#not an OUNCE of discipline (self or otherwise) in that family

[direwombat]

darby/felix for the kid ask meme

THE CHAOS CHILD :D

Name: elias millstone-wells

Gender: male

General Appearance: redhead, but he starts dying it various colors when he hits his teenage years, big ol' charming smile like his mom's, and he's got his dad's nose <3

Personality: laid-back, charming and funny, very smart but also very lazy and gets bored easily

Special Talents: he's a bit of a jack of all trades, but hacking and committing fraud are his two favorite pass-times.

Who they like better: f;aldfjsasd tbh? i dont' think he really has a preference. both his parents are fuckin' rad. darby knows how to keep him intellectually challenged and he and felix have quality father-son bonding time over smashing things and talking tossball. bookkeeping fraud is the family bonding activity every tossball season

Who they take after more: overall, felix (much to "uncle" max's dismay), but he's got darby's intelligence that makes him so unbelievably dangerous (also much to "uncle" max's dismay).

Personal Head canon: literally the only thing stopping him from becoming an evil mastermind is the fact that doing so would require he take on some form of responsibility for things and that just sounds like way too much effort to be worth it to him. also, much like his parents: undiagnosed adhd

Face Claim: skylar gisondo

[tortoisesshells]

ooh if you're still doing fic titles: "athanasia" and/or "with full sails", please & thank you!!

friend, I will always put down the writing I am only pretending to be doing in favor of daydreaming about all the stories I could be writing if only I could scrounge up an ounce of self-discipline!

"with full sails": wild card post CotBP AU in which James Norrington still torpedos his own life and ends up trying to commit suicide either by drink or pirate, but he gets caught up with Anamaria's crew instead. She'd be within her rights to leave him to his purpose, but maybe she can either turn him into his family or the authorities for a reward, or maybe he'll yet prove useful - and she can always get rid of him later. My flimsy justification for this is that, in CotBP, Norrington and Anamaria are two otherwise immensely capable characters who are operating on a very different level than Jack(and by extension, Will and Elizabeth) - on the one hand, Norrington doesn't see the value in interrogating Jack if he is no friend of Barbossa; on the other, Anamaria reacts to Will and Elizabeth's suggestions during the Interceptor v. Black Pearl chase sequence by calling them "daft" before Gibbs chimes in with "daft like Jack" - which is to say, I think they both have a well-established streak of. hmm. pragmatic thought: "how do I, in the world in which I live and in the normal conditions in which I operate (which excludes the whole of Jack Sparrow's Jack Sparrowness), achieve my goals with the least amount of hazard?" - which is to say, there's a possibility they could work well together.

"athanasia": ooh. hmm. I think this one would be following the evidence in AWE of a massive backlog of souls dead at sea un-escorted to the next world to its logical conclusion: just about everyone who died in AWE is still waiting around, slowly working their own way on to what's next. This is less than ideal for newly-minted Captain Will Turner, who really didn't enjoy dealing with most of them the first time, but at least his word is - pardon the joke - the final one now. I'm not sure if Jones has to be ferried, or if he's a special case - Beckett, even if he fears death, would be loath to do something like work for Will Turner to avoid it - James Norrington, one suspects, would be an awkward case on several counts, and even now I'm wondering to myself what he'd choose to do. (I say this like I do not have a clear preference for him choosing to stick around, because he suffers so entertainingly.)

send me an ask with a fake title, and I’ll tell you what I would write to go with it!

[justa-starrynite]

like me better (Coco Cruz)

A/N: Good afternoon everyone! This is Bea! I’m back with another installment for our fall series! This one is for Coco! I’ve never written for Coco, so I hope I did him some justice!

Megan and I would like to thank you for all the love you’ve been giving us! We truly appreciate it and we love giving you all some content to read. 

We love you all!

Masterlist

Word count: 1654

We’re currently working on the tag list! If you would like to be added, please message us or drop a comment!

CREDITS TO THE ORIGINAL GIF MAKER!

Johnny Coco Cruz never thought he deserved anything. 

At a young age, he wasn’t exactly nurtured by his mother. The earliest memory he had of his mother was when he would watch men come in and out of their apartment, his sisters trying to shield him away from her work. 

His eldest siblings Elma and Selena, they were decent. 

But as soon as they had the opportunity to leave Celia’s home, they left.

At an early age, he recalled that he never called Celia mom, at least not when he spoke of her with his friends. He would rarely refer to her as his mother. But till he was eighteen, he called her mother.

Till he got in the Marines and told her she could fuck herself.

He had an ounce of respect for her, just due to the fact she birthed him, but otherwise, Coco stopped caring about his mother way before than he could remember.

Due to his tumultuous relationship with Celia, he chose to not be a part of his kids life, Letty and his son, Leo. He wanted Letty to be given up for adoption as her mother was no better than him, but Celia adopted her at her faux reasoning of getting a second chance as a mother. 

Coco never believed that and he was correct.

It was for welfare.

He finally found his place in the Marines, the discipline and skills he learned didn’t prepare him for life outside of the military, but it prepared him to contribute to his family.

The Mayans MC.

A place where people who didn’t belong anywhere fit. 

A place where Coco was able to find a family he never knew he needed.

Johnny Coco Cruz never thought he deserved anything.

Not until he met you.

You were a tattoo artist for one of the shops the club frequents. It was rare for you to do a piece for any of the members since you were in high demand and the shop owner, your father, was one of the few people the MC feared.

A gentle man that would make no hesitation to kill for you.

Your father had numerous stories going around about him, but the most prominent seemed to be him being a former gang leader who reformed.

Your father was never part of a gang, he was a firefighter once upon a time and now, he was a tattoo shop owner.

When Coco first laid his eyes upon you, you were leaving the shop as he and Riz waited for one of your co-workers to finish a piece on Creeper. 

You turned towards them, your glasses slightly slipping down the bridge of your nose. A small smile to greet your father’s favorite customers appeared on your face, your eyes lingering at Coco before walking out.

And that was the start.

Coco never tried to talk to you, you were too pure for him.

Too good.

So kept his distance because nothing ever goes well for him and he was almost certain that nothing would ever happen with you.

But then you worked on a piece for him and his life, well his self-hatred due to past trauma began to change.

“Damn, so you punched him on the face?” Coco chuckled, trying to contain his laughter since he didn’t want to ruin the piece you were doing on him.

“Listen, he was messing with my baby sister, of course I did. Let’s be honest he fared better with me cause my dad would have killed him.” You ran the needle along Coco’s skin, admiring the previous work he had done.

“Damn mami, remind me never to mess with you.” Coco smirked.

“I don’t think you’ll need a reminder, but I got you Coco Cruz.”

From there, your relationship evolved. You two started off as friends and in six months, Coco won you over, which wasn’t hard since you had a crush on Coco since he stepped foot inside your father’s shop. You were shy and it’s not like they were exactly approachable.

But when you got to know these men better, you realized they were definitely hardened men who could kill people in a bat of an eye, but, they were also kind hearted men.

There was hardly any black and white in the world.

So many grey areas were what was had instead.

You and Coco have been together for four years now and as much as Coco didn’t think it would last, your relationship would surprise him instead.

Coco was never a big fan of himself.

He thought he was worthless, a scum and he was making up for past grievances by keeping to himself and not ruining others’ lives, like his children.

But you showed him that he was more than that.

Traditions he used to scoff at were now becoming things he looked forward to.

New year’s celebration.

Christmas celebration

Thanksgiving celebration

And Halloween.

You absolutely loved fall and as soon as it was October, you were decorating the house you two shared. 

This was the second year in a row that you were decorating the house and if Coco was honest, he looked forward for the rest of the years you would be doing this.

He realized early he wasn’t willing to let you go. He was in love with you and you made him better.

Even if you forced him to drink a pumpkin spice latte.

Currently, you, Letty and Coco were at the pumpkin patch, looking for three pumpkins that you three could carve together.

Another thing Coco appreciated was how you accepted every aspect of his life. The club was going to be hard, at least he thought so, but you were part of this band of misfits before you two even dated.

But then Letty came and he became lost.

He couldn’t ruin her life.

But then your words brought him down.

“I know you feel that you’re a terrible man, one who ruins anyone’s life when you touch them, but that’s not true. You made my life better. The best thing about life is that everyone gets a second chance, this is it for you and Letty, take it.”

He took your advice and he was incredibly glad he did so. 

You gave him the strength to push the doubts away and give Letty the life she never had with Celia. You and Letty immediately got along and ever since then, you three were a little happy family.

Coco watched as you and Letty took your time picking the pumpkins. He never understood what exactly you were looking for, but that victorious smile on your face always made the question fade away.

“Coco, are you just going to stand there or are you at least going to pretend and help us pick?” You teased your fiancé as you playfully narrowed your eyes at him.

Coco chuckled. “For what? You two got it handled.”

“Your input would be nice.” You pouted.

“Okay mami, I got it.”

You three picked your pumpkins and just as you were all going to go home, Bishop called. Coco had taken his bike, meeting you after his shift at the yard.

“I’m sorry reina,” Coco frowned.

“It’s okay, I get it. We can do it later.” You offered him a smile, understanding the importance of the club. “Letty and I can go shopping for Halloween costumes.”

Coco took his wallet out to give you some cash, but you shook your head. 

“Don't be silly, I got it.” You pressed your lips on Coco’s and hugged him. “Be careful.”

Letty hugged him as well. He got on his bike, glancing at his mirror every once in a while till you both were out of his range.

Coco never cared about losing his life when going to do something for the club, but now, he had something to live for.

Coco came home later that night with Letty asleep and you sketching on the couch. He saw the relief come over your face and he had to smile at that.

“Hello mi amor.” He dropped a kiss on your lips.

“Hey baby, everything okay?” You questioned.

“Yes, just usual bullshit.” The rebels were ambitious and had a good cause, but at times, Coco questioned just how great the cause was. 

You nodded, continuing to sketch, feeling at ease with Coco home. 

Coco watched you, the sense of calmness that he felt whenever he was with you was something he craved for as long as he’s known you. He always waited for the rug under his feet to be pulled, knowing you wouldn’t stay with him for much longer, but for some reason, you’ve stayed.

And with how much he loves you, he would never want you to walk away.

“I love you.” Coco blurted out of nowhere.

The way your eye softened made his heart skip a beat, the blush on your cheeks further making his heart rate race.

“I love you too. Everything okay?” You closed your sketchbook then, placing it on the coffee table. You sat on his lap, his arms wrapping around you.

“Yes, everything is good baby.” Coco never liked himself too much. Due to the verbal abuse from Celia, his self esteem wasn’t the best even though he’s been working on it. He craved the assurance that he was enough, that he was good enough. 

He never had a true family either.

But it was changing with you.

He became a part of your family. You had him wanting something more in life. You gave him the strength to be there for Letty. 

“Just realized something.”

You raised an eyebrow, running your fingers through his hair. “And what’s that?”

“I like me better when I’m with you.” 

Johnny Coco Cruz never thought he deserved anything.

He definitely didn’t like himself much.

But being with you, growing with you, he found himself liking himself better.

[shamelessgallagherimagines]

The Stupid Little Things - Part 7/? Carl Gallagher x Reader

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / The rest of the parts

Y/N’s P.O.V

Carl was waiting for me by the school gates the next day, arms lounging lazily on the fence, backpack slouched on the back of his shoulders, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. I rolled my eyes as I walked past, him trailing behind me and eventually jumping in front of me so I slowed down, the smirk only growing wider and wider.

“Rise and shine asswipe,” he whispered to me and I scoffed.

“What the hell are you doing Carl?” I said disinterested and trying to push my way back through the school gates.

“I’m walking you to class Y/N. Try to sound fucking excited,”

He tried to reach for my hand, like her used to and I scowled at him.

Carl just laughed.

“Something wrong asswipe?”

“We aren’t friends remember”

He laughed again.

“I distinctly remember you said we were last night,”

I was going to be late for class and Carl was not going to let me go until I faced him. I’d actually thought a lot about the night before and whether I actually was ready to forgive him or whether I’d acted in the heat of the moment.

“It’s not exactly like one bear hug can magic away the fact that you pus-”

Before I could finish my sentence Carl had pushed his finger to my lips.

I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion.

“I also distinctly remembered the fact that we agreed not to mention that night again,”

I grabbed his hand and retracted it from my mouth, only to see an ever wider smirk

Jesus how big does that smile fucking get?

“But..” Carl began “If you don’t want to forget it, I also distinctly remember you telling me that you loved me, so you know, we can always hold onto that memory for ever,”

He was a dickhead.

A straight up dickhead.

When my mouth dropped open his eyes lit up with a triumphant glare and it took every ounce of self discipline not to kick him in the balls.

“Fine! Fine!” I said “We’re friends. But that doesnt mean things can just go back to how they were,”

“Course it fucking can,” he said, and I gave him the look.

The look I’ve branded as the ‘Don’t you fucking test me’ look.

“Besides,” he laughed “If things were the same I wouldn’t have met you here. I’d be outside your fucking window,”

I scoffed.

“You don’t know where I live Gallager and my new house doesn’t even have a ladder,” I said and he looked at me as if i’d just told him I’d sold Liam on ebay. “Oh boohoo Carl”

“You better fucking buy one Y/N! How else as I’m supposed to sneak in undetected”

We were approaching the English wing and receiving a plethora of confused stares as we walked, talking rather than screaming at each other for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. It had been a pretty well known fact that we despised each other. Self consciously, I let go of his hand.

This is the boy you’ve ignored for two years, things can’t go back to normal overnight.

‘There will be no sneaking in!” I said “Undetected or otherwise,”

“You say that now,” Carl said, swinging himself into the classroom “But just you wait until you see what a year in juvie can do to a guys chest,”

He wiggled his eyebrows and I punched him in the arm before sitting down in my seat beside him.

“Please,” I said rolling my eyes “I’ve seen seven year old girls with more muscle than you,”

He opened his mouth to say something but the teacher started the lesson so I looked back at him with a smug grin.

Naturally, he flipped me off.

I was sat at my lunch table alone, enjoying my own company, my head still firmly planted in a book when Carl walked over, throwing his lunch tray on the table and looking at me goofily.

“I’m seriously considering filing a federal complaint for stalking Gallagher,” I said flatly.

“Please,” he snorted “You love my company,”

“Define love,” I said, snapping my book shut and placing my hands over the top of it.

“Okay, tolerate my company,”

I cocked my head to the side and smiled

“But you better get used to me. We’ve got tutoring everyday according to Portman,” he said, grinning a little wider than he should have. 

“Everyday!” I practically shouted “Are they mental?”

Carl look a little hurt but brushed it off quickly, his arrogant persona soon returning.

“Ouch,” he said in a montone voice “What a fucking brilliant way to make me feel wanted.”

I cringed a little at my own words.

“Sorry, that came out wrong. What I mean is Fiona and everybody’s going to be sick and tired of me being around there all the time. It’ll be like having another kid,” I said, trying to explain myself.

“Fuck off,” Carl said “You know they’re so fucking up your arse they’re practically a colonic,”

“Nice visual image” I said, suddenly not wanting to eat my apple anymore.

“What I’m fucking trying to say is that they love you, you’re practically family and seen as you haven’t been anywhere near our house in the last 24 months I doubt they’d even have an issue if you moved in,”

���Still,” I protested “I just feel like I’m intruding you know, like I’m p-”

“Fiona said and I quote ‘One of my babies has finally come home’, Debbie thinks your god’s fucking gift to mankind and Lip hasn’t stopped gushing about since you left. Seriously he’s all: Y/N this, Y/N that, when’s Y/N coming over next, Y/N got fucking hot,”

“Y/N got fucking hot?” I repeated quickly and Carl smirked.

“I might have added that one,” he said.

“I’ll break your fucking nose Gallagher,” I whispered, only half-joking “So watch your mouth,”

“So, you’ll come over? Tonight?” he said.

“When did I agree to this?”

“Come on Y/N, stop being a little bitch,” he said playfully “Do you want me to fail out of high school,”

“Uh uh” I said “You ain’t fucking guilt tripping me into this shit,”

Carl just looked at me and I looked back, our eyes met in a gaze of seriosuness and stubborness. But of course we couldnt keep it up for long as both of us burst out laughing, an air of childishness between us.

“I’ll come tutor you Carl,” I said “But I swear to god if Frank tries to put me in the oven again, I’m out of there. And not looking back,”

Carl chuckled.

“You got yourself a fucking deal Y/L/N”

[mangled-dreams]

Promising Sun - Part 6: Tomb Raiding

Promising Sun Part 6 - Tomb Raiding.

I'm sorry I've been so slow about this chapter. I've been dealing with a lot of writer's block, but I've finally finished and hopefully you enjoy.

So thank you for waiting with me.

It takes a few days and no small amount of swearing, but you'd finally left the weird between worlds and find your feet on solid ground. Just as promised by Jack you drop from the sky. Your shrieks catch the attention of visitor to the great Aztec pyramids. 

Damien catches you easily using Mark's body but that is beside the point. Once your feet are on the ground you smack Mark/Damien's shoulder, swatting him away from you. Your head spins and colors and darkness take over your once colorful world. It's taking more time than you had expected to readjust to your special sight. 

Pressing hand against your throbbing temple you shake your head slightly, blinking a few times to refocus yourself. The world is just as you left it. Auras fill your vision giving you a feeling of normalcy. You really have to focus to bring everything into perspective. It's almost like you have to relearn all your disciplines. 

"Hey, Y/n, you feelin' alright?" Sean/Jack asks steadying you with his hand. You nod your head not risking the vomit rising in your throat. You'd forgotten how dizzying and nauseated your aura vision made you. 

"You look a little green." Mark/Damien adds with a worried note. You hold your hand up and take a few calming breaths to settle your stomach.

"I'm fine...ah. It's been a long time since my vision gave me that much issue." you say softly. When you feel you can stand up you straighten your spine and take a look around you. The auras aren't dancing around anymore and have physical forms like you're used to.

"So, we're in Mexico, huh?" You ask wishing you could actually see Mexico, and for a moment you had before being shoved through the gaping hole in the ground of the in between world. 

"Yep!" Jack says cheerfully. You wonder if that's because of Sean of it he's just glad to be in a physical body again. You decide not to ask. 

"If my memory serves there is an entrance alone the back wall of the alter. We should be able to enter through there." Damien says. His voice is very different from what you've come accustomed do in the between world. 

"How long were we in that place?" You ask looking to Damien. You can see the softer tones again, the more vivid reds and magenta hues. You do enjoy the colors of Damien and Mark's mixed together. It’s soothing and not so overwhelming. 

"I would have to say it's been two days since entering that space." Damien tells you looking to his wrist watch.

"Two days? My family must be going nuts wondering where I am!" You shout as the real world issues suddenly crush you. Your normally little ball of anxiety has just doubled in side and quadrupled in weight. Gripping your chest your mind races with thoughts of what your parents must be going through. You just disappeared without a trace! 

"Y/n! Y/n! Everything is okay." Damien tells you, forcing you to crouch down and shoves your head towards your knees. "We've taken care of this. Jack and I, we thought of it. Your parents believe you've taken a quick weekend run about with Mark and Sean and a few friends to the beach. We've ensured that they believed it while you were sleeping that first night in the between world." Damien says coaxing you into a cool down.

 When you've finally able to breath without feeling like your chest is going to explode you look at Damien and ask, “They believed you?”

“Yes, even in Mark and Sean’s bodies we still retain quite a bit of our abilities. It allows us to go about our search relatively unnoticed by all.” Damien explains watching carefully. He feels confident you won’t have another mini panic attack.

“And it doesn’t hurt them when you use your magic on them?” You ask feeling much calmer. Confirms it does not harm anyone and you allow the pair to walk you up the thousands of stairs made up of the pyramid. You can't see it any more but you assume they chose the largest one to scale by the auras floating in mid air above you.

After the six hundred and twenty fourth steps you collapse to your knees with exhaustion. Over your head Jack and Damien exchange looks of sympathy and decide to sit down on either side of you.

"Here's water." Jack tells you holding out a bottle to you. You grab his wrist, letting your hand touch the water bottle before taking it from him. Checking the cap you pop it off and take a night long drag of water. 

"Thanks, Jack." You whisper leaning back against the stone step behind you and close your eyes. It feels amazing in Mexico, a little humid, but otherwise like paradise. “How much further up?” You ask wishing you could see the blue of the sky above you but only see darkness.

“A bit.” Damien tells you, obviously lying for your benefit.

You groan. “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to help, I want to go back home and live the rest of my life trying to forget all this craziness”

Jack chuckles on your left and Damien chuckles on your right. “You know that ain’t happenin’.” Anti tells you. You can distinctly hear humor in his tone. You smile at this.

“Come on, a few more hundred steps and we’ll break for some lunch.” Damien offers peaking your interest with food. You hadn’t even thought about packing or asking about food since it was virtually provided at will to you in the between world.

"You mean like real food?" You ask happily.

"What other kind o' food you thinkin' about?" Jack asks. You shrug in response. You guess to him the between world food is just normal to him as well. 

With a heavy sigh you close your eyes and stand up. Ever ounce of your body is telling you not to, to simply roll over and call it good, but you've committed yourself to this fate. Damien and Jack keep you between their sides, helping you to continue forward. You're counting the steps out of habit.

“When we find your bodies what will happen then? Is there some kind of ritual? A spell you have to do?” You ask feeling a little less winded but still tired.

Damien shrugs. “We’re not sure. This is the first we’ve ever done this. I am hopeful it is as straight forward as just repossessing my own body.”

You nod, your head dropping down and for a moment before lifting it again you see something catch your eye. Stopping dead you twist, your feet remaining planted, but your torso twists as you see a faint glow of green and red below your feet. You pull your head up again, look at Damien and jack then back down.

Using your internal map you take a few steps down and crouch down. You lay your hand on the hot stone and stare intently at the colors. You know without a doubt you had not seen these colors before trekking up the pyramid. Pressing your hands along the stone work you feel for something out of the ordinary—not that you would know what’s not ordinary about a damn pyramid.

“Rose?” Damien calls earning a swat of your hand.

Looking around again you catch a small wisp of aura tail. It’s faint and even in the blinding darkness you’re having trouble catching it with your eyes. Putting all your attention, your focus, your effort into following this wisp of green and red aura you follow it up to Damien and Jack and back down again to the faint auras below you.

Going to your hands and knees you feel your way along the stone, pausing briefly to avoid injury on your task to find a way down to—what you assume is Jack and Damien’s bodies.

Behind you Damien and Jack stick close to you. They’re sure you’re locked on to something important, especially when you keep looking down in the same direction the further along the pyramid wall you go. The pair talk to each other, wondering what it is that has you tuning them out so intently.

“Do you think she’ll find the way in?” Jack asks taking his eyes off you for just a few moments to glance at Damien.

“I don’t know, Jack. Wait, Rose! Y/n, that’s the edge.” Damien responds jumping forward his arm wrapping around your waist.

You squeak, startled by the sudden halt but don’t react much past that small noise. Your eyes trained on a dim aura that matches your color just out of your reach. “Down.” You tell Damien pointing to the dimly lit aura. Damien nods and carries you down the side of the pyramid to the level you need and sets you on your feet.

You’ve never seen the symbol floating in the darkness. It doesn’t match any written language you’ve seen and yet, somehow it reminds you of Egypt and the pyramids there. You quickly attribute it to the fact you are on a pyramid currently.

The color turns vivid, bright, and nearly blinding as you step closer to it. You hesitate to reach out, not sure if you should or not. You feel Damien and Jack standing behind you, waiting for you to make your move.

Taking a steady breath you reach out to the symbol finding there is a heat to it, not an uncomfortable heat but still heat. Your fingers brush the cold stone as the symbol it’s self seems to heat your palm as you press your whole hand against it. Sound in the world around you goes mute. All you hear is a quiet shift of stone as the symbol disappears from your sight.

A blast of dust and chill hits your face first. You quickly shield your face with your hands, crying out when small bits of stone pelts you from the force of whatever magic kept the door closed. Jack grabs your arm, pulling you into the shelter of his chest as the wind picked up, more stones being flung from the inside of the massive structure. You don’t understand how it is happening.

“Damien!” Jack shouts earning a nod from Damien. You don’t see as much as feel Damien’s ability in the physical world. Calming pressure combats the paranormal wind until it finally calms down.

“What was that?” you ask not caring how messy your hair is now thanks to the wind.

“A safe guard. When this place was sealed up this trap was placed to detour anyone from entering. Jack, stay here with Y/n, I’m going to go in and dispel what I can.” Damien says entering the pyramid. He doesn’t want to say it, but he’s never seen this entrance. It worries him that you were able to find this without their help.

While you wait for Damien to return Jack retains his touch on you, keeping you between himself and the wall of the pyramid. A few minutes after Damien disappeared into the inky blackness before you and Jack, you both hear people screaming about a large cat.

Looking up at Jack you ask him, “Is that another safe guard?”

Jack looks beyond you and tells you to stay against the wall before walking away from you. You want to reach out and pull him back but instead tell him to be careful.

Jack peers down at the people screaming and running away from a fast moving large cat not indigenous to the area. With a sigh Jack whistles loudly, getting the large cat’s attention. “Up here ya flea bag.” He calls as the cat spots him and quickly climbs the stairs. “She’s over here.” He tells the cat leading it over to your hiding spot.

Looking at Jack you notice the large animal shaped aura and knit your brows together as realization dawns over you. “Cat!” You say rushing forward to the much larger looking animal companion. Your fingers glide into the creature’s thick fur and you hug the large animal. “Oh, Cat, how did you get here?” You ask burying your face in the familiar smelling fur. ‘Wait, why are you so big? You were pretty large for a domestic looking cat, but now you’re huge!” You say looking at the beautiful aura of your feline companion. Cat meows at you as if answering you and it’s louder than you remember. It sort of frightens you.

“Jack, how did Cat get so big?” You ask looking to Jack’s green swirling aura. You watch his shoulders shrug slightly.

“Damien told ya about Cryverns didn’t he? They’re mythical creatures able to do a lot without real explanation.” Jack responds.

“It’s all clear in here.” Damien announces stepping out of the black of the doorway. Seeing the Cryvern he pauses. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

You look back at Damien in question. "You knew Cat would show up?" You ask walking over to Damien with Cat guiding you. You conclude that Cat is better than any walking cane you've ever had. He guides you so perfectly over the unstable ground.

"Did you find a clear route down?" Jack asks glancing at Cat with a tint of jealousy. Damien mirrors him to a less degree.

"No, there are many different areas to branch off from." Damien says taking the lead. You follow with Anti just behind you and Cat brushing against your side. You follow Damien's aura as Cat keeps you from fumbling into crumbled structures and large boulders on the ground.

"Steady." Jack says calmly when you trip over a small rock embedded into the floor. You nod, thank him quietly, and continue on a little slower.

"Y/n, do you see anything anymore?" Damien asks pausing in the center of a large chamber with many different directions. From his experience, Damien know many of them could lead to deadly outcomes and he already knows you're able to sense something.

You look around, your whole being focusing again on the thin wisps of aura linking Damien and Jack to their true bodies. Giving Cat a soft push you walk as far left as Cat will allow before making a wide half circle loop. You frown.

"Jack's aura is coming from over here and Damien's aura is coming out of a space close to Damien." You say not sure how this is possible since you can clearly see both their bodies withing feet of each other. Looking at the pair respectively you ask, "Which way are we going to go?"

Follow Jack's Aura.                                      Follow Damien's Aura.

[godsandvillainsrpg-blog]

ROMERO MANCINI

thirty-five ♱ thief ♱ giordano

“If you're gonna hit me, hit me harder than that.”

WE ARE PLAYING A GAME OF EMPIRES

Had he been the first child to join the Mancini family, perhaps things would’ve been different — but of course, he hadn’t been so lucky. It was fifteen years after the birth of Maximiliano that Romero Mancini was brought into high society, stuck in the shadow of his shining older brother since his first breaths. Max, with his charisma and slippery charms, was everything a couple of Italy’s elite could want from a child — destined to forge a path of success, no matter the cost. He commanded a room, and most importantly, he commanded his parents, using tactics of fear and intimidation to ensure all of the attention and praise his mother and father had the capacity for were reserved for him and him alone. With a boy like that already come so far, it was easy for young Romero to deduce the truth behind his birth. He’d been a mistake, one his parents had neither wanted nor planned for. How easy it was, to grow to resent the world while poisoned by the belief that he was never meant to be a part of it.

The frosted indifference he received from both of his parents hardened him all too early. He was left out of sight and out of mind, unless the circumstance explicitly called for his presence. A tangible lack of caring would be sure to break the heart of most young boys, but Romero’s refused to shatter; instead, it recoiled, shrinking in size with every time his parents shifted their attention from him back to Max, out of fear that their eldest son would make his rage known if they dared spend a moment too long on Romero. His only weapon was to act out, throwing tantrums and vases until those sad, bitter people had no choice but to acknowledge that they’d indeed bore another child. In doing so he’d only further dug his grave, making the glittering golden child look that much better when stood next to the boy who shattered crystal glasses and painted over the walls in crimson just to steal himself a fleeting look from his blood. He’d turned himself into the problem son, causing their lack of interest in him to multiply in its size — but the few moments they spent attempting to discipline him were more than he’d have ever gotten from them otherwise, and so his desperate cries became the fabric of his livelihood. Better to incite a riot than to feel that hollow indifference yet again.

His rebellious attempts to garner a moment of revere only pushed him further and further away from his parents, who thrust him under the wing of his elder brother. “Perhaps spending some more time with Maximiliano will be good for you,” they’d told him, but he knew what it meant — you’re his problem now, and if we’re lucky, some of his greatness will rub off on you. Romero was left with no choice but to follow his elder brother wherever he went. He’d been told by both his parents and Max himself to simply watch and observe the mannerisms of a truly remarkable boy, but there was nothing Romero ever felt the desire to learn from someone like him. He was treated as nothing more than an annoyance by his brother, receiving no respect — leaving him far from inclined to give that respect in return. Despite his resentment for his brother, a petulant underlying desire to please him still somehow managed to exist. How satisfying it would be, to force an ounce of admiration out of the elder brother that he couldn’t stand. It was a desire he’d soon realize had been foolish and naive from its conception.

There had once been a reluctant smidgen of respect held for his family — for his parents’ legacy, and for Max’s seemingly effortless successes. That respect was oftentimes laced with an equally reluctant admiration, and a desire for one of them, any of them, to tell him he made them proud. It didn’t take long under his brother’s wing before that flickering ember was snuffed out, charred and blackened, forged into bitterness and rage. It was his anger that came to shape him, not the guiding hand of his older brother, like his parents had hoped. Romero Mancini was a boy fuelled by anger — an arrogant dick, lashing out at innocents who surely didn’t deserve it, simply because they were unfortunate enough to cross him at the wrong time. With a touchy temper capable of exploding on a dime, both his spark of a tongue and his rapid fists made an impression for all the wrong reasons. No filter, no self restraint, he grew into a body of impulses messily strung together, and it was all too easy for one to fly loose the moment his passions were ignited.

Despite his days at his elite private school being the only time he had without Max hovering above his shoulder, breathing sharp, cruel laughs into his ear, Romero’s fiery rage found ways to escape there more than anywhere. With parents that couldn’t be bothered to attend meetings with the headmaster to sort out their son’s tempestuous nature, and a trail of fellow students’ broken bones left behind him, Romero was expelled by the time he was fourteen. Academics had never captured his attention, anyway; he’d always been a boy of body rather than mind. With no intention of enrolling in whatever other schools might have him, he turned to the one option he knew would please all except one, Max — which, in its own way, was the most tantalizing incentive of all. He’d followed his brother blindly for enough years to have taken notice of the group Max seemed to belong to; he’d even caught glimpses of them in the act, told to sit quietly and watch while Max and the others worked a clever con. It had been simply implied that anyone with an inkling of what the Giordano family’s minions did would have but two choices — to join themselves, or to be silenced. With nothing else to occupy his days, Romero jumped with both feet into the regime his brother had opened the doorway to — a notion that was, to his parents, perhaps even better than a formal education. Had he been entirely sure of what depths he’d gotten himself into? Of course not, but if it was something that belonged to Max, it was something Romero would attempt to take as his own regardless.

Even as he willingly surrendered his teenage years to the same path his brother had forged over a decade before, Romero refused to be trapped beneath Max’s shadow among the Giordano ranks. He knew the weight Max held in the espionage crew after so many years of service, and thus, wanted nothing to do with them. No, instead, he found a discipline that better spoke to him — thievery. Unwillingness to work with his brother aside, it was a much cleaner fit for such a brazen, hot-headed man. He had neither the patience nor skills of deception for espionage. Besides, information was intangible; thievery gave him something real, a prize to hold between his fingers, a physical manifestation of the validation he craved. And, he was good at it. Bold and unafraid to take risks — or to get violent when backed into a corner — he was a perfect compliment to the suave con men and women that acted as his distractions. Amongst the Giordanos, Romero finally found his family — one that appreciated him, valued him, trusted him, validated him. His brash personality, chock full of obscenities, insults, and brutal honesty, was one that made him few friends — and his quick temper and little tolerance had his own fuse set off by his supposed colleagues more often than not. But, differences aside, these people still cared about him, and beneath his rough shell, he cared about them in return. Here, he’d finally found a place he felt he belonged.

He’d been loyal for nearly two decades. Perhaps Max had brought him there, but he’d earned his place — he made sure of that. His brother, it seemed, couldn’t say the same. Romero didn’t know Max’s reasons for joining the mutiny started by one of Cassius’s pinheaded daughters and her pretty boy, and he didn’t care. All that mattered was, it meant Max would be gone — and, strangely enough, he’d been stupid enough to have assumed that Romero would blindly follow him as he jumped ship. He stayed put. After decades of hard work, he’d finally come into his own amongst the Giordanos. He’d never needed Max’s hand to help him through anything, and this was no exception. This is the dawn of his era — an era where the crew has no choice but to see him not as simply the other Mancini, but as a force of nature all of his own, and he’ll push himself to whichever limits he has yet to test in order to prove it.

TAKE NO PRISONERS, LEAVE NO SCARS

LOVE

He’s never been a charmer, never been the type to sugar-coat his words or intentions. While his nature is hardly the type to keep a steady girlfriend around — a desire he’s never particularly had, regardless — his bold, unfiltered offer to give you the fuck of your life is one many girls haven’t been able to resist. The raw sexual chemistry between he and Caterina was always evident. She’s a wild thing, one he knows he can’t tame — and that turns him on more than anything. She’s as reckless as him, perhaps even more so, which manages to entrance him enough to keep him coming back for more.

LEGACY

From the beginning, he’d always resented Maximiliano — for being born first, for having those extra fifteen years to steal his parents from him before he’d even been born. Max had been their parents’ golden child, the unofficial man of the house — loved, respected, feared, while Romero had been pushed into his shadow and thrust under his wing. He loathed him, he always had — and yet, there was always an underlying desire to please him through all that disgust. Whenever he failed, his resentment towards Max only grew deeper, and he made it known through the sharp insults and snide remarks he so often threw his brother’s way. Max’s mutiny is the best thing Romero never asked for. The idea that he’d just blindly follow his brother over to the enemy’s side was laughable at best, and now, without Max hovering over his shoulder, he’s free to come into his own as the real powerhouse of the Mancini family.

ALLIES

His brother’s rivalry with Stavros was always known, and thus, it was only natural for Romero to attempt to slide himself closer to the one man Max couldn’t stand. Stavros has taken Romero under his wing, spending great amounts of time training him, and while Romero doesn’t particularly believe he needs anyone’s help, he’s willing to make the sacrifice if it’ll get under Max’s skin. While Romero begrudgingly accepts Jae-Seung as an ally, one far more adept with his charms and distractions than himself, he loathes the way he always attempts to ignite him. He’d much rather work jobs alone, but he’s aware that the two of them bring different skill sets to the table and complement each other at the end of the day. Still, that doesn’t exempt Jae from Romero’s temper when he’s pushed too far.

ENEMIES

For reasons Romero was never able to understand, Rohan had been swooped up under Max’s wing long ago. Max had taught him, mentored him, actually given a damn about him — in ways he’d never given a damn about Romero himself. His loathing for Rohan is widely known, and he doesn’t understand why he didn’t just jump ship with Max if the two of them had such a special bond. Salvatore’s distaste for him is apparent, and the feeling is entirely reciprocated. While he writes off a majority of Cassius’s blood as particularly weak, Sal might just be the most fragile link of all, and Romero would love to prove it.

THE REST

He’d once considered Amara one of his closest friends and allies. The two had worked amazingly together, and their brutal honesty and disregard for how others viewed them simply clicked. Amara had attempted to sway Romero towards the side of the mutineers, but he’d refused. Stellan is an enigma of a man, with few words and even fewer facial expressions. The polar opposite of Romero’s brash attitude and loose tongue, the two have never been able to see eye to eye, and Romero loves to attempt to pull a rise out of a man seemingly carved from stone.

ROMERO is potrayed by MATT BOMER. He is currently AVAILABLE for auditions.

[theforkedspoon]

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites

My child pushed every single one of my buttons today. In fact, he pushed so many he even pushed some I didn't even know existed. 

At one point I thought about locking myself in the bathroom or the closet and ignoring him. But then I remembered that even if I lock up every single dangerous thing in the house (he actually went for the chopping knives this afternoon to remove tape from his toy vacuum) he would somehow find them or break his neck in the process. Soo, I thought it best to keep an eye on him.

His mood started the moment he woke up this morning. He refused to take off his PJs or let me take off mine to get dressed, clinging to me like a little koala bear- minus the cuteness. It was so bad, my husband had to hold him back just so I could get clothes on for the day. And then there was breakfast. Yeah, there was no breakfast. Just meltdowns for sugary yogurt and apple juice.

I am never buying those stupid yogurt tubes again. My child refuses cookies and cake, but put yogurt tubes in front of him and he'll fight you for every single last one of them.

After school there was Target...

I usually love Target, but today, my child ruined it for me. He decided he would only sit in one of the giant "train carts" (you know, the carts for families with 3+ kids) and then he figured out how to get out of the buckles. You guys, I tried multiple times to get him in the regular oversized Target cart. An older lady even stopped to help me, but my child is persistent.

I should have left the store right then and there.

Just as stubborn as my child, I was determined to get Valentine's Day craft supplies so we can do some fun projects together (I realize now that this is crazy talk- the projects will be messy stressful disasters). There was a lot of chasing and even more staring from strangers for the 30 minutes I endured Target. We reached the checkout and he saw the candy (meanwhile, I had half a cart full of crap I would not be buying)- he started grabbing and tearing open all.the.candy.

Nope, checkout wasn't going to happen. 

Total meltdown ensued as I dragged my screaming, kicking child from the store and...even more stares from total strangers who have never walked a day in my shoes with my child.

We get home and I decide to vacuum! Octavian always loves when I vacuum, especially when I let him use "momma's vacuum". Ok kid, whatever, knock yourself out. As long as you stay away from the knives and don't climb the refrigerator shelves to get more yogurt, we're cool. Well, it's all fun and games until your total emo toddler sucks up his lovie (an old bib) into the vacuum and...the bib needs a bath.

ughhh.

Meltdown 3 for the day. I could handle whining, BUT my kid knows how to turn on and off the washing machine (and he's fast). Keeping my 3 year old from the washing machine when his lovie is in there is a workout. Multiple yogurts and cartoons later, the stupid lovie was finished washing. By that point I didn't care if it dried or not.

We walked down the street to a friends house to see if they wanted to play and, when they didn't answer, what did my child do? He whined and he cried and he refused to leave their doorstep. I finally had to carry him (and his bike) home.

Not long after we got a call and went back over to said friends house (yayy!). Well, after about an hour, Octavian was apparently ready to go home right away. He said he was ready to go and so I told him to wait 5 minutes (he is not my master). He didn't wait. He went to the other room, put on his shoes, walked out the door and ran home.

ran home.

Chasing my toddler down the street with one shoe on, I wasn't far behind, but c'mon kid, really? By this point I didn't even know how to discipline my reckless only child. I just kinda looked at him, totally dumbfounded. 

You guys, sometimes I really suck at this whole motherhood thing.

Days like today make me crave comfort food. Chocolate, cookies, cake, chocolate...you know, the good stuff. Lucky for me, I had a several of these delicious little Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites leftover from the weekend because they were a total lifesaver today.

oh, my kid is throwing a tantrum? I'll just eat a cheesecake bite. whatevs.

Thankfully Octavian isn't a total pain in my ass all the time otherwise I would have to practice some self control.

Comfort eating aside (and they really are perfect little comfort companions), these chocolate covered cheesecake bites are great for parties, holidays or any other special occasion. They do take some time and patience, but the finished product is SO worth it!

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Hands-on Time: 1 hour | Hands-off Time: 4-12 hours Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes + Yield: approximately 36 cheesecake bites Type: Dessert + Sweets, Entertaining, Chocolate

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST: 9 whole graham cracker sheets 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING: 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, brought to room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup sour cream 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR THE CHOCOLATE COATING: 16 ounces semisweet chocolate 4 tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions:

First prepare the crust: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8by 8-inch baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (I like to measure and cut two sheets of parchment paper, leaving enough so that the extra hangs off the side).

In a small bowl combine the crushed graham cracker crumbs and the butter. Press themixture in the bottom of the prepared pan, using your fingertips to spread it evenly along the bottom.

Transfer baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until light and golden. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F.

To make the filling:

Use an electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Turn mixer on low ad add the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, flour and salt. Continue to beat until just combined- being careful not to overmix! 

Pour the cheesecake filling over the prepared crust and smooth out the top with a small rubber spatula. Bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 40 minutes or until cheesecake is slightly puffed up and the center is (mostly) set.

Allow cheesecake to cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to cool completely in the refrigerator overnight OR in the freezer for 3 hours (the cheesecake needs to be firm and COLD or the chocolate will not set).

For the Chocolate Coating:

After cheesecake has had time to freeze, carefully life cheesecake out of the pan and gently peel away the paper or foil. Use a sharp knife and cut the cheese cake into 36 bite-size squares. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until fully melted and smooth. One at a time, dip cheesecake squares into the melted chocolate, let the excess chocolate drip off and gently place onto the lined baking sheet to rest. Repeat for all cheesecake squares. Drizzle the top of each cheesecake bite with melted dark (or white) chocolate and a light dusting of powdered graham crackers.

Allow all chocolate covered cheesecake squares to set in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

 **TIP** if the non-coated cheesecakes bites start to soften from sitting out, leave them in the freezer until ready to dip in the chocolate, working in batches.

Hello! Let's be friends.

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.7"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));

Coffee and Crayons

Previous Posts.

Hello! Let's be friends

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.7"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));

Coffee and Crayons

Previous Posts.