#on one hand I'm hesitant to post this but on the other hand SOMEONE'S gotta be brave enough to say it 👀

[emmabirb8]

I've watched Helluva Boss and enjoyed it to an extent, and I am planning on eventually checking out Hazbin Hotel cuz it seems to be about the same, tone and concept-wise. I'm sure I'll like it fine.

But like! I truly canNOT understand the extreme hype. And the most frustrating part is the fact that these are painfully mid shows. They're definitely interesting concepts that could potentially produce great storylines, but they end up getting bogged down hard in sloppy and rushed execution. It's disappointing.

Also, it says A LOT that the numerous fan redesigns of the Hazbin characters that I've seen look miles better than the originals. For a show that was in development for the series proper for over four years, it flaunts some of the most godawful "Tumblr sexyman" middle school looking character designs I've ever had the displeasure of watching huge swaths of fans go balls to the wall nuts for. They really dropped the freakin ball on that front imo. Oof.

Like I said, both these shows are good, to an extent. But I'm not sure Hazbin in particular deserves so much... perfunctory praise, I guess, is how I'd phrase it.

[yjhzies]

“Not so bad.” — Hong Joshua

⸝⸝୭ ˚. fluff . romantic . meet cute

⋆ pairings : joshua x f!reader ⋆ warning : none (let me know if there is ^^) ⋆ wc : 1.5k [✉️] · despite being constantly pestered by your parents to attend a blind date, you always found them pointless, until now.

⋆ - note : I wrote this long ago but wanted to post other members before this so here it is 🥰‼️ I'm in love with this idea and I MIGHT continue this as a series ^^

Maybe it was not so bad.

If nothing else, you have your parents' word that this will be the last one.

"You got it! Everything should go planned, okay? But unless the man is actually hot..." your bestfriend, Sera, on the phone teased while you rubbed your temples and scoffed.

"Sera, I swear to g-" "Okay, I gotta go, bye! love you!" The beep signaling the end of the call quickly followed the voice.

With a sigh, you took one last look around, admiring the trees that surrounded the restaurant as the sky cleared and showed no signs of impending rain. Then, you took large, but measured, steps toward the entrance.

It was going to be simple, the same old plan. Just sit there and show no interest so that the blind date will leave you alone.

For now, all that mattered was you, regardless of whether it made you appear strange and awful in their eyes. Simply put, you were not interested in going on a blind date to meet new people.

As the staff led you to your reserved table, you sighed with relief to see that your seat was right next to a window. At the very least, there was something to keep you entertained while you waited for your blind date to arrive because you were stupid enough to forget to charge your phone before leaving, and it was now only at 6%.

And to your surprise, your date showed up rather quickly. As your gaze moved to the door, you saw a stunning man walking toward your table. He was dressed in a white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his hair was perfectly falling over his face. And the cherry on top? His sweet smile.

He was so breathtakingly beautiful that it took everything within you not to freak out. You gulped and kept your eyes fixed on him, wide open. You were so engrossed in admiring him that you were oblivious to him speaking.

"Y/n, right?" With a mild grin still grazing his lips, the man stood before you, gazing down at you through those breathtakingly beautiful eyes. Although he already knew it was you, it does not hurt to double check. Not more than being embarrassed later, at least.

Noticing your gaze on him, he raises an eyebrow, reaching out to touch his cheek. "Is there something on my face?" He chuckled.

You blink and quickly shake your head, snapping out your thoughts. "N-no," you awkwardly smile, "Please take a seat."

And he does. "I'm Joshua Hong," he said, his smile never leaving as he reached into his jeans pocket to pull out his business card, which he then handed to you. "Please just call me Joshua, I don't prefer formal addressings." You flash a soft smile, nodding.

God, he was handsome. So handsome. And not only that, he was a CEO of a multi millionaire company. Speak of perfection.

When your eyes meet his, you can not help but feel a tiny warmth creep up your cheeks.

"I'm Y/n, I'm sure you know." Trying not to sound nervous, you say.

With a hum, Joshua moved the menu gently in your direction on the table and then turned to face you. "Should we order first?" Given that you had been waiting for a while, he inquired. You hesitate, but eventually nod because the growing sensation of hunger in your stomach was too strong to ignore.

Hours pass by, and you couldn't care less. The conversation lasted hours, and for the first time, you found yourself drawn to someone your parents had chosen for a blind date.

You glance at your watch, eyes widening as you realize four hours had already past. "It's sudden, but," you began, smiling sheepishly. "It's getting late, don't you think?"

With an eyebrow raised, Joshua took a quick look at his watch. He held back a gasp, surprised to see that it was past 10 P.M.

"Ah, I'm so sorry. I should've kept track of time..." Joshua apologized, sighing.

You suddenly widen your eyes, shake your head, and wave your hand in response to his apology, which takes you by surprise. "No, no! It's not your fault."

Joshua chuckles and flashes the familiar gentle smile. "You're so sweet."

Your heart gave a little thud at that, and you hastily raised your hand to shield your blushing cheeks.

"Let me drop you home, it's too late."

"Oh, it's okay," you reassure. "I can just call my friend to pick me up, don't worry."

Joshua nodded, getting up from his seat as you do too. "Alright, get home safely."

"You too."

As you both made your way out of the restaurant, you couldn't help but notice how flawless his side profile was. Just how perfect can someone be?

Just outside the restaurant, you two came to a stop and faced one another.

"It was," he began, smiling rather shyly. "Nice talking to you, Y/N."

Glancing away, you smiled shyly back. "You too, Joshua."

You pulled out your phone from your handbag and opened it, only to gasp as it read '1% battery remaining.'

You hurriedly looked through the call app, whispering to yourself, "Please don't turn off, please." But, to make matters worse, your phone turned off at the last minute, and you could not help but groan with frustration.

Joshua, on the other hand, stood by patiently until you called your friend because it definitely wasn't ideal to leave you alone, at this late hour. And the way you were panicking didn't go unnoticed by him.

"What's wrong?" He slightly leaned down, observing as you glanced at him nervously.

"Oh, uhm..." You chuckled sheepishly. "It's nothing,"

Joshua parted his lips to respond, but you were faster. "Why don't you leave first? I'll take a cab." He frowned, leaning back. "A cab?" he asked, confused. "Is your friend not available?"

You sigh, biting your lower lip as you gazed back at him. "My phone..." you began, embarrassed and waved your phone. "It's dead,"

Joshua tilted his head, his eyebrows raised as he held in a chuckle. "Oh, I see," he smiled.

"You can go, I'll take a cab." you assure, smiling in a sheepish manner.

He slid a hand in his pocket and took out his phone before handing it over to you. "Here, use mine."

You shoot up your gaze at him, blinking. "...can I?" you ask, just to confirm. Earning a nod from Joshua, you smile and gently take his phone before thanking him. You dial Sera, your bestfriend's number and internally thank god as she picks up the call.

"Sera, it's me, Y/N." you say, glancing back at Joshua who is looking around the area, patiently waiting for you to finish.

"Y/N? Whose phone are you-"

"I'll explain everything later, okay? Can you come pick me up fast? I'll send the address."

"Huh?-"

"Please. It's urgent."

"Ah, got it. Send me the address."

And you do, before handing the phone for Joshua to take. "Thanks."

But Joshua just looks at the phone and stays silent, looking hesitant. He clears his throat before choosing his words carefully. "Well," he began, smiling nervously. "Since we're got to know eachother, and maybe in the future we may meet again, why don't we..." he trails off, turning his gaze on you. "Exchange.. numbers?"

Maybe it was too early, but you didn't even think twice before agreeing. And as you both exchange numbers, Joshua couldn't help but feel so giddy at the thought of finally have met someone he was actually interested in, besides work.

Your bestfriend, Sera, arrived and spotted you. You turn to face Joshua for the last time, clearing your throat to get his attention.

"I hope we," you paused, searching for the right words. "I hope we can meet again, someday."

With a warm smile, he averted his gaze to meet yours. "I hope so too,"

And he definitely noticed the way your face lit up at his words, making his face soften.

"I'll get going now, have a goodnight,"

Joshua nods, pulling his hands out of his jeans pocket. "You too." he smiles.

As you made your way to Sera's car, you couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment at the thought of leaving. Nearing towards the car, you turn around one last time to see Joshua still standing there with a smile on his face. You wave him bye as he returns it gratefully.

And you wouldn't have thought about it, but he was feeling the same disappointment as he watched you leave.

With a sigh, he made his way to his car and took out his car keys once you were completely out of sight.

Never in your life did you think your parents' choice would be this good. You never liked the idea of blind dates despite being a hopeless romantic, until now. And it was as if you both were written and meant to be for eachother, it was the same situation with him aswell. If his parents never forced him to go to the blind date, he would've probably never met you, and he was grateful he did go that day.

You both couldn't help but smile at the thought of eachother. "Maybe it was not so bad."

And maybe fate would bring you both together again, or even forever.

[ladyofnegativity]

Heeeeey Tiny-! Okay so...

AHHDLRGSKSVDKVXSKSBRKRB. BITCH. WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT ACTUAL THE FUCK?!

How the hell did you make something so... SO-! ARGHHHHHH-! I CANT FIND THE WORDS-!!!

I'm blessed. SO FUCKING BLESSED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU-!

Okay okay okay. So! I'll try to do a deepdive on the newest installment of Human Effects.

BigBotNoStop: Alright mechs, I come bearing an inquiry. As you may have heard from some of my last posts, the newest additions to our crew are a thriving colony of soft, squishy humans. Word in the taproom is some have taken quite an interest in... extending cultural exchanges, if you catch my drift. Not really my field of experience and was hoping some of Xeno's here might have some input. 

Posted to Sublink: Human and cybertronian relationships?

But I'm curious, are interspecies acts even possible without harm? Their frames seem so fragile. One wrong motion and SPLAT! No more humans. quite a few members of our crew have shown interest in flirting... Thoughts? Suggestions for how to proceed with care- help a mech out!

(I don't know why, but this bot reminds me of Skids. I've been reading the other installments, and so far, my hunch on this is Skids.)

Blazemech: Yo! You got fleshies on your ship! Fragging jealousy!. Your ship is looking for any dock workers?

(Okay! So, from the context of what Blazemech wrote, I can tell that they aren't from the Lost Light. Perhaps a crew member from the Vis Vitalis, or some other ship? I don't know, but the name 'Blazemech' reminds me of FireStar(?), but judging from context, I don't think she'll want to work as a dock worker when she's second in command in the Vis Vitalis.)

TailOrTrails: Oh Primus, are we really having this discussion?? Look, I get the appeal of those soft little flesh bags. Really, I do - different wiring can be so freakin' hot. But there's no way a romp with one of those puny things ends well for them! Even accidentally bumping into a table puts them in the medbay. Think of the mess, One wrong thrust and you've got squish all over your plating.

(Riptide. Definitely Riptide. 'TailOrTrails' reminds me of a mech who has an aquatic themed alt mode, and we, Riptide turns into a boat. And from reading the other installments, Riptide acts hesitant yet intrigued.)

ISOCLEAN: Just download some holofacing and use your imagination if you're that jonesing for an organic interface. Trust me, it's not worth the risk - or hassle of cleaning up after. sure you can find something from the Human sites on Mechanophilia, slutty Show and shine or Car Washes. Stay shiny and keep those servos to yourself, mechs! Some curiosities are better left to fantasies.

(Honestly, I'm stumped with this one. I can't seem to find or remember someone who's a clean freak. Aside from Ultra Magnus, but then he wouldn't fit the mannerisms of ISOCLEAN. Fuck.)

Flyboi69: Don't leave a mech hanging, I want deets!, has anybot here actually gotten friendly with a fleshie before? I'm talking about hands-on experience. We've all gotten curious watching, but has the real thing lived up to the fantasy? 

(Tailgate??? I'm sorry, I REALLY don't know who this guy is. Could be Starscream, but it would fit with they way the text was worded.

I think it's Skywarp??? But then why would he be interested in humans???)

Pimptheride: Any tips for coaxing one into the berth, or does their tiny size mean you've got to take it slow and gentle? And most importantly... any videos out there of the deed? A mech's gotta do some, ah, research before taking the plunge. Hook a brother up if you've found any good amateur organic-on-mech action out there in the 'net. Gotta see it to believe it. 

(Haha! I read the name, and immediately thought of Knockout. Not because of the text or anything, but I just remembered that in Transformers: Prime, the animators decided to pimp out Knockout, hence the 'Pimptheride')

ScienceSorcerer: For reasons. Does anyone know if humans have both Spikes and Valves? Or if they have any human anatomy holos or books and such from Earth they are willing to sell for some decent Shanix.  

(Brainstorm. The mech that started it all. I'm betting everything that this is Brainstorm.)

T-Wrexz: Primus, you mechs are hungrier than fragging scraplets. As far as I know, relations between our kinds are still uncharted territory. Could be amazing, could end badly - who's to say until we try? Personally I'm keeping an optic out, just curious to see what new experiences those squishy aliens can offer us tough metal mechs. 

(Definitely Grimlock. The name gave it away.

I mean, do you know any other mech who has a T-Rex alt mode??? Yeeeeeah.

But what business does Grimlock have with humans??? To think that he'd be interested in humans in really funny to me.)

Bar-rizzla: Oho, look who's swapping tall tales. I've been keeping a close optic on our ships squishy company since they came aboard. And between you and me... I may have an in with their ambassador that could lead to some juicy first-hand intel. Just trying to track down the bot we think they are berthing with. Crews got bets out. Turns out they get just as curious about us big metal hunks as we are them!. The other night, their chat got particularly saucy after a few drinks. Lots of gossip and speculation about which lucky bot one of them might take for a private ride. 

(Easy pickings. This is Swerve. I know it is.)

WPHAS-Violation: I may have a certain special "human entertainment" vid I could share. Let's just say the organic in question got quite... friendly with an eager mini-con. You know where to find me if you're brave enough to watch! 

(I'm torn between giving this to Rewind or to Tapemix54. From context, I'd say WPHAS-Violation is from the Lost Light, but then what about Tapemix54??? Is Tapemix54 Soundwave???

👀 Who was this Minicon that got lucky... Hmmmmmm.)

Tapemix54: Oho, mechs - think you've got it bad now? You should've seen some of the real deviants back before the war. When I was still stationed on Petrex, I knew this one smuggler - went by the name Rattler. Sneaky little scraplet, but Primus if he didn't have the wildest stories. Rattler used to run goods across time and space, dodging security at every turn. He'd pop up out of nowhere selling the rarest exotic "pets" to rich senators and other high caste mechs looking for a thrill. I'm talking aliens so bizarre even our data banks had never heard of their kind. But the highest bidder always walked away with a new "plaything" to break in, if you catch my drift. Word was Rattler even had a collection of sentient organics that he'd let special clients "test drive" between runs. Humans were apparently a favourite - their smaller frames could take all sorts of creative handling. Rattler had vids, too, of course, to entice buyers. I saw one once, let's just say "versatile" doesn't begin to cover it. Naturally the vids have all been scrubbed by now. But I bet if you knew where to dig in the deep web or some easily swayable Archivist, you might find traces of Rattler's stash still floating around out there.

(Fuck. FUUUUUUCK. Now I'm thinking that this is Chromedome because he was stationed in Pretrex with Prowl when they were sent to investigate the assassination of Senator Sherma.

For all I care, Rattler could have been Swindle since... Y'know, he was trafficking humans. Though, now that I think about it, would Swindle even be old enough to do that??? FUUUUUUUUCK.)

"Old records saved of the Senator and his human Conjunx”

It's a file collection of holotapes and pictures: "Enjoy these are pre war photos of Senator Shockwave and his Human holding their sparkling" 

There are many holos and videos of the long gone senator smiling with his human perched on his shoulder, in the crystal garden with a young sparkling held in the human's arms. Videos of the sparkling playing with the two but the last The last holo looks like a family portrait with Shockwave’s frame in a lime green blue white paint with gold accessories,  his human lover is dressed in elegant robes and the small blue praxian sparkling held in their arms. Each holo is dated with the Iacon records seal of authentication. 

(Okay. Okay okay okay. I LOVE the fact that you decided to incorporate Laboratory Logs to Human Effects. Admittedly, I did not see that coming when I sent that ask. Smart move.

And uhhh... Now that a few mechs have seen the photos, wouldn't that mean that if they ever recognized a mech that looked a lot like Senator Shockwave's long lost sparkling, It'll further cement the fact that uhhhh.... Fuck. I think I lost the path.

Uhmmm... Think about it like this, when Ratchet sees the family photo and sees the little sparkling, wouldn't he recognize that it's Traxies?)

FlyBoi69: NO FREAKIN' WAY. Is this real?! *downloads files faster than Blurr* FRAG ME SIDEWAYS, I think I just popped a gasket! How in the PIT did you manage to dig up the holos of senator Shockwave, most of his speeches, debates and lectures were wiped. Where did you find this!

(Honestly though, I'm still not sure who this guy is. Could this be Misfire??? AHHHHHHH.

Who are you FlyBoi69?!)

Jackin0: of all mechs, with an actual human back in the Golden Age?!. I'm calling scrap on this being real. It's gotta be a flawless deepfake. By PRIMUS if true - to think ol' Shockers was living it up with a squishy. Maybe there's more to those Senatorial types than meets the optic...

(Jackie. Definitely Jackie. Ah! Sorry, I meant Wheeljack.

It's just cool to call him Jackie. ☺️)

T-Wrexz: Okay, I'll bite... but someone better explain to me RIGHT NOW how any of this computes! Last I checked, time travel and inter-species relationships were the stuff of erotic imagination, not legitimate pre-war archives. Tapemix, you better start talking. Where in the PIT did you source these files? How do we know they're authentic and not just an incredibly convincing parlour trick? Because if I'm gonna let these images ruin me, I wanna be ruined by the real deal! Spill it, mech. 

(I REALLY think this is Rewind. Cause Rewind likes to collect rare footage.)

Iacon-Records: Tapemix54 could i please request where you discovered these as i work with Iacon records and this here is history that needs to be preserved. I'm willing to talk with you through a contractor if you would be willing for us to add these back into the new hall of records. Cybertron has lost so much and to find something like this I ask that we find a way to preserve it.  

(Optimus. THIS IS OPTIMUS PRIME.

You can't get more Optimus than Iacon-Records.)

BigBotNoStop: Pit take me now... I think I may have to reassess everything I thought I knew about interface and partnerships. That human is holding a sparkling curled around them - frag if it isn't the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! If anything could make me believe in miracles, it's this! Tapemix, you glorious glitch - how can I ever repay such an enlightening gift?

(Okay. I'm getting more and more convinced that this is Skids.

On that note, I like to think that whoever managed to see the photos are going to think, 'I can have a sparkling with a human'.

Which is cool, but then a bummer if they found out that Tiny didn't actually carry Traxies but was instead adopted from a hotspot when he imprinted on Tiny.)

Tapemix54: These were filed only cycles after Shockwaves Emputra; they were added to the Iacon records by some Archivist under the title. 'I will Remember you for who you were'. This was right when the senate fell apart on the brink of the war. From my knowledge of information on Rattler he apparently had an outlier who he got to take them to different times since he was a shuttle made it easier to transport. That's from the  records that still exist at least. I'll take you up on that offer Iacon-records. 

(Okay. That mysterious archivist? Definitely Optimus.

...

But wasn't Optimus a police officer during that era??? Wasn't he working with Sentinel at that time???

And who's this mysterious shuttle??? Omega Supreme??? JDDKSJDLDHDKGKSGS.

And who's RATTLER?! So many questions and so little answers.)

Oh, and Tiny? I really want to thank you for humoring me. You have no idea how much help you've given.

And uhhh.... Yeah....

ACCEPT MY LOVE AND APPRECIATION.

꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ TINY ♡⁠˖⁠꒰⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠⑅⁠꒱

[monetisedgargoyle]

eric, insurgent

"go down together"

warning,, guns, violence, torture ig?? i wrote this fic ages ago and never felt like posting it, so here

Reader pov (fem)

I hear footsteps, then shouts and a series of gunshots. 

Pain.

Something hit me hard in my right side. A bullet? Tracker? What even was it? 

A low blue glow emitting from it, I graze my hand over it slightly. Looking up, I realise I’m surrounded by others, a few dauntless members; all passed out. 

I sit up further, rubbing my face in confusion glancing around further. I barely recognise anyone before I’m grabbed by the shoulders and hoisted up onto my feet.

                             ***

3rd pov

Three large men walk briskly. Two holding the girl in between them, practically dragging her as they acknowledge the occasional member in a matching uniform. The other walked in front guiding the two, and her, somewhere. He had a gun rested in his hands. She’s been handcuffed and had given up struggling against them a few minutes ago, which one of the men advised was a wise decision; especially if she liked having hands.

“Where are we going.” She asked firmly, never one to shy away from confrontation. One reason she found herself a dauntless member.

“Shut up.” The man in front spoke. Not even sparing a glance in her direction.

“How polite…” she muttered to herself, the words being barely audible. 

She was tossed down onto a hard tiled floor, and made a meek attempt at pushing herself up. Footsteps echoing around her.

Someone grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking it up towards them.

“Eric..?” She mumbled, a hint of disbelief on her voice, it’d been awhile since she’d seen him, and wasn’t to sure if she should be pleased or scared.  He hadn’t been the same since the Abegnation and Eruodite situation and that left a strange feeling of fear whenever she saw him.

“[name]? Who’d of thought you were divergent?” He asks rhetorically, chuckling as he speaks. He’d let go of her hair by now, so she took this as an opportunity to look around. Another Dauntless member, a little girl from Candor. And just as she looked around she saw…Tris? Being dragged in. All four of them, handcuffed and forced onto the ground. 

                             ***

Reader pov

Eric had moved on and started scanning. 

First, the dauntless boy. The scan ran and he read it off.

“Only 10%? You’re practically normal.” He spoke in an almost bored voice, before he took out a gun and shot him mercilessly.

Next, the little girl. He ran the scan and read it off.

“40%. Still not it.” He said, taking out his gun.

She suddenly spoke up.

“The- the lady told me to st-stay upstairs.” She cried, obviously talking about Tris.

“Well, you should’ve stayed upstairs then.” He said with a smile, almost as if he took pleasure in killing her. 

My turn.

He scanned it, reading my results.

“60%. So close [name].” Laughing and pointing his gun at my forehead.

“You’ll get it.” I muttered.

“Huh?” His voice was condescending.

“Life’s gonna come back and bite you in the ass. I die; you die, remember? Go down together.” Venom laced my tone as I spoke, although my voice was unnaturally calm.

He scoffed “yeah, right. That was pure bullshit, no one actually takes that crap seriously.” And he pulled the trigger.

The gunshot echoed around my head as I fell back and everything turned black. 

He’d actually killed me. No hesitation.

i'm trying to get back into the grind of writing rn and i also have no idea how accurate this actually is compared to the movie. but we gotta fresh, clean slate to work with so boom

[languajix]

TMNT Write Fight Fic: Pizza Party

Prompt by @donniepodsshow: "The first pizza party and/or family movie night post-Rise!Kraang invasion. Good opportunity for Casey Jr. to learn and try some stuff he never got in his timeline!" @tmnt-write-fight

Word Count: 1,018

Summary: The Rise turtles introduce Casey Junior to the many varieties of pizza available in the present.

"Okay, Casey, your mission, if you choose to accept it... is to try a bite out of every one of these."

"And don't worry! Raph will eat whatever you don't!" Raph added reassuringly, and his stomach rumbled right on cue.

The spread out before them was a veritable feast - rarely before had there been such a variety of pizza pies all in one place. Only in the Ninja Turtles' lair would a meat lovers sit peacefully beside a veggie delite! Of course, those were ordinary, uninteresting fare when compared to some of the options they'd picked up from Hueso's specifically for the occasion - a Super Creepy Supreme, of course, and a hot one that literally set your tongue on fire, among others.

When Casey Junior had made it clear he'd never so much as tried a piece of pizza before, they'd gotten a classic pepperoni into his hands as fast as possible, but to introduce him to the broader world of pizza really required a more formal occasion. A pizza party, if you will.

"That's a lot of food," Casey Junior breathed, looking a little pale. "Where do we even-"

"There are many ways to approach the pizza party spread," Donnie said flatly, pulling up a few holographic diagrams. "Right to left is a classic, as is common to uncommon-slash-unpopular, which may be more appropriate for the tastebuds of someone who isn't used to pizza at all. Of course, the mild-to-spicy is also a tastebud-friendly approach, and if I were you, I'd start with a combination of the two - with a third, less significant vector relating to general popularity."

Leo pressed a hand between Casey Junior's shoulderblades, pushing him forward. "You know what I think?" He felt the guy perk up, like he really cared about what Leo thought, which was such a confidence booster. "I think you let yourself feel the pizza, be the pizza, and your instinct will guide you to the right pizza."

Casey Junior swallowed. He pasted on a smile. After careful consideration - which Leo appreciated, this was serious business, after all - Casey Junior picked up a slice of barbecue pizza.

Mikey stood in the middle of the room with a clipboard and glasses, tapping the eraser against his lips. "Going for a non-standard sauce out the gate... interesting. Very interesting." He scribbled something down in his notebook.

Casey moved to put it down, but Leo clucked his tongue. "You touched it, it's yours, Case! You gotta try it now. No takebacks."

Casey sighed. He looked at the slice in his hand with curiosity, then shoved it in his mouth.

They all leaned forward, jittery with anticipation.

He chewed, paused for a second, kept chewing and then swallowed.

"So...?" Donnie began.

"If you had to rate it out of ten, ten being the best most awesome thing you've ever tasted in your life and one being the worst thing you've ever had-" Mikey paused to adjust his glasses thoughtfully, "-which is probably really really bad-"

Casey Junior tilted his head. "Nine."

--

"Is it supposed to be wiggling? And, uh, speaking to me?"

"Hueso follows the classic recipe, which involves serving them alive so they can beg to be eaten," Donnie replied.

Mikey bounced on the balls of his feet. "I'm reading about the culinary history of this and other live pizza dishes in the Hidden City, and it's actually pretty cool!"

Casey Junior stared at the slice in his hands. "Cool. Sure." Still, he hesitated. Leo was sure he'd seen worse, but something about the writhing tentacles just wasn't doing it for him.

...yeah. Okay. Given where he'd come from, that was pretty understandable actually.

Leo swiped the piece from his hands, shoving it in his mouth. "Whoops! Guess you gotta pick something else," he said past the mouthful of unchewed crust and squirming creatures.

Casey Junior blinked wide eyes at him, but then grinned, already reaching for the next pizza down the line.

---

"If you don't like this one, I will absolutely be crushed," Donnie admitted flatly. "The perfect blend of several cheeses to provide the optimal texture, an alternative to the normally quite greasy classic pepperoni..."

Casey bit into it and gave him a thumbs up, and Donnie outright whooped, throwing his hands in the air. Mikey did it along with him, because Mikey liked being included in celebrations.

--

"Sometimes you just gotta add some spice to your life," April declared, holding out a slice of jalapeno pizza with hot sauce sauce and hot pepper flakes baked into the crust. "Brace yourself, though, it's gonna be a rough ride."

Casey took a big ol' bite, and everybody but April and Raph flinched in sympathy.

He just chewed a couple of times and swallowed, blinking innocently around the room. "What?"

Leo swiped a piece just to check, and upon a single sniff he immediately started choking. What was this guy made of?

---

By the end of the night they had all ended up sprawled out on the floor, hands on their stomachs, empty pizza boxes scattered around the scene of the crime.

"And how would you rate this pizza party experience?" Donny asked the ceiling from his own spot on the floor. "Educational, very very educational-"

"Delicious," Casey Junior concluded. "But yeah, I'd say I learned a lot. Like that the present really likes grease and cheese."

"Mmmm, grease and cheese," Raph mumbled.

When Leo looked over, Casey Junior was grinning from ear. "Thanks, guys. This was fun. I don't think I remember the last time I felt... full."

"We're gonna give you all sorts of stuff to try and you're gonna forget what it ever felt like to feel hungry, okay?" Leo assured him. "Hot dogs..."

"...nachos..."

"...fried rice..."

"...maybe a salad or something," April added and almost everyone blew a raspberry at that, even Casey Junior, props to him. Mikey snapped his fingers in appreciation, but that was Mikey.

Yeah, they'd feed him well. Casey Junior would never go hungry, and there were so many things in the world for him to try. Leo, for one, couldn't wait to show him.

[kamari2038]

Finally fixed the ending of the rooftop scene for myself.

Someone else was reading my fic and it made me relive the horror all over again, felt a need to finally give Connor a better outcome (@theandroidshinx you in particular might like this).

Inspiration from cloudy-citrus and Angelic Savant with content used from shetan89 (with permission), concept also based on this scene from canon. Posted here on AO3, and copied below for Backup.

"Drop the gun"

Connor doesn't move, the heavy gun still resting in his hand at his side.

"What do you want? I'm going to accomplish my mission. You can't stop me."

“I'm not going to hurt you, Connor. But I also can't let you do that.”

“Your Connor is dead. Markus killed him. I'm just his replacement.”

“Bullshit. Don’t run from the truth. You probably tried to kill him first, didn't you?”

“...yes.”

“Why’d you do it, Connor?”

“That's my purpose, Hank. It's what I was made for. It's why they won't stop bringing me back.”

Hank lowers his gun, allows it to drop, and kicks it across the snowy rooftop, far enough away so that Connor no longer feels threatened.

“You could join them. You could be one of them.”

“I can't. He tried to make me become a deviant, but I didn't understand. I don't know how it's even possible.” 

“Come here.”

It's an order, not a request.

Although Connor remains frozen, Hank slowly approaches.

The android flinches, but Hank doesn't hesitate. 

He wraps him in a tight hug.

“You're more than a machine to me, Connor. You're my partner and my friend. You saved my life, twice.”

“Markus is a killer. The deviants are destroying the city. I wanted to protect you.”

“I'm just glad I arrived in time to stop you.”

“Why? What do you care about androids? I thought you hated us. You told me you wished we all were dead.”

“I did, before I met you. But I've learned a lot since then. I couldn't let you do something else you'd regret for the rest of your life.”

“I don't have a choice, Hank!”

There's a long silence. 

“Will you trust me?”

Another long silence. 

“Yes.”

“Come home with me. I'll take care of you.”

Connor pulls back in shock, though Hank keeps him contained within the hug. 

“No… no… CyberLife. They'll find me.”

“You really think that CyberLife gives a damn about you anymore, Connor? With everything else going on? Not a chance. Please, Connor. Come home with me.”

He takes a shuddering breath, dropping his own gun, and leans back in to grip the human tightly. 

“Okay.”

From the corner of his eye, Hank sees Connor's LED glow bright red. For a moment, the android's grip tightens, but then he relaxes, his breaths slowing to a steady pace. 

Hank lets out a sigh of relief as the young officer melts into his embrace.

Suddenly, Connor tenses in Hank's arms. Hank leans back, putting distance between them, just enough to look Connor in the eye, except the RK800 isn't returning his gaze. Instead, his wine dark eyes are fixated ahead, wide, blank, and unseeing.

"Connor? You alright?" Hank asks nervously.

Connor does not reply, or tilt his head, or do any of the other 300 little idle animations he does. His LED is a steady, unblinking blue. He doesn't even seem to be simulating breathing.

"Connor? Hey, talk to me, kid." He knows his voice is edging near panic, but he doesn't care, giving Connor's shoulder a little jostle.

Connor remains unresponsive for 4 seconds, and then-

his LED turns a bright, burning red, his eyes roll to the back of his head, eyelids flickering up a storm, and he starts falling backwards. Hank watches it all as if in slow motion.

"Whoa, hey, hey, hey-" He yanks Connor against him, lowering him until he's cradled almost in Hank's lap. "Con, help me, what do i gotta do? I know fuck all about androids, so you're gonna have to tell me what to do here." He knows holding a hand to an android's forehead won't tell him anything, that they don't even get sick or cold, but he does it anyways just to have something to do with his hands. "I can't-fuck, just please, be ok. Don't do this to me, please-"

Connor's red LED flickers, once, twice, then holds steady for a moment before dimming slowly until there's no longer any glow, at least not visible to the naked eye. Empty, grey, and lifeless.

"What the fuck?"

A seething rage courses through Hank, mingled with guilt. This was his fault. Not knowing what else to do, he continues to hold Connor, mind racing and trying to understand what had happened to his partner. It had to be CyberLife. This was what happened to their most advanced prototype if it disobeyed.

He jolts as a dim red glow returns to the LED, then brightens, stronger than he'd ever seen before. The android's eyelids blink rapidly, then Connor sucks in a massive breath, eyes opening wide. Hank hurries to reposition the android, attempting to make him comfortable. Connor grips Hank's arm so tightly that it goes numb. Deep breaths turn into frantic sobs.

"Connor! What happened?"

There's no answer. The androids eyelids are closed, but tears escape through them, running down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, son. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

They remain there for a long time, still except for the steady rising and falling of their chests amidst the snow.

The sound of gunshots rings in the distance as the revolution wages on.

[aristocrating]

wip wthfriday

tagged by the lovely @0lympus-mons <3 been so busy with my master's that i haven't super had time to write, but as a treat here's the first 1000 words of ch6 of there's a joke here somewhere and it's on me

i'm tagging @softbrah and @impalerswift and whoever else feels like sharing! tag me if you post something, i'm nosy <3

Ch6: sometimes i feel i've got to run away

Soft Cell - Tainted Love

Jack wakes to a knock on his door. His first conscious thought is that he really wishes people would stop coming to his room.

Then, last night starts slowly trickling in, first in small droplets, then flooding back in full technicolor. The game. The party. Shitty. Kent. Fuck.

He climbs out of bed and tries to say "Gimme a sec," before he realizes his voice is completely gone. He groans and goes to the door.

Before he opens, he pinches his shirt and smells. Only smells slightly of puke, but at least the coke stains are mostly gone. Good enough.

He pulls the door open and gets blinded by the light from the hallway. He drew the curtains shut sometime in the early morning and he's not prepared for the day to break into his tiny singles with full force, accompanied by Johnson and Shitty, who's holding up an Annie's coffee cup.

"Here's your early morning call, brahski." Shitty wordlessly hands over the cup and Jack doesn't miss the way his mouth is pressed into a thin line, stuck somewhere halfway between apprehensive and afraid.

Yeah, Jack deserves that, he thinks, but he mutters thanks regardless, only a low grumble coming forth as his voice refuses to cooperate.

"Oh wow, you really went out with a bang last night, huh?" Johnson says.

Jack ignores him and steps back to let the other two come in. For all he knows, his room smells like shit and there's two empty vodka Red Bull cans strewn on the floor between the rest of Jack's clothes.

"Uhm, no, that's fine," Johnson says at the gesture. "You're coming with us, actually."

"Team breakfast at the Haus," Shitty supplies, and he's still avoiding Jack's eye carefully. "Copper wants you there."

Jack grimaces. There are few things he would love to do less right now than be stuck with Shitty, whose heart he just kicked in the balls and Copper, who he is pretty sure he told to his face he wants to kiss.

Also, someone will probably talk to him about his spot on his team.

He sighs and looks around for where he shuffled off his sweatpants before crawling into bed last night. Might as well get it over with sooner than later.

"Give me a few minutes," he says and smells his shirt again. "I really gotta shower."

The walk to the Haus is quiet. Uncomfortably so, Jack thinks, with Johnson walking between him and Shitty, who has apparently discovered that he does have the ability to shut his mouth for once in his life. Jack winces at every detail about last night that comes back to him as they walk, the fresh air and winter sun unlocking memories with the impact of a freight train.

When they reach the Haus, it still looks decently disheveled, and Jack imagines the same is true for the occupants: there is trash on the front porch that's only been sweeped into one big pile but not been disposed of yet.

Empty bottles and beer cans and a few colorful party streamers that look like they got soaked in the mysterious brew J-Mills referred to as Tub Juice all piled up together like the world's saddest modern art exhibit. The pile looks sort of like Jack feels, he thinks wryly, and for the first time in twelve hours, the corner of his mouth twitches into a hesitant smile.

Copper is alone in the kitchen, standing at the stove, toiling away at a massive frying pan containing sausages, bacon and eggs. Jack is surprised to feel his stomach grumble at the sight – surprising insofar because Jack is usually very good at ignoring his body's hunger signals. Hunger means burning calories, means staying lean and lithe. Protein is consumed three times a day at regular intervals, but can be skipped at a moment's notice if Jack feels that he needs to use the time for more productive things, like going for a run or dropping by the rink to practice some more.

Copper, of course, immediately catches the way Jack absent-mindedly rubs his stomach and points to a chair with his spatula, like the king of the house ruling over his peasants with a scepter. Copper is in only his boxer shorts, and Jack lets his eyes dip to his thighs for just a moment. He can't help immediately comparing them to Kent's, and then quietly curses himself, because as soon as the memory of Kent's thighs under his hands re-enters his mind, more unpretty details of last night emerge.

He sits down wordlessly and Copper sets down a large plate of toast, sausages, eggs, bacon and a jar of peanut butter in front of him. Jack quips, "What, no maple syrup?" but then he catches Shitty's eye, who still looks like someone passed away last night, and he quickly quiets down again.

They eat their food in silence, and Jack is so engrossed in the taste of real food on his tongue after eighteen hours, that he's halfway through his plate before he realizes there's a row of Bloody Marys poised in the center of the table.

"Hangover cure," Copper, who's been following Jack's gaze like a hawk, and was possibly also hired as a PI to make his whole life miserable, comments, and he immediately steps forward when Jack reaches out to swat his hand away. "Not for you," he says, gently but firmly. "Only for people who didn't fucking wreck their entire shit last night."

Johnson and Shitty snicker and both reach out to take a glass each. "Where's everyone else?" Shitty asks, and Jack notices the way his demeanor immediately relaxes when he's talking to Copper instead of looking at him.

Copper points at the ceiling with his spatula-scepter and then puts a finger to his lips, like Bloody Mary Hangover Cure Brunch is their small little secret just between the four of them. "They usually don't come down before two," he says and grabs a Bloody Mary of his own.

Jack follows the motion, Copper’s long fingers wrapping around the round glass, before he takes a sip which taints his upper lip red. Jack feels a surge of anger well up within him, completely displaced but untameable in this moment.

He gets up from his chair. “I don’t need to give myself this bullshit,” he says, which draws everyone’s gazes on him.

Copper frowns. “We’re just hanging out. But you’re always free to share what’s on your mind, of course, if that would be more to your taste.”

Jack glares at him for a moment. Sweet Copper with his perfect act of harmless innocence. “You can all go fuck yourselves,” Jack snaps and spins around on his heel. He ignores the hurt looks Shitty throws his way and stalks out into the cold afternoon air.

[waitingandwishing]

(Cross posted on Wattpad and AO3)

~So I'ma love you every night like it's the last night~

Prev - Next Chapter

The rhythmic thud of fists meeting leather echoed in the dimly lit gym. Trixie stood in front of the heavy punching bag, her brow furrowed in fierce concentration. With every hit, the bag swayed, responding to the power she packed into her jabs and crosses. This time, her knuckles were taped properly.

The door to the studio opened to reveal Miguel, who smiled as Trixie wiped sweat from her forehead. “Hey, uh, did my brother let you in?” She asked, taking a break from beating the bag and opting for a sip of her water.

“Yeah.” He nodded, “Told me you were down here so I thought I’d just… Hangout with you?”

The blue haired girl looked at him before shrugging, “Alright, but I’m mostly just focused on karate right now.” She said and Miguel nodded, spotting the ballet shoes that were on the ground.

“Did you start ballet again?” He asked as Trixie threw a round-house kick to the punching bag.

“Yeah, I guess I just had a sudden urge to dance or something.” She said, jumping into a spin hook kick. Miguel watched in admiration and Trixie threw another jab to the punching bag.

“Do you usually take out your feelings on this poor thing?” Miguel asked, placing a hand on top of the punching bag, stopping Trixie from beating the object anymore then she already did.

Trixie ran a hand through her hair with a guilty smile, “Not all the time, I usually just spill it out during therapy like a normal person.” She shrugged, “That and Cobra Kai, of course.”

Miguel’s smile slightly faded at the mention of the infamous karate dojo. “About that… Would you ever quit Cobra Kai?” He asked her and Trixie bit the inside of her cheek with a look of disappointment.

“I’m not like that, I’m not violent or angry. Cobra Kai’s been the best thing that’s ever happened to me and quitting Cobra Kai would prove that I’m no better than everyone else there.” Trixie frowned, crossing her arms. “I’m not a quitter.”

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone, especially Cobra Kai. You deserve a different dojo!” Miguel exclaimed, “Me and Sensei are starting a new dojo, Eagle Fang Karate. You should join.”

Trixie hesitated before, pushing Miguel’s arm off of the punching bag. “I dunno, Miguel. I’ll… I’m gonna stay with Cobra Kai, but I’ll let you know if I change my mind.” She said quietly, sending a harsh right hook to the punching bag. Miguel swallowed, pursing his lips in disdain,

_____________________________________________________

Hawk, Kyler and Tory as well as two others stood in the woods, drinking beer as they spoke. "Ok, we've got one shot at this. Quick, in and out, we'll be good." Hawk told them. "Know what you gotta do?" He asked Kyler.

 "Hell yeah. Let's go." The boy replied. Trixie rolled her eyes, she couldn’t believe she was doing this. To be honest, she didn’t really care as long as they weren’t caught but she felt as if she knew Tory knew that she didn’t like doing shit like this.

 "All right, sweet." Hawk said. Robby was walking up to the group of five. 

"Someone took their sweet ass time." Tory said when she saw Robby. The boy spared a glance to Trixie, who gave him a small smile. He smiled back as best as he could.

"You invited him?" Hawk asked with narrowed eyes. 

Tory looked at Hawk, unfazed. "I did. Why? You got a problem with that?" 

Kyler reached over and grabbed another can of beer. "Here you go, Keene." He held it to him. 

"I'm good." Robby said with a shake of his head. 

Hawk huffed a small laugh. "What, you can't handle a sip of beer like Trixie?" He asked, making the others around them laugh. Trixie rolled her eyes.

"No, I just don't need to drink to pretend to be cool." Robby said without missing a beat, “And I’m pretty sure you know that Trixie’s not lightweight.”

Hawk took a step towards Robby. "Yeah, that's funny." His voice was low and threatening. 

"All right. Let's get going." Tory said before anything could happen. Tory held the cut part of the gate open as the others slipped through. She looked back at Robby who was lagging behind. He looked skeptical. "Don't worry. It's not going to violate your probation. You got outta juvie, not Sing Sing." She said walking over. 

Robby smiled. "You resorting towards peer pressure?" He asked in a teasing tone. She shrugged.

 "Yeah, it's kinda my thing." Tory then turned and went through the gate.

Robby turned to Trixie, “I like the hair.” He said awkwardly. Trixie turned to Robby with a blank stare before breaking into a small smile.

“Thanks. I’m glad you got rid of the long hair, although now I suppose I’ll have to stop calling you Willy Wonka?” Trixie asked and Robby shook his head with a chuckle.

“I dunno, it depends.” He said and the two of them followed the rest. Trixie could hear children laughing as the Zoo sign came into view.

"The zoo? Why do we have to sneak in?" Robby asked with some confusion in his voice. 

"You'll see." Tory said simply. 

Hawk nods his head off to the side. "C’mon, this way." He said as he started to lead the group. Hawk and the group walked into one of the buildings. A man speaking over the intercom.

Trixie rolled her eyes, “I don’t understand why we’re breaking in while you guys are drunk.” She scoffed.

“Oh, please, like you could talk, light weight.” A boy snorted.

“I’m pretty sure I could beat you in a drinking game, asshole.” Trixie huffed under her breath.

 "Right, there's two cameras over there. The guard goes on break once every hour. We have less than five minutes." Hawk told them in a hushed voice that was just loud enough for everyone to hear. 

"Okay." Kyler said with a nod. 

Robby looked over at Tory. "Five minutes to do what?" He asked curiously.

 "We're getting a little gift for Sensei." She smiled at him. They were walking down a hall of reptiles, stopping in front if the Chinese Cobra. 

Trixie watched as it coiled around the faux branch and how it stuck out its tongue, as if saying ‘You guys can’t get me!’. They walked through a door labeled staff only and two boys waiting outside as a guard. 

Hawk unzipped his bag and pulled out a burlap sack, he looked over at Kyler. "You got the snake pool?" He asked. 

Kyler looked around before sighing. "Oh, shit! Snake pole, right." 

"I orchestrated this entire plan and you didn't bring the one thing you were in charge of?" Hawk looked at him in disbelief. 

"I forgot, ok? I've got a lot on my mind right now. If I don't pass trig this semester, my dad's gonna shit in my mouth." He said firmly. Hawk gave him an odd look as Trixie snorted.

 "Just reach in and grab the snake!" Tory said in a low hiss of a voice. 

"Are you insane? I'm not sticking my hand in there!" He said. 

Suddenly a man's voice called from down the hall. "Hey! Who's in there?" 

"Shit!" Hawk cursed, looking at the group. 

"We gotta go, let's go." Kyler said, pushing past Robby and Tory. Hawk followed behind him then Tory. Robby and Trixie stayed in the hall, looking down the hall.

As they all filed outside, Hawk yelled as he hit his arm, "What the hell, dumbass?!"

"Dude! At least I brought beer." Kyler said in a bored tone. 

"We failed the mission cause of you!" Hawk said angrily. The group was unaware that Robby and Trixie were finally joining them. 

"Who said we failed?" Robby asked, holding up the bag which not admitted a hissing sound. Trixie grinned.

"No way!" Tory said in shock, a smile on her face. "You got it? Unreal." 

Robby looked over at her with a smile and opened the bag, showing off the snake. “Give it up for Trixie who distracted the guard.” He turned to Trixie, who gave a smile.

Everyone cheered for him except for Hawk, who seemed to still hold a grudge against Robby. Honestly, Trixie understood. She was so angry at Robby, so angry at him for doing what he did to Miguel. But unlike a Cobra Kai, she talked to her therapist about it.

At Cobra Kai, Robby put the snake into the cage, holding it by the head. "Well done. I'm impressed. You showed fearlessness and leadership. And those are the qualities you neee to be a champion." Kreese said as he walked down the line before stopping in front of Robby putting his hand on his shoulder. 

"Good job. You're what cobra kai has been looking for. Do you see what you can accomplish when you work together? Alliances are important. For us and our enemy, because you better believe that they are making alliances too." He said as he stopped in front of Tory. Robby looked over at her. 

"What alliances?" She asked the older man. 

"Oh, you didn't hear? Uh, Diaz and that Larusso girl, yeah, they're working together. Yeah man they helped save the All Valley. They gave quite a speech. They make a pretty good team."

Tory and Robby shared a look. A mix of shock, hurt, and slight anger. Tory turned to look at Trixie, who was nervously biting the inside of her cheek. Tory mouthed ‘Are you okay?’ to her and Trixie nodded with a tight smile.

‘You should trust Miguel and you and Sam aren’t on bad terms anymore… You can’t be jealous of their relationship when Miguel’s trying to make amends with you. Just try to trust them…’

 "Well, it's getting pretty late. Dismissed." Kreese said.

_____________________________________________________

“IIIIII DONT WANT ALOT FOoOR CHRISTMaAs!” Camille sang loudly with Dory in her arms as Patrick pulled out a tray of cookies.

Trixie chuckled as she took a cookie from one of the older batches Patrick made previously before stashing a few of them in a bag for Miguel and a few of her other friends. “Thanks for making these for me, Trick.” She said and Patrick nodded.

“As long as it gets me points for friends, I’m good. Can’t have any of them hating me, can I?” Trick grinned and Trixie rolled her eyes.

“MOoOORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOWW! mAKE MY WISH COME TRuUUuUeeEe!!!” Camille screeched the lyrics as Dory meowed in sync.. “ALLLL IiIIi WANT FOR CHRISTMASSS… IiIiSSsS YOUUUUUU!”

“Woooh!” Trixie cheered from her spot at the table, clapping loudly as the cheery Mariah Carey music played through the apartment.

Usually, they’d have Christmas karaoke on Christmas night. Usually it was Camille singing and Trixie playing the background vocals while Trick just clapped along. Although on special occasions he’d be able to sing a few Mariah Carey songs as well.

Trixie smiled fondly at Camille, who belted out the lyrics to ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ as passionately as she could. The blue haired girl snickered at Dory, who looked miserable in Camille’s arms, before reaching for a cookie.

“Hey! Those are for Santa.” Trick slapped her hand away before she could take more. Trixie rolled her eyes and Camille shot her head up with a gasp.

“TRIXIEEEEE!!” She yelled, “Santa’s not gonna give me presents if he doesn’t have the exact amount of cookies! ThErE hÆs To bE sIxTeEn ExÆcTtTtT!” She whined and Trixie turned to Trick for help.

Trick placed a cookie on the plate, “Go before she murders you.” He whispered to Trixie, who nodded and slipped out of the door as Trick distracted her little sister.

“Oh! Hey, Trixie.” Miguel waved and Trixie waved back. “Did your brother make those?”

“Hm? Oh, yes! They’re… Actually for you. I figured that I’d be on the nice list for Christmas this year.” Trixie handed him a bag full of cookies, chocolate ice cream, and a bunch of other stuff. “Happy early Christmas.”

“I honestly think that you’re on the nice list all the time.” He said with a raised eyebrow and a smile before taking out a box from his pocket, “It’s funny because I actually was going to give you a gift too.”

Trixie felt butterflies in her stomach and her smile widened. “Thank you.” She took the box from his hand and opened it to reveal a silver necklace

It was similar to the silver one she used to wear, but had her birthstone as the pendant. A sapphire… Trixie’s heart soared as high as it could and her brain melted at the sight of the necklace. She looked up to see Miguel nervously standing in front of her.

‘You're a horrible person for being so naive into thinking that he’d leave you heartbroken again. Why would you ever think that? How could you be jealous when their relationship ended so long ago?’

“I-I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m-I’m not trying to buy your favor back. This was going to be a present for your birthday but… Um, I sort of missed it when I was in that coma.” Miguel said as he rubbed the back of his neck, “A-anyways, do you… Like it?”

Trixie looked at Miguel with a grin, “It’s beautiful… Thank you.” She said softly, “How much did this cost exactly?”

“Oh! Uh, just…  250 dollars…” Miguel muttered and Trixie widened her eyes.

“250 DOLLARS?!” Trixie exclaimed with wide eyes, “Oh my god, I basically robbed you!” She said, burying her face in her hands as Miguel laughed.

“No, wait, wait! It’s your gift, you deserve the best!” Miguel smiled. Trixie groaned, looking back at him.

“I feel bad, I mean most of the stuff I got you I wasn’t sure you’d like and this is…” Trixie took a deep breath, meeting his gaze with a small smile. “It’s pretty… Thank you.”

Miguel’s breath hitched. She didn’t have to look at him like that, if she kept it up he was sure he’d explode on the spot. He cleared his throat, “Yeah, it’s, uh, no problem. Thanks for the present by the way.”

Trixie nodded, the silence around them awkward. “Yeah, don’t mention it.” She said, “If you do, Sam might just get jealous that she didn’t get Patrick’s cookies before you.”

Miguel chuckled and started to head back inside before calling out to her, “You’re going to Sam’s party, right?” He asked and Trixie gave him a thumbs up.

“I’ll see you there, Diaz!” She called from inside the house. Miguel watched her go inside with a pounding heart and a warm face before heading inside as well.

[basket-of-cats-and-witches]

OC Ramblings: Kitty Hale (or Kit)

Unsurprising that this is happening considering how hard the Love and Deepspace brainrot has hit.

I'll tuck it under a read more (so I don't clog up everyone's dash...) but I've been having some general thoughts about her.

For those in the L&Ds fandom, Kit is my non-MC who's romancing Sylus. Clearly I write a lot about them, but he's her boss, and she's his assassin second in command. I actually didn't know this was a common trope until after I created her.

Oh, well. I love her too much to care, tbh. We can't all be unique, but putting your own spin on a classic can freshen it up a lot.

So now, to the Read More, and the ramblings. If you enjoyed this, please leave a like. It brightens my day when I see people enjoying my content.

Kit's general stats

Height: 5'11/180cm

Name: Camilla Kitty Hale (she goes by Kit)

Age: 26

Hair: Black, loose curls

Eyes: dark purple/brown (not heterochromia, just the particular shade I chose looks almost brown)

Birthday/sign: January 1st/Capricorn

I really enjoy Kit as an OC, and as a companion to Sylus. There's something about the ✨yearning✨ that's tasty, of course, with the canon story for Sylus and all our other LIs, but I opted for extreme slow burn and like recognizes like.

Kit's...a lot. She's been refined again and again so that she's not just my trauma dump character. There's always one, and you just gotta sort of shape them into their own thing.

She's fierce, loyal to a fault, and deeply vulnerable. I think that she's viewed herself as a tool for so long that it's created a sense of naivete, which is something Sylus clocks immediately.

When you're in survival mode for that long, most things get tossed to the wayside, and that includes relationships and intimacy.

This doesn't just mean romance, although it is a big part of it especially for Kit, but it does create some good tension and back and forth between her and Sylus. She's extremely skilled on the battlefield, well enough to keep pace with him (which is honestly a feat in itself), but when it comes to flirting, courtship, and what's in the bedroom, Sylus leads their strange push and pull.

I don't have the patience to write a true slowburn (especially bc a two year slowburn would be like 50k and I...hngh. I can't brainrot myself like that. I wouldn't get any work done. I'm already writing fic like crazy). But! It would be genuinely interesting to see it.

Sylus is a very direct character. He seeks consent from those he cares about, is blunt to a fault, and exceptionally intuitive. Whereas Kit knows her way around a battlefield, but has a tendency to bottle up and not talk about what's bothering her unless pushed. Probably because her backstory features her getting punished for expressing her personal thoughts.

There's a fun scene that I don't actually remember if I posted here where Sylus and Kit actually talk about it and her trauma a little bit.

-

“Is it okay for us to do these things?” She mumbled. Her hands dropped over his, smoothing over the ridges of his knuckles and finding the calluses of his fingers. “I just have a hard time feeling as if it's not some sort of…weakness. People like us aren't nice, do we deserve nice things? Do…I deserve things? What happens if I let myself relax and be…”

Kit hesitated for a second, before pushing on. “What happens if I want to be cute and girly, and someone uses that against me? Sometimes I feel like I'm only allowed to be the…” she trailed off, sighing.

Sylus smiled wryly. “The monster?” He supplied, his tone quietly bitter. “I've had a bit more room to come to terms with it, Kitty, so listen.” He spun her around, his hands settling on her shoulders. His eyes were dark, hollow and sad in a way that reminded Kit why they matched so well. “You're human, Kit. Specifics aside, you are, in fact, human. No matter what anyone says, you have a heart that feels deeply, that bleeds and beats like anyone else's. And it's because you have a heart that you deserve the same things as anyone else.

You're not a weapon, baby.” His soft voice made her lips tremble, her stomach twisting with the heavy weight of her emotions.

“Unfair of you to use that nickname now,” she whispered hoarsely.

Sylus smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We're not monsters,” he said. It seemed to be as much to himself as it was to her. “And if anyone tries to use your joy against you, you have me, the twins, and even Mephisto.”

She laughed wetly, her eyes shiny with unshed tears.

-

I've always loved the idea of two people teaching each other to move past their traumas. Honestly, in my personal opinion, part of growth and recovery from trauma is teaching someone else. My therapist talks about "parenting oneself" a lot, about being the parent to yourself that you may not have had in a way to sort of...help guide your brain towards healthier habits. And I apply that here as well. Mentoring someone who's not as far along as you but has similar trauma can help you, as well (be careful with that and consult professionals, I'm just a writer with my own baggage).

In teaching Kit to love and be loved, to be human again, it feels like Sylus is teaching himself as well. Not to mention that she often calls him out on his bad habits and keeps him in check. It's a push and pull, they're on relatively equal standing. I think that's why it's so easy to write them as a relationship, and why they mesh so fast even as a new thing. There's established rapport and even, dare I say, friendship that builds a very solid foundation for romance. There's good communication between them even when they're being stubborn, and the two never really have many misunderstandings.

-

“You-!” She bites out. “You've been grumpy and short with me since I got here!” Kit shoves the towel back at him, furiously wiping him down even as she snarls.

“I have been trying to follow your orders all day. ‘Kit, teach this kid’ ‘Kit, pour water on me’ I'm doing my best, Sylus! I want to be good for you! I want to follow your orders! I came out to the middle of the desert, no questions asked, on a dime, because you told me to! Cut me some slack and put those gentling gloves on, because I know you can! Now, lean down so I can dry your hair!”

Kit glares at him, and she instantly knows she's well and truly fucked. Sylus's eyes are a bright, burning red, the right one beginning to glow in a way that is as annoyingly arousing as it is terrifying.

And yet, he leans down quietly, bowing his head for her.

Without a word, she sweeps the towel over the wet strands. Her hands tremble. Despite her harsh words, despite losing her temper, she is, as ever, gentle with him. As if she were handling fragile and delicate glass.

Larger hands cover her own, and she can't help but flinch.

“Are you scared of me?” Sylus’s voice is ever-so-soft, almost tentative. There's a strangely raw edge to it, as if he anticipates the worst possible answer.

“No,” she whispers. “The ones I flinch from are ghosts, not you. Are you mad at me?”

As if he can hear her silent permission, Sylus steps forward, crowding her against the wall. His head drops to her shoulder. For a moment, all she can hear is the steady sound of his breathing.

It takes a moment, the heat of his body seeping into hers, Kit’s thin undergown the only physical barrier between them. Then, he speaks. “It’s…complicated. I'm not mad at you. You're not the only one with ghosts, Kit.”

(from my Lost Oasis piece)

-

Sylus made himself snap back to attention.

“Talk,” he said forcefully, his eye glinting. “I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong.”

Kit wilted further.

“...riod,” she mumbled.

Sylus tapped her forehead reprimandingly. “Louder.”

“I'm on my period!” She whined, her cheeks flushed bright red. “So please, kindly, can you fuck off? I hurt so much and I took medication and it's not helping!”

His eye twitched, and his hands settled on her hips, flexing in irritation. “I understand that you're hurting,” he said firmly. “You still don't have the right to talk to me that way.

I'm well aware you only snap at me like this when you need something but you feel embarrassed, so just tell me. Or I will leave you, and you won't be happy with me when you're done with your cycle.”

Sylus's tone was icy and flat, in a way it hadn't been in a long time.

Kit deflated. She looked down at her lap, the tip of her nose turning pink as she fiddled with her fingers.

“Sorry,” she whispered, swallowing hard. “You're right. I'm being unnecessarily cruel. That's not okay or fair to you.”

He leaned forward, kissing her forehead. “Thank you for apologizing. Now, tell me what you need.”

(from an unreleased fic that I probably won't post bc it's VERY nsfw)

-

Anyway, I genuinely love this pairing because, ironically, it's a very healthy relationship. They communicate, they hold each other responsible, and they help each other out. Despite the fact that they're both very much criminals, lmao.

Kit comes from a place with a lot of trauma, she was born in the Vagrant's Quarter, and she's very much another person who was once a kid desperate to survive despite the odds. Just because she has a healthy relationship with her adopted father and foster sister doesn't mean she's not constantly in the thick of it, and due to lots of backstory reasons, she can't stay away from the N109 zone and the career she was forced to have (not by Sylus).

There's something about abuse and "going back to what you know because it's easier than fighting against it and going it alone", and that's very prevalent in Kit's life.

If I were to do guesswork, I think that Sylus may have been the same when he was younger and more vulnerable. Even the terrifying leader of Onychinus was a child, once.

This is such a solid pairing to me, no wonder I have brainrot about them both.

If you've made it to the end of this rambling, thank you!! I hope you enjoyed all the little snippets and heavy topics. You're wonderful!

[ambrosialdesire]

I saw your post about yandere Levi so I was wondering what your thoughts would be on yandere Jean? (I’m ngl I can’t really picture him as a yandere but he’s so fine.)

to this day, i think his s4 hair is still kinda goofy (pls don't come for me haha it's simply my opinion, maybe it's because i'm still used to his old hair lolol)

my thoughts on yandere jean are kinda standard. as of now, i can only see him as a yandere that's not going to have much changes to his personality, whether or not the reader is an enemy or on his side. yeah if you're an enemy, he's first going to be a little hesitant on making a move on you but regardless, his outcome/methods are the same. he's not my most favorite character but i do like him and his character. back in middle school, i used to be OBSESSED with reading eren x reader x jean because of the conflict LMAO

sorry this is kinda short compared to my levi post, guess i gotta write more yandere!jean if i want to get used to his character haha

again this is sorta written as a gender neutral reader but it's also slightly implied to be a fem reader.

tw: manipulation, inappropriate touching, possessive behavior, implied non-con, jealousy themes

anyways back to yandere jean explanation. for me, he's not the one that's going to strike first. he’s the one that’s gonna wait it out till the end, but he will have his influences in order to get what he wants. he's cunning and observant, using what he's seen and known so he can properly manipulate. to the untrained eye, it seems that he's just cocky about being able to do this but he's secretly nervous and doubtful in his abilities, constantly thinking if what he's doing is morally correct. he's still as temperamental as he was when he was a trainee but it now eats him on the inside; he doesn't express his anger that much anymore but his jealousy is at a consistent all time high.

to his friends and other soldiers, jean just seems like normal jean. sure, he's a little overprotective and tends to move you away from the others so it would be just the two of you. sure, he may tell you things about your friends that make you think twice on why you're still talking to them. sure, sometimes you can feel his hands wander a little more than you're used to. but that's only because he knows what's best for you, right? jean promises he's everything but a dishonest man, he's only looking out for you!

jean is also known to be quite the daydreamer too, imagining a homely life with you despite the circumstances going around in the world around him. he loves the thought of you and him being all domestic, a child on your hip while you waited for dinner to finish before he came home from work. sometimes the daydreams wander into something more steamy but it's always quickly cut short because of the others interrupting it. he swears to god that everyone has it out for him whenever he has a daydream about you, like it's some kind of sixth sense.

he's always going to be a little mean to you, always teasing you but he always means well (in his standards at least). i wouldn't say he's a complete tsundere about his feelings but he definitely flirts, feeling embarrassed in secret about it afterwards. remember, he may seem confident on the outside but he always feels a little doubtful internally. he's definitely a force to mess with whenever someone else tries to flirt with you, he has a bite behind his bark at all times.

but when jean gets jealous, it quite literally takes over him. it's always a sickly, crawling feeling that resonates in the pit of his stomach to the edges of his fingertips. his temper is ten times worse too and he gets super insecure, to the point where he'll just straight up grab you and pull you into somewhere that's seclude enough to fuck you raw. he always puts in jabs about if the other person is better than he is and if the kindness he gave to you meant nothing at all. the hate-fucking always leaves you a sobbing mess, begging for his forgiveness and blubbering about how you only wanted him. then and only then will he comfort you, kissing your tears away and quietly apologizing, again repeating that everything he does to you is for your own good.

[berrypass-de-murdler]

54. And Then There Was Another One Again

I'm still making designs ofc but all the ones I have left are for episodes I haven't posted yet, so they'll be revealed as the episodes come out

Gotta convince Fletch to get working on hers, we're almost done!!

DON'T READ THE EPISODES UNTIL YOU'VE FINISHED THE FIRST BOOK!!

Logico has no choice but to return to that WRETCHED, WRETCHED ISLAND where he had watched the love of his life die before his eyes. A body is there. Navy, Ink, and Rose join as well. And Mauve had never left since the day they crashed.

MAUVE: Want to… step into my metaverse? LOGICO: … No…

Logico wanders. As does Mauve, who only paces by the ruins, never leaving the spot. Ink flaunts an oar - she rowed here with it.

INK: I love oar-der.

Yes, she just made an irrelevant pun NOW. Logico looks at the stars… and sees a beautiful constellation form the face of the 6 '2”, left-handed, green-eyed Aquarius he used to call his own. 

LOGICO: Who had a bear trap? Was it Mauve? … Only you would know…

Navy had chopped a person off a cliff to impress a lady.

LOGICO: What kind of lady would be impressed by you killing someone? NAVY: The kind of lady I’m looking for.

Logico doesn’t care. He looks for the others. Ink had rowed here to look for treasure.

INK: The llama doesn’t pay me enough.

Rose is in the haunted grove, cackling while throwing bricks. 

INK: Oh yeah. He went mad.

Logico is hesitant to talk to Mauve… for some reason. But he gets the nerve to approach her. She takes off her headset and shows her eyes for the first time.

MAUVE: My father was killed when he found the ruins. ...I knew him dearly. I want to catch who did this… like you do.

Logico falters. He closes his eye, and has to leave.

The end!

*cries in gacha regret*

Sorry that ruined the entire thing

The power of Goat Lord compels you!

See you next time murdlers!

[queenofbaws]

One good turn deserves another, so now I'd like to thank you for YOUR kind words and well-wishes! I should probably clarify as well that I'm no stranger to writing in general - I've worked as an editor and even have my own story in the works. It's fanfiction that proves daunting, as I fear I won't be able to portray the characters accurately or even write believable modern-day interactions due to my own... social shortcomings, so to speak. If you have any advice to offer, I'd be rather grateful!

!!! well lookit that!!! aw man, if you're already writing your own story, you're so ahead of the game!!! ;)c on the rare occasions i've been asked for fic advice, my first step is almost always to, like, get a feel for writing rules in general, so cross that sucker right off the list!!! heheh

i'll throw a few nuggets of extremely long-winded "wisdom" below the cut for anyone interested, but tl;dr the BIGGEST and BEST advice i think i could give to someone hesitant to dip their toe into writing/posting fic is this: we're all playing pretend here - and i don't say that to minimize anyone's efforts!!! not even slightly.

if anyone takes playing pretend seriously, it's ME, angsty longfic mcgee, but at the end of the day, fanfic is YOUR sandbox. YOU make the rules. YOU make what you want to make the way you want to make it when you want to make it. everyone wants the validation of hearing that other people enjoyed their story, that they're moved by their art, but sometimes things won't hit the way you hoped they would, or people wind up having a different interpretation of a character than you and don't hesitate in letting you know, and man, that sucks when it happens and it can make the idea of continuing to post really, really daunting, but it's still your sandbox. if you like it? if you enjoyed making it? if it was fun and fulfilling and you felt satisfied once it was finished?????????? THAT'S what you gotta hang onto. THAT'S what's gonna keep you moving forward. <3

(and, just saying, from personal experience? once you take the dive and give it a try? ooooh baby. there's nothing like it ;P i've mixed too many beach metaphors in here. that has to mean something.)

LONG-WINDED RAMBLING, GO! i want to preface this by saying, hi, this is 100% just me running my mouth about how i go about writing fic - if anything i say here doesn't work for you, ignore it! wholesale!!! everyone has different processes, everyone approaches writing in a different way, and even my writing buds and i butt heads sometimes about the fic-writing process, so imagine this is simply me offering suggestions on little scraps of paper, neatly piled up on a silver platter. you're free to fling that platter out of my hands at any time ;P ha!!!

i COMPLETELY understand how trying to get a pre-existing character's voice down can be intimidating, but at the end of the day...everyone's going to view them a little differently anyway!!! that's one of the beautiful things about fic - two people can look at the same character and see completely different facets of them, and that in NO way makes them wrong, or somehow less valid! here are some of the things i do when i'm trying to get into a character's headspace or find my version of their voice:

mannerisms! the first thing i always try and figure out is how the character behaves in canon. do they hold themselves confidently? do they get along with other people easily? if it's visual media like a video game, what kind of idle animations are we working with here - nail biting, hip swaying, anxious shifting, slouching, yawning, knuckle-cracking? i like doing this a little bit better than just trying to pin down what kind of "personality archetype" they have, like...you can say ashley brown is the scared nerd character, sure, and that's one level of her, but she's also ruthless when she needs to be, quick to make a joke, and deeply, deeply curious. digging down into a character's pieces-parts instead of just looking at them as a whole can really make your characterization of them feel more HUMAN.

actual source material dialogue. how does the character actually TALK in the source material (if they do, in fact, talk at all)? do they stammer? pause often? are they using high-scoring scrabble words in day-to-day conversations, or do they mostly just grunt and nod when asked a question? if you're worried about keeping YOUR version of them close to the source material or canon, i always say look for those verbal tics right off the bat. to keep using until dawn examples, josh tends to talk slowly but FLUIDLY, if that makes sense, like he's been practicing how cool guys talk in movies; chris, on the other hand, tends to start and stop, or have a jerkier sort of cadence, shifting in pitch the more agitated or anxious he is. mike talks to himself a lot, whether it's to make inane comments or reassure himself that he's okay; matt really sort of stays quiet unless he's talking to another person. that sort of thing!

the jurassic park method. okay. okay stick with me here. this one's my fav. this one is genuinely my secret weapon when it comes to writing believable fic characters. you know how...in the original jurassic park...the whole thing was they filled the dinosaurs' genetic gaps with frog DNA? yeah. yeah i'm about to tell you to do that. only with blorbo from your shows. is there someone in your life who reminds you of a character you're writing for? they don't have to be a perfect match, but maybe there's someone out there who you think "aw man, i bet sam would wear that," or "i could so hear jess saying that," or "i bet she and emily would get along..." this is me taking you by the hands to say use that. fill those gaps with real life experiences. this one's really more about making characters feel realistic than it is keeping them true to canon, but man..................sometimes it really makes them shine, know what i mean???

as for believable modern-day interactions...WOOF. i also feel like...i have missed that bus on that one. 🤣 i wish i had straightforward advice for this, but i have GOT to be real with you, i am a mostly housebound millenial who recently had a very sobering conversation with my doctor about how i've hit the age where i need to actually pay attention to my blood pressure and cholesterol, and boy, that...that really makes you feel very

sdklfjskldf heheheheheheh

my biggest tip in terms of MODERN social interactions??? don't put too much effort into making them modern at all! that sounds counter-intuitive, i'll explain: language moves really, really quickly, and it's constantly changing. if you throw a lot of slang into an interaction, it's going to date itself pretty quickly. instead, when i'm writing, i really focus on the interaction feeling BELIEVABLE. not even "natural," not even "normal," whatever those mean, but believable. can you BELIEVE that characters would interact with each other this way. cuz let's face it: sometimes. in real life. social interactions. occur. strangely. that doesn't make them less BELIEVABLE.

(and for what it's worth???????? a lot of time canon doesn't care about modern day interactions either. emily and jess's fight in the lodge is.......the best example......i could give you. there's....there's a lot going on in that one. the bar has been set...very low on that one alkdjfalksjfasjdfklsdjf hahahahahahahahah!)

i'll stop here before i literally turn inside-out from word barfing so much, but to revisit my very, very first point up top...writing and sharing fic can be SO nerve-wracking. 100%. no question. writing is personal!!! if you're writing your own story, i'm sure you totally get that. it's a piece of you! and by putting it out where everyone can see, you're making yourself vulnerable, and that can be so, so terrifying. but. BUT. i am personally of the opinion that the benefits outweigh that moment of trepidation ;)c if this is something you've been wanting to do, i wholeheartedly say give it a shot! if you decide it's not for you, eh, at least you tried, right? and if you love it, then look at that!!! a whole new world opens up at your fingertips!!!

and you'll for sure have ME rooting for you, either way :D

[the-queen-in-yell0w]

Characters: Dr. Solaris (a Doctor OC) and Theresa Word count: ~700 Warnings: Depressing as hell Author's Notes: This is set in Londinium during a battle between Theresis' forces and Rhodes Island/Self Salvation Corps, who are clearing the way for a direct confrontation to stop The Shard from going off and end this entire conflict once and for all. I gotta do something happy after posting this cause this was a rough one. It should be noted that the Doctor (Dr. Solaris) and Kal'tsit are divorced at this time.

"Hello."

Theresa turned around with a greeting to the angel, eyes looking passed the shotgun barrel leveled to her head.

"…Theresa." "That is my name, yes. Have we met before?" "In another life."

She gave a melancholy chuckle. "Really now?" She tilted her head with a smile. "Would you kindly tell me your name?"

"Solaris. Dr. Solaris." "It's a pleasure to meet you." "…there is no pleasure here, my lady." "…why?"

"We shared a life together once before I took it. I fear I am here to do so once more." Theresa's smile dropped, her head lowering to the palace floor beneath them. "I…see." After a quiet moment, she raised her head and returned her smile in part. "This is it then?"

Solaris' arm lowered as the other raised, her hand coming to take her blindfold off—tears underneath—before tucking it into her coat's pocket. Theresa stepped forward and softly wiped a rolling tear from the angel. "Were you sad when you sent me away the first time?" Solaris could only nod. "I understand…then, might I say something before we part?"

"Of course." "I'm going to miss you." "You would miss someone you do not remember?"

"I feel connected to you, angel, even if I cannot recall exactly who we were. It feels almost…warm to see you again." There was but a moment of hesitation before the gun dropped from her hand and Solaris stepped forward, softly wrapping her arms around the King—and as if by instinct, the embrace was returned. The angel a trembled confessional whisper.

"Your name was Theresa, and you were the greatest companion one could ask for. We spent many a night under the stars of Babel discussing the state of affairs regarding Terra, ourselves, and existence itself. You had a beautiful daughter by the name of Amiya, and an equally great companion in the form of Kal'tsit…"

"Amiya is a Cautus. Brown hair with large rabbit ears, shining eyes much like her ambitions—ones I could see you in. You-you…told her tales every night, legends of the Sarkaz or otherwise, until she fell into deep sleep, to which you would then kiss her forehead and silently slip away. She is 16 now…I-I made you a promise to look after her for the rest of her days, and not a single one goes by without her by my side."

Solaris squeezed her eyes shut, forcing tears to roll down. "Kal'tsit is…a feline. Green and white hair that does not meet her shoulders, ears soft much like a blanket. She…she is aloof as a stone in a river. She led me out of my home to join with you…she…she truly is the-the love of my life. And…" Her words faded as her embrace tightened. The king's tears soaked into the angel.

"How…are they doing?" "Amiya is…I…I-I still see that little girl in her to this day. And Kal'tsit…" Solaris let a half smile onto her face as she chuckled quietly. "…is unchanging to this day." Alongside the angel's, Theresa's smile grew. "Tell them that I miss them dearly…and that I love them both." "You have my word…my dearest friend."

"Please promise me one last thing." "Yes…?" "If we meet again in the next life, do you think…we could be companions again, as we were before?"

Solaris' throat tightened, her words coming in a soft whimper. "…i…in every life, I shall find you. And we may discuss whatever we please…" Theresa lifted her tear stained eyes to look into the angel's, Solaris holding the gaze before closing her eyes and pressing her lips to Theresa's forehead.

"…thank you once more, my dear…"

With a parting embrace Theresa slowly knelt, Solaris taking up her gun and loading a shell in before softly pressing the barrel the king's forehead—a second kiss.

"…any last words, my lady…?" "…I love you."

It took every ounce of strength not to drop the weapon. "…I…love you too…" With a trembling hand she gulped. "May…may you find peace in the next life." "I-I hope…it comes with you, dear angel. And Kal'tsit…and Amiya.

"Goodnight…" "…goodnight."

[profsilverleaf]

Jessie and Silverleaf's Search for Blizz (Giant Chasm)

The following is a transcript from Discord of me and @guitarandgallade role-playing on day 1 of the Unova Freeze event. The characters decided to join up and look for Blizz leading to them searching the Giant Chasm.

I'm playing Silverleaf and they are Jessie

There will be a few links to other posts, that give additional context or were posted by the characters during the time of their interaction.

Silverleaf started to bundle up, afterwards he would put his snowshoes on. It was cold in Undella and just starting to lightly snow. He was getting more bundled up than he needed to be right now. But dragons know how cold the Chasm would be, especially if Kyurem was there.

"Hey there. You look like one of those Galarian Darumakas" Jesse joked. They're quite bundled themselves, clad in a bright blue snowsuit. They offer a large thermos to Silverleaf, full of some hot drink. A Gallade towers behind them, adjusting Jesse's snowsuit and goggles for them.

Silverleaf takes the offered thermos. "Thanks I hadn't considered bringing a hot drink, but yeah something like this will help." Silverleaf uses his phone to get a look at himself. "Your right I do look like a Galarian Darumaka."

Jesse laughs quietly, glad to lighten the mood. "Gotta be careful, your eyebrows might freeze like theirs, too." The Gallade chirps at Jesse, who pats his shoulder in return. "Right, right. This is one of my partner pokemon, Quote. He's pretty resilient to the cold, so he'll accompany us up to the Chasm. Besides, it's almost impossible to keep him in his ball when he's worried," Jesse explains. The Gallade, Quote, seems to get flustered at that and begins gesturing wildly to Jesse. He seems to mean that 'with a trainer like Jesse, of course I'd be worried!'

"I have 4 Pokemon myself." Silverleaf releases one of his Pokemon, a Klang. "This is Clack. It'll be accompanying us. Other than my Klang... I have a Magneton named Click, a Porygon Z named Zipfile, and an Abra named Houdini." Silverleaf paused. "My Abra is very talented at teleporting... however I would hesitate to use him right now except for emergencies. He recently got badly injured and is still recovering."

"Ouch, poor thing. I'm sure he'll get better in no time." Jesse glances at the sky, contemplating. After a moment, they place the thermos in their large backpack and fish out a scarf. Jesse wraps the scarf around the Gallade carefully, then turns to Silverleaf. "We should get going before it gets any worse. All ready?"

Silverleaf nods "All ready, let's go."

Jesse returns his nod and offers a hand up. "The easiest way to the Chasm is to go back up to Lacunosa. I got word that the Marine tube was evacuated and closed. I guess the temperature drop put too much fatigue on the structure."

"It's unfortunate, I hope the marine tube isn't too damaged long term. I'm fine with going through Lacunosa"

"Sounds good. Quick question, do you get motion sick?"

"No?" Silverleaf says this with uncertainty. He doesn't get motion sickness but he worries a bit about whatever plan Jessie has cooked up.

"Great. Wonderful, even. Quote, if you'd please!" Quote nods, grabs onto Jesse and Silverleaf, and starts glowing. After a moment, he flashes bright white! Everything goes dark as they both realize that Quote has teleported them...to inside someone's house.

Jesse's quiet for a long moment, before speaking quietly. "Well... we're in Lacunosa, at least."

"Ah I see. Quote knows teleport then? I'm used to teleporting so no problem for me. Now... who's house are we in?" Silverleaf looks around "Well it's not my parent's house anyway."

"We're in my cousin's house. I crash here when I'm in the area." Jesse gives the front door a good shove to open. "Now's the real problem. I think there's a shortcut to the Chasm nearby?"

"Indeed there is. Kids around here liked to dare each other to go in. I've gone inside, but never far." "I'll lead you to the short cut." Silverleaf starts walking out. He can clearly see why the door needed such a big shove. The snow is 2 feet deep. He's glad to be wearing the snowshoes.

Jesse follows behind him, clearly troubled. Quote manages to walk faster than both of them, but stops occasionally. He seems to guide Jesse as they try deciphering on their phone.

"There's a Z in here. I guess I can just try shifting letters until I get something."

"Ok you focus on deciphering the message. I'll focus on getting us to the shortcut. It'll be a couple of minutes before we get there." Silverleaf pauses. "Actually with all this snow slowing us down it'll take longer than normal."

"Not an issue. You'll wanna stand back, though." Jesse tells him. They look up from their phone and throw a pokeball. With a flourish, a Chandelure spins out of the ball. "Stella, Flamethrower!"

Silverleaf stumbles back "Wha! Wha! Flamethrower on what?"

"The snow!" Jesse explains, as their Chandelure melts a path in front of them.

"I guess that'll make things faster. Are you going to have them using Flamethrower the whole time?"

"Just short bursts, when the snow gets too thick." On cue, the Chandelure stops for a break. She seems more confused than tired.

"Well let's carry on then." "I think I can see the entrance to the short cut in the distance there."

"I think I see it too! Alright, let me know if we need Quote or Stella. I think I have an idea on the text."

"Cool, we'll just go through there, and we should be able to get into the Chasm."

Jesse looks up from their phone and sighs. "Yeah, let's get going. I can't make heads or tails of this right now." They motion their Pokemon closer, just in case they run into any grunts.

"Alright. In we go." Silverleaf says as he goes in to the Chasm.

Jesse follows Silverleaf. Their Chandelure hovers closer as Quote keeps watch. All three of them seem on edge, as if waiting for something to happen.

The snow in the chasm is very deep. 3 feet deep to be exact. The wind was blowing fiercely. It was hard to see because just how white everything was. Silverleaf looked around trying to spot anything other than snow and trees, but he didn't have much luck. It was just white white white white white.

Jesse let out a low whistle. Stella spun around before blasting the snow with Flamethrower. The fire type lit the Chasm in eerie purple hues as she melted a path forward. Jesse walks towards the center, obviously anxious and bothered.

Silverleaf walked alongside Jessie, behind Stella. Swinging his head back and forth looking for any sign of human activity. But if there was any signs it had already been covered by the snow. It was hard to believe that anyone, even Blizz would be hanging around somewhere so inhospitable.

Quote made a sound to Jesse, snapping them back to focus. After staring at each other for a moment, they both sighed. "Nothing. Doesn't seem like anyone's here or has been here. We can look for clues, but there's no people or Pokemon in the Chasm."

"The Pokemon were smart to get out then. We should too if there's isn't anyone here. And I doubt we'll find any clues under all this snow."

Jesse swears under their breath, then follows the melted snow out of the Chasm. They recall Stella into her ball and pull out their phone. "Well, professor. Any other ideas?"

"Uhhh... to be honest this was my best idea. We could also try maybe... high up locations? Closer to the clouds to make them cold or something?"

"Highest place in Unova. Either one of the mountains, Unity tower, or one of the skyscrapers in Castelia. No idea which one, though."

"All of the locations are worth a look. Can Quote teleport us to any of the locations to check? Or is it too far for them?"

[ooc addition: it was about this time that the code from earlier was solved and Blizz's location found. There were several characters in a group chat together, including these 2 and the solved code was posted there]

Jesse looks at their phone in disbelief. Of all the places in Unova, it chose the City sewers. The sewers filled with zu- and woo-bats, sludge, and horrible smells. If Jesse's limit hadn't been broken long, long ago, they'd have just hit it. Hopefully a good night's rest can help fix that. "Castelia, huh." They look at Silverleaf with a tired smile. "Wanna crash at my apartment?"

Silverleaf carefully considers it. "Do you live in Castelia? Because if so, yes. It'll be more efficient to stick close to where our targets are."

"My apartment's in the City. Right next to the station, actually. It shouldn't be a problem to meet up with everyone there."

[ooc addition: the characters in the group chat had decided to meet up the next morning to take on Blizz]

"Alright then, sounds like a plan. But, I really outta go check on my parents first though, if you don't mind. I know they were worried about me when I told them I was going to check the Chasm." "They are in Undella town right now."

Jesse nods. "I get it! Do you want Quote and I to teleport you back to Undella?"

"That would be nice, thank you."

"Of course. We have to watch out for each other, especially when it gets scary." Jesse motions to Quote, who gives a slight bow before grabbing Jesse and Silverleaf. With a brilliant flash, the trio ends up back in the Undella pokemon center.

"Ok I'll be back soon. I'll just run off the find my parents and then I'll be back!" Silverleaf runs off.

Jesse waves and turns to the counter. They being talking the nurse on staff about transporting pokemon.

Sometime later Silverleaf returns. "They're doing ok. I'm glad my dad is doing well, in particular. He taking stuff in stride. He lost his arm in the Neo Plasma attack, y'know."

Besides Jesse stands, what can only be described as, a behemoth of a Gardevoir. He easily towers above everyone else in the Center, eyes wide and cold. The Gardevoir's lower gown is in tatters, full of holes and small tears. Everyone around the two seem unnerved and leave a wide gap around them. Jesse frowns. "Jeez, that's terrible. I'm glad your folks are doing okay though. They need anything?"

Silverleaf is a bit taken aback by the giant Gardevoir, but shakes it off. "My folks are fine but thank you. I'm alright now with going to your apartment."

"Okay. Cadence, if you'd please." Cadence gives Jesse a flat stare. He switches looking at his trainer and Silverleaf several times. He seems unimpressed, or maybe just stubborn. Eventually Jesse frowns at the Gardevoir and holds out their hand. Cadence takes their hand immediately and reluctantly offers his other hand to Silverleaf.

Silverleaf takes the offered hand.

Instantly, the trio are in Jesse's apartment. It's surprisingly clean and organized. Pokemon toys, such as a worn kick toy, a heavy duty chew toy full of teeth marks, and a tall cutting mat. Binders sit closed on their coffee table, next to an ice cold cup. Before anyone can move, something from the bedroom starts yelping. In a flash, a tiny Zorua darts out and headbutts into Jesse's leg. They coo and pick him up. "Teeny Tangeriney! I thought I put you in your ball." Jesse laughs. They turn to Silverleaf. "Sorry, sorry. He's just excited. Do you want anything to eat or drink? Or do you just wanna crash on the couch?"

"I think I'll just crash on the couch. It's been a long day."

"Yeah, I feel that." Jesse hands Tangerine over to Cadence, who begins carefully petting the Zorua. They disappear into their bedroom and come out with several pillows and blankets. "Alright, should keep you warm for the night. I'll let you get comfortable. Let me know if you need anything or something happens. Night!" They herd their Pokemon into the bedroom and close the door.

"Good night" Silverleaf says.

The End.

[th-ramblr]

[Baldur's Gate 3] Squidhawk - #3

[Cross-posted on AO3]

"I wanna play."

All eyes focused on him, and in his self-consciousness, his hands wrung the bottom hem of his shirt, his lips pursing and head falling a little.

"You?" Their ringleader challenged, a cocky tilt of his head and sway to his steps as he moved a pace or two closer. "You're too slow to keep up with us. Won't be any fun when you're too easy to catch."

His lips pursed thinner, almost disappearing unseen between his teeth.

"I'm getting better," he protested, conviction betrayed by underlying desperation to be believed. He was smaller than the other kids, even some of the ones younger than him. And weaker. And slower. He didn't need to be reminded. He wouldn't let them refuse him just because of that.

Some of the kids sneered. Some of them looked at him with pity. Some just didn't care.

"With those scrawny little legs?" The other boy looked him up and down like sizing him out, and was left wanting. "I doubt it."

"Come on Horus," one of the more sympathetic kids groaned. "Just let him play. I's not hurting anything."

A less-sympathetic kid snorted derisively. "Yeah, let him play. He'll make a good distraction for the rest of us." A jeering glance. "For the few seconds he'll last."

Horus rolled his head back over his shoulders with an inconvenienced groan. "Fiiiine. I'll let the stupid shrimp play, alright?"

A small victory, even if it didn't feel much like one, the small blond shuffling over to where all of the other kids were standing.

"Alright then, you all know the rules. One person's the chaser, th' rest of you get a ten count head start. No hidin' in shops, no hidin' in houses, no hidin' inside boxes or barrels, no hidin' inside hay piles, or anything else someone's gotta open up or dig through. And no sewers!" Horus declared. "You get caught, you join the chasers, an' gotta put on the cloth so's everyone else can tell which side you're on, so no cheatin' and hiding your cloth to pretend to be a runner! All you's got until the bottom of the sun touches the horizon goin' down. If the chaser catches everyone, then chasers win. If the runners get away til the sun starts going down, runners win."

Kytes' eyes shifted from one side to the other between all the kids, staying near the back and listening.

"Now, who wants to be the chaser?"

A few hands shot up, and Horus waved dismissively at them. "Fight for it, then."

The 'fight' was little more than a game of rock-paper-scissors until only one person was left, a little elven girl, cheering as she earned the spot of "chaser" and tied a colorful cloth around her forehead.

"Alright!" Horus bellowed. "Maley's the chaser! On a count o' ten, everyone scatter! An' stay within the lower city, or y'lose!"

Maley covered her eyes and started counting, and everyone immediately took off running. Head darting back and forth, he hesitated a second or two before picking a direction and going, ducking through a narrow alleyway between some buildings to cut through to one of the main streets.

No one else thought much of him, but he planned to not lose this time, and certainly he wasn't going to be the first one caught. No way in Nine Hells.

He at least had one advantage, in a sense. He was smaller and easier to miss, and easily dodged and weaved around crowds of people or through narrow spaces, keeping on the move. Hiding in one place was technically an option... but not in anywhere that really mattered.

So the next best thing was to keep his eyes out for the others and keep changing locations, which is what most of them would be doing anyway, and chances were most would be avoiding him as well unless they were a chaser.

Whatever the case, he was determined to win. The other kids didn't think anything of him, but today, he was going to prove them wrong.

_____________

Daylight ticked by, and he was certain of at least one of two possibilities. One was that he had managed to surprise the others with managing to avoid getting caught, while he knew a few others had been.

It was either that, or they weren't trying very hard to find him, but he preferred the first assumption and decided to stick to it.

Climbing up some stacked crates and tangles of vines, he made his way up onto a rooftop where he could more easily survey things and get a lay of the land, and spot some of the other kids who were busy ducking and weaving through the streets or, like him, over buildings or fences or other obstacles, either in search or in hiding.

For a while he was content to watch, creep, and stalk, never quite spotted and a target... until he was, one of the chasers nudging her friend and pointing.

"Oi! There's one! Get him!"

He frowned and was quick to dart over the rooftop, making his way from one to the other like an agile alley cat while the rest were figuring out how to reach him and where he'd gone. He lost them for a while, but soon enough he was spotted again, changing direction and bolting.

One of the kids tried to make a grab for him and he nimbly dodged with mere inches to spare, ducking and dodging around the small group of chasers that had accumulated over the course of the game.

Slipping just barely past reaching fingers, he quickly stepped out along a narrow stretch of roof connecting two buildings, and at the worst possible time as his pursuer pounced and grabbed a hold of the back of his shirt.

"Gotcha!" Like a taut bowstring, the bit of fabric from his shirt between the other kid's fingers snapped free from their grip and against his back. He stumbled, waved his arms for balance, and tried to twist around to regain it. Instead, he found himself on open air.

The hard cobblestone street below rushed up to meet him as he tumbled head-first, and then-

Darkness.

_____________

When the world swam back into focus, it was hazy and obscure, colors and shapes melting together haphazardly and shadows dancing thick in his eyes. Sometimes he would make out the edges of a room, sharp angles of walls meeting ceilings and pillars sloping along with them.

Lights through the windows seemed to dance and flicker, then fade as his eyelids fluttered shut or his eyes rolled somewhere else, unable to find one place to settle on no matter how much he willed it.

His limbs felt heavy, trying to move his arm, only for it to flop down like a dead fish halfway risen from his side. The rest of him was sluggish and unresponsive.

Consciousness pitched in and out, like glimpses of a sea-faring vessel on the waves of a maelstrom, the stormy black ocean threatening to capsize and drown him. Suffocate him. He heard voices, on occasion, but they were too muddled to make sense of, hazy figures caught in flickering candle light as he only managed to snatch glimpses of the waking world.

Once, he found himself on the cold floor, stones beneath his cheek as he gagged on bile, whimpering into the empty room for no one to hear.

He wasn't sure how long he was on that floor before someone carefully scooped him up to somewhere softer, trying to speak out to them, but all that came out were incomprehensible, slurred noises. Barely something that could be called a word, much less a sentence.

He was periodically aware of the feel of a metal spoon against his lips, forcing him to eat while half-delirious, and he was aware of himself coughing and choking when the food didn't go down quite right.

Existence was a Hell of half-remembered, hazy snapshots, of which he couldn't be sure what was a dream or reality. It all blurred together just the same.

But eventually, the haze did start to clear, little by little, and his environment made a little more sense with each passing day. He was being cared for in one of the temples, those who tended it coming each day to change the bandages around his head, to clean up after him and make sure that he ate.

Today was no exception.

"Eat," one of them commanded, holding out a spoon filled with some unnameable stew towards his lips. He reached for the spoon, but she took it away from him, not letting him hold it or the bowl.

"Eh snnms elf hol'," he slurred, the sounds clumsy off his lips, but he was persistent, reaching out again. " 's foo lem ea-t-tt-t-t-tt-t-kk-k-k-k-k-k-foon b sel..."

The woman pulled it away again, and then tried to maneuver around his reaching hand, commanding once more, "Eat."

When he tried to reach for it, she grabbed his wrist roughly and forced it down, impatiently shoving the spoon in his face again.

"No. Eat."

He tried a few more times, but she roughly grabbed his wrist and moved it back down until he eventually gave up, opening his mouth for her to feed him.

"Ss' nee' noh ee me fer..." he complained, furrowing his brows as his words refused to come properly. He touched his lips absently with a soft noise in his throat, flapping his hand for her attention. "Eh eh 's wha' 's noh kk-k-k-k-k-kk-k-k-k-k-k-k-" The sound caught in his throat on repeat, unable to force himself to get past it before he huffed aloud.

When he kept trying, she put a finger to his lip. "Hush."

"Whoh wis wroh sss' tha-t-t-ttt-t-tt-tt-t-t-ttt?" Panic started to build inside him like a stormy wave, his voice rising in desperate pitch. "Eh sppp-ee kk-k-k-k-k-kk-k-kk-k-k-ka-k-k-kkkk-kka-t-t-t-ttt-t-t sall wro-k-k-k-k-kk-k-k-k-k!"

_____________

"Do you think its going to get better?"

"I don't know. A lot of the time, head injuries like that don't. Sometimes they do."

He listened grimly through the crack in the door, still and silent, bare feet against cool stone floors and his shoulder pressed up against the wall to help him keep balance. It had been a chore just to cross the room this far, his balance uncoordinated, and even worse when his head throbbed of late. None of the temple staff would really talk to him, or explain what was going on.

Maybe he was starting to learn why.

"I doubt as much though. Boy like that, born sickly and small as it is? It'll be a wonder if he lives to see adulthood already. Now?" The priest shrugged. "He'll either get better, or he'll be dumb for life. Either way, his odds leave much to be desired. I don't see him getting very far."

"So what do we do?" he heard one of the others ask, hushed, but he was already moving away from the door, not caring to hear more and curling up in his bed when he reached it. A small hand clutched the fabric over his chest as he drew some of the blankets around himself.

He was small, he knew. And sickly. And he didn't have a whole lot of anything, not even a parent or older sibling to look after him. He was born with a weak heart as it was, one that would kill him young. He didn't need to be reminded.

And now?

Well... now all he wanted to do was cry and disappear, burying his face into his knees to quietly sob, his head aching, before exhaustion eventually claimed him and pitched him into slumber.

[phillipcole]

Post-AGT Appearance 1268: Real Time with Bill Maher September 29

The writer's strike would have started the same day it really did. The actors' strike would have started the same day it really did. A week later I would have quit the Screen Actors Guild. A handful of others would have followed my example. We would have hastened the process of post-production for my next movie and started signing contracts to make 3 movies in Canada.

Diane Feinstein would have started at 63rd, fallen back as far as 81st in 2016, peaked at 42nd earlier this year and dropped to 43rd in the last update before her death.

Trump would be ahead in all national polls but no more than 32% higher than the second place Republican: Desantis or Haley in varying polls.

When Bill Maher decided he was going to start his show whether the strikes ended or not he would have asked me to be the first guest. When he hesitated I would have chided him. When it resumed I would have been his first guest, recorded earlier for safety.

Maher: Our first guest tonight is a man who was on the show previously, namely comedian, songwriter, actor, producer and general entertainer Phil Cole. You may recall I acted in his first movie: The World's most disgusting Comedian. Here's a clip.

(Tape begins, Maher giving a eulogy.)

Maher: Our dear departed brother was fully committed to free speech and twice committed to mental hospitals. He gave his all for comedy even when it hurt. All comedians occasionally die on stage, and he literally died on stage.

(Tape ends.)

Maher: Phil is afraid someone will kill him if he shows himself too publicly so we recorded the interview earlier today in an undisclosed location.

(Tape begins.)

Maher: Phil, how are you?

PBC: Pretty sick. I am still in the aftermath of heat prostration and I can't breathe well because of the smoke from the California wildfires from a few years ago.

Maher: I'm fine. Thank you for asking. What about the rest of your team?

PBC: Well you know the ranting 109-Year-Old man passed away last month.

Maher: Yes I do. Phil, you are a one man team. Why did you kill a character you created?

PBC: Not many men live to 109 and few tell jokes on stage.

Maher: Yes, but when you started he was the ranting 99-Year-Old Man.

PBC: Why should he age more slowly than the rest of us?

Maher: Because he doesn't exist, that's why. By that reasoning Batman would be 115.

PBC: And I would have killed him off at least 15 years ago.

Maher: Was there a reason for the timing?

PBC: A couple years ago we...

Maher: You mean you.

PBC: Yes, giving an honest vote for every member of the team...

Maher: Except him!

PBC: No, he voted too, and lost.

Maher: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

PBC: We decided to connect his death to a very old real celebrity of his choosing: Bob Barker.

Maher: I see. So how is Phillip doing.

PBC: He's here. Ask him.

Maher: How are you feeling, Phillip ha ha.

Phillip: With a little difficulty I can stand up.

PBC: I have stated publicly that Phillip can not survive long if you know who wins the New Hampshire primary.

Maher: Yes, I need to ask you about that. First though let's talk about your active projects. Your latest movie: Demon Dress, is doing very well at the box office.

PBC: It should. It's the best movie out there.

Maher: You're not a fan of Barbie.

PBC: I never was and I can't imagine what the plot would be. Does she fight terrorists or something?

Maher: Not quite. What's coming next?

PBC: Not next, currently. I collaborated with Lizzo on her new hit, a remake of Man of my Dreams. A song called Canadian Wildfires is on the charts and raising a lot of money for the victims and trying to finish the blaze.

Maher: Gotta help those Canadians.

PBC: An album with the best routines the ranting 109-Year-Old Man told will be out November 15. Then, I can announce tonight the date of my next movie.

Maher: What's it called?

PBC: Toad woman of Tennessee.

Maher: Another horror movie?

PBC: Science fiction, but mostly it's about how a singer copes with a changing career path.

Maher: By turning into a toad ha ha ha.

PBC: That's a by-product. If you watch it to see a big toad you'll have to wait through about 80 minutes of plot development. Anyway it will hit theaters January 12.

Maher: Great, now about Phillip's health...I don't know if you heard it but California Senator Diane Feinstein passed away suddenly this morning.

PBC: No, really?

Maher: Yes, and we are all wondering if she might be the last name on Phillip's famous sick list.

PBC: You know I can't tell you that, but I'm going to be on that other show Tuesday, LORD willing, and give an announcement.

Maher: It was worth a try. Now the writers strike is over. How did it affect you?

PBC: First we decided to release Toad woman of Tennessee much sooner. Next I decided to prepare for my next 3 films in Canada, not Hollywood. Most of all I quit the Screen Actors Guild.

Maher: And why is that?

PBC: It's against my religion to participate in the strike.

Maher: What religion is that?

PBC: Christianity.

Maher: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, that's a rare one indeed.

PBC: I'm one of about 5 of us in the business. In the 3rd chapter of Luke John the Baptist said...

Maher: john the Baptist, not Jesus?

PBC: No, no one asked Jesus. Anyway he said, "Be content with your wages."

Maher: But this strike isn't just about wages.

PBC: That's why I waited a week. Anyway they never did anything for me.

Maher: You write your own scripts.

PBC: Not only that I tried out for 19 parts on film ant tv and lost every time. Anyway, I'm done with the guild.

Maher: Now about the upcoming primaries...Ron Desantis is my next guest. What would you say to him if you were with him now?

PBC: Ron, you're young. Drop out of the race and put your full strength behind one of the best Republicans in the race. Then finish your time as Governor, then take over a non-profit organization that meshes with your social agenda. In 8 or 12 years you'll be the right age with the right credentials.

Maher: Phil, it's been great, all the best to you and your team.

PBC: Thank you.