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arty-shadow-morningstar · 3 years

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Con Man's Daughter

Posting this because there isn't enough biodad! John Constantine content.

[Masterlist]

(Part 2)

-----

I feel like this should be a Damianette story or just platonic relationship after Jon got aged-up to seventeen and Damian wanted a friend his age but doesn’t want to admit it.

So basically there is this big bad in Gotham using magic that Batman was fighting at the time and enlisted John Constantine to help out.

John realizes that the villain is using a Miraculous.

“Oh. I think I know how he gets his powers. And lucky for you, Bats, I know an expert on this special brand of magic.”

And he did the smart thing and called up Marinette who at the time was already Guardian and was looking for other lost Miraculouses like in the Treasure Hunter AU I wrote.

He calls her at a really bad time. She was in the process of being chased by the guardians of the place. Monsters and evil spirits.

“Hello, Dad. What do you need and can you do it quickly?”

“Hey, sweetheart, it’s me. How is my little cupcake up to these days?”

“You called at a bad time.” Gunshots.

“WAS THAT A GUN I HEARD? WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, YOUNG LADY?!”

“Somewhere in Japan. Getting a Miraculous. And why can’t you call me to check in on me and not ask me to help you with whatever mess you got yourself into.” More gunshots sounds and it was telling that Marinette was using a gun.

“Where did you get a gun? And don’t you have school?”

“It’s summer break. Don’t worry Maman and Papa know. Well, the fact that I am in Japan anyways.” Marinette sounded a little out of breath. Roaring and horrifying sounds at the other end. “Can we do this later?”

“As it happens, there is a villain going around Gotham with what I think is a Miraculous.”

Swears on the other end.

“Oi. Watch your fucking language, young lady.”

“How about a No and move the fuck back, old man. I am coming over right now.”

“Old man? I am not that old-” as a magic blue portal opens up in the Bat Cave.

And a red Chinese dragon comes out with someone riding it.

Its rider was a black-haired girl. She had a trench coat similar to Constantine's. I imagine her with a fedora. Like Carmen Sandiego style but not red. Sometimes red but only when she has to steal it from a museum or high security places and she leaves a name card with the name Carmen Sandiego. A sword strapped to her back and a dagger to her thigh.

She had a gun in her hand which she used to shoot the monsters as it was halfway through the portal and yelled out the spell to close it.

“Brilliant entrance but you are in lots of trouble, little lady. What were you thinking about going to another country unsupervised? And isn’t there still a butterfly problem in Paris?”

“One, I wasn’t unsupervised. I had Tikki, a billion years old being and a sort of god. Two.Well, it got boring trying to track Hawk-bitch down. And I found this legend about a guy with a Miraculous who disappeared in the temple and thought hey, more miraculous could mean another edge to defeating Moth-man.”

More bickering and John grounding Marinette who was acting very nonchalant about it.

Okay, at this point, I should say that Batman and Robin are in the background trying to make some sense.

Batman is surprised to find out that Constantine has a daughter who is also involved in magic like her Father but an apparently more specialised kind called the Miraculous. He is a little miffed that he didn’t know about John having a daughter. He did consider it weird at first that she had a slight french accent unlike her father’s Liverpool accent although she pronounced some words like he does.

He also connected some dots that she is also the Parisian heroine, Lady Rouge who Wonder Woman introduced to the League a while back and had declined to join the Young Justice or Teen Titans until everything in Paris was resolved.

Damian on the other hand was suspicious of the new arrival and came to the same conclusion as his father about the daughter thing.

Batman after a few minutes, clears his throat.

The Constantines stop arguing.

“Bonjour. Batman. Robin. Pleasure to meet you. I am Mari Constantine and yes, I am this homeless looking man’s brilliant daughter.” “Hey”

“Well, Mari. Your father thinks you can help us with this new criminal turning Gotham upside down. Literally in some cases. He said that you might be able to help us.” Batman said as he pulled up zoomed in picture of the Miraculous.

Mari looks through the Miraculous grimoire and tells them all about it and power-ups, basically the most effective thing to defeat the guy is to get the Miraculous off them. Plus a spell that would make the Miraculous ineffective if casted within a certain radius of it.

“Thank you for the information, Mari. Constantine, let’s go.”

Mari made to follow them.

“You young lady are grounded and staying here.”

“I don’t need another supervillain using the Miraculous which are my responsibility as Guardian to retrieve them for their own misuse and wreaking havoc on the city. And what if there is an akuma in Paris? I can’t go there if I am grounded in the Batcave although it is a cool place to hang out.”

“You can portal back to Paris but you are not going to follow me. Understood?”

“yes. crystal”

“Good. After me and Batsy get the Miraculous, you can do your Guardian duties.”

Damian snickers. Until Batman cut his mood short, “You are staying behind too. Robin.”

“But Father, why? I am much more capable than Constantine.”

“Hey!” Both father and daughter.

Damian is staying behind too because of the Miraculous power or other reasons and keeps an eye on Mari.

Damian stays behind and there were some protests about mari mad about having a babysitter and Damian doesn’t want to be a babysitter. Despite the two of them being around the same age.

“I got an eye on you so no funny business.”

“Okay, Dad, I am not going to have sex with Robin.” Mari said with a shit- eating grin. Robin definitely didn’t blush.

“I hate you sometimes.”

“I love you too, Dad. Go save the world. Byee.”

John eyes her suspiciously because she is not one to give up that easily usually.

He casts a spell to watch her as they leave. and which she totally knew about.

“So...I have one question.”

“Tt, ask and don’t bother me anymore.”

“Is Batman Bruce Wayne?”

Damian looks up, totally caught off guard.

“I am going to take that as a yes.”

Puts sword at her neck. “How did you find out?!”

“Opened up Google Maps and saw that we are under Wayne Manor. Connected the dots. Also I already knew when Dad made a bet with me once to find out Batman’s secret identity but he never did confirm it for me. And can you please not tell your father about this? I don’t feel like being interrogated by the Bat in the future yet.”

“Father must know about this.”

“I saw you looking at Scarlet here. An animal lover then? You can give her some belly rubs. She deserves it after helping me outrun those monsters.”

His silence was brought. To pet a dragon.

One thing after another and he ends up bringing out his pets-Jerry the turkey, Goliath the dragon-bat, Titus- and her introducing him to her other pets like a hellhound, griffin and other mythical creatures who mostly roam free but come to her when she calls for them and also the kwamis, at least the ones who came with her.

After 30 mins have passed, “So Robin how do you feel about disobeying our fathers?”

“I am in.”

“Depends. Are we going after the (villain's name) ?”

“Yes.”

Awesome montage of them getting rid of the spell John casted and flying out of the Batcave on their respective giant flying pets to the villain’s base.

Meanwhile, their fathers are not doing so well and are trapped in a death trap. John can’t say the spell because the villain made him unable to talk.

“At least, the kids are staying put.”

Cut to Damian and Mari jumping off their pets and onto the roof. Taking out the guards posted there and going into the building all sneakily and also taking out the guards that come their way.

They dropped into the room where their fathers and the villain is.

“Why am I not surprised?”

Villain starts an evil monologue about his mastermind plan to which Damian cuts it short by trying to cut him down with his katana. Mari goes to deactivate the death trap.

They are evenly matched with Damian’s training and the Miraculous.

Mari steps in as Damian was about to be killed. Taps on the shoulder of the villain and when he turns around, gives an awesome right hook that knocks him out.

Takes away the Miraculous and curses him. Wiped the dude’s memories of it.

“When I said stay in the Batcave, I meant stay behind at the Batcave. What point of being grounded, don’t you understand?”

“You mean, Oh, Mari, light of my life, my wonderful daughter, thank you for saving my ass. You are the best.’ by that, right?”

-----

Mari and Damian exchanged numbers and email addresses.

As she was about to leave the Batcave, “It’s been nice meeting you, Mr. Wayne.” and leaves with a wink.

John ‘ungrounds’ her for the look on Batman’s face.

-----

After this, Marinette and Damian become friends who bitch and vent to each other about their alter egos and various villains of their respective cities. (In codes, just in case) They also share updates about their pets and love of drawings.

They have that type of friendship where they trade favors. Mari calls Damian to Paris sometimes to help out with the akuma of the day and Damian sometimes calls her in when Bruce doesn’t let him go investigate a case so he can sneak out by magical means or as back up for when his brothers were too annoying to deal with.

It’s summer break so no missing school.

John and Bruce are aware of their friendship and some of the shenanigans the pair gets into behind their back.

-----

Right. how this all started...

John and Sabine first met when the latter was still in college somewhere in France. John was tracking down a demonic entity which was targeting Sabine for some reason and she was the next target.

John saved her life and exorcised the demon. There was a heat of the moment thing and they had a one-night stand. There were a few more flings and hook-ups after that night.

And nine months later, Marinette Cheryl Cheng-Constantine was born.

When Sabine first found out, she called John to come over and he thought that it was a call for another hook-up and was very surprised to find out that it was not and that he was going to be a father.

They both like each other but do not want to be in a relationship together so they both remained as friends and John agreed after some strong-arming at the very least to meet his daughter before he goes to do his job. And pay for child support. And help Sabine during her pregnancy.

Pregnant Sabine was someone you don’t want to mess with. And John has never met a demon or anyone scarier than her.

He was at first not into meeting his child and there was a self-pity party he threw himself with how the child was going to live a bad life because he was the dad and how he destroyed every good thing in his life.

That’s why he is going to meet the baby once and leave maybe a letter and the occasional birthday present and stay out of their life. Forever.

The day Marinette was born and it took one look into her eyes for the HellBlazer to fall under the spell and all of his plans to stay out of her life to burn away.

At first, he tried. He really tried but he couldn’t do it.

Lasted 4 months before he came back, wanting to place protection spells on her and sigils around the house to keep away the forces of Heaven and Hell and other entities so they won’t use her against him as a bargaining chip.

Sabine calls him to babysit. He could have refused and Sabine would have easily found a babysitter. He moans and whines about how he is a great mage and not a bloody babysitter. Sabine retorts that it is actually called parenting since he is Marinette’s father. He grumbles but in the end, agrees.

The great John Constantine is wrapped around the little girl’s finger.

He was around for some of Marinette’s firsts. Her first word was “John”.

It made him cry. He wasn’t a good man and he doesn’t deserve someone this precious. His daughter doesn’t deserve someone like him as a father but fate made it that way and what can you do about it.

After an exhausting week of doing the usual and coming back from Hell, he saw that Sabine had sent him a video. It was Marinette taking her first steps.

Chas swears that in all the years that he has known John Constantine he has never seen the man look so happy.

------

When Tom came into the picture, John was there to take care of a toddler Marinette while Tom and Sabine went on dates.

Insert John threatening a much bigger Tom while holding a baby Marinette with wide eyes and hugging a teddy bear with the same coat as John’s. (It was something Sabine brought on a whim and to tease John when he came around.)

Tom is supportive and treats Marinette like his own flesh and blood.

John resolved to leave for good now that Tom would be there to be a father figure for Marinette.

That plan fell into the drain the moment he was going to leave for what was supposed to be the last time before Sabine pulled him back and knocked some sense into him.

His face was a big giveaway. Sabine knows that despite his claims of being a terrible father for Marinette, he was a good one and damnit she was going to make sure that Marinette would get to know her actual father.

Tom later made an awkward talk with John about how he was not going to replace John’s role as Marinette’s father.

Marinette was the flower girl at Tom and Sabine’s wedding. John was there too.

During bedtime, John would read her stories and use his magic to make it come to life. Although he would feel a little drained afterwards, it was worth it to see her smile.

Sometimes he told stories about his tamer adventures. (After cutting out some of the inappropriate bits)

------

When Marinette was about 5 or 6, Sabine was out on an errand and Tom was at home with Mari and helping her with her homework. There was a crash downstairs at the bakery. Tom went down to check it out to find John lying on the ground.

With a weak cough, he said, “Close the door. Close it.” Before losing consciousness

Tom did before a man with pitch black eyes slammed against it.

Thankfully John had installed heavy wards around the bakery when it first opened.

They held against the demon on John’s tail. Tom brought John inside and unsure of what to do, grabbed a rolling pin on the counter.

The man outside started pounding on the glass door and every time his hands touched the door, light glowed outwards, showing the invisible magic barrier around the bakery. Sparks and steams fizzled with every pound.

Despite the reddening and burns of his hands, the not-human didn’t slow down.

“ʝօɦռ....ʏօʊ ӄռօա ȶɦǟȶ ɨȶ'ֆ օռʟʏ ǟ ʍǟȶȶɛʀ օʄ ȶɨʍɛ ɮɛʄօʀɛ ɨ ɮʀɛǟӄ ȶɦʀօʊɢɦ ȶɦɛֆɛ աǟʀɖֆ. օռƈɛ ɨ ɢɛȶ ʏօʊ,” He laughs, the sound sends chills down the large man’s spine, “ȶɦɛʀɛ ǟʀɛ ֆօ ʍǟռʏ ȶɦɨռɢֆ ɨ ɦǟʋɛ քʟǟռռɛɖ ʄօʀ ʏօʊ.”

Tom knew that Marinette’s father was a con man. Come on, Master and Practitioner of the Dark Arts and Occult. But he was a good father nonetheless despite all his flaws and Sabine liked him enough so that was good enough for him.

Before today, magic was just the sleight of hands and use of fancy tools to sell the illusions. Now, with a could-be-a-demon knocking on his door to get to the father of the girl he sees as his daughter, he’s not so sure.

“Tom? Qu'est-ce qui se passe? (What’s going on?)” A little voice came from the stairs, “Dad!” Marinette padded across the floor to the body of her passed out father.

She shook him awake and there were a few soft slaps to the face.

“Dad, what’s happened?”

John mumbles, “Demon…. possessing some rich guy….. Exorcism…. Doesn’t like me very much…Don’t worry...wards going to hold.”

John manages to stand before falling down and Tom catches him before he hits the floor. He has a concussion. Tom turns to Marinette, “Go, Hide and don’t come out until It’s safe.” which she did

Unfortunately, a while later, Sabine returns from her night out and the demon upon seeing Sabine. “ɛӼƈɛʟʟɛռȶ..”

The demon possessed Sabine and the previously possessed dude hit the sidewalk with a thud.

“ɨռȶɛʀɛֆȶɨռɢ....” The voice coming out of Sabine didn’t sound like her mother which scared Marinette a lot. “օքɛռ ȶɦɨֆ ɖօօʀ օʀ,”the demon pulled a knife out of thin air, ,“ȶɦɨֆ ɮօɖʏ ɢɛȶֆ ɨȶ.”

Tom hesitated until the demon put the knife on Sabine’s neck and put enough force for a thin line of blood to be shown.

He opens the door and the demon knocks him out. Stepping over his unconscious body and looking down on it, “ʄօʀ ȶɦǟȶ, ɨ ǟʍ ɢօɨռɢ ȶօ ʟɛȶ ʏօʊ ʟɨʋɛ ʊռȶɨʟ ɨ ǟʍ ɖօռɛ աɨȶɦ ʝօɦռ, օʄ ƈօʊʀֆɛ.” and cackles. The sound was so wrong and unnerving and little Marinette tried very hard for her sobs not to be heard.

Too bad the demon had super hearing. “Come out, my little blossom. Maman is home. Why don’t you come out and give me a hug?”

It sounded so much like her mother and she nearly believed that it was her mother and not some entity in control of her body.

But she knew better from John’s stories of dealing with demons and how they would use the voice of loved ones to lure them out and into a trap. (Definitely not something one should tell as a bedtime story but Marinette was very different and had an unconventional childhood with John Constantine as her father.)

Wait...she got struck with an idea but she wasn’t sure if it would work.

Before she could do anything, the door of the cabinet she was hiding in was opened and she was dragged out.

The demon lifted her a few feet above the ground by the collar of her dress.

It heard Marinette saying something. “աɦǟȶ ǟʀɛ ʏօʊ ֆǟʏɨռɢ ƈɦɨʟɖ, ֆքɛǟӄ ʟօʊɖɛʀ?”

“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica.” Marinette was now screaming the words at the top of her lungs. She repeated the spell over and over again with fierce determination.

John, being his paranoid self, taught her the spell for an exorcism, just in case. Demons spared no one, not even a girl.

It screamed “NO….” as Sabine’s body contorted in strange angles before a dark shadow seemed to be dragged down into the ground. It made a desperate attempt to possess John before it was pulled away and disappeared. There was no sign that there was a demon attack.

After John woke up, he managed to piece together that his 5-years-old (Sorry 5 and a half) daughter sent a demon back to hell.

He was a very proud dad. (He was a tad worried about the consequences from this event and demons hold one hell of a grudge. He wanted his daughter to live a very safe and happy life. The bakery’s wards also need an upgrade.)

He also got the job of explaining what he actually did to Tom. And lots of reassuring.

Sabine, on one hand, was not happy that Marinette knew how to do magic. That is until John told her that he did it just in case so she can protect herself and later it was agreed that Marinette can learn some Magic spells and charms to better protect herself and when she is older, she can decide if she wants to continue or not.

----

(Part 2)

#bio!dad john constantine #maribat #damientte #damainette #platonic daminette #maybe?#minor swearing

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morganaspendragonss · 3 years

Note

Hey! I absolutely love your "the lovers that went wrong" fic - ive been back to reread it several times now because i think its such a good idea and I love the relationship with TK and his mum - if only the show could give us something as good as that! - I was wondering- only if you were interested, could you write something from Carlos' pov with his parents? maybe they can see that TK is more than a friend and they talk to Carlos about him and TK and why he's feeling insecure? if not np :)

thank you so much anon, that’s so sweet of you!! i love this prompt, too - god knows the show probably won’t show us carlos’s pov. it was my pleasure to write it.

a note on the spanish - technically, i do speak spanish but it’s still very much a word in progress, so if any spanish-speakers want to correct me then please do

ao3 | 1.6k | 2.04 spoilers

Carlos can feel TK's eyes burning holes into the side of his head, but he doesn’t look around. He doesn’t want to see the confusion and hurt he knows TK must be feeling - and if that makes him a coward, then so be it. His parents’ gazes are flicking between them, so Carlos distracts his mom by pulling her into a hug, grateful for the brief opportunity to hide his face.

Behind them, his dad is shaking TK’s hand, and Carlos’s entire brain is screaming wrongwrongwrong. This isn’t supposed to be happening. Not like this. Not yet.

He’s not ready.

His mom pulls away and Carlos forces a smile back on his face. They stand in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, Carlos feeling like he’s being scrutinised.

Then, TK speaks. “It was great to meet you, Mr Reyes, Mrs Reyes,” he says, “but I should go. I told my dad I’d meet him and I’ll be late if I don’t leave.”

The lie rolls off his tongue, smoother than Carlos’s had, and Carlos dares a glance over. What he sees is so much worse than he imagined; to any other person, TK looks the picture of innocence, smiling kindly, eyes wide and bright.

But Carlos knows him. He can see the tense set of TK’s shoulders, the way he’s subtly put more distance between them, the hurt hidden deep in his eyes. He feels sick with guilt, but there’s nothing he can do to fix it. Not here.

“I’ll drive you,” he offers, but TK firmly waves him off.

“No,” he says, jaw clenching minutely. “My dad’s place isn’t too far; I can walk.”

“But -”

“It’s fine.”

Their eyes meet, and Carlos is suddenly hit with the force of what he’s done. Everything he’s been so scared of - TK deciding they’re not working, running away, Carlos getting his heart broken - all of that might happen now after all.

And it’ll all be Carlos’s fault.

TK’s hand lands on his shoulder. “I’ll see you around, Carlos,” he mutters, and then he’s gone, striding back the way they came and taking half of Carlos’s heart with him.

“Is everything okay, mijo?” his mom asks, as Carlos keeps staring after TK even though he can’t see him anymore.

Carlos doesn’t have an answer to that - the casual way they parted cut deeper than he’d ever thought possible, and he doesn’t know if it was just TK keeping up the act or his way of hurting Carlos the way he’d been hurt. Carlos wants to believe it’s the first one, but his less charitable side can’t help but wonder.

He can’t tell any of this to his mom, though, so he braces himself and turns back around, smiling. “Yeah, of course,” he says, surprised by how steady his voice is. “What are you guys doing here? I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“Clearly,” his dad remarks, faintly amused, but before Carlos can figure that out, his mom is taking his arm and dragging him along with her.

“I was planning on making my chiles rellenos tonight, but your father forgot the chiles when he went shopping the other day.” She sends a reproachful look behind her, but the effect is offset by her fond smile. “You know they do the best ones here, so out we came. And here you are.”

“Here I am,” Carlos agrees through gritted teeth. He tries to extricate himself from her grip. “Look, mami, I don’t want to keep you. I’ll go, and you can -”

She stops suddenly, planting her hands on her hips. “I don’t see my only son for weeks, and the second we run into him, he wants to escape?” she demands. “No. You’re coming home with us, and you can help me with the food.”

“It’s hardly been weeks, mami,” he says weakly, knowing he’s already lost this argument. When Andrea Reyes makes up her mind, nothing can sway her.

“Psshh, details.” She waves her hand dismissively and takes his arm again, leaving Carlos no choice but to follow her to their car. He directs a wordless plea for help back at his dad, but he just holds his hands up, shaking his head.

“Your mother’s right, you know,” he says. “We barely see you these days. Give us the afternoon, at least.”

Which is how Carlos ends up in his mother’s kitchen, silently helping her prepare chiles rellenos and trying not to wallow in his grief over TK.

He fails miserably - miserable being the operative word.

His mom is being suspiciously silent, and if Carlos had any energy left, he would call her out on it. He knows they’re going to end up having a discussion at some point, but he’s in no mood to provoke it. Easier just to let her initiate it herself.

“That boy at the market,” she starts eventually, far too casually for Carlos’s liking. “What was his name again?”

“TK.”

She hums. “You’ve never mentioned him before.”

He sighs heavily. “We’re friends, mami,” he reminds her wearily, the lie coming easier this time, which is something he really doesn’t want to read in to.

“I never suggested otherwise,” she says. “He seemed nice.”

“He is.”

She sighs, clearly fed up with his reticence, and sets her knife down. “¿Qué pasa, mijo?” she asks, turning to face him.

“Nada, mami, no pasa nada,” he insists, though he’s not entirely sure why he’s still bothering to lie.

“Don’t pull that shit with me, Carlos Reyes,” she says sharply, startling him. “Soy tu madre; te conozco. Now, I’ll ask again - what’s going on?”

He meets her gaze, seeing only warmth and concern there, and it nearly breaks him. “It’s difficult to explain.”

“Try me.”

Carlos bites his lip, deciding how best to break the news to her. He’s still not ready, not really, but he’s made his bed. Time to lie in it.

“I’ve met someone,” he hedges, trusting her to fill in the blank of TK’s name. “I’ve known him for a while, but we’ve only been seeing each other for the last four months.”

There’s a brief silence, then, “Why did you not tell us?” she asks, her tone gentle, not at all accusatory. “Is it not serious?”

He hesitates, swallowing past the lump in his throat. “I don’t know,” he admits, half-whispering. “I don’t… He… I…”

Carlos shakes his head, giving up on speech. He doesn’t protest when his mom reaches up to draw him into an embrace, resting his head on her shoulder.

“I’m scared, mami,” he chokes out, squeezing his eyes shut and letting the tears fall. His mom holds him tight, rubbing comforting circles on his back as he shakes in her arms.

They stay like that for a while, until she moves her hands to his shoulders and eases him away from her. “Why are you scared?” she asks. Her eyes narrow. “He’s not hurting you, is he?”

Carlos recoils at the thought. “No,” he says, the words bursting out of him in a half-shout. “He would never.”

“Then, what is it?”

He hesitates again, the thought of telling her everything suddenly very daunting. She clearly notices, as she reaches around him to push the half-prepared food away. Carlos’s eyes widen at that; his mom never stops cooking once she’s started. She smiles ruefully, then leads him over to the couch, pulling both of them down onto it.

“Tell me.”

And Carlos does. He doesn’t divulge all of their long, complicated history, but he tells her enough for her to understand. He talks about TK’s reluctance to start anything, his own determination to try anyway. He talks about those days after TK got shot, and the solar storm, and that night under the stars when they finally agreed to give them a shot.

He talks about his fears that it’s all just a fantasy, that any day now the rose-tinted glasses are going to come off and TK is going to realise that he’s made a mistake, and Carlos will be left behind again. And he talks about his guilt for even thinking it, the way he wants so badly to believe that this is it.

Because, for him at least, Carlos is fairly sure that it is. He just wishes (hopes) the same is true for TK.

When he’s done talking, he glances hesitantly over at his mom. She’s watching him with a small smile on her face, her hand gently squeezing his knee.

“Oh, Carlos,” she says, shaking her head. “You’re in deep, aren’t you?”

He grimaces and nods. “I’ve ruined it all,” he says. “I hurt him, and now he’s never going to trust me again.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” she admonishes. He frowns up at her, only to meet a spectacular frown of her own. “You’re going to go to him, right now, and explain everything like you’ve just done for me. He’ll listen, and if he doesn’t then clearly he’s not good enough for you.”

“He’s good enough, mami,” he says, cracking a small smile. “I don’t know where he is, though; he was lying when he said he had to meet his dad.”

“Then you’re going to go home and wait,” she says, matter-of-fact. “If half of what you’ve said is true, he’s going to want to talk just as much as you do.”

Carlos doubts that, but he supposes it’s as good a plan as any. He could call TK, but he doesn’t want to rush him. Better to let him decide when he wants to talk to Carlos - Carlos had been the one to hurt him, after all.

He leans into his mom’s side, smiling at her. “Thank you, mami.”

She kisses his temple. “Te quiero, my son. Now, go. If this boy is as good as you say, I’ll never forgive you for letting him go, let alone him.”

Carlos laughs, then gets to his feet and leaves his parents’ house, filled with a sudden determination to fix this.

He doesn’t think he could live with himself if he didn’t at least try.

#911 lone star #911 lone star fic #tarlos #tarlos fic #911 lone star spoilers #lone star #carlos reyes #tk strand #tk x carlos #911ls #fanfiction #my fanfiction #writing #my writing #userjillian #userkimmy #tuserpaige #anonymous

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heyhey-heyward · 4 years

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WHAT WE WANT | part one

THE INVITATION

summary: You’ve always had a complicated relationship with JJ Maybank. Complicated in the sense that JJ has always had a crush on you and is unable to express it in other ways than shameless flirting.

word count: 1.5k

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If you’re a tourist on the Outer Banks looking for some place to eat, you’re probably going to end up at The Wreck. If you’re a strapped for cash teenager named JJ, Pope, or John B looking to score a free meal, you’re also probably going to end up at The Wreck.

Which is where the three found themselves as their fourth member, Kiara, the daughter of the owner of The Wreck, finished her shift. They were at a table in the back, halfway through lunch and trying their hardest to not be too rowdy and get kicked out. Kiara told her dad she was taking a break and shoved herself into the booth with the boys.

“Kegger tonight?” John B questioned out of the blue, pausing his game of throwing fries at Pope as he tried to catch them in his mouth. So far, they had been unsuccessful—evident by the way the ground around them was littered with fries.

“That’s a good idea.” JJ pointed at his best friend since the third grade with a grin that seemed to always spell trouble. And without further deliberation, it was settled. The Pogues would throw a party in celebration of absolutely nothing.

The door opened and a new customer entered, though that didn’t catch the attention of the group. JJ, who was seated in the same side of the booth as John B, both had their backs to the door. Neither bothered to turn around, assuming that it was just another tourist stopping in to escape the summer heat. That was, until, the newcomer spoke up and JJ recognized the voice immediately.

“Hey, Mr. C.” The cheery voice called, and JJ spun around so fast in his seat his friends were genuinely worried that he might have given himself whiplash.

Y/N Y/L/N. A name more renowned on The Cut than Maybank or Routledge or Heyward, you knew everyone and their mother on the island. If something broke, they called you and within five minutes you’d be able to tell them what’s wrong and how to fix it. You learned from your father, who owned the best auto shop on the island.

“Well, what’s the verdict?” Mr. Carrera asked as you approached the counter that he stood behind. He had called you to take a look at one of his old generators that hadn’t been working properly, and you had been out back working on it.

“One of the parts rusted so bad it stopped working, but I’ve already called to order a new one. I’ll let you know when it arrives.” You explained, giving him the short version of what you had accomplished.

“You’re a lifesaver, here’s lunch as payment.” Mr. C grinned, putting a container of your usual order on the counter. Usually, you charged Kooks, but his cooking was good enough that you overlooked it. You grinned, thanking him before turning to leave. Before you could get too far, someone called your name. You recognized the four faces that sat around the table that the sound originated from, and made your way over to them with a smile.

“Hey, guys, what’s up?” You asked as approached. John B had been the one to call out to you. You knew him from school and hung out together at parties every once in a while, but you were never the closest. Across from him sat Pope, who you had studied with on a few occasions and even helped his dad deliver groceries when you needed the extra money. Beside him was Kiara, who you didn’t know all too well since she went to the Kook Academy. Still, you liked the girl from what you had seen of her.

And then there was JJ, whose stare you were actively avoiding. It wasn’t that you had anything against him, it was just the fact that each time you crossed paths he would flirt with you if given the chance. And you were trying really hard to not give him the chance.

Because as much as you had a reputation on The Cut, so did JJ Maybank.

Looking past his family tree of smugglers and whatnot, he had made a name for himself among the tourist girls that visited the Outer Banks. He was famous for his one night stands with Tourons that would leave in a week and he’d never see again. Ever since you had met him, he had been trying to get you to be one more of his conquests.

And as tempting as his bright blue eyes were, you were determined not to let yourself be just another notch in his bedpost.

“Are you busy later today?” John B asked, ignoring the way JJ elbowed him. You shook your head, mentally running through your schedule for the day. The Carrera’s generator had been the last thing booked for the day, knowing you needed to run some errands for your father before heading back home, leaving your evening free. “Could you look at the HMS Pogue? Something is wrong with the engine and I can’t figure it out.”

“No problem.” You waved him off. It wasn’t unusual for you to work on John B’s boat, it probably would have been scrapped for parts if it weren’t for your repairs. You were a saving grace among the old equipment that many Pogues owned.

“We’re throwing a kegger after, so if you want, you can come with us after.” John B offered. You grinned, it had been awhile since you had let loose, too busy working to help keep your parents afloat like most teenagers on The Cut.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’ve got to run, but text me when you want me to come by.” You called as you started backing away from the table. After receiving a nod from John B, you moved to smile at the other three sitting around the table. Before you could stop it, your gaze locked with JJ’s and in the split second it took for you to turn around, he shot you a wink that made your heart rate spike. As you left the restaurant, you couldn’t help but wonder just why the blond had such an effect on you, even when you so adamantly wanted to avoid him.

“How can you do that?” JJ turned to John B with an incredulous look on his face as soon as the door shut behind you. He was met with an amused and slightly confused look from his best friend, who was having a hard time figuring out what was so out of the ordinary.

“What, talk to her?” John B questioned, a look of realization crossing over his face. He’d seen the way JJ looked at you, and he was quickly connecting the dots.

“Talk to her like, I don’t know, she’s one of us! That’s Y/N Y/L/N, practically Pogue royalty.” JJ gushed, waving his hands around dramatically to drive home the point that he thought you were something spectacular. “I’ve been trying to get with her for months, bro, and she won’t give me the time of day.”

“That’s because she’s smart, J.” Kiara teased, reaching across the table to ruffle his already messy hair for added annoyance. JJ scoffed, running his hands through his hair dramatically to try and get it back to its previous unstyled style.

“And she’s really nice, and offering to fix the boat for free, so you better not ruin this for me by sleeping with her.” John B threateningly pointed a fry at JJ as he spoke. The blond surprised the whole table by flushing at the brunet’s words, glancing down at the table to try and hide his embarrassment.

JJ Maybank had a reputation of being a player. And yes, he did hookup with Tourons after most parties—but he thought you were different. Ever since he had seen you for the first time at The Boneyard laughing loudly at something someone had said, he was done for. You were the first girl that he wanted something more with, the first girl that made him not make fun of other couples because you were the first girl that made him realize he wanted what they had.

“Shut up, does my little JJ have a crush?” Kiara cooed, and John B went to pinch JJ’s cheeks, but the blond was faster and slapped his hands away.

“No, I don’t! She’s just cool, I wouldn’t do something like that to her.” JJ mumbled. He wondered why he couldn’t just stop himself from talking, but then he pictured your smile once more and the corner of his lips quirked up subconsciously.

“Yeah, JJ, that’s because you have a crush on her.” Pope joined in on the teasing, and JJ decided that he had enough and tossed his balled up napkin at his friend.

“Don’t we have a party to get ready for?”

—

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where-theres-smoak-2 · 3 years

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Riverdale 5X01 Review

Hey we are back! It’s been a while since we’ve had a Riverdale episode so it was great to see the show back. Obviously this episode was a continuation of the end of season 4 that got cut short so it didn’t really feel like a premiere which was a little odd but couldn’t be helped. To be honest while I did think this was a good episode for me I felt like it could have been better. I just wasn’t completely satisfied I kept wanting more and it was a little frustrating because it was always so close but just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. That being said there were still some really great moments in this episode and some good storylines. There is definitely plenty to unpack so lets dive in, as always there are spoilers, also these are just my own opinions and thoughts totally fine if you disagree.

As always I am going to break the review down into the different plotlines, and I’ll give you my thoughts and theories on them, I am going to start with the video tapes and the voyeur storyline.

The Voyeur and Blue Velvet.

So we open exactly where we left off with Betty and Jughead in the cabin only now the FBI are there and I get to see my boy Charles which made me happy. During the scene we learn a couple of things, first Mr Honey was not the one killed in the video, which begs the question of who was? The second is that Jughead raises the possibilty that he has been hacked which could lend some evidence to the theory going around that the Stonies still have access to Jughead’s old laptop and were somehow able to get access to his new laptop through it. The third is that the owner of Blue Velvet video store is selling tickets to view the tapes. Jughead believes that whilst he probably isn’t the voyeur he is involved and is profitting off of the tapes. Only the owner isn’t talking so Betty and Jughead have to look elsewhere for clues. I do want to just say real quick though that I did not understand the scene between Betty and Miss Bell. Like I didn’t understand why she went to Miss Bell for answers? Especially as Miss Bell didn’t even give her any useful information. Unless it was just there as a way to reintroduce Mr Weatherby back into the show which I must say it was good to see him again but his line about how he makes it through most nights without waking up screaming was actually kind of sad just because it shows how traumatised the people of the town really are. We have gotten quite a few lines like this now that really do show how much of an effect all the murders and everything have had on the townspeople of Riverdale. I mean you had Kevin’s line about being numb but screaming inside, also kevin and fangs talking about who they could be outside of riverdale and Ethel saying she just wanted to make it out of riverdale in one piece, the writers have done a good job of weaving those comments throughout well what would have been the whole season.

Next Betty and Jughead go to see Brett and with a little bit of sweet talk and a sprinkling of the threat of violence on top they are able to to get some info out of him. They learn that David (the Blue Velvet guy) does these redband viewings and the only way to get access to them is to either be on a list or to take a snuff film to David. What I found interesting about this scene is that it seemed to me like Brett was playing them a bit, I just get the feeling he’s got some ulterior motive. For example when he asks what the investigation is to me it looked like he was trying to stay casual and I think he already knew that’s what they were looking into. When they confirm it he gets this kind of smirk on his face like he’s happy that they are investigating it. I do think he knows alot more than he is letting on and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he is manipulating them.

So Betty and Jughead decide to take Brett’s advice and make a snuff film with help from Cheryl and Reggie. Interestingly this snuff film actually doesn’t end up contributing to much in this episode because the moment they show it to David he can tell it’s a fake. Which makes me think why would the writers bother having it in there, why not just have Betty say to Jughead oh we can give him that tape of my dad? Well I do have a theory on that as I think the fake snuff film with Cheryl is going to come into play later. Remember in the season 5 trailer there’s a shot of cheryl’s dress covered in blood.

It’s the same dress Cheryl wears in the snuff film and to me it looks like the same location of the snuff film and it also looks like its the same chair. Also the way its hung up like that makes this feel like a threat of some kind. I think that the voyeur is going to try and frame Cheryl for a crime of some kind and that she’ll go to prison I mean that is also the same location where her uncle was killed so it might link back to that somehow. This could explain why Toni is pregnant and living with Kangs after the time jump.

After taking the tape of her dad to David, Betty is able to get access to the underground viewings. After letting Jughead in through the back door they start exploring the place. In each room there is a different video playing. Now anyone who has read any of my season 4 Riverdale posts knows that my theory on the Voyeur is that its actually a ring lead by Donna and is made up of the stonies, the farmies, terry and his tickle gang and Mr honey and the Blue Velvet guy. Well the videos that are being shown could be used to support my theory. The first video we get shown is one of the s*x tapes that the Stonies recorded and that Brett sold to the Blue velvet store. The second video we get shown is a tickle video. That links in both the Stonies and Terry. We then see a video of a group of people beating up someone tied to a tree and then the Black Hood video before they find the voyeur’s tapes. The first voyeur tape we get shown in the one where they are killing my honey. But what about the farmies. Whilst there isn’t any video linked to them I do think we have a clue that would point to them. Remember earlier when I said I didn’t understand the scene between Miss Bell and Betty because we didn’t get any information from it. Well I do think it was used to remind us about the farmies through Mr Weatherby. Which means throughout the voyeur plotline we’ve been reminded of the stonies, the farmies, the tickle ring and mr honey and I don’t think that’s a coincidence it does seem to me that they want us to connect these groups with the voyeur.

Ok moving on. Whilst exploring the screening they spot a guy in an owl mask who appears to be filiming the people at the screening. Obviously Betty and Jughead believe that this is the voyeur. However when they try to go after them they run into Jellybean and the person gets away. We learn from Jellybean that she heard about the party from her friend’s brother who is on an email list. However I don’t think it was an accident that Jellybean was at the party, we know from the season 5 trailer that at some point someone is going to sneak into the Jones/ Cooper household and threaten Jellybean with a knife. I think that the voyeur deliberately lured Jellybean there as a warning or threat to Jughead. I do think this will explain why FP will leave the show as well I think the knife video coupled with this instance will cause FP to make the decision to take Jellybean out of Riverdale to keep her safe.

Later whilst at prom the voyeur releases a video showing images of the gang dancing then stabbing a guy in the same owl mask as earlier in the episode and who is wearing a name tag that says David. This scene though is really really wierd and at first I was really confused by it because whilst the video is playing a group of students come onto the dance floor and start dancing like they are at a rave and I kept thinking why the hell are they dancing? Well later it then hit me, hypnosis. The video starts out showing images of people dancing at the screening/ rave before it shows the images of the gang murdering someone. I think all of the people who go to the dance floor and start dancing like that have been to one of those screenings and were hypnotised to respond that way, either when the lights go out or by the song that comes on or even a bit of both because the moment the song is stopped and betty turns the lights back on all the people who were dancing stop and look around confused like they are not sure how they got there. Also the fact that jughead is the one that goes to the computer to turn off the video makes me think that maybe that was his laptop and that it really is being hacked by someone, most likely the stonies.

Ok now we are going to get to the first thing that annoyed me about this episode and it is something I have spoken about before. After turning off the video Betty and Jughead run out of the prom to go investigate. But the thing is they don’t even stop to tell Archie and Veronica what’s going on. I’ve said time and time again that one of the problems with the show is that the characters are too segregated, you always have the same characters interacting with each other and only each other. None suffer more from this than the core four. I mean that video wasn’t just about Jughead and Betty, it involved the whole gang and yet neither of them bother to stop and explain what’s going on to everyone else, like it would have been so easy to write a quick conversation in where the rest of them follow Betty and Jughead out and ask questions, they could have been given a quick explaination and then told them that they would explain more later. But we got nothing. I think the thing that frustrates me more is that Archie had that speech earlier in the episode about how prom was the final dance they were going to have together and so they couldn’t miss it but then other than a like 2 second clip of them making a toast we don’t see them interact with each other at all. Even crazier than that I don’t think the core four communicated with each other outside of their couples at all this episode which considering prom is suppose to be this big milestone to celebrate with your friends its a bit ridiculous to me that the core four don’t have any conversations. The only other scene outside of prom where all four of them are together is at the speakeasy and they don’t actually talk to each other they are just there together so I wouldn’t really call it them interacting. I know I sound like I’m ranting and well I am but as I’ve said before I am soo tired of this dynamic they’ve got going. There is only so many times a person can watch Bughead investigate a mystery, or Varchie have s*x and fight with her parents over and over before they get bored. It makes me miss season 1 when everyone was involved in the investigation and everyone communicated with each other about the things they had found out. But I think the best evidence that the core four don’t interact enough outside of their couples comes from KJ Apa’s interview where he says.

“It’s really funny because I’ve been so used to shooting scenes with Cami and I’ve mainly been with Cami on set, so it’s funny when the roles start reversing,” Apa explained. “And it’s interesting because it’s like ‘Oh this is what it’s like to work with Lili every day! You know? It’s a completely different vibe, it’s amazing and it’s fun because it’s different.”

The fact that he isn’t used to working with Lili everyday speaks volumes. Like think about it for a second these two are suppose to be best friends on the show and yet the actors don’t usually work together and aren’t use to working together that’s crazy to me. Though I will admit that I am excited that that seems to be changing and we might be seeing some new dynamics. However I hope they don’t fall into the same pattern again but just with new couples. Like I am a Barchie shipper and I would love to see loads of scenes of them together but I don’t want to only see them interacting with each other I want to see Betty interact with Veronica, and Archie with Jughead and Jughead with Veronica and Veronica with Archie and Betty with Jughead, I want those friendship bonds as much as those shipper moments. I love seeing my ships interact but it needs to be balanced.

Ok so after that rant lets move onto the next plotline.

Varchie and The Song.

This was actually my favourite plotline of the episode just because of Camilla and KJ’s performances they did such a good job and honestly the storyline was so heartbreaking. The storyline is kicked off with Veronica finding the song Archie wrote for Betty. She obviously thinks its about her and asks him to play it for her. You see that he is trying to shrug it off as being nothing. But the part that hit me in the heart was when she said she liked the idea of him getting back into music. To me this is so heartbreaking because it was Betty that got him playing music again, it was Betty who inspired him again. Veronica is so happy for him yet she has no idea that its because of her boyfriend’s strong feelings for her best friend that he was able to write songs again. Also you can see that this is hurting Archie too. I feel like Archie gets alot of stick and judgement for the whole cheating thing, way more than Betty because people think he doesn’t care about Veronica but thats just not true and I think this episode really showed that. I mean he was wrong for cheating obviously but at the same time he can’t help his feelings, you don’t choose who you fall for or even when you fall for them. Betty and Archie’s mistake wasn’t that they developed feelings for each other that was beyond their control, it was that they weren’t honest about it and as a result let those feelings lead them to cheating, their second mistake was not telling their significant others right away and lying to them again. Archie in this episode is very much being confronted with the consequences of that and he is clearly hurting because he knows he is hurting/ going to hurt Veronica.You can see Archie also still has a lot of pain from Betty rejecting him on top of his feelings of guilt and is trying to forget and push it out of mind. He becomes obsessed with getting into the Naval academy because he is trying to run away from the situation and sees the Naval Academy as a way out. He tells Veronica that the song stinks and throws it in the trash hoping that it’ll take his feelings with it. To be honest this whole scene where they are talking about the song made me feel so uncomfortable, as it was suppose to, because you just know what’s coming and seeing Veronica so blissfully ignorant to it is just heart wrenching.

We find out that Archie has some competition for the position at the Naval Academy and that competition is KO Kelly from Katy Keene. Veronica proposes a boxing match to help decide who will get the position. I will admit I quite liked Archie and KO’s scenes together. They were quite short but I do think it helped show alot of how Archie was feeling and just how conflicted he is and how much he just wants to escape it all. I mean their conversation when KO asked Archie why he was interested in the Naval Academy was so telling. Archie basically tells us that he wants to start over completely he wants to leave Riverdale behind. His use of the word completely is again really showing his mentality at the moment because KO has to point out oh it won’t be completely because you’ll have Veronica and you guys are going to last. This happens twice in the episode where someone makes a comment suggesting that Archie and Veronica are endgame and both times you can see that Archie is uncomfortable with it and just sad, he just looked so sad this episode. I think deep down Archie knows that his and Veronica’s relationship is ending and he is struggling with that because he does care about her and he does love her, the last thing he wants to do is hurt her but at the same time I really do think he has fallen out of love with her and now he has these deep feelings for Betty but because he loves and cares for Betty as well he wants her to be happy and he believes that she has no feelings for him. Plus he doesn’t want to hurt Jughead either because he cares about him too. As a result I think he’s feeling very overwhelmed and stuck right now like he’s backed into a corner because no matter what he does someone is getting hurt. Knowing Archie he also is probably putting all the blame on himself and has just decided that everyone will be better off with him gone, but on the flip side of that he is also probably afraid of being left alone, he says to KO that all his friends are going to college and he missed the boat on that so he could feel like he is going to be left behind. Basically Archie’s having alot of feels right now and it’s kind of tearing him apart.

But another one of my favourite moments between Archie and KO is KO’s reaction to finding out that Veronica has a speakeasy. Which leads into the scene that made me so so uncomfortable. Look I had guessed that Veronica was likely to find the song, I even put it in one of my theory posts I even predicted that maybe Archie would end up having to sing the song and Veronica would figure out it wasn’t about her. But what I never would have predicted in a million years is that Veronica would be the one to sing the song, so well done Riverdale you got me there. Honestly Veronica being the one to sing the song made it a thousand times worse, I mean the secondhand embarassment was real. Just the whole time I wanted to look away but couldn’t. However I do want to talk about Archie and Betty’s reactions really quick.

The really interesting thing about this scene to me is that they actually don’t show us Betty and Archie’s reactions straight away. First they show us KO’s reaction who smiles clearly recognising that this is a love song, I mean he doesn’t know what’s going on, all he knows is from Katy who has told him Archie and Veronica love each other, he’s likely listening to this song and just thinking oh Katy was right they really love each other. The next reaction they show us is Jughead’s and to be honest he doesn’t really react much and I think this is suppose to show that just like Veronica he is very much in the dark and has no idea of the storm heading his way. It is only after being shown their reactions that we are shown Archie’s reaction and you can see that he is hurting, he remembers back to when he tried to play it for Betty. We also get to see Betty’s reaction and obviously she is shocked but she also looks really sad. I think she has been trying really hard to ignore her feelings for Archie and so this is a reminder that she wasn’t expecting and it probably pulls those feelings up again. What is interesting to me is that Betty is the first one to look over to Archie not only that but she maintains her gaze on him she doesn’t look away, Archie however when he does look over to her immediately looks away again when he sees that she is looking, she carries on looking at him for a few moments before also finally breaking her gaze away. It seems like Archie can’t maintain eye contact with her and I do think that is because of how much he is hurting. I do feel like in this moment he was more caught up in his pain at Betty’s rejection kind of like in 1x02 when Archie plays the song for the group and Betty just flashes back to Archie rejecting her and she can’t take it she just runs away. Well I think that is exactly what Archie is going through right now but he can’t run away because then people will know something is wrong and if they know something is wrong they ask questions and then someone will get hurt. The other thing I do think is interesting is in the flashbacks they chose to use clips of Betty smiling which to me was a curious choice in context of the scene. I mean it’s clearly not a happy scene, Archie is in pain, Veronica is singing a love song that was written for her best friend by her boyfriend plus jughead is there and yet they don’t show clips of betty looking sad, and there were shots of betty looking sad in that original scene so why have they chosen to show Betty as smiling? Personally I think it is to show that Betty might not be as over her feelings for Archie as she seems but only time will tell.

I think for Archie hearing Veronica sing the song is what makes him really start to question things. I mean that scene right after you can see he doesn’t feel comfortable kissing her and he is clearly trying to get away from her as quickly as possible. Also poor Veronica seems so surprised when he says good night without telling her he loves her. Though he does say it I do think she picks up that there is something wrong but I think she just brushes it off as him being nervous about the fight the next day. One thing I will say though and it is another complaint and does go back to that need for more characters to interact is I think there needed to be a scene with Betty and Archie at this moment. After Veronica walks away but before Archie leaves I think the story would have benfitted from Betty coming out and talking to him because it was really weird to me that she didn’t try to talk to him. I mean if it were me I would want to know how Veronica got the song, you know I would have questions so it was odd to me that Betty didn’t come and ask how it had happened, what did Veronica know? I needed more from this scene, I needed more depth. I appreciate that there were alot of plotlines going on so they might not have had time for it but tat just brings me to the nect thing I think Riverdale could work on. I do feel like this episode felt a bit rushed and that was because of how many plotlines were included, I do feel like Riverdale has this habit of overstuffing episodes with too many plots and so those plots feel rushed or not complete. I think if they have fewer plots going forward then they could flesh out the plots they do have make it a more complete story.

So that leads us to the events of prom. Ok so I probably shoudn’t have laughed at this, and in my defence it was more of a bitter laugh than anything else but that picture they showed of Archie, Veronica and Betty in the first few moments of prom really summed up the situation didn’t it. Archie being confused between Veronica and Betty again makes me think back to season 1 where you had a dance and a love triangle it really has come full circle in the most chaotic way possible.

For me one the saddest part of this episode was that moment when Veronica was telling Archie about her plan to defer Barnard for a year and she says ‘I’d rather lose a year than be out of sync with you, maybe forever.’ Not only do I think that this shows that Veronica has picked up that something isn’t quite right I think this is the moment that Archie knew he had to tell her the truth. Because he realises that they are already out of sync and they have been for a little while now. I also think it shows how much he does care about Veornica that he wasn’t willing to let her give up on going to college for him. I wasn’t at all surprised that Archie told Veronica the truth, I said before that I reckoned Archie would tell Veronica the truth but Betty would just lie to Jughead because that follows the pattern of the last time they kissed. I will say I have hella respect for Archie for telling her the truth, that clearly wasn’t easy for him and also he told her the whole truth not just that he had kissed Betty but that the song was for her. He could have taken an easier way out and just told her that he wanted to break up because of them graduating and distance or whatever but instead he told her the truth. But my heart did break for Veronica and that scene where choni, bughead and varchie were all dancing and seeing that contrast between the two other happy couples and then Varchie who you could just see them crumbling but trying to hold it together.

So I haven’t really been in the Riverdale tags since the episode aired because I didn’t want to get spoiled and I couldn’t watch it right away but I forgot to blacklist it too so I saw a couple of posts on my dash. From what I can tell this next scene was a bit controversial I spose you could say which is the one where Veronica and Archie talk and Veronica says they shouldn’t tell Jughead and that they will just go their separate ways after graduation. Some people said that she should have gotten angry and when I first saw those posts before watching the episode I 100% agreed I was actually a little mad and thought it was going to be just like in season 2 where Veronica and Jughead just shrugged the Barchie kiss off which made no sense. But having watched the scene I actually thought it was so much more heartbreaking the way they wrote it than it would have been if she had just gotten angry. I mean to me it seemed like she was just soo heartbroken that she didn’t have the energy in her to be angry she didn’t have room for anything else but the pain she was feeling and that just made that scene that much more heartwrenching and made me feel even more for her. Also I saw some say that her plan about not telling jughead and going their separate ways after graduation is too mature. But here’s the thing I don’t think its mature at all if anything I actaully think its very naive. I completely understand Veronica’s thought process and how she’s feeling here. They have two weeks until gradution, their last two weeks and these weeks are suppose to be ones of celebration and looking forward to the future with excitement and anticipation, they are suppose to be two weeks of cherising your friends and they’ve already got so much to deal with with the voyeur that she doesn’t want as she says to overshadow those two weeks with drama and break ups and not being able to talk to her friends and celebrate with them because they are all so hurt and angry. So instead she decides the best thing to do is pretend for two weeks like nothing is wrong. She probably thinks that its only two weeks and that’ll it’ll be easy to do. That’s why I think it is naive because I don’t think they will be able to just ignore the situation and pretend that its not there and that again just makes it so much more sadder. Really I feel so sorry for Veronica and for Archie, Jughead and Betty because they are going to have so much to deal with.

Choni and Family Feuds.

Ok so next on our list of topics is the plotline with Toni and Cheryl. This is another plotline that I enjoyed. I am glad we got a little more backstory for Toni and I really hope we continue to get more. This was another storyline that I thought was really sad. It’s all set off when Cheryl asks Toni if they can invite her family over for a dinner. I do think their situation was actually kind of similar to Varchie’s in the sense that Cheryl clearly was looking to the future of their relationship and making it more serious just like Veronica was looking to her and Archie’s relationship. But just like Archie Toni was keeping a secret that throws a wrench in hers and Cheryl’s relationship.

I will say that Madalaine did an amzing job this episode. But there were two scenes in particualr that blew me away and were really sad the first was after she asked about the dinner and she thinks that Toni’s grandparents might not be accepting of their grand daughter being in a lesbian relationship she starts to cry at the thought of having to pretend not to be her girlfriend. I really do think during this conversation she is remembering all the things her own mother did to her because she was a lesbian and the pain that brought her. Which probably makes it even worse when she goes to Toni’s grandmother and finds out that it’s not that she is lesbian but that because she is a blossom. I think Cheryl figured that if she went and had a friendly conversation with the grandma then she could help make her more accepting and more comfortable about Cheryl and Toni’s relationship. But instead she finds out that their problem is with her specifically as a person and who her family is. Cheryl has always been judged for who her family is and so I think this really hurts her and it brings me to the second scene that just made me ball my eyes which was at the end when Cheryl is crying to her Nana Rose and says that she knows that her and Toni won’t end up together and that the curse of the Blossom family and that she is destined to be alone. I mean when you think of everything she has lost, first her twin brother, then her parents however awful they were, all she’s got left is Nana Rose if Toni leaves her. But she knows that family is important and she doesn’t want to put Toni in a position where she has to choose between her and her family.

I also understand where Toni is coming from as well though, I mean she is in a very difficult position because she clearly loves Cheryl but their families have a lot of bad and painful history but on the other hand that’s not Cheryl’s fault. That scene as they are leaving prom was really bittersweet. Cheryl thanking Toni for giving her some happy prom memories to hold onto and Toni trying to reassure her that they will work things out while both their eyes are welling up just killed me. I really do hope that they can work it out.

The Kinks.

Yh I know I have already complained more than I usually do in these in reviews but there were some moments in this episode that made a feel a bit, well they just didn’t sit quite right with me so I figured I would put them all here as they aren’t major issues like the ones I talked about earlier.

1) Although I understand that Veronica felt like she was doing something romantic and supportive I didn’t agree with her taking that song and singing it without Archie’s permission. Even if it wasn’t that song just any song. To me songs are very personal things and so I just didn’t think it was right of her to take something so personal to Archie especially after he had already thrown it away.

2) This one might be a bit of an unpopular opinion and don’t get me wrong I love that Choni were prom queens but I hated that part where Cheryl stopped anyone else from signing up because to me it tarnished their win. Like they didn’t win prom queens they were given it because there wasn’t anyone else to vote for. I dunno to me it just would have been so much more satisfying if they had competition and they won it because people actually wanted them to win, whereas I feel like they way they wrote it made it seem like they won by default.

3) As much as I understood why she did I also don’t think Cheryl should have gone to speak to Toni’s grandmother without Toni knowing.

Theories

We are nearly done the last thing I want to do is just discuss some theories about what I think might happen next. These theories are based on the promo for the next episode and the promo pics that have been released for the graduation episode.

So it looks like Archie is going to go off the deep end next episode if that promo and Jughead’s comment about the straw that broke the camel’s back is anything to go by. I mean I think Archie’s comment in the promo to Betty of ‘are you kidding me? What isn’t wrong?’ really sums up Archie’s life right now, he didn’t get into the Naval academy, Veronica knows the truth and is hurt, betty who he has feelings for rejected him and then he gets a tape from the voyeur reminding him of a moment when he felt at his weakest, and on top of that it’s going to remind him of his dad and I really don’t think Archie has properly grieved and gotten passed his fathers death plus if I remember from the synopsis I think the guy who killed his dad needs his help which is who I’m assuming the guy in Archie’s room in the promo is. But I could see this leading to Jughead finding out the truth. I think Archie will start to act more and more unhinged as the episode goes on plus we know that he gets beat up by hiram which could lead to Jughead asking questions about why Hiram is upset with Archie and I think eventually Betty will confess out of concern for Archie’s behaviour maybe or something along those lines.

As for how veronica is going to react to her dad beating up Archie I don’t think she’ll be best pleased, she wants to pretend there is nothing wrong and to avoid any drama and her dad beating up Archie is not going to make that easy. I do think things are going to unravel pretty quickly from there.

I definitely think that we will find out who is behind the tapes in the next episode once that’s all wrapped up they can focus on graduation. I am still sticking to my Donna theory especially as the next episode is called ‘The Preppy Murders’ which is another name fro the stonies I kinda feel like they are just shoving it in our faces at this point that the stonies have a huge part of this. I know alot of people think its Charles but I hope its not. It’s not just because I like his character either but because the build up for that hasn’t really been there. I mean I can find so much evidence to suggest that its donna, the farmies terry and mr honey but there is only like two or three instances of Charles acting suspect and most of them can be explained away by him being an FBI agent. That doesn’t mean that they won’t have it be charles jsut that I would find it kind of anti-climatic if they did.

I can legit see the last few minutes of episode three being from the time jump and I reckon it’ll be that scene from the trailer where betty has a gun and I think it’ll be something along the lines of them finding out Polly is missing or something that sets up what the mystery for season 5 will be.

Ok that is all I’ve got right now. If you have read to the end then thank you, What did you guys think of the episode? Are you happy Riverdale is back and what are your theories for the rest of the season?

#riverdale

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raw-fresh · 3 years

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Coraline

.What is the title of the film, who is it by, and when was it made.

A novella by Neil Gaiman published 2 July 2002 was adopted to a stop motion film on 8 May 2009 directed by Henry Selick who also directed the nightmare before Christmas that is also another stop motion film.

.Describe the main character is. Including how they have been made.

The main character is well Coraline, a young explorer who is very resourceful at every moment.

The other mother, the villain of the store, appearing to be a more positive side of Coraline’s real mother until she loses her patience with Coraline refusing her evil plan...

Wybie is a loveable anxious dirk who lives with his grandmother who is the owner of the pink palace apartments.

Cat has no name except wuss puss is a mysterious character and gives off a sense that he knows more than he leads on.

.What does the character do?

In the story, Coraline moves into the pink places with her mum and dad who works as a gardening catalog editor that makes them very busy looking after Coraline the best that they can. When Coraline gets a task to count all the doors and windows and everything blue from her bothering her dad she goes off to complete the task. As Coraline explores the house with some hijinx she soonly finishes her task and before she could go back to report to her dad she finds a mysterious small door that will take her to another world with the other mother waiting for Coraline to arrive.

.Is colour important in this film? How?

Colour is used very cleverly in the two worlds,

Real-world:

They’ve used low contrast to show that where Coraline lives in a bland, boring area except Coraline to show that she more interesting or even to show that she doesn’t belong in this time or area.

The other world:

It’s full of color in warm, happy, joyful. They’ve used this color to make the other world seem better than the real-world. That the end the color palette trunks drastic with dark and bright to make the scenes more disturbing.

.How is lighting used?

There a lot of lighting situations where I can’t quite tell if scenes were made by 3d or still stop motion but how they used lighting is great and there never seem to miss a scene.

.Is there speech and music? What effect does it have?

For music, the only one that comes to mind is “Exploration, when Coraline is exploring the house Exploration” comes on it’s a simple and quiet song so that the viewers don’t get distracted by exploring the house because it is our first time seeing the house. But all the songs are fitting to the movie especially “other farther songs”.

.How are you drawn to particular images?

Coraline chases one for the other mother’s mice to the little door, she opened the door to then be shocked to see what’s inside, the tunnel that connects to the other world. The tunnel in this scene is beautiful in the way it extends its self to reach the other side and as its doing that the lights and color start appearing in a way to make it seem magical or even a dream-like state so that Coraline would be curious to go through and see what’s on the other side.

Another scene I love looking at is when Coraline and other Wybie go to see Mr. Bobinsky’s circus mice perform they have to go outside and for a couple of minutes you can fully see the hole of the pink palace in the dark. It’s nice to see the light coming out of the house, it makes the lifelike.

.How does it end?

when the other mother gives Coraline buttons to stitch onto her eye Coraline freaks out and runs to her bedroom to fall asleep that she can go back to the real world as she typically does but she is unsuccessfully to get away that way and the only way back now is to use the little door as before.

Coraline goes to the door and the other mother reveals that has been waiting for Coraline, the room and all furniture have been modified into an insects-like design then after arguing with the other mother she puts Coraline into a hidden magic mirror.

In the hidden mirror Coraline meets the ghost children, they tell her to locate their missing eyes to be free of the other mother, soon the other Wybie helps to get her out of the hidden mirror and out of the other world

As Coraline is out of the other world she soon finds out that her parents have been gone and nobody hasn’t seen them for a long time,

she gets a message from Other mother that she’s taken her parents so Coraline goes back to rescue them.

Before Coraline saves her parents she first has to locate the ghost kids’ eyes after the timer runs out,

luckily Coraline finds all the eyes in time with the help of the cat,

Coraline goes to other mothers to show her that she gained all the eyes and now she can leave forever but Coraline knows better than trusting Other mother to let her go that smooth so Coraline tricks other mom to open the little door.

Then right after the other mother turns around, Coraline throwing the cat that she and he’s scratched out her button eyes,

Coraline escapes but the other mother’s needle hand tries to stop Coraline from throwing away the key but in the Coraline is victorious and throws away the key and hand,

A week later everything goes back better than it was before.

How did the film make you feel?

As a kid, I was somewhat fascinated with the story my best memory of it was when I was discussing with my best friend how I was scared of it but couldn’t stop watching it and she agreed with me. Yet now rewatching it I can’t help to feel nostalgic from it, It a part of my childhood and so it never seems to get tiring or dull everything, I’d enjoyed watching it again.

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ccnqueror · 4 years

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DAD TO THE BONE.

d. Monday, 27th April to Friday, 1st May.

l. Lucius’s apartment, above Button and Bows.

w. 1382 words.

“I’ve never seen a baby before.”

Lucius bounced about in line, craning his neck to see the mandrakes being handed out. He had always wanted a sibling -- many a birthday wish was dedicated to this sole need. Mrs Malfoy, unfortunately, did not think the weight gain was worth a child (”You mean a second child?” Lucius used to ask); this was one of the only desires the Malfoys did not indulge their son with.

Gawain did not seem to care very much. He barely acknowledged the blond, standing there with his arms crossed. Lucius ignored him. Single fatherhood sounded so martyr-like, and Lucius craved nothing more than the imagery of a saint -- he would wander about the school, draping himself over various surfaces like a woman in a painting (maybe he’d let his chest out, even) and complain about the woes of deadbeats.

Lucius beamed.

“I’m going to be a daddy!”

MONDAY.

It was going well, thus far. Lucius, thankfully, lived above a clothing boutique; it was only too easy, dressing the child-thing. By noon, he had a whole drawer full of baby clothes in all sorts of colours and fashions. The mandrake proved to be far wrigglier than he had expected, though nothing a quick Petrificus Totalus could not fix. Was hexing one’s child against the rules?

Never mind that, though, for the mandrake was now lying in a crib, wearing a light pink romper with the words, ‘Daddy’s Princess’ on it. There had, of course, been a small crown to accompany it, but the mandrake did not appear to like head-wear very much.

“It’s a mandrake, not a woman-drake,” said Abraxas, who had been forced to floo over with a box of his son’s old baby things. “Why are you dressing it in girl’s clothes?”

“Hypocrite,” Ava snorted. She was Lucius’s landlady, and an old friend of the family’s; she had made plenty of baby clothes, for both Lucius and her own two boys. It was strange, adding a mandrake to that exclusive list.

Abraxas sneered. “I’m not the one who wanted to put him in that.” He nodded towards a frilly dress from when his son was three. Lucius held it up, pouting. The mandrake would not fit.

“Do mandrakes even have a gender?” Whispered one of the landlady’s sons, a boy Lucius often babysat. He was staring at the mandrake as though it were an Azkaban escapee, or, more accurately, a weird dirt-dweller that had stolen his toys. “Like, does it have a wiener?”

His little brother giggled. “You said wiener.”

Lucius smacked them both upside the head. “It’s a girl,” he declared. “Her name is Cissy.”

TUESDAY.

He felt like a zombie. Day one had been fun, yes, but night one was not. If only he lived in Malfoy Manor again, where the child could be placed on the other side of the house so that crying could not be heard. It was rather unlucky for Lucius(’s house-elf) that the apartment was not so spacious; alas, the wailing was as piercing as ever, though Hogwarts had promised no side-effects.

Lucius had discovered something new that morning, though. He had been so tired from the previous night, having slept through only 80% of it, that he had broken out his de-stressing kit. And so there he lay, at the centre of his bed, with an avocado face mask and cucumber slices.

Cissy, as it turned out, liked them very much. Abraxas, who had stayed in Hogsmaede the previous night, made a worrying comment about her liking plant-matter on her face. Lucius considered the thought briefly -- briefly. It was a very worrying comment indeed.

“You need to be nicer to her,” Lucius complained, lifting a cucumber slice to stare at his father. “You’re her grandfather, and I want you to be a good one. My grandfather always yelled at me.”

Abraxas rolled his eyes, having already eaten the cucumbers. He reached out for Lucius’s, saying, “That’s because you were a git.” He recalled many a time when his father-in-law had to discipline little Lucius -- no stealing cookies, no pushing your cousins, no copying your father. That sort of thing.

“Well,” said Lucius, “Cissy is a very good girl, and she deserves a very good grandfather.”

“Change that stupid name, and she might get one.”

Lucius narrowed his eyes. “Get the hell out of my house.”

WEDNESDAY.

Sleeping had improved. Lucius had moved the crib from the living room to the kitchen, where his house-elf slept. The door was promptly silenced. Any night-time-happenings were left to the elf, who was looking thinner and thinner every day.

“What’s this dirt doing on her dress?”

The elf swallowed thickly, wringing its hands. “Dobby is sorry, sir, Dobby was only trying to help.”

Lucius kicked him. “Go bathe in boiling water, you filthy animal.” He cuddled Cissy closer to him, rubbing at the stain. “There, there,” he cooed, “Daddy will get you a new dress.”

He had just finished changing her when the doorbell rang. Lucius immediately called for the elf, only to hear loud yelping and the splashing of water. Well, no need to bother its nice bath; besides, it’d be nice to show off Cissy’s dress to someone other than Lucius’s childhood stuffed duck, Waddles.

“Ugh,” said Lucius, having opened the door. “It’s other daddy.”

Gawain stared down at his arms, Cissy’s eyes blinking up at him from under a baby’s bonnet. He looked lost for words, like he was too enchanted to speak.

“I came to see if you needed anything.” Gawain frowned. “You look like you’re getting along well.”

“Say bye-bye to other daddy, now.” Lucius slammed the door shut. “He has to go to Azkaban to visit his daddy.”

THURSDAY.

Parenting turned out to be one of the easiest things he had ever done. Cissy was not a difficult baby to deal with; the elf dealt with the difficult things, of course. It needed a bath almost daily, now, from smelling so terribly from all the diaper changes. Or was that its natural smell? Honestly, Lucius had never interacted with the thing so much before.

The puking was another issue. Babies, apparently, vomited a lot. He had been upset for the first few days, when matching clothes were ruined. Now, though, Lucius spent most of his time just in his pants, talking to her without holding her. She seemed to like the sound of Lucius’s voice just as much as he did; and Lucius spoke to her increasingly often. Maybe it was the lilting cadence of his voice, but Cissy liked to listen to him wax poetic about her future stepmother.

“How does one describe the most beautiful creature to have ever existed? He would say. “Narcissa is a one-of-a-kind, the sort of person you have to see to believe. Her hair, it’s so shiny, golden like the colour of Zeus’s ichor -- and her eyes, bottomless, drowning eyes, blue like the sky... Her whole face is perfection, a masterpiece; she has this cute little nose, but it’s pointed up, arrogant, like she’s better than everyone else, and she is, because they could never be so beautiful. Her jawline, it’s perfect, it fits in my hand; I swear, her whole face was made to be cupped in her hand, her hands were made to be held by me. And one day, I will hold that hand, one day I’ll put a ring there and she’ll be Lady Malfoy, and I’ll be her Lord, and we’ll live in the manor, together, us and our children -- oh, Merlin, Dobby! Dobby! She’s done it again! Good Lord, how does something so small smell so badly? Dobby, for the love of God, take her away before my whole nose rots off --”

FRIDAY.

“They took her away.” Lucius sobbed. “They took my baby away.”

Abraxas stared at him. “It was a mandrake.”

“Don’t,” Ava hissed, glaring. “He’s very upset.”

“They’re just going to kill it and use it for a potion.”

Lucius wailed.

“There, there,” said Ava. “Professor Slughorn promised he’d put her into a lovely hair-care potion for you.”

He felt better after that.

#(( you taste like heaven but god knows you're built for sin || lucius ))#i can't believe i wrote a whole paragraph about narcissa wtf #my brain just about died writing that #sleepingddrabble

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underthemoon-and-stars · 5 years

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Are you willing to write a Stucky with a child that has Cystic Fibrosis? If so, can it be a domestic fluff? Like Bucky finds the kid and they remind him of Pre-serum Steve so he and Bucky take them in. Thank you if you can. (I'm sorry just want to see a CF character in a fandom I love)

Hi dear!! I was very nervous to write this as I wasn't very aware of the symptoms of CF. I went on a lot of medical sites and I think I have the information right? If not I am so so sorry and I will redo it!! Also I'm going to make their child a daughter but feel free to switch up the pronouns! -Selenophile

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition, which means that it is something you are born with. Cystic fibrosis is known to cause your lungs to produce extra-thick, sticky mucus. This mucus builds up and clogs your airways. Side effects include persistent cough with phlegm, postnasal drip, wheezing, shortness of breath, inability to exercise, as well as poor growth and low body weight despite a good appetite.

Y/N reads the doctors note every day. When she was younger, she didn't understand one word of it. At two years of age she would hand over the card to the family that had high hopes of adopting a little girl. They would usually leave without her. Her housemother, Mrs. Hamilton, always played it off as a different type of superhero form the comic books. Not a lot of adults want superhero babies. It was so easy to believe that. Now she’s 18. She getting released into the real world Luckily, her friend offered her house just till she can find a college to stay at. Y/N had to learn the hard way that adults don't want a sick kid.

“Hey kiddo” Mrs. Hamilton said, her tone soft like silk. “You read that dumb note everyday. It means nothing.”

“It apparently does. No adult wanted me in my 18 years of being here.” Y/N retaliated.

“Don't think about that. They didn't deserve you anyway.”

Y/N sighed and picked up her tote bags. “I’ll miss your kindness, Mrs. Hamilton.”

“You have my number if you need me.”

“I know”

They shared a long tender hug. Y/N pulled away once she felt a little tickle in her throat. The tickle sadly turned into a whole fit.

“Hey, if you ever need me to pay for your Bronchodilators, please text me. I don't mind.”

“Of course Mrs. Hamilton. Ill see you around.”

And with that, Y/N made her way down the stairs. This place, so familiar, was now going to be apart of her past. She remembers running all around with her “brothers”. Patiently eating dinner with her “sisters” was the best. Even exploring the world with their gender-fluid and non-binary siblings was so exciting. Mrs. Hamilton and her always had the best talks. Mr. Hamilton helped with her homework. So, so many memories from this place. She’ll miss it.

The outside world was so much different now that Y/N was out on her own. She took her meds this morning, so that once gross, pollen-infested air didn't even bother her anymore. Her brave feet carried her away from the place she used to call home. The first order of business before heading to her house of 2 months though, get some lunch. Wendy’s has a pretty amazing salad and it was only 2 blocks down. Lucky for her, 2 blocks was her walking limit. Off she went.

That's where Bucky and Steve were enjoying a lovely lunch as well. Steve had a hamburger, and Bucky had some chicken nuggets.

“Alright dear” Steve said “Check Wendy's off your list”

“Already did. I think its pretty good! Not my favorite though.” Bucky replied happily.

The newly-founded couple have been going to one fast food place a week to introduce Bucky to different types. Any fast food restaurant one could think of, they're going. It was a mix of a date and bringing Bucky up to modern times. It was good for them.

“Bucky, all you get is chicken nuggets you should branch out.”

“Leave me aloneeee I love my chicken nuggets”

They giggled together, and returned to eating. That's when Y/N walked through the door. She was already panting. Not even realizing, she passed the two men who would change her life.

Y/N stood patiently, waiting to order. Bucky watched her. Her small, skinny stature reminded him so much of young Steve. Even the way she panted after walking in. Steve would do the same.

“Who are you looking at my love?” Steve questioned.

“Oh, the girl on line. She reminds me so much of you. Skinny, Small, I heard her panting. Look she's coughing now too. What was it called?”

Steve turns around and smiles “Bucky she's cute but what's your point?”

Bucky jumped up “I'm gonna talk to her!”

“That's cute love but please come back id like to enjoy our date before our next mission”

The long-haired man nodded, skipping happily over to Y/N. Just as he was approaching though, an older man came behind her and snatched her wallet. Bucky was ready to pounce, but Y/N was first to it. She was so weak, so she flung right off with a simple push of the man.

“Hey doll, you alright?” He asked softly.

She nodded weakly, already shaking. Steve rushed out the door to follow the man.

“That's my boyfriend, he’ll get your wallet. Why don't you sit with us? I’ll get your lunch! What would you like?”

Y/N looked up at him. “I-I” she took a minute to wheeze out a cough “T-that's too kind of y-you.”

“Please its my pleasure! what would you like?”

Y/N tells him a simple Caesar Salad. He happily picks her up, along with her stuff. Bucky told her where she was sitting, and she made her way.

This is so weird. Y/N thinks to herself. She takes a seat regardless through, watching the tall blonde walk towards the shorter brunette. She sees her wallet and feels at ease.

“She’s either a runaway or an orphan whos turned 18. We need to take her in” Bucky whispered into his ear.

“Or she's just heading off to college? I cant put a girl a risk” Steve whispered back.

“Please Steve. She reminds me so much of you. She cant survive out here one her medication runs out. And to be honest? She seems like she has a low dosage the way she's still wheezing and coughing like that.”

“One day James. If she changes my mind in one day, we can keep her”

Bucky happily kissed Steve's cheek. He carefully grabbed the salad and took it to the girl.

They ate together rather happily. The couple learned her name was Y/N. She’s and 18 year old girl who just came out of the system, just like Bucky hypothesized. To sum up her condition , she showed them the note - which was only kept for nostalgic purposes - which made Steve feel connected to her more.

“So no one adopted you because you have Cystic Fibrosis?” Bucky asked

“No one wants a sick kid”

Steve sympathized. “I used to have CF too. Once I got the super solider serum I never had to deal with it again. I understand where you come from though. Being constantly underweight and small, also no matter how hard you try you cant become better at exercise. I get it.”

Bucky took Steve’s hand and kissed his cheek. Y/N smiled, continuing to eat her salad. She didn't even question the fact that he was Captain America, she understands how it feels to be bombarded with questions.

They managed to convince Y/N to stay for the night. She fought them on it, telling them they were being way too nice for a girl who was about to ruin their night. Bucky continued to tell her to shush it, while Steve was having a change of heart.

It was a good night. They watched TV together, enjoyed a lovely home cooked dinner, talked some more about each other and even played some old timey board games. Y/N had the time of her life. No way on Earth would she do this with any other adult who offered her help. Since Steve had a similar experience and Bucky helping him through said experience, it gave Y?N the confidence to take the offer. She never regretted it

That one day became one week. That one week became one month. The one month became a year. Steve and Bucky were there every step of the way. Convincing to ask the little web slinger Peter Parker out to prom, taking said prom pictures, helping Y/N with homework, taking her on cool adventures. The day of her high school graduation they gave her the gift of a car. She gave them the official title of Dad. When the papers for official guardianship were clear, it was the happiest day of the trio’s life.

Now, its the night before Y/N goes to college. Her bags were packed. Her small, cozy bedroom looked so vacant now. Her dads were cuddled up on the couch.

“Got any room for a jellybean?” She asked softly.

“Yes we do! Always!�� Bucky cheered happily,splitting apart from Steve. The small girl jumped in, which was a big mistake since she was already taking deeper breaths.

“Did your school accommodate for your CF?” Steve asked, giving her a big fat kiss on her cheek.

With a giggle, she replied “Yeah dad, They put me in the closest dorm to the classroom. They also put me on the lower floor on the dorm building. AND Peter said he was gonna help me out.”

“You and Peter are too cute, I'm happy he takes interest in you”

“Thanks Dad 2″

Y/N leaned right into her dad 2 where she was scooped under the chilly metal. Steve got up, moving to the fleshier side of his husband. Yes, in the year Y/N lived with them, they finally got themselves together and got married. Y/N was Bucky’s maid of honor, and she joined in on the couples first dance.

They watched the stupid soap opera that was on late at night. all three of them couldn't even keep up with what was happening.

“Dads, I love you” Y/N blurted out.

“Woah kid, you better catch your breath, because we love you too.” Bucky responded as Steve reached over, playing with the girls hair. Her happy giggled gave Steve and Bucky the message: they changed this girls world.

Send all requests to the Inbox!!💌

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dannyphantomtransfemau · 4 years

Text

Grave layers off misunderstandings chapter 6 TW: emotional abuse, sexist behavior, a bit of stereotypical canon violence this show has.

Once they were on the road, Danielle felt pretty sure whatever ghost was at the shop would have a pretty hard time following them, of course, life was never that easy for her, she heard a crash and the car jolted, Sam looked to Danielle expectantly, Danielle whispered: "i can't, your mom would see". Mrs. Manson sighed, "Danielle i can still hear you, what don't you want me to see?".

Well, that's just great Danielle thought to herself, "well you might as well show her now, trust me my mom is good with secret identities, she kept the fact that i’m Non-binary secret for me, for years" Sam argued.

That's true Mrs.manson thought, she thought she knew what secret identity they were talking about, the kid was obviously Sam's other friend from before, it took her a bit to see past the makeup, Sam had done a good job on it, most people wouldn't notice the similarities, she also assumed that Sam had given her a stuffed bra to make the effect of the breast,

she also suspected the girl had the revelation of her being a girl today, "Sorry, this is probably going to freak you out a bit, I'm going ghost!", Danielle then transformed into her ghost form, Mrs. Manson gasped, well that was not what she was expecting, "you're the ghost kid?!" Danielle then frowned slightly "yeah, please don't tell my parents."

Mrs.Manson gave Danielle a sympathetic look, "honey, I won't tell your parents about this, or your other secret identity, both of these are very personal, you get to decide how and if you want to come out on both these things."

Danielle looked confused "other secret identity? Wait… You mean you knew who i was?" she asked.

"It took me a while but i figured it out, but don't worry I doubt others will. now go kick some ghost butt dear.” Dannielle then flew off and began to search for the ghost attacking them.

''It didn't take long to see a massive figure aiming what appeared to be a rocket launcher at her, “skulker” Danielle said to herself, as Danielle flew closer she heard skulker say “what, the ghost boy is now a ghost girl, i cant hunt a girl, it wouldn't be sporting!” Danielle crossed her arms at him “and why not?” she asked, skulker, scoffed, “everyone knows the females are the weaker sex”, this really ticked Danielle off, “wow skulker, what era are you living in? you know what now i’m going to kick your butt, just on principle alone”

skulker seemed surprised by this, Danielle then gave a swift uppercut to skulkers jaw, skulker spit out a tooth, “huh, ghost have teeth still, who knew?” skulker then kicked Danielle in the stomach, “ow, I thought you said you couldn't fight girls” skulker shook his head at her, “no i said i couldn't hunt girls, there are no rules about defending myself against them or fighting fights they start”, Danielle then threw an energy blast at skulker who dodged it and threw another punch Danielle managed to phase through,

she had to take the fight more seriously now that she knew skulker could fight back, Danielle tried to kick skulker but skulker had caught her leg and threw her into the nearest building luckily she recovered fast enough to phase through, she looked around her surroundings to try and find skulker again, then she noticed the varsity jacket, a bunch of art books and some papers that looked like they had some pretty complicated equations labeled, guild stats,

then she heard the yelling of an angry man, “DASH GET IN HERE!” dash then arrived on the scene looking worried, “yes, sir?” Danielle had never seen dash look like this “want to tell me why you missed practice?” the man said bitterly.

“i was in detention, Mr. Lancer caught me not paying attention in class again” dash explained in an almost trembling voice, “And what exactly were you doing to cause you not to be paying attention? oh i know what it is, its that pansy art of yours isn't it? Well no more of that, the only way you'll make it to any sort of college is by football at least according to your grades that is.” the man which now Danielle assumed was Dash’s father had marched over to dash’s room and picked up one of the art notebooks, which dash had drawn Danielle in her ghost form earlier today, dash rushed in after him “dad, no i worked hard on those”.

“Work you could have been putting in at practice,” he said as he ripped the notebook in half, that was the final straw for dash, “you know what, i’m gone. You only ever care about football” dash made a straight line for the door, “YOU LEAVE OUT THAT DOOR, DON'T BOTHER COMING BACK!”,

dash looked at his father one last time, “don't worry, I won't”. Then dash slammed the door behind him, Danielle had no idea dash’s home-life was this bad, she had always assumed he was the spoiled rich kid type, she had no idea who to tell about this but she knew she had to tell someone, maybe jazz.

it had all happened so quickly it felt like hours but it had only been a couple of minutes playing out in front of her, but she had more pressing concerns at the moment, she still had to go teach skulker a lesson, she flew around the city till she found him again in a park, the fist to fist approach had not worked, so she decided to go the sneaky route, she got right up behind him and opened the ghost thermos, the last thing she heard skulker say was "oh crud", then her ghost sense went off again,

“really, 2 ghosts in one day,” she said to herself, she turned around about to open the thermos again but saw it was ember McLain and she wasn't actually doing anything just kind of lying on the grass, “uh, can i help you?” she asked looking at ember, “actually you can, and I can help you as well, you want to find Desiree right?” Danielle looked confused at this, “uh yeah?”.

Ember then picked herself up from the ground “well, I have a pretty good plan to get her attention”. Danielle crossed her arms and stared at ember “if this involves making you famous so you can suck people's life force from them again, then forget it”.

Danielle was about to fly off but ember interrupted her “your only half right, it does involve making me famous but no life force draining, look all i want is to me and my music to be remembered, i never actually wanted to take peoples life force away, that was just an unfortunate side effect of my powers, but I figured out a way to get famous without hurting anybody, get famous in the ghost zone, if i get famous there, then Desiree will be sure to show up eventually, she can't stand to be left out of any event, I know she told me so”, Danielle couldn't think of a reason not to help her, it would get her out of her hair for good, and it was a generally nice thing to do, “alright, ill help, and I have a pretty good idea who might be able to help us make this happen, But it will take some time to do."

#emotianal abuse #sexisem #canon violence

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seekthemist · 5 years

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I have not been able to stop thinking about Adam meeting the Lynches when Niall was still alive and being THIRSTY A F for Ronan's dad, it has been on my mind ALL DAY and I don't have the time to do a fic but one isn't magically appearing for me to read. How dare you. (💖)

Referring to this post over here.

LISTEN, THE LYNCHES ARE UNFAIRLY HOT AND ADAM AND HIS BI THIRST HAVE ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING.

And I mean, I was procrastinating wildly so excuse me while I just...

The thing is, in a universe where Niall never died and the Lynch family was never broken into pieces, Monmouth Manufactory keeps being the headquarter of the gang’s missions--when they don’t reconvene at Nino’s--and Ronan keeps them studiously away from the Barns.

Adam thinks he has a good grip on the Lynch family. He met Matthew, and Declan more than once, because the three brothers are messy but intertwined. He even occasionally witnessed Mrs Aurora Lynch molding Ronan into an approachable and affectionate human shape under the weight of some liberally applied motherly love--the type that left Adam quietly miserable on the inside and standoffish on the outside for the rest of the day.

Ronan’s father travels a lot and Ronan always has heat in his voice when he can be persuaded to talk about him, mostly by Gansey who apparently met Mr Lynch enough times to feel entitled to courtesy enquiries. That, too, is unrelatable for Adam, so he purposefully does not even try to dig deeper into it.

How much difference can it make, to be missing the head of the family? Adam has to deal with enough quiet yearning for the dynamic of the four-fifths he knows personally--and with Ronan’s heated stares, hidden in plain sight, leaving Adam to wonder what can this well-loved boy want from him, what can Adam possibly have to give him.

The only known fact is this: every time Ronan’s father deigns Virginia with his presence, Ronan bails on them as if it’s the Second Coming his catholic heart had been waiting for. Even worth texting Gansey over it.

But this time the boot of Ronan’s BMW holds a little pile of obscure books that Gansey recovered in an even more obscure town library at the border with Washington D.C., and apparently they have to have them.

Blue refuses to come all the way to the Barns in Gansey’s Camaro--which, to be fair, is notoriously unreliable and will make her late for work if stranded as its usual at the roadside. Adam steps out alone from the passenger's seat, and Gansey doesn’t even bother locking the car before leading their way to the main house.

The Barns are generally an organic mess, from what Adam has seen in the rare times he was brought over--alone like a cherished secret, for afternoons in which anything Ronan wanted to share with him hasn’t included his family or their friends.

Today, it’s more like a funfair striking through a war zone, or vice versa.

There is a shiny SUV at the drive away closer to the porch, all the doors and windows are open and for some surreal reason even the animals have gathered around--not only the barn cats or the chickens, but also the cows, and the rabbits, and Adam is pretty sure that thing moving among the closest trees are actually deer.

Adam feels his forehead tense with the disbelieving raise of his eyebrows, but Gansey is already advancing through the open front door so Adam can’t ask--he can only follow.

“Hello, good afternoon, this is Dick, may I be excused for the intrusion?” Gansey asks to the empty hallway, with a polite knock over the door frame to announce himself further.

The fact that he introduces himself as Dick induces another wave of thick envy--the type that is too close to longing--coling in Adam’s stomach. Apparently the Ganseys’ refinement is not enough, and Gansey can smoothly fit himself in another family as well, for good measure.

He drags his feet on the porch, unwilling to tag along like a third wheel--maybe not unwelcomed but not belonging. There is plenty to entertain himself with, after all, surrounded as he is of basket and boxes and fabric bags. It would be a perfect scene from a messy moving, be it not for the fact that the Lynch family has been firmly planted in Singer Falls for the last twenty years.

There is something shimmering through the tape fixtures of one of the boxes, overfull enough that the cardboard of the covering mismatches at the sides. Adam gravitates closer to it as leaves rustle in the wind and birds sing obliviously over the branches.

Even though he crouches beside it, head tilted sideways as if a different angle might give him different insights, Adam would never touch Ronan’s family properties.

He wouldn’t, so he doesn’t know why he feels so guilty when he finally notices the shadow looming over him--over him, and the box, and Adam doesn’t even know how long it has been there.

He jumps to his feet, turning around, and the person behind him doesn’t even move of half a step, forcing Adam to just face him.

The first impression of Niall Lynch is like a little note travelling unexpectedly through a time portal. This is how Ronan is going to look in fifteen years or so, a treacherous voice whispers in Adam’s mind. The blue of his eyes is exactly the same colour, the cut of his face is sharper with age and only made more marked by the not-so-casually perfect stubble. In the light of the afternoon, there are shadows on his face, bent and mutable, cast by the dark curls that frame his face--wilder than Declan’s primness, less innocent than Matthew’s cherubic look.

It’s so difficult, to look away, even if just to take in the effortless mixture of closes that bring casual into business-causal into actually I’m not so sure I care.

Adam’s mouth runs dry, and then drier, as Ronan’s father let him stew in silence and something that is not quite discomfort.

“So, was it interesting?” Niall Lynch says, with exactly the same accent as Ronan, but a bit more marked, his voice lower and whispering as if this is a private mischief between the two of them. “The box, I mean.”

“I didn’t touch anything!” Adam has the embarrassing suspicion that his cheeks are burning, guilty over something that has very little to do with trinkets spread over the porch. “I wouldn’t, Mr Lynch, sir.”

“Wouldn’t you…” Mr Lynch trails off, disbelief teasing in his tone. He raises his voice with distracted self-assurance. “Ronan, you misplaced one of your friends.”

Hearing him call for Ronan makes another wave of incongruent guilt rush through Adam, effectively silencing any attempt on witty reply. It is ridiculous in the first place, to yearn for a witty reply, and yet faced with Niall Lynch’s presence--staged as if they were all playing in his theatre production--Adam cannot not help but feeling the pull.

“Do you want to know what’s inside that?” Niall asks.

It’s a trick question, obviously, and Adam still stumbles over the trap and tries for argumentative with very questionable results. “I looked like it was shimmering, I wouldn’t touch it...but I thought it was interesting.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s plenty interesting,” Niall smiles, and for a moment it’s as suggestive as it feels dangerous, perfect white teeth flashing through.

And then, just as smoothly as he arrives, Ronan’s father walks away and cuts every bargain Adam really feels like making about the content of that box. It’s an infuriating power move, and Adam’s eyes stares him a bit too much on his way towards the inside of the house--all confidence, in all forms.

Adam squirms on two feet, swallowing thickly by himself, just to counter how much he feels like gaping over this first impression.

He should move but he doesn’t, especially because facing Ronan right now would be stupidly complex.

Someone should have told him that Niall Lynch was like this, and at the same time Adam wishes he never knew so first-hand.

#the raven cycle #adam parrish #Niall Lynch #My Writing #headcanon #EXCUSE ME WHILE I JUST CASUALLY WHIP OUT FICLETS!!!

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thewhiterabbit42 · 6 years

Text

Kibble

Pairing: Gabriel x reader Summary: Sam and Dean ask Gabriel to cat sit for you, and it leads to a surprising discovery. Request: @nobodys-baby-now “What did you do to me?!” Word Count: 4885 (oops) Warnings/Tags: fluff, men acting cute with animals, confessed feelings, one soft archangel

***Please do not repost, reproduce, or copy my work to any other site without my written permission. Giving credit does NOT count.***

This was beneath him. The archangel Gabriel, Messenger of God, a being so powerful he could snap entire countries off the map, was cat sitting. Apparently, being part of Team Free Will put him on duties even the Winchesters wouldn’t deal with.

Pride aside, he was so not a cat person. Dogs had always been his thing, with their goofy, lopsided smiles, and the way they’d wag their tails so hard their entire butt would shake whenever he returned. His dad had really done the world a solid when he designed their lineage.

Cats, on the other hand, had to have been one of Lucifer’s creations.

The only reason he’d even agreed was because your name had come up in the conversation. Something about it being yours and you being on a case. At least that’s what he assumed. He hadn’t really bothered with the details, and, to be honest, they didn’t matter, so long as he had the opportunity to score some brownie points with you.

Ok, so maybe he knew exactly what he was doing there. Potential payoff or not, it didn’t make him any more enthused about spending the next however many days with your feline friend.

He stepped up to the railing, eyes scanning the bunker below. He tilted his head, hands moving to his hips when he couldn’t see or hear a single sign of his new charge.

“...Alright, you little bastard, where are you?”

***

He stood outside your bedroom, hovering at the threshold. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. Was going in without your permission because your furball had pulled a disappearing act technically an invasion of your privacy?

Indecision kept him caught in a web of what ifs, until his thoughts began to wander to just how many other nights he had lingered. Not in this spot, of course. That would be creepy. Within these walls. Well beyond his welcome. Hoping he’d receive a coveted invitation back to your room.

It wasn’t about sex. Not just about it anyway. He already couldn’t refuse you much. There’s no way if you dropped trou in front of him he’d remember the word no, let alone the English language, even existed. It was the thought of you allowing him someplace no one else had ever been.

At least, he assumed that was the case, given how much you valued your privacy.

However, the problem still remained that he hadn’t found a single sign of your cat. He almost considered just snapping you a new one, until he realized you’d probably murder him - or worse, exile him from your presence - because he lost your precious Mr. Meowmers. Mittens? Whiskers? Regardless of whatever obnoxiously adorable thing you’d named it, he was so screwed if he didn’t find it.

Maybe it was a prank. Maybe all of you were on your way back, having a good laugh over his inevitable panic when he came up short one furball. In a few hours you’d come strolling in, teasing him about stooping to pet duty before holding up some take-out and saying the only cat I invite into my life is from the Yum Mei Palace, dork.

The frantic beating of a tiny heart suggested otherwise.

He pushed through the door, ears straining for the source of the sound. It was coming from the far corner, and as he peered through the darkness toward it, his brow immediately snaked up. There, against the wall, was an abysmal sleeping situation that had to be too small for just about anything.

At least he knew, without a doubt now, that no one was staying in that bed with you, unless they were the size of… well, a cat.

He appeared next to the headboard, trying to figure out the best course of action. Did he just get rid of the bed altogether, grab the thing, and hang around to see the look on your face when you came home to a California King and silk sheets?

He shook his head. You’d probably find a reason to shoot him over that.

He’d have to think about it. The bed that was. The old-fashioned way probably worked fine for the cat. He crouched down, making a clicking sound with his tongue as he tried to coax it out. It scrambled along the carpet, an inaudible thump reaching his ears as it slammed into the wall, trying to escape.

“Easy, numbskull, I’m not going to hurt you”. The response he received was a resounding hiss as he poked his head beneath the frame. “Okay, then. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.”

It made no difference to him if the it was sedated until you came back. Cat’s slept most of the day anyway, right? What difference did a few extra hours make?

He reached for it, intent on dragging it out by the scruff of its neck, when he froze as the most pathetic sound reached his ears.

… was it crying?

Ah, shit. That was not what he’d been expecting. Cats were supposed to be stuck up little assholes who pushed drinks off tables and left hairballs in shoes, not terrified little masses capable of making such terrible noises.

“Alright, alright you win,” he winced throwing his hands up in defeat as dropped down onto the floor. “I’ll wait until you’re ready to come out.”

He scooted up against the wall, fishing his phone out of his pocket. “Just had to be a cat person, didn’t you,” he muttered, loading up a game of Candy Crush.

***

He lost track of how long it took for the furbrain to calm down. It certainly took its sweet time easing out of panic mode into curiosity. By the time it began to creep across the carpet, Gabriel was stuck on what might have been the worst level in the game yet. He got so into it, he almost forgot about his charge, until a dainty black paw emerged, swiping at one of his shoelaces.

He snorted, and the little limb made a hasty retreat. “I’m not gonna hurt you, kibble.”

An indelicate meow reached his ears. Was that offense he sensed from it’s peanut of a brain?

“Yeah, well, what else would you be if you’re such a scaredy cat?”

This time when the paw appeared, it went straight for his pant leg.

He chuckled. “I’m shaking in my boots.”

He conjured a shoelace, dangling it closer to the bed in an attempt to draw it out. It took several minutes of play to distract it, and when it finally pounced, Gabriel was surprised.

“You’re just a little guy,” he realized, grabbing it by the back of its neck and gently dragging it out from beneath its cover. It gave an indignant yowl, flipping itself around and exposing its stomach.

“Excuse me, girl,” he amended, watching her curl herself around his wrist and kick in an attempt to get free. He scooped her up, the movement startling her and almost sending her fleeing back into her hiding spot.

“Hey, hey, hey, pumpkin, it's ok,” he soothed as she began to cry again, her small frame trembling in his large hands. “I’m not going to hurt you, promise.”

He released a calming burst of grace, cradling her against his him as he waited for the effects to take hold. Once her fear had dissipated, she settled against him, an almost inaudible rumble starting in her chest as he gently stroked behind her ears.

“See? I’m not so bad.”

She let out a breathy mewl, as if unconvinced, eyes owlishly looking up at him.

“Those are some peepers you have,” he commented. They were remarkable in an animal, the blend of colors deviating from the normal yellowish hues most black cats had.

She chuffed as if to say you’re full of it, head turning away where she buried it in her paws.

Some personality as well.

He was impressed. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

***

He looked up from his phone as the pile of fur in his lap shifted. Her back arched as tiny limbs gave a languid stretch.

“Enjoy your cat nap?” He asked, lips twitching in amusement. She blinked, staring up at him as if just remembering his presence. Her eyes narrowed shrewdly and, unless he was imagining it, wholly judgmentaly, of him and his pun. “What?”

She rose, turning herself around with her nose in the air when she suddenly froze. The hair along her spine stood on end, her claws springing out from between her toes and digging through denim.

“Easy on the goods, squirt,” Gabriel warned, a little panicked as he pried her off the center of his jeans. “What’s got you all in a tizzy?”

She let out a frantic meow, and he cupped her in his hands, nestling her against his chest. She continued to stir, wide eyes looking around the room in alarm.

“...have you not been in here yet?” He questioned, inanely, as if expecting a response other than the way she tried to climb him like a tree. “Woah - relax,” he hissed, her claws piercing the thin fabric of his shirt and catching his skin. “I just moved us to more neutral territory.”

He caught her by the scruff of the neck, delicately lifting her off him and turning her around before supporting her back paws with the palm of his hand. “Kibble, this is the library. While it can be a thing of evil in regards to the lack of fun it contains, I assure you, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Library, meet the smallest, and arguably furriest, member of the Scooby gang.”

Her ears went flat as he lowered her to the floor, small body backing up until it came in contact with his boot.

“There will be none of that,” he insisted, nudging her forward before disappearing from the chair. “You’re gonna end up scared of your own shadow the rest of your life if you don’t do something about it now.”

He reappeared several feet away, instantly regretting his decision when an awful keening sound broke the silence.

“For the love of - I’m here,” he waved his arms emphatically. “Right. Here.”

The noise stopped, delicate ears perking up as her head snapping toward his voice. She made a dash in his direction, tripping over her paws in haste and becoming a bumbling wreck of ungraceful limbs. She managed to stay upright until she reached him, one of her claws catching on the throw rug he was on, sending her sprawling at his feet.

She blinked up at him, a little dazed.

“Not the most coordinated, eh?” He crouched down, unsnagging her before he scooped her up again, bringing her eye level. She walloped him on the nose, the tiny tap thankfully claw free, and his brow swept up with mirth. “And feisty to boot.” A thought crossed his mind as she began to chew on his thumb. “Or are you just hangry?”

He received a pitiful noise in response, and dropped her back on her feet.

“Come on, Kibble. Let’s go find you something other than me to sink your teeth into.”

He walked toward the door, pausing as he neared it to make sure she was following. He watched her try to keep up with him, awkward gait stumbling every few steps. At this rate, you and the Hardy boys would be returning well before he and the furbag made it anywhere near the kitchen.

“Jeez, you really don’t know how to use those things yet, do you?” He plucked her up from the ground, plopping her onto his shoulder. “I know you know how to use these,” he tickled at one of the claws still hanging out on her back foot. “So hang tight, and try not to fall off. Your owner would literally tear me a new one if I broke anything on you.”

***

“Ooooooo-kay, then,” Gabriel said, brows furrowed as he closed the last of the cupboards. There was no nothing. No cans of cat food. No dry mix. He couldn’t even find a single bowl or water dish for her.

“You new in town, or what?” He asked, leaning down on the countertop and playfully flicking the kittens tail. It whipped back and forth a few times before she turned, attempting to pounce on his hand. He pulled it away at the last second, dragging it down the length of the countertop and chuckling as she scrambled to catch up with it.

“Sorry, but archangel is not on the menu tonight,” he said dryly, giving her a soft nudge once she caught him. She lost her balance, flopping over onto her side, where she began to make a noise as if she were languishing away.

“Drama queen, much?” He stroked beneath her chin as he thought. “Well, I have no idea what your standards are but I, for one, cannot stand what they try to pass off as food for you.” He made a face just thinking about how the smell lingered in his nostrils for hours. “Which means you are in for a treat.”

He snapped his fingers, conjuring everything a cat might consider eating. Everything from Roasts, whole chickens and turkeys, to a variety of fish appeared on a buffet line of tiny plates, every miniature version just the perfect size for her. She licked her chops as the delicious smells wafting over her.

“There,” he gave the bridge of her nose an affectionate rub. “If you can’t find something appealing out of that lineup, you’re on your own.”

***

“Don’t panic!” He shouted, unsure who the command was directed at more: him or the animal practically running in circles. Frantic little cries accompanied the frenzied equivalent of the feline’s pee dance. Think, Gabriel, think… where would the litter box be?

“Hey-ay-ay-ay!” He hissed, his back going rigid as she leapt onto it. Tiny claws nicked skin as she scaled her way up onto his shoulder, paws swatting insistently at something behind him. He craned his head, trying to figure out what she saw, only to find her batting away at thin air.

“Yeah, not certain it’s the best moment for kitty crazy time, but whatever helps you keep your legs crossed.” A desperate growl was his only response as she darted across his neck to the other side of him, repeating the motions.

It took him another few seconds to realize she was trying to tell him something.

“Angel, right,” he muttered, snapping a pan into existence as he snagged her off his shirt. “Now, are you a fan of cedar chips or --”

The high-pitched snarl was enough for him to blink the standard contents into existence before tossing her in the center of it. Her ears reared back, when he continued to stand there, her teeth bared in an indignant hiss.

“... are you serious right now?”

The yowl was slightly less pitiful, but there was no mistaking the displeasure behind it.

“Alright, alright, I’ll turn around,” he huffed placing his back to her and hearing her continue to make noises under her breath.

***

He was running out of ideas on what to do.

He had regaledher, in detail, of many of his past adventures, and embarked on some of their own in an attempt to get her familiar with the bunker. The library had practically become a kitty paradise with ramps, scratching posts, and all sorts of perches to explore. Toys littered the building from one end to the other, and at one point he had even conjured live game, though his charge had seemed less enthused with those.

“Pretty certain it’s supposed to be the other way around.” Wryness tugged at the corner of his mouth, eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched her leap off the floor to safety while a mouse scurried past her feet. He laughed, smoothing the hair down along her spine before snapping the rodent back out of existence. “And I’m pretty certain your owner has the same problem, so you better work on that now if you don’t want to find yourself out in the cold.”

He picked her up, scratching affectionately along her cheek so she wouldn’t mistake his teasing for an actual ultimatum. She responded by rubbing against him, contentment radiating into his fingertips through the vibration of her loud purr.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” he said, holding her close as he flew them to the den. He dropped back onto the couch, settling her on top his chest as he reached for the remote. She seemed content enough to lay down, her eyes glancing toward the tv as he turned it on.

“Now, what should we watch?

***

Gabriel inhaled, letting out a deep sigh and jostling the dark pile of fur on top of him. All he could find was sappy romantic comedies and bad sci-fi flicks, the latter of which weren’t nearly as good without you there. Little limbs stretched forward, paws hitting his chin.

“Why can’t it be as easy as it is in the movies?” He grumbled. She cracked an eye, head tilting curiously as he ran a finger along the back of her ear. She stood up, body giving a quick jiggle from head to tail as if shaking off her sleepiness, before sitting. Casually, she started grooming her paws as if he hadn’t just admitted something embarrassingly vulnerable.

Then again, he wasn’t sure what else he expected from a cat.

“It’s all the same thing. Boy meets girl. Boy saves girl. Boy and girl bond over harrowing experience, and BAM. Happily ever after. But has she ever look at me any differently?”

The kitten stopped what she doing, ears twitching as he continued. “How many times have I saved her? How many monsters have I fought with her? How many horrible movies have I watched because that’s what she likes?”

The cat gave the beginnings of an indignant growl.

“They are horrible. Just wait until she makes you sit through one,” he insisted. “I’ve asked her out on countless dates to every place imaginable. Paris. Rome. Bora Bora.” The kitten lost her balance, his entire body moving as he gestured emphatically while he spoke. “I’ve done everything I can think of to show her I’m interested. I bring her favorite treats. I take her for terrible takeout. I try to go places above two stars, but it’s like she doesn’t think she deserves anything better…”

He stared up at the ceiling, missing the way the cat’s eyes grew wider and wider.

“I wish she understood how beautiful she was.” You were attractive, sure, but the kind he was talking about went deeper than that in a way that had become increasingly rare over the last century.

He sighed again, frustration switching to heavier sentiments. “Maybe it’s for the best. All I’ve is screw things up. Why would this be any diff--”

Two paws landed squarely on top of his lips, his small companion practically pouncing on his mouth. He glanced down at her, and she looked just as surprised by her movements before she began to yowl at him.

If he didn’t know better, he’d almost think she’d understood what he was saying. Maybe she did, on an instinctual level. Animals were good at picking up on things humans often missed.

He flicked her feet aside. “Don’t worry about it, Kibble. I’ll be fine.”

She walked forward repeatedly rubbing herself against the side of his face before slinking beneath his chin.

“At least one of you is sweet on me,” he said, nuzzling against soft fur as she curled up against him once more.

***

He didn’t often sleep. Boredom (and if he was honest, moping) were often the cause of him switching off for a few hours. Dreaming while asleep? Even rarer.

He couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to be having one of you. He could feel the warmth of your body spanning his. You were laying on top of his chest, head tucked beneath his chin, your legs nestled between his in a way he could only, well, dream of.

He reached up, fingers slipping through your hair as they gently stroked through tousled strands. He wondered what you would be wearing. Would it be one of your old t-shirts? Maybe one of those strappy tank tops you preferred in the summer? Or maybe he’d finally find you in the soft flannel pajamas he bought you last Christmas.

His free hand stirred, fingertips trailing down along your spine, and what he found had him biting back an instantaneous reaction.

Nothing. You were wearing nothing.

So, it was going to be one of those dreams.

He took his time, tracing tiny circles down your back, enjoying the simple contact of his fingertips moving freely upon your skin. He got as far as your waist before you made the most intriguing noise. It was almost a cross between a soft sigh and a purr.

You’ve officially spent too much time with that furball.

The thought dissipated as you began to awaken. You arched your spine, the curve of your backside easing up along with your shoulders. The cutest, sleep-laden sound slipped past your lips, eyes fluttering as you tried to blink the sleep from them.

“Gabe?” Your voice was thick, raspy, as if you’d been asleep for days. “I… where…” You raised your head up in confusion. A chill blossomed across your skin, raising goosebumps in its wake. Your eyes widened, glancing down the front of you, and the moment they met his gaze again he knew he was in trouble.

He also knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was definitely not asleep.

“What did you do to me?!” You hissed, accusation flooding your tone.

His stare matched your own, panic shooting through his veins.

“What? I - I didn’t --” He met your burning stare and his jaw dropped. Your eyes. Not just the color of them, but the shape. They were slightly distorted, the irises just a hair too oblong, the pupils too sharp along the top and bottom.

Oh shit.

He immediately snapped up a blanket, watching you clutch it around yourself before scrambling back toward the opposite end of the couch.

Father, he was such an idiot.

Your stare suddenly widened, burning accusation snuffed out as you pawed at your ear, your face, down the front of you, before you took an anxious glance down your back.

“What the hell, Gabriel?!” You demanded, your cheeks a shade of red he’d never seen before.

He put his hands up defensively in front of him. “Now wait just a minute --”

“Don’t even,” you warned, and if you were capable of killing him with your bare hands, you might have in that moment.

Your tone suggested even if you couldn’t, you might still try. “You turned me into a cat!”

His phone interrupted the quickly snowballing catastrophe, buzzing along the floor and belting out the Winchesters’ ringtone.

It’s the end of the world as we know it

“I should probably -” he flinched at the look of pure murder that flashed through your gaze. “... get this.”

It’s the end of the world as we know it...

He snapped, putting the call on speakerphone, where Dean didn’t even give him the chance to answer. “We ganked the witch and destroyed the doll-cat-whatever-thing, which should have ended the spell. How is she?”

His lips twitched, unable to stop the sarcastic remark from flying out of them. “Looking a lot like she just got her tail yanked. Minus the tail.”

“... just the tail?” Dean asked, confused.

You finally hit your limit. “Will someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?”

***

He didn’t blame you for needing some time. Transformative magic could be rather disorienting.

He could hear your movements from where he sat in the kitchen, playing with the greek coin he’d picked up centuries ago. He tapped it against the table, listening to the water run in the shower attached to your bedroom.

As the only female, you were the one the boys had given the bedroom that obviously was reserved for the head honcho. It was the only one with it’s own bathroom attached, a luxury that had saved him building you your own wing so you wouldn’t have had to share the communal showers with the rest of the occupants.

He listened to your footsteps as they padded back across your bedroom, likely finding something to wear. You lingered, all sounds stopping save the even in and out of your breath and the steady, if not a little elevated, beat of your heart.

By the time you emerged, he’d begun spinning the coin across the tabletop, the slightly uneven ridge causing it to spiral out in an ever widening circle. You paused at the threshold, lingering longer than was normal. A tension blossomed in that short moment, one that tingled across the distance between the two of you.

“God, I hate witches,” you muttered, leaning against the doorframe. He wondered what he’d see if he looked up at you. He could already tell that things had changed.

He wasn’t certain he was ready to see how much had just yet.

Whump. He slapped his hand down onto the table, smothering the coin before picking it up again. He put it back on its unstable course, a little too vigorous with the send off, causing it to bounce with a tat-tat-tat. “So. You were…”

From the corner of his eye he watched you run a nervous hand through your hair.

“A cat? Yeah.”

Whump.

“Right.” He cleared his throat, unsure of what else to say. He had spent the last two days being the biggest sap. Lugging a kitten around. Doting on it. Snuggling with it every chance he got.

Not it. You.

Tat-tat-tat.

“How much do you remember?” Nope. No awkwardness here. Everything was status quo. Business as usual. Casual, casual, casual.

Whump.

You finally moved, slowly making your way toward him.

Tat-tat-tat.

“I dunno,” your brow furrowed as you rubbed at your face. “I’m - it’s a little…”

Whump.

You paused near the table, searching for the right word.

“Fuzzy?” He supplied.

Your mouth dropped open, and for a moment he expected to be booted straight from the bunker.

“Shut up.” You were caught between amusement and anger, failing to hold back a smile as you thwacked him soundly on the arm. “God, you’re such a dork.”

His lip curled in response. “Sorry?”

You snorted, side eyeing him as you made your way to the fridge. “No you’re not,” you told him, pulling open the door and grabbing a beer from inside.

He wasn’t, but that was because he couldn’t be sorry about anything that made your face light up that way.

“Guilty,” he shrugged. A thick silence fell between you. It was distinct; the first in so long he couldn’t remember. Mostly because the last time it had happened he’d gotten drunk, miscalculated the flight, and landed straight on your motel bathroom floor… while you were showering.

But he tried extra hard to forget that night never happened.

He tapped the coin on top of the table, eyes dropping back to the metal where he gripped it tight. “... I really didn’t know it was you.”

You nodded, and this time it was your turn to look somewhere else other than at him. It only confirmed what he suspected: you remembered. Everything.

Well, it had been nice while it lasted.

“So. What now?” Even as he asked, he prepared himself for the excuses. Which one would it be? There were so many, and as much as he’d like to think none of them fit the type of person you were, there was always an excuse with him.

“Well…” You moved beside him, waiting for him to look up at you; ever the coward, he found it impossible, his stare riveted on the coin he’d always thought of as lucky until this moment.

“I’m not really feeling up for Bora Bora yet, but… maybe we could start by watching some more terrible movies?”

His forehead wrinkled, eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out if he’d heard you correctly. You reached forward, hand tentatively brushing over his. The contact had sparks shooting through him, short circuiting his mind in conjunction with his surprise until there wasn’t anything he could do but stare at the fact you were touching him instead of running in the opposite direction.

“Figured we could start with something easy. If you’re still interested, that is.” You bit your lip, confidence faltering as he remained frozen in place. Tense seconds inched onward, and it took your eyes muting in preparation to retreat to finally jump start his brain again.

“Depends,” he said, linking his fingers through yours before you could pull them away. “Will you still sit in my lap and let me stroke you?”

He finally looked up, and the smile that splashed across your features was one he hadn’t seen before. It was as shy as it was bold, and he brought your hand to his chest, drawing you closer in the process.

“Play your cards right, feathers, and maybe you’ll get your belly scratched this time.”

Still a few more things planned for Octoberfest. Don’t miss out!

Send an ask to be added to tags (everything, character specific, or Octoberfest only) OR follow @rabbit-writes (my fic only side blog) and turn on notifications.

Friendly reminder: these are 18+ only with pornagraphic content, and by requesting to be added or following you are confirming you are old enough to view such material.

ALL the tags:

@girl-next-door-writes @fand0maniac @feelmyroarrrr @baritonechick @lucifer-in-leather @blondecoffeecake @ourloveisforthelovely @tistai @room-with-a-cat @authoressskr @revwinchester @flufy07 @tardis-is-mine @tangle-of-ivy @luciferseclipse @mrswhozeewhatsis @protectivedestiel @angelofwinchester17 @crowleys-poppet-queen-of-assgard @phantomwarrior12 @jeanjeaniethings @wontlookaway @copperseraphim @fandomsrourlives @archangelgabriellives @shadows-and-padlocked-hearts @mizzezm @disneymarina @zpandaqueen

Gabe Squad:

@bloodstained-porcelain-doll @lacqueluster @samikitten @kazosa @nobodys-baby-now @acarpouschimerical @a-wing-and-a-pen @tricksterxangel @cipherwheeldecoder @megasimpleplan4ever @azlinh @fruitiplierq @koithings @booknerd1324 @the-kryomancer @karichanarts @sherlockedtash88 @archangelashiah @calamitychaos @erisunderthemoon @hankypranky @missihart23 @curious-trickster @gabegirrl86

#gabriel x reader #fluff #supernatural fanfiction #Gabriel #supernatural fanfic #octoberfest 2018 #rabbit writes

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ridiculissa · 5 years

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SPOILERS! my thoughts after watching 13 reasons why season 3:

Overall, I think it was a successful season. I actually like how there is more seasons and not just the first one based off of the book. Season 3 (especially the final ep) reminded me a lot of HTGAWM, just a high school version.

I appreciate how Tyler was an example of a character who considered suicide, but was able to seek help and get better, which unfortunately wasn’t an option for Hannah. His character really grew during this season and it was great. That scene with Tyler breaking down and explaining what happened to him was HEARTBREAKING. It was great to see so many people support him, even those you would think would be unlikely to, during this season.

I love how Dr. Singh was depicted as a mental health professional who was actually able to do her job correctly and assist the characters, unlike Mr. Porter. I love how Tyler included her on the wall of photos at Monet’s.

I don’t know how I feel about Ani. When the season started, I was really confused on who she was, why she was being so nosy, and why she knew everyone’s secrets. She is not my favorite character, and honestly I wish I could have seen more of Tony or Zach or even CHLOE or any other charcter besides her, who was in every single episode. I was so mad at how she allowed herself to get close to Bryce even though she knew what he had done. However, I do see how her character played a somewhat important role. (I feel like a lot of people are jumping on the hate bandwagon without developing their own opinions)

Alex kind of annoyed me this season too? I mean, he was never one of my favorite characters but idk. Does he think he is invincible because his father is the Sheriff? One day he’s taking steroids and snorting cocaine with his girlfriend’s former rapist and the next he is throwing the same guy into the river. It seems like he doesn’t think twice about anything. I do feel bad for him since he has been through a lot and I do hope he is able to get the help he deserves next season, but he irritates me.

Zach and Chloe’s friendship was sweet. & I really appreciate the realistic abortion scene & journey. I wish they showed more of this friendship or even Chloe’s character at all throughout the season.

I love all the mothers?? Ani’s mother: always looking out for her. Bryce’s mother: was there for him when he was trying to better himself and is able to acknowledge both the good and the bad about her son and others in her life (her father and grandfather). Hannah’s mother: super passionate and caring about those that were in Hannah’s life, even after her death. also incredibly strong, inspiring, and honest. Clay’s mother: supportive even when there is evidence that her son could have committed murder, also adopts justin and on Thanksgiving says she will provide whatever help he needs to recover from his addiction with no judgement.

Justin! Ah, I love his relationship with Clay and also with Jessica. He has also grown a lot through the seasons. It upsets me that he kept going back to drugs but it is hard to recover from being an addict, and it took a lot of strength for him to ask for help on Thanksgiving.

Clay always has the same expression and it bugs me lol. He is such a good friend though, honestly. It is creepy how obsessive and jealous he gets about girls but when it comes to his friends, he will do anything to help them.

It bothers me how they tried so hard to make the viewers feel sympathetic towards Bryce, but i also understand how they were trying to show that changing for the better is possible and I am upset that we couldn’t see what he could have become.

Monty is disgusting and I really didn’t feel bad for him at all, even when they threw the father into the mix (okay maybe a little) but in all honesty a lot of people had shitty dads and were able to grow from that experience and become a better person. Monty decided he was going to be a complete POS. He deserved to go to prison and I don’t care that he died, I also don’t care that he was also blamed for murdering Bryce.

The whole protest at Bryce’s funeral was horrible. Yes, Bryce was also a disgusting person who raped and abused many girls but a funeral is not the right time or place for a protest and will not get the right message across. It is disrespectful to the family. I think the principal was right, and I believe that he actually did support Jessica and her club and was trying to help her by preventing her from making mistakes that could ruin her movement. Also, I am glad that the other leader of the HO group (can’t remember her name and I’m too lazy to find it) came around at the end because she really got on my nerves most of the season. A lot of times the feminist movement was put in a negative light but I also think that was to highlight that there are right and wrong ways to go about things.

In general, all of the characters say fuck too much to the point where it pretty much loses its effect. Also, they all say “Jesus!” excessively when acting shocked/surprised. I wish there was a little more creativity and variety in the writing.

I know this is a long post, but it was over 13 hours of content that I had a lot of opinions on lol and this isn’t even all of my thoughts! Did anyone feel the same way about anything?

#personal #diary #13rw #13 reasons why #13 reasons why 3 #13 reasons why season 3 #netflix #netflix original #series #tv series #teen drama #teen tv #high school #tv show #personal blog #multifandom

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marvelousbirthdays · 5 years

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Happy Birthday, marvelfanuniverse

May 20-Jack Rollins/Beth the Waitress? With the prompt, “That’s an order. Obey.” With a healthy dose of both fluff and crack, for @marvelfanuniverse

Written by @iamartemisday

The fifth time Beth Jackson was almost kidnapped by a wanna-be supervillain, it was decided that she should have a bodyguard.

Jack Rollins did not volunteer for the job, no matter what the official report said. Very few within SHIELD were aware of the ‘HYDRA Rehabilitation Program’, as it had come to be known for lack of a suitable acronym. It was Coulson’s idea and Rogers backed it because it allowed him to simultaneously be a shining hero who saw the good in everyone and a sadist who could get off on the suffering of his enemies.

Asshole.

Granted, babysitting a waitress wasn’t the worst gig in the world. Somewhere out in the desert, Brock was chasing after Dr. Foster and her crew, trying to stop her from blasting herself into the sun. Sitwell had been given desk duty at a high security holding cell in Antartica, and he didn’t even want to think about where Ward was. The poor bastard.

Compared to all that, this was a cake walk.

His schedule with Beth was simple. Guard the door while she ate breakfast, guard the street while she worked her early afternoon shift at the diner, guard the halls while she attended evening classes, and guard the window while she caught a few hours of sleep in between.

She never tried to sneak away (at least not after the first time), she didn’t go out partying every night, and her wildest inclination in life was to walk past Central Park at sunset with her purse in hand.

It was easy, but by God, was it boring.

“So how long is he going to be following you?” asked one of Beth’s friends whose name he was supposed to know but hadn’t bothered to memorize.

“Until the bad guys realize I’m not dating Captain America.”

They were at a bar celebrating the end of midterms. Five or six students getting drunk and dancing. Jack must have been like them once. Sure, he never finished college, but when you get recruited at nineteen to be a part of the biggest intelligence agency in the world, who needs formal education?

“I don’t get it,” said Friend no. 2, who had taken three shots already but showed no signs of disorientation. “All you did was serve him coffee a few times. How does that translate to dating?”

“I’ve been asking myself that same question for weeks.”

Jack took a moment to assess the building one more time. So far, no suspicious activity, no unfriendlies barging in. Security threw some guy out for groping a waitress, but that was about it. Nothing for him to do but stare at Beth and her faceless posse until she was either too drunk to continue or as bored as he was.

“I mean, not that dating a superhero wouldn’t have its perks,” said Friend no. 1. “Especially that particular hero, am I right?”

Beth shrugged. “Steve’s a good guy and a great tipper, but to be honest, he’s not my type.”

“You have a type?”

“Of course I do. Everyone does.” Beth’s eyes flicked to Jack, or was he imagining it? “I’d prefer a… rougher sort of man.”

Yeah, definitely imagining it.

Jack took a walk around the perimeter, checking all the blind spots and calling in his hourly report. If Fury didn’t get one every sixty minutes to the letter, that fancy little brace around Jack’s ankle would send a ‘non-lethal but discomforting’ shock of electricity through him. Jack finished the message and gave it a read through, deleting all the expletives before hitting send.

When he went back to Beth, she was talking to a man.

“We’re performing on Saturday at this place on 6th Street. It’s our first gig with Bobby on bass.”

“You nervous?”

“Nah, I’ve been doing this for years. I just hope Bobby will be okay. Anyway, if you want to come-”

“Ms. Jackson,” Jack said, a little louder than necessary for how much distance he’d covered. “I’m afraid there is a slight situation. You have to come with me.”

He took Beth by the arm before she could protest and led her across the room. Only when there was a crowd of bargoers between them and whatshisface did he allow her to pull away. “What are you doing? I thought you were supposed to ‘maintain distance’ or whatever.”

“I’m supposed to keep you safe,” Jack grumbled. “Part of that is making sure you don’t get lured into potentially dangerous situations with strange men who only want one thing.”

That last part sounded like his dad with his little sister. Poor Mr. Rollins had tried so hard to instill good morals in his children and look where it got him. One was a former HYDRA agent and the other married a personal injury lawyer. There’s just no helping some people.

“You are not talking about Ethan.”

Jack glanced over her shoulder. Ethan was now on the phone and covering his free ear to hear whatever was being said. “Do you know him as well as you think you do?”

“He goes to my school.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. You can think you know a person for years, especially someone like him, and just when you think you’re safe and you can let your guard down-”

“He’s gay.”

“He’s gay,” Jack repeated unthinkingly. “Wait, what?”

Beth rolled her eyes. “Bobby is his boyfriend who just joined his band. He’s inviting everyone to come and see their first show together.”

Jack blinked. “Oh… but you still need to be careful. It’s not just supervillains, there’s a lot of creeps running around.”

“Trust me, I know,” said Beth. “I’ve been to all the seminars, had all the self-defense classes, and no offense to you, but I was doing just fine with a can of pepper spray before all this kidnapping stuff. I only ever had to use it once.”

“Sorry it’s not so effective anymore.”

“It’s okay. Paranoia aside, you’re not too bad to have around.” She let out a yawn which almost made Jack yawn in turn. He kept his jaw firmly shut as he checked her eyes for any sign of drugging. They were clear as ever (and a nice shade of brown). “I think I’m going to head home. Care to follow me in your car?”

“I’d rather just drive you.”

“What if I want to stretch my legs?”

“You can do it tomorrow at the gym. Indoors. With cameras.” Jack took her hand like they were some random uninteresting couple nobody would think twice about. “Now let’s go. I’m parked around back.”

“I don’t know…” she’d be more convincing with that coy little smile. This girl had the worst poker face ever.

“That’s an order. Obey.”

“And here I thought you worked for me.”

She sashayed out of the bar, not caring a wit about the three separate guys Jack caught eyeing her backside. He sent them running with a glare and stepped out to find her waiting by his car.

So she could listen after all.

‘Maybe she likes taking orders,’ said a voice which seemed to radiate from a spot much lower than his head. ‘You know, from rough sort of man.’

‘Shut up,’ he told it. ‘She was not talking about me.’

‘Would it be so bad if she was?’

Jack didn’t have an answer for that, and as the months passed, and the kidnapping attempts continued, and his assignment was extended to the end of the year ‘just in case,’ and he started spending every night in her apartment drinking coffee and making conversation like they really were just two people enjoying each other’s company… it actually sounded pretty nice.

#Jack Rollins/Beth the Waitress #jack rollins #Beth the waitress #fluff #crack

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cosmicflowchart · 5 years

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do you have any Colin + kitty + pearl family headcanons? Your writing is lovely it'd be great to hear your thoughts :)

aww thank you, that’s so sweet!! and yeah i do :D these are sort of broad and disorganized, and there’s a lot of ‘em, but here’s what i think the ritmans get up to:

kitty and colin first met at a gay bar. colin had just started bleaching his hair and was actually kind of nervous that people were now, you know, seeing him with it

kitty slid in next to him and asked, “who does your hair?” and when colin said, “I do,” she fired back, “i could tell. still, not bad for a first attempt. keep at it, mate.”

colin might’ve been a bit intoxicated, so he laughed. even if it was a bit of an insult, she came back so quickly that it caught him off guard, in a good way.

(sidenote: kitty’s way funnier than colin is. colin knows computers and timelines and conspiracies and all that shit, but kitty can make anyone laugh, especially colin.)

later, as they started hanging out more, they discovered they were the only two bisexuals at that bar and (supposedly) in that part of town

they started dating like three weeks after they first met

kitty bleached her hair the day after they started going out together and colin was like :OO and she just went “i think it suits me, what do you think?” and he was just. jaw on the floor, man.

all of their gay friends assumed they were each other’s beards/that they were both just gay/homosexuals and were like “oh that’s so sweet of you, what good friends!” but nah. they were into each other and they were still very bisexual

they had to deal with so much biphobia and erasure it was ridiculous. at one point kitty considered dying her hair the color of the bi flag so people would get the hint, but colin talked her out of it (striped hair is the one style that kitty doesn’t look good in)

when they got married, they dyed their hair the same color–bright green. was it tacky? absolutely. did it match the outfits they had picked out? nope! did they care? fuck no.

they didn’t have an elaborate ceremony, they’re both really private, but they did invite friends

parenthood????? ?? not the plan at all!!! neither kitty nor colin wanted kids–they bonded over their mutual disinterest in (and disgust with) them

kitty and colin don’t get along with their parents so they were afraid they’d turn out like said parents, and that their potential children would grow up without grandparental guidance

but when they realized kitty was pregnant, it never crossed their minds to get rid of her; they just thought “oh okay, this is happening, let’s figure this out”

and it took them a few months of slaving over the well-being of this incompetent infant ((parenting is super fuckin hard alright)) before they realized that like, hey, they’re actually doing this! somehow!!

you remember that smile colin has when he looks down at baby!pearl in his arms in that one bandersnatch path? yeah, imagine that smile, but every time he so much as looks at or thinks about pearl. he’s just like wow okay i made a human holy shit

even when pearl’s done something dumb he’s just like that’s my girl

actually. when she does do something and fails, he does the whole “you failed! and it was wonderful!” thing from meet the robinsons

kitty makes fun of him for it, not because it’s not masculine (colin doesn’t give a shit honestly, gender’s as much of a prison as reality is), but because she knows exactly who he’s looking at when he makes that exact smile and she’s like okay what did our child do now

he didn’t take nearly as many hallucinogens the older he got, parenthood makes that way less responsible–and he definitely didn’t want kitty to be the One Parent in charge when he was home

kitty. is so soft. like not just personality wise but just in terms of touch. she’s also the best damn hugger in the world

colin and pearl are notably not huggers except when it comes to kitty for this exact reason

neither kitty nor colin are very good cooks. pearl can kind of cook, so when she hit about seventeen she started cooking for them

the takeout folks know who the ritmans are. they ended up being friends of the family once kitty was about three

despite the stress and time demands of his job, colin made every effort to go to every event pearl was in, even if A) she claimed she didn’t need him there or B) he had to stay up until 4 am that night finishing something.

he had no idea how much love he had for pearl until she appeared and he just. he kind of enjoys being a dad, even though he never expected to

pearl never achieved the same level of chill as her dad (and she tended to envy him for it)

so one day she just sat him down and said how are you so calm all the time?!?!?

his answer boiled down to A) he did a ton of drugs in the 80s and it probably fucked his brain chemistry permanently, and B) [more healthily] he’s just along for the ride, and you can only really control (if that) how you react and behave to what comes at you

pearl always found that really hard to do–like kitty, she found that things bothered her even when she knew instinctively they really didn’t matter–but she started going to therapy to sort through that

pearl started being interested in her dad’s career in her early teens; she wanted to rebel (as all middle schoolers do) but when she found out her dad–who she was pretty sure was just a giant Nerd–did all these edgy, critically acclaimed games, she just went hey dad whatcha doin and started learning from him

by 18 she was making her own games–this would’ve been 2000/2001-ish, so she’d still be making 2D games and shit, but she also started making 3D games after getting the right hardware

((the perks of having a massively successful game developer for a dad lmao))

when pearl showed colin her first completed game, which was (of course) a choose-your-own-adventure, he actually cried with joy. he didn’t burst into tears, but he welled up and had trouble talking for a moment. she was like “dad you okay” and he just kinda. he threw his arms around her. he’d gotten his hopes down for whatever the universe was in store for her but she got all the best parts of him and none of the bad stuff well okay she did but she was in therapy and that was helping A LOT

she was still convinced that she should’ve removed the government conspiracy track, it felt like too much for her first game. but colin loved it.

she was worried that her competition (which there wasn’t quite yet) would try and steal her work before she could publish it…..kitty reassured her that wouldn’t happen but like. what if

(she eventually grew out of her conspiracy-theory phase, but that didn’t happen until her mid-20s, before which she and colin grew way closer)

(oh yeah, pearl definitely grew up with a bit of paranoia. it had nothing to do with living with Mr. Conspiracy Theory himself, it was just a side effect of undiagnosed ADHD)

colin had always secretly hoped she’d get into programming, but he never forced the issue. if the universe wanted her to follow in his footsteps, it’d happen on its own. he didn’t want to influence her (and if she was anything like him, if he suggested she program something, she would have proceeded to very much NOT do that.

pearl has that same “don’t tell me what to do” streak that her dad (and kitty!) has, but faced worse judgment for it for being a girl, especially in school

…..prompting kitty to offer to come to school, and later pearl’s workplace, to kick their asses (usually joking???????? you can’t really tell with kitty)

when pearl was about six, and kitty offered to kick someone’s ass (well, when pearl was six kitty just offered to ‘talk them down’), pearl just said loudly, “eh it’s okay, if they make fun of me for throwing like a girl again, i’ll just beat them up myself”

kitty looked a little worried, but colin laughed from the other room so honestly, score one for pearl

pearl was like……..half joking

by the way, she has no memory of saying this at all

but it ends up being colin and kitty’s favorite story to tell and embarrass pearl with at parties

adult!pearl built her own computer, and when she showed it off to colin and kitty, kitty was just like, jaw on the floor, this is fuckin cool and pearl was just talking her through all of the parts she got and was real proud of herself :)))

colin had this big fuckin smile on his face before he just said, you showoff, and then praised her for real.

pearl tried pot during her first year of university. just a couple times, though. didn’t do much for her.

but colin knew when she came back from school. he could tell.

as soon as pearl realized he knew she tried to explain it, but he just went listen you have no idea how many drugs i did when i was your age, don’t sweat it love

bandersnatch (2018)……oof. that wasn’t fun. that was the one big argument they had.

pearl and colin, being almost similar personalities, did have their disagreements when she was growing up, but it was never as deep or prolonged as when colin found out pearl was remaking it, starring someone he kind of cared about.

it became an off-limits point of discussion when pearl called or visited, after an argument that was so bad that kitty left the room in tears.

both colin and pearl were like…….shit. so they agreed not to talk about it.

i’m stopping there because this got a little long-winded. but there you go~

#long post #kitty ritman #colin ritman #bandersnatch #black mirror #black mirror: bandersnatch #anon ask #ask #hc #headcanon #headcanons #pearl ritman #kitty #colin #pearl #KITTY SAID GAY RIGHTS

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wardencommanderrodimiss · 5 years

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Chapter 18: Klavier and Phoenix both know weird people, and Apollo is always suffering for it. also, there is the inescapable passage of time.

[Beginning] [Chapter Masterlist] [ao3]

In four successive days, Apollo spots crows following him on six different occasions.

The first is sitting at the kitchen window the morning after his conversation with Klavier. It watches him with a critical eye, and remembering that he has the magatama sitting on his dresser needing to be returned to Phoenix today, he goes to get it. Just out of curiosity, really; but the crow is gone when he gets back.

He counts as part of that same occasion the crows digging around in the dumpsters around back of the office when he arrives. After Klavier mentioned a witch and a crow hanging around bothering him, he doesn’t think he won’t be able to notice crows, but the trash seems like normal crow behavior. He knows they’re smart, but there was something very uncomfortable about the staring of the one earlier. He doesn’t bother with the magatama in his pocket.

Even though Phoenix did imply that he did want Apollo to go chase down Klavier, he doesn’t know whether that was supposed to be in the middle of a Thursday, without preamble, and not asking to take the magatama on the way out. Biking over, he prepared excuses. Phoenix enters the office around 10 am and Apollo, offering the magatama, cannot even get through “Sorry—” before Phoenix cuts him off.

“No worries. How’s Klavier doing?” Phoenix flips the magatama over in his hand the way Trucy sometimes spins playing cards.

“Not good,” Apollo says, because he simply wasn’t, “but I don’t think going for ‘spiraling off a cliff’, either.”

“That’s good to hear.” Phoenix is still fiddling with the magatama. “If you can, keep an eye on him still, would you?”

“Uh,” Apollo says. “Yeah, okay?”

Trucy shows up in the afternoon, her arrival heralded by her outside yelling, “Stop eating trash! You’re better than this!” and Apollo counts that as Crow Encounter 1.5.

The second is in the building lobby when he and Clay head out grocery shopping over the weekend. All three of them freeze and stare at each other. “You see it, right?” Apollo asks. Clay nods.

Apollo holds the door open for it on the way out and it squawks at him.

The third is at the kitchen window again that evening, every time he looks. He doesn’t have a magatama this time, can’t do anything but glare back at it. It flies away, croaking loudly, when he brandishes a barbecue wing (Clay ordered them and invited Mr Starbuck over to watch hockey) at it. He doesn’t answer the two of them when they ask what he’s laughing at when he returns to the living room, not really wanting to talk about witches right then.

By the fourth, he’s figured out how to distinguish one of them. If there are several together, if he looks closely, one of them looks almost blue – a dark, glossy navy blue, but still blue – compared to any other. There’s no apparent pattern in the next crow sightings whether the bluish one is there or not. After the sixth, when it is there on a bench in People Park and doesn’t fly away when he and Trucy and Vera approach to eat, but instead just hops around his feet, he offers it an egg and gives up both on counting and on pattern-searching. That one is probably the familiar, he thinks, harassing Apollo whenever it can be spared from its work – though what use a bird is to a prosecutor, he has no idea.

The crows, he doesn’t mention to Klavier. He’s not sure if he should say something like “you should go say hi to your witch coworker so that I stop being stalked by birds as your one apparent human contact” when, since having seen each other in person, since that last thanks, their texts have not strayed from light, stupid remarks. Klavier complains about Vongole’s shenanigans (having apparently not yet hellhound-proofed his fridge) or passes along the weirdest out-of-context statements he hears in the halls (if that implies that he has rejoined office social life, Apollo doesn’t know); Apollo relays Trucy’s best and worst jokes or sends a snapshot of Vera’s latest painting. Phoenix catches him texting and asks, every time, if it’s Klavier. He does this every two days, then every three; then every week, like he’s willing to lengthen the leash with the consistency of the knowledge that – Klavier is alive? It’s a bleak thought, that Phoenix might be expecting otherwise.

October slips into November. The office gets colder; more blankets manifest on top of bookshelves and on desks and chairs and are thrown at Apollo’s head. He’s almost grown used to Phoenix’s constant presence, is used to, to the point of sometimes forgetting, Vera’s. Trucy starts a Youtube channel and makes getting work done in the afternoons difficult recording videos of little sleight-of-hand magic tricks, drags the wifi to a crawl uploading them. She records a cover of My Boyfriend is the Prosecution’s Witness, and then another one where she changes all the pronouns, and Apollo sends both to Klavier. She doesn’t talk much about fae magic anymore, tries to get Apollo into professional wrestling, and sometimes he pretends he didn’t see her sitting at Phoenix’s desk with the mitamah cradled in her hands. Vera tries to paint her nails in the office once and Phoenix gags on the smell. He asks Apollo what he’s been talking to Klavier about lately.

Toward the end of November, Apollo is alone at the office, reorganizing some paperwork for the little cases he’s managed to pick up, when he hears the front office door loudly creak open and someone yell, “‘Sup, Mia! Eyyo, Niii-iick!”

Apollo pokes his head out, not sure what or who he will find, and certainly not expecting a man wearing red skinny jeans and a blazer jacket so orange that Apollo feels compelled to tell him that Halloween was last month. The beret doesn’t really help the costume effect. “Hello?” Apollo calls. “Do you need something?”

(He’s learned from Iris’ warning.)

“You must be Apollo! Nick’s told me about you, like, once, but he’s pretty shit about keeping everyone up-to-date, so I figure that’s good. Is he around or am I gonna have to camp out here until he finds his way back?” The man wanders in past the couches to examine Vera’s smaller paintings propped up on the piano. “Ooh, nice.”

“Um, who are you?” Apollo asks.

“He hasn’t told you about me?” Apollo shakes his head. “‘Course he hasn’t. Nick’s useless. The name’s Laurice Deauxnim, call me Larry. Everyone does, except everyone who doesn’t.” He extends a hand and Apollo stares stupidly at him for a few seconds before he realizes that he should shake it. “Nick didn’t tell you I’d be coming around?” Apollo shakes his head again. “Seriously, Nick, c’mon.” Larry turns his eyes to the ceiling and spreads his hands wide. “Useless, am I right?” he entreats the ceiling, or maybe Mia, considering that he had mentioned her name on arrival. He must know Phoenix well, to know her. “Anyway, I’m an author-artist, I was off on a book tour-new inspiration tour-vacation kinda thing when he talked to me about your changeling friend, but now I am back, baby.”

A pillow hits Larry in the face, and not softly lobbed the way blankets hit Apollo or Trucy, but like it came straight from an air cannon.

“Uh,” Apollo says.

Larry tosses it back at the couch. “Good talk, Mia.”

“I have no idea when either Mr Wright or Vera are going to get here,” Apollo says. If he thinks back, he can remember Phoenix saying that there was someone he had to introduce Vera to – but he can’t imagine this man, orange and red to Vera’s blues and purples, in any way having any way to relate to her. He can imagine Vera retreating back somewhere into the kitchen and not coming back out. He also can imagine purgatory, which is what waiting around for Phoenix in the same office space as this man will be. Iris may have been cryptic and terrifying, but she was quiet.

It’s about ten minutes of some chatter that Apollo tunes out, Larry examining Vera’s paintings and brushes and talking probably mostly to himself, occasionally looking to Apollo like he expects a response he doesn’t get. They both turn expectantly to the door as it opens, and Trucy wanders in with some boxes of Eldoon’s stacked high. “Uncle Larry!” she yelps. “You’re here!”

Uncle, huh. The last one of those was Valant, and this Larry seems to be at least at that level of eccentric, but on Phoenix’s side, not Zak’s.

“Sure am, kiddo! Where’s your dad? He still sleeping, or he finally quit that stupid club?”

“Yeah, he just didn’t go back after the murder trial,” Trucy says. Her smile takes on a bit of a plastic quality as she says the last three words. Who else knows about her father’s murder, who outside of that courtroom; who has she or Phoenix told? “He’s really bad at keeping people up-to-date, huh?”

Larry looks at Apollo and says, “It took him four months to tell me he had a daughter, y’know? And we live in the same city!” Trucy giggles.

Apollo wonders if Larry was ever told that Trucy was adopted. Somehow, he wouldn’t put it past Phoenix.

“Trucy, what exactly is your school schedule?” Apollo asks. He gets the same answer every time, but he still feels obligated to ask, if her father won’t seem to.

“Don’t worry about it,” she says.

“Oof, don’t let Edgy hear that.” Larry rescues Trucy from beneath the noodles and puts them on the coffee table. “Y’know you’re in for another five-hour lecture about ‘the importance of education’” – he throws his voice to some weird accent that sounds nothing like anything and makes Trucy laugh harder – “and how ‘you don’t want to end up like some certain particular orange man who’—”

“You’re not a good example for the perils of flunking high school,” Trucy says brightly. Apollo has a sudden parental urge to ask her what her report card looks like. “You’ve turned out fine, Uncle Larry!”

“It’s all sheer dumb luck and he knows it.” And there’s Phoenix, strolling in with his hands in his hoodie pockets like he knew exactly the timing of when to best appear to make the best joke. “Hey, how’s it going, you sorry bastard?”

Larry gasps in a comically dramatic way, clapping his hands over Trucy’s ears. “I’m fifteen, Uncle Larry,” Trucy says tiredly. “I know what swear words are.”

“Oh.” Larry removes his hands. “Right.” He stares at Phoenix with a glare that keeps turning halfway into a grin before he can fix it. “Well, dumbass, you wouldn’t have to ask how I’m doing if you’d pick up the phone once in a while! Edgy’s better about chatting with me! Edgy is!”

“Sure he is,” Phoenix says with a lazy wave of his hand. “He’s not the one who the fae have banned from getting a new phone that texts faster than a brick.”

“So you two are old friends?” Apollo asks.

Larry gives him a thumbs-up. “Right in one,” Phoenix says.

“Yeah,” Apollo says, “that’s kinda how I greet my best friend, so.”

The three of them chatter over each other, chaotic snippets of conversation burying themselves beneath each other and beneath the weight of obvious years that Apollo is not privy to. Trucy is scolding Larry for forgetting how old she is, and Larry is saying that he just doesn’t have the brains to keep track of the ages of all his friends’ daughters’ cousins’ in-laws, and Phoenix is telling him that he unlike some people doesn’t even have that expected of him and still can’t manage friends’ daughters, and then Trucy has her laptop from somewhere and is pulling up her Youtube channel, and her hat is hovering in midair obviously balanced on her wisp, and Larry elbows Phoenix into a bookshelf.

It’s weird – it’s far more than weird – to see Phoenix on that level of familiarity with someone. With Iris, the history between them, obviously deep, was obviously a gulf that they weren’t trying to, or couldn’t, bridge. But today, Apollo thinks he almost sees a hint of the man Phoenix was before, and not just before the disbarment.

He can’t exactly get away from them; the filing cabinet is in the back room where they settle, Larry lounging in Phoenix’s desk chair with his feet up on the desk, Phoenix sitting on the desk, and Trucy bouncing about all over. He listens to some gossip about mutual friends of theirs – which includes Prosecutor Edgeworth, somehow – and Larry’s career, learning that he’s a picture book writer and artist. A quick search of his name, on Apollo’s fourth stab at how to spell that surname, turns up that he is probably about as successful and well-off as a picture book writer can get. On his wikipedia page – personal life section incredibly short – there’s a note about a woman named Elise with the same surname, another author-illustrator, many less books under her belt, all more than seven years ago, and even less about who she was behind the books.

If Larry wasn’t a friend of Phoenix’s, Apollo wouldn’t think that anything about that was really a mystery. Some people prefer their private lives.

As it is, Apollo tries to dredge up anything from his memory of that month-old aside. It was the same day as his conversation with Klavier, which pushed just about everything else out of his head and didn’t let it back in. “Are you the friend whose mentor was one of the fae?” Apollo asks at the closest thing to a lull in the conversation; Trucy is laughing while Phoenix and Larry glare at each other in mock anger about a joke Apollo didn’t catch, off a discussion about shapeshifters. (Apollo desperately doesn’t and wants to know more about what they know about shapeshifters. It’s the way he feels about most new magic concept. He hasn’t braved asking Trucy more about kitsunes.)

“That’s me,” Larry says. “Unless you’ve made other unfortunate artist friends while I’m not looking, and that’s unlikely, since the only friend you’ve made in the last seven years was a mortal enemy.”

“Look at you,” Phoenix says dryly. “You’ve learned how to use logic, even though I have made friends, thanks.”

“You haven’t told me about any new friends, either,” Trucy says, pouting.

Larry pantomimes stabbing Phoenix in the leg with a pencil. “Anyway yeah,” he says, still gesturing with the pencil but now like he’s a professor lecturing with an imaginary blackboard, pointing to concepts visible only in his mind. “That’s me. Her name was Elise, or at least that’s the name she went by at the end.” He is quiet for a few seconds. “I found her art at a low point in my life, which I guess that low point was ‘most of my twenties’, there Nick I said it before you could, and was so inspired that I reached out to her and I worked with her up until she died.”

“You forgot that the ‘worked with her’ part involved swearing your apparent ‘undying fealty’ to her teachings and ‘everything she could provide you’,” Phoenix says, making a few quotes with his fingers, again with that deep dryness to his voice, not quite sarcastic but plainly amused. “Which – Apollo, tell me the problem of using that phrasing to one of the fae?”

“Everything?”

“Yes,” Phoenix says.

“Shush, Nick,” Larry says.

“I haven’t heard this one,” Trucy says. She perches herself on Apollo’s desk and puts her chin in her hands.

Larry groans. Phoenix’s expression is positively gleeful. “So he’s talking to her about learning painting and publishing from her, in his overdramatic exaggerated way that he says everything,” he says, more animated in his manner of speech than he has ever been before, “and she’s hearing from that ‘oh, he wants to gain magic from me’ and that’s one way how you can accidentally become a witch.”

Does Phoenix know anyone whose life isn’t a fae nightmare? “They don’t make you draw up a meticulous contract beforehand?” Apollo asks.

“They hold the cards in that setup – if you, human, the one at risk, don’t ask, I can’t imagine many would suggest it.” Phoenix snatches the pencil out of Larry’s hand. “Again, sheer dumb luck for it to turn out all right. Be careful swearing oaths to people – you might end up bound and magic for it.”

“I’ll keep that under advisement,” Apollo says, and Phoenix nods like he has imparted some sort of sage wisdom instead of saying something that should, by every right, be obvious.

He isn’t around for wherever and whenever Phoenix introduces Vera to Larry. Their conversation about her assuages some of Apollo’s fears about Larry’s exuberance; Phoenix becomes a human thesaurus but only for the words “sheltered”, “quiet”, and “shy”. “Sorta like Pearls was when we first met her,” Phoenix says, another glimpse of their depth of history, and Apollo wonders about who this girl is before Phoenix adds, “Except Vera grew up here, and Pearls on the other side of the veil.”

Ah. One of the fae. Go figure. How many of them does Phoenix know, anyway, and how is he not dead from it all yet?

Over the next week, Vera’s art supplies begin a slow migration out of the office. She leaves some pencils and sketchbooks around, shows up whenever Larry is meeting with his agent – apparently he hasn’t been home in a while, has a lot to catch up on, drags Phoenix along to anything dealing with a contract while they argue about something pro-bono a decade ago that Phoenix is trying to collect on. Apollo and Trucy leave the office that Friday evening, leaving Vera the only one there, her head in her sketchbook, not even looking up to tell them that she has found the zone and she doesn’t need them to wait around to walk her home.

“I’m so proud of her,” Trucy says, skipping down the sidewalk beneath the spotted streetlights. “She’s come so far since we met her!”

“She’s older than you,” Apollo reminds her.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t be proud of her,” Trucy says. “I’m proud of you when you win a case. I’m proud of Daddy that he’s getting his life back together. And I’m proud of Vera for how she’s doing with everything she found out about herself and her family.”

“And how are you doing with everything about you and yours?” He hasn’t asked her, because she has never drawn close to it, seems to have chosen pretending nothing is wrong as her coping mechanism, which Apollo understands. He’s tried forceful repression and almost succeeded at it. He can’t blame her for not wanting to face all that is behind her. But it seems like a better time than any, the distance of nearly a month and a half, and in the dark Trucy doesn’t have to look at him, doesn’t have to work to hide her facial expressions from him.

After a short delay, her face turned from him under the lights, Trucy says quietly, “Mia had some old grimoires. Daddy’s up late reading all of them, looking for stuff about mitamahs. He wants to help, he always wants to help, but he’s so busy, he’s got court stuff and Court stuff and he was talking about taking the Bar again and now this and I wish sometimes for his sake that we hadn’t ever gone and found any of it at all.” Even in the dark, he sees her shadowy figure slump. “And I wanted to be magic like my grandfather and now I don’t know what to be, but I do know I’m a Wright, and Wrights don’t run from the truth even when it hurts or just kinda sucks.”

In spite of himself, Apollo laughs, and Trucy does too. “Your dad has a real way with words,” he tells her, and she laughs again. “But I mean – if you want to learn about magic, you can learn about magic. It doesn’t have to be like anyone else. You can be magic like you.”

(Like Apollo is a defense attorney not like Dhurke, but like Apollo, and he wants to tell her he understands but like every time before, he doesn’t allow himself to form the words.)

“I guess,” she says. “I guess I can.”

His Saturday plans to sleep in and stay in bed for longer end with his phone’s incessant buzzing. 8:36 in the morning, and he is being called by the number that is saved in his phone as the Wright Anything Agency, the ancient desk phone that Apollo doesn’t know exactly how to make an outgoing call from. He’s not sure he’s ever taken a call on it, either; clients just seem to walk in or be handed to him, and he goes from there.

“Hello?”

Silence.

“Trucy,” Apollo says, “this isn’t really funny.”

He hangs up and plants his face back into his pillow.

Buzz buzz buzz.

Wright Anything Agency.

“Trucy—”

At the loud burst of static, Apollo tries to jerk away from the phone in his hand, rolling halfway out of bed in the process. “What the hell,” he says, at some distance to the phone with no idea of whether he can be heard. “Can we not do something weird for one weekend?”

Again, he hangs up, but this time he does not move. His phone barely has time to return to its lock screen before there is a third incoming call from the same source.

He puts it to his ear and waits. The static is back, soft enough to listen to. Its hiss isn’t constant but has peaks and valleys like a hum, like a whisper, like if he just listens hard enough he would swear that it has the same pulse and rhythm as speech. Blinking at the wall behind his bed, he cautiously asks, “Mia?”

The crackle in response is loud, but not painfully. If he had to classify it as anything, it seems like an affirmation, not the scolding of the static of the second call. “Okay,” he says. “You win.”

He hangs up, waiting for a fourth call to chase him down, and it doesn’t.

“Dude.” Clay slumps into the kitchen, yawning, to take in Apollo dressed in a t-shirt and jeans and shoving a granola bar into his mouth. “Where are you going?”

“I’m getting crank-called by my office’s ghost and I’m presuming it’s for something important,” Apollo replies, through a mouthful of granola, and the words come out such a mess that he has to repeat them after he swallows. At Clay’s dead-eyed expression, he adds, “She’s a benevolent ghost, mostly, I think. Mr Wright said.”

“Yeah, call me if you want me to start looking into exorcisms,” Clay says. “Otherwise” – he throws a thumb over his shoulder – “I’m goin’ back to bed.”

In the gray morning, the streets are sparsely-populated and about as quiet as it gets, restless night over and day not quite begun. The office, when Apollo reaches it, pops the door open before he can even try the handle to see if, like every morning, it is unlocked for him. “Hello?” he calls. The room is empty. No one responds. “Who am I even looking for?” he mutters, and in response, the last of Vera’s paint cans rattle. “Vera?” The lights blink and a book falls, almost in slow-motion, from the shelf next to the far door. “Okay.”

How did he not notice Mia’s presence before Phoenix pointed it out? Had she left him alone to flounder before then? Had everything weird just faded into the background weirdness of his life? He opens the door. The lamp on his desk flickers on, a spotlight twisted to point at the bathroom door. In the quiet, the sound of soft sobbing reaches through the door. “Vera?” Apollo repeats.

Abruptly, the sobbing stops. “I’m fine,” she says, her voice raised as much as it possibly can be, soft as it is through the door. “You can go home.”

“You’re crying,” Apollo says. “I’m not going anywhere.” He slumps against the wall and slowly folds down to the floor. “I didn’t have any plans for today, anyway.”

“Please go home.” Vera’s voice emerges closer, from the crack along the wall. She might have moved, too. “You don’t need to see me.”

See her? There’s something he can work with. “What happened, Vera?”

A second passes, an audible sniff, and then several more seconds. “I don’t know how to go back,” she says, fainter again. The lock clicks open. Apollo scrambles to his feet as the door opens. His breath catches.

Something broke, and it isn’t just the cracks in the center of the mirror.

Vera doesn’t look like she was the one who opened the door. She sits on the floor, hugging her knees, and her fingers digging into her jeans are too long, ending in what looks like sharp bony claws. The skin on her hands and face is variegated, patchy, blue a few shades light than her hair and pale lilac mixed across each other like they were sprayed and splattered down onto a canvas. Her ears end in points and curve near their tips but are surprisingly short, ending at least an inch before the top of her head and instead hooking outward. It reminds Apollo a little of a bat. Her red eyes are a little too big for her face, blinking furiously, and she quickly reaches up to rub away the tear tracks down her cheeks. Apollo almost jumps forward, terrified by those claws going so close to her eyes, but he holds himself back and then realizes, with the iron ring on his hand, he would just make things worse. He shoves it down into the pocket of his jeans.

“Oh,” Apollo says.

Why did Mia call him and not Trucy? He’s no good at this.

“Mr Laurice told me all about his mentor.” Vera’s voice, now that she isn’t raising it through the door, drops to a raspy whisper. “And how he didn’t know what she looked like. He showed me a picture of her how she looked as human, but... “ She sniffs again. “I wondered what I look like. So last night I tried and…” Another, louder sniff, and then a sob that she doesn’t choke down. “I can’t go back. I’ve tried and tried and I... And I can’t go out like this.” She chews on the end of one of her thumb-claws and he can see several of her teeth end in long points like her ears and fingers. “People can’t see me like…”

“You’ve been here all night?” Vera nods. “Did you – did you have dinner?” She shakes her head. Apollo fails to conjure a memory of whether she had anything substantial for lunch or was absorbed in her work that early, too. “Okay, um, here’s what we’ll do.” He extends a hand to Vera. She stares at it for several seconds – maybe she can See some lingering effect of the ring – but accepts it and he helps her up off the floor. “I’m gonna call Trucy because she knows a little more about magic, and I’ll run out and get you something to eat, and we can all figure this out together, okay?” She nods. “Okay.”

He tries his best not to sound frantic when he explains the situation to Trucy. Can a glamour just go away, forever? Vera can’t go back to living like a shut-in, not like this, not when she’s been learning not to shy so far away from the world, not when she’s been introduced to a mentor who can do more for her than just let her hang out in a cramped Anything Agency. “I will be there in five minutes,” Trucy says, hanging up immediately after, not letting Apollo ask how she intends for that impossible timetable, since she said she was at home, to work.

Five minutes later, a void-portal opens near the bookshelf – Vera screams – and Trucy stumbles out with a makeup compact mirror in her hand, and Apollo wonders how he forgot about that Gramarye trick. “Got it the first time this time!” she announces proudly, holding the mirror aloft and then letting it fall from her fingers, slumping over as though exhausted. Her hair is tangled, obviously unbrushed, and she doesn’t even have her hat, probably having thrown on the clothes closest at hand, jean shorts and a baggy t-shirt and her white boots. She flings herself over the back of the couch and stays as she lands.

“You didn’t need to exhaust yourself to get here immediately,” Apollo says. Vera puts her face in her hands; maybe it would have been better for her to take longer to arrive, give Vera more time to accept that someone else was going to see her now too.

“I did.” Trucy rights herself and leans forward. “Vera!” She grins. “You’re so pretty!”

Vera moves her hands apart to look up at Trucy with one big red eye. “Those are such good colors for you! You look just like a pretty painting!”

That’s Trucy, good at this, and Apollo, only a comfort to someone who is a thousand times more willing to talk than Vera is. “I’ll go get you something to eat,” he says.

“Not Eldoon’s,” Trucy scolds, turning a frown and furrowed brow up at Apollo.

“I know, and I wouldn’t anyway. No one should have Eldoon’s at nine in the morning!”

Trucy’s expression tells him that she has definitely had Eldoon’s this early in the morning at least once before.

He makes a run to the source of their other dietary staple, Kitaki Bakery, instead. Mr Kitaki knows by now what the Anything Agency tend to get and doesn’t bat an eye when Apollo asks for whatever they have that is minimal salt. Halfway back through People Park, his thoughts bouncing between that first case and Vera’s situation now, he realizes that he and Trucy aren’t the only ones who could help with Vera’s situation.

Hey so, weird question about glamours Is it possible to like get it stuck and not be able to use it again

That doesn’t make any sense when he retreads after pressing send, so he tries again, stops walking to concentrate on whatever the hell he’s trying to convey. Context. Context would probably help.

Vera’s at the agency and she looks not human and she wants to change back and can’t and she’s freaked out Is it possible that she’s just stuck forever or is there some way to go back And how Trucy and I know nothing

He doesn’t know what rock star prosecutors do with their Saturday mornings – it probably depends on what they do with their Friday nights, and Apollo has no clue about that either – but the message is out there, if Klavier is awake to help.

Maybe that’s why Mia called Apollo.

The TV blares the opening theme of the Steel Samurai on Apollo’s return to the agency. Vera, still blue and purple and fae, at least no longer hides her face, and Trucy flings herself into the couch next to Vera. “We’ve got a game plan,” Trucy announces. Apollo hands her the pastry boxes. “Chill out, eat food, relax, and maybe it works better when not stressed.” She pats Vera’s hand, apparently unfazed by her claws. “We’ll just have a chill day in today!”

“I’m sorry,” Vera whispers. “I know you both had better things to do.”

Trucy looks at Apollo. Apollo looks to the ceiling. “Nope,” Trucy says.

“Not really,” Apollo agrees. “You should’ve called, Vera – called last night, especially, really.”

She ducks her head. Her ears more a little, flaring out and moving down. “I didn’t want to be a bother,” she says. “Since I said I would be okay… And then you were all home again, and I would call you back…”

“You’re not a bother, Vera! You’re family!” Trucy grins at her and squeezes her hand. Then the smile falls off her face. “Wait, Polly, Vera didn’t call at all? How did you know…?”

Vera blinks at him, her big eyes making her resemble some sort of owl, if owls had demonic red eyes. “I got a series of calls from the office phone,” Apollo says. “No voice on the other end. I think it was Mia.”

“Oh,” Trucy says, sinking back into the couch. “I bet it was, too.” They watch the Evil Magistrate make a long villainous speech before he flees, and then Trucy adds, “I always wish I could’ve known her while she was alive. ‘Cause I always think I do know her, and then I think – do I, really? How do you get to know someone from her ghost? And why wasn’t I allowed to know her? Why’d some stupid bastard who thought he was hot shit take that away from us?”

The office is silent until the next episode starts and Trucy launches into a story about how Phoenix defended the original Steel Samurai actor. It seems like a diversion, a distraction, from the way the air hangs heavy after Trucy’s outburst, the way the audio from the TV sounds thinner and hollow. He doesn’t mind it. Vera listens to her unblinking, hypnotized, though it is impossible to tell where exactly her eyes are focused, on Trucy or on the television; there is barely a change in the hue of her eyes where the light hits them, no apparent pupils in her ping-pong ball eyes.

They make it through that episode and half of the next, Apollo still puzzling over the apparent circles of people that Phoenix knows, and all jolt at the sound of knocking on the door. Phoenix doesn’t knock, and it’s still barely 9:30 on a Saturday morning. Is the agency properly open on weekends? What are its hours? Apollo has never had a clear idea. The three of them sit frozen for several more seconds, time enough for the knocking to start again. Trucy vaults the back of the couch. “Coming!” she calls, smoothing down some flyaway hairs and yanking the door open. “Oh! Prosecutor Gavin! Hi!”

If Apollo is surprised – and he is, frozen in place and staring in confusion at the back of Trucy’s head as she continues to frantically comb flat her hair – then Trucy, who has no idea that Apollo contacted him, must be shocked as all hell. He checks his phone to see if he hadn’t missed a text in response, some advance warning, finding nothing. He just showed up.

Something thumps to the floor. Apollo finally turns his head. Vera flees over the back of the other couch, landing heavily and slamming the door to the other room hard enough to shake the coffee table. “Vera! Wait—!”

“I see I’m already not helping the situation,” Klavier says dryly. Apollo expects to see the tired-eyed man he last saw over a month ago – has it been that long? – and the plastic smile that paired with that bitter tone. But Apollo doesn’t have the magatama on him, and Klavier is Klavier, insufferably glamorous (in every sense of the word), and he’s grinning at them both with his spotlight smile, like even just in a t-shirt and jeans with his hair pulled back low, he should only be at home on the stage.

Apollo hates him again, though he can appreciate that he isn’t wearing that stupid necklace.

“You could have just… texted back.” Apollo scrambles to his feet as Klavier enters the office, as out-of-place as he was the first time he dropped by. “Or – or just called if it was too much to write—”

“Oh,” Trucy says. “You texted him? That explains – anyway, ignore him, Prosecutor Gavin.” She pats Klavier’s arm. “I’m glad to see you.”

“I could hardly ignore a distressed damsel, ja?” Klavier asks. “And besides, I haven’t seen my favorite Fraülein Magician in a hot second.”

“Vera tried to hide from me too when I showed up,” Trucy says, trailing behind Klavier as they pick their way through the usual office mess. “It’s not just you. And she—”

Klavier yelps and jerks his hand away from the doorknob. Still at some distance to it, Apollo can feel the cold radiating from the metal, an unequivocal warning. If it’s Mia not letting them in, she must have reason; there must be something—

“Your rings,” Apollo says.

“Huh?” Trucy asks.

“Prosecutor Gavin – those are iron, right? And Vera—”

Klavier’s eyes widen. “Ah,” he says, immediately plucking them off of his fingers. “Of course.”

“What happens?” Trucy asks. Klavier, reaching for the door again, a little more hesitant than before, freezes. “Like is it like magnets that it just repels, or…?”

“Like most magic, it depends.” Klavier’s eyes have a vacant, absent look, one that glamour can’t hide. “The scar on Kris’ hand, though – that was iron. I don’t suppose he ever forgave me for it.”

He obviously braces himself before touching the doorknob again, shoulders slumping with relief when nothing happens. “Vera!” Trucy calls, ducking in under Klavier’s arm. “It’s okay! None of us are mad at you, Vera!”

“I’m sorry for yelling at you in court,” Klavier says. “That was unbecoming of me, and you undeserving.”

The bathroom door is open, the kitchen door is nonexistent, and Vera’s voice rises up from somewhere in the room. “I did deserve it,” she says. Trucy makes a beeline for Phoenix’s desk. “You can be mad at me. It’s okay. I screwed everything up, and I’m just like your brother--”

“Nein, Fraülein, let me stop you there.” Klavier walks to the desk and leans against it, his back to Trucy attempting to drag Vera out from underneath. “The only thing you have in common with my brother is that you are both changelings, and I can hardly hold a grudge for that, ja? I do not fault Herr Forehead for being human when many heinous criminals I have prosecuted are also human.”

Apollo decides not to acknowledge that.

Her work done, Trucy hops up onto the desk. Vera stands there, her head ducked, her ears flattened out to the sides and drooping further. Klavier glances back over his shoulder and grins at her; unlike Apollo or even Trucy, he doesn’t have to hesitate a moment. He would have Seen her before, wouldn’t he? “There we go,” he says. “No need for pretty little Fraüleins to hide their pretty faces like that, ja?”

Vera lowers her head further, her eyes almost frantically avoiding Klavier’s, her clawed fingers tugging her hair down around her ears. It doesn’t help. “I would still rather look like me,” she says softly. “I want to be me again.”

Klavier sighs heavily. “Well, that’s the first part of your problem, Fraülein: this is you, much as anything else is.”

A soft sob escapes Vera’s throat. Apollo glares at Klavier. “Like I am Prosecutor Gavin and Klavier the rock star; I am not me if you cut away either. Everyone has different faces for the world at different times, ja? Yours and mine, Fraülein, are just a bit more literal than most.”

Vera sinks down into the desk chair, her hands spread out in front of her, the white hooked claws splayed apart. “I’m afraid I have no answer that will be like—” Klavier snaps his fingers. “I’m not very good at teaching magic, I’ve been told.” His knuckles pale on the hand that he doesn’t have in the air, tightly gripping the edge of the desk. “But I can promise you only more hurt in trying to bury half of yourself.”

“Turn your thinking around!” Trucy says brightly. Klavier looks relieved, probably that they aren’t going to dwell on what he said, read into it everything that is definitely there beneath the surface. “You’re not trying to – to change yourself or anything, just be a different self for the situation. Like how I’m not allowed to wear my top hat to school, or Polly – well, I guess Polly’s only got one face and it’s loud.”

“Hey!”

“There you go proving her point,” Klavier says with a smirk.

“Daddy says that magic is all about being sure,” Trucy continues, content to ignore that which she has sparked. “That if you don’t think you can, you won’t. So you can! I know you can!” She beams at Vera. She’s a good cheerleader; it’s part of what makes her such a good counsel in court. (The other part is that she’s smart as hell, but sometimes Apollo needs someone to believe in him when he doesn’t believe in him.)

Vera stares at her claws, visibly uncomfortable with the attention all on her. “Why didn’t my father tell me?” she asks. “I could have figured this out a long time ago.”

Apollo, thinking about someone else who wasn’t told, who also found out in a bad situation, fails to not look at Klavier, who glances away. Trucy turns to look at him as well. “There’s hardly a guide for how to raise a changeling, ja?” Klavier drums his fingers on the desk. “Perhaps he hoped to stop you from being torn in two like this. Perhaps he worried that once you knew, you would try some sort of dangerous magic. Perhaps he was afraid to face it, too. Who knows? I have wondered often myself, much as I know it is far too late to ask.”

Apollo thinks, if not quite that question, he and Trucy just as well have questions for their parents, far too late to ask them. And Trucy’s face falls, her eyes cast down toward her boots, undoubtedly thinking the same. There’s one other question Apollo has, one he could ask, one that isn’t too late, and doesn’t: why Klavier didn’t tell anyone what Vera was. Was he afraid to face it, for fear of facing that echo of his brother?

For several minutes, the only sound in the office is the faint rumble of the TV from the next room over. Trucy is the first to move; she doesn’t speak but instead gasps and smacks Apollo’s arm. “Vera!” she says, fortunately excited, not horrified or afraid. “Your hands, look!”

And she grabs one of Vera’s hands – still mottled like paint splashes, but purple and blue the whole way up her fingers, ending with silver nails and stubby human fingertips. “Good work, Fraülein!” Klavier says, leaning halfway over the desk to look. He grins at her, another one of his flashbulb smiles, and Apollo would swear that the skin on Vera’s cheeks, even the blue part, takes on a purpler tone. Is that how she blushes with this face?

“I thought glamour was just illusions,” Trucy says, still holding Vera’s hand and studying it like it is a piece of evidence. Vera for her part at least doesn’t seem to mind. “But like…” She taps the end of one of Vera’s fingers. “There’s obviously not an invisible claw here. So it’s like a kind of shapeshifting?”

“It’s magic, Fraülein,” Klavier says. “It is a glamour. I don’t know what to tell you.”

“I’m an artist,” Vera says softly. “Whatever face I have… I’m an artist. And I’m not trained to hold a brush with claws, so…” She shrugs. Trucy finally drops her hand. “They went away.”

Magic is about being sure, and if she’s sure of anything, it’s that.

Klavier offers her a high-five, which she accepts. “You’ve got it, Fraülein.”

“Just not…” She frowns. “The rest.”

“Ach, don’t doubt yourself now. I’ve no doubt before long you’ll be able to show off either of your lovely faces whenever you choose. And all without my poor advice.”

Vera starts to giggle and then hastily presses her hand over her mouth. “It helped,” she says.

They can’t hear the front door open, but it is apparent when the murmur from the TV is added to. Phoenix’s voice drifts in, half a conversation, starts and stops, and like no one else is with him. They all look to the door and Phoenix enters, phone in one hand, two heavy-looking leather-bound books balanced in his other arm. His eyes pass over the four of them, flashing blue and black, but his part of his conversation doesn’t falter. “Okay, but there’s absolutely no need to have a midlife crisis at seventeen,” he says. He drops the two tomes on Apollo’s desk.

“I did that,” Klavier says quietly. “Wouldn’t recommend it, either.”

Phoenix stands with his hand still on the books, shaking his head at whatever is being said on the other end of the line. He rolls his eyes. “Well first I’d take a breath, and then – no, they’re not going to discriminate based on your birthday, I know a kid – not really a kid anymore, she’d kick my ass if she heard that – who got her badge at thirteen so you are – take a breath, please.” He drags a hand down his face. “Yeah, words of wisdom still aren’t really my forte, so I’d hang up the phone and go study some more – yeah.” He laughs. “And I do kinda have to cut you off, sorry. Got some kids here in local time I gotta check up with.” His eyes flicker between colors at them again. “Of course there’ll still be room for you here. Just maybe not as much space as I thought a year ago. Talk to you later, kiddo. Right,” he says, shoving the phone into his pocket and spinning on his feet a little to properly face them all. “Someone wanna give me the opening statement?”

“Glamour’s stuck,” Trucy says.

“I panicked,” Vera says, sinking down a little further in the desk chair.

Phoenix nods. “It happens. Even some friends of mine, they’ve known their magic their entire lives – still, they get hurt or tired or hungry or upset, and they’ll end up stuck for a bit, too. Which – checklist.” He holds up two fingers and taps one for each question. “Have you eaten recently?” Vera nods. “Sleep okay last night?” She shakes her head. “That’s not gonna help, for sure.”

“I feel a little better now,” Vera says, staring down at her hands again. They are still clawless. “Trucy and Apollo helped. And Prosecutor Gavin too, a lot.”

“Good to hear.” Phoenix takes a few steps toward his desk and stops, raising his voice without turning his head. “Speaking of, Prosecutor Gavin could at least stand to say goodbye before he sneaks out.”

And Apollo turns his head and Klavier simply isn’t there any more. He made the joke – probably not a joke – about being seventeen and now Apollo scans the room and he is simply gone. Gone, and knowing the sensation to expect, Apollo can’t make his eyes focus on a space next to the door.

“You don’t have a magatama on you,” Klavier says. He doesn’t really reappear, like he was invisible and now isn’t. “How did you…?”

“I’m a father,” Phoenix says, “of a daughter with a will o’ the wisp that, when she was littler, she liked to use to distract me while she stole cookies out of the pantry.” Trucy’s face turns pink; Phoenix grins unrepentantly. “I know when you kids are trying to make me look somewhere else.”

“Ah,” Klavier says.

Phoenix waves over his shoulder. “Don’t be a stranger,” he says. “Door’s usually unlocked.”

Klavier nods once, wide-eyed, numbly, and he slips through the door.

“Still didn’t say goodbye,” Phoenix mutters.

“I don’t think he likes you very much,” Vera says quietly, staring intently down at her nails.

“No,” Phoenix says. “Not really. We’ll work on that, but you first, kiddo.” He claps a hand on Vera’s shoulder. “One worry at a time.”

“Daddy,” Trucy says sharply. She has gone to Apollo’s desk, paging through the thick volumes that Phoenix deposited there. “You said you were running errands when you left.”

“That was my plan,” he says, dragging his hand down his face, but nothing about his movements appears like a lie to Apollo. “Then I was handed possible new leads and got waylaid.”

Trucy’s frown deepens. “Daddy…”

It must be about the mitamah again, like Trucy said last night. “I’m not overworking myself, sweetheart, I promise,” Phoenix says.

And that isn’t a lie, either, not to Apollo’s eyes, but the dark shadows under Phoenix’s eyes still contest that truth. He can’t actually be managing just one worry at a time.

I’m pretty sure Mr Wright doesn’t hate you You didn’t have to run out like that

-Ah, you had all your agency people there -I didn’t want to impose

You’re like the least imposing visitor to ever show up here tbh Not like the fae woman who just showed up and then told me to watch my phrasing on how I ask clients if they need help

-the what

Yeah

-You’ll have to tell me about that sometime

#now i have to spend the rest of the day on schoolwork and i am not looking forward to it wooooo #fic: the seelie of kurain #roddy fanfics

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formerlyjannafaye · 6 years

Text

100 Questions

I was tagged by @janes-mike and @el-and-hop and @caseyk112 like 100 years ago and I just finished it now! Oops.

1. What is your nickname? Janaynay, Fayzers, Jan

2. How old are you? 31

3. What is your birth month? February

4. What is your zodiac sign? Aquarius

5. What is your favorite color? Rainbow

6. What’s your lucky number? 2

7. Do you have any pets? not at the moment

8. Where are you from? Canada

9. How tall are you? 5′4

10. What shoe size are you? 8

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? this is so embarassing, I probably own like 35 pairs of shoes (but in my defense, we experience extremes in all 4 seasons during the year) and I am a shoe addict.

12. Are you random? sometimes? but not really.

13. Last person you texted? my dad

14. Are you psychic in any way? i feel like i am really good at reading people and i have a really good memory when it comes to people so maybe a little?

15. Last TV show watched? New Girl

16. Favorite movie? Hard question! ET, Get Over It, Moulin Rouge

17. Favorite show from your childhood? Mr. Dressup!

18. Do you want children? I have one! I’d like one more, I think.

19. Do you want a church wedding? I had one.

20. What is your religion? I am a Christian, which I almost hate to say because Christians are represented so badly today and I am ashamed of this group so often. To clarify, I think Jesus is the bomb and so I try to emulate how he treated people. I’m also a feminist, pro marriage equality, pro choice, pro creation care/caring for the environment, I believe in science, I don’t believe in hell, and I hate violence. So...do with all that what you will.

21. Have you ever been to the hospital? Yes, I go there a lot with my work.

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? I literally sweat when a cop car passes me and I’m a goody two shoes, so no! Haha

23. How is life? Its alright. I am really tired today which always affects my mood negatively. And I just watched Infinity War last night so I’m depressed, y’all. (edit: can you tell I started this over a week ago LOL)

24. Baths or showers? Showers (you could not pay me to get into a bath! germs!)

25. What color socks are you wearing? none, its too warm out

26. Have you ever been famous? Once I met the guy who won Canadian Idol and my local grocery store put up a picture of us together in the store and had it up for years. Haha!

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? I used to really want to be famous, but celebs get a horrible deal these days. They have no privacy and our world thinks they owe us everything and really they owe us nothing so I would never ever want to be famous. I like being able to look like crap daily and not have it in magazines.

28. What type of music do you like? I like a wide variety of music, the only music I don’t like, really, is misogynistic rap and country. I am a choral and accapella music nerd, I love it so much.

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? Yup.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two.

31. What position do you usually sleep in? On my side with my top leg thrown over so I’m in a weird stomach/side position but its sooo comfy.

32. How big is your house? Its a good size! Big enough for us and then to host people that come to visit us and our yard is huge!

33. What do you typically have for breakfast? I suck at breakfast...toast or a granola bar.

34. Have you ever left the country? I have been to Germany, South Africa, Cuba, Costa Rica and the USA.

35. Have you ever tried archery? Many years ago at summer camp.

36. Do you like anyone? Well I’m married, so yes.

37. Favorite swear word? Shit. It is sooo satisfying to say.

38. When do you fall asleep? WAY too late every night. Between midnight and 2 am.

39. Do you have any scars? Yeah I have some from when I had the chickenpox as a kid and had no self control and scratched them off.

40. Sexual orientation? Straight.

41. Are you a good liar? I think I am a horrible liar, because I value authenticity so much and lying makes me anxious.

42. What languages would you like to learn? I would love to learn Spanish since its so beautiful. Really I just would love to not only speak English!

43. Top 10 songs? Oh my! What a question! Imma be safe and just say the top 10 songs I am listening to most often right now: Fall in Line by Christina Aguilera ft Demi Levato, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by BSB, Lost in Japan by Shawn Mendes, Bittersweet Symphony cover by Boyce Avenue, Love You Long Time by Pentatonix, Dive by Ed Sheeran, Nancy Mulligan by Ed Sheeran, New Rules cover by Pentatonix, Casanova by Allie X, Gravity by Sara Bareilles.

44. Do you like your country? I do! I am mad at our leader rn, and appalled that Ontario elected a Donald Trump wannabe as a premier (like WHY HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING ONTARIO PERSONS UGH) but overall I love being Canadian.

45. Do you have friends from the web? Yes! Its the best!

46. What is your personality type? I am an ESFP, an extrovert with introvert tendancies, and I am an enneagram 4 (seriously, google it. That is me to a T).

47. Hogwarts House? Hufflepuff 4 LYFE

48. Can you curl your tongue? Yes.

49. Pick one fictional character you can relate to? I am Anne from Anne of Green Gables, just not as smart. Just as dramatic and short tempered, though.

50. Left or right handed? Right

51. Are you scared of spiders? I don’t like them or want them near me.

52. Favorite food? Chocolate. Chips and Dip. Dill pickles.

53. Favorite foreign food? I love Mexican food so much I can’t even pick one thing. Also naan bread is the BOMB especially when dipped into dal makhani. Uuuuuuugggghh I wanna eat that so bad rn.

54. Are you a clean or messy person? I am pretty clean, messiness makes me crazy.

55. If you could switch your gender for a day, what would you do? Pee standing up, see what its like to not have to deal with bathroom lines, street harassment, etc.

56. What color underwear? Grey.

57. How long does it take for you to get ready? 20 mins, but usually longer because I don’t like to be rushed so I take my time.

58. Do you have much of an ego? I don’t think so? I’m a walking pile of insecurities.

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? I used to bite them but I have TMJ and my jaw is a piece of garbage that cannot withstand biting anything hard without popping all out of place and pain. Fun times.

60. Do you talk to yourself? Yup.

61. Do you sing to yourself? CONSTANTLY.

62. Are you a good singer? I have a pretty decent voice.

63. Biggest Fears? Losing people I love, dying, clowns, bats, cockroaches

64. Are you a gossip? I like being in the know but I don’t like pettiness. That said I sometimes find I have to focus REALLY hard to bite my tongue.

65. Are you a grammar nazi? Absolutely.

66. Do you have long or short hair? Its too long! I need a haircut.

67. Can you name all 50 states of America? Maybe? I might forget a few. The real question is can any of my American friends name the Canadian provinces (the CAN equivalent of states? I DOUBT IT yet we learn the states in school. SMH)

68. Favorite school subject? English and French

69. Extrovert or Introvert? Intoverted extrovert

70. Have you ever been scuba diving? Nope and I don’t plan on it.

71. What makes you nervous? Rooms full of people that don’t like me, small spaces, driving in winter.

72. Are you scared of the dark? Less than I used to be, but I don’t like it.

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? I do daily but thats because I have a toddler and teaching/correction is important in some moments. But you also have to let them fail which is challenging to do.

74. Are you ticklish? Nope. Only my sister can tickle me and its so annoying when she does!

75. Have you ever started a rumor? Not that I can recall?

76. Have you ever been out of your home country? Yeah a few times

77. Have you ever drank underage? I don’t think so, I was 18 by the time I drank anything, I think.

78. Have you ever done drugs? No drugs scare the living crap out of me.

79. What do you fantasize about? Having more time to myself, living alone like a hermit and not having to work, having perfect hair every day, having another kid, living somewhere warm, saying snarky things to my MIL’s face.

80. How many piercings do you have? None.

81. Can you roll your R’s? Yes.

82. How fast can you type? Fast-ish if I’m on a roll but I don’t use the proper hand technique. I get by though.

83. How fast can you run? Run? Moi? HAHAHAHA

84. What color is your hair? Ash brown with a faded rainbow in the back.

85. What color are your eyes? Green.

86. What are you allergic to? Winter mold. Spring is the worst. And I can’t go barefoot on grass unless I want to have itchy swollen feet that I want to scratch off forever.

87. Do you keep a journal? I have one that I’m supposed to write a line a day in but I am the WORST at it. Once I get behind I get so unmotivated.

88. Are you depressed about anything? I feel like I’m sleep walking through my life sometimes, and depression takes away my ability to care enough to be motivated to do anything about it. I swear apathy is the worst side effect of depression for me!

89. Do you like your age? It is honestly the best. I love being 30! I care less about the insecurities that consumed my life in my early 20s. I have more body confidence . I’m more secure financially than I’ve been at any point in my life. And I still feel youngish. Haha.

90. What makes you angry? White privilege, misogyny, Canadian and American politics, Christian people who don’t act loving and don’t seem bothered by it, when people don’t return their shopping carts in parking lots, when people can help others but don’t, cancer, narcissists.

91. Do you like your own name? I have always loved my name. I only know one other person with my name who spells it like me!

92. Did you ever get a foreign object up your nose? Odd question, no.

93. Do you want a boy or a girl for a child? I have a boy, and if I ever get the opportunity to have another kid I kinda hope its a girl. I’m really close with my mom so I always imagined having a daughter to hopefully be close with too. My son is a mini me in every way, though.

94. What talents do you have? I have a semi-photographic memory (so helpful for studying), I learn song lyrics super fast, I can sing any song for you in the correct key it was recorded in (what would you call that? pitch memorization?)

95. Sun or moon? I love sitting in a sunbeam like a cat. But the moon is super comforting to me. Both.

96. How did you get your name? My mom wanted me to have a different name in a sea of Ashley’s and Brittany’s (I was born in the late 80s).

97. Are you religious? My faith is very important to me and relates to all areas of my life, including my job, so yes? But I don’t feel like I need to be in your face about it, that’s not my style.

98. Have you ever been to a therapist? Yes and honestly everyone on the planet could benefit from it! Its the best!

99. Color of your bedspread? White with blue and goldish flowers on it.

100. Color of your room? Light grey.

I feel like everyone already did this but all the same I’m going to tag @earlgreyteagirl, @reddie-to-mileven-it-up, @stevemossington, @maxmayfield and here’s some people who I know already did this but I want you to see my answers haha so here goes @hannahberrie @summer-in-hawkins @jane-el-hopper @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold @thezoomermax @puzzlingsnark @fatechica @mikeweezers

#am i late to the party?#you know it #but running late is my style #sigh #survey

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