#satisfying to do it here when it's not at all the point b/c i bloody hate it when people try to make my shit a ~*statement*~ (for them lol)

[dirtyoldmanhole]

you know i never thought i'd get to a place where depicting some of the weirdass frankenstein body $stuff would genuinely be a fun challenge to draw.

[bitletsanddrabbles]

Bring Back 'Good Enough'

When I was in school, my parents insisted that I get at least 'C's in school. If I fell below that, we'd work harder on homework and such, but I don't think I ever had to. As long as I got 'C's, that was 'satisfactory'. That was 'average'. That was good enough. And so I got 'C's in the subjects I didn't have a natural aptitude for (see: math) and got 'A's in the subjects I did (see: Art & English) and 'B's in between.

I remember the first time one of my friends told me she had to get straight 'A's or she'd lose privileges. Want an allowance? Straight 'A's. Want to go out with friends? Straight 'A's. I couldn't believe it. No one was perfect all the time. No one was perfect in every subject. I was in elementary school at the time, and I understood this. Why couldn't adults? It was later made clear to me that the logic here was that 'student' was your job and you had to do the work to get your pay. I didn't quite buy it, but what did I know? I was ten. Student was the only job I'd ever had.

My first roommate out of college was a good friend from high school who had always been an A-B student. Normally she got straight 'A's, but occasionally something would bump her down one grade. She was fine with that. Then she got to uni. Finals week stressed her out to the point she got stress hives. When she got her first ever 'D' she almost had an anxiety attack. Almost. She was just strong enough to close her eyes, take a deep breath and say "Fuck it, a D is passing! I don't need this for my major anyway!"

The two of us worked at JoAnn Fabric when we graduated. Neither of us realized that the working world had gone from "get a degree and they'll train you to do anything" to "do a million internships so you have the two to five years experience required for an entry level job" while we were in school. We weren't overjoyed by the discovery, but we were both too burnt out on school to go back and funny thing - all of the internships we could find were for students. So we sold craft stuff and every once in awhile a random customer would be asked to take a phone survey. The options were Highly Dissatisfied, Dissatisfied, Neither Satisfied or Dissatisfied, Satisfied, and Highly Satisfied. Once a month, we'd get a district report card showing what results all of the local stores had received. I remember one month we had 25% Neither Satisfied or Dissatisfied, 50% Satisfied, and 25% Highly Satisfied. I was so proud! No other store in the district had a 75% satisfaction rating! One store even had a Highly Dissatisfied, but not us!

...we got raked across the coals for being the worst store in the district. Why? Because even the store with a Highly Dissatisfied had managed to get more than 25% Highly Satisfied. What was wrong with us? I protested. Who's going to give a 'Highly Satisfied' when they come in for a spool of thread and find it easily? That's just basic satisfaction. Just because we hadn't been in a position to jump through hoops for as many people didn't mean we were worse.

No one listened to me. I had coworkers - women old enough to be my mother - hang their shaking heads and say "I can't believe we only got 25% Highly Satisfied".

And that's when I realized what sort of a world the parents who raised their kids as straight 'A' students because 'that was their job' had created: a world with no 'good enough'. A world where satisfactory wasn't satisfactory. A world with only 'the best' and 'better than the best', and yeah, I was younger than the adults, the people in charge, but I was also a bloody English major. The only math I'd excelled at - ever - was logic. My mother was a chemist who had taught me how a basic 'if than' statement worked.

I KNEW THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS 'BETTER THAN THE BEST'.

Without so much as putting the Sorting Hat on our heads, we had all sorted Sparklypoo and now our hair was coming in mouse brown at the roots because there can only be one 'best'.

What's more, now I had a job other than 'student'. Now I actually earned a wage and funny thing: I was a straight 'A' worker, but I got paid as much as the 'D's. Alright, I had better opportunities for advancement, in theory. Except that there wasn't any room for advancement. Similarly, I had a better shot at a better job, but all of the better jobs wanted 2-5 years experience for an entry level position and I couldn't do that without going back to school. Now, I did eventually get out of there and get jobs that paid better, but where they better? At JoAnn I got to play with yarn all day and teach people how to cast on. At the pest control company I got to deal with customers trying to rip me off or claiming (not always inaccurately) that our technicians had ripped them off. I got sent to do a job that wasn't mine, stuck in a truck with people who had sometimes been hired that day. My boss tried to retroactively implement rules and threaten to fire you for breaking them. It still didn't give me sleep issues, stress hives, and anxiety that made it feel like I was having a heart attack like the legal litigation outsourcing company.

So no, they weren't better. They were, in fact, much worse, but each of my friends' parents would have approved of them and considered them higher grade jobs than retail. After all, JoAnn had no health insurance while the outsourcing company had shitty health insurance that took $100 out of each pay check and left me with the same taxable income as the pest control outfit despite making $2 an hour more on paper. Clearly an improvement.

And now I'm back in retail and I'm still a straight 'A' worker struggling to take up the slack from the 'D' workers who earn the same amount as me (assuming that we have the same seniority). And yeah, I have a better shot at management than anyone else, but I don't want to be a manager, so there's that. And people look at me and go "What? You have a degree? What are you doing here? You could get a good job!"

And I say that I have a good job. It may not be the best (it is retail, after all), but I am making more money than I have anywhere else. My benefits are good. I like my coworkers. The commute is under 20 minutes. My managers are fighting to keep me in my current position and schedule, despite some pressure to change things.

I will never have a perfect job, but for now at least, this one is good enough. And the straight 'A' parents would be horrified about that, but you know what?

The first successful suicide attempt my Dad ever went to as a Fire Department Chaplin was a teenage boy who thought he'd got a 'B' on a test.

I survived long enough to have a good enough job.

We need to learn to be satisfied with 'good enough' and only move on when that's not satisfactory anymore.

[glitch-zero]

Brahms Heelshire Nsfw Alphabet

A: Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Oh, he’ll let you clean up, usually. But keep in mind that sex always will end in cuddles. No doubt about it. Even if you get up to shower, Brahms willl go and follow you in eventually, demanding as usual.

B: Bodypart (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Brahms loves his chest. His broad shoulders too. Makes him look all mighty and strong, which isn’t a lie.

Brahms also really likes it when you lay on said chest and shoulders.

His partner?... he can’t decide. Whatever he can hold and/or fondle is fair game in his eyes.

…

Though he does like a nice rack. And love handles.

C: Cum (anything to do with cum)

Even if he’s caught up in the heat of the moment, Brahms still somewhat of a gentleman and will warn you when he’s about to bust one so you can avoid it; or direct it away from your face.

Though if given permission, this man will nut in you every chance he gets. He much prefers to fill you.

D: Dirty Secret (Pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Oh. Oh, this man is into watching you do everything. He’ll jerk off into your underwear while watching you shower. He’s a stinky man that can get away with jerking off behind a wall.

E: Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Not experienced at all, but all that lack of sex in his earlier years makes it seem like he’s real good.

All that awkwardness dissolves once you get him going. If he’s on top, he can take the reigns.

F: Favorite Position (This goes without saying)

If you asked Brahms, (with the knowledge that he’ll freeze up and blush so hard his mask turns all hot), he would say he wouldn’t know. Whatever gets the job done.

But he does enjoy holding his partner’s hands. He’s adamant about that.

G: Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Brahms takes it pretty seriously. And even if he’s making a silly face during, it’s not going to stop him from drilling into you till you scream bloody murder.

H: Hair (How well-groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Have you seen this man. Do you think this man, having an ungroomed head of hair, a thick ass beard, chest hair so thick it makes him sweat, has perfectly hairless junk.

He’s swamped down there.

I: Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Very intimate. Brahms loves proving how much he adores you. How much he wants to make sweet love to you. Now, he isn’t as poetic as that, but he loves to make sure you’re appreciated every second you’re screwing.

This man cannot fuck. He makes love that just happens to also include fucking your brains out.

J: Jack/Jill Off (Masturbation headcanon)

This man has the whole inner walls of the house to himself. He can drop trou and crank one out whenever he wishes, moaning as loud as he wants.

Then again, if you’re in the same room (expanded on letter K), he’ll pipe down and won’t be as vigorous.

K: Kink (One or more of their kinks)

MAJOR VOYEUR. As I’ve said, this man can watch anyone and anything at all times behind the walls. He loves to watch you masturbate, hear you moan, hear you at your most private. Double points if you moan his name. (He actually might barrel out of the wall and spice things up, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

As much hype Brahms gives watching others, he doesn’t like to be watched. He likes to be in control, and he just doesn’t want to be spectated. Give this poor man some head.

Brahms’s other kinks include mild choking and clothing fetishism. He does like biting, but you’re going to have to fish that kink out of him. He’ll kill a man but there’s no way he’ll bite his beloved without consent.

L: Location (Favorite places to do the do)

You’re alone in this giant mansion. You’re getting that Brahms cock everywhere.

But his favorite place? His room. He loves it, makes him feel good. Surrounded by his territory. You both are safe here, no one’s getting caught, even if it were possible.

M: Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

He’s so easy to turn on. Brahms is so touched starved it’s not even funny at this point. Just tell him he looks ‘kinda hot’ and you’ve earned yourself a clingy, horny Brahms for the rest of the day.

N: NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn-offs)

Please don’t degrade him, oh my god he’s going to cry. He needs to be praised, he needs to be reinforced, tell what he’s doing is good. It’s more rewarding anyway for both parties.

Don’t light candles/use candle wax either, that should be a given. You can probably get away with incense, but even still.

O: Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

Brahms enjoys head as much as the next guy, but the moment you show him some new trick or maneuver he’ll enjoy it a whole lot more. He’s a very dramatic receiver and will not stop looking at you. Hope you like eyes being burned into the crown of your head.

Don’t underestimate his giving skills though. He’s not well versed in oral, but the moment he hits your sweet spot he’s going to absolutely pounce on it. He can feign skill pretty well.

P: Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

It all depends on how he’s feeling; Brahms doesn’t choose one over the other. His sweet innocent voice makes it seem like the latter, but don’t be surprised when you get the pounding of your life. It’s just how he is, be ready for both (unless you explicitly ask)!

Q: Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

He doesn’t mind a quickie! He’ll bend you over the dining table or pin you to the laundry room wall. Brahms is a big pushover though, and if you want to take it to the bedroom, he’ll carry you right over!

Brahms also enjoys quickies for the sake of how many positions can he get you in! All depends on the room.

R: Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Not much to risk, unfortunately. Living in a big empty house, far away from the big city. He could fuck you on that tiny balcony as much as he wants, but there’s no risk of you both getting caught (plus it’s England and cold, don’t do it outside hello).

If there was a chance, even, he’s game. He’s been jerking off in the walls for years now without so much as a peep, he knows he can shush.

S: Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

He’s always satisfied with a single round, but you better be in for the long haul if you want to wear him out for good. He loves your enthusiasm! But don’t be surprised if on round four you’re exhausted. Your determination is funny to Brahms, but he’s a horny man!

T: Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Brahms totally would have a fleshlight, wouldn’t he. He’d be a creep and fix your underwear on it. But I don’t think he’d own one; he prefers to not leave the house and his parents would never buy such a crude item.

I think vibrators would be too overwhelming. He’d be happy to try, though. He’ll always humor you!

U: Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Fuck yes, Brahms loves to tease. He’ll grab your waist, tickle your neck with his beard. He won’t take his mask off, but you can feel his hot breath emanating from inside.

He haaates being teased though. He gets all huffy, he immediately thinks that you want sex now, but when you step away to make lunch is the moment he gets cranky. How can you leave him like this!!! You know how easily worked up he gets!!!

V: Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Very. Sure, you’d think Brahms prefers to be quiet during his life in the walls, but he’s just a ball of loud moans, ranging in severity. His voice gets all loud and squeaky, begging and whining, you’d wonder if he’s crying at this point.

W: Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

Hugs are the only thing that doesn’t rile him up. He recognizes that hold as something sweet, something to treasure, something he’s never felt in so long. Brahms loves to be doted on.

Unless you buck on his hips. Oho, don’t get him started.

X: X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants)

Bushy man. Decently thick. Perfectly rounded tip that has a slight curve. Cut. Seven inches when hard. Sports a noticeable thick vein trailing on the side.

Y: Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

Everything gets him hard. It’s not difficult to turn him on, just looking at his junk can make a night different.

Z: ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterward)

Most of the time, he’ll park himself on the nearest nappable surface and pass out with you.

[blackjacktheboss]

angst, 11, “why are you still fighting?” 😢

[canon adjacent I guess, I don’t really know]

The enemy encircles Percy, who is on his knees, bloody and beaten. Demigods and monsters alike sneer and spit at him, calling him every awful thing they can think of. The son of Poseidon doesn’t move. He keeps his chin held high and looks forward, still gripping his sword in his hand, as if waiting for one last battle to begin.

Before him, the crowd begins to part, and soon the prodigal son of Hermes appears in front of him. Luke’s stride is slow and confident, with his sword sheathed at his hip. He looks down his nose at Percy, an evil smirk pinning the corner of his mouth to his cheek.

“Well, Percy, I tried to warn you that it would come to this,” Luke says as he stands over Percy.

Percy takes a shaky breath, his grip on Riptide tightening. “I’ve never been great at listening.”

“How many of your friends have you watched die?” Luke asks, pity in his voice.

“Too many,” Percy answers, his voice hoarse.

“And how many more would you watch die before you just surrender?”

Percy’s jaw tightens and he swallows hard, his green eyes losing focus.

Luke surges forward to bend down and grab fistfuls of Percy’s shirt. “Why are you still fighting?” Luke shouts in his face.

Percy lets out a small laugh, but a tear runs down his cheek. “Because being angry isn’t enough for me,” he answers.

Luke pushes Percy away with a frustrated grunt, his face contorting in disgust. “You think I wanted any of this?”

“I think you want all of it,” Percy replies. “You want to see everything burn because you’ve convinced yourself that once it does, you’ll finally feel peace. But the thing about fire, Luke, is that it’s never satisfied.”

Luke scoffs. “Don’t tell me, son of Poseidon, that you’re using that corny metaphor to tell me you’re here to put the fire out.”

Percy smiles, and his green eyes shine in the light of the torches his enemies bare all around him. “That’s a little corny, even for me,” he admits. “No, I’m… I’m here to make things right, finally.”

“And how are you gonna do that?”

Percy looks down at his sword, tilting his head curiously. “We started this together. It only seems right we end it together.”

The crowd around them becomes quiet and tense, as nervous murmurs begin to replace overconfident cheers.

Luke draws his sword and twirls it in his hand. “You never could beat me in a sword fight.”

Percy smiles again, and, still kneeling, places Riptide’s point on the ground in front of him. “I came close a few times, though, didn’t I?”

“There’s no ocean for miles, Percy,” Luke taunts. “There’s no way for you to heal. I’m afraid close to beating me is all you’ll ever get.”

“Pop quiz, Luke.” Percy says, raising Riptide just above his head. “When my dad’s obnoxious titles get rattled off, what’s the first one people say?”

Luke only has a minute to register the question, answering under his breath. “Earthshaker.”

Percy drives his sword’s tip into the earth,  

and the ground 

                             beneath them

                                                     c r u m b l e s. 

[arvinsescape]

Getting mobbed.

Summary: You get mobbed by the paparazzi and Tom and Harry come to the rescue.

Warnings: Swearing.

W/C: 1.6K

You made your way through the hotel, preparing yourselves to go out into the onslaught. Tom was set to do an awards show, and this usually meant an influx in paparazzi, which he hated. He loves his job and he loves his fans but the paparazzi could just be too much at times. The problem with events like this was that every member of the papz wanted the first picture, which usually left them very close and diminishing any concept of personal space. Tom had gotten used to it in a way, it still made him uncomfortable, but he was used to dealing with it.

You on the other, although you’d been with Tom for a while now, weren’t. The first time you ever dealt with it was hard, but you kept your head down and kept moving forward but you were new then. You always thought it would get easier the more accustomed people came to you being with Tom, but it didn’t. The papz having more and more questions for you each time they saw you. Are you pregnant? Are you engaged? It didn’t bother you as much anymore, but something felt off about tonight.

You looked out towards the front of the hotel and gasped, there were far more papz than usual and it didn’t sit well with you. All you had to do was make it to the car, which wasn’t a long way but there was a lot of people between point A and point B.

“There’s so many.” You said as you grabbed Tom’s bicep.

“I know, this movie is a big one.” He’d expected this, this was one of the biggest movies he’d starred in so far and of course the attention surrounding the film had meant that more people had turned up for his picture. He took your hand that was holding his bicep and kissed the back of it, easing your nerves slightly. “I can always get Harry to take you out the back, if you’d be more comfortable?” He suggested.

“No, I don’t think that’d look too good. The rumours would be a nightmare.” You sighed as you grasped his hand firmly, interlocking your fingers.

“You know I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ve got you.” He promised as he squeezed your hand. “And Harry is right behind you.” He reassured. You swallowed down your nerves as you nodded. He was right, you’d be okay, right?

You made your way out of the front of the hotel, Tom’s security fending off the first lot of paparazzi from getting too close but there were too many. Tom’s grip on your hand tightened and it felt like he was cutting off circulation, but in reality, he was making sure you were still with him. Harry was close behind you both.

It was all going pretty well considering until you felt someone much taller than Harry behind you. You’d been split up and although you knew Harry would be okay it made you nervous. The man behind you was shouting your names, any question that came to mind and you did your best to ignore it and continue to move forward. That was until he got a little too close to you, your figure being much smaller than his and you lost your footing. Trying to regain your composure meant you weren’t holding Tom’s hand quite as tight anymore.

You felt his hand leave yours and you panicked, and another man had now gotten in between you, then a couple more. You managed to keep yourself upright and you were now being pushed forward quicker than you could walk, it felt surreal. It was like an outer body experience, you were just kind of going along with it, just praying you’d make it too the car.

All of a sudden, a hand grasped your arm and pulled you out of the way causing a panic to rise in your chest and you felt tears well in your eyes. Two hands grabbed your shoulders and turned you around. It was Harry. Your nerves instantly calmed.

“You okay?” He asked panicked as he took in your state, checking for injuries. He didn’t find any.

“I’m okay, just a little overwhelmed.” You said.

“Are you hurt?”

“No, honestly I’m fine Harry.” You reassured.

“Okay, we should keep moving forward, here take my hand.” He said as he held your hand. Tom’s security had caught up by this point, one of them standing beside you.

“Where’s Tom?” He asked as he frantically looked for him.

“I’m not sure. We got split up.”

“I’m sorry but I have to go and find him. As much as I know he’ll kill me, I’m paid to make sure he’s okay first.” He smiled sadly and you laughed at that.

“Go. It’s fine. I’ve got Harry.” You said as you watched his security make their way through the crowd.

Your hand was still in Harry’s as you slowly made your way forward. The car wasn’t even that far away from the hotel, but it felt like a lifetime before you’d get there.

“You’re handling this quite well.” Harry suddenly pointed out.

“Gotta get used to it right? He’s only get bigger.” You said as more people moved past you, barging against your shoulder a little too rough.

“Oi!” Harry kept shouting as more people did it. Although you knew it wouldn’t leave any lasting damage, it was beginning to get sore. “Fuckin’ hell.” He grumbled as he grabbed your hand tighter and tried to move a little quicker.

You suddenly collided with someone’s back, stopping in the process. You looked at Harry and furrowed your brows in confusion, they’d suddenly stopped trying to move forward. Harry pulled you against his chest as he hugged you, the crowd of people seeming to take all breathing space away. All of a sudden, the man in front of you was moved to the side by a familiar looking member of security and Tom appeared.

He rushed over when he saw you, having a similar reaction to Harry, checking you for any injury. You laughed as he cradled your face, checking it over for any injury.

“I’m fine Tom.” You said as he finally calmed down, looking satisfied that you were, indeed, okay.

“Okay, we’re gonna try this a different way.” He said. “Thanks by the way bro.” He said as he clapped Harry’s shoulder, who waved him off in response, smiling. “Right come on.” He said as he took your hand. He moved you in front of him and placed your back against his chest. He slowly moved the two of you forward and kept his strong arms firmly wrapped around you. Harry had now placed himself in front of you and helped move the paparazzi out of the way.

“I’m sorry baby, I swear as soon as I felt your hand leave mine I shit myself.” He said into your ear. You kissed his bicep as you continued to move forward.

“It’s okay Tommy. Its just a bit more hectic then we’re used to.”

“Yeah, now I really know how RDJ feels.” He laughed softly into your ear before placing a kiss there.

The move towards the car was much easier, given your new position it would be extremely hard for anyone to get between the two of you now. You made it to the car and Tom gently pressed you against it for a moment as his security made room behind him. He opened the car door for you and carefully manoeuvred you into it.  You slid to other side as Tom followed you into the vehicle, Harry shortly joining.

Harry sighed as he took the seat opposite you and Tom. “Bloody hell.” He groaned.

“Yeah that was intense.” You laughed but you felt much better in the security of the car. Tom had shuffled closer to you wrapping his arm around your shoulder.

“I thought something had happened to you when I couldn’t feel your hand anymore. Gave me a heart attack.” He said as he kissed the top of your hand, smoothing your hair out for you.

“Nah, I had Harry. You should charge for your services.” You said as you pulled a laugh from the younger Holland.

“Yeah. I reckon I’m gonna bill him. Do you reckon I’d be able to charge more for looking after important goods?” He joked and you laughed.

“I should dam well hope so.” You said as Tom laughed.

“Name your price mate. It’s yours. In all seriousness though, thank you Harry.” Tom said sincerely.

“Anytime. You know you might be late putting a ring on it but she’s like a sister to me already.” He continued to joke.

“Noted.” Tom laughed and he took your hand in his, kissing the back of it.

“I don’t know why you haven’t already. You’re a fuckin’ sap for her.” Harry joked as he earned a punch from his brother.

“Just love her a lot.”

“Code for sap.”

“Piss off.” Tom snorted and they both laughed. “I’ll put a ring on it eventually, I promise.” He concluded with a soft smile in your direction and bringing your hand up to kiss the promise ring he’d given you a while back, the smile to which you returned. Harry fake gagged but he couldn’t help the warm smile that made its way onto his face at how happy and in love his brother was.

[writtentodeath]

“I thought you of all people would be better than this,” the prince said.

His name was Allerick, as Eden had learned several months before in her briefing. They told her he was a formidable opponent, and they told her that her job was not to win. It was to stall him. 

Funny how things work out.

 He turned towards her, still held tight between the guards. “Honestly, it’s a bit disappointing that you’re giving up so soon.”

A host of protests rose to her lips- she’d lasted longer than the majority of his opponents, she hadn’t been given the resources she needed to keep going, continuing to fight would be suicide- but why bother? 

She wasn’t here to argue. 

“You know why I’m here, then.” Eden’s voice was steady. Steady enough, anyway.

Allerick tilted his head. “It’s not every day I get to have a princess surrender her army to me. I’d like to hear you say it.” 

Smug bastard. He wasn’t smirking at her yet, but his mouth was close to tilting up in a self-satisfied, arrogant, unnervingly attractive- 

She swallowed. “I, Princess Eden of Vechna, formally surrender the battle to you, Prince Allerick of Kesselheim.” 

The guards released her at an impatient wave from the prince. “She’s not any threat to us,” he said. “In fact, you can leave.”

The guards nodded, leaving the tent. 

“We have a contract to draw up, I believe,” Eden said. “Can we get down to it?”

“You seem impatient to leave, Princess. Do have something you need to get back to?”

“No, but-”

“Then I don’t see the point in hurrying,” he said, and reached forward to take her hand. In the split second before he caught it, she almost pulled away. “Take a seat.”

He pulled her over to a table, releasing her hand and putting a glass in it instead. 

“I don’t really see the point in stalling,” Eden said. Still, she held the glass out so he could fill it with wine. 

“Oh? Then why have you been doing just that for the last few months?” 

Her eyes flicked up to his, trained on her like a hawk. A smile crept across her lips. “That’s something I’ve been asking myself, too.” 

She took a sip. 

“Your superiors should really tell you more about their plans,” Allerick said. “It’s frankly insulting to send someone like you on a suicide mission. You were never going to win.”

“And yet you’re disappointed that I “gave up” so soon.”

“Of course I am!” He tipped the bottle of wine and filled a cup for himself, eyes leaving her for what felt like the first time since she’d arrived. “They gave me an enemy with the promise of a challenge, and then you had to go and surrender.” 

“Would you rather I didn’t? Would you like me to keep going?” She reached out this time, taking his free hand, turning it over in her hand. “If you want, I could keep adding scars to your hands.”

Allerick laughed. “Unfortunately for you, I’m not in the mood to fund my own enemy.” he turned his hand over, grabbing her wrist and pulling it up to his lips. 

Heat shot through her veins.

“Let’s discuss the terms, Princess,” Allerick said, studying her hand. 

Whatever response she had died in her throat when he looked back at her- his eyes somehow darker than they’d been before, and if she had any choice in the matter she’d be bolting out of that tent and back to the safety of her own army. 

It had never really been hers, though.  

“Of course,” she managed, cursing her voice for stuttering over the phrase. 

“But first,” Allerick said, releasing her hand, “I want to hear you say it.”

She frowned, still too focused on her tingling hand and his mesmerizing eyes to get her thoughts straight. “I don’t understand. I already-”

He held up a hand. “No, you didn’t. You said whatever it is people write on the papers, and you know it. That’s one of the things I liked about you- you know what you’re doing. But see, I know what you’re doing, too. I want you to surrender. Truthfully.”

Eden stepped back suddenly, setting her glass on the table hard. “What do you want me to say? I surrender? Done. I surrender, Prince Allerick, I surrender to you and your bloody country. Is that what you wanted?” 

He didn’t respond for a moment, just looking at her in silence. Then, finally, he said “I wanted you to be truthful. And I suppose that was- no more masking your feelings, Eden.” 

“You’ll want to finish your drink for the rest of this, I imagine,” he said, turning away. “Let’s talk about what’s going to happen to you.”

She left her wine on the table.

for everyone who wanted the prince/princess surrender snippet, here you go! 

the other one: Ayele and Kiran

also including the one beneath it b/c I can: Artemis x Percival 

[yeeyee-alumni]

Ellie’s (lack of a) character arc & why the result is an unsatisfying story

Let’s state the obvious: Ellie does not have a character arc in The Last of Us Part 2. A character arc is defined as a gradual transformation or inner journey of a character in response to changing developments in the story. And you may argue that Ellie from the beginning of the game is not the same as the one at the end of the game, and I would agree with you. She went from a woman consumed by revenge (not really but we will stick with that for now) to a woman able to forgive her aggressor and move on. However, there are problems with this supposed inner change on multiple levels. a) the change is not gradual b) the change comes out of nowhere c) the change is not informed by anything I don’t think there’s any need to thoroughly explain the first statement. Ellie has the same goal from the beginning to the very last second before attaining her goal. At no point in the story is she self-reflective, questions her methods, there’s no moral dilemma for her, no inner conflict, no doubt that causes her to put her own actions into a new perspective and possibly change her motivation. From beginning to end she believes to be 100% justified in her goal to kill Abby. Subsequently, if Ellie were actually consumed by revenge, the only logical conclusion to her story would be for her to eventually drown Abby.

Which neatly leads me to the next point: her change comes out of nowhere. The decision to let Abby go, as is implied by the narrative, is triggered by a random, arbitrary flashback of Joel. First of all, the timing here is outright comical. For what reason is she having this specific flashback at this very moment? Sounds like contrived, convenient bs to me to give the appearance that her decision is informed by something (which it isn’t, and we'll get to that in a moment). Second of all, getting a flashback to the most important person in your life that has been brutally murdered in front of you, seeing an image of what could have been and what was unjustly taken from you, is not gonna inspire you to forgive your aggressor. If anything, it would make you more determined and sadistic. And third of all, I hear you all yelling "but it was a flashback to their conversation about forgiveness and that inspired her to forgive Abby." And I have multiple qualms regarding this line of thinking. Number one, forgiving the person you love most in this world for having lied to you cannot be compared to forgiving the person who brutally took said person from you. This actually further accentuates my previous point, this is the person that robbed you of your opportunity for reconciliation. Implying that Ellie's thought process here is „I wanted to forgive Joel, but this person robbed me of any opportunity to, so I have to forgive her” is muddled, nonsensical and quite frankly unrealistic. And number two, is the implication here that this is the first time Ellie has thought back to that conversation? That’s a whole new level of nonsense. She will have reflected on all moments with Joel, including this one, and yet at no point prior to this moment had she considered even the possibility of forgiveness, as I have illustrated earlier. So why now? Very obviously to get a payoff, which was neither set up nor properly developed. And moving on to my last point: it is not informed by anything. I know a lot of players didn’t want Ellie to kill Abby, and even I felt that way at first, albeit presumably for entirely different reasons (I was so drained and removed from the narrative by that point that I only thought to myself "just go home, you psychos"). But upon reflection, I concluded that that would have been an unsatisfying conclusion narratively speaking. Nevertheless, Abby seems to have grown dear to many players. After all, they have spent several hours with her, they have seen her struggle, overcome her obstacles, fight for what she believes to be right. Their feelings towards Abby are informed by the person they have seen her to be and by the experiences they went through with her. Yet Ellie is missing all of that context. She has not been with us throughout our three days in Seattle, she doesn’t know Abby outside of her having horrifically killed Joel and she has not gained any new information that would lead her to change her opinion about her. And so, we have another example of the story making characters do things that are not informed by anything, for the sake of a poor payoff. And since we're talking about characters acting nonsensically, let's talk about the roughly three minutes leading up to Ellie nearly drowning Abby, shall we? Ellie approaches the beach absolutely determined to find and kill Abby (repeatedly murmuring Abby’s name to herself). Yet when she reaches the pillars, she cuts Abby down, letting her free Lev and follows them to the boats, indicating that Ellie has changed her mind, showing pity/empathy upon seeing Abby a mere shadow of her former self. And yet again, we have Ellie acting in a way she never has before. She didn’t have pity for Nora who was coughing her lungs out, or for Jordan who had advocated for letting her live, or for any other innocent WLF or Seraphite that came in between her and killing Abby. But the one person she holds a grudge against to the point of killing hundreds of innocent people without batting an eye, that is the person she is suddenly capable of feeling pity/empathy for? Is it really that surprising that Ellie's actions here feel forced, uncharacteristic, and illogical? But it actually gets worse. In an additional display of Druckmann not knowing how humans work, we have Ellie putting her backpack with all her gear in the boat, looking at her bloody hand and then remembering "Oh yeah, that's the woman who killed Joel. I almost forgot.” And at this point in my playthrough I was laughing out loud. And so, we have Ellie all of sudden determined to kill Abby again, so much so that she is willing to threaten an innocent child’s life (this by the way was the final nail in the coffin for me, they thoroughly obliterated Ellie’s character throughout the entire game, but this goes against the very core of her being). And we know the rest, they fight, Ellie nearly kills Abby but eventually lets her go. To summarize what happened in the three minutes before our big emotional payoff to our 25 hour-long journey of playing this epitome of misery porn: Ellie has 3 - count them 3!!! - changes of heart. Her motivation does a perfect 180 almost every minute. This is not how people work! That’s lazy, contrived beyond believe, and borderline comical levels of writing, because Druckmann prioritized having a final boss battle on a beach over organic, coherent, and logical storytelling (but I guess it was worth it for the goddamn visuals). However, what’s most infuriating is that there are such easy fixes if one only thinks about it for more than two minutes that could erase nearly all for the major issues I just illustrated while maintaining the plot points of the two fighting on a beach and Ellie letting Abby go. If we have Ellie walk to the beach immediately, finding Abby there untying the boat (Lev nearly passed out in the boat, Ellie not seeing him) and she then attacks Abby, immediately we have erased two of Ellie’s changes of heart, she remains consistent in her goals/motivation, not jumping back and forth between two extremes. The two women fight much like we see it in the game, and then as Ellie is about to finish it, we hear Lev calling out to Abby. And there we have our motivation for Ellie to not kill her. Not because she gets a random, convenient flashback, not because she forgives Abby (Abby has done nothing to earn Ellie’s forgiveness), not because Abby has earned her redemption, but because Ellie cannot find it in her to put an innocent child through the pain Abby has put her through. Because at the end of the day, Ellie’s hatred for Abby does not outweigh her capacity for compassion and empathy for those deserving of it (a core characteristic of hers that was established in the first game). Because Ellie would rather let an individual live that is undeserving of it than cause the same pain she was put through to an innocent child that is undeserving of it. Granted, if we were to go with this ending, we would still have to build towards it properly and therefore would have to tweak the rest of the game, mainly by showing Ellie being self-reflective, merciful towards innocents, and even doubtful about her goals at times to make her final decision informed by prior developments in order to have the character arc actually be a gradual transformation leading to a logical conclusion. I have been a writer for nearly 4 years now, which means I am in no way an expert, or the most creatively talented person around and yet I would argue that this ending would be much more satisfying to most players than the alternative we were presented with. Because as it stands, none of our actions or decisions (and yes that is something important to consider when we are working within the medium of video games), or Ellie’s for that matter, lead up to this conclusion. The conclusion to this story, the final moment, the big emotional payoff hinges on a random flashback, not on any other developments that previously occurred in the story. Subsequently rendering all of the 25 hours entirely pointless, none of it had an influence on the finale, none of it mattered narratively speaking. So, is it even a surprise that many found this to be dissatisfying? I noticed a few people who are fond of Abby accusing people feeling differently of having too much of an emotional bias or even going as far as to say they are less emotionally intelligent. This is problematic for two reasons, a) different people have different reasons for disliking Ellie’s final choice. Some still hate Abby as much as in the beginning, others feel drained and indifferent, and others still feel similarly to how I feel in that it’s mainly narratively dissatisfying. And b) the same story can have a different effect on any amount of people (otherwise, we would have settled the discussion about what the greatest movie all of time is long ago). My point being, that no matter how you feel about this particular story you are 100% justified in feeling this way, and yes that includes people that by the end of the game still hate Abby just as much as they did the moment she bashed Joel’s skull in. That does not necessarily have to be personal bias, more often than not it’s the ability to see through the storytelling techniques used, rendering them mostly ineffective for these people (and I include myself in this). I wanted Ellie to kill Abby not because I was unable to empathize with her or couldn’t see past my own personal bias, but because that would have been the logical, narratively satisfying conclusion to this specific story.

[cmeiffel]

I have an idea

-undercover mission based on sway by michael buble -so youve got three characters: A, B, C -A and B are forced to be partners -maybe they already know each other's behaviours -A isnt that excited to be on the field -A usually works behind the scenes -but it's a close-contact mission and they needed a face the enemy (C) hasnt seen before -So A is the one to go in, B controls the mission from their base or whatever idk -anyways -their mission is to gather information on C -what C is doing, who C talks to, and basically how they are a threat -the scene where everything goes down is your typical underground bar with jazz playing on a stage, the bartender is an old, skilled man who everyone respects (kinda like batman's alfred) -there's people in suits, coats and fedoras sitting at the tables, most of them smoking (totally not the mafia) - theres an open space in front of the stage, supposedly for dancing. -but that's where the daily target(s) sit tied up to a chair, usually already bleeding -by daily target i mean whoever that pissed off the mafia/gang/any corrupt organisation and is gonna die but theyre respected enough to be given an honourable death, ie. after a last meal, etc etc -A is stationed at the bar, drink in hand, doing well at keeping a low profile -Is trying to find C amongst the tables -is unsuccessful -bartender notices A is new, doesnt say anything. just nods at A like "i know you're not one of us but i'll still serve you. just dont start shit with the rest of the patrons and we good" -anyways A cant find C -at this point the band on stage changes the song -[sway starts here] -A tells B through comms that they cant find C -And what happens? -C appears next to A -"Now, now darling. If you wanted to see me all you had to do was ask." -Obviously A panics (their not comfortable on field remember?) -So B can here C through comms, and C knows -C tells B not to try anything, and that all they want is to have a conversation with A -A is stuck -B agrees, reluctantly of course -C is satisfied, and extremely smug as they ask A to remove their earpiece and hand it to them -C calls the bartender who promptly disposes of it -So now A is stuck with C -C takes A to a back room -"the acoustics sound so much better back here, doesnt it?"-C asks A for a dance -"just a dance, love. this song has such a wonderful beat; it'd be a shame not indulge in it." -A agrees, because what better excuse to get closer to the enemy? - (yeah right. A finds themselves to be entranced by C, they dont know why they feel so attracted to C) -So they dance -C leads, and starts a conversation -"why do you work for them? you could do so much better... with me." -and A really is stuck -Because on one hand, they like where they are -on the other, C makes a really good point -(or maybe they're just really attractive) -C twirls them around, and A follows. Its the way C can lead them around the room, and A can't help but lock eyes with C. A can't help but let themself relax in the arms that guide them into dips and twirls -"you seem to be enjoying yourself my dear, and we've only just met" -A is actually weak in the knees at this point -C twirls A away from them(C) , then pulls them(A) back close into their(C) chest. but when A is being pulled back, they fall into C's arms and is just pressed agains their chest. -A's face is heated and it is at this point we find out that A's drink was spiked with a drug -And as A almost passes out in C's arms -meanwhile B had burst into the bar, alone, like the overconfident dumbass they are -and is currently fighting a whole lot of people -C guides A out to see B -(B has been beaten up and is tied to a chair) -C has A leaning heavily on them -C asks A too look at B, gentle hands slowly bringing dazed eyes to focus on their bloodied partner trapped in a chair -"Cmon dear, do you really want someone like them to work with> someone who can't even take down a few measly goons?" -A looks completely out of it btw -but when they make eye contact with B, B has a sense that maybe A isn't

drugged enough to be completely unconscious of what's happening -A looks at B through half-lidded eyes -"I never wanted to work with such an imbecile in the first place" -A looks up at C, face heated, almost breahtless -"Please, please let me join you. I need to be by your side" -"Oh, my dear, no need to beg. you're already welcomed" -And so A has joined C - ' "you're already welcomed" ' A looks at the goons surrounding B -they look to A with respect, just like how they look at C -A realises they are waiting to be addressed. -"...Do with him as you wish..." -C carries A away as B gets fucking bodied by the mafia folk/gang people and the other goons -A has no regret -C has A all to themselves

and yes that was my idea, which turned out to be quite long lmao my bad.

[anti-plexus]

Tim Wright (Masky) x Reader:

Title: Stalker

Pronouns: She/Her

Warnings: Murder, stalking (duh), and some very mild suggestive content.

————

————

It was only supposed to be a surveillance mission, simple. He had to watch you, god knows why, and acquire information. He never expected all of this to end with him becoming infatuated with you. You were a killer, just like him, so it made sense as to why Slender wanted to keep tabs on you. It was intriguing, watching the way you killed, it made him feel inspired. But he would never engage with you, only watch from afar as you lived out your life.

————

Screams rang out through the deserted building. You chortled and wiped your bloody fist on the sleeve of your sweatshirt. "Do you like that, hun~?" You asked your victim, an older man who had multiple child abuse charges under his belt. "P-Please! S-Spare me!" The man pleaded, clutching his bloodied face. "Hmm... how about no." You grinned wickedly. "B-But I haven't done anything w-wrong! I-I'm innocent!" Your smile faltered as you felt a rush of rage at his words. HOW DARE HE!! 'You... you think you're innocent?" "Y-yes-" A crooked giggle burst out of your throat. "Hahaha! I smell a liar, buddy." "N-" BANG! The man slumped over, life draining from his frail body. You chuckled flatly. You tipped your gun up and blew away the smoke emitting from it. "See you in hell, you fucking piece of shit." —————— Tim had to give it to you, that was fucking awesome. You were on the first floor of the building and he had been on the second, watching as you annihilated the man and burned the body. He noticed you looking around as if you knew he was t- "Shit...." He muttered when you began to climb the rickety ladder that connected the first and second floors. Tim ducked behind some old cargo boxes as you arrived on the second floor. Your head swiveled around, taking note of your surroundings. After a little bit of staring, you headed off in the opposing direction from Tim's position. He breathed a sigh of relief. Now it was time to get the fuck out of t- "And who the hell might you be?" Your voice appeared from behind him making him whip around rather violently. "Don't be a pussy and tell me why you've been following me for the past seven months." Tim was nearly speechless. "I...." You cocked your head inquisitively. "Come on, pretty boy, spill the beans." At that moment, Tim was nearly delirious with relief that his mask was covering his face, for it hid his pink cheeks. That little 'pretty boy' nickname had him going.... "You always like this, pretty boy? Spacing out in front of a killer ain't very safe." You advised, hazardly twirling your gun in between your fingers. Tim remained quiet, watching your every move. He honestly didn't know what to do, you were a peculiar person. But he eventually managed to answer your previous comment. "I think I'll be ok, you're not the only killer here." "Oh? So that means you're a stalker AND a killer." "Hey! I'm not a stalker-" "Bruh." You deadpanned. "You've been following me for almost a year! If that's not considered stalking, then I don't know what is!" "Touché..." Tim admitted, to which you laughed. "But seriously," Your tone hardened as you stared him down. "Why the hell are you stalking- er, following me?" Tim took a breath, he knew he probably should just come up with a plausible lie to tell you, but part of him wanted to tell you the truth. Maybe if he did that, you would trust him... "Well, I was instructed to." "By who?" "Someone called S-"  BRIIIING! BRIIING! Tim coughed awkwardly as he fished his phone out of his pocket and held it to his ear. "Yes?" ... "Wait... you want me to..." ... "Yeah, I know, but-" ... "Yes, sir. I understand." And with that, he hung up and proceeded to stare at you. "What?" You asked, slightly unnerved by his staring. Tim scratched the back of his neck. "Well, uh, my 'boss' want's me to kidnap- I mean, bring you to him." "Do you know why?" "I think he wants you to work for him... otherwise he would have had me kill you months ago." You contemplated your options, you could either run away, or find out who "The Boss" was. Hell, maybe this would even benefit you. "Well... would I still get to kill people?" "Absolutely! It's essentially what we do!" Tim excitedly informed you, and you shrugged. "Sure, I'll give it a shot." Tim grabbed your hand and dragged you over to the ladder. Once you both had climbed down, Tim lead you to an old Toyota Camry. "Hop in- wait... what's your name?" He asked sheepishly. You giggled at the question. "I'm (y/n). What's yours?" "Masky, but

you can call me Tim." "Sure thing, Tim." You affirmed. Tim smiled beneath his mask as you both entered the car and drove to your new home. ———————— *Nine Months Later* "JEFF!!" You screeched as you chased the poor man down the halls of the Slender-mansion. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU, YA LITTLE BITCH!!" But Jeff only laughed. "You'll have to catch me first, fuckwad!" Oh, you were mad. Ever since you arrived at the mansion and became a proxy, Jeff had it in his heart to make you suffer. In the beginning, his form of "Torture" had just been annoying, like stealing your weapons or teasing you for no reason, but it had slowly evolved into perverted schemes aimed at your very sanity and modesty alike. But this time, he had gone too far. You had come back from a rather exhausting mission and found him in your room, going through your panty drawer. You, like any sane person, were chasing him to reclaim the stolen clothes he carried in his arms and atop his head. Jeff made a sharp turn into the living room and launched himself onto the couch, right next to a startled Masky. You gasped as all your panties went flying everywhere. "What the hell, J- Wait... are those...?" Masky stared at your panties, trying to figure what the hell was going on. "Yes, Tim. Those are MY panties." You snarled before grabbing Jeff off the couch and slamming him against the adjacent wall, effectively pinning him while you held your gun to his head. It was at that moment that Jeff realized he fucked up. "So, any last words, Jeff~?" You asked in a sing-song voice. Jeff was silent for a second, before he started screaming at Tim to, "Get your psycho-ass girlfriend off me!", to which Tim responded with a shrug and a, "She's not my girlfriend." "Well, she should be! You two bitch-ass psycho's are perfect for each other!" You growled at Jeff, digging your gun deeper into his hair. "Says the person with a kill count of 600+." Jeff smirked. "And I enjoyed. Every. Single. One." "What is going on in here?!" You turned, only to come face-to-face with Slenderman. You immediately released Jeff, put your gun away, and bowed to Slender, just as Tim was doing. "You may rise, children." Slenderman said after a few seconds. "But one of you must tell me why (y/n)'s panties are scattered around the room and why there is a man-sized dent in the wall." "I-" You were just about to explain when Tim interrupted you. "I believe Jeff stole (y/n)'s panties and then she chased and confronted him here, hence the dent in the wall." Slender sighed exasperatedly. "I see... no matter, you all WILL clean up this... uh, mess. I expect that this won't happen again, right?" "Yes, sir!" You and Tim acknowledged, but Jeff only scoffed. "I can't make any promises, SiR, that's some sexy shit right there." He commented, pointing at your panties. You were just about to lunge at Jeff, but Tim hooked his arms under yours and held you against his broad chest. You blushed slightly, your anger forgotten. Slender, who seemed satisfied that you and Tim had answered, proceeded to leave the room, muttering something about, "Those god-dang horny teenagers." Jeff snickered before plucking one of your panties off the floor and tossing it to you. "It's a shame you own this kind of stuff, sweetheart," He grinned at you devilishly, and you could have sworn you heard Tim growl under his mask. "Because it makes you look like a shitty-ass whore." And with that, he was gone. "Holy fuck, I hate that guy...." You muttered. "Same here." Tim agreed from behind you. Suddenly, you felt something hard poke your ass. "Hey Tim, can you let me go? Your phone is poking my ass." You could feel Tim's body stiffen behind you, but thought nothing of it. "O-oh, sure, (y/n)" He complied, releasing you before taking off his jacket and quickly turning around. "Tim? You ok, dude?" You asked as he tied his jacket around his waist backward, which was kinda strange. Weren't jackets supposed to be tied with the sleeves hanging down in the front? It almost looked like Tim was trying to

hide something.... "I'm fine, (y/n). It's just getting kinda stuffy in here." He explained, turning to face you. "But we should probably start cleaning up." "Agreed." You sweatdropped as you began picking up the scattered panties, before you realized how uncomfortable this must be for Tim. "Hey, I got this if you're uncomfortable." You said, smiling at him. "No, it's ok. I'll help." Was his answer, to which you shrugged. "Ok, but if you get uncomfortable, I can-" "No. It's ok, (y/n)." "Well, thanks. I appreciate it." "Anytime." ———————— You sighed in relief once you shoved all your panties back into their drawer, that mother-fucker Jeff had taken at least 13 of them. "(Y/n)." Came Tim's voice from behind you. "Hm?" "You can't just shove them in the drawer," He chided. "You have to FOLD them first." You deadpanned. "Sorry, dude, but I don't have that kind of energy right now. I'll fold them later-" "Then, I'll help you." Your face positively EXPLODED with red. "W-what?! I-it's ok, r-really!" "No, it's not. Don't be embarrassed," He calmly explained. "This is a life skill you need to learn, (y/n)." "I-I already know, I-i'm just t-too tired right now!" You stuttered, a blushing mess. "Then, I'll help you, so you don't have to do it later." Tim insisted, stepping toward your drawer and opening it, taking an (f/c) panty out and folding it, then neatly putting it in the drawer. Reluctantly, you began folding the panties, too. Tim was right, it didn't take too long, but you couldn't help but feel flustered because of what was going on. "There, all done." Tim said as he returned the last panty to your drawer. "Thanks for the help, Tim." You said. "I probably wouldn't have done it at all without you." Tim laughed. "You're welcome, (y/n)- Oh shit-!" But he never got a chance to finish, because he tripped over a hazardly placed rope you forgot to pick up. CRASH! You felt the air being knocked out of your lungs as Tim crashed on top of you with an, "Oof!". "T-Tim!" "Sorry, (y/n). I tripped." "Eh, it's fine... are you ok, though?" "Yeah, I'm good-" Tim opened his eyes and realized where his face had landed. Right smack-dab in the middle of your chest, and from the way your face looked, you had realized that, too. "H-holy shit, (y/n)! Did I h-hurt you?!" He asked, unburying his face from your chest. "I-I'm ok..." You blushed even more. "B-but could you get o-off me?" "M-mhm!" Once Tim had gotten off you, you couldn't help but burst out laughing, much to Tim's annoyance. "Hey! What's the big idea?" He asked incredulously from atop your bed. "I'm not sure," You kept laughing. "This whole situation is just hilarious." "Har har." "No, seriously! Everything that just happened was so random, I can't help, but laugh!" You explained. Tim thought for a moment. "But I don't think it's very funny," He murmured. "Could you please stop laughing?" You tried. You did, but more laughter just kept bubbling up from your throat everything you tried to stop. "I can't stop!" You informed him while laughing, tears had begun to accumulate in your eyes. "I can help you stop." "How-" Tim moved so fast he was just a blur, and before long, you felt a pair of lips on your own. The kiss was short, but it shut you up rather effectively. "I..." Tim smirked and kissed you again, tossing his mask over his shoulder. This time, the kiss was heavy and passionate. You wrapped your arms around his neck before you two separated for air. "It seemed my method worked." Tim teased, his eyes slightly glazed over with lust. You didn't even answer, for you immediately kissed him again, pushing your tongue into his mouth and wrestling tongue-to-tongue with him. Tim soon realized that you would win the tongue battle at this rate, so he reached down and gripped your ass in his hands, causing you to gasp and giving him the opportunity he needed to win the tongue battle. You made a small noise akin to that of a moan when his tongue entered your mouth, and began to explore, as if he was trying to memorize it. You were so

into it that you didn't notice your bedroom door opening. "Hey, (y/n)- Holy shit!" You heard someone yell, and immediately stood up, along with Tim. The voice's owner belong to none other than BEN, who stood in your doorway awkwardly. "What is it, BEN?" Tim asked. "As you could see, me and (y/n) are busy at the moment." To which you blushed heavily. "Well," BEN began. "I went into the living room a little bit ago to play Nintendo, and I found this hanging from the ceiling fan." He explained, holding up one of your (f/c) panties. Tim immediately snatched the panty from BEN, folded it, and placed it in the drawer. "Thank you, BEN. You may go." Ben looked at you, then Tim, then back at you before slowly turning around and shuffling out of your room, mumbling something about, "Those two frisky weirdos." Suddenly, you felt something wrap around your head and your vision went dark. "Tim?" You asked, fumbling around trying to find him. "So, wanna finish what we started~?" Came a sultry voice from behind you, to which you gulped nervously. "W-what do you mean b-by that-" You understood what he meant a couple minutes later. (A/n: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) )

————

That was really long 😅

Still, I hope you guys enjoyed :)

[bangtan-sinnamons]

Exotic l2l

Part 1

⤞ Paring: Snake!Jungkook x Human!reader

⤞ Summary: When you are stranded on an island full of hybrids, a little someone is excited to meet you.

⤞ Genre: Fluff, Romance, Sprinkle of angst, Action

⤞Warning: Blood, fighting scenes (self defense) , claw marks, possessive behavior (not from kook)

⤞ Word count:  1650

My heart says write fluff, but my brain functions in angst. T-T

As the sun was rising Jungkook tries to stretch his body across the caves’s floor, but is met with you drawing him close to seek out the warmth of his body. In seconds, your body is moulded into his, sharing body heat as easily as Jungkook is willing to share his heart with you. He is so overwhelmed with happiness that he begins to nudge his nose into the crown of your hair.

When he takes a deep breath in, the smell of sweetness tickled his nose. It was no longer the disgusting smell of the bear hybrid or the initial smell of salt water when he first met you. Right now, it smelled addicting. Jungkook didn’t realize how effected, he’d be with you literally clinging on him simply to avoid hypothermia.

He tried so hard not to engulf you with his scent. He deemed mixing scents was too romantic and needed consent for. To you, scenting was probably the equivalent of dating. But in the back of his mind he knew the real reason he was stopping himself from scenting you, he was scared. Terrified that he would get too attached. Once he had scented you and when you left, he would long for you and no matter how much he wishes you to come back his words would reach nowhere, but the seemingly endless ocean that separates the both of you.

You began to stir and he withdraws his arms around you, nervous that he would seem overly possessive with you. To his delight, you roll closer and your hand slowly pats his chest in the process of finding his soft hair. He was left breathless with the constant surprises and affection you gave him. Once you felt his locks, you started to caress it delicately.

“Kook…aren’t you supposed to be sleeping? You said you were mostly nocturnal,” you murmured, stroking his hair. “Last time I did this, you fell asleep really fast,”

The disappointment becomes apparent on his face. Of course you didn’t do this because you loved him as much as he did. He was embarrassed that he thought your touch could possibly mean much more than friends. He suddenly felt shy, even going as far as hiding his redden face with his slender fingers.

“Hey. What’s wrong?” you asked, taking a peak at his face. Your hands stopped for a moment. Maybe he didn’t like you touching his hair you thought.

“I missed this. Do it again,” he pleaded. You begin to play with his hair again, but this time with more confidence that he actually liked the feeling.

“Miss what exactly?”

“This feeling,” he snuggled into your hand. The way you caressed his hair was filled with nostalgia. “It reminds me of my caretaker. She use to do this before they dragged me on this island,”

You couldn’t even describe the heartache you were feeling due to his soft and fragile voice. How long has he been left alone? Maybe you should somehow help him find some other hybrid friends before you left?  But then how could a human help him?

You were interrupted from your thoughts, when Jungkook suddenly perks up and sits on the floor.  His eyes moved with the alertness that comes from anxiety. He heard something, but more specifically someone and he is ready to protect you this time around.

“𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎,” a voice calls. His eyes widen at how fast they were approaching.

“Hey Y/n… stay here I’m going to check something,” Jungkook says, hesitant to leave you alone in the cave. His hands were clenched in tight fists by subconscious demands. You tilt your head in confusion, but you nod your head in agreement.

He rushes out of the cave giving one last glance at you curling up to go back to sleep. He wanted to settle this problem quickly so he could snuggle back into your arms.

“𝚂𝚗𝚊𝚔𝚎, 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚗𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎,” the voice penetrates Jungkook’s ear and he growls in response. “𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎? 𝙰𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚖𝚎?” he snickered. The lynx was ridiculing him. He could see the lynx’s mouth beginning to form into a vile smirk, a smile that said lets fight.

Jungkook scans the forest and its surroundings, he was worried that this was a part of scheme and it wasn’t just this lone lynx asking for a fight. “What do you want?”

“𝚂𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎. 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚝𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏.” Despite Jungkook trying to block his way, the lynx continues approaching closer to the cave, “𝚂𝚘 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎. 𝚝𝙷𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝙾𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝙶𝚛𝙴𝚊𝚝,” The lynx tried to push him aside, but Jungkook doesn’t budge.

Staring became the only form of communication between the two hybrid. Both of them were not backing down.

“Jungkook? I thought I heard something, so I….” Your voice was a distraction.  A fluttery feeling formed in his stomach and his head buzzed with anxiety, he looked back at you. The urge to make sure you were okay overrode the current stare-down.

The second Jungkook’s eyes left the lynx, the sly hybrid slams his fists into his chin. It was harder than he expected, even stumbling back from the force. “Kook?!” You ran over to him while he wipes the blood that drips from his lip.

The lynx couldn’t help, but burst into a fit of laughter. “𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗'𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚜𝚊𝚢.” The lynx steals a look at you, while Jungkook contemplates on what he should do next. Although it was very subtile, an arrogant smirk formed as the lynx checks you out and Jungkook hisses. He never felt so hungry for destruction, so ready for his animal instincts to kick in and allow himself to throw punches until this lynx was soaked in a pile of his own blood. “𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗. 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚝.”

How dare he.

If you weren’t standing by Jungkook’s side, it was a guaranteed fact that the snake hybrid would have lunged for an attack. “I don’t know what’s going on, but is it really worth getting bloody over that? Cause obviously I’m no pet,”

“If you’re asking, if you are worth it… then yes,”

You were at a loss for words. You stared into his brown slit eyes burning with anger, and fell silent.

Jungkook still wanted to settle this peacefully, despite the strong urge to wield a few hits…

“Leave.” Jungkook demands. “This person is not worth your time and energy. This person is not worth your time and energy,” Jungkook reminds himself.

The lynx steps closer to the both of you, sniffing the air and his smirk only grew “𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗'𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛.” He provokes.

Jungkook lost it. Absolutely lost any rationality left. He landed a stern blow on his mouth. This mouth that talked shit about you. A crack could be heard, but he doesn’t care because the lynx deserved it. Once satisfied he starts pounding the lynx’s eyes. These eyes that dared looked at you with such evil intent.

The snake hybrid couldn’t suppress his animal features any longer and his lethal stare brought regret to the lynx.

“𝚂𝙷𝙸𝚃, 𝚂𝚃𝙾𝙿” the hybrid yelps, trying to dodge the attacks, but Jungkook holds him down by the collar. The lynx became desperate to get the beast off of him. The once egotistical hybrid was now clawing Jungkook’s ribs in distraught.

Jungkook hisses, baring his fangs when the lynx tries to jab a knee to his stomach. Whether it was in contact with Jungkook’s old scars or how he despised the lynx, he only knew to respond through his fists.

His punches were relentless. You belonged to nobody. Especially not this bastard.

“Jungkook!” There was something in that shout, was it pain or disappointment, he did not know. His mind was still hazy and intoxicated with darkness.

Despite how overpowering Jungkook seemed to be, he could still feel the stinging pain as the hybrid digs his claws into him, but right now his main focus was protecting you. Yes, protecting you, but why wasn’t he by your side comforting you? Why was he still hitting the hybrid? He already won this fight. As the realization hits him, his punches were no longer hard and fatal.

He had come back to his senses. No longer worried about the lynx and allowing the beaten hybrid to scurry away into the forest without a second thought.

When Jungkook finally comes into full view, you don’t recognize him. He looked so feral. His lip split, the fact that a large tail had even grown from behind and his fists were covered in blood should have contributed to you shaking in fear, but you don’t. Opposed to how intimidating he appeared to be, you notice how his bottom lip trembled.

You weren’t even aware that you were holding your breath until you ran towards him and melted into his form. Feeling his firm torso and the heart that was racing within. His hands wrapped around you, drawing you in closer. “You were so so cool,” you smiled.

“You’re not scared?”

“Never, but we need to get you clean up,”

He pouted “But…I was going to show you something before a certain somebody came,” He wanted to give you good memories before you leave. Not memories of him being violent, but he can’t say no when you were already dragging him by the hand to the creek. Just being with you made his smile complete.

“Hurry up and get undress, look at all this blood” you pointed, a frown forming on your face, when he walks even slower.

He could feel the heat rise into his face and he paused in his tracks. He had to undress and rinse off in front of you?!

(Tell me if you guys want a Drabble for Kook’s “bath” scene b/c it’s not going to be in part 3. I’ll write it if at least 5 people are willing to read it)

Drabble here!!

Part 1

[serendipitous-magic]

what's your writing process like? do you plot things out beforehand? or do you sort of write it as it comes? a mix of both?

Depends on what I'm writing!

In general I'm a planner. I can't write from a blank page, unless I'm just like... really really captivated by whatever I'm writing, which was what happened with the first chapters of both The Art of Living Your (Second) Life and The Partnership Plan.

a) In general, if it's a fanfiction I'm writing, I tend to build the plan as I write - meaning, oftentimes I'll be inspired to write the first chapter, and I'll write that with little idea what the rest of it will be. Or, even if I have an idea what the rest will be, it's more of a vague skeleton than a full plan. And then, as I continue to write, I think more about where the story is going and I continuously add to and refine my plan kind of alongside the actual writing. In this way, the plan grows at the same time that the actual chapters do - but because the chapters take significantly longer to write than planning does, the plan outpaces the "real" writing and I usually know the basic story arc from fairly early on. Then it's just a matter of fleshing it out, adding detail, writing down scenes I thought of, etc. And then when I get to that point in the actual writing, I have a framework in place already.

-_-_-

b) Sometimes for fanfic, I have a more complete plan upfront - although I use "complete" here to mean "from beginning to end," not "completely detailed." So, more like a full skeleton than a full body, if that makes sense. I did that with Roll for Strength. What usually happens is that my plan will look something like...

...

Chapter One

-Will suspects Mike has a girlfriend and is kind of put out about it but thinks he's over Mike so he tells himself he doesn't care

-Will walks in on Mike and his BF (name??) and has a crisis (they don't see Will, so Will knows about Mike but Mike doesn't know that Will knows)

-Will might get off to that later, guiltily? (Or move to chapter two)

Chapter Two

-Do Mike's POV to tell about how he ended up dating a guy, how he got very disillusioned with the world after canon events and got into a "fuck it, the rules don't matter and I hate them anyway" mentality, which eventually snowballed into him kind of realizing and accepting his sexuality earlier than usual fanon

-Also introduce BF (name??) in a scene

-Set time and place - season should set the mood if not already mentioned in Ch 1

-Maybe also do BF's POV briefly to introduce him?? Or leave that for later

...

Etc.

And that's the original skeleton plan. And then it gets expanded upon more and more and more as I continue to think about the story, sometimes even with full pages' worth of unbroken text blocks as I get inspired and start basically thought-vomiting an entire scene. So by the time I get around to actually writing it, it might look like the above, or it might be a few steps shy of an actual draft already, depending on how much I've thought about / worked on that part.

See #5 in this writing advice post to see what I mean about a "thought vomit" draft.

-_-_-

c) Here's the thing - the above was for fanfic, or for short stories, or stories that I'm just kind of having fun with.

For original stuff, I adhere much more tightly to the "rules," because the guidelines for original work (that you might try to publish in the actual publishing market) are much stricter - and for good reason! Fanfiction is a sandbox, and we're all invested in the characters and worlds and settings already. We're all reading and writing fanfic because we already love these characters and this world, and we just want to play in it.

It's a different situation with original novels that you hope to publish. The plot, pacing, tension, and story beats have to be much, much tighter and more polished. Because people reading original work have no prior reason to be invested in it or care what happens - that's work that you have to do. For fanfic, that work was done for you by the original thing. Not to mention, the publishing world is so absolutely choked with competition, and the emphasis lies so heavily on sales, that if your book isn't fucking top-tier compelling, no publisher or agent will take a second look at it. Which is kind of unfortunate, because there's value in slower, more relaxed, more reflective storytelling, too - it's just not what capitalism has decided to value, which is sad.

But anyway.

When writing an original thing, I basically need a full plan - beginning to end, covering all plot points. Not necessarily all the details, just all the plot points - I need a skeleton and I need connective tissue. The rest comes later. But to start, I need to know what happens, why, and how the characters get from event to event. I need to know the physical story events, the emotional beats, and how those things logically flow throughout the story.

Some people can write without this and it still turns into a compelling story, tight narrative, etc. I envy these people. I have all respect for these people. I cannot do this. If I write original work with no plan, and especially without at least like 50-75% of a plan, I end up with something slow, meandering, and kind of limp. No bueno.

So, I usually use a beat sheet.

What's a beat sheet?

It's a 15-beat plotting structure used by screenwriters. And, yeah, technically it's for movies / screenplays. But storytelling is storytelling. And it's highly flexible. (And my favorite professor ever taught it to me in college so you can pry it out of my cold dead hands.)

Google it. It's what I use to make sure my (original work) plots are tight, have momentum, have a satisfying character arc, etc.

Okay, okay, I'll paste the basic structure below just so you can see wtf I'm talking about:

-_-_-

-Act I:

1) The First Frame

-What is the first thing we see? This should be a snapshot of the main character’s problem, before the story begins

-Ex: the Star Destroyer in A New Hope

2) The World Around Us

-What is the main character’s world like at the beginning of the story?

-What is missing in the main character’s life?

3) State the Theme (sneak this into The World Around Us)

-What is the story secretly about? This should happen during The World Around Us

4) Inciting Incident (smol tentpole)

-What happens to put the hero on the road? This is where the hero’s life changes forever.

5) The Hero Questions

-1st introspective moment

-Can the hero really do this? Should the hero chicken out?

-Oftentimes the hero fails at something

-Ex: Luke gets his ass beat by the raiders

-Act II:

6) Crossing the Threshold / The Emotional Hurdle (big tentpole)

-The main character makes a choice

-Beginning of Act II

7) The B Story / The Love Story

-Introduced here

-Often but not always a love story

8) Promise of the Premise

-Fun and games in the world you promised

-Horror movie? Creeps here!

-Sci fi? Space battles!

-Animation? Shenanigans!

9) Midpoint (big tentpole)

-The hero finds out that what they want is not what they need

-Luke rescues the princess - turns out that’s not really what the story was about

10) Bad Guys Close In / Throwing Rocks

-Events conspire to tear the hero’s goal to shreds

-Wesley is mostly dead, Inego is drunk, Fezzick is part of the brute squad

-This is the other side of the fun and games coin where things are no longer fun

11) All is Lost

-Something super bad happens, and that goal is impossible

-If someone important is gonna die, it’s probably now

12) The Pit of Despair (smol tentpole)

-The hero mourns the death (if someone died) and wallows in his/her lowest point

13) Inspiration

-A fresh idea

-Act III:

14) Come and Get Some / Final Confrontation (big tentpole)

-The final confrontation - the final showdown

-A and B stories wrapping up at the same time

-The theme makes sense and the battle is engaged

15) Final Frame

-Opposite of the first frame

-The hero is changed

-_-_-

It's what I use. But hey, you don't have to. What works for me might not work for you.

I'll finish this off by pasting in a section of actual real-ass planning I have open in a document for one of my novels at this moment (it's giving me the evil eye, I swear) so you can see what I kind of mean by "thought vomiting." Also note that in my actual document, the bullet points are indented incrementally to be kind of "nestled" underneath the relevant points, if that makes sense, and that it's a whole eye-watering mess of different colors. But for Tumblr, it's this:

-_-_-

-You have to be rescued by the rest of the team, because you fell down that hole - and you are, eventually, after screaming yourself hoarse some more (plus it’s been like an hour or more now, so they have since noticed that you were missing)

-I could gloss over this, like end the chapter when you run away, and open the next one with “It takes another half hour of screaming your throat nearly bloody before the team finds you,” or something

-They berate you for chasing after ghosts - you say you didn’t find anyone down there, because you know for damn sure nobody’s gonna believe what you think you saw, and you don’t even think you believe it

-This leads to a trip to the local doctor (a clinic, probs, akin to UrgentCare), which you’re not happy with because that’s more people taking notice of you

-However, you’re also going through the change in mindset here - see below

-Note: I as the writer don’t have to worry about the paperwork or whatever that you’d normally have to fill out, getting hurt on the job, because you weren’t officially hired - however, it would be a good “humanity is okay” moment if the guy who hired you came in and helped you with the medical expenses because he felt bad - he’d also probably be a little nervous about you suing or something, but you assure him that you have zero interest in that

-I could include a funny line where the guy says he’ll pay for your doctor bill and you try to say no (being indebted to someone is bad news for you) but he insists, because he says he feels responsible, and you just kind of stare at him and then blurt, “Do you need me to kill anyone for you?” (Something you probably regret as soon as you say it, not because you expect him to accept but because you abruptly remember what happened two days ago.) (Would it be too much to also add like “You want me to murder anyone for you? You want a blowjob? I will do anything,” and he gets flustered and bats it off like “Nah, nah, nah, chill out. You’re crazy, man.” And insists that you don’t need to pay him back)

-Here’s a decision I have to make - does the guy pay for your doctor bills as well as paying for your work today (leaving you enough money to potentially split town, but you decide not to), or do you have to pay the $2,500+ in doctor bills with no insurance for the injury, which raises the stakes by depleting all your money?

-I think I like Option A best, because it gives Sam more agency as a character if they decide to stay despite having the option to leave, versus them just being stuck completely - plus I don’t know how else I’d be able to explain away you having money for the hotel

-The guy who hired you pays you for the work day here - and maybe, just maybe, that gives you barely enough to buy that used car (although, why would it? It couldn’t have been more than like $200 for 8 hours of work, maybe $300 if he was really really desperate - if it was a really cheap used car, that might give you barely enough to buy the car but literally nothing left over)

-Point being, maybe you have enough money to bolt now, if you chose to - and you have to make the choice not to

-The car you found might be a $1,500 Honda Civic (or Jeep or whatever) with a dead battery, and the guy selling it says it should run fine with a new battery, which you Google (apparently it would be somewhere in the range of $100-$200) - maybe you think of how nice the mechanic was for you and wonder if you could cut a bit of a deal with him, if you get this car - and if the guy pays for your trip to the doctor and pays you for the temp work, this could just tip you into the margin of being able to afford the car, if you haggle with the seller

-_-_-

Or another example, with more actual sentences:

-_-_-

-As you approach the trailer you start to register a smell that turns your stomach - something like a porta potty and something like the sharp tang of rusting metal. It makes you pause - maybe there really is someone in there, using the place to live whether there’s a sewage hookup or not - it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing you’ve heard of. But after standing for a bit, silent and listening, and then hiding behind a large tree to chuck a rock at the vehicle to no response, you continue forward. You’ll just have to be cautious. Your spirits lift when you see the door. It’s completely grown over. (Leafy vines lace over it, tangling in the handle, yellowing and unbroken. If someone is living in there, they’ve been using the window to come and go, and that doesn’t seem all too likely. Bolstered by a new swell of confidence, and picturing the unlikely riches you might find stashed away in a cabinet or a glove compartment, you cross the last few feet towards the shape.

-You find the body and recognize it as one of the two obnoxious vlogging dudes from the motel

-I’m kind of imagining the moment of discovery like the wardrobe moment in Narnia where, during your nice forest trek, there’s been some pleasant acoustic music playing (like All the Pretty Girls by Kaleo maybe) and then it just stops abruptly in the middle of a phrase, maybe echoing slightly, when you see the body, and all at once everything is sickly silent.

-Oh dude, maybe you continue thinking it’s a duffel bag (possibly feeling pretty upbeat, though cautious until you’re literally about to step over it, and then you happen to glance down and get a sickening, chest-slamming shock when an empty human face is staring up at you

-Note: there should be mushrooms growing in, on and around the RV, because mushrooms are Creepy

-You go to investigate the RV

-Maybe you recognized the body as one of the vloggers and you’re trying to see if his friend is around - or maybe, in a kind of sick daze, you short circuit and find yourself doing the only thing you can think to do: continuing along your trajectory, stumbling towards the RV and tearing the rusted-out door free from the lattice of brittle vines that held it in place (this is what alerts The Dude that someone has been here), like if you just get to your original goal that’ll fix everything - somehow, if you just keep moving forward on the track you set out on, that thing won’t be real anymore - at the very least you have to get inside, to put a door between you and the body, like you’re pulling the blankets over your head to shield yourself from the boogeyman. Just as long as you’re not out there with, with...

-_-_-

Anywho, I'll stop.

I apologize again for... (scrolls up for a million miles) all of that, but you asked me about my passion and now you pay the price, lmao.

[betterdaysareatoenailaway]

Random Review #3: Sleepwalkers (1992) and “Sleep Walk” (1959)

I. Sleepwalkers (1992) I couldn’t sleep last night so I started watching a trashy B-movie penned by Stephen King specifically for the screen called Sleepwalkers (1992). Simply put, the film is an unmitigated disaster. A piece of shit. But it didn’t need to be. That’s what’s so annoying about it. By 1992 King was a grizzled veteran of the silver screen, with more adaptations under his belt than any other author of his cohort. Puzo had the Godfather films (1972 and 1974, respectively), sure, but nothing else. Leonard Gardner had Fat City (1972), a movie I love, but Gardner got sucked into the Hollywood scene of cocaine and hot tub parties and never published another novel, focusing instead on screenplays for shitty TV shows like NYPD Blue. After Demon Seed (1977), a movie I have seen and disliked, nobody would touch Dean Koontz’s stuff with a ten foot pole, which is too bad because The Voice of the Night, a 1980 novel about two young pals, one of whom is a psychopath trying to convince the other to help him commit murder, would make a terrific movie. But Koontz’s adaptations have been uniformly awful. The made-for-TV film starring John C McGinley, 1997′s Intensity, is especially bad. There are exceptions, but Stephen King has been lucky enough to avoid the fate of his peers. Big name directors have tackled his work, from Stanley Kubrick to Brian De Palma. King even does a decent job of acting in Pet Semetary (1989), in his own Maximum Overdrive (1986) and in George Romero’s Creepshow (1982), where he plays a yokel named Jordy Verril who gets infected by a meteorite that causes green weeds to grow all over his body. Many have criticized King’s over-the-top performance in that flick, but for me King perfectly nails the campy and comical tone that Romero was going for. The dissolves in Creepshow literally come right off the pages of comics, so people expecting a subtle Ordinary People-style turn from King had clearly walked into the wrong theatre. Undoubtedly Creepshow succeeds at what it set out to do. I’m not sure Sleepwalkers succeeds though, unless the film’s goal was to get me to like cats even more than I already do. But I already love cats a great deal. Here’s my cat Cookie watching me edit this very blog post. 

And here’s one of my other cats, Church, named after the cat that reanimates and creeps out Louis and Ellie in Pet Sematary. Photo by @ScareAlex.

SPOILER ALERT: Do not keep reading if you plan on watching Sleepwalkers and want to find out for yourself what happens.

Stephen King saw many of his novels get adapted in the late 1970s and 80s: Carrie, The Shining, Firestarter, Christine, Cujo, and the movie that spawned the 1950s nostalgia industrial complex, Stand By Me, but Sleepwalkers was the first time he wrote a script specifically for the screen rather than adapting a novel that already existed. Maybe that’s why it’s so fucking bad. Stephen King is a novelist, gifted with a novelist’s rich imagination. He’s prone to giving backstories to even the most peripheral characters - think of Joe Chamber’s alcoholic neighbour Gary Pervier in the novel Cujo, who King follows for an unbelievable number of pages as the man stumbles drunkenly around his house spouting his catch phrase “I don’t give a shit,” drills a hole through his phone book so he can hang it from a string beside his phone, complains about his hemorrhoids getting “as big as golfballs” (I’m not joking), and just generally acts like an asshole until a rabid Cujo bounds over, rips his throat out, and he bleeds to death. In the novel Pervier’s death takes more than a few pages, but it makes for fun reading. You hate the man so fucking much that watching him die feels oddly satisfying. In the movie, though, his death occurs pretty quickly, and in a darkened hallway, so it’s hard to see what’s going on aside from Gary’s foot trembling. And Pervier’s “I don’t give a shit” makes sense when he’s drilling a hole in the phone book, not when he’s about to be savagely attacked by a rabid St Bernard. There’s just less room for back story in movies. In a medium that demands pruning and chiseling and the “less is more” dictum, King’s writing takes a marked turn for the worse. King is a prose maximalist, who freely admits to “writing to outrageous lengths” in his novels, listing It, The Stand, and The Tommyknockers as particularly egregious examples of literary logorrhea. He is not especially equipped to write concisely. This weakness is most apparent in Sleepwalkers’ dialogue, which sounds like it was supposed to be snappy and smart, like something Aaron Sorkin would write, but instead comes off like an even worse Tango & Cash, all bad jokes and shitty puns. More on those bad jokes later. First, the plot.

Sleepwalkers is about a boy named Charles and his mother Mary who travel around the United States killing and feeding off the lifeforce of various unfortunate people (if this sounds a little like The True Knot in Doctor Sleep, you’re not wrong. But self-plagiarism is not a crime). Charles and Mary are shapeshifting werewolf-type creatures called werecats, a species with its very own Wikipedia page. Wikipedia confers legitimacy dont’cha know, so lets assume werecats are real beings. According to said page, a werecat, “also written in a hyphenated form as were-cat) is an analogy to ‘werewolf’ for a feline therianthropic creature.” I’m gonna spell it with the hyphen from now on because “werecats” just looks like a typo. Okay? Okay.

Oddly enough, the were-cats in Sleepwalkers are terrified of cats. Actual cats. For the were-cats, cute kittens = kryptonite. When they see a cat or cats plural, this happens to them:

^ That is literally a scene from the movie. Charles is speeding when a cop pulls alongside him and bellows at him to pull over. Ever the rebel, Charles flips the cop the finger. But the cop has a cat named Clovis in his car, and when the cat pops up to have a look at the kid (see below), Charles shapeshifts first into a younger boy, then into whatever the fuck that is in the above screenshot.

Now, the were-cats aversion to normal cats is confusing because one would assume a were-cat to be a more evolved (or perhaps devolved?) version of the typical house kitty. The fact that these were-cats are bipedal alone suggests an advantage over our furry four-legged friends, no? Kinda like if humans were afraid of fucking gorillas. Wait...we are scared of gorillas. And chimpanzees. And all apes really. Okay, maybe the conceit of the film isn’t so silly after all. The film itself, however, is about as silly as a bad horror movie can get. When the policeman gets back to precinct and describes the incident above (”his face turned into a blur”) he is roundly ridiculed because in movies involving the supernatural nobody believes in the supernatural until it confronts them. It’s the law, sorry. Things don’t end well for the cop. Or for the guy who gets murdered when the mom stabs him with...an ear of corn. Yes, an ear of corn. Somehow, the mother is able to jam corn on the cob through a man’s body, without crushing the vegetable or turning it into yellow mash. It’s pretty amazing. Here is a sample of dialog from that scene: Cop About To Die On The Phone to Precinct: There’s blood everywhere! *STAB* Murderous Mother: No vegetables, no dessert. That is actually a line in the movie. “No vegetables, no dessert.” It’s no “let off some steam, Bennett” but it’s close. Told ya I’d get back to the bad jokes. See, Mary and Charles are new in town and therefore seeking to ingratiate themselves by killing everyone who suspects them of being weird, all while avoiding cats as best they can. At one point Charles yanks a man’s hand off and tells him to "keep [his] hands to [him]self," giving the man back his severed bloody hand. Later on Charles starts dating a girl who will gradually - and I do mean gradually - come to realize her boyfriend is not a real person but in fact a were-cat. Eventually our spunky young protagonist - Madchen Amick, who fans of Twin Peaks will recognize as Shelly - and a team of cats led by the adorable Clovis- kill the were-cat shapeshifting things and the sleepy small town (which is named Travis for some reason) goes back to normal, albeit with a slightly diminished population. For those keeping score, that’s Human/Cat Alliance 1, Shapeshifting Were-cats 0. It is clear triumph for the felis catus/people team! Unless we’re going by kill count, in which case it is closer to Human/Cat Alliance 2, Were-cats 26. I arrived at this figure through my own notes but also through a helpful video that takes a comprehensive and complete “carnage count” of all kills in Sleepwalkers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmt-DroK6uA

II. Santo & Johnny “Sleep Walk” (1959) Because Sleepwalkers is decidedly not known for its good acting or its well-written screenplay, it is perhaps best known for its liberal and sometimes contrapuntal use of Santo & Johnny’s classic steel guitar song “Sleep Walk,” possibly the most famous (and therefore best) instrumental of the 20th century. Some might say “Sleep Walk” is tied for the #1 spot with “Green Onions” by Booker T & the M.G.’s and/or “Wipe Out” by The Surfaris, but I disagree. The Santo & Johnny song is #1 because of its incalculable influence on all subsequent popular music. 

I’m not saying “Wipe Out” didn't inspire a million imitators, both contemporaneously and even decades later…for example here’s a surf rock instrumental from 1999 called “Giant Cow" by a Toronto band called The Urban Surf Kings. The video was one of the first to be animated using Flash (and it shows):

So there are no shortage of surf rock bands, even now, decades after its emergence from the shores of California to the jukeboxes of Middle America. My old band Sleep for the Nightlife used to regularly play Rancho Relaxo with a surf rock band called the Dildonics, who I liked a great deal. There's even a Danish surf rock band called Baby Woodrose, whose debut album is a favourite of mine. They apparently compete for the title of Denmark’s biggest surf pop band with a group called The Setting Son. When a country that has no surfing culture and no beaches has multiple surf rock bands, it is safe to say the genre has attained international reach. As far as I can tell, there aren’t many bands out there playing Booker T & the M.G.’s inspired instrumental rock. Link Wray’s “Rumble” was released four years before “Green Onions.” But the influence of Santo and Johnny’s “Sleep Walk” is so ubiquitous as to be almost immeasurable. The reason for this is the sheer popularity of the song’s chord progression. If Santo and Johnny hadn’t written it first, somebody else would have, simply because the progression is so beautiful and easy on the ears and resolvable in a satisfying way. Have a listen to “Sleep Walk” first and then let’s check out some songs it directly inspired. 

The chords are C, A minor, F and G. Minor variations sometimes reverse the last two chords, but if it begins with C to A minor, you can bet it’s following the “Sleep Walk” formula, almost as if musicians influenced by the song are in the titular trance. When it comes to playing guitar, Tom Waits once said “your hands are like dogs, going to the same places they’ve been. You have to be careful when playing is no longer in the mind but in the fingers, going to happy places. You have to break them of their habits or you don’t explore; you only play what is confident and pleasing.” Not only is it comforting to play and/or hear what we already know, studies have shown that our brains actively resist new music, because it takes work to understand the new information and assimilate it into a pattern we are cogent of. It isn’t until the brain recognizes the pattern that it gives us a dopamine rush. I’m not much for Pitchfork anymore, but a recent article they posted does a fine job of discussing this phenomenon in greater detail.

Led Zeppelin’s “D’Yer Maker” uses the “Sleep Walk” riff prominently, anchored by John Bonham and John Paul Jones’ white-boy reggae beat: 

Here it is again with Del Shannon’s classic “Little Town Flirt.” I love Shannon’s falsetto at the end when he goes “you better run and hide now bo-o-oy.”

The Beatles “Happiness is a Warm Gun” uses the Sleep Walk progression, though not for the whole song. It goes into the progression at the bridge at 1:34: 

Tumblr won’t let me embed any more videos, so you’ll to travel to another tab to hear these songs, but Neil Young gets in on the act with his overlooked classic “Winterlong:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV6r66n3TFI On their 1996 EP Interstate 8 Modest Mouse pay direct homage by singing over their own rendition of the original Santo & Johnny version, right down to the weeping steel guitar part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT_PwXjCqqs The vocals are typical wispy whispered indie rock vocals, but I think they work, particularly the two different voices. They titled their version “Sleepwalking (Couples Only Dance Prom Night).”

Dwight Yoakam’s “Thousand Miles From Nowhere” makes cinematic use of it. This song plays over the credits of one of my all-time favourite movies, 1993′s Red Rock West feat. Nicolas Cage, Lara Flynn Boyle, Dennis Hopper, and J.T. Walsh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu3ypuKq8WE

“39″ is my favourite Queen song. I guess now I know why. It uses my fav chord progression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE8kGMfXaFU 

Blink 182 scored their first hit “Dammit” with a minor variation on the Sleep Walk chord progression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT0g16_LQaQ

Midwest beer drinkin bar rockers Connections scored a shoulda-been-a-hit with the fist-pumping “Beat the Sky:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSNRq0n_WYA You’d be hard pressed to find a weaker lead singer than this guy (save for me, natch), but they make it work. This one’s an anthem.

Spoon, who have made a career out of deconstructing rock n’ roll, so that their songs sometimes sound needlessly sparse (especially “The Ghost of You Lingers,” which takes minimalism to its most extreme...just a piano being bashed on staccato-style for four minutes), so it should surprise nobody that they re-arrange the Sleep Walk chords on their classic from Gimme Fiction, “I Summon You:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teXA8N3aF9M I love that opening line: remember the weight of the world was a sound that we used to buy? I think songwriter Britt Daniel is talking about buying albums from the likes of Pearl Jam or Smashing Pumpkins, any of those grunge bands with pessimistic worldviews. There are a million more examples. I remember seeing some YouTube video where a trio of gross douchebros keep playing the same progression while singing a bunch of hits over it. I don’t like the smarmy way they do it, making it seem like artists are lazy and deliberately stealing. I don’t think it’s plagiarism to use this progression. And furthermore, tempo and production make all the difference. Take “This Magic Moment” for example. There's a version by Jay & the Americans and one by Ben E King & the Drifters. I’ve never been a fan of those shrieking violins or fiddles that open the latter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bacBKKgc4Uo The Jay & the Americans version puts the guitar riff way in the forefront, which I like a lot more. The guitar plays the entire progression once before the singing starts and the band joins in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKfASw6qoag

Each version has its own distinctive feel. They are pretty much two different songs. Perhaps the most famous use of the Sleep Walk progression is “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers, which is one of my favourite songs ever. The guy who chose to let Bobby Hatfield sing this one by himself must have kicked himself afterwards when it became a hit, much bigger than "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiiyq2xrSI0

What can you say about “Unchained Melody” that hasn’t already been said? God, that miraculously strong vocal, the way the strings (and later on, brass horns) are panned way over to the furthest reaches the left speaker while the drums and guitar are way over in the right, with the singing smack dab in the middle creates a kind of distance and sharp clarity that has never been reproduced in popular music, like seeing the skyscrapers of some distant city after an endless stretch of highway. After listening to “Unchained Melody,” one has to wonder: can that progression ever be improved upon? Can any artist write something more haunting, more beautiful, more uplifting than that? The “need your love” crescendo hits so fucking hard, as both the emotional and the sonic climax of the song, which of course is no accident...the strings descending and crashing like a waterfall of sound, it gets me every fucking time. Legend has it that King George II was so moved by the “Hallelujah” section of Handel’s “Messiah” that he stood up, he couldn't help himself, couldn't believe what he was hearing. I get that feeling with all my favourite songs. "1979." "Unchained Melody." "In The Still of the Night." "Digital Bath." "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" "Interstate." "Liar's Tale." “Gimme Shelter.” The list goes on and on. Music is supposed to move us.

King George II stood because he was moved to do so. Music may be our creation, but it isn't our subordinate. All those sci-fi stories warning about technology growing beyond our control aren’t that far-fetched. Music is our creation but its power lies beyond our control. We are subordinate to music, helpless against its power and might, its urgency and vitality and beauty. There have been many times in my life when I have been so obsessed with a particular song that I pretty much want to live inside of it forever. A house of sound. I remember detoxing from heroin and listening to Grimes “Realiti” on repeat for twelve hours. Detoxing from OxyContin and listening to The Beach Boys “Dont Worry Baby” over and over. Or just being young and listening to “Tonight Tonight” over and over and over, tears streaming from my eyes in that way you cry when you’re a kid because you just feel so much and you don’t know what to do with the intensity of those feelings. It is precisely because we are so moved by music that we keep creating it. And in the act of that creation we are free. There are no limits to that freedom, which is why bands time and time again return to the well-worn Sleep Walk chord progression and try to make something new from it. Back in 2006, soon after buying what was then the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, I found myself playing the album’s closing track over and over. I loved the chorus and I loved the way it collapses into a lo-fi demo at the very end, stripping away the studio sheen and...not to be too punny, showing its bones (the album title is Show Your Bones). Later on I would realize that the song, called “Turn Into,” uses the Sleep Walk chord progression. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exqCFoPiwpk

It’s just like, what Waits said, our hands goes to where we are familiar. And so do our ears, which is why jazz often sounds so unpleasant to us upon first listen. Or Captain Beefheart. But it’s worth the effort to discover new stuff, just as it’s worth the effort to try and write it. I recently lamented on this blog that music to me now is more about remembrance than discovery, but I’m still only 35 years old. I’m middle-aged right now (I don’t expect to live past 70, not with the lifestyle I’ve been living). There’s still a whole other half life to find new music and love and leave it for still newer stuff. It’s worth the challenge, that moment of inner resistance we feel when confronted with something new and challenging and strange sounding. The austere demands of adult life, rent and routine, take so much of our time. I still make time for creative pursuits, but I don’t really have much time for discovery, for seeking out new music. But I’ve resolved to start making more time. A few years ago I tried to listen to and like Trout Mask Replica but I couldn’t. I just didn’t get what was going on. It sounded like a bunch of mistakes piled on top of each other. But then a few days ago I was writing while listening to music, as I always do, and YouTube somehow landed on Lick My Decals Off, Baby. I didn’t love what I was hearing but I was intrigued enough to keep going. And now I really like this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMnd9dvb3sA&pbjreload=101 Another example I’ll give is the rare Robert Pollard gem “Prom Is Coming.” The first time I heard this song, it sounded like someone who can’t play guitar messing around, but the more I heard it the more I realized there’s a song there. It’s weird and strange, but it’s there. The lyrics are classic Pollard: Disregard injury and race madly out of the universe by sundown. Pollard obviously has a special place in his heart for this track. He named one of his many record labels Prom Is Coming Records and he titled the Boston Spaceships best-of collection Out of the Universe By Sundown. I don’t know if I’ll ever become a Captain Beefheart megafan but I can hear that the man was doing something very strange and, at times, beautiful. And anyway, why should everything be easy? Aren’t some challenges worth meeting for the experience waiting on the other side of comprehension or acceptance? I try to remember this now whenever I’m first confronted with new music, instead of vetoing it right away. Most of my favourite bands I was initially resistant to when I first heard them. Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Guided by Voices, Spoon, Heavy Times. All bands I didn’t like at first.  I don’t wanna sleepwalk through life, surrounding myself only with things I have already experienced. I need to stay awake. Because soon enough I’ll be asleep forever. We need to try everything we can before the Big Sleep comes to take us back to the great blankness, the terrible question mark that bookends our lives.

[lifblogs]

It’s Time We Had the Talk

ACT TWO Fandom: Supernatural Rating: Explicit Characters: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Castiel Pairing: Destiel Summary: While Dean is dealing with the Mark of Cain, and Sam with his own trauma, they are drawn to a hunt in Elkins, West Virginia, where they join up with Castiel in solving the deaths of two partially eaten college students. DLSV TEASER | ACT ONE

ACT TWO

FADE IN:

INT. POLICE STATION/ENTRYWAY - DAY

DEAN All right, Sam, why don't you go check out the bodies? Cass and I will see what's in the evidence locker.

SAM Don't steal anything.

DEAN What? Who, me?

Dean makes a PFFT noise, patting Castiel on the shoulder.

DEAN Okay, come on, David Bowie.

Castiel squints. They begin walking away. ON Sam, who walks over to a POLICE OFFICER.

CASTIEL (O.S.) (b.g.) Would you steal anything?

DEAN (O.S.) (b.g.) Shh.

The Police Officer notices Sam, and she looks up at him.

SAM Hi, could you show me to the morgue?

He holds out his badge.

FADE TO:

INT. POLICE STATION/MORGUE

INSIDE COOLER

metal door OPENS with a loud sound, body board SLIDES out, we see Sam standing before cooler, hands in pockets

ON Sam. Small woman, MORGUE WORKER, near him, SLIDING out second body board.

SAM Thanks.

The Morgue Worker leaves. Sam lifts the sheets on both bodies. We see what was once Margot and Hunter. They are deathly pale, the remnants of bruises on their cold, stiff skin. Both their throats have been slashed deep, almost to the bone.

Sam lifts Hunter's sheet up further to get a better look. Surprise and disgust alight his face.

FADE TO:

INT. POLICE STATION/EVIDENCE LOCKER

Dean goes through files on a clipboard.

INSERT - CLIPBOARD

we see organized notes, and the number "004" is circled in red

BACK TO SCENE

DEAN Uh... let's see, looks like the stuff's in locker oh-oh-four.

He brushes against Castiel as he goes over, and Castiel comes up behind him. Dean puts in the combination.

CASTIEL Dean, you lied.

DEAN (laughing) Yeah, that's what all the girls say.

CASTIEL No, earlier. You lied when I asked you how you were doing.

Dean takes evidence out of the open locker, handing some of it to Castiel.

DEAN What am I supposed to say? That it sucks? That I'm having nightmares?

CASTIEL If that's you being honest, then yes.

Castiel deposits the evidence on one of the tables in the room, and Dean does the same. They stand across from each other, and put on gloves from a box off to the side.

DEAN I'm fine, Cass.

CASTIEL You don't look fine.

Dean shuffles through evidence, letting us see cell phones, bloody clothes.

DEAN What are you? A doctor?

Dean takes a phone out of the bag, inspecting it. The back is completely burned out. Dean drops it on the table. CLUNK.

CASTIEL No, Dean, I'm an angel. And I put your body back together all those years ago, so I know exactly what you're like.

DEAN (smiling, a little uncomfortable) Cass, don't flirt like that. You know I get all hot and bothered.

Beat. Castiel holds up a bag containing a crushed sprig of a lavender-colored flower. He frowns, observing it.

CASTIEL I think I found something.

DEAN (beat) The hell is that?

He walks over to take a look, leaning in close to Castiel.

CASTIEL (matter-of-factly) A flower.

DEAN Thank you... Vicki Vale. Come on, looks like we're doggy-bagging it.

FADE TO:

INT. MORGUE - DAY

Castiel and Dean enter the morgue. The sheets are back on the bodies.

SAM (rushed) Guys, great. I need you to look at this.

The sheet over Hunter is pulled back. SHOT on a gaping wound.

DEAN (frowning) Is that--?

SAM It was. And you see these marks right here? Wasn't cut off nice and clean. Some are jagged, like--

CASTIEL Like someone decided to eat the meat raw.

Sam scrunches his face in disgust, but has to restrain laughter.

SAM Uh... yeah. Thanks for that.

Castiel pulls back the sheet on the other body.

CASTIEL It would appear that Margot's genitals are missing as well.

Dean stares down at the body. He points.

DEAN Fantastic. But what's that?

Sam looks again, and then grabs a file off the table near him. Skims.

SAM Uh, she had an I-U-D.

DEAN So this thing, it--?

Sam HUFFS and nods. Castiel stares back and forth at them.

CASTIEL So it -- what?

SAM Cut out the I-U-D, and cauterized the wound.

DEAN Surgery-to-go.

Both Castiel and Sam give him pointed looks.

DEAN What?

CASTIEL The wound is older than the others. So whatever this thing is, it thought it had a reason to hurt her while she was still alive.

DEAN Or wanted to. (beat) Oh, and uh... (rifling through pockets) We found something too.

Dean pulls out the labeled bag with the flower. He hands it to Sam. Sam studies it.

CASTIEL We don't know what it is. Well, it's a flower, but--

SAM Yeah. Yeah, Cass. I got that. Guess it’s time to hit the books.

Castiel’s phone begins to ring.

CASTIEL Excuse me.

He goes over to the corner and answers it. Beat.

CASTIEL (into phone) Thank you.

Castiel hangs up.

CASTIEL I got the name of the person to talk to at the college.

DEAN Good, let me handle it while Sammy’s getting his rocks off on research.

SAM Dude.

CASTIEL I’ll go with you.

DEAN (uncomfortable) No, no. I uh... I got this. Just give me the info and we’re all good.

Sam and Castiel trade unsure looks.

Dean catches on. Smiles, dangerous and deceptive.

FADE TO:

EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS - DAY

Dean walks, exasperated. Castiel trails behind him, coat flaring as he easily keeps up.

DEAN I thought I told you I didn’t need a babysitter.

CASTIEL You do.

DEAN Fuck. Just let me handle this, okay?

Castiel stares hard at Dean. He’ll step in if he needs to.

INSERT - SIGN

the side of the brick has a sign reading “Student Life Services”

BACK TO SCENE

Castiel holds the door open for Dean. They head in.

FADE TO:

INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY

Sam sits on his bed, laptop open in front of him, along with a few books and notes. The evidence bag with the flower lies next to him.

He’s TYPING, researching.

Sam pauses, stuck in his research. He’s thoughtful, holds a hand to his face.

SERIES OF SHOTS - SAM RESEARCHING

A) Sam sitting at the table FLIPPING through books

B) Sam DRINKS from a beer bottle

C) Sam takes out flower and SNIFFS it, makes a comical, unsure face

D) Sam takes notes

E) Sam eats out of a box of pizza

F) Sam is TYPING on laptop

INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY

Sam leans back, seeming satisfied with himself.

INSERT - SAM’S LAPTOP

on the screen is a picture of the same lavender-colored flower, and lower and to the side is a wall of text, it’s titled as “Nepeta”

BACK TO SCENE

INSERT - LORE BOOK

beside Sam, aged book is open to a page in the middle showing typed and handwritten notes, drawing of flower takes up most of the page, the top of the page is titled Spirits Made Gods

BACK TO SCENE

SAM Gotcha.

FADE TO:

EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS - DAY

Castiel and Dean leave the building from earlier. They are frustrated with the case. They walk down the road.

DEAN Margot was popular, so she might've had enemies, but in sororities. Hunter was a recluse who barely left his dorm. And nothing odd was noticed before they were kidnapped. I can’t find a connection here.

CASTIEL They were both in relationships.

Dean shoots him an incredulous look.

DEAN It’s college. Everyone’s in a relationship.

CASTIEL It could still be a lead.

Dean GROWLS in frustration.

DEAN Just give me something to kill!

CASTIEL Dean--

DEAN Drop it, Cass.

Suddenly Castiel grips Dean by the front of his clothes. Slams him up against a wall. ON Dean. Stunned.

CASTIEL No, I will not drop it, Dean. This thing isn’t natural, or--or... you. Maybe you think it doesn’t matter, that you don’t matter. But Sam and I disagree. I. Disagree. So know that, learn it, feel it. You. Matter.

Dean opens his mouth, preparing to respond. He pauses. Castiel’s grip softens, running up and around the back of Dean’s neck. He brings their lips together.

Dean eagerly joins in, and the kiss quickly turns fierce, abrasive. They move together, press against each other. They are making out now.

SHOT through bushes. They are being watched. Castiel bites at Dean’s jaw.

BACK TO Dean and Castiel.

The Woman rushes at them, throws Castiel aside with surprising strength, making him CRY out. She grabs Dean by the throat.

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT TWO

[seb-owns-these-tatas]

Lost (B.Barnes) (Pt. 2)

PART 1

Characters: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Warnings: Buck having one of his triggers. Tony being Tony. Steve being Steve. Some Buck and Sam fight as per usual? 😅 But, with his favorite knife involved. Uh-oh. (Btw, I suck at action and there's probably lots of errors and such. 😢😂)

Words: 2,000+

A/N: I feel so loved by you all! THANK YOU! ENJOY THIS SECOND PART OF ‘LOST’! 

Disclaimer: GIF'S and pictures used are not mine. Only the edits are and the oneshot of course. 😉 Credits to the owners of the GIFS.

Tag list for this oneshot: @justlovelifeblog​ @wolfiegal98​ 

"H-Help..please," Dirt, grime and blood. You were covered with bits of glass that scratched your clothed body. Your suit ruined and slashed from the bombing. Everything that happened was too fast, catching you completely off guard.

"Go, Sam. I'll catch up." You shouted, running in a fast pace. Your partner, Sam Wilson flying above you. "Wha-What?!" He did a double take, and before he knew it you were gone in a flash.

"Damn it, Y/N." He uttered through the blue tooth. Flying back towards the Quinjet as he saw Natasha carrying Clint around his waist. All bloody and wounded. Sam could hear your staggering breath turn louder as you run back towards the underground compound. "What are you doing?!"

You huffed, breathing out of your mouth as you saw the little girl whom was trapped inside a small cage who was named Nadia that had a tattoo of a red octopus on her tiny, frail arm. Hydra. "Saving a little girl's childhood, Wilson!"

"Barnes is gonna kill me when you ain't here with me!"

"I can manage, Sam! I'm capable of taking care of myself!"

"Y/N--" The line was getting choppy and so was your eye vision. No. You couldn't faint right now. Not in the middle of a battle. The little girl sobbed harder when the both of you heard the earth rattle above you. "Shh, shh. Don't cry, little one. I've got you,"

"Get out--" Then the line went dead and so was your signal. You grabbed onto the little girl who was sucking her thumb, her violet eyes all red and completely swollen from crying all day.

There was something about Nadia that made you go back.

Thus, it was a huge mistake because there was only a second before the bomb went off.

"C-Cap?" You whispered so quietly that even one single word could pain you inside. Every move that you wish to do was left undone because you were wounded, weak and bleeding as you laid on the rocky ground, holding Nadia in your arms.

The kid was still alive, had a pulse but she definitely fainted from the shock and impact.

"J-James?" The tiny shake of the ground made your broken hopes heal, followed by faded foot steps which made you peacefully enter a different rialm that had Bucky, you and Nadia in it.

The snow made everything difficult for the hunt. Yet, nothing can stop Bucky Barnes when he was in the hunt for you. Especially when he knows you've been bombed and probably wounded or to make his heart shatter..you were already dead without him knowing.

"Barnes," Sam landed with a thud after the three of them did. Barnes couldn't help but scowl as he heard his voice. He was her partner. He trusted her that he'll be with her by hook or by crook but what happened? "You don't get to talk, Wilson."

Bucky unclasped the parachute and dropped it with a loud thud. The scowl turning nastier when he felt Sam walk closer to him. "I couldn't contact her--the signal's been jammed--"

"I trusted you with her, Sam!" He barked back, glaring at the Falcon with a nasty glint in his eyes. Oh, he was in rage. "Jesus Christ! I fucking trusted you with her because you've been her partner since day 1!" Bucky spat with venom in his words. Completely heedless that he was grabbing onto the body of his knife that he kept on his pocket.

Sam was unaware that he was grabbing onto his beloved knife, he was entirely focused on his fiery Steele blue eyes that suddenly turned a shade darker, in a blink of an eye, he could see that the person in front of him wasn't Bucky anymore and that made his heart skip a beat in the most frightening way.

Bucky was entirely kept uncompromised and so they didn't saw how fast he went to attack their co-Avenger, gripping him by the neck with his metal hand that made him growl as he fell on the ground with Bucky's weight on either side of him, tightly clutching onto him like a wild cat. Choking him and wanting nothing more than to stop him from breathing. The sharp tip of his knife right above his pulse, dipping it in the right amount that made it ooze blood.

It wasn't Bucky who was acting all hostile right now and they were all too shocked from the sudden change of character.

"S-Steve...N-Not--" Sam groaned, tugging onto his metal fingers wrapped around his neck. Groaning out the pain he could feel as Bucky was pressing his knife on his pulse, dripping more blood. Every second turning like he was drowning in hell because Bucky was also choking him tighter. "--B-Bucky!"

"Buck, stop!" Steve began to intervene, about to pull him away from his friend Sam but the man in front of him was faster to hit his core with his elbow, making him back away from the impact. "Damn it," Steve muttered beneath his breath and he noted how Tony finally decided to jump in and help after minutes of being awol.

"Language, Rogers." Tony spoke through the intercom, making everyone hear what he said. "Momma' will be so disappointed in you, Capsicle."

Steve could feel him get thrown on the ground, making him whimper. Bucky had him by the neck now, leaving Sam coughing out air as he tried to recover. "You're my mission,"

Tony was flying above the air, trying to search for you as well, however he got too distracted by what Bucky said because he could sense that Bucky wasn't entirely Bucky right now and it made him roll his eyes. "Oh, God. Not this again," Steve screeched from the sudden attack that Bucky did as he was his next target aside from Sam. Everybody who was in his way was like a Bull being taunted with a red cloth in front him. He was in for the kill. His fingers tightened around Steve's neck, using his legs to unstabilize Steve's right hand, pinning them on the ground with his knee that made him cry from how it was insanely twisted.

"It's amusing to watch him murder you, Cap." Tony uttered with amusement. Trying hard not to laugh out. "Damn..you..Tony! He's not...Bucky right...now!"

"I could tell," He mused, slightly chuckling as he watched the fight  from above. "Hey, Natasha--" Tony started, but was immediately cut off with a quick message as Natasha turned the intercom's after. "Not now, Tony. Get them to stop while I find Y/N." Toot.

Well, what a chirper.

Tony sighed, enthusiastically having his best hero landing beside Bucky who was planning to murder his 100 year old best friend. "Manchurian Candidate, step away from the grandpa," Iron man welcomed before he was kicked on the core, making him fly towards a dead tree.

Tony began to gather himself, standing up in a hot second like nothing happened. Guess he wouldn't turn back that easily. "Why do you always have to be so hostile, Barnes?" He asked more to himself, immediately detecting where Bucky was before he came to attack back.

Tony propelled forward till he pushed Bucky away from Steve. Bucky instantly rolled on the ground with an angry growl that made the snowy ground shake.

"Cap, will you do the honor? Or you're still going to be a little pissy because I basically ruined your moment with your best friend?"

Steve gathered himself, standing up from the ground and helping Sam go up on his feet, lending a helpful hand to pull his friend up. Tony eyed Bucky who seemed to had the 'I'm going to murder you' gaze that made him cuss in the back of his genius mind. "He's not stopping," He stated the obvious. Glancing back at Steve and Sam who were dusting the cold snow off their clothes. "Bucky, you gonna stop or??"

Apparently, Steve sounded so unamused. "He's not gonna stop, Tony."

"And you're letting him kill me next?"

Bucky was marching towards his way, grudgingly marching towards the man of Iron while stretching his metal arm that made a satisfying sound. Tony rolled his eyes, feeling the fatigue hit him hard. They were battling for days and now they didn't need another one of Bucky's triggered, Winter Soldier phases. "Christ. I'm blasting him off to bring him back,"

"Tony--" Steve started, stretching his twisted, slightly injured wrist, yet he was too late to react.

"Yep. Totally blasting him off."

He brought his armoured hands halfway, the familiar sound of his blasters turning on. "No--"

"Sleepy-bye, Barnes." His target turned red, and before Steve knew it. Tony just blasted his best friend off out in the air, making Bucky fall inside a hill full of snow that made him blackout. Well, he'll wake up any time soon. So, it was definitely not a problem.

"Yeet."

He heard a loud sigh came from Sam's place and Tony knew it was Steve and he was trying his hardest not to give him a little of his scolding. "Precautionary measures, Cap." Tony quickly saved himself from the long scolding from the famous Captain America. "Atleast, I didn't blast his robotic arm off,"

"Tony," Sam begun to start for Steve, and Tony opened his mask to see them face to face. He had a ridiculous look that made the both of them shook their heads in disappointment. "What? What was I supposed to do?!" Tony responded, pointing towards where Bucky flew and it was only a few meters away from them. "He was giving me the murder gaze!"

Steve tried to turn on his intercoms, tapping his ear as he tried calling out for Natasha. About to ask where she was because she was suddenly gone in a flash. "Nat?"

Tony decided to answer for him. "She turned the blue tooth off. Noting that I finish your kiddie games with Barnes and Noble over there." They could hear somebody's feet scratching the snowy ground, in their peripheral vision. The three Avengers could see a metal armed man lying prone on the cold, hard ground.

He stood up on his own, groaning at the same time as he grudgingly dragged his feet to where they were. A skeptical look on their heroic faces. "What the hell?" Bucky rasped, his head pounding from the fall. "What happened?"

"You were being the terminator again, Barnes." Tony answered for the three of them. "Oh, God. Was I?"

Their intercoms went static, it screeched that made the group of heroic walking testorerone wince from the sound. Something was bugging up their connection from Natasha.

"Nat?" Bucky decided to talk through the static connection, ceasing once he did.

"Winter was triggered that your princess was hurt, Barnes." Natasha breathed through the intercoms, her breathing loud before it quickly faded and turned normal. "Never worry, though." She added lightheartedly, "Cause I already have her in my arms,"

She promptly stood up from her position, as she knelt beside you a while ago. Caressing your bloody hair with pity and dread. "But she isn't in a very good condition," She spoke through the intercom, sounding like she was in a hurry.

"As well as this kid,"

Bucky's heart fell because he knew Natasha wasn't exaggerating and he'll be facing the consequences once you'll be brought back to the headquarters.

It will be one heck of a consequence that could break Bucky's healing soul.

TELL ME WHAT YA THINK ABOUT THIS ONE SHOT, TATER TOTS! THE FIRST PART IS LOCATED AT THE VERY TOP OF THIS ONE SHOT! I’VE INCLUDED THE LINK THERE! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT TATER TOTS!

XOXO, TATA  ❤💕

[blapisblogs]

After that song ends and Corey Taylor gets a glimpse of something we’ll come back to later, we then cut to “young Corey Taylor” getting smacked and sassed by... Rob Scallon as the teacher? Yeah, Doug not only got Corey Taylor and his son Griff for this, he also brought in another musician. At least he got to contribute more to the music in this “review” than Corey Taylor did. Apparently he’s dating Tamara Chambers and that’s how he got involved with this (which makes the fact that Tamara’s here as one of his “students”... awkward at best), but judging by how desperately he’s tried to erase any mention of his involvement with this after the severe backlash it got, I’m guessing that he now regrets this. Anyway, hello, other Doug Walker regular Malcolm Ray. I have no clue who the other two “students” are, but I can only guess that they’re other regulars for Doug’s stuff. (Edit from the future: I think the other guy’s name is Walter? I know nothing about him except he works for Doug and I guess he likes Power Rangers.) All of them have high-pitched dubbed-in voices (I guess to make them sound younger in a “funny” way), and it’s really grating. Like... If you’ve read through my liveblogs about Sonic X, then you remember how I hated it whenever Bokkun said literally anything, right? Well it’s not quite as bad as him as far as the pitch goes, but it is just as annoying, if not even more so because there’s multiple people with high-pitched voices and the lyrics they get to sing in this part aren’t just annoying, they’re insulting.

Oh yeah, did I mention they sing for this next parody song?

If you know the album or the movie, you're probably already dreading this, and it's just as bad as you fear, maybe even worse. Yes, we’re at what’s probably the most popular song from The Wall: the BAFTA award-winning “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)”. If you don’t know, that song is preceded by “The Happiest Days of Our Lives”, which is so connected with it that most of the time it’s considered part of “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” itself, as I’ve always heard it credited as part of that song on the radio. Doug does seem to know the difference though, as he notably does not parody the lyrics from “The Happiest Days of Our Lives”, which to me is a problem: that part is integral to knowing the story behind the song that follows it because it’s the part that talks about how the children in the school were abused by their teachers. Again, since Roger Waters based a lot of this off his own life and he grew up in a time where the teachers were legally allowed to physically and emotionally abuse their students, it’s pretty obvious that’s what the song’s about. Even without including “The Happiest Days of Our Lives”, Doug still parodied the scene where the teacher was humiliating young Pink in front of the entire class, reading his poems aloud and calling them “absolute rubbish” (though for this “review” it’s the teacher insulting Taylor’s musical taste in Pink Floyd, which is still shitty and psychologically damaging, and really upsets me as an autistic person who’s had their interests mocked multiple times). Despite all this, Doug claims Waters is just being a crybaby and exaggerating how bad his school life was when the abuse he suffered and the damage it caused him was real and very serious. You can say what you want about Waters’s ego, Doug, but making fun of someone for being abused, especially as a child, is a line that you should never cross.

It seems like Doug’s not satisfied enough with mocking what Roger Waters was talking about regarding his school life, though, because he goes as far as to mock all people who complain about school, dismissing detailed dissections of what’s wrong with today’s education system as “long-winded rants”. I’m convinced he didn’t actually read these “rants” he’s mocking, because there are serious problems with our education system. I could go into all the shitty things that I personally had to go through as an autistic kid, but you can find plenty of better, more detailed posts and articles talking about how fucked up America’s education system is today, to say nothing of what England’s school system was like in the 50′s (you know, the time period and experience Waters was clearly talking about with this), and this post is already long enough before I can even properly rip into this dreadful parody.

As the turd on top of this shit sundae, Doug Walker does a Dracula impression for part of the song because he’s saying that Roger Waters is calling all teachers “monsters” (yes, that’s literally the only reason). More specifically, it’s the Dracula played by Adam Sandler in the Hotel Transylvania franchise, where Sandler was already doing a weak impression of Bela Lugosi. Basically Doug’s doing an annoying, shitty impression of an already annoying, shitty impression.

Kill me.

[Lyrics (and snark) below the cut]

NC: We need more victimization (There are no good teachers! Not one! Not even by accident!) We need more stuff to rebel

[I know some people will complain about literally anything, but did you actually pay attention to what the album and film were saying? That teachers who abuse their students and try to quash their creativity and individuality is bad, something that Waters himself has clarified in interviews regarding the very song you’re parodying here? Do you not agree with that?]

(We don’t want to help you! We just want to eat your blood and suck your brains!) Though our education system’s broke (Wait, maybe it’s the other way around. I don’t know, I got a high school education! Muahahahaha!) This is pandering like hell

[You reviewed Norm of the North, Boss Baby, and the Emoji Movie despite none of those having ties to anything nostalgic (you even admitted as much in your review of the former), which was the entire point of the Nostalgia Critic. If that's not you pandering to your fanbase who just likes hearing you yell about bad movies, then I don’t know what is.]

(Remember that one teacher who seemed cool? He wasn’t! He was all part of the plan!) Hey! Who cares? All this bitching sells!

[Clearly it does considering your whole internet career is founded on that.]

(Remember that one teacher who seemed really kind and gave you candy?) Well oh well, we’ve got another hit in The Wall (That candy was really sugar-coated children's’ souls!) L-O-L, so school sucks. Grow a damn pair of balls.

[Okay, Boomer. You first. (Before anyone goes “well actually he’s not a Boomer”: I don’t care. This is such a Boomer message that a Boomer may as well be saying it.)]

(Children’s souls! We’re so evil! Muahahahaha!)

[I’m sorry for including all the evil laughing in this transcription, but it’s just as annoying to hear it, trust me.]

Bokkun “Child” chorus: Real cool visualizations (It’s all part of the plan so that you’re more likely to get a job when you’re older!) Milking your gloom and pity (Muahahahahaha! How terrible is that? Muahahahahaha! Muahahahaha!)

[Considering how schools in the way they operate now make students lose sleep, stresses them out over numbers that are assigned to tasks that have been forced upon them, and has been outdated for years since that’s not how most jobs work anymore... Yeah, it actually is terrible. You even said earlier that there are problems with our current education system, yet now you’re making fun of people who criticize it? Make up your mind.]

You hated school, who the hell didn’t? (It’s like those ‘90s commercials where the adults look like bad guys!) What’s next, hating DMVs? (Except they weren’t 90s commercials, they were really mini-documentaries! It’s all true! Muahahahaha!) Hey! Waters! Leave it on F-B!

[We get it already, Doug, you really hate Waters’s ego and the things he talks about in these songs. You’ve already talked about that in your previous parody, can you move onto something else about the movie that isn’t that? So far you’re making it sound like that’s the only thing worth talking about regarding this film.]

(We really don’t see what makes Cinnamon Toast Crunch so great!) All and all, complaining doesn’t mean much at all

[Well, at least you’re able to admit that your career means nothing.]

(Because we’re old! Muahahahaha!) But who cares, it’s still a damn cool song in The Wall (Bleh bleh bleh bleh, I’m a teacher, bleh bleh bleh bleh!)

[In case anyone was wondering why I said it was Adam Sandler’s shitty Bela Lugosi impression he was doing and not just a shitty Bela Lugosi impression, there you go. (For those who don’t get it: the “bleh bleh bleh” thing is a recurring “joke” in at least the first Hotel Transylvania. Yes, it’s as lame as it sounds.)]

We still need more persecutions (Muahahahahahaha! Ahehahahahahehe suck your blood, bleh!) (??) need to hear you (???) (Stabula!)

[I’m giving this my best shot, I really am, but... all I hear for that last set of question marks there is a really inappropriate c-word.]

What are you big boys to say school’s lame? Based on a long-winded rant?

[Hmm, posts and articles made by people who know what they’re talking about explaining how the American school system (since that’s what you’re basing this on rather than the one Waters wrote about) needs some serious retooling in order to cause less burnout, stress and trauma with literal children that can and will affect them in the short and long term when they grow up, or some internet jackass who gets paid for yelling at things and hasn’t been to a high school since at least the 90′s. Gee, I wonder whose opinion on that subject matters more in this situation. (That was sarcasm, by the way, for those who couldn’t tell.)]

Hey! Twitter! (???) bloody (???)!

[I’ve tried my best to figure out what they’re saying here, but this is one of the few times that I cannot actually tell no matter how hard I try, I’m sorry.

So anyway, the TL;DR version of what I think of what this parody song has to say about the original can be summed up in one Kermit gif:

...Why aren’t I watching The Great Muppet Caper instead?]

[ofcjessa]

I’m not good at intros! But hello, i’m sola (she/her) and i’m glad to be apart of this c: i’m twenty three and live in the eastern time zone! this my wild girl jessa, she’s a bit complex but who doesn’t love that! hit this like button and i’ll bother you!

*  ╰   it’s  an  absolute  dishonour  to  meet  you ,  jessica / jessa    .  at  twenty-two ,  you’ve  disgraced  the   blackwood   family  name  &  failed  to  carry  on  their  legacy  as  an  elite  .  as  a  result  ,  they’ve  requested  that  we  at  the  academy  do  our  best  to  rid  you  of  your  venality  ,  &  seeing  as  though  they’re  worth    95m  ,  we  dutifully  obliged  .  while  your  recklessness &  cunning  attributes  have  always  promised  failure  , it’s  your  spar  with  wrath  &  intentionally crashing your exe’s new car on his birthday that  got  you  committed  .  before  we  take  possession  of  you  ,  it’s  imperative  that  we  know  that  you  are  a  female who  prefers  she/her pronouns  ,  &  you  resemble  laura harrier  .  your  birthday  is  on mar 24th ,  making  you  a  bewildered aquarius  ,  &  you  were  transported  to  us  all  the  way  from  san diego, calfornia  .  at  the  present  time  ,  you  work  on  campus  at  the bookstore  .  go  ahead  &  purchase  that  extra  large  suitcase  ,  disgrace  .  you’re  going  to  need  it .  /  penned  by  sola  ,  23,  she/her,  eastern.

 Jessica parent's are important to people in this world, and at a young age she had to understand that. Her mother owns a microprocessor company, and her father was a famous actor in the 90s (and now )/humanitarian. There would be rare times where family was together, it seemed that they never had time for eachother...or for her. Growing up, she was a little loner. She had friends, but she only was around them because her mother insisted. When her parent's were away, she stayed with her grandparents or with her nanny.

⦁ During her childhood, Jessa had problems expressing her feelings. Jessa was always told to stay in her place as a child, but it was hard to listen when her parents we're never there. She once told her nanny that she respected her mother than her parents. Also, during school, Jessa was quick to anger because built up emotions. The only time her parents noticed was because of the nanny, so they sent her to therapy. The last straw was the outburst she had at her parent's dinner party. Just a small Jessa screaming at her parents, exposing the lack of existence. They we're so embarrassed that they sent her away to her grandparent's, and they spent a week with her...and bought her a bunch of things. Then they just kept buying her things she wanted to shut her up....and in the long run it wasn't a good idea.

⦁ Jessa  parents had her in the spotlight once in a blue moon. They will stick cameras in her face when her father does something good for the world, or her mother making into Forbes. They wanted to have this image as a humble family, and she will hold the image for them but Jessa was known as a different person outside of that.

⦁ Jessa can't remember not one time she missed a high school party. Even as a freshman, she gained popularity from her status. But she was never the go with the crowd kind of person. She loved parties, and going on adventures with her friends with out telling her parents. Jessa was the “wild child” with her friends .Never cared, reckless, just a venturesome kid who knew the dangers but just took her anyways because.....why the hell not. She had everything that she wanted.  Her  mother and father was concerned and tired of a behavior, and started to give ultimatums that they couldn’t keep themselves. After while she grew out of her partying days and started focusing on her future.

⦁ The reason her parents threw her to the academy, because she took it too far. Jessa knows how to push her parents buttons enough for them to quake until she's satisfied. Her boyfriend was someone that her parents liked since they set them up together. She liked him but in the long run he was used her to get close to her mother.

⦁ Jessa had her suspicion that he was cheating on her. She could never confront him on the matter because it never seem like the right time. Finally, she went to her mother to get a little advice, but her mother brushed it off as "paranoia". Jessa never spoke on it again, until she gathered more confidence to ask her exe herself. He told her what she wanted to hear, and she let him off until she started recieving texts.

⦁ A day before her ex's birthday, she received texts from the other girl who threaten to release the texts to social media. He was cheating on her also. Jessa was never the one to cry, but that's the first time she experienced heartbreak. There was times that night Jessa thought her plan was...unnecessary but...no one was going to make her cry.

⦁ On the night of his birthday, Jessa drove his new car...her parent's bought him to welcome into her mother's company, and crashed it in a ditch....with her in it. They founded her bloody on the side of the road with a cigarette in her mouth. And she was arrested for disturbing the peace. Luckily her father knew the chief of police, and they let her go the next day. It already got social media attention, and her parents had to make public apology. When she came back home, her bags we're packed and ready to go.

Jessa has the sweetest face, that could turn on you in a minute. She's embodiment of bothered in the outside, but probably planning your doom inside. She doesn't share too much about herself as she thinks it's easy to find out who she is. Her emotions is complex, sometimes it's better for her to keep her mouth close, but most of the time she's straightforward and never bite her tongue.  Jessa has times where he’s this down to earth, humble girl, and flip the script and become wacky and wild. But also having a lot of love to give, but doesn’t know how to show it.  Jessa is still reckless, and that's will be the hardest thing during her time at the academy. She's observant and calculative, she carefully weighs each word and action to her advantage.

Connections

1. partners-in-crime ; this is my favorite , not gonna lie . it sounds really lame but something like a wingman , but not really a sidekick . two characters ( they don’t have to get along extremely well !! ) who stick by the other’s side when in trouble && they often commit a lot of pranks/tricks on other people. seen by other characters as inseparable , this can be an alternative to a best friend of sorts ? or you could just have partners who don’t really get along well but still do things together because the dynamic is amazing !! and everyone just stares in awe at the two tbh because if you can become partners-in-crime with your enemy , you might as well be super dangerous !!

5. we always meet wtf ? ; ok i don’t have a proper name for this i’m so sorry !! anyway like two characters who meet everywhere they go ,, like at the bakery, on the street, on a train ,, wherever it is ,, you name it , they’ve met there at least thrice . and you can make it so it’s intentional or not ,, the freedom is yours to choose !! and it could go anywhere from here !!

7. childhood friends ; this one is super simple but can either be angsty or just nice ! maybe they could’ve been inseparable as children but grew apart because of their clashing personalities , or they can still be inseparable now , but one has a crush on the other. ( bonus points if it’s a same-sex friendship & one’s straight / hasn’t come out ) they could also have never spoken in a decade and it will either be a. awkward or b. super nice and fun and friendly !! this can go in so many ways i’m just gonna let your imaginations flow !!

8. friends-with-benefits ; this is fun — maybe they’re not exactly fucking , just kissing and always flirting with each other as they go . some can be shameless , others more secretive & choosing to keep it away from their other friends , while some just show it off to the whole world. not necessarily a relationship , but not just friends either — this label can encompass the grey area between the two distinct platonic & romantic relationships, so go wild !! have fun with this idea ! woo !

9. enemies ; ok so who doesn’t love an angsty rivals/enemies plot ? and to top it off , maybe one has a thing for the other , or maybe they’ve done something wrong to the other , like blackmail them , cheat with their partner etc etc. or it could just be a competition for popularity or being number one in sports , studies , anything tbh !! this is fun & a really refreshing connections from all the types of friends you’ve got !! maybe even ‘we’re enemies in front of you but we’re fooling around behind your back’ ?

10. sweethearts ; they don’t have to necessarily ever date , just two very liked people who everyone seems to think are dating , or are fooling around . maybe they haven’t , and actually resent each other , or they’ve fucked and loved it too much but a parent disapproves of the relationship , it can go so many ways i’m just going to leave it at this !!

11. work buddies/class; this is very generic & more like acquaintances , but can also lead to something cool , like ‘hey we’re supposed to be doing a project but instead we’re egging your neighbor’s house’ or ‘i really like you and i know a lot about you but i’m going to pretend i don’t know a thing because then it’ll get awkward fast’. something along the lines of ‘weren’t you the person i had a one-night stand with?’ would also be neat !!