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murphallo · 2 years ago

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Hi, I totally understand your disappointment in how chenford got together. I too thought it was going to take something dramatic for them to finally be together, something like DOD.

Lucy spent 5 seasons not dating cops because of Bishop's advice about her reputation and career. I thought that would play a big part on her hesitation to start a relationship with Tim. But it wasn't even mentioned lol.

And Tim always seemed super aware of the fact that he was Lucy's superior at work, he even listed that as an obstacle in his conversation with Lopez. But then he and Lucy got together and Tim seemed to forget that it's a problem. A "Lucy Lesson" was needed to remind him it's an issue.

But I can't say I'm suprised. The Rookie can set up interesting conflicts and then drop them like hot potatoes. I mean, Ashley says she never wants to have kids and Tim is just "oh well, okay then", and keeps dating her until *she* breaks up with him lol. I mean, what was the point of that?

no LITERALLY bro like…

like bro if i wanted to see a ship get together the way chenford did, i would specialize in fast burns. i get into slow burns bc my ooey gooey hopeless romantic bleeding heart likes to see the moment where it all comes together. now, i will say, i never really wanted chenford to have the near death confession just bc i think it’s been done to death and they’re both in near death experiences like everyday. i personally think it would’ve been interesting to see an arc where they think they’ll lose each other and have to confront what their lives might be like without the other person and they don’t wanna do that yada yada, like jisbon, (yes i’ll be comparing chenford’s get together to jisbon’s for the foreseeable future). what i didn’t think would get them together was like one blurted line that made no sense and riddled the story with plot holes

as for the work thing………… if i think too long about how the work boundary has been handled, my brain might actually explode lol like… the work thing was their BIGGEST boundary and not only did they give 0 shits about it when getting together but they solved it in one episode over what was basically a prank like… i have a pet peeve in slow burns and it’s when i feel like they probably could’ve gotten together forever ago and i really thought all their story was building up to something but if he was just gonna ask her out on a bench outside work in broad daylight and they were gonna solve the work boundary in one episode via prank, i would’ve just wished they did that after her rookie year. that’s another problem with how they got together like fr if it was gonna be that simple why not just get them together between 3x10 and 4x02 when they were both single and there was no work boundary or if there was it would’ve been significantly weaker like… and im saying that as someone who loved s4 😭 i really did love s4 and how 5a was going before 508 and now it all feels so pointless idk

as for the alt s4 love interests……….. oh boi…… okay so. one thing about me. when it comes to fiction… i love me some emotional cheating like it hits every time lol so was it fun to see tim and lucy carry on with 0 respect for their relationships even though i knew they were being terrible people?? hell yeah. but like… when there’s a REASON. i do not understand the purpose of either of those two being in 5a. let’s start with chris. okay so chenford would’ve hooked up in 501 if chris didn’t almost get killed and lucy stayed with him out of guilt? right? that i could understand. but THEN 508 happened and the haunting words of “if we do this” left lucy’s mouth. now…………. if she knew tim wanted to be with her romantically (which is a whole other thing bc bitch how) her staying with chris is absolutely hilarious. her justification for staying with chris was that if she got with tim it might not work out but brother… forgive me if i’m remembering incorrectly, no one was holding a gun to lucy’s head and threatening to shoot if she didn’t get with tim as soon as she broke up with chris. it’s completely out of character TO ME for lucy to stay in a relationship she wasn’t happy in bc she was scared to be with tim. like… lucy is not allergic to being single, i do not GET IT. like if chris died in 501 and lucy was too riddled with guilt to date the guy she was about to cheat on him with, i would ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND THAT but this is outrageous.

now onto ashley……… hooooooooo ashley…. okay like….. it’s hard to verbalize how fucking inane the inclusion of ashley was to me… like just goofy. silly. unserious. if tim didn’t realize his feelings for lucy until 422 or 501, it is, TO ME, COMPLETELY out of character for tim to lead ashley on knowing he’d prefer to be with someone else. that’s why i honestly still didn’t think he realized he wanted to be with lucy even after 501 because like… you’re telling me TIM BRADFORD stayed in a relationship with someone telling him she was in love with him knowing he was severely interested in someone else?? that’s never been tim like omg. did he almost cheat on her a lil? yeah <3 but like idk there was a whole ass time jump and he stayed with ashley that whole time that is CRAZY. i didn’t want either breakup to be off screen but honest to god, if they knew they were about to get chenford together, i would’ve preferred an offscreen breakup during the time jump over an onscreen breakup THREE EPISODES BEFORE getting chenford together like omg OMG

*woosah break*

anyone who’s heard my rants (and it’s been a LOT) know that the episode i have the most beef with is 506. because like… we know tim probably didn’t care that much for ashley (despite the whole ass year relationship and debating retirement to travel with her but i digress) and it’s a common supposition that he was more wounded by the way she dumped him than losing her. sure, whatever, let’s go forward with that assumption. but you know who didn’t know none of that shit? LUCY. from her pov, it wasn’t that long ago that tim said he could see himself marrying ashley and we know lucy took that to heart. and then in 506, lucy finds out tims been moping for a week because they broke up (and specifically ASHLEY dumped HIM) but she’s still confident enough that tim us really into her for the “if we do this” like… and if the uc op brought up real actual romantic feelings between them, i would understand, but it didn’t. it brought up horny. it brought up that tim was sexually attracted to her. which… correct me if i’m wrong… she knew that… long before the uc op… so lucy spending an adrenaline filled weekend with tim with makeouts required and then he’s like “aye im feeling a lil something” does not equal feelings and i personally feel like lucy wouldn’t have made that leap like that when he was like… with someone. idk like… if i could take out any episodes in the 5a sad excuse for an arc, it’d definitely be the episode where lucy witnessed tim moping over his fresh ex for like two days and then blurted out that they like each other two episodes later.

so yeah the timing, the supposed trigger, the other love interests… no matter how you try to spin it, you will never ever get me like “oh no that definitely made sense” bc no matter how you look at it shit was dumb lol

#chenford #murphallo #murphallo asks

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wanderingwomanwondering · 4 years ago

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Thoughts on The Buddie Talk from 502

Other folks have looked at this conversation, but I wanted to get on my bullshit about it too. LOL.

So imho this whole conversation is about love and heart, specifically Eddie’s but with Buck’s heart added in. Line by line analysis and commentary. Let the BS begin. Here we go…

Buck: Hey are you sleeping, or just pretending?

Day and night/light and dark are strong themes throughout the episode. @benka79 did a meta on this theme. I think that by extension, awake vs asleep is meaningful in this scene. In matters of the heart, Eddie is trying to sleep or turn a blind eye, doing what he thinks is best for Chris rather than himself. This is exactly what Carla warned him against. But he knows. He knows that Carla is right but he’s ignoring her and trying to ignore Buck. He’s only pretending to be in the dark about his heart and his desires, at least to a degree.

Eddie: I was actually trying to until you interrupted.

Enter Buck, shaking shit up. Interrupting Eddie’s well-intentioned lie. Eddie knows there’s more than meets the eye and Buck is forcing him to open his eyes, wake up and see what’s really going on and reckon with himself and his true desires.

Buck: I’m exhausted. Uh, how are you feeling?

This line has been rattling around in my brain for what feels like a thousand years. Buck is NOT asleep, he’s not able to turn a blind eye. And being the only one willing to look directly at matters of the heart is wearing him out. Dude’s exhausted! He SEES that something is up with Eddie’s heart and he wants Eddie to tell him all about it.

Eddie: Hot. I’m sweating out of places I didn’t know I could.

During the blackout, AC isn’t working so everyone is sweating. Buck even has a thin layer of sweat in the scene. Sweating from the heat is normal and completely reasonable, but is that what’s being invoked here? We know that sweating is also a symptom of health issues (panic and heart problems not the least among them, and definitely symbolically relevant here). Eddie looks like he’s sweating for normal reasons but in the next line Buck questions that.

Buck: No uh like a cold sweat though, right? Uh, any chest pains?

Again, Buck is wide awake. He KNOWS something is wrong with Eddie’s heart/feelings and that Eddie is hiding it from him. He jumps to cold sweats, the kind that are most connected to health problems and are not about the actual temperature in the room. Then follows up with asking about chest pains. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Buck is paralleled with the cardiologist. She’s about Eddie’s literal heart but Eddie’s figurative heart is in Buck’s hands and Buck’s hands only. And my dude is assertively assessing the situation.

Eddie: You don’t give up, do you? I’m fine, Buck.

Good ol’ Eddie, perfecting his avoidance and denial game. But he knows Buck. He does NOT ever give up and he especially doesn’t give up on the people he loves. Eddie recognized this and thanked Buck for it in 303. Buck didn’t give up on Christopher during the tsunami, or on Eddie in Eddie Begins or in Survivors. But that was about Chris and Eddie’s life. This scene in 502 is new in a way. Buck is refusing to give up on Eddie’s heart, his feelings. Now Buck is fighting for Eddie’s quality of life, for his happiness.

Buck: People who are fine don’t go and see cardiologists. You need to tell me if something is wrong.

Buck was so worried about Eddie in 501. Of course Eddie denied that anything was wrong but Buck isn’t stupid. In 501 he asked about the situation clearly and openly because he cares about Eddie and wants to help in any way he can, and Eddie pushed him away. So here in 502 he implicitly invokes the Will. He’s like fine if you won’t tell me as your friend who gives a shit about you, then tell me for Chris’s sake because thanks to the will, I actually fucking need to know if you’re going to drop dead.

Eddie: Alright, it was a panic attack, not a heart attack. A panic attack.

Eddie’s frustrated confession was solid gold. It laid my edges and raised my credit score. He knows that Buck’s persistence is harmless and comes from a genuine place of respect and care. Still, that doesn’t make it any less annoying for a man who’s trying to sleep, pretending his own heart isn’t breaking under the weight of his sense of duty to his son.

Buck: Since when do you panic?

My God, he knows him so well.

Eddie: That’s what I said. I don’t panic. Except I did.

Eddie accepting that this was absolutely a panic attack was huge. Before he had been pushing against the reality of it, but here in Buck’s loving care he could be honest with himself and with Buck that it was indeed panic.

Buck: Ok, well, what triggered it? I mean you did just get shot and almost killed by a sniper. I guess that could be considered an anxiety inducing-

Buck’s in full “cardiologist” mode. He’s paying forward all those years of therapy! What he’s doing here isn’t a replacement for my dude getting some real therapy but here’s Buck with his clipboard efficiently helping Eddie figure his emotional shit out. It’s perfection. It’s also good that he acknowledged the shooting. I think it’s super important that when Buck mentions it, he looks down and away from Eddie.

Buck, my dude, you are not over being covered in the blood of the love of your life. You can still feel his weight in your hands, muscle memory from lifting him above the spray of gasoline and bullets. Eddie may still be asleep on that front but, Buck, you are wide awake and exhausted by the heavy love you’re carrying.

Eddie: That wasn’t it. Ok, if I’m being honest with myself, I think it was Ana.

Oh this is fun. So you are capable of being real, you just choose not to be. Good to know.

Buck: Uh, I thought things were great with her.

Stop. Lying. You saw Eddie get squirrely when talking about the Christening. You saw Eddie get awkward af when A*a and Christopher came to the firehouse. You’ve seen these issues with your own eyeballs. Great? Really? Yeah, this just makes me think muh boy is oblivious and/or he really was expecting Eddie to come clean about issues related to the shooting, not his love life. This reiterates my point that Buck himself is not nearly done with processing the shooting.

Eddie: She’s been a godsend through all this - staying with Christopher - but I think that’s what’s causing the panic. Somehow it become a ready-made family and I don’t know if I’m ready for that.

This portion of the conversation has been analyzed to bits by many brilliant others. I don’t have anything to add. I’m like, look dude, you already have a family with Buck and Christopher. A*a’s effin’ up your happy healthy family flow. It’s ok, just turn her loose.

Buck: So what are you gonna do?

Buck’s wisdom grows every frickin’ day. He knows this isn’t sustainable for Eddie. He knows that the heart matters. He knows that feelings are real and help us navigate toward a happy life. Action is needed and he’s nudging Eddie in that direction.

Eddie: I think I’m just gonna stick it out. Ana’s been the first woman I’ve wanted to spend this much time with since Shannon.

Oh dear, Eddie’s overblown sense of duty to everyone but himself strikes again. He can…tolerate… A*a. How romantic!

Buck: Stick it out? That’s not the way you talk about someone you’re in love with.

Um, no. Buck calls shenanigans. He’s not A*a’s bestie but he doesn’t feel any desire whatsoever to have her condemned to a loveless relationship.

Eddie: My kid loves her!

Always putting Christopher first but not realizing that if he isn’t truly happy, Christopher will know because he’s perceptive af. Plus the two haven’t discussed A*a on screen so I’m not convinced Chris loves her as much as Eddie wants to believe.

Buck: Is that enough? Eddie I have been Ana. I know what it’s like to be in love with someone who is not all the way in. Deep down you know it and it hurts. It hurts worse than the truth, so if you don’t want to hurt Ana, you owe it to her to be honest.

Buck is doing A LOT of work here to help Eddie see that his plan of inaction is not good. He centers Eddie asking him if staying for Chris is enough. When that doesn’t work, he realizes that Eddie doesn’t care about his own heart enough to leave so he changes strategies and puts himself in A*a’s place to invoke some empathy for A*a from Eddie. It’s super…interesting that Eddie doesn’t care enough for A*a to come to this conclusion on his own!!

Eddie: You know it just feels like a lot man.

Why, my dude?? Explain. Could it be that A*a is serving a purpose beyond Chris? Could it be that staying with her helps you avoid, allows you to pretend and be oblivious to deeper truths within your battered but still beating heart? Does she obscure the Buck shaped hole in your ticker?

Buck: Well, go to sleep. You don’t need to decide right now. It’s not like we’re going home anytime soon.

Buck is disappointed, exhausted, and frustrated and it has my dude slinging shade like morning hash. He’s like fine turn a blind eye, ignore your heart it’s cool *all the sarcasm* Then we get the reference to home and the fact that the two of them are far from it at this point and we all know how important home is as a Buddie theme. I wrote a little about it here.

Bonus: Eddie closed his eyes after Buck walked away, the he OPENED them again. He fully saw what Buck was saying. He can’t avoid the truth of his heart for much longer.

Y’all this has GOT to be the season that one or both of these idiots realize their feelings. Excuse me while I end.

#911 fox #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie #christopher diaz #ana flores #GO HOME ALREADY #episode 502 #911 meta

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eyayah-oya · 4 years ago

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Carry You With Me Always

Buckle up everyone, because I have three prompts today!

Cloneship Week 2021 - Tattoos - @cloneshipweek

Rex/Echo

Rating: G

Warnings: very vague references to something bad happening to Tup and Dogma in the past

Ao3 link--Ao3 has some world building notes about Tup, Dogma, and Mom Echo if you want to check those out!

Lazy days were Echo’s favorite. They always had been. Especially the days when Rex didn’t have to be a commander masquerading as a captain. (Echo still didn’t understand how hard it was to sign off on a promotion for Rex. Skywalker knew how to sign his own name.) It was the third day of leave on Coruscant, just when the duties required of the commanding officers tapered off to allow them time off just like their men.

Rex entered the officer barracks with two cups of caf and a datapad tucked under his arm. He must have recently taken a water shower, as he looked cleaner than the sonics were able to achieve. For a moment, Echo mourned the opportunity to shower with Rex but they figured there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

“Morning,” Echo called, their voice deep and raspy from sleep.

He looked up, though Echo noted he didn’t actual startle. Rex only got that jumpy when he hadn’t been sleeping, so he at least got some rest since the 501st arrived on Coruscant. That was good. Echo had been worried when Rex hadn’t shown up the past two nights to the bunk they shared when not on the Resolute.

A warm smile, reserved just for Echo, softened Rex’s face and filled Echo with happiness. “Morning, Echo,” he responded. With ease, he set the two caf cups down on his desk without spilling a drop, the datapad following immediately after. Then, with slumped shoulders and tired eyes, he fell onto the bed beside Echo and nuzzled their shoulder.

“Meetings go badly?” they mused as ran their fingers across the closely cropped blonde hair.

“Eh, not too bad. Just long. General Mundi preached about the value of life again and Gree got into an argument with General Fisto over some obscure plant the 41st found on their last campaign. I think if they’d been in the same room, it would have become a physical fight.”

Echo snorted. “That would definitely be interesting to watch. What did General Unduli do?”

“I’m 90% sure she was either sleeping standing up, or talking to General Kenobi telepathically. Kenobi kept snickering every once in a while, so I wouldn’t put it past them.” Rex shook his head as best as he could from where his face was smooshed against Echo’s shoulder. “Anything big happen with the boys?”

“Denal and Attie got arrested again. I’m pretty sure they’re trying to court the intake officer in the Corrie’s brig. I escorted Dogma and Tup around the city the first day and ended up taking them to Tatta. You know, the vod who gives the best tattoos?”

Rex hummed in acknowledgment. “Can’t say I’ve ever had the pleasure, but I’ve heard he’s one of the best on Coruscant. Did Tup and Dogma end up getting any tattoos?”

“Tup got a little tear below his eye and Dogma got a really cool one over his face. Kix is gonna have a conniption when he sees that; you know how he is with large facial tattoos,” Echo said with amusement. “Dogma struggled a bit at first, but Tup talked him through his anxiety and held his hand.”

“That’s good. I’ll make sure to pair them up on campaigns. Aren’t they twins?”

Echo nodded. While not numerous, there were several sets of twins in the GAR. Commanders Thire and Thorn in the Corrie Guard, Kix and Captain Keeli, Tup and Dogma, Lupis and Canis in the Wolfpack, and of course Echo and their twin Fives. Commanding officers tried to keep twins together as much as possible, though it doesn’t always happen, like with Kix and Keeli.

“You could have warned me they were former Corries,” Echo grumbled. “Technically I was escorting them, but it was mostly them dragging me all over the city. Although, they did take me to this diner with the most amazing nerf burgers. I’ll have to take you sometime. They’re sweet kids, but they also could use a lot more support than the average vod. Something happened to them when they were with the Guard.”

Rex sighed. “I know. Fox briefed me on their situation. I won’t tell you what happened exactly—they should do that themselves—but it was bad. We’ll take care of them, I promise.”

“Good.” Echo nodded once and wrapped their left arm around Rex’s shoulder and pulled him in closer. Rex flung his own arm back over Echo. Immediately they hissed as their right pec flared with a stinging pain.

Immediately, Rex sat up in concern. “Echo? What’s wrong?”

Echo grinned sheepishly. “Well, Tup and Dogma were really nervous to get tattoos since the Guard isn’t allowed to have tattoos. And I might have gotten a tattoo to help them be more comfortable.”

“Really?” Rex grinned. Without hesitation, he gently placed his hand over Echo’s pec, exactly in the same spot he had left a handprint on their first set of armor. He didn’t have to guess what tattoo they had decided to get. Echo arched into the touch, the sting sharp and pointed and somehow exactly perfect. “Can I see it?” Rex asked softly.

“Help me get the shirt off, and yes,” Echo answered. They surged upwards, ignoring the pain from his tattoo, so they could press a heated and soft kiss to Rex’s lips.

With far more reverence than they usually have time for, Rex slid his fingers under the hem of their loose shirt, trailing over the firm muscles and warm skin. Echo shivered deliciously and lightly sucked on his lower lip, rather than help their boyfriend in any way. Inch by inch, more skin was revealed until Rex pulled away to tug the shirt over Echo’s head. They helped, lifting their arms over their head to allow the shirt to slide free.

In the exact same placement as their armor, a handprint had been tattooed completely in a darker blue than they used for their armor. The dark blue color the Rishi eel’s blood had been. The permanent mark on their skin was a bold proclamation of who Echo belonged to. A way to inform everyone who they went home to and who they would always go back for. That day on Rishi was life-changing for both of them for more than one reason. It was the day Echo had lost their batchmates, save for Fives, and the day they had both joined the 501st. It was the day Echo had first met Rex, a young shiny who was in awe of the legendary captain. And it was the day that began Echo’s journey of falling completely in love with the man behind the legend.

Rex traced the edges of the tattoo gently, barely ghosting over the skin. It was still swollen and red from the needle, but that would go away in a couple more days. Echo didn’t mind a little bit of pain if it meant they could wear Rex’s mark in his skin as well as their armor.

“Do you like it?” they asked cheekily, already knowing the answer.

“I love it. They did a really good job. Does it hurt a lot?” Rex asked.

Echo wobbled his head from side to side. “A little, but it’s not bad. Barely noticeable, really.”

“Good.” And with that, Rex pressed his hand against the mark and pushed Echo back onto the bed until he was leaning directly over them. “Because I need to show you exactly how much I like it.”

They eagerly reached up and wrapped their arms around Rex’s neck, pulling him down against them, though they both were careful not to dislodge his hand from its place on Echo’s chest. Echo pressed their forehead against Rex’s, letting them bask in the peaceful moment instead of the hurried seconds they only managed to snatch while out on the front. Eventually, the keldabe shifted to the more traditional type of kissing, their tongues tangling together languidly. They had all day and the rest of the tenday to relax and enjoy. They could take their time, and Echo couldn’t be happier.

“I love you,” they whispered between kisses.

“I love you, my eyayah. My Echo with my mark,” Rex answered before diving back into their mouth and showing them exactly how much he needed and loved them.

Echo shivered with delight, the intimacy of the moment barricading everything else from the Captain’s quarters. For a time, they existed in a bubble, cut off from the galaxy and perfectly at peace together.

Then, the bubble popped.

“Does the Captain really have to know? I mean, it’s not like he’d be surprised.”

“Fives, don’t be an idiot. You know he always needs to know when we brawl with the Wolfpack so he can keep Commander Wolffe from killing us.”

“But if we go in there, Echo will kill us.”

“I’d rather die by Echo’s hand than by Commander Wolffe’s! He’s scary!”

“Oh, lighten up, Jesse! I wouldn’t mind fighting with the Commander!”

“ . . . Hardcase . . . “

“What? It’s true!”

“I’m gonna tell him!”

“Fives, don’t you dare!”

With matching, heavy sighs, Echo and Rex broke apart and turned to the door. Yes, Echo loved lazy days. But those days never lasted long, and they loved their brothers just as much.

“I’ll go deal with Hardcase’s unacknowledged romantic feelings for Commander Wolffe. You need to get some sleep,” Echo said, giving Rex a soft kiss on the cheek as they grabbed their t-shirt. “Think I can make Jesse prefer he’d faced the Commander?”

Rex smirked and flopped down by Echo’s side instead of on top of them. “I know you will. I’ll be here when they’re all suitably punished. Come back and we can finish what we started.” His eyes were dark with hunger and love, sending a shiver through Echo. That was a promise they wouldn’t pass up for anything.

“I’ll be back after I finish wrangling the children. I’ll probably drag Dogma and Tup along so they can laugh at Fives, Jesse, and Hardcase,” Echo said with a grin. They pulled their shirt over their head and climbed over Rex to stand up. “They could use the enrichment.”

Rex only laughed. Lazy days really were the best.

#clone/clone #recho #rex/echo #captain rex #arc trooper echo #clone trooper echo #mentioned tup #mentioned dogma #rex and echo really are concerned parents #mom echo #non-binary echo #cloneshipweek2021 #day 3 | tattoos #cloneshipping

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spell-cleaver · 5 years ago

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Swords & Starflowers, Day 13

DAY 13: WHUMPTOBER: Breathe In, Breathe Out - Delayed Drowning @whumptober2020

This is, of course, set in the Swords and Starflowers AU; it’s a scene from the AU that I’ve been hinting at ever since Tenterhooks.

⚔💮⚔

Route them out.

Find this Rebel cell that used Bespin as its base.

And bring me the war mage who destroyed the Death Star.

Luke was hidden right underneath the floorboards of the room Vader said that in when he said it, voice booming and feet stomping over the carpet. Dust shucked off and onto all their heads; Luke tried not to cough.

He glanced down, looking around the secret room. Wedge met his gaze and nodded, waiting for his signal; Hobbie was near to the trapdoor onto the next floor. There were stormtroopers in the basement, he knew; they just had to wait for them to finish their search, then they could leave, sneak out, try to escape…

They hadn’t even used Bespin as the base. Hoth, a nearby village, had been closer to where they’d set up camp. But Lando had been a great ally, and his inn, The Cloud City, was a good place to gain gossip and meet dodgy dealers, so they spent a lot of time here…

…and Vader had caught on.

“I know he is here,” Vader continued, “and I will not leave until he is dead.”

Luke took several deep, calming breaths. Ben. Ben was nearby—he couldn’t lead Vader straight to him, but he did need to escape.

There was a creaking and a groaning as Vader lowered his massive bulk into one of the chairs in the Cloud City’s parlour, clearly ready to wait until Lando cracked and betrayed where they were.

“If you have any information about these insurgents, innkeeper,” Vader intoned. “You would be well-compensated for it. Not to mention it would be wise not to conceal it.”

“Of course, Lord Vader.” Lando was nervous, but he lied with the ease of a charmed and charming gambler. “Unfortunately I have no personal knowledge of their presence here, but if any of my connections and associates can help you—”

Hobbie, next to the trapdoor and peering through, made the all clear sign. Luke almost missed it in the dim, dim light of secret room.

He pressed his gaze to the cracks in the floorboards above him—saw, for one last time, the spectacular visage of the demon hunting him—then crept toward the trapdoor and silently swung it open.

Quiet, he signed at them all. Careful.

They kept moving.

Dropped into the basement below, one by one—sure enough, no troopers. There was a second set of steps out the back of the building, he knew, into the alleyways that the troopers likely weren’t policing; he made a beeline for them, his Rogues falling into step behind them.

One they were out in the alleys, no one would look twice. They weren’t exactly wearing Rebel insignia, and soon they’d just be another crew of rowdy teenage boys and young men, stumbling along the streets. They just needed to get there, he thought as they reached the top of the steps, and climbed out into the alley, shivering against the harsh north winds. They just… needed… to get there…

A trooper pointed at them, sword drawn.

“There they are!”

They scattered.

Luke barked orders to them to separate and meet back at their third arranged rendezvous, the old oak tree with the old noose tied to it, and they fled into separate directions like an explosion of gunpowder. The troopers hesitated to pursue them at first, studying each kid—eventually they evidently figured that Wedge, the oldest of those Rebel kids, was the leader, as the biggest and tallest, and they stormed after him—

No.

Wedge wasn’t getting captured. Not on Luke’s watch.

He raised his hand and a shower of sparks shot out of it, setting the nearest tree alight with a fire that didn’t burn. He threw that same cerulean fire at the trooper nearest to him, who stumbled back with a shout, and kept running.

“That’s him! That’s the kid who destroyed the Death Star!”

Well.

Shit.

He kept running.

The river was ahead—the river marked the boundary of the town. He just had to get across it, he just had to get there and dive into the frozen woods and lose them in there… He was a Rebel who’d been hiding in the tundra for months now, he could easily gain the upper hand there…

Until the very earth shook beneath him.

He went down with a gasp, sucking in air and rolling as a massive chunk of the road, the size of a cart, slammed into the spot his head had been moments previous.

“There you are,” Vader’s voice mocked. “Come out of your hidey-hole, little rat?”

Luke threw himself back to his feet and turned away from Vader, running straight away, not letting him see his face—

He cried out when sparks crackled over his back, smoke rising from his shirt, but he doused them and kept running.

Vader didn’t even bother to run after him. He just walked, slow and inexorable, forward and forward and forward…

“You think you can run, whelp? How did a child like you destroy the Death Star? I know it was you, I recognise your magic… but you are even more pathetic than I imagined.”

Luke panted, taking a sharp turn at the next rode, friendly gardens of homely magnolias erupting on either side. He just… needed… to get… to… the bridge…

There! He could hear the river, gushing and shattering against the rocks and the banks, as fast as a whip or a ship in a gale, and now he could see it, glinting at the end of the street, steel-grey under the cold, cold sky.

He pressed on, running full pelt, the footbridge right up ahead—

And then Vader’s hand was closing around his wrist, grinding the bones together with the force of it and Luke screamed.

“I have you now, rat.”

Vader yanked him back but Luke pivoted on his foot, bringing out the short dagger under his clothes—he’d left his kyberblade with Ben, shit, shit—to brandish. It glanced harmlessly off of Vader’s armour and the dark lord didn’t even flinch, gripping tighter… and drawing his sword with his free hand.

“No!” Luke shouted.

“Prepare to meet—”

Luke twisted, twisted, and finally got free, the strike that Vader had been aiming for him just carving a shallow furrow across his chest instead, Luke wrenching his hand away, feet pounding at the planks underfoot as he crested the bridge, and—

He skidded to a halt so fast he nearly fell over.

Troopers lined the other side of the bank. One, with the blue insignia of the 501st on his shoulder, stood broad and tall right on the other end of the bridge, his sword drawn.

Pointed straight at Luke.

Luke turned, trying to— No. He couldn’t run back.

Vader was on the other end of the bridge, observing him with amusement.

“You have run far, fast and long,” he declared, taking a step toward him. Luke twitched, like the frightened animal Vader wanted him to be, taking a step back from him. “But you can run no longer. This is the destiny you courted the moment you drove Tarkin’s Imperial forces out of Alderaan.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have had to drive them out if they hadn’t invaded,” Luke hissed, his grip on his dagger white-knuckled. It was short, useless against the towering war mage who could crush him with his little finger, but it was all he had.

That was, precisely, the point.

Luke’s magic bunched in his gut, ready to be unleashed. Ben, he thought to himself. He didn’t see a way out of this one. Ben, I’m sorry…

I’m sorry it had to end this way.

I’m sorry you’ll have to bury me as well as Mama.

Vader took another step forward. Black sparks swirling around his clenched fist, and the darkness howled around Luke. “Surrender,” he advised, “and perhaps I will make your death quick. So long as you cooperate.”

Luke glared at Vader. “I—”

Vader waited, amused. He knew when he had his prey trapped.

“I…”

Luke turned back to stare at the 501st soldiers, blocking the exit. Fire hummed in his palm.

He could take out the first one, maybe. A well-placed shot, a stroke of his blade… he could do it. Take out the first one, and the two flanking him with fire, and fire raged. It feasted. It could take out a few more while he fled—

And the rest would be upon him before he could hope to escape.

There were, simply, too many of them to escape on the bridge.

“Surrender,” Vader intoned. “Though I have no qualms with standing here forever, or casting a spell so that you die being roasted from the outside in. At least that would be an excellent shield against the cold, no?”

Luke swallowed. His teeth were already starting to chatter—he’d left his warm coat in the Cloud City.

He hoped the Rogues had got away safely.

“I,” he said at last—because what else was there to say—“will never surrender.”

And then he threw the dagger at Vader’s head, fisted the fire he’d been summoning in his right hand, pressed it against his heart—

—seized the railing of the bridge with his left hand—

—and vaulted it.

There was a momentary rush, a falling—then the freezing water engulfed him, knocked the breath from his lungs and the light from his eyes, and snatched him away.

“Luke. Luke, wake up.”

Warmth at his chest. Warmth in his heart. The water inside him misting and rising, disapparating at the murmur of a few choice ones, and then—

He sat up abruptly, coughing his heart out, shaking from head to toe.

“Luke. Little one.” Ben’s voice. Ben’s hands, reaching for a thick woollen jacket and draping it around his shoulders. Ben’s arms, cradling him against the grass and the mud of the riverbank; Ben’s silhouette eclipsing the light.

He blinked. “What…”

“You nearly drowned,” Ben snapped. Luke started at the anger in his voice. “Your— your conjure warmth spell was impressive, and it kept you alive. You nearly drowned, you nearly froze to death, you—”

Arms around him. More voices, murmuring—he peeled his eyes open fully to see Leia and Wedge exchanging fierce, worried words under a pine tree a few dozen paces away, tossing him looks.

Ben pressed his hand into Luke’s back and whispered another warmth spell; Luke shuddered at how good it felt to feel the magic bleed him dry of the cold.

“That was so close, Luke,” Ben said. “Don’t make it come that close ever again, do you hear me?”

Luke swallowed, and nodded. “I hear you. Vader—”

“I know. You did well.” Ben took a deep breath. “We knew he would be after you. After— after Alderaan.”

“Yes.”

“And… Luke, you should know, about him…”

Luke tilted his head up to meet Ben’s eye, fix him with a questioning gaze.

“…never mind,” Ben said. “Actually, never mind. But…” He pushed a damp lock of hair back from Luke’s face. “Stay away from Vader, Luke. Promise me?”

“I promise.”

Ben relaxed, for all that they knew it wasn’t a promise that he could keep.

“And stay away from large bodies of water as well,” he said. “Or, at least, get some swimming lessons.”

“I know how to swim!”

“It has been quite a few years since you learned, Luke, and it shows.”

“I’m not—!"

“I nearly lost you,” Ben whispered. Luke hissed as he hugged him, tighter, and aggravated the shallow wound across his chest—he hadn’t realised how much blood was there.

Leia stepped forward. “Get Commander Skywalker into the wagon, to warm up and recover from his dip,” she ordered. “Then let’s get out of here.”

She leaned down to put a hand on Luke’s shoulder, and help him up. “The Rogues all escaped, and met our men at the rendezvous point,” she said to him. “Don’t worry, Luke. They got out alright.”

Luke gave a shaky smile. “That’s a relief to hear.”

“They escaped Vader. You escaped Vader. For… what? The third time? Fourth time? Umpteenth time.” She squeezed his shoulder as he started staggering toward the wagon. “You’re building up a streak. A true escape artist—so much luck.”

“I am,” Luke agreed. “But one I won’t be able to keep.”

He didn’t know why the wave of melancholy suddenly hit him so potently. He just knew that he was glad that Ben was out of earshot, now.

“One day, Vader will come for me,” he said, “and my luck will run out.”

#luke skywalker #darth vader #for darkness shows the stars #leia organa #obi wan kenobi #my writing #random words on a page #whumptober2020 #whumptober #swords and starflowers #flash fiction #flash fiction: star wars

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aiden-png · 5 years ago

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Hyrule the baby detective?

ohohoho okay so.. I have three genres I like to write in my original lit: horror, scifi, and mystery. so I wanted to write a mystery for LU, multichapter and thoroughly outlined (partly because analyzing HSH was so much fun and I wanted to keep that going alkdfjkasdfj). so I came up with an idea for a crime mystery set in a vaguely 1890s ‘modern’ Castle Town city following apprentice detective Hyrule... I actually wrote a Lot for the first draft before realizing it was a bit too silly for my intent and I hadn’t outlined it enough to solve the sideplots I’d introduced while writing. so I scrapped this... 4? chapter first draft right before the climax and sat down to Really plot it out (I wrote this one in July I think lol)

I have a whole outline and I made a new setting: ‘modern’ university AU with a serial killer antagonist who takes an interest in Hyrule. I had so much of it planned out and I was hype to write it because the twist was amazing, which is the part I felt was lacking set up in the first try. but then classes started and I came up with another multichapter idea and started writing that instead, kinda.. oops!

so if I ever release a version of this fic, it’ll probably be an edited and finished version of the crack taken seriously first draft XD and I’m not sure if I’ll ever use the twist I came up with for the second version so I won’t share it, but it was Good omg.... I love adding twists into my multichapter fics, they’re so much fun aaa! :D

and I guess, just because I can.... have a (unedited and messy) snippet from it! :D

Hyrule was so nervous he’d managed to leave the office and board the subway before even opening the envelope. The envelope where the address of the client and time of meeting was… Hyrule sighed, carefully opening the clasps and peering inside. There was one tiny slip of paper and nothing else. Great. Hyrule pulled the appointment card out, squinting down at the scribbled address and-- oh dear, the meeting was in less than an hour! Hyrule’s eyes flicked around, only relaxing slightly as he realized he’d somehow managed to board the correct train.

He was a bit frustrated at the lack of information he’d been given, if he was being honest. A murder case typically had a name, some pictures, a report even when they got the call, but the card Hyrule held simply had an address and a name--Twilight. Odd name, but he didn’t really have room to talk, his parents had named him after a country after all.

The train arrived and Hyrule shuffled his way through the crowds at the station, climbing the stairs to find himself in the center of the historic district. Towering stone buildings lined the streets in streaked creams and greys, stained by coal even as most of the city moved to electric. The houses here were expensive and ancient and Hyrule knew the district was made of wealthy, private citizens more than anything else. People who preferred to keep their affairs under the table, tight-lipped and aloof, rude even. Hyrule lived in a dingy apartment, packed like a sardine in rooms barely big enough for a bed and stove. He felt small and out of place just standing in the street, suddenly aware of how cheap his white shirt and suspenders looked compared to the businessmen clad in full suits around him.

Hyrule rushed to find the building, glancing up towards the clock tower that rested in the building at the end of the street. Rows and rows of brownstones, all looking strikingly similar, before Hyrule found the bright red overhang of an apartment building, the address emblazoned on the cloth in gold script. He let out a small sigh of relief, still ten minutes ahead of schedule, and pulled open the grand wooden door at the entrance.

The interior was dark but spacious, high ceilings and sconces all fit with gas lamps that were out of use. There was a window at the top of the first flight of stairs, smudged and allowing a grey, watery light to pass into the foyer--the only light present. The right side of the hall held a built in alcove, a set of open mailboxes behind a desk and chair. An attendant sat in the dim light, head slumped forward on his chest, brown hair disheveled over his maroon uniform. Obviously asleep. Hyrule looked down at his note, up at the stairs, and quietly snuck past.

Two flights up Hyrule noticed a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling at the top floor, visible through the gaps in the alternating staircases. A small man was strapped to the rail and ceiling, grease and soot staining his shirt and hair pulled away with a green headband. Hyrule found himself on the fifth floor and peering at the precarious set up the man had constructed--or was he just a boy? He didn’t look much older than fourteen, but he was clearly hard at work, wires looped around his arms and clamps in hand as he converted the chandelier from gas to electric. The kid shot Hyrule a questioning look and he realized he’d been staring, quickly turning away and facing the hall ahead.

There were six doors, three on each side of the hall with tiny golden plaques adorning the wood with each apartment number. Hyrule winced as each step he took broadcast itself in loud squeaks, the maroon carpet rolled over the wood doing nothing to muffle them. Fortunately the apartment he was looking for was the first to his left, room 501, and he took a moment to check his pocket watch and take a few steadying breaths. Before he moved to knock on the door he heard the click of the knob, and a moment later the door tugged open to reveal a man dressed in a dark jacket with dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. They narrowed for a second and Hyrule felt himself stiffen in fear before the man grabbed his arm and pulled him in.

The door shut quickly, trapping Hyrule in the mysterious apartment with a threatening stranger and no escape. He almost considered trying to bolt before his eyes landed on the teen sprawled over the loveseat ahead, long blonde hair spilling onto the ground while his bare feet rested over the couch back. His left side was covered in a layer of streaking pink scars that pinched his eye slightly shut and twisted his mouth into a perpetual smirk. What made Hyrule pause however was the grin the kid shot him, warm and excited, and when he turned back to the other man he saw the tense posture had relaxed significantly.

“You’re from the agency, right?” the man asked, voice a bit tired and hopeful, like he’d been through this song and dance several times before.

“Ah, y-yes! My name is Hyrule, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Hyrule stretched out his hand and the man shook it readily, firm, and Hyrule felt himself begin to relax slightly.

“I’m Twilight. Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll fill you in on why I called.” Twilight offered a small smile and Hyrule let himself be guided to sit in a high backed armchair opposite the loveseat. Twilight shoved the teen’s legs off the back and came to sit beside him as he readjusted into a cross-legged position, grin still wide on his face.

“I’m Wild by the way,” Wild waved, Twilight nodding somewhat resigned.

“It’s nice to meet you, Wild,” Hyrule nodded despite the odd name, smiling at the thanks Twilight mouthed at him.

“Alright, so,” Twilight huffed, crossing his legs and straightening his back. Hyrule perked up, pulling a notepad and pencil from his jacket pocket and flipping open to a blank page. “I didn’t say much on the phone last night because this is a… well, a sensitive case, let’s say.”

Hyrule hummed, curiosity easing his anxiety enough to shine through. “A murder, yes?”

Twilight winced and Wild snickered at his side.

“Yes and no…” Twilight shot Wild a glare. “See, it hasn’t exactly happened yet.”

Hyrule paused. Huh.

“So you heard that a murder is being planned and you called us to help prevent it?” Hyrule surmised, only to be met with more laughter from Wild. Twilight shoved him but the teen only hid his smile behind a hand in response.

“Not exactly,” Twilight sighed, and Hyrule noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes. “You see, we have this odd neighbor at the end of the hall, and--”

“Twilight saw the guy’s ghost in a dream and is convinced he’s going to be killed.” Wild cut in, ignoring the sharp glare Twilight shot his way.

“Well, that’s a new one.” Hyrule raised his eyebrows, taking in the giggling teen and Twilight’s tired expression.

“It wasn’t a dream, I saw him, or at least I think I did.” Twilight sighed, fixing Hyrule with pleading eyes. “It must have been a ghost because he just appeared out of nowhere in the hall, covered in blood, and told me to call the cops. I did, but when they arrived they said nothing was wrong and I must have been seeing things. But I have a bad feeling about it, something isn’t right. I just want to make sure the Old Man’s okay.”

“When was this exactly? Have you checked on him yourself?” Hyrule tapped his pencil on the notepad, mulling over Twilight’s words. This certainly was an interesting case, and while he wasn’t sure how much he could truly do to help, he understood what Twilight meant. Hyrule trusted his own instincts--a bit too much according to Legend--but they hadn’t truly led him astray yet.

“This was a week ago. I checked on him right after I woke up the next morning. He was fine, not a scratch on him, but something tells me whatever is coming for him hasn’t yet.” Twilight twisted his fingers together nervously and Wild’s laughter petered off. “I’ve been hearing arguments from his apartment. More and more strange people have been coming to visit, and at odd times of the night. I think he’s gotten himself mixed up in something, but he’s pretty stoic and keeps to himself. I just worry…”

Alright, so maybe this case wasn’t as straightforward as he’d been led to believe, but Hyrule wasn’t deterred. Twilight’s words shone with honesty and he realized that the man was likely on his last attempt to find help. No one in their right mind would believe this story, no respectable detective would take on such a case. So it was a good thing Legend sent him, because Hyrule had literally nothing to lose.

“I’ll help you,” Hyrule announced, feeling a swell of confidence as Twilight smiled and Wild shook his head fondly. “If what you say is true there is cause for concern. I can start interviewing those close to him and keeping tabs. If he’s in trouble, we’ll find out, and I can make sure he stays safe.”

Well, he could try, but that was beside the point.

“Thank you so much,” Twilight said, already relaxing. “You don’t know how many detectives I’ve reached out to. They all say I’m crazy or trying to pull a prank.”

“Well, I’m here now, and I’ll get to the bottom of this.” Hyrule replied with far more confidence than he had. At least Legend had taught him one thing--how to bullshit. “So, why don’t we start with what you know about this man…”

Twilight sat back in the chair, Wild getting up to make tea in the adjacent kitchenette. Hyrule readied his pencil, hands steady as his nerves eased.

“We call him Time.”

#genderfluid-puddle-of-soup #aiden writes #this fic is so fun aaaa I wish I'd just finished the first draft XD #oh well

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realcleverissues · 5 years ago

Text

Church & Taxes

Despite being an atheist, I’m not necessarily against churches being tax-free, just as there are other 501c(3) non-profits that don’t have to pay those taxes either. I think community centers are good and there’s sense in not taxing them.

That said, I find that when I talk about politics with religious folk, they tend to use their religious beliefs to justify political decisions. (eg. “bible says gay marriage is bad, so what can I do? I have to vote against it! But I personally have nothing against gay people!”)

So, what I’m wondering about now, is if religious beliefs cannot be peeled away from political effects, then maybe that’s a sufficient reason to exclude churches from tax exempt status.

I also want to differentiate the church, in this regard, from other 501c(3)s which also deal with “political” subjects. For instance, there are plenty of non-profits devoted to helping gay people. E.g. for depression, suicide, housing, jobs, counseling, sexual health, and more. However, people who use those services are going there because they need help, and the agency is pushing a particular view. That is to say, I don’t think there are gay people who are against gay rights who then go to such a service and walk away thinking, “boy, I should really be in favor of gay marriage”. For one, they are already likely to advocate on behalf of their own self-interest. Secondly, the agencies don’t push advocacy, just help. You can still be against gay marriage and use the help services. In contrast, when people go to church service, they are going for the church’s views and advice on pretty much everything and anything. It functions largely as an advocacy platform. (In addition to community services, such as food drives, child-care, etc.) And they’re being told that god has definitive views on how they should see things. In other words, churches advocate for political positions by the nature of their work, regardless of the nature of need for those attending. And clearly, many people specifically use the church in this way, which is why they can’t separate their religious beliefs from political beliefs. For a similar situation in a secular 501(c)3, that would be like going to one that helps with housing for lgbtq people and everywhere there are signs and pamphlets that proclaim, “you should also favor full abortion legalization.” The people there didn’t come looking for abortion advice, let alone what seems like clear advocacy. The main point of churches is to tell their followers how they *should* feel and think (under threat of divine punishment); The main focus of normal 501c(3)s is simply services without focus on telling people how they *should* feel and think. Or so I would argue. What about education centers? If I teach a kid math, am I not literally telling him “how to think”? If I teach evolution, am I not advocating for a specific position? No, not really. For one, educated ideas are not pushed upon students under threat of eternal punishment. For another, one can absolutely disagree with the theories taught - one need only understand them to pass the tests.

I know this idea is still kind of half-baked. I need to think about it more. Thoughts?

P.s. This is what got me thinking about this... https://www.newsweek.com/vatican-consultant-urges-us-priests-refrain-telling-people-voting-joe-biden-mortal-sin-1529545 Obviously churches can’t openly endorse politicians, so I’m not even talking about that. It’s more about whether churches implicitly endorse politicians in ways that others non-profits do not.

#religion #society #taxes

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a-place-for-me-au · 6 years ago

Text

A PLACE FOR ME : CHAPTER 1

Summary: September 2nd, 2019. First day of freshman year.

Trigger Warnings: Cursing, homophobic slur (as joke), bullying (mentioned), homophobia (mentioned), depression, deadnaming, violence, food

Characters: Deceit, Roman, Remus, Patton, Virgil, Logan, Remy

(mentioned) Corbin, Sloane

Words: 5770

AO3

CHAPTER 1 |

Notes: Big thanks to @missfay49 for being an amazing beta reader!

VIRGIL

Monday. The air was crisp, the leaves had started to turn, but still the grass was fresh and green. I set my eyes to the ground, but I still felt the heat of bodies moving around me. My eyes flitted across the faces of people I may have known years ago. My eyes returned to the ground and I saw the grass. Most of it was bright and green, but soon I found underwatered patches. The dew however, made the bright grass brighter. As I glanced back up, my heart was beating a little fast, I guess. Last time I was in school, I got beat up, and nearly sent to the hospital. Maybe now it would be a little different. I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and walked into the cold, uninviting school.

PATTON

September 2nd. The leaves were golden and the air was shiny and bright, with cold light making the colors morph into something else. The trees loomed overhead. It wasn’t quite cold enough for the sweater I was wearing, but the heavy, knitted sweater kept me safe and held. I had never been to school, and I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve seen a handful of movies about high school, but, to be honest, I never cared much about movies. The looming building seemed tall and intimidating in front of me. The people all seemed tall and intimidating. I stared at the ground and imagined that instead of hoards of hormonal teenagers, I was surrounded by animals of the forest. Deer, rabbits, frogs, birds...

DEE

The second of September, the first day of school. It was just another day, and yet, the gold in the leaves was all the more noticeable. A chilly breeze grazed my skin, and I put up a hand to the burned half of my face. I didn’t care about it, and no one else did, and yet, the idea someone might find it wrong never left my head. I stared up at the grey building, framed by a grey morning sky.

ROMAN

Monday, on the second of September, in the year 2019. The tall sweeping trees, dotted with browns and vivid oranges swayed in the light fall breeze. The green of the grass, while not as vibrant as in the intense summer months, was still vivid, especially when juxtaposed against the cold cement surrounding the school. The school, a grey, uninviting building with bars on the doors, felt grand and mysterious. The grey bricks made me think of great castles of villains. I sighed. I took a glance at my brother Remus, but quickly looked down at the ground. I’d barely slept last night. I’d finally gone to sleep at the foot of my brother’s bed somewhere around five in the morning, my face wet from tears. It had been a tough week so far, but at this moment, I felt nothing.

REMUS

It was Monday, September 2nd. The trees twisted over the concrete, and I gazed up at their colorful leaves that had just started to change. The grass was still bright and colorful, and full of vibrancy. Feelings dashed through the air like leaves falling from trees. I could feel excitement, fear, worry, boredom and dozens more emotions flitting through students minds. I could feel my brother Roman beside me. The school loomed over, highlighted against the bright grey sky. I imagined spikes coming from the top of the grey prison and skipped forward, putting a bright smile on my face. Time to make some impressions!

LOGAN

Mon. 02/09/2019. The trees lining the concrete pathway to the school were starting to turn brown. Some leaves had already fallen. However, the grass was still green. The school was simple and plain. It was blank and gray, with grates over the windows. A feeling of anticipation was welling up in my chest, and while I hesitated to call it excitement, the idea of learning new things was...inviting.

VIRGIL

I took a deep breath. It’s this or get dead named in front of your entire class.

“Excuse me, is this 204? Mr. Johnson’s room?” I asked, hanging off the doorframe. A tall man with dark, wrinkled skin and a bright, grey beard looked at me and beckoned me to his desk.

“I am Mr. Johnson. What can I help you with? Class doesn’t start for another twenty minutes.” His face had a quizzical expression, and he placed his head on his fist.

I pushed my hands deep into my pockets, reaching for some security. “Um, see...well, it’s about… my, um, like my name.” I took a deep breath. I could feel my hands shaking. Would you really rather be doing this in front of the entire class? “My name is Virgil.” I blurted.

He gave me a strange look, then pulled out his roster sheet. “Um, let me see if you’re on here…”

“I’m not.” I swallowed. “I came because,” My head felt light. “My name is, um, Virgil Ancell.” I took a deep breath.

In, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four.

“My legal name is, um,” It had been a while since I’d used it. “Amelia.” I said quietly.

“Well! Nice to meet you Virgil, I’ll be sure to make note of that, I wouldn’t want to use the wrong name for someone.” I smiled, I was still shaking, but I felt more grounded.

Now I just have to do that six more times.

I took a seat near the front and laid back, pulling a fidget cube out and fiddling with it. Mr. Johnson continued working on something. “Hey kid, Virgil.” I look up. “Do you think you could put a syllabus on each desk? There’s, one sec, uh, 27 students, so…” He counted out several sheets of paper. I placed my cube in my pocket and walked to the desk. He handed me the papers. “Just, yeah, put them on the desks, thanks kid.” I smiled, and did as asked.

Some time passed, after I’d put syllabi on all the desks, and kids started to filter in. I pulled my hood over my head and looked down. Mr. Johnson shot me a look. “No hoods.” He said, looking at me. I took it off, and immediately regretted it. I could feel the stares, I swore.

I heard people talking under their breath.

“Who’s the new kid?”

“I don’t know, but he seems emo as hell.”

“Seriously though, we haven’t had a new student in years, do you think they moved here?”

I sunk into my seat and gazed lazily at the door when a short, round person walked in the room. They held their head low, keeping their eyes on the ground. They had short, curly, golden hair, and large, round glasses. Their cheeks were rosy and covered in freckles. They were wearing a white tank top and a knee-length blue skirt.

Heads turned. They shone like the sun, their footsteps soft, eyes sparkling. Just seeing them was like breathing in a bouquet of sweet-smelling roses. The room got physically brighter as they sat in the front row, right in front of me. Their presence was like an angel come to sit on Earth.

Suddenly, a tall guy with dark hair and sunglasses sat on the desk next to me. He was wearing a white shirt, a leather jacket, and some short jean-shorts.

“Hey.” He said, a nonchalant look on his face.

I looked down. I was scared. No way around it. I was in a new environment, and I was scared. “Hi.” I said meekly.

“I don’t know you. What’s your name? And you too, pretty boy.” He looked at the soft boy in a skirt. The boy looked at him, and then at me.

“I’m… Virgil.” He gave me a look like he’d seen a ghost.

“Oop. Welp, what’s up, kid. Name’s Remy. You might remember me.”

Remy.

My heart beat fast. Looking now, I recognized him. Those eyes, the eyes that stared me down every day of my life. That voice that would tease and ridicule me. Memories of being called a dyke, a faggot, of my head being dunked in the toilet of the boy’s bathroom.

‘Go back to the girl’s room, Amelia. Amelia. You were such a pretty girl.’

“I should let you know I’ve changed a lot.” He was awkwardly rubbing his neck. “After you left, I got put in my place.” There was a moment. I didn’t know what to say--I couldn’t say anything.

“Well hon, “ he said, breaking the silence, “That’s too much to unpack.” He took a deep breath and turned to the boy at the front.

“Now you, pretty boy.”

I looked down. This was… Remy? But he was so… awful. I looked at him, refusing to believe someone could change like that. But maybe. Maybe they can.

I moved my seat a few inches away from him.

PATTON

The first few minutes went great! People are already starting to talk to me! I think they’re being genuine. I don’t know.

The boy… Remy. I didn’t know what to do. Should I tell him my name? Why is he calling me pretty boy? Is that normal? I was confused.

“You there, kid?” He waved his hand in front of my face. “I’ve never seen you before.”

“I’m… Patton.” I said shyly. He reached out his hand to shake mine, but then the bell rang, and class started.

Class passed by quickly. I wasn’t sure of everything, I’d never been to public school, but it was somehow a lot easier than I expected.

Finding the rooms wasn’t that difficult. There were five floors, and the room number corresponded to the floor. 501, for example, was in the northeast of the fifth floor.

That didn’t make switching classes any easier. I was tossed around like a bouncing ball at the beach by the waves of students making their way to each class. In the forest, everything is calm and peaceful. There’s more than enough space for everyone. In the hallways between classes? It’s a thundering storm, paired with a flood.

The day went on uneventfully. Mostly, teachers were giving out syllabi and setting rules. We got a bit of homework for English, but that was just to check on all of our reading levels.

English had been quite nice actually. The teacher, Ms. Green, passed out the syllabi for the class, as well as a few pages of a story. It was just a simple exercise, to see how long it took us as a class to get a reading activity. It was an excerpt from one of my favorite books: The Secret Garden. I’d read it a thousand times over. Well, I’d read a lot of books a thousand times over.

I was walking through the halls towards the cafeteria, reflecting on the day when I was suddenly I was thrown from my thoughts when I found myself tripping and falling into someone. I could feel their hands grip my arms, and they pulled me up. I looked up into deep, dark brown eyes. He had reddish brown hair and a cocky smile.

Well I knew I wasn’t straight, but in the name of all that is good, gosh darn it. Am. I. Gay.

I could feel my face getting red. It’s my first day and I’ve already tripped and fallen right into the arms of a frickin’ prince.

I tried to right myself, and force out an apology. “My goodn--oh my--geez--I am--so sorry. Are, I, uh, hurt? Are you, um, hurt did I--”

“It’s cool.” He gave me a smile like the goddamn sun was shining in my face.

“I’m am so I am sorry.”

He chuckled, then he looked at me closer. “You’re new. Did you just move to Marshfield?”

“I was-- um, homeschooled. I’ve always lived here, well, near, I technically don’t live in the, uh city, I--uh--town limits. I live just outside. Near the, uh the forest. I live, um, across the river.” I realized I had been staring a hole into his face and I quickly looked down, blushing. I noticed he was wearing a white and red letterman jacket and jeans.

“Then I can see why you’re so nervous. I shouldn’t keep you waiting for your next class.”

“I um, it’s cool, I, uh, it’s my lunch.”

“Oh yeah?” He said.

I smiled, trying to seem a little stable. He was tall. Really tall. At least a head taller than me. “Hey, want to come join my and my table? To be honest I don’t know if there will be a seat but, if there is, you can chill with us.”

Should I accept this? Will I be rude if I don’t? Is there some sort of unspoken conversation going on?

“Well, I, um I wouldn’t want to,” I paused. “Impose on your, uh, friend group.” Will this work?

“It’s cool, I’ll just see if there’s any extra seats?” The guy said. I nodded, I mean, I didn’t know how else to respond.

“By the way, what’s your name?” He said, walking towards the cafeteria.

“Patton.” I said shyly.

“Alright, come on Patton, I’m Roman.” As Roman walked, another boy came out of the crowd. He had the same face as Roman, but he was thin. He had a light mustache and heavy eye bags. However, probably the most noticeable thing about him was his bright green, embroidered, floral patterned shirt with ruffles on his shoulders.

“I’m Remus, the sexiest man you’ll ever meet.” He wiggled his eyebrows and Roman turned around to playfully slap him. He turned back to me.

“He’s my twin.”

When we got to the cafeteria, I could see the tables were small, and could each fit eight people. I followed him to a table near the back of the room where someone was waving. Once we got closer, I saw it was Remy, from my first period.

“Hey, pretty boy.” Said Remy with a wink.

“Shut up Remy, he’s new. Besides, you wouldn’t want Dee to hear you.” Roman said.

“Someone say my name?” A tall kid turned towards Roman. A scar, which seemed like an old burn, covered half his face, and stretched down his neck. He was wearing a black button down shirt, and, to my surprise, a black cape that went halfway down his back, trimmed with yellow. He also wore a black bowler.

“Yo, Ro, I don’t think we have enough seats, ‘cause I’m pretty sure Corbin has this lunch period too.” Said Remus as he looked around the table.

“Ah, shit. Well, I hope you find an empty table, you’re always welcome here if one of us doesn’t show up.” Roman gave a sympathetic smile.

Great, first day, and I’ve already embarrassed myself in front of the hottest guy in the school.

I scanned the cafeteria, searching for an empty table. I saw one in the corner near the kitchen, with only two people at it. Upon approaching, I saw it was one of the kids from my first period class. What was his name? V-- I couldn’t remember.

“Can I sit here?”

The boy from first period--Virgil!-- looked up, and then to the other person. The boy, who had well groomed, dark hair, and thick square glasses, looked at me and shrugged. He was wearing a black button down shirt, and a blue tie. I took a seat so that we were of equal distance from each other. I was unsure if I was supposed to talk to them in this situation, so I looked down at my food and decided to let them do the initiating.

DEE

“Dee!” A body crashed into me as I was walking down the hall, and a pair of arms latched onto my torso. I feel a light peck on my neck, then I hear the ice of a Starbucks cup.

“Hey, Remy.” I turned around as soon as Remy released me.

“Oh hon, you look fine. That’s one hell of a cape.” I looked down at my questionable clothing choice.

“The extreme tends to make an impression.”

“Ooh, he’s hot, fearless, and a Heathers fan? I might be in love.”

“Oh, shut up, Remy. Do you know what table we’re sitting at?”

“Not yet,” he linked arms with me and started to walk, “but Roman said to meet him and Remus in the cafeteria during breakfast to coordinate. You know, lunch periods and all that jazz.”

I nod. “The cafeteria is on the top floor?”

“Sure is, hon.”

We made our way to the top floor, Remy saying hi to about five dozen people as we walked past.

“Do you know everyone in the school?”

“Hon, I know everyone in this town.”

Remy might not get all As, (in fact, one A was an accomplishment) and he didn’t always know how to read emotions, and he wasn’t great at solving problems, but if there was one thing he was smart in, was names. He knew every name he’d ever been told, he claims. And it wasn’t just people he’d met; actors, singers, bands, he was a genius. He knew everyone in the school, even if they weren’t friends.

“Hey Jack, honey, looking gay!” He said, knocking his voice up an octave.

“You too!” He winked.

Another thing Remy was? Gay. Some people are gay, but Remy was not satisfied with that, no. Every had to know. He was up and out and proud.

It’s kind of funny, he use to bully all the gay kids, or the trans kids. His parents were never accepting, and I guess he used to bottle up a lot of internalized homophobia…

“Ooh hon, stop doing your head monologue and say hi to Roman!” He said when we got into the cafeteria.

Roman, hot as ever, and at least a few inches taller.

“What it do, faggots and Roman.” Remy said.

“Uh, rude much.” Remy released my arm and ran up to squeeze Roman. Not letting go of him, Remy leaned back. “Man, you are a hunk.”

“Well, I spent the last three months working out everyday. I guess puberty finally set in.”

“Oh, and you got a little fuzz! You are a man, hon.” He gasped, and let go of Roman.

“Remus! You got a mustache, and you are rocking that top. Dee, get over here.” I walked around Roman. Remus was wearing a frilly shirt, green with a floral pattern embroidered on.

“Hoo, I feel underdressed.” I smirked, fiddling with my cape.

Soon I felt Remus’s arms wrap around me. “Hey noodle.”

I giggled. “Don’t fucking call me that.”

“Aww, my little angry noodle.”

I rolled my eyes, but I felt warm inside.

“Come on, guys, I’m going to show you the table.” Roman said, walking through the lunchroom. Remus let go of me. There was a table in the back corner, complete with Corbin, Sloane, Kai, and Elliot already sitting there. “Everyone, time to compare rosters.”

I found out I didn’t share many classes with the gang, but I was in the same lunch period as the rest of the table. After we were all satisfied, we caught up until the bell rang, and we were off to classes.

***

The classes passed uneventfully, and soon it was lunchtime.

When Roman walked in, there was a short boy in tow.

He had round glasses, but they didn’t distract from his glittering blue eyes. His steps were dainty and small, and still somehow graceful and sweeping. His head was held low, and he couldn't have been more than five foot, but when he walked in, the entire room was at his fingertips.

I could feel light and warmth filling the room. I looked around and found half the cafeteria with their jaws to the floor staring. I could swear a melody was playing in my head as the boy followed Roman to our table.

“Shut up Remy, he’s new. Besides, you wouldn’t want Dee to hear you.” Roman said.

“Someone say my name?” I said, breaking my stare to look at Roman.

“Yo, Ro, I don’t think we have enough seats, ‘cause I’m pretty sure Corbin has this lunch period too.” Said Remus as he looked around the table. My head processed the situation, and then my heart sank a little. The Literal Angel would not be sitting with us, he would have to find some other seat.

“Ah, shit. Well, I hope you find an empty table, you’re always welcome here if one of us doesn’t show up.” Roman gave a sympathetic smile.

I wanted to offer up my seat, but before I could form the words, the boy had shuffled off to another table.

ROMAN

“We’re meeting everyone in the cafeteria because apparently I’m the leader of this friend group and I have to decide where we sit.”

Me and my brother Remus we’re walking into the school building. Not five minutes in I was bombarded with hordes of joyous teenagers.

“Yo, Ro!”

“What it do, kid?”

“It’s the little guy on the football team!”

“Not so little anymore, hey kiddo!”

I forced a smile and slapped the hands of the people walking by.

“Hey!”

“Was your summer good?”

“Hey, watch it, you almost bumped into me!”

“You good?” Remus leaned over to me. The rush of people around me faded away as I felt my brother lean into me. I threw my arm around his shoulder.

“Yeah.” I lied.

He could tell. He always could. I gulped, and straightened my spine.

Feeling his warmth so close to me was a comfort. Like having a too big dog in your lap, like curling up to your mother on a cold night. Like your brother that’s always there for you in your time of need.

We travelled through the waves of people, eventually cutting through the crowd to the top floor, where the cafeteria was. I put on a smile and went through the motions. I greeted my acquaintances.

Then it was time for classes.

***

Remus was talking, but I wasn’t really paying much attention to his words. We had the same roster this year, so a lot of what he was saying was just repeating the events of the day before. I was in a trance, the words going in one ear, out the other. I could barely register the way my feet were hitting the ground.

I was suddenly yeeted from my daydream when a body was thrown in my direction. On instinct, I grabbed the arms of said body, gripping them tightly. I put on a cocky smile, and then the head of the body turned up at me.

He had eyes that sparkled like diamonds, they were a pale baby blue. His touch seemed to ooze happiness. I could feel something spreading from his hands, coursing through my blood. I felt happy, for the first time in a while.

It was as if sunlight was streaming through the tiny windows along the wall as he tried to apologize.

“My goodn--oh my--geez--I am--so sorry. Are, I, uh, hurt? Are you, um, hurt did I--”

“It’s cool.” I said, giving a genuine smile for the first time that day.

“I’m am so I am sorry.”

His nervous demeanor only made him more adorable. I wanted to grab his hand right then and run away from this school forever. As I looked at him, I wondered why I’d never noticed him before.

“You’re new? Did you just move to Marshfield?”

He stammered out a string of words, which I managed to connect to “I was homeschooled.” As he spoke, though, his face took a pink tint and he looked at the ground.

Suddenly the thoughts were racing through my mind. I tried to think of all the possible ways I screwed this up, or could screw it up more.

I spat something about being nervous, but I wasn’t really sure of the words coming from my mouth anymore.

“I um, it’s cool, I, uh, it’s my lunch.”

Then I invited him to my table. I could feel my heart beating. Stupid stupid. That’s weird. He’s going to think your weird. What will the others think. I don’t have enough seats.

Indeed there weren’t enough seats, as pointed out by Remus. I stared at him. Sorry. I thought, giving him a smile. He returned it and walked off to another table. I gazed as he went.

I expected my heart to return to it’s grey, melancholy state. And yet? The warmth stayed, even as I turned away from him.

“He’s cute.” Remus said.

I rolled my eyes and took a seat, a touch of pink on my cheeks.

REMUS

Today was a bad day. I’d woken up to Roman curled at the bottom of my bed for the third time since last Monday. His hair was messy, and his face. His light makeup had been skewed by tears. Now, as we were walking down the hallways, he was masking his mood with a smile.

People greeted him in the halls left and right. I leaned over “You good?” It was a silly question. I knew he wasn’t. He laid his arm on my shoulder.

“Yeah.” He lied.

We walked into the lunchroom and were soon confronted by a sunglass-wearing gay.

“Ooh hon, stop doing your head monologue and say hi to Roman! What it do, faggots and Roman.” Remy said.

“Uh, rude much.” Roman said.

“Man, you are a hunk.” I heard Remy say. I refrained from mentioning I was the one who got him to work out every morning. I zoned out for a minute until I heard Remy say my name.

“You got a mustache, and you are rocking that top. Dee, get over here.”

I noticed Dee for the first time and smiled.

“Hoo, I feel underdressed.” I heard him say before I leapt forward and pulled him into a hug.

“Hey noodle.”

He giggled, adorably. “Don’t fucking call me that.”

“Aww, my little angry noodle.”

He rolled his eyes, but I could feel his heart warm up.

“Come on, guys, I’m going to show you the table.” Roman said, walking through the lunchroom. I let go of him with a smile on my face.

***

Pretty soon I was walking to Biology side by side with Roman. I managed to slip into the room just before the bell rang. I gave a cocky smile to the teacher and picked a seat in the back row. I looked around the room at the students. When my eyes landed on Logan, I smiled, and a memory came to mind.

People were gathered in the classroom, we’d just been told that Amelia… uh, Virgil, the trans kid, had left the school. I was looking around the room at the students reactions. Many were snickering, but quite a few also seemed to be seething.

I heard several remarks, but didn’t catch any. I guess I was sad that a student left, but we hadn’t been friends, so. Well. I guess s--he didn’t have any friends. I started to feel bad for him when suddenly an angry kid stood up. The teacher was standing just outside the classroom talking to someone as the kid--Logan-- walked up to everyone’s favorite bully, Remy.

Remy had been a jerk to Am--Virgil for years. Before he came out, and after. He bullied him for being a lesbian, for being trans, and other made-up and fictional “problems”. Remy bullied everyone, I guess, but Virgil… it was bad for he--him.

My eyes followed Logan as he walked right up to Remy. Remy looked nonchalant at the approach, and didn’t even look at Logan. “Hey.” Said Logan, looking straight on at Remy.

“What do you want, nerd?” Remy said, standing up. As I examined Logan, I could see his eyes were glassy with the threat of tears.

“It’s your fault. If you weren’t such a goddamn jerk to him all the time, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Oh what, you’re defending that girl, she’s not worth it.”

“Shut up Remy, he’s a boy, and I am here to punch you.”

Logan did not disappoint. I saw the teacher turning around out of the corner of my eye, but quickly gave my full attention to the two boys. Logan raised his fist and--

BAM!!

His fist collided with Remy’s face, sending him backwards, tripping over the chair. My heart beat faster. Logan’s face turned cold and unmerciful. He wiped a tear from his face and looked down upon the body.

(The teacher gazed apathetically before giving a thumbs up and turning back to the door.)

Well, I don’t know how I’m supposed to believe I’m straight.

Butterflies fly through my stomach, and my heart turned over in my chest. He was beautiful, and his fist could do magic.

That was the moment I fell in love with Logan Lowell.

I was pulled back to the present as the class started, and began to take notes on the teacher and the like. My eyes never strayed far from Logan, though. I got lost in daydreams, as I often did. Many of them involved confessing my love to Logan in extreme and extravagant ways. I also created a few vivid descriptions of how exactly I would go about physically torturing him, but I put those aside.

***

The next two periods passed uneventfully, and pretty soon me and Roman were walking down the halls to lunch.

“And let me tell you about his eyes.” I’d been gushing about Logan since this morning, and was not slowing down. “He just has the most--” I was interrupted when I noticed a small body making his way down the hall--straight towards Roman. Neither of them were paying attention. I reached a hand out to pull Roman to the side, but before I could even touch him, the two collided.

As the two apologized, I stared at the boy. He was short, and yet, you didn’t feel like he was. He seemed to be glowing, but I blinked, and the aura disappeared. He had pale, shiny blue eyes, and luscious golden hair. He was beautiful.

Roman invited him to his table. I might have protested, but the boy seemed so sweet that I didn’t dare.

“Patton.” His name was Patton. I felt it was necessary to step in,

“I’m Remus, the sexiest man you’ll ever meet.”

Roman, I noticed, didn’t take his eyes off of Patton, which, I mean, who could blame him? As we walked into the lunch room, I counted the people at our table. After a moment of thought, I realized we didn’t have an extra seat.

“Yo, Ro, I don’t think we have enough seats, ‘cause I’m pretty sure Corbin has this lunch period too.” I saw Roman shoot a sympathetic look, and the boy, Patton, walked away.

“He’s cute.” I said. Roman blushed and took a seat.

LOGAN

I stepped into the building, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose, and glanced around the hall.

Hordes of teenagers rushed across the shining floors, racing to their next class. I stepped through the crowds, swerving around, hitting no one, and yet moving swiftly past. Years of ballet had trained me to move quickly, efficiently, and gracefully.

I stepped into my first period classroom and look around the room. The teacher, a well dressed woman, gave me a smile, and I took a seat in the front row, by the window. I pulled out a notebook and wrote “AP Physics” and my name, “Logan Lowell” on the front. I opened it to the first page and began copying down information from the board about the teacher.

‘Daphne Moon

[email protected]

Graduated from…’

Slowly other students filed in, some familiar, some not. I never paid any attention to the students, I never much needed to. I spent the time waiting for class to begin, staring out the window at the leaves of a large oak tree.

The class went fairly smoothly, the teacher introduced herself, talked about the syllabus.

Then we were off to our next class. English.

***

“Hello class, I’m Ms. Green. It’s a pleasure to meet each of you. I have my contact information up on the board if you want to read that and…”

She gave a nod and began counting papers on her desk. She looked up, apparently counting the students, and soon began placing papers on desks. I took a look at them. One was titled “About Me”, and it had a variety of questions on it. The second one was the syllabus, and I began to skim through it.

“Please fill out your about me papers, there are markers if you want to color it.”

It was like being back in kindergarten.

I began to fill out the paper.

What is/are your favorite subject/s?

Physics, astronomy

What do you like to do outside of school?

Ballet, research

How can I best help you?

Challenging the students more than you think they can handle, offering resources to learn more for students who are interested

I finished the paper quickly, and spent the rest of the period relaxing and gazing out the window.

***

Third period came and went, and soon I made my way to lunch. I had brought a sandwich, and apple, and a bottle of water, which I promptly laid out once I’d found an empty table in the cafeteria. Soon, a boy in a hoodie took a seat across the table from me. I nodded out of politeness, but otherwise didn’t acknowledge him.

I began my lunch, taking in the scene

Then he walked in.

I don’t quite believe he was a boy, more a celestial being. I scoffed silently. An angel? Logan you’re really going mad.

I wasn’t quite sure why I was gazing at him like there were stars in his eyes, but I followed him as he walked with the football player, Roman? to his table. He was meek, and short, and yet he commanded the attention of the room. I blushed and forced my eyes down to my food. I felt silly for admiring him, but I ignored it.

I stared intensely at my food as I ate. I heard footsteps approaching my table and looked up It was him. I tried to ignore him.

“Can I sit here?”

I shrugged. My odds of avoiding human attraction have severely declined. This is going to be a nice school year.

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purplesurveys · 6 years ago

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501

Do you do careless things like spill nail polish on your nightstand? I definitely sound like the type to end up doing that. Most of the time I’m half careless and just half downright clumsy. How are you today? I’m doing...okay. The first week of school has been nice to me, but the weather hasn’t - we’ve had three off days so far due to class suspensions. Today’s one of those days so I actually have time to take up a survey or two, then I’ll go back to my readings for my anthropology and history classes. When someone messages you and you know it's going to be rude, do you ignore it and not read it, or do you read it and reply? Depends on my mood. If I’m already anxious as it is, I probably wouldn’t want to open it for a few minutes/hours. If I’m feeling bitchy then I’d go ahead and reply. Do you find online drama stressful? It is. I like the memes that come out of the especially big dramas, but I stay out of them. How stressful is your life? It’s not very stressful right now, but that’s only because classes for the semester have just started. Get back to me and ask the same question in the middle of it lol.

Do you like your hair better curly or straight? In the middle. Wavy. I look disgusting with straight hair, and curly is an unnatural look for me. What's your favorite vegetable? Broccoli, asparagus, spinach, and bell peppers. Do you have a youtube channel? If so, what is it? (Msg me if u want to watch mine!) I have a channel but only so that YouTube can customize my homepage according to my interests. What song best describes your life? This has always been one of my least favorite survey questions because there’s never any song accurate enough to describe my life at the moment :/ There are songs I like listening to lately, but never any that are relatable. Would you ever post your most embarrassing moment story on youtube, or is that too embarrassing for you? I block off all my embarrassing moments from my head so that I forget them, so even if I had to do this I wouldn’t be able to. If you have a youtube channel, do you post more serious videos or fun? Are you keeping any secrets from your parents? A big secret running for five years now. I’m waiting until graduation to tell them. What are your favorite things to watch on youtube? I used to be just into vlogs but I’m all over the place now. List videos, Shane Dawson’s older stuff, PewDiePie, food video series (like Bon Appetit’s X Number of Ways to Cook A/An [insert food item here] or BuzzFeed’s Worth It), dog videos, conspiracy theory videos, BuzzFeed Unsolved, etc. Was any of your home decor inspired by Pinterest? No. Do you do yoga? I do not. What is something you have tried and hated? FRUITS. Do you have regrets? Some small ones here and there but I hate the idea of dwelling/lingering on regrets. Are you a good person? I hope I’ve been. You’d have to ask my family and friends. Who do you look up to? I never really had any role models, but like someone I really respect is AJ Mendez, a former wrestler and you might know her cause I used to talk about her a lot in my older surveys. Do you do the right thing or the wrong thing more? I think it’s a balance. Are you rebellious? I used to be. I was an absolute HEADACHE as a teenager. How many tattoos do you have? None. What do you want to name your first child? Olivia for a girl. Not sure what main name I want for a boy but I want him to have Luis as one of his names, after my girlfriend’s dad. Are you mad at someone? Nope. What is this month's calendar picture? I don’t have a calendar with pictures. What is your last ex-boyfriend's or ex-girlfriend's name? The same one as my current girlfriend hahahaha Do you have an ex-friend that you miss? Mmm no actually! I recently got back in touch with Sofie and I couldn’t be happier :3 Our banter’s still the same after three years, so that’s really relieving for me. What color do you want your wedding dress to be? White. What is your favorite zoo animal? I don’t like zoos. Who were your favorite bands as a kid or teenager? Paramore, All Time Low, Sleeping with Sirens, We Are The In Crowd, Pierce the Veil, basically all the angsty tween bands lmfaooo. When I got a little older my music taste got considerably influenced by CM Punk’s, so I also started listening to bands like Against Me!, The Bouncing Souls, The Misfits, Rancid, H2O, Rise Against, Rage Against the Machine, etc. Do you use snapchat? Not anymore. I haven’t touched mine in a couple of years. How many months until your birthday? 8. Would you rather go out for pancakes or steak? It’s 8 in the morning, so pancakes sound perfect right now. Any other time of the day though I’d go for steak. What's your favorite ramen noodle flavor? Shoyu is my favorite variety of ramen. I don’t really dig instant ramen. What decade were you born in? 1990s. What is/was your favorite Homecoming Week day? Never had those. How do you feel when you read the Bible, if you read it? Encouraged? Angry? Exasperated, incredulous, disappointed, annoyed, bored. I just have very strong feelings about that book lol. Have you ever suffered from anxiety? You mean currently? Lols. Have you ever suffered from depression? Also currently. Have you ever seen an angel or a demon? I have not. I don’t believe in angels, and while I don’t 120% believe in demons, it’s a little fun and ~exhilarating to think about the possibility of their existence. What is something a lot of people like but you don't? Billie Eilish’s music. What color is your favorite pair of jeggings or skinny jeans? White. Do you own any bellbottoms? Nope. Do you own a dreamcatcher? Yes, I have a couple of dreamcatchers above my bed. What season's colors do you look best in? ...What? Have you ever done something incredibly stupid? Every day I do at least one incredibly stupid thing. Do you have revenge fantasies that you never actually play out? Hahaha, sure. What is your favorite mystical creature? Not a fan of those. What do you want to be when you grow up? I wanna work in the field of public relations. While I have to make peace with the fact that it exponentially EXHAUSTS me socially, I do like the fact that I genuinely enjoy the nature of the job and everything else that comes with it. Are you truly happy, or are you only happy because you're doing something to distract yourself from your problems? Or are you just sad? You got me on the second guess, buddy. Have you ever lost something amazing because you held on to it too hard? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Is there a guy or girl you let slip away and you wish you hadn't? No. I didn’t let them ~slip away so now they’re still in my life. Do you ever wonder what could have been? Sure. What's an uplifting song you like to listen to? Looking Up or Grudges, both by Paramore. Paisleys or plaid? Plaid. I didn’t know what paisleys were so I Googled them and OMG, I hate that design so much lmfao. What's your vocal range? Not high nor impressive at all. I don’t sing.

#survey #surveys

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angelfiume · 6 years ago

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Mouth Like A Sailor Part 3

Last part for tonight. I will be back with more if yall like it!

The morning after our little night out, I wrote a note to Sophie and Jean and left as the were still sleeping. I woulda walked back home, but Soph's house was a while from my place. I took the trail into town and waited at the bus-station for the 7 AM. The city was real quiet at this time in the morning, either everyone was just now waking up, or had just gone to sleep. Nothing was even open yet, except for the 24/7 places at the plaza, but I wasn't in any rush to get a cup of old coffee that wasn't even hot. I saw the bus come rolling down the hill, the sun was starting to rise. I handed the driver 25 cents (you only had to pay from 10 PM till 8), and kept to myself the whole ride back to my neighborhood. It was Saturday so Darry and Soda were getting ready for work and the rest of their outfit was probably gonna get to the house soon. I accidently slammed the door on my way in- a habit Darry would probably be yelling at me for the rest of my life. Steve, Soda's best friend, was lying on the couch having an awful loud conversation with Soda, who was in the shower. We smiled at each other briefly and I went to my room at the back of the house. I used to be real close to the whole gang when we were all younger, but it started getting awkward when I turned twelve and my mom gave me this long talk about how a "young lady" shouldn't be out late with "young men" and she went off the one day she walked in my old room and saw Dally and I just hanging out all innocent like. After those lectures I started hanging out more just with girls and only really spent time with my brothers' friends when they were around. It wasn't too heartbroken about it as Dal was the one I spent the most time with and he liked me a whole lot more than I liked him. Even as a kid Dally was tough and harsh and his idea of a fun game was pulling my hair and taking play-fights way to serious. He's not too bad now, now he just teases me relentlessly about my voice and tries to tell me I'm flat chested and even my ass makes me look like a boy. Which is ridiculous because I know I'm a looker and so does the rest of Tulsa, he just thinks it's cute to hurt girls' feelings is all. I got out of yesterday's clothes and cleaned off my makeup from last night. Most of the things I owned used to be my mom's when she was in college, before she had four kids. The other twenty-five percent of what I owned were actually hand-me downs from my brothers, a whole lot of that being their shoes from junior high, shirts, and a pair of soda's old 501s. I got into my mom's old hip-huggers, a black blouse, and Pony's recently out-grown converse. On my way into the kitchen for a cup of coffee I bumped into Soda who whipped around to look at me with a nervous expression, my stomach dropped, I was either in trouble or something real bad had happened overnight, Soda was rarely ever bothered.

"What? Soda, Darry didn't check to see where I was last night, did he?" I asked shakily, Darry didn't just sound scary, but he was real smart, he knew what to take away from me that I would get upset about.

"No, no but he's gonna get suspicious, Marli, you smell like you drank all night!" He whispered back at me, "You better go brush your teeth and put some perfume on or something, hell just light a smoke."

"OK,OK, thanks Soda." I ran back to my room to grab a cancer stick, I hadn't even had much to drink last night, but Soda and Darry had this odd talent for smell, I remember last week I quickly got outta a fight with Darry with some bullshit lie when he smelled pot in my car I had smoked a month before. I walked out puffing on a cigarette, which of course Darry wasn't gonna be too happy about, but rather that than alcohol. I walked out to the porch to have it, luckily before Darry even turned around to see me walk out.

"Hey Marls, you look rough, man, what's the matter with you?" A deep voice laughed from the concrete steps, "Musta been one helluva night."

"Shut-up Dal! This door is most screen, you don't think Darry won't rip my head off if he suspects something?" I snapped in a hushed voice.

Dally raised his eyebrows and took my cigarette, taking a long drag before handing it back, "Be cool, man, he's not gonna know you went all the way to that bar just cause of some smart-ass comment I made."

"Yeah? Guess so. How the hell did you even know where I was last night? Doubt you have half the dough to leave this neighborhood anyhow."

"For some reason people around here seem to think you're a real cool broad, did ya know that?" Dallas chuckled, looking up at me from the ground, "Some socy girls were yappin at the drive-in about how that Sophie was goin' all the way to Oklahoma City to see some celebrity or something, and you weren't here last night, so where else would you be?"

"Hmm, well as long as that don't get within a miles radius of the Curtis Residence, I guess that's alright." I sighed and took one last drag before heading inside.

Darry was walking around looking as stressed-out as ever, with a piece of toast in his mouth, a cup of coffee in one hand and the other trying to tuck his shirt in. Luckily, he didn't even give me half a glance, so I was pretty much in the clear. Ponyboy was sitting on the couch next to Two-bit, looking surly as ever. He was a real smart kid, but a little on the awkward side. I could tell he wasn't too confident in his steps just yet, but I didn't judge him too hard on it, I'm still figuring my place out in the world. Darry could get pissy at him a lot, and Steve wasn't too keen on him either. I hate to think it's a girl thing, but I always held a special place in my heart for kids. He was my kid brother, so he annoyed the shit outta me, but he was alright. Soda came running through the living room, looking for his DX shirt, I just can't believe he refuses to set it out for himself the night before, as every damn morning he runs around like a scalded cat looking for the damn thing. He pushed me outta his way and started around the rest of our small house. I went in to get a coffee and saw that Dal had followed me into the kitchen. I turned around to look at him, immediately my stomach did a little flip. I had seen that look before at a lot of guys' faces and it never really made me feel all flattered at shit, just kinda uncomfortable. But for Dally I changed a little, he and I had been so close as kids and even after that he hung on to our friendship more than the rest of the gang. I didn't say anything, I just walked back to my room, what could I have said? I sure as hell wouldn't be caught trying to chat him up, I knew better than that. He wasn't necessarily a player, he's only had one girl at a time and always kept her close, but he was still a dick! He didn't have a lot of respect for girls, he always did for me and the other girls he knew, but I'd like to know the guy I date doesn't embarrass girls on the street just for kicks. Not even that, but my brothers would think I'm just the dumbest little thing to walk the earth if we ever did become anything. I remember last summer, I had a short-lived fling with this 22 year old in the Army on leave, and when I told Darry, he said "Marls, I don't wanna tell you how to live your life, but c'mon don't be just another greasy girl in our neighborhood who thinks she's hot shit for getting in with older men. You're just being trashy." Usually when my brothers say stuff like that to me I don't care, cause that's what siblings do, we are SUPPOSED to hate each other, but this time it was different. He wasn't calling me trashy as an annoying older brother, he really meant it. My brothers really care about me, Soda mostly just cause he cares about everybody. But Darry will always just judge me before he stands up for me, same with Ponyboy,he can sure say a lot of shit about Darry, but at the end of the day those two are a lot more similar than Soda and I, and we're twins. I'm probably overthinking it all anyways, maybe Dallas was just being an objective jerk, but that's not the first time, nor the mildest thing, that has happened between us.

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bby-calum · 8 years ago

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Gingerbread Syrup part three - Tom Holland Imagine (Christmas Imagine)

request: For your Christmas dad Tom thing. Reader is married to Tom and pregnant and on Christmas Reader's final gift to Tom is a box with something baby related (ex onesie, pregnancy test, rattle) and reveals the pregnancy and Tom is super happy to be a dad. And he's like I have a name picked out and Reader is like "We're not naming him after Spiderman." I would write myself but I've never done fanfic before and don't want it to suck if I write it.

a/n: the final part, a little short but still SO MUCH FLUFF. happy christmas guys!

word count: 501

masterlist: (x)

part one: (x)

part two: (x)

Leaning with your hands against the bathroom sink, you tried to steady your breath. Your reflection in the mirror hung on the wall in front of you showed a tired mother who hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep once during the run up to Christmas. Since having kids, Christmas with Tom had changed from cosy nights by the fire with Tessa to nappy filled, chaotic evenings, where the peace and quiet was replaced with the sound of your seven year old daughter, Lily’s, non-stop chattering about Santa Claus and your four year old son, Max’s, screams as he refused to go to sleep thanks to his own newfound excitement for the festive period. Glancing at the positive pregnancy test lying on the edge of the bathtub, you realised Christmas with three children next year would be even more hectic than any past holiday season you had already experienced.

“Love, you ready?” Tom called up the stairs. You could hear him making small talk with Jessica, the babysitter, who had come to look after Lily and Max while you and Tom went to Harrison’s house for the annual Christmas party. “Yeah, almost,” you replied. “Actually, babe, can you come up here for a minute?” You smoothed out the skirt of your dress and grabbed the pregnancy test, hiding it behind your back as Tom entered your en suite. “Need me to do up your dress, darlin’?” He asked making you smile. You shook your head. “I’ve got an early Christmas present for you,” you told him. “I didn’t have time to wrap it though. Close your eyes,” you instructed. Placing the test into his outstretched hands, you signalled for him to open his eyes again. When he realised what he was holding Tom exhaled a small chuckle and you noticed a tear roll down his cheek.  “Number three,” his voice cracked and you nodded. Tom pulled you into an embrace, squeezing you tightly. “Finally.” He rest his forehead on yours, gently rubbing your stomach with his left hand. For over a year, you and Tom had been unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant again and if you were honest, you were close to giving up altogether. So the news of your third pregnancy was not only a surprise, but felt as if it was some form of miracle.

Interrupted by the beep of Tom’s phone, he took your hand, leading you downstairs to say goodbye to the kids before getting into the awaiting Uber parked up on your driveway outside. “None of my Christmas special Long Island Iced Teas then tonight, huh?” You both laughed as his hand met yours across the backseat of the car and his thumb ran circles around the inside of your palms.

“Babe, I was thinking,”

“Hm?”

“If the baby’s a boy, we should call him-”

“We’re not naming the baby after Spider-Man, Tom.”

“How did you-?” Tom was shocked you had read him so easily.

“You’re so predictable,” you teased, making him laugh. “So predictable.”

#tom holland #tom holland one shot #dad!tomholland #husband!tomholland #tom holland imagine #tom x reader #tom holland x reader #my works #harrison osterfield #haz osterfield #thomas stanley holland

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clearlyswagmentality · 7 years ago

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PART 2:

Jiyans POV

Hazal and me were heading towards the meeting room, After waking up and having breakfast in the morning. When we entered the room it was pretty busy, our commanders hade set out a row of tables 6 sitting at each one assigning groups. Whilst those who received their next locations were either saying goodbyes to each other if they were no longer tonne together.

As I walked forward to wards my commander I wondered where I would be assigned, the battle front, secret breachers or to stay and teach the new recruits. I greeted the commander and he greeted me back.

"Heard you created chaos yesterday too" he said with a hint of humour as he searched through the sheets.

"Who me? Never! " I said making him laugh.

"Found it" he said as he pulled out the sheet and gave it to me. "Good luck at your new location, try not to get caught or die" he said, his voice laced with humour but looking him in the eye I could sense some seriousness in it"

"Yes boss!" I said saluting him, making him laugh again

"It was nice knowing you kid, even though your crazy ass was sometimes a handful" I took the paper and started walking away, but turned around and smiled brightly.

"Nice knowing you too father, I won't forget your nagging or your kindness and patience with my crazy ass" the commander is not my father by blood or flesh in any way, but with the way he acted I addressed him as the father I never had.

I walked out and waited by the door for Hazal to exit, and whilst I waited I looked at where I was assaigned. JIYAN, CODE NAME STORM ASSIGNED TO: INFILTRATION CAMP. I read it as I started to feel the excitement bubbling in my stomach, I was gonna be the Ninja 501, AKA agent 007 for the Kurdish freedom forces. Those rats won't know what hit them! Meahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa-

"Jiyan, where are you assigned to?" Hazals voice intirupted my thoughts.

"To the infiltration camp, what about you?"

"I'm staying here to teach the newbies" she said with a defeated sigh which caused me to start laughing, so she hit me asking me what was so funny.

"N-Nothing, that job is importa-important too" I said trying to keep the laughter in but failed as I burst out laughing once again. "I'm gonna get more kills than you at this rate, ha ha loser."

Which earned me a smack on the head making me stumble "Shut up"

" well I need to go and get packing it says we're leaving in two hours" I said as I started to walk away trying to avoid the one thing she loves but I hate...Hugs.

"Jiyan! Stop your ass there young lady and give me a hug befor you leave, I'm gonna miss you!" She said as she started to run making me sprint as though my life depended on it back to our room. When I reached it I tried shutting the door but she slipped in befor I could do it.

"Jiyan! It's just one hug, we're like sisters...and this might be the last time I see you" she said as tears filled her eyes so I let her hug me whilst I gave her a awkward pat on the back, if only I had known the amount of truth those words had carried.....

*two hours later*

As I got onto the big truck like car I waved goodbye to Hazal and Ali. As the car got further away I turned in my seat towards the only two idiots I was close too. Siyar and Mo, "With what type of mind did you two get picked for infiltration?" I said to the two, who just grinned at me.

"What do you mean, were 100x better than you, your just jealous" Mo said, I smacked the back of his head

"Idiot, why would I be jealous of you if we both have the same outcome? It's not like your going anywhere different or better, it's the same place!" I said as I laughed at his stupidity. The rest of the truck joining in.

"So what are all of your names, first time I'm seeing you lot" I did towards the other 5 people in the car.

"Well although you haven't heard of us, we have heard of you jiyan, your unpredictable actions have become news all over the force." He said with a smile. He looked about two years older than me, I’m 18 by the way.

"Well my name is, Deniz I'm 21 years old, and am a part of your group" he said as we shook hands I turned my head towards a girl sitting next to me.

"I'm Meryem, like you I'm a female fighter. 17 years old, I hope you can see me as a younger sister" she said smiling at me as we shakes hands. "Of course we are all family here"

The other two were called Eric and Max both from America and they were twins, when I asked them why they joined the Kurdish forces they told us it was because they found it unfair how, our situation isn't viewed as important even though our people were getting whipped out in clear sight without nobody lending a helping hand. They said that they hoped that them being here showed that although it looks like nobody knows about our struggle, there were people out there still supporting us, be it through money or protests. To which we smiled and thanked them accepting them even if they were not of our blood they were human, like us they bleed in red.

The road to the next base was a rough one, we passed through some parts of the city where we would have to crouch down low in order to not get shot. We joked around not minding the dangerous roads we were passing through. The sun was at its highest when we arrived.

The sounds of shots were going on non stop. We all jumped down from the truck, and were greeted by a tall serious looking man.

"Welcome, I can't talk for long, but all I can say is watch your selves from here on out. You will always be in danger of getting shot. You are the infiltration team so you will be working in the dark hours, go inside and you'll meet the general who will explain to you what you need to do from here on out" he ended his speech with a nod.

We all nodded back and walked towards the house, the person I saw sitting down inside was someone I thought I'd never see again in my life...

I was frozen, watching him. One of the only two people I loved, stand around a table with others I didn't know focused on a map.

Mo knocked on the door signaling we had arrived, his gaze lifted from the map along with the others, and he signalled for us to enter. We entered one by one, I stepped into the room last, though he had still not realised.

I watched his every move, as he moved from the table to shaking and hugging each of our hands first MO's, then Siyar's, Meryem, Alex and Drew's. When he came to me he froze, and took a step back, and then took another forward, "J-Jiyan, is that you" he asked his eyes darted around my face as they waited for an answer.

I nodded my head, and he quickly pulled me into a Hug everyone in the room was confused but we could care less, we were uncle and niece, meeting after 6. Years.

"We all thought you were dead! Why did you leave without saying anything?!" I said as I pulled him closer, he then took a step back.

"Becaus I knew my brother would say no, they'd all of tried to stop me." He said with a smile "But why are you here, where's your brother, and father" he said looking down at me.

"Dad died last year and I don't know where Alican is, we, before Dad died he was supposed to return but we didn't hear from home for 4 years... So we, I think he died in combat. I had nothing left uncle, I had to leave or I was going to lose my mind." I said a tear slipping out of my eye, my uncle wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.

"Don't worry kiddo, your no longer alone, you have me now" I looked around the room. It was empty, looks like they all left to give us some privacy.

"So the rumoured Crazy bitch, wait I can't say that to my niece. I meant dog, crazy dog, wait thats not any better," his blabbering made me laugh.

“I’ve missed you so much uncle” i said pulling him in for nother hug, he lughed the vibration shaking through my body.

“Me to buddy, me too” we stood like that for some time and then pulled away, "Anyways get some rest with your team, I'll send someone over so that we can all go over what'll be happening this night." He said pulling me into one last hug, I Hug him back and fill ow a boy around my age to the girls room and I see

#YPG #War #Story #Kurdistan #YPJ #Funny #Action

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mockjesse · 7 years ago

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100 important questions about jesse girard.

PART 1: THE BASICS

What is your full name?

jesse thomas girard

Where and when were you born?

i was born in wilmington, north carolina on october 1st, 1988.

Who are/were your parents? (Know their names, occupations, personalities, etc.)

hans girard ( my father) has owned his own pub since he first came to america in 1986. he’s hard working, emotionally distant, and very a man of few words. hans only speaks when he absolutely has to. frieda girard (my mother) managed finances at the pub and was a part owner of a gift shop downtown. she was also very emotionally distant, but she was much more outspoken than her husband. she passed away in september of 2017.

Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?

N/A ( i’m an only child, thank god )

Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people.

now i reside in los angeles ( ocean park ), on my own in a 501 sq ft. studio apartment. it’s pretty cozy, i don’t think i’d ever upgrade, i like the space i have. my favorite spot is my balcony.

What is your occupation?

director/producer for the hit television show, countenance

Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks.

i’m 6′3, 196 pounds, with brown eyes and dark brown hair. i live in oversized sweaters and jeans, but sometimes i’ll venture out in a pair of sweats and a t shirt, that’s quite rare. not as rare as formal attire. i don’t think i own a suit but i have two nice button down shirts and one pair of navy slacks. i have a scar that stretches from the bottom of my belly button to my left pelvic bone from a sledding accident when i was nine. i have two tattoos that are very hidden. one on my right hip ( a dara celtic knot for my maternal grandmother, who was irish ) and a vacancy sign across the right side of my chest ( a drunken decision )

To which social class do you belong?

upper class.

Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?

shellfish allergy, and a few mental illnesses.

Are you right- or left-handed?

lefthanded

What does your voice sound like?

deep and often monotone. friends have observed that i sometimes use a german accent (much like my fathers) to refer to anything german or my heritage.

What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?

“like”

“actually”

“literally”

“fuck you”

“don’t touch me”

“ok so”

“no”

“jesus fuck”

What do you have in your pockets?

loose change as always, my wallet, a pack of spearmint gum ( which i religiously chew ) and my keys.

Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?

i bite my nails down to a nub. it makes everyone crazy. i nibble at them until they bleed. i crack my knuckles when i’m nervous. sometimes i click my tongue when i’m trying to avoid saying something I’ll regret. when someone is talking to me at work, i may walk away halfway through the conversation to do something else, not because i’m bored but because i have so many things to do and if i don’t do it now, i’ll forget.

PART 2: GROWING UP

How would you describe your childhood in general?

it wasn’t easy growing up in my household. you developed thick skin very early on, and you learned to rely on yourself. there weren’t many warm and fuzzy moments, but they provided all of my essential needs such as food, water, and a roof over my head.

What is your earliest memory?

probably my fourth birthday party at mcdonalds. i hated clowns. it was hell. i swear ronald had it out for me.

How much schooling have you had?

i got my bachelors at university of north carolina at wilmington and my masters at nyu

Did you enjoy school?

absolutely. it was an escape for me. home life could be very discouraging, i could show up on campus, take a test, and suddenly i felt better.

Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?

i suppose my teachers and professors taught me most of what i know today.

While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them.

my role models ended up being directors i idolized growing up. my favorites are stanley kubrick and alfred hitchcock. i suppose you can call them role models. i want what they have, i want to direct thrillers and leave the audience on the edge of their seats. i think they each value suspense and storytelling, and i do too.

While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?

i did not get on very well with my parents. i think my uncles and aunts were easier to get along with, because they have become much more collectivist through the years. they gave me most of my affection in my childhood. my grandparents gave solid advice so i valued them too.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

at one point i wanted to be a police officer but most little boys do. that dream vanished quick, i think directing came at age eleven.

As a child, what were your favorite activities?

i liked to watch movies. i hated tv shows. i would turn on hbo or showtime and just watch movie after movie while my parents worked. i liked to skateboard as a teenager, and i also took up photography as a hobby during middle school and high school.

As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?

many people joked that i was a 40 year old man trapped in a 8 year old’s body. i was always very quiet, very observant. i never spoke unless spoken to, that was rare. i was very restless, i hated bullies. i would defend a kid i didn’t even know on the playground. i was suspended for many fights.

As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like? When and with whom was your first kiss?

not popular at all, i was too quiet. i had a few friends in middle school and one good one in high school. i did not open up to a lot of people, so i think a lot of people took that personal. my friends in middle school were always studious but goofy. we drifted apart when we went to different high schools. my best friend in high school was nick staffield, who was a lot like me. we were both quiet and distant but we had this mutual understanding that we didn’t need to know what the other person went home to. he had a pretty rough homelife too. so we would go to the cinema after class or stay behind after photography to look at our negatives. my first kiss with a girl was with annaleigh winslow, she was my first girlfriend. it was freshman year. she had to make all of the first moves because i was really unfamiliar with romance. my first kiss a guy was with nick, our senior year. it unfortunately was one of the reasons we lost touch.

Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?

not a virgin, no. i lost my virginity with a girl in college, freshman year. we hooked up at a party, i think her name was rachel. we didn’t do formalities. it was nice, and she didn’t expect much from me after, so i appreciated her. however, it set unusually high standards for hookups at parties. my first time with a guy was different. it was senior year of college and we went into it with no strings attached. he was some big jock so i went with it, i figured he wasn’t into relationships. but he also wouldn’t stop texting me afterwards. his name was alex, i think he has a fiancee now.

If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities. If you are just a normal human, describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.

PART 3: PAST INFLUENCES

What do you consider the most important event of your life so far?

i think my first table reading of countenance was surreal. it made me feel like it was all coming together. i feel bad, i made very few notes to the actors, but i think i was immersed, completely.

Who has had the most influence on you?

i would say my professors from tisch and uncw. their input, their criticism, and their teachings have pushed me to be where i am today.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

my greatest achievement was getting a second season of countenance. i honestly didn’t see it coming, but i’m a pessimist.

What is your greatest regret?

not saying goodbye to my mother before she passed.

What is the most evil thing you have ever done?

i don’t know if i’ve done anything evil but i did sleep with a married professor...

Do you have a criminal record of any kind?

just some minor tickets for drinking in college.

When was the time you were the most frightened?

i hate heights, so any time i have to go on a plane? i have a panic attack.

What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you?

one time i stretched during a presentation in grad school and my shirt button popped off and everyone started laughing and i wanted to die.

If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?

i think i would open myself up more to people and relationships. it would have prepared me more.

What is your best memory?

i think when i got a call about a network picking up countenance. i was floored, i threw up.

What is your worst memory?

finding out my mother had passed away while i was filming.

PART 4: BELIEFS & OPINIONS

Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?

pessimist.

What is your greatest fear?

i think complete failure scares me a lot... but loneliness keeps me up at night.

What are your religious views?

agnostic.

What are your political views?

liberal

What are your views on sex?

love it, but it comes with a lot of strings attached so i’ve been holding off.

Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?

nah i couldn’t kill. just seriously injure.

In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?

i think levels of disrespect are what lead us to be evil. i won’t dwell on it or expand because it’ll anger me.

Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?

no but i do believe in love.

What do you believe makes a successful life?

i think setting out to do what you want and then accomplishing some or most of it is pretty damn successful.

How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)?

i’m never honest. i hate telling others what’s on my mind, or how i’m feeling. it feels too personal, and it feels invasive. i’m selective about who i share with.

Do you have any biases or prejudices?

i think we all do. i was conditioned to, but i’m unlearning all of them.

Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it?

i refuse to fucking sky dive because i don’t see the point of plummeting to your death and relying on a flimsy piece of cloth to save me ? no ? fuck that ? why do people like to fall out of the motherfucking sky?

Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)?

uhh.. my friends. the few i have. if i form a close bond with someone, even if i don’t open up to them, i’d most likely take a bullet for them. i may be stoic but i’m a pile of mush inside.

PART 5: RELATIONSHIPS W/OTHERS

In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how?

i keep most people at a distance as a default. i don’t treat anyone poor unless they absolutely warrant it. i try to remain civil with everyone. with people i’m close with, my softer side is more common. i like to give them more of my personality to make up for my lack of affection or emotional availability.

Who is the most important person in your life, and why?

i’m not sure i have someone like that.

Who is the person you respect the most, and why?

Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people.

Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person.

no spouse, no s/o. it’s complicated.

Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened.

no i haven’t but i have experienced spells of infatuation and it’s probably the worst thing i’ve ever dealt with in my life. who likes to feel all that shit at once? jesus, what a mess.

What do you look for in a potential lover?

i’d really like.. someone who understands me without any invasive questions. they won’t ask me for more than i can give. i’m so inexperienced in romance so my s/o would have to be patient with me. i guess beyond that? a nice smile.. yeah i’d like them to have a nice smile.

How close are you to your family?

not very. i do speak with my aunts sometimes, that’s about it.

Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?

no family, i’m not really sure if i’ll ever reach that point in my life. it sounds terrifying. i don’t think i’m qualified to take care of another human like that. it’s miraculous my fish have survived as long as they have.

Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?

there’s some people in the crew and the cast that i might call if i absolutely had to. i really don’t like to rely on someone else, though.

Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why?

not really.. i mean once again i feel like one person might come to mind but it’s.. yeah that’s dumb, sorry. we barely know each other so i’m overreacting.

If you died or went missing, who would miss you?

my goldfish would probably miss me, they wouldn’t be able to eat, after all.

Who is the person you despise the most, and why?

i don’t despise anyone. i dislike a few people. i think they all know who they are.

Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict?

god i should avoid conflict but i don’t. i try to remain neutral unless i’m having a bad day, or if i feel like someone is being treated poorly. then the gloves come off.

Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?

i hate doing it, but yeah. i think my job has taught me that the only way to succeed is to take a leadership role. it drains me, but the outcome is always rewarding.

Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?

jesus fuck, no way. those convention panels shouldn’t exist. that’s my hell. i hate answering questions, especially personal ones. thank god, the business related questions are usually directed at me, while the personal ones are directed at my cast. otherwise i think i’d lose it.

Do you care what others think of you?

i think it depends on the person. i care what my family thinks. other than that.. not really.

PART 6: LIKES & DISLIKES

What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?

i like photography and painting with watercolors. it helps with creativity so i never run dry. i get inspiration from the smallest thing, so it keeps me fresh.

What is your most treasured possession?

my projector or my laptop. i love technology so much, i wish i had something more meaningful but that’s what comes to mind.

What is your favorite color?

navy or olive.

What is your favorite food?

grilled cheese. i think i eat it more than i should.

What, if anything, do you like to read?

i think i just thumb through the classics, the most. steinbeck is my favorite author, sometimes i’ll read thoreau.

What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)?

a movie with beautiful cinematography, a song with a symphony or large instrumental accompany, or a mini series.

Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit?

i think if you drew blood from me, half of it would actually be red wine. i love red wine. i drink a glass or two every night. i used to smoke cigarettes... i’ll smoke one after sex because i’m a walking cliche. i hate drugs for the most part. they never give me the thrill people claim to have when they take them. to me it’s a waste of time when you could have a better night with a bottle of cabernet.

How do you spend a typical Saturday night?

usually i’ll put a movie on my projector and i’ll pretend to start a book, but then i’ll just watch a tv show or something.

What makes you laugh?

i actually love certain vines. cute animal vines have a place in my stony heart.

What, if anything, shocks or offends you?

rain ponchos are fucking atrocious.

What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself?

i usually get up and paint or i’ll sit outside on my balcony and people watch with a cup of coffee. usually everyone’s drunk, so what more could you ask for?

How do you deal with stress?

i stress clean. or i stew about it until i can nap.

Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan?

planning is sexy. a top ten turn on for me.

What are your pet peeves?

well there’s a special place in hell for anyone who doesn’t use a fucking turn signal when switching lanes.

PART 7: SELF IMAGES & OTHER

Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted?

usually i get up, grab a cup of coffee and a granola bar and head to work. if i wake up late and forget the granola bar or coffee, my coworkers are in trouble.

What is your greatest strength as a person?

i think my determination and organization. i believe that’s how i got my own show at a young age like this

What is your greatest weakness?

my inability to relate to people or my emotional capacity. it’s just low and i think i really miss out on a lot because of it.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

i think i’d be more open with my friends. tell them more about myself.

Are you generally introverted or extroverted?

introverted.

Are you generally organized or messy?

organized.

Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.

three things i’m good at: my job, anything requiring creativity, & organization

three things i’m bad at: anything with hand eye coordination, staying in my lane, & responsibility.

Do you like yourself?

this is a loaded question. i like traits about myself. overall there’s a lot i’d change.

What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons…

What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?

i would love one oscar, at least. i feel like i could easily retire with one (1) oscar.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

hopefully still at countenance, maybe wrapping it up and venturing into movies.

If you could choose, how would you want to die?

in my sleep. please @ god or something.

If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.

travel is always on my bucket list but that’s hard in 24 hours. i think i’d make a lot of phone calls and say stuff to people that i couldn’t say right now. i would want everyone to know exactly how i feel about them. i’d probably eat a whole bowl of cookie dough because you gotta go out in a blaze of glory. and then maybe i’d have sex one last time because it’s been awhile...

What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?

hopefully, my accomplishments on screen. i know i can also be difficult on set... but i’d like my cast and crew to think of me in a positive light... maybe have an impact on them too.

What three words best describe your personality?

witty, tempestuous, & protective.

What three words would others probably use to describe you?

stoic, tempestuous, & enigmatic.

If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character? (You might even want to speak as if he or she were sitting right here in front of you, and use proper tone so he or she might heed your advice…)

ooc; honestly jesse ?! if you spent half your time telling others how you really felt, you’d solve 99.9% of your problems. it’s so hard to open up, but you’re missing out on life by holding everyone at an arms length, man !! please just @ people next time ? jesus christ dude.

#valencetalk #oh boy this is a mess im so sorry

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mrderwrtr · 5 years ago

Text

Late Night at the 501

Half a dozen customers were scattered around the vintage, speak-easy style bar biding time until those dreaded words signaling the end of the night rang out. Coltrain’s Blue World hung in the air. Ian Flask sat at the end of the curved polished oak and cement bar nursing a glass of VSOP and watching Pierre, the bartender and owner of the 501, clean up. Both men had crossed the mid-field of life, but Pierre still looked like he could be Flask’s younger brother.

"You know, a lot of people don't know that story...,” the heavy-set man, sitting alone by the taps said in a drunken slur. He was also a member of the over-fifty set. A nearly empty glass of watered down Bulleit sat in front of him. “The real story 'bout Oz...the...the Wizard of Oz.”

Pierre looked over at Flask and smirked. “What’s that, Denny?” he said. “Kid gets hit by a window and ends up in OZ.” He set the tray of polished shot glasses on the rack under the counter and shook his head.

“Naw...naw…,” Denny groaned, waving his hand. “I's…act...actually a political fable….” He looked over at Flask and raised his glass. “Back me up, brother.” He swallowed the last of his drink.

“It's all political.”

Pierre slung the dingy white cotton rag over his shoulder and turned his attention back to Flask. “You call it?”

“Thought you called it half an hour ago.” He took a sip of his drink then set the glass aside. “I been ready.”

“See that “Yellow Brick Road” ‘sposed to represent the gold standard....” Denny continued.

Flask pushed up off his stool.

The wrought iron and glass door of the bar swung open and a young, brown-skinned man stormed into the bar. He reached under his dirty white t-shirt and drew a revolver from the waistband of his baggy jeans.

“Alright...y’all know what this is…,” he yelled, waving the gun around. He finally leveled it at Pierre. “Give up the cash, barkeep.”

Denny whirled around on his stool surprised and nearly fell.

Flask and Pierre exchanged glances then Flask settled back onto his stool. He looked around the bar. The young white couple seated at a booth near the back of the bar stared back at him while the trio of businessmen seated at a table across from the bar sat still, their attention focused on the man with the gun

“C'mon, barkeep...hop to,” the man barked.

Flask reached for his glass. “You don't wanna do this, son,” he said and finished his drink.

He gave Flask a puzzled look. The man was sitting, sipping his drink. He stepped toward him, turning the gun away from the bartender. “This ain't got nothin' to do with you, old man,” he said. He eyed the Rolex on the old man’s wrist. “But you can come up off that watch tho.”

“I’m pretty fond of this watch.” He gave the boy a sideways glance then nodded to the bartender. “You got any peanuts or chips or somethin’, P?”

“Man, I just put that....”

“Yo...old man...barkeep...,” the boy said, moving closer to Flask. “Y’all see this gun...?”

Flask stood abruptly. He grabbed the boy by the wrist with his left hand, digging his fingers into the space between the bones, weakening his grip on the gun then smashed the back of his right hand across the bridge of his nose. He wrenched the gun out of the boy’s hand as he stiff-armed him into a pair of bar stools.

The boy stumbled over the stools and fell to the floor.

Flask popped the cylinder out of the revolver then shook his head. “Ain't even loaded,” he said angrily. He tossed it onto the bar then looked back at the boy scrambling to his feet. “Get the fuck outta here.”

“Fuck you…,” the boy barked, wiping blood from his nose then staggered out of the bar.

Denny sat up on his stool. “Whole neighborhood is going to shit, P.”

Pierre shook his head and chuckled. “That's why I keep him around.” He turned his attention to Flask. “You wanna call it...before another roach crawls up in here.”

“Alright, everybody...,” Flask said, raising his voice. “Last call!”

The door opened behind Flask. He turned to see a petite, curvy, brown-skinned woman standing in the doorway. She was wrapped in a full length, hounds-tooth coat. “Detective Flask…,” she said then glanced back at the man running down the street. “Friend of yours?”

A grin spread across Flask’s face. “As I live and breathe...Rhonda Beasley.” He stepped toward her and hesitantly extends his arms. They hugged awkwardly then she stepped back brushing her curly auburn hair from her face. “What are you doing down here?”

“Actually…,” Rhonda said. “I was looking for you.” She looked over at Pierre leaning against the bar watching them and gave him a curt nod. “I figured you still hung out here.”

Flask laughed. “Hey, it’s my home away from home.”

She forced a slight smile then took a deep breath. “You got a minute to talk?”

“Yeah…yeah sure,” He looked back at Pierre and saw the irritated look on his face. “Step back into my office.” He led her to a dimly corner booth in the back of the bar.

Rhonda smiled tentatively. “So, I see you still conducting business out of booth 501.”

“It’s low overhead, great ambiance…,” Flask said as he slid into the leather bench seat across from her. “… and all the alcohol you can drink…why not?” He watched her shifting nervously in her seat. “How in the world are you…I didn't think you still lived around here.”

Rhonda turned her gaze away. She watched the hipster couple rise from their table. The thin, gangly man looked over at Flask and gave him a nod then followed his date out of the bar. Rhonda turned back at Flask and there was a seriousness in her eyes.

“You heard about Terri?” she said brushing her hand across her face.

“Your sister?”

She nodded. “Yea....” Snif. “Somebody murdered her, Flask...two weeks ago.”

“Damn...,” Flask sighed heavily. “I'm so sorry.” He sat back in his seat, threw a quick glance around the bar then swallowed the last of his drink. “Why didn't you reach out to me...I know we didn't work well when we were together, but Rhonda I still care.”

“I'm reaching out now.” She brushes her hand across her cheek again this time smearing her makeup with a trickle of tears. “I need your help...I need for you to find out who killed Terri.”

“I'm not on the force anymore.” He stared at her a moment then slowly turned his eyes away. “But I could make some phone calls.” He looked back at her. “What happened?”

Rhonda shook her head and glanced back at the bar.

“You want something to drink?”

Again she shook her head. She reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a nearly empty pack of Winstons. “My brother found her hanging in her bedroom,” she said. She nervously slides a cigarette out of the pack and places the cigarette in her mouth. “I just can’t get that image out of my mind.”

“What are the police saying, any leads?”

“Nothin'...,” Rhonda said. She found the dull black lighter wedged into the pack, lit the cigarette and took a drag. “They're saying it was suicide.” She exhaled a puff of smoke from the corner of her mouth.

Flask leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the table. “How do you know it wasn't?”

Rhonda stared back at him. “It's my sister, Flask...,” she said. “You know her...does that even sound like her?” She took a long drag on her cigarette then looked around for an ashtray.

“It's no smoking now.”

She sighed and shook her head. She snatched half a dozen napkins from the dispenser and tapped her ashes into it. “One thing I do know,” she said. “Whoever killed her went out of their way to make it look like a suicide.”

Flask tapped his fingers against the side of his glass.

“I don't expect you to do this for free, Flask,” Rhonda said then reluctantly put out her cigarette. “But I really need you. You are the only one I can trust.”

He looks out at the bar as the last of the customers straggled out. “Let me do some snooping...,” he said. “See what I can find out. Dana, my old partner, is still on the force. I’ll reach out to her...make some phone calls.”

“When we were together and I would always size situations up, Flask.” She rolled her cigarette up in the napkin. “What is the one thing you always said about me?”

Flask smiled. “That ninety nine percent of the time you were right,” he said. “But that one percent, when you were wrong, boy were you wrong.” He sat back in his seat.

“Exactly.” Rhonda leaned forward. She looked up at him. “I know there is more to this and the police know...something.” She glanced around the bar. “Terri worked for the Herald, I think she was on to something.”

“Like what?”

“I don't know,” she said. “All I'm asking you to do is look into it.”

Flask shook his head. “The cops aren't going to like me poking around.”

“Thank You.” Rhonda slid to the end of her seat.

“Don't go thanking me yet,” Flask said and stood. He helped her out of her seat. They stared at each other a moment. “I'm sorry about your sister.”

Rhonda kissed him on the cheek then stepped past him.

“So how’s you know who?”

She looked back at him. “You know who has a name...Regina. She's fine.”

Flask gave her a crooked smile.

“I'm at the same number,” Rhonda said. She turned and walked out of the bar.

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