#shif cast

[skylineheights-if]

character appearances!!

huuuuuuge shoutout to the anon who suggested the ai!! it really helped me out!

if you don't like how they look, feel free to picture them however you wish! it's not an issue to me, i just want to share how i imagine them as i'm writing (:

if you do picture them a different way, please please please feel free to share! i'm nosy + i think it's cool to see how appearances change from person to person!

first up: harlowe! his jawline is a bit more square than i imagine, but this is close!

florence! she turned out pretty much perfect tbh.

and of course, eden! i don't picture him to be as broad as he looks here, but everything else is pretty close. if the background looks out of place, that's because it is. i wanted to add better backgrounds for eden and harlowe than what the ai added.

and now, aena. turned out nearly perfect, she just has sharper features in my mind's eye!

and now, alistaire! unlike eden, alistaire is supposed to be more broad. he's also supposed to look around 27-28! he wears glasses and has more of a 5-o'clock shadow thing going on. but i couldn't figure out how to get that to work, so just imagine.

[girlkisser13]

iris cabin headcanons

children of iris

• the children of iris, known for being empathetic messengers, anonymously put together care packages for other campers.

• however, people have caught on due to the common items: dream catchers and friendship bracelets, all carried in a basket lined with a tie-dye blanket. the rest of the camp lets these cheerful messengers keep their anonymity, patiently waiting for their own turn.

• every time a child of rainbow dies, iris would create a rainbow to honor their existence.

• double or triple rainbows are caused by the death of twins or triplets.

• they have the power to change the color of any object they touch.

• every friday, they set up a salon outside their cabin with mirrors and chairs. there, they change other campers' hair to any color they want.

• when they do archery, rainbows fly off of the arrows and the bullseye becomes colorful.

• to "please" their mother, they would often run around camp, throwing skittles at the other campers while shouting, "in the name of iris, taste the rainbow!"

• most campers would hide in their cabins, dubbing the event the "dreaded rainbow hour."

• they make sure they always have an array for rainbow apparel around pride.

• iris has only visited her children's cabin once, and when she did, she was appalled by the amount of unhealthy skittles inside. now, there's a barrier placed by the goddess to prevent skittles from entering the cabin.

• they have a knack for making amazing layer cakes.

• they can rainbow travel— similar to shadow travel, but instead of shadows, they leap from one end of a rainbow to the other.

• they can iris message for free.

• they know all the camp gossip because they’re so approachable. if you need news to spread quickly, they’re the person to go to. they’re also great at keeping secrets, and if you ask them to, they’ll keep yours safe.

• in world war ii, they didn't take sides. instead, they created rainbows to guide lost soldiers safely back to their own sides.

cabin exterior

• their cabin is painted in a gradient of soft pastel colors that mimic the hues of a rainbow. each plank of wood is a different shade, seamlessly blending into the next. the colors shift slightly depending on the angle and time of day, giving the impression that the cabin itself is a living rainbow.

• the entire exterior of the cabin is coated with a special finish that catches the sunlight and moonlight, causing the cabin to shimmer and glisten as though it were covered in a layer of dew. this shimmering effect makes the cabin look like it's glowing with an inner light, especially during early mornings and late afternoons.

• large windows line the sides of the cabin, each pane made of stained glass in different colors. When the sun shines through them, it casts rainbows across the ground and inside the cabin, creating a kaleidoscope of colors that dance around the space.

• the roof is made of iridescent tiles that reflect light in a spectrum of colors, much like a soap bubble. depending on the time of day, the roof might look blue, pink, purple, or any number of hues. at night, it catches the light of the stars, giving it a soft, ethereal glow.

• the shutters and doors of the cabin are painted with soft, fluffy cloud patterns. the clouds look almost three-dimensional, as if they might drift off the wood and into the air at any moment.

• small, lantern-shaped prisms hang from the eaves of the cabin. during the day, they capture sunlight and scatter rainbow light in all directions. at night, they are lit with gentle, colorful lights that create a warm, welcoming glow, making the cabin a beacon in the dark.

• the edges of the cabin's walls, doors, and windows are trimmed in celestial bronze, symbolizing the pot of gold traditionally found at the end of a rainbow. this gold trim is polished to a high shine, catching the light and adding an element of elegance to the cabin’s colorful design.

cabin interior

• the walls are painted in soft pastels, shifting subtly from one color to another like a gradient, resembling a rainbow. the ceiling is enchanted to display a gentle swirl of colors that mimic a rainbow in the sky.

• large windows let in plenty of natural light, which would then reflect off strategically placed prisms and crystals around the room. these crystals would cast small rainbows and soft colors all over the cabin, making the interior bright and cheerful even on cloudy days.

• the beds and seating are plush and cloud-like, with pillows and cushions that are soft and comfortable. the bedding are in pastel hues, matching the overall color scheme of the cabin.

• murals of rainbows and clouds adorn the walls, painted with a magical quality that makes them seem almost alive. there are also paintings and sculptures of iris delivering messages to the gods, highlighting her role as a divine messenger.

• a small indoor garden with a variety of flowers known for their vibrant colors, such as irises, are maintained inside the cabin. the scent of flowers constantly fill the air, creating a serene and welcoming atmosphere.

• light, airy curtains in various shades of the rainbow hang over the windows and doorways, fluttering gently with any breeze, making the whole space feel open and breezy.

cabin traditions

• they host weekly art and creativity sessions where campers from all cabins can come together to paint, draw, and create art. these sessions are a way to honor their mother as the goddess of communication and creativity. at the end of each session, they use their powers to bring the artworks to life with moving colors and effects.

• inspired by the vibrancy of rainbows, they organizes color run events around camp. campers participate in a fun run, and along the way, they’re showered with colorful powders. the event ends with a huge celebration, dancing under a rainbow shower that they created.

• once a month, they host a "rainbow day," where everyone at camp is encouraged to wear as many colors as possible. they decorate the dining pavilion with rainbows and colorful streamers, and the day is filled with activities like face painting and tie-dye workshops.

• when one of their siblings leave camp, they are given an iridescent seashell, a symbol of their time at camp. the shell is enchanted to create a small rainbow when held up to the light, serving as a keepsake and a reminder of camp half-blood and the friendships formed there.

divider by @sister-lucifer

[ioniansunsets]

Do you do Runeterra versions of the Heartsteel members? If so can I get a scenario of Aphelios stargazing with the reader (Except while Aphelios is the one admiring the stars, the reader is admiring how pretty he looks under them and cant help but flirt with him about it)

✖ Aphelios Moongazing Stargazing with Reader ✖

✖ Word Count: 777

✖ Tags: Established R/S, Aphelios Talks here since he’s not using Noctum (sorry Alune you can sit this one out), Lunari!Reader

✖ A/N: Yes! I love writing their Runeterra OG selves more tbh >< Thanks for asking for this, it was nice giving Lunari Aphelios some love.

✖ Wrote This Listening To: Vanilla Twilight

----

Eyes closed, the Lunari male by your side lets out a breathy sigh before slowly, his eyes open, watching the sky turn and move. His heart a steady beat in his chest as he calms himself down under the moonlight.

The faint twinkle of stars in the clear Targon sky, the chirping of bugs around you, the winds the blow through the trees, they all just help set the otherworldly mood. You two laid down in the empty courtyard of the Lunari temple. It was late into the night, blessedly, a lot of the other Lunari were either asleep or out on missions. So it was just the quiet comfort of you and Aphelios as you looked up in the air. The area around you was dark, Lunari taking care to leave the temple in relative darkness so the moon could truly light the way has left the two of you drenched in the shadows of night. It was a little bubble in the solitude of night that only the two of you resided it.

“ It’s so beautiful.”

“ It is.”

You watch your boyfriend speak and followed his gaze. Tilting up to stare at the twinkling specks of dust in the sky. It truly was beautiful. Hearing your partner’s soft voice, paired with the expansive sky of Targon, the cool winds that once again blowed, perfectly contrasting the warm touch of his shoulders against yours as he laid by your side.

It was rare, hearing him talk, you cherish the moment, taking in the sound of his voice. Aphelios himself not really looking at you but truly admiring the beauty of the night sky above Mount Targon. The moon tonight was but a thin crescent sliver of white in the sky. Dark enough for the two of you two see the stars clearly, yet not so dark that you cannot make out the details of his face in the moonlight.

And by the gods above, were you blessed by having him by your side. His dark inky hair that fell so perfectly to frame his face. His soft lips that parted slightly to let out a small puff of mist into the cold air. The way his long lashes just draw your attention to his eyes, and oh how beautiful those black glittering pools were. The same beautiful night sky reflected in them.

“ Somehow I cannot help but look at you instead. You’re as beautiful as the night sky Aphelios.”

The same eyes you were admiring now abruptly turning to look back at you. His face flushed, you feel him physically warm up beside you. As you smile at him, watching him open his mouth to say something, closing it as he thinks, opening again to try to speak. For someone who rarely gets to talk, you would think he’d have more to say. Instead, he was stumped by your sudden affections. Unsure how to reply. Not like the Lunari really taught him the machinations of love after all. His brows furrow as his head turns to face yours. The way the shadows are cast across his face just make him look all the more ethereally beautiful.

“ Um…Thank you. You look amazing under the moonlight as well.”

You watch him swallow hard, the usual awkwardness he has. Aphelios was always a little reserved around you so hearing him praise you back left a pleasantly tingly feeling in the pit of your stomach. Gently, his hand reaches over to lightly hold your face. In the end, he was more of an actions over words person. Doing what he feel like he should instead of what he should say, the raven haired man shifs a little closer. He lightly presses his lips against yours before pulling back to stare at you again. You stare entranced, the same eyes you were admiring blinking back at you, looking up from your eyes to your lips trying to discern if what he did was acceptable.

After a brief pause as your process what just happened, you too, carefully, tilt your head closer to his, pressing your own chaste kiss to his lips. Smiling awkwardly back at him, the two of your break out in soft laughter. Almost like two teens experiencing love for the first time. His hand reaches out to lightly hold yours, cold fingers interlacing between your own, giving it a comforting squeeze before he turns his attention back towards the night sky.

As you turn to look back up at the expansive universe before you with your hand in his, you can’t help but appreciate that somehow, through this all, you two found each other.

[jynxpsiche]

Like a love story

💌. Summary: simple headcanons of tangerine meeting you and gradually falling in love.

💌. Warnings: fem!reader, she/her pronouns, fluff, canon gore, swearing, (y/n) used one or twice, grammar and spelling error.

🍋. Lemon’s speaking

🍊. Tangerine’s speaking

🍓. Reader’s speaking

how you meet❣️

• it was early in the morning when you arrived at the caffee, being called by your friend for covering her shif in the early morning since she was shit-faced from a last night’s party.

• it wasn’t a big deal, even if that meant waking earlier than usual. You were just trying to help a friend out.

• there weren’t many clients early in the morning, mostly runners or some students with an upcoming exam. Shifts like these never stressed you.

• while you were checking the inventory, the bell upon the door belled, meaning a new customer entered the caffee.

• it was Lemon, a regular customer. Most of the times he would come late at night, when usually your normal shift would end. It was quite rarely for him to show up so early.

• also he wasn’t alone. A tall man with long curly hair and a moustache stood behind him a wrinkled face.

🍋. “Hello strawberry, how ya doin’ today?”

🍓. “Hi, I’m fine. What about you? Everything’s good?”

The man nodded in response, only after a mumbled curse from the other man Lemon acknowledged his presence.

🍋. “Strawberry, I want ya to meet my brother, Tangerine. Tan, she’s (Y/n).”

You waved lightly at the man with a small smile on your face.

• when Tangerine met your gaze, he knew he was fucked. He thought you were glowing or something when you waved at him.

• he didn’t answer back but only nodded briefly his head, trying to keep his cool.

• obviously he received a strange look from his brother.

• tangerine observed closely how you and his brother chatted lively, like to close friends meeting up after a long time.

• his gaze was fixated on your figure and he noticed how your eyes lit up during the entire conversation or how a dimple appeared when you smiled.

• he thought you were really cute.

🍓. “Here’s the usual Lemon. It was nice seeing you again.”

🍋. “The pleasure’s mine, strawberry.”

🍓. “Oh! It was nice meeting you too, Tangerine. I hope we can be friends!”

Again, no words came out from the man’s mouth. His blue eyes met yours and he acknowledged your proposal with a straight face.

• ok now you probably hated him.

• but it wasn’t his faul! He panicked and that never happened to him.

• once they left the caffee, his brother shooted questions at him about his strange behaviour.

• Lemon was right: he has never been this quiet.

🍋. “I wasn’t going to say it, but you have a big fat crush.”

🍊. “Shut the hell up!”

how he asked you out❣️

• after that first encounter, you noticed how frequently the other twin, the tall one, came to the caffe.

• most of the times during your shifts.

• and most of the times…alone.

• at first the only words you two exchanged were necessary for him to order and for you to ensure a good service.

• it was…awkward.

• you noticed from his eyes how he wanted to start a proper conversation, but something invisible held him back everytime.

• Tangerine knew he was making a fool of himself.

• he tried to forget you, to force himself to avoid that place, but every. fucking. time. he was drawn by an invisible force to you.

• it was like you casted a spell on him. And he hated it.

• he hated the furious beats of his heart when he thought of you.

• he hated your sweet giggles.

• and most of all he hated that stupid dimple that appeared on your stupid face everytime you smiled.

• you were driving him insane.

• but one day he made up his mind. He decided to try to start a real conversation with you.

🍋. “I told you you were head over heels for her.”

🍊. “I’m fucking not. I just wanna seem kind.”

🍋. “Yeah. Kind. Because you like her.”

🍊. “I’m gonna smash your head through a fucking wall if ya don’t shut the fuck up!”

• so a nervous Tangerine entered the shop.

• it was 7pm and he noticed how the shop wasn’t so full. Maybe luck was on his side.

• you immediately noticed him and a big smile plastered on your face.

• Tangerine’s heart beat faster at that sight and a slight blush crept up his cheeks.

• he approached your figure at the counter and confidently he opened his mouth, ready to start a conversation.

• but we guess luck wasn’t fully on his side that day.

• a group of armed thieves suddenly entered the shop and pointed their guns at the customers and at the staff.

• scared whimpers echoed through the shop. With a quick motion Tangerine landed and crouched behind the counter near your scared figure.

🍊. “It’s alright love, nothing is going to happen to you.”

• and he was damn sure about his statement.

• without using his gun, Tangerine fought the thieves also with the help of metal trays and glasses.

• he didn’t want to scare you more.

• once he was done he returned behind the counter and a sigh of relief left his mouth when he noticed your figure still there.

• but he couldn’t accept how furiously your figure was trembling.

🍓. “Tan-Tangerine?”

Your soft voice came out as a whisper, but it was laced with terror.

Tangerine’s figure crouched next yours and he placed his hands on your shoulders, sweetly caressing them.

🍊. “Yes, it’s me. Are you okay love? Are you hurt somewhere?”

At his questions, you only shook you head in a ‘no’ motion.

🍓. “It was you who stopped them?”

🍊. “Yes love, it was me. I’m sorry if I scared ya.”

Again, you disagreed with him.

🍓. “I thought you were really cool and I could never thank you enough for saving me.”

A light chuckled left his lips and his strong arms engulfed you in a tight embrace. You could clearly smell his cologne and feel his moustache tickle your forehead.

The man stayed in that position and simply left light kisses on your forehead, as a way to calm you down. Or that’s what he told himself.

🍊. “How about a dinner? That would be the perfect way to thank me.”

🍓. “Dinner it is.”

who said ‘I love you’ first❣️

• after that first date, many more followed.

• the first time he took you to a fancy restaurant, and the best part was the dress HE bought for YOU.

• even if at first you were slightly uncomfortable in that type of environment, he immediately made you feel at ease.

• you loved his accent and mostly his kindness towards you. He showed his gentle side only to you.

🍊. “I’m really glad ya accepted to go on a date with me, love.”

🍓. “When your brother introduced you, I wanted to get to know you better.”

• not only fancy dates but also late night drivings!

• he absolutely loved to show off his insanely driving skill and also his spectacular cars.

• expect a lot of gifts from this man, he’s trade to be your sugar daddy.

• ok maybe he already is.

🍊. “Saw this and thought of you.”

🍓. “Oh Tan, you didn’t have to.”

🍊. “Everything for you love.”

• I see him as the type to slow dance with you only when you are alone.

• in a field, in your/his apartment, in a desert street.

• he may not be the best dancer, but for you he would do anything.

• Tangerine never stops talking to his brother about you. And now Lemon regrets introducing you to him.

🍋. “It’s the millionth time that you tell me how beautiful she is.”

🍊. “So ya fuckin’ know how I feel when you won’t shut the fuck about Thomas, dont’cha?”

• please please please tell him how gorgeous he looks in his suit.

• he tries to be as prepared as possible when meeting you. He wants you to think he looks handsome just like he thinks you are marvellous.

• sometimes you catch him stealing a bracelet or a ring from someone just to gift it to you.

🍓. “Tangerine.”

🍊. “Yes love?”

🍓. “You know I don’t need that right?”

🍊. “I think it looks better on you.”

🍓. “Give it back, Tan.”

The curly-haired man sighed loudly and approached a woman with a tight smile. Clearly irritated.

🍊. “Ma’am, I think ya dropped this.”

• once he decided to take you to another fancy restaurant with a terrace.

• he indeed booked not only the table, but the entire terrace just for you two.

• he bought you your favourite flowers.

• and for this date he chose matching outfits.

• he wants to show others that you were his.

• the night was perfect.

• well…for 10 minutes and 34 seconds.

• suddenly a group of men surrounded your table and in a blink you found yourself under the table while Tangerine fought against them.

• this time he used the gun.

🍊. “CLOSE YOUR EYES LOVE AND COVER YOUR EARS!”

🍓. “Please be careful!”

• he loved how you cared about him.

• once the fight was done, your eyes immediately fell on Tangerine’s bloody figure.

• you knew most of the blood wasn’t his, but you couldn’t be not preoccupied.

• his blue eyes met yours and they widen in shock.

• he hadn’t had the time to open his mouth when your figure embraced his torso.

🍊. “I’m fine darling. I’ll always be.”

🍓. “I know you’re fine, but please next time be more careful. You’re still bleeding from your shoulder.”

• ah yes, you didn’t miss his wound.

• all Tangerine needs right now is to have you near him. He craves you.

• he was scared he would have lost you.

• he knew you were smart enough to protect yourself, but faith was unpredictable.

• Tangerine could not bare to lose you.

🍋. “Alright lovebirds, let’s get out of here.”

🍊. “What the fuck are ya doing here?”

🍋. “(Y/n) texted me.”

You flashed him an innocent bit not so innocent smile.

• Lemon drove you two to your apartment.

• you made sure Tangerine was comfortable enough and then you started treating his wound.

• it was uncharacteristically from Tangerine to be so silent.

• but he couldn’t help but focus his attention on your concentrated face.

🍊. “I love you.”

• he blurted that out.

• and he could believe his ears.

• he knew he loved you after your second date but obviously thought it was too early to say it.

• your delicate fingers froze mid air and your eyes locked with his.

🍓. “You really mean it?”

🍊. “With all my heart.”

[calif0rnia-lovers]

kiss it better 03.

pairing: jax teller x black!reader | warning: not much in this chapter tbh

sum: you’re back in charming. perfect timing for a storm is brewing. jax teller has an unquenchable thirst for vengeance.

chapter 02.

The moment he comes to Jax knows he has overslept.

The sun was bright, slowly creeping toward the center of the sky. Its rays slipped through the thin curtains casting a glow across the bedroom.

Despite resting for ten hours, Jax’s body remains bogged by exhaustion. Ten hours paled to the amount of sleep needed for his body to replenish the remaining hours of his sleep deficit. His mind attempts to drift to the cellphone across the room. His slumber meant there were unanswered calls and messages waiting for his attention. Jax nuzzles his face back into the inviting warmth of his pillow.

The rise and fall of his pillow come in a steady rhythm, one that could easily lull him back to sleep.

His eyes open to find you asleep. Your bodies had remained close throughout the night. In the center of the bed, you had somehow managed not to be awoken by the sunlight filling the room.

Jax blinks, part of him thinking you would be gone once the action was over. The last few days had passed in an endless blur of moments. He wouldn’t be surprised if the image of you were an evil illusion summoned by his sleep-deprived senses.

Now he is awake, Jax wonders how the news of Opie’s passing reached you. When he was released, his first instinct was to call you. Not Gemma, but you.

He would have, but he knew the number he’d spent years committing to memory was disconnected. The pain he’d felt deep within his chest when he’d first dialed the number to no avail was one he’d never experienced. Its initial impact was sharp, coming as fast as it left. Soon, the sharp pain subsided, melting into an unnatural, soft dull pain that lingered for days. The ache was temporarily forgotten as Jax tackled the fires of his day. It returned to the front of his mind when he had a moment of downtime.

It took him nearly a month after your departure to learn the meaning of the pain resonating in his chest. It was the soft and slow tearing of his heart.

He’d spent months angry at you, the bitter hatred of your decision to sever all ties with him spilling into every aspect of his life. His temper nipped short, leading to Jax butting heads with everyone who stepped foot in his direction. As the exhaustion of being angry wore off, he started the chase of distraction.

Days packed full of tasks for him to complete. The list ran from the rising to the setting of the sun. The moment the list was complete, Jax was rewarded with a night of decadence. A dangerous cocktail of alcohol and heated moments with Lisa.

The vicious cycle was endless, but it kept Jax distracted from the dull pain in his chest.

When his eyes return to your face, Jax finds your gaze focused on him.

“Mornin',” he whispered softly.

“You look like shit,” you manage.

The soft smile your words sparks brings your touch to the warmth of his cheek.

“Trust me, I feel like it.”

You could echo the sentiment, but your voice is trapped in your throat. The soft smile on Jax's lips had faded slowly, his expression inscrutable. His eyes met yours before moving down to your lips.

His gaze pinned you in place, the air leaving your lungs as his touch grazed your cheek. It was a look you had encountered a handful of times in his presence. Each time, Jax had mustered enough willpower to suppress it. As his thumb dragged over your bottom lip, you realized he had no intention of pulling away.

Before he could persuade himself it was a terrible idea, Jax lowered his head and pressed his lips to yours.

They were gone as fast as they had come. The initial action is simple testing of the waters.

When they returned, the kiss was gentle and hard at once. Jax's beard was coarse as it scraped against your skin, his lips soft as they moved against yours.

Jax’s body relaxed, your arms snaking around the back of his neck, his weight shifting to press you into the mattress. Your fingers carded through his soft locks urging his tongue to part your lips. The kiss melted into a slow pace, Jax’s expert exploration of your mouth fogging your mind. You could only think of how to keep his lips on yours.

This was a slippery slope, but neither of you could pull away. Your kisses were different than any he’s previously shared. Jax’s most intimate moments panned out like every moment in his life. Rough, heated, and fast. They satisfied his need for a temporary high yet always left him wanting more.

Your kisses were heartfelt, your touch inviting as it drifted down his spine. The combination mysteriously seized control of his mind. It commanded his body to slow down. It allowed him to savor the softness of your lips, the warmth of your skin under his touch. The way your body responded to his, your hips dangerously arching up to meet his.

The ringing of his phone seemed to break Jax from your spell.

You both paused, panting and breathless, listening to the chime of his phone echo off the walls of the quiet house. Jax’s heart pounded against his ribs, yours beating in tandem.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean…” Jax’s words trail off as his eyes pass over your parted lips.

What was the point of lying?

He had meant to kiss you. Hell he would have done more than that if he hadn’t been interrupted.

“It’s okay.”

You push yourself up, thankful for the distance it forces Jax to put between the two of you.

With fresh air in your lungs, the fog in your mind quickly recedes. An unsettling twinge of guilt tightens your stomach as Jax’s eyes meet yours.

A slippery slope.

A single kiss had tipped the scales. It would take a far more painful act to reset the balance.

You cannot stay here.

The reminder pushes you off the bed.

Thankfully, the ringer doesn’t relent. The moment it dies, the sound returns with a second call. Jax’s eyes track your movements, his silence prompting you to glance in his direction.

“You should get that. I’m going to shower.”

--

Not tonight.

Your foolish words echo through your mind as you stare down the Reaper grinning at you.

It looks like you’re a bit rusty, sweetheart. You foolishly allowed me to rest.

The slip of your tongue hadn’t registered until nearly an hour after you left Jax alone in his bed.

Not tonight.

The limitation on his retaliation was up. The sun was now high in the sky, blazing down on the crowded parking lot of the Teller-Morrow automotive repair shop.

The patched members of SAMCRO had filed outside with the anticipated arrival of their president. Too intoxicated the night before, Jax had allowed you to drive him home. Which resulted in you having to give him a ride back. Usually, this wouldn’t be a problem. But, today, you wish Jax didn’t require your help.

He was across the parking lot, back to you as he spoke to a man you didn’t recognize. Despite the distance between the two of you, you could still feel the weight of his body against yours. The warmth of his mouth against yours, and how easily it coaxed you to cross a line you’d spent years avoiding.

“What’s troubling your mind, sweetheart?”

You find Bobby’s eyes on you. Rubbing a cloth against his glasses, he awaits your response. 

You nod in the direction of Jax, your gaze returning to the man he speaks to. Arms crossed over his chest, he rests against the black SUV behind him. 

“Who’s Jax talking to?”

“Nero,” Bobby explains. “He’s helping us out with something.”

“Something?” You echo, your brow arched in amusement as Bobby meets your gaze. The action pulls a chuckle from the older man. “Am I better off not knowing?”

“Depends,” he shrugs, eyes watching as your attention returns to Jax. “On how good you were at comforting Jax last night. Don't want to bring out your jealous side.”

Your eyes roll at the implication. 

“I got him to sleep,” you sigh. “Something none of you knuckleheads bothered to do.”

Bobby releases a chuckle, unconvinced. “The kid’s stubborn, same as you.”

“How were things with him before…”

Bobby remains silent as he struggles to find words, to sum up, the events that have occurred in your absence. 

“Jax has been preparing for the gavel since he was born,” his eyes take in the crowded lot. “But I don’t you can ever really prepare for it, legacy or not. He’s been trying to steer us in the right direction, but…”

With listening ears nearby, you watch Bobby’s brows rise in suggestion. You don’t need him to complete his statement. 

You noticed Clay’s absence the moment you arrived. Although you were glad he wasn’t around to add more to his stepson’s plate, you knew Clay’s absence still weighed heavy on Jax’s mind.

Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. 

With Clay out of sight, Jax wasn’t able to see what he was plotting. 

As if sensing your thoughts, Clay steps out of the clubhouse.

“Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.” 

Your words come out low enough to only be heard by Bobby, but Clay’s gaze scans the crowded lot before settling on you.

He’s visibly aged since your last sighting of the former president. The tubes tucked into his nostrils snaked down his chest to the oxygen tank in his left hand. He looked meek and surely incapable of riding his bike out with the rest of the club. His expression remained unreadable as you lifted your hand offering him a wave.

“I don’t imagine he’s been supporting Jax in his new role?”

With a slight shake of his head, Bobby wraps his arm around your shoulder. Giving you a gentle squeeze, he offers you a warm smile as your head briefly rests against him.

“It’s good to have you back.”

Soon you’re left alone, nervous energy radiating through your body as Jax makes his way toward you. 

Despite the feeling, you cannot deny him a smile as Jax comes to a stop before you. The smile on his face is one you’d spent years missing. Paired with the bright blue eyes searching your expression, you almost forget about the circumstances surrounding your arrival the night before. 

Not tonight.

You blink, eyes dropping from his to your worn sneakers. 

“Thanks for last night,” he says, his fingers finding yours.

Your eyes focus on his split knuckles. Your thumb gingerly passes over the damaged skin. 

“And this morning.”

The second half of his statement comes as your eyes meet his. 

“I just want you to be okay.”

It’s not a lie. You’ve never meant anything as much as the words you’ve just spoken. The problem is, you know placating Jax’s current state would only lead to a more difficult departure.

“It feels that way when you’re here.” The softly uttered admission is not meant for your ears.

Jax reaches into the chest pocket of his kutte. He retrieves a familiar scratched eight ball. The same keychain you’d passed to him the last time you said goodbye in the same spot years before. The key he’d forged for you still sits on the ring. 

His throat clears as your fingers brush his in retrieval of the key. “You can uh–stay with me as long as you’re here.”

You meet his gaze. His eyes are curious. His invitation is a shoddy attempt at asking the question his lips can’t utter.

How long will you stay?

“Thank you.”

You house the keychain in your front pocket, a silence falling over the two of you. 

You can feel her gaze before you spot her. It sears into your skin as your fingers remain interlaced with Jax’s.

Jax follows your gaze, a deep breath filling his lungs as he glimpses Gemma's narrowed eyes. The corner of his lips tugs into a smile as he shifts, blocking you from her sight. 

“Play nice,” he sighs. The twinkle of amusement in his eyes relaxes your tense grip on his fingers. “The last thing I need is to break up a fight between you two.”

“I’ll play nice if she does.” Your matter-of-a-fact tone morphs his smile into a grin.

He knew your words rang true. He never dreamt he’d witness a woman who could go toe to toe with his mother until he met you.

The warmth of his hands against your cheeks forces your gaze to meet his. You make a point of allowing your eyes to roll as you huff a “fine.”

“I’m only doing it because you asked,” you mumble.

You can feel your body relax as his soft chuckle fills your ears. Your eyes drift shut as his lips press against your forehead. A parting gift he’d given you for as long as you can remember. 

“I gotta go,” Jax mumbles. Despite the admission, you both remain where you stand. 

Your lips meet his halfway. The featherlight kiss drew his hands down your spine. Pulling you closer, he deepens the kiss as you relax against his chest. 

“Be safe, please.” 

Jax’s response to your request comes in a gentle squeeze of your waist. He slips his sunglasses over his eyes before starting toward his bike.

Your mind drives away with Jax as he disappears through the parking lot gates. The distraction allows Gemma to settle alongside you, her voice causing you to jump.

“Gotta admit, I’m surprised you lasted the night.” Your eyes remain on the gates, but Gemma can easily read the tightening of your stance. Her shade-covered eyes rake down your entire frame. “Thought you’d vanish before the sunrise. Isn’t that more your style?”

The breath you take comes out softer than you expect. The smile you’ve fixed on your face instantly forces your shoulders to relax.

“Nice to see you haven’t changed, Gem.”

Gemma lets out a dry laugh as you face her. Instead of matching your words with a snide remark, she nods over her shoulder.

“It's too hot to do this out here,” she sighs, her hand raising to fan her face. “Let’s go in.”

You follow Gemma across the lot towards her office.

The cramped room welcomes you with the forgiving breeze of AC. You sink into the seat opposite hers, eyes passing over the familiar walls. Not much has changed. Her desk is still cluttered, stacked high with files and receipts. The only additions you can easily find are the updated photos tacked against the wall.

A soft smile finds your lips as you observe a photo of Jax.

He sits on his Harley, his son seated in front of him wore his helmet. Older than your last encounter, Abel wears a smile that matches his father's.

“You must have really missed it here.”

Your brow arches, gaze leaving the photo to find Gemma relaxed in her chair. She takes a drag of her cigarette before pointing the lit tip toward you.

“You came running back the second you got a chance.”

“I never missed this place. It’s full of leeches that suck you dry.” Gemma scoffs as your eyes linger on her. “I did miss the weather. Winters in New York are too cold for my taste.”

Gemma’s brow lifts at the admission. “Thought you’d be used to it by now.”

“Why?”

“Jax mentioned that’s where you’re from.”

“Not originally. My mom and I moved there when I was four.”

“What about your dad?”

You shrug.

Breaching the topic of family history is never something you enjoy. Let alone with Gemma on the receiving end. Although you had lived in Charming for five years, Gemma can admit she barely knows much about you.

You had never taken a liking to her. Which was fine for her, Gemma never liked you. She watched you arrive, a stranger to the ways of her lifestyle, but you somehow easily fit in. The moment her son laid eyes on you, Jax was incapable of escaping you. The hold you had over her son, Gemma couldn’t comprehend.

Five years, and not once did you allow Jax to cross the line of friendship. That’s why he couldn't get rid of Lisa. As long as the line remained uncrossed, Lisa believed there was hope.

You knew why Gemma didn’t like you. She feared the influence you had over her son, even if you didn’t recognize the full extent of it.

Lisa thought the way to Jax’s heart was sex. She was naive to believe her tactics would work. No matter how powerful, time and time again, men have fallen victim to the lure of a woman’s touch. Men, much more powerful than Jax Teller, had lost their families and fortunes to a woman able to get them in bed. That’s why Gemma permitted Lisa to stay around. Lisa was incapable of seeing the bigger picture, and that’s how Gemma wanted things to stay.

A woman blinded by the power and money she believed Jax possessed would never think to persuade him to desert it.

A woman who could see through the allure and convince Jax to do the same, was dangerous. That is why her comment comes out with a laugh.

“Lemme guess, your daddy’s locked up somewhere. Serving life for some crime he didn’t commit?”

“Might as well be,” you watch her smile dim as you ignore the bait. “He hasn’t laid eyes on me since I was born.”

A silence falls over the office as Gemma’s eyes study you. If you’re irritated by her previous statement, you show no sign.

“Well, you’re doing pretty good without him from what I hear.”

“And what have you heard?”

“You got a good-paying job waiting for you back in New York.” Tapping her cigarette against the rim of the ashtray, she meets your gaze. “How much time they give you to come here?”

You smile at her question.

Classic Gemma.

Skillfully distracting her prey before hooking them with unsuspecting bait. Only, you’ve been in the ring with her before.

“I took a week off.”

Leaning forward, she crushes her cigarette against the bottom of the ashtray.

“Well, since you’re gonna be here a while I got something for you–”

“I don’t need any favors, Gemma.”

Like many things in Charming, favors from Gemma Teller-Morrow came with strings attached.

“It’s not a favor, sweetheart.” Gemma’s eyes roll. “And it’s not from me.”

You watch her stand. She picks a key up from the board hanging behind her desk. Turning to face you she weighs it in her palm, her eyes taking in your current state of confusion.

“I’m glad you’re back,” she steps around the desk walking to the door. “We can finally get this hunk of trash out of the garage. It’s taking up space for potential customers.”

The “hunk of trash” Gemma referred to sits at the center of the garage. The red 1965 Ford Mustang is a sight for sore eyes. It was the last thing tying you to the father you couldn’t remember. Left with your mother, the car was the only thing she had bothered to keep that came from the man who disappeared faster than the ink could dry on your birth certificate.

“If it were up to me, I would have had it crushed at the junkyard when you left,” Gemma says, eyes tracking your movements as you step into the garage for a closer look. “But ya know Jax. He made sure the prospect kept it in pristine condition in case you ever came back.”

“It’s a good thing he doesn’t take after you.”

“You’re right,” Gemma’s nose scrunches at the comment. “Jackson has always taken after his father. Right down to the bleeding heart. That’s what got him killed.”

You jump, managing to catch the keys poorly cast in your direction.

“Phil.” Gemma waves the prospect over. “Follow her, so she can return her rental. Finally, give us a reason to get her car outta here.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

"For someone who called me here, you sure delivered an icy welcome." Your comment stops Gemma in her tracks.

Her dark eyes narrow as she takes in your expectant expression. Your words may have stopped short, but the unspoken question is loud and clear.

Why the hell did you call me here?

"See you when you get back."

The prospect watches your eyes follow Gemma out of the garage. He offers you a warm smile as your eyes drift to him.

“So you’re the mystery owner,” he says, hand running over the hood. “Jax’s been gatekeeping this one.”

Your brow arches prompting him to elaborate.

“Everyone who sees this car asks to buy it,” he chuckles. “Just last week, some suit came through and offered Jax 60k, cash if he was willing to part ways with it. Gem was pissed when he said no.”

A smile spread across your lips at the thought of Jax resisting Gemma throwing a fit.

“I’m Phil.” He offers you his hand.

You drop the key in Phil’s hand before starting toward the garage’s entrance.

“Y/N. You can follow me.”

__

It's not up for discussion, Jackson.

150 kilos. Three weeks.

Damon Pope's voices echoes through his mind as Jax parks before the clubhouse.

His latest meeting with the kingpin was proving to be problematic.

150 kilos. Three weeks.

Jax had difficulty moving fifty kilos to meet Pope's last deadline. He cannot fathom how the kingpin expected him to move more than double that in the same length of time. Let alone convince the club to assist in the matter.

Jax wasn't naive--his table was divided. A divided table can lead to a king's downfall. Clay was a living testament.

Since the meeting, Jax had connected with the Mayan president. Alvarez hadn't bothered to ask if Jax was okay.

"Sorry about your friend, hermano," he'd sighed as he'd answered Jax's call.

The conversation delegated a meet-up for the two MCs. Alvarez knew better than most that the responsibilities of a king did not stop for a loss.

Even if Jax could secure help from the Mayans, it was still too much product.

Fuck.

"So, the rumors are true." The smile on Eli's face stretched into a grin as he watched Jax's pace stall. Damn. He loved catching the SAMCRO leader off guard. "Your girlfriend's back in town."

Jax lifts an unlit cigarette to his lips, eyes taking in the Lieutenant casually resting against the hood of your Mustang. He pauses to light it.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Right." Eli slowly drug out the word, his eyes taking in Jax's current state.

Since their last meeting, Jax had earned himself new bruises.

Jax allows the smoke to leave his lungs before raising his question.

"Is there a reason you're here?" It's a genuine question. What little patience Jax had was threatening to run thin as he took in Eli's smile.

A dry laugh escapes Eli's mouth, the sound tightening Jax's jaw.

Shrugging off the car, he invades the President's space, forcing him to meet his gaze.

"I keep trying to figure out how the fuck you manage to squirm outta every cage I manage to put you in," Eli's growled. "That murder charge was airtight."

"Clearly," Jax huffs. "It wasn't."

Dropping it to the ground, Jax ground the cigarette with his shoe.

"Look, man. If you came to ask how I got out, I can cut this enlightening conversation short. I don't know any more than you do." Jax allowed Eli's fiery eyes to search his.

All the Lieutenant found was two pools of cool blue. The tone of Jax's voice would have convinced most. Eli, however, knew Jax was a master of gatekeeping secrets.

"Now, I gotta go," lighting patting the man's chest, Jax ignored the gritting of Eli's teeth. "I'm sure you're aware, we both have jobs to do. Last time I checked, my taxes aren't paying for you to sit on your ass in my shop's lot."

Eli reacts quicker than Jax. His grip caught Jax's arm, bruisingly pressing into his skin, keeping him in place.

He felt Jax's body change in a matter of half a second. The calm, relaxed posture tensed as Eli's grip tightened. Jax's rigid stance paled in comparison to the frigid icy blue gaze that passed over Eli's face before lowering to his grip.

"There's the man I've been hearing about," Eli chuckled, his smile stretching as Jax's jaw locked into place. He tightened his grip, the slight flinch of Jax's left eye the only sign the pain had registered. "Thought you'd let Pope scare it outta ya."

"I suggest you move your hand," Jax's voice came out low and level, the threat pooling in his eyes loosening Eli's grip.

Eli's touch falls away, the pounding of the blood rushing in Jax's ears prompting Jax to take a step forward. His fight instinct had flipped on as quick as a switch. Jax catches sight of the panic that briefly flashes in the Lieutenant's eyes, Eli's right hand instinctively moving to the holster on his hip.

The pain registering against his right palm pulls Jax's gaze from Eli's holster. Relaxing his clenched fist, Jax forces a harsh breath from his lungs.

"Unless you plan on leaving your condolences, I suggest you get the fuck out of here, Eli," Jax growled.

He didn't wait for a response. Neither man can comprehend what force pulled Jax back. It guided him across the lot towards the clubhouse, prompting Jax to back down from a fight they both knew his rage would easily allow him to win.

"I'll admit I took you for a lot of things, Teller, but not the type of man that would blatantly disrespect Opie by playing nice with the man responsible for his death?"

Eli's words echoed across the empty lot.

They halt Jax's movements, forcing him to stop just shy of the door. A long second passes, Jax's fists clenching.

Eli waits, ready to receive Jax's backlash. He just needed verbal confirmation. A verbal confirmation of the relationship between the Oakland kingpin and SAMCRO.

But Eli's request was denied as Jax yanked the door open before disappearing inside.

--

You pass Phil another beer, watching as he slides it into the fridge. Phil is behind the bar restocking it in preparation for the meeting Jax had called.

Although most members of SAMCRO had filed through the door an hour ago, you had yet to see Jax. To pass the time, you had busied yourself with helping Phil complete small tasks around the clubhouse.

The prospect seemed to be thankful for your company. He quickly found what Jax liked about you. You were easy to talk to.

Your eyes pass over the crowded room. "So…any idea what this meeting is about?"

Phil's eyes briefly meet yours before returning to the beer you offer him. His voice lowers, prompting you to lean across the bar to hear.

"All I know is…there’s a big shipment the guys gotta vote on today."

"That explains why Jax is tense."

"Everyone is," Phil admits. "Pope is offering the club a lot of money if Jax can pull it off."

Your muscles tense. A cold shiver runs down your spine.

"Pope?"

"Damon Pope, some big hitter from Oakland—"

Phil tenses. You glance over your shoulder just in time to see Jax stalking through the door.

The laughter and conversations quickly die down as the President's return registers.

You watch as Lisa instantly perks up, her posture straightening as Jax's eyes drift to her. Seated at the opposite end of the bar, she has spent the last hour shooting daggers at you. The beer in her hand was nearly empty. She had tried to pass the time by flirting with Frankie Diamonds.

It didn't take more than a single look over for you to register how tight Jax was wound.

His eyes follow Lisa's gaze to you. His brow arches as his eyes meet yours.

“Your guard dogs are extra feisty today,” you note as he stops beside you.

"Can’t do much about that, darling," he sighs, reaching over the bar for a beer. “Not trying to get bit today.”

He glances over at you, surprised by your lack of comment. He takes a sip of his beer before settling on the stool next to yours. He doesn’t object as you take the bottle to do the same.

“Jax–”

“I’m good.” His response is automatic. He’s repeated it a handful of times today. Each time he said it, he believed it would move him one step closer to it becoming true.

“That’s…good,” your brow furrows, eyes watching as he slowly turns the ring on his left hand. “But that’s not what I was going to ask.”

Jax’s eyes lift to find yours focused on the bottle in your hand.

“Since when are you working with Damon Pope?”

To no surprise, your question is met with silence.

In all your years as friends, you had never desired to learn the details of the club’s business. Jax was thankful for your desire. It made it easier for him to filter out the bullshit in your presence.

Jax's brow raises as he accepts the bottle from you. “How’d you hear about that?”

It is your turn to be shocked by the presented question.

You hadn’t expected him to respond, let alone not attempt to deny your words. Instead, of deflecting the question, Jax had taken it head on. The look of confusion on his face causes you to swallow.

“Does it really matter?” You ask, suddenly wary his question may be an act of avoidance.

Jax’s jaw tightens his eyes slowly passing over the room. He releases his breath as his gaze lands on Phil. The prospect trying his best to avoid Jax’s gaze as he ferociously scrubbed a clean table with a rag.

“It does matter,” Jax’s gaze remains on Phil. “The club’s not advertising that information yet. We still got shit to work out—“

His eyes glance in your direction, his words stopping short. He knows he’s already said enough by confirming your suspicion.

“I know it’s not—“

“Your place to speak on?”

Jax watches you recoil at his harshly spoken words. The sight was one he’d hoped to never see from you again.

"Shit. I didn’t mean that.”

He sighs, hand running down his face. His eyes gripped shut. He tried his best to force down the anger still bubbling from his encounter with Eli. Lifting the bottle to his lips, how downed the chilled liquid to the last drop.

His tired eyes lifts to meet your gaze. When he speaks this time, his voice is softer.

“It’s just…I’ve been hearing everyone’s opinion on this all morning.”

“It’s a bad idea to work with him, Jackson.”

The conviction in your voice gives Jax pause. His brow furrows.

“What do you know about him?”

--

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[lilye026]

Sewer Line Replacement in Sterling Heights, MI: Everything You Need to Know

When it comes to home maintenance, one of the most crucial yet often overlooked components is the sewer line. In Sterling Heights, MI, where homes have been standing for decades, sewer line issues can arise due to age, tree root infiltration, or even soil shifts. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t realize the extent of the problem until it leads to a more serious issue. Understanding the importance of timely sewer line replacement and the signs that indicate it's necessary can help homeowners prevent further damage and save money in the long run.

In this blog, we'll delve into everything you need to know about sewer line replacement in Sterling Heights, MI, including common warning signs, causes of damage, replacement methods, and how to choose the right professionals for the job.

Why Sewer Line Replacement Matters

The sewer line is a vital part of your home’s plumbing system, responsible for carrying waste and water away from your property. A damaged or broken sewer line can lead to backups, foul odors, and even health hazards due to sewage leakage. The cost of delaying repairs can far outweigh the investment in a proper sewer line replacement. In Sterling Heights, where older homes are prevalent, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to experience issues that require immediate attention.

Ignoring sewer line problems may result in:

Sewage backups: These not only pose a serious health risk but can also cause property damage.

Increased repair costs: Minor issues that could have been resolved with a simple repair may escalate into larger, costlier problems.

Environmental impact: Leaking sewage can contaminate the soil and water supply.

Common Signs You May Need a Sewer Line Replacement

Recognizing the early warning signs of a damaged sewer line can save you both time and money. Here are the most common symptoms that indicate it may be time to consider a sewer line replacement in Sterling Heights:

Frequent Drain ClogsIf you're experiencing constant clogs or slow drains throughout your home, especially in multiple locations, this could indicate a more extensive problem within the sewer line. Over time, blockages like grease buildup, debris, or tree roots can constrict the flow of wastewater, leading to recurring issues.

Foul OdorsThe smell of sewage in your yard, basement, or coming from your drains is a strong indicator that there’s a crack or leak in the sewer line. Wastewater should be contained and flow freely to the city’s sewer system. If odors persist, it’s time to call a professional.

Lush Patches of GrassWhile everyone loves a green lawn, unusually lush or wet patches in your yard, especially near the sewer line, can suggest that sewage is seeping into the soil. The nutrients in the wastewater act as a fertilizer, causing those patches to grow more vigorously.

Foundation Cracks or SinkholesIf left unchecked, a damaged sewer line can cause erosion beneath your home, leading to foundation cracks or even sinkholes in your yard. This is not just an inconvenience but a serious safety issue.

Rodent or Pest ProblemsRats, insects, and other pests are attracted to the moisture and waste from broken sewer lines. If you notice an increase in pest activity, especially around the foundation of your home, your sewer system might be the cause.

Causes of Sewer Line Damage

Several factors can contribute to sewer line damage, especially in areas like Sterling Heights with older infrastructure. The most common causes include:

Tree Root Intrusion: As trees grow, their roots naturally seek out moisture, and sewer lines are a prime target. Roots can infiltrate even the smallest cracks in pipes, eventually causing blockages or ruptures.

Aging Pipes: Many homes in Sterling Heights have older plumbing systems, and sewer lines installed decades ago may have deteriorated over time. Older materials like clay or cast iron are especially prone to cracks and corrosion.

Ground Shifting: Natural ground movement or nearby construction can shift the soil around your sewer line, causing the pipes to crack or misalign.

Improper Installation: If the original sewer line was not installed correctly or was poorly designed, it could lead to frequent issues that only a complete replacement can resolve.

Sewer Line Replacement Methods

When it comes to sewer line replacement, there are two main methods used by professionals in Sterling Heights: traditional excavation and trenchless technology. The method chosen will depend on the extent of the damage, the type of soil, and your budget.

Traditional ExcavationThis method involves digging a trench along the length of the damaged pipe to replace it. While effective, it can be disruptive and costly, as it requires tearing up landscaping, driveways, or sidewalks. However, it may be the only option if the damage is extensive or if the pipes are too old for trenchless repairs.

Trenchless TechnologyThis modern method is less invasive and typically more cost-effective. Two common trenchless options are pipe bursting and pipe lining. With pipe bursting, a new pipe is pulled through the old one, breaking it apart as it’s installed. Pipe lining involves inserting a flexible liner into the damaged pipe, which hardens and creates a new pipe within the old one. These methods minimize disruption to your property and can be completed more quickly than traditional excavation.

Choosing a Professional for Sewer Line Replacement in Sterling Heights, MI

Hiring the right professional for sewer line replacement is critical to ensure the job is done efficiently and correctly. When searching for a plumber in Sterling Heights, consider the following:

Experience: Look for a company that has extensive experience in sewer line replacements, especially in the local area. Familiarity with Sterling Heights’ soil composition and infrastructure can be a big advantage.

Licensing and Insurance: Make sure the company you choose is properly licensed and insured to protect yourself in case of accidents or damage.

Reviews and References: Check online reviews or ask for references to get a sense of the company's reputation and the quality of their work.

Estimates: Always get multiple quotes and ensure that the estimate includes all potential costs, such as permits, excavation, and cleanup.

Conclusion

Sewer line replacement is not something homeowners in Sterling Heights, MI, should take lightly. Recognizing the early signs of a problem and understanding your replacement options can help you avoid costly repairs down the road. Whether you choose traditional excavation or opt for trenchless technology, working with a qualified professional will ensure your home’s plumbing system stays in top condition for years to come. Don’t wait for a sewer emergency—take proactive steps today to protect your property.

[coquettereaderx]

₊‧°𐐪 his ego - our dreams𐑂°‧₊

Once upon a time in a quaint middle-class town, two best friends, Akhil and Sonam, shared dreams that sparkled as brightly as the stars above. Akhil had a passion for comedy; he always envisioned himself making people laugh on grand stages, while Sonam nurtured a dream of becoming an actress, lighting up the screens with her talent. They supported each other through thick and thin, with Sonam always encouraging Akhil to chase his comedic aspirations.

"Just be yourself, Akhil! You have a gift," Sonam would say, her eyes shining with belief. "You're going to make it big one day; I just know it!"

With Sonam's unwavering support, Akhil finally took the plunge into the world of stand-up comedy. Meanwhile, Sonam secured a job as a theatre assistant, working behind the scenes to learn the ropes of the industry she aspired to conquer. She was patient, knowing that every small step brought her closer to her dream.

For a year and a half, they worked hard, and soon, Akhil's talent caught the attention of many. He quickly rose to fame, landing his own comedy show. Sonam was overjoyed, celebrating his success like it was her own. "I knew you could do it, Akhil! This is just the beginning!" she exclaimed, her heart swelling with pride.

However, as Akhil became more famous, a subtle change began to creep into his demeanor. The bright lights of fame started to cast shadows on his friendship with Sonam. He began to develop an ego, often boasting about his success and dismissing Sonam's dreams as mere hobbies.

One day, while Sonam was organizing props backstage, she overheard a conversation between Akhil and his assistant, who had a crush on him. "Sonam? She's not really my type. I mean, she is still working a day job while I'm out here making it big," Akhil said, laughter in his voice.

Sonam's heart shattered at those words. She had always seen Akhil as her closest friend, someone who understood her dreams and fears. Now, it felt as if he was looking down on her, and the pain of betrayal washed over her. She decided to distance herself, believing that perhaps it was time to focus on her own dreams without the shadow of their friendship hanging over her.

Days turned into weeks, and Sonam's absence began to weigh heavily on Akhil. He noticed the empty seat beside him during shows, the lack of her laughter echoing in his ears. "Where's Sonam? I haven't seen her in a while," he asked his assistant, feigning indifference.

"Maybe she's tired of being your sidekick," the assistant replied, a smirk on her face. Akhil brushed it off, but deep down, he felt a pang of regret. He missed their late-night talks, the way Sonam could always make him laugh even when he was down.

One evening, after a particularly exhausting show, Akhil decided he needed to talk to Sonam. He found her at the theatre, organizing costumes, her focus unwavering. "Sonam," he started, his voice softer than usual, "can we talk?"

Sonam looked up, her expression guarded. "Sorry I have to go, my parents are calling me"as she made her way home.

The next day at work, Sonam was painting the scenery background that sat on the stage. Sonams focus was stuck on Akhils view upon her. Her focus was interrupted by the sudden commotion of her colleagues rushing towards the door, their excited screams echoing through the hall. Curiosity piqued, she turned to see what the fuss was about, only to be met with the sight of the renowned A-list actor, Kartik D'anniu, stepping into the theatre. Sonam's heart raced; she had always admired his performances on screen and couldn't believe her eyes. This unexpected encounter filled her with a renewed sense of determination, reminding her that her dreams were within reach.

As Sonam watched Kartik interact with everyone, she was struck by his genuine warmth and humility. He treated each staff member, regardless of their role, with respect and kindness, making her admire him even more. However, the excitement in the air quickly shifted when the director delivered the unfortunate news that the actress originally slated to star alongside Kartik was on maternity leave, leaving them in search of a replacement. After a week of auditions, Kartik proposed a bold idea: anyone working in the theatre could audition for the role, and the selected actress would not only co-star with him but also receive her first big break. Sonam seized the opportunity, showcasing her beauty and incredible talent during the audition. To her astonishment, she was chosen to star alongside Kartik. Their chemistry on set was undeniable, and after seven months of hard work, the film was released to critical acclaim, becoming a massive hit. Sonam's dreams were finally coming true, and her admiration for Kartik deepened as they celebrated their success together.

Sonam wakes up to the sound of her phone buzzing with notifications. She's just become the talk of the town after starring in a romance movie with a top A-list actor. Excitedly, she scrolls through the messages, realizing she's gained more fame than Akhil, her former co-star.

Later that day, Akhil sits in his manager's office, a frown etched on his face. "I just don't get it. How did she become more famous than me?" he grumbles, tapping his fingers on the desk. His manager leans back, considering the situation. "You need to invite her to your show. It'll be great PR for both of you," he suggests.

Akhil nods reluctantly. "Fine, I'll invite her. But I don't want to see her all cozy with that guy on set. It's annoying."

When Sonam arrives at the show, Akhil can't help but notice how she lights up the room. As they sit down for the interview, he can't shake off the jealousy. "So, Sonam, how was it working with Jason?" he asks, his tone sharper than intended.

"It was amazing! He's such a talented actor," Sonam replies, her eyes sparkling. "We had a great chemistry on set."

Akhil interrupts, "Yeah, I saw the clips. You two looked pretty close." His voice is laced with tension.

Sonam raises an eyebrow. "Akhil, it's just acting! You know that, right?"

"Sure, but it looks like more than acting to me," he snaps, leaning closer. "Are you really okay with him getting all touchy-feely?"

She sighs, "We're just doing our jobs. You're being ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? I'm just saying it's hard to watch you with him when I used to be the one you shared that kind of connection with," Akhil admits, his voice softening.

Sonam looks at him, surprised. "You're jealous?"

"Maybe I am," he replies, crossing his arms. "But I just want you to know that I still care about you."

Sonam bites her lip, caught off guard. "Akhil, I—"

Before she can finish, the host chimes in, "And that's all the time we have for today! Stay tuned for more!"

As the cameras turn off, the tension hangs in the air, leaving both of them wondering what comes next.

After the show, the atmosphere is thick with unresolved tension. Sonam, feeling the weight of Akhil's jealousy, tries to shake it off as she heads to the after-party. As she enters, she spots Kartik, her co-star, chatting with some fans. He catches her eye and walks over, a warm smile on his face.

"Hey, Sonam! You were amazing today!" Kartik exclaims, genuinely impressed. "I can't believe how well you handled that interview. Akhil seemed a bit... tense, though."

"Thanks, Kartik! Yeah, he's just... complicated," Sonam replies, glancing back at Akhil, who's standing with his manager, looking brooding. "He's not used to seeing me with someone else, I guess."

Kartik nods, understanding the situation. "You know, it's great to see you shine. You've got so much potential, and honestly, the least he could've done was support your dream instead of being mean to you."

Akhil, overhearing the conversation, steps in, his tone defensive. "Bro, don't get involved. This is between me and Sonam."

Kartik stands his ground, a hint of challenge in his voice. "But it's hard not to when you're being rude to someone who's worked so hard. You should be proud of her, not jealous."

Sonam interjects, trying to diffuse the situation. "Guys, come on. It's just acting, it's all part of the job."

Akhil's expression darkens. "Yeah, but it's different when you're the one doing it. I mean, you're getting all cozy with him on screen. How am I supposed to feel?"

Kartik crosses his arms, looking at Akhil with a mix of pity and frustration. "You should feel happy for her. It's a big opportunity. Instead of being mean, why not be supportive? She deserves that."

"Supportive?" Akhil scoffs, his voice rising. "I don't want to sit back and watch you two play house while I'm left in the dust."

Sonam steps forward, her voice firm. "Akhil, this isn't about you. I'm trying to build my career. You've had your time in the spotlight. Just because I'm moving forward doesn't mean I don't care about our past."

Kartik nods in agreement. "Exactly. You need to let her grow. You can't hold her back just because you're feeling insecure. If you really care about her, you'd want her to succeed."

Akhil clenches his jaw, feeling cornered. "You don't understand, Kartik. It's not that simple."

"Then make it simple," Kartik replies, his voice calm yet firm. "Support her. Be her friend instead of her biggest critic."

Sonam watches the exchange, her heart racing. "Kartik, I appreciate you standing up for me, but I can handle this. Akhil and I have a history, and it's complicated. I don't want to make it worse."

Akhil looks at Sonam, his expression softening slightly. "I just... I don't want to lose you. It's hard for me to see you with someone else, especially someone as famous as Kartik."

Kartik raises an eyebrow, sensing the vulnerability in Akhil's words. "Then maybe you should think about what you really want. If you care about her, stop acting like a jealous ex. You should be proud of her achievements."

Sonam takes a deep breath, feeling the tension between the two men. "Look, I appreciate both of you. But I need to focus on my career right now. I can't let personal feelings get in the way."

Akhil nods slowly, realizing the truth in her words. "I get it. Just... don't forget about me, okay? I still want to be part of your life."

"I won't forget," Sonam assures him, her heart softening. "But I need you to trust me. This is my time to shine."

As the party continues around them, the three of them stand in a tense truce, each grappling with their emotions. Kartik, sensing the unresolved feelings, offers a way forward. "How about we all grab a drink and celebrate your success, Sonam? Let's put the past behind us and focus on what's ahead."

Sonam smiles, grateful for his support. "I'd like that. Thanks, Kartik. And Akhil, let's try to keep things friendly, okay?"

Akhil exhales, finally relenting. "Yeah, okay. I can do that. Just... remember I'm still here for you, even if I'm a bit of a jerk sometimes."

With a tentative

Akhil stood at Sonam's doorstep, his heart racing as he prepared to apologize. The memories of their friendship flooded his mind—how they had met at the tender age of nine, two carefree kids who found solace in each other's laughter. They had shared countless adventures, from secret hideouts in the park to late-night talks about their dreams and fears. The bond they formed was unbreakable, built on trust, support, and an understanding that transcended the years.

As Sonam opened the door, Akhil felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. She looked as beautiful as ever, her warm smile lighting up the dim hallway. But he could see a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. He took a deep breath, his voice steady yet filled with emotion as he began to speak. "Sonam, I know I messed up. I let my pride get in the way, and I took our friendship for granted. But I want you to know how much you mean to me. You've always been my rock, my confidante, and the person who knows me better than anyone else."

Sonam listened intently, her heart pounding as she recalled their shared history. Akhil continued, "We've been through so much together, and I can't imagine my life without you. I miss the way we used to be, and I want to make things right. I want to be more than friends, Sonam. I want to marry you." With that, he leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a gentle kiss that sent shivers down her spine. It was sweet, tender, and filled with the promise of a future together.

Sonam's mind raced as she processed his words. The kiss lingered, igniting feelings she had buried deep down. She had always cared for Akhil, but the idea of taking their relationship to the next level was daunting. The thought of intertwining their lives, of navigating family dynamics and expectations, made her hesitate. Yet, as she looked into Akhil's eyes, she saw sincerity and love reflected back at her.

With a soft smile breaking through her initial uncertainty, she whispered, "Yes, Akhil. I want that too." The weight of their past lifted as joy enveloped them, sealing their commitment to a future filled with love, friendship, and the promise of forever. In that moment, everything felt right, and they knew that together, they could face whatever challenges lay ahead.

[denimbex1986]

'...06. Oppenheimer (2023)

Runtime: 3 hr., his longest film to date.

Press Release: J. Robert Oppenheimer was a world-renowned physicist whose most infamous creation changed the world. He also had a complicated personal life, more connections to the Communist Party than the American government would like, and a habit of pissing the wrong people off. This is his story… but don’t call it a biopic.

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Dylan Arnold, Gustaf Skarsgård (yes, the brother of the others!), David Krumholtz, Matthew Modine, David Dastmalchian, Jack Quaid, Josh Peck, Dane DeHaan, Alden Ehrenreich, Jason Clarke, James D’Arcy, Tony Goldwyn, Alex Wolff, Scott Grimes, Matthias Schweighöfer, Christopher Denham, Gary Oldman, Harry Groener, James Remar, Tim DeKay, James Urbaniak… Name a white male actor, and he’s probably on this list.

“Yeah, But Is Michael Caine In It?”: Tragically no — at this point, it seems that within the Nolan-verse, the role of Paternal Voice of Reason has been passed down from the semi-retired icon to Kenneth Branagh. (Okay, yes, Branagh was the bad guy in Tenet, but he was a smart bad guy.) Oppenheimer gives Branagh a few meaty scenes as Niels Bohr, a stabilizing presence in chaotic times. (Physics pun only vaguely intended.)

Career Charge: Given the size of the cast, it’s not shocking that there’s a lot to talk about here. This is Cillian Murphy’s sixth collaboration with Nolan, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how this incredible spotlight for his talents affects his career going forward. He certainly seems like a shoo-in for all the Lead Actor nominations come awards season, and deservedly so, as he brings such a depth of understanding to the role.

In addition, David Krumholtz announces loudly that his skills as a character actor have never been sharper. And while Josh Hartnett isn’t a name that’s come up a lot lately over the past few years, but the former teen heartthrob draws a lot of well-deserved attention for his steady work as Francis Lawrence, Oppy’s cautious collaborator. Let this just be the beginning of the Hartnett-sance!

Finally, congratulations, Robert Downey Jr., on your upcoming Oscar for Supporting Actor. It’s well-deserved.

Best Shot: Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema uses such an elegant eye to capture the full might of the Trinity test, a spectacle of light that brings with it both awe and dread. Yet of all the shots from this sequence, it’s the one below which deserves special consideration: A man gazing directly at the destruction he hath wrought, rendered almost inhuman by his protective goggles and the burning light. If one shot sums up the film as a whole, it’s this one.

Bathroom Breaks Are For the Weak: Whether you’re in the theater or at home, three hours is a long time to spend away from the facilities. But in no way should you consider stepping outside or hitting pause before the completion of the Trinity Test, at the very least. To do so would mean interrupting the film’s steady momentum towards its most anticipated moment, the long-awaited fireworks factory (quite literally) — you don’t realize how intensely you’re waiting for the moment until it hits you all at once.

After that point though, though… might be an okay time to take a quick break.

Analysis: There’s one moment towards the beginning of Oppenheimer that always makes me think to myself, “J. Robert Oppenheimer has to think about his entire life before he testifies.” But beyond that one moment, it’s impressive how well Nolan dodges biopic tropes to create something that borrows from multiple genres — but only the best bits. Its greatest magic trick isn’t the Trinity test, after all, but the way it elegantly shifts into political thriller mode, complete with a worthy villain.

Its pacing deserves some debate, especially because that aforementioned gear shift has its compelling points, but there’s a real danger of exhausting the audience. However, this approach to the material is more fascinating the more times you see it, with Nolan putting everything he has into examining systems of power, and what it means to be terrified by your own creation...'

[skylineheights-if]

Alistaire Morrison - ?? - Mysterious - Charming - Respected

"I've met a lot of people in my life time, but I'm not sure I've ever met anyone quite like you."

x ... x | Pinterest

➳ Sugar - Sleep Token x

➳ Death of Peace of Mind - Bad Omens x

➳ Vore - Sleep Token x

Alistaire Morrison is the newest professor at Moonveld University. He has quickly gained popularity among the students with his lectures that are not only entertaining but also reflect a more relaxed approach to learning.

Despite his charismatic personality, there is an air of mystery surrounding him. No one knows his origins, family life, or if he has a social life beyond his work. It is abundantly clear that there is more to him than meets the eye.

His youthful appearance and enigmatic demeanor make him the object of infatuation for many students. Alistaire is well aware of this but remains unaffected by the flirtatious advances from almost half of the student body.

Appearance: 6'2", tan skin, hazel eyes, dark brown hair that is usually neatly styled into the flow hairstyle when at work, though remains untouched outside of school. Alistaire has a very stereotypical English professor wardrobe - relaxed neutral toned dress pants (or jeans, if it's Friday!), button downs, cable-knit sweaters, or turtlenecks, and sensible shoes. Outside of school, it's common to see him dressing in dark wash jeans, a plain v-neck shirt or short-sleeved button up, or one of many dark-colored hoodies.

Accessory-wise, Alistaire has a pair of round wire-frame glasses and a golden Rolex that he wears on his left wrist. Also wears a dark brown or black leather belt on a daily basis. He doesn't wear much else outside of that, save for the occasional necklace if it looks good with his outfit.

Likes: Horses, journalism, newspapers, graveyards, lattes + iced coffee, mountains, Winter, mythology (especially Egyptian and Norse), history, museums, statues, parks, donuts, Dr. Pepper, Twilight series, the moon, tornadoes

Dislikes: Cheaters, the internet, Venus fly traps, the ocean, swimming, Summer, churches, people coughing and not covering their mouths, tap water, beetles, loud music

Asks pertaining to him will be under #shif aa: alistaire

[heartofspells]

Masterpost

@wolfstarmicrofic

Prompt: divine

Remus doesn't talk to him for days after their last encounter in front of the fire. Teddy finally leaves, returning home with his mum, the woman just as bright and spunky as she'd been the first time Sirius had seen her. He's curious about their situation, but Remus has never offered up any information, and Sirius decides it's likely better not to ask. He wouldn't gain a response now anyhow.

He floats through his days in a half-haze, everything around his vision dampening with fog at the oddest of times. Remus has work, and he leaves the flat for incredibly long stretches of time, and though he hasn't been the person for conversation, simply having him around had somehow kept Sirius grounded. With him gone, Sirius finds himself waking up in that same place on the floor more often than when the other man is occupying their now shared home. His head never stops aching, but Sirius has found that in his moments of distraction with Remus, he notices it less. When Remus is gone or blatantly ignoring him as he's done for nearly three days, Sirius feels as though there are cymbals crashing inside his ears, rattling his skull until he's nearly blind from the pain.

Sirius tells himself he's fine with the way things are, so long as he ignores the entirety of his situation. If he focuses solely on the silent flatmate aspect of it, he can try tolies and convince himself he's used to being alone. But he knows that's not true. Sirius hasn't been completely alone since he was eleven and took that first fateful train ride that had led him to James. Even during their holidays when he'd been forced to return home, there had always been letters. And try as he might, Sirius can't truthfully say he'd been alone before that either. He'd had Regulus, back before everything had fractured so drastically between them forever.

He thinks he might be going a little mad with the silence of it all. Remus isn't the sort of talk to himself. He doesn't perform loud activities. He's a reader, listens to softer music when he indulges at all, though Sirius is guessing he's refraining out of some sort of spite. Sirius takes to following him around the flat whenever the other man is home, simply trying to pull some sort of reaction from him. He moves things about, holds them out of reach so that Remus will be forced to interact with him. Sirius chatters incessantly at times, until his mouth is dry with no hope of relief, but nothing works. Remus remains quiet, mouth sealed closed, eyes slipping over Sirius almost as though he doesn't exist at all.

Sirius slowly begins to retreat, feels as though he's fading from reality, whatever tentative hold he has on this world slipping away like quickly falling grains of sand through an hourglass. He falls quiet, no longer speaks himself. He stops harassing Remus because what's the point if he's only going to keep being ignored? He starts to wonder, as he sinks, his colors dulling out as he drifts deeper and deeper into a corner, that it's possible he doesn't exist anymore.

The first time Remus caves and finally speaks to him again, it takes Sirius a while to register it. The words mist around him, his mind refusing to grasp on and hold them for any measure of time. He blinks once, slowly, and then again when he notices a body crouched in front of him, brown eyes locked on his face, something concerning flickering through them.

"Sirius," he repeats, hand reaching out to grip over Sirius' shoulder, "are you all right?"

The words, as they leave Remus' tongue, sound like a choir, a collection of divine voices raising rooftops and rattling glass in its sash. Sirius startles a bit, mouth parting slightly in surprise.

"M-me?" he questions, pointing at himself. Remus frowns, his fingers digging in a little deeper as Sirius glances around, only realizing now that he's seated on the floor beside the window, the grey haze of the day casting a softness over them.

Then he's lurching forward, shifting to his knees. His arms wind their ways around the other man, clamping down tightly. The force of it knocks Remus backwards from where he's balancing on the balls of his feet, backside connecting hard with the rug behind the sofa. He grunts a bit, sounding mildly irritated, but Sirius can't focus on it, the relief coursing through him too strong and overwhelming.

"I'm real?" he breathes out, sounding mystified and disbelieving. He feels Remus tense briefly under his hold, but then the other man is relaxing, his own arms wrapping Sirius up without any further hesitation.

"Yes, you're real," he says quietly. "You're real, and I'm sorry. I won't ignore you again. I'm sorry."

[thealmightyemprex]

Favorite Movie Rambles : REturn of the Living Dead

Still on a horror movie kick,so gonna look at one of my favorite Zombie films,the darkly humorus Return of the Living Dead

In this 1985 warehouse employees Frank (James Karen) and Freddy (Thom Matthews ) accidently release a toxin that causes the dead to rise,hungry for brains ,while Freddy's punk friends are partying at the nearby cemetary

So I have a fondness for what I call "How bad can this get " stories ,and by God , I cant think of a better one then this film,because this is a domino effect of pure chaos . I like the mix of characters as well ,with the cast being mix of older working joes but also these young Punks ,and I love all of them .I always say the job of a horror film is for me to like the characters and I love the characters in this film

Lets start with the Punks.Now this is a comedy so these are intentionally over the top punks ....But I find them so endearing ,they just wanna party and the performances for them are all of them are pretty fun ,and they are all diffrent :Casey is the party girl,Chuck is kind of a dork ,Scuz is punk classic ,Tina is the nice girl,and so on .My favorites of the punks are Trash,Spider ,and Suicide(Yeah thats his name). Suicide is not in the film long but I wish he was .Suicide is the "Spooky " one a very intense angry dude,who other then Trash (Who has a thing for him) ,the others seem to only hang out with him cause he has a car ,but when push comes to shove he is there if his friends are in trouble .I find him hilarious and Mark Venturini does a good job and in a movie full of great qoutable lines ,he gets one of the best " You think this is a fuckin' costume? This is a way of life." Miguel A Nunez Jr plays Spider ,and he just does an amazing job,being really the lead punk and the one who clashes with Burt ,the guy who runs the warehouse . Possibly the most memorable of the Punks is TRash .....Now I think for most fans its cause she spends most of the film nude ,which is handwaved in universe as dancing naked just being a thing she does ,but what I love is the performance of now horror icon Linnea Quigley ,in that Trash.....Is kind of a poser. She puts up this persona of being this death obsessed hardcore punk ,but its hinted that its an act,and when things go south she is as pancked as everyone else (Also minor spoiler: Her death is really sad to me )

Now while the punks are memorable ,the warehouse guys are also great . Gonna start with our in between character Freddy .Freddy is a punk who got a job at the warehouse . Thom Matthews does a great job ,I think Freddy is a very likeable character .....And he is a great trick on the audience ,as there is a shif t with him .Don Calfa plays Ernie the Embalmer , who is the character with his head on his shoulders and I love his relationshipwith Burt (Also,no the fact two friends were called Burt and Ernie was not intentional according to writer and director Dan O Bannon ).Burt is our main lead played very well by Clu Gulager ,and I love that he seems to be a decent boss ,definately cares about Frank and Freddy .....And I adore when the zombies problem arises he's more just annoyed with it but does believe Frank .Speaking of Frank,he is my favorite character in the film ,and all that is all down to the magnificent performance of James Karen .He starts off as the cool old guy but once things go sideways ,he is freaking the fuck out!!! He also gets possibly the saddest scene in the film(A idea which came from James Karen himself )

I should point out while this film is a comedy.....It does the drama really well.Without spoiling I actually fell sad when characters die or are zombified .I feel bad for the characters who are losing friends ,and I feel that these characters truly care about each other

The film is also very scary and thats cause the zombies are scary .I'm not a zombie fan .......But these ones TERRIFY me.....Cause they are fast,sentient.....And there is no way to kill them save for cremation....Which causes more problems .This is the film that established the pop culture culinary taste of zombies:That they eat brains . The effects are hit and miss,I think the extra zombies look kind of lame.....BUT THE MAIN ZOMBIES ARE TERRIFYING .The are designed to resemble the grotesque living corpses from EC Comics The most memorable of the bunch is the Tarman ,this gooey skeletal fella who keeps bellowing "BRAIIIINNNS" ,played by puppeteer Allan Trautman .I think the scariest scene in the film however involves a captured zombie.....And being intelligent ,she talls us why they eat brains.I also just love the set up of the film:In the universe of this film,Night of the Living Dead was loosley based on a real case ,and the scene of James Karen revealing this is amazing

The film is also very funny .The punks can be goofy ,there is some wondeful dark comedy with the zombies, and the fact that everyone is freaking out feels true to life .The best scenes are with Burt,Frank,Ernie and Freddie however .I like Ernies intro scene ,where bBurt delivers a story that is even more unbelivable then wahats really going on. The crown jewel for me are when Freddy,Frank and Burt deciding to mimic Night of the Living Dead by destroying the brain ....Which doesnt work leading Freddy to say my favorite line in the film "YOU MEAN THE MOVIE LIED !???"

Overall this film is a great mix of comedy ,tragedy and horror

@ariel-seagull-wings @metropolitan-mutant-of-ark @the-blue-fairie @angelixgutz @amalthea9 @themousefromfantasyland

[prokopetz]

The present tabletop RPG resurgence is great, but I can’t help but feel that a lot of the received wisdom that’s developing about how to run tabletop games is leading new GMs to make things harder for themselves than they needs to be.

Stuff like “I ignore 80% of the rulebook and constantly fudge dice rolls, that means I’m a strong independent GM with a clear vision for my game” -- like, yes, that may well be true, but that you’re having to do all that is a pretty clear sign that you’re using a wildly inappropriate system for the kind of game you want to run.

Basically, game rules are not unopinionated. Any game that claims to be universal is lying to you; yes, it’s true that a given set of rules can be reasonably setting neutral, but even the simplest rules bake in a huge number of very specific assumptions about how the game ought to be played. They have to, because that’s what rules do.

Of course, whenever the rules and the GM disagree about how the game ought to be played, the GM is going to win, but that’s not necessarily an argument you need to be having. To draw a parallel, it’s totally possible to start with the rules of soccer and gradually rewrite and pare away bits and pieces of it until you have miniature golf, but you’d have saved yourself a lot of headaches if you’d just started with miniature golf in the first place!

And the thing is, I don’t think most novice GMs are getting themselves into this position on purpose. A lot of folks seem to be getting misled -- sometimes by overzealous advocates of this or that popular system, and sometimes just by their own inexperience -- that there’s basically only one kind of tabletop RPG, and if the the game they want to play is anything other than that very specific game, it’s on them to figure it out from first principles.

Which just plain ain’t the case. Tabletop RPGs are a hugely diverse hobby, and whatever your perfect game is, there’s probably something very close to it out there already, no matter what it is you’re dissatisfied with. There are tabletop RPGs without dice, tabletop RPGs without GMs, and even tabletop RPGs without player characters -- and all of those are totally separate considerations from how complex the rules are. If your ideal game is a highly structured three-hundred-page tome about Regency era comedies of manners in the mode of Bronte and Austen?  That game actually exists -- as do countless others.

(Plus, even if you prefer to hack your own systems, you can benefit from expanding your horizons and seeing how other people have approached the subjects you want to take on. As a game author myself, I’ve frequently found myself in the position of having spent weeks or months bashing my head against a particular piece of game design, only later to discover that some game I didn’t know existed had solved that problem thirty years ago!)

And just so nobody can say I’m being a grump without offering any constructive alternatives, there’s an annotated rec list of forty-odd free or pay-what-you-want tabletop RPGs under the cut. If you want to take my advice but have no budget for expanding your library, check any of these out!

Abnormal - A scene-structured body horror game about a human being slowly consumed by an alien parasite. Uses a mix of dice and print-and-play cards, and supports solo, co-op, and three-player modes, none of which require a GM.

Adventures of the Space Patrol - A self-proclaimed “retro cute” RPG about a group of rather goofy pre-generated heroes having G-rated adventures in space. Based on a modified version of Fate Accelerated Edition, discussed below.

Always/Never/Now - A game and campaign in one, this cyberpunk RPG is intended to be played with a pre-made cast of characters, much like Lady Blackbird, below -- in fact, the two are based on the same core system, though they take it in very different directions.

Among the Beautiful Creatures (warning: direct PDF link) - A game about a world that’s forever ending, populated by shape-shifting muppety things -- picture Jim Henson does Fritz Leiber and you’ll have the right idea. Content warning for child abuse in the opening fiction.

Archipelago - One of the few “Norwegian style” RPGs available in English, this one uses card-based prompts to guide improvisational freeform play. The price listed at the linked page is for a charitable donation; the free version is linked in the description.

All Outta Bubblegum (warning: direct PDF link) - A dumb-as-hell 80s action game that uses actual sticks of bubblegum to track your character’s emotional state; when you’re All Outta Bubblegum, things are about to get real. You don’t have to play drunk, but it helps!

Anima Prime - A narrative high-action title in the mode of RWBY or Final Fantasy XIII. Something of a tactical exercise, but it achieves it via linked dice pools that can be wagered and spent on various effects rather than through miniature figures on a grid.

Atomic Highway - A Mad Max inspired post-apoc game about people with big ugly cars struggling to survive in the wasteland. Can scale from entirely human drama to settings with anthropomorphic mutant animals and weird psychic powers.

Blowback - A low-rent superspy intrigue game inspired by media like Burn Notice (and, to a lesser extent, the original Bourne trilogy), this one’s rules focus mainly on your relationships with NPCs, and how far you can push those bonds in service to your goals before they break.

Danger Patrol - An unreleased playtest draft of an atomic-age sci fi game whose big idea is mix-and-match character creation where you literally staple two randomly drawn half-character-sheets together to get your Atomic Professor or Psychic Robot player character.

Dragonfly - Self-described as a cross between Pokémon and Starship Troopers, this one’s a military action game where soldiers capture and train giant bugs to serve as weapons platforms, flying mounts, and other battlefield roles.

Encounter Critical - Created as a parody of the tabletop roleplaying hobby’s early days, this is purportedly a “lost” sci-fi action game from 1978 (in reality published in 2004) that transparently draws from Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Wars: A New Hope. Almost playable!

Engine Heart - A rules-medium survival game about goofy little robots searching for meaning in a world where humanity has gone extinct. It’s been described as grimdark Wall-E, and while it can certainly be used to do that, it’s more tonally flexible than it might initially appear.

ERA - An epic fantasy game designed for a GM and one or two players, this one frames scenarios with a formal seven-scene structure that can pack an entire adventure into as little as an hour, once you get the hang of it. 

Fate Accelerated Edition - Fate straddles the line between old-school “the GM says what happens” games and new-school shared narration games. There are dozens of versions out there; FAE is a good entry point, and a good primer for the more full-featured Fate Core.

Genius: The Transgression - A Chronicles of Darkness fan-game (i.e., using the same system as Vampire: The Requiem) where you play as mad scientists. The central theme could be described as “epistemological horror”, examining what it means to know things.

Hall of the Dwarven King - A solo logistics game that’s arguably more of a solitaire board game than a tabletop RPG, but I’m throwing it in because my post, my rules. It’s, well, it’s basically tabletop Dwarf Fortress. More playable than that makes it sound!

Henshin! - A super sentai (i.e., Power Rangers) themed game where a token economy based on “strong” moves (which cost tokens) and “weak” moves (which grant them) takes the usual place of dice. The link is to the original PWYW playset; a proper core rulebook is in development.

Honey Heist - A two-page RPG with a simple premise: 1. you are planning a complex Ocean’s Eleven style heist at a honey convention; and 2. you are a bear. No, not, like, an anthropomorphic talking bear; just a regular bear. Events proceed as expected.

Ironsworn - A Viking-inspired adventure/survival RPG that supports both guided play with a GM and GMless co-op play, the latter using a mix of shared responsibilities and random tables to let the players act as their own GM. Interesting use of printable cards for chargen, too.

Lady Blackbird - A resource-driven minigame built around a fixed scenario and pregenerated characters, concerning an exiled noblewoman-slash-sorcerer -- the eponymous Lady Blackbird -- travelling to meet her pirate lover in a spacefaring steampunk setting.

Lasers & Feelings - This Star Trek: The Original Series inspired romp is a microgame in the truest sense, managing to pack character creation, rules of play, a random scenario generator, and even an illustration into a single letter-size sheet of paper.

Mist-Robed Gate - A wuxia-themed game that replaces dice with the “knife ritual”, which involves a series of gestures culminating in stabbing each other’s character sheets with an actual knife. Playing on a surface you don’t mind getting holes in is recommended.

Motobushido - A playing-card-driven game about samurai motorcycle gangs where conflicts are decided less by strength or skill and more by how far you’re willing to push the boundaries of honour to win. Note that the pay-what-you-want version is available in ePub format only.

Mutant Future - One of two old-school D&D retroclones on this list, this one is basically Gamma World with the serial numbers filed off, which means gnarly mutant anthro animals getting up to shenanigans. Note that the free version does not include illustrations.

Mythender - A god-kicking game where everybody is basically Kratos from God of War. Highly structured; while the actual rules could be squeezed into a couple of pages, the interactions between them are complex. Most of the core rulebook consists of a guided tutorial.

Oculus v2 (warning: direct PDF link) - A solo guided writing exercise in tabletop RPG format, this one casts you in the role of a wizard magically scrying on your own player character. One of two similar games of the same title; the other doesn’t appear to be online at the moment.

Perfect Unrevised - A psychological horror game about heroic criminals in a steampunk dystopia that examines what taking the Victorian ethos to its logical conclusion actually implies. Uses a rotating scene structure where each player serves as a different player’s GM.

Poet Glorious - A game about heroic and doomed warriors where the conflict resolution rules play out essentially as a cross between the Prisoner’s Dilemma and a haiku poetry slam. Make sure your friends are cool with casual betrayal before playing!

Pokéthulhu - A parody game about capturing and training miniature Lovecraft beasties that actually does a better job of its source material than most serious attempts at a Pokémon RPG. Well suited for one-on-one play owning to its duelling-focused combat system.

Risus - One of the great-grandparents of the modern rules-light ethos, this comedy-themed game breaks down characters into a handful descriptive clichés that serve as both stats and hit points. The basic game is free; the supplement is not.

SCrawl - Short for “solo crawl”, this one is an old school kill-the-monsters-and-take-their-stuff dungeon crawler designed to be played by one player, no GM. Honestly not my cup of tea as far as solitaire gaming goes, but it’s very good at what it does.

Sea Dracula - I’m breaking my own rules here, as this one is neither free or pay-what-you-want, but it only costs a dollar. It’s about animal lawyers having courtroom battles that are resolved via dance-offs -- by which I mean the players must literally get up and dance!

The Shab-al-Hiri Roach - A competitive, GMless game of campus politics in a New England college town that’s been infested by a soul-eating telepathic cockroach from the dawn of time, whose commands are represented by print-and-play cards written in ancient Sumerian.

Stars Without Number - A space opera hack of original flavour (i.e., pre First Edition) Dungeons & Dragons. The free version is basically feature complete, though there’s a paid version that adds rules for transhuman tech, giant robots, and a few other bits and bobs.

The Storybrewers Free Game Library - A collection of six GMless minigames, some collaborative and some competitive, running the gamut from heroic archaeologists in the mode of The Mummy (1999) to Game of Thrones style dynastic backstabbery.

Sufficiently Advanced, Second Edition - A diceless transhuman space opera game where “sapient city” is a valid starting character concept. Maintains spotlight balance between baseline humans and unfathomable space gods using player facing plot-editing rules.

The Tragedy of GJ237b - Describing itself as “a role-playing game for no players”, this one is unplayable in the strictest sense of the word. A good conversation piece for the games-as-art crowd, though most of those conversations will be arguments over the definition of “game”.

Wisher, Theurgist, Fatalist - A sort of meta-RPG about the process of writing RPGs that, in practice, works something like a cross between a guided writing exercise and a nomic. Whether it’s playable (or even meant to be played) as written is a matter of some debate.

WitchCraft - One of the original contemporary urban fantasy RPGs. The rules -- an early iteration of the system that would later appear in games like Conspiracy X -- kind of show their age, but if you’re, like, a huge Mercedes Lackey fan, this game is written especially for you.

Wizards - A game with a straightforward premise: you and your friends are a. nigh-omnipotent wizards, and b. just awful, like seriously the worst. A simple shared-narration game where most of the fun comes from getting to describe the consequences of your fellow players’ mistakes.

Wushu - A high-action martial arts game that strips the rules about as bare as you possibly can and still have something that qualifies as a “game”. The PDF version will set you back a few bucks, but the web version is free to read.

Young At Heart - Now here’s a specialised piece of work: a 1990s style sports drama oneshot game whose central conceit is that each session is framed as a series of flashbacks that occur entirely within the span of a retiring baseball player’s final pitch.

[necro-divine]

           THE EARTH SHIVERS, SHUDDERS -- REALITY SHIFS, tectonic plates accommodate to fit a new reality birthed from pure creation.

           IN THE DISTANT SEAS, EXISTENCE FLICKERS FOR NOTHING BUT A MOMENT, UNTIL IT LINGERS. A tower rises from the ocean, followed by several more -- celestial architecture of white and dark and gold.

           A bright LIGHT IN THIS NEW HORIZON, a beam of energy that travels through the center of one of the towering obelisks, cast forward from a portal. A leyline from her homeworld, meant to supply the architecture with divine energy.

           THE NEW CITADEL STANDS, beaming with potent confidence in the distance of THE WAR.

     Burn it down, get it over with.

            In a cliffside, a small lightbearer watches; responsible.

            " ᕮᗰᑭYᖇIOS. 

            Oᑭᕮᑎ Tᕼᕮ GᗩTᕮᗯᗩYS.  

           ᒪᕮT Tᕼᕮᖇᕮ ᗷᕮ ᒪIGᕼT ᗩᑎᗪ ᗪᗩᖇK. "

[chain-unchained]

December 17

The rustic twang of country guitar played over the jukebox in the Saloon. Sundays were far from the busiest days for the establishment, but there was always a handful of regulars that would come by, and someone would always plonk a few coins into the machine. The music was never loud enough to make conversation difficult; it was just there as background ambience.

It was a familiar song to Ashe as he stepped in through the door. By this point he’d visited so many times that he knew just about every track on the old machine. And this was one that he remembered fondly; he would often listen to it with his mother. Before the illness.

“Hey, there you are!”

Emily’s smile was a mile wide as she hastened around the counter to greet him. “It’s been forever since you stopped by.”

“Emily!” The hug they shared was mutual. “Sorry, just—I’ve been so busy.”

“No need to apologize. I’m just happy to see you again.” She held him back at arm’s length to study him with a critical eye. “You doing okay now?”

“Ah—” His cheeks flushed, and he looked anywhere but at her. “Yeah. I’m better. Definitely better.”

The smile was half-forced, half-genuine, and 100% embarrassed. It felt so awkward, having so many people ask him how he was doing these last few days. The same kind of awkwardness as standing there while people sang happy birthday.

“I’m glad to hear that. Don’t start pushing yourself too hard again, okay?” She gave his shoulders a squeeze. “You’ve got people you can talk to.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

“Good.” With another smile she let him go. “Well then, let me show you to the back. Shane’s waiting for you.”

The blush deepened. “He is? Am I late or something?”

“No no. He just got here early. Right this way.”

She led Ashe through the short swinging saloon doors to the left of the room. His heart began to flutter in his chest; it wasn’t their first date, but… this felt different to the gridball game. He didn’t know what to expect.

They made their way down the hall and to the private dining room. A ‘reserved’ sign hung from the hook in the center of the door, which sat slightly ajar. A different song was playing through the crack; it was softer, melodic.

‘Oh no—was I supposed to dress fancier?’

A nervous thought raced through Ashe’s mind as they drew near. The music sounded almost classical, and he couldn’t help but feel like maybe he should have dressed up a bit more.

“Hey, Emily?”

She stopped and turned back to him. “Yeah?”

“Um, is my outfit okay?”

“Hmm…” She observed him again. “Do a little spin for me.”

He did, the anxiety rising at the unreadable expression on her face. It wasn’t like he’d come here in his farming best— dark-washed bootcut jeans, his lavender turtleneck beneath a white sleeveless vest, his good boots—but the insecurity was there. He couldn’t help but doubt.

After a moment, Emily’s face split into another smile. “Very cute—Shane’s going to go crazy.”

“Really?” Ashe’s face lit up at the praise and prediction both. It was a relief for a worry that he knew was unfounded. “Whew… Thank you~”

“Hey, there’s that sunshine smile! I was getting worried I wouldn’t get to see it before winter ends.”

 The private room was small, and quaint, styled much the same as the bar area. Paintings decorated the walls, and one of Emily’s own hand-woven rugs adorned the floor, upon which an aged oak table rested. The music was coming from a smaller radio resting atop a matching end table in the corner; candle wall sconces cast a warm and gentle glow upon the red hues of wood and fabric both.

Shane was already there, of course—and Ashe’s face turned several shades of tomato red as his eyes fell upon him. Though his back was to the door, it was clear that he’d cleaned up for tonight. His hair, which he’d been letting grow out, was freshly washed and styled; he wore a well-fitted, plain dark sweater tucked into new jeans, with a black leather belt. He turned his head in response to the door opening—he’d even gone so far as to shave.

“Hey, you made it…”

His own voice trailed off as his eyes fell on Ashe, and there was a moment of silence as they both just stared at each other, somewhat slack-jawed.

“Wow,” Emily looked between the two of them, “you really are made for each other. I’ll go and grab some menus and some drinks to get you started.”

She traipsed out, shutting the door quietly behind her. Shane cleared his throat, his face nearly as red as Ashe’s at that point.

“You, uh… you look good, chickadee.”

“Th-thanks.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Ashe shyly added, “you do too.”

Shane grinned self-consciously. “Heh, you think so? Kinda feels like my gut’s gonna bust through this sweater…”

Ashe tip-toed closer until he was completely leaning against him, and his voice trailed off. “You look amazing,” the farmer mumbled, his face hidden in the fabric of Shane’s chest. “I can’t handle it.”

That was enough to silence Shane’s self-doubt—or at least keep him from vocalizing it further. “Yoba, you’re too cute.” He took the opportunity to steal both a hug and a kiss from his boyfriend, lingering perhaps a bit longer thank he intended to upon his lips. “So… d’you wanna sit down?”

“Y-Yes, please.”

It was with only minor reluctance that Shane stepped away from him to pull one of the chairs out from the table. He gestured for Ashe to sit, and pushed the chair back into place when he did. All the while, he had to fight to keep his hands from shaking. It had been at least a decade since he’d been on a fancy dinner date like this before, let alone with someone he cared so deeply about. He wanted it to be perfect.

By the time he’d taken his own seat opposite Ashe, Emily had returned with glasses of ice water—lemon slices included—and two menus. “Here you go,” she said with another smile. “Take your time, and press the buzzer when you’re ready to order.”

“Thanks, Emily.”

She dipped back out the door again, and for a moment there was silence as they both skimmed the menu. “Order whatever you want,” Shane said, glancing up to see the conflicted look on Ashe’s face. “Don’t worry about prices. It’s my treat.”

“But—”

“No buts.” He grinned. “I can afford to splurge on my favorite dweeb every now and then.”

Ashe hid his blushing pout behind the menu. It was hard to focus on choosing, because every few seconds he couldn’t help peeking over the top to get another look at Shane.

“… What?” Shane caught him staring. “Did I nick myself when I was shaving or something?”

“N-No no—It’s just—” He hid behind the menu again, face redder than it had been before. “I-I never realized how good you look with long hair. Sorry, I’ll stop.”

Now it was Shane’s turn to become a tomato head. “Bud, you’re gonna give me an ego with all these compliments.” He looked through the menu a bit more. To be honest, he was in the mood for pizza, but he wanted to impress Ashe—

“Would you judge me if I said I wanted pizza?”

He lowered the menu to look at him again. There was a meek sort of grin on the farmer’s face, which he was quick to hide once more behind his own.

“Nevermind, I’ll—pick something else.”

“Actually, I was literally just thinking the same thing.” Shane dropped the menu onto the table. “Do you just wanna order a large and split it?”

“Oh my Yoba, yes please.”

So much for a romantic dinner. Shane’s expectations went out the door, and with them the hesitant awkwardness that hung in the air. It was like they both settled back into their skins, and once the 16-inch pie was on the table they dug in. No forks, no plates, just greasy slices in hand and a couple of paper napkins.

“Ahh, I’m in heaven~” Ashe practically melted into his chair. “Sssooo good…”

“Yeah, it’s been awhile since I had one of his pizzas.” A long strand of cheese stretched out from Shane’s mouth to the slice he’d taken a bite from. The sign of a quality cheese pie. “This cheese didn’t come from Hanako, did it?” He joked.

“I wish it did! She’s still just a baby though. I was kind of thinking I might see about getting a full-grown cow in the meantime—sometimes I worry that she’s lonely, being in that big barn all by herself at night.”

“What about Silva?”

“Oh, well… Silva kind of picks on her a bit. I had Robin build her a stable.”

Shane sighed. “Bugaboo, I’m not gonna lie—that horse scares me.”

“I’m not giving her up.”

“I wasn’t going to suggest that—” even though he really thought that was the best idea, “—I just want you to be extra careful with her. Please.”

The plea made Ashe deflate a bit. He picked up a strand of cheese that had fallen and nibbled on it before answering. “I will. Don’t worry, I haven’t tried to ride her yet. And I still really believe that she wouldn’t ever actually hurt me.”

“I sure hope that’s the case.”

Shane helped himself to another slice, hesitating only briefly in contemplation—it was going to be more calories to burn in the gym later—and taking a bite when he decided it was worth it.

After a minute, Ashe spoke again. “I, uh… I saw Dr. Vance yesterday.”

“Oh, that’s why you were gone. I was wondering.” Shane licked a bit of sauce from the corner of his mouth. “You don’t have to answer, but how’d it go?”

“It went… good.” The farmer began to gently rock back and forth in his chair. “A lot of talking. It was harder than I thought it would be.”

Shane could see that he was getting nervous. Wiping his hand on one of the napkins, he held it out to Ashe across the table; after a moment, Ashe took hold of it. “Yeah, it can be like that sometimes. But it’ll get better. Might not ever be easy, but better.”

“I hope so.” The warmth of Shane’s hand was comforting, and the rocking ceased after a minute. Ashe even managed to smile as he added, “I’m getting really tired of crying my eyes out already.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s part of the process.”

“Did you cry?”

“Oh yeah. More than I’m comfortable admitting, honestly.” He laughed. “So yeah, don’t feel bad about it. It’s different for everyone, and some of us just gotta cry before we can start moving on.”

“Yeah… I guess so.” Ashe shifted in his seat. “… I know I’m the one who brought it up, but… can we talk about something else?”  

“Of course. Uhhh…” A stream of air blew past Shane’s lips as he fished around for a different topic. Of course now of all times he was drawing a blank.

“You still haven’t told me what you want for Christmas.”

Shit, that was the one he was hoping to avoid. “Cos I don’t want anything. I’ve already got all that I could ask for.”

“Shane,” Ashe leaned forward a bit, a very serious expression on his face, “I’m gonna get you something. It might as well be something you actually want.”

“Oh! Shit, that reminds me. Would it be okay if Jas hung out at the farm with you tomorrow?”

Ashe blinked. “Uh—of course. Why?”

“Because me and Marnie are gonna get some shopping done in Zuzu. And both Penny and Jodi are gonna be busy, and I feel bad for all the times they babysit her already. We’ll pay you for it, of course.”

“Oh, nonono you won’t.” He shook his head.

“You sure?”

“Yes I’m sure. Use that money to get Jas an extra present.”

“Bud, believe me, she’s gonna have more presents than she knows what to do with.” Shane wiped his hands on his napkin again and took a sip of lemon water. “What about you? You haven’t told me what you want.”

Ashe went quiet. The truth was, what he wanted more than anything was something that he knew he could never get back. But… well, there was one other thing…

“I just don’t want to be alone. That… That’s all…”

This time Shane gently took hold of both hands. “Who says you will be? The Feast lasts all day, and you can hang out at the ranch with us after. Okay? Don’t even worry about that.”

“I-I’ll try.” Ashe drew a shuddering breath. The emotions had utterly blindsided him, but at least he’d managed to keep from crying… again. But he was going to end up with whiplash with how all over the place his emotions were.

“You know, there’s gonna be a big countdown in Zuzu on New Years’ Eve. Would you feel up to going?”

“… Y-Yeah.” He managed a small smile. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”  

[inyri]

19. …for luck.

Remember that horrible prompt idea I mentioned the other day? It’s for you, I’m afraid. i’m SORRY

SWTOR. Theron POV. Copero.

***

(but i won’t do that)

He isn’t getting anywhere with Zenta.

What intel she’s shared so far has come in scraps and fragments, all verifiable but barely enough to keep that lunatic Atrius from frothing at the mouth, and for his part he’s got precious little left to broker in return that won’t actually hurt the Alliance. He’s done enough damage as it is- Nine’s holomessage, cast wide across the ‘Net, was proof enough of that.

(Theron doesn’t dare keep a copy on his ship’s mainframe where the GEMINI unit might find it. Instead he uploaded it into his implant where he can let it play as often as he wants, an overlay to his own senses, a memory and a penance all in one. It hurts, still, to hear her voice.

It should. If someday it doesn’t-)

He should have known better than to think this would be easy. If it had been House Mitth still in charge on Copero he could have sweetened the deal with credits but the Inrokini had beaten them to it; with the Eighth Family in her pocket, even if no one admits it publicly, he’s not sure that Zenta needs anything at all. In the weeks since he arrived he’s ransacked the entire Inrokini database, including the encrypted parts- their security was good but not that good- but the map isn’t there.

He needs her datapad.

He needs a better plan.

*

She’s running late from her previous meeting but waves him into her office as the guards step aside to let him through. (He’s already ruled out breaking into her office. Decryption was one thing, but he isn’t blasterproof.)

“Theron Shan.” He still can’t read her smile properly. “Excellent timing. My brother was just speaking of you.”

“My visions don’t lie, Inrokini’zenta’alani. You know that.” Valss paces back and forth across the woven rug in front of the carved wooden desk. “If we don’t help him you’re going to-”

Her jaw tenses. “We’ll continue this discussion later. Leave us.”

Valss turns abruptly on his heel and strides out of the office, looking back over his shoulder at him as he goes. The door shuts behind him; Zenta unclenches her fists, her knuckles cracking audibly.

“I’m very fond of him,” she murmurs, “and he is correct that his visions have never been wrong. But sometimes I wish his mother had smothered him in the cradle. It would save me a great deal of aggravation.”

He doesn’t reply. He isn’t meant to; he’s learned that much, at least.

“Now-” Zenta gestures to the vacant chairs in the far corner- “shall we pick up where we left off yesterday?”

*

The knock on the door of the guest suite is so soft he almost misses it beneath the sound of her voice.

This is the Commander of the Eternal Alliance. This message is for my husband-

The second knock, louder, breaks him out of his reverie, and he pauses the recording as he checks his blasters and then moves to check the viewscreen. He isn’t expecting visitors. Outright murder isn’t precisely Ascendancy style but-

“Theron Shan?” A male voice. When he activates the screen Valss- oh, Void, it’s- he’s hopeless at Chiss names, he’d have thought it’d be Inrokini’valss’something but that wasn’t it, he doesn’t think- “It’s important that we speak. May I come in?”

His lightsaber’s clipped to his belt, his hands empty. If it’s a ruse, it’s a good one. Theron takes a deep breath. “Yeah. Sure.”

He opens the door. “I’m sorry,” he says, to start with- might as well be honest- “it’s Valss, I know, but your formal name is-”

“Don’t worry about that. I don’t mind the informality.” Valss moves a few steps into the room. “Though I’d ask you not to mention that to my sister.”

“My lips are sealed.”

His smile, unlike Zenta’s, touches his eyes. At this distance he’s younger than Theron had thought; if the syndic was Theron’s age he might be ten years their junior, with high cheekbones and skin unmarked by worry lines. (Or that might be the Force at play, of course. He’s known a great many Jedi who could pass for decades younger than their birth records would suggest, his mother included.) “Oh, good.”

Words trailing off into silence, the pause lingers awkward between them until Theron clears his throat. “You said you needed to speak with me.”

“Yes,” Valss says. “Apologies. I was considering how to begin. I don’t-” he pauses, makes a face- “I’m permitted to speak to very few people. Even fewer when it pertains to my visions.”

“I’m not Force-sensitive.” Will that ever not hurt to say? “But I’m familiar with the concept.”

“I’ll be plain, then. I dreamed about you last night.”

*

“She’s afraid,” Valss says over the rim of his glass. “She doesn’t trust you.”

Theron shrugs. The whiskey here’s surprisingly good, smooth going down with just a gentle burn on the back of his tongue, and he rolls it slowly around his mouth before he swallows. “Can’t fault her for that. I probably wouldn’t trust me, either.”

“She has to. She’ll die if she doesn’t, and your success is certain.”

“You say that like it’s carved in stone.”

The gesture he gets in reply isn’t familiar. “I’ve never been wrong, though there have been many times when I’d rather have been. All I know is that the people hunting you will come here, too late to prevent you from finding what it is you seek. But in my dream my sister would not help you. She fought a woman in red who moved like a ghost and the ghost struck her down.”

He closes his eyes, trying to picture Nine, and all he can see is the the holo: her hair charred and chopped short, angry bruises on her face and her eyes swollen with unshed tears. That’s my girl, he thinks, still fighting.

“I don’t always agree with Zenta.” When Theron looks at him again Valss is frowning and for a second he wonders if he can read his thoughts, but no, he’s lost in his own head, staring past Theron out the window toward the sea. “But I do not want her to die.”

“Do you know what the timeline is?” He takes another sip of whiskey. “Until I’m found?”

“No. It’s not an exact science.”

Another sip.

“I’ll speak to her again in the morning.” Rising, Valss sets his glass on the table between them; a bead of condensation rolls slowly down its side to settle on the mosaic tiles beneath. “She’ll see reason. She has to.”

*

-we can end the cycle of war, Theron. You have a hundred ships waiting for your command, to use as you see fit. But I need you to-

(Her voice broke, then.

His heart breaks with it, every time.)

*

The old Alliance arms cache on Hoth is almost abandoned now, with the Star Fortress long destroyed and their foothold there no longer needed.

He hopes so, at least. He gives up the location to Zenta the next day when she asks about heavy weaponry; it buys him another week.

*

“It would help me reason with her-” Valss says a few days later; these meetings have become routine now, as much so as his daily conferences with the syndic- “if you’d tell me why you need the map.”

Theron sighs, slouching lower in his chair. “I’m sure it would.” Telling him about the map, even in the vaguest possible sense, was probably stupid. All his instincts keep telling him Valss’ motives are genuine- even if it’s only to keep Zenta alive he seems to truly want to help and he’s got to use that however he can- but the last thing he wants is word of the Order’s goal getting back to the Chiss. Some of them might think it was a good idea and he’s not giving that beast any more fodder beyond himself. Time to change the subject. “Why is she hesitating? She clearly values your gift, but-”

Valss blinks. “Wait. Say that again.”

“Which part? Why is she-”

“No.” His smile is radiant. “Gift. You called it a gift.”

Theron nods slowly. Master Zho had always used the word- gifted in the Force, he’d said, as though one day he’d wake and it’d be there, wrapped up beneath the Life Day tree. “You can see the future. I think most people’d call it that.”

“Not my people. For us the Force is…” Valss leans forward toward him. “By the standards of the Ruling Families I am considered defective. Unworthy. They exile us, drug us. The mountains of Csilla are full of the bones of children like me.”

“But you survived.”

“By chance. I had my first vision just after Zenta’s father died. My own family wanted me medicated and shut away, but Zenta needed every advantage she could get to hold onto power- against all advice she adopted me into her House. By calling me brother, she put me near enough to her that my safety was assured.” A shadow falls across his face as the light fades from the window, Copero’s sun falling below the horizon. “Insofar as that’s possible, and only as long as she survives. But if she’s seen to rely on me too much, that also makes her vulnerable. Do you see?”

Oh.

He considers his next words carefully.

“When I was a child,” he says, “I was raised to believe that if I worked hard enough, if I meditated often enough, that the Force was my birthright. When that turned out to be a lie, I didn’t have a place in that world. So I’m sorry if I offended you. I only-”

“You didn’t offend me.” Valss hesitates a moment before reaching out, resting one of his hands carefully on top of Theron’s. “You understand.”

He’s reading too much into it. He’s reading too much into it. It’s just a gesture (don’t be stupid it isn’t just a gesture the Chiss don’t touch anyone but what- oh, Void-)

Theron turns his arm, slow and deliberate, until Valss’ hand sits in the curve of his palm; he waits.

“And I understand-” skin on skin, fingers curling- “why I was meant to help you.”

*

(He asked her about it once, after enough time had passed that the hurt of it had faded into memory and the question became academic rather than personal.

It takes her almost five minutes to answer.

How do you do it? She sits up on the bed, arms wrapped around her knees. Like anything else, I suppose. I was taught. How did they teach you to kill?

He starts to respond and she shakes her head gently.

That was rhetorical. It’s… Theron, why are you asking me this?

I love you. He shifts until he’s curled around her, head beside her hip, looking up at her. And I want to understand.

She nods. I love you, too. I- think of it like this. Did you ever walk into your office and realize you have no memory of how you got there- that you left your apartment and made all the correct turns, traveled the correct streets, but you were so busy thinking about something else that your body went through the motions while your mind was a thousand parsecs away?

All the time.

You just- she lets one hand fall, combing idly through his hair. It’s the same. It’s just sex. Your body knows what to do so you think about the mission, about a film you enjoy, about an old lover- anything but what you’re doing. And you tell yourself that it’s necessary.

But-

It sounds awful. I know that. But it’s what they made me.

He arches up to kiss the bare skin along her ribs. I know. I know. I just don’t think I could ever have done it.

I said that once, too. But you never know how far down you’re willing to go until you’re already falling, I think.

Very poetic of you. He kisses her again, lower, on the arch of her hip, and she sighs through the words and leans into his mouth. I’m sorry. Come here.)

*

(She was right.

Of course she was.

He’s a traitor, after all, and he’s already fallen so very, very far that it only makes sense that his body is, too.)

*

A listening post sacrificed. Another week bought.  He sleeps alone, still, when night comes. That’s a line he will not cross. But-

I love you, Theron, she says inside his head. Come home.

He’s no longer certain whether he deserves to.

*

“You don’t have to agree.” Theron shoves the last of his few belongings into his rucksack, slinging it over this shoulder. “I know it’s asking far too much.”

With a shake of his head Valss turns, considering the still-closed door and the commotion beyond. “If I don’t go now we won’t have another chance. They’re coming, Theron, and if I can’t save Zenta at least I can save you.”

He closes his eyes. This wasn’t how it was meant to go.

“Ten minutes and I’ll be back with the datapad. I know where Zenta keeps it, and by the time she knows it’s gone we’ll be halfway to your map.”

“All right.” He exhales and then breathes in sharply at the pressure of Valss’ kiss. “What-”

“You don’t need luck,” Valss says as he opens his eyes again. “But I do.”

[princesskittendonut]

Some actors & actresses are getting over casted

I'm tired of seeing your face go do something else, gosh ruined the whole fucking movie

Especially if they played some weird gory shif before, I definitely don't wanna see you on anything else.

That's like playing a baby eating homicidal maniac in one movie, then acting in a live adaptation to cloudy with a chance of meatballs

At this point in the preview has too many recognizable faces I'm not gonna go see it