#this game was so months ago... and it was like being zapped from my mind. from existence

[pucktyreshannism]

i did NOT come prepared

[yjano]

Never The Same.

Part 15

Pairings: Jake x Mc.

Warnings: Swearing, violence, angst, smut, other pairings;), traumatic experiences.

Words: 5.7k

Author's note: Honestly, this story is going to be a big piece of work and a lot of angst. It's not connected to the game at all. Because I always want to try something new and newer. Read it only if you're into angst stories, please. Thank you and let's go!

A bored look could be spotted on my face as I was zapping through the channels on the television. I was sitting next to Jake who had an equally bored look on his face, waiting for me to find something that would be worth watching.

It had been a few weeks since Jake had taken care of me and the two of us had only grown closer and closer to each other. The two of us were rarely spotted without each other and if someone even looked at me in the wrong way Jake would make sure they would regret it. The two of us were like magnets, we got drawn together and we didn't mind it one bit.

"Everything is so boring," I complained as I put down the remote. The channel I had stopped on was showing the news and while I was anything but someone who willingly watched the news I didn't have any better option. I'd rather watch the news than some bad quiz show.

"I know," Jake spoke as soon as he got up and walked over to the kitchen to get the two of us a glass of water. I lazily sat back on the couch before a deep sigh left my mouth. At least let something interesting be happening in the world. Then I would have something to watch.

"Tonight we have a special item to show." The reporter on the news began to speak to everyone who was watching his program. The man was standing outside in the rain while holding a microphone and an umbrella in his hands and a snicker left my mouth. The man looked a bit funny since it must be pretty cold outside and somehow that fact amused me a lot.

"Today exactly 8 months ago, Mc Estrada got kidnapped during the trial of Jake Dalton's. It is still unknown where the girl is currently being held captive but according to one of her friends she has been spotted inside a mall near Duskwood." The reporter spoke in a serious tone and immediately my eyes grew big. Why was the news still talking about me?

Suddenly the familiar face of Lilly popped up in my mind and my eyes grew even bigger. The blonde girl must have gone to the police to tell them that she had seen me in a mall. A lump began to form in my throat and a deep sigh left my mouth. I still felt bad for Lilly since that day and I wished things would have gone differently. However, I knew damn well that that hadn't been a possibility.

"Today the girl's family released a statement about the girl in which they are asking everyone to look out for her as they still believe that she is alive. We will now shortly switch over to the statement from earlier today." The reporter in the black suit spoke and before I knew it the screen switched over and suddenly began to display my parents and my little sister.

Immediately tears began to form in my eyes and a few rolled down my cheeks. I missed my family so much. These people meant the whole world to me and to know that they were still out there looking for me pained me a lot. I had been happy in this building doing whatever the hell I wanted to while my family was still broken by my disappearance.

"Everyone please, don't stop looking for our girl. She is still out there and she is waiting to be rescued." My mother spoke, emotion hearable in her voice.

"If you see her, please contact the police immediately. She has been gone for 8 months now and it is time that she will come home." My father then added before wrapping an arm around my mother. The two of them had big dark circles around their eyes and they looked a lot older than I remembered them to be. Suddenly my mother began to speak again while tears streamed down her face.

"Mc baby, if you see this, know that I won't stop looking for you until they've found you. I won't stop before you come home safely. That monster will not win. Not if I have anything to say about it." The woman finished before a loud sob left her mouth once again. The woman immediately took her other daughter in her arms and cuddled her.

My little sister didn't react at all. She looked like she was a hollow shell and immediately a painful sting shot through my heart. I knew my younger sister only acted like this when she didn't know what to do anymore and was on the verge of breaking down completely. While I had lived my best life inside the Red Eye Tower, my family had been breaking down completely and sadness and anger slowly began to take over me completely.

.

Jake focus.

.

As soon as I got back with two glasses of water in my hands, I immediately noticed the tense atmosphere in the room, and once I noticed the family in the room my eyes grew big and I sped up the pace which I was walking towards the couch. Immediately I put the two glasses of water down before I grabbed the remote and turned off the television.

I then focused on the girl who was still staring at the television as if she wanted to smash it and I immediately noticed the sad yet angry look on her face. The smaller girl had tears leaking down her face constantly and she looked like she wanted to murder someone.

"Baby-" I began to speak but immediately Mc stood up angrily while crying hysterically.

"No!" She screamed while more tears escaped from her eyes. An angry look was taking over her features completely and I looked at her with concern in my eyes. This was exactly the reason why I hadn't given the girl loved so much the opportunity to meet her parents again.

I knew damn well that seeing those people would break her down completely. She wasn't ready for that yet. Slowly I walked a bit closer to her before I softly put a hand on her shoulder.

"Baby I know it hurts. Let's just go to bed and talk about it tomorrow, okay?" I tried to calm down her but the brunette was having non of it.

"Don't touch me!" Mc screamed towards me and I immediately retreated my hand again while a shocked look began to cross my face. Anger was radiating from her and tears leaked out of her face nonstop.

"You ruined my whole fucking life!" Mc then screamed while she sank to her knees and hid her face in her hands. I knew she was broken by seeing her family again.

"Mc calm down." I softly spoke in a stressed tone. I had no idea what I could do for the girl I loved so much and I looked at the smaller girl with regret on my face. I never meant for her to get this upset and if I would have known that her parents had sent out a statement about this then I would have never let her watch tv in the first place.

"How the fuck can I calm down when my family is broken because you kidnapped me?!" She exclaimed before she began to sob again. A pleading look was visible on her face and another sob left her mouth.

"I just want to go home."

A sad look made its way onto my face and a small tear made its way out of my eye.

"Baby you are home." I tried but Mc was having none of it. She thought differently of that fact and she began to violently shake her head.

"No, I am not. I don't belong here at all. I don't belong in this world and I don't belong with you!" Mc exclaimed upset before she stood up and ran towards the bedroom. Immediately after she had entered the room a loud sob left her mouth and she slammed the door shut. I felt tears forming in my eyes but I decided to leave her alone for now and walked towards the elevator. Was it really what she wanted? Did she mean her words?

~

.

Mc focus.

.

An uncomfortable look made its way onto my face as I slowly began to wake up. Yesterday I had fallen asleep while I was still wearing my clothes and thus now I felt very uncomfortable. If I had just been a little less upset I could have at least changed into some comfy clothes suitable for bed.

My eyes were still swollen and red from all the crying I had done yesterday. Seeing my family after all those months of missing them had broken something inside my chest and I needed to let it all out.

I did regret how harsh I had been towards Jake, however. Of course, I knew Jake wanted nothing but the best for me and the fact that I had told him that he had ruined my life was something I regretted deeply. Jake hadn't ruined my life at all, if anything he had made it better by showing me what true love felt like.

Slowly I began to stretch my arms before I got up from the bed and made my way over to the bathroom. I needed to clean myself up if I wanted to make anything of my day. Otherwise, I would only feel dirty and that was something I did not want.

It didn't take long before I was completely done with my morning routine and dressed in a fresh pair of clothes. I wanted to do a lot of things today and by far the most important one of them all was to talk with Jake about what happened yesterday and tell him that I was sorry for all the rude things I said.

Jake hadn't joined me in the bed yesterday and I guessed that he had been scared of invading my personal space. Of course, I had lashed out at him and maybe Jake had been scared that I would get even madder if he joined me in bed.

Truth be told, I probably would have gotten even angrier if he had joined me. Yesterday I had been so emotional from missing my family that I needed someone to lash out on. Jake had been the only one present in the apartment and he happened to be the one who had kidnapped me. It was only logical that I would pick him as the one I would scream at.

It of course hadn't been right and I knew that damn well myself too. That's why I wanted to apologize to him as soon as possible.

As I walked towards the kitchen I noticed Jake sitting at the dinner table. He was on the phone with someone and he hadn't noticed me entering the room yet.

"Yeah, I've thought this through Lex. This has been going on for way too long. Just fix the men and send them here as soon as possible, okay?" Jake spoke in a soft tone before he hung up.

A sad look was displayed on Jake's face and dark circles were surrounding his red eyes. He hadn't even slept a minute this night, his mind filled with guilt. He had thought that Mc was happy with him but the brunette herself thought so differently.

"Hi." I softly spoke and immediately Jake turned around in his seat while he looked at me. It was as clear as crystal to me that Jake had been crying and a few tears began to form in my own eyes as well.

Jake wasn't the type to cry easily and the fact that he had been doing so because of me made me feel bad, really bad.

As I walked closer to the dinner table I slowly sat down on the chair next to Jake while I looked down. I felt so ashamed of my outburst yesterday and I didn't know what I could do to apologize properly to him. As I finally found the courage to say something Jake beat me to it.

"Lex will arrive here in a few minutes." He spoke in a sad tone while sending a sad smile my way. He nervously began to fumble with his fingers while he did everything in his power to avoid eye contact with me.

A confused look began to form on my face and I softly reached forward to grab one of Jake's hands to get his attention again.

"Why?" I asked in a questioning tone. Lex had nothing to do with what had happened yesterday right? What would we need her here for? A deep sigh left Jake's mouth before he looked at me with an apologetic look on his face.

"She's here to pick you up and bring you home," Jake explained and immediately I raised an eyebrow while looking at him as if he had grown two heads.

"But I am home?"

Softly Jake began to shake his head before he squeezed my hand.

"No, you are not. You don't belong in this world and I'm sorry for not realizing that any sooner." He spoke in a sad tone before staring outside and losing himself in the blue skies and white clouds.

"You are going home Mc. Your real home. I am sorry for ever dragging you away from there." He spoke before a deep sigh left his mouth.

Jake had never known that Mc felt the way she had said yesterday. Sure she had been angry too so maybe Jake shouldn't take everything she had screamed at him this seriously but he knew damn well that there was truth in Mc's words hidden. Jake had stolen Mc's life from her and he was going to give it back if that was what would make her happy. That's all that Jake cared for anyway. Mc's happiness, even if that meant that he had to give up his own by letting her go.

Immediately I began to violently shake my head while tears began to gather in my eyes.

"No!" I exclaimed while a few tears escaped my eyes and began to roll down my cheeks. I didn't want to leave this place. Sure it would mean that I would never get to see my old friends and family again but that also meant that I would have to leave my new friends behind. That I would leave Jake behind and that was something I didn't want at all costs. Jake meant the world to me.

"You can't leave me!" I frantically tried to exclaim between my sobs and slowly Jake began to shake his head before taking me in a tight hug and planting one last kiss on my temple.

"I'm not the right person for you Mc. I'm sorry." He spoke before retreating his arms again and standing up from his chair.

As if on cue Lex entered the apartment at the same time with a few guards behind her. A sad look was displayed on her face and she looked at us with a sorry look on her face.

"Are you sure Jake?" The small girl asked and he only nodded in return.

"Get all her stuff and bring her home. I'll make sure her family will know that she's there." Jake spoke before a single lonely tear escaped his eye. Lex nodded slowly and immediately after Jake walked away and disappeared out of sight.

Meanwhile, I was still crying hysterically and Lex quickly ordered the guards to pack my stuff before walking over to me.

"Shh." Lex softly whispered inside my ear while hugging me and immediately I wrapped my arms around her body as if my life depended on it. Never again would I see Jake, Lex, Jessy, or any of the people I had met here again. Once Lex had brought me home it would be like they had never existed in the first place. All these people would become a mere memory.

"I don't want to go Lex. I want to stay here, with you guys." I cried while loud sobs left my mouth. Softly Lex began to comfort me before she smiled at me.

"Mc baby, stop crying. If you and Jake are meant to be then you will find your way back to us. Trust me, things will turn out for the better." She spoke in a reassuring tone before locking eyes with me again.

"Now come on, we don't want to keep your parents waiting do we?"

~

Never before had I felt so lonely in my life. Lex had brought me back to the apartment that had been my home once and after giving me a big hug, she had left again to go back to her own home. Even though Lex had tried her best to stay strong for me, I hadn't missed the tears welling up in her eyes or how she had done anything she could to stay a bit longer with me.

Both of us had realized damn well that this might very well be the last time the two of us would see each other. Lex would soon be safe again within the red eye Tower while I would pick up my old life as a lawyer again in Bloomgate's Inc. If they hadn't replaced me yet.

Tears slowly began to leak out of my eyes and my sight began to blur. I had been back in my old apartment for only thirty minutes and yet I already felt miserable. This place felt so familiar, yet so cold. Even though Jake's men had brought all my belongings to this place it still didn't sit right with me. This wasn't my home anymore, my home was where Jake was.

More tears began to roll down my cheeks at the thought of Jake. Our relationship started pretty wrong but now he was all that I could have ever wished for. Jake made my world complete and now that he had removed himself from it completely and I felt incomplete as if there was a puzzle piece of my life missing.

Suddenly a loud knock sounded on my door and I looked up surprised. Quickly a hopeful feeling began to spread through my body and I quickly wiped away my tears before I stood up from my couch and ran over to the door, hoping it was Jake or Lex or anyone who would take me back to him. Maybe Jake had changed his mind.

The hope in my body soon died however as soon as I opened the door and saw my parents standing in front of the door. Tears began to pile up in my eyes and a loud sob left my mouth before I dashed forward and hugged my mother as if my life depended on it.

I had missed my family so damn much and I was truly happy to see them. However, their presence didn't ease the pain I was feeling from Jake letting me go and I was pretty sure nothing could make that pain a bit more bearable.

"Mc baby." My mom softly whispered in my ear while hugging me back. Her voice sounded emotional and a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

Meanwhile, my father walked away a bit to inform the police that I had returned home safely and after the call, he returned to us before joining his wife and me in our hug and closing his eyes softly. I and my dad had always had a very good bond and the fact that I had been torn away from them as if it was nothing angered my father, a lot.

As the three of us released each other from the hug all three of us slowly walked inside while my dad got the three of us a glass of water. I and mom sat down on the couch, I still was crying uncontrollably.

A worried look made its way onto my mom's face as she looked at me and I was in no way happy. She knew me inside out and she knew damn well when something was wrong with me. Softly she took me in a hug again before starting to caress my cheek.

"What's wrong baby? Did he hurt you this bad?" She softly asked me while trying to make her voice sound as neutral as possible. Of course, she would come for whoever had hurt me but that was not what I needed to hear from her. I needed her to support me and thus she would exactly do so.

"No! You don't understand!" I exclaimed upset before another loud sob left my throat. I then frantically grabbed my mother's shirt before breaking down again and sobbing in her arms.

"Shhh." My mom softly whispered in my ear while slowly caressing my back and trying to give me some comfort.

"M-mom?" I softly spoke once I calmed down a bit again. I slightly lifted my head from my mom's chest before looking at her with my tear-struck face. I needed to tell her everything about Jake. She needed to know that I wasn't angry at Jake. My mom needed to know that the pain I was experiencing wasn't anger or sadness or trauma, it was heartbreak.

"Yes, honey?" She softly spoke while looking at me with a small smile on her face. I was slowly calming down and I was finally trying to open up to her. She would make sure that I knew that whatever it was that I would tell her, she was there for me and ready to support me completely.

"I love him." I softly spoke before a few tears escaped my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. A confused look began to form on my mom's face and she looked at me with worry in her eyes.

"What do you mean Mc?"

A deep sigh left my mouth before I looked my mother in the eyes once again.

"I love Jake. I gained back my family today but I lost him. I lost them all mom." I softly whispered as a soft sob left my mouth once again.

"Who?" She asked me confused. Of course, she knew exactly who this Jake was.

"Everyone. Jake, Lex, Jessy, and everyone else!" I exclaimed upset as I took a big breath of air. My muscles were all tensed up and I was breathing irregularly. I had lost the family I had gained inside the red crew Tower all at once and if I had the chance I would go back there immediately. I belonged with them.

"And I'm pretty sure I lost a part of myself too."

Suddenly my father entered the room again with a small tray in his hands. He quickly put it on the coffee table before he handed me a glass of water. Gratefully I took the glass from my father before emptying it in one go.

"Tomorrow you are expected at the police station because they want to talk to you about what has happened." My dad spoke softly before sending a smile in my direction. I nodded before looking at my father with a sad look on my face.

My parents truly saw Jake Dalton as the worst person who has ever set foot on this earth. Little did they know that Jake was the complete opposite of me. My parents might think that I am just confused and that I am saying nonsense but I knew better. I knew exactly what I was talking about and I truly meant it from the bottom of my heart when I said that I loved Jake. After all, Jake and I were meant to be together and no one could change my mind.

~

An expressionless look was visible on my face as I listened to the officer in front of me firing questions at me. I had been sitting in this small dark room for at least two hours now and all the officers in front of me had done was try to get as much information out of me as possible.

"So Mc, do you recall where you were taken after you got kidnapped and pushed into the helicopter?" The female police officer spoke in a friendly tone while a fake smile was visible on her face. The woman looked to be around her 50s and she wore her long black hair in a tight bun on her head. A stern look was visible underneath the woman's glasses and she looked like she knew exactly how she had to get information out of anyone. Too bad for her that I wasn't willing to give her any information.

The moment my parents left yesterday I decided that I wasn't going to snitch on my friends. There was a big possibility that I would never see them again but that didn't mean that I would just give all their secret information to the cops. Jake and the others had trusted me to join them when I was still living in the red eye tower and even now that they had removed themselves from my life. I wasn't willing to break their trust. You don't turn your back on people who you consider part of your family.

"I don't remember," I answered, an empty look visible on my face. This whole visit here was pointless to me. I wasn't going to say anything and the woman in front of me was slowly getting more and more frustrated. Annoyed the police officer pinched the bridge of her glasses before she created a fake smile on her face again and looked at me as if I was a little kid.

"What did Dalton's masked accomplices look like?" The stern-looking woman asked before she put the papers in her hands on the metal table between me and herself. I briefly looked up before locking eyes with the police officer in front of me. She must be tired too. The woman had been firing questions at me nonstop without even getting one answer from me.

Slowly I began to shake my head before a small smile made its way onto my head. The thought of my friends' faces and personalities made me happy but also sad at the same time.

The fact that I would never hear Jessy laugh like there was no tomorrow hurt me. I would never see Lex brush her hand through her blue curls again. I wouldn't even feel Jake's touch again. It had only been a day without those people in my life but I already missed them like crazy and I definitely would do anything to get them back.

"I don't know." I lied, the clear image of my friends' faces still in my mind. A soft sigh immediately left the older woman in front of me and she closed her eyes briefly before standing up from the metal chair she was sitting on.

"Thank you for your time, Ms. Estrada. We will make sure to let you know if we need more information about this case." The woman lied while that fake smile of hers was once again present on her face.

Softly I nodded my head before I quickly headed out of the police station. Of course, the woman hadn't been happy with me. I was her best chance at finding Jake and all I had given her was nothing, absolutely nothing. There hadn't even been one bit of information she could use to track Jake down because I had simply answered all the questions she had asked with an 'I don't know'.

A soft sigh left my mouth as cold fresh air hit my face the moment I stepped out of the building I had been in. Even though it was pretty cold, the sun was shining brightly and a small smile made its way onto my face. Weather like this was always a sight to see from Jake's apartment and I hated how I was missing the beautiful view right now.

Slowly I began to walk home while putting my hands in the pockets of my coat. I had told my parents that I would give them a call the moment I got home so that we could have dinner together because truth be told, I had missed my mom's cooking a lot. Of course, I had been fed well back when I was living with Jake, but my mom's cooking just hit differently.

Today Sina, my little sister would join us too and I was excited to see her again. Sina and I had always been super close and I couldn't wait to close her in my arms once again. Sina meant the world to me.

After a fifteen-minute walk, the familiar apartment block where I had been heading finally came into sight. The place was still so familiar yet didn't feel the same as before. My small apartment used to be so warm and now without Jake's presence living there felt so cold. My home was where Jake was and since he wasn't here I wouldn't feel comfortable in my damn apartment.

I began to shake my head a bit before I began to walk up the stairs to reach my apartment. It was way too cold to keep lingering outside and while the warmth of the sun made it a bit more bearable I still preferred to be inside where I knew warmth would engulf me.

A surprised look however became visible on my face as my front door came into sight and I noticed it was slightly open. I blinked a few times while I raised both my eyebrows, had I forgotten to lock my front door this morning?

Quickly I ran up the last few steps before I slowly began to open the door to my apartment a bit more and walked inside. Immediately upon entering my heart began to stammer in my chest the moment I noticed a girl with long black hair in my apartment. She was facing me with her back while she was holding a picture of me and Sina in her hands. Immediately my eyes grew big and my breath hitched in my throat.

What the hell was this girl doing in his apartment? Was she a burglar or something?

Suddenly however the girl turned around and her face came into sight. Her face looked somewhat familiar to me yet I couldn't remember where I had seen her before. I surely had never met her but I knew for sure that I had seen her face somewhere before.

"Finally you have returned. I've been waiting for you for ages you know." The unknown girl suddenly spoke before dropping the picture she was holding on the ground. A smirk began to form on her face and she slowly began to walk toward where I was standing.

Immediately I began to back away slowly, not taking my eyes off the beautiful girl in front of me. I had still no idea who she was but I knew damn well from that look on her face that she wasn't a friend and that she certainly wasn't here to try and become friends with me either. Her presence meant bad news and I needed to get as far away from her as soon as possible. Where the fuck was Jake when you needed him the most?

The girl however suddenly fastened the pace at which she was walking toward me and before I knew it the girl had pressed me against a wall before grabbing my chin harshly. A sly smirk began to form on her face once again as she slowly began to push my face in different directions, checking every inch of my face.

"So you're my replacement huh?" She softly whispered in my ear, an amused tone lacing her voice. She suddenly pressed me a bit harder against the wall before setting a step back and looking at me with a cold look on her face.

"You shouldn't have given in to him Mc. You are a way too easy target for us." The woman spoke before suddenly the front door of my apartment opened.

Immediately I turned my head towards the door, hoping to see someone that could rescue me from this girl. I was scared of her and she looked like she was ready to kill me any minute. I had no idea what she was talking about or who she was but she knew damn well who I was. She knew my name and she had for some reason put a target on my back. That fact alone made my heart stammer in my chest uncontrollably while my whole body filled itself with nervousness.

However much to my dismay, the man who had walked into my apartment wasn't someone I knew. However judging by the look he was giving me, the raven-haired man knew damn well who I was which meant that he was probably together with the scary girl who had entered my apartment.

"Is that her, Val?" The new person in the room asked the girl before walking up to her and kissing her cheek. Immediately the girl began to nod while looking me in the eyes.

"Definitely." She answered the man next to her before that wicked smirk of hers returned to her face once again.

The moment the unknown man next to the girl spoke her name it all clicked for me. I remembered Valerie's face from a picture I had once seen in Jake's office. In front of me was standing none other than Jake's ex-fiance and she was out to get me. This girl had come here with one reason and one reason only, to get me and use me against Jake, which would probably mean that the man next to her was his older stepbrother Tegan.

In front of me were standing the two people who Jake wanted to get rid of more than anyone else and that meant that I was in trouble. Big trouble.

Before I could scream for help Tegan pressed a wet cloth against my nose and mouth and before I knew it my sight got blurry before darkness engulfed me. There wasn't anything I could do to save myself anymore except pray for a miracle. I was once again taken against my will, only this time I was pretty sure that I wouldn't come out of it alive.

[obeydontstray]

I Want More (A Maxwell Lord X OFC rp)

0(A Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal - Patty Jenkins universe) rp between myself and my girlfriend @historianwithaheart ) Can be found under the same name on AO3)

Maxwell sat at his desk, getting his first breather of the day. He looked around for his son. Being the first month of summer, Alistair was spending time at the office with him, but the kid was not in his office where he left him. Max hit the button on his desk and spoke. "Hey Britney, did Alistair leave me any messages of where he was going? Did you see him?"

“No sir I thought he was with you.” In Melony’s office she sat typing away. The little black haired boy munched on his carrots and drank the soda she had gotten for him. She didn’t know who this little boy belonged to but he had stolen her heart. “Like the new Mario Alister?” She asked him. He smiled.

“My daddy is so busy most of the time so it’s nice to come hang out.”

It wasn't uncommon for Alistair to take walks around the offices. Max always made sure he had a piece of money so he could buy anything he wanted from the cafeteria, vending machines, or gift shop downstairs. But he wasn't usually gone this long. It had been....an hour? Maxwell began to get nervous.

“Sorry I couldn’t get you McDonald’s this time but I figure that you shouldn’t be eating junk every time we visit.” She felt her heart ache when he smiled at her. “I get bored so it’s nice to come sit with you.” Alistair smiled. “Well I think I’m gonna have my Lunch break soon if you want a player two?” He nodded.

Maxwell walked through the office hurriedly, asking random people if they had seen the small boy with black hair and dark eyes.

“Did you tell your daddy where you were going?” She asked typing on her desk top. Ali stair nodded. “Left a note.” She smiled at him. “Good boy.”

Someone stopped Max. "I saw a kid go that way, down the hall." He thanked the person and began opening doors.

“Hey kid, have some water okay? Only one soda!” She handed him a water bottle. She sighed. One week late for the meeting. Wonderful.

The door flung open and a head appeared. One with dark blonde hair, handsome features, and dark eyes. "Alistair!" He said, stepping in the door and reaching out his arms.

“Hey daddy!” Melony nearly choked on her drink. “Well Mr. Lord you’re only a week and three hours late to our meeting.” She stood.

He hugged Alistair and quickly stood, straightening out his clothes with his hands and suddenly turning on the biggest smile. "I'm sorry, you are?" God she was beautiful! She had shoulder length blonde hair and the biggest, bluest eyes he had ever seen. Her ruby red lips were perfectly shaped.

“You new head of financials Mr. Lord.” Ali stair smiled. “She’s my friend!” Alistair said. “Look she brought me stuff to play with.”

Maxwell scanned the room. A few scattered toys, food wrappers still out, and a a Nintendo. "So this is where you have been disappearing to."

“She’s nice, and she bought me a Nintendo and she was gonna play with me on her lunch break.” Alistair said. “ if your daddy says you can we can still do that.” Melony smiled. “Melony Morningstar, Head of your financial division. We were supposed to have a meeting one week and three hours ago.”

Maxwell sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Shit, yeah you're right. Sorry, things have been so busy."

Alistair went and hugged around Melony’s thigh. She pet his hair. “Well unfortunately for you my schedule is full up until next Wednesday at two. We’re diversifying your portfolio Mr. Lord.”

"My, you are a busy busy woman. Could we meet now?"

“Well I have a very important meeting coming up, with a top partner.” She winked at Alistair and he smiled. “Can I have another soda?” He asked drinking the Mountain Dew.

"How many have you had?" Maxwell asked. "Your mom's gonna kill me for letting you drink too many."

“He’s only had one! I let him have one when he visits.” Melony said. Alistair leaned against her shoulder. “Mommy doesn’t let me have anything, she’s too busy with her new boyfriend.”

Maxwell frowned. "That's okay, you'll always get attention from me." He promised. "If it's okay with Mrs. Morningstar, you can have another."

“Miss.” Melony corrected. “I’m a Miss and I think you’ve had enough. Don't want to send you home to Daddy and have you bouncing off the walls.”

"How considerate." Max smiled warmly. "Miss Morningstar is right. How about some water, or juice?"

“I gave him water a few minutes ago.” She blushed. “Well I guess you better go little buddy. I think the jig is up.” She ruffled his hair. “If you want you can take the NES system home. That’s up to your daddy. I..I can’t make that decision.”

He nodded. "If she doesn't mind your visits, that's fine. You can keep it here and I'll get you one for your room at home too."

“Alright little man you should probably head to lunch with your pops.” She smiled at the boy. “As for you Mr. Lord, seems you're as irresponsible with your child as you are your money. I’d like to know why you just couldn’t make our meeting a week ago.”

"I'm not irresponsible!" He said, a little flash defiance in his voice before he ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair. "He usually makes quick trips to the gift shop or cafeteria and back up. I didn't expect him to start touring people's offices. And I apologize, my only free time lately has been in the late afternoon. No business like show business, ya know."

“Mmm. No worries, little man and I keep each other company!” She smiled. “Oh yes far too busy. Then I guess it will have to be a business dinner then. Tonight at 6 your choice though perhaps a nice place to sit outside. The office is stifling.”

His eyebrow raised and a lopsided smile shown on his face. "Really? Tonight huh? How does Thai sound?"

“Fantastic. It’s my favorite. I’ll see you at six.” She penciled in her planner. “You best be there Mr. Lord, I am your new head of finances you hired me for a reason. And it wasn’t because I’m pretty, because you weren’t even there to look at me.”

"And I regret that deeply." He said, giving her a very obvious look over. "I'll meet you there." He said, laying his hand on Alistair's shoulder. "Come on baby, let's go."

She waved at Alistair. She sat down and smiled to herself. She had just strong armed the most powerful man in this company. Not taking his his excuses. Alistair walks with Max. “You’re not mad at me daddy, she’s really nice and she plays video games with me sometimes. She says that if you were smart you’d start investing in Nintendo.”

He grinned. "Well I'll have to think on that. No buddy, I'm not mad at you. She's a very nice lady."

“Are you gonna date her?” Alistair asked. “She’s pretty, really pretty almost prettier than Momma.”

"No no, this is just a business meeting." He assured him, even if he had different things in mind. "She is really pretty, isn't she?"

“She looks like that Disney princess, Aurora.” Alistair said. “She sings pretty too.” He said. “Can I still hang out with her?”

"Sure thing buddy." He said, ruffling the boy's dark hair. "When did you hear her sing?"

“Well one day when you were super busy, and I got bored I went exploring and I got really lost, and she found me. I was crying a lot because I was scared. She picked me up and she sang a song to me to help me stop crying because I was scared.” Alistair told him.

He lay his hand on his son's shoulder and bent down to his level before pulling him in for a hug. "I'm so sorry you were lost and scared. I'll thank her tonight for caring for you."

“It’s okay, I know you didn’t mean it to happen.” Alistair hugged him. “Just be nice to her okay?” Soon five o'clock came and Melony went home to change into a sweet little blue floral patterned summer dress. Cuban stockings, blue pumps. She did up her hair and spritzed her perfume. She picked up the phone as she put on her pink lipstick.

Maxwell looked himself over in the mirror. He wore a sunset yellow blazer with white slacks and a pastel orange shirt. His white loafers were shined and he pushed up his sleeves to his elbows. His hair was perfectly coiffed and he was cleanly shaven. He picked up his Polo cologne and sprayed it on. "Daddy, if it's not a date then why are you dressing up?" Alistair asked. "Dress for success, buddy. When you're a business man, you have to always look your best. This is a meeting, it's just outside the office so I'm dressing different." The phone rung and caught his attention. He lifted a finger at Alistair. "Hold that thought."

“Good evening Mr. Lord, Raquel said this was your home number. I’m honored.” Melony laughed.

"And who said you could call me at home?" He said in a flirty tone. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

“Well Mr. Lord by proxy of not specifying which Thai restaurant in DC you have hence forth invited me to call you at home.” She spoke. She heard the flirtatious tone in his voice. She felt a zap of desire run down her spine. Oh Melony, don’t you know any better. She thought to herself.

“Precisely. I’ll see you there soon.” She smiled over the receiver. “Oh and come prepared to work Mr. Lord. I’m not one of your office floosies.”

He smiled broadly and chuckled. "Work for what?"

“Honestly you think you’re so charming. Work work. Like portfolios and the future of your company, I’m sure you enjoy being able to spoil your little conquests. In order to keep doing that my darling Mr. Lord you need to be wise about the market.”

He grinned even harder. "I could have you fired for speaking to me like that, you know." He tested.

“Then I guess you wouldn't have a company much longer Mr. Lord. I will see you in a bit. Tell my little buddy that next time he wants to come play he brings me a snack okay?” She smiled.

"Okay I will. See you soon." He hung up and Alistair looked up at him with a worried look. "You would fire her?" "No! No!" He assured his son. How could he explain himself without telling him he was flirting? "I was testing her! It's hard to explain, you'll understand when you're older. But she passed. And she said when you go see her again you can bring the snacks."

Alistair smiled. “Okay!” He happily went to to go get ready for the babysitter. Melony was sitting at a table overlooking the river into a forest. She checked her watch, her legs crossed as she skimmed through a book and sipped a beer.

"Daddy, can I dress up next time I go see her?" Alistair asked. "Sure buddy." Soon Max had dropped off his son and strolled into the restaurant looking for her.

She sat there. Looking much different from before, more soft and feminine. She checked her watch again, when she heard whispers. Ah he's here. She thought to herself.

Women stared at him as he walked past, a handsome grin on his face and he shot random women flirty winks. His bright gold watch and rings flashed in the low light of the restaurant. "Miss Morningstar, nice to see you again." He greeted before took off his jacket and draped it on the back of his chair before he sat down.

“It nice to finally capture your attention for a moment or two.” She smiled at him. It was a flirtatious smile. She couldn’t help it.

"I'm a man in demand." He said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes. “Indeed.” She grabbed her brief case. “Okay so you started in oil but how long before that goes dry, you need to diversify.”

"Alistair said you told him I should invest in Nintendo." He chuckled. "What about that little computer company? Apple is it?"

“I think that’s a solid bet, personal gaming systems, personal computers, making it individual is going to be big.” She continued. “Your oil company is a great start, it really is, and your other investments are doing well but we need to be able to have more than one leg to stand on, what are the big draws? Entertainment, technology and of course oil and trade.” She handed him a large book. See.”

He flipped through the books pages quickly. "Hmmmm, I see." His lips were pressed together in a goofy shape, making him look as if he was only half considering the things he was looking at.

She looked at him, she knew that look. He's only half considering it. She bit her lip and let her anger simmer. “Sir, I’m trying to be diplomatic but do you think I’m a joke? I’ve spent hours doing the job you’ve hired me to do, and then you can’t be bothered to see me at our planned meeting and then you come here and half ass your considerations.”

"What? I'm thinking!" He said, his warm brown eyes flicking upwards and locking with hers.

“If you say so.” She sipped her beer. “I apologize, this is important to me.”

He nodded and looked her in the eyes again. "And it shows, I apologize if I'm not demonstrating my interest. I'm just a little distracted, but here, let me take another look."

She sighed. “It is kind of late and if I’m being honest Mr. Lord. I’m tired.” She spoke. “At least I have you thinking.”

He nodded. "Yes it is late. I'm sorry we got off to a rocky start, but I really enjoyed your company tonight." He said with an earnest face.

“Well I guess at the very least you can continue to enjoy my company. I wouldn’t protest.” She said to him sipping a beer. I mean our first meeting was supposed to be just a get to know your employee type deal, but your company took a big chance on me and I..I just don’t want to fail.”

"I'm really glad whoever made the decision did. I uh-I'm not as involved in the hiring process as I should be. But I would like to get to know you more. And if it's okay, can I borrow this book? I'll review it in the morning with fresh eyes and a clear mind."

“Don’t you eat breakfast with your son?” She asked him. “And what we’re you distracted by.” She handed him the book.

"I do. I'll look it over again after I get to work." He looked up at her again. "Who wouldn't be distracted by someone like you."

She scoffed. “Honestly, Mr. Lord, I hate to sound pretentious but, again, I’m not one of your office floosies.” She looked at him. God, his eyes were so sincere. “But I have a feeling you know that.” She handed him his beer.

He nodded and took his beer before taking a sip. "I know you're not like them. I don't pay attention to them. But you..."

“But what about me Mr. Lord?” She smiled at him. She moved a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You're authoritative and commanding and just...beautiful. You fill up the whole room with your presence."

She felt her face betray her emotions flushing pink. Clearly not the rouge one her cheeks. “Mr. Lord, I..”

"And my son told me what you did for him when he was lost and alone. And that, I'll forever be grateful to you for."

She was really blushing now. “Oh it’s nothing, anyone would have done that. I honestly thought maybe he was like a receptionists son, or something I didn’t know he was yours, but I...I can’t stand to hear a child cry. Especially...a sweet little boy like that.”

Maxwell's eyes moved to his empty plate. "I never thought of him getting lost like that and getting scared. I trusted him to just go to one of two places and back. I never thought of him getting lost. It broke my heart when he told me what that was like. But, he told me he thinks you are like Princess Aurora."

“Mr. Lord, if I could be so bold.” She said to him and took his hand. “He never blamed you, and he loves you dearly.” She said to him. “I just heard him cry and I just wanted to help. But you’re a good father.”

He nodded. "I try. I only get him on weekends right now and I try to set aside time to be with him, just one on one, but it's so hard to make time in the business."

“He sees you try. I’m sure.” She realized that she was holding his hand and blushed. “I..I’m sorry.” She pulled her hand away and chugged her beer.

“This is inappropriate and I’m sorry. I should go.” She went to stand.

He reached out and lay his hand on hers. "No, no please. Don't leave. We're just getting to know each other."

She felt her heart leap up into her throat. The story playing out in her bright blue eyes. The felt it, the attention, but her mind raced. What would he do with her when he was done. He could see it, she was sure. She sat back down. “I guess then maybe I should tell you more.” She didn’t take her hand away.

"Yes, tell me everything." He said, curling his fingers so that his hand wrapped around hers.

She felt her breath hitch. Her mind racing. “I...I..” she stammered. This seemed like a hazy dream. This man, the man who ran the most successful company right now, and her. Little old her. She wasn’t worth his time. “My name is Melony, I’m twenty eight, I have masters degree in finances and law. I...I like nature, and art and archaeology. I..I’m single. Have been for a while. Because being woman, having feelings gets you no where in this big business world. I’m witty and intelligent. Some men call me frigid or a bitch but I call it getting by.”

"You don't not seem those bad things to me. And I'm Maxwell Lord as you know. I'm divorced. You know Alistair. I'm 35. We have similar tastes."

“And I’m being incredibly stupid right now. Letting you know these things about me. Letting my guard down.” She confessed. “I should have Just kept it business.” She felt the room grow hotter. “This is how a woman gets a reputation.”

"How? Just by talking to me?" He asked, confusion sparking on his face.

“By letting my guard down around you.” She said to him. “Maxwell Lord, the infamous business man, being seen with his head of finances, a young woman.” She searched his face. “I guess one of my poor traits is I’m obsessed with my image.”

He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "We can keep our meetings strictly business and in office, Miss Morningstar."

“I suppose, but you’re still holding my hand Mr. Lord.” She breathed out.

He drew back his hand slowly. "Well, I guess I should let you go. I'll see you at work Monday afternoon to give you a decision." He said as he stood and grabbed the book.

“Mr. Lord.” She reached out for him. “Don’t.” She looked at him. “I, am just scared. I haven’t, I haven’t let myself be vulnerable in a while. You astound me. Have since I first saw you on tv, have since I applied to work for you. Your company gave me the opportunity to do more than fall into the darkness that was waiting to take me. You’ve set the annals of my heart alive with flames once again. Forgive me if I am a guarded woman.”

He looked down at her with the softest expression before he sat down again. "Really? You'd use such beautiful words for me?"

“Perhaps you need a little beauty and honesty in your life.” She replied.

He reached out and took her hand once again and his thumb smoothed across her knuckles. "Maybe you could be the sunlight in my life, then."

“Mr. Lord, I...I don’t know about all of that, but I think perhaps maybe for a little while we could make each other realize that the sun still shines.” She paused. Not knowing what to do next.

"Call me Max, please." He looked at his watch. "It's getting late, I shouldn't keep you. The babysitter will be ready to go home soon, it's after Alistair's bedtime."

“What if...I want to be kept. Max.” She looked up at him and stood. “Maybe it’s the beer or maybe it’s just your touch, and maybe it’s just my personality but I feel brave.”

"I'd love to stay but I have to be home by midnight. Unless..."

She stood and moved closer to him she took his hand and placed her lips on his in a slow sensual kiss. But her shaking body betrayed her confidence.

He moved to hold her cheeks gently in both hands and kissed her again. "Then come home with me."

“You don’t have to ask twice.” She replied. Thank god they were at a secluded table.

"Come with me, let's take a taxi."

[country-club]

Good Stuff - Rafe Cameron

Reader X Rafe Based on the song ‘Good Stuff’ by Griff Wordcount: 2.636 Summary: You and Rafe dated for a while and you just found out he got arrested. a/n italics are flashbacks and bold are the lyric. Warnings: mentions of drinking, drugs and sex in the slightest

Take it back to the start No, I can't tell you apart When we lost one another That's when I rediscover My memories in the clouds But no feet on the ground 'Cause I know I should forget you Why can't I just regret you?

Rafe just got arrested for shooting sheriff Peterkin. You couldn’t believe what you read. Rafe? Your Rafe? The Rafe you loved and cared for the past year. Though you had been broken up for almost a month now, you weren’t over him. Sarah had texted you the news. When you started hanging out with Rafe’s sister, Sarah, you came over to his house a lot. You always kind of liked Rafe, but never understood why. And though you have tried to ask about his day and chat, he always cut it short. Needless to say the two of you never actually had a conversation, until one night where Sarah had one drink too many. Sarah was with you at The Cut. The other Pogues had left a while ago, leaving you and Sarah for some girl-talk. It was fun and all until Sarah said she felt sick. You had too much to drink to drive and decided to call Rafe. You used Sarah’s phone and to your slightest surprise he answered quickly.

“What could you possibly want, Sarah? It’s almost 1.” He didn’t sound so happy.

“Hey Rafe, it’s y/n.”

“Oh, hey y/n. What’s up?” He asked.

“Well, I was wondering if you could come pick up Sarah. We’ve been drinking and she’s not feeling well.” It was quiet for a bit.

“Yeah I’ll be there in 10.” He finally said. Once he had arrived, Sarah had already thrown up some of the mixed drinks you had made her. Rafe pulled his car up and opened the window. “Hey sis, hey y/n.” He greeted you two. Sarah was completely out of it. You sat het down in the back.

“Hey Rafe. Thank you for picking up Sarah. Sorry if I woke you.”

“No problem. What did you give her?” You combed your hand through your hair.

“I- uh, we were messing around and she had asked me to mix her something, but I guess it was a bit too much.” You rambled. Feeling nervous because Rafe was talking to you, and a bit drunk seeing as you almost had as much alcohol in your body as Sarah by now.

“Alright, uh could you perhaps stay in the backseat with her? Don’t want to clean up any puke.” You nodded. It’s the least you could do after calling him at 1am to pick up his sister that you got drunk in the first place. The ride to their place was quiet. You made sure Sarah was alright and brought her to her room. You tucked her into bed and placed aspirin and water on her nightstand.

“Thanks again, Rafe. I don’t think I could’ve carried her this far on my own.” You smiled as you walked downstairs. Rafe was waiting on you, looking at his phone screen.

“So, what are your plans now?” he asked.

“Going home, sleeping out this hangover.”

“To The Cut?”

“Yes, home.”

“I could drop you off?” You thought about it for a second but agreed. Walking alone at this time wouldn’t be smart. Also, you don’t mind being around Rafe. You got into the front seat this time. Rafe put the radio on softly. The alcohol started kicking in harder. Your throat hurt and your legs started tingling. “Are you alright?” He looked over to you. You nodded and zapped trough the radio stations. Rafe’s hand brushing yours when moved the poke around.

The silence was killing you.

“You’re like really pretty, you know. Has anyone ever told you that?” Rafe was a bit shocked by your comment. He stayed quiet for a minute.

“You’re kinda pretty..for a pogue.” He replied.

“Now why do you have to say it like that. Just say I’m pretty, Rafe.”

“You’re pretty, Y/n.”

“Thank you.” You smiled proudly. And there was home. Rafe stopped the car and you reached for the door. Rafe decided to join and got out of the car as well. You walked up to your door and sat down on the porch. You tapped the ground next to you. Rafe looked around and sat down. “Why were you still awake?” You managed to ask.

“Just couldn’t sleep. You know those kinds of nights.” You nodded. You have had enough of sleepless nights in the past, and currently.

“I cuddle my pillow sometimes.” Rafe looked at you and burst out in laughter. You hushed him, pointing at your house. “Parents. But for real, it works. You seem kind of lonely, and when I’m lonely it works wonders.” Rafe put his hand on your shoulder.

“Maybe we should get you inside, y/n. Time for bed.” He stood up and offered you his hand, which you gracefully took. While standing up you tripped over air, leaning slightly against Rafe. “You could’ve just asked for a hug, you know.” You hit him playfully in the shoulder and opened your front door.

“Goodnight Rafe.”

“Goodnight, y/n.” Before closing your door you heard Rafe’s voice one more time. “How about you make one of those cocktails for me sometime?”

“I will.”

You had kept your promise. You had made so much cocktails for Rafe, some good, some really bad, but most of them alcoholic. In exchange for your mixing skills, you rarely had to cuddle your pillow at night. You take out your phone and open his Instagram page. He never posts, which means he never deletes a post once he finally posted something. There were about 5 pictures on here. The second to last one being your midsummers date. He looked handsome as ever. It was the first time the two of you were really out in the public, together, as a couple.

We were fighting fires every night when you met me And it's not fair at all

You were used to sneaking around with Rafe by now. You have been dating for a month, knowing that your friends wouldn’t be behind your choice. The Pogues barely got into fights with Rafe anymore. And though they thank Sarah for it, it feels like an accomplishment you achieved. The two of you had fought and argued a lot about him being an ass to your friends. You had told him you wouldn’t date him If he kept acting like this, so he promised to stop. And he kept his word. Today marks the day that Rafe hasn’t gotten in any fights with JJ, John B or Pope, for 3 weeks. It also marks 3 weeks of sobriety, at least of coke. Even before you started dating Rafe opened up about his use and you tried to help as much as you could. Mainly by distracting him.

So, today you decided to surprise him. You told him to come over to your boat. It wasn’t big, nor expensive. But you could drive with it and it was yours. You had lit fake candle lights and put little rose pedals around the deck, joined by a bottle of whiskey and snacks. As soon as Rafe arrived he saw the boat light up. He jogged over, only to see you, his princess, sitting between roses and pretend-candles, holding up the bottle of whiskey. Rafe got on the boat.

“Is this for me?” He asked shyly. You nodded.

“I’m incredibly proud of you baby and how much you changed the past month. In a good way.” He pulled you into a hug. You let go of him and looked in those beautiful blue eyes. Standing on your toes you pressed your lips against his.

“I love you, y/n.” Rafe said, making you crash into his lips again.

“I love you too, Rafe.” You let go of him, grabbing the bottle of whiskey. “So, what do you say?”

After a couple of drinks and the two of you messing around on the boat, you wanted to ask something. And, as if he could smell you wanted to, Rafe opened his mouth to ask you something.

“You first.”

“Alright, alright,” Rafe got up and sat down on one knee in front of you. “y/n y/l/n, do you want to go to midsummers with me?” You couldn’t help but laugh at his action.

“I thought we were-“

“I know, I know. But I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce you as my girlfriend.” Rafe couldn’t stop himself from smiling after calling you his girlfriend.

“Okay, yeah sure, I’ll go with you.” No doubt.

“Now, what did you want to ask me?”

“I was going to ask if you were down for a swim..” Rafe nodded and got up. He offered you his hand and pulled you up as well. You tried not to yell at him when he threw you in the water. He jumped as well. The two of you playing around in the water before you wrapped your legs around his waist, and he held your back. You opened your arms wide. “I love you thiiiiiis much!” You exclaimed before wrapping your arms around the boy.

Why'd you leave me with the good stuff, babe And forget about the mess we made? Oh, I wish that my mouth didn't smile when I think of you But you left me with the good stuff, babe And I know that it's a crying shame It's a million times harder when I don't hate you

The latest picture he had posted was of you in his bed, wearing his shirt which was way too big on you. He loved it. He loved seeing you wear his clothes. Even more so if he could take it off.

It had been a crazy party at Topper’s. Both you and Rafe had some drinks, not too many though. You had spent the day with the Pogues and Rafe was very happy to see you at the party. You talked about your day before joining Topper and Kelce at a game of beer pong.

“Show ‘em how it’s done baby.” Rafe cheered you on.

It was around 1 when you gave in and went to the toilet. A new personal record, though you did arrive fashionably late. You made small talk with a girl waiting on her friend. Her friend came out and gave you a look. “You’re with Rafe right?” You nodded, really needing to go to the toilet. “I heard he’s pretty big, if you know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean.” Her friend tried to pull her away.

“So, is he any good?”

“That’s none of your business.” You tried not to get angry, feeling your blood boil. Why would anyone ask that? You get that she was probably a bit drunk and you didn’t quit understand why you were getting so protective over Rafe, but you were.

Her friend pulled her away and you finally went to the toilet. Once you got back outside and found Rafe sitting down, you put your arms around him, whispering in his ear. “Rumor has it, you’re packing.” You laughed. Rafe didn’t quite get it. You see, the two of you have been dating for almost 2 months, but with everything going on you decided to take it slow. Needless to say, you haven’t actually gone there with Rafe. You kissed his cheek. And his neck. You looked around to see nobody watching you and nibbled softly on his earlobe. “Wanna head to your place?” You asked. Rafe got up immediately and told Topper you were off. You were already making your way to Rafe’s place. Rafe running up behind you and picking you up. He carried you on his back the rest of the walk. Once you arrived at his house, you went straight to his room. You sat down on his bed and Rafe close the door.

“Have I told you how much I love you yet today?” He walked up to you and put his hands on your cheeks. You moved your face towards his, making your lips touch. He sat down next to you and you crawled on top of his lap, taking his shirt of and kissing him. He held you by your waist and started kissing you neck.

It was a beautiful night with a lot of cuddles and ‘I love you’s’. Oh, I try to rewind Every scene in my mind And for you, I've got tunnel vision And I've blocked out every collision And in another life, yeah Do me a favour and try To leave me broken and bitter So moving on's a little quicker

After 8 months of having a wonderful relationship with Rafe, things started to go south. Rafe was fighting with his dad, which led to him visiting Barry again. At the same time money was tight at home and you had to spend more days working. You not being able to see Rafe as much and him hiding his drug use from you, brought a lot of tension in your relationship.

You spend the evening with the Pogues at the beach, drinking. You had just got done with working and went straight to the beach. It was just Kie, Pope, John B, JJ and you tonight. You were playing some games and talked for a while.

“So, what’s up with Rafe, y/n?” JJ asked. You were unsure why and looked at him confused. Pope tried to hush JJ, but that didn’t stop him. “Your little boyfriend is acting up again.” He said. You only just realized both JJ and Pope were covered in little cuts and bruises.

“What happened?” You looked though your phone in your bag.

“We were just delivering some groceries and I guess he is done playing nice. It was fun while it lasted.” Pope added. You were speechless. You also had 5 missed calls from Rafe.

“I’m so sorry guys, he’s been getting in fights with his dad lately.” They didn’t blame you. Your conversation was cut short when you heard a car pull up. It was Rafe. You got up immediately. So did the other Pogues. “I got it guys.” You reassured them. You walked up to Rafe, who got out of his car.

“Baby, why have you been ignoring my calls? I was worried.” He pulled you into a hug. You were confused.

“I was at work Rafe. I just got off.”

“Right and you don’t even check your phone?” He seemed angry with you. You shook your head.

“No, Rafe, I was hanging out with the Pogues.” He started to laugh.

“Right those Pogues.” It was your turn to get angry.

“They are my friends Rafe.”

“I can’t believe you left me for them. I need you, y/n.”

“Rafe, I know things aren’t easy for you at home, but that’s no reason to hurt my friends.” Rafe started to realize his fuck up.

“Is this it then?”

“Only if you make me choose.” You would pick the Pogues over Rafe, even if it meant breaking your own heart. “Maybe it’s for the better if we stopped seeing each other. We’ve been fighting and I know you’re using again.” Your voice was quiet. Not wanting Rafe to throw a tantrum in front of your friends. You would miss him, but you needed a break. You needed to find yourself and get your own shit together.

“Goodbye, y/n.” Was all he said before getting into his car.

After your breakup you missed Rafe so badly. It hurt walking past the places you two kissed, you still haven’t been to Sarah’s place and you try to avoid Figure 8. You put your phone down, grabbed your pillow and let it all out.

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Baby Moon

(Read Anne as Courtney!Anne)

Word count: 2959

———————

The queens first found her outside in their backyard seven months after their reincarnation. It was the middle of the night, they were watching a movie, and the full moon was out, bathing the city in hues of sterling and glimmering grey. And there, in their backyard, stood a naked girl with her head towards the glittering black sky.

She was paler than any person they’ve ever seen, as if the moonbeams had zapped all the color out of her skin and then bleached her with its own light. Her hair was the color of washed out gold, with only a few brown roots weakly reaching out from her scalp. If you were to cut open her wrists, they were sure her blood would come out silver.

The queens watched her from the windows and back door for a long time. They theorized that this girl was another reincarnate, but they had all been clothed when they came back, along with the ladies in waiting. Plus, it had been raining and day time. The night was clear with not a single cloud in sight.

Where had she come from? Who was she? What did she want?

So many questions ran through their mind, but only one thing kept blaring in Kitty’s over and over and over again.

Monster.

The girl outside doesn’t move. She just stays very still and keeps her head angled up to the moon. Rays of light were cascading down her back and rear and legs like a silver and white waterfall, painting her entire bare body with the essence of the night.

“Should we call the police?” Cathy asked nervously. Her hands were winding in the hem of her shirt like they did when she was worrying over something.

“She is trespassing,” Cleves agreed.

“No, wait,” Aragon said. “She isn’t doing anything wrong.”

“Aside from being naked on our property,” Jane muttered under her breath.

“I’ll go see what she wants.” Aragon said.

The others protested, but she assured them everything would be fine. However, she still brought a kitchen knife outside with her just to make them feel a little better.

Slowly, so slowly, Aragon crept up to the stranger. When she got closer, she could see the moonlight dripping into her skin, sinking into her back, melting into her chest. The others might not have known yet, but Aragon knew just looking at this girl—she was moonborn, called out only by the power of the moon.

That word, moonborn, made no sense to Aragon at the time. She had never heard of such a thing before and it sounded like a silly title pulled right out of a children’s tale, but something in her head told her it was important. It was important, but it would soon become the cause of great pain nobody would ever be able to fathom.

Aragon took another step forward and gently touched the girl’s shoulder; her skin was as cold as ice.

“Hello?” She called out. “Who are you?”

The girl shuddered under her hand. She turned around very slowly and Aragon gasped at the silver moons that blinked back at her.

———

The moon child asks to be called “Joan.”

It is difficult to communicate this at first, but then Aragon allows her to write it. Even when the color she chooses is bright chartreuse rather than the standard black, she doesn’t stop her. She’s been allowing her much recently.

———

Music is not a foreign thing to the moon child, although she was always lost in a tangle of thoughts and objectives. It‘s easy for chattering and scratching and flipping of parchment to drown out a melody, but it‘s easier for a weary body to absorb it.

It’s not the moon. It does not heal; it doesn’t even provide the respite that a bed does. But it is soothing, and it makes a rumble of something warm rise in her chest.

(She likes to rumble and trill and coo along to music, not really singing, not really vocalizing, but just following with soft noises of her own.

Kitty called it “alien speak.”

She stopped soon after that.)

For that, it is enough. Joan bows her head in gratitude after every rehearsal, thanking whoever was singing for the moment of peace. Sometimes she says it out loud, in her weak, creaky lunar voice. Other times she just smiles gratefully.

Aragon and Anne don’t seem to mind her silence. The moon child thinks they might even like her, just as she likes them and their songs. Even when the dark matter of Joan’s being weeps through the cuts in her skin and her bow is more akin to a slump, they still sing to her, even though she cannot answer their concerned glances.

But Kitty and Jane think she’s broken.

“Why doesn’t she speak?” Jane would ask, pleasantly pretending like she wasn’t in earshot. “We all spoke pretty easily after reincarnation. It’s been a month and she’s spoken, what ten words? But for some reason, she can learn several songs on a piano easier instead?”

“I don’t think we left her out in the moonlight for long enough,” Kitty would titter, and she would know that Joan was nearby. That’s why she said those things—to make her feel bad. “Or maybe aliens aren’t just suited for life on earth.”

Joan starts talking more, after that. She says things like a normal person and not a reincarnated lady in waiting from five hundred years ago that was strangely born from the moon. She acts normal, acts how she should, and acts the way people want her to be.

———

The moon child understands how goodbyes feel now, even if she’s not accompanied by a headless corpse or a weeping mother that’s foaming at the mouth.

Beyond that, she understands what it means to be taken by something, be it sickness, or power, or fear. Or grief. That one, too, will make you its own. That one especially.

Is her entire being not proof of that?

In the end, it is not just the river’s waters lapping at lonely London shores, having foreshadowed this weight. It is not just the mist of essence fading in the place of a friend. It is not just her mother and father, warping and vanishing in a strange, confusing dance. Not just her queen that bore a gown as silver as her eyes, resisting in the face of her own realization that the lunar being belonged to her more than the hot pink fiend. Not just the moons that gave her life.

It is so much more.

It is everything she cannot have and everything she does not want to do. It is frustration and selfishness and bitterness. It is want.

The moon child wants so badly. She wanted for her brother, and so she took what she could of what he gave, and built herself a name out of a throwaway title. She wants so badly for more of him, even if it means fighting. She wants back the little moments of closeness with anyone at all, moments she hadn’t thought to hold onto back when she was still under the illusion that she could keep them, keeping getting more of them.

How easy would it be, to solve things without just the cry of a voice if she hadn’t been destined to be silent and unloved?

How much easier, to bring life to fading hope and provide friendship for others? For herself?

She wants painfully for the small things like the shinier markers at the store, like the odd affectionate touches John used to give the top of her head. Like Aragon’s humming or Anne’s hugs or Jane’s forehead kisses or being one of the players in the theater games Cleves will start up or someone that inspires Cathy to create a character after her in one of her books. She even wants to get one of Kitty’s weird head bumps just to know she was important enough to receive one. She wants to hang out with Anne and Aragon more often because they tell stories and she likes that, and she wants the other ladies to accept her as one of them and not shun her as a creature of night that just so happens to know how to play piano.

But just as with the rising of the sun, none of this want means anything at all.

———

This much is clear: the moon child is a being of wanting. And she is regret, too, born of night and darkness, tucked and shaped into a frame too small to hold all this need. It is no surprise when the hairline fractures grow into cracks, nor when the cracks widen into gaping holes where the flesh has begun to collapse.

Joan is collapsing.

———

It gets easier to speak and act like everyone else as the days go by, but the jealousy and longing grows with it. She’s talking normally, but she’s envious all the time. She laughs and smiles and does everything as she should, but she’s always itching for affection.

The moon child begins to do things. Not bad things, just—things. Painting, for one. She thinks that if she makes presents for people then they’ll start to like her more, and it works for awhile, but then everyone just gets used to her offerings. Nobody hangs them up, unlike the art of fans, which get to be put up regally on bulletin boards and the sides of mirrors and on tables. Jane and Cathy even had their Instagram profile pictures as drawings some fans made for them.

But all of Joan’s paintings and sketches and colorings were pushed aside, tucked away inside drawers and crumpled up in purses to rot away into nothingness.

Nothing. That’s all they’ll ever be. And it’s all she’ll even be, too.

———

A bassist was sitting by one of the windows, staring dejectedly at the rain droplets pattering on the glass. The moon child notices when she’s making copies of some sheet music. When the bassist notices the moon eyes drilling into her, she turns away from them.

“Go away, Joan. Allow me to wallow in my own misery in peace.” She mutters harshly.

Joan would have left, if it weren’t for a nagging feeling in the back of her head telling her to stay. She stands right where she was. Bessie raises her head.

“What are you doing? Leave. Go away. I have nothing for you. Go back to your music director business or whatever. Chase after Jane for the hundredth time for all I care. Just leave me alone.”

There was another job to be done, but Joan wasn’t sure what it was exactly. Bessie just repeated for her to leave the longer she stood. Again. Again and again and again. When the moon eyes refused to move, the bassist’s voice got increasingly more frustrated.

“Do I have to escort you out myself?” She hisses, standing and glaring deep into those pools of liquid silver.

Joan shook her head.

“Then what are you doing here?”

She doesn’t know.

“Let me be depressed in peace!”

Still there.

“Do you not understand what I’m saying?” Bessie opens her hands like they were claws.

Joan still stares at her.

“I am not going to fight you, if that is what you are looking for. This is hardly an appropriate place.”

Joan wasn’t looking for a fight. No, there is something else.

“If you are looking to gloat, just get it over with already!”

She isn’t there to gloat.

Even when Bessie drew her arm back, she still did not leave.

“Why are you still here?! It’s not like you care!” Bessie yells, flinging something nearby—a picture frame. It barely brushes Joan’s arm, and explodes into a cloud of glass against the wall.

Bessie was prone to aggressiveness and anger, but she would never attack so sloppily and so carelessly.

She wasn’t herself.

“Get…get out of here…”

Bessie’s voice cracks, crumpling to her knees. She hunches over on herself taking in a shuddering breath. Her shoulders began trembling as her entire frame was wracked with irregular shaking. High-pitched sobs emanate from her.

She wasn’t okay.

Joan took a small step forward. She wasn’t like Bessie, but maybe she could be like her for a little bit. There was quite a noticeable size difference between the two, but that wouldn’t be a problem.

Joan kneels behind her, wrapping her arms around the bassist. She felt Bessie freeze up, breath hitching for a second. She squeezes a little, rests her chin on the older musician’s shoulder, and closes her glittering eyes.

A hug. Would that make her happier?

The sobs became quieter. Joan remains crouched and hugs her, letting her grieve. She wants to say something, anything that might bring her more comfort, but the most she could do is hug her a little more and hope that it brought her some happiness like it did long ago.

After an unknown amount of time, she finally stops, slowly pulling back.

“Joan…?”

Joan responds in that silent way of hers, tipping her head in a form of recognition.

“Why did you do that…?”

“Affection makes people happier.” Joan verbally answers. She wants to ask if she was happier.

“You know...people—Jane and Kitty— said you’re just an empty monster...you’re supposed to leave. You’re not supposed to care.” Bessie mumbles, head hanging down. “You’re not supposed to care about anyone…so why did you stay? Why did you hug me? Why me? Why? I just-“

A tear was dripping down her left cheek, almost as silver as those moon eyes staring down at her with so much concern and longing. She rears back when Joan tries to touch her again.

“You’re not a monster, are you…?” Bessie whispers. Joan stares back in silence. “You’re not a monster at all. You’re none of those things. You’re...you’re good.”

———

“I know you're angry-” Jane was saying to the creature of night after yet another painful rejection. “But with how you were created-”

“Born.” The moon eyes burn. “I was born. And I've committed no crime by existing.”

———

Anne watches the moon child sitting at her side. She had come over to the queen’s house for a reason she couldn’t quite remember, but was now stuck inside due to a raging blizzard. She sat on the couch in the living room, on the opposite end of Anne, like she was afraid her presence would taint the queen with an infectious black matter.

What did she want?

The moon child brought her legs up and folded them against her chest slowly, as if through water, her joints stiff.

“It’d be better if I weren’t here.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

That made Anne blink. “Of course not.”

“You hesitated.” She brought her face close to her knees, letting her too light hair fall over her too shiny eyes.

Stop doing that. Stop reaching out and then pulling away. Can’t you see I’ll do anything you want, if you’d just tell me what that is? What do you want?

Anne lifts her head a few inches, stretching out the sore spots in her neck.

“Joan, come here.”

Joan remained curled into herself.

“I will not ask again.”

That seemed to work better. Joan shifts sideways, drawing closer to her former queen. Her shoulders jolted a little as Anne wrapped an arm around them, pulling the two against each other. And then, she was tugging the awkwardly scrawny and small moon child into her lap.

(Where she belonged.)

“I will protect you,” She chose her words carefully. “To the best of my ability.”

That didn’t seem like a good place to leave off. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“I can’t be everything you want,” She continued, softer. “I can’t be Jane. But I’m here. And I want to take care of you, darling.”

She watched Joan’s head on her chest rise and fall with her breaths. A few beats pass before a small hiccup sounded from the lunar girl.

There were a few more hiccups that built up before they erupted into sobs, Joan’s shoulders heaving as they wracked through her. Loud whimpers and whines filled the air as Anne ran her fingers through the thick blonde tangles, rocking the poor, lonely moon child in her arms.

Joan cries steadily, head buried in her chest. Anne realizes that she didn’t even mind that a mess was being made down the front of her shirt.

Eventually the cries settle down, mixing together with the dull white noise of the television before fading off. Joan calms in her arms, snuggled up nicely, and it only gets better when Aragon joins their cuddle on the couch. Both queens hold the moon child, not caring about what anyone had ever said about her being wrong or weird or messed up compared to the other reincarnates. To them, she was perfect.

Their love filled Joan like the moonlight did. She had never felt anything so wonderful. She fit perfectly in their arms, like she had always belonged there.

And then, there was the gawker by the staircase. Joan could feel Kitty’s congealing resentment even from a distance. She could also feel Aragon and Anne’s love again, already half detached from everyone else, including the youngest of the bunch—Anne’s baby cousin. But Anne was just ready to give all her love to the moonborn pianist, not a distant family member born of daytime and rain.

Sorry, Katherine, Joan thought, settling back into the warmth and affection. Out there is my moon. And these are my mothers. And you will never be a part of that world.

[theastrophilearchitect]

WandaVision series review part 3.

You'd think I'd have learnt my lesson now--save the damn draft before you switch tabs to find the tags you want to add. But I haven't. Clearly.

The last two weeks I've posted parts 1 and 2 of my WandaVision review, because, even though by the time this goes up, WandaVision will have ended nearly a month ago, it's still all I can think about. Part 1 contained my initial thoughts and episodes 1-3 breakdown; part 2 contained episodes 4-6 breakdown, and this part will contain my episodes 6-9 breakdown and my final thoughts.

Episode Seven: ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ This episode was released on February 19th, with a runtime of still 37 minutes, following a 2000s-style sitcom format heavily influenced by Modern Family. 

Cue the recap, and we open to Wanda waking up in an empty bed. We then cut to an interview-style scene which I assume is based off Modern Family or another sitcom, like the interviews intermingled with reality TV, but there’s nothing to really pick apart; it’s just entertaining. The twins then run into Wanda’s bedroom and tell her their ‘game is freaking out’, and we see their controllers change over and over with that scarlet-TV texture. Billy comments that his head is noisy, an echo of the power shown in episode six, similar to Wanda’s own.

Interview-Wanda then says as punishment for expanding the borders, she plans on taking ‘a quarantine-style stay-cation’, which, written probably in 2019, did not age well. She goes downstairs to make milk, and it transforms between a carton and a bottle. These object shifts may be implying as Wanda expands the borders, she loses more and more control of even the things right beside her--the Hex is falling apart.

Cut to Hayward and SWORD setting up a new camp beside the new border of the Hex, but further back than before, likely to give them more time to move if it happens again.

Vision then wakes up in the circus the original SWORD camp was turned into, and, looking like his synthezoid self, is assumed to be a clown. He then sees Darcy, dressed as an escape artist, but she doesn’t remember him, clearly under Wanda’s control.

Wanda asks the twins if they’ve seen Vision, they ask if she wants them to look for him, and she replies, ‘If he doesn’t want to be here, there’s nothing I can do about it.’ It seems like she’s trying to defer her guilt at what she’s down to the townspeople. The twins then ask about Pietro--’Do not believe anything that man said. He is not your uncle.’ We saw Wanda blast him into a haystack towards the end of the last episode, but now he’s simply vanished. Wanda then laughs that she has none of the answers they expect her to, and makes some nihilistic comments. She uses her magic to open the door to a knock, and enter Agnes, who takes the kids next door to give Wanda some alone time. The furniture then begins to shift into pieces from the other decades, but Wanda fixes it.

Cut to Jimmy and Monica in a military vehicle they stole in the last episode, and Jimmy explains in Darcy’s hacking, she found a secret project called Cataract, to bring Vision back online--to fix the Vision. But it failed, until Wanda brought him back, which was why Hayward was so focused on Vision over Wanda in the Hex. They then meet some non-SWORD military people, who unveil a higher-grade vehicle, presumably for Monica to attempt to safely re-enter the Hex.

God, I love seeing Darcy in this show. She was the only good thing about the first two Thor movies. So Vision zaps Darcy, and she wakes up. They steal a circus vehicle--a transformed SWORD vehicle--and Vision asks her some questions about the Hex she doesn’t actually know the answers to.

The tension really builds in this episode, simply as it cuts between characters in much shorter intervals than in previous ones. We watch a montage of things in Wanda’s house shifting, then cut to an interview, where she explains that she doesn’t know what’s happening. Then, the person behind the camera asks, ‘Do you think maybe this is what you deserve?’ The voice doesn’t sound familiar, but knowing who the interviewer is, I can hear it. Wanda questions this because the interviewer isn’t supposed to talk, then cut to this episode’s advert.

This is for a drug called Nexus--’A unique anti-depressant that works to anchor you back to your reality. Or the reality of your choice.’ ‘Nexus. Because the world doesn’t revolve around you. Or does it?’ As someone who hasn’t actually read any comics, this information is very second-hand, but a Nexus Being in the comics is a powerful being with the power to alter reality and time--essentially in possession of the Infinity Stones’ powers without possessing the Stones themselves. This brings with it the implication that is what Wanda is--more than just a girl who got powers from the Mind Stone, but Nexus Beings aren’t elaborated on in the rest of the show.

Cut to Agnes and the twins; Billy says he likes it there, because Agnes’s mind is quiet, which is compared to Wanda. I want to explain the implications of this, but I’ve been trying to only spoil things as I get to them, so I’m going to keep my mouth shut, or rather... what’s the keyboard equivalent? God knows. Anyway, Agnes tells them not to worry about Wanda, because ‘she’s supermom’, which, you know, is a fun superhero thing.

Cut back to Monica, who prepares some kind of suit to re-enter the Hex. She gets in, and drives toward the barrier, but when the wheels meet it, they fail to pass, and begin to drive up the barrier, flipping Monica onto her back. The vehicle begins to rewrite itself and break apart; Monica manages to clamber out of a trapdoor in the roof. Jimmy prepares a medical thing, and the barrier spits out the vehicle. Monica turns back, drops her helmet, and plunges into the barrier, and presses through. Her body warps, we hear echoes of Captain Marvel, we hear Carol’s quote about Maria being given the toughest kid, and her body reforms, her eyes light up blue, and she passes all the way through, eyes still glowing, and we see a shots of her warped vision, almost as though she can see energy or EM radiation.

Darcy tries to explain why Wanda killed Vision to him, and though the road is empty, a traffic light is red. As it turns green, roadworkers approach, impeding them and preventing Vision from returning to central Westview. 

Monica enters Wanda’s house, who threatens her, and lifts her telekinetically out onto the street, where she is watched by the neighbours. Wanda drops Monica to the ground, but she pulls a superhero landing, with blue lights for effect--her DNA has been rewritten by the Hex’s borders for the third time, and it’s clearly unlocked something. Wanda continues to threaten her, and Monica says to do it--’Don’t let [Hayward] make you the villain,’ to which Wanda replies, ‘Maybe I already am.’ Which is fair, but then villains never think they’re the bad guys.

Agnes watches them from a window. Monica tries to talk Wanda down, then Agnes comes outside, tells Monica to leave, and takes her inside. The people haven’t questioned Wanda’s magic, or Monica’s apparent new powers, which merely shows the extent of Wanda’s control. It’s also interesting that Monica didn’t fall under her control again when she re-entered the Hex.

Cut to Vision and Darcy, the roadworks clear away, but someone with a stop sign and a queue of crossing children continue to block their way. Vision phases through the van’s roof, and flies away.

Wanda notices the kids’ show on Agnes’s TV, and the half-eaten food on the coffee table, and realises the twins are missing. She asks, and Agnes tells her they’re probably in the basement, where Wanda then obviously goes. The basement walls are covered in branches, made of stone, and there is no reply when Wanda calls for the twins. She then enters an ancient chamber, walls engraved with runes, and a spellbook on the side.

Agnes comes downstairs, stroking Senor Scratchy, the rabbit Wanda and Vision used in their magic act way back in episode two, and says, ‘You didn’t think you were the only magical girl in town, did you?’ Agnes shuts the door with a twist of her hand and some purple sparks.

‘The name’s Agatha Harkness. Lovely to finally meet you, dear.’

Purple fogs Wanda’s eyes, and cue the best moment in the entire series: Agatha All Along. This musical number essentially shows that Agatha has been behind everything that’s gone wrong for Wanda, aside from SWORD, obviously, and is such a good song. Go listen to it. Now. Immediately. Go. 

We see her screw up the magic show, send Pietro to the door, and we see her sitting behind the interview camera.

‘And I killed Sparky, too.’ Insert maniacal laughter, and cue the credits.

We sit through to the split between the animated credits and typical black and white scrolling ones, and this episode has an mid-credits scene. I checked for one the first few episodes, then gave up, and I can’t remember what it was that made me find this one, if it was just letting the credits play, or feeling the odd urge to check, or what.

We watch Monica try to find a way into Agatha’s house. She pulls open basement doors, then--’Snooper’s gonna snoop.’ Fake Pietro stands behind her, dressed in a beanie, hair no longer mostly white as per Quicksilver’s design.

This is my second-favourite episode overall, first being episode 8, and contains the biggest switch since episode 4. We meet the big bad, since Marvel is literally incapable of writing a story in which the climax isn’t between the hero and a villain with their exact same powers. (WandaVision takes this to the extreme, but that would be a spoiler.)

Episode Eight: ‘Previously On’ Released February 26th, Marvel blessed us with an episode 46 minutes long! At last! This was the second episode to completely break the sitcom format (first being episode 4, obviously), which leaves us in 2000s-themed Westview, but without a laugh track or any other sitcom elements.

We open with a recap, including Jimmy Woo’s explanation of Wanda and Pietro’s origins pre-Avengers from what I believe was episode 5. Or was it 4? Probably 4, because it was really soon after Hayward was introduced, in episode 4. Yes. Let’s go with that. 

This episode opens in Salem, Massachusetts, 1693, and we watch Agatha dragged to and magically tied to a stake, to be killed for betraying her coven of witches, by practising dark magic, but she denies it. She then relents and admits it, begs for help to control it, but the witches blast some kind of blue magic at her, which Agatha turns violet, and absorbs, killing the witches wielding it. The witch she calls mother, who also seems to be the leader of the coven, blasts her with magic after the others are dead, and as she does so, a kind of crown of the same blue light glows around her head (something I would neither notice nor question if I had not yet watched the series the whole way through). Agatha absorbs her magic and kills her, too. She steals a necklace from her mother, flies away, and we cut back to present.

Wanda tries to penetrate Agatha’s mind, but she tells her her thoughts were never available--a repeat of Billy calling her mind ‘quiet’ in episode 7, but I’m not actually sure the point of this, aside from limiting information available to both Wanda and the audience. Wanda’s Sokovian accent also returns in this scene. She tries to use her magic, but Agnes puts her in magical binds and explains that the runes in the walls mean ‘only the witch who cast the runes can use her magic’. Agatha also explains how she possessed fake Pietro--Fietro--not so she could control his mind, but so she could see through his eyes and ears.

Agatha questions how Wanda cast so many spells to control so many people, so many objects and locations all at once, when she had no magical training, which confuses Wanda because she doesn’t use incantations the way Agatha does; her magic is more through willpower and intention. 

Agatha then brings Wanda through a door, in an attempt to comprehend how she did it, and it leads them to an old, one-room living space in Sokovia--Wanda’s childhood, before her parents died. They prepare for a TV night, and their father invites young Wanda to pick, showing her a box containing various sitcoms--Bewitched, Malcolm in the Middle, I love Lucy, Who’s the Boss?, The Addams Family etc.--many of which acted as the basis for episodes of WandaVision, but she chooses The Dick Van Dyke Show. This love of sitcoms, the ideation in comparison to the Cold War outside, is where Wanda’s subconscious choice of making Westview into one--her version of a paradise for herself and Vision.

Then a bomb goes off outside, killing their parents and leaving Wanda and Pietro in rubble. A bomb lands before them, Stark Industries written on the side, but their television is behind it, and Dick Van Dyke still plays. 

Cut back to present Wanda and Agatha; Wanda says the bomb was defective, but they were trapped for two days, and Agatha implies it not going off was Wanda’s doing, believing her to be a witch like herself.

They move onto a HYDRA testing chamber, where teenage volunteer-Wanda stands near the sceptre from The Avengers, the one Thanos gave to Loki, the one containing the Mind Stone. She moves toward it, and the sceptre’s blue orb breaks from the handle; floats towards her. She touches it, and it bursts, revealing the yellow Mind Stone inside, and letting out a kind of wind blast. In the light, Wanda sees a silhouette reminiscent of the original Scarlet Witch design.

They take Wanda to isolation, and we watch some scientist replay the tape from the testing chamber, but in the footage, the orb doesn’t move; she moves to the room’s centre, then it cuts to her lying on the ground.

Agatha concludes that the Mind Stone amplified a dormant power, and they move to a memory of the Avengers compound post-Avengers: Age of Ultron. Past-Wanda is grieving for Pietro, Vision enters her room, and she invites him to sit. They discuss the comedy on her TV, then he asks if she wants to talk about her grief, and she describes it as ‘this wave washing over [her], again and again. It knocks [her] down, and when [she tries] to stand up, it just comes for [her] again.’ Vision tries to reassure her, then says the thing that everyone’s been quoting but hit me hard: ‘But what is grief, if not love persevering?’

Agatha asks present-Wanda what happened when there was no-one there to pull her back from the dark, and when Wanda refuses, she presses. They shift into the SWORD compound, where past-Wanda approaches the desk demanding to be given Vision’s body post-Avengers: Endgame. This is the point from the CCTV Hayward showed Monica, Darcy, and Jimmy, claiming Wanda stole Vision’s body.

The receptionist calls somebody, and sends her down the hall, and I can’t help but notice that in her grief, in her hoodie and jeans, her hair is perfectly curled. She goes to Hayward’s office, who takes her into a windowed chamber, beneath which she can see mechanics/engineers doing something to Vision’s body, colour faded and parts broken up. The eyes in his severed head are white, and Wanda is upset, but Hayward questions why she wants to bury him, when she has the power to ‘bring [her] soulmate back online.’ But Wanda says she can’t do it, like when she refused to bring back Sparky, and Hayward tells her his materials are too valuable to just be buried, but offers her the chance to say goodbye. He tells her Vision isn’t hers, and she shatters the glass; lowers herself into the room.

Hayward calls off the guards who raise their guns at her. She lifts her power to his head, where the mind stone was: ‘I can’t feel you,’ reminiscent of the I just feel you, in Avengers: Infinity War, when the Stone bothered him in the night in Scotland. And she leaves, without the body, proving to the audience that Hayward is a liar.

Wanda drives to Westview, real Westview, where she watches the people go about their regular lives, but they seem sad. They all seem sad. She drives to a plot, the outline of a house marked by a concrete foundation, holding a piece of paper from an envelope in the car. She unfolds it to find a plan for the house: To grow old in. -V. Wanda breaks down in what is presumably the plot she turned into their house in the Hex, and her power explodes from her, in huge gusts we’ve never seen. The house forms itself, then it goes further, transforming the town and turning it to monochrome in preparation for WandaVision episode one.

Streams of power turn gold in the air, and form the silhouette of a body, which solidifies into Vision, black and white Vision, dressed in 50s clothes. Wanda remains in colour, in her regular clothes, then she turns to monochrome, to her 50s outfit, and Vision greets her. And despite the seriousness of this scene I can’t get over the damn bullet bra. 

And the pair sit down to watch the television, then the surroundings shift, and we see present-Wanda in her 2000s living room, but in a set, with empty seats for a live audience before her. Agatha claps from them, then vanishes. We hear the twins yell, and Wanda comes outside to find Agatha magically garrotting them, dressed in full-witchy attire.

Agatha describes Wanda as ‘a being capable of spontaneous creation’, calls it chaos magic--’And that makes you the Scarlet Witch.’ I feel like I ought to say roll credits, only that’s not even the name of the show. Before WandaVision’s title was officially announced, I remember seeing speculation that it would simply be called Vision and the Scarlet Witch, like Falcon and the Winter Soldier. 

The credits roll, and, halfway through, we cut to Hayward and SWORD outside the Hex. Hayward goes into a tent, describes all their hard work at something, ‘but all we needed was a little energy directly from the source;’ and we’re shown the missile Wanda dragged out of the Hex in episode 5, glowing red. Someone flips a switch, and we watch lights turn on in a glass chamber, containing Vision, rendered in pure white, who wakes up. Another Vision, made from the original, and yet before this episode, due to the constant thing about twins, people were speculating there were two Wandas. Wrong character, right idea.

This is my favourite episode in the show: it’s magical, and it makes everything make so much more sense. We see that the Hex’s creation was an accident, but Wanda was ‘making it up as [she went] along,’ like the theme song in, I believe, episode 5. I just love origin stories.

Episode Nine: ‘The Series Finale’ This finale was released on March 5th, with a grand total of 49 minutes of runtime, and, epic as it was, I found it to be rather disappointing, following a fairly typical Marvel formula, compared to the originality of the rest of the series. Granted, parts of this episode in particular were shot in 2020, so they didn’t quite go as planned, but still. The CGI is excellent though.

We open to exactly where we left off; Wanda frees the twins and sends them inside, then sends a blast at Agatha, who absorbs it-- ‘I take power from the undeserving. It’s kinda my thing’--and Wanda’s hand begins to blacken. Agatha offers her Westview in return for her magic, which Wanda obviously doesn’t accept. White Vision lands behind her, and she goes to him, confused. He places his hands on her face, but presses, trying to crack her skull, and it becomes clear he is doing Hayward’s bidding.

In sweeps Wanda’s Westview-Vision (who we’ll call Red Vision) and blasts White Vision away. The two swoop off together for their own fight, Wanda flies after Agatha, and we see Monica locked in a messy living room with Fietro, where she has presumably been since the end of episode 7.

The Visions fight each other, in that classic Marvel way of pitting the hero against a villain with an identical skillset (I’m looking at you, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and basically every other movie. Seriously, Marvel needs to make more villains like Loki, instead of introducing them at the start of a film and having them somehow taken out of the equation by the end). It’s a cool sequence, as they phase through each other and plummet up and down. I love flying sequences.

At SWORD, Jimmy calls out Hayward, saying he won’t be able to cover this out, but Hayward says Wanda stopped her show, so there’s no evidence, and there’ll only be one Vision by the end, who people will assume Wanda resurrected. But Jimmy says he has called some friends from Quantico--whatever that is--to expose Hayward, who handcuffs him, but Jimmy is a magician, so he frees himself and actually calls somebody to apprehend Hayward.

Wanda arrives in the town square, to no sign of Agatha, and is then blasted to the ground by her from behind. Agatha summons a book we saw in her basement: ‘The Scarlet Witch is not born, she is formed. She has no coven, no need for incantation. [Her] power exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme’--Doctor Strange--’It’s [her] destiny to destroy the world.’ But Wanda denies that she is a witch. Agatha casts a spell on Dottie from episode 2, apparently bringing her back to consciousness. She tells Wanda her name is Sarah, and begs her to let her bring her daughter out of her room. Wanda accuses Agatha, who replies, ‘She’s your meat puppet. I just cut her strings.’ I just love that line, for some reason.

Agatha casts another spell, and everyone in the square returns to their senses, approaches and surrounds Wanda. 

Monica finds a document in the room with Fietro, that says his name is Ralph Bohner. This was incredibly unsatisfying to me--it’s interesting that Fietro is actually the Ralph Agnes constantly mentioned, but nothing else comes of this, and, as of the end of the series, Pietro and his changed face are simply an elaborate boner joke. I wish his face had some kind of relevance as of now, but it may become relevant in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, because that’s obviously where we’re really going to delve into the multiverse, and it features Wanda, so it would make sense.

Monica pins down Ralph and tears a string of beads from his neck, which glowed purple; the thing allowing Agatha to control him.

In the twins’ room, Billy has a vision (heh) of what is happening with Wanda, and they run outside.

The people around Wanda bombard her with their real stories, their real problems. ‘When you let us sleep, we have your nightmares.’ She yells that she’s kept these people safe, but they beg to be freed, and the noise builds, until Wanda screams, with a burst of power that toes ropes around their necks, suffocating them, but she stops it. Mrs Hart begs her, ‘If you won’t let us go, just let us die.’ Agatha taunts her that heroes don’t torture people, and she sends out a blast of power, that highlights the Hex’s border crimson, and it begins to break apart. She tells them all to leave now.

His white counterpart blasts Red vision to the ground, near Wanda but he begins to break apart. The twins arrive, and begin to break apart, tied to the Hex. It looks weirdly like a LEGO advert, but Wanda recloses to Hex to save them. You know, what? I’m still not sure why it’s hexagonal. I wouldn’t question it being round, or quadrilateral, but hexagonal seems too intentional.

Agatha blasts the family with magic, and Wanda shields them, but Agatha absorbs the power. SWORD vehicles roll into the square, hayward in one, having apparently managed to cross the border before Wanda closed it again. White Vision rolls into the scene and slams Red Vision through the walls of and into a library, and Red stops White attacking him by explaining that he is not the true Vision, because he’s just Wanda’s version.

Wanda flies up, again after Agatha, while the twins use their powers to take away SWORD’s guns, and Hayward comes out with a pistol, which he fires at them, but Monica, having freed herself from Ralph, blocks the bullets. They ripple through her body, and pass through, but fall to the ground as her eyes glow orange. As Hayward drives back, then revs up to apparently run them over, Darcy, in the circus van, slams his vehicle into the side of a building.

We cut to the Vision’s pondering the Ship of Theseus--a philosophical thought experiment. If the Ship of Theseus has one of its planks replaced, it remains the Ship of Theseus. But, if all the planks are replaced over time, is it still the same ship? And what if the old planks are reassembled into another ship; which is then the true ship? This is a metaphor for the two Vision’s--White being the reassembly of the old planks, and Red being the replaced.

Red Vision proposes that the true ship is the one touched by Theseus himself, with the wear and tear, suggesting White Vision is the true one, because he has the memories Red doesn’t; the one touched by Wanda. White Vision claims he does not have the memories, but Red tells him his data banks are not so easily wiped--they’re there, just withheld. White allows Red to do his zappy thing, and the memories of everything Vision went through pre-WandaVision comes back to him. White says he is the true Vision, and flies away through the roof.

Meanwhile, Wanda sneaks up behind Agnes and does the nightmare-mind thing she did to the Avengers at the beginning of Avengers: Age of Ultron, sending her mind to the stake at the opening of episode 8. The desiccated witches rise, but instead turn on Wanda, calling her a witch, again, and again. The witches wrest Wanda onto the stake instead, but a red crown, like the blue on Agatha’s mother in episode 8, materialises on her head, formed of the same light as her magic. It’s really jarring at this point that she’s still in a hoodie and sweatpants.

Wanda blasts away the other witches, and they emerge from the nightmare, back to Westview. She and Agatha rise, blast magic at one another, and Wanda’s hands blacken further as Agatha absorbs more and more. She sends a blast at one of Westview’s walls, and a spot ripples in the middle of each. 

Wanda’s face seems to age, like the witches of Agatha’s coven, and Agatha absorbs streams of magic, until Wanda has none left. She gives her some depressing lecture, then tries to blast Wanda out of the sky, but it doesn’t work. Her hands begin to blacken, and Wanda’s face youthens, then the camera pans to reveal runes on Westview’s walls, like those in the basement, now disabling Agatha’s magic. Little confused how Wanda stayed flying when Agatha took her power, and how Agatha now stays flying.

The red crown reappears on Wanda’s head, her eyes glow, she reabsorbs her power from Agatha, and, as she does, she changes. Her hair comes down, and she becomes the silhouette she saw in the Mind Stone at HYDRA, finally getting a Scarlet Witch costume, and it is epic. 

They return to the ground, and Wanda uses her powers to put Agatha under the control she had the other residents under, to turn her into the Nosy Neighbour once and for all. Wanda leaves Agatha alive, so she could return in future instalments,.

Wanda, Red Vision, and the twins return to their home, and the Hex’s border contracts, until it covers only their street. They put the boys to bed, and Vision begins, ‘Your mother and I...’, and, when I first watched this, I really thought he was going to say ‘...are getting a divorce,’ but he simply finishes, ‘...are very proud of you both.’

Wanda says that ‘a family is forever,’ clearly already in mourning for the children she’s about to lose. They finish up, the border continues contracting, and Wanda turns off the lamps in the living room, though Vision turns one on, to say goodbye. As the border progresses towards them, Vision asks what he is, and says some literal and romantic crap; they kiss, talk a little, and he breaks apart as the border reaches them, and the house returns to the empty plot it once was.

Wanda is left standing exactly how she was before she formed the Hex, same hair, same clothes, puts up her hood, and walks into town. where the people glare as she approaches Monica, who says, ‘They’ll never know what you sacrificed for them.’  They have a classic series-wrap-up conversation, then Wanda shifts into her Scarlet Witch outfit, and flies away.

Mid-credits scene; we see Jimmy just after the debrief, Hayward is put in handcuffs, and Monica is called into the theatre, where she meets someone wearing a police badge, who shifts into a skrull. The skrull says a friend of Monica’s mother’s would like to meet with her, presumably Talos, and when Monica asks where, she just points up. 

And an end-credits scene opens in a pan shot, zooming to a cabin by a lake in the woods, where Wanda, dressed in sweats, sits on the porch with a mug. We follow her inside as the kettle whistles, but the camera continues into the bedroom, where her astral form sits, dressed as the Scarlet Witch, with the Darkhold, the book Agatha had. When we see Doctor Strange astral-project, his body falls unconscious, and this truly proves the Scarlet Witch is more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme, as aforementioned.

This series really solidified my love for Wanda and Vision--Wanda, who I liked before, but mostly because of her powers than her character, which lacked development, and Vision, who I kinda hated because of his moral-high-ground bullshit, but who I now love--brought back fan favourites Darcy Lewis and Jimmy Woo, and set up Monica’s future plotlines. In truth, I liked Agatha better before she went full-witch mode, but she was an enjoyable villain. Hayward, on the other hand, was someone easy to hate, but not to such a level it was fun to hate him.

Every episode kept me on my feet, and every week I screamed I couldn’t wait for another. Part of my love for this was because we’d had no MCU content since July 2019, with Spider-Man: Far From Home, but it was just such excellent storytelling. Though the climax was a little disappointing, it was still more entertaining than most action sequences, where things happen so quickly I just zone out, and the visuals were incredible. I loved the sitcoms, and the differentiation at the end. Episode 4 was the perfect time to finally give us some form of explanation.

Basically, watch this damn show. Though I’d be surprised if you got this far without watching it. Watch it, make everyone else watch it, and, writers, take notes. The best stories are the ones with excellent characters and an excellent plot, and WandaVision mastered it.

[writingawaymylife]

Dance Around - Jump Forward Part 1

I’m back! And this time with an entirely new obsession. 

Death Stranding has become one of my favorite games at the moment, and I’m really loving (most) of the characters. Higgs is probably my favorite, just because he is so, personally, fascinating. He is also voiced by Troy Baker, who, if you don’t know, if an exceptionally talented voice actor who played Joel in The Last of Us.

I got this entire story from an ask that @dirty-higgs-confessions had gotten a week or so back, it was meant to be more a humorous idea, but I’ve always loved my angst.

Also! Please help me out with this! If there’s something that seems off (especially with Higgs’ character), go ahead and tell me! I really want to write him properly, and while I’m going to be writing a lot for him because of that, any help is always appreciated :)

Please Enjoy - Dance Around - Jump Forward Part 1

Warnings - Swearing, Higgs

Words - 3461 (10 google doc pages)

          The Death Stranding left most people with a type of pain indescribable. Everything that kept people going in life - everything that people held dear - was ripped away in the blink of an eye. Snap. Boom. Explosion after explosion decimated the world to nothing but a foreign wasteland. Warping it into some alien planet and forcing the people inhabiting it to adapt without a moments notice. Then, before anyone could even begin to unwrap the baggage they were given, humanity began to tear at the seams. People became distant, cold - hiding away from the world that had turned its back on them as well. 

The people that were born after the Stranding? They didn’t have it any better either. Parents who were unable to deal with their own mental health, weren’t able to give their children what they needed to flourish. The people who tried to keep everything together and tied with a neat bow crumbled as well, until only a few scrambled to keep the pieces in the same box.

Vulnerability had become a weakness. Caring for people risked more weight to be added to one’s shoulders. Emotions were buried somewhere deep and desolate, covered in chains and locks. Sealed shut in a place no one would be able to reach. 

In the end, feeling nothing was easier than the dawning realization that followed when coming to the sudden, and harsh, realization that everything was eventually going to crumble to dust. 

It was bleak, depressing, but to most of all, it was the only way to survive. 

Emotions were unreliable. They didn’t help people to survive. If anything - they were the reason for countless, and avoidable, deaths. Sentiment and heroism only served to cloud their judgment, and left them vulnerable to more pain than what they had already experienced  - more than ever they needed or deserved.

(Y/N) was taught this as soon as they could understand words, the ideologies were pounded into their mind until it became a mantra they repeated over and over again, often when even the mere thought of becoming something more than a passerby - a stranger to all - crossed their minds. 

Though it was lonely it was also safe. They had learned the repercussions of having connections long ago.

That’s why when Higgs came into their life, they had tried to damnedest to not let the craving for the attention, for that bloody connection, get in the way of the logical choice. He was nothing more than another passerby, bound to leave one way or another. 

The occurrence of their connection was unplanned - just a mere result. (Y/N) had just very thoroughly taught a camp of Homo Demens that they weren’t one to be fucked with. No one was dead, but to say (Y/N) went easy on them would be a laughable. Higgs had appeared, ready to make an example of them, when, for some peculiar reason he couldn’t quite point out if asked, he had changed his mind. 

They were entertaining, didn’t blink an eye when he tried to scare them, only gave him a blank stare before continuing to walk passed him. Whatever threats he threw their way, (Y/N) would just clench their jaw and continue on with whatever they were doing.  They hadn’t even blinked an eye when he summoned some BTs, only a tilt of the head before looking him dead in the eye and challenging him. 

“Do it.” They had said it casually, as if they weren’t asking him to feed them to BTs. As if they weren’t asking him to do the one thing everybody fears the most. 

From then on he made it his mission to bother them, drive them up the wall whenever he decided he was bored and needed some sustenance. (Y/N) had almost throttled him for the number of times he had said just the right nerve to get them furious. Higgs seemed to enjoy the red hot rage he initiated whenever he spoke. 

They danced around each other, thinly veiled threats and insults thrown both ways at every possibly turn. 

Neither knew when those insults slowly became warm and endearing, - hell, (Y/N) didn’t know how Stalker, a nickname they gave him after he found them for the fifteenth time that month, stopped being thrown in hopes of him leave them alone. 

Soon those dances - those shared moments and conversations turned into something more. Something that became convoluted yet oh so simple as the months rolled by.

If (Y/N) had to pin the true emergence of these feelings, or whatever they thought they were, to one time, it would be when he appeared in their shelter. Zapping in without a moments notice, leaning against the kitchen island with his hands gripping the countertop. He looked weary. Shoulders didn’t hold nearly as much of the strength and arrogant cockiness that they always held. The bags under his eyes seemed darker, heavier. The smile on his face, one that made (Y/N) to feel far too many emotions for them to process, was fleeting and distant. He looked like a ghost of his true self.  

His teases didn’t hold nearly as much mirth to them, either He looked… conflicted. Like something dark and heavy was weighing on his mind, encircling it in a cloud he just couldn’t shake off. Hell, even when he called them “darlin’”, it seemed to come out with less of an expectation for some threat or insult to be thrown back, and more… (Y/N) stopped that train of thought before it could go any further.

“The fuck are you doing here, Stalker?” Their words came out harsh, but more out of playing the act than actually trying to be hostile. Higgs gave a soft, flat chuckle and a shake of his head. He gave a quick grin, though forced, and throw a jab their way, again, forcefully. 

“Oh, nothing really,” He started, hands falling from the counter and sliding into his pockets. “Just came to see how my favourite ball of joy was doing, Darlin’.” He gave a quick wink, but it only took a few seconds before (Y/N) could see the smile was growing heavy on him. They would have thrown something back had it not been for the way his eyes left theirs to navigate the house. It was if he knew that they could sense something was wrong, and couldn’t bare to see the realization kick into their eyes.

There was silence for a few minutes. Not tense, but definitely not comfortable either. (Y/N) realized he wasn’t going to explain why he was actually here, not anytime soon. It was a mystery, just like the rest of him. An enigma that (Y/N) had a hard time not finding fascinating. They always wondered what thoughts went trailing through his head. What he was thinking in those moments when the two talked. 

What he was thinking when he decided to cause tragedy after tragedy.

There was a tinge of frustration in their chest when they realized that he was just going to stay quiet. At this point, however, they knew they shouldn’t have been surprised. Higgs had a near phobia of vulnerability, a fear that they couldn’t blame him for having. Not when they felt the exact same way. He was definitely not going to be telling them anything even relatively emotional anytime soon, not without prying his walls open with selfish claws. Though (Y/N) wanted to ask, it was obvious that interrogating wasn’t going to do anything other than push him away.

On top of it all, for some reason, a part of them would much rather have been welcomed a look inside his mind on his own time. Given a key to roam the wings of his mind instead of forcing themselves in. He was a strong man, no doubt. But they could tell that he could breakdown so easily if someone was given the right route to the safe where he kept his emotions.

(Y/N) gave him a soft smile as they walked past him into the kitchen. They made sure to give his shoulder to lightest of nudges with theirs. “How about a drink?”

Things changed after that. Though, not entirely for the worse. 

Including the numerous times he would blip into their life on the road, there were the nights when he would appear in (Y/N)’s bunker. Often in an array of different moods, sometimes he would be like the first time he came, and other times seemed to be because he actually just… missed them - though both knew he would never say that. 

It turned into a schedule eventually. Every second weekend, if not every single one, for a night of just talking. Discussing anything that came to mind and sharing stupid stories and theories. (Y/N) would be lying if they said that those nights weren’t their favourite. It made their weeks just a little more tolerable. 

Now, (Y/N) was never one for believing in permanent bonds with people. People came and went - that was that. They had learned enough about that from their times out in this nearly dystopian world. But with each time they talked to Higgs, the strand between them seemed to grow stronger. Intertwining and making it more difficult for them to be apart the longer they were together.

Though neither of the two admitted it, though neither believed the other truly felt the same, the connection they had created seemed unbreakable. 

Then…

Then everything came crashing down. 

Quick and harsh. A whirlwind of events that had everything (Y/N) had built with Higgs slowly fall apart. 

“What the fuck do you mean you can’t “deal” with me anymore!?” (Y/N)’s voice rang out through the shelter. Arms opened in exasperation, eyes wide with confusion and thinly veiled fear.

“Exactly what it means, Darlin’.” His mask was on. Voice muffled from the thick plastic and chiralium mask. They couldn’t remember the last time he wore that around them, or bring up anytime when he wore it inside (Y/N)’s bunker.  “I’ve got more important problems.”  His shoulders moved up in a jagged shrug. It felt so casual, as if he hadn’t just broken their heart in seconds like it was nothing.

As if everything the two had built was nothing.

As if (Y/N) was nothing. 

Finally, the emotions were coming to the surface. Among the toxic brew of shock, anger, resentment, and fear, there was this sickening - overwhelmingly painful emergence of fucking love. Strong and potent and they were amazed this was the first time they had genuinely, truly noticed it.

“So-so what? You’re just going to act like we don’t have anything between us? Like this was nothing more than a way to pass the fucking time!?” (Y/N)’s voice was getting louder, and it took everything in them to not let that crack at the end become something worse. They were not going to meltdown now. 

There was a thick silence in the air, and (Y/N) could have sworn his shoulders tensed just slightly before he straightened to his full height and took a step forward, menacingly, as if hoping to intimidate the only person who had never once been scared of him. 

“Oh?” His head tilted and the chuckle he let out was most definitely condescending. (Y/N) could almost feel the kind of grin he had on his face. The one he used just before he said something stupid.  “And just what did you think this was?” He was mocking them now. A deep, resounding chuckle filled the new found emptiness as he shook his head. “You didn’t truly think that I, Higgs, the particle of God that permeates all of existence would feel sentiment towards you? A half-decent porter with attachment issues?”

There was no way to stop the shuddering breath that escaped after that.

“... Fuck…” (Y/N) hissed under their breath, cursing the tears that were slipping from their traitors of eyes. They looked down, unable to look at that mask anymore, and pinched the bridge of their nose. They hoped this wasn’t true. That Higgs was panicking and running away or-or trying to protect them in some pathetic and dreadful way. 

It was all too much to handle, and the pain growing in their chest turned into what they imagined placing hot coal on top of their heart would feel like. Boiling the blood in their veins as they looked up with what must have been the sourest look they had given him. 

There was no way they were going to let him treat them like this, no way they were going to believe these disgusting lies when the past two months had been something utterly different from any other time in their relationship.  They took a step forward, looking up at him with a jutted chin and clenched jaw, challenging him.

“So. What now? Are you going to kill me?” (Y/N) took another shaky step forward. “Let my body rot and necrotize? Cause a voidout because that’s what fucking terrorists do?”

Higgs froze at that. Shoulders tightening up yet again, like iron coils twisting just before they were about to snap. 

The question hung in the air.

“If I’m of no use to you anymore, it would only make sense, wouldn’t it?”

(Y/N) was about to let a small laugh out, a sigh of relief, after he didn’t reply. They opened their mouth, about to explain to him just what he did and how stupid it was for him to push away the only person who cared so much for him, but he jumped before they could. Black specks chiralium hanging in the air. A second later the sound of him jumping back into existence appeared. He was behind them now, threateningly close as an arm wrapped around their waist and pressed them against him. His breath ghosted their neck as he let out a breathy chuckle. His composure was back and in full force, and for once - just this once, (Y/N) felt a cold shiver run up their spine.

“You would like to think that, wouldn’t you, Darlin’? His arm tightened as if showing that it would be so easy to end them right then and there. “But… here’s the thing, Sugar. Those DOOMs that you’ve been trying to keep quiet this entire time? They’ll come in handy one day. And when they do, I’ll be right there to use them up.”

Then…

Then he disappeared. 

(Y/N) stood in that spot for what felt like hours. Flatlined, numb. 

It took weeks before they were able to get out of the shelter. 

“Thank you. So much.” The Engineers’ hologram gave a kind smile and a wave. Checking over the body achingly heavy supplies (Y/N) had just lugged all the way from the Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City. They were just appreciative of the truck they had gotten. It would have never been capable of doing so with out it, admittedly. They were no Sam Porter - though, at this point, that man was most definitely not human. 

“No problem, man. Just doing my job.” (Y/N) tried to sound nice, giving a tight smile before he fizzled out of existence and (Y/N)’s rating came up. In all honesty, however, their mind was elsewhere. Thinking of someone who for the past month continued to find his way into their train of thoughts.

Higgs

(Y/N) missed him so much. It felt like another part of their heart had been torn off. It should have been just another name to add to the list of people they lost, should have just given them another reason why you never get attached. What shouldn’t have been happening was the bone marrow deep aching like a part of them had been torn away from them. It brought back painful memories, ones they had sealed in a part of their mind, buried in the deepest grave possible. 

It was an ache that almost made them concerned enough to go to a doctor. Deep and hallow, and there was no fucking way to ignore it. Booze, cigarettes, weed - whatever they could get their hands on, the feelings wouldn’t go away. It was so stupid to fall down that hole when (Y/N) and Higgs hadn’t even been a thing - hell, they hadn’t even discussed if they were friends or not. 

The self pity and debilitating heartbreak lasted three or so weeks before (Y/N) forced themselves into a shower. Shucking on clean clothing and the white porter suit and getting back to doing orders again. 

It felt nice. Being clear-headed (to some degree) and having fresh air to help them think more level headedly (just barely). But even thinking his name caused a lump in their throat. 

They should have been relieved to have him gone. He was a fucking terrorist. He killed people just to make a stupid statement.  He didn’t even blink while doing so either, just did it. Along with that? If someone found out (Y/N) had known him, and willingly hung out with him, and had not said anything to authorities, (Y/N) would have been in a world of trouble. 

Even with all this, they couldn’t help but still miss him and his stupid smile. It almost disgusted them, to care about someone like that, though emotions honestly had a mind of their own, it was still something (Y/N) should have controlled, just like they had with everyone else. 

They kicked a rock on their way back to the truck. Head shaking and staring up at the clear blue sky with a harsh and resentful glare. 

“Common, (Y/N). Out of anyone you’ve gotten attached to, the terrorist - a bloody monster - shouldn’t be one of them. He’s hurt people, he’s probably continuing to hurt people as you give yourself this pathetic pep talk!” They didn’t even realize they had finished the sentence with a yell as they jumped into their black truck. They looked up at the rearview window, into their own eyes with the same cold glare. “You really are a fool, you know that? How about next time you go fuck a MULE?” A groan left their lips as tears started prickling at their eyes, and eventually, they had to look away, proceeding to lightly bump their forehead against the steering wheel as light sobs racked their bodies. 

They really did love him… There was no other way to look at this. (Y/N) loved him with their entire being, and there was no way to get rid of these emotions. 

That night, as (Y/N) fell asleep in their disheveled bed without even trying to get their clothes off, they had their first dream in months. 

It started black. Pitch black with no sound, no anything. But (Y/N) knew they were conscious to some degree. Floating in a void that brought back memories they didn’t want to think about. 

The sounds appeared first. Soft waves crashing against the sand followed by the crying of seagulls and the distant rumbling of a storm. Next was a smell. Ozone with a hint of rotting corpses and the churning saltiness of a polluted sea. 

After the gag reflex disappears, sight brought all the puzzle pieces together. 

(Y/N) was on the Beach. Or, at least a Beach. 

Beached Whales littered the Beach ahead of them, and when squinting and peaking through them, (Y/N) could see the ocean licking at the sand. 

Awe. 

That’s what they felt. Incomprehensible awe at the sight before them. It was all so real. Vivid and hauntingly beautiful. (Y/N) didn’t know whether to be scared or excited over the prospect of actually seeing this. 

The anxiety seemed to rear its head quite quickly afterwards. The tiny voice in the back of their head tried to explain that this might very well be theirs. That they had died for some reason. And with that came the panic of realizing that they would then be necrotizing - that they would cause a voidout. 

A hand landing softly on their shoulder, eliciting indignant squawk that (Y/N) would have been more than embarrassed at, had they not just been scared out of their skin and clean pants.

“What the fuck?” The shout stopped when they turned around. Ending with a gasp as they took a quick step back and looked over the person in front of them. 

What the fuck indeed. 

There was a silence in the air for a second, before the woman gave a soft, comforting smile. 

��It’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid. I just came to talk.”

[susanoosama01]

Midam Headcanons part 2

After they get out of the cage, Michael is pretty weak for some time. Adam is also wounded and unstable so they drag themselves to a motel and stay there healing for a few weeks without letting anyone else close to them. They don't even draw the closed curtains to let sunlight in. After two days, Adam wants to take a shower and eat. Since Michael's grace isn't recharged yet, he lets Adam control his body and silently observes the human. Adam makes sure to use lots of hot water and eat everything he likes half because he missed those trivial things and half to show Michael there are nice things about being human.

When they finally step outside, they find a flat immediately. Adam gets a job in the nearby cafe with a little of Michael's help faking all his documents. Michael doesn't understand the necessity of getting a job. He can materialise money after all. But Adam doesn't want to accept money he did not earn. Also he needs distraction. He needs somewhere to start if he's ever getting his life back. Michael doesn't get it for a long time but doesn't oppose the teen, instead simply observing.

'Why do you want to become a servant to get some paper? I can create it for you.' 'Michael I am not a servant. It is called working. And you can't just create money, that's not how life works.' 'At least let me create one of these buildings for you. You can hire other servants to work for you and earn your money.' 'Michael no.'

Adam tells Michael about every small thing he wants to know. 'Why do we have to change clothes so often?' 'Why does everyone stare at those screen things all the time?' 'Why can't you go grab food when you're hungry? Why do we pay for everything? God didn't create you like this.' 'Why does this man in the box pretend to be Lucifer? Lucifer doesn’t live in the City Of Angels anymore. He also couldn't care less about humans or their crimes. What is a nightclub? Why do you watch this ridiculous man?'

When Michael gets his own vessel he fakes his own documents with Adam's help. When Adam sees the fake ID he is frozen where he stands for a few seconds. He asks Michael why he did something like that when they had already chosen his fake name along with his fake parents' and his age. Michael just shrugs and tells Adam that 'Michael Milligan' sounds better than anything else and is more familiar.

Michael Milligan is 25 and he never went to college as he lost his parents at a car accident a few years ago. He works at the cafe with Adam.

When they fight it usually turns into a small battle. Michael wrongly pairs all Adam's socks and makes him search for a pair for ten minutes. Adam just wears some of Michael's and claims everything he wears once as his own. Michael starts stealing Adam's t-shirts and hoodies as counter.

Once Adam got really pissed and tried to eBay Michael for 50$. He wrote Michael's number there and watched with glee as Michael received numerous spam calls for the 'Archangel for Sale' for two whole days before he took pity on Michael.

They marathon Disney movies and other things about angels. Michael's favorite so far is Frozen. He likes Elsa because she reminds him of Lucifer. He also likes Good Omens.

Once when he was still not fully recovered from the Cage, Michael had some kind of angel fever. It was nothing serious or dangerous. Michael was just cute and grumpy for five days. Adam made sure to get as many photos of him sleeping on the couch with his Elsa blanket Adam got him as a joke as he can manage and fed him everything he likes.

Michael once lost Adam in the grocery store and couldn't find him because of the enochian seals in his ribs. He just went to a cash register and sat there for ten minutes sulking. In the end the cashier made an announcement for Adam Milligan whose kid was waiting there. Adam came runnig and laughing. They got him a phone of his own after that incident.

'You have reached the voicemail of-' 'What do you need my name for? Is this another strange human custom?' 'The person you have called can not be reached at the moment. Please try again later.' 'Who are you woman? Why do you have Adam's phone?'

Adam makes Michael listen to Christian Rock. Like Skillet or Flyleaf. Michael sings All Around Me for weeks.

They eventually go to Kate and Adam's house. Adam gets the place back but can't bring himself to move back in there. He rents it to a single mom with a baby girl for half its worth.

Adam studies through the nights on final week. Michael just sits on the fluffy carpet and quietly flips through the books Adam puts down. He sometimes helps Adam as he is perfect at algebra and organic chemistry. After Lucifer moves in, he helps most of the time instead of Michael because he is a better tutor according to Adam and he really wants to do something for the teen.

After Lucifer first came to their house, he tried to spoil Adam by snapping five star restaurant dinners and luxury hot tubs into the flat. Just like he told Michael, he tells Lucifer that he doesn’t need to constantly give or be perfect to earn love. In fact, love isn't earned. It just doesn't work like that. Like he guessed, Kate Milligan's exact words get to him too.

They play card and video games together. In the first week after Lucifer arrives, Adam suggests a game night for the brothers to spend time. They make snacks and sit down. Turns out Lucifer doesn't know poker. Even Michael learned it from the TV and internet. The two of them spend the night teaching Lucifer the game.

Adam asks when Lucifer was born. The younger archangel doesn't know his birthday. So Adam asks Michael and tells him to calculate exact date on the human calender. That year Lucifer gets his very first birthday party. Adam and Michael bake a big cake together and invite their friends. Gabriel and Raphael appear two. While the youngest of the four is familiar with the concept and immediately starts stuffing his face with cake, Raphael doesn't understand much. Sam isn't really too comfortable around Lucifer but still comes anyway. Dean grumbles something about how he wouldn't have believed it if he had been told that he would celebrate the Devil's birthday back at the Apocalypse. Castiel is almost as clueless as Raphael. Somehow they all survive the night without any incidents. Except Adam and Michael who got Lucifer a camera, no one remembers bringing gifts. It doesn't matter though. For the first time ever, someone told Lucifer that his existence is something to be celebrated and Michael is the happiest Adam has ever seen him as he hugs his brother. Adam discreetly snaps a photo in Lucifer's new camera of them laughing with arms around each other and Michael ruffling Lucifer's hair.

Michael's birthday is the same as Adam's. Theirs is after Lucifer's so the party is even better this time around. Even Raphael who doesn't like Adam very much softens when Adam pulls him in for a hug instead of the offered handshake because Michael joins and it is the first time that Raphael is emraced by his older brother. The four archangels tell their funniest stories all night. Like how Lucifer accidentally seperated the continents while secretly playing with Michael's sword or how a toddler Gabriel broke into God's work room once and created the most absurd animals while playing there. In the end, Michael too used to sleeping after months of living with Adam dozes of and all three of his brothers snuggle against him eventhough Raphael is a little hesitant at first. They make another perfect picture for Adams album.

Michael and Adam get a car after a year and a half of living together. Teaching Michael to drive is hard. The archangel just zaps the whole vehicle when they are stuck in traffic. He has no patience for that when he can just fly.

The neighbour's teen daughter has a crush on Michael. The girl hits on him a few times. Adam makes fun of Michael who is pretty oblivious for days once he notices. Jokingly he tells Michael that maybe he could get her something for Valentine's and ask her out. Michael asks about the specific holiday in all seriousty. Adam wakes to find Lucifer and Michael trying to make chocolate and arguing in whispers at 5 a.m. on the day. He just goes back to bed and pretends to not see them. The chocolate tastes awful. But Adam still smiles and thanks Michael because it's too cute how Lucifer ushers him into the living room and gives his brother a thumbs up when Michael wants to just change his mind. His gift for Michael is a little different. He gives him the photo album he handmade and tells Michael that he cherishes all their moments together.

They adopt a kitten. At first Michael doesn't want an animal in the house. One mere week later though Adam finds him sleeping with the small thing sprawled over Michael's chest. The little ball of fur ironically named Michelle by his previous owner never stops following Michael around after that.

Lucifer and Michael constantly go back between Heaven and Earth after some time. Just helping rebuild their childhood home. They take Adam to Kate's heaven. When the teen sees how peaceful and happy the place is, he also feels better. Kate's spirit has heard Michael's prayer back at her grave and she gives them her blessing.

They don't have a ceremony. They just change their documentation again and have a small celebration much like the birthdays with wedding cake and drinks. Sam and Dean give Michael the 'you break his heart, we break your face' talk. Raphael asks if he can make a speech and Lucifer carries their rings, turning the moment into some kind of ceremony anyway.

Michael introduces Adam as his mate to all other angels. The Heaven celebrates too. All the angels Adam and Michael helped have befriended the human after all.

Lucifer permanently moves to Heaven. Adam and Michael finally move into the Milligan house after their tennant finds a new job and moves to the other side of the city. With the new photos, Michael's Elsa blanket draped over the couch which ,Gabriel makes fun of non stop, the other archangels' leftover stuff the house becomes a home again.

Part 1

[hunter-the-sad-skeleton]

“Award Ceremony: AKA; Old Director’s Revenge.”

Hunter smiled, sitting in the darkness by a table, under a lone spotlight-the only one she had ever been in in her life-and folded her hands in her lap patiently. “Come on, buddy! I’ve done a lot for ya, ya can spare one eensy weensy, tiny winy, miniscule timepiece, right?” Hunter asked, voice slowly slipping into insanity. Hatkid shook her head no.

“I need them to get home, Miss Burkes. If ya don’t mind, I need that timepiece now and I’ll be outta your-” Hatkid started.

“Oh? Truly? After everything I’ve done-Everything I’ve given you despite what LITTLE my section of this studio has to offer-you can’t part with one timepiece depsite already having-what, 15?! Sorry, buddy, But if ya want it back, I’ll have to be COLD AND LIFELESS ON THE FLOOR, CAUSE I SURE AS PECK AM NOT HANDING OVER THE ONE THING THAT COULD SALVAGE MY CAREER. JOEY, TIME FOR PLAN B!!!!!” Hunter snapped, eyes almost looking like kaleidoscopes.

“B-But you said that was in case of emer-” Joey started.

“PLAN B, NOW!!!!!!!” Hunter yelled.

“But-” Joey started.

“FINE!!!! I’LL DO IT MYSELF!!!! WHY ARE ALL CROWS SO PECKING USELESS?!?!?” Hunter snapped, shutting the lights off once again, eventually being replaced by a singular bright light alternating between blue and red.

“A-A-A-A b-b-b-bomb?!?” Hatkid yelped.

“RECOGNISE THIS LIL’ BOMB~? I, *HEHE* ‘BORROWED’ IT FROM THE CONDUCTOR’S SET~!! THIS TIME THOUGH, IT’S ATTACHED TO YOU INSTEAD OF HIS WORTHLESS TRAIN~!! IT’S GONNA BLOW IN A FEW MINUTES, SO YA BETTER HURRY AND EITHER USE ONE OF YOUR BELOVED TIMEPIECES TO REWIND BEFORE THE BOMB WAS WIRED AND AGREE TO LET ME KEEP THE TIMEPIECE OR FIND A WAY TO DEFUSE THE BOMB~!! YOUR CHOICE, ‘LASS’~!!!!” Hunter cackled.

The Conductor peeked out of one of the sides at the arena. “Hunter?!? What’s The Meaning Of This?!?” he snapped.

“CROWS, KEEP ‘EM AT BAY WHILE I HANDLE THE KID!!!!!” Hunter ordered, eyes still rippling with anger and emotion.

Grooves peeked out the other side of the arena, shocked at the events occuring before him. “Hunter, darlin’, I’m sure we can talk this out if ya would just calm dow-” Grooves started.

“SHOVE IT, TUNA BREATH!!!!!!!” Hunter snapped.

“LASS!!!! THAT IS NAE HOW WE-” The Conductor started.

“SHOVE IT, DI!!!!!!” Hunter yelled.

The Conductor’s heart stopped for a moment. “Conductor darlin’, get your head in the game! We need to help the little darlin’ out!!!” Grooves called.

“Aye, but how...?!?” The Conductor called back halfheartedly. Grooves tilted his head in concern.

“Darlin’, are you okay...?” Grooves called.

The Conductor shook his head. “Aye, ‘M fine. Yer on figuring out how to apprehend Hunter and I’ll find a defuser for the bomb.” The Conductor said.

(Timeskip a bit!)

Hunter hopped back onstage as Hatkid fell to one knee, catching her breath. “Awww, what’s wrong, ‘Darling’~? Ya can outrun a train set to explode, but ya can’t outrun a crow whose growth was stunted~? How sad can ya get~?” Hunter taunted.

“NOW, CONDUCTOR, DARLIN’!!!” Grooves ordered. Hunter yelped in surprise as The Conductor hopped over the side, rolling into the arena and over to Hatkid, defusing the bomb with ease.

“YOU LITTLE PECKNECK!!!” Hunter growled. As Hunter was about to run at The Conductor, two flippers grabbed under her arms, holding her back. “HEY!!! WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?!?” Hunter snapped.

“Not this time, darlin’!!!” Grooves said, holding her back. Hunter flailed her legs around in an attempt to get lose, but it wasn’t working.

“Lass-” The Conductor started, but Hunter didn’t make any motion or anything to show she was listening. “Lass-” He started over, still the same result. “HUNTER PLATINUM BURKES, STOP YER SQUIRMING THIS INSTANT BEFORE I BREAK YER LEGS SO THAT YE DO!!!!!!” The Conductor yelled, voice echoing slightly. Hunter stopped at the voice raise, having heard him raise his voice before, but never to THAT level.

“Yes sir.” Hunter squeaked.

“Good. Cause I wouldae, had yer not stopped.” The Conductor snapped. He squatted down to her height, scowl clear as day on his face, despite the lack of eyes. “Now then; START. TALKING. NOW.” The Conductor growled.

“How much do I need to dumb it down?” Hunter scoffed, rolling her eyes. Hunter yelped as The Conductor grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to make eye contact despite not having eyes.

“LASS, DONNAE PUSH ME BUTTONS. THIS IS SERIOUS. YE ALMOST MURDERED A CHILD. THAT COULD GET YER IN LEGAL TROUBLE.” The Conductor growled.

“Like YOU TWO are any better.” Hunter scoffed.

“LASS-” The Conductor started.

“What does she mean?” Hatkid asked, confused.

“Oh, that’s right!! They never told ANYONE HOW I split UP FROM THEM!!” Hunter said, faking cheerfulness.

“Lass, that was years ago, we’ve apologized for it multiple ti-” The Conductor started.

“YOU GAVE NO WARNING, CONNIE!!!!!! AT LEAST GROOVES WAS GONNA PUT IT NICELY!!!!!! BUT NO, YA HAD TO BE A HUGE PECKNECK ABOUT IT AND NOT SOFTEN THE BLOW WHATSOEVER!!!!!” Hunter barked.

“What does she mean?” Hatkid asked, worried.

“Lass, it doesnae mat-” The Conductor started.

“They cast ya in REBOOTS, kid~!!” Hunter butted in.

Hatkid’s thoughts went spiraling. “What...?” Hatkid gasped. Hunter giggled, sounding more unhinged than joyful.

“Yes sir-ee~!!! I helped them out with the originals, but then I got my own studio, so I got kicked from them in fear of-what were your words again, Conductor~?” Hunter taunted. The Conductor’s gaze fell to the floor. “Oh yeah~!!!! ‘we donnae want yer to be stealin any of our story ideas lass, so yer getting removed from our projects’~!!!!!!!!” Hunter grinned maliciously.

“Darlin’, me and The Conductor here have grown past that-besides, the darlin’ there did as fine a job you did, maybe even better!” Grooves grinned.

“Ooooooh, so I wasn’t good enough?!” Hunter barked. Grooves frowned.

“Ya know that’s NOT what I meant, darlin’.” Grooves scolded.

“Oh really?” Hunter growled.

“Lass, that’s-” The Conductor started.

“I’m sure the only reason that your movies got such a high rating was because penguin representation is so low nowadays that penguins were happy to see themselves in the entertainment that they enjoy~!!” Hunter mocked.

“Lass-” The Conductor repeated.

“Peck, I bet that if ya didn’t take the ‘little darlin’ ‘s debt away, she wouldn’t have helped ya to begin with~!!” Hunter teased. Grooves frowned slightly.

“Lass-” The Conductor growled.

“I’m sure she only helped ya outta pity~!!!” Hunter sneered.

“LASS, THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH FROM YOU!!!!!!” The Conductor snapped. Hunter frowned. 

“It’s the truth and ya know it, Con.” Hunter grumbled.

“What HAPPENED to ye, lass?! Ye used to be so kind, caring, upbeat-even yer colours were brighter...! What happened...?” The Conductor asked.

“What happened...? What HAPPENED? What HAPPENED?!?!? MAYBE WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT AFTER TAKING CARE OF MY FAMILY SINCE I WAS SIX, I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO BE PROUD OF ME!!!!!! GROOVES WAS EASY TO PLEASE, BUT YOU-THE ONE PERSON I HAD THAT WAS CLOSE TO A FATHER FIGURE-I COULD NEVER MAKE YOU PROUD OF ME, NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED!!!!” Hunter barked. “I JUST wanted to amount to something, and I did, for a few months, but then ya went and ripped it away from me....! It DEMOLISHED my mental state, but therapy never helped. I always thought it was my fault-that I did something out of line-but soon enough, I realized that I wasn’t to blame, but it was you two. So I held a grudge...And that all was kept bottled up until...well, now...” Hunter explained.

“Ye...wanted me to be proud of ye...?” The Conductor gasped.

“Stupid, I know...” Hunter scowled.

“Wait, you never had parents?” Hatkid asked sadly.

“No, all I had were lumps of feathers that were poor excuses for parents. Like, yeah, they’d do stuff to keep me alive ‘n’ stuff, but only the bare minimum.” Hunter scoffed. Hunter chuckled darkly. “At least I kept the Hookshot I got from Train rush...!” Hunter chuckled sadly. The Conductor’s heart stopped.

“Lass, ye didn’t-” The Conductor started.

“I did....! It didn’t work though...Darn low ceilings...” Hunter chuffed. The Conductor nodded at Grooves and he put Hunter down gently.

“I trust ye not to do anything dumb.” The Conductor said, kneeling down to her height. “Donnae break that trust.” He warned. He pulled her into a hug, patting her on the back.

as The Conductor got up, Hunter got up, pulling out a knife. “CONDUCTOR, LOOK-” Grooves started before getting interrupted by an electric zap sound. Hunter dropped onto the floor, out cold.

“Sorry I had to do that, Lass. Sometimes, ye cannae reason yer way outta things.” The Conductor lamented.

“A zap disc...?” Hatkid asked.

“Leftover from one of me older movies; Eggtrocities up on spy tower. I kept ‘em in case I’d need ‘em in future. Wish I didnae have to use it on her, but some people just donnae wanna see reason.” The Conductor sighed.

“What’re we gonna do when she wakes up, Conductor, darlin’?” Grooves asked.

The Conductor took a deep breath. “Apologize.” He stated. “Apologize, and make it up to her.” The Conductor said.

“It’s....a little late for that, darlin’.” Grooves winced. The Conductor giggled and Hatkid smiled, recognizing it.

The Conductor pulled out a timepiece. “Is it now~? Lass, do ye mind if we~?” He asked.

“Nah! You’re all fun to be around! Besides, it’s for Hunter! She deserves better!” Hatkid beamed.

“Aye, that she does, Lass.” The Conductor smiled.

Hunter curled up into a ball, snoozing softly.

“That she does....” The Conductor smiled softly.

[rohad93]

A Work In Progress: Memory in G Minor

A lil Bellow Diamond snippet that fits in with the events of my stories from bellow week but after the movie(though it doesnt matter much) Also my beta reader left the country so excuse and mistakes. 

~~~~~~~~~

Another day on Homeworld in Era 3 started as it typically did in the confines of Yellow Diamonds palace, with the low hum of machinery and the clinking and clanking of metal. 

Though it was no longer the hum of large scale weaponry, or the clinking and clanking of metal plates being constructed into battle ships. 

Now it was just Yellow herself, alone in her personal workshop, a place nearly abandoned after the end of Era one. There simply hadn’t been the time, between the other diamonds courts and her own she was mildly surprised she hadn’t cracked under the strain. A burden made all the more apparent by the sudden surplus of free time she suddenly had. 

There were still things to see too but it was nothing like before and for as much as she knew Steven did enjoy spending time with them, she was well aware that he had his own life to live on Earth and that the three of them, especially White, could be a little much. 

 She was resolved to try and respect that. 

They had Spinel with them now but they all still needed time apart, herself especially. There was only so much of White she could handle in any given rotation.

Thus how she had rediscovered her workshop, the place limb enhancers, destabilizers and rejuvenators had been birthed. 

She now felt some modicum of shame at the last two, but there was no use wallowing in past mistakes. It was what had been required of her at the time. 

She was however reminded of the great pride she felt whenever pieces slotted together and worked as they should, a fulfillment she had felt long ago, when she was a much younger gem. A time before she had conquered her first planet, a time before Pink or even Blue had existed.  

Now, when she wasn’t needed or in the presence of her fellow diamonds she retreated to her workshop for quiet and solitude. 

A small concentrated zap of her powers soldered two plates of metal together, connecting their circuits. Yellow hummed to herself as she inspected the tiny circuitry with a critical eye before nodding to herself as she slotted the new piece into place in the circuit board. 

Her newest project was something she had wanted to work on for a long time, a very long time. It was only now that she finally had the chance. It had been in the works for several months and she was very nearly finished with it now. 

It had been so long and yet her hands moved as though it had barely been a rotation since last she had tinkered with the tools strewn about the table. 

Her gem would glow periodically as she infused her power into the small circuits, hopefully ensuring it would do what she had planned for it to do. 

She was so absorbed in the small device in front of her that she didn’t even notice the pneumatic hiss of the workshop doors. 

Brows furrowed in concentration as she worked a small part into its rightful place between a set of metal prongs.  

“So this is where you’ve been.” A melodic voice at her back broke the silence, making the golden gem jerk up in surprise. 

“Blue!” Yellow nearly yelped, turning to her azure counterpart, standing their with a small smile on her lips. “What are you doing here?” She turned around fully to face her.

“Looking for you of course, darling.” She said as her eyes roamed around the workshop and the many partially completed projects from eons past. “I had forgotten this place even existed.” She admitted, openly admiring the many devices hanging from the walls

 “I nearly did as well.” Yellow admitted, rolling her shoulders, only now realizing how long she’d been hunched over the work table. “You’ve grown tired of White and Spinel’s company already?” She cocked a brow.

“The two of them are completely engaged in one of Spinel’s games so I thought I might come keep you company for a while, if you don’t mind that is.” cobalt eyes settled back on her, a soft smiling pulling at her lips. 

“You know I don’t, though I doubt you’ll find my work of particular interest.” She turned back to her current project, well aware of Blue peeking around her shoulders, gazing down at fist sized cube Yellow held gently in her hand. 

“The things you come up with are always interesting.” She assured, brushing her fingers through stiff golden hair teasingly. 

“I think you mean deadly.” Yellow grunted, twisting a small bolt in place with a satisfying click. 

“Well, some of them have been that, certainly.” She agreed, moving to the side to better view her love at work. “That doesn’t lessen the brilliance or ingenuity.” She insisted. 

Molten gold eyes slid to regard her from the corner of her eye for a brief moment.

“You flatter me.” She said in a deadpan voice, though the subtle upturn of her lips held a different tone altogether. 

“I do try.”  She admitted with a small grin. “So, what are you working on?” She turned her gaze back to the device that enviously held her lovers attention so strongly. 

“I can’t say.” Yellow said after a long moment, turning to look at the perplexed look on Blue’s face. “It’s a surprise.” She finally said, a certain look in her diamond shaped eyes. 

“I don’t care for surprises…” Blue crossed her robed arms, a pout settling on her face that made Yellow snort in amusement. 

“Be that as it may you’ll have to wait just the same.” She went back to fiddling with the device, well aware of the look Blue was giving her. 

“Very well.” She acquiesced. “Keep your secrets, I simply came to keep you company.” She flipped a hand nonchalantly as she sat in the chair near the bench but Yellow knew better. It was eating her up. 

In the ensuing quiet she was able to concentrate again on the task at hand, completely forgetting about her counterpart watching her quietly as she cut and molded pieces to fit her needs.

She wasn’t sure how many cycles had passed when she finally stood up straight, holding the completed device in her hands.

“Are you finished?” She nearly jumped when Blue spoke.She had all but forgotten of her fellow diamonds presence. 

“I am” Yellow turned to face Blue and her curious expression, holding out the device on her upturned palm.

“For me?”  Blue blinked back at Yellow in surprise.

“For you.” was all the other diamond said. 

Reaching out carefully Blue plucked the device from her lovers hands. It didn’t appear to be anything special. A small metal cube, with deep lines carved across every face, meeting at a small crystal at the center of its top face and a diamond shaped button on it’s left face. 

Blue glanced up at her companion who gave an encouraging smile before Blue pressed the button. 

Yellow light glowed in the crevices that lined the device on every side, reaching up and lighting the crystal at its top. 

Yellow, needlessly, held her breath.

Blue waited and it seemed like nothing was going to happen for a moment, just as she was about to turn back to Yellow did she hear it. 

It started quiet at first, a soft, almost humming melody.

A song.

Wordless and quiet but growing stronger and louder till the beautiful lilting melody filled the air around her. 

It was beautiful and there was something eerily familiar about the sound of the singer. It most certainly wasn’t Yellow or White, both were incapable of such quiet singing.

The voice pitched to another note and realization smacked Blue so hard she thought her gem might crack. 

“Pink…” The name ghosted across her lips unbidden. It was Pink singing.  Blue remained mesmerized by the boxes song as Pinks long absent voice crooned in delicate, wordless notes before the song faded out and the crystal went dark.

Watery ocean eyes looked up at Yellow in silent question. 

“This…” she started, cupping her hand beneath Blue’s still clutching the small device “...is something I began working on when we first gave Pink the Earth. I knew how much you missed her and I wished to ease it.” She explained the boxes purpose. “It was forgotten in the wake of the rebellion and...other things.” She trailed off. None of them particularly liked talking about Pinks fake shattering. 

“Why now?” Blue glanced down at the device before looking back up at Yellow.

“It seemed like you could use it now, now that the memory isn’t so... painful.” She gave an awkward little shrug. 

“However did you make it sound like her?” Blue marveled at the little metal box. 

“It doesn’t sound like her, it is her.” She sniffed. “We didn’t have any recordings of Pink singing so I built this, to access and record audio memories from a gem. I simply used my own” She explained to her amazed counterpart. 

Blue stared down at the box clutched in her fingers before looking back up at Yellow.   

“This is… your memory of Pink singing?” She asked slowly once the implication of what Yellow was saying sank in. 

“It is” Was the simple answer. Blue clutched the box close to her, as if it hadn’t already been precious before. A small piece of Pink returned to her, through her darling Yellow.  

“It’s wonderful, Yellow.” She smiled despite the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she leaned against the other diamond. “Thank you.” She pressed a kiss Yellow’s cheek. 

“Anything for you, Blue.”

[taiblogcomics]

Earth, But Worse

Hey there, a plane for bats. Got more Red Hood this week, and surprisingly it's something we've been waiting for a while. Which is surprising that we want anything from Red Hood, but here we are~

And here's the cover:

This cover actually reminds me a lot of the cover to Red Hood and the Outlaws #1. Except a bit more boring, since they're not doing anything on this one. Bizarro--or Beardzarro, as I prefer to call him now--can't even be bothered to pose. Yeah, this cover is terrible, but surprisingly it still manages to sell itself with its text. Because, to be perfectly honest, the actual fate of Bizarro and Artemis is something I was honestly invested in. I don't like Jason, but I do want to know what happened to his friends~

Well, if you remember two issues ago, there was a minor plot thing where Jason discovered a hole that he figured could only be made by his missing friend Artemis. He hasn't seen them in a long while and believes them to be dead. We know better, but the specifics of their disappearance hasn't been revealed. Anyway, at the end of last issue, Jason intended to go back to Gotham with his new compatriots, but he had something to take care of first. And here it is! Jasen enters a park and talks to a creepy kid on the swingset. Yeah, you know it's concerning when the kid is creepier than the strange adult coming over to talk to the kid. This kid's name is Caden, and he has the powers to sync up with and copy the powers of the dead. Jason asks him to borrow Artemis and Bizarro's powers, and when he can't, it confirms for him that they're still alive.

And indeed they are! We rejoin them back on the last time we saw them. Which means we can also segue over here with this classic phrase: "Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice...!" Except not quite. Being an alternate Earth, this building is named the Hall of Punishment, and has a bunch of spiky red rocks jutting from it. Naturally, they decide to explore it. And as they enter, we find them being watched. The first is a creepy-looking dude in a classic milkman uniform, whose art seems to be really awkward about him being able to hold things. Like an old video game model that can't close its hands. He is the Dairy King. The other is a teen girl named "Air Quote". Her "quirk" is that she uses a lot of "unnecessary quotation marks". She can also use her "hand" as a "phone" to "contact people" "long distance". I hope that's not "confusing" or anything~

Inside the Hall of Punishment, Bizarro and Artemis discover a big set of statues of the whole Justice League, all of which have been desecrated or partially destroyed in some way. Artemis figures it's a message. A museum guard happens by them, and quickly figures out they're legitimate superheroes. And since they don't know about Hero Day, they must not be from around here. He leads them into another room, where they find Superman. Or rather, Superman's corpse, his head crushed beneath the famous Daily Planet globe. The guard explains that just one day something happened, nobody knows what or why. But suddenly, everyone with powers just lost them--and everybody without powers gained some. This is punctuated by the guard suddenly turning red and spiky like the spires bursting out of the Hall of Punishment.

Artemis tries to call her axe to her, but instead it just sort of rends her soul. Wherever they are, whatever Earth this is, her axe is not here, and the effort of trying to call it exhausts her, leaving Bizarro to deal with Spiky Guard Man. The guy also confesses that basically everyone on this Earth is a dickbag. Apparently everyone felt opressed by superheroes, so when they lost their powers, they all rose up against them and killed them, flashbacks showing the defeats of Green Lantern John Stewart and Wonder Woman. Which, oh boy, has some problems not unlike the infamously bad "JLA: Act of God". I'll get into that at the end, but in short, Bizarro tells the guy that power doesn't make you a somebody--but it helps. And then he literally throws the guy into the sun. Damn.

Artemis wakes up, and she's pretty okay with Bizarro taking out that guy. The pair retreat, and catch sight of Dairy King, Air Quote, and some other goons looking to kill them. Of this group (including the ones already named), the only one of consequence is Flutterby, a woman with giant flaming butterfly wings. Like, what was even the point of setting up Dairy King earlier? No joke, he's not in the rest of the comic. Anyway, the pair begin to make a plan of what to do next, but are interrupted by a man in a purple waistcoat with a wide grin. He introduces himself as Jack Knife, and he'd like them to join his Resistance.

So we cut to six months later. This is right at the middle of the comic, so you could actually think of this as designed as being two separate issues they compiled into an annual to not interrupt Jason's ongoing story. This is especially evident by Jack Knife's appearance being followed with some "Will Artemis and Bizarro join the resistance!?" caption boxes that make little sense when you can just turn the page and find out that yes, they do. Anyways, six months later, and that Flutterby woman is being attacked by a man wearing an Iron Man suit made of cars. His name is Kennel, which is a pretty weird name for a guy who doesn't have dog powers.

Bizarro appears and destroys Kennel's suit with one punch. Flutterby begs Bizarro to finish the job, but Bizarro promised Artemis no killing. He takes a jewel from her, and walks away, deliberately pretending like he's not noticing her lingering behind to roast Kennel alive. After all, he promised he won't kill anybody. Bizarro is clever enough to figure out loopholes, I'm impressed. We cut over to the Pentagon, where Artemis is trying to get through a cell. Jack Knife is rambling to himself, and two guards show up. Artemis and Jack beat them up, but Artemis has to pull Jack away from getting more vicious.

Flutterby and Bizarro return to their own friends, which appears to be inside the fallen top of the Washington Monument. But enough of that scene! All we needed to see was them reuniting with their friends, I guess, because we then cut back to Artemis and Jack fighting their way deeper into the Pentagon. They've found the guy they're looking for: General Samuel Lane, Lois Lane's father. See, he's tired of imposing his will on this Earth. All the superheroes are dead, and the world is orderly now. So he's going to turn his attention elsewhere--or should I say elseworlds. He's planning to tunnel into Bizarro and Artemis' home Earth and kill all the superheroes there too.

But he can't do this alone. Enter the Lex Luthor of this planet, who has been turned into a giant mangled brain with a face, fused to an ATV. Lex reveals he was the one behind Hero Day, which also accounts for his current... condition. Like, I mean, at least MODOK or Hector Hammond still had arms. I'd also say they at least still had hair, too, but Lex was never particularly blessed in that department. Anyway, that's the past. What's important is the future, given Lex's plans and all. So how is he planning to get to Earth-Prime and kill the mainstream universe? Simple. Remember the Quantum Doorway that Bizarro and Artemis used to get here? Remember how it exploded? Lex has spent all this time putting it back together. Only took him six months, too! Guy must be a whiz at jigsaw puzzles. Or not--again, no arms~

He does, however, have psychic powers--because when you're a giant brain, you gotta have something--and zaps Artemis. While his guard is down during the zapping, though, the Resistance suddenly jumps in and attacks. They have a teleporter on their team, they just need someone to link between the two places. So it was all about getting Artemis in there, and having them follow. They also brought a big ol' sword for Artemis, who plunges it into Lex's brain--which is all of him--and kills him. They then slot that gemstone Flutterby retrieved into a device, hoping it'll undo the whole Hero Day event. The original heroes may be dead, but it beats having everyone else have powers, if they're all such psychos about it.

And... That's the end! Artemis and Bizarro say their farewells, and they go leaping into the Quantum Doorway, hoping that this leap will be the one that takes them home. We won't find out, however, because the ending tagline then promises to see if they return in Red Hood #37. Considering the last one I reviewed was issue 31, maybe I did this one a little early. But it's where it was in my stack, so why shouldn't it be correct~? Seemed like a great place for a break in the arc to me. Well, whatever. Come back in... mid-April, I guess, and we'll see if they made it back~

So, yeah. Let’s start with the Act of God problem first: not all superheroes have superpowers. They specifically show John Stewart getting killed here, and John is just a regular guy. The ring gives him abilities, but he is not himself a superhuman. A magic gene bomb--as it’s revealed to be the eventual cause of the mass depowering/empowering--should not have turned off his ability to use the ring. This also doesn’t account for other superheroes who don’t have powers--DC being pretty famous for this. There’s a desecrated statue of Batman in the Hall of Punishment, but shouldn’t Batman have gained powers from this event?

There’s one other question I would like to address. Jack Knife. His name, his appearance, his creepy grin, insane ramblings, violent demeanor... His entire physique (save for not having the white skin or green hair) and mannerisms call to mind the Joker. But there’s never any reveal of him being, like, a Joker who lost his superpower of being insane. I mean, that’d be bullshit, but at least it’d be an explanation for why he’s so... Jokery. That’s my big gripe here. The comic sets up this whole world for Artemis and Bizarro to struggle in, and then doesn’t want to explain any of the details of this world. This goes as far as Flutterby being one of the people hunting them down on one page, and then six months later, being part of the Resistance at the turn of a page.

We wanted to know what happened to Bizarro and Artemis, but I gotta say... the answer was extremely unsatisfying. And as a minor note, for a thing that only names Jason in the series title anymore (notice the switch to Red Hood: Outlaw), this issue sure barely had him factor into it in any significant way~

[michael-langdon-appreciation]

Apocalypse After (Part 5)

Pairing: Michael Langdon x fem!reader

Summary: There was never any hope of saving Michael Langdon, never a chance to stop the apocalypse. The Antichrist was already too intertwined with his destiny when the reader met him all those years ago. But Mallory can go back and make things right and when the reader travels with her, an opportunity sparks to try and make things right after all.

Words: 4.2K

Warning: Swearing! Violence! Fluff! Character Death!

Tag List: @queenie435 @elimineetje @i-alyssa @clairvoyant-hs @trelaney @a-l-l-e-x-a-n-d-r-r-a @ahsloverrf @sodanova@strawberriewithchocolate-blog @langdonsfallen @queencocoakimmie @petersfern-fics @langdonsoceaneyes  @avesatanormalpeoplescareme @sassylangdon @confettucini @Langdonalien @alexcornerblog @sevenwondr @sammythankyou @wroteclassicaly @Sloppy-Wrist  @sojournmichael  @langdonslove @whoviancumberbunny @the–queen-of-hell​ @gremlinkween @langdonsinferno​  @readsalot73 @astir-bread @amytakesmanhattan @i-will-die-for-jim-mason @mega-combusken @hanhanxx @kahhlo @tickled--pinkmoodpoisoning @americanhorrorstudies @luxuryglitterhoe @ccodyfern @ladynuwanda @infernal-langdon @theharvestgirloffire

A/N: Here is the long awaited Part 5! The four months are nearly up, but what has Michael been up to? Has he behaved? It’s about to go down as Michael and the reader return to Murder House once more. We have some lovely fluff in this Chapter as love begins to form between our babies and some hella drama too. Enjoy! 

The pan sizzles the moment I place down the eggy bread. While one side is cooking I watch Michael busy dressing up his own stack of French Toast. He’s gone to town as usual, dousing it in maple syrup, whipped cream and strawberries. The entire thing looks more dessert than breakfast. He catches my eye and holds out the can of whipped cream, ‘You know it’s customary.’

I slip the bread, happy with the golden side and dart over. Michael squeezes cream into my mouth and I push him away when he doesn’t stop. I splutter as it drips out of my mouth, ‘Damn snake.’

He’s laughing his ass off, ‘You fall for it every time.’

‘Cause I think maybe this time you’re not gonna be a dick.’ I wipe the rest off on a tea towel and slap it in his direction, Michael’s body vanishes only to re-appear right behind me. I’m ready for him though, scooping cream onto my fingertips and smearing it down his shirt. 

‘Hey!’

‘Serves you right.’ I grin triumphantly, admiring the stain I’ve left. ‘And you’re gonna wash it yourself.’ I add, ‘I’m not doing your laundry again, I know you’re sneaking your stuff in with mine.’

Michael rolls his eyes, but then a smirk appears on his face, ‘You’ve burned the beautiful French Toast.’

My eyes dart to the pan which has begun to sizzle horrible. I turn back to Michael and offer him my nicest smile, ‘No breakfast for you then.’ I seize his perfect plate and run towards the dining table. 

I can hear Michael taking the pan off the heat, he’s soon at my side armed with the whipped cream again, ‘Release my food or I will show you no mercy.’ A thrill licks up my spine at his words and I shove it back down. Michael stands before me in his red pyjamas, the bottoms hanging low on his hips. I can see his tummy peeking out from where his shirt has risen up, the V that extends down below. I pull my eyes back to his face and Michael’s eyes darken, ‘That’s the second time I’ve seen you do that.’

To distract him I send the whipped cream whizzing away from him, it changes direction in the air and flies right back at me. Michael and I face down, the battle of wills more a game than anything else. This is how best to teach him, to let Michael show off and learn what he and cannot do mainly by having fun. He doesn’t take anything in sitting at a desk and copying facts, he’s a practical dynamic person. But he’s not quite as accomplished as me, not yet. Michael’s hand reaches out at the last minute and catches the can, his hand is shaking against the magic I’m using but he places it down on the table and for extra measure I force him to take a seat. 

‘I was so close.’ He mumbles, crossing his arms. 

‘You’re doing much better.’ I praise, ‘I almost broke a sweat that time.’

He scowls at me, ‘Enjoy it while it lasts, Y/N.’ I start on his breakfast, Michael watching me the entire time. ‘Y/N,’ He whines. ‘Save me some.’

I eat half and then push the plate over to him. I can’t resist Michael’s pout or the way his large eyes watch me greedily, he devours it the second the plate is in front of him and I grab some orange juice for us both. I stifle a yawn, filling up two glasses as Michael puts my fork down, ‘So is today the day?’

‘What?’

Michael is apprehensive, his hands clutching onto his chair. He’s nearly bobbing up and down in excitement but for what I’m not exactly sure. Michael gives me time to figure it out, but I’ve got nothing. He can wait no longer, the words blurting out of his mouth ‘It’s been four months.’

I bite my lip, ‘Michael-’

‘You said four months was the benchmark-’

‘Of when we would see how far you’ve come yes.’ I agree, ‘Do you want me to test you?’

Michael cocks his head to the side, ‘I kinda thought that since we’ve seen each other everyday for the past four months you’d be able to tell.’ 

‘I see your point.’ I’m hedging and Michael knows it. He shoves himself away from the table, ‘I’ve done everything you’ve asked.’ He says, ‘I’ve learned magic, I haven’t been near the house, I do the grocery shopping, and the accounts, I went all the way to Pottery Barn to pick up our new sofa by myself.’ 

‘Yes you’ve come a long way.’ I stop his pacing, capturing Michael by his shoulders. He stops the moment I make contact, his breathing accelerated from how worked up Michael is. My hands glide down his arms till I take his hands, ‘I think you’re ready.’ 

Michael lights up, his eyes sparkling in the way I’ve always loved. He squeezes my hands, ‘I can go see them? I can come with you this time?’

‘I suppose.’ 

‘Today?’

‘Today, Michael?’ I shouldn’t be so taken aback by his eagerness, but I am every time. Michael is like a lit fuse, fixating on one idea. He’s relentless and jumpy until he finally burns himself out and either completely abandons the idea, or lights an even deadlier spark. First it was Michael pushing his magical ability, zapping round the house and levitating everything within reach till his adventures had ended in a horrible accident involving next door’s cat. The poor thing didn’t want to be Transmutated, and I hadn’t even know it was possible to do it to other objects, let alone living creatures. 

It took me three days to convince Michael to leave his bedroom. He’d been terrified this would go against all the good progress he’d put in, but seeing the remorse in those tear-filled eyes I’d turned a blind eye. 

This time.

Michael’s next fixation was me. He’d been dormant since my rejection in the hotel room, but as the ex-Antichrist settled into a routine, Michael became bolder. Michael likes to put his hands on me, never in a violent manner. He likes to keep me close by at all times and I like it. He boarders on being possessive and I know passersby including Mrs Greendale thinks we’re just a young couple living together. She waves at us the moment we step outside, as if poised to greet us. 

Michael offers her his customary wave, ‘Good Morning, Mrs Greendale.’

‘Michael,’ She gushes, ‘Where are you off to so early?’

‘We’re visiting my parents.’ He beams, sliding his hand into mine. 

Mrs Greendale’s eyes follow Michael’s actions and then she offers me a tight smile, ‘Accompanying him, Y/N?’

‘Yes. I offer, unlocking the car and dropping myself into the driver’s seat. Michael entertains Mrs Greendale for another minute before he slides in beside me, fighting back his mirth, ‘What?’

‘You could try and disguise your derision a little more.’

‘Well when she does something other than casting her judgement on my clothes then I’ll speak to her.’

Michael smirks, ‘It isn’t what you wear that gets under her skin.’ My head snaps round to look at him, but Michael just clicks his seatbelt in place and reveals nothing more. I wait for him, lifting an eyebrow. ‘I think you look great.’

You suck in a breath, ‘Thanks, Michael.’ 

She doesn’t like me, but I think that’s because a perverted part of her wants Michael for herself. Mrs Greendale’s husband divorced her a year ago. He left her the house but took the kids with him and so the aging divorcee fills her days with gardening and inviting Michael over for cream tea and oreos. Michael love the attention. He breezes in the door with the rest of the biscuit packet and crumbs round his mouth most times, full of insightful tidbits about the rest of our street. That’s one thing they have in common, both are horrific gossips and Michael can extract any truth from her botoxed lips. 

‘She did let me know that the Montgomerys are looking for someone to do their books.’ 

I keep my eyes on the road, ‘The Montgomerys.’

‘The ones in the huge house.’ Michael adds, ‘They’re looking for someone local, someone they can trust and Mrs Greendale said she’d suggested me. It’s cute, I suppose.’

‘Yeah.’ The name is circling round in my mind. 

There are plenty of families with the surname Montgomery. 

‘Apparently their daughter died a couple of years ago.’

‘Madison?’ The name escapes like a whisper.

‘Yeah, apparently she was in the movies and then went off to some elite boarding school.’ Michael peers at me, ‘You’re interested in this? You hate gossip.’

‘Well it’s not everyday a movie star dies. Especially so young.’

Michael’s smarter than that, ‘You already know.’

‘Do not look into my mind.’

‘I don’t need to.’ Michael’s eyes widen, delighting in once again being able to unravel me. His hand slides onto my thigh and I seriously debate pulling over, ‘Tell me.’

Can I?

‘I knew her.’ 

‘You went to that boarding school.’ Michael guess, ‘That’s where you learned magic. It’s Hogwarts-‘

‘No it isn’t.’ I correct, pushing Michael’s hand off me. ‘I came after she died, so we didn’t speak-’

‘You just said you knew her.’

‘Knew of her.’ 

Michael looks out the window. The Murder House is coming up ahead of us, but Michael’s lost his earlier excitement. ‘I thought we weren’t lying to each other?’

I stop at a red light, ‘If you want to go and fix their books you can. I won’t stop you.’

‘Good because you wouldn’t be able to.’

He’s got me there. I may have leashed Michael but he isn’t above running to Mrs Greendale or anyone else if he really wants to. He could still blow everything we’ve worked to build these past months. ‘Fucking Mrs Greendale.’

Michael grins, ‘If it wasn’t for her we wouldn’t have an income.’

‘The dividends?’ 

‘Apart from them.’ Michael corrects himself, ‘The mystery money.’ He lets it go for now, but I know it’s only a matter of time before Michael builds up a case about where we’re getting the bulk of our funds from.

‘I work too.’

‘Yeah, at Urban Outfitters.’ I roll my eyes, but Michael isn’t done. ‘I get paid fifty bucks per hour-’

‘Yes, Michael thank you for rubbing it in.’

‘And I have lots of clients now.’

Thankfully we’ve arrived so I can put some distance between the two of us. I undo my seatbelt, ‘Wait in the car.’

‘Why?’

’So I gave can give them some warning.’

Michael scowls, folding his long arms. ‘I’m their son. They shouldn’t need warning.’

‘Well they don’t know you’re coming and I think we should avoid another fight.’

He has no choice but to agree with me. I look over Michael but he avoids my eye. I can’t see his face, but that doesn’t stop me appreciating the growth he’s made in such a short time. His golden curls are styled into place, combined with a dark-red turtleneck and grey coat. Michael blows onto his hands and rubs them together. Without thinking I crank on the car heater for him. The air has started to chill as we sink further into November. I take his hand in mine and lean over, right as Michael turns his face back towards me. Our lips touch and then I’m pulling away, ‘I won’t be long.’

Michael watches me get out. I don’t look back. I don’t think about what just happened. I don’t want to face the consequences of such a move. 

It had been a mistake, just catching each other off-guard. 

Do not look back, Y/N. 

The gate has been left open, they know I’m coming. I head straight into Ben’s office where we always agree to meet. Tate is there, along with Vivian. ‘It’s been-’

‘Four months,’ Vivian finishes.

‘You said you would evaluate him.’ It feels wrong to be talking about Michael like this, but I’ve found it easier to handle Vivian like this. The mother cannot see Michael as hers and there is a voice at the back of my head that worries she never will. 

Vivian and Ben exchange looks. Tate stands up from his seat opposite Ben, ‘And there’s been nothing?’

Our kiss flashes bright in my head, but I just smile. ‘Nothing, he’s rather into his accounting if you’ll believe it. All the women in our suburb adore Michael and he just loves the attention.’ 

Ben’s pride is evident, ‘He’s got his mother’s brain then.’

Vivian doesn’t rise to her husband’s praise, ‘I suppose there’s nothing preventing you from bringing him with you next time.’

‘Unless there is something.’ Tate’s searching me carefully, looking for any little tell I may give him. 

I meet him dead on, ‘Nothing. Michael’s behaviour has been exemplary.’ I look around the room, ‘Where’s Violet?’ 

Tate slides past me, ‘I’ll get her.’

I watch Tate leave, his eagerness showing in the strides he takes. I wait till he’s gone, ‘Everything all okay here?’

‘Violet’s still obsessing over you moving her on.’ Ben reveals, ‘Ever since you said about her body she wants to see if it can be done.’

‘I suppose we can try.’ I’m not too keen on the idea, but I really like Violet, ‘She knows it means not seeing you all?’

‘We’ve told her that we would always prefer he to be somewhere better.’ Vivian says, ‘Even if it can’t be with us.’

These are the parents Michael needs. Ben and Vivian, united together. Ben moves to hold Vivian’s hand and she flinches away. Their in the early days of re-forming their relationship, Vivian still learning to trust her husband again. I hope they can move past their indifference, if not for Michael then for their own happiness.

Tate reappears with Violet, hand in hand. Those two only needed the smallest of pushes, Violet avoiding my eyes at how openly affectionate they are being. ‘Who’s in your car?’

All the eyes in the room slide to me, ‘He wouldn’t take no for an answer.’

‘Michael’s here?’ Vivian has the disappointed parent tone down. 

‘He’s just eager.’ 

‘Oh shit is gonna go down,’ Violet grins.

‘Not helping, Vi.’ Ben scolds, getting up and heading to the front door. He peers out the window, no doubt spying on Michael would I hope to the heavens is still being patient. If he’s got out…well then I think we may go back to Square One. 

Tate joins Ben and we can hear their voices, ‘He’s in the car.’ But then there’s some scuffling and a yelp and the sound of a door opening. I wheel about, ready for Michael but Tate’s voice rings loud and clear, ‘Mom?’

My mouth drops open and before I can do anything Constance Langdon is before me. She looks down her nose, pointing a manicured finger at me, ‘So you are the one who is visiting these people.’

‘Constance.’ Vivian tries, but Constance silences her with a look.

‘I’ve seen you, Little Miss.’ Constance advances upon me, ‘You have been visiting this house for the past four months. I’ve seen you waltzing in and out of here without so much of a scratch on you.’

‘I guess I’m just really fortunate.’

‘You should be dead.’ Constance spits, ‘Chewed up and all ghostly by now.’

Tate is back with Ben just behind him, ‘You need to leave, Mom.’

Constance looks from each member of the Harmon family and then to her son, ‘So you’re all defending her?’ She places a hand to her chest, ‘Even my own son doesn’t want me here.’

‘Well you aren’t dead, Mom.’ Tate says, earning a grin from Violet.

I need to fake something before this gets any worse, ‘Can I not visit the place I’m interested in buying?’

‘And why would you want this hellhole?’ Constance fires back, ‘Some two-bit rat like you, probably with an obsession for death and destruction, no?’

‘What is your problem?’ Violet asks. She’s moved to stand over beside her parents and is giving Constance the nastiest expression I have yet to see on her face, ‘Can’t you go ruin other lives?’

It isn’t worth it, not today.

‘It’s fine.’ I say, ‘I’ll leave.’ 

I head straight for the exit, my heels clicking on the wooden floorboards. I have to get to Michael and take us home. He can’t see Constance or who knows what he might do. A second set of heels follow just behind me and I transmute myself quickly back upstairs into Violet’s room. I sit down on the bed quietly, hoping I’ve lost her. If I’d gone outside Michael would be in jeopardy. 

‘Well hello again.’

I know that voice, ‘Hayden.’ 

The brunette looks so smug. She inclines a thumb towards the door, ‘Got yourself in some trouble?’

‘Do not do anything.’ 

Hayden’s tongue wets her lips, ‘There are a lot more spirits in this house than just the Harmons.’ She says, ‘Do you really think the rest of us all delight in your visits? Some of us want peaceful lives.’

‘I understand that.’ I head over to the window to check on the car. As far as I can tell, Michael hasn’t moved. Hayden has followed me and I nearly walk into her, ‘Just do this one thing for me.’

She considers me, ‘I’ll want payment.’

‘What do you want?’

‘Michael.’

My mouth drops open, ‘You have to be kidding me.’

Hayden looks completely non-plussed, ‘He wants to be with his family and I want him. He’s a snack and there’s so little to do around here.’ She smirks at me, ‘Hand over the boy-toy and I’ll keep shut.’

‘Forget it.’

‘CONSTANCE!’ 

I shove Hayden out of my way but lucky is not on my side. Constance was already on the stairs and all it took was Hayden’s shout to tip her off. The ghost slips away from the impending fight and out into the hallway, passing Constance as she goes. Hayden points a finger towards me and Constance barrels inside, bearing down on me. Her eyes gleam with victory, ‘A witch.’ She declares, ‘Now that is something new.’

She’s blocking the door, I have nowhere to run. ‘What do you want?’

She eyes me, ‘Where is my Grandson?’ My lack of a reply only infuriate her more, ‘Where is Michael Langdon?’ 

Footsteps thud upstairs, Tate and Violet joining us in the crowded bedroom. ‘What are you doing, Mom?’ Tate asks, ‘So Y/N’s been visiting. Why do you care?’

‘Be quiet, Tate.’ Constance says, ‘This doesn’t involve you.’ 

‘You were screaming about Michael.’ Violet points out, ‘If you want to hurt him, it involves us.’

Constance looks between the two teenagers, ‘You are making a big mistake.’

’Then we’ll deal with the consequences.’ Tate says, his arms squeezing Violet’s waist. 

Could it be, Tate Langdon has accepted his son? 

The picture before me is rather amusing. Constance’s mouth hangs open, loose at the jaw like a bullfrog. Her red lipstick stretches and needs another coat and a strand of hair has escaped her nest of hairspray and pins. Tate faces down his mother, still wearing that god awful green striped jumper.  

Finally, Constance recovers herself and rounds on me again. ‘Now I don’t know how you managed to save a dead boy, but I trust my own eyes and they saw you and Michael leave this house a couple’a months ago. I didn’t say anything then, thinking I was still in shock from everything. From losing the boy I’d raised all these years. But you kept on coming back and the only tie you have with this house is him.’

‘You don’t know that.’ Violet interjects, but her words fall on deaf ears. 

I look around for another exit. The window, maybe? Is it worth transmuting after all and driving off. 

No, Constance wouldn’t rest till she found us. Till she found Michael. 

She’s got me and she knows it. 

‘You left him to die.’ I speak slowly, ‘I couldn’t do that. Not when I had the chance to step in and save a life.’

Constance rests her hands on her hips, victorious from my admission. ‘You stupid girl. Do you realise what you have done?’

‘I do.’ I tell her, ‘More than you could ever know.’

‘That boy doesn’t deserve to breathe another whiff of air.’

My temper is starting to flair, my hands closing into fists. ’Don’t you dare talk about him like that.’

But I’ve never come across an opponent like Constance Langdon. She pauses, taking me in from the top of my head right down to my leather boots. A sick satisfaction spreads all over her face, her tongue pushing to the side and swiping at her top lip. The action is so familiar, so Michael it topples me over. A mean trill of laughter escapes from her, ‘You’ve fallen for him.’

Tate and Violet look to each other and then to me.

I swallow, ’You know nothing.’

Constance isn’t backing down. ‘I know the glow of love.’ She says, stepping closer to me, closing the distance between us. ‘I know what it’s like to love so fiercely you would do anything to protect someone. That’s how I feel about my children.’ She pushes a strand of hair out of my eyes, ‘You’re a witch, for Christ’s sake. You should be doing great things, curing Cancer and the like. You’re too good for my Grandson.’ Her smile is cruel, ‘Not that he knows what love is.’ 

‘He does.’ I say, ‘I’ve seen him love. Michael loved you, Constance.’

‘Enough.’ She snaps, lift a hand up as if she can waft me away. ‘He broke my heart.’ Constance is a good actress, her eyes fill with tears on cue, her hands dabbing at them. ‘All I wanted was for him to be my perfect little boy. I forgave the animals, I forgave the Goddamn Nanny. But it was too much. That child is nothing but a monster.’ 

Tate takes a step forward, ‘You need to leave, Mom.’ 

We’re locked in a battle of eye-contact. ’You don’t mean that,’ I whisper.

Constance’s hand slides into her dress pocket. The revolver gleams, metallic black, aimed right at me. ‘I will not let you unleash Michael on this world.’ 

Tate jumps in front of me, before I can react. ‘Put the gun down.’ 

His Mom remains firm, ’Move, Tate.’

‘What are you gonna do, shoot him anyway?’ Violet asks, ‘He’s already dead.’

‘Good point.’

BANG.

A shot rings out and hits Tate in the stomach. He jolts back from the close-range shot, the bullet ripping out of his back. Violet screams and I dive under the bed for cover. There’s a thud and then Tate’s unseeing eyes are all I can see from my new position. There’s more footsteps now and Violet’s screams continue to punctuate the air. Someone is fighting, maybe Violet and then my ankle is being yanked, my body being dragged out from my hiding spot.

BANG.

Another shot is fired and then Violet’s screaming stops. I summon my magic to push Constance as far way from me as I can, but she already has the gun to my head. Tate’s regaining consciousness, but he can’t help me now. I don’t know where Violet is, or who is coming to help. I stop struggling, staring down the barrel of a gun.

I’ve come so far. 

I’ve lost so much.

Constance lifts her head high, ‘He should be burning down in the depths of hell.’ She proclaims, ‘Right where he belongs.’ She clicks the safety off again, ‘But you have to go first, so I can get to him.’ 

Her body jolts and at first I don’t know what’s going on. I’m too busy, rolling away from the gun whose third bullet grazes my shoulder. I cry out, my hand flying to cling onto my wound, blood spilling over my fingers. Tate crawls to my side, but his eyes are on his Mom. 

Then I notice the knife sticking out of her abdomen. Constance takes in a gasp of air, her hands parting from her sides as the hilt slides out of her. She remains standing for a couple seconds longer and then crumples to the floor. 

Ben and Vivian have joined us, along with Hayden, Moira and Chad. Vivian runs straight to Violet who is just picking herself off the floor. 

So the second bullet went to Violet. 

No one speaks, everyone remains completely silent, watching the pool of blood appear from underneath Constance’s body. Hayden is the first to speak, ‘Well bitch is gonna be here forever now. Just what we need.’ 

‘Pity,’ Chad remarks. 

Yes, Constance will forever be a resident of the Murder House. Her body stills and her spirit is released into the house, but she isn’t going to show herself for a while. She wouldn’t dare to now. Tate helps me stand and then heads over to check on Violet, ‘My Mom shot me.’ He wheels round, ‘Fucking shot me.’

I tune him out. Nothing else matters but the knife, still scarlet with Constance’s blood and the golden-haired boy holding it tight in his hand. 

(Source: michael-lives-on) 

[sailor-cresselia]

Here! Have some Ex-Aid notes!

So, I started rewatching the last three episodes of Ex-Aid because  @aquabluejay and I have gotten to talking about a whole lot of assorted Ex-Aid meta and ideas lately. One of the things we talked about last night was trying to figure out how some of the final battle went down. SO I DID THAT. And went on a WHOLE LOT of tangents!

Summaries, thoughts, speculation, and theorizing for episodes 43, 44, and 45 of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid under the cut. Also includes mentions of the Mighty Action X novel, and some of the backstory involved.

-

Episode 43

Oh SHIT the bars on Kuroto’s cell can, in fact, zap him if he tries to reach between them! He was very carefully not touching them when begging to be let out. More fuel for “Parad should NOT be in a good enough state to use his level 99 form after being tied up”!

SO! Seeing everyone who had been hit by the Gemdeus virus before writhing in agony! IS REALLY PAINFUL TO WATCH GUYS! The first person we see this happen to is Kiriya – because here’s the thing.

Bugsters aren’t immune to Gamedeus naturally. … Can… like, could one regular bugster somehow infect another one? Is it just Gamedeus being super OP? Or, like, could there be a mixed strain that fucks up both Bugsters that result from it? Because the only cases we saw where someone had multiple strains were with the Collabos Bugsters, and with Chronicle. So… could two Bugsters get… sort of tangled up in each other’s code?

OH NO THAT WOULD BE MESSED UP. SAMMI WHY WOULD YOU COME UP WITH THIS YOU MONSTER.

-

! I should go back through at some point – it might not just be Emu and Parad who insist on calling him Cronus – Taiga just referred to him that way, too.

(skipped back a bit – Kuroto used his father’s full name to refer to him.)

And now I want to know… if you scan a Bugster normally, would their strain show up on the screen – wait, yes! It would! Because they scanned GRAPHITE in his human form, back early on!

Yup, Emu calls him Cronus, too.

FUCK YOU KUROTO “they haven’t earned the right” as if you didn’t make an action replay of your own after Emu made his.

Oh… huh. When Taiga – back on his self-sacrificing bullshit again – mentions ‘if only I had stopped the Bugsters in their tracks five years ago, this would never have happened’… Poppy is wringing her hands. And Parad – it’s subtle, and very blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, but he looks down, away from everyone else. Just a slight turn of the head, and diverting his gaze, but. That’s guilt right there.

(You feel the weight of your sins crawling down your back)

-

Nico – in the Cronus game area – boots up her Chronicle Gashat, and is immediately hit with the pain and static. But she’s still standing. She’s been hit time and time again by the virus, by all the strains, including Gamedeus, and she doesn’t go down.

I still wonder how this fight would have played out if Taiga hadn’t stopped her before she could suit up. She’d have lost, definitely… but I kind of want to see how she would have played it.

She doesn’t drop to her knees until taiga takes her gashat.

-

Hiiro explains what he’s finally realized – that Taiga has been fighting so that nobody else has to lose anything. Because he doesn’t have anything left to lose – until Nico. NOW he has something he absolutely has to protect.

Hiiro: “But now, he’s realized… his fate of putting his life on the line to protect something he doesn’t want to lose.”

We see Parad’s reaction to this.

Parad (mid-ground, Hiiro out-of-focus in the foreground): “His life…”

(cut to close up, Parad looking slightly down) “on the line…”

I’ve actually got something related to this in my current draft for ch. 3 of Press Start to Continue. Here, have a look:

“You know...” Parad begins, idly wrapping one of the cords on his jacket around his finger, “I didn’t get it, before – why you went to the lengths you did back then, as Proto-Snipe. Even as you were realizing that it was probably killing you. I still don’t really get how you were able to keep going, really. But now? Having seen you dealing with everyone, with having actually met you?” He smirks, meeting Taiga’s gaze. “You aren’t nearly as much of an asshole as you make yourself out to be, are you?”

When Emu says he doesn’t want to lose anyone… Parad buries his face in his collar, while Poppy looks… not scared, but sad. I think… I think she’d already realized what she and Parad might have to do.

I think she had already come up with the way to cure the patients with Gamedeus’s strain.

…

Oh. She definitely had.

I’d forgotten, I wrote this bit months ago, back in Event Flag XX, but I was so laser focused on Parad for that watch through, I wasn’t paying nearly enough attention to Poppy.

��Taiga goes to help. Hiiro goes to help. Emu goes to help. Parad and Poppy can only watch.”

Parad’s beating himself up, because he can’t help, because he doesn’t know what to do. Poppy hasn’t had The Line yet, but… she knows what the two of them can do to end Chronicle.

-

Oooo. I need to have Taiga give Emu the same speech Emu just gave him at some point down the line in ReUnited. (Emu… is going to have some difficulty coping in the time span after my adaptation of Another Ending and Kiriya’s revival.)

Emu: “You shouldn’t neglect your own health. Doctors have to take care of so many patients lives, after all. You can’t forget that. To save our patients, we doctors have the responsibility to live on.” He holds out Taiga’s coat to him. “Taiga. You’re a doctor, aren’t you?”

(beat)

Taiga: “That’s right.”

The sound effects and framing that Rider usually has signify someone finally taking the hand held out to them, accepting partnership?

Is used here for Taiga taking his white coat.

-

When they get the final blow on Cronus, it’s really nice.

The fireball from Hiiro’s ‘Taddle Critical Finish’ hits at the same time as Emu’s ‘Hyper Critical Sparking’ kick. The lag from Emu’s attack, of course, doesn’t set in until a bit after he lands, and it knocks Cronus backward – right into the cannons of ‘Taiga’s Bang Bang Critical Fire’.

TAIGA’S finisher is the one to shut down the Game Area.

Ohhhh man, the way Cronus moves after being knocked down is super unsettling. He’s flat on his back, a-posing on the ground, and when he sits up… he’s sort of just dragging his upper body up. His arms are still limp. Ick.

(Also, I kind of think Emu and Nico will never, ever admit it, but they were super pissed that they forgot about Bosses usually going all One Winged Angel.)

-

The design of the bugster mooks kills about half of the drama of them taking over people, but… I’m not okay with seeing all of these people just… almost removed like this. What’s worse is that I think Kiriya could tell what was happening before he went down.

FUCK.

-

Episode 44

:chuckles: I’m in danger.

Parad goes to try to fight, to help save the people infected. But Poppy… she grips her hands together.

“Wait!”

“There’s something only us Bugsters can do.”

-

When we get to Genm…

“Stop it.” a blue-gloved hand grabs him.

“You’re one bad Rider, aren’t you?” a red boot glows, propelling the two into the air.

“I’ve come to collect a sample from you, Ex-Aid! Now, let’s start the experiment, shall we?”

(ahahaha Katsuragi’s hard-on for Gorillamond)

(wAIT SHIT NO)

“I have three lives left.”

“Wait, are you... not Ex-Aid?”

“No! I’m NOT! People NEED to stop saying that! I am a G-”

“Sorry! My mistake! Bye!”

(Thanks, Katsuragi.)

-

Emu’s exhausted, and realizes he has the Doctor Mighty X Gashat. Poppy stops him before he can trigger it, though. It’s not possible to do this one at a time.

OH. Parad meets them on the roof – Emu was following Poppy, but Parad was already there. “Hey. What are you going to do?”

Poppy didn’t tell Parad her plan.

The thing is… while she’s saying that she’ll insert the gashat into herself, to disperse the cure to all the patients… Poppy doesn’t use the word die. She says she’ll disappear. She says that bugsters are a threat to patient’s lives, that they will need to be completely erased some day. The screen shows both her and Parad at that line. He looks away, as she says that that’s their fate. She hasn’t looked at anyone.

Emu’s breaking down – he doesn’t want to accept a fate where she has to die.

She still doesn’t say she’s going to die.

… I don’t think Poppy thought of herself as truly alive. She’s always acted like she did, but now…

Now I’m not so certain that she wasn’t faking that sureness.

Parad hasn’t said a word since he asked what she was going to do, even when Emu collapses.

“Sorry, Emu. … Thank you.”

-

… huh. She only physically appears to Kuroto. And it looks like… like she knew what she was doing when she did that. That maybe… just maybe, Poppy thought she might be able to ‘back herself up’ in him.

But only maybe.

-

On the roof.

Emu… he’s sitting, almost defeated, talking to Parad about Poppy.

“Bugsters also exist to let us have fun and make us smile, don’t they...?”

EMU is saying this to PARAD. To the Bugster he practically created, however subconsciously. To the Bugster who is the most direct threat to his own, personal, health.

To the Bugster who KNOWS what Poppy just did. And what he, himself, is about to do.

Who knows exactly what that means to Emu.

Once you have the novel backstory, you can never really ‘un’ have it.

So. With Mighty Novel X in mind, and Emu having, at eight years old, considered and attempted suicide…

That’s something Poppy doesn’t know about. The only people who could are Emu… and Parad.

Parad, who is high-key tied to Emu’s memories. Who is about to do the same thing Poppy did.

Who is about to make Emu witness two people committing suicide in one afternoon.

That’s what they did, after all.

-

!!! OOOO!!!

When he’s snapped for the final time, when Cronus is standing in front of the Riders, saying that he will ‘realize his dreams for all to see’, his eyes glow with that tell-tale Bugster light – but differently than usual. One eye is green, the other is white.

Not unlike the green-and-grey tinged veins that appeared on both him and Graphite when they directly infected themselves with Gamedeus’s strain.

-

The roof.

Parad takes the Doctor Mighty X gashat, saying that Poppy fought to the end to save everyone. After he picks it up…

“I am you, and you are me. You know what I’m trying to say, don’t you?”

Parad can’t bring himself to say it – that they both know full well what just happened, and what’s going to happen next.

(Also, y’know, there’s almost no way they could say… well, that ‘he was going to have to kill himself’ on-air, not in so many words. Not in this season, at least, but that didn’t exactly stop them from getting closer in Build, now did it?)

That was just the Excite translation, though. I’m using the OZC-Live encodes, so I have the RTA translation too… so let’s see how they phrased it.

“I’m you, and you’re me. You know already what I’m going to say, right?”

OH NO.

Oh, and INTERESTING.

Excite has Emu’s next few lines in the singular. “I won’t waste Poppy’s sacrifice. I’ll put an end to Rider Chronicle.”

RTA has them as a plural. “We can’t let her sacrifice go to waste. Let’s end Rider Chronicle.”

Either way… Emu leaves the roof first, with Parad still standing, the wind blowing his hair, and a serious expression on his face.

-

Emu goes to face off against Cronus Gamedeus, and transforms with the Mighty Action X gashat.

Into Level One.

Taiga: “You’ll die challenging him at that level!”

Nah, he won’t. He’s just doing what Poppy taught him to do. First phase of the operation: separate the bugster from the patient.

Technically speaking, there’s a person inside there. They just have to defeat the Bugster Union, first.

Kuroto’s the one to catch on and actually explain.

-

okay, the Chibi fight is effectively done…

and looks like @aquabluejay was right, Parad does run in while using Perfect Knockout to grab the sword before it can hit Emu.

Yelling in pain, from the white gashat in his driver, as both he and Cronus-Gamedeus start to glow blue. The same blue as Poppy did.

The thing is, after the 5 Chibi Rider Kicks… when the smoke starts to clear, and everyone lands, detransformed.

When Gamedeus – now a manageable size – is being grappled by Para-DX… and then by Parad, as his transformation breaks, the both of them grunting in pain.

That is when Emu realizes. Parad had had his back to Emu before. But now Emu can see Parad’s driver. And the Doctor Mighty X gashat that’s in it.

Excite translation: “Come die quietly with your fellow Bugster, Gamedeus.”

RTA translation: “We’re both Bugsters, so let’s end this together, Gamedeus.”

Gamedeus dissolves, and Parad falls to his knees, gasping in pain.

Excite: “I hope I’ve made up for what I’ve done, even a little...”

RTA: “I hope this makes up for my deeds, somewhat...”

Emu: “Parad…”

Excite: “It was only for a short time, but I really had the time of my life gaming with you.”

RTA: “It may have been a short time, but playing games with you… it was the best fun I’ve ever had.”

-

Episode 45

After Emu tries to take on Cronus, who’s just knocked everyone else out of their transformations, bare-handed…

Well, he didn’t really stand a chance, did he?

“DoReMiFa Beat and Perfect Knockout both died noble deaths, although it was all for naught. They were both lives with no commercial value.”

“You… don’t you dare speak of Poppy and Parad’s lives...”

Oh… OH!

Okay, so. So I figure Emu’s not exactly baseline human by the time the show starts, let alone after what he did to make the Mighty Brothers XX and Maximum Mighty X gashats. But! Here’s the thing!

The only people who could move in pause were those with either the abilities of Cronus, Gamedeus, or Hyper Muteki.

Emu doesn’t have any of those in the Pause here.

But what he does have, however small it may currently be, and even though he doesn’t know it…

Is the remnants of data from a Bugster who had just pumped himself full of the Gamedeus vaccine.

Cronus is back to all green – he’s just Cronus now, not a hybrid of the two. But… well, the vaccine is made from the strain, after all. It stands to reason that enough of it could have a similar effect against Pause, however minor.

And Emu’s been building his own levels for 16 years, same as – ugh, fine, I’ll use his name this time.

Emu and Masamune have been infected for 16 years. That has to have had side effects other than the obvious ‘use the driver or bugvisor without the compatibility surgery.’

Effects like Emu’s Gashat creation abilities, and Masamune’s Reset.

And it’s only for a moment, but Emu is able to move.

He moves, his eyes flashing red, long enough to punch the bugvisor hard enough to break it – but he freezes back up once Cronus goes flying.

Punching far harder than he should be able to under normal circumstances, even. Those devices are made to take a beating.

He’s done something like this before – he essentially force-shoved Kuroto off of himself, one time, before he found out he was infected, with his eyes flashing red, and a visual effect not unlike the waves of ‘force’ that show up sometimes when attacks land in any Rider show.

It was never confirmed whether that was actually Parad at work, because he did show up right after, but… who’s to say it wasn’t Emu himself?

The punch here? Was hard enough to break the bugvisor, and to knock Cronus – who, mind you, is in full armor, while Emu is in street clothes and battered, back through the air for multiple yards, and into the clock he uses to freeze time, shattering it.

There is no way Emu is pure human.

-

HAHAHA and then I forgot to write anything else after this through the end of the episode. Whoops~!

Soooo.

This wound up being eight pages long.

I really did just start this to find out what the order of events was in the ‘Parad’s sacrifice’ sequence, but. Uh. It kind of got away from me.

Eight pages away.

… I don’t even know what I was doing here anymore, but I just wrote eight pages, and I’m feel like talking about how we don’t really know how Bugsters work.

Like, in the press conference, Emu refers to Bugsters as ‘mostly data’, but in Another Ending, Poppy refers to them as being viruses.

I have so much to fix when ReUnited gets to Another Ending you guys.

And! Are Kiriya and Kuroto wearing actual clothes, or are they doing something like Poppy and her costume changes? Honestly, either one has possibilities.

I… kind of want them to be wearing actual clothes. I figure that if Parad or Poppy were to take off something, and set it aside, it would eventually sort of… phase out of where they left it, and back onto them. But. Say one of the guys took off their jacket, because they do both wear them, shortly after being brought back, and it disappeared. But didn’t show back up.

(And THAT is why Kiriya got the black jacket. The one he died in is very, very gone.)

… I should stop now, I’ve probably rambled enough. Enough for eight. Freaking. Pages.

[grayson-dolans-dangly-earring]

Crossroads (G.D.)

hey guys! so this is something i’ve been messing around with for a couple months now and it’s very different than what i’ve posted before. this story is from Graysons POV which is uncharted territory for me lol and also it’s sort of a crossover? like it’s the twins but the story line and little snippets of lore and stuff is from Supernatural. there are NO characters from the show in it i just am using a concept based on some stuff from the show. i hope you like it! and please please please tell me what you think and what else you want to see in the future!

@deluxedolans @hexagonaldolans @dolanswhore @hmmmethan @bouttogolinkurbitch

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Being a crossroads demon wasn’t easy. Especially when you’re also adjusting to becoming the fresh new King Of Hell. I wanted to continue my job because truthfully I loved it but being the King was a daunting task, so I let my number one Knight Of Hell, my brother Ethan, handle the crossroads deals. And he has been doing an amazing job, snatching up souls left and right. But I could tell by the look on his face as he stormed into the great hall, that something had gone wrong.

“Grayson I can’t handle this chick anymore! She’s driving me fucking nuts! And she must be a lawyer or somethin’ because she knows her contracts man. But she’s driving me up the wall and I’m gonna gank this bitch with the First Blade if you don’t go talk to her.” Ethan shouted through the hall as he approached my throne. “Ethan what are you talking about?” I asked, flipping through pages of paperwork. “Listen, there’s this girl who keeps summoning me right? Like there’s no offer I make her that will make her take the deal and eventually I get annoyed and I leave. And EVERY night she does this. She summons me EVERY. NIGHT. And this last time I went topside to see what she wanted and SHE ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE FUCKING MANAGER. Can you believe this shit?!” Ethan said, finishing with an exasperated sigh. “What’s her deal? Like what does she want?” I asked, genuinely curious about this strange woman and what she wanted. “Dude she won’t tell me! I told her whatever she wants is gonna cost her, her soul and I’ll come and collect it in 10 years. No dice. I offered 11 years, ya know an extra year to sweeten the pot but still no. She said the only way she’ll stop summoning me is if I give her a good enough deal or if I send my boss. Gray I can’t keep dealing with her. I have so much shit to do. You ever been zapped away in the middle of a battle with a leviathan? Because I can now say that I have! And it sucked! Please bro, I know you’re busy too but can you PLEASE deal with her?” Ethan pleaded, kneeling at my feet, his hands clasped together. “Fine. I’ll go up there just this once. But do not make it a constant thing to come in here asking me to do this. The King does not make it a habit to bend the rules for anyone. Not even his own twin.” I said grinning down at him and ruffling his hair. I stood up from my throne and stretched out my arms and legs before heading to the crossroads.

When I arrived there was a beautiful girl leaning against a shitty blue pick up truck, her head hanging low and her boot drawing patterns in the dirt. “Hey! You wanted to see me?” I called out, her head snapping up to look at me. “Yeah. Yeah I did.” She said. As she made her way closer to me I could sense there was something different about her. I don’t know how Ethan couldn’t tell what she was but I definitely could. “Ah ah ah sweetheart. I don’t trust angels. Drop the blade in the back of your truck or I’ll smoke outta here faster than you can blink alright?” I demanded. She was an angel. And not just in the sense that she was beautiful, no. She was a real angel. Hidden wings, angel blade, grace, and all. She was stunningly beautiful but terrifying at the same time.

“Oh! Oh right sorry! I forgot to ditch it because I didn’t know if you would actually come talk to me! I’m Y/N.” She replied with nervous laughter, throwing he sword into her truck. I crossed my arms over my bare chest and looked at her. “So, what did you want to talk about? My twin said you’ve exhausted him.” I grinned. “Well see the thing is, Ethan didn’t understand what I wanted and I think it’s because he couldn’t tell what I was. I’m an archangel. One of the original angels that God created.” She said. “Oh honey I know exactly what you are. I could see it the minute my feet hit the ground up here.” I chuckled. “Okay. So you obviously know my brother Lucifer, he used to be like your leader or whatever. But what no one knows is that I was supposed to fall too but Lucifer took the full blame even though everything that happened was half my fault. I believed in him and his cause but he insisted I stayed upstairs with Dad and the rest. When they found out I had conspired against them they locked me up for thousands of years. I’ve finally gotten free and I needed to get the fuck out. I’m so angry and I just can’t stay there anymore!” Y/N growled. Her eyes were glowing with the force of her anger and it made the surrounding air sizzle. She didn’t know it but she was having quite the effect on me. The cogs in my brain were spinning with all the ideas of what she would say next. “Y/N what do you want from me? There’s a reason you keep contacting my brother and I want to know why.”

“I want to strike a deal.” She said. “No shit sweetheart. That’s what everyone wants. I want to know what the deal is since you refuse to speak to Ethan.” I huffed, growing tired of this game. This beautiful stranger sauntered closer to me and splayed her hand over my pectoral muscle before slowly lifting her gaze to meet my eyes. I could feel the warmth radiating from her palm and it made my skin tingle. “Every king needs a queen right?” She said, grinning up at me. “You take me as your queen, and we all get what we want. I get to take my place in hell where I should have been a long time ago, and in return you get an extra set of hands and eyes to help you run the joint. I can help you Grayson. And you can help me.” Y/N murmured, delicate fingers tracing over the skin of my chest. I mulled it over for a moment, weighing the options and all that. It would be good to have a loyal partner to help me run my empire and she was beautiful and intriguing so I wouldn’t mind her being my wife. Also she had a great deal of power and with her in my arsenal I would never lose, should the opportunity of war arise.

“Well if you know so much about crossroads deals, you know how we seal this contract don’t you?” I smirked, my eyes flashing to black. “Of course I do. I’ve been waiting for this part for weeks.” She said, her hand snaking around the back of my neck and pulling my face towards her. Our lips met in a heated clash and I could feel electricity pulsing from her body. A loud thunder clap sounded in the distance as her tongue slipped into my mouth. The feeling of kissing her was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

My hands began to roam her body and squeeze her flesh. She was so warm but so strong like her muscles were made of steel. I couldn’t get enough of her. My lips moved to her neck and I tugged on her sensitive skin with my teeth. The whimper that fell from her lips sounded like paradise. She was clawing at my back and writhing against me and all I had done was kiss her. Her responses to my touch were amazing and I never wanted this to end. I pulled back for a moment and she whined like I’d stabbed her. I pressed my lips to the shell of her ear before whispering, “Sweetheart, if we keep going at it like this I’m going to have no choice but to fuck you on the very ground you stand on.” “So do it. I want you to. I’m yours now.” She snarled. Once we landed on the ground, I began kissing her again. She audibly moaned when I ground my hard length against her clothed center. “Baby, I’m all about dry-humping but if you don’t hurry up and get inside me I actually might explode. And the last time an archangel exploded, cities were leveled and people were killed.” She giggled. “Keep sweet talking me honey. Death and destruction are a demon’s favorite things.” I groaned into her neck, a mischievous smile on my lips. She laughed aloud and it sounded like bells and I never wanted to hear anything else ever again. She took my face in her small hands, her beautiful eyes scanning my face before whispering “Take me home Grayson. It’s where we belong. Together.”

THE END

[tenscupcake]

Kingdom Hearts 3 - An Honest Review

I’d like to preface this review by saying I am an unabashed Kingdom Hearts geek. Like, through and through. I played KH1 when I was just a tween, and have picked up a copy every installment since (in some cases, even bought the entire console just to play that one game). I still have CDs of the game soundtracks, a few discs which have nearly burnt out on replay in my car. Sanctuary After the Battle will forever make me cry, whether or not I’m watching the cutscene that goes along with it. I’ve replayed most of the titles multiple times. Wasted away hours on YouTube watching Story So Far recaps and funny commentaries about the games in preparation for KH3. Like millions of other enthusiasts, I have been eagerly and patiently (all right, sometimes not so patiently) awaiting the arrival of KH3 since the moment I first finished KH2 – 13 very, very long years ago.

At around eight o’clock on premiere night, I took my place in line at my local GameStop wearing my Kingdom Hearts t-shirt and pajama pants, brandishing the miniature Kingdom Key clipped to my lanyard. Finally holding that blue case in my hands was absolutely surreal. One of those natural highs it took me hours to come down from. Tears welled up in my eyes at the first few somber piano keys as the title screen faded into view.

Lots of people asked me, in the weeks and even months leading up to the release (because believe me, at any opportunity, I would not shut up about how excited I was about this game), if I thought it would live up to the hype. Pfft, I thought. People outside the KH fandom never understand. Of course it will. Sure, the series has had its weak links, its hiccups (the battle system in COM and the perpetual re-releases of old games with minor tweaks, to name a couple). But with the compelling cinematic storytelling and uniquely delightful gameplay of the main series’ smash hits - KH1, KH2, and BBS – in their repertoire, I knew the team at Square was capable of pulling this off. To me, it was just a given that it would be epic. That playing it would be worth all the years of waiting. I had absolutely no doubt in my mind this game was going to be lit. As. Hell.

I’m only saying all this so as not to give the impression I went into this game looking to find flaws, to nitpick it. Or with the expectation of being disappointed. In fact, quite the opposite.

I wanted to love this game. To me, loving KH games is one of very few constants in my life. I was supposed to love this game. I needed to love this game.

But the truth is, I didn’t.

That statement has been pretty difficult for me to come to terms with.

In what few early reviews and videos I’ve found of people discussing their thoughts on the game, I’ve found fans to be quite split: with some unreservedly loving, others downright hating the game.

I fall somewhere in the middle of the polarized fandom. I did NOT hate the game. It was actually a good, if not great game. But putting it on a sliding scale of satisfaction and disappointment, I would say it’s tipping toward the latter. And as it’s taken me hours of mulling, reading, and discussing with other players to characterize and articulate precisely why, and because I think I owe it not only to the series and the characters therein, but also my younger self to leave no stone unturned, this review is going to be a long one.

I’m finding it easiest to break it down by category:

Graphics.

This game is beautiful. It was sort of a dream come true to meander around in real time with the gorgeously, smoothly animated versions of Sora and the gang that we’d previously only been able to see in the rare cinematic cutscenes at each game’s beginning and end. Most of the Disney and even Pixar worlds and characters are rendered to nearly the same quality as their film counterparts. I often found myself just standing in place for a while, admiring it all. The vivid green landscapes of Corona, the beaches and sprawling sea in the Caribbean, the towering cityscape of San Fransokyo. And walking on water where the sky meets the sea? Stunning.

Gameplay.

All in all, this game is pretty damn fun to play. It was all I thought about during long days at work: I couldn’t wait to jump back into the action. Pounding on Heartless still brings me back to the good old days. And who doesn’t want to run up the side of buildings as Riku and Roxas demonstrated so epically, so long ago, in the World That Never Was? Soar to sky-high Heartless as easily as you can lock onto them? These new movement aspects brought an almost superhero-esque quality to the game, reminiscent of Spider-man’s wall-crawling or Batman’s grappling hook, that, if a bit unrealistic, I found to be immense fun. And compared to previous games, worlds are no longer cordoned off into many separate areas, and with the sheer scale of them, KH3 experiments with a quasi-open-world style that is rather freeing.

I also really appreciate that the character interactions with your party and with NPCs felt much less clunky. For one thing, they FINALLY did away with the press X-to-progress text-only conversations that were so prevalent in previous games, with all the dialogue left to voice actors. Even minor NPCs that only show up one time were given a voice, making every interaction that much more immersive. Transitions from cutscenes to the action were also much more fluid, and Sora and his current teammates talk to one another as you pow around. Even if it’s just a warning from Goofy you’re going the wrong way, or a heads-up from Donald there’s an ingredient or lucky emblem nearby, it was still a new feature I was glad to have.

Combat-wise, this game has a lot going for it. This installment brings nearly all the combat styles we’ve seen up until this point: magic, combos, form changes, flowmotion, shotlock, companion team-ups, and links. And it even introduces a few new ones on top of all this: the ability to swap between three different keyblades at will, and the new Disney parks-inspired attraction commands, where you can summon roller coasters, tea cups, and spinning carousels to your heart’s content. What this enables is for the player to never get bored during a battle. With so many options to choose from in each new enemy encounter, you never have to stick with the same combat style or get stuck in a rut of just mashing X to hack and slash everything. All things considered, Sora’s got some pretty sick moves this time around. Whipping out Thundaza, watching lightning explode across the screen and zap all the enemies in sight with it? Wicked. Floating above the ground, wreaking ethereal, glowing havoc with the Mirage Staff? Awesome. Surrounded by a sea of Heartless, locking onto 32 different targets at once and unleashing a flurry of lasers to slash through them all? Amazing. Thumbs getting fatigued fighting the third maddening iteration of Xehanort? Give yourself a break from the chaos in a giant, technicolor pirate ship, watching it thwack your adversary on every rock back and forth.

On one hand, the hefty damage most of these combat options deal gives the game an almost Ratchet and Clank-esque ‘blowing shit up’ vibe, which is undeniably fun. But, this array of choices does become a double-edged sword. With grand magic, attraction commands, form changes, and team attacks all fighting for space atop the command deck, they tend to pile up quickly. It’s not at all uncommon to rack up three or four different situation commands after only about 30 seconds of fighting. Sometimes, the constant need to make a choice, especially in a busy battle, can be more of a burden than a blessing. Having to shift between situation command selections on top of attacking, blocking, and accessing your shortcuts can be a bit cumbersome.

Unlike in previous games, there also aren’t many consequences for over-using special attacks. In KH2, your drive gauge ran out and needed to be slowly refilled. You also ran the increasingly high risk of morphing into the near-helpless Anti-Sora by relying too much on drive forms. But here, no matter how many times you’ve used a special attack, your MP will reload in a few seconds, and you can easily just ignore the situation command for Rage Form when it pops up. In BBS, it felt like it took a good while to power up to a form change, whereas in KH3 it seems like you can spend just as much time in a powered-up keyblade form change as in regular combat.

And, because so many of these situation commands are so powerful and frequent, they tend to dominate the entire battle, making the combat in the game much easier than previous games. Bordering on too easy. Where in other entries in the main series, I usually had to die several times on each boss in Proud mode before I devised the right strategy to defeat them, I rarely died at all in this game. On the surface, that isn’t such a bad thing. As I like to say a lot of the time, when I play a game “I’m here for a good time, not a hard time.” But there comes a point when the combat is so easy that it no longer gives you that sense of accomplishment when you progress past a tough batch of heartless or a particularly merciless boss – you know, that punching the air, whooping to yourself sort of pride. I was definitely missing that, at times.

Believe it or not, I think the Disney attraction commands, though powerful, and at first hilarious, were a bit too extra. After only a few hours in they just became annoying, and I was doing my best to ignore them when they popped up, even wishing I could turn them off. Now and then, I’d accidentally trigger the Blaster or the raft ride and just roll my eyes while canceling back out of it. Because it doesn’t really feel like you’re doing any fighting, let alone the real-time keyblade-style fighting uniquely special to this series. And forget trying to effectively aim while you’re in one. After a while the only thing I found them useful for was, as I mentioned earlier, taking a break from a fight when you’re fatigued, as they give your thumbs a break and cause you to take much less damage. While they were cool at first, my final impression of this addition to the combat was all flash, no substance.

I was one of the few who actually liked and took advantage of flowmotion in DDD, and was excited to see it brought back here. But this, too, turned out to be mostly another annoyance. I’m not sure if it’s because the actionable objects are so much more spread out in KH3, or because they actually built in restrictions on combos here, but I was unable to keep a flow going at all. After only one successful strike after leaping off a wall or pole, the blue glow of momentum vanished. It didn’t feel like “flowmotion” at all, just a one-and-done special attack that tended to kill any rhythm I had going moreso than facilitate it. So while conceptually and visually it was promising, I unfortunately no longer found it very useful.

Also, and I realize this is completely subjective, but I found the form changes to be stylistically underwhelming overall. I thought the drive forms in KH2 (especially Master and Final) were visually and stylistically cooler, and seemed to have more finesse.

Worlds.

When I was whisked away from San Fransokyo and landed in the final world of the game, I found myself disappointed by the number of worlds I’d been to, expecting there to be a handful more. Though, when I counted the worlds up, the tally was at nine. So I asked myself why it felt like so little, when nine didn’t seem like a small number. But, tallying up the worlds in previous games, KH1 had 13, KH2 had 15, and BBS had 10. Which does put KH3 on the low end of world count. Also, in all three of these previous games (especially KH2 and BBS), you had to return to these worlds more than once, usually unlocking new content and/or areas each time, leading it to feel like there were more worlds than there actually were. Though KH3 has a comparable length of gameplay to complete the story, it definitely does feel like it comes up short in terms of variety of worlds you get to visit. As a result, some of the worlds where you spend 3 or 4 hours at a time can start to feel like they’re dragging on a little bit. And on the flipside of that, there are certain worlds that you technically do visit in KH3 I did not include in the world count, because you are there for such a fleeting amount of time, or in such a tiny portion of the world – e.g. Land of Departure, the Realm of Darkness. Worlds that would have been awesome to get to actually explore! And perhaps the biggest letdown of all, though you get to visit Destiny Islands and Radiant Garden via cutscenes, there is no play time in either. Serious bummer.

As far as the worlds they did choose to include, the selection admittedly left me ambivalent. I was really glad to see Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Big Hero 6 included, but wasn’t over the moon about any of the others. I was really counting on having a Wreck-It-Ralph world (I mean, how perfect would that be?), and would love to have seen them tackle Zootopia, Wall-E, Meet the Robinsons, or the Incredibles. I’d even settle for a return to Halloween Town (shameless NBC fangirl, what can I say). The Emperor’s New Groove could have been pretty damn funny. Even A Bug’s Life or Finding Nemo could have offered some unique gameplay opportunities. Certainly better content to work with than Frozen, at any rate.

As far as the plot/experience within the worlds, I also found it to be a mixed bag. I did enjoy all of them, even ones I did not expect to enjoy too much (i.e. Frozen and Pirates). Honestly, though, I found myself a bit bored in worlds where they followed the plot of the films too closely, to the point that it felt like an abridged re-hash of the movies. I know they’ve taken this approach before with earlier Kingdom Hearts games, and I may sound like a hypocrite for only critiquing it now. But I think even in stories where they did do this earlier, like Tarzan or Aladdin, they executed the re-tellings more successfully. The plotline was altered just enough to ensure Sora was a part of the action through and through. After playing those games, Sora was indelibly inserted into those films in my head. To where the next time I watched them, I was jokingly asking myself “Where’s Sora?” But that was not the feeling I got here. In worlds like Corona or the Caribbean, Sora was just sort of jammed into the plot where he didn’t really fit. In many of the longer cutscenes, I actually forgot Sora was even there – even forgot I was playing Kingdom Hearts. Sora didn’t really feel needed. I definitely found it more enjoyable to be part of a new adventure with the characters – like what was done with Toy Story and Big Hero 6, where Sora was able to play more of an active role in progressing the subplot. It was nice to feel like I mattered!

Extras.

These were hit-or-miss for me. I actually screeched with excitement when Sora and the gang ran into Remy, and enjoyed the scavenger hunt for ingredients. And while cooking with little chef was a treat I wouldn’t want to see cut from the game, I found most of the cooking mini-games to be simultaneously too short (less than 10 seconds each!) and needlessly hard to master (especially cracking that egg).

Admittedly a Disney and Disneyland fanatic, I also got a kick out of the lucky emblems (aka hidden mickeys). I thought they were one of the most fun collectibles we’ve seen to date in the franchise.

Which brings me to one of the more controversial extras in the game: the gummiphone! While a lot of people are ragging on the inclusion of this dynamic, I enjoyed it. The Instagram loading screens were a little jarring at first, but they really grew on me. And being able to point the camera at Goofy, Sully, or Hiro and watch them pose for a picture in real-time was nothing short of adorable.

Another thing that surprised me? The game’s occasional self-awareness. I almost included a separate category for this, because I’ve never seen another game do this, and did not see it coming! But the “KINGDOM HEARTS II.9” title screen gave me a good chuckle. It doesn’t make up for all the 1.5, 2.8, 0.2 nonsense we’ve had to put up with, but it’s at least nice to see they can poke fun at their own ridiculousness. And when Sora laments how long it’s been since he’s seen the folks in Twilight Town; then Hayner, confused and even a little creeped out, says “It hasn’t been that long”. Simply acknowledging the vast disconnect between the short time that’s passed in-universe since KH2 and how egregiously long the fans had to wait – well, it had me in stitches. It was morbid laughter, sure, but refreshing nonetheless.

Um, the folk dancing in the square in Corona? Literal funniest thing ever.

One thing that I really missed? Closing keyholes. Finishing worlds wasn’t the same without them.

At this point in the review, I’ve covered basically every aspect I can think of save for one: the story. I’ve purposely saved it for last, because it’s the most important aspect of the series to me, the one that can make or break a Kingdom Hearts game.

From the categories I’ve judged thus far – content, visuals, gameplay, extras – I’d probably give this game a solid 8 or 9/10. I had some issues with the overly cluttered combat, the difficulty level, and the slight disappointment with which worlds were included and the ways they chose to play out the subplots in each. But in the grand scheme of things, all these complaints are minor, and don’t detract from the fact that it’s just plain fun, in a new league with some of the most entertaining and most beautiful titles out there.

But that’s exactly it. Beautiful graphics are the new bare minimum for this generation of console gaming. If a game released for the PS4 or Switch isn’t visually outstanding, it runs a real risk of faltering behind the competition. There is no shortage of beautiful games on the market in 2019.

And if I want a fun game, I can pop back into Mario Odyssey or get a group together to duke it out in Super Smash Ultimate. I can easily download a dozen fun platformers on Steam for less than 50 bucks.

Yes, KH3 is really beautiful, and really fun.

But that’s not why I was so excited to play it.

A legion of kids and teenagers stuck with this series well into their twenties and thirties, never giving up on the release of the next installment. Trudged through handheld games and blocky graphics and clunky battle systems and convoluted plot lines. Why? Well, of course I can’t speak for all KH fans, but for me, and all the ones I know personally, it’s because of the story. It’s always been what, in my mind, sets KH apart from any other video game I’ve ever played. It’s the only game series that’s ever made me cry. The only one I’ve ever owned merchandise for. The only one I’ve ever been so invested in that I can discuss it with friends, even acquaintances, for hours on end. The only one that’s made me care so much about the characters that they feel like my friends. With how much time has passed since I started, maybe even my kids. No pun intended, the series has heart. It contains the same sort of magic that going to Disneyland as a child did. Or, it used to.

Kingdom Hearts 3 didn’t need to just be a great game. It needed to be a Kingdom Hearts game. One that built a wove a compelling story filled with intrigue and emotion from the first hour. One that did justice to all the characters (and by now, there are a lot of them) that we’ve grown to love over the last 17 years. One where a prepubescent kid can yell a speech up at a threatening villain that makes you believe, harder than you’ve ever believed, in the power of friendship. One that instills a childlike optimism that no matter how dark the world gets, as long as someone keeps fighting, good can still triumph over evil. One that tugs on the heartstrings in just the right ways, at just the right moments, to manage to make you cry – repeatedly – over a gang of outspoken, angsty kids with clown feet.

The thing about the story in KH3 is: it’s not inherently a bad story. Sure, it’s a mess, it doesn’t make much sense, it leaves you with more questions than answers, it’s incredibly cheesy, and it retcons a good deal of lore from previous installments. But many of these things could be said of other Kingdom Hearts games. The fact that these descriptors apply to KH3 isn’t what disqualifies it as a worthy entry in the series, in my mind.

For the most part, it’s not the story itself I found disappointing. After all, think about how a summary sounds on paper: reunions with long lost characters, long-awaited battles, conclusions of lengthy character and story arcs. 

The biggest problem wasn’t so much the concept of the story, but rather the execution.

First of all, the pacing. The pacing was terrible. Almost nothing happens the first 20-25 hours of the game. I can think of maybe two scenes that got me on the edge of my seat, gripping my controller in the hopes it would advance the plot further: the scene with Mickey and Riku in the realm of darkness where you get to play as Riku for a few minutes (sadly the only time in the game that you do), and running into Vanitas in Monstropolis. Nothing. Else. Happened. Sure you run into Larxene in Arendelle, and goof around chasing Luxord in the Caribbean, but none of this is actually relevant to the plot we care about. Certainly not the plot the story is telling us to care about from the beginning.

And that leads me to the second issue – how vague your objective actually is. The ultimate objective of the game seems clear enough: rescue Aqua from the realm of darkness, maybe worry about the other two Wayfinder trio once we’ve found her, and defeat Xehanort. But this is not Sora’s given objective. Rather, it’s to find the ‘power of waking.’ Which is not explained, either to Sora or the player. Sora, on the other hand, appoints himself to another mission entirely: contemplating the unfairness of Roxas’ disappearance, he seems to mainly be focused on finding him and restoring him to a physical existence. However, this mission is starkly at odds with the canonical explanation of Nobodies in general and Roxas, specifically. The last time we saw Roxas (chronologically speaking) he reunited with Sora, and as far as we know, he’s still part of Sora. So, the mission to “find” Roxas as if he exists as an entity in the real world is perplexing. Second, lacking hearts, Nobodies can’t exist as a whole on their own. So even assuming we can “find” him in Sora, how far we going to bring him back without splintering Sora into a Heartless and a Nobody again? Even according to the series’ own complex lore, it doesn’t make sense. Therefore, the first half or more of the game seems aimless, not really knowing what we’re meant to be doing, or how. It’s hard to be invested in a story with no clear objective. Not something we can easily get on board with like “Find Riku and Kairi” or “Track down the Organization.” Just “Go find the power of waking.” Okay.

And while a lot (and I mean a lot) happens in the last 4-5 hours of the story to tie up loose ends, it’s crammed together in such a jumbled rush that it’s almost impossible to appreciate any of it.

After collecting Aqua and Ventus, long lost characters reappear on screen one right after another assembly-line style, to the point that none of them feels special or poignant anymore.

Not only that, but the characters who are brought back, many of them beloved protagonists from earlier installments in the series, are not given any time to shine.

It was promising when they let Aqua fight Vanitas in the newly restored Land of Departure. Ven is her friend, her responsibility; it was her fight. But with this taste of getting back a playable character from the franchise, I expected that as the plot progressed, it would open up plenty more chances for past protagonists to take the stage. That we’d be able to step back into the oversized shoes of other playable characters we’d missed. That when (or if) others returned in all their glory, they’d get to strut their stuff.

But that is precisely the opposite of what happened.

I mean, Ventus didn’t get to steal the spotlight for the final clash with Vanitas? By definition, his natural foil?

Terra didn’t get to exact his revenge in an epic showdown with Xehanort, the guy who stole his body and enslaved him for more than a decade?

Roxas and Axel, reunited, couldn’t team up to pound on the Organization members that tormented them? Instead, after his surprise entrance, Roxas got hardly any screen presence at all, and Axel’s epic new flaming keyblade got destroyed, making him sit out most of the fighting after all the build up that he was training to fight?

Oh, and you know who else was utterly useless through the final battles, demoted once again to a damsel in distress despite years of hype that she’d wield a keyblade in this installment, and multiple cutscenes indicating she, too, was training to actually fight? Yup. I don’t even need to say the name.

And to only get one small boss fight as Riku, when in the previous installment he had half the screen time?

The heroes we’ve missed for so long and longed to return to the screen are not resurrected with the dignity and respect they deserve. They are relegated to side characters, who are either completely sidelined for the final battles, or else just hacking away mindlessly in the background as you marathon one ridiculously easy “boss” after another Olympus Coliseum-style.

Speaking of resurrecting characters: the manner in which they brought some of them back was so nebulous it was impossible to understand, let alone experience any sort of emotional reaction.

For one: Roxas. For starters, it’s pretty lazy writing to have Sora be the one pursuing his return (however that was supposed to happen), only to have that pursuit peter out completely, and for Roxas to just appear at the final battle with no resolution or explanation of how. (Nor the satisfaction of fleshing out how Sora achieved it.) But more importantly, where did he come from? There was no scene in which he emerged from Sora’s being. So, where was he? Also, I get that they must have used the replica Demyx/Ansem brought Ienzo as a vessel for him, but how does he have his own heart now? There was no evidence to indicate Sora or Ven lost theirs again. This is a pretty glaring plot hole.

Second? Naminé. This one really came out of left field. No one had even spoken about Naminé the entire game, save one throwaway line. Then all of a sudden, near the very end of the game, everyone cares about bringing her back, too? Even Sora, despite his hours-long obsession with bringing back Roxas without a word about Naminé, sees a newly empty vessel and asks “Oh, is that for Naminé?” All I could do at this point was laugh at the absurdity of it all. 

Even more confusing? Xion. She was a replica, with no heart, no personality... a walking vial for Sora’s memories. How on Earth did she get brought back? What was there to bring back? And what was the point? Xion always felt far more like a plot device than an actual character.

At this point, so little made sense and so many characters had appeared in a row with no regard for continuity or maintaining canon that my heart was really starting to sink. It all felt like it was meant to be fan service. Bring back everyone’s favorite characters: they’ll love that, right? But the issue is they did it no matter what rules they had to break, or canon they had to ignore. Sure, I wanted a lot of these characters back, I think a lot of people did. But not at the expense of good writing.

Even if one completely excuses the hole-filled poor writing that got us there, it didn’t even feel real that we had these awesome characters back. Because they just sort of existed, as high-def cool anime hair and porcelain skin and not much else. Not only did they not get to show us what they’re made of in epic fight sequences, but there was no meaningful dialogue from any of them. Where was Terra giving his friends any sort of recollection of his time as Ansem’s guardian? Riku and Roxas making amends? Aqua thanking Sora for keeping Ven safe? A brofest about protecting their friends between Riku and Terra? Axel saying anything at all meaningful to his best friend when he finally saw him again? For all the reunions we got, it was shocking how little substance there actually was in any of them. 

It was an insanely rushed ending, with stunted, shallow dialogue, and awkward tears that felt forced rather than genuine.

KH3 is to KH1&2 what Moffat Who is to RTD Who. A lot more flash, a lot less substance, and hollowed out characters that no longer provoke deep emotion.

Characters’ emotions were not handled well in this game. Like when Sora, notorious for being a persistent optimist, dissolves to hysterics and claims he’s “nothing” without his friends. But we never get to see this sharp departure from his M.O. (because he has lost his friends over and over throughout the series without reacting this way) really wrestled with. It’s just swept under the rug after a single line from Riku. It’s okay for characters to hit rock bottom: in fact, it’s good for them. But such episodes have to be properly fleshed out, or they won’t have an impact.

Also, just my two cents? Making your characters cry is not a shortcut to get your audience to cry. It’s a lazy way of demonstrating feeling. In the writing world, there’s something called “show, don’t tell.” Making characters cry left and right with hardly any time devoted to the proper dialogue and action is the equivalent of telling, rather than showing. This series is unique to me precisely because it’s the only video game to make me cry (repeatedly). But I didn’t shed a tear in this game. And I think that is so telling. I always think of this behind the scenes video I watched for Doctor Who, in which they filmed different versions of a (very) emotional scene. In one of these versions, the Doctor properly breaks down and cries. David (the actor) upon seeing this version played back to him, said: “I worry if you see him breaking down, it stops you breaking down, as well.” He was onto something there. They didn’t end up using that take in the episode, and I think everyone would agree it was the right call. I’m not saying crying is inherently bad and always to be avoided. In fact, the opposite: it can be very powerful if used sparingly, and at the right moments with the right build-up. But overusing it, with no apparent regard for characterization nuances, basically making it your only method for tell your audience a character is emotional? It’s a little insulting. You also need good dialogue, good acting (or in this case, good animation and voice acting), and proper timing if you want to strike a chord with anyone.

Which, speaking of, I thought both the dialogue and the voice acting in the game as a whole left something to be desired (and seemed almost painfully slow?), and I think a big reason why emotional moments tended to ring hollow.

Onto another aspect of the story: how it ties in to earlier installments in the series. There was a fair amount of speculation going into this game whether or not smaller, handheld-console based installments and extra nuggets from mobile games and re-releases would be relevant in KH3. But regardless of which side of the argument fans fell on, the fact remains that many fans had only played KH1 and KH2, possibly BBS, prior to playing KH3. Many people don’t have the money or the interest in playing on multiple handheld consoles (me being one of them, though I toughed it out in this case) or cell phones, nor the tireless dedication and yes, more money, to purchase games a second time for Final Mix versions and secret endings. This is not a bad thing. It doesn’t mean they are bad fans, or less deserving of playing or enjoying KH3. Someone should not have to be a zealous super-fan to be able to enjoy a video game, or any form of entertainment. If you show up to Avengers: Endgame without having seen some of the previous major installments in the film franchise, you are probably going to be confused. I don’t recommend doing that. But is it necessary to have re-watched them all 20 times, speculated for hours on blogs and message boards, and read decades worth of Avengers comics to be able to understand it? Of course not. Though some insufferable comic book elitists insist they’re better than everyone else because they know more about the Marvel universe, the fact is you don’t have to be a Marvel super-fan to enjoy the films. That’s how it should be. Because it’s okay to be a casual fan of something. Content creators normally recognize this, and respect all of their audience. But here, there was critical information from pretty much every spinoff handheld game that you needed in order to have any idea what was going on. There wasn’t even any recap system like in KH2 (the static memories) to get you up to speed on what had happened in the series up until this point. Not to mention the location of the final boss fight, as well as the very last cutscenes centered around a mobile game/movie that I had never even heard of until I was in the middle of playing KH3. Now I am something of a KH geek as I said, so I’ve sat through Union Cross now and done my best to understand some of the more obscure lore. But, call me crazy, I don’t think it’s fair to expect every single person who plays the game to do that in order to understand it. Games are supposed to be fun, not homework.

Which brings me to my last point: this game was supposed to be the end of the saga as we know it. Whether it’s the end of the series or simply the end of this story arc and subsequent games will follow a villain besides the many iterations of Xehanort is yet to be seen (as of me writing this), but it was established this game would be the end to the main trilogy so far. And, to have that end be the main character swanning off on his own (as some have speculated, possibly to his death)? With everyone else from the series partying on the beach like someone important isn’t missing? As someone who came into this game expecting closure, I felt completely blindsided by this ending. After all he’s been through and all the sacrifices he’s made, Sora deserves better.

Kingdom Hearts 3 was visually and mechanically a blast, and credit should go to the developers, artists, and designers where credit is due. But as a fan who plays this series not for graphics or flashy gameplay, but to immerse myself in the story, I’m left feeling cheated. The way the plot unfolded and the way the characters were handled did a disservice to both long-time fans of the saga and to the characters themselves.

I always have a hard time with this, but if I had to put a number to it? I’d say maybe 6/10.

It hurt just to type that.

I’m not giving up hope in the franchise. If there’s ever a KH4 (which still seems unclear right now), I’ll probably still play it. I’m trying to give the creators the benefit of the doubt: they were under a lot of pressure to create a great game, and had too much time in development on their hands and too many sprawling ideas and tried to do too much at once. I’m all for second chances. But if they want the trust of fans like me back, they’re going to have to earn it.

Over the last couple months as I’ve put together this review, I’ve found myself in doubt. Even, dare I say it, like a bad fan, though in principle I vehemently reject the notion someone is a bad fan for disliking an installment of any franchise they love. Am I just too old for Kingdom Hearts now? I wondered. Was I romanticizing the series the whole time, and it’s not as good as I’ve built it up to be in my head? After all my time spent waiting, am I being too critical? I tortured myself over it. So, a couple of weeks after finishing KH3, I popped in the 1.5/2.5 HD compilation into the PS4 and restarted KH2. I had to see if it even came close to the hype I’d built in my head in the 8 or 9 years since I played it last. Almost 60 hours of gameplay later, I can say with confidence that I had not romanticized it at all. This game is amazing. I didn’t mind watching 30 minutes of cutscenes at a time because everything is so compelling. So the graphics are dated, but who cares? The combat is FUN without ever being cumbersome. It’s just the right level of difficulty that there are still some battles and bosses that require multiple attempts and the journey continuously instills a sense of pride and accomplishment. It has so much heart. I still teared up in the same places I used to as a teenager.

KH2 is still a perfect 10/10, and playing it again with fresh eyes only made me realize just how disappointing KH3 actually was.

There’s an old adage that it’s the things we love most that hurt us the most. I wouldn’t feel so let down, or compelled to write 6800 words why, if I didn’t love this series with all my heart. I’ve seen a lot of fans insulting and belittling anyone who dares to criticize the game online, and frankly I’m baffled by that. I critique and discuss all forms of entertainment I enjoy: and that includes both the strengths and weaknesses, the successes and flaws. And I guess I tend to associate with people who do the same. It doesn’t make us bad fans, but passionate ones. I’m not sending hate mail to Square telling them the game unequivocally sucks. I don’t have any ill will towards them or think they’re irredeemable writers or developers. I’m simply recording and posting my honest thoughts to help myself process how I’m feeling, and perhaps others if they choose to read them.

I’m genuinely happy for the fans who loved the game and felt it worth the wait – I don’t want to pick any fights with them (so please don’t pick any fights with me, either). I’m sadly - believe me, no one is sadder than me to admit this - just not one of them.

[bonkaisecretsanta]

Happy Holidays from a Supernatural Purgatory

Happy holidays @fuckitimfangirling​ from @kingcobrakai1972​!

“Do you think people ever get tired of A Christmas Story? Like, actually tired of it. Like, so tired of it they’re contemplating shooting their own eye out, but with a hunting rifle instead of a BB gun.”

Bonnie grits her teeth. Damon has just barely started the movie and Kai already won’t shut up.

The three of them are in Elena’s house this time. It had turned out the Ascendant needed a full month of basking in the light of the Eclipse before it was fully ready for another portal jump, and because of that they’d been static for some time. If someone would’ve told Bonnie months ago that her freedom would depend on a magical witch battery that looked like a can opener, she probably wouldn’t have believed it.

She still isn’t sure what her plan of action is. She knows letting Malachai out isn’t an option, but each and every day Damon looks at her with that pitiful hope in his eyes just makes it harder to justify her need to keep the siphon contained.

She wonders distantly if it’s the right choice— to keep Damon from Elena and her from Jeremy.

Or, if not Jer, her old life. She wonders how the younger Gilbert would even look at her now, knowing what she’s done. Knowing what the darkness in her chest and the aching loneliness had done to her.

Every time she looks at Kai, her stomach tightens and she knows. She knows what he is and there’s this unmistakable driving force pushing every fiber of her being to stop him. To put an end to him.

To chase him to the ends of the Earth and back, as long as it means he never escapes.

“Y’know, Kai,” Damon says with a flourish, pouring himself some more bourbon in his glass on the end table. It looks like he’s using one from Miranda and Grayson’s antique set. “I’m going to shoot your eye out with a hunting rifle and a BB gun if you don’t stop talking.” He gives a sour smile. “In fact, I’ll do you one better. I’ll shoot one eye out with the BB gun and the other with the hunting rifle. Everyone wins.”

Kai sits back in the reclining seat and scoops a handful of popcorn into his mouth, fixing the vampire with an amused gaze. “Your temper’s going to get you in trouble, Damon. What do you think, Bonnie? He looks exactly like the elf that pushes Ralphie down the slide. He’s even got the whole grimace and tacky outfit thing down.”

Damon’s glare is withering, but it typically is. “Very funny, jackass. You’re wearing cut off shorts and a Led Zeppelin top that looks like it came from Good Will.”

“Can you both just stop?” Bonnie interjects, feeling her temper flare and quickly turn to exasperation. “I’d like to at least try and pretend I’m at Elena’s actual house watching A Christmas Story and not stuck in supernatural purgatory with you two.”

“Or— second option— I’ll stop when the magic siphoning weasel stops endlessly yammering on,” Damon argues pettily. He grips the glass in his hand like he’s about to crush it with vampiric strength. “He’s giving me high blood pressure, and vampires don’t get high blood pressure, Bonnie.”

“When he stops talking?” Bonnie asks incredulously. “And when is that? The end of the world as we know it?”

Kai just looks amused in the background. “Damon, you’re sooo dramatic. Wanna know what I think?” he asks, and Damon gives an expression that conveys just how much he clearly does not, in fact, want to know. “I think you’re so used to your own self-absorbed monologue-ing that you’re upset someone else is talking for a change.”  

Bonnie thinks this is a fairly obvious conclusion to draw, but Kai looks smug all the same.

“So, when are we getting the hell out of here and as far away from this idiot as possible?” Damon asks, snatching the remote from Bonnie’s arm rest and switching the TV off in one quick motion. “That witchy battery is done charging tonight, isn’t it?”

“Darren, were you raised in a barn?” Kai asks inquisitively, sitting forward. “We weren’t even halfway through the movie.”

“The Ascendant should be finished charging by tomorrow, yes,” Bonnie replies, ignoring Kai completely. “We’ll be home on Christmas Eve.” Anytime Bonnie thinks about her plans to somehow leave Kai in the prison world, she comes up short when she remembers the harsh, burning feeling of her magic being zapped from her veins. Of his fingers lighting up the surface of her skin.

“Great, and that’s, uh, tomorrow,” Kai says, clearly losing patience. “So, here’s an idea: maybe don’t interrupt the movie. What am I supposed to do instead? Listen to Damon recite his alphabet of favorite moments with Nephew Uncle Zac all up until he chomped down on his pregnant wife like a fruit snack?”

“Can you stop?” Bonnie says in disgust, lip curling at Kai’s choice of vocabulary. “Damon, just turn the damn movie back on.”

The vampire sneers, but complies all the same. He takes a big swig of bourbon. “Don’t have to tell me twice. Anything to drown out the sound of this idiot’s voice.”

The following day, it takes almost an hour of aligning the Ascendant before Kai finally instructs them where to dig.

It takes a few hours longer of Damon chipping away at the earth with the pickaxe before the surface of the ground breaks through and reveals the cave below— the place where the light of the eclipse (according to Kai) is to shine down and activate the Ascendant.

“Looks like I got back just in time,” the siphon says, and she realizes he’s right behind her, pulling his backpack off one arm. He’d left earlier when Damon had started digging— something about needing to gather important materials. Damon shoots over to him in a blur, dropping the pickaxe and seizing the siphon’s bag to peek into its contents.

“Zima,” Damon declares almost boredly. “Grunge. Every Alex Rodriguez rookie card in demand and a...pager? Really?”

Kai grins and makes eye contact with her over Damon’s shoulder (almost sheepishly, Bonnie thinks). “555-Hi-Kai, no way I’m giving those digits up.”

“These were the important supplies you had to get?”

“Look, the future sounds great, alright? I’m super excited about the internet. But 1994 has been my home for most of my life— I’d hate to get homesick. So, let’s just get down there—“

“No,” Bonnie says, and the objection is tumbling out of her mouth before she even realizes it. She’s standing up now, pushing past Damon to reach Kai. “We are not going anywhere until you show me the spell.”

“Ohhh-kay,” he says, shoving his hands dramatically into his pockets and looking straight ahead.

Bonnie feels her annoyance only growing.

“Are we literally not going anywhere?” Damon asks, glare narrowing.

“Fine,” Bonnie murmurs, shifting to look up at him with crossed arms. “If you don’t want to show me the spell then you can do it yourself.”

Kai looks amused at this, meeting her gaze evenly.

“You want my magic,” Bonnie continues, stepping forward. The air between them feels heady with energy. She reaches her arm out, feeling almost naked as she does. “Take it.”

“Uh-oh,” Kai jokes. “She’s being brave.”

“I’m serious, Kai. This was your big threat, wasn’t it? If I don’t do the spell and let us out of here you’ll just take my magic, leave me for dead and do the spell yourself. So go ahead. Take all of it.”

There’s a moment. A brief, split second where Bonnie can feel his warmth and can see, up close, the amused look on his face. She doesn’t think he’ll do it.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he says, and his hands are touching her. There’s a searing hot fire blasting through her nerves, singeing her magic from inside out. She can’t breathe— the feeling of being sucked dry is overwhelming. So painful it almost feels.. pleasurable?

“Bonnie,” Damon cries out in alarm.

“It’s okay,” she grunts, glaring at Kai as she struggles against his touch. “He won’t kill me.”

“Doesn’t look like that from here,” Damon says argumentatively. “Hey, Bonnie,” he chastises again as she lets out a cry of pain.

She feels his hand roaming up her shoulder, yanking her towards him. She writhes against his chest, somehow still raising her head enough to bare her teeth at him through the pain.

He’s grinning. Actually grinning, she thinks— like this is a game.

She guesses maybe it is.

“Woah, hey, guys,” Damon interjects, clearly growing only more panicked. “Stop.”

Kai, grinning, pulls his hands back from her and watches her retract. She’s breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling and her veins singing with residual pain and pleasure.

“He doesn’t know the spell,” she says, tilting her head. “Which means... we don’t need him.” His eyes are still smug. It only fuels her fire.

She does it without thinking— not truly, anyway. It’s an act of desperation. Of passion, in a twisted way. Bonnie can’t remember the last time someone’s gotten under her skin like this, and she certainly wants to scrub the shame of seeing him and knowing she’d actually started off being attracted to someone like him. No— that she still is. The shame burns through her, so she raises one hand. “Motus.”

The pickaxe Damon had been using to dig flies upwards, slinging towards Kai’s chest and embedding itself in his heart. He chokes, his eyes growing only a little wider as he starts to fall.

Something stirs in her chest as he does.

“No, no...Bonnie!”

She stands still, trembling. She can feel her own heart pounding in her chest, and adrenaline like fire floods through her veins.

“Great work, Bonnie,” Damon concedes, patting her shoulder.

“I’m sure there are about a billion people you’d rather be here with.”

“Not exactly.”

It’s maybe the only tender moment she’s ever truly shared with Damon. She’s sure it won’t be the last, since she now has the Ascendant working and has found the truth— Kai had needed her to leave. Bennett blood had always been the key to escaping the Prison World.

She hardly has time to open her mouth and finish the spell when she feels it biting into her gut, throwing her backwards with such force she’s suddenly being slammed against the cavern floor.

Her ribcage feels like its cracking and the biting pain in her gut rears its ugly head more. Blood, blood, blood. It’s an arrow. A crossbow arrow, in her side. The Ascendant has fallen, and Kai is standing at the mouth of the cavern.

“Forgetting someone?” Kai smirks, lowering the crossbow. “Did you really think I hadn’t tried to kill myself before? Because I had. Lots of times.. lots of ways.” He’s loading another bolt into the crossbow, cocking it. He uses it to gesture to the Ascendant. “Grab that and the next arrow goes in her heart.”

Damon stares at him for a long moment. Using his vampiric speed, he rushes over to Bonnie and grabs her, helping hoist her up a little.

“Damon..,” she groans, but he ignores her, pulling the arrow from her gut. He bites his own wrist, poised to feed her vampire blood.

She sees Kai behind him, heading for the Ascendant. “Damon, no,” she panics, gesturing until he looks.

Damon whooshes back over to Kai, slamming him against the cavern wall. Without Damon’s support, Bonnie drops a little, groaning as she hits the floor again. She starts to crawl towards the Ascendant just as she hears Kai shove one of the arrows into Damon’s chest. There’s a sickly splintering sound as he drives it in, and the two are fighting for dominance as Kai manages to semi-stake him with a measly crossbow bolt.

“Bonnie, get out of here,” Damon growls, fighting Kai off of him.

“I’m not gonna make it,” she says, voice trembling. Tears sting her eyes and she hardly manages a smile. “But you are.” She lunges for the Ascendant, fingers grasping the cool metal.

“Motus.” Magic leaving her like an exhale, she watches as the spell sends Kai flying off of Damon. Bonnie twists her hand, pulling it towards her, and the magic follows, yanking Damon towards the light.

She throws the Ascendant and Damon just barely catches it.

“Don’t,” Kai shouts, lunging forward.

The Ascendant is already unfolding, and Damon looks at her in horror. “No,” he says, as he realizes. “No!”

He’s gone. Bonnie knows, as she sees him portal jump, that she’s truly alone now. The last thing she hears is the Ascendant shattering and Kai’s scream of pure fury.

When she finally stirs again, she’s on the Salvatores’ couch. She feels his presence before she even opens her eyes.

“Oh, look who’s awake.” He leans forward, clasping his hands together. “How do you feel?”

“Like you shot me with an arrow,” she says incredulously, holding her side as she sits up. She feels something catch underneath her shirt and lifts it to find a bandage. The wound still hurts, but it seems like the Siphon had doctored it up. She wonders how much time out of his eighteen years in the Prison World had been spent learning medicine.

“Right. Anywho — I have no idea how you managed to shatter the Ascendant into a billion pieces, but we need to put it back together before the eclipse at 12:28. You wanna help?” He grins in spite of himself. “I know you’re a puzzle person.”

“I don’t wanna help,” Bonnie says as she stands. “You’re a psychopath— this place is your prison. I’m not letting you out. Besides, you’d just kill me the minute we get out.” Even as she says it, she wonders if it’s entirely true.

Kai pauses for a moment, purses his lips and then stands up. Every inch he moves closer to her, she can feel it. Sense him, on some magical level— the magic-sucking void for her very own magic well.

“You’ve been through a trauma,” he says, his words like silk. “Your memory is probably a little fuzzy right now, so you might be thinking that your magic will protect you.” He’s standing next to her now, his heat pouring off in waves. She tries to step back, but his hand snakes out and latches onto her wrist, holding her in place.

“But all I have to do is hold your hand and your magic suddenly becomes mine.” His touch quickly becomes biting and the familiar warm sucking feeling cascades through her body.

She leans into him, gasping at the pain. His fingers are shifting from her wrist to her hand, pulling her even closer. He moves his mouth to her ear and Bonnie feels like she might die.

“What was that?” he asks, and it’s so raspy it comes out in a near whisper. His breath tickles her ear, and she can feel almost the entirety of his chest pressed against her. Her blood feels like it’s boiling, and a flush overtakes her that she’s instantly ashamed of. “You’re gonna do the spell to finally get us home?”

She sobs weakly as his fingers tighten. It takes every ounce of her strength to move— to pull away from him and lunge for the ballpoint pen on the table. Stabbing it forcefully into his neck, she lets out a breath of instant relief as the siphon falls, clutching the spurting wound. Her magic stutters and pulses freely within her again, free of his touch.

Bonnie moves towards the Ascendant on the table as if on instinct, seizing the backpack from the chair.

Just before she pushes the entire thing into the bag, she pauses. Would it be too obvious and too futile to just snatch the entire Ascendant and run? She racks her brain for a moment, trying to think of some alternative.

She drops the backpack and scoops a tiny piece of the Ascendant into her jean pocket, and heads for Sheila Bennett's house.

Bonnie doesn't know what she's looking for. A linking spell? A destruction spell of some kind?

She's on her hands and knees in Sheila's bedroom closet, pulling dusty grimoires from the corner and flipping quickly through them. The pages smell old but familiar, and she recognizes some of the passages. The Ascendant piece feels like it's burning a hole in her pocket, but she continues searching anyway. How long until Kai resurrects? Until he finds her?

It’s almost half an hour later when she finds it.

It’s in the oldest book; a fat, black-leathered grimoire with pentacles engraved upon the front.

"A transfer spell," she whispers, laying the book flat. "To move the magic of a spelled object to either the user themselves or a new object entirely." She reads further, skimming to the bottom of the page. The spell seems to require a large pool of magic— a giant burst of it, that can be obtained in a few different ways. Bonnie ponders this. Having only just gotten her magic back recently, she knows there are only so many spells she can feasibly pull off. Even just the first fire spell she’d used to threaten Kai had zapped a lot out of her.

Bonnie stands, closing the book. She knows what she has to do.

It’s the next day, December 25th, before she returns to the boarding house. Before she crosses the Salvatores’ threshold again, she uses the piece of the Ascendant to slice her finger and draw blood. Slipping it back inside of a locket of Sheila's that's hanging around her neck, she closes it tightly and steps inside.

The floorboards creak under her weight. The smell of cooking wafts through the air, making her salivate. As much as she hates to admit it, the siphon is a good cook. What she smells now is no less than a Christmas Day feast.

“Kai?” she calls, reaching the entrance to the den. The Salvatores' living room is decked out in Christmas decor. Red and green string lights cover the archway above her, and a white Christmas tree that looks like it came from Bell's is set up in the corner. There's Christmas music playing in the background as well, but it's all piano instrumental and doesn't have any singing.

"Do you like the, uh, music choice?" Kai asks, and she jumps when she realizes he's standing at the other entrance to the den. "You can thank me later for not playing any of the classics. My sister Jo used to be all about those." He gives an impish grin. "Jingle hop — more like jingle hop to your grave if you hear it one more time, amiright?"

Bonnie gives him a hard look. "What the hell is all of this?"

"Um, what does it look like? Bon, we were just watching a movie about Christmas. It's not like I siphoned your brains out or anything—"

"God, Kai, stop. I mean, why?"

He folds his arms. He's wearing an ugly Christmas sweater with minimalist reindeer heads decorating the front, and she finds herself wondering if it's some kind of joke. "Well, I knew you were going to come back for the Ascendant. I mean, no way in Hell you're planning on staying in here with me, right? It's Christmas in the real world, so. Might as well make the best of it, right?" Just when she thinks he's going to stop, he presses on. Suspicion builds in her gut. "The truth is, Bon...I want to be more like you. I think spending all of this time together has made me realize that."

All of this smells like fresh bullshit to Bonnie, but she only cocks one eyebrow at him. "And I guess your big plan is feeding me Christmas Ham until I forget you murdered half your family, right?"

“Is there a better way to approach this? ‘Cuz I’m all ears, baby. You just don’t strike me as a flowers kinda girl.”

Bonnie winces at the use of 'baby'. It's not even something Jer had ever called her. The idea of a sociopath she'd met in a magical Prison World calling her that with zero romantic history between them makes her screen crawl. "Call me that again and I'll melt your face off," she says coolly.

Kai raises his brows, laughing. "Oooh. I mean, if you're offering. I've always wanted to find out if turning my face into a gushing fountain of blood would still trigger a magical resurrection. Fingers crossed it doesn't." He nods his head toward the kitchen. "C'mon, Bonnie. If you're going to give me the third degree, at least do it over a Christmas feast?"

She gives him a long look before conceding. Her hand coming up to her neck to make sure her locket is safe underneath her shirt, she follows Kai as he enters the kitchen.

Bonnie is salivating as soon as she sees the food. On the island counter, there's a one-pound pork tenderloin coated in brown sugar topping laid out on a cutting board. Next to it are sides of sweet potatoes, stuffing and what looks like garlic-and-bacon green beans.

“Help yourself,” Kai says, gesturing to the two plates he’d left on the counter. “Scout’s honor it’s not poisoned.”

As much as she wants to, Bonnie knows she’s going to lose her window of opportunity if she doesn’t act soon.

“Do you think you’re playing some kind of game? Luring me into a false sense of security by making me food and flirting with me again?” She takes a step toward him. Kai is leaned against the island counter, so he has nowhere to go. He just gives her a surprised look, his brows raising a bit as Bonnie stands not even two inches from him.

She can feel his body heat now. She wonders if she should feel sick for what she’s about to do. She tries to imagine what Jer would think of her now.

Bonnie puts the thought away. No sense in dwelling now. It’s her only way out of here. That’s what she tells herself, anyway.

“Bon?” he asks, seeming genuinely confused. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for this weird sexual tension thing, but — there’s pork tenderloin—“

“Malachai. Stop.”

She closes the distance between their mouths. Fire feels like it’s engulfing her as her lips slide across his. He returns the gesture eagerly, his tongue meeting hers in a caress.

He’s good at kissing, she thinks, and realizes she’s probably lost her mind. She knows she isn’t supposed to enjoy it, but her groin is searing with heat and every new swipe of his tongue makes her want to rip his clothes off. She’s lost, she realizes, as she undoes his fly and rips his shorts off. She’s lost in an unfamiliar tide of desire.

He pulls her own pants off too, and she’s surprised she doesn’t fight him. Kai tries to move for her shirt as well, but she slaps his hand away, fear clenching her chest as she realizes he might see the locket.

He doesn’t seem to notice.

The two of them stumble towards the kitchen table, and Bonnie’s back hits the edge. He lifts her up, hoisting her onto it with ease and laying her flat. She still has her underwear on, so he lowers himself, using his long fingers to pull them slightly off.

Bonnie can feel the cool air on her genitals. She’s so wet that she tries to remember the last time she’d had this kind of reaction just from making out with someone.

“Kai,” she murmurs as he uses his tongue to lick a long strip between her labia. He does it once more but takes his time, lapping at her juices carefully as he works his way up.

The witch lets out a hiss, her hand clenching the table cloth and the decorative Christmas candles a foot away from her roaring to life with flames.

One of his long fingers strokes her, dipping into her wetness and sliding slightly into her opening. Just as he does this, he sucks her clit and she cries out. He rolls his tongue around, making a suckling motion that already starts to push her over the edge. Using two fingers, he fucks them in and out of her. Bonnie is all too aware of how sloppy and wet it sounds— she turns her head in shame, her eyes stinging with unshed tears as the siphon’s tongue rolls over her clit again and again.

Magic trembles through her, rolling across her small frame just as the orgasm does. The locket is searing her skin for a brief moment, and she knows. She has the power to complete the spell.

Kai’s not a fool. At least, not most of the time. Not with matters that don’t involve eating out Bonnie Sheila Bennett on the Salvatores’ dining room table. He’d noticed when the piece of the Ascendant was missing. Had he thought she’d hidden it so he couldn’t escape? Yes. Did he have a plan to get it back from her? Also yes.

But what he hadn’t expected was this.

He’s circling her clit with his tongue, his erection making a tent out of his boxers. He can smell her. Taste her. He’d known the Christmas Feast would be good, but this? This was on another level.

He feels her trembling; hears her cry his name as she starts to orgasm. He uses a finger to play with her opening, adding a second digit to dip in further and fuck her in and out.

Kai is transfixed. Mesmerized. He’s so busy working with his mouth that he doesn’t realize she’s starting to chant.

When he hears the Latin, he knows. Pulling away, he gives her an incredulous look. “What...have you done?” His throat bobs. “Bonnie.”

She sits up. There’s a grin forming on her features, but it’s full of malice. “Your worst fear. Goodbye, Kai. Motus.”

One of the cooking knives he’d left out flies from the edge of counter, lodging itself in the side of his neck. His long fingers grasp at the gushing wound, and he falls.

Bonnie wonders in retrospect if maybe taking the Ascendant would have made more sense. She steps over Kai’s body, the blood flowering out on the Salvatores’ kitchen floor.

He probably would’ve come for her, if she had, though. It would’ve shown a full intention to escape without him.

Little does he know, she’s doing that now anyway.

The Christmas music playing in the background is eerie, echoing throughout the boarding house and following her as she goes.

She returns to the cavern at 12:28 PM on the dot. She can finally leave— leave this Hell. Her own personal Underworld. Or maybe it’s Kai’s. The line had blurred long ago.

As she says the incantation, she can feel magic stirring in her veins. The Ascendant is useless. She is the object of power for the spell, and she can feel it in her bones. The spell feels like it’s swirling around her, and she starts to feel the portal jump.

Bonnie tries to forget that haunted look on his face. She tries to forget that some part of her had even enjoyed it.

At least she’d be home for Christmas.