive all by myself. I'm fine. Also be careful of the liquids, we are going to be hitting a long stretch with no rest stop."

"It's dark, I'll just pee on the side of the road." He sighed. "That's fine. I got my water bottle if I need to go." Sara wrinkled her nose up in disgust. "Ewww boys." He laughed. "Hey its extremely effective."

She used the car's Bluetooth to play some music. He didn't have any preferences so she put on Lord Huron. While listening to "meet me in the city" she told him about her upcoming projects with the band. He was genuinely interested in hearing about what she had planned.

Justin felt bad about not paying attention in the past. Truth was he was all science and sports. Yes he watched movies, but he never really thought about the background of what went into it. Sara explaining her being behind the camera and coming up with ideas. It was fascinating.

"I had no idea you selected the music for the scenes of your show. That's awesome." He smiled, proud of his girl. "I'm going to be honest though. I have never seen a single episode. So I don't understand it."

Sara was a little hurt. "Well it's about college kids coming together after leaving their small town, conservative neighborhoods. You know, coming of age. I'm shocked you haven't seen an episode. Have you heard of it at least?" He nodded. "We have to watch it together."

"Oh no I don't watch anything I'm in. Unless I have to, like a movie premiere that's it. I'll never see it again." He looked at her as he signaled to get on the expressway. "Why?"

"I am my worst critic, I cringe when I see myself." She shrugged. "I guess going back to my high-school days where I would do plays and then my family would critique me."

Justin never thought of it that way. He was forced to watch his old games to go over mistakes he made. He didn't care for it, but it was part of the game. It brought him to another thought. "Well on the topic of your family." He began. "You never talk about yours really."

"I love my immediate family. But I don't know. Sometimes I feel like a disappointment."

"Thats ridiculous. You are more successful than them combined." He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Sara nodded. "I guess, but my family is very businesslike, very Wall street. My dad is a CEO of Lincoln Financial, an investment company. My mom is an economics professor at the local community College. My oldest sister Katie is a financial advisor along with her husband. Middle one Brittany is a lawyer, same as her husband. Alyssa is a stay at home mom. But she has her degree in Pre law, and then there's me."

"You have a degree in psychology though."

Sara sighed. "So did Katie, but my dad made her go to business school because he didn't see any potential in it. When I told my dad I was going to do psychology in high school, he was mad. But hoping I would use it for pre med and pre law. When I told him it was a backup because I wanted to be in the entertainment industry my parents agreed that they wouldn't pay for it. Not a dime. They covered my sisters tuition and dorm fully,but not me. It hurts, I think they feel bad about doubting that. But they never said anything to me."

She smiled. "They have my back and are very supportive. But I don't know, I feel left out sometimes. They were all very athletic and involved, whereas I hated playing sports. I hated being put out there at something I wasn't good at. It wasn't until I joined theater in middle school that I found my niche. My parents rarely went to my plays, usually because it fell around nationals for Alyssa cause she was in dance.

"Not to be rude, but I don't really consider dancing a sport." Justin shrugged his shoulders. "What about aunts and uncles?"

She rolled her eyes. "My aunt is the fucking worst. Always cuts me up when no one is around. She will Make sure to remind me I'll never be good enough like my sisters or small like them" He looked at her questioningly. "I'm the tallest, and the largest in body frame. It pisses her off that her oldest isn’t in show business because she’s prettier.”

Justin was mad. "Fuck them. You don't need them." He grabbed her hand. He noticed she was shaking. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"It's fine, we had to talk about it eventually." Speaking of which, she had to talk to him about leaving in January. That would be a topic when they got home, she decided. Wanting to get off sad topics she smiled. "I hope your mom has all the baby books out."

He groaned and she laughed. "As soon as I told her you were coming my dad texted me and said she was in the crawl space digging them out." She giggled. "Aww come on you were probably the cutest kid. She pinched his cheeks. "Baby Justin with the chubby cheeks oh my god." He smiled and blushed. "Stop it."

She laughed. "So it's your mom, dad, and Patrick right?" He nodded. "Yes, Mitch is in New York in med school. Funny though you took a picture with his girlfriend when you were in New York."  

"Really? Wow what a small world." He smiled. After a minute he asked. "Did you tell your family about us?"

There it was. He was worried if more people knew. "Don't worry, I didn't say anything." She said. 

He furrowed his eyebrows. It actually hurt to know that her parents didn't know anything. "May I ask why?"

"Well for starters I know you don't want many people to know about us so I just didn't say Justin understood the first part. He did value his privacy, but he didn't realize how much his comments hurt Sara. "It's not that I don't want people to know. I'm okay with close friends. It's just when it gets revealed to the public I know things will change." He thought back to his and Bella's conversation. "You have to give me time to adjust." She turned towards him, surprised. "Really?"

"Yes. Sara I really like you and see this going somewhere. I think it's time we discussed going forward. I don't see this as a casual fling."

She smiled and grabbed his hand, kissing it "I see this going somewhere too." He smiled. "I'm glad."anything. Also my family is very overwhelming. The moment I say I'm seeing someone they will be on the first plane to Cali to grill you. Then the others will know and I'm not going to subject you to scrutiny."

She was quiet for a moment

"Can I confess something?" He looked at her. "I thought you were just going to be a fling." 

He was surprised. "Really?" She nodded. "I kinda swore off dating for a while. Then I saw you at the wedding and thought you were cute and tall." She laughed. "I approached you thinking it was going to be a one night stand thing. But then I just chickened out and called you for a date."

He laughed. "Well I'm honored. Can I be honest as well? I wasn't going to call at all, I was too intimidated." She busted out laughing. "I knew, that's why I called you."

They laughed together. "That was really bold of me. I thought for sure you would go for someone like me."

"What makes you say that?"

She almost said it. It was on the tip of her tongue. She chickened out again. " Well don't pro athletes usually go for skinny blonde girls?" She noticed his hesitation. "I'm going to be honest, I've just always ended up with blondes. But I like brunettes as well. I got a gorgeous one right next to me." She cooed.

She was happy, this was the most honest conversation they ever had since their relationship. It was progress, and while Sara could admit that she was toxic in the way that she never really injected herself in his hobbies she felt really guilty over invading his privacy. She had no reason not to trust him. He was with her almost twenty four seven. There was no reason to suspect him cheating his own teammate backed him up.

A teammate she was stringing along. 

As on cue her phone buzzed and it was Joey.

Hey 

It was four in the morning. What could he want? Her read receipts were on unfortunately. Still she decided to ignore it

She looked at Justin, she needed a distraction. "You know what I'm most excited for?" She asked

"Hmm."

"To see your childhood bedroom."

"Why?"

"I don't know, because of the memories you have tied to it. Where you had your struggles, how you celebrated the highs and dealt with the lows. Photos of your friends and family. Also I'm sure you have jerseys hung up. I want to thank you for trusting me with that "

He smiled. "I'm happy to reveal it to you. I know I'm not the most open guy and I struggle with feelings, but this is important to me, you're important to me."

Sara's heart was going to burst with joy and love. "Well technically I got the hard part over, I met your parents." He laughed. "Yeah now you get to meet my youngest brother. Which is easy, he's a pain in the ass though. I'm sure he would say the same for me."

"What would he have to say about you?"

Justin laughed. "That I beat up on him a Lot, which I did when I was younger. Also I was a neat freak."

"You still are, you got me containers for my makeup and toiletries to keep them separate."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay? And you find what you're looking for faster." She was silent for a moment. "Okay, point taken."

Another couple hours went by with some playful bickering about the music. (He joked that her music was depressing and she said he had the taste of a dad going through a mid life crisis.) They settled into a comfortable silence. Finally Sara saw the 'Welcome to Oregon' sign. She squeezed his hand tighter.

It was nice to see the change. Even though they just crossed the border she noticed Justin looked more relaxed than he had the past couple of weeks. She knew how stressed he was, so she hoped he could truly relax and reset, seek comfort in his family. The weather changed to dark and dreary. "I love it" She said.

"What?' She blushed as she realized she spoke her thoughts out loud. "This weather. I love it, perfect weather to be in bed, reading a book, sleeping. Or making love."

They came to a red light and he glanced at her. "my house in Oregon isn't as glamorous as LA. But I love it "

"Justin because I'm a Hollywood actress doesn't mean I have people waiting on me hand and foot. I don't need fancy things, my house is pretty modest for LA isn't it?"

He nodded "yes. I'm sorry. I don't mean it offensively. My idea of Hollywood starlets is completely different." He paused. "Still can't believe I met Bella Hadid." She laughed. "Crazy isn't it? When she was up and coming I was still in my college dorm."

"Yeah and I was starting at Oregon." She felt bad. This is his trip for him, and she wanted this to be about him. This territory was for his stories to tell.

It was still a bit before they hit Eugene, but Sara was already in love. It was gorgeous and the scenery was perfect. The fall really brought that out, completely atmosphere from the busy Los Angeles. Justin looked at Sara as she took in the sights. As they were on the road she offered to switch many times, as they initially agreed to share the driving responsibilities. But Justin had no intention of doing that.  He wanted her to take in the scenery, and he had done this drive many times by himself.

Plus this made him feel like a man, driving his girl to locations. He loved that he was so much bigger than her. He loved that she comforted him during hard times, that she validated his feelings. Everything about her was perfect. He loved watching her get ready in the morning. He loved that she was the first person he spoke to in the morning and the last one he spoke to before he fell asleep

It was in that moment he realized he loved everything about her

He loved Sara Christine Wozniak.

The realization hit him so hard that he didn't start driving until the car behind them honked and startled them both. Embarrassed, he began driving while Sara laughed at him. She was scrolling instagram and decided to post photos she took in LA the other day while out. Just in case she had to cover her tracks.

It's a good thing she did.

Twitteruser: My dad just saw Justin Herbert in Oregon! Looks like he's taking a break

 I would need a break from Lombardis offense.

Probably re enrolling in OSU to play ball there.

Was he with anyone?

Twitteruser: he said there was someone in the seat next to him. Looked like a girl with dark hair, had a baseball cap on.

Are you sure it was him? I thought he was dating that blonde reporter.

Twitteruser: yeah long hair, silver Porsche with the Oregon plate. He said he couldn't get a look at the girl, who was very secretive.

He probably has a secret girlfriend and is using Taylor as a cover up

Twitteruser7: what a player.

Yeah dude needs to focus on ball and not pussy.

On Tumblr.

Anon message : have you seen this? [Link to tweet] interesting. I like the theory that he has a secret girlfriend she probably lives in Oregon

Interesting anon. However we don't know if this is legit. Let's not make this a thing and go through all of his followers with dark hair and message them.

Anon2: what are your thoughts?

I'm not going to add any fuel to the fire. I have my own opinions but he's a twenty four year old guy having fun. I'm thrown for a loop cause I was pretty sure I knew who he was seeing, and it wasn't a brunette.

Anon: Maybe it's Sara?

I know for sure it isn't Sara Wozniak. She was posting photos of Los Angeles.  I can't see them together. Sorry. Now unless there's photo evidence  I really don't want to talk about this.

Anon: great another girl to add to the list for these crazies to stalk. He's home, maybe it's a fucking relative.

True, he has plenty of female relatives with dark hair. I'm surprised he went home though, he told the media he was just going to treat it like any other week.

Anon: he didn't want any scrutiny. He needs to reset and I feel that this is good for him. See family and recharge, glad to see he has a support team. 

Yes this will be a good mental reset before next week. 

Sara’s anxiety began to spike as Justin got off the main roads and turned on a residential  street. She could see Autzen stadium in the distance and smiled thinking of how Justin played there. 

"we're going to my house first to drop off our stuff. Maybe get a nap in." He yawned and saw it was 11am. He looked over at Sara. "That sound good?" 

"That's perfect. We would have gotten here a lot faster If I drove." She teased. He was a rule follower, only going the max five over.

"Okay hun, and you had how many speeding tickets?"

She huffed. "Only two and the cops in Pennsylvania are jerks. I was running late for school." He laughed as he pulled into his driveway. She took in the sight, it was alot smaller than his home in California, but it was nice, and homey. Perfect home for a family to grow in. They pulled into the garage and once the door was closed He jumped out and opened the door for her. She grabbed Nova’s carrier and litter box and made sure to set it up as soon as he unlocked the door.

They had a brief back and forth about the bags. (She reminded him he was still injured.,) and they settled in. "I'm going to assume you have nothing." She opened the fridge and was surprised when it was fully stocked with everything. Justin smiled. "My mom stocked up on everything when I told her we were coming. Also Patrick uses this place when his girlfriend comes to visit." She nodded in understanding before she unpacked everything in his room. It was a similar setup to Los Angeles. Once that was done she smiled as she took in the photos. He had his trophies, memories of his time at University of Oregon. There was one trophy she was memorized by.

"Thats the Campbell trophy." Justin came up behind her and caressed her shoulders. "It's awarded to the most academic athlete."

Sara leaned into his embrace. "You're so smart. Tell me something, I found an article that said you were looking into med school if the NFL didn't work out."

"That's crap. People assumed that because of Mitch. I didn't really want that. I probably would have been a biology teacher like my dad. I was a teacher's assistant and I really liked that."

"Hmm so you would have been the hot guy sitting next to the professor. I would have tried to hook up with you?" He smiled. "You would?"

She laughed. "Naw this was at college. I would have stared at you like a weirdo and stalked your social media."

"Jokes on you, I didn't have social media. Plus we probably wouldn't have had any classes together." Acknowledging the two year age gap." Sara nodded. "When you were at UCLA did you attend any football games?"

Sitting on the bed she thought about it. "Yes, my roommate freshman year was dating someone on the football team so I went. But I wasn't really interested, so I went to a party with the team. Told one of the guys I wanted to be an actress and he laughed before he tried to fuck me."

Justin sat next to her. "What happened?"

"As soon as the show took off he was in my DMs, he also told the press that I fucked him and was a 'wild animal in bed'

"Asshole."

"I mean what are you going to do? My friends stood up for me, it was a back and forth on twitter. I don't want to talk about that though " She laid on the bed. "I want to take a nap and maybe have a snack later. Then we will meet everyone."

He began to strip off his clothes, "that sounds like a good plan to me." Sara followed suit, and when they were stripped down to their underwear they crawled underneath the covers. Justin pulled Sara to him. Content and relaxed, they fell asleep, ready to enjoy their mini vacation.

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

It was 2 o'clock when she woke up to an empty bed, slipping on her glasses, she sat up and stretched. She heard commotion in the kitchen? She heard voices, however it wasn't Holly or Mark's.

"Bro I'm sorry I didn't know you were here already."

"Shh you're gonna wake her up." She knew Justin's voice.

"Who?"

"My girlfriend, dipshit. Besides, don't you have practice or something?"

The unrecognizable voice. "Well you get certain perks when your team has a winning record, you remember that don't you?"

"Shut up?"

"Wait a second, girlfriend? When the fuck did this happen?"

"Four months."

"Mom and dad know?

She could tell her boyfriend was irritated. "Yes they know they met her when they visited LA. So does Mitch too."

Wait, Mitch knows? That was news to her, in a good way. But he never mentioned that.

"So you're telling me you just show up here with a girl that the whole family knows about except me? Well dude I want to meet her!"

"Not now! When she wakes up and gets ready we will be over Mom and Dad's for dinner!"

A laugh. "Oh so you had to break in the bed first huh? Ceremonial first girl in the house." 

She heard a slap and then an "ow" following. She stifled a laugh, knowing how red Justin probably was. "Shut up Patrick."

Oh so that was Patrick, the youngest of the Herbert brothers. She should have figured that out. She wanted to go out there and meet him but not like this. It was best to pretend she was still sleeping.

"Well you're in luck cause Carly surprised me as a late birthday gift."

She heard the panic in Justin's voice. "She's here? You didn't tell me she was here. I wasn't planning for that."

"I know, that's why I said surprise genius. She got here last night."

"Well, she isn't coming tonight is she?"

"Uh yeah she's staying with me. You never had an issue with her being over. What's the deal?" Oh he was worried about her knowing. God forbid one more person knew about them.

Anger flared up inside of her, but then she thought rationally. She was a big Star, and if someone blew their cover that was it. However, she would think Patrick's girlfriend would be trustworthy. 

The rest of their conversation turned to Oregon games. They had come off of a win vs UCLA so there was a lot of trash talking on Pat's end. Once he had left she heard Justin head towards the room and she quickly laid back down and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. She heard him enter and felt the bed move. His large arm wrapped around her stomach. He kissed her cheek. "I know you're not asleep." She could hear the smile. She steadied her breathing, putting on the performance of a lifetime. "You can pull that with anyone else but you can't with me. You don't like to sleep on your back." Still, she persisted. 

His finger slid down her side, creeping up on her side, he moved towards her arm Pitt and she held her breath. One night he discovered her weakness that she was extremely ticklish and used that to his advantage. Of course he was going to use it here and she felt his hand move off of her and she thought she was in the clear, but to no avail as he went to the other spot which was her neck. He began to poke at the sides of her neck. Her lips moved, then she gave up and began laughing really hard. Justin joined in. "Gotcha!" He kept up the antics and Sara tried shoving him away. "Jerk! That's not fair." He kissed her.

"How long have you been up?"

"Long enough to know Pat came." He rolled his eyes. "You can ignore him, he's an ass." She smiled and kissed him, he responded. Soon enough their tongues were battling for dominance. Of course he had to win. He grabbed her neck and she moaned. The kiss was broken "so, if you want." Justin breathed. "I never gave you a tour of the house." 

"I want a tour of something else." She reached underneath his shirt. He grabbed her hands and held them to her sides. "I think the house tour is more important." The smile on her face told her everything. Jerk was teasing her. "Besides, patience is a virtue."  He got off the bed and motioned for her to follow him. Upon stealing one of his shirts she followed him.

He took his sweet time explaining each room, how each appliance worked. She tried so hard to pay attention when he would go into detail explaining something significant that happened to him or a memory. It was hard to focus when he looked delicious. She had known before the conversation with Patrick he must have showered cause she noticed his hair was wet. Also he was shirtless, a massive weakness for her and he knew it. Again, what a jerk. Justin took her into the basement and she gasped. It was a guy setup with a bar, a pool table, a video game setup with a big television. That wasn't what grabbed Sara’s attention, there was a piano in the corner collecting dust. She noticed he was looking at her. "I didn't know you played."

"I don't. I bought it for decoration from my buddy. You play?" She nodded. "One of the first things my parents enrolled me in. I always thought it was such a beautiful instrument. My brother in law plays too." She walked over and ran her hands over the keys. "Have you thought about taking lessons?" He shrugged. "Not really. It's just for decoration.

"Such a shame, I think you would look hot. If you want I can show you some basics." He smiled. "I'd like that a lot." He walked towards her. "You want to see the backyard. "

"You got a swing set?" He raised his eyebrows. "A swing set?"

"Or a hammock?" He shook his head no. "Come on Herbert!" 

"What? I only grill in my backyard, and it's not hot enough for a pool." He smirked. "I do have a hot tub. Which Patrick uses for recovery."

"Really Justin? You should have told me! I didn't pack any swimwear!"

"That shouldn't stop you. I mean, we can just skinny dip." She turned to see the mischievous smile on his face. "Hmm I don't know. I'm saving myself for marriage."

He busted out laughing. "Yeah okay. You call what you did something a virgin would do?"

"I'm a woman of many talents." He let out a "hmph" sound and grabbed her hand to lead her back upstairs. Once they reached the top of the stairs Sara thought about the time they needed to be at his parents house. "I should start getting ready."

"It's only three we got a couple of hours."

"Thank God I made those cookies yesterday." 

"You know my parents wouldn't care if you brought something or not."

"And I told you this before Italians never show up empty handed." She thought about that comment she made to Joey. While Justin and Patrick were talking, she saw he had messaged her a couple times wishing her a good trip and to let him know how it goes. She wasn't going to respond to him. "I need to get ready." Before Jusgin could respond she went back to the room and began sorting through her bags to find her makeup. Once she did she plugged in her curling iron. Her hair wasn't due for a washing but she felt her body did, so she quickly did once over in the shower and got out. It was nice and cool in the room, so she decided to just get ready naked.

She was doing skincare when Justin walked in. He was enjoying the view of her bent over the bathroom counter. Their eyes met in the mirror and she knew the look on his face. "Justin, no we do not have time. I need to get ready."

He leaned against the doorframe. "It's not going to take you the whole two hours to get ready. I only need ten minutes." She pushed out of the way to grab something from her bag and he followed her like a lost puppy. "Baby."

"Justin, not now. Once we stop we won't be able to stop." He smirked. "I could just say you're too tired from the trip." She rolled her eyes smiling. "You can't wait a couple of hours? Patience is a virtue." She used his words against him. He groaned. "Damn it Sara." She laughed and shooed him out the room so she could get ready in peace.

He sat on the bed and watched her routine as she applied her skincare. As much as he fussed about her doing the facial on him, he secretly loved it. "We can do another facial night if you want." 

"I knew you would love the skincare routine!" She called.  He couldn't resist and smirked. "Who said anything about skincare." She whipped around and playfully glared at him. "Oh I have a dirty mouth huh? You got photos of me with your baby gravy on my face."

He wrinkled his face. "Well I'm not turned on anymore. What I meant was you could sit on my face." He noticed she stopped her makeup application. Justin smirked as  the tables turned. She glared at him. "I know what you're trying to do and it's not working." She looked down at her phone. "Times are ticking. I don't want to be late."

"Okay I'm done." He took out his phone and began to browse instagram. "Hey Sara, do you have a personal account on Instagram?"

"Yes, it's ChristopherW14. He typed it in and found it. The profile was locked, and it showed a picture of a guy overlooking the sunset. "Who is this?"

Her makeup was done and she was spraying something on her face. "It's a random picture I found on Google. So far no one has detected it being me. It's a I don't even follow it on my page " He hit the request, and a few seconds later her phone buzzed with the notification. She accepted it and headed into the room to get dressed. It was cool, so she decided on some light jeans and a gray t-shirt with a checkered sweater. She looked at Justin who was in his usual Nike attire. It was him, it was charming. He noticed her stare and he was self conscious. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. You look good." He blushed. "Stop, I feel like a slob compared to you." She walked up to him and stood on her tippy toes to kiss shit chin.  "I would still smash." He smirked. "Gave you the opportunity, but noooo you said we will be late. My parents are down the block." She rolled her eyes and went to grab her purse. "Let's go". He led her to the garage and she was confused before she could ask if they could just walk. She remembered he didn't want the neighbors to notice. While he was not a big star in Los Angeles, he was a big celebrity here.

She couldn't help but laugh though as he backed out of his driveway and pulled into his parents driveway in less than two seconds. Their home was set up exactly like Justin's, except there were female touches to let her know that his mother was there. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door and Sara took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves

The first thing she noticed was a large black dog bounding towards her at full speed. Before Justin could yell or stop the dog she found herself on her ass and laughed as the dog excitedly sniffed and barked while his paws where on his shoulder.

"DYLAN!" Holly rounded the corner as Justin grabbed the dog's collar to pull him off of his girlfriend. "Oh my god I'm so sorry he gets so excited around new people." Sara got off the ground. "It's okay, I love dogs. He's a good boy." She scratched his tail and that calmed him down. Once he recognized Justin he was excited and began whimpering and trying to jump on him. "Yeah now you noticed me. Miss you buddy." Justin patted the dog. "Pat must have forgotten to lock him up "

"What kinda dog is he?"

"Lab mixed with Pyrenees." Holly and Sara embraced. "So nice to see you again."

"Same to you. I love your house." It was warm and inviting. You could tell a loving family lived there. "Oh thank you, Mark is outside finishing up lawn work. He does these things at the silliest times. Come on, everyone else is in the kitchen." The young couple followed Holly as they entered. Sara could see Patrick and a blonde woman, their backs facing her.

Patrick turned around, and as soon as he made eye contact with Sara he froze. It was comical really. 

"Pat what's wron-" the woman who was presumed to be Carly, turned around and froze. Shock flooded both of their system as they came face to face with the woman who was on the big screen and their TV screens

Sara was used to this reaction, however coming from someone she was trying to impress was a bit nerve wracking " she smiled awkwardly and waved. "Hi I'm Sara." She addressed Justin's brother first. "You must be Patrick." She held out her hand for him to shake. "It's really nice to meet you." Carly snapped out her daze first and grabbed her hand. "Oh wow! It's nice to meet you! Wow, um Patrick told me Justin was seeing someone but… wow." Sara had to laugh. "I'm so sorry, we are just a little star struck right now. Aren't we?" She hit Pat in the ribs with her elbow and he suddenly remembered where he was. "Oh yeah where are my manners? I'm so sorry! Hi I'm Pat." He shook her hand. He looked at Justin. "How the hell did you land her?"

"Patrick!" Holly slapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry Sara, I wish Mitch was here, he is the less obnoxious one out of these two." Justin feigned hurt. "Hey now don't lump me in with Patrick"

Carly rolled her eyes. "You are both idiots. Even Mitch has his moments. You can ask Isobel." They were interrupted when Mark came in the back door. "Oh you guys arrived. Hello Sara. I'd hug you but I got to shower first." She smiled. "That's okay, good to see you again Mr. Herbert " "It's Mark remember" He winked. Patrick interrupted.

"Wow so this is why you guys didn't say anything. Well welcome. Sorry I acted a little off putting, it's not everyday my brother brings home a movie Star, or a girl for that matter." Sara laughed, and her fears sorta melted away. So far The rest of the Herbert family was cool, and if Mitch was like this, then that would be a breeze. 

"Holly, do you need help with anything?" Sara set the container of cookies down (which almost were crushed by the massive dog) rounding the corner she could see Holly was sautéing vegetables. "No thank you Sweetie. Everything is almost done." As on cue the oven beeped. She put on the oven mitts and opened the oven to reveal a small turkey. Justin saw it as well. "Gosh mom, I didn't realize it was thanksgiving." He joked

She put the turkey on the counter. "Oh stop it, it's rare to have you home so I thought it would make it special." Patrick smiled. "See? And Mitch isn't here. Obviously we are the favorite sons."

"I never said that." Mark came downstairs, hair wet from the shower. "Looks good babe," He kissed Holly, and Sara smiled. They reminded her of her parents and how they interacted. She noticed Justin looking at her and they met eyes and smiled.

Holly finished up the sides and announced to everyone that they can fill their plates. Mark carved the turkey while everyone helped themselves. They took their seats and began eating. Sara had to say, the food was delicious and she complimented Holly on it.  Conversation was flowing and she loved it. It felt like family. It felt like home.

"I'm sorry I have to ask. How on earth did you two meet?" Carly looked between her and Justin. "He is the most shy guy I've ever met. When I came over for the first time. He was just in his room, barely said hi. I thought he hated me."

"I was preparing for the rose bowl! I was really focused. Justin defended himself. "Anyways. We met at Joe Grant's wedding in July."

"Didn't know you had the game or the confidence to approach her." Patrick smiled.

Justin closed his eyes. He knew what was going to come next. Sara chimed in with a smirk. " I was the one who made the move. I approached him, gave him my number, called him, and set up the date."

Patrick busted out laughing. "I should have known! I knew he didn't have the balls." He slapped his older brother on the back. "I can already tell she's too good for you "

Mark chimed in. "Hey! Don't scare her off I like her" Sara felt warm at that comment. When she first met Mark he was nice, but he wasn't open like Holly, and being emotional with anxiety it worried her. She was still incredibly nervous and as much as tried not to show it Justin picked up on it. She was twisting the ring on her middle finger and under the table he noticed her leg Bouncing. At one point he put his hand on her knees to steady her. She looked over and he met her with a reassuring smile.

Meanwhile The Herbert family (including Carly) were noticing these things. Justin was attentive to Sara, asking if she needed anything or making sure to include her in the conversation. The glances he stole were filled with adoration and…. Love. Patrick and Holly met eyes many times and they spoke a thousand words without saying anything. Mark was taking it all in, smiling to himself.

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

"I love your family." Sara couldn't stop grinning as she got into bed. Justin looked up from his book. Setting it down, he kissed her on the cheek. "I'm glad. They love you too, you know."

She looked over. "You really think so?" He knew she was looking for that reassurance. He smiled. "I wouldn't lie about something like that." And he wouldn't. "My mom likes that you call me out on my shit."

After dinner, they got on the topic of board games in which it led them to a loud boisterous game of Jenga, and then Sorry! (In which Sara finally beat him to Patrick's happiness." They didn't leave his parents house til about midnight. Patrick was leaving Friday for his game at California. However Justin and Patrick were going to the Oregon practice facilities early before everyone else to get some throws in. Holly and Sara echoed the same concerns. They didn't  want Justin getting hurt while attempting the throws not being under supervision of the Chargers. "Are you sure you want to throw tomorrow?"

He laid down and faced her. "I'll be fine, you really think I didn't clear it with the medical team before we left?" His tone had 'duh' written all over and Sara felt dumb "Well when you say it like that I feel stupid." He kissed her cheek. "Don't feel that way. Now let's get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. She raised her eyebrow in questioning. "Make sure you get your golf stuff ready while I'm gone. I got the course where I held my event closed down for me, you and my dad." He saw the apprehension on her face. "Don't worry you will be fine."

She was a little bit worried. Golf was still athletic and she wasn't the best person to explore athletics. Maybe that's why she insulted him and put golf down a little bit. However it was important to him and she wanted to show him that she would at least try.

Justin turned off the light and cuddled next to her. With a sigh she settled against him and closed her eyes.

A.N. Welcome to the adventures in Oregon! 

[wonderlandleighleigh]

Midge has nightmares

(Oh. Are you sure you want this? I'm not sure if you want this. But uh...okay. Warning for old school mental health abuses)

September, 1958

"Is there anything we can do to get you to reconsider?"

Joel shakes his head at his father-in-law. It's a grim situation, to be sure. "I'm sorry, Abe, but Midge needs help. More help than I can give her. More than you and Rose can give her. This is for the best."

Midge stares up at her future. An enormous, bleak-looking sanitarium.

"I mean, she thinks she's a real comedian, for god's sake," Joel goes on. "And until she comes back to herself..."

Midge can't help glowering at her husband. She is a comedian. He she found out he was cheating on her before he was ready for her to know.

So here they are.

"How convenient for you that I should go insane now," Midge says quietly.

"What does that mean?" Abe asks, narrowing his eyes at her and then turning to Joel. "What does that-"

"It's nothing," Joel says quickly. "She doesn't know what she's saying. She needs to be here. To get well."

But people don't get well in places like this, Midge knows.

People languish and die in places like this.

And here she is.

*****

She learns quickly to pretend to take the pills they give her but throw them away quickly. She mostly keeps to herself.

Act as calm and as sane as possible, and she'll be out of here in no time.

Even though she's definitely been fantasizing about stabbing Joel with a knife, having him into chunks, roasting said chunks and using them in a rich, savory soup.

"Oh, it's lamb," she would tell Moishe and Shirley. "The butcher had it fresh!"

Maybe she does belong here.

*****

They generally don't let the women patients fraternize with the men, but sometimes they let them all in the recreation room together for an hour.

she sits by herself, playing solitaire one day, when someone sits down across from her, and when she looks up -

When she looks up...

"Lenny?" Midge asks softly.

"Have we met before?" Lenny asks, looking confused, but charmed. "They keep me pretty doped up here, I don't know much."

"We-" she swallows. "We met once before. I'm Midge."

He looks so much thinner than she remembers. Pale, with dark circles under his eyes. Like he might be dying, in bits and pieces.

"Midge," he narrows his eyes at her. "Your eyes look a little familiar. Maybe we have met."

She tries to give him a smile.

"So, what are you in for?" Lenny asks, leaning in.

Midge takes a breath. "I found out my husband was sleeping with someone else, I got drunk and unloaded my frustrations on stage at the Gaslight, and he had me committed."

Lenny gives a low whistle. "Your husband is an asshole."

She nods slowly. "What about you? How did you wind up here?"

He shrugs slowly. "Got hooked for obscenity. My lawyer suggested I plead insanity. it uh...backfired. Landed me here."

Midge frowns. She wants so much to reach out, to take his hand, but she doesn't. "Oh..."

"They're trying to turn me into a nice boy," he grins tiredly.

She watches him sadly, because she has a sinking feeling that she knows how they're trying to make that happen.

*****

It doesn't take the doctors too long to realize she hasn't been taking her meds, and a struggle ensues when they try to force her, and when they can't seem to do that, things go from bad to worse.

She's strapped to a table, and prepped, and when the electricity hits, everything goes black.

*****

From then on, she does as she's told, taking the medication, letting it blur her world. She's labeled as "hysterical" and the doctors tell Joel an the rest of her family that she'll need time.

A lot of time.

Her parents visit. At first often, and then hardly ever. Noah comes when he can, but he just looks sad when he sees her, because she barely seems like herself anymore. Her hair is long, her eyes dulled.

Sometimes she sees Lenny. They sit quietly together, and he holds her hand gently.

"It's okay, Midge," Lenny says quietly. "You're in there somewhere. I know you are. So am I."

Until one day there is no Lenny.

She looks up at one of the orderlies. "No Lenny?"

The orderly sits next to her. "I'm sorry, Midge. He uh...he stole someone else's pills and he took too many. The doctors couldn't save him."

She doesn't respond.

*****

"We just don't think she's getting any better," the doctor tells Joel and Midge and Abe and Rose.

"What does that mean?" Rose asks, holding her daughter's hand tightly.

"It means...we have one more option we can try," the doctor says. "It's an invasive procedure, but we've seen results in some patients."

"Are you talking about a lobotomy?" Abe asks, worry in his eyes. "Absolutely not!"

"If it will help," Joel says tentatively.

"It'll help you," Midge mutters. "For good."

Joel looks at her guiltily, and when she looks into his eyes, she wakes up.

Her bedroom is lit by a dim lamp, meaning she fell asleep before she was ready to, and Midge looks around, eyes wide, breathing hard.

Her legs wobble as she gets out of bed, wandering out of the bedroom. Everything is quiet, and when she peeks into her childrens' room, she remembers they're with Joel.

Her parents are in Paris for the month, and Lenny is-

Where is Lenny?

"Lenny?" she calls quietly.

He pokes his head out of the kitchen, eyebrows raised. "Hey. I was just grabbing a snack before bed."

He holds up a half-eaten apple, and Midge bursts into tears, making Lenny jump into action, putting the apple down and rushing toward her.

"What happened?" he asks gently, wrapping her in his arms.

She shakes her head and wraps her own arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes to hold tight, squeezing her eyes shut. "I...I f-fell asleep and I- I had the worst dream."

His lips press to her temple as he lifts her off her feet, holding her tightly. "It's okay, Sweetheart. It was just a dream. It was only a dream."

She buries her face in against his neck, breathing deeply, doing her best to let go of the nightmare. "I don't want to see Joel for a while."

"That's okay, I don't want to see him either," Lenny jokes gently. "We'll keep our distance a little. Get too busy for him to be around, or we can go away for a little bit. We can go back to Miami, or go upstate into the mountains, just us. Whatever you want. Anything, Midge. Just- I really fucking hate it when you cry."

Midge just holds him tighter.

[cangelgifs]

Would you know any fics that have cangel with a side of spuffy

Four Corners by Psycgurl Rating: PG-13 Summary: Angel, Cordelia, Buffy and Spike get stuck in a room mysteriously. How will they spend their time? Plus friendships, romances & evil lawyers!!!

Check, Please! by eilowyn Rating: R, for language. Summary: In some happy post-NFA world where Cordy comes back, Lorne opens another club (this time with a classy restaurant attached), and Spike and Buffy are finally reunited, Angel has the brilliant idea of a double date. Yeah, Angel's idea. It's his inner dork at play, because Buffy, Cordy, and Spike all know this is a bad, bad idea.

Midnight in the Olive Garden of Good and Evil by angearia Rating: PG Summary: Two vampires with souls, the women who love them, and the date night that brings them all together.

Bad Timing by Kelly22 Rating: PG-13 Summary: This story is set a little after Cordy comes back from vacation with Groo, except in my AU world, there was no bad father-devouring-son prophecy and no babies growing up in hell dimensions. So people still like Wesley and I guess Holtz and Justine ran off to the mid-west together, because they certainly aren’t rearing their ugly heads in MY story. The scoobies come to L.A.

Found by CupcakeCute Rating: PG-13 Summary: Begins between TGIQ and Power Play, continues post-NFA. Buffy learns of Spike's resurrection from an unlikely source and immediately sets out to make things right as The Apocalypse breaks out in L.A. Spike/Buffy pairing, some Angel/Cordelia.

Where You Belong by Spuffygirl Rating: M Summary: Post First Date Spike and Buffy Crossover with Angel. The events I want to see happen. New Ch. 25 Now complete!

Life or Death by HydesBride Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Set during the Ats series finale "Not Fade Away". A hopeless Angel is given a choice of life or death from the PTB, but what he fails to realize is that it is not only his life and fate in the balance. With the help of his guide (Doyle), will Angel make the right decision?

Double Date by klutzy_girl Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Buffy and Spike and Angel and Cordelia go on a double date (the boys aren't happy about it).

The Long Road by JEAN-VIC Rating: NC-17 Summary: Angel is alone and in a deep depression over the death of Cordelia and the loss of the Shanshu. He sees no reason to continue fighting and spends his days locked in his apartment, occasionally coming out to kill the odd vampire or two. This changes however when someone he never thought he would see again returns to set him on the path to his destiny. Reunited with Wesley, Angel must choose his future and the fate of the world.

Taken by Gabriella Rating: R for language and sexual situations Summary: “Look, the bottom line is, Darla and Drusilla are together, and they’re planning on Angel and Spike joining them. At any cost.” Warning: Torture and graphic depictions of violence and the character deaths of Darla and Dru.

Second Chances by YoAngel4E Rating: T Summary: Angel and Spike get a chance to get back the people that meant the most to them after the battle against Wolfram and Hart. But can they keep the real past a secret from the only people they want to share it with? Warning: Everyone is pretty OOC but was I entertained? Yes I was.

Partners by Princess Plum Jade Rating: PG-13/SOFT “R” (for language) Summary: Alternate reality/Romance fic. Buffy, now a retired Slayer, is employed to be Spike’s partner in pairs ice skating competition. Angelus pursues a relationship with Cordelia Chase, a champion singles skater.

If anyone knows of more Cangel & Spuffy fics, please share! :)

[alittlelove4u]

tokyo revengers boys talking about the future

including: Manjiro „Mikey“ Sano • Ran Haitani • Baji Keisuke • Kakucho Hitto

„in 12 years, please stay away from me“

warnings: suggestive, manga spoilers (slightly), angst

note: fem!reader in Ran‘s

note II: somehow they got longer with each character

You always knew Mikey was born for something great and already has a plan but you didn’t know if you were in it until one night he took you out for a drive to the beach.

It was a flew nights before your highschool graduation and both of you were a bit nostalgic, not that Mikey has spend much time in school anyway.“Are you scared?“ Mikey asked, sitting behind you in the sand and with his arms around your shoulders.“About?“ you asked, still looking at the dark ocean illuminated by the moonlight.“ You’ll leave for collage in a flew weeks,“ he murmured into your shoulder, hiding how much it actually hurts him.

„A bit. You?“ You never talked about what would happen after school, you just assumed he’d forget about you for he has enough to do. After a moment of silence you feel him pull you closer, putting his chin on your shoulder.“No. I have the gang and I’ll visit you every weekend until you come back. You’ll work as an amazing lawyer and I’ll grow Toman bigger. And we’ll live in one of these big ass houses on the beach,“ he tells you with a hopeful smile on his face, melting your heart with his words.“Who said I wanna live at the beach?“

You watched Ran place a glass of water on your side of the bed and sit down again, his hair still messy and body glowing from the sweat, as you walk out the bathroom. Those nights started of as casual hookups, whenever one of you was horny or stressed but soon he started to stay the night, claiming he’s too tired to drive, buy you pretty things and just appear at your door whenever he had a bad day, yet both of you claimed to be just friends with benefits.

„If you keep fucking me without a condom, I might get pregnant, I hope you know that,“ you murmured a halfhearted threat to him and put you hair up again to keep it out of your face but the man only grined at your words.

„Would that be so bad?“ he asked in a low voice, pulling you closer by his shirt you’re wearing. With his arms around your waist and your hands on his shoulder he looked up to you with a smitten shimmer in his eyes. He was fallen for you a long time ago.“A little baby-Y/N. Hm? I’d spoil you both rotten and we could buy a house and the dog you always wanted.“

You smiled at his words, mindlessly playing with his hair.“Baby, you’re in a gang and I have a job.“,“I can quit.“ Your hand freezed at his reply and the serious expression on his face. Would he actually do it? You quickly threw that thought out and smiled.“I’ll not press your baby out my vagina without a diamond on my finger and at least a real date.“

Ran jumped up, picking you up at the process and placing a kiss on your lips.“Baby, I’ll take you to the best dates in your life and fill you up with my cum afterward.“

„Dogs!“,,Cats!“,,Dogs!“,,Cats!“,,Dogs!“

„That’s it!“ Baji yelled to stop your little argument,“ When I open my shop, you won’t be allowed to enter,“ he announced, crossing his arms like a pouty child.

„Well neither will you, in mine,“ you replied just as playful and stubborn, whereupon he lost his serious expression.“But I thought we’ll open the pet shop together.“

„I don’t know,“ you murmured, leaning back in his bed with a soft smile,“ I thought I might open a flower shop.“

„Flowers,“ he asked with a smitten smile and put his head on your lap so you could play with his hair.“That’s cool.“

„You think you?“

„Mh,“ he murmured with closed eyes.“We could open them next to each other. We could always eat lunch together and I’ll smell like dog and you’ll smell like daisies or some shit,“ he smiles, imagining how I must feel like to wake up next to you every day. Oh this could be heaven.

„We could have an apartment above the shop with a big balcony,“ you continued to dream about your future together.

„And there will be plants everywhere! And we’ll fight light an old married couple and our neighbors will hate us!“

„Promise?“ you asked as the fear started creeping up again. It’s silly to dream about such things for you knew you two would eventually grow apart like every young couple.“I swear it.“Baji finally opened his eyes again and placed a gentle kiss on your palm, the look in his eyes melting your heart. Maybe it could become reality, you hoped for he made you feel like he never loved anyone like this.

With an tired expression Kakucho took a seat at the bar, smiling as he saw you walking towards him with his drink already prepared. He’d spend most night’s sitting at the bar, talking to you and even though he’d never admit it to anyone you were often the one person he actually wanted to see.

„You’re late,“ You greeted him with a smile, placing the drink in front of him and taking in his appearance. He was wearing a suit but lost the jacket and his hair seemed like a mess. A handsome devil, your coworkers called him and you couldn’t disagree.

„Mh,“ he murmured, swallowing the whole drink in one smooth move, making you worry a bit, not that you’d show it for the two of you were barely friends.“So, are you gonna tell me what happened or will I have to wait until Sanzu comes, telling me what you did?“

As he stayed silent you took it as a signal to leave but before you could actually walk away, he called out your name.“Y/N.“ It was almost a whispers and filled with fear, for he never liked telling you about the things he had to do.“Do you ever think about…leaving?“ he asked with his eyes still on the empty glass.

You could just imagine what must have happened that day for him to be this devastated.“I don’t know, sometimes,“ you answered for you couldn’t complain about your life.“Why? Do you wanna leave Bonten?“ you asked grinning,hiding how much the thought of him leaving hurted.

„I don’t know…Maybe. Sometimes I just wanna leave everything to Mikey and Sanzu and never come back to Tokyo.“ Kakucho raised his eyes to the woman and for a moment he doubted his non existing plan for he would have to leave Y/N too.

„And where would you go?“

„Somewhere warm. Somewhere where it never snows and I wouldn’t have to carry a gun. I could open an restaurant.“ He dared to dream about a simple live but who was he kidding. Kakucho wasn’t made for a simple life, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.

„Sounds nice,“ Y/N murmured, leaning against the counter, ignoring her other guests on purpose,“Want some company?“The man looked at you for you seemed serious about leaving with him everything behind.

[eviltiddyproductions]

Vincenzo: Episode 8

lmao is my man wearing a Christmas Santa hat in the thumbnail

I think they hug in this episode !!!

look at y’all having your little conversations in a corner 😏 his little smile lmao

macaron !!! 😭🤣

nooo does that monk have a tyre mark on his head

my little man is having a monologue moment about Vincenzo in his head 😭

walking someone home is so love coded

get that TV bag building peeps!

two evil people fighting each other is actually so fun to watch.

just laughing at the weirdest times

your lawyers get you funding too???

‘you need to get your shit together’ said with the most angelic faces ever 💀💗

LMAOOOO our villain’s notes include : I will kill him!!! son of a beach !!! Fook. so many of us could win from privately journaling our feelings

I hope my little brother doesn’t start hitting others with hockey pucks. It would break my heart and stomach to watch that

and he just did

Jang Junwoo!! you’re going to HELLL

why do you have a GUN

oh no are they going to kill those gang members for this. they’re… I mean live by the sword die by the sword but this is insane….

finally the fourth person that shows up when you google Vincenzo cast

who’s dying

oh his mom

all this time I thought babel guy (the dad who is dead) was the one who assaulted people but I guess it’s this bank guy’s dad who’s PRESIDENT!?! nasty.

get him aunty! and get him Chayoung

punch him sister

get him aunty !!! SHE IS SO REAL FOR THIS lmaoooo

did Chayoung just pull out his hair ! yes queen

the bodyguard looking like 😟😟😟

the impression guy is adorable 🤣

Mr Nam getting excited thinking he’s going to be the homme fatale he’s just like me fr !

Hogging the door with a cycle oh so slay !!!

both of them on his shoulder being 2 little devils I LOVE THEM 😭

Adrenaline finally playing

such an unserious time to be playing this song though 😂

why did this man have to be abusive BOOOO

Vincenzo is lucky he’s his type

2 versions of Adrenaline playing rn? 😭 to me it was always more badass than romantic but slay !!!

be as rough as you want, and the scarf wrapped on his shoulder 😭💀

I am so confused if she is beginning to like him or not 🤨 I guess horse riding is attractive

this random ass hug 😭 oh wait this was more of a #real moment. it is true though! I am terrified of horses for this reason. you get on the wrong side or startle them and you will be kicked out of this planet

Mr Nam with his Fedora 😭😭😭

Mr Nam is sweating for his life in that trench coat and fedora hat indoors

i hope his dad is being barbecued in hell

the way he has to hear this story about his mom 😟

veins of steel fr 😭

see you cannot deduct the fact that he’s super abusive and was unknowingly bragging about his mom framing Vince’s mom, otherwise their little date would’ve been adorable 💀

You could use your building zombie artist to terrify him!

their relationship moving at the speed of lightening

Oh he’s leaving!?

They’ve broken up in 2 dates 💀

the rainbow umbrella and the pining 😭

awww Vince has his hair out with a swoop

the power bank out in the water I am scared for his life

everytime I have a chance to get happy that Junwoo (evil ceo masquerading as intern) will suffer I remember his brother will be the one getting beat up when things inevitably don’t go his way and my chance at smiling is lost

there are like 15 people attending this event in this grand auditorium who is the little brother even waving to? 😭

Vince looking sleep deprived as hell but I love the swoopy bang so I will call it a win for me!

the bank guy being played real bad rn 😭

is that his mom? giving Queen Lizzie vibes with the dress and the corgis

I guess our lawyer queenie has finally gotten a win

help our building boys. they’re so funny like

oh the zombies are about to come out

came back to say the evil lawyer lady actress is so good because I despise her character so bad like I want to fight her THROUGH the screen I’m so serious. I’m so mad rn 😭😭😭