#the '60s and '70s were when they got along best

[thebramblewood]

The Vatores, mid-'60s, pose for their decennial portrait while wishing you a groovy holiday season.

Everyone should force their favorite siblings into these poses by @somneasims!

[gay-dorito-dust]

How’d they act if you called them pretty upon getting catch looking at them…

Dan Heng: blushes. Hard.

He’s not use to someone complimenting his looks as it’s not something he finds important.

‘Are you really that shameless to say such things aloud?’ He’d say while avoiding eye contact with you.

Dan Heng would act as though you just shouted this out loud in front a hoard of people, even though you didn’t.

He’s awkward when it comes to taking compliments aimed his way but his reaction is too fucking cute to ignore and will warrant another compliment his way, which will only serve in making his face brunt redder.

‘Shut up, please.’ He’d plead as he covers a hand over your eyes, feeling as though they’ve stared deeply into his soul and actually see him as a whole person and more. ‘You talk too much about things you don’t understand the first thing of.’

He’s probably going to get teased by March 7th after this and it’ll be used as blackmail, probably.

Give him a moment to breath and calm down before complimenting on how pretty he is because he will combust from how flustered he is.

Argenti: would probably start a compliment war in all honesty because how can you say he’s pretty without admitting that you are also quite a sight for sore eyes.

If you were to compliment his hair, he’d resort back with how even the stars put on their best performance within your presence.

He’s got such a way with words that can easily leave one flustered without even trying. He’d even wax poetry on the spot about how the light catches your eyes in a way similar to that of a kaleidoscope, bright, vibrant and above all breathtaking.

Argenti doesn’t hold back, will not hold back, and will not back down from letting you know just how ethereal you look to him.

He can do this all day, you however could not do this all day seeing how this man has unlimited ammunition when it came to complimenting the beauty of pretty much everything.

(I mean this is the same dude who complimented a plant. 🪴 I bet that plant blushed, we just didn’t see it bc who wouldn’t blush if a chivalrous red head complimented them?)

Welt: smiles softly as a light blush coated his cheeks.

He’s well kept for someone who’s in his 60/70/80’s And he deserves to be told as such!

(all I know is that he’s grandpa age from other ppl)

So when you do compliment him and call him pretty, this old man is going to thank you for such kind words and probably give you head pats as a reward.

He appreciates a kind compliment now and then.

‘Why thank you, I try my best to keep in good shape if I’m meant to keep up with all of you.’ He would say in response followed by a chuckle.

Welt is young at heart and knows that his body isn’t how it once was but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a restless spirit within an old man’s body. So when you compliment him, it only makes him feel good and warm on the inside.

Blade: doesn’t know how to take compliments.

He’s not use to it and doesn’t know how to react to it other than saying something along the lines of;

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘Flattery will get you nowhere.’

Or just straight up. ‘No.’

And all the while his face is like this: 😐 or this 😒

It’s never one or the other, blade just doesn’t view himself worth the compliment, when the only things about him that people see most is that he’s a bad dude in a bad group doing bad things.

He doesn’t see why you’re wasting a kind, genuine compliment on someone whose entire body is riddled in ugly scars.

Blade is the type of person where you’d have to prove that your compliment is genuine or else he just won’t believe it.

Sampo: his ego is boosted to the max.

Well done you’ve made him even more insufferable.

He will smile that Cheshire smile of his and ask to hear what else about him you find appealing besides his pretty face.

You: your exposed hips, you slut-

However behind his cocky persona, he’s a giggly bitch who’s mentally kicking his feet and writing this interaction in his bubblegum pink diary with a glitter pen.

Sampo is deeply invested in what you thought about the rest of him but won’t let it show as he would consider it ‘out of character’ for himself. So he’ll continue to act the cocky and confident fool like he always does.

He’ll be the type to tease you about potentially killing him while internally screaming himself and telling other people that you find him pretty, much to your embarrassment.

‘You see them over there? Yeah they called ol’ Sampo pretty!’ He’d say to a random person while pointing towards you as you try to hide yourself behind a trash can…only for the trash can to grow arms and legs and walk off elsewhere.

Why were the arms and legs buff as fuck? What was their workout routine? You must know. now.

Sunday: takes the compliment in kind.

He looks like the type to get called handsome or pretty on the daily, so it’s nothing new to him but he’ll take the compliment nonetheless.

He’s probably the most calm out of the bunch when being called pretty, besides from maybe Welt.

He’s not bashful, he’s not overtly arrogant and he’s not in denial about it either. He just takes the compliment as it is and goes on about his day like any other.

Though people would take note on how he’s smiling brighter than usual. Your compliment would stay with him the entire day, as it serves as a reminder of his place within your heart and he’s secretly scheming on ways on how to stay within your heart.

Permanently.

[batfxngs]

By popular demand (20 notes), introducing...

Jacquelyn "Jackie" Faye

My Mouthwashing-sona!

I used a picrew (credit to cbrfufu) for her headshot because I famously can not draw for the life of me pls don't come at me

buckle up she's tragic (spoilers / cw: sensitive topics ahead)

Character Song

» "bude To Hard" - Pam Rabbit «

0:19 ─〇───── 3:37 ⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

Quick Facts

Name: Jacquelyn Sylva Faye

Nickname: "Jackie"

Age: 28

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Height: 5'8 / 172

Nationality: Czech-American

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Job: Technician employed by Pony Express, assigned to Tulpar shipment

Voice Claim: underscores (Producer/Singer)

Backstory

NOTE: This is under the assumption that Mouthwashing takes place in a 60s/70s-like era

Jacquelyn Sylva Faye, most of the time referred to as "Jackie," was born to a Czech mother and American father in a suburb not too far from the Pony Express headquarters. Growing up was a struggle for her, all because of her parents. She has two younger siblings whom she took care of as her parents were rarely home during the day. This became much more of a struggle for her as she went through school and her family moved from place to place, always taking up new job opportunities. It came to a point where she would become very closed off from people, she wasn't interested in friendships or relationships as it became routine for them to end as soon as she moved, which was a given, essentially. Neglect wasn't the only bad quality of her parents' — there would be many instances of verbal arguments or coming home drunk. Put simply, her parents weren't great.

It was around the time she was in high school that she really questioned her identity. As mentioned, she had never engaged in serious friendships or relationships, but that didn't stop her from admiring from afar. She had a moment of clarity, realizing she hadn't felt attracted to any guys her age, rather the girls. It was a turning part in her life — one of confusion, primarily. She didn't know why she was different than everyone else around her, but of course there isn't a way to truly 'change' your sexuality. She kept it to herself for a long time, but while she was in college getting her degree to be a technician, a friend she confided in accidentally mentioned it around her parents.

Although the era was known as a positive turning point for the LGBTQ+ community, her parents were, unfortunately, on the other side of history. Both of her parents were absolutely outraged at Jackie's alignment. The worst argument in her life ensued, and by the end of it, she was ostracized by her family. When she completed college, she had no home to go to. No friends, no close relatives, no one. It truly seemed to be the end of the road for her, not to mention the fact she got into bad habits and addictions such as alcohol. She decided it was best to return to the place she felt at home the most, her birthplace. She'd spend the most time in that place than any other, so it only felt natural. The only problem was, of course, she had no one to turn to. She had developed a nihilistic and cold attitude over the years, and this only fueled it more

However, one thing led to another, and she was recruited to Pony Express as a technician. Her degree and her grades proved without a doubt that she was fit for the job, and she desperately needed some sort of stability and support in her life. Throughout the longevity of her job, she managed to quit all her unhealthy addictions and got herself back up on her feet — albeit after a while. She had been at the Pony Express headquarters, primarily working on ships prior to missions, for a couple years before she was actually offered a spot on the Tulpar. Though reluctantly, she agreed to it, which as we know was her biggest mistake.

On the Tulpar

Jackie originally didn't get along with anyone on the ship. Her cold and sometimes mean attitude left a bad taste in everyone's mouths, but they knew they couldn't just leave her out of things. She was an important part of the team just as everyone else was, after all, and she had obviously gone through some pretty rough happenings prior to her job at Pony Express. It wasn't until about two months into the mission that she started to warm up to some people. She had gotten closest with Anya in that time. It would be the first time in years that Jackie would consider anyone to be her friend. Aside from that, she was generally helpful and participated in various activities around the ship — I mean, what else are you gonna do for 365+ days?

After the crash, she became a much more quiet, yet short-tempered person. Her nihilistic ideologies came back to haunt her — probably rightfully so — and it would only be a matter of time before it became too much for her. Everything started to become hell for her after the discovery of what was in the cargo bay. Not only did it revitalize her drinking problem, but she took it frequently to forget about her circumstances. She would drink until she was woozy or blacked out, and it became a habit. Technical work would stop getting done and she would become a recluse. Everything was spiraling out of control for her. Her death came as no surprise: after Daisuke's death, she's found dead after drinking too much of the mouthwash.

Relationships

Anya: Her closest friend, probably throughout her full life. She's more open to her than anyone and the nicest to her, and that's saying a lot. She develops some sort of romantic interest in her, but she's certain it's unrequited, which somewhat tears her apart. In another universe where no bad stuff happens and they return safe, she'd probably let the interest progress further.

Daisuke: Tolerates him. He is too hyperactive for her to stand him for long periods of time, but she's never had a problem with him. They don't mesh well, but she considers him a good person.

Swansea: Also tolerates him. Again, not too close in the first place, but she doesn't have a problem with him. Not much else to say.

Jimmy: Hates his ass, enough said.

Curly: Respects him, he is the captain after all. Most of their engagement is simple greetings while passing each other in the hallway, since they are both very busy people on the ship.

Aaaand that's about it! If you've read everything, thank you, this took up like 3 hours to flesh out LMAO

I think I'm going to be more active here, I like tumblr and now my life isn't so hectic with college apps n whatnot

I really like RP n stuff so if anyone is opennnnn... 🙃

But also, I'll be answering questions for Jackie as her! So, ask away!

Ember singing off for now 😁

[twistedroseytoesy]

I really love your mere mc headcanons that got me thinking.

What about the mere mc being a blu whale. the oceans gently giants if I was correct blu whales don't eat octopus or eal but mostly krill.

How tall would they be in human form though that I don't know.

I got inspired by this art.

OOOOO! yea! Gentle giants are my JAM! thank you for this beautiful idea! I'm going to just share how the octavinelle fellas react to you as this mer, but if you wanted other characters please feel free to send in another ask!

Also, a slight warning that you are referenced to have a large and plush body form, in case it makes any of you upset at that.

Description

Honestly, the picture provided is a beautiful and perfect blue whale mer. With the white underbelly and the dark skin contrast. The small barnacles and other tiny creatures happily living on the side or back of the whale. Would be about 70 ft tall from head to tail. The average person is about the size of a small action figure to you. You mostly feed on small schools of fish and krill. You do have to surface for air every 20 minutes or so.

Your human form is very tall and fairly soft. A slightly more rounded body type but still very healthy. about 8ft. (sorry anyone who prefers cm). You have deep blue hair with small white speckles that resemble barnacles. you also have many similar markings along your face and shoulders, like freckles! your teeth are practically the opposite of the eel twins' shark-like teeth. you have very flat and large teeth. Many stay away from you due to your large height and many small incidents when someone tried to fight you and you just batted them 20-40ft away with one backhanded smack. You're incredibly strong but never use your full strength.

Octavinelle

Azul: Oh no not another tall one... When he noticed how often you bump your head on things hell offer a contract to make it so you can walk comfortably around the school. Aka take some of your impressive height away. You are one of his best customers due to just how much you order and eat at the lounge, kinda a nightmare for ordering stuff but your happy face at getting to eat 20 lbs of small fish is worth it. Tried to hire you as a bouncer since you could easily carry and kick people out if they were causing trouble. Finds your fairly relaxed and kind personality nice. He knew right away that you were a mer, the blue hair and the markings and barnical-like spots were a dead giveaway.

When you invited him to swim with you, he was rather shy about being in his mer form, but he knew you would be nice to him, and probably too big to notice his insecurities due to his weight in that form. Was a bit floored at just how BIG you were, he knew blue whales were big but you were huge! Despite your giant size, you were very careful and kind, gently holding his 10ft long frame in your hands like one would with a baby kitten. He practically melted into your warm embrace and shyly asked if you could go swimming again. You do wonders for his self-confidence. Especially knowing you would defend and protect him from others and his own harsh thoughts. His favorite memory is when you needed to go for air one night and you brought him with you to look at the galaxy sparkling above you both.

Jade: Finds Azul's and Floyd's reactions to your height very amusing. Also can't help but chuckle when you knock your head into the ceiling and have to crawl or awkwardly crouch around the school's halls. Helps you find some other ways around the campus that uses fewer overhangs when possible. He was amazed at how strong yet gentle you were. You treated others with so much love and gentleness that it reminded Jade of how he tends to his mushrooms. Also amazed at how much you eat a day. in your human form, it's about 40-60 lbs of fish/shrimp/krill a day! Asks you many questions and why you don't use your intense strength to make others do as you say. He asks a lot of questions because he likes to hear your gentle yet loud voice. He headcanons that your voice is the voice mountains would have.

Another one who was a bit surprised at your invitation to sim in your true forms. You knew when to invite them since all merfolk need to stretch their fins every once in a while. Can easily keep up with you and swims around your arms. Acts and is the size of a small boa to you. he likes wrapping around your right arm as you swim around. Enjoys the speed you travel as he relaxes against your soft blubber. Does tickle you every once in a while by lightly knawing on said blubber. it doesn't hurt you so you're fine with it. Might fling him away if you get too ticklish though. He would just chuckle and tease you about being ticklish. Always follows you to the surface when you need to breath.

Floyd: Dang it! now he's not even the tallest in the Octavinelle dorm anymore! Saw how large you were and the blue of your hair and called you "Bluey" "Whaley" or just "blue whale", depending on his mood. Loves how you allow him to squeeze you, kinda awkward as he squeezes as hard as he can around your middle since his head only reaches your chest level. Loves to bury himself into your plush form. Also sometimes will just latch onto your back like a crazy backpack. You just chuckle and continue until he gets bored. Whenever he's in a bad mood you always find a way to cheer him up. Tried to challenge you to an eating contest when he saw how much you ate each day. He lost and got all grouchy and whiney cause now his tummy hurt.

Was SO excited when you invited him to go swimming in your merforms. Zoomed around your whole form cause he was that excited. Likes to wrap around your left arm and stick his tongue out and say in the current as you swim at high speeds. Asked you to launch him with your tail out of the water and screamed with joy as he went. Demanded to do it again a bunch more times, very much like an excited kid. If he's not around your arm, he's like a little scarf/choker. Bites you so often, mostly to just get your attention since you don't get hurt by his impressive chompers. He says you don't taste very good. But loves the feeling of biting into your blubber, and he likes your loud and gentle laughter as you say that tickles. Also has taken a nap on your back when you were both near the surface.

All three love to be around you and your calming aura. Azul likes to be held by you or nestled in your hair or on your back when you go swimming. Jade and Floyd enjoy being around your arms or swimming beside you. All in all, they love you and how you treat them all so well and bring out a much softer side of themselves they didn't even know was there.

[str8aura-no-not-that-one]

i think animals are better than people.

that's not an uncommon belief, is it? you hear it said all the time, in memes, on coffee mugs, 'id rather talk to your dog', 'my cat doesn't judge me like my coworkers do', etc. its a very popular philosophy to espouse, albeit mostly in jest. It's not really jest for me, but it's not really a dig at humanity either.

I struggle often with feelings of misanthropy, how nice it would be to just assume all humans are inherently evil or uncaring, to slot an entire species into a broad stroke to make them easier to deal with. I tell myself sometimes I don't like working with humans, or seeing humans. I have a tendency to go quiet or mute at times because I don't feel like engaging people in conversation.

but that's really just stress. there is no crime for being an idiot. that person who cuts me off on the street made a slip up, or maybe did it with genuine antagonism, and that still doesn't make them a bad or worthless person. I've been 'the one who fucked up' enough times to know how crushing it is when you inconvenience somebody else, and I don't like to lose my temper, as often as it happens. I get angry a lot. I feel angry a lot. it feels good, but I don't enjoy it. I'm not a bad dog. I believe people are good, just flawed, and emotional.

and I wish, like everybody does, that I could talk to animals. I wish I could ask a deer for its thoughts, negotiate with a bear, or tell a hurt animal that its going to be alright, I'm just trying to help you. I yearn for that world, but I also accept that animals would lose their magic if they could. They would still be beautiful, yes, but I don't love animals because I imagine they are weirdly-shaped people, who understand what I say. I love them because they're animals.

We went down different paths, humanity and the animal kingdom; nowadays, we see different boons and drawbacks for it. They fight for their lives every day, never sure which moment will be their last. We struggle with thoughts of complex morality and our place in a dead, empty universe. animals never ate the apple. animals are free from sin, and punishment. When a fox kills a rabbit, it is not a murder. When a viper rescued out of the cold bites and kills the farmer that saved it, it is not a betrayal. it is simply their nature.

a few months ago, at a house I was staying at for a little while, there was a tree outside with a nest of birds. I wasn't aware of this until I came out one day and found all of the babies, freshly hatched, lying on the hard pavement beneath the trees. Cuts and tears along their bodies, eyes still screwed shut, writhing and wriggling to try and restore the warmth of the nest they had suddenly been stolen from. I called animal control and waited with the hatchlings as long as I could, but eventually I couldn't bear to see the sight. I looked up the best way to restore them to their nest, and with the use of a ladder, I got to work.

i also read that you shouldn't touch them with your hands, as it will scare off the mother bird. this, as I later found out, is an urban legend. I put on gloves to hold them, unwieldy, thick gloves meant for hands larger than my own.

they were featherless pink bastards. I think humans have the ugliest babies out of any species, but these ones were pretty close.

the first two went in without problem, but on the third, my fingers wrapped in gloves couldn't get a grip and i

dropped

it

onto the pavement

headfirst

i don't know if it was still alive or not when I finally took the gloves off and restored it. I don't know. there was no splatter, no obvious signs of death. it just stopped moving.

if the mother returned and found the body of her child, she would not be shocked. 60-70% of hatchlings do not survive to adulthood. she would not seek retribution, or to make me pay for what I had done. she didn't understand I had been trying to help, and she didn't care. life went on. she probably had more children to replace the cadaver.

i read a book series as a kid called Funjungle. It was about a kid who lived at a zoo, and would solve various mysteries around the place. In one book, he recounts being present for the lancing of a boil on a rhino, and talks about how animals always fight back against such processes. you cant explain to them that you are trying to help, all they understand is that you are causing them pain right now, regardless of whether it will soothe in the future. animals, wild and tame, think in the now.

ironically, in real life, I try not to anthropomorphize too much. I understand that an animal's 'smile' only resembles such because of the way his lips are shaped. I understand that the possums and raccoons and squirrels I encounter as I go about my life, and that one fox I had the joy of getting to witness up close, are dangerous creatures who do not have my best interests in heart. I understand that something beautiful will kill me without a second thought if it thinks I am a threat to it, and for an animal, it is always always always better to be safe than sorry.

i can tell a human things are going to be okay. I can tell a human this is only going to hurt for a minute. I can tell a human i'm sorry.

a human can lie to me. a human can hurt me. a human can make me feel like I don't want to live anymore.

I can never lose my temper at an animal, any more than I could be angry at a mountain.

animals are base, instinctive, temperamental, capricious, alien creatures.

that is why they are beautiful.

that is why I must stay away from them. as much as I wish to hug them, to talk to them, to befriend them, it is not possible. they may occupy our physical spaces, but they are from different worlds entirely.

i must look, but not touch. it is better this way.

my place is with the humans.

and it kills me a little more every day.

[amimochi]

Fellow Travelers Prompt Ideas

Anyone who knows me knows that I can't write at all so I just post all these imaginary fic ideas every day on my Twitter, figure I combine them here in case people want to read them (or write them *wink*) Enjoy!

Milan Post AU

Hawk got the promotion to Milan that he wanted and took Tim to live there with him. They go out to eat at restaurants, walk along the canal, and take a trip to Lake Como living their best aesthetic life.

Bonus Point: Tim is all love-struck with Hawk's fluent Italian skills while taking baby steps to learn Italian himself. Tim insists he wants to visit all the churches and Hawk just goes along with him even if he has 0 interest in church.

Time Travel AU

Hawk died miserably alone and thought to himself if he could re-do everything one more time. He then wakes up again in his young body, Manwha heroine style. It's 1954 and he just told Skippy he's going to marry Lucy Smith.

Skippy went to the army anyway and he couldn't save Sen.Smith. Hawk starting to doubt if he could evem make things right and then he start fixing his past mistake,cut off his engagement with Lucy. Save Lenny. After everything he sits down to write, write to his boy in the army.

At first, it was radio silence but after a year he got a letter back. Hawk confesses his feelings and they get together shortly after that. Hawk was able to use some future knowledge to keep his job after his engagement call-off scandal. Things were hard but they stuck together.

But since this is Hawk, things are bound to fuck up eventually. the fight in the late '60s tore them apart when Tim wanted to settle down in SF. Hawk knows full well what's gonna happen in SF in a few years, there's no way he will let Tim go there but how could he tell Tim that and they got in a big fight.

WWII Spy AU

Spy AU where Hawk is a CIA agent in Germany during WWII undercover as an SS officer there he met Tim who's an informant or secret agent for the MI6 undercover as an unsuspecting writing duty officer at the Nazi party headquarter.

Modern AU with BDSM

Hawk and Tim in a modern setting doing kink negotiation together before a scene. Hawk is a pro in the BDSM scene while Tim is a newbie. Tim is probably into spanking, and nipple play and Hawk is into bondage and orgasm control play. I can't decide who has praise kink but I think both of them???

Tim blushed prettily when he learned about Hawk feet worshipping thing but he's eager to learn like a good boy.

Happy Ending AU

Hawk fails the polygraph test and his life full of lies falls apart. Lost his job, lost Senator Smith's trust and Lucy ended things with him. He spirals down into deep depression (probably suicidal as well) but he's not alone as he still has Tim.

Tim was able to help him through and they slowly built a new life together, moving to San Francisco in the '60s An eventual happy ending in the 70s where they are holding hands in the first pride parade surrounded by friends.

[tideswept]

Hello!!! For the game, perhaps time travel? 👀

never have I ever

Technically no? I've had a few plots in mind, but nothing made it to the writing stage as the scope and potential of it has intimidated me. I feel like I need to have an intimate understanding of the characters and their relationship to successfully pull it off.

As well as a dang good reason for it. It feels like, I dunno, a forbidden indulgence to go into it without a Plan™.

Here's how I'd do it, using the Kingsman idea that probably got the closest to almost making it on paper.

A few months after the end of Kingsman, Eggsy is sent into the past. But far into the past--as in, when Chester was a young agent, perhaps even a trainee.

(I've given some consideration to Chester having held the title of Lancelot originally, which would have, I think, added some delicious flavoring to his rejection of a pleb coming along to possibly take up his title, but I really feel like they would have mentioned that little detail at some point if that were true. Same goes for him having been Galahad. Thus, I arbitrarily decided that it was Lamorak. Though Percival is a close second.)

So Eggsy finds himself weirded out by how much he and Chester have in common as he infiltrates Kingsman. We know from the original Kingsman script and a very clever accent slip-up during his death scene that Chester's background was likely more similar to Eggsy's than Chester ever wanted to admit.

Eggsy's goal may be to save Harry, but he doesn't want to fuck up time too badly, so he has no choice but to play along for a while, only, whoops, now he's being shoved X amount of years into the future (so from the 50s to the 60s) and Chester still remembers him, so he knows Something Is Up about Eggsy, but he cares about Eggsy (friendship? or more? who knows) so he doesn't turn him in. Cue another time jump to the 70s. Eggsy is still trying to evaluate what the best way to handle this is. Kill Chester? Tell him what's going to happen? Ask him to make sure a Harry Hart never gets chosen as a trainee?

But before he can decide, it's the 80s, and despite his best efforts to avoid them meeting, Harry is there. And Eggsy falls head over heels for this Harry, who is so different from the man he knows, but it's still Harry, after all.

Chester, now having left Lamorak behind and being made Arthur, notices and puts two and two together that this is the reason why Eggsy has been coming in and out of his life now for almost forty years. It was never about him, or Kingsman, or anything else that had occurred to him.

... but it still takes until the next time skip (hello 90s) for Eggsy to pull the trigger, so to speak. He has to make a decision now. What to change, and how, in a way that doesn't completely mess up the future? He might have trusted Chester a little the first couple of jumps, but now this is the Chester who was a callous fuck about Lee dying.

Meanwhile, Harry is hurt and furious and confused that Eggsy vanished and Arthur (nee whatever his original title was) seemed to know exactly what happened and only infuriatingly told him to be patient and wait.

(And that's another oof for Eggsy -- has he already changed things too much? Harry in the future will recognize him, won't he?)

Eggsy makes the difficult choice to kill Arthur, but Chester talks him down from that, and asks him the real story of what's been happening, pointing out that he's kept Eggsy's secret for fifty years; if that's not a sign that he can be trusted, well...

Eggsy decides to gamble it all on this Chester not being a complete bastard and tells him an edited version of the story (mostly withholding specific names and dates). Not just what happened in Kingsman, but also how fucking stupid Valentine's plan actually was, and the disasters that it caused even when it didn't fully go through. How close the world came to nuclear fallout.

Eggsy then is propped to 21st century, but he stays under the radar for this final visit to the past, not wanting to meddle further with time. At least as far as Kingsman is concerned.

(Dean, on the other hand, gets a very scary visit from a man that promises to slit his throat if he ever lays a finger on his wife and stepson again. )

When he's finally returned to the present, nothing has changed. Fuck. Fuck. He shouldn't have trusted Chester. Or maybe it was all futile to begin with. As far as he can check, everything played out almost the same way, which means that maybe time just can't truly be changed.

Some time passes. And then he receives a message. From an account named Lamorak, asking to meet in a location that only Eggsy and Chester knew about. Eggsy shows up armed to the teeth, not sure what to expect, but sure as hell not expecting to find Chester and Harry alive.

Both of them had put together what they'd both been told (intentionally or unintentionally) by Eggsy and come up with a plan. They'd play out events to the best of their ability, aware that the Eggsy they'd one day meet was not the same that they'd already met--with some insurance. There was never a poison in Eggsy's drink, it was always a drug so that Arthur could pretend to be dead. Harry didn't get shot in the head, he grabbed Valentine's hand and got shot in the heart instead.

You know. Supposedly.

They've both been lying in wait, unsure of exactly when Eggsy went back into the past, and taking the chance that enough time (ba dum tish) has passed and it's safe to come out. They've come up with an excuse for Harry to still be alive and have the trail of paperwork to back it up, but Chester is done. He's not coming back. He's fine with being known as a traitor. It was about time that Kingsman had a good shake up, anyway.

Low-key bittersweet parting, with lots of hugs (Eggsy insists because it's a long-running joke that Chester finds hugs insufferably twee and ridiculous) and Chester disappearing, and Harry and Eggsy getting their happily ever after.

we do not accept Kingsman 2 in this household, thank you.

[joleneghoul]

This is going to be less of an essay and more of a disorganized infodump where I just ramble about my favorite character Rip has a relationship with and that's Jeff Smith.

I actually find Jeff to be more important to Rip's entire story and character background than Booster. There will also be some mentions of Bonnie because the Rip, Jeff & Bonnie dynamic is pretty important.

Though partially that is because the erasure of Jeff is what has made Rip such a boring character to read within post 90s Booster Gold stuff.

Jeff Smith is probably one of my favorite characters nobody really knows about and comics forgot about (until recently, but I'll get to that).

To sum it up quickly, Jeff is Rip Hunter's partner in the broad sense of the term. He was Rip's mechanic, his best friend, his scientific other half, and even once a cowboy (howdy).

More under the cut because this info-dump got long!

Jeff was Rip's partner from Rip's first ever appearance in showcase #20 and stuck with him onward to the 90s. While the stories had Rip's name on them, Rip and Jeff were postured as more of a duo than otherwise.

Bonnie and her brother Corky were along for the story but not as front and center as Jeff and Rip, hell even the story starts with Rip telling them to stay home while him and Jeff test their time machine by going on a jaunt to the prehistoric together.

The time sphere was first and foremost a creation of Jeff and Rip's scientific and mechanical prowess put together. I find it more interesting this way than if Rip were some sort of solo genius.

Later within the Rip Hunter series from the 60s-70s Jeff Still plays the role of Rip's partner, even saving Rip's life multiple times over. A characteristic that is strengthened as time goes on with Jeff is that he is the more calculated and thoughtful one of the pair. This remains the case in the Time Masters 1991 series.

Jeff, much like everyone gets a redesign for this series and a bit more heft to his character motives/personality. This is a series (while not good) that follows a linear story line instead of a collection of adventures so it was needed. I honestly only reread issues of this series for Jeff because I like the way him and Rip's relationship is handled here, as it strengthens the fact that pushing others away can only hurt everyone involved and being alone can be worse than your fears.

He is introduced not only as Rip's partner but his best friend. According to Rip, Jeff is one of his only close friends on account of his obsessive personality. A lot of Rip's own characterization in my opinion mirrors someone who has OCD. His obsession becoming stopping what he saw the future became while in Booster Gold vol 1. Hell...Will Magnus tells him he's paranoid.

Specifically I think the relationship Rip has to his paranoia and fears vs the relationships he has with others is really interesting. This, while comes up with Rip's relationship to Bonnie, is shown mostly with his connection to Jeff.

Jeff throughout the series is the one to break through to Rip even as he pushes others away at everyone's expense. This is shown in the start when Jeff breaks Rip out of spiraling overthinking, bringing him back with his logical thinking. Then all the way to the end when Jeff comes up with the idea of how to fix the time sphere, while Rip was caught up in his own paranoia and had at that point pushed everyone else away or caused them to leave him.

ALSO Jeff has to tell Rip to trust BOOSTER, who in retrospect is Rip's father. I just find that interesting.

Now, I'm going to be talking about subtext which is just how I interpreted things not saying they were intentional but it's just what I picked up on. Also I have a lot to say about how Bonnie is treated I really hate it because she's so disrespected when shes supposed to be equals to Rip but- a rant for another time ig.

The relationship between Jeff, Bonnie, and Rip (and Cave but not really tbh) are at the forefront of the interpersonal drama. It's worth mentioning that every scene Bonnie has romantically with a man (like Jeff or Cave) is mirrored immediately with Jeff and Rip. Specifically usually when Bonnie struggling with her own relationships vs when Jeff and Rip are coming together.

There is when Jeff shows up to Rip's office in a green trench coat (not pictured in this panel bc he took it off) and sits on Rip's desk to tell him he'll be his partner. Then within the same issue Bonnie in her green trench coat trying to seduce Cave (who is HER scientific partner) by getting on his desk- but then getting rejected.

Then again when Jeff chooses to leave Bonnie (in bed) to go be with Rip VS the end of that issue when Rip solemnly makes the choice to leave Jeff (in bed) to go chase his own hubris. (later we see Bonnie make the choice to steal the time sphere and go live in the future and make her own life teaching people post nuclear war, thank god she didn't end up with any of these men after all that)

Also side note- When Jeff and Rip go to ancient Atlantis together that's practically the first time in issues we see either of them really happy since like, issue 2. The only thing that tips Rip off is once again when someone brings up his paranoia. Also they get these gay earrings.

Anyways at the end because Rip ends up alone, without Jeff who was his only close friend, Rip realizes that time changes everything and to not be so worried about the literal end of the world- and that hopefully in time even he can change and be a better person to others.

....WHICH I feel is totally ignored and thrown away later on when Rip returns as Boosters son and Jeff was erased from the picture entirely (Bonnie still managed some appearances in other media but Jeff did not- not even in lot so I've heard..which is odd because that was inspired BY time masters). Rip became characterized as the lone mysterious savant who always has a plan (or can easily figure one out).

Despite the reader knowing his secret that he is Booster's son, we do not tend to get to see much of their family relationship since Rip is more shown as a mentor than anything else. Otherwise Rip is used as a narrative device for stories to bring in a little time travel spice if Booster or that one treadmill isn't available.

I actually find the more interesting Booster and Rip interactions being the ones where Rip is shown to be overwhelmed, in the wrong, or confused instead of the "guy who knows everything". Sadly we don't get to see this often.

Jeff after over 30 years has come back to comics but not in a way I really like, he just doesn't feel like himself at all but neither does any of the time masters. We haven't seen him much yet but I'm just not excited because the reason we have this "loner" characterization of Rip still is because of the same writer who's bringing them back- and yet again its a case of "Rip is running around alone" "ah that's just Rip". Like I thought we went over why that's bad for him LOL.

Anyways I guess the moral of this infodump/rant is this:

FUN FACT TIME:

Jeff and Rip met at MIT where they were both top of their classes!

He is as smart as Rip who is classified officially as a super-genius.

Jeff according to the DC ttrpg books is as wealthy as Ted Kord was when he was still apart of Kord industries.

He also apparently has connections to the Metal Men and Magnus still while Rip does not.

[aachria]

hi pookes, sorry I haven't sent in an ask in a hot minute, I know, you missed me no need to cry [smug/j]. you wouldnt BELIEVE half the things that have happened to me.

for some reason I had a dream that we were friends because you joined a server I was in and you held a poll for who to me your best friend and all my friends voted me..... this may be a sign-

THEN MY PIECE OF SHIT GAMER BROTHER WONT BE A DECENT HUMAN BEING IF GOD CAME DOWN AND SMITES HIM! I reorganized my room, got a bed frame, no not a new one, I got a bed frame, my mattress was on the floor before. it was really comfortable, my bed frame creaks every time I fucking move and my autistic ass cant handle that so I broke down crying at night for two days straight. not even half the insane shit that has happened but anyway I gotta move on. Leon d coin, the only thing I think of and how I imagine he looks like is Leon kuwata from thh, sorry not sorry. the lore is intensifying so you know I'm getting ready to theorise! :p

i have nothing rn, but once I get my life back on track I'll get to theorising. I should probably update the TV tropes page, I made that like half asleep back when you were still at likeeee what? in the 70-80 chapter mark? maybe even 60's, I know I started binge reading this when you were at like chapter 54 or smth. kinda late into it but still pretty early ig.

quick question, what YouTubers do you tend to watch a lot? random question but I'm curious I feel like you'd like kwite. my top 5 are probably, Markiplier, kwite, caseoh, tommyinnit, and jschlatt (I know I'm basic) later skibidi rizzler (I died saying that)

Sorry babydoll as it is currently one of my best friend's bday I cannot in good conscience add another to the roster 😔

My bedframe is also terribly loud and makes me want to cry, I understand pookie. It's the little things that getcha.

I cannot BELIEVE I had healed enough to have to google who that was and not I'm going to manually wipe my memory again so moving swiftly along.

UPDATE THE TV TROPES PAGE AND MY LIFE IS YOURS—

Honestly I don't really watch particular Youtubers, mostly I just watch video essays and retrospectives while I eat. Never call me skibidi rizzler again.

[kadolade]

Shouting Into The Void: A Highschooler’s First Rant

“Could you tell me how I'm right for you Baby, could you play along with me Baby, would that be alright with you And when we find out what's wrong with me Could you tell me how could you tell me how And if I'm still pretty”

— …well, better than the alternative by Will Wood

It can’t just be me who sees Tumblr as a sort of desolate place for some users. For me, it will serve a purpose as a void to shout my inner thoughts into. Of course, I’m not going into too much detail, it’s an online platform and I am one for safety.

I’ve tried diaries, I’ve tried recording myself talk, but it never seems to become a steady thing. Nor do I ever like seeing the clutter. So, I’m turning to ranting to the internet, after all, nobody listens to me. Regardless of being online or not, I tend to go a tad unnoticed. I like that sometimes, but I also crave the attention from others.

Anyway, Tumblr, Blogger, SpaceHey, online platforms are my void I can shout into, and sometimes they shout back! I might chance this blog’s name, but I’m not sure…

There are a lot of things I am unsure of.

I did my math and choir final exams today. Yesterday I did my biology one. My grades respectively were 93, (I forgot/don’t care), and 92. Raw scores. My county does this dumbass thing where if you got, say, a 70%, and that’s quite literally *what you got*, that is your *raw score*. Your *curved score* is how your grade is raised, this factor I am not sure about how it works. I needn’t to explain any of this, but, hello, The Void doesn’t know about it. And hey, a motherfucker wants to complain.

The curved stuff is nice and all…when it benefits me. On my midterm for biology, I had just transferred to this new school and I hadn’t been taking biology at my old school, so I had about ~10 days to prepare. I got a 70 on the midterm, and the curve score raised it to a 90. Obviously, this benefited my grade. So, I was happy for it! But now that I’m doing great in my classes (of course I am—I’m probably smarter than everyone in there), all these people with 60’s are getting their grades curved to 80’s and shit, while I go from a 92 to a 93. Am I being narcissistic and arrogant? Yes. This isn’t an: “AITA for bluh bluh bluh” whatever, it’s me shouting into. the. mother. fuckin. void.

My lunch period was sucky. I sit with my friends Felix and Ciel (not their real names but we like safety), and jegus.

Lunch is so hard, because I sort of feel like I’m walking on eggshells around Ciel. We had a bit of a minor falling out??? Can I even describe it as that? Whatever, shit was going on between us and we fixed it all up, but I still feel so guilty and shit. It’s hard to explain. Basically, Ciel likes Hermitcraft and shit, and she’s in colorguard, but for a while all she ever fucking talked about was colorguard, and I genuinely got fed up. But then again, I might just be an asshole for getting upset about that. I still listen to her talk, because I really like her, but sometimes it’s tough as nails. Like I’ll listen to her and all, and engage the best I can, but sometimes *I* want to talk. Sometimes I want to get my turn to talk about the stuff I like. She didn’t like how I was kind of unenthusiastic when she talked about colorguard and such, but she does the same thing!

Here I am, finally getting my turn to talk about Homestuck or something, and she brushes right past with something else or she’s on her phone. I really have no problems with Felix for the most part. God, Ciel gets on my nerves.

And I feel bad because I really like Ciel, but c’mon girl! When we walk from lunch to class, Ciel seems like she’s speeding up to get away from Felix and I. And when I notice that, I just want to grab her and figure out why the fuck she wants nothing to do with us. But other times I want to fucking push her and tell her that if she wants to get away that desperately just fucking tell me and run. Am I embarrassing to be around in the halls? Yeah, I’m kind of loud and obnoxious sometimes, but why should that shit even matter?

Maybe I’m a hypocrite and I do shit I don’t even realize. But it just sucks real bad. There are so many times when it’s all great being around her, and others when she just seems so uncaring and like she wants away from me. I thought we settled everything, and it’d all be sunshine lollipops and rainbows, and we could hold hands again and talk like normal, but I feel so confined. Am I allowed to talk about Homestuck anymore? Will she get fed up if I talk about Danganronpa and fanficiton?

Would she hate me if I told her to give me more attention every once in a while?

[marinerainbow]

Hey! So while I was reading your Popshine/JessicaxRoger Switcheroo AU I was listening to that Steven Universe Song- Its Over Isn't It (And just a precurser- i havent seen this show i just like the song and am just taking context clues from it). And I've been stewing on it since, and can't stop thinking about a Shiny x Poppy x Psycho love triangle with this plot! Lots of angst ahead, I warn you 😅

Like, imagine both Psycho and Shiny are in love with Poppy and she cares deeply for the both of them too. Shiny can make a joke of this, playfully argue with Psycho any time he's around and bother him as much as she can- because she doesnt think she'll actually lose Pops to him but his presence does annoy her. Her heart is, inevitably, broken when in the end Poppy chooses him.

I was fine with the men-

Who come into her life now and again.

I was fine, cuz I knew,

That they didn't really matter until you.

I was fine when you came, and we fought like it was all some silly game.

Over her- who she's choose-

After all those years, I never thought I'd lose.

Poppy and Psycho then have the twins, and Shiny fades into the background (as much as she can, I mean. Poppy still loves her and wants to be friends of course)- until Poppy dies. I'm not sure how, considering she is a toon of course, but it was definitely tragic.

Now Shiny has to help Psycho take care of the twins because he can't do it alone (She certainly knows it), and she needs to keep the last bit of Poppy left over, safe.

Of course you're welcome to ignore this if you want! Just thought I should tell you since it's about your OC's 😅

AWSTTHJOLNJTESDU7JHTEDF ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME CRY!?!? WELL YOU SUCCEEDED-

Ok ok ok. Before I get into my response to this, I've got some headcannons for this little AU. So. Poppy is dead. Psycho is not only mourning the sudden loss of his wife, but he's also a father now. He's got two kids he has to figure out how to raise through the depression. This would be hard on anybody. But on someone as mentally unstable as Psycho?? Holy. Shit. He's gonna need a lot of help. Shiny knows this, and although she and Psycho aren't friends thanks to their little love rivalry (I like to imagine she and Psycho could get along on their own. Maybe not be best friends, but it's Shiny's whole damn job description to get along with everyone she meets. If they didn't love the same woman, she could have made an acquaintance with Psycho work), she steps in whenever she can. Being more than just the Godmother Poppy asked her to be for the kids; at this point, the twins are practically her own, too. And she's the closest they have to a mother figure in their lives.

In fact, I think in this storyline, Shiny would have offered to take Psycho's position in the Toon Patrol. Those kids need a parent who won't get pulled away because of a new job. Or could easily be killed on said job either. And Psycho needs to be able to focus on his children full time now that it's just the three of them. Sure, if he does die too, the twins will be under her care, but Shiny isn't going to deprive them of the father they need now. Not to mention that this is around the 60's-70's; burlesque clubs aren't very popular now. Not as much as they were in her time anyway. Shiny needs a new job. And hey, she already had one foot in the criminal life with her moonshine business. Why not kill two birds with one stone? (Sometimes Psycho does have to get called for a job that only he can do, though he is still mostly a stay at home dad.)

So to the twins in this storyline, Shiny is not just their cool aunt. She's involved in so much of their lives. Going to school functions with Psycho to support all three of them, celebrating holidays all the time with them, and just generally making sure he doesn't screw up as a dad. She and Psycho here don't necassarily like each other, but she's short of moving in with them from becoming a complete member of their household. It's partially due to her legal status as a godmother, and she herself has grown an attachment to Poppy's children. And it hurts her so much more because this is the family of the woman she loved, and the other man.

Because she's trying her best to be the stability this family needs, Shiny never got to really mourn Poppy's death and, as such, hasn't been able to truly move on. She feels like she can't truly talk about her position about this to anyone since she has to be strong for the kids. But eventually, bottled emotions have to come out one way or another. Why not let them come out in song?

Also, after our convo, I'm making widower gardener Psycho canon in this AU :)

Warnings for: past character death, angst, plenty of cursing, a lot of crying. Also emotional singing (I don't care if it may come out as cringy- if I can't animatic Shiny singing this song, then I'm gonna write it!)

~

January 2, 1973

"Goodnight, Shiny."

"G'night, you little rascals. Don't forget to bite the bed bugs back for me!"

The two children giggled, Percival letting out a "That's gross!" around his laughter, before their father gently nose nudged them both towards the hallway. The twins gave him and their godmother one final hug before making their way to the back of the house to do as they were silently told how they could behave so well despite being raised by two hooligans, Shiny had no clue. It must be Poppy's influence. Usually Psycho didn't pay much mind to bedtimes, though it was late on an already long day. They all needed rest...

The grin on Shiny's face finally fell, only after Psycho glanced briefly towards her- telling the old dancer in his own way to go home now, before following his children. Now it was just her alone standing in the seemingly empty living room. It had been a long day for them all. Especially for the kids...

'Another birthday come and gone...'

visiting the grave of a woman that they didn't even know, but were supposed to. That would be scary and thought-provoking for anybody. No matter how old or young they were. Who knew what kind of shit was going through Penny and Percy's heads whenever they saw their mothers name on a tombstone?

But at least, they had as good of a support system they could get. All Penny and Percy needed to worry about now was what story their father would tell them tonight, and how many sheep they'd have to count to fall asleep. But they were getting older, too. And someday, they would lose the innocence that came with childhood...

Shiny's fists clenched, and an ugly frown tugged at her lips, choosing to glare at the floorboards as if they somehow spoke ill about her. Every year, this day was so damn hard for her. At least on the twins' birthday, she could distract herself with Penny and Percy's happy demeanor and what the day is supposed to be about. But on Poppy's birthday, all anybody could think of was how their friend was no longer with them to celebrate with.

The weasel woman growled a little before silently storming towards the front door, trying so hard to ignore the pain in her heart. She had to leave and go home anyway, but she also needed some fresh air. It was the only thing that could help her now- or at least that was what she could hope.

The former dancer's paw hovered over the doorknob in hesitation when she heard the familiar pitter patter of rain drops hitting the roof. Before she even stepped outside, 'Of course. Of course, it's going to be raining tonight.' If she were religious, she would have taken this as a sign that even the universe was sorrowful on this day. didn't bother with thoughts like that. They brought no reassurance or comfort to her despite so many people telling her it would.

Shiny just barely managed to not slam the door behind her before sinking down onto the porch steps. The night air was chilly, causing the rain to feel ice cold on her skin, not that Shiny cared at the moment. And the lamp across the street had gone out again. Shiny hadn't bothered turning on the porch light; it would just draw more attention towards her. More so than a wrech sitting on someone else's porch in the rain in the middle of the neighborhood would. At least the people around here knew to mind their own business.

That was one of the things Poppy liked about this place when they went house hunting; it was a valuable perk for anybody married to unlawful citizens. The perk for Shiny was that her house was just a few blocks away, and she could have visited Poppy and the kids more often...

"Fuck!" She roughly rubbed her eyes, trying desperately to get rid of the now familiar stinging before the floodgates started. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Why? Why? Why did it have to be so damn hard just to think of that woman's name? To think about a future that would never be reality now? She knew why, but why!?

Shiny sucked in a long, overdue breath and heaved it out before slumping over in defeat. Her elbows were resting on her knees, but they hardly supported her it felt like, as she hung her head. If she closed her eyes, she knew that Poppy's grave would be all that she'd see, so Shiny settled for just staring into the wet, muddy ground. Her voice was so soft, so fragile, she would have wondered if she actually said anything if she wasn't focusing on other things, "Why did it have to be you?"

God. So much had changed over the years. It was hard to believe they all had come this far. How much they all had changed. Sure, Smartass still had his gang, and the rest of the boys were still in it. But everything was different. And it wasn't just Psycho becoming a father and widower. She was different...

So much had changed. Nothing was the same. Or ever will be again... She couldn't even remember the last time she sang. Singing and dancing used to be one of Shiny's favorite forms of expression; it had been more than just a way to make money to her. But there wasn't a need for it now. She worked in the night under a very different career now. What point was there in singing anymore?

Shiny ran a paw through her hair it had grown longer over the years. She simply hadn't bothered to cut it anymore. She couldn't see the point in it nowadays before tilting her head to the left to look at the poppies lining the house. She was careful, despite her broiling emotions and shaky paw, when she reached towards the one closest to her and grazed her fingers over the petals. It was actually Percy's idea to plant the poppy flowers, 'so mom can be home' he had said. Just more proof that the little kit thought about things a lot more than kids his age should. Of course, planting your mothers namesake to try to keep her close wasn't how it worked, but who would care? Certainly not his father. Or her.

'You always loved my singing.' The thought wormed its way into Shiny's head before she could stop it. But now that it was there, she just... Couldn't fathom the energy to force it away. Not while she was out here alone, on her sweethearts birthday, with the cold rain and breeze as her band for the night, 'And I loved to sing for you... I'd give anything to sing for you again...'

But Poppy wasn't there to hear her sing anymore. It was no longer the same. Shiny had always thought that she sang for herself, which was partially true. But she found out the hard way too that she also needed someone to offer her voice to- something to sing about. But what?

...

"I was fine... With the men... Who would come into her life now and again..." It had been years since she had found it in herself to sing anything. Let alone whatever was on her mind. She somehow already knew what she was going to sing about before the words even left her lips, but right now, she couldn't care less, "I was fine... Cause I knew, that they didn't really matter... Until you." Her eyes narrowed into a spiteful glare, as she thought about that damn weasel inside the house now. She wanted to think of him as a homewrecker in all honesty. Though how could she when Poppy had never loved her the she had hoped she would?

A shaky breath, to try to calm her raging nerves. It was futile, but it was either try or just go all out and bat shit crazy in the rain. Shiny focused back on the flower, thinking back to all the stupid things Psycho and Shiny used to do to compete, "I was fine. When you came, and we fought like it was all some silly game... Over her."

Another crack in her voice. Another breath, "Who'd she choose..."

Shutting her eyes tightly, Shiny managed to tear her gaze away from the flower bed and lift her chin towards the cloudy night sky. Though it wasn't in pride, "After all those years, I never thought I'd lose..."

"It's over, isn't it?" It was, wasn't it? "Isn't it?" Now that she was never coming back, "Isn't it over?" After leaving behind so much, "You won. And she chose you. And she loved you. And she's gone..."

Only one thought crossed her mind as a droplet that wasn't from the current weather slipped down her cheek; if their silly little game was over now... "It's over, isn't it? Why can't I move on?"

~

Penelope felt restless, sitting upright in her bed and watching the rain pattering against her window intently, rather than laying down and trying to sleep. She always loved the rain. As long as she could remember. She especially loved it when it was a heavy downpour.

Though she was scared that mom's poppies would get ruined. Thankfully, dad was already on it, and had left real quick to make sure the garden had shelter for the night, "Percy?"

She didn't look her brothers way, but she could still hear the sleepy muddle in his voice. She didn't know how he was able to hunker diwn to bed so quickly, "Yeah?"

"Do you think mom liked the rain too?" Dad and unkle Wheezy had mentioned that their mother wasn't too fond of thunder a few times, but thunder and lightning were different... Maybe she had something in common with mom.

Finally tearing her gaze away from the window, Penelope looked over to the other side of the room, where Percival, in his own bed, was. The little weasel rubbed his eyes and blinked them into focus before he shrugged, "Maybe... Dad likes the rain, and they did a lot together. So she probably did."

"Yeah. That's right..."

Penny nodded, though Percival noticed how she looked to be frowning. He sighed, knowing exactly what she was thinking. It was something they both thought about, especially on days like this. How everyone they knew got to know their mother... Except each other.

Wordlessly, the kit crawled out of his bed and walked over to his sisters side of the room. He did hop on the bed with her, but he did reach over to hug her, which she returned silently. Neither of them spoke a word. They were young, but they still knew each other best.

"... I'm gonna get a glass of water." Penny decided after a moment, pulling away from the sibling embrace and sliding off of her bed easily. Percy decided to follow her. It sounded like they could use a drink- as their unkle Smarty would say.

The trip to the kitchen was relatively short. It wasn't even too bad when they had to get creative to reach the glasses in the cupboard; usually, dad got the cups down for them, but he wasn't around. So Penny just climbed onto the counter like she had seen dad do sometimes and passed down her brother the cups. They had done this trick a lot, much to their family's detriment.

Percival could only hear the rain pouring down onto the roof. Though he was reminded that he wasn't the twin that inherited their mothers hearing when Penelopes ears twitched and tilted towards a direction. He followed confusedly after her when she started walking towards the front door, "What is it?"

The rabbit child's ears were pointed toward the door, before her bright blue eyes widened, and she hopped onto the couch closest to the front window. Percy followed suit, searching for whatever it was that she heard. When he saw the familiar figure sitting on the porch, his eyebrows shot up to his forehead, "Shiny?"

"She was supposed to go home, right?"

The two shared a look. Silently asking the other the same question; listen? Or go back to bed?

...

In that secret language only siblings could understand, the two agree to creep back towards the front door and crack it open. Just a tad; not enough for Shiny to hear them, buy enough for them to listen to what she was saying.

Or rather, singing, "Shiny can sing??"

"Shh!"

Lucky for the twins, the rain was loud enough in Shiny's ears to block out any other sound. Honestly it was a wonder she hadn't gone deaf from countless night in the past dancing along loud bands... Her heart ache might have had a hand in her lack of focus now, too.

The weasel gritted her teeth and tugged at some hair strands- which was getting wetter by the minute. Including her clothes and fur. But she just couldn't give a damn now. Besides, it allowed her to pretend that the tears streaming down her cheeks were just raindrops, "Who am I now in this world without her!? Petty and dull with the nerve to doubt her..."

Poppy was always naive; she always wanted and hoped for the best in this wretched world. But that didn't mean she was dumb. Poppy had faced her own suffering in her life, and she always looked out for the people around her, no matter how awful they truly were. The way she treated her criminal friends, how she treated her, was proof of that. Shiny knew that she could always trust the rabbit because of it. And that was what made Poppy stand out to her out of everyone in her life, and what she had loved the most about her.

But nowadays... She still loved Poppy, and she loved the twins. But sometimes, Shiny wondered what would have happened if she had tried to discourage Poppy from more of the choices she had made. Would it have been worth being more controlling if it meant Poppy would be alive now?

The singer shook her head at that, knowing in her heart that that kind of thinking was wrong. Besides, it's not like it would change anything, so what was the point? "What does it matter? It's already done. Now I've got to be there for her kin..."

From the front door, Penny and Perry couldn't believe their ears, and even shared a look. As if they had to verify with the other that what they were hearing was really real. Their aunt had always told them that she and their mother were close, but she never said anything about this. She never looked this sorrowful talking about their mom. She was always so cheery and strong; had she been hiding this from them all along? "Percy...?"

Their shared thoughts stopped in their tracks when Percy noticed Shiny standing up from the porch, and quickly gestured to his sister. The kits ducked behind the door, just in case she had planned on going back inside, or was about to glance behind her. They stayed there, holding their breaths, until they heard their godmother's voice again. Louder, almost yelling, and more strained this time. Like she was cracking under the weight of what she said next, "It's over, isn't it!? Isn't it!? Isn't it over!?"

They both flinched from their hiding spots, feeling the pain that Shiny carried through her voice. They slowly peeked back outside once they deemed it safe, and could see Shiny now stood up from the porch and off the steps, standing fully in the pouring rain now. It was hard to see with how dark it was, but it looked like she was trembling even. All Penny and Percy could do was continue to listen. It was all they knew what to do now.

The weasel felt like she was going to crack under the weight of all her pent-up emotions. Her breath huffing out all shaky and fists clenched so tight by her sides. She felt so weak right now, on her own, but all she wanted was to scream and shout and punch a pillow. Or better yet, a wall. Her vision felt blurry, and not just because of the tears in her eyes, and she wasn't even thinking about all of the painful memories like before. Right now, even though it felt so hard to do, all she could do was take in one long breath, and scream into the sky with all the heartbreak that she had pushed down all these years, "You won, and she chose you! And she loved you! Now she's gone!"

...

That's it. There was no turning back now. She couldn't take it back now. Or fault the ears of anyone who may have been listening. Blinking away raindrops and tears, as if that final scream had taken her voice, all Shiny could manage now was a soft, pained tune, "It's over, isn't it? Why can't I move on...?"

Quiet sobs escaped her lips as her head fell, now staring at the muddy ground. Her shoulders shook with her crying, but that didn't stop her from wrapping her arms around herself, trying to find some way to find warmth and comfort now, "It's over, isn't it? Why can't I move on?"

Letting out everything she had locked away didn't help in the slightest; all it left was cold emptiness. At least, that's what it felt like now. At least no one was here to see her like this...

"Shiny?"

Her eyes grew wide, and a gasp escaped her before she whipped back around towards the doorway. Seeing the two she had hoped would never see this side of her was bad enough, but seeing the utter confusion and worry on the twins' faces, worry they shouldn't have to feel for her, made her heart sink even further than it had. How much did they hear? "O-Oh! Hey, guys... Shouldn't you be asleep...?"

Usually, the kids would have some witty excuse, or at least what they thought was clever, and act innocent. It would make Shiny laugh every time before she called them out on their mischief and sent them back on the right path- doing whatever it was they were supposed to be doing. But now? Stepping fully outside and onto the porch in their pajamas, Penny and Percy didn't answer her. At least not with words. Though the many questions that they didn't ask- or didn't even know where to start- were clear as day in their wide, sad eyes.

They heard it all. Or at least enough. Enough where she couldn't make up a lie to distract them. Not that that would have stopped them. They were persistent little kits.

And now, because she couldn't keep a damn lid on herself, wasn't strong enough to keep it together, Shiny had no choice but to reveal the complete truth, "... I... Kids, I..."

But where does one even start?

~

I really wanted to add Psycho's reaction as well. But I couldn't figure out how to write it in while making it flow with the story. I'm kinda afraid that adding the twins in this already jumbled the flow of the drabble a bit- but I haven't written them yet, and wanted to try 😅

He is in the backyard, so I don't know if he could even hear her sorrow... Though maybe he came back inside last minute?

But anyways! I hope you like this answer, and I apologize for taking so long XD let me know what you think! ^^

[oldguy56-world]

Stardust

I had a relative who this past weekend went to a concert. The star(s) of the concert were a very famous country duo. So what is the big deal with this? Well the combined age of the pair is 140 years old. I would classify them as part of the 'geezer pleaser' (copywrite, TM and all that stuff) group of performers currently performing all over the world. We see them, we know them, and if they were not together as a group for a long time they have reunited for, and I will say this plainly MORE MONEY! The life of musicians from the 70's and 80's (maybe even the 50's and 60's if they get a day pass from the home) was probably expensive so they burned through their cash and now need more.

Why are we, as a society, so eager to pay big prices to see people well past their prime perform? Sometimes it is nostalgia but there are a lot of newer fans who never heard them before willing to go see them because they are tired of the current crop of limited talented people singing the one or two songs they know. I blame tick tock for this as many are not special or even musicians but they got a lot of hits for one video. Is this an indictment of music today? I will let you be the judge on that.

Because of this new method of concert going, there are also new rules that need to be observed. Not only are the musicians much older so are the majority of fans attending. To that end, I am offering up a list of protocols that need to be put in place.

Stay away from the rows right in front of the stage. This used to be prime territory and everyone rushed to be there. Now there is an 87% chance one of the band members will fall off the stage and land on you. One of you will break a hip as a result.

Women used to throw their panties up on stage for the band. Now, please be practical and toss Depends. Preferably unused ones. (This is another reason to avoid the front of the stage as old women can't throw very far)

Unless you have a sticker be prepared to park very far from the venue. When there is a geezer concert they reserve approximately 2,385 parking spots for handicapped people.

Concessions should now carry Imodium. Many in attendance might not be able to hold it for the entire concert and the time it takes to get to the washroom and back will cause you to miss a lot of songs. Another reason not to throw Depends onto the stage as you might need them shortly.

Watch the big screen behind the band as it will be showing film from their early concerts. Much more entertaining than watching them using inhalers or the drummer losing the use of one arm and trying to play with one. (Not a problem if it is Def Leppard. I know this is not too soon for that one.)

The venue must have wide aisles as all of the ushers and most of the patrons will be using walkers.

There should be three intermissions that can be used for valuable nap time for everyone involved.

If they are going to put the words to the songs on the screen for audience sing along it must be in the largest font available.

This one should be law. It must be stated up front how many original members will be performing. Not the 5th drummer or the grandson of one of the original singers. Ticket prices should be a sliding scale based on the % of original members up on stage. There are a couple of touring bands that have 0 members. These should be free.

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: Everything has a best before date. Know yours and act accordingly.

[belindarimbi13]

updating my ship chart: doramitsu ドラみ�� edition 🐉🍯

draken definitely loved to cuddle mitsuya and there's no place mitsuya would rather be than being in draken's arm. also fun fact, by being the big spoon, there's lesser possibility for mitsuya to hog the blanket and leave draken out 😂

anyway, mitsuya! in! oversize! tee! of course he would wear draken's clothes like he owned them himself. his excuse? 🍯 "I'm the one who's doing the laundry" while they literally shared house chores. draken absolutely didn't mind though.

pet names as sarcasm lmao. anyway, there's nothing more intimate than just being "ken" and "taka" for them <33333

both are extroverts. but sometimes, I feel like mitsuya is way more reserved than draken. they are pretty socially active and quite comfortable among the crowds though.

affection through actions!!! i've written enough doramitsu fic to know how sometimes words couldn't contain the magnitude of their love towards each other. so, act of service it is! as simple as, draken preparing snack when mitsuya's staying up late, mitsuya fixing draken's d&d uniform~

mitsuya had always loved draken but never acted on his feeling for the fear of ruining their friendship. draken took his time, but once he realized his feeling for mitsuya was actually wanting to be some much more than friend, he immediately acted on it. he didn't wanna lose him.

either squashing bugs with shoes, or bare hand on reflex. it's not even questionable. they would just casually killed cockroach, and picking it up to show how dead it is. like, "guys, why are you screaming, i'm just gonna throw this out."

they definitely knew their way around vehicle. and yes, they're specialized in bikes but cars were no big deal to them, even if they didn't drive it all the time. draken learned to drive because it was bound to happen, and mitsuya learned to drive because well, it's useful skill.

coincidentally, one of the form for their act of service was cooking for the other. mitsuya had done this even before he and draken were together, of course it continued. while draken, he learned and tried his hardest, to do the same. mitsuya honestly was proud of his progress.

showing people that mitsuya was his had become draken's life mission. he loved PDA. absolutely enjoyed watching the other suitors backing away, while mitsuya's blushing profusely. mitsuya wasn't against it, because despite the grumbles, he secretly loved being claimed like that.

draken's bound to be overprotective, it's part of his personality. sometimes he forgot that his partner used to lead his own division. mitsuya was more easy-going, he knew draken could take care of himself. although, if it's a must, he won't hesitate to be overprotective as well.

i'd like to think that draken's bisexuality was found through a series of failed dates. of course the only thing that didn't fail had been beside him all along. meanwhile, mitsuya was quite picky, and he was actually too hung up on draken, to build a relationship.

horny level

🍯70% at best, 🐉90% most times

draken just couldn't keep his hand off mitsuya😂 especially when they were alone. lucky for him that mitsuya always indulge him. and maybe, mitsuya's percentage was not entirely accurate considering how easy he caved in.

awkwardness level

🍯45-50% 🐉30%

their transition from friends to lovers was actually pretty smooth. it was just like their usual friendship with additional intimacy in between. mitsuya definitely took more time to get used to it, especially because he never dared to dream it.

jealousy level

🍯60% at best 🐉80% minimum

despite the high level, draken never actually acted rashly. he would gladly showed them, that mitsuya was his.

mitsuya knew draken was attractive & he got tons of admirers. sometimes he let it irked him, most times he just ignored it.

will add more if I have more thoughts

[blueelectricroom]

Coming up on a quarter of a century ago I had the great joy of interviewing Burt Bacharach for Black & White. This was on the tail end of his 1999 South American tour and a couple of weeks before the Birmingham show.

Still can't believe how generous he was with his time, and it cracks me up that, while I have most of his music in my very DNA, I can't hear any of those iconic tunes without thinking of what Bacharach's kitchen prep sounded like. Here's the chat from November of 1999.

What’s New, Bacharach?

It’s 11:30 a.m. in Los Angeles at Burt Bacharach’s house, and judging from sounds picked up by the speaker phone, he’s rambling around trying to put some kind of breakfast or brunch together. He arrived last night from a tour in Argentina, and in his own words, he’s “kind of whacked.” Nonetheless, his conversational tone is as bright and pleasant as…well, a Bacharach tune, with a kind of stop-start inflection that keeps one guessing if more words are to follow.

“Hold on a second, don’t go anywhere”, he says before going after what sounds like more ice. A full minute later, “Are you there? Okay, good.”

Black & White: Let’s talk about your youth, specifically that time when music first began making a deep impression on you.

Burt Bacharach: 52nd Street. The jazz club scene, without question. In the late ��40s, when I’m a teenager seeing Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, those guys. I was hooked. I got caught up in what they were doing in terms of, first of all, the excitement and stirring quality of the music, but technically speaking those artists were inventing possibilities. Not merely new songs, but new sounds.

B&W: Considering the tremendous transitions in popular music from 1946 to 1966, your music seems to fall somewhere between the American songbook, Tin Pan Alley tradition, and the less mainstream realm of sophisticated time signatures, chord shifts, and other elements of the jazz sound that impressed you so much.

Bacharach:  Elements. That’s a good point. Yes, I’m sure my influences, in terms of composition, come from that, but I was also profoundly impressed, in my music studies, with Ravel and Debussy. I was intrigued very early by that music. If you want to say my songs are sophisticated, I have to credit those influences. I see what you mean by tremendous range, that’s one of the best aspects of late popular music, but you really don’t have to cover a span of 20 years. Just start with Harry James and move to Charlie Parker and you have a tremendous shift in music.

B&W: It seems that the odds would be against a songwriter, such as yourself, using complicated elements to make popular music or hit songs.

Bacharach: [laughing] Are my songs complicated?

B&W: I’ll put it in terms of a paradox: keeping time with “This Boy’s In Love,” or “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” is a challenge. They are tricky songs, you must admit. Yet for those of us growing up in the ’60s and ’70s, your music was ubiquitous, a new song every 3 or 4 months, each with a melody that is now instantly recognized and adored.

Bacharach: Well, I certainly don’t try to make things difficult for the listener. [laughing] Sorry about that. You’ll have to admit, on the other hand, that I’m not writing anything now nearly as—let’s say complex—as “Promises, Promises.” But all along I was just trying to stay with what pleased me, what I thought sounded good. More importantly, I have always written what I was comfortable with, which meant staying with certain musical values; I wasn’t deliberately trying to be “sophisticated.” But you don’t want to write cheap, you know? It’s like being involved with a person really, when you create a song. You want to get up the next day or the next week and feel good about yourself. If a certain phrasing or 7/8 chord sounds good, I think you have to stay with it. You don’t try to anticipate what the public will like. You stay with the values.

B&W: There is another paradox in many of your songs: those infectious, upbeat melodies are accompanied by lyrics that convey poignancy or even melancholy. These songs are mindful of the pitfalls of romance, the tension involved.

Bacharach: Well, I think when you can get something like that going, that contrast, and you can put a meaningful story there, that’s what you’re after. Hal [Hal David, longtime Bacharach collaborator] is great lyric writer. He has a terrific way of taking care of certain notes, matching the right vowel with a high note, you know what I mean? A love song deals with the heart, and so with that passion everything is heightened, “I’m gonna live forever”; “each day I’m falling more in love,” that sort of feeling. We have a lot of songs like that,  I think “Anyone Who Had a Heart” gets those ideas across.

B&W: Have you ever been surprised by a particular interpretation?

Bacharach: [laughing] There have been all kind of surprises. One record that I love, really love, that’s kind of different from the way I wrote it, is Aretha Franklin doing “Say a Little Prayer.” Oh, it’s brilliant. And a surprise, certainly.

B&W: What kind of music are you most likely to listen to today?

Bacharach: Brazilian music. We just finished a South American tour; that may be why. But really it’s a kind of music from which I’ve always derived a lot of pleasure. When I worked with Sergio Mendes, and he’s great, Sergio’s wonderful; I enjoyed Brazil so much.

B&W: You are also enjoying  a new generation of fans right now. Elvis Costello, Michael Myers, and the electronica and lounge-core crowds seem universally to admire your music.

Bacharach:  I think it’s great; you can’t plan that. It’s gratifying. These kids weren’t even born when this music was first recorded. It’s not a revival, they’re hearing it for the first time. I was just so pleased that Michael Myers wanted me to be a part of the Austin Powers movies. Great guy. He’s brilliant and hilarious. Very quick. In those two scenes in those pictures, I was just laughing and smiling through the entire shot. I wasn’t acting; I found it all just too much.

B&W: Has there been a moment at which you thought to yourself, “Wow, I’ve written the soundtrack to a good portion of the 20th century?”

Bacharach: Actually, no, I’ve never said that to myself. I don’t think I will. I’m approached sometimes with compliments like that, people who talk in terms of my contribution to popular music, and it is certainly flattering. I’m very uneasy with that kind of idea, though. I’m extremely happy to do what I do for so long, with so much success, but I just can’t look at it in those terms. Having a show go well, I mean, giving a good performance is much more appealing to me.

B&W: From where you’re standing, do you know the way to San Jose?

Bacharach: Ha! Oh gosh. Well, you know I have found my own way there a couple of times. I worked with the symphony and it’s a really nice town. For specific directions, I think you’d have to ask Hal David.

[ironcladrhett]

TIMING: Summer 2023 LOCATION: Various PARTIES: Rhett (@ironcladrhett) & Kaden (@chasseurdeloup) SUMMARY: Last summer, Rhett caught a lone hesperide for ‘questioning’. He spotted (known hunter) Kaden by chance and invited him along to help. Unfortunately for them both, the nymph in question was a close personal friend of Kaden’s. CONTENT WARNINGS: Torture

—

You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. What a stupid saying. And what it didn't account for was persistence. You could catch all the fucking flies if you were persistent enough. 

Rhett straddled the line somewhere between vinegar and persistence, employing heaps of both to get his hands on every fae that he could. He cared very little for appearances, throwing himself into situations that other hunters might shy away from to get his target, not caring about the consequences. He had a singular mission, and he'd see it through until it killed him. That left very little room for bleeding heart tendencies. 

Tailing the unassuming looking man, his skin burning with the closeness of the nymph, the warden wore a fierce grimace. The evening was warm and the setting sun cast long shadows over the town, offering him a decent amount of cover. It was just a waiting game at this point: waiting for a moment that no one else faced their way. They were approaching a rather rowdy sounding bar and Rhett frowned. He didn't want to have to use some other tactic on this asshole. He wanted to grab him now, while the van was still nearby. 

Finally, an opportunity presented itself. Rhett lunged forward and slapped a hand over the man's mouth while the other grabbed the hair at the back of his head, using it like a handle as he shoved the fae toward the brick wall to their left, slamming his head into it to knock him out. The nymph crumpled in his arms and Rhett hoisted him over his shoulder, making a quick exit for the van. He certainly got some looks from passerby, but the fake phone call he was loudly making to 911 about his friend that'd had too much to drink seemed to stop any questions that might have otherwise been thrown his way. 

Reaching the van, Rhett stood around for another few seconds until the coast was clear again, stuffing his phone back in his pocket and opening the back, where he unceremoniously dumped the unconscious fae.

It wasn't until he closed the doors again that he saw someone familiar standing there, staring at him.

"Oi, Tenderfoot!" Rhett called with a grin. His gaze danced to the rear doors and he snickered. "Bagged me a nymph, got a few questions for it. Get over here, come with! Could always use an extra pair'ah hands." 

—

As he tossed away the burnt out butt of his cigarette, Kaden glanced down at his watch. It was a minute later than the last time he’d looked. And still no sign of Aidan. He sighed and reached back into his pocket to pull out another smoke and light it up. Normally he would wait inside, wouldn’t worry, but something felt off. The hunter couldn’t put his finger on it, but this was unusual. The match had started about fifteen minutes ago and Aidan had planned to get there early so he could make sure to have a pint in hand before the coin toss. Still, no show. He hoped he wouldn’t make it through the whole pack before the guy got here, but he was starting to think that might be the case. 

Putain, he was probably worrying about nothing. He was about to toss the half finished cigarette and stomp it out when he heard a slam and some sort of scrambling coming from around the corner. Kaden moved away from the wall he was propped up against in the alley and crept closer to the origin of the commotion, careful not to make too much noise himself, his light falling onto the concrete, smoke snaking up to the sky as he left it behind. 

At the corner, he leaned over to get a peek of what the hell was going on. There was a van that looked like it had seen better days and those days were probably in the 60’s or 70’s at best. There was also a man hoisting a body over his shoulders. The same body was then thrown into the back of the van. Wait, not just a body. That was Aidan. Putain de merde, why was someone abducting him into a fucking murder van? What was going on? Kaden was frozen in place, not sure if he should intervene, or back away and trail the whole thing from a distance. 

He didn’t get a chance to decide because when the doors swung closed, a familiar face greeted him. Merde. A pit plummeted into Kaden’s stomach as he tried to wipe the horrified look off his face. “Hey,” he called out, taking a step away from the corner and closer to the van. “Nymph, huh?” Was his voice shaking? Putain, he hoped it wasn’t fucking shaking. And anyway, that was Aidan, not a nymph.

Putain de merde, was Aidan a nymph? Fuck. He figured the warden was going to know more than he did on that front. A warden who just shoved his friend into the back of a van. And invited him along for the fun. Kaden had half a mind to throw his fist into Rhett’s face and run off with Aidan, but it was never going to work. There was no way he could take a seasoned hunter like that out with one hit and the only way he was getting out of there with an unconscious body was if Rhett wasn’t able to run right after them. 

So Kaden took a deep breath, nodded, and said, “Happy to help,” before hopping into the passenger seat of the van. He hoped Rhett wasn’t a shitty driver because he wasn’t sure how long he could keep the bile threatening to rise up this throat at bay. 

—

Unfortunately for Kaden, Rhett was kind of a shitty driver, thanks mostly to the fact that he was effectively blind these days. Boy, he’d really taken his peripheral vision for granted when he had it. 

Taking them back out of town and toward the coast, Rhett was as giddy as a kid in a candy store. He was pretty sure the thing in the back was a hesperide, he was telling Kaden, on account of how absolutely revolting it felt to be in close quarters with it. Or maybe that was just him being judgy, but it didn’t matter. He just hoped that this one wasn’t another loner, and actually had an aos sí that it reported back to once in a while. 

“You wouldn’t believe how many fuckin’ communities of fae there are ‘round here, mate. Mind bogglin’. Shocked this whole town ain’t indebted itself to ‘em, yet. But they will, given enough time. They will.” He had. He glanced over at Kaden as they pulled onto a dirt access road, riding through the woods right alongside the beach. The bunker wasn’t far now.

“You got much experience with ‘em? Fae, I mean.”

—

Kaden’s knuckles were turning whiter and whiter as he gripped the handle above the door tighter and tighter with each minute of Rhett’s driving. It was going to be a miracle if he made it out of this alive as much as if Aiden did. It was going to be a minor miracle if they didn’t get into a car accident on the way to wherever the hell it was they were going. 

The ranger tried to rely on his training, bury emotions, keep them at bay and try not to show his hand. He was sure as hell out of practice, though. He’d been letting that part of his hunter duties slip even before he went full on off the fucking rails. Hopefully the warden was too giddy with his latest catch to notice Kaden’s nerves. He had plenty to say about what kind of nymph his friend was at the very least. “I believe it,” Kaden grumbled. “Made it thirty-three years without getting into a bind with a fae and a few months here, one got my goddamn name.” Merde, maybe he shouldn’t have said that. Sure, Beau was obnoxious and a piece of shit, but he didn’t want the guy gutted. “Got it back, though.” That was obvious enough. 

“You have to ask?” he said, a little embarrassed. “No. My experience has been to avoid them and leave this shit to wardens.” Apparently his experience lately had been to befriend them. He let out a slow exhale as the van bounced along the unpaved road. Where the fuck were they headed? Putain de merde, he was in over his fucking head either way, he knew that much. 

—

The admission that he’d lost his name, even if temporarily, earned a raised brow from the warden. “That so?” Well, he’d have to be on the lookout for that one. Name stealing, in and of itself, wasn’t so dangerous as it was annoying, but that didn’t make much of a difference to a warden like Rhett. If it was fae, it needed to die. Simple as that. And someone who made a habit of stealing names might be the best fae to know if someone by the name of Mariela had come through this town after all. “What was it called? The one that took yer name. Might be a bit of use t’me.” Before I kill it, came the unspoken addendum. Rhett had learned over the years that sometimes other hunters frowned upon his methods, and unless they were family like Emilio, he wasn’t eager to clue them in… as he brought a man who might as well have been a stranger with him to his bunker where he planned to interrogate the hesperide stirring to life in the back of the van. He was nothing if not contradictory. 

Glancing over his shoulder, Rhett hissed a soft curse under his breath. The groans of his quarry didn’t inspire any kind of guilt or remorse, of course, only irritation. It was okay. They were close.

The bunker was built into a small hill, windowless and as secure as it could be. The beach was only a few minutes walk away, and the salty sea breeze reached all the way to where Rhett was hoisting the fae back into his arms, glowering at the way he moaned and tried to blink open his eyes. He gave Kaden the feet, hooking one arm under the fae’s while keeping the other free to punch in the passcode on the door. It beeped and gave a hefty thunk as the lock disengaged, allowing the warden to push it open with his back as he guided the ranger inside.

The entrance seemed fairly normal and looked almost ready to live in with a couch and assortment of chairs and a desk, but there was another door near the back—as big and heavy as the one that led inside this place, similarly lacking in any kind of window or peephole. That was where Rhett took them, entering a different passcode from the first. 

This room was devoid of furniture, unless you wanted to count the iron cuffs hanging from an iron chain from the middle of the ceiling. And naturally, this was where Rhett strung the fae up, patting it down to look for any weapons and whatever the thing was that was keeping the glamour up even though it was unconscious—mostly. A ring was found and removed, and immediately the human visage melted away to make room for the true appearance of this sun nymph. The warden laughed delightedly. 

“What’d I tell ya, Tenderfoot?” The nymph rolled its head back, luminous eyes opening slowly as it tried to pull itself to its feet, arms bound above its head. The burn of the iron took a few seconds to register, but once it had, the creature let out a pained wail. Insect wings fluttered behind it, trying to lift and pull it away from the offending metal, but the chain prevented it from getting very far before it collapsed again to the floor of the bunker, only able to sink into a slight squat thanks to the length of the chain. 

“Wh… what—where am I?” it bleated, blinking a few times and looking around before its gaze fell on Kaden. There was a silent sort of horror that sat there on the inhuman face, like it was trying to decide if it should call out to its friend, or if this had been the plan all along. 

—

“Yeah,” Kaden replied sheepishly. He hated admitting to being that stupid and careless, especially as a hunter. He should have known better, but he wasn’t used to living surrounded by so many fae and having to watch his words that closely. It could have been worse, that was for sure. Still, he shifted in his seat when Rhett asked for the fae’s name. It felt like a terrible idea to tell the warden Beau’s name, even if he was an annoying pain in the ass, he didn’t want to just put a target on the guy’s head for no reason. “Funny you should ask,” he started, “part of the deal to get mine back was that I couldn’t tell anyone his.” It sounded like the kind of thing a fae would say, right? Putain, he sure fucking hoped so. 

When they arrived it was clear that there was no way to make a break for it, not out here. They were in the middle of fucking nowhere. There was nowhere to run, no one to call to for help, and no escape. For him or for Aiden. Shit, shit, shit. Kaden was never good at making plans, quick or otherwise, and he sure didn’t have any now. All he could do was take his friend’s feet in his arms, helping to hoist him inside the bunker.

Okay, it wasn’t too bad. This place had a couch, maybe this would just be a sit down conversation and not a— Putain. Of course there was a second fucking door into a terrifying fucking torture room. Great. Good. Fantastic. Kaden watched his friend as the warden chained him up, his stomach churning with every clash of the iron chains. He could feel his breath getting shorter; it felt like the room was running out of oxygen already. If this was another situation like the one with Damien, he—

No. It wouldn’t be like that. Deep breath. He didn’t know how he was going to fix this, but he would. At least make it less fucking awful. Somehow. Just had to figure out how.

Kaden dug his fingernails into his palms, willing any concern or sympathy at Aiden’s wailing off his face. It was hard. Even though he no longer looked like the guy he knew knocking back beers at the bar, that was still him, alright, and it was all he could do not to run over and break the chains right then and there. The ranger closed his eyes and tried to remember his years of training, of pushing away his emotions, wiping the slate clean. At least he’d learn how to make it look that way. 

And it almost worked. Until Aiden woke up and locked eyes with Kaden. His knuckles went white and he was surely going to have crescent shaped bruises on his palms when this was all said and done. He directed his gaze right back to Rhett as soon as he could. “Alright, what do you need to know? What’s the plan?”

—

Hm. The name-stealer would have to wait, then. Letting the subject drop, Rhett figured there wasn’t much point in pressing Kaden for more details. 

Now, as they stood in the dimly lit room with the sun nymph, Rhett looked to Kaden as he was asked about a plan. “Plan? That’s a laugh,” he said with a grin, moving toward the wall to push down on an industrial-looking switch. The room was bathed in darkness, and the nymph groaned. It still glowed dimly in the dark, but it wouldn’t be able to blind them like this, not when it had no light source to pull from. 

Rhett approached the hesperide, grabbing it by the jaw. The contact burned both of them—the fae because of Rhett’s iron-infused skin, and Rhett because of the hesperide’s ability to make itself hot to the touch. Rhett didn’t care. He’d endured far worse than this. The fae, however, wailed beneath his grip, clearly unused to being the victim of pain. 

“Mariela,” he snapped, forcing the creature to look at him. There was a flash of recognition in those bright, alien eyes, and Rhett felt the adrenaline dump into his system. With a vicious laugh, the warden tightened his grip and pressed his free palm to the fae’s forehead, relishing the hiss that followed. 

“I know she's hiding in an aos sí in the state park. How many fae live there?” Nothing. The nymph just sobbed, and Rhett’s patience wore a little more thin. “I said, how many?!” 

“I-I don’t know! I don’t know who that is!”

“Liar. Fucking liar! Ya can’t hide from me, ya sneaky son of a bitch. Saw that look you had. Now tell me how many strong ya are, or I’m gonna start ripping your fuckin’ wings off.” 

—

Kaden didn’t know what to expect from the warden, but he hadn’t expected the sudden jump to violence. That was his mistake. Looking around, he should have known better. He’d met hunters like this before: plenty of them. He didn’t make a habit of working with them, though. This sort of set up, it was barbaric. 

The darkness didn’t phase Kaden. It was easy enough for him to still make out every movement but he hoped the same couldn’t be said for Rhett. He wasn’t sure if Aiden could see him but he was pretty sure that didn’t matter. The fae wasn’t focused on the ranger, he was focused solely on his tormenter and Kaden could hardly blame him. 

Kaden clenched his jaw so tight he was worried he might break a tooth. He had to stay still. He couldn’t blow his cover, not while they were all trapped in a fucking bunker and he had no plans of how the fuck to get them both out of there alive. But the sobs and the wails of pain hit him like a kick to the gut. He couldn’t stand by and let this happen. His fingernails clawed into the skin on his arm as he held his arms crossed tightly against his chest, holding himself back. Please, please just tell him what he wants to hear, he begged in his mind. Maybe that would be enough. Maybe then he could pull the warden away.

But of course Aiden didn’t know anything. And if he did, he wasn’t telling. Even so, Kaden knew that nothing was going to stop the warden. No amount of information would sate him. It never did. He knew that even before he made threats to rip out Aiden’s wings. But that was enough. No amount of self-control could hold him back. 

“Hey,” he shouted as he yanked Rhett by the shoulder. “He said he didn’t know. What more do you fucking want? The fuck is this, anyway?”

The split-second break from the pain was enough for Aiden to catch the ranger’s gaze. “Langley,” he said. “You owe me.” Putain. Kaden felt a pit drop in his stomach. He knew words were dangerous with fae, he was told that much, though he could never be sure what that really meant. He left that shit to wardens to deal with. Only now it seemed like his own problem. He had no doubt that he’d said something that a fae could use against him. Aiden was his friend, he didn’t watch his words around him. He barely watched his words around anyone. “Get me out of here. Alive.”

It felt like a string tethered between him and the fae had pulled taught. It was tugging at him and nagging at him, ready to drag him into action. Merde. He was going to have to fight the warden, wasn’t he? 

—

Whipping around to face Kaden, Rhett almost forgot that he was friend, not foe. Or… so he had assumed. Couldn't be sure now with the way the ranger was stepping in, trying to hold him back. That seed of doubt sprouted when the fae called the ranger by name, and bloomed as it demanded a favor of him. A repayment for something. Rhett’s teeth bared in a furious grimace. "You too, huh?" he snapped, thinking of Emilio and how he'd made a terrible habit of befriending these freaks. He grabbed Kaden’s wrist, holding it too tightly as he glared at him. 

“If this motherfucker tells me what I wanna know, it can leave in one piece,” the warden warned, letting his gaze snap over to the hesperide. “What it’s about ain’t none’ah yer fuckin’ business.” Especially not if Tenderfoot was one of the bleeding heart types. He gave Kaden a rough shove away from him, turning again to the hesperide, dark and terrible and looming over the creature like death itself. “What you owe them, anyway? They ain’t here to help you now. Never would be. Tell me how many there are.” He already knew where the entrance was, but just barging in there was not an option. Not yet. 

Aiden scowled back, but seemed to have grown something of a spine now that their secret was out. “You try anything and your friend is dead,” he mocked Rhett, who just let out a bleat of laughter in his face.

“My friend? Oh, you got it all wrong, pal. We ain’t friends. Hell, we’s barely acquaintances. Just brothers by trade, as it were. Killin’ folk like you, what we were born for.You on the other hand… you two got history. Wouldn’t want to see any harm come to him, now would ya?” Aiden’s expression fell, and the warden straightened up, looking pleased with himself. He circled the spot where the fae slouched, throwing a glance Kaden’s way, silently warning him to stay out of it. Rough, calloused fingers ran along one of the wings that fluttered behind the nymph, gentle for only a moment before gripping it roughly at its base. Aiden howled again, mostly out of fear rather than pain, and began to beg Rhett to stop.

“How many?” 

“I-I don’t know exactly, okay? I’ve only been inside a few times, I just have some friends that live there—”

“So make an educated fuckin’ guess, firefly,” Rhett snarled. 

“Thirty! O-or maybe… I don’t know! Fifty? There’s families and at least a dozen homes. Probably two dozen!”

“What do they got fer protection?”

“Protection? Wh-what—why—” 

Tired of being questioned, Rhett braced his other hand against Aiden’s shoulder and pulled, hard and fast. The wing ripped from the socket with considerable resistance and was immediately dropped to the floor. He couldn’t be sure if removing it so barbarically would mean Parker wouldn’t want it, but that was not quite so high on his list of priorities at the moment. He was more focused on the agonized shrieking of the fae in front of him, and how the other hunter was likely to interfere any second now. Oh well.

—

Him, too? Kaden wasn’t sure what the warden meant by that. Who else was… what? Soft? Meddling? Kaden couldn’t be sure of any of the real meaning behind those words but he tried to keep the confusion from showing all over his face. It didn’t matter. 

He knew he could twist out of the warden’s grip if he wanted to, even with the vice grip he had on his wrist. Years of training and fighting, he could have broken away. He knew it wouldn’t matter. It wasn’t the hand on his wrist holding Kaden back, that wasn’t what was keeping him here. No, that would be the tightrope he was walking. The one he had to balance on to get his friend out of this safely. One wrong move and not only would Kaden fall, but he’d take Aiden with him. 

He couldn’t lose anyone else. 

His eyes fixed on the fae, silently promising that he would fix this. As if he wasn’t already bound by his past words. It wouldn’t have mattered. He wouldn’t fight any less. 

Fighting right now looked a lot like standing still. Waiting for the right moment. Calculating the fastest way to break the chains, to open the bunker, to knock this fucker out. Kaden bit his tongue as the warden wrapped his fingers around Aiden’s wings. His own hand clenched into a fist so tight that the only thing he could feel were his fingernails digging into his palm.

It took everything in him to stand there while the warden interrogated his friend. Every inch of him screamed to move, to do something, but he knew he couldn’t, not yet. It wouldn’t benefit either of them in this position. The warden had the advantage and all three of them knew it. He could wait. He would wait. Until the right–

The scream bounced off the concrete walls and ripped through Kaden’s core. He could barely register what had happened. There was a wing in the warden’s hand. A wing that was no longer attached to Aiden. Aiden who was crying out in unspeakable pain.

His feet moved before he had even pieced the whole picture together. Kaden threw himself at the warden, charged at him and tackled him to the ground. Fists flew, looking for flesh to pound. There was no plan, no grace, nothing but rage. 

—

The nymph’s wails were a poignant backdrop for the scene of one hunter turning against another, the rattle and clang of the chain as it tried to wrench itself free adding depth to the sound, the scuff of its feet on the concrete as it scrambled away from them pairing nicely with the heavy thud of Rhett’s back hitting the floor. The warden let out a furious bellow of his own, still pissed that this was happening despite having anticipated it given the exchange of the last minute or so. His arms moved to protect his face, knees tried to pull in close to his chest to get him leverage to hoist Kaden off to the side, but there was no luck to be found there. The ranger was sat on his middle, hitting him in every place he could reach. Rhett yelled again, something intelligible, and tried to grab the other’s arms to stop the flurry of blows. Didn’t work. He couldn’t fuckin’ see anything even with the dim glow of the hesperide still fighting against its binds. 

Fuck it.

Lurching upward, taking whatever damage was dealt as he reached for the ranger’s neck, Rhett tried to wrap an arm around it. Tried to get him in some kind of headlock so he could hook a leg around Kaden’s middle and roll them over, giving him the advantage. Giving him the opportunity to retrieve the knife from his boot. The opportunity to turn the tide of his fight, hopefully. He didn’t kill other hunters, but the ranger was going to die anyway. If he failed to fulfill his debt to the fae, there was a good chance he’d drop dead, given the severity of the situation. So in a way… it was like Rhett was killing him, wasn’t it? Well, might as well put the knife through his eye, then.

The nymph still screamed, the warden still struggled to get a good enough grip on Kaden to execute his plan. It was chaos in the small bunker, chaos in the damn near pitch-black, and Rhett no longer had any sort of advantage on these two.

Damnit, this is why he worked alone.

—

There was nothing but anger and fury guiding him. No sense, no reason, only throbbing knuckles and numbing hands. The warden tried to shield himself, but Kaden wailed away all the same, finding any open spot to hit, to hurt, to harm. Any way to try and make this fucker feel even half the pain he’d just caused Aiden. 

Blind rage left him vulnerable and the warden was ready to exploit it, thrashing and trying to get purchase around Kaden’s neck. Some small lick of sense that hadn’t left the ranger caught the warden twisting down toward his boot. Must be something there. Something useful. Kaden turned and slammed his fist into the warden’s gut, knocking the wind out of him. Then he pitched to the side and brought his boot square down on the man’s knee. That’d make it harder to follow them. 

There was still some speck of light in the man’s eyes when Kaden went back in for a round two, hitting and thrashing at the warden. He almost missed the light fading from those eyes, missed his consciousness falling away. It was easier to just keep throwing punches, even as the body beneath him went limp. 

“Kaden,” a voice echoed through the bunker.

The ranger’s fist stopped mid-air. 

Putain. He could finally see the situation, like the picture was coming back into focus. Shit. Shit. Kaden took a deep breath and tried to steady his own heartbeat before checking on the warden’s pulse. 

Relief and disappointment competed within him when he realized the warden was still alive. Right. Okay. Kaden backed away, pushed himself off the ground with his bloodied hands. He looked over to Aiden. Still there, blood pooling down this back, chained up. He had to get them out. Okay. He could do that.

How? 

Keys. Yeah, keys. He dove into the warden’s pockets, digging around for a way to get him and Aiden the hell out of there. Once those were in hand, he fumbled around trying to figure out which one would free his friend. The whole time, Kaden could barely make eye-contact with the fae. This was his fault. He didn’t know how but he felt it in his bones. Kaden had caused this, brought his friend into danger. He was the reason Aiden was mutilated. He should have stopped it sooner. Should have–

The lock clicked free and the nymph collapsed onto the ground below. Kaden scooped up his friend, helped support his weight as he guided them both to the front door. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled as his friend winced in pain. He said it over and over but it didn’t feel like enough. It wasn’t ever going to be enough. 

He’d worry about that when they were out of this place and he’d called Andy to come pick them up, when they were back home safe and sound. If safe and sound was even an option anymore. 

[soniccrazygal]

Claire wasn't the... best mom towards Michael, at least not after Evan and Elizabeth's deaths.

The twins were her first children, while Michael wasn't and was already around six when she married William. She also didn't really like him because he was half Mexican (it was the 60/70's, so it was pretty abnormal at the times)

When Elizabeth died, she started to be a real nother hen towards Evan, making Michael even more jealous of him (William already cared way more about his younger siblings, and now Claire paid even more attention to Evan and less to him).

After Evan's accidental death, she became resentful towards Michael, pinning almost all the blame of the prank on him, and she died no long after in a car accident.

Daniela had some choice words with her when they met in the afterlife, and she soon began to see how bad she was towards a kid that she greatly failed.

It got way worse after UCN

♪Lullaby_⁜_Anon♪

It wasn’t because she didn’t try to love him at first, she did, but it was just a struggle to connect with Michael. Michael was missing his real mom (something he probably said a lot to Claire whenever she tried to say she was now his mom) and was lashing out as he grieved, feeling alone in it as William didn’t want to deal with Michael’s emotional health. Claire didn’t know how to help or comfort him and when the twins came along she just got distracted and busy, forgetting to keep trying to connect with Michael. As the years passed, she just dismissed Michael’s bad behavior as Michael just being a brat rather than a lonely kid just trying to get any kind of attention.

After the bite, it just cemented the idea for her that Michael was simply a bad egg and she should have tried harder to keep him away from the twins, only to realize how wrong she was after she died.