#friends do not let friends follow instructions given to them by internet people
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Hey, how's your fancy little otome project going bestie
My life is going to be shorter because of my silly lil otome project. I don’t think I’ll be able to share what I’m done here at any point— honestly, I don’t think people here specifically would care to see it— but I’m using this opportunity to do a fun thing for me.
Mystic Messenger Love Interests Ranked By How Likely I Would Be To Encourage My Friend To Dump Their Ass (From Least To Most Likely)
Jaehee Kang: I have no complaints about a motivated career woman who likes musicals and is freaked out by understandably strange things. Black belt in Judo? Green flag: girl knows how to defend herself and you. I would wish you (you are my friend in this scenario by the way) the best with your coffee shop adventures and only judge you a little for entering into a business with a woman you just let.
Hyun “Zen” Ryu: He’s an alcoholic, smoking, struggling actor with an inflated ego but he seems to treat you well enough and he has the decency to offer his place to keep you away from the bomb apartment you decided to wander into so he’s okay. If he’s your type, he’s your type; who am I to judge?
Jihyun “V” Kim: His being in an organization named after his dead fiancé whose apartment you’re now living in is a bit unfortunate but he makes stable money and has cool hair and has only threatened your safety via negligence so he’s okay for now. Thin ice with that boy but he’ll slide for now.
Yoosung Kim: The first time you tell me he has compared you to his dead cousin is when he goes from a soft yes to a firm and definitive no. It’s one thing to compare someone you’re interested in to an ex, but comparing them to a family member puts you into a weirdly familial role that you shouldn’t be in. I understand he’s a cute subby softboy gamer but you can aim higher even amongst the singles in this pool.
Saeyoung “707” Choi: You met a man who didn’t tell you his name for the majority of your time together and let you stay in an apartment with a bomb in it that he installed even after his homicidal twin brother showed up and threatened to kill you and then treated you shitty because he couldn’t figure out his feelings and now wants you to risk your life to find said homicidal brother instead of waiting for him to come back from a dangerous mission that you have no business being a part of because of an e-relationship you had which consisted mostly of him telling you not to like him because he’s a walking red flag and exchanging memes? Oh, and he thought putting a bomb in an occupied apartment building was a good enough idea to put into action? Great idea, man; trauma’s the most solid foundation for a relationship.
Jumin Han: I know that you have a daddy kink. I am not kink-shaming you. I know you think he’s classy and funny. I will concede his suits are nice. This does not excuse your desire to stay with a man who is keeping you in his apartment against your will and is fully ready to keep you in a cage as a replacement for his cat. He treats the only for-sure green flag like shit and seemingly only likes you because you’re the first person to think he’s hot for reasons only tangentially related to his money. Do not wander into a random apartment twice. Get on Tinder and find yourself a better sugar daddy that knows what a safe word is and had friends.
Saeran “Ray” Choi: You want the physically abusive cult higher-up who kept you against your will in cult headquarters? The one who was nice to you for maybe half the time you knew him and then starved you until you put out? The one who just totally ignored your lack of consent and tried to arrange for your torture? Because you say he’s changed back into being a nice guy and was just being manipulated by magic juice? I don’t know how high he got you to let yourself get into a windowless van for a fun field trip to play some video games but it was apparently incredibly strong and should honestly be sold to the government. Send your address so I can come pick you up and get you laid so you never do that shit again.
#mystic messenger jaehee#this is all jokes#I love them all*#I’ve just been reading through these chat rooms for a while and have been made to feel horrible for this friendless MC#friends do not let friends follow instructions given to them by internet people#at least not alone#mystic messenger saeyoung#mystic messenger mc#mystic messenger 707#mystic messager#mystic messenger#mystic messenger yoosung#mysme yoosung#mysme#mysme unknown#mysme jaehee#mysme saeyoung#mysme jumin#mysme luciel#seven mysme#mysme seven#mysme 707
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5 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Recovering From Cosmetic Surgery -RECOVA
Those of you who are regular readers of the RECOVA blog will know a little something about the tips we have provided in the past to help ensure you achieve the smoothest possible recovery from your cosmetic surgery procedure.
But what are some of the mistakes that people can make during recovery from cosmetic surgery, that you need to make sure you don’t emulate? Here are a few suggestions.
Place too much emphasis on what’s on the Internet
Yes, we recognise the irony of this one. But what we’re really saying with this one, is that you shouldn’t be treating information you might find on the Internet about the specifics of cosmetic surgery, as a substitute for whatever instructions your cosmetic surgeon might give.
The reality is that it is your own surgeon who will know your own medical history and the specific details of your procedure. So, you should turn to them first if you have any queries about your recovery, and place the biggest emphasis on their own advice.
Take medications without the permission of your doctor
Even products that might be safe in a situation when you aren’t recovering from cosmetic surgery, might present certain risks – such as bleeding – if you have recently undergone such a procedure. Taking new medications during your recovery could also risk interactions with any medications you are already taking for other reasons.
Again, it comes back to the same principle as above: listen to your surgeon, and follow their instructions on the medications or other substances you shouldn’t be taking in the weeks immediately following your procedure.
Expose yourself too much to the sun
Sun exposure can be bad news to those recovering from a cosmetic surgery procedure, not least because of the risk of sun damage to scar tissue or other areas of the skin.
So, if you do need to spend some time out in the sun, we would urge you to minimise your exposure where possible, apply sunscreen, and wear appropriate clothing. Sweating while wearing a body compression suit isn’t much fun, and that’s before we get onto the matter of hot and sunny conditions dehydrating you faster – another unwanted thing if you’re recovering from cosmetic surgery.
Take things a bit too easy
This tip might cause confusion among some of you, given that vigorous exercise isn’t exactly advised in the weeks after cosmetic surgery, either.
So, what we are really emphasising here, is the importance of a balanced approach. Very few cosmetic surgery procedures are likely to leave you literally bedridden for days on end afterwards, and surgeons commonly advise their patients to take the chance to get up and move gently. This will help promote good circulation and guard against blood clots, at the same time as supporting your general comfort during the recovery phase.
Try to cope entirely by yourself
No matter how much pride you take over your personal independence, the reality is that you will still need a support system around you as you recover from your procedure. Even just having one person around in the house to help you with all those mundane tasks – such as cooking and cleaning – in the week or so after your surgery will make such a huge difference.
So, it’s really important to start putting that support system in place before you head into surgery – including letting family and friends know about the procedure, and discussing with them how they will be able to make your life easier in the days afterwards.
Whether you’re in the market for a body compression suit, post-surgery bra, face garment, or any of a wide range of other essentials for guiding and supporting your recovery from a cosmetic procedure, we can help ensure you benefit from the right products here at RECOVA. Browse our online store to discover the very best in medical-grade garments.
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Stripes the 50 year old tiger
This will be a longer post, because it’s all about the details, and there was a lot of going back and forth with photos and emails to get Stripes and his stripes just right. So be sure you’re comfy when you sit down to read it. :-)
***************
Stripes person first wrote to me back in December about her tiger, Stripes, and his companion RedEye the snake. Both were starting to feel their age, but as she said,
“ As you can see Stripes is in the most need of repairs. Personally, I’m guessing that a full recovering is needed, but I’m certainly no expert and will follow your advice. Here are some pics which show Stripes fur disappearing and soon he will be bald. Amazingly he has no damage that I can find. His ears need some stuffing, but they have never been tall, firm standing Teddy Bear ears.”
Here are the diagnosis photos she sent:
As you can see, his belly section was pretty good, but his furry parts were wearing and fading. His person really wanted his fur recovered, in an orangier rather than tanner fur, and she opted for him to have a spa too.
Here he is in his bubble bath:
Once he was dry, he got restuffed and of course, got a heart with a bit of his original stuffing. Here’s his heart being made:
Then it was time to choose furs. As some of you know who’ve been reading for a while, usually with tigers we use a solid fur of the preferred background color, then add the stripes by hand afterwards. Here were the best fur options:
His person opted for the orangier, furrier one.
Stripes got recovered, and some smaller wounds on his belly were sewn. Then, it was time for hand striping. I did some basic striping, and then sent photos for feedback:
His person’s first response was:
Beth, you’ve made me cry at work. I’m absolutely over the moon with Stripes new look!!! Holy cats he’s looking beautiful!! You are AMAZING!
But I was asking for striping feedback, and she happily provided it:
The stripes. Thank you for being so conservative. :) I would like to add some more stripes. I’ve included an updated pic that shows where I would like some stripes added.
Tail: Could you put 2 stripes in a ring pattern around the tail? They continue the black spots you started. I also noticed with other Gund tigers that the ring was painted at a slight angle or sprayed as 2 “halves”, not a straight ring that looked like a raccoon’s tail. (pics) I know that there was more black at the tip of the tail, but I don’t think the whole tip was black.
Back Leg: I’ve continued your 3 spots into stripes.
Body: I’ve added 2 stripes, but if you will notice stripe #2 is in the shape of a ‘V”. (I remember this detail as a child) The stripes do NOT have to line up with the fabric underneath. They didn’t before. :D
Face: I’ve added a short stripe above Stripes’ right eye. This detail always gave him a slight serious look without being mean. (not a lot of slant to the line, if any) I have always loved this detail about him. And I’ve elongated the stripe on his forhead.
Beth, I’m pretty sure we will be adding some more stripes to the back, especially his head but I thought we might tackle this bit first.
She closed with:
Again, I just absolutely can’t thank you enough for your beautiful and loving work on my best friend. I have been showing people the before and after pics for the last 5 hours. I’m so happy!!!
So back to drawing stripes on Stripes I went. Here are the next batch of photos:
Stripes person was thrilled:
Stripes looks spectacular!! I mean he is just awesome with the stripes that you’ve filled out.
She wanted just one more stripe. She sent a photo, but it was in another format, so I won’t put it here, but she also described what she wanted very well:
So I just have 1 more stripe for you. If you look at my pic, you will see that I’ve drawn a line over the small black dot that is on his forehead. In the last pic you sent me you can still see that it’s just a spot and not a stripe. Could you lengthen that spot into a stripe for me?
Please note the position. When you are seated facing Stripes, this stripe includes/starts at the black spot and runs towards the right. You have a pretty stripe that’s higher on the head already placed on the left so this one goes off to the right and is the same length as that one.
Adjustment made, I sent another photo (you can see the printout with her line instruction next to him):
Her response:
Perfection Achieved! I’m so so happy!!!! How many exclamation points can I put in an email to show you how perfect Stripes is!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So Stripes got packed up and headed home to a grateful human and snake. Here he is at home with his pal, RedEye:
His person was soooo happy! She wrote a very long thank you, with a history of Stripes and RedEye, and I don’t want to edit it, so I’m copying it entirely here for you to read. But you can skip it if you want and just know she was happy!
Hi Beth,
Sit back and relax. This may be a little bit of a long happy read. :D Please feel free to use any content or pics from my emails for your blog.
I waited anxiously for Stripes to arrive. Yes, my husband signed for the box and I couldn’t wait to get home!
And so the moment has arrived. I brought Stripes best friend Redeye in from the bedroom to help me open the package. We open, I close my eyes dig in past the packing peanuts and pull out our best friend. Oh My Goodness! He is beautiful! bright! and colorful! He practically glows! I see his face. Yes, yes! It’s Stripes! I see the same face I’ve gazed into and loved for 50 years. And that’s when the tears start. Crying, mouth open in shock but my husband says he’s never seen me happier. ..After many long years, I can finally cuddle my friend again.
Beth you have given me back something I thought I would never have again. I love Stripes so, but I couldn’t, didn’t dare to pet him or cuddle him. I had to be so gentle, so afraid that I was doing more damage to him. But now all that is over! I can sleep with my buddy by my side. I can take him on vacations again! I’m tearing up just writing this. I can’t express my joy…absolute joy over the work you have done. Stripes looks like a beautiful and bright toy again. Thank you Beth. Thank you so very much.
…And I’ll be sending Redeye to you some time in February. I’ll be sure to email you first to start the process.
And here’s a little history about Stripes. Stripes was a Christmas present in 1969. I have always loved tigers and I was in deep love the moment I saw him. He has enjoyed play tea parties with me, and watched drive-in movies sitting in the back window. He has looked over the candy hauls that I collected during Halloween and been in a beautiful oak tree during the crisp dry autumn. (Carefully placed on a towel, but he needed to experience a tree. He is a tiger after all.) He has been with me in Japan for a year and traveled all over the US northwest looking out of a train window. And he has done all these things with Redeye by his side.
--But let’s face the facts, in the last few years my friend was disappearing before my eyes. There was good fortune that his seams were okay but the fur was coming off. His stripes were completely gone in areas. He was looking more yellow everywhere. And I dared only to pat him. That’s when I began to search for help to restore my friend and so I found Realms of Gold on the internet.
Beth has been wonderful, corresponding with emails and working out details by sending pictures back and forth. She listened to my input and was absolutely amazing at applying the stripes in the right places. We actually discussed exactly where to put them. :D I trust Beth’s skills so much that I will be sending Stripes best friend Redeye along soon. He was amazed and so happy with Stripes look, that he can’t wait to go to Realms of Gold!
Okay Beth, this may be a little serious but I wanted to express my honest feelings, and let you know why this has been so important to me.
With my 2 stuffed animals loosing hair and looking tired a sobering thought occurred to me. If something happened to me, what would happen to them? We have no children to give them to. We can’t donate them because being so worn out, no one would take them. And the thought that they might end up in a garbage bin was too much. Of course for me, my goal was to pet, play and enjoy them again. That goes without saying. But now, seeing Stripes beautiful bright colors, I am happy and secure in knowing that years from now, I can donate or will him to a children’s home where he will continue to be loved. (I have several friends who grew up in orphanages and we think it’s a wonderful idea.)
Thank you so much Beth!!!!!!
I don’t know about all of you, but that made me smile all day. :-)
#stuffed animal repair#stuffed animal hospital#stuffed animal cleaning#stuffed animals#tigers#tiger#stuffed animal tiger#toy tiger
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a chanbaek analysis from a veteran exo-l
before anything else there are a few disclaimers i'd like to make:
i am writing this analysis right now because as a non exo stan i'm not into chanbaek that much anymore. of course i like them to some degree since i'm writing this and all but it's nothing in comparison to the way i felt about them two years ago. so i feel like it's easier to keep a less clouded (?) state of mind being where i'm at right now, mentally, in regards to them. i feel like i can look at things more objectively, which is why i decided to write this and share it with you all.
for all the smart asses out there, this is a ship analysis. yes, i’m reading too much into everything. that’s what an analysis is.
all translation credits goes to @/fyeah-chanyeol
i'm a chanyeol stan. this analysis will, most likely, have more information about him in comparison to baekhyun. this is simply because i consumed more content about him since he's my bias (such as magazine interviews, fancams).
i don't stan exo anymore, but it's not because of anything they did. i liked them for a long time and made a lot of different friends because of this fandom, therefore i experienced a lot of hurt, scandals, fights and didn't deal very well with many things, so i decided to leave. this didn't happen because of exo themselves and neither did it happen because of the fandom itself. it happened because of the relationships i had.
that being said, i haven't been following them closely for the past year and a half, but i still keep up with stuff a bit, although not chanbaek related stuff since i gotta dive in kinda deeper for that lmao. so this analysis is mostly in depth for 2012-2018. if anything that you perceive as significant happened after 2018 i'm more than willing to hear your opinions about it.
so, let's get started!!
MAMA ERA
I have always felt like Chanyeol and Baekhyun's relationship was strange. I started shipping them when they debuted and more specifically because of the 130128 ISAC. When I was younger I didn't see a lot to discuss in their ISAC interactions besides it being cute and shippy, but I've started to look at it differently now.
I think everyone knows how ISAC is known for being basically a stage for fanservice. The whole "dating ground for idols" issue aside, judging from the amount of attention they direct towards the fans who manage to attend the event, idols are clearly instructed to perform fanservice. EXO's first ISAC had to be full of it, obviously, and they did give fans a lot to be happy about, content we still get giddy about to this day, and I'm sure they were instructed to act like this to please us. I don't believe that fanservice equals "false interactions": if two individuals are talking, touching each other, they are interacting, even if it is a carefully planned setting made specifically for pleasing fans. They still get reactions out of one another through these interactions, it is still relevant to the way these people's relationship will develop; even though these acts are done with the intent of pleasing a crowd.
Don't get me wrong, though. I don't think the 2013 ISAC fanservice changed anything in Chanbaek's relationship. In fact, I just want to use it as a way to illustrate something I will explain later on.
To be remembered in an industry you must have an image. You won't be getting anywhere without a carefully constructed visual image. Marilyn Monroe is always used as an example of this: she's someone you can easily make a costume of and people will instantly recognize it as her. She's basically a concept by now: blonde hair, red lips and white hair. These aspects take our mind back to her instantly. Of course, most celebrities don't achieve this type of icon status, but it is still important to cling to a specific concept/image of what you want your celebrity self to be perceived as. Without this, you'll be forgotten as soon as your career ends.
When Chanyeol debuted, he clung to the first trait they gave him: being a happy person, a.k.a "happy virus". If you were not an EXO fan back in 2013 then it's likely you're not even aware of this nickname that was given to him, but it's basically just what it sounds like (lol). He was bright, energetic, had a "teeth rich" smile (another nickname that was given to him back then), was able to give 10/10 laughter reactions to MCs and to his members jokes, was always enthusiastic to interact and smile towards fans. He even introduced himself as "happy virus Chanyeol" in interviews (and later on that changed to "EXO's voice Chanyeol" or "EXO's rapper Chanyeol").
I feel like Chanyeol was very much aware of this "must have" that I mentioned, this need to have an image pasted into yourself and have that image be what people will remember you as. We're all complex and multifaceted individuals, but the general public needs something simple to grab on to, something easy to remember. That happy guy from EXO? I know who he is! I'm sure this is the path Chanyeol chose, back when he debuted: to pick a trait given to you by the public and make it a huge part of your image.
However, that image of him didn't last very long. It certainly became tiring to worry so much about how he was being perceived, to carefully construct something so his career would last, specially when his group had so many scandals and went through a sudden burst of popularity that changed their lives completely. By 2017, Chanyeol already had a change of mind in relation to his career, these changes being mostly due to how he felt about music and what he wanted to do with it.
He recognized himself as having always being impatient, which might be the reason why he clung to a specific image so fast right after debuting:
From Fall Magazine in 2017
"At the moment I just want to enjoy myself with the music as it comes, without feeling as though I have to do something. It isn’t a greed from impatience, I could call it more of a greed to do better."
"When I first debuted I thought I was very optimistic, but as time has passed I think a more reserved side of me is showing."
"I think I've grown in many ways. Maybe it’s because it’s as though I perform everyday, but the stage has become comfortable for me. Shall we say I’ve become more calm and composed? [...] I think I’ve become more mature."
He matured. He's still bright and energetic but he's also more reserved. He managed to keep up the fanservice that his fans adore in a way that is more fitting to his actual personality. It still is an image, but an image that's not as exhausting as his previous one, with its strict demands to act in a certain way all the time. I remember specific interview with MCs demanding him to smile (although jokingly, of course) saying things like "Aren't you EXO's happy virus?", so I'm sure he felt pressured.
This is interesting to think about when put side by side with his relationship with Baekhyun. Back when they debuted, Chanyeol and Baekhyun were close friends that clearly felt comfortable with each other, and it isn't surprising to think that Baekhyun would be Chanyeol's first pick when he thought about doing fanservice with someone. Of course, I can't exactly pinpoint their first fanservice moment since I'm not a walking EXO encyclopedia anymore, but I can say with certainty that both of them felt like it worked as soon as they first tried it with the fans, and that's the reason why they kept doing it. Conveniently, they were both good friends, so all was good.
Until well, it wasn't.
At some point, Chanyeol's interactions with Baekhyun seemed too eager for Baekhyun himself. There are various moments where this is visible, such as this one:
Why are you grabbing my wrist out of nowhere young man........
Or...
That one pic where Jongdae, who was in front of them, looked so damn uncomfortable I can't even bring myself to google it
Of course, they had some over the top fanservice that did work out pretty well, such as this one, both of them imitating Jonghyun's and Taemin's Internet War stage, which seems a little scripted now that I look at it properly, with Baekhyun seemingly expecting Chanyeol to do whatever it is that he did on that day. (Can you imagine this: both of them backstage, watching Jonghyun's and Taemin's performance in silence, and one of them just blurts out "We should do that too!". What the fuck was going on)
By the way, if you have never seen the original Internet War performance, you can watch it here.
This is what they were imitating.
Tumblr won’t let me upload the gifs for this moment for some reason, so here and here.
You can't tell me Baekhyun wasn't expecting it already, lol.
Now, know what this moment reminds me of? ISAC. On their Internet War imitation moment, Baekhyun seemed fine, playful, even, agreeing. During ISAC, however, doing basically the same thing again (this time on a lighter way even; since they weren't, you know. Imitating a strong performance such as Internet War.), he appears reluctant. It's a bit painful to watch.
What changed? The ISAC event happened a few months after the SMTOWN concert where they did the Internet War thing, so what made things become so different?
If this has enough likes I’ll make a second part!
#i got tired halfway through writing and i decided i needed some motivation to finish this so i'm posting it the way it is lmao#chanbaek#baekyeol#park chanyeol#byun baekhyun#exo#kpop
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In today’s episode of “I watched something on the internet and now I have to include my ship in it”. I watched this Game Grumps video and instantly thought of Lucius as Arin and Narcissa as Dan so here are some of my favorite scenes.
(Also, bonus content: I kinda imagine this as a couples challenge where other HP couples like Arthur and Molly were doing it as well and it went a lot smoother, but it was less funny). ____________________________________________
Lucius: “Alright, we’re here to put together The Divorce Maker™️! That’s right, it’s the name that was given to the most complicated piece of IKEA furniture imaginable.”
Narcissa: “I’ve never successfully put together any piece of anything that’s ever been bought from any store.”
Lucius: *looks at her, very confused* “Not even-”
Narcissa: *looks back at him* “Food? Correct!”
Lucius: “….Let’s dig right in so we can get a divorce after this!”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: *hands instructions to Narcissa after violently ripping opening the box* “Here’s the instruction manual. Can you read it out loud for us?”
Narcissa: “Yes, of course!” *flips through booklet* “There are no written instructions.”
Lucius: “Just read them in hieroglyphs.”
Narcissa: “Okay!”
Narcissa: *turns booklet around, pointing at step 1 to show the camera* “The first step is to stand over it in a satisfied manner with a friend!”
*Lucius and Narcissa stand over the boxes in a satisfying manner, united in friendship*
Narcissa: “Then—”
Lucius: *proceeds to loudly dump materials out of a box*
Narcissa: *showing the booklet to the camera again* “The next step is it finished…”
Lucius: *proceeds to flip the cover page for her to show her where the instructions start*
Narcissa: “…ohhh.”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: *sorting through bags of screws* “This is already way too much!”
Narcissa: *nodding while still trying to figure out the instructions* “I want a divorce”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: *in the background, clearly confused about how to start the build*
Narcissa: *sitting on the floor, looking at the camera* “The sun’s gone down and it’s step 1.”
Lucius: *finally figuring it out and pointing to get Narcissa’s attention* “Hammer!”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: “Do we have a screw driver?” *looking around for tools* “Ooo, there’s a power drill!”
Narcissa: *watching from the floor* “This sounds like a bad idea”
Lucius: *proceeds to use the drill anyway* “Dude, this is gonna be easy now! Divorce? Forget it! This is hard-core, till death do we part!”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: “No, not that way! This way, you stupid buffoon!” *trying to explain which way the board goes*
Narcissa: “This way?” *still clearly confused*
Lucius: “Why did I marry you?!”
Narcissa: “I don’t know…”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Narcissa: *showing the booklet to the camera* “Page 3, baby, in the bank!”
Lucius: *smiling at the camera* “Dude, this is nothing! Who gets a divorce from this?”
Narcissa: *turns the page* “Oh god” *looks from the booklet to Lucius* “We should see other people.”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: *absolutely loses his mind because he can’t find a piece* “But it shows bevels on both ones!! I’m not crazy!!”
Narcissa: “Well…I don’t know man.” *just calmly sitting on the floor while Lucius demolishes the room, throwing things*
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: “Listen to words! When I say them! I say them, it’s important when I say words! That’s how I communicate my feeling and thoughts!”
Narcissa: “…you never look at me during.”
Lucius: *looking up from screwing in a board* “Well, I mean, it’s not much to look at…” *points* “Hand me those dowel rods.”
Narcissa: *fake upset* “Okay!”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Narcissa: 🎶 “And you’ll get no love” 🎶
Lucius: 🎶 “Heyyy” 🎶
Narcissa: “Hey!”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: “Yes! Yes!” *finally screws in the correct board* “Now this is what I’m talking about! This is that classic Lucissa action that everyone comes to find…and see.”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: “What are you talking about?! No, this is where it says it goes! I’m following the instructions, fools! You think you know but you don’t!” *screaming at the camera crew who dared to question his board placement.*
Narcissa: “I’m just gonna say it…this isn’t even that nice of a bookshelf.”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: *getting all the panels in* “Yes! That’s what’s supposed to happen!”
Narcissa: *starts clapping, causing the camera crew to join in too*
Lucius: 🤨
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Narcissa: *looking at the camera crew* “Are we done yet? What’s happening?”
Lucius: *still working* “We have to finish—”
Random Crew Member: “you’ve done great guys! You’ve succeeded!”
Lucius: 🤨 “But we’re not done.”
Random Crew Member: “Marriage is never done. It’s a process.”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Lucius: *laying on the floor with his arms up* “Narcissa, help me up…Cissa…my lover.”
Narcissa: *just struggling to try to pull him up bc he’s obviously not making an effort*
⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Narcissa: *attempts to pick up the bookshelf, but the panels lifts off* “Oh, that’s not good.”
Lucius: “I didn’t close this part?” *checks to see if it’s closed, then proceeds to kick the shelf*
Lucius: *goes to get screws* “You didn’t tell me it wasn’t sealed over here, Cissa”
Narcissa: “I’ll seal it…🎶There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea🎶”
Lucius: 🎶 “You became the light on the dark side of me “ 🎶
Together: *finishing the bookshelf* 🎶 “Love remains a drug that’s the high and not the pill” 🎶
Lucius: 🎶 “but did you know, that when it snows, my eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen?” 🎶
Together, the camera crew singing along: *while picking up the bookshelf and placing it against the wall* 🎶 “Baby! I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey! Oooo, the more I get of you the stranger it feels, yeah!” 🎶
Narcissa: 🎶 “Now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey.” 🎶 *gestures to the bookshelf* “It’s been Seal’ed”
Lucius: *quietly in the background* 🎶 “ba-de-ya, ba-da-da-da” 🎶
Narcissa: *looking around the still trashed room* “What are all those other pieces for?”
Lucius: 🤨
#narcissa malfoy#lucius malfoy#lucissa#lucius x narcissa#source: game grumps#things I found on the internet that I needed to make lucissa
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snake primary (lion model?) + snake secondary (rapid fire bird model)
I am pretty sure I am a snake/snake sorting, with my primary (burned snake) as a rock solid certainty. I am not doing so well on figuring out how models work, and if I have them. It makes me doubt my secondary sometimes. Let me give you a few examples:
Last autumn, I was making a lot of soup from scratch. I started with recipes, but pretty soon I was just throwing things together.
Definitely sounds like an improvisational secondary.
(I'm a Badger secondary, and my baker friends make fun of me, because I treat recipes like spells I follow them so exactly. I only recently learned that the reason you put put in salt in water is to make it boil faster. I'd been doing it, but I might as well have been putting it in there to banish the bad spirits.)
But I always made sure I had some kind of home-made broth to hand, and some kind of soup magic stuff (heavy cream, milk, cream cheese, etc.)
This could be rapid-fire bird (or a rapid-fire bird model.) You feel comfortable improvising, but only because you already know a lot about soup.
I only went back to recipes when I wanted something new or specific. Then I went and posted a kind of improv instruction for soup making (take some meat, any meat, sear it and and pair with some veggies, any veggies, etc.).
So far, I'm agreeing with you. Improvisational secondary, maybe some kind of bird model to give extra structure and support.
I train new colleagues. When I start with a new group, I like to have all the prep-work done so I can concentrate on the social aspects and not get bogged down finding the right worksheets, or shit like that. I plan my first few words, and if there is no better opening, I use them and go from there. I have a general structure of what I want to teach them, what methods to use and in what order. It is adapted from experience, and the more rigid guidelines we are given by our client. I am constantly tweaking it when I'm not training. If I feel my group needs something different, I will abandon the plan, let them guide me on a detour, and bring them back when it feels right. Somehow, it still works out 95% of the time, especially now that I have found my confidence and know it works^^
This sounds exactly like how I teach. And for me, what is going on is the bird model prepwork making me comfortable enough to just vanish into my Courtier Badger. I've only recently been learning that I can... relax on the prep, a little. That sometimes too much prep gets me in my head, and sabotages me a little. Like I can just trust myself in the moment, and things work out just fine.
I have found the shc system a week ago, and I have been obsessed ever since. I got curious because a friend mentioned it. They were really into it, and I like sorting people if the system makes sense. I dug in, got hooked, and finally found words to describe everything I had figured out so painfully about myself in the last few years. Especially my snake primary was such a surprise and relief, let me tell you.
It's a good system. And it's... uniquely able to talk about certain kinds of things.
I am thinking there is at least some sort of bird model here, giving my improv some structure?
Took the words out of my mouth.
I was flirting with rapid fire bird as a secondary, but now I have put it into words, not a chance. I like my (contained) chaos too much^^
So far, I don't have too much to add. It's all very well laid out, and well understood. I do like the dramatic structure that happens when someone writes in convinced their a Lion and I start going into why they're actually a Snake but hey. This is nice. This is mellow.
Let's talk about badger secondary model instead. Just to get the elephant out of the room: I hate hard work, it feels slow, dull, and like there should be a better method somewhere. But I know that sometimes, you just have to do it if you want to build a reputation, or you know you need to rely on the goodwill of your community in the future.
This is so like... Rapid-fire bird processing Badger. Just the grudging respect of SURE badger secondary can be a useful tool I GUESS.
I feel awkward keeping shallow contact with my colleagues, I forget if they have kids, and I have been experimenting with discreetly taking notes on what they value.
This is so Bird.
It's not very successful because I can never remember them when it's necessary, so I nod and figure it out by asking "knowing seeming" questions, anyway.
This is so Snake.
What does resonate with me is the part of "becoming what they need" making myself into the tool I need, making myself seem reliable by being relatable. I mostly start a one-on-one conversation by mirroring the other person's mood.
Courtier Badger and Snake secondary can look very, very similar - especially from the outside. This right here could be a description of either.
It is only recently, and only with people I know well, that I have found the seductive power of railroading them instead. I can now cut short a friends whining by summarising what they're saying in a blunt and charming manner, and make them smile instead. Not always, but now I know it works, I use it more and more often.
... but this could only be Snake. Doing this sort of thing consciously and on purpose is so huge and so key. Courtier Badgers do have to believe it, and so they have a way of vanishing that Snake secondaries don't.
And I think I am exaggerating my "go and figure shc out, and be loud and open about it on tumblr" part, because it's what feels right at the moment, but also because the friend who got me into it is a burned lion secondary. They like me charging in, taking it for myself, and they admire anyone who can be honest and vulnerable in public.
Very Double Snake. Using a specific approach, specifically for your friend. Also you say your primary is burned... but I'm not getting burned primary from you. But you're also not really writing about your primary, so.
I guess I am making myself appealing, not just relatable like before.
What a perfect way of describing the difference between Snake and Badger secondaries.
Huh. Fading badger performance as snake gets confident? With another badger performance for work that I do grudgingly.
Performance is right. Just a shallow thing you wear over the top, that barely seems there anymore. You work like Bird, not a Badger.
Now lion. Well, lion is... difficult and easy at the same time? I have to take charge, be the boss, and make split-second, straightforward right-and-wrong decisions when I am leading my group: Call out anyone who doesn't play by the rules (though I usually don't care much if it is not annoying). Decide on, and hand out, the appropriate punishment for someone being late, again. Deal with brewing conflict in a head-on manner. But that is something I am still learning, and I am not very good at it.
Some of this is primary stuff - WHAT you do "be the boss, hand out punishments" versus HOW you do it. It's sounds to me like you're building a Lion primary model over your Snake primary, which is normal. Snakes with safe people almost always model something else. (And I already know you've got a friend that's a Lion primary... Snakes do like to match their People.)
It's possible that you're also building a Lion secondary model, or that one of your Snake secondary masks looks a little like a typical lion secondary, but my take is that most of this is coming from a primary model.
I tend to let conflicts slide, trusting they will work it out among themselves.
I feel that this speaks to the water-like nature of the Snake secondary, and a desire to always go around the problem.
or at least be professional about it and not bring it into the training. Definitely a lion performance here, and one I get frustrated with fast because I am not very good at it.
I have my lion moments, like I described with my way of being open and vulnerable about shc here on tumblr. But I wouldn't do it if it didn't feel right, or more specifically like something I need to heal and get better. I know I need to be vulnerable to heal, and it's relatively safe here, in the anonymity of my internet persona.
Hmm. Interesting. I'm not getting Lion from you... if this is a healing exercise, maybe you're practicing existing in your Neutral state?
I have to write it all out, and some of it just happen to come out as advice for other people's asks. It would be nice if I get some recognition for it in the community, and I love the fact that my friends reads it and tells me they like it.
My take on that sort of thing is going to be annoyingly Badger, so I apologize in advance. For me it's all about consistency. Lay a foundation and then build, one brick at a time.
Now that I have written it all out, I think it's probably the most snake way of arguing myself out of any secondary model I could come up with^^ I guess I don't have one, or if I do, I am dismantling it because I need things to be simple for a while. I am tempted to post this on my own blog, but I know it will get a bigger audience with you.
Yeah, no Lion secondary here.
and maybe help someone in a similar situation. So I will be patient, and I thank you for inviting us all to use you as a sounding board for our own shc issues. I have to stop going through your likes, I'm ruining my obsessive fangirl/shc vibes tumblr with beautiful rl-things and creative human interactions^^
I do what I can. I hope I help. :)
Thankyou, @sevilemar for the submission.
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Ok, so, here's the next chapter.
It's a wee bit weird, so feel free to skip most of it, it won't affect the story at all. It's just there, doing it's thing.
Here's the first part, you can follow the link to read the rest of dip out here if you don't want to read a full ritual.
---
“What do you mean Lin is in the hospital?” Selene gasped, unable to believe her ears. “I just saw him no more than...” she glanced at her phone, “four hours ago.”
“Yeah, well, that was before the arrow hit him,” Vera snorted, tugging at Selene’s dress as she unzipped it and yanked it down.
“Arrow? What arrow?” Selene asked, her voice muffled as a new dress was slung over her head.
“The one that hit him in the leg,” Alegra answered as she bustled past with an armful of candles, clearly heading outside to the circle clearing.
“What the hell was he doing to get shot in the leg?”
“Teaching an archery class, it appears someone had very bad aim. One legged Linden strikes again,” Alegra replied.
“That name is because he is the master of Tree pose, not because he only has one working leg!" Selene argued, starting to feel more than a little stressed. “Who the hell is going to be my Priest if Linden is out of action? There’s no one else I’ve worked with enough to even have a connection with let alone one enough to raise the power needed for the circle.”
“Don’t you worry your head about it,” Vera snapped, tugging violently on Selene’s arm, yanking her down in a chair where she sat as still as a statue, allowing the old lady to attack her hair. “Tanzi said she had a plan, so give her some time to see what she can pull out of her arse before you start your panic flapping.”
“But there isn’t anyone here,” Selene argued. “Why don’t we let Tanzi take my place, she’s worked with far more people than I have, she'd know how to work their energy better than me.”
“Because it’s your role, that’s why.”
“But I- OW!”
Vera pulled the brush back like she might donk Selene on the head again.
“We’ll have none of that negativity, my girl, I taught you better than that. You know negativity before a circle is a no no. Just trust the Gods, trust they have a plan and a reason.”
“Linden won’t like that he was part of whatever plan they supposedly had,” Selene grumbled but stayed still as Vera slapped a flower crown on her head and set to work curling her hair around it.
"Well, it's not like he has a say in it now, is it?"
-x-
“I feel ridiculous,” John complained as Tanzi straightened his tunic, giving him the once over.
“Oh hush, you look gorgeous, she’s gonna shit a brick when she sees you.”
“I swear, if anyone even dares to take a picture I’ll make sure that they never get an internet connection again for the rest of their lives,” John threatened, wincing as Tanzi grabbed a comb and a pair of scissors to start attacking his hair. "Are you sure this is completely necessary?"
"Oh yes, very necessary, you have to dress the part, besides, it'll be worth it, you'll thank me later," Tanzi grinned admiring her handiwork. "That bitch is gonna send me a gift basket for making you look so good."
"And there's really no one else to do it?"
"No, I already told you. Linden is out of action and it's been years since she's worked with anyone close enough to lead a ritual with them. You're bonded to her, you're basically her familiar, you're the perfect solution. Don't worry, it'll be fine, believe it or not she does know what she's doing, she won't let you mess up."
"I never thought for a moment that she wouldn't be completely capable and in control, she always is. She may seem flighty but-"
"You don't have to tell me," Tanzi interrupted, patting his shoulder. "I've known her since she entered the craft, in fact I think tonight will be quite eye opening for you. You've never seen her in a ritual before, have you?"
John shook his head.
"Then you're in for a treat, she's a natural performer as well as a talented witch."
"My wife with a penchant for dramatic performance? Never."
Tanzi sniggered under her breath but declined to comment, focusing her attention on the back of his head as she worked.
"Are you sure this is all I have to do?" John asked, unfolding the instructions he'd been given and reading them through again. They seemed simple enough, follow Selene, stand where he was told, do as she directed and only speak when she spoke to him first or asked him a question, it sounded like a standard social event to him.
"Yep. You've got your part of the performance there too, just make sure you give Sel her part."
"Tell me again why we aren't warning her about this?"
"Because I want to see the look on her face," Tanzi shrugged. "I'm old, I have to get my kicks somewhere."
John snorted out a laugh. "Don't let my Grandma hear you complaining about being old, she gets very defensive when anyone under sixty even dares to mention they have a wrinkle."
"Good job I'm over 60 then," Tanzi answered distractedly, tugging at the side of his head as she tried to wrestle his hair into submission. He resisted the urge to flinch and instead focused on her words.
"Sure you are, and I'm planning a career change to become a game show host." The woman didn't look any older than he did, let alone old enough to appease his Grandma.
Tanzi grinned evilly. "Look me up if you don't believe me, but sit still while you do it."
For want of anything better to do John pulled out his phone and did as he was told. It took him less than two minutes and a tiny bit of government file delving to find the truth.
"There's only one Tanzanite Summerland, who is apparently seventy-eight years old."
Tanzi hummed a little sound of acknowledgement as she worked on his parting, trying to force his hair to lay in a way that didn't come naturally to it. "Why won't your bloody hair stay where I put it?"
"Selene asks the same thing, I gave up trying to change it years ago and just work with it, but don't think I don't know you're trying to change the subject," he retorted, on to her game.
She huffed, giving up on the parting, deciding to work with what she had, smoothing it back into place instead. "I'm mated to a full bloodied Shifter, Nikos is 297."
"He's what?" John spluttered, turning to look at her. "That's impossible."
"Dude, you turn into a cat, nothing should be impossible to you," she drawled, her tone implying she thought he was being particularly dense as she grabbed his head and turned it to face forward. "Avery is 413."
"Avery too? What does he turn into?"
"Nothing, though I'm sure he'd love to embrace the bat cliché if he could."
"Bat? Why would h-"
Tanzi raised her curved fingers to her mouth in a crude depiction of fangs and hissed.
John's eyes widened.
Tanzi nodded. "Yeah, and he's still not matured into a fully functioning adult, he'd be lost without my sister, I swear. Now, you've got your words, I've done the best I can with your hair, I think you're good to go."
"What? No! I've got questions, you can't just dump this kind of information on me and expect me to just accept it. I need answers."
"No time my friend, chop chop, it's getting dark, move your arse, your wife's waiting."
-x-
"Seriously?"
Selene couldn't have been more shocked if Tanzi had produced a monkey from her pocket to slap her around the face.
"You think John is the solution to our problem? How? Why? He hates people!"
"Oh hush," Tanzi soothed, brushing away her concerns. "He'll be fine, it's only a little ritual-"
"Little? There's a hundred and fifty people out there joining in!"
"In at the deep end," Tanzi shrugged, "he married a witch, he's gotta learn sometime. He said he'd do it."
"But why him? Is there really no one else?" Selene fretted, more worried about her husband's social anxiety than the ritual itself. "Can't you do it?"
"Nope, you're our poster child, you're the one they came to see, we can't let them down. He's the only person here with a connection to you that won't dull your energy. You know a Priest is supposed to enhance it, not drain it."
Selene wanted to argue, but her friend did make a good point, not that she wanted to admit it. She had worked with John in little ways before, working on his intuition and raising his personal power quicker and easier before each shift he attempted; it really wouldn’t be that much different for him, you know, apart from all the people staring at him.
“Fuck it, we’ll make it work,” Selene huffed. “Did you at least prepare him, even a little? Gods, he’s never going to leave my side again after this. I walked away for an hour and he was drafted.”
“Of course I prepared him, I gave him a script and everything,” Tanzi promised her, crossing her heart.
“Which script?” Selene asked suspiciously.
“This one,” Tanzi grinned, handing Selene a book of Shadows already opened on a page.
Selene quickly scanned through the pages, recognising the revised ritual instantly.
“I’m going to make a few adjustments,” she stated in a tone that allowed no arguments.
“Wouldn’t expect anything less,” Tanzi assured her, knowing that she had won that round.
“Fine,” Selene sighed, checking the time. “Then I guess I'm ready.”
“Good, let’s go,” Tanzi said, draping a cloak around Selene’s shoulders.
“Hang on, where’s my chapstick?”
“Do you really need it?” Tanzi asked, desperate to get the other woman moving.
“Yes, I do, especially as I have a lot of foreheads to kiss out there,” Selene answered, already scrabbling through her bag looking for the elusive little tube.
“Where the hell is the bloody...Oh, thanks, babe,” she said in response to the chapstick that appeared in her line of sight, recognising the ring on the hand that held it. She took the stick and slicked on a generous amount, making fish out of water noises at her reflection in the mirror before turning around. She stumbled, reaching blindly behind her for something to hold on to, because praise be to every single deity for the God that was her husband.
“Holy shitballs Batman!”
“See, I look stupid!” John huffed, his cheeks burning. He should never have let himself be talked into it.
“Rubbish,” Tanzi scoffed.
“Wow,” Selene breathed, seemingly unable to form any full sentences.
“Told you she’d like it,” Tanzi grinned.
“What...I mean...how the...my Gods,” she breathed, unable to tear her eyes away from the pure gorgeousness she was seeing. Her eyes kept darting to a new part of him, there was simply too much beauty to take in in one go. “Wow.”
“Yes, I am a miracle worker, I know this,” Tanzi preened, brushing a non-existent speck of dirt off his shoulder.
“Is that a wig?”
“Clip in extensions.”
“My Gods,” Selene whispered again. John’s hair was now brushing his shoulders, falling in shimmering red waves that perfectly matched his own colour. His usual side parting had been maintained, the extensions having obviously been trimmed to blend in with his forelock, which somehow made it look less alien on him. Her fingers itched to run through all that silky looking hair and she actually reached out a hand but Tanzi slapped it down.
He was dressed in a black shirt with loose fitted sleeves that laced up across his chest under a dark forest green tunic. His legs were encased in black leggings and dark brown lace up boots that came up to just below his knees. He had a black cloak over one arm and a metal headpiece that encircled his head looking rather like a crown. But it was the pointed ears that peeked out from his hair that really pulled the whole look together.
“Fuck...me,” Selene was absolutely stunned, taking a few steps towards him, wanting to be close, to touch, to kiss...
“Later,” Tanzi ordered. “You two have to get moving, I can hear the drums already.”
Snapping out of her dazzling husband induced daze, Selene grabbed a sword that had been laying on a table in one hand and reached for his hand with the other.
If John felt nervous dressed in his ridiculous costume, it was nothing compared to how Selene seemed to be feeling. He could feel her hand shaking in his and hear the way she kept sucking in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.
He wanted to say something to make it better, but knew that in times like these words made very little difference to her. Instead he repositioned her hand in his, linking their fingers and giving it a comforting squeeze. She looked different tonight, he’d seen her in ritual robes before, but this time she had replaced the dramatic makeup she had been wearing earlier with something much more subtle. She looked younger, less sure of herself, with pale golden eyeshadow, pink blushed cheeks and no lipstick, maybe that was part of the reason that she looked a little less confident than normal.
They waited just outside the perimeter that had been marked out for the circle, around which a ring of people stood, others seated in little huddles on blankets, obviously not part of the actual ritual but wishing to observe. The whole clearing was lit up by the crackling flames of a large bonfire, which warmed the chill air to a more pleasant temperature now that the sun had gone down, taking its heat with it.
The drumming that had been growing louder with each passing moment reached its crescendo and abruptly stopped. He felt her stiffen and heard her inhale deeply once more, holding it for the count of five before letting it out slowly.
“Show time,” she whispered, more to herself than to him. “Just follow my lead, babe, I won’t let you down.”
“I know,” he assured her, bringing her hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
Link to Ao3
#john tracy#selene tempest#thunderbirds are go#thunderbirds#thunderbirds 2015#witch#thunderbirds fanfiction#paranormalromance#thunderbirdsarego
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“Game On” Riley Poole x Reader
(A/N: SURPRISE! A prequel to the Riley Poole x Reader Series! It’s a surprise for me too. Welcome to Ben Gates’ circle of friends prior to going to the Arctic Circle to find The Charlotte. This can be read without having read the series that goes through the movie National Treasure. Written for @girl-next-door-writes Bingo challenge!
Bingo Card: Mutual Pining
Warnings: Poker game.
Word Count: 2,472 words)
Strategy. Confidence. Restraint. Three words perfectly fit the poker game on Ben’s dining table. Ever since your best friend had met Ian Howe, a man who believed in the Templar treasure and had pockets of money, the group of you had played poker on weekends. Not every weekend of course. There were only so many rounds of bets you were willing to have. Even if this time you brought cookies for a snack.
Although in truth, you had been playing more for a few months and sitting through more games than otherwise willing. Why? An incredibly intelligent, funny, and handsome man who was officially a part of Ben’s circle of friends.
Riley Poole. Thank the Universe that you helped Ben with his computer, you thought as you stole a glance to your right. Didn’t think I’d be having this much fun.
Sitting in your best friends’ apartment was a greater comfort than Ian’s home. Sure, you’d known the man for more than a year, but Ben had been your friend since you were in school. Around a decade of friendship meant you knew him. You knew him well.
“Ben,” you said calmly.
“Hmm?”
“You’re bluffing again.”
Ben’s eyebrows raised a fraction before speaking. “I fold.”
In only a moment, Ian chuckled.
“You might not be the best player,” Ian told you. “But you can read Ben like a book.” His chuckling doubled as Ben made a face.
“Maybe we should return (Y/N)’s library card.” Ben suggested with a smirk.
You scrunched up your face in disapproval.
“Yeah, but they can still buy books and stay in a library to read them.” Riley piped in.
You sent Riley a smile and pushed a box of crackers closer to him.
“Alright,” Ian spoke up. “Can either of you beat a Four of a Kind? Riley?”
Biting into a cracker, Riley shook his head and laid his cards down. “I fold.”
“(Y/N)?”
“No,” you grumbled. “I fold.” Reluctantly, you set your cards down.
He’s gonna start prancing his way out by the time we’re done.
Shoulders back and a smug grin on his face, Ian revealed his cards. A three, a nine, a queen, and a king.
“What?” Riley exclaimed.
You dropped your forehead to the table.
Not again.
“They’re not even the same suit. You lied.”
“I win again.” Ian stated as the poker chips could be heard being pulled to his side of the table.
“Next time we’re playing Mario Party,” you groaned as you picked your head up off of the table.
“I am not playing that.”
“Afraid you’ll lose?” You countered.
“No. I simply don’t want to play.”
You made a short sound of acknowledgement in your throat.
“You have a Nintendo 64?” Riley asked as everyone tossed their cards to the middle so that Ben could take his turn to shuffle and deal.
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t know you had one. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You never asked.”
“How was I suppose to know to ask if you had one?”
“Conversation?”
“Save the bickering for the game, shall we?” Ian interrupted without glancing up.
You gave the man a pointed look.
It was times like those that you weren’t entirely sure if he was playing along or actually annoyed. There were times when you honestly could not tell.
Worse case scenario, he’s always annoyed with me and Riley talking. He’s usually not this way when it’s just me and Ben.
Having finished shuffling the deck, Ben dealt the cards out to each of you.
“As a head’s up, this is my last game.” You said after checking the time.
“You’re not working overtime again, are you?” Ben asked.
“No.”
“(Y/N)…”
“I have to double check an e-mail and double check a few things. Respond to a few more e-mails. Stuff.”
“That’s working.” Riley said.
“I know. I know.”
“At least you’re making sure everything is done properly. Some times that’s hard to find in some people.” Ian added.
“Thank you.” You reached for a cookie and—
Crunch
You peered over to your right and saw Riley’s eyebrows knitted together as he ate another cracker. His eyes were trained just above his cards.
That was a little louder than normal, you thought as you ate the cookie. Mentally shrugging, you checked out your cards. Oh, okay. Not bad so far. Hmm.
“Any chance next time we could play Twenty-One?” You asked.
“Blackjack?” Riley nabbed a cookie.
“Yeah. Though if Ben says ‘no’ he indirectly admits his many defeats.”
“Hey. That’s a game of chance.” Ben pointed a finger at you.
“And strategy.” You added.
“It is older than Poker.” Ian said as he waited for Ben to add more cards to the table.
Ben eyed his own cards. “You know,” he started. “Playing cards were actually invented before 1000AD by the Chinese. The cards didn’t have numbers…”
Turning your head to the right, you caught Riley’s eyes. You gave each other knowing looks as Ben continued giving facts. That could mean two things: Ben was confident or he had a pretty good hand of cards. If Ian had picked up on that through the many games, neither you nor Riley knew. However, you were willing to play more logically to win.
Game on, Ben.
Riley slid the box of crackers closer to you. The box was moved just enough that when you leaned back, Riley subtly tilted his cards.
You had a better cards. You took two crackers and gave one to Riley. He returned his sights back to the center of the table with a nod.
Now to figure out Ian and Ben. Can’t always let one of them win.
“Riley.” Ben said.
“Hm? What?”
“Your turn.”
“Oh, right.”
You reached for more crackers to munch on as the four of you continued playing. Looking up for only a second, you saw Ben smiling and his smile only widened when he caught your eye. You raised an eyebrow in question. He glanced over to Riley then back at you. Acting on immediate reaction, you tossed a cracker at your best friend’s chest. Unfortunately he didn’t drop any of his cards so that you could see them.
Stop it, you thought. Too bad we don’t have telepathy. Then again, that could backfire with comments, but we could team up during poker. Also would save money on the phone bill. Hmph.
With more cards in your hands, your chances of winning were dwindling. It was not a big deal. But you really wanted to win.
Darn it.
“(Y/N), I hope you’re better at bluffing than giving instructions over e-mail.” Riley said, catching you off guard.
“Wha—Hey.” You pulled your cards closer to yourself. “It’s not my fault they don’t know what the icons mean.”
“You should have explained that first.”
“I’m not Internet one oh one.”
Ian rolled his eyes. “Can we get back to the game?”
Hiding your smile as you ducked your head, you muttered, “We already went over this.”
“Bluff.” Riley murmured.
Ben cleared his throat and said, “Your turn, Riley.”
That e-mail was likely not going to be easily forgotten. Then again, it did remind you that a specific e-mail, from the same co-worker, had finally been sent to you earlier in the day.
Could have had it done last week.
A couple of days ago, you had given Riley a personal museum tour and treated him to lunch in exchange for helping you type up an e-mail explaining how to send a document as an attachment to a co-worker. It wasn’t that you didn’t know how to send the e-mail. It was that you didn’t know how to explain it for the third time. Or rather how to explain it in a way that the co-worker would understand the instructions given.
The game went on for another ten minutes until Ian and Riley were at a showdown. Ben and yourself had folded, knowing you were both beaten.
“Alright, show your hand.” Ian said confidently.
Both men turned their cards face up. A Three of a Kind versus a Flush. Riley won the game.
“Aaaay!” You patted Riley’s arm repeatedly for more than a moment.
Riley shuffled a bit in his seat before sitting a little taller.
“Good game.” Ian pushed his cards away.
“Good job, Riley.” Ben congratulated his friend.
Pulling the chips to his side, Riley grinned. Victory was sweet at times.
“Hey, sorry to cut this short, but I have to get going.” You stood from your seat and grabbed your plastic container of cookies to seal them.
Can snack on the cookies later, you thought as you smoothly placed one in front of Riley. He won. Prize given.
You pushed in your chair.
“I-uh better go too,” Riley said. “I don’t know how traffic is going to be. It’s dark.”
“Okay, Riley,” Ben replied. “Don’t forget your jacket.”
“Thanks.”
You walked passed Ian, saying, “Any chance you can teach Ben to bluff?”
“Not something you can teach.” Ian answered as he gathered up the cards.
“I don’t need to bluff to win.” Ben added in as he lead you and Riley to the door. Always the nice host.
“Bye Ian,” you waved.
“I’ll see you two later.” Riley said.
“Drive safely.” Ben patted his friend on the shoulder.
“Don’t stay up too late, Ben,” you teased as you walked out the door.
“Bye, (Y/N).” He laughed. Behind you, Ben had shut the door as Riley followed you out.
Two steps away from the door and Riley walked up beside you.
“I can’t believe how many times Ian bluffed.” Riley said. “He must have taken almost half of the chips.”
“I’d say I’m surprised, but I’m not.”
He nodded. Many thoughts running through his head no doubt.
“You didn’t do so bad today,” you added.
“I could have been better. I just can’t tell when Ian’s lying or confident or confident in his lying.”
“There’s little difference.” You murmured as you two reached your apartment’s door. Stopping for a moment, you considered your next words.
Eh. Do it.
“Remember that e-mail you helped me with?”
“Yeah.”
“Would you like to see what they e-mailed me back?”
“How bad is it?” His shoulders slumped.
“What makes you think it’s bad?”
“Because you’re asking if I want to see it and you’re already laughing.”
Oh, I guess I am. You thought as your grin widened.
“You’re right. It’s pretty bad. In a really weird way.”
“Great,” he said sarcastically. A small smile edged its way onto his face. “Let me see it.”
Turning, you quickly grabbed your key and unlocked the front door. Once you pushed it open, you let Riley inside.
“Just give me a second to grab my computer.” You said.
Front door shut and cookies placed on a flat surface, you fast-walked to another room to grab your laptop.
It was not the first time Riley had been in your apartment. It was not even the only time he had been in your home without Ben present. As it turned out, you had made friends with Riley almost as fast as Ben did. There was something that just clicked. Similar interests, shared knowledge, and good old companionship that was refreshing.
Walking out of your room, you spotted Riley sitting on your couch with his glasses on. Your laptop was already up and loading your e-mails.
“Ready?” You asked.
“They didn’t put any attachments, did they?” Riley watched as you placed the computer on the coffee table.
“You’ll have to see.” You sat beside him.
A couple of clicks and you had opened the message from your inbox.
“Hey. There’s actual attachments,” Riley observed as he scrolled to the bottom of the e-mail. “Uh. Um. Were they only suppose to send you the documents?”
“Yeah.” You nodded and bit back a grin. “Click on that one.”
He clicked on the one that had caught his eye.
A large picture of a large cat lounging on an armchair filled up a part of the screen.
“Holy Lord.” Riley looked to you. “Please tell me not all of these are cats.”
“Just two cats.”
Riley groaned.
“I got the other ones they needed to send. Thankfully. I’ve been needing these possible layouts for the next exhibition for a week now.”
“We’re going to have to teach them how to remove an attachment before sending an e-mail now.”
It was your time to groan.
“You don’t want them sending Lord knows what else next time, do you?”
“No.” You sighed. “But…that means I have to mention the cats.”
The moment Riley made eye contact with you, you both started bursted out laughing.
Out of all things to send you, they sent you pictures of cats. Perhaps you should be thankful it was not anything else. Who knew at that point? The question at hand was how to word your next e-mail? It was suppose to be a follow-up message about which layout of the museum space was better not another how-to.
“I’m getting paid to say, ‘delete your cat photos…from the e-mail’.” You wheezed. Trying to breath between laughing and speaking was challenging.
“Maybe….maybe send two e-mails?” Riley’s grin was still present. “One for work and one for clicking the small ‘x’.”
“Yeah, but at this point you should be charging them for tech support.”
“Put that in your next e-mail.”
You bumped his arm with your own.
“Just saying.”
“If they ask for more help I’ll let them know. How’s that?”
“I’ll get the documents ready.”
You covered your mouth as loud laugh escaped you.
Oh goodness. I hope he’ll do it anyway.
Smile only partially fading, Riley gestured to the laptop. “Let me know if their lack of technology skills makes your instruction skills disappear again. But not on your day off.” He removed his glasses and stood up.
You followed suit and walked him to the door.
“You really shouldn’t put in more hours than they’re paying you.”
“I want the new exhibition to be perfect.” You added as you leaned against the opened door. “But you’re right.”
“Can’t work for nothing. Especially when you’re suddenly working free tech support.” He stood out in the hallway.
“Hey,” you said. “Thanks for hanging out today. It was really fun.”
A smile returned to his lips. “I had fun too.”
“Drive safely, alright?”
“I will. See you later.”
“See yah, Riley.” You waved before finally shutting the door. With a lopsided grin, you locked the door and skipped over towards the cookies. Perhaps your winnings will be more than chips won in a poker game some day. Maybe something a little more meaningful.
~~~
(If you love my writings and want to support me, I have a Ko-Fi where you can buy me a coffee. I would be eternally grateful.
Best wishes and happy reading.)
~~~~~
DreamerDragon Tags: @cubedtriangle
Riley Poole Tags: @darkenwolfy @wesleeporstudy @yearning-warmth
Riley Poole series Tags (Would you like to be added to Riley Poole Tags?): @imacuteprincess @gingerlaserbeam @sledgy14 @thecaptainsgingersnap
**Let me know if you would like to be tagged in insert readers, either through replies, ask, or message.**
#Riley Poole#Riley Poole x Reader#Girl Next Door's Make Me Feel Bingo#National Treasure fanfiction#Riley Poole imagines#where dreamers go#national treasure#Ben Gates#Ian Howe
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Life Update
Hey all, so I pretty much vanished off the internet for the past few months (whoops sorry about that) but things have been crazy irl! Here’s a bit of a summary for those who were wondering what happened to me:
So, for context sake a few fun facts about me. I work as a night auditor at a hotel and have done so since August 2019, I graduated Uni with a degree in Justice Studies in 2018, and I have several minor but chronic health issues that lead to me being very low energy-ie having less spoons than a normal person and needing more sleep.
Aside from the issues already inherent with 2020′s....everything we had several more personal issues at my (I say my because I work there) motel. Mainly around staffing, and especially around night audit staffing.
Since I was hired we’ve gone through 5 or 6 other night auditors (I think? maybe more). And they often.....quit with barely any notice. So, being our only consistent night auditor I’ve been called in last minute several times over the past year leading to 6 or even 7 day weeks. (Not Fun!)
Even when we have had another trained night auditor with us they often also do day shifts since we only need them for 2 nights a week. Turn over for day-shift people has been barely lower than turn over for night shift, which has led to them having to be called in last minute to cover day shifts when people left which means I also had to be called in last minute to cover the night shifts they were no longer able to do, leading to us all working 6 or even 7 day weeks (Super Not Fun!)
In summary: I’ve worked more overtime days than I have had vacation days in this last year. Heck, the last time I tried to go on vacation for like 5 days I got called in every other day and my boss (our regional manager) paid me double for the shifts I worked and refused to touch my vacation pay because even he acknowledged that was in no way a real vacation at that point (this was at the beginning of September btw...)
This was all compounded when our general manager (gm) left in late July. Her reason for leaving was super fair since she got a better job offer, similar pay to what she was making, less work since she would no longer have to do all the duties our boss should have been doing but was instead pushing off unto her. Super sad to see her go but wished her the best (still miss her) :(
This left our under manager (gsm) and me as the main people in the hotel (ie those who have been there the longest, only the gsm and housekeepers had been there longer than I had at that point-and I had not even reached my 1 year yet). Which, not super great, but the other people we had were okay so we would manage. So the gsm and I held things together and started basically running the hotel (shout out to the gsm here because I love her and she is actually like 5 years younger than me but has accomplished so much more, I am in constant awe of her tbh). Our boss (who is....kind of dumb sometimes) realized this. We became his golden girls (he plays favorites hard).
It is at that point that someone above our boss’s level in the company (he’s in charge locally, but we do belong to a large corporation, ah capitalism) hired disaster #1 as our first new gm. Disaster #1 was creepily cheerful and utterly dismayed to find out his job actually involved him doing work! Like working at the front desk during his shifts and doing manager stuff instead of it just being him sitting in the back looking important and giving us encouragement occasionally. He payed no attention to his training. He did very little of his basic work let alone the manager stuff. He took credit and praised “the team” whenever something went right and pushed blame off him unto everyone else as hard as he could when something went wrong (I once pointed out he forgot to do something and he legit said to me “can you prove it was me?” I said “yes” very firmly.)
Now, as the auditor my job is to spot, point out, and fix errors. He hated coming in to to work after me because I spotted and pointed out everything he missed or did incorrectly. At first just because I happened to notice them. Then it became personal, he cornered me one morning at shift change and told me that he dreaded coming in to work after me because I was always so critical, and he had so much to do during his shifts other than just front desk stuff (he did not, most of the “manager” stuff he was even trained in doing at this point he shoved off unto the gsm) he then disparaged the gsm. I was done, I was pissed (you do not say mean things about my gsm, nope, not okay, I will cut and slab you*) and kind of hurt (why are you taking my corrections as personal attacks? Why are you saying I’m mean for doing my job?) So, if he wanted to make it personal I decided to make it personal and made it my mission to find and point out everything he did wrong, no more overlooking small things as I had been. The pressure of actually having to work made him quit (shocking, not!).
It was also around this time that I signed up for an LSAT prep course. Because I hate myself and now that I’ve been working for a couple years and have some money saved up I want to follow through on my plan to get either a Law Degree or a Masters Degree and so am working on taking the LSAT and applying to law schools. No, studying has not been going well, time and energy have also been preventing that.
Fast forward a couple months and 2 of our best employees went on holiday (one they had scheduled months before). It’s the start of January, they will be gone for two months. In that time our boss had hired our next gm, idiot #2. Just as these two leave the other front desk person we’d been training quits with no notice. We are short staffed....again (yay more 6 and 7 day weeks, ack). To fill in this gap our boss brings in idiot #3 from one of the other 2 hotels in the area our company owns.
Idiot #2 is semi okay, he is not manager material, even months after he was hired to be gm he does not have the training and is basically just a front desk agent. He is bad about doing things himself unless you specifically direct him to with very clear instructions, but he can do the minimum (although he failed the coffee test. After idiot #1 I wrote out very, VERY specific instructions for how to clean our coffee station....he is not able to follow them. The gsm and I joked about the coffee test after I first wrote the instructions, that someone actually failed it....we despair). So, he does not think ahead, do any extra, or solve many problems but at least he rarely creates problems.
This brings us to idiot #3. I do not know what goes on in his head (very little likely) but man oh man. Some examples: the time he-after being asked like 4 times-actually sign off on the checklist after cleaning the laundry room (as everyone is supposed to once a shift) but did so in sharpie instead of one of the many dry-erase markers left around the front desk for no other reason than the clearly laminated sign off sheet. Or the time he decided on his own to give someone a satisfaction refund, far larger than it should have been (which only managers and those with special permission can do in any of the hotels, so he should know better but somehow....)
We have a book for front desk to write messages on about issues for the next people. Usually we have a note or two on any given day. Pretty much every day he worked it was full and even going onto the next page. Idk how, it’s like he touched something and issues sprung up. and Guess who got to be the one to fix all of them (woooo).
For the past few weeks I have had 2 days a week where the only people who worked were me and idiots #2 and #3. It’s been horrible. In addition, my days off were changed for these months so I haven’t been able to meet my one bubble inclusive friend to vent like we usually do once a week, because that time no longer fit in my schedule. I have been living in exhaustive hell for the past couple months, and even before that as I tried to lighten the gsm’s load as much as I could as she took on a lot of the gm stuff. My house is a mess, tbh my life is a mess because work has left me so tired and stressed that I basically get home, shower, collapse onto bed, read a bit, sleep, wake-up, find some sort of food, get ready for work, go to work, and repeat. Even on my days off I’m sleeping 75% of the time and resting to try and shore up my spoons (of which I already have fewer than most people) to get through the work week.
tl;dr Due to ridiculousness I ended up unofficially co-running a hotel and it’s sucked up so much of my energy that all my free time is pretty much spent sleeping just to ensure I’m able to get through my work weeks semi-functionally. Everything about my life has been a mess, to the point where I’m legit not sure how I’ve been keeping myself fed, clean, on meds and just generally....alive.
#personal#emi says#life update#about my 2020 and early 2021#it's been hell#and not for the usual reasons#no#I'm not okay#but that's fine#that's pretty normal at this point tbh
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Written panel of Guillermo Rojas (Dean Winchester’s voice actor):
Note: I’m not fluent in spanish, but my native language is portuguese and I could understand a lot from what he said. I hope this clarifies more things in this fandom, because everyday a new thing comes up and we try not to panic.
What it’s not here, it’s because I didn’t understand enough to write something coherent, but I tried my best. I hope y’all like it.
Ada: He's been a voice actor from season 12 to episode 15x18. He tells us that unfortunately he got covid in the last 2 episodes and he understands that he will have to record the [last] episodes again. Let's start with the easier questions, because I don't know if you guys know, but the Mexican dubbing ‘broke the internet.’
Guillermo: Yes, I’m sorry I couldn’t answer all your questions, but I was in the middle phase of covid, with a tracheal symptom that didn’t allow me to speak. Now I’m working with therapy. Apparently, I have two sequels. One is bad and the second is not. So I couldn't answer everyone I was looking on the internet. On insta, facebook, youtube — A channel that I never updated — on the situation that happened with Dean and this other companion, right.
Ada: but let's start with other questions. Because you've worked on a lot of series, live-actions and animations. And the first question is “how different is the process of directing live-action and directing animation and which one do you prefer?
Guillermo: The process for each other is somewhat similar. Because we have a quality that we have to respect and give in this case.
Ada (translating what Guillermo said): The dialogues are given by the production house or as we call “the client”.
Guillermo: And in this case we have to pay attention to the alignments that they ask us, which depend a lot on the production we are working with.
(Ada repeats in English)
Guillermo: Yes, none of them are the same. It would be lying because we could have two live-actions and they’re not the same alignments. These are basic points that we need to follow.
Ada: (speaks very similarly and says): When you're acting, that's when the change comes.
Guillermo: The big difference that I can tell you would be the technical points to follow in each one of them. The question would be authorial, in this case. And what gives 100% of each one of us.
Ada: Ok, next question. What is your favorite role you've played and why?
Guillermo: I believe that the first one I can tell you — today it’s not the most and I will say why — It remains Kiefer Sutherland / Jack Bauer 24h. First, because it has a very beautiful story of how I stayed with (Jack Bauer?). Basically, I was directing the dubbing in the country and the idea was that I shouldn’t do it because I had many directions, but in the end we continued to record through the years because the people listened to me. And then I worked extra hours.
(Ada says in english that they managed to organize themselves).
Ada: So they paid you more?
Guillermo: No.
Ada (About Guillermo): They pay me more because I work more, but not for extra hours. It was my first leading role. It was not worth losing it.
Guillermo: I have worked for 25 years with voice acting in all areas. I'm an audio engineer. I work as an audio engineer, as a post-audio producer, as a talent director and as a talent.
(Ada repeats in English)
Guillermo: [...] very complicated content because it was a lot. Record, edit, direct and be there.
(Ada repeats in english and congratulates him)
Guillermo: Yes, it will be many years for me. I do audio production and post production of audio and video. And a friend one day; and it was because one day we went to eat. I don't remember the day, and he said “You don't work, you play(?)—” and it's true, I like what I do. But if you ask me which character I liked the most, today, it would be the 911, the Fox series that is just being produced if I'm not mistaken for the fourth or fifth season. A team of firefighters, and just from recording, my tears fall with the empathy that the production brings, but the acting has an impressive ending.
He says something about authorial issues to feel empathy with Peter Krause.
And he talks about the director having an impressive drive not only to direct, but to adapt dialogues and there’s a synergy working on this TV show.
He says something about the director supporting him and giving him characters and that he really enjoy doing because the director gives him a certain freedom to act and that allows him to feel the character and that he loves to work with him.
Ada: In the dubbing process, do you try to get clues or directions of performance from the original script and if you do it do you feel limiting or try to get your own inspiration from the dialogues?
Guillermo: I think there is a bit of both in that last question. Original alignment would be to follow what we are seeing as performance. Remember that dubbing has been a part of it— we must make a parallel alignment with the language.
Ada (repeats): A parallel work with the original.
Guilhermo: So the initial alignments we try to expand all the possibilities and all the alignments that authorially they allow us to practically give 100% of us. So the limit wouldn't always exist, I mean here in Mexico, at least.
Ada (referring to what Guilhermo said): We follow the instructions, we follow the original voice, there are no limits, as long as we don't — as we say here in Mexico — don't pee outside the toilet. The instructions are very clear.
Ada: Since you mentioned the paths and as I mentioned at the beginning, I have a question. What was the guide in this latest supernatural dialogue that broke the internet?
Guillermo: It’s a curious thing, because no director or server had so much idea of the trend that was there because in the information they said previously, we didn't know that something like this could happen.
Ada says something about his birthday being last week because Guilhermo is eating a cake (?) and she asks us to say congratulations to him and he thanks her.
Guillermo: So it was sincere when we recorded. So we were like, "What happened?" We did that, but we saw nothing of the others in the production. (I think he's referring to nobody saying anything) and not even after the recording that this could happen.
Ada: And here I have to make a change because it’s obvious that we are referring to Castiel declaring himself to Dean after twelve intense years, but the question is Dean's answer, because everyone heard very clearly “Y yo a ti”.
Guillermo: Y yo a ti. Yes.
Ada: Where did that “Y yo a ti” come from?
Guillermo: The adaptation was entirely from my director. The adaptation lineup was his and I said what he asked me.
Ada (about Guillermo): I asked him about the “i love you”, I know that Tumblr was waiting for this moment. It was the director's adaptation, he gave me the instructions, it was his fault.
Guillermo: But we all love it. Everything enchanted us. We have never heard it come so directly. If we remember well, throughout all the seasons, we hardly see a story in which Dean finds himself really in love with a woman. It didn’t happen. Unlike his brother.
Ada: I will say more. A little bit ahead of his time.
Guillermo: Yes, but never able to separate from empathy in general. It never conflicted.
Ada (About Guillermo): It wasn't his [...]. We can compare Dean with his brother. We remember the relationship he had (Sam) the past two seasons. Eileen.
Guillermo: And it was quite intense and painful in the end. Dean basically didn't suffer that. (and he says something like the closest thing to Dean was when he lost his mother).
Ada: More than once. We have a question. So it’s not a rogue translator, but a rogue director?
Guillermo: [Adrian] Fogarty has a tendency, he has very intense skills. And one of them is to adapt dialogues. You see Fogarty's work when they translate it and you have time to do it. Even if you’re not directing [...] in spanish. And in the script, if I don't forget, it said “también yo” or something like that and then we changed to "Y yo a ti".
Ada (about what he said): Because of the movement of the lips and other things. I can explain as a translator, my absolute hatred for lip sync.
Guillermo: This part is an important topic, but nowadays with the speed of production we have, it’s difficult to pay attention to this part, but we should. And in that sense, specifically, we don't have this ability to adapt like that. When we put our skills together [...] Fogarty does his job. There’s a Fogarty in every company.
(Ada talks about her cat that showed up).
Ada: This is my cat. He's a huge Dean Winchester’s fan. But he gets irritated with Sam.
(Guillermo asks why).
Ada: I don't know.
She talks about muting (?) the episodes (in spanish and english) in Sam's parts or the cat gets irritated and that he already stole Sam's Funko arm. She talks about getting funkos for Guillermo. He didn't know about them.
Ada: They are asking a lot if you know what Dean said in the original script before Fogarty changed it?
Guillermo: It was something like that. It was totally correct, clearly. It was something “Yo también, también yo” something like that.
(My note: I have to say that I think Guillermo thought it was about the spanish script here).
Ada: Did you hear the original when you were dubbing?
Guillermo: Yes, of course.
Ada: And do you remember hearing in English "I love you too"?
Guillermo: No.
(Ada says that supernatural has a very intense and real fandom, as he can see).
Ada: What was your favorite dubbing episode?
Guillermo: With my short-term memory, the latter.
(Ada repeats in english)
Guillermo: It's because it says a lot. In one scene it said it all. So it’s impressively very beautiful. I will never forget.
Ada tells him that in the episode after Castiel, Dean finally has a dog. Guillermo is surprised and says "He finally has one" and Ada says that the dog is called Miracle.
Ada: We have a question. Before you started working with supernatural, had you seen the TV show?
Guillermo: Yes. Before I started working with supernatural, I was watching between season 5 to 7. I watched at midnight and I was scared. I lived in a house that was kind of an abandoned house so there were some strange noises.
(Guillermo says he heard the original Dean's voice actor from that time).
Ada: They’re asking if the original script said anything about Dean's feelings for Cas or was it all put up by Fogarty?
Guillermo: In the original we received there was no indication that Dean was in love, or that he corresponded, that I know of. That line was what launched the whole series. We didn't see it coming.
Ada (adding): It was the director because that was what made sense.
Guillermo: I looked on the internet so many questions about what happened. And yes, both the director and the writer decided to take a very hidden trend between the two of them in various takes and very sensitive dialogues, to satiate that ‘we’ have feelings for each other’, but it was so tenuous that they hardly noticed anything.
Ada says that it was the director in English, who took this sensitive and subtle path. And he says that this brings to the fact that he’s a heller.
(My note: Who didn’t notice? Warner? All of them? And I also think Ada said “in english” by mistake).
(Guillermo goes back to saying that he was taken by surprise).
Guillermo: Because all we saw was that to be a real man you have to be like Dean Winchester.
Ada: You’re going to break the internet again with this. (she repeats what he said and adds) And Dean Winchester is in love with Castiel.
Guillermo: And to me, it was beautiful. Because it's not about gender, it's about feelings. So it was a wonderful move by the writers. I didn't see it coming and still liked it.
Ada: I believe it was very beautiful. It was a play by the original american writers. That you didn't see it coming, but when you saw it, you liked it.
(My note: She said american writers, but why? Guillermo was talking about Fogarty’s script, wasn’t him?)
Ada: We have two questions. Was anything left out of the translation? (And Ada herself answers with) No. Nothing was left out of the translation.
Ada: Have you ever been called back to re-record the “Y yo a ti”?
Guillermo: No.
Ada: He was not asked to redo the dubbing.
Guillermo: It was clear to me that the director understood the perfect texture of this text.
Ada: I have a question. From experience, because at some point I wanted to dub, but also to translate dubbing, and I noticed a couple of very complicated dialogues [...]
Ada talks about how they had to change a line (the original was in Japanese) but they said it was for children so even if it was what the character said in the original, the company didn’t accept it.
Ada: So my question is, do you know if supernatural has quality control by Warner?
Guillermo: I would lie if I said yes. But I have worked for many years as a director and actor. Some materials like superheroes and things like that would fit in a title like this, but not supernatural. So the decisions and directions are all up to the director.
Ada: Did you act Dean like he was in love with Castiel all this time?
Guillermo: No. It was a surprise. I will be very sincere. For me to say to a very dear friend, to a very dear person, I’ll say "I love you."
Ada (adding): I have no problem.
Guillermo: So I didn't feel that way, I'm sincere.
Ada: You went that way, then said no.
(My note: Strange, uh?)
Guillermo (laughing): Yes, what happened?
Ada: Are you going to voice Jensen on The Boys?
Guillermo says nobody told him anything. That he’s practically being a month just virtually. So they don't have all the invitations.
(My note: I don’t know if this part is entirely correct, but that’s what I got).
Ada: He didn't receive the invitation because he had to spend a month away because of the covid. So he cannot speak to you.
Ada asks fans to write that they want Guillermo Rojas to dub Jensen Ackles on The boys.
Ada: You can do it. Start writing now.
Harlequin: Is Dean Winchester your favorite character to voice or is it another one?
Guillermo: No, no. [but] he's one of my favorites, of course.
(He talks about it being a spectacular job).
Ada: Are you on twitter?
Guillermo: Yes, but I don't use it very much. I like facebook more.
(My note: He scaped from us).
Ada: What is your opinion, now with everything you know, about Dean's declaration to Cas?
Guillermo: I love how they did it, because none of us saw it coming. And we recorded it. And I believe that of all the personality from what we have of the character, we can know that if there’s someone who keeps his feelings reclusive it’s Dean Winchester.
Ada asks about his coworker, Castiel's voice actor, if he knows his opinion.
Guillermo: I didn't see him. We don't see each other very much because the companies we work for don’t coincide much. He has already recorded with me in productions that I directed, but I haven't seen him in four months or more.
Ada says someone asked if he can do a “Hello, Cas” like Dean Winchester, to ease the pain of the finale.
Guillermo: Sure, why not. (he says “Hello, Cas”)
Ada: There you are, girls.
Guillermo says he has a friend who loves Dean, and she said he killed the character she loves most, because Dean has a thicker voice [in the original].
Guillermo says that if she doesn't like it, she should watch the original.
Carolina, friend of Guillermo, appears and Ada repeats the question.
Carolina says Dean Winchester is her boyfriend. And she says that after hearing the dubbing, she will never be able to see or hear Dean as her boyfriend anymore.
Guillermo playfully pushes Carolina off the screen.
Ada: Have you seen the end of the last episode?
Guillermo: No, I want to see it when I record it.
(My note: #PrayforGuillermo)
Ada starts talking about him recording a “Hola, Cas” and Guillermo asks “In what sense” and Ada says “When they meet after the declaration” Guillermo thinks it’s a spoiler and goes “They meet again?” and Ada says she will not give spoilers. Guillermo thought that Dean said "I love you" to Cas and Cas didn't come back from the empty and if Cas comes back, that's how he would say "Hola, Cas".
And Ada reminds him that in the first few seasons, Dean said to Cas “It's not for nothing, but the last person who looked at me like that, I got laid.”
Then she said that someone asked him to tell Cas the whole declaration of love, but Ada reiterated that they wouldn’t break the internet anymore.
Ada: They are asking you to be godfather of the fandom.
Guillermo: Of course.
Ada tells him that he’s the godfather now and asks him to leave a message for fans who are now discovering the mexican dubbing. He thanks us for being part of this. He says that they do this work with passion. And he thanked all the people from all countries who are watching this project.
Ada: With that in mind, as you didn't see the ending of supernatural, What’s your ideal ending for Dean Winchester?
Guillermo: I believe that for everyone, since they sacrificed their lives for their families once again, for the well-being and happiness of everyone, I believe that if someone deserves to be well, peaceful and happy, [it has to be] at least one of the three.
(Ada talks about Jack)
Guillermo: Jack has joined, but he can achieve his happiness at another nest.
They say goodbye. Guillermo wishes ‘Merry Christmas’.
The end.
#supernatural#guillermo rojas#panel guillermo#dean winchester#voice actor#destiel#deancas#spn 15x18#Sam Winchester#castiel#jack#spn#spn 15x19#spn season 16#spanish dub
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As Time Passes Prologue : My Brother, part 1
AO3 link ; Prologue 1 (The Estate)
A collection of scenes from Vinnie’s early life. From his younger years as a toddler to his last years as a teen. From a life of fear to a life of uncertainty. From an abused child relying on the only good people in his life to a young adult determined to make things right for them.
TRIGGER WARNING : child abuse, violence, depression, mentions of drug and alcohol, infidelity. Basically anything that goes with messed up abusive parents. And to that regard, this fic is NOT made to romanticize abuse or mental illness ! There’s also a moment in part 2 mentioning a dystopic future with the urbanization of the world and its consequences on every species (it’s only one part and you see it coming). This also means mentions of animal abuse and LITERAL animal genocide !!
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Notes : Well, this took 8 months longer than expected…
Seriously. I started working on this chapter BEFORE “The Estate”, only deciding later to start with Cav’s backstory because it makes more sense given what I intend to write for chapters 3 and 4.
Though, that chapter is very, VERY long so that also explains the delay. And even despite the size, I feel like I tried to cram in too much elements and underdeveloped some stuff as a result. Like, that whole thing could be a fic in itself if I had enough ideas to fill the holes there and there.
On a lighter note, during that “hiatus”, I read the book “Wanderers” by Chuck Wending and one interlude gave me the idea of putting dates at the beginning of each new part of the story, which is going to come in VERY HANDY for the story (also the fact that the fic is called “As Time Passes” makes it even better).
As for the chapter itself, let’s just say that, after giving an idea of what Cavendish’s life used to be, now it’s time to show Dakota’s. Though, this chapter will be much longer and goes onto basically his entire life before B.O.T.T.. There are also a lot of dark stuff (as said in the trigger warning) because apparently my brain still hasn’t gotten past that teenager need to make anything as messed up as possible.
Regarding the sibling OCs, fun fact : the idea of Dakota having older siblings came partly from Tumblr and partly from my wish to have Dakota be an uncle due to how much the guy seems to love kids (but I don’t see him have his own, for reason that will be talked about in the main fic). Then, while listening to random songs and coming up with Dakavendish animations in my head (yeah I’m THAT kind of weirdo), I ended up listening to “A Guy Like You” from Disney Hunchback and suddenly Dakota had three siblings. Then all that needed to be done was give them a personality and choose which one would have a kid. And then make them all queer because I spend too much time on the internet.
Another thing about them, to make it easier at the beginning : there are four. And for the age-gap, as an example, the fic starts with the ages being 13 (Enzo “Enzie”), 9 (Bettina “Bettie”), 5 (Donatello “Donnie”) and 3 (Viviana “Vivie”/Vincenzo “Vinnie”).
(side-note about the writing at the beginning : using the wrong pronouns for a character is MUCH harder than I thought it would be)
Btw I don’t know how to draw so instead, if you want to see how the siblings look like, I made them in Miitopia (don’t ask). Here’s the link for it (just ignore my ramblings in this...).
Also, while the idea of him having siblings comes partly from my brain, the idea of Dakota being Italian is 100% from Tumblr and AO3 with like half the Dakavendish fandom who seems to follow this headcanon. Hell, I even have an irl friend who told me Dakota gives them a European vibe while I was telling them that one of the reasons people saw him as trans was his height.
(and I guess you could say the same thing about him having heterochromia and being colorblind ; all the credit for these two ideas goes to the fandom)
Btw, despite them being Italians, the dialogue is in english. In future chapters tho, depending on the character’s POV, some dialogue will either be in Italian or in English in italics.
And fun fact : while googling Italian names to help me name these characters, I discovered that there’s an Italian name that’s “Baldassare” and this is 100% how Dakota’s siblings and nephew/nieces would call Cavendish.
And one last “””fun””” fact : the character of Enzo is partly inspired by a guy I know who, by the age of 6, was the one to wake up, dress, feed, bring to school and overall raise his 4 younger siblings. And if you’re wondering, the guy is 23 now and is doing pretty fine (much, MUCH better than the shit I plan for my OC here). And no, the name of the OC isn’t inspired by this guy. I looked up random Italian names for each sibling + Vinnie’s dead name.
Anyways, onto the fic now. Enjoy !
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January 10, 2134
The morning started with their usual routine.
Vivie was sleeping soundly, her brother Donnie by her side, until their oldest brother Enzie came to wake them up. Vivie could hear her sister Bettie grumble, not helped by Enzie urging her to get up. He would always claim that, unlike the other two, she needed to be ready early. They didn’t go to school at the same hours. First it was Bettie, then Donnie, and finally Vivie was brought to the nursery.
Enzie also went to school. Bettie once said that Enzie always turned out late because his school started before them. But Enzie always insisted to take care of them first. The older brother didn’t like letting them alone with Mamma. And, truth be told, Vivie didn’t like it either.
Once Enzie reached their bed, Donnie pretended to still be sleeping and made snoring noises. Sometimes, Vivie would do the same. Today though, she just giggled, listening to her brothers argue.
She couldn’t open her eyes. The light hurt her. So she waited for her brothers to be done, for Enzie to focus his attention to her and give her her sunglasses.
Then, the four kids sat on the beds to have their breakfast, taking out the bags hiding under their beds. Years ago, way before Vivie was born, Enzie had decided that they should all hide their fruits and snacks in the bedroom instead of in the kitchen where Mamma could take them, and the others obeyed.
Enzie was always worried about food. Even though Mamma brought enough for them to eat everyday if they shared in small portions, Enzie insisted that it was never enough, that kids like them needed more than that. He always told them that, if they found something to eat, they should eat until they were full and share if some was left. As a result, Bettie and Donnie often brought food back from their lunch at school.
As for Enzie, how he always found something for the three of them was a mystery. Vivie had heard Bettie get angry at her brother more than once, accusing him of stealing food and talking about how he was going to end up in prison. But then Enzie would show what he got her, and she would stop yelling. But Vivie could see that she was still angry, and it made her sad too. Vivie heard that prison was bad, that the people who went left for a long time.
Vivie didn’t want Enzie to go to prison.
Who would take care of her, if Enzie was not here ?
…
…
Despite her young age, Vivie would sometimes feel bad for Enzie. He was very nice and always helped her when she was upset. But was anybody helping him ? Enzie slept on the scratchy couch in the living-room to let Bettie have her own bed. He refused to eat until his siblings ate enough. He helped Bettie with her homework before doing his. He never slept if one of them wasn’t, willing to tell as many songs and story as needed. He always went outside with them to watch over them. If one of them needed something from Mamma, he would talk to her for them.
Vivie couldn’t talk that well yet. While she knew a few words, she was said to be behind on language. But while she couldn’t communicate, she could observe.
When she was at the nursery, Vivie would see the other children, the other families. She was told about how a family worked.
The parents took care of the children. The parents fed the children, helped them with their homework, told them bedtime stories, watched over them, cared for them, have a bed for each one of them.
Mamma didn’t do any of this. She never did.
Mamma was just there, in the house, with them. Enzie told them not to talk to her. She could be dangerous when she was bothered.
And yet, she would go to them sometimes. She would go outside with them, just walking ahead as she brought Donnie and Vivie to the closest playground. She would mention them on the phone. Vivie even saw her go to Bettie’s school play once.
But the rest of the time, she would be lying down somewhere in “her side” of the house, glaring when any of her children would come close all the while holding one of those bottles Enzie completely forbid them to touch. Or she would be out of the house, especially at night, going to what Vivie supposed was her job.
So, since she was never there, Enzie took care of them.
It wasn’t normal. It wasn’t how the other children lived. Enzie was not an adult, at least Vivie didn’t think so. Bettie said he was as much of a child as she was.
But Vivie couldn’t do anything about it. As of right now, all she could do was finish her morning snack, brush her teeth, let Enzie dress her up and follow her older siblings as they packed for school, listening to the same instructions Enzie gave them each day : “Don’t go with any strangers.”, “Listen to your teachers.”, “Don’t get in trouble.”
Maybe it wasn’t normal, but it was all that Vivie knew. And at the very least, she supposed it was better than nothing.
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October 30, 2134
Vivie didn’t understand how she ended up here, on the examination table of the nearest doctor. She had been in the bedroom, getting yelled at by Donnie for taking his clothes. She always liked his clothes more than her own. But when Enzie arrived to investigate the noise, a confusion happened.
Donnie complained that Vivie took his yellow shirt and his red pants. And while Vivie couldn’t lie about that, she insisted that everything she was wearing was of the same color and that Donnie was using two words that meant the same thing. While Donnie and Vivie went back and forth about colors, Enzie went to pick up a few clothes. He then quickly interrupted his younger siblings, sat Vivie down and asked her to tell him the color of each outfit.
The four years-old was confused but decided to comply. Describing blue shirts, purple costumes and pink underwear. But then, there was the color of the clothes she was wearing, a color Vivie had heard being called by three different names : yellow, red and green.
Each time the clothes would have this color, she would use one of those words randomly, getting several huffs from Donnie, making her feel like she was doing something wrong.
After a few more, the thirteen years-old asked Donnie to close the blinds and turn off every light, which the six years-old quickly did. Then, Enzie requested that his sister remove her sunglasses.
They tried his game again, leading to the same results. The girl started sniffing while twirling one temple of her sunglasses. Was there something wrong with her ? Were her eyes wrong again ? Enzie was quick to hold her and calm her down, singing her her favorite lullaby.
Next thing Vivie knew, she was walked to the hospital by her brother. There, a doctor tried to look at her eyes with a light, leading to a lot of struggling from the young child. He then followed with a guessing game with numbers hidden inside colored circles. It was only then that the doctor explained what was wrong with her.
He called it “color-blindness”. It meant that she didn’t see colors the same way other people did, the same way her siblings did. In his explanation, the doctor mentioned how it was incredibly rare for a girl to be colorblind without any sibling or parent being colorblind as well. Enzie replied that he never questioned his parents about it. And while Mamma seemed able to see colors just fine, the teen had no idea if Papà was the same as her.
But, in any case, there was a way to partially fix this.
The doctor excused himself for a minute, letting the anxious teen and the fidgety child alone. Enzie went to sit next to his sister, who was quick to jump on his lap. He ran a finger through the toddler’s curly hair and she pressed her head against his chest. She smiled, feeling peaceful and safe in his arms.
When the doctor came back, he was holding a small pair of glasses with orange lens, along with two identical balls. Enzie stood back up and the doctor gave the plastic balls to the toddler, telling her to raise her head so that he could put the new glasses.
Once Vivie opened her eyes with the new glasses in place, she found herself squeal in surprise.
The balls in her hands, they weren’t the same color at all ! And those colors…had she even seen them before ?!
While the doctor was talking to her brother, Vivie kept putting the glasses on and off, noticing the immediate difference in colors. How could this even be ?!
But before she could ask any question, Enzie gave her the other pair of sunglasses, took her in his arms, thanked the doctor and left the office.
Vivie seated herself in her brother’s arms, the movement from his walking slowly rocking her to sleep.
“Vivie ?”, the teen’s voice took away the fog in her mind.
“huh ?”
“Did you like seeing those colors with the new glasses ?”
“uh-huh.”, the toddler nodded.
“Do you want to have glasses like that all the time.”
“Yes !”, she replied, her head snapping away from Enzie’s shoulder.
“Then this Saturday we’ll got get you a pair. Okay ?”
“Okay !”
“Good. Now let’s go back home before Donnie or Bettie get on mamma’s nerves.”
As the teenager walked at a fast pace, a new question arose in his sister’s mind.
“Enzie ?”
“Yes ?”
“Do you…you will fall down for my new glasses ?”, the toddler asked full of worry. Bettie had told her the story of how she got her sunglasses. Apparently, she had refused to open her eyes as a baby and, everytime Enzie asked mamma to go see a doctor, she refused. She “didn’t care enough”, Bettie said. So Enzie decided to give her a reason to go, and jumped from a window, forcing mamma to bring him to the hospital, where the then-child was able to convince the doctor to help Vivie.
“Will I…oh ! Oh no, don’t worry !”, the teenager’s laugh didn’t do anything to ease Vivie’s worry. She pouted.
“Do not get hurt !”, she insisted.
“I promise you Vivie, we’re just going to go to a store. I…”, he looked away. “I can get the money for it…I mean…I’m sure mamma wouldn’t mind losing a few euros…”
“Mamma will help ? With no you falling ?”
“She will.”, Enzie assured. “And I won’t fall. Don’t worry about it, piccolina. Everything’s going to be alright.”
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July 4, 2136
Vivie was hiding in a closet. She had done it again. She had taken Donnie’s clothes.
It was something she did a lot, something she had done for a long time now.
It wasn’t that she found it fun to annoy Donnie ! She just didn’t like her clothes. Bettie had tried to get her “good-looking girl clothes” with the little money they had for it, but Vivie couldn’t care less. She only wore the same few outfits, the ones that Bettie never called “girly”. The only “girly” thing she continuously wore was a heart-shaped pink hairclip, but only because it made her sister very happy.
She didn’t want “pretty girl clothes”, she liked Donnie’s clothes more, even if they were too big for her. She actually liked the size of these clothes, as she could flap her hands with the too-long sleeves of his winter shirts.
Sometimes, when Vivie wore his clothes, Donnie would just let it go and they’ll keep playing together. But other times, like today, Donnie got upset by it. And now, the seven years-old had gone to fetch their older brother.
So Vivie stayed hidden, not wanting to face Enzie’s anger. Las time she saw him, the fifteen years-old had been with Bettie, busy doing homework. And Enzie didn’t like being interrupted by their “small and stupid arguments”, as he once put it. Especially for homework. For the last year, he had been complaining more and more about how he never had the time to just sit down and work with three noisy kids running around and needing him left and right.
Still, it didn’t take long for the child to hear the sound of his footsteps getting louder and louder as he approached.
“Vivie !”, the older brother called.
“I’m not here !”, the five years-old replied. She heard her brother sigh.
“Vivie, come out there. We need to have a talk.”
“I don’t want to !”, another sigh.
“Vivie, I’m not mad at you. Just come out. I’m not going to yell.”
“...Promise ?”
“Promise.”
Tentatively, Vivie opened the closet’s door and caught sign of her brother. He was sitting on her and Donnie’s bed. As she opened the door a little more, he patted the space next to him.
She left the closet and went to sit on the bed. Enzie watched as the child scooted over towards him, looked at his face, scooted a little more, looked at him again and finally moved to sit on his knees.
“You want to talk ?”, Vivie asked.
The teen nodded.
“You’re not angry ?”
He shook his head. Vivie looked in front of her as she considered it. If Enzie wasn’t angry about the clothes, then why did he want to talk to her ? But her thoughts were interrupted by the fifteen years-old putting a hand in her hair, prompting his sister to snuggle against his chest.
“Polpetta ?”
“Yeah ?”
“Why do you keep stealing Donnie’s clothes ?”
“I don’t steal them.”, Vivie protested. “I wear them.”
“And why don’t you wear your clothes ? You don’t like them ?”, Enzie’s voice was calm and soft, though Vivie could still hear the sternness and tiredness his voice often carried.
The child shook her head as a reply.
“But you like Donnie’s clothes ?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you like them more than yours ?”
Vivie had to pause to think for a moment. With her worry from earlier and the drowsiness form feeling a hand play with her hair, she found it hard to think.
“Is it because of the colors ?”, Enzie continued. “Or the size ? Or is it because you have girl clothes ?”
“Yes ! That !”, she suddenly jerked.
“You don’t like girl clothes ?”
“Nuh-uh.”, she replied.
“Why not ?”
Vivie was back to thinking. Why didn’t she like girl clothes ? She knew she didn’t like it when Bettie called them girl clothes, but why ?
“Do you want me to tell you what I think ?”, Enzie asked with a smile. Vivie looked up at his face and the teen chuckled. “I think you don’t like girl clothes because you don’t like being a girl. Do you like being a girl ?”
Yet again, Vivie looked away with a frown as she tried to concentrate. Was it true ? Did she not like being a girl ?
Vivie didn’t like her girl clothes. She didn’t like people pointing at her and saying she was a girl. And everytime Bettie wanted to play with her, Vivie would refuse. She didn’t like playing dress-up with Bettie. She preferred to play marbles or yoyo with Donnie. Even at school, she tried and liked spending time with boys more than girls, even though the largest group of boys always rejected her.
But were all these feelings because she wasn’t a girl ?
“I dunno.”, she finally replied, looking at Enzie with a pleading look, as if her brother held all the answers.
“Let me put it that way.”, the teenager continued. “If you were a boy, would you be happy about it ? Just imagine yourself as a boy. With boy clothes. A boy’s voice. A boy’s name.”
Vivie did. She could picture herself among the other boys of kindergarten. She looked like them, talked like them, belonged with them. The thought made her smile. When she opened her eyes, she bounced, looking at her brother with a smile.
“I want to be a boy !”, she exclaimed.
“Are you sure ?”
Vivie nodded excitedly.
“Alright then.”, the teen shrugged. “Polpetta-to, since you’re so eager at the thought of being a boy, how about we got get the tablet downstair to find you an actual boy’s name ? And see if you like it ?”
Vivie jumped off of Enzie’s laps and ran downstairs, leaving the room before the teenager even had the time to stand up.
Half an hour later and the two siblings were still at the coffee table, Enzie reading through a list of names starting with the letter “v”. Vivie wanted a new name that sounded like her current one.
“Vittore ?”
“ummm. No.”
“What about Vladimir ?”
“…Maybe ?”
“We could call you Vladdie. Or Vaddie.”
“no.”
“Are you even sure you want a new name ? Maybe I was wrong earlier when I said you were a boy.”
“No ! You’re not wrong ! I’m a boy ! I want a boy’s name ! Just like you and Donnie !”
“Alright then.”, the teen sighed. He mumbled something.
“huh ?”
“Nevermind. How abou-“
“What are you two doing ?”, Vivie’s head perked up at the sound of Bettie’s voice. The eleven years-old was on top of the stairs, trying to look at the tablet over Enzie’s shoulder.
“Looking for a name for our little brother over here.”, the teen replied. “Where’s Donnie ?”
“In the bedroom.”, Bettie walked down the stairs. “You know Enzie, when I complained that Vivie acts like she wants to be a boy instead of being stuck as a girl, I was joking.”
“Maybe you were but he wasn’t. At least I think.”
he…their brother… Vivie liked being called that.
“Then…it looks like I don’t have a little sister after all.”, Bettie commented with a hint of sadness in her voice. This made Vivie frown. Sh-…He didn’t want to make his sister sad.
“Maybe not,”, the oldest brother defended. “but instead, you have a great little brother.”
“I guess…”, she went to stand near Vivie, her younger brother. “So,”, she continued. “you’re looking for a boy’s name ?”
“Uh-huh !”, the child replied.
“Found anything you like yet ?”
“We’re trying.”, Enzie replied, putting his head back onto the list.
With the teen’s attention away, Bettie turned back to Vivie.
“Say, once you’re done with that, how about we go return your clothes and buy you better ones ?”
“Yes !”, Vivie jumped in his seat. That’s when he remembered the hairclip he was still wearing. He took it off and presented it to Bettie. “For you.”, he explained. “I won’t wear it now. But you like it. So you should wear it.”
Bettie smiled. “Alright. Whatever you say, patatino.”, she looked at Enzie. “Found other names ?”
“You have Vivaldo, Vidone, Vezio, Vincenzo or Vincent in English,-”
“Vincenzo ?”, for some reason, the name stuck with him. Vincenzo…
“Do you like it ?”, Bettie asked. Vivie nodded. “You want to be called Vincenzo ?”
“I think so…yeah…yes ! I want to be Vincenzo !”
“Finally !”, Enzie sighed, dropping the tablet on the table. The two younger siblings just stared at him, until he glanced back and smirked. Bettie laughed.
“Let’s go return your old clothes, Vincenzo.”, the sister said, already on the move.
“Coming !”, the youngest sibling jumped to follow but was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. Enzie ruffled his hair with a smile.
“Hope you’re going to enjoy being a boy, Vinnie.”
When the evening came, there was one last thing to do.
Vincenzo…Vinnie was standing in the doorway, his fingers tapping the wall as he anxiously watched Enzie walking towards Mamma. The woman was in the kitchen, making herself one of those drink Enzie prevented them to touch.
“…Claudia ?”, the teen asked.
“You know better than to bother me, Enzo.”, Mamma replied in a sharp tone without looking up from her bottle. She took a sip while Enzie seemed to gather his courage.
“It’s about-“
“Enzo.”, Mamma warned. Vinnie didn’t miss how her hand moved to the top of the bottle and he shivered, grabbing the wall. He knew exactly what mamma could do when she was angry.
“Vinnie is a boy, not a girl !”, the fifteen years-old blurted out before taking a few steps back.
Mamma turned around and glared at her son, but she didn’t make a move to hit him. Still, this didn’t make Vinnie feel any less tense.
“Vivie…Viviana. His name is Vincenzo now. He’s a boy.”, Enzie continued with a firmer voice.
Mamma’s gaze seemed to lose some of its anger, though she still gave the teen a dirty look. After a few seconds, she glanced at the child at the door and Vinnie froze. She started to make her way towards him, almost instantly followed by Enzie who ran to his little brother, holding him protectively against his chest.
Mamma ignored him, her gaze on her youngest child. Vinnie looked down, gripping Enzie’s shirt in fear.
“Very well, Vincenzo. And please make your brother understand not to bother me when I’m busy or he’ll deeply regret this.”, and with that, she went to her bedroom, bottle in hand.
Once she was out of view, Enzie let out a deep sigh of relief and let go of his brother. Vinnie continued to cling on his shirt for a moment. He started crying and buried his head in Enzie’s chest, trying to cover his sobs. The older brother ran his fingers in Vinnie’s hair in a soothing motion.
“Shhh, let it all out. It’s okay to cry.”, Vinnie kept his head where it was, though his sobs became louder. “There you go. It’s alright. Everything’s alright.”, Enzie was right, and Vinnie knew it.
Vinnie had a new name. He had new clothes.
His siblings supported him.
Enzie told him that, if he did continue to feel like a boy, there could be a few changes for him to do once he’s older, at least if he wished to. Enzie promised he would do anything to make sure these changes happen.
But for now, they did everything that could be done.
They talked to mamma.
Mamma had accepted him.
…
He was going to be alright.
As long as he stayed away from mamma, as long as he kept listening to Enzie, everything was going to be fine.
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March 22, 2137
Vinnie didn’t know what to make of Papà.
As far as the six years-old could remember, which wasn’t a lot, papà would show up from time to time starting in January. He would spend the afternoon talking to mamma, or going to her bedroom, and then he would leave.
Papà never stayed the entire night. He never showed up two days in a row.
And once spring was coming to an end, during the first days of July, he would leave and not come back for the rest of the year.
Vinnie was curious about the man. He was his papà after all ! But he never got to interact with him, never got to sit down and talk to him. He wanted to learn who he was, what he liked, why he was only here from time to time and why it was only during winter and spring…
Vinnie had tried asking his siblings about papà, but none of them gave him a satisfying answer.
Donnie was as lost as he was. He never had an opportunity to talk to papà, always afraid to run into mamma or to have Enzie yell at him for it.
Bettie looked at Vinnie with sad eyes, told him not to go see papà, that he was dangerous. When the brother asked why, the twelve years-old refused to answer.
As for Enzie…
Enzie didn’t like papà. He said papà was very dangerous, that he didn’t care about them, that the four kids shouldn’t waste their time with him.
Everytime the kids would stumble across him while walking through the house, papà would stop in his tracks to gaze at them with an indecipherable expression. Enzie would immediately shush his younger siblings away, all while glaring at the man. Sometimes, Vinnie would look at his papà and see him glare back at the teen.
While Vinnie didn’t know much about his papà, since he never got to interact with him, there was at least one thing he was sure of.
Enzie hated papà.
Papà hated Enzie.
And because of that, Enzie would never let his siblings approach him.
But one day, Vinnie got an occasion to talk to him.
Enzie was doing homework upstairs with Bettie. Now that the teenager was in high-school, and with the other siblings old enough to be unsupervised for a while, Enzie decided to spend more time working on his future. In the meantime, Bettie has chosen to step up and help him, looking after her younger siblings if needed.
But right now, neither of them was downstairs. Same thing for Donnie.
That was how Vinnie found himself peeking inside the living-room where his parents were. His papà was sitting on the couch with his arms and legs stretched out, while mamma seemed to be “making herself a drink” as Bettie called it. The child crouched down at the entrance and listened as his papà talked.
“-shouldn’t be there anyways.”
“You say the same thing every single year, Pietro. And yet, you always come crawling back to me. It’s been more than ten years. Just admit you can’t help it.”
“Just like you can’t help having your load of kids ? Do you have any idea how much they cost me ?!”
“You can stop sending me money any time you want.”, Vinnie could almost hear the laugh in her voice. “But I don’t think your little family will take it very well once I go to ask them for my money.”
Papà grumbled and looked away from her. “You’re the shittiest human being I ever met, Claudia. I hope you know that.”
“You’re no better yourself. Lying and cheating at any given chance. Honestly it’s a miracle she still doesn’t suspect a thing. You two really found each other. So naïve and in denial of the truth about the world. ~ ”
As mamma kept smirking and teasing papà, the man was getting more and more angry. Vinnie could see his hands gripping on the sofa, as if trying to rip it off. This made the child tense up at the prospect of his parents fighting.
“What now ?”, mamma suddenly spat in annoyance. The two adults glanced at Vinnie, and that’s when he realized that he had been anxiously tapping on the doorway’s wall, giving himself away with his noise.
“Umm…hi…”, Vinnie said in a quiet voice, waving awkwardly. Now that he had been caught spying, he might as well show himself more. Who knew, maybe this would be his only occasion ever to talk to papà !
Mamma just huffed and went back to pour her glass, while papà kept his eyes on the child.
“This is the youngest one, right ?”, papà asked. “Viviana ?”
“Vincenzo.”, mamma corrected before Vinnie could. “Turns out your daughter was a son this whole time.”
“And you changed her-his name, without my permission ?!”
“If you have a problem with that, you can talk to Enzo about it.”
Papà looked down, teeth gritted. “This child should learn a little respect.”, he spat.
“Have fun telling him that.”, mamma replied, completely impassive.
“Why don’t you at least try to teach that boy anything ?!”
“I don’t know. Why do you suddenly care about these children ?”, she shrugged. “Besides, Enzo’s almost an adult. He’s not my problem anymore.”
“You’re going to throw him out ?”
“He intends to throw himself out.”, mamma explained. “But maybe if you give us more financial support, he would have half a mind to stay.”, she joked. Papà was not amused at all.
The man punched the couch and fell silent, looking away from the mother and son. For a few moments, Vinnie just stood there, observing the man with hesitation. He knew he should be leaving, now. If Enzie saw him there, his older brother would kill him. But right now, as he felt so close to having a moment with the older man, his curiosity to meet his father was stronger than his fear of consequences.
Eventually, Vinnie saw papà’s fists unclench. This prompted the child to try and make a move. With hope to finally have a conversation with the man, Vinnie tentatively walked to the couch. When the man didn’t move, Vinnie put a hand on his knee.
Still no reaction.
Getting more and more hopeful, the six years-old hopped on his knees. Papà still didn’t move.
Well, it seemed like Vinnie had to start the conversation.
“I…um…”, Vinnie had his hands on his own knees, opening and closing his legs awkwardly as he thought of what to say. “I’m…I’m not Vivie anymore. I’m Vinnie now.”
No response.
After a few seconds, Vinnie started wondering if maybe his siblings were right. If maybe it would be better to just let it go and leave, especially seeing the dirty look mamma was giving him. But before the child could move, something he didn’t expect happened.
Papà put a hand on his back.
Vinnie froze and looked up. The man still wasn’t looking at him.
Without much thinking, Vinnie pressed his face against papà’s chest. Suddenly, the hand on his back start moving, reaching his shoulder and slowly rubbing it.
Vinnie looked up as papà looked down at his face. The child smiled but his gesture wasn’t reciprocated. The older man just seemed to study his face, keeping the same neutral expression.
Vinnie had no idea how much time wet by before papà decided to open his mouth.
“Why are you wearing those ?”, he asked, tapping the corner of Vinnie’s sunglasses.
Vinnie felt himself ready to jump in happiness. Papà was talking to him ! They were having an actual conversation ! He could learn more about him !
But instead, Vinnie did his best to stay calm, letting his only sign of excitement be the rapid movement of his legs. He really didn’t want to ruin the moment.
Besides, thinking of how papà had acted earlier made the child feel intimidated by the man.
“It’s..for my eyes.”, he explained. “The light is bad for my eyes. So I need to wear those. I also can’t see every color without them.”
“How did you get the money for that ?”, the man asked, glancing at mamma. “Why wasn’t I told about this ?”
“You would have known already if you spent more time here taking care of your children, since you suddenly seem to love them so much.”, she replied in a sharp tone. “Or would it be too suspicious for your dearest missus ? ~ ”
Papà didn’t replied, instead looking back at the child still in his lap. Vinnie didn’t really know what the adults were talking about, and he had a feeling it wasn’t something he was supposed to understand. If anybody were to take care of it, it would be Enzie.
Vinnie was still in his thoughts when papà lifted his head with a finger, taking a better look at his eyes. Remembering his experience at school, Vinnie instinctively grabbed the sides of his glasses in case papà tried to remove them.
“Your eyes…”, the man commented. “They’re different colors ?”
“Uh ? Oh ! Oh yes they are !”, Vinnie was quick to reply. He smiled again, seriously wondering why Enzie was so against them talking to papà. Sure, the man was a bit scary when talking with mamma, but at least he seemed to care about his son. More than mamma at least…Or, well, when he was around at least…
“Vincenzo ?”, papà was moving a hand in front of Vinnie’s face.
“Uh ? Oh ! right ! My eyes !”, Vinnie quickly pointed to his left eye, tapping the glass. “This one is blue. And this one-“, he pointed to his right eye. “is brown. Just like yours !”, he commented with a smile.
“…Sure.”
The man fell silent again and Vinnie looked down, trying to find another thing to say.
“…Sa-“
“VINNIE !”
Vinnie froze at the familiar and booming sound of his oldest brother’s voice.
Uh oh…
“Enz-“, papà tried.
“YOU GET AWAY FROM HIM !”
Enzie ran into the room, snatched the six years-old away and walked out, all while looking at the older man with a murderous stare. Vinnie was able to give one last glance at his parents before the door closed, seeing papà stare in confusion and anger at Enzie while mamma walked towards the man with the same impassive expression, as if she had expected something like that to happen.
With the door now closed, Enzie put his attention onto the scared child.
“WHAT WHERE YOU THINKING BEING WITH THEM ?!”
“I…I just wanted to talk to papà…”, Vinnie sheepishly replied, his head down.
“THAT MAN IS DANGEROUS, VINNIE !”
“But we were just talkin-“
“VINNIE !”
Vinnie fell quiet, finding himself unable to meet his brother’s gaze. He instead focused on the underside of the shirt he was gripping on.
After a few moments, Enzie managed to regain his composure. He sighed.
“Listen, Vinnie. I know you just want to talk to papà, but that man is a bad person. I’ve seen him hurt mamma before, he’s as dangerous as she is, if not more.”, Enzie lifted Vinnie’s head. “I just want you to be safe, polpetto, alright ?”, Vinnie nodded, still avoiding Enzie’s eyes. “Good.”, Enzie kissed his forehead. “Now let’s get back upstairs, alright ? I think I can already hear Donnie calling for you. ~ ”, the teen said in a way that Vinnie knew was an attempt to light up the mood.
“…Alright.”
Enzie held Vinnie’s hand as he led him to his bedroom. Vinnie just followed in silence, stuck into his own mind.
Enzie was a good person. He took care of Bettie, Donnie and him.
Enzie hated papà, and papà hated Enzie.
But did that really mean that papà was a bad person ?
Was there really no way he could prove that papà was better than Enzie thought ?
…
…Will Vinnie ever get the occasion to talk to him again ?
---------------
April 10, 2137
Enzie and Bettie talked a lot when they were doing homework. Sometimes, Vinnie would hide behind the office’s door to listen to them.
They talked about all kinds of topics. From school to the girls Bettie liked to even Donnie and Vinnie and how annoying the brothers could be at times, making the older duo feel exhausted.
But other times, they would talk about their parents, about how they felt about them.
It was obvious that Enzie hated those kinds of talks. But at the same time, he always seemed to use Bettie’s curiosity as an occasion to tell her to avoid being around them.
Bettie mostly asked questions about the relationship between her parents and why they acted the way they did. Enzie answered as best as he could, but even he barely knew about them.
However, among the flow of questions Vinnie heard Bettie ask, one in particular stood out to him.
Does mamma have other men in her life ? Does the four of us come from the same papà ?
When she asked this, Bettie was mostly talking about Donnie and how different the eight years-old looked compared to his siblings.
Curious, Vinnie started to pay attention to the facial features of his family and, soon enough, the six years-old understood what his sister meant :
Out of all of them, Donnie was the only one who didn’t look like papà at all.
Enzie was almost a perfect replica of papà. He had the man’s square chin and nose, his thick eyebrows that were more than often furrowed, along with papà’s curly hair that, in Enzie’s case, was slowly growing past his shoulders. Vinnie wondered how much the sixteen years-old hated looking so much like the man he despised more than anyone else. The only real difference between the men was color, with Enzie having mamma’s black hair and blue eyes where papà had brown eyes and light brown hair.
Vinnie was the second closest to papà. Just like Enzie, he had his old man’s chin, nose and curly hair, though his chin wasn’t as pronounced as his oldest brother. Vinnie even had a brown eye and brown hair, even if his hair was darker than papà’s. Aside from that, the child had one blue eye, like mamma’s, and his eyebrows were not as thick as papà’s or Enzie’s.
Bettie, on the other hand, was more of a mix of her parents. While she had a square chin, it was less pronounced, like for Vinnie. She also had mamma’s smaller nose and eyebrows. For the rest, it was all papà’s. She had his brown eyes and curly hair, which she almost always tied into a bun.
Finally, there was Donnie, who couldn’t be more alike to mamma. He had her rounder head, smaller nose, thin eyebrows and her long straight raven hair that he kept in a ponytail. The only thing that made him different from her, aside from height, voice and personality, was his brown eyes that deferred from her ocean blue ones. Though, as Bettie had pointed it out, a lot of people had brown eyes. From her point of view, any man with brown eyes could be Donnie’s father.
Vinnie never talked about it to Donnie. He didn’t feel the need to.
Even if he did wonder sometimes if they had the same father, it didn’t change the fact that Donnie was his big brother. That Donnie was his best friend and favorite playmate.
Papà or not, Vinnie loved Donnie as much as he loved Bettie and Enzie. If not more.
---------------
November 15, 2138
Today was the day.
It was Enzie’s 18th birthday. The day everything was going to get better. The day they were finally getting away from mamma and papà !
The oldest brother had been talking about it to his siblings for months. Now that he was an adult, he could “have custody of you three instead of losing you to the system”, as he said. Vinnie wasn’t sure if he fully understood what Enzie meant. At least there was one thing he was sure of.
Enzie was trying to protect them no matter the cost. He was willing to do anything for them.
That’s what led the four of them into a lawyer’s office.
Mamma was there with them. As far as Vinnie knew, she hadn’t shown any objections to her son’s decision and even wanted to help his case, claiming that the fastest the trial would go, the less money she would have to waste.
Mamma was sitting in one of the two chairs of the small office. Vinnie and Donnie were sharing the second one, the two oldest siblings standing between them and their mother. Vinnie was bouncing his legs, squirming a bit in his chair. Several times, Bettie gently nudged him, telling him to stand still, but he simply couldn’t do it.
He was bored.
Enzie and the lawyer were talking things Vinnie didn’t understand. And when he understood, his mind would quickly end up zoning out. He mostly thought about how papà was supposed to be here, wondering what was taking the man so long.
He wished he had his toys with him right now. Or anything else that could distract him.
It was during a short moment of focus that Vinnie heard the footsteps coming from the hall, getting louder and louder.
The door busted open, revealing a woman the eight years-old had never met before. She had long frizzy brown hair that was slowly falling back on her shoulders after her running. As she entered the room, she pushed her glasses back onto her nose and looked around until her emerald eyes landed on mamma. She glared at the black-haired lady.
“I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it !”, the new woman said.
“Missus Dakota, I presume ?”, mamma replied. She was sitting cross-legged, her arms folded and her eyes closed, seemingly completely unfazed by what was happening. This confused Vinnie. How could she be so calm when some stranger was yelling at her ?
The child, on the other hand, was glancing in fear at the new lady. When the door had opened, he instinctively took hold of Donnie’s shirt. The ten years-old had been quick to return the gesture. Meanwhile, Bettie had gotten closer to the chair while Enzie stood between the three of them and the door, arms stretched protectively.
“To think this all went under my nose for EIGHTEEN YEARS !”, the lady continued. Vinnie’s grip on his brother’s shirt tightened. The lady was taller than mamma, somehow making her even more intimidating in the moment.
Before mamma could reply, new footsteps could be heard outside. Despite the commotion in the room, all eyes turned towards the door. Two children peeked inside the room. They looked around the same ages as Donnie and Vinnie. But more importantly, their features looked awfully familiar to Vinnie.
Enzie was the first to react.
“Who the hell are you ?!”, he yelled, pointing at the two children. “Who are all of you and what are you doing here ?!”
Before the lady could answer, papà finally arrived, looking at her with an uncertain gaze.
“Serena, you shouldn-“, he tried gently.
“DON’T YOU TRY FINDING EXCUSES !”, the lady replied, her anger now directed towards papà. “HOW DARE YOU HIDE ME ALL THIS ?!”, she continued to yell, cutting papà everytime he was opening his mouth.
Vinnie started feeling tears form at the corner of his eyes. He was scared. Overwhelmed. He had no idea what was happening aside from “the adults are all fighting”. So naturally, the eight years-old turned his attention towards the one new adult that was always there when he was feeling upset. He moved to sit with his chest against the chair’s back, gripping it tightly. From here, he had a good view of his eldest brother.
Surely Enzie had the solution to all this. Surely he could make it all better.
At least, that was what Vinnie hoped.
The oldest brother was looking between the different adults in disbelief. Suddenly, he froze with a look of horror, as if he had just understood something really, really bad.
“YOU HAD A WIFE THIS WHOLE TIME ?!”
Somehow, Enzie’s booming voice managed to quiet the fighting. The lady -Serena- looked at him in confusion for a second, until her face bared the same shocked expression as the oldest brother.
“You didn’t know…?”, her whisper was barely audible. She glanced at the rest of the siblings. “None of you did…?”, while Vinnie believed she was still angry and could blow at any instant, he felt like there was a hint of sadness in her voice. Was she feeling pity for them ? Why for ? What did Enzie meant ? With everything happening, Vinnie found himself unable to follow.
“Bettina.”, mamma suddenly interrupted. Serena’s expression immediately darkened, as if she had just remembered the other woman was in the room. “Why don’t you take your younger siblings outside ? The adults are talking, and there’s already enough shouting as it stands.”
“I…um”, Bettie glanced at Enzie. The older brother put a hand on her shoulder and Vinnie could hear him whisper “go”. “Alright. Yeah.”, she turned to the boys still on the chair. “Come on, ometti. Let’s go to that playground we saw on the way in.”
Donnie and Vinnie shared a confused look before getting down the chair. The room was deadly silent as Bettie took their hands and led them out, under the adults’ gazes.
Right before the door closed behind them, Vinnie turned around one last time, seeing the adults ready to go at it again under the confused and concerned look of the lawyer.
He hoped Enzie would be alright…
--------------
December 3, 2138
The case had been taken into court. There had been a trial already, during which each sibling had been asked to testify about their living conditions. The younger trio spent their entire time talking about how their oldest brother had been taking care of them for as long as they could remember.
Vinnie didn’t know how to feel about all this. He had a hard time understanding everything. But most importantly, he was getting impatient.
It was obvious that mamma was bad at taking care of them. Why couldn’t the judge see it already ? They should already be on the road by now ! The eight years-old and his brother Donnie had already started to pack. Somehow, they hoped it could make things go faster.
The whole situation had also taken a toll on Vinnie’s grades. He already had trouble at school, between barely finding the motivation to do any homework unless someone was helping him and being seen by his teachers as agitated, more so than the other kids. And now that he had to worry about where he will end up soon, Vinnie simply couldn’t help zoning out in class to think about it.
And after the first trial, it only grew worse.
His teachers had gotten angry and started punishing him for it.
Vinnie couldn’t wait for Enzie to take them away.
…
…Enzie…
These last weeks, the older brother had been…distant. He spent all of his free-time in the office, working on his case. He only helped his siblings with basic things. Mostly food.
But more than that, the eighteen years-old had gotten more aggressive towards his parents since that day in the lawyer’s office. He couldn’t stand being downstairs if mamma was around. He was insulting them at any given chance, including during the trial they had had.
Enzie was also trying to get things to go as fast as possible. He absolutely wanted to leave before spring, before papà was around again.
Or so Vinnie thought he did.
According to Bettie, papà wasn’t going to ever come back home. At first, when the youngest brothers asked why, she refused to answer.
It had been like this ever since the day they met the lawyer. When they came back home that day, Enzie locked himself in a room, eventually letting Bettie in to tell her everything. The two then refused to explain the situation to their brothers.
That was, until one day.
Enzie had come back home, looking more stressed than usual. When Bettie went to ask if everything was alright, he snapped at her -something about their parents being the absolute worst-, and went to lock himself in the office. After that, Bettie had gone back to the bedroom, clearly upset by it all. And when Donnie and Vinnie asked her what Enzie meant, she told them the truth that forever changed Vinnie’s perception of his father :
Their parents never loved them. They never wanted them. At least, not the way they were meant to be wanted.
Their mother was a drug dealer, a criminal. There wasn’t a single penny she earned honestly. Her whole life revolved around getting money through schemes.
As it turned out, having children had been one of those schemes.
Mamma and papà met in an alley, in the middle of the night. Mamma had been out to sell illegal substances. Papà had gotten bored being home alone. His wife, Serena Dakota, had a job that led her to leave the country between January and July. They hadn’t been married for long when mamma and papà met. Bettie said it might have been a reason for his actions.
Papà “wanted a good time”, as Bettie said. He was out to meet a few women, doing things the older sister refused to explain to her brothers.
It was while looking for those women that papà ran into mamma. And when she heard what he wanted, she decided to use the situation to her advantage.
“She held him at gunpoint.”, Bettie explained to them. “The first night, Mamma had looked to steal his phone while he was sleeping and found the wedding ring he had been hiding in his jacket. She used that to blackmail him once Enzie was on the way.”
At first, papà had been happy to spend time with mamma. But then, his wife came home and they had to stop seeing each other. A month later, mamma called him out of nowhere.
She was pregnant.
According to Bettie, this had never been papà’s plan. Mamma had promised him that she was being careful. But, as per usual, mamma lied.
Knowing the child was his, she had been able to get money from him, threatening to reveal his secret to his wife. In exchange, papà only asked for two things : being the one to name them, and being able to visit them whenever.
The money had been the reason why mamma would sometimes go out with them or make sure they had good enough clothes or even prevent any of them from dying. She had to pretend like she liked her children. She needed people to believe they were one happy family, or else someone could call child services and “take away her safest source of income”. And while papà visiting them wasn’t part of her plan, it still at least helped her hiding the reality of her parenting.
Bettie believed that papà felt bad for them. The reason why he visited wasn’t because mamma forced him to be there. Sometimes, he just wanted to see his children, make sure they were still alive and well.
This was no excuse.
Even with Enzie’s warryness, he had had dozens of chances to talk to them, to be there for them.
At any moment, he could have said the truth to his wife. Instead, he lied to her. He kept her in the dark and made sure she still loved him. He had children with her, children he took care of. Children he loved.
Children he had chosen the name of years before they were born. Names he made sure none of his “other kids” had.
As he was hearing the truth, Vinnie felt like his parents had just thrown one of their bottles on his body, the glass piercing through his chest. For the following hour after Bettie finished explaining, Vinnie had felt empty. He ended up lying in Bettie’s arms, completely frozen, completely unfazed by the world around him.
Enzie was right.
Enzie had always been right.
Their parents were dangerous. Their parents never loved them. Their parents couldn’t care any less about them.
There was no point trying to get their attention, trying to get their affection. They were heartless. They never had the space in their hearts for him.
Vinnie was an unwanted child. They all were.
They were children born from an affair. Used by their monstrous mother to get money from their unconcerned father.
Enzie had been right all along.
…
…
From now on, Vinnie would listen to Enzie. He would listen to everything his older brother says.
Unlike his parents, Enzie loved him. Enzie wanted what was best for him.
Enzie was the only parent he needed.
---------------
March 22, 2139
“It had been clear for a long time now that Ms. Claudia Drowssap and Mr. Pietro Dakota are not fit to take care of their biological children. However, the question of whether or not Mr. Enzo Dakota could take care of said children had yet to be answered. Today, we have chosen an answer to this question.
While we still remain uncertain of his abilities to provide for them, this court had been told that Mr. Dakota found job opportunities along with possible apartments in Napoli. Furthermore, it is painfully obvious that Mr. Dakota is incredibly attached to his siblings and had been their only anchor for most of their life. For their own well-being as well as his, we believe that separating the four of them is out of the question.
Thus, this court is ready to give its judgment. The custody of the present Bettina, Donatello and Vincenzo Dakota will be granted to their brother Mr. Enzo Dakota. Their parents, Ms. Claudia Drowssap and Mr. Pietro Dakota, will have to repair their inaptitude by paying child support for the next five years. Furthermore, Ms. Drowssap and Mr. Dakota Sr are not to be allowed to visit their children. Finally, they will not be able to keep any other child they may have in the future.
If Mr. Dakota Jr decides to file a claim for child abuse, more consequences might come their way.
This court is adjourned.”
Vinnie couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
They did it.
They really did it !
The banging of the gavel resonated across the room, announcing the end of this session. The end of their last session. Vinnie jumped out of his seat, seeing from the corner of his eyes that he wasn’t the only one. As soon as the way was cleared enough, Bettie and Donnie ran towards Enzie. The youngest sibling immediately followed suit.
They jumped into his arms, all smiles and laughs. Even after they pulled away, the happy chatter remained. Bettie congratulated Enzie excitedly while Donnie was holding onto her, pushing her back and forth. Vinnie himself was jumping in place, his fists shaking left and right in excitement.
They were finally free ! They could finally get away from mamma and papà !
After a few more moments of celebration, Enzie led the group outside. They had to go home and pack up. The oldest brother told them they would leave as soon as possible.
“ENZO !”
The siblings had barely finished walking down the stairs when they saw papà walking towards them. The man was walking fast, teeth gritted and fists clenched, looking at his oldest son with a murderous glare.
Enzie stood in front of his younger siblings, shielding them with his arms. Afraid, Vinnie went to hug Donnie. When papà was only a few steps away, the eight years-old closed his eyes. He heard the footsteps stop, followed by ruffling and a short grunt. Vinnie felt Donnie tense.
“Are you happy with yourself ?! Are you proud of what you did ?!”
Vinnie dared opening his eyes and almost gasped. Papà had grabbed Enzie by the collar.
“Because of you, I lost my wife ! I lost my home ! I might even lose my job ! All because YOU decided to get involved in MY business !”
“All I did was trying to survive !”, Enzie replied, returning papà’s glare. “I’ll never apologize for that.”
“YOU RUINED MY LIFE !”
“YOU RUINED YOUR OWN LIFE !”, Enzie pushed papà away from him. The older man raised a fist but didn’t hit his son. Instead, he looked as the younger trio protectively put their hands on Enzie.
“Go.”, Bettie spoke up with a shaking voice. “Leave us alone.”
“…”, papà’s glare was now directed at the four of them. “You are all nothing but a bunch of ungrateful bastards.”, he growled.
“What should we be grateful for ?”, Vinnie surprised himself by deciding to speak. He knew he shouldn’t. Papà was dangerous, he could clearly see it right now. Enzie had been right about that, just like for anything else. And Enzie had told him never to talk to papà again.
And yet, the child couldn’t stop the words from flowing out of his mouth.
“Have you ever done anything to us ?! Have you ever cared for us ?! DO YOU EVEN LOVE US ?!”
Vinnie felt tears stream down his cheeks. He started sobbing.
“Vinnie…”, Donnie murmured. The ten years-old held his younger sibling. “shhh. It’s okay.”, he soothed. “It’s okay to cry.”, Donnie let a hand gently run into Vinnie’s hair, copying the way their oldest brother comforted them. The youngest sibling leaned into the embrace, crying into Donnie’s shirt. When he tried opening his eyes, he noticed that papà was looking away, seemingly more upset than angry after what his son said.
Enzie was the one to break the silence.
“You’re dead to us.”, he spat. “Don’t ever try to see us again, or they’ll be consequences. And if you don’t keep paying for support, I’ll sue for the child neglect.”, he threatened. “If you think your life is already ruined, you’re not ready for the hell I’m ready to put you through if you ever DARE try anything against us.”
The two men glared at each other for what felt like forever. Enzie’s last words kept replaying in Vinnie’s head. He wondered with dread how serious his older brother was, how far he was willing to go for them.
Finally, after a painfully long silence, papà started to back away. He walked a certain distance, glared at his chil- at them one last time, and turned away.
Enzie snorted. “Come on.”, he told his siblings. “Let’s go home. We have a lot to do if we want to leave.”
The oldest brother started to walk away, soon followed by his sister. Donnie and Vinnie looked at each other as they pulled away from their hug, before finally following the older duo.
As he followed the group, Vinnie couldn’t help but look around him, look back at the older man.
From afar, the eight years-old noticed mamma. She was looking at the man as well.
Despite everything that had happened, she was smiling.
-------------------------
Note : Regarding Vinnie being trans, I’m well-aware that someone doesn’t “become” a boy, they’ve always been one. But since Vinnie is 5 when he realizes that he’s a man, the characters simplify it to “becoming a boy” so that Vinnie can understand easily.
Italian translations :
Mamma : mom
Papà : dad
Piccolina : little one (female)
Polpetto : meatball (apparently it’s a nickname for young kids/siblings)
Patatino : little potato (for some reason I love this nickname)
Ometto : little man (ometti is plural)
Piccino : tiny one
#Milo Murphy's Law#Vinnie Dakota#trans Vinnie Dakota#heterochromia Vinnie Dakota#colorblind Vinnie Dakota#ADHD Dakota#As Time Passes#As Time Passes Prologue#my fanfics#tw#cw#tw abuse#tw child abuse#tw abusive parents#cw abuse#cw drug mention#tw drug mention#tw drugs#tw infidelity#cw infidelity#tw alcohol#cw alcohol#IT'S FINALLY HERE#FIRST PART OUT OF THREE#9K WORDS OUT OF 32K#funnily enough seeing the fic posted on AO3 is making me immediately want to work on part 2#despite the fact that 2 mins ago I felt 100% done with this prologue#anyways I hope it's good !#tomorrow I'll edit Prologue 1 a little
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Hello Internet! So I wrote a stylized transcript of events from @moonbowphobia and @mcyt-apocalypse-au‘s wedding the other day.
I apologize from the deepest place in my heart if I messed up anyone’s pronouns.
I hope you enjoy my little rendition of events.
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Moon was sat in their dressing room; deep blue and black ball gown splayed over the loveseat while their sister Chandelier put the last finishing touches to their hair; Vi and Rib playing cards on the floor; Vibes trying to keep the vodka away from Aria; the chaos was comforting, but Moon was nervous. It was their wedding day. They would be marrying the love of their life, Abi.
“Help! I’m scared!”
“Take a deep breath.” Moon did as Vibes instructed, taking a deep breath in, and letting it out slowly. “You love Abi. She loves you. You’re going to be fine.”
“Am I though? Rib help!”
“Am I not help enough?” Vibes joked.
“No, of course you’re helping. I just nee-“
Vi slaps them across the face. “YOU LOVE HER BITCH JUST KISS HER CMON!”
Chandelier whips around to push Vi back to the floor. “Play your card game. That’s not helping, nor how weddings work.”
Moon laughs at their sister’s antics. At least someone is calm. “I got one of Lu’s cupcakes!” Vibes calls, skidding back into the room. When did they leave? “Here.”
“Thank you,” Moon reaches for the treat. Biting into it and eating with vigor.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes.” Moon polishes off the cupcake. “Oh go! Two minutes.”
“Bitch calm down!” Aria says, shaking her best friend by the shoulders.
“Ah yes. The drunk friend always calms people down.” Vibes let the sarcasm seep into their voice, trading a look with Chandelier.
Chandelier goes about shooing Aria and Vi out the door; trusting that Vibes will follow and keep them in line. She brushes the crumbs off of her sibling’s jet black skirt and fixes their headpiece one final time. “You will be fine Moon. Everything will go well. You don’t have to worry about a thing. Let me do that.”
“Okay. Thank you Lier.”
“Anytime.” Lier beckons Rib to follow them out to the altar. Rib grabs the pillow and rings and skips after them, careful not to step on Moon’s train.
Vibes is already at the podium. Moon and Rib set themselves off to the left side. Lier fixes their midnight blue embellished train as they take in the crowd.
Fenn is in the corner playing something on her switch and Vi is on the opposite side doing the same. Ozzie is sitting with the rest of their siblings, trying to waggle them into compliance; their every expression screaming ‘this is fine’ in a deadpan tone.
“Please help,” Moon whispers to the ether.
“It’s okay.” Lier squeezes their shoulder before tucking one of Rib’s stray hairs away and going to calm the masses.
“I’m sure Abi is just as worried at you are,” Vibes consoles.
Aria runs from behind the bar with a glass. “Drink this vodka mix and calm down.”
“Thank you,” Moon gushes, taking the glass from their best friend’s hands. Only for it to be swiped away when Lier comes to collect Aria and get her in place, so the wedding can start. Moon is thankful for their sibling, but they really wanted that drink.
They see Vi run out and down the drink in Lier’s hand before she can stop her. Lier sat Aria down and started to whisper lecture to her niece. Or what looked like whisper lecturing.
Lightly slapping Lynn’s hand away from the cupcakes, Lier goes to put the glass away. Moon watches Lynn sprint to the other dressing room. Looks like Abi needed a snack as well.
Lier pokes her head into Abi’s room. She comes out and locks eye with Moon, giving them a little thumbs up. Moon takes a deep breath, looks at Rib and zeir comforting smile. They give Lier a nod. She cues Star to start playing the wedding march.
Des comes out first, throwing roses Lier procured on the floor. She goes to sit next to Aria in the front row. “God fuck, why am I getting nervous,” Aria whispered to the older girl.
Then comes Tabz in all her glory. She nods to Moon and goes to stand on Abi’s side of the altar.
The first section of the song ends. There are a few seconds of silence before the piano resumes and Abi turns the corner. She walks down the aisle gracefully, her white off-the-shoulder cape flapping gently behind her. Moon can’t keep the smile off of their face.
Neither can Abi. She’s smiling wildly; the only thing keeping her from tripping on her face is the sturdy arm of her father right beside her. Sooty lets go of her hand as she takes her place next to Tabz.
Moon slowly nudges the mask off of their face; showing their visage to Abi, but hiding it from the audience. They smile at each other and Vibes starts to speak.
“Today, we are here to unite Moon and Abi together.”
Moon can see Aria trying not to cry out of their peripheral vision. They hear someone cracking open a can, of course, was it Corn?
“Moon,” Vibes asks. “Do you promise to never give Abi up, never let her down, never run around, and desert her?”
“I promise.”
“Abi. Do you promise to never make Moon cry. Never say goodbye, never tell a lie and hurt them?”
“I do.”
“Moon, do you take Abi to be the ‘yee’ to your ‘haw’?”
“I take Abi to be the ‘yee’ to my ‘haw’.”
"Abi, do you take Moon to be the kazoo noise to your Mono?"
“I do take Moon to be the kazoo noise to my Mono.”
“Then with the blessing of this church, I now pronounce you partners for life. May I have the rings?”
Rib scurries to present the golden pillow to Vibes. “Yes,” ze says, tears in the corners of zeir eyes.
Abi grins and reaches of Moon’s hands, slipping the ring of their finger. Moon does the same for Abi.
"May these rings be a sign of love and faithfulness in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Head, shoulders, knees and toes. Turn up your nose, strike that pose. Hey Macarena. Y'all may now kiss."
Moon cups Abi’s face, both have tears in their eyes. Moon brings Abi in for a kiss, thankful that the mask is still there keeping this moment private for the prying eyes of the audience.
Star starts to play Megalovania as the attendants applaud to newlywed couple. The song continues as everyone files out of the ceremony room to the reception hall. Purple light flooded the room, the guest sat in round tables of eight according to the seating chart. String lights hanging from the rafters to look like stars in the night sky.
Unnie was ferrying food from the kitchen to the guests. Aria was handing out drinks to whoever came up for one. She was about to give Rib one, but with one glare from Lier, Rib got an apple juice.
The room was filled with sounds as everyone ate and got drunk. Aria pulled Moon to the dance floor after handing out vodka shots to Vi and Corn. Abi stumbles out onto the dance floor as well, laughing and having a good time.
Vibes comes over to Lier and offers her a glass of champagne. They clink their glasses together. It was a good show they pulled off.
“So how are you doing these last few days, buddy?” Corn gave Rib her shot glass, sticking her tongue out at Lier who was glaring over the rim of her drink.
“Congrats on your wedding! I hope your marriage lasts for three hours!” Vi yells at her parents, leaning heavily on her fiancée’s arm on her way to get more drinks with.
“Fuck off Vi!” Abi screams back, content to keep dancing with Moon.
Lynn backs into a corner, drinking her apple juice and watching the scene in amusement. She is the first to the tower of cupcakes. “Cake!”
“Cake!” Aria screams.
Star agrees with the drunk one, “Cake time!”
“Cake!” Vi barrels passed everyone, not caring who she knocked over. “Sugar rush Violet activating!”
Corn silently takes half of the cupcakes with her. Batting Vibes’ hands away when they try to stop her. Lier helps Unnie dish out an equal number of cupcakes to everyone else.
Once everyone was satiated, Rib and Lier broke into the pile of pizza boxes. Pizza is a good substitute for cake; what are you talking about?
Then it was time for gifts. Rib gave zer parents a switchblade, embellished with a motif of leaves and wooden paneling, and a beautiful floral metal necklace. Lier gave them a coaster with Moon’s mask design on it, and a handmade Technoblade plush toy. Aria gave them a set of moonstone chokers.
The couple loved them so very much. Hugging each of the gift givers in turn, they thanked each one.
Then the two backed away from the crowd to exchange gift with each other away from the audience. They started screaming I love yous to each other shortly thereafter.
Everything was calming down a little, so Vibes started to play Blitz Parody by Technoblade on the piano while Lier sung and botches along with a chord chart and a ukulele. Then Aria played Highway to Hell on the drum set, Vibes singing this time.
Once they were done, Vi grabbed her guitar and started playing The L’Manburg anthem. It became a drunk sing along, with Rib, Abi, and Vi herself joining in. Both Star and Corn joined in for the “Fuck Eret” line.
“I’m gonna cry,” Moon said, watching the scene in front of her.
“Don’t cry love,” Abi consoled, halting her singing.
“What’s wrong?” Vibes asked.
Lier came over with a tissue. “Happy tears?”
“Happy tears.”
“It all started on a day like any other!” Corn yelled in tune.
And they’re off again. Singing an Ode To L’Manburg.
Abi throws the bouquet at them. Vibes manages to catch it. Vi bites their arm in retaliation. Berl drags Vi away kicking and screaming.
“With a heart that she’d taken from me,” Star continues to sing the song in the background with Rib.
“Moony honey, are you okay?”
“This was beautiful.”
“It is! It’s lovely.” The two smile, just looking at the crowd.
Vi raises her shot over her head, standing on a table. “A toast to Moon and Abi, who I bet will divorce by December.”
“A toast to kicking Vi to the curb,” Lier mutters. Having given up on keeping people from hurting themselves, she again clinks glasses with Vibes again.
“Vi you are on a timeout you fucking little shit.” Abi yells.
“I bet they’ll do it by the month after October.”
“Rib!” Corn whacks zer across the back of zeir head.
Vibes goes to distract. “Let’s all have another round!”
“Moon it’s okay. C’mere.” Abi brings her partner in for a hug, before they murder two of their children.
Moon returns the hug as Aria screams in shock. “Guy this fucking wall is talking to me!”
“Aria that’s it. Time to go home. You are to drunk,” Vi says, slurring her words.
“Aria! Go home,” Abi yells. “I love you Moony,” she says quieter.
“I love you too.”
“No! Me staying her with ma best friend Moon!” Aria screams back; to the wall instead of the people. Huh. Maybe she should go home.
“A toast,” Vibes holds up their glass. “A proper one. For Abi and Moon; may they live happily ever after!”
“May they live ever after!” Star cheers.
“Cheers I guess…” Corn says, not sure what’s going on anymore. Too many drunk people.
“Cheers bitches!” Aria says, getting dragged by her legs while Vi yelled at her.
“Go. Home. You. Are. Drunk.”
“Vi, no.” Lier goes to dislodge the two. “Let Aria stay here with me.”
“Aria you want to come with me?” Vibes asks. “I have some ice.”
“She will be fine in my sight.”
Abi stares into Vi’s soul. “Put her down.”
“Okay mom.”
Aria’s feet drop to the floor and she just lays there. “No, I want to stay with Lier.”
“I love ice!” Rib calls from the other end of the room, where ze is standing really close to a vase.
A drunken Moon then starts giving out food from the kitchen people. Unnie decides that they don’t get paid enough to care.
Aria looks to Lier. “But I want ice.”
“Then get up. You can come with me to the ice machine.” The two of them go to where Rib and Vi are munching quietly with Star.
“Y’all can see the walls moving right?” Aria asks again.
“Uh, yeah, sure Aria. They’re doing jumping jacks and everything.” Abi says, grabbing a handful of ice for herself.
“Aria, I think I’m seeing that walls talk too,” Vi said way too loudly for their proximity.
Rib turned back to the vase. “So, ya come here often?” Ze was slurring zeir words all over the place.
“Aria sit down. Rib are you flirting that was vase?” Lier facepalmed.
“Yes Vi! They are talking!”
Lier stands up, leaving them to it. “I’m getting the hose,” she muttered to Vibes on her way out. “If I remember correctly Abi said arson was allowed after the ceremony.”
“These guys are so weak to alcohol, let’s hope they forget that.”
Vi knocks over Rib’s vase while talking to the walls with Aria. “Ooh! Mango!” She them proceeds to eat some.
“NOOOOO!” Rib cries. “My beloved!”
Vibes rushes over to get Vi to cough it up.
“Vi how could you!” Rib shouts.
“Cronch. Tasty.”
Aria picks that moment to start playing the death metal to get some good head banging. Abi tries to hold in her laugh, but can’t. Rib starts sobbing in an ugly drunken fashion, bopped zeir head as well.
“Well at least no one is hurt yet,” Vibes says when Lier returns with the hose.
Star is still sitting to the side, drinking her apple juice quietly now that their’s no songs within her vocal range to sing.
“Let’s do Coke!” Aria suggests.
“No. Aria. No.” Lier stands right in Aria’s face. “I will literally make a PowerPoint on why that’s a bad idea.”
“Yeah! Coke!” Vi cheers, but Aria is already trying to shush her.
“No. No. Coke.”
“Why?” Vi complains.
“You ate my future wife!” Rib yells.
Lier muttered a question to herself. “Is me holding the threat of an informative PowerPoint really enough to stop Aria?”
“It’s okay. I’m good. Sorry Lier. OMG no. No PowerPoint necessary!”
“Smile on nod,” Lier said to herself.
“PowerPoints are scary,” Aria explained.
“No they aren’t,” Abi piped up.
“Do you want her to do coke?”
Abi paused to take in the question. “PowerPoints are terrifying,” she says deadpan.
“Any song requests?” Star asked when the death metal ended.
“Something sad,” Rib said, “because that’s how I feel. I feel betrayed and backstabbed.”
“Could you do ‘Cost of the Crown’ for me?”
“Wait there’s a crown!” Abi jumped up. “I want a crown!”
Abi was very clearly drunk, so Vibes handed over a paper crown before she hurt herself.
“POG!”
“By a sibling no less!” Rib continued to scream.
“Shuddup out prick!”
“Shut up, murderer!”
As this conversation continues, Star starts to play ‘Let it Go’ on the piano. Abi and Vibes are dueling, not half badly, but defiantly in the wrong key.
“Fuck you! You murdered my beloved!”
“I’ll do it again fucker!”
“She ate my wife!”
“Rib and Violet. Calm. Down.” Vibes went to stand between them.
“It’s only a vase, calm down,” Ai adds.
“I WILL NOT CALM!”
“Rib calm down, Moon and I will get you another.”
“It wasn’t just a vase! It was the mother of my future children!”
“I’ll fix her if you calm down,” Abi reasoned.
“Okay. I’m calm. Fix her please.”
“I’ll fix her tomorrow, don’t you worry kiddo,” Abi soothed.
“Don’t worry, she’s not gone yet,” Vibes said. “Just sleep for now Rib, she’ll be okay.”
“She’ll be even shinier than the day you met her kiddo, don’t you worry!”
Lier came over with a glass of ice. “Have some water before you dose off on us.”
“Yay!” ze said sleepily. “Ice.”
Lier starts putting the pieces into a large Ziplock bag.
“Are y’all gonna do some necromancy?! No!” Vi them process to charge at Lier, pushing her over and breaking the pieces into even smaller ones.
“Vi,” Lier falls back into a deathly calm tone. “We just got Rib is calm down.” She gets up and into Vi’s space. “I will slowly dismember you part by part if you do not shut up this moment”
“No!”
“Ok Vi. You’re right. I’m not going to hurt you. But please stop breaking the vase.”
Rib had started worry again. Abi started shushing her child again. “Don’t worry, Rib vasey is completely fine.”
“And now I will sing N/A my MegaPvP!” Vibes said. For the first time, Lier wondered if Vibes was truly sober.
Rib places an orange peel on Abi’s shoulder. “Here you go mother.”
“Huh?”
“Okay! Pack it up family! Time to go home!”
“But my vase!”
“Will get super glued together tomorrow.”
Lier finds where Ozzie has secluded themselves, and forces them to help get everyone into cars and home safely. Thank goodness she had had the foresight to book a couple vans and drivers.
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Chapter 24 - Hosu City
Chapter 23
"Wake up interns! Baiji has called everyone near the Tokyo Bay in 15 minutes!! Finish your breakfast and get ready!! Wear your hero costume!" One of the assistants came to the girls dorm and woke them up. There were only 4 girls who came in as interns, so they had less problem about space than the boys.
"I get the bathroom first!" Y/N screamed and ran in with her hero costume, brush and tooth paste. She heard the annoyed sighs of her roommates outside. After a full day of physical training, all of the interns slept like a log. But unlike the previous day, today they were woken up at 6 am instead. Just two hour difference but no one had any complaints. They didn't want to be woken up at 4 a.m. again as a punishment. They already got a taste of how petty Baiji can be and any kind of argument will just end up with more training.
Oikawa and Y/N became pretty good friends eventhough it was just two days. Oikawa had the kind of an aura that would make anyone feel comfortable. They shared phone numbers and she finally talked to him about the guy who made her blush, because 'he is not from our school anyway, no one will know'. She texted Kyoka and talked about how their training was going on. Ofcourse, their conversation was full of complaints and how the agency just won't leave their ass alone, but it was refreshing to talk freely after hours of training.
When the interns reached to Tokyo Bay, Baiji was standing with a coffee on one hand and she was using her teeth to adjust the gloves of her right hand. Suddenly seeing them, she remembered that she was supposed to be a guidance, and then stood properly - half of her right hand glove dangling down. "Great to see you in your hero costume! Well, I hope you had your breakfast because you're going to be really hungry for lunch."
"Yep, we have something big for us." Oikawa muttered to Y/N.
"How do you know? She didn't say that."
"Well, she never told us that we are going to be tired for the previous trainings. But if she's actually informing us about it, then it probably means that we have to work harder than we did before."
"Today we are going to be concentrating on your quirks. You are going to control your quirks based on when and where you're using it. All of you will be supervised by my assistants ofcourse, but you'll be presented with separate situations. There will be children and crowd present at times, and you have to use your quirk wisely. The villain here are going to be my assistants. They'll train you accordingly and teach you where and what you should work on. I'll surprise you with some obstacles in the last stage, just to test your observational skills." Baiji instructed, "I won't hold back. So be prepared. And those who manage to impress me will have the chance to see my work around today."
Every intern were given separate spaces and positions and every one started their training. Y/N first was asked to control her water properly. First stage was to change the amount and range of water suddenly, without any obstacles and standing on one position. The assistants were making them do everything step-by-step. It was pretty easy when there were no distractions. The second stage though was a bit hard. It was the same as the first, except that they had to control their quirk while moving and jumping around.
Baiji might look lazy and clumsy but she was extremely aware of all the interns and what they needed to work on. Her memory was sharp in this sense. She was the kind who would work hard until she perfected at her task. And that's what she was looking forward to. She never pushed the interns if it became unbearable, but found a seperate way for it to work out. It's not like everyone should follow the same pattern. She believed every intern in her agency was unique in their own sense and just needed to find their own way of getting stronger. In this particular day she was not only in the field, but also advising on the things the interns should work on. She went around every hour giving them reviews.
"Your consistency of exerting water while moving around sucks," Baiji said after an hour passed, "When you'll fight villains, if you waver even for a second, it can prove to be harmful to you and those around you. But at the same time you need to be aware of the surroundings. Trust me you won't even have a clue when I sneak up behind you. Also, I've seen your speed during the festival. Try using your quirk on your legs after the second step, and practice with it. If you can use it perfectly, it'll be a huge benefit for you. And remember, no one knows what you are capable of more than yourself. You know how your quirk works now, so focus on how you can use it and what you can do to pull off new moves."
"Okay ma'am," Y/N said getting ready to train again.
"Oh, and stop calling me ma'am. It feels too weird, so just call me by my name,"
Y/N smiled as her eyes fixated on the assistant in front of him and said, "I won't disappoint you Baiji."
Yes, she was aware of how quickly she gets distracted, but Y/N didn't expect to be slapped with water spray by Baiji 14 times. They weren't even on the 6th stage where Baiji is supposed to test her observational skill. Her eyes were red and body was aching on moving around too much. It didn't go unnoticed by Oikawa though, who was looking like a mess himself.
They were all given comfortable seats to sit on during their lunch after the kind of training they went through. Y/N's phone rang, indicating a text message.
"Oooh, who's this girl? She's cute," Oikawa said peeking at her phone.
"She's my best friend, and no, I can't fix a date for you because she has someone she likes."
"You can atleast ask her right? She's not taken yet. How can you be even sure she'll say no?"
"Because she denies a lot of how she doesn't like him but I see her actually enjoying more time with him than any other guy around. Even though he's a bit of a perv. Like she actually blushes and stuff."
"As if your choice of that pomeranian is any better. I would've never imagined that you can like someone as aggressive as him."
"You looked him up on internet, didn't you?"
"Well, I was curious!!" Oikawa's eyes darted towards her phone and he said, "Pass me your phone. We should click a selfie! I want to show off that I know Haruto's sister."
"I already have a rumor going on man, don't-"
"Well, then let's click a group picture too!"
After taking the pictures, and sending it to everyone, Oikawa gave her phone back with a smirk on his face.
"What the hell did you do?" Y/N said snatching away the phone from him. She looked at her phone screen and her eyes almost popped off her face. She smacked his back hard and squealed in embarassment.
"What?!" he said rubbing his back, "As if you've the guts to make a move! It's a step forward!"
"Oh and how many relationships did you have sir?!!"
"Plenttyyy!!"
"That's even worse!!"
They bickered for a while and Y/N contemplated if she should just send a message saying "wrong number" or something to Bakugou. But she was curious about his reaction and just decided to wait it out. She can just say it wasn't her later. They don't bring their phones during training anyway.
The training was a bit hard after lunch. Without obstacles, it was easy to control her quirk.When the assistants were acting as villains, she learned faster and better than expected. But ofcourse, the last stage was really hard. Along with the villains, there were people set as civilians now who were in boats, so it was hard to think of a plan out of the blue while she was getting attacked. And this was also when Baiji was going to actually test her.
"Concentrate!" the assistant shouted, "You've hit 3 civilians already! Focus on your surroundings Y/N! You've just got to use your senses better!"
She had to clear her mind first. Her anxiety of getting everything done at the same time was always what got in her way. It wavered her attention a lot. Y/N decided on keeping the villain engaged in some way and use some time to move the civilians to somewhere safe. How and what, she had no idea. Her eyes moved momentarily towards the coast and she remembered what Baiji said. She had to pull off something. Besides, for someone who always had a clumsy image in front of interns, she wanted to know how she handled her work. She focused on some water under the villain's feet while attacking him with her left hand, she created a round ball of water and forced it on the assistant, keeping him trapped in it. Y/N kept the ball of water rotating, while he tried to get out of it. She knew that time was short and within a minute he'll be out. So she used her left hand to control the water, needed to move the civilians away. And–
BAM!
A punch on her guts almost made her lose grip and take her breath away. It was Baiji. Ofcourse. She said, she was going to be harsh. Y/N gained control again, and she was angry on herself for getting hit even after practicing so hard with Oikawa that day. Somehow her anger made her control over the ball of water rotate faster, where the villains wasn't able to get themselves out anymore since the force of water spiraling inside was harsh. Y/N focused on bringing the boat closer near the coast.
SMACK!
She used her feet to block Baiji's attack. Before she could attack again, Y/N used her feet and moved fast towards the coast dragging the boat along. She could've stayed and fought them but safety was the first priority. And when the people finally gave the safe signal to her, she moved away from the coast, the assistant still in her grip. A hand settled on her shoulder and she moved her arm to hit Baiji with her elbow.
"Time's up," Baiji said immediately catching her elbow, "Release my assistant please. He can control water but he can still drown."
"Oh! Sorry!" Y/N said and released her grip on the coast, where the assistant was coughing out and catching his breath.
"I didn't think you'll be able to defend yourself. But good job! You focused on your quirk and made a new move like I said. Focus on control and movements, and you'll get to make more new moves in no time." Baiji patted her shoulder and called everyone to gather round.
"So when are we reaching?" Baiji said, urgency evident on her voice, "The whole city is on fire for fuck's sake! Drive faster!"
"It's spreading, yes, but not the whole city. And please langua–"
"Oh FUCK the language!!!"
"Okay, sorry kids." Baiji's sidekick said looking at the Y/N, Oikawa and another girl from the rear-view mirror, "Just try not to get hurt, okay?"
"We'll definitely try," Y/N said looking at both of them.
"Okay," Baiji said as soon as the car stopped near police vehicles, "Everyone get ready! We received information that strange strong creatures are attacking the city and the heroes are trying their best to keep those in control! Our job is to put off the fire first of all, and then rescue any citizen in trouble. And remember, unless you have no other option left, DO NOT FIGHT WITH THE VILLAINS. Our top priority is rescuing people, got it?!"
"Yes ma'am!!" Everyone said stepped out of the car. The interns took a moment to observe the sight. It was chaos everywhere. And the creatures that they were talking about were actually Nomus - the ones that Y/N encountered with in USJ along with her classmates. It took All Might a lot to beat one of those and now, there were more than one. Clearly, the heroes were struggling to bring them under control.
The sidekick and Baiji separated into two teams along with their assistants.
"I'll take the kids with me!" Baiji said, "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure that they can take care of themselves. I just need one other assistant!"
"I don't think we should take the risk of taking these interns! Unlike previous interns, it's nothing like the other works we've taken them to-"
"Exactly! These interns are different! Heroes are getting stronger and better with each passing year and these interns need first-hand experience too!" Her eyes moved towards Y/N, "And some even do."
"....Okay ma'am," The sidekick said and left along with the assistants.
As Y/N started running behind Baiji, she heard screams and bursts everywhere. She didn't forget about it. Her thoughts were consumed about her friend, "Iida's here. This has to be a coincidence...right? The Hero Killer is not so flashy. Besides, Iida is very intelligent. He wont...come here...just for revenge.."
"..right?"
Chapter 25
SEASON - II
Ignite
MASTERLIST
#katsuki bakugou#bakugou x reader#mha bakugou#mha bakugo katsuki#bnha katsuki#bnha#bnha uraraka#bnha eijiro kirishima#bnha kaminari#Midoriya#boku no hero academia#my hero academia#deku midoriya#ochaco#mha kirishima#mha headcanons#mha fanfiction#mha tenya#boku no hero imagines#izuku mydoria#my hero academy fanfiction#Iida Tenya#shouto todoroki#mha shouto
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only fools rush in / part five: power outages can lead to some very bad things
part one | part two | part three | part four
welcome to the angst.
tw: power outage, blood, minor bouts of beat poetry violence, anxiety attack, vague sex mentions.
-
It was a dark and stormy night.
It was midterm season.
They were all crammed into one small study room in the library. Empty potato chip bags littered on the floor, three cardboard cup holders from the nearby coffee shop on the table, the drinks having been consumed long ago.
Logan and Janus were sitting at the desk, their laptops open in front of them, textbooks sprawled open, and their feet twisted together underneath the table. Logan’s tie was undone and around his shoulders, and Janus had shrugged out of his coat hours ago, the sleeves of his shirt pushed up to his elbows.
Patton was laying on his stomach, typing furiously at his laptop that was sitting in front of him; just in front of the laptop was Remus, sitting cross-legged with a textbook on his lap, but he had leaned his head against the wall behind him and dozed off, snoring lightly. Every once in a while Patton would look up from his laptop and smile at his boyfriend.
Roman was sitting against another wall, legs spread out and Virgil sitting between them, both of their eyes focused on their scripts as they slowly and quietly spoke the words. They’d have to be off-script in less than a month; it had already been two weeks since they were cast.
Remus stirred, rubbing his hand against his face, and he glanced down at Patton, whose legs were swinging gently in the air, his glasses pulled up into his hair, and his eyes drooped shut until he realized it, then he opened them wide, reading the same line from his research on the laptop over and over again. The taller man smiled and lifted the laptop up and set it down on his other side, making the other glance up at him with lidded eyes and a soft smile.
“I think it’s time to get you home, little flower,” Remus’ voice was quiet and soft as he trailed his fingers against Patton’s face, who nodded and sat up, scooting to sit directly next to Remus, his head landing on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “No, don’t go dozing on my shoulder, babe,” he said, but didn’t make a move to get up, and instead wove his fingers through Patton’s, resting his head on the other’s.
From across the room, his twin was watching the interaction, and he had stopped speaking his lines, which made Virgil look back at him. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Roman shook his head, plastering a smile on his face as he refocused his eyes on the script. The tall man frowned, pushing the script down, making his boyfriend look at him. “Ro, what’s up?”
“I just…” he glanced at his twin again, whose eyes were closed but he spoke softly to Patton so that no one else could hear what he was saying. “I know they seem happy, but… I don’t buy it.” Virgil’s frown deepened, and he crossed his arms.
“Remus has changed, though…” he said, and Roman sighed, pressing his face into Virgil’s shoulder. “Ro, I know it’s hard, but please, for Patton’s sake, just… let them be.” Roman knew that his boyfriend was right, but after everything he’d been through with Remus, he wasn’t sure if his twin did deserve the happiness that he was getting. But Patton did, and that was enough for him.
And then the lights went out. The room was bathed in darkness, only the emergency lights were on but no one could see anyone else. Roman felt as Virgil tensed up in his arms, a low whimper escaping, and he wrapped his arms tightly around his taller boyfriend.
“What’s happening?” Patton’s voice rang out and there was some clamoring heard, probably him trying to stand up. After a few moments, someone shook the door; but the doors into the study rooms were electric, and it didn’t budge. “Are we… stuck in here?”
“Oh god,” Virgil’s voice was breathy and panicked, and Roman felt him start to shake more. “Jan, I-”
“Roman, keep talking to him and hold him tightly okay? The dark and closed in spaces make him anxious,” Janus’ voice was there, calm and collected, and Roman followed his instructions, lacing his fingers through Virgil’s hair.
“I’m here, V. I’ve got you, okay? Hey, once we get out of here, I’ll walk you home and we can cuddle with the lights on,” he began, trying to speak in a soothing voice. “Where are your headphones? Do you want to listen to some jazz?” He murmured an affirmation and in the dark, Roman ruffled through Virgil’s backpack to find the headphones, then connected the bluetooth to his phone, playing soft jazz for him, cuddling him close by.
Janus and Logan’s hands had met in the darkness, the lights from their laptops fading out since they could do no work with the internet out. Logan’s voice was there, calm, “If you need to go over and sit with Virgil, please do,” he said, but Janus just gripped his hand tighter.
“I need to learn that others can care for him, too,” he said softly, so that no one else could hear him. “If he needs me, I’ll go, but I also need you, Lo.” He scooted his chair closer to Logan’s, his head resting on the astronomy major’s shoulder, and they sat in silence, waiting out the darkness as the wind raged and whistled outside.
Patton had returned to his spot on the floor next to Remus, and the two met eyes in the dim lights, a smirk on Remus’ face, and a pale blush over Patton’s. “Remus, I know that look, but please, the others are here,” he whispered as Remus pressed kisses to his neck, his hand trailing to grip Patton’s hip.
“But, think about it, what if we ran the risk of getting caught, doesn’t that sound… exhilarating to you?” Remus’ voice was low and it sent a shockwave through Patton, who bit his lip to prevent a low whine from escaping his throat. He gripped the front of Remus’ shirt tightly and pulled him so their lips met, and they did their best to be quiet as their hands continued wandering, though not yet dipping below the waistline.
It was like that for a while, each couple buried in the feeling and comfort of their partner, not much attention being paid to the others. That was, until Remus bit a little too hard at Patton’s ear, causing a yelp to come out of the small man. Instantly, Roman was standing, Virgil being pushed aside.
“What the hell are you doing, Remus?” His voice was booming, and Janus leapt into action, taking Virgil into his arms, cradling the shaking man. Logan moved, too, a hand firmly on Roman’s chest. “Get off of him, you’re hurting him!” Roman’s voice was laced with hatred and anger as he shouted those words. Patton stood up, fixing his clothes which had become haphazard with all of the grabbing.
“He’s not hurting me, Ro! We were-” He didn’t finish his sentence, embarrassment clearly in his tone, but no one could see the deep blush that coated his cheeks. “Why would you think he was hurting me?”
“Because his friends hurt me and I can’t trust him to not hurt you!” Roman yelled, trying to push past Logan, but the nerd was surprisingly strong, and kept the theatrical man where he was. “Let me at him!” Remus stepped closer.
“Let him go, Logan. We need to deal with this. It’s been swept under the rug too many times,” Remus said, and Logan stepped behind him, pulling Patton under his arm.
“Roman, please,” Patton whined, his hand trying to reach for the back of Remus’ shirt. “He’s not going to hurt me.”
“You don’t know him like I do, Pat. He’s dangerous. He’s done some awful things, and he hasn’t changed,” Roman said, voice shaking but his voice was shaking with fury. “I wanted to believe that he had changed for the better, but he hasn’t, and I won’t let him hurt you.” Before Patton could respond, Remus’ voice was there, responding.
“You’re wrong, Ro. I have changed. And I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you and that the people I used to be around hurt you, but I’m different now, I swear. I-”
He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence as Roman grabbed his shirt, and a clenched fist collided with Remus’ face, knocking him onto the floor. Patton screamed, throwing himself onto Remus to make sure he was okay.
And then the lights turned on.
Suddenly, Virgil stood up, grabbing his stuff, and stormed out without saying anything. Janus gave a look to Logan, who nodded, and ran after him, not looking back.
“Hey, hey, look at me, babe. You’re gonna be okay,” Patton’s words were soothing as he grabbed his backpack and rummaged through it for some tissues. He wiped the blood away from Remus’ nose, then pressed against his eye. “It’s going to swell. We should get some ice on it.”
“I’m so sorry, little flower,” Remus’ voice cracked, eyes shut tightly as he tried to stand. Patton stood with him, stabilizing him, and with his free hand he packed up all of their things and slid both of their bags over his shoulder. With a lasting, disappointed look at Roman, he led Remus out of the room, their voices too low for Roman to hear what was being said.
Logan had returned to his spot, packing up his things and then Janus’. Roman glanced over at him, then sank to his knees, regret filling him. “Did I just fuck up?”
“Logically speaking? Yes.” Logan responded plainly, his eyes not looking towards the theatrical one. “Remus has changed. I know that it can be hard for you to believe that, given your history but… Patton is truly happy with him, and you need to let them be happy. You and Virgil are happy, so I would think it is only logical that you allow your brother to be happy, too.”
“I should check on Virgil,” Roman said, scooting over to pack up his things. Logan slid the straps for his backpack and Janus’ bag over his shoulders then walked over to Roman, setting a hand on his shoulder.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Maybe wait until tomorrow. Go home, get some rest, let it all blow over. Janus can take care of him for the night,” Logan recommended, then gathered the trash the others had scattered, and left, leaving Roman alone on the floor.
When Roman got back to the apartment, all of the lights were out. Patton and Logan were nowhere to be seen, so he figured that they were both spending the night at the other apartment. He showered then got into bed, but laid on his back staring up at his ceiling until the sun started to bleed through the break in his curtains. He fucked up.
-
Virgil slammed the door to his bedroom shut. He was surprised that he was able to keep the tears from falling until this moment, but when his knees met the ground and his backpack slumped onto the floor, they fell. His body shook with sobs, and he barely registered Janus’ arms wrapping around him, the soothing tones of his voice lulling him into a sleep.
Once Janus knew that Virgil was asleep for the night, he removed his shoes and headphones, then dimmed the lights in the bedroom and stepped out. When he did so, he saw Remus sprawled on the couch, Patton sitting on the floor with tears tracking down his face and one of Remus’ hands in both of his, and Logan was leaning over him, pressing ice against Remus’ eye.
“How is he?” Janus asked, exhaustion evident in his voice. Patton glanced over at him, concern in his eyes.
“He passed out as soon as they left the library. Luckily, I was able to help Patton drag him here,” Logan explained, setting the ice down on the coffee table. “How’s Virgil?”
“Asleep. He didn’t say anything, though.” He responded, collapsing onto the chair, pressing his fingers against his forehead. “I’m going to kill Roman if he hurts Virgil.” Patton chewed on his lower lip, eyes focused on Remus. Silence fell over the room as Logan cleaned up the towels and ice he had used.
“Can you help me get him into bed?” Patton finally asked, glancing at Logan and Janus. They both nodded softly, then helped him carry Remus into bed. Once he was in bed, Logan and Janus left, leaving Patton to remove Remus’ bloody shirt, his shoes having been discarded when they entered the apartment. He slid Remus’ jeans off next, then undressed himself, putting on one of Remus’ large shirts. He got under the covers next to Remus, then held him tightly, eyes focused on his boyfriend. Patton wouldn’t be sleeping. He needed to make sure that Remus would be okay.
Outside the bedrooms, Janus buried himself in Logan’s arms, the stress cascading off of him like the sloughing of dirt off of a dirty window in the rain. “Please stay,” he whispered, and Logan nodded, pressing his lips to the top of Janus’ head.
-
Remus woke up in his own bed, but the arms that were around him were softer than any pillow could have been. His eyes fluttered open to see Patton staring at him, dark circles under his eyes, hair mussed into a messy bun. “Morning, little flower,” he said weakly, his throat feeling parched. Patton said nothing at first but scrambled to grab his bottle of water, then held it to Remus’ lips.
“How are you feeling?” he asked softly, setting the bottle back down. Remus shrugged, his hand gravitating towards his face, and it stung a bit when he touched his cheek. “You have a black eye, but Logan examined you and said that you don’t have a broken nose or anything,” Patton explained. “You passed out once we left the library.”
“Is Roman okay?” Remus asked. Patton’s face went hard, and he looked away from Remus.
“Logan and I both spent the night here, so I’m not sure,” he responded, sighing a little. “He said that Roman looked pretty defeated, but…” Patton’s eyes went back to Remus’, and there was a fire behind his pupils that he hadn’t seen before. “I’m pissed at him.”
“No, little flower, it’s fine, I’ve messed up in the past and… I deserved it.” Remus explained, taking one of Patton’s hands in his own. “He never lashed out like that before. I’m glad that he finally did.”
“I’m not. He hurt you, Remus. I won’t let him hurt the man that I-”
He was cut off by Remus leaning up to kiss him softly.
“Don’t, please. You’re too full of emotions right now, Patton, I don’t want you to say something that you’ll regret later,” he whispered, pressing his forehead against his boyfriend’s. “I know you mean it right now, but I don’t want you to say it today and then not feel it tomorrow. Please, Patton.”
-
Janus woke up in Logan’s arms. They were messy last night, their clothes scattered on the floor and he had forgone his usual pillows for Logan’s warm chest after their sloppy sex. Janus felt fidgety as he slid out of Logan’s arms and pulled on his robe.
He prayed that Virgil was still asleep as he crossed the hallway and opened the door to the emo’s room a smidge. Snores were echoing out of the crack in the door, and Janus breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped in, closing the door behind him. He sat on the desk chair, and watched Virgil for a long time. Long enough for Logan to bring him in a cup of coffee. Long enough for Remus to peek in and apologize quietly for what had happened.
When Virgil woke up, the first thing he saw was Janus, sipping on his mug of coffee. He felt groggy, and it took a few moments for him to recall the events of what had happened in the study room. When he did, there was a visible shake in his hands.
“Are you okay?” Janus’ voice was smooth, and Virgil just shrugged, not trusting his own voice. Virgil met his eyes, then glanced at the door and back to him. Janus nodded in understanding; they had been friends for so long that they understood exactly what the other person was asking, even if it was just with their eyes. “Remus is okay. Patton took good care of him, and I think they are eating breakfast right now. Logan spent the night, but he will be going back to their apartment soon since he has some school work to finish up. No one has heard from Roman.”
“I should call him,” Virgil started, but hesitated when Janus frowned at his sentence. “He messed up, Janus. He needs to know that.”
“I think he does. But please, Virgil. Take it easy today,” Janus’ voice was pleading, but Virgil just shook his head.
“Do you know what happened between them?” he asked. Janus’ frown deepened.
“I only know the miniscule parts of the story that Remus has relayed to us both,” he explained, and Virgil nodded. “That his high school friends made fun of and then physically hurt Roman, that Remus and all of his friends ended up in jail one night, and that Remus and Roman both had to go to therapy for a long time.”
“Roman won’t talk about it. I tried asking, but he changes the subject every time. He’s scared that it’ll happen again, that it’ll happen to Patton,” Virgil said, hugging one of his pillows tightly. “He was in the wrong to punch Remus, but… I think I’d probably do the same if one of my best friends was with someone who had caused me so much pain in the past. I’d punch Logan for you.”
“You love him,” Janus said plainly, but Virgil didn’t respond. Janus knew Roman screwed up, but he also knew that Virgil was happy with Roman, happier than he’d ever been, and if Janus had to pick up the pieces and stick them back together, despite everything, he’d do it. For Virgil. “Look. I know it’s scary. And this whole situation with Remus... it’s… complicated. But don’t let that stop you from opening up to Roman, okay? He had one small slip up, and… Remus has accepted that he deserved it. So we should all accept it, too.”
“I don’t want to lose him, Jan,” Virgil said, the words gushing out of his mouth. “What do I do?”
-
Roman was still in bed. He heard someone get home and shower, then he heard typing, so he figured that it was Logan working on his assignments. He wished he could sleep, but he kept running the events through his head over and over again, glancing every once in a while at his phone; he had turned it off hours ago.
He heard a knock at the front door and some chatter, and then the door to his bedroom was opening, Virgil’s head peeking in.
“Virgil, I-”
“You just... be quiet for a second, okay?” Virgil said, stepping in. He set his backpack down on the ground and then crossed his arms, looking at Roman intensely. “You shouldn’t have punched Remus. It was wrong, and even though he has accepted that he deserved it, you still hurt Patton. And you made my anxiety attack worse in the process. I was so scared for you, and for Remus.” He took a deep breath, eyes trailing to the pile of clothes on the ground. “I know things are hard with you and Remus, but, as someone who has lived with him for a while and has seen the growth he’s made? He deserves to be happy with Patton.”
“I’m so sorry, Virgil,” Roman’s voice cracked, and he fought the tears that were tempting to release from his eyes. “I fucked up. I shouldn’t have done that, I was just so angry. It reminded me so much of what had happened so long ago.” Virgil stepped out of his shoes and got onto the bed with Roman, taking his hands in his. “I just… lost it for a moment. I promise I’ve never punched anyone before.”
“I know, I believe you,” Virgil said softly, scooting closer to him. Roman pressed their foreheads together. “We’re going to be okay, Ro.”
“Is Remus okay?” Roman asked hesitantly.
“Patton took good care of him. He’ll be good as new in a few days, I’m sure,” Virgil smiled weakly. “It’s Remus. You and I both know that he bounces back quickly.” Roman let out a low laugh at this, and Virgil twisted his fingers in Roman’s hair. “I like you a lot, Roman. If I had said anything last night, I might have said something stupid that I didn’t mean. But I like you a lot, and you’re not going to scare me away that easily.”
“Okay, good,” Roman breathed out, as that was a concern that he had been holding tightly to his chest all night. “I don’t want to lose you, V. I… I love you.” The words came out before he could stop them, and a look of surprise crossed Virgil’s face, and then one of terror. “Shit. I’m sorry. You don’t need to say it back until you’re ready. I just…” He sighed, but then Virgil smiled at him and kissed him.
“Thank you, Ro,” he said between kisses. “I’m not ready to say it yet. Once I am, I promise I’ll tell you.” Roman let out a sigh of relief as Virgil resumed kissing him, their bodies pressing together.
---
teaser for part six: a twin and twelve tattoos
“The day Roman was hurt, I tried to stop them. So, they hurt me too,” Remus’ voice was shaky, and Patton pulled him into his arms. “He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know that they hurt me, too. I had to protect him, Patton. I tried my best. I didn’t know that they’d hurt him, I swear.”
part six will be posted on sunday, august 16 at 12PM PDT
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part six | part seven | part eight | part nine | part ten
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masterlist
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taglist (message or reply to be added to the taglist!)
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@shaded14space
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@deceits-left-glove
@aricana8
@pixelated-pineapple
@starstruck-xavier
@thiel
@sophiexteresa
@cemmy
@toadink2005
#amanda's sanders sides college au#amanda writes sanders sides fic#only fools rush in#angst#ts patton#ts remus#patton sanders#remus sanders#intruality#ts logan#ts janus#logan sanders#janus sanders#loceit#ts intruality#ts loceit#ts virgil#ts roman#virgil sanders#roman sanders#prinxiety#ts prinxiety#sanders sides fanfiction#ts sanders sides
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Dean catches team and win kissing in the locker room after practice. Team freaks out and ignores win for a couple of days. Dean isn’t too surprised since he knows that win has like team for a while now. So he tries to give team the “dont hurt my friend” talk
“Don’t come any closer”, Team warns Win as he backs away. Win is looking at him with that goddamn smirk on his lips. He raises one of his eyebrows and takes a step forward. Team glances around but unfortunately for him, it’s just the two of them. Their practise ended well over half an hour ago after all. Team took his time showering and before he realised, the entire locker room was empty. Except for that one blond motherfucker.
Ever since that time, Team has made sure to not be left alone with Win. He can’t believe it slipped his mind this time.
Team let’s out a disapproving sound as Win takes another step forward. Win’s smirk gets even wider and goddamn Team wants to punch him.
“What? I’m not gonna do anything”, Win laughs as he keeps walking. Team’s back hits the cold metal lockers.
“P’!” Team warns but Win doesn’t care. He gets closer and soon Team can feel the man’s hot breaths against his face. A shiver runs through Team, lifting the hair on his arms. Team blames it on the cold. He’s not wearing a shirt after all. Win comes even closer, putting his arms next to Team’s head, trapping him against the locker. Team’s hands find Win’s bare chest as he tries to keep the boy away.
“We’re in the locker room!! We can’t do this again”, Team scolds Win but even he can hear the uncertainty in his voice. Unsurprisingly, Win ignores his words.
Slowly the smirk on his face fades and something much scarier replaces it. Win leans closer and Team freezes. Team would like to say he fought back, but he really didn’t. The moment Win’s lips touch his, Team’s eyes close and he relaxes against the lockers.
Win wraps his left arm around Team’s waist, pressing himself against Team. The hand that was earlier holding Win back is now wrapped around Win’s neck, pulling him closer, while his other hand is in Win’s hair. Team loves Win’s hair. He loves the way it looks but more than that, he loves the way it feels. His hair is soft and the perfect length to tangle his fingers in. That being said, Team’s fingers are intertwined with locks of blond hair and gently he moves his hand, tugging Win’s hair. Win lets out a deep groan and presses closer. The sound sends electricity down Team’s spine. Despite everything, there are some things he has learned about the man in front of him.
Win’s right hand slips down under the towel and he runs his fingers along Team’s thigh. Team knows he should stop Win, he should pull away because Win would let him, of course he would but Team can’t bring himself to do it. Not when everything Win touches turns to fire. Win’s hand moves up to his upper thigh. The blond boy moves his mouth and nibbles at a spot under Team’s ear. Team’s breath gets caught in his throat.
“Hia”, Team’s voice is shaky as he calls out. Win’s hand stops there, waiting for instructions. Win’s mouth doesn’t stop but Team knows he's waiting for an answer. Team opens his mouth, way too feverish to say anything other than yes when Team hears the door opening. The blood in his veins turns to ice and his eyes burst open. Team pushes Win away with what he admits to being a little too much force. Win looks at him with confusion and then follows Team’s wide eyes.
“Oh. Hello Dean”, Win greets his friend. He steps in front of Team to hide his dishevelled looks.
Dean lets out a sigh and presses his nose bridge with his thumb and index finger.
“Guys. Seriously? No matter how horny you are, please, not in the locker room”, Dean says in surrender. Win sighs and crosses his arms.
“You just had to come in now, did you?” Win asks but there’s humour to his voice.
“I’m sorry P”, Team mumbles as the reality of his actions finally catches up with him. In a hurry, Team picks up the pile of clothes on the bench and runs for the door.
“Team!” Win calls after him but the younger boy has already exited the room. Win takes a step after him, frowning. In the end, he decides against running after the boy. Dean leans against the wall, his eyes on Win. He can’t say he’s surprised, not really. He just didn’t think they were quite there yet.
“How long has this been going on?” Dean asks, his voice kind. Win sighs and picks up his shirt. He’s avoiding Dean’s eyes.
“There’s no this”, Win mumbles as he puts the shirt on. Dean raises his eyebrows.
“Oh?” Dean asks. He’s pretty sure Win likes the boy and from the way Team acts, he thought the feelings were mutual.
“Mmh”, Win agrees not providing an explanation. Dean stays quiet. If Win doesn’t want to talk, he won’t force him. He picks up his keys from the table, them being the reason he came back in the first place, and leaves for the door. Before exiting, he turns around and points at Win, giving him a meaningful look. Win smirks and raises his hands up in surrender. Dean chuckles and rolls his eyes, finally leaving.
The moment Dean is gone, the smile on Win’s face drops. He sighs and ruffles his hair. Win sits down and buries his face into his hands. Shit.
-
Four days later Win has not seen or heard from Team. The young boy has gone as far as to skip swimming practise. Whenever Win goes with Dean to meet Pharm and the rest, Team is nowhere to be seen. Win’s unsure whether Team has been hanging out with his best friends at all, or if he’s simply really good at avoiding Win. He hopes it’s the latter.
Once again, Win and Dean make their way over to the younger students. Win looks around with a frown. Still no sign of Team.
“Where’s Team?” Win asks no longer trying to be inconspicuous. He’s pretty sure Team’s friends have some idea of what’s going on. He has been asking the same question several times in the last few days after all.
“Team? He just left before you got here”, Manow answers as she takes another bite of a sandwich Win is sure Pharm prepared for her. Win breaths out in relief. So Team’s only avoiding him then. That’s better than avoiding everyone. Win sits silently throughout their meal which goes unnoticed by everyone else other than Dean. He knows his best friend better than that.
“I’ll go first then? See you at practise”, Dean says bye to Win as they leave for separate directions. After a quick conversation with Pharm, he got Team’s location. Since the boy has gone into hiding and Win can’t find him, he has to make a move.
Dean arrives into the library and just like Pharm said, Team is there, sitting on one of the tables. He doesn’t have any books open in front of him and it’s more than clear he’s not there to study. He’s there to hide. Team is leaning his chin against his arms, staring at something deep in thought. It’s weird for Dean, seeing Team like this since he doesn’t really know Team on a deeper level. Dean’s used to Team clinging to Pharm, always asking for food and constantly bickering with Win. His expressions are always loud and it’s strange to see him this solemn. To Dean’s luck, Team has picked a somewhat remote area and the closest people are a few shelves away. Dean walks over to Team and sits down. The younger boy only raises his head when he hears the chair scrape against the floor. Team’s eyes widen and he straightens himself.
“What’s going on? Is something wrong with Pharm?” Team asks, though clearly not alarmed. Dean smiles. His friends always come first. Win found a good guy.
“No, nothing’s wrong. I’m here about Win”, Dean answers and leans against the table, crossing his fingers. Team shrinks against his seat.
“What about him?” he asks, avoiding Dean’s eyes. Dean looks at his expression in silence for a little while longer.
“I’m not taking sides, I’m just here to talk”, Dean says and leans back against his seat. Team relaxes and nods, still looking away.
“Just.. if you’re not planning on being in a relationship with Win, tell him that”, Dean cuts straight into it. Team meets his eyes but doesn’t interrupt.
“He likes to flirt and play around but he really does like you. It’s not the first time he’s gotten his heart broken so be straight with him. If you’re not planning on being with him, stop seeing him. You’re no longer just a fling to him and he can’t walk away on his own. So if you’re planning to, you need to do it”, Dean’s voice is calm as he speaks. Team looks at his lap and plays with his fingers. Does he want to be with Win? Or… Team tries to think. This is the same question he has been battling with for the last several days. He was planning on figuring it out soon and in a way, he felt as though Dean had given him an ultimatum.
“Do you not want to be with him? Do you not like him? Or.. are you not ready to.. you know”, Dean clears his throat. Team’s eyes widen.
“No! It’s not that! It’s.. I’m not.. I..” Team’s voice drifts off. They stay in silence for a little while.
“Well.. either way, think about it. Don’t leave him hanging”, Dean says as he gets up. Team nods. Dean gives his shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he leaves the table. Team sighs and lets his head fall against the table. His forehead stings but he ignores the pain. He has more important things to worry about.
-
At 2.56 am Win hears a knock on his door. Had it been any other day, Win would’ve probably been asleep. But it’s Friday and hence Win’s in no hurry to go to bed. That and the assignment he forgot to turn in three hours ago and the fact that he only finished it twenty seconds ago. Win sends the file to his professor, writing an excuse about his internet crashing and it only now working. Win’s pretty sure the excuse will pass, not that it really matters. As long as the assignment has arrived before the professor checks his email, he won’t say you’re late. He’s pretty chill like that.
Win gets up from his chair as he hears the loud knock again. Rather than knocking, it sounds like someone is kicking the door. Win grimaces at the thought of it waking up his neighbors. Win opens the door with an angry expression on his face, ready to yell at the idiot on the other side. And even though that person ends up being the biggest idiot of them all, Win can’t yell at him.
Team looks up at him with a conflicted expression. He’s wearing his nightwear clutching onto his phone and keys. His hair is dishevelled and it’s clear that coming over was an impromptu decision. Without a word, Win steps aside and Team slips past him. Team heads straight for the bed and without a word he climbs under the covers. Win is still standing at the door. With a sigh, he closes the door and follows Team inside. Win turns off his computer and the desk light then crawling under covers next to Team. Win wraps his arms around Team and pulls the younger boy in for a hug. Team doesn’t resist.
No matter what happens, Win knows he can’t push Team away. Whenever Team has those nightmares, whenever he can’t sleep or breathe the person he finds is Win. Tonight is proof. Even though Team has been avoiding him for days, when he really needed Win, he couldn’t stop himself from coming over in the middle of the night. And as long as Team needs to, Win will let him. Win presses a kiss into Team’s hair as he snuggles closer.
“Hia”, Team calls against his neck. Win tightens his hold around Team. He stays quiet.
“I didn’t mean to run. I just.. I needed to think a little. I’m sorry”, Team apologises. Win sighs.
“It’s okay”, Win answers with a quiet voice. He doesn’t blame Team. This is his first relationship and on top of it it’s with a boy. It’s only natural for him to be scared.
“I.. I want to be with you”, Team says the words quickly as if afraid he’ll swallow them if not said now. Win pulls back with surprise on his face. He meets Team’s eyes. The younger one doesn’t turn his eyes away.
“Yeah?” Win asks, his eyes not once leaving Team’s.
“Yeah”, Team replies with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Win stares at him a little while longer and then a smile takes over his lips. He lets out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding and pulls Team in for a tight hug.
“Ynngh.. suffocating- over- here”, Team chokes out and Win laughs. He pulls back just a little. He brings his eyes down to Team’s lips and leans down. Win kisses Team softly on the lips and pulls back again. Team smiles. Win answers the smile and kisses Team again. Now that he’s allowed to, he’s not planning on stopping any time soon.
#thanks for the request!!#this was so much fun#pau writes#winteam#teamwin#uwma#uwma the series#win x team#winteam fanfiction#until we meet again the series#until we meet again#Until we meet again ด้ายแดง
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Tower (one shot)
Summary: Paige is going to a party with a high status guest list. She meets Changkyun and Jooheon in the elevator...all three of them are lost.
Warning: SMUT. Threesome (Eiffel Tower, hence the title, get it?), spanking, exhibitionism kink, praise.
Word count: ~2k
A/N: I’ve been dreaming of this scenario for too long (even revealed the concept in a anon ask whoops). I am a raging slut for these two boys, I want to bring more fluff in my palette, but I had to get this off my chest. Will finish the second part of my Ultimate fic soon. This is my first one shot, I’m so proud of myself!
It's just a party, this isn't new. Hell, I've been at this hotel before! I hound my phone to see where exactly this party is, my instructions aren't very clear, thanks to my friend who is already there and has the worst luck with spell check while drunk. So, I guess I'm on my own. First ride to the elevator. I'm just gonna stop at each floor till I hear or see the party. It's annoying, but odds are it'll work. Floor two, nothing. I check myself out using the mirrors surrounding the elevator. Damn do I look good. I adjust the girls to not show too much cleavage in my halter top, just a tasteful amount. What about ass? A little bit of ass cheek, but not too bad, I've worn worse. The doors open at floor three, making me cautious of adjusting myself too much. Nothing. I browse my phone to kill time. Floor four, two people walk in. I look up from my phone and I see Changkyun and Jooheon from Monsta X looking at me in the mirror wall.
"All the floors?", Changkyun points out, chuckling over every button pressed. His laugh makes my panties want to drop.
"If you wanted to go down, I'm sorry, I'm trying to find a party, but I'm lost", I explain. Both boys laugh, making me feel better, but also worse. What are they laughing at? The doors close and we ascend to floor five.
"We're trying to get to that party too, but we have no idea where it is either", Jooheon sighs. Oh thank goodness. Wait, they're going to the same party? My dreams have been fulfilled!
"You're going to that party too?", I bashfully ask for confirmation.
"Just wanted to go to say hi, but if you're going to be there, I guess we can stay a bit longer", Changkyun gives me his slick, half smile grin. My grip around my phone tighten to prevent myself from losing it.
"And with twenty-five floors, we'll have plenty of time to get to know you before we find the party", Jooheon joins the flirtatious attack.
"What's your name, babygirl?", Changkyun starts with the questions. Call me babygirl one more time, I dare you. The door opens and we listen in to hear any music from the hallway. Nothing. We go back to casually leaning.
"I'm Paige. No need to tell me your names, I know exactly who you are, Jooheon and Changkyun", I reveal. If they want to play this flirting game, I'll play this flirting game. They're surprised that I know their names.
Level six, nothing. This is going to take a while.
"What's a beautiful girl doing at a party like this?", Jooheon wonders.
"There's nothing wrong with free booze and young celebrities checking you out. It's all fun and games till they learn how simple you are", I shrug. Celebs expect to be with celebs or with people of some significance. I'm a good fuck, but nothing stays for long.
"Simple is good. Those people just don't understand the masterpiece they have in front of them", Changkyun steps it up.
"Oh, I'm a masterpiece?", I act flattered. I look at their reflections and they both examine me fully, scanning me from head to toe. Jooheon bites his juicy lip, flashing me his iconic dimples. Changkyun licks the corner of his mouth, raising his pierced brow. I must be dreaming.
"Oh, please, any girl would drop their panties for those looks. You'll have to try harder if you want to impress me", I call them out on their attempt to seduce. The boys like the challenge. The door opens and we're struck back to reality. Floor seven, nothing. Both of them move to either side of me. I realize how much taller they are compared to me, but I won't let that aspect intimidate me.
The door closes and the boys are in full alert.
"Can I touch you?", Jooheon asks for consent. I raise an eyebrow at him.
"What are you going to do?", I call his bluff. He twists me to face him then uses both hands to get a handful of my ass. He pulls me to him and begins to kiss my exposed shoulder. I am definitely not the first ass he's grabbed, this man knows what he's doing. I already feel his hard on teasing me against my abdomen. I know the internet says he radiates big dick energy, but I confidently confirm it. Changkyun comes from behind me and presses his hard dick against my ass. Fuck, his big dick energy is also more accurate than I thought. One hand cups a tit while the other brushes my hair out of the way so he could kiss my neck, then proceeds to cup the other. Both of them fondling my ass and tits, nearly synchronized. Both pairs of lips against my skin, varying from light pecks to full on marking via sucking or biting. Their muffled moans buzz against my skin. They know how to work me. I didn't expect them to actually commit to those, I should've known better than to be a helpless flirt.
"Fuck me", I couldn't help myself from moaning.
"Don't have to tell us twice, baby girl", Changkyun growls in my ear, tugging on my shorts.
"You two are cool with sharing?", I nearly panic from how fast this is transitioning.
"For you, baby", Jooheon sighs in ecstasy. I doubt I would be the first one to have both of them in a threesome, but what the hell. I told them they needed to work for it and damn they did! Changkyun slides my shorts down to my knees and places a gentle kiss on my ass. Honey grabs my face and tenderly kisses my lips. Changkyun spreads my legs apart enough for my shorts to stay on my knees. He growls deep in his throat and licks a strip along my folds. I moan in Honey's mouth, he pulls me in deeper, our tongues getting acquainted. We hear dings and realize we're still going through the line of floors. Floor nine, nothing. Thank goodness no one is in the hallway to witness this. I wouldn't mind if they do. I hear Changkyun unbuckle his belt, Honey soon follows. A dick is rubbed against my ass, the warmth making my skin tingle. His strong hands knead my ass while he glides his length along my folds to tease me.
"Fuck, Paige, you're already wet for us", Changkyun grunts. Honey pulls away from my lips and looks deep in my eyes.
"That mouth is all mine. Slap my leg if you want us to stop, alright, baby?", Honey discusses protocol.
"You have every right to make us stop without question. The last thing we want to do is hurt you", Changkyun adds. I pull down Honey's boxer briefs to free his already throbbing dick. I let out a little gasp when I see what to expect.
"It's ok to say no", Honey whispers.
"I'll be ok", I assure. I put one arm behind my back for Changkyun to hold onto. I bend over to be eye level with Honey's dick and I take a second to compose myself. I could stop this at any time, it'll be ok. I lick my lips and drag my tongue along his impressive length. Just the sound of Honey's whimpery moan could make me cum. Changkyun lines himself to my entrance and slowly thrusts with ease. Holy shit, I wish I could've seen what he's packing before he buried his dick in me, I bet it's fucking beautiful as it feels. After I manage to fully throat him, Honey takes control and begins to fuck my face, holding either side of my cheeks. He does hit my gag reflex, but I don't believe I will puke, it will make my eyes water though. Changkyun matches the pace with Honey by pure instinct. Given his dancer experience, he body rolls into me, perfectly hitting where I want him. The sound of skin slapping is one of my favorite parts, other than the glorious moans from both parties, well in this case, from all three parties. Changkyun's grip on my arm tightens when the pace goes faster. Honey's hands move to my hair, pulling my head up to look at him. It's a sight I never imagined I'd see in my lifetime. Changkyun spanks my ass out of impulse. Honey and Changkyun look at each other with such confidence. They exchange a look with a little nod. This is it. This is the moment I'm done for. I'm nearly screaming on Honey's dick, this feels so good I never want this to stop! Changkyun notices my legs getting wobbly. He gives me another swift spank.
"You can do it, baby. You're doing so good", Changkyun encourages. Both men are getting feisty, they're at their limit. I let out a long moan while I cum on Changkyun. The orgasm was so sudden, or maybe I was just distracted by the feeling of both of them at the same time. Changkyun knows I came, chuckles at the feeling of me clenching around him.
"I'm going to cum, baby. Do you want Honey to cum in your mouth or cum in your pussy after me?", Changkyun pants. I use my free hand to gesture to my pussy.
"As you wish, princess", Changkyun grunts before slamming into me. He hits his peak of throttle till he cums. I wish I could record the sound he makes while he cums. It's a moan with a whimper, but it's slightly raspy with his deep voice, and there is a little giggle in it too. He rides out his high before he pulls out of me. Honey pulls out, spins me around and fucks me silly, holding me by my waist. His dick feels even more beautiful in my pussy than my mouth. Changkyun leans against a wall to catch his breath, but this way, I can finally get to see Changkyun's dick and holy fuck that was inside me?! I'm impressed with how I handled it. Honey slams into me, making a symphony of sounds. Skin slapping, my pussy quenching, variety of grunts and moans. Now that my mouth is free, I could finally be vocal.
"Fuck!", I moan in delight as I cum on Honey. My clenching makes Honey cum unannounced. His sound is more of a panting growl, far more primal. He thrusts a couple of more times to ride out our highs. He pulls out, but still holds me in case I fall over. They know my legs got weak, the shaking is visible. Honey places a kiss on my ass before pulling my shorts up. Both men stuff their dicks back into their pants. They give me a group hug to keep me standing and to give me more kisses.
"You did so good, Paige", Honey whispers in my ear.
"We need to do this again. Soon", Changkyun hisses.
"Definitely soon", Honey agrees.
"Really? I'm not going to be a one night girl?", I get all bashful, even though they just fucked me enough for two orgasms.
"You're too good to be just for one night", Changkyun breaths against my neck.
"Next time, we'll do this right and take you out", Honey adds. I hide my blushing face by burying it in Changkyun's chest. We hear a ding from the elevator. We made it to the floor twenty-five. There's music coming from the end of the hallway, the obvious penthouse suites.
"You guys still want to go?", I shrug. At this point, I just want to be with them.
"Fuck the party, let's go to our room and have our own party with pizza", Changkyun scoffs.
"And some more fun. What do you say, princess?", Honey offers. Is there any fucking question?
"Lead the way", I accept. Changkyun taps the floor four button.
"Well, twenty-one floors till we get back. Any ideas to pass the time?", Honey teases me by grabbing a handful of my ass.
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