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redwayfarers · 2 years

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🎨 🍵 👽 for both Cass and Isa? :3c

ty for dropping by <3

🎨 Is your OC artistic? Can they draw or paint or do they prefer another medium? Are they a writer or musician or do they do something else? Give us a quick run down of what they can get creative with!

Isa is a woodcarver. She didn't have much time to perfect it while Commander, but having sharp claws does have its non-lethal usage sometimes. She initially took it up as a way to practice coordination and hand movement in her new mythosi body (on her Mom's suggestion and Mother didn't object) and fell in love with it. A lot of her early woodcarving is kept in her rooms in Lapis, some of it is in Sabir's hands and some of it is in Esmerelda and Mom's.

Cass isn't artistic, not in the traditional sense of the word? He knows music, he sketches, but none of that is original or necessarily good. He has a good ear for music and catching rhythm and tones, but that doesn't mean he can replicate them himself. He'd kill to be a musician, though. Music is one of the great passions in his life.

🍵 Are there any rumours about your OC hanging around? Nasty ones or just good humoured? Got any gossip to share about them?

Isa's the ex-Commander of Plaithus - of course there's rumours about her. Before her discharge, there were rumours she was dating Sabir. Some people thought she sharpened her fangs before battle to make herself extra vicious on the battlefield, though those are undercut by how chill she is outside of it. There were nasty rumours too, but Isa ignored them. After the exile, she was rumoured to be rabid (though that's just kicking someone while they're down type slander) and that she's best kept away from Plaithus because she's off the leash and truly, truly, a wild beast.

In the aftermath of Vestaran civil war, which saw Vasco twisting the tale of Cass' efforts in nation-wide contract to find missing Guild mages and which marked his reappearance in the eyes of the Vestran elite, a lot of rumours came to be. Nobody had any idea why he's Wayfarer Inteus, because there hasn't been a magiani in the family line for generations (and Theo made sure nobody knew who he was after disowning him), so they started speculating that he just stole the surname. Straight up pretended to be an Inteus when he's not. After nearly (accidentally) killing his youngest sibling Aftonio (one of the kids who went missing), there were rumours that he has a hate boner for mages as a whole and is a mage hunter. A good rumour though is that he's Sero's former apprentice, and that one's true, given his sometimes unusual approach to doing contracts, as well as a certain level of fairness he both provides and expects from you. You don't have to like him, he doesn't have to like you, but he thinks both parties need to uphold their end of the bargain.

👽Describe your OC as if they were an urban legend or myth!

I mean, Isa does look like an urban legend, she has dog-like mannerisms, dog-like claws, sharp fangs, a lot of black hair on a pretty pale skin and white eyes. I think the joke writes itself here

Cass just sticks out wherever he goes, because of his genetics (he'd punch someone if they ask if he dyes his hair) but here I wanna talk about gorgon!Cass (aka his Exile AU) because before the mythosi blood, he looked handsome, yeah, but also a lot more ordinary. Auburn hair, brown eyes. But the blood made his eyes and hair go bright red, he has a split tongue, retractable fangs, talons and before the exile, had green scales on his joints and the sides of his face. True to himself, he refuses to cut his hair and it's very red and very long. Truly, a myth lmao

#wayfarer #the exile #wayfarer mc #the exile mc #cassander inteus #isa audavera #the white wolf #ask game

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stories-from-the-batcave · 4 years

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Duke Thomas Fic Rec List

Hello again everybody! I know this list is a week or two late, but we’re finally back with a Duke-centric fic rec list. This was requested by an anon alongside our Cass rec list a little while ago. This time we’ve got ten different mostly gen fics lined up, and as always there is no bat*est. Hope you enjoy!

You Would Not Believe Your Eyes by Tiptapricot

4k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Duke & Bruce, Duke & Dick, Duke & Tim, Duke & Damian

“No metas are allowed in Gotham, so what does that mean for Duke?”

All The World’s A Stage by IndefiniteIceCube

4k+ | T+ | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Duke & Cass, Duke & Cass & Dick, Duke & Everyone

“Duke Thomas is fine with being considered the "Good Kid" or "The-one-with-common-sense".

He's fine with the fact that the majority of his family doesn't really know him.

Really,

He's fine with it.

(No he's not.)

(But at least he's not the only one.)”

Another Terrible Day by AuroraKant

2k+ | T+ | Complete | Gen | Major Character Death

Relationships: Duke & Everyone

“Summer has begun and Duke is without direction. The Manor is cast into the shadow of grief and Duke is wondering: What is his place in the family? Who is he in this thing they call the Bat-Clan?”

the scientific method by dreampunks

10K+ | G | Ongoing, 3/6 | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Basically Duke & The Batfamily

“5 stupid ways Duke's siblings discovered how his powers worked, and one time he figured it out for himself.

"You have no idea," Dick said. "I had to live through all of their teenage years. They were each independently obsessed with Mythbusters at separate points in their life. I'm pretty sure Cass and Tim have wanted a meta to experiment on since they were 14, but Bruce always said no."”

Scare by Jinmukang

3k+ | T+ | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Duke, Dick & Bruce

“And Dick had failed Duke. He brought Duke out, but he didn't prepare for an actual attack.

Dick got Duke captured.

By Scarecrow.

It was all his fault.”

Leadership by PepperSoniRoni @peppersonironi

2k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Duke, Duke & The Team (Young Justice)

“Nightwing offers Signal a chance to lead a small group for a mission. Duke is wary, but accepts the challenge. He proves to be a rather great leader.

Takes place after Season Two of Young Justice, and ignores Season Three (I still haven’t seen it, unfortunately).

For Duke Week Day Five: Leadership”

as close as hands and feet by jcp_sob_rjl_lmep

4k+ | T+ | Complete | Gen | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Duke & Damian

“It never should have happened.

Flamebird was tying up the man he had just knocked out - the last of the conscious men, he had thought - when Signal shouted his name and he was pushed to the side.

A gun went off.

When Duke gets shot on patrol, Damian is the only person left in the city to help him. Will he be able to keep his brother alive until help arrives?”

Duke Week 2020 series by Crysalinastar @crystalinastar

This one is such a varied group of Duke-centric fics, mostly gen but also has one or two ships thrown in there. The ones I’ve had time to read were pretty great and I’d definitely suggest checking out this entire series!

Could feel the trouble coursing by Ducky_Dynasty

3k+ | NR | Complete | Gen | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Steph & Duke & Jason & Damian, Tim & Duke, Steph & Cass & Tim & Duke

"Gotham became darker, it was obvious in the way shadows seemed to spread further through the city, spilling into the roads, the Bat and Spoiler were harsh though, cold and unforgiving, relentless in their pursuit of justice."

Duke's not sure about much, but he'll be there for his family best he can.”

tradition by ace_corvid

2k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Duke & Bruce

““Would you like to- Hmm.” Bruce couldn't seem to find the right words. “There's a... Well, there's a small tradition that I have with all of the boys, from when they were smaller.”

“Oh, yeah?” Duke feigned disinterest. “Well I'm not exactly small these days, but I'm open to anything.”

“We could go get some ice cream?” He offered, and this has to be one of the most awkward conversations Duke has ever had the pleasure of being a part of, but he can't help but be touched by the gesture. He must have done this with all of the Robins, and well, for want of a better word it's nearly sweet that he wants to do it with Duke too.”

#duke thomas #fic rec list #batfam #fanfiction #the signal #fic rec #batfamily #batman

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jeanbeaux · 3 years

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congrats on 1k aman!! i’d like to place my bid :) (either aot or hq is fine!!)

major: film

3 dorm things: my plants, ps4, and a 24oz container of cajun seasoning

drink of choice: watermelon redbull+pink whit (try it and thank me later)

struggle meal: PROGRESSO SOUPS!! or the chewy dining hall pizza

aaaa ty cass!!! also…..i will def be trying that drink combo TY

your greek life soulmate is......frat bro osamu!!

atsumu cant believe that samu has a girl over to genuinely just watch a movie together.

no innuendo, no strings attached, he's just bringing you over to watch a movie so you two would be able to critique the color scaling choices of a Christopher Nolan movie for the essay you two had due next week.

and atsumu figures he loves inception enough, and how hard could your work be? he thinks its ok to join you on the couch as you watch.

and osamu?

he swears he's never fallen for someone faster than when you managed to shoo his brother away by mixing Cajun seasoning into the popcorn, the food purist in the blonde-haired twin jumping out at that moment.

but osamu loves the combo -- and suggests that next time you watch the required movie he comes over to your place so he can see what other food combos you can come up with, and so that his brother will be nowhere in sight.

it's only an 8 week class, so it's sad when its over, but osamu's learnt a thing or two from you over your time together, greeting you with the cocktail he's mixed up that he think you will like at the party he's thrown to celebrate the end of exams.

join rush week!

#rush jeanbeaux #✨: cass

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bisexualoftheblade-old · 3 years

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how many wips do you have? like what are they all, and not the number of wips in a fandom? what are all the names?

okay. fuck you. fuck you so much. fuck you.

i’m putting this under a read more cut no one else deserves to see this shit. a lot of these are requests, and for those i will just write out the request itself

Shadowhunters:

domestic polycule fluff with tem, jessa, and will because im not a coward

Supernatural

- hehe hoho i request destiel hehehe

- request 61/? cai cai cai cai i need you to rewrite the destiel scene but yk. GOOD. not like i'm in the know about the spn fandom or anything, it's been years for me. but DO IT

Bright Sessions

- caleb/adam grisha AU

- mark bryant vs. united states aka sue the AM

- caleb/adam college fluff

Umbrella Acaademy

- request 31/? i want a ben and klaus drabble please spare me some brotherly bickering

- AND SO BEGINS NIGHT 4 with request 13/? oooh oooh can i get a raymond and allison playlist??? i think their vibes together would SLAP

- hi there night 2 is technically morning 3 but who's counting not me anyway request 5/? can i get a ben moodboard? gotta rep my tua bb

Percy Jackson

- request 9/? can i get a percabeth moodboard or quote edit?? like god they're the og couple goals take me back to high school cai

- For the 100 follower things :D Jercy getting caught in the rain

- request 29/? a drabble about literally anything to do with pjo. i’ll be happy with anyone and anything i’m love these children

- *somersaults in like I’m a real fancy acrobat* hello ello ello may I request some camp half blood chaos possible involving *does a flip* ✨side characters✨ <3

Penumbra Podcast

- request 52/? drabble about the penumbra podcast. this is for ren bc ren likes it and i don't actually know anything about it. juno? i think? that's the one ren likes. write it for ren

- Tpp ghost hunting / buzzfeed unsolved au

- sad juno smut

- final resting place fic go brrrr

Marvel

- request 6/? i'm going to my roots y'all can i get a spider-man playlist? if not a playlist then i'd honestly be happy with literally anything involving spider-man

- request 15/? i'm going crazy this is recorded evidence of me actually losing it ANYWAY can i get a quote edit for something from iron man? literally anything that man says is gold so cai's choice :D he deserved better in endgame i'm still bitter

- request 42/? do another spidey thing that differs from the other spidey thing

- request 73/? you have Opinions. rant about infinity way and/or endgame. go.

- request 74/? quote edit for deadpool!!

- spideytorch relationship character study

- peter parker as a tired grad student monitoring the young avengers (send help)

Six of Crows

- okay listen i wasn't going to request anything bc i worry about you but also? if you want to/have the time hit me with a playlist for our girl nina zenik

- request 43/? fuckin give me the ending anya should have had. she is alive and with her new son and having a great time

- request 45/? inej moodboard?

- request 47/? will you make literally any meme of your choosing for six of crows?

- request 48/? write a drabble for kaz, my favorite bastard

- okay so i don't actually like nina or mattias that much but i still wanna hear about your thoughts (and also see if you'll change my mind)

- kaz brekker turning 18 fic. birthday party, everyone singing, whole shebang. i need it stat

- religious trauma fic aka i started shipping kaz/alina/inej and i can’t stop

- kaz trauma soup (he has D.I.D. and you can’t prove me wrong)

- my two redacted fics for @grishaversebigbang

- wesper fake dating

- six of crows bright sessions crossover: everyone gets therapy

TMA

- uhh... s1 gang having a nice time? melanie getting to have some Pride™️? some "fun" horror thing?

- request 7/? spare steph and jason bonding? please sir? spare some for a humble child such as myself?

- okay so this was meant for night 3 but i had midterm shit SO this is honorary night 3 let's DO THIS request 8/? i want a moodboard of extremely out of context magnus archives shit like i mean confuse the FUCK out of me i don't go here i know Nothing about it

- request 11/? OKAY so i need tim stoker meeting tim drake now i need my timmy to meet your tim plus i want to see character differences no i'm not trying to create a tim stoker in my head so i can read a's fic while NOT thinking of tim drake whaaaaaat you're crazy

- request 18(i think)/? i need a quote edit of every time within the first like. 15 eps of tam where jon is like “sounds fake but go off” thank u bb

- request 40/? i challenge you to write a tma drabble based only on the episodes i've heard. i'm currently halfway through episode 23

- Jon being lovingly bullied into taking a break. I'm aware this has been written a million times but it is one of my favorite things.

- spiral!sasha AU

- extinction martin go brrrrr

- high school era timsasha. they've both been friends for years, and everyone always asks when they will be a couple. they decide to fake date, to prove everyone wrong and show what a bad couple they would be. turns out that's a bit trickier than they thought

- after sasha comes back, tim is broken. he can't let go, scared that if he looks away for even a minute he'll lose her again. sasha suggests shibari as a way for him to give up control

- sasha pov mag 19 au, sacrificing herself to save the others, knows that if she gives herself up to the not!them it will let the others live

- this is the "tim finds a polaroid of sasha" trope

- early archives days,, long nights in research,,, clothes sharing,, somft. late nights and falling asleep at their desks warm and safe in the other's presence

- two parts: timsasha as kids, each picking a constellation that is "theirs". just soft kid antics. tim at sasha's grave glancing up to see their constellations

- continuing your job’s a joke (you’re broke)

DC Comics

- TIMSTEPH HADESTOWN AU,,,

- my redacted fic for @batfam-big-bang

- request for you to get a decent amount of sleep? serious answer, dickkori, SAL's Venus

- request 4/? timsteph morning after 👀 mayhaps?

- a concept: nonbinary stephanie brown

- teehee hi mom, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, but can i request damian angst for your accomplishments 100 followers?

- hi you can ignore my first request if you want, or you can ignore this one. but bls possibly write some bikini ra’s? -the bikini bitch

- request 27/? jay is asking through me for a jondami playlist but tbh i also want it so win win yk?

- "I don't know how to help you but I can help you find someone who does" with bruce and jason? im just craving bruce being a good day to jason for once

- “I am putting you in time out because you need to understand the consequences of your actions.” with steph and jason as dumbass disaster bi best friends pretty please?

- request 32/? timsteph patrol date!!!

- request 33/? timsteph *gala* date? mayhaps??

- request 37/? tim drake drabble but make it Edgy cai

- request 39/? drabble of a prank war between tim and damian

- joyfire cuddly fluff please? or like just any outlaw fluff if joyfire isnt your thing (feel free to add every member of the outlaws, dont feel like u gotta stick with jason, kori, roy i love them all)

- barbara and robin! jason fluff? bonding over books or something?

- request 62/? i need a drabble about the chaotic trio jason, tim, and steph i'm love them ty

- request 63/? batfam x mcu crossover. batfam meets ironfam. give me ALL the cliches. ALL OF THEM

- request 64/? young justice x young avengers - jay cuz idk SHIT about the young avengers

- request 66/? jondami moodboard pls and ty

- request 67/? timsteph moodboard!!!!!!

- request 69/? HEHEHE kinky 😏 i would v much like a timsteph drabble of the almost first time. does that make sense? like i don't want you to go all the way NSFW cuz i know that's against the rules and i'm a rule follower. but like they *almost* go all the way. this could be fade to black or some shit i don't care just make it a lil steamy and have Fun

- i request damian angst! all of it

- hmm... maybe i request? jondami?

- mayhaps,,,,some batfam,,,,,committing crimes? ily be gay do crime <3 - lu

- How about a ficlet with Steph and Cass?

Found Family Bingo Prompts

- no powers au

- tunnel

- first day

- join the club

- hurt/comfort

- experiment

- playing favorites

- hold on

- possession

- 10 o’clock

- singing

- road

- snitch

- curfew

- timer

- fantasy au

- zombie au

- dreams

- campfire

- are you okay

- movie night

- games

- scared

Miscellaneous

- a request: Write A Drabble, Coward

- is it too late to request a moodboard for me?

- request 20/? i’m going off book because i’m in a Chaotic Mood™️ can you just absolutely vibe check me like go off cai demolish me

- request 21/? i formally request that you pick a favorite cai. i don’t care what that favorite pertains to, just pick a favorite something

- request 23/? roast me

- request 24/? can i have a buzzfeed unsolved spoopy playlist but spoiler alert it’s not spoopy bc shane doesn’t believe does this make sense it has been a Day™️

- request 25/50 i want a jake and amy fic make it Soft cai i’m love them b99 is so good

- request 28/? i know nothing about the lord of the rings so make something that will confuse the shit out of me

- request 34/? malvie and jaylos moodboards 😈

- request 35/? a moodboard for the bbb mods!! perceive all of us!!!

- request 36/? moodboard for the tua mods too???? mayhaps??

- request 41/? doctor WHO? idk but i want a drabble of him and the one character i know from doctor who which is rose

- request 46/? make an alignment meme with our group, have fun!!!

- request 49/? i want you to kin assign me a character from every fandom you can/want to. go feral

- request 50!!!!/? this is a special request. the most special request. can you make a bastards tbh playlist? i want our vibes encapsulated. i want us in music form. i want to hear those songs and be like "that's me and cai" and smile.

- requests 51/? i know jack shit about good omens. explain it to me in the most confusing way possible. make me know less by the end than i know now

- request 53/? can you write a mel aesthetic? i'm Curious

- request 54/? give me a list of book recs cai i want some good book recs pls

- request 56/? edit a picture of US together too

- request 58/? oooh can i have a disney edit? like. hm. i just really love disney and i want anything to do with disney. like a quote or an aesthetic or an aesthetic edit i just want disney.

- request 59/? i would v much like a recipe for carbonara. i've never had it but it sounds fucking delicious

- request 60/? ooh hey can i get a makeup tutorial? i know you like makeup, i'm shit at doing makeup. teach me

- request 65/? i need the most emo playlist you can make that vibes with dear evan hansen thank you

- request 68/? i want a superwholock moodboard. this can be serious, with the actual fandoms in mind, or literally what the era felt like. the insanity. the horror.

- request 70/? ooh ooh ooh do you have a good bread recipe?? i wanna get that bread

- request 71/? i want a playlist with the vibes of summoning a demon. please don't ask questions. i don't have answers. and if i do, no i don't.

- For the requests, how about writing something based on a friend?

- request 75/? MMMM i want literally anything to do with natasha, pierre, and the great comet of 1812

- request 76/? i want some healthy recipes. help a girl out

- a feral bbb quote or two?

- you perceive my plant but now I dare thee to perceive mine own visage

- okay this is a two for one request. 1. you did the bee movie script so now we need a shrek two script edit 2. sleep please

- Pansexual mb for my lil queer soul?

- my (probably) final request is just for you to ramble about something, i don't really care what

- HI ILY CONGRATS AS WELL CAUSE IM LATE BUT CONGRATS. could i request a pirates of the caribbean (or just pirates) or whatever you what to do, free range.

- mood board for the beluga whales who got brought to the animal sanctuary in Iceland please?

- 100 follower request: Moodboard for my stuffed cow Oaky?

#cai's 200 #asks #mininacl

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what-big-teeth · 4 years

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Reveal (Cambion Boyfriend, pt. 1)

Gender Neutral Reader x Male Monster [Part 2] [Part 3] tw: mentions of alcohol ; kidnapping White rum, mint leaves, soda water, lime juice, and sugar… “Your mojito on the rocks. Enjoy!”

The middle-aged diner gives you a hearty thanks and slaps a fresh 20 dollar bill on the counter with a brown hand. He yells for you to keep the change over the noisy weekend crowd, and you’re more than happy to take the offer.

It’s another step closer to paying your way through graduate school.

At first, the idea of becoming a bartender after college didn’t sit well with your parents. Not because of the job choice, however. Your aunt’s popular mixology book collection is something they’re rather proud of. No, according to your folks, taking a long break from school could lead to you never going back.

They suggested taking out a few student loans to make ends meet. Live on campus to deal with a much lower residency fee. You agreed to staying in a dorm, but you couldn’t stomach being in near-perpetual debt for years to come. Very few people have gone through a higher educational career without incurring any debt. The odds of such a thing happening to you are astronomical. But damnit if you were at least going to try and curb whatever debt you could with your paychecks.

It helped that your place of employment was one of the more popular restaurants in town. Owned by a local, African-American family, Papa Ruben’s gained acclaim with time and great customer service. Hell, you were one of the diner’s loyal customers before Ben helped you land your job. Since starting, you’ve seen many familiar faces at the bar, but also just as many newcomers. Mostly family members joined by an undergrad or graduate student. And with the quick, accurate service you provide, many customers tip handsomely.

As you make a mental note to thank your aunt (who also served as your teacher), another rush of customers approach the barstools. All of them look at you expectantly, with the first customer who arrived dipping a pale hand into her purse.

You grin and flex your fingers.

Two gin and tonics; a round of tequila shots, four daiquiris, six red eyes, a sex on the beach. Change, bills, and even a few slips with scrawled phone numbers pile into your tip jar. The former is more important than the latter. More so as your heart is set on someone already. Too bad he wasn’t able to come tonight…

“I’ll take a Black Velvet in a Pilsner if you’ve got one.”

You pause from wiping down a cleaned, glass tumbler, perking up. There’s only one person you know who heavily favors such a drink.

A Black woman with deep brown skin leans onto the counter with her jacketed forearms. She shoves her thick natural hair—pulled back into a long braid— over her shoulder. Then grins.

“How’s my favorite barkeep?”

Her smile is infectious. “Holy shit, Jacqui? Is that you?!”

“The one and only,” she says. “Well, the one Jacqui that really matters.”

You chuckle, setting aside the tumbler. “I can’t believe you’re here in the flesh. I haven’t seen you in, what, four months?”

Her painted, red lips tremble and her smile falters.

“Five, actually.”

She goes quiet soon after and glances your way. For a moment, you think the odd light in her dark brown eyes is something akin to guilt. But it’s gone the next second, replaced by her usual confidence.

“But I’m back in town for a few days. You haven’t gone on break, have you?”

You shake your head, already knowing what she plans to ask.

“Got a minute to catch up?”

“For you? More than. Cass will be here soon to start her shift. When she comes, I’ll go on break.”

Jacqui plasters another grin on her face while you get to work on her drink. Once it’s ready, you set it in front of her on a coaster. Her hand quickly replaces yours as she takes a long sip.

“Thanks, babe. When it’s time, you know where to go.”

And with that, she slips off her barstool and past the bustling crowd gathering for more rounds.

This isn’t the first time Jacqui’s made herself at home at the restaurant. Mainly because she and Ben go back to their teenage years and he’s always had a soft spot for her. He treats her like the older sister he never had, mainly as all his elder siblings are boys. In turn, she treats him like a little brother.

It’s understandable; not having anyone around to claim you while growing up can get lonely. Ben will be just as pleased to see her, if he hasn’t already.

Cass arrives on time at a quarter ‘til nine, punctual as always. As she finishes tying her apron, she nods at you and effortlessly takes over once you finish making an appletini.

You squeeze past the busy wait staff and their large trays, waving at a few regulars who greet you by name. By the time you reach the break room, your stiff legs are crying out for relief. And you swiftly provide it by plopping down onto the old couch opposite the door.

The cushions are sunken and the fabric’s fading, but it’s part of Papa Ruben’s earlier days. The Moore family is wonderfully sentimental and this room is chock-full of older times. Photos of Papa Ruben himself, a younger snaggletoothed Ben and his two older brothers, their parents. There’s even a photo of a teenaged Jacqui surrounded by the Moore family.

Speaking of, the door opens, revealing Jacqui carrying a large sleeve of fries. She hops onto the couch next to you, offering some of her food. You snag four piping hot fries, juggling them between your hands.

“Courtesy of Ben?” you ask.

“Of course! My little bro always looks out for me.”

You lick your fingertips free of salt and ‘secret seasoning’ to cool the surface burns.

“Yeah,” you say. “Just like how the Moores would welcome you with open arms.”

She goes quiet, her expression turning neutral. She stares down at her food instead of replying.

“Whenever you visit, you always say you haven’t found a place to put down your roots,” you say. “What if that place is here with the Moores? With me and Cam?”

“It can’t be.” She places the still warm sleeve between the two of you. “I’ve done some stupid shit in the past, and it always find me when I let my guard down. I don’t want Ben, the Moores, Cam or you to get dragged into my mess. It’s something I have to deal with myself.”

You’ve had inklings about Jacqui’s rough past, but never any of the details. This is the closest she’s ever come to emphasizing just how bad things are. You try to think of a way to reason with her, but the break room’s door opens again.

Ben pokes his head inside, prompting Jacqui to slide a convincing smile onto her face.

“Here to offer me more free food?” she says with humor. “How sweet!”

“And have you eat my family out of house and home? No thanks,” he says.

You stifle a laugh, already used to their bickering. Ben rolls his eyes as Jacqui calls him a brat, opening the door fully while rubbing a golden brown hand over his bald head.

“To answer your question, someone’s here to see you. He rushed right over after I told him you were back in town.”

“You’re making it sound like I committed vehicular terror on the way over.”

A pleasant tingle runs down your spine at the familiar voice, in spite of the slight snark.

“With the way you drive,” Ben says, stepping out of the doorway, “Can it be anything else?”

“What’s that? You don’t want to bum another ride in the future?”

At that, Ben’s mouth snaps shut. You all know he’d rather enjoy some peace and space in a car not shared with his brothers. Cam steps through the doorway, chuckling.

“That’s what I thought.”

It doesn’t matter how many times you see him. Every time is new and comparable to that quiet moment during a movie night in college when you realized your feelings for him. A charming smile stretches the rich, golden brown skin of Can’s face and his thick lips as he steps past Ben.

Before you’re able to calm your pulse, Jacqui hops off the couch. You’re able to save her lukewarm fries before they fall over as she pulls Cam into a tight hug.

“Good luck dealing with her,” Ben says.

After reminding you of the end of your break, he heads out. Leaving you to watch Jacqui smack Cam on the back a few times while laughing.

“Look at you!” Jacqui pulls away from him, giving him a quick look over. “I see you decided to upgrade your fashion sense to show off your good looks. Finally. The red bomber jacket and Timbs look good, but the bottle coke glasses? Not so much.”

“Tell that to my eye doctor,” he says.

You watch as they fall into a seamless conversation, filled with snark and laughter. Jacqui even reaches up to playfully tug at one of the short dreadlocks on top of his head. As she comments on how well they pair with his fade haircut, a heavy weight forms in your stomach at the sight. They’re just friends and you know this without a doubt. But that doesn’t stop the bitter jealousy from welling up inside.

As if hearing your thoughts, Cam’s gaze finds yours and he smiles. His dark brown eyes make your stomach flutter in the best of ways.

“I-I thought you had a test to study for,” you manage to say.

“Still do,” Cam says. “But it’s kinda hard to think on an empty stomach. My brain needs some fuel and a break. Plus, I wanted to check on you since you mentioned tonight would be busy.”

Heat fills your cheeks as a small smile stretches your lips.

“Thanks,” you say. The light in Cam’s eyes grows soft.

Of course. We’re friends, after all.

”The moment between the two of you swiftly ends. Because that’s all you are. Just friends. You nod in reply, helping yourself to a few of Jacqui’s fries as she teases him about gunning for an anthropology degree. Cam just rolls his eyes at her before fishing his smartphone from his jacket.

“Order’s ready. I should get back to studying.” He glances up at you with a caring smile. “Let me know if you want to cancel tomorrow’s trip to the bakery. I’ll understand if you’re too tired—”

“I’ll be fine,” you quickly say, “promise.”

“Cool. Have a good night, and be safe on your way home.”

As Cam heads out with one last wave, a gentle tug pulls the now crumpled sleeve of cold fries from your hands. Jacqui lifts a brow at the food then you, giving you a knowing look.

“Oh honey.”

You stiffen. Your brain attempts to think of any excuse or denial, but falls short. You lean back against the couch, sighing in defeat.

“Am I really that obvious?”

“Sure, to Ben and me. But to Cam? Not so much, which is ridiculous. You haven’t tried kissing the living daylights out of him yet?”

“Jacqui.”

“What? It’s a legitimate question. You guys grew up together, lost contact, then reconnected in college. What’s the hold up?”

You purse your lips, crossing your arms over your chest.

“I don’t want to mess up things between us. Yeah, I may like him more as a friend, but I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”

A gentle touch grips your shoulder.

“Sweetheart, you wouldn’t ruin anything by letting him know. Seriously.”

You just shake your head, attempting to give Jacqui a reassuring smile. The concerned light in her eyes tells you it falls horribly short.

“You should join us tomorrow morning after visiting the Moores,” you say, getting up. “Let me know if you want another Black Velvet, alright?”

You leave before Jacqui is able to get another word in.

The rest of your shift is busy, but uneventful. You accrue a huge amount of tips from pleased customers and more slips bearing phone numbers. You and Cass split the money based on the number of hours you both work. When she offers to take some of the number off your hands, you let her. The rest, you crumple and toss into the trash.

The doors to Papa Ruben’s closes at 11 PM sharp, with you, Cass, Ben, and the other staff members congratulating each other on a job immensely well done. After grabbing your belongings, you bid your co-workers a good night.

With the way your stiff legs are throbbing, you’re wishing you hadn’t parked down the way to avoid the early rush. You sigh with relief as your vehicle comes into view. Just a little bit more, and you’ll be on your way home.

You aren’t able to take another step.

The grip on your upper arm surprises you. It tightens to a painful vice and brings you to your knees.

Quick as lightning, another hand swiftly grabs the back of your neck, forcing your nose to the concrete.

“If you try and scream,” a feminine voice says, “that breath will be your last.”

There’s no hesitation in your assailant’s voice. Just a menacing promise laced with danger. You fight against your mounting fear and swallow audibly. Then go lax.

“Good.”

You barely hear the sound of shoes scraping against the sidewalk over your frantic pulse.

“Well?” an unfamiliar, male voice asks.

“You were right. This one’s got the pheromonal stink of a cambion on them. Strong, too.”

“Bear with it a bit longer.” You can hear a smile in the male’s voice. “It’ll be a scent relegated to your memories soon enough.”

One moment you hear shuffling. The next, your wrists are tightly bound together. A piece of cloth is forced past your teeth and tied tightly behind your neck.

Then, a sharp prick to your wrist. Your body seizes.

“Pleasant dreams,” the female voice mocks.

Black spots begin to overtake your vision as you’re lifted from the ground.

“Let’s go. We’ve got a trap to set.”

It’s the last thing you hear before everything goes dark.

#cambion boyfriend #monster boyfriend #monster romance #exophilia #terato #half demon #half-demon #this is the first time writing a gender neutral reader #so I hope it's okay #expect part 2 soon!

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the-real-tc · 5 years

Text

Review: Heartland Ep. 1209--Long Road Back

I keep forgetting to post these things. (What follows is a more extensive review than I posted on FB)

(Not to be confused with Season 4, Episode 13: The Road Home.)

This episode was the follow-up to 1208 (Stress Fractures), focusing on three plot lines:

1) Fairfield manager Laura’s “treatment” of Shooting Star in Lisa’s looooooooong absence, and Team Ty & Amy’s efforts to look after the horse’s health

2) Georgie qualifying for the “Euro Tour” while flirting dangerously with an eating disorder to achieve perfection.

3) Jack, Tim, and Mitch are not on the same page with a new deal in the works with Garland Foods in the midst of moving the herd to new pasture.

On point one, I have some positives and negatives. The main negatives are from two sources:

1) Lisa’s absence and continued obliviousness to the whole Star situation. Here’s a case that as the owner of the business, regardless of her reason for being absent, she should be made aware!

2) Laura’s reckless pursuit of a win, despite her “love” for horses she claims to have. Really? The way she was “treating” Star shows she cared more about making a winner that could “save” Fairfield financially and perhaps curry more favour with Lisa. Oh, sorry about that fractured leg you’re being forced to run on… But, if you could just stick it out for one more race; that’s a good girl, Star. Laura wuvs you…

Ty and Amy manage to get Star scratched from the race just in time, thanks to the track vet who takes Ty’s word for it that there’s a stress fracture in one of the fetlocks. From there, Amy angrily warns Laura she doesn’t want to know the lengths they’ll go to in order to protect Star. Ty accuses Laura of doing something, since Laura smugly tells him there is no bute in the horse’s system, which is odd, since the horse is apparently in zero discomfort. If it’s not bute (allowing the horse to be under the drug-testing threshold, as she was at the last race), then it has to be something else. Laura sticks to her silence on the matter as Amy and Ty bring Star to Heartland.

Point 2: Coach Kim, while disappointed and perplexed as to Georgie’s reason missing the latest show, informs her that she has a final chance to qualify for the whole Swiss thing: She must place nothing less than first at the Rocky Mountain Classic, which is two days away. No pressure, right? This means more running and more skipping meals for Georgie, because that’s what Coach Kim’s training advice would have her do, right?

Predictably, Georgie wins the Classic, but due to all the stress and over-exertion, lack of sustenance, etc., she collapses after winning. I won’t comment any further on this because I am not a health expert and not a dietician or mental health expert. All I will say is I am glad Georgie did not succumb to a worse fate and has her family’s support, and that in a different universe, on a different show, the stakes would have been much higher. Georgie might have developed a full-blown eating disorder, would most certainly not have won the event, and would have been forced to miss the Euro Tour while she went for professional treatment.

Point 3: Tim and Mitch go behind Jack’s back and meet with Fred Garland at Maggie’s on the matter of increasing the order for Garland Foods. Fred gives them a three-day deadline to come back to him with an answer, or he’s looking somewhere else. So now they have three days to convince Jack, to which I say: “good luck”.

Jack wants to hear nothing of expanding the herd when Mitch broaches the subject during a lunch-break while they’re driving the cattle to new pasture. Tim jumps in to say the he’s talked with neighbouring cattle rancher (“old man McMillan”) who’s open to the idea of their taking on his herd. Mitch eagerly says that way, they can meet Garland’s demand for more beef. Jack’s still not keen on the idea of selling beef they have not raised themselves; Tim shoots back that it would take a long time for that to happen. Mitch puts his foot in his mouth when he says they have no time, since Garland gave them three days…

Oops. Jack recognizes they went behind his back and is extremely sore about it.

Side-plot with a major digression: Tim introduces Fred to Lou, singing her praises about how she’s the owner of Maggie’s and has expanded it to be a franchise in NYC. Fred chats her up in a very polite, non-threatening way, and the two eventually go out on a casual date. Whether Lou agreed because she found him nice and potential dating material or to get under Mitch’s skin, I’ll never know. Because despite all signs that Fred Garland is actually a decent, pleasant, polite, business-savvy man who listened to Lou’s advice about how to improve his “brand”, the writers of course turned him into this insipid moron whose sole focus in life is grocery stores. Like some infantile six-year-old obsessed with dinosaurs, the last book Fred read was actually titled “Grocery”. His main goal when he travels is to see what other grocery stores are like. Really, dude? I’m surprised he’s able to form a coherent sentence and even ask out a woman on a date for all his one-track mindedness about groceries. Thumbs down, writers, on that character distortion. Now I’ll never be able to look at Fred and think that Team Heartland should be in business with him because of how inane a character you’ve made him.

Plot point 1: Back at Heartland, Star is really starting to show discomfort in the left fetlock. Ty confirms it’s not bute, but he still can’t figure what Laura might have done; something undetectable, perhaps. Jack confirms he’s tried to reach Lisa twice without getting an answer, so he’s had to leave a message for her to call Ty ASAP.

Unfortunately, Star won’t eat. Ty is distressed because she’s in acute renal failure. Laura shows up uninvited demanding to know why Star has not been returned to Fairfield. She’s still sticking to her story that bute is the only pain-killer she was using on Star. Ty’s not buying it and tells her to scram so they can get started on treatment. Amy starts working on her own holistic remedies while Ty gets an IV going. However, instead of welcoming Amy’s assistance (herbals; suggesting Cass do acupuncture, etc.), Ty has got tunnel-vision about the matter. He’s short with Amy and dismissive of her approach, as if he thinks it will have zero effect on Star’s health. At one point, he blurts out: “I’m sorry, Amy, but anything you do won’t matter if her kidneys fail, okay?” Their raised voices wake Lyndy, whose cries they both move to respond to, but a frustrated Amy goes, leaving Ty to deal with Star for the time being.

The next morning, things have cooled down, and Star is showing improvement. Ty credits the fluids; Amy says she had Cass come by to do some acupuncture. They talk over their latest argument, each apologizing and finding excuses for their angry words and reactions (“I was exhausted and it came out wrong” and “Maybe I was too over-sensitive”). Amy has put devil’s claw in Star’s feed, but she still won’t eat.

A contrite Laura returns, waving the white flag. She admits she did wrong but begs not to be cut out of Star’s life. Ty still wants to prevent her from getting anywhere near the horse, but Amy notices Star’s reaction to the Fairfield manager: positive and upbeat. Amy thinks Laura could help them help Star. And she’s right: Laura never meant to hurt Star (not intentionally), and the horse sees her as a friend and her familiar presence in unfamiliar surroundings, which gets her to actually eat again.

Plot point 3: The Further Misadventures of Jack, Tim & Mitch. While Tim insists on being “T-boss” (that’s “trail boss”) for this cattle drive, Jack grudgingly allows him, all the while probably waiting for him to mess things up, which he does. Tim’s “short-cut” actually leads to them losing a pile of time due to a river that was quite a bit more active than he had anticipated. Attempts to push them through fail utterly, and Jack wants to take back control and go back to their original route. Tim balks at this and says that what Jack says isn’t always right; not about the herd, and not about their business, either. Tim believes Jack will wreck their deal with Garland; Jack doesn’t want to hear about it at the moment and declares they’re pushing the herd back to the original route. At the conclusion of driving the cattle, Jack further puts his foot down: he is not going to jeopardize the quality of their beef by expanding the herd. Shortcuts are not the solution. Tim thinks Jack is outnumbered since it is a partnership, after all, but Mitch is starting to see that Jack might be right and takes his side; says they know Garland wants their beef, so maybe the three-day deadline is a bluff. Tim shoves off in disgusted disappointment.

Plot point one: Laura comes back, one last time, to say goodbye to Star, and to tell them she has sent in her resignation to Lisa. Ty asks if she thinks they’re just going to let her move on to another stable, which she denies is what will happen, claiming she’ll taking a break from the race horse racket. She promises she won’t throw them under the bus by going to the press like she said she would. Ty finally gets her to admit what she did to Star: shock-wave therapy, which is illegal to use on race horses prior to races, and which actually has analgesic effects. Incensed, Ty and Amy demand Laura take her leave immediately.

Sidebar: If Lisa never hears about this incident, I will feel very cheated. An entire story arc was spent following one of her members of staff, at her stable, and one of her horses needed treatment. What happened was scandalous and could result in legal action against Lisa and Fairfield, yet we’re somehow supposed to accept that because Laura admitted her guilt, is sorry, and ha resigned, and because Star is recovering that this is somehow all okay. It’s not. They have an ethical, legal, and moral duty to report that cheating occurred at the race Star won. Will it happen? I guess we’ll see in the final two episodes.

#Heartland #Season 12 #Episode 1209 #Long Road Back

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