#their ship name is ladykiller

[freakedcanine]

sorry mutuals i am about to be feral because baby's first rarepair is from hazbin

your honor, i think they need to kiss a little

[anthurak]

Shout-out to the ships and character dynamics that AREN’T big, dramatic One-True-Pairings that have to be a ‘Big Deal’ and this huge defining aspects of the characters, yet are interesting in their own way. The fake-relationships that really are fake, the casual flings and one-night-stands that don’t become something more, the friendships that aren’t pre-romance or even some intensely close, emotionally intimate, platonic-life-partners or found-family thing.

Just as an example I’ve been thinking about lately; take your standard casanova/manwhore character who’s always having flings/sleeping around with lots of women and/or men who then has this incredible one-night-stand with someone that they just can’t stop thinking about afterwards. After so many casual hook-ups they have finally caught feelings for someone else. Basically your standard ‘Ladykiller in Love’ plot.

But, when this character starts spending time with this person they’re falling hard for and try to make their feelings known, it becomes clear that she/he/they simply doesn’t feel the same way. Sure, they like this character, perhaps think they’re fun to have around and even might enjoy having more occasional hook-ups with them. But they simply aren’t interested in some serious, committed, monogamous relationship with them, and it’s clear they never will be. More than that, this character also quickly learns that there are a fair few other people this person is MUCH closer with and perhaps even sleeps around with too in a full-on polyamorous sense.

Basically, this isn’t just ‘Ladykiller falls in love’. This is ‘Ladykiller falls in love with a Harem Protagonist and also realizes they aren’t even going to be that high-ranked in the harem’.

And I just think that’s rather interesting as a character dynamic. A relationship that isn’t just casual, but is outright predicated on BEING casual and is simply not capable of being more than that. One party might like it to be more than that, but the other pointedly DOESN’T. And it’s clear that any serious attempt by the former to make the relationship more than that would simply END the relationship.

Is this simply too much of an ask for the former party and they have to end things? Do they actually TRY to force it and destroy the relationship in the process? Or do they find that they’re actually alright with this arrangement?

For another, more specific example from a fandom, in this case The Owl House, of the ‘not EVERYONE has to be part of the adopted/found-family’ point; I’ve found more and more that I am simply not a fan of the whole ‘Hunter-is-a-Noceda/Luz-and-Hunter-are-adopted-siblings’ idea that much of the fandom gravitated towards.

Luz and Hunter are certainly close friends to be sure, I just feel that treating them as full-blown adopted siblings is a bit much. I feel like Luz’s friendship with Hunter is really more comparable to her friendships with Willow and Gus. Like they’re all super close ‘ride-or-die’ best friends, but we don’t exactly treat Willow and Gus as being Luz’s adopted siblings either. 

And I think one big advantage of treating Luz and Hunter as a simple ‘close friendship’ is that it serves to better highlight the closer and more consequential relationships they have with OTHERS. In Hunter’s case, his own friendships with Willow and Gus.

I’ve already discussed this in other posts, but I feel that the fandom fixating so hard to Hunter’s friendship with Luz has kind of detracted from the fact that his friendship with Willow and Gus is both closer and more consequential to his character. Namely in that Hunter became friends with Willow and Gus BEFORE really becoming friends with Luz, and that is was his friendship with them which really served to break Hunter’s indoctrination to Belos. Note that despite the multiple encounters Hunter has with Luz over the course of Season 2, it’s pointedly not until Any Sport in a Storm where he befriends Willow and Gus, plus the rest of the Emerald Entrails, that Hunter really starts to seriously doubt Belos.

Likewise, it’s equally notable that after Hunter has his big breakdown following Hollow Mind, it’s NOT Luz but again Willow and especially Gus who end up helping him through his trauma in Labyrinth Runners. Speaking personally, this episode solidified Gus as an ‘adopted younger sibling’ to Hunter more than Luz ever would be.

Not to mention I feel like that’s a pretty cool twist that the show did here. Instead of the main heroine facilitating the resident edgy, traumatized bad boy’s redemption arc and become super-close besties in the process, it’s actually the heroine’s two best friends who get that role.

Plus, I’d argue not treating Luz and Hunter as siblings also better highlight’s Hunter’s relationship with his ACTUAL adopted father-figure, Darius.

And on the flipside, I’d argue this also likewise serves to better highlight Luz’s bond with her actual adopted siblings, King and Vee.

This is where I think the real value comes in recognizing and valuing more casual relationships/friendships between characters: It helps to vary and diversify the various dynamics between a group and show more unique connections rather than just lumping people into a ‘found family’ and calling it a day.

I mean, consider this: Luz’s and Hunter’s bonding during Thanks To Them over their respective doubts and trauma is specifically BECAUSE they aren’t as close with each other as they are with Amity and Willow/Gus respectively. Ie; both felt like they couldn’t talk about their problems to the people they were really close to, so they talked about them to someone they weren’t as close to. That’s a character dynamic that isn’t just between two characters who aren’t as close as they are with others, but one PREDICATED on these two not being as close as they are with others.

All in all, I think it’s really worth recognizing when certain character relationships and dynamics AREN’T these super close, intimate, ‘big-deal’ bonds, but are simply more low-key and casual than others. And that this doesn’t devalue what this relationship may represent but rather makes it interesting in its own way.

[99simproblems]

My Ship in 5 Minutes: Seon-hwa&Kiet

When I saw @mangosimoothie and @simulation-machines' posts, I had to do one for Seon-hwa and Kiet.

I tag @pink-chevalier and anyone else who want to do this.

Original by rosenkow. Blank templates are here

**I typed their names in their signatures. Yeah, I'm extra.

Red/Diamond: Seon-hwa

Turquoise/Spade: Kiet

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

Zodiac Placements:

Seon-hwa:

Taurus Sun/Scorpio Moon/Leo Rising

Aries Mercury/Gemini Venus/Leo Mars

Kiet:

Leo Sun/Gemini Moon/Libra Rising

Leo Mercury/ Leo Venus/ Leo Mars(It wasn't on purpose. I swear!)

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

Seon-hwa

Trust: High (It took a while because of her past)

Jealousy: High

Horniness: High

Clinginess: Non-Existent(She has possessive tendencies tho)

Kiet

Trust: High

Jealousy: Moderate

Horniness: High

Clinginess: Low

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

Tropes:

Age-Gap Romance: 7 years. They were both grown when they met. She was 32. He was 25.

(Witches are semi-immortal. They stop aging in their mid to late twenties.)

Love At First Sight: When they first met, he just knew that she was 'the one'. (He renounced his fuckboy ways for her.)

Ladykiller in Love: Is there a Bisexual version? Anyway, Kiet casually dated a bunch of men and women. Seon-hwa is one of the few people he felt a real connection with.

Am I Just A Toy To You: He wanted a romantic relationship. She wanted a fuck buddy--or so she'd thought.

Belated Love Epiphany: She acknowledged her feelings after their first(and hopefully their last) break up.

All Amazons Want Hercules: She likes men who can stand up to her and take charge in bed. ((She's a dom-leaning switch))

Violently Protective Girlfriend: She's violently protective in general. She spent time in prison for beating her ex after he {redacted}. And yes, she'd do the same to anyone who hurts Kiet.

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

How It Happens

Falls Slowly: Seon-hwa (The connection always been there, but she was slow to acknowledge it)

Tries to Get Closer: Kiet

First Sight: Kiet

Relationship Attitude

Very Dedicated: Both

PDA: Both

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

First to Confess: Kiet confessed first. Seon-hwa's reaction wasn't what he expected. She suddenly became distant and told him to leave which led to him asking her, "What am I To You?". (Spoiler: She didn't know how to answer that)

First to Kiss: Both

First to Apologize: Kiet is a prideful person, but he's willing to admit when he's wrong.

Initiates Contact: Both

Spoils the Other: They do this on rare occasions. Gift giving isn't their main love language.

Wakes up first: Kiet

Does the Cooking: Seon-hwa started cooking after Kiet almost burned down their kitchen kitchen.

Does the Housework: Nope. They'd rather hire someone to do that.

Does the Talking: Kiet. He's the smooth talker.

The More Popular: Kiet. They're both extroverts, but he's more approachable. Seon-hwa can be abrasive at times.

The Designated Driver: Neither. They're the drunk couple making out in an Uber.

The Better Caregiver: Surprisingly, it's Seon-hwa. She's not the type to spoil her loved ones, but she'd still take care of them in her own way.

The Over Protective: Seon-hwa

The Planner: Both. Seon-hwa is in charge of the finances. Kiet plans social outings and events.

"Excuse me. They Asked For No Pickles.": Seon-hwa.

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

Big Spoon ↔ Little Spoon

Kiet: Big Spoon

Seon-hwa: Little Spoon

Early Bird ↔ Revenge Procrastination

Seon-hwa: Depends on the situation.

Work and important events: She either arrives early or on time. It's a thing she picked up from her dad.

Everything else: She doesn't give a fuck.

Kiet: He's a procrastinator and always arrives late.

Tidy ↔ Chaotic

Seon-hwa: She keeps her space somewhat neat.

Kiet: He's a 10, but lives in a pigsty. (This is how his old apartment used to look. Trash and clothes scattered everywhere. Damaged sofa.)

Screams over Bug ↔ Kills/Removes Bug

Different Types of People Killing Bugs

Kiet: The Scaredy Cat/The Gangster

Seon-hwa: The Quick Killer

Lend Clothes ↔ Borrows Clothes

Kiet: Loves it when she walks around in his shirt/hoodie

Seon-hwa: Wants to be covered in his scent(It's not a kink)

Romantic ↔ Casual

Kiet: He's definitely a romantic. He's the type who'd do something like this or this. Or propose on top of a mountian.

Seon-hwa: She's pretty casual. Nobody would expect her to be a fan of Romanticism, but she is.

Decisive ↔ Indecisive

Seon-hwa: She's a stubborn Taurus. She makes quick decisions and sticks with them.

Kiet: It's about 50/50. Sometimes he struggles to make important decisions, but once he makes up his mind, it's hard to stop him.

Takes Hints ↔ Clueless

Seon-hwa: Leaning towards clueless. She's direct and expects the same from others. Misunderstandings are avoided that way.

Kiet: He's more attuned to people and their emotions. It's a skill he can use for both good and selfish reasons.

Mature ↔ Playful

Playful banter is their love language.

Straight-Forward ↔ Vague

Seon-hwa: Very straight forward

Kiet: Straight-forward, but tactful

Confident ↔ Shy

They're both confident.

Ray of Sunshine ↔ Done™

Kiet: [Leans towards the former] He's charming and friendly. People tend to warm up to him easily.

Seon-hwa: [Leans towards the latter} She's been through a lot in the past 20 years. She also comes off as intimidating.

Realistic ↔ Idealistic

Seon-hwa is more realistic than Kiet.

Would Die For Attention ↔ Independent

Kiet: He's a slut for attention like a typical Leo.

Seon-hwa: She doesn't seek attention, it seeks her. And she doesn't mind it.

Tense ↔ Easy-going

Seon-hwa: Her short temper is the opposite of easy-going.

Kiet: It depends on his mood.

Head ↔ Heart

Seon-hwa: Don't know where to place her. She follows her gut more than anything else(she's a type 8 in the enneagram), but there's no option for that.

Kiet: He follows his heart. (Not sure what his enneagram is. He's obviously some kind of heart type.)

[experthiese]

describe your favorite relationship dynamic. (can be any kind, platonic, romantic, familial, antagonistic, etc.)

In general, I'm weak for found family. I think this is most obvious on Leon, given that over the years I've been writing him he's collected quite a significant number of siblings, and I enjoy the aesthetic of finding community in people who aren't your blood, but will love you like they are. There's something... I don't know. Comforting about it all.

However! For Lupin specifically, I'm really enjoying the shipping content, whether it's a current thing or future goal we've discussed. He's a flirt, a charmer, a natural-born ladykiller, of course he's going to catch the attention of lots of pretty faces out there.

I also think it's fun when mooties work with me to work out family ties, too, assuming their muses are legacy law enforcement / criminals, or just old enough that they'd remember the heydays of people like Lupin II, the father of my muse. That is, admittedly, a small subsection of my followers, but it adds a nice bit of realism I find myself super invested in. The Lupin name is infamous in all circles-- it's difficult to find someone on either side of the law who wouldn't know of its three major bearers.

[allisondraste]

Cockroaches and Other Things That Just Keep On Living

Fandom: Mass Effect

Ship: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian

Word Count: 4019

Summary: It's only been two weeks since the Reaper War ended, and the Alliance is already trying to bury Shepard.

[Click Here for A03]

Two weeks.  It had only been two weeks since the war ended, since that devastating flash of red light burst from the Citadel and bounced off every active relay in the galaxy, since the Reapers fell dead in space and the Normandy crash landed on some tropical little human colony world just on the edge of the Terminus Systems.  It had just been two weeks, but the Alliance and the rest of the whole damn galaxy were already willing to declare Shepard dead.  And to add insult to injury, they’d  given Garrus the great honor and privilege of hanging her name up on a memorial wall in some trite ceremony to make the crew feel better.

“There isn’t anyone who could’ve been at the epicenter of that blast and survived,” Hackett had explained, far too matter-of-factly. “It’s time for us to move forward.”

“Shepard isn’t just anyone,” Garrus had replied, and then promptly told the admiral where to shove his plaque. It was not his finest moment.

Now, he sat in the mess hall, alone and staring down at the dextro-amino rations he’d barely touched. The bastardized version of some overly seasoned human dish would have been unappetizing even if he had an appetite. But he didn’t.  Something about the person he loved being declared dead left a sour taste in his mouth.  He’d only even tried to eat because Liara insisted, and he wasn’t in the mood for another well meant lecture about taking care of himself.

No longer willing to bother, he shoved the plate away from him with the back of his hand, and looked up in just enough time to catch Williams walk past him.  She stopped, performed a proper about-face and marched up to his table.

“Hey,” Ash greeted him like she’d never spoken to him before in her life.

“Hey,” Garrus replied and watched as she shifted uncomfortably and darted her eyes around the entire room before meeting his gaze.

She motioned to an empty seat across the table from him. “Can I— I mean, do you want some company? You just look—”

“Like I’m one news vid about the ‘late’ Commander Shepard away from going postal?” He let out a derisive snort. “Yeah.”

Williams smirked and  eased herself down onto the bench without waiting for him to agree to her company. “I was going to say ‘like shit,’ but that works too.”

He answered her dryly. “Gee. Thanks.”

There was a pause in conversation, then Ash tilted her head in that sympathetic way every human who knew him seemed to do since Earth. “Seriously though… how are you holding up?”

I’m not , Garrus thought, but the words didn’t make it to his mouth, just sarcasm.. “Didn’t realize you cared… or is this just one of those human things where you pretend to care for my benefit?”

She leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “Do I seem like the kind of person who pretends to do anything for anyone’s benefit, especially yours?”

He laughed. “Fair.”

“Listen, this is off the record but… Hackett had that mouthful coming.” She laughed and shook her head. “I’m just glad it was you that said it and not me because, well, I like my job.”

If anyone had told Garrus that one day, he’d have a heart-to-heart with the human woman who’d spent their entire first mission together shooting daggers at him from across Normandy’s shuttle bay, he’d have said they were crazy.  But there they were, raw from the absence of someone who meant so much to the both of them.

“It’s been two weeks,” he muttered, looking down at his hands. “ Two. They haven’t even found her bod—“ he tried and failed to choke back the lump in his throat,  but continued talking anyway, glancing up at her— “It’s too damn soon, Ash.”

“I know,” came her firm reply as she reached across the table.  She hesitated for a split second, but then let her hand fall on top of his.  Deep brown eyes welled up with tears that she tried to blink away.  She let out a frustrated huff as one rolled down her cheek anyway, then cleared her throat.  “ Damn. Pretend this isn’t happening.” “Pretend what isn’t happening, Williams?”

“Perfect,” she remarked, wiping her face with the heel of her free hand and laughing. “Kind of hard to believe it’s only been three years since we tracked down Saren.  Feels like a lifetime ago.”

“And look at us now, being mostly civil,” he said with a sigh, staring down at Ash’s hand.  Alien as it was, it reminded him of Shepard’s, strong to be as small as it was, with too many fingers.  He recalled the many times those fingers had traced the hard edges of his face, how that hand had fit so comfortably into his (after a few clumsy attempts, of course).  He’d take another missile to the face to hold it again.

“You know, Shepard worked her ass off to convince me it’d be fine having aliens on board an Alliance vessel,” Ash observed playfully, pulling him from his thoughts.

“You? Paranoid over a handful of non-humans? I’m shocked .”

“Nothing personal,” she explained,“Just didn’t feel comfortable sharing a station with a guy whose grandpa probably shot at mine during the War.”

“Hate to break it to you but—” he leaned back in his seat— “My grandfather was just a run of the mill C-Sec officer.  All he would have done was write your grandfather a nasty citation. ‘Being human in Citadel space,’ used to be a finable offense.”

“God,” she said with another laugh, “Back then, I rolled my eyes and told Shepard I’d do whatever she wanted me to do. ‘You tell me to jump, I ask how high.  You tell me to kiss a turian, I’ll ask which cheek.’”

“We don’t really have cheeks,” Garrus corrected, laughing when Ash shot him a pointed look, “But that’s beside the point.  I’m guessing Shepard never followed through with that order.”

“No, she told me, and I quote, ‘Nobody’s going to be kissing any turians on this mission, Ash,’” she said in her best Shepard impression, then muttered, “Fucking liar.”

“Well, to her credit, I don’t think she planned on me being so… irresistable.”

Ash snorted and rolled her eyes. “Okay, ladykiller .”

There was another pause in conversation, and her expression fell.  She looked down to where her hand still lay on his. “Back then, I just assumed you’d jump ship as soon as things got rocky, as soon as we— as Shepard — really needed you, but…” She trailed off, grip tightening around his hand.  “You never let her down, not once.  Not even when I—”

“You didn’t let her down, Ash,” he argued, sensing where she was headed, “She never thought that.”

“Yeah, well I do,” she snapped, words clipped, “I should have seen the signs that Cerberus had her pinned down, but I let my ego get in the way.  I’m surprised she wanted anything to do with me after that.”

“You’re not the only one who has ever screwed up trying to do the right thing,” he reassured her, “Shepard, of all people, understood that.”

“That’s… you’re probably right,” she nodded and looked up at him, “Thanks. And for whatever it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“Uh, sorry for what?”

“For ever believing you weren’t an important part of the crew,” she stated seriously, then smiled, “And for calling you birdbrain  behind your back.”

Garrus’ mandibles flared in amusement, and he gave her hand a few friendly pats. “No harm done,” he said, then paused for a beat, “Besides, you didn’t hear what I said behind your back.”

One of her eyebrows shot up. “You talked shit about me?”

“So much.”

“Whoa, whoa, wait a minute,” shouted a familiar voice from across the mess, causing them both to snap their heads toward the sound. “Somebody get this heartwarming moment on camera.”

Ash stiffened, retracting her hand quickly and stuffing it under the table. “Joker.”

“Hey, Joker.” Garrus waved. “How are you doing?”

“Fine,” he answered, words pointed. “You know, aside from the soul-crushing agony of my girlfriend dying. ”

Garrus had spent enough time around humans to know that the Flight Lieutenant looked rough, even for someone who’d never cared about keeping up appearances.  His eyes were red, the skin underneath dark enough that even the shadow cast from his hat couldn’t disguise the lack of sleep. He made his way unsteadily to the table and sat down next to Williams.

Garrus opened his mouth, preparing to speak, to express sympathy, but Joker cut him off. “And before you start with any of that ‘I understand how you feel’ crap— no you don’t.  Everyone knows you can’t say Shepard’s dead until we’ve ID’d the body.  Maybe not even then. She just keeps living… like a cockroach. ”

“You know you could just say, ‘I’m not doing so hot,” right?” Ash scolded him,  but there was still a softness to her voice. “You don’t have to be an ass about it.”

“Yeah, but see… being an ass is way more my style.”

The table went completely quiet as Joker crossed his arms over his chest and scowled, tension palpable enough it might as well have had mass.  Not one for tolerating awkward silences, Garrus ventured a question. “What the hell is a cockroach?”

Ash smiled, clearly thankful for the change in subject, and began to explain. “They’re these—“

“ Beetles ,” Joker cut her off, “Big, disgusting ones that are supposed to be able to survive extreme conditions other organics can’t.”

“Sounds about right,” Garrus admitted with a shrug.

The pilot flinched and glared at him. “Wait. I called Shepard a disgusting beetle and you’re just okay with that?”

“Are you kidding? Why wouldn’t I be,” he asked sarcastically, “It actually explains why she kept molting. ”

“You’re having fun. Stop it,” Joker whined, scowl deepening, “Stop having fun!”

Garrus laughed and threw his hands up in surrender. “This isn’t exactly my idea of fun. My cockroach is missing.”

Joking though he was, his words were honest, something Joker must have detected.  His expression softened even as he puffed his chest out. He deflated immediately as another familiar voice called out, likely interrupting whatever barrage of barbs he’d prepared to hurl at Garrus. This time, it was Vega who strutted over to the table carrying an entire fifth of some sort of human liquor.  Cortez trailed solemnly behind him, examining the rectangular objects in his hands.

“Yo, don’t tell me the party started without us,” shouted Vega, setting the alcohol down on the table with a loud clank , pointing a thumb back at Cortez, “Esteban here took forever polishing the name plaques.”

Garrus stiffened at the mention of the plaques, knowing full and well there had been one commissioned with Shepard’s name on it despite all his protests. Turned out, the Alliance brass didn’t give a damn about some loud mouth former C-Sec officer or his feelings after all. He just hoped none of the humans were able to read the pain in his expression— a hope that was in vain if the sympathetic glance Cortez gave him was any indication.

“What’s that for?” Ashley pointed to the bottle of amber liquid Vega sat on the table.

“What do you think,” Vega asked, as if his intentions should have been completely clear, “I’m going to pour one out for the commander.”

“All over the Normandy's floor?” She raised her brows at him.

“Nah.” He gave her a dismissive wave. “Just down the sink or somethin’.”

She picked the bottle up and examined the label more closely. “But…this is expensive stuff, James.”

“Don’t care,” came Vega’s indignant response, “It’s for Lola.”

Ashley gave him a solemn nod, seeming to understand whatever peculiar human tradition he was planning to perform. Satisfied, Vega turned his attention to Joker, snagging his cap, flipping it around, and placing it down on his head backwards. Joker cursed and grumbled, calling Vega a bully among other things, but Vega just smiled and walked over to Garrus, giving him a supportive clap on the shoulder.

Slowly, the rest of the crew began to filter in, each with their own expressions of concern.  Traynor and Tali arrived together, deep in conversation if the emphatic hand gestures were any indication.  They both quieted as they arrived at the table, Traynor frowning and bowing her head, whileTali approached and slid comfortably  into the seat next to Garrus.

She looked down at the uneaten food and back up at him, giving him a nudge with her elbow and complaining. “You are wasting all of the good dextro rations.”

“Good? Oh, come on,  we both know it’s garbage.”

“Well… yes, but it’s digestible garbage,” she said, holding a finger up to make her point.  Her voice softened when she continued. “And you’ve hardly eaten anything the past few days.”

He sighed and looked down at the rations. “Yeah.”

Tali observed him for a second, eyes glowing behind her helmet. She then grabbed his plate and slid it toward him. “Eat up, Vakarian. Or else I will have to feed you myself… with a spoon I am pretending is the Normandy.”

Garrus let out a laugh despite himself. “I don’t think that’ll work, Tali.”

“You don’t know that.  You haven’t heard my engine noises.”  She laughed along with him for a few seconds, then grew quiet once again and gave him a gentle pat on the back. “The Alliance is going to feel very silly when Shepard gets back and they have to explain why they hung her name up on the wall and sold her hamster.”

“ If she makes it back this time.”

“She will,” Tali asserted, voice cracking, “She has to.”

It was Javik who entered next, voice booming in a debate with Liara, who had taken it upon herself to explain human customs for memorializing the dead. He shook his head and ignored her entirely, stating that if he wished for a history lesson, he would ask for one.  He then snapped his many-eyed gaze to Garrus.

“You should not be saddened about Shepard’s fate, Garrus.  She died with great honor.”

Liara let out an exasperated sigh, and sat down in one of the empty seats at the next table over, bringing her hand to her face.

“What is it, asari?” Javik snapped, “Honor in death is something turians hold in high regard, is it not? This should be a great comfort to him.”

“Perhaps with time,” Liara explained,”But right now it is… insensitive.”

“It’s nothing my dad hasn’t already told me a dozen times,” Garrus stated flatly, “I appreciate the sentiment.”

Weird that a fifty-thousand year-old Prothean reminded him of his dad.  Then again, Castis Vakarian was as about as traditional as turians came, and they butted heads on almost every subject, including but not limited to: Garrus’ disregard for rules, his decision to leave C-Sec—twice, his “risk- and attention-seeking” behavior, and his “absurd infatuation with a human woman”. Their relationship had always been strained, to say the least. Still, he had always been there when Garrus needed him, and listened when it mattered. He was the first call Garrus made from the medbay after the Reapers were destroyed, when he realized Shepard might not be coming back.

He’d been sympathetic, but not even remotely comforting, not unlike Javik was at present. Garrus just didn’t have it in him to explain to either how little he cared about the honorable nature of her sacrifice, the high esteem the galaxy now held her in, or the way history would remember her. None of that mattered when she wasn’t at his side.  How could he be proud, when all he felt was empty?

Once all parties arrived and settled in, the group spent time talking and sharing memories. The Alliance crew members all told stories about encounters with Admiral Anderson, how he more often felt like a parent than a commanding officer, and how his reputation was so much larger than his ego. Traynor did most of the talking about EDI, their friendship, and how seamlessly she’d fit into the crew, how easy it had been to forget she was an AI. Joker just pulled the bill of his cap down to cover his eyes.  Then, the reminiscence moved to the commander.

Every single person present had a story about Shepard, about how she went above and beyond the call of duty to help them, and to make sure they were taken care of while aboard the Normandy.  Shepard had always taken time to check in with the people who worked for her, even when the galaxy was falling apart and herself along with it.  She was a good leader, arguably the best, and an even better friend.  It was clear that everyone in the room admired her, and that she was missed.

Garrus knew he should say something, tell one of the many stories of the trouble he and Shepard had gotten into together. The others all watched him expectantly as he scrambled for words.

“I—“ he began, but was interrupted by the buzzing of his omni-tool, followed by several bright flashes of light. He cursed and pulled up the interface to silence the damn thing.  An urgent message alert flashed on his screen, and he tapped the icon to open it.

From: Dr. Chloe Michel

Subject: Jane Doe

Dear Garrus,

I hope this email reaches you, and that you are still alive to read it.  I am on the Citadel working with an emergency medical unit out of what is left of  Huerta Memorial. The blast from the Crucible caused some severe structural damage near the epicenter, and we have been searching the area to find and identify survivors and remains.

There is a Jane Doe here, who I believe you might know. Please contact me on a private channel whenever you are able.

Take Care,

Chloe

His heart sank like lead into his gut as he read what could only be a request to come in and identify a corpse.  The space around him was suddenly too full, too loud, and the curious eyes of his companions lingered on him for far longer than comfortable. He tapped the display on his omni-tool once again to close it, glancing around the room from one set of eyes to another.

“It’s nothing,” he lied. The truth would only cause unnecessary alarm he wasn’t equipped to handle at the moment.  He stood abruptly, a jolt of pain coursing through his leg that was still recovering from a fracture, and excused himself. “Just need to make a quick call.”

“Now,” Liara asked, frowning, “But the memorial ceremony was just about to begin.”

“So start without me,” he snapped and made his way to the main battery.  He’d apologize later, when his world wasn’t caving in.

The battery doors shut behind him with a familiar hiss and he sank down into his seat next to the workbench where his favorite rifle lay surrounded by tools and unused thermal clips. It had taken a beating in the battle on Earth, and Garrus had poured over repairing it in the days following its end.  He hadn’t touched it since.  There were no more enemies to fight, and the gun just reminded him of Shepard.

Bringing up his omni-tool once again, Garrus established a link using the information Michel provided him.  He only waited a second or two before a voice on the other end picked up.

“Garrus,” exclaimed the woman, “I am so glad you received my message.”

“About that Jane Doe,” he began, cutting straight to the chase, “I— do you need me to identify the b— her ?”

“No… it is Commander Shepard,” she explained, “I am absolutely certain.”

“ Oh, ” Garrus said with the breath he’d been holding.  He was glad he was already sitting down, as the last shreds of hope he’d been clinging to slipped from his grasp leaving him dizzy and sick.  It was Shepard.  She was dead. There was nothing to be done about it.

He took a minute to collect himself and his thoughts, cleared his throat and told the doctor, “I, uh…I’m not really sure how to— I mean, I guess I should make funeral arrangements. That’d be better than letting the Alliance—“

“Garrus,” Michel interjected firmly, “She’s alive.”

“ What,” he asked, more loudly than he’d intended.  Hoping nobody had overheard outside, he lowered his voice and continued, “I mean, how is she? What’s her condition? Is she going to—”

“I won’t lie to you,” the doctor interrupted again, “Her injuries are serious, and she has been comatose since we found her.  Still, her vitals are strong and stable at present. She is a fighter.”

“She is.”

The line was silent for a beat then Michel spoke up again.  “I had a wonder… Shepard’s body has, ehm… extensive cybernetic modification. More extensive than I have seen. We are not certain how, or if it is even possible to repair all of the damage.”

One name came immediately to mind. “Miranda Lawson.”

“Pardon?”

“You need to contact Miranda Lawson,” Garrus clarified,  “She is an ex-Cerberus operative, the scientist responsible for Shepard’s upgrades. And a friend. She will be able to help. I can send you her contact information.”

“Good, yes. I will contact her immediately,” Michel replied, relief noticeable in her voice. She then sighed and said, “I apologize for sending such a vague email.  I am realizing now that it was likely… anxiety provoking. I simply did not wish for the wrong people to find out about Shepard’s survival.”

Garrus huffed, “Yeah, if the media caught wind of this, it’d be a circus.”

“That is what I feared,” she agreed with a sigh, “Besides, I thought you should be the first to see her. I know she is important to you.”

“Thank you, doc. For everything.”

“It is the very least I can do.  I owe my life to the both of you. Twice over, now it would seem:”

“I’ll get to the Citadel as soon as I can.”

“Talk to you then.”

The call ended with a beep and Garrus shut off his omni-tool display, staring blankly at the wall on the opposite side of the room for several minutes, attempting to recover from the emotional whiplash the last half hour had given him.  He took a deep breath, rose to his feet, and headed back out to the mess hall.

All eyes turned to him as he made his way toward the memorial wall just outside the elevator.  EDI’s and Anderson’s names had already been placed, tears already shed. Now they looked to Garrus, Cortez approaching with the name plaque meant to commemorate Shepard’s death. He took the polished silver plate and examined it, light glinting off its corners as he stepped up to the wall.  For a long moment he traced the letters of a name that had come to mean so much to him, to those crowded in the narrow hallway around him, to the hundreds of thousands who’d cheered from ships in the massive fleet she’d rallied and led to victory, and to the billions of lives she’d saved across the galaxy.  Shepard deserved so much more than a name on a wall.

And now, just maybe, she could have it.

Garrus would have preferred to keep  Shepard’s survival to himself, to snag her from the hospital and elope to some secluded tropical paradise where nobody could ask anything of either of them again, except “Would you like a refill on that incredibly alcoholic beverage?” But he knew he couldn’t do that.  After all, he was not the only one who loved her.

Lowering the plaque, he turned to face the others, all of whom looked at him with a mix of confusion and concern.  He glanced down at Shepard’s name again, mandibles flaring out reflexively as relief and excitement swelled in his chest.

“They found her.  They found Shepard,” he told them, bringing his eyes to meet their gazes as he spoke. “She’s alive.”

[fyrapartnersearch]

Seeking Literate Partners!

Disclaimer: Male authors, please stop contacting me. I've been burned too many times. If you persist, I'll ignore your message. Hello, you can call me Doe! I'm 25+ and a proud cat mom. I write multiple paragraphs/novella style (200-500+ words). I love to write detailed descriptions and delve into a character’s head/emotions as well as surroundings. I compare it to writing a novel together. I understand if the scene doesn’t have alot going on and therefore requires less like rapid fire. I adore having long, thoughtful replies where we truly immerse ourselves in the world. I'm hoping to find a partner whose as enthusiastic and passionate about the plot and writing as I am. When I get invested in a story, it’s 100% dedication. Getting a reply is the highlight of my day. I'm a big fan of romance and using face claims. I’m the type to make pinterest boards, spam you with gifs, headcanons, and send you songs that remind me of our characters and/or ship. I'll get excited if we come up with future plot ideas, or if our characters are being cute or angsty and I can yell about it in the chat. Last but not least I only do MxF (with myself in the female role) and don’t double, but I’m more than happy to write side characters of either gender to help move the story along. I'd highly prefer female authors writing male characters. Searching For - 21+ partners - For you to have an excellent grasp of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization. Both in character and out of character. (Literate to advanced writers only, please. I'm not looking for newbies or those who have English as their second/third language). - Plot before smut. While mature themes will be in my plots, and are even encouraged, there needs to be chemistry between our characters. I like to have a good mix of plot and tastefully written smut, along with doses of angst and fluff. - For you to write as an older man (40s+/50s+). I'm a sucker for the gruff and tough men with dark pasts who secretly have a soft heart. I also love those grumpy, hypermasculine men being intimidated by soft yet commanding women. The youngest I write is early 20s. - Please be enthusiastic and invested when it comes to plotting/worldbuilding. There’s nothing worse than receiving one sentence in reply to two paragraphs of ideas, or having a doormat partner who says “sure” to whatever I ask. Tossing ideas back and forth, watching them snowball into amazing plot threads brings me joy. - Joining me in the wonderful world of ship/character development is kind of a must. It’s one of the things that makes writing with a partner so much fun. I also like to make friends with my partners! - While I'd prefer real life face claims, I'd also be open to using realistic art if you're uncomfortable with real life. I draw the line at anime/cartoon art. Faces I'd love to write as: gal gadot, rooney mara, ruth negga, saoirse ronan, sophie turner, jessica chastain, jennifer morrison, mia wasikowska, natalia dyer, brit marling, deborah ann woll, mackenzie davis, emmy rossum, adria adjora, chyler leigh, hayley bennet, tashi rodriguez, lily james, cara delevingne, maya hawke, katheryn winnick, elizabeth olsen, abigal cowen, sophia lillis lauren cohan, zoey deutsch, paulina singer, crystal reed, hayley lu richardson, ask about others Faces I'd love to write against: jeffery dean morgan, hugh jackman, robert taylor, jr bourne, jon bernthal, jason issacs, anthony varrecchiah, brett tucker, david harbour, frank grillo, iain glen, josh duhamel, patrick petitjean, ethan hawke, christian bale, rory mccann, younger sam elliot, titus welliver, viggo mortensen, joel miller (illustrated face), ask about others If you've made it this far, thank you! You won't be disappointed in writing with me. I tend to be online daily and while I'd like it if you were too, I understand that real life things comes first. Let me know if you're going to be inactive/can’t continue. If you suddenly stop replying ic and ooc, I'll drop the story after 2 attempts of gauging continued interest spaced a week apart. Below are genres and pairings I love. Feel free to combine as many as you'd like and I’m sure we can come up with something great! Current cravings are in bold. Two thing I don't do are slice of life and historical plots. Genres: - crimes in remote locations - spooky small towns - post apocalyptic/dystopia - supernatural/modern fantasy (A/B/O, werewolves, shapeshifters, alpha x rival pack alpha's child, werewolf x shifter, alpha x new werewolf, involuntary mate-bond, mating/claiming) - southern/mid western gothic - murder mystery (small town or big city) - modern/dark fairy tale retellings - sci-fi - cyberpunk/retro-futuristic - little coastal towns or little towns in the mountains - emotionally charged/dark and gritty - superpowers/gifted - unresolved sexual tension/slow burn - redemption - pacific northwest - suburban gothic - luring to the other side - reincarnation/multiple universes - western inspired + modern day (such as longmire) - christmas inspired - culture clash/two characters from different sides Pairings: - age gaps (older man x younger woman / 15 to 25+ year gap) - enemies to lovers/villain x heroine - cop x criminal - doctor x patient - friends turned lovers/pining - grumpy x sunshine - the broken man x the woman that becomes his light - fbi agents/cop partners - dark hearted man melting for the innocent woman - friend x best friend’s older sibling - boss x employee - neighbors - single father x friend - firefighter/cop x victim - mentor x mentee - hurt/comfort - height differences - pet names (sweetheart, baby girl, kid, kiddo) - lady and the tramp esque/class difference - creature x human/creature - ex-con x anyone - bodyguard x assignment - widow/er falling in love again - biker x civilian - rancher/mountain man x city girl - affair (with so's sibling, with so's friend, with neighbor) - hitman x target - serial killer x fbi agent - soul mates - experienced x inexperienced - local x vacationer - injured/scarred warrior washed out from their former glory x royal/heir-to-be (modern day / Sansa x Sandor inspired) - friend x best friend/boyfriend's father - daughter in law x father in law - park ranger x camper - bounty hunter x bounty - power imbalances Tropes/Themes: the papa wolf/hot dads, cultured badass, jerk with a heart of gold. ladykiller in love, mountain man, mysterious protector, southern gentleman, tall, dark, and handsome, knight in sour armor, red string of fate, villain takes an interest, porcelain to ivory to steel, when person a gets injured/kidnapped and person b goes absolutely feral to save them, cowboys tiny women and big men, the monster being treated gently for the first time in his life, two characters forced into positions where they have no choice but to reconcile their differences and grow together/trust each other, forbidden relationships, trying to escape childhood demons & reuniting in adulthood Fandoms: (I don't write canons or do canon x oc) Star Wars, X Files, Haven, Fringe, Stranger Things, Heroes, The Wolf Among Us, Mercy Thompson Series, True Blood, Marvel, The OA, Disney personified, His Dark Materials, Beastars, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us, Cyberpunk 2077 Plot Ideas: I have too many to list here but take a look at my google doc and let me know if anything catches your attention. It's a mix of fandom inspired and original plots: Plot Ideas Last but not least, I have a list of kinks if anyone's interested. I use email and discord to write. I'd also be open to joining a jcink site! Contact me at Doe#3347 on discord or by email: doeeyes73@gmail.com Please be detailed when you message me, let me know why you chose to contact me. Seeing only "hey do you wanna rp?" is a guaranteed way to turn me off. Look forward to hearing from you!

[melovez]

another thing i love are little nicknames/pet names characters in ships have for each other so here’s some of those

—

Casey calls Slender: Boss, Sir, Big Guy, (rarely) Die Nacht, (in private) Slendy

Slender calls Casey: (rarely) Liebling, (in private) Mein Haustier

—

Daisy calls Splendor: Spots, Smiley

Splendor calls Daisy: Daisy Bell, (rarely) Süsse

—

Roxy calls ‘Fender: Loverboy, Big Guy

‘Fender calls Roxy: Shorty/Shortcake, Babe/Baby, (rarely) Lil’ Mama

—

Stuart calls EJ: Babe, (rarely) Killer/Ladykiller

EJ calls Stuart: Hun/honey, Slim, (rarely) Slim-Jim

—

Gemma calls Jeff: Babe/Baby, Sparky

Jeff calls Gemma: Babe/Baby, Sweetheart, (rarely) Angel

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 979 - Initial Thoughts

Is anyone else nervous? I feel like we should be nervous...

After another week break we have One Piece, and I feel like these waits are gonna kill me before COVID gets close

But Spoilers for the Chapter, and Support the Official Release when it comes out

Another cover story bombshell, oh my fucking god! Just...How!? Pound you lucky son of a bitch how the fuck are you alive? The Will of P has not yet been snuffed out! Does that mean that Pedro and Pekoms may still have a chance at revival? What happened with Germa too, where is my Baeju!? Also the Tontottas finding him is gonna be hilarious, giant man and little people, hopefully we get a family reunion...and maybe some reverie news

Still very concerned about Law, he wasn’t cut from panel this time but he just looks very, solemn, like he’s about to do something he’s not all happy about

I find it odd that not everyone is clued in on Kanjuro being on Orochi’s side, sure it slows him down but even the people on the ships that were intercepting the scabbards were able to identify him as the traitor

Momo though has got some ideas, he knows how to use a sword but he’s only gonna be able to cut the rope before Kanjuro notices, I doubt he could even use it on Kaido. I dunno, Momo does not seem to be that kinda guy, also if he was able to control his DF he’d be able to escape those ropes much easier

We’ve got the Brachio Tank and Black Rhino back out, I liked the Fishman Island nod but this also means we’ll likely be getting Franky Shogun again, but Franky made note that there were upgrades so maybe it’ll be a new Iron Pirate/Super Armoured Me

Definitely laughed at the ‘He’s for sure gonna be spotted’ and ‘He’s for sure getting lost’ because it’s so painfully true. They have good intentions but they’ll sneak off, don’t be surprised if Zoro walks into the exact wrong room

Alas poor Sanji, you can’t get in the Harem Tank. Usopp does lowkey know how to be a ladykiller (though I doubt he thinks about it, he does have a doctor at home). But Carrot does work the Beast Pirates garb too, as does Robin...but as I said last chapter with Nami, you could put a paper bag on them and they’ll make it work.

Ooof, right in the Frobin there. We know what that was code for Franky, ride the back of your motorcycle you dog!

But Brook has to tickle my funny bone too by thinking it’s for him XD I guess the small victory here is that it reminds me of Grim Fandango; a giant beast that lives to build and upgrade riding a beast of a machine with a snarky skeleton at the back

Sanji still trying to get on the Tank though, he should really be using Stealth Black to find Luffy and Zoro, get a Monster Trio team up ¬u¬

But this does give Robin and Jimbei (whose Beast Pirates garb is cool but does nothing for being covert since it doesn’t cover his Sun Pirates tattoo at all) some time to chat, we’ve got a new formation as the Mature Duo, I would add Brook or Franky to that but the two do tend to do silly things from time to time

Someone is lurking though, which is a little worry, but I don’t think they’re enemies. I think if they were they would’ve jumped at the two at this point. Could be a scout, or it could be someone ready to throw another spanner in the system

Yup, I love Ulti, she tickles me with her dual personality. Also Sasaki’s cape is fire, kinda reminds me of Minato Namikaze from Naruto, I also think it’s a little telling that Who’s Who doesn’t have a cape or any long garment, it makes him stand out a little bit more

So King and Jack can now be accounted for, and the former is the one who summoned the Flying Six. It also seems clear that everyone knows that the Six want the Disasters’ spots

I will continue to add that Kaido keeps looking smaller and smaller, I mean, look at his debut panel

he’s standing in a crater and he still dwarves Kid, Hawkins and Apoo, but in the panel he looks like he’s about 3 times taller than Drake (who is 2.3m tall, about 20cm taller than Kid), his scale just feels reduced

Also on heights, Black Maria is taller than King. That is a Giant Woman

Bao Huang makes me feel like Oda’s been playing some Legend of Zelda in his spare time, though I ain’t mad at it

The schedule seems a bit weird, Orochi has a speech after Kaido? I guess it’s just a welcoming address because Kaido will afterwards be announcing the Big Mom alliance

Kaido is keeping a secret, and that is actually quite intriguing...it also means that the Raid will not succeed for a while, since we are to expect to hear this Chekov Announcement

Kaido’s son is not seen, but we know his name: Yamato. It’s a very interesting name to choose actually; it can refer to simply the dominant ethnic group of Japan, the clan, the period, the province, the Yamato Dynasty prince Yamato Takeru, Yamato-damashiii, could even go Okama with Yamato Nadeshiko or even just the battleship. It could also be a corruption of Yamata, which connects to Yamata no Orochi

For my money, Yamato would be based off of Takeru. With some minor wikipedia research it does have some narrative notes that could fit being Kaido’s son, I doubt he would slay an older brother because Kaido calls him an ‘idiot son’, but Takeru’s father Emperor Keiko kept sending him to other provinces, I could see Kaido sending Yamato across Wano or the world to try and emulate Oden, the last man he respected. Takeru’s legend is also interesting because he gets the Kusanagi sword, which Susanoo fished from the Yamata no Orochi, there’s also a brief note of cross dressing and composing the first sedoka in the Kai province, which can tie in with the other Yamatos listed

Yamato must be strong though if the Flying Six see it as troublesome, Yamato could be the one hiding in the bushes behind Robin and Jimbei. Him being relative to the announcement makes me think that Kaido has an arranged marriage for him, since that’s how Big Mom does alliances, maybe it’s to Pudding, or Smoothie, or that bitch Flampe

Ulti again has no fucking fear, the steel balls of this woman. But Kaido knows when to dangle the carrot, Who’s Who definitely wants that All Star spot, which continues to add focus on him

LUFFY! How is it that you manage to get to the big ass crowd of people, and it’s not like Kid is hard to find, look for someone with a Metal Arm next to a guy who blurts out FAFAFA...and of course he almost gets his cover blown by some drunkard and gets distracted by food (his chest scar is back now though after disappearing last chapter)

Oh god...memories of sweet-baby Tama are found in the reflection of the spilled soup, the Beasts Pirates being clear about how they disregard and waste the food while others starve. I bet Zoro and Sanji would also react similarly in this state for their own other reasons, hell even Big Mom could have a word or two to say about it, she really enjoyed that soup

But when Luffy has that glare, few things are gonna stop him

So obviously, really good chapter. A lot of lines have been drawn in the sand and we’re eager to know what comes next. But as much as I am eager I am waiting for the main thing to go wrong. We’ve already split our Monster Trio, in fact the largest group of the crew are the Weakling Trio in the Brachio tank with Sanji who could disappear anywhere, Shinobu and Carrot, there’s still the uncertainty with Law as well.

I am keen to know more about Yamato (though I am a tad let down that Katakuri isn’t related to Kaido, only because I wanna see Katakuri again) and about the Flying Six, but it’s also gonna be a tough spot if Luffy causes a rumble right now, Apoo and Queen are in that area and BM’s crew, Orochi and the Numbers are all within earshot.

Alas, another week break, though when Oda made the announcement about COVID I kinda did expect it, I guess I’ll just have to toil about it in my own spare time XD But what’s important is that everyone stays safe, and an extra week can help with the fan theories.

[edenxroseyposey]

A Concept:

Lavernessa

A rare-pair I adore. Imo their personalities compliment eachother really well??? Kimball instills a lot of faith into Tucker, and looks beyond the whole “ladykiller” persona to his untapped potential. Tucker shows a lot of respect for her in return, and they?? Just?? Overall?? Are?? Very?? Lovely??

Not to mention how cute Tucker gushing about his “cool-as-ice president girlfriend” would be. (You know he would, he carries his alien son’s basketball team picture on hand. This man is a sappy mess behind that “cool guy” shtick.)

Plus their ship name is super pretty and I’m a sucker for a good ship name. >:)

[freakedcanine]

HAZBIN RAREPAIRS REBLOGGED LADYKILLER GUYS IM SO OFFICIAL

sorry mutuals i am about to be feral because baby's first rarepair is from hazbin

your honor, i think they need to kiss a little

[imagineshameless]

Hey if you're still doing ships can I have one? My name is Tyeesha I usually go by Ty. I'm pan so can I please have a male and female ship? I'm 5'1.8 or 5'2 if I stretch. I have tan skin, dark brown eyes and curly dark brown hair dyed dark green and in a death hawk. I'm usually a very shy person at first until I open up then I tend to be loud and perverted. I love to make people laugh and I'm a writer. I love music but I'm the person who people think listens to classical but jam to Ladykiller.

I ship you with Debbie Gallagher and Lip Gallagher! -AdminBrook

[littlemissgeek8]

For the ask thing, Tiffany, Jenny, Deborah, AJ, Kenny, Adam, and Lachappa

Welp, this took ages. Sorry about that ^^;;;;. Some of the asks I answered elsewhere so here’s Tiffany, Deborah, and AJ

The rest are going under a cut b/c it’s looooooong.

Jenny

First impression:I found her kind of boring, honestly. ^^;; Her stats weren’t ones that reallygrabbed me, she wasn’t skilled in repair or speed, and hiding just reallywasn’t my thing.

Impression now: Evenif she’s not my fave, I really do like Jenny, and not just for the chances I’vehad to write her outside of the game. She’s got probably one of my favoriteoutfits (the fairy princess one :3), she’s surprisingly good as a mediccharacter, and tossing a decent Marathon perk on her compensates for her lowstamina. She may not be very fast or smart, but when played well she can be areal pain in the butt for Jason. XD

Favorite moment:For Jenny, it’s probably another moment from when I was primarily doingquickplay games with random people. I spawned in on Packanack Lodge down at thebottom of the map, all alone with a boat escape. While the rest of the team ranaround fighting over the car and the cops, I managed to hunt down the parts forthe boat and repair it completely (and I think it may have been perfectrepairs) and got out on my own while Jason was distracted chasing people at thepolice exit. That was basically the moment I realized I could repair as Jennyand do a good job with it, provided Jason gave me enough time to work. XD

Idea for a story:I’m toying with the idea of a side story for Legacy, involving what exactly washappening with Jenny during the majority of the story… but again, I don’t wantto go into a lot of details because A: spoilers and B: I don’t know if I’ll getto it at any point. XD

Unpopular opinion:Um… her voice is obnoxious? Not really an unpopular opinion I think, but it’sthe best I got. Love ‘ya, Jen, but you need to stop shrieking.

Favorite relationship:Jenny and Chad, obviously. I’m really not entirely sure how I ended up shippingit, but gosh it’s just so cute somehow. Platonically, I see her being reallygood friends with pretty much all the counselors, since Jenny’s just that kind of person who’s basicallyeverybody’s mom friend.

Favorite headcanon:Jenny the Mom Friend, basically. XD She’s the one who’s always ready withsnacks or hot drinks or a shoulder to cry on, or even just ready to storm outthere and give a stern talking to whomever started picking on her friends.

Kenny

First impression:Honesty I thought he was boring. ^^;;;; Largely due to the whole “five in allstats” thing. Since he wasn’t really good at anything, I couldn’t really pinhim down and so just wrote him off as boring.

Impression now:Gosh Kenny’s a cutie. XD His average stats make him easy to tweak into whateverbuild you want to try, and he can actually be a really good addition to theteam! (At least before Jason got his heelies and became super-speedy-jason-6000and ruined the ability to play as anything other than a high-speed characterbecause only Chad, Tiffany and Vanessa can run fast enough to not dieimmediately.) He just feels like an all-around great guy and I’ve reallyenjoyed playing him.

Favorite moment:Hm, again I’m having a hard time pinning down a specific time. I think therewas one round where we had a massive battle at the phone box on the main Lodgeat Higgins Haven, and if I remember right I spent most of my time as Kenny body-blockingthe box or stunning Jason when he tried to break it, but it’s been a while.

Idea for a story:Wellll….. not to give anything away, but I do have a short story I’m working on….>.> featuring Kenny pretty heavily….

Unpopular opinion:I honestly don’t see him as gay? I really don’t mean to offend anyone with this and I don’t have an issue with anyone headcanoning it,I promise. I just… don’t. He reminds me wayyyy too much of a character from my previousfandom who had the fandom treat him the exactsame way because he wore plaid and did engineering stuff as well as being atalented pianist and artist so y’know, let’sstereotype the character that canonically flirts with more women than any ofhis brothers. It’s a super sore spot for me because the whole situation waskinda rough for one of my friends who had a really strong muse for thecharacter, and the fact that it’s happening to ANOTHER character the exact same waykind of frustrates me. Like, headcanon what y’all want but for me at least, I just don’t see it.

Favorite relationship:I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for him and Tiffany at this point. I don’t knowif I’d call their relationship exactly healthy,much like with Chad and Jenny, but at the same time I’m a bit of a sucker forthe “ladykiller in love” trope (or whatever you’d call it if the girl’s the onewho’s a lot more flirtatious than the guy. XD) I also really love the idea ofKenny, Adam and AJ being a really tight-knit group of friends, and Kennyprobably gets along really well with Jenny too.

Favorite headcanon:He’s a bit uptight. Super charming and everything when he’s in “Head CounselorMode” and being friendly with parents and/or kids, but actually running thecamp can make him come across as somewhat neurotic. But on the other side, he’ssuper sweet and kind of a dorky romantic guy who probably serenades Tiffany withhis guitar when he has the chance. X3

Adam

First impression:The whole “edgy,” “biker-y” thing wasn’t really the type of character I’m drawnto, but I didn’t hate him. Like a lot of the characters, I was kind of “meh” onhim in general. Also the lack of stealth really wasn’t my thing for a long time.

Impression now: Ilike him a lot, even if I don’t get to play him much. And honestly,mechanically, he’s not really my best character to play as, especially since he’ssuper noisy and now can’t even run away from Jason at a full sprint. Butcharacter-wise? He’s pretty fun to work with. X3

Favorite moment:Again, really not sure I have one; I barely play him since the random selectiondoesn’t give him to me often, and I rarely pick him since there’s othercharacters I’m better at playing.

Idea for a story:Wellllll, he’s in the short story I’ve been picking at lately… though I don’treally have any stories in mind for Adam specifically. Again, he’s one of thosecharacters I like using as a best friend/side character.

Unpopular opinion:I dunno, I don’t see him as being quite the “tough, rough, bad-boy” some peopledo? Like, yeah he’s got the hair and the leather and stuff, but I feel like he’sa lot more “tough on the outside (especially to bullies) and sweet on theinside” than anything else.

Also I actually like him and AJ being a couple, which seemsto be a somewhat unpopular opinion.

Favorite relationship:Well, AJ mostly, since it’s canon. XD And cute. I do like him and Kennybeing really good friends, and probably the voices of reason in the camp, Adamespecially. (Kenny can be a bit intense as I write him, while Adam’s a lotmellower.)

Favorite headcanon: Iguess since he doesn’t have any confirmed backstory, I kind of really like Adambeing Italian (specifically Sicilian) since his last name is. Also that Adam’sthe cool, laid-back counselor that all the kids think is the Absolute Coolest.

Eric

Y’all had to do it tome, didn’t you?

First impression:I didn’t like him. Out of the entire cast, Eric’s the only one who hasn’tspoken to me at all. Like, at all. He’skind of the epitome of the kind of character I end up feeling very “thank youbut no” about.

Impression now:Nothing has changed. I don’t like him really at all. I don’t like playing ashim because even with a slightly higher strength, he’s still a much worse formof Deborah who can’t run worth anything. And he literally doesn’t speak to mecreatively at all.

Favorite moment:I don’t know, maybe the one time I was in a group and managed to stay away fromJason for like, 5 minutes? The Jason admitted to toying with us, but it was oneof the few times I felt like I wasn’t a huge useless burden as Eric.

Idea for a story:Literally none, he doesn’t speak to me at all.

Unpopular opinion: Idon’t get the meme-ness of him, or understand why people like him at all. Ijust frustrated with people acting like he’s some kind of awesome characterwhen he’s just… really, really not.

Favorite relationship:I don’t have one. I don’t even have friendshipones for him. I think he might have a crush on Deborah but yeah, that ain’tgoing anywhere in my stories.

Favorite headcanon:Uh, that he’s in charge of the radio? Look, I got nothing. I gave him the jobof introducing the radio to Deborah in my story to give him something to do, I literallydon’t have any feeling other than complete apathy at best when it comes to Eric.

[makapedia]

T A R Y N

THANK U

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

like. i wont fight anyone over it probably but i am so fond of ace spectrum soma, okay. it is Important to me

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

soma. uuuuhh. always lowkey into ayushiki from corpse party. 

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

mmmmmm. this is hard. maka and blair? 

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

LMAO naruto. so many, okay. i am lazy and i never watch anything but i’ve picked up so much from my mutuals. like. sailor moon, too. 

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

ACE CHARACTERS IN GENERAL, less ladykiller/smooth soul, more maka being emotional (because she IS i will FIGHT SOMEONE ABOUT IT you can be STRONK AND STILL CRY)

[nodamageafterall]

The Get Down Watch Party

The Get Down Part 1 – Ep 1 Where There Is Ruin There Is Hope For Treasure

• Daveed Diggs • I used to find Zeke’s voice weird, but now I’m used to it • Still not sure how to feel about Leon • Sometimes I forget that Mylene has a sister • The Kipling Family • Ra Ra geeking about Star Wars #relatable • “That’s so stupid” “You’re stupid” #roasted • OMG Ra Ra and his suitcase • Regina is so sassy, hope we see more of that side of her • “Hey, You”, my favorite song because it makes me think of  Thizzee • Shaolin, everybody thinks he’s some type of badass legend, but soon they find out he is just a dorky • “Ciao for now”, why is Dizzee so extra? • I’m learning more about history while watching TGD that I learned in school • I’m so glad Francisco is one of the good guys • Boo Boo plaining the next move like the true mastermind he is, he is like Dizzee’s management • Savage Warlords, oh Napoleon • Francisco saves the day! • Ra Ra is so happy for Zeke • Ms Green is the true queen • Ra Ra and his references, he is like Tumblr in the 70’s • I assume all this burning buildings are CGI, I think most of the budget went on the background only • Zeke reciting the poem, what is that sound? Oh, right, it’s just my heart breaking • It looks like Regina and Yolanda are trying to seduce Mylene rather than give her boy’s advice • Ra Ra dancing, pls, no • Shaolin and Zeke’s meeting was just like it happen in romances • They focus on Napoleon, the foreshowing • “Wars on Mars” why you gotta do me like that Dizz? • That gay joke, Winston has no idea • Dizz and Boo aka partners in crime, everyone needs a little bro like Boo • Ra Ra’s advices are like really good and really bad at the same time • The girls looked so good • “Hey, You” • Can we delete Fat Annie existence? • It weird seeing how happy and pure they were until everything turns to shit • Poor Shaolin, I can’t handle that nasty woman using him like that • Cadillac, it’s really hard to hate on him when you are too busy laughing at his nonsense • Why aren’t we more weirded out with this grown men lusting after teen girls? • Zeke is too good, too pure for this world • Mylene knows her stuff, no man will play her • Is that Jesus Superstar playing on the club? • Shaolin and his karate shit, it’s like he is trying to scary Zeke off so they don’t have to fight, because he wouldn’t know how • Zeke bites Shaolin, that’s love • Zeke is so dramatic, willing to die for that record • Shaolin talking about the heat while wearing that leather jacket is quite ironic • “Which one?” “The beautiful one” classic • So upsetting that Malibu is dead, his lines were gold • Zeke’s fake accent, I’m offended and I don’t even speak spanish • Zeke needs to man up • Cadillac owns the dance floor • RIP Fat Annie’s Birthday Cake, gone too soon (I still would eat that tho) • I wish we could have more of Mylene and Cadillac dancing, just because their chemistry is really great, but I don’t ship them in anyway • Jack, I love him, but I’m afraid he will screw things over • Mylene broke Zeke’s heart and I feel for him, but he really needed that reality check • Never saw someone reading the bible so angrily • Ramon is the worst for beating Mylene like that, triggerwarning 1:10 to1:12 • Zeke, people died, you just got dumped • “I don’t understand all the crying over a female”, yeah, that’s ‘cause you are gay • Shaolin is so over the top, he and Zeke are perfect for each other • If it’s a secret underground how did him expect them to know about it? • I would expect people to be more traumatized after being in a shooting, but I guess  not • Shaolin is a fanboy, look at him fanboying over Grandmaster Flash • Zeke is wasted • Plot twist: Boo Boo is the true ladykiller romantic • I’m not saying Francisco is Mylene’s dad, but… he is • I cringed so hard the first time I saw that scene, it was clear that Zeke would fail the first try • Shaolin jumping in (literally) to save the day • Whenever older Zeke’s voiceover comes in I cry • Zeke and Shaolin are already bff and they literally just met • Shaolin isn’t just a dork, he is a nerd, he got his albums in alphabetic order • Ra Ra is a little jealous of Zeke’s friendship with Shaolin • Boo Boo is the king of comebacks • The name of the episode on the train it’s like when the character says the name of the show in the show • “You are a natural everything”, Zeke is flirting • Such a Moulin Rouge vibe of that Mylene bit, I hope nothing bad happens to her • Daveed Diggs!

The Get Down Part 1 – Ep 2 Seek Those Who Fan Your Flames

• I love that idea of starting the episode with a rap about the previously one • “Yo, how did he get in here?”, Ra asking the real questions • That fucking crayon • Dizzee’s “nice”, I wonder what is on his mind • “Protect her from herself” WTF Ramon • The Get Down Brothers? More like The Get High Brothers • Francisco rant about the white models #keepitreal • “My fucking crayon” LOL • The Kipling Bros left to go eat, priorities • Shaolin’s face while Zeke’s raps/ramble • Mylene and her mother bonding, more of those pls • Shaolin and his pigeons • I really hope the pigeons weren’t there when the place got burned • Shaolin is just 17 years old, he doesn’t deserve that shit • Zeke saw the light lol • “It takes two to make a thing go right”, is that what they call subtext? • Of course Shaolin gave him a nickname • Leon is so lazy smh • Ms Green and her red glasses • Francisco is the best • Senora Lopez is the gem of that episode • *Ignores Fat Annie for my mental health* • I really had no idea so much went into djaying, it made me appreciate it more • Grandmaster Flash is a showoff • Zeke and Shaolin fanboying together is my jam • Mylene’s voice is the closest to heaven I’ll ever get • Mylene, Regina and Yolanda are squad goals • I think it was low of Mylene to go ask help from Zeke after what happened, but I don’t think she really had much of a choice • Ra Ra and his Star Wars references • “Syrups got standars”, preach it Zeke • Shaolin is nosy • Ra Ra is the voice of the reason in this group • I hope someday I have Cadillac’s self-steem • Did he get all dress up to torture this kids? • I hate that scene • 38:45 to 39:46, skip it if you can #childabuse • The Kipling Bros dancing to Shaolin’s beat is everything • The tension in that bit is too much • 41:41 to 42:26 more child abuse and that time it’s worst, blood involved • They look so happy, why you have to ruin it? • Dizzee could’ve died • Shaolin just lost everything • Dizzee carrying that turntable, my heart aches • Shaolin trying to keep it together and lashing out on Zeke, he needs a hug • I’m glad that Zeke and Mylene sorted it out in the end • Ramon is always screwing things over • The church scene is uncanny • Jack is so hangover, when isn’t he? • Mylene preteding to get the holy spirit, so wrong, so funny • That DRESS • Shit is getting down • What? No, it can’t be over

[dvddggs]

To the Four of Us (Part Eighteen)

premise: modern AU chronicling the squad as they make their way through college and deal with general life things.

soundtrack song: How to Save a Life - The Fray

full soundtrack: x

words: 3,116 (wow the longest one yet!)

warnings: alcohol abuse, swearing

a/n: idk i really like this chapter!! PLS let me know what you think, my asks have been so quiet lately about TTFOU

all chapters: x

tags: @heythereitsloey @anitheunicorn @newyorkyoucanbeanew @lafbagxette @justafangirlwithanavy @iamgrayfox @ordinaryornate @schuylerjoon @angelica-peggy-eliza @trashyperson101 @crazydragon15 @but-if-you-had-to-choose @geespilots @marvelous-hamilfan @5p00kygh05t @panda-powers @and-maria @lafeyettegunsandships @schokoobananaa @allthegoodurlshavebeentaken @aphboi @hell-yes-puns-and-ships @aham-threw-his-shot-away @hesitantcat @nonstopspook @hamrevolution

dedication: @prettybrightbubbly for the rad TTFOU art!!!!!

John took a cab home from the airport. He hadn’t bothered to tell his father when his flight landed, not wanting to put him out (and trying to avoid a drunk driving confrontation before the holidays even started). When the cab pulled into the driveway, John noticed a car that he had not seen in ages—his brother’s.

A wide grin spread onto John’s face as he practically threw the money at the cab driver, leaving him a generous tip. John flung his suitcase out of the back of the car and sprinted inside the little house.

“James!” John screamed, practically knocking his brother over. They laughed, hugging tightly. John felt like he was twelve again in the protection of his brother’s arms.

“How are you, Johnny?” his brother squealed.

“Actually,” John said, “I’m fantastic. I missed you, James, what the fuck! You need to visit more.”

James raised an amused eyebrow. “Oh so we’re swearing now, are we?”



John rolled his eyes. “I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“What are you, now, sixteen?”



“Nineteen, you ass, and I’ll be twenty this year.”

James laughed and threw his arm around his little brother’s shoulder, leading him to the couch to sit down. They chatted easily about James’s wife and son, John’s school, and the rest of their lives before John leaned in and got serious. 
“So, like, no offence, but why are you visiting? And, by the way, where’s Dad?”

James bit his lip and shifted awkwardly on the couch.

“Don’t freak out,” he began slowly. “He’s kinda in the hospital.”

John freaked out.

He sat there in silence while James told him everything he knew so far. It sounded like he was speaking to him from the opposite end of a long, echoey tunnel.

“He called me this morning, told me he fractured a couple ribs. Nothing major, the doctors said, but he said he was bruised and scratched pretty badly. He was in a car accident last night on his way to his night shift. Well—”

“Well what, James?” John asked hesitantly, fearing that he already knew the answer.

“He kinda caused the accident.”

Fears confirmed.

“Fuck,” John groaned, a pit of unease growing in his stomach. “But wait…I still don’t understand why he called you.”

James didn’t respond for a moment, but stared at the ground with his hands on his kneecaps. He took a deep breath and looked up at his brother, knowing full-well that he was about to shatter his heart. He knew that he couldn’t keep it a secret, though. John was the one who lived with the guy, for fuck’s sake. He had a right to know.

“He was drunk, John,” James deadpanned.

John closed his eyes and let his brother’s words crash over him like waves. Not the calming kind, though. The kind that pull you under the water and knock you around and make you hit your head off the ground and make you wonder if you’ll ever taste the air or see the sun again.

“But wait,” John said, clinging to the last shred of hope and respect he had for his father. “How do you know? He obviously didn’t tell you that, did he? Maybe he just fell asleep, right? Right, James? I mean, maybe it was just a mistake. Maybe—”

“John.” James cut him off, watching the helpless desperation in his brother’s eyes fizzle out as John’s mouth went slack and shut. “He was still drunk this morning when he called.”

John nodded slowly, accepting defeat; there was nothing left to say. He sighed and looked up at James, who was watching him with sadness in his eyes. His brothers had given up on their father years ago. They’d tried everything they could to help him, but it had gotten to the point where they couldn’t stand by and watch him ruin his life anymore. When they left, they begged John, the youngest sibling, to go with them. John obviously refused. He possessed an unending desire to find some way to help his father and did not want to abandon him. So they left him behind to fend for himself, and he did. He took his father’s shit, he cleaned up his messes (both literally and metaphorically), and he dealt with the life he’d been given because he thought he’d owed it to his father to at least try.

Somehow, even after all those years, John had managed to cling onto the hope that underneath the drinking, his father was still a good man who loved him. He wanted, with his entire being, to believe this. He told himself that it wasn’t his father’s fault, that it was an addiction, that when he wasn’t drinking things were good.

But he’d made the choice to drink before work. He made the choice to get drunk, knowing that he would have to drive. He made the choice.

John was defeated as he felt the last shard of respect drain from his body as he collapsed into his brother. Suddenly, his eyes flung open as a possibility he hadn’t even considered until that point blazed into his brain.

“Was anyone else hurt?”

His brother’s heavy and calculated silence answered his question.

Alexander was hiding in his room.

His father kept texting him but he ignored the messages.

He sat in the corner of the floor with his knees hugged to his chest and his arms folded over them, slamming his thumbs angrily at the keyboard on his phone as he texted Aaron.

Lex: I’m so fucking mad. I want them to leave. they have been here TEN MINUTES and I want them to leave.

Burrsir: destroy them.

Lex: i would if i could. come over. HELP.

Burrsir: Hell no, my friend. I’m not touching this situation with a ten-foot pole.

Lex: ARE YOU KIDDING ME, AARON???? Aren’t we like best friends? Get the fuck over here

Burrsir: Enjoy your family time. :)

Alexander grumbled in annoyance and tossed his phone onto his bed, where it immediately vibrated again. He quickly got up to check it in case Aaron had had a change of heart, but it was his father.

Papa Washington: Alexander Hamilton, get your ASS downstairs right now. You haven’t seen your cousin in a year.

Alex: And there’s a good reason for that, Dad.

Papa Washington: Don’t get mouthy. Get down here.

Groaning intentionally loud enough for them to hear him downstairs, Alexander unceremoniously plugged his headphones into his phone, blasted his music, and stomped down the stairs. He pasted a fake smile as soon as he walked into the living room, rolling his eyes at his father.

“Hi Charles-Lee,” Alexander grumbled to his cousin.

Okay, so they weren’t technically cousins—thank god—but Alexander’s father was old friends with Charles’ father, which meant that they’d practically grown up together, and Alexander called George’s friend Uncle John; it was just easier. Not that he liked it.

Charles groaned through a smile.

“I’m so over that name, Lex!”

Alexander winced at the use of the nickname that should have been reserved for John’s use, although he suppressed a cackle at Charles’ comment. When Charles was younger, he’d insisted that everyone around him adopt the use of both his first and middle names, resulting in the hyphenated travesty known as Charles-Lee Adams. Everyone refused to call him that except Alexander, who knew even at the ripe young age of ten that Charles would grow to regret his decision.

He was glad to know that he had been right.

“Hey Aunt Abigail,” Alexander continued his greeting as Charles’ mother stood up to envelop him in a hug. Abigail was the only one Alexander actively liked—as much as he hated to admit it, the warmth of her hugs reminded him of the vague memories he had of his own mother.

“Alexander,” Uncle John nodded.

“Uncle John.”

They shook hands awkwardly while Abigail turned to George.

“My,” she exclaimed. “Alexander’s grown up quite a bit since last year, huh? Such a handsome young man, just like his father.”

George smiled proudly at Alexander even though they all knew that Alexander looked nothing like his adoptive father. He suppressed an eye roll as Uncle John picked up where Abigail had left off.

“Girls chasing ya at school like they’re chasing Charles? I’ll bet even with that broken jaw you’re a ladykiller,” he smiled, winking at Alexander.

George shot Alexander a warning glance. He knew that his son was comfortable enough with his sexuality to the point where he’d have no problem going into details about his very non-straight sex life. Not to mention how he’d gotten the broken jaw in the first place.

“No,” Alexander said sweetly, ignoring his father’s glare. “But I’ve had two boyfriends since September. I like to switch it up; don’t want them get too comfortable. And, actually, that was how I got the broken jaw. Moved on too quickly for Thomas’s taste, I guess.”

Alexander finished with a sickly sweet open-lipped smile to show off the wires binding his teeth together. From the corner of his eye he could see his father snort into his beer while Uncle John, Abigail, and Charles suppressed chokes into theirs. Alexander cackled as he heard a knock on the door, excusing himself to go answer it.

“You came!” Alexander squealed as soon as the door opened, hurling himself into Aaron Burr’s startled arms.

“Yeah,” Aaron grumbled. “I figured, y’know…it’s Christmas…I guess we’re friends…whatever.” 

“I’m so happy,” Alexander grinned.

“If they piss me off once, though, I’m outta here,” Aaron warned, wagging a finger in Alexander’s face.

“They’ve already immensely pissed me off with their horrifically assumptious heteronormativity,” Alexander replied, grabbing his friend’s hand and pulling him inside towards the living room.

“Ah, and we all know how much you hate that,” Aaron replied with a grin. “Mr. and Mrs. Adams—so nice to see you again! Charles-Lee.”

Charles nodded awkwardly in Aaron’s direction and took another sip of his beer. He knew from their childhood that when Aaron came over it was so that Alexander wouldn’t have to hang out alone with him.

John, Abigail, and George, however, were all grinning ear to ear.

“Ooh!” Abigail squealed. “This is just like old times! The three musketeers are back together again!”

The kids looked between each other and grimaced awkwardly, praying for the moment to pass.

Alexander and Aaron sat in near silence—aside from the odd whispered comment followed by a snicker—on the living room floor for the entirety of the evening. Charles sat beside his mother on the couch, chatting animatedly about school while Alexander and Aaron took turns laughing at his pretentious comments.

“‘Wow, my residence—the most expensive one—is so difficult to live in without my aromatherapeutic dehumidifier. It’s absolutely smashing to be home,’” Alexander mocked in a whisper. Aaron smacked both hands over his mouth to keep from busting out in laughter.

George, who knew what the pair were doing, shot them a warning glare and said too-loudly, “Alexander! Aaron! Would you come help me bring out the chips?”

Still snickering, Aaron helped Alexander to his feet and they trailed after George into the kitchen.

“What’s the matter, Dad?” Alexander asked innocently. He was met with a glare.

“Don’t give me that, Alex. You know full well that you’re being mean. Listen, I know it’s not ideal. Charles is a little…strange...but you both need to suck it up and deal with it for one night! We do this once a year and, for god’s sake, where’s your Christmas spirit!?”



Alexander rolled his eyes at the last sentence but overall he softened a bit. He understood his father’s point. Beside him, Aaron nodded solemnly and stared at the floor. Alexander knew that after this he was going to hear a five minute freakout about how Aaron regretted everything.

“Why don’t you guys take the car and go with Charles to a movie or something? That way you don’t have to talk but you’ve still fulfilled your duty. Here—” George handed Alexander a fifty dollar bill. “—it’s on me. Have fun.”

“Oh—um—thanks, Dad,” Alexander said, feeling a bit guilty. Though not guilty enough to not call, “Charles-Lee!”

Before any of them could blink, Charles had sprinted into the kitchen and was standing beside Alexander at full attention.

“Wanna go to the movies?” Aaron asked, stifling a laugh.

“Ooh,” said Charles. “That would be fun. Yes!”

In the car, Aaron plugged in Alexander’s phone and played one of the heavy metal playlists from their early high school emo phase. Though they could no longer stand the music, they head-banged and screamed along what they could remember to mess with Charles. Mid-headbang, one of the songs was interrupted with a loud ding, indicating that Alexander had received a text.

“Can you check that?” Alexander murmured to Aaron, in case it was his dad or something.

“Sure…it’s John. Do you want me to read it?”

Alexander shrugged. He didn’t care if Aaron read a sext, and all the better if Charles heard it.

“What’s it say?”

Aaron said nothing for a moment so Charles leaned in from the backseat and read over his shoulder curiously. Alexander watched his eyes widen in the rearview mirror.

“Burr,” he pressed. “What does it say?”

Aaron cleared his throat and spoke quietly.

“It says, ‘Remember when you told me to text you if I needed anything? I don’t know what I need, but my dad killed a guy last night.’”

The beat of silence hung heavily in the air as Alexander almost swerved into a ditch, but no one reacted.

Before he could say anything, the phone went off again in a flood of messages. Quickly, Alexander pulled the car to the side of the road, ripped it into park and frantically snatched his phone out of Aaron’s hands.

John: Lex I don’t know how I got here but I’m on a train right now

John: I have no idea what I’m doing

John: are you there

John: I’m scared, lex

John: I didn’t tell anyone I left…i took my dad’s credit card

John: He’s gonna kill me

Before Alexander could read any of the other messages that John was sending, he had hit the call button and pressed his phone to his ear. Beside him, Aaron leaned in and Charles stared awkwardly out the window.

His heart pounded, speeding up with each unanswered ring. Finally, mercifully, Alexander let out an audible sigh as he heard the lines connect. John didn’t even get a chance to say hello before Alexander started speaking rapid-fire.

“JOHN, holy shit, are you okay? I’m sorry—I was driving so I couldn’t reply. Where are you? Where are you going? I need you to talk to me—what the fuck happened with your dad? Where are you going? Are you okay? I love you…talk to me.”

Alexander realized he hadn’t taken a breath since John picked up the phone so he sat there panting while he waited for John to respond.

“I’m going to Virginia. To you.”

John sounded dazed, as though he’d just woken up from a long nap and was still groggy. He didn’t sound upset, but it was almost like he was in shock.

“What do you mean you’re going to Virginia, John? Where in Virginia?” Alexander prompted.

There was more silence for a minute and then:

“I dunno. My ticket says Norfolk Station. Wherever that is.”

Alexander could see Aaron lean back and stare incredulously at the phone. He understood why—that was three hours from where they lived.

“Fuck, John,” Alexander murmured.

“Are you mad, Lex?” John whispered.

Alexander sighed.

“Of course I’m not mad. What time will the train arrive?”

John’s estimate gave Alexander exactly three hours and twelve minutes to get to the train station, which meant that he didn’t have any time to go home and drop off Charles or even tell his father where they were going. It gave him just enough time to pull purposefully into a gas station, use his father’s fifty dollars to fill up the gas tank, buy three RedBulls, and map the directions on his phone.

“Aaron,” Alexander said once they got on the highway.

“Yes sir,” Aaron replied purposefully.

“I need you to be in charge of communication. Text my dad, will ya? Tell him what’s going on. Or call. I don’t care. But more importantly, I need you to keep texting John. Don’t let him do anything fucking stupid. If he wants to FaceTime and talk to me, fuck it, use up my data, I don’t care. Just make sure he’s alright.”

“What about me, boss?” Charles asked meekly from the backseat. He wasn’t overly happy about the sudden adventure, but part of him was absolutely thrilled to have been included.

“Oh, yeah, Charles-Lee. Can you open this RedBull for me?”

Charles grumblingly obliged and the car was quiet for a minute as Aaron typed a long message to George.

“Uh oh,” he said after awhile. “He’s text-yelling, Alex. He’s text-yelling a lot. Abort mission. Abort mission!”

Alexander rolled his eyes and called his father, who picked up immediately and did not skip a beat before he began speak-yelling.

“…you serious, Alexander? You are the most impulsive person that I have ever known in my entire life! I can’t believe this! You’ve effectively kidnapped two children and are heading HALFWAY ACROSS THE STATE without so much as a heads up!! Turn around. Right now. I mean it—come home.”

Drawing in a deep breath so as to stay calm, Alexander responded through the speakerphone.

“Dad,” he said. “How can I not help John? He’s a fucking mess right now! He needs me. He’s all alone, and he’s been alone for god-knows-how-long.”

As an afterthought, he added, “Don’t forget, you’ve been teaching me to help those in need since you first found sad, pitiful little orphan me, for god’s sake. Remember? How can you possibly condemn what I’m doing right now?”

Silence.

More silence.

Alexander knew he had won.

“Shit,” George muttered. “Text me when you get there so I know you’re safe. We’re not done talking about this, Alex.”

Alexander hung up and handed his phone to Aaron, who plugged it back into the AUX cord.

“It’s a long drive,” he shrugged in response to Alexander’s glare. “We may as well enjoy it a bit.”

Alexander was tense as he thought about John, but he found one small bit of solace in the situation.

John would be home for Christmas.