#she's going to be 56 next season and also will never be 56 and she's still counting the years in a way that feels very teenage

[aflawedfashion]

Ghosts 1x17 / 2x21 / 2x20 - Trevor and Stephanie, born the same year, but haven't been the same age since 1987

[gegewrites]

Dr.house- 2 am(smut)

Time wise takes place in season 1, I don't think my timelines exactly right but I can't find exact dates since they're lot really specified.

I’m on a Fuckin role!

4.2k words!!! Not at all edited I just finished this and posted it

5/22/23

Your pov-

It's not every night you get a call from Greg House  to come to his apartment at 2 in the morning...but here I was standing in the entrance room of apartment 221 about to knock on the door to apartment B.

I've been to his house before, I've known the asshole for 11 years, I met him a year before his golfing incident.

I raised my hand and knocked on the door, loud enough for him to hear, quiet enough to not alert the neighbors. I waited for a few seconds of nothing and knocked again, a few seconds later it opened.

"Get in." He promptly spoke, turning around and immediately walking away.

I came in, shutting the door behind me. I kicked my slippers off as i gazed over at the piano, which was obviously being used a bit earlier by the open music and shuffled around music sheets on top. Last week it was tucked in the corner, now it's facing out into the room. One guitar was hung on the wall, the other on a floor stand.

On his coffee table was a half empty bottle of whiskey and a few scrambled folders.

"I was sleeping you know." I said as he came out of the kitchen with a mug. He was still in his work clothes, well the T-shirt and pants part of it, and Now I'm noticing the smell of coffee.

"Fully aware, sit." He plopped down onto the couch and leaned forward, resting his cane against the arm of the couch on his side.

I let out a sigh as I walked over, plopping down next to him. He handed me the red mug right away and I grabbed it.

"That's one hell of a tank top." He commented and I looked down at myself. It was white, and tight. I didn't get dressed alright, I threw on some plaid pj pants, grabbed a zip up hoodie, and threw on my slippers and left.

"Shut the fuck up Greg. I gotta be in the office at six." I took a sip from the mug,"this is fucking good."

"Good, so look at this." He handed me a whole file so I put the mug down on the table and leaned back with the folder.

"Anna Mae Johnson, 56, female..Hallucinating and loosing her vision." I looked up from the file and looked at him, leaned back in the corner of the couch holding a glass of whiskey. "Are you kidding me?"

"No. You were the only neurologist that picked up my call." He shrugged. I'm not just a neurologist, I'm also an ophthalmologist and general surgeon. I didn't let my scholarships at Stamford go to waste. "And, frankly I don't feel like spending another 3 hours with this women."

"Wilson didn't pick up?" I raised my brow.

"Oh no, he did. And he told me to fuck off." He half smiled for a second and i rolled my eyes.

"Could've called me down when I was at the office Greg." I shook my head at him,"Wheres the scans and tests?"

"Red folder." I put down the file and opened up the red folder.

I saw brain scans and negative labs, I was looking for an Amsler grid report or a OCT.

"Did you get an ophthalmologist to look at her eyes?" I looked over at him and he raised his brow at me,"her eyes. She's loosing her vision, did you get some sight tests?"

"Should be something in there." I rolled my eyes at him as I flipped through papers,"Why her eyes?"

"I thought diagnostic medicine was your specialty?" I shot at him and heard his scoff," because macular degeneration, loosing the vision." I opened up the patients file and flipped to the medical history, I felt him shift on the couch, he was sitting closer to me, leaning forward to look at the file...or maybe my chest.

"The gears are turning." He poked my temple.

"Alright, She started having problems with her vision 3 months ago, blurry and getting worse. She went to the eye doctor to change her prescription, it worked for 3 weeks and she never went back. Could be wet AMD."

"abnormal blood vessels growing under the retina. Which have been leaking blood or other fluids, which causes scarring of the macula."he nodded slowly as he looked towards the fireplace.

"So do Anti-VEGF treatment. But the hallucinations aren't a symptom of the AMD. Could be Charles Bonnet syndrome, that's a symptom of vision loss, lack of light entering the Retina so the brains creating images to fill the void." I explained and he hummed.

"can't treat the CBS, but we can treat the AMD, either with the anti-VEGF or laser surgery."

"VEGF first, then the laser." I closed the folders and grabbed the mug and leaned back in the leather couch. "what else?"

"That's really it."He looked back at me and I cocked my head in disbelief at him.

"You didn't know it was AMD or CBS?" I took a sip and he shrugged.

"Had a slight idea, needed a 4th opinion." He grabbed the whiskey bottle and opened it, pouring some into his glass. He closed it and leaned back, holding his glass on his right thigh.

"At two AM?"

"We'll considering you were teaching from three to five, i couldn't bother you. I knew I could get you at two AM, I've gotten you at four." I shook my head as I took snother drink from the mug,"why haven't I hired you?"

"Because I like having my own office." I answered,"my turn, why in the last eleven years haven't I slapped you yet?"

"We'll, for like 5 of those I was married."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"Might've wanted to jump my bones afterwards, I've heard some things." I let out a laugh at the smug look in his face.

"We were both single, horny, and drunk." I crossed my right ket over my left leg,"it doesn't count."

"Oh wilson counts it." He smirked snd wiggled his brows. I let out a sigh, and ran my tongue under my bottom k-9s with a smirk on my face.

"I'm not tell-"he cut me off promptly.

"I don't need you too, I've heard it already." He looked away from me and looked over at the fireplace again and then to the coffee table.

"Oh really? What was your favorite part?" I asked sarcastically, Wilson told me he didn't tell anyone we screwed, but I know Greg doesn't count.

"When you- and I quote- sucked his soul from his dick and then rid him like a fucking pornstar." He finally looked at me,"the scratches you left on his back were also very impressive."

"Wow alright." I felt my heart in my throat, not in a bad way.

I sat up and placed the mug on the table, uncrossing my legs and standing up.

"I'm going-"

"No you're not," he grabbed my wrist, not hard but strong enough to keep me,"you wanna see how far this will go. You're blushed, got a little shake in your hand." He let go it my wrist," And I gotta say, your tits look great. It'd be a crime to not give them attention."

"Is that the Vicodin or whiskey talking?" I sat down if the edge if the couches arm, he was placed in the middle of the couch now.

"Me."

"What? Is a Hooker not available for a night call?" I love giving him a hard time.

"I thought she did arrive?" He gasped and looked at me with a shocked expression. I scoffed at him.

"So what? You call me to come here, have me look at your patients files and solve it for you, and now you think I'm gonna fuck you?"  I crossed my arms and he cocked his head before nodding.

"I don't think you are, I know you are. Wilson's bad at keeping secrets and you like to talk." He took a drink from his glass,"so either we can fuck, or you can just keep waiting, but you've been waiting awhile so I don't think you want to."  My jaw dropped slightly at his words. Damnit Wilson. 

I slid off the arm and sat down next to him, my toros turned to him, my arm resting on the head of the couch, my brows furrowed.

"So I'm actually here to fuck you?" I asked,"you couldn't wait. just had to have me huh?"

"I can blame you for my acute insomnia lately, that's why I'm awake."  He leaned forward and out his glass on the table.

"I've finally gotten under Dr.houses skin haven't I?" I raised my brow, a smirk on my face.

"You've been under my skin for awhile, it's not new." That was news to me. these last couple of months it seemed like he could care less. He kept me around, but it wasn’t the same. I knew how he was though, why I never brought it up.

“Really?” I got a surge of confidence, and I took it.

I used my leverage on the couch to move and straddle his thighs, making sure I was careful when coming around to his right leg. His hands immediately came and sat on my thighs

“Thought you were leaving?” He looked over his shoulder to the door,”or was I right?”

“You’re right, I wanna jump your bones.”

“What about your six AM shift?” His hands left my hips and came up to take hold of my hoodie by the collarbones,”suddenly not important because you know you’re gonna get fucked?”

“I suddenly don’t have to go in till nine.” He pushed my hoodie off, I let it fall off my arms and he watched it do so, he then tossed it down to the side of the coffee table. When he looked up at me, I let my lips come down on his, he responded quickly. My hands sat on his shoulders and His hands sat on my ass, he used the grip to pull me closer to him. My chest pushing into his.

I could taste the whiskey on his tongue and the coffee on mine. His beard tickled my chin and all I could think about was how it would feel in between my legs, the thought made my hips grind down on him. His finger tips pushed into my skin as he joined in on the motion. Rocking my hips steadily down on his hardening cock in his pants.

A hand slid from his shoulder to the back of his head, my fingers carding through his hair. I could feel my heartbeat in my pussy, snd I could myself getting wet.

He pulled away from me shortly after, but his lips came back to my skin. Placing a trail of kisses from my jaw to my neck, the feeling of his beard caused a small moan to escape as his hands slid up the back of my ass and took hold of the hem of my tanktop.

I felt him bundling it in his hands, though his lips didn’t leave my neck yet, he wasn’t bitting or sucking just leaving open mouth kisses as he traveled to my collarbones and placed a kiss in between them.

His eyes met mine again, his pupils more dilated then before. He didn’t say anything but took the moment to start lifting my tanktop off snd I let him, he tossed it behind me to my hoodie.

“I knew they were nice, but wow.” His eyes were glued on my chest like a teenage boy to his first playboy magazine. his hands rubbed up and down my waist,”sure they’re real? I’ll be able to tell.”

“They are.” I replied as his hands took hold of them, massaging them. I pressed them harder into his hands, I just wanted to feel him. If I was gonna screw Dr.House, I might as well make it good.

I kept my hips rocking on him, my hips rocking faster and I tried to keep my upper half as still as possible. his hard cock rubbing against my clothes pussy. What a night to wear lace to bed. He pressed kisses to my left breast before taking my nipple into my mouth, that hand slid down my ribs and pushed past the band of my pants and slipped right past my panties.

His tongue swirled around the bud as his finger ran right over my slit before diving to my clit.

“Aah yes.” I sighed out, finally reviving what I want, focusing on grinding into his finger. he wasn’t moving it, just keeping it there for me to use. I appreciate it. His mouth left my nipple and me pressed a kiss between both my breasts. Another moan left my mouth as my head lulled back, my lips stayed parted.

“Wet and needy, just as I was hoping.” His hand slipped away from my breast and onto my waist, he held it tightly,”the tough doctor turns into a little bitch when aroused.”

“Focus on me, not yourself.” I retorted and he scoffed.

Something I was expecting was getting flipped my off of him. He had me pinned under him, his good leg kneeled on the couch, keeping my right leg pinned to the back of the couch, also keeping him stable with the help of his new found grip on the couches arm. His finger didn’t leave the clit In the motion, so he started rubbing faster, even added a second finger.

My chest started rising a bit faster as more moans left my lips, and in true men-fashion, right as it was getting good…he pulled away. His hand exited my pants, but both hands came and met the band of my pants. His weight shifted to his good knee as he pulled both pieces of clothing down my legs, lifting them up when needed, then letting them fall. He tossed the clothing with the rest and I sat up and grabbed onto the collar of his shirt, taking a moment to start a heated kiss, one that lasted long enough to slide my hands to the hem of his shirt and start pulling it up.

I pulled away from him to get it over his head and arms and threw it behind Me. Grabbing his face and pulling him back down with me resuming the kiss. Grabbed my previously pinned leg and held it over his hip and pulled away from me. His right hand came back down to my pussy. Wet and begging for anything; Which he gave. His middle finger came down to my core, circling it before diving in. A moan louder then the rest ripped out of me.

“If only I could get that sound copied on a record, could listen to it all day.” I looked at him through slotted eyes, meeting his blue ones which shifted from my gaze to my Pussy. His ring finger joined his middle finger, pumping out of me in a medium pace. My back was sticky against the leather as my back lifted up, my boobs lightly bouncing as my chest rose and fell.

“Feels fucking great.” I moaned out, my eyes falling closed. I felt the couch shift and then lips and a beard against my inner thigh. Trailing open mouth kisses to my core. I couldn’t stop the begging from leaving my lips,”please Greg, please.”

“Gettin’ there.” He quickly commented before his tongue latched to my clit.

My body shivered and my eyes rolled back under my closed lids. His fingers finally found my gspot and my hand shot to his hair, tugging on his crown. My hips rolled into his face as he switched between licking and sucking my clit.

I couldn’t help but moan, i was feeling great. My thighs pressed against his bare and warm shoulders, my calf being nudged by his elbow each time he pumped his fingers. My head felt dizzy, my body warm, and my abdominal muscles tight. I was gonna cum already, last bar hookup was 4 months ago and I’ve barely used my vibrator. There was no doubt I was gonna be the quick one tonight. My hips started bucking up, so his free arm pressed down on hips, holding me a bit more still and controlled. He changed his fingers angle snd pressure, curling them in a “come” motion.

“Just like that!” My voice was a higher pitch now, and within a few second, pathetically, k was seeing stars behind closed lids. My nail scratching against his scalp, trying to hold onto him for dear life, my other hand taking hold of the top edge of the couch.

He kept his pace and speed for bit after my orgasm, trying to push me to a cliff. Which he did Successfully, could probably tell my how I was I moaning his name, how wet his chin was, and how wet I was getting, and used it to know when the right time was to stop.

“Wow.” He breathed out as he sat up, adjusting to sit down properly,”now I understand why you eat pineapple everyday.”

I haven’t even opened my eyes yet, my legs were shaking, and I was catching my breath. I felt his weight leave the couch and heard the shaking metal of his belt, so I opened my eyes. I met his gaze which was staring at me and then they went down to where his hands were. Unzipping his pants, about to reveal the dick I’ve wanted to ride for a few years. I sat up, feeling how wet the bottom of my ass was against the leather. Now I understand why the couch is leather.

I pushed his hands away and hooked my fingers into the band in his boxers and started pulling them down, taking hold of his hard cock when it sprung out. He grabbed hold in his is pants from coming down any further then he wanted m, and he simply shook his head grabbing his cane. I respectfully brushed it off, my hand left his boxers band and traveled up his side sitting on his hip. He was bigger then I would’ve guessed, but it made sense.

I let go of his cock and spit onto my hand, taking hold of his and twisting my fist up and down, when I licked his tip. I looked up at him through my lashes. His head was rested back, obviously an expression of pleasure was plastered on his face, his breathing deep. so I let my eyes fall as I look him into my mouth, not wasting time to flatten my tongue, pumping the base of his cock. I felt his hand snake into my hair, grabbing some in his fist. He wasn’t using it to control me, though it wasn’t hard to tell by his tightening grip he wanted to. I would’ve let him, I kinda planned on letting him, but he only kept me down there for a few more moments before pulling me off.

“What are you on?” He asked the moment his cock left my mouth.

“IUD.” I answered catching the breath I needed. He didn’t respond,”it’s fine, as long as the last prostitute you fucked was clean.”

“Made sure.” He assured me as he sat down, letting his cane rest against the couch again. I stood up to get a better placement over his cock. His hands sat on my hips, his lips finding my breast again. I reach around and grabbed his cock, sliding it through my folds before holding it to my core.

I lowered down on it, moaning out at the initial stretch, and he groaned. His head falling back onto the head of the couch as he took a long inhale through his nose and sighed it out, a whispered “fuck” followed suit. Lowered down more, grabbing onto his shoulders, and biting down on my lower lip to stop a moan that would wake the neighbors from coming out. I lowered down completely onto him, taking a bit more then half of him in one go. I curled forward, moaning onto his neck as his finger tips pressed into my skin.

“When was-“

“Four months ago, shut up.” I mean pushed off of him and met his face, a disconcerted look on his face.

“I’m honored.” His tone was cocky and paired with a smirk. He raised hips and lowered me back down, that fuzzy brain feeling was coming back when he did it again, and again. Each time higher to where his tip was only left, snd lowering me down harder.

“Oh fuck Greg!” My nails pressed into his skin, I caught on with his movement, moving my hips with his guidance. He didn’t like slow I could tell, medium pace was where he liked to start at. Slowly getting faster, snd harder.

My brain drowned out into the sounds of our breathing, my moans, and the loudening groans that came from him. I could feel how wet the inside of my thighs were getting. My hips on auto pilot, riding him quickly. His tip bumping snd rubbing into my gspot.

My nails finally dug into his shoulder when his thumb met my clit and my walls tightened around him. Rubbing Harsh circles against the swollen, sensitive bundle of nerves.

“You look fucking perfect.” I couldn’t open my eyes, too overwhelmed with my nerves feeling like they’re on fire, my heart pulsing in my throat and clit,”and so-goddamn (y/n), squeeze me any tighter and I’m not gonna have a dick.”

“Dram-ah- queen.” I said through my shakey , near breathless voice. I didn’t wanna cum, not yet. It was all Too damn good to not savor it.

So I grabbed onto the back of the couch and started really riding him. Rocking and swiveling my hips into his when I came down, keeping my speed and pace constant, at least trying.

“Oh fuuck me (y/n).” His thumb started rubbing faster, ripping a broken moan from my throat. My chest pushed into his, his fingertips pressing further into my waist, no doubt leaving bruises for tomorrow.

“I’m gonna cum.” I speedily warned him.

“Not yet, just a few more minutes.”

“Greg-“

“Just wait.” His tone was firm but tinted with a bit of fake annoyance at my greediness.

“Jus’ want you to fill me up, come on.” My breathing was deep as I spoke but sped up when I stopped. My hairline was damp snd so was the back of my knees.

He bucked his hips up into mine, sounds leaning his throat at their own will, so caught up in his own pleasure he couldn’t even care.

Those few minutes felt like torture, my orgasm on the brink of snapping while his thumb is still abusing my clit. The corners of my lips curled when I felt his cock start twitching inside of me, getting more obvious by the second.

“Now.” He spit out,”gonna full up this greedy pussy.”

It snapped, my orgasm ripped through me, my walls spasmed around him which triggered his orgasm. I pushed my body into his, feeling his warm skin radiating against mine. I could feel him shooting into me, mixing with my own orgasm and spilling down my thighs and onto him.

I rode him till I couldn’t anymore, I finally gave out. His cock buried inside me as I laid against him, his hands holding onto my ass as we caught our breath. Soon after he lifted my hips off of him, his cock sliding out of me and I moved to sit on the leather next to him. Holding one of my knees to my body, my head falling back.

“If I knew your dick was that big I woukd be jumped you years ago.” I let out a breathy chuckled snd he hummed.

“I regret not grabbing your Tits earlier, should’ve acted on my impulse.” He said standing up, putting his boxers and pants back on,”so anti-VEGF treatment tomorrow?” He asked grabbing his cane and leaning against it as he looked down at me.

“Let me check her out first and I’ll confirm.” I answered and looked back up at the ceiling. I heard him walk away so I lifted my head and watched him,”where are you going?”

“To clean up and go to sleep, you coming?” He asked stopping in his tracks.

“Not again tonight, no.” I replied and he blinked at me a few times, a smile keept to his lips.

“Ha-ha!” He sarcastically laughed before going back to his original expression and limping away. I can’t really be mad, I kinda solved his case and got fucked, but now it’s 3:40, and I have work at six still.

[lovingrosewho]

Grudges

So here we go again: many many years ago (around 2017), I wrote this Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader! fanfiction, I never published it ‘cause I was always making corrections and re-reading it, I tried to publish it around 2019 I think, but then I lost that tumblr account… anyways. After all these years, I bring it to you again, with no new corrections, just myself from 2017 speaking/writing. Hope you like it!

MULTICHAPTER

CHAPTER ONE

Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!reader!

Rating: T

Word count: 4128

Summary: the BAU is investigating a series of murders in your hometown, and you’re right in the middle of it, but Dr. Spencer Reid takes a particular liking in you.

Warnings: usual tv series stuff (absent father, missing relative, murder and crime scene descriptions)

(set after season 8)

It was just another day at the BAU, Penelope had just called everyone into the conference room to explain the next case.

“Delaware. Three victims. First victim was killed two weeks ago, his name was Adrien Sanders, he was 57 years old, 5’7 feet tall; second victim was killed almost a week ago, Philip Moore, 56 years old, 5’9 feet tall; and third victim, Dennis Barnes, was killed yesterday, he was 59 years old, also 5’9 feet tall. All three were males, and as you can see, with similar physical features” she explains pointing with a laser to the pictures “Although, they were shot in different places; Sanders was shot in the stomach, Moore on the neck and the right leg, and Barnes was shot several times in… pretty much everywhere” García says, getting goosebumps from the images shown.

“He’s escalating, acting out of rage. Are there any connections besides the physical similarity between the victims?” Morgan asks.

“None, apparently. Sanders was a salesman, he was murdered in Pike Creek, getting out of a bar at night, Moore was a lawyer, killed in plain daylight, near his house in Glasgow, and Barnes was shot at his job, a car factory in Wilmington. No witnesses”.

“I believe we’ve got ourselves an unsub who uses his victims as surrogates for someone else due to the extreme resemblance they present. We’ll keep discussing it on the plane. Wheels up in 30” Hotch declares.

“There’s no evident pattern on the map, it just seems like the unsub picked… random locations” Reid says frowning while looking at the map, tracing lines on it.

“If he’s using his victims as surrogates, wouldn’t it be possible that these men are just victims of opportunity? Maybe the man who killed them is in some kind of delusion that they are who he really wants to kill, they cross paths with him, looking almost, or exactly like his target, and then… that’s it. They’re gone”. JJ says.

“Why are we assuming he’s a man?” Rossi questions.

“That’s a good point…” Spencer speaks “Nothing makes it look like it… this unsub… it doesn’t look like he had a special or knowing management of a gun given the places where he shot his victims, he didn’t use his hands, so there are no traces on the bodies, there’s no signature, no murder weapon, no sign that it was personal, there are no witnesses… there’s no way we can know if it’s a man or a woman”.

“Then we’re back at square one” Morgan concludes “We can’t move forward if we don’t even know if the killer is a male or a female ‘cause we’ve got nothing else, no signature, no nothing”.

“Of course we have something: victimology” Hotch points out “Try to stop looking for the unsub directly, start looking for the next victim, who fits the description and how could he be connected to the unsub. When we land, Reid and I will speak to Delaware authorities to find out what else they can tell us about the case, Rossi and Morgan, go to the last crime scene and let us know what you can tell about this last murder, JJ, go talk to the families of the victims, see what they can tell you about them, if they have any suspicions of someone who could’ve killed their relatives, and if they know of any connection at all with the other victims”.

“You got it” JJ assures.

“We’ll meet you again at Wilmington’s offices”.

While the BAU is busy trying to catch the killer in your town, you’re busy going to work riding your bicycle at the same time you brush your teeth.

You get to the flower shop almost half hour late and start giving Irene, the old lady you work for, explanations as to why you are late, she just looks at you all messed up and laughs, telling you it’s fine since it’s the first time you’re late and that it is no big deal.

You sigh, trying to calm your nerves. You stayed up pretty late last night, waiting for Connor’s text, letting you know he was okay. He’s been doing that for the past couple of weeks he’s been missing. At first you wondered if it was really him, he must’ve guessed that, because he sent you a voicenote, telling you not to worry, saying he needed to clear his mind, apologizing for his behavior… since then, he had been texting you everyday at the same hour every night, but last night, he didn’t text you until 4 a.m.

You figured it was normal, after meeting with your father again, who you hadn’t seen in your 25 years, until then.

You think about all of that while arranging all of the flowers on the counter and changing the signboard from “CLOSED” to “OPEN”, when you do that, you sigh again, sitting behind the counter, pulling a book out of your bag, waiting for the doorbell to ring, indicating you have a customer.

It takes less than 5 minutes for it to ring, which is weird. You frown without taking your eyes off of your book until you’re done reading that sentence. You look up with your best smile and ready to work, when you see your dad standing on the doorway. You roll your eyes and pinch your nose bridge on that precise instant, sensing an oncoming migraine.

“What do you want?” you ask, not raising your voice so Irene doesn’t get startled.

“I told you. I want to make peace with you. And your brother” he says, smiling. What a hypocrite.

“Sir. I’m gonna need to ask you to get out” you say, still not raising the volume.

“(Y/N)…”

“I told you that day at the coffee shop… neither me, or Connor, are going to make peace with you… you weren’t here… ever… the few things I know about you, are that you used to beat Connor and my mom up, and that you left the second I was born, how am I supposed to forgive you uh? Tell me” you rant.

“I told you, I am truly sorry”.

“No you’re not… and even if you are… it is not enough. Look, sir, I’m going to ask you to leave again, if you don’t, or if I see you again, I’m gonna call the police and accuse you of harassment, understood?” you state, voice firm and impassive. He looks at you, surprise in his eyes, but nods and turns around, opening the door.

“If you ever change your mind… I’m renting a small apartment here in Wilmington, in front of Stapler Park” he says before getting out and start walking.

“Screw you” you whisper, getting back to your book, when Irene comes to stand behind you.

“Your old man?” she inquires with her Alabamian accent.

“Nah” you say, not removing your eyes from the page you’re in “He’s not my anything”.

A couple of days went by, the team was at Wilmington's offices, discussing the case all over again after each of them had researched enough but came up clean.

"JJ what did you come up with?" Hotch interrogates her, frustrated about not getting anywhere near catching the unsub.

"Not much, I mean... I’m trying to make connections but... the three victims were pretty much... average Joe's... Adrien Sanders was out drinking with a couple of friends, nothing unusual according to his ex wife, Philip Moore was supposed to come home to his son and wife, he was only a couple of blocks away from his house, and Dennis Barnes was working on fixing some car engine, according to his coworkers. Nothing out of the ordinary, no leads..."

"Okay then, let's start thinking, if they're surrogates, who are they surrogates for?" Hotch follows up.

"Could be an ex husband?" Rossi suggests.

"Or perhaps it would be more likely to be an abusive relative?" Morgan thinks.

"Statistically yeah, 3.3 million American children are exposed to domestic violence in their homes each year, 45 to 70% of the same number of children who are exposed to domestic violence are also victims of physical abuse, because of the trauma, they have higher risks of alcohol/drug abuse and juvenile delinquency" Reid states, almost like quoting it from a book.

"The victims were 56, 57 and 59 years old, which means we're looking for someone between the ages of 25-30" Rossi says until Reid comes in again.

"Actually, I think we should consider 25-35 or more, statistics show that it is more likely to suffer from domestic violence when they come from an unwanted pregnancy, which means..."

"Teenage parents" JJ guesses.

"Exactly... we shouldn't even dismiss someone who is 40 years old" Reid assures.

"Okay then what are we looking for? Males or females who suffered from domestic violence, delusional, probably with a criminal record..." Hotch starts.

"Kids who suffer this, don't usually have social skills nor education" Rossi interrupts.

"I think it's time we give the profile" Hotch declares getting out of the conference room.

"We're looking for males or females between the ages of 25-40 years old, who suffered from domestic violence, they're more likely to have a criminal record, no social skills, and barely any or no education at all" Hotch says to the authorities who are present in the room.

"This unsub doesn't know how to manage his anger, he uses his victims as surrogates to what we think might be an abusive relative" Morgan informs.

"He or she might as well be delusional, he kills his victims because he thinks he saw his real target. The victims he's looking for are males from 55-60 years old, with a fair complexion, dark hair, and about 5"9 feet tall. When you relieve this information to the press, let them know the characteristics of the victimology, in case someone knows anyone who has this specific features. Thank you" Hotch concludes before getting back to the office with the rest of the team to call Garcia.

"Ready to act, sir" she answers.

"Garcia we need you to check reports from children who suffered from domestic violence in the estate of Delaware, more specifically in the cities of Pike Creek, Glasgow and Wilmington in the last 40 years" Hotch demands.

"Your wish is my command sir, and... oh... I've got 17,334 results..."

The team keeps trying to crosscheck results for a while, but none fit the profile.

"Maybe they weren't even born here" Rossi says, frankly exhausted.

The phone rings and JJ answers.

"Yeah... could you give me his name? Barry (Y/L/N)... okay, thank you, what about an address? That's okay, thank you ma'am" JJ hangs up and looks at the team "Someone fits the description of the victims".

"Garcia, could you look for a man named Barry (Y/L/N) please?" Hotch asks.

"Right... he is 57 years old, got married in Washington D.C... and... oh my god..."

"What is it babygirl?" Morgan questions, worry in his voice.

"It's just... there are... several anonymous reports of domestic violence... and... he has a daughter. (Y/N) (Y/L/N)".

"What can you tell us about her?" Hotch interrogates.

"She is 25 years old, lives here, on the city of Wilmington, she has no social media handles, but... something's not right".

"What do you mean?" JJ says.

"She doesn't fit the profile even though her father does fit the victimology. She went to kindergarten and the first year of elementary school at Washington D.C, then she continued studying but here in Delaware, graduated from college with honors from the University of Delaware, with a degree in fine arts."

"What about a criminal record?" Morgan inquires.

"None, she's... perfect..." Garcia says, giving up.

"Okay, thanks Garcia" Hotch says and hangs up, frustrated again "It doesn't matter that she doesn't fit the profile, we should still check her out, see what she can tell us about her father. Reid, I need you to take care of that, while the rest of us try to figure out if something went wrong with the profile".

"Why just me?" Spencer frowns.

"Because you're closer to her age, and given the facts Garcia gave us about her, she sounds pretty similar to you, maybe you can get her to tell you something relevant" Aaron tells him. Spencer doesn't look so comfortable going on his own but agrees at the end, when he's about to leave the conference room Morgan yells at him.

"Hey kid! Just wrap it up!" he says mocking him and starts laughing, the whole team starts giggling, except for Hotch who only looks at him and shrugs. Spencer's cheeks turn red and he rushes to get out of Wilmington's offices.

Meanwhile, you get home from the flower shop, still no sign from Connor.

You go to your room, dodging the canvas and cans of paint so you can change into something more comfortable when there's a knock at the door. You close your eyes and frown, waiting to hear Connor's voice.

"(Y/N) (Y/L/N)?" a man says through the door "I’m... Dr. Spencer Reid, I'm with the FBI, could you please open your door?".

Panic starts flooding you when the thought of Connor being in trouble pops up.

You walk slowly to the door and open it, revealing the most beautiful man you've seen in your entire life. Spencer is taken aback by your beauty as well, he looks at you in shock, as if he was expecting someone else.

"Are you...?" he starts.

"Yes" you interrupt “Uh... come in please".

When he enters the small house, the first thing he notices is a huge amount of books spread all over the place, you start picking them up and trying to pile them somewhere where they don't get in the way.

"I'm so sorry" you apologize "I wasn't planning on having any visits".

He giggles softly "It's okay" he says, helping you pick up the ones on the couch, leaving them on a table near it.

"Would you um...? Like some coffee? Or tea or water or... something?" you ramble.

"Coffee is fine, thank you".

You bring two mugs of coffee to the table in front of the couch, along with sugar and milk in case he’d like to pour some. You sit next to him, holding your cup between your both hands.

"So... how can I help you?" you finally ask.

"I'm with the BAU... the uh... the Behavioral Analysis Unit, we... profile the unsub... unsub stands for unknown subject... we-uh-we are investigating the recent murders that take place here in Delaware" he explains.

"Oh... okay" you say, still not understanding how can you help them.

"Do you... do you know this man?" he asks, showing you a picture of your father, you look at it, not even taking it to get a closer look.

"Yes, he's the son of a bitch who abandoned my family the day I was born" you whisper, holding your cup more forcefully than necessary.

He looks at you with a look you can't decipher.

"There are... several anonymous reports of domestic violence... I was wondering if... I could ask you a few questions about it, about your life in general" when he says this, it hits you.

"Are you considering me a suspect?" he scratches the back of his head, bowing it down.

"Your father... matches the victimology, and even though you don't fit the entire profile, we shouldn't dismiss any possibilities... I just... I want to know a bit more about you and your family, that's all, I'm not assuming anything".

"What do you want to know?" you murmur.

"What do you remember about your father?"

"Nothing. I told you. He left the day I was born, my mother died 6 years after that".

"What...? What do you mean? Who raised you then?" he looks surprised. You thought he would know that part of your life if he already knew who your father was.

"My brother of course".

He stays quiet for a couple of minutes, staring at you.

"I didn't know you had a brother" he confesses "What's his name?"

"Connor" you look down at your, now cold, cup of coffee, and take a sip.

"Can you tell me more about him?" he asks politely.

"Well... we were both born in Washington D.C... my mother had him when she was 18 and my father was 20, it was an unwanted pregnancy... for all I know, he used to beat my mother up, and Connor as well, when he tried to defend her. 12 years later, my mother got pregnant again… the day I was born, my father left, so my brother started working as a carpenter's assistant... after dating several guys, abusive, just like my dad, my mom got into a severe depression and died when I was 6 years old... by then my brother was already 18, and he had saved up enough for us to move here to Delaware... we've been living here ever since" you explain, the images of your mother, lying dead on her bed tormenting you again.

"So your brother... he worked and studied at the same time?" he questions.

"No... he... he couldn't afford to keep us both in school, he wasn't even able to finish elementary school but... he made sure I went to and finish college. He raised me... as if I was his own daughter" you say, feeling kind of guilty.

“What about his social life?” he asks, worry starting to show up on his face.

“Neither of us has what you would consider a social life… I’m always buried either on my books or my paintings, if not, I’m working on the flower shop, and he’s always buried on his work… we have each other, and that’s quite enough, when we come home we have dinner together, talk about our day, watch a movie or something… it’s… pretty much just the two of us against the world. It’s always been like that” you acknowledge, a single tear streaming down your cheek.

Spencer looks at you almost with pity and cleans the tear with his thumb mindlessly, even though he’s not too keen of physical contact, it just seems appropriate. The gesture sends butterflies to your stomach.

“(Y/N)… listen to me carefully… I need you to tell me where your brother is”.

“What?” you exclaim, fear coming out of your voice “You think he did this? No. Spencer… no, I’m sorry but that’s not possible. You don’t know him. He wouldn’t… no… the fact that the victims are similar to my father is just a coincidence, Connor is just… not capable of this… I mean…” you ramble with your voice cracking at the end.

“(Y/N)” he stares at you, looking directly into your eyes, it is as if he can see right through you “Where is he?”

“I don’t know!” you shout bursting into tears “He disappeared two weeks ago”.

“Why didn’t you report him missing?”

“’Cause he’s been sending me texts every night, letting me know he’s okay! I figured… we saw our father again… after 25 years without seeing him, he found us… I thought… I thought it was normal that he wanted some time alone…”

“What’s his phone number?” he asks, pulling out his own cellphone, dialing a number “Garcia, I need you to run a name for me and track a number”.

“Okie dokie” a woman says at the other end of the line “Shoot”.

“Connor (Y/L/N). He’s (Y/N)’s brother. I just sent you the number”.

“Alright, let me do my magic… mmmh… oh. Wow. This is weird. I’ve got nothing”.

“What do you mean you’ve got nothing?” Spencer says, raising his voice.

“He’s not registered. At all. Not even a birth certificate. And the cellphone’s off”.

“He was never registered” you inform “Our parents never considered it important, so...”

“Where does he work?” Spencer cuts you off in a desperate way, you give him the address of the truck company “(Y/N), I need to go with the team. Will you be okay on your own?”

You nod slightly “Just… call me when you find him… please” you plead, still sobbing.

“Yes. I promise. I will. Thank you” he says reaching for the doorknob “(Y/N)… please be careful. Connor is delusional… please, lock the doors and windows... and stay safe” after telling you this, he leaves in a hurry, leaving his cup of coffee intact on top of the table.

You sit on the couch, laying down slowly, you close your eyes. You fall asleep crying, wishing that when you wake up, everything going on around you is just a nightmare.

Spencer joins the team when they’re about to leave Wilmington’s offices to go to your brother’s workplace, the moment he hops onto the van, the whole team starts bombing him with questions.

“Reid, what did (Y/N) tell you?” Hotch inquires while driving.

“Her father left when she was born, her brother is 12 years older than her which means he’s 37, their father used to abuse Connor and her mother… the anonymous reports of domestic violence must’ve been done by him, but no one ever did anything. They saw their father two weeks ago”.

“That must’ve been the stressor” Rossi affirms.

When the team gets to Connor’s workplace, they don’t find him, but they do find his boss.

“Michael Turner?” Hotch asks a bald man approaching them, showing him his badge “I’m SSA Aaron Hotchner, this is my team, we’re with the FBI investigating the murders that take place here in Delaware”.

“How can I help you?” Mr. Turner asks unsurely.

“We’re looking for Connor (Y/L/N), I believe he works for you”, Michael laughs ironically.

“Not anymore” he says “That kid hasn’t come to work for days, the last time I saw him, he had to drop some packages in Pike Creek and Glasgow, when you find him, tell him he’s fired”.

“Mr. Turner, why did you hire Connor in the first place if he had no identifications?” Spencer interrogates.

“’Cause he was just a boy… just 18, having to take care of his 6 year old sister… I took him under my wing, how could I not? But for what I see, this is the payment I get” he exclaims angrily while turning around “Excuse me gentlemen, but I have work to do”.

“Thank for your time” Aaron says, turning back to the team “Where else could Connor be?”

“If he’s been looking for a specific target, that could be his endgame” JJ suggests.

“We need to know where his father lives currently, if he’s delusional about people who look like him, his father is his endgame” says Hotch.

“We need to be fast, he hasn’t killed anyone in days, that could mean he already knows where his father lives, I’ll call Garcia” Morgan decides and dials the number “Hey, talk to me babygirl”.

“My chocolate thunder, what can I do for you?” she answers.

“I need you to tell me where Barry (Y/L/N) currently lives”.

“Okay let me check, he… oh no. He just rented an apartment in front of Staple Park, here in Wilmington, I’m sending you the complete address right now”.

“Thanks Garcia, we’re on our way ” Hotch indicates, turning the siren on and starting the engine of the SUV.

When they arrive to Barry (Y/L/N)’s apartment, they discover he is just fine, watching TV on the livingroom.

“Can I help you?” he asks standing up, clearly mad about some stranger breaking into his house, his voice is hoarse from drinking.

“Mr. (Y/L/N), we’re with the FBI, have you seen your son Connor (Y/L/N)?” Hotch asks annoyed by the man in front of him.

“My son?” he chuckles “I don’t think my son will want to see me ever again”.

“He hasn’t talked to you? Threatened you?” Morgan inquires.

“No, but who did threat me, actually, was his sister” the team notices right away that he said ‘his sister’ instead of ‘my daughter’. Barry rolls his eyes “She said she’d accuse me of harassment if I came near her ever again”.

“She’s not our unsub” Reid claims abruptly.

“We know that, Reid” Hotch tells him, dismayed by his sudden behavior “Mr. (Y/L/N), please don’t hesitate on calling if something strange happens”.

“Stranger than a bunch of FBI agents breaking into my apartment?” he huffs “Yeah, okay, I will”.

The team gets out of the house, confused by the pattern Connor has been following.

“He hasn’t killed anyone else, that can just mean that he’s looking for his endgame, the one who made it imposible for him to live the life he wanted or deserved” Rossi intervenes.

“Unless…” JJ starts “Unless his father isn’t his endgame”.

“Who else could it be?” Morgan exclaims, raising his eyebrows.

“(Y/N)” Reid says, running towards the SUV, followed by the rest of the team.

Chapter 2

MASTERLIST

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC Season 2 Chapter 56 Translation [Lucien’s Part]-(1/2)

⚠️  SPOILER ALERT  ⚠️

This post contains a VERY HEAVY SPOILER for the chapter that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

I see your darkness, your failures, your confusion.

Just as I catch sight of the building, my body freezes involuntarily.

The place where the mentor-pupil mission has led us is none other than the former site of the Twin Leaves Orphanage in reality.

Translation under the cut!

[S2 Chapter 56 - Unsolvable Crux]

Some context about this chapter batch! Long story short, MC's Miracle Finder program which is more of a long and traditional TV show is struggling to compete with the popularity of online short videos (cough, funnily, it is almost like Lovepro's current situation in the otome market-), but she still has some time to find ways to make it more popular again before the next meeting with the investor (pretty similar to the start of the main story huh-)

At the same time, Odyssey, a hyper-realistic VR game is currently on hype right now, the game was developed by a company called Infinite, and it can be played with a device called Golden Apple (GA for short). This game lowkey feels like hidden ads for LaDs ngl

✂———————–

—[Chapter 56-8]—

I'm sitting at my desk, playing with the leaves of the green plant on the table, unable to help but sigh again

MC: I can't just chase after streaming platforms and make short videos for the rest of my life, can I.....

...This will only make my company lose its style and be homogenized into one of them.

At present, it seems like there's a new information technology emerging every minute. If we don't seize the opportunity, we'll only be left with the crumbs of others' success. It's just like…

Lucien: “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place.”

The familiar words echo in my ears, and I can't help but feel a bit dazed. Suddenly, a strange sense of familiarity wells up from within me.

This feeling, where I'm at a loss at the company's situation, seems to have happened in the distant past as well.

The calm, windless afternoon and those ink-like eyes come to mind.

When I was filming the final episode of "Finding Miracles" I was also grappling with decisions about the future, feeling anxious and lost.

At that time, Lucien became my program consultant, and the struggling program suddenly came to life starting from that episode.

I can't help but smile as I find my phone and send a message to Lucien.

MC: Is Consultant Lucien busy? I'm coming over to see you now~

The bright sunlight reflects off the entrance of the Ultima Bioscience Research Institute. As soon as I step out of the car, I see several visitors walking out of the building with gloomy expressions.

Visitor A: Is Professor Lucien such a high-and-mighty figure? Every time we come here, he's never around!

Visitor B: Maybe his research is going downhill at a critical moment? Even his assistant says they don't see him often.

Visitor A: Then he should come out, meet us, and discuss the results. Is it really good to shut himself away and do research like this?

MC: …?

Lucien not seeing visitors? I'm a bit puzzled.

A couple of days ago, when I met him in "Odyssey", he told me that the scanning function in "Odyssey" is very useful, as it helps him transfer data.

Could it be that he's doing closed-door research, so he's not seeing visitors?

I take out my phone in confusion and see that there's no reply to the message I sent him before leaving.

Pete: I'm really sorry, Professors. Next time, when you come again…

No one pays attention to Pete's voice. The visitors get straight into their cars and leave. He awkwardly scratches his head and walks away.

The situation in front of me deepens my confusion. I push open the door to the research room lightly.

MC: Lucien…?

There's no response inside. I stick my head in from behind the door, then pause for a moment in surprise.

I had thought I would see Professor Lucien asleep among the mountains of research reports and experimental data...

...But I didn't expect to see him actually sitting on the visitor's sofa, wearing the third-generation GA device.

At Lucien's feet are some hastily packed fast food wrappers, along with two unpackaged GA helmets.

He leans against the sofa, half of his face obscured by the helmet, devoid of any expression. Only his fingers, which resting on the side, twitch occasionally.

In an instant, I understood why Pete's expression was so complicated.

Who would have thought that Professor Lucien, while shutting himself off from visitors, would be sitting in the research lab playing "Odyssey" so openly!

If I don't go ask Lucien about the situation soon, I feel like I'll become even more worried and confused.

I take a deep breath, take a helmet out of the packaging, sit on the empty experimental bed next to him, and decisively put it on.

✂———————–

The brilliant sunlight warmly bathes a lush green field, and the moist air rushing towards me feels refreshing.

The grass beside me is nourished by the river, lush and abundant. With the river breeze rippling against both banks, the grass sways, gently tickling my calves.

This is Lucien's home in "Odyssey". When it's not busy, I often spend leisurely days here with him.

I look around and quickly spot Lucien sitting by the riverbank. I walk over to him joyfully.

MC: Lu-

Before I can even say his name, Lucien tilts his body slightly and gestures to me.

Lucien: Shh-

With one hand, he stops me from trying to pat him, and with the other, he lifts the fishing rod. As he moves, the water ripples gently.

"Splash!" A fish with golden patterns bursts out of the water, its tail swishing lively, causing water droplets to splash around.

The water droplets slide down his face like morning dew, tracing a meandering path on his handsome features.

Lucien blinks and then looks at me, his lips curling into a smile.

Lucien: [chuckles] Caught it.

—[Chapter 56-10]—

I come out from behind Lucien and poke the lively fish.

MC: What a plump and beautiful fish, I don't think I've ever seen one like this when I go fishing myself!

Lucien chuckles lightly as he unties the fishhook, then puts the fish back into the water, watching as its tail swishes and it swims away into the river.

A notification suddenly pops up.

——————Congratulations to the player [X] for completing the fishing achievement — [Encounter with Golden Marigold Fish].

Next to the achievement page, there's a line of small text that reads, "Congratulations, you are the first player globally to achieve this accomplishment."

MC: Wow, did I just witness the birth of a golden legend?

I gaze at this unheard-of achievement in astonishment, while Lucien maintains an unsurprised expression.

He smiles faintly, reaching out to wipe away a droplet of water that splashed onto my cheek just now.

Lucien: Shouldn't MC also be awarded an achievement — the first player globally to witness the birth of the Golden Marigold Fish achievement?

His banter makes me unable to help but smile. I glance around at the scenery, sighing as I look around.

MC: I never expected that the charm of "Odyssey" would be so great that even Professor Lucien has become an "Internet Addict."

I clear my throat and then nonchalantly add a "harmless" little question.

MC: Lately, it seems like I've been seeing you online often. Is the work at the Ultima Bioscience Research Institute relatively easy?

Upon hearing my little probing, Lucien smiles but doesn't rush to answer.

He stands up and tidies things up, gesturing for me to look towards a nearby location.

Lucien: [chuckles] Before answering that question, do you want to go check out the newly renovated home of an "Internet Addict" first?

MC: Um? Of course, that sounds great~

I never imagined that Lucien had actually expanded a laboratory within his home without me knowing.

The layout, facilities, interior decor, and even the functioning equipment replicated a professional laboratory down to the last detail.

Data and reports are neatly arranged, and as I measure the thickness of one stack of data with my palm, it exceeds the breadth of two hands.

Judging by the thickness of these materials, Lucien seems to have been conducting research in the "Odyssey" laboratory for quite a long time.

MC: While others come into the game to relax, Professor Lucien is actually working in the game. What an exceptional scientist...

Lucien smiles calmly and prepares a cup of hot tea for me.

Lucien: Try it. Does the taste and flavor differ from the real world?

I take the white tea and sip it lightly.

MC: [smiles softly] It seems there's hardly any difference, but I'm not really a tea connoisseur. I just drink it often because of you.

The tea leaves stretch in the boiling water, blurring our views of each other. I lean back on the comfortable sofa, seemingly understanding his implication.

MC: Professor Lucien, do you think since "Odyssey" is so similar to reality, why not explore an "experimental field" in the game too?

Lucien remains silent, seemingly acknowledging. He brews another cup of tea with the tea leaves and places it back in front of me.

Lucien: The laboratory here is quiet enough for me to focus more on my research.

He winks, his gaze gentle and focused, conveying a sense of reassurance to me.

Lucien: And as you've seen, in addition to research, I also casually complete game tasks.

In just a few sentences, Lucien perfectly answers all my questions.

I prop my head up a bit dazedly, pondering. If it's about finding peace and quiet, the Ultima Bioscience Research Center isn't usually noisy.

...Could it be because of those people?

MC: Is it because of the increase in visitors at the Ultima Bioscience Research Center recently? Is it affecting you?

Lucien nods in response to my gaze, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

Lucien: Recently, we've shifted the research focus to the deterioration disease. Some organizations are well-informed and have been eager to collaborate with me.

I nod in understanding.

In the realm of research, this isn't uncommon, but collaboration means sharing progress and results.

For Lucien, who prefers minimal interference in his research, this is indeed troublesome.

However, is the reason really that simple?

Lucien's demeanor and tone betray no hint of anything unusual, but I can't shake off a lingering sense of unease.

MC: By the way, Lucien.

I rise from the coffee table and move to sit beside him, one hand looping around his arm.

MC: Actually, I'm not at the company right now. I'm at the Ultima Bioscience Research Center, currently in your research lab.

Lucien: It seems that I'm not the only one bringing work into the game.

Facing Lucien's slightly teasing gaze, I bury my head in his chest, breathing in the scent of tea lingering on him.

MC: [in a coquettish manner] …I didn't expect Professor Lucien to still see through me.

Lucien's smile doesn't diminish as he gently strokes the top of my head with his hand.

Lucien: I think it's work time now. A girl who wants to fish wouldn't play "Odyssey" with me so conspicuously.

MC: I do have some problems that need Professor Lucien's advice and assistance.

I peek out from his embrace, tilting my head back to look at him.

MC: How about we talk as we walk? I also want to explore other areas of Professor Lucien's home and see if there are any new changes~

—[Chapter 56-11]—

Lucien pushes open the back door of the laboratory, revealing a glass corridor with a hollow top.

Sunlight filters through the glass, casting mottled light and shadow. His figure appears both real and illusory in the interplay of light and shadow.

I walk hand in hand with Lucien in the glass corridor, pouring out recent work matters in one breath.

MC: ...So, if we just chase after trends like other companies, we'll still end up being left behind in the industry.

MC: After all, I remember from a media class that "homogeneous works will ultimately be eliminated, and innovation is the key to industry development."

Lucien: Your judgment is correct.

Lucien blinks at me in affirmation and then poses a rather “insightful” question.

Lucien: So, what are the plans now?

I pause for a moment, somewhat unconfidently, and share with him several new program proposals that I have been contemplating.

MC: ...I've reviewed these proposals repeatedly. Although the content of the programs is quite interesting, I can't shake the feeling that it's still not enough.

MC: Maybe I should plan a program with more thrilling and exciting scenes…?

Lucien brushes off a leaf that had landed on my head at some point. I take the leaf, twirling it idly in my palm.

Lucien: Before the inception of "Odyssey," none of us imagined that we would be twirling this fallen leaf in a virtual world.

Lucien's calm and composed voice comes through as he touches the fallen leaf along with my hand.

Lucien: Fallen leaves, the air, and us walking…

Lucien: Without mentioning it, many people might forget that all of this is made up of data.

Lucien: The success of "Odyssey" doesn't rely on content but rather on the innovation of its presentation.

Lucien: If you were to just change the content, with your abilities, you'd surely create a buzz, but for discerning viewers…

He smiles slightly, his eyes looking at me with insight.

Lucien: The level of excitement in content has no threshold; as long as there's a lack of "technological" innovation, being replicated and surpassed is just a matter of time.

Lucien: On this point, Miss Producer, you understand it better than I do.

Lucien's words bring to light a thought that I've been vaguely aware of but haven't fully grasped. I blink, feeling a little enlightened.

MC: So, now, rather than pondering new programs, the new program medium is the more important thing?

The pressure before me seems to have cracked open a bit with Lucien's words, but I still find myself anxiously rubbing my hair.

Short videos, with their quick and concise nature, have almost taken over as the predominant form of media presentation in today's world.

MC: What else can be innovated? The "opportunity" won't just fall from the sky.

Our hands interlock as Lucien gently takes mine, and with a breeze, the leaf I had almost forgotten about is swept away, disappearing from sight.

Lucien: Personally, I feel that perhaps we can try to find a blue ocean.*

MC: Blue ocean?

[Trivia: Blue Ocean strategy is a business strategy that involves creating new market spaces and making the competition irrelevant. A current relevant example is Papergames creating Love and Deepspace 😂]

Lucien looks at me with a thoughtful expression, his lips curling into a smile. With his slender fingertips, he smooths out the hair that I had ruffled.

Lucien: For example, in fields like holographic technology and artificial intelligence.

My heart skips a beat.

Indeed, while there have been numerous developments in related fields before, it wasn't until the explosion of "Odyssey" that these two concepts suddenly experienced explosive growth.

From the perspective of a film and television company, this is simply the perfect combination of new technological power and emerging phenomena.

The wind picks up, causing the leaves of the trees to rustle against each other, gracefully taking flight as if nature sings its gentle song.

As I behold the incredibly lifelike natural scene before me, it feels as though a long-standing boulder in my mind is finally starting to shift.

MC: Are you referring to "Odyssey" itself?!

Lucien: It's just one possible direction. "Odyssey" is the firstborn of this blue ocean, overturning and rebuilding many people's preconceptions.

The sunlight filters through the trees, casting scattered patches of light onto the path we're walking on. The slanting rays create specks of orange hues, gently enveloping us like orange veils.

Lucien: Now that we're in the midst of it, it's the best proof of all possibilities.

MC: Combining media with "Odyssey"...

I pause in my tracks, lost in thought. Lucien doesn't interrupt me, waiting quietly by my side.

I raise my head, looking at the sky in "Odyssey," which is indistinguishable from reality. In my mind, several new ideas start to take shape.

Unable to contain my enthusiasm, I leap up and hug him excitedly.

MC: Thank you, Professor Lucien, for answering my questions and clearing up my confusion!

Lucien: Just bringing a bit of research mindset into the discussion. I'd be honored if it was helpful to you.

Lucien lets me hold him and pats my back, his smile deepening.

Lucien: However, we haven't formally confirmed our teacher-student relationship yet, so you can't just casually call me "teacher".

Before I could react, an interface to formalize our mentor-pupil relationship suddenly appeared.

I blush slightly and without hesitation, press the "confirm" button.

At the same time as the system message "You have become a pupil of X" pops up, a mentor-pupil mission suddenly appears in my taskbar.

MC: Huh?

[Lucien and MC get transported]

Xiao Shuai: My friend is the best Xiao Mei in the world. We are happy when we're playing outside, but she's not happy once she gets home.

Xiao Shuai: Can Gege (older brother) and Jiejie (older sister) make Xiao Mei happy?

MC: I thought the mentor-pupil mission would be about technical teaching, but I didn't expect it to be helping children…

Lucien: Does MC prefer to learn technical skills?

MC: No, no, that's too tiring. Let's just help the kids together!

I smile and rub Xiao Shuai's chubby cheeks.

MC: Okay, let's leave it to Gege and Jiejie!

A prominent guiding route on the ground emits a white light. We follow the route and soon reach the end of the road.

Alongside the old gate, the fence entwined with vines is covered with lush green leaves, occasionally dotted with a few wildflowers, giving it a lively appearance.

Several two-story buildings in the courtyard are arranged in picturesque disorder. Although the paint on the walls has faded, it still exudes a sense of warmth and tranquility.

Just as I catch sight of the building, my body freezes involuntarily.

The place where the mentor-pupil mission has led us is none other than the former site of the Twin Leaves Orphanage in reality.

[Trivia: Twin Leaves Orphanage is where MC, Lucien, Kiro, and other kids got experimented as a child]

—[Chapter 56-12]—

As I gaze upon the orphanage in "Odyssey," a chill runs down my spine, and I can't help but tighten the scarf around my neck.

However, unlike the desolate old site in my memory, the NPC children are now playing and frolicking in the courtyard, bathed in warm sunlight.

I tell myself not to overthink it and quickly find several children playing in the corridor to ask about Xiao Mei with Lucien.

Child A: Xiao Mei? I don't know her.

Child B: There doesn't seem to be anyone by that name in our orphanage.

We ask many children, but surprisingly, not a single one knows Xiao Mei. I scratch my head in puzzlement.

MC: Could it be that Xiao Shuai's mission information was incorrect?

Lucien ponders for a moment, then looks towards the teacher who is answering questions for the children at the classroom door not far away.

Lucien: Let's go ask the teacher.

After the children leave, I approach the teacher politely and cautiously start the conversation.

MC: Hello, do you happen to know a student named Xiao Mei? I seem to have found something belonging to her.

Teacher: We don't have a student by that name here. You might have the wrong place.

I stand there puzzled, about to ask for Lucien's opinion, when I turn around and realize Lucien is nowhere to be found.

Before I can even speak to search for him, the door of the adjacent office opens, and Lucien steps out, holding a piece of paper in his hand.

Lucien: I found the student roster from this office.

MC: Pfft…! So Professor Lucien already guessed that the teacher wouldn't be able to provide any useful information, so he pulled a "diversionary tactic*"?

[T/N: "声东击西" is a Chinese idiom that literally translates to "sound from the east, strike from the west." It refers to a strategy where one creates a diversion or distraction to mislead the opponent while executing a different action elsewhere :> ]

Lucien winks at me.

Lucien: Just a small tactic, hopefully it pays off.

As we scan through the long list for a while, we still haven't found Xiao Mei's name. Just as I'm about to give up and look for a guide, Lucien suddenly raises an eyebrow.

Lucien: There seems to be an issue with this list.

MC: What do you mean?

Lucien doesn't reply, but instead, he folds up the list and leads me towards the storage room at the end of the corridor.

After opening the door, a stale smell fills the air in the storeroom, and tiny specks of dust float in the dim light.

Lucien closes the door behind me, and for a moment, the entire room seems to be engulfed in a heavy darkness.

Yet, in the pitch-black, a faint green glow suddenly appears before my eyes.

MC: …This list glows!!

The original text on the list is obscured by the heavy darkness, but the text printed with luminescent material is clearly visible.

MC: "Night Division Roster", Xiao Gu, Mai Mai, Xiao Mei... Found her!

Lucien: It seems my guess was correct.

Lucien: Earlier, I noticed the words "Day Division" on the list under natural light, so I speculated that there might also be a "Night Division" present.

MC: So Xiao Mei appears in the park every evening before dusk and leaves after sunset, not to "go home," but to attend classes in the Night Division?

Lucien: Smart. This should be the reason why no one knew Xiao Mei when we came during the day.

MC: How strange... Why are the children mysteriously divided into day and night divisions?

Lucien walks slowly beside me, seemingly not intending to take further action.

Lucien: Perhaps we'll have answers when night falls.

A slightly cunning smile curves on Lucien's lips, and I instantly understand his intention.

MC: Right, if we wait until it's late and quiet, the children from the Night Division will naturally come for their classes!

The only task now is to wait, Lucien and I hang around, watching as the sunlight gradually shifts towards the west.

MC: I can't shake the feeling that this orphanage mission seems to have some sort of prototype reference... like the mirrored building* we encountered before.

[T/N: MC talks about S2 ch 33]

MC: There's a kind of... indescribable familiarity in my heart.

Lucien: Don't worry, this sense of familiarity might just help us complete the mission.

Lucien gently ruffles my hair and gazes towards the direction of the orphanage, deep in thought.

As night falls and moonlight shines upon the orphanage, Lucien and I hear footsteps echoing in the corridor.

A group of children silently make their way through the long corridor toward the direction of the classroom.

Their shadows elongate in the dim light, devoid of daytime liveliness, only the faint moonlight reflecting their youthful yet serious faces.

As if influenced by this atmosphere, I also lower my voice and whisper softly into Lucien's ear.

MC: Shall we go now?

Just as Lucien and I start heading towards the classrooms, we're suddenly stopped by a security guard.

Security Guard: Sorry, the orphanage is not open to the public right now. Please leave.

MC: We're just…

Before I can finish my sentence, a "Mission Failed" screen suddenly pops up, and Lucien and I are immediately teleported outside the orphanage.

MC: ….??

MC: How did the mission fail already? We haven't even done anything yet!

Lucien: I'm thinking that perhaps there are some "invisible rules" in place at this orphanage at night that we're not supposed to break. Once violated, the mission fails immediately.

Lucien: "Not getting caught by security" must be one of them.

MC: Isn't this too troublesome?

Lucien: With me around, do you still find it troublesome?

MC: Pfft, of course not.

I take Lucien's hand and wink at him.

MC: Then let's solve this small trouble together~

✂———————–

One minute later, Lucien and I find ourselves back in front of the orphanage.

MC: Uh, sorry... I saw a mirror and instinctively looked into it. I didn't realize it would also count as breaking the rules.

Lucien: It's okay. Every failure is an exploration step toward success.

✂———————–

Lucien: I thought solving the puzzle on the blackboard would open a secret door or something like that, but it just attracted the attention of the teacher.

MC: At least the orphanage teacher acknowledged Professor Lucien's math skills…!

After seven or eight attempts at exploration, we finally lurk near the classroom. I open the window and quietly peek inside.

In the dim light, the children sit by the worn-out desks and chairs, attentively listening to the teacher's explanation. There's an eerie and quiet atmosphere in the air.

A sudden horror and chilling feeling rushes through my heart, and I instinctively look towards Lucien, who is holding my hand.

But when I turn around, the first thing I see is not Lucien, but a slightly pale-faced little girl.

She has appeared behind us, seemingly out of nowhere, and is looking up at us curiously.

—[Chapter 56-14]—

MC: Are you X-Xiao Mei...?!

I feel goosebumps all over my body, and my voice trembles as I speak. The little girl nods, and I exchange a glance with Lucien.

We take Xiao Mei out of the teaching building and arrive at the tree next to the garden.

Here, I finally breathe a sigh of relief, looking at the girl in front of me with braided pigtails.

MC: Xiao Mei, your friend Xiao Shuai is very worried about you, so he asked Gege and Jiejie to come and check on you.

I try to talk to Xiao Mei, but she keeps her lips tightly pressed together and glances at me before curling up into a ball, not moving at all.

No matter how I try to talk to her afterward, she ignores me.

Xiao Mei looks much thinner and weaker than children her age. Unlike the lively and noisy children during the day, she appears to be particularly quiet.

Just as I am feeling troubled, Lucien gently calls my name and takes my hand, leading me aside.

MC: What should I do, Lucien? She seems particularly resistant to communicating with me…

Lucien: [gently] I think maybe it's not resistance, but rather she also needs an opportunity to connect with you.

Lucien: When you talk to her, although her reactions are a bit cold, her body always unconsciously moves closer toward you.

Lucien: Rather than resistance, it might be more like "not good at" or "not daring" to communicate with you.

My heart tightens. Could it be that the reason why these children from the Night Division are so quiet... is because of similar reasons?

Children in orphanages are already more prone to feeling lonely than others. A girl who struggles to communicate is even more susceptible to being ignored to some extent.

I should use a more friendly approach and gradually make her feel understood.

Thinking this, I look more carefully at Xiao Mei, trying to find some breakthrough to make her relax

Xiao Mei has her eyes closed slightly, gently burying her head in the slightly worn scarf around her.

MC: Lucien, look at that scarf…?

Lucien also looks over and after a while, he speaks softly.

Lucien: Some children develop a dependency on specific plush items during their growth process, finding a sense of security in them.

Lucien: I think, this scarf might be just that special existence for her.

I look at the curled-up Xiao Mei, feeling a mix of sadness and tenderness. Despite the scarf in her arms being very worn, she still holds onto it dearly, unwilling to let go.

Lucien notices my emotions and tightens his hold on my hands.

I give his hand a firm squeeze back, smile at him, then return to Xiao Mei's side and crouch down again.

MC: Xiao Mei, let me tell you a secret. When I was little, I also received a scarf from someone very important to me.

Xiao Mei doesn't say anything, but she turns her head slightly to look at me. I continue to speak, smiling as I recount distant memories in a soft voice.

MC: I really, really liked that scarf because every time I saw it, it made me feel like that person was still with me.

MC: When I felt lonely or scared, I would hold onto it, and those feelings would slowly disappear, just like magic.

MC: Later on, I would often chat with the magic scarf, and it became my best friend whom I could talk to about anything…

I made up a fairy tale about me and the magic scarf, and Xiao Mei listened attentively, starting to sit up slowly.

When the fairy tale was over, Xiao Mei blinked her eyes and smiled at me for the first me.

I suddenly think of something and take off my scarf, wrapping it around Xiao Mei's neck.

MC: Your scarf must have a lot of power. Now, Jiejie is giving you her scarf too.

I boop Xiao Mei's nose, and she no longer resists my approach.

MC: From now on, Xiao Mei has two powers to protect her. So she doesn’t need to be afraid of anything.

Xiao Mei looks at me, blinks her eyes, and the next moment, she starts sobbing softly, as if she had been suppressing it for a long time. She doesn't cry loudly, just hugs me tightly.

Lucien bends down a bit and gently strokes Xiao Mei's head.

Not long after, Xiao Mei takes out a sketchbook. As she writes and draws, she tells her story bit by bit. Finally, we can piece together the truth.

It seems that from a long time ago, the children in the orphanage have been divided into a day division and a night division based on their physical condition and performance in the orphanage.

From the beginning, the two divisions just have different schedules, but gradually it evolves into differences in meals, dormitories, and the attention they receive.

Nowadays, the children in the night division seem to have become an "invisible" group in this orphanage, as no one ever casts a glance their way anymore.

Although Xiao Mei doesn't understand the reason, she knows that she and her friends in the night division all dislike this kind of life.

She wants to escape, to be under the sunlight with the other children, but she's powerless to do so alone.

After settling Xiao Mei with Lucien, I stomp my foot indignantly.

MC: They're all children, why do these people treat them differently?!

Lucien takes the drawing Xiao Mei handed to us and ponders for a moment before speaking lightly.

Lucien: I'm afraid it's not just emotional discrimination that's at play here.

Lucien: Emotional neglect alone wouldn't warrant them going to such lengths to establish this system, so I suspect there may be deeper interests at play.

MC: Are you suggesting that the children in the night division might be exploited by the orphanage?

Lucien nods, gently taking my slightly cold hand and rubbing it, a gentle yet firm smile on his lips.

Lucien: [smiles gently] Whatever it is, it will be resolved tonight.

[Next Part-> Click Here]

[joels-shitty-puns]

Pins and Needles - Chapter 2

Pairing: Post-Outbreak!Joel Miller x Reader

Series Summary: Joel has known you for several years, but it was always strictly business, which was easier and preferred. However, after you run into him in Jackson, avoiding him is more of a challenge than you'd like.

Series Warnings: 18+ only (MDNI). Alluding to sexual scenarios. Mention of masturbation. Kissing. Age gap, reader is 39/40 Joel is 56/57. Violence!!! This features outbreak day memories. Blood, stabbing, cannibalism, death, infected. An airplane crash. Spoilers from season 1 of TLOU HBO. Deaths from that season are mentioned. Nightmares. Angst/tension. Let me know if I missed anything!!

Other stuff: Reader is referred to by the nickname Needles, but other than that descriptors are avoided! Reader is fem.

This series was based on these two anon requests! Here and here

Series list: Here

Word count: 1.7k

You and Joel had crossed paths many times over the years. First meeting in the QZ back in 2017, you became acquainted with Tess first. It wasn't long before the three of you were trading goods and looting old buildings for supplies together. Tess eventually introduced you to Bill and Frank, first telling you about them and how they met over the radio. She was very enthusiastic about it, but you, as usual, refused to get close. Bill and Frank were a nice couple, but you couldn't risk getting attached to anyone.

You were first hesitant when Tess wanted to exchange goods and occasionally work together. But you agreed. A business transaction basically.

When she insisted you meet Bill and Frank you blatantly said no. But she assured you it would be worth it, and so the next month, the three of you trekked to their site. Bill cooked up the first decent meal you had eaten in years, and Frank instantly acted like a friend. It didn't take many more trips before he offered you a vacant home in their empty, gated community. You again declined, much to Bill’s agreement. That was too much attachment.

Joel, unlike Tess, seemed very similar in your thinking. He was a stranger to you, despite years of knowing each other, working together, sleeping in the same camps and keeping watch for each other. That was fine by you. You could tell enough about him without his words to need more information. You could tell that he had been through hell and didn't want to risk it by forming relationships. Alliances was as far as he'd go.

Rarely ever did the two of you communicate. Mainly, you would just nod to each other. Tess was the moderator. You didn't know the relationship between them, but whatever she and Joel were was none of your business. The only reason you can imagine she was interested in working with you, was your same aloof attitude and personality as Joel. Your ability to hold your own, killing clickers and stalkers without blinking an eye. You were tough as nails and cool as a cucumber. Tess loved you, and Joel… couldn't complain. You seemed fine without help.

You always assumed Joel and Tess were a couple. Not that you really cared, and they never really said anyway. But despite their potential relationship, you'd be lying if you said you didn't find Joel attractive. You would never act on it, not only because they might be in a relationship, but also the risk of getting attached to someone was much greater when sex and attraction was involved. You tried to avoid that at all costs.

Sure, you'd been with people before since the outbreak, but it was mostly a beneficial situation for both, mainly to get off. Never for love and never with many words. Usually it would be with other traders or Fedra officers you needed to make deals with. You had no problem using violence to make deals, but you also realized you could use your body, and get a little for yourself out of it too.

But rarely ever were you actually interested in someone in this day and age. They might be nice enough to look at to get the job done, but none really took your breath away. None were really attractive to you. So the rush you felt at first seeing Joel was concerning to say the least. 

Attraction would only make things complicated. So instead, the two of you were distant and tense. You kept each other alive and you traded and that was that. You tried your best to avoid looking at his features very closely whenever the two of you were nearer than five feet to each other. No need to find anything you liked looking at.

Unfortunately, you did have to make eye contact. And those eyes. Those gorgeous brown eyes haunted you. Showing up in your dreams, accompanied by that rough voice laced with his Texas accent. Not that you liked that sort of thing. Of course not. You weren't attracted to him, and that was that.

Despite your efforts to stay away from connections, you were still human and urges arose from time to time. If you ever felt sexually frustrated over the Joel situation, you would find someone who either was willing to make a deal, or someone who just wanted sex, and move on. If you didn't opt for fucking someone, your fingers did the job just fine, sometimes even better. But you never let your mind imagine it was Joel. That was against your rules.

The last time you heard from Joel Miller was over a year ago now. You had left the QZ a while before, and he had contacted you on the radio to ask for a car battery. He said was trying to find his brother.

You told him you didn't have a battery, nor had you seen his brother, and that was the conversation. You never knew he had a brother and you never felt the need to know more. That was enough information for you.

That said, it came as quite a shock when you arrived in Jackson and not only met Tommy, but reunited with Joel as well. And he had changed.

Sure, you could still feel the gruff exterior, but he was with a kid now. He was essentially her dad. And it was clear he knew what he was doing from the little you saw of them in the cafeteria. Suddenly it made sense to you. Joel must have lost a child at some point. Likely a girl based on how he acted with Ellie. You could tell by the way he behaved that he had grown soft for her.

You knew that probably scared the shit out of him the first time he realized it. You would feel the same, but you had surprised yourself when you found yourself smiling at the thought of his reaction. The thought of him forming a relationship. The scene of him being a dad.

You pushed that to the side. Nope. Don't need to feel mushy for Joel Miller. He went soft but you don't have to.

Although you hadn't spoken much, it was safe to assume Tess was no longer in the picture, either by separation or death. You hoped for the former, but it was likely the latter, and despite her absence, he seemed happy. You felt some envy seeing him with his (now) daughter and his brother. You missed those connections deep down. Though you'd never admit it.

But when Joel first saw you in the forest clearing a week and a half ago, you heard his voice in person for the first time in several years. He spoke your nickname for the first time maybe… ever. And in it you heard…Concern? Relief? Both?

But why would Joel Miller be relieved or concerned to see you?

He dismounted his horse and walked over to you, yet you didn't see the usual gruffness in his demeanor. Instead, he reached you, crouching to his knees to meet your level where you had sunk in the snow. He hunched, looking you over and seeing your healing wounds and dry lips. Your frozen skin and shaky muscles. He cupped your face with both his hands to look you in the eye, and you simply looked at him in confusion. You tensed, nearly jolting at the feel of his hands on your body, having not been touched by anyone in so long, and certainly never with such care.

What is he doing?

It was the first time Joel Miller had his hands on your face. One of the few times he had his hands on your body, and the only time it was ever with affection. With the pull of his hands, you were forced to meet those brown eyes you had always tried so hard to avoid. The eyes that make your knees buckle. A weakness you tried to ignore.

The way he held your face was gentle, yet firm, and as much as you wanted to avoid his eyes, you couldn't. What you could do, however, was avoid all other features of his face and body. Focus on his eyes, only, you told yourself. One weakness was enough.

But as you stared into those deep, dark brown eyes, sparkling against the sun and snow, you were met with an all-encompassing scent. Sure, you had smelled Joel before. Working in close contact makes that inevitable. Living in a quarantine zone during an apocalypse means that everyone smells a little less than great. Everyone is usually dirty, thick with a layer of grime and sweat. Matted hair of dirt and oils until the next rare shower or more often, lake or pond.

But this wasn't dirt. It wasn't sweat, or grease, or blood. It wasn't any form of body odor. Though you could still smell the usual scent that meant Joel in your mind, the normal, not bad, human scent everyone has unique to their body, you smelled other things. His usual leather aroma was still prevalent as he wore his classic thick leather jacket. But you also smelled… soap. He smelled clean. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, maybe even deodorant? Cool, minty wafts swirled between you from his mouth as he asked if you were okay. Clean linen could be smelled from the flannel he wore below the coat. You were sure you weren't smelling cologne as that would be pointless in this day and age, but he still smelled good. He smelled like a man. Rugged and masculine. But clean, and damn good.

It made your breath catch and your heart rate quicken. You still refused to look at the rest of his face. Or his body. But his scent filled your senses and his eyes filled your gaze. His touch encompassed your face. The only thing you felt. Saw. Smelled. It was all Joel. You needed someone to ground you, because him filling every inch of your senses had you reeling for more. Desire pooled in your body.

And as you sat in the tub, thinking back to that day and the events of the last week or so, it was the first time you let your hands drift lower down your body to pleasure yourself with the thought of Joel Miller on your mind.

[magicalqueennightmare]

Sins & Amends Chapter 56

Billy Russo x Female Reader (60 part story)

This follows pre- the punisher into the storyline of daredevil, punisher season 1 and beyond

This is NOT Canon Billy. This is decent human being Billy left with bad options over worse decisions

This was also posted to A03 under: WaywardGaPeach. That account and this one is the only place you'll see me post this. If you see it on any other platform/account know it's not me.

Chapter Summary/Warnings: You and Billy look towards the future

"I had a ring" Billy's voice was barely a whisper in the darkness of your room and at first you weren't sure he was even awake until you turned enough to face him. "What?" You asked tracing the scars on his left shoulder as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Before Rawlins threatened you, before I had to make a choice. I bought you a ring. I was planning to propose the day Frank got stateside from that last deployment"  your heart dropped when you realized what he was saying "Oh" if he'd bought a ring back then he would've gotten Maria to go with him. No wonder she'd thought he was going to propose the night he broke up with you.

He blinked a few times then finally looked down into your eyes and confirmed what you were thinking "Maria helped me pick it out. I was so nervous but she said Billy she'd say yes to you with a ring from a gumball machine but I've known her since we were kids. This ring is absolutely perfect for her"  you tried to keep your face neutral as memories flooded you both. "I'm sure it was Billy but she was right. I'd marry you without a ring" 

He half smiled then leaned over to press a gentle kiss to your lips "I know but you deserve a ring sweetheart" you shook your head then laid over on his chest being mindful of the stitches in his stomach that still had a couple weeks until they'd come out "I love you Billy" he kissed the top of your head and said "I love you too. Get some sleep baby"

He laid in the dark as your breathing evened out and he knew you were back asleep. He was racking his mind trying to remember just what had happened to that ring. He knew you weren't a materialist person but after everything if he could give you that ring, that small piece of Maria it would mean something. Your hand flinched slightly and he laid his hand over it smiling when you calmed at his touch.  

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

There were still mornings he'd wake up and just for a second the dread would wash over him that maybe he was still in the hospital after his tbi and he was stuck inside his own head. After all he had the woman he loved in bed next to him and his daughter one room over. He never dreamed of having a family before he met you. You had always been the one he was meant to be with. 

The dread would quickly fade when he was met with a kiss from you or the way Adi would call out for him, wanting daddy first thing upon waking. The two of you could pull him out from the worst of the memories. Hell the two of you were the reason he'd ever would've wanted to survive the fallout from Rawlins, you were the reason why he had a life worth living.

He finally fell back asleep holding your hand in place on his chest.

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

When you woke up the next morning you were still laying halfway on his chest. You laid there for a few minutes letting your eyes skim across every scar on his face, resisting the urge to do so with your fingers.

You weren't sure where the late night confession about having bought a ring in the past had come from. Maybe the memory had just surfaced? You hoped he knew you meant it when you said you didn't need a ring. You loved him, the two of you shared a daughter. Him and Adi were all you needed.

You hadn't noticed he was waking up until he said "You know I love you but staring is a little creepy darling" you popped his chest playfully "I was not staring, I was gazing. That makes it romantic not creepy" he opened one eye and grinned "Tell yourself that baby" you mocked hurt and said "Well in that case I'll just sleep my creepy ass on the couch tonight" and acted like you were going to get up but he pulled you closer before you could've ever had the chance.

"Oh you're going to leave me when I'm injured? I haven't even got the stitches out and you're already bored of me" you sat there with your mouth gaped open at that because you honestly had no other response. He started laughing and pulled you in for a kiss "Come here baby. I know you're not bored of me" you allowed yourself a moment to enjoy the feeling of his lips on yours before pulling back long enough to say "Nu uh Mr Russo. You've hurt my feelings. A kiss isn't getting you out of it"

He flipped the two of you over so he was on top of you and smiled "What can I do to make it up to you?" You raised an eyebrow while trying and failing to not smile. "Well I'd prefer you not bust your stitches open! I've got plenty of time to let you make it up to me but blood isn't really a turn on" he pushed your shirt up just enough to let his hand slip under it "Well if you stay still I shouldn't hurt myself" his lips found your neck at the same time you felt his hand slide across your bare skin and without meaning to a light moan escaped your lips. 

He chuckled against your neck but you felt the moment both of your moods shifted when his hand ghosted over the scarred tissue on your left side. His fingers were so light you almost missed the touch. "I love you Y/N" you reached up to let your fingers trace one of the scars on his cheek "I love you too Billy but you do know even if you'd been home, I was at work when it happened. You couldn't have protected me from it"

He half smiled then placed a quick kiss to your neck "I know baby but it doesn't help me to know you nearly died and if you would've Curt would've had to tell me on a visiting day" you moved your hand to make him look you in the face.

He smiled when you said "Billy you still have stitches from taking a bullet meant for me. The scars on your face are a direct result from protecting me. Hell I've shot you, twice! Once with a paintball gun then when I actually shot you. You've got to not beat yourself up over things" 

He laughed then "Gotta admit our love story is unique" "That it is" you agreed with a laugh.  Before either of you could move the monitor crackled to life and you heard Adi "Daddy" you glanced over at it then back up at him "You're being paged dear and I need to get a shower before work" he kissed you on the lips then climbed off of you and out the bed.

You watched him leave out the room then laid back with a laugh. God what was Adi gonna think when she got old enough to find out everything that had went down? Now wasn't the time to worry about that at least.

You climbed out of bed then headed to grab clothes for the day.

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

Billy was sitting across from Adi at the table when you walked out the bedroom pulling your hair up in a bun. She'd wanted pancakes so he had delivered then cleaned up the mess.

He looked up when you walked out and smiled when you asked "Do you have to go in today?" He nodded "Yeah we got a few meetings I've got to go to. Dinah nor Sam is really budging on me helping with training until I'm completely cleared" 

"Good. That means I don't have to threaten to shoot anyone in Homeland again" you muttered and he laughed. "Sarah picking up Adi or are you dropping her off?" You asked, starting the coffee maker.

He ran a hand over her head and she grinned up at him  "I'm going to drop her off then I was thinking if the meetings ran short enough I might be able to talk her into visiting Simba and Nala?" Her eyes got big at the mention of the aquarium "Please daddy?" You looked over your shoulder at her "You gotta be good for aunt Sarah ok baby?" She nodded "I will"

You finished making your coffee in silence while Adi finished her pancakes then ran off to play for a few minutes. Billy stood up and slid his arms around your waist "I meant to tell you Curt reminded me that I still have some stuff in his storage unit. I have no idea what it is but do you want to go through it with me tomorrow?" You leaned nodded then looked up at him "Sure why not but I'm warning you right now better not be any souvenirs from anyone you took home while we weren't together"

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

He knew you meant it as a joke but there was just enough hesitation in your eyes he felt the need to say "No one went home with me. My bed always belonged to you Y/N" you blinked a few times as his words sank in then the smile that slid onto your face was enough to make his heart skip a beat "Really?" You asked it in almost a whisper.

He let his lips brush against your neck "Really" You were quiet for a moment before saying "Matt never came here. Not like that anyways. It didn't feel right, not to mention I never really found it in me to take your photos down" he smiled against your skin "Nice to know"

About that time Adi came running back in "Daddy!" He turned to see that she had four different outfits in her hand. "Which?" He looked back at you so you shrugged. He looked between her choices and picked her red dress and black leggings. "These babygirl. Now do you need help?" She shook her head "I can do it"

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

You watched her run off with a smile. "She's already getting independent Billy" he looked back at you with a grimace "I know. I hate it" you couldn't help but laugh at the little pout he had.

Your phone went off with a text so you grabbed it and saw it was Alice saying she was downstairs. "Shit. I gotta get my stuff together" you walked over to the closet to grab your bags then stepped into Adi's room.

She was dressed but was trying to get her leggings straight. "Baby do you need help?" You asked and she shook her head "I can do it" "Ok sweetheart well can mommy get some love aunt Alice is downstairs so I got to go"  she stopped fighting with them to run into your arms "Love you mommy" you kissed her cheek and said "Love you too"

Billy glanced up when you walked back into the living room so you pointed back towards Adi's room. "She's gonna need some help but you gotta make her think it's her idea" he nodded "Yes ma'am" you shook your head then stepped over closer to pull him into a kiss "I love you Billy" he smiled and said "I love you too. Have a good shift and tell Alice I said hey" you gave him another quick kiss then headed for the door. If you weren't down soon Alice would start calling.

"So when are you going to propose to Y/N, Bill? I mean is she going to be a Russo before Adi turns three or four?" Frank asked with a smirk. "When I finally heal up for one and when I get a ring worthy of her" he replied but Frank shook his head "Ok first all we don't want to hear about your sex life and I know that's why you said once you're healed and also you know it's bullshit saying that you got to have a ring. She'd marry you today" Curtis cut in. 

Billy groaned "That's my point! She would marry me today but I think you both agree after the hell she's been put through doesn't she deserve a ring, the dress she wants and the wedding she wants?" David raised his hand slightly "Hasn't she yelled at you and Frank both about saying what she does or doesn't deserve?" Billy shot him a glare so he added "And haven't you bought her a cabin already?"

Billy shook his head at the three of them "I swear the bunch of you gossip worse than any woman. I will propose when the time is right ok? I love her and want nothing more than to call her my wife" Dinah walked by about that time and added "If you keep dragging your feet I'm going to propose to her" causing all the guys to crack up laughing.

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

It was a relief to get out of the office and head across town to pick Adi up. Leo answered the door and he had forgotten that school was out for spring break. "Hey Billy!" She greeted with a smile then hollered "Lil bit, your daddy's here!"

Adi came running around the corner with a smile and what looked like a cookie smeared across her face "Daddy!" Sarah was behind her with a wipe in hand "We made cookies. Adi was the official taste tester of course" he laughed and said "Of course"

Once she'd let Sarah clean her up Adi grinned "We're gonna go see sharks!" Sarah smiled "Really? I know you love the sharks" he watched her go around and hug Sarah then Leo and even Zach came down to tell Adi bye. "Be good little bit. I'll see you tomorrow" Sarah told her with a final hug.  "Bye aunt Sarah"

Billy held her hand out to the car and when he went to pick her up she shook her head "I can do it" he held his hands behind her just in case she slipped climbing into the car but she managed to get into her seat without incident so he leaned over to strap her in then kissed her forehead. "My big girl. Ready to go?" She nodded "All ready"

-----------

Adi made it through the sharks,penguins and seahorses before she was tugging on his sleeve "Can we go home?" He nodded and picked her up gently to not pull his stitches "Let's go babygirl"

Once he got her home she was asleep by the time he carried her inside and laid her on the couch. He watched her sleep for a moment thinking just how lucky he was but everyone was right he needed to make peace with not being able to give you the ring he wanted and find you a different one. 

Frank and Karen were hosting the bi-weekly dinner this time so there was nothing that had to be done until you got home. He decided to grab his laptop and look through options on engagement rings.

@intothesoul

@weallhaveadestiny

[boysplanetrecaps]

The Great Produce 48 Rewatch: Ep 4, Mamma Mia (Kara) Challenge

Welcome back to the Great Produce48 Rewatch Recap Project of 2023-2024! I have run into difficulties, in that the original site I was watching it on went down for a day or two, but I fought back with the help of a different site that still houses the P48 episodes, just with Spanish subtitles. My Spanish is pretty good so it’s not that big a deal, plus I have google translate on my side when I need it (which is surprisingly not that often -- thanks, Spanish department of my high school!). And YOU CAN’T STOP ME from doing this. No one wants or needs me to do it, and yet, I must. So, I continue. Also, when I was almost done with this particular post, the original website came back! What a journey. Let’s go on that journey together, my dear ones!

In the previous post, Jo Yuri and friends performed Short Hair by AOA. It’s time for the Mamma Mia teams to perform! Check it out.

Lee Seungki calls the two teams up to perform the song, noting that the choreography was done by Dance Bae herself back in the day.  Backstage, the girls say that they are really looking forward to this performance. 

The teams come up -- Team 1 in black, and Team 2 in white. 

Murase Sae, Nakanishi Chiyori,  Park Minji, Park Jieun, Kim Hyunah

Miyazaki Miho, Cho Sarang, Bibian, Choi Soeun, Shinozaki Ayana, Shin Suhyun

Team 1 introduces themselves as “The Eyeshadows” (in English) --and add, first in Korean and then in Japanese, “We’ll paint your hearts lots of different colors!” -- and Team 2 introduces themselves as “OMG, what are we going to do?” Like, that’s their name. I have a lot to say about team 2’s outfits, but we’ll get there. 

Seungki asks Park Minji how she’s feeling, considering that she did this once before in a previous season. She answers that she thought she’d feel less nervous, but  if anything, she might be even more anxious! But, she adds, they’ve worked really hard so that they can do their best.

Seungki asks each team to give a statement. Chiyori says her team will never lose! Souen says that her team really wants to win! Hwighting! 

Seungki says it’s Showtime! But it is not Showtime! It is… FLASHBACK TIME!

The members:

Kim Hyunah, age 23, who I call husky voiced Hyunah, from B class, ranked a sad 72. 😣

Murase Sae, 21, who auditioned with Funny People, rose from D to C and is currently ranked 43. 

Nakanishi Chiyori, 23,  Wacky Chiyori, who auditioned with What's Your Name?, rose from D to C, and is ranked 37. 

Park Jieun, 20,  future ex-Purple Kiss, who fell from C to F and was ranked 70th. 

Park Minji, age 19, PD101 trainee and future Secret Number member, from B class, ranked 56. 

When we left off, we were learning that Wacky Chiyori is the master of hilarious facial expressions, but that plotline has been abandoned for this next segment. It’s also helpful to recall that Hyunah is the center. 

Minji, left; Hyunah, central, and I’m not sure who is to the right since we never see their faces. That’s ok, they’re apparently not important to the story and get 0 camera time.

We start off with a few of the girls in one of those tiny practice rooms, working on their singing together. Park Minji interviews, “this year, I want to be recognized for my singing ability and show everybody what I have to offer.” 

We cut to the girls rehearsing with Soyou. She’s having them sing while they dance, which honestly is a good sign -- I’m sure she starts off just listening to them sing, and if they did terribly at that I don’t think she’d ask them to dance at the same time. 

She’s making this face.

I dare you to determine, based on her facial expression, what she thinks of them. 

Turns out she has nothing but praise for Kim Hyunah, who is my favorite for a reason, and that reason is that she’s great. Soyou even praises her dancing. 

Minji (far right) is ready for her critique. 

But to Minji, Soyou says, “I’ve told you before, but you shouldn’t sing this all “pretty.” We get a flashback that we’ve never seen before. The MNET editors go pretty ham with this scene, adding in a lovely sepia tone to things so we know that this is a flashback. 

In it, Soyou is telling Minji, “You have a lovely voice, but you have to focus in on it alone. You keep trying to look pretty while you sing, and you focus a lot on your mouth.” 

Back in… the main timeline, I guess I’ll call it…. she has Minji try again, but interrupts her almost immediately. “Not like that. Don’t drag the sound. Just sing like this:” -- and she demonstrates. Minji imitates her and it sounds great. Soyou nods, adding, “The sound has to grow gradually stronger.” I like seeing this really specific voice work, because the change that Soyou was making to Minji’s voice was really subtle and specific and good. 

Minji

Then she has all of the girls sing the high “la pa padi” part, and though they’re all a bit pitchy without accompaniment, they’re basically hitting the notes, and more comfortably than Minji.

Minji interviews that her voice is her best attribute, and even so, she hasn’t been able to establish herself as a main vocalist. She thinks her anxiety is getting the best of her because she doesn’t want to get eliminated again. 

Time passes and it’s their dress rehearsal. Minji sounds awful. Just awful. She’s obviously been over rehearsing and she blew out her voice. It’s much worse than Jang Gyuri’s from Peekaboo. 

The trainers are just like…

Jeremy asks what’s wrong, but not in a way that seems to demand an answer. Soyou is like, but you’re the main vocalist, if you sound bad you make the whole team sound bad. Minji says that she originally a part in falsetto, and had been trying to sing it full voice, and that was the problem. She asks if it’s ok to change it now. She tries again, but falters, about to cry. Chiyori and the other girls try to comfort her. 

Why does Chiyori’s top fit so weird on her? She’s a cute girl -- stylist unnie, wtf? 

Jeremy kindly acknowledges the pressure that vocalists face, but it isn’t just that -- Minji is still thinking about getting eliminated last time and how she doesn’t want it to happen again now. It’s so sad how scarred she seems to be from her first elimination. She talks about it for a while in an interview but it comes down to that it sucked to be eliminated before, and she is terrified it will happen again.  I think it’s really interfering with her mental health. Poor girl. This show is such a mess.

Backstage, she’s starting to cry again.

LTRL Sae, Jieun, Minji, Hyunah, Chiyori

Hyunah says, “It’s ok, don’t cry. Don’t feel so pressured.”

Minji says, “I feel like it will be really bad if I don't do well.”

Jieun, bless her heart, says “It’s ok if you don’t do well, too. Who cares?” 

Minji voice overs, “I want to cry tears of joy when we win. I want to hear people say that al our efforts weren’t in vain.”

And now, it really is performance time! The judges are ready…

I love this shot of the trainer’s room. They’re just in some corner with some big wooden blocks and a few bottles of water. They at least have moderately comfortable looking chairs, but they have to hold their clipboards in their laps. Jeremy is just using his phone to take notes. IDK, the whole thing is so budget. It cracks me up. 

As the lights go down, you hear a few shouts from the audience, encouraging Minji and Chiyori by name. 

Unfortunately, there are no blessed edits of either group this time, so we’ll just have to make do with the MNET edit and try not to die.  Or you could just watch Kim Hyunah’s fancam -- she’s the center, and for whatever reason the camera isn’t as focused on her face as fancams sometimes are, so it’s almost like a full cam. 

My thoughts: 

It wasn’t terrible or anything, but the vocals weren’t great. When all five of them are singing in the chorus it’s ok, but each of them has kind of thing vocals and when they sing once at a time, it doesn’t sound great overall.

Minji pulls off the high notes -- of course MNET has to drag it out and all that, sigh -- but it doesn’t sound particularly lovely. She also continues to do that thing where she uses her whole  body to hit a note. 

She sort of sticks out her neck and thickens her throat and just basically does everything in her power to look awkward and hurt her throat. I know that Soyou and Jeremy are doing what they can to help teach the girls how to sing properly, but my god does she need more lessons. I hope that by now, 5 or 6 years later, she has. 

Everyone else is a mixed bag. I think Hyunah is an alto, and her part was a little too high for her so she had a hard time. You can actually hear a bit of Park Jieun’s talent leading into the bridge -- you can understand how she would have been in Purple Kiss -- but her voice sounds pretty hoarse in a lot of the song. Slippery elm tea, you dum-dums! Sigh. And as much as I love Chiyori’s personality, neither she nor Sae has a voice that I would like to listen to. 

LTR: Minji, Hyunah, Jieun, Chiyori, Sae

Dancewise, it’s the same problem as ever - the camera work hides everything. From what I can see, they look good -- they’re throwing themselves into it and they look pretty synchronized. It’s fun to watch them overall.

Stage presence is also pretty good overall. Sae is good at a smoldering look -- a wink, a lip bite, that kind of thing --  and Chiyori just looks happy to be on stage. Jieun looks down at the ground a lot, and Minji telegraphs every note she sings, neither of which is ideal.

I really don’t know which of these five I would have voted for, but it would have been one of Hyunah or Minji, I think. Hyunah does a great job as center, but her vocals were a little off. Minji looked great when she wasn’t singing, and did a decent job singing, but she was also a little lacking. 

I can’t quite give her a vote because of her not-great vocals, but I will say that Sae came into her own in this performance. She’s much more suited to this sexy concept than she was to the silly “Funny People” performance she did as her audition. 

LTR: Sae, Jieun, Hyunah, Chiyori, Minji

The MNET edit is nearly intolerable, as per ujh. They make a big deal out of Sae’s wink. If I went on a show like this, I’d wink constantly. I’d basically never stop. It would be hard to see but it would be worth it. 

When we come to Minji’s high notes, they do a flashback and a few annoying instant replays, and then they make a big deal out of her doing an ok job. The judges praise the group as a whole, and everyone freaks out about Sae biting her lip sexily in the ending fairy. Ok, I revise my previous statement. I’d alternate between winking and lip biting. It would be hard to see and my lips would hurt, but it would be worth it. Add in the headache I’d get from all the hair tossing and I’d basically be incapacitated, but I’d win the voters’ hearts!

Backstage, the girls hug each other and tell each other that they did a good job. Minji voices over that she’s gotten her confidence back about singing. Well, that’s nice. 

Team 2

Team 2 comes up to the stage, accompanied by intense orchestral music. Suhyun voice overs that they worked hard, and she doesn’t want this to be her last stage.  Let’s remember who the members of this team are: 

Cho Sarang, 14, who sang Tomorrow at the audition, fell from B to F (ouch!) and is currently ranked 90th (ouch again!). She has an eye patch on for some of the rehearsals.

Choi Soeun, 16, who did Question Mark at the audition, fell from B to C and is currently ranked 92 (oh no!)

Miyazaki Miho, 24, our multilingual queen, who has stayed in D and is currently ranked 16th place

Murakawa Bibian, 18 but looks like a baby doll, firmly stationed in F class and ranked 31st

Shin Suhyun, 22, the show’s favorite punching bag, who fell from D to F and is ranked 57th 

Shinozaki Ayana, 22, one of the What's Your Name? group, with the beauty mark under her lip, firmly stationed in F class and ranked 87th

When we left off, we had found out that this team did not want to do this song at all, since they didn’t know it. Also, there’s a bit of a rivalry between Miho on this team and Chiyori on the other team, since they’re old friends from AKB48. Bibian was the chooser of this group, Miho is the leader, and Seoun is the center. Sarang is the main vocal and seems to be doing great at it in rehearsals. 

We cut to their dance rehearsal. They are anxious and awkward at the start, not sure if Dance Bae wants to see their nametags or wants them to get into formation. They run through their performance, with Dance Bae occasionally shouting at them to change formation. It seems that Seoun is not in the right spot. When they’re done, Dance Bae tells them, “This is beyond belief. You’d get zero votes. I have nothing to say.” But don’t worry, fam, she has plenty to say.

She asks who the leader is, despite it being obvious that Miho is wearing the L sticker.

LTR: Punching bag Suhyun, Boss-babe Miho, and Center Seoun

Dance Bae asks Miho what they were even doing with their time. It looks like they haven’t practiced at all, and they’re going to be humiliated on stage if they keep going like this. Suhyun wipes away a tear quietly. She voice overs, “Our group practiced together, but…” and we head into a flashback-within-a-flashback. Suhyun  is asking the team to wait, to confirm certain parts of the choreo for her, to start over, but it seems like everyone just wants to keep going. Suhyun is worried that they won’t get any of the details down that way, but Miho is worried they won’t learn the routine as a whole if they’re worried about details.  

Oh no! Miho is worried! 

We’ve seen this issue come up before, and I don’t know enough about dancing to really know what’s the right approach. Getting the details right from the start prevents you from establishing bad habits. Working on the routine as a whole allows you to have the big picture so you can keep refining from there. I read a few articles on the topic and it does seem like the general consensus is big picture first, details later, but maybe there’s room for disagreement on this. It can make for some serious discord in a group, though. 

Since their styles are so different, they stopped rehearsing together as much and started rehearsing on their own. Some of them notice the other group rehearsing all together and look on with sad jealousy.

It seems like they’re all worried that rehearsing the way they are will make it hard for them to beat the other team, but none of them seem to be doing anything about it.

Finally, they have a meeting in one of those tiny practice rooms. 

Miho has written down her thoughts. She tells her team, in Japanese from what I can hear, that she thinks that if they keep going this way, they could end up losing. They’re all charismatic and talented on their own, but no one seems confident or energetic. And, she says, if they lose to Team 1, it’ll be all over. That’s not true, of course, but whatever. She wants them to come together as a team. 

Cho Sarang says, “I don’t think we knew that we all felt like that until now. But the thing is, you three already debuted in Japan and have fans waiting for you. But for us, if we’re eliminated, we have nowhere to go.” 

Miho says, “But we risked everything to come to Korea. We also don’t really have anywhere to go if we get eliminated.”

They’re all kind of crying now. 

Suhyun says, “It’s like Sarang said -- I also have nowhere to go back to.” 

They’re all realizing that they are all desperate to win the challenge, and that powers up their teamwork! It’s time for a montage -- suddenly, they can do it! Yeah! Miho voice-overs that her team hopes that all their hard work will come across to the National Producers and win their hearts. 

It’s time for the performance! Dance Bae says, “I really hope they do well.”

The performance (MNET Edit link)

It is at this point that I discovered that the original site, kshow123, is back up! And I am proud to report that my understanding of the subtitles in Spanish was spot on. Also, I might keep that Spanish website around because they have better resolution, so it might help me take better screenshots. Ok! Back to the recap. 

My thoughts: 

Ok, first off, I have to talk about their outfits. They’re obviously based on a particular set of outfits that Kara actually wore while performing:

But this wasn’t really that cute a look even on Kara. 

I mean, if you look really closely you can tell that it is some kind of fishnet shorts under their white shorts, but it just gives “control top pantyhose” to me. Also, I caught little Sarang pulling her shorts down a little during the performance. Just.. not great outfits overall. If one group is wearing white and one group is wearing black, the team in black tends to win. I wonder if that’s always true? I’ll have to do some research sometime. Black is slimming and makes skin look paler, which is the Korean standard, and white is the opposite.  

That said, let’s talk about the performance. 

The biggest problem I have with this performance is the vocals. Shin Suhyun actually does kind of ok as sub-vocal 1, but most of the other vocals sound kind of nasal or shrieky or off key. Even main vocal Sarang doesn’t do that well - the key high notes are edited as if they’re great…

Everyone reacting to something, possibly Sarang’s high notes. By the way, we see Wonyoung, Na Goeun, and Ahn Yujin constantly the whole episode, reacting to everyone else’s performance. 

… but she’s definitely flat. Even when she’s on key it doesn’t sound too great because her voice sounds so child-like. That’s fine if you’re singing Baby Shark, but not if you’re singing “Look at nobody but me with that passionate gaze” and “With that skill of yours, lock me up tonight.” Vocally, I think the very worst was Miho, which is such a bummer because she’s such a fun human being. She just… isn’t a very good singer. Sorry, Miho! You still seem really cool! 

Dance wise, I think they do fine…? IDK. Thanks, camera man! Thameraman. Some of the moves look really awkward but that might just be the choreo. 

Stage presence was a bit better. Choi Soeun does a great job as center, actually. 

I think her very low ranking is just because no one knows who the heck she is. Sarang and Vivian look comically out of place to me -- I think they’d both do much better in cute concepts. 

Shin Suhyun tries to look sexy but she just kind of looks…. 

… sleepy? Confused? … it’s not working.

Overall, just kind of amateur. 

It’s hard to even say which was better between the two teams since neither was particular great. Sorry, girls! I know you all worked hard. I think this song is just kind of hard to pull off.

The MNET edit tries to make it seem like it was better than it was, but I don’t think the judges were that into it.  Dance Bae says to the others, “The thing is, though, they did get a lot better.” That might be the translation, so I checked the Spanish version, which essentially the same. I really get the feeling that Dance Bae was letting the others know that even though this wasn’t great, it was better than it used to be. 

Backstage, Choi Soeun says, “I was really worried because we were going up on stage without ever hearing a single word of praise. But I’m thankful now because everyone did so well.”

Shin Suhyun says, “I wish we could’ve done better, but it was really fun. Now I can see why people want to keep performing.”  Now you see? You never saw before? Sigh. 

It’s time for… the results!

Park Minji from team one is already crying. Girl! I mean, I would be too. I would cry from the second I arrived until about a month after I’d been eliminated. 

The voting results are:

Black team (win) Kim Hyun Ah 138 Murase Sae 138 Nakanishi Chiyori 48 Park Jieun 32 Park Minji 66 Average: 84.4

White team (lose) Cho Sarang 18 Choi Soeun 56 Miyazaki Miho   92 Murakawa Bibian 86 Shin Suhyun 88 Shinozaki Ayana 28

Average: 61.3 

Neither Sae nor Hyunah can quite believe how many votes they got. 

But I’m actually not surprised at all that Kim Hyunah and Murase Sae got so many votes. Both seemed perfectly suited for the song, in both look and attitude. I am a bit surprised about Miho’s 92 votes -- you guys, her vocals were really bad --  but she must have fans as a well-established member of AKB48. Poor Sarang got one of the worst vote tallies of the night, poor kid. This was just the wrong song for her. 

Then they have to wait for their averages to pop up on screen, which is so funny to me.

Like, Sarang still seems optimistic that they’ll win, I think? But come on, the math is pretty obvious. Black team’s sum is higher even though they have fewer members. It seems clear that they won, and they did. 

When the win is revealed, Minji just begins absolutely wailing. 

The girls on the white team applaud lightly, and don’t seem to cry, but Minji is crying so hard her whole team has to try to calm her down. She’s crying with relief, of course, but it really shows how deep her emotional trauma is. 

They really should have therapists on hand on this show, you know? Either that, or maybe try traumatizing them a little less. IDK. 

We don’t really get a reaction from the white team. Guess they just disappeared from this plane of existence. 

And with that, we’re at the end of this post! In the next one, we’ll cover the High Tension teams -- and see a girl named Huh Yunjin! See you then. 

[spicysix]

I posted 5,337 times in 2022

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I tagged 2,357 of my posts in 2022

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Longest Tag: 126 characters

#while i had to do that with every other show and movie on phase 4 so far (except for shang chi and eternals too. coincidence?)

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

9. knitted sweater | steve harrington X reader

Steve knew you could knit. You’ve been knitting stuff for him ever since you got together. It was no surprise you would knit him a Christmas sweater, it was the obvious outcome.

However, you did not predict he would learn how to knit a sweater to gift back to you.

So when he handed you the package, you couldn’t help but weep at what was inside.

“I’m sorry it’s not as good as yours,” he had the audacity to apologize.

You just threw yourself at him, tears running down your face, heart swelled with pride.

“It’s perfect, love. Thank you.”

58 notes - Posted December 9, 2022

#4

long story short (part 3/3) | eddie munson x reader

this fic is part of a series: masterlist

summary: “Oh, is this a date I’m having with pantry girl?” He provoked, but you just nodded in response. “Can be if you want it to.” He actually looked shocked for a moment before bringing his charm back. “Does that mean I get to kiss you at the end of it?”

warnings: fem!reader - no physical description. no use of y/n. post s4 - canon divergence. heavy making-out, implied smut (not described).

word count: 2.3k

a/n: final part ot long story short! next up we're having 'tis the damn season. if you're familiar with miss Swift, you must imagine some angst is about to come 👀 it's gonna be another multi-chapter so if you wanna get everything as it comes out, don't forget to follow me and join my taglist 😉

day seven

12:48 p.m. The next few days after Eddie’s press conference/public audience had you going back and forth between Hawkins and Fort Wayne. The house your family was going to move to was not yet vacant, their previous owners still finishing up their own moving. But they allowed you to bring in some boxes to leave in their basement already, and Hopper had to empty the cabin for the Munsons anyway, so that’s what you were all mostly doing. With the destruction caused by the Mind Flayer last July, there wasn’t even much stuff salvageable to bring to Fort Wayne, but you were taking what you could carry.

You also took some time to visit Debrah, spend a day catching up with her. She did most of the talking, since her life wasn’t filled with trauma caused by interdimensional monsters (just some weird burning cracks in the middle of the town, but they were being taken care of already), and you were happy to listen to it. She was attending the local district Community College, not that far away from Hawkins, and wasn’t planning on moving any day now. Still a cheerleader, still planning on meeting the one there and living the american dream with him. You guessed she was just one of those people whose lives revolved around the minuscule city they were born and raised on. She wasn’t gonna leave that cycle. Well, if she was happy, great for her, you thought. A dose of normalcy was always good, to keep your feet grounded.

You only saw Eddie a few times those days, when you were leaving or coming to the hotel. Sometimes you also had lunch together - but it was never only the two of you. Part of you felt happy, because he was really hitting off with your family, the ones he hadn’t met yet, and seeing him and Will excitedly exchanging tips about D&D made your heart swell with fondness in a way you already knew would happen when you first met Eddie and told him about your little brother. He was also exchanging stories about getting high and exchanging tips about weed with Jonathan, but that was not nearly as adorable.

But it was your last day in Hawkins before you went back to California, Argyle’s Surfer Boy van cleaned and repaired for another three-day trip. You had a job back home that you were sure you’d lost already at this point, so you would have to find another one when you got there - to help with all the moving costs after your semester was over. You had no idea how Jon, Will and El would deal with their schools, but you had called some of your colleagues and asked them to talk to your teachers. You had good grades and no other classes missed since the beginning of college, so you were mostly sure none of them would care for your minor two-week absence.

Your biggest issue so far was that you already had a summer job hitched and your part of your next college tuition already paid (the other two thirds were thankfully covered by a scholarship) and wouldn’t be able to move back to Hawkins with the rest of your family on Summer. And you hadn’t told anyone that yet.

Well, that was a problem for future you.

You knocked on the door of room 107 as your family walked past you on the corridor, bidding you a ‘see you soon’. Jonathan throwing you a knowing smirk over his shoulder and you just flipped him the bird over yours.

Eddie opened the door, a faded Star Trek shirt and sweatpants hanging low from his hips. His hair all disheveled, looking like a cloud on a stormy day around his head. He smiled instantly at seeing you.

“Wanna grab lunch?” You invited.

02:09 p.m. First thing Eddie asked when you got to the diner was when the rest of your family would arrive. “They’re not coming, it’s just the two of us.” You answered.

“Oh, is this a date I’m having with pantry girl?” He provoked, but you just nodded in response.

“Can be if you want it to.”

He actually looked shocked for a moment before bringing his charm back. “Does that mean I get to kiss you at the end of it?”

“If you don’t eat something too garlicky, sure.” You winked and he laughed.

That was several minutes ago, and as you paid your half of the bill over the counter and Eddie rambled on about how Reefer Rick should hire a bugs exterminator to his lake house (how he got to that topic, honestly, you had no idea. But you liked hearing him ramble), you started to feel the butterflies in your stomach thinking if he was going to kiss you or not.

It was a long time due.

You walked back to the hotel, not that far away from the diner, in the slow pace you were already used to - for the sake of Eddie’s recovering injuries. His shoulder touched yours at every step, your pinkies intertwined at some point, and you felt like an eighth grader and her first crush.

You weren’t talking, just enjoying each other’s company. Your mind was dead set on that kiss he promised. You wondered if he was thinking about it too.

As you reached your hallway, his door was the closest and you really, really didn’t want this to be over. So you were bold enough to ask, “How ‘bout we watch something?”

You didn’t have much to pack, your ‘bag’ (if you could call it that, it was just a backpack) practically ready to go, and you were leaving first thing in the morning. You really wanted to enjoy those last few hours with him.

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60 notes - Posted October 14, 2022

#3

long story short (part 2/3) | eddie munson X reader

this fic is part of a series: masterlist

summary: “I’ve thought about you every day.” He whispered, his eyes were deep into yours. “For five months?” You doubted. “For five months.” He stated. “I’ve thought about your laugh. About your eyes. Your cheer uniform.” He smirked, and you rolled your eyes with a smile before he went serious again. “Your kiss…”

warnings: fem!reader - no physical description. no use of y/n. post s4 - canon divergence. spoilers, i guess: max is not in a coma and eleven killed vecna and closed the portals because i said so. angst with a happy ending.

word count: 3.3k

a/n: is it considered a slow burn if they've kissed before? 👀 i'm sorry i'm too wordy on this. this is not betaed! english is not my first language. if there are any absurd mistakes please let me know. if you enjoy, please reblog and comment! 💞 you can also join my taglist. and this story has a playlist!

day five

08:31 a.m. You felt like absolute shit.

The promise you’ve made to Eddie had been broken. And it obviously wasn’t even your choice.

After Eddie woke up and the officers called the doctors, you stayed on the hallway paying attention to everything you could hear through the almost-closed door. Wayne also passed you some information after it was over. But Eddie had been in pain, of course, he was basically eaten alive by interdimensional bats, and after being assessed by the doctor - Eddie would stay one more day in ICU and then be transferred to a normal room - the painkillers made him sleep again.

You even stayed longer than that, past sunrise waiting for him to wake up so you could talk again, but then Hopper showed up with the police this time to explain Eddie’s… criminal circumstances. And you wanted to stay until after they’ve cleared his room, but Hop told you your mom was waiting for you back in the hotel and that it was indispensable that you be there as soon as you could.

So you went, of course.

And you couldn’t come back to the hospital because your mom simply rented your ears off (and Will’s, and Jonathan’s, and Eleven’s) to explain that she and Hopper were now a thing - wow, shocking! - and you would all move in together (talk about fast pacing). She asked Jonathan to take the kids to the Wheeler’s and to make sure they were safe at all times. And she took you on a race to find a house that rose up to hers and Hopper’s expectations.

And that took you both three whole fucking days. Because after seeing a few houses in Hawkins on day one, your mom decided she actually didn’t want to stay in Hawkins anymore and move to Fort Wayne instead (it was still close to and bigger than Hawkins, but not nearly as big as Indianapolis). And then you had to stay with the kids on day two, allowing Jonathan to spend time with his girlfriend, while your mom and Hopper found the perfect house. And on day three, as Hop came back to work, you went with her to Fort Wayne to close the deal on the house.

Yeah, that was exhausting.

When you were finally free to come see Eddie again, you had to get his new room number with Dustin, and you bought chocolates and flowers to bring with you. You hoped he liked chocolates. And flowers. And you hoped he wasn’t too mad at you.

As you reached his floor, there was now only one officer guarding his room. And he said that more than one person was allowed now. Wayne was in there already, of course, and Eddie was asleep.

Standing by the door, you greeted mister Munson and he turned to you at the sound of your voice. “Oh hello. There’s his angel.”

“His what now?” You asked and he chuckled.

“He keeps saying you’re his guarding angel who woke him up to ‘see the light of life again’.” Wayne made air quotes. “Both me and that curly kid tried telling him you were very much real, but he wouldn’t take it because you’ve promised you would come back to see him. And you hadn’t.” His expression wasn’t exactly stern, but it wasn’t exactly friendly either.

The guilt bubbled up in your stomach once more. “I’m really sorry, mister Munson, my mom dragged me to some family matters. I wish I could’ve come sooner.”

“I’m sure. You just gotta tell him that.” He looked at Eddie one more time before collecting his jacket from the armchair beside the bed. Only then you’ve noticed Eddie also wasn’t handcuffed anymore. Thank god - and Hopper - for that. “Don’t worry, he’s a forgiving guy.”

Wayne smiled softly at you before leaving the room. You walked further into the room, set the flowers and chocolate on his nightstand, and sat down in the armchair and took Eddie’s hand in yours.

His skin wasn’t cold anymore.

09:49 p.m. You were glad you had taken a book with you, because it took Eddie a while to finally wake up. You saw him stirring in bed from you peripheral before marking the page you were at and closing the book, tucking it back into your backpack on the floor. He was rubbing his eyes with his fists, and you adjusted in the armchair - only then he seemed to notice you.

He turned to face you. “Oh, pantry girl… You’re finally back?” His remark was dripping sarcasm, but his smile was friendly. You smirked back at him.

“I’m really sorry, Eddie. Mom dragged me with her to buy a house.”

“Oh, fancy!” He reached for a cup of water on his nightstand. “Look at that, thank you! Love expensive chocolate. And the flowers smell good from here.” He commented before drinking the water, and you smiled. You thought he would keep talking after drinking and setting the glass back on the table, but he didn’t.

“Did Dustin explain something to you? About… me?” You asked, playing nervously with your own fingers.

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72 notes - Posted October 7, 2022

#2

it's time to go | eddie munson X reader

summary: "You took a few more breaths, feeling your heart calm down and you skin grow colder, but those resting symptoms were easily thrown out the non-existent window the second your eyes were open. Because two feet in front of you crouched down Eddie Munson, a cookie he stole halfway to his mouth as he dumbly looked at you, his own dark brown eyes wide as he seemed paralyzed from getting discovered."

warnings: fem!reader - use of "princess", "lady", "sweetheart". no use of y/n. post-S3, pre-S4. fluffy fluffy fluffy. also kinda angsty - i'm sorry in advance.

word count: 5.1k words

a/n: eddie munson brain rot is real. he's got a tight hold on me. english is not my first language! sorry for any mistakes, this is not betaed (we die like chrissy). also my first eddie fic! also! my first fic in english! also! my first fic ever posted on tumblr. go easy on me, please 🥺 rb and comment if you like! you can also join my taglist! and this story has a playlist!

08:23 p.m. You almost got knocked over by a couple randomly crossing from one wall to another to continue their make out session without even separating their mouths. You cringed just a bit, stopped for a second to let them get comfortable and continued marching through the corridor. You knew the house, you’ve been there once or twice for a Science project you’ve been coupled with the house owner - Brenda Chapman. She was on your cheer squad, and you’ve seen her today just once, dancing on top of a table with a drink in hand while her boyfriend massaged her calves and looked at her like she was a goddess descending from the sky. You kind of envied that.

Anyway, the point was that you knew the house, so you knew the pantry was all the way in the back of the corridor, the last door to the left - it was a smaller door, too, and almost the exact same color as the walls. Very discreet, so you knew that no one else would notice it enough to try and enter it, not with that much alcohol going through their veins.

You were sweating a bit, could feel your blood running hot under your skin. Your hair was probably moist and messy but at this point you just didn’t care anymore.

The door squeaked softly as you passed through it with your eyes already halfway closed, and as you closed the door behind you and rested against it with your head low, your lids went down all the way. You could feel your eyes burning a little, the panic in your head wanting to be released through tears, but you took a deep breath to calm yourself. You didn’t want to cry and ruin the little makeup you had on, it was enough that the rest of your look was already - probably - in shambles.

With your eyes still closed you patted the door behind you until you found the lock, thankfully there was a key in place that you turned until you heard the soft click that indicated the door was locked.

You took a few more breaths, feeling your heart calm down and you skin grow colder, but those resting symptoms were easily thrown out the non-existent window the second your eyes were open. Because two feet in front of you crouched down Eddie Munson, a cookie he stole halfway to his mouth as he dumbly looked at you, his own dark brown eyes wide as he seemed paralyzed from getting discovered.

You wanted to scream from the scare, but you didn’t want to be discovered too, so you just gasped quietly. He did the same and slowly rose up to a standing position, like he was trying not to scare you away.

“Uh… I’m sorry?” He half apologized, half asked, confusion so clear in his feature. He tucked the cookie back in its package, placed it back on a shelf and cleaned his hands in his dark jeans pants. You could see some of the flour crumbles flying away.

Apparently he knew who the house owner - Brenda Chapman - was, and knew you weren’t her. Otherwise, you think, he would’ve said sorry for, you know, being inside her pantry and eating her cookies, not for scaring you. You wandered if he knew who you truly were.

You hoped he didn’t.

“It’s okay.” You reassured him, and tried to smile but knew at the same moment it probably looked more like a grimace. “What are you hiding from?”

“A fight. I may or may not have denied this jock guy something he wanted to buy to…” He hesitated. You kept your facial expression as neutral as you could.

“Get high?” You suggested. You knew he sold drugs. Who didn’t?

“Well, to get his girlfriend high. Without her explicit consent, I believe.” His eyes turned away from yours. “Anyway, he was pissed, yelled at me and tried to punch me, I guess? I shoved him back and just came running inside - we, uh, we were outside in the garden. It’s where I usually stay when, you know, selling illicit substances to jocks who hate me but also can’t live without me. Or my products. Or whatever.”

He was rambling. He looked nervous. His eyes didn’t stay put, cruising around the cluttered space you were both caged in. And on you, and on what you figured was your cheerleader uniform - Debrah made you wear it.

So he thought you were one of them, maybe.

Well, you were. But, also, you weren’t.

“Yeah, sounds just about right. They can be very hypocritical.” You tried to calm him again. Yourself was already calm again after the scare, being away from the crowd and loud noises at the party was enough to tame your heartbeat.

It looked like your reassurance worked again, his eyes instantly flew to yours and he took a calm, but deep breath. He was good at disguising it, but you were also a very good people reader and knew the look on his face as a soft, surprised relief.

You thought he would continue the conversation around dumb jocks, but he didn’t. “What are you hiding from?” He retorted, tilting his head a little.

“Everything. Everyone.” You shrugged. Your eyes were no longer meeting his. “Didn’t want to be here, if I’m being honest.”

“Then why are you?”

You didn’t want to tell him the whole truth. It shook you up just thinking about it. So you shrugged again.

“My friend kind of forced me. I figured I owed her a favor for putting up with my grumpy ass, so I just gave in.”

There was a small smile on your lips - a real smile now, not just a grimace - and he smiled back at you, much wider. Debrah was a nice girl. You did owe her, she had never asked much from your friendship, never complained about the fact that you probably were kind of a terrible friend. A party was nothing based on everything she had - or, hadn’t? - been through with you.

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85 notes - Posted September 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

long story short (part 1/3) | eddie munson X reader

this fic is part of a series: masterlist

summary: "Eddie’s pale face was still all you could see. It had completely replaced all your other usual haunting images - Will’s funeral, his screams as your mom turned up the heaters, that demogorgon feasting on Bob’s limp body, El’s shriek in pain as Jon tried to pull a piece of the Mind Flayer from her leg. Probably because you knew they were safe now, out of the woods. But Eddie wasn’t."

warnings: fem!reader - no physical description. no use of y/n. post s4 - canon divergence. spoilers, i guess: max is not in a coma and eleven killed vecna and closed the portals because i said so. angst with a happy ending.

word count: 4.5k

a/n: this is not betaed! english is not my first language. if there are any absurd mistakes please let me know. i dunno how many parts this will have, but i promise to try not to take too long to post the rest. if you enjoy, please reblog and comment! 💞 you can also join my taglist. and this story has a playlist!

day one

09:19 a.m. His arms were tight around you, grounding you, comforting you - and you wished you were giving all that reassuring back just the same.

“It was so scary.” He said, quivering a bit. You pulled him even closer, as close as you could. “I was so scared. So scared. I didn’t think we would walk out alive. I really didn’t.” You felt his tears wetting your sweater. He was almost hurting you from all the strength he was putting into his lithe arms.

You closed your eyes, attempting to block out the images trying to form in your head - nothing you’ve actually seen, but your imagination was never one to be shy. But you had to stay strong, to not let creations of your mind frighten you, because you had to reassure him. He had to trust you.

You breathed deep before answering him. “I can only imagine, love. But we’re here now. You don’t have to be scared anymore. Everyone’s here. We’re safe. You’re safe.”

Lucas let go of you after another final squeeze and a sniff, and you turned around to properly see everyone else. The room was crowded, filled with so many people. The smell of disinfectant was uncomfortable, but the sight of all your friends united again melted your heart.

Max was awake now, still very shaken but much better than what you thought she would be. Both her legs were on casts and you couldn’t begin to imagine what that recovery would be like. The poor girl… But at least she was alive, that’s what you kept saying to yourself over and over.

Lucas went back to his seat in front of the window as you, El, Will and Jon went closer to the bed the redhead was lying on. The younger ones shared a hug, your siblings being careful not to hurt their friend.

Your hand went to her fire hair in a caress and she turned to you. “I’m so happy y’all are here.” She said, her voice a little dragged probably from all the medication she was on.

“We’re very glad too.” She reciprocated the smile you gave her as her eyes closed from the gentle touch on her head.

09:44 a.m. Not long after that, as the kids were catching up and resting on Max’s room, you gathered with all the older ones in the hospital cafeteria as you recounted everything that had happened since march 21st. The Cali crew, as you were calling yourself and your family (plus Argyle, bless his heart) went first, taking turns in explaining. You tried your best to retell everything El had described to you from the time she was on Nina, but told the others if they wanted they could ask her more about it later. The important part was that it was there that she learned about Henry/Vecna/001 and when she got her powers back.

As the Hawkins crew started their own version, some blanks in your story were beginning to be filled in. You felt bad about Chrissy, she was a very sweet girl from the little you knew her from the cheer squad. Another one of those rare pieces amongst so many rotten people who thought social status in high school was the most important thing ever.

“…and then! Dustin and Max were busting into Family Video and basically kidnapping our phones because they wanted to find where the supposed killer was, because they were already sure whatever was done to Chrissy was not made by human hands!” Robin had been monologuing for a few minutes already, but all of you were used to it at this point. She had no pause button.

“Didn’t help that the guy was Dustin’s friend. He was doubly worried.” Steve was able to interrupt his coworker, rolling his eyes. “Mike and Lucas also know the guy. He’s the leader from their dragons dungeon thing.”

“Dungeons and Dragons.” You corrected. Steve murmured ‘whatever’.

Nancy’s brows were furrowed and she was looking at her hands intertwined with Jonathan’s on her lap as she spoke. “Poor Eddie. Thrown into it head first. He did not deserve any of this.”

Your heart stopped.

I mean, there could be other Eddies in Hawkins. Of course it could. But why was the feeling in your gut so sickening?

“What’s his name now?” You asked. Your voice was trembling, and Jonathan immediately turned to look at you. He knew you too well.

“Eddie Munson. He’s a triple senior. Sells drugs.” Steve answered.

Fuck.

Fuckity-fucking-fuck.

Your heartbeat was a thousand miles per hour, your mouth was suddenly dry and for some reason your longs were no longer capable of doing their job.

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111 notes - Posted October 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[sebastianstangirl01]

Could you do a Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x teen!daughter!reader where she's in highschool and falling behind in her classes, he gets mad and she does too, they fight, she runs off to Maverick's house and he's worried sick because he can't get a hold of her (just pure angst at this point). He finds her, they talk it out and then just pure fluff? I love the way you write Rooster with a platonic reader!

Runaway

Title: Runaway

Pairing: Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Daughter!Reader

Summary: After getting a bad grade tensions rise at the Bradshaw house leading the reader to runaway.

Warnings: language, angst, happy ending

Authors Note: The reader is 16

From the moment you woke up this morning you knew it wouldn’t be a good day.

The past few days tensions have been high in the Bradshaw house, between your dad working hard as a new instructor at Top Gun and you with school work and playing both Softball and Soccer neither of you have had a lot of extra time. Which means housework has been neglected, last night you both had an argument about how the dishes haven’t been done in days and the laundry needed to be caught up.

With it being the end of the school year you had a bunch of tests you had to study for and with it also being Softball season you have been too busy to do any of your normal chores around the house.

You got your temper from your father and with your teenage moodiness anyways that didn’t help the situation that ended with you being sent to your room to prevent either you or your father from saying something rash.

Your dad was already gone to work by the time you made it downstairs to leave for school but he left you a note next to a blueberry muffin saying he loved you and hoped you have a good day at school. You smiled at the note and made sure to put it in your backpack before grabbing the muffin and a bottle of water and hurrying to your car so you wouldn’t be late.

You were anxiously sitting next to your best friend Bella waiting for your online test results from your math test, math was never your strongest subject so you felt extremely nervous about how you did even though you studied really hard.

“I’m sure you did fine Y/N, you studied so hard!” Bella reassured you with a supportive smile

“Ok class, your tests have been graded and your results were sent to your emails. If anyone has a problem with their grades then you try to find a better way to study for your final at the end of the month.” Your teacher Mr. Olson said, he was a mean old man who wasn’t a very good teacher he never helped students when they asked just told them they should know the content by now.

You anxiously opened your email and chewed on your thumb nail waiting for it to load, when it finally did you felt your breath hitch and your stomach drop.

56%

You gaped at the screen with wide eyes you had studied so hard for this test and thought you would at least pass.

“What’d you get?” Bella asked you trying to sneak a peak at your screen

You quickly shut the computer making Bella jump at the abruptness.

“It wouldn’t load.” You said embarrassed, especially when you saw that she got a 90 on the test

“Ms. Bradshaw I need to speak with you. Class dismissed.” Mr. Olson said making you gulp as the rest of the students left. “You are the only student who got below a 70% on my exam. Care to explain why?”

“I don’t know Sir. I studied so hard you can ask anybody, I don’t know what happened.” You shook your head in disappointment

“I’m afraid that if you do not score at least a 80% on the final that you will fail my class. Unfortunately I am going to have to call your father and hopefully you two can work out a solution to your less than acceptable work. That will be all.” Mr. Olson said nodding his head to the door

Your face was red with embarrassment as you grabbed your things and hurried out the door, luckily it was the end of the day and you quickly made your way to your car before anyone could see the tears of frustration.

You just knew that when you got home you would be in so much trouble, not just because you failed a test but because your teacher called your dad while he was in the middle of training like he always is. Part of you thought maybe you could hide away at your uncle Hangman’s house until he gets home from training so he can be a buffer between you and your dad, but logically that wouldn’t work.

When you pulled into the driveway you were surprised to see your dads bronco in the driveway, instantly paling thinking about how much trouble you were going to be in since he was already home. You sighed and turned off the car before making your way into the house and closing the door behind you.

The house was quiet which is very unusual since there is always something playing on the tv in the background because neither you or your dad like the house completely silent. You walked into the kitchen and saw your dad sitting at the table with his arms crossed watching the doorway for you to step through.

“Your teacher called me.” Bradley told you with a blank expression making you even more nervous.

“I figured since your home so early.” You said with a sigh

“He said you have been giving zero effort in class, that you always goof off and never pay attention and then end up doing bad on the tests. You know the rules, as long as you give your school work 100% of your effort then I don’t care what grade you get because I will know that you tried your best. But you are smarter then a F, Y/N! That’s not your best work! All I ask is that you do your best in school, sports, and help out around the house that’s all I ask of you!” Bradley exclaimed making you furrow your brows

“I wasn’t slacking off dad! I tried really hard on that test, I studied for hours, I did the best I could but the test was hard! I’m sorry if I haven’t been helping out around the house as much but it’s smack dab in the middle of softball season, it’s my junior year so I have the stupid ACT I have to study for. It’s been a lot and you don’t even care!” You exclaim, feeling all the built up frustration explode

“Don’t raise your voice at me young lady! I work my ass off everyday to make sure you can have your own car, and play 2 sports, and have everything your heart desires! The least you can do is help me out around here!” Your dad said frustratedly making you shake your head

“I try dad! I really do, but it seems like nothing I ever do is good enough for you lately.” You said with tears in your eyes

“Well maybe you should grow up and try harder and stop being such a disappointment!” Bradley exclaimed before his face dropped, you felt your throat burn as tears rolled down your cheeks at your fathers words. “Baby.”

“I hate you.” You said as your voice broke before rushing out the door

“Y/N! Baby I’m sorry!” Bradley exclaimed running after you but you had already gotten in your car and drove off. “Fuck!”

Bradley stood in the driveway with his hands on his hips as he sighed and looked up at the sky trying to blink away his own tears. The last few weeks have been really stressful at work and it didn’t help that the anniversary of Goose’s death was coming up next week.

“Talk to me dad. I screwed up.” Bradley sighed before pulling out his phone, he didn’t dial your number because he didn’t want you looking at your phone while driving so he called around to some of his friends that you were close to hoping that maybe you ran to one of them.

You tried to wipe your tears as you drove down the street but they were falling down your face rapidly to the point that you could barely see where you were going. You never in a million years could have imagined that your dad would call you a disappointment, especially since you are so close he always calls you his little miracle.

You are just so hurt. So you went to the one person you knew you can count on.

Pete Mitchell was sitting back on the couch with a beer as a baseball game played on the tv, it was one of those very rare moments when he didn’t have anything to do. Penny took Amelia out on a boating trip, he didn’t have to teach any classes at Top Gun, he finally finished building his plane last week, and you and Bradley were doing your own thing.

He was ready for a night of peace and quiet. Until there was a repetitive knocking on his front door. Pete furrowed his brows before getting up to answer the door, before he could speak a word a force crashed into his stomach almost knocking the breath out of him. He looked down and saw you nuzzled into his chest with tears falling down your cheeks.

“Hey. Hey. What’s wrong kiddo? Your shaking.” Pete said wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into the house closing the door behind you. “Talk to me sweetheart.”

“Me and dad got into a fight. He called me a disappointed, Papa Mav.” You hiccuped making Pete frown as he pulled you over to the couch to sit down beside him

“You know your dad didn’t mean that right? He loves you so much, almost as much as I do.” Pete teased poking your side trying to get you to smile

“Then why did he say it?” You asked leaning into his side as he rubbed your back soothingly, exactly the way he did when you were a baby and couldn’t go to sleep because of colic.

“When people get frustrated we say things that we don’t mean. Trust me I’ve done it enough, me and your father have had our fare share of fights and said things in the heat of the moment that we didn’t mean. But that doesn’t mean that I love him any less.” Pete told you as he placed a kiss on your forehead. “Why don’t you go make you a snack and I’ll call your dad to let him know your ok.”

“Ok.” You sighed before making your way into the kitchen, Pete always had snacks for you when you came over it was one of the main reasons why you loved spending time at the house with him.

You grabbed a blueberry pop tart and a Yoo-hoo from the fridge before making your way back into the living room where Pete was sitting on the couch and plopped down next to him.

“Want to watch a movie?” Pete asked putting his arm around your shoulder

“Tombstone?” You asked with a smile, it was one of your and Pete’s favorite movies ever since he introduced you to the world of Western Movies when you were 6.

“I’m your Huckleberry.” Pete smirked making you laugh as he turned the movie on

“Have you ever noticed how much Doc Holliday looks like Uncle Ice?” You asked as Doc Holliday came onto the screen for the first time in the saloon playing a game of poker.

“Huh. I guess he does, you’ll have to tell Ice that I’m sure he’d get a kick out of it.” Pete told you with a chuckle

Suddenly there was a knock on the door before it cracked open and your fathers head poked into the room making you tense.

“Hey. Uh, sweetie can we talk please?” Bradley asked you making you look at Pete who gave you a encouraging nod

You sat your snacks down on the coffee table and stood up following your dad out to the front porch you both sat down on the swing.

“I’m so sorry. I never in a million years should have said that to you. You are without a doubt the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I never want to imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t have my little girl.” Bradley said rubbing your cheek when he noticed your eyes getting watery

“I really am trying my best dad. I promise, I studied so hard for that math test and I thought I did good on it but I guess not.” You said looking down

“I know you are, I should have never doubted your work ethic I know how serious you take your studies and sports. How about I talk to Uncle Bob and see if he can help you study, he’s really good at math and you might feel more comfortable getting help from someone you know well.” Bradley suggested and you nodded liking that idea much better than trying to ask your teacher

“Ok.” You nodded and Bradley smiled pulling you into his arms

“I love you so much.” Bradley said kissing your forehead

“I love you too dad.” You said hugging his waist. “Do you want to come in and watch Tomb Stone with me and Papa Mav?”

“Sure.” Bradley said letting you pull him back into the house where Pete sat with his beer in his hand

“All good?” Pete asked the two of you

“All good Mav. Thanks for watching out for her.” Bradley said sitting on your other side

“She’s my number one girl, of course I watch out for her.” Pete said nudging your shoulder before handing you your snack and pressing play on the movie

The rest of the night was spent watching movies and ordering pizza with your two favorite people in the world.

Taglist:

@daughterofthereaper02

@luckyladycreator2

@calpurniatypes

@littlebadariell

@qnfluvr

@raefoxiegirl

@maverick-wingman

[butterflybuckethat]

Lingering - Part II

Part I - 🦋 Masterlist 🦋

Anthony x Reader - prompt 16: "I'm leaving." "Of course you are."

Notes: Hello! I don't think this counts as my full return to this blog but I'm suffering some writer's block for the projects I have to do for school so, hoping this helps. Also, I am very much looking forward to season 2!

Tag list: @theinfinitenerd @snixx2088 @ms-wild-card-56 @readingbooksdrinkingtea

You were kicking grass in the grazing field, feet from the stables, having lost track of Anthony ages ago. You didn't exactly run away from the weighted exchange between you both, but you certainly did not stick around. Skirts bunched in your fists, you laughed at what a sight you must have been--grass-stained and barefoot. Oh, what had you done? Ruined a cherished friendship over four words. Four words! You sunk to the ground, dropping your head in your hands.

"There you are." You cringed. Anthony. You squinted up at him. "I'm leaving."

"Of course you are."

"What?" It was hard to see his expression with the sun at his back, but he kneeled in front of you--further away than you would have expected, than what was typical for you two. "I am leaving and would like to return you home."

The carriage ride was silent--Anthony's hands clasped in his lap and your gaze turned out the window. He cleared his throat, "Before I forget." He pressed a shilling in your palm, gloved fingers resting at the back of your hand. "Your share of our winnings."

"This is all?" You scraped your thumbnail across the engraving, letting the sound fill the coach.

"Were you expecting more?" Anthony shifted in this seat, a teasing lilt to his voice, allowing his knee to graze yours. Your brow furrowed. "I am not much of a gambler, Y/N." You couldn't help but laugh. That may have been true, but he was something. How he could pretend nothing had happened was beyond you. There you were, keeping your composure by a thread, and there he was, flirting. Perhaps not flirting, you didn't want to be presumptuous. That was how you got into this mess in the first place.

"That cannot be true," you tried falling back into your easy banter but it was proving difficult, unable to completely assuage the hard edge in your tone, "I cannot help but feel that you are holding out on me."

"You must truly think so little of me," he held his hand to his chest in mock hurt, "I would never deprive my dearest friend of her rightful earnings." Friend. There it was again. At least he had the decency to wince. You rolled your eyes.

"As if you are in desperate need of funds."

"And you are?"

"Perhaps," you shrugged, looking out the window, "mother does have her sights set on the Duke of Chatham for me."

"Little Teddy Chatham? With the broken nose?" He leaned back in his seat, putting more distance between the both of you.

"The very same. He arrives in London within the fortnight." This was unfair, you knew it was. Your mother had mentioned his arrival in passing along with some offhand comment of "you're not getting any younger" but you knew this was a surefire way to make him feel as you had felt. He turned toward his window and didn't say a word the rest of the trip.

.

The Smythe-Smith musicale was the first you had seen of Anthony in nearly two weeks. Your mother pushed you into a seat next to his while she went to go sit by Violet in the front. He didn’t acknowledge you with much more than a glance before fixing his sight back to where it began. You followed his line of vision, not sure what you were expecting, but there was Colin and Penelope.

“Why are you spying on your brother?” you whispered.

“They haven’t spoken since he made quite the blunder when he did not realize she was in the room,” he glanced at you again, without turning his head from the pair. You wanted to comment “how familiar” or something of the sort but you kept your mouth shut, not wanting to pick a fight, and turned to watch as well.

The two were talking, that was all. They were barely in proximity to one another and yet, it looked as if they were the only two in the entire world. Colin would talk, Penelope would remark, and the look on his face… It was too much. You opted to look at Anthony instead.

“How long?”

“I’m not sure about Colin but Penelope…near forever, I suspect.” You didn't want to say it out loud, love being a boundary neither of you expected to cross.

“Have you ever—”

“No,” he whispered. The lights dimmed and the girls began tuning their instruments. You were not sure how they could tell their instruments were tuned as it sounded no different from their playing. You turned to Anthony who wore a similarly pained expression.

“Where have you been, Anthony?”

“Hm?” he questioned, unable to tear himself away from the train wreck before you.

“It has been two weeks.”

“It hasn’t.”

“It has!” you whisper shouted, praying your outburst would not be splattered across the pages of Lady Whistledown the following morning.

“This is not the time,” he still hadn’t looked at you.

“It must be, as this is first I have seen of you.”

“I am sure you were quite occupied—”

“I beg your pardon.”

“With Teddy,” he looked at you then, his tone of voice so sarcastic you nearly thought him teasing.

“You’re jealous!” you exclaimed, slightly above a whisper. Anthony stood abruptly and dragged you out into the hall by the elbow. If you weren’t in the society pages already, you certainly were now. “What have you done?” You yanked your arm out of his grasp.

“Preventing you from causing a scene in front of the entirety of the ton!”

“Me?” you laughed, “and what would you call that?” you pointed toward the double doors whence you just came.

“What was I supposed to do? You called me jealous!”

“Were you?” you took a step toward him.

“What does that matter?”

“It matters to me.”

“I can’t imagine why,” he shook his head, “I am positive Teddy is completely enamored with you.”

“And what makes you so certain?” You were quite close now, enough to make out the dark ring around his iris. He looked up to the ceiling, as if to the heavens, and rubbed his thumb across your cheekbone.

“Because I am. And I have more refined taste than he.”

“Fire!” somebody yelled from within the auditorium. Hordes of people spilled out into the foyer, shrieking and clamoring to get outdoors, sweeping you away with them.

“Anthony!” you called, but he was nowhere to be seen.

[sortasirius]

What the Fuck Happened to the SPN Finale?

Okay so here it is, my Charlie Kelly style manifesto.

Before I get into it, I recognize that I will look like this to many of you, and that’s okay, I understand:

Secondly, your personal Takes about the writers don’t interest me, I don’t need to hear them. This, as I’ll explain, is going to remain a writer positive blog, and that’s the end of it.

Third, and most importantly: some of what I’m going to talk about is fact, and some is highly educated speculation. I will notate what is speculation, just so there’s no confusion or hot takes in my inbox that I’m a conspiracy theorist or stirring shit up for no reason.

A list of what I’ll be discussing

The episode in regards to the rest of the season

The episode issues: length, editing

Scene placement and speculation of scenes cut

The scrubbing of Jack, Cas, Eileen

Network involvement and general timeline of when things were cut

Misha: theories on where he was, official company line, why we can’t expect to hear anything directly

The silence of the cast post episode (in Misha’s case, mid episode) and what this might mean

Jensen speaking with Kripke about the ending: why it doesn’t mean what you might think (also why kripke remained positive on the ending)

Walker, and why this episode had a major shift

Why the network would do this or get involved

Why the writers of the show simply aren’t the bad guys here, and what I “want” out of this post, since I know it’ll get asked

This is very long and under a cut, but I hope you’ll give it a read.

The Episode In Regards to the Rest of the Season

So, I’ve discussed this already here, but it’s the most obvious thing to me, and that’s the way this episode simply doesn’t fit with the rest of the season.

These people in this room have, truly, been nothing but consistent when it comes to their arcs, especially this season, and the marked dropoff in quality for the finale episode is just too sus to discount to me.  Dabb’s whole focus has been character-based.  In his seasons, we’ve moved far away from MOTW and bro-codependency, the found family taking it’s place.  Does it really sit right to anyone that that was all thrown away in literally the last episode of the entire show?

This is speculation on my part, but as a writer myself, there is no way I would be happy or willing to stamp my name on something that I didn’t think would, at the very least, wrap up the season+ character arcs that I and my team had been crafting.

And before anyone comes in here saying, “well GOT did that!”  Bruh.  The writing was on the wall for GOT long before the final episode.  You could tell that the showrunners just wanted to be done (not only from the plot, but from the fact that they lobbied for a shorter season).  Miss me with that, it doesn’t apply here.  Andrew has, besides Singer and J2, been with the show longer than anyone.  He cares, he is meticulous and detailed, and this ending feels worse than anything Bucklemming has ever written, let alone Dabb.

Additionally, I’ve seen a lot of people say that Dabb was never behind Destiel, that it was all Bobo and Meredith and no one else.  That is reductive to the point of insult of the work Dabb has done to get this greenlit.  This man did not write the s13 Dean grief arc to be slandered like this.  That being said, YES, Bobo and Meredith were the leads on the DeanCas arc this season, but ANDREW IS THE SHOWRUNNER, TO GET EVEN THE CONFESSION APPROVED BY THE NETWORK HE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THEIR BACKS.  AND HE DID.

Finale Issues

So, now that we’ve gotten the fact that this episode doesn’t hit on any of the major themes the show was barrelling towards all season, let’s discuss the fact that the episode is just...weird.

Not only is it shorter than any other episode (I think with the intro and the credits/crew thing at the end, it was around 38 mins), but it was also...idk, 90% filler?

One of the lovely humans in the POLOL server did the legwork here, and broke it down:

This is weird, y’all.  Most series finales are LONGER than normal (Lost, SOA, Longmire are the ones I can think of off the top of my head), and for the final episode to be this?  I saw more than one person point out that we only really needed 19 episodes, what was the point of 20?  AND THAT’S EXACTLY IT?  WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS FINAL EPISODE IF THIS WAS ALL WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET?

It simply doesn’t make any sense, the first half of the episode was rushed, a final monster hunt gone wrong, but in the second half?  Nothing really happened?  Sam lived his entire life and Dean just drove around.  It doesn’t make sense to have all the emotional arcs left unaddressed in an episode that definitely needed some kind of spark.

Here’s the speculation I have: the episode seemingly went through a lot of changes between the initial inception of the final season and when we actually got it, but I think it would have been passable (as in, we wouldn’t be sitting here asking each other why each arc feels incomplete) until the editing room got ahold of it.  The only think that makes this episode make sense is network fuckery.  Truly, that is the only thing.  It explains the weird, cuts, the rushed pacing of the first half followed by nothing in the second half, the double montages of “Wayward Son” back to back, and Dean just...driving around for the last half of the episode.

Scene Placement and Speculation of Scenes Cut

Before I get into this section, the info of the shots in the episode I have come from a source that @occamshipper​ got a week or so before the finale.  She’s talked about this here.

So here’s what Min was given:

1-5: 1 INT MEN OF LETTERS – DEAN’S ROOM Dean is greeted by Miracle

6-10: 6 INT MEN OF LETTERS – HALLWAY/SAM’S ROOM Sam has his routine

D1 1 11-15: 15 EXT FARM HOUSE Establishing

N1 1/8 16-20: 19 Dad’s journal, marker, drawing of masked man in journal.

21-25: 23 INT IMPALA – PMP Driver picks the music

N2 1 3/8 1,2 26-30: 28pt2 INT BARN: A face from the past

28pt3 Sam and Dean say goodbye

28pt4 Shot early for technical reasons, presumably the overhead shot

N2 31-45: 41 INT MEN OF LETTERS – SAM’S ROOM Sam’s alarm goes off D4 1/8 1 46-60: 56 INT N7glasses for Sam, laptop.

So...it all fits right?  It all tracks with the actual episode, where it lands, etc.  The issue is between shots 29-40 which were apparently “too big to spoil.”  Uh.  Where are they?  And where’s 28 pt4?

After Dean dies, the next scene is Sam burning him, then shot 31, the shot of his alarm going off.

So.  Where are those 11ish shots?

PLUS we have the boards, which are scenes we KNOW were actually shot:

As well as scenes for 20 that were shot in 19.

It’s just...weird, it’s weird and again hits on the fact that the episode is so short and like 80% montage.

The Scrubbing of Jack, Cas, and Eileen

So now we have to reckon with the fact that Eileen was last mentioned by Sam after she got snapped by Chuck, Jack’s last mention is that he’s off being God somewhere, and Cas’ last mention is a ~knowing look~ between Dean and Bobby.

I’m sorry, make it make sense:

????????  That’s the end if it?  They don’t need to be discussed after this???  It’s just simply not something a writer would do, they would not introduce these characters, these arcs, without thinking there’s going to be some kind of follow through here.

So not only were three major characters (including two leads and both of the original characters’ love interests) completely wiped from the finale episode, it was as though Sam and Dean never even needed them, which just...ain’t it.

So why Eileen and Jack too?  Why not just take Cas out of it if they were afraid of the gay?  Because, ultimately, the episode went back to Kripke’s original story: just the bros, they only need each other and no one else.  They don’t want anyone else, they don’t need anyone else.  Easier to go back to something they knew was successful than trust the writers and their audience and take a big leap.

Alex even said he shot for 20 with “some of the guys” here.  What happened to that footage?

The complete 180 of it all still shocks me, I still cannot believe that we were essentially at the finish line, and the network just stopped short, and decided to go run another race, at the expense of the arc of this fifteen year legacy show.

Network Involvement and When Things Were Cut

Okay, now into the juicy stuff.

So I’ve pretty well established that network fuckery is clear, but how much did they get involved, what was the original intent?

Well again, we may never actually know what Andrew’s original script was, but I think, at the least, it would involve Dean speaking his truth to Cas and Sam living a life with Eileen.

Now, it seems today, that Misha said that Jimmy Novak was supposed to be in the finale in one iteration of the script, and while initially my brain was like “that truly makes no sense and he’s either straight up lying or telling a half truth,” I think what may be happening is Misha talking about as much as he can right now.

So Jimmy right.  Weird as fuck.  Why would he been in the Roadhouse and not Cas?  My current thought (this is about as reachy as I’ll get) is that Jimmy had no lines, could he have been in the Roadhouse as a red herring, like it said “Jimmy” in the script but it was just Cas in human clothes, a way to get around the network saying Cas couldn’t be in the final scene.  Also, you’ll notice that Misha didn’t say that Cas wasn’t supposed to be in the ep at all, just Jimmy in the last scene.

All this to say, there have clearly been multiple versions of the script, getting lighter and lighter with Cas and Eileen as the network pulled further and further back.  Remember, Dabb has to get things approved before they get shot, and if the network kept asking and asking and asking to cut Cas and Eileen, he had to find a way to work around it.  Granted, I still think that if we had been able to get a Dabb script that wasn’t torn to shreds in editing, it wouldn’t be so bad.  It may not be what a lot of us wanted (Dean speaking his truth to Cas and a reciprocation), but doing everything he could to give it to us in subtext or visual clues.

Plus, in all honesty, my man can’t keep his story straight anyway.  He said twice in his panel that the Empty and offscreen Heaven ending weren’t his original ending either.

In addition, remember that Jensen did ADR post episode 18, AND said in a meet and greet last weekend that Dean’s reaction to Cas’ confession was “cut down.” (Source here).  Many of us clowns got excited when we first heard about ADR, because we thought it would be upping the ante on Dean’s reaction, but I remember being a little sus when it was just crying.  My speculation on that is that they cut out Dean actually SAYING something, @winchestersingerautorepair​ spoke about that here.

The biggest sins were, in my opinion, committed during editing, where the network got too gun shy and sliced the episode until it was nothing but a heartless bro-fest of a finale, not mentioning anything about the other major characters that we all love, and letting the boys just suffer in separation until Sam died and finally joined Dean in Heaven.  The editing came by cutting all the major emotional beats between anyone other than Dean and Sam, leaving the skeleton of the story intact, just shorter and less...poignant than it was ever supposed to be.

Misha

We know Misha was in Vancouver, we know he quarantined, but we also know he wasn’t in the final scene, when he spoke about being in the last moment of the show months ago.  We were not crazy, he was there, he quarantined, and, in all likelihood (speculation but fitting with the timeline), he actually may have shot something (not much, but something).

I have sources here, here, here, and here showing where Misha was at that time.

Remember, the man was completely open about coming back until they finished shooting (look at this thread).  The switch happened, just like everything else, halfway through them shooting.

Please also remember Jake Abel posting his “Where’s Misha” video here.  Jake isn’t malicious, he isn’t being nasty here.  Misha was there, and everyone that’s trying to convince people he’s wasn’t just...isn’t telling the truth about it.

This is one of the things that makes me really mad, because they’re literally attempting to gaslight people into thinking, “oh we were totally wrong he was never supposed to be there” WHEN HE WAS THERE, WE KNOW HE WAS THERE.

So we’ve already heard from several people (Meghan Fitzmartin, Jay, a PA on the set of 19 (WHO WAS NOT WORKING FOR 20), Misha himself) that this was all down to Covid restrictions.  Ultimately, as this post says, we’ve heard FIVE versions of where Misha was.  None of it makes sense, but the Covid protocol seems to be the company line that others are repeating.

You may ask: why?  Why lie to all of us when we have questions?  Why, in Jay’s case, say that we’re all spreading false lies to stir up trouble, when we just have questions and things that do not make sense.  Simply?  Warner Brothers is absolutely massive.  These people have their careers to protect and are likely all under NDAs.  They want to work for WB again and don’t want to burn bridges, including Misha.  It sucks, but that’s why it’s unlikely that we’ll hear someone come out and say, “yeah we’re lying to you.”

Silence of the Cast Post Episode

So this is...probably the worst part of all this, at least in my opinion.

The guys had all been pretty excited about the end of the show (especially Jared, but Jensen’s panel last week was Jensen as happy and jokey and positive as I’ve ever seen him.  He was so excited about episode 18, about what it meant for Dean and for Cas, and I just cannot buy that he would have been that excited unless he thought there was something more in the episode.

Misha live-tweeted the episode, and was watching it with his kids.  It’s well known that Misha and the kids don’t watch the show because it’s too scary, and let’s ask ourselves, why would he have them watch an episode that he’s barely even mentioned in?

He also stopped live-tweeting at a very specific point in the episode (Dean’s death) and has not mentioned Supernatural since then. 

None of them, not Jared, Jensen, Misha, or even Alex, said anything about the episode for nearly 36 hours, when Jensen posted a salty photo on instagram.  It’s just...not what you’d expect for the end of a 15 year show, when the cast and crew are so close to the fans, so close to each other. 

My theory?  They didn’t know.  They thought Misha was, at least, going to be in the episode in some way, and when he wasn’t, they decided not to say anything.

You really think that Jensen “Heller” Ackles would have been so excited about the end of the show last week if he thought Cas wasn’t going to be in it at all?  Nah son, doesn’t make any sense.

Even today, in Jared and Misha’s panels, they seemed sad and...more than a little careful, both saying that there were things they couldn���t say, both talking around things that we all have questions on.

Jensen Speaking with Kripke

So this is where a lot of people are getting fodder to take shots at the writers, saying that Jensen hated it from the beginning, but I don’t think so.  I actually think I know what Jensen went to him about, and it wasn’t the lack of Cas or the weird pacing or the montages (which I don’t think were there when Jensen got the script); I think it was the manner of Dean’s death.

I know a lot of people were upset about that, upset with how...normal it was, coming off an episode where they literally beat God.  I actually didn’t mind it, I thought it was an interesting thematic take to be like: you can be a hero all your life, but sometimes shit happens, and you just die.

But imagine how hard that was for Jensen to read.  He would run to Kripke for that, because for him, Dean dying by being impaled by a piece of rebar had to be tough to swallow.

So, why didn’t Kripke say that?  Why didn’t he say, “oh well he had a problem with Dean’s death, none of that other stuff was in the script.”

Guys.  Why would he get involved?  He’s not going to burn bridges any more than anyone else is.  He said the ending was good because it’s the easy thing to do, it’s simple, will cause him no problems in his career, and he can just ignore the people trying to engage with him on it.

Walker

Something else to talk about is the major shift this episode had from the rest of the season: the shift from Dean to Sam.  I am NOT saying that Sam isn’t important, he definitely, absolutely is, but it was DEAN who really needed to wrap up his arc, Sam just needed to move on, get married to Eileen, become the leader he was always meant to.  So what changed?  What was with the shirtless scene, the Austin number and random case there, most of the episode being heavily Sam focused, going through his entire life in a montage?

Anyone else notice the 375 Walker promos, or Jared’s little spiel about Walker and how he hoped SPN fans would “come along for the ride.”

It’s...kinda obvious?  CW wanted to appeal to who they think the key demographic of SPN and Walker is: rural areas in the South.  It would explain a lot, why so much editing, why so Sam focused, the Austin number, the number of Walker promos, all of it.

I’m not saying this is fact, I don’t know that it is, but it is a little suspicious that even in Jared’s panel today, he talked A LOT about Walker and how he hopes SPN fans will watch it.

Why Would the Network Get Involved?

Simply put: $$$

If they think Walker can be the new SPN, and that those crazy SPN fans liked it originally, it’s a lot safer to go with the “original intent” of the show than do something risky (like making one of your two original leads queer).

And?  They don’t care.  They don’t care that the episode didn’t make sense, they don’t care that all the emotional arcs were left hanging, they don’t care by (potentially) smashing together two of Dean’s monologues (one to Sam, one to Cas) that it came of as...gross. ( @curioussubjects​ wrote a beautiful post showing how part of that death speech was likely meant for Dean here).  They don’t care, they never have, they just want to make their money and move on from the too-loud fandom that fought for representation too hard for too long.

It can’t help but feel insidious, which, honestly, it might be, but it really all comes down to the next cash cow, which, they think, is Walker, even at the cost of the fifteen year legacy show.

The Writers and What I Want

So here it is, all this weird, sus shit laid out on the line.  And you know what?  To me, there is no way to blame the writers, because they didn’t want this.

I don’t think Dabb and Bobo would have gone ahead with the confession in 18 without thinking that there would be some closure to that arc, they wouldn’t have done that not only to the fans, but for the sake of their own story as well: no writer wants to start something that they can’t finish. (And this applies to both Cas and Eileen).

Here’s a basic rundown of what I think happened: they had a clear arc from 18-20, ending in reciprocation at some level from Dean, Sam marrying Eileen, Hunter Sam as the new Bobby, Dean in heaven with Cas and big roadhouse reunion at the end. Covid prevented a good amount of that. Network had to stare at big gay 18 for six months, got cold feet. Thought about Walker, target audience and alienation of the rural areas if it went full gay. Misha quarantined and likely shot something (not much), he was then cut by execs and went home. They likely added in lines referencing Eileen and Cas to make it clear but more subtextual. They wrap, editing gets it and hacks it to pieces, so we get a shorter episode that’s mostly montages and jarringly bro-centric with nothing else. Arcs are left hanging. Dabb gets episode but it’s too late, there’s nothing he can do. Actors aren’t told so they can continue to do positive PR for the ending, they all found out at the same time we did: hence almost complete silence about the finale.

And you know what?  They warned us.  I talked about it here, but they’ve been telling us all season that Chuck wasn’t the writer, he’s the network.  I don’t think, still, that they thought it would be cut up like this, into something so unsalvageable that it’s been panned by almost everyone, even people who didn’t care much about Dean and Cas.

Finally, a masterpiece can be ruined by editing, and while I’m not sure even the script they ended up shooting on was a masterpiece (due to the network meddling already), but to me it’s blatantly obvious that it’s no one but the network that caused this, that took away closure for Dean, Cas, and even Sam.

So what do I want?  Nothing really, there’s nothing we can do, but I wrote this mostly to show people that the writers are not your enemy.   In fact, to the people trashing them?  You’re doing exactly what the CW wants you to: blame the obvious targets, blame Misha, blame Jensen and Jared, blame Dabb.  Scream and yell at them on Twitter and about how the show is ruined because of them.  The network keeps their engagement levels high, they don’t get as targeted for their behavior, and just keep moving along.

Just, please, think about who did this,  Mourn the show, be angry, but not at the people who fought tooth and nail for this for literal years, not the people who wanted it more than we did, not the people who cannot say anything because of their careers and the NDAs they’re bound by.

Someone is going to spill eventually, but until then, we just have to wait, and continue to be loud.

[korasonata]

So, the original plan was to do these quotes until Joe and Cleo finished their models, which was half accomplished during this stream (yay Cleo!). Question is should I still continue these after Joe has finished his model, or have we had enough now? Favourite moments of Joe and Cleo model stream part 7! Link to the video is below and time stamps are above each set of quotes!

Link: https://m.twitch.tv/videos/1155955572

—

00:32:05

Joe: This is our weekly paper craft stream. I’m joined today by ZombieCleo, who you can find at—

Cleo: Hiiiiiiiiii!!!

Joe: — twitch.tv/zombiecleo. You don’t need to type the “hi” in the middle. Although it is adorable, and so I wouldn’t blame you.

—

00:56:25

Cleo (in response to someone saying they like Hershey’s chocolate): I mean you can like the chocolate. It’s ok to be wrong. It’s fine. You know, you can—

Joe: A certain amount of the other person being wrong is to be expected in any relationship.

Cleo: Yeah! Look at my relationship with you, Joe.

Joe: Yeah, I mean we’re— we’re off the charts for that.

—

01:01:15

Joe (changing into his chroma green tank top): We can’t have people seeing my torso.

Cleo: Oh you know, yeah you— you are a cryptid.

—

01:02:04

Joe (doing a face camera expansion): these chains I’ve forged in life are about to begin pulling me down to the deep below! Enter the Jhoooooooost!

Cleo: Can I just point out that “life” was very southern. At that point. (Heavy southern accent) Life.

Joe (heavy southern accent): Life.

Cleo: Laaaaaffe

Joe: Liiiiife *both laughing* These chains I’ve forged in—

Both: laaaaffe!!

Joe (heavy twang): Pullin’ me daaan to the deep behlooow!

—

01:07:16

Cleo (in response to Joe having a laughing fit): And that is one of the rare times where Joe has a complete, absolute giggle fit on stream

Joe (still laughing): Ok I’m sorry, but “puritans go home” is the best thing to put on anything worth— ok im gonna start making a— ok. (Serious) Im gonna start making an actual checklist cause, um, (actually writing down a checklist of things he’s taking to his parents for thanksgiving) ok thanks—giving twenty twenty—one. Ok so, salad cream.

Cleo: *wheezing*

Joe (reading list): “Puritans go Home” icing on pie…Um, you know let’s just throw iron brew in there. Why not! Irn-Bru and vodka!

Cleo (laughing): Sure! Why not!

Joe: Yeah. Well, so, my maternal grandmother was Scottish and—

Cleo: oh I’m sorry.

Joe: —so I think my mom would get a kick out of Irn-Bru. As like “oh! Here’s something from the old country!”

Cleo: *physically wheezing* from the old country!

—

01:29:43

Joe: Oh, it’s really fun. Did you know that a bunch of people on Tumblr care a lot about how tall each of us are?

Cleo: Yeah. Yeah.

Joe: Yeah, oh man I’ve been spreading information and taking weird height pictures with people at conventions for years. It’s like— *Cleo laughing* I’ll intentionally like stand on things or like, uh, or like stand in such a way that you can’t tell I’m crouching, so people are like “Ok, so Joe’s like taller than Bdubs but shorter than, uh, like— Stress or something. It’s like how does that happen?!” *trying not to laugh* Because I’m screwing with you.

—

01:31:11

Joe: See that’s the thing is— is sometimes people think things are about power. I think they’re just about being obnoxious.

Cleo: I mean, you think most things are about being obnoxious which is why it’s a power move for you. Cause being obnoxious is your power move. It’s where you’ve got the most power, Joe.

Joe: Hm, that makes sense.

Cleo: Sometimes I do. I try not to when I’m with you, because— it’s easier.

Joe: Yeah. You don’t wanna give me any actual like workab— or usable intelligence.

—

01:42:47

Joe (reading chat): I’ve been on Hermitcraft since season one— yeah. That was only like 10 years ago though.

Cleo: I’ve been on Hermitcraft since season 2.

Joe: Yay Cleo!

Cleo: Which was only because Joe asked me to come on, or pu— vouched for me.

Joe (genuine): Well I am glad you joined.

Cleo: I mean I was— I was at the point where I was just like “is this what I wanna do for the rest of my life? Should I just go full ham into teaching?” And, uh, then you made that offer and I thought “well, I’ll see how it goes”. And it did quite well for me. So…you know.

Joe (quietly): I am so glad

Cleo: You are the reason why I’m still doing Minecraft content.

—

01:44:19

Joe (reading chat): Attasked says “Only you can judge whether you’re hot” no plenty of people can tell I’m hot, Graved. It’s— pretty blatantly obvious. You don’t— you don’t have to be good at judging to be able to tell. Like, that’s not an only me thing.

—

02:00:54

Cleo: You ever have those moments where you’re just questioning your choices in life?

Joe: *having a breakdown* Moments!

Cleo: *cackling*

Joe (through tears): I’m sorry, you’re just the best Cleo.

Cleo: *laughing, but genuine* Awe, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to depress you today!

Joe: No it’s— *inaudible sobbing* Today—

Cleo: *dying*

Joe (quietly to himself): Is this is frame? Sorry, I was cutting this out of frame. My bad.

Cleo (still laughing): I like how everyone’s just sort of gone quiet and gone “…is Joe ok?”

Joe: nOO!!!

Cleo: We’ve established that Joe is not ok.

Joe: But I’m really good at it!

Cleo: *spitting out her drink*

—

01:49:52

Joe: Let’s go down the Mississippi, Cleo.

Cleo: I mean, that I think we could probably do. Let’s go down the Mississippi, Joe.

Joe: yay!

Cleo: On a flimsy raft.

Joe: Yeah, we can actually— there’s a lot nicer boats now though. Like—

Cleo: I mean— yeah, but do we— do— you know…it’s the Huckleberry Finn experience.

Joe: I mean, here’s the thing, is if you actually came here and I was like “Cleo, let’s go to the Mississippi River and go down the river a few miles”. I think you’d be more likely to actually say yes if I had an actual boat lined up than if I had a flimsy raft.

Cleo (excited): If it— if it— if it makes you feel better, I— I would do the flimsy raft. Like, hands down. It seems more fun.

Joe (realizing that she’s serious): I— you say that, but I don’t think you’ve seen the Mississippi River. Like, the problem is it’s full of these giant barges these days, the wakes of which would just throw your raft over.

Cleo (dead serious): I can swim.

Joe (attempting to compromise, completely lost as to how he has somehow managed to be the voice of reason): Ok…Alternatively we can go down a smaller river…In a raft…

—

02:04:43

Joe: Sorry, I’ll stop monologuing. Uh, but yeah sorry I was in the process of—

Cleo: I’LL STOP MONOLOGUING! Yeah, yeah that’s gonna happen.

Joe: yeah, I’ll- I’ll say I’m gonna stop monologuing and I’ll warn you that-

Cleo: And then he just continues

Joe: -that Cleo you should probably be ready to start talking sometime in the next 8-12 minutes.

—

02:15:26

Joe: Oh, I need to get a green screen suit jacket. Um, I realized. Cause I got the green screen, um, uh dress shirt. That I wear under existing suits, but I don’t have an actual like green screen suit.

Cleo: I— I am always amused by your definition of “need”

Joe: My definition of what?

Cleo: Need.

Joe: Need.

Cleo: I need a green suit.

Joe: Ok, I’m sorry Cleo, the people need me to get a green suit.

—

02:30:23

Cleo (reading chat): “Joe-Getters and Go-Getters” yeah, Joe’s not a Go-Getter, he’s a Joe-Getter. Which is infinitely worse.

Joe: You say being a Joe-Getter is infinitely worse, but you also frequently lament that you get me. So, maybe you’re a Joe-Getter. Have you considered that?

Cleo: I am a Joe-Getter. I do get you, Joe. Which is terrible. It’s— It’s a trauma, actually Joe, I’ll have you know.

Joe: Yeah, comprehend me and despair, Cleo.

Cleo: I looked too deep into the abyss. The Joe-byss, sorry.

Joe: Thank you, yeah we’ve got a brand. Always be branding.

Cleo: *giggling* A.B.B. - Always Be Branding.

Joe: That’s not an infinite void of despair. That’s an infinite void of—

Both: Joe’s despair.

—

02:34:31

Joe: Let’s just leave it at don’t push me off a roof. Like *laughing* I feel like anything I could add to that would undermine the overall theme of just encouraging people to not do that.

Cleo: Um, let me put it like this. I always had the capacity. Always. But! I never acted on it, Joe.

Joe: Mhm, yeah thank you.

Cleo: …yet…I’ll try not to.

Joe: Yeah. And— and also keep in mind Cleo, I mean, given, you know, how well we’ve managed to work together over the last decade. Even if you did push me or throw me off a roof. *grinning* What makes you think that you’re not coming with me?

Cleo (slightly proud): That felt like a threat. It felt like a threat. I’m not gonna lie.

Joe (through giggles): Yeah, that was the, like— I spent 90 seconds figuring out how to revise that so is it was not blatantly like a violent threat.

Cleo: I mean…yeah, I think— I think— I think between the tw— it— it’s a mutual aggression pact at this point.

—

02:51:53

Cleo (holding up seemingly two identical pictures of turret towers): Am I— am I going actually insane? Are they not…the same turret?

Joe (examining pages on screen): …y—you know there might be…subtle differences that, uh, a— you know, skilled crafts person would find unavoidably blatant. Um…I make no such claim Cleo.

Cleo: Good, because, you know…trauma…Yours, not mine.

Joe: *laughing* yeah I was gonna say. Trauma as a verb. I’m just gonna trauma you.

Cleo: *laughing* I’m gonna trauma you so hard right now.

Joe: Yeah, if you don’t calm down and agree with me.

Cleo: If you don’t agree with me, that’s— that’s your mistake.

—

03:38:48

Cleo (about authors): just be careful who you like and just recognize the faults in any media that you do like. Just don’t imagine that everything’s perfect, because it’s not. Just be open to the fact it’s not perfect.

Joe: The only perfect media is YouTube videos produced by ZombieCleo.

Cleo: Fact.

—

04:00:34

(Having finished her model)

Cleo (tiredly): No booshes. No booshes. I know it’s got places for booshes, but I don’t want to do booshes because…there’s a limit.

Joe (currently in the United States): Yeah. Well, now you can come over here and help me Cleo, is what chat’s saying.

Cleo: Ok.

Joe: Go help Joe hold this stuff he can’t glue.

Cleo (Currently in England): Hang on, hang on. *rummaging on desk* What do you need? I’ve got lots of things, what do you need?

[sunnyrosewritesstuff]

Fic Rec Fridays

So I’ve wanted to do this for awhile now to share the wonderful stories I’ve read through the week, and wouldn’t you know it the first time I actually get around to it, I do it for Nandermo and not Bagginshield. 😅

Anyways! Please enjoy my recommendation for Nandermo I have read this week!

The Festival by AshaDev- Multi-chapter 9/9, 14K+, Rating: E

Summary: Guillermo goes to a Renaissance Faire with the Mosquito Collectors of the Tri-State Area and unfortunately, the group tags along. Nandor doesn't approve of Guillermo's friends or how they hang all over him.

Why I Recommend: I actually love the Mosquito Collectors and enjoyed some content where we got to see more of this little troop of vampire hunters. However, jealous Nandor was a great addition in a really fun setting.

Of Friendships, Reunions, and Wooden Knitting Needles by readandwritesilver- One-shot, 8K+, Rating: T

Summary:  Guillermo follows Nadja into most of her higher-level meetings, and accompanies her most times she leaves the house, but he stays out in the waiting area in a comfy green chair that he’s more or less designated as his own for everything else. Meetings with lower-level individuals, like the one Nadja’s currently in, aren’t enough of a threat for her to need protection, and he’s also often sent out when she’s trying to get work done on her own, because she “finds the rattling of his heart in his chest distracting.” (“I like that I can hear you coming, Guillermo,” Nandor once said, a few years ago, with his hand pressed to Guillermo’s chest in a moment of drug-blood-induced lucidity. Guillermo doesn’t want to think about that.) --- Four months in London, England.

Why I Recommend: The season 4 fix-it we are all secretly hoping for but know we are probably not going to get (or at least right away).🙃 I really like the friendship between Guillermo and Nadja that develops in this one, and SPOILER for the happy ending between our bodyguard and vampire master. 🥰

A broken heart, a broken soul, a broken everything by MrSpockify- One-shot, 3K+, Rating: T

Summary:  Guillermo and Nandor discover a side-effect of having Van Helsing blood running through your veins, and it puts a damper on the whole "turning you into a vampire under the moonlight along the banks of the river Tigris" plan.

Why I Recommend: So I’m quickly becoming a sucker for the “Guillermo lays broken and bleeding and Nandor turns him” trope. But I never considered what would be a twist to this trope and without giving too much away, I am quickly becoming enamored with this alternative! 

Scenes from an Alliance by Interrobam- Multi-chapter *Still in Progress* 56/?, 110K+, Rating: M

Summary:  " Guillermo met his eyes across the courtyard, and for a moment the human was grave and resolute as a warrior in battle, resigned to his fate yet defiant to its circumstances. For a moment Nandor imagined this meeting as the start of a war rather than a courtship, and for that moment he felt as if he'd found his footing again. 

But then the human had done something outrageous. 

Then the human had smiled. 

"In the end, when all was said and done, the marriage of Nandor the Relentless and Guillermo de la Cruz would be remembered as a pivotal and defining moment in the history of human and vampiric society alike. 

In the beginning, however, it was mostly just a mess.

Why I Recommend: This is an amazing AU set in a world where the vampires have built an empire, and Guillermo comes from a nearby city-state of vampire hunters who are accepting an alliance between their people that hinges on Guillermo and Nandor’s arranged marriage. 12/10 Slow burn built on pain...ful misunderstandings and Guillermo and Nandor being idiots, and I can’t even complain because it’s so in character for both of them. 😭 😓 Awaiting the next chapter eagerly!

the age of iron, steam, and speed by ghostoftonantzin- Two-shot, 10K+, Rating: E

Summary: Guillermo did not mean to burn the moment War Machine walked into the New York Department of Powered Beings offices into his mind, but it was kind of hard not to. War Machine wasn’t officially known as War Machine, the nickname was considered kind of rude, but “The Swordsman” didn’t quite capture the raw terror he inspired in the general population.

Nandor is a superhero of questionable morals, age, and ability to limit collateral damage, and Guillermo is a bureaucrat who really likes his job.

Why I Recommend: I love this AU. I want to write, for this AU. I’m more disappointed that I only got two chapters to this AU. I have re-read this particular fic 3 times at this point, and the little hints towards what I could only assume would be revealed in a longer fic open a plethora of possibilities.  😍 😍

***

If you haven’t read these yet, I strongly encourage it! I’ll try to make this a series and be back next week with more fic recs. Happy reading!

[warcraft-lore-archives]

The Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth Lore Facts

Editor’s Note: “Some of the tales you’ll encounter here may be rooted in canon, or they may be another traveler just telling a tall tale.” 

Eyes of the Earth Mother

Though the Earth Mother heard the whispers of the Old Gods, she could not be swayed by them (13).

Pregnant, the Earth Mother sought a place away from the Old Gods’ corruptive influence to give birth to her children. Unable to find such a place, however, she decided to shape the world and, in doing so, create her own safe haven (14). 

All of Azeroth’s lands, waters, and even the elements themselves came forth at this moment. They were suffused with enough of the Earth Mother’s essence so soon after their inception that they kept the Old Gods’ powers at bay (14). 

The Earth Mother gave birth to twins: first An’she, a beacon of life and warmth, then came Mu’sha, who was to bring rest, tranquility, and healing. The elements called them the “sun” and the “moon” (15). 

Eventually, both An’she and Mu’sha developed connections with the elements. An’she found himself able to wield the light and warmth of fire while Mu’sha maintained some control over the tides and winds (15-16). 

The twins even went so far as to use the elements to create weapons to spar with. Mu’sha opted for a bow and arrow, whereas An’she’s weapon of choice was a set of blades (16).

To keep her children safe from the Old Gods’ ever-present influence while she slept, the Earth Mother took both An’she and Mu’sha up into her eyes. Their power was so great that she had to keep one eye open at all times (16).

This, however, meant that Azeroth no longer received An’she’s warmth or Mu’sha’s guidance of the wind while the Earth Mother rested. Cold slowly spread across the land and blizzards raged until she finally woke again (18).

The Earth Mother’s cycle between periods of sleep and awakening would come to form the basis of the seasons as we know them, with her time of work the summer and her time of rest the winter (18).

As the twins grew in power, they developed the ability to bring on the change of seasons at will, though they took care to do it slowly and give the world time to adjust. As the Earth Mother rested, An’she and Mu’sha continued to tend to Azeroth from behind her eyes (19). 

After waking at one point, the Earth Mother found that there was new life walking the earth. Plucking wheat from the plains to sprinkle over them, the Earth Mother called them “Shu’halo,” - the tauren (19).

Just as the Earth Mother taught her children, both An’she and Mu’sha taught the Shu’halo in the ways of the elements and caring for the land (20). 

When the Earth Mother next slept, however, the Old Gods extended their influence to the tauren, causing them to grow violent and turn on their own kind (20).

Saddened to see the tauren fall to such corruption, the Earth Mother shed a single tear. She realized that the land was no longer able to hold the Old Gods’ power at bay, meaning anything it touched could be corrupted (21). 

Knowing that she was not safe for her children anymore because of her own connection to the land, the Earth Mother removed An’she and Mu’sha from her eyes and laid down in despair (21-22). 

The single tear that the Earth Mother had shed became a blue baby, later named “Lo’sho,” or the Blue Child (22, 24). 

Seeking to put an end to the Old Gods after what they had done to the tauren and the despair they instilled in their mother, An’she and Mu’sha fought against some of the eldritch beings’ manifestations. During the battle, An’she was wounded grievously. Though Mu’sha sought to heal him with wind and water, he continued to bleed (24).

The Earth Mother, stirred by her distant children’s dismay, eventually found her way to them. She urged them to take Lo’sho and go to the heavens so they could protect Azeroth from above, while the Earth Mother chose to root herself in the earth and prevent the Old Gods from ever claiming her children (26-27).

Mu’sha, the moon, continues to follow An’she closely across the sky so she can keep tending to his wounds (26). 

One Small Tuskarr

The tuskarr etch their clan and family symbols into their tusks. Though this is customary, some do engrave other symbols - such as marks indicating deeds of great distinction - into their tusks as well (32, 36). 

The catch master, who weighs the tuskarr’s catches, has a counting staff adorned with cords in the colors of each of the clan’s active fishermen. In accordance with how big a tuskarr’s haul of fish is, the catch master ties a single knot or more into their respective cord. These knots can be traded for tools, weapons, and coins, among other things (32-33). 

A single knot is customary for those who meet basic requirements, while additional knots are allotted to those who catch more (33). 

One can also earn knots from other tasks, such as fine embroidery, though they do so at a much slower rate than those who fish (38). 

Food is shared equally among the tuskarr (33).

The tuskarr perform nomadic journeys that take them to various kalu’ak towns. While the fishers take their own boats, most of the mothers, adolescents, and children trek across the ice (34). 

Fishing practices are passed down from parent to child. Though it is unclear if that is “law,” some of the tuskarr refuse to teach others to fish if they are not their own blood, going so far as to withhold information about the currents and places fish gather (36).

Tuskarr sometimes dye their moustaches (36).

It never gets fully dark in Northrend (38).

Oacha’noa is the tuskarr’s deity of both the sea and wisdom. Her symbol is that of a kraken (39). 

The spearhead on most tuskarr weapons is made of sharpened bone (42).

A type of manta ray known as the stargazer can be found in Northrend’s waters (44).

The tuskarr can survive in water so cold it would kill other races native to Azeroth in mere minutes (45).

The tuskarr typically fly kites for fun, though they have been known to use them to send signals to others at great distances (48).

Lay Down My Bones

According to Vulpera beliefs, the first of their kind was born from the magic of the desert. Though they are a nomadic people, an old tale about an artifact called the Wailing Bone claims the desert calls their bodies back to where they began when they die. To ensure they find their way back, the vulpera follow the Wailing Bone (55-56). 

Once one of their own has passed, it is customary for the next of kin to carry the bone at the head of the caravan while the vulpera wander in search of the proper place to bury them. The journey may take anywhere from days to weeks, but when the Wailing Bone begins to cry, the vulpera know they have found their loved one’s final resting place (56, 61). 

A poem is carved into the Wailing Bone: “Wander, roam; bring me home, / Down paths at my behest; / Among the stones, lay down my bones, / So I, at last, may rest”. Few can read the script it is written in, but most all vulpera can recite it from heart (54). 

Two vulpera, frustrated at their inability to find their elder’s final resting place, neglected their duty and left his corpse in a river in the hopes that it would bring him there for them. Refusing to obey the Wailing Bone caused it to crack. From that night on, the vulpera of the caravan found themselves cursed for failing to heed the Wailing Bone (62, 65).

Cracking under the pressure of the curse, the two negligent vulpera ultimately died gruesome deaths at each other’s hands. One of their bones was made into the next Wailing Bone (65).

A caravan always needs a Wailing Bone (65).

The Uninvited Guest

One goblin adage goes like so: “Every great goblin invention was born from necessity, bubble gum, or an accident” (69).

The goblins have a nursery rhyme: “In the dark of night and bright of day, / Keep in your hand a tossaway. / Guard your fortune, mind your greed, / Or else the Uninvited Guest will feed” (70).

The Uninvited Guest is a goblin boogeyman of sorts who is attracted by greed so egregious it offends even the dead. It is incorporeal, invisible, and has the ability to move through walls (76).

The Uninvited Guest feeds off of greed, but it can never be satisfied. It will latch onto its host like an invisible parasite to feed, inciting strange charitable behavior in them until they have given away all of their earthly possessions (76-79). 

A “tossaway” is a shiny gold-painted coin stamped with the face of the very first trade prince. These fake coins get their name from the way goblins quite literally toss them away in a symbolically superstitious act to protect themselves and their fortunes from the Uninvited Guest (70, 74). 

Tossaways were invented by Slixi Boompowder, the wife of one of the former trade princes of the Steamwheedle Cartel, after her own run-in with the Uninvited Guest. She only escaped from it because she distracted it with actual gold galleons, which inspired her to create the tossaways (83).

Legend has it that the Uninvited Guest still roams Azeroth to this day, looking to feed off of hapless greedy goblins (84). 

Klaxz Boompowder was one of the former trade princes of the Steamwheedle Cartel. His rival was Rikter Hogsnozzle, the trade prince of the Bilgewater Cartel (70-71).

Tradition dictates that goblins are buried with their most valuable possessions so they can enjoy them at the Everlasting Party, the goblin afterlife. They are then given burial gifts by other goblins from their own riches, though most goblins are too greedy to truly part with anything important (73).

Once the coffin is sealed, goblins dance on top of it to usher the deceased on to the Everlasting Party (75). 

Prominent goblins typically serve as pallbearers while goblins contractually obligated to serve as pack mules carry the rear (75). 

The goblins used to employ golden galleons as their form of currency, but it fell out of fashion. Nowadays, they are incredibly rare and expensive (74-75). 

Trolls have a tale about an invisible evil that sucks the souls from living beings and leaves them mad. It can only be seen in the light of a full moon (80). 

Sister is Another Word For Always

Vereesa felt Sylvanas’ death at the hands of Arthas the moment it happened (89-90). 

Sylvanas’ eyes were gray as a high elf (91). 

In the midst of her sorrow at her sister’s death, Vereesa sought many escapes. At first she tried to sleep, but when rest and forgetfulness would not come, she embarked on a journey across deserts and forests with little in the way of proper food or nourishment except that which she found (90, 93). 

It is very possible Vereesa perished at some point on this journey, for she came across a spirit healer, though she was told it was not yet her time. The spirit healer offered Vereesa a deal: if she could bring her the willing soul of Sylvanas without ever touching her, the spirit healer would restore her to life (96-97). 

When Sylvanas first died at the hands of Arthas, it seems as though the Arbiter sent her to Ardenweald (98-99). 

After she struggles to locate her sister in Ardenweald, Vereesa is inadvertently pulled into the Maw. There, she still has difficulty finding her, and is told by the Jailer that Sylvanas is not there - at least, not yet. He then urges her to leave, telling her she does not belong there (99, 102-103).

Eventually, Vereesa spots a silver glimmer she knows to be Sylvanas, though it is only a fragment of her soul (103-104). 

Before she can escape with the soul of her sister, the Jailer stops Vereesa and inadvertently tricks her into touching Sylvanas, rendering her deal with the spirit healer null and void (106). 

At the end of this journey, Vereesa awakes at the foot of a statue, her memory of the experience hazy (109). 

The Paladin’s Beast

Uther is originally from Stratholme (117).

Introduced as a fable beloved by the princelings and princesses of Lordaeron, the Paladin’s Beast is a tale that follows a young Uther as he finds himself in a mysterious and unfamiliar land. Determined to prove himself and bring back a prize to his fellow paladins, Uther joins a tournament put on by a foreign kingdom despite the protests of its princess. Though he is a strong warrior, she insists the beast of the tournament kills every knight who challenges it. Still, Uther refuses to back down, confident that his faith in the Light will give him the strength he needs to prevail. However, the princess’ words hold true, as every knight who goes to fight the beast before him perishes. When it is his turn, Uther decides to stay his hammer rather than fight, remembering the princess’ words. The beast withdraws, defeated by his act of compassion. It is revealed afterward as Uther goes for his prize that the princess actually was the beast all along, cursed to fight in the tournament for disobeying her father and breaking the royal lineage. She casts a spell on Uther, making it so that when he returns to Lordaeron, he will not remember anything of who she was or his experience there until the day he finds himself in a fiery field. Though the fable ends there, it is said that Uther dreamt of the silver kingdom and its princess for many years to come. It was not until his final moments, trying to fell a beast with weapons rather than compassion, that he would fully remember the princess and her story (111-127). 

For Lies and Liberty

Most undead do not get all of their memories back immediately once they are raised (or given free will). It takes time and encouragement (133-134). 

On the long-standing issue of whether or not undead have ichor or blood running through their veins, it appears one Jeremiah Pall still has blood in his body, though it has stopped moving on account of his still heart (134).

The story of the “Fearless Flyer” - a man known as Captain Whitney - is famous among some of the Alliance forces. According to the man himself, Whitney and his outfit had been fighting orcs for months to no avail when he hatched a bold plan to launch himself by catapult into their camp and take them by surprise, hence the nickname the “Fearless Flyer”. This story, unfortunately, turned out to be nothing but hyperbole. As it stands, a drunk Whitney accidentally got tangled up in nets, fell in the catapult, and was unceremoniously flung into the orcish camp. Believing themselves to be under attack, the orcs retaliated and killed most of the unsuspecting humans while Captain Whitney hid (136, 142). 

Stones, Moss, and Tears

Though female elves traditionally mark their faces after they have achieved a rite of passage, they can continue to add embellishments to commemorate any further deeds (155).

At least one kaldorei lorekeeper was charged with knowing the name of every Sentinel and recording details of their more noteworthy battles (156).

The Bloomblade druids were one of the oldest, unbroken lines of night elf druids (158). 

A species of insect known as glowmoths migrate through Mount Hyjal every autumn (164). 

The Embrace

The White Lady and the Sun were charged with keeping watch over Azeroth as it dreamed (171, 176). 

Though she loved the people of Azeroth dearly, the White Lady found herself growing lonely and in want of a family (173). 

The moon cycles are thought to be the White Lady turning away and hiding her face in her sorrow, though she would always look back upon Azeroth to watch over it (174).

It is said that the White Lady loved Azeroth and its denizens so much that a child - the Blue Child - was born of that love (174-175).

The Blue Child, ever curious, began asking the White Lady questions about the mortals that weighed on her heart, as she could not answer (176).  

One night the White Lady woke up to find the Blue Child gone. Unable to find her, she swore off her charge until the Blue Child was returned to her (177-178).

Without her guidance, the planet sped up and the tides ceased. The White Lady was only convinced to return to her duty after the Sun urged her, telling her the Blue Child might return if she had the moonlight to guide her (178).

The White Lady began to glow even more brightly over time in the hopes that her child would see, her light quickly growing to rival that of the Sun’s. This, too, caused problems, for crops burned and navigators could not see the stars to travel by (179). 

Upon seeing the terrible effect this was having on Azeroth’s denizens, the White Lady dimmed her light and retreated (181). 

The Blue Child ultimately returned from her long travels to her mother. They embraced in the sky, creating a beautiful eclipse (182).

Ever curious, the Blue Child was bound to grow restless again and leave for the stars, but the White Lady knew she would always return (183). 

When the moon turns red, it is a sign of her anger (177). 

Why the Mermaids Left Boralus

Back when Kul Tiras was still a Gilnean colony, Boralus had hardly any walls or structures protecting it from the wind or sea. More often than not, when the Great Sea churned at the city’s edge, it took houses, ships, and even men down into its depths. So many would drown in these incidents that those remaining covered them with weighted nets, causing them to sink to the seafloor (187-188, 190). 

Many of the roads out of Boralus flooded during great storms, making it deadly to try to leave the city on foot or by ship (198).

The Kul Tirans declined to build a seawall for fear that it would have done nothing and also because repairing it after a storm would have been just as dangerous as the storms themselves (188).

Most of Boralus’ early inhabitants were seamen of some sort, whether fishers, sea priests, sailors, or pearl-divers (188). 

During storms, the tidesages would act as a makeshift seawall and use their power to cut the waves before they made it deeper into the harbor (199).

Mermaids appeared quite openly near Boralus in its early days. Though they lived much deeper than most could naturally dive, they liked to sit on the rocks and watch ships go by, among other things. Most lived in temples beneath the sea that belonged to Kul Tiras’ former inhabitants (189, 191). 

According to superstition, sighting a mermaid was bad luck and presaged many inauspicious things including a doomed voyage, a brutal winter, and poor fishing. They were also seen as the harbingers of storms (189-190). 

Tidesages were (and still are) always the first and last to disembark from a ship. As a result, they usually went down with their ships (191).

The tidesages’ unrivaled dedication, combined with the frequency of drownings and shipwrecks, often meant they died young (191). 

Mermaids are spawned from eggs and leave no corpses when they die (191, 203).

The mermaids had very little understanding of the Kul Tirans’ mistrust towards them (191). 

Mermaids have some power over the rocks and water - granted to them by the Tidemother from birth -, but they use it sparingly because it is finite. Once a mermaid runs out of magic, they die. As a result, mermaids can live up to five hundred years (192). 

Mermaids consider sirens lazy and murlocs deplorable (192).

According to legend, the bubble seaweed in Boralus Harbor is actually discarded pearls. A mermaid by the name of Halia fell in love with a tidesage and kept secretly gifting them to her as a token of her affection. The tidesage, Ery, was far too pragmatic for such a gift and dumped the pearls back in the water every time (195).

The mermaids believe that the Tidemother will give tails to those who slit their feet from toes to heels and walk into the harbor at dawn (197). 

According to legend, Boralus’ great stone seawall was formed through the combined efforts of dozens of mermaids and one lone tidesage. A virulent tempest had come upon Boralus one day, taking men and ships alike with it. Though the city’s tidesages gathered to push back the waves, all but one were lost to the storm over the course of five long days. The last remaining tidesage, Ery, persisted despite her exhaustion while the mermaid Halia, too afraid to watch her lover perish, began using her own magic to craft a seawall. Though the storm repeatedly broke it down, her fellow mermaids joined her, ultimately expending their magic and sacrificing themselves to raise a wall so grand it towered over even the mightiest of ships and waves. Ery herself nearly died after this, though Halia saved her by invoking the Tidemother. She cut Ery’s feet from toes to heels and dragged her into the harbor, performing the ritual necessary for her transformation into a mermaid (198-203).

All but one of the mermaids - Ery notwithstanding - perished to save Boralus, which is why none are seen there today (204-205).

As a result, the sailors of Boralus now see mermaids as a symbol of the highest honor, good luck, and sacrifice (205). 

During calm sunsets when the red of the sky is reflected in the harbor, sailors refer to it as “Ery’s blood,” after the tidesage who fought the storm so valiantly. Ery’s blood is a sign of good weather to come (205). 

The Courageous Kobold and the Wickless Candle

Kobolds tell a sleep-time story (209).

Kobold families live together in caves. They have their own nests, but congregate in common areas for stories, among other things (210).

Some time ago, the Whiskersnoot kobold tunnels crumbled, submerging the Whiskersnoots in total darkness. They lived like that for generations, having decided it was no longer safe to dig higher after the cave-in. This spawned a saying: “Never pick above your snout, else the darkness snuff you out!” (210-211). 

Granny Whiskersnoot, however, dug just a little bit upward every day until one day she broke through to a light above. She intended to lead the other kobolds to it, but could never find her way back through the tunnels again. It wasn’t until her granddaughter persisted in finding it that they made their way back above ground (211, 222). 

The kobolds think of the sun as a “Wickless Candle” (211). 

Visage Day

On a dragon’s Visage Day, they choose what mortal form they will take. This is significant, as it shows the Aspects trust them to adopt the guise of one of the mortal races and walk among them. It is the dragons’ hope that through choosing a form to embody and relate to mortals, the more mortals can understand dragons in turn (228, 234). 

Onyxia, on the other hand, maintains dragons choose visages that allow them to control the mortals (241). 

In accordance with tradition, the Visage Day ceremony occurs on the uppermost level of Wyrmrest Temple. Each of the Aspects are usually present for members of their own dragonflight, though Alexstrasza herself has been known to officiate on occasion. It is also customary for each flight to send emissaries (243). 

During the ceremony, all attendant dragons take their own mortal forms in honor of the dragon whose Visage Day it is (245). 

Before they publicly choose their form, the dragon in question traditionally makes a proclamation (245).

The Visage Day ceremony can be delayed (244). 

Nozdormu has helped many bronze dragons prepare for their own Visage Day (230).

When Nozdormu sits in the sands at the heart of the Bronze Dragonshine, intricate patterns form around him (233). 

Both Kalecgos and Chromie performed a short incantation to assume their mortal forms, though Nozdormu did not appear to need to (234, 236, 246). 

Kalecgos says that he chose a half-elf form - which he calls a “blend of mortal worlds” - in order to symbolize his own attempt to blend together the dragon and human worlds (237). 

Onyxia, on the other hand, opted to take the form of a beautiful human woman to better manipulate mortals (241). 

The dragons often go by nicknames in their mortal forms because they find their full names sound too formal to humans (238). 

The drakonid were fashioned by the dragons to be helpful and loyal (238).

The black dragonflight practices how best to inflict pain (239). 

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

April 2021 Part 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. 

Ongoing Series - Thai

Second Chance Ep 3 - this is proper YA, they are dealing with actual high school issues, picking uni, first crushes, online dating, etc... We even got a senior prom trope which almost never happens in Thai stuff (just the freshman uni competition variant). Standard plot pacing means PaperFah’s kiss was too early, might indicate we’re moving to uni in the second half of the series? Tropes included: let me feed you, hand hold, black & white striped shirt, floppy drunk & first kiss. 

Y-Destiny Ep 3 - the first MaxNat ep. Such fun to see them playing different characters. This one is enemies to lovers, tutor/student, but it’s using the “poor little rich kid loose cannon” archetype. Nat is doing his best, but it’s leaving me cold. Lots of tropes tho: boyfriend’s closet, floppy drunk, pillow clutch, the loom & water bottle. 

Lovely Writer Ep 8 - solid installment, good use of many tropes. I really like the leads and I’m glad there isn’t much side dish action, SibGene gave us: punish, touch your face, boyfriend claiming, kissing, sleep cuddling, symmetry, rooftop, cheek kiss, hand hold, and pillow clutch. 

Call It What You Want Ep 3-4 - couldn’t find the subs, don’t really care, will watch if it crosses my radar, otherwise I’m just not into it.  

Brothers Ep 11 - the “everyone wants Chol” show continues (but WHY?), he and Tri are cute together, and now I kinda just want Prab to end up with the twins. I’m confused by the teachers, but Boston showed up (from UWMA), and my boys KhunKaow got together (YES!), so I’m ultimately delighted with the episode. 

Fish Upon The Sky Ep 2 - the makeover happened, and we go from cute with glasses and braces to cute without them. (I’m reminded of those 90′s Pygmalion teen movies where the girl has glasses + ponytail and then *GASP* does not and *GASP* she’s HOT. This was the BL version.) Meanwhile, writers better be careful with Pi, he’s getting too tsundere to like. Did you see they gave AJ a 2gether music intro & pick up line? Well, it’s actually his brother JJ who plays Ohm in 2g. I cackled. GMMTV - you so cheeky. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai 

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 5 - half way point. My poor confused babies. It was a really sweet episode... if what happened before hadn’t happened in the way that it had. Also, these boys have a GREAT friendship but are probably the worst advice givers ever. 

Most Peaceful Place (Vietnam) Ep 3 fin - so cute! Our boys confessed and got together. There was an adorable mutual kiss (I love me a mutual, like Ingredients). Afterwards, they actually seemed to communicate with each other about both sex and their relationship. OMG. How original for BL! This was the last episode, so the series is short, but I still enjoyed it very much. RECOMMENDED. 

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam) Ep 1-2 - oh boy this one is rough, we started out with homophobia child abuse and moved on to family drama + drunken dub-con one night stand. But production values and subs are better than normal for Vietnam (You Are My Boy levels) + our queer babies are out & proud + it’s higher heat + I’m weak. So I’m watching. 

Word of Honor (China) Ep 25-27 - honestly not much happened, lots of back story. Things are looking dire for the ghosts unless they can turn the Scorpion (I LOVE HIM, he’s my precious deadly baby). Don’t know how they managed to make loosing a battle with an immortal sword god ex-friend cute... but they did. Did some calculations and at 36 eps, mathematically speaking, ep 30 will be the equivalent of a standard BL ep 11. Should I be scared for next week? 

Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korea) Ep 1-2 - it’s so effing adorbs, soft bois do old fashioned tropes like arranged marriage + evil stepsisters meets the more modern fake relationship + secret identity in a surprisingly comfortable mix. It launched with baby is a floppy drunk, forced proximity, performative I saw you feed him, and some fun gay panic. It’s a lot lighter and faster paced than I was expecting, but this is Korea so I don’t know why I’m surprised. 

Stand Alones 

K-pop band OnlyOneOf dropped a new MV that is basically BL bait, using many of the tropes we know and love. I promise I’m not trying to lure anyone into K-pop I just thought it was interesting how consciously they’re yaoi dipping. 

Spin-off We Best Love Fighting Mr. 2nd, Shou Zhen | the Only Love Letter Once Written (SERIOUSLY WITH THE TITLES TAIWAN?) anyway there’s a something or other 25 minutes featuring Pei Shou Yi and his boy that aired Friday. It’s about 10 minutes of reboot footage with 15 min of new content, mostly set in the past. It entirely rests on Chih Tian Shih’s acting, fortunately for us he’s great. However, it doesn’t substantially change or add to these characters’ arcs from the finale of WBL season 2. I don’t know if there will be more or if this was just an extra footage fan service. 

COLOR RUSH GOT ITS MOVIE!!! Okay this is almost the tipping point for me to get Viki Standard. It’s listed at 1:56 minutes long but the original series had only c.120 running time - that is a lot of new content. Although i was disappointed by To My Star’s movie I loved Wish You’s, so I am hoping Color Rush got Wish You level treatment. That said, I feel Color Rush the series is damn near perfect already, hard to improve on perfection. 

Breaking News

Close Friend the series got an updated trailer featuring MaxNat (no subs) so if you like them in Y-Destiny or in Why R U get ready for them to play different characters again, this time for a sports romance segment. Like Y-Destiny, Close Friend looks to be another series of vignettes (Original trailer) coming April 22. 

2gether the movie (Thai trailer) was intended release April 22 but is now postponed due to a surge in C19 cases in Thailand.

Tell the World I Love You, a Thai BL movie that was supposed to release last week, is similarly delayed.  

My Ride has been postponed indefinitely with no airing date. 

The Miracle of Teddy Bear got a teaser vid, no eng subs. 

Gossip

Thai BL actors Nanon (Bad Buddy), Yoon (YYY), and Mark Siwat (LBC, Bite Me) have tested positive for C19. Press releases stated they’re fine, tho filming has paused fore their various projects, obvs. (No word on whether Nanon’s current project was Bad Buddy or not, although it seems likely given his recent Arm Share episode.) 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International accessibility reasons.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

[princessphilly]

Word count: 5627

Tag list:  @ohpuckyeah, @joelsfarabee, @besthockeyfics. @dreamer1430 @Defiant-Mouse @miracleonice87 @lovethepreds @linkingdolans @chicagostylehockey @heatherlcrosby87 @hockeywocs @shortstacks-blog @heatherawoowoo @newlibrary @markymarkstrom @iangiemae @puckbitchesgetmoney @missymore @himbos-on-ice @fiveholegoal @no-pucks-given @pagirl6866 @willieshakesqueer @nazdaddy @whatishockey @alphalib22 @romanseggy @laurenairay @texanstarslove @konecny-s @cutiesara23 @myhockeyworld87 @extratragic @squidlywiddly87 @stuff4me2do​ @allinangel93 @mydarkestsecretlol​

CW: angst, meeting the family, references to the n-word, people sucking

I decided to go ahead and finish it when I got a sudden burst of creativity when I came home.

*

Nina snuggled in bed, a happy little sigh leaving her lips. Sidney looked at her, a fond smile on his face. It had been a month since they were back together and life was almost perfect. Well, they were 6-3-2, 14 points earned which was okay but not where Sidney wanted the team to be. It was still early in the season, it was mid-November so there was plenty of time to right the ship. He and the boys would fix it. Sidney sighed before attempting to try to go back to sleep. However, he heard the sound of a door opening and he sat up, pushing the covers down inadvertently. 

Sidney racked his brain. It was Sunday, Marta, his housekeeper’s day off. Mario or Nathalie would have called before coming over. He had no idea who the hell it could be. “Fuck,” Sidney breathed. There were only two people who would do a surprise visit and one of them was a week earlier for the Moms trip. 

Lightly brushing his fingers over Nina’s side, Sidney urged, “Pretty girl, wake up.”

It was roughly 8am so it wasn’t hard to get Nina, an early riser by nature to wake up. “Urgh, mawning,” Nina mumbled as she cracked open her eyes. Sidney looked anxious and agitated which made Nina focus. 

Sidney opened his mouth, then closed it. If he was right, he was fucked and his pretty girl was probably going to run away screaming. He finally said, “Um, someone just opened the door and there are exactly five people other than me who have a key. There are two who’d do a surprise visit.”

Looking down, Nina was thankful that she had on one of Sidney’s shirts and shorts while sleeping. “Well, fuck, at least I’m not naked,” she said pointedly. Sidney had the grace to blush as Nina continued, “If it’s what you think it is, you need to get that under control,” pointing at his rather obvious morning wood. Sidney pulled the covers back over himself and Nina

Then a voice called out, “Morming, Sid!”

Sidney sighed in relief. It was Taylor, not his mom. Nina noticed it and arched an eyebrow. “Eh, it’s my sister, pretty girl.”

“Shit,” Nina fretted. This was going to be awkward, she didn’t even know if she wanted to meet his family but now, she was going to,have to. At least it was a sister.

The door creaked open and a blonde-haired head peeked in. “Boo,” Taylor said. Then her eyes perked when she saw who Sidney was with. 

Nina groaned. Her hair was in a scarf, it was obvious she slept over and fuck, fuck, fuck. A devious smile spread on Taylor’s face. “Nice to see that you finally let a girlfriend sleep in your room, Sidney.”

“Shut the fuck up, Taylor,” Sidney yelled as his little sister giggled before closing the door.

Nina facepalmed. “That was fun. Fun fun fun.”

Rolling onto her front, Nina mumbled, “I’m not ready to meet your family.”

“I’ve already met yours,” Sidney reasoned. 

“That was because Yanni was part of your Lil Penguins program. That was work related for you, doesn’t count.”

Trailing his fingers down Nina’s back, Sidney replied, “True but, it still counts. What are you doing next weekend?”

“I’m going to be in Philly for a wedding.”

Nina turned onto her left side, facing Sidney. Sidney sucked his bottom lip into his mouth before letting it go. “Don’t get any ideas.”

She slipped off the bed, pulling the scarf off her braids, letting them fall down her back. Rummaging through her clothes on the floor, Nina pulled out her bra. Pulling her shirt off, she put it on to the sound of Sidney’s groans. Nina rolled her eyes. “I’m stuck having to meet your sister because she decided to give you a surprise visit. I’m not meeting her without wearing a bra.”

“But you look so amazing without one,” Sidney replied. 

 Nina shook her head before leaving his bedroom. Making her way to the kitchen, Nina literally bumped into Taylor. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Nina gasped. 

“I’m okay,” Taylor reassured Nina, taking the moment to check out this girl that Sidney was now seeing. She wasn’t exactly what Taylor was expecting but one thing that Taylor liked about Nina was that she had kind eyes. Taylor had heard about her over the years, especially that Nina had kept rejecting Sidney. Her brother rarely heard the word no so that made Nina intriguing to her. 

Taylor offered, “Have you had breakfast yet?”

“No, and I’m hungry.”

Opening the fridge, Taylor took out the ingredients to make omelets. Nina sat at the island, a pensive look on her face. “You know, I totally didn’t expect to meet you this way. This is awkward as fuck.”

“Eh, don’t feel bad, I should have given Sid a heads up,” Taylor replied. “Plus, I’ve heard about you over the years.”

“Oh really?”

Taylor laughed as she cracked eggs. “Sidney couldn’t shut up about you. First it was he met this nice girl at work. Then, it was that you kept telling him no and he was confused. Later, he was beating himself up because he managed to fuck up before he could even ask you out. I really enjoyed that, I liked that you kept not only telling him no but when he pissed you off, you didn’t forgive him right away. I love my brother but his ego needs to get cut down sometimes.”

“True, he has a huge ego. He needs to take himself less seriously,” Nina concurred. “But it’s probably impossible to get him to do that.”

Taylor shrugged, pursing her lips. “At least he means well,” Nina added. 

Nodding, Taylor replied, “He does mean well, most of the time.”

“Already ganging up on me?”

They both laughed as Sidney entered the kitchen. “Why are you here, Taylor?”

“I went on a camping trip and I decided to be nosy and visit my big brother before heading home,” Taylor chirped. “The look on your face was worth it.”

“Hahaha. Should’ve called,” Sidney grumbled. 

Taylor quipped, “Oh, did I ruin your morning sex plans? I’m so sorry.”

Nina snorted as she laughed. Sidney gave her hurt eyes and Nina blew him a kiss. 

“Don’t worry Sid, I’m not staying long. Just enough to rest and then get back on the road,” Taylor said. 

“You drove,” Nina asked. Sidney was now standing right behind her and she could feel his hands massaging her shoulders. 

Taylor nodded as she flipped the first omelet. “You’re not what I expected, Nina. You’re way too pretty for a hockey player like my brother.”

Sidney wanted to kill his little sister as she continued to chirp him. Well, not only chirp him but ruin his planned lazy morning sex. But as he watched his sister and Nina interact playfully, Sidney could admit there was a slight good point. Taylor and Nina were hitting it off and Sidney knew that Nina would meet his family soon. This was a good sign. 

**

However, after practice four days later, Sidney was wishing his sister had never stopped by. Nina had been incredibly busy all week and Sidney knew he wouldn’t see her until next week due to her trip out of town. He was feeling extra irritable and hearing his name over the tv didn’t help. 

“So, two weeks ago, Sidney Crosby admitted that he was having relationship issues that were affecting him on the ice.”

Tanger went to change the channel on the tv in the lounge, muttering, “Fucking ESPN.”

“Shh, keep it on,” Sidney urged, crossing his arms over his chest. He wanted to see what kind of bullshit ESPN was saying now.

A couple of the guys stopped to check out the TV. Kevin Neghandi laughed as he responded, “Yeah, he admitted that after breaking a slump. Ever since, he’s been on a 2 point-per-game streak. But this really isn’t about him.”

“Huh,” said Geno, scratching his head.

Buccigross continued, “There was a picture of Crosby and his girlfriend posted on the internet, a nice picture. Someone posted it and made a derogatory statement about his girlfriend, Nina Jackson. This player is a player for Clemson.”

Neghandi laughed again. “Ms. Jackson has a younger brother named Jason Jackson. He was also the number 20 prospect, number 1, 5 star tight end. He also now plays for UNC.”

Sidney chuckled as he realized exactly where this was going. The guy on the tv continued, “Clemson and UNC had the rare Thursday night game last night. #1 Clemson went to the Tar Heels, ranked #22 and got spanked, 56-30. Jason Jackson had 10 catches, 200 yards receiving, and 3 TDs. His response in the postgame.”

The tv showed a clip of Jason talking to the media. A reporter asked, “What inspired you to have such a big game tonight.”

“Lowell decided he needed to talk about my sister on the gram so I had to put him in his place,” Jason drawled.

Sidney’s phone buzzed and it was a message from Nina. my brother is so dramatic 🙄

Nice to know he’ll always have your back, Sidney sent Nina. 

**

Nina smiled happily as she looked at the Thai food on plate. She was so hungry and excited to see Jamila face to face in person for lunch. Her friend looked more vibrant than usual, as life was treating her good. They made small talk until Jamila said, “I heard something about you, that you aren’t single for the first time in forever.”

“Oh really?”

Jamila looked at her best friend. “You’re dating Mayo boy.”

“What?!?” Perplexed, Nina stared at Jamila while Jamila rolled her eyes. 

“Sidney Crosby is like Mayo. Super white. Damn, my dating habits really did rub off on you. Welcome to being a basic bitch like me.”

It was Nina’s turn to roll her eyes. “Stop being so fucking dramatic, Jamila Brown.”

“I was an actress, I’m supposed to be dramatic. Tell Mayo boy if he ever breaks your heart, I’ll kill and cremate whatever’s left of him after your father and brother are finished with him.”

“Are you really gonna nickname him that?”

Jamila smirked at Nina and Nina sighed. Shrugging elegantly, Jamila replied, “I’m a part of Philly sports Twitter. I got lots of other names I could call him.

“Be a bigger bitch, Mila.”

“He gets a better nickname when he lets you fully run his pockets. And don’t give me that look, don’t be afraid of being called a gold digger. They are probably calling you worse names. Make Mayo boy run that card up when he takes you on baecation. Once that happens, I’ll upgrade his nickname.”

Nina sighed as she looked at the menu. Jamila reached out and put her hand out, covering Nina’s menu. “You know I’m just playing, right?”

“I don’t want to talk about it now, let’s talk about Toyin’s wedding instead,” Nina murmured. 

It was Jamila’s turn to sigh. “I’m sorry, Nina. I’m sorry for being a bitch. I shouldn’t be taking out my bad mood on you. I hate men.”

“Not forgiven yet,” Nina snarked. 

Jamila looked pensive as she said, “I like this guy but I don’t want to admit I like him. He’s like too perfect, too nice, well not that nice. He actually gives a fuck.”

“Let me guess, you’re scared and about to do something super stupid,” Nina dryly replied.

Jamila gave Nina a shocked look before she slumped in her chair. “I don’t want to,” she pouted. 

Nina reasoned, “Then don’t. Just ride it out for once.”

“Easy for you to say,” Jamila replied. 

Nina shrugged as her phone buzzed. It was a message from Sid, well really just a picture of him sweaty post-practice. Nina left him on read, she would get him back later for that. “Stop being stupid, and stop self-sabotaging.”

Jamila rolled her eyes as she ate her food. After swallowing, she arched an eyebrow. “Mayo boy sent you a message?”

“Yeah, but I’m focusing on you. I’ll see him next week… and his parents.”

“This is going fast,” Jamila commented. 

Nina bit her lip before saying, “I guess he had to wait eighty-four years, I mean five years, so he’s going to take advantage while they are in town.”

“Interesting.”

Nina pointed out, “At least I’m giving my relationships a chance, unlike you.”

“Fuck you.” 

Jamila gave Nina an exaggerated nasty look as Nina quipped, “I’m strictly dickly, bitch.”

The conversation switched to safer topics. However, throughout the wedding weekend, Nina had the thought in the back of her mind that maybe things were going a bit too fast. 

**

“Well, Taylor says she likes her. I checked out her instagram account and she doesn’t even mention you. Lots of nice vacation pictures though.”

Sidney looked at his mom from across the table. Trina had a pensive look on her face. Troy raised his eyebrows before leaning back in his chair. 

Sidney reasoned, “I want you two to meet her. Give her a chance. Nina is amazing, I’m lucky that she even likes me.”

“Why wouldn’t she like you, you’re Sidney Crosby,” Trina scoffed. 

Sidney shrugged. “Nina’s a PhD student and everything. It hasn’t been easy for her either.”

“Interesting,” Trina said. 

Nina herself was feeling extra nervous. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to meet Sidney’s parents, especially after having to turn in a huge paper and part of her thesis to her advisor. But, as she shook her head and smoothed down her shirt, they were in town and she was going to try to make her best impression.

Midway through dinner, Nina began to wish she was somewhere else on this Friday night. While Troy, Sidney’s dad, seemed nice, it felt like Trina was judging every single thing she did. Every reply Trina made to Nina’s questions was in a dry voice, as if it was boring her. Nina felt a bit discouraged. Sidney obviously loved his parents but it felt like his mother didn’t like her. 

On the other hand, Trina felt like Nina was looking down on them. It seemed like she was mentioning her PhD program, her thesis, like she was too smart for them and her boy. Trina sipped her water as there was a pause. She didn’t know about this girl but at least, every time she looked at Sidney, Trina could see the stars and hearts in her eyes.

Nina looked at Sidney, her palms sweating. She didn’t know what to say as she looked down at her plate. Her appetite was gone. Sidney, himself, didn’t really notice anything as he answered his father’s questions about the beginning of the season. Then Troy turned to Nina. 

“So what do you plan to do now that you’re with Sidney,” Troy casually asked.

Nina replied, “I have about two more years left before I finish earning my PhD. I plan to continue to work and I may teach a class or two.”

“You still plan to work,” Trina asked.

Nina nodded. “Yes. I love what I do and I’m not wasting my degrees.”

“Why do you want to work?”

Nina could tell that Trina intended that question to be light but Nina could still feel the claws. She was tired of this passive-aggressive bullshit and ready to curse her out. But Nina couldn’t so she measured her words carefully. “I did four years of undergrad, three years of school for my doctors in physical therapy, and I will do four more years for my doctorate. Why would I stop working after earning my degrees?”

Trina paused; she had expected some trite, suck-up answer. But it seemed like Nina was serious. “I would think that if you were with my son, you’d rather not work.”

“I’m not built to be a housewife.” Nina laughed. “I love what I do and if I’m expected to stop for Sidney, then maybe I need to reevaluate some things.”

Trina felt like she lost control of this conversation. All she wanted was to see what kind of user her boy’s dream girl was. Now, she had the feeling that her son was going to get dumped and it was going to be her fault.

Sidney laughed. “I don’t expect you to be a housewife. You would be so bored if you were.”

Nina flashed Sidney a quick grin before adding, “Nathalie has let me know the responsibilities though. I’ve done lots of volunteer and charity work over the years so that isn’t new at all. I’m excited about the toy drive, I remember when my parents just got out of the army and cash was tight. I got my favorite doll as a kid from a toy drive.”

“That’s nice,” Trina said. Maybe this Nina girl wasn’t completely stuck up, she thought as the night continued. After a couple of hours, Nina said her goodbyes. It was getting late and she was spending the morning taking her little sister to volleyball practice. After she left, Trina let out a sigh as Sidney turned to her.

“You have to lay off on Nina, Mom.”

Trina turned to look at her son. Sidney was giving her his most serious look and she sighed. 

“I like her but I don’t know if she’s the one for you, Sid. It seems like she’s one step from leaving you,” Trina said. “I don’t see her sticking with you if things go bad.”

“Just because she plans to work?” 

Sidney gave his mother an assessing look. He knew she meant well but this wasn’t for her to decide. “This isn’t your problem.”

“Fine, I like that she has her own life. She’s not obsessed with you and she plans to be her own person,” Trina conceded. “But she’s different.”

He knew this was going to be hard, asking his mom to back off but Sidney knew he had to do it. Nina hadn’t said anything last night but Sidney could sense that she was tired of how his mother was acting. Sidney also knew that if Nina decided to cut ties, it would be completely over. Sidney started, “Compared to Nina, I’m a dumb hockey player. But what I have with her, I’ve never found with anyone else. If you have a problem with that, that’s you. But be civil to Nina.”

“Really, Sidney Patrick Crosby,” Trina said, incredulous. But the look on her son’s face was something she had never seen before. Even though she didn’t believe her son would really pick any woman over her, a voice at the back of her mind told her that if Sidney ever did, this would be the woman he’d pick over her.

**

It was Saturday night and Nina pasted another smile on her face. If Trina got snide again, Nina didn’t know if she could be nice about it. But at least they were in public. As they sat down for dinner, a couple of guys came up. Sidney and his family had perfect PR smiles but the guys stopped in front of Nina.

“Hey, aren’t you Jason Jackson’s sister?”

Nina grinned. “Yes.”

“Why did he have to have such a great game against Pitt today? He killed them,” one of the guys said.

Nina shrugged. “Pitt should play better defense.”

After the guys left, Troy asked, “your brother plays college football?”

“Yup. He was the top prospect in Pennsylvania last season. Games on tv and everything.”

“I didn’t know that,” Sidney murmured.

Nina giggled as she replied, “All you do is eat, sleep, and breathe hockey.”

Sidney blushed as everyone laughed at that statement. However, through the night, more people came by the table to give Nina props for her brother’s monster game than to try to get a glimpse of Sidney. Jason had 184 yards receiving and 2 TDs for UNC today and there was already buzz about Jason being on the fast track to the NFL. During a lull, Trina stated, “You must get asked about your brother a lot.”

“I’m used to it. Once ESPN comes to your brother’s games when he was a sophomore in high school, you have to get used to it,” Nina said with a shrug. “I’m old enough that it really doesn’t bother me.”

“How does your brother deal with it,” Sidney asked, curious as he remembered some of his early experiences with fame. 

Nina replied, “College football is a different beast than the pros. So, he’s on scholarship and his days are pretty much regimented with meetings, practice, classes, more meetings, video study. I ran track when I was in undergrad so my experience was slightly similar. Main difference is that Jase gets paid for his likeness in video games now and a percentage of any jersey sales with his name and number.”

“You ran track,” Troy asked. Unlike his wife, he felt a bit more open towards Nina. It was obvious that she didn’t need Sidney for anything and Troy could see that his son was able to relax in a way with Nina that he hadn’t been able to relax with a woman before. 

“I had a partial scholarship. I ran the 4x100 relay and the 100 meters. I didn’t have the athletic ability to race for a living but I did decent,” Nina stated, feeling a bit shy. It had been a long time since she even talked about her track career. “I was state champ my senior year and my team won silver at the Penn Relays my sophomore and junior years of college. Now, I just run to stay in shape.”

“Wow,” Sidney said, impressed. “Sounds like you loved it though.”

Nina flashed Sidney a grin. “I did, I love running. What most people forget is that you can’t just run for health, you have to run and do strength training and yoga or Pilates.” 

“Have you been to any of your brother’s games,” Troy asked. “Seems like they are doing well.”

Nina replied, “We went to the season opener. I will never go to North Carolina in August ever again if I can help it. I’m going to their game next weekend at Virginia Tech. We’ll probably go to the bowl game since my little sister will be off school that week.”

“Seems like you stay busy,” Trina mused. 

Nina couldn’t help a little glare as she managed to say without malice, “I plan my calendar in advance.”

Trina said, “That sounds good. You have a life outside of everything.”

“And I will continue to have a life outside of everything,” Nina said with a syrup-sweet smile.

**

Nina quietly washed her hands, glancing up to the mirror. Trina was looking down on her hands as she washed hers. Tentatively, Nina asked, “Are you having a good time on this trip?”

“I enjoyed the Moms’ trip,” Trina replied. 

Nina looked down at her hands as she dried them. This was so awkward and she wanted to cry. 

“Sidney Crosby is here, and so are his parents,” somebody exclaimed just outside the ladies bathroom. Trina and Nina both shared a look until another person said, “And his n-word girlfriend is here with them too.”

Nina opened her mouth but Trina put up a finger. The second person continued, “His mom doesn't look too happy with that black girl. Maybe you could get a chance, finally.”

The door opener and the two women came in, laughing. The laughter stopped when those women saw Nina and Trina. 

“You don’t have to worry about getting a chance with my son because there’s no way I’d let him be with someone like you when he’s with a lady like Nina,” Trina stated. 

The two women shared a look but Trina stared them down until they left. Nina let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “No wonder my son is always saying that it hasn’t been easy for you,” Trina offered. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they get kicked out.”

Nina sniffled as she said, “That’s the first time I’ve heard it in person. It’s usually nasty messages online. I really, really hate it. But I guess I’m going to be stuck with this for the rest of my life.”

Impulsively, Trina reached out and grabbed Nina’s hand. “From the way that my son looks at you, nasty women like those will just have to be angry forever.”

Nina giggled as they shared a look. It felt like there was a truce and she was going to take it. After Trina talked to the manager and got those women booted, Nina definitely felt like there was definitely a truce.

**

“Don’t take anything seriously. If they don’t like you, they’ll say absolutely nothing to you. If they make jokes, they like you.”

Two weeks after meeting Sid’s family, it was his turn to meet Nina’s family. The team was home for American Thanksgiving and they didn’t have a game until Friday evening this year. So Sidney was going with Nina to meet her extended family. He was feeling extra nervous and desperate to make a good impression. 

Sidney grimaced as Nina giggled. “Plus, it’s Aryanna’s birthday so they won’t be too mean. I think.”

“Anything else I need to worry about,” Sidney asked. 

Nina reached out over the console and touched Sidney’s hand. “Relax, it’s not a game. You can’t lose.”

“But, I want them-”

Cutting Sidney off, Nina said, “I know, you want them to like you. So be the dork that you are instead of faking like you aren’t a dork.”

Sidney felt a bit insulted but Nina gave him a dazzling smile. “I like it when you’re being dorky, anyway.”

**

Sidney tried hard to follow Nina’s advice. There were so many people that he couldn’t keep them all straight so he focused on making sure he remembered the names of the older people in Nina’s family. There was Mawmaw, the family matriarch, Tracey and Vernon, Nina’s parents, Aunt Tasha who baked the sweet potato pie that he was having his third slice of, Aunt Dee, Uncle Tony, and Uncle Bashir. All of the cousins kinda blurred together but Sidney figured he’d learn their names quickly. 

Overall, he felt like everything was going well. Sidney answered everyone’s questions and he guessed his answers were good since one of Nina’s older cousins told him his new nickname was White Boy. Nina had snickered while some of the younger ones giggled. Right now, Sidney was talking to Aunt Tasha. “What would it take to get you to bake me a pie of my own,” Sidney asked. 

Tasha laughed while Tracey smirked. Tracey interjected, “Oh no, Tasha gonna be bragging about this forever. ‘Guess who came to Thanksgiving and loved my sweet potato pie? Sidney Crosby loved my sweet potato pie.’ She will never shut up!”

“Don’t be mad that you can’t bake a pie as good as me, Tracey,” Tasha chided, laughing. “Nina makes a better pie than both of us but that girl don’t wanna cook.”

Tracey smirked when she saw the look on Sidney’s face. “Oh no, Tash, now this boy gonna be begging my daughter to make him a pie.”

Everyone laughed as Nina was in a different room. Mawmaw chided, “I’m happy that one of my family don’t got to be in the kitchen like that. I wish I could’ve been the same at her age.”

Sidney decided to scroll his phone as the older women began to argue. Then he felt someone tap his shoulder.

“White boy, you wanna play spades?”

Sidney looked at this cousin of Nina. He was sitting at a table with Vernon, one of her aunts, and another cousin. “No,” he replied, shaking his head. 

The cousin got a devious grin on his face. “It’s easy, you should play for Shantara, she can’t play for shit.”

Sidney’s competitive instinct told him it was a bad idea. And from the way Vernon was eyeing him, Sidney knew he was right for shaking his head. “Nope. I’ll learn by watching.”

“Nina’s white boy smart,” Aunt Tasha hollered. “You play spades and renege, boy, someone about to go for those knees.”

“Stop torturing, Sid, Deonte,” Nina scolded as she sat in Sidney’s lap. “At least wait til the second visit before hazing him over spades.”

“I like this boy, Nini. Keep him, he’s betta than that last boy you brought here, bless his heart. Didn’t know how to talk to people,” Mawmaw advised. 

Nina wanted to die as the rest of her family snickered. Holidays: the time of the year where your greatest fuckups get rehashed for shits and giggles. 

Nafis snorted. “What’s his name... it wasn’t that Ron boy, was it? Naw, it was James’s old friend, Jordan. We all knew he wasn’t shit, I mean, nothing, when he made Tommy mad.”

Nina winced as remembered that. Tommy was one of the sweetest guys and hard to rile up, but anyone who could make cousin Tommy mad was a douchebag. 

“Her pets like him. Tess curls in his lap and Steely lets him pet him,” Vernon said. 

Everyone stared at Sidney, eyes wide. Stuttering, Aunt Tasha said, “T-t-that cat and d-dog hate every damn body other than Nini and her family. I be damned.”

Mawmaw laughed.

The rest of the dinner went without incident. But at a quiet moment, Vernon pulled Sidney from the group to a quiet spot in the yard. It was late November in Western Pennsylvania so no one else was there. 

Vernon Jackson had seen more of his fair share of crap in his life. Growing up in Ward 8 of D.C., Vernon had dodged dealers, hustlers, stick-up kids, etc. to survive. His grades weren’t great so Vernon went into the army to ensure that he escaped. Through being deployed in the Gulf War then to Mogadishu, Vernon had done his best to make sure that all his children had more than he did growing up. 

Now, his sweettart, his eldest, his sweet girl, Nina was grown. She had done more than he and Tracey combined. But looking at the man he was sure his daughter was in love with, Vernon began to wonder if he made a mistake. 

Oh, it was obvious that Sidney Crosby was in love with his daughter. But the feelings of love could fade and given his history, Vernon couldn’t trust that Crosby would do the right thing. 

So as a loving father, Vernon pulled Sidney to the side. “I just wanted to ask you something important before I give my blessing to this.”

“Yes, sir,” Sidney responded. 

“You know your children will be considered Black?”

Vernon watched Sidney’s face after asking that question. Lust and infatuation was nice but this was his little girl. The last thing he wanted was his daughter hurt because she fell for someone not just clueless but maliciously clueless about race. 

Sidney quietly replied, “I know. People will see them as Black and will think the worst of them first.”

Not bad, Vernon thought. He expected a colorblind response.

Then he heard Nina call out, “Dad? Sid? We are about to cut the cake!”

Vernon and Sid both grimaced but for different reasons. Vernon because he couldn’t really have cake because of his diabetes, Sid because cake wasn’t on his meal plan. Vernon told Sidney, “before you start making plans for rings, you need to start thinking about how you are going to start speaking up about race. Think about that.”

**

Sidney kept Vernon’s words in his mind through the week. Trina had told him what happened in the bathroom that night but Nina told him that his mom had handled it for her. But as he waited for Nina to open her door, Sidney couldn’t help but think what he could do to avoid situations like that from happening for Nina. But words failed as Nina opened the door and gave him a shy smile. 

“Hi pretty girl,” Sidney drawled as he walked in, closing the door. He hung up his coat on her coat rack before sitting on Nina’s couch.

“I missed you daddy”

“Missed you, pretty girl. Did you have fun?”

Nina straddled Sid’s thigh and replied, “it was a good time even though UNC lost. The VT campus is beautiful. How was the road trip?”

Sid laughed as Nina played with his hair. “It went well but Geno got hurt. He’ll be out for two weeks.”

“That sucks.”

Sidney hummed his assent as he wrapped an arm around Nina’s waist. He missed his pretty girl and it seemed like she missed him too. They sat there together for several quiet moments before Nina whispered, “I really missed you, daddy. It’s been too long.”

Sidney gave Nina a slow smile as she began to grind on his thigh. He felt the same way as he kissed Nina, soft and slow. Then as they broke apart, the sensual haze on Nina’s face turned into horror.  “God damn it,” she muttered. 

Sidney frantically asked, “What’s wrong, baby?”

“I just felt my period show up, three days early,” Nina said, rubbing her temples. Her period was cock-blocking her after a couple weeks of no dick and she wanted to die. “I just felt cramps and as much as I’d like to slide to my knees and suck you off, it won’t happen tonight.”

Nina groaned as she closed her eyes, head down. Sidney just started to laugh. 

“Cmon, pretty girl. Let’s just watch movies tonight.”

“Movies sound good,” Nina replied, “I just refuse to watch Friends, ever.”

Sidney giggle-honked as Nina moved from straddling his thigh to curling into his lap.