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messenger-of-stupidity · 1 year

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Can the Redacted Characters Skateboard

Hi and welcome back to bullshit that I wrote while on a hiatus to avoid actually working on WIPs and then shoved into my scheduled posting so i didnt have to worry about it.

Also if this has already previously been done, can someone please tell me so I can delete it because i dont wanna be a content thief. That always fucking sucks. (I say as I make up things about characters that Erik made up.)

Redacted Masterlist

OKAY LETS GOOO

Starting off strong with the Shaw pack and their respective partners.

David: Man had zero interest in actually learning to skateboard. He preferred learning to drive or ride a bike if he needed transportation. But he learned it with Asher when they were kids. Since being able to drive though he stopped practicing and now he’s rusty. He can skate and do basic ollies but that’s it.

Angel: No. They are clumsy. They get on a skateboard and immediately fall over. Wrap them in bubble wrap because they will get hurt but they will continue trying because they’re stubborn as all hell.

Asher: Yes. I headcanon he’s a skater boy so fucking hard you don’t understand. Man got obsessed with skating when he was in fifth grade and begged David to learn how to skate with him. He got so many injuries, Marie told him that she wouldn’t heal him for his skating injuries anymore. But he kept at it and when David started driving, he would be skitching to David’ car/truck all the fucking time. He also knows how to make his own boards and do a bunch of cool tricks.

Baabe: Baabe started to learn skating in middle school but then stopped. Asher taught them when they got together and now they go to skate parks and go on skating dates every now and then. it’s very cute. Asher made them a matching board to his.

Milo: No. This man sits on a board and uses both his feet and hands to make it move. He can at least balance on it unlike Angel but don’t ask him to push. He will fail and he will fall into traffic.

Sweetheart: They were able to skate in middle school but then stopped because they kept going invisible while on the street and people would try to stop a runaway skateboard. It ended up getting them and others injured so then they stopped. Now they’re too busy to see if they still retain any of their basic street skills.

Darlin: Abso-fucking-lutely. This is their main mode of transportation when they aren’t running. They continuously try to skate through the woods and fail every time because it’s not a stable enough surface. However they are a longboard user since they view street boards as hella cliche and they refuse. Also they like asking Asher to make longboards since he dislikes making the fuckers.

Sam: Yes. Especially post-turning. Man has reflexes and can make the skateboard go zoom with his vamp speed. But he doesn’t do it anymore because skateboarding at night can be kinda dangerous due to low visibility and he doesn’t like drawing attention to himself.

Arden: yes. I just get skater girl vibes from her. I can’t explain why. But I could see Asher making her an eggboard cruiser.

Christian: No. He tried to learn so he could be better than Asher but he fails harder than Angel. Everyone thought it wasn’t possible, but he proved them wrong. Congrats Christian.

Amanda: No. She didn’t have any interest in learning.

Now onto the Solaire vamps!

William: I wanna say yes simply for the mental image of this fabulous man skating down the street while Vincent and Sam stare on in shocked horror, but Imma have to say no. He will finance skateboards, but he doesn’t know. Darlin did try to teach him how to skate with a longboard but he looked at the board then at them and politely declined.

Vincent: Are you kidding me? Of course this flamboyant fucker knows how to skate. He only got better when he was turned. He prefers driving cars, but he likes skitching to one of his cars while Lovely is driving. It’s very fun. But he continuously tries to do tricks with a longboard and fails every time since that’s not what they’re made for. He’s too stubborn to stop though. His streetboard is so scratched up please get it some TLC.

Lovely: They’re in the process of learning because Baabe and Asher told them about their skate dates and they think that’s cute. Vincent is a horrible teacher though so their learning is going very slowly.

Alexis: No. This is commoner activities and therefore below her.

Adam: No. He’s missing a head. Usually pretty important when one wishes to skate. Thoughts and prayers dude.

DAMN squad!

Huxley: FUCK YES! This dude is a skateboarding king. He has a cruiser though since he just likes the chill vibes of cruising everywhere. It’s especially helpful on campus.

Damien: No and it frustrates him to no end. Huxley has tried teaching him, but he’s not able to pick it up. And everytime he gets frustrated he ends up damaging the deck so he stopped trying.

Lasko: No. He’s way too anxious to be confident about his balance so he always falls whenever he tries to put his foot on the back deck. He’s content with just walking, thank you.

Lasko’s listener (Kinda excited to see what pet name they get.): Yes. The confidence that is dripping (heh get it?) from this being is tangible, even from just one video. They seem pretty confident in their abilities, so that would serve them well for skating. Whether I think they do skate or not is still kinda up in the air. I can kinda see them being like that on tiktok teacher who skates around in the building ona cruiser. They give off a really chill teacher vibes (They literally wanted to start up a workplace romance, that seems pretty chill to me) so I could see them cruising down the hall with a stack of graded papers in their bag. Also they would totally skate during a storm. They’re a water elemental so they can probably control the element enough to make sure their wheels don’t slip too much. Lasko did say they were pretty good at their magic, so I could see them having that level of control.

Freelancer: Yes. Huxley taught them, so they only know about cruisers, but they’re okay with this. They get to cruise around campus and everything and it makes them feel cool.

Gavin: He has no need for it, but Freelancer has been begging him so he relents. Huxley and Freelancer are teaching him right now. It’s slow going since he would much rather just tease them both though.

Caelum: No. He can’t. But he’s very energetic when following after Freelancer when he can. He’s happy they found another activity that helps loosen the knots inside them. He’s a hype-boyo.

Meridian and Sovereign storyliners!

Vega: No. It’s a human custom so therefore he has zero interest in it. Also it holds no purpose to further his goals so why would he bother learning?

Warden: No. They were too busy to learn how and they also didn’t really care. It’s just a skateboard, but there are people that need their help. Also they’re too busy trying to fight off the never ending hunger.

Avior: He’s wanted to learn but has been a bit busy the past several months/hour.

Starlight: They know the basic push and ollies so they can easily get around but that’s it. They’ve been a bit busy too. Plus they like walking. It’s good for them.

Cam: (he needs to be here for organization sake) He has a cruiser. It’s nice to be able to to take a small break and just go past some flowers or parks and soak up how everyone is having a pretty good day. He doesn’t get the chance very often though sadly.

Asset: Yes but only because they know everything and have the ability to go through with it. They have never stepped foot on a skateboard and don’t have any plans to.

Marcus: No he’s a whiny little baby bitch. He would fall into traffic.

James: No, he’s a runner not a skater. But we respect him for it.

James listener: Yes. They don’t wanna be a marathon runner like James, but they wanna be able to go with him during his runs so they have a cruiser and they know how to use it. That’s it though.

Anton: Yes. I can feel it in my bones, if the workplace was more chill he would have an eggboard and that would be how he’d get around within the facility.

Anton’s listener: No. I get a gentle plant parent vibe from them. But they like seeing how content Anton gets when he gets to skate.

Brian: (i think that’s his name) No. He just wants to go home to his family bro. Plus he plays tennis (hc). Being a tennis player makes him above skaters. (lovingly said.)

Blake: Yes and he’s annoyingly good at it. He impresses his listener every time he does because they always think he’s not gonna be any good and then he proves them otherwise. Whether they’re dreaming or not when they see this and are impressed is unimportant. What’s important is that he impresses them and has their attention. What, are you not feeling drowsy? Don’t worry about that, look at this cool flip he can do.

Blake’s Listener: They have a skateboard that they have not touched since 3rd grade. So no, they cannot. They don’t remember and they didn’t practice long enough as a kid for it to be in any kind of muscle memory.

Elliot: Absolutely. This is another born, raised, and bred skater boy. He loves putting stickers all over the underside of his deck. It looks like someone vomited the definition of multi-fandom all over it. He also needs to get a new board before his deck snaps in half, but he’s too attached to it to do so.

Sunshine: Yes. After their accident, they were a bit scared to drive again so they learned how to skate in an effort of alternate modes of transportation. It was a necessity. But they met Elliot at a skate park when they were practicing turning and he helped them out. They became friends and then you know how the story goes.

Brachium: No. He has no access but Sunshine has told him about skating and he’s happy for them.

Unempowered!

Aaron: He got interested when Elliot got obsessed and he tried it out but then decided against actually dedicating time to learn. But he gave Elliot stickers to put on the deck.

Smartass: Aaron mentioned that he gave up learning while Smartass was half-asleep. The next morning they went out and bought a board to prove that they were going to learn and be better than Aaron. So they’re in the process of learning and everytime they feel like giving up because it offers nothing for them besides bragging rights, spite makes them continue. We wish them luck on their spiteful journey.

Ollie: No he doesn’t. He was more into playing board games inside then going outside to learn how to skateboard or anything. He knows his name is related to a skating maneuver but that wasn’t enough to make him have any interest.

Baby (Ollie): No. They’re content with playing board games with Ollie. They like being indoors instead of outdoors anyways.

Ivan: He learned but never put his skills to use. So theoretically he knows how to skate but we aren’t sure.

Baby (Pre-Vega’s Ivan): Yes. They learned with Ivan, and actually put the skills to use. So they do know how to skate and it’s a fun hobby for them to learn new little tricks.

Baby (post-Vega’s Ivan): No. They don’t. They didn’t have any interest and still don’t even after being freed and memory modified. Skateboarding isn’t for everyone and that’s fine.

Guy: yes and he’s horrible at it. He knows how but he likes messing up because then he can go to Honey about his “boo-boos”s and try to convince them to kiss the scrapes and bruises better. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

Honey: Yes and they’re good at it. Their favorite thing to do when just skating around is a Dragon flip (also known as the 360 dolphin flip) they think it’s fun and they would do it continuously if they could. But every chance they get, they’re at least doing a dozen of them.

Geordi: He’s too anxious to actually be confident (like Lasko) but he really wants to learn. It seems less exhausting than running. He also thinks it looks cool.

Cutie: No they can’t, and street boarders thoughts are a bit too intense for them to even want to learn or try. They know Geordi wants to try, but they aren’t going to mention skateboarding because then they would have to worry about Geordi’s thoughts getting like the street boarder’s.

Regulus: He’s invisible, we will never know if he’s a secret skater boy. He’s very good at doing flips inside your mind though.

Regulus Listener (Precious I think they’re called? Getting Gollum vibes ngl): Why do you need to go outside? Inside you can be with Regulus. That’s all you want, not to see if you can skate. Inside with Regulus, safe from those who want to take him away from you. To separate the two of you. Why are you crying? Oh, he understands. Those are tears of joy aren’t they? Don’t worry, he’ll wipe them from you as he makes you lay dormant to his every whim. Isn’t this the life you wanted?

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arrowfleur · 1 year

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The Shaw Pack as (very) random talents:

🖤Gabe: He always did his own work around the house and would often end up with leftover scraps of supplies. Not one to waste, one day he picked up a pocket knife and began carving. Every single one of the shaw pack kids was given a wolf carving of sorts. Asher keeps his on a bracelet, David has a collection in his room, Milo’s is kept on his keys and Darlin’s was the only not necessity they took with them when they left town. The pocket knife is often found slid down the side of Tanks boot.

🖤David: Geography. This one’s weird but this man knows where everything is. He never needs a map or GPS. His sense of direction is so insane that even when going to new places he manages to figure out where, restaurants, hotels, shops etc are. Angel has long learnt not to bring up google maps.

🖤Asher: Flexibility. This man’s ‘party trick’ is doing the splits. He never did gymnastics or anything he just liked sitting in weird ways as a child. He can also do a backhand spring but is no longer allowed to do it in the den since he once landed on (and broke) a table. Babe was more than happy to discover this talent and…. Make the most of it.

🖤Milo: Fashion. This man can (and will) DRESS. He loves shopping trips and will go with Sweetheart, Babe, Angel etc he’s not shy with his criticisms either, if it’s ugly he won’t let them buy it. He has also on multiple occasions picked things out for someone that they hated until they tried it on. And every time, they end up purchasing it.

🖤Darlin’: Accents and impressions. They’re really good at mimicking people and can pick up on different word patterns their friends use. They mimic Sam and David a lot but neither can manage to do Darlin’s accent in return. If you want them to do a full blown impression then they have to be drunk otherwise it’s a no.

🖤Christian: Graffiti. Christians rebellious phase consisted of sneaking out at night as a teen and tagging random buildings. He started off just painting words but ended up discovering a hidden talent for art and ended up particularly good at creating landscapes with wolves in them. Some of his work has yet to be painted over but he has never told anybody it’s his. (Arden knows).

🖤Amanda: Athletics. She was on half of the sports teams in school. She’s particularly good at volleyball, track and still holds the record for high jump at her high school. Her parents have her trophy’s proudly displayed even now.

🖤Arden: Pool. She learnt to play in bars when she got bored on nights out. Darts wasn’t her thing but Arden quickly discovered she had a knack for pool and snooker. David getting a pool table in the dens break room seemed like a good idea until Arden discovered it. Not a single person has won against her and she has proudly bruised many men’s egos.

#redacted audio #redacted asmr #redacted darlin #redacted david #redacted asher #redacted milo #redacted christian #redacted amanda #redacted arden #redacted shaw pack

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venustothestars · 2 years

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Oh, Little One. (Angel/David)

David remained in the kitchen while Angel greeted the people coming in the door. Christian gave them a patricularly unkind look this time, they just chose to ignore it. Angel never got why Christian didn’t like them. They just excused it as regular old Christian. Once Milo and Sweetheart arrived, Angel was relieved to at least see one friend. Tank and Sam were too busy in the corner, so they were out of the question. Asher and Babe weren’t there yet, and David was in the kitchen. Sweetheart enveloped them in a hug.

“Hey you! It’s been a while, how are you?” They asked Angel.

“Things have been better, but I’m good.” Angel smiled at them.

“Aye, you want me to take over greeting duty?” Milo noticed the shiftiness in the human.

“Yeah, just make sure Ash doesn’t trample you on his way in. He might not see ya.”

Their comment elicited a polite shove with a quiet “get cha ass outta here” Angel and Sweetheart stuck close as they entered the dining room.

“Hey there.” Tank’s voice rang out from behind the two, Angel smiled.

“Hi Tank! You doing okay?”

“Same old, same old, little one.”

“You’re still on calling me that, we have established that I’m only small compared to David because he’s fucking 6’4. I am 5’8.” Angel said, their face blank in mock anger. They bursted out laughing. Tank had to lean on the table because of how hard they were laughing. They all heard a very familiar “Asher.” come from the kitchen, and Angel took that as their cue to kidnap his mate.

“Hey!! Come on! Tank, Sweetheart, and I are hanging out in the dining room!! Pretty sure Ash is gonna get his ass chewed soon so…” Angel managed to get that all out in one breath while they dragged Babe to the dining room.

“Angel!! Get in here, Ash, get out!” David’s voice rang from the kitchen as Asher got shoved out the door.

Angel made their way into the kitchen happily. Meanwhile, in the living room, Christian is talking a little too loud.

“Now I just don’t get why their mates are unempowered, you know? Why would you wanna date someone lesser than you? It’s just weird.” Christian rambled to Arden, who just stared at him like he was stupid. Babe was walking through to go check on Ash, who was outside swimming. They pulled the drinks closer to their chest. They fought back tears as they handed Ash his Dr. Pepper.

“‘Why would you even want to want to date someone lesser than you?’ He really said that?” Angel was livid. Christian always said shitty stuff about them and Babe being unempowered but this was too far. Angel rolled their eyes as Babe tried to defend him.

“Dinner!!” David yelled, as Angel went to go fetch people outside. Christian shoved them out of the way and they hit the wall. Milo was the first to see and immediately ran to them.

“Hey, you good? I know he shoved you hard.” Milo rested a hand on their shoulder. Angel just shoved it off and walked outside to tell the others. Tank had seen the whole thing. Tank’s eyes widened in anger, leaning over to Sam.

“You saw that too, right?” Tank’s voice was low and there was a growl in the back of their throat. Sam nodded, also clenching his hands into fists. Christian was even a dick to Sam, he’d never admit that though. Tank stormed into the kitchen.

“David, you need to get Christian in check before I do.”

“Troublemaker, I know he’s a dick-”

“God damn it, Dave. Just get him in check.” They slammed the door behind them, searching for Sam in the sea of werewolves. Once they found him, they seated themself at the table.

David was at the head of the table. Angel was on his left, followed by Asher and his mate, then Milo and his mate. Tank and Sam sat on David’s right. Arden, Christian, and Amanda seating themselves next to Sam. Milo scowled, of course he was across from Christian. Sweetheart noticed and leaned over to whisper something in his ear.

“At least Christian isn’t across from David or Asher’s mates.” They reminded him. He nodded in agreement. Angel was talking to Sam about Minecraft, a hobby he had recently taken up.

“I have a whole bunch of dogs that I’ve named after the pack. Anytime one of them dies, I cry. Then I just have Christian and Amanda’s procreate, and boom! There’s another Asher.” David stifled a laugh, as Sam chuckled. Tank found this hilarious, because Sam was the same. Asher looked offended as his mate giggled.

“I would not want to be Christian and Amanda’s love child-dog thing, thank you very much!” Asher exclaimed, making Angel laugh and lean into David, who kissed the top of their head. It pleasantly surprised them, David wasn’t very into PDA. Christian saw this, then whispered something to Amanda. Sweetheart only caught two words out of the sentence were “disgusting” and “disappointment” Sweetheart gripped their fork, knuckles whitening.

“Hey, you okay?” Arden asked, noticing how tense the stealth was.

“I’m great. Just- Just stressed.” Sweetheart flashed Arden a smile. She returned it. Babe laid their head on Asher’s shoulder and he wrapped an arm around them. Angel was going around refilling waters once they heard Christian say “That’s disgusting. I don’t know why him or David are mated to those… humans.” Angel was taken aback. They stood there, listening to Christian.

“They’re not even attractive, they’re disgusting looking. Way too hyper and annoying. They talk way too much. And don’t get me started on David’s mate. They’re annoying, talkative, they’re always trying to help during pack meetings. It’s so annoying.” Amanda elbowed him a few times before he stopped. Christian turned around to see David’s mate frozen, about to cry.

“Get the fuck out of my house!” Angel shouted at him, setting down the pitcher. All the talking suddenly stopped. David’s head whipped around to his mate, who was about to cry or lose their shit. He couldn’t even tell. Tank made direct eye contact with Asher’s mate and Milo’s mate.

“I didn’t even do anyth-”

“I said get out you ignorant bitch! All you do is talk about me and Babe like we’re some disgusting creatures you wouldn’t even dare to affiliate yourself with! No one cares that you think you’re superior! I promise you! I think you manage to forget your role in this pack. You are not Alpha, you’re still complaining about Ash getting Beta like it wasn’t years ago! Get the fuck over it! You’re so fucking conceited! You think you’re so much bet-” Angel didn’t notice Christian standing up out of his chair. He punched them dead in the nose.

“Shut the fuck up!! Shut the fuck up, you don’t even know me!” Angel wiped the blood away from their nose. David was already standing up to charge over. Angel held a hand up at him, telling him to stop. There was so much tension in the room. It was silent. And then there was a loud crack. Angel had punched Christian so hard he fell back onto his chair. They proceeded to pick him up by the front of the shirt. He suddenly fell again, the front of his shirt singed and full of holes. Angel was confused. Christian tried to walk away but Angel grabbed onto him, pulling him back.

“Absolutely not! Fuck you Christian. Fuck you and your stupid antics. Fuck you and your jealousy. No one gives a fuck!” Christian let out a yelp once they let go, his arm covered in welts. Everyone stared at Angel. David’s eyes were blown wide, along with Asher, Tank, Milo, Sweetheart, and Sam’s.

“What the fuck?? What’s wrong with you?? What the fuck!!” Christian ran for the door, Amanda and Arden following behind him. Angel stared at their hands before running to their bedroom. Babe shoved themself out of their seat in a hurry, following behind David.

“Angel!! Open the door!! Please!” David was frantic. A latent. His mate just showed signs of having fire elemental powers. Babe was also worried. Never in their 9 years of friendship had they seen this happen with Angel. David banged again.

“Angel!! Open the door! Please! I’m not mad! I’m just worried!” He said through the door, he could hear Angel sobbing on the other side.

“Go away, Davey…” Angel’s tone was sad. They didn’t actually want him to go away. They felt like a monster. They just hurt Christian. Because they were mad. Sure, he deserved it. But, they hurt him. Physically.

“Baby, please. Please unlock the door. It’s only me and Asher’s mate.” David’s tone was soft, Angel smiling a little once they heard Babe was there. “It’s only us.” Babe’s voice quietly said. Angel unlocked the door and opened it, letting the two in.

“So what happened?” David asked, cradling Angel in his arms. All three were sitting on the floor.

“Christian’s always been a dick to me and Babe, since we’re unempowered. He’s been a dick to Sam too. I was really fed up with his shit today for some reason.” Angel shrugged.

“Wait- He’s been a dick to Sam too? Why haven’t I heard about this from him or Tank??” David was confused.

“Because he hasn’t told Tank, and he’s too afraid of you to tell you.” Babe chimed in, David had nearly forgotten they were there.

“Afraid?”

“Davey, you are kind of scary sometimes… Not in a mean way!! In like an intimidating, alpha way!” Angel made sure to clarify. Babe made a mental note to tell Asher about the amount of times Angel called David “Davey”

“At least they didn’t techincally break COVERT…” Sweetheart said after the 10 minutes of silence that had settled over the room. Tank snickered at this.

“He deserved it.” Cyra peeped from the end of the table. Cyra wasn’t a violent person, not in the slightest. She was one of the newest pack members, only around 13 or 14.

“She’s right.” Asher said. “Not just because I hate Christian and loved seeing his downfall, but because he’s been a dick.”

“He was an asshole to me about me being a vamp.” Sam spoke out randomly and Tank’s eyes went wide. “What?? Why didn’t you tell me??” They blurted out.

“You saw how David reacted to Christian hitting them. You would’ve been ten times angrier at him just calling me a bloodsucker.”

“Hell yeah I would!!!”

Angel exited the room, all eyes on them.

“I’m proud of you, little one.” Tank uttered randomly.

“I’m proud of you too, dude!” Ash exclaimed, smiling.

“We’re proud of ya too, tiny.” Milo smiled, along with his mate.

“I’m proud of you…” A feeble voice, a voice Angel recognized as Cyra Moore.

“Thank you guys… I’m sorry for causing a show…” They apologized, leaning into David’s side. “It was entertaining.” Tank and Asher said at the same time and Angel giggled. “Thanks, y’all. Thanks for being my family.” Everyone smiled as they sat down with David at the table once again. The pack was their family. They were okay. As long as they had their family.

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konnorhasapen · 1 year

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Soon

I'm so excited for this. The whole intro chapter is already finished, I just.. need to be convinced to post it- I'm scared. I put out that poll to decide which name David's ship would have, and I think I've decided before it actually closes bc I'm impatient. Thank you to all who voted! Your help is always greatly appreciated!!<3

💫TAGS LIST for all those who were interested/helped enable this! >:D💫

@morgansplace @epsi-l0n @sealriously-sealrious @friendlyfaded @shiningkeyoflife @whatalovelymae @anthrokiaera @the-gender-bending-squid @sri-rachaa @star-sheeps @slushrottweiler (I think that's everybody- If you'd like to be added to the tag list for posts about Treading Water, let me know!)

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soup-scope · 1 year

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spontaneously during my 3D design class, when I should’ve been paying attention.

i became a prophet of the lord

aka all my designs for the shaw pack just CAME TO ME mid class and now i’m obligated to draw the shitheads.

give me a week

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gumballrightfoots · 2 years

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Arden changed Christian alarm sound to that Chrissy wake up audio/song

Bro shot up eyes wide and losing his mind cause Arden was torturing that mf with that audio

This post is inspired by @mothymumbles rb

#redacted asmr #redacted christian #redacted arden

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diviinaee · 1 year

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arden, asher, and milo hanging out after pack meetings

U ALREADY KNOW ASHERS DOING STUPID SHIT

#redacted asmr #redacted audio #redactedverse #redacted asher #redacted arden #redacted milo #redacted shaw pack

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autisticempathydaemon · 2 years

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Meet me on your best behavior (Meet me at your worst)

aka: I saw a crackship and breathed life and sincerity into it for 4.9k words

cw: sfw, mentions of injuries, no explicit violence, Quinn and the Inversion are mentioned in passing, Shaw Pack feelings, Background Werewolves/Mates, past Amanda/Christian

Finding a mate is a lot different than how Christian’s pack had described it.

aka: Five times Christian and Alexis met and the One time they introduced themselves.

Sequel (of sorts) to this, a primer on Alexis

Also available on AO3

When Christian asks David about mates, his Alpha describes something like love at first sight (as loathe as he is to admit it). His stern expression softens, relaxes in a way Christian hasn’t seen since they were young, and he speaks gruffly but softly of seeing his Angel and not being able to look away no matter how hard he had tried.

“They looked at me right away and just knew I was it for them, and you know what?” David asks, voice uncharacteristically genial, small, secretive smile threatening to break through the glower. “I think, somewhere in my core, I knew they were it for me too.”

When Christian met Alexis, all he knew was that he totally, completely, one-hundred percent should not fuck with her… and that he was going to do it anyway.

There’s just something about a beautiful girl that could kick Christian’s ass and knows it, okay? (Tank absolutely wiped the floor with him in their first spar as teenagers, and Christian learned something about himself that day.)

So when the Shaw Pack and Solaire clan succeeded in their mission, when they finally took Quinn down after months of tracking… when he saw Alexis tackle the bastard and hold him in place so Tank could rip his head off, all Christian knew was that he was fucking screwed.

When Christian asks Milo about mates, his fellow werewolf narrows his eyes suspiciously, like Christian is going to use this information for evil, before giving a wry, languid shrug. He looks down at the stack of paperwork they’ve been stuck with, tries to swallow back the tenderness he feels when he thinks of his Stealth, and fails.

“I don’t just call them Sweetheart for shits and giggles, man,” Milo mumbles to the papers with a rakish, mirthful grin and a bright, loving look obviously not meant for the expense reports. They meet eyes from across the office, and Christian doesn’t know what to do with the uninhibited joy he’s witnessing. “They’re just the best goddamn thing in the world, Christian. I’ve got you guys- yeah, that includes you, fucker- and my home and my cat, but it’s my mate that’s so sweet to me that makes it all worth it.”

Upon meeting the vampire a second time, Christian’s not sure “sweet” is the word that he’d use to describe her or if “worth it” is how he’d describe how he feels; he’d probably offer “confusing” and “awkwardly seduced” as alternatives.

When he sees Alexis of the Solaire clan again, it’s at a grand party being held by the King himself. Anyone who is anyone in Dahlia has been invited to celebrate the rogue vampire being eliminated and the subsequent alliance between them and the Shaw pack, so he’s there and so is the clan princess in all her royal finery.

“Chrissy, you can’t be serious,” Arden had said, pulling at him by the cufflink. His older sister looked up at him, brow furrowed, eyes accusing, expression so completely done but loving in that way only family can manage, and he just grinned down at her. “There is no way this one doesn’t end badly. Don’t even try.”

“Do or do not. There is no try.” was his cheeky retort before Christian grabbed two flutes of champagne and made his way to the wall where Alexis had perched herself like a treasured hothouse flower: gorgeous, refined, and untouchable.

“You looked lonely over here all by yourself, Princess. I thought you could use a little company,” Christian says, sidling up beside the beauty to offer her a glass and his most charming, pearly white grin.

“I’m actually quite comfortable on my own,” Alexis responds bluntly, accepting the champagne and not even looking at his smile. “Thank you for the thought though; that is very considerate.” She takes a sip, eyes never leaving the crowd of dancing Empowereds, never glancing his way.

Out of the corner of his eye, Christian can see Arden holding back laughter, and he has to fight the urge to tug at the restricting collar of his shirt like a boy at his first school dance. Even back then, he doesn’t think he had this issue, having always had the accent and surfer boy tan he needed to get at least a glance. Combined with adulthood and the tall, lean muscle of a shifter, this is not usually how this goes, and Christian is determined to get back on script.

“Not one for dancing or mingling? I can’t tempt you for a single waltz?” he says, dipping his head closer to hers and letting his honey blond bangs fall devil-may-care around his face.

“I’m afraid I’m not very good at either. If you’re looking for a partner for the night, you’d have much better findings elsewhere,” Alexis responds, eyes flitting across his forehead and freckled cheeks before looking up at the crystal chandelier. Her words are matter-of-fact and aloof, but something about the way she says them, the sweet Southern softening of syllables from her lips, draws him in, makes him want to hear more.

“I doubt that, considering I’m standing next to the most stunning woman in all of Dahlia.” Christian gives the vampire his signature once-over, eyes dragging slowly from her dark scarlet evening gown, pausing appreciatively on her ring-studded hands, and landing on her surprisingly soft-edged face framed by curtains of softer hair. “You paint a pretty picture, Princess.”

Then the script well and truly goes out the fine, stained-glass window. When Christian flirts, it has historically gone two ways; either it works or it doesn’t. When he was young and dumb and reckless, Tank punched him in the gut; that didn’t work. Amanda had laughed in his face but still gotten into his bed; that had worked.

The woman in front of him does neither. She- finally- glances up with silver eyes like lakes after a storm, like steel that cuts him to his core. She doesn’t sneer derisively; she doesn’t grin suggestively. Alexis smiles, surprised, genuine, pleased, and gives him a measured once-over of her own.

“That’s nice of you to say, thank you.” She nods appreciatively at him- his leather shoes, his silk tie, his fine Swiss watch that he will thank god and Asher for every day- and meets his admiring gaze. “You look pretty fine yourself.”

Christian spills his drink on his Ted Baker boots. He can hear Arden losing her shit from ten yards away, but Christian can’t find it in him to care when Alexis is giggling, fangs peeking out from behind her lips.

When Christian asks Asher about mates, he immediately regrets it for two reasons. One, because Asher is a big-mouthed asshole who will never let him forget this. Two. Asher immediately begins a gooey, lovesick tirade about his mate and their smile and their hugs and surely more, but Christian stopped paying attention by then.

“They just…” Asher trails off, throwing a heavy, friendly arm around his shoulders and beaming at him. “They fit right in, you know? Babe gets along with everyone, even you! As soon as I told them about werewolves, it was like they’ve always been a part of the pack.”

When Christian meets Alexis the third time, she’s inching along the edges of the pack solstice party, a wallflower wilting in a new, unfamiliar environment. All the Solaire clan had been invited, but it’s obvious no one quite expected her to come by the nervous berth she’s given.

David had done his host duty, of course, shaking her hand and taking her coat. His mate had got her a drink and given her a tour of their home. Tank had given her a nod, an accepting incline of the head. Alexis said hello, complimented the decor and the food, and fiddled with a wine glass in the corner.

“Is that Cabernet or blood? It’s hard to tell,” Christian says, sidling up to the beauty yet again, but this time, she blinks slowly, thoughtfully, before looking up at him with an indecipherable expression. “I can’t continue tradition and bring you a drink if I don’t know,” he jokes, leaning back against the wall, and Alexis takes a deep breath, loosens her shoulders, and relaxes next to him.

“You’re welcome to try it and find out,” she retorts, angling the glass towards him and swirling the liquid inside. “Fifty/fifty shot. Do you like your odds?” Her eyes on his make him brave, silver irises like mercury warming his skin, and Christian doesn’t break the eye contact as he slowly takes it from her and sips. He smiles down at her when he tastes tart, heady wine, and she smiles back, small and amused, before taking her drink back and looking down at the floor.

“That’s not fair, I didn’t even know we had Pinot noir,” he says, taking a sip of his hard cider, and Alexis huffs out a hint of a laugh that fizzes in his veins like solstice magic.

“Will had us all bring wine as host gifts, and your alpha’s mate opened mine to share with me.” She takes a sip, dainty and elegant, and Christian internally curses his intrusive thoughts of lips and indirect kisses. “And it might not have been fair, but I didn’t think you’d mind. If we’re going to continue tradition, Pinot is a lot easier to get out of your clothes than B positive.”

Alexis glances at him in her periphery, eyes glittering and lips grinning behind her hand like the first glimpse of hidden treasure, and Christian is so effervescently pleased that he came over, that he left his own isolated corner to join hers.

When Christian asks Tank about mates, his packmate and friend grips the steering wheel so hard, he can hear the plastic straining to stay in one piece. The moment they stop at a red light, they turn to him with a stern, disappointed look, and he returns it with a combative, stubborn look of his own. They raise a knowing, mocking brow; he curls his lip in a dogged sneer, and Tank rolls their eyes with a sigh as they step on the gas.

“He takes care of me,” they admit, finger tapping incessantly against the gear shift in embarrassment disguised as annoyance. “No one’s done that since… since Gabe, maybe? No one’s really tried to, and I wouldn’t haven’t let them if they did. Sam makes me feel safe, like I can depend on him to watch over me.”

When Christian investigates disturbed wards and a trail of blood on a construction site and meets Alexis for the fourth time, she’s not in any condition to take care of anyone, not even herself.

“So what happened to you?” he asks, doing a practiced, analytical sweep of the room. Scratches and bruises, nasty and bleeding but not fatal. Wide, skittish eyes, too alert to be concussed. The Solaire princess, curled up in the shadowy corner of a vacant building. Her crimson-stained shoes, only inches away from the impending sunbeams streaming in through the windows.

“Some vampires. Stragglers from Quinn’s little posse. Out for revenge or whatever.” Christian listens and acts, grabbing painter’s tarps strewn about the room and throwing them over bare curtain rods. The sun is banished, throwing the room into dusty dimness, and it doesn’t take heightened senses to make out the faint sigh of relief from the corner.

“Are they coming back? Where are they?” A hand- bloody, bent at a wrong angle- points at nondescript piles of ash dotting the floor. “Ah. Not coming back then.” Alexis shakes her head, and Christian can’t resist shoving his foot through the dust before crouching in front of her. “Who can I call in your clan? Do you want me to take a look? Or call a healer?”

“No.” Blunt, cold, without drawl or affectation. Christian leans closer, and Alexis leans back, and he watches as her wrist fights to not buckle under her weight, as her ankle drags against the cement. “...no, thank you.”

“What are you going to do then?“ he asks, sitting on his haunches and raising an eyebrow as she breathes, shaky, harsh, probably through a bruised rib cage. “Wait like a sitting duck for their friends to show up? Fight round two with a twisted ankle and a gash in your side?” Her hand curls around her waist like Christian might not see the red soaking through the dark shirt if she covers it, and his fingers clench on his knees.

“I could. If I had to.” Alexis looks at the door, fidgeting with the torn edges of her blouse, and he fights the urge to roll his eyes at her wolfish stubbornness.

“Well, you don’t have to. And I wouldn’t let you anyway.” With a grunt and a resigned sigh, Christian turns around and sits on the ground in front of Alexis.

“What are you doing?” The vampire asks behind him, the hard -g dropping from her speech in gentle, lilting confusion as Christian digs around in his pockets.

“What’s it look like, Princess? I’m doing my job.” Asher sends a “k” in response to his message, and he rolls his eyes before tucking the phone back into his jacket and looking at her over his shoulder. “This is a Shaw contract site, and you’re on it. That means I’ve got to keep you safe.” Christian sends a cheeky wink in her direction, and Alexis exhales something that sounds suspiciously like a laugh before hiding her bruised face in her knees.

“I am safe,” Christian hears her mumble, accent dragging out her vowels into long, lethargic whispers. “I’ve got it.”

“If by “it,” you mean cracked ribs and a broken finger, I’m inclined to agree with you,” he retorts, getting comfortable with his elbows on his knees, chin on his palm. “You’ve also got a few hours until sunset, so rest and make peace with your vampire gods. If you can’t walk by dark, I’m taking you to Marie.”

“...Is that the woman who dragged your Alpha outta his house by the ear?” Alexis asks, voice closer, hesitant, and laced with an emotion resembling intimidation.

“That’s the one,” he responds with a fond chuckle. “She’s not terribly fond of pack members refusing help, and that means you now, Solaire. You don’t want me to call a healer, that’s fine, but you’re getting patched up one way or another.” A moment passes, and Christian feels something burn through his chest, up his cheeks- warmpleasedhonored- when a tentative, beseeching hand tugs at his sleeve.

When Christian asks Arden about mates, his sister stops, blinks, puts down the kitchen cleaver, thank god, and really looks at him.

“Really?” she asks, not jeering or mocking but surprised, earnest, in a soft tone only reserved for her baby brother. “When you said “there is no try,” you really meant it, huh?” Christian shrugs churlishly down into the pot, because the fettuccine at least won’t look at him like the prodigal son come home. Arden chuckles incredulously before shaking her head and turning back to the cutting board.

“Never thought I’d see the day my philandering asshole of a brother would finally bring up the M-word. Amanda must have really done a number on you.” Christian flicks salt over his shoulder, and Arden laughs louder, tossing a cherry tomato at his head. “Smitten is a good look on you, bro; let’s keep it there. If Alexis sees that surly bullshit you do and puts up with it, matches you eye for an eye? You hold on to her, and don’t let go.”

The fifth time Christian and Alexis meet, the broken arm and dislocated shoulder prevent him from holding onto anything or anyone. The gory scratches down his torso probably don’t help.

“What are you doing here?” Christian says, hurling blood-spattered attitude at Alexis’s feet. The alley the shade cornered him in is dank and dark, only a touch of moonlight revealing the steely glint of her eyes on his. Opposite her, in the light of a glaring neon, he is cracked open and visibly broken, and that boils whatever blood he has left in his body.

“Someone heard a commotion near our territory and alerted Will. He sent me to check it out.” Alexis leans forward to get a better look at him- to look down at him- and her tender, searching gaze along his body stings like salt in his wounds. “Why don’t I heal you some before I call the department?”

“Oh, the precious princess knows how to do magic? I assumed all you do is sit spoiled and mighty in your castle and get your ass kicked.” His voice is barbs and venom, but Alexis persists, crouching by his side.

“I assume you’ve heard the saying about assumptions and asses…?” Her tone is dry, but her expression is concerned, her hands hovering hesitantly over his mangled thigh. “Are you going to make one out of yourself and bleed out, or are you going to let me help you?”

“I don’t know,” Christian snaps, flinching away from her hand, not because he hates her touch, but because this is not how he wanted her to touch him for the first time, because he hasn’t fully come to terms with wanting her to touch him, because that leg has the fucking audacity to keep getting hurt. “Are you going to make me a leech without my permission too, or are you going to let me handle my own shit?”

Alexis physically recoils, and he feels a bittersweet spike of delight at having shaken her, sanding away that cool, kind, pitying face to reveal what’s underneath. Christian may be the one beaten and broken, but he’s never liked to go down without a fight, to bleed alone.

“Alright.” Eyes that slipped closed in pain jerk open, and Christian watches as Alexis pulls back and stands, face impassive, shuttered, and pointed at the ground. “I’ll do a perimeter check and call the department while I’m at it, let them know you need a healer.”

“What, you’re telling me the Solaire Princess lost all her bite?” He blurts out with a callous laugh, sitting up against the wall despite his body’s protests. “Or am I not pretty enough for you to keep around? Because we both know that’s not true.”

“Don’t do that.” Christian freezes at the sound of her voice, cold and hard as the cement beneath him, and realizes abruptly how warm her tone had been before. Alexis focuses on a brick two feet above Christian’s head, won’t meet his eyes, and that is the injury that strikes him to his core.

“Do what, Princess?” he asks, sneering out the word, craning his head up towards her. “There’s a reason I’m the only one who pities you enough to be around you. In case you’ve forgotten, you’re the misfit, and I’m the asshole; this is me staying true to form.”

“This is you pushing me away,” she says, pulling a phone out of her pocket, the bright screen illuminating her closed-off expression. “This is you lashing out and wanting me gone, so I’ll go.” Alexis walks down the alley, away from him, and something wrong, a cocktail of bile, vitriol, and regret, surges in his chest.

“Didn’t know it was so easy to get rid of you, Solaire. Pretty thing like you doesn’t like it when your things bite back?” Murmuring on the phone, Alexis doesn’t even turn or spare a glance; she makes her way around the corner, taking the moonlight with her, and leaving Christian in the dark.

When Amanda asks Christian about mates, they’ve been through enough hard times and drinks together that he actually answers.

“Is she the one?” Amanda asks, twisting the top off another beer and handing it to him. Christian holds the cool glass to his forehead and looks at her through messy, blonde bangs.

“Who?” he asks, playing stupid, and Amanda throws a pizza crust at him, knowing he’s really not.

“Oh, your local barista- Alexis, you dipshit.” She leans forward, leveling him with that look that drove him insane when they were together. Now, with miles and months and history between them, it holds him steady, grounds Christian in his body and feelings in a way only she’s allowed to do because she’s gone. “Word among the pack is you’ve been throwing “mate” around and trying to play it cool- it hasn’t been working, by the way- and I want to hear all about it.”

“There’s nothing to hear,” he says, flicking a bottle cap at her and only barely flinching when she bats it back at him with an earnest, serious expression.

“See, that’s the thing,” she says, taking the beer out of his hands and holding his gaze. “There’s always something to hear with you; you never shut up. You talk and fuck about and dance around shit until there’s something you actually want to keep to yourself.” Amanda smiles at him, small and amused and so fond. “I would know.” Christian smiles back, and something is wordlessly shared between them: too happy to be sad, too pleasant to be bittersweet, too present to be nostalgic. It’s probably the closest thing to love they ever had.

“I hate to disappoint, Mandy, but there really is nothing to talk about. She’s not my mate.” Amanda leans back against the fridge and disapprovingly crosses her arms across her chest.

“You seem awfully sure for someone with the emotional intelligence of a turtle.” Christian curls his lip at his friend, and she waves a finger in his face. “Don’t argue with me when I’m right. Who’s got it in your head that she can’t be the one?”

“It’s just not-” he says, looking down at his fidgeting hands ripping apart paper napkins. “Whatever we were, whatever we could have been, it wasn’t going to be right. It…” Christian hesitates, wrings his hands, looks up at the ceiling, does everything before finally looking Amanda in the eyes with an earnest sincerity she’s pleased to see again. “It wasn’t like how everyone said.”

“I wasn’t aware you were suddenly in the habit of listening to the pack about this stuff; that’s certainly news to me.” He glares at her, and she just grins back, still frustratingly fond. “Last I checked, you were headstrong and cocksure to a fault, or have you really changed that much since I’ve left?”

“Nope, still the same. Still running my mouth off when I shouldn’t, running off pretty girls.” Christian returns her grin with a grimace, more teeth and resignation than actual joy, and Amanda widens her eyes and nods knowingly, leaning on the counter in front of him. When he leans forward, his elbows a hair's breadth from hers, what passes between them is markedly less pleasant than before. As close as they may be, there will always be the memories between them of snubbed touches raised voices cold shoulders angry words packed bags slammed doors. There will always be words that were left unsaid until it was too late.

“You know what I liked about you, Chrissy?” Christian offers her a tired facsimile of an arrogant smirk, and she shakes her head at him, not unkindly. “I liked the person you were when you were with me. I even liked the person you were with our pack, as much of a dickhead you could be. You know what I hated about you?” He doesn’t even attempt to answer, and Amanda points at his chest with a gentle, admonishing finger. “I hated the person you were always pretending to be.” Her hand moves to his face, pushing bangs away from his scarred cheek, and the two of them touch foreheads in a gesture more intimate and loving than any kiss they ever shared.

“Whatever you said to her, I know you’re sorry. You know you’re sorry. Clue her in while you still can.” Amanda punctuates her point with an affectionate ruffle of hair just like she used to do when they were growing up. “Be honest, and be yourself. Then the two of you, and no one else, can decide whether you’re mates or not."

The sixth meeting between Christian and Alexis is unlike the others; there’s no bystanders, no injuries, no safety net. There’s just an abandoned amusement park, a boy looking for a girl, and the dirty, graffitied wooden horse between them.

“This carousel sure has seen better days, hasn’t it?” Christian asks with a nervous chuckle, his Aussie drawl coming out too strong as dull, equine eyes stare into his soul. Alexis, ever so cool, folds her arms on top of the plastic saddle and looks around at the dilapidated ride.

“This is a merry-go-round.” Christian eyes snap up to her face, frustratingly impassive and infuriatingly beautiful in the full moon glow, and she jerks her chin towards the other seats. “Carousels only have horses. Merry-go-rounds have all kinds of animals.”

“That is so interesting. Do you have a favorite?” he says, hands clenching uselessly at his sides. Christian wonders why this is so hard, why he didn’t bring anything as a peace offering, why he’s talking about fucking zoo animals of all things when Alexis glances down at his fidgeting fingers.

“Did you come all this way in the middle of the night to talk about my favorite animal, Christian?” The sound of his name on her lips, soft and sweet as a Dixie breeze, urges him on, makes him step up and stand up straight.

“No, I didn’t.” His accent comes out hard and insistent on the “no”, and that makes Alexis finally meet his eyes, silver against bronze. She waits, eyebrows lifting up into her bangs in expectation, and Christian takes a deep breath, stepping off the mental precipice. “I came to apologize for the things I said. I was injured and stupid and angry, and I took it out on you. I said what I knew would hurt you, and I’m sorry.”

“...did you mean it? When you said you’re around me outta pity?” Voice low and timid, hands picking nervously at her sleeves, Christian thinks this may be the most vulnerable he’s ever seen Alexis, and he feels strong, warring urges to either tear himself limb from limb or kiss her.

“I’ve never done a single thing in my life out of pity.” She smiles, a single peal of laughter from her catching them both by surprise, and Christian feels warm and invincible against the cold Autumn night air. “I’m here because I want to be. Because I want to be around you. Because I want to learn everything about you, even asinine things like why you know the difference between carousels and merry-go-rounds and which seat you like best.” Alexis sheepishly dips her head, hiding her face for a tense, torturous moment, before beckoning him closer. Christian approaches, right up to the wood statue separating them, and she leans over it, turning to the side, the top of her head grazing his cheek in a soft, electric touch.

“See that one right there?” Alexis whispers, reaching out and pointing at a dim shape a few feet away. Christian squints into the shadows and bites back a smile when he makes out the form of a large, charging wolf that he’s sure, if he saw it in sunlight, would be the same shade of gold as his hair. “I find myself pretty fond of dogs recently, so that one’s my favorite.”

“You know, storybook princesses are supposed to be scared of wolves,” he murmurs, voice uncharacteristically hushed. When he looks down, Alexis is looking back, eyes breathtakingly close and impossibly bright as she peers up at him through dark, gossamer eyelashes.

“Is that what you are? The story’s big, bad wolf?” She tilts her head to the side, so sincere, so questioning, and he knows it’s not a trance, knows it’s something from within that compels him to trace the curve of her jaw with his fingertips.

“No, I’m Christian,” he says, lightheaded and foolhardy and dizzy off the scent of magnolias and honey wafting from her hair. “Just Christian. I’m an asshole who’s working on that. I’m a grouchy bastard from what I’ve been told. I’m a stubborn man who’s hard to get along with, but I’m also a man who’d like to get to know you.”

“Hi, Christian, I’m Alexis.” She mirrors his actions and raises a hesitant hand to his cheek with a caress as soft as flower petals. “I’m also an asshole who’s been working on that. I’m a hell of a lot to handle from what I’ve been told. I’m a woman with a long life of mistakes and regrets behind me, and getting to know me means getting to know what I’ve done. If you’re okay with all of that, with me, I’d like to get to know you too.”

Something about the moon reflected in her eyes makes him brave. He thinks it may be the way she watches him so studiously, almost warily, barely blinking like he might disappear. Whatever it is, Christian feels pure exhilaration and possibility and magic course through his veins as he takes Alexis’s hand in his, grazes his lips against her knuckles, and whispers “it’s nice to meet you” into her skin like a greeting and a prayer and a promise.

Tagging:

@themonotonysyndrome who inadvertently put this terrible, wonderful, impossible ship in my head and is the reason you’re reading it now

@ejunkiet who hyped me up when the Christian in my head was being uncooperative 🥹

#redacted asmr #redacted fanfiction #redactedasmr #redactedverse #redacted #redacted fanfic #busybee writes #redacted alexis #redacted christian #Alexis/Christian #redacted darlin #redacted David #redacted Asher #redacted Milo #redacted Amanda #Redacted Arden

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