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kyleoreillylover · 3 months

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Always Take Care of You

Sami Zayn x Fem!Black!Reader x Kevin Owens

After a pretty dull weekend (Nothing too special, just you, Kevin and Sami main-eventing WrestleMania, no big deal), your boys want to take care of you.

Word count: 2,303

tagged: @southerngirl41 @venusesworld @jeysbae @reci1996 @tbonesteakwithasideofmashngrav @hope4more @selena-tyler-564 @saintaquarius @whatdoeseverybodywant @raya-hunter01 @afterdarkprincess

A/N: Zowens brainrot at the moment. That's it. This can be read as platonic or romantic, it is up to you! inspired by a zowens fanfic I read<3

Everything felt like too much yet not enough at the same time. The flashing lights of the cameras were blinding, the cacophony of voices echoing throughout Wrestlemania weekend like a relentless drumbeat.

But none of those could compare to the electricity that surged through your veins as you walked inside your hotel room, Kevin and Sami following behind you, your new Raw Women's Championship shimmering in your hands.

"I've never went inside her hotel room, we're best friends but there are some things that are just sacred," Kevin joked to an interviewer earlier that day, and you had nudged him with a smile, knowing that his jest was a cover for the genuine bond you shared. But he would follow you anywhere if it meant he could share in your success.

And as you carefully set all your titles onto the richly furnished dresser (now 5!!), your boys watched the glimmer in your eyes as the you stared at your Raw Women's Championship. The golden plate reflected the ambient glow of the room, and your face seemed to glow as well, and Sami and Kevin's hearts swelled with pride.

You had done the same with them yesterday when you had stood by them when they won the Tag Titles from Jimmy and Jey the previous night, cheering them on with unwavering support. Now, it was your moment, your time to revel in the glory you had rightfully earned.

"We did this." You whispered.

"You did this." Sami corrected, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. His voice was soft, but his words carried the weight of their meaning.

You turned to face them, the smile on your face widening. "No, we did this," you insisted, your eyes meeting each of theirs.

Kevin gently placed a hand on your shoulder, his blue eyes reflecting the pride and camaraderie that flowed between the three of you. "We did this, we fought for this together, and now we get to celebrate together." he said, his voice gruff with emotion. "This isn't just your victory, it's ours."

You breathed out, feeling the warmth of their friendship envelop you like a comforting blanket. "Ours."

Then you let out a giggle, and the tension that had been building up in the room suddenly dissipated, replaced by your shared laughter. It was a moment of pure joy, a moment where the pressures of the wrestling world melted away, leaving only the bonds of friendship and the thrill of victory.

"I can't believe we actually pulled it off," Sami chimed in, his voice filled with disbelief and elation.

"I can't believe Adam actually gave me the main event over Roman," Your voice was filled with awe and disbelief. "I can't believe he hates him that much that he would give me the spot over him," You chuckled, shaking your head in wonder. "I feel bad for Cody, but it ain't my fault that I'm just that good," You added with a playful smirk.

Kevin let out a hearty laugh, clapping you on the back. "You earned every bit of this spotlight, and Roman can take a backseat for once." Kevin wasn't gonna let you diminish everything you did.

Sami nodded along with a soft grin, his eyes shimmering with pride. "You've worked so hard for this moment, and no one deserves it more than you."

As the adrenaline of the victory began to subside, a sense of contentment settled over the room. For a moment, there were no rivalries, no feuds, just three friends that made their way from the Indies basking in the glow of their shared success.

"Now go shower, you stink of victory!" Kevin interrupted with a playful shove, breaking the momentary solemnity.

Typical Kevin. It seemed like he was on a sugar rush from stealing all your snickers bars from the press conference, and you knew that you were gonna have to monitor his candy intake if you wanted to get any sleep tonight.

You chuckled, swatting at him half-heartedly. "Hey, I earned this stench," you retorted, a mischievous glint in your eyes.

Sami smirked, leaning against the dresser. "Yeah, but the rest of us don't have to suffer through it," he teased, earning himself a mock glare from you.

You rolled your eyes, but the smile never left your face. "Fine, fine," you relented, giving them both a playful glare before disappearing into the bathroom, the sound of running water soon filling the room.

When you came out of the shower, a bonnet wrapped around your head and soft robe draped over your shoulders, you found Kevin and Sami sprawled out on the plush hotel bed, talking amongst themselves.

You plopped down onto the bed beside them, the softness of the mattress a welcome relief after the long day of wrestling and celebrations. You immediately cuddled into Sami, making him smile and wrap an arm around you, while Kevin made room for you with a playful shove but then he pulled you both into a tight embrace, sandwiching you between him and Sami.

"I'm tired. So, so tired." You mumbled into the cozy embrace of both men, feeling the exhaustion from the day's events finally catching up to you.

Kevin let out a sympathetic chuckle. "Well, you did just win the Raw Women's Championship in the main event of WrestleMania, I think being tired is allowed," he remarked with a teasing tone, though his eyes betrayed a genuine fondness for you.

"I thought all that chocolate you ate was supposed to give you energy," Sami added with a smirk, earning a playful smack on the arm from you.

"Kevin stole all the chocolate, remember?" you shot back, sticking out your tongue at Kevin who grinned sheepishly in response.

You winced slightly as you shifted to get more comfortable, the soreness from the match still lingering in your muscles. Sami noticed and reached over to grab a nearby pillow, gently placing it behind your back for added support.

"Better?" he asked with a warm smile.

You nodded gratefully, sinking deeper into the embrace of your friends. "Much better, thanks," you replied, feeling the tension easing from your muscles as you settled in.

"How much does it hurt?" Kevin asked, his voice soft with concern as he traced your scar.

You winced again, the memory of the stinging pain flooding back to you. "Bianca whipped her braid into my ribs, how do you think my side feels?" You answered with a playful grin, trying to lighten the mood.

"I think I blacked out when she hit me with it," You added with a chuckle, though the pain was still very real.

You leaned into Kevin's touch when he traced your scar, the warmth of his hand providing a comforting reassurance. "It's not too bad," you replied, though you couldn't deny the lingering ache in your side.

Sami's expression softened with empathy. "Well, you bruised her eye, so I'd say it's a fair trade," he quipped, trying to inject some humor into the situation.

"Yeah, because me punching her equals instant karma," you replied with a laugh, closing your eyes when Kevin and Sami chuckled, the sound a soothing melody in the quiet of the hotel room.

For a moment, the three of you simply existed in the space, the weight of the day's events mingling with the warmth of friendship. Despite the pain and exhaustion, being surrounded by Kevin and Sami made everything feel bearable.

You hummed when you felt Sami's hands gently massaging your shoulders, the tension gradually melting away under his skilled touch. "You're tired too, you don't have to—"

"I want to," Sami interrupted softly, his voice filled with sincerity. "You've carried us through so much, it's the least I can do to help you relax."

You smiled gratefully, feeling a rush of warmth spread through your chest at Sami's words. You wanted to protest, but Sami's hand working out the knots on your shoulders felt too good to resist. Instead, you let out a contented sigh, allowing yourself to fully surrender to the moment.

"Thank you." You murmured softly, your voice barely above a whisper as you leaned into Sami's touch. "Both of you, thank you."

Kevin reached over to squeeze your hand, his eyes reflecting the depth of his affection for you. "For what? You're the one that won the title tonight. You're the reason we're all here," he said sincerely, his voice warm with admiration.

You shook your head, a soft smile playing on your lips. "No, the reason we're all here is because you two bozos are the best friends a person could ask for," You said, your voice filled with genuine gratitude. "20 years of laughter, tears, victories, and defeats. You've been there for me through it all, and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world."

Kevin chuckled, a hint of emotion in his voice. "Bozos, huh? Well, I guess we'll take that as a compliment," he replied with a playful grin, squeezing your hand in return.

Sami nodded in agreement, his eyes shining with affection. "Yeah, wouldn't want to be anyone else's bozos," he said, his voice tinged with fondness.

"I just spilled my heart out to you and the only thing you guys hear is "bozos," you finished, pretending to pout, though the playful twinkle in your eyes gave away your true feelings.

Kevin and Sami burst into laughter, the sound filling the room with warmth and light. You would never get tired of hearing the sound of their laughter and being the cause of it. You loved making them happy, being the cause of their grins and overall happiness. You just loved them in general...

"I guess we're just used to your insults by now," Kevin quipped, brining you out of your thoughts, earning himself a playful swat from you.

"You love it," you retorted with a grin, feeling a sense of contentment settle over you like a comforting blanket.Sami wrapped an arm around you, pulling you into a tight hug. "We do," he agreed, his voice filled with sincerity. "We love you, champ."

You leaned into the embrace, feeling the weight of the day's events finally catching up to you. But in that moment, surrounded by the warmth and laughter of your friends, you knew that everything was going to be okay.

"I love you both too." You mumbled into the embrace, feeling a surge of gratitude and love wash over you. It was moments like these, the quiet ones filled with shared laughter and heartfelt sentiments, that made all the struggles and sacrifices worth it.

You laid down on the bed, sandwiched between Kevin and Sami, feeling their warmth enveloping you like a protective cocoon. Sami continued to massage your shoulders, his touch gentle and soothing, while Kevin rested his head on your shoulder, his breath warm against your neck. It was a simple moment of closeness, but it was everything you needed after the whirlwind of WrestleMania weekend.

"Remind me to owe you for massaging me like this," you murmured with a contented sigh, feeling the tension in your muscles slowly dissipating under Sami's skilled touch.

Sami sighed contentedly, his fingers working magic on your shoulders. "Consider it payment for all those times you've had our backs in and out of the ring," he replied softly, his voice warm with affection.

Kevin chuckled, his breath tickling your neck. "Oh, don't worry, I'll make sure to collect on that debt if he's too nice not too," he teased, though there was a genuine warmth in his voice.

As the laughter faded into comfortable silence, you closed your eyes, allowing yourself to fully bask in the warmth and love of your friends. In that moment, surrounded by the people who had been with you through thick and thin, you felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and peace wash over you.

WrestleMania weekend had been a whirlwind of emotions, but as you lay there with Kevin and Sami by your side, you knew that no victory or championship could ever compare to the bond you shared with them.

"Go to sleep, champ," Kevin murmured, his voice soft with affection.

"Can we get Waffle House when we wake up?" You groggily asked, earning a playful groan from Kevin and a wide smile from Sami.

"Of course we can, as long as you promise not to order everything on the menu this time," Sami replied with a laugh, his voice filled with fondness.

You grinned, feeling the exhaustion finally catching up to you as you snuggled deeper into the embrace of your friends. "I won't," you mumbled sleepily, feeling the comforting weight of sleep beginning to pull you under.

"Whatever you want. Whatever makes you happy, we'll make it happen," Kevin said softly, his voice filled with sincerity.

With those words echoing in your mind, you let yourself drift off into a peaceful slumber, surrounded by the warmth and love of your two best friends.

Sami kissed the top of your head gently, his touch light and filled with affection. "Goodnight, champ," he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. His hands squeezed Kevin's as a silent kiss in the night as well.

Kevin followed suit, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "Sweet dreams," he murmured, his voice warm with love.

There had been so much noise over the past few days — press, fans, interviews, and the roar of the crowd. You cherished that, loved the connection with the fans, the love the three of you had been getting.

But in that moment, in the quiet intimacy of the hotel room, where all you could hear was the steady rhythm of your friends' breathing, a comforting lullaby that carried you into a deep and restful sleep, was what you truly wanted.

And that was worth more than any championship title or victory in the ring.

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justmenoworries · 2 years

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I really wish Lore Olympus would hold any of the characters accountable for how they treated Demeter.

Zeus ate her mother alive, shoved his nymph-flings onto her, basically making her an accomplice in his frequent cheating on Hera and when she finally had enough and told him off, he burned down her home. Nothing comes of this, except for Demeter kinda calling him out once in Persephone’s trial.

Poseidon fathered a child with her, then proceeded to dump her and never once made an attempt to get in contact with his son or provide any sort of child support. Again, the most Demeter gets here is being allowed to roast his ass a bit in one scene during the trial.

Hades sabotaged her attempt to become Queen of the Mortal Realm, a title she had well earned through her contributions in the Titanomachy, by not only voting against her when everyone else approved but also bribing Zeus into changing his vote into a negative one as well. For literally no reason aside from implied greed on his part. Because the big man-baby wanted to keep his volcanoes for himself. When Demeter is rightfully pissed about this and comes to him to ask what his fucking deal is, he patronizes her and offers no explanation whatsoever, let alone an apology. Then years later he makes a move on her underage daughter and basically grooms her into becoming his girlfriend, all the while keeping it a secret from her. And when Demeter is obviously not pleased about this, she’s framed as a spiteful, overprotective tiger mom who should just lay off and leave the happy couple alone.

Hera and Hestia, her sisters, the ones who should know best how traumatized the events of the war have left her, actively avoid her. Hestia because she’s so flakey that her allegiance apparently changes with the wind and Hera because she’s so self-absorbed she can’t see how much her sister is hurting.

Hera also helps set Demeter’s, again, underaged daughter up with her former boy-toy Hades because Hades is lonely and Hera’s classist ass doesn’t like that he’s dating Minthe, a nymph (Yes, I know Minthe is abusive, doesn’t change the fact that Hera’s main problem with Minthe wasn’t the abusiveness but that Minthe is a river-nymph and not a goddess like herself). She then intentionally keeps this a secret from Demeter, helps hide Persephone’s disappearance from Demeter without a hint of guilt and when Demeter later calls her out on basically shooing her daughter into the hands of a predator, Hera, again, shows zero remorse or guilt. It’s again framed as Demeter just being clingy and overprotective with Persephone and to add insult to injury, Hera is portrayed as in the right for what she did because Persephone didn’t want the exclusive scholarship Demeter acquired for her anyway.

Oh, and let’s talk about Persephone.

Demeter, as she herself points out, literally gave Persephone paradise on Earth in the Mortal Realm. A peaceful green land were Persephone grew up with no fucking worries whatsoever and dozens of friends in the form of the flower nymphs. But because the narrative can’t leave Demeter alone, this is framed as her smothering Persephone and keeping her from developing her powers.The latter is revealed to be because of Persephone being a fertility goddess and Demeter being afraid of others fidning out because fertility goddessess tend to get eaten alive for their powers by other gods. Persephone, like the spoiled brat she is, dismisses everything Demeter does for her and all of Demeter’s trauma in favor of snuggling up to hot blue chunk of man-meat Hades. Persephone never asks about Demeter’s time as a mortal, hell, she fucking forgets about Demeter, her own mother, as soon as Kronos is dead and she gets to snuggle with rich boy Hades again.

In conclusion, this webcomic has way too much fun invalidating and shitting on Demeter and excusing it by villainizing her. Unfortunately this is something a lot of modern interpretations of the abduction of Persephone have in common. Demeter, my girl, I’m so sorry that everyone is doing you so fucking dirty in your own story, you deserved better.

#lo critical #lore olympus critical #lo demeter #lo demeter deserved so much better

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buglymcbugson · 10 months

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Anotha one from 2021… just going through the archives. More trigger warnings on assault, loss of a parent, suicide, and substance abuse.

*an open letter to my rapist’s mother*

Dear Sherry,

I miss you

I miss your kind heart and your big smile

I miss your words of encouragement and never ending life advice

and completely selfishly, i miss the boy you raised

the boy you raised had your kindness

and a goofy kind of gap toothed smile

he was respectful with enough of a wild streak to be the first person in our 6th grade class to get a detention

when we were 12 he took me on my first date

we had been “talking” for a few days and he had already told me he loved me

when i walked into the cinema that evening with a gaggle of girlfriends behind me

(it’s practically criminal to go on a date without your girlfriends when you’re 12)

you were hiding in the corner with him

fixing his long hair that swept to the side covering his eyes

taking after the boy band stars we would all die for at the time

when he came up to me he presented me with a beautifully painted box

inside i found a gemstone necklace in the shape of a butterfly

you were the kind of mom that took her son shopping to pick out a present for his first date

and while our 12 year old romance died out within a week

you raised the kind of boy that brings a woman a present on the first date

you were the kind of mom who came to everyone's sports games, wether he played the sport or not

there were several times I got out of the pool after a bad race to be comforted by your kind words, even though your son had never swam a day in his life

you knew everyone by name, in addition to everything going on in our lives at school, and at home

you were the kind of mom whose maternal love went far beyond her own son

when I experienced my first bout of depression you spoke to me as an adult

you were candid about the realities of mental health, and your own struggles

you made sure I understood what was happening and that I would be okay, one day

you were the kind of mom who had the answer for everything

at the end of grade 7 your son was awarded a medal for continuing on in orchestra past the mandatory level

he was meant to be honoured in front of the entire school

you showed up for the ceremony beaming with pride

your son, however, was a little embarrassed, violin wasn't super cool in his friend group, so he conveniently forgot his fake gold, public school appointed, orchestra medal at home

you were the kind of mom that raced across town at rush hour to retrieve your son's medal so that the whole school could know how proud of him you were

when I was 14 and my first “real” boyfriend broke up with me, I thought the world was over

there would never again be a point to living if the kid who was still 6inches shorter than me didn't hold my hand on the school bus anymore

my own mom was out of town, so you took me out for Mexican food, held me as I cried, and made sure I knew there was a life waiting for me after this heartbreak

you were the kind of mom that loved us as all as if we were your own

you were at every birthday party, and chaperoned all of our movie nights and bonfires, rightfully earning the "cool mom" title

you were the kind of mom who had unceasing pride for your boy and the man he was bound to become

you were the kind of mom that would have been heartbroken to see that boy disappear

as you began to lose your hair

i watched him lose you

and then i watched him lose himself

because i know the person that raped me couldn’t have been the same boy you raised

i watched him after he lost you

and wherever you are, sherry, i hope you didn’t have to watch him as well

your son without you was a person i didn't recognise

but i was there for him through it all

i listened to him try to understand the emotions that stirred, no raged, inside of him

emotions he didn't feel comfortable sharing with the teenage boys on his hockey team that were meant to be his best friends

i helped him through his homework when the idea of finishing an english assignment when his mom no longer walked the same earth as him was unfathomable

your son without you would call me in the middle of the night to sleep with him on facetime, just so he didn't have to be alone

i was there to watch him sleep

and i was there to watch him spiral

your son without you reached a point where the only way for him to fall asleep on our facetimes was with the assist of substances

it was just weed and alcohol at first

but quickly moved on to substances no 15 year old should even know the existence of

your son without you considered making irreversible decisions, just to be with you again

i was there the night he snuck out of his new house, where he was left with guardians who would never understand him like you did

to bike across town in freezing temperatures just so i could give him a hug

your son without you would light up my phone in the dark with moving images of his face contorted with grief

using the time between sobs to snort battery acid, the only substance left in the house that could help numb the pain

i watched it all as he continued to spiral farther into the hole he was left in when he lost you

i watched as your son turned into someone you wouldn't recognise, just as i failed to recognise him when i woke up to him raping me

my most detested question as a rape victim

is “why didn’t you report it?”

if the person who asked is worthy enough for an answer i usually give them a schpeal on the intricacies and faults of our justice system

the rape kits collecting dust in storage closets around the country

the social stigma that would gift me more consequences than him regardless of the legal outcome

and a survivor’s rights to make any decision they like on their healing journey

a journey which is not open for anyone else’s unsolicited opinions, feelings, or judgements

but sherry, when people ask me this question, what i really want to tell them is about you

i want to tell them about your laugh

and your never ending positivity

i want to tell them about the swim meets

and my first breakup

i want to tell them about his gold orchestra medal

the movie nights

the bonfires

and the birthday parties

the gemstone necklace in the shape of a butterfly and the sweeping justin bieber hair

and while it will never justify or condone the things he did to me, when people ask, i want to tell them about the incredible woman who raised my rapist, and the person he was before he lost you.

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writinglyra · 2 years

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Name Meanings Tag

Thanks to @mcximilians for the tag

Rules: Search and post the meaning of your OCs’ names (if you made their name up or they go by a nickname, post an explanation of how it came to you)! Bonus if you can find something for their last name too

Zoelle Louise Fulton

Zoelle: English, from Greek "Ζωή (Zoe)" meaning "life" and French "elle" meaning "she"

Louise: French, ultimately from Germanic "Ludwig" meaning "famous battle"

Fulton: English, from Old English "Foulden" meaning "bird hill"

My thought process for this name had very little to do with its meaning. I've always loved the name Zoey, especially spelled with a Y, but I wanted there to be a full name for her too. It helps create a clearer delineation between Zoey the persona and Zoey the human being. Zoelle came up while I was looking for possible candidates, and I instantly loved it. Its meaning works very well, too. A lot of the novel explores how Zoey's life is affected by her gender. Hers is a unescapably female experience, so having her name essential mean "female life" is poetic. Louise came about mostly because I liked the sound of it, but it also does a good job of balancing the somewhat fanciful "Zoelle" with something far more grounded. And Fulton is similar; it feels very much like a name I might have grown up around, without being one.

Jade Maria Fulton

Jade: English, from the name of the precious stone

Maria: Greek, ultimately from Hebrew "מִרְיָם (Miryam)", of unknown origin

Fulton: Old English, from "Foulden" meaning "bird hill"

Jade was also named primarily because I love the name Jade, but there is slightly more intention with her. Jade is, in many ways, the golden child of the sisters. Zoey may encapsulate a vibrant, chaotic, essential life, but Jade is polished and refined, at least in their youth. Maria as a middle name was chosen partly as a nod to their mother's distant Greek heritage, and as a signal (to me at least) that she is, once again, the more ideal child. She's the eldest, with a name with religious weight, unlike her sister. I also learned, while doing this, that one theorized meaning for the name Miryam is "wished for child", and another is "beloved", which describes her relationship with Zoey tragically well.

Zachary Adam Ehrlich

Zachary: English, ultimately from Hebrew "זְכַרְיָה (Zekharyah)", meaning "Yahweh remembers"

Adam: Hebrew, from "אדם ('adam)" meaning "man"

Ehrlich: German/Yiddish, meaning "honorable"

Zach is, once again, fairly uncomplicated. I've always loved the name Zach, and decided fairly early on to make him Jewish. That meant I wound up with a long list of common Jewish last names I liked the sound of, which is where Ehrlich came from. Learning its meaning was a big factor in why I chose it. Of all the main characters, Zach is probably the most honorable, and it's certainly something he values a lot.

Evan William Page

Evan: English, from Welsh "Ifan", ultimately from Hebrew "יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan)" meaning "Yahweh is gracious"

William: English, from Germanic "Willahelm", meaning "will helmet"

Page: English, meaning "page" or "servant", ultimately from Greek "παιδίον (paidion)" meaning "little boy"

Evan and William were, again, mostly chosen for how they sounded, but there's a lot of resonance when it comes to Page. Evan is a pretty classic "supportive, wacky best friend" character, especially to Zach. He's not necessarily a servant, but that can be their dynamic at times. If Zach is defined by his "Adam", as a man in his own right, Evan is his "Page", supporting him at every turn. And, the fact that Page ultimately means "little boy" is exactly right for Evan, given his rightfully earned title of Short King.

Lucas Westley Easton

Lucas: Latin, from Greek "Λουκᾶς (Loukas)" meaning "from Lucania"

Westley: English, variant of "Wesley", from Old English meaning "western meadow"

Easton: English, from Old English meaning "eastern town"

Lucas was called Lucas pretty early on. I was thirteen or so when I called him that, so maybe it's not a shock that he was named after Luke Hemmings, from 5 Seconds of Summer. The notable part here is Westley Easton, which, while extremely ridiculous as a combination, matches pretty well with the kind of background he has. He comes from, if not wealthy, an extremely comfortable family. I imagine that he's named after an old relative, who saw the humor in it much more than Luke does. The combination does also capture a dueling nature of sorts inside Luke. He's often pulled in two opposite directions. In one way by his desire to find his own fulfillment, and in another by his compulsive need to help everyone else solve their own problems first. If you're a high schooler writing an essay, you could even say that he rises as a character in the east, in a town surrounded by others he uses to define himself, and finds peace as he sets in the west, in a meadow, finally free of that pressure and defining himself as an individual.

This was a lot of fun. I'll go ahead and tag @raevenlywrites @rubyleaf @silas-the-turnip @avaeverstone and @inky-duchess, plus anyone else interested

#tag game #recollections #writing #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writinglyra

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tonystarktogo · 3 years

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They're as Subtle as Cognitive Recalibration - which would also make a great title XD

Yes, subtlety definitely isn’t their strenght. In their defence: I don’t think the time travel was planned or at the very least they didn’t land where they wanted to -- they’re just too damn uncoordinated for anything else.

lmao I love it!! Too bad I wasn’t feeling that creative when I came up with the ‘verse name XD Apropos cognitive recalibration:

They run into Romanoff on the hallway.

She looks just about ready to murder all of them. Considering she’s never graced Tony with that much emotion when he was actively trying to get under her skin at his most annoying, he makes the executive decision to get the fuck out of dodge. Meaning he calmly takes a step to the left to hide behind Rogers. From what he’s seen so far, they can afford to lose him if it comes to that.

“What’s going on?” Rogers asks with a relaxed air that violently clashes with the murderous air Romanoff eludes.

Part of Tony wants to do a Thor, blow a convenient hole through the nearest wall and make a graceful exit. The rest of him desperately wishes he had popcorn.

“It’s Barton,” Romanoff states grimly. “He’s leading a team of eight hostiles. Their aim appears to be to free Loki.”

Oh. Tony grimaces. Yeah. That would do it.

[continues under the cut]

Romanoff’s narrow-eyed gaze fixates on Rogers, confirming once and for all that Tony chose the right sacrifical offering because his instincts are amazing like that.

“I take it cognitive recalibration will work on him as well?” Romanoff asks politely. There’s a very loud ‘you better tell me what I want to hear or I’ll use you to beat some sense into that little shit’ at the end of that sentence. It’s almost impressive how unfazed Rogers’ seems when Tony can see his life expectancy dwindle right before his eyes.

...nah. The much more probable conclusion is that the man -- supersoldier whatever -- is an idiot with zero self-preservation.

And after having read his file that shouldn’t surprise anyone.

“Oh yeah,” Rogers nods, already hefting up his shield and moving. “Don’t worry, I can-”

Romanoff has her gun aimed straight at his head before he finishes. It’s a very big gun. Where did she even hide it?

“You,” Romanoff enunciates slowly, “can handle the rest of the minions. Or the controll center. Barton’s mine and if you try to go after him, I’ll shoot you.”

“That escalated quickly,” Banner mutters under his breath.

Tony for his part can’t say he is surprised. He still regrets the lack of popcorn though.

“But wouldn’t it be easier if I--” Rogers, proving once and for all that he has less common sense than DUM-E before his first ever upgrade, starts.

Romanoff removes the safety. “The last time you recalibrated someone you almost crushed a god’s skull.”

And alright, fair point. Tony still recalls the terrible cracking sound the shield made against Loki’s skull even if he really wishes he didn’t. A human. Unfortunately he can imagine the outcome just fine and it’s a lot more than just messy death.

“She’s got a point, Captain,” Banner cuts in, speaking right over Rogers’ outraged “I’m in perfect control of my enhanced strength, thank you,”, shrugging off the betrayed glance Rogers shoots him. “We don’t need to argue about this.”

“I shall ensure my brother is not disturbed,” Thor announces with a thunderous -- pun very much intended because Tony has to take his fun where he can get it, what with the company he’s currently keeping -- scowl and walks away. Without another word.

Thanks for that, man. Go team.

“Alarms register intruders on the second level as of three minutes ago, moving towards Storage Unit 33,” Tony repeats JARVIS’ message because his boy is fucking amazing and also it’s high time to blow this joint before something else goes wrong. “Seems like Barton’s minions are on the move. Might want to stop them, from what SHIELD’s super secret files say, they really shouldn’t get in there.”

That earns him a fond grin from Rogers. Tony blinks, feeling like he’s taken two quick steps to the left without his brain registering the motion.

“Guess we’ll take care of that then, huh Stark?”

Okay?

“Not like I can trust you to get the job done on your own, Icicle.” Tony blinks, surprised by the amount of sarcasm his mouth is capable off sprouting while his brain reloads.

“Glad to see some common sense under all that posturing.” Romanoff smiles sweetly and stalks off into the opposite direction with a fuck-with-me-I-dare-you stalk that could clear out an entire shopping center on Black Friday.

“Hang on, what did you mean by handle the control center?” Rogers calls out after her.

“It’s on fire.” And with that cheerful proclamation and a casual wave over her shoulder, Romanoff takes a turn and disappears out of sight.

Tony blinks. Recalculates. “Secure 33 and the minions first, then worry about the fire.” Because the fire will be the least of their worries if any of the intruders get their hands on even one of the weapons cleared for Phase 2 that Tony knows are in that room.

Thankfully, neither Rogers nor Banner question his decision, just take off after him.

Well, Rogers does. Banner takes two steps, freezes, slaps his forehead hard enough to be heard over the distant sound of another explosion, cries something about ‘fill’ as the aircraft tilts sideways and runs off without another word.

Tony would really like an explanation for that. [And for 47 other things while he’s at it. He’s keeping track -- and what he misses J definitely doesn’t.] And he’ll get one.

As soon as the walls stop shaking and the floor doesn’t threaten to breake away under his feet.

Really, who thought keeping an entire agency’s base on a flying aircraft that doesn’t even need a missile to get a hole ripped into its outer shell would be a good idea?

Rightfully or not, Tony blames Fury. For everything.

87 notes · View notes

sinner-as-saint · 4 years

Text

Taste Of Your Lips - 5.

Prince!Ransom x Reader AU

Part 5 of the Taste Of Your Lips series

Run-through: Your parents force you to attend a masquerade ball which is being held at the palace. Reluctantly, you do as they say. There, a masked stranger approaches you and asks if he could have a dance. You agree; unknown to the fact that that one dance would soon change your life.

Themes throughout the series: fluff, smut, angst

a/n: This is it, the last part of this series! Thank you to everyone who loved prince!ransom as much as I did, and thank you guys for always being so sweet and loving and supportive. I love you!!

After the night, you began seeing immediate changes in Ransom’s behavior.

Good changes. He had called for a meeting with all those who usually helped his father in his duties; councilmen, and lords and advisors – all those who would now help him make the Kingdom safer, and better.

You could see the determination in his eyes, he truly wanted to be better. He was still grieving the loss of his father, but he was also determined to make his father proud of him.

Two days later, as promised, he was crowned King of the castle. Your family attended the ceremony obviously, and it was everything you imagined. It was beautiful, and emotional and you shed a tear when they placed the crown on his head.

Ransom immediately looked searched for you in the crowd the moment he had his crown on. And he smiled when his eyes met yours.

He addressed his subject as their King for the first time that day. And he promised to be a better man. He promised that he would do everything in his power to be just and earn their trust like his father did before him.

You could see that he meant it. When you looked up at him; well-dressed in his signature royal blue cloak, standing beside his father’s throne – which was now rightfully his, he didn’t look like the reckless young man who used to get wasted at taverns and seek trouble. He looked like a mature man, with remnants of the reckless boy here and there, but mature and wise nonetheless.

Ransom pulled you aside once the ceremony was over, he pulled you away from the crowds and into the deserted hallway nearby. You giggled as he gently pushed you against the wall and kissed you feverishly. His kiss was passionate and hot, and you could sense his hunger and love.

You smiled through the kiss when you felt his hands grip your waist and press you further against his body. He moaned quietly through the kiss, nibbling on your lower lip and shoving his tongue past your lips. He kissed you deeply, pouring out all his love.

Your hands cupped his face and you pulled away slowly after a while, letting both of you take a breath.

“I love you.” he mumbled against your lips, pressing his forehead to yours.

You smiled and caressed his cheeks with your thumb. “And I love you.” you whispered and watched how a big smile formed on his face. “It suits you really well, you know?” you added.

Ransom pulled away a little to look into your eyes, “What?” he asked softly.

“All of this. The crown, the title, the throne. Everything.” You explain and he reached up to pull your hand away from his face and pressed your knuckles to his lips, kissing it.

“I wouldn’t have the courage to go through any this if it weren’t for you. Thank you, my love.” he let go of your hand and leaned in for another kiss.

Days went by and the kingdom was flourishing. Rumors about Ransom’s flaws stopped circulating given he was fulfilling his duties marvelously. You had heard around that he was somewhat strict regarding certain policies and rules, but overall, he was good. Better than he had ever been. He wasn’t entirely adored yet, but you could tell everyone was willing to give him a chance to earn their trust and respect. And you knew it wouldn’t be long until so.

Ransom kept courting you, although now he was much busier than he used to be. But he always made sure to spend time with you every day. He couldn’t come by house as often as he used to, but he would try and meet your parents as much as he could.

He resumed sending you little gifts and notes, and tokens each morning. And your heart fluttered each time you found a little basket at your doorstep, it soon became your favorite part of the day.

Once he had learnt almost everything he had to, and began understanding the rules and laws and ways of ruling better, he grew even more confident. And eventually announced that your wedding would take place some weeks later.

Given his new responsibilities, you knew he was the busiest person at the moment. And you begged him not to plan anything too grand for the wedding. But he just rolled his eyes and told you that you two would have the most beautiful wedding anyone had ever seen.

And once again, the entire castle began preparing for the big day. Your mother resumed on making your dress, and your love for Ransom grew even more now.

Ransom changed in many ways. He was now much more serious when he needed to be. He was less reckless, and more focused on his duties. He didn’t throw money out of the window like he used to, he was wiser now. But one thing didn’t change; his mischief.

Ever since that first night together, Ransom had trouble keeping his hands off you whenever you were around him. Be it while you two are strolling in the castle grounds and in the magnificent gardens, or in his room, or anywhere else – his mouth would always be on yours, his hands under your dress or you would somehow always end up on his lap or on his bed; naked.

And each time he made love to you, he wouldn’t fail in showing you just how much you mean to him. He’d tell you he loves you, softly, incessantly, even when he’s pounding into you so hard that it makes your moans echo off the walls of his room.

Your relationship morphed into something more solid over the remaining weeks which led to your wedding. Ransom couldn’t wait and neither could you.

But it seems he was much more impatient than you because on the eve of your wedding, he sneaked into your room through the window. You said good night to your parents and walked upstairs into your room, deciding to get a good night of sleep even though you kept having butterflies in your stomach just thinking about becoming Ransom’s wife.

But you were surprised upon finding Ransom standing shamelessly in the middle of your dimly lit bedroom. You immediately smiled, instinctively as you did each time you saw his pretty face. Then you noticed the opened window and your smiled faded.

“Ransom!” you chided, in a whisper; frowning and closed the door behind you and moved to close the curtains. You turned to face him again, and he was smirking with nothing but mischief in his eyes. “You are incorrigible!” you whisper-yelled again.

He rolled his eyes and walked over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer. “Hey don’t yell at me. I’m your King.” He teased, boasting just a little bit. He leaned in to kiss your cheek, then along your jaw and down your neck but you gently pulled away from him and gave him a serious look.

“Then act like it. We’re not supposed to meet before the wedding.” You worried about what would happen if you got caught tonight.

He sighed. “I needed to see you, alright? I haven’t talked to you since yesterday. I missed you, my love.” he murmured and leaned in to kiss you again. You didn’t pull away this time, you kissed him back.

His kiss got more and more heated as he carefully walked the two of you over to your bed. He sat on the edge and pulled you onto his lap. One of his hands held you at the back of your neck while the other slipped under your night gown and past your underwear. He chuckled when he felt your wetness coating his fingers like he expected.

He hummed through the kiss and pulled away just a little. “It seems you missed me too.” He mumbled against your lips; teasing you. His fingers circled around your throbbing clit, then he pushed them into you. He stroked your walls gently, curling his fingers just right and making you push your face into his neck and moan under your breath.

You tried to be as quiet as you could but Ransom didn’t help. He kept on torturing your body lovingly, earning more and more moans and mewls out of you as he made you cum all over his hands. He chuckled against your cheek as he felt you gush out all over his hands.

You panted as you pulled away from his neck and pressed your forehead on his. “Touch me.” He whispered against your lips and a smirk formed on your face. You pushed him back on your bed and rapidly stood up to take your night gown off before settling back on his lap, straddling him; your wet core pressing onto his thick member and your hands pressed against his chest, supporting yourself. He looked up at you in all your naked glory and his heart fluttered.

He couldn’t believe that in less than a day, you would be all his. His wife, his Queen – his.

Ransom watched how your delicate hands rapidly undid his pants and lowered it just enough to free his erected, throbbing cock. You wrapped your hand around him, stroking his length and making him close his eyes, throw his head back and moan under his breath.

You leaned in close to him again. “I love you.” You whispered against his lips and soon connected your mouth with his. Your kiss was heated. You slipped your tongue past his lips and slowly stroked the top of his mouth. He moaned into your mouth, and you immediately bucked your hips against his; your wet core rubbing against his cock and he grunted. His hands rubbed up and down your sides lovingly.

You broke the kiss briefly, lifting your lower body off his and slowly, lowered yourself down on his hard on; earning quiet moans and groans out of both of you as you sank down on his cock. You felt him slip inside of you with ease, and you felt all of him. Once he was buried deep inside you and filled you up completely; you went back to kissing him.

Ransom moaned and his grip around your waist tightened as he tried to get you to move and stop torturing him. His cock throbbed against your pulsating walls, allowing the tiniest bit of friction which drove him insane.

Slowly, you moved against him. Lifting your lower body just the slightest, before sliding back down on his cock; you whimpered along with him, both of you trying to be as quiet as possible. You took a good look at the man beneath you; eyes closed, moaning quietly in pleasure – you couldn’t believe than in less than a day, he’d be all yours.

Deciding to finally stop teasing him, you moved faster; lifting and lowering yourself down on his cock. You whimpered above him as you felt him filling you up completely. His hand slipped between the two of you and found your clit, he rubbed the swollen bud furiously. He mumbled your name under his breath as you sped up even more; riding his cock and making him lose his mind.

You were whimpering and whining as you took more and more of him. Ransom shut his eyes as you rode his cock perfectly, and leaned down to kiss him; tugging at his bottom lip while you sped up. You felt full, and his cock stretched you out each time he filled you up.

His hand circled around your waist and he pulled your warm body closer to his. Ransom was in a daze, his body tingled and he felt warm. Your lips brushed against his each time you moved up and down his cock. He didn’t guide you, he let you set the pace and he took whatever you gave him.

You bounced on his cock moaning and whining; feeling him stretch you out. Ransom held you at your waist and thrust his hips up each time to match your movements. Brows furrowing and panting while you rode his cock, throwing his head back and moaning. Or he’s occasionally lean in and kiss your neck.

He panted and groaned at how good you felt and shamelessly told you about it; whispering against your skin about how perfect you felt around him – wet and warm all for him. He panted against your cheek, kissing the side of your face and gripping your jaw with his hand. He didn’t slow down as you felt your orgasm wash over you, he kept thrusting his hips up into you as your eyes rolled back and you moaned out his name as you came – hard; feeling your walls squeezing and clenching around him as you came undone. You panted and leaned forward, pushing your face into his neck to catch your breath.

He came right after you, his warm load spilling inside you as he wrapped his arms around you and pressed your front to his, holding you like you were the most precious thing in the world. To him, you were.

When you both finally came down from your high, he tucked you in bed; pulling your blankets over your naked body and he kissed your face softly until you fell asleep by his side. He smiled as he looked down to see that you were already passed out.

He kissed your forehead before he got out of your bed. As much as he wanted to stay and hold you until the morning, he knew he couldn’t.

“Good night, my love. Just spend this one night on your own, and then I’ll hold you close to me each night for the rest of our lives. I love you, I can’t wait to be married to you tomorrow.” Ransom whispered at your sleeping frame. He chuckled quietly to himself. “I can’t wait to be your husband.” He gave you one last forehead kiss and then made his way out of the window again.

The wedding seemed like it was out of a fairytale. Ransom chose an outdoor venue for a change, so the wedding was being held in one of the many castle gardens. He chose the part with the bridge, and the altar was beside the pond. Mainly because the view from there was to die for. But also because this is where he kissed you after you accepted his proposal.

And he didn’t lie when he said it would be the prettiest royal wedding anyone has ever seen, because it truly was. The theme matched your dress and his cloak – white, and gold, and accents of peach. Those lovely colors tied with the elements of nature around made it look like it was a dream.

He waited for you at the altar, impatient. And he had the biggest smile on when he saw you finally walking down the aisle, to him. You did indeed look like the Queen he wanted by his side for the rest of his days. Your wedding dress was magical. Ball gown styled, a big wide skirt with layers of tulle and a long train trailing wonderfully behind you. Accents of peach adorned the dress perfectly. You looked angelic.

Your father gave you away, and Ransom held your hands tightly in his as the two of you stood at the altar. “I will never get tired of seeing you in this color.” He whispered to you as he remembered the first time he saw you and how lovely you looked in peach.

You smiled up at him and got lost in his blue eyes. The sun shining above made them look magnetic.

And there, on the warm summer day, the two of you promised to love, and cherish and care for each other for the rest of your lives. Ransom smiled brightly as he leaned in to kiss you, his wife finally.

---

Life with Ransom in the castle was no less than a fairytale. Sure, hectic and bumpy at times, but each day was filled with love and happiness. You helped him rule and reign, and everything was perfect.

And just like that, years went by without you even realized it.

Ransom found you on one of the balconies one evening, you were leaning against the balustrade, looking down at the castle grounds and spotted the section where you married the love of your life five years ago. You smiled at the memory of that day, and all that’s happened since then.

You didn’t realize that Ransom had joined you until you felt him wrap his arms around you from behind. “Hello, my love.” he pushed his face into the crook of your neck and kissed you multiple times. You giggled and placed your hands on top of his.

“Hi.” You whispered and turned your head to peck his lips. Ransom pulled away and smiled. He had aged a little, but he still made your heart flutter just like day one. He looked up at the setting sun and then down at the gardens.

“This is where I first kissed you.” he pointed out. You were currently on the same balcony that you two went to on the night of the masquerade ball, the night you met for the first time.

You chuckled. “I remember.” You turned to look at him.

He stared into your eyes for a few seconds, “Thank you.” he said out of nowhere. You frowned a little.

“What for?” you asked.

He lifted his hand to caress your cheek softly. “For making me a better man. For staying by my side, through everything. Thank you for everything.” He said that often. Truth is, he didn’t think he’d be able to thank you enough for all that you did, and still do for him.

You smiled and turned to face him properly. You placed your arms around him and leaned in to kiss him deeply. “Don’t thank me, I do it because I love you.” You whispered against his lips.

He mumbled how he loves you more.

“Where are the kids? I haven’t seen them all day.” He asked, hugging you and pressing a gentle kiss on your forehead as he took in the warm sunset.

“At my parent’s house. They should be back before dinner.” You replied, hugging him back and sighing in delight.

He was quiet for a little while, just enjoying the feeling of the love of his life in his arms and the orange sunset. He smiled at how lucky he was. Sometimes he couldn’t put into words how much he loved you, but he sure knew how to show it.

“We need more heirs, don’t you think?” he asked, and waited for your reply.

You giggled and pulled away to playfully glare at him. “Ransom, we have three kids.” You stated.

He shrugged. “Yeah, just one more.” He pressed his lips to yours, hands pulling you closer as he walked the two of you back inside. You giggled through the kiss and gave in eventually, and you let him lead you to the bedroom.

---

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554 notes · View notes

mydriases · 4 years

Text

Headmaster’s daughter facing a beast

Anon asked: Thanks for making my headmaster's daughter scenario it was awesome. If I can request a part 2 where there is a dangerous beast loose(like a chimera or a dragon) and she tames it and the reactions of the dorm leaders and pround papa bird(Crowley)?

Thanks everyone for the 200+ subs! I didn't post anything for a week because I was working on this request (which is almost a series for me now, I won't lie), and since a lot of you liked the first part, I thought it would be a good way to thank all of you. 💘 Btw, can I do a more obvious title? Words: 7k Read the part 1 here

Morning light comes through the window and lits up your office. You take advantage of the quarter of an hour you have left before going to class to revise your notes -so that you don't get your fingers slapped by Mr. Trein-. As Riddle has told you many times before : as the first female student of Night Raven and daughter of the headmaster, you had to be a model student. It don't bother you, you are doing well academically and can keep up with the work pace.

Even so, you would be lying to yourself if you said that everything is perfect. The school life itself is really nice but it is disturbed by the rumors that reach your ears when the students are not discreet enough. In itself, it is nothing, only futile discussions, but to see your place questioned is never pleasant. Although many supported you with a kindness sometimes too forced to be true, others excluded you in an obvious way.

It’s sad to admit but you can understand. Among all the girls in the world you were chosen and, conveniently, you were Crowley’s daughter. Besides, it’s not like there aren’t schools for girls here and there. Actually, you took the entrance exam for one of them and passed with flying colors. You would have gone there if the first day of school a carriage had not been waiting outside your house.

You remember perfectly : your neighbors were waiting around it, and you could tell by their stunned expressions that it was what you thought it was: the famous carriage that led to Night Raven. In front of your house, the dark beauty of the alloy was laughing at you. It whispered deceitful words that meant: it is not you that I have come for, you will not see your father again, you are not good enough. Your throat would form a knot at the thought that it was there for someone else.

Then, through your blured eyes, you saw a teenager approaching the carriage. You recognized him, he was an old classmate of yours. He was an excellent magician, the Mirror of Darkness had made a good choice, right ? No. You didn't know him personally, but the way he used to mock you because of your quietness was embedded in you and was saying that he didn’t earn the right to go there.

Bitterness filled your mouth as the boy's hand clung to the door handle. You were sure you were going to remember the self-satisfied expression on his face for the rest of your life. That the exclamations of joy from his family and the other neighbors would haunt your nightmares. He was a good magician, that didn't take away the fact that he didn't deserve to go to Night Raven. You didn't know that person so well, but envy gnawed at your heart and prevented you from thinking of anything else but this word: why? Why couldn't the carriage have come for you?

You came down from the stoop, opened the gate and found yourself a few meters from him. Surrounded by all the other onlookers, you watched as the boy was approaching the gate. You felt your pulse rate skyrocket as he moved his hand in its direction. That's it, he was going to cross it.

But nothing happened. His hand bumped into the reflective surface. No one had time to react as a voice from beyond the grave echoed through the carriage:

"You are not the person we came for."

The silence took over the crowd and you dared to start breathing normally again. The hope that left the boy's body rose into the air and filled you. The carriage was in front of your house, the boy was the only teenager in your adjoining neighbors. Maybe, you could rightfully hope.

He went down the running board with his head low, pride had no place left on his face. No one said a word. Confused silence reigned for what seemed like an eternity. Then, he lifted his head and his fiery gaze fell on you.

"It’s you, isn’t it ? It came for you. Must be nice to be dad’s girl, I can’t relate sorry."

The fire of his gaze spread through the crowd and lit fires that you would have liked to see extinguished. You didn't know what to say. How could you explain that it wasn’t the case, that his statement was false when you were not even sure yourself ? You didn’t see your father since a year and your mother didn’t receive much news, maybe he decided on a whim to cheat your way into Night Raven. You didn’t know, you didn’t know anymore.

"What the hell you’re saying, loser ! Night Raven never had a female student before, you think he’ll get away with that easily !" yelled someone at him.

You turned over the origine of the voice and saw with surprise the person who just defended you. A girl, who looked older than you, had stepped forward and looked at the boy in disgust.

" Shut up ! You seriously think the miror made a mistake ? Her and I are the only ones in age to go to Night Raven in this place !"

"Poor child, maybe the mirror realized you were worthless and went back on its choice. I must say she'd make a much better addition than you, girl or not."

Your were getting involved and it was gonna get out of hand sooner or later. Still, no words could come out of your mouth. At least, you now remembered who the girl was : when you were a child, your mother used to hang out a lot with another mother from the neighborhood. They would take care of each other child when the other needed to do something important. The girl was the daughter of that woman.

That still doesn’t explain why she would help you, you two didn’t know each other anymore. But she went ahead and took your side. You had watched with admiration this girl who had more self-confidence than you ever had. She turned to you :

"I don’t know. But everybody will know if a girl enrolls in Night Raven, right ? So we’ll end up knowing the truth one day or another."

The crowd, made up of so many familiar faces, seemed to take the fact that the coach had come for you as truth. Hesitant hands patted you on the back and voices congratulated you, but the majority of people were perplexed. The murmurs of the discussions buzzed in your ears and made you deaf to the meaning of the sounds you were hearing. Your hands were clammy, your throat was dry, and your heart drummed again and again in your chest, threatening to pierce it at every moment. You wanted to leave, you wanted to go back in your house and never see the light of the day again.

The girl. The daughter of your mom’s friend. You could see her walking towards you, she was going to force you to go through the "door" . You were not ready. You felt the intense need to push her away when she grabbed your wrists with her hands.

"Breathe in and out, girl. Show them what you're worth. It's been a long time since we've seen your dad in this town, say hi to him for us."

Your father. You haven't spent much time with him thoses past years. He'd come back for the holidays, but he'd always leave in the end. He often told you the stories of the students of the school when he would come back. He must be waiting for you beyond the door.

"I’ll… I’ll tell him, thank you for helping me."

"You’re welcome. Don’t worry we’ll explain everything to your mother."

You climbed into the coach and went through the "door".

Then the void overwhelmed you. All that followed was a flurry of fuzzy memories. Your senses went numb and your consciousness was lost in a fog, time seemed to have stopped. You don’t recall how it felt to be in that state, only the feeling of your body melting and dripping remained.

What seemed to have lasted both a whole year and a minute ended when your father opened the door. His big hands had caressed your cheeks and his arms had embraced you when your legs collapsed. It had been so long since anyone had shown you affection that you almost let your eyes water.

He guided you to his office and let you sit in his chair like you used to do when you came to visit. From the other side of the desk, he explained that transportation problems had occurred and caused some complications. You were still in a state of extreme fatigue and his words were taking a long time to make sense, although the word complication resonated in your head. You didn’t like that, you already had enough problems.

Noticing your state, he led you to his bedroom and told you that just for this night you could sleep there, he had works to do anyway. Though, he told you that tomorrow you should join a domitory and get a proper room. His voice lost clarity as you felt asleep.

You woke up alone the next morning. The diziness had disapeared and you almost could have thought that all you had been through was just a dream if a uniform wasn’t waiting for you on a chair. The expensive cloth slipped through your hands and its blackness seemed to bled in the darkness of the room. There was no more color than this black on the uniform which meant that you’ll be spared to be the only person sporting the ceremonial robe -and also that you’ll have your dormitory sorting-.

You showered, put on your new clothes and waited for approximately fifteen minutes before your father came to pick you up. What followed will likely stay with you forever. As you walked behind your father, you listened as he told you the surprise he had when he found out that his dear daughter was going to be the first girl at Night Raven. He explained that he was leading you to the dorm leader meeting he gathered just for the occasion.

The next events are still cristal clear in your memory. Your father asking dramatically

the dorm leaders to take care of you, the introductions of everyone and, obviously, the moment you said your name in front of the Mirror of Darkness. The latter left its mark on you the most.

You had never seen the Mirror before this moment. Floating by magic, the face in its centre was looking at you without really seeing you. Behind you, the dorm leaders and the headmasters had formed a semi-circle which added undesired solemnity to the ambiance. Their gazes weighed on your back and didn’t put you at ease. You will be fine said Idia, show them what you're worth said your defender. You took your steps thinking of theses sentences.

"It is thee… reveal thy name."

There was a deathly silence in the room as you stuttered your name.

"The shape of thy soul… harmonizes with the spirit of Scarabia."

So that was now official, you were now part of Night Raven and of Scarabia. The Mirror of Darkness had consented so no one could object.

"Well, it'll make it easier to invite you to the banquets", rejoiced Kalim under the hostile gaze of your father. "If you’ve joined Scarabia it means you're very resourceful, I can't wait to see where it takes you. Anyway, we need to find you a room. Hum, our only free room is not cleaned, would you mind sleeping in my room for one n-"

"The room will be ready before tonight, interrupted your father while staring icily at your dorm leader. Now, congralutations angel ! I’m so proud of you, your new life in Night Raven can really start now. I’ll let Mr Al-Asim explains you what you need to know, you can also come and ask me directly if you’re more at ease with me. Here is your magical pen."

He gave you your pen adorned with a grey crystal tinged with purple and winked at you.

"It's not exactly by the book, but I thought it would be a nice gift to give you the first magical pen I had"

And that was how you became a student at one of the most prestigious schools of magic. You never really had a clear explanation for the fact that you were the only girl chosen by the Mirror or for the state of trance that followed your transportation. All of which led to you to start the school year a bit late, which didn't help to go unnoticed.

You think about all of that as you’re walking to class. You really depended on Kalim and the others dorms leaders back then. You often needed directions or an explanation of how the school lifestyle worked. That is usually the kind of thing you ask friends or acquaintances, the fact is that it's hard to connect with people when you're shy and trying to escape the over-attention you've been subjected to for weeks. So, when you were in desperate need of help, you called the only people you knew a minimum of. It’s taken you forever to press the "call" button but at least, when it was done, you knew what you had to do. They probably didn't mind either, because your calls were only left unanswered a few times. Idia was of course always present and more comfortable on the phone than when you first met him, Riddle had to obey the duty of being dorm leader so he always answered, Leona went straight to the point but answered, Vil was the same, Azul was generally busy and Malleus seemed strangely pleased to chat with you, as if it was entertaining him to talk about your boring old life. And how forget Kalim? He was always by your side since you joined Scarabia, so much that you almost wondered if your father hadn't ordered him to watch over you, although if he had, Jamil would have made a better choice.

As you take out your notebooks to prepare yourself for the long hour ahead, you tell yourself that you would give a lot to go back to Scarabia's lounge and have fun with the animals that were basking there. They were probably the main reason you were so happy to be in that dorm. No offense, but Kalim's banquets... let's just say you've never seen one. His invitations have remained unanswered, and it was probably for the best. And the people ? You felt good with the dorm leader and the vice dorm leader but with the other students it was different. Their eyes stuck to your skin, like the sand of the surrounding deserts, and there was nothing more unpleasant.

"Miss Crowley, if you would be so kind as to pay more attention to my lecture, it would be my pleasure. Unless I'm boring you?"

The whole class turns its attention to you and you lower my head in shame.

"No, sir. I’m sorry, I… I’ll pay more attention."

"Good."

You hate how your last name sounds between his lips. Those syllables have never brought such a feeling of unease until now. You don't even know anymore if it's you who's going crazy or if every person voluntarily insists on that name when they call you. You just want them to call you by your first name.

You were going to take your pen to write down the new dates written on the board but a feeling of discomfort runs down your back. With your head still down, only your gaze travels through the classroom until you meet the green eyes of your observer. Sebek's pale, expressionless face appears in your field of vision. There's no animosity in him, yet you can't hold his gaze. You wonder if he thinks you disgrace your father, or Malleus, by your actions.

Sebek looking away, you start to pay close attention to the class, writing down everything even if your wrist starts to get tired. Only Mr. Trein's voice pierces the silence that weighs on the students. You want this class to end soon so you can move on to the next one. If you could skip the breaks and the lunch, everything would be fine. It's not that Kalim or Jamil's company bothers you, but the fact that you can't go unnoticed anywhere is bothersome.

It's like having your wish granted when a staff member enters the classroom.

"Excuse me for disturbing you in the middle of class, but I'm here to inform you that the evacuation plan has just been initiated. The bell will ring in a few minutes and in the meantime we're informing you that the regulatory procedure must be followed."

One moment the surprise appears on Mr. Trein's face, only to be replaced the next by a frightening indifference. He opens his mouth to answer, but the man has already left.

"All right, everyone please follow me in a line to the Hall of Mirrors. I don't want to hear from any of you, so save your questions for later."

The seriousness of the situation spread among the students who remain silent. In spite of the teacher's words, the students pack up their belongings before hurrying to follow the others out of the room. With a nervous step you follow your classmates in the corridor where other classes are already on their way to the Hall of Mirrors. You look on unfamiliar faces for a trace of understanding, but all you see is a general confusion.

At the front, Sebek is turning his head around like he's looking for someone. Sliding between the students of your class, you approach him and pull on his sleeve. His gaze that waltzed between the students lays on you but, as you were going to speak, a strident ringing resonates between the walls of the corridor. Before it's even over, he makes a gesture that orders you to stay silent. We’ll know later, he seems to say.

Forced to follow the movement of the mass, you shut up and stay by Sebek's side while the sweat runs down your forehead. He continues his search and you begin to do the same, your gaze passing nervously from person to person. The dorm leaders have to be there, it's their job to manage the students in their dorm. You're almost tempted to call Kalim, but now is really not a good time.

"-We will enter the hall, from there I count on you to follow the orders of your dorm leader and enter your domitory calmly. Some of the dorm leaders are absent, so please follow the directions of the staff in that case." a voice you don’t recognize says.

Your class comes in and you starts looking for someone who can give you answers. In the middle of the room you think you recognize your father's silhouette. You walk towards him but a firm hand grabs your arm and prevents you from continuing.

"The mirror that leads to Scarabia's dormitory is not in this direction." remarks Sebek

"I...I know, I want to go see my father"

"You're picking the wrong time."

You're too intimidated to respond anything when a familiar voice comes up:

"Let her go, Sebek. I need to talk to Mr. Crowley, she can come with me. Join the others, Lilia is already taking care of the students."

As if struck by lightning, Sebek lets go of your arm and turns in a flash towards Malleus. He hesitates, turns towards you, and finally leaves under the keen gaze of Diasomnia's leader. The latter, after making sure that Sebek is joining the others, starts to make his way in the crowd with no problem. Impressed and astonished by what has just happened, you quickly follow Malleus' great strides, using his wake to make your way. In a few seconds you're standing next to your father who’s giving orders to various strangers.

"Sir, it seems like your daughter would like to tell you something" interrupts Malleus.

Your father is quick to notice the imposing stature of the man at your side, his gaze slides towards you. Before you can even say something he speaks up :

"Sorry, I don’t have time to talk with you right now, darling."

"Dad, please, why the evacutation plan has been initiated ? Surely, I...I can make myself useful !"

"You’re a student, young lady, you don’t have to know this kind of thing. Everything will be explained later. Now please, I will feel better once I know you are in security."

"I understand, but please, I have to do something! Why are we leaving the school?" you insisted

"That’s enough ! I told you to g-"

"There’s a feral beast who has gone out of control, and it is on school grounds."

Malleus’ calm voice stopped your father mid-sentence. From his altitude, he observes you with curiosity. Before you or your father can answer him, he goes on:

"The first time we met, you seemed constantly uncomfortable, you still do. However, it’s crystal clear that you want -that you always wanted- to prove yourself. I heard that you’re quite good with animals, even with the beasts. Surely, you’ll be able to help though you’re still quite young…Kingscholar ! Can you lead her to the beast ? I’m sure that with your keen sense of smell it will be no problem for you."

Nothing make sense anymore. The dorm leader of Diasomnia is helping you. On the other side of the Hall you see Leona already on his way, he’s mumbling something under his breath. Leaving before your father can hold you back, you whisper :

"Why ?"

"I told you the first time we met : I want to see your skills in action."

You ran out of the room and away from your father.

In the corridors, you follow Leona, and in complete silence. You two haven't exchanged a word, if you take away Leona's constant grumbling which can be summed up as: "Malleus doesn't have to give me orders", "why would they take a kid to the front ?", "for once I wasn't going to have class even though I came; I could have slept in peace".

On your side, you didn’t say anything because you are scared of losing heart. You want to be useful, you want to not be seen as the Headmaster’s daughter anymore. It is time to show them.

"I can smell your fear. You stink." smirks Leona.

Oh well, it’s been long since the last time you wanted to bury yourself six feet under.

"I’m sorry, I can’t really help it. I don’t know what to expect, you know, how exactly the beast will be and all."

"Why did you come in the first place if you're already trembling just imagining what's waiting for you ?"

He didn't say that in a mocking tone, but it touches on sensitive points that you want to ignore. You didn't think much when you ran to your father. You wanted to make yourself useful, help others as best as you could, you wanted your dad to trust you enough to tell you what was going on, yes ; but you didn't want to fight.

"It’s dumb...I...I want everyone to acknowledge my skills. I can’t stand to be « Crowley’s daughter » anymore !" you hissed the last part, an unknow rage burning in you.

When Malleus had trusted you by revealing that a beast was in the school grounds, your heart skipped a beat. Beasts, that was your specialty. Malleus knew it and he gave you a chance to help. You're full of gratitude and you don't want to disappoint him.

Leona doesn’t answer, you almost wonder if you've shocked him. But he suddenly turns to you:

"You think it will change anything ? You can prove you’re strong, but in the end people will find a way to compare you to your father. Your efforts will be reduced to genetics, or to a privileged education. You can try to contradict them, but people like to put others in boxes."

You are surprised by his practical tone, you can tell he is trying to warn you. Still, you don’t want to listen to this kind of speech. You want to hear that you’ll make it, that they will see you for what you are.

"They don’t know who I am, they have their idea but that’s what it is : an idea. Nothing more than an illusion. I can’t change the fact they will never know who I am really, but I can change the box. I’ll...I’ll switch boxes. I’ll be the one who’s capable, who must be respected. I will not be the resigned person anymore."

You two stopped walking. You are looking at each other, it may only be on your side, but you feel a mutual understanding in spite of your awkward words. You feel that this time he won't contradict you.

"At first I thought you were, uh, sorry for the term, dull. I realize that I was wrong." embarrassed, you blush a bit at his words.

"I guess we all put other people in boxes, it’s fine" you mumble under his intense gaze.

You quickly start to walk again, hoping he'll follow you, which he does his laughter echoing on the walls. Your cheeks are burning as he catches up with you in a few strides. It's not just his confession that makes you blush, it's also what you didn't say. Unconsciously, you didn't have a good idea of Leona yourself. You resented him for not trying harder, you saw in him what you feared to become on day. Someone who had given up who, faced with too many failures, has not been able to continue. You didn't know what he had faced, but you recognized yourself in him and you were afraid. Afraid of him, afraid to look at youself and not being able to hold up your own gaze.

But here, the morning light coming through the windows. In the religious silence of the empty corridors. In his company. You tell yourself he’s a lot more than you thought he was. You want to tell him too, but you don’t know how to express what you’re feeling, so you keep silence and let this moment sink in.

You look ahead and think you're on the right path. Maybe it's crazy to go up against a beast, but you're not alone, and you've almost forgotten that. You wonder where the others are, the impulse to get your phone out to get news is strong. In the Hall of Mirrors, you saw the Heartslabyulst students lined up perfectly which probably came from Riddle’s presence ; you saw too the Ignihyde students hurrying back to their domitory, perhaps Idia was one of them. Were the others fighting already ?

You try to pay attention to every sound -though you know Leona would notice before you do if something was approaching-. It seems the talk with the lion calmed you down because you notice that you pulse calmed down. Your hands are still clammy, though. You never noticed how gloomy the atmosphere of an empty school is. You really don't feel comfortable there, especially knowing that danger is approaching with every step.

Leona comes to a sudden halt, raising his arm to block your path. His ears are pricked up and all his senses seem to be alert. You hold your breath and wait.

"I know where they are : the schoolyard. I heard a shout, let’s go. "

It was about time. Quickly you enter the last corridor that will lead you to the beast and the others. Your heart beats in your ears and you see red. Leona heard a scream, is anyone hurt? In several strides you'll know. Anger and fear turn your stomach as you almost start to run. Coming in like a cannonball isn't going to help anyone, especially if they have the upper hand on the beast.

Daylight dazzles you, but hearing don’t deveive: they're there.

You notice the beast first. It stands on its hind legs, its angular body in plain sight. Sharp, black claws plough the ground, while its tail flaps in the air like a furious cat. Saliva drips from its mouth and, like acid, kills the vegetation on which it falls. It's not a normal beast, something's wrong.

In front of the creature, their magic pencils as their only weapons, Vil and Azul are in a defensive position. Behind the beast, a shadow sneaks in discreetly, you suspect that it’s Kalim who‘s trying to take the creature by surprise. At this distance, it's hard to tell if one of them is injured or not.

By observing more closely, you notice other people hidden in the scenery. A multitude even. From the treetops, in the upper floors. Some of Night Raven staff members who had been waiting for several minutes for the beast to be brought into the yard by the dorm leaders. At that moment you understand that as soon as they will retreat, the beast will be executed by the flood of magic that will come rushing towards it.

You take one step forward, the first one that would have been followed by several others faster and faster in order to create a barrier between the beast and the prefects, in hopes of stopping the fight. But Leona's grip on your shoulder is holding you back.

"They’re fine, the situation is in control, they’re tired but not badly hurt I think."

That’s good, but that’s not the issue. They’re going to kill a beast in the middle of the school, in front of you. You don't want to see this. All your life you've loved the creatures of the world you were born into. You've tried to understand their behavior so you could tame them better. A beast would never have come to Night Raven on its own, it would have stayed on its territory unless one of its children was abducted or if it was totally disoriented. Besides, how did it get in so easily ? Does that mean it beat the guards ? Given the field of magic you feel running through the area, it's likely.

"There’s something wrong with the beast. I need to get closer so I could understand the situation and help it."

"And you're going to interrupt when the mission's about to be successful?" he stops a moment and observes you reaction, you make a point of keeping a determined expression. "Eh, suit yourself."

His hand lets go of your shoulder and you’re free to move forwards. You don’t waste time and rush to Vil and Azul. A voice orders you to turn back to safety but you ignore it. If they try to restrain you, there's a good chance they'll end up hurting you. So you have a chance to reach your goal.

The closer you get, the more magic flows through your body in an electrifying feeling. You’re now able to see that the silhouette behind the beast was indeed Kalim’s. You catch his eyes and, as you keep running, you see his expression crumbles and turns into one of pure distress. Vil and Azul too, just noticed your presence, but it’s too late for them to stop you. You’ll think about your excuses later.

"What are doing here ! I thought you were with the others, go back before it hurts you !" Azul exclaims

"Don’t attack, I can calm it, I swear !"

"Are you out of your mind ? This beast isn’t in its normal state, it almost hurt us badly ! You’re only a first grade, go away !" yells Vil at you.

They won’t listen, in a way you think they are right, you’re not strong enough to face the beast. However, if you play your cards right, no one will be hurt. If you don’t, well, this is a risk you're willing to take in order to help this creature. Your mother would probably tell you that you’re still putting your well-being in danger so as to help inferior beings, that it’s all good to be altruistic but that you have to be selfish to be happy in life. She may be right. But those animals are your life, as dramatic as that sounds. They are your second family, the one that gave you a reason to keep studying and you will not abandon them.

Despite your arrival, the boys manage to keep the beast's attention on them. You feel the weight of Kalim's gaze on you, you’re sure that he doesn't approve of what you’re doing but that he will have your back. The beast is now at only a few steps from you, you need to calm down and apply what you've learned.

You focus on your breathing and try to forget about the black claws that could shred at any moment. For a while, you bring up memories of happy moments: the summer picnics with your parents, when you finally managed to chat with a doe, when you spent an evening chatting with Idia on the phone and you both felt that feeling of mutual understanding, when Kalim showed you pictures of the animals from his home country, when Riddle helped you solve a problem and you were shoulder-to-shoulder, when Azul let you order whatever you wanted at the Mostro Loungue after you beat him at an animal language test, when Vil combed your hair one morning when you didn't have the courage to get ready, when Leona understood you and when Malleus gave you a chance.

You lift up your hand and let the magic flows in you.

"Outpouring of empathy" you mumur.

Your unique magic allows you to transmit what you feel to the being of your choice. It took you a long time to realize this ability because it was hard to discern. At first you thought it was just a normal reaction, a basic form of empathy present in every living being. Then, one euphoric day when you went shopping, the salesman let you leave without paying. The miser who, because he felt "good", hadn't asked you for a single coin; there was no room for doubt anymore.

Your power also manifests itself by making others feel emotions without you experiencing them. But this side is unstable and, in the present situation, could be very dangerous for you and your friends, so that’s a better idea to stay in your comfort zone.

You see that the beast is beginning to sense you intrusion. It starts to get more and more agitated and its drool starts to foam. The boys keep distracting her but if you don't get the upper hand soon it will turn against you. You don't know exactly what a connection between you and another being can do to you. You've always felt it was a one-way conversation. Maybe it was a mistake, you think as you feel a turmoil running through you. There's definitely something wrong, you've never sensed such negative energy in a creature before.

Trying to infuse calm into the spirit of the beast, you feel a force to push back and try to break the link. You hold on, trying to keep the connection with the beast's nervous system despite the unknow nuisance giving you no respite. Unfortunately, every second becomes more and more painful, the cries of the beast pierce your ears and the streams of magic from Vil, Azul and Kalim drain your energy. Continuing ardently to strengthen the bond, you feel your emotions being overwhelmed by rage.

Your train of thought is being parasitized by the magic that made the creature its host. Your field of vision becomes blurry, a constant whistling resonates in your skull and your legs can no longer support your weight. As you feel your power take the upper hand, you understand that in a few seconds you will lose consciousness.

It's with one last attack from Vil that you win and then collapse, someone’s arms catching you before you hit the ground.

"Why did you let her go ! She could have died, she’s a first grade, a first grade !"

"That’s what she wanted, Vil, and I don’t think you really helped her either. "

"Luckily, Kalim was there to catch her." You hear a muddled and preoccupied voice say. "I didn’t think that she was the disobedient kind, I'll get her to review the rules, maybe that'll keep her out of trouble."

"I-I had a bad feeling about this, w-when I learned there was a beast involved I went to look for h-her amongst Scarabia students but she wasn’t with them. I should have know…"

"It’s fine, Idia. I’m her dorm leader, I’m the one who responsible."

"You’re...you’re not, Ka..lim." you succeed to say.

You lift your eyelids with difficulty, and in the silence that has covered the arguments of Vil and Leona, and the laments of some, your eyes get used to the light of day. You notice a warmth coming from something on your forehead and understand that it’s Malleus’ hand as you see his concerned green eyes looking at you.

"Welcome back" he whispers "You gave the fright of a lifetime for some, it’s rare to see Vil loses his temper. Your father and the staff have gone to get your medical supplies, I don't know if they overestimated your exhaustion, do you feel able to get up?"

"I think...I’ll need one of you to carry me, hehe." Malleus giggles at your answer.

"I don't think Kalim caught her very well, she must have hit her head." laughs Leona.

"I’ll carry her if no one wants to !"

While Kalim is starting a friendly war, Azul comes at your side and helps you to sit down. Your body isn't in pain, but the exhaustion is getting you all bogged down. You've never used your magic so much before, let alone your only magic, and the repercussion is brutal.

Then it comes back to you: what happened to the beast?

"If that’s about the beast that you’re thinking, well, she’s fine. She collapsed a bit after you, her appareance changed drastically. Don’t worry, she will be taken care of" explains Azul.

"And she left this behind" continues Malleus, showing you a bright cristal tinged with black.

He puts it in your hands and you watch it, puzzled. That doesn't look good, you must show it to your father. And talk about your experience with the beast too, if he let you explain yourself in the first place.

Looking up, you wonder what might have happened to you if you had been only slightly less powerful. Suddenly, the light that dazzles you and burns your skin becomes like a treasure as you tell yourself that things could have ended badly for your life. But the boys were there, weren't they? Leona and Kalim were watching you, so they would have helped you before things got dramatic. The seriousness of the situation is hard to see in the way the boys talk to each other and makes you think you’ve just lived an intensive use of magic as it can happen. But Azul's hand on your back, Malleus's piercing gaze and the point of disarray in Kalim's eyes cast doubt on you.

You are not reckless, at least you’ve never seen yourself that way. You wonder if you weren't like that by choice, or if it's just a part of you that you were repressing. You don't think you're repressed, you are struggling with confidence and self-esteem, yes, but you're not repressed.

Your father must be shocked too, though, as he comes running at you, you can’t see his eyes because of his mask. The boys, silenced -for once- by the headmaster’s presence, are surrounding you and it only reinforces the image of weakness you're sending back to your father. Your eyes find the ground, you're used to avoiding conflict and that's not going to change anytime soon.

He lowers himself in front of you and at that point it would be very childish to ignore him :

"I’m sorry."

What else could you say ? Your don’t want to make things worse for yourself and, to be honest, your exhaustion doesn’t help to find the right words either.

You father doesn’t answer. His hand cups your cheek and you remember he always did this when you were younger. It was a gesture of parenthood that comforted you when you were troubled. It's strange to receive emotional gestures after all this time without any physical contact. You’d almost forget the dorm leaders around you who watching you two. In a surge of prudishness, you gently push your father’s hand away.

"I’m glad you’re fine."

Before you can react, his arms embrace you and hold you close to him. His sobs wetting your uniform jacket.

"Dad ! Not in front of everyone !"

"I-I was so scareeeeed ! I’m not letting you go, young lady ! Never !"

The fact that a person like your father was able to conceive a being as calm as you is still a mystery. No reservations are allowed for your father despite the entourage that has just increased with the arrival of the members of the infirmary. And while laughter makes you bury your head in your father's chest, you tell yourself that things could have been worse.

"Sir, we found this next to the beast after she collapsed."

Malleus' voice interrupts your little family reunion. Your father pulls back and you see the crystal, which you had dropped under the shock of your father’s grip, in Malleus' hand. Your father watches him with an inscrutable expression. As Malleus gives the crystal to him, he says :

"I’ll need you to explain me what happened with the beast, Malleus…I’ll inspect this later. Now, darling, we’re going to lead you to the infirmary. Sssh, you need to be taken care of. Shroud and Schoenheit, help her to get up, please. No time to lose, she may be hurt more severely than we think !"

Too focused on Idia's hands, which help you with an endearing clumsiness, and Vil's hands, which seem to be soaked with voluptuousness, you don't notice your father's satisfied smile.

At first I wanted Kalim to scream YEEEEES at reader-chan being sorted in Scarabia

When I did the first part the "you'll be fine" sentence was originally said by someone else but I thought that Idia had almost no line at all so I was like "yeah don't care he'll find out the courage to say it",that's why it's a bit out of character (since he needs more time to open up it was that or nothing lol)

Yes, your father cockblocked you (does anyone wants an alternative universe where you get to sleep with Kalim in a totally platonic situation? lmao)

The focus on Kalim is (a little bit) here since a very similar request wanted him to be more put in the front than the others, but it is also because I thought while reading the first part (man, I hate to read what I write once I published it, it's awful) that he was the more "noticed" by the "reader" because he restrained himself to talk to let her introduce herself

For once, I wanted to write in present tense but I still prefer to write in past tense lol, the pacing of this story is bad but at least I tried. My writing will hopefully get better with time.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader #vil schoenheit #vil schoenheit x reader #kalim al asim #kalim al asim x reader #idia shroud #idia shroud x reader #azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto x reader #leona kingscholar #leona kingscholar x reader #riddle rosehearts x reader #riddle rosehearts

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danwhobrowses · 3 years

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AEW - Best and Worst Booking Decisions from Double or Nothing 2020 to 2021

As I promised back in my WWE Post Reviewing the Booking of Mania 35-36 it is time for me to run down AEW's booking over the last year.

Double or Nothing 2020 was AEW's first PPV of the Empty Arena Era, which they pulled off with the inaugural TNT champion being Cody'd, Brian Cage's debut and murder of Darby Allin, Hikaru Shida began her mammoth title reign, Moxley and Brodie Lee put on a fantastic show with their short build and we finished off with the wacky Stadium Stampede. But since then, it's had some ups and downs.

As I said with the WWE one, these are my opinions: some of which will act within hindsight rather than within the moment.

There will also be spoilers from the Dynamite after DoN 2020 to the end of DoN 2021, you have been warned

May 2020 Best - FTR They told us one day they would wrestle the Bucks and the world shall rejoice, and after several teases on BTE following The Revival's release from the E, FTR arrived and the division got even more stacked because of it.

Worst - Mike Tyson loses to his shirt AEW did try with Tyson, pushing for some shared history with Jericho as they began to stand off with one another. But his struggle to cleanly tear off his shirt really made the confrontation awkward and it wouldn't go anywhere.

Best - Baker becomes the Roll Model Baker's injury was a huge blow given how she was finally getting over thanks to her heel turn and bloody battle with Shida. It would've very easily killed her momentum to be off TV, but AEW instead played into Baker's injury by making her flaunt her heelish hilarity, starting with her being a wheelchair-riding 'roll model', this would begin Baker's time entertaining in spite of injury.

Worst - Allie and QT begin What was this huh? Now Allie in a red dress was a sight to behold but the whole romance angle where a very married Allie had a brief period as a babyface and pairing with the also very married QT Marshall. We all knew it was gonna lead to Butcher and Blade jumping the Natural Nightmares, but it really overstayed its welcome.

Best - The TNT Open Challenge We will get more on this but Cody's win of the TNT title was met with concern given the monster push of Lance Archer - not to mention the dismal design of the championship itself. But Cody did his best to add prestige via the weekly Open Challenge, which would showcase a lot of talent in a similar way to Cena's US title Open Challenge.

June 2020 Best - Brodie goes on the Recruitment Prowl Being the leader of the Dark Order, Mr. Brodie Lee needed a new direction after being felled by Jon Moxley. What he decided was to add to his ranks; bringing in Dark Standout Alan Angels, enticing Colt Cabana and extending a hand to Anna Jay. These choices bolstered the Dark Order's ranks to last much longer, especially with their segments in BTE showing all their comedic flair.

Worst - Sammy Guevara eats his words The Speaking Out movement affected AEW just as it did most of wrestling, leading to the release of Jimmy Havoc. But Sammy Guevara also got done in by his egregiously vulgar comments he made regarding his attraction WWE's Sasha Banks in an old interview that had now surfaced. While this isn't a booking decision per se, it was the fault of AEW to have not caught this on their background check. Sammy would rightfully be suspended with a full apology, seminars taken and a direct conversation with Banks herself to make amends.

Best - Red Velvet stirs in Red Velvet would debut on Dark in June, showcasing talent which would later be enhanced and explored later in the year, adding Red Velvet did indeed bolster the women's division a bit more, showing AEW's dedication towards building new stars was still alive.

Best - Wardlow vs Luchasaurus rocks the house Lumberjack matches are more miss than hit, but the long-awaited match between Wardlow and Luchasaurus was a sleeper hit for the month. Big time spots of athletic hosses slapping meat and flipping feet continued to showcase Wardlow's dominance with a big win over the Dino-man, just a good wrestling match worth the wait.

July 2020

Best - Open Challenge Opens Doors Cody's open challenges started with the AEW roster, but they soon expanded to being for indy talent and cross-promotional challengers too: Enter Eddie Kingston. The Mad King made an instant impact in his hardcore challenge against Cody, which quickly earned him a contract with the company. Also among the challengers was Ricky Starks - who would also get a contract - and Warhorse, who had rallied the fans into giving him a shot - and AEW did play into his popularity, having an answer for a lot of Cody's offense until he hurt his leg for the finish. It was smart booking even if Cody was bound to win.

Worst - Cardona's time is Radio Silence You gotta feel bad for Matt Cardona, he has all the makings to be a great star, but he just suffers from either company disinterest, injury or poor timing. The latter was the case for his AEW time, since AEW were having to deal with WWE's COVID outbreak by extension of any partners, Cardona only had a rare appearance backing up Cody a few times and while he did find himself in Impact, it's sadly not as green as the other side.

Best - Sue is Over The Best Friends as babyfaces walk the line perfectly of being a group of goofball man-children but also legitimate and talented wrestlers. The cherry on the top though was the Friends' entrance to Fyter Fest in Trent's mom Sue's mini-van for their tag title match, immediately getting Sue over with fans. Sue would also be a cult figure for BTE in her skits with the Dark Order, being the only person ever to make Brodie Lee break character and corpse.

Worst - Cody cannot elevate Hager Cody's defenses led to Hager (and his wife) looking for a title match, the sale of it being a more legitimate bout with the weigh in and packages didn't pull off in the match though, being quite slow and simplistic. Hager still remains a wrestler who lacks any more potential than what he has now but knows the right people.

Best - Taz promos around Mox's COVID absence Due to the aforementioned outbreak, AEW were forced to reschedule their main event when Renee Young had contracted the virus, exposing their world champion Jon Moxley by extension. This meant that Brian Cage would have to wait longer for their match (though not as long as UK fans are waiting for AEW to come overseas), so AEW decided to let Taz carry them over this predicament, which he did marvelously by reviving his FTW title and handing it to Cage. It added some extra heat and something for Cage to carry around as if he had won the personal victory over Moxley already, and it would lead us into the following week's rescheduled Main Event at Fight for the Fallen.

August 2020 Best - Brodie Destroys Cody After a lot of defenses and Cody getting the 'finished product' TNT title, fans wondered how Cody's defense against Mr. Brodie Lee would go. And boy did we get a spectacle, the Exalted One demolished Cody, Anna Jay then choked out Brandi as the rest of the Dark Order held the Nightmare Family at bay, and we were left with the visual of Brodie on top and Cody and Brandi at their feet, covered in the shredded remains of the old TNT title that Cody had reigned with. It was great storytelling and a great way to elevate Brodie as well as finally putting the Dark Order over, the stable rode the highest they had been since their debut while Cody disappeared to film for the Go Big Show.

Worst - Bea and Sadie get released, Mel stays AEW did their best to keep as many people they could during the Pandemic, but due to the travel restrictions Bea Priestley was very much land locked and Sadie Gibbs was not getting a second chance at her botched debut. It was a shame because of how talented both women were, Bea especially since rumor has it she might be en route to the E. What was baffling was that Mel, of the failed Nightmare Collective, remains on AEW's payroll despite not having appeared for over a year, hard to add that up.

Best - Thunder Rosa makes her challenge Before the Forbidden Door, NWA opened their doors to AEW while the pandemic prevented them from filming shows. With champion Hikaru Shida lacking a built-up challenger, fans were interested in Thunder Rosa's intrigue about Shida's challenge, and would be pleased to see AEW roll with it too. Rosa and Shida made for a great cross-promotional feud which'd lead to a great match in the following month. To this very day, Thunder Rosa's appearance on AEW is one of the brand's most vital steps in terms of strengthening their women's division.

Worst - The Deadly Draw is on Youtube Speaking of the Women's Division, AEW had also decided to have an all-women's tournament called the Deadly Draw. 'Random' tag teams would be forged in a tag tournament that'd give women some time to show their stuff. Unfortunately, this would mostly be on Youtube - save for the Finals - and be dominated by Fans' disdain that Allie and Brandi were making the finals. The method of picking was not handled well since we didn't really get any mismatch teams aside from Nyla, and the amount of women we got were not all spectacular with Rache Chanel and the former Cameron being a part of it. While Ivelisse and Diamante would win too they only got some crappy medals, all of which leaves a bitter taste following Ivelisse's release.

Best - Deadly Draw gives us Conti, Diamante and Savoy That being said, the Deadly Draw had its saving graces. For one the use of Veda Scott on commentary, Madusa as the host and Shaul Guerrero as the announcer were nice touches, we also got to see Tay Conti, Diamante, Ivelisse and Nicole Savoy wrestle - the middle two win. Conti would turn out to be the most important of the lot with her team and friendship with Dark Order's Anna Jay, getting over because of their chemistry and making it to the semi-finals.

Worst - Conti to Dark Order doesn't develop Conti and Anna's friendship meant that soon after, Jay had extended an offer for her friend to join the stable. For weeks we saw Conti carry around this invitation but then: nothing. Conti never joined Dark Order and this didn't beget any friction between the friends either - in the end it became a missed opportunity as Conti dances on the edge of being supported by the Dark Order but not a part of the Dark Order.

Best - Jericho and Cassidy Debate With Mike Tyson unable to appear more to feud with Jericho, AEW slotted over-as-fuck Orange Cassidy to face Jericho. While Jericho got the win in the first match, we were graced with a fun 'debate' hosted by Schiavone and with a guest appearance of Eric Bischoff. Cassidy's monologue during the debate was great too.

Worst - Cassidy's first win over Jericho isn't as big as it should be Unfortunately, when Cassidy did get the win over Jericho was not as good as the first, getting clunky at times with some miscommunication and slow pacing. They would have their rubber match in the gimmicky Mimosa Mayhem which would also be a bit of a mixed bag.

Best - Hardy and the Mad King Squad Up Despite solid starts, Private Party, Lucha Bros and Butcher & the Blade had struggled a little to find success in AEW, but they would gain some benefit by associating with Matt Hardy and Eddie Kingston. Hardy worked well as a mentor to the similar styled tag team to his younger years, while Kingston's evil grin to the camera did signal that Kingston's new squad would be up to no good.

Best - Moxley and Allin make another classic Allin and Moxley somehow just click, they click so well that you could put them in a match every week and people wouldn't complain, hell there's fanart of Moxley essentially adopting Allin in the same vein as Shota 'Shooter' Umino. Anyway, Allin vs Moxley is always fantastic, and it made sense for the feud that was growing.

Best - You're Out of the Elite! Hangman's slow burn storytelling has been sublime, and it was at a new height when FTR started sniffing around Hangman like lions around a wounded gazelle. Feeding into Hangman's alcoholism - established since his inability to beat Jericho or PAC in his hunt to be world champion - FTR exposed doubt within Page that the Bucks were ousting him out and would soon turn on him. All of which were mind games to sow discontent between him and Omega in their bid for the tag titles. The cherry on the top came with Hangman's removal from the Elite, after a stellar feud in Revolution being brought up, Hangman impulsively screwed out the Bucks from getting another title match, after a dressing down and being kicked out of the group we pan to a shot of Hangman staring into a mirror cracked - perfect storytelling.

Best - MJF campaigns against Moxley MJF had been undefeated and fans have wondered when rather than if he would get his shot. And when he set his eyes on Moxley it is spectacular. The faux presidential campaign was right up MJF's alley as he looked to write out Moxley's go-to finish of the Paradigm Shift, this also had great easter eggs like MJF emulating Samoa Joe's shove on him to one of his entourage, as well as his lawyer Sterling being a good addition for the feud.

September 2020 Best - Allin/Starks, Johnson/Carter are bangers September came out with some very impressive matches, for Dynamite it was the culmination of Allin and Starks' feuding but on Dark we got unsigned Lee Johnson and Ben Carter blow the roof off, immediately both names were a topic of scouting and it remains a top level match.

Worst - Billy Mitchell's cameo Early into Miro's debut we got some vignettes of 'The Best Man' enjoying his other past-time as a gamer. While this wasn't the right way to go in hindsight, the cameo of Billy Mitchell - a controversial figure in Arcade Gaming - was quite out of place for AEW as well, many having to look up who the dude was anyway and why many gamers were disgruntled about it. 'Celebrity' Cameos can only really work if you know who they are.

Best - Kingston stories a weird finish into a Title Match It would've been a Worst moment on this list when Eddie Kingston lost a battle royale for a title shot by being pushed off the turnbuckle despite leaving to the apron via the middle rope. However, when winner Archer came down with COVID, AEW was put in a reverse Fyter Fest scenario, a champion but no opponent. This allowed Kingston an in to use the fact that he never technically went over the top rope to barter a title match, which he used to impressive effect.

Worst - Sydal Slips The Shooting Star Press is a difficult move to pull off, and dangerous to botch. It had also been the staple of Matt Sydal, who was the Joker in the Casino Battle Royale of All Out, but when he did his Shooting Star he slipped and faceplanted. While it's not a booking decision it is a sore spot, Sydal has partly recovered as a full time worker and a mini-feud with Nakazawa to save face on the botch, but he has only once tried the move again.

Best - Will Hobbs impresses When Sydal botched and hit the floor though, Will Hobbs was the one you saw roll over inconspicuously to check he wasn't hurt. The youngster had already been impressing on AEW Dark on a regular basis and his appearance alone in the Battle Royale was an encouraging sign. Hobbs would also put on a strong performance in that match, which would lean in on being more utilized on Dynamite, his momentum would also carry to Double or Nothing with another strong run in a Battle Royale mostly pitted against Christian Cage.

Worst - The Matt Hardy incident Perhaps the lowest point of All Out was the Broken Rules Match. Hardy and Sydal had overshot their spear spot from a forklift to a table and Hardy hit his head hard. Hardy wobbled with signs of concussion as the match to and fro'd about being called off, Hardy though was having none of it - since the stipulation would have him retire had he lost - he would continue for a scaffolding spot for the finish but it did put a lot of heat on Guevara and AEW for allowing the match to continue. Matt would make a recovery and have a cinematic match with Sammy to finish the tainted feud, but from there BROKEN Matt Hardy was seldom seen.

Best - Deeb arrives Serena Deeb is one of the most technically gifted women on wrestling. Someone so grossly underutilized by WWE that it's baffling that the best thing they would do with her on the main roster is shave her head for the admittedly great Straight Edge Society but then release her for not keeping up kayfabe in her personal life. This was the month though that the current NWA Women's Champion debuted on AEW Dark and would later get signed, Deeb adds veteran experience and technical mastery to AEW's women's roster and she is a cert to be AEW Women's Champion someday.

Worst - Fans fight Tooth and Nail but Swole/Baker doesn't deliver Despite Britt Baker's rise to superstardom, her return feud with Big Swole became a bit of a mishit. The build was fine with Swole often getting the better of the wheelchair-bound Baker, so for Baker's return AEW had set a cinematic match in her dentist's office. The match was placed on the Buy-In, which pissed a lot of fans off and had them strong-arm Khan into putting it as the opener, and it didn't pay off. The match was par at best, ending with Baker losing as well, while the quickly-put-together match of Private Party vs Silver & Reynolds shone brightly on the Buy In in the spot this match should've taken. Listening to fans is of course good but AEW had the hindsight to judge whether the match was worth it in the eyes of the fans and they picked wrong.

Best - Parking Lot Brawl But for every par match AEW has they always sneak in a blinder, and it was Best Friends' 5-Star Parking Lot Brawl against Santana & Ortiz that pulled it off. With Orange Cassidy coming out of the boot of the car, Santana & Ortiz's Dead Presidents' appearance and Sue getting a brand new minivan and flipping off the Inner Circle duo at the end, the match was a fantastic closer for the night.

October 2020 Best - Brandon Cutler gets the W Brandon Cutler had AEW's longest losing streak, and they loved to ham it up, except Peter Avalon also had AEW's longest losing streak too. They had tried working together but couldn't find the common ground, so when Avalon turned on Cutler we were set for one of these men to get the win. After two no contests due to double count outs and double disqualifications, Cutler and Avalon had a no rules rubber match on Dark and it was great. Cutler got his win in probably AEW Dark's best feud storytelling - though it probably should've been on Dynamite or even the Buy In of the PPV - giving a payoff years in the making.

Worst - Nyla/Shida II is built on Dark Hikaru Shida had gone through the majority of the Women's Roster, so with new manager Vickie Guerrero, Nyla Rose wanted her title back. The problem however was that all of Vickie's calling out of Shida after a Nyla squash was on Dark, so the match was poorly built. You feel bad for Tony Khan because he tried this so more eyes would go on Dark but it was also a reminder that title matches should be built on the Main Show.

Best - MJF and Jericho get musical MJF had decided once again to try and get in with the Inner Circle, only this time he was faring better thanks to his chemistry with Chris Jericho. What we got was Le Dinner Debonair, a pompous, broadway-esque musical scene that fit the larger than life and delusional heel aura of both men's ego. While some people called it 'too goofy', it was also named one of the best TV moments of the year.

Worst - Miro feuds over an Arcade Machine Fans wanted one thing from Miro: the beast, but AEW did not lead with that. Instead they had him feud with Best Friends because they were thrown into an Arcade Machine he was playing. While it's not the level of feuding over shampoo, it was still rather dumb and contrived given how the rest of this weak feud was telegraphed leading up to Kip and Penelope's wedding - despite Miro's attempts to subvert Wrestling Wedding Tropes.

Best - Leyla legitimately impresses In October, 'Legit' Leyla Hirsch came out of nowhere and made the best of her moment. A non-title debut against champion Hikaru Shida on Dark proved an extremely entertaining affair as Hirsch got to showcase her physicality, and then that was followed instantly by a NWA Women's Title shot against Deeb on Dynamite - which she also really impressed in. While it took a while for AEW to announce Leyla as a signing, it was a definite plus to see Olympic qualities in the Women's Division.

Worst - Jericho can't get Luther over When Jericho got a whole Dynamite to celebrate 30 years in the business he had a lot on his plate, several cameos from Slash and Hiroshi Tanahashi made it a special moment but the Main Event didn't work. Luther is sadly another one of those Brutus Beefcake cases of knowing the right people, and while Luther could probably go when he was younger, currently he isn't the best. People wondered if Jericho could carry Luther in his match with Chaos Project but unfortunately it didn't land, Luther after all has his place on the undercard throwing Serpentico around, he doesn't need any more than that.

Best - The Cleaner shows signs of returning After an Anniversary Show meant that Moxley had gone through another opponent in his mammoth title reign, AEW had set up a tournament to name the new Number 1 Contender. At this time as well FTR had already dealt with Hangman and Omega but their post-match embrace was not reciprocated by Omega, who had more or less washed his hands with his partner. The two were in different places, Page had descended further into the bottom of a drink without any of his friends while Kenny had become focused upon being a singles competitor again. Metaphorically winking to the hard cam, Omega would enter in an over the top fashion with cheerleaders of the Jacksonville Jaguars dancing with brooms to hark the slow arrival of the Cleaner. His disgruntled face after squashing Sonny Kiss was also meme quality.

Worst - Brodie's Reign is cut short Brodie Lee's TNT title reign was great, it had put the Dark Order on top and his segments on BTE were extremely entertaining too. An emphatic return of the dark haired Cody Rhodes did invite a rematch which would be a more brutal affair than Cody's prior squashing, but sadly Brodie would not retain. His reign only lasted a month and in hindsight that would be the only time Brodie held gold, while he stated he had no regrets on how short his reign was it was not great booking to put it immediately back on Cody as if Brodie only held it because Cody had another show to record.

Best - Dog Collar Match was great Result notwithstanding though, the Dog Collar match proved as brutal as it was entertaining. Another match that elevated the TNT title's prestige, Lee and Cody tore into each other in a match that could've easily screamed Vince Russo late-WCW failure. But the men pulled it off with their raw talent and nobody looked bad out of it.

November 2020 Best - Kenny vs Hangman I Since AEW's inception, Hangman Page has been on a slow course to squaring off against Kenny Omega. This came to a head in the finals of the No.1 Contendership Tournament, the confident Kenny vs the angsty Page proved an effective opener which further spiralled Hangman into depression while Kenny would return to the top of the card.

Worst - Hornswoggle in a nappy? The Inner Circle's Vegas skit was probably too much, it had some good moments like Hager and Wardlow continually staring at each other as they beat up people in the club, also the appearance of an Elvis Impersonator and Konnan. But the bit finished on a weird note trying to homage The Hangover by having WWE's former Hornswoggle appear in a baby's nappy, it was just weird no ways around it.

Best - Cargill and Top Flight make an impression November saw the debuts of new members of the Women's and Tag Division. The Martin brothers impressed as the new vibrant and athletic tag team, putting on a wild show against The Bucks. Jade Cargill would start AEW by confronting Cody with the tease of one Shaquille O'Neal, but the moment the camera panned to Cargill she had one word printed on her and it was 'Star'. While Top Flight are halved by injury, Cargill has continued to show her growth.

Worst - Shida vs Abadon has a short build When Abadon debuted on AEW Dark she put on an impressive match with then-not-champion Hikaru Shida, the story being that Shida was weirded out by the Living Dead Girl. Since then, Abadon had been undefeated in her sporadic appearances - partly delayed by injury - so she was put on a course to reignite this storyline with Shida. However, they didn't get enough time, only a couple segments of Shida trying to prove herself not scared and an AEW Dark segment when Abadon jumped Shida and hit a Cemetery Drive on her. A decent match would follow, but we could've done a lot more.

Best - Hobbs turns to FTW Will Hobbs had grown more and more impressive with each appearance, put over as well in promo by Jon Moxley too gave him a lot of credit. During Darby's feud with Team Taz, Hobbs had often come to make the save to prevent Darby from being injured, however he did have a habit of arriving a little late. This proved to be intentional when Hobbs turned heel, aligning with Team Taz to learn under the ECW Legend. While Hobbs has yet to taste gold, he has of recent found himself elevated by the feud with Christian Cage and should Brian Cage move away from Team Taz, he would clearly be the top choice to take the FTW belt from him.

Worst - Cody Hogan's his title loss When it was time for Cody to drop the TNT belt again, fans would hope that it would be a similar case of Cody putting someone over red hot like he did Brodie. However, instead Darby defeated Cody with a series of roll ups which Cody kicked out in 3.1, a very Hogan vs Warrior title change with Cody also having to keep the spotlight on him by handing the belt to Darby before Darby's moment was further interrupted by Team Taz's attack.

Best - Darby has gold At the very least, Darby being crowned TNT champion after finally beating Cody was a perfect narrative for the talented and albeit batshit crazy masochist Emo Skater Boy. Darby's reign would also be consistently good and maintain Allin's star aura against opponents of all shapes and sizes.

Best - PAC is BAC Due to COVID, several of AEW's international talents were land-locked and unable to appear, but when the UK's borders loosened slightly The Bastard PAC made an emphatic return to reestablish Death Triangle. This had also come off the heels of Eddie Kingston trying to sway Penta away from his brother and kick Fénix out of his group. PAC's mini-feud with Kingston would remind the world that AEW had some world class talent to put in against Kenny Omega as well as reminding the world that PAC is just amazing as a wrestler.

Best - Bunkhouse match blows the roof off Dustin Rhodes seems to have carved an interesting spot for himself as the 'Obscure Gimmick Match Master'. Currently teasing a Bullrope match with Nick Comoroto, he shone brightly in the culmination of the long-winded QT/Allie storyline which lead to a Bunkhouse Match against the Butcher and the Blade. It had old school qualities with amazing spots that continued a long chain of AEW pulling off impressive gimmick matches even if the feud wasn't as impressive itself.

Best - Mox and Kingston, Feud of the Year 2020 You know what was an impressive feud though? Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston. Imagine winning feud of the year for something set up in September to November? And most of it was promo, but these were two of the best promo guys in the world, touching on their roots, their former friendship, the lengths either would go and all coming to a head in an I Quit Match. Kingston made you believe every word he said when he declared that he would never quit and he wouldn't stop until he was champion but come the match Moxley proved more resilient than words can be. Getting Feud of the Year is not bad going for what originally started as a one-off title match because Archer got COVID.

December 2020 Best - Brodie Lee Memorial Show Near the end of December the wrestling world was shocked by the death of Brodie Lee, the Exalted One was someone fans really wanted to see be a major world champion someday, but he had tragically succumbed to a Lung condition. At this time too AEW were promoting a 2-part special of New Year's Dash, but delayed the shows a week to put on a memorial show for Brodie. With matches picked by Brodie's eldest son, AEW did perhaps the perfect tribute show, with a perfect blend of clips and tributes paired with matches that honored the Big Rig. Brodie's influence was shown with Silver emulating Brodie's outfit, Eric Redbeard appearing, FTR renaming their Goodnight Express to the Big Rig, and the TNT title being handed to Brodie Lee Jr. - who became AEW's youngest signing - and a special t-shirt being the highest selling t-shirt of 2020, with proceeds going to Brodie's wife, Amanda. Brodie's influence still reigns in AEW as the Dark Order have become somewhat gatekeepers to the TNT title and the quote 'It's [day], and you know what that means' being frequently used or displayed via signs to start off an AEW show.

Worst - Ben Carter slips through their fingers Ben Carter had proven a sensational talent on his AEW showings, quickly having rose to having a match on Dynamite. However, AEW did not get his signature on the dotted line, and the E came a-callin'. The loss of the now-Nathan Frazer was a rough blow for AEW business since it showed that WWE could still outbid them if they wanted someone enough, and AEW made the mistake of not signing him before other companies started sniffing around.

Best - IT'S STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! The 'Winter is Coming' special had many big things happen, but one of the biggest of all was the return of Sting. Instantly Sting's T-Shirt sales broke records in AEW (until the Brodie shirt would break Sting's) as the WCW legend had made his return to TNT in a veil of snow staring down Darby Allin, nostalgia was high on this moment.

Worst - STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING does nothing for a month But. There was a problem with Sting's arrival on AEW, he wasn't exactly spry in his 60s and AEW were cautious in wanting him to come back into the ring despite being classed as an active talent. AEW did miss a mark by promoting Sting to just do the same interview over and over, more than once in fact, you gotta do something with Sting to get the fans excited.

Best - Taz chokes out Cody While feuding with Darby, Cody became involved when he dropped the TNT title to Darby and got attacked by Team Taz all the same. When this led to a verbose conflict between Cody and Taz over the legitimacy of the FTW championship, Cody made the mistake of turning his back on Taz after diminishing his philosophy because Taz's son Hook was training under his factory rather than his father. Jake the Snake did warn him not to turn your back on someone you respect, but maybe he should've warned him to not turn your back on a Human Suplex Machine, because Taz immediately put him in the Tazmission - to a huge pop from fans - choking out the younger Rhodes to further personalize their feud.

Worst - Dynamite Diamond Ring doesn't change MJF had used the Dynamite Diamond Ring sporadically as a weapon to cheat in matches, but it anything it was a glorified brass knuckles that had limited prestige. When AEW had the chance to give it new prestige by having it fought over a year after MJF won it, they decided to simply keep it on MJF's pinky finger. As a result we had a battle royale and a match that kinda went nowhere narratively, and AEW should've really just made the ring a one-off or given it to someone else to signify a young up-and-coming talent getting a rub.

Best - The Acclaimed prove they're not all talk Not to be outdone by Top Flight, who they seem destined to have an eternal rivalry with, The Acclaimed put on an impressive showing in their title match with the Bucks too. Max Caster's diss tracks continue to slowly win fans over but this was the moment the Acclaimed turned into a mainstay of AEW's tag division.

Worst - TNT ask for no more surprises While reported months later, fans were alerted that after Sting's debut, TNT had asked AEW to not do any more surprises. Business-wise it made sense since they wanted to promote any big moments on the show for a greater viewership, but Wrestling-wise eliminating the shock factor would be a detriment to the business as a whole. AEW have managed to work their way around such things by promoting 'mystery entrants' or debuting surprise characters between other promoted segments but it is still a questionable decision by TNT to request such a thing.

Best - This is Bear Country Next on the 'XX impress on Dark, get signed up' is the tag team of Bear Country. Different to Top Flight's flippy talent and the Acclaimed's knack for mind games and more technical wrestling was two big hoss men running roughshot War Machine-style, there's not much else you need to sell with that, Bear Country was just good stuff and provided another style AEW's tag division could use.

January 2021 Best - Negative One With Brodie Lee Jr. now signed to AEW, he started to make appearances as Dark Order's new leader 'Negative One'. And instantly, Brodie Jr had become an excellent presence. With great understanding of the business for such a young age, Negative One would delight audiences on Dark and Elevation be it on commentary or simply being the feral prince that often accompanied Preston Vance, Anna Jay and/or Tay Conti. The kid was having the time of his life too.

Worst - TNT title doesn't get revamped enough With the original finished product of the TNT title handed to Brodie Jr, there was an opening to make a new TNT title which learned from the criticisms that the original had. Unfortunately we did not have this, we mostly just got a Black strap. Granted COVID would've been a part of that but given how long Darby's reign was, we could've put work towards giving us a better looking TNT championship.

Best - Dark Order turn face, help the Hangman On BTE Dark Order found their feet with their flair for comedy, one of the segments that began this was Evil Uno's selling of Brodie's throwing of papers, the bit originated from Lee discovering that Hangman had once reached out to the Dark Order website sometime at the beginning of his depression spiral. Because of the rejection, the Dark Order had fostered an animosity against Page with frequent 'Fuck Hangman' chants, and yet Hangman would sporadically appear in their hangout, starting his own 'Fuck Hangman' chant when kicked out of the Elite in a brutal show of Page's self-loathing. From there though the Dark Order had softened to the Anxious Millennial Cowboy and after a face turn they had grown to become AEW's most popular faction and a much-needed friend for Page. While Hangman wouldn't officially join the Dark Order, it definitely proved to be an entertaining chapter in Page's story from an unlikely source.

Worst - Team Taz will jump Darby, but not Sting During their feud, Team Taz were seen to jump Darby Allin whenever they could, didn't matter if he had Cody or Moxley on his side they would still try to get the upper hand on the TNT champion. But now that Sting has arrived, Team Taz decided to stop doing that. As much as it was AEW protecting Sting from bumps, it really diminished Team Taz as well because five men that included Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs and Brian Cage were scurrying away from a lone 60 year old with a baseball bat.

Best - Bullet Club in AEW Tama Tonga might refute it, but the appearance of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in AEW was big, and their arrival to aid Kenny and then to two sweet him with the Bucks was an image definitely worthy of closing the night. From Gallows and Anderson's arrival to AEW led to Impact's doors being opened, which has recently led to Omega being the Belt Collector.

Worst - Callis' feud with the Bucks is gimmicky When Kenny won the AEW World Title at Winter is Coming, he had began a full on chaotic turn with Don Callis as his manager of sorts. The Young Bucks however were still firm babyfaces and were perturbed by Callis' actions that were ousting the Jackson brothers out of Kenny's social circles. Some bits were good, Callis really laying in thick the fact that he felt the Bucks had lost their edge, but the majority of it was a bit too much soap opera for my liking, the fake shiner was probably where it jumped the shark.

Best - Tay Conti shows her improvement against Deeb Tay Conti had grown a lot as a wrestler since her debut, and when set to challenge Serena Deeb for the NWA Women's Championship we had the story of 'Jack of All Trades vs Master of One'. Leaning more into her Judo and martial arts background, Tay Conti showed the wrestling world that she had arrived as a wrestler thanks to the AEW machine. WWE's loss had officially become AEW's gain as Tay Conti continues her rise to perhaps being one of the biggest female stars in the company.

Worst - Archer can't win a feud Having lost to Cody in May and then Moxley on the Anniversary episode, Archer was put in a no-win situation by feuding with Eddie Kingston. Now Kingston is great, but the problem was that both men desperately needed to win a feud for credibility, and Archer was the one who lost. Archer continues to be sold as a monster but also someone who will lose all his major feuds. Suffice to say, more can be done with the Murderhawk Monster.

Best - MJF sows seeds of discontent Having officially gotten in with the Inner Circle, MJF now had Chris Jericho's ear and he was ready to spread his poison. This started with the ousting of Sammy Guevara - Jericho's protege of sorts - before moving on to sowing tension between Jericho and Santana & Ortiz. This would be the beginnings of an excellent swerve by AEW, which we will get to later.

Worst - Santana and Ortiz aren't even the Inner Circle's tag team? Because of MJF's sowing though, we had a weird scenario where the Inner Circle were debating who was their official tag team? Debating between Jericho and MJF the singles competitors, Sammy and Hager the singles competitors or Santana & Ortiz the tag team. In this as well MJF and Jericho won, which was more sowing on MJF's part but it does still leave the worrying sense that AEW's tag division is perhaps too big as Tony Khan waits for the right moment to introduce a Trios title.

Best - Wardlow vs Hager was surprisingly good Another recurring narrative of MJF joining the Inner Circle was Jake Hager and Wardlow staring each other off whenever they could. In order to 'bury the hatchet', Hager challenged the War Dog to a match, and surprisingly this was Hager's best match in an AEW ring so far, big men slapping meat with the right conclusion of Wardlow winning.

Worst - The Waiting Room fades out While Britt Baker was injured but not Wheelchair bound she had started an interview show on Dark called 'The Waiting Room', it had a few flaws here and there but eventually it showed on Dynamite to decent effect. But after that it was gone, which is a shame because it could've easily been a longstanding segment for either of AEW's shows at the time to give some promo segments or interviews to AEW's talent.

Best - Private Party are leeched After working under the wing of 'Big Money' Matt Hardy, Private Party turned heel to compliment Hardy's newfound persona as the Company Leech. The heel turn has somewhat revitalized the once-promising tag team and proved they can play either side, it even got them an Impact Tag Title shot and an impressive match on the PPV.

Worst - Whatever Snoop Dogg was doing Snoop Dogg made an AEW appearance where he was insistent on doing a spot, but it didn't really work - much like it didn't really work when he tried it in WWE. Snoop as a guest wasn't the worst idea in the world and it is good that he's willing to bump on the show, but could does not always mean should.

Best - Jungle Boy and Dax put on a masterclass In the middle of FTR's midcard feud with Jurassic Express - the one that'd involve Marko Stunt being kidnapped - Dax Harwood and Jungle Boy crossed paths in an excellently technical match. The match received high praise that'd further put Jungle Boy over while also giving worthy praise for Harwood's wrestling ability.

Best - Jungle Boy gets some Baltimora While on the subject of Jungle Jack Perry, Tony Khan had decided that he had a library of songs he owned or could own and use as entrance themes for some of AEW's more earmarked talent. This would begin with Jungle Boy, who was given Baltimora's 'Tarzan Boy' per the suggestion of Joey Janela. Immediately Jungle Boy had something the fans could use to rally behind, a chantable song that embraced all that Jungle Boy's character was.

February 2021 Best - JD Drake makes an impression JD Drake does not look like AEW's typical wrestler, but that's the point. On his debut on Dark he surprised many with his great offense and agility, even able to pull off a moonsault. Quickly Drake was signed and becomes the odd one out but also the oft-ignored voice of common sense in the Wingmen faction of prettyboys. He's having a lot of fun with it too and has put on good matches, recently against Rocky Romero.

Worst - Women's Eliminator Tournament partly goes on Youtube The Women's Eliminator Tournament opened up the Women's Division in a big way, but COVID meant that not all of it could be filmed in Jacksonville. So like the Deadly Draw, the tournament had to spend some of its time on Youtube. Now I have no problem with Youtube being used, it's a wider medium that can be accessed at any time, but it did mimic the downsides of the Deadly Draw and alienate the TNT-only audience, especially since Dynamite rarely showed highlights of the tournament progress.

Best - Women's Eliminator Tournament exceeds expectations That is however, the only criticism with hindsight one can give the Eliminator Tournament. Because not only did it give us the return of Riho, Yuka Sakazaki, Ryo Mizunami, Emi Sakura and Aja Kong, but it also graced us with the talented debuts of Maki Itoh, VENY (aka Asuka, who also wore Hana Kimura's robe) and Mei Suruga. In addition Shida provided Japanese commentary for the Joshi matches sporting a strikingly beautiful white suit. The tournament did not have a bad match at all; with VENY vs Sakura, Suruga vs Sakazaki, Sakazaki vs Sakura (which had Sakura perform a fantastic entrance), Serena Deeb vs Riho, Leyla Hirsch vs Thunder Rosa, Riho vs Rosa, Baker vs Nyla, Conti vs Nyla and the finals were all great and unique matches. The non-tournament 6-woman joshi tag match was also excellent and so was the surprise winner of Ryo Mizunami and her title shot against Shida at Revolution.

Best - Moxley brings the IWGP US Championship Jon Moxley may've lost the AEW World Championship, he still had a title on hand he could use: the IWGP US Championship. While NJPW had intended to keep it mainly on NJPW Strong during COVID, New Japan also allowed Moxley to bring his title on rare occasions to AEW, later to the point where he could defend it. It was definite good business and the next thing is why it was such a big deal.

Best - THE FORBIDDEN DOOR OPENS! 'New Japan will not work with AEW' - that was what we were told in the early stages of AEW, but we held out hope. We got more hope when Harold Meij stepped down from NJPW but still the 'Forbidden Door' remained shut, all the way until Beach Break when a hooded figure came up to Jon Moxley, hit a GTS and revealed himself. KENTA, the holder of the IWGP US Championship Briefcase he won in the inaugural New Japan Cup USA tournament. The internet went wild, the forbidden door was open and there was no way fans will let it close again.

March 2021 Best - Sting debuts cinematically Team Taz's feud with Darby came to a head with a Tag Team Street Fight. It was Sting's first AEW match and fans were concerned on how many bumps he could take - memory of his 'career-ending' match with Rollins echoing in the mind. AEW though would not make that mistake, deciding to go cinematic to protect Sting and give him time to recover from any bumps caused - as well as win the match like one HHH refused to do - the match itself was fantastic with Team Taz and Darby fitting in a ton of extreme spots and Brian Cage just flexing all over the place.

Worst - Archer feuds(?) with Sting After said Street Fight though, Sting continued said momentum with: Interviews. Worse yet these interviews started being interrupted by Lance Archer, who wanted to take Sting's TV time from him. This amounted to nothing as well because after Sting put an endorsement on Archer, the Murderhawk Monster would decide not to fight for a spot and come in to save Sting and Darby from time to time. If we were gonna establish this alliance we could've done more with it, sadly AEW keep on following up Sting wrestling with a ton of Sting talking.

Best - The Pinnacle debut MJF's snaking in on the Inner Circle was paying off dividends, but after an unsuccessful challenge for the tag titles, the Inner Circle had announced a 'War Council' to discuss their future. It looked as though MJF was gonna completely oust out Jericho from his own group, but out came Sammy Guevara. Absent since leaving the group, Guevara had unraveled MJF, revealing that the Inner Circle was wise to MJF's plot all along: except they weren't. MJF had played 5 steps ahead of the Inner Circle, because he wasn't trying to steal his faction, he was setting up his own. FTR, Spears, Wardlow and MJF swarmed the Inner Circle for an epic debut which would be known as the Pinnacle.

Worst - Cody beats Penta despite a shoulder injury At this point fans were beginning to wonder how Cody Rhodes would write himself off of TV. His wife Brandi was halfway through pregnancy and the Rhodes had announced a Miz & Mrs-esque reality show too. So when Cody was kayfabing a shoulder injury and pitted against Penta El 0M, fans were hoping that this time Cody could not finagle his way into defeating a charismatic and popular member of the roster who could use the rub and has a history of kayfabe breaking arms, and yet he did. The feud set up ended up being a one-off that harmed Penta more than it did good, he had done the arm breaker but Cody just shrugged it off and won anyway. It was growing all too apparent that clean Cody losses will remain to be few and far between.

Best - Penta Says that Alex is a Great Hype Man There is one saving grace to the Penta/Cody mini feud though and it's that pseudo-Dark Order member, Spanish announcer and interviewer Alex Abrahantes had been paired with Penta as his translator/hype man. Sporting some Rollins-esque outfitting of gloves and jackets, Abrahantes added extra venom to his translations which of course gave Penta a lot more vibrance. Alex as well seems to be having a whale of a time doing so.

Worst - Team Taz Dissension starts, but will pause for 2 months In the aftermath of their Street Fight defeat, Cage had drawn the ire of his Team Taz comrades by showing Sting some respect. This led to some light tension between Cage and the rest of the team, especially Ricky Starks. While this could've worked towards a Cage face turn, the tension fizzled out, only reigniting recently.

Best - Jade, Velvet and Shaq impress at a Crossroads The special episode 'The Crossroads' had been set up to promote a mixed tag match which served as Jade Cargill and Shaq's AEW wrestling debut. Competing against Cody and Red Velvet, the match did put fan minds at ease by keeping Shaq's spots simple but classic, while Velvet and Cargill ran the show in the ring. Shaq took a table bump as well which was cool and the match started Jade's star-level momentum on a high.

Worst - Shaq just, disappears In the aftermath of the table spot Shaq was put on a stretcher and into an ambulance, but when we went backstage to get some comments from Shaq before being sent off we found that the ambulance was empty. A weird thing considering that in a few days Shaq would be back on TNT anyway like that had no continuity, it was a strange decision nonetheless.

Best - Exploding. Barbed Wire. Deathmatch! AEW and their penchant for gimmick matches is an interesting relationship, but the moment this match was announced it had garnered a lot of hype. I mean it's not every day you see an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch, and Kenny and Mox had already tore into each other in Full Gear to the point where they legitimately broke state laws. The match was every bit as brutal as promised, homaging Onita many a time through Mox but also with the wired up baseball bat, 99% of the match was freaking awesome.

Worst - Fizzling. Barbed Wire. Deathmatch. Sadly, that 1% that wasn't would be the final visual of the PPV. Moxley is defeated and the whole ring is gonna blow, Kenny and co have scurried and Mox is handcuffed and KO'd in the middle of the ring. Disregarding the warnings of the Butcher, Blade and Bunny, Eddie Kingston rushes in to help his former friend, past enmity be damned, he cannot free Mox in time and in a narratively pivotal act of self-sacrifice drapes himself over Moxley to take the blow. And all we got was a fizzle, a few sparklers and fireworks would end the night unfulfilled, undoing all the good the match had delivered. It would be AEW's most unsatisfying moment caused by a botched ending that could never be undone.

Best - Mox and Kingston reunite to rule the promos Although they could not take back the botched finish, the storyline still allowed a new dynamic of Moxley and Kingston reuniting as chaotic street brothers eyeing up the Elite for a fight. One King of Promo would be enough but two was just fantastic, you could watch Kingston and Moxley bounce off of each other all day and still remain thoroughly entertained.

Worst - Kingston doesn't get a crack at Kenny It was however a shame that draping your body over your friend to protect him from an intended explosion was not enough to validate a feud between said person and the creator of the explosive device. Kingston looked all but set to try and avenge his friend by facing Kenny, but it would not turn out to be. The closest we got was a jump and a One Winged Angel, which is a shame because Kingston vs Kenny would've been fantastic - but alas, Mox and Kingston jumped over Kenny and just went for the tag teams instead.

Best - AEW support Cezar Bononi and his wife Cezar Bononi was doing fine as part of the Undercard faction of the Wingmen with Pretty Peter Avalon, Ryan Nemeth and JD Drake. Behind the curtain though Bononi's wife Camila was suffering from Leukemia and needed a Bone Marrow transplant, her sister was a match but she was in Brazil so they needed an emergency visa so to do the transplant on time. Thanks to the collective efforts of fans and the continued exposure AEW provided for Bononi, Camila's sister would make it in time and Camila herself got her transplant and seems to be doing well.

Worst - Big Money Matt loses his quarter, but it doesn't go anywhere In the conclusion of the chapter where Matt Hardy tried to leech his way into Hangman Page's profits, Hangman had defeated Hardy in a 'Big Money' match which meant that Page had won all of Hardy's money over the last quarter. This opened an avenue to see what Big Money Matt could be like with No Money, but it amounted to very little. In fact the worst we got from Matt was eating olives, a missed opportunity for sure, we could've even had Matt be hounded by loan sharks and debt collectors but alas, it didn't dent his money in the end, at the very least Hangman got his lawnmower.

Best - Elevation elevates Mizunami, Leyla and Limelight In March, AEW debuted a more canonized version of Dark called Elevation, which'd be used to show off a bit of the undercard and allow more opportunity to climb the rankings. In the first month of Elevation, we were graced with several good matches, usually including one of three Elevation Regulars. The Eliminator Tournament Winner Ryo Mizunami would go on a series of bouts with female talent such as Tesha Price and KiLynn King where she effortlessly fit into the role of AEW's women's division gatekeeper, meaning that whoever beat her would get a solid rub - and Abadon did. When Mizunami returned to Japan, one of the people she felled took over from her duties and that was Leyla Hirsch, Hirsch had teamed successfully with Mizunami a couple of times as well and has effectively used her spot to get some wins in. On the men's side, NJPW Strong regular Danny Limelight was given his namesake with some high profile matches including Jungle Boy, Frankie Kazarian and Dark Order's 10, not to mention Takeshita, Omega, Kingston and Moxley in later months, the Team Filthy member definitely taking the show's name to heart.

Best - Cassidy wonders where his mind is Not long after Jungle Boy had obtained Baltimora, plans had been made to give Orange Cassidy a new theme too. The pick was an inspired one with The Pixies' 'Where is My Mind?' - which many would be familiar with as the ending song to Fight Club - the song suited Cassidy really well, and after positive testing on Dark it was used for the next Dynamite to close off the night.

Best - Arcade Anarchy delivers in spite of a weak feud It should probably be a word of caution to not face the Best Friends in a gimmick match in AEW, because they hit a new gear whenever they do. The feud with Miro and Kip was poor, and fans were more than happy for it to end on the PPV when Miro got his win, but AEW insisted on one more match: Arcade Anarchy - agreed to by Kip. In spite of fears this match ruled: Trent's return with Sue was great, Kris Statlander's return was a huge surprise, it took all 3 Best Friends to keep Miro down and we finished the night with Where is My Mind playing us off. Despite the weak feud, AEW had finished strongly which made reheating Miro a lot easier.

Best - Tully Blanchard wrestles in 2021 The culmination of Jurassic Express vs FTR came in the Crossroads in a 6-Man tag match. Made extra bonkers because Tully Blanchard was FTR's third man in the match. They of course limited his spots and a Shawn Spears return would prove the difference, but it's an entertainingly ridiculous thing that Tully Blanchard both wrestled in 2021 and won: wrestling is just crazy.

Best - Final 4 of Casino Tag Royale put on a Show AEW have played around with the 'Casino' concept for a few stipulations; regular battle royale for men and women, ladder match, and then tag royale. This royale finished strongly though with the final 4; John Silver, Fénix, PAC and Jungle Boy. Four absolutely over stars brawling out in mini-matches that left fans salivating for more, after Silver and PAC were eliminated Fénix and JB put on an absolute treat of a finale, which ended with Fénix getting the win for Death Triangle to face the Bucks.

Best - Silver earns Sting's respect with a Dislocated Shoulder John Silver was voted by Dark Order to take Darby Allin's open challenge for the TNT title - offered because it was the anniversary of Brodie's debut. Silver vs Allin became a great match, made even more impressive since Silver dislocated his shoulder early in the match and kept going. While Silver couldn't bring the title home to the Dark Order, he got a show of respect from Sting - which in turn would lead to the Dark Order coming to Darby and Sting's aid at times.

Best - Maki Itoh breaks America Fans of TJPW or twitter's tdegifs were very familiar with the charismatic foul-mouthed hard-headed former idol Maki Itoh, and seeing her in the Women's Eliminator tournament paid dividends despite her first round elimination. Itoh's popularity skyrocketed, she had an It factor which pissed off Jim Cornette for extra adulation, and come Revolution's Buy-In, Maki Itoh had arrived in Jacksonville for one of the biggest pops of the night. Itoh proved charming and entertaining even though she was aligned with the heels, to the point where she even main evented the inaugural Elevation against Riho. Sadly Itoh would have to return to Japan and unsuccessfully challenge for Rika Tatsumi's TJPW Princess of Princess Championship (her tag partner/former longstanding rival/sauce boss/Pink Striker Miyu Yamashita would however win), have her twitter hacked and set up a new division of her faction 'Saitama Itoh Respect Army 2021' with Yuki Kamifuku and Marika Kobashi, but she had made her mark and then some, the world was a simp for Maki Itoh, and she allowed it because she needed the monies.

Best - Rosa/Baker break the ceiling Itoh vs Riho wasn't the only cross-promotional women's main event AEW gave us, because 2 days later on St. Patrick's Day Smash, Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa's unsanctioned match would deliver on one of the highest rated matches in modern women's wrestling. A bloody and fantastic affair instantly rose Baker and Rosa's stakes in a fitting end to their rivalry, but one that also didn't cost Baker any standing because it technically 'didn't count'. It remains to this day AEW's best match in the women's division.

April 2021 Best - Miro ditches Kip After months of hanging with Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford, Miro had become fed up with Superbad. The acceptance against his wishes to fight the Arcade Anarchy proved the last straw as Miro set his focus on capturing any and every title within his reach, with or without Kip. After a few weeks of not seeing Sabian, Miro attacked him, writing Sabian out of action with a legitimate wrist injury while Ford was dealing with an allergic reaction to her eyelashes, with Kip gone Miro could finally be who we were waiting for: at freaking last.

Worst - Interference finishes beget questions of Faction Bloat Although not as bad as WWE, many matches on AEW seemed to end one way or another with factions fighting one another, clean finish or not. This did of course grind on fans and cause questions to arise that perhaps there are too many factions in AEW, they have a point, though easily fixable without splitting any factions up.

Best - Bucks descend to heeldom Don Callis had been a thorn in the Bucks' side for a while, but his words had got in their head, they were indeed the most successful when they were cocky assholes. Although they did save Moxley from being swarmed one time, the six-man tag proved too much for them: they didn't want to see the feral Moxley take out their old and storied friend and so they chose Kenny over morality. No longer annoyed by Callis, the Bucks became absolute shiteating heels again, which benefits the climate of the tag division.

Best - Jade is elevated by being sought out While Jade Cargill would only sporadically appear for squashes, AEW have done well to slow burn her star power by having managers try to get her as a client. It's simple storytelling but effective, because people want Jade it means that Jade is desirable and that makes her more important as a talent.

Best - Baker DeManDs her title shot Because the Unsanctioned Match 'didn't count' Britt Baker had carried the acclaim of that match even in defeat. Baker had stopped dossing around too, legitimately rising up the ranks to the Number 1 spot like a looming shadow to have her crack at Shida's title. It could've been easy to give her a shot by virtue of her performance but AEW did it right - and gave Tay Conti her shot in the process - which made Baker much more valued in her title hunt.

Best - Cage upsets the Hangman At the Number 1 Spot, Hangman Page looked like he was on course to fight Kenny Omega, but when asked about this prospect Page dodged the subject entirely. The thought though would weigh on his mind in his match against Cage, where he was practically squashed in an upset fashion, it was a surprising plot twist and delays Page's clash with Kenny while also adds to Cage's reputation.

May 2021 Best - Varsity Blonds add some Hart The Varsity Blonds had done well considering that they started as being an undercard pair-up and grew into a talented young combo homaging Brian Pillman and Steve Austin's team of the Hollywood Blonds. But adding Nightmare Factory upstart Julia Hart just added the missing piece for the blonds, as a trio they look the part, and their rise feels earned as they put on a great showing against the Bucks.

Worst - QT loses to Cody after all that Cody's Ace Problem had transitioned to the point where QT Marshall was picked to turn on him next, collecting a small portion of the Nightmare Factory who felt that the students were secondary to Cody's ego. When it came to the exhibition Cody won by DQ, but got assaulted by the Factory, so when they had a proper match we had a choice: elevate this new faction or have their leader lose, guess which they chose? QT tapped out to the Figure Four and Cody prevailed.

Best - SCU put it on the line For several months, SCU had put a challenge on themselves that if they lost in tag competition (not singles or battle royales) they would split up. It had worked well because they were undefeated since, but being at the top of the rankings with a heel Young Bucks signalled the inevitable clash between the two teams. The question would be could the Bucks really end the team they welcomed to AEW on Day 1, their friends, the first World Tag Champions of their company, and the answer was yes. A bloodied affair of near falls and the Bucks hamming up any emotional bonds they once had led to a fantastic match that has put a tragic end to SCU.

Worst - SCU's embrace is cut short But immediately after that we cut to Mox and Eddie trashing their locker room. AEW would return to show SCU's final embrace but a 'previously on' is not as effective as seeing it when the wound is fresh, it was the end of a partnership that had spanned a decade, all the way back to Fortune, Bad Influence and then The Addiction, it deserved the time to linger.

Best - Blood and Guts! Last year it was planned that the Elite would face the Inner Circle in a WarGames-esque match called Blood and Guts. But COVID had prevented this, so we changed to Stadium Stampede. With the Inner Circle feuding with the newfly formed Pinnacle, AEW made the right call in bringing Blood and Guts back a year later to clash the two factions against one another. And it truly did live up to its names, a brutish match which cemented the Pinnacle as one of AEW's top factions.

Worst - Blood and Guts (nor Stadium Stampede II) doesn't finish the feud Big gimmick matches like these should be feud enders, but AEW wanted to put the two factions at odds again. With the threat of disbanding, the Inner Circle got a rematch for Double or Nothing for Stadium Stampede and while it wasn't bad fans did feel that the feud should've ended at Blood and Guts. In addition, Stadium Stampede wouldn't even finish their beef as they look to divide into 3 mini-feuds again.

Best - Miro crushes Darby Without Kip, Miro was a monster and he immediately went for gold. A perfect usurper for Darby Allin's TNT title reign, Miro destroyed the fearless and near-indestructible daredevil - who was protected from the squash because Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky had thrown him down some stairs last week - his look over to Sting as they both accepted that they were likely losing this match was a great moment between Miro's destructive force. And as TNT champion Miro is great, his thanking of God for various things are both charming and hilarious but he also manages to pair it with psychotic menace, long may the Best Man reign.

Worst - Cody's American Dream wins over Ogogo's valid points After submitting QT in his match, Cody's celebrations were cut off by Anthony Ogogo, the Olympic Bronze Medallist and former Boxer in QT's Factory, who KO'd Cody and covered him with the UK flag. A feud with Ogogo could've been the saving face moment for the Factory but instead Cody opted to zone in on the flag thing. Painting Ogogo as the 'Anti-American Foreign Heel' did not sit well for anyone who wasn't an uber-American 'Patriot' since the concept was heavily outdated, in addition Ogogo was making real valid points about why he disliked America: pointing out the gross flaws in the country's healthcare system and Cody would reply with how his pregnant wife and unborn daughter were black, choking up his words to garner sympathy. This all falls flat given how Ogogo is also black and never once implied that Cody was a racist. With the chance to put over the Factory with a charismatic young competitor, Cody instead decided to win without even using a finisher - because it was Memorial Day Weekend and America always wins, at this point the Factory remain pretty tainted now since Cody has beaten every member he's faced (and Dustin beat the other one). Saying things worked out on 'Focus Groups' didn't help Cody's defense as to why the feud went the way it did either, it was an outdated narrative with a result that all but screws over the Factory.

Best - The Forbidden Door opens again While none have risen the heights of KENTA's shocking arrival, the Forbidden Door did remain open for some more appearances from NJPW's personnel. Yuji Nagata made a big return to TNT to fight Moxley for the IWGP US Championship but also Ren Narita and Rocky Romero made appearances, the latter having a mini Roppongi Vice reunion with Trent. AEW had also extended the forbidden door to DDT with Konosuke Takeshita impressing on AEW's first house show and on Elevation, and recently a Joker Card appearance for Lio Rush.

Best - Shida gets recognized, and a revamped title After a year of holding the AEW Women's Championship Hikaru Shida had been the subject of criticism from neckbeards acting like she was the 'female Brock Lesnar'. Some were annoyed that Shida's title reign had lasted so long and were blind to the fact that this was clearly intended so Baker could win in front of a crowd. The Dynamite before Double or Nothing though AEW did right by recognizing Shida's work ethic and title reign and by presenting her with a new and larger Women's Championship. While people may complain that they could've unveiled this new title at the PPV I felt it was right to at least let Shida enter the PPV with this title considering how long she had held the Women's Division down. Some poor builds aside, Shida had carried the division with strong matches and worked behind the scenes as well for improving the division, as well as producing the Women's Eliminator Tournament. In this house we do not disrespect Hikaru Shida.

Best - Double or Nothing 2021 And we end on the crescendo, and what a crescendo. The full-time return of fans were graced with an excellently feel-good PPV - aside from Cody beating Ogogo - which had all the competitors perform at a high level. Starting hot, giving Jungle Boy a big unexpected win, Mark Henry debuting and topping it off with Stadium Stampede signed off a big and entertaining year for AEW and closing off with the returning crowd chanting Judas: masterful chef kiss level idea.

The aftermath of DoN while mentioned will probably not be touched on next year because damn were these posts long, but at the very least I did it for WWE and AEW as I said I would. Let's hope that both companies can rise to higher heights and avoid lower lows in the next year when we retread these ppvs again.

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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 4 years

Text

The Time of Everyone’s Life (Favored Ones, Part 11.)

Series description: Many things were surely fucked up in the year 2038, but no-one ever told anyone how all of it went down. What happened before a group of people left for Seattle to handle personal matters? Why did one girl refuse to leave all of it be? And why there were so many dead in the end?

Part Summary: You weren’t happy that Eugene, your friend, had passed away. But he was quite old, to be honest and he died of heart attack. And since you knew he wouldn’t be glad to see you being all sad about this, you decided to respect the man in the best way possible.

A/N: Honestly, I love Eugene. The time in his hut was the best spent time of the whole fucking game.

Warnings: Side characted death, sexual innuendos, drug usage - weed, to be specific. Almost everyone being high as a kite in this chapter. Also, for some, it could be extremely disrespectful to talk about someone they do talk about the passed away person - but he was truly a living, breathing legend.

Word count: 5 K

Tagging: @nemodoren @xxgoldenhour @missdictatorme @peakymarvels @davnwillcome @pickleriiick @jodiereedus22 @gladiosamicitias @tamkashi @eternallyvenus @avengerssstuff @fangirl-inthe-us @avery-miller @mikah-writes @mad-hatter-98 @sadiaafrin99

Series master list: H E R E

Joel Miller’s playlist for the bonfire occasions: H E R E

Youtube playlists: JACKSON DAYS | SEATTLE DAYS

The winter of 2037, three months before the incident:

It was a fucking funeral. You shouldn't be cracking up during the last farewell Ellie was reading from that piece of paper. Well, technically, you should be cracking up - but with tears and not with laughter. You had to keep the cool face. You and Dina were standing next to each other with a huge grin as you both fought the urge to cry with laughter again.

You were sure that Eugene would be happy to see you smiling like two dickheads at his funeral. This seventy-year-old dude was acting more like a teenager then you ever did. He was the biggest crackhead in Jackson and your friend as well. The dude constantly smelled like a weed since he was blowing that shit almost every other day, sometimes telling you to come along.

Any of you got to know where Eugene had his cache, but he always had weed on him. And man oh man, his weed was some fucking good stuff. And the crackhead jokes he had? Jesus. He always had you and Dina in total tears.

Maria was looking at you and Dina cracking up throughout the whole ceremony, but she didn't tell you to behave since she knew Eugene way too well. It was refreshing to see someone cry with laughter and happy memories at a funeral instead of the typical rivers of sad tears.

You and Dina told something way before Ellie. When you met Dina on that morning, she wasn't even surprised to find you on your sweatpants, obviously just woken up, on the other side of the town. She was too sad to realize.

But when you gathered around the breakfast, talking about Eugene, the sadness turned to fondness. You opened up and drank the wine she got you, drinking it in a record ten minutes. That was when you started to tell stories about Eugene - like the time he got so high he pretended he's a mermaid while swimming in a near lake. Or teach you how to start a fire while being stoned as fuck, accidentally lighting it up.

So that was why you were dying at the ceremony, cracking up all the time.

As it usually is, Eugene left a last will behind, which included most of his crackhead friends - including you, Dina, and Ellie. Jesse took the role of the man who was giving people the stuff he left them since it was obvious that Eugene could leave any random thing behind.

"So, first, we have Ellie here." - Jesse read from the will. She stood up immediately, earning warm applause from you and Dina. You loved Eugene so much. No matter that he was three times as old as you were, he still was your great friend. That was how you wanted to remember him as well. As a good friend and the funniest person, you've met. - "Give the girl my... Fun time magazines since she enjoys naked girls just like I do." - Jesse read, having you and Dina cracking up again. This was so Eugene. Just like Jesse read, the girl was given a huge stock of well preserved Playboy and Maxim magazines. The expression on her face was hilarious because she didn't know what to do with the shit. That motherfucker had thought his last will through really well.

"Then, there's Dina." - Jesse read when Ellie sat down with her new magazines, having a grin on her face. - "To this babe, I give my lucky lighter to light shit up no matter how windy it would be." - Jesse took out the lighter with his initials carved into it, having Dina smile in the sweetest way you've seen. The lighter meant a lot to Eugene. And you both knew that. But before you had another chance to cry, with melancholy this time, Jesse announced your name.

"And last, but not least, there's my bitch, Y/N." - With that, you stood up and bowed, having the girls whistle and clap for you. Eugene always called you bitch ever since you and Ellie called each other bitch when you got high. The conversation consisted of the word bitch for two hours in a row. - "Tell her, that her ass looks splendid and give that bitch my last joints. Also, tell her to give the other assholes the time of their lives." - Jesse read and gave you a huge glass full of joints, which you proudly rose above your head. All of these gifts... Were just small trinkets to remind you of the man, but nothing felt more like that man. It would be weird if he'd leave actual presents or valuables behind.

"Man, I love the dude so much." - Ellie whispered when she was going through the magazines. Suddenly, her interest peaked and she was now taking in every naked woman with a gourmand grin. So, naturally, you leaned in and started to look at them as well. Dina, being the sweetheart she was, laid on your thighs to join into the activity.

"Why are they so fucking oily?" - "Could they even walk with these watermelons?" - "Why did Eugene have so much of them?" - Those were just a few questions that Jesse heard throughout the whole evening. You decided to go to a barn near Jackson, to sneak out and smoke some of these joints out there, sending a real last farewell to the man. So, there you were, sneaking out after midnight, laughing like high school girls. You've taken even Diego with you for one specific reason.

"Listen, man, I'm sorry for what happened yesterday." - A whisper came out of your lips as you walked to the barn through the snowdrifts. Ellie was carrying Dina on her back while Jesse was looking at them with an unreadable expression. But he was still smiling so he wasn't pissed - which was great. - "I was drunk and I was just puking when you stormed in..." - You mumbled, really feeling terrible at that moment. Sure, Joel was giving you the ride of your life at that moment, but that didn't grant you a right to act like a total moron. Diego looked at you, searching for any sign of sarcasm or irony... But you were serious with the boy.

"There are always two sides to blame, Y/N. I shouldn't have been pushing you so hard into liking me when I knew you don't want it. I acted like a douchebag." - Diego stopped, offering you a handshake. Instead of that, you hugged him as a true friend.

"I mean, any girl would be lucky to have a boy like you by her side, but... I think I like someone. I'm not sure if it'd lead somewhere... But I want to try it." - Did you think that you like someone? You knew you were all over Joel. The man was bringing you chills with every praise he told you, with each daring smile and you loved it when you could see the small shine in his eyes. Diego seemed to be taken away with your confession. The boy opened up his lips with surprise, watching you before he chuckled.

"I think any boy would be lucky to have you by his side... Or did you joined Ellie's team?" - Oh, dear Lord, Diego wasn't holding back with his teasing that night. Which, at least, meant that you're good. You chuckled, looking at Dina falling into the snow, dragging Ellie along. Ellie was screaming something about bitches and freezing while Dina was hysterically laughing - soon after, Ellie shoved a fistful of snow into Dina's face, making the girl open up her mouth before she started laughing once again.

"Well, I think about joining team Ellie from time to time, but then I see stuff like this and I realize I'm good with boys." - You answered as a joke, watching the girls having the time of their lives, acting like two kids. Diego nodded, obviously thinking about your secret someone. - "I'm not telling, don't even bother asking." - You sighed, looking at the barn appearing in the distance. It was comfy - you made it comfortable throughout the years you kept coming there. There was a big fireplace, comfy couches, warm blankets, and some water and food if you'd be hungry. And, of course, an ultra-old stereo which Eugene somehow brought to live and his cassettes. When everyone was comfy enough, you stood up and clapped a few times to make the others look at you.

"Welcome to the ceremony of us giving our last respect to the man, the legend and the myth, Eugene Linden. Many of you knew him as the crackhead, which is the title he rightfully owned and of which, may I mention, he was proud. I wish to talk about my happiness regarding this man's peaceful death. I wish you to die the same way - old, happy, stoned as fuck and without pain." - Everyone was grinning the whole time you were talking. It could seem extremely rude to talk about someone who had just passed away in such a way, but everyone in the barn knew Eugene would've loved that. He would most probably be the one who'd laugh the loudest. - "And as the last farewell, I would like to play his 90s' tape, starting with the title song Macarena." - You bowed, earning small applause as you walked to the stereo, turning the music on. You chatted for a while, having Ellie reading you some particular articles about pleasing a woman from the Maxim magazines she got, having each of you rolling there in tears even before you opened the last stash Eugene left you.

Since you were the one given the stash, you had the right to light up the first joint of the whole night. Dina had landed you the lighter she was given to light it up. With a serious look to everyone, you rose it up like glass, toasting to Eugene. - "To Eugene." - Each of you said before you sat down next to Ellie and lit the bad boy up. And it could be felt that it's one of Eugene's babies straight off the bat. It had you inhaling deeply, holding it in your lungs before you breathed out and passed it to Ellie.

For a small moment, there was silence as each of you thought about Eugene on your own. You were thinking about the time you befriended the old-timer. It was a summer day and you've seen him carrying some heavy stuff to the gates, so you asked the guards to let you out. It was just a week after you and Eve had arrived, you hadn't even known Ellie and Dina at the time. The old man was in Jackson from time to time, but it was evident he's residing somewhere else. When he saw you approaching, he was weirded out since he had never seen you in Jackson before - that was when you first realized he's stoned. The lapses before answering you were turning him in, just like his read eyes and slow reaction time. But he was a funny and sympathetic person to be around.

The first time he offered you to try some of his bad boys came shortly after Dina and Jesse started dating. Sure, you were just kids at the time, but the man wasn't the most responsible around and you were just a stupid bunch of kids who wanted to try some forbidden stuff. That time was also the first time you've ever visited the barn.

And how could you forget that you and Ellie had puked the trees standing in front of it so bad that it smelled there like vomit for weeks? Suddenly, Ellie's elbow hit your ribs and that was when you realized you had been crying for a while. Quickly, she helped you wipe the tears off before cuddling you to her chest. The world seemed to be so peaceful when you were high - so slow, without complications. Also, Ellie felt so warm when the cuddled you, played with your hair, and kissed your forehead from time to time. The songs seemed to play utterly slow, but you didn't care about that.

"I miss him too." - Ellie whispered after a while, having at least minute lapses between the words. Sure, you could be all funny around the whole dying thing, and you were sure that he'd love you to be joyful because he lived the was lived and he had done the things he has done, but you knew you'll miss him. Sure, it wasn't grief for a loved one, just the way you were grieving for Eve, but no-one had grosser jokes than Eugene. He wasn't your dude for serious conversations, but he was the one who could turn your day around. He was probably even masturbating when the stroke got him. Eugene never took a single shit seriously and the whole world could just fuck itself because Eugene wasn't backing off.

"I know, dude." - Dina answered to Ellie's thought a good few minutes later. - "Eugene was fucking dope, man. He saved my ass so many times... Especially on the patrols." - Oh, that was right. Dina was Eugene's patrol partner from time to time. It depended if the man felt to be a citizen of the settlement or not. Suddenly, with a burst of energy, Diego got on his knees looking at everyone.

"You up for a snowball fight?" - He asked seriously.

Honestly, it was one of the best nights you've ever lived through. All of you were laughing like a bunch of crackheads, which you were and all of you were soaking wet and freezing when you were coming back to Jackson, which was fairly reasonable when you had a three-hours lasting snowball fight with small stops for another joint. The only flaw about these bad boys was that the euphoria never lasted too long. It gave you about twenty minutes of feeling invincible, with some range after that, of course, and that was it. Sure, you felt tired, but when you got through this stage, you were more or less sober again. Everyone watched as you walked in a different direction than your house was - but they let you go. You were walking in the direction of the cemetery, so they assumed you're off to another chat with Eve.

But five minutes later, you were knocking on Joel's door, hoping the man would answer. It took you about ten minutes of knocking, but the lights in the house slowly turned on as you heard the heavy, sleepy footsteps. When Joel opened up, all he could see was your freezing cheeks and nose, a big smile, and completely wet clothes. And you smelled just like Eugene. The man sighed at your grin, massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Do you realize how late it is?" - A grunt came out of lips, making you smile at the man. - "More or less. You let me in or should I fucking freeze to death?" - You asked with a giggle. Great, so you weren't only smelling like Eugene, you were also at least half the high as he always was. Joel stepped from the door with defeated, closing the door behind you.

"Straight to the shower, don't even stop here." - A yawn sounded through the kitchen when you put your jar with the last joint on the countertop. At the moment, you found Joel utterly cute - it could be heard and seen he had just got up from his bed. He had that messy hair, small eyes, and a proper grumpy face. - "Will you join me?"

"You're big enough to do it on your own." - The man dismissed you. It was his loss that he didn't want to join you - so you took a hot shower just to warm up a bit, walking out of the bathroom completely naked with a towel on your wet hair as you automatically went to dress into one of his t-shirts. Mr. Grumpy was laying on the bed, reading some book, and drinking coffee from his mug, while you had your tea ready on the other nightstand. Happily, you ran downstairs to come back with the last joint between your fingers. Joel first just glanced at you before he realized what you're holding. That grin... He knew he wouldn't like what you'll come up with.

"Are you serious?" - The man lowered his glasses and put the book down. - "You wake up at damn two in the mornin', smellin' like a weed growing room and now you're... Damn Christ, you're irresponsible at times." - Joel wasn't exactly pissed - sure, he was grumpy and not glad you woke him as early as you did, but he still tried his hardest to be nice to you. You didn't answer a single word to any of the accusations - you just walked to the bed, climbed in, and kissed the man. You knew what he was into - so you were grinning when you heard the approving grunt as your fingertips brushed his neck and shoulders.

"We have to talk. And this is a great opportunity. Especially when we lose it up a bit." - A whisper made him realized that you leaned off again - "Don't tell me you've never smoked weed before." - Joel didn't answer it off the bat, but he leaned his elbows to the bed, sighing - which was an obvious sign he had smoked pot before.

"To clear everythin' up, it was at a college party and I was twenty at the time." - The man smirked at the memory, watching you settling on his lap. Your grin at the word 'college' made him clear even more stuff up. - "I wasn't studying there, but I enjoyed myself hella lot there. Jesus, you'd love college parties." - Joel smiled, even more, leaning into the frame of his bed while making sure you follow him. When you sat down again, his palms started to draw small circles on your thighs. Sure, you were right. There was stuff both you and he had to talk about. Like him calling you baby girl. And the obvious feelings you had for him. Joel was aware of you liking him with every look you gave him. Thereš was this endless adoration - which, sure, made him flattered just as it made him worried. And losing the things up a bit was a good idea.

"You'll kill me one day, you know that, rite, baby girl?" - Joel smirked in the end, informing you that you succeeded in your persuasion. Before settling down to smoke the pot, you agreed to have some scrambled eggs, saving some for later. Then you withdrew the curtains in his room, closing the door and securing it enough for the smoke to stay in the bedroom only. You also made sure the window is open so it wouldn't smell like Eugene in Joel's bedroom.

"So, start talkin'." - Joel encouraged you, taking the joint from you. Jesus, he was too old for shit like this. He'll probably throw up after that. And that bad boy overwhelmed him for a second so much that he made a funny face, making you laugh. After a while, you gathered yourself and sat up to look him in the face.

"Let's just admit... Just hypothetically, okay? That this isn't more a thing where strings aren't attached, hm?" - You rose your eyebrow and played with the hem of his briefs. You watched Joel breathe out the smoke slowly, looking at you. Sure, it didn't exactly love what you two had going on, but there were some feelings in the air. That was undeniable. Joel grew fonder of you every time you came to see him and spend the night. Things in his house felt quiet and impersonal when you weren't there. Playing the guitar wasn't feeling the same as when he was playing it because you wanted him to. And he'd never sing to anyone just because they wanted to.

It wasn't exactly love he was feeling for you, no matter from which point of view Joel approached it. The man didn't know how you were feeling about him... But he liked you. And that was something big when it came to Joel Miller. - "I think that is somethin' rite to say. But..." - "Don't think too much about that, I know." - You sighed. There was a warm feeling inside of you which you weren't able to stop. So there were some strings attached between your two. Sure, you'd love to hear Joel say something I like you without bringing your hopes down immediately after that. But that was just the way Joel was.

"You know, it ain't the easiest for me, baby girl. I ain't a good man at all, you know? You may be thinkin' I am, but trust me, I ain't." - Oh, so weed was making Mr. Grumpy talk about his feelings. As you nodded, he passed you the joint back, watching you smoking it with grace. He sat up more straight as he searched for the right words. - "I've done some terrible things and if you'd hear them, you'd most likely get up and never come back again. I was survivin' for a damn long time. I've seen my friends end up dead. I've hurt many people. I've done stuff only the worst people do, you hear me?" - The man looked at you. All of these things were on his mind at the very moment, the weed made him re-live every moment he spoke of. Slowly, you nodded and passed him the joint back.

"I was a Firefly. Earlier. Back in Salt Lake. I was... In training when I overheard one of Marlene's conversations with someone." - You were nervous to talk about that. You knew that Tommy is a former Firefly and from what you've heard about Joel you knew that he doesn't like Fireflies at all. Yet the man was waiting for what you had to say, his eyes slowly slipping to your fingers around the hem of his briefs. - "My unit was named Spring. You know? They were probably just running out of names or what... But she told the guy that she's planning to send us to do another assassination. The attacks where they gave the squad some bombs and let them kill innocent people. And when the guy asked her if she's aware of killing all of us at the mission, she scoffed and asked him 'And?'. That was the final red flag. I knew I had to leave... So one stormy night, I sneaked out and ran. I just ran." - It most probably wasn't the right thing to say at the moment, but you felt that you had to tell him. Joel nodded and zoned out for a second before he gave you the joint again. One of his palms covered your thigh as he started to smooth it slowly.

"And what about your parents, you knew 'em?" - Joel whispered. Oh shoot, that was a killer question. Quickly, you pulled another smoke in, moving your palm on his.

"I did. Shortly, but I did know them, yeah. My mom was this nurse who took care of the people who were hurt and my dad? I don't even know what he was doing, I just remember pieces of his face." - A small smile appeared on your face as you memorized their faces, thinking about them after a long time. Ever since you met Eve, you weren't thinking of them. Because of what happened to them. Yet Joel made you visit the memories again. - "I don't really wanna talk about it." - You whispered, tears already slipping down on your face. Joel slowly nodded and got up, fetching the guitar to play you something.

"Sarah. That was my girl. She is my girl. And she listened to this big... Variety of music genres. She sometimes listened to this awful pop bands, sometimes I didn't hear anything but rock, but damn, that girl loved Elliott Smith. She got it after her handsome dad." - Joel looked at you from tuning the strings, having a wicked grin on her. You wiped your face clean again, nodding. You didn't know if it was because you were stoned as fuck, but when he started playing the melody, you lost yourself in it. You've zoned out, watching the string vibrating as he played, his fingers holding the right chords. How could he even play at that point? He should be zoned out and laughing. All you knew was that the song made you cry again just because of how beautiful it was. Joel was performing while thinking about Sarah, which could be felt through the tenderness of his words. He was in pain because of the thoughts haunting his mind, sure, but he could overcome it.

"Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine. Keep you apart, deep in my heart, separate from the rest, where I like you the best. And keep the things you forgot." - The man whispered, looking at you with a small smile, coming back for one last chorus. - "People you've been before that you don't want around anymore. That push and shove and won't bend to your will... I'll keep them still." - The last pull on the strings made you realize the song was over, but you couldn't stop crying. So Joel put the guitar away, took the joint out of your fingers to finish it, and then pulled you down to lay on his chest. You were a whining mess.

The memories you've never thought you had were popping up in your head. Your mom smiling while picking chamomile for her patients, promising you a crown from dandelions when you'll be done. Dad carrying you on his shoulders, singing some dumb kid song with you. The blood on the wall behind them, the moment when your heart stopped beating. Marlene dragging you from the place, screaming at you because you've sneaked out from your bed and saw something you shouldn't see.

Joel was quiet the whole time you were crying to his t-shirt, rubbing slow circles on your back while giving you tissue after tissue. When you stopped crying, the man sighed and looked down on you. - "Are you good, baby girl?" - Of course, you weren't good. But all you did was that you pulled him closer, kissing him tenderly. You laid there for almost half an hour, stealing kisses from each other before your eyes suddenly shut.

The following morning was the worst. The room was cold because neither of you cared enough to close the window, your head hurt like a son of a bitch, Joel was snorting and laying on you, pushing you down to the mattress. But what woke you up? Someone coming up the stairs. You panicked, jumped out of the bed and sneaked to the bathroom, closing the door silently. Jesus. You hoped you didn't leave your stuff somewhere where that someone could see them. The blood froze in your veins when you heard Dina's voice.

"Joel?" - She called out and knocked on the bedroom door. You put both your hands over your mouth, hearing Joel waking up as well. The heavy footsteps immediately went to open the door. Dina chuckled nervously, but you didn't know what that was about. - "Jesus, man, you have some cold here. Tommy sent me here, he wants to talk to you about the east perimeter and you didn't show up in the morning... So..." - She explained nervously. You almost wondered how it came that Dina didn't ask about his love life.

"Oh, Jesus. I've slept in a bit, kiddo. Thanks for wakin' me up." - Joel mumbled back, yawning in the process.

"Sure, no problem." - Dina said and you heard the wood cracking under her legs. - "I'll go tell Tommy, okay?" - She asked and then, she was off. Jesus, that was close. Slowly, you walked out of the bathroom, sticking your head our first to see if she's gone for real.

You said a pretty hasty goodbye, promising each other to hang out that evening again. You took the route B around Jackson so it wouldn't be as suspicious. That day, Ellie and you were finally cleaning up the mess in your workshop, painting the walls white again. The music was blasting through the whole neighborhood, making the old neighbor pretty pissed once again, but you couldn't care less as you both moved in the rhythm, made faces, and showed off your dancing skills... Which weren't particularly good either.

Sometime later, Dina suddenly rushed in, bringing you some lunch. She was bringing some big news - so you placed a blanket on the ground, sitting down to eat. - "So... I was at Joel's today, in the morning..." - She started, looking at both of you with expectations in her face. While Ellie just nodded regularly, you almost showed the utter terror that had risen inside of you. Ellie asked her what the fuck she was there, but Dina ignored her. - "And he had someone over. I'm sure of that."

"Why do you think so?" - You asked, grinning at her confidence.

"For starters, I don't think Joel secretly wears black panties, so why would he have them on the floor in his room? Then, there were two mugs on his nightstand and... I heard someone in the bathroom." - Dina rose her eyebrows. Both you and Ellie started to debate with the girl, but only one of you knew how deeply fucked you are.

#the last of us #the last of us imagine #the last of us part two #the last of us part 2 #jesse the last of us #Eugene linden #DO IT FOR EUGENE #joel the last of us #joel miller x reader #joel miller imagine #eugene the legend #Ellie Williams #ellie the last of us #it's getting hot bois #it's getting fucking hottt #dina the last of us #naughty dog

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kewltie · 4 years

Text

Dragons were once thought as gods across the land. Legends spoke of how their footsteps would shake the ground wherever they'd tread, a beat of their wings was said to have cause windstorm to appear in the horizon, and their roars could call down lightning; they were indomitable beasts.

Katsuki’s people had dedicated more than a thousand year and generations of their blood, sweats, and tears to bring these great beasts to their heels. To be chosen by a dragon to be their soulkin is a special privilege reserve for the few—the strongest, smartest, and best people.

It's sacred. And not everyone can even touch a dragon, let alone—

“Who’s a good boy,” Izuku coos, rubbing his hands all over Kithura’s snout like he's an overly large and eager dog, and not at all like a holy beast of Katsuki's people. “The very best boy? You are, it’s you!”

Kithura lets out a pleased rumble, the end of his scaly tail swinging back and forth.

Katsuki pinches the bridge of his nose at the sight. This sickening, horrendous thing he's privy to. He should kill the both of them to save himself from this utterly embarrassing shitshow.

Laws and traditions are carved into the foundation of their society, but if Izuku not even going to bother respecting that shit how is Katsuki supposed to be rule over anything?! "Oi, get the fuck away from Deku, you stupid fat lizard," Katsuki snaps, temper fraying at the edge.

Izuku's hands startle to a stop and Kithura raises his overgrown head, snorting an offended fume out of his nose. Not fat, he grumbles, like that's more important than the stupid part. This is also somehow Izuku's fault too; his dragon didn't just turn into a lapdog overnight.

"Kacchan!" Izuku's face lights up at the sight of him angrily stomping his way toward them. "You're finish with the council meeting?"

Katsuki grunts in acknowledgement. "What the hell, Deku? He's not a damn pet." He gives Kithura a pointed look. Have some fucking dignity, he scolds.

Kithura just puffs out hot air and curls closer to Izuku in defiant of Katsuki's earlier rebuke.

"Oh, I know." Izuku smiles brightly. "Kit was just kindly keeping me company while I was waiting for you to be done." His smile widens even further. "I wanted to show Kit my appreciation."

Kithura grins down at him in the way that only a dragon can. Full of menacing teeth and bite, his jaw bigger than the size of Izuku's head but that doesn't stop Izuku from going soft and heart eyes at Katsuki's murderous fire breathing dragon who had crushed hundreds of his enemies’ skull under his foot.

"What," he says flatly with a twitch of his eye. "What the fuck you say?"

"I wanted to show Kit my appreciation?" Izuku repeats with a curious tilt to his voice. He bites down on lower lip unsurely. “Should I have not done that?”

"No," Katsuki snaps, right hand itching to reach for the sword his side so he can ram a hole into his own head, because seriously, the hell? "I meant, what the fuck did you just called my dragon?"

"Kit?" Izuku blinks. "Sorry, I just didn't want to accidentally butcher your partner's full name. It sounds beautiful when you say it, but I—I don’t think my tongue can bend that way." He scrunches up his face and then tilts his head up toward Kithura with woeful eyes. "But you don't mind being called Kit, do you?"

Kithura, that traitorous overgrown lizard, lowers his head and nuzzles Izuku's cheek appreciatively as Izuku once again idiotically coos at him like he's a demented puppy that Izuku had picked up from the road and not the horrorterror of the sky that everyone knows Kithura as.

Katsuki had spent his twelve summer out in the red desert battling for his very life against the searing heat, carnivorous cactus, and even the fucking sand was out to kill him. All of it so he could find a damn dragon that would speak to his soul and hear its cry; his soulkin.

He had fucking bled and fought his way to a giant slab of sandstone hilltop where he'd met him, napping leisurely under the glaring sun. With scales the color of a sunset, a mulish blend of red and orange, he was breathtaking and Katsuki had wanted him. His soul called out to the winged beast on top of the butte.

It took Katsuki nine days. Nine fucking awful days of fighting for his life and future to claim this wondrous beast as his own and have the honor name him. Once the beast had fallen and lowered his head before Katsuki in submission, he’d bestowed his title to him; Aku'kithuramulea.

In ancient Selvine, a tongue that had long lost its meaning to the outside world except here in brutal the brutal landscape, it translate to: the Unconquerable King of the Red Dunes. A fearsome and grand name to go along with a fearsome beast. A name that no one else but Katsuki had rightfully earned the privilege to give.

Names are power. It's ownership and subjugation.

Early on, Katsuki had shortened it to Kithura because even he's not an idiot to try to shove that mouthful pass his lips daily. Kithura is at least more dignified than some childish pet name Kit. But now his own fucking dragon had let someone else renamed him.

Katsuki glares at Izuku. "You can't go around giving nickname to people's dragon! That's disrespectful to the warriors who had bled for that honor," he bites out viciously. He turns toward Kithura meaningfully and glares. "And you! Don't let others renamed you just for shit and giggles. Where’s your goddamn pride as a holy beast?”

Izuku's face falls. "Oh," he says, voice small and crushing. His eyes drop down to his lap, hands anxiously clench and unclench in front of him. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know."

For a sharp, brief second Katsuki feels a stab of guilt hitting his conscience. And it hurts.

He doesn't have time to dwell on that thought for long because Kithura quickly removes himself from Izuku's person to shove his scaly head up at Katsku's face. Kithura's gold eyes narrows in reproach as his wings flares out and the air around them is charged with danger and a steady building anger.

No, no, he insists loudly in Katsuki's head. Be nice. Stupid little king. Deku is future hatchmother of little king's younglings, he huffs in annoyance like Katsuki is somehow in the wrong here. Now, he won't hatch eggs for little king anymore. Because little king is mean.

Katsuki nearly snap his neck looking at Izuku's puzzled but curious expression as he watches their one sided exchange before he turns toward Kithura in horror. "That's not how the human's body works! Does that large skull of yours only contain air or fucking what?!" he says, outrage thick deep in his voice.

Kithura sulks. Big brain, Kit has.

"Not your name," Katsuki snaps reflexively, but Kithura is already plowing on ahead anyway, won't be stop by anything once he got some ridiculous idea in his head.

I know. I am your soul, little king, Kithura tells him. But Deku is your heartsong. You want to mount him. To put your seeds in him.

Katsuki's face flames up as murderous rage sets in. This fucking dragon is going to be the death of him. He swears. “I-“ He resists flailing his arms around to deny it, because he’s not stooping to childish level. “I do not want,” he lowers his voice to an almost embarrassed mumble as he flickers his eyes toward Izuku’s expectance but puzzled face, “want to put my seeds in him.”

Why not? Little king needs a queen, Kithura insists sternly. Deku is great mate. He's kind. Clever. Loyal. Heartstrong. And more importantly, got that youngbearing hips. Will bear you many young ones. A full nest of them for Kit to play with. He looks on proudly down at Izuku as Izuku smiles ignorantly in respond. That fool.

Katsuki drops his face into his hands and groans.

You'd chosen good, little king, Kit continues to prattle on proudly. There will many young broods in your future. Deku will breed well for your kingdom.

“Kacchan?" Izuku asks amidst the terse exchange between him and his dragon that he wasn’t mostly privy to. "Are you okay?"

Thank fucking stars for that because then he has to kill Izuku and then himself to save them all from the utter humiliation of having to explain the fucking garbage that came out of Kithura's brainless head. But apparently he's not done, because Katsuki hears Kithura rumble and moving his hulking body around.

He removes his hand from his face just in time to see Kithura snuggles up to Izuku again as Izuku looks upon him dotingly. “Would you like some snacks?” he asks like a total dumbass. Ugh. “I think I may have something for you.”

Little queen, hatch many eggs, ok, Kithura implores to him as Izuku turns around and rumbles through his leather satchel.

That’s it. Katsuki has enough.

"I'm going to kill you, you fucking dumb lizard," Katsuki declares, reaching for his sword. Soulbond be damned.

#bakudeku #dragon soulbond fic #fic snippet

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littlemisssquiggles · 4 years

Text

RWBY Fables by Squiggles: ”The Most Beautiful Rose”

Squiggly Disclaimer:

...Ooookay. You guys remember this, right? This was originally an incomplete RWBY Squiggle Script that I polished up back in June in the hopes of turning it into my own little project to contribute to the Rose-gardening Rosebuds community.

...Unfortunately; due to school and other responsibilities that came up, I wasn’t exactly able to really do what I wanted to with this story, sadly to say:/. But since Rosegarden Week II is in season alongwith today being the canonical birthday of a certain lovely rose, this squiggle meister decided to just simply post what I had managed to pull together for this short story.

It’s not exactly what I’d call a finished but...it sells what I wanted to convey with it. Apologies to those who were looking forward to seeing this become something. I still really, really, REALLY wanted to share this short story especially with my fellow Rosegardeners because it’s based on one of my favourite Rosegarden fan theories---well several of them actually.

So…in the end, I just decided to post this story anyways, as is. I hope my fellow Rosegardeners will like it maybe if they happen to read the whole thing.

Happy Rosegarden Week 2.0 and a happy birthday to the most beautiful rose who inspired this short tale of mine. Enjoy!

“…It is only with the heart that one can see rightfully. What is essential is invisible to the eye”

- The Little Prince

I was once just a boy. Another simple farm boy from Mistral in a continent full of them. Nothing special and I used to believe that that was all I was destined to be for the rest of my life. Then my life changed. Suddenly I went from being another farm boy from Mistral to one in a culmination of valiant men who gave their lives to protect humanity from the forces of evil time and time again. You would think that then this would grant me some semblance of individuality. But no. Once again I was made just another in a different category. Nothing special and for a second time, I convinced myself that this was all I was meant to be for the remainder of whatever life I have left. But then I got to know you.

Since we met, you’ve always treated me differently. You’ve always treated me like I was my own person. Like I’m still me. Because that’s who you see when you look at me, right? You don't see him. You don't see them. You see me. To you, I'm not just another life in a lifetime of other lives. To you, I'm unique and I've always appreciated that about you. You always saw me for who I was rather than who I was meant to become. You see me. This is why I want you to know that I see you too.

It's kind of hard not to. Hair red like roses. Silver eyes as radiant as the moon. Endearing. Enchanting. Unforgettable. Beautiful. But that's not all I see when I look at you. I see your honest soul. Your courageous heart. Your indomitable will. Your warmth and genuine kindness to those you believe need help. Your dedication to the people you love. Your unquantifiable spark that drives you. That drives all of us. You are such an extraordinary person destined for greatness. You are the one I look to the most.

So don't think for one second that I would never notice if you were hurting. That I wouldn't be quick to help if someone hurt you. That I wouldn't give anything; do everything in my power to protect that spark of yours and keep that flame burning bright from those who dare try snuffing it out. I may not be the strongest. Or the bravest. I am not that special. But you make me feel that way to you. You have given me the strength to believe in myself. In a legacy of lives, you make me feel unique. So please understand just how much I want you to know how unique you are to me too.

“Whitley Schnee may be rich and smart but...he's not the only rich or smart person in this world. He's not even the only guy in this world,” Oscar said slowly, “I guess what I’m trying to say is…Remnant is a pretty big world as Jinn showed us. But it doesn’t matter if you are one person in a world of a hundred thousand billion more people. Find that special someone who only has eyes for you. The person who thinks that you’re the most unique to them in all the world.”

Oscar flashed Ruby his most reassuring smile. His hand was resting comfortingly on top hers and at the sight of her disgruntled expression; Oscar gave it a light squeeze in hopes that it would increase his chances of ridding the silver-eyed girl of her melancholy. However much to the former farm boy’s disappointment, Ruby only frowned further in her seat across from him as she gazed idly at the running water of the statuesque fountain before them. Oscar felt his heart sink at the anguish written on Ruby’s face; cheeks red and tear-stained from her previous cry. When she finally spoke, her voice was a whisper.

“Do you really mean what you said?” Ruby said solemnly, “do you think there is someone like that out there… even for me?

The insecurity emphasized in her words was enough to make Oscar grimace. He was so used to seeing Ruby be a beacon of unbridled confidence that it was heartbreakingly difficult seeing her this torn up over herself. So Oscar wasted no time in taking Ruby’s hand again; positioning himself closer to her so that his other hand was now rubbing her opposite shoulder.

“Of course!” Oscar answered confidently, “You have your people who love you, remember? I don't have to tell you that.”

“I know but...that's not what I meant,” Ruby uttered sheepishly, “I meant like...”

She trailed off abruptly. At first Oscar was confused by this, but eventually his eyes widened in realization of what she was trying to imply and he blushed despite himself.

“...Oh! Y---You mean...like a boyfriend?” Oscar said.

His question was only answered by the deepened frown on Ruby’s face. Suddenly her own cheeks turned an embarrassed shade of pink and she avoided Oscar’s inquisitive gaze in embarrassment. “You know what forget I said anything!” Ruby griped stubbornly.

“No! No! It's okay I get it.” Oscar blurted awkwardly. He then cleared his throat regaining his calm demeanour as he pressed on with his earlier comment. “And yes; of course there's a guy waiting for you,” Oscar assured, “look, I know you were probably hoping for Whitley to be that guy and…it's terrible what he said to you. But...it doesn't mean he'll be the only guy.”

“You sure about that?” Ruby said.

“Of course,” Oscar countered honestly, “You're Ruby Rose. You're amazing.” .

This earned Oscar a smile from Ruby. A small one but genuine at best. Lovely as the twinkle of a star in the night’s sky. But it was unceremoniously short-lived; extinguished yet again as the melancholy returned.

“Oh Oscar, you are so sweet. You’re a sweet guy and it's pretty clear why girls would fall for you,” Ruby said humbly, “and right now I couldn't have asked for a better friend to say such nice things to me. But… I also know you're just saying that as my friend and not a guy who...”

For a second time, Ruby trailed off, suddenly withdrawing herself to hug her arms miserably. As if fighting back tears. Oscar did his best to reach out to her again but Ruby only brushed him off, turning away to hide her face.

“I know…it's dumb of me to get upset over something silly like this,” Ruby said softly, “and normally I wouldn't. I've always prided myself on being the type of girl who didn't care about this kind of stuff.”

“Stuff like what?” Oscar asked.

“My looks. The attention of boys. I mean who cares, right?” Ruby scoffed dryly, “I never had to care. I'm a huntress. I fight villains and monsters ten…no, hundred times my size everyday not for the fame and glory of the title but because it’s the right thing to do. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to be like the heroes in the stories Yang and my mom would read to me. I wanted to be the kind of person that gives people hope because when the chips are down, even the tiniest bit of hope can be enough to bind us. I thought that way of thinking was honourable. Admirable even.”

“It is…” Oscar tried to say but Ruby cut him off.

“So then why should I care if some handsome rich boy tells me that my way of thinking is naïve and pointless,” Ruby said, voice rising angrily, “that my goals and ambitions are ridiculous because a single huntress like me is worthless when an army can do my job and more.”

“ …Ruby…”

“WHY SHOULD I CARE IF SOME GUY I LIKED TELLS ME THAT I’M NOTHING SPECIAL!” Ruby cried.

At this point, the tears had returned to her face and Oscar’s heart sank.

“…That….that the only reason he even considered pursuing me was because of my silver eyes?” Ruby sobbed, “that if it wasn’t for that, he’d probably ask one of the many other girls who are far superior than me. That’s the word he used. As if to make fun of my intelligence too. Because…what? It’s not like I have anything else going for me. According to Whitley, I’m no special flower. Why consider myself the prettiest most unique rose when there are plenty others far prettier than I’ll ever be. I mean I didn’t really need him to tell me that. I’ve known that all along…”

“ …Weiss, Blake, Yang, Nora, Neon--- Of course guys would find them desirable. They’re all so very beautiful.

But me…I…”

An aching sob.

“…I’m…”

Tears stained her face, her trembling, tasting her bitterness of her own emotions.

“…I’m not...”

It was evident what she was about to say and at this point, Oscar had had enough.

She was breaking. Literally falling apart before his eyes.

Slowly but surely, Oscar touched Ruby’s cheek. She needed her to hear him. He willed her to listen to him as he ran his thumb gently across her skin, wiping away any stray tears that fell.

“Ruby, look at me.” Oscar said softly.

She ignored him. “Look at me, please.” Oscar implored.

With another whimper, Ruby met the farm boy’s gaze.

“Okay. This is the part where you stop and you listen to me very carefully, okay?” Oscar said determinedly.

Ruby said nothing. So Oscar continued.

“ Y’know when we first met Whitley, I thought he was a pretty smart guy,” Oscar admitted, “It’s…one of the reasons why I thought you liked him so much. But I’ve misjudged him just as much as he’s misjudged you. I can withhold my tongue about a lot of things but I will not stand here and watch you cry in front of me while saying you’re not beautiful. That is ridiculous and don’t you dare think otherwise.”

Gently, Oscar wiped away the tears that streaked down Ruby’s cheek, his tender gaze never leaving her. He was rewarded for a second time with a small smile from Ruby who couldn’t resist the light-hearted laugh that escaped her lips. “How do you do that?” she managed to blubber out, “Know exactly what to say to help me feel better?”

“Well, you always know what to say to inspire others. Let’s just say I learned from the best.” Oscar replied warmly.

“You’re just saying that.” Ruby said coyly.

“ I mean it, though,” Oscar said honestly, “you're an extraordinary girl Ruby Rose. So Whitley Schnee wasn’t the perfect date. That’s fine. Clearly he didn’t deserve you to begin with if he’s willing to look pass even the minor details of what makes you so great. Besides there’ll be other guys.”

Ruby’s face fell and at this; Oscar lifted her chin so she was looking directly at him as he emphasized his next words.

“There will be other guys,” Oscar said firmly, “any guy who gets to fall in love with you or just be with you … is...the luckiest guy in the world.”

“You really think there’s a guy like that out there for me?” Ruby asked.

“Of course!” Oscar answered, “Out there...” He then cupped Ruby’s face, touching his forehead to hers. “…R---Right here. Right...in front to you.” Oscar added softly; voice practically a whisper.

“…What?” Ruby asked.

Oscar’s cheeked turned pink at Ruby’s reaction but still he kept his gaze determined. “I'm saying...I'm that guy,” Oscar said, gentle yet confident, “I mean...I want to be that guy. I want to be the guy who gets to stand by your side. I want to be the guy who does everything he can to make you happy. I want to be the guy who feels like the luckiest person in the world because he gets to be with you. I’m saying…I love you , Ruby…”

Ruby’s eyes widened. Her heartbeat quickened. She couldn’t believe her ears.

Oscar loves her.

He loves her.

Did she hear him correctly?

The heat rose in Ruby’s face extending to her ears which were practically ringing at that point.

Oscar loves her. The thought alone dissolved Ruby’s inner mind into a tidal wave of emotions.

Surprise. Disbelief. Confusion. Nervousness. More confusion. All mixed in with a strange feeling that Ruby never realized was there before. It was…a lighter kind of sensation that the silver-eyed huntress couldn’t quite pinpoint yet she found herself grasping and holding onto it as desperately as she could while riding the high of the sensation.

But before Ruby could be consumed further by her own spiralling thoughts, Oscar brought her a welcomed distraction. To Ruby’s surprise, the boy’s previously confident demeanour broke. No more was he the charming prince who boldly professed his love for her. He became an awkward teenage farm boy again. An awkward country pumpkin as Oscar let go of Ruby’s face; looking away to cover his own freckled face which was now redder than Ruby had ever seen it. “I---I'm sorry.” Oscar practically squeaked.

Ruby only waved her hands wildly; equally flustered. “No, no it's fine! It’s totally fine!” she managed to say, “I…I…I just…I just never… thought that you were---”

“ … Interested?” Oscar interrupted; peeping through his fingers curiously.

“Interested in... me?” Ruby corrected embarrassedly, “Y’know, like that. I mean…why would you---”

“Are you kidding me? Why wouldn't I?” Oscar interjected; now uncovering his face with a look of disbelief.

The two then stared at each other for a beat before eventually; looking away; both blushing like crazy. An awkward silence fell between them with nothing but the rush of the fountain providing the perfect disruption. Until finally; after a while, Oscar cleared his throat to speak again. His tone resolute.

“Let me put it another way,” Oscar said, “to give credit where it’s due, Whitley was right about one thing. There are…other beautiful flowers. The world is full of them. My Aunt Em used to say that flowers are a part of what gives the world its beauty. It’s part of their purpose and people are no different. It’s like what I said earlier. If someone is truly important to you and means the world to you, then it wouldn't matter if there are others because that one person will always be the most special to you.

That's how I see you. When you're with your team or…even if there is a room full of other pretty girls, I'm not looking at them. I'm looking at you. You're the one I look to the most. All the time. I look to you when I'm happiest because most of the time, you’re the reason. I look to you when I feel…overwhelmed because your courage gives me strength when I need it most. I look to you for guidance because your leadership keeps us moving forward. Keeps me moving forward.

Oz once described you as someone with an unquantifiable spark that can inspire anyone even in the darkest of times and I’m grateful I’ve been blessed enough to see the truth in that. I meant what I said when I said you are an extraordinary huntress and you’re an even more amazing person.”

“You…really think that way about me?” Ruby asked.

“I’ve thought this way about you since day one,” Oscar confessed, “the day I first looked at you and since then I’ve always looked to you for many things. And the more times I did, the more I saw your beauty shine through. Please don’t sell yourself short just because one ignorant person told you differently.”

Oscar then stared off at something behind Ruby. Following his gaze, Ruby realized he was looking at a small rose bush not too far from where the two sat by the fountain. Smiling Oscar got up and walked over to the bush. Ruby watched quietly as the former farm boy plucked one of the roses off its stem. As Oscar returned, Ruby got a closer look at the small flower in his hand. At first glance, it appeared to be a yellow rose, its petals a shimmering gold in the evening light. But upon further inspection, Ruby noticed the reddened tips. It was a circus rose. At least that was the name Ruby recalled Oscar expertly telling her during one of their past conversations. Oscar twirled the rose between his fingers, caressing its flushed yellow petals.

“Yes, this world is full of many beautiful flowers. Even other lovely roses,” Oscar continued thoughtfully, “but that doesn’t matter to me because in my eyes, you’re the most beautiful one, Ruby.”

The smile on Oscar’s face widened into a grin; bright and handsome, as he held the rose out to Ruby. At first Ruby just stared blankly at the flower, unsure what to do. But when she noticed the soft look on Oscar’s face and the way the sunset just happened to make his hazel eyes shine, she felt a sudden pang in his chest.

She didn’t know how to describe this sudden feeling. It felt strange. Entirely new to her. All Ruby knew was that it was making Oscar appear differently in her eyes. Ruby couldn’t tell if it was the setting or just her active imagination the way Oscar practically glowed before her eyes. The wind kissing his face. His eyes forever locked with hers. His lips etched in a smile that sung affection. It was a sight that made Ruby’s heart thunder and her face warmer than a summer breeze.

‘What is this feeling all of sudden?’ Ruby thought as she slowly accepted the rose from Oscar; her face a perfect pretty canvas of pink.

“…W—W--Wow I...I… don’t know what to say,” Ruby said blushingly, “I mean… I should say…thank you ? No wait, I shouldn’t say thank you. I mean thank you for the rose. Just not…y’know…thank you for the other thing…you said before. I---I don't think that's what you'd want to hear, right? It's not something you say right after a guy tells you he loves----It’s definitely not something you should say.”

Oscar tilted his head in an expression that unintentionally made Ruby’s heart sing its second chorus.

“Why shouldn’t it be?” Oscar said inquisitively, “If your gratitude is you being honest then nothing bad about that.”

“Yeah but… it's not what I'm supposed to say,” Ruby groaned awkwardly, “I'm supposed to say it back. I’m supposed to tell you how I feel about you.”

“Well how do you feel about me?” Oscar asked calmly.

“I… don’t know...” Ruby said unsurely. A playful grin then toyed at her lips as a mischievous thought came to mind. “I mean… if we’re being completely honest here, you are a little young for me,” Ruby commented sarcastically with an innocent shrug, “you’re also way too old for me. Then there’s the whole bit about you sharing a body with my old headmaster. A little weird but… there was that other Ozpin who had a family when Ozma was around. So I guess we wouldn’t have to worry about Ozpin interrupting us if we went on a date or something. So not entirely a deal breaker for me.”

“Ruby…”

“Hey I’m confessing here,” Ruby grumbled, sticking out her tongue childishly. She had only meant for it to be a casual joke; as a means of lightening the air between them. But instead, Oscar said this:

“I know and I’m asking you to be serious,” the farm boy remarked sincerely, “I’m not asking you how you feel about Ozpin or…Ozma. How do you feel about me?”

This took Ruby off guard and it must’ve shown on her face for Oscar’s expression softened; reflecting almost a silent need for Ruby for confirm something that he almost needed her to say. Something that seemed to almost transcend a requited love confession. Upon realizing this, Ruby felt bad for her previous conduct.

“I know I really like you,” Ruby finally admitted with a smile, “A lot actually. Sometimes a bit too much but that’s only because I care very, very much.”

“Of course, mother hen.” Oscar teased knowingly. Ruby shot him a quick unamused pout; making Oscar chuckled, but otherwise she continued her speech.

“You see that right there. You don’t get annoyed when I say crazy stuff. You’re patient. Brave. Kind. Smart. You could be a bit stubborn sometimes but that’s fine cause I’m stubborn too,” Ruby said, “you’re one of my closest friends. Sure we’ve only known each other a few months but…I feel like I’ve known you longer and I want to know you longer. I don’t want what we have to stop.”

“Ruby Rose is a companion to Oscar Pine for all of his lifetimes. That’s what you promised me, right?” Oscar said.

“I did,” Ruby reassured with a gentle smile, “and I still plan on keeping that promise no matter what because I really do like you a lot Oscar.”

“…But, you don’t love me?” Oscar interjected, expectantly.

However Ruby shook her head. “That’s the weird part. I don’t know,” she admitted, “all I know is that I really like you. But the way I like you is different. It’s not the same as how I like Weiss or Jaune or Blake or Ren or Nora or anyone else. It’s not even how I liked Whitley. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before but yet I can’t say what it is.

I’m mostly just confused . I’m not really saying yes because I don’t want to lie to you and… I’m definitely not saying thank you because even that doesn’t feel right. But…I’m not saying no either…”

“I…don’t really have an answer,” Ruby finally finished, “I'm sorry.”

To Ruby’s surprise, Oscar only offered her another kind smile; as he took her free hand in his. Even through the pair of red gloves he wore, Ruby’s skin felt like hot iron from their contact.

“Ruby, it's okay,” Oscar said understandingly, “You don’t have to give me an answer. I'm not really asking you to.”

Ruby blinked in surprise. “You're...not?”

Oscar smiled. “No,” he said sincerely, “I wanted to know how you feel about me but… that doesn’t mean I wanted to force you to answer my confession. My feelings are my own that I just wanted to share with you. Not because I expect you to return them but mostly just cause I wanted you to know how I feel about you. How I really feel about you,”

‘…While I still have a chance to say it to your face,’ Oscar added as a thought. And though his heart went blue for a brief moment, he still smiled brightly against his inner sadness. He couldn’t afford to stop smiling. Not when he was sitting in the presence of the girl her loved. For her, he would brave anything. Even his own strife.

“But…more than that,” Oscar pressed on, “I just wanted to see you smile again. Whitley’s true feelings made you cry. I was hoping mine would make you smile. I love you most when you're smiling. Your smile is one of the most beautiful things about you. I guess the only real answer I want to know is if I cheered you up.”

Now it was Ruby’s turn to smile. Despite herself, a few tears trickled down her cheek but they weren’t tears of sadness. They were from the sheer amount of happiness that swelled in Ruby’s chest for the young boy seated before her. The boys whose radiance and kind words quelled the heartache she’d once felt. Ruby felt beyond touched. “You did,” she managed to say through her soft sobbing, “You most definitely did.”

Ruby then closed the gap between her and Oscar, nudging close enough to rest her head on his shoulder. “Thank you, Oscar.” She whispered gratefully. With a sigh of contentment, her mind and her heart were finally at ease.

Seeing the silver-eyed huntress so calm made Oscar’s own smile grow into a proud grin. Draping his arm around Ruby’s shoulder, he pulled her closer to him to allow his head to against hers. “For you. Always.” The former farm boy whispered warmly. Though his voice was soft Ruby heard his words. She felt her heart crescendo and she was appreciative that Oscar couldn’t see her face in that moment as the prominent blush that was practically burned into her face from before deepened.

“Okay...now I see it.” Ruby giggled bashfully.

“See what?” Oscar asked.

“Why everyone keeps calling you little prince,” Ruby answered, “you’re kinda like the ones from my favourite old fairy-tales.”

“The ones who save the princess?” Oscar asked.

“The ones who they fall in love with,” Ruby said, looking up at Oscar’s face as she said it. His eyes widened in surprise making Ruby looking away coyly. Seriously, if her face got any redder, she’d give her own signature cape steady competition.

“But y’know…they’re just stories.” Ruby added quickly with an awkward laugh that was louder than she intended.

Fortunately her awkwardness only appeared to amuse Oscar. “You planning on living happily ever after with me now, Ms Rose?” Oscar teased with a wink. This earned him a playful shove courtesy of Ruby. ‘Okay, when did he get this cheeky and why is it so cute?’ She thought, ‘…wait cute?’

“I’m just saying you can be charming when you need to be, Mr. Pine,” Ruby retorted wryly.

Oscar only nudged Ruby’s shoulder; laughing.

“Y’know I should probably start calling you something like that too. I never really liked the little prince nickname. Maybe sweet prince suits you better,” Ruby remarked lightly. She had meant it as a small joke but upon seeing Oscar’s smirk; eyebrows quirked, Ruby regretted everything. Now her face and cape were a perfectly set.

“I---I---I mean…” Ruby tried to correct herself but her words failed her and instead she settled on her humiliation. “I didn't...say that out loud, did I?” she stuttered.

“Yep you did,” Oscar said chuckling lightly, “but it's alright. If it's you, I don't mind.” “And I don’t mind the new nickname either so long as I get to be just your sweet prince.” He then added boldly.

“You’re not going to let me forget that one, aren’t you?” Ruby groaned.

“Never.” Oscar chuckled.

The two friends then shared a laugh.

For a moment, Oscar met Ruby’s gaze, beaming charmingly. Ruby returned the smile, the warmth in her cheeks returning as the two sat smiling at each other.

“So, what do we do now?” Oscar asked after some time.

“Whatever we like, I suppose,” Ruby replied casually.

“Ready to head back inside?” Oscar asked.

“ …I dunno.” Ruby said with a frown.

“What Whitley said still bugging you?” Oscar asked glumly.

Ruby nodded miserably. “A little bit.” She said.

Oscar then poked Ruby’s cheek lightly, prompting her to look at him.

“Hey. Beautiful flowers are meant to be admired by everyone, not kept in the dark,” Oscar assured, “besides what would a rich boy know about caring for flowers?”

“What do you mean?” Ruby asked.

“Well it's like something my Aunt Em used to say about gardening,” Oscar said wisely, “rich folk may have all the money in the world but they don’t know a darn thing about gardening. They're so used to buying that the only green they every learnt to care for is their giant bags of money. Therefore, rich folks don’t make good gardeners. That's why the Gods made farmers because farmers know how to care better for crops and flowers of all kinds.”

“Okay but… what's that have to do with me?” Ruby asked.

Oscar smirked. “Well my lovely rose, sounds like you could use a farm boy. Not a rich boy.” He said with a wink.

Ruby couldn’t resist the laugh that escaped her lips. “Seriously? You did not just say that.” She giggled.

“I made you laugh, didn’t I? That counts,” Oscar quipped with a light chuckle, “I mean we can stay out here all night if that’s what you really want or…you can let this farm boy show Whitley Schnee and all of Atlas how truly beautiful you are. What do you say to that?”

Oscar offered Ruby his hand.

“I say…”

Ruby’s gaze fell to her circus rose; still in her hand from when Oscar had given it to her earlier. With a bright grin, Ruby tucked the rose in her hair as she accepted Oscar’s hand.

She then leaned in and kissed Oscar on the cheek---a gesture which pleasantly surprised him.

“Lead the way, my sweet prince.” Ruby said.

Oscar only beamed; leading Ruby back inside as the two rosebuds re-entered the festivities together.

Squiggly Commentary:

You can almost say that this story is a continuation; drawing reference to other scripts I’ve done before such as ‘A-Dork-You!’, ‘A Sister’s Blessing’ and ‘As You Go’. I made this story under the impression and headcanon that as their friendship grows, so does Ruby and Oscar’s overall trust in each other to the point that they are perfectly comfortable initiating physical contact with one another especially if it was meant to console the other.

Usually Ruby is the one to always initiate contact between her and Oscar, according to the canon. My hunch is that at some point, Oscar will start reciprocating the same gentle touches Ruby would at times give him to the point that the two Rosebuds are completely at ease with committing to gestures such as cupping the other’s face, holding hands, resting their head against the other’s shoulder and breathing in the consolation that comes with their company. Y’know that sort of jazz. So that’s what I used in this story.

Sorry if this also wasn’t the kind of love confession story where feelings are reciprocated in the moment and the two lovers kiss. I wanted this short story to mostly emphasize on Oscar finally being open to Ruby about his feelings for her. Once it was brought up, Oscar had no choice but to bit the bullet and he made that choice.

For me, this is the most realistic I can envision the RoseGarden confession. At least the side where Oscar confesses first and Ruby moves forward knowing how Oscar feels about her.

Whitley is a little shit in this. Sorry to my fellow Whits. Although my feelings toward Whitley as a character have lightened a lot since V5, I based this script purely on my original RWBY Musing #24 where Whitley showcased just how much his father had influenced his behaviour particularly his treatment of women.

I even took it a step further with this concept by having Ruby being enamoured with Whit after their first encounter, believing him to be a pleasant gentlemen and love interest despite Weiss’ warnings about her brother’s true colours.

Ruby expressing genuine interest in a person she considers a crush is a side of her we have yet to explore in the main series. So for this script, I wanted to toy with the notion of what if…Ruby genuinely had feelings for Whitley and thought he felt the same way about her only to be greatly disappointed when it is later revealed that Whitley saw Ruby no different than how Jacques saw his own wife.

I’ve mentioned Whitley asking Ruby to be his date to the Atlas Ball many times over and it’s a headcanon I’m still holding onto; albeit I’ve shared different versions of this hunch. I’ve mostly talked about Ruby only agreeing to be Whitley’s date as a favour to Weiss to help with her investigation into her family affairs.

This is the first instance where I’ve actually entertained the thought of Ruby going to the dance with Whitley because she actually liked him. As you could probably tell by some of my past musings and headcanons, seeing Ruby behave like an average teenaged girl, gushing over boys especially one she might have a crush on is something I think would be cute to see.

I’m probably the cheese that stands alone with this thought but if I may further entertain this theory, imagine Ruby being the type of romantic who falls hard whenever she develops an interest in someone. She already does so much for her family and friends. Can you imagine a hopelessly in love Ruby Rose? I can picture that just as vividly as I can depict a close Rosegardening rosebud friendship and potential romance.

I can definitely see Ruby being the type of girl to gush over someone she likes to her friends. So imagine how it would be for Oscar, being the guy who secretly likes Ruby, to also be the close friend she feels comfortable enough talking about her crush to. I figured Ruby would talk to Oscar about this kind of stuff because unlike her sister and teammates, she wouldn’t be judged or teased about it especially if her crush was Whitley (which Weiss greatly disapproves of for obvious reasons).

This script is a culmination of theories that I wanted to touch base on and it basically spawned into a story that I’m proud of. I know I say that almost most of my writing but it’s hard to not feel giddy when you put a theory to paper and turn it into a story. If I had to picture how Oscar would first confess his feelings for Ruby and her reaction to hearing it, this would be it.

It’s not the typical confession moment nor is it the traditional unrequited love moment idea. I genuinely think if Oscar were to confess to Ruby, he would outwardly admit he loves her. Just tell that he wants to be the guy that gets to fall in love with her. Just as much as I wouldn’t expect Ruby to refuse Oscar’s feelings. In a way she would accept them. Just not have an answer for him. But she wouldn’t keep him waiting either. Just as how Oscar wouldn’t hold it to her to give him an answer because that’s not what’s most important.

This plays into another ancient RoseGarden headcanon I have where Oscar would confess and the two will move forward knowing how Oscar truly feels about Ruby but it wouldn’t affect their friendship as awkwardly. But it would provide an opening for Ruby to ponder on how she feels for Oscar. She understands he’s not holding her to return his love. However at the same time, there is that curious side of Ruby that wonders what it would be like if she were to fall in love with Oscar. Could she see herself doing that? And if she did, how would it affect her? How it would affect their entire relationship? Their friendship. Would she even wish to return those feelings knowing the truth of the Merge and the lingering mystery of the fate that spells for Oscar?

This is why I like this concept a lot. It lays everything out on the table while leaving room for more growth and opportunities to explore bonds and the meanings behind them. I’m not saying this is how I perfectly envision the Rosegarden romance taking root in the canon. I’m just saying it’s an idea.

All in all, I hope you guys have enjoyed this short story of mine and if you can, please let me know if you did enjoy it. I’d mighty appreciate it if you do.

Not sure if this counts as a worthy contribution to @rwbyrosegardenweek but I hope it does :D

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

#rwby #oscar pine #ruby rose #rwby rosegarden #rosegardenweek2019 #rwby fables by squiggles #rwby: the most beautiful rose

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lawandorderforevercsi · 4 years

Text

Title: Finding Love-Missing Scenes-Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: Miami, Anthony Zuiker and CBS do.

Genre: Romance

Beta’d by: calleighstorres

Rating: T

Chapter 4: Meeting with Pavel and Carmen

Mari and Horatio were outside the family home. She could tell that her man was nervous and rightfully. Mari whispered in his ear, “Maybe I can tell Mami and Papi that we can reschedule and…”

Horatio placed a finger on her lips and asked, and postpone it? That would make it harder later.”

Marisol smiled. Horatio was really unlike any other guy she had dated. Previous dates would take up the offer and run. Horatio would take everything head-on. What is more, Horatio makes all the other guys seem like immature frat boys she had dated long ago. She leaned in and gave him a kiss, which Horatio inevitably deepened.

When they came apart, Marisol saw that Horatio wasn’t as nervous. Marisol asked, “Ready?”

Marisol opened the front door, went and were greeted by Eric, Lucia, Isabel, and eventually Pavel and Carmen. It wasn’t long before the atmosphere was thick with tension was an understatement. The last time Horatio was as at the Delko home was as a guest of Eric. Now it was because he was dating their eldest daughter Marisol. Pavel and Carmen were rightfully apprehensive about their eldest daughter dating a man six years older than her and the fact that he also happened to be Eric’s boss and mentor.

While Marisol was in the kitchen with her sisters and Eric, Pavel and Carmen didn’t waste another minute and jumped right in.

Pavel began by asking, “Are you ready to make a lifelong commitment?”

Horatio though they are earnest. I guess they heard from Eric that he was the one to step up him and Marisol.

Horatio cleared his voice, “Yes, I am ready for a lifelong commitment. I strongly believe that commitment is a two-way street. I know that Marisol may have told you that I was engaged once before. My then-fiancée had given up on me; I by no means gave up on her. She couldn’t handle the possible pressures of being a cop’s wife. I know that I can count on Marisol to be there when I need her. I will always be there for her.”

Carmen’s turn, and she asked, “Do you agree on core values and big dreams?”

Horatio replied in a composed, “We agree on all of the core values, including honesty, loyalty,

financial stability, affection, and family. Of course, we both want a family filled with kids. I have seen how gentle she is with her nieces and nephews. I am sure Eric has told you about how I have a soft spot for children, especially when it comes to the cases they are unwittingly involved in.”

They asked about experiences they had gone through together, what he liked in Marisol, and what he saw in her that he wanted to date her. They were tough questions, but he knew the drill in the times when he threw tough questions at the possible suspects.

The most important question was, “Do you and my daughter agree on biblical roles and responsibilities?”

Horatio answered, “Yes, we agree on the biblical roles, including being submissive, obeying me, and being faithful. While I didn’t learn the deeper meaning of the roles as I grew up in a broken Catholic household, a friend of mine, Cardinal Zello, helped through the learnings and through all the tough times I went through.”

While the interrogation was going on, Marisol kept peering out, she muttered, “I hope Mami and Papi aren’t tearing Horatio to pieces.”

Luisa, Isabel, and Eric all exchanged glances. That didn’t go unnoticed by Isabel who said, “Boy Mari, you have it bad for Horatio don’t you?”

Embarrassed, Marisol nodded and said, “Yes, he understands and completes me. He is the one I want in my life.”

Lucia, Isabel, and Eric knew what Marisol meant by that. Growing up, their parents didn’t allow any of them to date. It wasn’t until they had started college and away from home when they were allowed to. Isabel and Lucia found their soulmates right away. Eric kept his options open, but Marisol was the unlucky one. During her first year at Dade University, she had met a guy named Wilder Dash. He was a bad boy who suave, handsome, charming, and from a family of money. Marisol was at the time naïve and too trusting, and Wilder took advantage of that. While he didn’t take advantage of her physically, he toyed with her heart and emotions. Then the betrayal happened. Towards the end of the school term, he broke her heart by ending the relationship to get engaged to a young woman from out of state that Wilder’s parents picked for him.

Ever since then, Marisol vowed to play hard to get with all guys she dated.

Lucia said, “Well, why don’t we go out to rescue our future brother-in-law?”

Marisol looked at her siblings in amazement. She asked, “You mean you approve of him?”

Isabel said, “Yeah, you deserve it, mi querida hermana (my dear sister).”

Lucia added, “Sofia looks up to him and is in complete awe of Mr. Horatio.”

Eric said, “Well, then let’s go.”

The siblings all went out together with the drinks.

As for Pavel and Carmen, for now, they were satisfied with Horatio’s answers when the Delko siblings appeared. Marisol set hers and Horatio’s drinks down, went to sit down next to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and Horatio turned and gave her a loving smiled. Marisol asked, “Mami, tú y Papi no trataron de asustar a Horatio, ¿verdad? (mom, you and dad, you didn’t try to scare Horatio away, did you?)”

Seeing the loving way they two exchanged, Carmen replied, “No, hija mía, solo queríamos asegurarnos de que se adapta bien a ti.” (No, my daughter, we just wanted to make sure he is a good fit for you.)

Marisol inquired in English, “Well, is he?”

Pavel replied, “Он есть, и у него есть наше одобрение.” (He is and he has our approval.)

Marisol let out a squeal of joy and hugged her beau tightly, and Horatio returned in equal force.

He was glad to have passed the parental test. Lucia, Isabel, and Eric were all ecstatic. Horatio has been the only man who had made it this far. To get their parents’ hard-earned approval was no easy feat.

With the approval granted, Eric knew what was going to happen next.

A/N: Thanks for reading Chapter 4 of Finding Love-Missing Scenes”. As always reviews are appreciated!

#csi miami #marisol delko caine #Alana de la Garza #horatio caine #david caruso

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elceeu2morrow · 4 years

Link

By Matt Galea 18/12/2019

It was the morning after our staff Christmas party that I got on the horn to Louis Tomlinson.

While the entire office was munching on bacon and egg rolls and chugging coffee to revive themselves, I was in the studio, eagerly awaiting a call from the UK to chat to my favourite member of One Direction (yep, you read that correctly).

You see, unlike most folks who occasionally whack on ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ during road trip karaoke or follow Harry Styles on Instagram to stay up to date with his dazzling wardrobe, I have been a true 1D stan since day dot: X Factor.

As soon as the band was pieced together, punters began choosing their faves, most of them picking Harry and don’t get me wrong, he’s an absolute lord (I’ve literally travelled to another country to see Harry live, I’ve had his album(s) on repeat since their release and I have tons of his merch), but I was instantly enchanted by the quiet, brooding, eldest member of the band and as their popularity skyrocketed, so, too, did my love for Louis.

I guess it’s a combination of his sleek style, his dreamy eyes plus the fact that he’s sassy (his public feuds have rightfully earned him the name ‘Sass Master of Doncaster’) and also has a ‘yuge heart and loves his fans unconditionally.

So naturally when the band went on hiatus, I followed Louis’ career like a hawk and, my fellow Louis stans, our time has finally come ‘coz 2020 is going to be THE year of Louis Tomlinson.

Let me repeat that louder for the people in the back:

2020 is going to be THE year of Louis Tomlinson.

The excitement in his voice is palpable as he discusses his debut studio album Walls which drops on January 31, 2020.

“I’m quite big on lyrics, it’s important for me to be honest and real and, at times, vulnerable,” he says of the album.

“My fans already know a lot about me but hopefully I can bring them an album that shows them another side.

”This ~other side~ includes personal yarns and tales from Louis’ life as he explains that he draws inspiration “from my life events.

“There were times in the past where I tried to write in a fictional sense, and there are a couple of songs on the album like that, but mostly I find it easier to write autobiographically.”

He adds, “Things happen to you and sometimes it might seem mundane but it makes you feel a certain way and it’s worth writing about.”

If you haven’t already listened to his latest singles, first of all what the heck is wrong with you? Second of all, go give them a listen and you’ll know exactly what he means by writing autobiographically.

He says his newest single ‘Don’t Let It Break Your Heart’ is “something that I’m definitely really proud of.”

“It’s a song trying to invoke hope, it’s about seeing the glass as half full as opposed to half empty and no matter what life throws at you, don’t let it break your heart.”

I then point out that he has a lot of positive, inspirational, anthemic bops under his belt and I ask if this is intentional.

“I think so,” he responds. “You always want to write lyrics that are relatable and inspiring, and I think songs like the song I did with Steve [Aoki] ‘Just Hold On’, it’s got the same kind of vibe of hope. I think it’s a pretty cool topic.”

He then talks me through my personal favourite, ‘We Made It.’

“It’s kind of about two things because we started out with just the title and what it meant to me in that moment was me picturing our first show of the tour and all the hard work it took me to get there and with the fans, it’s a collective, we made it here together, and that’s how the song started out,” he says.

“And then in the verse you have to add a bit more of a story so we’re talking about me going to visit my girlfriend at the university halls while I was on tour with the boys, so I was going off that dynamic.”

Directioners will be happy to know that Louis doesn’t shy away from name-dropping his bandmates and when I ask him to talk me through the best moments from the past decade, he literally lists three 1D-centric mems.

“When we first got put together as a band, that was a magical moment,” he says.

“We didn’t know each other that well and we went through that whole journey together, so that was pretty special.”

“When we played Madison Square Gardens in New York, that was a pretty memorable one. All of our families came down to watch.”

And finally, “We were lucky enough to play at the Olympics which was definitely one of the proudest moments I’ve ever had, definitely.”

Speaking of performing with 1D, Louis’ forthcoming trip to Australia will be his first without his bandmates and he is, as he put it, “proper excited to come back.”

“The gigs [in Oz] are always incredible and also for any Brit, it’s the ultimate dream to travel to Australia.”

But punters who have been lucky enough to see a One Direction show in their lifetime should expect a very, very different vibe from Tomlinson now that he’s flying solo (~obviously~).

“It’s not going to be a massive production with any gimmicks, it’s just going to be pretty straightforward. Just a good live show focusing on music and hopefully we’ll have a good night.”

Going from touring with his besties to being on the road by himself (and the backing band, of course) is bound to be a huge adjustment that Louis plans on easing into.

“I like creating normality [on the road], I just like to be sat with mates chatting, listening to music and then head out onto stage.”

He also gave me this lil tidbit about his travelling style, which should come as no surprise to the die-hards.

“I’m notoriously a really bad packer, I always leave with not enough clothes and not enough things that I need.”

But while he’s often short a pair of sneakers or a sweater or two, he always makes sure to pack the essentials.

“I like to take tea bags with me on tour. You can’t get a good cup of tea everywhere so it’s important to travel with your own.”

Which prompts me to ask about his thoughts on our tea Down Under.

“It’s good, yeah! It’s good,” he assures me.

So now that we’ve discussed what 2020 will look like for him (including starting his sophomore album in the second half of the year!), along with his highlights from the last decade, I’m eager to know what his plans are for the next decade.

Brace yourselves for the response…

“Fucking hell, I’m not that good at thinking far ahead,” he immediately quips. Legit, there’s nothing I love more than when celebs drop an F word in an interview. It shows that they’re not doing the super-polished, media-trained thing and they’re happy just being themselves.

Frankly, if Louis didn’t swear in the interview, I would’ve been convinced that he’d been abducted by aliens and replaced with a cyborg. But you’ll be happy to know that in our nine-minute convo, he swore a grand total of three times which is a great score, IMO.

But anyway, back to the question at hand.

“Hopefully still making music, still making albums. My intention is to get better as a songwriter with every album, so hopefully still making music and still touring.”

We wrap up our good old chinwag with a message to his fans, particularly the Aussies who he’ll finally be treating to his angel voice when he plays the Big Top in Sydney and the Palais Theatre in Melbourne in April.

“Massive thank you for your patience and your support. I’m so excited to release the album. I’m as excited, if not more, to come and see everyone on tour so thanks for your love and I’ll see you on tour.”

Final tickets for Louis Tomlinson’s debut Australian tour are available now via livenation.com.au.

SAT APR 25 – BIG TOP, SYDNEY

MON APR 27 – PALAIS THEATRE, MELBOURNE

#lt news #lt interview #pedestrian #australia #wmi promo #walls promo #dlibyh promo #elounor 2.0 #in the usual uni part #bad packer #but packing yorkshire tea

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deepdonutkid · 3 years

Text

Nonsense

A/N:

This took me way too long! I’m sorry, I was stuck on the Polly part for a while after Helen’s death.

Even though there is a part in the middle, which I’m not really satisfied with, I’m still glad, I finished that chapter. I hope you like it. It’s a little sad for a story, that will later focus on... other stuff.

Tbh... I forgot, if Martha died from a disease or something else. That’s why this part is a little vague. But he will talk more about his dead wife much later in the story.

English is not my first language and this is not beta-read, just a small part of it! Thanks to @retromafia for helping me out on this chapter! You’re so lovely!

John as mental health issues, but it’s very different to those of his brothers!

tagging: @bonniesgoldengirl @theshelbyclan @justalonelyslytherin

Masterlist Do you wanna touch

____________________

All fucking week he had thought about this date and her. John was distracted at work, at home and at the Garrison. His head was somewhere else, preferably with her, the beautiful Russian girl he had met a couple of days ago. He tried to keep this to himself even though he worried others would start to notice his weird behavior. Well, it was pretty hard to shut up about it, when he sat drunk next to his friends in the pub, but John wasn’t really ready to talk about this. It still felt so surreal like this encounter had never happened and it was all in his head. In addition to that, others- mainly his family- would gladly ruin this for him, before it had even begun, which was why he was so reluctant to talk about it.

They would ask him all sorts of stupid questions, which he couldn’t answer at all. He frowned and closed the book. Later he would meet the mysterious woman again and this was his only chance, since he didn’t know her full name or her address or another way to contact her. So he had to go there or he would go crazy thinking about what might have been. But there was a problem with that.

Of course there was a problem as nothing in his life could be easy. Not even once. However he refused to call his kids a problem. His dad called him like this more than once. And if John wasn’t a problem, his name was either accident or brat. Needless to say John was way nicer to his children than his father was to him. John loved all four of them. He really did, but… somebody had to look after them, while he wasn’t at home. So he had to ask either Polly or Ada and he didn’t know what would be worse.

His sister would spread the word of him having a girlfriend faster around than a disease. Maybe she would even spice up the story a little and add some drama just for the fun of it. Then he wasn’t out for a date, but to meet the woman he had impregnated or what else. And Polly, well she was the main reason he was scared to even mention his rendezvous. His aunt had the great talent to investigate his private life like fucking copper. Once she had sniffed something, she wouldn’t let go of it and kept bothering him.

Anyways he had to talk to one of them and the chat wouldn’t be a nice one. A choice between the foul and the evil. Ugh, he was in the mood to flip a coin. There were some on his desk. So why not? He looked around, if anybody was watching him, but he was alone in his office. Then he took a coin from the daily bets and tossed it. Once it was up in the air, he had made up his mind. The coin just proofed it. He should go to Polly and it would fit in his schedule as now was his lunch break and he would eat with the others anyway. If he would go now, he could still catch her alone in the kitchen. A grunt left his lips while he stood up from his chair. His pace was steady, but fast as he made his way through the betting shop. Luckily nobody noticed that he left his table a little too early.

He had never opened or closed a door as quietly as in this exact moment. “Polly?”, he had asked in a careful tone into the empty room. John heard movements from the kitchen. Suddenly her head peaked around the corner. “Yes, John?” She had emphasized every syllable as if he was stupid. Maybe he was just not ready to have this talk. On the other hand he had no chance. This was a now or never situation and he preferred now over never.

John gathered all his courage to approach her: “Would you do me a little favor?” All the sudden his hands were sweaty and no matter how many times he had rubbed them on his pants, it wouldn’t get any less smeary. Usually he wasn’t so nice and polite to his relatives. It was more like he had earned the title arrogant brat rightfully. He scratched his neck and gave her his best puppy eyes. And just to top it off his angelic smile, which had saved him many times before. Most of the times, he could avoid the consequences of his own actions with his charming smirk.

But today it didn’t help. Polly just shook her head. “What is it this time?”

“Just a little thing”, he began, then paused to take a deep breath and gain courage to exclaim his wish: “Can you watch the kids this evening? It’s really important.”

His aunt froze mid movement and starred at him. After a while she started blinking. Her glare was concerning. “Why this time? The last time was just a week ago. Another task from Tommy? He didn’t talked to me about this.”

John pressed his teeth again and shook his head. He looked at the roof and searched for the right words to explain his situation. Why was this so difficult? It was just a date. Yet it felt like so much more.

The Shelby sighed, while his hand was fumbling with his lighter in the pocket of his pants. “I’m meeting someone” was his short answer to a complex problem.

“Did Tommy ask you to?”, she asked once again. No matter if it was business or his private life, Polly liked to be up to date.

Again he shook his head. “No, not Tommy, but it’s still important. So would you please help me?”

Polly clucked her tongue and hurried back to the kitchen. John followed her and leaned against the door frame, waiting for his answer.

“Well, I got a meeting too, so you better change the appointment with said woman, because I don’t want to change my plans for you”, she replied, while stirring a pot. Afterwards she tapped the wooden spoon against the pot and turned around. “Lunch is ready. Better get your brothers, so we can eat.”

Apparently the conversation was over, because it really started, but John wouldn’t give up right away. “But I can’t”, he protested: “That’s the only night she is available and I don’t know how to reach her.”

Without looking at him, she walked right back into the living room and started putting dished on the table. “Ahh, see? I was right about the woman part… But why do you want to meet somebody you barely know?” Her question was reasonable.

John was so lost in his thought about her and yet he had no answer. No good ones. So he just said the next best thing: “I won a bet and I want to see her.”

Right when he said that his brother came in. Arthur widened his eyes and scratched his chin. “Want to see who?”, he asked. It was horrible how nosy his family was.

There was no peaceful day at the Shelby household. Never ever.

“He has a new girl, but he doesn’t know anything about her”, Polly retorted, before John even had the chance to answer himself.

Arthur chuckled and added: “Oh, Our John was never a man for talking. Right, John boy?”

They had to be fucking kidding him. It felt like he was sixteen again and started to meeting Martha. This was so embarrassing. John nodded slowly and gave his brother a false laugh.

“Well, we had other things to do”, John objected and it wasn’t quite the truth, but close enough. There was just no explanation why he was drawn to this woman, who was a stranger to him, but oh, those kisses really worked some crazy magic on him.

His brother burst out in laughter and slapped his hand on John’s back. “Oh, I know! I fucking know what you mean”, he exclaimed: “Why talk, when you can have fun with a woman?”

And right now, John couldn’t agree less. He wanted to talk with the mysterious woman, but she rushed off into the night before he could even say goodbye to her. Damn, he wished he knew more about her, maybe then he wouldn’t be so nervous right now. The Shelby didn’t feel like his usual cheeky, charming self, more like fucking train wreck.

His face got gleaming red, but he tried to act like was completely cool with it. And it wasn’t like he didn’t want to sleep with her. Gosh, what wouldn’t he give to spend the night with her?

“Pol, you see John’s face. He is red like a crayfish”, Arthur joked and pulled his little brother into a headlock.

Their aunt walked around them, very carefully as she was carrying the big steam pot. She sounded like she was mentally everywhere else, when she murmured: “Yes, Arthur, I see it- shameful red- but now it’s time for lunch, so release your brother and come sit.” Somehow Polly managed to phrase it exactly like their mom used to say it, even though she was only three years older than Arthur, but he’d still respect her.

So he did what she asked him to do and let John go again to take a seat at the table.

It was the perfect timing to beg Polly once again, because he didn’t want to have the same conversation with his sister. “Polly, Please”, he insisted: “I wouldn’t ask you, if it wasn’t really important to me.”

“What is so important about one woman, that you have the great urge to meet her?”

That was the question he was asking himself all week, but okay. Now he needed to come up with an answer or otherwise he would have to get comfortable with the thought he would never see her again.

He licked his lips as he assembled the words in his brain to a convincing answer. “She has…”, he began, but then he got lost again.

“Huge cans?”, Arthur purposed with a big smile on his face.

But John shook his head: “Not that, her tits are average, there is something else about her and I can’t say what yet, that’s why I need to find out…. Or I go crazy.”

He turned to Polly and put on his puppy eyes again. “Do you want me to go crazy, Polly?”

Pol pouted and sighed. “Fine, you get your will again, but that’s the last time and don’t ever bother me with this again.”

His eyes shined bright in the lights of success and more importantly… winning an argument with his aunt. “Thank you and I’ll never bother you again.”

The matriarch went her way around her reign and said to herself: “We’ll see about that.”

Now this problem found its solution, the next question popped up in his head. Where were his kids? Because he was so caught up with his date, he had forgotten to pick them up from school. It wasn’t a serious issue. Three of them could walk home on their own, but the youngest was a different thing.

In his memory of this day, he had left Katie here, but she wasn’t running around like usually. “Pol, where are the kids?”

“The kids?”, she observed: “Oh, the kids you want to get rid of? You mean… those kids? They are upstairs.”

John grunted. That was far from reality and his aunt should know that. “That’s bullshit. I don’t want to get rid of them.”

“Then act like you care for them once instead of fucking around and I might believe you”, Polly chided and gave him the mean side eye, while she filled the plates with stew.

And she acted like a real bitch lately, John wanted to add, but bid his lip to stop himself from saying something he would regret deeply. It was so annoying how she tried to make him feel guilty for having a night off. He was so sick of this. Either he was working or he was with his kids and he had little or no time for himself. Just the few hours when they were asleep and he could go to the Garrison for a beer or two.

“It’s just one date!”, he yelled, but then clenched his fists and swallowed his anger and repeated quietly: “It’s just one date.”

The room was quiet now. Nobody said or did anything for a while.

Then Polly started moving again and explained: “You should focus on getting a wife and not play around with some floosy girl… but you’re an adult now, John, so do whatever you want… just don’t drag me into your mess.”

John nodded and went upstairs to get his kids. Yes, he was still bitter about the things Polly said to him, but he wouldn’t let this ruin his day. After all he had plans. Maybe he gripped the banister a little too tight, well, at least he didn’t bellowed at his children, when he found them making a mess in his old room.

All four were sitting here and around them were all the toys they had. Most of them were his old toys or some from his brothers.

“Lunch is ready”, he grunted and waited for them to get up, so they would follow him. They just stared at him with wide eyes.

His oldest daughter was the first to talk: “We heard you yell at Aunt Polly…”

He didn’t answer instead he just moaned and leaned against the wall.

“You’re away tonight”, she added and tilted her head. There was curiosity in her eyes. It didn’t bother him, but something else did. She had the same eyes as her mother. Like a dagger it pierced his heart, whenever she gave him this look. Martha used to do this as well.

Slowly he nodded. He couldn’t lie to his kids at all. “Yes, but you’ll be staying here and Polly will bring you home, when it’s bed time.”

Breanna thought about this for a second and then like this whole conversation had never happened, she stood up and helped her little sister to get on her feet as well. “Well, it’s time for lunch now”, she declared and look at her twin brother: “C’mon, James, we still got homework to do.”

Now that she was standing, John could see how small she was actually. Sometimes he forgot, she was still a child, but the way she acted was different. His oldest daughter had picked up a lot from Polly and her mother, while he was in France. However he tried to not treat her like an adult. She wasn’t and her childhood shouldn’t be ripped from her. Breanna didn’t need to protect her siblings from anything and yet she still thought it was her job.

James on the other hand was quite the opposite. Loud, angry, such a brat, he picked up fight, whenever he could, much like his father at that age.

Luckily his older brother Colin was also a voice of reason and not as chaotic as James. Colin was the oldest and he didn’t actually talk much, but on somedays and with certain persons he wouldn’t shut up. Most of the time Colin did good in school, read a lot, unlike his uncle Finn who was just five years older than him. And more importantly… Colin did everything his father asked him to.

And then here was Katie, the youngest. Just three years old and a sweet girl, but she was of fragile condition. She was born prematurely and was also the reason why Martha died. John tried to ignore the fact, because even though she was the reason, it wasn’t her fault. How could she? She didn’t pick her time to be born. However from time to time, Katie managed to make him cry. After the war, he rarely shed tears, but every time she was sick and he had to go with her to the hospital, he lost his nerves. She was still his little baby and the thought of losing her too wrecked him.

They were all on their way downstairs and John followed them back. He held Katie’s hands while walking down the stairs.

The lunch was very silent. There was still tension left in the room, but John didn’t cared. Katie was sitting on his lap and they both ate from the same plate, like they always did. But it wasn’t a cute ritual, more like a space problem, with all the family members around the table, it was a little cramped. Too cramped for Katie to have her own stool. Another reason, why he needed a wife. So he and his family could eat in his kitchen and they would all have enough space again.

A part of John was worried Polly or Arthur mentioned his date to Tommy, who would gladly take the opportunity to ruin his day. His older brother would pick all the question, John had been asking all week and then make him look stupid in front of the whole family. But apparently Polly was too pissed about the fight to say anything that day and John thanked god for this.

Somehow Katie spilled the stew all over his pants, but he had no time to go back home and change his pants. He still needed to finish the books and after that, he could get dressed for his date.

So John sat in his office in a damp suit and tried to fix what he did wrong before lunch.

Maybe the luck was on his side today after all, because he managed to get everything done early. Somethings didn’t went as smooth as he had wished for, but at least it worked out so well, that he could go to the date and it was still a win for him.

As fast as possible without running he walked home and sprinted up the stairs to the master bedroom. Now he could change his cloths and he was indeed very happy about it. The stew had dried on his leg, which made his skin itchy. Basically he ripped his clothes off the second he arrived in his room.

“Fuck.” A curse left his lips, because he got stuck in his pants and almost hit the floor. Last second he got his balance back and then threw his pants in the opposite direction. He could care about this later.

First he had to clean the stains from his body. So he rushed to the kitchen, just in his underwear and rubbed his leg with a wet cloth. This had to be enough. With the time he had left, he couldn’t take a bath.

Back in his room again, he stood in front of the cabinet and picked the first suit he had in his hand. There was no discussion about this. Suits were suits and he had plenty of them, all of them looked good on him and she wouldn’t even mind, would she?

While he button up his shirt, he stopped all the sudden. What if she would mind? Slowly he walked backwards to the cabinet. Should he wear his Sunday suit? Thought and thoughts came rushing in. She seemed like a fine lady, but yet she agreed to meet with him. Maybe she wouldn’t, if it wasn’t for the bet.

He got headache since his argument with Polly and it got worse. Maybe he would go to the spot, where they should meet and she wasn’t there. The possibility, that she tricked him, hadn’t occurred in his mind until now.

Honestly, John felt so stupid, when he realized how weird the coincidence was. What were his chances to be so lucky? To meet a beautiful, wealthy and unmarried woman, who was also funny and charming and mysterious and he could find a ton more of adjectives to describe her? And then win the round and the bet, he had made with her? What were his chances for that? So either he was one of the luckiest men in this world or a goddamn idiot.

Or maybe… his mind tricked him. He was pretty drunk after all and in his twisted mind the details of this scene got lost. Maybe he didn’t win the round, but because he wished so bad for it, he had changed his memory of that said night. Maybe he was so lonely he made up this perfect woman, because he couldn’t bare his poor existence anymore.

And did he think about his stupid suit so much?

Yes, he was nervous, but this was no explanation for this nonsense.

Right now, John was freaking out about a woman he barely knew. It reminded him of a time, where he did the same thing… but with Martha, a girl he had known all his life. Back then and today he was well aware of why he was so nervous around his first wife. He loved her and he was afraid of saying or doing something very stupid.

But he didn’t loved that Russian woman. He couldn’t, not after only one kiss. It was impossible and yet the kiss felt so real. The memory of her lips was burned into his mind and it drove him crazy.

And he didn’t know, why he had this feeling, which wasn’t love and he didn’t even know what it was, and suddenly he had more questions in his head than he ever had in his whole life.

Usually, he didn’t think that much about anything. He wasn’t the guy who put much thought into every little thing that happened around him.

Everything he wanted to do now was to yell. He couldn’t even put his frustration into words anymore. His head was full of white noise.

Barefooted he stood on the wooden floor of his bedroom, which he used to share with the love of his life. John took a few deep breaths and looked around. Everything was still the same. After the war he had no energy to change something in here, even though it was just fueling his mental health issues. There was still her cabinet with her dresses and her stuff and sometimes when he was particularly lonely, he felt the fabric and imagined her soft body under it. It didn’t smell like Martha anymore, but sometimes he wished.

It felt like suffocating. He couldn’t breathe nor cry, even though tears filled his eyes.

He walked over to his nightstand and looked at the photograph of her. “You don’t get to fucking judge me”, he whispered: “Like you always did. You died and I’m still here and I love you and I always will, but don’t ruin this for me.”

“You put all these questions in my head, so I’ll fuck up and ruin everything”, he argued… with his dead wife like she was there. And he could imagine her so well, standing next to him with her arms crossed in front of her chest and that piercing look in her eyes.

Even before she died, he talked a lot to her and about her and sometimes just to himself, but it just got worse, when he came home from France. He can’t handle the silence in the room nor the void his head. Suddenly he said with a soft voice: “I know, what I promised you back then and when I made that promise, I believed every word of it, but you can’t be the only woman I’ll ever love now. You are dead.”

He wasn’t there when she died and the worst part was… he hadn’t even known until he got home. Polly said, she was about to write a letter, but then she couldn’t, because she didn’t want to bother him, while he was in the trenches. Of course, he had worries, when he didn’t get a letter from his wife in months. John just thought she was mad at him, because she was pregnant again while he was away. And then he came home and his house was empty. No Martha and no kids. So he walked back to Polly’s Place and then she told him. His wife was dead and he was surrounded by his family, but he had never felt so lonely in the world.

To this very day, this memory haunted him in the worst way.

And yet, he refused to crumble right away. Not before it had even started. Life was going on and he refused to just stand there, while the time passed. He would walk, run away from this memory if he had to.

“Let me try it at least”, he bargained: “You don’t know her and neither do I. She could be a beast, a real bitch and maybe, just maybe I don’t want to see her again. And maybe I’ll do, but that’s not your decision. I make my own decisions now, because that’s how things work for the living people, Martha.”

It hurt to say her name, but he had to. The word had so much power over him and he took this power back, by saying it. Then he flipped the photograph over and walked back to the cabinet.

Without a second doubt he picked his finest suit and just like that Martha was gone. She would come back eventually, but right now he had other things to do. Like do his hair and drink a little sip of whiskey for confidence.

With a toothpick in his mouth, he left the house and walked the road. All alone.

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