How did girls and Charlie handle their periods while on the island? Were there any pads/tampons available? Or was it all lost or in small quantities?

I've thought about this!

First of all, yes I do think there are pads and tamps on the island, as there would have been plenty in assorted luggage. This program just didn't think this needed to be addressed on a show that was about survival for it's first,,, half a season? Indeed, in all of LOST there are two acknowledgements that periods exist:

Claire saying she's late when she's taking a pregnancy test

Kate going from suspecting she's pregnant to being absolutely sure she isn't, implying she got her period

And I suppose in between eps, Sun must have been late for hers in order for her to suspect she was pregnant

Overall, LOST only acknowledges periods when it absolutely has to, and even then is rather hush hush about it

Anyways, I think post crash, Sawyer did his little magpie thing and gathered up everything he could get his greedy hands on. This included period supplies. Then as time went on, more and more ladies came to him for supplies. And this freaked him out, so he was like "oh fuck this" and literally threw the bag of bleedy supplies into Jack's arms. And from then on, it's Jack who's in charge of that. And he's entirely not weird about it, because he's a fucking surgeon

I don't care what goes on in reality, I choose to believe that a man who has literally had his giant hands in people's spine pasta, wouldn't be too bothered by the fact that vaginas expel meat pulp

The first 4 seasons covers 3 and a half months so thats about three periods for every uterus having person on the island. However! There are varying circumstances at play here!

Let's go thru this, character by character:

Shannon: Dies a month and a bit into this, so she had time for one period, maybe two depending on when in the month she has 'em

Claire: She was pregnant until November 20th. So no periods during that time frame. After which, she would have had very heavy post pregnancy bleeding, but not for very long, because the magic of the island would have made her body recover much quicker than regular people. Then she would've continued periods somewhere in december onwards. And for three years she was all on her lonesome but she had access to the survivor's abandoned camp, so she would have used up the last of the bleedy supplies until eventually running out and. free bleeding. Fucking hell

Sun: Got pregnant very early into the survivor's time there. And gave birth after they left. So she had no periods on the island

Kate: Probably had time for a complete three periods, with at least one that she was a little late for

Charlie: Mostly doesn't get periods, like, his are incredibly irregular. This leads to him believe that his T patches make good enough birth control. He is wrong and stupid. So maybe he bled on the island, maybe he didn't. If he did, he would have never in his life asked Sawyer for period supplies. He'll bleed into his crotch socks

Ana Lucia and Libby: Did not have access to the Sawyer and later Jack controlled Period Supplies. Because everything was worse for the tailies. Also I think being shot 4 times in the uterus means Ana Lucia can't get periods anymore. Tho as I typed that I realised the Island could easily fix that. The Island fixed Jin's balls. So there's a thought for ya: Ana Lucia getting periods on the island and being like,,, what the fuck. what the Fuck. cuz that's a literal miracle

Charlotte: Was only on the island for 16 days and I'm gonna be nice and say she wasn't on her period during that time. Because 1. She was bleeding enough and 2. To spare her the indignity of asking for pads from people who don't like her :(

Juliet: Girl lived in a cult commune for 3 years, so she's good. Had time for maybe one period with the losties, and for sure Jack would hold open his jackpack and proudly display the tampies for her

Final notes: Fair to assume Rose is post menopausal. Woe be to Alex when she got her first period, not due to lack of supplies (again, cult commune) but because it made Ben even more insane. Annd finally, pour one out for Danielle Rousseau. 16 x 12 = 192. Give or take

Oh and the dozen or so background ladies of the survivors too. So either there was a lot of supplies or they run out maybe after the second month? I dunno man, either way Sawyer got overwhelmed

Side note: my Mum liked to point out when ladies tummies are bloated in shows because that means the actresses were on their periods (their voices would get a tad whinier too). She did this a lot when we watched LOST. There ain't no rest for the fertile

Tho, if you also wanna be weird and take notice of this, Kate's tummy isn't bloated in season 6 due to period, Evie was literally pregnant

Just some trivia for ya

Thank you for your time

Carrying the Moon

Chapter 16

It had been almost a year since Charlotte had left, and life had gone on for everyone.

Time is something ethereal, ineffable, theoretical, and relative. Usually, when someone disappears as Charlotte did, after some time, no one can perceive how many days have passed. One closes his eyes and suddenly, it's been ten days. Ten months. Ten years.

But, of course, Charlotte didn't like conforming herself to the regular conventions of life. She vanished, but she had left Hero behind her. On his face, everyone could almost count the days one by one. The passage of time was so clear, it was scary.

It was mid-July.

In a month, Hero would be one year old.

He could walk and talk, or at least he tried. He often made very long speeches with words that were mostly made up, or that only his dads were able to understand the meaning of.

Their life was tiring, but beautiful and happy.

Everyone had survived, even without Charlotte, and Sander would never expect it.

They had graduated, and although the future was still uncertain, they allowed themselves to relax and have fun without thinking about anything, during the last months of summer.

Jens and Lucas, who had returned home from the hospital, were thrilled at the prospect of finding a full-time job so that they could finally afford a larger apartment, in which they could welcome all their new and old friends.

That morning, Sander and Robbe were driving north to the beach house Sander had rented for a well-deserved weekend of relax. Hero had been left in the loving care of his grandmother, with the promise of two FaceTime calls a day. His parents wanted to take him with them to see him play in the sand and have his very first experience on the beach, but after so much effort to graduate on time, the two of them needed to spend time alone.

Sander was driving because Robbe had always flatly refused to take a driver's license.

He had one hand on the wheel and with the other, he was holding his fiance’s. The car was being filled by Bowie's warm voice, which was entertaining them towards their destination.

Sander momentarily took his eyes off the road, hearing Robbe laugh. He was looking at his phone with a happy expression painted on his face.

“Hey, only I can make you smile like that!”

Robbe rolled his eyes and shook his head, trying to hold back a smile.

“First of all, watch the road. Second, it’s your mother. She sent me pictures of Hero taking a bath. He's so cute.”

“I want to see them too!”

Sander pouted and pushed his lower lip out, looking at his fiance who promptly made him turn his face back to the street.

After a while, the music was again the only sound filling the car. Robbe was staring blankly out the window as he listened to Sander humming along with Bowie.

Just a few months earlier, their everyday reality would have seemed only a pipe dream. Robbe touched the ring on his finger and smiled. The thrill of being officially engaged to the love of his life hadn't left him yet, and he wished, he could go back to when as a teenager, he had felt lost, alone, and scared, to whisper in his ear that everything would have been fine in the end.

When the car's GPS showed them that their destination was nearing, both boys looked up to the dark sky above their heads and sighed. It would have probably rain soon. It was certainly not the weather they expected to find, especially Sander who had planned everything.

The beach house was beautiful. It looked like it came straight out of a movie, with the terrace overlooking the sea, and despite the bad weather, the view was still breathtaking.

They brought their bags inside the cabin, just before it started raining, and decided to explore the house they had rented, knowingly looking at each other, as soon as they saw how inviting the bed was.

They kept exploring the remaining rooms as the storm raged outside. They could hear the rain hitting the windows and the sound of the waves that almost drowned out the thunder. There was something strangely relaxing in it, despite the anger of nature manifesting itself, in all its power, before their eyes.

Abandoned on a piece of furniture they found a deck of UNO cards and decided to play a few rounds to spend some time. Sander and Robbe weren't used to having anything to do, but they swore to themselves, they wouldn't spend the whole weekend in bed.

They had been playing for about an hour and Sander kept losing each round. By that time, all his competitiveness had vanished due to the humor of the situation, and his fiance too had begun to cheer for him, despite being playing against each other.

When Robbe laid another +4 on top of the discard pile, they both screamed in amusement and Sander threw his cards on the table in a dramatic way.

“Nooo! Robbe! I thought you loved me!”

“Sorry!”

“Why are you keeping doing this to me?”

“Because you suck at this game, babe.”

“It's because when there are only two players, it's only a matter of luck.”

Sander suddenly looked down at his phone, frowning. He had behaved like this for days, but when they sat face to face, it became very evident.

“Why are you so jumpy every time you get a text lately?”

“I'm not jumpy.”

“Sander, I know you.”

Robbe was looking at him skeptically, with a raised eyebrow. Sander could often read him as if he had his thoughts written on his forehead, but the other way around was also true. Robbe knew his fiance’s every gesture and knew when he was acting weird.

“I'm not! I swear!”

“And now you are hiding your phone! Who are you texting, Sander?”

“It's just my mom.”

“Let me see it, then.”

In seven years of relationship, neither of them had asked the other to read his texts, and neither of them had ever hidden anything. Sometimes Sander or Robbe got a text and the other read it, just because they never had this kind of boundaries. That situation seemed very unusual, and it was a symptom of something.

“No! Why?”

“Are you texting Noor?”

“Noor?”

Sander's mouth dropped open, looking at his fiance as if he just grew another head. He couldn't believe Robbe thought he was cheating on him. Especially after less than a month since they were officially engaged. He felt offended by that thought and that sudden insecurity on Robbe’s part. Sander wanted to say something about it, but he couldn’t because he was actually texting someone without telling Robbe.

He had texted Charlotte about their engagement, and she had replayed immediately, but the conversation died there, although Sander still hoped that his sister would start a conversation sooner or later, so every time he got a text, he was afraid it was her and that Robbe would find out.

He hadn't told him about it yet, because somehow if Charlotte got closer to them and eventually wanted to take Hero away, it would be his fault, and he didn't want to give Robbe any worries.

“We just got engaged!”

“Robbe, I'm not texting Noor, or anybody else. Just trust me, okay?”

“I'm tired of playing. This game is boring if it’s just the two of us. I'm gonna go to bed.”

Robbe got up, leaving his cards on the table, and disappeared into the bedroom. Sander buried his face in the palms of his hands and sighed. He hated hiding things from his fiance, making him feel insecure, and worried but at the same time, he didn't want to talk about Charlotte, especially at that moment, when they should have simply been happy, enjoying some freedom.

He stood up to join Robbe, finding him curled up against a pillow, lying on his side with his eyes closed. Sander lay down behind, spooning him.

“Baby.”

Robbe said nothing, and Sander sighed, starting to rub his nose on the back of his fiance’s head, as he held him tighter against his chest.

“I know you're not sleeping.”

“Have you already regretted it?”

Those raw words left Sander breathless for a few seconds. He really couldn't believe Robbe was asking him such a thing.

“I hope you're not talking about our engagement because you can't possibly be serious.”

Robbe turned slightly, to look his fiance in the eyes, and at that moment Sander wished he didn't know how to read the other so well because his face was painted with mordant emotions that had the power to hurt both of them.

“Why are you being this weird? It's because I wanna adopt Hero?”

“What? No! Absolutely not!”

“I just don't understand.”

“Because there’s nothing to understand.”

Sander felt guilty. He was making the love of his life believe that he was seeing things that weren't there. He was making him question his instincts, deceiving him. He felt terrible, but he had to do what was best for both of them, so when Robbe pushed him away, he pulled back, trying to make his most convincing puppy eyes.

“Robin.”

“Don't call me that when I'm mad.”

“Robin, please.”

He begged, pouting this time because Sander knew very well that no one had ever been able to resist that combination, and he also felt that Robbe was letting himself go in his arms.

“I hate you.”

“We came here to celebrate, don't be mad.”

“You and your puppy eyes. Fuck.”

He said, burying his face completely against the Sanders' chest. Then he smiled, intertwining their legs together. Their love getaway could officially start.

***

Jens woke from his nap at the sound of a broomstick falling to the floor. He frowned and stood up, still sleepy, walking towards the source of that noise. Standing in the kitchen, with a mop in his hand and a bucket full of water and detergent at his feet, there was Lucas who was trying to wash the floor with just one hand.

“What the hell are you doing, Lucas Van der Heijden?”

“I'm just trying to help!”

Lucas's voice was frustrated, just like the expression on his face. Since they got back home from the hospital, Jens had prevented him from doing anything but staying in bed, watching tv, or going to the kitchen to eat. He was afraid that Lucas would get hurt again, and that his complete recovery would be further prolonged.

Also with a broken wrist, there was very little he could do. But as usual, he had underestimated his boyfriend's stubbornness.

“Put that mop down!”

“No! I wanna help!”

He said, pouting. Jens had never thought they would argue for who should not do the cleaning, and instead there he was, trying to take the mop away from Lucas's hand, while he spun around with the agility of a ballerina.

“You have a fucking cast!”

“Right! But I have two hands. The last time I broke my wrist, I kept skating. Besides, chores are not dangerous!”

“When you broke your wrist at 14, I wasn’t your boyfriend.”

“Jens, please. I'm almost done.”

Lucas knew perfectly well that Jens couldn’t resist him at all, so after a little bit more of pouting and begging, Jens just sighed, going to lean on the door-frame.

“Fine. But I'll stay here to check on you.”

Lucas smiled and resumed fumbling with the mop, in a strangely effective way for a single-handed person. He finished cleaning the kitchen in five minutes.

Jens let him put away the bucket and mop without saying a word, and when he was done, Lucas walked over to his boyfriend, looping his arms around his neck.

“See? It wasn't that hard.”

“You could have slipped on the wet floor.”

“But I didn't. Now, kiss me.”

Jens smiled, happy to please his boyfriend, and pressed his lips against the other’s. Lucas slipped his fingers through Jens' hair, pulling them slightly, and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, moaning when his tongue met Jens’.

They hadn't had sex in a while, so it was very easy for both of them, to heath up at the bare minimum.

Jens stroked the back of Lucas' thighs and lifted him off the ground, while the other tied his legs behind his waist. They kept going like that until both had to break the kiss to catch their breath.

Lucas rubbed his nose against his boyfriend's, smiling softly at him.

“You're so handsome.”

“So are you.”

“Sure, must be that purple bruise under my eye, or the greasy hair.”

“It's just a few more days, Luc, then we can shower together.”

“So hot.”

“Yeah, so hot.”

They both laughed, and Jens carried Lucas into their bedroom, making him sit on the bed. They continued to cuddle for a while, while a comforting silence reigned throughout their apartment. It was nice to be alone, slowly rediscovering each other. Taking their time to admire every detail on the other's face, since other areas were still off-limits. It felt like they were teenagers again, when they spent hours kissing and laughing, hidden in their bedrooms, without the world disturbing them.

Lucas leaned on Jens' shoulder, playing with the neck of his boyfriend's shirt, suddenly becoming more serious. It happened often since the accident and what worried him ended up being always the same matter, Jens knew it.

“Lucas, stop thinking about what happened. You said sorry a million times.”

“I know, but I realized that pushing you away, being angry and mean, is my coping mechanism. I saw my parents do this so many times during my childhood, especially my mom, and I don’t know. Maybe I was just trying to protect myself.”

“Protect yourself from what?”

“From the idea that eventually I’d get hurt. I always saw Sander and Robbe as an ideal couple and when they broke up I thought they didn’t make it, so why Jens and I should? I kind of convinced myself that we were about to end things up too.”

Jens was confused. No matter how many times they talked about that, there was still something new coming up to the surface. It was good because it meant they were working things up, and their relationship was starting to heal.

“Why haven't you mentioned this before?”

“It wasn’t something I did on purpose. But you know what? we survived Jens, thanks to you.”

“Next time something bothers you, even if you don’t know what it is, please tell me, and we’ll try to figure it out together.”

“I promised.”

Lucas smiled, pressing little kisses to Jens' jaw, who closed his eyes and sighed, completely touch-starved. He wanted to feel Lucas everywhere again, but he needed to be responsible for both of them, so he gently squeezed his boyfriend's hand to make him stop.

“Jens, please. I want to make you feel good.”

“But you are already making me feel good by saying all of these things. Besides, I'm super hungry, we should start cooking something!”

Jens freed himself from his boyfriend's arms and quickly got up before the other could reach him again. It was painful but necessary. Lucas rolled his eyes and grunted crossing his arms on his chest, and that was it. There was no way he couldn’t kiss away that adorable pout from his face, so taking Lucas by surprise he crushed his mouth against his boyfriend’s, because maybe if they were really careful, there was something they still could do to make each other feel good.

[previous] / [next]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For each “⭐️” I get, I’ll write a headcanon about our muses.  - 20

Going under a read more to take care of everyone trying to scroll

1 Anna&Giorgio  It was definitely Gio who asked Anna out first, and the first time, she said no but how about friendship? So they ended up hanging out as friends since well... Neither really has time for all that much romance anyways, and then one night after a few drinks too many and some delicious food, they ended up making out in the back of the uber that was supposed to drop them off at her place first, before he’d continue on back home. But instead they both got off at her place and since then they’re just keep on being dorky domestic fools.

2 Audrey & Delia 

Audrey definitely does go insane by Delia and her levels of energy, but Delia definitely helps Audrey get out of her shell. So before Audrey is supposed to go on big talks in regards of her books she tends to ask Delia for a pep-talk before she just dies in her arms after the talk. 

3 Bianca & Piper 

Bianca definitely thinks Piper needs some more company in life, and just to live up to the lesbian stereotype, she brings home a full on black cat from the shelter. Except, it has a white heart on its tummy and Bianca ends up making an instagram for their shared cat while Piper gets to dress him up. 

4 Caleb & Juniper

She definitely ends up building a little spice-garden in his kitchen with lots of herbs and veggies/other things that he can make into spices on his own and have his own home-grown spices in his kitchen that he knows the quality on. 

5 Christine & Rosalyn 

Christine totally would believe 1000 times more that Rosalyn has a crush on her sister, than she’d ever be into her. 

6 Christopher & Odette 

They definitely fucked before they even knew they were going to teach at the same university/college. So they hooked up at a club, before they suddenly ended up running into each other at campus.

7 Double Delia

The reason they keep comparing each other to foods, isn’t because they work in a restaurant. Oh no, it’s because during their first date, Delia (my Delia) loudly declared that “I so love you-” and Delia (yours) went Uh? Whut? Before she heard my Delia go “CHOCOLATE CAKE” So basically, foods became their ‘i love you’

8 Elizabeth & Lucia

Elizabeth is definitely terrified about Lucia’s family, even though she keeps on a brave face, because she feels like they’ll crush her if she ever upsets Lucia. 

9 10 and 11 Emma & Lucia

Emma definitely didn’t realize she was romantically interested in Lucia until after they graduated Hogwarts, but when she realized it, she was deeeeply in love.

Emma 100% was seriously jealous when it came to Skye having the attention of HER best friend and she still holds a grudge against that australian blonde. 

Lucia and Emma might have massive fights, but Emma always comes back and curls up on her lap, begging for snuggles because she can’t sleep with the idea of Lucia being mad at her. 

12 Eva & Daniel

Eva probably smiles the widest whenever she and Daniel have their “first” dates over and over where he finds her in a bar they agreed to meet up in, and he is supposed to hit her up for the first time all over again.

13  Evan & Charlotte

Evan already has a whole section of his closet cleared for when Charlotte decides to move more of her things i, it’s just impossible to know because one the mirrors you slide around, is in front of that section. 

14 Hazel & Aaron

Hazel HATES tomatoes, but she doesn’t want to be a bother, so she always takes them off her own food and puts them onto Aaron’s plate, no matter what they’re having. 

15 Jack & Elodie

Jack secretly borrows the phones of multiple of his buddies just to hit up Elodie’s instagram and give her photos even more likes. 

16 Jamie & Lila

Despite how badly Jamie wants to have little Jamie’s running around, he’s happy to never be a dad, as long as he gets to see Lila smiling at him, especially whenever she thinks he’s not looking. Which are the cutest smiles in his opinion

17 Lucilla & Robert 

Lucilla is actually terrified that Robert will leave her for someone more “normal”. She’s terrified that her career, her fans, or her agent will end up chasing him away from her life, which is why she acts like a massive brat with him, because she’d rather have him leave because of *her* than because of her life. 

18 Maria & Austin

Maria will forever think Austin looks like a homeless bum whenever he doesn’t take proper care of his beard, and will call him out on it. 

19 Minnie & Austin

Minnie would never admit it properly, even if her mun keeps doing it, but she does get absurdly turned on whenever he wears the leather jacket with some rough jeans, or when he suits up with a full suit and tie and all. 

20 Nadia & Peter 

Nadia definitely originally just wanted to fuck Peter to get another thing crossed off from her bucket list of fucking, but she’s grown to love fucking him. 

Survey #178

“for such a little thing, you sure are in your own way.”

What’s your favorite type of bird? Barn owls are actual deities. What was on the last sandwich you ate? Pb & j. What sort of music did you listen to when you were in high school? Same stuff I listen to now, although I had a mild screamo-ish phase. Have you ever gotten back together with an ex? No. How far away is the closest store to your house and what is it? Some cheap dollar store in the town, dunno names. What is your favorite Thai dish? Haven't tried any. When was the last time you made out with somebody? Over a month back. What month of the year was your mother born? August. Are there any candles in your bedroom, and what scent are they? No. What TV show(s) have you been watching currently? None. How many apps do you have on your phone? Six. My phone has so, so little storage ugh. Have you ever dated a smoker? If not, would you? No to both. Are there any movies you’ve seen so many times? Yeah, sure. Of course a lot as a kid, Finding Nemo and The Lion King 1 & 2 especially, then I've watched both Blair Witch Project movies a lot, Jim Carrey's How the Grinch Stole Christmas... How would you describe your sense of humor? Sarcastic. What’s your favorite type of bread? Pumpernickel. Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? Yeah. Have there ever been any brushfires/wildfires in your area? Yeah. What did you have to eat for dinner last night? Nothing (Thanksgiving was lunch). Do you have separate emails for personal and business? No. Have you ever missed a flight? Yes. Do you know your significant other’s passwords? No, I have no reason to. Would you like to study abroad one day? No. Does someone have a crush on you but you don’t feel the same way? Idk. Who do you feel most beautiful around? Sara. /v\ What’s one makeup item you cannot live without? I could easily live without any. Is there one thing all of your ex’s had in common? All guys. Did you french kiss before you were 16? No. Imagine your spouse just died; would you get re-married? I don't know if I would. Like... I'd never stop loving her, so "moving on" to someone else just because she's no longer physically here would feel disloyal. What’s your favorite thing about life? New, fun experiences and creating strong bonds with people like you. Who pays for the first date? Idrc, but probably whoever proposed the date? Or split the bill? Have you ever had a friend that got a bf/gf, and then completely ignored you? Yeah. Do you play any computer games, if so, what ones? Not currently 'cuz my gaming laptop has to be fixed. :| When it is and I have my own income, I might return to WoW, but I'm not sure. I think the subscription is kinda high, and I have more important things to handle. What is the funniest movie you’ve ever seen? Idk why I find White Chicks so goddamn funny. What lyric means the most to you? Off the very top of my head, "A bloody war behind my eyes; I'll come all right on the other side" from "Free" by Mother Mother. Really makes me think of all I've been through but how I keep coming out stronger. Who is the smartest person you know? Girt. What’s the next movie you will see in theaters? Idk. Are you adopted? No. What band do you like that most people hate? You canNOT look me in the face and say you don't like at least one Nickelback song. I don't get the hate. Any new bands that you actually enjoy? Oh idk. What is your escape from reality? RPing. Do you have any self-inflicted scars on your arms? You can only just barely see them. Do you like “scene” hair? YEAH AND I ALWAYS FUCKING WANTED IT BUT I COULD NEVER POSE IT CORRECTLY 'CUZ MY HAIR WAS TOO THICK AND HEAVY. Have your parents ever been to jail? No. If your friend asked you to hold their drugs, would you? Definitely not. Does it scare you when a relationship moves too fast? Y E A H Would you ever consider hitchhiking? I don't know if I would even in a desperate situation... I don't trust people. Have you ever hitchhiked? No. Have you ever been to a music festival? No. What color car do you want to have? Burnt orange. Would you rather hike a mountain or explore a cave? Explore a cave!!! Would you rather wear a flower crown or veil? Probably a veil? Do you believe peace on earth is attainable? I honestly don't believe so. What type of tattoo do you want? s o  m a n y What is your favorite insect? Butterflies. Would you ever live in the desert? Nooooo. Fuck the heat. Is your town beautiful? I don't really live in one, but the closest town isn't. Which season do you want to get married in? Autumn. Are totem poles cool? YEAH! Favorite art forms? Conceptual photography. What kind of music do you enjoy? Plenty sorts of metal, rock, and alternative. Do you have any gay friends? Yeah. Where is your favorite place to go? The zoo, even though I have mixed feelings about them... Do you know your dad? Yeah. How often do you get on Facebook? At least once a day. Are you related to anyone who’s in prison? Don't think so?? What concerts are you attending in the near future? Y'ALL I MIGHT FUCKING SEE OZZY IN JANUARY. He and Megadeth are coming to Charlotte and the tickets aren't too bad. :') It's a loooong drive but Mom was like "hell yeah" when I told her and wants to buy tickets after she gets her tax return AH. Metallica is a possibility too, but Mom doesn't think she can afford it. If you were kicked out of your house, where would you go first? Dad's. What are you currently looking forward to? Sara's b-day, Christmas, hopefully getting my laptop fixed, aforementioned concerts, and school. What was the reason you got grounded for last? Idk, that was a long time ago. But most likely for "talking back" to Mom. The last two people you kissed, are they virgins? Yes; probably not. Is there a guy that knows everything or mostly everything about you? Yeah. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed? A bit to the left. If you could have anything delivered to your doorstep each morning, what would it be? Um,,, money?????? What is one vacation destination that many people think is just fabulous but which you personally have no desire to visit (or revisit)? New York City. Heard from my sister it's a shithole with the craziest and rudest people known to Planet Earth. I'm not big on cities, anyway. Which animated character is your all-time favorite? Uhhhhhh... Dory, maybe? If you could own a home on the shore of any body of water in the world, which waterfront would you choose? I WANT THE PINK BEACHES OF THE BAHAMAS. But I'm scared of the Bermuda Triangle so will probably never see them. :'''''') What serves as the greatest motivation for you in your daily life? MY RECOVERY. If I got through what I have, I can't ever give up and roll back down that hill. I'm focusing to always improve. If you could have any round object in the world, what spherical item would you want? t h e  g a m e s p h e r e ,  l a d s If you were left alone for one hour with nothing more than a pen and a notepad, what would you be inclined to draw or write during those 60 minutes? Practice eyes or start a poem. If you could witness anything at all in super-slow motion, what would you want to see? Hmmm... OH, maybe a big cat's tongue licking meat. See how it actually shears tiny bits off. Cats' tongues are cool. What do you forget to do more often than anything else? Take my anxiety med at the right time. If you could teach everyone in the world one skill, what would it be? Compassion. You’ve been offered the chance to paint a billboard along a highway with any message you choose, as long as it’s only 10 words long. What is your message? Oh jeez, I'd have to think too hard on this. Who’s the last guy to give you roses? Tyler. Did your parents do drugs when they were younger? Not to my knowledge, and I doubt they would've. Do you have any relatives who live on a different continent than you? I don't believe so. What are your religious beliefs? Were you raised with those beliefs, or did you develop them on your own? I'm a theist, entailing I believe in a creator, but I know nothing about him/her/it. I personally picture them as a peaceful and sage deity that allows life to go on without it intervening anywhere, letting the world evolve on its own and see how we adapt to our unique settings and handle life. In the end, I believe we are either given some form of paradise or a type of damnation depending on how you wrote your story. I like to imagine the good go to their personal vision of "Heaven," and I wonder if the paranormal activity some experience in life are the acts of the damned, apparently confined to remain on Earth or something. Anyway, I wasn't raised with such beliefs; they were developed. I was brought up Catholic, then I turned to just simple Christianity as I didn't agree with a lot of Catholic ideas, and most recently I abruptly turned away from that in favor of theism. How did you and your significant other celebrate your last anniversary? We went out for breakfast. What has been your favorite house/apartment/etc you’ve ever lived in? My last house for location, as a house itself, my childhood one. What’s something in your house that currently needs to be cleaned? I need to vacuum my room. Do you still remember any of the dreams or nightmares you had as a child? Yup. What’s the most bizarre conspiracy theory you’ve ever heard of? The world is donut-shaped. Yeah. Do you have a good sense of direction? Not. At. All. Who was your first crush? Did you ever actually date them? Dylan, and no. What’s the weirdest, rudest, or most ridiculous thing a guest has ever done in your home? Who knows. Has anyone ever told you you’re manipulative? I don't think so. Do you know anyone who owns their own business? No. When was the last time you weren’t 100% sober? Uhhh maybe that movie night with Colleen and Chelsea. Is obtaining a college degree something that is important to you? Well, for my possible career future. Have you ever eaten at a vegan restaurant? No. Do you view substance abuse as a disease or a choice? I have... mixed feelings here. Starting something, that is indisputably a choice. Becoming addicted though, I'm not sure. Some people have addictive personalities so have a bigger inclination to become addicted, but isn't that just a personal trait/weakness you can fight?? I dunno. I know it's labelled as a disease by people way more informed than me though, so. What does the last text you sent say? Don't feel like checking. Does it bother you when people call you ‘ma'am’ or ‘sir?’ No. I live in the South, that's polite. Have you ever been obsessed with a television character? Does Dory count for movies? ha ha Do you ever wish you had powers of invisibility? Not really. What was the last thing that changed your life completely? Recovery. Do you have any step siblings? One. Have you ever been questioned by the police? No. In which state/country were you born? NC, U.S.A. Have you ever been to an amusement park out of state? Disney World. What do you normally drink when eating at a fast food restaurant? Coke or Mountain Dew. Have the police ever been looking for you? Not because I did something wrong; I've told the beach story a few times. If you chew gum, which kind is your favorite? I love the watermelon Hubba Bubba one asjfawoeu Have you ever kissed someone of the same sex? Yeah. What was the last liquid that you choked on? Water, just this morning when I was taking my meds ah. How many times did you wake up today before actually getting up? Well, I woke up once in the middle of the night like usual, then I woke up at like, 6-something and went back to sleep. Who did you celebrate your last birthday with? Mom, sises, Ash's husband and kids, and Dad stopped by. Was your last kiss initiated by you or the other person? I think it was kinda a simultaneous thing. We were saying bye. Do you buy a ton of things at the store at once or just for that day? Mom does the shopping, but it depends on how much time she has and what's at the house. When getting dressed do you put your pants or shirt on first? Pants. When you kiss a person where do your hands usually go? I actually don't know if it's a consistent thing for me??? I don't kiss anyone regularly so I don't recognize a pattern. What is one song you listen to that you’re sure not many people do? "False Flags," probs. Massive Attack is so neglected of the attention they deserve. Do you use a handrail on stairs if there is one? Yes, I'm scared of tripping. What was the last thing you saw that made you smile? Teddy came right up into my face wanting attention. What is your favorite drinking game? Never played any. Do you have any tattoos that you don’t like anymore? I think I've mentioned why I don't love my "ohana" one now. I'm getting it covered at some point. My "perfectly flawed" one is probably getting covered by a much bigger piece; I picked a bad location for it to want a sleeve. I'd just maybe redesign it, put if somewhere else. Do you have a shower curtain or door? Curtain. Who was the last person from your high school graduating class you saw? Probs Colleen? Who was the last non-relative you hung out with? Sara. Are you listening to anything right now? I'm way too obsessed with "Black Wedding" by In This Moment (feat. Rob Halford). Rob makes it, and the chorus is awesome. How many keys are on your keychain? One. Who was the last person you took a photograph with? Ryder, my nephew. Are you left handed? No. What were you most scared of when you were little? Losing my mom/being separated from her. Are you biracial? No. When was the last time you painted your nails? What color(s)? I couldn't even guess. Has a stranger ever offered to buy you a drink? Thank fuck no. Have you ever overflown a bathtub? Don't think so. What’s at the top of your to-do list in life? Stay positive, never stop aiming to improve. What was the last thing you shared? Well, Thanksgiving food. Where are you most ticklish? Feet. Do not- Which cartoon character do you want to keep as a pet? Uhhhh how 'bout an Espeon. I imagine them to be calm and silently affectionate like cats and very intelligent. Have you ever considered a career in music/acting? No. When was the last time you felt seriously embarrassed? Getting food yesterday. Per usual, let things die down, but I still ended up crammed in a corner, unable to go in any direction while someone was trying to get past me. I was headed for an anxiety attack and felt like a total nuisance. I'm pretty sure it showed in how I was whipping my head around, shuffling in various directions, clearly wanting the fuck out. Have you ever liked a song, looked up the lyrics to it, then hated it? No, lyrics can't ruin a song I like the sound of. What would be the icing on the cake for you this Christmas? A PS4, omg. I have to get my laptop fixed and a new camera, so I highly doubt I'm getting that or a tablet considering cost. I want to play the Spyro Reignited trilogy beyond words, like I refuse to even watch a let's play because I want to experience it all first-hand, but. Yeah, unlikely anytime soon. If you had the opportunity to live forever, would you take it? Noooooo. Do you like quesadillas? Only chicken and/or cheese ones. Did you like the show Invader Zim? I surprisingly never saw it. What’s the greatest/most influential song you’ve ever heard? "Life Won't Wait" by Ozzy always makes me wanna get off my ass and do something. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen in a grocery store? A HUGE BOX OF ANIMAL HEADS IN THE MIDDLE OF WAL-MART, BECKONING THE FURRIES INTO ITS DEPTHS. Have you ever bought yourself a present on Christmas? No. Well, I've used money I've been given on Christmas, if that counts. Have you ever been on a mechanical bull? No. Do you need a key card to get into the building you live in? No. Have you ever stepped in chewing gum? Yes. Name all the people you know that you’ve seen today. Just Mom.

Red Rose - Chapter 16

Prologue Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Ch. 7 Ch. 8 Ch. 9 Ch. 10 Ch. 11Ch. 12 Ch. 13 Ch. 14 Ch. 15 CH. 16

Summary: Riley manages the fallback from the hedgemaze fiasco, but she’s soon reminded that there’s no dull moment in Cordonia, as Tariq barges into her room and her and Drake have a moment.

Rating: M -  Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with non-explicit suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, or coarse language.

Theodora sat at her dresser, brushing her thick, platinum blonde mane. Puberty has done her very well, with her skin as fair and spotless as it was at her birth, the hourglass figure and the harmonious breast also being God-given gifts. Her eyes were cold and cutting as a knife.

That night, they shone in determination.

“Promises are made, promises are broken.” She told to her own reflection. “Well, father, two can play at that game.”

She took off the brush from her hair and placed the richly-engraved brush back into the dresser drawer. She then rose from the chair and walked over to her closet. She took some clothes from the racks and threw them at a bag open at the door. She then proceeded to change her blue dress into a pair of pants, a shirt and a green parka.

All dressed, she threw the bag over her shoulders and sneaked off to her parents’ room. At that time of day, it was predictably empty. Behind a painting, lay a safe, and the code was 1918.

Inside the safe, there was cash, jewels, and most importantly, a hostage for her escape operation.

She refused to end up like her parents and siblings. She refused living that odious life. There it was a passport for another life, another herself.

Theodora threw everything inside the bag and sneaked her way into the house’s backdoor.

Half an hour later, safely on a train going away from the life she knew, she took a deep breath. Relief washed her lithe body.

Escape seemed at hand’s reach.

Applewood, Neokastron, Cordonia, Fall 2015

“Oh, God.” Riley bemoaned. “I’m so screwed.”

“This does hamper our initial plans, yes.” Charlotte noted. “We would stay in Cordonia until Theophany, and, when Liam did not pick you, we would have a good reason to leave. Riley would be killed off in some tragic accident a few months later, and that would be that.

“What we didn’t count on is the fact that you want to stay.”

“No matter, we are sticking with our original plan.” Riley said, determined. “Regardless of what I may be feeling about Liam or about anyone else, there is no way I can stay in Cordonia come February. Even if the impossible happens and Liam does choose me.”

“But there is a way.” Charlotte said, thoughtful. “Think about it: your story held uncontested up until now, even with the security services looking thoroughly into it. I doubt anyone except perhaps the MI-5 or the CIA could blow it now, much less some lowly yellow press, sketch of a reporter. And that’s only in the first few months, once the rage of your marriage passes, they stop snooping on the dirty secrets of your past and start snooping on the dirty secrets of your present.

“You have files of the marriage of Amara Grey and Brennan Flowers, the latter of whom died without any relatives to say you weren’t related to them, and the former is so deep in this as yourself, she won’t blab or else she’ll be packing to a federal prison.

“You planted school records in not one, not two, but in three different institutions, you swapped the yearbooks from the library in Cedar Cove, and all your supposed colleagues seem to remember a shy, quiet student at the corner they don’t quite remember the name of.

“You fed a fake Facebook for years, for Christ’s sakes!” Charlotte exasperated. “Honestly, if I didn’t know you, if I didn’t know you were lying, I would fucking think you were really Riley Flowers.”

Riley weighed what has been said by Charlotte, and she had to give her a point, by now there is no conceivable way for her to be discovered, not by the Cordonian court, and not if she didn’t screw up. However, one thing weighed heavily on her mind: “What about Karen and Ludwig?”

“Riley, my promise holds regardless of you deciding to be a queen or not. A week in February, and you’ll be free.” Charlotte said, in all seriousness. “We could tell everybody you were off to New York tying up some loose ends, we could even have Amara backing up these claims.”

Riley grumbled. “It still don’t change what happened today. Liam and I still had this huge fight, and we both said things we shouldn’t have, even if we did meant them.”

“Hey, sweetie, do you still have your journals?” Charlotte asked.

“My journals?” Riley said, confused.

“When you were younger, every time you got upset, you used to write your feelings away. Don’t you do that anymore?”

Then it dawned on her. Her notebooks. She used to write on them every day, as in to chase away the feelings of loneliness and fear from getting caught by the Rosenbergs. She remembered to take them to Cordonia, but she hadn’t touched a single one of them ever since she left New York.

Riley rummaged her trunk and pulled out six leather-bound notebooks. “Here they are. All the way back from the time I moved to New York.”

“Now, why don’t you give them to Liam as an apology gift?” Charlotte proposed.

“What?” Riley shouted. “Are you insane?!”

“Why not? I know you are paranoid enough not to put any names on those, and yet they are personal enough for him to see you’re making an effort to reach out. Besides, they’re the most genuine piece of yourself we can afford to give him right now.”

“That… That…” Riley stuttered while the wheels of her brain turned. “That might be actually a good idea.”

“I’m full of those today.” Charlotte said, smugly. “Now, come, we have to re-do your make-up and accessorize with this dress. Lord, for as much Bertrand is a stick-in-the-mud, he really has no sense of style!”

Riley giggled. “He really don’t. All that ‘country lord’ look of his isn’t working on his favor.”

New York City, Summer 1979

Melissa payed her cabby and got out of the car. Her meager belongings, mostly clothing, were packed into a small, black bag.

She had just arrived from the airport, she was at her parents’ home, in Georgia, and it certainly did not end her way. Not that she really blames them, she had thrown them a bomb.

She had met Kristijan during her internship at the United Nations. She was working under the Spanish ambassador, while Kristijan was a guard to Lord Talmai Bartholomaios, the Cordonian envoy.

They had met when he helped her when she got lost on her way to a meeting at the UN. He had been posted there for over three years and could probably walk through those halls in his sleep. He had a rare afternoon off, as Lord Bartholomaios was otherwise engaged, so, after her meeting, they went out for a coffee and became friends.

After some outings through the city, they started dating. It was a whirlwind romance, one she threw herself into head first.

However, Labor Day was just around the corner, and Lord Bartholomaios was due to return to Cordonia, and Kristijan is supposed to go with. He had told her his ‘commander’, the head of the security services he wasn’t allowed to disclose, was impressed with his work, and offered him a superior position, one that required him to move back to his homeland, permanently.

Facing the possibility of never seeing each other again, Kristijan proposed to Melissa last Friday night. She said she had to talk it over with her family first and promised him an answer the following Monday.

Today.

She used the card key Kristijan had given her and waltzed into the hotel. She went up to his floor and knocked on his door.

He answers her with a grin and a: “Melissa, you’re back!”

“Let’s do it, Kristijan!” She said, overwhelmed. “Let’s go to Cordonia! Let’s get married!”

She didn’t give him time to respond, as she kissed him passionately.

It might be against every ounce of reason in her body, but Melissa Walker was in love.

Applewood, Neokastron, Cordonia, Fall 2015

An hour later, Riley snuck off to Liam’s chambers. No-one saw her, as the servants were busy with preparations for the party downstairs, while the noblepeople were in their rooms dressing up.

She knocked three times, slow and steadily, waiting for a response. After a moment, a tortured ‘Enter!’ was heard from the other side of the heavy, engraved doors.

Prompted, she pushed the heavy doors weakly, as if she was afraid of it disturbing someone’s sleep. The room behind it looked the part, as its thick curtains were drawn, letting none of the sunset light into the room. The bed was also disheveled, as if none of the servants remembered to make it that morning.

Sat on a chair, with his back turned to the door, sat Liam. He had a glass on his hand and a tumbler on the coffee table in front of him, the brown color of the liquid suggested it was bourbon.

“If you came here to tell me I should be getting ready for dinner, pass along the message to my father I will be out shortly.” His tired voice rasped through the room.

“I did not come here to tell you that.” Riley said, in a meek tone. “Though, I can try to reach the King.”

“Riley!” The blond exclaimed, turning to see her. “What are you doing here?”

The woman sighed. “I came here to talk. To apologize, actually. I said some things I shouldn’t have, and I overreacted a little about… that.”

He gaped. “No, no, you were right, I shouldn’t have read that file. I just got scared and did something stupid, and when you caught me, I got scared again and just made everything worse. I should be the one to apologize.”

“Let’s agree we were both on the wrong, then.” She offered. “Regardless, I haven’t been doing a very good job of soothing your worries. You felt the need to read that file because I don’t talk about the past often, and while you’ve never asked, I also haven’t been going out of my way to tell you about it either.

“I don’t do that because it is painful for me to remember. Not the thing about my mother or my aunt and uncle, but for me it feels like every step of the way so far have been difficult somehow, and I just keep hoping for the next to be easier, to be painless. For me to be able to do that, I have to try and forget a little bit of the past and try to move forward, without looking back.

“When I moved to New York, I got into a little of a rough path and I found that writing my feelings helped sorting them out. So, I want you to keep these.” She handed him the six notebooks.

Liam inspected the objects. “What are these?”

“Those are my journals. Six years-worth of them, from the time I moved to New York to the day before I’ve met you. I haven’t written on them ever since I arrived, though, because every day seems more hectic then the one before, so…” She trailed off.

He placed them neatly on the coffee table, away from the tumbler and the glass of booze. “Are you sure you want me to read them?” He looked deep into her charcoal eyes.

“No, I’m not.” She said, honestly. “But I’m sure I want to give you, us, a sincere attempt, and if that’s what it takes, then so be it.”

Liam quickly crossed the distance between them and hugged her tightly. “Thank you, Riley.” He whispers into her hair. “Thank you for being so kind and patient with me, even when I don’t deserve it.”

He kissed her deeply, making her knees go weak.

Palace of the Brigades, Avlona, Cordonia, Summer 1984

Melissa had her finest dress on, and her little child was also dress impeccably. She lived at the Brigades for five years, now, but she wasn’t quite used to the idea of royalty, and the prospect of actually meeting one made her giggly.

She walked over to some French doors, where Bastien, one of her husband’s apprentices, waited stoically for her.

“Good afternoon, Bastien.” She greeted, amicably. More than once the young man has had a meal with them at their apartment on the service lodge of the palace, and both Kristijan and Melissa had a soft spot for the boy.

“Good afternoon, ma’am.” He smiled at her. “Your Majesty waits for you.”

“Lead the way!”

He nodded and opened the door for her. It leads into a small drawing room, in which the Queen have had served some tea and biscuits.

The young royal rose to her feet, with some difficulty, taking upon account she was heavily pregnant, and greeted her. “Madam Walker, I am very glad you took upon my invitation this afternoon.”

Melissa’s face probably betrayed the frantic thoughts running through her head. “Y-Your Majesty!” She bowed hastily. “It is I who is glad about your invitation!”

She laughed softly. “Please, call me Carmela. We are alone, and I was hoping we could have a more relaxed conversation.”

“Of course, ma’am. I mean, Carmela.” It was rather strange calling a girl younger than herself ‘ma’am’, after all.

“Great!” She smiled. “Is this little Drake I hear so much about?” The blue-blooded approached the carriage, where the boy slept soundly. “How old is he again?”

“Six months.” The woman answered, with a soft smile. “He was born in late Fall last year.”

“How adorable.” She gushed. “Pardon me, I have the baby fever. I must run poor Bastien haggard with all my questions about all the mothers at the palace.”

Melissa giggled. “I remember how I was with Drake. I spent the day looking through baby clothes catalogs and pregnancy books. When are you due?”

“The doctors say All-Hallows, but I think this one’s going to be an early bird.” She patted her own protuberant stomach fondly. “I’m thinking of naming him Liam if it’s a boy.”

The other did a small double-take at the revelation. “It is different in Cordonia.”

“It is unusual in Italy as well.” She dismissed, with a faint smile. “But I’m a fan of Liam Clancy. Constantine’s going to take some convincing, though.”

“I thought the King wanted something more traditional.”

Carmela shrugged. “Some Greek mouthful, yes.” She poured two cups of tea and handed one to Melissa. “Speaking of things unusual, I never expected to see a surname like Kristijan’s in Cordonia. Walker,” She tested on her tongue, with her foreign accent. “It’s English, right?”

“It’s actually my name.” Melissa pointed out. “Kristijan said his surname carried a stigma in Cordonia, and he wanted to change it when we married.”

“Oh, my! There’s so much I know not.” Carmela commented. “Was it Slavic? I’ve noticed our Serbian subjects are very hostile to our rule. It would make sense for Kristijan to change it when he joined our employment.”

The other woman shook her head. “No, it was Greek. Bunas, after the river.”

“No, it doesn’t ring any bells.” She commented.

“How about the social season, ma’am?” She tried to change the subject. “You’ll probably be bed-ridden by then.”

“Don’t tell me.” She grimaced. “It would be my first one as Queen. Fortunately, Constantine is able to attend alone the events elsewhere. What worries me are the ceremonies held here at the Brigades. Which reminds me, Melissa?”

“Yes?” The woman responded.

“You were a diplomat once, right? Before marrying?”

She laughed uncomfortably. “I wouldn’t say that. I worked at an embassy, and I have a degree in International Relations.”

“But you do understand about ceremonials?”

“I suppose? Somewhat, at least.” Melissa said.

Carmela smiled broadly. “Great! You see, I was looking for a secretary, to help me with the preparations for the season. I would do it myself, but with the pregnancy and everything…” She trailed off.

The woman made a double-take. “Are you sure you want me?”

“Of course. You know the ropes, and I know I can trust you. It is more I can say about any other woman in this house.” The monarch answered. “And you will be paid handsomely for the job.”

Melissa weighs her options. As the wife of Kristijan, she was not allowed to take employment outside the palace and caring for Drake full time get really boring fast. Besides, with the money, they could save for retirement, which came early for royal bodyguards.

“Okay. I’m in.” The eldest smiled.

Applewood, Neokastron, Cordonia, Fall 2015

Riley arrived at dinner rigorously on time, perfectly composed and her head held high. Liam wasn’t with her, staying behind as in not to arise suspicion, but aside from him, all of the guests at the chateau were already in attendance.

Servants bustle about, keeping the tables freshly stocked with foods and drinks. Over a couple of tables, a few girls conversed in rushed tones.

“The King and the Queen seemed quite taken with you today, Lady Madeleine.” Some random suitor commented with said blonde.

She smirked. “They respect my opinions. And I believe we have a lot in common. I hope I’ll have the support and respect of all the ladies of the court if I’m chosen.”

The tone of her ‘if’ portrayed no doubt.

Penelope sat next to the pair and whispered back: “To tell you the truth, I think Lady Riley may be the one to be chosen, and I think she would be a wonderful queen.”

As much as Penelope’s heart was in the right place, that certainly wasn’t the moment to make that kind of statement. Much less to Madeleine, who frowned quite pronouncedly: “I suppose you are entitled to have your own opinion.” She said.

Charlotte waved at her, as if they were just meeting. Riley started walking over to her, also keeping up the appearances, when she crossed paths with Tariq.

“Good evening, Tariq.” She greeted, politely.

“Lady Riley.” He nodded, acknowledging. “It is always a pleasure seeing you.”

“A rare one, it seems. How have you been?” She engaged in conversation. Bertrand would be proud.

He laughed. “Indeed. I’ve been as splendid as you look, my dear.”

“You seem flirty tonight.” She pointed out.

“It comes from the deepest recesses of my being.” He winked. “This event can hardly bear a star as bright as yours.”

Riley thought it to be strange behavior from the young nobleman but preferred not to probe. She has enemies enough, no need going out and making more. “Thank you, Tariq. You flatter me.”

“It feels me with joy to hear you say that.” He beamed. “You know, I have to tell you, after talking to most of the other ladies here, I find myself having nurtured such an… appreciation for you. You are like a breath of New York fresh air.”

Knowing those same girls he speaks of, Riley can only agree to the sentiment, even if the phrasing is hardly ideal. “I don’t think anyone says that.”

“The other suitors are absolutely boring.” He admonished. “One talks only about her dogs, another merely sulks to the corners. And don’t get me started on Olivia.”

“Some of the other girls have their charms.” Riley weighed.

Tariq scoffed. “If they do, I have yet to find them. They have good breeding, wealth and manners, but they’re absolutely dull. How disappointing.”

There it was. Tariq the Plutocrat. Riley was starting to worry he had banged his head at some table corner.

He, however, wasn’t done: “Whereas with you, Lady Riley, you grow more interesting every time we speak. I must, however, take my leave. May you have a fantastic evening.”

Tariq bows and left, while Maxwell approaches.

“There’s our little social star!” He greets, with an unusual dose of excitement. “Is that Tariq you were talking to?”

“Yeah, and it was weird.” She commented, while looking at the place the young middle-eastern left empty.

“Strange?” Maxwell inquired, confused. “How so?”

“He was so amicable! And before today, we barely talked.”

The man tutted. “I’ll keep an eye on him. Now, come, Bertrand and I got a table this way.”

Palace of the Brigades, Avlona, Cordonia, Spring 1993

Melissa was sitting on the kitchen table. The dinner was served, and the children already ate. Drake and Savannah were at the conjoined living room, having their TV time.

Kristijan was late for dinner, again. Melissa knew his patrol schedule was messy, but he had said he would be home that evening. She tapped her fingers against the table, anger and hungry, as she had been kind enough to wait for him.

She sighed angrily and walked over to the living room. “Kids,” She told them while turning off the TV. “It’s bed time.”

“But, mommy!” Little Savannah complains. “Daddy isn’t here yet!”

The woman sighed once more. Her husband gave her nothing but trouble. “I know, darling. But it’s late, it’s way past the time for little girls to be in bed.”

She pouted. “I’m not a little girl anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Grown-Up.” She smiled at her daughter’s antics. “Tell you what, go to bed now and I’ll have daddy giving you a good-night kiss when he gets here, ‘kay?”

“’Kay…” Savannah caved and walked over to the bedroom she shared with his older brother.

“Drake?” The woman called.

“Yeah?” He grumbled. Sometimes, she swore that boy was born sour.

“Watch your sister, okay? I’ll go over to the kitchens, but I’ll be right back.”

He looked at her warily but nodded his head. She kissed his hair and went out the front door.

Closing and locking her apartment’s door for security, she started walking down the hall. However, instead of going down to the kitchens like she said she would, Melissa walked over to the bachelors’ wing and knocked on an apartment’s door.

A man came out. “Mrs. Walker?” He asks, confused. “What are you doing here?”

“Bastien, you’re on the night shift tonight, aren’t you?” She inquired, feverishly.

“Yeah, I was going out right now.” He said. “Why? Do you need anything?”

“Actually, I do.” She smirked, with a hint of crazy in her eyes. “I need you to take me to the Queen’s chambers. It’s where you’re supposed to switch guard, isn’t it?”

He looked at the woman he so deeply respected and cared for. Bastien was sure that if she was asking such a thing, she had a legitimate reason for it, no matter how unorthodox. “Follow me.” He said and led the way.

On a hurried place, they made their way through the labyrinthine, ghastly hallways of the Brigades at nighttime. When they arrived at the heavy, mahogany doors of the quarters, Melissa eyed Bastien for him to make himself scarce.

The look he gave in response said that he would not hinder her, but he sure wasn’t leaving.

It was his own peril. Taken by murderous rage, she opened the door and walked right into the room. Unfortunately for Melissa, she saw exactly what she was looking for.

She picked up a shirt laid on the ground and placed on her nose. She knew that aftershave anywhere. She let it fall to her feet as she walks over to the bed. The couple laying there was fast asleep.

Melissa sat on a chair by the dresser and turned on the lamp. She took a good look at the face of the man resting on there. Tan skin, shaved neatly, but with a defined, rugged, hairy chest.

She picked up a heel on the floor and admired it. A dark blue, satin Zanotti, with silver fastenings. A beautiful shoe for a beautiful woman. Melissa twirled it by the heel, and then threw at the man.

He woke up, of course, startled. His eyes focused on her: “Melissa! What are you doing here?”

Her eyes glinted with the light of the lamp. “Why, Kristijan, you’re late for dinner. I came looking for you.”

The woman woke up, dizzy, and looked over at Melissa. “What is the meaning of this?!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Regina, did I wake you up?” She asks, sickly sweet. “Now you can join us.”

“I would ever.” She admonished. “Have some respect!”

Melissa clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Oh, Regina, I find it terribly funny how you Cordonians think everybody owe you respect. When will you learn respect is earned?”

She leaned over the bed, over Kristijan, and whispered to her: “Don’t try evoking any Laws of Exception on me. I’m not a Cordonian citizen. You can’t throw me on jail.”

The Queen fumed but did not say a thing. Kristijan, however, pulled her away and stood up. He was as naked as the day he was born, his intimacy hanging limp by his leg.

He tugged on her arm, and whispered menacingly: “Let’s go, Melissa.”

“I’m going, I’m going.” She wriggled her arm away, and then lowered her sight to his genitalia. “But I think you should change first. I know you clearly don’t really care who see your bits, but some people may.”

She stood up and started to leave. Kristijan came after her, thankfully using some underwear, shouting: “Melissa! Melissa, wait!”

“What?!” She turned and barked.

“Just hear me out, okay?!” He said, frozen in place by her glare.

“What are going to say, huh?! It wasn’t what it looked like?!” She shouted, the sound bounced from the walls and empty rooms.

He sighed. “It is what it looked like. Or not, I don’t know. I did sleep with the Queen, I have been sleeping with her for some time, too. But what did you want me to do? She’s the Queen, for Christ’s sake!”

“I wanted you to keep it in your pants. I expected you to keep your vows. I expected you to, at least, tell me what was going on.” She said, cold.

He scoffed. “And then what? You think I’d still have a job here? A place to live?”

“We would find a way, Kristijan!” She shouted, frustrated. “I’m not an invalid!”

He sighed one more time. “What now?”

“I’m going back to the US.” She said, seriously. “I’m taking the kids. There’s nothing for us here anymore.”

With that, Melissa left, and Kristijan did not try to stop her.

Applewood, Neokastron, Cordonia, Fall 2015

Riley followed Maxwell to the table and sat down between him and Charlotte, who accompanied them on that meal.

Soon enough, the sound of glass clinking fell through the al-fresco dining area. Everyone then turns to the source of the noise, which was the figure of Prince Liam, standing up next to Constantine and Regina.

“If I may have everyone’s attention, I’d like to say a few words before we serve the main course.” The blond announced. “First, I would like to thank everyone for joining us out here at the country estate. I had the honor and privilege of having you in my court, and I could not ask for better company.

“As I step into my father’s place in the next few weeks, I can only hope I am half the man he was for Cordonia.”

“Long live Prince Liam!” Maxwell pulls the chant, followed by claps and cheers by all attendees.

“Thank you all.” Liam bowed. “When we next meet like this, it will be on the next event of the season, the traditional New Year’s party hosted by the illustrious House Beaumont.”

The crowd applauds, and Maxwell hollered: “Woo-hoo!” He then turns to Riley. “I can’t wait to show you the manor.”

“Maxwell, aren’t we a little strapped for cash right now?” She asks, concerned. “Can we afford hosting a party this big right now?”

He grimaced. “I don’t think we have a choice. Like Liam said, it’s tradition. We can’t back out now.”

“Yes. If we back out, we might as well announce to the whole world we are officially ruined!” Bertrand barked.

“Bertrand has a point.” Charlotte pointed out. “The manor house is big and opulent enough, we’ll be fine as long as we keep them busy. If the food is a little lacking, I bet no-one will notice.”

As the applause dies out, Liam continues: “The Beaumonts will surely give us another legendary night to remember. Until then, I thank you once again and wish you a good night.”

Palace of the Brigades, Avlona, Cordonia, Spring 1993

The Walker family, the personnel of the palace division of the Security Services and the Royal Family was congregated at the chapel within the Brigade Hill, honoring a sacrifice of one of their own.

As per request, there would be no speeches, no talking, no medals. There would only be a prayer conducted by the chaplain, which was over. The people were walking on a line, saying their condolences to the widow, standing by the casket.

After a big group of maids, security guards and other relatives payed their respects, there came the turn of the Royal Family. The youngest boy, Liam, was spared from the ceremony, thankfully.

Melissa couldn’t spare Drake of many uncomfortable comparisons he was subject to as the ‘common’ friend of one of the Princes, but the absence of a parent was a circumstance she really hadn’t considered to face up to a few weeks before.

Then, when Kristijan’s sins had come to light, Melissa was ready for filing divorce. She had bought the plane tickets, prepared the kids’ passports, wired her savings, called some relatives. And now she was a widow.

The first one to offer his sentiments was Prince Leo. The teenaged aristocrat couldn’t be bothered to play the part appropriately, appearing bored throughout the ceremony. Though, it was fair to say he would have rather for Kristijan to have failed on his mission.

Following him, there was Constantine. He hugged her softly, and said, on a low tone: “Your husband died a hero. The Royal Family has an eternal debt to you, ma’am.”

Then, it was the face she dreaded the most. Regina. Her dead husband’s lover. The woman he died to protect. There was something salacious, belonging to a cheap paperback novel, having such an encounter.

She was wearing a black, embroidered silk dress, her head covered with a shawl and a Spanish mother-of-pearl clasp. As she often does, Regina was asserting her power with subtlety.

The royal approached her and whispered softly to her ear. “I want to see you out of this country by nightfall. Take your snotty twerps with you.”

“Say, Regina, doesn’t your husband find most strange for you to be all alone with Kristijan on the gardens? At the middle of the night?” She asks, with a smirk.

“Are you really threatening me?” She barked.

“Not at all, Your Majesty. I am merely showing you I am not without my own bite.” She said, neutral. “But rest assured, by this time tomorrow, I’ll be far away from your sight.”

The Queen huffs and backs off her.

Applewood, Neokastron, Cordonia, Fall 2015

Riley walked down the hallway leading to her chambers. She was alone, as Bertrand and Maxwell were busy arranging their suitcases, and Charlotte said she would retire early.

Speaking of the Beaumonts, they said they would be spending their Christmas on a ski lodge in Switzerland. Given the price of the room and the fact the holiday was upon them, Bertrand made it clear she wasn’t invited. Charlotte said she could spend the week in Italy with her, but Riley knew how it was at her place, and she had her fill of aristocratic parties.

She reached her door and opened it. “Charlotte!” She called. “I’m here.”

The room was empty. Shrugging, Riley tried to lock the door, but the lock seemed stuck. As it was very late, the two women would have to make do with a chair against the handle.

Deciding to place it only after Charlotte’s return, Riley started taking off her clothing and her bodice. Butt-naked, she put on a silk robe and started walking over to the dresser to remove her make-up.

It was when she heard the door open and shut. “Is it you?” She called, distracted.

“It is I, love, and good Lord! Disrobing in my room! What a forward gesture. I like it.”

It wasn’t Charlotte’s voice. Riley turned to the intruder and shouted: “Tariq! What the Hell are you doing here?!”

“Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not upset. I’m just surprised. I suspected, but I’ve never thought it would happen so soon.” He said, approaching her.

She tried to cover herself better, while taking a step back. “Tariq, I think there’s something wrong here…”

He takes her hand and places over his heart. “No, I must say this! Your feelings are most ardently returned! You’ve enchanted me just as you enchant everybody you come across, and now I know you feel the same way about me.”

She raises an eyebrow at him. “About that…”

Before she can say anything else, he lowers his head and take her mouth into a kiss.

Riley starts trying to push him away, when the door is pushed open and a figure launch itself into Tariq.

“Get away from her!” The deep voice commands, pining the middle-eastern man away from her by the shoulder.

“Unhand me!” Tariq spats back. “How dare you enter my room without my permission!”

“He’s one to say!” Riley sneered to herself, as Tariq punches the figure squarely on the face. Just then she is able to take a good look to the man, who reveals himself to be Drake.

The commoner reels back for a split second and then tackles the nobleman to the ground. They grapple intensely for a second until they pull apart.

“Who the Hell do you think you are busting into my room?!” Tariq shouts, angry.

“This is Riley’s room!” Drake spats back. “And I heard her screaming, I think she wanted the interruption.”

“Oh, God!” She ran her hand through her hair. “Tariq, someone pulled a prank on you. I’m not, in any way, interested in you, I’m sorry.”

He looked at her with puppy eyes. “So, this isn’t going to be the bold, romantic beginning to our love story?”

“No.” She doubled the ‘o’, shaking her head.

He sighed and tried to gather whatever little dignity he had. “I see. Let me deeply apologize here. I’m so sorry for this transgression. I was incredibly wrong. Now, before I can humiliate myself any further, let me take my leave. Good night, Lady Riley. Whomever has your heart, he is indeed a lucky man.”

As the man leaves, Drake slams the door shut behind him.

Riley threw herself on the bed, covering her face with her hands. “Before I bemoan my luck, thanks, Drake. If you hadn’t intervened, I would have kicked him in the nuts and it everything would be worse.”

“Aw, shucks, Flowers, don’t go soft on me now.” He sideline-smirked at her. “I’ll always be here for you. Because of Liam, of course.”

She sat up straight and looked at him. “What Liam got to do with anything?”

“Liam would never forgive me if something… bad… happened to you.” He sighed and withered under her inquisitive look. “And I wouldn’t forgive myself, either.”

She smirked, defiantly, at him, while he averts his eyes, embarrassed.

He clears his throat. “Anyways, you can see why it looked bad. I heard a scream and I saw you half-naked, with Tariq all over you…” He trailed off. “Are you okay, though.”

“I’m fine.” She said, earnestly.

“Well, I should get out of here before we really cause a scandal.” He said, and turned to leave when he winced in pain, clutching at his side.

“You’re hurt.” She pointed out.

He dismissed it with a: “Nothing some whiskey won’t heal.”

“Come on, big boy, I’ve got some ice.” She said, motioning for him to sit on the bed.

He smirked. “You trying to get me to take my shirt off, Flowers?”

“I am succeeding.” She smirked at him. “Chop-chop, I don’t have all night.”

“You have a real bossy side to you.” He murmurs while obeying her order.

“Take it to someone who cares.” She rolled her eyes, picked up a handkerchief and some ice, and started evaluating the bruise.

“So, doc, do you see anything alarming?” He asks, ironic.

“Other than the fact you bruise like a peach, it seems you’ll be okay.” She said, snarky.

He scoffed. “Tariq hits harder than you’d think.”

Riley laughed, ironically, while standing up. “I can’t believe you lost a fight to Tariq!”

“I didn’t say I lost! I never said that!” He defended, desperately. “I definitively won, I’m just saying he got in some good hits and I didn’t expect that from a palace brat.”

“Whatever floats your boat.” She smirked.

From Drake’s point of view, the moonlight coming from her window framed her profile. Her petite, princess-like nose and superior smirk were features he was sure he was supposed to despise, but it seemed right on her, like if it was supposed to be so.

Drake runs his fingers through his hair. “You can be so…” He started, but then lost his nerve. “Never mind. Hey, aren’t you supposed to be treating my wounds?”

“Before I ice your wounds, wouldn’t you like something to drink?” She offered. “Lest of all you bitch when I put it on your rib.”

“Hit me.”

She walked over to the bar and poured two glasses of whiskey on the rocks. Handing him one of them, she says: “I wouldn’t make you drink alone.”

“Heh. Thanks.” He smirks.

Drake downs his glass as Riley presses the ice against his body. “Hey! It hurts!” He complains.

“Grow a pair!” She bit back but pressed more gently the ice.

Drake turns and catches her eye. After a long second, he lowers his gaze. “Thanks.” He breathed out and paused. “I know I don’t act very grateful for anything most of the time, but I do… care about you.”

“Mighty way to show it.” She complains. “Most of the time you act like you hate me.”

“I do not.” He defended.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Drake.”

“Okay, I do, don’t I?” He sighed. “It’s not personal. It’s just… easier that way.”

“Easier? For whom?” She questions while keeping up with the ministrations.

“You’re here for Prince Liam. All of the suitors are. And, well, so is the entire court. All the nobles, all the servants, even. Everything and everyone in this place exists to orbit around Liam. You could almost hate him for it, if he weren’t so damn likeable. It’s dangerous for people like you and me to forget about that.” He grumbled the last part.

“Where are you getting at, Drake?”

“Hell, Flowers. Don’t make me say it.” He whispers and gulps down his drink. “If we’d met somewhere else, anywhere else. At a club in New York, or in the airport, or at a party… If you hadn’t been our waitress that night, and I hadn’t been sitting next to Liam… Do you think it would be different?”

“Drake, Drake, Drake.” A woman’s voice came from the door. The two of them broke apart, and faced the source of the sound, which was Charlotte’s frame. “Don’t you ever tire of being a whiny, charity case? Because I do, constantly.” She sneered.

“Fuck you, Rosenberg.” He barked at her.

“Drakey-poo is mad? How sad!” She ironized. “Let me answer this one for Little Miss Flowers over here. It wouldn’t be any different. You know why? Because you’ll always be the same, you’ll always look over your shoulder, worried that Liam will take your happiness away from you, that they will move on to greener pastures. And so, you make their lives a living Hell, so when they finally leave, you can act like if you had known all along.”

He lunged at her, and it seemed like he was going to hit her, but he lowered his hand and said on a dangerous tone: “You are just some left-over, bitter, society wife. Look yourself in the mirror before preaching about my life.”

With that, he left the bedroom.

Charlotte then shuts the door. Riley runs over to her. “God gracious, Charlotte! Where were you?”

“Constantine called me over to his study. He was trying to negotiate part of their debt.” She said, dismissive. “What is more interesting is why Walker was here in the first place.”

Riley then explained everything to Charlotte about what had happened that night. The blonde walks over to the door to check it. “Riley, I locked the door on my way out.”

“But it was open when I arrived!” She said, nervously.

“Check the trunk!” The blonde commanded.

It was still locked, with no signs of forced entry. “It seems our secret is safe, at least.”

Charlotte was fretful, still. “Regardless, there’s blood in the water. Come, we’re leaving now.”

The two girls packed everything on the room quickly, and on the silence of the night, they fled Applewood.

Atlanta, Georgia, Summer 2010

A middle-aged man climbed slowly the stairs. He was struggling with the steps, having been hindered with a crutch. Unfortunately for him, the building had no elevators and his destination was on the fifth floor.

It was a very important meeting, which is why he had come from so far away, and the delicacy of the matter had him prescinding of his assistant.

When he finally reached the floor, he stopped for a moment, to catch his breath and to dispel his flustering. He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, as Georgia was much warmer than he had expected. Then, he continued his walk and knocked on an apartment door.

A woman answers. “Hello. How may I help you?”

He cleared his throat and asks: “Are you Melissa Walker?”

Her face paled. “Who are you?”

“I am Ludwig von Rosenberg.“ He said, solemn. “I wish to speak about your husband.”

Red Rose - Masterlist

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Taglist: @boneandfur; @mfackenthal

The 100 Ask

Tagged by @sly2o who I love so dearly and deserves all the lovely gift baskets in the world for being a delightful human

rules: answer as many as you want if tagged and then tag three more people OR just reblog it and treat it as a regular ask meme!! have fun xoxo

1. What would you get arrested for on the Ark? Pretty sure I would jokingly kick or throw something to dramatically show that I was angry with someone (because that’s the kind of diva I am) and actually break something important in the process, potentially one of the basic things that the rest of the Ark needs to survive.

2. Would you take off your wristband when you landed on the ground? I’d probably resist as long as it was convenient but as soon as they started saying I had to take off my wrist band to get food, I’d give in.

3. What would the necklace Finn would make for you look like? (Clarke: deer/Raven: a raven duh..) the corpse of Finn Collins Pauna

4. If you could resurrect any MINOR character who would it be? SHAWN MENDES

5. Create a squad of 5 characters to go on missions with. Who are they? Okay, well Bellamy can’t go or else I’ll be distracted. In that same logic, Clarke can’t go either. My bisexual heart flutters at the sight of both of them. Raven would drive the rover. Jasper would DJ. Monty would explain smart things to me and I would just awkwardly nod. I’m gonna throw Miller in there so I can try to set them up for fucks sake. And Murphy will have to be there, for commentary purposes.

6. Minty or Briller? Minty. But really, I’m totally here for the Miller x Jackson train.

7. What would your name be in Trigedasleng? (example: Octavia=Okteivia…just make it up!): Aleks?

8. Thoughts on Finn? Just casually annoyed about the fact that homie didn’t even have to try to get two of the most fascinating, smart, and beautiful women in the 100 universe. Like how fair is that? I try really hard and just last week I blew it by stuttering when a girl said something nice to me and then told her I needed to go see what the weather was like and then hid in the bathroom for five minutes as I gave myself a pep talk. I want like 10% of the confidence Finn Collins had for literally no reason.

9. Be honest. How willing would you have been to take the chip without knowing all the horrible things it does? It would have been soooo easy to get me to take the chip. Someone would just have to say my mental health problems would leave me alone and I would give the fuck in.

10. What character do you relate to most & What character do you like the least not including the obvious ones like Pike, etc… I relate the most to Clarke in the way that she isolates herself, her bisexuality, her communication patterns... I relate with Raven because I’m quite familiar with chronic pain. The character I like the least is Thelonious Jaha. I find him to be quite preachy and arrogant, but don’t really see why he gets to be that way considering how many bad decisions he has made.

11. Describe your delinquent outfit: Okay, I want Jasper’s earth day t-shirt, Raven’s red jacket or Clarke’s blue jacket, steal a beanie from Miller, some tight pants that don’t look practical but magically never hinder my ability to run through the forest for plot reasons, AND THEM COMBAT BOOTS.

12. Favorite type of mutant animal? does Cage Wallace count Pauna

13. What would your job be on the Ark? A really terrible mechanic that Raven roasts constantly but secretly likes because I start my day by telling her she’s a genius and she replies with “I know”

14. Would you have willingly pumped Ontari’s heart if Abby asked it? There is no way in hell I would have been in that room when that decision took place because I would literally still be chipped and no one would bother to take the time to fix me like they did with Raven and Abby because I am a soft lazy soul not made for this survival world, but if I was there and it had to be done, probably (and I’d have a panic attack while doing it)

15. If Lexa wasn’t Heda, then who would make the best commander? Indra (season 4 Indra, not early Indra)

16. If you were a grounder, then where would you live and who would be your mentor? Oh God there are no good options here in my opinion. I’m gonna say Azgeda just so Roan could be my mentor (I love him) but like I’m not crazy about Azgeda for all the crazy plot reasons.

17. How would you act if you ate the hallucinogenic nuts like Jasper and Monty? You would find me having very intense, intellectual debates with... absolutely no one. I’m talking to someone I hallucinated, likely an ex boyfriend from years ago who still deserves to be put in his place.

18. How would you have dealt with Charlotte’s crime? I mean, I don’t think there was a right way to deal with it. Rehabilitation, maybe if they lived in a world without insane war and had actual guidance from actual adults (who weren’t raised on the Ark and ingrained with the death penalty for all crimes mentality)

19. Who should be the Chancellor, if anyone? Who should be? Probably Bellamy, but I don’t want him to be because I don’t think it would be good for him. I’m actually gonna go with Monty because I think he would take counsel from Bellamy and Clarke, keep a level head, and be able to separate personal feelings from what has to be done... but not to the level that Clarke would. I think he would be a nice in between.

20. Mount Weather had a lot of modern commodities. (example: Maya’s Ipod)What is the one thing you would snatch while there? There’s not a lot that I can think of that I would want for my own personal entertainment, but like maybe a water filtration system? Feel like that would come in clutch.

21. Do you think you’d have caught the virus spread through camp or would you have been immune like Octavia? I am the kind of person who goes to a doctor for one illness and catches another one while I’m in the waiting room. I WILL BE PATIENT ZERO, NO DOUBT.

22. What would your grounder tattoos look like? Hairstyle? War paint? Norse symbol for where there’s a will there’s a way kind of look for my tattooes, want that Octavia ponytail (because fuck that was a good look), and no war paint. My face looks like it melted at the end of the day with my makeup, there’s no telling how messy and tragic my war paint will look after a war. If I’m gonna be a grounder, I’m gonna look damn good doing it.

23. Favorite quote? Whatever the hell we want

24. Can you forgive Murphy for his actions? How about Bellamy? Yes and yes.

25. If one of the characters was in the Hunger Games, who would have the best shot at winning? I know Octavia is probably the right choice (but she did not win on her own, and I highly doubt she would get as lucky in the real hunger games) so I’m going to say Raven because she’ll be like those tech nerds who made the arena go boom. I think people would team up with her, not really thinking of her as a threat so they could kill her later on, and then she makes everything go boom and wins the damn thing.

26. Least favorite ship? Favorite ship? NOT INCLUDING CLEXA OR BELLARKE. Uh Octavia and Illian for least favorite? Like I don’t really think about ships that I do not ship, but their little storyline really freaked me out. Favorite, princess mechanic, forever and always.

27. A song that should be included in the next season, like when Radioactive was? Ummm, obviously it is an accoustic cover of Radioactive done by Shawn Mendes as he emerges from the bunker with everyone else (the accoustic cover he spent the last six years working on, by the way)

28. What would you do if you were stuck in the bunker with Murphy for all that time? Omg we would have the snarkiest time as we try to out-asshole each other. We’d be quick buds.

29.Opinion on Emori? Roan? Emori is chill. ROAN IS MY SON AND I MISS HIM SO MUCH AND I’M SO LIVID THAT HE DIED BY BEING DROWNED IN A DAMN WELL?? THAT’S THE MOST OOC NONSENSE I’VE EVER SEEN! IT’S PRINCE ROAN KOM AZGEDA GRANDSON OF THEO SON OF NIA CARETAKER OF THE THRONE AND KEEPER OF THE FLAME FOR CHRISTS SAKE

30. Would you want to be an extra that is killed off in a brutal way? No, I want to be an extra that keeps randomly doing unimportant tasks in the background and when you look me up on IMBD you get a “random teenager who once was seen having a conversation with David Miller” next to my name.

31. A character you’d like to learn more about and get flashbacks of? Uh, Roan. Like why was he banished? What’s going on with him and his mother? What kind of history does he have with Echo? Where was he during the first two seasons of the show? HAS HE EVER GOTTEN LAID BECAUSE THE FACT THAT HE DIDN’T GET WITH ANYONE AFTER GIVING SEX EYES TO LITERALLY EVERYONE MAKES NO DAMN SENSE JROTH?

32. A character you’d bang? Roan. Y’all know I’m Roan trash.

Tagging: @isla1975 @bellamyblakesfreckles @bellamyblake-kru (ignore if you’ve already been tagged. I’m too tired to check.)

originally from the-geekgoddess:

1- Randy Orton commits arson. 2- Bray Wyatt baptizes himself with the ashes of his dead sister. 3- Xavier Woods says “I’m the only one that blows my girl”. 4- Brock Lesnar: “I don’t give a shit about your kids”. 5- John Cena calls The Miz a “puss”. 6- The name of a segment was actually “Total Bellas Bulls***” 7- Seth Rollins commits arson and probably killed a security guard (trailer of WWE 2k18) 8- Casshole 9- “Big E, let’s just keep it PG, you know what’s good. Just don’t get all rated-R, like your boy Xavier Woods”. 10- Big Cass to Seth Rollins: “No matter what you have been telling yourself the past few years… Size does matter”. 11- AJ Styles to The Miz (and Maryse): “After the beating I gave you, I’m surprised you don’t perform with a limp. Or does he, Maryse?” 12- Enzo Amore “naked”. 13- THE JESUS ZIPPER. 14- Rusev to Big Cass: “Your boy has a huge problem.” Enzo Amore (who is “naked”): “I woulnd’t call it a problem.” 15- Randy  Orton: “Clearly, Miz, you are an expert with playing with yourself.” 16- Lana “cheats” on her husband seducing Enzo Amore in a hotel room. 17- Roman Reigns almost kills Braun Strowman when crashed an ambulance where Braun was in. 18- Eva Marie has a “wardrobe malfunction”. 19- Sasha to Charlotte: “If it wasn’t for a one night stand you probably wouldn’t be standing here”. 20- The Rock, Lana and Rusev segment on The Rock’s return to Raw (“she’s flexible as hell”).‘ 21- Dean Ambrose drops Jericho on a pile of thumbtacks (and then they post a video of the thumbtacks being removed from Chris’ body). 22- Paige to Charlotte referring to Charlotte’s brother who tragically died of a heroin overdose at the age of 25: “Your little baby brother didn’t have much fight in him, did he?” 23- Nikki Bella to Brie Bella: “I wish you died in the womb”. 24- CM Punk bathes himself and The Undertaker in the supposed ashes of Paul Bearer. 25- Kevin Owens says that Tom Phillips’s iPad password is “6969” and that he was “disgusting”. 26- Enzo running into Ric Flair on the way to the hotel room (where he has the intention of sleeping with a married woman) and assuring him he “won’t be SAWFT". 27- The Miz to Renee Young: “My obsession with Dean Ambrose? You’re the one sleeping with him!” 28- Paige licking Natalya’s face in a very sexual way. 29- Big Cass threatens to break Enzo’s neck. 30- Vince McMahon says to Shane McMahon he will have one more chance to give him a fucking beating. 31- CM Punk refuses to shake Stephanie McMahon’s hand because “he knows where that hand has been”. 32- AJ Lee says in her Pipe Bombshell: “I didn’t get here… because I SUCKED up to the right people. 33- Ric Flair tells Natalya to kill herself 34- Brie Bella to Stephanie McMahon “You’re so pathetic, you’re such a bitch”. 35- AJ Lee says to Nikki and Brie: “Talent is not sexually transmitted”. 36- Maryse to John Cena: “You know what they say, the bigger the ego the smaller the package.” 37- Paige: “Then you got Lana and Summer too busy trying to figure out who they want to climb onto next rather than the Divas division”. 38- CM Punk to Christian: “Unlike you I don’t waste all these people’s time by bitching and moaning… and bitching, and bitching, and bitching, and bitching, and bitching, and bitching, and bitching, and bitching, and bitching, and bitching, and bitching". 39- Paul Heyman: “Do you and your wife roleplay? Because I’m all about the roleplay”. 40- ANAL PROBES. 41- Bray Wyatt pours a bucket full of blood on Finn Bálor. 42- AJ Styles to Kevin Owens: “Ya know what I don’t like? A whiny ass lil’ bitch like you!” 43- Roman Reigns to John Cena: “On top of that he’s a part time fake ass bitch”. 44- “John: You come out here with your zipper open. Roman: I busted it actually, Big Dog. John: Oh sorry I was just looking for you balls but you don’t got none. Roman: You would be looking for those.” 45- Roman calling Cena “bitch” multiple times during his promos. 46- Kevin Owens beating a poor old man… aka Vince McMahon. 47- Roman Reigns: “Sometimes he says stupid shit”. 48- Kevin Owens saying to Shane McMahon that his family would have been better if he hadn’t survived the helicopter accident.

this post is disgusting when you read through it and realize just how the wwe sees the women of their company. and equally as disgusting when you realize how they put emphasis on the males for the wrong reasons. bolded for emphasis, by me.

you antifa guys are actually more hateful and violent than any neo nazi group in the 21st century. its fucking disgusting and you should be branded as terrorists just as much as the KKK

Amen

We’d usually just block you, Anon, but we’re going to use your message as a reminder of where the violence is coming from in 2017.  Off the top of our heads, here’s what the year has looked like so far: January 20, 2017: A right-wing extremist shoots a protestor at a Milo Yiannopoulos event at the University of Washington.  January 29, 2017: Alexandre Bissonnette walks into a mosque in Canada during evening prayers and opens fire, shooting 17 people and killing six of them.

January 2017: Over 40 Jewish centers in the U.S. receive bomb threats.  February 22, 2017:  Adam Purinton tells two men from India to “get out of my country” then shoots both plus a bystander, killing one. February 28, 2017: a mosque in Toronto is set on fire by arsonists. March 12, 2017: a mosque in Ypsilanti, MI. is set on fire by arsonists. March 20, 2017: James Jackson arrives in Manhattan with a sword and stabs the first black man he sees to death.  He later tells authorities he “intended to kill as many black men as he could.” March 24, 2017: Yelling “I hate Muslims!” a man in Minneapolis stabbed a Somali man in an attempt to kill him.   March 26, 2017: A racist mob attacks a 15-year-old Polish boy in Gloucestershire and, when a local Asian shopkeeper tries to intervene, attack him as well with crowbars and baseball bats, then attempt to run him over with a car. March 31, 2017: A 17-year-old Iranian/Kurdish boy is nearly beaten to death by a mob of eight people in Croydon after he revealed to them that he was a refugee. April 6, 2017: A Charlotte store is set on fire by an arsonist who leaves a warning message for the shop owner that he “did not want any refugee business owners and that they would torture the owner if they did not leave and go back to where they came from,” according to police.  It was signed “White America.” MAY 5TH: EDITED TO INCLUDE:

April 30, 2017: A  white man storms a pool party in San Diego and shoots four black women, two black men, and one Latino man while allowing white attendees to leave.  One victim dies while the other six sustain critical injuries.

MAY 10TH: EDITED TO INCLUDE: May 5, 2017: A man walking his dog on South Beach in Miami is confronted by two men who call him a “fucking faggot,” then attack him, beating him unconscious.  At one point in the attack, one of the attackers shouts  “all faggots need to die and we’re going to make sure they do!” MAY 18TH: EDITED TO INCLUDE: May 14, 2017: Vandals spray-paint hate graffiti on the home of a black family in upstate New York before attempting to set the house on fire while the family slept.  Although the family escaped unscathed, their garage burnt to the ground and their house suffered some damage. May 17, 2017: A homophobic mob break into the home of a gay couple and shoot and stab both men to death.   MAY 23RD: EDITED TO INCLUDE: May 20, 2017: University of Maryland student and member of the “alt-Reich” facebook group Sean Urbanski walks up to 22-year-old Richard Collins III, who is black and who Urbanski does not know, and stabs him to death in an unprovoked attack.  May 27th: EDITED TO INCLUDE: May 24, 2017: A barrage of doxxing, rape threats, and death threats received by trans comic book artist Sophie Labelle forces her to cancel an appearance and event at a Halifax book store, which also received bomb threats and threats of attacking the event.  Labelle is forced into hiding. May 26, 2017: Three men intervene on a MAX train in Portland when they witness another man verbally abusing two Muslim women with an Islamophobic tirade.  The Islamophobe responds by pulling out a knife and stabs the three interveners, killing two of them.  

MAY 30th: EDITED TO INCLUDE:

May 27, 2017: A white man drives his pickup truck through a campsite, targeting the Native Americans camping there while yelling racial slurs at them.  He intentionally drives over two Native American men, killing one and injuring the other. June 3rd: EDITED TO INCLUDE:

March 3, 2017: A Sikh man is shot and injured in front of his Seattle house by a white man waring a mask, who yells at him to “go back to your country!” May 27, 2017: A 34-year-old Anthony Hammond lets loose with a flurry of racial slurs directed at a black man in a parking lot, then pulls out a machete and stabs the man before barricading himself in his apartment for several hours, until finally surrendering to police.

JUNE 13th: EDITED TO INCLUDE: January 1, 2017: 19-year-old Nathan Richardson encounters 67-year-old jogger Wenqing Xu and beats him to death in an unprovoked, random attack.  After committing the murder, Richardson texted his friends that he “fucked sum chink up. Bodied him. I think pure crime scene – his head’s gone,” JUNE 19TH: EDITED TO INCLUDE: June 18, 2017: two men armed with baseball bats attack a group of Muslim teenagers, kidnapping a 17-year-old girl, who they beat to death, dumping her body in a pond.

June 1, 2017: A Princeton professor and racialized woman is forced to cancel a three-city lecture tour to promote her book about the Black Lives Matter movement after receiving over 50 death threats. June 19, 2017: Shouting “I’m going to kill all Muslims!” 47-year-old Darren Osborne drives a courier van through a crowd of Muslims leaving a Finsbury mosque, killing one person and injuring ten others.

JULY 4TH: EDITED TO INCLUDE: January 28, 2017: a First Nations woman walking with her sister is struck by a trailer hitch hurled from a passing vehicle.  After struggling in hospital for several months, she succumbs to her injuries.   June 21, 2017:  an Islamophobe approaches a Muslim man and woman sitting in a car stopped at a traffic light and knocks on the window.  When the driver rolls down the window, the Islamophobe sprays the driver and passenger with acid, severely burning both.   JULY 16TH: EDITED TO INCLUDE: February 21, 2017: a 24-year-old transgender woman is shot and killed in Chicago, IL.  February 26, 2017: a transgender woman is shot and killed in New Orleans, LA. March 1, 2017: a transgender woman is stabbed to death in New Orleans, LA.  March 22, 2017: a 38-year-old transgender woman is shot and killed in Baltimore, MD. April 21, 2017: a 28-year-old transgender woman is shot and killed in Miami, FL.  May 17, 2017: a 34-year-old transgender woman is shot and killed in Fresno, CA. July 2, 2017:  a 28-year-old transgender woman is shot and killed in Lynchburg, VA.  JULY 25TH: EDITED TO INCLUDE:

June 3, 2017: 38-year-old white supremacist Phillip Wade racially abuses a 57-year-old black man on an Oakley, CA. bus, then pulls a knife and stabs the man to death while the man is walking away from the confrontation.  The victim is the third racialized person Wade has stabbed in the past six years and the second person he’s murdered.   July 16, 2017: A man attempts to pull the hijab off of a Muslim woman waiting for the tube in London, then hits her when she resists.  He then pins her friend to the wall and spits in her face before leaving.   July 16, 2017: Arsonists set a mosque in Manchester ablaze.  July 18, 2017: A NASA researcher of South Asian descent has her car windshield shattered by a rock thrown through it by an assailant screaming “go back to your country!”  She’s injured in the attack. AUGUST 2ND: EDITED TO INCLUDE: July 19, 2017: Two men exit a car and attack a racialized pedestrian with their fists and an iron bar.   AUGUST 7TH: EDITED TO INCLUDE: August 5, 2017: A mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota is firebombed, narrowly missing killing & injuring dozens of members there for morning prayers.  AUGUST 10TH: EDITED TO INCLUDE: August 8, 2017: A well-known Chicago neo-nazi starts an altercation at a concert, then pulls out a smuggled knife and stabs a man and a woman at the show. AUGUST 12TH: EDITED TO INCLUDED: August 12, 2017:  A white supremacist in Charlottesville, VA. drives his car at high speed directly into a crowd of anti-racist protestors, killing one woman and seriously injured 19 other people.

In case you have trouble counting, Anon, that’s three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve shootings, three four five six arsons, two three four seven eight nine ten eleven stabbings, two three four five mob beatings, over 40 41 bomb threats and an acid attack by bigots, Islamophobes, nazis and racists so far this year.  Eight Nine Eleven Twelve Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty twenty-one twenty-two twenty-three twenty-four twenty-five twenty-six Twenty-seven Twenty-Eight people are dead because of these bigoted attacks and fifteen twenty-one twenty-two twenty-three twenty-five thirty-five thirty-seven thirty-nine fifty-eight were severely injured.   But it’s anti-fascists that people should be worried about, right? “you should be branded as terrorists just as much as the KKK“ 

Really, now?  Anti-fascists are as much terrorists as the KKK, a terrorist organization which murdered over 3000 people in lynchings, arsons, bombings, etc. over its 150-year history, are we? 

Maybe it’s time you learned about the logical fallacy of false equivalence, Anon!   

Passive-Aggressive Partnership

Parts 1-16 @coveofmemories @bleedreid @my-xomatosis-s

Part 17

                                                           -----

As Y/N walked into the room, she steadied her breathing and tried to take note of anything about the young boy that might help her during the interview. This was the boy that killed Deacon, there really wasn’t any doubt about that, but there was something that drove him to do what he did - something she and the members of the BAU desperately wanted to stop. Judging by the doll, he hated his father - and they shared the same name - but he did like Batman. A lot apparently. He was wearing a Batman t-shirt today. 

“Hey, Batman,” she said softly. When she’d walked into the room, he’d been straight-faced and scared, but she did notice a small smirk form at the corner of his mouth. “My name is Y/N.”

From across the table, he looked up, searching her frame, presumably for a badge. “I’m not a police officer, sweetheart. I’m a doctor.” 

“The kind that makes people better?” he asked, still looking down at his fingers that were twiddling in his lap. 

“Not that kind, actually. I examine people after they’ve died to see how they passed away. What about you?” she asked. She were going to play around with this Batman thing. It seemed to be working so far.

He looked at her confused, so she clarified. “I mean, by day, you’re Cash, but at night, you put on the mask and become the Caped Crusader.” She made circles with her fingers and brought them up to her face to simulate a mask. That made him smile.

“Batman never lets anyone push him around and he fights for those that can’t fight for themselves,” he said. He was proud of Batman, but as much as he wanted to be him, he didn’t think of himself that way. “But I’m not Batman, I get pushed around all the time.”

That was the opening she needed. When Spencer had been filling her in on the case, she asked what she was supposed to use to open him up; Spencer said she’d know. “You’re not the only one, you know? I got pushed around too.”

“Really?” he asked sweetly. It was as if he thought he was completely alone in his suffering. “Who pushed you around?”

“A professor in college,” she admitted. It wasn’t like she wanted to broadcast her past to the other members of the team, but if being honest got him to open up, then she’d do it. “He was a very bad man, but I was able to get away from him and I’ve never had to see him ever again.” He was still looking down on occasion, so she leaned down on her elbows. “You know, Batman. You can get away from your bad man too. I can help you.”

Cash’s lip started to quiver. “It’s going to be okay, honey,” Y/N said, extending her hand across the table but not touching him. “Just tell me what happened.”

It didn’t matter what he started with - Deacon or his own father - she just wanted him to talk. This poor child had been through enough. “I didn’t want to hurt him,” he said softly as a tear fell from his eye. “He was gonna tell his parents about my dad.”

“Deacon knew about your dad?” she asked. She didn’t want to say too much. She just wanted to feed him enough feedback to keep him talking. “Why didn’t you want him to say anything?”

For the second time so far, he looked directly at her. “Because then my dad would hurt me more and no one would do anything anyway. Dad said so.”

His father had threatened him on top of physical and sexual abuse. Y/N wanted him dead, but she kept her focus. “What did he say?”

“Dad said that no one would ever believe an 11-year-old. He has friends that are policemen. They’d never believe me.”

“I believe you,” she replied as the tears filled her eyes. “I believe you, Batman.”

“Dad hits mom all the time,” he started. With a sigh of relief, she let the tension in her shoulders go. He was talking. “He says she can’t do anything right...he doesn’t always hit Callie and Grace, but I try to help mom, so he hits me a lot. It’s always somewhere I can cover with clothes.” His father was a sneaky fucking bastard.

“Is that what Deacon was going to tell his parents about?” she asked. She assumed not. That was likely something Deacon’s parents had already picked up on, but it would be much more difficult to pick up on another kind of abuse. He bristled at her question, bring his arms up to hug himself tighter. “It’s okay. You can tell me. I’ll protect you.”

At first, Cash looked away ashamed. He didn’t want to admit what his father was doing, and Y/N was afraid she had lost him. “He comes into my room at night,” he whispered. “He says that’s how fathers love their sons, but he’s lying. Deacon said so.”

“Deacon said his father didn’t do that. That my dad was a bad guy and if I told the police, I could make it stop, but I told him my dad had friends and it wouldn’t make a difference,” he said, hesitating before he began again. “I didn’t want to hurt Deacon, but when we were walking out back he said he was going to tell his dad, and I got scared, so I pushed him to the ground and I put my hands on his neck! He was kicking and crying and then when I got up he wasn’t moving! He was my only friend...Joseph didn’t even like me. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” When he finished rambling, he burst into tears, his face turning red as he ran to Y/N’s side of the table and hugged her. 

She was caught off guard, but he trusted her, so she allowed him to bury his head in her shoulder and cry. “What happened with the Boy Scout uniform?” she asked. That was the one piece that didn’t fit. It made it seem like it wasn’t just a crime of passion; there was some part of him that was curious. 

“It ripped during the fight,” he said softly. “I was mad and scared and I didn’t know what to do. I thought it was the only place to hide it.”

“Listen, Batman,” she started, taking the scared boy’s face in her hands. “I can’t tell you exactly what’s going to happen, but I can tell you that your father will never, ever touch you again, okay? I promise you. He’ll never hurt you, or your mother, or your sisters ever again.”

He continued to cry into her shoulder until he couldn’t cry anymore, practically falling asleep until she stood up to go outside. “You stay here, sweetheart,” she said, as she placed his head on the desk. “I’ll be back.”

Quietly, she stepped out of the room and released a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “You did great,” Hotch said. “I know that couldn’t have been easy for you, but thank you.”

“Please tell me I can keep my promise to him,” she begged. “His father won’t be able to get near them again, will he?”

“No, he won’t,” Spencer said as he gathered her head to his chest. “The mother thought the father was abusing him but she was too scared to say anything. While you were in there with him, we told her and she broke down and confessed everything he’d ever done. He’s not getting near them again.”

Thank god. “What’s gonna happen to him?” she asked, looking inside to the sleeping boy who wanted nothing more than to be superhero. “He knows what he did was wrong. Is he gonna go to jail?”

“He’ll probably end up in juvie for a few years,” Emily said. “He’s too young to be tried as an adult and he seems to be remorseful. Given the circumstances, he probably won’t be going away for long.”

JJ piped up from the back of the room. “And when he gets out, his father will be in jail.”

“Should someone go and let Deacon’s parents know what happened?” Y/N asked. They should know what happened to their little boy. 

Rossi nodded. “As long as your up to it, why don’t you go with Reid?” he suggested, motioning toward Hotch for approval. 

“Okay, but before I go, I need to go talk to him again,” she said, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “I need to tell him it’s going to be okay.”

                                                          -----

“You okay?” Spencer asked, as the two were driven to the Fullerton’s house. “You did a great job.”

“Thanks, babe. I just feel so bad for Deacon and Cash. Deacon was just trying to do the right thing by his friend and Cash was scared of his father. His father is the one who should be going away for murder,” she replied, staring out the window with tears in her eyes. “Disgusting son of a bitch.”

As they pulled up to the Fullerton’s house, the same officer that had accompanied Spencer to the Hensley’s said he was going to wait outside. He was sickened by the whole thing. He’d been duped by a man he thought he knew and three children, four if you included Deacon, were victimized. “Let’s go do this,” Spencer said. “You can do this.” He grabbed her hand to help her out of the car, giving it a reassuring squeeze as they approached the door. 

Knock. Knock.

“Mr. and Mrs. Fullerton?” Spencer said as Charlotte opened the door. “I’m Dr. Reid, this is my colleague Dr. Y/L/N.” He looked down and realized he was still holding her hand and released it. He had introduced her as colleague after all. It was probably unprofessional. 

“Did you figure out what happened to Deacon?” Mr. Fullerton asked. 

“Yes, I’m sorry to tell you that Cash Jr. is the person that killed your son,” he replied, watching as the shocked parents were consumed by wracking sobs. 

“What happened?” Charlotte asked. “Why would he do such a thing? We love that boy like he was our own.”

It was at that point that Y/N felt the need to speak up. “Mr. and Mrs. Fullerton, Cash Jr. was being physically and sexually abused by his father. Deacon knew and wanted to tell you, so that you would tell the cops and Cash would stop being hurt. But his father had threatened him to never tell anyone, so when Deacon said he was going to tell, Cash panicked, which is what led to his death.”

“Oh my god,” Austin cried, turning around and throwing a vase across the room. “That bastard! Is Senior going to jail?”

“Yes, he will be as well,” Spencer said. “We just wanted to come by and tell you the whole story.”

Charlotte swallowed hard and asked the last thing either one of them expected. “Where is Junior? Can we see him?”

“He’s at the station now,” Spencer responded. “Are you sure you want to see him?” He and Y/N knew how they felt about the whole situation, but it would’ve been rational for Austin and Charlotte to hold a grudge against the boy. “That might not be such a good idea.”

Austin placed his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “We really do love that boy. After we lost our little girl, we found ourselves getting very close with the Hensley kids. Junior may have killed our little Deacon, but it’s his father’s fault.”

“I want him to know we don’t blame him. He’s been through enough,” Charlotte cried. “Can we please see him?”

“Yes,” Spencer said as he showed them out the door. “You can come back with us.”

Ten minutes later, Y/N, Spencer, Officer Perry, and Mr. and Mrs. Fullerton were back at the station. “They would like to see Cash,” Reid said to Hotch when they got back. 

“Go on in,” Hotch said, opening the door. 

As the grieving parents walked in, Junior’s shoulders stiffened. “Cash honey,” Charlotte said. “We know you were scared. We know you didn’t mean to hurt Deacon.”

“I didn’t want to,” he sobbed. “I was scared. I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Cash flew into another fit of sobs. Against what everyone suspected, both parents embraced the little boy, the one that killed their son, and told him that everything was going to be okay.

nature Boy

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The NATURE BOY! The Nature Boy is a wrestling nickname that has referred to several wrestlers, including the original, Buddy Rogers (one of the first NWA Heavyweight Champions), Buddy Landel, “The Black Nature Boy” Scoot Andrews, and most famously, Ric Flair. Ric Flair is far and away the most famous due to the widespread nature of media during the late 20th century and it’s documentation via the internet. It wouldn’t surprise me that the single most watched event featuring a Nature Boy was Buddy Rogers, because he wrestled in the 50s and 60s, when there were like three channels and one would usually show wrestling at least once a week because it was extremely cheap and could mostly be shot via hard cam, unlike say baseball. Rogers likely would’ve been seen by over ten million people on tv at some point, though this is a number that Ric Flair also may have reached. In total, Ric Flair has probably been viewed a lot more now, but people forget about the famed Buddy Rogers, who was a huge deal at one point. Rogers won his singular NWA Heavyweight Championship in Chicago, debatably the first to do so, depending on if you count the reign of Édouard Carpentier, who won when his opponent, Lou Thesz, could not continue due to a back injury. They then went around both being billed as champion until their rematch (that was the whole purpose of this charade) 40 days later which Thesz won. My dad watched Édouard Carpentier wrestle as a youth. Anywho NATURE BOY… RIC FLAIR. Ric Flair is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and probably the best on the mic. “My shoes cost more than your house”-Ric Flair. He’d say shit like that, and talk about all the women he’d sleep with and all the partying he was doing, and the fans hated him for it, and the fans also loved him for it. A lot of what he talked about he talked about because it was true, and he knew better than anyone how to get a reaction. He is famed for drunken escapades, buying everyone at the bar a round, and a liver that should have disentegrated by now. On more than one occasion he has been known to drop the n-word, which is fucking terrible. While he’s one of the most talented to ever step in the ring, there’s really not much of an argument to be made for him as a person. His in-ring work is famous for putting over his opponent, and while he is widely regarded as tied for the most heavyweight championship reigns with John Cena at 16, they were often very short, and is debatable which are recognized. Since he was often a heel, specifically in his prime, his character was designed to put over the top babyface whom he would feud with. His matches were known for superbly telling a story that did so. He largely wrestled in the South and in WCW, only going to WWF/E for a year in the early 90s and for a half decade or so in the 00s where he was well past his prime and never held the heavyweight belt. His (not really) trademark “Flair Flop” spot where he’d get hit, walk away, and fall down flat, is hysterical. His knife-edge chops, an extremely common move, were so associated with him that everytime someone does one now at a wrestling show you’ll here people go “WOOO”. Bret Hart has criticized his matches for being formulaic, and they never really had a good match together. Flair was stolen from his biological parents as a baby and sold to his adoptive parents, his real last name at birth is debated, his legal last name is Fliehr. The Nature Boy Ric Flair has without question left his mark on the wrestling world, and even pop culture. Still, that doesn’t excuse a lot of the shitty stuff he’s done, and there’s a reason he’s lost more in alimony than most will make in a lifetime. His son Reid, who was trying to follow in his foot steps, died in a heroin overdose in a hotel room in North Carolina, “Naitch” found him the next morning. Currently his daughter goes by Charlotte in the WWE, having begun training after her brother Reid’s death, and she’s no doubt the most talented of his wrestling children. We don’t talk about David. The Nature Boy is a person and persona I find very interesting, that serves as both a how-to guide for building a wrestling character, and a how-not-to guide for life.