#they both suit each other well and that makes me happy that bible is being taken care of

[byemambo]

JES JESPIPAT AS TYME

4MINUTES (2024) | 1.01

Bonus: ghost ship DenTyme LMAO + making blue Tyme's signature color :) also I was kinda (extremely) kicking my feet making this set because of how charming and breathtakingly handsome Jes is like please look at those gazes

[amora-ledezma]

Obey Me! Characters with a [???]!MC

When Diavolo told them the exchange program student is a religious female, they were expecting someone who was working towards becoming a nun, but for some reason, this person was pretty chill about religion???

“What religion are you exactly?” They ask, the human answered “INC.” with pride and happiness at their curiosity. INC, or Iglesia Ni Cristo in tagalog and Church Of Christ in english, is a Christian organization. Registered on the very start of World War 1, they fulfilled a prophecy of a church being built in the far east during the end of times. Not eating blood, not celebrating Christmas, they were questioned most of the time, and they would only answer with passages from the bible. Yes, they were called weird but this human didn’t seem to mind, just going on their day.

Obey Me! Charaters with a >>>INC!MC who also happens to be Filipino

As far as they could tell, the exchange student was pretty…normal.

Well, apart from she doesn’t eat animal blood, which was strange, considering she has no problem eating a whole baby duck from the egg-

And the fact she doesn’t seem to have any sort of bible or cross on her at all times??? Is this human really religious?

Part 1: Purgatory Hall +Mammom

Simeon and Luke

-Simeon met INC!MC at lunch one time.

-The menu that day wasn’t exactly…for angels like him.

-If he didn’t find anything suitable for him and Luke, he was considering just taking the younger angel back to Purgatory Hall and cook something.

-There he met MC, scratching her head at the menu, why, almost everything had blood in it!

-Shaking her head she turned around to head back to the House of Lamentation to cook something for herself.

-Accidentally bumping in Simeon.

-Both profusely apologizing to each other, they scrambled to find ways to say sorry.

-Simeon noticed MC was going to leave without eating anything and asked why.

-“I…can’t really eat anything with blood.”

-He invites her to Purgatory Hall, and they get along quite well.

-“You say you can’t eat blood, why is that?”

-“Because it symbolizes-”

-“Life.” Luke chimes in.

-MC raised an eyebrow then smiled, followed by a nod.

-“So my religion got something correct, I suppose?” She looked at Simeon.

-“That would seem to be the case.” He smiled.

-“So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Genesis 9:1-4.” Luke said, looking to Simeon for approval.

-MC gaped in amazement.

-“Does living for thousand of years give you good memory?” She joked.

-“You don’t have the bible memorized?” Luke said, albeit a bit judgmental.

-“I never really read the bible, I’m afraid I’ll make a misinterpretation,” MC smiled.

-Simeon nodded at that, a soft smile on his face.

-“Dear God, you are hopeless with technology!” MC bemoaned.

-“Please don’t bring Father into this.”

-“Simeon…just- just give the phone, please.” Luke snagged it from him.

-“Like I said go to the App Store- hey where are you going?!”

-“You said go to the App Store, is it far?” Simeon asked.

-MC and Luke just sighed in defeat.

Solomon

-Oh hello, fellow human.

-They met when MC visited Purgatory Hall to visit Luke and Simeon.

-MC literally took a double take when he introduced himself.

-Like “?! You’re named after the King?”

-“Would you believe if I said I am the King?”

-“Nope.”

-“Suit yourself~”

-MC found out that he in-fact, was the King Solomon, still alive; how? Yeah she doesn’t want to know.

-“I ate something and then this happened.”

-“I..see,” MC made a mental note to not eat anything he cooks.

-“I’ve been meaning to ask, what country are you from?” Solomon asked.

-“Philippines.” MC answered, wrinkling her nose and moving away from the stove, where Solomon was conjuring cooking(?) up something.

-“Ah yes, Ophir.” Solomon chuckled.

-“No, I’m from the Ph—”

-“I meant what I said.” Solomon smiled.

-(MC.exe processing)

-“pHILIPPINES WAS OPHIR-?!”

-“Yes, yes it was. And I see the pearls harvested there are still as pristine as ever,” he looked at MC’s pearl earrings.

-MC smiled. “Now, Solomon; you might want to take that off the heat it smells like it’s burning.”

-“It is not!”

Mammon

Hah, him??? Take care of this human??? No way-

He agreed after that encounter with Lucifer.

Andddd the fact that he can see something valuable on her.

Pearl earrings, and they look like they’re oriental, which might fetch a lot of grimm here in Devildom

(Haha too bad she places it inside a hymn book used in worship, no he did not burn his hand trying to get it, pft, he totally didn’t)

And he’s actually caught off guard, this human is just nodding along his threats with a small smile on her face.

“I’d kill ya-” “No, you really won’t. The exchange program would fail, are you sure you want the demon prince’s disappointment?🙂”

She’s already concluded that he’s scared of Lucifer.

Once saw her praying, head down and eyes closed and thought she was scared.

And Mammon being, well, Mammon, started walking towards her to tease her.

So uh,

He kind of—

Got burned? It was just a sensation but he pretty much shouted in pain.

“WHAT WAS THAT, HUMAN?! ARE YE TRYING TO MAKE ME TURN INTO DUST?!”

“NO I WAS PRAYING WHY WOULD YOU WALK TOWARDS ME KNOWING YOU’LL BURN?!”

“I DIDN’T KNOW YA WERE PRAYING, WHY WEREN’T YA DOING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS?!”

“MY RELIGION DOESN’T USE IT DANG IT!”

Mammon was treated by Lucifer(who was trying to keep in his laughter)

This is my way of spreading doctrine ig^-^*

By the way, the Ophir=Philippines one isn’t confirmed, it’s just a theory.

(A game theory.)

[amazingmaeve]

Babe ↠ Draco Malfoy

━ “i deserve better. i deserve someone who loves me.”

summary ━ y/n and draco had an arrange marriage ever since they got out of hogwarts. y/n thought that they would learn to love each other at least for her. y/n also catches him cheating more than once but he always has an excuse.

warnings ━ cheating, angst, fluff, eating disorder, social anxiety

a/n ━ babe by sugarland feat. taylor swift

word count ━ 3.5k

“You may now kiss the bride,” The priest says closing the bible.

Draco leans in and kisses Y/N while wrapping his hands around her cheeks. She on the other hand wrapped her arms around his neck kissing him back.

Even though this was one of the biggest days for Y/N she knew Draco didn’t want to kiss her. That he didn’t want to marry her.

Y/N’s parents and Draco's parents made an arrangement that they would get married. The two had no say. She thought she would grow feelings before the wedding and she did. But Y/N also thought Draco would be able to stand to be around her, but that wasn’t the case.

While trying to get to know Draco, Y/N tried everything. Doing things that peak his interest but it always ended with him snapping at her to leave him alone.

Y/N understood in the beginning. He didn’t want to get married neither did she. But Y/N dealt with that face that she had to do it.

She caught feelings fast since she’s had a crush on him ever since hogwarts. But she didn’t have the guts to do anything while at school and always felt sad when she saw him with Parkinson.

In Hogwarts Y/N wasn’t exactly known. She just tried keeping to herself so she didn’t bother anyone. She had one friend though. Rose, someone that kept by her side for everything, even the marriage.

For the rest of that night Draco didn’t even speak to Y/N. Nor did he look at her. She tried to keep smiling so people would think she’s happy.

And on the wedding night Y/N lost her virginity. It wasn’t everything everyone loved it up to be. It did hurt though and she thought Draco had the decency to stay and comfort her but she was wrong again.

Draco left the bed soon after to go to his study to do god knows what leaving Y/N alone. She wrapped the blanket around her naked body trying to get warm. Draco didn’t even seem to care about asking if she was fine.

She rested her head on the pillow letting a few tears fall out before squeezing her eyes shut. Y/N would not cry over Draco. She would not let herself be heartbroken.

But it didn’t stop the way she felt about him.

Y/N kept the perfect wife image up. Cooking and cleaning for him but he didn’t even seem to appreciate the food she cooked as he never even thanked her.

At nights he would silently come into bed late while Y/N wondered where he had been. She shook the thoughts out of her head trying to go to sleep.

The first of many arguments they had was a big one.

“Draco I’m tired of being treated like crap,” Y/N snapped putting her hands on her hips. Draco glared at her.

“I don’t care, I didn’t even want to marry you,” He screamed, throwing his arms up in the air out of frustration.

“You think I did,” Y/N chuckles out of amusements.

“I. Don’t. Care. You’re just one of those needy wives always want to be around their husbands, who are annoyed by them,” Draco slowly snapped at Y/N. She felt tears threaten to escape as she looked at the ground.

Y/N nodded continuing to chop up the vegetables for the food she was making. When she looked up she swore she saw some cult floating in his eye but she ignored puttering attention on the meal.

When food was done they ate in silence. Y/N finished first and went to go work on a painting she started before Draco got home.

Y/N got ready for bed an hour later putting her nightgown on and brushed her hair. She used a wipe to take the makeup off and finally went to lay down.

Draco returned to bed a couple minutes later slowly waking in. In reality Draco felt bad for treating her that way. It wasn’t her fault they got married so why’s he taking it out on her? He ponders as he takes his tie off and then the rest of his clothes.

He got his pajama pants on and climbed into bed laying down behind Y/N who was facing the wall. Draco wrapped his arm around Y/N spooning. The contact made her jump out of surprise, Draco had never even touched her at night.

“I’m sorry Y/N,” Draco apologized. “I know it’s not your fault and shouldn’t take it out on you,” He states.

“Can we at least try to be a married couple please,” Y/N begged, wanting him to care about her. He did but he didn’t want to show his feelings to her.

“We can try love,” He promises putting his face in the crook of her neck leaving a kiss there before falling back on the pillow behind him. He kept his arm around her as they both fell asleep.

Maybe this could work out. Y/N thought before she fell asleep.

Everything seems to be fine for the next few months. Draco was finally warming Y/N and starting talking and spending time with her. And she couldn’t be even more happy.

He seemed more happy now and now she was happy and that’s all that mattered.

“So how are you and Draco,” Rose asks, taking a sip of her tea. Rose was over at Draco and Y/N’s house for some girl time with her.

“Everything seems better ever since we had that talk a few months ago. Everything seems to be going fine,” Y/N says happily as she takes a sip of her tea after she finishes talking. It was true Draco seemed like he at least cared about her now.

“That’s good I was worried that he was going to break your heart but I guess I was wrong,” Rose shrugs putting the cup down looking at Y/N.

“I had that feeling too but it subsided when he realized what an ass he was,” Y/N replies, grabbing the tea cups and putting them in the sink so she could wash them later.

“That’s great Y/N. I’m so happy for you,” Rose smiles at how happy her friends seemed to be now.

Rose soon left after a few more conversations and she started to get dinner ready. She put the noodles in the bowl as she was making spaghetti. When the dinner was almost done Draco came in the house happily whistling to himself.

“I’M HOME LOVE,” Draco yelled as he took his jacket off and walked to the kitchen where Y/N was preparing the table.

“Hey love,” Y/N greeted as she ran over to him and planted a kiss on his lips. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she smelt some perfume.

“What’s wrong sweetheart,” Draco asked worriedly.

“Nothing,” Y/N lied leaning her head against his chest, his heartbeat calming her down and her suspicions as well.

Draco rested his chin on her head letting out a content sigh. He felt happy right now even though he did something that could ruin their relationship a few hours ago.

Meanwhile Y/N let go of Draco and went to put the spaghetti on plates. He sat down at the head of the table and she sat down next to him eating the spaghetti neatly.

“How was your day love,” Draco asked after swallowing some of the food. He grabbed the napkin and wiped his face.

“It was good Rose came over and we had some girl time,” Y/N replies with a smile looking up at Draco. He put his hand on hers which was on the table. He massages the top of her hand with the pad of his thumb.

“That’s good love,” Draco replies satisfied with her response. “You need to get out more,” He took a drink of wine after he finished the sentence.

“I know,” Y/N sighed looking at the plate of half eaten food. Her stomach grumbles for more but her head didn’t want it. She knew that she should get out more and make new friends but Y/N gets social anxiety when she talks to people she doesn’t know.

She also has a problem with her eating habits. Y/N tends not to eat when she thinks she’s gaining too much weight. Most people would say that’s wrong, you shouldn’t do that but Y/N doesn’t listen to them, only the voice in her head saying she isn’t right for Draco.

“I just hate talking to new people, Draco,” Y/N grumbles, putting her fork down.

“I know how bout this you come with me to a party that I’m planning,” Draco asks, putting his elbows on the table and wringing his hands together.

“I don’t know,” Y/N says doubtfully.

“I’ll be with you the whole time love,” Draco reassures by putting his hand on her thigh, giving it a squeeze.

“Fine but I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay all night,” Y/N agrees reluctantly. Draco gives her a big grin making her smile at him. As long Dracos by her side everything will be fine.

The party was in two weeks which gave Y/N the time to find a dress. Rose helped her with that.

In those two weeks Draco has been really suspicious. He came home really late and when he was home he spent most of his time in his study. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t talk to her. Usually at dinner and during breakfast.

When he did come home he reeked of perfume. And not hers. But Dracos probably has a lot of women with his job; this doesn’t mean anything. She keeps reminding herself also that Draco loves her and would never cheat on her.

Y/N hasn’t brought this up because she was certain that nothing was going on. But what if something did? She couldn’t get divorced since her parents would also disown her. Y/N would be stranded.

Now she shook the ideas out of her head putting her earrings on. She looked at herself in the mirror with a smile. She had put some makeup on and her dress. Y/N looked at herself all dolled up with a smile. A real smile.

Draco came behind her and put his hands on her arms and kissed her neck.

“You look beautiful love,” He whispered in her ear, making shivers go down her spine.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” Y/N giggles, turning around to put her hands on the lapels of his suit jacket.

She presses her lips against his and he hesitates for a second but Y/N misses that. He moves his hands to her hip and gives them a squeeze while Y/N moves her hands to his neck.

“I love you darling,” Draco whispers against her lips.

“I love you too,” Y/N repeats her heart skipping a bit at the notations.

The two had a mansion that was big. They got it from their families. Only 50 people would be at this party since the party room.

Y/N takes a sigh as Draco takes her hand and leads her down the stairs where the faint hum of music is played. People are dancing and having fun with one another.

Draco gives her a squeeze to reassure that everything will be fine. They both walk to the bar where only a couple people were.

Y/N ordered herself some while Draco ordered some bourbon. The two chatted about their days and or weeks. Y/N soon forgot people were even there as she sat comfortably with her husband having a good time.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Draco blurted out and before Y/N could even say something he was running off to the restroom.

Y/N sighed taking a sip of the wine. Draco would be back soon she reminded herself. She felt lucky people didn’t talk to her since she probably would’ve stuttered herself out of it.

Draco hadn’t returned after 25 minutes and Y/N was starting to get worried that her husband had passed out. Or he lost his way to her by talking to the party guests.

She tapped her painted nail against the hardwood of the bar table. She was starting to get nervous and her heart was beating fast. Y/N let out a breath trying to calm down and it worked but that didn’t stop her worry for Draco.

Y/N had enough and grabbed her purse, walking around the room she would be running if it wasn’t the heels that were ruining her feet. She decided to see if he was in the bathroom and fast walked over there.

She put her hand up to knock on the hardwood just in case someone was in there. But she stopped when she heard something.

“Draco,” Y/N heard somebody moan as she heard heavy breathing on the other side of the door.

It felt like time froze for Y/N. Maybe she got it wrong but she knew, she knew that Draco was cheating on her.

She sighed as she walked back to the bar with tears brimming her eyes. She sat down on the stool as the bartender noticed her sad look and poured her glass.

Y/N let out a sad sigh taking a drink and another and another. After about 3 drinks she felt the effects of the alcohol coming. She laid her arms on the table and buried her face in them.

She wanted to sob. She wanted to let it all out right now. But she couldn’t do it right not in front of so many people. Y/N could tell people were leaving since there were only a few more people left.

“Y/N love are you okay,” Draco worriedly asked, putting his hands on her back as he noticed how drunk she was.

She jumped at the contact and nodded her head but not lifting it. Draco’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion since she barely got drunk and when she did it was only when he was there.

Draco lifted her from the table to see a few tears rolling down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumb.

“What happened,” He asked confused and worried.

“Just got overwhelmed with everything,” Y/N lied pinching the bridge of her nose. She didn’t want to divorce Draco; she loved him so much. And plus her parents would disown her, leaving her all on her own.

“Come on love the parties over let’s go to bed,” Draco grabbed her waist and wrapped his arm around it. She let him help her to their shared room where he sat her down.

Y/N gave him a fake smile to reassure him everything was fine. Luckily he believed it. Draco went to the bathroom to undress himself while Y/N undressed herself on the bed.

No one was here except for the house elves who were probably sleeping. She helped out the elves not wanting to hurt them like her parents did. She thought they deserved to be treated with some respect.

Y/N got her nightgown on and laid her head down on the pillow. She didn’t even feel anything towards it. She just felt numb.

When Draco exited the bathroom she closed her eyes pretending to be asleep. Draco laid next to her putting his arm around her and pressing a kiss to her neck.

“Love you,” He whispered. Yeah right she thought. She kept the tears inside til Draco fell asleep.

She let the tears fall on the pillow as she sobbed silently. Why would draco lie to her and tell her loved her when he was fucking someone else. No wonder why he hasn’t slept with her in a few weeks.

She wanted to believe Draco was good. But she kept seeing Draco with this mystery woman. All Y/N knows is that she would never cheat on Draco even on her worst day.

Y/N eventually fell asleep after some crying and shoving the thoughts away.

The next morning Draco wasn’t there and left her a note saying that he had to go to work early. Y/N bit her lip to stop her from crying. She wondered even if he was going to work.

Y/N got dressed and went to go cook herself some breakfast to get her mind off the situation.

This happened for the next week. Draco left early and came home late leaving Y/N crying herself to sleep wondering what she did wrong. Luckily she fell asleep before he got home. And the situation repeated itself over and over.

Y/N was lucky since she really didn’t want to see Draco since if she did she would probably break down crying.

One day Draco woke up the same time she did. Y/N talked trying to convince him he didn’t know anything. Draco gave her sweet smiles and said they should schedule a lunch date which Y/N nodded reluctantly.

She couldn’t help but feel giddy as she got ready in a cute outfit. Still the sadness lurked around her head but she pushed them back so she could have fun with Draco.

Y/N was welcomed into his workplace and she opened his office door slowly with a smile. But frowned when she looked through the creek of the door.

She saw Draco and Astoria kissing. She was on the desk while he was standing up. Of course Astoria.

She was Dracos girlfriend before he broke up with her for the wedding. Y/N thought he was over her since he told her he loved her. Was it all a lie?

Her lip trembled as she closed the door and ran out the building. Tears cascading down her cheeks as people gave her weird looks. When she was out of the office she put her hand on her mouth to keep the sobs in.

Still the sobs kept coming.

Astoria was everything Y/N wanted to be. She had a good job, good friends and she had Draco's heart and Y/N reminded herself of that.

She was so stupid to believe that his feelings changed so fast. So stupid. Was it just a joke to him?

Still crying Y/N walked to Roses flat wanting to seek some comfort from someone and that person would be Rose. She felt bad for not calling her friend for the last week.

“Y/N,” Rose exclaimed, surprised seeing her best friend at her door with tears running down her cheeks. “C’mere love,” She whispered knowing something was wrong.

Rose helped Y/N to the couch and sat her down while she went to go make some tea to calm her down. Y/N was still trembling from the crying and Rose was worried about her friend.

Once Y/N calmed down she explained everything to Rose. Hearing Draco fucking Astoria and her catching them kiss in the office. She told her all about the suspicions before she even knew she was cheating.

“I always knew he was a backstabbing cheater,” Rose snapped angrily at Draco for breaking her friend's heart. “You have to divorce him,” She advised Y/N.

“No I can’t my parents will disown me and I’ll have nowhere to go,” Y/N rambled, putting her face in her hands.

“Come live with me,” Rose offered, finishing her tea and putting it down.

“You’d do that for me,” Y/N asked, surprised looking up from her hands.

“Yes you’re my best friend now go and dump that piece of shit,” Rose grabbed her friend's hand pulling her up.

“Fine I’ll go do that and I guess I’ll come back at night,” Y/N sighed, getting her bag and running off.

When Y/N got to his house now, she packed all of her stuff and waited in her bed room for Draco to show up. She cried silently wondering what she did wrong.

He finally did after two hours. She was still crying when he entered the bedroom with a confused look on his face.

“Darling what’s wrong,” He asked concerned

“Why’d you do it,” Y/N sniffed standing up crossing her arms across her middle. Draco sighed realizing what she had found out.

“You know,” Draco says nonchalantly.

“Yes I just want to know why,” She whimpered a bit out as tears silently came out.

“I love her,” Draco admitted looking at his feet. He still cared for Y/N and he didn’t want to hurt her but he loved Astoria. “I love Astoria.”

Y/N nodded biting her lip to keep herself from sobbing and falling to her knees. She grabbed her bags as Draco grabbed her arm looking down at her.

“I’m sorry love,” Draco says sorrowfully.

“I deserve better. I deserve someone who loves me,” Y/N snaps crossing her arms over her chest.

“I know and I’m sorry again,” Draco pinches the bridge of his nose frustrated.

“Yeah I’m sorry too,” She snapped glaring at him through her tears. “I’m sorry I even agreed to marry a snake like you,” She walked out slamming the door, making him flinch.

Y/N sighed as the cool air hit her face. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest. She didn’t have to worry about him anymore.

She didn’t have to deal with the pain anymore.

[ckneal]

About a month ago, I had a fairly random revelation that Lilith was to Lucifer what Adam was to Michael. Not in the sense that she was ever his vessel, as all humans capable of serving that role are purportedly descended from Adam and Eve, and, while it’s never specifically confirmed to be true for the Supernatural universe, most lore surrounding Lilith sets her up as being too old for that.

And I also don’t necessarily mean that Lucifer and Lilith were in love—Lucifer is too egotistical and arrogant for me, personally, to believe he’s capable of a true romantic bond, and it is twice stated that he lost his virginity to Kelly Kline, in settings that leant themselves toward his credibility on this subject (musing aloud to an uncomprehending Kelly in the privacy of their bedroom, and awkwardly grappling for something to say in his first unplanned meeting with Jack, respectively)—leading me to believe that the recognizable sleazy substitute for love (lust) was not present between these two either. But, I do think that there was a connection there, and I do find myself curious about it.

After all, Lilith was willing to die to set Lucifer free from the cage. And yes, I am aware that she had made a deal with Michael to help set off the apocalypse, and she was obligated to carry out her part, but has anyone ever wondered what exactly Lilith got out of the bargain? She’s not exactly written like Eve, from season 6. She is not mothering toward demonkind. I can’t see her sharing Michael’s motivation to bring God back. The one who stood to benefit from her sacrifice, was, in fact, Lucifer. (And Michael, obviously.)

I think that the bond Lilith and Lucifer formed was a bit similar to what Adam and Michael had, in that it came from a lack of choice. I firmly believe that Lilith and Lucifer spent a decent amount of time together in Hell, just the two of them. Likely for a much longer period of time than Michael and Adam did in the cage. We don’t know exactly when Lucifer made Lilith, but we do know that he was out and moving around for awhile after the apple incident that Gadreel was incarcerated for—after all, Cain was a grown man when he caught Lucifer circling Abel and agreed to take the Mark. And bible ages are a little strange, but let’s say that that’s a good couple of decades in earth time. That’s much longer in Hell. Assuming that Lilith was turned prior to Cain, that’s a long time with Lucifer and Lilith being the only two occupants of Hell. (Well, except for Ramsey and her hellpuppies; remember she was pregnant when Lucifer saved her from extinction.)

And I wonder if in that time, the two of them could have developed a begrudging sort of friendship? Just from the forced proximity—Michael was clearly capable of decimating Lilith on sight if she went back to earth, and there weren’t exactly a lot of humans wondering around that early on in the species to provide her with cover—not to mention a meatsuit. She was pretty much stuck there, while Lucifer was presumably laying low, while he got his schemes together. Setting up the horsemen, binding Death, somehow getting and hiding the demon tablet, creating the Princes of Hell, and such. . .Just a lot of stuff, and where he used to have a vast multitude of siblings to talk to, he now just had this snarky little corrupted human soul, and I think—I think—they became friends.

And Lucifer considers this to be the filthiest thing that he’s ever done—on par with the most torrid, disgusting affair that anyone has ever had, and he still hates everything about it to this day. That’s why Lucifer never once talks about Lilith. He is nauseated by the fact that they were the original frenemies, completely disgusted and powerless to resist their intense conversational chemistry, and if they saw each other tomorrow there’s a tiny part of him that will still light up because no one has ever been more thoroughly on his level.

And it’s fucking mutual. If they saw each other tomorrow, they would exchange the most vehement of insults, maybe even physically attack one another, shouting their hatred at full volume—and then a few hours later be spotted at a coffee shop, passionately talking trash on Sam Winchester, and set terrible, terrible plans in motion that will plague Sammy’s life for the next several years. When they part ways, they would both feel intensely dirty, telling themselves that this will never happen again—but Lucifer has never been one to resist temptation, and at 3am finds himself sending that text message he knows he’ll regret later. . . “So what are your thoughts on Dean? ;)” And off they go again, all night long.

And that’s why Lilith was willing to lay down her life to set Lucifer free. And it’s also why she had her moment of doubt, when she nearly got Sam to agree to that demon deal. She had a moment of realizing that she was about to die for an asshole she doesn’t even like.

I personally like to think that Michael was the archangel who nearly came blasting in to defend Chuck that night, when Dean pulled the plug on the deal Sam was about to make (and before you try to tell me that wasn’t a real deal because Lilith was planning a trap—rewatch that scene, Sam was the one who played dirty by reaching for the demon-killing knife; Lilith was busy eyeing his crotch through his jeans and feeling up his chest). After Lilith smoked out of her meatsuit, I like to think that Michael followed her and gave a kind of prep talk, telling her that it’s important that they remember their motivations, shameful though they might be

At which point, Lilith just bursts into tears, crying, “Oh god, you’re right. . .He’s my best friend—how did this happen? How did this—Oh god, oh god, oh god, I’m going to be sick!”

Lilith sobs into Michael’s wings, while Michael is just sort of stuck standing there, because Lilith is gripping one of his four heads with both hands as she cries, while the other three are looking around for help, intensely confused because he, of course, was talking about bringing God back, and now he has no idea what to do to get out of this uncomfortable social situation that he does not understand.

And thinking about Lucifer and Lilith and Michael and Adam as parallels, it gets me asking these questions about how things would go if the roles were reversed. Would Adam willing lay down his life to free Michael from the cage? As a fanfiction writer, I enjoy the idea of saying yes.

In fact, I’m a little enamored with the idea of a parallel world where everything is flipped. Where it’s Michael in the box, and Adam running around breaking seals, Adam on that final, fateful night—after having had his moment of doubt in which he’d lured Ramiel into a secluded spot and offered to stand down and nearly banged Ramiel’s brains out in the bargain—but that’s all past, and now he’s firm in his resolve. Adam standing in front of a mirror—but instead of the white gown that Lilith wore, Adam’s in a black suit, dressed as if it were his wedding day, though he’ll never see his groom. And Raphael appearing at his elbow, looking concerned—instead of some random follower of Lilith’s, and Adam telling Raphael to be happy. Everything is going to be okay.

And it’s Adam reclining against the alter, all serene anticipation as Ramiel—the second Prince of Hell, who rejected his place in the succession because all he wanted was to live out a quiet life with his fishing gear, well away from the Pit and the Life—comes storming into the church with Zachariah at his side, assuring Ramiel that he’s trained for this, he can do it—only to have Azazel come bursting in behind them, shouting, “NO, RAMMY! IT’S WHAT HE WANTS!”

[ajaxkinnie]

Lucifer Fluff A-Z

Words: 2701 (Huh?!)

Warnings: None

Notes: This is my first writing on Tumblr, and my very first piece for Obey Me! I’m just trying to understand these characters a little better, before I try anything more in-depth :)

Activities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Naturally, Lucifer is a very busy demon, so he finds it difficult to get any free time - let alone free time that he could spend with his love. When he’s working, they’re more than welcome to sit in his office and study alongside him. They’ve been working through his entire collection of exotic teas, trying to figure out which ones suit each other’s personal tastes. He wouldn’t admit it to them, but he actually finds it a lot easier to concentrate when his love is with him. 

When he is lucky enough to have time away from his RAD duties, expect to be showered in attention. He likes to take you to see the sights in the Devildom, regardless of how tasteful he finds them. One of his favourite memories is of the time you visited the nearby museum. He couldn’t believe how simply cute you looked while your brain was attempting to run at 100 miles a minute (“Wait, that story from the Bible was actually real?!”). He bought a pen from the souvenir shop, and he uses it to sign his most important documents.

Beauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

He admires their mind, more than anything. Sometimes he falls deep into thought and finds himself wondering what the chances are he’d fall for a human so smart and fearless. He likes feeling like he has someone he can trust unconditionally, and someone decisive who can help him in puzzling situations. Before you, he would ask Mammon, but his answers tended to stress Lucifer out even more. He’s actually very grateful that you use common sense more often than not.

Comfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

Patience is one of the virtues he didn’t abandon after the fall, so he’s a calming presence whenever you feel emotionally down. He would drop anything to help you if he felt like you needed him, and all he wants is for you to be happy. If you’re comfortable with physical affection, he’ll hold you for the entire night, making sure you feel safe in his arms. If not, he’ll fix you a hot drink and find an activity for you both to enjoy. Once the worst of it has passed, he’ll ask you to talk about your feelings, just so he knows how best to support you in the future.

Dreams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

He was shocked the first time he found himself fantasizing about your future together. He’s never been that kind of person. He imagines the two of you raising a family, in one of those Victorian-style houses he always sees in old films. Before you, he didn’t think he would ever want kids (especially with how Satan turned out), but he’d be lying if he said the thought of the two of you during tea on the front porch while your children play gleefully didn’t make him want to smile.

Equal - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

Seeing how he’s used to being in control in every one of his relationships, he’s come to realize that doesn’t want that from you. He struggles with it at first, and it takes him a lot of effort to overcome his commanding nature, but the two of you are absolutely equals. He just wants you to be happy. In fact, he finds it endearing when you tease him about his council member duties. 

Fight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Get ready for week-long silences and dramatic gasps of exasperation, everyone! Usually he keeps his cool when you guys start fighting - a few sarcastic quips and eye rolls have never done any damage. The worst fights are the ones where he gets angry. He always feels awful, and will lock himself up in his office for at least 3 days before he even acknowledges anyone else in the House of Lamentation. He never apologizes first, either. You just learn to accept it, and understand that he says sorry in his own way (namely, the days off he always mysteriously procures afterwards to do whatever your heart desires).

Gratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

His pride doesn't let him say it, so he expresses his gratitude in other ways. For Lucifer, gratitude is the heartfelt smile he offers when his love brings him a cup of coffee during a long night of work, or him lending you his coat on an evening walk. He never has to say the words “I’m grateful”, because his late night musings about how shocked he is that a human could make him feel this way says it for him.

Honesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

After The Incident with Belphie, as everyone refers to it, you two don't keep secrets. The only time he won’t tell you something is when it's related to his work for Diavolo. He really sucks at white lies, too, which none of you expected. Asmo was mad when Lucifer spoiled his surprise spa day.

Inspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helping them overcome personal problems?

He’s a lot less stern these days. Sometimes he walks into council meetings with a smirk, knowing that he’s going to get to see you for the first time in his inhumanely busy schedule. Mammon’s made a few comments now, bragging about all the things he can get away with since you “broke” the eldest. (Lucifer heard. He was hanging upside down for a good few days until someone finally took pity on him.)

Jealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Lucifer? Jealous? Of course not! 

Yes. He gets very jealous. He’s good at hiding it though, signalling you through a arm squeeze or wrapping his arm around your waist just a tiny bit tighter. He does stand a little taller, and gets every so slightly curt with whoever is attempting to steal your attention. After all, he was once the jewel of the heavens. What could this lower demon possibly have on him? 

Kiss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Kisses with Lucifer feel like free falling, and take your breath away without him even having to try. They’re soft and romantic and full of emotion (until they’re full of something Else if you catch my drift). He just wants you to know how much he loves and adores you. He likes when you blush afterwards. He thinks it's cute.

Love Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

He asked Diavolo if he could have uninterrupted access to the royal rose garden, with the intent of teaching you about the different types of flowers in the Devildom - nothing more. When you arrived, he took you for a calming stroll under the moonlight. When you stood in the gazebo and put your head on his shoulder, he felt his heart start pounding. He reached out to grab your hand, and in the spur of the moment, told you how nobody in the three realms had ever made him feel this way before. He wishes he’d planned something in advance, since he was never a person to act on impulse. Despite how many times you reassured him that a moonlight stroll through a rose garden was one of the most romantic things to ever happen, he doesn’t believe you.

Marriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

He’d never considered marriage before, since every other immortal being was insufferable by his standards, but you changed his mind. He thinks a lot about how beautiful you would look in traditional wedding attire (as much as he curses his father for, well, everything) and how he would love to spend the rest of his life with you by his side. Marriage with Lucifer would be hard, since he has a crazy schedule, but you work together to create a work-life balance. Surprisingly, he discovers that he enjoys painting. He displays some of his paintings above the piano, right next to your wedding photos.

Nicknames - What do they call their s/o?

He calls you Love, and Dear. If Mammon or Asmo would use it, it goes on Lucifer’s distasteful list and he will not go NEAR it. He’s very particular about these kinds of things.

On Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Nobody outside of the council could tell. He expresses his love through actions, so unless they could see him fussing over your school schedule, or worrying about what you’d packed for lunch, they wouldn’t have the tiniest clue. He just treats you like you’re the most precious thing in his life, with soft touches and an even gentler temperament. He wants you to be happy. After you two “go public” he’ll wrap his arm around your waist, or lend you his clothes to wear for the day. Even if you aren’t big on PDA, he’ll make sure everyone knows that you two are a forever couple.

PDA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Oh, as soon as one of his brothers walks into the room he locks hands with you just to see that little blush and nose scrunch you do. He doesn’t engage in public makeout sessions, he thinks it’s just gross, but he does like to quickly kiss your forehead when he gets pulled away. He just wants everyone to know that you’re happy with him, it fills him to the brim with pride. At Diavolo’s parties, don’t expect him to leave your side. It’s important everyone knows you’re with him, and he’s with you. 

Quirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

This man is a PLANNER. He’s so used to managing everything that goes on in the Devildom that your dates are like child's play to him. He makes the most simple of dinner plans feel like a whirlwind romance you would see in a rom-com. He also loves taking you to the events that he helped plan, he loves the attention he gets from the ‘scandalous’ romance of the Prince of Hell and the human. He wants to show you off all the time!

Romance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

He lives and breathes compliments. You wear an outfit he picked out to dinner? Expect nonstop commentary of how gorgeous you look and how happy he is to be with you. Every word that leaves his mouth is like poetry, and it's always enough to make you melt in your seat. He loves how you turn the same shade as the strawberries you’re sharing for dessert. He just loves You.

“My love, I can’t believe you have conquered my heart like this. You look simply gorgeous in this light.”

“Luci, I really appreciate it, but can you not say those things while we’re trying to finish the grocery shopping?”

Support - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

If he can pull strings behind the scenes to help you reach your goals, he will. He hates seeing you when you feel defeated. If you ask him not to interfere, then he shares meaningful words with you about how he believes in you, and he knows you can do anything you set your mind to. After all, if you can seduce the Prince of Hell, what can’t you do?

Thrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

He’s not a thrill seeker, but he doesn’t have a specific routine he prefers. He enjoys waking up and seeing you next to him, but as long as he gets to spend time with you it doesn’t matter what you do. He loves it when you surprise him with something you planned yourself, he always appreciates how much time and thought you put into everything you do for him.

Understanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

He had to analyse you closely at the start of the exchange, so he’s known about your mannerisms and how you react to most situations for a while now. Your brick wall of a boyfriend, however, is a very difficult can of worms to deal with. He’s used to being emotionally shut out, so while he can recognise your feelings, he finds it difficult to emphasise with you for a long time. Once he starts to open up though, he starts to understand why you act the way you do in some situations, and it actually results in you two fighting a lot less. He respects you a lot for helping him get back in touch with his feelings.

Value - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

It’s near the same level of priority as his work, surprisingly. He considers you as part of his family too, since all of his brothers adore you, so you’re definitely at the top of his list of priorities. While sometimes he struggles with work-life balance, he tries his hardest, and that means the world to you both.

Wild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

He takes lots of photos of you whenever you’re not looking. He says that he's just trying to capture the moment with you, but he knows deep down that he's preserving your memory ready for the day you’re no longer with him. His lockscreen is a photo of you leaning on his balcony, gazing out at the moon, in one of your favourite flowing dresses. With the white light reflecting on you, he felt like he was looking at one of the most beautiful angels in the celestial realm. It makes him happy and bittersweet at the same time, and reminds him to enjoy every moment you spend together. (You made your lockscreen a photo of him sleeping. He made you swear to never get your phone out around his brothers, which you reluctantly agreed on. You’re sitting on a gold mine).

XOXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

More affectionate than everyone expected him to be. Expect to fall asleep against his chest, and spend your free time after classes wrapped in his arms with a pint of ice-cream covered in forehead kisses. He just loves to feel you near him.

Yearning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

He sends you a simple text, just letting you know how much he loves and adores you, and lets you do whatever it is that has you separated. He uses the time to crack on with the mountains of paperwork, but he never gets much done with you on his mind. 

Zeal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Once he cares for you, he would do anything for you, just like he would for his brothers. He wants the best for you, and that means he would do anything for you. Once, he cancelled on Diavolo to spend the day with you, much to your delight. That was the boldest thing he’d ever done, and to this day you use it to tease him. He really would do anything for you. That's love!

[writingmyanxietyaway]

Doctor Love | Berlin

Requested by anon:  So okay okay, I had this idea a few days ago, and since your requests are open I'm gonna slide in real quick :)is it okay if I request a little scenario where like, u know when Berlino does that dumb thing of self sacrificing becuz he's gonna die anyway? What if his girlfriend/reader has been searching for a cure for his illness and before he can get himself killed she goes in the bank and tells him and somehow they manage to escape from the bank? No pressure if the idea doesn't appeal u! Ily!!

Word count: 2.4k

Warning: spoilers of season 2! maybe swearing, mentions of violence, guns, the whole shabang

Note: not my gif! Okay, so I’m in love with this request!! It took me a little longer to write, because I wanted to get it perfect. Let me just say I’m not a doctor, so I have no idea if there is a cure for the illness he has, but Imma try! Hope you like it darling! Thanks for the request and love you too! xx

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

‘I’m sick. I have an illness called Helmer’s myopathy. It’s a muscle degenerative disease, which means that my muscles get weaker and weaker until my heart muscles can’t keep up anymore. If I’m lucky I have four months left,’ he told you like it was nothing; like it was answer to a question on a pubquiz. He held your hands in his, knowing it would break your heart and dreams of a future with him.

‘Andrés..’ you whispered, ‘why didn’t you tell me sooner?’ He sighed and gently shook his head.

‘It’s uncurable, princess. I have medicine that I have to take every few hours that make it somewhat acceptable, but I wanted you to know.’

You visibly broke down. Even though you were always someone who never wanted to show any emotion besides happiness and anger, but this was different shit. Your hands were shaking, body trembing as you tried to understand that everything you had imagined yourself doing with Andrés would be nothing more than a dream. It simply didn’t make sence. Being together with Andrés for more than six months, you’d hoped he would be more open towards you and share what was going on with him. You felt your throat closing up, eyes filling with tears.

This illness was just the cherry on top for him. The man had done terrible things in his life and could mark off just about any sin in the Bible. Stealing, robbing, charming women. Karma was getting her way back to him and all he could do was accept his fate. It came across as cold to you. All this time you planned this whole life for you two together, but he knew that would never come true.

‘No! This is cruel! You let me believe we would be together for the rest of our lives, hell, you told me you wanted to marry me when you got out! You knew even if you made it out alive, you wouldn’t live longer than summer. You’ve done some terrible things in your life Andrés, but this..’ you exclaimed, throwing your hands in the air. ‘This is just rude.’

The sadness you felt quickly turned into anger as you kept yelling at him, hitting him in the chest. He knew better than to interrupt you and tell you that everything would be okay, because he just now realized it wouldn’t be okay. He would die and leave you behind. Period.

‘I knew you were a self-centred bastard! You always play these mind games and somehow make everyone get on their knees for you! Is that all I am to you, huh?! Some game to find how far you can go? Because let me tell you Andrés, this game is finished. Game. Over,’ you hissed. You threw your hands up in the air and stormed out.

That was more than four weeks ago. In the meantime you had spoken again and this time the anger had disappeared and just cried. That was all you could do. You had accepted that you would most likely be a widdow before summer and that broke your heart, but you also wanted to fight. Andrés told you there was no cure to his illness, but there was hope burning inside you and you did everything in your power to still find that cure. Whether it meant getting no sleep for the next few weeks or not.

Andrés would soon be leaving for the big robbery and you had spent every second of the day being with him and holding him close. The times where you would have rough sex the entire day were over; it was now making love. He was gentle to you, making you breakfast in bed even though he could easily ask one of the maids to do it and even buying you nice dresses in colours that matched your eyes.

Without him knowing, you contacted one of your best friends who worked at the lab of a university and asked him if he could do more research on medicine for muscle-related illnesses. He said he had some information that he wanted to share with you, but that meant you had to visit him.

‘Babe, I’m gonna have to run to Macy really quickly. Think you’ll be okay?’ you asked. Macy was your sister and seven months pregnant, so it often happened that you visited her to help her with something. That way he wouldn’t suspect a thing. You had no idea how he did it, but he always seemed to know what you were up to.

‘Of course, princess. Give her a kiss for me, okay?’ he winked, giving you a kiss on the lips. You lightly slapped his chest.

‘Be back for dinner,’ you told him. Out of the blue, he grabbed you by your waist and pulled you against him. He leaned down and you could feel his breath on your neck. Shivers send down your spine.

‘Your ass looks great in those jeans,’ he whispered, placing a light kiss on your neck and slapping you on the bottom. You giggled and pushed yourself away from him.

‘Bye!’ you called, waving him goodbye and walking out the door. You soon arrived at the university and was met by your friend who was waiting for you outside. You greeted each other with a hug and quickly got to work. He told you about the compositions of the different medications and what effect they had on what part of the muscle.

‘Isn’t there any way we could find a way to make this medicine last longer? This is the medication he uses now to keep it under control for a few hours,’ you gave him a syringe filled with the medicine and he studied it. He took the bottle from you and studied it contents.

‘There are some elements of this medicine that also appear in this,’ he pointed to a beaker filled with a milky white liquid. ‘I should be able to find a connection that makes this last longer.’

‘Is there anything I can do? I feel so hopeless not being able to do anything,’ you mumbled.

‘You did a great job already by giving me this. Is it okay if I keep the syringe? I need something that we know works, even if it isn’t permanent,’ he said. You nodded and waved your hand.

‘Of course. Anything to help find a cure. Thank you for doing this. I can’t even explain how much this means to me. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t at least tried,’ you told him. He turned to look at you and gave you a hug. 

‘That’s what I’m here for. If I find anything, I’ll let you know, okay?’

-

It was the fifth day of the heist. Andrés had been gone for almost three weeks now, being busy with training and all. He obviously knew about the plan already, but being the passionate man he is, wanted to go over every single detail again. He couldn’t afford making any mistakes. The goodbye was hard. You cried loudly as he held you close, whispering little reasuring words in your ear. You were thankful for Sergio. He kept you updated on everything that was going on, but didn’t tell you any details or steps of the plan. You didn’t want to either; it was scary enough without knowing how everything went down in there.

It was now wednesday and you were sitting on the couch. You hadn’t heard from Sergio in two days and it started to worry you. The news wasn’t exactly uplifting too. Andrés’ face was displayed all over every tv channel, name heard on every radio station and seen on every wall in Spain. Your heart fell even lower when the news announced he was sick. The smug inspector worked on you nerves as she spoke about him like he was an animal. Sure, the man had done things that broke the law, but he never killed anyone nor hurt any woman.

‘Fuck,’ you cursed under your breath. Suddenly your phone rang and the called ID showed Alex, your friend at the lab. Your heartbeat increased and you were anxious about what he was about to say. You picked up the phone and heard his loud voice. A tearful smile made it’s way on your face as you heard him say those three words you so desperately longed to hear.

‘I have it! I have the cure!’ he yelled. You jumped up and raced towards the university where he was already waiting on you. The hug you shared was one filled with hapiness.

‘Okay, he needs to inject this like he did with the other medicine. This is enough to last until november. I have some of it still in the lab so I produce more and work more on the duration of it. I can’t promise it will work for the rest of his life, but for now it’ll do,’ he spoke. You said goodbye and rushed to Sergio’s hide-out. The medicine you held in your hands would give him at least eight more months and until then Alex had a better cure. You burst through the doors and Sergio jumped up. You could see the whole that had been dug in the floor. You turned to Sergio and burst into tears of joy.

‘He’s not leaving us, Sergio. He’s staying. With you, with me. He’s staying,’ you rushed. Your heart was beating loudly in your ears and the rush of adrenaline was so high, you thought you’d pass out. Your words seemed to land as he slowly moved towards you. His gaze fell on the little box you were holding and his eyes flickered from the black object to the hole in the floor and tears welled in his eyes.

‘I have to get it to him, Sergio. He needs to know there is something out here for him. You and I both you the man is up to something. Let me go in there, please!’ you pleaded. He quickly snapped out his trance and gave you a red suit and black boots to finish the look.

‘When you get to the indside, wait inside the vault. No one knows you’re getting in and that way you won’t get attacked. Take this with you,’ he pushed a fake gun in your hands and you placed it in the holster on your thigh. ‘Goodluck.’

When you were about to enter, you heard a lot of noise coming from the computer. The police had broken in. He nodded to you and you ran as quickly as you could through the tunnel. When you entered the vault, you were met by two people. A young man with dark hair and a woman with blonde curls. They looked suprised to see you and the man pointed a gun at you.

‘Serg- El Professor send me. I’m Berlin’s girl,’ you quickly said, stumbling over your words. Sure, you were carrying a gun with you, but it was a fake. Having a real gun pointed at you made you nearly shit your pants. When the girl pointed out I was carrying a gun and came through the only way out, he lowered the gun and craweled through the tunnel. It wasn’t hard to find Berlin as he came running in the direction of where you were coming from. You caught the stares of the other people who nodded at you and went on with their duties.

‘Berlin, babe!’ you called, making him freeze.

‘What are you doing here, princess? It’s not safe for you. They’ll come running through those halls any minute now,’ he sternly said, turning around and grabbing you firmly by the arm. ‘Leave, now!’

‘No, I’m not leaving. I came here to tell you I found a cure,’ you breathed and everyone around you froze. ‘You didn’t know, but I’ve been doing research for a medicine and I’ve found it. The first dose should work ‘till November. After that I’ll have a much stronger and longer working dose.’

‘Princess, I told you to leave,’ he said more firmly this time. You didn’t move.

‘Like I said, I’m not leaving. Not without you anyway. You promised me a life that I could only dream of and now we can have it. I love you with all my heart. I can’t loose you. Not now, not ever.’ Tears cascaded down your cheeks as you begged the man you loved so much to trust you and come with you.

‘Leave, now. Helsinki, take her with you,’ he ordered the bulky man behind you, but he didn’t move.

‘Love is a passionate thing, Berlin. I don’t know this woman, but she found a cure for your uncurable disease. That’s literally doing the impossible. You have five seconds to decide to leave with this woman or I’ll take you with me. Don’t look away when you have everything in front of you,’ he spoke. He turned his attention to you and you gave him a grateful smile. He smiled back and nodded.

‘Will you please come with me? If you don’t come with me, I’ll stay with you. I either die with you or leave with you, you decide,’ you stated. He looked at the box you held in your hand and realized how much he loved you. Moving towards you, he passionately smashed his lips to yours. The kiss wasn’t filled with lust, but relief and gratefulness.

‘As soon as we walk out those doors, I’m marrying you. No exceptions,’ he mumbled against your lips. You nodded and held him closer.

‘That was the plan.’

You heard the policemen run behind you and Helsinki was quick to throw a grenade. Berlin pushed you all inside and bowed your head in his chest. Once the grenade had exploded, you all rushed back and blew up the tunnel. You joined Sergio and Helsinki in the back of the truck, leaning against Andrés.

‘There are no words to explain how much I love you, princess. No words.’

The two of you left to Cuba, where you got married soon after you arrived. The wedding was on the beach, your white dress flowing around you while you stared at the man you could finally call your husband. Only a month after the wedding you surprised Andrés by telling you were pregnant.

‘You are my heart, my soul and my everything. Thank you for being my wife and everything I’ve ever wished for.’

.. .. .. .. .. 

Berlin Taglist

@nkjktk​ - @michaellangdonenthusiast​ - @hamiltonsofcrap​

[chelsfic]

Devotions - WWDITS Fanfic - Nandor x Guillermo

Sequel to: Maybe One Day, My Love

WWDITS Masterlist

 A/N: Quick note to let you guys know that I have been writing up a storm, but I’ve posted many fics exclusively to AO3. It is just so much work to format every story for Tumblr. AO3 is such a superior place to read and write. So, check that out to see what you’ve missed. Thanks to @sinaesthete​ for beta reading this fic for me!

Summary: Following a death in the family, Guillermo goes to the park for his weekly "visit" with his ex-master. After two decades of distance and one-sided conversation, Nandor finally steps out of the shadows.

Warnings: Smut, Religious References, Parent Death

---

“You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.” -Mary Oliver, Wild Geese

It’s nightfall once again.

       Guillermo de la Cruz clutches a prayer card in his fist as he strides down the familiar path for the appointment he never misses. Not even tonight. 

       Puddles dot the paved lane; he carefully avoids them, not wishing to ruin his patent leather shoes. He’s still dressed in the clothes he wore to the funeral: a dark suit and tie that make him look somehow older and younger at the same time. Like a little boy dressed up in his father’s clothes. His rigid soles scuff against the cement. The scraping sound grounds him in time and place, pulling him back from the vision of the gleaming white casket heaped with flowers. 

       It’s early spring. The night is still chilly, but the park has begun to transform with the new season. Green shoots of grass peek out between moldy fallen leaves. Crocuses emerge in the flower beds that line the walk. The branches hanging overhead are heavy with verdant leaves whispering in the light breeze. Guillermo breathes in the damp, mildewy scent of new growth. Idly, he wonders if the funeral arrangements have started to wilt.

       He rounds the well-known turn in the path, finally arriving at his forgotten little alcove with its dilapidated bench. The wooden slats of the seat give way to his weight as he sits; the wood is soft and worn. He recalls the hard, polished church pews and decides that this is a much more suitable place for worship. The laminated prayer card bites into the tender flesh of his palm and he releases it, taking his hands from his pockets and letting them rest on the well-loved bench.

       Night sounds fill his ears: crickets murmuring in the grass, distant traffic rushing on the highway, gentle wind blowing through the trees. No matter how carefully he listens, holding his breath and keeping perfectly still, Guillermo will never hear his master’s approach until Nandor wishes it. Instead he begins his vigil, communing with the night, with this place, the setting for his devotions.

  “Let us pray...

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever live and believe in me shall never die.”

       The priest’s words float back to him as if conjured by the night wind. Guillermo’s thoughts fix upon his lord. The one he’s worshiped since he was nineteen-years-old. He calls up Nandor’s image with ease, despite the years that have passed since actually seeing the vampire. Dark eyes ringed in fire, bottomless pits into which Guillermo has been falling for the last thirty-seven years. A body as cold and lethal as a winter’s night. Fangs that reap bloody sacrifices from his victims. Guillermo closes his eyes and Nandor is there before him--skin warm in the candlelight, lips relaxed in a rare smile, holding out his hand and beckoning Guillermo to come forward. In his vision, Nandor places his palm on the crest of Guillermo’s head in a blessing. 

  “Blessed are those who mourn,

For they will be comforted.”

       The snap of a twig announces him. Guillermo eyes snap open; he stares straight ahead into the trees on the other side of the nook. He senses Nandor in the darkness behind him, a guardian or a devil. Both. But he doesn’t turn to look, though every fiber of his being is attuned to his master’s cold presence; though he longs to lunge at him and hold him and never let him leave this place. That is not their arrangement. 

       Just this once, though, he wishes it could be different.

       Guillermo tries to speak; tries to perform their ritual as usual. But the words stick in his throat, congealing into a heavy lump that suffocates him. A shaky breath passes through his parted lips and becomes a sob. Suddenly there are tears spilling down his cheeks. He reaches into his pocket, removes the prayer card with Silvia de la Cruz’s beautiful portrait on it, and sets it on the seat beside him. 

       “She… died,” he explains in a shattered whisper, scrubbing furiously at his eyes with his fists. “Mi mam á . She’s gone, Nandor.” 

       For an instant the rest of the words stick in his throat: Guillermo’s not supposed to address him directly. That’s not part of their ritual. Now Nandor will leave; now he’ll never come back. But the grief soon scours away the fear of breaking their rules and Guillermo collapses down to his elbows, hanging his head and sobbing out his heartache and pain. 

       “It happened so s-suddenly, Nandor. I didn’t get to say good-bye or tell her I’m sorry.”

       Guillermo crosses his arms over his chest, hugging and rocking himself in a pitiful attempt to self-soothe. His sinuses are blocked; his face is flushed; his mouth tastes like bile and communion wafers and his t í a’s buñuelos. He’s desperate to get a hold himself, to salvage this evening somehow, but every time he nearly has the crying controlled his mind supplies him with a new torture. The stricken look on his amá’s face when he left home to work for Nandor. The smell of eggs and fresh tortillas in the morning. The sound of her clambering in the kitchen, cursing under breath. Her smile. Her hugs. The way she took him in, without questions, when he came back home covered in blood and hysterical after a decade of being a bad son. 

       Guillermo is so lost in memories, he almost misses the soft, hesitant touch on his shoulder. A hand--solid, strong, cold--closes around his shoulder and squeezes gently. Their first touch in twenty-six years. Guillermo’s breath stutters from his lungs. He freezes, terrified of breaking the fragile sanctity of this moment. He wavers on the threshold of action. Before he can summon the courage to cross it himself , Nandor does so  for him. The vampire’s hands are suddenly clutching, pawing at his shoulders and chest; clawed fingers dig into the expensive fabric of his suit jacket and haul him over the bench. He’s dragged through the spider-riddled bush and then all at once he’s in his master’s embrace. As if it hasn’t been decades since the last and first time they held each other. As if a whole lifetime of experience--sadness, joy, yearning, hope--hasn’t slipped through Guillermo’s mortal fingers. 

     Nandor wraps Guillermo up in his cape, the rich fabric and gold embroidery are clean and well-maintained. Guillermo finds himself wondering if Nandor has himself a new familiar, quickly deciding he doesn’t want to know. He buries his face in Nandor’s strong, broad chest and breathes him in. He smells like rose water, argan oil, and Tide To-Go Pens. He smells like warm candle wax and brassy, spilled blood. He smells like dust and animal pelts and frozen decay. He smells like home. 

  “And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”

       Guillermo never really left him, did he? Two decades spent building a human life, and with one simple embrace he is back on Staten Island, a nineteen-year-old boy knocking on a pagan god’s front door and offering himself in sacrifice.

     “Nandor,” he cries. It’s a plea, a demand, a tribute, a prayer. Once the name falls from his lips he can’t stop. “Nandor. Nandor. Nandor. Nandor. Nandor. Nan--”

       The vampire shushes him, bringing his hand up to cradle Guillermo’s head against his chest. That voice, rich and deep, rumbles through the fabric of the leather vest and into Guillermo’s tear-streaked cheek. “I am sorry, my Guillermo. Your mama… she was a good lady. She took care of you, kept you safe and happy after…” he trails off, clearing his throat uncomfortably. His arms tighten around Guillermo. “I am so very sorry.”

       Guillermo clings to him, hands fisting in the cape, tugging at the material until Nandor is forced to stoop down. Guillermo closes his eyes, terrified of opening them to find that this is all a dream. Some kind of religious vision that will dissipate in a cloud of smoke if he breaks the spell. Nandor’s face is so close, he can feel the vampire’s cool breath on his cheeks. Guillermo presses forward, nuzzling his face into the whiskers of Nandor’s beard, gasping at the soft caress of long hair against his face.

       “Is this real?” Guillermo whispers; his words are fragile, like moth’s wings fluttering through the air between them. “Master, is it really you?”

       “Who else would it be, Guillermo?” Nandor chides in the same old amused tone that Guillermo has preserved in his heart like dried flower petals between the pages of the family bible. “Who else but me? It’s always me, Guillermo.”

       Thumbs wipe away the salty, stinging tears from Guillermo’s cheeks and the human huffs out a sound that’s a laugh, a sob and a cry of joy all at once.

       “It’s always you, master,” he agrees and seconds later he feels the cool, miraculous brush of Nandor’s lips on his.

  “Almighty God, cleanse my heart and my lips that I may worthily proclaim your Gospel.”

       Guillermo’s eyes fly open. Dark hair and pale, luminous skin fill his vision. Arms--powerful, undeniable--wrap around his soft little human form. He melts into Nandor, all the strength in his limbs bleeding away until the vampire’s strong grip is the only thing keeping him from falling to his knees. He’s resplendent, overjoyed to give himself up to the predatory angel before him. 

     The grief--a hollow, aching hole in his chest--is still there. But with it is a new sensation, at once well-known and utterly novel: ecstasy, fulfillment, completion. To be united with Nandor finally, after decades of pining, feels unreal and yet meant to be. It’s everything he’s dreamed of and denied dreaming of for so long. 

       Nandor’s lips slide against his own, cool to the touch yet soft and welcoming. Nothing like the hard and forbidding marble he’d always imagined. Nandor’s mouth is pliant and giving; it’s not unlike kissing a mortal man… as if Nandor isn’t the untouchable celestial being of his dark dreams, but flesh and--yes--blood. Guillermo flicks out his tongue and traces his master’s full, pouting lower lip. Nandor opens his mouth at once, granting him the entry he seeks. How can this be happening? After a lifetime of longing and supplication?

       “Guillermo,” Nandor says his name like a plea, his lips brushing, the syllables melting into their kiss. “My Guillermo. You’re mine, still, aren’t you? Will you be mine?”

       Guillermo mouth molds to his master’s. Nandor’s beard drags against the soft skin of his chin and cheeks. He pulls himself away long enough to answer. “Yes, Nandor. I’m still yours. If you’ll still be mine. Oh, God , please tell me you’re mine, Nandor!”

       God. For the first time in eight centuries, Nandor feels no pain at the holy word. Instead it dribbles from Guillermo’s lips, melting into their kiss and tasting like sweet honey. Yes, he thinks, finally allowing his hands to roam down his human supplicant’s body. Yes, I am your god, little mortal. And you are mine.

       The words spark in the night air, a spell that will keep them safe so long as they don’t stop touching. “I’m yours, Guillermo. Forever.”

       They tumble to the earth, a tangle of grasping limbs, rolling hips and desperate, longing kisses. Nandor breaks their fall, landing in the dewy grass with a soft grunt and clutching Guillermo to his chest with reverent care. Guillermo is alight with sensation. Prayers fall from his lips, holy words that once would have sent his master hissing and flinching, but which now seem to feed him. 

       “Nandor, my god!” He pulses his pelvis with every repetition of the name. “God, I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

       Love . A word that should bring Nandor as much pain as the other and yet… Guillermo’s heartache, his abandon, his devotion have unlocked something inside of him. He lets himself free. His hands clench Guillermo’s backside and squeeze; he grinds their pelvises together in fervent desperation. Guillermo settles heavily on his chest, sinking his fingers into the vampire’s soft hair and raining kisses on his face. 

       “You will give yourself to me, won’t you?” Nandor whispers, an edge of uncertainty in his voice. “Finally?”

       The weight of ecstasy and sorrow on Guillermo’s soul leaves no room for the exasperation that he should rightfully feel at those words. As if Guillermo has not given himself to Nandor every day for his entire adult life. As if he wouldn’t have gladly killed to be in this position decades before. But here, in this holy place, in the communion of their bodies and souls, Guillermo doesn’t scoff. He presses a gentle, wet, lingering kiss to Nandor’s lips before answering. 

       “You already have me, Master.”

“ Take this... and eat of it, for this is my Body, which will be given up for you.”

       They lay Nandor’s cape out on the grass like a blanket. It’s almost completely dark in the shadowy undergrowth, but Guillermo still blushes as he shrugs off his suit coat and begins unbuttoning his shirt, aware of the vampire’s heightened senses. The darkness presses up against Guillermo’s eyeballs; he strains to see merely the faintest outline of Nandor’s powerful frame. His face is a dark blur except for his eyes. Nandor’s predator eyes drink in every bit of ambient light and reflect it back at Guillermo. They glow. Hallowed, fiery rings in the night.

       Guillermo is no longer a virgin. He feels a small, pitiful pang at the knowledge that he can’t give Nandor that part of himself. He’s slept with a few men over the years. But he’s never truly offered himself to any of them like he’s doing now. Guillermo takes off his shirt, his undershirt. He toes off his shoes and socks and undoes his belt. It’s cold and the cape is starting to absorb the dew and chill from the solid earth beneath, but he doesn’t shiver as he removes his pants and underwear. He lays on his back, nude, flushed, panting and achingly hard. He doesn’t feel the icy wind that raises goosebumps on his arms and hardens the pink tips of his nipples to little nubs. He is a sacrifice; an offering; a tribute. The cold can’t touch him now. Not with the fire of his lord’s eyes keeping him warm.

       Nandor’s hands paint ribbons of freezing flame on his skin. They brush lightly, teasingly across his belly, his chest, his thighs. The vampire drapes himself over Guillermo and the human realizes that he’s also undressed. They both gasp as their rigid, leaking erections bump against each other. Guillermo bucks his hips in uncontrolled desire and he feels Nandor sink his fingers into the ample flesh of his  thighs to hold him still. A huff of breathy amusement falls from the vampire’s lips. He grabs Guillermo up in another passionate kiss, nipping and licking his lips. A keening, vulnerable moan bubbles up from the vampire’s throat. He clutches Guillermo’s tender body against his cold,, cadaverous  frame. Tears--frigid and laced with blood-- fall down his cheeks and mingle with Guillermo’s. 

       “Guillermo!” Nandor gasps, pulling back. His hands trace patterns on the pulsing hot skin of Guillermo’s neck. The human waits and listens to his master’s labored breathing. A plea hangs in the air between them. “Will you give me this as well, Guillermo? Your blood?”

  “With faith in your love and mercy I eat your Body and drink your Blood.”

       For the first time, Guillermo wonders if Nandor comes here every week with the intention of offering worship just as he does.

       “Take it, Nandor,” he commands. His voice is strong, unwavering, loud in the solitude of their secluded grove. He reaches up blindly and takes Nandor’s face between his hands, guiding him down to the cradle of his neck until the vampire’s cool lips press against his skin. “Drink.”

       Nandor whispers something against Guillermo’s neck before biting down. The words are an unintelligible susurrous. He recognizes them as Al Quolanudarese. And though he’s incapable of parsing them, they feel like secret magic words. Words that finally pulverize the last brick in the wall between them. Guillermo knows their meaning in his bones, in his heart, in his soul.

       Nandor’s fangs pierce and bruise. His bite is brutal and honest. This is Nandor; no hiding, no subterfuge. He is violence and blood and frozen kisses. He is also the tender stroking of fingers along Guillermo’s tear-stained cheeks and the broken sob he makes an instant before the blood begins to flow. Guillermo’s eyes flutter shut and he fists his hands in the cape beneath him. Take me, take me, take me , he begs.

       Blood and body.

       He buries his hands in Nandor’s hair, cupping the crown of his head as nonsense prayers fall from his lips. He invokes every sacred symbol he knows. Nandor’s mouth; his tongue; his hands; his cock. The bedroom under the stairs. The candlelit crypt. The parking lot at the immigration office. The blood-stained robe from Celeste’s orgy. The ancestry reports. Wooden stakes and crucifixes. The claw-foot bathtub. Nandor’s hair oils. His coffin. Bubble gum and mason jars and flashcards and feather dusters and boot polish and ice chips and a portrait made from glitter: two men, impossibly hopeful, naive and in love.

       When Nandor finally retracts his fangs from Guillermo’s neck, he laps at the spilled blood, kissing the soft, torn skin with a grateful, remorseful, worshipful reverence. 

       “My Guillermo,” he cries over and over again, rocking his hips subconsciously and panting as their cocks slide against one another. When he draws up on his elbows Guillermo can see his blood marring those perfectly cruel lips and staining his full beard. His voice is thick with tears. “Your blood, Guillermo. It’s…”

       Guillermo nods, wiping Nandor’s cheeks even as his own tears fall into his hairline. “I know, Nandor. You’re mine now. Always.”

       The vampire bows his head, pressing his lips to Guillermo’s soft chest directly over his rapidly beating heart. “Your blood is rushing, Guillermo. So eager to give me your life.”

       Guillermo sighs, running his hands down the length of Nandor’s sides, squeezing his soft flanks and raising his hips to grind against him. 

       “And what are you eager to give me, Nandor?”

       Nandor brings his hand up to Guillermo’s neck and catches the blood that still flows there. He hovers over Guillermo, balancing on one elbow as he moves his other hand between them and slides his wet, bloody fingers into the cleft of Guillermo’s backside. Guillermo feels the slick of his lifeblood against his sensitive skin as Nandor’s fingers probe and press into his entrance. A shiver wracks his frame at the utter indecency, the absolute sacrilege. 

       “Fuck,” Guillermo hisses as the first finger breaches the tight ring of muscle and enters him. “God! Nandor, yes.”

       Nandor whimpers in gratitude at his human’s praise. He speaks absently, in the grips of religious ecstasy, “Let me show you, Guillermo. Please, let me show you.”

       Guillermo writhes and nods his head, arching his back as another finger joins the first. “Show me you love me, Nandor. Show me you fucking worship me.”

       A strangled growl fills the little grove and Nandor picks up the pace of his thrusting fingers, subtly rocking his erection against the tender skin of Guillermo’s thigh as he goes. His breath mingles with Guillermo’s as he leans in and presses their lips together in a slow, aching kiss. He inserts a third finger, stretching Guillermo out and swallowing the man’s groan.

       “Now, Nandor,” an echo of desperation and sorrow tinges his voice. Nandor scrambles to comply. He removes his fingers, kneeling between Guillermo’s spread legs and placing shaking hands on the insides of his generous thighs, steadying himself.  

       Nandor doesn’t speak, but the sound of his breathing might as well be a love letter. He’s panting, there’s a hitch in his breath, a tremor in his fingers. Guillermo feels the tip of him against his hole and he nearly sobs with relief and joy and loss and guilt and exasperation. Why now? After all these years? Why on the night of his mother’s funeral when he is ragged and raw? Why couldn’t they have had this when Guillermo was still young and so pitifully in love with Nandor that he was willing to tarnish his soul for the vampire’s convenience? He thinks these things with regret, with melancholy longing and wistfulness; but never with anger. 

       This is his Nandor and Guillermo will take him and cherish him until he is buried in the ground. Nandor presses forward, entering him inch by inch. Stars burst in Guillermo’s eyes and amidst the furious physical sensations, a feverish thought flits through his head. When Guillermo is dead he wants to be buried in this very spot, in the soil beneath their naked bodies, on the site of their long-delayed consummation. The idea should repulse him, or sadden him, but instead it just feels right. He pictures Nandor visiting his grave every Sunday for the rest of the time and cants his hips, taking the vampire deeper as the blood trickles from his neck and his cock smears precum onto his belly. 

       Their bodies move together in a rhythm that’s both familiar and wonderfully new. They cling, claw, grab and stroke. Nandor’s length fills Guillermo; the vampire’s fingers wrap around Guillermo’s rigid cock and pump him as he thrusts. The words that fall from their lips are a heady, nonsensical, sacred blend of Spanish, Al Quolanudarese and English. Love is only the beginning. This is yearning, devotion, allegiance, becoming, undoing, transforming. Nandor is god is Guillermo is Nandor. They are whole for the first time in their lives. 

       The climax takes them both at the same time. Guillermo sobs, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as Nandor roars above him. Nandor spills his plentiful vampiric seed inside of him as Guillermo’s cum shoots out in hot ropes that paint his and Nandor’s bellies. He lets his softening cock fall from Guillermo’s body as he collapses down, pillowing his head on Guillermo’s chest and gasping for air that he doesn’t need. Guillermo cards his fingers through his hair and weeps. 

       He’s crying for the boy he once was. The one who loved his amá and wanted to make her proud. The boy who fell in love with a demon. The boy who dreamed and hoped and prayed and was disappointed. He’s crying for Nandor, too, who has lived for centuries without ever allowing himself to acknowledge the soft animal of his own emotions. And he’s crying for his amá, whose heart he broke for a decade and who never, ever stopped believing in him even when he came home at the age of 30, jobless, soulless, and ruined.

       Nandor nuzzles his cheek against Guillermo’s sparsely-haired chest, pressing kisses into his sweat-slick skin and tracing patterns over his stomach with long, elegant fingers. 

       “I can hear your heartbeat, Guillermo,” he whispers. “Did you know I could always hear your heartbeat? It’s not usual. I mean, yes, of course vampires have super hearing, but we learn to tune all that out, you know? But never with you, my Guillermo. I listened to every beat of your little heart for eleven years. I was so afraid one day it would stop…”

       In the soft, sacred dark Guillermo can finally ask the question, “Then why didn’t you ever turn me? You could’ve had me forever, immortal. Why, Nandor?”

       Nandor sits up and his eyes glow as he looks down at Guillermo, a frown in his voice, “I didn’t want it to stop, Guillermo. I didn’t want to be the one to...make it stop.”

       Guillermo shuts his eyes and they are quiet for a long, long time. He holds Nandor in his arms. The chill of the night air finally affects him and he shivers once. Nandor grabs the edge of the cape and pulls it over Guillermo to shield him. They lay beside each other, touching, breathing, listening. Guillermo traces the outline of Nandor’s lips, letting his finger dip inside his mouth and feeling the sharp edge of his fangs. Nandor allows it. Of course he does. He could not deny Guillermo anything. Not in this place. Not anywhere else, either. The knowledge settles in his veins, flows through him like Guillermo’s blood.

       “Guillermo,” Nandor begins, drawing out the last syllable like he used to. “It is not too late…”

       It’s a statement and a question. Guillermo holds his breath, waiting for the vampire to elaborate, but Nandor remains silent. A moment later he feels Nandor’s cold skin pressed to his lips. There’s warmth there, too, borrowed from his body. He tastes blood as Nandor presses his wrist firmly to Guillermo’s mouth.

       “It’s not too late,” he repeats. 

“May this mingling of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, bring eternal life to us who receive it.”

[chaozeaphoenix]

LGBTQ+

I don’t know if I ever posted such a thing like this before, but here goes nothing. Here’s to hoping I touch a life of someone else who is in a similar situation like I am. (Warning! I will be using explicit language and the visuals you will have in your mind, are from conversations I would have had in the past).

On October 4, 2002, I came out of the closet to both my parents. I figured I couldn’t keep who I was a secret, and the amount of anxiety attacks I would have from keeping a secret like that from them, bugged the shit out of me. When I told them, I wasn’t told, “I know” “we still love you” or even “everything is going to be okay.” Instead, my father sat in silence while my mum told me that if I was gay, that meant, “You will get fucked up the ass and die of AIDS before the age of 21.” For a bit, I was in denial, because at the time, I didn’t discover pornography on the web, and I didn’t know people could be a top, bottom, or even versatile. However, I remember going to bed that night crying because I wasn’t believed by my own parents. Day after day, I resented the fact I told them, and I didn’t have a friend to confide in at school to tell them what went down when I came out of the closet. I always already bullied for being different, and rumors would go around about me being gay, but I never dared to tell anyone. I was too scared to. I mean, wouldn’t you? My school was a little over an hour away from home, but I didn’t even have friends in my neighborhood to confide in about me being gay either. Looking back, there were a couple people I would chat with from time to time, and they gave me the impression they were either gay or they would have been okay with me telling. However, I kept who I was a secret. The bullying in the neighborhood was so bad, that one time, a bunch of kids on their bikes, without wearing a shirt, asked me if I wanted a piece of their ass. I never found out who they were, they were much farther from me as I was walking my dog, that I didn’t get a good glimpse of who they might have been. For a couple years, my father tried to scare homosexuality out of me by telling me “gay horror sex stories” about what would happen to a guy’s ass if they got fucked entirely way too much up there, while my brother and mother were being very homophobic. Today, in 2020, my mum doesn’t remember ever telling me that she used to say things like, “there is no place in heaven for you” or “you are going to hell.” 

After my affair with a married man when I was at the age of 22, my father brought me home from the hospital because I had an anxiety attack on Easter Sunday in 2011, because my mum told me I couldn’t see my friend anymore because she claimed I was making him gay. I remember telling her, “you either are, or you aren’t. There is no in-between.” I was however, worried, she was going to find out I lost my virginity to this man and decided to go to the emergency room and I remember crying in front of the hospital’s social worker and the doctor why my anxiety was so bad. They didn’t tell me it was okay to be gay, they just sat there and listened. I remember telling the nurses that if my mum comes to the hospital asking for me, I do not want you to let her back in the emergency room with me. She did however come, and they told me they were getting ready to the call the police on her. I went out there and told her to go home and I don’t want to see her ever again. That night though, my dad did come to get me and he brought me home. I remember to this day that he patted me twice on the leg and said, “It’s okay to be gay, as long as you are safe and careful, but please don’t ever have another affair. Don’t ruin someone else’s marriage.”

Fast forward, eventually my brother came around and in 2016, my mum sort of came around. I remember reading a doctor’s note that mentioned how sorry my mum felt for not being the mother I needed when I came out. I also believed that my mum finally came to terms with who I was. Needless to say, I was wrong. And as of 2020, I found out.

See, last year, around April or May, I came out to my parents as non-binary, my mum believed I needed a diagnosis of that, while my father said I was telling himself he already knew. However, I said “I wanted to tell you guys instead of you assuming I might be transgender, or even something else just based upon you guys doing your own research.

About a month ago, my mum and I had a heated conversation about the fact that I had accepted the fact she is an alcoholic and I accepted the many consequences that followed suite. She claimed I really didn’t, but I told her I did regardless of what God told me to do. I also said, “it is just like you accepting that I am gay and non-binary.” She told me she doesn’t accept those things because it is a sin and her God says it is wrong. She also left it with a statement by saying, “I accept the fact that you are my child, and I know I cannot change you.” That really hurt, because after four, almost five years, I really thought her logical thinking of me being gay was different, however, I was very wrong. This is where I am going to say what I have been wanting my soul focus of my blog to be about.

In the Bible, John 13:34-35 to be exact says, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” Jesus never said to love your neighbor until that person is drunk, a prostitute, gay, Muslim, etc. He just told us to love each other as He loves us. Let me tell you something quick about me, from the very beginning of time, I have always loved people and accepted everyone despite their differences because someone might have it a whole lot worse than me. I grew up until the age of ten as a non-believer in Jesus. Sure, I went to the Kingdom Hall for two weeks, every summer when I went to see my grandmother until she couldn’t drive anymore, but knowing she is a Jehovah Witness, but I wasn’t a full believer and church goer until I was ten. But even then, I still loved and accepted everyone despite their differences, because someone in my circle at church, might have it worse than me. Eventually, when I was taught that scripture of John 13:34-35, I was all like, “well, that’s something I have always done and I guess I am already following a command from God that I didn’t know about. My boyfriend pointed out earlier this week, that there is a passage in the Bible that talks about us doing things without even knowing that there is scripture about it, the passage is Romans 2:14-15 “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.” I bring this up because I have always loved my mum and even when she told me she was an alcoholic, I still loved her, sure at first, I hated that she kept going downhill instead of getting better, and the blaming of me day after day, but at the end of the day I still love her. I still love her to this day even after last week her telling me when my boyfriend comes down for Thanksgiving, that he and I do not talk about us being gay to the guests at our table for Thanksgiving because they are Southern Baptists. I know everyone has a different take on homosexuality when it comes to the Bible, some are full of love for everyone without pointing out the sins of others, while others point out sins and think they are doing it out of love. But here is where I am going with this. It is in MY HUMAN NATURE, to love everyone despite their differences and ACCEPT THEM because they have it a lot worse than me. I do not need the Bible to tell me that. I never have and never will need it. If my mum is choosing to just ‘ACCEPT THE FACT THAT I AM HER CHILD AND SHE CAN’T CHANGE ME’ she will have to answer to God for that, not me. But I will never stop loving my mum the way God loves her despite her alcoholism and her addiction to it. It is like I told my therapist this week. I can’t change who I am because of me knowing this who I am and I was born this way, but my mum can change who she is to be a better person and she refuses to do it. 

I know I talked your eyes out and for that I am sorry. If you like what you have read, give me a follow, like my post, because by 2021, I am going to try and get better in blogging and video logging every other day. Happy Holidays!!

[carolmaximoffs]

THE GOOD DOCTOR

CHAPTER TEN

Ch. Summary: Having successfully wooed Thea long ago, Sam puts a ring on it. For now, all is well. 

Warnings: cursing, endgame/infinity war spoilers, drinking (in the context of a wedding reception)

Pairings: Sam Wilson x OFC

A/N: short and sweet ending. if you’re not caught up with tgd, you can read the rest of the story here, but otherwise this is it! i love thea so so much and i really enjoyed writing her. i hope this lives up to sam/thea shipper’s standards bc this chapter is all fluff...if people are interested maybe i’ll throw together a blurb or two later, but like i said, for now, this is the end. 

Tagging some people so it isn’t lost in the tl: @star-spangled-beard-burn​ @suz-123​ @curtainlover​ @annathesillyfriend​

With the unique hell of her past, déja vu is thankfully not something Thea is overly familiar with. However, standing on the compound’s roof staring out into the sunset, a tingling of familiarity creeps up her spine. When she turns, he’s there, and when she blinks, he doesn’t disappear. Sam is real once more, in her arms like he has been for the past year. Thea buries her face into his chest as he runs a hand over her braids.

“Technically, it’s bad luck to see each other before the wedding.” Sam’s voice is soft, joking, but Thea still halfheartedly drives a fist into his gut. 

“Shut up, Wilson,” She grumbles into his shirt. “Not ever letting go of you again if I don’t have to.” 

Sam tucks her head closer to his heart, calloused hands cradling her to him. “I know, honey, I know.”

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

Wanda gapes as Thea steps out into the hall, Pepper right behind her. 

“Wilson is a lucky, lucky man, Thea,” The Sokovian murmurs as she steps closer, securing one of the flowers twisted into Thea’s hair like a crown. Morgan, beside her, bounces eagerly on her heels, nearly spilling her basket of petals. Pepper quickly snags the basket from the young girl as Thea scoops Morgan into her arms.

“Mama did so good, Auntie Dot!” Morgan exclaims, leaning back precariously in Thea’s arms to tug at a kinky curl. “Just like a princess.” 

Thea plants a kiss on Morgan’s forehead in thanks. As Morgan squeals, swiping at the glittery imprint left on her face, boots pound up the stairs. Bucky peeks around the corner, hair freshly cropped. He runs a hand over it and lets out a low whistle as he gives Thea a once over.

“Damn, Doc. Not too shabby out of them scrubs,” He drawls. Thea turns Morgan’s face away with one hand and flips him off with the other. Bucky only rolls his eyes, making a show of shifting uncomfortably in his suit jacket. “Ladies, you might want to head out. ‘Cept you Miss Morgan.”

“I go first!” Morgan cheers. She squirms, and is back to bouncing as soon as Thea sets her down. Pepper hands Bucky the basket as she and Wanda slip past him. Bucky crouches, handing the basket to Morgan with as much seriousness as he can muster.

“That’s right, bubba, but you gotta stay still so you don’t spill it, okay?” Bucky instructs as he hands the basket to her. Morgan salutes him, and Thea bites her lip as Bucky salutes right back. “Awesome. How about you go wait with Mr. Steve at the end of the aisle, okay?”

Morgan nods eagerly, scampering off towards the stairs. She holds her basket as steady as possible all the way down. Bucky gets up like he hasn’t just interacted with a child in the sweetest way possible, brushing off the knees of his dress pants. He catches the look Thea’s giving him, though, and makes his face as threatening as possible even as his cheeks flush. “Not a word, Doc.” 

“Of course not,” Thea murmurs. Bucky leans around her, grabbing her bouquet off a small table beneath a painted portrait of the Stark’s that makes him quickly avert his gaze. She thanks him softly, smoothing her dress one last time before taking it from him. Thea makes to go around him, but he stops her with a light grip on her shoulders.

“You sure you wanna do this?” He inquires, and Thea knows that he’s only half joking. “I can fly a helicopter. I’m sure Stark’s got one stashed here somewhere. You just say the word...”

Thea laughs, though not unkindly. “That’s sweet, James, but I’m pretty positive this is what I want.”

She stands on her toes to press a kiss to the soldier’s cheek, though she knows it doesn’t nearly express how grateful she is in the way she needs it to. Finally, they join the others outside. Morgan is chatting animatedly with Wanda about their matching dresses; Steve, barely recognizable even after a year, smiles at them as they step off the porch . Pepper’s strawberry blonde head can be picked out of the thin crowd, right up front.

“You look lovely, Thea,” Steve whispers as she steps up beside him. Bucky snorts.

“You would think so, practically eye-level with-” Thea punches him in the arm before he can finish the thought. He snickers as he walks off, linking arms with Wanda. The wedding march starts; both Wanda and Bucky urge Morgan forward. She skips down the aisle, joyfully scattering rose petals, and just past her is the sight that truly cements the moment for Thea. Sam, all decked out in a three-piece suit, a pale orange rose pinned to his label matching the blooms in Thea’s hair. The hand on Steve’s wheel-chair tightens.

“It’s surreal, right?” The man in question breathes, just for Thea’s ears as Bucky and Wanda make their way towards the makeshift alter in Pepper’s backyard. Thea can only nod, because suddenly Steve is wheeling himself forward, and she’s almost in a trance alongside him. Bucky gives her a thumbs up from Sam’s right; Wanda offers a reassuring smile. Steve grips her hand tightly just before she steps away. Sam turns to face her, watery eyes never straying. She bites back the overwhelmed, joyful sob that rises in her throat when he links their fingers between them. 

“Alright, everybody, thanks for being here today. This isn’t a real bible, its just a fancy notebook with all the officiate-y lines in it,” Happy laughs nervously along with the small audience of friends and family they’ve amassed. “No, seriously, I got certified online last week because Pepper...nevermind. Sam, repeat after me... ” 

Thea finally does let it all go when she slides a thick silver band onto Sam’s finger with shaking hands, crying openly as he returns the gesture with a thinner, sapphire-studded ring. When he kisses her, he cradles her face in his hands. It quickly turns into his hands slipping down to her hips. Thea laughs into the kiss as he grips her ass tightly in one hand, her waist in the other, dipping her low over his knee. The crowd whoops and hollers; Sam rights Thea back on her feet, both of them breathless and smiling like idiots. The moment is shattered as there’s a loud cough, and Bucky slings off his bow-tie.

“Can we get to the food already?”

--------

“Can I have everybody’s attention please?” Sam’s standing from his chair, clinking a champagne flute with his knife. Per his request, everyone in Pepper’s dining room-turned-banquet hall turns to face him and conversations cease. “Thanks. I don’t know if the husband usually gives any type of speech but, here goes nothing.

“When I first met my wife,” He pauses to glance at Thea, grin enormous. “When I first met my wife, I didn’t think she’d be my wife. I mean, obviously, I thought she was gorgeous, but I hadn’t seriously thought about dating anyone in...I don’t even know when. Superhero thing kinda takes over your life, you know? Being a vet counselor wasn’t much better. But Thea...Thea was different. She was smart, funny...she could tolerate Tony effin’ Stark. She’s also one of the strongest people I know. I started ‘wooing’ her partially as a joke, cuz, hey, what shot did I have? C’mon. Wiseass vet in his thirties, saves the world in a bird costume. And this woman...this woman not only was a surgeon, she had a damn PhD! And then we find out she can heal people with a freakin’ touch...no way. No shot in hell. But she took it all in stride, and saw something in me - I still don’t know what - and she chose me. She chose me, and I promised already, but baby,”

Sam turns to Thea instead of the guests now, reaching out a hand that she gladly accepts. With her free hand, she swipes at stray tears leaking from her eyes. “Dorothea Triplett-Wilson, I promise I’m gonna choose you every goddamn day of my life. If I’m still saving the world in ten years, it’s only to keep you in it, and make it a better place for our kid.”

“Your WHAT?” This comes from Wanda. Beside her, Bucky has promptly choked on his champagne. Morgan is parting his back with as much force as she can muster. When she finally gathers the courage to peek through her fingers, Thea meets her husband’s embarrassed face. Despite the chaos around them, he gives her his most charming smile.

“Oops?”

[assembledherethevolunteers]

Tequila

A/N: Hello all! My job has been incredibly slow, so good news for me, I can actually get some writing done! I’ve decided to do some songfics. The first one I’m doing is ‘Tequila’ by Dan&Shay (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j8afmT-bLM) with Rami! 

Pairing: Rami Malek x fem!Reader

Summary: You and Rami Malek dated in college, but when things started to blow up, the two of you couldn’t keep it together. 5 Years later, something jogs his memory of you. 

Warnings: Angst, Cursing, Open Ending (is that a warning?) 

Taglist: @astrovcly @queenlover05

“Tequila shots!” Joe proclaimed, putting the four shot glasses on the table. The other three men groaned.

“Joe,” Ben began with an eye roll.

“It’s your guys’ fault. You left me up at the bar alone,” Joe responded, handing the shots to each of them.

“Alright, alright,” Gwil chuckled as he took his glass from Joe.

Rami didn’t say anything. He just stared at the glass. He hadn’t drank tequila in about five years. And there was a reason.

“Y/N!” Rami called when he found you. He slid his hands around your waist and you turned around to face him with a smile.

“One more drink and then we should head up to our room. What do you think?” You ran your hands up his chest and winked. Rami nodded enthusiastically.

You turned back to the bar. “Can I get two tequila and sodas? One with a lime?” You had to yell to the bartender. You swayed along to the music as you waited for your drinks. Rami pulled you close and pressed a kiss to your neck. He was so in love with you. If only he could…

“Rami?” Joe asked, almost nervously. “

Rami shook his head and. He must’ve zoned out.

“Yeah, sorry. Shots, huh?”

“You alright, mate?” Ben frowned at him.

“Totally fine. Let’s do these,” Rami finally grabbed his shot and held it in front of him, waiting for a toast. The other three exchanged glances, but brought their glasses to Rami’s.

“To us, guys. Nobody else I’d like to be pretend rockstars with,” Joe proclaimed.

“Here here,” Gwil agreed.

Ben and Rami made noises of affirmation before all four of them threw the shots back.

And did that shit burn.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with yoooou!” You sang along, drunkenly swaying to the rhythm. You grabbed the bottle of tequila off the counter and took a pull.

Rami chuckled as he watched you.

The two of you were on spring break your senior year of college. Instead of going some place warm like most of your friends, the two of you had decided to go skiing in Colorado. The two of you had even splurged and gotten yourselves a suite.

“Rami, don’t make me drink alone,” you pouted at him and then held out the bottle to him. He took it and took a drink as well, the tequila hitting him now. The two of you were just shy of drunk when you’d gotten back to the room and then had continued drinking some of the liquor that you’d brought with you.

“Ram, will you promise me something?”

“Anything, love.”

You grinned and went into the bedroom.

“What are you doing?” Rami called after you, starting to move towards the room.

“No! I’ll be out in just a sec!”

Rami heard a drawer close and watched as you emerged from the bedroom, holding something behind your back.

Rami smiled at the sight. You’d changed into a t-shirt from the Chi Omega/Sigma Phi Epsilon mixer that the two of you had met at sophomore year. It was still big on you, and came to half way past your thighs that were covered with a pair of boxers that you had stolen from at some point in your relationship. Your hair was still curled from the night out on the town. You still took his breath away, even after almost three years together.

“You’ll always love me, right?” You asked.

“Of course.”

You finally pulled what you’d been hiding behind your back out and Rami burst out laughing.

“A Bible?”

“Yes! I want us to swear we’ll never leave each other! Right now!” You held the Bible out to Rami.

Rami stepped right up to you and placed his right hand on the Bible.

“I swear that I, Rami Said Malek, will never leave you.”

You beamed and pulled him in for a kiss.

“Another round?” Gwil looked around the table.

“Let’s do it!”

“I’ll help you,” Ben jumped up. He and Gwil walked up to the bar.

Joe looked at Rami with a concerned frown. “Dude, what’s going on?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You seem…off tonight.”

Rami shook his head. “I’m fine,” Rami drained his beer as he saw Gwil and Ben come back with their beers. And…

“More shots!” Ben held them up. Rami saw the clear liquid again and groaned internally.

“Alright, tell us what’s going on. You look like somebody just kicked your dog.”

“Joe, stop, alright? It’s nothing.”

Joe held his hands up in surrender. The men threw back their shots, but then Ben picked up the badgering.

“Rami, is something wrong?”

Rami rolled his eyes. “Nothing! Jesus, you guys are more annoying than my mother.”

“We’ll let it drop if you just tell us what’s wrong.”

Rami looked at the three of them. They had all become like brothers during filming. They all looked genuinely concerned about what was bothering him. He hadn’t talked about it in so long…

Rami tried to be quiet as he came inside your shared apartment. He knew he was late, but the director kept making them do the scene over and over again. He couldn’t just leave. He was already preparing for the argument the two of you were bound to have when the lamp flicked on.

You rubbed your eyes and squinted at him until your eyes adjusted. You hummed and stretched.

“Sorry, baby, I must’ve fallen asleep.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. Let’s go to bed,” Rami gave you a soft smile, thinking that maybe tonight could go without a fight. Maybe the two of you could just go to bed. He would be happy to take you.

Then you looked at your phone.

You frowned at it and then looked at him.

“It’s nearly two AM, Rami,” your voice was annoyed.

“I…I know. I just…”

“You told me you’d be home not later than midnight. And that was an ‘exaggeration’,” you used air quotes on the last word to remind him that he was the one that said that.

“Sugar, the…”

“Don’t you do that,” you spat. ‘Sugar’ was what he called you when it was just the two of you, usually when you were being intimate.

Rami sighed, raised and dropped his arms in defeat. “What do you want from me, Y/N? An apology? I’m sorry I’m so late. It truly wasn’t supposed to last…”

“This long,” you finished with him. “It never is. Never,” you turned away from him and folded your arms around yourself. “Let’s just go to bed.”

“Wait, can we talk about this?” Rami was hoping that maybe if you yelled at him for a bit you could make up and you wouldn’t be so mad at him.

You turned back towards him and you didn’t look mad. You looked tired. Not just because of the time. You seemed tired of the conversation the two of you were about to have.

“Talk about what, Rami? How you’re late? Again? How I waited up for you, again? How things have just totally changed all of a sudden?”

“I finally have a steady acting job and what? You’re upset about that? I thought you of all people would be happy for me!”

“I am! I am happy for you, but I…I don’t know if I can keep up.”

Rami stared at you. “What does that mean?”

Tears came to your eyes and you tried to blink them away. You’d been thinking about it for a while now. The two of you barely saw each other anymore. And when you did, you were fighting.

“I…I mean…maybe…this life just…I…” You couldn’t pick a sentence and go with it.

Rami’s expression hardened. “I come home late a couple of times, and now you want to leave?” His voice was colder than you had ever heard it.

“It’s not just that!” The tears in your eyes had started to fall. “ It’s the late nights, the people stopping us in the street,your new attitude you have, the new so called friends you have!”

“Oh, so now you hate my friends!?”

“Those new assholes that are around all of a sudden are not your friends! They’re using you!”

Rami shook his head with a humorless chuckle. “Alright, babe, you know what? We’re both tired. Let’s just…”

“NO!” Suddenly you were fuming. He’s the one that wanted to hear what your problems were. These were them. “You wanted to fucking talk about it, let’s talk! Why do you think they’re your friends now, huh? They wouldn’t give a shit if you weren’t an actor!”

Rami stared at you as if you’d slapped him. “Wow, Y/N, just…fucking wow. You think that little of me, huh?”

“What’s not what I said.”

“No, no, you just said that people who are around me only like me because I’m an actor. That must mean you, too, right?”

It was your turn to feel slapped.

“You’re kidding, right? Jesus, Rami, I’ve been with you since COLLEGE!”

“You know, you weren’t complaining about my ‘asshole’ friends when we were going on trips with them. It was all fun and games until it was inconvenient for you, huh? Now you just have nothing to do but sit at home and wait for me and…”

“When did your ego get so fucking inflated?! Do you honestly think that I just wait…”

“No, but if I’m even ten minutes late you’re down my fucking throat!”

“Two hours is a hell of a lot different from ten minutes! Sami’s noticed it too, by the way!”

Rami’s face fell completely and then his voice was deathly quiet. “You and Sami have been talking about me?”

“We’re worried about you,” your voice softened, hoping that he would listen if you did that.

“Worried?” Rami scoffed and his eyes seemed to burn with fury. “You’re jealous! I’ve finally made something of myself and I don’t need you around anymore!”

That took your breath away, and not in a good way.

“You don’t…” your voice broke for a moment. You cleared your throat. You hoped in the quiet Rami would realize what he said and take it back. No such luck. “Fine, Rami, if you don’t need me around, I’ll just go.” You pushed past him to put your shoes on.

You were mentally preparing to tell your sister why you were going to show up at her place at 2:30 in the morning when you felt Rami grab your wrist.

“Sugar, don’t go, I…I’m sorry.”

You ripped your hand away. You wanted to forgive him, but the look on his face and his tone of voice when he said it... You knew he actually believe it. He didn’t need, or want, you around anymore.

“I’m gonna go,” you whispered, slipping your shoes on. You didn’t notice Rami had moved in front of the door.

“Y/N,” you saw tears swimming in his eyes. “I didn’t mean it! Of course I need you. Baby, please,” Rami fell to his knees wrapped his arms around your waist. “P…please, don’t go.”

Your tears continued to fall as you ranked his fingers through his curls. You knew it would be the last time.

“I have to,” you unwrapped his arms from you and stepped around him, walking out into the mild New York night.

Rami wasn’t sure how much later it was, but he finally got up off his knees. He walked over to the freezer and pulled the bottle of tequila out and took a long pull. Then another. And another.

“She didn’t come back after that. Sent her sister to come get her stuff. Her sister gave me a letter,” Rami drained his beer. The whole table was silent now. “A fucking letter basically telling me how much of a son of a bitch I’d been.”

“Mate,” Ben tried to begin, but Rami held his hand up and shook his head.

“She was right. I’d changed. I talked to Sami and Jasmine, they’d seen it too. I didn’t mean to. It just…happened.”

“Come on, man,” Joe clapped Rami on the back. “We all change.”

Rami just shook his head again.

“Who needs another one?” Rami held up his empty beer bottle. Everybody said they needed one, so Gwil went up to the bar with Rami to help carry the drinks.

“Have you tried to reach out to her?”

Rami sighed. “No, last I heard she was still in the city, still working as a nurse.”

“Do you know which hospital?”

“Haven’t tried to figure it out, to be honest. She wanted to walk away. I don’t blame her.”

“But you’re clearly still hung up on her. She might feel the same way about you.”

“I appreciate that, but she shouldn’t. She should be with somebody who…”

“Can I get a vodka soda with a twist, please?” A voice from down the bar carried over.

Rami would know that voice in his sleep. He turned towards the voice and saw your profile. His heart started pounding in his chest. You hadn’t noticed him yet. He watched as another bartender made you your drink. Since when did you drink vodka?

You thanked the bartender, told him to add it to your tab, and started to walk away. Rami felt almost a magnetic pull to follow you.

“Rami?” He heard somebody (Gwil?) say behind him, but he didn’t care. He followed you to a table with about four other women, but Rami didn’t look at them. His gaze was fixed on you.

Finally (FINALLY), you turned around and met his eyes.

You nearly dropped your glass. You hadn’t seen him since…well, in person. You watched everything he’d been in. Every interview you could watch on TV and Youtube. You couldn’t help the sense of pride that always swelled in your chest when you saw him. There was also sorrow. You missed him like hell. You missed him so much it ached.

“I…I thought you’d moved back to LA,” you whispered, not sure if he heard. It was the first thing you could think of to say.  

“I did, I’m, just in town for a press junket,” Rami’s voice was equally as quiet. You were both sure the other could hear your heart trying to beat out of your respective chests.

You nodded, head still slightly swimming with the confusion of seeing him. You needed a drink. You took a long pull from whatever was in your hand. You didn’t taste it at all, but it helped slightly.

When you did that, something caught Rami’s eye. On your left hand. It sparkled, even in the low bar lights. His heart stopped. You were…married. For some reason he felt like his world was crashing down. Not knowing either way was alright, but now? To have it shoved in his face that you were married? It broke his heart all over again.

You noticed Rami fixate on your ring and you hid it behind you. You weren’t sure why. The two of you had been broken up for years. Why did you feel guilty?

“A…are you married?”

“This is her bachelorette party!” One of the women exclaimed, clearly already enjoying herself a little too much. Another woman who had known you and Rami quieted her down.

“I…um…I’m getting married. Next month,” you replied sheepishly.

Rami stared at you for a long moment, his big blue eyes boring into yours. Almost like he was waiting for you to explain yourself.

“Wow. That’s…wow. Congrats,” Rami fixed a stiff smile on his face. He maybe a great actor, but you could tell it was fake.

“Thank you,” you offered him a small smile.

“I um…I should get back to my friends,” Rami offered lamely.

“Oh,” your heart longed for you to reach out to him. To hold him. To run your fingers through his overgrown curls. God, you hadn’t seen it grown out like that since college. “Um…yeah, okay. It was really good to see you.”

“Yeah, you too,” Rami’s smile changed to something more sorrowful, but at least it was genuine this time.

Rami turned and walked back to the table.

“Dude,” Joe whispered.

“Yeah,” Rami took his beer that Gwil had brought to the table and drank about half of it in one go. 

On the other side of the bar, you watched Rami interact with his friends. He seemed…mostly happy. Good for him.

“Did you really date him?” Kelley, one of your bridesmaids that you’d worked with the past couple of years, asked you.

You looked at her and sighed. “Yeah, I did. For a while. He’s…he’s how I ended up here. We were living together and he was filming…”

Danielle, the only one that had known you and Rami together, put a soothing hand on your arm.

“I can’t believe you LIVED with him!” Marci shouted. Marci had enjoyed more alcohol than anybody.

“Sh,” you hissed at her before looking over at Rami’s table. You knew he couldn’t hear, but when you looked over there, you were met with Rami’s stare again.

He was looking over at your table. You all seemed to be enjoying yourselves, but then you looked over at him. His heart rate increased again. You turned away quickly.

You took a shot that had been brought to the table.

“I…I have to go to the bathroom,” you told nobody in particular and stood up.

“Want one of us to come with you?” Randi, your soon-to-be sister-in-law, asked.

“No, no, I’m good,” you told her and walked towards the bathroom. You really wanted some time to collect your thoughts.

Rami watched you get up and walk away from the table. He shouldn’t do it, he knew he shouldn’t, but the alcohol was making him less in control of his impulses. He quickly stood and followed you towards the general direction of the bathrooms.

“Where are you going?” Ben asked him,but Rami didn’t respond, he just followed you.

You were about to step into the bathroom when you felt somebody grab your hand and spin you around.

“Hey what are you…?”

“Y/N,” Rami stared at you, his eyes tracing your face.

“Rami,” you breathed out. He was so close to you you could feel his breath on your face.

“I…I know it’s too late, but for what it’s worth, I’m really sorry.”

“Sorry about what?”

“The way I was acting that lead to us…our…the fight.”

You noticed that Rami’s hand was still around your wrist. You wondered if he could feel the uptick in your pulse (he could).

“I…um…d…didn’t handle it well either.” Had Rami gotten closer? You were pressed up against the wall and Rami was nearly pressed against you. “I’m sorry too.”

Rami’s eyes just continued to look over your face. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for. Maybe he was just committing it to memory. All he knew was that he couldn’t look away.

“Y/N, I…I know I can’t…I can’t change anything. And, I see that you’re happy with this…new guy,” Rami started.

“His name’s James, he’s a doctor at the hospital.” You don’t know why you felt the need to explain to Rami who he was.

“James, huh? Well, he’s a lucky guy,” Rami knew he should pull away. He shouldn’t be leaning into you more. He shouldn’t be thinking about taking you back to his hotel room and trying to make up for that fight.

“I um…I…” you gulped. It was taking all your control not to grab him and kiss him.

Rami gave you a smirk. He sort of hated how happy it made him that you were still a little nervous around him.

“Y/N?”

Rami jumped back and you both looked down to see Randi staring at you both.

“We uh…should probably get going,” Randi’s voice was hard.

“Yeah, of course. Rami and I were just catching up.”

“Alright, well, I think that’s enough of that. We should get going.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there,” you smiled at her, hoping she would go away.

“We’ll be waiting,” she turned around, leaving you and Rami alone again.

Rami looked at you and raised an eyebrow.

“I…um…I should really get going, Ram.”

“Yeah, I…uh…I should probably go too.”

But neither of you made a motion to move.

“Well, bye,” you offered him your hand.

Rami looked at your hand then back up to your face. “Really? A handshake?”

You chuckled and opened your arms. Rami fell into them and held you close. It felt like coming home. You could smell his cologne a feel all of his warmth. It made you miss him even more.

“I’ll be in town for a couple more days. The Waldorf,” Rami whispered in your ear before he pressed a kiss to your temple. He pulled away and gave you a smile. A real one. One that made your heart melt. “Maybe we’ll see each other later on, Sugar.”

You bit your bottom lip and nodded at him. Him using that nickname just wasn’t fair “Yeah, maybe.”

Rami walked away and you watched him, trying hard not to chase after him.

You walked over to your table and Randi looked you up and down.

“So, how was he?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The two of you looked VERY close is what I’m talking about.”

You rolled your eyes and pulled your coat on. You were not going to get into it with her.

“Nothing happened, Randi. Let’s get going. Marci looks like she’s about to pass out.”

You weren’t wrong. Marci’s head was on the table and she was groaning.

“Let’s get going.”

You all stood up, Kelley and Danielle supporting Marci. You cast one more glance at Rami’s table, they all seemed to be looking at you. You quickly looked away and Randi grabbed your arm, pulling you out of the bar and into the waiting car.

“Thank you, ladies!” You called to Danielle as she helped Marci up to their apartment.

It was just you and Randi in the car now (Kelley lived just a couple blocks away from the bar so she was dropped off first).

“So, now that it’s just us, can I ask you a question?” Randi turned to look at you in her seat.

“Sure?” You were pretty sure she was still drunk, but weren’t about to argue.

“Are you going to leave my brother for that actor?”

“Wh…what are you talking about?” You started sweating.

“Look, Y/N, you’ve been with my brother for almost three years. You’ve never looked at him the way you were looking at that guy. And I’ve seen you two in a LOT of different…situations.”

“Randi, I…”

She held her hand up and stared at you hard.

“You still love him. I get it. Just…let James down easy, okay?” 

When Randi said ‘him’, you weren’t sure if she meant James or Rami.

“No, no, I’m not…”

“Next stop,” the driver turned back towards the two of you.

Randi gave you a small smile, then leaned over and gave you a kiss on the cheek. “Love you, not matter what,” was all she said before she got out of the car, paying her portion of the fare, and then going inside her apartment building.

“And where are we taking you tonight?”

You paused and thought about it. You should go back to your apartment, go to sleep, and just wait for Rami’s new movie to come out to see him again.

“Miss, I can’t go anywhere if you don’t tell me where to go.”

You opened your mouth to say your address, but what came out was…

“The Waldorf Hotel, please.”

[j0eyj0rdis0n]

hi y’all! this is me showing you guys that i’m still writing even though i haven’t posted in a while... please please please send in requests of things you’d like me to write! i’m kinda stuck when it comes to thinking up oneshot ideas.

but anyway! i hope you enjoy this little chapter from my fic on wattpad called A Liar’s Funeral.

this is from corey taylor’s pov!

I shut the door to my black hand-me-down mustang, taking a deep breath and reminding myself that all of this is real. I adjust my black fedora before walking towards the dark green canopy where everyone else gathers. The mass of black is an obvious reminder of why we’re all here… As I grow closer I see many familiar faces in the crowd, all somber, some crying, some numb. Not surprising due to the situation.

I see Sid and Joey crying, eyes red and noses running. I don’t think I’ve ever seen either cry. And neither have dressed up this nicely for any other occasion. Joey’s hair is pulled back into a bun, red streaks contrasting with the crowd of black. Sid’s blonde mohawk is combed back neatly even though stray strands are beginning to stick out. Both wear crisp black suits, Sid has a yellow bow tie on and Joey adorns a yellow wristband, her favorite color… I quickly turn my head and look away, seeing the rest of the guys together in a group, talking quietly amongst each other. I join them slowly and they all greet me with pained looks. Paul pats me gently on the shoulder, wordlessly sharing his condolences.

I stand and listen in quietly on their resumed conversation. Shawn expresses his disbelief on the whole situation, Chris nodding and commenting with him. Mick looks off into the distance, almost as in a daze. More than likely consumed with his thoughts. Jim crosses his arms, trying to make his giant self any smaller. Craig eyes dart around the crowd, obviously taking in everything. Not once daring to look in the direction of her casket.

A woman in her mid thirties comes around, handing out a singular yellow Daylily to each of us along with a memorial card. On the front in white cursive lettering it reads “In Loving Memory, Dehlila Carey.” Her smiling picture just below. Her black hair cascades down her shoulders and out of frame. She wears a black top with a high neckline, one I remember very well. She’d always wear it for special occasions, this picture obviously being one of them. A cross necklace hangs from her neck, an item with a long story that she’d make sure to tell everyone. Strong eyeliner brings her sky blue eyes out and her pale cheeks are dusted pink. This picture makes me remember all the happy times together. I hear her laughter ring out in my ears. I miss her already.

I open the card slowly seeing a verse from the bible.

“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” - Luke 23:43

She was never religious. I know her mother put that there. The wretched woman who made her end up this way. Gone forever, about to be buried in the ground. The amount of resentment I have for her grows each second I look at the verse. I close the card, staring at her smiling eyes once more.

I tear my eyes away when the funeral director begins speaking. “We gather here today to mourn the loss of Dehlila Carey. A bright girl with an even brighter future. A light extinguished too quickly.” He continues going on about her and her admirable traits. I stand listening for what seems like hours, flooded with even more sorrow with each person getting up to tell their bright stories with her. Before I knew it, Sid and Joey had spoken, nudging me to go next. I didn’t want to, not at all. But I had promised I’d speak. I take a deep breath before waking up to the front.

“Dehlila was a wonderful girlfriend, we’d spend hours together, telling jokes, listening to music, driving around…” I pause to make sure I stay together. I feel myself falling apart, all the walls I’ve put up are slowly cracking… I continue regardless.

“Even though we’d only been together half a year, she was the light of my life. A woman I could spend every single waking moment with. I knew she was struggling, even with every fake smile and excuse she could come up with I knew she was in pain. I wanted to help her so badly but I never knew how… Even with all my makeshift efforts it wasn’t enough.” I feel a tear drip down my face. “She was the one wonderful thing I had left and now she’s gone… But even if she isn’t here with us today, she will be in everyone’s hearts and minds. The lessons she has taught me will stay with me forever, and for that I am thankful.” I bow my head, trying to conceal each tear that dares to fall as I walk back to the guys, all of them lightly patting me on the shoulders.

The funeral director continues talking, inviting everyone to say a prayer, which I don’t take part in. I know Lila wouldn’t want me to pray for her.

“Everyone may now come up and pay your final respects.” The funeral director says before stepping away.

A line slowly forms, Lila’s mother first, family and friends next, Sid and Joey in front of me. and myself last. Everyone is in tears as they bow their heads to her, giving their final goodbyes. The fall brisk wind brushes my hair and runs a chill down my spine. Joey and Sid leave a letter in her casket, containing words only they would know. They move on quickly, leaving me as the last one. My breath catches in my throat when I see her. I refused to cry but the sight of her makes everything crumble. I sob as I walk closer, running my thumb over her cheek.

She’s sheet white, her lips painted crimson red and her makeup black and shimmery. Her black hair is curled and placed around her, framing her delicate face beautifully. I wipe my eyes hastily even though tears continue falling. I place my flower in her hands that lay on her stomach.

“I’m so sorry…” I whisper.

[incomprehensiblelentils]

Lentils’ 2020 Christmas Movie Rankings

My wife and I watched a lot of Christmas movies this year, and I thought it would be fun to rank them based on which ones I think were most watchable and enjoyable. I’ve left out a few that we watched during this time period, which are classic Christmas movies (Miracle on 34th Street), action movies set at Christmas (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3), or older romances set around Christmas (While You Were Sleeping and You’ve Got Mail), because it’s not fair to rank these amongst, well, some of the movies we saw.

my top 5, for those of you who don’t like reading (which is fair): The Princess Switch: Switched Again, Dashing in December, The Princess Switch, Jingle Jangle, Happiest Season.

my top 3 Chaotic Christmas Movies: A New York Christmas Wedding, 12 Pups of Christmas, The Princess Switch: Switched Again. Please watch these movies if you enjoy chaotic plots. Please especially watch the first two I listed because holy shit my summaries do not properly convey the chaos.

The Princess Switch: Switched Again (2020): Some people on the internet have been VERY RUDE about this movie and I’m sorry they don’t appreciate a true chaotic holiday gem when they see it. This movie involves two Vanessa Hudgenses, Scheduled Vanessa and Spontaneous Vanessa, who are distant cousins and not twins, switching places to try to facilitate Spontaneous Vanessa getting back together with her ex the baker, but Scheduled Vanessa is intercepted by a third cousin Vanessa, Horny Vanessa, who wants to take Spontaneous Vanessa’s place as queen. I don’t want to spoil anything that happens in this movie so that you can experience the batshittery for yourself, but I found every second absolutely delightful. It also has two very good romantic couples who are cute and who genuinely seem to like each other, which is not something I can say for every movie on this list!

Dashing in December (2020): This movie has gay cowboys, is set on a ranch, and features a squaredancing scene, so if that isn’t your bag, you are probably not going to like it very much. I found it deeply charming and the only reason it isn’t #1 is that three quarters of the way through, the lead suddenly turns back into a giant jerk for no real reason and that was very upsetting. But it all works out in the end. The main romance is very cute, there are horses, the horsemanship doesn’t totally suck ass, and there are some fun side characters. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but it’s pleasant.

The Princess Switch (2018): Again, some people are mean about this movie and they shouldn’t be because it is CUTE GODDAMMIT. It is absolutely The Prince and the Pauper but with two Vanessa Hudgenses, but also, it shows the aforementioned two good romantic couples falling in love and they are delightful. I am not saying this is a great masterpiece of romance, but the filmmakers actually tried to give these characters reasons to like each other, which, again, is not true for some of the movies on this list.\

Jingle Jangle (2020): I kind of feel bad putting this movie on the same list as TV movies that were obviously just shit out by Hallmark or whoever, because this clearly had a lot of love and heart put into it, and it really shows. I was so immediately charmed by this movie that I didn’t even mind when it immediately went in very silly directions. I don’t know if the plot makes sense at all (a cute robot shows up for seemingly no reason other than that cute robots are fun!) but it doesn’t have to, because everyone is having so much fun and there’s so much joy in this movie that I was just happy to be along for the ride. Also, I would love to see an entire movie in the stop-motion style from the opening scene.

Happiest Season (2020): I absolutely understand why some people didn’t like this movie, and I don’t want anyone to feel like they can’t dislike it, and also, it’s MY movie, and I love it, and I’m not interested in fighting about it. It helped me come out to my parents and also featured two of my faves kissing and that’s all I need. 

Noelle (2019): I was previously under the impression this movie was bad, and I don’t know why, because it’s a little embarrassing and cheesy at times, but it’s sweet. I suspect what will make or break it for you is if you like Anna Kendrick, and because I like Anna Kendrick, I like watching her play a neurotic Claus sibling trying desperately to fix the problem she accidentally caused. One weird thing though: this movie tried to convince me about halfway through that she was both spoiled and selfish, and I don’t actually think that’s true at all. I think she was a little naive and sheltered and wanted people to like her way too much, but she’s not really shown to be a selfish person - she’s constantly paying attention to other people in the real world and her brother is the one who refused to admit that he wasn’t cut out for the Santa gig and instead fucked off to “find himself” or whatever. It was weird! But anyway, I liked this movie a lot.

I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1998): So this movie...one Christmas Eve when I was in high school, I was having trouble falling asleep for whatever reason so I went downstairs to get some water. My mom happened to have the TV on and this movie was just starting, and she invited me to join her. Fun fact: this movie went to theaters and it stars Jonathan Taylor-Thomas and Jessica Biel. It is one of the dumbest movies I’ve ever seen in my life and at no point does anyone in it actually behave like a human being. It’s about a smooth-talking jackass who has to be bribed to come home for Christmas and then, after one of his dumbass moneymaking schemes lands him in hot water, he gets abandoned in the middle of the California desert wearing a Santa suit and glued-on beard. He then has to beg, lie, and cheat his way home for Christmas dinner so that his dad will give him a vintage Porsche they fixed up together. I have no defense for this character; he is insufferable and only becomes marginally less so by the end of the film. But also, I have to watch this movie every year (usually with my mom, although not this year for obvious reasons) or it doesn’t feel like Christmas. 

A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish (2019): We own this on DVD and have seen it three times. In our defense, we wanted to support Gregg Sulkin from Runaways and Isabella Gomez from One Day at a Time, both of whom feature prominently in this movie, and also sing songs. This is just Cinderella But At Christmas, and if that doesn’t sound like fun to you, I don’t think anything I can say will change your mind. I will say that the songs are amusingly autotuned, there’s a disabled dog that’s very cute, and I personally think that the leads have slightly better chemistry than some of the pairs on this list. But it is literally just another Cinderella Story movie.

The Knight Before Christmas (2019): This movie is Thor (2011) But At Christmas, and it would have been slightly higher except I always forget about the plot where at the end the knight becomes a cop. Bad, obviously! But anyway, the plot of this movie is: nice but clueless dude crash-lands on Earth for Reasons and bumbles around trying to figure out what’s up, while falling in love with a nice lady. That’s just Thor and you know I’m right. And for as dumb as this movie is, at least it’s ambitious. I have learned that Christmas movies can do one of two things to please me: a) have actors that have decent chemistry and charm and are fully committed to whatever nonsense is going on, or b) have absolutely batshit chaotic plots. This movie is like a 4 out of 5 on the chaos scale and I like it a lot, besides the copaganda. I hope this also gets made into a trilogy and Cole isn’t a cop anymore.

A Christmas Prince 3: The Royal Baby (2019): I will get into my problems with the first two Christmas Prince movies later, but my main criticism is that they are kind of boring and not chaotic enough. This one decided to make up for that by incorporating a missing ancient treaty, a curse, and a ghost, as well as a subplot about Girl Power (I use this semi-ironically) and a subplot about cousin Simon potentially committing treason again. I was so excited that things were happening in this movie the first time I watched it that I may be a little biased, but oh well. Oh, I was also absolutely terrified it was going to be racist and it is...mostly not? There are a few questionable moments but like mostly it’s fine.

Christmas With the Prince (2018): I wanted to watch this because the summary on Netflix did not match the summary on Google at all, and that’s because, uh, they’re both sort of right? Ostensibly this movie is about a pediatric oncologist who comes back into contact with an old almost-flame, who just happens to be the prince of a tiny European country, because he fucked up his leg and needs somewhere private to stay. And apparently a pediatric oncology ward is the best place for that? But then after they fall in love this random Russian lady shows up and is like “that’s my fiance.” This happens maybe twenty minutes from the end. Anyway, this movie isn’t great but I liked the lead guy way more than I thought I would and it has some cute kids in it.

A New York Christmas Wedding (2020): I...am at a loss for words to describe this...motion picture. On the surface it is a cute idea: a young Black woman, Jennifer, is getting married to her boyfriend on Christmas Eve, but she’s given a chance by her guardian angel (stay with me) to go back in time and redo her life, after losing touch with her childhood best friend, Gabrielle, who she was always in love with but never confessed her feelings to. She wakes up in an alternate timeline, where she and Gabrielle have been together for years and her beloved father is still alive. Then the movie, uh...veers off into some very odd places! They go to their Catholic priest and ask him to marry them, and he is like “but the Bible” and they are like “but that’s bullshit” and he’s like “shrug” and then later during a sermon he’s like “actually that IS bullshit, everyone gay in this church come stand up here with me. We love you. Also we’re going to perform a wedding now” and then he marries Jennifer and Gabrielle. And then Jennifer’s angel shows up and is like “you have to choose between this life and your old life now” and then uh...I really hate to spoil this next thing. It is the weirdest choice I’ve ever seen a movie make and if you’re even the slightest bit interested in this movie, I think you should experience this plot point for yourself. I’m going to put the batshit spoiler in ROT13 in case you want to avoid spoiling yourself. (GJ: fhvpvqr) Wraavsre'f thneqvna natry erirnyf gung ur vf gur fba bs Tnoevryyr, jub va gur bevtvany gvzryvar tbg certanag nf n grra naq ure snzvyl frag ure gb n ahaarel. Fur zvfpneevrq naq fhofrdhragyl qvrq ol fhvpvqr. Uvf anzr vf Nmenry Tnovfba. Anyway, uh, this movie isn’t very good, unfortunately, the adult leads have no chemistry and Gabrielle’s adult self is actively unlikable (the teen versions of them are cute!), but I think it’s 1000% worth a watch for the sheer chaos of it all. I...recommend it for that, I guess? Oh, also there’s a sex scene that plays a slow sexy version of “O Christmas Tree” in the background and I felt like I was losing my mind. 

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018): As I said in my commentary on the third movie in this series, the worst sin this movie commits is being kind of boring. It also manages to make the romantic hero, Richard, even worse than in the first movie, where he was just kind of useless and petulant, because in this movie he is actively failing to do anything to revive the failing economy of his country. I have seen people complain that the prince in The Princess Switch and Cole in The Knight Before Christmas have no personalities; they are delightful compared to the wet paper bag of a man in this movie. Rose McIver is adorable and I don’t think any of this is her fault, she’s doing her best in these movies, but woof.

12 Pups of Christmas (2019): The Google summary of this movie, which we found on Hulu, is this: “Struggling to keep his dog GPS locator company afloat, Martin expects his new hire, Erin, to help him save the company and find homes for 12 puppies that were left behind after a photo shoot. As they work together, Erin and Martin begin to discover each other's positive qualities and find love just in time for the holidays.” My wife and I love dogs, so we put this on, expecting cute dogs. This movie contains approximately 80% chaos and 20% cute dogs. It opens with our heroine, a canine therapist, coming home from work to have dinner with her fiance and best friend. We find out that Erin and fiance are moving to California soon for her new job (they live in New York). Fast forward a few days to their courthouse wedding, at which point her fiance and best friend confess to having an affair, and she is dumped. Heartbroken, she moves to California alone, and ends up moving into the company-provided house. It is just a two-story house (??) that the CEO’s sister owns (???) and rents out to employees (????). Also Erin is, as the Google summary says, expected to come up with some grand idea to save the company. And there are 12 random puppies also. They are cute puppies. Oh, also Martin, the CEO of the dog collar company, hates dogs for some reason. Martin’s sister is aggressively friendly towards Erin in a way that I interpreted as sapphic. At one point, after they find a home for dog #3, Erin’s former BFF shows up on her doorstep (?????) begging to be let in. She insists that the fiance was also two-timing her, and she has proof that he had FIVE OTHER GIRLFRIENDS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY - “that’s why he’s a traveling businessman”!!!! Erin never asks to see her proof, but I guess she believes her, because she lets her inside and then makes her take care of the remaining eight dogs out of spite. I guess they make up at some point. Anyway, somewhere in here Erin and Martin are starting to fall in love and also come up with a way to rebrand the business, so hooray for them. We also learn that the reason Martin hates dogs is that his beloved childhood dog, uh, ran away? Disappeared? Got eaten? He insists that “not knowing [what happened to him] was the worst part,” but I was out here expecting to see the child finding an actual dead dog like it’s John Wick or something so this was a little anticlimactic. They go on a business trip to New York talk with Important Japanese Investors, during which they fuck (it is? romantic? allegedly?), and then the morning of their meeting Erin’s shitty ex shows up in the hotel lobby to bother her. Martin decks him square in the face for not leaving her alone, and then someone calls the cops, because I guess this movie said ACAB, and both dudes get arrested and Erin has to do the presentation alone. And then in the last five minutes Martin gets out of jail and Erin says that she gave the presentation to the investors...in English, and their translator was twenty minutes late, and so the investors understood none of what she said. Thankfully we are spared actually seeing this “joke,” but they do play racist music over her explanation. Then Martin reconnects with his rich dad who bails out the company instead, and also he adopts the four remaining dogs. This movie was fucking bananas and very bad and I need more people to understand exactly how bad. Watch this movie.

A Nutcracker Christmas (2016): Amy Acker has two Christmas movies and this one seemed more palatable than Dear Santa, so here we are. I like to watch Amy Acker be cute and dance, and she has an adorable teenage niece in this movie that she’s helped raise. In this movie she’s a former ballet dancer whose sister (hilariously, one of the Wynonna Earp lesbians) died in a tragic car accident, and she never got to dance the part of the Sugarplum Fairy. Spoiler alert: she gets to by the end of the movie. Unfortunately the love interest is basically Satan incarnate and does not deserve her at all, so unless you like yelling at romantic leads I can’t really recommend it. 

Godmothered (2020): This movie is just, uh, Enchanted but worse, and also it should have been sapphic and it isn’t? Poor Jillian Bell is doing her best and is adorable, but it’s not enough to save this movie for me. If Disney were not cowards she would have fallen in love with single mom Isla Fisher. Oh, it also ends with the very white younger daughter doing a public cover of “Rise Up” by Andra Day that the audience joins in on, which, considering its use in the BLM movement the last couple years, felt, uh, not great to me.

A Christmas Prince (2017): It’s maybe not far to compare this to the rest of the Netflix Christmas Cinematic Universe, because it was the originator. But also, it’s pretty boring. Sorry. Simon, or Fiddles (Fake Hiddles/Tom Hiddleston) is the best character.

Married by Christmas (2016): Apparently an alternate title for this is The Engagement Clause, which is sort of funny. Anyway, this has Jes Macallan and we, being big fans of Legends of Tomorrow, lost our shit when we found this on Christmas Day and had to watch it. The plot is that Jes’ character runs the family business, but their shitty grandma died and left a clause in her will where the business goes to the husband of whichever granddaughter gets married first. You would think that Jes’ sister and her fiance would postpone their Christmas Eve wedding to give Jes time to set up some kind of platonic wedding for business purposes, since Jes’ entire life is this stupid business, but nope, they immediately turn into monsters who are determined to get their hands on the business for ???? reasons???? It’s not very good, as you can tell by how low it is on the list. Jes Macallan is not a convincing straight businesswoman. I wouldn’t even really enjoy this movie as an Avalance AU.

A Princess for Christmas (2011): Here we are, the worst one Christmas movie I watched this year. I don’t actively harbor any ill will towards Katie McGrath, although I confess to feeling a bit “her?” but it’s fine. I was hoping this movie would enlighten me to her appeal. Instead, this movie actively got on my nerves in multiple ways, including trying to pass Katie McGrath off as a normal American retail worker instead of an Irish vampire/sorceress/supervillain/fairy/whatever she is. Her accent is shockingly awful, which I’m not sure is actually her fault, is there a reason her family wasn’t just British? That wouldn’t have saved the movie but it would have made it just slightly more palatable. At every turn it makes the worst choices, including a scene where Katie’s character puts on a rap song and she and the prince dance to it in an attempt to show them “loosening up,” and then the mean grandfather comes in and demands that they “turn this ghetto music off.” YIKES. I know these movies are the whitest movies ever by design but was that racism necessary? The only Black people I actually saw in this movie were some of the servants, I think? Speaking of the servants, at the end of the movie there’s a grand ball and Katie’s dress gets fucked up, and she’s about to leave the country, and then the servants are like “don’t go! We pooled our money to buy you another nice dress!” which, also yikes! This movie has a real classism problem. It also was so boring I zoned out of it multiple times, and I have sat through Manos: The Hands of Fate and Birdemic multiple times. This movie has no chaos whatsoever and I hated all the characters. 0/10 do not recommend under any circumstances.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt.87

Mami seemed happy to be getting out of the nursing home for the afternoon. Lance was happy to have here there, as Keith and Krolia hadn’t spoken... Krolia waited by the car, while he and Keith had headed in to see Mami. Sitting up in the activities area, his mother’s face lit up as they walked in to a fresh bout of whispers about them. Keith managed to get himself groped, by one of his mami’s friends, his poor boyfriend didn’t know what to do other than blush.

When Keith and Lance had gone home to change, Krolia had too. Now dressed in a loose black shirt and jeans, the woman didn’t look capable of having a 26 year old son. Lance could only assume Keith took after his father, but that family had some good genetics. Leaning against her red sedan, Krolia smiled as they approached, Lance very carefully elbowing his mother, desperate for things to go well

“Hey, Mami. Your walker matches Krolia’s car”

His Mami nodded, Lance happy she remembered him saying that Keith’s mother was joining them today

“Red does go faster”

“That’s what they say”

“I reckon I could take her with my walker”

Lance groaned

“Mami, you can’t race every red car in Platt, I’d never see you”

“One of the perks of being old, everybody never expects it. I could take’m”

“For now can you at least try to be nice to Krolia and not fight her for her car”

“Phooe. Let me have my fun”

Lance sighed again, shooting Keith a defeated look. Keith wasn’t exactly smiling yet seemed in a better mood with Miriam around

“Yes, Mami”

*

Keith felt like he didn’t belong at church with Lance and Miriam. He didn’t understand why Krolia had come with them, nor what she was getting out of being there. Lance and Miriam both knew what was going on, what the Bible verses seemed to mean and what the priest was on about. Unlike in the movies there was no singing of hymns, and unlike Rome, the service was conducted in English rather than Italian. For the most part Keith let his mind wander and tried not laugh at the idea of a vampire in a church. There was no way you’d get James into one, though with how much of a dick he was, he’d probably burst into flame. Keith wasn’t sure he could believe in god with all he’d experienced, but he wasn’t about to judge people for their faith. Not unless they were using it to be arseholes. Miriam seemed happy, that being the main thing, and so far his mother hadn’t been too weird.

The drive hadn’t been awkward for him at least, he and Lance were in the back where they could hold hands as Miriam and Krolia talked. They seemed to have hit it off, chatting back and forth, his mother smoothly skipping or changing topic when Miriam seemed to get a bit confused. Lance added a thing or two to the conversation, Keith remaining quiet. The words never came easily around his mother, and he other things on his mind like the way Lance vampired out with Lotor, and that he was going to have to play the role of pet again. He couldn’t ask for a better “owner” than Lance, because Lance didn’t see him as a pet. He had confidence in Lance that he didn’t have in Krolia. That’s what it came down to.

When the service ended, Miriam and Lance stayed a little longer, Keith excused with a gentle smile from Lance that tugged at his heart. Waiting for them near Krolia’s car, he soon realised his mistake when his mother approached. Sensing he was on the defence, she raised her hands in surrender

“I’m not here to pick a fight”

“I didn’t say you were”

Krolia moved to lean against her car, Keith didn’t know why she smiling but it annoyed him

“I’ll go wait near the door...”

The smiled faded, something he didn’t know clouded her expression

“Keith... Look... I don’t want to fight. You’re my son... I know it wasn’t there when you needed me to most... but I never stopped loving you. There hasn’t been a single moment since I found out about you, that I haven’t loved you”

What was that supposed to mean? She wasn’t there. She wasn’t there for any of it, and when she was, she didn’t have time for him

“Right... that’s why I’ve proven repeatedly to be nothing but a disappointment. I know how you feel, mum, you don’t need to keep up the lie of caring”

“You’re not a disappointment”

Keith sighed. He didn’t know how to do this

“This is a bad idea...”

“I’ve wanted to talk to you... You left without saying goodbye... Keith, I know... I know I wasn’t the mum you needed, and I know you think I don’t care but I do. I always have. I’ve always been proud of you. I never wanted this life for you. I wanted you to grow up free from it all...”

“You mean you don’t want me to date Lance”

Krolia stretched back against her sedan

“I didn’t say that at all. Lance is... He wouldn’t be my first choice for you, but this is your life. He brings out something in you that I wish I could. He makes you happy”

“I don’t understand what you want from me”

“I want to know you. I want to be part of your life and not hearing from Shiro the things you like and how you are. I’ve wanted to be part of your life since before Shiro brought you in”

“That’s why you’ve ignored me for years”

“I never wanted to ignore you. I know you hate me. I know you don’t forgive me for not being there. I truly believed you’d be safer with your father. I loved both of you so much... It broke my heart when he died, but I couldn’t take you with me. I wanted you to have a good life... I wanted you to grow up normally and be happy. You... You are son and I... I love you. I know you think I’m here for work, but I applied for mission lead here to see you. When we first got reports on Lance, I sent you here because I thought you and Shiro would be safe after what happened with Adam. Coran’s been running this place for years and I was never blind to how you were treated. I never knew you’d fall in love with a vampire. Not after what happened with Adam. Lance has been good for both you and Shiro”

“Lance has gone through hell because of me and Shiro... He had his whole life ruined because his brother reported him. He refuses to say anything about it because he seems to think his brother has a right to be a dick”

“He seems quite smart”

“You mean smarter than your son who didn’t graduate high school”

Krolia sighed deeply, stepping away from the car and moving so she was standing in front of him

“No. I know you’re hurting and angry. But Keith, I don’t know how to tell you what you want to hear. Leaving you broke my heart. You... You never knew but I never once stopped thinking of you. I sent money because I... I couldn’t have you caught up in this life so I wanted you to have the best. I know it was a mother’s dream, but I truly prayed you’d be taken care of and that someday we could be together again. You are not a disappointment. You being with Lance... I support it because I can see your happiness. I can see how he looks at you. He sees you. He sees more than those stupid rumours. He sees who you are. You’ve never disappointed me. Even if you don’t believe me, I want you to believe that”

Keith felt flustered. He didn’t know what he felt. Lance would have understood. He would have happy they were talking... but Keith... He couldn’t do it. He didn’t know how to. He didn’t know how to have a mum

“Lance and Miriam are coming back. Just think about what I told you. I do love you. I did love your father. And no matter what happens, you will always be my son. I’ll drop you and Lance back at VOLTRON after this. I’ve taken enough of your time today”

Now she was saying that, Keith didn’t want her to go. The feeling was weird and foreign, stemming from his abandonment issues. It had to. He didn’t understand why he’d feel that way otherwise.

*

Dropping Mami off, Lance tried not to feel guilty about parting with her. They didn’t have time to stay, though he would have liked to. His Mami seemed to like Krolia which was a weight off his shoulders, other than the fact Keith had been off since he and Krolia both left before them. Lance needing to getting the stealing off his chest to God and his Mami spent extra time praying for their family. She didn’t need to say it out loud. She said a prayer for all their family each time they visited. Making sure she was settled in her room, Lance wanted to curl up in bed with her. Feeding his ego and letting it go a tad out of control left him feeling sick to his stomach. He hated that side of him. He hated being a nasty show off. Being rude and insulting. And he hated Keith seeing it. He’d scared him and Allura... Allura who’d seen and dealt with worse than him... She probably had been hurt by his ego being such a dick to the guy she liked... or no longer seemed to hate.

Returning to he car, Lance climbed in beside Keith, opting not to take the vacant front seat. He was hopelessly in love with Keith. Aware they were in that honeymoon phase, where everything was simply made better by being next to each other. Lance so badly for things to stay the same between them. For Keith to never wake up to the fact that he wasn’t as great as he seemed to think he was. Keith was human and now he had to dress him as a pet and not like the actual amazing human being he was. Lance didn’t like it. He’d need a new outfit, something without everyone else’s scents on it... which want taking Keith shopping... The vampire slightly scared they wouldn’t be able to find that balance between pet appropriate and offending Keith, and that Keith would judge him for having to spent money he didn’t have on a suit he’d probably only ever wear once.

“I’ll drop you boys at the front. Make sure you get receipts and then I’ll see to it you get reimbursed. Thank you for agreeing to help us out here. The fact that you know Platt and are close with Coran carries a lot of weight, even though it might not seem so”

Lance blinked, raising his gaze he found Krolia smiling at him in the rear view mirror

“Oh... it’s fine. I know I’m the enemy here, but out of control vampires is something that needs to be stopped as soon as possible”

Krolia laughed

“I’m glad you understand. We do have other vampire we could contact, but you’re nothing like them. I mean that as a compliment. You’re remarkably human”

“He is human”

Bless Keith. Always quick to jump in to defend him

“I get it. I’m sorry you had to see my ego today... that’s one side that I really hate”

“Nonsense. Did you see Lotor’s face. He never expected that from a breeder. I shouldn’t find it funny, but we Blades have quite an unusual sense of humour. Don’t let Kolivan get to you. He’s under a lot of pressure at the moment”

“I imagine so. He also seems to have his hands full with your werewolves”

“They’re very driven. They’re effective agents, though I don’t know for the life of me why there needs to be such a rift between them and the rest of the Blades”

Lance guessed that was Krolia speak for the way James and Keith acted like mortal enemies

“Ego will do that. I’m learning how to live with werewolves at the moment”

Krolia nodded

“Matt and Rieva. Rieva certainly put up a fight. Some of the Blades can be over zealous... We hadn’t wanted to apprehend her, only talk to her thanks to Shiro’s connection with Matt. She’s certainly a live wire”

“She’s more settled than Matt. They’ve kind of become part of the furniture at home”

“That’s good. Okay. Here’s where I leave you both. Lance, if you can come in early on Wednesday for briefing that’d be appreciated. Also, if you need help disgusting yourself, don’t be afraid to dress how you please. We know you don’t tend to associate with vampires, if you feel the need to completely change your image, we’ll reimburse for things including piercings and accessories. Don’t be afraid to go all out”

That didn’t sound good... a valid point seeing his looks wouldn’t be forgotten... they’d all have to be careful. Krolia parked in front of the bookshop, Keith scrambling to get his belt undone as Lance smiled politely

“Thanks, Krolia. It was nice to see you again... without being shot”

“It was nice to see you again too. If you have the time, I would love to go to dinner with you and Keith. Naturally Shiro is invited too. Please let him and see if the three of you can decided upon a time”

“Sure. Sounds good. Come on, babe. We better get this done”

Keith ignore him as he let himself out Krolia’s sedan. Lance couldn’t exactly say no to Krolia, nor could he spirit Keith away, or assist in him running from his problems. Hopefully by the time they finished shopping, his boyfriend would have figured out what was on his mind and understand that Lance wasn’t trying to pry.

[blogadrianaleite-blog]

The Bate-Bola

If in Saxon-speaking countries, there is Halloween, which is the day when a portal opens for souls of the underworld to walk on earth. In Brazil, although without everyone's conscience, we have carnival. The meat feast. The pagan feast, condemned by christians, loved by pagans and Christians-umbandonblezistas, who before him, make their things of cleansing and protection and after him, go to the Wednesday Mass of ashes to receive the blessings of the priest.

In carnival, those who should not, do not fear, and go out on the street to skip their joy, who should, leaves anyway, because they are only four days a year and can not hide on days when the whole country goes out to the streets to play.

Rosana took a real dread from carnival. He says he was among the crowd at the big party, all happy to sing, dancing with his beer in his hand, when a stranger who was by his side, fell the ground, hit by a shot. Shot no one heard. Shooter no one saw. _Carnaval for me now, just at home watching the samba school parades.

Unlike Geraldo Fino, who every year goes out to play. _Geraldo, stay home, it's carnival, you know people come out this time of year to settle their score. _IH, Mom! Leave me, leave me! This dialogue has been repeated for almost thirty years. Your mother knows what a son she has. His job is to "pass the leg on others." Theft and forgery of credit card, checks, loans on behalf of others, sell goods "found" and from time to time, steal (more) a sucker in gambling, on the stool that he usually rides in free fairs or on the streets. Geraldo has his conscience clean and free. Believe that if it were not for him, another would, because suckers exist heaps all over the world, ready to be deceived.

And there he goes, dressed as a woman, skipping his carnival, this time he whimsical: He explained to everyone that he was dressed as "feminist". _Sou one of those communist women from the "March of the Bitches_Diz waving her flag and rolling it in the air, with the writing: "Female power! I give it to everyone and whoever else i want!" And he also distributed saints with the sayings: "I put it before to abort later. Respect my right to kill baby son!" Unlike previous years, this time he did not shave his legs or shave: _Feminista does not shave. I want to be authentic. _Quero to see you stick a crucifix up your ass like they do! AHAAHAHA! And laugh ed non-stop. Flag in one hand, beer can in the other.

Belford Roxo, with some death here or there, in the midst of the revelry, despite the setbacks, always had a quiet carnival. It is because many prefer Nova Iguaçu or São João de Meriti or even São Vicente and Santa Maria, neighborhoods far from the center of Bel. There's a crowd in the square, but nothing crowded. People played without bumping into each other or stepping on someone's feet. _Vão to the square, Mom! _Não! We're going to church! And the mother pulls her son by the arm, entering the Universal Church. Amid the joy and mess, Geraldo realizes that he is being flirted with by a woman (?) He's just getting close to the girl. _Antes nothing: Are you a woman? The voice of the costume was very similar to that of a faggot: _Yes, I'm _Se're a woman, what's with the fantasy? _Quer you attest, cat? She raises her arms up, like a diva in the midst of her spotlight, but implying that she wants to be "searched" by him. As it is carnival, it passes its hand in all its corners. (All!) _Sabia what fantasies like that can get you to jail these days? _Ela was dressed as "crazy nega", saínha ruffle with a mini blouse, both red white balls, the whole body covered with a black pantyhose, her augmented mouth with a red lipstick, a face painted black, a wig of short hair, curled up, hoop earrings, bracelets, rings, and platform sandals complete the look. _O you see as racism, I see it as a protest against stereotypes, sweetie. It's carnival, and in it we can do anything.

They make a couple.

They play, they drink together. Until she makes a sign for him and walks away, looking back from time to time, to see if Geraldo Fino follows her. And he understands and goes. If you drive the street next to the square, although you are next to the party, this street is deserted. Nega Maluca heads to a huge marquee of a very dark shop. Geraldo begins to drool with anxiety over what will soon happen. Nega Crazy arrives first and practically disappears into the shadow of the marquee. He squeezes the steps, lifting the miniskirt to the top, preparing the genitalia for the act, thus displaying the panties in the best style "Fernado Gabeira" that uses.

In the square, everything goes well, until a confusion arises from the boardwalk, people run desperate, few of the crowd in the square shake, a confusion here or there in the middle of the party is normal. A scream muffles up the music of the speakers: _SOCORROOOOOO! It's Geraldo Fino. Behind him, a ball-ball with an ox bladder, just like the old days. Many laugh, until the hit-ball rotates his bladder like an expert warrior in the air and hits her on the ground, intending to hit Geraldo. When you hit the ground, you hear a huge explosion, about to come out of fire, and cut a hole in the boardwalk. Only then do the people run; among the crowd, another ball-ball appears with a parasol in his hand. This puts his foot right in the path of Geraldo who falls violently to the ground. Some brave people try to help him, but when he sees the ball-squeezing in the air again his bladder, they drop it and run away. Geraldo was badly injured, but the adrenaline inhibited the pain and he tries to get up, without getting in time, at the last second, rolls to the side and the bladder reaches the other. The noise of the beat makes him dizzy and ringing in his ear. The ground opens, this time deeper, he holds on to the edge of the huge hole that continues to open, he is hanging now, and when he looks down, he sees hell. _NO! NOOOOO!

Residents of the houses of the square, close their windows, entrances of the villages are locked, no one else enters. Residents watch everything through the window crack, others, feeling safe, watch behind the door bars. The umbrella ball-hitter approaches him. His ear is still zombie, but he, even with difficulty, understands what he says: _Deveria must have listened to your mother. _Quem are you?! Please! No!! _O carnival is the feast of the flesh, but only the sin-free can play it. Who should, does not skip carnival. Avenging spirits, mockers, street people hungry for lost souls go hunting for people like you, Geraldo. The hit-the-ball gives a stowed of Geraldo's fingers that still does not let go. _Ai! There! There! Please! I'm not going to fool anyone anymore! _Geraldo opens the berreiro of pain and despair, for seconds all the victims he deceived appear in his mind: old people, widows, and good people who thought that in the world, everyone was like them, until they met Geraldo Fino_ His will to live is so great, that even with broken fingers, he still clings to the earth.

From the bottom of the hole, the figure of a man with a suit and bible in his hand appears. _Não're afraid, Geraldo. I'm here to help you. If you repent, accept Jesus who will get you out of here, Jesus casts out the demons, subdues Satan!  All you have to do is repent and let yourself fall and i'll get you. God is power! He sees the ball-ball away, as if fearing the man of God, beneath him, floating in the air between him and the flames of hell. _Perdoa me, sir! I accept Jesus as my only savior and God as the creator of all things! _Isso Geraldo, now come. Says the pastor, with his arms in position to receive him. Geraldo falls and goes toward the believer's lap, begins to cry and thank, but the believer, still holding the tearful Geraldo opens his Bible that was in one of his hands, shaking the book. It is a bible full of pictures of, wide open, the believer begins to laugh and releases Geraldo, who falls screaming in the lavas of hell...

LINK DO TEXTO ORIGINAL EM PORTUGUÊS

http://opeitopensante.blogspot.com/2016/07/o-bate-bola-se-nos-paises-de-lingua.html

[rogerblackwolf]

The Hudson Incident

8 Miles North of Hudson, New York

-1938-

The skies were clear as the full moon shined down on the dense woodlands flanking the road. The sound of two sedans being the only disturbance as they drove towards their destination. Aside from the music on the radio, the four occupants were silent, none saying a word since they left Brooklyn. One, a priest, was reading a passage from his Bible and holding his rosary which was wrapped around his left hand. The man next to him, a skinny built fellow with neatly kept hair and peach fuzz named Michael, was staring out the window as if in thought, he'd sometimes look at an envelope that contained a file and read it likely out of boredom. The man in the front seat, who was of average build with short dark hair named Vin, fiddled with the dial of the radio but settled with what they were listening to before. Finally the driver, a heavier set man with a slight Italian accent named Luca, spoke.

"Alright, it's been a few hours and no one's said a word."

"Maybe there's nothing to say." Vin responded.

"Really Vin? You've had a wisecrack or smartass thing to say about anything and everything and Now is the time you got nothing?" Luca replied

"Like I said." Vin repeated

"Calm down Luca, The Organization got us all on edge." Michael said.

"If you call going into a cultist compound full of trigger happy saps, all to destroy some artifact, on edge. I mean we don't even know what this artifact is anyway." Luca adds

"We don't need to know, just that these people plan to use it for something not good." Vin says

"Oh come on for God's sakes-" Luca starts only to be cut off by the priest.

"Do not take His name in vain." He scolds

"Alright, Alright...sorry Father Bruni, just nervous is all." Vin replied apologizing.

"You are forgiven. But be sure to go to confession as soon as you can." Father Bruni said.

The ride was silent for another few minutes before Luca turned off the main road followed by the second car. Michael looked at the file for the fifth or sixth time during the ride. The cult they were going after was set up in the old Bryant Sanitorium, closed during the peak of the Depression for lack of funds and unethical practices. The cult was called Pathway to Heaven, led by a man who was known only as The Speaker, a self-proclaimed prophet who claimed to know a way to Heaven. The Sanitorium had been under surveillance for a week, during which it was determined that there were thirty members, that they were armed, and strange lights emitted from the building's basement windows. Luca pulled off to the side of the road, the other car following suit. The gate was no more than fifty yards ahead, the main building just beyond it across a sizable front drive and of course the gate is chained, complete with a padlock.

"Ok...let's get the guns. And the bolt cutters." Luca said as everyone gathered at their car trunks. Michael pulled a strap in the floor to reveal multiple M1921 Thompson submachine guns, a pair of Browning Automatic Rifles; or BARs, a separate box had several Colt 1911s, and plenty of ammo for each firearm. The second car had a similar setup only instead of BARs they had a pair of Winchester Model 12 shotguns as well as a crate of dynamite and grenades. As everyone grabbed their weapons and some grenades, Michael took a 1911 and offered it to Father Bruni.

"Father I know you aren't allowed to carry guns but I doubt these cultists will be kind to you." He said

To his surprise, he took it and loaded a single magazine.

"There is no verse in scripture that says I am not allowed to defend myself. I am a man of peace, but I also understand that when peace is not an option then force is required." He explains.

As the rest of the group gathered, Father Bruni asked everyone to bow their heads. He then prayed for their success, their safety, for guidance in their mission, and protection from evil as he felt the sinister forces at work even from this distance. Upon him saying "Amen" Father Bruni asked Michael to take the lead with Luca and Vin while the others, led by a man named Thomas, watched their backs.

Vin cut the padlock and gently opened the creaky gate, the old sign on it read "Jeremy Bryant Sanitorium for the Mentally Ill", the group of eight men briskly made their way across the drive to the front double doors, only to find them locked.

"Now what?" Luca asks

"There's a reason I brought dynamite." Thomas suggests

"They will get a rude awakening." Vin commented as everyone gave Thomas some space. He rigged a three stick bundle on the door handles, set the timer and ran to hunker down with everyone behind a low wall off to the side. The following explosion practically splintered the tall double wooden doors, windows on the first and second floors were shattered sending glass everywhere. With the dust beginning to settle the men rushed in, firing their Thompsons and BARs at the cultists who came to investigate. Between dodging bullets and taking cover Bruni could see these cultists were not human, something was terribly wrong. Aside from the gunfire, Bruni could also hear faint chanting in no language he knew. 

As the group of men proceeded through the halls, they saw many strange symbols written in blood. The further they went into the bowels of the Sanitorium, the more the men felt presences all around them, shadows danced and formed inhuman images. The cultists also seemed off, Bruni noticed strange and gruesome ailments had befallen the individual cultists.

Many were covered with injuries that looked self inflicted, bloodshot eyes, and blackened veins around the face.

"These men...they are under some kind of spell. Their actions are not their own." Bruni warned

"I don't think they'd listen to us anyway, Father." Luca said as he checked a corner.

Down the hall, just beyond a closed set of double doors, the group heard the chanting clearly as well as seeing a red glow on the other side. The group slowly walked towards the doors, feeling a powerful pulse of energy pass over them every few seconds. When they get close to the doors, the pulse is so strong it forces them all back a step. Bruni steps to the door and goes to grab the handle only for all of them to hear the sounds of multiple people screaming. 

"Thomas, blow the door." Bruni ordered.

The group took cover in an alcove taking the time to reload their weapons, once Thomas joined them they braced for the explosion. Once the initial shockwave had passed the group eased their way towards the room, the doors were obliterated by the explosion, blackened burns on the stone floor marking the direction of the fireball into the room.

Inside the room the group saw a more gruesome scene. Gathered in a circle of candles and cryptic symbols were the bodies of five cultists, their throats slit, the blood flowed through channels along the floor to a dais covered in the same runes the group had seen throughout the building. Just past the dais stood a male figure dressed in a white robe, his brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and his face was clean shaven. He looked human but the air around him felt anything but, especially as an unsettling smile curled across his face.

"You are too late. It is done. The Path is open." He said in a distorted voice. 

He then revealed an amulet from around his neck, both it and the symbols began glowing bright crimson he then resumed the chant. The room darkened as inhuman voices joined in, the candles flickered as the blood in the dais started gathering in a floating orb of pulsating liquid. The amulet siphoned the blood from the orb seemingly empowering the Speaker.

"Put him down!" Michael shouted followed by the hail of gunfire, when one of the men ran out of ammo in his BAR he dropped it and pulled two 1911s to continue the fire. The Speaker was hit so many times his robe changed from white to red, the orb splattered onto the dais as the runes ceased glowing along with the amulet. Everyone sighed with relief before investigating the room, Bruni walked towards The Speaker stepping over the blood as best he could. When he closed the distance the presence of evil was easily felt on the medallion, which he now realized was made of carved bones, dark forces were at work darker than any man could conjure. Bruni retrieved his bible and a flask of holy water, beginning to read whilst splashing the holy water on the dais and body. Bruni, as well as the others, were caught off guard when the body began to twitch; a little at first but more violently once touched by the holy water. The twitching was replaced with bones breaking and violent convulsing, The Speaker got to his feet revealing his full transformation. A pair of horns sprouted from his head, a tail whipped out from under his robe, and claws adorned his hands.

"You cannot stop me!" He roared.

Bruni did not stop his incantation while splashing the last of the holy water into the Speaker's face. Unholy screams of agony and pain were heard as the holy water burned the creature like acid. The creature lunged at Bruni only for its fangs to scratch the metal of Bruni's 1911 as the barrel was shoved into the creature's mouth. The first shot sent it to the ground, the next three to the head ensured it wouldn't get back up. The men came to check on the father only for him to finish his incantation.

"In nomine patri, et filii, Spiritus Sancti, Amen." He said while making the symbol of the cross with his free hand. 

Bruni reached down to the amulet, upon touching it he was bombarded with multiple visions. Visions of a dark world filled with mountains of skulls, oceans of fire and blood, cries of agony while dark figures chanted and cackled at their nefarious deeds of slaughter. He watched vast armies rising and clashing, beasts made of iron and steel trampling the land, and cities turned to ash in an instant. He then saw a creature that looked akin to a dragon cloaked in shadow and flame, speaking a tongue he didn't know but it filled him with primal fear especially when it lunged to devour him. Bruni was then thrust back to reality with Luca and Vin restraining him while Michael calmed him down. Bruni calmed after a moment before Michael asked him;

"What should we do now Father?"

"This place is filled with evil. That amulet is an instrument of chaos itself, I fear the influence it would have if it ever left this place. Thomas, use what dynamite you have left to destroy this room and that infernal thing. We need to return to the Organization, tell them that this place must be buried along with its secrets." Father Bruni explained as beads of sweat drizzled from his brow.

Thomas went to work as everyone else began leaving the building Thomas caught up just as they exited the front door. By the time they reached the gate the fireball engulfed the entire right side of the building, the floors fell through into the basement. The group watched the fire for a time before finally getting into their cars, leaving the Sanatorium and it's dark secrets. Even still Father Bruni felt that what he saw, were they simple visions made to strike fear into him? Or were they premonitions of a future that has yet to come? Either way, they had succeeded in putting a fear in him he could not easily shake...nor escape.

[tabby-shieldmaiden]

Another one for Friday Night Fights! The challenge hosted by @promptsforthestrugglingauthor . This one is a little weird, and admittedly was both inspired by me binging Girl Defined response videos, as well as my experiences at Church. It’s also written in second person, with the viewpoint character being a ‘nice church girl’. So, just a heads up.

Be a nice church girl. 

You wake up Sunday morning, early enough to watch the beautiful sunrise that God had painted across the sky. Cheerfully, you get out of bed. You didn’t even have to set an alarm clock, because getting up at dawn on Sunday is just a habit to you. Of course it doesn’t bother you at all. You plan out your entire week around the couple of hours you spend in Church. Obviously you’d have slept early the previous evening. It is for your Father in Heaven after all.

You brush your pearly white teeth, carefully scrubbing over each one. They were white and shiny teeth. Of course they had to be. In Church, you could only be seen smiling. And no other expression could really be sufficient there. Before God, you simply had to present your best self, and what better way is there to exist in? Happy, cheerful, a delight. You simply were overjoyed to be there.

Your hair and makeup done. Perfected. Just feminine enough to be perceived as a perfectly charming woman. But not too flamboyant to the point where you would stick out. You pick out your outfit next. A simple dress. Floral patterned. A matching baby pink cardigan. White ballet flats of a fairly modest design. Nothing too sparkly, nothing too flashy. Just something simple but feminine. After all, it’s not like you go to Church to draw attention to yourself. All of this is to simply honour God. This was what everyone in Church wore, because it was modest, but presentable. And most importantly, no one would stick out. No one would individuate.

From your dresser, you reach for a simple gold chain. Then a simple set of earrings. They were fake pearls, which did make you a little upset. Because you knew a number of the other girls in Church had real pearl earrings and you knew you couldn’t exactly afford them. You prayed that God would help you with your sin of envy. After all, at the very least you did have those fake pearl earrings. Cheap-looking and uncomfortable as they are. You sometimes wished that you didn’t need to wear them. But alas, the look simply wouldn’t be complete without it.

You subconsciously catch yourself chewing your nail, but once you caught yourself you stopped. It was a bad habit. You knew. And after all that work you put into painting your nails, taking care of them, you really wanted to keep them in good condition. Just like how every other woman in Church had nice nails. They all sported evenly painted, unchipped nails. Your hands still shook every time you painted them.

People commented on your nail biting. How it was unhygienic, unsanitary, gross. You knew they just wanted what was best for you. It wasn’t like they were unconcerned. And anyways, they did have a point, didn’t they? Nail polish smelled horrible, but you soldiered through it to apply it on anyways. Maybe someday, you’ll get good enough at nail polish, so that when you see your nails, you would not feel the need to chew them.

You eat breakfast, and when you do you don’t drink coffee. Who really needs sustenance like that? All you really needed in life was the energy which God provides you with. Every day, you can just sleep your planned eight hours, no problem. God provides you with the discipline to stick to your daily schedule. This was no problem. Nothing was impossible for God.

Hail a cab to Church. Quickly, you made it. Everyone there is smiling, dressed in their Sunday best. 

The men looked handsome and dashing in their suits and ties. The women looked beautiful and charming in their modest skirts and dresses. Everyone grins at you when you arrive. You talk about current events. Your families and your jobs; their children, nephews, nieces; sports; the weather; any gossip about other members of the congregation. All very engaging topics which you never used to be particularly interested in, but have found to be absolutely fascinating to talk about. The gossip especially, was a bad habit. But well, we all do fall short of the glory of God. He would surely forgive you.

You found it difficult to differentiate the people around you. You walked up to someone in an orange dress with shoulder length wavy hair, expecting it to be your friend Clara. Instead, it was Elizabeth. You walked up to a tall man with neatly gelled hair and a red tie, and you thought that he was Michael. But it was actually Joseph. It was a little embarrassing. But they were all good sports about it. That was something difficult you frequently had to deal with. Especially in Church. Navigating everyone, because for some odd reason you often had trouble differentiating the people around you. 

Well, some people were easier to differentiate than others. Case in point...

In the corner, reading a book with a smiling dragon on the cover, sat a young girl in a baggy hoodie and a pair of ragged jeans. Her earphones were firmly plugged into her ears. She was listening to music. No one was talking to her, and she didn’t seem particularly bothered by that.

You could only sigh when you saw her. She had been like that for a long time. There had probably been a time when she was a cheerful, sociable child. But now all she did was hang back and keep to herself, which would not do at all. God had commanded us all to be a friend. So you figured you really ought to go over and talk to her. You think you remember her name - Rebecca, if you’re not wrong - so you head over to her, a wide, pearly white grin on your face.

“Hi, Rebecca,” you say. Your voice chipper and loud enough so that she may hear you over her music. It worked to get her attention. She looked up from her book, and pulled out her headphones. You smile. That’s at least some progress. She’s paying attention to the world around her now. 

“Hi,” she said. She closes her book, but places a finger on the page where she left off. She shot you a fairly neutral expression. Neither a smile nor a frown could be seen on her face. Her lips were instead a perfectly straight line. Behind her glasses, her eyes just looked puzzled at why you were there.

You continued smiling. She smiled back, but only by slightly turning the corners of her mouth up. That was another step in the right direction! Smiling was good! Especially smiling in the house of God! Surely, no one had any real reason as to why that was supposed to be a bad thing. You slide beside her, sit next to her at the pew, and continue talking. “So, how have you been lately?”

“Okay,” she said. And then nothing else. Not a ‘how about you?’ or any other elaboration beyond that. That was upsetting. You remember a time back in your past when you were like that. But you soon learned the proper way to talk, hold a conversation. Thanks to all the people who taught you how to talk correctly. Soon, maybe Rebecca would catch on too.

You figured that, at least for now, maybe it would be a good idea to talk to Rebecca about something she was interested in. “What book are you reading?” You ask. It had a dragon on it, so it was probably a fantasy novel of some sort. Most likely a book she has owned for quite a while, since the spine was cracked and the pages were all dog-eared. 

You were never all that into fantasy. When you were younger, you very much preferred science fiction. And though you frequently found yourself yearning at the new science fiction books on display at the bookstore, you knew you shouldn't get too caught up in reading them. Years ago, you used to stay up late reading all those books. Way past midnight. You wouldn’t even crack open your Bible. But now, you’ve made a commitment towards going to bed on time and reading your Bible every day. And though admittedly, some parts of your personal Bible study made you bored, or made you conjure up some terrible questions (no doubt just Satan attempting to make you question your faith), you keep pushing on. Those science fiction novels may be alluring, but they surely aren’t nearly as great as the treasures which would await you in Heaven. 

Rebecca glanced at you, then showed you the back of the book. “It’s called ‘The Thief and The Knight’,” she said. Without any other comment.

You looked at the blurb at the back of the book, which read:

“What, no thank you? I went out of my way to help, you know, I didn’t have to.”

“You almost got me arrested!”

“But you didn’t, so there shouldn’t be a problem. Ungrateful!”

Tenia is a knight in training. Serious, clever, and an overall teacher’s pet, all the people in her life certainly had high hopes for her and her future. 

Kavlin is a mischievous young thief. With nothing but the clothes on his back and his trusty dragon, Gason, he lives every day barely getting by, stealing whatever he needs to live.

The two of them couldn’t have lived lives more different. But one day, when their paths met in a market, they soon found their fates entangled permanently. Now Tenia needs to make a choice. Follow her head and continue her knight training, or follow her heart and walk a new path with Kavlin? 

You sigh. This doesn’t sound like a particularly godly story. You recalled reading several similar stories like that when you were young, and it would always end with the obedient young woman leaving her neatly laid out life for some reckless, hedonistic man. That was definitely not how God intended for young women to live their lives. 

But maybe there’s a twist in this story. “Hm, that sounds interesting. Does she go back to studying hard to become a knight?” You ask. Smiling in as kind a way as you could. 

Rebecca shook her head, which was slightly disappointing for you. “She falls in love with him. They continue working together, she quits being a knight, and together they’re now thieves working to make the kingdom a much better, safer place for the poor.”

“But surely she could have done that while still being a knight? Without becoming a thief?” You ask. “The Bible says that we must use our gifts to help others in need. She could have done good for the poor using the gifts which made her such a promising knight, instead of going on to become a thief. There’s ways of helping others without disobeying the law.”

Rebecca looked at you, biting her lip. You hope that that’s a sign that she’s reconsidering reading something like that. God did say that we should be careful about what we read, and what we think about. If your words would convince her to stop reading something so immoral, that would only be a good thing. 

She took her book back, and held it close to her chest. You shot yet another smile at her, hoping that she understood that you were only concerned about her and the state of her spirit. Hopefully, she will get there soon. You remember how hard it had been to forgo your sci-fi novels. Even to this day, you still kind of miss them. But you could live without them. You could live only on the word of God alone, without any other book. That was something you had to remind yourself almost every day. But it was worth it. It had to be worth it, to be God’s faithful servant.

“At least consider it,” you say. “I’m only concerned for your spiritual well-being, and I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong ideas from the wrong places.” Rebecca still stared at you, her face still seemed fairly expressionless. But maybe, with some prayers, she’ll have her heart and mind changed.

You thought that you heard someone call you, and so you turned back around. “I’m sorry Rebecca,” you say. “I think I’m needed elsewhere now. So I’m going to have to go.” Such a shame. You were hoping to chat with her for a bit longer. Now what she’ll do is slip her headphones back on and bury her nose back into that book of hers. You should know. That was what you used to do back when you were her age.

You tried to recall. Why did you used to do that? Socialising with others in Church was such a pleasant thing. You loved to go every week, and listen to them talk about all the minor life updates that they have. Their new houses and cars. Their children winning participation trophies. Surely, those things were always far more interesting that any book one could bury their nose in. You try and think back, why did you like to read and hide away so much from the world. But you could not dwell on that question any further, because soon you ended up swept away by the crowd. Your train of thought halted. And you got sucked, like a whirlpool, into a sea of identical pearly white smiles and modest dresses.