#why are y’all always so short staffed

[bartruto]

what makes people think that they can treat the people in charge of their oh so important medicine like insects

[annymation]

Reimagining the Characters in Wish

(Part 4- The 7 teens)

Yup, you read that right, I’m rewriting AAAAALL these fellas, or rather, just giving more substance to them because as they were in the movie we barely got CHARACTERS, just a 7 dwarfs reference, heck, I doubt y’all remember their names.

If you’re new here, hi, I’m rewriting all the characters in Wish before I start sharing my rewrite, here’s part 1, part 2 and part 3.

Now you may wonder, why am I even keeping the concept of the 7 teens in my rewrite, when just scrapping them all together would make my life so much easier instead of writing lines of dialogue and character motives to all of them?

Well the answer is that I like to make myself suffer I think they actually have a lot of potential, and I really like their designs.

Sooo lets meet the gang.

Who are the 7 teens?

So in my rewrite, the 7 teens will be a little bit more than just Asha’s best friends. Because each one of them will be the sons and daughters of some members of the royal staff.

I’ll be specifying in this blog the following things about each one of them:

- Their personality.

- Who their parents are.

- How they met Asha.

- What purpose will they serve in the story.

So buckle up because this blog might get a lil bit long hahaha I regret this already.

Dahlia 🍪

- Dahlia is a 17 year old girl, she has mobility issues, so she has to use a crutch to walk.

- She’s very organized and proactive, always doing her best to get things done. She’s often the one who takes the lead when planning things for her friends such as surprise birthday parties or deciding where to hang out (or whatever teenagers did back then aside from dying from the plague).

- She has an habit of making lists with the step by step of everything she has planned, which her friends find pretty amusing. Her ideas always turn out to be a lot of fun, although she really needs to learn how to let go of this need of control and just let things play out naturally.

(She’s kinda like Twilight Sparkle… this will not be the last time I’ll mention a My Little Pony character in this blog)

- Sometimes when things don’t go according to plan or she gets anxious she starts stuttering and replacing words

(much like how Doc from Snow White did constantly, I’m shocked they didn’t reference that once in the movie, it’s such an awkward teenager thing to do)

“Asha! We shook— I mean LOOKED everywhere for you la-last night! Why would you fun- I MEAN RUN away from the hackle like that??”

“… I think you mean castle-“

“YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT”

- But overall she’s a very kind and supportive friend to Asha, something they both have in common is that they enjoy working hard to achieve their goals, even though Dahlia still wants to give her wish for the king.

- I might’ve made her come off as a bit of a control freak but really she’s very easygoing and kind. Even when things don’t go according to plan she knows anything with her friends will be fun and work out in the end.

Even if what doesn’t go according to plan is a heist mission to infiltrate the castle?

She’s the daughter of the royal cooks

- Her mother is the royal baker and her father is the royal lead chef.

- They both work in the castle, and Dahlia sometimes goes with them to lend a hand when they’re short staffed or to learn the family business.

- Dahlia has witnessed first hand how the royal couple can be not so sweet when they’re away from the public eyes:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

King Magnifico: Diner yesterday was absolutely dreadful, what happened? Have I granted your wish to be the greatest chef in the land for nothing?

Dahlia’s father: m-my deepest apologies sire, you see, the queen took all the salt from our storage yesterday to make her potions so-

King Magnifico: Blaming my wife for your incompetence now, I see

Dahlia’s father: n-no! I’d neve-

King Magnifico: If you got no salt, find a work around, I’ll not be accepting any less than the finest meals from you, was I clear? Dismissed.

Dahlia: … Dad, that wasn’t your fault, you can’t let him talk to you like that.

Dahlia’s father: He’s the king, Dahlia, he’s always right. Besides, it’s thanks to him granting my wish that I know how to cook at all, the least I can do is not disappoint him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Because she got to see this behavior, it’s easier for her to believe when Asha tells her the king and queen’s true colors.

- She’s expected to follow her parent’s foot steps, and become a great cook, but all she really knows how to bake is cookies.

- She sees cooking a lot more as a past time than something she’ll be doing for the rest of her life, but she doesn’t want to let her parents down, she keeps trying to develop some interest in cooking, so she can wish to be a great cook once she turns 18

(Just wishing for it without having truly the interest in cooking wouldn’t work, because a wish has to be something that you really want and comes from the bottom of your heart)

She was the first one that met Asha

- Dahlia was helping her mom sell her baking goods to the neighborhood, so she went all by herself with a little cart carrying a bunch of sweets (like a Girl Scout)

- She knocked on Asha’s house and was greeted by lil 6 year old Asha with her grandpa, they bought some sweets, but as she was walking away Asha noticed she was having some trouble carrying the cart while walking with her crutch.

- Asha looked at her grandfather who gave her a reassuring nod.

- Asha offered to help Dahlia carry the cart.

- They talked while they walked door to door for a while, and after there were no more sweets in the cart they went to play together, and that’s how they became best friends.

She will be the leader

- I mentioned briefly in my blog about reimagining Asha that after her grandfather passed away she started living with Dahlia, so they’re basically sisters, and as such, Dahlia is very protective of Asha and becomes increasingly worried when Asha starts acting weird after her meeting with the king and queen, like she’s hiding something… and why the heck she has a friend that dresses up like a prince now?

- There will be a point in the middle of the story where Asha and Aster run away from the kingdom

(for reasons that I really should explain soon because the whole middle chunk of this rewrite is yet to be shared on Tumblr, I’m so sorry, I’ll get to writing it here soon)

- And Asha is seen now as a traitor, so, the 7 teens are conflicted.

- Should they believe their king, who says that Star guy is dangerous and Asha was plotting to betray them? Or should they trust their best friend?

- Dahlia is the first one who rises up saying they should go after Asha and help her, pack their stuff, tell their parents they’re going to make a sleepover or something, and just go to the middle of the woods.

- Everyone is a little unsure at first (specially Gabo and Simon) but after she gives them a little speech and reminds everyone of all the things Asha did for them, they’re convinced to go.

- Once they do find Asha and Aster, she helps a lot when they have to make a plan on how to defeat the royal couple.

Simon 💤

- Simon is a 21 year old young man, the oldest of the group, and since the day he gave way his wish he hasn’t been the same.

- Simon used to be very energetic and hard working, now, he’s in a constant feel of exhaustion that doesn’t go away, no matter how much he sleeps, he doesn’t feel motivated to do anything.

- His friends are very understanding tho and every time they hang out they always bring a pillow in case he needs a nap (which he always does need).

- They assume Simon has been so exhausted since he turned 18 because after that his father has been more demanding of him and his training, we’ll talk more about that later.

- Even tho he’s overwhelmed with sleepiness, Simon is still very protective and caring with his friends, he always tries his best to stay awake when they’re having fun together, he doesn’t want to miss a moment with them.

- He was even more protective before he turned 18 of course, he was like the older brother of the group, but since now he’s way too sleepy to be the voice of reason, that role is now Asha’s, the second oldest.

He’s the son of the captain of the royal guard

- The training I mentioned before was sword fighting, horse walking, navigation, tactics and a bunch of other exhausting things.

- But for whaaaateveeer reason Simon has lost all interest in learning about them since the day he gave away his wish, gosh I wonder what that wish wa— It’s the same that it was in the movie.

- Simon wished to become the next captain of the royal guard, just like his dad, so he can make him proud and protect his friends.

(Omg Simon is Papyrus Undertale confirmed)

- Magnifico is waiting for Simon’s dad to pass away so he can grant Simon’s wish, can’t have 2 captains of the royal guard at the same time, now can he?

- The tragic irony of it all is that a wish that Simon made to make his family proud just made him become an embarrassment to his father, who now doesn’t even try to teach him anything, knowing his son is just gonna fall asleep during his lessons.

- Simon is very distressed by all this, deep down he knows that he might feel this way because, for whatever reason, the king hasn’t granted his wish yet

- Whenever he tries to explain that to his father tho, he just angrily cuts him off for even daring to question or blame the king for his own failures, saying he must always be loyal and thankful to the king… Always.

(His father is mean like that because he wished to be the king’s most trusted and loyal knight so he literally is incapable of questioning Magnifico, even if that means he hurts his son in the process)

- After getting these speeches from his father so many times Simon just accepted that the problem was him, and it definitely wasn’t the king’s fault

- However, Asha did suspect that Simon’s wish wasn’t granted, just like how her grandfather’s wish wasn’t either, she recognized how Simon shared a lot of behavior patterns with her grandfather.

“You know Simon… Maybe you should ask the king if your wish was granted at all, don’t you think? You haven't been acting like yourself for 3 years now”

“What? Oh no no no I… I shouldn’t bother him with something so silly, I mean, of course he granted my wish… And if he didn’t then he must have his reasons and I just gotta wait haha but it doesn’t matter either way, after all I’m totally fine… I’m fine…”

Simon is the only one in the group who has absolutely no criticism about the king.

He was the second one that met Asha

- Simon was 10 when he started training sword fighting on his backyard, he’d use some scare crows as his opponents, and he made some wood swords by himself.

- Asha and Dahlia were hanging out when they saw Simon training, Asha thought it seemed fun so she asked if she could play too.

- Simon really could use some more lively opponents so yeah, why not?

- They played sword fighting the whole afternoon while Dahlia cheered for Asha and joined in the fun too.

- Since then they were very close friends and Simon taught Asha how to properly sword fight during their preteen years… they haven’t done that in a while now.

He’ll be the traitor

- Yup, oh sweet sleepy lil Simon betrays them in my version too, but don’t worry, it’s not just because he wants to get his wish granted like it was in the movie

(because that was a jerk move that made Simon feel very unlikable, like I get it he’s constantly exhausted and depressed and wants it to go away but bruh couldn’t even look guilty when doing it)

- So, like I mentioned, they all go after Asha and Aster in the forest. Simon at first is very resistant and the others even say it’s okay if wants to stay.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dahlia: It’s okay Simon, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.

Gabo: OH SURE! I’m a jerk for calling this a suicide mission, but the strongest and oldest of the group not wanting to go is completely understandable, I see how it is.

Simon: …hmm

Dahlia: Simon’s case is different Gabo, if his dad realizes he’s missing then we might have even more guards on our tail.

Safi: Besides, Simon might be a liability.

Simon:… what’s that supposed to mean?

Safi: Ah… shoot- eh you know like… it’s getting pretty late and you didn’t get a nap this afternoon so—

Gabo: He means we can’t carry you through the woods like a sleeping beauty waiting for a kiss, Simon.

Simon:…

Hal: Wow Gabo, very classy (sarcastic)

Gabo: Hey, just saying what we’re all thinking-

Simon: I’m going.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Simon decides he has to go because someone has to be there to protect his friends, not just from the woods, but most importantly from that star guy the king warned everyone about

- May seem contradictory that Simon believes both in the king and Asha, but truth is that he’s holding up hope that this is all some big misunderstanding and Asha just misunderstood something the king said, or she’s being brainwashed by that star, or anything else.

- He just can’t accept that the king is truly evil.

- So, when they’re packing up their things to go, Simon grabs a little something from his father’s room.

- A magic mirror, used only by the king’s most trusted knights, that gives direct contact to the king's study.

- He planed to just use it in case that they needed help if they found out the star was really harming Asha.

- However, once they did find Asha and Aster, it became undeniably clear that the star wasn’t harmful at all, which left Simon very confused.

“Maybe the book the king read about wishing stars was wrong, I should just explain to him that he made a mistake!”

(Oh poor naive boy)

- After planning how they’d defeat the king and save the wishes, Simon just lied saying he was gonna take a nap behind a tree, and thus, he entered in contact with the king and queen

- Magnifico at first dismisses Simon like he’s just messing with his father’s stuff until Simon mentions he knows where Asha and the star are, that peaks his interest, but he and Amaya disguise their enthusiasm perfectly by pretending to be worried for his safety.

“Oh my, are you alright? Has it done anything to you? Where are you? We can send help immediately”

- He says they’re fine, and tries to explain that maybe the king was wrong about star, and there has been some misunderstanding that lead to Asha thinking they were bad people, if they just talked things out everything would go back to normal.

- Like I mentioned in part 2, one of Magnifico’s abilities is hypnosis through eye contact, so he’s able to make Simon see things his way.

- He manipulates Simon into thinking that the star is tricking all of them to get to the wishes, and the only way for Simon to save them is doing EXACTLY what Magnifico says.

- He asks Simon to tell him what their plans are, so he can stop them from… doing anything they might regret.

- Simon, even under the influence of Magnifico’s power, is still conflicted and asks if his friends will be in trouble after this is all over.

“Trouble? Oh heaves no, dear boy, I wouldn’t dream on letting any harm come to them, trust me, your friends will be perfectly safe… If you do as I say.”

“… “if”?…”

“Enough chit chat, now, what are they plotting exactly? Don’t leave any details”

- Of course, Magnifico also offers to grant Simon's wish if everything goes according to plan, Simon is fully convinced.

- Simon agrees to lock his friends in a room during their invasion to the castle, the king convinced him that's the best way to keep them “safe” (Asha will be locked in a different room tho, for… reasons)

- But once he does lock them up, he hears his friends screaming and arguing with him through the door, eventually he has a change of heart and lets them go, so they can stop the king and queen together.

- Simon first betrayed his friends, but then he betrayed the king, and as he’ll find out in a very painful way… Magnifico really doesn’t like being betrayed.

(See what I did there? That’s a line Magnifico says in the Wish movie hehe… okay moving on)

Gabo 😡

- Gabo is a 17 year old teen, he’s also a little person.

- He’s a menace to society the brutally honest of the group, always with a sarcastic remark on the tip of his tongue, sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they’re way too harsh, but he often apologizes if he goes too far, he doesn’t mean to hurt people, being blunt is just how he expresses himself.

- You may wonder why his friends even hang out with him if he’s so… grumpy all the time, well, his friends understand that he has a lot of pent-up anger inside because of personal stuff, so they try to help him through it.

- He also has a more soft side to him, he can be very wise for his age when his friends need some advice, and he’s always loyal, even when they disagree, he’d go anywhere they go.

- He’s specially loyal and supportive to Asha and most of the time refrains from throwing shade at her, actually he’s mostly just blunt when talking to the guys, he’s a lot more respectful to the girls.

(Ironic considering Grumpy hated Snow White at first just because she was a girl lmao)

He’s the son of a soldier

- His father is just a random soldier, nothing special really.

- However, once when Gabo was a kid, he was visiting the castle with his father and he wanted to explore, so he sneakily grabbed his father’s keys to the dungeons and went to see how was it like, ya know, boys will be boys.

- He got in, and at first there wasn’t nothing out of the ordinary, just your average scary dark and gloomy dungeon… except that by the end of a hall, full of empty jail cells, there was a door.

- And he could hear someone screaming from behind that door, like they were pleading, and he saw light coming from the key hole… It looked like the king’s magic, except it was green instead of blue.

- He tried to use the keys to open it, but none of them worked.

“Ugh why don’t any of these keys work??”

“Because this area is forbidden, little one”

- He turned around quickly to see who was behind him, and there she was, the queen was smiling down at him, a sweet and tender smile, like she wasn’t hearing the sounds of desperate cries coming from behind the door.

“I- sorry your majesty but umm… it sounds like someone is in trouble in there, shouldn't we help?”

- Then he heard the distinct sound of something made of glass breaking, and suddenly… silence, no more crying, no more screaming, and no more light coming from the door.

“I don’t hear anything my sapling, poor thing, you must be imagining things. Now, why don’t you just hurry along back to your father? He’s looking for you… And remember, this is our little secret~”

- And Gabo never told this to anyone, he knows no one would believe him.

(If you’re wondering what was going on behind that door… let’s just say there’s STILL more evil stuff Magnifico does that I couldn’t fit in my blog about the villains, what’s that you ask? *maniacal laugh* I’ll let you guess)

- Gabo always had the feeling that there was something WRONG with Rosas, but he couldn't quite pin point what, and that experience in the dungeon made him start questioning if the smiles he saw plastered on the king and queen's faces everyday were real or fake.

- This feeling that there was something wrong but there was nothing he could do about it made him, for a lack of a better word, grumpy a lot of the time.

- Needles to say, when Asha explained that the king and queen were actually evil, Gabo believed in a heartbeat.

- Because he’s a little person, Gabo is not expected to follow his father’s foot steps, and that makes him furious, because he wishes he could be seen as strong like he sees himself, but he’s constantly underestimated and treated like a kid.

He was the third one to met Asha

- During a kite festival in the kingdom, Dahlia, Simon and Asha were flying their kite when they noticed a boy sitting down on the grass, next to a broken kite.

- The boy looked very grumpy, so Asha tried offering him a hug, Gabo quickly pushed her away, saying he wanted to be left alone.

- Simon and Dahlia suggested they should just leave him be, but Asha insisted they should just give him some time to calm down.

- They sat a little bit far away from Gabo and started to just talk. Gabo appreciated that even though Asha didn’t even know him she was willing to wait for him to get some alone time and try to reach out for him later, most people just walked away when he had his anger episodes.

- After a few minutes, he got up and asked if he could play with them.

He will be the comedy relief, and the straightforward voice of reason

- Comedy relief is also an important role in a story, to alleviate the the tension and just be that one character that gives more contradictory remarks, otherwise everyone just agrees with each other and really where’s the fun in that?

- Also, after they figure out Simon betrayed them, he’d be the one who snaps Simon out of the idea that the king is a good person, throwing some facts to his face and like, not sugarcoating it, just straight up calling Simon out for being a dirty traitor, an awful friend and an absolute idiot, which may seem harsh but was exactly what Simon needed to hear to realize he was making a mistake.

- Like, Simon just opens the door apologizing in the verge of tears while Gabo keeps kicking his leg to let out his anger while everyone else is staring at Simon very disappointedly, comedy gold.

Bazeema 🥰

- Bazeema is 17 years old, who’s very shy.

-In this rewrite she is pretty much the same except for a little design and background change, you see, I found this piece of concept art

- Do you see it? Bazeema seems to be wearing a hijab, I like that, we don’t get enough Muslim representation, so there, Bazeema is Muslim and she wears a hijab now, her religion won’t affect anything in the narrative tho but I just wish they kept this detail in her design.

- Also I’m keeping that gimmick that sometimes she appears out of no where and scared the hell out of Gabo, because yeah I think it has comedic potential.

- She’s a very sweet and gentle girl, very soft spoken and likes to have some alone time once in a while “us introverts need sanctuary” as she said.

(She’s kinda like Fluttershy, see? I told you I’d mention more my little pony characters)

She’s the daughter of the royal gardeners

- Nothing much to it, Bazeema just saw the queen being rude to her mother once because the flowers were red instead of white. So again, when Asha sas the royal couple is evil she believes her just fine.

- Also she knows about a secret passage inside the palace’s garden, in the center of a hedge maze, that leads to inside the castle.

- Specifically to an underground storage room where her parents keep some gardening tools, but, if they can get in there, they might find a way to get inside the castle through the underground.

- She doesn’t mind following her parents footsteps at all, in fact, she loves the idea of just talking to flowers all day.

She’s the fourth one who Asha meets

- When Asha was 10, she and her friends went to watch a kids play telling the story of Rosas, Bazeema was playing the queen.

- But Bazeema got stage fright, and ran to the back of the stage, embarrassed that she forgot her lines

- Asha followed the sound of her crying and reassured her that it was alright and she could take as long as she needed to feel ready, and complemented that she looked beautiful in her Queen’s dress.

- Bazeema really appreciated that, and she went back on stage, although, she tried keeping her eyes closed to not see the crowd.

She’ll give important info on how to get inside the castle

- Like I mentioned before, Bazeema has info on how to get inside the castle through the garden, so she’ll just assist on that part of their plan.

- Also comedic relief, with her gimmick of disappearing then showing up out of nowhere.

Dario 💎

- Dario is 17 years old, and in this rewrite, he’s mute, not deaf tho, just mute, so he communicates through sign language. That’s to reference how Dopey, the dwarf he pays homage to, was also mute.

- I wouldn’t say Dario is dumb in my rewrite, he’s just really easily distracted, sometimes when his friends are talking he’ll just doze off and look at some flowers he finds along the way or collect rocks, and they don’t really mind.

- Dario is very emotionally intelligent tho, and among all the 7 teens, he’s one of the quickest to believe that Asha is innocent (Right after Dahlia)

He’s the son of the royal announcers

- Ya know those people with the big trumpets that give announcements to the kingdom? Yeah that’s what his parents do.

- Due to his disability Dario can’t really become an announcer, at least not a verbal one, he doesn’t really mind tho.

He’s the fifth one that Asha meets

- Asha was 11 when she and her friends met Dario, he was new in their class because he and his parents just moved to Rosas.

- Since he was mute, he had a really hard time making friends, so, Asha and her friends went to the library and found a book teaching about sign language

(I’m not gonna pretend you can actually learn ALL about sign language with just a book, I should know, I had ASL class in college, with a deaf teacher, and even then I don’t know even half of what there is to know, but this is a fantasy, so let’s pretend these kids learned the whole language, because it’s wholesome)

- So they make this effort to communicate with him and that makes Dario really happy, and he quickly joins the group.

He’ll be the silent comedic relief and also help creating a distraction for the king

- Most scenes when everyone is talking and focusing on more serious things, Dario is easily distracted and can be on the background doing the most random things, it’s not that he doesn’t care tho, he’s listening, and sometimes he comes up with creative ideas of his own.

- Also, as the son of the royal announcers, he goes tell them he has seen the star on the north side of the forest, his parents obviously believe him, and announce to the guards and the king, thus they can get inside while Aster distracts Magnifico.

Safi 🤧

- Safi is the youngest in the group, he’s 16 years old, and he has a tendency to sometimes not thinking before he speaks, so he kinda blurts out things that might come off as indelicate, but he never means to be rude. Also he’s allergic to EVERYTHING under the sun, so, of course, he sneezes a lot.

- I gave him this characteristic of blurting out things that he’s not supposed to say because it kinda reminds me of a sneeze, uncontrollable and sometimes inconvenient, but this way it gives him more character.

- Also if it was only Gabo saying inconvenient stuff and everyone else were saints this would be no realistic group of teenagers, teens are relentless when it comes to saying dumb stuff with each other y’all, they just don’t care.

- Safi is also a germophobic, always avoiding situations that might get him sick, like flowers, animals, dust, humidity, flour, the rain-

- And even though he’s terrified of everything that might give him a sneezing fit, his friends are always there to help him get through it.

He’s the son of two members of the cleaning staff

- So, as you can imagine, Safi really doesn’t want to follow his parents career path, with a job that is all about cleaning dust.

- One day, he was asked to help them clean the castle so he could at least try to learn something.

- While he was helping, the king showed up and started complaining with his parents that his study wasn’t clean enough

- While he was busy talking with them, he left something very important lying around.

- Safi saw the king’s magic staff leaning on the wall.

- Safi wanted to get a closer look, so while the king was distracted he approached the staff, but then, he felt it, a sneeze was coming up.

- He tried to hold it in but it was too late, Safi sneeze was so strong the staff got out of balance, and when it was about to hit the ground Magnifico managed to grab it just in time.

- Safi looked relieved and even chuckled to himself thinking the king would do the same. But the expression the king had was something he never seen from him before… Safi saw pure rage.

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU ALMOST DID? YOU WRETCHED BRAT! YOU COULD’VE ENDED ALL THE MAGIC IN ROSAS! I COULD’VE BEEN RUINED”

- Safi was pressed against a wall apologizing frantically and so were his parents.

- The king took a few deep breaths, and as if nothing happened his expression went back to his usual charismatic smile

“Maybe cleaning duty just isn’t your calling, lad. You’re dismissed from assisting for today, or any other day for that matter.”

- So Safi is not allowed inside the castle anymore.

He was the sixth that Asha met

- Safi was terrified during the festivals celebrating the foundation of Rosas, because the kingdom was decorated completely with, well, roses.

- There were roses everywhere, and he couldn’t stop sneezing with all the pollen in the air.

- Asha and her friends noticed him distressed, and decided to help him by taking Safi away from the kingdom.

- Safi was sad he couldn’t join in the party, but Asha and her friends said they could bring the party to him, so they danced and played instruments all day long.

This boy whose only personality trait was SNEEZING is literally the one who provides the info they need to defeat the villains, no, I’m not joking

- Like I mentioned before, Safi had a interaction with the king where he heard the king say “You could’ve ended all magic in Rosas” but he never understood what Magnifico meant by that.

- It’s not like all the king’s magic is stored in that one staff right?… but what if it is.

- When they’re coming up with a plan to defeat the king, Safi brings up this information, and there you have it, now they know what’s his weakness.

Hal 😄

- Hal is 17 year old, and judging by her earrings that resemble the “Jaaro dibbei” earrings from the Fulani tribe, so with that in mind, in this rewrite she came from Africa but moved to Rosas with her family as a kid.

- Hal is a very extroverted and joyful person, it’s rare to not see her smile, unless the situation really gets serious.

- Shes contagiously optimistic.

- Is often practicing her jokes with her friends, or just throwing some quick witted quips to lighten the mood.

(She’s a lot like Pinkie Pie… All the girls are My Little Pony references)

She’s the daughter of the royal entertainers

- Hal used to practice a lot of juggling and try acrobatics when she was little, but she quickly realized that kind of act wasn’t her calling

- She much prefers telling jokes and funny stories to the king and queen wherever her parents bring her with them to perform

- Hal noticed how the laughs and smiles the king and queen made during her acts always felt kinda forced, like they didn’t mean it.

- However the king would often burst with laughter whenever a performance from her parents went wrong, that always rubbed her the wrong way.

She was the last to met Asha

- When Asha was 13, she and her friends saw Hal practicing juggling near the forest, and she was really struggling with it.

- She told them she was really nervous because she had to be ready to perform for the royal couple in a few days.

- Asha suggested she should try a different kind of act, so she and her friends helped Hal come up with stories to narrate to the king.

- Hal discovered a new passion for story telling, and that became her new act.

She's the one who encourages Aster to confess his feelings

- Our Star Boy wasn’t actually that confident with confessing how he really felt about Asha, after all Aster knew that after granting her wish they would never see each other again, so what was the point in confessing?

- Hal encourages him with her optimism and explains that if he doesn’t tell her he’ll just regret it forever.

- That leads to the “At All Cost” scene

- So thank Hal for playing cupid

- Oh and Bazeema will help encourage Aster too

Final Thoughts

Welp this was a doozy one, but I’m pretty satisfied with how they turned out, everyone now feels like they got something to do and some actual backstories.

The way I’m planning to actually introduce in the story how they all met Asha is through a musical flashback that we see Asha going from a little kid to a teenager, think of it like the UP intro or “Do You Want To Build a Snowman”.

Like the movie would have in the beginning Asha’s grandpa reading to her the story of Rosas and we get a sweet scene of them interacting, then it cuts to this musical sequence (probably with no lyrics like in UP) where we see how Asha met each one of her friends, and also show how as time went on her grandfather grew more and more senile and dependent on her.

The sequence would end with Asha’s grandfather’s passing, and her friends being there to support her. Just like that in a flashback sequence with no dialogue we understand who are Asha’s friends, who was her grandfather, how Asha cares about all of them dearly, and with all that established the story begins.

Like can you imagine that? Introducing why we should care about Asha’s friends by showing to us who they are instead of just telling us and throwing them in the story with no explanation? What a concept, I’m sure glad a certain multibillion company didn’t just waste them…

Anyway, I’ll start actually sharing the chapters of my rewrite here pretty soon, I’m already confident enough to do it!

I was gonna first share a blog about how I’d reimagine Valentino buuuuuut I think it’s gonna be a pretty short blog that I can write later, and I can tell some people really want me to just tell the story already, and I want to start doing it too so let’s gooo!

Thank you so much for reading!

[grison-in-space]

real sorry for all the new folks following me this week, as I am driven underwater by the weight of lab chaos and have very little energy for much else except sudden hyperfocused text dumps at the moment

hi my bio is about three years out of date, I go long stretches of time posting nothing and occasionally lunge out of the shadows to produce a long and deeply nerdy commentary on some other poor bastard’s years-old OP. I’m not updating the bio. it’s been a long week and I am tired.

that this has finally happened to me is some kind of regretful cosmic irony, especially because it was really quite well described and explained costuming detail work, and I’m mad I don’t have the specialist knowledge to do such a thing half so well as redhorsedawn did.

those of you who are here from the giraffe thing last week, you’re more likely to luck out and get more of that moving forward; I am in fact a working biolo--aw motherfucker probably I’m supposed to call myself a neuroscientist now? ew, fuck that. I’m a behavioral ecologist in a trenchcoat lurking in a neuroscience lab which is pretending real hard that it belongs in the Psychology department of my current institution for funsies. I got a lot of big opinions about biology and animal behavior, and my training and inclination tends to be more on the “how do we understand animals within their own context, and how can we decode their communication and experiences” side of things and not so much the “how can we use animal cognition as a model to understand humans?” side. most of my actual day to day work right now is either coding or ferrying tiny little mice back and forth from their home cages to the place where they get to play video games in exchange for slurps of milkshake. they seem to like that sort of thing. me, I like the coding better, but we’ve been pretty short staffed lately.

I am interested in a bunch of other shit that isn’t so much about animal behavior or brains too in terms of nonfiction and am equally likely to lunge out of the bushes to rave about: sexuality, gender shit, disability, human history and how it relates to these things, human social and community dynamics, asexual community history (motherfucker I was there when we argued about the shade of purple to put in the ace flag; you bring ace exclusionism into my space and I will make fun of you as publicly as I know how) and occasionally how to spot TERFs/why radfem shit is enticing. I do not tolerate TERF shit, and I do not bother with DNIs: my version is that when TERFs reblog my crap I make them wish they had a DNI for me. the thing about posting all my non-fannish stuff to @grison-in-labs is a lie; I always forget what goes to what blog and confuse the streams, so unfortunately the only way to interact with me is to put up with an occasional firehose of content. sorry. I also can’t tag for shit.

those of you who are here from the “no actually Jaskier is a fairly burly dude who merely puts deliberate effort into being perceived as small and non-threatening and fuckable” side of things are--well look my fannish posts tend to be few and far between unless I’m actively trying to riff with someone or interacting. if you want that shit you gotta talk to me and my entire workplace is currently a rolling tire fire, so.... yeaaaaaaah, I’ve been distractable. uh, my partner @coffee-mage-sans-caffeine is writing a big ol’ Witcher fandom novel, and I beta for my buddy @abeautifulblog sometimes. I fear writing fiction myself and generally don’t bother, but I will meta until the cows come home; lob me a fun idea and I’ll chew on it with delight. I can overthink anything. 

generally if you talk to me and are friendly I will talk to you and be friendly back; I do not count followers and will not notice if you read this whole thing and fuck off into the night, but I wanted to let y’all know what you were getting into. again though: I cannot consistently remember tags, I am sorry, but I am rolling in with metaphorical Starbucks--worst fucking nerfed ADHD ever I swear to fuck--and doin’ my best here. I do believe very strongly in de-escalation; if there’s a conflict and you didn’t mean to make one happen, and you try to communicate with me in good faith, I’ll try and listen pretty much every time.

motherfucker, the pizza is burning. should probably eat.

have fun, folks.

[from-mars-to-flyingwhales]

Supervisor: wanna work five extra hours today?

Me: no, I have plans.

Supervisor: *looking skeptical* really? What are your plans?

Me: I’m playing dungeons and dragons tonight, it’s a weekly thing and I’m the DM so they can’t play without me.

Supervisor: wow, y’all are losers.

Me: ???? tf??? Now I definitely don’t wanna work tonight.

Y’all always complain about being short staffed but then you underpay us, overwork us, and say shit like this, and then you wonder why we’re short staffed.

[wolffesimp]

This is What War Does to You

--

summary: y/n is a doctor for the GAR. after a stressful day, obi wan seeks comfort from her. 

warnings: 1.4 k words of trash. hurt to comfort fic. there is a lil bit of angst and there is also happy endings cuz i don’t write unhappy endings in MY CANON! 🥰

--

--

Rex was the first to run in, holding a trooper in his arms. In obvious disarray, he was looking around to try and find Y/N. His desperate eyes locked with hers. Y/N gaped, running to Rex. Just then, more injured troopers entered. Many familiar faces were in pain. 

“Wh-what happened?” she was horrified, grabbing Rex’s arm to lead him to the medic bay. “I need all hands on deck! Troopers will be coming in soon!”

Rex set down the clone in front of Y/N. 

“Injuries?”

“Leg and left arm.”

Stripping the clone of their armor, she found the sticky blacks hiding underneath. They had been bleeding profusely. She cringed as she unveiled their injuries. Two deep gashes from bullet wounds. Looking up, she found Rex’s tired eyes. He can’t be here, it’s just too much for him right now.

“Rex, honey, you need to leave. They are safe in my care.”

“But ma’am-”

“Do not fight with me right now. We cannot afford to have such arguments when your brothers are all in critical condition.”

Rex frowned as she began to turn on her medical droids and ready her tools. “I-I understand.”

She caressed his cheek gently. In no way did she mean to come off cold. But right now there was too much happening. Y/N couldn’t have him in her way. “Thank you, Rex. You are one of the bravest soldiers I know.”

And with that, he walked away. Assessing the troopers injuries, she mentally prepared herself for a long night. The entire bay was filled with clone troopers and their short-staffed medical team. Emitting a sigh, she began to work on the man in front of her. 

How many more would she have to treat tonight?

--

Well, Y/N was beyond stressed. By the time of 6 AM, she was still working. The last trooper was being treated. Their injury wasn’t extensive, unlike the others that she treated. She made her medical team go to sleep earlier in the morning. So, she worked silently in the shroud of stars and hyperspace. 

Suddenly she felt a presence. Looking behind her, she found a sleepy Obi Wan. He approached her, standing beside the head doctor. In his hands he held a tea and coffee. Completing the last stitch, she exhaled deeply. Y/N turned to the Jedi who offered her the coffee. Warmth filled her palms as she latched onto the cup. Eyes softening, she gave the Jedi the best smile she could muster in her drowsy state. 

“I could just kiss you right now, Obi Wan. This means a lot to me.”

Obi Wan laughed. “How are you doing, Y/N?”

This is a dandy opportunity for Y/N to release all of her internalized stress and anger! Obi Wan sat down in a nearby chair. Y/N paused to take a sip of her coffee. 

“I thought this was going to be a great way to help the GAR! Which, it is, but there is so much other shit going on! Like, I’m not just a doctor. I serve as a soldier in some situations where my medical attention is needed on the field. I help Cody and Rex strategize and provide mental support to any clone that needs it. And now, I have not one pain in the ass, but two entire legions of pains in my ass! No offense, but you Jedi are also crazy! Next thing I know you motherfuckers are gonna start flying around with your weird mind powers!”

“So, to answer your question, I am doing fan-fucking-tastic Obi Wan. Especially since you guys brought in at least 15 new soldiers for me and my team to scramble around and try to help without giving me any heads up!”

“I admit, that was inappropriate of me. But it wasn’t like we were expecting everything to go wrong.”

Sitting beside the General, she ran her fingers through his hair. “I know darling. There’s nothing you can do about it now though.”

He yawned. “Suppose so.”

“Have you gotten any sleep?”

“Only woke up a few minutes ago.” 

Like a puppy, he curled into Y/N’s side. 

“Just let me stay here for a little bit.” Obi Wan said

His arms wrapped around her waist. Burying his head into her upper chest, he intently listened to her heartbeat. Their position was slightly awkward, as the arms of the chairs separated their bodies slightly. But they made it work. Comfortingly, she continued to run her fingers through his hair. It always worked like a charm on the Jedi. 

“Everything went wrong. No matter what we did-”

“What happened happened. You cannot go back in time, no matter how much you want to. There will always be lives lost in war. I am not saying that these deaths are meaningless. They most certainly are not. But, it is the expectation that people you love will die. That is why I hope there is a place we go after we die, reuniting with everyone who is gone.”

“Fate works in strange ways. Like how I joined the GAR and met all of you magical people. Nothing is a coincidence. In the end, we are all connected one way or another.”

“Now, you can look at the clone’s deaths however you like. But me personally? I will be thinking about the next time I see them. Not in pain, not sick, not dying in my arms, but happy. It is what they deserve. Only the best the afterlife has to offer.”

“War is ugly. You can never forget or escape it. I know some moments still haunt me in my sleep, and I haven’t fought nearly as many battles as they have. But what we have to do is get through it. To see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know it’s there and if we fight long enough, we will find it.”

Obi Wan was crying, she realized soon after her compelling speech. His body shook as silent sobs racked through his body. Arms tightening around her waist, grabbing at her supple skin. He needed something- anything to make him feel better. Like a child, he was deadlocked onto her. The pressure of being the perfect general and Jedi was prevealant in the wrinkles on his handsome face and the callouses on his hands.

Hot tears stained her shirt as they continuously fell from his face. Y/N held him impossibly closer, hoping her affection was enough to quell the sadness in his heart. Tears also began to fill her eyes. An immense sense of guilt fell over the two. 

This is what war does to you. 

It breaks you slowly. Even the strongest of people cried.

“It’s alright darling. It’s alright.”

They both knew it wasn’t. 

“Nothing is lost so long as we continue to dream in color and fight with all we’ve got.”

To Obi Wan and Y/N, dreaming in color was fantasizing the ideal future. One where the Jedi weren’t held up to such high standards. One where the clones lived a full life doing whatever they liked, not judged by society because they all looked the same. One where Ahsoka felt like a real teenager and did teenager things. One where Padmé and Anakin get their happy ending. They could make it a reality so long as they fought hard enough. 

Obi Wan tilted his head up. Just the sight of his heartbroken eyes cued Y/N’s floodgates. His bloodshot, golden orbs continued to be beautiful even in moments of pain. Neither were used to letting their guards down. She cupped the sides of his face, thumbs running over his deep and silky beard. Tears dripped down her chin and jaw as they shared the intimate moment. 

“You stop that.” Obi Wan said 

Weakly, he kissed her tears away. Soft lips collided on her skin. Heat coursed through her veins at the gesture. Closing her eyes, she let the last of her tears slip out. The salty taste lingered as he pulled her into his lap. Her legs wrapped around his torso. Pressing their foreheads against each other, they stared back at one another. 

“You are the one that started crying first.” she teased softly

They both laughed despite the pain. It was something you learned to do after so many hardships. She rested her head in his neck. 

“I forgot how tired I was...”

“Then go to sleep, darling.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. Just as she was doing to him a few moments ago, he began to play with her hair. Coaxing her to sleep, he mumbled things into her ear. But she caught one thing before she succumbed to slumber. 

“I love you.”

--

a/n: WOOOOW IT HAS BEEN A MINUTE, Y’ALL! I am so glad that I worked past my writers block! I really do hope to be posting more content soon. Sometimes it’s just hard to force yourself to sit down and FINALLY write! But I did it! I’m hoping you guys enjoyed! 

And as I always say, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO INTERACT! My ask box is ALWAYS open! My direct messages are OPEN! Comments are welcomed, as well as reblogs. I love you guys!

--

masterlist for more of my content

[rosesvioletshardy]

life as we know it - b.h. chapter 4

you guys are in for a treat this chapter also sorry for the long wait on this i’m finally done with the semester and i don’t think i will be able to take all my classes online ever again it’s literally the worst but yeah i’ll hopefully will post more

i don’t think i’ve said this but for sean i’ve based him off of armie hammer’s character in nocturnal animals in a way i guess like looks wise

but anywho y’all might need some tissues for this

ps: note i am american so i don’t know exactly how the laws are in england and i tried my best to search them up

masterlist

summary: when their best friends die, it’s up to ben and y/n to take care of their goddaughter and face the challenges  that come with it 

# of words: 3,465

warnings: angst

taglist: @myfatbottomedgirls , @evemarie05

message me or inbox me if you want to be added to the taglist

-----

Things have been different for y/n and ben ever since they hooked up at new years. secrets that didn’t mean to be revealed were revealed. it caused a great amount of weird, sexual tension for them whenever they were in a room. it took their best friends a while to understand what happened between them.

They’ve ignored every possible situation and haven’t talked about it since christian and lennon found out about it and went back to seeing whoever they were originally seeing. at first sean wasn’t happy that she kissed ben and went back to his place instead of it being him but he quickly let it go and they’ve been together since and promised to tell each other everything. Occasionally there were times where sean didn’t allow her to go anywhere that ben would be and it was almost constantly unless he was with her. sean trusted her but sometimes he didn’t, but she didn't mind but it meant she understood where he was coming from. ben didn’t like it at all. he didn’t like how someone can force another person to stop seeing them and it took a toll on their relationship and their jobs as godparents. 

the tension also affected their personal relationship. they didn’t make any sly remarks back to each other, most of the time when they talked, they had one worded answers to each other and it depended on if there were other people with them. ben would sometimes go to her bakery and every time he saw her, she looked miserable, or from what he could tell. whenever she interacted with customers she would have this smile on her face and it was real, she loved her customers whenever they entered her shop and bought something or just to come and work. she wouldn’t give up her shop for anything else in the world. she didn’t know if it was because of what happened or it was her relationship with sean was the reason. y/n knew what was going on but she couldn’t bear to tell anyone or else she 

now she was working and helping customers, until ben walked in. this was the fourth time in a row during the week that he's come in and she’s managed to avoid him every time he came in by going in the back and helping tyler and the other bakers or by going into her office. She did a good job at avoiding him but today they were short staffed and she couldn’t ask anyone else to take over the front so she’s stuck having to talk to him. ben could see the look in her eyes that she was trying not to talk but he needed to because not talking for weeks was killing him and he didn’t even care what they talked about, so he walked up to the counter and started to order

“Hey”

“hi, welcome to Eats ‘n’ Treats, how can i help you today?” she asked trying to avoid ben

“listen we need to talk”

“no, we don’t. we were both drunk and i don’t want to talk about it. now, are you going to order something or not? you’re holding up the line” she said as they both look behind him to see no one there

“that’s bullshit and we both know it. i know you really don’t want to be with him and you keep putting yourself over this and pretending everything is fine when it isn’t. please. i just want to go back to how things were, me annoying you and you ignoring me at every point you get. c’mon, please.” he pleaded tears already pooling his eyes

“no. i’m sorry but i’m perfectly happy with sean and how everything is. now please, either order something or just leave.”

“fine. i’ll just take a coffee.” ben told her already paying

the two didn’t say anything else to each other after their encounter at the bakery. they both continued their day and never talked to each other, not for even any small talk. y/n was back at her apartment cooking dinner for both her and sean. there was a voice in her head telling her that there was something wrong and that she needed to do something about her situation but she ignored it, just like all of her problems. snapping out of her thoughts, she heard a knock on her door. putting everything in its place and soothing out her outfit, she opened the door to find sean.

“hey! how are you?” she asked him stepping away so he could enter

“i’m good, you? it smells great in here.” sean told her giving her a kiss

“i’m good. well i just finished making dinner”

“so, how was your day?” “it was good, you know the usual. people come in, order treats and baked goods. how was work for you?”

“it was tough, got a new case today about a couple wanting a divorce and jesus it’s a tough one. i’m defending the wife and she’s a workload. saying it’s the husbands fault their marriage came to be what it is.” sean said cutting into the piece of chicken before continuing

y/n wanted to say something but she knew if she did, she wouldn’t hear the end of it.

“did you see ben today? i thought i saw him leaving your shop when i was coming back from my lunch.” 

“no, i must’ve been in my office or in the back baking. could’ve been someone who looked like him” she told him taking a small sip of her water knowing what would happen if she told him the truth

“hmm. alright.”  

the night went on with the both of them soon cuddling on the couch watching some tv. y/n wasn’t paying attention because all she could think about was what ben said to her. she did feel miserable and she didn’t regret what they did but she had to. the night went on until the both of them went back to her room for the night. 

the same routine carried on for another month. wake up, work, home, date night, sleep. every now and then she would be with lennon and she could see the pain through her best friend's face. lennon had asked christian to talk to sean to make sure everything was alright with them because she knew that something was wrong. when christian had reported back to her, he had said that everything was fine and nothing was wrong with their relationship at all.

“no that can’t be right. listen, i know her. Something is wrong with her. i mean ben had called me god knows how many times or asked me whether she was happy with him. After new years, they stopped talking to each other and she avoids him every time they’re near each other or when she’s with sean. i don’t know anymore. i just want what’s best for all of us.” lennon told him as she set charlie down for the night

“look,, i love her too, but we can’t fight this battle for her and we can’t do it for ben either. we have to let them solve it on their own. i’ll talk to sean again. if he gives the same answer, i’ll do something. i promise.” christian told her holding up his pinkie

lennon only sighed and then laughed at her husband. she knew he was right as much as she wanted to admit it. she took his pinkie and promised him she wouldn’t interfere with the relationship. she knew that y/n was strong and could fight her own battles, but she desperately wanted to help before something bad happened to anyone. 

ben was in his apartment, practicing over lines for a new movie. while going over them, he couldn’t help but think about his last encounter with her. after his years of acting, he could tell whether someone was acting or lying, well not so well, but he knew the difference. he threw the script across the room causing frankie to look up at her owner and start whining. ben looked at her and gave her the signal to jump onto his bed.

“i don’t know frank. i know that something is wrong but she won’t tell me. did you know what one of the last things she told me? she said she regretted what happened and i know she didn’t but i can’t force her to say what she really feels. this sean guy, i’ve seen him. at the wedding last year. Didn’t think that they would be dating by now. i just thought it would be a one night stand but every event that lennon and christian have, he’s always there even before they started dating. he wasn’t even one of the groomsmen, just a guest.” ben started to rant before he looked down to see frankie sleeping 

“alright then, i guess i’m talking to myself now.” ben told himself and slowly got out of his bed carefully to go eat seeing he hasn’t eaten all day.

everything seemed to go smoothly up until one night.

y/n and sean were on another date, christian and lennon finally got to have a night out since charlie got sick on valentines’ day and they had to postpone it, and ben was out with his friends but didn’t feel like drinking and decided to be the sober one this time.

when lennon and christian left the restaurant they took a small walk before going back to their car and back to see charlie and make sure their babysitter went home safely. on the way back to their home, a driver didn’t see them clearly and hit them causing both cars to crash. people around them started to call the cops and everyone tried to surround them to see what had just happened. y/n and ben were busy until an hour later they both got phone calls telling them to go to the police station. they didn’t know why they were being called at a late such a late hour 

“sorry sean, this will be quick.”

“Who is it?”

“the police.” she told him as she got up and went to somewhere private to talk 

“what do the police need with her?” sean asked himself confused before going back to his food

“Hello?”

“Hello is this y/n l/n?”

“yes this is she. may i ask why you’re calling?” 

“it’s best if you come down to the station. is there any chance a ben jones or hardy is with you?” the woman asked

“no he isn’t with me at the moment.” she told her confused on why they would need ben 

“alright. thank you. we’ll see you soon.” and just like that the phone call ended 

y/n walked back into sean’s dining room before she started to look for her things frantically

“everything alright? what did they need?” sean asked after seeing her worried state

“i-i really don’t know. i just needed to get down there and they didn’t say anything.” she told him opening her purse to look for her keys.

“hey, it’s okay. i’m sure everything's fine and that it was just a mistake. now c’mon, i have this dessert you’re absolutely going to love.” he told her smiling

“no it didn’t sound like a mistake i could sense the sadness in her voice. i’m really sorry sean but i have to leave. i’ll call you soon” she told him giving him a kiss on his cheek and leaving his house

the call to ben worried him as well, first he was listening to his drunk friends tell a story and then he got pulled out mid conversation by his phone ringing

“who is that? is it that one girl you’re obsessing over jonesy?” his friend teased

“no it’s not and i don’t obsess over her piss off. it’s the police” ben told them as he started to leave the table

“oh shit what’d you do?”

“Nothing that i know of. Now shush.” ben told them as he answered

“hello?”

“hi is this ben jones?” the woman asked

“yes this is he”

“we need you to come down here. we have some news.” 

“What’s this all about?” 

“It’s better if we tell you in person”

“alright. i’ll be there soon.”

ben turned his phone off before grabbing out his wallet and paying for the drinks and giving extra so his friends could call a cab

“where you going?”

“the station. they said it was important and they needed to tell me in person. i’ll see you guys soon. don’t drink too much, there’s extra for a cab” ben told them putting his jacket back on and leaving 

“alright then, see ya mate.”

ben walked back to his car and drove to the station. he couldn’t help but feel this wave of anxiety rush over him. he didn’t know what could have happened that would cause him to go down there but he knew something wasn't right.

as soon as he parked his car, he saw y/n’s car and wondered why she was there and it caused his panic to rise even more thinking it had something to do with her. rushing in, he looked around before a police officer stopped him seeing him confused and looking around.

“hi can i help you?” he asked

“yeah, um, i was called and told to be here. my names ben har- i mean jones” ben stuttered out

“right, follow me.” 

ben followed the officer to a secluded hallway with chairs against the wall and an empty desk and saw y/n pacing back and forth biting on her nails. when noticing two faint shadows, she looked up from the tiled floor and saw the officer who brought her there first and ben as well. she wasn’t sure as to why ben was there until his voice snapped her out of her thoughts

“hey you okay? what are you doing here?” he asked her grabbing her arms checking for anything

“i’m fine and i don’t know. they called me down here and i thought there was a mix up.” she told him

“then why did they call us here?” ben asked before the officer spoke up

“you both know lennon and christian wakes, yes?” 

“yeah, they’re our best friends.” she told him worried something might have happened

“they were stuck by a drunk driver causing both cars to crash and flipped.” the officer told them and gave out a deep sigh before continuing

“the officer at the scene, found both of your names and numbers on an insurance card in mrs. wakes wallet. i’m sorry, they didn’t make it.”

in that moment, y/n felt like her legs turned to jelly as her stomach dropped when hearing those words. ben quickly noticed and grabbed her and sat her down on one of the chairs before she fell to the ground

 “now, we need numbers for the nearest next of kin. Can you supply those?” he finished

Neither one of them could breathe properly and already had tears falling from their eyes

“yeah-, um, you said the car flipped? it-it flipped when it hit the-they have a daughter. a baby.” she managed to squeak out before ben interrupted her

“charlie um charlotte. was she in the car with them?” ben asked knowing y/n wouldn’t be able to

“no but because she was in the care of a minor, a babysitter, when the accident occurred. so the officers placed with the NSPCC for the night. she’s perfectly fine.” 

“NSPCC?” y/n asked still not used to the fact she was living in another country

“National society for the prevention of cruelty of children.”ben said not wanting to look up

“where they take cases like this. she’s perfectly safe.”

when they found out that charlie was safe, ben and y/n let out a thoughtful sigh, but it didn’t stop them both from crying.

“what do you mean by cases like this?”

“Orphaned children”

when the officer told the two that, it caused them to break down even more. the thought of their best friends gone and their daughter without any parents hurt them too much to even move. the officer left to give them their privacy. ben hugged her as they both continued to cry into each other's arms.

“they’re gone. i don’t want them to be gone. this has to be some sort of sick joke. it’s not real..” she cried out

“it’s not. it’s-” ben managed to choke out

after staying there and crying for a few more minutes, they both managed to get up and walk out the station. she went back to her car and began fumbling through her purse looking for keys before dropping it causing a few things to spill out. ben noticed her behavior and decided that she wasn’t stable enough to drive and went up to her.

“c’mon i’ll take you. you can’t drive in this condition.” ben told her sincerely as he sat down next to her on the ground. 

y/n didn’t argue with him and only nodded before getting up and following ben to his car. the entire ride back to their friends house was silent with the occasional sniffles from them. when they arrived, they stayed in the car before getting the courage to walk up to the door. she took her spare key and put it up to the lock, missing it the first time due to her hands shaking before ben lightly grabbed her hand and helped her. they stepped inside and turned the lights on to see how it was left before christian and lennon, and their babysitter left. there was a laundry basket in the hallway filled with charlie’s clothes and bibs, her toys on the floor in the living room, everything in the kitchen neatly put away.

as they stepped into the living room, y/n took as seat on the couch, and ben got out his phone 

“who are you calling?” 

“NSPCC” 

“they have charlie and she’s safe. Ben-”

“What?” he yelled at her

“i’m sorry. i just need to make sure.” he whispered as tears started to form in his eyes again

y/n didn’t say anything but instead nodded in understanding. a million thoughts began to run through her mind until she started to cry again. 

“no, i-i just don’t understand why we can’t see her tonight. Listen no, ma’am i don’t care about your protocol or any policies. this-yes. i will be here at this number and i suppose you have her godmother’s number as well? yes.” ben said into his phone then hung up

“they won’t do anything. not until 8 tomorrow morning.” ben said pacing while running his hand through his hair

“okay, you heard what they told us. she’s fine. we can’t keep thinking about the negatives as much as i want to admit it.” she told him. she understood where he was coming from and wanted to feel the same way but the both of them knew they had to stay strong for the three of them and that this isn’t what their friends would want them to worry about.

“i know. i know. it’s just everything that has happened between all of us, i can’t stop thinking about what would’ve happened if charlie was with them.” ben sighed out before continuing

“we have to stay here tonight, that way we’re here in the morning if they call, and i just- i know that if i- i just can’t be alone right now and i know you can’t either.” he finished

he was right. she knew that if she went back to her apartment she would feel empty while knowing her other half was gone and she needed to be with someone who cared about her.

“yeah. okay.” 

“go and take the guest bedroom” ben told her

“okay, you can take their room if you want.” 

“no, i don’t think i can do that. i’ll just sleep over here.”

“are you sure?”

“yeah. i’ll see you in the morning. goodnight y/n.” ben told her as she started to walk away

“goodnight ben.” y/n said with a whisper as she turned around and looked at him  

as ben sat back down on the couch, he picked up the stuffed animal that he gave to charlie a month after she was born and smiled down at it before putting it on the coffee table. he then laid down after fixing the pillow before he started to cry all over again, as she was doing the same in the guest bedroom before they soon fell asleep hoping that it was all a bad dream and that christian and lennon would call them the next day inviting them for a barbeque.

[hashire]

measured out in teaspoons (a start)

I’ve settled on a title! And restarted it! I think it’s working better!!!!! Anyway, hi yes this is the beginning of part 2 of among the teacups. I think. We’ll see. (PS there’s no eru/ri in the fic. Erwin is the Mr Farraday character…sort of. Also, there isn’t any rivamika in this ((yet…? :) )) but I’m taggin’ it because att is. I hope y’all enjoy.)

*

The first rays of the morning sun break through the crack in Levi’s curtains. He lies in his bed every night so that the light hits his face to wake him. It’s the same as every other day:  he cracks open an eye, turns away from the blinding light, takes a moment to compose himself, and crawls out of bed. 

Ackerman Manor stands empty, as it has for some time. Levi dismissed the remaining staffing a year after Lord Ackerman’s death. The majority had moved on shortly after the funeral, which he had not object to. Running a full staff while also seeking a buyer for the manor gave him a headache and put him in a constant bad mood.

The only reason the rest stayed was because it seemed likely that one of the interested parties - who frequently came in to tour the great manor - would purchase it. After some time and an embarrassingly large number of tours, it became apparent that they were only there to look. The dismissals came when Levi started to turn away men who approached him, able to recognize that glint in their eyes. This led to fewer and fewer coming forward. They must have passed the word around of his rejections. And even as his time there grew longer and the prospect of never moving on became a greater possibility, Levi found this preferable to coddling snickering half-wits on a daily basis.

It’s Tuesday, he thinks at breakfast (a simple piece of toast and tea; Lord Ackerman gave him a stipend in his will until he could sell the manor and move on:  he lives frugally despite the amount provided). It means little more than taking the carpets from the main halls to clean them and dust the few rooms still in use; the majority are covered in dust cloths.

He dusts first, as always. The carpets produce little dirt at this point, with the lack of foot traffic and the regular vacuuming. He still finds it best to throw them over the line and beat them to get them thoroughly clean.

When he’s satisfied, Levi stops to look up at the sky. The morning began humid, dark clouds rolling in and splattering fat drops of rain against the windows while he ate and dusted. The wind, however, has blown the clouds away, replacing them with blue skies and soft, cottony puffs that race across, low enough to almost touch if you really try, and gone with a blink.

Levi wipes the sweat off his face and realizes it’s already time for lunch. He showers first, eats, and replaces the carpets. He has errands to run, but he decides to settle in with the book he picked up from the secondhand store earlier in the week. It’s a frivolous romance novel that he chose at random, one he’d flipped through at the store and found interesting prose inside. The cashier - a young woman with bright lipstick on an otherwise forgettable face - made some comment about it. He didn’t respond, paying and leaving with a simple, “thank you.”

He tries to read as the sun shines over the pages but becomes distracted. A particular line reminds him of something, of someone, of a day so long ago when a housekeeper asked him about life after Ackerman Manor. He sits at the same table, now alone - completely and truly alone - in the place where he’s spent his entire working life, which he will leave at some point, sooner or later, and he can’t say he anticipated this future - 

A knock pulls him from his thoughts. It’s distinct:  a firm rapping of knuckles against the wood of the front door. Levi stands, chair scraping against the floor. He glances back at the book and leaves it there.

There’s no way for him to look outside, and he waits for a moment, considering whether he should open the door. After all, it could be one of those idiots looking for entertainment and nothing more. They usually give up after one set, which is why the second set of knocks startles him. He draws up to his full posture and opens the door.

On the other side stands a man:  short, slicked-back blond hair, a furrowed brow and otherwise intense expression completely offset by the bushy eyebrows in the middle of all of it. He’s tall, taller than Lord Ackerman.

“May I help you?” Levi asks, straightening his shirt collar when he feels it askew. The man maintains eye contact. 

“I understand this manor is for sale.” His accent is distinctly American.

“It is,” Levi says. The man must be young, perhaps around his age - and, in any other situation, for any other person, he might have slammed the door. He chooses not to, simply due to the fact that this man doesn’t look like a bumbling wanting to waste his time. That, and his crisp suit indicates he has the means to purchase the manor. So, he steps back and allows the man in.

“Erwin Smith.” He extends a large hand. Levi, after a moment, takes it.

“Levi Ackerman.” One of the bushy eyebrows raises. They shake hands.

“Ah. You’re the owner? I didn’t anticipate meeting you immediately.” Levi shakes his head.

“It was only willed to me by Lord Ackerman to be sold.” Smith simply nods. 

[larathia]

On Quintessence and the Galra Empire

I dunno how far this will get into my stories, because frankly I don’t have a lot of characters to work with who are deep into the ideas of why and wherefore, so I’m going to write this (rather lengthy and detailed) headcanon down over here, and y’all can accept it or deny it or whatever but it is in the background of my VLD fics, as this is my genuine understanding of How This Shit Actually Works.

The TLDR is: Our Heroes got it wrong and ‘quintessence poisoning’ is not actually a Thing. Rather, what happened to the galra in general (and the royal galra family in particular) was something else entirely, something only baaarely touched on during the series but absolutely present.

You ready? Strapped in? Good.

1) Quintessence does not and cannot ‘poison’. Rather, it is a multidirectional intensifier.

We get introduced to quintessence, timelinewise, when the reality crossing meteor strikes Daibazaal. Quintessence comes out of that rift pretty much from the getgo, but we do not hear of the galra being negatively affected as such. Zarkon evacuates people near the rift because, well, BIG HORKING RIFT, but quintessence doesn’t seem to affect anyone particularly. We hear nothing at all about, for example, fights breaking out, or plagues, or anything.

If quintessence by itself could poison, it would’ve poisoned Kova the cat first. It would have poisoned the galra people long before anything else happened. No, the only things we know quintessence does  - by itself - based on what we see in the show is:

* it heals * it lengthens lifespan * it intensifies emotion

Keith gets splashed with untreated quintessence and it just heals his burns. Allura and Lotor fly into the quintessence field and there’s just curiosity and quiet joy. Kova gets dosed with quintessence and becomes the first immortal housecat.

2) What poisoned Honerva and Zarkon was the Dark Energy Being (DEB). DEB then poisoned the entire galra empire.

We do see Honerva kind of wilting and distracted, but we don’t see her having that reaction until AFTER the DEB comes through the rift. She keeps a little DEB by her workstation, possibly for years, just studying it. We know from S8 that the DEB is a hugely nasty piece of work, that it feeds on quintessence to survive, and that it can attach itself to a sentient host. I believe that the DEB in Honerva’s workstation drained her quintessence over time, and its visions screwed with her mind - and that’s why she withers the way she does, and eventually dies/lapses into a near-death state.

Zarkon and Honerva enter the rift and are both overtaken by the DEB. They both, thereafter, focus on acquiring and consuming quintessence. The DEB also has the effect of playing on/playing to/enhancing darker emotions like paranoia and rage, causing Zarkon to distance himself from Honerva (letting her name herself Haggar) and Haggar distances herself from Lotor. Lotor is born a sort of dhampir, in that the DEB is part of his being from the getgo. But because he’s born with it, and it’s a part of him throughout his life, he learns ways of dealing with it - it’s not manipulating him, it’s just part of who he is.

Anyway. Back to the empire. Possessed!Zarkon and Haggar need quintessence. They need the galra people on their side, angry enough to suck the quintessence out of planets. Now the galra were never as peaceful a race as the alteans - the galra history is a lot more like our own, in that they revered great warriors and conquerors. But they were clearly able to coexist with other races peacefully before the DEB was unleashed. What Honerva did was implant little DEBs into various sensitive people, and these people became the Druids. I firmly believe the Druids wear masks to hide the physical effect of having a DEB inside them, as well as to hide the fact that they’re not all galra. The DEBs in them grant them their magic, and also tie them in obedience to Haggar. The Druids use their magic to ‘process’ quintessence into fuel that runs the entire galra empire.

That fuel is tainted by the DEBs. So basically, the galra empire is created to run on ...well, ‘hate fuel’. The galra on the cruisers are in close proximity to huge amounts of tainted quintessence, which makes the calm ones angry, the angry ones furious, and encourages things like sadism in the ranks. The exposure makes the galra long lived, but warps their minds and hearts as the centuries pass. That warping lets the galra do what they do during the series.

When Honerva destroys the galra high command, she’s killing off the generals most thoroughly tainted by that poisoned quintessence. When the druids are destroyed, so is the source of that tainted quintessence. And weirdly enough the galra fairly quickly become much less of a Serious Problem. The stuff that’s been pushing them over the edge is gone, and the leaders that were probably also so poisoned as to keep going anyway are also gone.

I’ll backtrack a bit here and explain why I think this is the case.

Firstly: the DEB is known to affect personality.

We know this because Allura takes on a DEB in S8, and her focus is pretty much a beeline for ‘take out Haggar’ after that. Her character development in the whole season is kinda questionable, I grant you that, but we do see her being tempted early on, with visions and dreams, and once she takes the DEB on she’s willing to do things that are seriously morally questionable especially compared to where she started. (Like diving into Honerva’s mind? Really? At the start of the series she had a problem with putting Sendak’s memories into an interrogatable AI.)

We also see Honerva’s acolytes, and we know they’ve taken a DEB. They’re also the straight up most hateful Alteans we see in the primary reality of the show. They’re a lot more willing to react emotionally and from places of fear or anger.

My final evidence for this is the alt-reality Alteans, where it’s the Altean empire that’s the danger. With the worlds affected reversed, we can infer that the meteor hit Altea and not Daibazaal - and while they’re kiiiinda? gentler about it the Alteans are twisted in horrible ways too.

Secondly: Druid magic screws with normal quintessence quickly, and negatively.

We have as our main example for this the Crystal Venom episode. The crystal that Sendak puts in the castleship is purple, meaning it’s been tampered with by Druids. And what does it do? Exactly the same shit that the little DEB mote later does to Allura. It spreads fear through the castle. It tries to kill off the paladins. It plays upon their terror. None of that happens on a cruiser, but the cruisers use liquid forms of the quintessence, not giant crystallized chunks, and it may well be that this is why.

I know a popular fan theory is that it’s Sendak doing this, but we actually have no evidence of that. The AI of Sendak remains dormant all the way to S8. The ‘real’ Sendak is frozen in stasis - we can’t actually say for certain that him waking up was anything but Shiro’s terrified hallucination, as the ship poked at him the way it was poking at everyone else. Honestly, the only AI the crystal could’ve warped was Alfor’s, and we know that it did do so.

Hence, I really think all that purple quintessence in the cruisers and fighters was seriously fucking with galra minds. I think that may well be part of why a lot of cruisers were staffed with robot sentries, too - robots aren’t living, and thus can’t be driven into psychotic breaks by being near sources of tainted quintessence. The officers and commanders are near it, but not so near that the effects are too strong or immediate. Just a low, slow, warping of personality.

In short it’s never ‘quintessence’ doing the poisoning.

It’s the DEB behind pretty much everything.  And since they can’t stop reality-crossing comets from happening, there’s always a chance another rift will form, and some DEBs can get out and start this mess all over again.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk and goodnight.

[uppityamy]

Ok why in the ever loving fuck are so many feminists so dismissive of abuse??

Like when y’all make these posts about “Well men are trash because my dad beats my mom every tuesday night but she doesn’t mind because she doesn’t know better, and my last boyfriend literally raped me three times a week before he cheated twice on me so I left him the second time.” As though this kind of behavior is normal but like??? It’s not normal please do something if this is happening to you or someone you know?? 

Persecute your rapists, report domestic abusers, don’t just accept it as normal when a man does something horrible to you or someone you know. You claim to be these strong, independent women fighting for social equality by making #metoo posts on the internet but you aren’t actually taking action! 

Change starts with you. If you see a women trapped in an abusive situation because she’s financially dependent on her husband YOU call a help line FOR HER. Yes these situations are serious and tricky and emotional but if this  disgusts you so much why don’t you do anything to help these women??

Volunteer at a domestic abuse shelter, donate to your local causes, do SOMETHING. Bitching about “manspreading” and “mansplaining” has literally NEVER HELPED ANYONE and never will.  

If you want to see change in this crazy, stupid, wild world then fucking DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

(no but seriously, volunteer at the shelters, they’re always short-staffed and in need of help. there is always an application to fill out on their website or help desk.)

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S2 Ep4: How to Go on a Date Without Actually Going on a Date

Ah, summertime! Love is in the air, can’t you feel it?

Well uh...thunderclouds. I guess. It’s ominously pouring rain. It’s as if the show has turned in it’s squeaky swivel chair said to us “look, we’re giving you a date episode...but don’t you be gettin’ any ideas!” and then swiveled right back around to face a blank wall.

I’m sure that they will put in some sort of cute backdrop...eventually.

While mopping the gross purple floor and talking about Joey’s nuts soap opera family.

Y’all did they get reference for this shot? I sure hope so. I sure hope that in some animation studio in Japan, two dudes fumbled together to assemble this particular formation, and then a third dude was like “Perrrrfect, now can you hold that for five minutes for me so I can draw it out?”

(read more under the cut)

So here and now, suddenly inspired by the very romantic tableau of threatening rain and thunder, Yugi sees an opportunity to fill out that bucket list, as it is the end of the world and all. So, he cracks his knuckles, remembers the advice from his Grandfather, wisely decides to forget that advice, and stumbles through the absolute weirdest way to officially ask out the girl you’ve been unofficially dating since you were like 10:

...

Start over.

So...he goes up to Tea...starts asking her out--but then makes it into a blind date with the ghost in his body? Because he’s...concerned about Pharaoh?

OK kid.

It’s just very Muto in that not only does he ask this girl out in the pouring rain, probably hoping for a lightning cue that thankfully never came, but this date can only be done through the medium of a very sad dead guy.

And even Tea wonders “I talk to Pharaoh kind of a lot, what the hell are you going on about?”

But what do you do, girl? Looks like you got stuck on a date trap with a dead dude! At least he has the better butt!

Now, you might say “Rach, he didn’t use the word “date” so this isn’t a date.” but y’all must’ve had a very different high school experience than I, because, unless forced to go to a socially obligatory dance, High Schoolers generally never say “lets go on a date,” they make sneaky date traps.

This is universal, the classic “I REALLY need your help with something I can easily accomplish myself. Meet me at the mall, although we could do this probably right now at school. Don’t bring Joey.”

So, Yugi either has a lot of trust in Pharaoh, or he’s seeing this as a clever way to avoid the actual dating part of dating Tea.

Dude...he’s on to something here. This is an ascended level of friend-zoning. Here I was thinking Yugi was pretty worthless with that puzzle, and then he just BAM unlocks it’s actual, true potential with the ultimate dating dodge. Like, Tea can’t even be mad. He’s on the date even. But also--*not on the date*--gets to enjoy the fun stupid stuff-- *doesn’t have to do any boring stuff*--Goes on a date--*but can’t call it a relationship if it wasn’t hypothetically with yourself* like this actually a pretty great set up and at first I was like wow, what an idiot, and now I’m like 5 paragraphs later and low key jealous I can’t do this Schrödinger's Date nonsense myself.

Anyway, despite how awkward he made it, Yugi is SUPER excited about this date. It’s ALMOST as if he’s going on it himself--which again, he is not. He’s just fretting in a mirror going all “Pharaoh’s gonna freakin love this. I love setting up my friends! Especially when they share the same body as me! Hahaha don’t think about it!”

But apparently Pharaoh was totally sleeping when Yugi was talking to Tea (and probably is whenever Tea shows up, lets be real) because he has no idea that Yugi has done this.

First off--Yugi’s art on the wall.

Ok, glad we all saw it together.

Second off, I love the motif of “kid is going on a date, so he throws everything he owns onto his bed and throws on the other half his closet to make the most ridiculous joke combo” because here it means Pharaoh has to wear the same weird ass outfit.

Y’all I cannot believe this anime is doing this three-way I just cannot. It’s been like a full season building up to it but it still feels VERY sudden.

And, as you know, I have a superpower that makes me immune to shipping, I dunno...maybe it’s because I grew up with the nuts Harry Potter era of ships (freakin Snape/Lily)? Or maybe that I come from the era of Kingdom Hearts-style romance twists (whooo will he eat ice cream with)? I feel like I can’t throw too many rocks at this ship because I know when my house is glass. Especially since I enjoy shows that are bonkers, I’ve seen some weird ass dating stuff that didn’t make me bat an eyelash. I watched Season 2 of Seaquest where at least 2 people accidentally ask out their own Mother. I would double check, but it was so awful Netflix pulled it (or trust me I’d be recapping that show, too)

Personally, I have never wanted to date a ghost but I guarantee other people have thought about it. And, youknow, if it’ll make the 2002-era tweens that were super excited about this ship happy, lets get these kids on a date and get this over with. With the Pharaoh that died at hell knows what age, was reborn so hypothetically you could also argue he’s only like a couple years old, and was mind wiping up until basically a couple weeks ago. Whatever, it’s a new season, he’s a new boy, just, don’t think about it, sit back and enjoy it for what it -- HOLY CRAP

What fake-goth funeral date are you going to here!? Wow. This is...This is a bad choice of clothes! It’s the middle of the day! Other people are in shorts. He is wearing so many chains from his neck, to his bracelets...also he still has that massive bike lock chain on - the one that went through a FIRE.

And does his shoes have freakin studs?

At least neck belt is still here.

I’d say he doubles as a stage tech but with those 7 bangles he’s got on, he would make too much noise. He’d sound like a freakin wind chime.

Anyways, Yugi switches places and Pharaoh freaks the Hell out like he’s been pranked. I wish it were a prank, y’all, I wish it were. But this is actually happening on this television show where the only other legit romance we saw was Pegasus macking a ghost.

MAN ghosts gets a lot of action in this show.

Now, this anime gets a lot of flack, but it does do one thing, and that’s make me appreciate something I forget a lot of the time when I see character designs in pictures rather than in motion. And it’s that that character design’s aesthetic includes physics. Sometimes--like very often in Yugioh--the aesthetic is mostly about those physics and what all these separate pieces do when they move.

In Yugioh, the designs are a hot mess. I can’t say they aren’t. But, there is a reason why he has all those moving bangles--it’s because he holds cards a lot and that’s where is camera is. I guarantee, when jacket comes back it’ll be flowing in the wind 100% of the time. Every single one of Yugi’s weird bangs can sway around like a weather vane.

So, while this looks not great from the get go, by the time you’ve watched Yugioh for a while, it all comes back together somehow. That’s the thing--that’s what Yugioh proves, it’s that no matter how freakin weird and abstract your design is, if it has the right physics, you’ll have a good time, and that’s an aesthetic all in itself that can’t be described in photo caps.

BUT

but

but, it’s still hella fun to roast Yugi for it because like--look what he’s wearing.

First stop on their date: a diner of lies that gave us no anime food. Just some nondescript milkshake. Every time we see a diner and I don’t get to see anime food my heart shrivels a little smaller like the Grinch.

Yo I assumed the neck belt was attached to the belt-shirt before--but I guess not. Oh man was belt shirt a turtleneck the whole time??? A belt TURTLENECK?

Tea decides to pull out her idea. The idea that Yugi asked her to give Pharaoh--that she could have just...given...straight to Yugi...but here it is. Here’s the big Tea idea.

Tea suggests “Listen, you don’t know who you’re going to be, but that’s true of everyone” which kind of ignores destiny and prophecies and the end of the world, but she’s gonna be a dancer, OK? And because Pharaoh hasn’t seen very much of the world, and is as impressionable as a newborn lamb, he just soaks it right up.

And so they decide not to go to the Museum because Pharaoh’s not feeling it. Probably also has a sixth sense that the museum is currently staffed by the most boring Millennium Item.

FYI this is exactly what my local Dave & Busters looks like floor to ceiling. It’s a real disappointment. It has only 1 DDR machine and one off brand DDR machine, unlike this place.

Yugioh has more diversity than most Anime I’ve seen, but it’s still a work in progress. Also, it’s hard to spot but keep an eye out for this guy’s fringe moccasins.

...Someone brought their briefcase to the arcade? Wh...why?

This whole episode is a whole lot of why.

WHAT?

Everyone just kinda watched this go down?

Again, I’ve never actually played DDR at an arcade because it’s always taken by two sweaty high schoolers who are sweating like ALL OVER the handlebars, and I’m just like...I could ask them to move or...I could not touch their sweat? So, long story short, if DDR involves elbowing each other in the face, this is news to me, and I have been missing out.

Long story short, she wins. We actually get to see Tea use her one and only useful skill--dance fighting. We’ll probably never see it again. Glad they gave us a very long narcissistic Tea dancing montage while they were there. Wish it was done to ska, but you can’t have everything.

And right when this settles into a romantic sunset I start to worry because we’re getting VERY close to a non-vague situation. The show senses this too and just, out of no where, pulls any distraction to get them away from said sunset.

Y’all how do you even manage to draw a spike mullet with dreads?

And here we all thought we’d get through this episode without cards!

JK, you were absolutely right for thinking that.

In her defense, he did try to elbow jab her in the head.

Anyways, after seeing Tea tear through Johnny Steps, Pharaoh feels like maybe he can handle whatever crazy thing happened to him 5000 years ago. He decides “Lets go recklessly open that Pandora’s box!”

I just noticed his second belt has a fanny pack on the butt for his cards.

Well, that was...still vague somehow. Good. Got me worried there for a second.

Next week, on Yugioh:

Bets on how long it takes for the show to never mention this date again and immediately forget these two were an item, I’m betting at the very beginning of the next episode? Are we going to get the same exposition but for the second time--will I even have anything to recap? In the dark is Yugi just a pair of swinging arms?

[carolina-bleus]

Change of Heart: Carolina-Bleus

“Lisa, Mr. Johnson just received his right-to-sue letter and has decided to go forward with his Title VII claim. I need you to get a courier over to his home today and pick up the letter and some other documents he forgot to bring to our last meeting. I want to start working on his complaint today.”

“Sure thing, Ms. Richardson. Do you need anything else?”

“No, I-“ Michonne was interrupted by buzzing coming from her desk. She smiled at the caller id. “Lisa, could you hold all of my calls until further notice?”

“Absolutely.”

Michonne disconnected from Lisa and picked up her cell. “Hey, sweetie. How was your day?”

“Hey, Mama! It was good. I got an ‘A’ on my math test.”

“That’s excellent, Andre! We’ll have to celebrate with a scoop of Big Cat ice cream when we get home.”

“When are you coming home?”

Michonne sighed, knowing that her son wouldn’t be happy with her answer. “I have something I really need to work on for a client, so it will probably be after dinner.”

“So I have to stay with Aunt Jacqui and Uncle Tyreese until then?”

“I thought you liked spending time there with your cousins?”

“I do, but it’s not the same as being home with you.”

“I know, Peanut, and I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you this weekend. We can spend Saturday doing whatever you like.”

“That’s fine, Mama. I know you can’t help it. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Okay, sweetie. Bye. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mama. Bye.”

Michonne waited for Andre to end the call and then sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. Opening my own firm was supposed to give me more time with Andre, not less.

A light tapping on her office door interrupted Michonne’s thoughts. She opened her eyes and sat up. “Come in, Lisa.”

“Guess again.” Sasha popped her head in with a big smile before walking into Michonne’s office.

“Oh, hey. Sorry, I thought you were Lisa bringing me something.”

“She just stepped away from her desk as I was walking up so that’s the only reason I could get in here unannounced. She guards this place like Fort Knox.”

“Yeah, Lisa doesn’t play,” Michonne said with a laugh. “So what brings you by?”

“I was in the area and thought I’d stop in to see my sister-friend. How are you doing?”

Michonne’s older sister, Jacqui, was married to Sasha’s older brother, Tyreese. The couple had been married for years and dated many years before that. Sasha and Michonne had become like sisters themselves as a result.

“I’m fine.”

Sasha squinted at her friend before taking a seat in front of Michonne’s desk. “That wasn’t very convincing. What’s going on Chonnie?”

“It’s Dre.”

“Is he okay?” Sasha asked in concern.

“He’s fine. I just talked to him and had to tell him I’d be home late...again. He doesn’t like always having to go to Jacqui and Tyreese’s after school.”

“I can understand that. There’s nothing like your own home.”

“Rub salt in the wound there, friend.”

“I’m not trying to do that. I’m just saying I get it.”

“I’d love to be able to pick him up and be home with him after school but I can’t do that. Hell, I can’t even have dinner with him some days.” Michonne shook her head in frustration. “I left my other firm and started this one so I would have more say over my schedule and the cases I took so that I could have more time with Dre.”

“And that’s not happening.”

“I definitely have more say over my cases but I’m getting so many that they are cutting into my time with Dre. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful because I wanted and needed the firm to be a success, but it’s growing faster than I’d ever hoped or expected.”

“Why don’t you hire on more people here?” Sasha suggested.

“I plan to but I don’t want to expand too quickly. More people means more salaries, more office supplies, more computers, more office space...more everything. The firm is still fairly new. I have to be smart about the moves I make. I am going start with hiring a new associate and maybe get an intern to do some basic research and document drafting. That should help ease things some at work. But---”

“That doesn’t solve the issue with Dre.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, there is one more person you could hire.”

“Sasha, I already told you—”

“Not for your firm...for your home.”

“What are you talking about? A babysitter?”

“I was thinking someone a little more permanent like a nanny.”

“A nanny?”

“Yeah. They can pick Dre up from school, take him to his different activities, make him dinner when you can’t and just be there with him at home.”

“I don’t know, Sasha,” Michonne said warily. “It feels like hiring someone to raise my child.”

“They wouldn’t be taking your place or raising your child, Michonne. It’s just someone to help out. And Dre will get to spend more time in his own home.”

Michonne thought it over. “I guess it’s not a bad idea, but I’d have to vet the hell out of this person. Not just anyone is going to be around my little peanut.”

“I didn’t expect anything less, Mama Bear. And since it was my suggestion, I want to help. I know you have your resources, but I can also get Abe to run a background check on any candidates down at the police station.”

“That would be great. Well, I’ll start looking at agencies and go from there.” 

Feeling a little better now that she had a plan in place, Michonne decided to tease her friend some. “Abe, huh? I noticed his name has been coming up a lot more lately. Are you two...?”

Sasha sighed and rolled her eyes. “No. We are just friends. I’m not dating any more guys with civil service jobs.”

“So I shouldn’t try to hook you up with Shaun the mailman? He fills those walking shorts out like nobody’s business.”

Sasha picked up a paper clip from the desk and threw it at Michonne. “You got jokes I see. You know what I mean.”

Michonne sobered. “I do. I was just trying to keep your mind from going there. You can’t shut yourself off because of what happened to Bob.”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Michonne.”

“Okay. I’ll let it go for now.”

“Thank you.” Sasha stood up to leave.” I have to get to work. When you get some names together, just give them to me and I’ll pass them along to Abe. I’ll talk to you later.”

Michonne watched Sasha make her way to the door. “Sasha.”

Sasha paused without turning around. “Yeah?”

“Thanks for the suggestion and looking out for Dre.”

“No problem. And Michonne?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for looking out for me.”

“No problem.”

Sasha turned and shared a smile with Michonne before heading out of the office.

Michonne buzzed Lisa at her desk. She hoped she was back. “Lisa?”

“Yes, Ms. Richardson?”

“Could you look up some staffing agencies that specialize in nannies?”

“Sure. How soon do you need the list?”

“As soon as possible. Oh and you can resume my calls. Thanks.” 

Michonne turned her seat to face the city view. A nanny...I hope I’m making the right decision.

“NERD ALERT! NERD ALERT! Fellas, we got a Poindexter on the premises!” Shane shouted out to the table full of police officers, firefighters, and EMTs.

Rick smiled good-naturedly as his friends laughed at Shane’s antics. He took a seat and waited for them to quiet down.

“I’m glad I can be a source of amusement for y’all.”

Shane clapped his best friend on the back. “And I certainly do appreciate it, Rick. You’ve been providing me with solid material since kindergarten.”

“Don’t act like we don’t have dirt on you, Shane. I seem to remember a certain incident where they brought in that lady in a witch costume for Halloween when we were in first grade and you got so scared that you hid behind Miss Pierson’s skirts and peed all over the floor.”

“Shut up, T-Dog. My mama said I had a condition back then that I had to grow out of,” Shane defended.

“Yeah, it was called Pissy-itis. Didn’t you have a flare-up at summer camp when we were in the sixth grade?”

While the others turned their laughter on Shane, Teddy shot Rick a quick wink. Rick nodded his thanks for Teddy setting Shane straight.

Teddy “T-Dog” Douglas, Rick Grimes, and Shane Walsh had been best friends since childhood. While Shane thought himself the group leader, it was Teddy who kept their group together and served as the balance between boisterous Shane and the more laid-back Rick.

“Whatever, man.” Shane dismissed Teddy and turned to Rick. “I’m surprised you could make it. Lately, you’ve either been too busy studying or working to hang out with us. What’s the special occasion?”

“I needed a drink tonight. I just found out that I’m out of a job.”

Shane immediately turned serious. While he had his obnoxious moments, he genuinely cared about his friends. “That’s messed up, man. What happened?”

“Well, since it’s a nonprofit, they rely a lot on grants and donations. They told me today that they were shifting the focus of the program and the grant for my position won’t be renewed. I have six weeks to find another job.”

“Can’t you just live off of the money your grandmama left you?” Shane asked.

“She left me good money and it’s helping me pay for school without taking out loans, but I don’t want to just rely on that. I still need to supplement my other expenses. Working part-time with the foundation helped with that.”

Rick was a former police officer, turned graduate student. He was pursuing his master’s degree in psychology. He eventually wanted to get his doctorate in clinical psychology and counsel children, particularly those whose lives had been disrupted by crime...be they crimes perpetrated against them or crimes committed by a parent against others. His years as a cop had left him keenly aware of the fact that the impact of crime on children was long-lasting and not always given the attention it deserved. He wanted to do what he could to help the smallest voices be heard.

Going back to school wouldn’t have been fathomable if not for Rick’s late maternal grandmother. Before she passed, she had encouraged Rick to pursue his career passion and left him with the means to do so in her will.

“So what are you going to do, Rick? We’d always be glad to have you back at the station. You say the word and I’ll get things moving for you,” Abe Ford offered.

“Thanks, but there’s no way I could do that and go to school full-time. I’m really looking for something like I’m doing now that offers me experience working with kids and has flexible hours that allow me to get my schoolwork and studying done.”

“We’ll all keep an ear out for you, Rick.”

“I appreciate that, Abe.”

Shane clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, now if we are done with the career counseling, can we take advantage of the fact that Rick has decided to rejoin the living tonight? I say we celebrate. And to show what a good friend I am, I will buy the first round of drinks—”

A shout of approval went up over the table.

“Y’all’s cheap asses didn’t let me finish. I’m buying the first round for Rick’s soon-to-be unemployed ass. The rest of y’all have jobs so buy your own damn drinks,” Shane said as he walked off to the bar.

“Here you go.”

Rick looked up from scrolling through a job site and grabbed the Jack and Coke from Shane. He immediately took a sip. “Thanks, Shane.”

“No problem, man,” Shane said as he plopped back into his seat. “I just want you to know that everything is going to work out...with your job and everything. You’ve worked too hard for it not to.”

“Shane Walsh being supportive? I’m pleasantly surprised.”

“Shut up and finish your drink. I know you have to drink away your sorrows since your no game having ass doesn’t have a woman to suck them away.”

“And regular Shane is back,” Rick added with a laugh.

“Look, I know I give you a lot of shit, but I’m proud of you and what you’re doing.”

Rick nodded his thanks before asking, “Why do you give me so much shit about school and pretty much everything else?”

“Hey, man, what can I say? I’m an asshole, but my heart’s in the right place.”

“I’ll make sure they put that on your tombstone because that is Shane Walsh in a nutshell.”

“Fuck you, man.”

Rick laughed. “I love you, too, brother.”

“Wow, Michonne, you actually beat me to dinner for once? Let me look outside and make sure there aren’t any pigs flying around.” Sasha pretended to peer through one of the restaurant’s large windows facing the water.

“Sasha, you act as if I’m always late.”

“Eh, not always but your track record of tardiness is pretty good.”

“I’m a busy woman. Now sit down so we can order. I’m starving.”

“That’s because you don’t eat like you should at work.”

“Sasha, I’ll leave your love life alone if you’ll let me handle my work life.”

“Fine...let’s talk about your love life...or lack thereof.”

“My love life is fine. I don’t have time for much else besides taking care of Dre and making sure my firm is a success.”

“And you’re doing great on both counts, Michonne,” Sasha assured her friend.

“I’m doing great with work. But if I was doing a great job with Dre, I wouldn’t be handing you this list right now.” Michonne reached into her bag and pulled out a large manila envelope. “Here are the names and information of the final candidates for the nanny position.”

Sasha took the envelope and secured it in her bag before continuing. “Those must be some A plus candidates you settled on because it’s taken three weeks to get my hands on those names.”

“I just wanted to make sure I have the best options. I’m not just going to have any and everyone around my son for hours on end.”

“Oh, I’m totally with you on that. I’ll get these down to Abe before my shift starts at the firehouse tomorrow.”

“I still don’t see how you do those twenty-four hour shifts.”

Sasha shrugged. “I’ve been doing them for a while now, so I’ve gotten used to it. And I’ll have the next two days off after that so I can’t complain too much. Plus, I just really love what I do.” She smiled sadly. “My job has brought a lot of good things and good people into my life.”

Michonne knew Sasha was thinking about her fiancé, Bob Stookes. Bob was an EMT that Sasha met while responding to call. Bob’s quick wit and positive outlook on all things quickly won Sasha over and the two began dating soon after they met. They’d been engaged to be married when Bob was killed while aiding a victim during a domestic disturbance call. It had been nearly two years and Sasha hadn’t been able to move forward. She’d tried. She’d even moved closer to family and started work at a new fire department after Bob’s death, but she hadn’t been able to leave behind those emotions from the night she received that life changing phone call.

Michonne placed a hand over Sasha’s. “Sasha when I talk to you about moving on with your life, being happy and dating again, I hope you know that I’m not trying to tell you to forget Bob and all that he means to you. I’m just saying that he wouldn’t want you to spend the rest of your life mourning him. That’s not how Bob lived and he wouldn’t want you to do that either. He’d want you to be happy.”

Sasha moved her hand to wipe at a stray tear. “I know you mean well, Michonne. But it’s a little hard for me to take advice from you when you don’t even follow it yourself. Mike walked out years ago and you still haven’t moved on. Are you waiting for him to walk back into your and Dre’s life?”

Michonne sat back angrily. “If he wants to be part of his son’s life, then that could perhaps be arranged...if he’s changed. But our life together as a couple and a family is over. I could forgive and forget if he had just walked out on me. But he left our son and has never looked back. I can’t forgive that.”

“Mike was the one who did wrong, so why are you punishing yourself?”

“What are you talking about?”

“He left because his fragile ego couldn’t handle that your career was progressing faster than his. He couldn’t handle that you were the breadwinner and he was the stay-at-home dad. That was all on him. But you’ve locked yourself off from pursuing anything that doesn’t directly benefit Dre or your career because of Mike’s shortcomings. How is that fair to you?”

“I think a part of Mike thought I would fail if he left me trying to juggle my career and a toddler, but I made it. My career flourished. Andre has flourished. And---”

“And you have made yourself your last priority. Your happiness counts for something, too, Michonne. And I think Dre cares more about having a happy mother than a successful one.”

“I can be both.”

“But are you both?”

“Sasha, I don’t need a man to be happy.”  

“Michonne I never said anything about a man. You just did. All I’m saying is that you need to focus on yourself more and find some happiness outside of being a successful lawyer and amazing mother. You need to stop neglecting yourself, Michonne.”

That threw Michonne for a loop. She was extremely happy with how her career was going. And aside from not being able to spend as much time as she would like with Andre, she was happy with the young man her son was becoming. But, personally, she did miss having someone to share everything with...the triumphs and the tragedies. She thought she’d had that with Mike and had been sorely mistaken.

Michonne mentally shook off the conversation because she just wasn’t ready to deal with any of it yet and grabbed her menu. “I don’t think either of us came here for a therapy session. How about we save this for another day, get some good food, gossip about Andrea’s scandalous love life and call it a night?”

“That’s the best idea you’ve had in a while,” Sasha agreed as she picked up her own menu.

“All of my ideas are amazing, Sasha.”

Sasha scoffed. “Uh, what about your idea to do our own eyebrows when we were in high school?”

Michonne laughed at the memory. “I did a great job on mine. I didn’t tell you to go ham on your brows with the tweezers.”

“I ended up looking like a Vulcan!”

“But you were a cute Vulcan. All the guys in Science Club wanted to date you.”

Sasha flipped Michonne the bird before looking at her menu.

Bright and early the next day, Sasha walked into the police station hoping to catch Abe before his shift ended. She spotted him standing at the front desk.

“Abe!”

Abe turned and greeted Sasha with a big, tired smile on his face. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence this early in the morning?”

“What? No inappropriate comment?”

“It’s too early and I’m too tired. But I promise to give it to you good the next time I see you to make up for lost time.” Abe winked.

Sasha shook her head with a smile. “Before you head out, I have a favor to ask.”

“Anything for you, darlin’.”

Sasha handed Abe the envelope full of candidate info. “My best friend is looking for a nanny for her son. He’s very special to me and I was hoping you could run a deep background check on the candidates for the job. I have to make sure he’s in good hands.”

“Of course.” Abe opened the envelope and began flipping through the pages. “Well, not a looker to be found. They certainly won’t inspire any good source material when I get home.”

“Abe.”

“Just a little joke,” Abe murmured before closing the envelope and looking at Sasha. “How soon does your friend need it?”

“As soon as possible would be great. Michonne wants a nanny in place sooner rather than later.”

“Mee-shawn? That sounds exotic.”

“Say that to her and it won’t end well.”

“She sounds feisty. I like that in a woman.” Abe looked at Sasha pointedly before continuing. “Why is she looking for a nanny? What is she, some rich woman who needs more time to improve her tennis strokes?”

“Hardly. She’s a single mother and successful lawyer. It’s getting harder to do everything on her own so she’s looking for someone to pick Dre up from school and be at home with him until she can get there.”

That got Abe thinking. “Hmmm. How old is Dre?”

“He turns eight in a few months? Why?”

“I thought you were talking about a baby, but I think Rick can handle a soon-to-be eight-year-old.”

“Abe, what are you talking about?”

“I have a friend, a former cop, named Rick Grimes. He left the force about a year ago to go back to school full-time and get a graduate degree in psychology. He was working with kids at a nonprofit, but his position is up in a couple of weeks. If the nanny would just be needed in the afternoons and evenings, I think this would be right up Rick’s ally.”

Sasha thought for a moment. “Rick Grimes? I remember running into him a couple of times during calls my first year at the firehouse here. He was always nice and helpful. You know him pretty well?”

“He’s a real good friend of mine and one of the best guys I know. This would be a win-win for him and your friend. I mean she doesn’t have to worry about anybody messing with Dre with Rick around.”

“I’d have to talk to Michonne. I don’t know if male nannies were even on her radar.”

“Well, that’s mighty sexist of her.”

Sasha eyed Abe. “You would know.”

“I think you’re confusing sexist with sexy.”

“Yeah, Abe, that’s exactly it,” Sasha said dryly.  “Look, could you get Rick’s information for me and have it ready ASAP? I’m going to try and smooth the way for him with Michonne.”

“Will do.” Abe offered Sasha an arm. “Now, let me walk you down to the firehouse and show those guys what a real specimen looks like.”

Sasha ignored Abe’s arm and started walking out of the station. “Your body might be tired but your mouth is working overtime. Bye, Abe. And thanks.”

“You are mighty welcome, Miss Sasha Williams.”

Before heading home, Abe decided to stop over at Rick’s apartment.

“Hey, Abe. What’s going on?”

“I’m just gonna cut to the chase because I’m more worn out than a mattress at a swingers’ club. I think I found you a job.”

“Come on in.” Rick stepped back to let Abe enter. “You want anything to drink?”

“No, I’m good.” Abe took a seat on the couch while Rick sat in his recliner. “Do you remember Sasha Williams? She’s a firefighter over at the Libby Street Station. She said she met you a couple of years ago?”

“Yeah. We worked a few of the same calls.”

“Well her best friend is looking for a nanny.”

“A nanny!” Rick started shaking his head. “Abe, I don’t think—”

“Just hear me out. This isn’t for a little baby. The kid is eight years old. His mother is a single parent looking for someone to pick him up after school and stay with him until she gets home in the evenings. She’s a lawyer so she’ll probably pay pretty good. And you can’t beat the schedule.”

“When I said I wanted to work with kids, being a babysitter wasn’t on the list of jobs.”

“I’m sure she’ll have you doing other stuff, I’m just giving you a rough rundown. It’s perfect, Rick. And it starts soon. All I need you to do is give me your information so I can pass it on along.”

“Well, I am running out of options and maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Let me print out a copy of my resume.”

Abe leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. “Alright. Put that printer on lightning speed so I can get out of here before I fall asleep or else you’ll have a redheaded roommate for the next few hours.”  

Rick stood in his office waiting for his resume to finishing printing. I hope this is the right move.

“Good job, Peanut!” Michonne turned to Andrea in the stands. “Did you see that? Dre just scored a goal!”

Andrea looked up from her phone. “Oh shit! I missed it? He didn’t even have the ball when I glanced down to check a message. These kids move fast.”

“If you put your phone away and paid attention, you wouldn’t miss anything.”

“Michonne, I am here for Dre and Dre only. If he’s not kicking the ball, I’m not paying attention.”

“I’m surprised you even made it. You and Saturday mornings don’t usually mix.”

“Dre begged me to come and you know how hard it is to say ‘no’ to him. I’d do anything for that little guy.”

“I definitely know the feeling. That’s the only reason why I agreed to this whole nanny thing.”

“How is that going?”

“Sasha is supposed to bring me the information on the finalists today. Then I’ll start setting up interviews for next week.”

“Have you told Dre about this yet?”

“Yeah. I want him to be there for part of the interviews. I need to see who Dre feels most comfortable with and how they interact with him.”

“That makes sense. Because I’d really hate to have to hurt somebody for not treating him right.”

Michonne laughed. “You sound like Jacqui. She said she’d catch a case if somebody laid hands on Dre.”

“For once, Jacqui and I agree on something.”

After the game, Michonne pulled into her driveway to find Sasha sitting in the swing on her front porch.

“Hey, Sasha,” Michonne greeted while getting out the car. “Why didn’t you use your key?”

“I just got here a little while ago. I decided to enjoy the nice morning while I wait. Hey Andrea.”

“Hey Sasha.”

Dre jumped out of the car and ran up to Sasha. “Hey Aunt Sasha! Guess what?”

“What?”

“We won and I scored a goal!”

“Great job, Dre! Gimme a hug.”

“I’m kind of sweaty though.”

“I don’t mind.” Sasha grabbed her nephew up in a big hug that had him giggling before she set him back on the ground. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there this morning.”

“That’s okay. I know you can’t be there when you have to save people.”

Michonne opened the front door and motioned everyone in. “Dre, sweetie. Go on and wash up and then we’ll go out to lunch.”

“Okay, Mama. See ya in a little bit.” Dre yelled as he ran up the stairs.

“Sasha, do you have the information for me?”

“I do. Let’s go into the kitchen. I need some coffee this morning.”

Once they were seated around the island, Sasha slid the packet over to Michonne. “Everyone checked out so you should be good to go with setting up interviews. But there is one additional candidate I think you should look at.”

Michonne looked up from the papers. “Who is that?”

“A man named Rick Grimes. He used to be a cop. He’s going to grad school now to become a child psychologist. I worked with him a few times and he’s nice. His resume is at the end in the pile.”

Michonne took a moment to read over the document. “He looks great on paper, but why would he want to work as a nanny?”

“I don’t know all of the details but apparently his other job is ending soon and he’s looking for something similar that allows him to work with kids and has hours that work with his school schedule.”

Andrea reached over and grabbed the paper from Michonne. “Where is his picture? All the other applicants provided a photo. I need to see if this dude passes the weirdo test and to see if he’s worth putting in my dating pool.”

“It doesn’t matter what he looks like, Andrea.” Michonne took the resume back. “I’m not sure if I even want a male nanny. It’s just not something I’m used to.”

Sasha scoffed. “Are you serious right now, Michonne?”

“I’m completely serious.”

“You make a living out of helping people fight against employment discrimination and you are going to discriminate against someone because of their sex. That’s very hypocritical of you.”

“She’s got you there, Michonne.” Andrea chimed in. “Besides, maybe Dre would prefer to have a male nanny as opposed to some of those Mrs. Doubtfire stand-ins the agency suggested. You should at least let the man interview.”

“Fine, I’ll have Lisa set up an interview. But it will probably be a waste of both of our time. I doubt he’ll even want the job.”

Three interviews down and Michonne was ready to throw in the towel. Thus far, none of the candidates had lived up to their resumes.

Michonne sighed and rubbed her temples. “I feel like we are being catfished nanny style.”

“You seriously need to call the Better Business Bureau on that agency. Those nannies they recommended have been horrible. Did they even read your requirements? I thought the first lady was going to explode when she found out this wasn’t a live-in position. Why was she so upset about not being able to live here? That’s a thief in the making right there. You’d have to break out the nanny cam on her ass.”

“Jacqui, this agency was supposed to be the best one in the area. I told them exactly what I needed. I don’t know how it got so screwed up.”

“Well, screwed up is putting it mildly. The blonde chick gave me Single White Female vibes. She was just a little too attentive to you and Dre. If you’d hired her, it would only be a matter of time before she came in here wearing a dreadlock wig, too much bronzer, and asking Dre to call her ‘mama.’”

“She wasn’t that bad, Jacqui. But Dre didn’t seem to like her so she’s out anyway. What about Mrs. Addams that just left? What did you think of her?”

“I think the last kids she probably cared for are collecting social security checks as we speak. Mrs. Addams was 82 if she was a day. That crooked jet-black wig wasn’t fooling anybody. Coming in here looking like a black Betty Boop with them drawn on eyebrows. There is no way she can keep up with Dre. He’d end up taking care of her and that wig.”

“Calm down, Jacqui.”

“Michonne, you know I can’t abide by messiness, especially when it comes to my family.”

“We have two last interviews. One more person from the agency and that Grimes man Sasha recommended. Hopefully, one of them will be the right fit.”

“They better be the right fit. If not, I’m going to make sure my size six shoe fits right upside somebody’s head down at that agency.”

Michonne stared at her sister in amusement. “Why did I ever ask you to join me for these interviews?”

“Cause you know I don’t play.”

“Could you just go get the next candidate please?”

“Sarah, I see you have an undergraduate degree in child development.”

“Yes, I graduated with honors. The course of study was interdisciplinary and focused on child development from birth through adolescence. We delved into child psychology, education, sociology and so much more. I have great insight as to not only how children develop physiologically but also the psychological and sociological influences that impact their development along the way.”

“Are you planning on furthering your education or is being a nanny a lifelong career path for you?”

“I plan to keep up with the latest developments in the field and eventually have my own agency full of well-qualified and educated nannies such as myself. But, at this point in my life, I’m focused on providing the best care to the children under my charge.”

“You’re aware that this position is not live-in?”

“Yes, that’s one of the things that drew me to the position. I just got married, so I kind of want to live with my husband,” Sarah said with a laugh.

“There may be some evenings where you have to stay quite late if I have a business engagement or even some overnights, if I have a trial or seminar out of town. Will that be a problem?”

“Absolutely not. That is all expected when one chooses to become a nanny.”

“Are you fine with the rate of pay for this position?”

“Yes. It is in line with the other positions I’ve held.”

“Okay. Well, do you have any questions for me?”

“Well, I was wondering if I would be able to meet Andre? It’s great if the parents like me, but if the child doesn’t, then this will not work. He is the client in a very large sense.”

Michonne smiled at Sarah’s words. “Actually, that was the next part of the interview. Come on, Andre is in his playroom.”

 After showing Sarah out, Michonne turned to Jacqui. “Well, what do you think?”

“I don’t have anything bad to say. She was pretty damn good. She has the background and experience. Plus, and most importantly, Dre seemed to really like her. She might be it.”

“I think so, too.” Michonne looked at her watch. “Rick Grimes should be here in thirty minutes. He’s going to have to be just about perfect to beat out Sarah.”

Michonne was on her way to freshen up when the doorbell rang. “Jacqui, I need to run to the bathroom. That’s probably Mr. Grimes. Could you answer that for me?”

“No problem, Chonnie.”

Jacqui walked into the foyer and opened the door. What she saw standing on the other side left her in a rare condition...speechless.

“Hi, Miss Richardson? I’m Rick Grimes. I’m here for the nanny interview.”

“...”

“Miss Richardson, are you okay? Did something happen?” Rick’s cop instincts kicked in and he started surveying the area for any issues.

Jacqui finally found her voice. “Uh...everything is fine...very fine. I’m Jacqueline Renee Williams but you can call me Jacqui.” Miss Jacqui if you nasty. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”. 

Rick held out his hand to Jacqui. “I’m Richard Sutton Grimes and it’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Miss Jacqui.”

Oooh, he nasty! 

Jacqui shook Rick’s hand while giving him a discrete once-over. Lawd, Tyreese better be glad I love his wonderful and cuddly thick ass. 

“You’ll be interviewing with my sister, Michonne. Come on in and I’ll take you to her.” Jacqui watched Rick walk past her before she closed the door. Oooh, and he’s bowlegged, too.

“Right this way, Mr. Grimes.”

“You can call me Rick.”

If I were single, I’d call you Daddy. 

“Okay...Rick.”

Walking down the hallway, Rick wondered if Miss Richardson was anything like her sister, Jacqui. If so, he was in for a handful.

Michonne glanced at her watch once again, wondering what was taking Jacqui so long to bring Mr. Grimes back. She looked up when she heard them finally enter the room and immediately knew what the holdup was. It was Rick Grimes.

From the top of his curly head to the bottom of his cowboy boot clad feet, Rick Grimes was the most handsome man Michonne had ever seen. He looked like he belonged on a television or movie screen, not applying to be her son’s nanny.

When he walked into a study and Michonne Richardson looked up, Rick knew he was in trouble. He was staring at the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

Rick and Michonne locked eyes and neither could tear themselves away. Jacqui sat back and looked between the two with a knowing smirk on her face.

“Michonne? Rick? Are y’all ready to start the interview or do you need more time to memorize each other’s faces?”

Michonne was the first to snap out of it. “What did you say, Jacqui?”

“I asked if y’all were ready to start the interview?”

“Oh, yes. Mr. Grimes, I’m Michonne Richardson. Thank you for coming in today.” Michonne smiled, reached for Rick Grimes’ hand and tried to ignore the feeling that ran through her at the contact. Michonne released Rick’s hand and motioned to a chair. “If you’ll have a seat, Mr. Grimes, we can begin.”

Rick reluctantly released Michonne’s hand and had a seat. “Please, call me Rick.”

“Sure. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself, Rick.”

Rick chuckled. “Well, I’m afraid I’m not much more interesting than what you see on paper. But, here we go. I’m a small-town guy...Georgia born and bred. I guess I always had a desire to help those most in need from the time I was little. My family has a farm and I would always adopt the smallest little guy in any litter. I hated seeing anyone or anything being taken advantage of or mistreated. That’s a big reason why I became a police officer and why I want to become a psychologist and work with children impacted by crime. Everyone should have a person in their corner that makes them feel cared about and protected. I imagine that’s what drew you to the law.”

“How did you know I was an attorney?”

“My friend, Abe, mentioned it to me when he told me about the job.”

“Oh. Well, yeah, that’s exactly why I went into law. Most people assume lawyers go into law strictly for the money. But, that was never my motivation. Now, I mostly represent individuals who have suffered discrimination in employment. Most of those cases don’t even go to court and those that do rarely get a huge payout. The big money is in what I used to do, which was defending employers, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do that anymore. They have more than enough people willing to do their dirty work. But for plaintiffs, oftentimes, I’m their last hope. It’s a lot of pressure but-“

“But it’s worth it and means more than any dollar amount,” Rick finished.

“Exactly.”

Rick and Michonne shared a smile before Jacqui discretely cleared her throat.

“Um, Rick,” Michonne continued “Do you have a lot of experience working with children?”

“I was a counselor at the Boys and Girls Club throughout high school and college. I started an after-school program at the department for local kids while I was a policeman. I still volunteer with it. Most recently, I worked with a nonprofit that focuses on children who are direct and indirect victims of abuse.”

“That’s the position that’s being phased out?” At the question in Rick’s eyes, Michonne explained, “My best friend, Sasha, gave me a little background information on you.”

“We have some talkative friends.”

“So it would seem,” Michonne agreed with a chuckle.

“But, unfortunately, yes my position and several others are no longer going to be funded. But that’s my professional background. On the personal side, I have lots of experience with kids as well.”

Michonne braced herself.

“I come from a very large family and have nieces and nephews that are younger, older, and the same age as I am. That’s country living for you.”

Michonne heard Jacqui, who’d been uncharacteristically quiet, let out a breath at Rick’s words. She glanced at her sister who just shrugged.

“Rick, why exactly are you interested in this position?”

“Well, as you know, my current job is going to end soon. This job seemed like the perfect opportunity to step into. I get to continue working with kids but it’s not on a live-in basis, so I could craft my school schedule around your son’s.”

“Did you have any specific questions about the position?”

“Aside from picking Andre up from school and being with him at home in the evenings, what else would the job entail? I can help with homework. Shuttle him to after-school activities. And I’m a pretty good cook if you needed me to make him dinner sometimes.”

“That’s actually exactly what I had in mind except the cooking...that’s just an unexpected bonus. So how good are you at math? Like most attorneys, math is my nemesis.”

Rick laughed. “I’m great at math. Creative writing was my downfall in school.”

“Well, writing is obviously a strong suit of mine. I think between the two of us, Dre should be okay.”

“Yeah, I think we’d make a great team...if I get the job, of course.”

“Yes, if you get the job.” Michonne looked up and saw a small figure peeking into the study. “Andre Anthony, you can come in now.”

Rick watched as a four-foot ball of energy ran into the room and stopped right in front of him.

“Hi, my name is Andre.”

“Hello, Andre. My name is Rick. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Do you like comic books?”

“I do.”

“Candy?”

“Yep. Big Cats are my favorite.”

Andre’s eyes lit up. “That’s my favorite. Mama’s, too. We have the ice cream. Do you want some?”

Rick chuckled. “Maybe later. Tell me some other things that you like.”

“I like comics, and candy, and soccer, and baseball, and basketball, and trains, and books.”

“Well what do you know, I love all of those things as well. And I coach a kids’ baseball team in the spring.” Rick turned to Michonne. “I forgot to mention that but it’s on my resume.”

Michonne smiled. “No problem. I saw it.”

Rick turned back to Andre. “You ever been to the train museum downtown?”

“Yes, Mama took me last year for my birthday. Have you been?”

“Mmhmm. The model trains were my favorite.”

“Yeah, they were the best! I have a model train and track in my playroom. One of the tracks in messed up. Can you fix it for me?”

“How about we try to fix it together and that way you’ll know how to fix it if I’m not here.”

“Okay.” Andre tugged on Rick’s hand.  “Mama are you done talking to Mister Rick?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. We’re going to my playroom now.” Andre pulled Rick out of the door.

When Rick and Andre were settled in the playroom, Michonne and Jacqui stood outside the door observing.

“What do you think, Jacqui?” Michonne asked lowly.

“Do you really need me to answer that question? Look at the two of them laughing in there. They are fast friends. Plus, Rick has a great background.”

“Sarah was really good, too. And Andre liked her as well.”

“That’s true, but Andre didn’t take to her like this. Plus, Sarah doesn’t fill out a pair of jeans the way Rick does.”

“Jacqui! That is so wrong, not to mention discriminatory.” Michonne whispered harshly. “Besides, if I hire Rick, it will be so he can take care of Andre, not so you can ogle him.”

“Oh, I wasn’t the one ogling him when he first came in. That would be you, little sister.”

“I was not!”

“If y’all had stared at each other any harder, your clothes would have melted off. I saw something between you.”

“Jacqui, you are just mesmerized by a good-looking man. Keep it up and I’ll tell Tyreese.”

“Oh, Tyreese knows I only have eyes for his thick ass. This is about you and the cowboy in there.”

“Jacqui, if you keep talking that way, I won’t hire him. I’m not trying to have there be any messiness.”

“You’re going to hire him because that’s what’s best for Dre,” Jacqui said confidently. “Just don’t be surprised if it also works out pretty well for you.”

Michonne turned back to the door and watched as Rick and Andre laughed while working on the toy train tracks. It was the most animated Michonne had seen her son in a while. Jacqui was right that Michonne would hire Rick because it was best for Andre.

The way he makes me feel doesn’t matter.

Rick has just made it in from the interview when his cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Rick. This is Michonne Richardson.”

He knew exactly who it was. “Hey. I was going to email you when I got home, but I can just tell you now. Thanks again for the interview. It was the most enjoyable one I’ve ever had.”

“Well, thank you for applying. I spoke with Andre and weighed all the pros and cons of all of the applicants. And, if you’re still interested, I’d like to offer you the position.”

“I am very much interested! Thank you so much.”

Michonne smiled at the genuine happiness she could hear in Rick’s voice. “It was Andre who was the deciding factor. He said you were the one.”

“Well, I’ll have to thank the little guy next time I see him.”

“Speaking of, when would you be able to start?”

“I’m ready whenever you need me.”

“Umm,” Michonne cleared her throat. “Uh, I’ll email Dre’s schedule right now along with some other details and contact information and you can start on Monday. That will give me time to get you added to his official pickup list at school and his other activities.”

“Sounds like a plan. Thanks, again Miss Richardson.”

“Please, call me Michonne. And the number I’m calling you from now is my personal cell, so this will be the best way to get into direct contact with me.”

“Okay. I’ll see you on Monday. You have a nice evening, Michonne.

“You have a nice evening as well, Rick.”

Two Months Later

Michonne perused the restaurant menu. She was having a late lunch with Sasha and Jacqui.

“How is everything going with Rick?” Sasha asked.

“It’s going well.”

That wasn’t good enough for Jacqui. “Michonne, put your menu down and give us the dirt.”

Sighing, Michonne put her menu aside and looked at Jacqui and Sasha. “There is no dirt to give. It’s going really well. Dre is happy. He absolutely adores Rick.”

“And how do you feel about him?”

“Jacqui, we aren’t going to start that again. Despite what you think you saw at the interview, Rick and I are nothing more than employer and employee. He’s there for my son and that’s it.”

Sasha leaned forward in her seat. “Wait a minute? What did Jacqui see at Rick’s interview? Michonne, you only said it went well. Y’all been holding out on me?”

Jacqui was all too eager to share the details. “Girl, let me tell you. There was so much eye sex going between those two when they first met, a proper lady would have been embarrassed and looked away.”

“So that means you kept watching and got an eyeful.”

“You damn right.”

Jacqui and Sasha burst into laughter and gave each other a high five.

Michonne was not amused. “There was no eye sex at the interview.”

Jacqui raised a brow. “Come on now, Chonnie.”

“Okay, there was but nothing has come of it and nothing will. Again, we are employer and employee and that is all we will ever be. I—”

Michonne broke off when her phone rang. She smiled at the picture that popped up. “Hey. How is everything?”

“Hey yourself. Everything is fine. I just wanted to let you know Dre and I are home. He wanted to talk to you for a minute.” Rick handed his cell over to Andre.

“Hey, Mama.”

“Hey, Peanut. You glad school let out early?”

“Yep. Rick is going to help me with my homework and then take me to the park. He said we can make pizza for dinner. I can’t wait! Are you going to be able to eat with us tonight?”

Since hiring Rick, Michonne’s practice had gotten even busier. She was glad that he was there to be at home with Andre, but she still felt guilty about missing so much time with her son.

“I’ll try my best, Peanut. Your Aunt Jacqui and Aunt Sasha are here.”

“Tell them I said hey!”

“I will, sweetie.”

“I have to go start my homework, Mama. Rick said we can’t go to the park until I finish it. Bye!”

“Bye, Peanut.” Michonne waited for Rick to get back on the line.

“Hey. I promise neither Dre nor the kitchen will be a disaster when you get home.”

“Oh, I know. You always leave the kitchen cleaner than when you found it,” Michonne said with a laugh. She ignored Jacqui and Sasha focusing on her every word. “Thanks for picking Dre up early today. I hope it didn’t mess up your schedule.”

“No, it’s fine. I brought my stuff over so I can study after we get back from the park.”

“That’s good.”

“So how has your day been so far?”

“It’s been really good.”

“Glad to hear it. What time do you think you’ll be home? Hopefully, I can keep Dre from devouring all of the pizza.”

“I’m not sure. But I’ll try to get home a little earlier so you can get going.”

“Michonne, it’s really not a problem. Hanging with Dre is one of the best parts of my day.”

“Oh really? What are the others...studying?” Michonne joked.

“Hey, studying can be fun! But I was thinking about the talks we have before I go home. The adult conversation is nice.”

“Oh,” Michonne said softly. “I enjoy those, too.”

“Well, I’ll let you go. Have a good rest of the day.”

“You, too.” Michonne held the phone a moment after Rick ended the call. She was dreading looking up at her sisters.

“Girl, you might as well put that phone down and start talking. We heard every word. You should really turn your phone volume down so nosy asses can’t listen in,” Jacqui suggested.

Michonne put her phone away. “Nosy asses like you, Jacqui?”

“Anyway, what’s this about y’all having talks at night?”

“It’s nothing. We talk about what happened during our day and then Rick goes home. End of story. Now can we eat? I need to get back to the office.”

Sasha spoke up before Jacqui could. “We’ll let it go, Michonne. But, for what it’s worth, Dre isn’t the only one who’s been looking happier lately.”

Michonne thought about Sasha’s words on her drive home later that evening. Rick had only been in their lives for a couple of months but it felt like he’d always been there. Despite Jacqui’s insinuations, Michonne and Rick really were just friends. But it was nice to have someone to come home to and share her day with...even if only for a few moments.

“Hey, where are you guys?” Michonne called out as she entered her home.

“We’re in the kitchen!” Rick yelled back.

Michonne kicked off her heels and padded down the hallway to the kitchen. She walked in to find Rick, Andre, and the kitchen island and floor surrounding it covered in flour.

“Okay, this isn’t what you think.” Rick began to explain.

“I think you two started out making pizza and ended up in a flour fight.”

“Okay, it’s exactly what you think.”

Michonne chuckled. “Do I need to hire someone to look after Dre and you, Rick?”

“No, we got it. Right, Dre?”

“Yep. We got it, Mama.”

“Mmhmm. What y’all need to get is a broom and a mop. Let me go change. I’ll handle the counters while you two get the floors.”

“Michonne, you don’t have to do that,” Rick protested.

“Yeah, I do. I don’t trust you two alone with dry goods at the moment,” Michonne said as she walked out of the kitchen. “I’ll be back in a few.”

When she came back downstairs, Rick and Dre were both making fast work of cleaning the floors.

“Hey, look up you two.”

When they looked up, Michonne snapped a photo of the pair on her phone. She took a couple more of them posing before putting her phone away.

“I think those photos will be good blackmail material for Dre when he’s a teenager. I haven’t decided how I’m going to use them against you yet.”

“You’re a cold woman, Michonne,” Rick joked.

The easy smile Michonne had been wearing, faded. “So I’ve been told.”

“Michonne?” Rick was concerned at her sudden mood change.

“It’s nothing.” Michonne clapped her hands and smiled at her son. “Let’s finish cleaning so we can actually make pizza.”

When kitchen was once again spotless, Michonne sent Dre up to his bathroom to shower and change. “Rick you can shower in the guest bath upstairs and I’ll see if I can find something for you to wear.”

Rick eyed Michonne’s leggings and tank top. “I think that look works a whole lot better on you than it would on me,” he joked.

“I have some things to fit you. Let me show you where everything is.”

Rick followed Michonne out of the kitchen and up the stairs, appreciating the view from behind. Michonne stopped at the hallway linen closet upstairs.

“We don’t use loophas in this house.” Michonne stated when she handed Rick the towel and washcloth.

Rick noticed the glint in her eye and knew exactly what she was getting at. “Very funny. I use washcloths, too.”

Michonne tried to look innocent. “What?”

She could barely contain her laughter as Rick closed the bathroom door behind him. But the joke was about to be on her.

Twenty minutes later, Michonne had just sent a freshly showered and pajamas wearing Andre back downstairs when she heard the door to the guest bath open. Rick stood in the doorway holding his dirty clothes and wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

Michonne swallowed at the sight.

“Hey, Michonne, do you have something I can put these clothes in? I don’t want to get flour all over my car when I drive home.”

“Uh, y-yeah. I mean, don’t worry about it. I was going to throw your clothes in the wash with Dre’s. They’ll be dry before you leave. Um, I found some sweats and a t-shirt for you.” Michonne held her breath as Rick walked towards her to take the clothing.

“Thanks.” Rick offered her a smile before he turned and headed back to the bathroom.

Michonne didn’t blink or let her breath out until the bathroom door closed behind him. She rushed downstairs after Andre.

Rick walked into the kitchen wearing the borrowed clothes. “I put my clothes in the washing machine with Dre’s and started the load.”

“I was going to do that, Rick.”

“It was no problem.” Rick rubbed his hands together. “Now, are we going to make pizza or what?”

“Pizza!” Andre yelled.

“Okay, but we are going to take the easy route this time,” Michonne warned. “I got the pizza crust and sauce out of the pantry. All we have to do is decide on toppings. Andre, what do you want on the pizza?”

“I want ham.”

“Rick?”

“Pepperoni.”

Michonne gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. “I’m glad you didn’t say pineapple or I’d have to fire you.”

“If you’d wanted pineapple, I would have been forced to quit.”

“Funny. I’m adding mushrooms. Is that acceptable for your sensitive palate, Rick?”

“Extremely.”

The trio set about assembling and baking their pizzas. When they were ready, Michonne and Rick carried the pizzas and the rest of their meal outside so they could enjoy dinner by the pool.

“Mmm. I’m going to have to get a pizza stone. My pizza crusts never get this crispy when I use a baking sheet.”

“You make your own pizza dough and then use a baking sheet? That’s like taking the time to do your makeup flawlessly and then putting a mask on. It’s just wasted effort.”

“Calm down there, Chef Gordon. My pizza stone got lost when I moved and I just haven’t had time to replace it.”

“I take my food very seriously.”

“I’ll make sure to remember that.” Rick looked over to Andre. “You enjoying your pizza, Dre?”

“Yep. It’s so good. Can we do this every week?”

“Have pizza?” Michonne questioned.

“Yeah, you, me, and Rick.”

“Sweetie, I’m sure Rick has other things---”

“I actually think that’s a great idea, Dre.” Rick caught Michonne’s eye. “And maybe we could watch a movie after. I mean, if you think you’ll have time.”

“Will you have time, Mama?” a hopeful Andre asked.

“I’ll make the time.” Michonne promised.

Rick smiled. “Okay. But I’m making the crusts from scratch next week.”

The group ate and talked until Andre’s eyes started drooping at the table.  

“Okay, Dre. Time for bed.” Michonne pulled Andre’s chair back and tried to rouse the little boy so he could go upstairs but he was out. “Goodness, now I’m going to have to carry him upstairs.”

“That will be like carrying a load of bricks at this point. Why don’t you let me carry him up and get him tucked in bed?”

“Yes, please. My back thanks you,” Michonne said gratefully. “I’ll clear the table and put the food away.”

“Alright, I’ll meet you in the den.”

Rick was already in the den by the time Michonne finished putting away the food. He was stretched out on the couch with one arm covering his eyes and the other hanging down by his side.

Michonne walked over and bumped the arm that was hanging off of the couch. “Move.”

Rick uncovered his eyes and sat up. “Is that any way to treat a guest in your home?”

Michonne plopped down beside Rick. “No, but you aren’t a guest.”

“Really, what am I?” Rick stared at Michonne intently while waiting for her answer.

“Um, you’re tired and obviously had a really long day. You can head out now if you like.”

Rick let out a little laugh at Michonne’s avoidance. “I need to wait for my clothes to dry. I really don’t want to wear another man’s clothes home.” He pulled at the t-shirt. “Your ex?”

“Yeah. I was looking for something my little brother, Noah, left behind, but I found this and it looked like it would fit.” Michonne sighed. “I thought I’d thrown everything away after he left.”

“Bad breakup?”

“That’s putting it mildly. It was life altering.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

“No...yes. I’ve held it in for so long that I’m afraid if I start talking about it I’ll never stop talking...or crying.”

“Well, I’m here with a listening ear and a shoulder for you to cry on and an old shirt for you to blow your nose into.”

Michonne smiled. “Don’t you have work to do? You’ve spent just about all day here.”

“I got Dre to read while I studied when we came home from the park. That’s why we were trying to make pizza when you got home. I’m here if you want to talk.”

Michonne laid her head and Rick’s shoulder. “Where do I start?”

Rick wrapped an arm around Michonne and settled into the couch. “Start wherever you want.”

“I first met Mike when I was fifteen. His family moved down here from New York.  All the girls were in love with him from the start. He was tall, dark, handsome and his accent made everything sound so smooth coming out of his mouth.”

“Is that why you liked him?”

“Partly. I mean it didn’t hurt. I was curious about him because he was so unlike any of the guys I’d known.”

“What were those guys like?”

“Sweet country boys...like you.”

“Oh.”

“But I also liked that Mike was an artist,” Michonne continued. “And he was an artist in every way...extremely talented and extremely brooding. I found the combination heady when I was young. But...”

“But you got older and what you wanted in a partner changed.”

“Yeah...but Mike didn’t. But I let it slide when we were together. He was never one to be tied down, so we didn’t actually start dating until senior year of high school. We dated through college. I went to UGA while Mike attended art school back in New York.”

“You didn’t tell me you went to UGA, too.”

“Yeah, when I saw it on your resume, I realized we were there around the same time.”

“Small world.”

“Especially in Georgia.” Michonne laughed before sobering and continuing her story. “I think we made it in the early years because we went to separate schools and didn’t see each other much. Because of the time apart, whenever we did see each other, we didn’t spend too much time talking...if you know what I mean.”

Rick shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, I get it.”

“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to hear this story.”

“Ignore me and continue.”

“It wasn’t until we started living together while I was in law school that I noticed Mike hadn’t changed, he’d only gotten worse. He was trying to make a go of it in art and success was slow coming for him. The longer it took, the more sullen and bitter he got. I tried to love him through it but there comes a point where love isn’t enough. I was just about to end it when I got a little surprise my final year of law school.”

“Andre?”

“Yep. In hindsight, I had enough family support to do it on my own, but I guess I took my pregnancy as a sign that I couldn’t give up on Mike or our relationship, so I stayed. And he ended up being the one who left.”

“While you were pregnant?”

“No, I had Andre in my third year and still graduated on time and got several offers from great firms. I chose one and started my career.”

“What was Mike doing?”

“He stayed home with Dre and worked on his art and kept trying to make it big. But nothing clicked for him and everything was falling into place for me career wise.”

“I’m sure that didn’t help your situation any.”

“No, it didn’t. Mike tried to make an effort in the beginning. He’d show up at firm functions and try to smile, but I knew he resented being there as my significant other. He hated when any of the wives of the other lawyers tried to commiserate with him over being a stay-at-home parent and tried to arrange play-dates. Soon, he just stopped going to the functions altogether and we stopped talking about our days and pretty much anything else.” Michonne wiped at her eyes. “One Friday when Andre was two, I got a call from my sister that Mike had dropped him off at her house along with a note. I picked up my son, came home, and read my ‘Dear Michonne’ letter. I allowed myself the weekend to cry and then I started making plans. I finally felt free. I didn’t have to hold myself back and smother my ambitions to make Mike feel better. I decided right then to work at my firm a few more years to save money and then I was going to do what I’d always wanted and open my own firm and focus on my son, my career, my family, and my friends.”

“What about you, Michonne?” Rick asked softly.

“What about me?”

“You didn’t name yourself on the list of things you decided to focus on. You’ve spent the last five years not only not focusing on yourself but not even making yourself a priority.”

“I had other things to take care of first.”

“But who was taking care of you?”

“I can take care of myself.”

“You can, but that doesn’t mean you should always have to. You don’t have to do everything by yourself.”

Michonne pulled out of Rick’s embrace. “If I don’t do it, who will?”

The couple stared at each other in silence before Rick glanced down at Michonne’s lips and started slowing moving forward. Right before their lips touched, Michonne pulled back and stood up.

“I think your clothes are dry by now. I’ll go get them for you.” She rushed out of the room.

“Michonne. Michonne!” Rick slumped back against the couch. “Shit.”

“She couldn’t even look at me as she handed me my clothes and some leftover pizza. Just told me to drive safely. We’ve barely talked since unless it’s about Dre.” Rick took a drink of beer after relaying what happened last week to his friends.

“Maybe you scared her off trying to read her mind and shit.”

“I wasn’t trying to read her mind, Shane. I was just trying to help.”

Shane scoffed. “Were you trying to help her or you?”

“What do mean?”

“I’m just saying. Ain’t no way you’d get with a woman who was still hung up on her ex. You’re too much of a gentleman and considerate and all that shit. If you helped her to get over her ex, then you could slide right on in there.”

“It wasn’t like that, Shane. I do like, Michonne. I’ve liked her since I met her. And getting to know her has only made my feelings stronger but I would never try to manipulate the situation.”

“You gonna stop working for her?” Abe asked.

“No, why would I do that?”

Abe shrugged. “It’s gonna get mighty awkward if y’all continue to ignore the elephant in the room.”

“I can’t force her to talk about it.  And I wouldn’t leave Dre just because things are awkward between me and his mom. That’s what her ex did and I’m not going to do that.”

“How deep are your feelings for her, man?”

Rick smiled at Teddy’s question. “I’ve never felt this way before. I can’t explain it, but having Michonne and Dre in my life just feels natural and like it’s supposed to be that way. I want to move forward to see where things go with Michonne, but I think she’s afraid to trust again.”

“Well, you are going to have to love her through it.”

Rick thought about Michonne’s words to him. “Michonne said that sometimes that isn’t enough.”

“If you aren’t with the right person or in the right situation, nothing is ever going to be enough. You just have to know when it’s right.” Teddy paused. “Do you think Michonne’s the right person for you?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think you’re the right person for her?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you be there for her in whatever way she needs until she’s ready.”

“Thanks, Teddy.” Rick chuckled at his friend. “I think you are in the wrong profession.”

“Damn straight he is,” Abe chimed in. “I think you just helped Rick...and me.”

“For real, man?”

“Yeah. I got a little lady that I’ve been wantin to get serious with--”

“You’re talking about Sasha, right?” Teddy asked.

Abe drew up his eyebrows. “How did you know?”

Shane laughed. “Everybody knows that. You look at her like she walks on cotton candy and shits out rainbows. You got it bad, man.”

“I thought I was playing it cool.”

“You play it cool around Sasha about as well as you play poker.”

“I played well enough to take your ass to the cleaners in the last round, Shane.”

“And I’m about to win my money and yours back. You’ll have to find some other way to pay for your hair dye. If Dr. T-Dog and his love lessons are over for the night, let’s get back to playing cards.”

“Maybe you should listen to T-Dog’s advice and let somebody love you through whatever the hell has got you so messed up,” Abe quipped.

Shane shuffled the cards. “If you would have suggested that I let somebody fuck me through it, then I might have listened.”

Rick kept Teddy’s advice in mind when he saw Michonne the next day. Dre was playing in his first basketball game and Rick had promised he’d be there. He pulled up to Michonne’s house right as she and Dre were walking to the car.

Dre ran over and gave Rick a hug. “You made it!”

“I wouldn’t miss this for anything, Dre.” Rick stood up and nodded to Michonne. “Hey. How are you.”

“I’m good, Rick. And you?”

“I’ve been better.”

Michonne looked away and cleared her throat. “Are you riding with us?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t.”

The ride over would have been silent if not for Andre’s excited chatter from the backseat. Rick and Michonne spent the short trip responding to the little boy in between taking surreptitious glances at each other.

After Michonne walked Dre over to his team, she found Rick in the stands.

“I saved a seat for you.”

“Thanks.” Michonne took a deep breath. “Rick, I—”

“Rick Grimes! I thought that was you. What are you doing here?”

Rick and Michonne turned to see three women standing over them.

“Hey, Whitney. I’m here to watch Dre.”

“That is so sweet! Isn’t that sweet ladies?” Whitney’s backup crew nodded in agreement.

“Michonne, this is Whitney, Bailey, and Jenna.”

“Yeah, we are all good friends from carpool. You must be Andre’s mother. It’s nice to finally see you. The way Rick gushes over you, if I didn’t know he was the nanny, I would have thought he was your husband.”

Michonne glanced over to see Rick blushing.

"According to Rick, you’re a hardworking woman. I guess that’s why you hired him. And the carpool crew would like to thank you for that. He is just a sight for sore eyes.” Whitney turned her attention back to Rick. “I just hate the kids didn’t have school yesterday. We missed talking to you. We really have to arrange an after-school play-date for all of the kids.”

Michonne’s head snapped up at those words.

“I think Dre would enjoy it, but you’d have to clear that with Michonne first.”

“Oh, of course. Well, looks like the game is about to start. We need to get back to our seats. We’ll see you on Monday, Rick. And don’t forget to bring your dip recipe.”

After the ladies moved on, Michonne just stared at Rick.

“What?” he finally asked.

“Is that what you deal with every day?”

“The ladies? They mean well and they don’t hit on me near as much as they used to in the beginning. I really think they see me as one of the girls now.”

Michonne shot Rick a look.

“Okay, maybe the last part is a stretch.”

“No, I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about arranging play-dates and swapping recipes. That doesn’t bother you?”

“Not really. Now it took some getting used to, but I guess they are sort of my friends now. And we talk about other stuff like television shows and some of them are into sports. It’s just a nice way to pass the time while we’re waiting to pick up the kids.”

“That would have been Mike’s worst nightmare come true.”

“It really doesn’t bother me Michonne. It’s not a threat to who I am in the least.” Rick sighed. “I’m not Mike, Michonne.”

“I know that. I do. He’s all I knew for so long. I just have to let it go.”

“You will eventually.”

Michonne nodded. “Do you really gush over me and my career with your crew?”

“Yeah.”

That’s something Mike had never done. He’d seen her career as a hindrance. 

“Thank you.”

Rick clasped Michonne’s hand with a smile. They were taking baby steps, but they’d get to where they needed to be.

“I’m not Mike.”

Michonne thought back on Rick’s words as she waited for Sasha to arrive. Intellectually, she knew Mike and Rick were nothing alike, but, emotionally, it was hard to grasp that fact. Michonne’s thoughts were interrupted by Sasha walking into her den.

“Hey, girl.”

“Hey, Sasha.”

“I rang the doorbell but you didn’t answer, so I used my key.”

“Yeah, I’ve been distracted lately.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“It’s Rick. I told him about Mike and then we almost kissed and I freaked out and started being distant.”

“Oh, I need to be seated for this.” Sasha took a seat on the couch beside Michonne. “Did you not want him to kiss you?”

“I did want it. I still do. I’m just...I don’t know. It’s so hard for me to let go and trust my heart with someone else. I thought I’d dealt with everything but I guess not.”

“Michonne you can’t punish Rick for what Mike did. He’s not Mike.”

“That’s what he said.”

“He’s right. Mike is off somewhere living the life of his choosing and you are letting him choose how you live yours as well. You have to let it go. That doesn’t mean you have to forget what he did, but it does mean you have to come to terms with and resolve your feelings about what he did so you can start fresh with Rick.”

“How do I do that?”

Sasha laughed. “I don’t know. I’m trying to learn how to do that myself. But I’ve decided that I’m going to try. Bob is gone and I’m never going to forget him and he will always hold a piece of my heart, but I have to move on. You were right when you said he wouldn’t want me to stop living just because he had no choice but to. He always wanted me to be happy. And I’m going to do that for him and for myself.”

Michonne pulled Sasha into a hug. “I’m so happy for you, Sasha. And I’m glad you came to this in your own time and on your terms.”

Sasha smiled as she sat back. “I actually feel lighter. I didn’t realize how much I was letting grief weigh me down.”

“I understand about letting things weigh you down.”

“Michonne, you said it’s hard for you to trust your heart with Rick.”

“In a way, yeah.”

“What means more to you than anything in this world?”

Michonne answered without a moment’s thought. “Andre.”

“Do you trust Rick with him?”

“Without question.”

“So if you can trust him with the person you love most in this world, doesn’t that show you that you can trust him with your heart?”

At work the next morning, Michonne scrolled through the pictures on her phone until she found the one she was looking for. She smiled at Dre and Rick covered in flour and hamming it up for the camera. Her conversation with Sasha had given Michonne a lot to think about last night.

Michonne did trust Rick implicitly with Andre. She just wondered when she was going to be ready to move forward with him in all aspects of her life. What was it going to take?

The phone buzzed in Michonne’s hand. Her breath caught when she looked down and saw Dre’s school on the caller id.

“Hello?”

“Ms. Richardson?”

“Yes.”

“This is Principal Nelson from Richmond Country Day. Andre fell ill in class. He complained of severe stomach pains. We’ve called an ambulance. Hold on a minute, please...they just arrived.  Let me find out where they are taking him.”

Michonne was up and grabbing her purse and coat as fast as she could. She heard the principal talking to the paramedics.

“Ms. Richardson?”

“Yes.” Michonne had tears in her voice and eyes.

“They are taking Andre to Tompkins Memorial.”

“Thank you. I’m on my way.”

“We’ll keep Andre in our thoughts and prayers. Please let us know how he’s doing.”

“I will.” Michonne ended the call and rushed out of her office. “Lisa, I have an emergency with Dre. Reassign what meetings you can to my associates and cancel the rest.” Michonne ran to the elevators without a backwards glance at her shocked assistant.

By the time Michonne made it to the hospital, she was on the verge of a panic attack. She ran in and found the service desk.

“They just brought my son in! He’s seven-years old. His name is Andre Anthony.”

The front desk clerk checked her computer. “Yes, he’s in the children’s wing on the fifth floor. He doesn’t have a room yet. It looks like they are prepping him for emergency surgery.”

Michonne clutched the desk to stay upright. “Thank you.” She took the elevator to the fifth floor and spoke with a floor nurse.

“Miss Richardson, I’m glad you’re here. Let me page a doctor.”

An older gentleman with kind eyes came out to greet Michonne. “Miss Richardson? Hello. My name is Dr. Greene. Your son is stable. But his appendix was close to rupturing when he was brought in, so we had to prep him for surgery right away. Now that you’re here, are there any objections to the procedure?”

“Of course not. Just make my baby better.”

“We will. You just have a seat and Nurse Rhee will give you some forms to fill out. We’ll make sure to keep you updated.”

“Can I see him before he goes back?”

“I’m sorry but he’s already in the operating room. Time was of the essence. But we’ll take you back as soon as he’s in recovery.”

Michonne swallowed and tried to hold her tears at bay. “Okay.” She wandered over to the waiting area and sat, unsure of what else to do.

Nurse Rhee brought Michonne a stack of forms to fill out. “Dr. Greene is the best doctor around and he’ll take good care of your son.”

“You’ve worked with him a lot?”

Nurse Rhee smiled. “You could say that. He’s my father and he treats all the patients here like they’re his own.”

Michonne just nodded.

Seeing that the young mother was barely holding it together, Nurse Rhee asked, “Is there anyone you want me to call? You shouldn’t have to do this by yourself.”

“Yes, could you call this number, please? I don’t think I can get through the conversation without crying.” Michonne wrote down the name and number of the one person she needed.

Twenty-five minutes later, Rick raced through the door. Michonne jumped up and ran into his arms.

“I got here as fast as I could! What happened? Where’s Dre?” Rick rubbed him hands up and down Michonne’s back. “Michonne, I need you to talk to me. You’re scaring right now.”

Michonne pulled back and led Rick over the waiting room. “He’s in surgery. His appendix almost ruptured. He was fine last night, Rick. He didn’t have a fever. He didn’t complain about a stomach ache. How could this have happened? How could I not have realized he was sick?”

“Michonne, you can’t blame yourself. We just have to be thankful that the doctors caught it in time. How long has he been in surgery?”

“I’m not sure. I lost track of time. They were prepping him when I arrived.”

“I would have been here sooner, but I had a seminar in the city today. I don’t know how many traffic laws I broke speeding over here. My heart was in my throat the whole time.”

“Rick, I wouldn’t have called if I knew you were in class. I’m sorry.”

“What are you talking about? I could have been in the middle of an exam and I would have left. There is no way I wasn’t going to be here for you and Dre. You’re both too important to me.”

It was at that moment, that everything fell into place for Michonne. “I’m sorry.”

“Michonne, I told you it’s not a problem.”

“No, I’m sorry for dragging my feet about us. I’m sorry for not trusting you with my heart.”

“Hey, it’s okay. We can talk about this later.”

“But—”

“Really, we can do this later. I know your emotions are all over the place right now.”

“They are, but I need to say this. When they told me that Dre was being taken to the hospital, I couldn’t think straight. All I wanted was to see my son...and you. I wanted you with me. I needed you. And that’s how I’ve felt for a while. I realized it’s not that I didn’t trust you with my heart, I didn’t trust myself and what I was feeling. I didn’t trust myself with happiness...or love. Rick and I want you in my life as well as Dre’s.”

Rick smiled at Michonne’s words. “That’s what I want, too. It’s what I’ve wanted for a while now.”

“Miss Richardson?”

Michonne and Rick stood as the doctor approached.

“Yes.”

“Andre is out of surgery. Everything went well and he’s fine.”

“Thank God he’s okay. I was worried he’d be back there for a long time.”

“If there aren’t any complications, appendectomies are usually relatively quick surgeries. Andre’s procedure went very smoothly. We were able to remove his appendix before it ruptured. He’s on his way to recovery right now. He’ll be there for about an hour and then he’ll be moved to his room. You should be able to take him home in a couple of days.”

“Can we see him now?” Michonne was anxious to hold her son.

“You sure can. I’ll have Nurse Rhee come get you when he’s settled in recovery.”

“Thank you, Dr. Greene.”

“Not a problem, young lady.”

Rick embraced Michonne. “He’s going to be alright.”

“Excuse me.”  

Rick and Michonne pulled apart to find Nurse Rhee waiting.  

“Sorry to interrupt. I’m here to take you to your son. Are you ready?”

Michonne entwined her fingers with Rick's and looked into his eyes as she answered. “Yes, I’m ready.”

 Six weeks later

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Andre! Happy birthday to you!”

The song ended with loud cheers and applause for the birthday boy.

“Make a wish Dre and blow out your candles,” Michonne instructed.

Eight-year-old Andre closed his eyes hard and concentrated on his wish. After a few moments, his eyes popped opened and his blew out the candles on his train-shaped cake.

“Great job, Dre! Now, let’s cut the cake. Michonne, babe, can you hand me the knife?”

Michonne and Rick worked together to cut the cake and pass out slices to Andre’s party guests, which included classmates, family, and family friends.

When everyone was fed, Rick and Michonne grabbed a slice for themselves to share and headed over to sit with Jacqui and Tyreese.

“You two did a great job on this party. I think I want you to plan my next one,” Tyreese joked.

“Rick and Dre did most of the planning. I just reined them in when they started going overboard.”

Rick scoffed at Michonne’s words. “You didn’t go overboard, huh? So why I was up all night putting together the massive model train set that you bought Dre? It’s a nicer train than some of the ones at the train museum.”

“He wanted a new train so I bought him one,” Michonne stated innocently. “And you weren’t up all night just laying down train tracks.”

“I sure wasn’t, was I?” Rick pulled Michonne to him for a kiss.

“Oh, so you were laying down the tracks and the pipe? Get it!” Jacqui cackled.

Tyreese nudged his wife. “Jacqui!”

“Oh, Ty, unclench. Part of the reason you love me is for this mouth of mine. Try to deny it,” Jacqui challenged.

Tyreese smiled and didn’t say anything.

“Mmmhmm, that’s what I thought.” Jacqui winked at her husband before turning back to Rick and Michonne. “Y’all really did do a great job though.”

“Well, Michonne and I knew we wanted it to be something big. We wanted it to be a celebration of Dre’s birthday and him recovering from surgery.”

It had been six weeks since Andre’s emergency appendectomy. Just as Dr. Greene had promised, Andre was out of the hospital two days later.  He returned to school a week and a half after that. The little boy was back to his energetic and active self.

“I also think you could call it a celebration of you two finally getting your act together.”

“Jacqui, you mean a celebration of me finally getting my act together. Rick knew what he wanted, I just had to let some things go that were holding me back so I could catch up to where he was.”

Michonne and Rick had been inseparable since Andre’s surgery. Michonne let go of all of the baggage of the past on that day and hadn’t looked back since. Her relationship with Rick had flourished to the point that he’d essentially moved in considering how often he was at the house. And his nanny role with Andre had morphed into something of a surrogate father role. Michonne, Rick, and Andre were beyond happy with all the changes that had taken place in their lives.

Jacqui motioned to the other side of the yard. “It looks like you aren’t the only one who is ready to let the pain go and move forward.”

Across the way, Sasha and Abe sat talking and laughing by the pool. They weren’t dating, but they were growing closer every day. The light was back in Sasha’s eyes and her smile.

Sasha wasn’t the only one with happiness shining in their eyes. Andre was taking a small break from playing to enjoy his cake with some friends. His birthday was better than he ever imagined it would be.

One little boy, who was on his third slice of cake, smiled at Andre. “This is the best birthday party I’ve ever been to!”

“Thanks, Carter. My mom and da-...uh Rick...are the best.”

“What did you wish for, Dre?” Sheena, one of Dre’s classmates who had a crush on him, asked.

“Don’t tell her, Dre. You can’t tell anyone!” Carter exclaimed.

“Why can’t he tell me?”

“Because if he tells anyone, it won’t come true.”

“You think your wish is gonna come true, Dre?” Sheena asked.

Andre thought about what he’d wished for as he blew out his birthday candles and looked over to his mother and Rick. Andre smiled as he witnessed the couple feed each other pieces of cake before leaning in for a lingering kiss.

“I know it is.”

Andre’s wish came true when Michonne and Rick got married one year later. Rick officially adopted Andre on his tenth birthday. That was the same day Andre found out he was going to be a big brother.

 @richonnefics

[love-mom17]

11.19.17

Alright ladies I’ve been busy like crazy!

But i have been feeling good my baby is good as well and honestly that’s all I could really ask for.

Let me catch y’all up in what all happened this past week.

I work Tuesday-Saturday at the spa. So I saw my manager on Tuesday. Keep in mind that I am the assistant manager, I make up the schedules for my coordinators. I had gone into her office to ask her about her days she was going to be out of town for next month. Since I do have school and I usually close Fridays I asked her to help me out. So then she says... “you do understand that if the girls are to call in sick I can’t cover them each and every time... like that is your job to do” at that moment I start boiling up. I didn’t say anything for a while. I was just like i can’t believe she is trying to make me choose between school or work. Just when I was about to say something someone walks in the door and they had a meeting and I had to leave... since Tuesday I have not had the chance to talk to her.

She “sets” times up and always has something coming up. My coordinators are short staffed. We definitely need more people in but she thinks otherwise. I have 2 people plus me and my manager.

I talked to my professor about this and she said she’s is willing to help me out in every way she could. Which I am so grateful about but I’m not going to put my future at a stop when I have something in place for a better living.

I’m not asking her to cover every time someone is to call in . I asked her to help me with my Friday. If push comes to shove and I HAVE to miss school that night I will do it. I’ve been nothing but loyal and dependable to the company. I don’t understand what it is to them what I do after hours.

Apparently we might lose one of our coordinators.... at this point I’m just like great! We are really going to be short staffed now and she still won’t look to hire people. It’s like she’s fucken stupid and won’t open her eyes that we need more people. But she wants to meet her budget so that she can get her bonus each month. Like fuck you, if your THAT selfish I can be too. Just watch me.

I’ve put things to the side/on hold for other people for the wrong reasons... and now I’m doing me! If it means I have to look elsewhere I will. I don’t need to put up with shit like this.

I’m looking for the best opportunity for my family. My why will always be my children and hubby. My husband and my family are being nothing but supportive of my decisions.

My sister is going to school with me and she’s also a big part of my support system.

Don’t let other determine you success, you are in charge of what happens not them!

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 105

I’ve managed to get slightly ahead on these, so: A belated thank you to @littleshydragon, @dark-chocolat-cupcake, @overusedblur, and @allegrochicken for all the love I have seen blowing up my notes recently (I’m queuing this on Aug 25, even if it won’t post until Sept 8). 

Also, to the 30 new followers who I have somehow acquired: Welcome!  Ask box is always open, and I don’t get nearly enough of them.  I love to interact with y’all, so don’t be afraid to ask me every little question you think of as you read.  Anon is on if you feel you need that.

Other than that, thanks for this chapter goes out to @baelpenrose for beta reading.  Also @quantumizedinsanity, @charlylimph-blog, @wildforestferret, @creakingcryptid, for the characters you gave me to play with in chapters like this.

Later that same ‘day’, I was forcefully reminded of Noah’s observation regarding human communication.  Things were generally calm, and an impromptu family meal-snack-thing was happening in my quarters. Antoine had been over to visit, as he seemed to be making up for lost time caused by infiltrating Jokul’s accidental cult.  Zach and Hannah were over, as well, so when dinner time rolled around, I just threw together some small po-boy sandwiches and banh mi for us to snack on while we kept visiting, rather than making a full meal.

Hey, I was allowed lazy days, too.

As it happened sometimes, conversation turned to things we either did or didn’t miss from Before.  Tonight was very firmly in the ‘do not miss’ category.

“Plagues started by dumb experiments,” Maverick pointed out, smirking.

Catching on, Conor swatted him playfully. “I said I was sorry about that! And Else is an alright person, turns out.”

Snorting, Hannah covered her face with one hand. “Tell that to Nixe.”

“Her new tail is gorgeous,” I gushed. “If I got reparations like that, I’d at least consider forgiving someone.”

“For almost killing you?”

“It was an accident,” I brushed the comment off, reminded of explaining that gesture to Noah. “Besides, there are a lot of other things I genuinely don’t miss.”

“Aunt Flo,” Hannah intoned seriously.

“Tyche and I already did that one, so it’s not admissible,” I admonished. “But spoiled food? Do not miss.”

Zach shuddered. “Hell, that’s not even from Before. I don’t miss that at all.”

Antoine lifted his coffee in a mock-toast. “To all the people we lost to antibiotics.” After a few confused looks banded around the room, I laughed and waved at him to clarify. Rolling his eyes dramatically, he sighed. “Bread mold. This is why people died in the After of antibiotic allergies: they didn’t know it was derived from bread mold.”

“Dude, that’s dark,” Zach whispered.

Clearing his throat, Conor soldiered on. “I never lived through one, but wildfires were pretty bad, yeah?”

Nodding seriously, Maverick - who had lived on the western coast of NorthAm - added “Yeah, fuck THOSE things. Australia had it worse, but still.”

Raising her hand and waving it, Hannah started making eager noises to ask for her turn.  “Absolutely idiotic job requirements, am I right?” Nods abounded, and she took the opportunity to vent the spleen I hadn’t even guessed her to possess. “The number of jobs I didn’t get because I didn’t have a degree were absurd. I don’t even know why they even required them, for some!  I’m sure most of you had that happen.”

I kept my silence, but Conor was right behind her. “A Master’s in Engineering, to be a foreman.  You’re babysitting a bunch of knuckleheads pounding rebar and pouring concrete!  And they’ve had a decade of learning to do it right, I would’ve just been there to make sure it was compliant. And they wanted a Master’s for that!”

Hannah took a sip of her drink and nodded eagerly. “That’s what I’m talking about! There was a job I qualified for that was basically a glorified secretary… They wanted a four-year degree and paid peanuts. Absurd.  But I was unemployed for way more of my life than I should have been, because I didn’t have that piece of paper.”

Idly, Zach stared at his drink.  Like me, he had one of said-degrees, so this was something of a conversation we couldn’t really take part in. “I wonder how many Councillors we would have if those kind of requirements were put in place here.” Arching an eyebrow, he glanced up at me and inclined his head knowingly.

“Well,” I exhaled. “It depends. If they asked for a Master’s degree of any kind, I wouldn’t be a Councillor.” A thought struck me. “Hey - “

“No, Sophia, you cannot recommend that as a way to retire from the Council,” Antoine scolded with a laugh. “You would be grandfathered in with everyone else.”

The laughter broke the serious tone that had descended, and led to everyone speculating jovially, starting with Conor. “Well, we know Grey would still be a Councillor in that case - they admitted they had a PhD when Else was still getting sorted, rather than an MD.”

“Pretty sure Eino has a Master’s, at least,” Zach pointed.

Maverick shook his head, firmly disagreeing. “Doctorate in Education. I saw it on his wall. Don’t sell that one short.”

“So that’s two.” Hannah leaned forward eagerly. “Conor, what about Huynh?”

“Masters in Engineering,” he confirmed ruefully. “But he’s no PhD.”

“Pranav,” Zach interjected. “Post grad in robotics. Even worked on some of the Padrugoi mission stuff, early on.”

A respectful murmur filled the room, accompanied by appropriately impressed nods. Maverick had to actually shake the starstruck look out of his eyes before he could speak. “So that’s three PhDs, one Master’s, and a Bachelor’s on the Council. Not bad, honestly.”

Antoine cleared his throat politely. “Grey actually has two doctorates, if I am recalling correctly.”

I shook my head firmly. “Three. Biochemistry, genetics, and molecular chemistry.”

With a low whistle, Conor shook his head. “So, we have a clear leader as far as ‘most degrees on the Council’. Would Eino or Pranav be second, though?”

An argument erupted, and when it looked like Zach was about to say something, I shook my head. I knew the same thing he was about to point out, as a by-blow of fixing some of Derek’s more… enthusiastic shenanigans,  but I wanted to see if anyone would figure it out or even question it.  A solid half-hour later, Tyche arrived and scooped up a mini-sandwich before she even registered the conversation/argument taking place.

Whirling to face me, she pointed at the rest of the room and glared at me disdainfully. “Seriously? How long has this been going on?”

“Forty five minutes?” I admitted sheepishly. “Maybe an hour if you include the ‘what we don’t miss’ portion of the conversation.  But ‘degrees on the Council’ has been at least forty five minutes.”

“And you said fuck all?”

I shrugged. “I know it’s not me who has the most or even second most.  I have the least formal education of any Councillor.”

Tyche pinched the bridge of her nose and blew out a long breath. “Okay, everyone. What do you know so far?”

Without hesitation, Maverick rattled it off. “Grey has three doctorates, Eino has one and  a Master’s, it turns out. Pranav has one doctorate and a Bachelor’s. Huynh has a Master’s, and Sophia has a Bachelor’s.”

“And the Councillor you have left out?” she interrogated wearily, while Zach and I tried to restrain our laughter.

“Xiomara?” he asked, face scrunched in confusion. “She was career military, but I don’t know if she has any degrees. Maybe a Bachelor’s?”

Tyche shook her head, glaring again when I started gasping for breath. “Wrong. And you know what? Soph knew this, so I’m going to make her tell all of you. Like she should have. From the beginning.”

“Hey!” I cried, still giggling. “I was giving them a whole other 5 minutes before I broke the news. I just wanted to see if they would even question their reasoning.”  Antoine’s eyes got wide, sending me into another giggling fit. “None of you even mentioned the idea of Xiomara having any degree,” I gasped, almost in hysterics. “Mav was in the military, so I get that he just assumed she was busy as fuck, but… et tu, everyone?”

Hannah’s head turned slowly to stare down Zach. In self defense, he held up both hands with one pointing at me. “She told me not to say anything.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I did!”

Carefully, Conor slowly asked the question that was on everyone else’s minds. “Sophie? What’s so funny?”

Tears were pouring down my face at this point - not because I thought the situation was funny, because it wasn’t. Not really.  I was hysterical because I was so caught off guard that we still brought something like this with us. “I don’t know the real reason why nobody considered Xiomara, and I’m scared to ask at this point. I’m hoping it’s because she looks tough as hell and like the kind of person who would beat up highly educated people rather than be one.” Wiping a tear from my face, I glanced at Tyche. Her jaw was tight, clearly thinking the same things I was. “But the fact that she is the only other woman on the Council, that hurts, honestly.”

I took a few deep breaths to compose myself. “The fact is, Xiomara has five degrees. Five. Along with her military career. Tyche and I have to know this, since we handle staffing.” Counting on my fingers, I started ticking them off. “Two doctorates, one in international law and one in experimental economics - as in, yes, the calorie economy was her idea. A Master’s in military history, along with two Bachelor’s degrees: one in experimental chemistry and one in nuclear physics.” Shaking my head, I glanced at the shocked and guilty expressions in the room. “It isn’t three PhDs, but damn, y’all. The woman has five degrees!”

“How did she do that, and a military career, so young?” Maverick asked, his tone nothing but awed.

Antoine looked confused at the question. “My friend, how old do you think Xiomara is?”

He shrugged. “Sophie’s age? So, thirtyish?”

Conor poked him. “Mav. You know how old Sophie is.”

Maverick rolled his eyes. “Fine. So maybe forty? The whole healing stuff messes with me, I’ll be honest.”

Smiling, I cut him some slack. “Xiomara is just over ten years older than me,” I clarified.

Hannah’s eyes widened, and Zach looked like he had been punched in the gut. “So hot-scary-lady is fifty?” After Tyche and I nodded, he shook his head. “That’s still super-impressive for fifty. For seventy, even!” Zach shook his head. “Grey, I could understand. They seem like the type to just live for education, you know? But, Xio? I’ve known for a year and I still get dizzy thinking about it.”

“It does explain why she’s so intimidating,” Conor pointed out. When I opened my mouth to scold him, he held up one hand. “No! No. Doctorates have to be argued and defended, right? Plus one of those is in law. And she balanced a military career on top of all that. If I accomplished all that, people would look at me with respect and expect me to be a direct, take-no-prisoners kind of person.” He glanced at Antoine, who winced and nodded in confirmation. 

“She isn’t though,” I complained. “She’s a leader.”

“Definitely not ruthless, but she is intimidating to the general population,” Hannah pointed out gently. “That’s part of what Jokul was talking about, right? The Ark, as a whole, doesn’t get to see her get excited over her favorite foods, or pictures of baby pandas, or…. Cherries? Is it cherries she’s crazy for?”

“Pomegranate,” I corrected, begrudgingly.

“Pomegranate,” Hannah asserted. “They don’t get to see that. They get to see ‘hot-scary-lady who lays down the law’. Not ‘Xiomara who gets googly eyed when Parvati Fletcher wears that one violet shirt’.”

“Or hates plantains,” Tyche pointed out. “Which never made sense to me, because fried plantains are basically dessert with dinner.”

I started to giggle a bit. “It makes even less sense when you’ve seen her order coffee.” Tyche groaned, but more confused looks bounded about the room. Full out laughing, I explained. “She… she puts… maybe three ounces of coffee? Not espresso, just regular coffee… with what looks like a gallon - “ I snorted so hard it hurt my nose, but couldn’t stop. “Of milk! And sugar! Oh gods, she must put a cup of sugar in her coffee, I swear!”

Hannah and Zach exchanged glances, as did Conor and Maverick. Within seconds, the entire room erupted in laughter. “That?” Conor gasped. “That is hilarious….”

“I...I always thought… she took her coffee blacker than sin….” Zach wheezed. “And baby pandas?”

Sobering suddenly, I straightened and glared at the entire room. “OI!” I shouted. “Baby pandas are fucking cute, and if you don’t think so, you aren’t human, and I will ask Noah to do genetic testing to prove that.”

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[bonnissance]

For the fic ask thingy: M, U, V

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

we could be here for eons if i went for actual backburner, but top three of the short list of things I want to write but might never make it to: 

1. yet another folklore and fable au: holby is staffed by mythical creatures w latent powers/human+mythos hybrids (Morven is a reaper, Serena is a Dionysus, Bernie is a Valkyrie or an Artemis, Fletch is a Leprechaun, Raf is an Eros, Hanssen is a (tiny) Giant, etc) and none of them really know about their powers so things keep going wrong while they sort it all out and try to live their lives like normal human.

2. tit!pic fic: Bernie accidently sends a photo of her boobs to Serena bc she’s trying on dresses and then asks for help getting ready for some do. Serena thinks Bernie has deliberately sent her the pic and then asked her out and is ‘oh god, oh my, oh yes pls’. Cue flirting over dinner until Serena is like ‘stop mucking about and kiss me already’ and Bernie is like ‘wot?’ Serena freaks out bc it was all a misunderstanding and Bernie is gobsmacked bc Serena wants her, Serena thought she was asking and said yes but doesn’t manage to get her mouth working until Serena has frog-marched her to the front door. Cue making out against door and then all the way up the hall.

3. Berana selkie!au: Bernie lives in an isolated little village along the coast, works as the local doctor, is all alone now her family has passed on or moved away. 

One day, she finds a naked woman washed up on shore, a bundle of rags and fur at her feet, and takes her and the bundle home. 

‘Serena,’ she says, that night in front of the fire. ‘My name is Serena.’

It sounds familiar, like she already knew, as if she’d always know. Bernie is certain she’s been waiting to hear that name all her life. 

She cares for her, for months, while her legs heal and she learns to walk again, and begins to feel herself caring about this woman. 

There’s something about Serena that makes her feel right, makes her feel like Bernie can become someone she likes, makes her feel she’s someone she can living with being for the rest of her life. She thinks she might love this woman, thinks she might as Serena uses all her might to put one foot in front of the other, one step in front of another, until she’s certain. 

She loves this woman. Bernie loves Serena the way Serena loves the sea. Looks at Serena with the same adoration and want as Serena whenever she looks out over the ocean from the window of their cliffside cottage. 

Bernie knows what she is, knows why Serena loves the ocean so, knows one day she’ll have to go. She desperately wants to keep Serena here with her, and the thought of her leaving is heartbreaking. But the thought of harming Serena in any way hurts so much more. 

So when Serena is healed and healthy enough to leave and the ocean calls her, she offers Bernie her pelt because she wants to stay too. Bernie refuses, says she trusts Serena enough to come back again, if she wants, that Bernie will be waiting for her if she ever comes back.

Serena’s eyes sparkle in the moonlight as she kisses Bernie goodbye, as she stands at the waters edge, as she slips on her skin.

‘Will you? Come back?’ Bernie asks, voice breaking, because she can’t bear the thought of never knowing. 

‘I hope so,’ Serena calls over her shoulder, promising Bernie her heart, before heeding the call of the tides and diving below the waves.

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

my fave babes are over here

also shout out to @belligerently and @applebottomclaudiajeans bc they posted banging fics in the past few days and reminded me how much I love them bc they’re so freaking good I might just mcdie ❤️

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

first thing that springs to mind is Kate/Osgood Modern Unit Inferno!verse. Technically it’s unfinished, but the first chapter is complete enough to conceive of any continuation as a sequel. I’d never actually write it, but I do think about them navigating their relationship in that universe an awful lot: Kate mellows bc she really does love Osgood despite the structures around them and Osgood hardens bc she’s finally safe and can stop being meek and scared of everyone and they become a partnership of Empire Builders.

[fic ask for y’all curious beans]