#sim: Sky Brooks

[xmsimmerx]

Sky Brooks

It's her and the colour blue against the world

[autisticsupervillain]

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Stats Equalized!

The show where we equalize strength, speed, and durability to decide who would win a battle of hax, skill, and versatility.

This Month's Fighters....

Delsin Rowe vs James Heller!

Conditions:

Good Karma Delsin

James does not have his powers from the DLC

Scenario:

Delsin shows up in Manhattan to stop the second Blacklight outbreak, mistaking Heller for another Mercer's infected minions.

Analysis: Delsin

Seven years after Cole sacrificed himself to stop the Beast, the few Conduits that remain in the US have been labeled as Bio-Terrorists by the government, seen as inherently dangerous due to their incredible powers. As such, the Government created the Department of Unified Protection, a group of government sanctioned Conduits tasked with hunting down and imprisoning "Bio-Terrorists".

With full government authorization to do whatever is necessary to contain a threat, the DUP has no problem inpounding and torturing innocent civilians, to the point of brutalizing an entire Native American tribe and leaving them to slowly die of their wounds.

Unfortunately for the DUP, this act of brutality just pissed off one of the most powerful Conduits in history, Delsin Rowe.

Delsin Rowe was the mischievous outcast of the Akomish Tribe, a lovable delinquent with a knack for graffiti and a gift for parkour. This all changed when a Conduit escapee came barreling through his village and Delsin's own Conduit powers awoke to copy the escapee's. When the DUP brutalize his village looking for the escapee, Delsin gets the idea to use his new powers to heal them. If he can copy the powers of the DUP leader, Brooke Augustine, he can remove the concrete shards stuck inside his fellow tribe members.

On his way to avenge his family and save his home, Delsin copies a whole host of superpowers from other Conduits. From the first escapee, Hank Daughtry, he copies the power of Smoke. From the vigilante killer Fetch Walker, he gains the power of Neon, and from the closted shutbin Eugene Sims, he gains the power of Video, each with a huge variety of powers.

With Smoke, he can blast fire out of his hands, superheat the chain around his wrist for combat, turn into smoke to dash through objects and vents, fire smoke grenades, levitate with firey thrusters, create smoke restraints, and even sufficate you. He even shows the ability to manipulate this power on the molecular level, able to transmute people into smoke for him to absorb and turn his smoke into organic matter to heal people's wounds. He can even go as far as to turn himself into a giant bomb, drop from the sky like a nuke, and explode on contact with enough power to sink a concrete island. After which, he just regenerates from the smoke like nothing happened.

With Neon, Delsin can turn into Neon light to dash at lightspeed, run up walls, toss gravity grenades that leave people helplessly hovering in the air while frozen in time, turn his chain into a lightsaber, speed up his reaction speed so that everything moves like a blur to him, shoot neon lasers out of his hands, and reduce human beings to neon particles through Mass Energy Conversion, making his targets explode into Neon energy.

Video, which might more accurately be referred to as Data, allows him absorb and manipulate the pixels and data from any technology with a screen. With it, he can summon angels and demons made of pure data, shoot homing swords from his hand like missles to down attack helicopters, fly on wings, and even turn invisible.

And, of course, there's Concrete from Augustine herself. With it, he can shoot massive disks of stone out of his hand, cover himself in armor and charge through all your defenses, and even generate concrete shards inside of your body, completely nullifying a Conduits powers and potentially damaging vital internal organs.

The problem with all of these remarkable abilities is he has to pick and choose. He can only use on element at a time and to switch, he has to absorb an element from the environment, just as he does whenever he runs low on his energy and needs to recharge. Hell, he can only take Concrete from the dead bodies of other Concrete Conduits, so he wouldn't be able to use it in a fight at all in most circumstances. And, every time he copies a power from a Conduit, all of his powers get completely sealed off until he restores them with Ray Field Energy.

Overall, Delsin is one of the most powerful and versatile Conduits the inFAMOUS universe has ever seen, rightly dubbed the "second coming of Cole" by his adoring public audience.

Analysis: Heller

It had only been fourteen months after the first Blacklight Virus outbreak had ravaged Manhattan. Fourteen months since New York City begain putting itself back together and its people began to truly live again when the second outbreak struck. Alex Mercer, once the begrudging savior of New York, had completely abandoned his humanity. He'd seen the selfishness of humans and grown disgusted with it, prompting him to unleash a second strain of Blacklight on New York. Deadlier, faster, stronger. This new strain would burn humanity down so that Alex could rebuild something from the ashes.

This attack would leave Sgt. James Heller without a family. He would come home from his tour overseas to find his wife and daughter dead. Stricken with grief, Heller would request reassignment to the front lines of the Manhattan quarantine, hoping to go down swinging to join his family in the afterlife. What he'd get instead was a once in a lifetime shot at revenge against the man responsible. Heller would go at Mercer with nothing but a knife, successfully slitting Mercer's throat.

Unfortunately, this is Alex Mercer we're talking about, so he just regenerated. Impressed with Heller's unrelenting determination, Mercer would transform Heller into one of his "Evolved", allowing James full access to all the powers granted by the Blacklight Virus, while still allowing him to keep his higher brain functions and humanity.

Mercer would attempt to manipulate Heller into helping to bring about his new world order, but Heller would eventually see through his tricks. This would backfire in the worst possible way for Mercer, as James Heller had nothing to lose and wanted nothing more than cold blooded revenge.

James Heller has all the powers you could expect from the Blacklight Virus. He can regenerate and shapeshift down the cellular level, allowing him to regrow from nothing but a puddle and shapeshift himself into any weapon he could possibly need. He can turn his arms into blades and claws to slice apart tanks, create spiked shields that can reflect rockets, grow armour to become completely bullet proof, and turn his arms into whips to pull helicopters right out of the sky. He can even alter his body's density to allow him to glide through the air.

And, like any good bioweapon, Heller can assimilate anyone he touches, copying their genetics and memories perfectly, allowing him to shapeshift into them and even copy their powers perfectly. Using this trick, Heller would devour his way through the ranks of Mercer's Evolved lieutenants, copying all of their powers. He can summon Hunters, giant bio-organic monsters that can crush tanks with their punches, to assist him battle, unleash the Blacklight Virus as a gas, and unleash massive Devastator attacks when he has enough biomass stored within him. Such as the tendril barrage Devastator, which shoots tendrils out of his body everywhere, absorbing everything within a mile radius of him.

Despite having a loud, bombastic temper that would put Kratos to shame and not being good with technology, Heller is a very intelligent and strategic fighter. He has all the combined experiences of every marine and Blackwatch soldier he's absorbed on top of everyone Mercer has and he's smart enough to see through Mercer's bullshit when he tries to string him along. He's frequently able to play the military, Blackwatch, and Mercer's Evolved against each other when he needs to and is skilled enough to take on groups of Evolved at once, many of whom have his same powers.

But despite his monsterous powers and quick temper, Heller would not lose his humanity. He would spare his former commanding officer after learning he too has a daughter and would go out of his way to protect the pastor at a local church. Heller would not succumb to the inhumanity that Mercer had. Not when he had a daughter counting on him. When he learned his little girl was still alive, he found the drive he needed to overcome Mercer once and for all.

The nightmare was over. The infection was gone. And Alex Mercer was dead. Only one question remains for James Heller and his daughter. What now?

Throwdown Theme:

Throwdown Breakdown:

This fight is very similar, yet simultaneously very different to Cole vs Alex.

On the one hand, Delsin could resist the Blacklight's assimilation and infection abilities much as Cole could. He should be immune to the disease much as Cole was, because being immune to disease is a trait applicable to all Conduits. That's why the Beast believed only Conduits would survive the plague. Furthermore, Delsin is not transmuted into Neon energy be Fetch's attacks, despite her clearly trying to kill him in their fight, meaning his molecular structure is likely endurant enough to, if not resist, than at least slow down the assimilation process.

I argue this because both powers, while fairly different, share a fundamental simularity. Transmuting one type of matter into another. Heller absorbs and changes DNA down to the cellular level, but Fetch's neon powers would be effecting Delsin's molecular structure at a much more fundamental level, as would be required to transmute a target into neon particles. If Delsin can resist getting transmuted down to the atomic level, he should be able to handle getting transmuted down to the cellular.

The problem arises when you realize Delsin has no feats of resisting mind control. Meaning if Heller infects him with Blacklight, he could win by simply taking contol of his brain. But, that leads back to the above issue. Heller would need to infect him first and Delsin's conduit physiology likely won't let him.

However, Delsin has no counter to James's shapeshifting and disguises. Without Cole's radar sense, Delsin cannot identify Heller when he transforms into another person, giving James a viable ambush option.

However, Delsin's regeneration is superior to Cole's, as he can come back from being reduced to smoke. Without the option of assimilation, Heller will struggle to put Delsin down and will have no option but to eat away at his reserves. Sure, you can argue that Delsin may have to absorb elements from his surroundings to maintain that level of regeneration, but even in that case, Hellet would still have to eat away at his energy reserves overtime to outmatch his regeneration.

So, how does Heller fair against each of Delsin's power sets?

Concrete should be manageable. Concrete might be able to nullify a Conduit's powers, but Heller could just shapeshift to expel the shards from his body and stop that. Beyond that, Concrete doesn't offer much other thsn making Delsin tankier, and Heller can match that.

Smoke's slippery, but manageable. It'll be hard to get his hands on Delsin when he can turn into smoke and the collateral damage from their fight would give Delsin plenty of ammo to work with, but Heller can match its gliding and the smoke grenades likely won't effect him much, as he can change his vision to see through them and armor would keep the smoke from choking him.

Video and neon are where this gets tough. Heller has no answer to anti-gravity, invisibility, or time stop, any one of which could give Delsin the opening he needs to end the fight. Doubly so since these powers would allow Delsin to transmute Heller into Neon particles or data, bypassing his regeneration all together. Given my basis for Delsin resisting assimilation, Heller wouldn't be able to survive this. Atoms are a more fundamental level of matter and Heller's never tanked anything on that level, including Alex's assimilation powers.

If you don't believe that Delsin can resist assimilation, however, than this becomes a figjt where both can one shot each other with feasibly any attack and neither can counter the stealth options the other would use to get that opportunity. In which case, I favor Delsin's range and wide area of effect attacks getting the fatal blow on Heller first. Heller's a smart, relentless, and deadly bioweapon who outpaces Delsin massively in skill, experience, and hand to hand combat, but Delsin is like nothing he's ever seen before. Any attempt to tank, block, and regenerate from a seemingly innocuous neon bolt or digital shot would reduce Heller to particles before he could reliably get close enough to absorb Delsin. And he's left helpless by an anti-gravity grenade or time stop... welp, goodbye angry virus boy.

This Throwdown's Winner is...

Delsin Rowe!

[ulkaralakbarova]

A trio of female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Curtis Taylor Jr.: Jamie Foxx Deena Jones: Beyoncé James “Thunder” Early: Eddie Murphy Marty Madison: Danny Glover Effie White: Jennifer Hudson Lorrell Robinson: Anika Noni Rose C.C. White: Keith D. Robinson Michelle Morris: Sharon Leal Wayne: Hinton Battle Magic: Mariah Iman Wilson May: Yvette Cason Max Washington: Ken Page M.C.: Ralph Louis Harris Tiny Joe Dixon: Michael-Leon Wooley Jazz Singer: Loretta Devine Jerry Harris: John Lithgow Sam Walsh: John Krasinski Ronald White: Alexander Folk Aunt Ethel: Esther Scott Miami Comic: Bobby Slayton Teddy Campbell: Jordan Wright Melba Early: Dawnn Lewis Talent Booker: Jaleel White Joann: JoNell Kennedy Charlene: Sybyl Walker Stepp Sister: Lesley Nicole Lewis Stepp Sister: Eboni Nichols Stepp Sister: Arike Rice Stepp Sister: Fatima Robinson Little Albert: Aakomon Jones Tru-Tone: Bernard Fowler Tru-Tone: Anwar Burton Tru-Tone: Tyrell Washington Dave: Rory O’Malley Sweetheart: Laura Bell Bundy Sweetheart: Anne Elizabeth Warren David Bennett: Ivar Brogger Jimmy’s Piano Player: Daren A. Herbert Elvis Kelly: Jocko Sims Rhonda: Pam Trotter Janice: Cleo King Club Manager: Eddie Mekka Case Worker: Alejandro Furth TV Reporter: Dilva Henry American Bandstand Producer: Vince Grant Nicky Cassaro: Robert Cicchini TV Director: Thomas Crawford Carl: Charles Jones Technical Director: Robert Curtis Brown Tania Williams: Stephanie Owens Man with Gun: Gilbert Glenn Brown Stagehand: Marty Ryan Detroit Reporter: Michael Villani Chicago Deejay: Gregg Berger L.A. Deejay: Daniel Riordan Photographer: David James Promo Film Narrator (voice): Paul Kirby Security Guard: Derick Alexander Curtis’ Secretary: Yvette Nicole Brown Go-Go Dancer: Nancy Anderson Go-Go Dancer: Joelle Cosentino Go-Go Dancer: Lisa Eaton Go-Go Dancer: Clare Kutsko Go-Go Dancer: Tracy Phillips Go-Go Dancer: Kelleia Sheerin Campbell Connection Dancer: Mykel Brooks Campbell Connection Dancer: Johnny Erasme Campbell Connection Dancer: Cory Graves Campbell Connection Dancer: J.R. Taylor Bad Side Dancer: Corinthea Henderson Bad Side Dancer: Craig Hollamon Bad Side Dancer: Reginald Jackson Bad Side Dancer: Chuck Maldonado Bad Side Dancer: Anthony Rue II Bad Side Dancer: John Silver Bad Side Dancer: Larry Sims Bad Side Dancer: Black Thomas Bad Side Dancer: Kevin Wilson Bad Side Dancer: Adrian Wiltshire Bad Side Dancer: Earl Wright Bad Side Dancer: Russell “Goofy” Wright Disco Dancer: Dominic Chaiduang Disco Dancer: Jose Cueva Disco Dancer: Omhmar Griffin Disco Dancer: Sky Hoffmann Disco Dancer: Trevor Lopez-Daggett Disco Dancer: Leo Moctezuma Disco Dancer: Gabriel Paige Disco Dancer: Terrance Spencer Disco Dancer: Tony Testa Disco Dancer: Quinton Weathers Disco Dancer: Jull Weber Disco Dancer: Marcel Wilson Jimmy’s Band: Stevie Ray Anthony Jimmy’s Band: Matthew Dickens Jimmy’s Band: Jerohn Garnett Jimmy’s Band: Mario Mosley Jimmy’s Band: Jimmy R.O. Smith Film Crew: Casting: Debra Zane Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh Executive Producer: Patricia Whitcher Producer: David Geffen Foley Artist: Catherine Harper Foley Artist: Christopher Moriana Producer: Laurence Mark Director: Bill Condon Musical: Tom Eyen Director of Photography: Tobias A. Schliessler Editor: Virginia Katz Original Music Composer: Henry Krieger Production Design: John Myhre Costume Design: Sharen Davis Digital Intermediate: Stefan Sonnenfeld Dialogue Editor: Kimberly Lowe Voigt Sound Effects Editor: George Simpson Stunts: Dick Ziker Makeup Artist: Judy Murdock Stunts: John Cenatiempo Second Unit Director of Photography: Dino Parks Assistant Costume Designer: Lizz Wolf First Assistant Editor: Ian Slater Casting Associate: Jeremy Rich Casting Associate: Tannis Vallely Music Arranger: Harvey Mason Gaffer: Newton TerMeer Assistant Art Director: Jann K. Engel Costume Supervisor: Elaine Ramires Sound Effects Editor: Donald Flick Script Supervisor: Carolyn Tolley Choreographer: Aakomon Jones Camer...

[intergaylacticsims]

Brooke: So I got a letter from Willow Creek University yesterday.

Skylar: I got in?!?

Brooke: Course you did! I can’t think of any university who’d turn you down.

Skylar: Yes!!! Thank you Mama!

Brooke: Oh, this was all you, sweetie. You deserve it.

[itgirlmind]

｡ﾟﾟ･｡･ﾟﾟ｡ ﾟ。 𝒾𝓉 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁 𝓂𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒶 　ﾟ･｡･ﾟ

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Oh, the Internet. A myriad of a million hyperlinks, videos, and social media platforms barraging us with contradicting advice from every single angle...and here I am to throw some more in your lap! Below are a handful of online blogs, Youtube channels, and Spotify podcasts that I myself love and live by. Truthfully, I did plan on adding a list of self help novels that transformed me into moi but....there's just far too many. Perhaps another time, my darlings! I sincerely hope that the media I've included here resonate with you and allow you to step into your highest self. Enjoy!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ blogs

La Vie En Rose Diaries by Blair Natalia

Blogpost of Choice: Why I’m Treating Myself like the Princess I Deserve to Be ♡

The It-Girl Diaries by Lydia

Blogpost of Choice: Becoming Your Own Version Of 'That Girl'

The Skinny Confidential by Lauryn Bosstick

Blogpost of Choice: How to Remove Toxicity From Your Mind And Body

Aria Kaiser by Aria Kaiser

Blogpost of Choice: Lets Talk Food

The It Girl Guide (TIGG) by Sky Haarsma

Blogpost of Choice: Our It-Girl Essentials

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ podcasts

Early Call Her Daddy episodes

Sofia With An F by Sofia Franklyn

Busy, Yet Pretty by Jadyn Hailey

The Wellness Cafe by Trinity Tondeleir

The Skinny Confidential by The Skinny Confidential

The Balanced Blonde by Jordan Younger

The Blonde Files by Arielle Lorre

Already Friends by Allison Wetig and Ceara Kirkpatrick

Middle Ground by Jo Johnson and Caroline Stelte

Crying In Public by Sydni and Sarah

The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes

The Tony Robbins Podcast by Tony Robbins

Trying Not To Care by Ashley Corbo

For You From Eve by Olivia Eve Shabo

Unf*ck Your Brain by Kara Loewentheil

The Psychology Of Your 20's by Jenna Sbeg

Habits Of A Goddess (Affirmations)

The goop Podcast by Goop Inc.

Almost 30 by Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik

Guide Me Glow by Shannon Tang

Girls with Goals by AnnCatherine and Caroline

Hot Girl Energy by Kaylie Stewart

The Bossbabe Podcast by Natalie Ellis and Danielle Canty

Girlboss Radio by Puno

Gals On The Go by Danielle Carolan and Brooke Miccio

Girls That Invest by Sim and Sonya

Her First $100K by Tori Dunlap

Victoria's Thoughts by Victoria de Vall

Breaking Beauty by Jill and Carlene

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ youtube channels

Alay Bowker x Give Me Glow ; vlogs, guides, and inspo

Alyse Parker; wellness, lifestyle, and spirituality

Claudia Sulewski; vlogs, style inspo, lifestyle

dear peachie; beauty, makeup tutorials, makeup trends

Elena Taber; vlogs, lifestyle, and travel

Emma MacDonald; vlogs, hauls, and modeling

Eva Meloche; vlogs, lifestyle, organization inspo

Maddie Lymburner; meals, workouts, lifestyle inspo

MadFit; every type of workout for every type of fitness journey

Makayla Merie; vlogs, workout attire, lifestyle inspo

Meghan Livingstone; holistic nutrition, gut health, meal inspo

Romee Strijd; VS angel turned vlogger

The Skinny Confidential; recipes, girl talk, and wellness

Thewizardliz; the queen of having an "it girl mindset"

Yoga With Adriene; yoga for everybody!

Much love, Auden♡

[dizzyduck44]

I found some cute CarLando content I didn’t know this week.

I’m rewatching F1 races and pre Covid Sky Sports used to do an early Saturday morning programme where they used to walk the paddock before it got busy with sponsors and guests etc

So at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix, McLaren still had their spectacular 3 storey branding centre, which had a sim rig on the ground floor, right in the window.

Rachel Brookes and Karun Chandhok commented that Carlos, Lando and Caco (Carlos’ cousin) had been on that rig playing all Thursday afternoon. Apparently they had been seen there by various members of the Sky team from 12.30-4.30 continuously until someone came to get them to do press.

The Sky Sports team had joked it was like putting toddlers in front of a “digital babysitter”. It was one of the first times they commented how unusual it was to see teammates do that.

[posi-pan]

books with pansexual or panromantic rep that came out in 2020

Case of the Bull Doggish (Unleashed #9) by Erik Schubach

The King Trials (Chronicles of Wehlmir #1) by D.L. Sims

Life Minus Me (Evanstar Chronicles #0.5) by Sara Codair

Vindicta (Temper #4) by Lila Mina

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

American Sweethearts (Dreamers #4) by Adriana Herrera

A Pale Light in the Black (NeoG #1) by K.B. Wagers

From the Dark We Came by J. Emery

Peacemaker (Dalí Tamareia #2) by E.M. Hamill

Roots of Corruption (Wilde Investigations #3) by Laura Lassko

Cadence and the Pearl by K.L. Noone

Case of the Dalmatian Salvation (Unleashed #10) by Erik Schubach

Change of Momentum (Fleet of Malik #2) by Liana Brooks

Natural Exposure (Bijou Basin #1) by Koriana Brackson

Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan

All or None (Star Stories #1) by Aurora Lee Thornton

Catalogue of Disaster by Amy-Alex Campbell

The Fire in My Blood by Chapel Orahamm

Seraphim (The Seventh Day #1) by Leslie Swartz

Wonderland (London Trilogy #3) by Juno Dawson

Blood and Mercy (Reforged #4) by V.S. Holmes

Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride (Cute Mutants #1) by SJ Whitby

Night Owls and Summer Skies by Rebecca Sullivan 

The Unconquered City (The Chronicles of Ghadid #3) by K.A. Doore 

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows (Feminine Pursuits #2) by Olivia Waite

The Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig

High Heat (Hotshots #2) by Annabeth Albert

Loveless by Alice Oseman

The Painted Phoenix by Sarah Kay Moll

Cherrington Academy by Rebecca J. Caffery

The First Sister (The First Sister Trilogy #1) by Linden A. Lewis

Gemini Dreams by Philip Zander

Museum of Starving Things by John Cordial

Seaworthy (Character Bleed #1) by K.L. Noone

Whispering Wildwood by Emma Sterner-Radley

Case of the Irish Sitter (Unleashed #11) by Erik Schubach

Crownchasers (Crownchasers #1) by Rebecca Coffindaffer

Hey Jude by Star Spider

The Love Study by Kris Ripper

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore

The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker by Lauren James

Stalwart (Character Bleed #2) by K.L. Noone

Wayward Witch (Brooklyn Bujas #3) by Zoraida Córdova

The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life by Dani Jansen

The Archive of the Forgotten (Hell's Library #2) by A.J. Hackwith

The Country Village Christmas Show by Cathy Lake

Cute Mutants Vol 2: Young, Gifted & Queer (Cute Mutants #2) by SJ Whitby

Full Moon in Leo by Brooklyn Ray

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Steadfast (Character Bleed #3) by K.L. Noone

Knock Me Down (Love at Knockdown #0.5) by Skye Kilaen 

The Liar's Guide to the Night Sky by Brianna Shrum

Restricted (The Verge #1) by A.C. Thomas

Daughter of the Moon (Tales of Inthya #5) by Effie Calvin

Cute Mutants Vol 3: The Demon Queer Saga (Cute Mutants #3) by SJ Whitby

Get It Right (Love at Knockdown #1) by Skye Kilaen

[theskywaslookingback]

hey ignore that last thing i wrote and then deleted this version is way better and also maybe something i’ll work on who knows, thanks anon sorry i deleted your ask but this one is way better.

The sun shines down, spilling dappled sunlight through the leaves across twigs and rocks splotches with patches of soft, damp moss. There’s birdsong carried on the soft, late summer air, drifting in and out alongside the burble of a nearby brook and chorus of frogs. A twig snaps under a clumsy, uneven gait and Jonathan Sims grumbles as he readjusts his pack where it rests heavily against his sore shoulders, swatting a tree branch out of the way as he crashes through the underbrush. He follows an underused path through the forest, one rarely trekked except for those brave enough, or desperate enough to take it.

Follow the three hills rise along the rush of the rising current, right at the elm which houses the witch’s heart, and make way past the bloody-

A rabbit darts out the way of his thundering path, it’s back paws skittering amongst the dead leaves and dirt. Jon kicks a pebble and swats at another tree branch, narrowing his eyes in search of whatever stupid landmark the locals had deemed spooky enough to mark the path toward the witch’s cottage.

Over the hills near the brook, right at the wych elm, and--

There's a large boulder, moss crawling up the side of it like a coat, a ring of mushrooms near the very base. 

Jon is very careful not to step near the mushrooms.

Now where…

The path, though Jon finds that an ill-fitting term as there was nothing that clearly defined the way he’d walked as any such thing, seemed to split in two different directions. There was a little more well defined trail on the side opposite the faerie ring, but Jon couldn’t remember exactly which way he was supposed to go. The old man who’d been the only one willing to give him directions had been infuriatingly vague and cryptic about the whole thing.

If I were a creepy magic witch that lived in the forest, where would I be?

Jon huffed and struck down the path that seemed the least used, giving the faerie ring a wide berth. It wasn’t that he believed in faeries, but, well...he’d already tested his luck as far as the supernatural went and that had gone very poorly. Jon was in no mood to test his luck again.

He huffed and struggled his way past twisting trees and bramble bushes, catching and nicking the sleeve of the large jumper he was wearing. He cursed, pulling himself free. The sweltering heat does nothing to assuage his boiling temper, clothed as he is in the biggest jumper he could find and a scarf despite it being well into August. He tries not to think about it so much, despite the itch of it against his skin and the choking heat.

Soon, he tries to tell himself, soon.

It’s almost night by the time Jon stumbles upon the cottage, all dark stone and black roofed. A wrought iron gate surrounds the property, flanked on both sides by enormous rose bushes too immense not to be magic themselves. Just inside the gate sits a little garden, full of greenery and flowers that remind Jon of things like foxglove and wormwood. The shutters, dark stained wood, are closed to give the impression of one not being home. The smoke curling gently from the chimney leaves little doubt, however, as to if the abode is occupied. Jon imagines a cauldron bubbling over a fire, full of toads eyes and newts tongues, and shivers despite the heat.

In the distance an owl hoots. Jon can no longer hear the clamour of foxes and rabbits in the brush, or toads singing their low songs in the distance. Now, faced with the end of his journey, Jon hesitates. His hand is just shy of the gate, though he can’t make himself open it. It would be rude, wouldn’t it, to go up and knock at this late hour. The sun is just barely peeking itself above the horizon now, the moon bright and full up in the sky. 

He’ll come back in the morning, he decides. 

He’ll find a place to make his little camp and come back. 

He will.

He just has to move, first.

Jon is mid discussion with his limbs, reminding them how to function again, when the door to the cottage swings open. 

Light spills out from inside the home and a man steps out, giving him a puzzled look. 

“What are you doing out here?” He asks. 

He’s- He is the most beautiful man Jon has ever seen in his life. Long black hair pulled back away from his face, pale grey eyes, and small tattoos across his knuckles and the base of his neck. “I- I-” Jon swallows, floundering, “that is to say, um-”

The man raises an eyebrow, and honestly he’s so beautiful it’s unfair.

Jon takes a deep breath. He’s practiced this. He can do this. 

“My name is Jonathan Sims and I came here looking for help. A witch has put a curse on me and I heard you could help reverse it.”

“Where did you hear that?”

Jon opens his mouth. Closes it. “In...town? Are you-- are you the witch that lives in the woods?”

The man stares at him for a long moment before cracking into a grin. He looks like he’s smothering down a laugh. “Oh, you’ll be wanting Martin then. Easy mistake.”

“Wh-what?” 

The man flaps a hand in the direction Jon  came from. “He’s my neighbor. You’re probably, oh, the third or fourth person this month that’s missed him. It’s getting a bit late, though-”

“I know, I-I’m sorry,” Jon says, “I was going to find a place to make camp, I- thank you. I’ll just-”

“Nonsense,” The man makes a vague gesture toward Jon, “you can stay here tonight. I’ll walk you over to Martin’s in the morning.”

“Oh, I-I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“I don’t mind. I don’t get visitors too often.”

Jon hesitates at the gate a moment longer, before lifting the latch and letting himself through.

The man smiles and offers him a hand, which Jon takes carefully so that the man’s fingers wrap mostly around the fabric of his jumper. The man’s hands are lovely, a bit rough and calloused but slender and strong. “Gerry,” The man says, which Jon assumes is his name.

“Thank you, Gerry.” 

“Of course, Jon.” Gerry says warmly, “Though, a bit of friendly advice? You might be a bit more careful about giving your name away to just anyone in these woods.”

“Ah-”

Gerry steps back, an odd light in his eyes, and lets Jon enter the cottage.

[scarlettroubles]

OLYMPIAN AESTHETICS

thank you for tagging me @cursebreakerfarrier​

tagging @hogwartsmystory​ @neonbluewaves​ @rosievixen​ and @hphm-brooke​ sorry if u guys already got tagged and no pressure to do these if you don’t want to!

Eileen Ryder

APHRODITE. laughter-loving | sweet smiles | dressed in silk and satin | flower in their hair | thrives on attention | sees the world as a runway | unapologetically sexual (she's horny but she'll never admit it) | the sea washing their ankles | in love with love | stirrer of passion | cunning concealed by painted lips | secret daggers | doves | revolution in their kiss | delighting in the waves | flirtatious winks | strolling along the beach | staring wistfully from a balcony  | this is how to be a heartbreaker | your girlfriend SO thinks they’re attractive | wants to be adored | gets turned on by danger

APOLLO. glitz and glamour | art galleries | turning the volume up | being made of gold | neatly-organized music sheets | notebooks filled with poetry | bathing in the sunlight | the powerful urge to create | collecting vinyl records | beautiful cover of wonderwall | playing multiple instruments | tasting like sunshine | healing touch | speaking in prophecies | smile mingled wrath | shunning lies | sporting shades | hanging out at music festivals with their friends | sleeps naked | arrow to the heart | paint brushes | probably has a Tinder account 

ARES. armed for battle | wants to raise a dog with their significant other |  soft spot for children | gives piggyback rides | scarred body | blood on their hands and face | willing to fight the world for the ones they love | fights against injustice | warm hugs | well-worn combat boots | boxing gloves | bandages wrapped around bruised knuckles | fist raised in protest |  ignites revolutions | fear is a prison | more sensitive than what their tough shell will make you think | exhausted | post redacted Believes himself to be damaged goods | force to be reckoned with | red roses | curses under their breath

ARTEMIS. keen sense of a hunter | freckles like constellations on their skin | piercing eyes | dishevelled braid | moonlight peeking through the shadows | the calm of the forest at night | lying on the grass and staring at the stars | mother doe and her fawn | protecting their kin | the moon shimmering on a still lake | quiver full of arrows resting against the bark of a tree | running with wolves | bonding while circled around a campfire | not being much of a people person | arrow hitting a target | popping egos | patience on 3% | touches heaven and returns howling

ATHENA. discerning gaze | unreadable face | the patience of a lifelong teacher | quiet museums | owl perched on their finger | armour that intimidates | eye for architecture | plays the sims for the sole purpose of building houses | studied the blade while everyone else was busy getting laid | big fan of logic | loves brain teasers | go-getter | balls of wool displayed on shelves | ancient buildings | sweaters in neutrals and cool colors | hair done up | can kill you with their brain | heads to the library often to research | sharpened pencils | abs that can cut steel | stoic statues | pottery classes

DEMETER. soil-covered hands | smile that can bloom flowers | skin loved by the sun | being the mom-friend | can lift you and your friends | flowers kept in the pockets of overalls | takes pride in their beautiful garden | speaks to their plants | leaves rustling in the wind | stalks of wheat | picking fruit | greenhouses |  heart as strong as a mountain  | values simplicity | daisies dotted across a collarbone | curls crowned with flowers | folded pile of sweaters in warm hues | pulling out fresh-baked bread out of the oven and the smell wafting through the air

DIONYSUS. drunk shitposter |  on their sixth glass of wine before you’ve even finished your second | seductive smirks | untamed curls | rich fabrics on dark skin | sleek-furred panthers | theater masks | stage productions | receiving a standing ovation  | rose caught between their teeth | being the baby of the bunch | wild parties that last from sundown to sunup | creeping vines |  inspiring loyalty | grand opera houses | masquerade balls | rolls of film | shattered chandeliers with broken glass scattered across the wine-spilled floor | pouring champagne into flutes | lives for the applause

HEPHAESTUS. the calloused hands of someone who knows labor  | sweaty brow | flame burning in their eyes |  inventive mind | broad shoulders | steampunk goggles | nuts and bolts stored away in little boxes |  ashes | striking a match | blueprints for future projects | fixing up a busted up car and giving it cool upgrades |  wrestles with bitterness | work boots have seen better years | wrinkled plaid shirts | iron melted in blazing fire |  huge jackets  | crafting masterpieces | greased-stained overalls | fascination with robotics |  pain is fuel | stack of weaponry  | even their muscles have muscles

HERA. resting bitch face | dressed to the nines | cows grazing on a pasture | cool rain |  loving and hating fiercely  | hand clutching a string of pearls | large chandelier with glittering crystals | plays the sims for the sole purpose of killing off their sims | romance to realism | pictures of the sky while flying on a plane | files that under ‘fuck it’  | downs glasses of wine as they relax with a scented bubble bath and netflix | like their selfie or you’re grounded |  knows 57 convenient ways to murder a man | eyes that penetrate your soul  | marble and gold

HERMES. devil-may-care smile | ink-stained hands | always up-to-date on the latest technology | will steal your french fries | does it for the vine | shitposter | puts googly eyes on everything | meme hoarder | long drives on the highway  | ma and pop diners |  spontaneous road trips | folded maps | fingers dancing across the keyboard of a laptop | shooting hoops on the basketball court | chatting up strangers as you all journey to your own destinations | goes jogging in the morning |  mixes redbull with coffee  | menace on april fool’s | hoodies and sneakers

POSEIDON. storm with skin  | colourful coral reefs | waves crashing against the shore | the sea casting its spell | stroking the soft fur of a cat | their heart pounding as their horse’s gentle trot speeds into a gallop | tousled locks | clothes smeared with paint | owns several sketchbooks yet always yearns for more |  leather jackets  | fondness for diy projects | handwriting that flows across the page | nimble fingers playing the strings of a violin | velvety singing voice that haunts your dreams |  mood as ever-changing as the sea | the roar of a motorcycle | compass with a spinning arrow.

ZEUS. thunder in their heart | running on coffee | flash of lightning | natural charisma |  eloquence | badass in a nice suit | aficionado of history | force of nature | lenny face |  pretends they don’t have feelings but they do | nightmare-filled nights | proud arm around their lover’s waist  | high-rise buildings | planes soaring through a cloudless sky | technician on the piano | maintains order | strong handshake | juggling multiple events on their busy schedule with ease | most likely to be voted class president out of their peers | expensive watch

Finnegan Bradigan

APHRODITE. laughter-loving | sweet smiles | dressed in silk and satin | flower in their hair | thrives on attention | sees the world as a runway | unapologetically sexual  | the sea washing their ankles | in love with love | stirrer of passion | cunning concealed by painted lips | secret daggers | doves | revolution in their kiss | delighting in the waves | flirtatious winks | strolling along the beach | staring wistfully from a balcony  | this is how to be a heartbreaker | your girlfriend SO thinks they’re attractive | wants to be adored | gets turned on by danger 

APOLLO. glitz and glamour | art galleries | turning the volume up | being made of gold | neatly-organized music sheets | notebooks filled with poetry | bathing in the sunlight | the powerful urge to create | collecting vinyl records | beautiful cover of wonderwall | playing multiple instruments | tasting like sunshine | healing touch | speaking in prophecies | smile mingled wrath | shunning lies | sporting shades | hanging out at music festivals with their friends | sleeps naked | arrow to the heart | paint brushes | probably has a Tinder account  

ARES. armed for battle | wants to raise a dog with their significant other |  soft spot for children | gives piggyback rides | scarred body | blood on their hands and face | willing to fight the world for the ones they love | fights against injustice | warm hugs | well-worn combat boots | boxing gloves | bandages wrapped around bruised knuckles | fist raised in protest |  ignites revolutions | fear is a prison | more sensitive than what their tough shell will make you think | exhausted | post redacted Believes himself to be damaged goods | force to be reckoned with | red roses | curses under their breath 

ARTEMIS. keen sense of a hunter | freckles like constellations on their skin | piercing eyes | dishevelled braid | moonlight peeking through the shadows | the calm of the forest at night | lying on the grass and staring at the stars | mother doe and her fawn | protecting their kin | the moon shimmering on a still lake | quiver full of arrows resting against the bark of a tree | running with wolves | bonding while circled around a campfire | not being much of a people person | arrow hitting a target | popping egos | patience on 3% | touches heaven and returns howling 

ATHENA. discerning gaze | unreadable face | the patience of a lifelong teacher | quiet museums | owl perched on their finger | armour that intimidates | eye for architecture | plays the sims for the sole purpose of building houses | studied the blade while everyone else was busy getting laid | big fan of logic | loves brain teasers | go-getter | balls of wool displayed on shelves | ancient buildings | sweaters in neutrals and cool colors | hair done up | can kill you with their brain | heads to the library often to research | sharpened pencils | abs that can cut steel | stoic statues | pottery classes 

DEMETER. soil-covered hands | smile that can bloom flowers | skin loved by the sun | being the mom-friend | can lift you and your friends | flowers kept in the pockets of overalls | takes pride in their beautiful garden | speaks to their plants | leaves rustling in the wind | stalks of wheat | picking fruit | greenhouses |  heart as strong as a mountain  | values simplicity | daisies dotted across a collarbone | curls crowned with flowers | folded pile of sweaters in warm hues | pulling out fresh-baked bread out of the oven and the smell wafting through the air 

DIONYSUS. drunk shitposter |  on their sixth glass of wine before you’ve even finished your second | seductive smirks | untamed curls | rich fabrics on dark skin | sleek-furred panthers | theater masks | stage productions | receiving a standing ovation  | rose caught between their teeth | being the baby of the bunch | wild parties that last from sundown to sunup | creeping vines |  inspiring loyalty | grand opera houses | masquerade balls | rolls of film | shattered chandeliers with broken glass scattered across the wine-spilled floor | pouring champagne into flutes | lives for the applause 

HEPHAESTUS. the calloused hands of someone who knows labor  | sweaty brow | flame burning in their eyes |  inventive mind | broad shoulders | steampunk goggles | nuts and bolts stored away in little boxes |  ashes | striking a match | blueprints for future projects | fixing up a busted up car and giving it cool upgrades |  wrestles with bitterness | work boots have seen better years | wrinkled plaid shirts | iron melted in blazing fire |  huge jackets  | crafting masterpieces | greased-stained overalls | fascination with robotics |  pain is fuel | stack of weaponry  | even their muscles have muscles 

HERA. resting bitch face | dressed to the nines | cows grazing on a pasture | cool rain |  loving and hating fiercely  | hand clutching a string of pearls | large chandelier with glittering crystals | plays the sims for the sole purpose of killing off their sims | romance to realism | pictures of the sky while flying on a plane | files that under ‘fuck it’  | downs glasses of wine as they relax with a scented bubble bath and netflix | like their selfie or you’re grounded |  knows 57 convenient ways to murder a man | eyes that penetrate your soul  | marble and gold 

HERMES. devil-may-care smile | ink-stained hands | always up-to-date on the latest technology | will steal your french fries | does it for the vine | shitposter | puts googly eyes on everything | meme hoarder | long drives on the highway  | ma and pop diners |  spontaneous road trips | folded maps | fingers dancing across the keyboard of a laptop | shooting hoops on the basketball court | chatting up strangers as you all journey to your own destinations | goes jogging in the morning |  mixes redbull with coffee  | menace on april fool’s | hoodies and sneakers 

POSEIDON. storm with skin  | colourful coral reefs | waves crashing against the shore | the sea casting its spell | stroking the soft fur of a cat | their heart pounding as their horse’s gentle trot speeds into a gallop | tousled locks | clothes smeared with paint | owns several sketchbooks yet always yearns for more |  leather jackets  | fondness for diy projects | handwriting that flows across the page | nimble fingers playing the strings of a violin | velvety singing voice that haunts your dreams |  mood as ever-changing as the sea | the roar of a motorcycle | compass with a spinning arrow. 

ZEUS. thunder in their heart | running on coffee | flash of lightning | natural charisma |  eloquence | badass in a nice suit | aficionado of history | force of nature | lenny face |  pretends they don’t have feelings but they do | nightmare-filled nights | proud arm around their lover’s waist  | high-rise buildings | planes soaring through a cloudless sky | technician on the piano | maintains order | strong handshake | juggling multiple events on their busy schedule with ease | most likely to be voted class president out of their peers | expensive watch 

Augustus Hawthorne

APHRODITE. laughter-loving | sweet smiles | dressed in silk and satin | flower in their hair | thrives on attention | sees the world as a runway | unapologetically sexual  | the sea washing their ankles | in love with love | stirrer of passion | cunning concealed by painted lips | secret daggers | doves | revolution in their kiss | delighting in the waves | flirtatious winks | strolling along the beach | staring wistfully from a balcony  | this is how to be a heartbreaker | your girlfriend SO thinks they’re attractive | wants to be adored | gets turned on by danger

APOLLO. glitz and glamour | art galleries | turning the volume up | being made of gold | neatly-organized music sheets | notebooks filled with poetry | bathing in the sunlight | the powerful urge to create | collecting vinyl records | beautiful cover of wonderwall | playing multiple instruments | tasting like sunshine | healing touch | speaking in prophecies | smile mingled wrath | shunning lies | sporting shades | hanging out at music festivals with their friends | sleeps naked | arrow to the heart | paint brushes | probably has a Tinder account  

ARES. armed for battle | wants to raise a dog with their significant other |  soft spot for children | gives piggyback rides | scarred body | blood on their hands and face | willing to fight the world for the ones they love | fights against injustice | warm hugs | well-worn combat boots | boxing gloves | bandages wrapped around bruised knuckles | fist raised in protest |  ignites revolutions | fear is a prison | more sensitive than what their tough shell will make you think | exhausted | post redacted Believes himself to be damaged goods | force to be reckoned with | red roses | curses under their breath

ARTEMIS. keen sense of a hunter | freckles like constellations on their skin | piercing eyes | dishevelled braid | moonlight peeking through the shadows | the calm of the forest at night | lying on the grass and staring at the stars | mother doe and her fawn | protecting their kin | the moon shimmering on a still lake | quiver full of arrows resting against the bark of a tree | running with wolves | bonding while circled around a campfire | not being much of a people person | arrow hitting a target | popping egos | patience on 3% | touches heaven and returns howling

ATHENA. discerning gaze | unreadable face | the patience of a lifelong teacher | quiet museums | owl perched on their finger | armour that intimidates | eye for architecture | plays the sims for the sole purpose of building houses | studied the blade while everyone else was busy getting laid | big fan of logic | loves brain teasers | go-getter | balls of wool displayed on shelves | ancient buildings | sweaters in neutrals and cool colors | hair done up | can kill you with their brain | heads to the library often to research | sharpened pencils | abs that can cut steel | stoic statues | pottery classes

DEMETER. soil-covered hands | smile that can bloom flowers | skin loved by the sun | being the mom-friend | can lift you and your friends | flowers kept in the pockets of overalls | takes pride in their beautiful garden | speaks to their plants | leaves rustling in the wind | stalks of wheat | picking fruit | greenhouses |  heart as strong as a mountain  | values simplicity | daisies dotted across a collarbone | curls crowned with flowers | folded pile of sweaters in warm hues | pulling out fresh-baked bread out of the oven and the smell wafting through the air

DIONYSUS. drunk shitposter |  on their sixth glass of wine before you’ve even finished your second | seductive smirks | untamed curls | rich fabrics on dark skin | sleek-furred panthers | theater masks | stage productions | receiving a standing ovation  | rose caught between their teeth | being the baby of the bunch | wild parties that last from sundown to sunup | creeping vines |  inspiring loyalty | grand opera houses | masquerade balls | rolls of film | shattered chandeliers with broken glass scattered across the wine-spilled floor | pouring champagne into flutes | lives for the applause

HEPHAESTUS. the calloused hands of someone who knows labor  | sweaty brow | flame burning in their eyes |  inventive mind | broad shoulders | steampunk goggles | nuts and bolts stored away in little boxes |  ashes | striking a match | blueprints for future projects | fixing up a busted up car and giving it cool upgrades |  wrestles with bitterness | work boots have seen better years | wrinkled plaid shirts | iron melted in blazing fire |  huge jackets  | crafting masterpieces | greased-stained overalls | fascination with robotics |  pain is fuel | stack of weaponry  | even their muscles have muscles

HERA. resting bitch face | dressed to the nines | cows grazing on a pasture | cool rain |  loving and hating fiercely  | hand clutching a string of pearls | large chandelier with glittering crystals | plays the sims for the sole purpose of killing off their sims | romance to realism | pictures of the sky while flying on a plane | files that under ‘fuck it’  | downs glasses of wine as they relax with a scented bubble bath and netflix | like their selfie or you’re grounded |  knows 57 convenient ways to murder a man | eyes that penetrate your soul  | marble and gold

HERMES. devil-may-care smile | ink-stained hands | always up-to-date on the latest technology | will steal your french fries | does it for the vine | shitposter | puts googly eyes on everything | meme hoarder | long drives on the highway  | ma and pop diners |  spontaneous road trips | folded maps | fingers dancing across the keyboard of a laptop | shooting hoops on the basketball court | chatting up strangers as you all journey to your own destinations | goes jogging in the morning |  mixes redbull with coffee  | menace on april fool’s | hoodies and sneakers

POSEIDON. storm with skin  | colourful coral reefs | waves crashing against the shore | the sea casting its spell | stroking the soft fur of a cat | their heart pounding as their horse’s gentle trot speeds into a gallop | tousled locks | clothes smeared with paint | owns several sketchbooks yet always yearns for more |  leather jackets  | fondness for diy projects | handwriting that flows across the page | nimble fingers playing the strings of a violin | velvety singing voice that haunts your dreams |  mood as ever-changing as the sea | the roar of a motorcycle | compass with a spinning arrow.

ZEUS. thunder in their heart | running on coffee | flash of lightning | natural charisma |  eloquence | badass in a nice suit | aficionado of history | force of nature | lenny face |  pretends they don’t have feelings but they do | nightmare-filled nights | proud arm around their lover’s waist  | high-rise buildings | planes soaring through a cloudless sky | technician on the piano | maintains order | strong handshake | juggling multiple events on their busy schedule with ease | most likely to be voted class president out of their peers | expensive watch

[kawamaru]

Time for some more The Sims 4 Legacy Challenge sims with Warrior Cats names & designs! Here’s the previous post!

Muratin Marja certainly messed up the family tree by hooking up with two guys and making six children - I’m never gonna do that again. Currently Puun Varjo and Auringon Säde have two toddlers (who will get their final designs when they become adults, hence they’re not added into the family tree just yet) and their relationship is already in the ruins.

(I’ve added translations for names in captions, but I’m not certain the new Tumblr will show them in the dashboard - you should be able to read them if you view this post in my blog!)

[msjr0119]

One Shot

Come Home

Congratulations to @ravenpuff02 - 💯 followers, YOU GO GIRL! 🙌🏼

I decided to do one of the prompts that you asked for- we both had the same idea about who would be suitable for this prompt 🤣

Book: The Royal Romance - based around the beginning of the second book.

Characters: Drake Walker, Riley Brooks, Maxwell Beaumont, Bertrand Beaumont (mentioned), Liam Rhys (mentioned) - *All characters belong to Pixelberry*

HIMYM Prompt: “Hey baby, it’s me. Can you bail me out of jail? I thought I saw big foot in Central Park so I tackled him. But it turned out to be Russell Brand.”

Word Count: 2100ish

Warnings: fluff, slight smut, swearing, bit of comedy, drama nope sorry not this time 🤣

Tags: @pedudley @kacie-0156 @loveellamae @annekebbphotography @kingliam2019 @bascmve01 @yukinagato2012 @i-bloody-love-drake-walker @queenjilian @texaskitten30 @kimmiedoo5 @axwalker @lodberg @rafasgirl23415 @cordonianroyalty @burnsoslow @desireepow-1986 @rainbowsinthestorm @hopefulmoonobject @cmestrella @nikkis1983 @ladyangel70

*****

Drake arrived in New York City, debating whether or not he would prefer to be here or on the engagement tour. Not knowing how she would react to his unexpected visit. That was if he could locate her. Not knowing if he would succeed in bringing her back to Cordonia. After all the Beaumont’s failed, when she was abruptly dragged out of the palace at the Coronation Ball. Thinking back to Maxwell’s words before he left for the airport- he felt like a failure. Not supporting his best friend during the most possible worse time of his life. Being engaged to Madeleine Amaranth- Countess of Fydelia. Or the worlds most; cruel, manipulative, snarky bitch within court- as Drake and others would describe her. To put her in a positive view, she was ambitious- which was an advantage for a future Queen. But Liam, hell anyone would deserve a chance at love rather than be forced to be with her.

“Hey dude. I’ve been thinking. You know because you’re like a nobody.. no one will notice that you’re not on tour. Why don’t you go to New York and try and get little blossom to return.” Fucking nobody, cheers for reminding me Beaumont!

“Liam needs me more now than ever. Brooks chose to not return. If her sponsors couldn’t persuade her to stay, I’ve got no chance.”

“We all need little blossom here. This is where she belongs. What ya say? I’ll tell Liam where you are, he will be forever grateful.” Providing Drake with puppy eyes, he couldn’t be bothered with Maxwell pestering him. Taking the risk, he packed a bag and headed to the airport. What’s the worse that could happen? He thought to himself.

Being back in the Big Apple brought back memories of Liam’s ‘bachelor’ party- the night that they had met her. Riley Brooks. The girl who had stolen everybody’s heart in an instant. Drake, as well as everybody else assumed that she would have been chosen as Liam’s choice at the end of his social season. As much as it hurt Drake to believe this, he was happy for the two of them. However things never go to plan.

“I choose, Lady Madeleine.”

The Beaumont’s tried their best at the airport to convince her that everything would be fine. As much as it could be. That she had the support of everyone including, Liam. Even if it didn’t seem that way. When they arrived back to the palace without her, Liam’s and Drake’s hearts sunk. Both feeling that they had failed her.

****

After hours of sightseeing, Drake decided that now was the time to get his arse into gear- somehow, some way- he needed to find, Brooks. Avoiding ringing or texting her due to her safety, he decided to go back to where it all began. The Dive Bar. Neither Riley nor Daniel that was there that night was working. He was at lost cause. Having a few drinks, there was a slight bit of hope that Riley would be on the later shift. But she wasn’t. Deciding to return to the hotel via a stroll through Central Park, he considered if it would be a better idea to look for her the following day. If the worse came to the worse, he would go to a shop and buy a SIM card- hoping that she wasn’t one of those people who would ignore unknown numbers.

Sitting on a bench, he did what he did best in Cordonia- people watching. There was a few joggers, a few people just having a walk, young teenagers meeting up with their friends.

“What the fuck is that?” He murmured to himself, wondering if his drinks at the dive bar had been spiked. He could drink whiskey as if it was water. Hearing two young women scream as the figure approached them, Drake’s superman ability kicked in. Running over, he noticed that the figure that had startled the women, was bare footed and extremely hairy. Almost impersonating big foot. Hearing a grunt, Drake tackled it to the floor. Not knowing why.

“What the fuck, man?” Drake looked at the man, soon realisation hit him. It wasn’t ‘big foot’ as his crazy imagination believed.

“I’m so sorry....” seeing the man look at him with anger in his eyes, Drake panicked- thinking about how to calm the situation down.

“Cause baby you're a firework...Come on show 'em what your worth...Make 'em go Oh, oh, oh!...As you shoot across the sky-y-y..... I love your wife’s songs.”

“Mate, she’s my ex wife... the bobbies are here. Thank god.” Bobbies? What is he on about? Turning around he muttered to himself. Fuck.

****

“Okay Walker, you have one call. Make it worth your while.” Drake shook his head, it was a mistake. The NYPD was treating him like a piece of shit stuck on the end of their shoe, as if he was a common criminal. Blaming the jet lag for his inconsiderate actions, he had hoped that there was no press following him around from Cordonia. This is all Liam needs, I can just see the headlines now. “King Liam’s best friend, the commoner Drake Walker has been arrested for attacking the British actor and comedian Russell Brand, in New York City.” Dialling the number, he was praying that she was available to answer. If not he was unsure as to who to ring.

“Hello?” Hearing her voice, he was relieved that she had answered.

“Hey baby, it’s me. Can you bail me out of jail? I thought I saw big foot in Central Park so I tackled him. But it turned out to be Russell Brand. Before you say it, no I wasn’t drunk. Well, I had a few drinks. But we all fuck up at times.”

“Drake?” Pausing, she was unsure as to why she questioned who it was. She would recognise his voice anywhere.

“Yup. Are you gonna help me or what Brooks?”

“What are you doing here? Is this some practical joke?”

“I wish it was... listen... I’m tired as fuck. This is something that Maxwell would probably get himself in to. Please, Brooks. Bail me out, somehow.”

“Fine, but you and I need to talk. If and when they let you out.” Hanging up, he had faith in her. Or so he hoped.

****

The officers allowed Drake to come out of the cell the day after. They explained that the charges had been dropped unexpectedly- if he was to do anything like this again, they wouldn’t be so easy on him. Lucky. That was the word they described him as- especially as he did what he did to a celebrity.

“Hey, marshmallow.”

“You’re a sight for sore eyes.” Hugging her, he was grateful to be out- even if she took her time getting him out.

“Why did you call me baby?” Randomly asking this, he had forgotten calling her that.

“I... Erm... I wasn’t thinking. But now that you’re here... pack your bags. I’m taking you back to Cordonia. Liam needs you.”

“Liam needs me? Is he the only one that needs me?”

“You know how I feel about you, Brooks. But Liam deserves you. Cordonia deserves you.”

“But I don’t need or deserve them....”

“Listen, the scandal... we are all figuring it out. We are all clearing your name.. then you can be Queen. The rightful Queen.”

“I don’t care about being Queen! I love Liam. I do. But....”

“But what? No buts. Stop being so stubborn and pack your bags- come home. To your real home.”

“My home is where you are...”

“Well then, Cordonia it is... stop stalling. The longer we take the further in to the engagement tour it will be.”

“Will you just shut up?” Drake was taken aback by her tone of voice.

“Please, just shut up Drake. Jesus, what happened to the man who would throw out a few sarcastic comments then remain silent? During my time in Cordonia, I fell in love instantly. I was going to return, I just needed time to think - away from everyone...”

“Okay, well why didn’t Bertrand and Maxwell explain that then?”

“Because I pleaded with them not to. It’s going to be hard going back... not just because of the scandal. But because of this whole situation... I love you.”

“You... love me?” After their kiss in the Beaumont study and at the Coronation Ball, he just assumed that there were slight feelings from her end. He never expected for someone like her to love someone like him.

“Yes. I love you, my grumpy marshmallow.” Liam’s going to kill me. Kill us. Why can’t I be happy for once? No. I can’t betray Liam.

“I... Brooks... I love you too, Riley.” Desperate to kiss her, he held off from doing this straight away. Instead he pulled her towards his chest. Holding her tightly, he believed that his heart was skipping beats- finally he had a girl return his feelings. Kissing her on the forehead, he inhaled the sweet scent surrounding her. His inner thoughts were battling against each other- wondering what future they could have together. Would Liam actually hate them for falling for each other? Even though they had said those three words, deep down he still needed confirmation from Riley about what she wanted. How they were going to break their friends heart. Would they return to Cordonia? Or would they make a new life for themselves in the states?

“So what now? I don’t know what to do, Brooks. Liam’s going to kill me... Maxwell said he would explain where I was and what I was doing.”

Riley laughed, knowing full well that Maxwell wouldn’t have informed Liam of the truth. The full truth anyway.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Maxwell has told Liam that you are in Texas, with your Mom. It’s a good job that you rung me rather than Liam... At the airport before I boarded the flight, they came up with an arrangement, for me to come back once they had found Tariq.” Opening her mouth she was about to elaborate on the arrangement, however they soon had company.

“I give you one task to do. Bring little blossom back. Not get arrested! And they call me the dopey one.” Hearing his friends voice, he immediately parted ways with Riley leaving a short gap in between the two of them.

“Max. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on the engagement tour?” Hence why you insisted that I came!

“Lord Maxwell Percival Beaumont is here in the flesh.” Dramatically bowing, Drake wondered if he was on drugs. “You can thank me for bailing you out. They are still at Fydelia. I won’t be missed. Have you both kissed and made up yet?”

“You know?” Drake questioned, wondering how many other people knew. Feeling like the shittest friend to Liam - in a way he regretted falling hard for Riley.

“I’m not stupid, Drake. You never smile. Ever since this one entered our lives you couldn’t stop smiling even if you tried to hide it by being a jerk towards her. I was just waiting for the two of you to confess it...Little blossom confessed her true feelings at the airport...” Riley blushed, her baby blues sparkled as she looked at him adoringly. Pulling her into his embrace, he knew that Maxwell would advert his eyes or maybe not. The Lord was a sucker for a love story. Drake’s hands drifted towards her hips, as they settled he pulled her closer to him. Leaning down, he kissed her softly to begin with. Before they knew it, their lips were in perfect sync and the kiss became more passionate.

“Aww you two... put each other down.” Breaking the kiss they both witnessed Maxwell wearing a goofy smile before pouting his lips towards them. Drake rest his forehead against hers as he cupped her cheeks. Both gazing into each other’s eyes, they were hypnotised- both hearts fluttering inside of their chests.

“Guys, sorry to break up the romance... but we need to figure out how we are going to tell Liam.”

Fuck.

[aro-who-reads]

Beyond the aro and ace character database

Claudie Arseneault’s aro and ace character database is one of my favourite things on the internet, but since it hasn’t been updated for a while I thought I’d share my list of aspec characters from more recent books that aren’t on there. I’ve done my best to compile all the lists I could find. Although I am not ace and this really only an aro blog, I’ve included ace characters as well, because it’s hard to find lists that separate these. (And it may help those looking specifically for aro rep to know which of these may have ace rep and not aro rep.)

This isn’t a rec list; I’ve only read a few of these. This means I’m not sure all my information is correct, some books were really hard to find info on! (Please let me know if anything is incorrect, or if there’s anything you think I should add!)

I’ve also included upcoming releases, because why not? 

I’m sure I’ve missed stuff, I might update this at some point.

(List under the cut)

Beyond the Black Door - A. M. Strickland MC is ace, word used in blurb, there is a different word in-universe. MC is also biromantic and demiromantic, although this is less of a focus. Described in the book, confirmed by the author.

Six Angry Girls - Adrienne Kisner (forthcoming) A main character is ace

The Sound of Stars - Alechia Dow Includes a demisexual character

Rick - Alex Gino (forthcoming) MC is ace

Empire of Light - Alex Harrow Includes a demisexual character

Black Wings Beating - Alex London Includes aroace character

A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy - Alex White Character is described as aroace (words not used)

The Stars We Steal - Alexa Donne Includes a side asexual character

A Conspiracy of Truths - Alexandra Rowland MC is Word of God aro

Loveless - Alice Oseman (forthcoming) MC is aroace

The Lost Coast - Amy Rose Capetta One of the mains is greysexual

Once & Future - Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy One of the mains is ace (word used), probably a non-SAM ace

The Black Veins - Ashia Monet Aro, no romance

Liar’s Giude to the Night Sky - Brianna Shrum (forthcoming) Lead character is pan and aro

The Moore’s Academy for Extraordinary Beings - Brooklyn Ray (e.d) (forthcoming) Aro-based anthology

Full Disclose - Camryn Garrett MC’s best friend is an ace lesbian (word used)

If it Makes You Happy - Claire Kann (all) main character is in a queerplatonic relationship, her qpp is described to be aro (word not used)

Swithback - Danika Stone One of the mains is explicity aroace

Elatsoe - Darcie Little Badger (forthcoming) MC is ace

This Golden Flame - Emily Victoria (forthcoming) Includes an aroace character

No Frills - Erin Elizabeth Grammar (forthcoming) Has demisexual love interest, asexual friend

Belly Up - Eva Darrows main character’s best friend is grey ace (word used), love interest is demisexual (also word used) (both are alloro)

Now Entering Addamsville - Francesca Zappia Lead is ace

Moonshine - Jasmine Gower Secondary main character is alloaro, described but word not used

Dread Nation - Justina Ireland Character is suggested to be aroace

The Perfect Assassin - K A Doore Includes an asexual character

The Crow Rider - Kalyn Josephson (forthcoming) A side character is aroace

Castle of Lies - Kiersi Buckhart One of the main characters is described as demisexual (word not used). This is pretty much ignored in the second half of the book. (this one has low reviews, proceed with caution)

Camp - Lev A C Rosen (forthcoming) Includes an aroace side character and an ace lesbian character

Technically, You Started It - Lana Wood Johnson Includes a demisexual character

Doomed - Laura Pohl (forthcoming) Has an aroace main character

The Last 8 - Laura Pohl MC is bi and aro, described on page but word not used

Immoral Code - Lillian Clark One of the mains is aroace

Belle Revolte - Linsey Miller (forthcoming) Includes a bi ace character

Mask of Shadows - Linsey Miller Side character is alloaro, described but word not used

Hazel’s Theory of Evolution - Lisa Jenn Bigelow MC is aroace

Sorcery of Thorns - Margaret Rogerson Side character is aromantic, described but word not used

Tales of the Thread - Michelle Kan Short stories with aro characters

Archivist Wasp - Nicole Kornher-Stace Word of God aro. No romance

Who I Was With Her - Nita Tyndall (forthcoming) has an ace side character (word used) Hold - Rachel Davidson Leigh Main character’s best friend is (questioning) aroace, words used

Tarnished are the Stars - Rosiee Thor One of the main characters is explicitly aroace

The State of Us - Shaun David Hutchinson (forthcoming) Includes a demisexual character

The Ninth Life - Taylor B Barton (forthcoming) Includes a demisexual character

Shadows You Left - Taylor Brooke and Jude Sierra Includes a demiromantic character

Scavage the Stars - Tara Sim (forthcoming) Inclues a demisexual character

Common Bonds - various authors (forthcoming) Aro anthology!

Their Troublesome Crush - Xan West Includes a demiromantic character

[sdhoeyssimblr]

Reclaiming the Valley

Meet Colt Brooks, Here you will see him in all his outfits. I will try to have all heirs and household members posted with makeovers for your viewing pleasure.

**Notes: W: this is the watcher talking to the sim.**

Always late, that woman can never be anywhere on time. What was it? She told me to meet her at exactly 3 and as always that blasted woman is late.

W: *cough* you were saying?

What? It's true, you're always late when it comes to me and my fate. Just leave me out here with no wheels, no house, nothing.

W: Blowhard, you never change, one would have thought that all this time in the bin and you would have softened up some, but Noooo, not you. Whatever, you don't need me to hold your hand, you know the drill.

Taxi driver: Welcome back sir, I trust you are going to the usual place?

Thank you, It is good to be home. Yes, take me to the usual place.

Taxi driver: It's always a pleasure sir, good luck in your future endeavors.

Um, yeah, indoors or whatever you said. See ya.

How is it that I always get that driver? Is he even a real sim?  Whatever, I have a mission to complete.

*rings bell* You got this Brooks, she never remembers you and so that's always in your favor. Pile on that ole Brooks charm and she's yours.

What are you looking at you ole hag? Don't you have other townies to torture or something?

W: AWW, I love you too you big ox, you know I have to make sure you don't insult or make her mad. You do have a habit of doing that at times.

Agnes: Hello, I'm Agnes Crumplebottom, and you are? Colt, Colt Brooks, I am new in town and I saw this house and it was so lovely I had to stop and see it. Agnes: Oh, well then, come on in and get out of this heat. I will show you the place.

Agnes: So, you just moved here? Yes, I moved up on the hill. 15 Summer Hill Ct.

Agnes: Oh and it's the little things that can make a home a happy home. I really agree with your ideas, I love an open airy home with gorgeous views, like the one I have now.

Here, I just happen to have a bouquet of red roses in my back pocket for a beautiful lady. Agnes: OH my favorite, how did you know?Would you like to come and visit my home and give me some decorating advice? Agnes: Sure, let me grab my keys.  

Colt: *thinking* oh yes, the car, the means to a new house.

Agnes: So, this is your house?

Well, I'm still in the planning stages. Has anyone ever told you that your eyes dreamy?

Agnes: *giggles* Go on..

*flirting* Your smile is brighter than the sun and it warms my heart.  

Agnes: If I didn't know better, Colt Brooks, I would say your flirting with me.

I would say that you are most certainly correct my beauty.

*grabs hand* Oh my what soft, silky hands you have. Do you mind?

Agnes: No not at all.. 

Would be my girlfriend Agnes?

 Agnes: This is kind of sudden, but yes, yes I will.

Agnes: I like watching the sunset and the stars come out.

I hope I can concentrate on the stars in sky with you by my side.

It's so peaceful here. I think I am in love with you Agnes Crumplebottom.

This is what he has for the night, he asked Agnes to stay and she said yes.

*dropping to one knee* Agnes, I know this is fast, but I know in my heart of hearts, that we are meant to be together.

Agnes: Oh Colt, Yes, Yes, I feel the same way. I can't explain it either. But, yes, I will marry you.

Here, let me put this right here on your finger and make it official.

Right there undercover of the night, they "eloped" and had a private wedding just them.

Then they kissed and just like that, they were Mr. & Mrs. Colt Brooks.

Now they have a proper house.

[andrea-lyn]

For Malex, an au where they go on road trips to save aliens... whether or not they figured their shit out between them before or during is up to you

(like I mentioned, I went stray here, so they are saving aliens! through the rigorous process of record collection)

**

Colorado

Near Colorado Springs, they break into a facility near the Air Force base and discover what looks like an escape pod. It has some of the familiar components that Alex recognizes from Michael’s sketches and drawings. It’s a ship of its own and it clicks for him probably a few seconds after it does for Michael.

“Is this what you’ve been trying to rebuild?” Alex wonders out loud.

Numbly, Michael nods, like he can’t believe that he has a schematic to mimic. Alex doesn’t want to think about Michael leaving the planet, but faced with an actual escape pod, it’s hard not to. They take the escape pod out of the facility and load it up into their truck without any more conversation about what they’re going to do with it when they get back.

It’s their third stop on a grand tour of suspected sites they’re checking out. By all rights, these are abandoned sites now that Jesse’s support of Project Shepherd has dried up, but after Caulfield, they both know it’s better safe than sorry to make that assumption.

It’s why Alex has a gun and they have a rule.

If something looks like it’s a bad idea, then they both need to get the hell out of there before they end up blowing yet another building sky-high because they were impetuous and short-sighted and emotional. It’s bad enough they did that to their relationship the first time around. So far, they’ve stuck to that rule and it’s been serving them well. It’s also allowed them to survive the road trip, so far.

This trip is meant to serve a few purposes, namely three that Alex can specifically name. The first is checking to see that all the sites are closed down. The second is to see if anyone is still out there furthering Jesse’s cause.

The last and most terrifying point of this trip?

“Nothing like some good old-fashioned therapy,” Michael calls it, sitting in the truck after they load up the escape pod. “You and me stuck in a truck for hours on end is bound to fix at least one or two things.”

“There’s always the tape deck,” Alex says, reaching for the glove compartment where Michael used to keep his tapes, only to find that the ribbon of every single one of them has been yanked out – on purpose. He gives Michael a glare, because he has a sneaking suspicion how that happened. “…Guerin.”

“I got tired of listening to Garth Brooks, so sue me,” Michael replies, whistling innocently as he keeps his eyes forward. The escape pod is in the bed of the truck next to the other artifacts they’ve picked up (nothing as sensational as the escape pod, but the box of files from Santa Fe and the schematics for a new facility from Pueblo are still better in their hands than in someone else’s).

They’re onto their next stop when suddenly Michael pulls off the highway in a frantic rush.

“What the fuck?” Alex snaps. “Guerin! Is someone trailing us? Did I miss someone?”

Michael says nothing, he just puts his foot down on the gas and keeps driving. Alex’s paranoia begins to increase and he wonders if he’d missed someone when they’d left the Colorado Springs facility until Michael parks in a mostly empty lot and Alex sees what the fuss is about.

Alex stares through the windshield, leaning all the way forward so he can see it all.

“Guerin,” Alex says flatly. “Did you just risk our lives merging through five lanes of traffic so you could see a bug?”

Michael’s out of the car in a flash, smirking at Alex as he heads for the placard in front of the gigantic looming thing. Sighing, Alex abandons the ruined tapes and decides that whatever weird obsession this is, he might as well entertain it. Heading out of the truck, he’s careful on his prosthetic as he follows Michael and comes to a stop near a sign that deems the bug ‘Herkimer’.

“It’s a bug.”

“Nah,” Michael says, “it’s not just a bug, it’s the world’s largest beetle. Have some respect, Alex.”

He shakes his head, not sure why he should be respecting anything. They have to keep driving North so they can hit Wyoming, but the moment he tries to open his mouth and say so, he stops when he sees the look of longing on Michael’s face as he stares at a bug.

He seriously can’t have that many complex emotions about the thing, can he?

“Max and Isobel, they always took road trips when they were kids. Max used to bring back postcards from all the roadside stops. I asked my foster father at the time if we could take a road trip that summer from Roswell up to Colorado. It wasn’t much, I figured. I even offered to pay for the gas. The drunk asshole actually promised it to me, too.”

Alex has a bad feeling he knows how this story ends, because Michael never came to school boasting about what he’d seen on his summer vacation.

“What happened?”

“Oh, you know,” Michael says dismissively, turning away from the beetle. “He wrecked his truck and told me it just wasn’t going to work out, because I was asking too much. I learned to stop doing that pretty quickly.” He’s already on his way back to the truck before Alex can react, not fond of the emotional whiplash, but also knowing that Michael’s done it on purpose to protect himself from appearing vulnerable.

Alex gives the beetle one last look, and he digs out his phone to take a selfie with it, figuring that maybe later, he can send it to Michael. It’s not like they’re going to have show and tell when they get back to Roswell, but at the same time, what’s the harm in a few road trip souvenirs that they can both share in?

*

Wyoming

In Wyoming, they raid a small office building in the early hours of the morning and find employment records dating back to the second world war. There are more names here than Alex feels comfortable with, but he takes pictures of every page as backup before he slides them back into their folders. That box of files earns a home beside the escape pod and nestled with the schematics, as chilling as anything else they’ve found.

“I need a drink,” Alex insists, even though he knows for a fact that Michael is trying his hardest to avoid alcohol and acetone. He feels guilty as soon as he’s said it, thinking that he can wait until he’s back in Roswell to go over the records with a glass of neat whiskey. He doesn’t need to shove that in Michael’s face.

Michael doesn’t seem too angry with Alex’s slip. “I think I’ve got something better.”

That’s how they wind up in Jackson in another beat-down parking lot without a soul in it, except for them. This time, Alex finds himself staring up at a very confusing World’s Largest, and he digs out his phone to look something up. “You know the internet says that there’s a bigger one in Texas,” Alex says, glancing up at the roadside attraction.

Who the hell would want to build the World’s Largest Ball of Barbed Wire?

“I guess everything’s gotta be bigger in Texas, even their torture devices.” It’s a bad joke, but Michael doesn’t look happy to crack it, scowling up at it even though he’s the one who decided they should come here.

Alex wonders if Michael is thinking about the torture devices that the Manes and Valenti dynasties used on his family, and if he’s not yet, he’s sure it’s only a matter of time. Action is required. He digs out his phone and gestures for Michael. “Come here,” he says.

Michael gives Alex and his phone a wary look, but ambles closer to him, leaning back against the small fence that stands between them and the barbed wire. “Don’t tell me Isobel got you into Instagram,” he pleads.

“Who says I’m not already huge there?” Alex deadpans, even though he knows better than to put that much information in a public domain and absolutely wouldn’t even think about putting the details of his and Michael’s journey anywhere online. His location has been off since Roswell and while it’s not a burner phone, he does intend to destroy the sim card when this is all said and done. “Come here,” he says again, and gestures for Michael get close to him.

Michael drifts in close enough that Alex can smell the faint hint of his bodywash. For one brief moment, he closes his eyes and inhales, lets that smell of safety, security, and home wash over him. Then, he opens his eyes and gets the front-facing camera ready, pressed shoulder to shoulder with the barbed wire sticking out in the background. Michael’s smiling, even if he looks like he doesn’t believe that they’re doing this, and Alex looks smugly proud.

It’s a great picture.

“Come on, I think I saw a diner back a few exits,” Michael says, his gaze lingering over Alex before he finally steps away. “You can get a beer, I’ll get a milkshake.”

“Is it Wyoming’s biggest?”

Michael licks his lips, and he climbs on the truck’s step, leaning over it as he looks at Alex. “Doubt it, but I bet you that if you’re there with me, it’ll definitely be Wyoming’s best.”

He ducks into the truck, which is good because it means he misses the flush Alex gets in his cheeks. Staring down at the picture in front of the barbed wire, Alex sees the way Michael’s turned his head a little for the photo and how he’s staring reverently at Alex, a half-lidded look in his eye, like he’s suddenly remembered Alex is there, like he thinks he might want to kiss him.

Alex remembers all those looks enough to feel like the expert when it comes to Michael Guerin when he wants to kiss him. Maybe at the end of all this, when they’ve worked through the question of whether they can even do this together, he’ll get that back.

For now, he’ll stick with giant barbed wire and milkshakes.

*

New Mexico

They loop back around and take the long way home, finally hitting Alamogordo in the early hours of the morning. Alex had fallen asleep to the sound of Michael humming, not the greatest substitute for the broken tapes, but really not so bad.

(If he stops lying, he’d admit that it’s the best sound in the world)

“Hey,” Alex says, after checking his phone to make sure that he’s got the information right. The search had been a bust. Whatever had once been in the jail is long gone, which is both good news and bad – it means that no one’s committing any heinous crimes, but their information is out of date, so who knows what else might be wrong.

They’ve just finished dinner and they’re in the middle of the drive back. Alex had woken up from his nap to see a roadside sign passing and it had been almost perfect timing.

“Take the next exit,” he insists.

Michael gives Alex a wary look, but the amount of unspoken trust he has in Alex is clear when he takes the exit without a single other question about why he’s doing it. Alex smiles proudly when Michael doesn’t ask for directions, clearly understanding what they’ve turned off to see.

He parks them as close as they can get to what a sign proclaims the World’s Largest Pistachio and the grin on Michael’s face is worth everything in the world. He’s out of the car and he’s the one who calls Alex over so they can take a picture.

This time, Alex makes sure that when he clicks the button, he’s the one staring at Michael like he’s the incredible roadside attraction instead of the weird pistachio behind them. It’s such a stupid thing, and it means nothing, and at the same time, being here to look at this tourist trap means everything to him because of how isolated and abandoned it is.

It’s like it’s a monument built for them alone and they’d better appreciate it, because no one else will.

“Thanks, Alex,” Michael says. “I’m nuts about it.”

He’s smirking and clearly proud of his stupid pun. The shame of it is that so’s Alex, because he’s grinning at him and thinking that maybe this trip is something they both needed. They’ve been sharing motel rooms, but sleeping in separate beds. They sit on the same side of the booth at diners and pick off one another’s plates, but they haven’t kissed or touched or fucked.

Yet, this trip has felt like one of the most intimate things he’s ever done.

The rest of the drive home is filled with light conversation as they swap stories about the days in Roswell before Michael turned up. Alex tells him stories about Max and Isobel in elementary school, like how Isobel had managed to make herself a little cult that had to wear glitter on Thursdays or how Max had constantly submitted awful romantic poems to the literary digest (and since no one else did, they were all his).

Michael tells Alex about high school and the things Alex hadn’t noticed, like how he’d used his powers to fuck with Kyle – including the time Kyle had tripped on the bleachers and wound up with a melon-sized bruise on his ass for a week. He’s laughing so hard that his stomach hurts and though Kyle’s his friend now, he’s so grateful to find out that there’d been some vindication back then, even if they’d all had to treat them as accidents.

They reach Roswell in the early evening.

Michael drives Alex to his cabin so they can drop off all the rescued pieces in the basement where they’ll be protected by Alex’s new state-of-the-art security system. Once they’ve unloaded everything, Alex feels himself searching desperately for any excuse for Michael not to leave. “You know,” he says. “I bet you Roswell’s got something.”

Michael glances up from where he’s been hanging around by the door, checking on the escape pod for the tenth time (which is why Alex feels pretty confident that he doesn’t want to go either).

All that time together and it’s shown them that they don’t actually want to be apart. The pieces want to be together. It just turns out that maybe they’re a pair of stubborn asshole pieces who can’t admit to it, not until they go on a three-week road trip around the Southwest to look for alien artifacts and proof that Project Shepherd is dust.

“Roswell’s got plenty of shit. You might have to get more specific than that,” Michael replies, not following.

“I mean, of the biggest,” Alex says, seeing as Michael had started that pattern. “Or are you telling me that you can die happy now that you’ve seen the world’s biggest beetle,” he deadpans.

Michael considers that for a moment, prying his cowboy hat off his head as he moseys Alex’s way, slow and steady, an amused smirk on his lips. It’s the smile of a man who has something clever he wants to say, but he’s the only one thinking it’s any kind of clever at all.

“Well,” he begins, considerately, “there is always the city’s biggest dick that you could take a look at,” he drawls, with an inclination of his gaze down towards his belt buckle.

Two can play that game.

“Oh?” Alex replies easily. “Is Kyle back in town?”

He’s lucky that Michael laughs instead of the scowl he’d half been expecting, but what Alex hadn’t anticipated is the way that Michael slides his fingers around Alex’s neck for a kiss that he’s been waiting for since they first set out on the road trip. He’s so proud of them for being mature and talking, making things work while acknowledging that they don’t have to get physical, but god, has Alex missed being kissed by Michael.

He tangles his fingers in Michael’s curls, grabs hold and squeezes the soft curls in his hands as he kisses Michael back, fully aware that he’s being shut up for making bad jokes, but definitely not mad with this punishment. Maybe they can’t compete for some of the world’s biggest anythings that they’ve seen, but Alex is counting the world’s longest kiss one of these days, and if he can’t manage that, then maybe he’ll go for the world record when it comes to kissing the man you love.

Not that he wants anyone stopping to take pictures of that, so maybe that’s one of those feats that’s best kept to themselves.

[soulbounce]

【衝撃】ユニバーサル火災でマスターテープが焼失したアーティスト一覧

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Johnson K-Ci & JoJo Al Jolson Booker T. Jones Elvin Jones George Jones Hank Jones Jack Jones Marti Jones Quincy Jones Rickie Lee Jones Tamiko Jones Tom Jones Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five The Jordanaires Jurassic 5 Bert Kaempfert Kitty Kallen & Georgie Shaw The Kalin Twins Bob Kames Kansas Boris Karloff Sammy Kaye Toby Keith Gene Kelly Chaka Khan B.B. King The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Wayne King The Kingsmen The Kingston Trio Roland Kirk Eartha Kitt John Klemmer Klymaxx Baker Knight Chris Knight Gladys Knight and the Pips Krokus Steve Kuhn Rolf Kuhn Joachim Kuhn Patti LaBelle L.A. Dream Team Frankie Laine Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Denise LaSalle Yusef Lateef Steve Lawrence Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme Lafayette Leake Brenda Lee Laura Lee Leapy Lee Peggy Lee Danni Leigh The Lennon Sisters J.B. Lenoir Ramsey Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lewis Meade Lux Lewis Liberace Lifehouse Enoch Light The Lightning Seeds Limp Bizkit Lisa Loeb Little Axe and the Golden Echoes Little Milton Little River Band Little Walter Lobo Nils Lofgren Lone Justice Guy Lombardo Lord Tracy The Louvin Brothers Love Patti Loveless The Lovelites Lyle Lovett Love Unlimited Loretta Lynn L.T.D. Lynyrd Skynyrd Gloria Lynne Moms Mabley Willie Mabon Warner Mack Dave MacKay & Vicky Hamilton Miriam Makeba The Mamas and the Papas Melissa Manchester Barbara Mandrell Chuck Mangione Shelly Manne Wade Marcus Mark-Almond Pigmeat Markham Steve Marriott Wink Martindale Groucho Marx Hugh Masekela Dave Mason Jerry Mason Matthews Southern Comfort The Mavericks Robert Maxwell John Mayall Percy Mayfield Lyle Mays Les McCann Delbert McClinton Robert Lee McCollum Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. Van McCoy Jimmy McCracklin Jack McDuff Reba McEntire Gary McFarland Barry McGuire The McGuire Sisters Duff McKagan Maria McKee McKendree Spring Marian McPartland Clyde McPhatter Carmen McRae Jack McVea Meat Loaf Memphis Slim Sergio Mendes Ethel Merman Pat Metheny Mighty Clouds of Joy Roger Miller Stephanie Mills The Mills Brothers Liza Minnelli Charles Mingus Joni Mitchell Bill Monroe Vaughn Monroe Wes Montgomery Buddy Montgomery The Moody Blues The Moonglows Jane Morgan Russ Morgan Ennio Morricone Mos Def Martin Mull Gerry Mulligan Milton Nascimento Johnny Nash Nazareth Nelson Rick Nelson & the Stone Canyon Band Ricky Nelson Jimmy Nelson Oliver Nelson Aaron Neville Art Neville The Neville Brothers New Edition New Riders of the Purple Sage Olivia Newton-John Night Ranger Leonard Nimoy Nine Inch Nails Nirvana The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band No Doubt Ken Nordine Red Norvo Sextet Terri Nunn The Oak Ridge Boys Ric Ocasek Phil Ochs Hazel O’Connor Chico O’Farrill Oingo Boingo The O’Jays Spooner Oldham One Flew South Yoko Ono Orleans Jeffrey Osborne The Outfield Pablo Cruise Jackie Paris Leo Parker Junior Parker Ray Parker Jr. Dolly Parton Les Paul Freda Payne Peaches & Herb Ce Ce Peniston The Peppermint Rainbow Pepples The Persuasions Bernadette Peters Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers John Phillips Webb Pierce The Pinetoppers Bill Plummer Poco The Pointer Sisters The Police Doc Pomus Jimmy Ponder Iggy Pop Billy Preston Lloyd Price Louis Prima Primus Puddle Of Mudd Red Prysock Leroy Pullins The Pussycat Dolls Quarterflash Queen Latifah Sun Ra The Radiants Gerry Rafferty Kenny Rankin The Ray Charles Singers The Ray-O-Vacs The Rays Dewey Redman Della Reese Martha Reeves R.E.M. Debbie Reynolds Emitt Rhodes Buddy Rich Emil Richards Dannie Richmond Riders in the Sky Stan Ridgway Frazier River Sam Rivers Max Roach Marty Roberts Howard Roberts The Roches Chris Rock Tommy Roe Jimmy Rogers Sonny Rollins The Roots Rose Royce Jackie Ross Doctor Ross Rotary Connection The Rover Boys Roswell Rudd Rufus and Chaka Khan Otis Rush Brenda Russell Leon Russell Pee Wee Russell Russian Jazz Quartet Mitch Ryder Buffy Sainte-Marie Joe Sample Pharoah Sanders The Sandpipers Gary Saracho Shirley Scott Tom Scott Dawn Sears Neil Sedaka Jeannie Seely Semisonic Charlie Sexton Marlena Shaw Tupac Shakur Archie Shepp Dinah Shore Ben Sidran Silver Apples Shel Silverstein The Simon Sisters Ashlee Simpson The Simpsons Zoot Sims P.F. Sloan Smash Mouth Kate Smith Keely Smith Tab Smith Patti Smyth Snoop Dogg Valaida Snow Jill Sobule Soft Machine Sonic Youth Sonny and Cher The Soul Stirrers Soundgarden Eddie South Southern Culture on the Skids Spinal Tap Banana Splits The Spokesmen Squeeze Jo Stafford Chris Stamey Joe Stampley Michael Stanley Kay Starr Stealers Wheel Steely Dan Gwen Stefani Steppenwolf Cat Stevens Billy Stewart Sting Sonny Stitt Shane Stockton George Strait The Strawberry Alarm Clock Strawbs Styx Sublime Yma Sumac Andy Summers The Sundowners Supertramp The Surfaris Sylvia Syms Gabor Szabo The Tams Grady Tate t.A.T.u. Koko Taylor Billy Taylor Charlie Teagarden Temple of the Dog Clark Terry Tesla Sister Rosetta Tharpe Robin Thicke Toots Thielemans B.J. Thomas Irma Thomas Rufus Thomas Hank Thompson Lucky Thompson Big Mama Thornton Three Dog Night The Three Stooges Tiffany Mel Tillis Tommy & the Tom Toms Mel Torme The Tragically Hip The Trapp Family Singers Ralph Tresvant Ernest Tubb The Tubes Tanya Tucker Tommy Tucker The Tune Weavers Ike Turner Stanley Turrentine Conway Twitty McCoy Tyner Phil Upchurch Michael Utley Leroy Van Dyke Gino Vannelli Van Zant Billy Vaughan Suzanne Vega Vega Brothers Veruca Salt The Vibrations Bobby Vinton Voivod Porter Wagoner The Waikikis Rufus Wainwright Rick Wakeman Jerry Jeff Walker The Wallflowers Joe Walsh Wang Chung Clara Ward Warrior Soul Washboard Sam Was (Not Was) War Justine Washington The Watchmen Muddy Waters Jody Watley Johnny “Guitar” Watson The Weavers The Dream Weavers Ben Webster Weezer We Five George Wein Lenny Welch Lawrence Welk Kitty Wells Mae West Barry White Michael White Slappy White Whitesnake White Zombie The Who Whycliffe Kim Wilde Don Williams Jody Williams John Williams Larry Williams Lenny Williams Leona Williams Paul Williams Roger Williams Sonny Boy Williamson Walter Winchell Kai Winding Johnny Winter Wishbone Ash Jimmy Witherspoon Howlin’ Wolf Bobby Womack Lee Ann Womack Phil Woods Wrecks-N-Effect O.V. Wright Bill Wyman Rusty York Faron Young Neil Young Young Black Teenagers Y & T Rob Zombie